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Thursday, May 31, 2012

It's A New Day

Yes, it's a new day. I awoke with some sense of release, relief and renewal.


I am ready to move on.


My turning point has been coaxed by a diverticulitis attack. I think it was partially brought on by the grieving I've been doing for almost 2 years. I am ready to let go and move on. Or maybe today I could say it feels more like the whole thing released itself. 


Some of my new day thoughts include:

  • There are some things in life over which we have no control. Other people go off on their own tangential journeys. I cannot learn other people's lessons for them. I am doing well to learn my own lessons.
  • In this case, one of the lessons of my life is that others do not have the right to abuse me. It was the norm for a long time. I just quietly went inside and dealt with it, for it was the way of life was for me. It is no longer my way of life. I withdraw permission from abusers to abuse me. All who have done so are jettisoned away from my life. I don't have to fight them, argue with them, convince them otherwise or allow them. They do not belong in my life any longer.
  • The main person who has been in my life for a long period of time who has never abused me is my sweet husband. He is a great gift to me. He shows me so much.
  • My peace of mind, my peace of life, my spiritual journey is not to be derailed by someone's off the rails choices.
  • It is not appropriate to put off the rest of my life waiting for the return of others who are not coming, and if who did return, would bring more abuse. The healing required for abuse to be gone from their behaviors may take more than this lifetime. Sadly, some are filled with cruelty, paranoia, and anger. It is up to them and God and not to me to deal with that.
  • Today has never before been lived. I will do my best to live it well. I will recall my "theme song" for my spiritual travels - Isaiah & the song "here I am Lord..."
  • So:  Here am I, Lord. Is it I, Lord? 
    I have heard you calling in the night. 
    I will go, Lord, if you lead me. 
    I will hold your people in my heart. 

Monday, May 7, 2012

The Change in Education from Then to Now


Title portion of examination

What it took to get an education in 1895

This is a final exam from 1895 in Salina , Kansas , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, Kansas, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

Final Exam: Salina , KS - 1895 probably for a teacher applicant, who most likely had "only" an 8th grade education.

Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph.
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of 'lie,''play,' and 'run.'
5. Define case; illustrate each case.
6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. Deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. Wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. Coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft.. Long at $20 per metre?
8. Find the bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton , Bell , Lincoln , Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour)
[Do we even know what this is??]
1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'U.' (HUH?)
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis-mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane , vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)
1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete.

No, I don't have all the answers! And I don't think I ever did!

A hypothesis I have is that this is what education looked like before the legislatures and unions took it over.

Have fun with this...pass it on so we're not the only ones who feel stupid!!!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Precious Memories

Sitting at the national day of prayer event this morning, thoughts of events in my lifetime came to mind. Sometimes I bring thoughts on purpose, and sometimes they waft up seemingly on their own accord.

Some of the memories are like pearls. They are shiny, smooth and lovely. I roll them around in my heart and mind as precious treasures. Some are like broken shards of glass. They cut again, just as they once did. Some have their sharp edges worn off by countless prayers and much forgiveness work.

A persistent shard that stabs at me without mercy is a certain estrangement for which I am speechless and in total confusion as to why. I pray that this beloved person will one day actually discover who I am and lay down their strange beliefs about me and cleanse their heart of darkness. It is such an amazing thing to have someone I love have a point of view of me that is 180' from my understanding of myself and that of everyone else I know. I picture that aha moment sometimes, but I am sad for all the times of pearl memories that have been and are being lost forever. I pray this person actually comes to a relationship with Christ and lets go of the cruel version of Christ that rules his delusion. I weep for the angry pain in his heart and pray for Christ to enter there and bring peace and light.

The memories of my life are a sort of private album to look through, ponder and learn from and treasure. No one can fully enter there with me, save God. I am reminded that all I really have though is this now moment. I can look back - did I learn this lesson; is that person okay; have I fully forgiven; etc. etc. etc? But this is the moment I have to live.

So I need to ask myself - am I doing the best I can in the here and now? Am I living in God's Light to the best of my ability? Am I listening and following Guidance? If I were to leave earth today, would I hear "well done good and faithful servant?" I do hope so. I have striven my entire life to do and be the best I can, to model God's Love by the way I live my life, to pick myself up when I fall and to turn again to God.

Thank You, God for being with me always, in the dark twists and turns of the valleys and golden lit mountain tops. I rejoice to know You!