First Question:

You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?

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ANSWER: If you answered that you are first, then you are absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!
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Try not to muck up this one.
Now answer the second question, but don’t take as much time as you took for the first question, OK ?

Second Question:
If you overtake the last person, then you are…?

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ANSWER: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Come on Dum-Dum, how can you overtake the LAST Person?

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You’re not very good at this, are you?

Third Question:
Very tricky arithmetic! Note: This must be done in your head only . Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000 . Now add 30. Add another 1000 . Now add 20 . Now add another 1000. Now add 10 . What is the total?

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Did you get 5000?

The Correct ANSWER is actually 4100.

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If you don’t believe it, check it with a calculator! Today is definitely not your day, is it? Maybe you’ll get the last question right…. Maybe.

Fourth & LAST Question:

Mary’s father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?

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Did you ANSWER Nunu?

NO! Of course it isn’t. Her name is Mary. Read the question again!

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Okay, now THE BONUS ROUND –

A mute person goes into a shop and wants to buy a toothbrush. By imitating the action of brushing his teeth he successfully expresses himself to the shopkeeper and the purchase is done. Next, a blind man comes into the shop who wants to buy a pair of sunglasses; how does HE indicate what he wants?

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ANSWER: He just has to open his mouth and ask… It’s really very simple.

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KEEP THIS GOING TO FRUSTRATE THE SMART PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE -or at least Those who THINK they’re smart !

(Internet Snag)

He touched my arm and motioned for me to stop singing. “You said ’staff.’ It’s not staff. T’is stave.” “It’s the same thing, isn’t it? A long stick?” “It doesn’t matter. Stave is what was sung to you, and stave you must say.”

“When you are given a song that has been handed along from singer to singer over the years, you are entrusted with it, for it is he work of folk who are gone now. Their song. Not yours. It is not your place to change it. You must pass it along to others, and keep it as good as you found it. Sing it as you got it or not at all. Go again.”

“The Songcatcher,” Sharyn McCrumb, pages 48, 49.

Mill House Museum, Occoquan, Virginia

This tombstone was washed away from the James Arnold family cemetery in Woodbridge, Virginia to the banks of the Occoquan River during the Hurricane Agnes, 1972. According to “Our Mysterious Tombstone” by Martha Roberts, it marked the grave of a New York man, Frank Hurlybuff, who had the stone carved, a casket constructed, then dug a grave in his friend’s family cemetery and shot himself. No one knows the meaning of the C.N. 42 W.A.C.O inscription, however the same was found on the tombstone of Elizabeth Hurlebaus, buried at the Crow Road Cemetery, Litchfield, Medina County, Ohio. Elizabeth is believed to have been the wife of Frederick Gottleib Hurlebaus.

The image, Mysterious Occoquon Tombstone 1893, was originally uploaded to the Internet by Edna Barney. It was posted here by Neddy of .

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The twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6th), which is when the three wise men supposedly arrived on the scene. It is NOT the twelve days before Christmas as many erroneously believe. The lovely story following is now considered by the erudite amongst us as an Internet Urban Legend with no basis in fact. However, the “Twelve Days of Christmas” was first found in print in 1790, and was already traditional. Its origin seems to have been French as was the word “carol.” Christmas Caroling was derived from the French word “caroller,” which means dancing around in a circle. Joyous revelers at Christmastime danced in a circle around the creche, joyously singing Christmas carols. Such Christmas celebrating was banned in England during the Protestant Cromwell reign and many of the oldest Christmas songs and their history were lost forever.

An Underground Catechism from “Drennon’s Twelve Days of Christmas”

Most folks, I believe, are familiar with the Christmas song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” If you listen to the words carefully, it seems like nonsence set to rhyme and music. However, it was written with a serious purpose.

It is more than just a list of twelve silly gifts. Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private. It was illegal to be Catholic. [Note: Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England in 1829.]

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” was written in England as one of the “catechism songs” to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith. In short, it was a memory aid. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment. The authorities would not know that it was a religious song. Actually, the catecism to which it referred was rather ecumenical so could probably be claimed to be protestant if cornered.

The song’s gifts had hidden meanings to the teachings of the Catholic faith. The “true love” mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor, but it refers to God Himself. The “me” who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. i.e. the church. The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge in memory of the expression of Christ’s sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so…”

Here is a complete list of the 12 symbols with their meanings*

* 1 Partridge in a pear tree = The One true God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ
* 2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
* 3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity
* 4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
* 5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch which contain the law condemning us of our sins.
* 6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
* 7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments of the Catholic faith
* 8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
* 9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Spirit
* 10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
* 11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
* 12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle’s Creed

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Dennis Bratcher

2LT Audie L. Murphy, USA

Audie Leon Murphy, son of poor Texas sharecroppers, rose to national fame as the most decorated U.S. combat soldier of World War II. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military award for bravery given to any individual by the United States for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” He also received every decoration for valor that America had to offer, some of them more than once. He was awarded five decorations by France and Belgium.

Audi Murphy became a legend within the 3rd Infantry Division and quickly rose from Army Private to the rank of Staff Sergeant, and was then given a “battle field” commission as 2nd Lieutenant. He was wounded three times, fighting in nine major campaigns across the European Theater, and survived the war.

This Memorial is on display at Collingwood Library, Alexandria, Virginia. You may sign the Audie Murphy Presidential Medal of Freedom Petition Drive at Petition Drive for Audie Murphy. Thank you!

The image, Collingwood Library, was originally uploaded to the Internet by Edna Barney. It was posted here by Neddy of .

In early spring of 1634, when Father Andrew WHITE and the English colonists on the Ark and Dove sailed into the Potomac River, they were enthralled with the beauty of the “great stream” and its wooded shores. They named it Saint Gregory, in honor of the canonized Pope of that name. “Never have I beheld a larger or more beautiful river,” wrote Father WHITE. “The Thames seems a mere rivulet in comparison with it; it is not disfigured by any swamps, but has firm land on each side. Fine groves of trees appear, not choked with briers or bushes or undergrowth, but growing at intervals as if planted by the hand of man, so that you can drive a four-horse carriage, wherever you choose, through the midst of the trees. Just at the mouth of the river we saw the natives in arms. That night fires blazed throughout the whole country, and since they had never seen so large a ship, messengers were sent in all directions, who reported that a canoe, like an island, had come with as many men as there were trees in the woods.”

The image, Potomac River, was originally uploaded to the Internet by Edna Barney. It was posted here by Neddy of .

Christmas is Christians’ flawed attempt to honor the birthday of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He deserves better, but the harder we try to honor Him, the more we seem to diminish the celebration. I am certain that Jesus understands us better than we understand ourselves.

The image, Creche at Washington Cathedral, was originally uploaded by Edna Barney. It is posted here from Barneykin’s account.

I am wondering if this Masonic Temple on a hill in Alexandria, Virginia will be featured in the new novel by Dan Brown The Lost Symbol.

Dan Brown had said that his next book was to be entitled “The Solomon Key.” Obviously he has changed those plans, as it is now published as “The Lost Symbol.” George Washington and many of the Founding Fathers were Masons as were founders of Mormonism: Masonry and Mormon Mysteries.

I snapped the picture one day while awaiting the Metro train at the King Street Station in Alexandria. The AmTrak Station is just next to it.

The image, Amtrak Train, was originally uploaded by Edna Barney. It is posted here from Barneykin’s account.

Visit Neddy’s Archives for more of Edna’s writings.

This is my very first panorama photograph ever! I was not sure which size focal length to use, as my images were recorded as 5mm focal length. 5mm was not one of the choices for the Canon software, so I used the shortest available - 24mm. Then I went to Picnik and made a poster from it.

My neighbor Jeff was my inspiration. He posted one of his creations of the Lincoln Memorial at Facebook. Of course, Jeff is a professional photographer for the AP, so it was quite a photo. I hope this photograph will be inspiration for my Red Hats ladies, as I shot it from the very same hotel that they are planning on staying in next Spring when we all descend with our Red Hats on Salt Lake City to do some genealogy. :)

The image, Salt Lake City Skyline Poster, was originally uploaded by barneykin. It is posted here from Barneykin’s account.

Visit Neddy’s Archives for more of Edna’s writings.