Monday, May 4, 2009

Giggles and Some Interesting Facts

How we raise kids in Texas

 Miss Sally Edwards is a highly esteemed third grade teacher at

Jacksboro  Elementary( Texas ). In an effort to prepare her students for the

all-important TAKS  test, she compiled an exam consisting of 20

questions, which she administered  to her class last Tuesday.

The exam purposely covered a broad array of topics.

I call your attention to question # 11, which simply read:

 11.  LIST, IN ANY ORDER, THE FOUR SEASONS:

 1. ________ 2. ________3.________ 4. ________

 

Now, could you possibly imagine  that 67% of the students gave the

following answer?

  

1. DOVE SEASON 2. DEER SEASON 3. DUCK SEASON 4. TURKEY SEASON

 

GOD BLESS TEXAS !!!

( I thank my MIL Sue for sending me this one - LOVE IT!!)

__________________________________

And now for the interesting facts... ( sent to me by my Auntie Betty):

A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON 

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs we re to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."   

As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy. 
  In the late 1700's, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the "chair man." Today in business, we use the expression or title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board." 
  Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile" In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt. Therefore, the expression "losing face." 
  Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in "straight laced" .. . . Wore a tightly tied lace. 
  
Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "Ace of Spades." To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. 
Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck." 
  
Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. "You go sip here" and "You go sip there." The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip." 
    
At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts," hence the term "minding your "P's and Q's." 
____________________________________

Now for my day today?

Well, I subbed for 6th grade.  I've had them before with so-so results.  Today wasn't much better.  I get four classes throuhgout the day and two of them were ok for the most part and the other two? well lets just say by the time I got my homeroom class back my patience was pretty much null and void.  

I have the same classes tomorrow as well as Wednesday afternoon.  UGH! I just hope I come out of this  assignment with all my hair still intact and a voice that one is still able to hear! 

In much better news, my BIRTHDAY is one week from tomorrow! My mom is coming out here to take me to lunch so I'm excited.  

I hope the beginning day of the week went well for ya'll! 

 


3 comments:

Chris H said...

Hmmm. four seasons... I wonder what our kids would say?
salt, pepper, basil and oregano? lol

Laura ~Peach~ said...

lol good stuff some i had never seen before!

Nikki said...

Cute! In West Texas there's a couple other ways I've heard that one:
#1=Football Season, Basketball Season, Baseball Season, and 2-A-Days (training that is)!
and
#2 Winter, Hot-as-Summer, Summer, and "When's this dang summer gonna to be over!"

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