Pentecost...

Pentecost , "the fiftieth day") is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year, celebrated on the 49th day (7 weeks) after Easter Sunday - or the 50th day inclusively, hence its name Pentecost is sometimes described as "the Church's birthday".

In the story recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles went out into Jerusalem prophesying and speaking in languages that all the visitors to Jerusalem could understand. This is where the name of the Pentecostalist Church denomination comes from, since Pentecostalist worship often includes the practice of speaking in tongues.

Pentecost is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom.

According to legend, King Arthur always gathered all his knights at the round table for a feast and a quest on Pentecost.

speak English only please.....

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as 'Euro-English'.

In the first year, 's' will replace the soft 'c'. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard 'c' will be dropped in favour of 'k'. This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome 'ph' will be replaced with 'f'. This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where! more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent 'e' in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away. By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing 'th' with 'z' and 'w' with 'v'.

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary 'o' kan be dropd from vords kontaining 'ou' and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensi bl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl.

Sue's birthday today

Happy Birthday Sue

Elizabeth's piano recital tonight...

The piano recital was a wonderful success. It was held in the gym and worked out well accoustically. Elizabeth had set up the chairs and the piano in a half circle and had a row of balloons as a backdrop. It was very effective. She had 14 students. (click on photos to enlarge)

Getting last minute instructions

Elizabeth welcoming and introducing

getting Martin settled

Martin played Minuet in G by JS Bach

someone else's student played a very nice Minuet on the violin.

Marie played a nocturne by Alexander Borodin

Antonio Bumb played Debussy, Reverie


Leon Schaper gave a rousing rendition of Malguena












































Elizabeth said at the end...we have a surprise for you...and Julie came out and played "Twinkle little star"....just like a pro!!!!!






The students all received certificates



















Elizabeth treated us with her playing, surrounded by her students.
A lovely evening!!!!!!

My mother's table...

I met your father on a blind date in December 1947...introduced by my sister Elva and her husband Frank, (who was a fraternity brother). During our courtship I invited George over for dinner at the house we rented on North 5th street, from Mrs. McGinnes. Of course my mother cooked and she always served a gazillion vegetables and a main dish which happened to be pork that night. I even remember where your father sat at this tableAfter being served and starting to eat, your father blandly said "Well I'll eat it now, but it is against my religion". My mother being a wonderful stoic just ignored his remark, and of course I was appalled until eventually he said he was just kidding!!!!!!



You can see what kind of humor I have had to put up with for 60 years!!!!!!

PS Annette now has this table but might consider loaning it out to someone who needs it..as long as we keep it in the family!!!

Professor Dan...

Danny's students, spring of 2009
San Jose State University
click on photo to enlarge

Take Professor Uncle Dan Fortune's class at San Jose State University
"Learning digital production for the Internet"

also
Click Here: Check out "YouTube - Ruminations of Prof Dan"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etgEIkWAmww

Victoria at UCSC...

Soon to embark on a new degree in art....

the farm

Memorial day...

This picture was taken in our yard yesterday...our rambling roses are gorgeous this year!!!!

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers.

By the late 1800s, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day and, after World War I, observances also began to honor those who had died in all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.)

Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Also, it is customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually.

Elizabeth's birthday today...

Matthews birthday party....today....

Shelby

Matthew's cast