OU is heading to the Championship game against Missouri and if we win there we are off to face, hopefully, Florida for National Champs. It was close and I feel really bad for the Texas fans but if there shoe was on the other foot....I'm just saying.
Anyway, not a bad birthday present I must say!
I can't believe the OU - OSU game is today. This week has flown by. Thanksgiving came and went so fast. We had a good day - good food, family, games and fun. Dd saw Twilight twice while I did some Christmas shopping, still have a long way to go on that. We are putting the tree up today and decorating the house. I am looking forward to it since we didn't do anything for Halloween or the Fall.
But this afternoon and tonight - it's all about the game. The kids and I wearing OU stuff in the living room watching the TT-Baylor game and then the OU-OSU game with dh on the computer wearing his Texas hat. Repeating the conditions of last week can't hurt, huh? If we win, that's it we are off to National Champs!!! If we loose, then there is always next year!
I plan on stuffing myself on Thursday (points be dam*&#). Then do some shopping over the weekend but stitching the majority of the time. I hope to sneak off to a movie with dh IF I can find something to go see. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend.
I just realized Thanksgiving is a week from today. I have not even bought groceries yet. I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly. This weekend will be spent buying food, shopping for gifts and decorations and CHEERING FOR OU!! I am so nervous but excited about the game. Dd works so she will miss most of the game. I will need to find something to do while its on so I don't bite off all my nails!
If you ever get the chance to see Celtic Thunder - you must go! It was the best concert/show I have ever seen. We had excellent seats, the sound was awesome, they sound better in person, the little theatrics were fun and everyone of them can sing (in their own way) and they are adorable and funny! Dd and I both enjoyed ourselves, even though we were starving after intermission. Our quest to find a place to eat didn't work so well. The three places I knew of downtown were all closed so we tried to wing it but that didn't work. So after the concert at midnight we were hitting Sonic (once I made my out of downtown that is). We loaded up on DVD's, posters, mugs and so on (hmmmmm - I wonder where MY share went to?) The song playing is one of theirs and one of my favorites but it is a little old school. Dd likes the more contemporary ones. During Danny Boy you could have heard a pin drop. They sung it acapella and it was amazing. They are heading out west so everyone keep a look out.
Celtic Thunder that is! Dd and I are off to see Celtic Thunder here in Atlanta. We are both so excited. I can't wait. We have orchestra seats and are ready for our girls night out!
I can't believe there are only 2 weeks until Thanksgiving. I haven't even had a chance to get the fall decorations up. What's the point when in two weeks I put up Christmas stuff. I am not at all ready for the holidays. I realized today I only have 6 more classes before finals!!! WoooWhoooo! I guess I need to get organized and get my menu planned and house cleaned.
I had to teach a class on the perils of global warming...with a migraine. Lecturing on that subject is torture enough but with a headache, its impossible. I had to present both sides of the debate - the science behind it NOT the media side. I was actually asked why they didn't learn some of this stuff in high school. I ask that same question - daily!!!! 
Needless to say, no stitching today or tonight. I am taking my MH kit with me to the in-lwas tomorrow afternoon and will attempt it. Here is one I would like to get for next year, assuming I can handle the one I have already!
What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895
--Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only
had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the
8th grade in 1895? This is the eighth-grade 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, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.
8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS - 1895
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, 1.25 hours)
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 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel,
deducting 1050 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 6720 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 bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 p! ! er 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)
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.' ! !
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.
7. 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. Gives the saying "he only
had an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?! Also shows you how
poor our education system has become... and, NO! I don't have the answers,
and I failed the 8th grade test!
I don't have any Thanksgiving cross stitch and I really like this one. I think I will add to my wish list.
I need to find some projects that don't take quite so long. So far all my WIPS are Lavender and Lace designs and they are not exactly small! I have to admit they are my favorite though. I think I will start on my first ever Mill Hill kit for Christmas. I have never beaded before so this will be a first.
I can't believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner. We have been cleaning and organizing the house for the holidays. Today I cleaned the windows and doors and the living room, reorganizing things. I love it when the house is clean and the windows are open and fall is in the air! I am hoping to stitch some on my Mothers Tree this weekend.
You know that phone call a parent never wants to hear, we got it last night (one of them anyway). Dd had her first accident last night. It was a minor fender bender but enough to scare the (*#) out of me and her dad. She is pretty shaken up but she will recover. I am just happy nobody was hurt.
I love the colors and weather of Fall. It is my favorite time of the year so naturally it goes by 5 times faster than other seasons. This is the view out back right now. I want to get a picture of the street with the trees, beautiful! I need a fall cross stitch piece!
My son is a genius. I better not let him hear me say that. He got his report card and once again he got straight A's and E's...14 of them. He also got "A's" in his advanced classes. He received two awards...the Principals Award and the Achievement of High Excellence Award. I am amazed by him every day and sometimes every hour. At times I wonder what it would be like to be inside his head for just a little while. I think I would get overloaded but it would be nice. Maybe I should try since I am going to be needing all the help I can get when I start GSU next semester. 
Here are my two boys in the mountains. What a pair they are but a cute pair!
GSU is still waiting on two letters from my former advisor and professor at the University of Tulsa. Once those are in my application packet will be complete. I am hoping they get them in before the deadline...Nov. 15th!! I did get my old GRE scores in and they accepted them so that is taken care of anyway.
I started streamlining the classes I am teaching next semester. I made up all new projects, schedules and syllabi for each class. I am teaching Historical Geology as well and I haven't taught that in a while so I have a little work to do there. I can't believe we have less than a month and this semester will be over! I am so looking forward to the break. We are heading home to Oklahoma before Christmas even if only for a few days. I need a Taco Bueno fix (and a family fix).
At least it is over - that is the only good thing about all this. My dd and I decided to have a "Spread the Wealth Party" to celebrate. Here are our choices of what we want from others:
Home - I chose Brangelina's home in England (I thought about BO's house but I don't think I would let my dog live there) and dd chose the White House. I am contemplating the home of someone I know who has a nice location and a pool but just for the summer months.
Car - I chose Nancy Pelosi because she has a driver and dd chose David Beckham's.
Jet - I chose John Travolta's and dd chose Tom Cruise's.
Yacht - I chose Al Gores and dd chose George Clooneys.
Bank Accout - Any of the following will do: Barbara Streisand, Sean Penn, Jessica Alba, Whoopi, Katie Curic, Madonna. DD chose Scarlett Johanson.
Job - I am quitting mine because I will not need to work since BO will take care of all my needs, heck - I don't even need to think for myself anymore. DD chose BO's new job once the bleeding hearts are cleaned up.
We decided to make the other BO's (Oprah) house a haven for illegal aliens and they should of course have her funds as well.
I wonder if how long we have to wait to start getting checks and property? Do you think he will start as soon as he takes office? I hope so - I really want a vacation. I encourage all of you to make your list so it is less WORK on the new administration.
All I can say, they asked for it and boy are they gonna get it!!!!
Have you ever had something happen to you that shakes you to your core that makes you wonder how, what, where and why about almost everything? I lost a friend today and it hurts more than I can find the words to say...
And not because it is Halloween but because of the election on Tuesday! I am very concerned about the way half of this country thinks. The sense of entitlement and the "give-me" generation is unbelievable. I am not sure if it is because I am a military brat or because I lived in other countries and have seen the "greener" grass but the liberal mentality is truly foreign to me, makes about as much sense as Chinese does! I am a college professor and I teach physical science no less so most people, fellow faculty and students included, automatically think I am liberal. I try to explain to them that I am so far to the right that conservatives have to wave at me.
I may not be happy with the way the last two years have gone but I am happy GWB was in the white house. The alternative would have been devastating. The blame game is so old. The partisan crap is ridiculous in the country now. It will be our downfall. I am not a McCain fan but I can not tolerate socialism, Marxism or the double standards that are blatantly obvious this year. I do care about the economy and taxes, blah blah BUT the security of my family is my highest priority and without a secure homeland - NOTHING -economy, immigration, taxes - matter. I can not watch the greatest country in the world abandon all the principles it was founded on. I am voting straight Republican because that is what I am and how I believe. I can only hope and pray that there is truly more common sense in the world than the media leads us to believe. The only democrats I know are fellow faculty and that is just an assumption based on trends. Everyone in my family, near and far, is voting the RIGHT way. I refuse to believe that my father, grandfathers, uncles, cousins and everyone else who have dedicated and given their life for this country did so in vain!!
I truly am scared...for my children, grandchildren and their children.
