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Leap Year Edition

Published by the members of the World Wide Web Circle of Friends for the members of the World Wide Web Circle of Friends about the members of the World Wide Web Circle of Friends. We are everyday people doing extraordinary things on an International Scale on the web! We have different life experiences, different cultures, different ideas and some of us even speak different languages but "we are family" and we care and love to share!

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Hello! Let's talk Leap Year

2008 is a leap year, with 366 days instead of the usual 365 days. Why? It was the ancient Egyptians who first figured out that the solar year and the man-made calendar year didn't always match up.

That's because it actually takes the Earth a little longer than a year to travel around the Sun - 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds, to be exact.

Therefore, as the hours accumulated over the centuries, an extra day was occasionally added to the calendar, and over time the practice became more or less official.

It was the Romans who first designated February 29 as leap day. Later, a more precise formula (still in use today) was adopted in the 16th century when the Gregorian calendar fine-tuned the calculations to include a leap day in years only divisible by four, I.e., 2008, 2012.

Another stipulation ruled that no year divisible by 100 would have a leap year, except if it was divisible by 400. Thus, 1900 was not a leap year ... But 2000 was! Go figure.

Thankfully, all this intricate plotting will continue to keep us in tune with the seasons over the next several thousand years.

How about A Leap Year Ditty to Remember It By?

Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November;
All the rest have thirty-one
Save February, she alone
Hath eight days and a score
Til leap year gives her one day more.

Linda, from Tallassee, AL, USA


days until Reunion 2008! Argentina here we come!

Please drop by and visit the official 2008 Reunion Website where you'll find a lot of useful information.

Born on a Leap Day? - According to astrologers, those born under the sign of Pisces on February 29 have unusual talents and personalities reflecting their special status. Most have to wait every four years to "officially" observe their birthdays, but leap year babies typically choose either February 28 or March 1 to celebrate in years that aren't leap years.

Some Famous People Born on February 29

  • Born 1976 - Ja Rule, rapper
  • Born 1972 - Anthonio Sabato Jr., model & actor
  • Born 1916 - Dinah Shore, singer
  • Born 1904 - Jimmy Dorsey, bandleader.
  • Born 1792 - Gioacchino Rossini, Italian opera composer
Linda, from Tallassee, AL, USA

How about a famous couple celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary - congratulations to our very own David & Janet!

The Further Adventures of Dabthoms, aka David from Essex, England

Well, I've eaten my share of the food that seems to have been everywhere and had at least more than my share of the champagne and now I'm going to have a nap. Thank goodness golden weddings are only every 50 years!


Glad to hear you had a great party....All the best for many more years together. Blessings, Aussie Jan.

So you need to recover for another 50 yrs eh David? lol If you and your lovly wife are blessed with another 50, I'll even come and dance to it! God bless, it is so rare these days to hear of anyone staying together more than 5 -25 yrs. let alone 50. May you be as happy and in love are you still are today ... hugs, Jami from Maryland, USA

Happy Golden Anniversary to you and your wife, David. I hope you have many more. Hugs, Emma from Maryland, USA

CONGRATULATIONS to you both. 50 years is indeed something to celebrate. Best wishes, Irene, aka Scotty, from Washington, USA

Congratulations David! I hope you have quite a few more , and they are all happy. Daphne from Argentina

Wow, 50! Awesome! :) I love that dance that they do at weddings where they get all the married couples on the dance floor for a song, then they tell everybody to sit down who has only been married 5 years, then 10 years, then 15, etc etc. You guys would last a long time up there. :) Dave from Michigan, USA

Don't forget to check the Birthday Calendar to see when members are celebrating their special days.
March birthday celebrations:

  • March 1 - Charito from Argentina's Birthday
  • March 5 - Patsi from Ontario Canada's Birthday
  • March 11 - Merrie from Ontario Canada's Birthday
  • March 13 - Maxine, from Ontario, Canada's Birthday
  • March 18 - Jenny from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada's Birthday
  • March 21 - Andrea from Cranbrook, B.C. Canada's Birthday
  • March 27 - TaJuan from Alabama's Birthday
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND/OR ANNIVERSARY TO EVERYONE CELEBRATING!!

We look forward to hearing all about your special day.

If you are not listed in the calendar please be sure to email Jami from Maryland.

  • VIRGO - The Perfectionist - Dominant in relationships. Conservative. Always wants the last word. Argumentative. Worries. Very smart. Dislikes noise and chaos. Eager. Hardworking. Loyal. Beautiful. Easy to talk to. Hard to please. Harsh.. Practical and very fussy. Often shy. Pessimistic.
  • SCORPIO - The Intense One - Very energetic. Intelligent. Can be jealous and/or possessive. Hardworking. Great kisser. Can become obsessive or secretive. Holds grudges. Attractive. Determined. Loves being in long relationships. Talkative. Romantic. Can be self-centered at times. Passionate and Emotional.
  • LIBRA - The Harmonizer - Nice to everyone they meet. Can't make up their mind. Have own unique appeal. Creative, energetic, and very social. Hates to be alone. Peaceful, generous. Very loving and beautiful. Flirtatious. Give in too easily. Procrastinators. Very gullible.
  • ARIES - The Daredevil - Energetic. Adventurous and spontaneous. Confident and enthusiastic. Fun. Loves a challenge. EXTREMELY impatient. Sometimes selfish. Short fuse (easily angered). Lively, passionate, and sharp wit. Outgoing. Lose interest quickly -- easily bored. Egotistical. Courageous and assertive. Tends to be physical and athletic.
  • AQUARIUS - The Sweetheart - Optimistic and honest. Sweet personality. Very independent. Inventive and intelligent. Friendly and loyal. Can seem unemotional. Can be a bit rebellious. Very stubborn, but original and unique. Attractive on the inside and out. Eccentric personality.
  • GEMINI - The Chatterbox - Smart and witty. Outgoing, very chatty. Lively, energetic. Adaptable but needs to express themselves. Argumentative and outspoken. Likes change. Versatile. Busy, sometimes nervous and tense. May seem superficial or inconsistent, But is only changeable. Beautiful physically and mentally.
  • LEO - The Boss - Very organized. Need order in their lives -- like being in control. Like boundaries. Tend to take over everything. Bossy. Like to help others. Social and outgoing. Extroverted. Generous, warmhearted. Sensitive. Creative energy. Full of themselves. Loving. Doing the right thing is important to Leo's. Attractive.
  • CANCER - The Protector - Moody, emotional. May be shy. Very loving and caring.. Pretty/handsome. Excellent partners for life. Protective. Inventive and imaginative. Cautious. Touchy-feely kind of person. Needs love from others. Easily hurt, but sympathetic.
  • PISCES - The Dreamer - Generous, kind, and thoughtful. Very creative and imaginative. May become secretive and vague. Sensitive. Don't like details. Dreamy and unrealistic. Sympathetic and loving. Kind. Unselfish. Good kisser. Beautiful.
  • CAPRICORN - The Go-Getter - Patient and wise. Practical and rigid. Ambitious. Tends to be good-looking. Humorous and funny. Can be a bit shy and reserved. Often pessimists. Capricorns tend to act before they think and can be unfriendly at times. Hold grudges. Like competition. Get what they want.
  • TAURUS - The Enduring One - Charming but aggressive. Can come off as boring, but they are not. Hard workers. Warmhearted. Strong, has endurance. Solid beings who are stable and secure in their ways. Not looking for shortcuts. Take pride in their beauty. Patient and reliable. Make great friends and give good advice. Loving and kind. Loves hard -- passionate. Express themselves emotionally. Prone to ferocious temper-tantrums. Determined. Indulge themselves often. Very generous.
  • SAGITTARIUS - The Happy-Go-Lucky One - Good-natured optimist. doesn't want to grow up (Peter Pan Syndrome). Indulges self. Boastful. Likes luxuries and gambling. Social and outgoing. Doesn't like responsibilities. Often fantasizes. Impatient. Fun to be around. Having lots of friends. Flirtatious. Doesn't like rules. Sometimes hypocritical. Dislikes being confined -- tight spaces or even tight clothes. Doesn' t like being doubted. Beautiful inside and out.
Submitted by TerryLynn from Nanaimo, BC, Canada

This Birthday Calculator is so cool. After you've finished reading the info, click again, and see what the moon looked like the nite you were born. Linda, from Tallassee, AL, USA

Only one special day left this month - Feb. 29 - Sadie Hawkins Day -- a woman's day to propose marriage. This tradition originates in Ireland in the 5th century, when St. Bridget convinced St. Patrick to allow one day that a woman could propose. If the man refused, he was fined (incidentally, St. Bridget proposed to St. Patrick that day; he said no). 1,600 years later, the fine has been ousted (who's idea was that?), but women still have only this one day every 4 years set aside to profess their love and commitment for the men in their lives.

A lot more coming in March though to keep us busy.

  • March 1 - St. David's Day (Wales) - Dewi Sant as he is known in the Welsh language.

    DEWI SANT
    Saint David, or Dewi Sant, as he is known in the Welsh language, is the patron saint of Wales. He was a Celtic monk, abbot and bishop, who lived in the sixth century. During his life, he was the archbishop of Wales, and he was one of many early saints who helped to spread Christianity among the pagan Celtic tribes of western Britain. For details of the life of Dewi, we depend mainly on his biographer, Rhigyfarch. He wrote Buchedd Dewi (the life of David) in the 11th century. Gerallt Gymro (Giraldus Cambrensis), who wrote a book about his travels through Wales in the 12th century, also gives some information about Dewi's early life. Dewi died in the sixth century, so nearly five hundred years elapsed between his death and the first manuscripts recording his life. As a result, it isn't clear how much of the history of Dewi's life is legend rather than fact.

    However, both sources say, so we can be relatively certain, that Dewi was a very gentle person who lived a frugal life. It is claimed that he ate mostly bread and herbs - probably watercress, which was widely used at the time. Despite this supposedly meagre diet, it is reported that he was tall and physically strong.

    Dewi is said to have been of royal lineage. His father, Sant, was the son of Ceredig, who was prince of Ceredigion, a region in South-West Wales. His mother, Non, was the daughter of a local chieftain. Legend has it that Non was also a niece of King Arthur.

    Dewi was born near Capel Non (Non's chapel) on the South-West Wales coast near the present city of Saint David. We know a little about his early life - he was educated in a monastery called Hen Fynyw, his teacher being Paulinus, a blind monk. Dewi stayed there for some years before going forth with a party of followers on his missionary travels. Dewi is sometimes known, in Welsh, as 'Dewi Ddyfrwr' (David the Water Drinker) and, indeed, water was an important part of his life - he is said to have drunk nothing else. Sometimes, as a self-imposed penance, he would stand up to his neck in a lake of cold water, reciting Scripture. Little wonder, then, that some authors have seen Dewi as an early Puritan!
    He founded a monastery at Glyn Rhosyn (Rose Vale) on the banks of the small river Alun where the cathedral city of St. David stands today. The monastic brotherhood that Dewi founded was very strict, the brothers having to work very hard besides praying and celebrating masses. They had to get up very early in the morning for prayers and afterwards work very hard to help maintain life at the monastery, cultivating the land and even pulling the plough. Many crafts were followed - beekeeping, in particular, was very important. The monks had to keep themselves fed as well as the many pilgrims and travellers who needed lodgings. They also had to feed and clothe the poor and needy in their neighbourhood.
    There are many stories regarding Dewi's life. It is said that he once rose a youth from death, and milestones during his life were marked by the appearance of springs of water; other stories tell us that he cured his teacher, (the monk Paulinus) of blindness; and that once while preaching a sermon outdoors where his very large congregation couldn't see or hear him, the ground rose beneath him so that all could see and hear.
    St. David's day is celebrated on March 1st each year by the wearing of Welsh national symbols such as the daffodil, leek, or a dragon.

    Children in many schools will hold special events such as singing, dancing and the recitation of poetry in the Welsh language; often wearing a Welsh national costume for the day.
    Welshgog
    Please take a moment to visit Owen's Space

  • March 2 - Mothering Day (UK)
  • March 8 - International Women's Day
    Come Out and Celebrate!
    International Women's Day Event
    When: Saturday, March 8th, 2008
    Time: 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
    Location: Nanaimo Golf Club, 2800 Highland Road, Nanaimo, BC
    Cost: No Admission Charge
    Guest Speakers:
    - Jean Crowder, MP, Nanaimo-Cowichan
    - Jackie Miller, President, BC Ferry and Marine Workers' Union
    - Claire Trevena, MLA North Island, Opposition Critic for Childcare, Early Childhood Education & Women's Issues
    Special Guest: - Zeni Maartman, NDP Candidate Nanaimo-Alberni
    Enjoy a lovely lunch in pleasant surroundings, while we talk about our plans to gain women's economic equality!
    Hosted by: Canadian Labour Congress
    Iris Taylor, CLC Representative
    Phone: 604-430-6766
  • March 9 - Daylight Savings (CAN/USA)
  • March 13 - Commonwealth Day
  • March 16 - Palm Sunday
  • March 17 - St. Patrick's Day
  • March 21 - Good Friday
  • March 23 - Easter Sunday
  • March 23, 2001 - Introduction of the World Wide Web Circle of Friends
  • March 24 - Easter Monday

Let's Do Lunch


Well everyone, I am actually still in awe over the wonderful visit I had, am not sure how to start this post! Fl. Marie, Peachy and Garnett, Charla, John and Haley I love you all! You have made me feel more like family than I do even on here. Folks I cannot tell you in proper words right now just how elated I am that I had the pleasure of meeting these wonderful folks in person finally! There are no words to do this meeting justification. Only word I can think to say are they are all So very AWESOME, loving sweet people. I was overwhelmed with gifts too, that surprised me. Charla and Haley gave me a beauitful jewelry box and said every time I opened it it was to give me lots of kisses and hugs. Fl. Marie gave me a sweet lil stuffed puppy and when you squeezed his paw he would bark for you... along with a very beautiful rose candle holder and Peachy and Garnet Gave me a beautiful plaque mirror with a cross on it. The gifts were wonderful, but they surely did not have to give me anything, as their presennse was more than enough. We had a delightful lunch, and visit and am sure between Charla, I and Fl Marie, we have lots of pictures to share. (you will all have to wait til I get back home to send mine tho sorry. The only thing left to say right now is if anyone of you get the opportunity to meet up with one of our sisters / brothers please do. You will be amazed what a rush you will feel in your heart. Thank you all so very much. I love you, and hope we will meet up again someday soon.... Love you, Jami from Maryland, USA

Today we met Jami for a great Let's do Lunch meeting. John, Me, Mom, Aunt Peachy, Uncle "G" and Haley all rode to Davenport Florida in our Chevy Lumina. Yep we were packed like sardines! It's ok we didn't smell like sardines.

Hmmm oh yea, we got lost. Lost you say? Hey the men were in the front seat what can we say? It was the computer John says. It gave the wrong directions. We three ladies kept saying from the back seat, "stop and ask someone". No My "other half" just kept driving. That's ok we had time and lot's of sight seeing. We finally got to Bob Evans and was looking for Jami out front but she had already gotten there and had our seats and menus ready even Haley's with crayons.

We spotted each other right off and it was WONDERFUL! Hugs and Hugs and more Hugs. We got seated and of course started talking right away. For some reason John and Uncle "G" were so quiet? Well we ordered our drinks and exchanged some gifts and I might add I Love the gifts from Jami. The ladies got beautiful wooden plaques on stands Jami had made from her unique craftsmanship. The men got key chains with a crab on them. Sounds good to me! Hahaha...they are very cute. We ordered and had a nice lunch. Haley had wanted to have my birthday party at our lunch today so Jami bought a scrumptious Apple Pie from there and we had a birthday party for Aunt Peachy, Uncle "G" and myself. Of course we sang Happy Birthday and I know I don't have to say who was the leading voices??? (Jami & Charla) We ate our pie and chatted a bit more and it was time to say our good by's. Hugs and Hugs and more Hugs again and we parted in body only. I have no doubt our sprits will always be united together. What a Great Day! Love Charla, from Florida, USA.

BC Gold Rush Era

I was watching a show the other day about the exciting gold rush era where mention was made of Hat Creek Ranch which is located 11 km north of Cache Creek in British Columbia Canada. This sent me off to do some research and I thought you might be interested in this glimpse of Canada's wild west of the 1800's including Indian uprisings, the Wild McLean Gang, ghostly mysteries of a Chinese Cook who apparently hung himself in the grainery and a young girl who was murdered and stuffed in a closet.

Apparently a retired Hudson's Bay Company Chief trader named Donald McLean and his family moved from Kamloops to the area of Hat Creek and the Bonaparte River in the late 1850's where he established a roadhouse (restaurant / lodging). When word of gold leaked out he was ready for the 40,000 miners making their way to the creeks and rivers in the Cariboo Mountains and provided rooms, food, whiskey, and stables to them (40,000 or so) and to the pioneer settlers heading north along the newly built Cariboo Wagon Road.

Donald McLean's entrepreneurial gold rush successes were cut short in 1864 while riding with a posse; he was shot and killed during a hostile Indian uprising taking place during this same period.


A drunkard named George Dunn acquired ownership of this land after Donald McLean was shot and ran the ranch as a rowdy hotel; and according to legend it was during this time that The Chinese Cook was found hanging in the grainery and the body of a young girl was found stuffed in the closet.

The Wild McLeans were a gang consisting of the sons of Donald McLean; Allan, Charlie and Archie McLean and Alex Hare (all 4 of mixed blood), the gang lived by banditry, horse rustling and violence. On 8 December 1879 they killed John Tannatt Ussher, a Kamloops policeman who was arresting them for horse theft, and James Kelly, a shepherd. A posse trapped them in a cabin near Douglas Lake and after a short siege the gang surrendered. At the time Allan was 24, Charlie and Alex 17, and Archie 15. Tried in New Westminster, they were executed in a group hanging on 31 January 1881. Suffice to say that the spirits of Hat Creek remain silent (or perhaps not so silent) to the many stories of horse rustling, mystery, love, murder; successes and failures of the gold rush days.

Do you have any "History" of your Corner of the Globe to share with us? We would love to hear about it.

Sharon from Paradise Island, aka Vancouver Island, BC, Canada

Australian Report

Endeavour replica under sail.

Sharon and I were talking about Captain Cook and it reminded me about the time we went on board the replica of the HMB Endeavour some years ago when she was open for inspection free of charge. Somewhere we have some photos, and we each bought a shirt. It was during the time we were living aboard our own ocean going boat.


Just goes to show I'm living out in the country now and don't know what is going on, I see that the Endeavour finished 11 years of journeying around the world, and has been at the National Maritime Museum and open to the public for a fee. However they are currently planning voyages to regional ports in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, including Brisbane in winter/spring 2008. We live in Northern NSW, within hour and half of two ports that have the depth to take the vessel, so it will be interesting to watch out for her!!!

At her berth in Darling Harbour, Sydney
Hugs, Aussie Jan. Please visit my diary of events.

Report from Argentina

More information about MAR DEL PLATA

Daphne from Argentina

Bigsis Pat's Journal

I decided now that Sharon has resumed the responsibility of publishing the newsletter, it was time I did some much needed work on The Vital Statistics Department. The first thing I did was change to look, so they are a little less cluttered, more simplistic, easier to look at, and most importantly more uniform. I chose a very nice background set called "Rich Texture" that is done in soft pink, soft gray and a hint of turquoise. Next I updated the Vital Statistics Home Page with button links to al the websites that are incorporated in The Vital Statistics Websites.

Probably one of the most important sites is the Directory. This has a comprehensive list of all the websites associated with the WWWCOF, as well as a multitude of information. Please be sure to bookmark this page as you will find it invaluable.

I have also updated the Calendar Pages adding new, updating emails (well I may have missed a few), and deleting old ones. If your inforamtion isn't here, or the information is incorrect, please let me know.

I have also created the WWWCOF PHOTO ALBUMS online to make it easier for all to see. Again, if you don't see a photo of you, and would like to include it, please send me one so I can add it. The Members' Profile Pages have also updated. I am in the process of adding new ones. If you would like your profile added, please go to the Profile Survey Page and complete the form. Please include your photo.

I discovered some long forgotten pages, such as the Poetry Pages. They include poetry written my our very own members, and favorite poems they enjoy. I do hope you will take a moment to have a look, I think you will derive great pleasure from it. Another, is the Friendship Pages, the second of which is members' own thoughts about what friendship means to them. I'd really like to include your feelings as well, so please email them to me.

Another site that is kind of nice is the Members' Personal Websites . If you have a website or blog you'd like to add please let me know.

I created these sites many years ago, and maintaining them has always been a labor of love. It is probably one of the best vehicles we have for getting to know the members, particularly those who are not as active.

I hope you enjoy the redesigned Vital Statistics Department Websites, and feel free to let me know what you think.

Please visit my Art by Patricia blog.

Coffee & Chat

We had not one but two wonderful chats last Saturday. Daphne from Argentina plans to play frisbee at the park on Sunday when her family and friends gather there for a BBQ. I understand swimming is part of the festivities also. There was also a lot of excitement focused on Jami from Maryland, USA and Peachy Marie about the Lets' Do Lunch planned for Wednesday, February 27 at ll:30 in Davenport, Florida at Bob Evans Restaurant. Bigsis Pat from Ontario, Canada is doing great and Darryl's golf business is getting busier so that she says is a sure sign of spring. Ruth from Michigan, USA and I, Sharon from Paradise Island, aka Vancouver Island, BC, Canada chatted about bad business practices inbetween the early and later chats and then Merrie from Ontario Canada came on and we thoroughly enjoyed talking about the "real world", blueberries and black flies (check out "Did You Know" for more info. on this) and her travels (International and National). Irene, aka Scotty, from Washington, USA was warned not to walk on the "hot side" of the Grand Canyon when she goes there and she highly recommended a Jack Nicholsen and Morgan Freeman movie called "The Bucket List" -- have any of you seen it? Connie from Edmonton, Alberta took part for a brief time as did Betsy, aka AngelBear, from Florida but I missed those conversations as I was busy loading my herd into the truck for their trip to water therapy (sorry girls) and then London Chrissie joined in but alas it was time for me to head out to take on my role as "Chicken Lady". If you have no idea to what I am referring to above you simply must take part one Saturday to find out or email any of those members for more information. Great way to spend some quality time on Saturday morning and enjoy the refreshments. Merrie provided coffee and tea, Scotty - Cranberry Muffins and Jami - Blueberry Muffins. Doesn't get any better than that!

Sunday was a lovely chat too and Ruth's George served scramble eggs and toast and Jami provided the coffee. Scotty mentioned that she was going to soon be adding to her current flock of fouteen birds -- this time a pair of Quakers but today she is off to a Home Show in Seattle. Ruth and George are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a couple that may be adopting Jack and she mentioned the possibility that they may be heading upstated New York in June. Ruth also had some exciting news about meeting an author at the store where George works and this lady wants to see Ruth's work!! Jami spent the evening with her niece at the hospital so she needs to get some much needed sleep today in preparation for her trip to Florida on Monday! It was such a lovely get together.

We would love to have you join us on Saturday, March 1, around 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Windows Live (old MSN Messenger). If you do not have me on your contact lists please add me using my hotmail address with is sharongreene32@shaw.ca. If you do not have Windows Live you can download it here.

?Did You Know?

Black Flies!

Blackflies . . . who needs 'em?

Well folks, you do, if you love blueberry pie, blueberry ice cream, blueberry jam, blueberries and well, you get the drift.

This pesky little critter has been around for 180,000,000 years just waiting to nip at our noses and other parts that it can find that are unprotected. Actually, I must be honest here, it's only the females, thank goodness, who are so inclined but boy do they ever do a good job. I can certainly attest to their voraciousness.

Black flies of course aren't the only pollinators of blueberries but it is interesting to note that they have this umm, dare I say it, sweet sideline. Of course this isn't their only talent as the black fly and it's larvae are a source of food for all sizes of trout, and predatory aquatic insects like the damselfly, stone flies, etc.so take heart the next time you're running for cover, these pesky little critters do have some redeeming qualities although I think maybe the butterflies, the birds and the bees are much better qualified at pollinating, to say nothing of "easier" on one's ears, "ouch" one's neck, "ouch" swat, swat swat . . .

To find out more about black flies go here
Merrie from Ontario Canada

In this issue ...

Click on any of the following to be taken to that section of the newsletter. If you can come up with any icons for the sections below I would sure appreciate you sending them to me. Please notify me of any broken links.

Do remember please to email the members who have contributed to this week's issue to say hello.



Dear Friends,
Can you help me ? This is the second week I have had no questions so I'm wondering if you'd rather not have Heather in your news letter? Spring is almost here and we will all be busy getting out and around again. Please let me know your choice. Thank you, Heather

Whenever you have something or your mind write to Heather directly and she will do her best to answer all questions in the spirit of friendship and caring based on the information given non judgmentally. If I am unable to answer, I'll try to direct you to the appropriate place.


I got to watch the eclipse. I watched the beginning of it from the window in my back door, until the moon moved around to the side of the house. It was cold outside, but since it went so slowly, I was running in and out of the house without missing any of it. The sky was very clear in my part of the world. The darker the moon got, the clearer you could see the stars. It's been a long time since I've seen so many stars in the sky. It was just beautiful! After the eclipse was over, the moon was so bright, it was like daylight outside. Emma from Maryland, USA

well, here I am, in sunny Fl???????? Well, by the time I arraived it was dusk, so didnt see no sun, but did feel the warmth! Today will be 100% humidity, and rainy! but, what did I expect right? It's not suppose to be rain all day tho, just some for the next couple days. argh! Oh well, I had a really pleasant flight. a nice lunch with one of my Supervisors first, (who took me to airport) and a gentleman he was. He insisted on coming in and making sure all was ok before he left me which I really wish he hadn't cause the long walk to the terminal and then through was no fun; but once we spotted a wheelchair, he insisted I get in and he pushed me all the way to the point of no retrurn. Once he was satisfied I was safe and secure, he was on his merry way. So then Chris's son was right there, at baggage, and off we went. Only to be stuck in a nice Fl traffic jam for about an hour. We finally arrived at Chris' and had brought some Long John silver dinners. Was so good to see her looking so perky after just 2 days out of surgery. Then of course she had to tell me how she fell twice yesterday; But shes ok thank God and can menuever around really good hobbly on one leg and crutches; or in and out of her wheel chair. Today is going to be a busy day, need to rearrange furniture so she can get around better in living room, and then making Lasagna dinner for her son's b-day along with his favorite cake, Bacardi Rum. Will give ya all an update later on .. so for now .. Hi from Florida ... Look out Charla and Maries ........ I'm here!!! and tomorrow cannot come fast enough ...... See you then. love, Jami from Maryland, USA would like us to enjoy My Friend in Tomorrow.


Meet Moses J. Muqanguzi

I am sending you a link to some of my missions photos just like I had promised you. Well you can send the to all web circle friends. I will be letting you know about all current updates. Thank you Moses from Uganda

International Weather Station

I looked out the window this morning to a swathe of ripply pink clouds across the eastern and southern sky, so I sat outside and watched, listening to all the birds singing, until it faded. We have had a couple of hot days lately, but mostly very pleasant no-sleeves, weather, day and evening. Love, Aussie Jan.

Spring Is In the Air

Daffodil Campaign - Looking for a hint of spring? Spring is just around the corner when you see the bright yellow daffodils of the Canadian Cancer Society!

For Your Information

Global Hawk


This is a photo of the Global Hawk UAV that returned from the war zone recently under its own power. (Iraq to Edwards AFB in CA) - Not transported via C5 or C17.....

Notice the mission paintings on the fuselage. It's actually over 250 missions.... (and I would suppose 25 air medals). That's a long way for a remotely-piloted aircraft. Think of the technology (and the required quality of the data link to fly it remotely). Not only that but the pilot controlled it from a nice warm control panel at Edwards AFB. Really long legs- can stay up for almost 2 days at altitudes above 60k. Global Hawk was controlled via satellite; it flew missions during OT&E that went from Edwards AFB to upper Alaska and back non-stop.

Basically, they come into the fight at a high mach # in mil thrust, fire their AMRAAMS, and no one ever sees them or paints with radar.

There is practically no radio chatter because all the guys in the flight are tied together electronically, and can see who is targeting who, and they have AWACS direct input and 360 situational awareness from that and other sensors The aggressors had a morale problem before it was all over.

It is to air superiority what the jet engine was to aviation. It can taxi, take off, fly a mission, return, land and taxi on it's own. No blackouts, no fatigue, no relief tubes, no ejection seats, and best of all, no dead pilots, no POWs? Pretty cool - Lena, from Ontario, Canada


Oscars

-"No Country for Old Men" wins Oscar for Best Picture.
-The Coen Brothers win Best Director Award for "No Country for Old Men."
-Daniel Day-Lewis wins the Oscar for best actor.
-"Falling Slowly" from the movie, Once has won Best Song at the Academy Awards.
-Marion Cotillard wins Best Actress for "La Vie En Rose."
-Javier Bardem wins Best Supporting Actor for "No Country For Old Men."
-Tilda Swinton wins Best Supporting Actress for "Michael Clayton.

Leap Year on Stage & Screen

The day also plays a pivotal role in the fictional The Pirates of Penzance, the most famous Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera that was translated to Broadway and the silver screen. In the story, the hero Frederic realizes his apprenticeship binds him until his 21st birthday, but since his birthday falls on February 29, it means that technically he is only a young lad - and won't reach his 21st birthday until he is in his eighties!
Linda, from Tallassee, AL, USA


Our Furry / Feathery Friends in the Spotlight

OUR FEATURED PET OF THE WEEK:

"Our Furry Friends and Kids" by Susan, aka Susie Q, from Smith Falls, Ontario

Susan Thank you so very much for this delightful story! Ok Folks, go get your coffee and put your feet up, cause your in for a wonderful ride down memory lane with Susan and Rick on their Children ...... It is both a heartwarming and funny tale to say the least ......... Enjoy, now with out furhter ramblings from me ..........

The Family

Well, in the beginning there was a newly retired couple named Susan & Rick. The year was 1997 and they had just moved to a small town named Smiths Falls. Here they were going to live out their retirement away from all the hussle and bussle of the big cities of Montreal & Toronto from which they flew. They decided to take a break from unpacking and decided to sit outside for a while. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. From where they sat they could watch children at play and couples taking their babies out for a stroll. They noticed a little kitten on the next street who was trying its best to be cute by rolling around on the street so that passerbys could stop and scratch its belly. Sue said "I wonder if it will come if I call it" So call it she did and sure enough the kitten looked over at them and came right over. After a while they went in the house to get it some water. Well that was it!!!!! It never left. This critter must have been starving because it would go through 5-6 cans of cat food a day.

Onw day while playing with the kitten Sue mentioned to Rick that she thought it might be pregnant to which Rick replied "Oh no, not my little girl, but then what little boy could resist her???

They decided that if they were going to keep it they would have to take it to the vets to be "fixed" lol, which they did. After a short examintion the vet looked up at them and asked how they felt about being grandparents!!!! Well the truth was they never had thought about it. They decided to put the babies up for adoption which the vet would take care of.

Shortly there after the day arrived when it was obvious that the babies had Dropped. We called the vet and he told them to prepare a birthing box for her which they did. Later that evening while they were watching TV. She (Princess) the cat came down the hallway to the living room talking to Susan as if she wanted her to follow her . She lead Sue into the room where the birthing box was and got in the box. Sue sat there with her and they had a real mother and daughter conversation until suddenly Princess jumped out of the box and ran to her litter box . Sue followed close behind with the birthing box in case it was needed. When Princess realized what was happening to her she left the litter box and gave birth to the first on on the laundry room floor. She picked the baby up and ran with it back to where the Birthing box was supposed to be but of course was not. Sue was still carrying the box so Princess headed for a corner of the room where she did her motherly duties of cleaning her new baby. The first baby was a grey and white which turned out to be a girl. Not long after came an orange one who was yelling before it was even fully out (and hasn't shut up yet I mught add) lol. Then there came an all grey one (boy) and then finally a dark callico one(brown, black, beige, & white),(A girl) Sue was not sure if that was it or not so she sat up for another hour or so and then went to bed. In bed all she could think of was "What am I going to name these critters. Well right away she thought, Eenie, meaney, miney, moe. so that was it they each had a name. Now she could go to sleep.

Well our little girl proved to be a wonderful mommy to her babies. She fed them, washed them and when they were taken care of she would come and spend time with her mom & dad.

This was a first experience for Sue and it was just wonderful to behold.

They took the babies in to be fixed when that time was appropriate. They were not going to go through that again. lololol It was already more than they had planned on and that was enough.

Well they decided that they could not give up their grand babies so they kept them and do not regret that decision in the least.

Then came the name changes. Sue decided that meaney and miney were just no going to do so she changed Meaney to Tigger and Miney to Bear which turned out to be good choices.

So there you have it, straight from the horses mouth. I hope you enjoyed my little story.

If anyone has a pet story they would like to share with us, please be sure and email myself, I would love to publish it in a future issue of the Global Express! Jami from Maryland, USA.

NATURE'S WATER FEATURES PHOTO CONTEST

We are beginning to get a good response to our latest photo contest..... all about water, prooving once again there is still a lot of beauty in a world in chaos. We are not voting just yet, so there is still time to get your pictures in and I look forward to seeing what else you all come up with, though it certainly looks like being a tough contest!! If you have already sent in one that isn't in there - to err is only human - give me a yell, either send it again or tell me approx when you did, and I'll find it. Thank you Daphne from Argentina

This time the Theme is "Nature's Water Features"

That, of course includes water in all the forms nature brings it in.

The rules are simple:

  • Pictures must be 'Members own' - or close friends and family of members - we are not looking for photos taken from the internet or other sources
  • Photos must be identified in where/when they were taken and who took the picture
  • They can be sent to Daphne or to Sharon, or posted on the Circle Group Google board where I will pick them up
  • They can be in any size or format (but not too small) I can adjust the size as needed
  • Contest closes Easter, which this year is 21st-24th March, which also coincides roughly with the Circle's anniversary. Voting will start the following week.
  • This contest is open to all members of any age anywhere on Planet Earth
This is our third Nature photo contest. The first "Looking for beauty in nature in a world in crisis" was won by Deanna of Virginia. The second "Wildlife" was won by Ruth of Michigan. Who will be the winner of this third contest "Nature's Water Features"???? Very few pictures in so far for the new Nature photo contest which started beginning of the year and I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Daphne from Argentina


days until Voting closes!

Members Favourites

All that will be left is a smile!

Recipe Corner

Leap Year Cocktail

Invented at the Savoy Hotel in London on February 29, 1928 this sweet concoction was said to have spurred many a marriage proposal.

  • 2 ounces gin
  • 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
  • 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
  • 1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Serve with a twist of lemon. Linda, from Tallassee, AL, USA

Florida Marie's No sugar, No Fat, and No cholesterol Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Splenda granular , sugar substitute
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
  • 1/2 cup pasteurized liquid egg-whites
  • 1/2 cup pre-shredded fat free mozzarella cheese
  • 4 teaspoons egg substitute
  • 6 tablespoons warm water
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2 Combine the first four ingredients in a small bowl.
3 Stir pumpkin into skillet & heat slowly.
4 Add the egg whites and cheese, stirring until cheese starts to melt. (If the eggs start to cook, remove from heat for a bit).
5 Mix in the Splenda and spice.
6 Mix egg replacer well with the water, add.
7 Stir whole mixture, pour into crust.
8 Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
9 Reduce temperature to 350, bake 15-20 more minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The cheese is what "binds." Blended with the egg whites, the two substitute beautifully for the not-healthy evaporated milk. (Fat free, nice, but as much sugar as a candy bar.) And you needn't bake at such high temps for so long, because you're not waiting for sugar to melt, egg yolks to cook - and you've already heated your ingredients.

Food Awards

November 23, 2007 - The BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation has received the 2007 Canadian Agri-Food Award of Excellence for Education and Awareness for its administration of the BC School Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program. The Program is part of the ActNow BC initiative to encourage healthy choices by all British Columbians. Check out the large resource on good Recipe choices and take time for a virtual vegetable greenhouse tour.
Cedar Vicki from British Columbia, Canada

Food Humour

Baked Beans - This is hilarious! sent in by Florida Marie
(This one is much too cute not to share. Enjoy! Be sure to grab a tissue; I think you'll be laughing so hard you'll cry!)

One day I met a sweet gentleman and fell in love. When it became apparent that we would marry, I made the supreme sacrifice and gave up beans.

Some months later, on my birthday, my car broke down on the way home from work. Since I lived in the countryside I called my husband and told him that I would be late because I had to walk home. On my way, I passed by a small diner and the odour of baked beans was more than I could stand. With miles to walk, I figured that I would walk off any ill effects by the time I reached home, so I stopped at the diner and before I knew it, I had consumed three large orders of baked beans. All the way home, I made sure that I released all the gas.

Upon my arrival, my husband seemed excited to see! me and exclaimed delightedly: "Darling I have a surprise for dinner tonight."

He then blindfolded me and led me to my chair at the dinner table. I took a seat and just as he was about to remove my blindfold, the telephone rang. He made me promise not to touch the blindfold until he returned and went to answer the call.

The baked beans I had consumed were still affecting me and the pressure was becoming most unbearable, so while my husband was out of the room I seized the opportunity, shifted my weight to one leg and let one go. It was not only loud, but it smelled like a fertilizer truck running over a skunk in front of a pulpwood mill. I took my napkin from my lap and fanned the air around me vigorously.

Then, shifting to the other cheek, I ripped off three more. The stink was worse than cooked cabbage.

Keeping my ears carefully tuned to the conversation in the other room, I went on like this for another few minutes.

The pleasure was indescribable. When eventually the telephone farewells signalled the end of my freedom, I quickly fanned the air a few more times with my napkin, placed it on my lap and folded my hands back on it feeling very relieved and pleased with myself.

My face must have been the picture of innocence when my husband returned, apologizing for taking so long. He asked me if I had peeked through the blindfold, and I assured him I had not.

At this point, he removed the blindfold, and twelve dinner guests seated around the table chorused: "Happy Birthday!"

I fainted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh before I forget the kind of coffee served on the Titanic was Sanka.

Tests & Quizzes

Have you started playing our Trivia Quiz Game yet which is hosted by Aussie Jeanette. Go on try it ... it is fun!

Common Expressions - Origin & Meaning

Good choice for this week as spring is on it's way!

Ne'er cast a clout till May be out - With most phrases and sayings the meaning is well understood but the origin is uncertain. With this one the main interest is the doubt about the meaning. So, this time, we'll have the origin first.

Origin - 'Ne'er cast a clout till May be out' is an English proverb. The earliest citation is this version of the rhyme from Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732, although it probably existed in word-of-mouth form well before that:

"Leave not off a Clout Till May be out.

Meaning

'Cast a clout', although archaic, is straightforward. Clout is a noun, variously spelled as clowt, clowte, cloot, clute, but all meaning cloth or clothing. Here's an early example, circa 1485:

"He had not left an holle clowt, Wherwith to hyde hys body abowte."

So, 'ne'er cast a clout...' just means 'never discard your [warm winter] clothing...'.

The 'till May be out' part is where the doubt lies. On the face of it this would mean 'until [the month of] May is ended'.

The Hawthorn is a common tree of the English countryside, and it flowers in late April/early May. It is known as the May Tree and the blossom itself is called May. Using that allusion, 'till May is out' could mean, 'until the hawthorn is out [in bloom]'.

Other rhymes where May is ambiguous are

- April showers bring forth May flowers.

- Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
(Shakespeare's Sonnet 18)

We can't really be sure which is the two alternative 'May' explanations is correct. The best we can do is to look at the circumstantial evidence.

The pros and cons...

For the blossom/against the month:

The Hawthorn has long been a potent symbol in English folklore and mythology and appears, as May, in other old rhymes. For example, "Here we go gathering nuts in May". That is probably a corruption of "Here we go gathering knots of May [blossom]". After all, there are no nuts to collect in England until Autumn - certainly not in May.

There are other rhymes and traditions that suggest that all of May was seen as a warm month.

May Day (the 1st of the month) continues to be celebrated as the turn of the year in village festivals. These festivities invariably include a May Queen who is decked out with a crown of May blossom.

In his 'Dyets Dry Dinner', 1599, Samuel Butler suggested:

"It is unseasonable and unwholesome in all months that have not an R in their name to eat an oyster."

All these associate May with blossom and/or suggest the month to be warm enough to leave off winter clothing.

Putting the case for the month...

A French proverb - 'En avril, ne te dcouvre pas d'un fil; en mai, fais ce qui te plait'. This translates as 'In April, do not shed a single thread; in May, do as you please', which has much the same meaning a 'ne'er cast a clout...'.

Captain John Stevens's work. 'A New Spanish and English Dictionary', published in London in 1706, translates a Spanish proverb, as "Do not leave off your Coat till May be past". (That seems a little cautious for Spain - the average temperature in Seville in May is 20C).

Those French and Spanish rhymes may or may not have migrated across the Channel. There is a homegrown version that support the 'month' theory though. A fuller version of the rhyme is:

"Button to chin, till May be in,
Cast not a clout till May be out"

The first line appears to have been added later and 'button to chin' can't be found earlier than the 20th century. It clearly refers to the month though, which indicates that whoever coined it thought that way.

There's and explicit mention of the month in the version of the rhyme from F. K. Robertson's, 'Whitby Gazette', 1855:

The wind at North and East
Was never good for man nor beast
So never think to cast a clout
Until the month of May be out

(Wise words for the North Sea-facing Whitby, which can be icy cold even in mid-summer.)

All in all, although the May blossom interpretation seems the more appealing, the 'month' interpretation wins on points.

London Chrissie
Please visit my sites:
Chrissie's Homepage and Chrissie's Place

Questions & Answers

Last week's question was:
What kind of Coffee was served on the Titanic?
The answer is somewhere in this week's newsletter.


Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

A reminder from Bigsis Pat from Ontario, Canada to please take a moment to visit the March Trivia Pages!

Be sure to take a moment to sign up in our google board; lots of fun and a great way to get to know the members better! You must be a member of the Circle of Friends in order to join our google board.

Google Groups Beta
Subscribe to World Wide Web Circle of Friends
Email:
Visit this group

Bragging Rights

A recent post from Jan on Google brought this memory ... very cute and I think like grandmother like daughter!

It brings back memories of when I had my 3 oldest children baptized at Christmas time. My daughter was quite young, and when the minister brought her back up out of the water, all you could hear was her letting out a loud "whoooo" through the church. I couldn't help but laugh. Emma from Maryland, USA

REUNION ARGENTINA OCTOBER 2008



days until Reunion 2008! Argentina here we come!

To hold a Reunion we need people, this is the only thing we are lacking. The organization is already well underway as shown in our 2008 Reunion Website; now we need the cooporation and participation of members everywhere. Look forward to seeing many of you here.

Daphne from Argentina

To the Top

Member of the Month Nominations

Watch this space for the announcement of the member of the month for March.
Nominations for Member of the Month for March close February 29 so be sure to cast your ballot here today! Do be sure to add your comments as to why you have selected the member you are nominating.

Planet Kryzys

Hiya everyone! I was exchanging a few e-mails with Jan Brinez down there in sunny Australia the other day and having my usual moan about wet old Wales; when Jan suddenly comes up with a story about a Welsh potato farmer she met on a plane flight. Apparently the farmer had told her that we harvest our potato crop earlier in Wales, because we get warm air off the Gulf Stream which raises the ambient temperatures a little. So I decided to explain that the warm air also brings a lot of water vapour with it, which it promptly dumps all over the high ground where I live. Then I thought, I'll get some maps and info off the web to back this. Amongst the first few items my search discovered though was the article below, which makes rather chilling reading! Global warming to 'cloak' Wales in ice!
Jan 27 2006 Molly Watson, Western Mail

MASSIVE ice sheets will develop on high land across Wales, according to a scientist who predicts our climate will get colder, not warmer. Despite predictions that global warming will lead to a more Mediterranean-style climate, the Welsh glaciologist said environmental changes could see Wales plunged into freezing temperatures. Previously, scientists have said climate change would lead to higher average temperatures in high latitude areas such as Britain, with rises of up to 8C. Glaciologist Dr Bryn Hubbard believes past experience proves this will not happen. Instead of getting warmer, temperatures will actually fall as Wales' main source of warm air, the Gulf Stream, is cut off.

Dr Hubbard, a senior lecturer at the centre for glaciology at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, said "the cooling will be caused by the melting of the Greenland ice cap which will flood the Atlantic with cold water, and cut off the Gulf Stream. The result for Britain and other northern latitude countries will be a dramatic cool down, ultimately leading to the possibility of glaciers forming in the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia and even on comparatively low mountains. There was an event at the end of the last ice age when things got warmer and warmer which resulted in a lot of ice melting in North America. This ice melt was then discharged into the North Atlantic Ocean which caused the Gulf Stream to be cut off and prevented warm air from reaching the coast of Britain. We are very warm in Wales, considering our latitude, but it's down to the Gulf Stream".

"There have been a lot of papers in the last couple of years detailing dramatic melting at the southern point of the Greenland ice sheet. That melt is discharging large volumes of water into the Atlantic so it's likely that, as before, this will result in fairly major cooling. It's difficult to pinpoint when this will happen but it could be within years or decades."

Submitted by WelshGoG aka Owen from Wales

Our planet awareness site, Planet Kryzys has many interesting stories of different aspects of a planet under Crisis. Do please take a moment to visit it. Daphne from Argentina

Gardening

Edible of the Month: Kiwi

When they hear the name "kiwi" most people think of New Zealand, the flightless bird, or the fruit. They're all connected. Although kiwi fruit is associated with New Zealanders, the vine is native to Southeast Asia. New Zealand started growing and exporting the fruit commercially in the 1950s. Originally called the Chinese gooseberry, the fruit was renamed after New Zealand's national bird. Today, kiwis are grown commercially around the world, including Australia, China, Italy, Chile, and the United States.

You don't have to travel far to enjoy these exotic fruits. Kiwis are one of the most versatile fruits you can grow in your backyard. There is a type for almost every climate in our country and the vigorous vines make a beautiful landscape feature when trained on a pergola, trellis, or fence. Plus, kiwis are good for you. The fruit boasts more vitamin C than oranges, more potassium than bananas, and contains folate, copper, fiber, vitamin E, and lutein.

Mystery Member

Last week's mystery member has been correctly identified as Linda, from Tallassee, AL, USA. Do please take a moment to email Linda and say hello.

Now just who do you think this week's mystery member is?

Clues
:
  • My middle name is Delvina.
  • I do not smoke.
  • My eyes are blue.
  • I have ten brothers and sisters.
  • My favourite thing to do is camp.
  • My favourite colour is blue.
  • My favourite type of music is Country.
  • I am shy.
  • I am a rebel - do not follow the rules.
  • My special talent is crocheting.
  • I have six children.
  • I drive a Ford Van.
  • I am 68.
  • My favourite food is chicken and sliders.
  • If you and I were stranded on a deserted island; I would bring matches to light a fire!
WHO AM I?

Just for Fun

Here is a good one for you from Bigsis Pat from Ontario, Canada

You all remember a while back I sent this one too you, I got it from my brother Roy.

On a bus there are 7 girls.
Each girl has 7 backpacks
Each backpack has 7 Adult cats
For each adult cat there are 7 kittens

How many legs are there on the bus?

I thought it was a trick question and said Busses have wheels, not legs. But Roy replied and said no, it isn't a trick question and here is the correct answer. The best way to calculate this is by seperating the girls, cats and kitten from each other.

  • How many girls = 7
  • How many adult cats = 7x7 = 49 x 7= 343 total adult cats
  • How many kittens = same thing, 343 x 7 = 2401.
  • 7 Girls each one has 2 legs = 14
  • 343 Adult cats and they each have 4 legs = 1372
  • 2401 Kittens and they each have 4 legs = 9604
  • Total legs = 10990

Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences (with all the BLOOPERS) actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:
  • The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
  • The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'
  • Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
  • Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you.
  • Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
  • Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I will not pass this way again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
  • Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
  • Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
  • A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
  • At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.
  • Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
  • Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
  • The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
  • Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
  • This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
  • Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done..
  • The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the Congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
  • Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
  • The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
  • The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours.'
Dabthoms, aka David from Essex, England

Never take yourself too seriously and don't ever lose your ability to laugh at yourself.

Daddy's Shoes
It's so funny when kids mispronounce words. We are good parents and try not to encourage this behavior, but sometimes we just let it go if it's a little funny and not too far off!

These are some of my favorites:

  • Hocapontis = Pocahontis
  • Tee Too / Tantoo = Thank you
  • My did! = I did!
  • Unders = Underwear
  • Lah loo = Love you
Even when I'm with my wife and the kids aren't around we communicate in those words.

Me: "Did you remember to bring unders for the kids?"
Wife: "My did!"
Me: "Great, Tantoo!"

Any innocent bystanders would just guess we're insane. Maybe they're right! :) Dave from Michigan, USA



days until Reunion 2008!

Lace Heart Bookmark

Yarn - heavy crochet cotton of choice.

Knitting needles to suit - size 13, 12 or 11 (2.25 to 3mm metric)

Abbreviations

  • yo - yarnover
  • ssk - Slip one stitch as to knit, slip second stitch,put left needle through front of two slipped stitches and knit them together.
  • k2tog - Knit next two stitches together
  • sl 1-k2tog-psso - Slip one stitch as to knit, knit next two stitches together, pass slipped stitch over the two knit two together stitch.
Instructions
  • Cast on 23 stitches
  • Knit 5 or 6 rows or to suit for lower edge.
**Start patterned section, 6 rows stocking stitch.
  • On right side, knit
  • On wrong side k3, p17, k3.
Heart Pattern
  • Row 1: (right side) K3, *K8, yo,ssk, K7, * K3
  • Row 2 and alternate rows K3, P17, K3
  • Row 3: K3, *K6, K2tog, yo, K1, yo, ssk, K6, *K3
  • Row 5: K3, *K5, K2tog, yo, K3, yo, ssk, K5, *K3
  • Row 7: K3, *K4, K2tog, yo, K5, yo, ssk, K4, *K3
  • Row 9: K3, *K3, K2tog, yo, K3, yo, ssk, K2, yo, ssk, K3, *K3
  • Row 11: K3,*K2, K2tog, yo, K2, K2tog, yo, K1, yo, ssk, K2, yo, ssk, K2, *K3
  • Row 13: K3, *K1, K2tog, yo, K2, K2tog, yo, K3, yo, ssk, K2, yo, ssk, K1, *K3
  • Row 15: K3, *K3, yo, Sl 1-k2tog-psso, yo, K5, yo, sl 1-K2tog-psso, yo, K3, *K3
  • Row 16: K3, purl 17, K3**
Repeat from ** to ** twice more, 3 Hearts altogether.

To make peak at top continue in stocking stich and K2 tog, inside K3 border, each row till 7 stitches remain.

K 3 centre stitches together. Knit 3 rows. Cast off. Crochet chain stitch tail.

And add heart or other trinket. Neaten loose ends.


Be sure to check out all the wonderful craft ideas in the WWWCOF Craft Site and let us get this group active and crafting. Any ideas, please send them to Aussie Jan.
   Join WWWCOF KRAFT CORNER    
 MSN Groups

WWWCOF Kraft Corner

Computers 101

It's About Time
Windows XP Home, Media and Professional

Want to keep your Windows XP clock accurate so you're not always late like TC? He thinks punctuality is a sign of mental neurosis. If you think being on time is important and courteous you might want to ensure that your Windows clock is frequently synchronized with an Internet time server - which are synchronized to the official Atomic Clock.

If you know your Windows clock is accurate then you can set all your other household clocks and watches using it too. But, as TC often says, does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? That's not plagiarism - that's Chicago.

To make sure your system time is accurate, you can automatically set the time from an Internet server.

  • * Double-click the time on the taskbar
  • * Click Internet Time tab
  • * Check Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server
  • * Click on Update Now button
Bigsis Pat from Ontario, Canada

A L E R T !

Aussie Jeanette just received this one and has checked it out with 'Snopes' and it is genuine ... Be careful with the e-mails below.

This one is real. Heads up! Click here: Urban Legends Reference Pages: 'Postcard from a Family Member' virus

Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD,' regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C of your computer. This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address in his/her contact list.

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even though sent to you by a friend, do not open it.! Shut down your computer immediately.

This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.

Health Matters

(on the "lighter" side this week)

When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied. Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall.

You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and assume " The Stance."

In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance." To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.

You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail.

Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. "Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it 's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get."

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.

At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting.

You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this." As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"

This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public restrooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door!
Florida Marie


A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem.

The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss. Here's what you do," said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response."

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens." Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?"

No response.

So the husband moves closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

No response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Again he gets no response.

So, he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Still there is no response.

So he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

(I just love this - sounds a lot like ME!)

"George, for the FIFTH time, CHICKEN!"

submitted by WelshGoG aka Owen from Wales

Welcome to Charla's World

Thank you for all your prayers. They admitted me yesterday morning as I knew they would. I was all day yesterday, last night and today having tests and getting blood drawn. My angina was kicked up from stress although my main problem is my hiatal hernia. The cardiologist changed a couple meds and referred me to a gastrointestinal doctor. I'm suppose to rest the next couple days (HA HA) and of course follow up with my primary doctor. My (sugar) diabetes was running a bit high although I knew it would because they had me on a cardio diet instead of a diabetic diet when I was allowed to eat. Doctor at the hospital said I am probably looking at surgery soon. I knew it was coming. I will say the old hernia pain is nothing to play with. I was very surprised when he said my WEIGHT was NOT a problem at this point! So Thank you one and all once again for your prayers and concern and I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. A double thank you to the loving sisters wwwcof who called me in the hospital and at home. It meant so very much to me words can not say. Love Charla, from Florida, USA.

WWWCOF MEMBERS

Bea from the Catskills - Bea is back in the hospital and had to be operated on AGAIN for her hip. Please pray for Bea to get relief of this horrible health problem she has been going through all over a hip surgery.


Ellen from Georgia, USA - Please keep Ellen in prayer for healing the pain doctor said there is nothing he can do for her. She has many health problems. Please keep Ellen in prayer for relief of this awful pain.

Susan, aka Susie Q, from Smith Falls, Ontario - Just thought I would bring you up to date. We went to the Dr. on Friday. He was pleased and said that I was where I was supposed to be with the healing. He said that it was a very bad break and one that he doesn't like to see. They put on a new cast and we had to buy a boot to go over the cast for walking. I can put as much weight on it as I can tolerate but must use the walker for walking. I can go up & down stairs but since the ankle is still not very strong I go up and down on my butt. I go back in 3 wks and then he will decide if I can use the cast we bought the last time I broke that ankle. If so I will be in that for another month, and will have to go to therapy to learn how to walk again.

Betsy, aka AngelBear, from Florida - Hi Everyone, Doug is still looking for work. He has filled out about 8-9 applications. He checks up on them regularly. They are doing background checks on him. He has an excellent work record and tons of experience in the construction field. Please pray he will get hired soon. Gets a good job with decent working conditions. Love and {{{{Hugs}}}}, AngelBear Betsy

Haley Miller has a request: Please keep Haley's Parents in prayer for drug addiction..and PLEASE keep little Haley in prayer for whatever may come her way.

Daphne from Argentina - Prayer for Global Healing Also let's keep the wwwcof reunion in prayer with Daphne even though it is a year away.

PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL IN THE MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES
  • Jamie Landon: (FlMaries Grand Daughter) Home from Iraq
  • Bea's Step Grandson: (Jesse Kutnsen ) In Iraq
  • Geoffery Landon: ( FlMaries Grandson) I just found out my nephew, FlMaries Grandson Geoffery, will be leaving Thursday morning (February 28, 2008 at 4:30 am) back to the war zone, after being home in the states for a few months. He will be in a very isolated zone. NO phone, no lap tops and no way to communicate with any of us. He is suppose to be there for 6 months. Geoffery has two children a daughter and a son. Please pray for Geoffery to be surrounded with God's Protection and that he will depend totally on his Faith in the Lord. This is a very hard and fearful time for all, especially Grandma Marie and of course his wife, and sister Jamie who is also in the Army. May God hold Geoffery in His Hands until He comes back home. In Jesus Name
  • Robert Fleming: (Peachy Marie's Grandson.) In Africa
  • Stephen Johnson: (Christine Mills Pastors Son) In Iraq
  • Robin Smith: (Christine Mills requests) In Iraq

Please email Charla, from Florida, USA with any Praises, Requests and/or UPDATES Thank you. May God Bless Each One and Have a Great Week!

I hope everyone enjoyed this week's edition of Global Express and I would like close with my THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO WORE PINK ON FEBRUARY 27 to show that we will not tolerate bullying anywhere!

     
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