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WITandWISDOM(tm) - January 28, 2002

~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS:

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children ... One of these is roots, the other is wings." - William Hodding Carter

Source: Peter's Pearls, http://www.peterspearls.com.au

Subjects: Inheritance

~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS:

There is a story of a little boy with a learning disability. He worked really hard to keep up with the others in his classroom, but because of his unique challenges, he kept falling behind. As a result, his backpack was crammed full with homework every night. There was no letup. He no longer could play outside with his friends after school. By the time he had made a swipe at all his school work, it was time for bed.

The parents consulted with the elementary school guidance counselor and decided that their son needed to be placed with a class of slower learners. It quickly became apparent that the right decision had been made. The third grader got his childhood back, complete with after-school play, positive self-esteem, and grades that matched the front end of the alphabet.

After several weeks of asking his dad if they could play together after dinner, he grew weary of the same response: "I'm sorry, buddy, I have a briefcase full of work I have to do." One day he simply said, "Well, Dad, can't they just put you in a slower class, too?"

Source: My Daily Dose of Inspiration, http://www.quietstones.com/mydailydose

Subjects: Disabilities, School, Busyness, Homework

~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT:

GRANDMA'S CONNECTED

In the not too distant past
-I remember very well-
Grandma's tended to their knitting,
and their cookies were just swell.

They were always at the ready,
when you needed some advice.
And their sewing (I can tell you)
Was available - and nice.

Well, Grandma's not deserted you.
She dearly loves you still.
You just won't find her cooking,
but she's right here at the till.

She thinks about you daily -
you haven't been forsook.
Your photos are quite handy,
in her Pentium III notebook.

She scans your art work now though,
and combines it with cool sounds,
to make electronic greetings.
She prints pictures by the pounds.

She's right there when you need her,
You really aren't alone.
She's out now with her "puter" pals,
but she took her new cell phone.

You can also leave a message
on her answering machine;
or page her at the fun meet.
She's been there since nine fifteen.

Yes, the world's a very different place,
there is no doubt of that.
So "E" her from her web page,
or join her in a chat.

She's joined the electronic age,
and it really seems to suit her.
So don't expect the same old gal,
cause Grandma's gone "Computer."

Author Unknown

Submitted by Stanley Baldwin

Subjects: Grandmother, Computers

~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING:

On a highway between Lafayette and Kokomo (in Indiana, USA) there is a sign outside of a house that simply reads "Bob's Dog Obedience School and Taxidermy Shop." You've got to figure that those canines have "really" high motivation to perform well.

Submitted by Bryan Porter

Subjects: Taxidermy, Dogs

~~~~~~~ TRIVIA:

How did that silent "b" get into the word "debt?"

I always had my doubts about silent letters, especially when a teacher offered to help me remember them with a mnemonic. Trying to get the spelling of "debt" right made me feel particularly dumb. In that I may have had something in common with the people of thirteenth century England, who couldn't leave well enough alone.

You see the word, which came into English with the Norman Conquest two centuries earlier, was originally spelled "det." It came from the French word, "dette," meaning, well, you know. In jolly Olde England they just loped off the last "e" and totaled one of the "t's." So far, I like it.

But then the pedants got at it. They did a little research, discovered that the French word came from the Latin, "debita," and in the thirteenth century upgraded the English version. For kids learning spelling, it's been tough going ever since.

From: Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, By Morris, Mary; Morris, William, Published by Harpercollins (Feb 1, 1988), ISBN: 006015862X, http://isbn.nu/006015862X

Source: MailBits.com Trivia, Copyright (c) 1998-2002 All rights reserved http://MailBits.com/

Subjects: Debt, Language


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