Leap Year! T13

For this Thursday Thirteen, I decided to write about leap year.  Come have some fun and link up with us!

1.About every four years, we add an extra day, February 29, to the calendar.  Information from "Time and Date" website:
Leap Years are needed to keep our modern day Gregorian Calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the sun. It takes the Earth approximately 365.242199 days – or 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds – to circle once around the Sun. This is called a tropical year.

However, the Gregorian calendar has only 365 days in a year, so if we didn't add a day on February 29 nearly every 4 years, we would lose almost six hours off our calendar every year. After only 100 years, our calendar would be off by approximately 24 days!

2.  Our next leap year will be February 29, 2016.

3.  In a leap year, the year is divisible by 4.

4.  Julius Caesar first introduced the idea of leap year to the Roman Empire about 2,000 years ago.

5.  According to "Time and Date" website:
Historical records show that February 30 was a real date at least twice in history. Sweden added the date to its 1712 calendar following an earlier calendar error; the Soviet Union observed February 30 in 1930 and 1931 in an attempt to cut seven-day weeks into five-day weeks and to introduce 30-day months for every working month.

6.  February 29 is called leap day.

7.  According to The Telegraph, Queen Margaret of Scotland was apparently five years old when she came up with the notorious February 29 proposal trap.

If a man did refuse the proposal, he would be fined a kiss, a silk dress or twelve pairs of gloves.

Women either have to wear breeches or a scarlet petticoat to pop the question, according to tradition.

8.  People in Greece avoid getting married during a leap year.  They believe it is bad luck.

9.  People born on February 29 are called leaplings or leapers.

10. The poet Lord Byron was born on February 29.

11. Also according to The Telegraph, The plot of Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance revolved around Frederic's discovery that, because he is a leapling, he must remain apprenticed to pirates and serve another 63 years before he can join Mabel, his one true love.

12. Anthony, Texas claims to be the leap year capital of the world.  They celebrate with square dancing and a trip to Aztec Cave.

13. The frog is a symbol of leap year. 

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TRT

I'm linking up with Stacy Uncorked for TRT.

Did you watch the Oscars? I saw a small portion of it, but I still don't know who won best actor/actress or best picture.  Oh, well, no big deal.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed, like there is so much to do, and you can't get it all done?  Of course you do!  Especially if you're female.  That's me, lately.

Happy that I got to see these two young ladies this weekend!

We took an 18 hour trip.  Both  ofour daughters are in college.  One of the universities is on the way to the other, so we stopped and picked up one of our girls, then the three of us went to the college where our other daughter attends. We came home Sunday.  That's a lot of hours to spend in a car in 54 hours.  A lot of the time there was also spent in the car - going shopping, eating, site-seeing.  It  was so worth it!

I thought I had some wisdom to share today, and now I can't think of what it was.   Story of my life.   I have CRS!  I need to write these things down!  Have a great week!

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Friday Five

I'm linking up with Emmy Mom for Friday Five.
Share five thoughts and five pictures.

1.  I'm so excited!  I'm going to see my daughters! One is at college about six hours away, and the other is at college another 2 1/2 hours away.  Luckily, you pass through one city to get to the other, so we can see them both.  I have been waiting all week for this!  Today's finally here!

2.  Writing an online professional development course for teachers was harder than I thought it was going to be.  I met my deadline Tuesday, thank goodness, but I still have a few things I can go back and tweak.  It has been a long, complex process.  I wonder if I had it to do over again if I would.

3.  Last week, our students spent about an hour and a half shooting a school-wide video.  Our radio/TV teacher puts together a song mix, and the kids are all lined up in the halls throughout the school.  This year they held up signs with positive messages on them as he went by to film.  Sounds like fun, no?  No!  Biggest waste of time!  The kids are super-crazy, and they expect us to go back to class after this.

4.  I would rather have a valentine party with my students than film the video, but we don't have parties in intermediate (middle) school.  That's something they leave behind in elementary school, but it's kind of a sad thing.

5.  Spring break can't get here soon enough!

This is the book I'm reading now.

A late Valentine's wish!

I miss watching my daughter perform with color guard.

I miss supporting my son through FFA.

I thought this flower was pretty.  I took this picture Jan. 17 in Galveston.

Musing Mondays

Musing Mondays is hosted over at Should Be Reading.  Let's talk about what we've been reading and writing.

Last week, I finished Hope to Die, the 22nd book in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.  I had no idea there were 22 Alex Cross books!  It was an easy read because it was a wild ride the entire book!  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  And he even managed to work a little twist in there that almost got me!  Way to go, Patterson!  Loved it!

I'm now reading House Rules by Jodi Picoult, and so far, I am enjoying it,  It's over 600 pages long, so it will probably take me two weeks to read.  What fascinates me most is that one of the main characters has Asperger's Syndrome.  I have a few students this year who are on the autism spectrum, so I'm quite interested.  And with all Picoult books, the storyline will be thought-provoking.

This weekend, I have been working hours and hours on some projects whose deadlines are fast approaching.  I have been writing, and scanning, and editing, and uploading, and writing some more, and ugh!  I told my husband I was going to take a break and read my One Year Bible.  He said, "That's what's keeping you sane."  He wasn't being facetious, and he's absolutely right!  And I'm continuing my 3-Minute Devotionals for Women.  I love those almost as much as my Bible reading.

I also found this gem on the web.  I hope you will read and enjoy it as much as I did.

What are you reading?

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Thirteen Things I like that Begin with "S"!":

Come join us at Thursday Thirteen!

Here are 13 things I like that begin with the letter "S!"

1.  Star-gazer lillies - They are such beautiful flowers with a pleasant fragrance.

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2.  Salt - I know it's not really good for you to eat much salt, but it makes food taste so much better.

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3.  Sales - Who doesn't like to save money?

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4.  Soda - particularly Coca-Cola.  It's my "one-a-day vitamin!"

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5.  S'Mores - Who doesn't love these ooey-gooey-chocolatey goodness?  I haven't had one in ages, but now, I really want one!

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6.  Shade - I don't like being in the sun too long anymore.  I much prefer the shade.

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7.   Sunset - I'm not a morning person, so I prefer sunset.  It's beautiful, too. The sun sets over the lake near my house.

8.  Smiles - Especially the smiles of my family!  Here is a throw-back Thursday photo!

9.  Sweet Pea Fragrance from Bath & Body Works - It's one of my faves.

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10.  Summer - Not because I love the summer heat in Texas, but because I'm off  work for most of the summer.

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11.  Socks - If I wear shoes that don't require socks such as sandals, my feet get so cold!

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12.  Sangria - I don't drink alcohol very often, and I only developed a taste for wine a few years ago, but I truly like fruity Sangria!

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13.  Sleep - Why?  Because I don't get enough of it, so when I am able to sleep, such as on Saturdays, I just love it!

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It's Only My Opinion

I'm linking up with Shouldbereading for Musing Mondays.

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

Last week I finally finished reading The Governor's Wife.  So glad this book is over.

The Governor's Wife by Mark Gimenez
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was a disappointing book. I have loved all of Mark Gimenez's previous books, but this one was a dud. I like the fact that Gimenez sets his books in Texas, but this one was such an unfavorable depiction of our great state. He made Texans seem like people who only care about money, hunting, and appearances, and he portrayed Mexicans as either ignorant or ruthless. There were stereotypical politicians (aka liars, all) whose only concern is getting elected, drug lords with no regard for human life, and Mexican children who don't have an ounce of dignity or intelligence. He poked fun at the politics of both Texas and the United States. The characters were caricatures. And much of the book read like an action movie where the hero gets shot several times and slashed with a knife but can still carry an unconscious full-grown man one hundred yards uphill. If I were the type of reader who gives up on books, I would have put this one down, but I always have to see it through to the end, and boy was I glad when it ended. Mr. Gimenez should stick to legal thrillers rather than politics and perhaps focus on some of the better qualities of our state and its people.

View all my reviews

Now I am reading Hope to Die, the 22nd book in the Alex Cross series.  At least I know to suspend belief as I am reading this one.  I love the style that Patterson uses.  He hooks you quickly and keeps you hooked till the end.

I'm still reading my One Year Bible on a daily basis, and I really look forward to the time I spend with it.  I'm also reading my 3 Minute Devotionals on a daily basis.  What are you reading?

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Friday Confessional

It's Friday!  Time to link up with Aubrey at High-Heeled Love because confession is good for the soul.

I confess

I'm glad I'm finished reading my latest Mark Giminez book.  I have loved all of his books... until I read this one.  I will post a review later.  Needless to say, it won't be favorable.

I confess

When I woke up today, I thought it was 27 degrees outside!  It wasn't.  It was actually about 40.  It took me a while to figure out why I thought it was so cold.  Mystery solved... I had accidentally left my weather setting on my phone to the city where my daughter goes to school.  It's about 6 hours North of us, so it's definitely colder.

I confess

I am the worst texter.  I get made fun of for all the mistakes I make, especially since I'm an English teacher!  Granted, I teach sixth graders, not college students, but I can make some doozies!  It gets a little old being made fun of, though.  I can't help that 1) I get in a hurry, and 2) I can't see worth a darn up close.  I don't wear my reading glasses unless I'm actually reading, so I can't see well.  People like to make fun of my handicap!  (JK)

Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thirteen Groundhog Day Edition

Monday, as you may know, was Groundhog day, and Punxsutawney Phil predicts we'll have six more weeks of winter.  Here are 13 bits of Groundhog Day trivia.  Link up with Thursday Thirteen.

1. Groundhog day first began in Pennsylvania in 1886.

2. Phil's namesake was King Phillip.

3. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.

4. There is a German legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..." From these roots, Groundhog Day began.

5. Groundhogs were plentiful in Pennsylvania in the 1800's.

6. The early settlers believed groundhogs were intelligent and sensible animals.

7. Phil has a club, and there are 58 chapters!

8. Groundhogs whistle when they are "courting" in the springtime.

9. Groundhogs really hibernate, but it's more like a coma than a deep sleep.

10. Punxsutawney Phil weighs about 20 pounds.

11. Most groundhogs live 6-8 years, but Punxsutawney Phil drinks magical punch every year, so he will probably live forever.

12. Membership in Phil's club is $10 per year.

13. And this... this is truly exciting... You can own your very own Punxsutawney Phil merchandise At the Official Souvenir Shop!  You know I'm going to hop over there and get mine now!

Here is some more Groundhog Day Trivia.

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Wordless Wednesday

My precious Lacy
Join in on the fun at Wordless Wednesday!

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Totally Random

I'm linking up with Stacy Uncorked for some randomness!

I wasn't interested in the Superbowl game at all, and I hadn't planned to watch the halftime show, but I heard it coming on when I was cleaning the kitchen and decided to take a peek.  I am no Katy Perry fan, but her show was pretty amazing.  My favorite part was her entrance. Wow!  In fact, when it was completely over, all I could say was, "Wow."

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And speaking of WOW... I've mentioned how I hate group texts, so when I got one on Friday, I tried to determine who the people were whose numbers I don't have in my phone.  I sent a text saying, "This is so-and-so, and I want to save your number in my phone.  Who is this?"  Most people just say, "Oh It's Amanda.  Haha,."  Well, not this one woman.  Instead, she sent me snarky remarks like "You look good today," and "This is your secret admirer."  And, "My name is Reginald," and crap like that.  I finally asked our book club hostess who it was, and she told me.  I also asked her not to send me anymore group texts.  That one person makes me not want to participate anymore.  Maybe I will just set up my own book club with people who are more like me.

And on a completely new topic, I made a terrific chicken stir fry for dinner last night.  I got the recipe from McCormick, but I never follow a recipe exactly.  I like to add my own spin on things.  And speaking of food, my mother-in-law made roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for my husband for his birthday dinner.  He has been asking her to make it for a long time, and she finally did.  It was delicious!  I'm so lucky to have in-laws that I just love.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

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