X marks the spot

Bonjour from Campagne Maison

X marks the spot

Dear Ms. Matlock,

I've always thought that the alphabet letter X carried a mysterious air about it and after much contemplation over what to write about X this week, here are a few things that I have to report:

X used by the Romans denotes the numeral 10
X used in arithmetic multiplies or increases another number
X used in legal documents identifies a signature of a person who cannot write their name
X used by movie makers rates violence and subject matter for their audience
X used by mathematicians signifies an unknown quantity
X used in the garment industry declares a size
X used by proof readers deletes an entry
X used on a map marks a location
X used by lovers as a symbol to represent hugs
X used in the chromosomes of our reproductive system determines sex as female
X used in conversation nullifies a position from the present to the past

X is a pretty significant letter!

My pet peeve about the letter X is when it is substituted for Christ, when writing Christmas----that is just taking the letter to the Xtreme!

I am participating in Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday this week. Grab her button on my sidebar and head on over to class. It will be interesting to see what other students will be writing about the letter X today.

Thanks for stopping by the farmhouse for a visit. We love having company.

Au revoir,

W is for 1927 Wedding Gift

Bonjour from Campagne Maison

"W"

Befitting the pages of a well written Danielle Steel novel, the love story between a high fashioned New York Model and a small town landowner/farmer, made its way onto the Society pages of NE AR history. Charles Wood swept Estella out of her high heeled shoes and shoulder padded silk lingerie straight off Fifth Avenue and into his arms and a new way of life when they wed in 1927 and moved to Luxora, AR. Big city gal, small town country boy....

Because I've had my hands busy helping with our annual Family Reunion, I haven't been able to get all the details of this weeks lesson together, so Ms. Matlock will probably make me sit in the corner this week. I do promise, however, to attend to all the details very shortly and write a REAL report of the account. I will have to give my mother time to "reflect" back on her memories and compare notes with me before I commit my writings to stone.

The friendship between Ms. Stella and my mom was unwavering. It resulted in my mom being banned from the local nursing home because she would sneak food and other contraband in to Ms. Wood. Like I said, fodder for Danielle Steel!

One of the things given to my mom upon Ms. Stella's death was a treasured wedding heirloom, the remainder of her Oneida Community Plate Silver Bridal Chest collection. After many years of wishing, hoping, begging and good fortune, Mama handed the heirloom down to me. I really think it was because the silver is engraved with the initial "W" and I am the only child of hers with that initial. Lucky me--or as I would prefer to say---BLESSED!

1921 Grosvenor Oneida Community Silver Plate Set

6 pc Place Setting sold for $ 34.25

My mom, Sylvia Gillentine and Ms. Estella Wood circa 1980

I am participating in Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. Please grab her button on my side bar and head on over to class. We are only a few weeks away from graduation!!

Thanks for stopping by the farmhouse for a visit today. We love having company!

Au revoir,

V is for Voices From The Past, Papa's Violin

Bonjour from Campagne Maison

modern version of a German Cremona Violin

Voices From The Past, by Faye Witt Moreland, unravels a bit of family history on my father's side, beginning in time of over a century ago. It is written in the 18th-19th-20th century dialect of Itawamba County, MS where John Gillentine's Alabama exodus landed him in the Hopewell community in 1840.

At the age of 14 (1907), the authors father was gifted a maple violin, made in Cremona, Italy c: 1895-1900 from his father. Next to the Bible, the violin was his most sacred possession. His ancestors migrated to Germany from England in the 11th century. It was from his German ancestors that he inherited his love of music, especially the violin. Upon his death in 1948, the violin was stored away until 1970, when it was given to the author by her mother. She had it REstored to it's original likeness and displayed it in her office for 34 years. Unfortunately, a family member stole it and to my knowledge, it was never returned.

This book is a personal treasure to me. The author, Faye Witt Moreland and I are second cousins. I've never had the pleasure of meeting her, but, through her writings I've gotten to know more about my father's family and their way of life growing up in the back woods of Mississippi.

Faye is a retired newspaper photographer/report, a member of the National Federation of Press Women, author of "Green Fields and Fairer Lanes", a Contralto Soloist and landscape artist.

I am linking up with Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. Please grab her button on my sidebar and head on over to class. We're all about the letter "V" today!

Thanks for stopping by the farmhouse for a visit today. We love having company!

Au revoir,

credit: "Voices From The Past" by Faye Witt Moreland

U is for UP

Bonjour from Campagne Maison

Up primarily denotes direction of movement and this song definitely makes your entire body move in all directions. I thought I'd change things UP a bit this week! Besides, I think Ms. Matlock will agree that every good student needs a music class.

"Up!"

It's 'bout as bad as it could be
Seems everybody's buggin' me
Like nothing wants to go my way--
yeah, it just ain't been my day
Nothin's comin' easily

Even my skin is acting weird
I wish that I could grow a beard
Then I could cover up my spots
not play connect the dots
I just wanna disappear

Even something as simple as
Forgettin' to fill up on gas
There ain't no explanation why--
things like that can make you cry
Just gotta learn to have a laugh

When everything is goin' wrong
Don't worry, it won't last for long
Yeah, it's all gonna come around
Don't go let it get you down
You gotta keep on holding on

It's 'bout as bad as it could be
Seems everybody's buggin' me
Like nothing want to go my way--
yeah, it just ain't been my day
Nothin's comin' easily

UP, UP, UP
can only go UP from here...
UP, UP, UP...UP
where the clouds gonna clear
UP, UP, UP,
there's no way but UP from here

UP lyrics sung by Shania Twain

I am linking up with Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. Please grab her button on my sidebar and head to class to see what's UP!

Thanks for stopping by the farmhouse for a visit today. We love having company.

Au revoir,

T is for Tongue Twisters

Bonjour from Campagne Maison

Tongue Twisters

A tongue twister is a phrase, sentence or rhyme that presents difficulties when spoken because it contains similar sounds - "Whistle for the thistle sifter" for example. To get the full effect of a tongue twister you should try to repeat it several times, as quickly as possible, without stumbling or mispronouncing.

Tongue twisters have long been a popular form of wordplay, particularly for schoolchildren, but they also have a more serious side - being used in elocution teaching and in the treatment of some speech defects.

Try to tackle this tricksy tongue twister today!


A tree toad loved a she-toad
Who lived up in a tree.
He was a two-toed tree toad
But a three-toed toad was she.
The two-toed tree toad tried to win
The three-toed she-toad's heart,
For the two-toed tree toad loved the ground
That the three-toed tree toad trod.
But the two-toed tree toad tried in vain.
He couldn't please her whim.
From her tree toad bower
With her three-toed power
The she-toad vetoed him.

My tongue is so twisted I have to stop here!

Grab Ms. Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday button on my sidebar and hurry on over to class and read all the other great "T"s for today.

Thanks for stopping by the farmhouse for a visit today. We love having company!

Au revoir,