Burt and I arrived in the Dominican Republic today. As we exited the plane (down a stairway, not a jet way) and walked through the open airport roofed in palm leaves, it seemed that I was walking straight into a steam room. "Dang, it is hotter than I remembered!" were Burt's first words.  Personally, after freezing in the plane for several hours, I didn't mind the heat too much...for about the first ten minutes, then came the beads of sweat.  Hahahaha, welcome to the Caribbean!

We picked up our luggage and Burt negotiated with a taxi to take us to our resort Whala! Bavaro! in Punta Cana.  My first experience with the taxi was good.  He gave good recommendations on what to see and do while in Punta Cana, and spoke with Burt about how Burt learned his Spanish and made small talk.  At one point, he was driving and turned around talking to Burt, and I was just watching out the window and half-listening since I have zero Spanish skills, when I notice that in the left lane that we are in a Chevy Blazer is parked in the middle of the highway.  My first reaction is to inhale deeply, clenching my teeth and bracing myself, I gathered my wits enough to yell "stop!" which did no good since it was in English, and then Burt starts yelling at the driver in Spanish, at which point the driver turns and sees the parked truck, swerved into the right lane, cutting of a semi truck in the process and then continued talking...just like nothing happened at all....O.M.G....Almost died.

Halelujah!  Halelujah! For the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Halle-lu-jah!  I love love love Handel's Messiah. This year we attended a live performance that was orchestrated by the

What a Valentine's Day...Burt and I have never really celebrated Valentine's Day, but this year it was especially uneventful with the conflicting hectic school schedules.  We went to class and then rushed over to the Libby Gardener Hall for a Jazz Concert that Burt needed to attend for his Survey of Jazz class.  The concert was enjoyable and relaxing and I would love to attend these more often when our lives slow down a bit.
We had a sweet surprise when we got home from the concert (rather late of course), but Meagan had left us a piece of german chocolate cake with a note that said, "Happy V-Day! To: Savanna & Burton". It was pretty much the most recognition that Valentine's Day has received in our house and it was a lovely surprise!

Frank Vignola and the Virtuoso Band – Oct. 24th, 2011


The Salt Lake City audience roared with laughter as Frank Vignola and the Virtuoso band “paused” their performance squeezing together to pose for a fan’s photo in the middle of performing a song on the Capitol Theatre stage. Once the flash went off; Frank and the Jazz band picked up their performance just exactly where they had left off. The musicians were crowd pleasers, performing not only music, but an impromptu comic routine that fit perfectly with the lively, fun Jazz style performed, filled with improvisation and whimsical tangents.

Each band member had a diverse background. The quintet was comprised of violinist Zach Brock from Lexington, Kentucky, Julian Labro, the accordion player from the South of France, the accompanying guitarist was Vinny Raniolo. The string bassist, Jon Burr, was excellent, adding vocal scat singing on top of the instrumental, performing brilliant string bass solos in turn.

The night’s concert began at 7:30 p.m. with a relaxing and inviting rendition of the Hoagy Carmichael song Stardust. The string bass kept perfect rhythm with Frank and Vinny playing the twin guitars as the melody line, the tempo raced at different points in the song. Each musician would rotate through a cameo solo arranged for their instrument. The violin singing along on a romantic note, bending the bluesy notes in a dreamy fashion. The accordion, an unusual instrument to see performing in traditional bands, added a unique feel to the song. It seemed to play the part of the piano at times and the part of the clarinet at other times. The musician’s flying fingers over the keyboard of the accordion were fascinating to watch. Stardust showcased an excellent call and response between the guitars and the violin, the accordion often played the counter melody in the background. Each instrument would pick up the counter melody as the musicians traded off in the solo performances.

The band had a well rounded repertoire including pieces from the Jazz, Classical, Rock, and some gypsy genres. The pieces performed included I’m getting sentimental over you, Swan Lake Scene I, and Beethoven’s 5th Syphony, Stairway to Heaven and some various compositions from Frank Vignola’s mentors Les Paul and Django Reinhardt. All were performed with a different presentation than how one would typically identify the songs, each one made unique by the skills of the Virtuoso Band. A favorite of mine was the rendition of Metallica’s Stairway to Heaven, which they encouraged the audience to sing along. The tempo was slow and the bending notes were mournful sounding, at some points they played in unison, and others they split off in harmony and always they showcased a different instrument as they moved through the song at different places. In I’m getting sentimental over you, the violinist played an amazing solo that was filled with improvisation. Sometimes the violin solo flew along with the notes played in a striding fashion, up and down the scales, at other times the song slowed and the romantic feel was poured into the song through the slow and soulful notes.

The musicians seamlessly transitioned from one genre to the next. Although the string bass hums quietly in the background, it was interesting to see the Jon manipulate its strings in different manners, sometimes slapping and plucking at the strings, sometimes gliding the bow smoothly across them each technique differing the timbre of the sound. The richly low sound was beautiful, sometimes fast and staccato, other times it was slow and melodic.

Frank and the Virtuoso band were entertaining and well skilled musicians. Those seated in the theater were heard saying that it was a wonderful performance, far exceeding the expectations of the crowd that night. I am certain to recommend and attend a performance of theirs again, if the opportunity presents itself.

Grade 8 Graduation in 1895!




What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895 ...

Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895?

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina , Kansas , USA . It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina , and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina , KS - 1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)

1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal parts of "lie" "play," and "run."
5. Define case; illustrate each case.
6. What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time,1 hour 15 minutes)

1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3,942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1,050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6,720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)

1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus .
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States .
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas .
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour)

1. What is meant by the following: alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals.
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?)
5 Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, f are, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)

1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas ?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America ..
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia , Odessa , Denver , Manitoba , Hecla , Yukon , St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco .

6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers. 10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

Notice that the 8th grade exam took FIVE HOURS to complete.

Gives the saying "he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?

Also shows you how poor our education system has become!

Father's Day was peacefully enjoyable.  Burt was especially sweet to me today and after church we went down to visit Mom and Dad in Riverton. Mom had prepared our wonderful family favorite dinner, Pot roast, carrots, potatoes, and the best part - mashed potatoes and gravy!  It was so nice to sit and visit for a bit before Dad had to leave for work.

We told stories around the dinner table, one of which I had never heard.  We were teasing about Dad's favorite pajamas being ripped, and that led to several stories of Burt ripping his pants.

Most recently, at Burt's work party in December 2010 the group was playing XBOX 360 Kinect.  Burt was competing against a co-worker "jumping hurdles" on the game, they were running the last lap of the track, and Burt was sprinting through the hurdles when "er-rip" sounded as his denim jeans split front to back. Burt didn't notice as he was almost to the finish line, as everyone started laughing he became more aware of the draft. ;)

Dad then relayed a story from high school, when he was jumping on the trampoline in the gymnasium when his shorts ripped.

We all shared a good laugh and had a great time together.  Ironically, Dad's Father's Day gift was a new set of pajamas.

When we got home, Burt and I did some touch up paint and hung some pictures in preparation for Mom and Dad Ferguson coming in a couple of weeks. :)

This story was shared in church and it touched my soul.  At times I feel like I'm really struggling and this helped me see a different perspective.  The author referrenced in church was Rebecca Pulliam of Aberdeen, Idaho.

The camel is an interesting animal. It is not one of the most beautiful. It has thick matted hair that falls off in clumps. It has knobby knees and a big hump on its back. It is referred to as a ruminant because it regurgitates its swallowed food to chew again, and then swallows it again. However, the camel is a wonderful pack animal. It is used for transportation in many countries. Camels carry up to six hundred pounds and average twenty miles a day over rugged terrain. They can travel in hot conditions and go for long periods of time without water. They truly are amazing animals. Regardless of its looks or mannerisms, a camel is loved by its master, for it is useful, obedient and needed.


Here is the camel's secret....Each night, at the end of a long day, the camel kneels at the feet of his master. His master carefully lifts the burden from the camel's back so it can rest comfortably through the night. The next morning, the camel kneels again before his master, and the master gently places the burden on the camel's back for another day. He is careful to rearrange things here or there if he sees that the pack is wearing a sore spot. This enables the camel to carry his burden for another day.

Throughout His life, the Savior was referred to as Master. He loves us regardless of our looks or mannerisms. He desires for us to be useful and obedient. May we practice the secret of the camel. As we kneel each night at the feet of our Master, may He lift our burdens, that we may rest well and comfortably. As we kneel each morning, may we realize that He knows of our pain, our suffering, and our sorrows for He has felt them all. May our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ be sufficient to help us carry our burdens....for just one more day.