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 Topic: Family NewsThe new items published under this topic are as follows.
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Family Astronomers
Posted by: CStoner on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 09:05 PM
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772 Reads
Well, well... It seems as if everyone has an interest in astronomy at the moment! We have an opportunity to view Mars up close, and have just learned the true meaning of the "dog days of summer" (see the message board).
Since we have found an interesting topic to discuss, I'd like ask a couple of questions:
1. What is your favorite star/constellation/heavenly body?
2. Why? What does it mean to you?
For example... My favorite constellation is the "Big Dipper" for more than one reason.
For many years now, when a favorite pet passes away, we name a star on the Big Dipper after that beloved pet. Every time I see this constellation I say "hello" to each of these family pets. May sound weird to you, but it gives me a connection.
My other reason for claiming the Big Dipper as my favorite is much more practical. It points the way to the North Star (Polaris). I'm not bragging... but I am very good at directions, always have been. Just ask my Dad - who used to use my map reading skills on vacations - and always claimed I was an excellent "co-pilot". one of the reasons is that I can always find my way North.
Knowing "true north" (even though you have to wait untill night-time, with clear skies) is a skill I suggest you all learn. You will probably never need the skill. But better to be safe than sorry!
If anyone is interested in how to do this, just ask... I'm sure we could find a star chart or diagram.
So, there's my example of my favorite heavenly bodies... Now let's hear yours!
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Happy 4th of July!
Posted by: CStoner on Tuesday, July 01, 2003 - 05:37 PM
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623 Reads
<font face="Arial" size="2">Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free!
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