We watched Wit last night, a movie with Emma Thomson as a woman diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. It was a very intense movie. Definitely a shift stylistically from the M. Night Shyamalan we've been watching and analyzing-- Vivian, the main character, often speaks directly to the camera. We didn't see any symbols. We did hear John Donne read aloud, which was interesting because I had not heard or read any of his work. I'll have to do that sometime. I really enjoy Emma Thomson's voice reading poetry. At the beginning of Much Ado About Nothing she speaks the words to a song in the text of the play, and I learned those lines, not so much because I loved the meaning, but the words and the sounds and the rhythms.
I just might survive Chemistry. I got the first test's results today. Better than I had expected.
Friday, August 22, 2003
Natalie --------, Government Homework due 8/22/2003
The Life of Francis Lightfoot Lee
The Lee family and Virginia are inescapably intertwined and woven into the American fabric. The first Lee to sail across the Atlantic to a wild new land was Richard Lee, who became secretary of the colony under the royal governor, and later became acting governor. His great grandson was Francis Lightfoot Lee, signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. Richard Lee’s great-great-grandson Robert E. Lee was descended from Francis Lightfoot Lee’s uncle. Some have claimed to trace the Lee family back to Robert the Bruce.
Francis Lightfoot Lee was born October 14th, 1734 in the same room Richard Henry Lee, Sydney Smith Lee (a famous member of our fledgling navy), and Robert E Lee had been or would be born in. His parents were Thomas and Hannah Lee. Young Francis was called Frank as a child, and unlike his older brothers, who were sent to private schools in England, he was taught at home by a tutor, who imparted a love of reading to his charge. Depending on which source you believe, he was the fourth son, the youngest of eight, or the fifth of eight, and wedded Miss Rebecca Tayloe, a Williamsburg belle, in either 1772 or 1769. His mother died when he was twenty one, and his father died the year after.
In December 1757, he was appointed "First Justice" of the initial 13-man county court, and was in charge of the Loudoun militia as county lieutenant. His first political office was in 1765, serving as a member of the house of burgesses of Loudon County. He strongly opposed the Stamp Act. He was reelected annually, but soon after his marriage he moved to Richmond County, VA. In 1773 we are told that he helped to organize Virginia's Committee of Correspondence. In 1775 he was sent to Congress. Apparently in Congress he was quiet, yet impressed companions with his vote and private conversations.
It is said that in Congress Francis Lightfoot voted for freedom without fear, saying, “Let us, my dear friend, do the best we can for the good of our country, and leave the event to fate.” No doubt it was with that attitude he signed the Declaration of Independence, scorning the personal risk that was connected to national failure. After signing, Francis Lightfoot continued to serve his state in congress until 1779, when he tried to retire. He was then elected to the Virginia legislature, then the senate. Francis Lightfoot participated in the debates over the treaty of peace with Britain, insisting on our rights in Newfoundland fisheries and the Mississippi River. He died on either January 11th or April 3rd, 1797, at the age of 63.
Since the Francis Lightfoot Lee’s had no children, the estate passed after their deaths to a nephew, Ludwell Lee, son of Richard Henry Lee, who also had signed the Declaration of Independence. Francis and Rebecca Lee’s home, Menokin, located in Warsaw, Virginia, a “2-story structure...of stuccoed local stone” is now in ruins but can be seen. The finely-detailed interior wood paneling has been removed and put into storage for protection.
The Life of Francis Lightfoot Lee
The Lee family and Virginia are inescapably intertwined and woven into the American fabric. The first Lee to sail across the Atlantic to a wild new land was Richard Lee, who became secretary of the colony under the royal governor, and later became acting governor. His great grandson was Francis Lightfoot Lee, signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. Richard Lee’s great-great-grandson Robert E. Lee was descended from Francis Lightfoot Lee’s uncle. Some have claimed to trace the Lee family back to Robert the Bruce.
Francis Lightfoot Lee was born October 14th, 1734 in the same room Richard Henry Lee, Sydney Smith Lee (a famous member of our fledgling navy), and Robert E Lee had been or would be born in. His parents were Thomas and Hannah Lee. Young Francis was called Frank as a child, and unlike his older brothers, who were sent to private schools in England, he was taught at home by a tutor, who imparted a love of reading to his charge. Depending on which source you believe, he was the fourth son, the youngest of eight, or the fifth of eight, and wedded Miss Rebecca Tayloe, a Williamsburg belle, in either 1772 or 1769. His mother died when he was twenty one, and his father died the year after.
In December 1757, he was appointed "First Justice" of the initial 13-man county court, and was in charge of the Loudoun militia as county lieutenant. His first political office was in 1765, serving as a member of the house of burgesses of Loudon County. He strongly opposed the Stamp Act. He was reelected annually, but soon after his marriage he moved to Richmond County, VA. In 1773 we are told that he helped to organize Virginia's Committee of Correspondence. In 1775 he was sent to Congress. Apparently in Congress he was quiet, yet impressed companions with his vote and private conversations.
It is said that in Congress Francis Lightfoot voted for freedom without fear, saying, “Let us, my dear friend, do the best we can for the good of our country, and leave the event to fate.” No doubt it was with that attitude he signed the Declaration of Independence, scorning the personal risk that was connected to national failure. After signing, Francis Lightfoot continued to serve his state in congress until 1779, when he tried to retire. He was then elected to the Virginia legislature, then the senate. Francis Lightfoot participated in the debates over the treaty of peace with Britain, insisting on our rights in Newfoundland fisheries and the Mississippi River. He died on either January 11th or April 3rd, 1797, at the age of 63.
Since the Francis Lightfoot Lee’s had no children, the estate passed after their deaths to a nephew, Ludwell Lee, son of Richard Henry Lee, who also had signed the Declaration of Independence. Francis and Rebecca Lee’s home, Menokin, located in Warsaw, Virginia, a “2-story structure...of stuccoed local stone” is now in ruins but can be seen. The finely-detailed interior wood paneling has been removed and put into storage for protection.
Friday, August 15, 2003
You're Iraq!
An outcast from all you meet, you have very few friends who haven't
later backstabbed you in some way or another. And you've made your share of mistakes...
a little torture, a little coercion, a little stealing, it was all part of a day's work.
It's hard to say if it deserves the kind of treatment you're getting now, though.
When people look for someone to point to with a worse life than they have, they think
of you first.
Take
the Country Quiz at the href="http://bluepyramid.org">Blue Pyramid
This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. To be honest, I should tell you first I was the United Nations. I tried again and got Cyprus. They thought my parents were divorced. Then Israel. Lebanon. Finally I gave up and stuck with my last one, Iraq.
Thursday, August 14, 2003
In our kitchen, before he had to go do his homework, the Neighbor Child said to my brother:
"You know whats wierd about your house? You don't have a t.v."
my brother "Yes, we do. Its just not out here."
"Where is it?"
"In my parent's room."
"Do you ever watch it?"
"Yes. We did today. We watched about gravity and airplaines." [it was a movie. N.]
"I have a Playstation 2 and t.v. in my room."
"Do you wanna play cards?"
Its amazing how disconcerted some people are by the lack of a prominently placed television. Of course, children are more likely to tell you they think something about your home is strange.
"You know whats wierd about your house? You don't have a t.v."
my brother "Yes, we do. Its just not out here."
"Where is it?"
"In my parent's room."
"Do you ever watch it?"
"Yes. We did today. We watched about gravity and airplaines." [it was a movie. N.]
"I have a Playstation 2 and t.v. in my room."
"Do you wanna play cards?"
Its amazing how disconcerted some people are by the lack of a prominently placed television. Of course, children are more likely to tell you they think something about your home is strange.
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Go see if you have Achoo Syndrome
Thanks ubi sunt which I linked to from
Lucy Zoe.
The boys are engrossed in the first day of school. I'm about to go immerse myself in Government.
Thanks ubi sunt which I linked to from
Lucy Zoe.
The boys are engrossed in the first day of school. I'm about to go immerse myself in Government.
Sunday, August 10, 2003
The boys are (again) in bed. Dad is at Men's forum. We had a baptism today. Young Jackson Knox M., the M.'s seventh son. Appropriately, the sermon was on baptism.
I was very glad to worship with my own church again.
Last Sunday I was up with Kit's family. They have four people living with them at the moment, a father and his three children, Efua (3), Jojo (2), and Ekoua (3 weeks). Their mother is in intensive care at the moment from ( I think) a blood clot on the brain. She is stable and they hope that, although it will be a long time, she will recover.
I passed my CPR test. I have a chemistry test tomorrow.
I have a plot idea for a book. But I don't think I can write it yet. I'll have to continue scribbling for a while.
I was very glad to worship with my own church again.
Last Sunday I was up with Kit's family. They have four people living with them at the moment, a father and his three children, Efua (3), Jojo (2), and Ekoua (3 weeks). Their mother is in intensive care at the moment from ( I think) a blood clot on the brain. She is stable and they hope that, although it will be a long time, she will recover.
I passed my CPR test. I have a chemistry test tomorrow.
I have a plot idea for a book. But I don't think I can write it yet. I'll have to continue scribbling for a while.
Friday, August 08, 2003
The boys are in bed. I'm mentally gearing up to study CPR for my test tomorrow. Whew. I'm not sure I'll pass. Its not automatic yet. And I'm being tested by someone different from the teacher. I just hope I don't get flustered. I did pass my written test, though.
Government started today. Looks ridiculously easy so far. Hopefully it will become slightly more interesting. Mrs. H. did say she was planning on supplementing the text to make it more challenging.
I went up to visit Kit last weekend. I'll tell you more about that some other time. Off I go to practice rescue breathing and CPR on adult, child, and infant. And try not to confuse any of it. :-)
Government started today. Looks ridiculously easy so far. Hopefully it will become slightly more interesting. Mrs. H. did say she was planning on supplementing the text to make it more challenging.
I went up to visit Kit last weekend. I'll tell you more about that some other time. Off I go to practice rescue breathing and CPR on adult, child, and infant. And try not to confuse any of it. :-)
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