Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Did you know?

I found this email I received to be very imformative. Unfortunately the pics didn't copy so get out a $1 bill and take a look.


Who was Hayim Solomon?
On the rear of the One Dollar bill, you will see two circles. Together, they comprise the Great Seal of the United States . The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved. If you look at the left-hand circle, you will see a Pyramid.

Notice the face is lighted, and the western side is dark. This country was just beginning. We had not begun to explore the west or decided what we could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is uncapped, again signifying that we were not even close to being finished. Inside the capstone you have the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklin's belief that one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could do anything. 'IN GOD WE TRUST' is on this currency.

The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means, 'God has favored our undertaking.' The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means, 'a new order has begun.' At the base of the pyramid is the Roman Numeral for 1776. (MDCCLXXVI) If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you will learn that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States It is also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell, Florida National Cemetery , and is the centerpiece of most hero's monuments. Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the United States , and it is always visible whenever he speaks, yet very few people know what the symbols mean.
The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons: First, he is not afraid of a storm; he is strong, and he is smart enough to soar above it. Secondly, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England Also, notice the shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its own. At the top of that shield you have a white bar signifying congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as one nation. In the Eagle's beak you will read, ' E PLURIBUS UNUM' meaning,'one from many.'
Above the Eagle, you have the thirteen stars, representing the thirteen original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one. Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows. They say that the number 13 is an unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide belief. You will usually never see a room numbered 13, or any hotels or motels with a 13th floor. But think about this: 13 original colonies, 13 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 13 stripes on our flag, 13 steps on the Pyramid, 13 letters in, 'Annuit Coeptis,' 13 letters in 'E Pluribus Unum,' 13 stars above the Eagle, 13 bars on that shield, 13 leaves on the olive branch, 13 fruits, and if you look closely, 13 arrows. And finally, if you notice the arrangement of the 13 stars in the right-hand circle you will see that they are arranged as a Star of David. This was ordered by George Washington who, when he asked Hayim Solomon, a wealthy Philadelphia Jew, what he would like as a personal reward for his services to the Continental Army, Solomon said he wanted nothing for himself but that he would like something for his people. The Star of David was the result. Few people know that it was Solomon who saved the Army through his financial contributions but died a pauper. I always ask people, 'Why don't you know this?' Your children don't know this, and their history teachers don't know this. Too many veterans have given up too much to ever let the meaning fade. Many veterans remember coming home to an America that didn't care. Too many veterans never came home at all. I for one, plan to share this page with everyone, so they can learn what is on the back of the United States one dollar bill -- and what it stands for!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Grace Baptism

Grace along with her proud parents waiting for the ceremony to begin. I think Grace is wondering why she is in this fancy dress and hat.Doing the Baptism is Linda Pendleton. She is a friend of mine from my part time job at H&R Block. She is also the one that married the proud parents.

Nice family shot. Paige and Grace with their parents and John and Caleb with their parents. Patty's brother and sister in law are Grace's Godparents.Paige and Caleb play while waiting for the meal.And of course there has to be cake and it was delicious.
But little Grace couldn't enjoy the cake. Not yet anyway. But her sister and cousin sure enjoyed theirs.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Happy Veterans Day

Well today we celebrate Veterans Day honoring all those that have served in the past and the present. Although it is a holiday (as it should be) many compnaies opt to save the day for the day after Thanksgiving to give employees a longer weekend. My company is one of those. However, we did not forget that today is still Veterans day. The Managment team puts together a nice tribute every year to honor all veterans. The Veterans line up according to branch of service. Then the service flags are marched in (with the respective song) to stand in front of fellow service members. Then the color guard raises the American Flag. After some very nice remarks by Leadership, it is followed by a moment of silence while taps is played. It is a very fitting tribute to all that have served or are currently serving this great country of ours. I thought this would be a fine time for this picture again.

Happy Veterans day to all.




Monday, November 3, 2008

Haloween not just for kids

This year Deb and I dressed up for Halloween. In case you can't tell, Deb was an outlet and I was the plug. We decided to dress up the basic costume a little and make it look like there was a short circuit.
One thing that is always interesting in our neighborhood is one of our neighbors goes above and beyond when it comes to Halloween decorating. Here are a few of his creatures.




















And then of course there are always the grandchildren.







And last but not least is our pumpkin. In the background you can see the eyes of the Halloween Black Cat. He did dress up but wasn't too keen on the idea. Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween. Not long to turkey day...