Educating Leaders - No Conveyor Belt Education Here!

November 19, 2009 - The Meaning of The 12 Days of Christmas

At Christmas time, people sing the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but few know of the rich Christmas symbols behind the words of the song. They often think that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as the days preceding the Christmas holiday. In reality, Epiphany is the time of the Christian celebration that starts December 25 and lasts until January 6, a duration of 12 days. This marks the Church's celebration of Jesus as the Light of the world and its remembrance of the pilgrimage of the three wise men.

Beginning December 25 until January 6, each day was a part of the Christmas celebration. As a time to show mercy and compassion, each day was spent by doing selfless acts of giving and loving generosity. Other cultures show that gift giving was not entirely done on a single day, but in fact, as the carol goes, spread throughout the entire Christmas season.

The Church in England was prohibited from practicing their faith openly or in private from 1558 until 1829. It was then that "The Twelve Days of Christmas" song was written to be sung in public without fear of imprisonment. It became a type of catechism. The words to the song are an allegory with two meanings: the literal meaning and the figurative meaning known only to Christian followers.

Each word in the song represents something in a religious context. God is represented as "true love." "Me" symbolizes the members called upon to receive these gifts as a Christian. The partridge in a pear tree given on the first day as a symbol of Jesus Christ coming to save mankind.

Try and discover the meaning of the remaining days as you go over the words to the song:

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A partridge in a pear tree.

On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.

How did you do?

____________________

Copyright Stephen Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article as long as you don't make any changes and include the bio below.

Kerry Beck offers free advent calendars with daily Christmas projects to prepare you for Christmas. You will discover a lot about Epiphanythrough her projects. You can get her FREE Advent Calendar countdown at http://www.ChristmasCelebrationIdeas.com.

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August 18, 2008 - Breakfast By The Bluff

I woke up and read the clock wrong. I thought it said 8:30 so I got out of bed and took a shower since breakfast is served from 8:30 to 9:30. When I got out of the shower I realized I had read the clock wrong. It was really 7:30am. And, I could have slept another hour. Oh well, I had some time to write!

Breakfast was delicious! French Toast with Cooked Apples, Quiche, Fresh Berries...yummy!

After breakfast, Patricia showed us the Main Suite they just opened this year. The room is named after her aunt, Auntie Kate, and is a gorgeous suite with a claw foot tub. I love the colors Patricia uses in the entire house. Truly classy!

We're off to visit some wineries, cheese shops and whatever else comes our way!

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August 17, 2008 - Off to Sagamore Hill

After a series of crazy events, we finally got Gentry off to Philadelphia to meet Grandma. She'll spend the rest of her senior trip with my mom. My mom takes each granddaughter to Pennsylvania after they graduate.

It was quite interesting getting her off as our plans changed frequently. The rental car place did not have any cars in Manhattan so we took a cab to La Guardia because they were suppose to have cars at the airport. Wrong! But we only waited about 15 minutes and received an upgrade to a Jeep Cherokee. (Note to self: Cars are probably not available in NYC when you make reservation.)

Finally, we were on our way down Long Island. Our first stop was Sagamore Hill, Theodore Roosevelt's home. Before he married, TR bought 155 acres atop the hill overlooking Oyster Bay. After he & Edith were married, they moved into the huge house. TR's requirements for the house was it be big enough for a large family...lots of kids.

We toured the grounds and saw their pet cementery where several dogs and horses were buried. As we visited rooms in his home, I was pleasantly surprised to see books in almost every room. From my readings, TR read about 5 books a week. There is even an article he wrote calleld, "The Books That I Read And When and How I Do My Reading, by Theodore Roosevelt". He sounds like my kind of person. We discovered that his Gun Room has more books than any other room in the house.

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August 16, 2008 - Michael Phelps' 8 Gold Medals

Gentry rushed back to the room in hopes of watching Michael Phelps compete for his 8th gold medal in this Olympics. We arrived around 11pm - race time! The team was walking on to the platform and we got to watch history being made.

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August 16, 2008 - The Lion King

We rushed to the Minske Theater on Broadway for our show since we didn't realize how late it was after dinner. We sat down less than 5 minutes before the curtain rose. All of us wondered how they would perform this animal play with people. It was amazing! Actually, Gentry told me later she wasn't sure if she would really like it since people were acting as animals. Afterward, she said it was one of the coolest shows she has ever seen. We all agreed!

During intermission we could look down on Broadway and see all the people on Times Square. Minske Theater was a great location as you were right in the middle of things, but you didn't have to be on the street.

Another great event for our last night.

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August 16, 2008 - Bar Americain

Steve suggested eating at one of Bobby Flay's restaurants. We discovered one a half block from our hotel. It was so cool. Upscale, classy and an absolutely wonderful experience. The waiter suggested a cabernet blend which was robust and full of flavor that lingers. I need to find the name of it so we can enjoy it later.

The basket of bread includes a corn fritter, roll and baguet - all warm from the oven! Yummy!

Gentry said her chicken was the most tender chicken she has ever eaten. We all enjoyed some of her potato chips with bleu cheese dip. Steve had duck with wild rice. Again, it was tender and moist. I had cheese grits with shrimp, bacon and green onions which was great!

We splurged and had dessert. Gentry ordered a Praline Chocolate Cake which was super, super rich! Steve ordered Bourbon Filled Cream Eclairs. I enjoyed both of them. What a fantastic meal to end our trip

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August 16, 2008 - Enjoying the City...New York City

We slept late this morning. It sure felt good since we didn't get back to our room until 1am. Off we went to SOHO to eat and shop. This is the type of shopping Steve & I both enjoy. Quaint shops and open-air cafes. Gentry & I had fun going into the boutiques. We got over our sticker price fairly quickly and a little summer dress for $300 wasn't so bad :-) I found a super looking leather jacket, but it was $675. We're not used to paying those prices so we just "looked". What can you expect from DKNY, Armani or Hilfiger.

From a business perspective, it's interesting to see how they greet (or don't greet) you when you walk into their store. After visiting several shops, Armani sales people were the first ones to welcome us into their store. They weren't on our backs to make a sale, but they were friendly. Hilfiger also directed us upstairs to the ladies floor when we walked in. They could tell we weren't looking for mens wear. :-)

We ate lunch at a sidewalk cafe which had wonderful pizza. Gentry chose chicken, goat cheese and pesto. The crust was thin and the taste absolutely delicious. Across the street was a playground with a huge fence around it where kids could play on equipment and adults could play handball. It was so foreign to what we are used to in the suburbs where we have trees & grass in our parks.

We wanted to go back to 5th Avenue shopping area, so we took the subway. Or, so we thought. We took the downtown one and had to turn around to get uptown to the shopping district. Tiffany's was a real experience. Now, I'd like to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's and Sweet Home Alabama again to compare it to the real store. What beautiful jewelry they have!

Coach was down the street and Gentry has been begging her friends to help pay for a Coach bag for her. Next we found Bloomingdale's then headed back towards our hotel. The NBA store was amazing. Gentry kept saying how much Hunter would love this store. NBA products and...tv screens of basketball, basketball hoops, basketball video games, basketball players in life size. You name it, they had it!

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August 15, 2008 - New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals

When we arrived at Yankee Stadium, it was pouring down rain. Lucky for us, our seats were under cover right behind home plate. So we could sit and watch what was happening. After a 1 1/2 hour delay, the ground crew started clearing the tarp over the infield.

Finally, we saw Derek Jeter and Andy Pettite walk on the field to warm up. Again, that was lots of fun to see these guys in person. The other cool aspect of this entire night was sitting in a ball park, watching a Yankees game, and realizing how much baseball history has taken place here. One of the pictures in the program showed the field in the early days...from the same perspective of our seats!

Back to the game. When Alex Rodriguez didn't scramble to get a ball and the out at first, the fans boooed...just like on tv. When he didn't get a hit with runners on base, it was another booing time. In the final inning, the Yankees have a chance to win the game. Jeter on 2nd, Abreu on 1st and A Rod actually hits a dinker to get on base. Bases are loaded and Giambi hits a pop fly. Yep, they lost the game . . . and to Kansas City of all teams!

My favorite part of the game was watching the consistency of Derek Jeter. Hunter and I read his bio a few years ago. He really does live up to a leader and go-getter. We saw a great catch and throw to first. He also knows how to get on base. He may not be a slugger but he consistently got on base. Too bad the rest of the team can't follow his lead these days.

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August 15, 2008 - Shopping on 34th Street

We made it to Macy's, the largest store in the world. Or, so they claim. Actually, it was huge and they were having a one-day sale! Gentry had a blast shopping in the junior department which took up an entire floor (& city block). We then walked by the Empire State Building and enjoyed some other shops.

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August 15, 2008 - New York Yankees

Steve & I got up around 7am and headed up the subway to Yankee Stadium. Since there are no advanced tickets for Yankee Stadium tours, you have to stand in line. We arrived at 8am and they sell 40 tickets around 9am. Our chances looked "slim to none". But, we stayed in line anyway. Somehow, we got tickets to the 12 noon tour...yea!

Back to the room to pick up Gentry and then ride the subway back to Yankee Stadium.

We arrived at 11:30am and they started 9 minutes later - WOW! They actually had 3-4 tours in each time slot.

On the tour, we visited Monument Park where you see monuments to the greatest Yankees, as well as all the numbers retired by the Yankees.

Next, we walked around the field to the dugout, pretty cool being down on the field where great plays are made. Did you know the seats in the dugout are heated?

Next, we walked up to the press boxes and sat where the print media sits. What a great view they have.

Our guide shared lots of intersting history about the team and the ball park. I felt like I was in a baseball history lesson. All in all the tour was much better than the Fenway Park tour. They are even smarter with marketing because you conclude your tour by walking though the Team Store.

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August 14, 2008 - Gallagher's Steak House

After resting in our hotel and waiting for the rain to quit, we walked down the street to Gallaghers Steak House.

Gallagher's was the creation of Helen Gallagher, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer who billed Gallagher's as "the speakeasy that served steaks," when she opened it in 1927. Then when Prohibition came to an end six years later, the resourceful Mrs. Gallagher repositioned Gallagher's as "the steakhouse that served drinks."

Now in its 71st year, Gallagher's is truly a steakhouse to be reckoned with. Step inside and see the rows of U.S.D.A. prime beef dry-aging in the windowed 36F cooler. The grand circular bar will catch your eye along with the dark, wood-paneled walls lined with portraits of sport and movie stars.

The steaks were "to die for". Plus, the portions were huge so we took our leftovers so Steve could enjoy them for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. I had Lobster & Shrimp Bisque that had an interesting spice of nutmeg or pumpkin. I couldn't quite tell, but it was delicious.

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August 14, 2008 - New York Times Square

After a quick lunch at a deli, we walked down to Times Square. Our hotel, Sheraton Manhattan (that I would NOT recommend to anyone), was a few blocks up from the Square. I am always amazed with how many people can walk in such a small square footage of land.

We enjoyed looking at some shops, especially the M&M store. The store was like a M&M museum and you could buy almost anything with M&M on it. Or, you could choose which colors of M&M you wanted to eat.

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August 14, 2008 - New York Train

We had to awake early to catch the train from Boston to New York. We really liked the train ride . . . better than flying. More comfortable seats. More space to relax. Cool sites out the window. Electrical outlets at your seat and Bigger bathrooms! What more could you ask for?

We are looking forward to a fun-filled day walking through Times Square and Fifth Avenue. Tomorrow is baseball day . . . Gentry loves the Yankees!

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August 13, 2008 - Fenway, Freedom Trail and Fun at the Sox Game

On Wednesday we started with our Fenway Park tour. It was fun, but not as good as last year's tour. The store ran this tour, instead of the ballpark...and we had about 75 people on it. We still got a few pics.

The rest of the day we followed the Freedom Trail to see the burial ground of John Adams, Paul Revere, Boston Massacre victims, Faneuil Hall (meeting place of liberty & Boston Tea Party), Paul Revere's home (with antique 1699 dresser) and the Old North Church (2 lanterns in the steeple).

We enjoyed some fresh pastries from a quaint Italian bakery.

After riding the subway once again, we finished our afternoon visiting Cheers.

On Wednesday night we watched the Boston Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers. Gentry was secretly rooting for the Rangers. The Red Sox fans are so loyal that you wouldn't want to cheer too loudly.

All in all, we had a great day.

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August 12, 2008 - Boston Duck Tours

I just finished the first leg of our trip...Boston!

We started Tuesday night with a Duck Tour traveling around the sites of Boston. If you've never heard of Duck Tours, you travel on land and water in a vehicle that was used in World War 2.

When you get to the water's edge, the driver engages the propeller and you begin traveling across the river. Here are a few pics from our duckmobile

After the Duck Tour, we enjoyed dinner at an Irish Pub. It was cool...dark wood and candlelight, just like the old days! Steve & I had fish and chips while Gentry had a burger. Well, we aren't into Irish food, just the atmosphere.

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July 5, 2008 - On the road to Texas

I was surprised how fast Chipman Movers loaded the truck. They were finished by 1:45pm. By 2:30 we had signed all our papers and we were ready to go. Well, almost! We had to say good-bye to our next-door neighbors and get one last hug from their 3-year old son.

By 3:00 we were on the road, headed for Montana. Tomorrow, we plan to stop in Cody, Wyoming. Did you know they have the largest gun collection in the states? Steve's excited to see that collection. I'm excited to see the original Remingtons & Russells. I like any & all art. (Well, except for modern, "look" art)

I'll try and post some pics later.

One last note...if you ever need to hire movers in the northwest, be sure to call Chipman United Moving. We've had the best experience with their company, from the sales person and office assistant to the packers/loaders and the truck driver. They are extremely professional, courteous and clean.

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June 10, 2008 - For the Sake of Summer Fun, Let's End Boredom, Here and Now!

Ahhh.... I'm so bored. You'll never hear that in your house, right?

Tried reading the work of Peter Spier, Bored, Nothing to Do? It talks about two siblings who were so bored to the point their mother takes them outside to quit playing video games and watching TV. While in their garage, they build an full-size airplane and male it fly. Didn't read the book yet? Pick up a copy today. Whether your 7, 17, 47, it doesn't matter, you'll still enjoy it. That also means I'm reading it again.

Boredom brought about the airplane project in Spier's book. Boredom is a problem among most young people today. I want to share two solutions to boredom that can offer help you through these summer months. Feel free to share these with other parents..

Last fall, I came across an article by our local librarian. She said that if a child gets bored it produces creativity. Ponder this for a moment! If they are bored, they will definitely look for something to do. This is where creativity comes in and becomes necessary for your kids to conjure up their own creative projects. The 2 siblings in Spier's books were so bored that soon creativity set in to enable them to build and fly their airplane project.

From this, you can see the importance of providing an environment that stirs up their senses and imagination. Look for items to stimulate creativity. These may include simple items like play doh or complicated craft kits that build marshmallow guns. I tell you boredom will drive them to do something!

If you let them overcome boredom on their own and allow them to come up with creative ideas, you are on your way to solving the summer boredom blues.

Another solution is to let your kids know where you keep all these cool blocks, kits or art supplies. If all your son does is sit in front of the computer, remind him where your digital camera is. Encourage him to make a list of pictures he wants to take and let him loose. Then, show your daughter where the scrapbooking supplies are. She can make a scrapbook of her brother's pictures. It's just that simple.

Since moms are so busy, I want to help you this summer. I have a list which could prove to be successful summer activities for kids. Usually, I share them with my subscribers, but I want to share it with you, too. You can get your copy of 206 summer fun activites right here: LINK

Now, you can print it and put it up on the refrigerator door. Send your child to the frig when they are bored. Have them choose a number between 1 and 206. Look up that activity and get started having summer fun. On a final note, this particular list was sent to me a couple of years ago and even I can't figure out who gave it to me.

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February 1, 2008 - Win Some Valentine Stuff

On my other blog, I'm giving away 4 Valentines & February ebooks. You can win them.

Read all about it by clicking here: Valentine Ideas

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February 21, 2006 - Wisdom as you Age

Wisdom is with aged men,
And with length of days, understanding.
Job 12:12

This verse struck me this morning that there is no substitute for aging when it comes to wisdom and understanding. We can teach our children wisdom and understanding, but it truly comes with time. After many bumps on the road of life and turning to God to survive, we gain His wisdom and understanding.

Kerry

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February 19, 2006 - Education = Reading ???

I would have everybody able to read, and write, and cipher; indeed I don't think a man can know too much; but mark you, the knowing of these things is not edeucation; and there are millions of your reading and writing people who are as ignorant as neighbor Norton's calf.
Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Well said, Mr. Spurgeon!!!

Kerry

Reading

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A place to interact about teaching our kids without following the conveyor belt model of the government schools. Think outside the box and provide a leadership education for your children. Other musings are included on a regular basis :-)