WordProverb

Restarting the Blog

2012-02-07T11:30:00.000-06:00

It's been long enough to have a baby since my last post - but not to worry, there are no announcements of new kids in the family. Rather I've just taken a break from writing - all writing. But I'm thinking maybe it's time to get back into it, and that restarting my blog might be a good first "baby" step towards developing healthy new writing habits.

But I am one reader short now. My mother passed away in November. I've missed her so much, still do, and there are so many times I wish I could talk to her again. She always read my blog, and even though she rarely posted a comment, she often verbalized thoughts to me about my posts. I'm going to miss that too. She was a remarkable woman, full of integrity, compassion, and candid honesty.

So for any readers who stumble across this blog or those who are still subscribed, please know that I appreciate hearing from you. I miss my mother’s oftentimes un-asked-for advice, and especially its truthfulness. I’d love to hear it from you too.

Stay tuned for weekly posts!

Even Better Than Organic!

2011-04-14T17:00:00.006-05:00

To help with my new healthy eating lifestyle, I have found myself spending more and more time in the produce department at the grocery store. I've even forged ahead with buying organic, since it makes sense that less chemicals in the growing process can only mean healthier food. But what has happened is my grocery bill has went through the roof! Big time.

Ahh, but I've found something even better than organic. It's grow-your-own! And it's what's for dinner... and lunch... and even breakfast!

Green beans - on the menu for dinner

I'm thinking Fried Green!

Collard greens - delicious and nutritious

Strawberries with breakfast

It's been a real learning process to grow fruits and vegetables in Texas where the summer sun is truly killer (a veggie killer). We've learned to plant early, in a raised bed, and with good soil. We are reaping the benefits and loving every minute of it.

Getting Fit - The Last 5-10 Pounds

2011-03-31T17:00:00.014-05:00

I've been working to get fit for 6+ months now, having started with exercise last fall and adding a healthy diet as a New Year's resolution. To date, I've lost between 15-20 pounds, so I know it's working. But it's working as slow as slow gets. And in everything I've read, they say the last 5-10 pounds are the hardest.

Some people say it's self-sabotage. Or that because you are close to your goal you ease up and become less disciplined. Others simply say the weight loss becomes so slow that you give up.

I'm determined to make it and to keep it off, and wanted to share some of what's worked for me so far and ask for your advice for continued success.

Here's what's worked for me so far.

Setting the clock weekdays for 1 hour earlier and using the time for a morning workout. I mix up the workouts too, some mornings doing yoga and ab exercises, other mornings cardio or workouts with weights.
Establishing my daily caloric output. There are a lot of online tools to do this, but my favorite is www.caloriecount.com. This site lets you plug in your body type and activity level, and calculates approximately how many calories you expend in a day. Then it gives you the opportunity to add specific activities, like yoga, bicycling, or cleaning for example. I'm sedentary, having a job where I sit most of the day, but I add in my daily workout and any additional physical activities (like when I spend 4 hours doing intense cleaning).
Once I know how many calories are being burned in a day, all I have to do is keep my caloric intake less than that number. And calorie count helps you track that as well (along with your nutrient intake).

Sounds simple enough. But it is hard. Hard to get up early in the morning when everyone else is sleeping. Hard to limit my caloric intake when I really would LOVE to have one of those girl scout cookies (actually I would prefer the delicious, best I've ever had in my life, coconut cupcakes that my neighbor baked and brought over recently).

So I guess the main thing is to keep plugging away at it, even after a day of blowing the caloric deficit or omitting the daily workout. The main thing is to get it right on a routine basis, and not sweat the mess ups.

Your Story - A Poem

2011-03-24T20:47:00.000-05:00

Recently, my daughter was given an assignment to write a poem following the format of the Mother to Son poem by Langston Hughes. The theme was "life" and metaphor was required. What she wrote is so beautiful, that I had to share it here.

Your Story

by Katherine Tuttle

Well, Grace, I'll tell you:
Life is your story written in ink.
It has misspelled words,
And pages missing.
There will be times when you don't know what to write,
And there will be times when your pen runs out of ink -
Dry.
But don't quit writing.
I've been correcting my mistakes,
And I've been turning and filling up my pages.
Keep writing because if you do,
You will be able to cross out your mistakes, or tear out the page,
And start the chapter over again.
Grace, don't stop writing.
Don't let the jumbled sentences get in your way.
Keep going.
Don't let your story be unfinished.
Don't put your pen down yet
Because your story is still ahead of you.
That is life, your story written in ink.

What's Your Spiritual Gift?

2011-03-07T11:27:00.000-06:00

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind — just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you — so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

At church, several weeks ago now, our pastor preached a sermon that talked about spiritual gifts. It was a good and moving service, and I was quite taken aback when the pastor went around the room and individually named spiritual gifts that each person in our congregation was blessed with. Wow.

She really nailed my daughters. She named faith as a spiritual gift of my oldest, and joy, a gift of my youngest. What really surprised me was the gift she named for me. Teaching. Teaching? Really?

Funny, but when I was a younger working adult and went back to college, I wanted to get a degree so that I could become a teacher, but the counselors discouraged that choice, and so I focused on marketing instead. And my jobs since then have all been in sales-related fields. My passion has always been writing. So where does teaching fit into all of this?

But it does. Sales and marketing is a matter of educating a prospect on the benefits they will receive with your product or service. So I am teaching in my job. And as far as writing, it would be swell to think that something I wrote had an impact on someone in a manner that they felt they learned something.

So teaching as a spiritual gift is cool. And I hope to learn other meaningful ways in which to teach.

Book Reviews - The Time Traveler's Wife and The Giver

2011-01-21T08:15:00.000-06:00

Since I am behind on numerous book reviews, I'm going to bundle a few together and keep them brief so as to get these posted as quickly as possible.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What I liked - the fascination with time travel and the relationship between Henry and Clare at various stages/ages in their lives.

What I didn't like - at times it became confusing and I found I would have to look back in the book to reorientate myself with the timing.

I do want to see the movie now that I've read the book.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this classic young readers story about 12-year old Jonas, who is selected to be the Receiver of Memory in a community where roles are assigned and everything in life is orderly, predictable, same, and perfect. Or so the community believes. As Jonas receives memories of generations; pain and pleasure, warmth and cold, even color, he learns about and makes a life changing decision. Unfortunately, the ending is unclear and left to interpretation, the only reason I didn't give this story 5 stars.

Double thumbs up - it's kid friendly and a book I can enjoy even with my 10-year old!

New Years Resolutions for 2011

2011-01-07T13:18:00.000-06:00

Anyone reading - please feel free to hold me to these. I appreciate your checking in with me from time to time to see how I'm doing and to keep me honest. I'll do the same for you if you like, just let me know in the comments.

2011 New Years Resolutions and Goals

Get fit - enough so that I can wear a 2-piece bathing suit this summer (if I decide I want to).
Eat healthier - less meat and more fruits and veggies - the closer to being how it is offered from the Earth, the better.
Read the bible, cover to cover. Something I've always wanted to do and have started a few times, but never finished.

Realistic? I think so. Anyway I'm keeping it simple to better my odds of success. Too many years' goals get lost and abandoned, and I want these to stick. Good luck to everyone in the new year!

To Blog or Not to Blog

2010-12-15T16:26:00.000-06:00

My last blog post was September 13 and it was a book review. Prior to that, I had been fairly regularly posting to this blog, and I had been keeping up with my blog subscriptions. All that has changed however, and I'm wondering if I want to get back into it now or not.

I truly enjoyed all the blogs I followed, but I found it to be a tremendous drain on my time. Maybe I subscribed to too many, as I did enjoy reading a variety of posts and interesting tidbits from various authors. It just began to take too much time.

And so did writing posts. And I always questioned if it was interesting enough to justify the time it would take for anyone to actually read the post. But I so enjoyed it! So I'm contemplating.

I've read about a zillion books (OK, a slight exaggeration), and could have a ton of book reviews to post. Not sure about other content though. Anyway, anyone want to weigh in. . .?

Book Review - The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

2010-09-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the best books I've read in ages, and the first fiction by Sue Monk Kidd! The Secret Life of Bees has it all - excellent characterization, moving description, realistic dialog, and a real good coming of age storyline.

Lily Owens learns about love and forgiveness when she finds her way into the home of three black beekeeping sisters in Tiburon, South Carolina. It’s set against a civil rights backdrop in the 1960s, and captures many of the emotions surrounding this turbulent and misunderstood time.

What I liked best about The Secret Life of Bees is the writing itself. Sue Monk Kidd delivers very well developed characters and outstanding description. The people are as real as if they lived down the road, and the description vivid. I highly recommend this book.

My Kids Can’t Have Everything – Learning to Say No

2010-08-30T16:00:00.054-05:00

As much as it is important that our kids learn the lesson that they can't have everything, I think that is an equally important lesson for me (and other parents). My kids can't have everything. Let's face it, most of us would do anything to give more to our kids and to enable them to be involved in the activities we all deem so important.

Our desire for our kids is strong. We want them to be socially accepted, get and have the same things as their friends, wear new clothes, have the latest gadgets, participate in extracurricular activities, become well-rounded, and have the same opportunities as their peers.

Now these are tough economic times. And I'm at the point where I am working in essence three jobs to keep our current standard of living – which isn't much of a standard if I say so myself. It's all about paying for the kids activities and needs. My husband and I have essentially put our needs and wants on hold, which I imagine is far more common than some people would have you believe.

Recently, I said 'no' to my daughter's request to add soccer to our already busy schedule. She had assumed we would acquiesce to her playing soccer since she has played for the past several seasons. But we did not. We've decided not to add another activity, rather we are asking that she choose between her current activity of karate, or soccer – but she isn't doing both.

And she nearly cried because she loves them both. And of course, I want her to be able to do both, but I really need to be firm on this one for a couple of reasons.

First, adding soccer simply makes life far too busy, and we've been doing it for years now. Every spring and fall she signs up for the recreation soccer team and she has a blast. And I have to admit, we enjoy going to the games also, watching her play and grow in her skills, and in socializing with the other parents. But, adding practice one or two nights a week and a game each week on Saturday is completely impractical (I did previously mention three jobs, didn't I?). It's just too much.

Secondly, the cost. While soccer is relatively inexpensive compared to other choices kids have today, it still isn't free. And after the modest registration/sign-up fee, you still have the cost of soccer cleats, shin guards, ball, etc., unless we get lucky and one of the items still fits from last year. We don't usually get that lucky though. Plus the costs of providing snacks for the team when it's your turn.

So, while this is hard as hell for me, I plan to stick to my guns. I think saying no to your kid sometimes is harder on the parent than on the kid.

I often say that kids get too much today, but I don't think the blame can reside solely on the kid. They are young and learning the ways of this world. In their innocence and hope they ask for lots of things they want. That's natural. But it is us parents that don't say no that we should blame. I wish I could give my kids the world, but the better gift to give might just be the realization that nobody gets everything.

Passing the Time

2010-07-30T09:12:00.000-05:00

But what minutes! Count them by sensation, and not by calendars, and each moment is a day.

~Benjamin Disraeli

It is true that time passes quicker when you keep busy.

Here's a little of what we have done these past few weeks that has helped make the time pass while my daughter has been away at Girl Scout camp. A pictoral review.


We danced!

Sometimes a little crazy . . .

Grace helped make a funny commercial!

Good high kick!

Doing her bo staff kata.

A new belt earned! Way to go.

It's been a quick couple weeks, yet long too, and I am very much looking forward to my daughter's return home! I can't wait to see her and hear about her trip.

Letting Go - Kids Under Construction

2010-07-16T08:15:00.003-05:00

One thing I think everyone can agree on, parenting is hard work. Oh, sometimes you'll see someone who is a natural when it comes to parenting; they seem to always have the right answer to every dilemma that presents itself and the perfect solution for familial harmony. I remember my Aunt soothing my infant baby so effortlessly – a natural if ever I saw one. And some parents know just how to instill responsibility in their children – almost instinctively.

But they are the rarities.

As with many folks, my experience with parenting has been learned on the job, and frankly, I've made some mistakes. Sometimes I come out the wiser, but other times it's a lesson needing relearned. And one of the most difficult aspects of parenting for me is letting go.

Let me explain.

If kids just came with a guarantee, that would be swell. Guaranteed to grow to a ripe old age, stay healthy, with no broken bones and scraped knees, no problems with drug abuse or worries about crime – well, parents would be free to let their kids do and go just about anywhere (they would still need to look out for their spiritual health, but that's for another discussion).

This may sound crazy, but I remember the first time some neighborhood kids came to the door asking if my kids could go outside and play. Up until then, I had scheduled all of their play dates. It threw me for a loop and I believe I even stuttered. My kids go outside and play? With other kids that I didn't know well (we were new to the neighborhood)? Without me? But I did let them go out and play.

I think it's important to let go. Let them live and try not to be too overly protective – you know, swallow that lump of worry and try not to fret. Kids are still under construction, and it's important they have real life experiences.

So I do let my kids go to sleepovers and weekend camping trips. They can walk or ride their bike to school, play outside, and generally do most of the things I did growing up, with some exceptions to accommodate for this different day and age.

But this most recent experience of letting go is harder. One of my kids is going away this summer. To camp, far away, and for two weeks. As the time draws nearer, I can't help but think about how much I will miss her and how much I will worry. I'll worry if she packed everything she needs, if she's feeling OK, and if it's warm enough or too hot. I'll wonder if she's made friends and is having fun. I'll fret about whether she's eating well, if she took enough money, or if she experiences difficulties at the airport.

And I will celebrate when she comes home.

Ultimately, I know this is a good and tremendous growth experience for her and I am delighted she is going. And bottom line – I trust her and I know she has a good head on her shoulders.

I wish her a wonderful time!

Choose Words Wisely - A Parental Responsibility

2010-06-21T11:00:00.022-05:00

In his post, Guard your children's spiritual growth, Author Rick Warren shares how the words we use make a huge impact on our children, and can either hurt or heal. This is an excellent post on our responsibility as parents to be mindful of the words we choose when speaking to our kids. We can build up or we can tear down, and it's important we choose words that affirm our kids and let them know they are loved and valued.

Here's the link. . .
Guard your children's spiritual growth

I welcome your thoughts and comments.

Book Review - Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory

2010-05-26T15:30:00.001-05:00

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger: An Invitation Worth Considering by David Gregory

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger sounded interesting enough. A man, Nick Cominsky who is consumed by work and the demands of life, is invited to and has dinner with Jesus. Initially, Nick believes it to be a prank. But their conversation touches on everything from faith, religion, punishment of sin, and more, and leaves Nick a changed man.

Dinner with a Perfect Stranger is a very quick and easy, sometimes thought-provoking read. It was relatively basic and not terribly deep, and some of what was presented I do not completely agree with. In fact I almost quit reading when on page 52, Jesus said "...God has to punish sin, because if he doesn't, he lets all creation be sabotaged." But in the end, I am glad I read on.

Book Review - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

2010-05-21T15:04:00.003-05:00

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, I couldn't remember if I had read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was younger or not. Having just finished now, I know that I clearly had not previously read this book.

The small fault I found with To Kill a Mockingbird is that it is a bit slow to start. There were pages upon pages of story that occurs before the real story starts for me - and that is when the lawyer, Atticus, is called upon to defend the black man charged with raping a white girl. But then, the story comes alive!

What I enjoyed most were the true to life characters and strong emotions, it's portrayal of the racial prejudices in the deep south, and the overall message that most people, if you just take the time to know them, are good.

Book Review - The Shack by William P. Young

2010-05-19T22:00:00.002-05:00

The Shack by William P. Young

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Weird. But good.

The Shack is a book that will make you think about God and your relationship with God, as well as your relationships with other people. It will get you thinking about what is truly important in life. You just have to get past some of the imagery – for instance, I have never contemplated God as a black woman flipping pancakes. But somehow William P. Young pulls it off with an entertaining, thought-provoking story.

Reading The Shack wasn’t “life changing” for me, or the best book I’ve read this year, or any of the other myriad of descriptions I’ve heard. It isn’t a preachy book, although there are some sections of long dialog that come close, and it certainly isn’t the Bible. What I really enjoyed most about The Shack is how real and authentic God’s relationship is with the character Mack.

Packed with emotion, this is a comforting book and full of hope. It leaves you feeling good and yearning for the simplistic love portrayed.

Book Review - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

2010-05-13T20:00:00.004-05:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What's left to be said? (Most everyone has already read this book). J.K. Rowling does a remarkable job of wrapping up the loose ends in this final book of the Harry Potter series. Like the rest of her work, this is a page turner full of incredible imagination, suspense, and true-to-life characters.

My favorite part is finally knowing the true allegiance of Severus Snape. He has been an interesting character throughout the series, and his swaying between good and bad is finally explained.

For anyone left out there that hasn't yet read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, this is a great read! For everyone else, what was your favorite part of this final book in the series?

Book Review - The Manufactured Identity by Heath Sommer

2010-05-08T10:33:00.001-05:00

The Manufactured Identity by Heath Sommer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Initially confusing, this novel has multiple characters that at first seem disassociated, but later are pulled together and explained through multiple identities. Perhaps because of the multiple identities, I never felt as though I got to know any of the characters well. They felt superficial.

The storyline was compelling however, and I did find myself wanting to read more to understand who these people were and how they were all connected. Heath Sommer opens the book with an interesting prologue and first chapter that make the reader instantly begin searching for answers.

The Manufactured Identity was provided to me complimentary in exchange for a book review; however I have never met the author who I understand has a 2nd and 3rd book forthcoming. My thanks for the opportunity to read The Manufactured Identity.

Book Review - The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

2010-04-12T15:27:00.000-05:00

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Beautifully set in Nantucket, this story encompasses the lives and lusts of four best friend couples. But when Greg and Tess MacAvoy die in a boating accident on their wedding anniversary, the three remaining couples have to sort through their emotions and relationships as they try to determine what happened on that boat.

Best friend characters, but perhaps too much alike as I kept losing track of who was married to whom and who was in love with whom, which one had the farm, who was the real estate tycoon, etc. About the only character that felt truly unique to me was the Chief. I kept finding myself flipping back to figure out who each character was when the point of view shifted in the story. The story itself had some interesting twists and turns, making it an enjoyable enough read.

I received this book complimentary. Unfortunately, I am not sure who sent this book to me, and the shipping label did not provide any information. Several other books were forwarded to me at around the same time, and I am very behind on posting my reviews. I hope to remedy that soon. My thanks to whomever sent this book.

Book Review - Son of a Dog by Jacqueline K. Howard

2010-03-09T21:29:00.000-06:00

Son of a Dog by Jacqueline K. Howard

Son of a Dog is a work of fiction based largely on real-life events, but it reads very much more like a memoir or slice of life through a series of humorous, and sometimes outrageous, stories about a woman and her rescued Greyhound dog. While reading the book, I couldn't help myself but wonder what had actually happened to the author, and what had not.

Unfortunately, I did not feel a connection with the characters in the book, and so it was hard for me to stay fully engaged. Some of the tales in the book were so ludicrous that it was hard to imagine they were anything but true, and I kept questioning what was fiction and what was not. This was a big distraction to me.

An easy and quick read, Son of a Dog is a recounting of some quirky happenings between a dog and his owner.

I received my copy of Son of a Dog as a complimentary gift from Story Institute for my participation in a community forum discussion (thank you!), and I am acquainted with the author through social forums including participation in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-14T00:00:00.001-06:00

While we had an International student from China stay with us over the Christmas holiday, I learned some interesting things about China. One is that many of their holidays are based on the moon, and as a result, will fall on different days each year. Chinese New Year is one.

Happy Chinese New Year!

-Year of the Tiger-

And Happy Valentine's Day 2010

Now is a good time to see how you are doing with the New Year's resolutions you made back on January 1.

Failures are Life's Lessons

2010-01-22T04:00:00.004-06:00

It is through failure that we learn valuable lessons which ultimately lead to success. Don't be afraid of failure - it is but a stepping stone. Be more afraid of the lack of failure.

Why I Blog and Read Blogs

2010-01-19T04:00:00.009-06:00

I am an avid fan of blogging - both reading blogs and writing blog posts. Here's what I like best about blogs and why I keep at it:

I love reading interesting posts by people with a personality. I particularly enjoy blogs that leave you feeling like you're actually getting to know the author(s) personally. Posts that might be a little controversial or that show the human side of the author are best.
Having someone add comments to one of my posts. It's nice to know someone really does read the post, but especially care enough that they add a comment.
Learning new things, or hearing different perspectives on topics. There's no right or wrong, no black and white. Only lots and lots of gray and vivid color in blogging! Every idea and thought counts, particularly when it triggers active communication.
Reviews of movies and books are always fun to read.
To me, it's also a great place to capture my feelings and share them with like-minded (or not) individuals.
Some day, my kids may look back and see why I did some of the things I did.
It's great writing practice.

What do you like best?

Christmas International House - Day 13 and 14; Happy New Year & Farewell

2010-01-15T04:00:00.001-06:00

Day 13 – Happy New Year
Traditionally, we take down our Christmas tree on New Year’s Day, and this year is no exception. Being a believer that today sets the “tone” for the year to come, I take time to write a blog post and work on some ongoing writing projects. My husband works around the house, and the kids and Ren Zhe hang out, play the Wii and other games, and everyone enjoys their day.

Day 14 – Farewell
We will miss our new and dear friend, Ren Zhe. Today we took her to the Greyhound bus station. While the CIH program kept us all very busy, it wasn’t overwhelmingly so (well, at least not most of the time), and we had a wonderful and special holiday as a result.

Christmas International House
A Holiday of Friendship with International Students
This year in Houston, students were turned away due to the lack of participating host families. CIH is a wonderful program that I recommend, and it occurs in several major cities throughout the country. Please check it out and consider participating. My family and I benefited and learned so much . . . about the Chinese culture, our differences and similarities, traditions . . . we shared stories, played games, had lots of laughs . . . it really can’t all be put into words.

Christmas International House - Day 11 and 12; Food and Trivia

2010-01-14T04:00:00.003-06:00

Day 11 – Market Day
As we near the end of the CIH program, today the International students go to an Asian market to pick up supplies for the dishes they are preparing for the International Luncheon. Since I have a lot of catch-up work to do after playing yesterday, another host family graciously agrees to pick up Ren Zhe at the end of their shopping trip, and let her hang out a few hours during the afternoon.

I'm feeling down. We've kept so busy throughout the holidays that I've missed having time with my mom and dad, and my sister and her boys. Isn't the holiday season supposed to be warmly shared with family?

Day 12 – Farewell and International Luncheon
Held at a church, each International student prepares a favorite dish from their native country to serve to the host families. Ren Zhe fixes a tomato and egg soup, as well as a pork and tofu dish made with a spicy bean sauce. It is delicious and my favorite. We enjoy the foods prepared by all the students. What a feast!

There is a Trivia game / Yankee gift exchange for the International students. First, they must answer a trivia question correct, then they can pick an unopened gift or select one that has already been picked and unwrapped. All the students select new gifts (are they trying to spare feelings?) until it gets to Ren Zhe. She very happily “steals” a rice cooker and presents it to us, her host family, as a gift. That’s re-gifting made simple and very nice! Thank you Ren Zhe, and we are so enjoying our rice cooker.

* * * * *

Here is one trivia question that stumped everyone in the group – Americans included! Let’s see how you do (send me an email with your answer and I will reply - click on the "contact" button at the top of this page). But no cheating and looking it up! No electronic devices or computers allowed – we didn’t have them for the game and neither can you!

Who was inaugurated President of the United Sates in 1789?