Morning All, grey dreary morning here and it's been raining since about 4 am - OK, drizzling, really. A sad day really, as my Nici died yesterday, so I am in slow motion. I have to go in to work, but really don't feel the urgency.

Well Cyn, I may not know US history, but I suspect that you have given us clues?? in that first bit??

Nancy.

Nancy, so sorry about your Nici, sending big hugs.

Cyn, I'm thinking along the same line as Nancy, must give this more thought.

Annette

Wow, you are a couple of smarties!

Nancy, I am so sorry to hear about Nici. I don't blame you a bit for taking your time getting in to work. I truly do hate it when anyone loses a pet and that is such an inadequate word for what they are. (((Nancy)))

Cynthia

Sorry for your loss of Nici, Nancy. Will be thinking of you as you go about your day.

I can think of several firsts with Van Buren and I think I know the one you are looking for from the clues.

We've had good rainfalls this past week with more drizzling today. Though we are back in the black for expected rain for the year we are coming off a drought last fall so can use more.

Hey All! Thanks. Weird not to see him here, but I just imagine him in the other room....

Now as to Mr. Van Buren - his name and your first paragraph suggests 2 ideas: one which was a bugaboo for Mr. Obama, and another which was thrown at a couple of the Republican candidates...hmmmm, which to go with??

Nancy.

Oh dear. You are all right! My clue could be taken in two different directions and both would be firsts as far as Presidents go. Wasn't thinking it through enough. Should have known just pulling something out of this tangled brain would be less than efficient. So, again, points for either correct answer. :)

Hate to admit it, but I am exhausted and didn't even start my school paperwork today. Since you don't seem to need more cluesI am going to bed. It will be lovely lying there listening to the rain! We were so desperate for it. See you in the morning.

Cynthia

I was thinking maybe english wasn't his first language, other than that ?????

Annette

Me too, or that he wasn't US born. Not sure if this rule started right at the beginning though....with a name like Van Buren, he must have had Dutch heritage.

Nancy.

I think that Dutch was his first language and that like the children of many immigrants both then and now he didn't learn English until he went to school. Wasn't he also the first American born President?

I thought that he was also the first widower then later remembered that Jackson was a widower when he was in office.

Good morning talented trivia takers!

It is a very cool, wet morning here-yippee! Not actually raining at the moment, but it definitely looks like we are in for a full day of it. Keeping my fingers crossed at any rate.

**** for Bobbie, Nancy, and Annette. Bobbie was right that there are several firsts with Van Buren. The one I was thinking of was that he was the first U.S. President to be born a citizen of the United States. His predecessors all were given waivers on that particular requirement. Van Buren was born in 1782 when the Articles of Confederation were in effect and we were already calling ourselves the United States of America: To all to whom these Presents shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States affixed to our Names send greeting.

Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts-bay Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

I.
The Stile of this Confederacy shall be

"The United States of America".

That was what I was actually looking for as, to me, it seems the most important, but you all also remembered/figured out that Van Buren was what we today call an ESL or ESOL student-he did speak Dutch as his first language and he was the first President not of Irish or English descent.

Well done, friends! I hope you all have a marvelous day. If it doesn't rain all day here, I am going to risk compacting my soil and finish digging up some ferns that have gotten way too numerous and way too big for where I have them out front (and yes, I am avoiding schoolwork, but that needs doing today as well-ugh). Several neighbors would like some and the rest I will move to the back. They are seemingly indestructible, so perhaps they will stand up to the galloping gardeners!

Happy Sunday.

Cynthia

Thanks for the trivia, Cyn. I always enjoy learning more about our neighbours.

Nancy.