Providence Academy News

What! No Latin in the 'cloud'??!!!

2010-10-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

I love the look of the word cloud... but I notices there is a paucity, indeed, a shocking paucity of Latin... I know many of you loved...hmm, endured...err...took Latin. And two students are competent Latinists, currently doing very well! There are also four up and coming students who work really hard on their Latin. So let's get some Latin words out there!

Here are snippets of Latin verbage to 'salt' the cloud:

Bonus Pastor laetus ovem in umeros imponit...
                                                   Oerberg pagina 66

Lydia clamat, "Serva nos, domine!" Medus interrogat,"Quis est ille dominus que tu invocas?"
"Est dominus noster Iesus Christus...." Lydia respondet.
                                                              Oerberg pg 123

Magister "O Marce!" inquit, hoc modo nihil te docere possum! Tam stultus ac tam pigeres quam asinus!"
                                                    Oerberg pg. 131

And the perenniel Non-Latin favorite: semper ubi sub ubi

Valete Omnes!

2010-2011 School Year

2010-10-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

It's already half way through the first trimester. Unbelievable.

This year has had it's share of changes from last year. Not only are we of course missing Ashley, Nathaniel, and Anna, but we are missing a wall. :) The wall between the chapel and the lunchroom has been taken out. The whole thing will eventually be turned into a chapel, I guess. Because of this, we had heating problems for a while because of the money it would take to heat a room that big. We have taken the divider-thingy from the gym (often used at graduations) and put it up to help keep the heat in. And wha la! Now we have heat.

The Senior Thesis class is keeping a blog, if anyone wants to keep up on that.

Pictures from Aimee linked

2010-06-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

I've updated the previous post with a link to one of Aimee's albums.

Oh, and... subscribe to this blog already!!! Links up there!

Thanks.

Graduation 2010

2010-06-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Graduation (the 5th) was pretty excellent according to reports I’ve heard (I wouldn’t know myself; I was busy being in it).

Apologies for the blurrry photo. It’s hard to take photos in the gym because of the lighting.

But I did think it went pretty well. Smoothly for sure. Well, except the cheap DVD player that was working an hour before didn’t work when we were going to play the video of the seniors Luke made and the slideshow Mr. Buck put together. Too bad, but not crushing. We swapped in another player after the ceremony and put the stuff on for people to watch.

The cake via Johnny T was pretty decent. Punch was also nice. I thought I got the last mouthful, but then they made more. Feelings of smugness dissolved.

Thank you, everyone who came. I appreciate it. Thanks also to Mr. Buck, Luke Zwanziger (both for video stuff), Archie Hook for being M.C. and such, Mr. Tollefson for being our keynote speaker, and our parents for working with and without us to get ready for this thing.

Then we had a BBQ. And threw a disc around. With Aimee, yep.

The food was good. I drank a Sprite that tasted weird at first. Could have been warm, maybe that’s why.

Lots more pictures in Ashley’s album. ~~More pictures may be coming from Aimee. I'll let you know if they come.~~ More from Aimee right here!

We eventually packed up. Some of us went over to our house to watch Bella. That movie is intense… too bad Matthew, Joseph, Elliot, and… Aimee! couldn’t resist riffing it.

And then Anna and Matthew headed back to Enterprise. Then we shot some baskets. And then we went over to Ashley’s and played Mafia. And then Leann and Jo left. And then Joe (our most excellent narrator) left. And then we hung out and ate stuff and talked and watched part of a musical and whatnot. I mocked Eric’s netbook. Tried to diagnose a problem with Beth’s notebook. Elliot and I left.

At some unknown point after that, I think everybody fell asleep.

Last day of school

2010-06-04T15:29:00.001-07:00

May 27th. It was a pretty good day, if rainy.

A final in government (not too bad) and a final in Biology (bad). It should also be mentioned that on Monday, we dissected some dead animals in class. That was interesting.

So yeah, a couple tests, a play by the Latin class in the gym, a presentation from Mrs. Vernam’s little kids (with a song, yay!), a BBQ, and so on. The high school went over to Blue Banana and some people got some coffee (others didn’t). Our last days keep getting smaller and smaller…

Here are pictures from Anna. Enjoy.

Sorry, posts coming

2010-06-02T10:05:00.001-07:00

Umm, I'm a lazy bum.

I will have a posts up soon about our trip to Salem and the last day of school. And soon, graduation.

Salem trip planning smooth, fundraising about done

2010-03-22T18:47:00.001-07:00

That’s the news that today’s Salem trip meeting brought. Mr. Buck still wants to raise a couple hundred more in order to have some padding, but the estimated trip cost is a bit under $2,000. Way cheaper than going to D.C., that’s for sure.

So that’s that. Sounds like it’s going to be a nice trip. Mr. Buck painted a lush picture of Silver Falls State Park as a paradise we would retreat to after a day’s outings. And at the crazy affordable rate of 200 something dollars for 11 people for several days (that’s in two cabins).

Student and Staff Blogs

2010-02-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

Hullo, here it is again in 2010. Most people here now just use Facebook for telling their friends about the details of their lives. a broken mold is definitely still active, though. I'm also designing a new Blogger template for Joella, so hopefully she'll post new stuff after that.

Students

Anna - Becoming Whole
Ashley - The Bravest Thing of All is Always Hope
Elliot - EJSmurf - Notes From a Neophyte Longboarder
LeeAnna - make up your mind
Joella - Can't Keep Quiet - Awakening
Joseph - Joe_sofat
Nathaniel - a broken mold

Alumni

Joy - crazed_joyful
Matthew - a broken mold

Teachers

Mrs. Vernam - applechexx
Mrs. Bomberger - Tanabu_Girl
Mr. Tollefson- tollyt

Got any more defunct (or not so defunct) blogs to add? Drop a comment.

We need new markers

2010-02-06T11:11:00.001-08:00

Continuously. And since we’re a poor homeschool co-op we don’t always get shiny, cool new equipment. Arg. At least I don’t have to write stuff on the board all the time.

Leeann's Moscow photos

2010-02-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

Summarily hotlinked from Leeann's Facebook album. Thanks, Leeann.

Late January Update

2010-01-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hello, all you devoted PAN followers. I know you're out there.

Well, anyway, I have a few things to update you all on what's going on (considering the last post was in September!). First of all, during the aforementioned interval, a plan was proposed by Mr. Buck for the Government class (and others? I'm not sure) to raise a bunch of money and take a week-long-ish trip to Washington, D.C (bear in mind that Mr. Tollefson teaches government, not Mr. B.). So we did a little fundraising. A little. Way slower than we should have been raising money. And today it got called off. Instead the plan is to go to Salem, here in Oregon. I had decided quite a while ago not to go along because I didn't want to commit to the crazy fundraising and wasn't even sure that I wanted to go to D.C. in this manner. Well, maybe I'll go to Salem. I could stand that. Seems like a spasm of field trips this year...

Which of course leads me to another topic. We went to Moscow two weeks ago (I'm thinkin'). We

had lunch at Bucers in Moscow (totally yummy)
went to NSA
went to some other building
came back to NSA and watched Collision there with Doug Wilson (and had coffee)
had a Q and A period with Mr. Wilson
had a Q and A period with Gordon Wilson about the unpublished first part of a biology textbook he wrote that we've been using in Biology class here at Providence/CHC (taught by Mrs. McDonald)
went up to his office and talked about and looked at a turtle and two snakes

So that was pretty fun. I think Leeann has some pics; don't know think she's posted them anywhere yet so I just asked her to. Pressure's on, Leeann!

And... yeah. That's all I can really think of right now besides the wrap up. And that is: even if the school format this year isn't so hot, I think we're all pretty used to it by now, and it's running fairly well, and IMHO I don't mind it too much even though it is definitely different.

Hello, alive and well

2009-09-27T15:58:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to check in and say "Hello, we are alive and well." Therefore…

Hello, we are alive and well.

Now to elaborate. The cooperation started off well enough. It was weird having a half day -- made me feel like a real homeschooler. Which reminds me, the official, suitably generic sounding name for the shebang is CHC - Christian Homeschool Co-op.

So anyway, we've gotten through two weeks of it already. The whole 1 half day, 1 off day, one half day on the other side of the day, 1 half day, weekend schedule is throwing me for a bit of a loop, but I can adapt. I just need to learn to manage my time right.

So anyway, if you read this post, pray for us. We could always use it.

school Monday; what will you miss?

2009-09-11T09:48:00.001-07:00

I'll miss:

Mr. Buck
Isaiah
lunch break
study hall
Rhetoric

What about you? Leave some comments; you need either a Blogger account or an OpenID (easy!) for that.

Alright alright

2009-07-31T16:29:00.001-07:00

So this blog is pretty much abandoned. Given.

Abandoned forever? Probably not. See, here's what's going on:

The school is actually going to be closed next year…
…so a bunch of the people involved and some others are doing a homeschool co-op somewhat like the school…
…and hopefully the co-op will be able to use the building for free because enough money will be coming into the school from certain sources to cover utilities…
…and this is coming along fairly well, praise be to God.
It's somewhat harder to blog about school during summer…
…because there is no school during summer.
Not to mention I've been using it more like the old Providence Academy News…
…a journal of events at Providence, not covering everything, but giving us a slice of life view.
….And that's pretty much all I have to say right now.
Catch you later.

Nathaniel

Prepare Well

2009-07-02T16:11:00.001-07:00

These are guidelines and tips that Mr. Tollefson gave us in Rhetoric class for our final speech. I thought they were some general good advice for doing a speech following the five canons of Rhetoric, and received permission to post it. Here is a cleaned up version (grammar, spelling, formatting), which I hope I have not taken too much liberty in doing. Here also is the cleaned up version in PDF, as well as the original.

[begin document]

PREPARE WELL

1. Inventio or Make sure you have a clear statement of what you want to say- A blind squirrel can find a nut every once and awhile. You will find that if you can concisely state what you want to say you will be better prepared to get up and speak about it. A thesis statement should cause your hearers to respond in one of two ways- Arouse interest, shock, or anger--- "Oh really?" or invite praise , adulation or a hardy AMEN. Remember your thesis statement should be drawn out of a burning in your heart to say something. It should be so concise that it feels like a smooth polished stone in your sling ready to flatten some ugly giant.

2. Elocutio or Proof- Here is where you win or lose your moment. Don't be boring- please, please, please. Boring is produced by being unorganized and scattered brained. Even if the topic is interesting if you are disorganized it will be boring, or at the least disappointing. You all know how frustrating a cell phone is with poor reception? You don't want your audience to feel like throwing you across the room.
            This is why we use enthymenes and examples, maxims and fables. If used properly they bring clarity--- and clarity is the most important part of persuasion.
            A. Enthymene- How to chose the right enthymene? First reread your thesis statement and be very clear about what you want to say, prove or swindle us into believing. Second, read through Aristotle's list and ask yourself which one would best lead you in the direction of your conclusion. Maybe setting forth the opposite would work? Maybe a key word needs redefining in your audience's little brains? Maybe you need to show what a previous decision has done? You choose, but what my Greek teacher use to say is, "If it sings to you ...use it".
            Thirdly, ask yourself "what type of presentation does my thesis fall under?" Is this going to be a political, forensic or ceremonial speech? If political, I need to think future, if forensic, past, etc. Maybe my enthymene lends itself to one or the other.

B. An Historical Example- It doesn't matter whether your topic is past present, or future, there is always room for an historical example. Examples paint a picture, which can be good or bad. Don't hurt yourself with your historical example. Many a time an historical example can go both ways. Kind of like an insurance adjuster. You have to do your research here. Think of cause and effect kind of stuff. This happened and the results were this... positive or negative. Please remember to elaborate. Paint the picture, don't leave your audience to guess. Here is where you have a chance to either be very convincing or terribly boring. No wonder most people hate history. Simply put--- it is because no one seems to be able to tell stories anymore. You be different. Practice, imagine, describe, relate, get me into the picture.

C. A Maxim. This is really important because if your audience is still awake at this point, then this should be your pithy grabber. It should be drawn from your historical example. It will nail it for you if you're good at it. For example... "God commands us to our propensities." That is a pithy grabber that is drawn out of the Ten Commandments. It proves that God knows what our weaknesses are before we do. Here you need to be brief, pointed and to the mark.

D. A Fable- A fable needs to be short and sweet. But review the eight steps for a fable. Start with an encomium (praise), then a brief paraphrase, then the cause, etc. Don't cut corners here; follow the recipe.

3. Dispositio- or Order- Let me tell you a secret-- if you put this together right you will look like a genius. That is the secret of genius. People who are geniuses are not those who are winging it, but those who did their homework. Start with your enthymene- if you don't your arguments are going to look weak. You are possibly going to sound arrogant and shallow all at the same time. If that happens then just sit down. Give them the substance of your argument in an enthymene form and then prove it with your maxims and fables. I want you to organize an outline of your speech. I want an introduction, body and conclusion. If you don't know where you are going no one is going to follow you.

4. Pronuntiatio or Posture and diction- Good posture shows confidence. It says this person really knows what they are talking about, or at least they are not making me feel icky inside. You see the reason bad posture and nervousness are such killers is that it effects your audience. EVERYTHING EFFECTS YOUR AUDIENCE!!! So, be kind to them by being well dressed for the occasion, by not biting your nails, fidgeting with your hair, looking away, or up or down. But, speak TO THEM. Give it to them instead of making them run after it. Speak up, be clear, stop saying "and um, and um, um ,um, um." We're talking a good delivery here.

5. Memoria, or memory- It really does help to persuade your audience if you have some of it in your head already. Yes, there is room. Put some of it to memory. At least your maxim should be stated from memory. Please don't stumble over the very part that is suppose to be a pithy grabber. You will make it a clunky stabber.

[end document]

Pictures, summer, and the return of Isaiah

2009-06-09T10:46:00.001-07:00

It's already been a nice beginning to summer, and it gets sweeter, because today… Isaiah comes home! It seems like a long time since that fateful March 31. But today he comes home. But please don't rush over there today. I would guess that they wouldn't really want any visitors today, because the trip down here might be tiring. But there is a BBQ ~~at the Buck home~~ on the Providence Academy lawn on Saturday, so keep that in the back of your mind.

So praise God for that. And… the last day of school was well. We did more cleaning and had some partying (party = food, games). And the Rhetoric class gave their speeches (Anna, Ashes, and me, that is). Here are some pictures from the day.

And here are some Graduation pics if you want a look-see.

Summer has been nice so far… I mostly relaxed over the weekend (except for a killer game of Ultimate on Sunday).

Peace in your hair grease.
Nat.

a lonely Wednesday

2009-06-03T16:47:00.001-07:00

Today was our last full day of school. The Rhetoric class took their final. The Algebra class did tessellation. The Latin Class finished watching Ben-Hur. The US. History class watched some of War Letters, a documentary of letters from and to U.S. soldiers during wars.

Then came clean up - more cleanup upstairs. There is so much junk up there…
Allen, James, and I helped Mr. Buck cleanout books from his office; I carried one from the late 1800s… so old.

So yeah, tomorrow is Thursday, the last day of school. Hopefully it won't be rainy like it was a little while ago (some thunder earlier). Damaris, Marie, and Joseph will be giving their Rhetoric speeches at the picnic, I think.

This is just so… weird.

--Nat

The 10 year Monday

2009-06-01T16:34:00.001-07:00

Today is the 10 year Monday, as I just said. Actually, school was probably out by this time in '99, but anyway, we are almost to the ten year completion mark. Woot!

This morning we had chapel outside on the steps (well, the deck or whatever you call it) because we students were already hanging out there and Mr. Buck just decided to have an informal chapel there.

Today is the last week this year…. sigh. It's bittersweet as Mr. Buck said. I'm excited to get out of school for summer, but the future is uncertain and it seems it shall be a strange summer.

In any case, it's middle name week! It was my idea, and the bulk of the seven students have picked it up enthusiastically. Here is a photo for reference:

So, top row (left to right): Mr. Walter, Mrs. Ann, and Mrs. Marie
Middle row: Marylin, Marie, Rae, and Damaris (pronounced Dah-muh-ris).
Bottom row: Joseph, Allen, James, Andrew, and Leslie (the last two are seniors and aren't here this week. In fact, they're graduated!).

The rest of the week is casual attire because we are doing bunches of school cleanup in preparation for whatever comes next at Providence Acad.

Rhetoric is my main concern this week - preparation for the test and polishing and practicing my speech. See you at the picnic on Thursday!

TTFN.
Nat

Prov. Acad. May 13 2009

2009-05-13T16:14:00.001-07:00

Today at school: much more clement weather than yesterday -- that was windy, cold, and snowy. Not really anything special. We started Chapter 11 in Algebra. We talked about branding (not like cows, but Coca-Cola) in US History. I took some pictures. I also took some of last night's award ceremony/singing/Rhetoric stuff/US History report/Latin Play with Mrs. Bomberger's camera. She has them… maybe I can get copies from her.

Anyway, [here] are the photos.

[photos] <--- Use that link if you want… sheesh, I don't care.

some Patriots Ball pics

2009-05-10T17:16:00.001-07:00

These aren't all I took, but here (Facebook) are some better ones. If you've got links to other albums, put 'em in the comments and I'll include them.

April 16, '09

2009-04-16T18:07:00.001-07:00

LeeAnna and Joella were back today after being absent Tuesday and Wednesday because of illness. Dusty left early for a track meet. Ashley is absent still; she has the flew, yuck.

Some good news about Isaiah: he is to be admitted to the Southwest Idaho Acute Care Hospital after all. Thank God for that!

Also, I changed the feed URL for the CaringBridge journal. It is now
http://feed43.com/isaiahbuck.xml

--Nat

another today

2009-04-14T19:28:00.001-07:00

LeeAnna is down with a sinus infection and Joella is sick with something, too. Pray for them, especially LeeAnna - sounds really not fun. Ashley also went home early this afternoon - illness of some sort, I didn't get the details.

We got out and went home a period before usual; it was just study hall and we didn't need to stay, plus it gave Mr. Buck some more time. He took of for Lewiston this afternoon.

Isaiah has been showing very good signs and seems to be slowly waking up. Hope and pray. You can check out updates at the CaringBridge website set up for him. I also have created a feed with Feed43 which is funneled into the blog (look up ^^^) via a Feed Informer widget; you can also plug it into a feed reader if you want.

[Note: July 02 2009: a while back I switched it from Feed Informer to Feed2Js.]

Isaiah

2009-04-05T22:54:00.001-07:00

We all know what's going on, and we are all praying. i could write something here, maybe I will, but I don't really need to. I will, however, leech off Mrs. Bakker's diligent blogging. She has made several posts about Isaiah.

If you want to keep up with what's going on:

Mrs. Bakker's blog
friend Sharon Robertson on Facebook
friend Jackie Barreto on Facebook
get on the email list - talk to/call/email my mom (Sharon)
etc…
more etc…

You get the picture. Keep praying.

Edit 04/08/09: I just posted to a broken mold and linked to some stuff; see it if you want. I linked to a collection of bookmarks relating to Isaiah (or just use that link... whatever).

sad times

2009-03-16T17:18:00.001-07:00

These are sad times here at Providence Academy.

Today, there is no school. Actually, I'm not so sad about that, because I've been sick over the weekend and really don't mind not going (I was going to go, though). We had a sick day on Thursday, too, but I wouldn't have gone anyway… I came down sick Wednesday at school… fever. I managed, though.

And now… Elliot and I are recovering, Ashley is sick, Isaiah is sick, Joella and LeeAnna are sick again, and I don't know about the rest (evidently at least 5 down, though, since we cancelled). Dusty was sick part of last week and Blake was getting sick Wednesday and then Thursday and the weekend happened and I don't know how they are. Of Joseph I know not either, except that he went to the Darwinism seminar/conference/thingy up in Moscow on Friday, so… And Anna is doing better, I hear. Mr. Buck's still a bit sick, I think, and of the rest of the staff, I know not for sure.

But of course the real sadness is what some of us found out a few weeks ago (so now everybody knows). We can't afford to keep Mr. Buck on for next year. Which pretty much means no more of the school as we know it, unless God does something amazing (which He's been known to do…). And so the Bucks might be moving so Mr. Buck can have work. And the Deals are moving in the summer. We are breaking up… old ways will be behind us. Strange idea, really. And kind of annoying… I mean, I go to a school since 5th grade and then miss my senior year there? Gah!!!

So anyway, Mr. Buck has us praying for the school at the end of the day there, and we can definitely pray for it anytime. This is year 10 for PA… and now it seems we have come to the end. A ten year experiment, eh?

VectorLover new image locations

2009-03-08T18:49:00.001-07:00

I uploaded the template (VectorLover) images on blogger.com servers to ImageShack a little while ago. Why I did it is because otherwise they were not catching in Firefox… which meant you had to reload the images every time you went to a page on the blog. Bad. So I downloaded those images, uploaded them, and then edited the template to reflect that. Here are the new and old images locations for anyone who wants them. Note that ImageShack slightly changes the filenames of the uploaded images.

Blogger server | ImageShack server

Talent Show pictures

2009-03-06T17:41:00.001-08:00

Here, I just uploaded them. Enjoy.

[Facebook album]

the Republic vs. Pure Democracy in America

2009-02-28T12:48:00.001-08:00

[Here's a paper I enjoyed writing for Rhetoric. Hope you guys enjoy it.]

    The end of democracy is freedom, and freedom is sweet. People are right in saying that was the reason our nation was founded, why our fathers did what they did. But it wasn't free-for-all freedom. It wasn't do-anything-you-want freedom. It is easy to see that is what we call anarchy, and its results are chaos. That is why we created a constitution, and by its conditions a body of lawmakers, who in turn create the laws of the land. It's you–are-ruled-by-what-you-tell-us freedom. Or at least it should be.
    If we now replaced the representative system currently in place by a pure democracy with a vote by internet democracy, it would be insanity. The government has grown tremendously complex. A vote on everything that congress would normally be voting on would have to be taken by the people. Every single one. That would get tiring very quickly (and most people might "who cares!?" over some of the seemingly more trivial decisions). Furthermore, the discussion that Congress has everyday they convene cannot viably happen among all the citizens. For one, there would be by no way be enough time to hear what everybody who had something to say say it. Another concern is the more technical and geographical aspects. It is obviously also impossible to get all the citizens together in one place and yack about stuff every time something comes up (which is constantly). Web forums and the like are more viable, but still do not guarantee access to every citizen eligible to vote (and what about citizens not allowed to vote? Would they be allowed to interact with voting citizens in this way, and possibly influence them?). The most pressing concern, however, is that what our representatives do is a full time job. They put research into deep matters, ponder issues, and vote. Many people in America who would be making these democratic decisions have jobs to work and a life to live. Our representative also have a lot more experience and knowledge than the average joe in matters political, economical, environmental, and well... a lot of other things. Yet another concern: if all Americans are voting, doesn't that mean that anyone (including children) could bring up a measure? The ideas brought up would surely be flabbergasting in content and volume.
    It is not to say that our representative system is perfect (though perhaps as perfect as it ever may be), but the problems of congregation, discussion, time, knowledge, experience, and of course voter fraud, would result in a system that would shortly become perfect insanity.
    Representation therefore wins.

Anna absent and Marshall Cox guest

2009-02-23T17:14:00.000-08:00

Title pretty much says it; Anna has a cold and so was absent today. Marshall Cox was a guest at school today, for some reason or another.

--Nathaniel

spaghetti + casual

2009-02-19T21:33:00.000-08:00

So here's what happened today.

Today was a a casual day, so everybody came in casual clothes.
Joella was absent; she's still sick, and resting up for her recital, I would guess.
Mr. Barton was absent as he was Tuesday, so Mr. Tollefson taught and gave us an overview of the Old Testament and we played a trivia game.
We did some reading on Socialism and Democracy in Rhetoric today (depending on which team our on... I'm socialist!)
We had a great potluck lunch of spaghetti (noodles and red sauce/stuff), salad, milk free garlic bread (I think that's what it was... kind of looked like french toast), my mom's cookie bars, somebody else's cookies, and jello (no carrots for real, Blake... 'twas pineapple).
We took a quiz in US History over the reading we were supposed to have done. And we watched some of Gods and Generals.
I left during study hall (forgot to do my chore, realized that on the short ride home). Did some piano practicing at home, then drove to my piano lesson with my mom. Got to play the sanctuary piano; it's the crispest one I've ever used... nice. And driving home was fine; did not run over any toasters, but had to stop for some birds.

And then I've been online for hours, a good portion of that dealing with PAN. And the news, if you didn't catch it earlier, and didn't notice for some reason, is that we have a nice, bright, new template: VectorLover. I've been customizing it; widgets have been added, links added, tags put in a tag cloud. Any comments? About anything?

Oh, and P.S. the annual Talent Show went well. I think I'll put up a link to my Facebook album of pictures soon (I think posted those...).

--Nathaniel

New template: VectorLover

2009-02-19T18:25:00.000-08:00

Hello, Providencians, here is our big, bright, and cheery new blog template, VectorLover. Enjoy.

And, by the way, I'm going to use this post for testing. And be sure to tell me what you think.

Thanks.

--Nathaniel

Hey, we have the name now

2009-02-04T15:46:00.001-08:00

I don't know if you noticed, but last year the note that went home every week was called the Monday Note or at least one time, the Monday Not. This year it's called In Principio Erat Verbum, it seems, which is our school motto. Edit: Elliot just informed me it's called From the Headmaster's Desk, (which is on the note under the motto) or maybe In Principio Erat Verbum: From the Headmaster's Desk [end edit]. It used to be called Providence Academy News, and so did we. Except we still are, and it's not. Woot.

Template quest: I'm thinking about Emplode. It's closer to the colors of the school website, unlike some others I looked at.

ISS Sighting Times

2009-01-29T20:09:00.001-08:00

Hey, y'all. Posting this here for convenience.

The info for La Grande (yup, that's as close as we get) is available on the school calendar under 'ISS Visible' and also is available right here on NASA's website.

everybody back again (2nd time)

2009-01-28T21:13:00.001-08:00

Everybody was back again today… for the second time. Dusty and Isaiah had been out sick but they were both back today.

Other stuff: talent show is on Friday. Wake Up Jane is performing a song they wrote and Mrs. Bomberger's Chorus class is singing a few, too. Hope we do well. And as far as I know, I'm not exhibiting any of my photography, as I am assuming the photography the Deals are putting on display are prints, and I have very few of those (like four).

Regarding the template, I have a bunch bookmarked from BTemplates. I might note even use any of those, but some of them are pretty cool.

And… the US History class (Anna, Ashley, Blake, Dusty, Isaiah, and Nathaniel) is doing a couple of class projects. Anna, Blake, and Dusty are working on a gigantic timeline of people from 1800-1900. Also, we're doing yet another paper, but this one is accompanied by a fill blown project of some kind (or a poster for ~~losers~~ less points) and the timeline for it stretches into next trimester (the final trimester, woo-hoo!).

Matthew's VOD Essay 2007

2009-01-22T19:33:00.001-08:00

[VOD Gallery Index]

[Hullo, Nathaniel here. Upon request, Matthew kindly sent me what he could scrounge up of the VOD essays he has done. Here's his 2007 one. Enjoy, and thanks, Matt.]

My Role in Honoring America's Veterans

My great-grandfather died after WWII of shrapnel wounds. He was a veteran. They have fought, bled and suffered for our country. They have upheld the standard of Justice the world around. For protecting our country, they are honored. What is honor? How do I show it? I show it through observing holidays in memory and recognition of veterans, by supporting them through the government, and by personally supporting and interacting with them.
Honor is defined by Noah Webster as: "The esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation," and "reverence; veneration." We esteem veterans because of their worth; because of what they mean to this country. Without veterans, this country would not be free, would not be safe, would not be a place where we can pursue learning and art. As John Adams said, "I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their sons the right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain."
It is in honor that a special unit of the third U.S. Infantry continually guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. There the inscription on the tomb reads: "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God." The deep honor and emotion associated with this memorial serve to illustrate the worth America places on her veterans. So how do I, as a citizen, express this gratitude? For one thing, I observe the national holidays instituted in honor of veterans.
A holiday is a day set aside in recognition, honor, or commemoration. Memorial Day is a holiday Americans celebrate in commemoration of those veterans who have died in military service for their country; on memorial day, I remember those who have died to make me free, a very Biblical concept. I buy a poppy, which symbolizes the poppies of Flanders field, where so many soldiers died in WWI; young, full of life, and whose lives were suddenly cut short. Likewise, on Veteran's Day, I take some time to remember how much I appreciate all the people I know who have served in the military.
We also honor veterans by giving them preference in hiring for jobs; we know those who have served our country on the national level will do a good job on the local level. And, finally, I honor veterans in my personal interactions with them. When I see someone with a military bearing and wearing a uniform, I want to show them how much I appreciate all they have done, wether it involves opening the door for them, learning what they have to tell me, or just giving them a smile.
These are all ways I honor America's veterans, but it goes further than that. By being involved with my community and my government, I can show my continued support for the standards we have fought for. I can raise my children with a love for their country and a desire to protect it. And, most of all, I can pray for our country, the people it stands for, and the people who fought to keep it that way.

we're all back together

2009-01-21T21:09:00.001-08:00

Thank God for answering my prayer that we'd all be back together again soon! Today was the first day in a while that all the students of Providence Academy were in attendance. LeeAnna had been the missing one (for a shorter time) this time. And, it seems maybe Ashley doesn't/didn't have mono, since she is feeling better so soon.

But please pray for Mr. Buck, as he is getting sick once again, and he's under a lot of stress anyway. And please pray/continue to pray for Mr. Obama, especially during this crucial time of beginning.

Ashes is back, LeeAnna still gone

2009-01-20T17:36:00.001-08:00

Not much else to say than that, except congrats to Mr. Obama, and I will be praying for him, as I hope you all will.

And… I hope to work on the template this weekend. Hopefully we can make this blog a little more of a jumping off point/social center/whatever.

TTFN.
Nat.

Hey, can we have your VOD?

2009-01-19T17:31:00.001-08:00

I don't know if you saw the Official PAN VOD Gallery, but it's there in any case.

So, would you mind letting your VOD essay from any year at Providence be published on here? If your a blog contributor and want to do it, go ahead. Please format it single spaced. Id you're not a contributor and you want to share, just email me (on my Blogger profile), Matthew, or the staff email, (it's an image to prevent spam).

I know the topics change year to year, but it would still be an inspirational collection.

An update… finally

2009-01-19T17:11:00.001-08:00

Hello all, Nathaniel here, and it's been a while.

So, what's been going on at Providence Academy. Well, LeeAnna returned recently after healing up from a (literally) deadly staff infection, but Ashley found out she has mono. Not cool. And… what with all the sickness (LeeAnna's sick again… just a regular somethingarather, I am guessing), Wake Up Jane's clock is ticking away. Talent Show is on the 30th, and they haven't practiced for quite a while.

The rest of us have just been plugging away… Algebra 2 Chapter 5 test is on Tuesday (finally!). I already started it thought, and Anna's already got it finished.

Old Testament has been quiet enough, as usual. Rhetoric has been cool… we're reading some papers we did and debating them. Mr. Tollefson has no qualms about some intense questions.

Creative Writing I don't know much about… I can only guess it's been chugging along, too.

Chorus (yes, that's what it's *really* called): we've been chilling with this DVD called The Perfect Blend (is there really a 'the' on the front?)

Lunch… cool and boring as always. =)

That's all I can think of classwise right now.

And in blog news… I think maybe sometime in the near future I'll change the blog template to something light and a bit easier to read. Not that I don't like the template, but it's not the most ergonomic on the eyes. And, I've found some good sources for Blogger templates, it seems, so it's just a matter of finding a good one, applying it, and tweaking. Got any suggestions… specific recommendation or theme or style idea? Drop a comment if you do.

And, one more thing: I don't know if y'all noticed, but I changed a setting a while back so that the post date appears at the bottom of the post. Much better for reference.

Oh, and not to mention… Anna and Matthew recently rolled their car, but their all A-OK. The car is a bit damaged, but not totaled.

Ok, I'm done, I promise.

a small gallery

2008-11-30T17:40:00.000-08:00

Comments?

Nathaniel's VOD Essay 2008

2008-11-16T21:15:00.001-08:00

[VOD Gallery Index]

Voice of Democracy

Some of the benefits which the youth of today's America possess are given to them only through the service and sacrifice of Americans in the military. Freedom, peace, and giving back are such benefits.
Our veterans serve and fight for the very thing that the fathers of our nation did. Freedom is something that man craves, and even stronger is the desire for religious freedom. The men of the colonies of America fought for freedom from England. To what end did they desire such? It was for a place with religious liberty and for a place better to raise their children, and for them to raise children of their own in a country free for them to serve God and enjoy Him, not just a random uprising for the sake of pointless revolution. Slavery was abolished in our country following the sacrifice of many lives in the Civil War. Americans currently fight to ensure the freedom of Middle Eastern nations from terrible regimes. Americans serve so that the children of the oppressed may have freedom. It is not just Americans that America fights for.
Had not our men served, would we now be the United Colonies of England? Would we all be forced to be in the Anglican church, not allowed religious liberty? Would the colonization of America have been slower, the harvest of such rich resources put on hold? Would Russia and China have made conquest into America? We cannot be sure of all such futures, but there are some things in history we can be sure of, such as an attack against America from Nazi Germany; such as huge chunk of America being under French control. We can be sure that if no action was taken against Japan, they most certainly would have further assaulted America. To let such things pass would be a watchmen opening the gates to the enemy, allowing them free reign to pillage and murder.
But we did not, and hopefully do not do such things so that youth can sit idle. We did it to give them freedom and peace, so that they could continue building such a country as we have today. We do it so that our youth may have an education, may have a career, may learn and appreciate art, may bless others, and may live a full and fruitful life. We do it to combat those who would take away such freedoms.
The service of America's veterans also benefits youth in another way; that they themselves may serve. Our youth will learn selflessness by giving to their country in this way, and even in giving to other countries, as young people of our military do at this very time. We may look up from our occupations, see and serve others, and remember why our fathers gave their service. America has been blessed greatly by God, and is it too much to be thankful for His grace?
It is altogether too common, and too easy in the minds of the young to forget the stories of their fathers, to not give a thought to their history, and to stumble blithely on. Freedom is not a right. Freedom is a gift. As a catchphrase for the war in the Middle East says, "Freedom is not free." It is without our history, and without our heritage that we crumble. It is my hope that the service and sacrifice of America's veterans will open the eyes of our youth. I hope that they will truly see what our fathers fought for and what we fight for now; it is not our fallen and corrupt and democracy. It is love. If the youth of our once great land would learn to love their brothers in Christian sociability, and make such a great sacrifice as those who have served our country, I hope that we would seek the forgiveness of the God we have violated, and that our beloved homeland would be spared.

laying WikiProv to rest

2008-11-11T21:20:00.001-08:00

It is PAN Day again, our three year anniversary! I was reminded when I opened Sunbird while working on this post, and remembered I wanted to finally make this post today. So here it is.

WikiProv never did get a proper shoving off, so I've decided to finally do it. What WikiProv looked like was a hierarchy of folders containing WordPerfect documents, pictures, freeware, and the whatnot. And of course, there was the PAN archive, which I guess I could upload and link to. I don't really feel like uploading all of WikiProv, and some of it is actually illegal to upload, I think. So, here is the final WikiProv, a collection of links to replace the original and finally satisfy you.

I'll sort it by folders in the root folder and give you descriptions of the old folder followed by the current stuff.

Christ
Let's see… there wasn't really much to this folder… here's some current good stuff for you:
Need Him - an evangelistic site, companion to the telephone number, 1.888.NEEDHIM
The Point - the blog of the Breakpoint radio program, hosted by Mark Earley
Just Another Blog in the Wheel - Pastor Steve Schlissel's blog; be prepared for fire. In other words, really really good stuff.
JP's Mind - the blog of ~~Pastor John Piper~~ a certain JP… *not* John Piper
a broken mold - Matthew and I's blog… we started it this year, and we are NOT afraid to break the mold

freeware
This folder had freeware tools and games.
Best Free Software for Windows - if you need a free program for Windows, here is a list I recommend checking out. It is compiled by a guy on a forum of which I am a member.
The Maximus Decim USB drivers - This one was actually in the original WikiProv. I include it because it may, by some chance, still be useful. This little package was awesome when I used it. I suppose any of you who used a flash drive with your Windows 98 computer remember having to install drivers first. Install this package and it should cover any USB storage device you can through at it. As I remember, you still have to get each new device to use the driver, but still a lot less painless and a lot more flexible.
Download.com games - a good place to check out for free games and demos
Google - Yep. Use your search engine. It works wonders.

homework reference material
Contained…. um…. homework reference material. There was a WordPerfect document with the school Homework Philosophy and Guidelines, which was taken from the school policy. Also some material from Microsoft Encarta 2003 intended to help with homework, one doc on bibliographies, one on making speeches. And… I had an idea to collect VOD essays for the inspiration of future writers. Alas, only Matthew's speech from some past year ever made it in. But, we don't have to let it be that way… I introduce to you the Official PAN VOD Gallery! And now, the links…
Wikipedia - The famous user-edited encyclopedia. Yes, teachers may not like you citing it. But, even so, you can check out the References section to see who Wikipedia is citing in the article. You can also take a look at the See also section, which links to related Wikipedia pages. And finally, the External links, linking to pages that are not on Wikipedia.
Citizendium - You may or may not have heard of this project. It's a lot like Wikipedia, but authors are required to give their real name, and articles "in draft" have a disclaimer until the are approved. If you're teacher doesn't trust Wikipedia, this may be a good alternative. Unfortunately, it does not have the vast amount of information Wikipedia has yet, but that will change through the hard work of people like you and me (that is assuming we join).
EasyBib - this site will help you to get your bibliography formatted correctly, and can fill in book information for you from ISBN. You can compile your bibliography, and even save it online, if you create an account, which is free. Pretty sweet tool. See ya, MLA Handbook.
MLA Auto-Generator - a nice Windows program you can use when you don't have internet access to get you bibliography straight in MLA style. Just fill in the fields, press a button, and it spits out a nicely formatted bibliography entry for you. At least I think so… Mr. Buck seems to have issues with its formatting. Supposedly you can enter an ISBN number, and if you're online, it will grab the information for you from that… though I tried it and it couldn't get info for my book. It might have just been that book, I don't really know…

misc
This folder had, miscellaneous stuff in it. Yeah. Like the famous bad day video. And how to make a CD case out of a piece of paper. And a folder called proofread for students to proofread each other's documents. And the Providence Academy computer FAQ, which answered common queries to Matthew, Mr. Buck, and I. And a PAN business card in a WordPerfect file. And a bit about flash drives. And a list of "essential stuff" to check out on WikiProv. Woo-hoo. And I shall not list links, for the very fact that it was a miscellaneous section.

PAN Archive
What more can I say? The original Providence Academy News. In its entirety. Download here. It's not very big (201 KB, around 40 seconds on dial-up), so it shouldn't take too long to download. Then use an archive program, like ZipCentral, or the built in Windows ZIP program, to extract the files and then proceed to enjoy their gooey goodness. If you just want to read the original news file, then click here for the PDF version.

policy
Contained docs regarding WikiProv itself, including the official policy, a Welcome to Wikiprov document, and a statement written by me, in which I declared I didn't "want "raising the bar" to be a cellphone advert only." It's amazing what we find we have said if we look back a few years… anyway, we don't really have much a of a policy anymore, so use your right to freedom of speech if you so wish.

quotes
Here I republished the old PAN quotes section in the WordPerfect doc Old PAN Quotes. A new Quote Central Page was started, which stretched about a page and a half. I ponder starting another one now… what do you think?
Wikiquote - a wiki that collects quotes. I have been there a little, but not much. I would guess they have a huge collection. So, search away, and see what your heroes had to say. Or your enemies. Or your president. The list goes on.

short stories and poems
A collection of short stores and poems. Included some from the original PAN, such as the Grayson Series, the GUM Series (still to be completed), and the #29341 series by Elliot. These series are available in the above mentioned and linked-to PAN Archive. Also present was the beginning of The Secret HAH Files, which I may continue one of these days… I think I actually did start to write a second episode.

tools
A collection of shortcuts to perhaps useful tools on the school computers, such as 7-Zip, Calculator, Check Print Jobs, Freebyte Zip, Internet Explorer 6, Paint, WinZip, and WordPerfect 10. Also contained files for 7-Zip, Freebyte Zip, and a copy of Paint renamed to Iexplore.exe so as to get around the program block in effect on the computers.

wallpaper
This may have actually been the most popular folder in WikiProv, containing photographs from the Robertsons, and pictures I had gathered for the collection. I think I can point you to much better now…
InterfaceLIFT - a website that feature high quality photo work and other picture. Often enough, the stuff on there is quite good. A favorite of mine. Submit your work if you think you're good enough…
WallpaperStock - a website with a good collection of wallpapers. Also, if you see a popular wallpaper and like it, you might find it here.
Wallpaper on deviantART - the wallpaper section in a community of amazing and dedicated artists. Enjoy. You might also enjoy looking around the rest of the site.
Lostine Photography - my photoblog, including the picture from Fort Rock featured in WikiProv, which I still like.

root
This means the WikiProv folder itself, not in any subfolder. Here was located a a shortcut to the "essential stuff" file, a readme stating "WikiProv recently went through some big changes, so if anything is strange, just tell Matthew, Elliot, or Nathaniel and they will fix it Tan Pronto Como Sea Posible (TPCSP[ASAP])." Finally, there was a WALLPAPER NOTICE, which told that there was a report of wallpapers not sticking on students desktops', and which instructed to "talk to Mr. Buck about it, if you really want to bother with it."

Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Please do leave comments.

Rest in peace, WikiProv. And happy PAN Day, everybody.

Official PAN VOD Gallery

2008-11-11T21:18:00.001-08:00

This is an index of Voice of Democracy essays by Providence students that are posted on the blog, filed by year. Please single space if you post! And if you're not an admin, just comment or message me and I'll link to your essay post.

2007

Matthew

2008

Nathaniel

Voice of Democracy and Calendar

2008-10-28T20:44:00.001-07:00

Today our Rhetoric class piled into the Buck van and headed off to Enterprise, specifically to KWVR. We recorded our Voice of Democracy speeches at the station. It was pretty smooth. Isaiah and Dusty didn't hit the required three minutes (+ or - 5 seconds), though. And…. they gave us cookies, except Isaiah, because he was recording his speech. I guess that's what he gets for going first. Heh.

The other news is: now we have a real online calendar. You know that Calendar of Events link on the Providence webpage? Now it's actually useful. It's got a Google Calendar embedded in it, and teachers will be posting at least some stuff on it, in addition to the events Mr. Buck already put on there. I think I might link to it on the top of the blog. And you can access it through the Calendar of Events link in this post.

policy is online…

2008-10-24T19:16:00.001-07:00

…but do you know where?

It's in a protected directory on the Providence website called protected. So… http://providenceacademy.net/protected/
Note that you will have to enter a username and password to access the folder. Call Mr. Buck or me if you don't know them.

And… the direct links to the policy:

web page
PDF format

Cheers. Don't know if anybody has or will look at it, but it's there.

it snowed!

2008-10-09T17:03:00.001-07:00

Yay!!!! The first snow during school! You could see it coming down during Old Testament, which is the first period on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

will you keep up!!?

2008-09-30T19:46:00.001-07:00

Just so you know, it's really a snap to keep up with the blog. Might I recommend following the 'subscribe via email' link at the top of the page. It's quite easy. And I can vouch that you will get no spam by giving out your email address here. So might I prod, er, suggest that you waste no time?

Photos!

2008-09-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

Here you are. =)
Leave comments.

My post

2008-09-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Following the suggestion to POST. . .

Do your homework and turn it in!

Hey!

2008-09-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Where's the First Day of School post?!?! For me it's just another day of work. =(

Oh, by the way, does everyone know how to post new posts with the new layout? Go to "Blogger" at the top of the page; it's what was previously the Dashboard link. From there you should be able to contribute to any of your blogs.

Cheers!

-Matthew

how's this?

2008-07-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

OK... new look. It's dark. I like it. Comments? And, I did not design this template, by the way. Nope. Hehe. =^)

Will work on it some more later.

in transition

2008-07-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

OK... the blog looks funny, but I'm working on it. Back from vacation. I will post later.

Praise the Lord!

2008-07-13T21:57:00.003-07:00

My little brother, Andrew, almost drowned today, but he's alright.

A Big arrival!

2008-07-10T11:14:00.001-07:00

I got my Bass this morning! It's great!

The first local concert is Jan 11 in Joseph. If you come to that concert, you will get to hear the Bass! Or, if you can stand the wait, April 5 in Wallowa.

There and back again

2008-07-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to see our oldest son be ordained as a pastor and also installed to the church where he is being sent. This church had been without its own pastor for about a year and a half. They were so excited to have Ken there.

Our son originally wanted to be a pro-football player. Then for the longest time he wanted to be the principle tuba player for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He went to college to study tuba performance. He majored in Tuba Performance. He sang in a very up scale choir. He thought music would be his life. At first he thought the call of God would take his music away.

Now he is an under-shepherd of Christ. Fifteen other men participated to set him apart as God leads him to a new life. Now he leads the Liturgy (really singing God's Word back to Him). He chants the words over the Lord's Supper. He feeds his flock. He teaches God's Word. He will someday baptize, marry, sit in hospital rooms and one day bury a sheep of his flock.

Te Deum Laudamus!

Pray for many other young men to hear God's call.

(On the trip home, we were one step ahead of the tornadoes that ripped through Iowa and Minnesota. Literally. We also came through Lolo Pass and I really think we ought to take a school tour to follow Lewis and Clark's complete route. So beautiful!)

LOOK!!!!!

2008-06-29T22:45:00.001-07:00

Isn't it pretty? It's MINE!!!!! I found it on e-bay and should get it by next Monday. It's a Buffet, the absolute best ever clarinet made and a Bass in good condition is very hard to find! I'm so excited! Can you tell?

Alright, I'm here...

2008-06-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, yes. I know. This blog is dying. Yes. I know. It needs a refresh. Alright. I'm here. Help me get school people interested in the blog, which I think I shall also try to do. And... I'll redo the site. Ta. Will post when the redo is complete.

Picture This

2008-06-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow Providence faamily!

I just wanted to let you know to check ou the video on my other blog.
Eric and I filmed a video with Spokane Masters Commission, based on one of his blogs entitled "Picture this".

The concept of the video is "By His Wounds We Are Healed".
I thought it turned out pretty good, so go check it out! It's on my Music and Love go Together like Milk and Cookis" blog.
If any of the conceopts are left seemingly unexplained or hazy, just look at te two posts below it, they explain Everything.

Salvete!

Ashes

Hey!

2008-06-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

I got my license! :D Sweet. I didn't even have to parallel park, which was nice, because I was in our suburban. :p

So, now I can drive myself to work. :)

2008-05-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

School countdown. . .

About 3 months and a couple of weeks until school starts, get some sleep!

It was requested...

2008-05-23T22:43:00.001-07:00

...that I upload my Valedictory Address, so here it is. =)

Valedictory Speech 2008

Today, in the culmination of years of studies, our class bears testimony to the beliefs of our families and the mission of this school. We are privileged to have families who believe in the importance of a Christian education, and privileged to have seen this school grow over the years. Furthermore, I trust we have all been infused with the love of learning which is so essential to a life glorifying to God. And now, as we raise our eyes to a new vision, a new challenge, let us consider the words of Solomon: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.”1 And yes, that verse does apply to young women as well.

Young men and women both, we are the blessed recipients of a Christian education, and not just an education, but a worldview, more than is offered by contemporary public education. G.K. Chesterton once remarked, “The purpose of Compulsory Education is to deprive the common people of their commonsense.”2 In a society where religion is tolerantly suppressed, it is refreshingly beautiful to be part of a school which realizes first of all that it is the “God-given privilege and sole responsibility” of the parents to raise their children, as Deuteronomy 6:6-7 mandates, “in the fear and admonition of the Lord.” In assistance, therefore, to the parents, the mission of Providence Academy, taken from Noah Webster’s definition of the word ‘education,’ is to “enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations.” In the preface to his dictionary, Webster states, “In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed...No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”3

I want the graduating class of 2008 to realize that the education I just outlined, the education we have received, is one that is well-suited to the biblical exhortation to rejoice in our youth. Regarding teenagers like ourselves, and particularly Christian teenagers, there are, unfortunately, two extremes to which people commonly adhere. It would seem teenagers are viewed as either unmanageable or...unmanageable. Christian situation or otherwise, teenagers are too often regarded as a frustration and a waste of time. The difference between extremes lies in the action that is taken, or lack thereof: on the one hand, abdication, and on the other, hyper-restriction. And yet neither of these fulfills the biblical precedent for youth. But here at Providence, we have been taught both how to rejoice in our youth, and of the judgement for our actions.

Yes, we are a privileged class. Privileged to have godly parents, teachers, and friends, privileged to live in this beautiful county, and privileged to hear Alan freestyle rap day after day. Also, in Mr. Boyd’s rhetoric class, I learned how to speak for long periods of time about nothing in particular. Let’s hope that’s not what I’m doing right now. Seriously though, I’ve learned a lot. I read books, did my math homework, and took notes on the Civil War. But more importantly, I learned to love books, explore math, and debate the Civil War. I learned what it is to be a student and a teacher, a son and a brother. I learned the importance of friends.

And most of this class has been working on those friendships since this school was started. We watched the school grow physically, moving from the apartment building across from the Enterprise courthouse to this beautiful building here, planting trees and grass, remodeling old rooms, compiling a computer lab, and countless little repairs and improvements. We have seen teachers come and go, leaving us with a firm conviction, a well-written paper, a biblical aesthetic, a Latin phrase, an understanding of the Pythagorean theorem, or (of course) a map of the Middle East. And we’ve watched older students leave their mark, and then pass on into a new field of study; we’ve seen younger students follow in our footsteps (and that’s not always a good thing). But now our time has come to take our experience to a new level for the glory of God.

And here we are. We’re finally graduating! The temptation is to think, “We’re free!” but that attitude implies a bondage or imprisonment. Is that how we view our time here? Were we just doing time? If so, we need to take another look at Ecclesiastes 11:9, where we are told to rejoice in our youth. I would propose that this applies to school as well, even particularly to school. In Proverbs 3:13-14, Solomon stresses the importance of wisdom and discretion: “How blessed is the man who finds wisdom and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver and her gain better than fine gold.” School is not a chore.

So what do we do now? Money, college, adventure...yes, that’s all good, but there are a couple of principles that should guide us in our endeavors. First, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”4 There is blessing involved there if you honor your parents, and, looking back at Ecclesiastes 11:9 again, we see that we will be judged for our actions, for the impulses of our hearts and the desires of our eyes. This judgement is not limited to punishment, however, but includes blessings if we glorify God in these things.

According to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” But it is only when our trust is in Jesus for our salvation that we can fully enjoy God and serve Him. Elsewhere, we are exhorted to present our bodies a living sacrifice, to let our lives be a pleasing aroma, and to offer a sacrifice of praise.5 In his famous 1630 sermon, John Winthrop likened the Christian community to a “city on a hill.” To the future graduates, I want you to understand that you are a city on a hill. Essential to the Christian community is Christian education, and we want the world to be jealous. And so the catechism answer might be rephrased, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God by enjoying Him [and His creation] forever.”

To conclude, I stand here with a privileged class, a class that has been blessed with a Christian education, and has grown along with this school. We have inherited a love of learning, but remember that it is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of knowledge.6 As we move on in life, we seek to glorify God by rejoicing in the life He has given us, and thank Him for the education He has given us. From show-and-tell Legos with Isaiah to Cody biting the heads off of his gummy bears, from rapping with Alan in the talent show to wearing a kilt to the Patriot’s Ball, our class has been eternally bound together. Joy, Cassie, Alan, and Shannon, you have all meant a lot to me, and I thank God for the plans I know He has for your lives. As “Stonewall” Jackson boldly stated, ours is the duty, while consequences belong to God. Thank you.

1 Ecclesiastes 11:9
2 ILN, 9/7/29
3 Providence Mission Statement/Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
4 Exodus 20:12
5 Romans 12:1, Ephesians 5:2, Hebrews 13:5
6 Proverbs 1:7

Woot

2008-05-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

It's the second to last day of school. The weather is cloudy and the lawn in green. Dandelions are everywhere. And we do have an assignment in literature. Grr. :o

Ta for now, people. 10-4. See you all tomorrow for the Last Day of School. And see you Friday for Graduation.

woot!

Well, this is it.

2008-05-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

The last week of school. Of course, us seniors are already out of school, but...

So, yeah. Have fun, you guys. Don't goof off too much. I hope there's nice weather on the last day of school for a frisbee game. =D

Patriots Ball 2008: Icing on The Cake

2008-05-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

Alright. Yes. It's true. I confess. I got high off the ball.

*clears throat, shifts into professional mode*

Lostine, Oregon - The Providence Academy Gymnasium was the sight of a lively ball last night. Though scheduled to go from 6:30-9:00 PM, the dancing went on past ten o'clock. This year was an amazing success, with a big hand going to Julie Tollefson, Mrs. Tollefson, and Mrs. Bomberger. Mrs. Tollefson even found an old Patriots Ball banner in one of the rooms upstairs in the school.

*shifts into normal mode*
Here are some pictures for you enjoyment. :P I'm claiming that I took the most pictures (over 300), so if anybody claims more, tell me. And no, I don't use Facebook. :P

Two things...

2008-04-16T21:10:00.002-07:00

1) Here are a few pics from the Math Competition below.

2) We had a WICKED SICK Ultimate Frisbee game today. =^)

Math Competition!

2008-04-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Went pretty well. Kathryn Kemp got two awards, Joella Deal got an award, and OUR RELAY TEAM GOT FIRST PLACE FOR SMALL SCHOOLS! =^)

Providence Academy rocks...

Nathaniel should be in later with some pics. :)

Live Report!

2008-04-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

This is Nathaniel Robertson reporting live from Providence Academy. Currently, the cast and crew of A Midsummer Night's Dream (minus Kathryn and Blake, and plus a few guests) is engaged in viewing an excellent recording of the play. Thank you, cameraman!! :D ;)

Just to break the monotony.

Edit: Ashley was gone, too.

Edit 7.18.08: Ashley was not gone. Lol.

April Fools!

2008-04-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

I found a great list of good April Fools jokes to try. Enjoy!

Top Ten April Fools Pranks

The girls bill-law video link

2008-03-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Here it is at last.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbhVMqJWaKM

I just noticed that this was the unedited video...oh well. It took too long to upload to change it now.
Dios les bendiga.

Jesus Live! The Victory's Won!

2008-03-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Cyril A. Alington

He is Risen!
He is Risen, indeed!

Spring Break!

2008-03-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I'm surprised that no one has posted this yet....

It's Spring Break!!! Woot woot!

Deadness...

2008-03-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

Post, people!!!!

Or this blog is DEAD

AAAACCCKKKKK!!!!

(Web Class perk) :p

Second performance!

2008-03-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

The second play performance has come off better than the dress rehearsal or the first performance! Lets hope it continues this way! =^)

Oh, and the third one went well, too.

Hurrah! The last performance went fine! We're done! :D

Here are the Youtube links to the government videos.

2008-03-06T13:49:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS4OAbwZ3wI for the boys.
Girls to be added later.

Web class going well....

2008-02-28T19:07:00.001-08:00

Ummmm, pretty self explanatory?! Hehe. =^)

Links of Interest

2008-02-21T19:52:00.000-08:00

I'm just starting this so if we want to add any other links that aren't school related, they won't clutter up the sidebar.

Teen Saints
Notebookreview

Three Things...

2008-02-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

1. School was cancelled today due to sickness on Mr. Buck's part. Poor Mr. Buck. Pray for him.
2. I'm working on installing Ubuntu!!! <(^.^<)
3. Our blog just hit 100 posts!!!

Peace out...

i love typing

2008-02-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

k, you might want to click on it and see the original but it will take awhile to load on dial up...

Wireless Up!

2008-02-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

It's official. Wireless is now up at Providence Academy!

*cheering in background*

And three of the school computer will have a wired connection!

*cheering in background*

More details:

Firefox with ad and pop-up blocking software will be installed on these computers, as well as Covenant Eyes. Students will be required to sign a sheet for the time period they accessed the computer. Mr. Buck will go over the policy next Monday.

As for those with laptops that have wireless capability, you may have noticed that the network is secured with WPA-PSK encryption, which is fairly secure. However, if you install Covenant Eyes on you computer, you can use your laptop for research and school purposes, such as the upcoming Web Design class. <('.'<)

But you will be required to log this event on the Internet usage sheet just as if you were using the school computers, so don't expect to be surfing the Web during class!

There are some more restrictions involving social networking sites such as Myspace, and your parents will be receiving a form containing many details about the policy, which they will be required to sign.

So, that's the news for today! Peace out....=^)

Talent Show is coming up, Are you ready?

2008-02-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

Hello all,
The Providence Academy talent show will be held tonight at 7 pm!
We are very excited and incredibly nerve-wrecked...(At least I am! Anyone else nervous?!? Gosh you guys..)
Last night we had fun setting up the drum set in the chapel and tonight we will be setting up a PA system (I think) and we will test it out, just hours prior to the show.
This is going to be so very exciting. There wil be music, skits, presentations..perhaps a dash of impromptu. New faces and familiar faces will be seen :) I know what some people are doing, but am ecstatic to see what will happen with everyone else!
See you all there!
Ashes

Thursday

2008-01-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

I didn't have time to post my after school things last week or this, so here is a composite memoir!

Last Thursday I went to Boise right from school got on an airplane Friday and ended up at a weekend long birthday party for my 30 year old baby in Kansas City, MO. It was fun! Both daughters and I had a great time eating, shopping, laughing and hanging out together. We picked KC because it was easy for all 3 of us to get to and far enough away from Holly's house that she wouldn't plan to go home after dinner with her sister. She didn't know I was coming, thought she was meeting here little sister at the KC airport and the first words out of her mouth when I got off the plane were, "What are you doing here?" SURPRISE!!!!!

My trip home was less than enjoyable but the time spent with my kids made whatever mess I ended up in worth it.

So, I left KC Sunday evening with plans to be in Boise Sunday night and plans to drive home Monday giving me time for laundry and recuperation after the weekend. Instead I went from Denver International to the Denver Holiday Inn with a rerouted Monday morning flight to Spokane then a flight on another airline to Boise. I got hone 6:30 Monday evening and went to sleep! My Sunday night plane to Boise had mechanical issues and by the time they were fixed, fog had shut down Boise's airport. Flight canceled...

This Thursday, I came home turned on an episode of Monk and took a nap in front of the tv, a good place for me to drift off for a short snooze, then left for Pendleton at 4 to rehearse with the Inland Northwest Orchestra. Good drive, good rhearsal, good trip home, home by 12:30 and there were a bunch of deer in my yard! Sort of a welcome home gathering! They hopped over the fence and left as soon as I opened my car door but it was still fun to see them!

Many thanks to Matt for getting my music and getting it to me in time, now you may graduate! LOL (Yes, another internet abbreviation on the PAN blog! or YAIAOTPANB!)

Sickness Cancels School and a New Website

2008-01-25T12:44:00.000-08:00

Today I am taking advantage of our rarely working Internet. The event that brought me to this rare event was too many sick children at Providence. In the interest of everyones well-being we decided to take the day off. I was really surprised when no one complained. As I type I am uploading the latest changes to the school website and I think the new look is a good one. I still would like to see more student pictures on the front page but size is always an issue. The Seniors are hard at work on the Lostine History Project and soon we will have our first five Alumni interviews online (both text and audio).
In other news: yesterday we were blessed to get a wireless internet connection at school (courtesy of an anonymous donation) and by the end of next week we hope to have internet available for student research! What a long awaited blessing that will be. God is very good to provide what we need just when we need it.

If anyone is actually interested...

2008-01-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a further edit of the wedding picture from Nathaniel's post.

Brian Buck's Ireland Adventure

2008-01-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Providence Academy - Friday night was the scene of a blowout success as Brian Buck presented a slideshow of his recent trip in Ireland. He told some great stories, relating one in which he could have potentially been blown off a cliff. There was an intermission at a point, with refreshments. After the intermission Brian resumed his narrative slideshow of his trip.

It had been previously reported that Brian left Ireland with more money than he possessed upon coming to Ireland. This was confirmed at Providence by Brian himself.

It is reported that Brian is currently sick. He was coughing at the presentation, and was not present at Christ Covenant Church today. Poor Brian. Pray for him.

Kiss Crop

2008-01-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, here is the long awaited edit. Well, edits. Lawl.

Anyway, compare against here, and tell me what you think.

The next installment. . .

2008-01-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

You've all been waiting for it so here it comes!

After school today I went home with my chauffeur. (The hubby came to get me) and we went to Wallowa to get new snow tires on my car. It took about an hour to get through it and as I was sitting there in my car listening to Piano Puzzler on NPR, semi watching Kevin and the Hubby messing about with the tires, I fell asleep! I was awakened abruptly when the hubby opened the car door and set the 'keys are in the ignition' reminder pinging. I assumed it was the alarm clock and woke confused and searching for the snooze button.

This tells me that I need to go to bed earlier at night!

Then, to make amends, the hubby suggested we stop and get a pizza to take home for dinner, then we needed gas so we went to Gobels. Then headed home but noticed that, as Wallowa doesn't have a Dunkin' Donuts, a Sheriff and a State Cop car were parked in front of the Blond Strawberry.

This tells me that we have 'cool' law enforcement personnel.

As we came to Lostine, we drove through the Blue Banana and I ordered yet another Peppermint Mocha. Loretta laughed at me. She knows what I want when I get there and I just have to order 'the usual'!

This tells me I am stuck in a rut. I like my rut, it's warm and cozy and tastes like Christmas!

Then we came home, did the chores, cooked that pizza and I did a load of laundry, read the paper and sent the Hubby up for his pre-work nap.

Somethings never change!

2008-01-05T18:15:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos from the recent Tollefson-Leithart wedding in Pullman, Idaho. I took them using my parents camera, which is an older Nikon. The last one is a modified version of the kiss photograph.

We made it to Butte.

2007-12-30T20:24:00.001-08:00

We're in Butte, MT.
I'm getting a pretty sweet download speed.
Ummmmm.
Ok.
Signing off.

Snowmobiling

2007-12-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

Oh what fun it is to grab a handful of throttle and FLY!!!

Three reasons why snowmobiling is such fun:

Floating through deep powder, flipping the sled from one side to the other
Throttling off a steep slope into nothing but pure adrenaline, then touching down in a blur of flying snow
Drifting around a corner at full speed, then throwing your weight to one side and feeling one ski clear the ground

Good times...

=^)

Whew...

2007-12-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

We of the Bomberger clan, all ~27 (+/- ?), attended church Christmas Eve. We enjoyed seeing the first childrens' service to include our own grandchildren! Kade and Elanor did very well for the nearly three year olds that they are. The little children sang a song and later were part of the flock of sheep in attendance at the Nativity.
After meetings and greetings of old friends home for visits and driving through the city to see the light displays, we headed to my brother in law's house for our family party. This year we had 27 stockings over the fireplace, all crossstiched by my mother in law!
Well fortified by the traditional Christmas treats such as pfefernusse, oyster stew (or chicken bisque for the faint at heart) and pumpkin roll, we headed to the livingroom to have the gift exchange. This year there was some trouble with the name drawing procedure and so two people recieved two gifts instead of the one and others didn't get a gift from anyone... lest you should worry for those hearty Bombergers, there are always more than one gift anyway, so it was really all good.
I stepped into the frosty night at about 11pm to take my mom home (she's not an *official Bomberger*, but one of the honorary ones none the less, the category reserved for our offsprings' intended spouses...we have, sadly, scared off more than one faint hearted young lady after they get a look at us all together ; ) ) We are a formidable group indeed!
Upon returning to spend the night at the bil's home we had time for a cozy visit in the glow of the tree. Christmas Day we were up early and went to my mom's house to cook breakfast fro the Bernhardt crew. Far fewer in numbers, we eat a leisurely breakfast, open our popers and don our tissue paper hats for the Christmas tree. That is what my mom calls giving the Christmas gifts out. All the children were more sedate and enjoyed each toy or book as it was presented. We readied for Christmas Day church and were seated in the pew by 10:00!

These hectic few hours of celebration and bonding with family, a raucous merry assalt to the senses, pales in comparison to the sweetness of attending church, both the Chrismas Eve and the ChristMas Day services. We hear the story from Scripture once again, we see the beauty in the sanctuary that reflects the beauty of the Babe of Bethlehem, we smell the snuffed candles' smoke rising gently, we touch and taste the elements of the Lord's Table. Christmas Blessings to you all, my dear ones!

lol again

2007-12-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

credits to some guy on an irc channel for the title, i think (irc.freenode.net, #sabayon-social).

Mom

Dad

Grandma and Grandpa

Uncle Bob

Aunt Janet

lol - all these from last night
love you

Parker Christmas Break!

2007-12-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

Well! It's that time of year again folks.
Christmas is here. We got out of school yesterday. truthfully, it was a genuine relief. The chance to stop and take a breath was so very beneficial. I feel healthier :D. On the other hand, the antics of the boys, and conversations of our young ladies at school, and our teachers as well, will be much missed.
The first day of break: I went caroling with the Tollys, Moffits, and the Kemps. We caroled for a couple different individuals. We caught Alan in the midle of afeway and sang to him. Lol, it was quite the experience, singing in the middle of Safeway! We caroled for Mrs. and Mr. Roddey, and for the dear elderly at the nursing home.
After this, I came home and set to furious relational work at my computer. (Emailing ;). In the midst of this, somebody knocked on my window. I looked over to see a guy peering through the window in the night staring at me. Unnerving? I think so too! He was wearing a Santa hat. I was only to discover that the stranger was my favorite person in the whole world...my brother! Yes, that is right. Eric randomly showed up at my window, having decided to come home early this year. So that resulted in a big twirl and hug, and a long late night of silly conversation.
Since then, I have been cleaning,and decorating the house, and consuming excessive amounts of chocolate. Can you say, "MMMmmmm!" ?
This week will hopefully only bring the best. Eric and I plan to learn some complex swing dance moves and take lots of pictures.
The season also brings its frightening aspects. Every year at Christmas Eve, my Parker reletives hold a party. There are about 100 of us in attendance. We gather around the piano, and my grandmother plays as we sing. This year my grandmother told me I had to take over the piano for her, so she could "retire" from it. I told her I couldnt do it, but she would have none of that. So in a couple days I will be playing in her place. I could back out if I wanted too, and just refuse to do it. I have that option. On the other hand, Mrs. Tolly told me I should consider it an honor. I am thinking, that if I decide not to do it, I will miss a major blessing. It will be like running away, and I would later regret that. I should face my fears and good will result. I know it. Now, if only I could convince myself. :D..
Okay. Will let yall know how that goes.
Miss you all!
Merry Christmas!
Ashes

Joy to the World!

2007-12-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

Our Savior is born! Let us rejoice!

So, thanks everyone. We made it to Christmas break. Sweetness.

Things seem to be going relatively well. Feel free to post about your doing. Put photos on. Have fun!

I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow, but I plan to be posting at Lostine Photography (while I'm gone, even though my camera is away again.

Ta, see you all later!

Life after school!

2007-12-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are in for the next installment of my life after school!

I got home and listened to the message from my youngest, their Christmas presents arrived, they OPENED them already and called to say thanks. KIDS!

Then I did some house work while fighting with my printer trying to print a few pictures of the Weddin' for a man at my church who plans to make something for the new Mr. and Mrs. Ives. . . There isn't much in this world that I hate (bananas, liver, trashy lit.) but I have developed a STRONG hatred for my printer! It is SO temperamental and I am ready to throw it out in the snow! I had to shut everything down about 4 times and start all over and even then the temperamental thing acted up, it won't feed paper correctly or it stops rolling but continues inking, or it keeps giving me the 'out of paper' message when there is paper in the feeder! AAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!

The hubby got up about 5, he must have been sleepy and apparently my fight with the printer didn't disturb him! He was heading to a dinner with the other Elders and I was heading to orchestra practice so I didn't get to tell him that the printer is soon to be murdered.

So, I got to Enterprise for Orchestra, different rehearsal location this week, and had to wait for about 20 min with other reed players, for the key to show up. When I got there, I noticed my radiator was steaming and it smelled like anti-freeze, nothing I could do but pray that I would get home and go in to practice.

Then we had a thin but successful rehearsal, not a lot of people came but we worked well and got a lot accomplished.

As we were leaving one of the little elderly lady violin players tripped and went down hard, right in front of me and several others that were going out the same way. She was pretty shook up but seems to be ok, we gathered her and her things up and got her in the car. Luckily she had car pooled with others and didn't have to drive home alone.

I got home at the exact same time the hubby got home from his dinner, just in time for him to leave for work. I did tell him that my car seems to need attention, but praise God, it got me home OK! I have had more miracles happen to me with that car!

He went to work, I ate a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner, wrote this and am now ready for bed!

Good night all!

Hurley Vacation

2007-12-18T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'm in Boise, ID.
I'm getting awesome internet speed.
I drove here, and it was murder.
The freeway from LaGrande to North Powder was closed, and there were a bunch of cars parked at the turn-off to the freeway.
But we outsmarted them all.
We took the road through Union to North Powder, and then had the freeway to ourselves!
But it was slushy.
I've never driven in slush before.
It was.......exhilarating.......to say the least.
Evidently the road after Baker had been closed, but just as we got there, cars started pouring onto the highway.
Then the roads were coated with snow and ice.
Everyone shifted into 4-wheel and slowed to 35mph.
It was fun.
Then it was raining so hard there was standing water on the roads......another fun one.
I love hydroplaning.
But we're still alive.....
This is a weird posting format.
Ok.
That's it.
=^)

My weird life!

2007-12-13T23:49:00.000-08:00

After school, I had intended to stay for the auditions again but needed to run home and let dogs out first. When I got here, there was a really weird message on my answering machine which took a bit to figure out. By the time dogs had finished I understood what i was hearing. . . a message from a taxidermist in Elgin who had finished the elk antler mount that the DH had taken out a week or so ago. I was trying to plan how to get these things done and paid for without the DH trying to pay for it or pick them up and find out they were already paid. I needed a Christmas idea for him in the worst way so after he left for work and to deliver the antlers one evening, I called this man and we set it up that he would call me at school, not tell the DH when they were done and not let him know how much it would cost. Luckily, the hubby was still asleep when I got here so I was able to get the message before he did and call the guy to set up pick up. phew. . . .THEN, as soon as I got off the phone, checked the time and started for the door to go to the auditions, number 2 daughter called to let us know how they'd survived the ice storm in OKC. They live in Norman which was apparently the hardest hit of the greater OKC area and we hadn't heard from them. They ended up stuck at my son in law's parent house, with cell phones but no power to charge them! The family's phone lines were down due to ice so they couldn't call the old fashioned way and they couldn't get to work or anyplace where there was wireless Internet! WE hadn't been fretting about them but I was really glad to hear from them. They were able to get home today, the power had been repaired and all is improving. Both plan to go back to work tomorrow. Matt works for the OKC courts and they have been froze out since Sunday night, Lacey works at an office max a mile or so from their house but when they got stuck at her mother in laws house, it was about 25 miles north whit a frozen and closed freeway between her and work. So, I missed what went on but look forward to a wonderful Shakespeare production later this next year!

Then it was time to feed the now awake hubby and do those daily evening chores. While we were having dinner the Antiques Road Show, UK version came on and it was being broadcast from Edinburgh, Scotland in the Assemble Room on George Street in the New Town, way cool because when Lacey and I were in Edinburgh we went to that same place for dinner; neeps, tatties, cranachan, haggis and dancing and piping and all that goes along with said haggie dinner! Boy it was fun to see somewhere you've been shown on TV! Then after getting the hubby off to work I had a few minutes to try chess against the computer, been wanting to try it but haven't just been able to sit and do nothing but play a game against Vista. . . needless to say, I lost.

I think it's past my bed time now that I am humiliated in chess and ready for my book!

Wednesday after school

2007-12-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

I put my pumpkin spice cream cheese in the fridge and called a friend in Cove about her chickens. She left me a message that her Bardrocks are loosing their feathers and she's concerned that they would freeze over the winter. I gave her some suggestions about possible causes, and what to do, then we visited about all our kids, grandkids and some friends we don't get to see too often anymore. It was nice to talk to her!

Then I scoped out ticket prices and schedules for plane fares to Kansas City in January. My daughters have a plan and hopefully I'll get there as well, surprise one for her 30th, visit with both and have a nice but fast weekend visit together, if we can coordinate prices, times, days off, and all the other little things that can cause travel troubles.

Then the DH got up and called the Brother In Law in Joseph to give him a hard time because he's sold an old horse to a family, mostly because the horse is too old for what the brother in law wants, not because it's too old for life, it will make an excellent kids horse, BUT that isn't stopping the DH from giving his BIL a rough time about it. So, I eavesdropped and added my 2 cents worth about that being his wife's favorite horse and now it's gone, boohoohoo! In Laws are fun to mess with.

Then I checked e-bay to see if the gift item the DH is getting his Mother for Christmas was still his, it is. Then UPS delivered the gift I had ordered for my sister in law's Christmas present. I thought she'd like some breading pans to cook with so I found a nice set on the JC Penny website Friday and ordered them, I was tickled they came today! I opened the package, then opened the box with the item description, 'set of 3 stainless steel breading pans' and out slid a pair of men's slippers! Imagine my horror! So, then I called JCP customer service and got that sorted out! They were very helpful and apologetic.

Then I put left-overs in the oven for dinner, sat down and tried to read the paper. Last week when I made lasagna for dinner it apparently dripped a bit into the oven and I missed it, until tonight's dinner began to smell of burning cheese! I headed in the kitchen to put out what I thought was a fire and found a black liquid science project forming under the bottom element on top of the tin foil oven liner. Boy, it's FUN replacing a hot piece of stinky tin foil under a hot element that has a bit of burnt cheese residue on it while the oven it also hot! Everyone should get a chance to do that once in their life! But, disaster averted and the yams and ham didn't even taste of burnt lasagna when we ate them!

Then I decided I'd better do this before I forget what I did today!

Next installment. . .

2007-11-27T16:06:00.000-08:00

What I did after school today!

Came home, let dogs out and in again. Then I called a lady back, the wife if a friend the Hubby works with, she wanted to pick my brain for a minute, 1:11:27 later I got off the phone.

Then I made a thing for this evening and while it was choculating (Yes it is a word, a new one, if Mrs. Bomby can make lavatation and chapelating, I can have choculating! Isn't English fun?) I checked e-mail. There was a really funny one about a guy who responded to telemarketers by acting like he was a cop on the crime scene of a murder and begins to grill the telemarketer like he was a suspect. . . By the time I was done on the computer, the chocolate was fully chocolated and I did whipped cream to go one it. . . won't you be sorry if you don't come tonight? heeheehee

Then I got a call on the prayer chain, called the next person in line and passed it on. The daughter in law of a lady at my church has been double wammied with pneumonia and whooping cough! OWCH! And ick.

By then the hubby was up, and I made him some coffee, sent him out to fix the horses feeder because now there is snow, now they get hay. Fixed feeder + hay = happy horsies!

So. . . that's my afternoon so far! Apparently I am now going to throw a ball for a corgi as she has just tossed it at me!

Concerning Youtube Videos

2007-11-24T09:29:00.000-08:00

For those of you technically <(^.^<) inclined, here is a generic method of downloading Youtube videos.
As an after note, you will have to rename the file with an .flv extension.
If you have any further questions about the steps involved (I had to play around before I figured out exactly what the instructions meant), then just email me at tmatthurley@gmail.com.

Always watching...

2007-11-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

A Few Fitting Words

2007-11-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few well-put phrases, for your viewing pleasure.

“As for IE7, well, suffice it to say that if this were 2002, IE7 would be an adequate browser. However, the last time I looked at a calendar it was in fact 2007.”- AKAJohnDoe

Lol, what a burn on Microsoft!

“A wise person once said, ‘Slow and steady wins the race.’ And then I passed him.”- P. Baird

Joke's on him, eh?

“If pro is the opposite of con, than what is the opposite of progress?”- Mr. Boyd

Hmmmmmm =^)

“A fool and his money are soon partying.”- Anonymous

It's true!

“Do unto others before they do unto you.”- Anonymous

Sound advice...

“Frodo has been last seen on the run from elven rocket luancher”- Xyrom

What?