Musings of a Mentor

New Quarter

2008-08-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

Well, the Summer Quarter has been over a month now and it is time to get the Fall Quarter off to a good start. I am excited to be working with so many Seniors this year. It will be a year of amazing growth and transition.

We will be covering the Sciences this year. The basic schedule will be:
8:45-10:00 Math-- Most are in Alg II and Calculus
10:00-11:30 Physical Science or Anatomy and Physiology
11:30-12:30 Lunch Break
12:30-1:30 Literature (mostly Science Fiction or history of science)
1:30-3:00 Biology or Chemistry
3:00-4:00 open study and tutoring in personal study areas

There will still be plenty of time in the schedule for students to spend time on their passions, like Photography, Film, Music, Creative Writing, and Art.

Graduation

2008-05-26T05:40:00.001-07:00

As most people know, I’m not at my very best in giving speeches, but my graduation means a great deal to me. The Ross Griffin Resource Center has been such an important part of my life, and this graduation is something that’s both exciting and sad. Exciting because of the future that lies beyond, and sad because this program and everyone in it has meant so much to me. It’s like I’m leaving a family that I have grown to care for and cherish.

When I look back at my life I wonder what it would be like if I had never found The Ross Griffin Resource Center. If I had not started going to school at the center, I would have never met half the people I know. I would have never come to this church or even to All Saints.

I have learned so many things from the center. I have learned not only how to be a better student, but also a better person. I learned how to control my anger better. Ms Barb made me learn that even though I did not want to. I was so stubborn, I still am, just not as much. Ms Barb was patient but determined, and taught me so much but I will always remember the battles we had over math. I realize now that even when I thought that I was not learning anything or it was too hard, I was learning more then I could ever know. I would not be as much of a writer as I am now if not for Mr. Dirk and everyone else.

I know I still have much to learn, and maybe that’s the most important thing we can ever really learn: that there is always more to know. The fact I’m giving this speech now is proof of how far I’ve come. Not just because I’m graduating, but because six years ago when I started, I would never have imagined myself being able to talk like this in front of everyone.

The school and my friends have not just helped guide my education, but my self confidence and desire to learn more. I can’t think of any better thing that someone can teach you other than that. I am not as afraid of getting up in front of people and reading my work anymore. Ms Sandie has helped me out so much with every so many things, not just as an instructor, but also as a friend and mentor. She helped me with my school assignments, to communicate and understand my mother’s perspective and views outside of my own.

Everyone here takes such pride in so many odd things, like all of the cooking and recipes and the team building it nurtured. But the one thing they haven’t realized is that we were never really just cooking or making something for lunch. We were the real ingredients in the school’s recipe, and what we were preparing wasn’t something to eat, but our own futures. I hope I live up to everyone’s faith and confidence in me, and I’ll always cherish my friends and instructors.

Literature today

2008-05-14T06:27:00.001-07:00

Asia is working on a final essay for the play Our Town.

Cody, Gabe and Austin are working on an original play written in the style of Our Town.

Sue and her group (Kelsea, Charles and Emily) are reading about the Titanic in a Dear America Novel.

Travis and Brandon (minus Nathan) are listening to My Suffering in Africa on CD, with Mr. Dirk.

A few Huck Finn final essays

2008-05-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

By: Mark Twain

Essay By: Nathan O.

While listening to this book “The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn”, the theme that caught my attention the most was the theme of greed never being a good thing. In other words, greed definitely changes you as a person. There were many different people in this book that changed negatively when money was involved.

The two main characters that showed a change in behavior, when money was involved was the Duke and the Dauphin. These two men let fiend for money run their lives. I have personally experienced just how greedy people can become with money.

One example, of this theme in the book is when the Duke and Dauphin try stealing $6000, but were not able to walk away with a penny because they got too greedy. However Huck hid the money in a coffin so that the Duke and Dauphin got caught and ended up with less than what they started off with.

An example in my life, when I was greedy with money was when I started to neglect my homework because I was so concerned with making money, the quickest way i knew how. Money was controlling my life in a very negative way. I was going downhill just as quick as I was making that “fast cash”.

This book taught me to never let money control me or my actions. I have made a positive change in my life over the past 6 months and I would never go back to the lifestyle I had, before, just to make a quick buck. Money is good; but freedom from it is better.

Huckleberry Finn

Essay By: Asia

While reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn I recognized Jim more as a father figure than Huck's own father or any other man in the book. Yes, Jim was a black slave that Huck at first, did not understand or even recognize as a person; grew to have deep sympathy and respect for.

Although other men were present in Huck's life during the whole book none of them were “father figures”, in my opinion, except Jim. Look at it this way the Duke and the Dauphin were both liars, thieves, and cons; Mr. Williams was a racist who thought that it was a just thing to kill a runaway slave or any slave for that matter; and not to mention Huck's real father who was a good for nothing drunk! So, in my opinion, Jim was the best candidate even though he happened to be a black slave.

There are many reasons in the book I could use to defend the statement of Jim being Huck's “true father”. But I think the main reason is because Jim taught Huck things about himself and life that no other male in this book could. For example: one night Jim woke up crying because he could not stop thinking about his daughter. Years before this night, Jim had beaten his daughter because she would not do something he had asked, come to find out she was deaf. He explained to Huck what he was feeling and how much he regretted doing that to his little girl; especially since he might not ever see her again. From this Jim taught Huck the most important thing I think anyone can know; all people feel emotion; all people, no matter what race, age, or sex can all love.

I was glad to see that Huck grew as a person in more ways than one. He grew physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I truly believe that Jim helped Huck mature in these areas. I mean isn't that what a “true father” does? They help you through your ups and downs and give you lots of love and care. Well, thats exactly what Jim did. He taught and cared for Huck the best way he knew how and it looks like it made Huck a better person in the end.

Asia still working in PS

2008-03-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Asia learning PS

2008-03-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

Projects with Southern Roots

2008-02-29T15:24:00.001-08:00

Thomas did a model of a Civil War battle.

Austin did an Alligator (with a jet pack?).
Gabe wrote a Blues song, and Dirk helped out.

Travis did a model of Pres. Lincoln.
Cody did a Lincoln inspired model and presentation.
Brandon drew a cannon.
Matt made a working gallows.
Asia gathered old family reciepes into a cookbook, since her grandmother is not only from the Deep South, but also a caterer.

Family Tree Projects!

2008-02-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

Checkerboard cake

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

Cream Puffs with Boiled Custard

2008-01-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Brandon choose to make Cream Puffs with Boiled Custard, a very southern treat.
Cream Puffs

½ cup butter
1 cup boiling water
1 cup sifted all purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
4 eggs

Melt butter in boiling water. Add flour and salt all at one time. Stir. Cook until mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Drop from a spoon on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes in preheated 425 degree oven. Let cool. Cut off tops and fill with custard or desired filling.

Boiled Custard

1 cup sugar
1 heaping tbsp. Adluh flour
3 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 can water
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar and flour. Stir in eggs and beat well. Add milk and water. Stir. Cook in double boiler, stirring constantly. Custard is done when it coats spoon. Do not overcook. Add vanilla.

Brandon's custard never got quite as thick as he wanted, but it the still tasted GREAT!
Gabe was being goofy, but said they tasted like fancy french toast.

Shrimp Bake (Southern Cooking)

2008-01-24T13:49:00.001-08:00

To further our study of the South, Kelsea decided to make this Shimp Bake Recipe from South Carolina.

First Kelsea chopped all the veggies and added them to a bowl with the rest of the list.

1 1/2 lbs. cooked shrimp
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup rice, cooked
1 large can sliced mushrooms & juice
1 Tbs. Worcestershire suace
1 can Campbell's Tomato soup (as is)
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Save 1/3 of cheese to sprinkle on top.
Bake in casserole dish in pre-heated 325 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Then we tasted it and decided it was very good. The flavors worked well together.

Johnny Tremain Essays

2007-12-12T16:27:00.000-08:00

Johnny Tremain

Author: Esther Forbes

Essay by Nathan

In the book Johnny Tremain, he is the main character and he was a very skilled silversmith apprentice who lived with the owner of a silversmith shop, and his wife. There were two daughters and two other apprentices. In the book, Mr. Lapham, the owner, was not a very political person. He never spoke about politics, therefore, Johnny and the other boys did not know what was going on with the Englishmen.

Well one day Johnny was making a sugar basing for John Hancock. Mrs. Lapham and Dove, one of the other apprentices, were also in the shop. Dove, is older and really does not like Johnny at all. While Johnny was working, Dove was standing there watching and handing tools to him. Well, Dove thought it would be funny to hand Johnny a broken crucible (which is a mold) to make him mess up so that Mr. Lapham would be mad. But when Dove handed the mold to Johnny, he dropped it. And, Johnny’s hand fell into the fire and he burnt it real bad. Mrs. Lapham thought that they should wrap it up, but when she did she stuck the thumb on the inside. Johnny’s thumb became fused into the palm of his hand.

After Johnny’s hand was messed up, Mrs. Lapham felt that he should not be an apprentice anymore because he was not bringing in money anymore. So he went out looking for a job but because of his hand everyone turned him down. Then, one day Johnny was walking back to his place and saw this light on and the sign had something to do with printing papers. Well, he went in and the guy in there talked to him and did not say anything about his hand and really did not care at all. Johnny got a job delivering papers. What I am saying is that the guy he met was really into politics and wanted to fight in the war coming up, well Johnny did not know and so he got real deep with the politics and learned how evil the English are and what they were doing.

So if Johnny did not get hurt then I don't think that he would have met Rab (guy in the shop) and he would have never wanted to get into the politics and learn about it or anything. I think that if he did not get hurt, he would still be at the silversmith place under shelter not knowing what is going on, but since he got hurt and learned everything about the king and what he really is doing. I felt that is why he wanted to get his hand fixed and fight in the war. Johnny finally stood up for something that he believed in.

Essay by Gabe

Johnny has a lot of different elements implemented into his story. His burnt hand is a major symbol of the story and I can tell you that the story would have been very different he had the blemish. Even though his hand was useless it still had a lot of significance in the story. At first it changed how Johnny saw the world and how he acted toward it. Johnny had to not only cope with the pain of loosing his apprenticeship to a total loser; he lost a lot of opportunities. While you felt sorry for Johnny you kinda saw how he also deserved it, but you also saw how it also became part of Johnny in making him humble towards others. Whilst he truly never got over the hand until a little more trauma beheld the good sir, the hand seemed like a leash on his attitude towards others. I believe that Johnny wouldn't have met certain people, including Rab, The Lytes, and Pumpkin, and Johnny probably would have been oblivious too much of the war and he wouldn't be associated with the sons of liberty.

There are a few Quotes that would have totally changed if he didn't burn his hand.

“Get into your clothes, you lazy boy. Stop by at Deacon Parson's for a quarter of milk. Get to a pump.”

This was the start of Johnny's turmoil. As you can tell Johnny's getting yelled at by Mrs. Lapham, which never happened, because Johnny wasn't making money anymore. Now that he seems to be useless, she puts Dove above him, even though Dove is a jerk and does not deserve it.

The second quote made Johnny feel better toward his hand, and wouldn't have met Rab. “That’s quite a recent burn' it was the first intelligent remark about his hand any, man, woman, or child had made about Johnny's hand in any shop he had been in.” First off, he would not have met Rab, because he wouldn't be looking for a new job in the first place. I mean maybe he would have met Rab, but still he might not have become a friend with him. If this happened without his hand burnt, Johnny would have acted out a bit more rudely towards Rab.

Last is a quote from the Lytes. Whilst their were many a part that happened, but I believe that the beginning was the most important. When he first met the Lytes. “Come my boy, and let’s see this cup.” This was when Johnny came back with his cup and they kicked him out. I believe that he would not need to have gone to the Lytes at all if he was still an apprentice, and even if he did he would have been more obtrusive if he was without his burnt hand.

I believe that many things wouldn't have happened if Johnny had not burnt his hand, and I also believe that it would have been a very bland story. I mean you could say that that the hand was a mark of his sins. But I think it was more of a good blessing.

Essay By Cody

Contrast James Otis’ rousing speech about the need for revolution with Samuel Adams’ attitude toward rebellion. Which do you think Johnny finds more appealing, and why?

After both Samuel Adams and James Otis spoke their mind about the war and such, it was clear who Johnny favored. Otis’ speech talked more about the people, even the British. That they, and anyone else for that matter, should be allowed to stand up and live their lives. Johnny would go on to remember a quote from Otis for the rest of the book, perhaps even the rest of his life.

“A man can stand up…” Page 322, Paragraph 6

This line would be ever present throughout the rest of the story, being not only the name of the last chapter, but also the last line in the book. It could quite possibly be the most important line in the entire novel, being that it details why the war had to be fought. This line is not only speaking of people in America, but humans in general. That a man should never be kept down by another man, which is exactly what England was doing. This quote, in terms of Sam Adams, I believe, reflects his ideas as well, just not in the same respect. Adams’ mind is mostly focused on him and his fellow patriots escaping the clutches of evil that is England, which, even if it is a little bigoted and less powerful an idea than Otis’, still relates to the basic idea of the quote. Johnny, on the other hand, I believe, wants any man to be able to stand up and live in peace, regardless of said man’s origins, be he British or American.

Otis’ powerful words moved much more people other than Johnny, majorly everyone present was deeply affected. Paul Revere, for instance, was nearly speechless for a moment.

“Paul Revere, like his friend, Joseph Warren, was still slightly under the spell of James Otis. ‘I had not thought about it that way before,’ he said not answering Sam Adams’s words. “You know my father had to fly France because of the tyranny over there. He was only a child. But now, in a way, I’m fighting for that child…that no frightened lost child ever is sent out to a refugee from his own country because of race or religion.’ Then he pulled himself together and answered Sam Adams’s remarks about the spy system.” Page 228, Paragraph 8

Revere’s words really describe what Otis was talking about. How they are fighting for the unfairness of say, the child who had to fly away from his home. The men that would give their lives in the war, it was all to give life to others, so future generations wouldn’t have to live under such tyranny.

Not only Americans, but the British as well, the Americans were fighting for both. A fine example of this was a section near the end of the book, where, yet again, Johnny is reminded of Otis’ words.

“The first two boats were filled with privates. They had been packed in, and now were being tossed ashore, like so much cordwood. Most of them were pathetically good and patient, but he saw an officer strike a man who was screaming.

Johnny’s hands clenched. ‘It was just as James Otis said,’ he thought, ‘We are fighting, partly, for just that. Because a man is a private is no reason he should be treated like cordwood.” Page 302, Paragraph 3

This is what Otis is fighting for, revolution. While Adams is more concerned with rebellion and getting revenge on the British. Johnny probably thought more like Adams before Otis’ speech, but not anymore. He, like Adams, fights for rebellion, but even more so, he fights for revolution.

By Austin

In the book Johnny Tremain, the British soldiers had different opinions on going to America to baby-sit the Yankees. After the Boston Tea Party, the British were commanded to go to America until the Fiddler’s Bill was paid. Of course it wasn’t. “For it had been voted in far-off London that the port of Boston should be closed…not one ship might enter, not one ship might leave, the port, except only His Majesty’s warships and transports, until the tea was paid for. Boston was to be starved into submission.” (Page 163) Most of the soldiers who were shipped over to American soil expected their stay to be a long one.

Most of the soldiers wanted to run away and live the life of a Yankee but couldn’t do so without being found out and shot. One of the British soldiers named Pumpkin said, “Lots of the British regulars are Whigs, you know. Lots of ‘em just like in England, are on your side. That’s why there has been so much deserting. It’s just about getting our officers crazy.” (page 245) Many didn’t hate them Yankee’s guts, but others became almost friends with them like Johnny’s “friendship” with Lieutenant Stranger and Pumpkin. When it came to horsemanship, Stranger and Johnny were like buddies, but when it came to war they were enemies.

A lot of the cocky British soldiers got a nice slap in the face when they realized how many Whigs there were that were willing to fight. Some died, some lived but had intense injuries and such as they returned on boats tattered into shreds. They had indeed “danced to Yankee Doodle” as the people had said. “Four more boats were coming in. Johnny dared move out onto the wharf, but he still kept well in shadow. More wounded. Could these be the very men who had started out so confidently? Bedraggled, dirty, torn uniforms, torn flesh, lost equipment. Faces ghastly with fatigue and pain. Some were twisting and crying out. The first two boats were filled with privates. They had been packed in, and were now being tossed ashore, like so much cord-wood. Most were pathetically good and patient, but he saw an officer strike a man who was screaming.” (page 302) It was complete and utter chaos. The British who thought so lightly of their Yankee foes now realized that what was to happen was no joke.

Most of them wanted what they were really fighting against. There was no farmland in England for the average man to own. America was like freedom, like an invigorating walk in the park after being cramped in a cubicle for three and a half years with nothing to eat but celery and Quaker rice snacks. Not only did some of them not want to fight, lots of them died for a cause that they ruled unjust.

By Asia

When reading Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, I noticed how a close bond between two sisters was broken due to a change of setting. When these two sisters, Cilla and Isannah, were sent to live with the Lytes’ family everything took a turn for the worst. Not only did they grow apart as sisters but as friends as well.

While living with their family, the Lapham’s, the two girls were closer than ever. “Cilla loved Isannah. She was proud when people stopped her on the street and said, is that little angel your sister?”

Cilla and Isannah spent almost every part of their day doing things together, starting with Isannah’s hair. “Cilla was sitting on the edge of one of the unmade beds, brushing Isannah’s hair. Cilla always managed to keep her sister in hair ribbons.”

In the Lytes’ household, Cilla was treated like a slave while Isannah was treated like a pampered pet.

“Miss Lavinia is going like the Black Queen of Spades and her special admirers are going as kings or kna ts or jokers out of the pack.”

“Isannah is going too?”

“where Miss goes these days that child goes too.”

Cilla had never called Isannah “that child” until that day. Moving in with the Lytes’ was definitely not the best thing of the sisters’ relationship. The main reasonthey became so distant was because Miss Lavinia Lyte was now Cilla’s new “master.”

“Cilla, fetch…”

“Cilla evidently knew what would be wanted. She came running with smelling salts, but she got it too close to her mistress’s nose. Miss Lavinia was gagging.”

“Oh, you stupid girl! You’ve half-killed me! There away with you!”

Towards the end of the book, the girls ended up being separated completely because Isannah found material more important than the love of her sister.

“Isannah is going with me, she said at last. Your mother, Cilla, has too many kittens (referring to children).”

“Miss Lavinia, said Cilla, you can’t do that.”

“A little diffidently Isannah herself emerged from behind the lady’s great dark skirt.”

“Isannah, Cilla said gently you can’t go off and leave me like this. It’s no matter what Mother says. Look, dear, if you go to London, maybe you will never come back. Isannah…don’t go away…from me.”

“She shall be free to choose between the two of us, said Miss Livinia. Which do you love most, Cilla or me?”

“I don’t know, she sobbed.”

“Which would you rather be, a common person like your sister, or a fine lady?”

“Fine lady, she sniffled, and went on dreamily, and I’ll have a gray pony and a pony cart?”

“Yes, dear, you will.”

At that point, Cilla broke down. She loved her sister dearly. She may not have liked the way that her sister had been acting lately, but she still loved her.

The relationship between Cilla and Isannah touched me the most because I have a sister whom I never get to see. She was also given the choice of living with my mom, dad, and I or living with her mother, she chose her mother due to materialistic bribes. I strongly sympathize with Cilla because I felt her pain as I was reading the chapters that the two of them were involved in. Just like Cilla didn’t let Isannah’s attitude affect her, I also haven’t let my sister’s attitude affect me. I love her, regardless.

By Travis Wonder

What would of happened if Johnny never met Pumpkin. Well I think that a lot of stuff would have not happened, like when Johnny was delivering newpapers and the British stopped him for spreading lies in the newspaper. Pumpkin was there and if it would have not been for him, he would have been a captured prisoner of the British because Pumpkin told him to hit Goblin which is his horse, with his boot spurs, (Their eyes met, Pumpkin didn’t say the word, only formed it with his lips. Chapter 9, line 19) which sent him into a violent state. Went mad and ran everywhere which, got Johnny away from the British.

Another example is Rab might not of gone to war because the only reason he went is because he had a good weapon which he got from Pumpkin. He tried to get one before from some black market guy who was illegally smuggling guns and they got caught doing it. Rab went to jail and they told him to get a pop gun insinuating he was too young. (Colonel said to Rab, “get yourself a pop gun boy.”). Ant that’s when Johnny was talking to Pumpkin about how Pumpkin didn’t want to be a soldier anymore but rather be a farmer. That’s when Johnny gave Pumpkin some farm clothes and in return, Pumpkin gave him his uniform and musket (And Pumpkin had left behind him his musket.). With no Pumpkin, that would have not happened and Rab would probably still be alive. There is also the uniform that Johnny sneaked on the boat with if it wasn’t for pumpkin he wouldn’t have been able to sneak on because it was a British boat and he was not British.

I recommend this story to a little bit fo an older audience, maybe 15-25. It was a great story kind of boring at times, but good. I kind of disagreed with how the author killed Rab though she should have let him live.

Asia's Volleyball game

2007-12-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

Handmade Baskets

2007-12-06T19:23:00.001-08:00

These baskets were donated by Athena's Godmother, Jenny Elzy, for our students to fill and raffle. The money raised is for a trip to Boston or Philly this Spring.

Mentoring

2007-12-04T12:44:00.001-08:00

It is especially helpful for older students who are struggling to mentor or tutor younger students. This gives both students a sense of pride and accomplishment. The Timeline assignments can easily be tailored to challenge, without frustrating, students working at many different levels. Working on timelines also help students connect the events and people they are reading and writing about.

Jumbles

2007-12-04T12:33:00.001-08:00

Charles and Kelsea used the Revolutionary Recipes book to make these Jumbles.

Cream
1 cup butter with 1 cup sugar

then add
1 beaten egg
1 TBS Milk
1 TBS brandy or Rose water
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon

raisins or nuts on top optional

Mix thoroughly. Drop on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place a raisin or nut in the center, bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. They taste great and are easy to make!

Colonial Menu

2007-11-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

All the kids randomly drew recipes from the book Revolutionary Recipes, Colonial Food, Lore and More by Patricia B.Mitchell.

The menu for our meal:
Buckwheat Cakes (we ended up putting the Brown Betty over these)
Hannah Glasse's Onion Soup
Oyster Stew
Crab (we used Salmon) Cakes
Baked Ham
Martha Washington's Fricassee over egg noodles
George Washington's Pot Pie
Sally Lunn Bread
Marblehead Pudding
Amelia Simmon's Molasses Gingerbread with "Melted Snow" (sweet yogurt) topping
Lemon Cheesecake
Apple Brown Betty
Wassail

I think most of them were suprised by how similar these foods are to their favorite comfort foods. The ginger bread and marblehead pudding were the strongest flavors because they were not used to molasses, over all the meal was a huge success.

Chicken Pot Pie

2007-11-17T15:32:00.000-08:00

4 cups chopped chicken
2 full cups cooked veggies (your favorite mix)
2 cups creamy chicken gravy

Mix these together and put in the bottom of the casserole dish.

1 cup self-rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter

Mix this together and pour on top of the chicken mixture.

Bake at 425 for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden.

This was supposed to be George Washington's favorite food. The kids really liked it too!

Martha Washington's Fricassee

2007-11-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

1 cut up chicken, no bones
1 tsp mace
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb butter
3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp each of fresh: parsley, majoram, basil, thyme and tarragon
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup chicken gravy
1 tbspoon vinegar
1/4 of a lemon, miniced

Season the chicken with the spices and fry it in the butter.
Remove chicken, pour off all but a tbspoon of the butter.
Add herbs, wine, egg yolks to the butter stirring gently, but constantly, then add broth and gravy stir until mixture thickens.

Add back the chicken, vinegar, and lemon and cook til the chicken is warm. Serve over noodles or rice.

Lemon Cheesecake

2007-11-17T15:11:00.000-08:00

1/2 lb of butter
1 lb of sugar
12 eggs
5 spoonfuls of very heavy cream
2 whole large lemons (juice, pulp and zest)

Mix it all together put into a pastry shell (we used a frozen one). Bake at 500 degrees for 15 minutes then at 200 degrees for at least 1 hour.

Sorry no finished picture, this one went FAST.

Marblehead Pudding

2007-11-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

Mix 1 cup molasses with 1 tsp of baking soda. Then add 2 and 1/2 cups of flour and a pinch of salt. Then add 1/2 cup water and 3 tart apples that have been finely chopped. Put in steamer and steam for 2 hours.

Apple Brown Betty

2007-11-17T14:56:00.001-08:00

Read through entire recipe!
Slice three cups of apples.
Cut and crumble 2 cups soft bread.
Brown bread in 1/4 cup of butter.
Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar and a few dashes of assorted spices in with the apples.
Add apple-sugar mix to bread, mixing well.
Add 3/4 cup water, cover and bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, until apples are tender.
Serve warm.

Trip to Frankfort

2007-11-15T08:05:00.001-08:00

More Projects

2007-11-13T06:02:00.001-08:00

Cody's Viking Movie

Travis' Viking Sculpture

Matt's Jefferson Memorial

Gabe Finishing His Original Musical Composition

Play Testing Asia's History Game (loosely based on Clue)

Contest

2007-11-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

There is a pretty cool contest going on here.

Brian is launching a new online bookstore. I hope you all give him a look see. Discounts and books to be won.

Air Pressure Experiment

2007-11-08T08:51:00.000-08:00

Experiment by Brandon
Photo essay by Austin

Color the water to make it easier to see.
Put a candle in the water.
Light the candle.
Cover with a tall glass or jar.
Record observations.

If you did it right, the water rises inside the jar, because the candle burned up all the oxygen and the pressure had to equalize by drawing in the water.

Ongoing Projects...

2007-10-30T07:22:00.001-07:00

Emily is working a different puzzle each day with the goal of being able to complete a 100 piece puzzle in less than 30 minutes by the end of three weeks.

Gabriel is composing a musical score for the screenplay Cody is writing.

Josh is drawing three sets of President and First Lady portraits.

Sue is finding out about how the local government mirrors the federal government, then figuring out how to present that information.

Austin is building a detailed diaroma of a Native American Village.

Earl is creating a painting of the Capitol Building. Here is is working on enlarging and getting his spacing right.

Fieldtrip to Derby Dinner

2007-10-27T11:28:00.001-07:00

A sinister con man, Roat, and two ex-convicts, Mike and Carlino, are about to meet their match. They have traced the location of a mysterious doll, which they are much interested in, to the Greenwich Village apartment of Sam Hendrix and his blind wife, Susy. Sam had apparently been persuaded by a strange woman to transport the doll across the Canadian border, not knowing that sewn inside were several grams of heroin. When the woman is murdered the situation becomes more urgent. The con man and his ex-convicts, through a cleverly constructed deception, convince Susy that the police have implicated Sam in the woman's murder, and the doll, which she believes is the key to his innocence, is evidence. She refuses to reveal its location, and with the help of a young neighbor, figures out she is the victim of a bizarre charade. But when Roat kills his associates, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues between the two. Susy knows the only way to play fair is by her rules, so when darkness falls she turns off all the lights leaving both of them to maneuver in the dark until the game ends. (from the back of the playbook)

We doen't have a group picture because it was raining to hard to get one outside the theatre. Eight of us went to Derby Dinner to enjoy this 'crime drama.' Asia and Emily thought it was the best play we have ever seen at Derby Dinner. The guys thought it was pretty good, much better than they expected. It is a different kind of mystry because the audience knows most of the 'who done it' details right up front. The suspense comes in to play because you want the main character, a blind woman, to figure out she is in grave danger before it is too late. As a viewer you start to put yourself in her shoes, what you do if you were blind and in a tough spot. The lady is smart, and with the help of a child she thought she didn't like, she stays safe and defeats those who hurt her. It was a great example of how not to let handicaps change how you live your life.

Sweet Potato Rum Cake

2007-10-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

This cake is so soft and moist, it is almost and English pudding.

For the batter:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups steamed sweet potato meat (about 2 sweet potatoes)
3 eggs
3/4 cup warm water
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon spiced rum
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup toasted walnuts, crushed

For the glaze:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 to 3 tablespoons spiced rum
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Special equipment: bundt pan

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 10-cup bundt pan.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set the mixture aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, mash the sweet potato, leaving only a slight meaty texture. Whisk together the sweet potato and the eggs. Whisk in the warm water, then the sugar, then the oil followed by the vanilla extract and rum. Stir in the dry ingredients until homogenous then fold in raisins and walnuts. Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes and invert onto a serving platter or cake stand.

Meanwhile, make the glaze:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan with the rum. Pull from the heat and whisk in the confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Slice and serve.

Louisville Orchestra and Molly Malone's Field Trip

2007-10-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, there will be student reviews of this concert posted here in the next day or two. Everyone enjoyed it quite a bit.

Any excuse to dress up :)
What do you do while 'waiting for Mr Dirk'?
More waiting!
And even more waiting.....
Ordering at Molly Malone's...
Waiting for food.....
Mixed reviews on lunch, four hated their food, four thought it was ok, and four thought is was wonderful. It seemed to depend on what you ordered too. It didn't help that we got a very grumpy waitress.

Falls of the Ohio trip Part V

2007-10-13T19:18:00.001-07:00

Falls of the Ohio Trip Part IV

2007-10-11T13:26:00.001-07:00

Falls of the Ohio Trip Part II

2007-10-11T13:22:00.001-07:00

Everyone had fun playing on the Jungle Gym.

Falls of the Ohio Trip Part I

2007-10-11T13:14:00.001-07:00

It started with lunch on the river. The day was beautiful, but finally a little nippy.
Everyone was so hungry that they didn't even sit to eat, they just stood around the table and dove into the wonderful food!
As it got a bit warmer, they decided to dance int he parking lot.
The view was amazing, the sky was beautiful, the sun was out and there was a breeze off the river.

Pumpkin pies!

2007-10-10T17:57:00.001-07:00

Choose a good baking pumkin or two (not one of these pretty gourds).
Cut it and scoop out all the seeds and strings.
Bake the pumpkins at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (or until soft)
While pumpkins are baking, feed seeds and strings to chickens and goats.
Scoop out the soft pumpkin meat and mix with sugar (about 1/2 cup for every cup of pumpkin), spices, condensed sweetened milk, and a couple eggs. Use stick blender or food processor to make the mess smooth.
Use a pre-made crust and a cookie cutter to put little crusts into a muffin tin. Fill half way to three-quarters of the way with pumpkin filling. Then bake at 450 for 25 minutes. Let cool til firm. They will burn your tongue if you skip this important step!
Clean-up while the pies are in the oven.
Then enjoy!

If you would rather have a big pie:
Follow all the same steps until baking, then bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then drop the temperature to 325 for 40-45 minutes more.

Charles' Apple Pie

2007-10-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

Charles' Apple Pie

2 Red Delicious and 3 Granny Smith
1/4 C Walnuts
1/4 C Raisins
1/2 Stick of Butter
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1 TB Lemon Juice
1/2 t Mace
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/2 t Cloves
1/2 t Ginger

Slice the apples and toss them in the lemon juice. Then add the spices to the apples. Add the nuts and raisins to the apples, mix well. Then add the sugar and put mixture in a pie crust. Slice butter and stick it in and on top of the apples. Put a top crust on, brush on some cream, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let pie cool for a couple hours or even sit over night for best flavor.

Sing Hallelujah!

2007-09-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

This new gospel musical comedy was written by Jim Hesselman and Bob Payne. SING HALLELUJAH! takes place in Johnsontown, North Carolina and features such songs as "Do Lord", "Onward Christian Soldiers", "Down By The Riverside", "Swing Down Chariot", and "Amazing Grace." As a group we agreed on a few things and disagreed on a few things about this musical. First we agreed that the acting was horrible. We also agreed that the music and the voices were amazing. We disagreed about the strength of the storyline. Some found it easy to relate to and quite funny, while others found it predictable and over-exaggerated.
Historically speaking, Gospel as a form of music is purely American. It has its roots in Classical as well as African Folk Music, but Gospel reaches more people than just about any form of music. The group was suprised at how many of the songs they knew or had heard before. The group ranged from those who attend church regularly to those who have never set foot in a church or worship service of any kind, yet everyone had heard at least 2-3 of the songs before. These songs are part of our common culture as Americans.
When asked to sum up the theme of the play in one sentence it was interesting to hear the different ideas. "Don't judge a book by its cover." "Communities, like families, can build on common ground." "Everyone needs Grace and forgiveness." And "You need friends even when you don't want to admit it." Each person in the group got something a little different from the play.
The main characters all seemed to have Biblical counterparts. The main lady, Victoria was overly judgemental and constantly on the look out for sin just like the Pharisees. One man and one woman, represented the 'rabble' that Jesus spent so much time with. And the young Reverand was the 'Christ-like' character. He always spoke the truth, he went looking for the lost, and he helped people find Grace.
Overall, it was decided that the play was worth seeing. Everyone enjoyed themselves and learned quite a bit. We will all be look forward to the next one!

Cooking and Math

2007-09-21T19:20:00.001-07:00

This is what the apples looked like after the lesson on improper fractions. We started with the fraction 4/1 and ended up with 64/16. We had lots of fun and many fractions inbetween.
Then we had fun smelling the different spices. The directions were to add 1/4 tsp. of the spices you don't like the smell of and 1/2 tsp. of the spices you do like the smell of. Spices on the table: salt, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, allspice, mace, cloves, and nutmeg. "Guessing the spice" was also a lot of fun.
Add to the apples, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup almond/walnut mix.
The pie was baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, the crust had been cooked for about 10 minutes before the apples were added. There is no finished picture because it was eaten before the camera could be found again! The pie was declared 'the best apple pie ever' by everyone who tasted it.

Separating Molecules into Atoms

2007-09-21T19:04:00.001-07:00

This experiment uses electricity and baking soda to separate water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Once separated the oxygen rebonds with the copper and the water to create a new molecule, commonly refered to as Patina.

Schimpff's Confectionery Field Trip

2007-09-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Photo Essay by: Asia Lorraine Hamilton

This factory was established in April 11,1891. They are still making candy the exact same way that they did back in the day.

First, the candy is boiled to the hard ball stage, in a copper kettle.
Then the candy is poured onto a cooling table. A cooling table is a table that has pipes under it, in which very cold water flows, to cool the candy.
The candy master pulls the candy away from the edges after two minutes have passed.
Next, the candy master begins to fold the candy to mix in the flavors. In this case the flavor was butter-rum.
As the candy cools it gets harder.
Candy must be pulled, adding air, to make it the right texture.
Large batches, in this case twenty-five pounds, are put in a warming machine and cut into smaller sections.
These smaller sections are now placed on a brass cutting wheel.
After over 5,000 fishies are dispatched from the cutter and given a few minutes to dry, they are then lightly dropped on the table.
This breaks them into individual "Christmas" fish. These specific candy fish are call "Christmas" fish because they are only sold during winter months and because the fish is a Christian symbol.

Late afternoon of the first day back!

2007-09-07T20:07:00.001-07:00

Everyone, except Asia, decided to do a Viking inspired art piece.

Shepherd's Pie (Asia and Sue)

2007-07-29T11:01:00.001-07:00

After browning the meat (half lamb-half hamburger) .....
Add it to the vegetables and rue mix, add the beef stock....
Put that mix in the bottom of a cassrole dish. Then make the mashed potato-parsnip mix.
Put the potatoes and parsnips on top of the meat and veggie mix. Bake until golden on top, about 30 minutes at 350 F.
It should have a nice crunch on top when you serve it.

1 lb beef / lamb
5 oz chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter or oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 cup stock
1 teaspoon flour or cornstarch
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
thyme, salt, pepper, curry, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger
2 lb potatoes and parsnips
1 cup milk (about)
3 oz butter
1 tablespoon grated dry cheddar(optional)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan(optional)

Cook onion in the fat until soft. Add the meat and garlic, stirring well; then raise the heat so that the meat browns. Pour off any surplus fat.

Add some of the liquid and bubble gently for 5 minutes. Sprinkle on flour or cornstarch, stir again and add the remaining liquid.

Let it bubble to a rich sauce, adding the various flavorings to taste.

Meanwhile peel, scrub, and boil the potatoes and parsnips.

Mash (leaving lots of chunks) with the milk and butter, seasoning to taste. Put the meat into a shallow dish.

Spread the mashed potato on top. Scatter the cheese over(if desired), and brown under the broiler at a moderate heat, or at the top of a hot oven.

Tastes of Italy

2007-07-29T10:46:00.001-07:00

Asia made lasagna and garlic cheese bread.

INGREDIENTS

16 ounces uncooked noodles
1 (26 ounce) can spaghetti sauce
1 pound hamburger
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Blend tomato sauce and hamburger together. Spoon a little of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place a layer of cooked noodles over the sauce, and sprinkle a portion of the mozzarella, the cheddar and the parmesan over the noodles. Repeat layering of sauce, noodles and cheese; finish with a cheese layer.
Bake in preheated oven 30 to 45 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden.

Sue made lentils.

INGREDIENTS

2	tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1	carrot, finely chopped
2	celery ribs, finely chopped
1	white onion, finely chopped
1	leek, finely chopped
12	ounces brown lentils, soaked overnight
1	rosemary sprig
1	sprig fresh sage
2	fresh bay leaves
1 1/2	pints vegetable stock
2	teaspoons red wine vinegar
6	tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
	salt & freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped vegetables, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes until translucent.
Drain the lentils and add to the vegetables. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring.
Tie the herbs together with string to make a bouquet garni. Add to the pan along with the vegetable stock.
Bring the soup to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer over a medium heat for 1 hour, until the lentils are very soft, skimming away any impurities which rise to the top.
Discard the bouquet garni and set aside 4 spoonfuls of lentils as garnish.
Purée the soup in a food processor or blender, then push through a fine sieve. Pour it back into the pan, add the vinegar and season to taste. Bring back to the boil.
In a separate pan, gently warm the reserved lentils. Stir in the parsley, then spoon the mixture into the centre of individual soup plates.
Pour the soup round the edge and drizzle with olive oil.

Growing the Resource Center

2007-07-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a blog lately called How to Change the World, A Practical blog for impractical people, by Guy Kawasaki. He just posted this summary he wrote about the book by Lois Kelly. I used his examples as a writing exercise because so far word of mouth is the only advertising we have used for our business. I am looking into others, but this was a great exercise for me.

“Lois Kelly is the author of Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing. This is her explanation of the top nine types of stories that people like to talk about. If you’re pitching your company to investors, customers, partners, journalists, vendors, or employees and you don’t use at least one of these types of stories, you probably have a problem.”

Aspirations and beliefs. We believe all young people are capable of reaching their goals. We aspirer to create an environment that encourages dreams and passions to grow. We believe that all people are part of a global community. We aspire to teach students and parents ways to enrich and care for that community, small daily choices have long term global impacts.

David vs. Goliath. In the story of David and Goliath, the young Hebrew David took on the Philistine giant Goliath and beat him. Homeschooling continues to take on Traditional Schooling, it continues to prove itself. An education based on the principles set forth in Thomas Jefferson Education continues to successfully challenge the educational conveyor belt mindset that even many home schoolers have fallen into.

Avalanche about to roll. Many students today are not equipped with an education that will see them into the new century. The material they are being taught is out of date often before the textbook is even printed. If a student isn't given the skills they need to solve problems, do research, think logically, be creative, and lead others they will be left behind.

Contrary to popular belief, mentoring is a more successful way to educate than teaching. Mentoring involves many years of dedicated work on the part of the mentor and the student. The mentor's job is to inspire, the student's job is to educate themselves.

Counterintuitive, giving students more control of their studies may seem counterintuitive. In reality a student who is interested in their studies, studies much more. A student who is given control over what they study chooses to study subjects that are relevant to their lives and interests. When given a choice between two or three classics they feel their opinions matter. They find the motivation within themselves to learn. It is that skill, the ability to learn, that will see them through life.

Challenging widely-held assumptions that say “children are buckets to be filled”, here we say “children are tiny sparks of flame waiting to be fanned”. Children are learning all the time. Are you teaching them that they are capable and in control of their destinies, or are you teaching them that they need others to validate them and lead them to the 'right' answers?

Anxieties. Are your children learning how to learn? Are they self-motivated? Do they help around the house just because they feel needed and necessary? Do they show respect to other people? Do they show kindness to those in need? These are the things we think are much more important than reading scores and math scores. Reading and math are important, but being a self-reliant, self motivated, and kind person is more important.

Personalities and personal stories. I was one of those kids who was smarter than everyone else in class, but got the worst grades. I failed more often than I succeeded. I would start every year with “this year will be different” attitude. It never was, by Thanksgiving I was failing again. Usually it was because I didn't see things the same way the teachers did. I also refused to do busy work, why do 100 of the exact same thing when I understood it after 5 times. I scored A's on all my tests, was there for most classes, passed all my quizzes, I tutored the other students, but because I didn't turn in homework I usually received averages lower than 65%. A few of my teachers fudged the scores and gave me D's just so I could pass. I wouldn't play the system. Then after avoiding it, I finally got talked into going to college by my husband and I blossomed! Teachers didn't give busy work because they left it up to us how to learn the material. They respected my different way of seeing the world, they respected an opinion that challenged theirs and they made me feel smart for the first time in my life. I was allowed to choose what I want to study! And unlike most people who continue to change majors, I kept adding majors. When I finished I ended up with degrees in Geography with concentrations in Earth Science, Ecology, and Cartography, in Fine Arts with concentrations in Photography and Design, in Humanities with concentrations in Literature, Theater and Speech.

Over the last 25 years I have been an educator of some kind. For the last 13 years I have been successfully helping home schoolers and their parents chart a new course, try a 'new' way to learn that is based on the 'oldest' ways. This Resource Center was started because I believe every child deserves the chance to be all they were created to be.

How-to stories and advice. An example of how our teaching methods differ would be how we take a simple recipe or food item and use it to teach culture, art, geography, history, science, math, life skills, cooking, health, ecology and even global responsibility. With a bag of oranges and group of middle schoolers, we would look at a map and see where oranges grow, we would notice they grow around the equator, we would introduce the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. This would lead us to a discussion about how the sun travels and why we have seasons. We would also talk about tropical zones and how we can help protect them. Then we would talk about recipes that use oranges, what kinds of people first used oranges. Why did sailors need oranges on long trips? How did oranges spread all over the world? What properties does an orange have? When is a mild acid needed in a recipe? What is special about an orange that it keeps other fruits from turning brown? How many varieties of oranges are there? How many have we tasted? How could a late frost, strong storms, hurricanes, gas prices, or fires change the price of our orange? How many stops does the orange make before it ends up in our kitchen? Then before we cut it up, how would we find the surface area of an orange? Can we draw a map of the world on it then cut it to make a flat map from the globe? What does it mean to quarter an orange? After we cut it, what decorative ways can we put it on the plate? What other foods would you serve with it? What is a quarter of something? How many quarters in 3 oranges? All of this learning and much more from a 'simple' orange.

Glitz and glam. We are not very glamorous. We have no glitz either. However, we are standing on the shoulders of lots of famous educators: George Wythe, Maria Montessori, John Holt, John Gotto, Grace Llewellyn, Charlotte Mason, Charles L. Shedd, and even Socrates himself. It is on these and other giants of education we base our very successful methods.

Seasonal/event-related. We are not seasonally related. Education is something that happens 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is not something that can be put in a box and checked off. Education is a way of life, it is based on habits instilled early and modeled by parents and mentors.

Physics of the swing

2007-07-01T11:18:00.001-07:00

Physics of Golf

By: Lord Gabe

To the newbie, hitting the golf ball is all about power and having a really fancy club. But that is only half right, you need a good swing and what I mean by that is you need to know the physics of the swing. There is a certain swing that every golfer should master, each with their quirks, but overall the same.

When you go for a swing, you bring back the club past you head. Your elbows should be level with your chin. Your shoulders should be at a 60-degree angle. And your waist should be turned at a 45-degree angle. You should go not far and swing forward as if you were a top. Your club should hit the ball hard enough to give a good thwack. Then you should bring the club up and follow through with your swing.

Let’s talk about the ball and how the club effects it. First, there is a reason for those dimples in the ball, if it did not seem obvious. The dimples grab the air. When you swing your driver a 100-mph and smack the ball, the ball will be going 83 mph with a good amount of backspin. Thus you can say that the ball is climbing through the air. Also depending on how the ball is hit the ball will spin, giving it a hook or a slice

Each club has it's own physics. An iron is “ranked” 9 to 2, and that means the higher the rank the steeper the hit will be, thus making the ball go more vertical than horizontal. With the driver of course you want a steeper horizontal line than a iron. But that's not all there is to it. The driver has grooves that will help the ball spin, which helps the golfer to control the direction of the ball better.

Golf

And It's Physics

By; Brandon H

Tiger Woods is the best example of how the golf swing should be done. At the back of his swing he is able to reach far because of his flexibility, extending his range of motion while keeping his torso directly over his right leg. As he commits to his 400-degree swing he builds up velocity on his club head by turning his torso quickly and pressing his right foot forward. He exerts little energy by maintaining his position over the ball. Woods slices the ball by using his hips, shoulders, and wrists to concentrate his force. In doing so he creates a very high initial ball speed. Within the first 2 feet of the tee the ball is traveling at 180 mph, which is 20 mph faster than the average tour pro. Then he allows the club head's momentum to extend far around his back, completing a smooth 400-degree club head rotation.

Putting a spin on the ball also effects your game. If you want to put a left spin on the ball than you need to shift your feet to the right. This will cause the club to hit the ball later in your swing. Therefore, the club will hit the far side of the ball first. This will put an inward spin on the ball making it veer left. If you want to put a right spin on the ball you must shift your feet to the left. This will cause the club to hit the close side of the ball first. This will put an outward spin on the ball making it veer right.

Before reaching the physics on golf swinging I thought that it was all about hitting the ball hard. Now I understand that it is about form. Having your feet straight, twisting your waist, swinging your hips, and following through with your swing. Also hitting the ball in the middle and not-on-the-far-side nor the close-side. This study will help me perfect my swing.

Asia's first cake from scratch!

2007-06-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Lemon/ Cherry Cake ingredients:

1 cup butter
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
4 cups flours
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
Juice of one large or two small lemons
Zest of one lemon
1/2 cup kirsch

Cream butter and sugar, add lightly beaten eggs, then lemon(juice and zest), then buttermilk. Sift flour and soda together and slowly add to wet ingredients. Then add the Kirsch to thin batter.

Bake on 375 until lightly browned and done in the center.

After it cools top with blackberry glaze:
1/4 cup blackberry jam mixed with 2 Tablespoons kirsch. Brush onto bottom cake layer, fill the center with fresh berries, put the layers together, then add glaze to top layer.

Aler glaze has soaked in, top with lemon butter cream frosting:
1/4 cup soft butter
1/4 cup cream or half and half
A couple drops real vanilla
2 Teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups powered sugar

Roll fondant to the thickness of a piece of card stock, cover the cake and smooth. Decorate with fondant shapes made earlier and allowed to dry. Use frosting to 'stick' decorations to cake.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

2007-05-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Edward

This book talks about the life of an African-American woman named Janie Woods while she struggles to make a life in Florida post Civil War. Janie is the first child in her family born free. She is being raised by her grandmother who tries to keep her isolated. Her grandmother is only trying to keep her safe from bad people, but Janie feels trapped in the marriage that her grandmother arranged before her death.

Janie tries to make the marriage work, but when it doesn't she takes matters into her own hands and runs away with a man who promises to treat her like a real woman. The whole book is about Janie longing to become a real woman. Her many bad decisions are based on trying to find out what it means to be a woman. She becomes a woman by facing every obstacle and problem with courage and faith.

Conflict was a constantly part of Janie's journey for a better life. For me the most defining conflict was when Janie and Teacake were trying to escape from the hurricane. It was a classic example of man vs. nature. As the couple were crossing the flooded river, Teacake risks his life to save Janie from a dog. Neither of them knew the dog was rabid when it bit Teacake. Then the conflict becomes man vs man because Teacake got sick from the bite and started abusing Janie, it was too late to save him. Teacake had given his life for Janie, but Janie had to actually end that life by shooting him. That is when the conflict was man vs. self because Janie had to find the strength within herself to do what needed to be done even though it broke her heart.

Because of Teacake Janie had become a real woman. She had finally reach her life's goal. It was a very bittersweet ending. I highly recommend this book.

Cody

The book Their Eyes Are Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston, is about a lady named Janie and her life in the South. It is interesting following her from the beginning of her life until she is an old woman. Janie goes through quite a bit, and marries often. The reason she can never stay married is that she is never sure of herself or what she wants. Her grandmother wanted her to marry a rich man and be a lady, but Janie finds out that is not the life she wants.

Love finally finds Janie when she meets Teacake. This seems to be the theme of the story to me, finding True Love. Love isn't about comfort, money or power. You shouldn't marry someone because they are rich or classy. Janie learns something from each new lover, but with Teacake she is finally happy and fulfilled.

I am not crazy about this story. The only classic story that comes to mind for me is 'Old Yeller' and I don't think that is a good one to compare this story to. This story is nicely written and the language is rich, but the tale itself is lacking for me. Stories that involve a woman searching for her soul mate seem to be a dime a dozen, especially in today's romantic comedies. I would only recommend it to those who like stories about women searching for love.

Matthew

This book is the life story of a woman named Janie Woods. She was married off to a farmer, named Logan, by her grandmother. He was a good man, but Janie never learned to love him. One day, when Logan went to get a mule, a man named Joe Starks came to their farm. Joe was telling Janie how powerful and rich he was and how beautiful she was. He convinced her to meet him by a tree and run away with him. She went with Joe to new town in Florida, where Joe took charge of things and turned it into Edenville, where he and Janie were Mr. and Mrs. Mayor Joe Starks.

In Edenville, Janie runs Joe's store and is happy with the marriage at first. However, she becomes discouraged because Joe yells at her, goes to parties, and does what he wants, but makes Janie be quiet, cover her hair and stay home. After Joe's death, Janie remains single until a man named Teacake Woods comes into the store. Teacake was a younger man, who flirted with Janie. Eventually, she married him, and went off to the fields in Florida. One day a Hurricane came and the lake flooded. Janie and Teacake had to leave for the town. Along the way Teacake is bitten by a rabid dog, and eventually dies.

Taylor

My group literature book was named Their Eyes Were Watching God. It is about a woman named Janie and her quest to find the one man who loves her and makes her happy. The theme of this book is finding your true soul-mate in life. An example of this theme is that Janie would leave the men she married, until she found the one she truly loved. Logan kept making her work and didn't pay attention to her. That's why she left him. Joe Starks loved the idea of her, until he died of kidney failure. Janie met Virgil Teacake Woods and knew she had found that one person who would love her as much as she loved him. Janie had a very long relationship with Teacake until he was bitten by a dog with rabies and she had to shoot him.

I agreed with the theme of this book, except I wouldn't have had Janie with so many relationships. I would highly recommend this book for people who like tragic, romantic novels.

Sue

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel by Zora Neal Hurston. Ms. Hurston was born on January 7, 1891 in Alabama. She was the fifth of eight children and while she was still a toddler her family moved to Eatonville Florida, the first all black incorporated town in the US. In 1917, Hurston enrolled in Morgan Academy in Baltimore where she completed her High School education in three years. After Graduating, she enrolled at Harvard University and began her writing career.

The novel is affected by the fact that Ms. Hurston lived in a town in Florida, just like the town in her novel. Her characters are loosely based on her life. I sympathize with Janie, the central character, because she finally falls in love, only to have that love die from rabies and a bullet. I think that this novel is still being read because Hurston makes it all come alive. She makes you feel like you were right there. I would recommend this novel to everyone, because it is one of the most amazing stories I have ever read.

Travis

Their Eyes Were Watching God was recently read by my literature group. The author is Zora Neal Hurston. She was born in 1891 and died in 1960. She was a novelist, folklorist and anthropologist who's fictional and factual stories of black heritage are still being read. I think the theme of this story is that love makes you do crazy things. For example, when Teacake saved Janie from the mad dog that was attacking her in the hurricane, while she was holding onto the cow's tail in the river, he ended up getting bit while risking his life. That was really crazy.

Janie changed the most because she started out as an immature little girl and grew into a mature woman by the end. This reminds me of Cinderella. I see Janie as Cinderella and Teacake as the prince. Instead of a slipper, Teacake gave her overalls, which fit her personality better than the fancy dresses she had been wearing.

I disagreed with how the author just killed off Teacake. He was a cool guy and she should have let him live. I learned that if you don't get out of the way of a mad dog, you'll start acting like one yourself. I would recommend this story to older teens and adults, because it has scene that are not suitable for kids. It also has a strong storyline.

North American Feast

2007-05-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

Field Day

2007-05-29T20:40:00.001-07:00

DC field trip

2007-05-29T20:34:00.001-07:00

Graduation

2007-05-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

Teen cruise

2007-05-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Touching Spirit Bear final essays

2007-05-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

Touching Spirit Bear

By Ben Mikaelsen

Cameron

I learned the importance of honor from this book because Cole had to gain honor so that he could heal. Before he was banished to the island nobody trusted him, most people feared him,and everybody knew he was a con-artist. Cole was full of hate and lies, mostly self-hate. His anger almost destroyed his chance for healing. After a near death experience, Cole found within himself the desire to change and he realized that change had to start with honest and honor.

Cole knew he had to prove that he had really changed. Edwin and Garvey believed in him, but understood Cole needed to do the hard work of on his own. At first it was all about staying out of prison, but it became about a new way of living. So, Cole worked on trust and honor, before repentance.

Repentance and forgiveness were the next healing steps. Cole had to admit what he did was wrong and that he was sorry, then he had to forgive his parents, others he thought wronged him, and especially himself. Then he was ready to heal. It was Cole's healing that allowed Peter to heal. When Peter truly understood how sorry Cole was for everything he had done, Peter was able to begin moving forward himself.

The first and possibly the most important step in the process was finding honor. If Cole hadn't gained honor he would not have been able to heal, neither would Peter, or many others whose lives touched Cole's. That is why I think of learning honor when I think about this book.

Brandon H

The Spirit Bear represented the Holy Spirit in this story. He was like the Holy Spirit because he was always there when Cole made new discoveries about himself. Spirit Bear was the one who killed the old Cole and allowed a new stronger Cole to live, making Cole a better person. Spirit Bear forgave Cole for attacking him. He was also like the Holy Spirit because he kept guiding Cole down the right path.

Cole learned how to control his anger with the help of the Spirit Bear. The Spirit Bear help him figure out why he was so angry all the time. When Cole figured out 'why' he was able to take control of his own life and make positive changes. He was able to begin listening to his elders. Cole learned from Edwin and Garvey ways to deal with and tame his anger.

Violence was all Cole knew because it was what his dad had taught him. The Spirit Bear was near the pond when Cole was sorting out his angry feelings. Cole learned that his grandfather had beaten his father. He figured out that his father beat him because that was what he had been taught, and so on. Once Cole understood this, he was able to forgive his father. This made controlling his own anger a bit easier. Cole understood that anger would always be part of him, but he could choose how to act and respond to it. He knew not to let it loose on others.

The Spirit bear was also there after Peter attacked Cole and all Cole did was hold him and show him forgiveness. The boys realized they were all part of the circle of life and that every action affects others in ways they don't even see.

That is how Yahweh would want us to act. He would want us to show control, to be truly sorry for our wrong actions, and to forgive others so that we can be forgiven. He will always be there to heal us. So, the Spirit Bear was like the Holy Spirit being there when Cole needed him the most and leading the way to forgiveness and healing.

Brandon B

I have been in many situations similar to Cole. For instance, one time at school last year people kept picking on me, I took my anger out on somebody else. The kid that I got in a fight with told the principal and I got suspended from school.

While I was out of school, I started thinking about what I did and what I should have done differently. I thought I should have talked to him, or gone to the principal myself. While I was suspended my mom gave me extra chores like, cleaning the pool, cooking dinner, taking out the trash, and cutting the grass.

Once my week was over, I went back to school. The kid I had beaten up and myself had to go to the front desk and talk about what happened. I apologized and he did too. We were friends for the rest of the school year.

This situation was similar to the story because Cole and Peter had gotten into a fight Cole was removed from the school. He had to do extra work while he thought about what he did. And at the end Cole and Peter came to an understand and each forgave the other.

The changes in Peter and Cole happened at the end of the book when Peter came to the island. Cole taught him all the things he had been learning about anger and control. Learning to carve, learning the animal dances, carrying the ancestor rock up the hill, and soaking in the cold water were all ways Cole and later Peter learned self-control.

Cole figured out that the reason he got into the fight in the first place was because he felt worthless. Peter felt the same way when he attacked Cole on the island. The boys learned that when you feel worthless you want to bring others down too, but when you learn to feel positive about yourself, you want to bring others up with you. I had to learn these lessons the hard way, I hope others learn them without all the pain Cole, Peter and I went through.

Gabriel

Two characters that stand out to me are, Garvey and Edwin. I believe they represent Jesus and Moses. First Garvey, I believe he represents Jesus because he is like a shepherd and Cole is the lost sheep. Garvey is also a teacher using parables to get Cole to see deeper truths, and Garvey is like Jesus because he gives of his whole self even to perfect strangers.

Edwin is like Moses. Moses lead people across the Red Sea to a promised better life, and Edwin takes Cole across the sea to a better life. Moses handed down the Ten Commandments or The Law and Edwin hands down the Law to Cole. Moses was a messenger between God and the people and Edwin is the messenger between the Justice Counsel and Cole. However, the biggest reason Edwin is like Moses is because Moses freed his people from slavery and Edwin frees Cole. He frees him from being a slave to his anger, allowing him the possibility of a new life.

Everyone needs these two types of people in their lives. You need someone who demands you learn and follow the rules, but that needs to be balanced with someone who teaches you to look inside yourself and encourages you to be the very best you can be.

Ben

Self-reliance helps build self-esteem. In the story Cole had to learn to rely on himself. At home he would always con his way out of trouble, but alone on the island he can only rely upon himself. He has to take responsibility or die, there is no other option. This helps him build confidence and self-esteem. He gets to the point where he can forgive himself and truly apologize to Peter. This new self-esteem also helps him get better control of his anger.

From the book, I learned you need to rely on yourself. You can't get people to do everything for you. If you can get them to do everything for you, you don't learn anything and you feel worthless. Not being able to get and education or hold a job might lead to homelessness, which will just increase the feelings of worthlessness. Those feelings come out in very harmful ways that you wouldn't expect, like hurting others.

I wonder how weird it would feel to have to rely on yourself after being used to having everything done for you or conning your way out of all consequences. Unfortunately, it took being mauled by a bear for Cole to realize that he need to rely on himself. The more the book goes on the more and more Cole relies on himself. By the end of the book he has learned to fully take care of himself, mind, body and soul.

Austin

The Spirit Bear represents the eyes of the Universe constantly watching. He is also the balance of light and dark, the eternal yin and yang of the forest. He is also protection beyond all bounds.

Your life is changed forever when this being gazes upon you. It's gaze is deep and penetrating, as calm as a still lake in the dead of the night. Ghostlike it wanders through the shadows aware of all things.

Cole is left tattered, but cleansed after his encounter with the Spirit Bear. His opinions are changed by the graceful paws that so deeply clean the flesh of what once resembled the body of Cole Matthews.

When Peter finally lays eyes on the Spirit Bear he is no longer afraid of Cole. He recognizes the changes in Cole and accepts them. Once the giant's job is done he disappears into the forest, like the moon behind a cloud. Waiting for another soul in need of direction.

When Cole came to the island he was unbalanced. Anger controlled him like a puppet. His mind was like a world without sun. It was dark, cold, and undiscovered. The vast void of his mind was closed to all influence. The Spirit Bear opened the gates to that mind and help him find balance. No longer was Cole controlled by rage, the rage was controlled by him. His inner Chi was now calm and rested, thanks in great part to the Spirit Bear.

Asia

I identify most with Cole Matthews because he and I share the same issues, mostly our anger. Cole and I react to negative issues in negative ways. When placed in a bad situation we take the easy way out by threating, arguing and even fighting.

The three main situations in the book where Cole allowed his anger to control his life were, when he beat up Peter, when he tried to leave the island by swimming away, and when he tried to fight the bear. Cole used the excuse that Peter told on him to the cops to beat him to within and inch of his life. If someone hadn't stopped him he would have killed Peter because of blind anger. When Cole was left on the island the first time, he was still so angry and blaming others for his problems that he allowed that anger to push him into a cold ocean, in the middle of night, and he was trying to swim against the tide. This action alone almost killed him. However, he still hadn't spent all his anger. He need something to be afraid of him and when the bear refused to flinch Cole attacked it bare handed. This fight did kill the old Cole and finally allowed a new one to replace him.

I have been found myself in many situations where I needed to consider choosing a safer way out. I have been in two fights where I hurt people pretty badly. It is not like I wanted to hurt them, but something inside me told me to and I acted upon it. One of the situations was with my friend we were goofing off and it got out of control quickly and I ended up hurting her much more than I intended. The second fight was with an acquaintance who was pestering me and threatening me, so I hurt her. I felt very bad for causing them both pain afterwards, but I felt if I didn't hurt them they would hurt me.

Cole learned to handle his anger by dancing, swimming in a freezing pond, and rolling a rock down a hill. The dancing was to mimic the other animals and all the traits he was learning from them. Swimming in the freezing pond helped to eliminate the thought of fighting, yelling, and arguing. Rolling a rock down the hill definitely was the best way for Cole to get rid of his anger. By carrying the rock up the hill then rolling it down he felt how heavy the anger was, then how great it felt to get rid of it.

I now think that walking away from a bed situation or even staying calm could ease the tension if not completely settle the situation. After reading this book I realize that I can be the bigger person and I can turn a bad situation into a positive one. The ways I have been working on my anger are being quiet and actually listening to what the other person is saying, writing a note to tell the person how I feel, and analyzing each situation before I speak up.

I definitely need to work on my anger issues because in the future it will cause me many problems. Not only will it hurt my record, but it could possibly ruin my life, my appearance, and my inner emotions. It could also go the other way and I could really hurt someone like Cole hurt Peter. That is not something I want to do.

This book has taught me that you can't get rid of anger, but rather blank it out or forget it. Anger needs to be acknowledged and worked through. In coming situations, I would hope that I could handle my anger in ways that are safe and appropriate for everyone.

Call of the Wild essays

2007-05-01T06:33:00.001-07:00

Call of the Wild

Essays

Austin: The “Call of the Wild” is freedom. The yearning to be free. All contradicting thoughts are abandoned and instincts take over, instincts passed down from generations. It is the urge to hunt and to avoid being hunted. It’s the desire to mate with the sole purpose of keeping the species going. It is the need to howl at the moon, the wind brushing across you during a dewy morning run. It is salvation beyond proportions.

In the story, Buck was subjected to the “The Call of the Wild” numerous times. For example when he chased down that moose for days, he did so not because that was the only food, but because his instinct told him to. He desired to hunt the moose. The desire to survive. Buck gave into the “Call of the Wild.” He desired leadership, to be the “Alpha Male,” to rule over others. “The Call” is taking the responsibility to lead others and being strong enough to defeat any that oppose you. Buck took on this responsibility when he killed Spitz.

Domestic dogs have this instinct. In a way they are smarter than we are. When they are born they know to communicate and walk. They know how to reproduce as soon as their instincts kick in. We lack such skill. If all the adults in the world were eliminated and nothing was left but babies, humanity would crumble. Without older people to teach them the babies couldn’t talk or eat; and, even if they did there is the trouble of mating. With no one to explain the “birds and the bees” there would be nothing. The “Call of the Wild” to which countless animals can tap into, is out of our reach.

Brandon: The “Call of the Wild” is your inner, wilder side that is trying to come to the surface. It also your natural instincts. Therefore, the “Call of the Wild” means your wilder side is being called out to take control.

Buck was being called throughout the story. He started being called towards the beginning of the story by fighting with Spitz and wanting to be lead dog, which he succeeded in doing. Towards the middle of the story, Buck’s instinct of protecting Thornton took over. He protected him by attacking Matthison. Another incident was when he met a wolf pack. His wilder side was showing then because his natural instinct took over and he went to become apart of the pack. Also, his natural instinct of hunting showed when he stalked a moose for three days before killing it.

The “Call of the Wild” is sometimes a good thing and sometimes a bad thing. It is a good thing when you are stranded somewhere. You want the natural instinct to take over so that you can survive. Although, it is a bad thing when you don’t have any manners or self-control. So, you will have to determine when to let it take over and when not to.

Ben: The “Call of the Wild” is the returning of Buck’s animal instincts. At the beginning of the book, Buck had everything he ever needed, but when later he doesn’t have anything to eat, he steals food. Before he would have rather die of starvation than steal anything.

Later Buck hunts a lot. One time Buck chased a moose for a very long time. He even got in a fight with another dog over food. He also chased after a wolf.

At the end of the book, Buck joins a pack of wolves, he attacks humans and he becomes totally wild. He wouldn’t dare attack humans or hurt other animals on purpose at the beginning of the story. Buck changed a lot from the beginning of the book. He started as a pet and become a wild dog.

Asia: The “Law of Club and Fang” is the law of submit or be killed. In other words, if there is a superior force fighting against you, you should submit to the superior force or die trying. When concerning the law of club and fang it is always better to surrender; even when the superior forces are in the wrong.

An example of this in the book was when Buck saw his fellow partner, Curly, ripped to pieces by wild huskies. Buck thought, “either surrender or be killed, once you’re down you’re done.” This means, mostly, if you surrender to a superior they will leave you alone but if you keep bothering them or nagging at them you are likely to get yourself killed.

An example of this in my life is trying to use the club and fang law with my grandmother. I have to learn that because she is my superior I owe her a certain kind of respect. Like Buck, after I stopped and listened I learned that it is much better to surrender than put my life at stake.

This book taught me that my superiors hold my life in their hands, basically. If they are arguing at or with me than I should give them the respect to shut my mouth and listen, or put my state of being in jeopardy.

Gabe: Throughout the book there was a law between Buck and humans. This law gave humans great power over Buck. This was the law of “Club and Fang.” Buck finds out early in the book that he is out-matched when he is up against a human with a club. He is beaten, his viciousness isn’t enough to stop a human from beating him. In the book, Buck is beaten when he tries to attack the man in the red sweater. This puts Buck into place saying almost man can be killed. But later, Buck finds out that humans without their clubs are just as easy to kill as rabbits. Heck, dogs are harder to kill than humans.

I think that the “law of club and fang” is like a king and his subjects. A king is a very powerful man and can put his subjects to death, if he wishes, but strip away that power and he is just another mortal man, as easy to kill as the rest. This is what I think that the law means. I also think that the club represents absolute power and order.

Cameron: The “Law of Club and Fang“ is what the sled dogs lived by. The Law of Club and Fang is a way of life: kill or be killed, survival of the fittest, you have to prove yourself worthy to work in the group or even to eat. Many dogs that did not adapt to this law fast enough would be killed because they could not defend themselves. “The Club” is your master, who you have to obey or you'll be beat by his club. “The Fang” is the other dogs, who you have to prove yourself worthy to be among.

Buck was introduced to this law on the day he landed in that frozen wasteland. The other dogs jumped him and he lost a friend. Buck proved himself after he realized this place was nothing like Santa Clara Valley.

The “Law of Club and Fang” represented how harsh the new land was and the hardships Buck had to go through to obtain the status of “Top Dog.” It was these challenges that formed Buck into the great dog he became.

Fieldtrip to Oklahoma and Pizza

2007-04-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, fun with chickens

2007-04-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Monday..first day after break

2007-04-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Nature --Asia

2007-03-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Asia in Nature

2007-03-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

Photo by Olivia

Photo by Sue

Photo by Nathan

People in Nature --Asia

2007-03-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

The castle

2007-03-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

The designers: Emily, Andre, Kelsy, Ben, Charles, Olivia

Family Fun with Europe!

2007-03-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

All the food was made my the kids for the parents, except the deep fried fish that Dirk cooked for safety reasons.

On the menu:
Lentil Soup-- Asia and Thomas
Eggplant cassrole-- Edward
Spaghetti-- Asia
Grilled Lamb-- Nathan(cutting up), Travis (marinade), Taylor( grilling)
Fish & Chips-- Olivia and Sue
Danish Donuts filled with vanilla creme and topped with chocolate-- Gabe and crew
Dutch Gingersnaps-- Athena, Emily, Andre, Kelsy

Outside shots by Asia

2007-03-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

Lost Horizons

2007-03-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

Lost Horizons

by James Hilton

Excerpts from the groups' final essays.

Josh

Shangri-La could be heaven or hell, it all depends on your point of view. Conway, Ms Brinklow, and Bernard all like it, but Mallison didn't. The three older characters found it peaceful and they were excited by the many things they could learn. Mallison on the other hand, missed his family and was too immature to settle into the lifestyle. It was hell for him, but the others thought of it as heaven.

Brandon B

I would have to say that Shangri-La is like heaven because it is built at the top of a mountain shielded from the rest of the world by rough terrain and clouds. It is hard to get to, like heaven. I also think it is like heaven because there is a chance for a second life. The last reason I think it is like heaven is because of all the temples and the monks. I think heaven will be full of holy places and holy people.

Cody

“Once you check in you can never leave.” This is what makes Shangri-La hell. If you were full of despair or lived on the streets with no family, you might find it peaceful. If your family had died and you were alone in the world, you might find comfort. If your life was full of bad situations and sinful choices, you might find wisdom there. However, none of that changes the fact that the monks of Shangri-La, for selfish reasons, kidnapped and held people there against their wills. It doesn't change my mind that the people change their minds after being drugged and made to feel happy.

Shangri-La could seem heaven like, a glorious eden where you were treated nicely by everyone. You could gain the knowledge of a hundred men, but you would never share that knowledge or kindness with the world. A bird in a golden cage is still in a cage.

Brandon

Shangri-La is an isolated place were people live over 300 years. This gives them the time they need to learn and create. If a task is arduous or super-complex there was nothing getting in the way of mastering it. In Shangri-La your body stays young and fit for at least the first 200 years, you never get sick. When it is time to die you simply turn to dust. The people are all nice and mannerly. Everything in moderation is their motto.

Shangri-La has a few bad aspects, too. The kidnapping is the biggest draw back, but then dying to get into heaven isn't so great either. Keeping people against their will, is also not too cool, but it really was so that all of mankind's knowledge could be saved.

So, I would say, Shangri-La is a heaven like place. Because in the outside world they let you destroy yourself, most of the world is a cruel, rude and inconsiderate place to be. The world would be a lot better if it was like Shangri-La. There would be no crime and everyone would be happier.

"Olde" English Tavern Signs.....

2007-03-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

Pizza After the Show

2007-03-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Oral Reports

2007-03-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Cameron's visuals for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Athena's visuals for her report on 300, and Spartans in general.

Sue dressed in period costume for the book The Other Boleyn Girl.

Cody's visuals for the original Grimm's Snow White.

If you do not get a Student Newsletter, but would like one, please email me.

Gabe's Boston Cream Doughnuts

2007-03-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

A study in faces Asia

2007-03-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

Stuffed Grape Leaves

2007-03-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

Cooperation and problem solving

2007-03-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Portraits by Asia

2007-03-08T19:21:00.000-08:00

Random Shots from the last two days

2007-03-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

Photos By Emily

2007-03-08T19:14:00.000-08:00

Using your imagination is messy work!

2007-03-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

Balloon Cup Tiramisu

2007-03-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

12 lady fingers

Chocolate Cup Balloons
10 ounces coverture chocolate (minimum 54 percent cocoa)
6 small balloons

Tempering chocolate: Chop the chocolate very fine. Melt 6 ounces of chocolate in a water bath, approximately 120 degrees F, and remove from heat. Add the rest of the chocolate, 4 ounces, and stir slowly until all the chocolate is melted (the approximate temperature should be 90 degrees F).

Blow up the balloons, tie them and then dip them in the chocolate half way up the sides. Set them on a sheet pan with parchment paper and put in the refrigerator. After 30 minutes, take them out of the refrigerator, pop and peel out the balloons.

Mascarpone Cream
2 egg yolks
3 1/2 ounces sugar
2 egg whites
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1/4 zest of a lemon

With an electric mixer, whip yolks and sugar until silky. Add Mascarpone Cheese slowly with lemon zest. Whip egg whites to firm peak and fold in by hand.

Coffee Syrup
3 1/2 ounces espresso coffee
1 ounce sugar
1 ounce Amaretto

Add sugar and Amaretto to freshly brewed espresso coffee.

Assembling Tiramisu Pipe a little of the Mascarpone Cream mixture into the balloon cups. Cut the lady fingers in half and dip them into the coffee syrup. Place two ladyfingers into a balloon cup. Finish piping the rest of the cream mixture into the cup. Garnish with cocoa powder dust.

Around today....

2007-02-28T18:52:00.000-08:00

More of Asia's portrait studies.

2007-02-28T18:49:00.000-08:00

Oral Book reports

2007-02-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

The King's Fifth

Listening....

Massada

Watching a report that was shot as a show about movie reviews. I don't remember the title of the books, but they were graphic novels about Japanese Vampires.

Asian Day at the Center

2007-02-16T14:57:00.000-08:00

Practicing Japanese customs.

Making Kabuki Masks and telling stories.

Playing Asian based games they created.

Working on Asian crafts.

Drinking Jasmine tea from a real Korean tea set.

Earning tokens, to get prizes, by answering questions about Asia.

Dressing costumes that they made from :

China
Japan
India
Arabia
Japan

Cloth Timelines....

2007-02-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

This one is pre-history to 1500.

This one is 1500 to present day.
(I took a close up to show the kids put themselves on the timeline)

This is a picture without the flash so you could see how pretty the light is as it comes through the canvas.

I posted these timelines because of a blog by a relatively new, but amazing homeschool blogger named Jessica. Her blog is called Trivium Academy.

I had to throw this one in today.
This is a picture Athena took of Emily helping to make bread today!
To see pictures of the finished bread click here.

Brandon H's Photos

2007-02-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

Asia's Photo II

2007-02-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

Gabe's Photographs II

2007-02-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

Athena's Photographs

2007-02-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

Asia's Photographs

2007-02-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

Gabe's Photographs

2007-02-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Paoli Peaks Trip!

2007-02-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

A fun, wet, cold, and tiring day was had by all!

Snow day fun

2007-02-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

Having fun outside during a long lunch break.

Game Design

2007-02-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

First they gathered materials and information.

They brainstormed the type of game they were going to design.

They created and play tested their game.

The kids broke into teams to create a game with an Asian theme today. The kids pictured created a trivia type game where you answer question to earn points and the one with the most points after 25 questions wins the game. There are 4 types of questions: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Wild. The easy are worth one point, and are multiple choice. The medium are worth two points and are true or false. The the hard are worth three points and are short answer. The wild are a definitions, if you get them right you double your points, if you get them wrong you loose all your points. It was a lot of fun and very informative to play.

Everyone is busy learning about Asia!

2007-01-24T17:53:00.000-08:00

These guys made wonderful Chinese Almond Cookies.

The Great Puzzle Race....

2007-01-19T11:56:00.000-08:00

We used to do puzzles around here daily. The kids had one or two 5000 piece puzzles going at a time. Well, today we had some extra time on our hands and this group of young men had never been part of the puzzlers. My puzzle workers have now graduated going on to careers and college!

I gave these guys two sets of 100 piece jr big piece puzzles and was absolutely shock that even working in teams it took them over an hour to complete the two puzzles. Many times they wanted to give up. And as you can see they even lost 5 pieces to one of the puzzles during the process. Later the pieces were found on the floor under the table.

Puzzles are important. They help focus, concentration, organization, problem solving, memory, visual cues, etc...I can go on for days and days. So, until these guys can do a 100 piece jr. puzzle in 15-20 minutes, they will be doing puzzles at least three times a week!

Finishing Latin American Studies....

2007-01-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

Random pictures from the Latin Dance Party. The kids made South American Foods, learn Salsa Dancing, made a pinata, and played traditional South American games.
A great time was had by all.