Laura's Blog

Things I Have Learned From Living in Jordan Valley

2012-01-18T08:37:00.000-08:00

I am on my 26th year of teaching in my wonderful small town of Jordan Valley. I must say that time has flown. I am not sure it was in my plans 26 years ago to stay here to long but I have really come to love this little slow pace western town. I thought I would take some time and share with you what I have learned living here.

1. No spurs in the classroom. It scratches the floor finish and they can be considered a deadly weapon if two students get in a fight.

2. According to my students it would take them most of the day to ride their horses to school. Even tho on the old time western shows it only took them a couple minutes. To help students out we do have one bus route and students are paid milege to drive to the bus stop or to school.

3. Sports are the social events of the town. Eveyone seems to come to the games but not just to watch the students but to get caught up on community events. Basketball games are usually a "sold out" event.

4. We do have religon here. For a town of less than 500 we have a methodist church, a morman church, a catholic church and two "christian" churches. This does not mean that eveyone is in church on sunday but if they want to attend they have lots of places to choose from.

5. You live in a glass house. Everyone seems to know everything or at least they think so. I was warned in college that small town teachers live in glass houses but I think everyone in the community is in a glass house.

6. Students do more good things then all the bad things that make the newspaper. By in large all students are wonderful young people. They do make stupid mistakes but I have never met a students that was truly mean. I am amazed how willing they are to run errands for me and how respectful they can be.

7. Parents play a BIG role in education. Parents that talk with the children not just about school but about life are helping their children. I have found that Parents approval is a very important motivator. If a child thinks that a parent will "kill them" if they do not do something it seems to work as a motivator. So does Parents just asking how things are going.

8. Don't go to the bar in town for drinks. You might run into some of those gossip people or some of your students.

9. Children always want a snow day. (like today it has been snowing since school started) However we have only had 2 snow days in the 26 years I have been teaching here. If the bus can run then we have school. I asked one of my students what if you were stucked here tonight. That did not go over very well.

10. We live in a zoo. Although Deer are the most common wild animal around. We do get warning of couger, coyote, skunk, rattle snakes and other animals in town from time to time. They are great to look at from inside but they will come after you if you go into their space. They will also eat your flowers.

11. The hour drive to "the valley" (Nampa or Boise Idaho) is not fun in the snow but when the weather is nice it is not that bad. There is no traffic so you can drive the speed limit. Don't go over since we have the deadlist highway in Oregon and speeding tickets are expensive. Do you really need to "go to the valley" only if you want food, entertainment, or a doctor. There are some people that do not leave Jordan Valley.

12. Do not leave Jordan Valley with less than 1/4 a tank of gas. The next gas station is 40 miles one way and 35 miles other way. Of course this gas is expensive!

13. When the chips are down people come out of the wood work to help you out. When I have had my surgries over the years all types of people cook food, offer rides, pick up my mail or what ever I need.

14. Cattle are rasied as business. The rancher students claim that cows are not very smart so it is easy to raise them as a crop. But they are cute when they are born.

15. Real cowboys were Wranglers not Levis. Something about the inseem is better on Wranglers and will not rub in the saddle. I act like I know what they are talking about but I really do not. I can guess that it would hurt if jeans have a inseam that rubs.

16. At our school we really do not have big problems. With only 36 students in 7-12 we do not have a large share of major happenings. I think it has been a couple years ago since I gave a student detention and back then it was for back talking. Our students are exposed to the drug world but we do not have a lot of issues at school. We have had a graduation rate of 100% for most of my 26 years here. Maybe this is because students get a lot of individual attention, but the students and parents also play a BIG role in this.

17. I have learned to enjoy the small stuff. The beautiful sunrises or sunsets. The clamness of a snow fall. The blackness of the country at night with no lights. The smile of a childs face when they finalize they are right. The excitment in Baylor and Johonna's viedos. Just to name a few.

18. The excitment in a student's voice is priceless when they tell me of the girl or boy that they like spending time with. Young love is so special.

19. The appriciation of my students when I bring them treats from Costoc. Poppy Seed Muffins and Sunny D or Orange Juice are their favorite. When I do this I have a lot of students that tell me they love me.

20. I have learned that no matter when you live each and every day is special. You can find beauty in each and every day. I learn something new each day and it is usually something about myself. Life is so wonderful and each and every day I am thankful just for being alive.

Turkey Trots

2011-12-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Every year on the last day before Thanksgiving break we have a school competition called Turkey Trots. The students come up with a variety of events and we have are little red neck Turkey Trots. The students win points that count toward the class of the year. It also means that the kids get out of the last class of the day!!

The morning started with a wonderful sunrise. You never know will God will let you see the beauty of what he creted. When I got to school Iasked my first period class, the seniors, if they were excited. You can tell my Meagan's reaction that she was not excited.

Following are pictures are of the different events. I am amazed what students will do. The picture below shows the quick change basketball shot. One boy from each class runs down the court changes into the clothes that are in the sleeping bag and takes the ball and runs down to the other end of the court and makes a basket. The first to do all of this is the winner. The sleeping bags are provided so the boys will change inside the bag, over the years the boys have become braver. I do not think any of then used the sleeping bags. The few girls in the school did not mind. The winner was the freshman class.The next event was the sling shot. The picture shows my Junior class. Some one from the class sits on the schooter and two others use a sheet to sling him down the gym floor. My junior class won this event. Our smallest sat on the schooter and two others flung him down the court.

The event below is the bat drill race. A team of four is used for this event. One at a time someone runs down the court to the bat, spins around 3 thimes and then runs back and tags the next person in line. This is Blane showing his skills. My juniors won this event as well.

We do have some events that turn my stomach and the whip cream chug is one of them. A team of four stands in a circle and chugs from the whip cream can. The the whistle blows they pass the can to their team mate. Since my Junior boys have huge empty stomachs they won this event.This year we had a new event. It was called Beauty Contest. One boy from each class was dressed up into a dress, makeup, hair and accessories. They only had four mintues to complet the dressing process. Then each boy walked the runway posed. A group of parents were the judges. The first picture below is Tyrell the junior rep and then the next picture is Quin the senior. The freshman won and Tyrell was second.The next event was the potato catch. One team member threw a potato and a second team member caught it in a garbage sack. Once again the Junior Class won.This is another one of those events that turns my stomach. Some one lays on the floor with a cup in their mouth. The next team member stands on a chair and trys to drop an egg into the cup. Each class has 3 eggs and who ever gets the most egg stuff in their cup wins. The freshman class won this event.A turky trot is not complete without the eatting ice cream with no hand as you lay on the floor. This is Ty and Blaine two of my empty stomach juniors. The of course won this event. Pushing a penny across the floor with your nose. This is senior James. This was done right after the ice cream event and once again the Juniors won.

The last event of the day is the booty scoot. The entire class sits on the floor and connects legs. Then the scoot acroos the floor. The is a picture of the entire senior class (minus one) as they get ready to start this event. Yes we have only 8 students in the senior class. The junior class won this event. At the end of the race Ty said "I have the world's worse wedge"

You may have figured out that my juniors were the big winners. They are in first place for the class of the year which is their goal. The next event is the can food drive. To make things more exciting the class that brings the most food gets to hit thier advisor in the face with a cream pie. Don't worry becasue of my asthma the boss did not think I should take part, so if my class wins they will get to hit Mr. Usable in the face. I will be sure and let you know which class wins.

What is a Chucker?

2011-12-01T06:52:00.000-08:00

In response to my recent blog Michelle asked what a chucker is. From what the kids tell me it is a bird about the size of a chicken. I guess it does not taste like chicken. According to James it is more tender and juicy. Below is a picture. Even tho I have lived in Jordan Valley for 26 years I have never eaten a Chucker. (That I know of)

Story of the Day

2011-11-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

The kids were talking about the 'good" Chicken Noodle Soup they had for lunch. One of my students said that his mom made the best Chucker Noodle Soup for dinner. He said that it was the best soup he had the only problem is that every once in awhile he would come across a bb.

Jett Becomes a Rancher

2011-11-23T08:24:00.000-08:00

A couple months ago one of my 8th grade students was celebrating his birthday. I asked him what he wanted for his birthday and he told me he wanted to start a heard of cows but he needed someone to sell him or give him some cows. Since I did not have any extra in my inventory I told him to ask his dad. He said that he alrady had ask and his dad told him no because he was too young.

After talking about it for a while he decided to ask his grandfather. He was so scared because he figured his grandfather would say no too. A couple days later Jett came to class all excited. When I asked him what was up he said that his grandfather had give him 4 cows. In today's maket that is a lot of money. He was so exccited and told me all about his black cows. I told him congraluations you are a Rancher now and he replied Ya I guess so.

As a teacher it is times like this that are priceless. I had the honor to teach Jett's parents and now it is his turn. It is exciting to watch them grow and get excited about life. Will Jett be a Rancher in the future? I have no idea but he has a great start for an 8th grader.

Is it Winter???

2011-10-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

The time has come when it is dark when I leave for school. I have to be at work at 7:45am and I leave my house at 7:40 am. Thank goodness there is no traffic in Jordan Valley. For the last couple weeks it has been dark until about half way through first period. The kids are complaining that it is too early in the year to be driving in the dark. Most of them have to drive more than I do to school and I do agree. I tell them it will be a little better when the time changes in a week or so. This morning it was 19 when I started my car and for a high it is to be in the 50's. Sounds like November not October. At least it is wonderful sunny not just warm.

One of my students tell me it is going to be a hard winter because the horses and cows are getting their winter coats in already. I do not mind the snow but I really do not like to drive long distances in it.

Last week was the end of the grading period and this week the kids are really crabby. They are tired of each other and can not wait until the weekend. The last football and volleyball games are this weekend. I think that this is why the kids are crabby. They have been spending too much time together.

Deer hunting season is over. Bit now is the start of Elk season. According to the 7th graders it is not cold enough for the elks to be around here so you have to travel to the top of the mountain. Sounds like fun but I am not planning on going with them. I will stay where it is warm.

Jordan Valley Homecomming

2011-10-11T07:29:00.001-07:00

This past week was homecomming. The longest week of the school year for the teachers. Instead of working all day, I have to cook dinner for my students, and then work until 8:00 pm on the float. It does sound worse then it really is. I find that it allows me to see my class in a different light. I get to see them as just regular kids not only students. This year I realized how much food 5 boys and 1 girl can eat. That saying about growing boys does fit my class of juniors.

During the school day the students dress in different outfits. Monday was PJ day, Tuesday was hillibilly day, Wednesday was pair day and Thrusday was spirit day. I do not remember doing this in high school but it is a big deal here. The winners of the days get $10.00 cash and the class that dresses the most get points for the class of the year. This year my group had 100% dress up each and every day.

The week started with cold and wet weather. So much for building a float outside. My group had a good idea but the big question was will it work. We spent the week working on the parts and pieces and then Friday morning right before the parade we put the float together. Dispite all of our hard work we got second place. This is the best that we have ever done. I am very proud of them.

The kids lost the football and the volleyball game but they did put up a fight.

What's Up in Jordan Valley

2011-09-21T11:05:00.001-07:00

The mornings are getting colder and darker. A sure sign to the end of summer.

On my way to work this morning I saw a mother deer and her fawn down the block from my house. I stop and just watched them for a few minutes. The mother just looked at me as the fawn ran around trying the get the mother's attention. It must be getting colder in the mountains or hunting season. I think the deer know that they can not be shot in town even during hunting season.

The ranchers are bringing their cows home. During the summer months they let their cattle go onto BLM land so they can harvest their hay crop which is usually closer to the ranchers homes. Now that they have all the hay harvested it is time to bring the cows back home. This means more cows on the road so be aware when driving in south eastern Oregon. Hit a cow in open range and it can be expensive. (Not as expensive as Lizzy's German Cows Tho)

This week must be Air Force training time. Every day we have fighter jets flying low between the school and the little mountain(hill) in back of the school. The planes are so low that the kids can get a good look at them. When they hear the first one comming they all run to the windows. Usually they miss the first one but they are in position to see the next two that are following close by. I guess our country side is great to teach the pilots how to drop into canyons and then pull up. The kids are so impressed. One said yesterday these planes are better than the ones on the computer games. Today one of my Juniors was in the bathroom and he said I thought it was Pearl Harbor all over again. Like he was around when Pearl Harbor was attacked.

The high school and the middle school are getting into the swing of sports. They have a couple games under their belt and they are off and running. The football is undefeated and are starting to get swelled heads. My juniors bet me $500 that they will win their game this weekend. (they are playing a team that has not won a game in years) I had to turn them down not because they did not have the money but I do not have $500 to throw away. One of our middle school players is out for the season with a torn ACL. The team does not think they will win any more games. They do not have faith in themselves.

A group of my middle school students were in a 4 wheeler accident this past weekend. It was dark and they were trying to rope a deer but they ran into the ditch. No major injuries but they did learn a lesson. If you are going to rope a deer do it in the daylight.

Does Baylor look like baby Johonna???

2011-09-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

You all know that I am a picture buff and now that Baylor is starting to look like a little human I decided to see if he looks anything like Johonna did when she was little. Take a look.

JohonnaBaylor Baylor
Johonna Baylor Johonna

Lessons of School

2011-09-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

We have been in school for 3 weeks and it is already time for progress reports. What student is failing in the first 3 weeks. Well we had some close but no one had any F's but we did have a few with D's. You would think that in a small school that students would know what homework is. I had a student tell me "In grade school we corrected our papers so if I did not have it done then I just socred it like I did a good job on it" Well not in high school. I am not a big giver of homework we usually have time in class to get everything done but some teachers do give a fair share. Of course my freshman student did not understand the purpose. Well, I told him, sometimes you need to take work home. His father is a rancher and I reminded him that his father's is not always done in a 8-5 day.

Today our seniors took the ASVAB. When an Army representive is here to give the test the students get all nervous. I told them yesterday that we use the test to help determine what type of career is a fit for them. One of the girls said "Are they going to use our scores to draft us" I told her that only the boys have to sign up for the draft unless congress makes some major changes.

We had our first football and volleyball games last week. I have no idea if we won or not because I was busy with my class running the concession stand. I was so proud of how hard my kids worked. (Yes I did tell them) We were busy making hambugers, chirizos, popcorn, and other concession stand food. One thing we did learn, when you spill the popcorn oil on the floor it is very slick. We were slipping and sliding all over the place but we did make $200.00.

This year we have 13 middle school students. I love teaching middle school students. They are a little scared and they do not act like they know it all. At least with computers. They are very good playing games but not typing. They have had years to learn to type wrong and now it is my job to change them. What a task. I have them right after lunch so sometimes they are a little hyped up on some kind of surger and they always have to go to the bathroom during class. It is just the way it is.

Jordan Valley News

2011-08-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Deer Flies will byte. I had no idea

The girls won their firt volleyball game. This year all the girls in the school are playing. There are 8 girls on the team.

It has been hot in Jordan Valley. This entire week my class room has been in the 80's at the start of the school day. This is with the air conditioner running all night.

Yesterday we had lighting and 3 fires. Soon after the fires started the rain came and put out the fires.

The students are tired that for two weeks they have had to go to school Mon-Friday instead of Mon-TH. What would they do if they went to school in the city where they always go to school 5 days a week.

Is she anything like Michelle?

2011-08-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

On my last trip to Portland I was visting with Michelle and her family and Luke asked me: "Is Jo like Michelle was when she was little?" I am not sure what I said but I have been thinking about this over the last couple of weeks. When Michelle was young I spent a lot of time with her. She would come to Granny's house just to hang out, swim in the little pool, and anything else we could think of. One main similarity is that Granny and I loved just watching Michelle being Michelle. I have noticed on my visits that Poppa and Grammy also love to watch Jo and the simple silly things that she does.

It is clear that both these little girls are the apple of their mother's eyes. They both seem to like to cuddle and give lots of kisses and hugs.

Granny would do her nails every day and Michelle like to have her nails done as well. You can see in this picture that Granny finds something funny.

Michelle liked to look at pictures of herself. Before the iphone days we kept pictures in a photo album.

Michelle loved to look at books. She was not picky on who should read the books to her whoever was available would be drafted for the task.

I think that Jo is like Michelle was when she was young. Only time will tell if Johonna will be the wonderful mother, wife, and all around great gal that her mother is!!

Where Have I Been

2011-08-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

I really have not been doing anything special. It was summer break and I do not have regular access to the internet. I know not a good excuse but let me catch you up.

My big events for the summer were two trips to Portland. The first was to see my brother, his wife and son and everyone else. We do keep in touch online but is it nice to have a hug.

My sister Nancy hosted a dinner and baby shower for her daughters.

Here are the five "Ellis" kids on the right. And below are all the grandkids (missing Meagan and Trish) and great grand kids.

The pregos.

Below is little Johonna showing her doll the cake. Johonna is into frosting.

My second trip was to meet my Great Newphew Baylor Blitz. It has been a long time since I have held a day old baby. His head is so small and perfect I gave him my nickname of BB. I am sure it will not last. On the right is me and little Baylor.

Below is the new family. Luke Baylor, Johonna and Michelle Middlebrooks.

Here is Johonna holding her brother Baylor. Right after this picture Johonna pushed Baylor on to the pillow when her mother asked what surprises Aunt Laurie brought.

Now for Jordan Valley:

School has started again in Jordan Valley. This is day 3 with students and we already have a lice breakout. The student response to this news was Ohhhh. Kept them away from us. I must agree with them.

The students think that summer was too short. I was shocked that they did not miss me at all. I am not sure that I really missed them. I do have many that kept in touch during the summer through texting. Maybe this is why I did not miss them.

Before school started we have a major fire about 10 miles out of town. The school grounds were full of US Forest Fire crews. (eventho we do not have trees) One of my students was telling me today that they lost 3 cows that were not able to get out of the way of the fire. So sad!!

The fair and rodeo in Boise are keeping the students up to late. After pratice they head out to the city to enjoy the events. When I asked them why the response was "Girls" That is a teenage boys mind for ya.

Good news is that cattle prices are way up!! To some of my seniors that plan to take over their family ranches next year this means lots of money. At least until the cattle prices go back down then they will give the ranches back to their parents and look for gold somewhere else.

After 3 short days the students are already complaining about hot lunch. Tacos, Spaghetti, and today Hot Dogs are not what they are hungry for. One girl said today I am glad I have peanut butter and jelly for lunch. I am just glad that I always go home for lunch.

This year we have more students. We have 13 in the middle school, 6 in the freshmen class, 4 in the sophomore (they have one girl now. Homecoming is looking hopeful for a princess) 6 juniors, and 8 seniors. Grand total 37 up from 26 last year.

Little things sometimes mean the most.

2011-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I was never able to have children because of my early onset of Polycistic Ovaries. I must admit at first it really did not sink in because I was not married and I did not want to raise a child by myself. (I think being a single parent would be the hardest job in the world) Since I cannot have children maybe this is why I love teaching children. I have said before in this blog how much I enjoy my job but I do not know if I would be a good teacaher and parent. Today some students were stroking my ego and I realize that the little things I do sometimes seems like a very big thing to a student. (Jordan Valley Student Body pictured to the right)

For Example:

I try to greet every student as they enter my class. A good morning or good afternoon always brings a smile to their face. Asking them how their day is going or how was lunch also are good conservation starters. At the end of class I always tell my studentsto have a good rest of the day. I call them dear and sweetie and I always tell them to drive carefully if I know they are going somewhere.

I have been know to give my students Nike stuff. (Thank you Michelle!)I found some Nike lanyards that I had at the house and I brought them to school. The kids loved them. By the end of the day most of the students had USB drives and keys on a new black Nike lanyard. Of course if they wanted one they had to set a school goal and meet it!

I have also been known to by treats. This week it was strawberries. It is true that young kids will eat fruit. All you have to do is give it to them.

When I was in town on Monday a student asked if I could pick up a bag of dog food. No big deal since I was going anyways. You would think that I saved her dogs lives. She told me that I do to much for the kids and her dogs. I never really gave it much thought in this town it is comman to pick things up for neighbors.

Today was really something special. About 20 years or so a go one of my former students was serving in Operation Desert Storm. As a typing assignment I had my students type letters and prepare care packages for this student. As a daughter of a career marine I realized how nice it is for them to get letters from home. This morning the son of this past student told me that his dad saved every one of the letters that my class wrote. I was so surprised that he saved the letters. I never really thought that such a small task would be so special.

Now of course I sound like a real hero in these stories which I do not mean to do. I feel like I am just doing little things but sometimes they really make someone feel special. I tell my students that when you give you get back much more than you give. I have found this not only with my students but with all of you wonderful neices and newphews. A babysitter book here and there, or maybe a quilt or cross stich. Or maybe a trip to the beach or a movie. These seem such a little jester but the looks of surprise of your faces are priceless!!!

Thank you all for the love and respect that you have given me over the years. I am so blessed to call you family!!

Count your Blessings

2011-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

I have always known that I had a wonderful childhood. I did not have to worry where we were going to live, if there was going to be any food in the house, or if I was loved by my parents. Being a teaching for 26 years I have seen a lot of different family situations. Some good, some surprising, and many different from how my family life was. I tell the kids that when we are born we do not come with an instruction book so parents are on their own triying to figure out how to raise their children. I try to not judge a parents situation however something happen yesterday that made me stop and count my blessings.

I have a student that is a senior. His parents are divorce and for most of his life he lived he lived with his mother in Bosie. Last year he moved to Jordan Valley to live with his dad and grandfather. Like many teenagers his father and him have had some disagreements over the years. Yesterday this student came to class early. I could tell that he was not himself. He told me that the night before he had an argument with his father about his ripped pants. (I had told him that if he brought me the pants the next day I would fix them for him) According to my students the argument got bad fast because his father was drunk. I guess the father took a swnig at my student who was able to move out of the way. Fearful of what he might do my student left and went to a freinds house. My student and I called his mother to explain what happen and she decided that she did not want her son to go back to his father's home. With only five weeks of school left what is there to do?? After a few minutes of calling around we found a place for my student to stay at for the remainedr of the school. Thank goodness our little town has a big heart.

This Easter I am reminded how lucky I was and am . There never was a time that I did not feel love from my parents. Loosing my father at the age of 18 was not a joy but I knew he loved me. Now I live in a community where I could ask for help for anything. I feel love and acceptance from my family. I am blessed, truley very blessed thanks to all of you!!

Teaching Moment of the Day

2011-04-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

During the last hour of school it is my prep. I am to use the time to work on class stuff but a lot of times I have students that ask to work in my room. I am not joking myself I know that they just want to see if the computers will let them use facebook. Today I was working on my computer when I heard a strange noise. I turned to my student Dustin and ask what he was doing. He said: "I am blowing the cheese out of my switch blade" My response was: "Oh ok" I guess I have been teaching in a small school too long. It does not concern me when a student has a switch blade or pocket knife in their pocket. Of course usually they do not need to clean the cheese off of their knives. Most of the time I never know they have them. And yes, in case you were wondering we do have students that usually have some type of gun in their car especially duirng hunting season.

Jordan Valley Updates (yes again)

2011-04-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

1. Guess what? It is snowing. I am sittingin my classroom and it the is last period of the day and it is a mini blizzard out side. We did have a few days of good weather (rain and some sun) but now the snow is back. Just in case I thought it was going to stop, it is perdicted to snow tomorrow. 2. Be glad you are not the middle school students they have a track meet today! 3. The seniors and some juniors are on a biology trip. This year they went to San Francisco. I hope they find lots of fish, birds, and plants to study since they have to keep a log on these items. 4. Some ranches have been turning out their cattle. This means that they move the cows form their home ranches to range land. The range could be write down the street or many miles away. This morining I had a student that was late. I asked "Why are you late" His reply was "We had to move cows" Does this mean that they need to pack for them and call a moving van? No not really. They may call a semi truck or if it is close by they just turn the cows loose on the road and move them down the road to their new home. 5. For my birthday one of my students made a bunch of cupcakes that said "Happy 50 Birthday Miss Ellis We Love You" Not only was I surprised by the juster but I was also surprised that we had enough cupcakes for the entire school. The students told me that she did cupcakes instead of a cake because she knows that I am diabetic and that I would not eat a big piece of cake. She was right. I guess these students know me way to well. 6. Not much else going on, and yes it is still snowing! Love to you all!!!

24 hours in Jordan Valley

2011-03-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

During the last 24 hours a lot of things have happened. I guess it is the time of year but here are the highlights.

1. We had snow. Again. Eventho it is just a couple inches it is the bitter wind that makes the day rough. I have new windows in my classroom but they do not shut all the way so when the wind blows we all are reminded that it is not spring yet.

2. Student saves calf: Last night about 11:00 pm one of my students went to check on a cow that he figured would have her calf soon. When he got out there the calf was laying in a pile of snow. Why the cow did not think to have the calf a few feet to the right or left on dry ground my student did not know. The calf was still wet and was freezing so my student took the calf inside to warm it up by the fire. After the calf was dried and warmed up my student returned the calf to his mother. The mother was angry and ran after my student. It was a good thing he was on a 4 wheeler because he said that he would not have been able to out run the cow. I guess even mommy cows are protective of their young. All are doing well.

3. The Jordan Valley school district has an outbreak of Lice. About 12 students were sent home fromt he high school and elemetry school because they had head lice. The high school kids were excited to miss school. According to them it is better than a snow day. They were told to stay home until they long longer had any lice. It can take up to 7 days to get rid of the lice and eggs. They may be excited now but wait until they see all the school work they will be missing.

4. Track began. It was not nice according to the students to run in the wind and snow. Today should be better.

5. I went to town (Nampa) to pick up some medicine. The doctor's office called in the wrong amount so the pharmacy was not able to fill it. 120 miles round trip just to find out that there was a mistake. I did make good use of my time and go food shopping. I got the kids some drinks (gatorade, juce, and Ice sparkleing water), muffins and candy. They were on a surger high today. I spoiled them and then sent them to their next class. Kinda like being an Aunt or Grandmother!

6. My students and I hope that tomorrow is a better day!!

My Granny Gertrude Smith on Faith

2011-02-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

Most of our family would admit that my mother had a strong faith. She used her faith to help her through the tough times and was greatful for her faith during the good times. But where did my mom get her faith? From her parents Gerturde and Peter Smith. Over the years I heard my mom talk about her parents faith but it really hit home recently when I found some excerts from letters that my Granny wrote to her daughter Barbara during WWII. (Peter and Gertrude Smith on the left)

On October 22, 1942 she worte:

....I heard a story not long ago that mede me wonder if I and my children always thanked God for his blessings. It seems God sent the angles to earth one night with large baskets to gather up all the desires and requests of mankind. They came back with innumerable basketfulls. And then he sent them back to gather up the thank you's. I guess every one was so happy in getting his prayers answered or so disappointed in not they forgot because the angles went back with only 3 basketfulls. It's just a story of course but it made me wonder. I have had the occasions duirng the last six months to ask God for many things and they include everyone of you children and I've been very careful to say THANK YOU, LORD sometimes with laughter in my voice and sometimes with tears running down my cheeks....

This message really hit home. I am not sure that I remember the thank you's!! At the time my Granny wrote this she had two sons in the Navy (Bob and Don), a daughter headed for the WAVES (Martinia) and a second daughter accross the country with her husband (Barbara). About a year after this letter on November 24, 1943 Don's ship was sunk in the South Pacific. Waiting for news was a hugh strain on my grandparents and their childen. On December 17, 1943 they did receive word from the Navy that Don was missing. My Granny wrote on the day: "God grant he is alive. I think he is." (Donald Peter Smith pictured on the right)

on February 10, 1944 with still no official word from the Nave she wrote:

I seem to have come to the end of my road. My shoulders are weighed down with a heavy burden. I am dead inside. My reason tells me there is no hope. But something else says nothing is impossible with God. He can bring him back even if everyone says he is gone. I may be waiting for ships that never come in but I'll always be waiting.

A month later on March 4, 1944 she wrote:

As I look at it there is only one avenue of hope left for me concerning Don. I've done everything I can thon of. Now it's up to God. If it isn't--I don't think of that. I can't bear to think of what the rest of my life would be without him. Sometimes I think I just can't bear to wait any longer. But there isn't anything I can do except cry and after awhile I calm down. God is surely testing me.

After receiving final word from the Navy on March 28, 1944 she wrote:

I can not believe Don is not coming back. It seems to me I would feel it if he is dead. And I don't. Although we may have heard from the navy something seems to remind me that we haven't heard from God yet---

Never having the honor of having children I will never fully understand the ups and downs of loosing a son. I can only imagine it is one of the most earth shattering things that a parent can go through. How would anyone deal with troubled times like this if they did not have any faith at all? My Granny died when I was 9 and I never had the opportunity to discuss faith with her. My mom always told me that faith is a gift from God one of the most precious gifts you will ever receive!! I thank my grandparents for showing my mother how to rely on her gift of faith and I thank my mother for passing this gift on to me and her grandchildren!!

What is New

2011-02-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

Today the boys basketball team leaves to take part in the district basketball tournement. They will be leaving at 9:00 am which means we will have 10 students left at school. You talk about one one one teaching!

The last few days have been warm and sunny but we are getting ready for a snow storm to come later today. The forcast that we will have snow through next monday.

Because of the students being gone we will not have school tomorrow. (Which means a 4 day weekend!) As a teacher I even like these "no school" days. I plan on sleeping in and then who knows.

Plans are in the works for Prom which will be at the end of April. Do you realize how hard it is to find dates for the boys when there are only 5 girls in the high school? If you know of any possible dates please e-mail me resumes.

Baby calves are popping. According to my ranching students lots of babies are being born. Of course cows go into labor usually in the middle of the night and in the cold. This means some of the ranching boys are tired from being up all night. They do not need to be there when the cow gives birth but they do need to be close by when it is cold. If it is below freezing then the baby calf could freeze so the ranchers need to be close by to dry the calf off and bring it in to the warmth.

A new round of colds are going through the school. I think I may have one. After all teaching is a high risk job for colds.

The school has been flying by. It is hard to believe that school will be out in less than 3 months.

More Jordan Valley News

2011-01-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

1. Last week my student Matt returned to school. It is amazing that just 3 months after his stroke he is back at school. Getting around is not a big problem. He has a cane that he will use some of time but he does not need it all the time. His arm is still not used much. I noticed that when he sits he will stretch out his hand. He is at school 2 days a week and then he go to physical therapy the other 3 days. His biggest problem is still talking. He knows what he wants to say but it is hard for his to say or write it. He does have a word book and he will show me what he wants to say. Today for the first time he used the computer. He played a game but at least he was using the mouse and keyboard. It is amazing how people can recover.

2. In Personal Finance the students were to do a worksheet on simple interest. However the conservation centered around Big Foot, Spider Bears, and other creatures of the real or unreal world.

3. A student was telling me today that when a cow has not feed her calf you can tell because it looks like her bag is going to burst. I guess this student has a cow like this during the weekend. He looked in the field for the calf to no success. The next day he was ridding his four wheeler and found the calf. It had fallen in a badger hole and all he could see was the calf's head. He got the calf out of the hole and took him back to his mother. Everything was doing good however this morning he again notice that the cow's bag was full and the calf was no where to be found. The kids tell me that cows are dumb. I am thinking that they may be right.

4. The middle kids won their ball game this weekend against Harper. The high school also won. They even got to eat at Subway on the way home. If you live in a town with no fast food this really is a treat.

5. The kids are on the mend. However some are still sick with colds. I have them all sit as far from me as possible.

6. We had snow this morning. Last week we had lost of sunshine. I guess it still is winter but.....

7. Health is learning about eating right. We researched fad diets last week. The most interesting according to the kids was the tape worm diet. It is when you eat a tape worm so you will loose weight. Why anyone would go to this extreem is strange. The kids say it must be true because it is on the internet.

2011-01-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

UPDATE

The cows that were stuck on the island have been saved. The water went down enough that they were able to walk off the island. No cows were hurt!

2011-01-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

TIDBITS FROM JORDAN VALLEY

It has been a long time since I have blogged so I decided to catch you up with some tidbits of what has been going on in the big town of Jordan Valley, Oregon.

1. Everyone is sick. I was out all last week witht he flu and now the students are starting to fall. Yesterday 1/3 of our students were gone. With only 35 students in the school that does not leave many students in classs.

2. We have had some flooding around the area. On of my students has 8 cows that are stranded on an island that was created when the field flooded. There is about 8 feet of rushing water around the island. The cows are not able to get off the island (I guess they are not good swimmers) and there is no way to get food to them. My student thinks that they can last a week or so without food. On the bright side, he does not have to worry about hauling water to them.

3. My student Matt that had a stroke is now out of the hospital. He was at our last basketball game which was a very welcome site. He is able to walk with a cane but he still is only able to say a few words.

4. I bought gas at the local Shell station at lunch today. When I got back to school I had several students mention that I bought gas in town. (I usually do ot buy gas in town). I did not realize how quick the rumor mill worked in Jordan Valley.

5. Progress reports go out on Monday so students are rusing to get all of their assignments in so they will not be ground from basketball. Basketball is a very big motivator in this town. This year we do not have enough girls in the high school to have a team so the girls have been playing with the JV Boys team. We have two girls with black eyes and one with stitches in her lip. I guess it is safe to say that the girls are learning to play aggressive basketball.

6. My across the street neighbor got a new cow dog puppy. He is a little butterball so of course his name is Slim. Turkey was also suggested as a possible name.

7. This weekend (Friday and Saturday) we have two home basketball games. These games are the only social event in Jordan Valley. The little kids start at noon, and the high school games start at 4:00. In between a potluck. What better way to spend the weekend.

8. In personal finance class today we were talking about home mortages. One of my students said he was going to build a home of mud and sticks and he would not have a home mortage. I reminded him that most women now a days usually wanted a home with running water. He advised me that the creek could run through the house to provide running water. Think how nice this would be she would not even have to go out of the house to fetch the water. I hope he never marries.

9. Love is not in the air. So far today we have two breakups. This is hard to take for the guys when there are only 5 girls in the high school. I guess the girls have a bigger choice on a replacement.

10. The school year is more than half over. January and February are the worst months for school in Jordan Valley. The students are busy with school work and basketball six days a week. Practice is over at 6 and for some they have more than an hour to drive home or ride on the bus. Like a large family that is locked up in the house together the kids start to fight over little things. Drama is at a high among the students and staff. Maybe this world of mine would make a good soap opera!

So Does She Look Like Anyone On the Ellis Side?

2010-11-09T11:37:00.001-08:00

Recently Michelle posted this picture of Johonna. This started me wondering if our little Johonna looks like any of her Ellis relatives. Check out the pictures below.

Jessica age 2, Sean age 1 1/2 , Great Grandad Ellis holding Grammy and Uncle Eric, Sara

Meagan age 2, Aunt Laurie and Brianna, Trisha age 2

Mom, Michelle age 2 Uncle Jack age 2 1/2 and Aunt Ashley age 2

What do you think?

Update on my student Matt

2010-11-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

This morning we got a call from Matt's mother. The last CAT Scan showed that Matt's brain is swelling. They were going to do an MRI this afternoon and if the swelling is bad enough then they will do surgey to relieve the swelling.

When this news came across the PA system I had the middle school students in my room. They all looked so worried when they heard the word surgey. I tried my best to let them know that the doctors know what they are doing.

Please continue to say your prayers for Matt and his family.

"But Why Miss Ellis"

2010-11-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend and today at school has been some of the longest three days of my life. Friday during our last home football game one of our seniors passed out. At first the EMT's thought he may be suffering from heat stroke but then, the romor started among the students that Matt had taken some pain pills before the game. The decision was made to have life flight come to fly Matt to the hospital since it is a 90 mile drive. Time went by so slow as the game was delyed and we waited for life flight.

Saturday I got a call from my boss to update me on Matt's condition. The doctors were very sure that Matt had a massive stroke. My response was what? A 17 year boy in good health had a stroke. Who ever heard of this? Matt was in ICU and is at that time he was not able to move his right side. My boss asked that I call my my students in my guide class to update them on Matt's condition and to dispell the romors that Matt had taken pain pills. There were no drugs what so ever found in Matt's system. As you can guess my students were not only surprised but had lots of questions. Some I was able to answer but the question that they all asked that I could not answer was Why Miss Ellis? How do you answer this? There is no answer? I was as honest as I could be and told them that I don't know why bad things happen to good people.

Today in school we called the students together and updated them on Matt's condition. He is still in ICU and is being kept calm so that his brain does not swell. He is still not able to breathe on his own and he still can not move his right side. As the day went on students asked a variety of questions. Once again most I could answer but then one student ask "Why does life suck so much". Again I did not have an answer. I thought what my mom would say when life was in a down cycle which was "Well if you never had a bad day how would you ever know if you had a good day" Since I never really liked this statement I did not give my students this answer. I am sure I managed to say something but I have really do not remember what. I think this is one of those times when there is not an answer.

Please keep Matt and his family in your prayers.

Johanna Theresa Smith

2010-10-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

My mom told me once that her mission in life was to be a wife and mother. She never dreamed of a career however being a wife and mother is one of the hardest jobs there is. My mom was born on the family farm in Lebanon, Oregon. (Near Crabtree) She was the 6th child of Peter and Gertrude Smith. There was about a 9 year gap between my mom and her brother, the next youngest. The doctor had told Gertrude that she should not have any more children but they so wanted more. My mom was named after her two grandmothers: Johanna Smith and Theresa Cliff. About a year and a half after my mom's birth her younger sister and best friend Toni was born. The two girls quickly were given the nickname of "The Twirps" by their older brothers and sisters. On the right is the only baby picture of my mother. It was taken at her first Strawberry fair. On the left and below are the twirps.

My mom's early years were spent living on the farm. They had walnuts and hazelnuts (filberts) as their main cash crop. To help support the family Peter worked at the local lumber mill during the day and ran the farm after work. My mom talked of her childhood often. She always felt loved by her parents. She loved school but she did not consider herself a good student. She and Toni help with the chores on the farm. She said that the walnut harvest was often in the rain and cold. By the end of the day her hands were covered black from the walnut casings. She once told me that she never wanted to marry a farmer.

My mom was raised Catholic. Sundays mornings were spent going to church and then having a BIG breakfast afterwards. Mom remembered always having to be at church early. Her father never wanted to be late. They would wait in the car until it was time to enter the church. After mass her dad, Peter, would read the paper while her mother was making breakfast. She would laugh as she talked about her brothers Don and Bob snitching bacon almost as fast as her mother could cook it. My mom always said that faith is a gift and like any gift it is up to us to use it to our benefit. She learned her faith from her parents and she taught her children her faith by her actions. Not just by going to mass but by saying the rosary and reading her prayer book every morning. She even had a prayer book in her car so she could read while she sat at red lights. She never talked bad of other religions, in fact she tried to understand their practices.

When she was 8 her older brother Don was killed when his ship the Liscomb Bay was sunk in the Pacific during WWII. My mom said that when the telegram came with the news her father cried. This was the only time that she recalled him crying. He felt such guilt because he had signed for Don to enter the Navy. This was a real tough time for the family. They were shaken and relied on their faith to understand WHY? As an 8 year old my mom did not fully grasp the entire situation. What 8 year old would? A couple years before my mom's death I found a book about the Liscomb Bay. After reading it my mom said that she felt closer to her brother. At last she understood what he went through. On the left is Don and the Twirps also known as his "Glamor Girls".

When my mom was in high school her parents sold the farm and moved to town. (Lebanon) They purchased a small house on C Street. Life was much easier in town with no farm to worry about. They did have enough yard to have a small vegetable and herb garden and lots of roses. My granny, Gertrude, loved her garden and took great pride in her roses. Living in town gave my mom more free time to enjoy her high school years. She was active with the youth group at church and was in choir at school. She enjoyed movies and music of the time. She loved going to dances with her family. I guess her parents were quite the dancers!

My mom loved her life. She was so proud of her family. Her children and grandchildren were her source of entertainment. When the grandchildren were little she could spend all day just watching them play. She may not of wanted a career but I am grateful that she was such a success in her career as a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. Mom thanks for being such a wonderful mother and friend!!

HOMECOMING

2010-10-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

This past week was homecoming. Homecoming is Jordan Valley is very different from when I was in high school. I do not even remember much of homecoming at good old Cleveland High but I am sure we had one. Here in Jordan Valley each class creates a float for the parade. Of course students are not allowed to work on the float during the school day so we work on them after pratice. This gives me time to go home and cook dinner for my class. Nothing fancy but something to fill their stomach. We usually work until 8 or so depending on what we are doing. It is a long day but it does give a teacher time to see the students in a different role.

This is a picture of the float my class created. There was more work than it looks like. It took a couple nights to weld togther parts of the float. We did not win but we did get thrid place out of 4.

In addition to the Friday parade and games Jordan Valley has a bon fire. This year my class had to get the wood for fire. During the summer our crow nest on the football field caught fire. The powers that be at school decided we should the left over wood for the bon fire. The problem is that we had to knock down the half burnt stand and move it to the bon fire area. Thank goodness we have 5 boys in the class because the did most of the work. In the end it was a great bon fire.

The kids doing jumping jacks around the fire. I have no idea why. After jumping jacks and a few cheers then it is story time.

I enjoy spending time with my class but I am glad that homecoming is over!

A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

2010-08-31T12:45:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy starting the new school year. After a summer of sleeping in and staying up late it is kinda hard to get back into the swing of things. Not just for the students but for me as well.

This year we have 26 students in the high school and 9 students in the middle school. We only have 6 girls in the high school. Just enough to make a volleyball team. For basketball I am not sure if all the girls will be playing. If not we may not have a team. The big question so far this year is: Who will be the Homecomming princess for the freshman class. The class has 3 boys but no girls. In the 25 years that I have been teaching in Jordan Valley we have never had this problem. My class, the sophomores has one girl so we are set. I guess the freshman class advisor will have to decide what to do with her class.

We are currently in a wonderful weather situation. Cold nights and days in the high 70's. For the last couple weeks it has been in the 100's and my classroom was misreasable. With 17 computers my air conditioner was running 24 hours and it still was in the 80-90's in the room.

We have been going through some computer problems. Our computer people change networks during the summer so we are having growing pains. The big problem is that the yearbook file from last year is somewhere in computer limbo. I have asked our computer guy several times it he could tell me how to get to it and he keeps telling me that he will work on it. So far no luck. .

I hope that the growing pains that we have had so far will change and things will go great for the rest of the year.

What is in a Name

2010-07-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

Not being a parent I have no idea what kind of things parents consider when naming thier children. Over the last few weeks I have been entering family information into my family roots program. Most of our family names are the typical John, James, Mary and Jane. However every once in awhile I will come across a name that jumps off the page.

The most unique male name so far is Tuberville. Tuberville's parents were named John and Nancy so it does not appear that his name is a family name. (I have not yet found any other Tuberville). Was his named based on a place. We do have our share of names like Tennessee and Missouri so maybe Tuberville is a city where they lived. I have no evidence of this but anything is possible.

Some parents just like the way a name sounds with the last name. Maybe this is what was the case here. So what is Tuberville's last name? Looney. That is right Tuberville Looney. . . .

Sister Karen Turns 53

2010-05-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today is my big sister Karen's birthday. This is truly a day for celerbration

As you have read in my neice's blogs Karen had a stroke a couple of months ago. Her progress has been wonderful and it has reminded us all how short and special our lives are.

I thought I would share with you some of my favorite pictures of Karen!

Karen and Eric in the back yard of our house on 32nd street. Mom always had us stand in front of the flowers.

Karen as a little tyke. It does not seem that the strollers back then were made for the comfort of the baby. Where did mom put all the shopping bags? I also love the lamp. So fifties.

Sitting in Dad's chair in the living room of the 32nd street house. Karen was always a sharp dresser. Very 70's sweater and scarf!

Karen in her curly look. I liked it so much I had to get the same look for myself.

The early Stephens family. Michelle with no hair, and Karen and Casey with similar looks.

Karen and Mom stopping in the parking garage for a quick picture. We were on our way to Chad's graduation.

Karen thank you for all the love that you show and give me. My life is special becaue you are my big sister!

Who would think to put their foot behind their head?

2010-05-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

To start with I do not think I have ever tried to put my foot behind my head. In looking through some old photos I came across this picture of Michelle.
Now I noticed in Michelle's blog that there was not a picture of her trying the foot behind the head task. So I offer this as proof that at one time she did try but failed. Maybe it is a family trait that my nephew Chris has. In all the famiy pictures that I have come across I do not have any other of my neices or nephews trying this amazing task. Or is that our family never really thought about trying!

Congrts Chris your are truly amazing in many ways! Love ya all

Summers Past

2010-05-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

Well I just read Michelle's blog about Jo and her pool which brought tears to my eyes of summers gone by. Because there was a good size back yard at Granny's we enjoyed having the kids over during the summer. It is true that I woud warm up the water but as the kids grew older I grew smarter and I would hook the hose to the sink in the laundray room and fill the pool with warm water. It surprises me that this is something that Michelle remembers.

I went through some old pictures and picked out some of my favorites.

I think this was one of the best pools we had. The pink octupus gave Michell an instant friend. I think that it also lasted more than one season! Michelle liked to run and jump on the octupus.

Jack also loved the pool. He would laugh and splash! He usually wanted any toy he had in the pool. We had to watch the rag dolls. What a joy for both Granny and I to watch.

By the time Ashley came along the two older

kids could get a little out of hand in the pool. My time was spent making sure they did not smash her or something.

The summers of past were "good" times. The Sthepens kids brought a lot of joy to me and Granny. Watching them in the pool was a time to relax and forgot the stress of the day.

Love to you all!!

The End of Another School

2010-05-11T15:50:00.000-07:00

One day until the end of the school year. I am not sure if the teachers are more excited than the students. For me this is not just another year it is the end of my 25th year in Jordan Valley.

When I came here so many years ago I am not sure that I planned to stay this long. As the years continued I realized how a small school district provides a wonderful place for a teacher to flourish. You have a large amount of freedom. The state standards need to be addressed but how you as a teacher elect to teach them is up to you. We have up to date technology and usually if I plan we can find money to keep it up to date.

Not only am I a queen in my classroom but having a small amount of students allows me to listen and learn about their lives. Some of the things I am told are sad but most of the things are exciting. One of favorite parts of the day is when students gather in my room before school starts. Some students are rusingh to complete their homework that is due in 15 minutes but others are there to chat. Maybe about their parents or something that happen in class the day before. All kinds of things. The students in Jordan Valley are a strong breed. Many of them work with their parents on their ranches. They start driving at the age of 3 ot 4 when ever they are old enough to steer the truck. (Usually someting heavy is on the gas petal and they hope they do not have to use the brakes) They would do just about anything for me. All I need to do is ask.

I am usually asked if I miss the students when they graduate. The answer I give is always no. For most of the seniors this is a surprised but as I tell them they will always be in my heart. I am proud that they were in my life but I am also excited of what the rest of their life will be like. There is so much of life to live after graduation. Last Saturday I said "goodbye" to the 25th class that graduated since I have been here. They like of the the classes before them are full of dreams of the future. I can't wait to see if their dreams come true.

Who is Who

2010-04-27T13:38:00.000-07:00

In my last blog I talked about wondering where all the time has gone and how much the nieces and nephews have change over time. This inspired me to do a little picture quiz of who is who. See how many you get right. They are not in any particular order.

The answers are:

1. Jack 2. Michelle 3. Jack and Michelle 4. Casey, Jessica and Michelle 5. Michelle 6. Karen, Nancy, Chad and Eric 7. Ashley, Granny, and Sara 8. Eric (no not a prison picture just one for military ID) 9. Ashley, Sara, and Brianna 10. Grandad Ellis 11. Meagan 12. Sean

Brianna's Wedding

2010-04-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

You may have just read my post of my trip to Seattle but the reason for the trip was to witness my niece Brianna marry her husband Ken. Ken and Brianna have been dating for a couple of years and they seem to fit each other very well. Even tho the trip was long I was excited for the day to begin.

It started with Jack, Patty, Ashley and Chris stopping by my room to change. Even tho they had just drove for 4 hours they were very upbeat. After they dressed we met Michelle, Luke and Johonna and went out for breakfast. I was sitting at a table with six young adults and a little girl of the next generationl. It seemed like just yesterday when Michelle, Jack, and Ashley would spend the night at Grans and I would be cooking them breakfast. Where had the time gone.

After breakfast we made our way to the church. A beautiful brick

Catholic church. We entered and Jessi found us and told us where to sit. It was not long until the service began. As I watched Brianna and Ken come down the asile together they both seemed so confident. The did not seem nervous at all. Again I wondered where all of the years had gone. It seemed like yesterday that I escorted Brianna and Sara to New York to spend the summer with their mom. Brianna was so serious on the plane while Sara wanted to run up and down the asiles. It is just one of the differences that these two had at one time. Today Sara and her other sisters stood with Brianna as she entered into her future life as a married women. This was my first nuptial mass. It was beautiful.

After the mass we made our way to the reception on the other side of town. This was my first day light look at Seattle since I had arrvied at night. I was a little confused by all the overpasses but the city was beautiful. The reception place had a wonderful view of the city from across the bay. It was a very relaxing setting. The food and conservations were wonderful. It was nice to see the neices and nephews and get caught up on their lives. Again my mind wondered to earlier years and the time we spent together. Back then they seemed to need us grown ups but now they are the grown ups. On their own and ready to make their mark on the world. No one knows what the future holds but I hope that Brianna and Ken and my other nieces and nephews will be able to take time for the small things. A trip to the Zoo, or a game of hair dresser will let you take time to laugh and enjoy what god has given you!!

My First Trip to Seattle

2010-04-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago I took my first trip to Seattle to attend my wonderful niece Brianna's wedding. On a good day Seattle is about 10 hours from Jordan Valley. It took me awhile to get things together but I was out of my house before ten. I was excited to get on the road. The sooner I started the trip the sooner I would be there.

About an hour and a half from Jordan Valley I got a flat tire. If you have never been to god's country let me describe it for you. There is nothing out here. An hour and a half form Jordan Valley puts you on highway 78 between Burns Junction and Burns. There are no trees, homes, or people but there are lots of cows. I pulled my car to the side of the road and got out of the car. I took out some things so I could get to the spare tire and jack which is in the back. I have never used the jack on this car so I took time to read the directions. I set the jack and start to jack up the car. Then I start to take off the lug nuts but the tire just spins because I had jacked up the car. So I lower the car and take off the lug nuts. For some people this may have taken a few minutes. I don't move that fast so it took awhile. In the time that I had done this about 8 cars or so had passed by. No one stopped so I figured I am in this alone. Just as I was thinking this a car pulled up and asked if I could use some help. When I heard this my street smarts left my head. They did not look like they would kill me. So I let them help. I was blessed. These two men in no time had my spare on my tire on the car. I thanked them very much and resumed my trip to Seattle. My plan was to stop in Burns buy some new tires and continue on my way.

About five miles out of Burns it happened again. My back tire went flat. I could not beleive my luck. I had no spare and I figured that I was close to Burns so I decided to drive in on what was left of my tire. I know this should not be done but I was bound and determined to make it to Burns. And I did. I pulled in the turning lane to the drive into Les Schwab and I say one of the employees pointing at me. As I pulled in they directed me to lift. No waiting here. The attendent said "you did not want to put on your spare" I replied "NO it is already on." I told him my story and told him to do what ever need to be done. After a few minutes he told me that the rim was fine but I did need four new tires. Since my car is all wheel drive all the tires need to be the same. He told me that he had two sets of tires. The most expensive and the next expensive. I told him to put on the next expensive. After a half hour I was on my way.

I was again excited to resume my trip. About twenty miles out of Burns a car pulled up beside me and held up a sign that said "Low Tire" I stop and found that again one of my brand new tires was flat. How could this be? I turned around and headed back toward Burns. It was my hope that I would be able to make it back to Burns even tho the tire was low. No chance. I made it about a mile when the tire was totaly flat. I pulled over and again went through process of getting out the spare and jack. I got my tire off and was trying to figure how the spare went on when again a car pulled over. This time it was a family and the son and husband were kind enough to put on the spare. Once again I was on the road back to Burns and Les Schwab. The same attendent was there to open my door. I told him that maybe it was the rim what ever it was just fix it. I sat down and about 15 minutes later the attendent joined me. He said that the tire sensor was broken which caused the tire to loose air. He was sure they had the part and suggested that I replace it both of the tires that had gone flat. He also told me that since I drove on the low tire it had destroyed it and they could not use it. Of course Les Schwab guarantees their tires even tho it was my fault. They refunded me for the tires that I had just bought and then sold me the only set the had, the expensive set.

After a short time I was on the road. The rest of the trip was uneventful. After all of flat tires what else could go wrong. I arrived in Seattle about midnight and took a long hot shower and went right to bed. This drive was full of lessons.

They included:

Check tires before a long trip.

Don't have a lot of stuff in the car. The more stuff you have the more that you
need to take out to get to the spare.

Always buy tires at Les Schawb.

Thank Dad for teaching you how to change a tire.

Thank you Mom and Dad for watching over me!

The Strong Slient Type

2010-04-06T16:05:00.001-07:00

Today I was going through my father's military record and I was reading some of his performance reports. My father was a career Marine. He spent 22 years of his life fighting in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He joined during WWII, like a lot of men, when he was 17. He never really talked much about his experience which is why I think I am interested in it now.

To the right is a picture that was taken early in his career. He looks so very young but he was. He left high school to join the marines and then received his GED when he was in the service. In the early years he was the typical marine on the front lines. As his career progressed he drove and mechaniced trucks, taught classes and worked in radio communications.

In reading through his reviews I came across these comments: SSgt Ellis is a quiet, modest marine with mature demenor. He posesses good knowledge of his functional field and accomplishes good results in the discharge of his duties. He is willing to accept any responsibility and is at his best when able to work independently. He is cooperative, intelligent and attentive to duty. His spare time is spent on self improvement. ( Robert Clay, Aug 4, 1964)

The review above is how I remember my father. He could enjoy being by himself all day casting a fishing line and not catching anything. He would escape to the basement to tinker with some wood project. I don't recall a lot of projects that he made other than repairs around the house. My favorie were the Sunday drives to no where. Just a drive to see what there is to see.

Now my mother and her side of the family were the talkers when something needed to be said. She enjoyed talking and spending time with family and friends. Maybe one reason my parents marriage worked so well was because they had this difference. I am sure that the first few years of their marriage was a lot of compermising and learning. I recall my mother talking about a trailer that they lived in when they first got married. The worse part was that there were no doors to slam when they got mad at each other. I guess it made them work things out quietly. The picture at the right is my parents in front of that wonderful trailer. (Love those pin curls, mom! )

Family History

2010-04-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Any of you that knew my wonderful mother knew that it would be safe to call her a "genealogy buff". For as long as i remember she contacted relatives, read books, and tried to make the past come to life. As a small child I think genealogy gave my mom something to do "once the kids" were in bed on those lonely nights when my dad was overseas. Later it gave her a chance to get out of the house and go to the library and loose her mind in the rolls of microfilm.

Checking for dead relatives in Roy, Oregon Cemetary

I have always loved the stories but my interest boomed with the advent of computer genealogy programs. My mother and I spent hours entering data into our first DOS ran genealogy program. She would read the information and I would type. Sometimes we did this for 6 or 7 hours at a stretch. Me with my dill pickles and diet soda and mom with her snacks we entered over 14,000 names into the program.

Checking the paper for obits of realtives

Now that she is gone I have been given all of her notebooks, files, books, and such. A gold mine for a beginning genealogist like myself but also a mountain to climb. Over this past spring break I started entering names into an updated program. I get involved and realized that it is almost morning. (I really need to watch this on school nights)

My hope is from time to time to let you know of interesting facts that I have come across. This week's fact is:

The wife our my 7th great uncle was Sarah H Stephens. What if she is related to my brother-in-law Casey. Could it be that my sister married a decedent of our 7th great grand uncle? Sarah was born in South Carolina in 1749 and died in 1844 in Georgia. I have not traced Sarah's line so I am not sure of any other connections. Casey do you have a 7th great aunt named Sarah?

A Drive To Town

2010-03-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

This past week was the first day of spring and the weather in Jordan Valley was wonderful. So I decided I would do one of my favorite students, Fin (this is what I call him) a favor. Last week he went on a ski trip and he left his father's coat at the ski lodge.

I had never been to Bogas Basin but I had seen the signs from the freeway so I of course did not get a map. After 90 miles of driving I came to the exit of the freeway and took it. I followed the signs through downtown Bosie. The road started to go up into the hills and there were fewer and fewer houses so I figured I was on the right track. Thank goodness the weather was good because the road was not. The road was narrow and there were hair pin turns with a speed limit of 20 mph. I passed a police car that was on the side of the road with his speed gun out the window. Who in their right mind would be speeding on this road??

After about 20 minutes I noticed there was snow on the ground so I knew I was getting close. I saw a sign that said "Rental Office, Lost and Found" I pulled into the parking lot and was lucky enough to get a space right by the door. I entered the office and did not have to wait since I was the only one in the building. I guess not many people are renting ski gear or are picking up lost items in the middle of the day on the first day of spring. The young man that helped me listened to my story and then went in the back. After about five minutes he came back and told me that he only had two coats and none of them had the name that I was looking for. I thanked him and then went back to my car

I called Fin on my cell and told him what had happened. His response was "I tried to call you today and tell you that I went skiing yesterday and I picked up my coat" "No one answered your phone so I could not tell you" My response "ok"

What else could I say. At least my drive got me out of the house and I was able to see some spring!

A Family of Strength

2010-03-16T22:11:00.001-07:00

Thank goodness that my blog is back up on my computer and I can weigh in on life as an Ellis. Over the last week I have had the opportunity to sit back and watch the strenght of a family. As many of you know last week my older sister had a stroke. Boy was that call a surprise. At the time I was on my way to the doctor and I was excited that my wonderful neice decided to give me a call. Of course the message was not only a surprise but a "what in the world is going on"

Michelle was so strong in giving me the facts of the day. I was trying so hard not to break into tears because I did not want to rock Michelle's strength. After her explaniation of what happened I asked how she was. Michelle and I finally let go of some tears. In a moments time she was my little neice that needed a hug! I so wanted to be there to put my arms around her but all I could do was to try to give her strenght through the air waves.

She was so worried about her dad. He was a dented man. I told her that he was not ready for this adventure. No one ever is. Who could ever be ready for a major health crisis. I have known for years that Karen and Casey were in love but it was because of their actions not necessarily the words that were heard. He has always been there for Karen and the rest of their family. I know this adventure would be no different.

Over the last few days I have had daily updates from Michelle. Every day she gives me a call or sends me a message. I have also enjoyed the blow by blow events on her and Ashley's blogs. It is wonderful how technology keeps up in touch. In the daily updates the kids comments on the love that they have seen in their parents. The love that was always there but in a time of crisis they have noticed even more. It is not the hugh diamond rings but the simple back rub that is showing Karen's children that love is forever and always. Not just when it is convient but in the good and the bad, the happy and the sad.

I have been impressed to how Casey and his children have pulled together. Doing shifts in the ICU at the hospital. Being there to hold Karen's head when she needs to cough. These may sound like little things but two weeks ago they were busy in their own lives and now they have come together with one mission in mind. To be there for their mother and father. In Michelle's and Ashley's blog they have commented on how strong their mother and father are. What they have not realized yet is how storng they all have been. I am not sure how parents teach their children to be there in times of need, but Karen and Casey have done a great job.

They know the road ahead is going to be long and hard but with prayers, god's grace and determination I know the Stephens family will make it through. They are after all a family of strength. May be a strength they did not know was there but in this time of need has come to the surface. Stephens family THANK YOU for being there for my sister!

2009-03-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

My family has been asking me to start a blog for a long time. I guess they believe my life is more exciting and they want to know what is going on in my life. Well, I am not sure I will be able to live up to their expatiations but I will give it a try.

As stated in my bio I live and teach in Jordan Valley, Oregon. Jordan Valley is located in the southeastern corner of the state and is very different from the Portland Area.

We do have some very wonderful sunrises. This was taken from my front yard.

The town sits in a valley in the Owhywe Mountains. The big mountain in the back is South Mountain. This picture is taken from Highway 95 comming into town from Boise ID. As you can see there is not much here!

This is the Catholic Church which was made from Basque Rocks. Jordan Valley is a Basque community so of course some of our building will have a Basque look. The Basque people in Jordan Valley came from the mountains of Spain. I would guess that the high dry desert was a shock to them as well.

This is the high school where I spend most of my time. My class room is on the other side of the building but like the room on this side I have huge windows that run from the ceiling to 3 feet above the floor. My room has 17 computers and I teach all kinds of business classes. This year we have about 50 students grades 7-12.
When I first came to Jordan Valley 25 years ago we had about 100 students.

I asked my students what was the best part about living in Jordan Valley. They said:

After a long pause, there were no answers.