Thursday, April 7, 2011
Jordan Valley Updates (yes again)
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!!!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
24 hours in Jordan Valley
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!!
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!!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
My Granny Gertrude Smith on Faith
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 (Bar
bara). 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)
bara). 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 i
t 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.
t 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!!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
What is New
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.
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.
Monday, January 31, 2011
More Jordan Valley News
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.
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.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
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!
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!
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