Prince Caspian

So, yesterday I saw Prince Caspian and let me tell you, it was amazing! It is way better then I thought it would be and I think everyone should go see it. Even Jc liked it a lot and she didn't like the first one at all. It is way better then the first one.

I do have a few problems with it, like the fact that Ben Barns (Caspian) is WAY to old to play Caspian. I also wish that the movie had followed the book closer but never the less, it is a really good movie. Our youth group rented a theater for this next Wednesday and I can't wait to see it again! I also can't wait till The Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes out. I think it is supposed to come out in 2010. I hope that they make The Silver Chair too. I also really like The Horse and His Boy. And it would be nice if they went back and made The Magicians Nephew. I havn't read The Last Battle yet but I'm sure it would make a great movie! Okay, I know, the chances of them making all the books into movies is very small. It would be cool though.




~Ellentia

Wow, it's been longer then I thought since I last posted. Not much has been going on here. I am, however, very excited about Prince Caspian. It comes out today and I am maybe going to see it tomorrow with some friends. I'm also seeing it Wednesday with our youth group. I have been waiting to see it ever since I heard that they were making it last summer.

In other news, school goes on and on. I am dreadfully behind in a few subjects so I will continue to do them over the summer. I will only have to do half-days though. This summer will be busy, I have camp and VBS and the summer children's musical and trips and who knows what else!



"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

-William Wordsworth



I love this poem, it is so nice.

~Ellentia

Home At Last

Well, I'm finally back. There is no way I could talk about everything we did and saw in VA and Washington D.C. so I will have to pick the highlights.

Thursday and Friday we were on the bus all day long. We did all sorts of things on the bus. There were the string games:




There were the card games:



And much more (of course)

When we got to VA we competed in a festival. We didn't do very well, partly because we were all so tired and partly because we just didn't sing well. We then went to Williamsburg and saw and did some neat stuff like splitting shingles:




And visiting some gardens:




Sunday when we sang at the Naval Base we did a lot better. We then went to Jamestowne, the first permanent English settlement in the new world. Monday we went to the Yankee Candle Factory, which was very cool. The rooms were really cool and I got to color my own candles:




We were supposed to go to Mt. Vernon that day but the cars from our group that were behind the bus had an accident and several people were hurt. Needless to say we didn't make it anywhere else that day. I am just thankful no one was too seriously hurt.

Tuesday we saw Arlington National Cemetery, it was incredible:






We also saw the Capital. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera 'cause I didn't know if it was permitted at the Capital. However, I got some far away shots:




That night we went to the National Cathedral, it was gorgeous. We also attended a service there, it was kinda strange, but the choir was good:




Wednesday we got to walk the mall and we saw so much! I went to the Air and Space Museum, the National Archives, the National Museum of Natural History and lots of monuments:




(this picture was not staged)












By the end of the day we were exhausted!




We finally got to go o Mt. Vernon on Thursday. It was really big! We got to go inside the mansion but pictures weren't allowed inside:




It was rainy, so we improvised in lieu of an umbrella:




For the special event we went on a dinner cruise down the Potomac River; it was a lot of fun. On the way home we did more stuff on the bus, this time writing group stories and having "Uncle Aaron" read them on the loudspeaker, fixing hair and getting lovely body art.








Over all, it was an amazing trip!

~Ellentia

(You should be grateful for the pictures, they saved you from reading 21,000 words)

Off we go, into the wild blue yonder!

Choir concert is over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Last night was our choir concert and I am so glad it is over. At Christmas our concert was about 2 hours long (which is kinda long for a concert) but last night the first half alone was 2 hours! The concert started at 7 and didn't get over until 10:20! I was about to collapse on stage because I was so hot and tired. I was standing directly over a spotlight that was in the floor that was supposed to illuminate the American Flags on the wall and by the end of the second half my shoe had heated up so hot that my foot felt like it was about to catch on fire!

During our first ensemble song (the one with the costumes), when I pulled my microphone out, the cord got stuck in the stand and when I backed up it was suspended in the air and the whole audience laughed! It was quite embarrassing. However, the song went fine. Our second ensemble song went really well! Dad said that it was one of the best songs sung by an ensemble!!! I was really worried that it would sound right because we never got to practice it with microphones, but it turned out great!

After the reception we went to IHOP with several friends and ate and talked 'till after one. We learned some of the art of sneaking tobasco sauce into your friends food and heard stories of how this skill was used. We also witnessed the drinking of a container of syrup (not a whole one, only about a quarter) for the prize of $10. We took lots of pictures and had a great time and then came home and crashed. I got about 5 hours of sleep last night and when I woke up I discovered that it is not very conducive to one's health to eat pancakes and sausage at one in the morning.

Various friends

Learning about the art of tobasco sauce

Eating syrup

Tomorrow we leave for D.C. and we will arrive Friday night at our hotel. If possible, I will post from the hotel but if not, it will be about two weeks before I return, farewell!

~Ellentia

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was a United States Government office building located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was the target of the Oklahoma City bombing, the most significant act of domestic terrorism on American soil(before 9/11).

The federal building was constructed in 1977 at a cost of $14.5 million, and was named for federal judge Alfred P. Murrah, an Oklahoma native. By the 1990s the building contained regional offices for the Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency (D.E.A.), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and other agencies.

On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a rental truck with explosives in front of the complex and, at 9:02am, a massive explosion occurred which sheared the entire north side of the building, killing 168 people.

Following the investigation at the site and recovery of victims' bodies, the surviving structure was demolished with explosives on May 23, 1995. The Water Resources Board and Athenian Building, located across 5th Street from the building, were heavily damaged and later destroyed. The entire 3.3 acre site subsequently became home to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, a place to honor the victims, survivors and rescue workers, and to learn the impact of violence.

This is from the official website of the memorial. Today is the 13th anniversary of the bombing.

~Ellentia

Griffons, sunburns and hats

I am getting very excited about our choir tour. We will be So, I looked up Busch Gardens (I will be going there on a choir tour in a few weeks) and I looked up the rides and I am very excited about the Griffon. I hope someone will ride it with me, Jc has already said she wouldn't.

Saturday Dad, Nat and I went to a workday with some people from our church and we fixed up an elderly lady's house. We painted her living room, put new doors on the house and fixed up her yard. I helped paint the living room. I felt kinda sick (allergy type stuff) and so around 2:00 I laid down on one of the sofas that we moved outside and went to sleep. I woke up to the wonderful surprise of a sunburn on my face. Brilliance, I know, to lay outside without sunscreen on.

For our choir concert our ladies ensemble is singing a medley of Oh Susannah, Home on the Range, Dixieland, Shenandoah and I've been working on the railroad (have I mentioned this before?) and so we have to dress up as either southern belles, cowgirls or engeniers. I am going to be a southern belle and I have to wear a hat. Bother. I don't like hats, not one little bit. At least it is only for one song.

Well, so long!

~Ellentia

Rain

Why does it always rain on Wednesday? It rained last Wednesday and today (Wednesday) it is raining again. I don't mind the rain, in fact, I love listening to the rain but up here when it rains, it storms with thunder and lightning so if it's night, Libba has to get into my bed and that is annoying (I only have a twin size)!

Ah! Only two more weeks, one more project and one more test and Oklahoma History is done! We finished our textbook last week and that was exciting, soon we'll be done with the whole class! I am very excited.

Choir has been frustrating lately. I don't want to quit simply because it constitutes about a third of my social life! But, at the same time, it is driving me nuts! Mainly it is the choir director that frustrates me, but several of the people are quite obnoxious. But, I also like a lot of the people and have some good friends in the Choir. Well, you can't expect something to be perfect, but the choir is a ways off from being perfect. But, I really enjoy the devotionals we have on Tuesdays.

Okay, this has been a dis-jointed post. I think your idea, Jc, about the drop-down menu thingys was good. Well, back to doing useful things, like school. Farewell!

~Ellentia

Lament

Today it rained. There is a song from Lord of the Dance called Lament that always makes me think of rain. I found a nice video combining one of my favorite movies with the song. It fits so nicely, don't you think? :)





~Ellentia

April Fools'

By Bob Smiley

April Fools’ Day is a holiday when it’s totally fine to pull pranks and make up stories. Politicians love this day! I’ve pulled some great pranks over the years. The best one was two years ago when I called my dad and told him I’d gotten a real job! He fell for it instantly and shouted, “Finally! No more telling jokes for a living!” Then I told him I was only joking . . . and I was about to remind him that it was April Fools’ Day, but our phones got disconnected.

My dad used to pull pranks on me all the time. He once told me a $50 bill was hidden somewhere under the leaves that were leftover from the fall, just to get me to rake. I raked that field for two days before he finally shouted, “April Fools’!” And when I was in college, Mom and Dad moved and didn’t tell me. I finally found them — a month later. I love the Internet!

All that to say, I feel like I know a lot about pranks and this particular holiday. With that in mind, I’m proud to offer you . . .

Bob Smiley’s Tips for April Fools’ Day:
1. Remember it’s the day of tricks, so you don’t get fooled. I once asked a girl out on April Fools’, and she said, “Not even if you were the last man on earth!” I told her that if I was the last man on earth she wouldn’t even be allowed in line. Of course, I didn’t say this until a month later when I thought of it. Later I remembered that it had been April Fools’, and she obviously was pulling a joke on me. In fact, she did such a great job that she even threatened to take out a restraining order! But then she never remembered to tell me she was joking, which leads us to the next tip.

2. Let people know you pulled an April Fools’ joke or else it could go on forever. For instance, the president of Starbucks once jokingly said they were going to call their smallest cup a “Tall,” the middle size a “Grande” and the largest cup a “Venti” which, when translated from Hebrew into Pinkoneese, means “Ha Ha! April Fools’!” Then he forgot to tell his employees that he was joking before all the menus were made. And that kind of thing happens all the time. In fact, that has to be the only explanation as to how the TV show “Wife Swap” got on the air.

3. Make sure the prank is not something that’ll hurt someone. If you’re going to pull a prank, remember that you’re a Christian first and a prankster second. Before pulling a prank, ask yourself if you’d mind having it pulled on you.

Follow these rules, and you’ll have a fun April Fools’ Day! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go outside and watch my two boys look for a $50 bill!


Now, on a slightly different note:

Interesting read. You might find out why there is such a Holiday we all know of, but never knew why. Now you know the rest of the story.

Atheist Holiday ... Love this one!

Clever!!! Would be nice to have more judges like this.
This is probably one of the best emails this year. Have you heard
about this case? Great answer from the judge!

In Florida , an atheist became incensed over the preparation of Easter
and Passover holidays. He decided to contact his lawyer about the
discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded
to Christians and Jews with all their holidays while atheists had no holiday
to celebrate.

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the long
passionate presentation by the lawyer, the Judge banged his gavel and
declared, 'Case dismissed!'

The lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said,
'your Honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have
Christmas, Easter and many other observances. Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur
and Hanukkah...yet my client and all other atheists have no such holiday!'

The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said, 'Obviously your
client is too confused to even know about, much less celebrate his own
atheists' holiday!'

The lawyer pompously said, 'your Honor, we are unaware of any such
holiday for atheists. Just when might that holiday be, your Honor?'

The judge said, 'Well, it comes every year on exactly the same
date---April 1st! Since our calendar sets April 1st as April Fools Day,
consider that Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no
God.' Thus, in my opinion, if your client says there is no God, then by
scripture, he is a fool, and April 1st i s his holiday! Now have a good day
and get out of my courtroom!!'
(I didn't write this)


~Ellentia

Easter Eggs

Well, I hope you all had a happy Easter! I certainly did. We have not made our traditional bunny cake or had our big Easter dinner but we will do such and have such later today. We did, however, dye Easter eggs and that is one of my favorite things to do on Easter. I just thought I'd share a few pictures of them:


















Ellentia

Happy Birthday!

So today is baby Philip's 2nd birthday! Happy birthday Phil! Mom made a yummy looking cake and then after lunch Philip (and Libba) opened presents. He got a fire truck that he has enjoyed quite thoroughly so far.

Blowing Out the Candles




Big Grin




Yum Yum!




Opening Presents





New Toys




Happy Birthday Philip!

~Ellentia

Spring!

The first flowers of Spring! This evening I sat down on our little wall out front to take pictures and almost immediately Al Tivo (the neighbors cat) jumped into my lap and curled up. It is not very conducive to taking pictures to have a cat in your lap but I managed to get some good pictures before I kicked the cat out of my lap!



~Ellentia

Mysterious Sound

I got this story in an e-mail from a friend. It drove me nuts. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!


A man is driving down a country road and his car breaks down near
a monastery.

He goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, "My car
broke down. Do you think I could stay the night?"

The Monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, show him to a room,
and even fix his car.

As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound. A sound
unlike anything he's ever heard before. The Sirens that nearly seduced
Odysseus into crashing his ship comes to his mind.

He doesn't sleep that night. He tosses and turns trying to figure out
what could possibly be making such a seductive sound.

The next morning, he asks the Monks what the sound was, but they say,
"We can't tell you. You're not a Monk."



Distraught, the man is forced to leave. Years later, after never being able
to forget that sound, the man goes back to the monastery and pleads for
the answer again.

The Monks reply, "We can't tell you. You're not a Monk."

The man says, "If the only way I can find out what is making that
beautiful sound is to become a Monk, then please, make me a Monk."

The Monks reply, "You must travel the earth and tell us how many
blades of grass there are and the exact number of grains of sand. When
you find the answer to these questions, you will have become a Monk."

The man sets about his task.

After years of searching he returns as a gray-haired old man and
knocks on the door of the monastery. A Monk answers. He is taken
before a gathering of all the Monks.

"In my quest to find what makes that beautiful sound, I traveled the
earth and have found what you asked for. By design, the world is in
a state of perpetual change. Only God knows what you ask. All a
man can know is himself, and only then if he is honest and reflective
and willing to strip away self deception."

The Monks reply, "Congratulations You have become a Monk. We
shall now show you the way to the mystery of the sacred sound."

The Monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk
says, "The sound is beyond that door."

The Monks give him the key, and he opens the door.

Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone.

The man is given the key to the stone door and he opens it, only
to find a door made of ruby.

And so it went that he needed keys to doors of emerald, pearl and
diamond.

Finally, they come to a door made of solid gold. The sound has now
become very clear and definite. The Monks say, "This is the last
key to the last door."

The man is apprehensive to no end. His life's wish is behind that
door!

With trembling hands, he unlocks the door, turns the knob, and
slowly pushes the door open. Falling to his knees, he is utterly
amazed to discover the source of that haunting and seductive sound.....
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
But I can't tell you what it is because you're not a Monk.


~Ellentia

At the Zoo

Well well, it is time for another post I suppose. I forgot when I posted last that last Friday some of my family and I went to go see a High School production of Fiddler on the Roof. I was blown away by the guy who played Tevye, he was marvelous! I was surprised at the quality of the show, probably because I had no idea what to expect and so I was likely to be surprised by anything, good or bad.

I said I would post some pictures from the zoo in my last post. I know that it is a little late but here they are:




This elephant was doing tricks for pop-corn




This is the Red Panda Jc talked about




This is a lazy Galapagos tortoise




This is one of the new lion cubs that we saw. You can vote on what to name them here, but time is limited to vote!




All tired out


Well, I need to go get dinner packed for tonight so I must depart!

Ellentia

A little of nothing

I suppose it is time for another post, the problem is I don't know what to post about. Maybe later this afternoon I will be able to post something interesting, as we will be going to the zoo. I'll take pictures and then maybe I can come up with a good story to go with the pictures.

Oh yes, Nat got a blog, I'm adding him to my link list so you should go over and say hi.

~Ellentia