Photos from Photography Class

Allison and I are taking a photography class with our homeschool group. Photography isn't my favourite thing, although Allison loves it, but I did learn some fun techniques. I found out the camera I used (actually my mom's, but since she got a larger, fancier one, we are allowed to use it) anyway, the camera I used has manual focus. I found that out after I took these pictures, though.

Two different focal points...

Yes, I was being a bit silly on this next picture. But notice the colour. I came up with the idea of putting coloured tissue paper over the flash on the camera. Allison took this picture in a dark room with purple tissue paper over the flash.

And this one using red...

Neat, eh?

Justine

Books....and other musings

On Monday Allison and I started The Great Ideas courses from Tree of Life. Here are my books...

Since we revised the courses a bit in order to finish the courses by the end of this school year, we are not doing all the books. I have Macbeth in the picture, but I'm not planning to study it. I chose to do Hamlet but since the copy we have is included in a large volume of The Complete Works of Shakespeare, I didn't take a picture of that. So replace Macbeth with Hamlet and you'll see the books I have to read. :) Some of the books are just to study part of: How to Read a Book, Calvin's Institutes, and the Bible.

And here is another picture of books:

Leah was using them and I decided to take a picture.

I've been thinking about What To Do After Highschool. I am sure any of you who are in highschool, recently graduated, or even are approaching highschool, have heard the question, "So, do you know what you want to do after highschool?" A good question. But I never know what to say.

"Umm, I don't know."

"Maybe I'll be a nurse."

"I'd kinda like to be a midwife."

"Well, I'd like to get married and have kids."
None of them are definite answers. They weren't supposed to be. It is partly a cover up for the fact that I don't really want to go to school for anything. I really want to have a family and own a farm. Right now I would like to get a job when I am done highschool, work and save up money to buy a farm. Then I'd like to get married and have a large family. Though, at the same time, I'd like to learn more about healthy living and natural healing. I'd like to help children and especially young people from troubled families, by giving them a safe and loving home. I've also thought about going to South America to spread the gospel to tribes that have had little or no contact with the outside world. I have no idea where the Lord will lead me or what I will do in my life time. I've dreamed of an adventurous life in a different part of the world. But if I could choose, I'd settle down nearby and live to a ripe old age surrounded by children and grandchildren, in a peaceful, happy, and not very eventful life. I know, though, that our world is changing. In only a few years there will be new problems and realities to face, and likely I will end up with a different kind of life than I have imagined. But I don't need to worry, knowing it is all in God's hands.

What are some of your ambitions, if you don't mind sharing?

Anyway, since someone else is waiting for the computer, I'll stop.

Justine

My Brave Soldier

"If any animals that eat people come, I'll donk them over the head."

It's nice to have such a willing protector. :)

But don't worry, he isn't too grown up yet.

Justine

Happy New Year 2011!

Justine

Rambles

Since it is nearly the new year, I have been thinking over this one. What have I learned? What have I done? Has it been useful? Or have I spent a lot of time wasting time? I have grown in some ways: learning not to be shy, not that I ever really was shy, but learning not to be afraid to talk to people, for one thing. From February to May, Allison and I took a Canadian History course with our homeschool group. It was different learning in more of a classroom setting, with homework assignments, deadlines, and such. Back to the meeting new people/talking to strangers thing, we did a lot of fundraising so we could go on a trip. This involved knocking on doors selling pizzas, concert tickets, chocolate bars, etc. We had to present our products and reasons for selling in a clear and concise manner. By the end of the fundraising, I had grown quite comfortable doing fundraising, though I can't say I liked it.

In June I started going to Young People's Society (YPS - the young people at church aged 16+, who meet every Sunday after the evening service for either Bible study or a time of fellowship.) In YPS, I started to get to know older people. I used to only talk to people about my age or younger, and was practically scared of anyone older.

At the end of August I went to a YPS camp. There were about 180 campers there, so I met a lot of new people. It was fun making new friends of a variety of ages, from many different places. I did feel somewhat bewildered for a while, though, trying to keep names and faces straight, especially running on a low amount of sleep.

So, as a result of those experiences, I am much more comfortable talking to people.

This summer, working for my dad, I learned to enjoy painting. I think what helped was that the weather was warm and sunny for most of the summer, so we did quite a few outside jobs. Somehow working out in the fresh air where we could watch cars and pedestrians, feel the sun on our faces, and climb scaffolds :) was much more pleasant than working in a dark basement where the paint fumes tend to hang around rather than blow away.

Ongoing lessons I am learning would include accepting change and not stressing about things. With regards to the first, I have come to realize that no matter what, life is going to change. Things never stay the same. People move away, new people come. Children grow up. Sometimes people die. But change is irreversable. We cannot live always wishing for the past. That is a waste of the present. We cannot always stress about the future. Right now, where I am, I need to live to God's glory, realizing my time is not my own - it is God's. He owns it. I have to live in the here and now, loving and serving the people who are in my life right now, not worrying about whether these same people will be the people I will know in twenty years.

In regards to not stressing, I have to learn how to handle unexpected situations and how to handle stressful situations, like driving. I work best under a schedule, so I have to make a schedule for myself and discipline myself well enough to stick to it. The sticking to it is the hardest. :)

If you've really read this far, I'm surprised. :) I did not set out to write this much. I just knew when I started that since I haven't posted in two weeks, it is time for another post. So I wrote ... and wrote ... and wrote. And it was fun.

Justine

Snow!

We have about a foot and a half of snow! Lots of fun for romping in. Yesterday we were running and jumping in the snow, but whenever we fell down we had to get up right away so Casper wouldn't lick our faces. He liked to run through the snow, too, and would come up with his face covered.

Today I started work at a nearby chicken barn. I gathered 21 900 eggs, though not singlehandedly since I was training. Actually I only stack flats, load carts, check for cracks, and supervise. The rest is done by machines and conveyor belts. I will be working every Thursday morning. Allison will work Wednesday mornings, and several other people do the other days. I enjoy the work, since it is on a farm. The only thing I don't like is that Leah has to take over the care of our chickens, to reduce the risk of potential spread of disease.

Justine

Some Things We Have Been Working On...

Warren and I made scented and coloured bath salts the other day. It was fun experimenting with different colours. One combination we tried was green and red. It turned a funny grey colour so we added a lot more red to make a pinkish colour. We didn't think anyone would find grey bath salts very appealing.

On Thursday Allison baked a gingerbread house. Decorating it was fun...after we held it together for a long time, hoping it wouldn't fall apart. Eventually we propped up the roof with Duplo blocks. After a few hours we took them out and the roof stayed on.

We covered the house with icing and candies. In the evening we ate it up. It was delicious. Definitely something we'd like to make every year.

This is what happens when you turn your paper over to paint the other side.

Nadia dug through a drawer to find a beater to lick. Problem is, when it comes out of the drawer it is clean - no sweet whipped cream. But she went around licking it for awhile anyway.

What have you been doing lately?

Justine