Study, Study, Study

As of right now, if no one sees this post I will be completely content knowing that I just was able to express myself.

College is mainly what I've been up two in the last two years. I've already completed two semesters of college, working on my third, and only one more to go in the fall. After that I will be able to apply to Penn Valley for their Occupational Therapy Assistant program. Lord willing, I can be done by 2016.... if I can make it through Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology.

Currently, I am taking Intro into Occupational Therapy, Chemistry 100, and History 120. Not getting the chemistry very well, but loving the other two subjects.

For a long time Occupational Therapy almost seemed like a faint dream. I didn't think I could go for it seeing as it looked like I would need to get vaccines. But the Lord does provide. All I need are religious exemptions from a doctor. In taking my Intro into Occupational Therapy I see exactly how perfect OT is for me. It is client-centered with an emphasis on quality of life, holistic, research-based, and focuses on providing the tools for independence in daily life activities.

I am, just by the strength of God alone, trusting in Him to provide whatever it is He has planned for me.  

This upcoming summer (2013) will be my seventh summer out at Camp Del-Haven. Apart from my church home, this is my second home. I've been so challenged in my walk with the Lord as I witness to inner city children about who God is. I love getting to know the kids, teaching them Scripture verses, playing in the pool with them, singing in the chapel, and explaining about how God is eternal, loving, just, merciful, and good, unlike us. I sure do miss those kids when they are gone.

Camp also blesses me at other times during the year. So many times I am not walking as I should with the Lord, and suddenly a line or two of "Read your Bible, pray every day, and you'll grow grow grow" will convict me that I need to seek Christ more each day. Almost every week I'll reflect back on the verses I had to memorize so I could teach the kids the verse, like Psalm 86:5 or Psalm 139.

In 2012 I began learning how to sew. I have currently made two petticoats for Missouri Town, and finished my longest project, a completely hand-sewn 107 row corded petticoat, seen below. After making one more petticoat, I should be ready to try my hand at making a fitted period-correct dress (unlike the one I am wearing). That is, when I have time apart from homework....zilch.

Due to school I missed one or two events out at Missouri Town, but keep researching every once in a while. But I'm itching to put my hair up, tighten the corset, make some switchel, and get near the fires at the Tavern to teach the public about life during the 1850's.  

Anything new this year? Got glasses...all that schoolwork killed my eyes. So glad God's eyes never wear out... "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their cry."

Stopped using shampoo and now use the "no poo" method of baking soda. Works well, saves money, and less water wasted.

What has God been teaching me?

      He has taught me that I cannot base my hope in any career, human being, hobby, activity, or adventure. It must all be rooted in Christ. J-O-Y does start with Jesus first. Recently I have got into a rut of not having my time with God, and I truly hate it. I just want to delve into Scripture, be alone with God, and let Him teach me who He is and what He's done for me. Only when I have had my time with God do I feel ready to start the day, or that the day was even worth something. I know that my hard work towards my school is God's will, but I'm never truly as happy as when I can be with Jesus.

Another lesson God has taught me is I have no strength of my own. My weakest effort is not good enough, but with God working through me I can understand chemistry. I can study for long hours. I can love those who are hard to love. I can see my own sin. All by the works of Christ I am saved, by the Holy Spirit can I see truth, and all by God I was planned to be one of the elect. Praise be to God, who works through my weaknesses.

 

In Christ alone,
Kendle


Trust and obey,
For there's no other way,
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.  

A First Time for Old Times

Hello....really old friend. Life has been a little busy the last few months.

The last photo blog I did showed pictures of our garden starts. All of those are huge plants now in white pots...except for the slow cilantro. The squash and beans have blossoms, the basil is huge, the raspberries have already fruited, there are two baby cucumbers, and we've picked three vine-ripened Roma tomatoes off our plants already.

We finished putting up concrete blocks for three raised bed gardens, filled them with wood chips, and have since three days ago planted tomatoes, basil, cucumber, watermelon and squash. Our raspberries and sweet potatoes have been in the ground near our beds for a week now.

Basil and Tomato plants

Watermelon

So exciting! After we put the plants in, we could just hear them going, "Ahhhh! Thank you!" Many of them were not producing fruit, leaves were turning odd colors and dying because of the lack of nitrogen in the soil they had already used up.

I am Lizzie Brown. 

One day an email popped into my mailbox, and my name was listed as a reenactor. Somehow, I got pulled into reading a letter this young lady wrote to her cousins about the raiding and battle of Harrisonville. After reading through the information on Lizzie that Mrs. Bohl gave me, I realized there was too much good stuff to pass up NOT telling. So, using Lizzie's very own words she wrote from a long reminiscences later in life, I managed to write up 12 minutes worth, memorize almost all of it, and gave my very first first-person impression ever this Saturday. 

Taking a rest in the woods

I feel like I am Lizzie Brown...so much in common. Loves playing piano, but the outdoors call her name. Loves spelling. Hates wearing ridiculous high fashion clothing, and would rather run in the wind. Doesn't like evil, murderous men (Kansas Redlegs) but still shows kindness & a loving attitude to them because that is the Christ-like thing to do. Confident in God for her nation's status, because He will judge all deeds in the body on the Day of Judgment. Keeps bees and makes everything by hand.

Blessings: a garden, a fun hobby, and Jesus Christ!

Finally got my corset a month or so ago...love it! The steel boning does not bend like the plastic did, and keeps my back feeling very good. Gives me the right lines for the period but now my bodice doesn't fit so well in the waist. The one thing I'm stuck on is Gram's sewing machine: all the bobbins and foots are gone along with the instruction manual. I've got muslin to learn to make petticoats with but if only the sewing machine had parts. Oy. At least out at Mo-Town I can borrow two pettis and look the width I want. 

Even though I don't look as period correct as I yearn to be, I'm making tiny baby-steps. Just yesterday when doing my hair for the impression, I was trying to figure out how to hide my growing-out bangs ends even better...and figured out how to do under-rolling! Ladies did this in the 1850's for side width and usually pinned a hair rat underneath for more poof.

In Christ, Kendle

"For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:11-12

Fried Brain to Order

"The effect of a crisp highly-starched muslin dress upon a man of quick emotions is rapid and startling. The first impulse is to crush it between the arms, and crumple it up like a silverpaper balloon; but such desires cannot be indulged without the excuse of an affectionate embrace sanctioned by the parents of the young lady.Is it not beautiful to gaze on the female form, clouded in fluttering gauze, and floating over the ground white and aerial as a puff of steam? Through the transparent skirt the embroidered petticoat displays its costly work, and the machinery of the little feet may be watched as under a glass-case, with increasing interest. The shoulders are seen through the slight haze of the bodice, and they are delicately fair."

Augustus Mayhew, Faces for Fortunes, 1865

All month I had been looking forward to dance practice, workday at the Sullivan's house, and contra dancing at an awards banquet. I had been experiencing headaches, low energy, backaches, and discovered I had a high fever that we figured out was the flu. So, I'm staying at home taking supplements and foods with high nutritional value. Very unproductive two days...one of the things I detest the most is unproductivity. Here's what I did Tuesday.

My cotton petticoat freshly washed and air-dried. ^^^

I went on to boil a large amount of starch with water on the stove till boiling, let that cool and then dumped into the sink. Immersed petti into starch and massaged into petti. Proceeded to wring out the extra starch, which was very heavy and thick, and then hung to dry. Was supposed to go in every couple of hours to pull apart petti from itself so it wouldn't glue together...but was stranded at a friend's house because of super-heavy fog. Took me 20 minutes to pull apart every little fold of this petti and the bottom of my other petticoat.  Dried for a day and a half.

Sprinkled with water and ironed. Stiffer before ironing, but still good. After wringing out a heavy petticoat (big workout!) and ironing, I can understand fully why it took women from the 1850's two-three days to do this. Worth it though....I have more width under my dress. Will post pictures when I wear my dress.

What do I do when I get sick? Here's some things that Dr. Mercola suggests that my family has done for years:     http://www.mercola.com/
Vitamin C: A very potent antioxidant; use a ntural form such as acerola, which contains associated micronutrients.
Oregano Oil: The higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective it is. Carvacrol is the most active antimicrobial agent in orgeano oil.
Propolis: Bee resin is one the most broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds in the world; propolis is also the richest source of caffeic acid and apigenin, two very important compounds that aid in immune response and even fight cancer.
A tea made from a combination of elderflower, yarrow, boneset, linden, peppermint, and ginger; drink it hot and often for combating a cold or flu. It causes you to sweat, which is helpful for eradicating a virus from your system.
Olive leaf extract:  Ancient Egyptians and Mediterranean cultures used it for a variety of health-promoting uses and it is widely known as a natural, non-toxic immune system builder.

For the flu, I also use peroxide in ears, royal jelly, Vitamin C, liquid D, coconut oil, BronchoPhase, ImmunoPhase, Virastop, juices high in ORAC, (cherry, goji) Black seed oil, and homepathic pills. Used to use colloidal silver in nebulizer, but now just use 5/1 radio water and peroxide. (helps break down gunk in lungs)

Mom prohibited me from doing anything with major thinking involved, so my two favorite things, reading and playing the piano, were out. Watched Food Network all day, and now am craving fresh, savory Mexican food. Please hop into my mouth, oh yummy heirloom tomatoes and fresh cilantro!

In Christ Alone,
Kendle

"Salvation is by works....the works of God." Pastor Joe

Let's just write me off as a nut that didn't fall too far from the tree

What do you want? What do you need? Ask and you will get.

Well it seems, according to one anonymous person, that I have not enough "interesting" posts to keep even my small few followers entertained and that I need to update more often. If you want a mish-mash, I'll give it to you every once in a while.

These photos were taken on the day my brother Jesse turned 13...Allison was 17, I was 19. The next day I turned 20, so there were three teenagers in the house for one day. My sister Allison & I were imitating how goofy Jesse smiles when we take photos...I'd say our impressions are spot on!

Remembered something funny after looking through my old diary: Somebody had died in our blood family and members of our church "family" had sent us a bunch of food, including a plastic tub of chili. Mom told me to get it on the phone, so I raced downstairs into our basement to fetch it. Because I had done it a thousand times before, I raced up our wooden stairs 3 steps at a time; I lost my balance, fell and slid backwards down the steps, squashing the chili tub open all over the dirty steps AND me in the process. I lay there laughing for a good five minutes. Proceeded to scoop up the chili on the top of the pile that wasn't contaminated, put it back in the tub and tried to clean myself up before my family came home. Mom sort of thought it was funny, except for the food we lost. I, on the other hand, think of dirty wooden steps every time I see chili now.

                 Allison & I in the craft cabin at Camp Del-Haven...

When I was 14 or so I took a lengthy poetry class in our homeschool Co-op that would meet every Friday, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here is one of my favorite ones I wrote using Personification:

The Old Tv

She was born in 1950,
She was nifty.
Her mom was Mrs. Sylvania,
And her dad was Mr. RCA.
She cried for Elvis,
Laughed with Bill Cosby.
But her eyesight failed,
Her voice became hoarse.
Finally an old wire snapped,
Then all life aws lost.
Now she rests in her grave,
Under mountains of filthy junk,
In the corner of Dave's Junkyard

                

What is that outfit this girl is wearing? Yes, I know I'm strange, but I love Civil War reenacting. There is something about putting on clothing you would have worn in 1850's-1860's....you transform from a girl to lady, boy to a gentleman, no matter your age. You talk, walk, speak, interact, dress and do everything different. At a Civil War reenactment there is nothing like hearing a cannon firing, the smell of gunpowder, seeing elegant ladies being escorted by gentlemen, cooking over an open fire, and teaching the general public about life during that time. Not to mention all the men, regardless of rank or age or social standing, look very handsome in their attire and the ladies so very put-together in their confined, braided hair, tiny waists, and full skirts with petticoats peeking out from underneath as they glide across the ground.

Ask a lady what she wears underneath her dress on her legs and you will be treated to a shocked look of horror & amazement that you would dare mention her "undergarments," or her "limbs." Say that Gone with the Wind is an accurate portrayal of southern life and how they dressed? The fashion show will show you up. If you happen to say that the War Between the States was started because of slavery, there will be a flock of history nerds disguised as soldiers & washerwomen proving you otherwise with their vast amount of knowledge. Lazy & faint Southern women? How about hard-working, productive farm women who cooked, cleaned, hand-sewed the family's clothing, had to grow all food or go without, and worked from sunup to sundown right alongside their husbands while still looking like a lady. Oh that's right, they were boring, no-fun no-nonsense people. Wrong-o. Attend a ball or dance and you will get a sufficient lively work-out while trying to "catch" the eyes of a prospective mate. It's also a good time. I'll stop ranting about how much I enjoy this hobby...try it yourself the right way and you'll fall in love with the easy-going atmosphere like I did & the people who attend it.

                     
November 21, 2010. The handiwork of our Creator God. He is Awesome!
 
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone...don't gain too many extra pieces of lard around your gut by being extra grateful for your delicious food this year.

In Christ,
Kendle

  
"And he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?  And Saul said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. It is dangerous and it will turn out badly for you to keep kicking against the goad [to offer vain and perilous resistance]. Trembling and astonished he asked, Lord, what do You desire me to do? The Lord said to him, But arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."- Acts 9:4-6