book review: Wesley the Owl

I finished a book called Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brian. It was a memoir of Stacey’s life with an owl. She raised the owl from four days to the end of his life. They lived through 19 long years of happiness, hope, sickness and tough situations. Stacey relates other knowledge about animals to the subjects she is currently talking about throughout her book which really gives the book a boost. While she was working with Wesley (Wes), she learned the Way of the Owl. Owls only have one mate for their entire lives. If an owl’s mate dies, the owl will often sit in grief and die of depression. Wes was a barn owl found out in the wild either fell out of its nest or was abandoned. Dr. Penifield found and brought Wes back to Caltech where Stacey was currently working at the time. She was called and asked if she wanted to give this owlet a home for life. I really enjoyed this book because I love owls and have had my own special encounter with an owl. I recommend this book for anyone who has a sense of love for the wild.

Lioness Rampant

I just read a book called The Lioness Rampant. It’s about a female knight who goes on a quest to look for the Dominion Jewel. It is this Jewel that can make dead trees bear fruit, create rain during drought and all these other phenomena’s. This book is not set in a specific time period. Well, on the way she met a Shang dragon who is basically a very experience 10 + black belt karate guy. As they were traveling through a foreign country, they came upon the princess in exile, her guard, and orphans. Alanna, the Lioness, has to go through a blizzard and fight the earthy spirit to get the Jewel. When she went home, she found out the villain she killed a year ago, was brought back to life by her brother, a sorcerer. Also the villain was tearing the land apart. Only King Jonathon could use the jewel to save Tortall.[the kingdom]

book review: The Georges and the Jewels

I just finished The Georges and the Jewels by Jane Smiley; it was the best book that I’ve ever read. It’s about a girl named Abby who lives on a ranch in California in 1960. The horses they have there are to be sold so her daddy names all the geldings George, all the mares Jewel and tells her not to get attached. Abby is good with all the horses except for one who bucks her off every chance he gets and won’t look her in the eye. With trouble at school the horses will keep her company through her problems. I really enjoyed this book because I love horses and it’s about a girl my age. After reading this book I wanted to have ridden horses as much as her. There is a second book to the series coming in this October called A Good Horse. I am really looking forward to reading that book.

book review: Albert Einstein

I just finished Albert Einstein by Kathleen Krull. It was a very interesting book. He was a genius and a bit of a wise guy too. The book was about his life and his theories and ideas. In the begging he was a very rebellious kind of kid and didn’t like to listen to the teachers. When he was older and had graduated from college he applied for a teaching position at a university in Europe. He applied all over the continent and no one would offer him a job even though he had his PhD. So he worked as a clerk in a patent office. Einstein was finally offered a job as a lecturer the (lowest job at a college) and was paid so little that he had to keep his job at the patent office (he was eventually moved up and was paid more and was also offered a twice as paid job). He wrote all of these great articles and a lot of people thought nothing of him because he was Jewish. Hitler said something like as long as Jews were in science he could live without science for a few years. But whatever people said Einstein was still a genius. If it weren’t for Einstein we wouldn’t have TV.

swimming

Today Bi, Dad, and I went to the Vergennes pool for a swim. We went yesterday too. When we got to the pool guess who i saw? I saw my little kindergarten friend Carly and her mom Jen, her brother Ryan, his friend Neo, and Neo's mom Nikki. I had sooooooo much fun. I played with Carly and I also played tag with Carly, Bi and Dad. It was in the 90's today so it felt really good to get into the pool. I hope we go again soon!

blackberries

Today I picked 14 blackberries right from our own property. Oh my gosh they are good!! The other day I picked 16 blackberries and I have been sharing them with my family and everybody loves them. We didn't plant the bushes but they just seemed to have found there way up into the world and they provide wonderful fresh berries. We've been getting them for quite a few years now as far as I can remember. The berries are small about the size of my index fingernail(1/4 an inch long and wide). They are circular and bumpy like blackberries. I think they are mini blackberries. I love them!!!!!(they are much smaller than the ones in the picture.)

4th of July

I wonder if other countries use fireworks for their patriotic celebrations -- I'll let you know if I ever take the trouble to look into it. As Chani said, we went to Bristol to see the fireworks - they're SO BEAUTIFUL!! Now that I'm thinking back, I can't remember any rainy 4th of July's, can you?

Bristol seems to be the holiday town around here -- it's the town where the high school is, so it's kind of the hub for many surrounding towns. (And there are probably few towns that do a better job at Halloween than Bristol!!)

We're going to read the Declaration of Indedependence together today, and possibly watch the move 1776. Bi mentioned yesterday that until Thomas Jefferson became president, everyone was expected to bow before presidents, as though they were royalty. He changed all that. Way to go, Mr. Jefferson!

Mom

4th of July

Yesterday we went to bristol and watched the fireworks and today we went to bristol to see the parade. Watching the parade is always fun to watch. It wasn't nearly as big as last year but it was still awesome. I saw my friend and i got candy for trade in(it's a system we have). I had a lot of fun and I hope I can go next year. Happy 4th of July/Independence Day!!

roller coaster

Today Bi and I almost finished our K'NEX roller coaster that we are building. It is called the Screamin Serpent. There are three cars that connect to each other like a train. The cars go in the roller coaster like a mini version of a roller coaster at a theme park. The cars come with two people per car. It is supposed to be 6 feet long and 3 feet high. It's awesome!

origami cube

Today I made an origami cube. It looks really cool. The picture to your right is an example not the one that I made. I found directions and I am going to teach my family how to make them. They are really fun to make. Everyday we have creating time and that is what I did for my creative time today.

swimming lessons

Today was our first day of swimming lessons at Mt. Abe Union High. It was kind of boring because all we did was swim laps dive and do what ever we wanted to do. The pool is indoor which is nice because it was raining this morning. But i prefer outdoor pools in the summer. Tomorrow is supposed to be better. We're going to have a new teacher. Swimming lessons today were kind of boring like I said earlier so there isn't much to talk about. So that's all for now. Bye.

b-ball camp

Bi and I are doing a basketball camp this week at Saint Michael's College. I am having soooo much fun. the team that i am on is named the Krazy Kangaroos. The league I am in is the WNBA (womens national basketball association). My team is undefeated so far. We also get to go swimming and we get lunch. The pasta and they have is really good. The pool is a bit cold but AWESOME! Last year we did the UVM (university of vermont) basketball camp and I think this Saint Michael's is just as or better than the UVM b-ball camp.

Softball and an act of courage

On Tuesday night the girls' softball team played one of their arch rivals in the playoffs -- neighboring Starksboro. The were a tough team with the best record in the league this year. Our team fell behind a bit more in each inning. But victory was still possible. In the bottom of the fifth inning Chani was brough in as a relief pitcher. Though she had only pitched sporadically this year, she looked confident. She struck out the first batter, but the second batter got a hit and stole second base. A few minutes later there were two runs that had scored, with two outs. However the next hitter was perhaps the strongest hitter in the entire county. Nearly every time up she hit the ball solidly, far out in the outfield. Chani new her well, because they played basketball together this past season. On the second pitch, the girl swung hard and ripped a low line drive straight ahead. Unfortunately it smashed full force into Chani's left leg, just two inches above her ankle. She immediately went down into the wet sand on the pitcher's mound, but then she did something astonishing. In an instant she popped back up on her good leg, managed to reach the softball a few feet away and threw to first base just in time to get the third out. Extraordinary! As soon as she let go of the ball she went down, crying and writhing in pain. I ran out there, fearing that her leg was broken. We helped her back to the bench, where she put her leg up and I iced it. Her tears began to let up. I don't think she realized what an extraordinary act of courage and determination she had just displayed for the entire crowd.

The other players came over to see how she was doing. She couldn't play anymore, but the fate of the team had already been sealed. They had lost and were out of the playoffs. Still, regardless of the score, it was a scene that will remain planted in my memory for the rest of my life. What a proud father I was.

- Gregg

Book Review about Almost Astronauts

I just read a book called Almost Astronauts It was about 13 women that wanted to become astronauts in the 1960s. After Russia orbited a satellite called Sputnik and it was the first time anyone had sent anything into orbit, NASA was started. The USA got the best jet tests pilots together and they were called the Mercury 7 men. There goal was to get a man to the moon in the next decade. They were the all American heroes. They made news nation wide as the bravest men on Earth. Their wives were also publicized, but in a different way. There were pictures of them cleaning the house and taking care of the kids. But Randolph Lovelace disagreed. He thought that women were not just housewives. So he started Women in Space program. He needed data that would prove that women had the Right Stuff to become astronauts. He found the perfect person. Jerri Cobb was a 28 year old pilot that already had logged in more 7,000 hours in the air. Lovelace gave her all 98 tests the Mercury 7 men had taken. Some of them were injecting freezing water in her inner ear to record her vertigo, drink radioactive water, have three feet of rubber hose slid down her throat, and others. She aced all of them and complained less then the men. When showed the data, NASA didn’t care. “Space is no place for women,” they said. Even NASA was prejudice. But Lovelace didn’t give up. He tested thirteen other women who all aced every test. Cobb decided to try the isolation tank. It was a tank of water in a light proof and sound proof room. Cobb had to float in the tank using floaters. It was near weightlessness. This was like space. Most of the people that had tackled the isolation tank had cracked. After thirty minutes, they would start babbling and hallucinating. Dr. Shurley was the one who invented the isolation tank and he cracked too! But Cobb was amazing. She stayed in the isolation tank more than 9 hours! All thirteen women went through grueling tests that the Mercury 7 men didn’t. But they never complained. They were quite optimistic that they would persuade the NASA administrators to let them go to space. But they were wrong. NASA said no and also said “you have the right stuff, but you are in the wrong time.” Cobb was especially heartbroken because she was so close, so close to being the first woman in space. Even though Cobb failed to become an astronaut, women were inspired and trained too. She led the way for Sally Ride and Eileen Collins. Later, Cobb worked in South America delivering medicine and supplies to the natives. She won a Nobel Peace Prize for her work. I also think that Cobb had the right stuff, but I disagree about being in the “wrong time”. I think that there is no wrong time for any kind of achievements. Right now, about 3.5% of the NASA astronauts are woman. Do you know why? It’s because women do not pursue their dreams. America needs more women like Jerri Cobb. Maybe you will be like Cobb. Maybe you will change the course of history.- Bi

first summer job

Today I had my first summer job babysitting for a girl named Molly. We had sooooooooooo much fun! I was babysitting in my old elementary school, we roamed the halls, played on the stage in the gym, ate snacks and drew. Molly said I was the best babysitter! Babysitting will be a good summer job for me.

First day of Summer break

Today is the first day of our daughters' summer vacation. They took the opportunity to sleep in, practiced piano and late in the afternoon we took a forty minute walk through the nature reserve that surrounds our home. It was a wet, drizzly day and we discovered lots of little orange salamanders on the trail. So many of the days leading up to the end of school have been jam packed, so it was lovely to have the girls have a day without any kind of schedule.