May. 13, 2009 - Germany: International Day Project

Instructions:

1.       Wrap chocolate in several layers of newspaper and secure with ribbon and place in the middle of the table.

2.       All the kids should be sitting around the table.

3.       Everyone rolls the dice to see who goes first. The highest roller is it, moving clockwise.

4.       Each player rolls the die. The winning number is six (6).

5.       The player who rolls the six begins to dress up with the hat, scarf & mittens. Unpack the chocolate and begin eating the chocolate with the utensils in hand…  European style: knife in right hand, fork in left hand.

6.       In the meantime, the other kids continue to roll the die in turn. As soon as the next one rolls a six, they take away the hat and other items from the prior girl and starts over again.

7.       The main idea is to eat as much of the chocolate bar you can.

RECIPE

Brezel

You will need:

• A mixer
• A mixing bowl
• A kitchen knife
• Baking paper
• A basting brush

Ingredients:

• 250 g wholemeal flour
• 120 g butter
• 6 tablespoons of milk
• A pinch of salt
• Coarse salt or sesame seeds to sprinkle
• 1 egg yolk

Making the Pretzels:

1. Preheat the oven
2. Put the flour, the butter, the milk and a pinch of salt into the mixing bowl and mix them together until the dough is smooth.
3. Form the dough into a roll and put it into the fridge for about 30 minutes.
4. Cut the dough into lumps of about 3 - 4cm and roll each piece into a very thin rope (a little bigger than a pencil).
5. Fold the dough into a U-shape. Bring the ends together and twist them to the shape of a pretzel.
6. Lay them on a greased baking tray.
7. Mix the egg yolk with one spoonful of water and brush the mix over the pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse salt or sesame seeds. Put in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.

Then ... eat and enjoy!

May. 11, 2009 - Science Project - Completed

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the purest of them all?

PURPOSE:

My purpose for this experiment is to found out which of the follow waters is the purest. I became interested in the idea; because I notice a difference in the taste of the water I drink. The information gained from this experiment will help my community to know which drinking water is the safest to drink.

HYPOTHESIS:

My hypothesis is, if I test five water types, I hypothesize that Aquafina water is the most pure, because Aquafina is the top seller of bottle water and it taste good.

BACKGROUND/RESEARCH:

Water is one of the most abundant resources on earth. Water is a compound, or molecule consisting of 2 separate elements, oxygen and hydrogen. In each molecule of water there is 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom that bond together to form H2O or water.

Over 70% of the earth is water. Of all the earth's water, 97% is in oceans and seas leaving 2% as fresh water in glaciers, and the remaining 1% in lakes, ground water, rivers, and the atmosphere for human and animal to drink. The Great Lakes represent 95% of all fresh water above ground in the United States.

Our drinking water comes from rivers, lakes, and aquifers in America.

The blood that flows through our veins and arteries is made up approximately 95% water. Next to air, water is the most important element needed to sustain life. A human can survive approximately 30 days without food while only surviving only 7 days without water.

Nitrates and Nitrates Test

Nitrates and Nitrates frequently get into drinking water from numerous manmade activities such as framing, industrial waste, sewage, biological waste, and feedlot runoff. Nitrates/Nitrites are not desirable at any level in potable water, however the EPA Primary Standards are 1 ppm (parts per million) for Nitrite and 10 ppm for Nitrate.

Hardness Test

Hardness is normally measured in ppm or gpg (grains per gallon). One (1) grain per gallon is equal to 17.1ppm of hardness. Currently there are no EPA Standards for hardness, however, most water professionals agree that 50 ppm or less is desirable range. The effect of hardness can cause the overuse of soap and other detergents since they do not bubble up as well in hard water.

Acidity (pH) Test

     The pH scale of 0-14 indicates if the water is acidic, neutral or alkaline. A pH of 7 means the water is neutral and ideal. Current EPA Secondary Standards suggest a pH range of 6.5 to 8.5.

Alkalinity Test

     High alkaline levels above 180 ppm may cause skin irritation as well as questionable taste.

Chlorine Test

     The EPA recommends a level of chlorine less than 4.0 to be present in tap water. Since the time the first automobile was made, chlorine has been added to the public water system to prevent diseases such as typhoid and cholera.

Iron Test

     Iron normally occurs naturally in water and does not present a problem unless it exceeds EPA Secondary Standard of more than .3 ppm. Stains on fixtures and on clothing occurs as iron levels increases. The stains are usually a red-brownish color.

Copper Test

     Copper occurs naturally in the water as well. If the copper levels are above the EPA Secondary Standards of 1.3 ppm, problems can begin to occur. Copper can affect red blood cells, causing blood related ailments and at levels above 3 ppm can result in severe gastrointestinal reactions.

Items used:

5 drinking glasses (same size)

Zephyrhills bottled water

Aquafina bottled water

My home water (tap)

Church water (Jensen beach)

Well water

Paper

Pencil

Labels

Tape

5- Individually foiled strips with 4 test on each strip

5- Individually foiled strips with 3 test on each strip

5- Individually foiled strips with 1 test on each strip

5- Vials for the Iron Test

5- Iron reagent tablets, foiled, containing sulfite for the iron test

Procedures:

1. Collect water samples
2. Cover work area
3. Pour each kind of water into its own clear cups
4. Label each clear plastic cup to match the kind of water in it

5. Test Chlorine,  Copper,  Nitrate Nitrogen, and Nitrite Nitrogen

A:  Rinse out vials and fill to ¼ from the top with water

B: Remove test strip from foil packet marked TCL/CO/NA/NI

                                                * pick up strip on end with no pads,

                C:  Dip in water, swirl strip 3 times and remove

D: IMMEDIATELY read Chlorine pad by comparing to chart below. Next, read the Copper test and after a total of 45 seconds has elapsed from when the test strip was first dipped, read the Nitrate/Nitrite test.

6. Test Alkalinity/pH/Hardness

A: Rinse out test vial and fill ¼ from top with water

B: Remove test strip from packet marked ALK/pH/Hard

C:  Dip the ALK/ pH/Hard

D: Hold test strip level and wait ten (10) seconds. Compare to color chart below in order starting with alkalinity, then pH and hardness.

7. Test Iron

A. Rinse out the test vial and fill to ¼ inch from top

B. remove (1) iron tablet from foil and place in test vial

C. Place cap on test vial and shake until tablet dissolves

D. Remove test strip marked iron. Dip test strip into vial for one second and remove

E. Hold level for 15 seconds. Compare to chart.

RESULTS:

In this experiment the purpose was to test the alkalinity, pH, hardness, iron, total chlorine, nitrate nitrogen, copper, and nitrite nitrogen levels of the water different water that I drink, according the EPA Standards.

Nitrates and Nitrates Test

Aquafina, home tap, church, and well water samples tested were zero (0) ppm while Zephyrhills registered 5 ppm of nitrates.

All water samples tested zero (0) ppm of nitrites.

Hardness Test

Aquafina and church water has zero hardness in them. Home tap water has 50 hardness. Then Zephyrhills has 120 hardness in it. And finally the well water has 425 hardness in it.

Acidity (pH) Test

Aquafina has a pH level of 6.5, while Zephyrhills, Home tap, church, and well water has a pH level of 7.

Alkalinity Test

The water samples from Aquafina and home tap water were registered at zero (0) while church water was 120 ppm; Zephyrhills was 224 ppm; and well water was 240 ppm.

Chlorine Test

All water samples were zero (0) ppm of chlorine. 

Iron Test

All water samples tested at zero (0) ppm of iron except for the well water, and it tested as 5+. The level of iron in the well water is very high.

Copper Test

All test samples were zero (0) ppm of copper.

	Zephyrhills	Aquafina	Home                    (tap)	Church (Jensen Bch)	Well Water	EPA Standard
Nitrates	5	0	0	0	0	≥ 10 ppm
Nitrites	0	0	0	0	0	≥ 1 ppm
Alkalinity	224	0	0	120	240	≥ 180 ppm
pH	7	7	7	7	7	< 7 > 9
Hardness	120	0	50	0	425	≥ 50 ppm
Iron	0	0	0	0	5+	≥ .3 ppm
Copper	0	0	0	0	0	≥ 1.3 ppm
Chlorine	0	0	0	0	0	≥ 4 ppm

CONCLUSION & DISCUSSION:

     I concluded that Aquafina is the best in the entire test. Not only Aquafina taste great, it passed the EPA Guidelines of nitrates, nitrites, pH, alkalinity, hardness, iron, copper and chlorine.

May. 1, 2009 - Mets Ballgame

     We got free tickets for tonights ballgame when we help to "Keep Port Saint Lucie Beautiful".

     My daughter was thrilled!! She loves baseball. It is her dream to play again. I have reservations about playing baseball. She played baseball for years when her dad was with us, from tee-ball to Little League. She still remember the fun... and so do I.

     We got the best seats in the house!! Right behind home plate!! Awesome favor from God!!

     After the ball game, the kids got to run the bases. Victoria had a such a wonderful time running the bases.

     I believe baseball is a competitive sport! Hence, the reason for my reservations of not letting my daughter play the game. 

     "The basis for sports is that we have fun as we compete against others with the goal to defeat them—this results in me being number one and my opponent being the loser. Sports are all about winning and making someone else the loser. My rival is crushed in defeat so I can be the best." ~ Steve Maxwell

To read more about Competitive Sports..... Part One; Part Two; Part Three

Mar. 28, 2009 - Keep Port Saint Lucie Beautiful

     We joined our dance team, "God's Anointed" for fun day of city clean up!

     The dance team walked about two miles picking up trash along the streets.

      The City served us breakfast that consisted of donuts and bagels with juice. We loaded onto City buses and then was dropped off at certain points around the City. We were dropped off close to the depot, so we walked back picking up trash. When we had gotten back to the depot, they had hamburgers and hot dogs waiting on us.  

     There was a raffle of several prizes given away that day as well as each one of us got a free Met's game ticket.

     We had a wonderful time! I believe this is to be our last Community Service project for this school year.

Mar. 18, 2009 - 4-H Genealogy Project

GENEALOGY 4-H PROJECT
AWARD - ROSETTE RIBBON

Here are the forms we used for this project:

Genealogy Guidelines (pdf file)

Family Group Sheets (excel)
Pedigree Charts (excel)
Dairy (excel)
Information Worksheet (excel)
Notebook Cover (excel)

Mar. 16, 2009 - 4-H Chemistry Project

4-H CHEMISTRY PROJECT
AWARD: ROSETTE

As Pictured: Water molecule, back left; Lithium Model upfront; Oxygen molecule, back right.

Mar. 16, 2009 - 4-H Scrapbooking Project

4-H SCRAPBOOKING
AWARD: ROSETTE RIBBON

For this project: we used the following information:

Scrapbooking Guidelines

This Manual has great reference links and ideas.

Mar. 14, 2009 - Community Service 3/14/09

Victoria and I joined the 4-H Archery Aces in a community service project. I traveled around Fort Pierce cleaning the bus stop benches. The city welcomed us in an awesome way as people drove by honking and waving.

Mar. 9, 2009 - Volunteer Hours at the County Fair

Victoria worked 10 hours in the animal barn. Her duties including making sure all the animals had feed and water, removing the eggs from the hens cages, removing the bedding out from underneath the cages.

For the 4-H Archery club, Victoria volunteered four hours everyday, for a total of approx. 40 hours) to sit at the booth and to recruit new members into the 4-H Archery Aces. By the end of the fair, we ended up with approximately 40 new people who stated they were interested. This is awesome! We will have enouh kids to start tournaments in Southern Florida!

(I don't have one picture of Victoria sitting at the booth. So I included a picture of another family volunterring. This is what our fair booth looked like).

Check out the quiver (holds the arrows) on the back table (green tablecoth). See the one to the far left? That is my daughters! Yes, that's right. She "bedazzled" it. LOL. She painted in black and then hot glued jewels all over it with her nickname "Tori".

Mar. 8, 2009 - County Fair Awards (animal barn) 2/27 - 3/8/09

Victoria entered "Blessing", the rescue rabbit. She took First place in the 'Dutch' class.

Victoria and BLESSING took First place in "Showmanship":

In the Talent Show, Victoria and blessing took Runner -Up in the "Best Imitator" class, dressed as "Dorothy and Toto":

Mar. 6, 2009 - Archery Demonstration

At the fair, we were allowed to do a demonstration for the crowd. This was a lot of fun for the kids!

DEMONSTRATION DAY
March 6, 2009

Retrieiving lost arrows

Victoria ranked in 5th place.

Feb. 26, 2009 - Archery Fundraiser Breakfast

Today we were up at 5 in the morning to serve breakfast to the 4-H families who ere weighing in their hogs. We broke even in our adventure. Each family took home a large supply of left overs.

Jan. 28, 2009 - Representational Art: Rev. 8:8-9

Today in art class, Victoria learned about 'Representational Art'.

Representational art simply means that we viewers are able to recognize an object (or objects) within the piece of art.

For class today, I had several Scriptures from The Book of Revelation. This Book, from start ot finish is a vision the the author, John, done an excellent job in describing what he saw. I put on soft prophetic instrumental music and asked the kids to pray, reach in and draw out a Scripture, read it and then ask the Lord to help you visualize the Scripture as you read over it again and again. Once you have a clear image of what the Holy Spirit has given to you, then begin to draw.

Today we used chaulk.

This is the verse that Victoria drew out:

"Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed." ~ Rev. 8:8-9

And here is her picture:

The scanner didn't pick up the chaulk print very well.

Jan. 16, 2009 - B-I-N-G-O

Jan. 16, 2009 - Chemist Report

Jan. 15, 2009 - Robert Boyle - Chemist Report

Jan. 10, 2009 - Archery Demonstration-Range Safety

Jan. 6, 2009 - Showmanship - Rabbit

Victoria learned how to show her "Rescue Rabbit" at the County Fair. There is a certain way that you have to manipulate the bunny to show the judge.

The proper way to carry the bunny.... like a football!

There is a way proper way to show the judge how to check the ears, teeth, claws, legs, tail, and gender.

Jan. 5, 2009 - Lithium Molecule

Jan. 4, 2009 - Hippocrite?

The reason we no longer participate in drama...

Right before Christmas, the Pastor gave a sermon and mentioned the real definition of what a hippocrite was. Well, this start a new trail for us. Victoria heard the Pastor, and was convicted on not participating any longer on the drama team. Victoria wants to be real! She doesn't want to conceal her feelings or motives and she felt by 'play acting' doesn't give her the oppurtunity to be HERSELF in these roles, therefore she chose not to be a part of it.

From Wikipedia:

Hypocrisy (alternately spelled hypocricy in American English), is acting in a manner contradictory to one's professed beliefs and feelings, or conversely, expressing false beliefs and opinions in order to conceal one's real feelings or motives.

The word hypocrisy derives from the Greek ὑπüκρισις (hypokrisis), which means "play-acting", "acting out", "feigning, dissembling" or "an answer". The word hypocrite is from the Greek word ὑποκρßτης (hypokrites), the agentive noun associated with υποκρßνομαι (hypokrinomai), i.e. "I play a part." Both derive from the verb κρßνω, "judge" (»κρßση, "judgement" »κριτικÞ (kritiki), "critics") presumably because the performance of a dramatic text by an actor was to involve a degree of interpretation, or assessment, of that text.

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We did finish the Christmas play as her vow of making a commitment of taking the lead role is worth a lot... according to God, it is better not to vow then it is to vow and not do it...

Hindsight NOTE: Victoria made the decision to give up something that she loved doing for God. I saw the struggle she was in and the decision she made. I offered no advice, unless she asked me. The Lord told me to "remain silent", therefore I spent my time on my knees asking the Holy Spirit to show her the TRUTH... because honestly, I couldn't understand her conviction because the joy I saw her getting out it blinded me. I am in awe of the Lord, and what He has done in her... it is nothing that I have done but Christ in me and in her...