Pam's Literary Corner

I just read a highly enjoyable book and would love to reccomend it to you all. Through Painted Deserts is a true-life road-trip memoir by Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz) about "Life, God, and Beauty on the Open Road." It's the story of a roadtrip from Texas to Oregon, through Arizona and California, he took with his friend Paul in their early 20's. It's an easy read that actually leaves you feeling enriched upon its conclusion rather than a few IQ points dumber as many easy to read books do. His converstational tone and frequent digressions of thought, as he reccounts his journey not only on the road but to a new level of faith, bring the reader along with him every step of the way making the him feel more like a close friend than an author.
Don now lives in Portland and coincidentally goes to the same church as me. I haven't met him but we have more than a couple mutual friends and/or aquantainces so I figure that makes me cooler than most people at least ;-) He's such a personal writer I feel like I actually know him though - a sentiment most who have read any of his books will concur with - and therefor stongly reccomend this book to each of you.

I'm Romans.

You are Romans.

Which book of the Bible are you?
brought to you by

I feel that's pretty accurate for me. Also would explain why I like Romans so much. You guys should try this... personality quizzes are always fun, and even better when they're Christian! Yay for cheesey Christian culture!
BTW yes, I realize I'm posting a lot today and yesterday. The reason is simple: I have hulled myself up in my room all weekend to study for 2 midterms at the beginning of next week and this is pretty much my only contact with the outside world... besides being a good way to procrastinate a little.

My brothers are criminals!

The following is an actual sherrif's report from my home county, Benton County.

Compiled from police reports by Corvallis Gazette-Times reporter Jennifer Nitson BENTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE OCT. 21, 2005
NINJA MISCHIEF — 1:50 p.m. Five males, ages 14 to 17, were seen running through the halls of Alsea High School, 301 S. Third St., wearing black Ninja-style clothing. Carrying a video camera, the boys ran through the boy’s locker room and tried to get into the music room, but the door was locked. They then fled the school in a green mini-van. Later in the day, one of the boys called the sheriff’s office to say that he and his friends were the elusive Ninja videotapers. He reportedly said he knew this was not OK but that he did not realize that when they ran through the school. All five boys were arrested on accusations of criminal trespassing at Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate St., on Wednesday. Each wrote and signed a statement apologizing for his involvement in the incident.

Yes, 2 of those males were in fact my 2 little brothers, and the mini-van belongs to my family. So my brothers have to go to court for running around in and filming at Alsea High School (Alsea is this TINY mountain town near us that we always make fun of for being inbred and what not - and like they REALLY are, there are about 3 main families in town and they're ALL related. They make Philomath look like a big city) without permission to get footage for one of the kid's school projects for Philomath High about growing up in Alsea. It's all totally rediculous cuz all 5 of these guys are totally good kids, sisterly bias aside, who really didn't do anything wrong at all except exercise a little poor judgement and it's getting all blown up into this big deal and they like have to go to court and probably do community service and stuff. Rediculous as it is I still think it's pretty much hilarious and laugh heartily at every update my parents give me on the matter, they laugh too when they're not busy pretending like it's a serious matter. My brothers are criminals! I hope Wheaton doesn't find out about this... they probably wouldn't admit me.

jumping bandwagons and the like

Aight, FINNALLY my computer is up and running again - it's literally been MONTHS now. Anyway, in celebration of this blessed event I downloaded skype. My user name is the same as my e-mail PamelasJoy. Let me know what yours are and I'll add you on. Or just add me and then it will ask if I want to let you or not and if I do then I will ;-)
Isn't it great that he's back(my computer that is)! Ah Leonardo, how I have missed you. (that's Leonardo as in the blue nija turtle, not so much the artist or the actor. Though maybe a little bit the actor once I thought of it... he IS pretty dreamy.)

Thank you Daveo!!!

While those of you who did not live in England may be asking yourselves, "What the heck are Pamela and Allison doing. Are they really doing drugs?!" those of you who did live there will know exactly what is going on here. A phenomenon which far surpasses drug use (I assume) - the proper eating of penguins!! That's right PENGUINS! Daveo, bless his lil pea pickin heart, sent us penguins direct from England! We were giddy and extatic and lost no time in making cups of tea so that we could eat them. And it was delicious I tell you what! And it will be again when I eat another one tonight! We decided it was an event of too great importance not to document with photographs. He also sent us those wonderful little choclately oatmeally creations known as Hobnobs, my personal favorite biscut.

Happy Ears.

Cds I have either bought or been given (burned copies of) in the past week and a half:
Sigur Ros - Takk
Cat Power - Moon Pix* and You*
Johnny Cash - American Songs
Gillian Welch - Revival
The Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood
Soundtrack - A Love Song for Bobby Long
Ryan Adams - Jacksonville City Nights*
Joy Electric - Massacre*
An amazing mix*

*Indicates cds given to me by my friend Jake.
The rest, except Sigur Ros, are the products of a trip to boarders with my dad - I helped him pick out 2 I thought he'd like (Johhny Cash and Gillian Welch) and he let me pick out 2 for myself (he's so nice!). Sigur Ros I got last wednesday in a moment of weakness - I haven't bought a single cd since my birthday and before that not since at least July. Needless to say my ears are VERY happy... but a little overwhelmed... they're all so good I never know which to pick at any given moment! Oh yeah, and this is an abnormal occurance... as I've been really very frugal and good for a long time now and haven't been buying hardly anything! I guess... as the saying goes... When it rains it pours. A happy girl writes this - as I think I've said before, who said money doesn't bring happiness?! Money buys music!

Breathing deeply.

Since 11:45 this morning I have been breathing deeply. As if to compensate for the shallow breaths required by the heavy weight sitting on my chest for the past couple of weeks. Finally the last of them has been lifted and am free to breath as deeply as I wish for at least a couple days before my next round of midterms begins. I had three in a row plus a speech plus the deadline for my lengthy Wheaton College application hanging over my head for the past week and a half or so, plus several other assignments and a speech. Well 2 of the 3 midterms were completed last friday but the worst one was my Spanish midterm today at 11, now this too has passed. I got my application finished and turned in yesterday. Ah, I feel like I'm finally alive again. Plus it helps that the sun is out today.
The Lord is good to me. And so I thank the Lord. For giving me the things I need... the sun and the rain and the apple trees. The Lord is good to me.

Aawww! So cute. Congradulations Becca and Chazzy!! My kids are all so big and grown up! My how time flys! 

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!!!

Attention ladies and gentlemen! It is with great pride and excitment that I am now able to present to you Chaz Chase and his FIANCE' Rebecca Beers!!! That's right, Capernwray's favorite sweethearts are truly headed for the alter! He took her out in a canoe and got down on his knee and proposed with a ring in a little wooden box he made by hand. She loves the ring, it is a small solitare. But mostly she loves him. And he loves her. I pretty much don't think I've ever seen a couple more in love. My dearest darling Chaz and Becky!!

I found this pretty picture of Rebecca, Rahel, me, and Becca (my dear friend from Philomath who we stayed with in Prague. Her and her husband Jake that is). I just really liked it so I thought I'd post it. Sorry I haven't had any recent pictures lately it is due to my still dead computer. My hair is so long now though! I haven't cut it since just before this picture was taken! It's past my shoulders! 

A notable event.

Today - are you sure you're ready for this? - I voluntarily ate fastfood! Yes, and I'm not ashamed either. I bought myself a jr-frostie and .99 chicken nuggets and I ate them and I liked it! Wow, what is this world coming to?! The other day I wore jeans and a hoodie and tennis-shoes with white socks - I believe I may have even had my hair in a pony-tail. Something about community college or city life or something is turning me into waaaaay to normal of a person. Scary.

Wait something's wrong here....

Ok so it was time for a change. I just got sick of that whole pocka-dotty thing (no offense to anyone else who uses it, obiviously I like it better than most or I wouldn't have picked it in the first place). Also I have a major mid-term tomorrow and I just don't WANT to study. Also I've been trying to get back to Pamela lately... no more of this pam stuff. Not that all of you who call me Pam have to change now, it's too late I realize, I only don't want to confuse future friends who might read this and be all "wait! I thought her name was Pamela!" I mean if that's not confusing I don't know what is. Am I still talking? Oh yeah, that's becuase I don't want to study!
P.S. 10 points to whoever can identify the source of that sub-title. Goodness I'm clever.

I heart Billy Collins

Ahoy all my travell-loving friends! Yes, that includes just about all of you who read this I think. I came across this poem in Sailing Aloone Around teh Room by Billy Collins - America's poet lauriet and one of the best poets I've ever heard, and it reminded me of you. If not being exactly how I feel at this particular moment I certainly recognize the sentiment in the depths of my soul... and I think he's being a little tounge-in-cheeck anyway. Hope you enjoy it.

Consolation

How agreeable it is not to be touring Italy this summer,
wandering her cities and asencding her torrid hill towns.
How much butter to cruise these local, familiar streets,
fully gasping the meaning of every road sign and billboard
and all the sudden hand gestures of my compatriots.

There are no abbeys here, no crumbling frescoes or famous
domes and there is no need to memorize a succession
of kings or tour the dripping corners of a dungeon.
No need to stand around a sarcophagus, see Napoleon's
little bed on Elba, or view the bones of a saint under glass.

How much better to command the simple precinct of home
than be dwarfed by pillar, arch, and basiclica.
Why hide my head in phrase books and wrinkled maps?
Why feed scenery into a hungry, one-eyed camera
eager to eat the world one monument at a time?

Instead of slouching in a cafe ignorant of the word for ice,
I will head down to the coffee shop and the waitress
known as Dot. I will slide into the flow of the morning
paper, all language barriers down,
rivers of idiom running freely, eggs over easy on the way.

And after breakfast, I will not have to find someone
willing to photograph me with my arm around the owner.
I will not puzzle over the bill or record in a journal
what I had to eat and how the sun came in the window.
It is enough to climb back into the car
as if it were the great car of English itself
and sound my loud vernacular horn, speed off
down a road that will never lead to Rome, not even Bologna.

Octubre

Yesterday afternoon was beautiful. Like an elderly couple holding hands on their afternoon walk. I forgot about Oregon fall. I'm glad to have it back.

I wanted to play.

Mmmm... so I don't actually think anyone "tagged" me... but I'm bored so deal with it.

10 years ago I was:
10 years old
the tallest kid in my grade
really into basketball but not willing to give up ballet
rejected by the cool kids but trying to hang with them anyway
crushing big time on the most popular boy in school.

5 years ago I was:
A freshman in high school - and loving it.
hanging with the seniors at lunch and feeling cool
a punk rock ballerina
going to shows every weekend with my sister
dying my hair blue or green or purple (only streaks), and wearing chains around my neck 32 bracelets

1 year ago I was:
living in the the truest sense of the word
making many of my best friends in the world
travelling around Europe
learning to enjoy life again
being forever changed

Now I am:
living in Portland with Allison
eating lunch by myself everyday... but meeting people in my classes
getting involved at a new church that I love
alternately excited and scared to death about my future
doing a lot of homework

Yesterday I:
woke up happy
made yummy cookies with Ally
fell in love with Sigur Ros all over again
did Psycology homework for 3 straight hours
wore a really cute outfit

5 snacks I enjoy:
tunafish and corn chips
cream cheese and wheat thins
ICECREAM
snickers - the best candybar in existance.
all kinds of fruit

5 songs I know all the words to:
Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
Holiday in Spain - Counting Crows
Tiny Dancer - Elton John
The Wind - Cat Stevens
Just about any (well-known) worship song

5 things I would do with 100 million dollars:
set up orphanages all over South America, Africa, and Eastern Europe with a profusion of skilled workers
support every missionary who asked me
travell the world
start an organization like the peace core but specifically for believers
fly any of my friends anywhere they wanted to go (but first to see me!)

5 places (or people/supreme being really) I would run to:
God
my mummy and my daddy
Rebecca
my sister
Jenny

5 things I would never wear:
Ug boots
more than one item of pink clothing at a time (if that)
an oversized sweater with stretch pants
an entire outfit of one color
bondage pants (though I kind of wanted them when I was punk rock... hopefully you know what I'm talking about or that one sounds pretty weird...)

5 favorite movies:
The Sound of Music
Almost Famous
Dancer Texas, Pop. 81 (if you haven't seen it you should)
Garden State
Napoleon Dynamite (I refuse to give it up just because it got so popular!)

5 Bad Habits:
Biting my finger tips when I'm thinkng
cracking my nuckels (sorry Lori)
dominating conversation
snoring (is that a habit? It's not my fault!)
checking my e-mail too many times in a day

5 things that bring me joy (or happiness, depending on how you define joy and happyness exactly):
my time with God in the morning
phonecalls from friends
sunshine (few things make me as happy as a sunny day)
buying a new cd
a good conversation

5 Fictional Charcters I would date:
Mr. Darcy of Pride and Prejudice (duh)
Matt Damon in the Bourne Identity
The drummer from That Thing You Do
James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause(more because of the actor than the character I admit)
Gilberth Blithe of Anne of Green Gables

Ode to the boys of Capernwray, and an remarkable story

I have begun to believe, in these past few weeks, that Capernwray boys have spoiled me for the real world. That's not a bad thing actually, but it seems that no boys I meet around here, and I've met a lot since moving up here... and many of them were cute... as well as Christians, can measure up to the level of greatness that those particular boys who have been through the training of Capernwray College have attained. I speak not only of my beloved brothers from last year but also of those from years gone by.
I have a rather remarkable story to illustrate this point and it has convinced me that I am right in believing that Capernwray adds a special factor of attractiveness, I like to call it the "C" factor, but you can call it whatever you want, the point is it's there.
My story begins (and ends actually) in my psycology class. This guy sat down next to me and immediately I was intrigued. I glanced over at what he was writing in his day planner and it read "Read Mark 1-4, pray with so-and-so" the interest grew. I thought he was cute but couldn't actually tell becuase you can't very tell turn and look point blank at the person sitting next to you who you've never met, now can you? As it turned out this guy was pretty cute but he was also quite a bit older (found out today he's 31) and when I met him a week later (checked our quizzes off of each other) I discovered he was married with kids. Now you may wonder why I would admit to being initially attracted to a 31 year old married guy. Hm... I'm not really sure why I'm admitting that except that there is obviously no other explanation for it THAN... (duh duh de duuuuuh!) THE C FACTOR - I found out today that this guy, his name is Jay, went to Capernwray (with Ben Thomas) in 1996!!!!!
So my beloved Capernwray brothers you must realize. You have been given a gift. Use it wisely, use it discerningly, but enjoy it as well. ;-)

Haha, anyway... isn't that crazy though! We just happened to pick the adjoining seats in class and of all people he went to Capernwray! God is good, is he not? Oh yeah, and a side note - we were comparing lecturers and staff members and he had Rob come and preach for a week (well before he was principle) when he had a fro! He said although he loved Rob he was so distracted by his animated speaking style that he had a little trouble paying attention to the lectures... he thinks Rob actually fell off the stage once while lecturing that week. Further more, for those familiar with Porltand/the Thomas kids. It is actually because of this guy, Jay, that Ben Thomas origionally moved to Portland and because of that that Heather moved here! Thank you, Jay, Portland is forever indebted to you.
Ah the world is small is it not? And the world+Capernwray is like 50 times smaller!

One more plug.

I know I just recently plugged my dad's blog but I was mostly kidding that time cuz he wrote something nice about me. But this time I really meant it! Need something interesting to occupy you as you procrastinate schoolwork? Intrested in life in the deep south in the 1950's? Well have I got a solution for you! See my dad grew up in Louisiana. He went to the first high school in Luisiana to be integrated in fact. Beyond having LOADS of interesting stories related to this topic he is also a phenomenal writer and one of the smartest men I know (like seriously, I'm not just being biased) so now those 2 elements are merged on his very own blog site in teh form of the first instalment of what I hope to be a detailed documentation of his life growing up in the south. Check it out if you have time. And also tell him what you think if you have time... even if you want to tell him you think he was a racist jerk (which he probably won't deny... but you probably shouldn't say anything mean or I'll hunt you down... haha, that was kind of an inside joke between me and him... MOVING ON).
By the way, I think my dad has got more air time on here than my mom, probably because he has a blog and checks/posts on my blog more, but I'd just like to state for the record that my mom is also one of the finest ladies you're likely to meet. She grew up in the mid-west though and therefore doesn't have quite as particularly amazing stories... but she's still awesome. I love my mummy.
Ai'gt, Peace out.

I'm very glad our God does not change like shifting shadows, cuz I know I sure do!

Name that Poet:

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my derams under your feet;
Tread softly because you terad on my dreams.

Anthropology and Subsidiary Topics

Explanation of the Following: From approxamately 3 pm to 5 pm (pacific) Allison Moody and I, Pamela Schnake, engaged in a inerringly fluid, and continually interseting conversation unwaveringly orbiting the sphere of Anthropological theory and observation - with a concentration in the sub-topic of Cultural Relativism. Upon the untimely conclusion of this discussion we felt that the lack of documenting the content of this discussion would be an injustice to great to commit; therefore spending the next half hour reconstructing the conversation to the best of our memory and ability.
Note: for the sake of readability this chart has been broken into categories of the major subjects covered and their resulting sub-topics. However due to the fluidity of the origional conversation such divisions are impositions rather than actual direct topical changes.

Please Enjoy:


Our respective homework

• Ally's anthropology reading
• School
• People who talk a lot in classes
• Woman in Allison's
• Man in Pamela's
• over achievers (specifically in Pamela's Spanish class)

Discussion vs. lecture class

• How that affects us
• How that effects people
• Know it alls
• the folly of debating with professor on their field of study

Getting hit on (each relayed a recent experience)

• talking to people on the bus
• the difficulty of meeting people without church life
• the difficulty of meeting people in classes
• How to meet people in classes
• Conundrum of speaking to boys in classes

Margaret Mead/The development of Anthropological method

• Error in ethnographic studies – Mead's biased study of teen sexuality in Samoa (Coming of Age in Samoa)
• Ethical boundaries within social science – Meade's study involving blue/brown eyed children
• Pros and Cons of cultural relativism and typical anthropological/sociological though

Linguistics – the folly of Political correctness/the problem of vernacular definitions vs. dictionary definitions

• College class discussions
• Woman in Ally's class

The function and perpetuation of classes in society

• Conflict theory vs. functionalist theory
• Positive function of poor in society – a rarely accepted but inherently obvious topic.
• Story: political correctness as it relates to Ally's friend and gypsies

Gypsy culture and personal experiences: observations, thoughts, and questions

• Pamela's interaction with Gypsies in Romania
• Lack of ethics in their lifestyle
• How outsiders respond:
• Social Scientists – do not find error in lifestyle in the name of cultural relativism
• General public – shun Gypsies completely and avoid interaction
• The need for a median and standard of behavior – yes their lifestyle is unethical, harmful, and mostly wrong – but how do we work with them regardless?
• Amazing ability of transplant globally while retaining culture/ inability and lack of desire to meld into any given culture

More on Cultural Relativism

• Introspection on the establishment of personal convictions/opinions and their origins
• Experiences with Romanians/Eastern Europeans: Allison's in America, Pamela's in Romania/Latvia
• Meeting Pamela's Latvian friends (interjection)

Stereotypes vs. Socio-types

• friendliness
• differences between North West, South, North East, and Mid West (in US)
• Similarities between Mid West and North West
• The effect of topography on shaping Cultures (though MW and NW do not follow)
• Similarities between Austria, Oregon, and Colorado (all being mountainous areas)
• Cultures with Cold Surface vs. Friendly Surface
• difference between Austria and Germany
• Pamela not liking German or English bluntness
• Dislike (for lack of better word) of social stiffness in England
• Comments on respective skill in relating to colder cultures (Allison) and warmer but needy cultures (Pamela)
• Europeans Stereotyping Each Other
• Specific Examples: England/Scotland, Germany/Poland, Norway/Sweden, Europe/Turkey

Gushing over Northern Ireland: love, fascination, and experiences

• Northern Irish: nice to everyone but each other
• Tempers of Northern Irish (one and only drawback to otherwise perfect personality)
• Introduction of tourism to Norn. Iron. (in last 4 years)
• General public's lack of knowledge about N. Iron. verses Rep. Of Iron.
• Hair color of the Northern Irish
• Red Heads
• Query and discussion: How is red hair so rare while apparently being genetically dominant
• The dorkyness of redheads: examples and possible explanations

END OF DISCUSSION DUE TO RINGING PHONE


FINAL THOUGHT: We've been in school waaaaaaay too much.

Forever 22

To my beloved ex-co-inhabitants of room 22. I found the poem in my journal today and thought I'd remind you guys:

He Sings to His Daughter, His Love

You are my precious child
You are my beautiful design
Out of love I created
Your body soul and mind
I swore my love eternal
As I hung upon that cross
I was faint with love for you dear
As my spirit I gave up.
Please define yourself by nothing
But what I've called you to be
As your father and your groom, dear
I'm enthralled by your beauty

I love you guys and miss you!
Love your,
Mama Pam

Isn't my dad manly? Yes, yes he is.You should check out his blog becuase he says nice stuff about me on it ;-)