Discover Central Christian

Before I started working at Central Christian School, I had no idea there was a Christian school in Redmond. I couldn't even find the building when I attempted to deliver my application! When I did find the school, I hesitated to even go in. After all, what kind of school would be in a building like that.

Typically, first impressions are not far from the truth. Central Christian needs a new building. The current facility limits the number of students and staff, the classrooms are not state of the art spacious venues for learning, and the lack of a gym and locker room is sorely felt throughout the year.

However, for Central Christian, the building does not tell the whole truth. What an individual can not see from a precursory drive through our parking lot or a quick stroll through the building is the heart of the school. The heart is found in the victories, challenges and spirit of everyone involved in our school.

If you've never visited Central Christian School, consider participating in a Discovery Tour. Each program is an hour long: provides an in-depth tour of the school, information about the history and future of the school, and allows students and staff to share inspirational stories.

This is not your typical sight-seeing tour. This is an opportunity for you to discover what Central Christian School offers.

I for one am quite pleased that God gave me that extra little push and I ventured through the doors that first time. It's not the building that makes the school: it is the people; it is the heart; it is the Lord.

Terrebonne Depot

In 1911, the Terrebonne Depot was a stop on the brand new train route cutting across Central Oregon. The route connected Washington and California and opened up the realm of possibility for this rich desert land.

Today, the Terrebonne Depot is open again, this time as an American Cuisine restaurant. On a Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago my husband and I stopped in for our first sampling of the fare.

Our main reason for stopping in? My story. The Good Earth Series of course includes key details for the coming of the railroad to Central Oregon--more specifically Hillman/Terrebonne. What a pleasant surprise to find a truly enjoyable respite. The Terrebonne Depot boasts tables and a bar fashioned from the original 8" x 8" old growth fir pier supports on which the original depot stood. The combination of modern elegance and rustic ambiance is quite pleasing.

My husband enjoyed a Mediterranean Burger, complete with feta cheese and Greek olives. Part of the novelty was the buffalo meat patty. House fries accompanied his meal and were a definite treat with the spice adding a surprising kick.

On the lighter side, I tried the tomato basil soup--not for anyone squeamish about basil--and the salad with honey mustard dressing. I know it was only a dressing, but the honey mustard was "to die for." I wanted to lick the plate, but of course refrained.

To complete our meal we splurged on bacon wrapped shrimp. What a find! The bacon added an interesting flair to the jumbo shrimp and was perfected by another tasty sauce highlighted with cilantro and a delicate blend of sugar and spice.

Despite the fact that there was a workable selection of kid friendly dishes, we will not likely make this a weekly stop. The Terrebonne Depot earned a spot in our elite list of "for parents only" guilty pleasures.

Historical Snippets

Train Schedule 1900
The Good Earth series fictionalizes the railroad war of 1908-1912 through the Central Oregon desert. In the first book, Bethrina Granger is sent from Seattle, Wa to Hillman, Oregon. Along the way she encounters a variety of characters who will help her in her journey to become a confident self-assured woman of God.

One segment of her journey takes place on the Columbia Southern Railway from Biggs to Shaniko. During the first decade of the twentieth century Shaniko was the "wool capital of the world." By 1911, a flood in Hay canyon and the completion of the new line from the Dalles to Bend left the Columbia Southern Railway to the history books.

Bethrina settles in a small town known as Hillman. The town is named for two railroad barons, Hill and Harriman, who dream of connecting Washington and California by rail. The ensuing rail war will challenge Bethrina's faith and determination in ways she never imagined possible.

The Old Homestead

My husband and I have been reading Jane Kirkpatrick's Homestead. The true story follows Jane Kirkpatrick and her husband as they face the challenges of building a home along the John Day river in the early to mid-1980s.

In our free time we are searching for a home of our own. Currently we rent. We have dreams of a home with an office (for my writing), a large yard for kids to play, and a kitchen with space for a coffee bar, a large pantry, and enough counter space for two to make sushi.

The problem: land is an expensive commodity in Central Oregon right now. If we find a house we like, it is on a postage stamp size lot. When we find the yard we love, it has a home that needs a good remodel and update to accommodate a family of four (or more someday.)

Every now and then we imagine our own homestead. Taking that leap into the wilds of Oregon--a place where no man has traveled (at least no phone, cable or electricity.) The trials and tribulations that the Kirkpatrick's faced help put that possibility into perspective.

Then there is the question of faith. Waiting upon the Lord. We know that He will direct us and guide us to the home He has for us. In the meantime, are we being good stewards of our time and resources? And how does our dream fit with His will?


Authors Note:
Jane Kirkpatrick is an Oregon author. She has written more than a dozen books, with her newest release A Tendering in the Storm available this week. The first chapter will be available on her website after April 17th.

Start Making a Reader Today

When I was little the phrase "Reading is Fundamental" was gaining momentum. All I really knew was that someone somewhere was encouraging kids to read.

The Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program has it's roots in 1966 Washington, D.C. Former teacher Margaret McNamara gifted four boys she was tutoring with books. The boys were overjoyed. She soon learned that many children have never owned a book of their own. She organized a group of volunteers, and by December of 1966 the RIF program was launched.

Today I volunteer with a program that is very similar to RIF. Every week, for one hour, I read with a child. The program I participate in is SMART: Start Making a Reader Today.

The SMART program is a non-profit literacy organization in Oregon. Children are chosen for the program on a case-by-case basis. The child is pulled from class for fifteen minutes twice per week to read with a caring adult volunteer.

Twice per month the child is given a choice of books to take home. The child is encouraged to take books at their current reading level. Over the course of the school year the SMART kids should receive a total of sixteen books. Children can participate in SMART any time during K-3 grades. If a child participates all four years they should have a collection of sixty-four books!

The program is completely dependent on adult volunteers. It takes only one hour a day, once a week, but you can make a difference for a lifetime. Often children are chosen for the program based on circumstances or reading ability. Either way all children benefit from reading and being read to.

Reading ignites the imagination, improves vocabulary and spelling, and increases a child's success rate in school and life. The RIF program is available in all fifty states. SMART is an Oregon program. Make the time. Start making a reader today!

Expressions

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West--Part V

The day concluded with a presentation by Jane Kirkpatrick. What a remarkable story she has to tell! If you have not read any of her work, I highly recommend Homestead. This is the true story of the years of work and struggle Mrs. Kirkpatrick and her husband went through to carve out a life along the rugged John Day river in Central Oregon.

Mrs. Kirkpatrick discussed the four expressions of women of the West: landscape, relationships, spirituality and work. To demonstrate each expression, she presented slides of paintings by artists, Emmy Whitehorse, Hung Liu, Anita Rodriguez and Alison Saar.

Landscape sustains people.

Relationships strengthen us.

Spirituality reminds us this life is fleeting.

Work is what we do.

These four elements help create the story of women of the West. How does the land influence or hinder? Who are the people that come into our lives? Why do we live? What fills our days?

School Marms, Saloon Girls, & Calamity Jane

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West--Part IV

Molly Gloss set the record straight about women in the West. Her love of literature, and westerns in particular, has provided ample opportunity to become familiar with the "accepted" version of women's roles out West. However, dissatisfied by the dime novel and Hollywood portrayals she did a little research of her own. The result: The Jump-Off Creek and Wild Life.

Think about frontier women--women of the west--whom you have seen on TV or movies. I think of the mothers who gave their all, such as "Ma" Walton and "Ma" Ingalls. Or the rough and tumble tom-boy Doris Day portrayed in Calamity Jane. Or Judy Garland (the proper maid) and Angela Lansbury (the saloon girl) in the Harvey Girls. The other often portrayed woman of the west is the teacher, as in Christy or Ms. Beadle from Little House. More often than not, women in old westerns were portrayed in stereotypical ways and suffered from the want of a good husband. Was there more to the story?

Molly's presentation was "Proving Up: Homesteading Women in the Literature of the American West." In the late 1800s less than one-half of homesteaders were women (without men!). By the 1910s every one in five homesteader was a woman. Women made their way West as mothers and wives. But how often do we hear about the single women wanting to work the land? The hard-working widow? Or the deserted wife/mother who must make the way as head of the household?

To "prove up" an individual had to be 21 years of age, head of the household, live on the land, make improvements and farm the land for five years. The real kicker? Women proved-up more often than men!

Read about real women of the West. Dozens of books are available regaling the lives and struggles of these women. Read until you break the mold of popular novels and movies.

Tip: Look for memoirs written by women who homesteaded in your area.

And don't forget, Alice Day Pratt's Homesteader's Portfolio (1922), Three Frontiers (1955) and Animals of a Sagebrush Ranch (Juvenile, 1931). This remarkable woman, single and nearing forty, traveled from her home on the East Coast to file claim on 160 acres of land in Central Oregon (Prineville area).

For a more modern version of the homesteading woman read Jane Kirkpatrick's, Homestead. I will write more about this fabulous book in an upcoming post.

One Hundred Years Down the Road

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West--Part III

The Imperial Ranch has been in operation for over one hundred years. The legacy of that first homesteader lives on in the rich history still maintained on the ranch.

What does this mean for my loyal readers? My first novel begins in the rain-drenched region of Seattle, but moves quickly into the High Desert of Central Oregon: First stop Shaniko. The Imperial ranch is fifteen miles Northwest of Shaniko. Considering the size of the ranch and the success of the same, at the turn of the twentieth century, watch for historical references to this important ranching family.

Driving north on highway 97 you may notice roadsigns proclaiming, Bourbon Lane, Starvation Lane, Egypt Lane, Rufus, Dufur, and many others. If you have ever wondered about the origins of the names dotting the West--as I have--check out Sherry Kaseberg's, Sherman County Place Names.

Mrs. Kaseberg contributed to the Western Heritage Gathering by sharing a "field trip" through Sherman County. She presented an enjoyable slide show accompanied by informational teasers about how places were named. She grew up in Moro listening to the stories of her elders, relatives and other area residents. The data was eventually compiled to create her book.

Imperial Ranch: Ninety Miles & One Hundred Years from Bend

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West--Part II

The first presentation at the Womens Heritage Gathering was from Jeanne Carver of the Imperial Ranch near Shaniko, Oregon. Her energy and vitality was engaging. There was no doubt that this woman loves the land and the history she inherited as the current ranch woman.

Some of the history she imparted:

Richard Hinton was born on the Oregon trail en route to Lane County where his family settled in the 1850s. He grew up in the Willamette Valley watching the land be fenced, plowed and become overcrowded. In 1871, he shook the mud from his feet and headed to the high desert of Central Oregon.

With a lone packhorse he found his way to the area known today as Bakeoven and established his homestead at age nineteen. He bought sheep and cattle and began farming. The next year he married Mary Emma Fitzpatrick and brought her home to his bachelor pad: a dugout cave in the creekbank. Together they raised two children in this little cave. After ten years of hard work they proved their claim. Mary died the very next year.

Richard continued to be a shrewd landowner and rancher. His flocks flourished as he developed a remarkable cross-breeding program for quality meat lambs and wool. Within two years of Mary's death he met and married Clara Bird, this time bringing his new wife home to a home he had built on the ranch. Clara was a socialite and was not required to work the ranch as her predecessor had. Two more children were born.

Hinton became the largest single proprietor in Wasco county, and eventually all of Oregon. By 1900 the Hinton's were able to build a Queen Anne home, which still stands today. The family hired staff including a personal cook, house boy, private tutors and a chauffeur. The family enjoyed trips to Portland (where they maintained a rented apartment) for theatre and cultural events. Clara and her daughter were able to commission dresses made by the renowned Shogren Sisters.

James Hinton, Richard's oldest son, took over the ranch in 1915. His business acumen never equaled that of his father. James did not marry until he was in his fifties. By the 1930's a man from Antelope named George Ward joined the operation. George and his wife Mary (Hampton) earned James' respect and in 1945 a half share was sold to George.

Subsidies were introduced in the 1930s. War and synthetic fabrics further cut into the highly profitable sheep industry.

Mary Ward was a true partner to George Ward. She handled the people and the bookwork. She would drive to Portland to hire from Skid Row or to Gresham for fruits and vegetables. The ranch was still known for the entertaining begun during the days of Clara Hinton. Mary was involved in the care of her home, Wool Grower's Association, Cowbells, and the PTA. In her free time she drove to Portland to take tailoring classes.

James Hinton sold his remaining share of the ranch to George Ward in 1967. George and Mary struggled through their final years of ranching. Following a serious car accident George and Mary relied heavily on prescription drugs, pain killers and alcohol. Their children refused to continue the rigors of ranch life and the ranch was soon sold to Dan Carver in 1988.

Today the ranch continues the tradition of sustainability with four commodities in production: sheep, cattle, hay and grain. The sheep business is still a challenge, but the Imperial Ranch is finding their way. Through ingenuity and determination 100% of the meat is now sold to restaurants. Quality wool yarn and project kits from the Imperial Ranch can be found at Woodland Woolworks and The Stitching Post. Finished garments can be found through the national retailer Norm Thompson. A complete list of locations carrying Imperial Ranch products is available on their website.

The headquarters of the ranch is a National Historic District and can be viewed by prior arrangement.

Western Heritage Gathering: Women of the West

Moro, Oregon is a charming little town approximately 20 miles south of the Oregon/Washington border at Biggs. Anyone traveling from Biggs south on highway 97 to Central Oregon will pass through Moro. Just off main street is the Sherman County Historical Museum with a pleasant park and restrooms for the traveler. The Café Moro serves up a very nice meal (and when we visited, offered a Military discount which we greatly appreciated!)

The Presbyterian church, which has been active for one-hundred twenty years, hosted the Western Heritage Gathering on Saturday, March 24th. The gathering celebrated the role of women in the West (homesteaders, postmistresses, ranchers, wives, mothers, writers, and a myriad of other roles unlike those we see in moving pictures.)

Nearly one hundred twenty-five people attended the event. Drawn from all over Oregon and parts of Washington to remember the women who came before us into the great land of the Pacific Northwest.

The presenters included women who are continuing the tradition of strength and endurance in this rugged landscape. Over the next few days I will share some of the things I learned during this event.

Oh the journey that still lies ahead!

Marriage First--Part I

The working title of my novel is First Comes Marriage. If you read my blog sometime in the last few days you may have noticed the phrase "First Comes Love." Every now and then I slip and say the latter. The title comes from the children's rhyme, "K-i-s-s-i-n-g, then comes love, then comes marriage..." and the rhyme is embedded deeper in my mind than my own title. (By the way--I fixed the error this morning so no need to search for it.)

This is the first in a trilogy exploring the pioneer era of Central Oregon. The railroad was not complete and water was still a prized commodity. Travel from Shaniko to Terrebonne (58 miles) would take no less than 8 hours by auto-bus, 24 hours by stage or as long as 4 days by horseback! And we think we have it rough driving through Redmond at rush hour.

Each title in the series will playfully twist the familiar rhyme: First Comes Marriage, Next Comes Love, Along Comes Baby.

Why marriage first?

In the United States, the modern conventions of marriage lead us to believe that when someone falls madly in love, the natural fulfillment of this love is marriage. What if the reverse is true? Can a man and woman marry and find the natural fulfillment of this marriage is love? How does this fit with God's view of marriage?