Food, Philosophy, and Physical Training

Wow! I can't believe it as been a whole week since I last blogged! Time sure is flying by quick. :)

College has been a good food experience for me, I can eat whatever I want whenever I want and I don't go hungry. I have made German Pancakes 4 times, and the last time was the best ones I have ever had in my life!(Sorry, Dad) Today I made banana oatmeal cookies and they are amazing!(recipe) I have gone through a dozen eggs and a gallon of milk and I have only been here for 2 1/2 weeks!

Yesterday in class we discussed Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" and John Locke's "Second Treatise of Government. The biggest difference between these 2 writings is that Machiavelli discusses power and Locke speaks of authority. We discussed the difference between power and authority and what it means to have power without authority. According to Locke "As usurpation is the exercise of power which another hath a right to, so tyranny is the exercise of power beyond right, which nobody can have a right to..."(Emphasis added)

I started today with a 1-mile walk to Dr. Brooks house followed by a 1 1/2 mile walk around the perimeter of campus over and through sagebrush, rocks, and trees. After going home to get something to eat and a change of clothes we headed back up to campus to better mark the "trail" we are following for our physical training.(It is supposed to be a 1 1/2 mile run, but I am not quite to running yet.) Once everything was marked we went on a hike to a pond. Needless to say, we were all very tired and dirty by the time we made it back home. Most of us changed into our pajamas. (me included)

Overall, I am well fed, well taught, and well worked. :)

P.S. It still snows part of the day everyday...

Happiness

We have had 3 amazing classes and 3 days of hard work since I last blogged. We have discussed works by Plato and Aristotle and planted 65 trees in 3 orchards on campus. My favorite class so far was yesterday when we discussed happiness. Our text was books one and two from the Nicomachean(Nik-oh-mahk-ee-an) Ethics by Aristotle, who describes happiness as a state of mind where nothing else is desired. He also says that happiness can only be found when ALL of your needs and MOST of your wants have been met, and when you have had good fortune. I argued against this point very strongly, saying that happiness is a CHOICE! In the words of a song from Scripture Scouts, "Happiness is a not a place, where you can just arrive, it's how you choose to travel down the road while you're alive." I said that I could choose to be happy even if my wants are not met, or even if terrible things are happening around or to me. So then they started "taking" things away from me, then asking if I would still be happy. My Mockingjay necklace and my boyfriend were the first things to go. I was once happy without those things and I could happy without them again. To quote Albus Dumbledore, "Happiness can be found even in the darkness of times if one only remembers to turn on the light."


Disclaimer: Choosing to be happy is NOT EASY, but it is possible. There is the exception of people who have chemical imbalances that cause things like depression, that makes it extra difficult to be happy. Sometimes you can't make yourself be happy when you have those types of mental health issues, but even those people ae happy at least on occasion. Please do not go up to someone with depression or who has just lost someone they love and tell them to, "Just be happy!" This will not help, they have to decide to be happy on their own.

So what do you think? Is happiness an end or a choice? Let me know in the comments below. :)

Digging and Diagramming

I had a crazy day yesterday. After making pancakes for breakfast, I headed to seminary, I am really blessed to be able to attend Seminary down here so that I can still graduate. Anyway, it was great! The kids and the teacher are all really nice. They asked me which Disney Prince I would go on a date with, I picked Kristoff fro Frozen because he is super sweet and was willing to take Anna back to  Hans even though he was obviously in love with her. So that was that adventure.

Following a quick stop at the Pharmacy, I headed up to our 82 acres of campus, to help start digging trenches for our permaculture project. It wasn't nearly as cold outside, but when I say up, I mean UP. I had to walk my bike up this huge hill. It seemed to take forever and I was certain I was going to die on the way up. Needless to say, I was super proud of myself when I made it to the top, it probably took me 30 minutes, lots of breaks, and motivation from my wonderful boyfriend to make it.
Once I made it to campus I spent about an hour and a half digging trenches, we finished one before we headed back home.Then today Dr. Brooks informed us that he dug the remaining 6 trenches with a backhoe....

Hailey and Noelle digging :)

Today we spent 6 hours in the classroom, we first learned how to diagram articles, and practiced on Genesis 1:16. The first diagram we focused on the literal meaning of the verse.This is the Sensus Solum method.(latin for there is only 1 right answer 

Then we did a second diagram using the Sensus Plentior method(latin for there can be many answers) We were specifically focusing on how the verse could relate to government.

Overall I thought the class was very successful and I certainly learned a lot focusing on this one verse of scripture. After diagramming we 2 hours of  proctored study. During this time I read Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle and started reading War and Peace by Tolstoy. The evening was concluded with Dinner and games at Dr Brooks' house. In other words it was a great day. :)

April Snow?

Today was a miserable day to be outside. We went up to campus to mark contour lines on the ground to prepare for planting apple trees next weekend. After working for about 30 minutes it started SNOWING! We stopped working and hiked around our 82 acres of campus while the snow continued blowing around us. Fortunately, we had all dressed for the cold.After walking in a circle we made it back home just in time for the internet guy to show up to set up our wifi. After a lunch of Mac&Cheese with bacon bits, and some study time it was back to class for a discussion of the article I mentioned yesterday. We were in class until 8:30 at which time I had to walk my bike home in the freezing cold and rain. I just cannot seem to get warm today! Especially since we cannot use the furnace is our house. I am so ready for summer weather! Oh well, class was great and the hike was fun, even though the weather was miserable.

P.S. because of the cold I totally neglected to take pictures. Hopefully I will get some tomorrow.

The beginning of a Liberal Education

Well, I am all settled in. I have a nice big house with a ton of storage space, which is good because I brought a lot of stuff.  I have 4 roommates, Dani, Noelle, Hailey and Heather, with whom I share a room. They are all super fun and friendly, despite their strange obsession with movies…  Classes start tomorrow and I am super excited! The first thing we are going to do is hike around the entire 82 acres of campus! Our first assignment was to read “The Conservative Purpose of a Liberal Education”. It perfectly describes the reason I am here. As the article states, “True education is meant to develop the individual human being, the person, rather than to serve the state. “ That is why I am here, I will be getting a world class education, the purpose of which is to improve myself for the benefit of me. So there, to all the naysayers who ask “What are you going to with a liberal arts degree from a small, non-accredited  school in the middle of nowhere?” The answer is I am going to become the best person I can, with a liberal education.

All of my food for the next several months.