Nate Elfrink, age 7, lives in West Jefferson, just a few miles from most 
of my FB friends. After six years of cancer treatment, his family has 
decided he's gone through enough. His wish for his last Christmas? To 
receive a million Christmas cards.
 
So pull out a card and a stamp, or a sheet or printer paper and some of 
those old, out-of-date stamps languishing in the bottom of your desk 
drawer. Maybe sign every old Christmas card left over from previous 
years and drop them off at his house. Send one for every member of your 
family. We are -- even the dog.
 
Whatever you do, send Nate a Christmas greeting. Then please repost this 
on your social media and let's see if maybe we can't make this little 
boy's dream come true. He'll be participating in the tree lighting in 
West Jeff at 6 p.m. tonight, and there will be a benefit from 7 p.m. to 
midnight. He'll also be involved in a few other activities in the coming 
weeks. See below for details.
 
Send your card to this address:
Nate Elfrink
2415 Taylor Blair Road
West Jefferson OH 43162
 
Thanks, wonderful, loving friends!
 
 
Town rallies around little Nate
 
(by Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor - December 09, 2009)
Nate Elfrink
 
The people of West Jefferson have come together to give one little boy 
the best Christmas ever.
 
Nate Elfrink, 7, has battled a brain tumor since he was 20 months old. 
He has endured three surgeries and many rounds of radiation and 
chemotherapy, but the tumor keeps coming back.
 
Last week, doctors at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee 
told Nate’s parents, Dode McVey and Tod Elfrink, a new chemotherapy 
treatment would shrink the tumor but not fast enough. Nate has had all 
of the radiation he can have, and a fourth surgery is not possible as 
the tumor is too close to the brain stem.
 
“We will not pursue any further treatment. He has been through enough,” 
Dode wrote in an update to friends and family on Dec. 4. “We plan on 
having the merriest Christmas ever and cherishing each and every day 
that we have our wonderful, brave, handsome son.”
 
Within hours of posting the update to a blog about Nate and filling in 
the school nurse at Norwood Elementary, where Nate is a first-grader, 
“the whole town knew and my phone was ringing off the hook,” Dode said.
 
So many people had ideas for making Nate’s Christmas great. His schedule 
went from doctor’s appointments and treatments to basketball and parades.
 
Today (Dec. 9), Nate gets to practice with the West Jefferson High 
School boys’ and girls’ varsity and JV basketball teams. The public is 
invited to attend and cheer him on. Play starts at 6 p.m.
 
 From 7 p.m. to midnight on Dec. 11, one of Dode’s friends from high 
school will hold a benefit at Ronnie’s Roadhouse, 74 E. Main St. in West 
Jefferson. Participants are encouraged to bring gifts for Nate and his 
3-year-old sister, Ellie. Donations also will be collected to purchase 
the item that tops Nate’s Christmas wish list: an Xbox 360 gaming system 
and games to go with it.
 
 
Nate Elfrink's first-grade classmates pose in front of a giant Christmas 
card they and every other Norwood Elementary School student and staff 
member signed for Nate. The students are: (front row, from left) Michael 
Aubry, Campbell Ferguson, Caiti Smith, Kaileagh Davis, Leanna Haney, 
Addie Branham, Megan Kelly, Darren Zirkle; (second row) Jenna Shepherd, 
Cierra Todd, Kiley Birkefeld, Kelly Clark, Trinity Grimmett, Vanessa 
Peshko, Gabbie King, Blade Wolf; (back row) teacher's aide Angie Nawman, 
Nash Parsons, Noah Boucher, Dylan Lambert, Bryden Elliott, Steven Knapp 
and teacher Charlie Morris.
 
Also on Dec. 11 at 6 p.m., Nate will help Santa flip the switch to turn 
on the West Jefferson Community Association’s light display at Garrette 
Park. On Dec. 12 at 5:30 p.m., he will ride with Santa on a float in the 
West Jefferson Christmas in the Park lighted parade. Carol Beachy of 
West Jefferson Hardware and parade organizer Sandy Boucher have ordered 
400 glow sticks in Nate’s honor, with the idea of passing them out to 
spectators along the parade route.
 
And the ideas keep coming. Nate loves Christmas music, so Dode and Tod 
hope to be able to welcome carolers to their home on Dec. 20. Plus, word 
has already spread about flooding the family’s mailbox with Christmas 
cards for Nate. Anyone is welcome to send a card. The family’s address 
is: 2415 Taylor Blair Rd., West Jefferson OH 43162.
 
When asked if the outpouring of support is surprising, Dode said no. She 
grew up in West Jefferson and knows how caring the people can be. She 
and Tod also know how easy it is for others to love their son.
 
“Nathaniel—I call him my little man. When he was 3, he was going on 30. 
He has lived so many lives. He’s so strong,” Dode said.
 
Nate has never complained about treatments or doctor’s appointments, she 
said. He has always just asked what was on the schedule and how soon 
he’d be able to play.
 
In fact, when Nate and Tod got off the plane from their last visit to 
St. Jude, Nate wanted to go straight to Walmart to get ingredients for 
cookies he is making to personally deliver to teachers, friends and family.
 
“He’s laid back, he’s loving and he’s caring,” Dode said. “He has been, 
and continues to be, a great inspiration to many.”
 
Dode and Tod met with children’s hospice this week for help with 
answering questions Nate might have. They don’t know how much time is 
left, but they know they want to make the most of every day.

Rebecca Miller wrote:
>
> What do you do to keep your children safe? (Take this anyway that you wish)

I carry a gun at all times.

Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: Rebecca Miller
Sent: Oct 25, 2009 3:13 PM
To: Bissman WashingtonHomeschool , Bissman TennesseeHomeschool , Bissman WVirginiaHomeschool , Bissman TexasHomeschool , Bissman UtahHomeschool , Bissman WisconsinHomeschool , Bissman VirginiaHomeschool , Bissman WyomingHomeschool , Bissman SKakotaHomeschool
Subject: [Wyominghomeschool] QOTW: Halloween

I am not going to be able to post the QOTW tomorrow, so I am sending it out today.

 

This is not to start a debate as to whether Halloween is okay or not; nor is to debate that doing an alternative to Halloween is right or wrong. 

 

--Rebecca

****************

 

What are your kids (and yourself if dressing up) wearing October 31st? If not celebrating what do you do that night to avoid the the whole thing?  Or do you do an alternative to dressing up?

Michael Riversong

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Beautiful Music for the whole universe!

http://home.earthlink.net/~mriversong

So you know, i'd be willing to drive out there & do a presentation on current
scientific research in energy generation, based on the work of Nikola Tesla.  In
fact, while there could do presentations for various levels.  I do this sort of
thing a lot in various parts of the country.

All we would need to do is provide for gas and a place to stay over while there.

-----Original Message-----
>From: DJ <drgnstrm@...>
>Sent: Oct 9, 2009 6:16 PM
>To: Wyominghomeschool@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [Wyominghomeschool] Southwest Wyoming Science Projec Evanston,
Bridgervally, Kemmerer, Cokeville ect
>
>Hi everyone
>If you live near or driving distance to Kemmerer Wyoming you may be interested
in this.  The 4-H here is trying to put together a homeschool meetings for
science activities once a month, they have a survey with just a few questions to
see who may be interested and what kind of projects.  I am working with the
director to see how if we can get homeschoolers interested in it.
>
>Email me for the the survey at drgnstrm@... and then either you can send
it to her email or to mine and I will fwd it on.
>
>Thank you Dayna
>
>
>
>------------------------------------
>
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Home School Books, Kids Chat, Kids Bullentin Boards and MORE!
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>Tell your friends to subscribe to this list at
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wyominghomeschool/
>
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>


Michael Riversong

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Beautiful Music for the whole universe!

http://home.earthlink.net/~mriversong

Hi everyone
If you live near or driving distance to Kemmerer Wyoming you may be interested
in this.  The 4-H here is trying to put together a homeschool meetings for
science activities once a month, they have a survey with just a few questions to
see who may be interested and what kind of projects.  I am working with the
director to see how if we can get homeschoolers interested in it.

Email me for the the survey at drgnstrm@... and then either you can send
it to her email or to mine and I will fwd it on.

Thank you Dayna

http://www.lewrockwell.com/grigg/grigg-w90.html

Makes a person appreciate what those early homeschoolers went through to
win the relative ease we have today as homeschoolers.

Paul

PINE BEETLE PROJECT

We are currently losing tremendous amounts of forest west of Cheyenne.  Due to
climate changes which have been building up over the past decade, beetles are no
longer being killed to any great degree over the winters.  Now many trees are
turning browner every day, and eventually dying off.  At the moment local
woodcutters are not able to keep up.

This is a natural process.  For whatever reasons, climates change sometimes. 
When they do, trees in a particular zone will die off.  Over many centuries they
may be replaced by other species if erosion does not make the area completely
unlivable in the meantime.

Humans can fit into this.  We can accelerate the process of species replacement
and thereby prevent serious erosion.  In the process we will make the
environment much better for our children and grandchildren.

In this zone, we see that the main species dying off is Ponderosa Pine.  Since
our climate is generally getting a bit warmer, we only need to look southward
for the replacements.  In this case, two species are recommended, since lack of
diversity has been a problem in our local forests for a long time.  Those
species are Juniper and Piñon Pine.

Junipers should be relatively easy to work with.  They are hardy and durable.  A
few already exist in some places around here.

Piñon Pines are going to be a bit tougher.  Many sub-varieties will  have to be
tried until we find the ones that work best in this new environment.  To start
with, we can bring seeds and seedlings up from around Durango, Colorado and the
Manti La Sal in Utah.  We might want to experiment with duplicating cryptobiotic
soils as well.

This should not be too expensive.  Individuals can do this in many areas as part
of normal activities.  Of course reviving groups of "hodads" like we had in the
late 1970s would be a great idea, and would help a lot with the tough economy. 
That's an area where the government can and should get involved.

Hopefully there will be no debate on this and we can get right to work.  If
we're supposed to have dominion over this planet, then we have to exercise a
great deal of responsibility.  This is one way to do that.

-- Michael Riversong
author, Design Ecology
P.O. Box 2776
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82003
mriversong@...


Michael Riversong

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Beautiful Music for the whole universe!

http://home.earthlink.net/~mriversong