CORNUCOPIA
THE STUDENTS' WRITINGS
God's Glorious World

By Nina Bonetti

As I walk outside in the morning
the grass glistens with dew.
The swift breeze sings
"Morning, morning, glorious morning.
Come, share with me too."

As the day goes on, the coolness melts into the sun.
The more I look I love it so.
Each little tree and green thing grows.
When the day comes to a rest,
I find joy, peace, patience and happiness.

At night I turn my gaze upward
to watch the stars form in the sky,
And ponder over their creation and why.


My Memorable Mema
By Jenna White

My Mema and I have a bunch in common. If you saw her when she was my age you would really think so. I got the wild spunk in me from her. She was really a tomboy, for instance, she even climbed a water tower once. She tells me she did a bunch of stuff like that in her lifetime. My Mema can't climb water towers or anything like that anymore, or she would have a heart attack. However, she has probably outdone me in a bunch of crazy things.

She doesn't have to do all those crazy things for me to like her though. My Mema already has a special touch in her and I love her just the way she is. Lots of grandmas are special but not nearly as special as mine. I treasure every minute I spend with her and all my memories with her are always happy ones.


Dreams of Harmony
by Meghan Hall


I really love my world especially the wildlife habitations. My dream is to make the Earth a better place to live, instead of searching for other planets and solar systems to live on. I believe the Creator gave us one of everything, one body, one life, one Earth, one chance.

I'd really love to see man living at peace and harmony with his/her fellow man. I'd be thrilled to also see man living in harmony with our big family, the rest of the animals. Yes, we all are animals, we all come from the same ground, breathe the same air, live under the same sky, sun, and moon, and live in the same big house, planet Earth. I want to help make the world more like this. More like this adoring peace and harmony hungered for since the beginning of time.

These are my dreams, what are yours?


The following are from Journal Club members. They were asked to write character sketches of a favorite person of each student's choice.

BEKAH HODGES
By Sarah E. Key


In early July 1979 a little girl was born. July third was God's appointed time for Bekah Hodges to enter the world in which she would live. Hers would not be an especially remarkable life, but important traits were evident in everything she did.

Bekah helped to make the lives of those around her better. She was ever willing to lend a helping hand in order to make someone else's load lighter. One week her mother, brother, and sister traveled to West Virginia and Bekah kindly stayed home and vigorously cleaned the house. This act demonstrated her unselfish willingness to work hard in order to help others.

At the age of seven, Bekah kindled a friendship with Sarah Key. Bekah was always willing to listen and give an encouraging word when Sarah was feeling down. She proved to be as good a friend as anyone could hope for.

Bekah's keen sense of responsibility was evident in the activities she participated in. Soccer was one of her big interests and she tried very hard to make all of her practices and games. At the Homeschool Journal Club, Bekah was quick to volunteer to write articles that no one else wanted to write. When Bekah made a friend, she strove constantly to make that person feel accepted and wanted. Often Bekah's kindness and responsibility went unappreciated, but she did not let this slow her down.

Bekah Hodges may not be mentioned in history books and no biographies may be written about her. But she will have a living legacy in the lives she has touched. Those she helped will never forget her. The friends she made and the ones she encouraged will be forced to ask themselves what their lives would be like if they had never met her.


G. GORDON LIDDY,
A PERSONALITY SKETCH
By Billy Harless


As I was riding in the car a year ago with my father on our way to lunch, we turned on the radio to pick up Rush Limbaugh. The signal was fuzzy so my dad changed the station to one where a man was reading and commenting on the news. I agreed with all his points and wondered who this man was. I asked my dad and he said it was G. Gordon Liddy, a man I have grown to respect for his intelligence and great patriotism for our country. On his radio show, he seems very knowledgeable and articulate. He also gives his true opinion about things.

Liddy has had many interesting professions including Army officer, FBI Special Agent, international lawyer, Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury, Staff Assistant to the President at the White House, author, and actor.

In 1968 Liddy joined Richard Nixon's administration as a Special Secretary to the Treasury. But as he did his job, he participated in several illegal activities, which ultimately sent him to jail for nearly five years. In 1971 he supervised the burglary of the office of the psychiatrist of a former government official who had leaked the Pentagon Papers to the press, documents which told of government deceptions about the U.S. policy in Vietnam. A year later, he participated in the infamous wiretaps and break-in of the Democratic National Headquarters at Watergate. Naturally, these are not the reasons that I admire him, but they did have an influence on what he believes and does today.

He served his term in jail, and when released, wrote several books including his autobiography, Will, and several fiction books. In the mid-1990's, Liddy began a syndicated radio talk show in which he shares his thoughts and opinions. It has become a popular national talk show, and he is now one of the highest paid speakers in the country for special events. His show gets rather rough at times, and I don't care for that part, but his ideas on politics, the law, and our country are extremely thoughtful and intelligent. I especially admire the way he is able to defend his views easily, but factually. He also expresses ideas that he feels are practical, and if implemented, might help turn our country in the direction that it should be headed. He believes very strongly in personal liberties, as do I. Liddy does not think highly of the public school system, and I believe he would treat the idea of homeschooling as a good one.

I respect Liddy for his strong beliefs, his knowledge, and his great patriotism for our country. People like him are greatly helping our country, and hopefully I will be able to help America, as he has done, in the future.


KAY
By Sarah Tomkinson


Respect is defined as a feeling of high esteem and regard. People may win approval or admiration quite simply by a cleverly spoken sentence or athletic endeavor. There are two types of respect, that which is given to those in authority, and that which is learned over time. The first is associated with elders and teachers. But the second type of respect has more impact and depth. This respect is born of witnessing actions and beliefs, and brings a desire to become like the respected person. I know I will approve and admire many different people in my life, but I am persuaded that the people I truly respect will be select and special. Kay is such a person.

Kay, a prominent youth leader at my church, has influenced my life by taking our group under her wing. I met Kay and her family when they started going to Reynolda Presbyterian Church. Her interest in youth made a good impression with me. I was interested in what course she would take with the youth. What I found Kay wanted most for the youth was to be visible in the church and community. Her personality makes this possible.

Kay is a person who works to fill every need she can. When there is a demand for someone to listen, the youth at Reynolda don't have far to look. Her strong faith and wacky humor in turn strengthen the group. Kay encourages service. Reaching out to touch and bless others is important to her. Much like my parents, she believes that using talents to communicate God's love is needed in the community. She has a compassion for teens who are searching for answers. This was apparent when she volunteered for the youth mission trip. Kay shared Christ's love with a pregnant teen who was considering suicide. The girl agreed to accept Christ after talking with Kay.

In dealing with me, Kay tells it like it is. She'll evaluate a situation and in a few crisp words give me her opinion whether I like it or not! This is guaranteed to make me uncomfortable, but it's also the mark of a true friend.

Through Kay's eyes, the youth at Reynolda are seen in a different light than most adults may see them. My friends and I are referred to as "beauties," "women of God," and "women who can change the world." By her encouragement, I know that I am valued. This blessing upon my life makes me desire to grow into fulfillment of it.

Kay has influenced my development in several ways, and I have no doubt she'll be there in the future, smiling, talking, and encouraging me to think about life on a higher level. Kay is someone whose actions and love for God make me want to be more like her. For her hard work on behalf of my friends and me, I admire her. For her determination to help mold me into a woman of God, I approve of her. But for her loving, compassionate heart and strong faith, I respect her.


Times Remembered - Times Treasured
By Meredith Layne


Everybody called her "Nanny." That tells what kind of lady my great-grandmother, Nancy Layne, really was. I called her Granny.

Last year, about this time, Granny had a stroke. She was out in her garden at the time. There is not a doubt in my mind that if Granny could have planned it that is where it would have happened. Her neighbor, Barney, found her wide-awake among the flowers. He took her inside and called 911. I can almost hear her telling him, "Leave me here on the couch, I'll be all right."

She stayed in the hospital about three weeks before she left us. We all knew she was in heaven, because there was not a time when we came to see her that she didn't have something to say about her "sweet Jesus."

While she was in the hospital, I tried to tell myself she would be all right. Any day she would come home and be as lovable and independent as ever.

While I waited for that day to come, I tried to remember everything about her. It was not hard to do. Granny Layne was not the kind of woman to be forgotten in the blink of an eye.

I remembered all of the Christmases that all of my family would go to her house and stuff ourselves to the limit with home-cooked food. We listened to her tell us how she had gotten up early that morning to make a big meal for her grandbabies, or as Granny called us, her "doll babies." She loved to cook for us; it was her way of telling us how much she loved us.

After dinner, we all went into the living room to open presents. Granny's presents were always the best, because they were genuine! The gifts always had a meaning. They were something really special, because they belonged to her.

I remember one time, Granny gave me an antique tea set. At the time, I was only about ten years old and thought I would rather have a Barbie. But now whenever I look at the tea set, I feel that she is smiling down on me.

I remember while sitting in the waiting room at the hospital, the first time that I ever spent the night at her house. It was not like when I spent the night with my other grandmothers. We did not wake up the next morning and hop off to the mall. Granny could not do that. Instead, she woke up before I could even think of getting up, and fixed my favorite breakfast.

Later that day Dad came to pick me up. Like always, Granny gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Her kisses -- if I ever forget everything else about her, I could not forget her kisses. Her lips were thin on my skin. Every time her lips would touch my cheek she would shock me. Maybe it was the green shag carpets that covered the floor. Maybe it was a Godsend to help me remember. I don't know why every time she kissed me I got shocked. I do know that it was as much a part of her, to me, as her name. I will never forget her electric kisses.

Every time we would leave her house, we would all get a kiss and Granny would say "I luv ya, doll-doll." I would always say, "I love you too," but I never really saw how much I loved her until that day.

The first time I had gone to see her in the hospital, I was really scared. I told myself over and over, that I was not going to cry. Before I went into the room, Dad stopped me and told me that she had not spoken to anyone. He told me that she looked bad, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see. I walked into the room and saw a small thin woman lying in the bed. It scared me to see her like that.

"Nanny" was always the strong one in the family. This woman did not even look strong enough to hold a feather, much less hold a family together. The second I saw her, the promise to myself not to cry, was broken. Hot tears heated the back of my eyes.

"Granny, Meredith is here to see you." My dad's words brought me back into the room where the strongest person I knew was fighting for her life. I stood there by her bed and talked to her. I held her cold hand in mine. As I talked to her, she opened her eyes and looked at me. Her thins lips parted and out came a voice that tore at my heart. "Doll-doll..." That would be the last thing my great-grandmother, Nancy Layne, ever said to me.

The warm person I had grown to love slipped away over the next few weeks. I went to see her a lot. Memories flooded my mind. I thought of many more Christmases, birthdays, Easters and other times spent at her home. Everything kept coming back.

The phone rang one afternoon at home. It was Dad. "She's gone." That was all I heard him say. I remember thinking about her lying on that bed at the hospital. My mom held me in an understanding hug while I cried. "She won't be with us this Christmas..." I thought.

November 12, 1996 was a cold, gray day. My family sat at the graveside service in the town of Elkin, where it all began ninety-two years ago.

As I listened to the service, I thought. Granny did not get to go "home" in this world, but the next. I would get to see my great-grandmother Granny again, someday.


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