Cutting the Deck

Earlier this year I was wondering how to cut a deck of cards with one hand. So, Mom and I looked it up to find out how. It looked like it would be hard, but now after I have practiced, it is easy.

The first step is to take the deck of cards in between your pinky and your pointer finger. Your pointer finger holds the deck on one short end, while your pinky holds it on the other short end. 

Then you place your thumb about in the middle of the long side of the deck. Then you let half of the deck drop into the palm of your hand while the other half is held in the air between your middle, ring, and thumb fingers. 

Using your pointer finger, you push the lower half of the deck up. Continue to push the half deck up with your pointer finger until it’s vertically standing on its side. 

Once the lower half clears the upper half, allow the upper half to simply fall into your palm. 

At this point, use your thumb to release the original lower half onto the upper half which has now fallen to the bottom. 

The top and bottom halves of the deck have exchanged positions, and the deck will be in the position where it was to begin with, ready for more.

The first time I saw this trick was on a show called The Virginian. The Virginian is a western television show from the 1960’s set in Wyoming during the late 1800’s. Ryker, the sheriff, performed this stunt while playing cards with his friends. I thought that it was impressive. Now I can do it too, and it is fun. There are other tricks that I would like to learn like springing the deck, and a ribbon spread and flip. First, I would like to perfect this cut.

Cards are fun. You can do lots of things with a simple deck of 52 cards. Not only can you play games like hearts, but you can do magic tricks or learn flourishes like cutting the deck.

~Isaac

A Wonderful Way To Entertain

I like to entertain all my little nieces and nephews. They like to hear the stories I tell them during their stay at our house. My idea of the best way is by using puppets or stuffed animals to amuse them.

I make the puppet shows, and they love it. I just come up with the shows. I don’t do anything special from a story book, but when I get better, I think it would be fun to start to do it that way.

To make it even cooler, I attempt to make my mouth not move. I can convince the younger ones, but the older ones are uncertain and merely just go along with it. I need a lot more talent and skill to convince the older ones. They know that I’m making the sounds from my own mouth.

Did you know that puppets have been used since the earliest times to animate and communicate people’s ideas? Puppetry takes many types, but they all act out a story by making the puppet look like it comes alive.

Mom gave me a sheet of words to practice ventriloquism. Ventriloquism is when someone doesn’t move their mouth so that the puppet looks like it’s talking. You can see the puppeteer and the puppet together. The person really is talking without their lips moving. He moves the head, arms, and mouth of the puppet with his hands, which makes the puppet look more real. I hope my nephews and nieces do not see my mouth move! Mama told me that I was doing a good job talking with my mouth closed and that I might enjoy practicing the sheet of words. I completed all the words and performed the one skit that was on the paper.

I practiced more and more, and the more I practiced, the better I progressed. I am hoping to make my next show for all of my nieces and nephews. This time, I hope they all will be convinced. Isn’t that a wonderful way to entertain?

~Unique

Family-fest

Dad had his sixtieth birthday celebration on October 13 of this year, and since the family was in visiting, he decided to host his own birthday fête by having a family prairie-fest. 

Prairie-fest was an event hosted here at a Providence Prairie years ago. The entire clan would pitch in and help set up old-fashioned pioneer type activities and games, dress in period style clothing, play music, give demonstrations, hold contests, and help guests enjoy themselves. It was a time of roasted hot dogs and burnt marshmallows, hayrides, and potato sack races!

It was exciting bringing down all the old equipment from the haymow in the barn. Most of it hadn’t been pulled out and used since our last Prairie-Fest some six or seven years before. 

Stilts were leaned against the hitching post, the water pumps, washboards, and clothesline were positioned in the driveway, a group of corn gatherers set off for the field to get some of the unharvested cobs for the corn sheller, a small corral was set up for the pony-hops, two-man and cross-cut saws were placed by logs to saw on, and a bonfire was started in the fire ring in the center of the drive.

The barnyard took on a whole new look, as games and old-timey stations were set up here and there.

Many of the nieces and nephews didn’t remember what Prairie-Fest used to be like, since some of them were toddlers or babies, and the rest hadn’t even been born yet. 

They were excited at all the preparations taking place and looked with wide-eyed wonder at all the things they didn’t even know existed here at Providence Prairie!

When Tuesday, the day of the party rolled around, everything was ready. The rest of the family arrived late-morning/early afternoon. In the end, thirty out of thirty-one members of the family were able to make it. It was such a fun day! 

We started off by roasting hot dogs and munching on other goodies that everyone had brought or made, then it was on to the activities. 

Some were on stilts, others jumped rope, there were cross-cut sawers, and races on the pony hops, games of graces and corn grinders, water pumpers and laundry doers!

In the middle of all the festivities, who should appear but Prairie Man! The mysterious unidentified visitor of all our family-prairie get-togethers. Swooping down from a roof top, he glided through the crowd, his cape blowing behind him from the speed of his movements. There were knowing smiles on older faces and looks of amused confusion on the faces of younger ones, who had never seen Prairie Man before. 

But he does not stay long, one kiss for his lady and he vanishes. A few minutes later, our oldest brother Trey arrived, disappointed to have been absent during all the excitement. He misses it every time!

Later on, we set up the game stations. Each adult supervised a different game and gave out little prizes to the contestants. There was an obstacle course, ring the bottle, duck bobbing, can toss, put the chicken to sleep, and others. Mama handed a number of tickets to each of the children and it was cute to see even the littlest ones pull their tickets out of their bag whenever they came to a new station!

Towards evening we once again roasted our supper over the open fire and then enjoyed the cakes made for Dad’s celebration. As the darkness settled, there were stories and laughter around the fire and singing by the initial McDaniel family singers. It was then time for some to return home, so the barnyard was picked up of anything that couldn’t stay out for the night. It had been a day full of fun with so many memories made. It was truly a family-fest.

~Halayah

Cows in the Corn

As another wonderful summer ends, we begin preparing the animals for the fall and winter months. The sheep are brought in from the field, and the mules and donkey are moved into a winter pen. We put our cows in the harvested corn field! After being in the grass fields all summer, the cows enjoy the dried kernels of corn missed by the combine. Corn provides them with a good balance of protein and carbohydrates. It also makes them fat, keeping them warmer in the winter.

Moving the cows is a big job, however they are one of my favorite animals to move. We begin by installing the electric fence. As one person walks ahead putting the metal fence posts into the ground, another person walks behind and installs the insulators, two per post. Following the second person, comes the stringing of electric fence poly-wire. The two strands are then attached to the insulators around the entire fence.

Once the pen is complete, and before moving the cows, we test the fence with the electric fence tester. It should be shocking at around five to seven thousand volts. If it is shocking below three thousand, then there is probably a place shorting out somewhere. It is necessary to repair the short out with a new piece of string.

Once the fence is ready, it is time to get the cows! This is one of the hardest and sometimes most frustrating parts of the whole job. We take a bucket of grain and gather all the cows together. All the cows must be herded into one group before being led to the new grazing area so that none of them get left behind in the old pen.

Since all the calves that were born this year have never been out of this pen and know that it shocks, they are a little hesitant to cross though the gate. This is when the trouble starts. When the gate is opened, the adults eagerly follow the bucket of grain, but the calves lag behind in the old pen. As the cows get farther away, the calves start to panic and begin running all over the pen looking for the others. We try herding them to the gate, but they refuse to pass through. In the end, the calves either go through the gate, or break down the fence and run to the rest of the cows a different way.

Once the cows enter their new pen, they begin happily eating the bits and pieces of the corn that they find. As we closed them up into their new pen, an old nursery rhyme popped into my head.

Little boy blue, come blow your horn.

The sheep’s in the meadow,

The cow’s in the corn.

But where is the boy who looks after the sheep?

He’s under the haystack fast asleep.

Since it is my job to care for the sheep, it was perfect! Except, I was not under a haystack fast asleep. Nevertheless, the sheep were in the meadow, and the cows were now in the corn.

~Samuel

Restoration Destination 2023

All journeys begin with a destination in mind. For Restoration Destination 2023, our first destination was Georgetown, Kentucky, where my mom, Doris, had met up with her sister, Aunt Susie, who was going along with us. 

It was on to our second destination, the Avista Resort at North Myrtle beach South Carolina.

Upon safe arrival, we continued to our third destination, North Myrtle Beach Christian church. 

There, we received various solid Bible teachings by Rick Mathena on restoring the church as it was in the book of Acts. 

Our family was blessed with the opportunity to supply the music for the worship service Sunday morning, as we praised the Lord in song.

Our final destination was the main Restoration Destination event on November 6, 7, and 8 at the Avista. Hosting the event, Bill Wines from the North Myrtle beach Christian church, was a blessing to our family and a dear brother in Christ. 

Several preachers gave messages of hope and encouragement, along with church restoration history, while the Watchman performed exciting music for each day’s session. 

Having been asked to preach for the event, I exhorted the attendees to “Wake Up O Sleeper.” 

This year we were afforded the opportunity to do a 15-minute musical afterglow on two evenings and a 10-minute presentation of song for one morning session. Our family was excited to sing and play music, utilizing our fiddles, guitars, banjo, mandolin, and the special bass from our friend, Bob Stevens.

Some additional destinations besides time at the beach, were The Crazy Mason, Putt-Putt golf, and a helicopter ride! 

 

 

The weather was perfect at 75 degrees and sunny each day, allowing us to spend time in the water and play in the sand. 

Friendships were made and old acquaintances rekindled, as we all spent time together in the Word and in fellowship.

We look forward to November 11, 12, and 13 of 2024 when once again, we will head on another journey with the same destination- Myrtle Beach and Restoration Destination. What an exciting way to spend a vacation- honoring the Lord with music and song, doing a little beaching and hearing some great preaching! 

Maybe you could join us, and it can be one of your destinations for 2024 as well. We can arrive at our destination together praising the Lord!

~Mark

The Gentle Morning Frost

By the breath of God, frost is given. ~Job 37: 10

The beauty of God’s creation is everywhere. Whether you are looking at the joy of the colorful spring flowers, the calf by its loving mama’s side, or the sun glittering on the gentle morning frost, the handiwork of God makes itself known to those who wish to see.

~Jayla