DPA Winter 2011-12

D December is approaching and the world proclaims “It is the most wonderful time of the year.” However, the world has forgotten why it is the most wonderful time of the year. People believe it is because it is the season of festivities, gifts, and buying the latest iPhone or television. December is a wonderful season because it is a holy season. During the month of December, we celebrate the birth of Our Savior- a truly wonderful and blessed event. And it all came to be because a young Hebrew woman said the words, “Be It done unto me according to thy word.” (St. Luke 1:38) Mary resigned herself to God’s Will by becoming the Mother of God. Her Fiat was one of the greatest of the world.1 The first great Fiat was at the Creation when god said “Fiat Lux,” “Let there be light.” The second was at the Garden of Gethsemani when Jesus said, “Fiat voluntas tua,” which means “Thy will be done.” (St. Matt 26:42) The third Fiat was said by a young girl who asked for God’s Will, not her will, to be done.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * When the nine months were nearing the end, St. Joseph looked for a place for the Savior

to be born. Everyone turned them away with the saddest words in all Scripture: “There was no room in the inn.” Fulton J. Sheen wrote that “In the filthiest place of the world, a stable, Purity was born. He, Who was later slaughtered by men acting like beasts, was born among beasts.”2 Sheen continues, “He, Who would call Himself the ‘living bread descended from Heaven,’ was laid in a manger, literally a place to eat…there was no room in the inn, but there was room in that stable.” What a powerful statement! We humans did not see Our Savior first. It was the beasts, the animal, the creatures that symbolized the poor, the ignored and forgotten, and the outcasts. For remember, as Sheen once said, “Divinity is always found where one least expects it.”

This Christmas let us hope for Our Savior, let us expect Him, and let us welcome Him. Do not be like those in the inns who told Him “We have no room.” Let us welcome Him with the words, “My Lord and My God.”

May you all have a blessed Christmas season!

2 DPA Holidays ‘11

by Madeleine L.

1 Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Seven Words of Jesus and Mary. Ligouri, MO: Ligouri/Triumph Publisher, 2001. pg. 27. 2 ______. Life of Christ. New York: Doubleday, 1990. pg 27.

T The Christmas season is my favorite time of the whole year and it is something I greatly look forward to. I love hearing the Christmas music playing in the stores, and I enjoy counting down the days until it’s here. I also love seeing all the decorations on the houses. It’s wonderful when you see a house that has a Nativity set on display on their front lawn or in their window because it shows that they know the true meaning of Christmas. It’s also nice to see lights around windows, or reindeer pulling a sleigh with Santa sitting in the back. I enjoy decorating our house with Christmas lights and Nativity sets; it really puts me in the Christmas spirit.

One of my favorite things to do at Christmas time is buy our Christmas tree. We go to a Christmas tree farm and cut it down ourselves, and it’s always fun to walk around and look at all the trees till we find the perfect one. When we find a tree that isn’t too tall or to fat, my father uses a saw to cut it down; then we take it to the car. We take it home and decorate it with lights and ornaments while we listen to Christmas music. It’s a great way to spend time with my family, and it’s always fun. photo: mark garrepy

DPA Holidays ‘11 3

by Stephanie Miller

Name: Olivia Plas Age: 18 Grade: 11

Favorite Songs: CCM, Dynamite - Taio Cruz, Grenade - Bruno Mars, Don’t Stop Believing - Journey, and Haven’t Met You Yet - Michael Buble

Favorite Books: Little House on the Prairie series, Anne of Green Gables series, Love Comes Softly series, The Little Women Trilogy, and A Tale of Two Cities 1.) Tell us a little about your family life. I’m the second oldest of six children. We’ve all been homeschooled ever since kindergarten. We started using Seton when I was in the 4th grade and I have used it pretty much ever since then. My family loves watching old TV shows, right now we are addicted to Gomer Pyle USMC. We also love watching Tim Hawkins Comedy. (Tim Hawkins is a hilarious, clean, Christian comedian.) We also like Contra dancing. 2.) What are your favorite school subjects and why? I love Seton and have alot of school pride, but I don’t like doing school work. That’s why I don’t have any favorite subjects. The closest I have to a favorite would be reading the stories in English and World Lit. and History, but do not like studying or answering any questions for the homework!

3.) What sorts of things do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

In my spare time I love listening to music, being weird, going on the Internet, and reading books. (That’s if I have a good one to read!) I also enjoy sewing. 4.) Do you have any post-highschool plans? As of now I want to go to Christendom College; I love it there! But I’m not going to say this is definite because a lot can happen between now and graduation. 5.) What is your favorite thing about the holidays? I love everything about the holidays! I love the music, shopping, decorating, and, the excitement! I love all of it! 6.) Are there any study tips you can share with us? My best advice would be to pray. Also, make yourself a schedule and try to get a whole week done in one week, even if it means that you have to stay up late! Try to avoid the computer. I don’t go on DPA chat until I’m done with school. And last but not least, find where your strengths and weaknesses are, then try to plan how you will catch up with school from there.


FTHOUGHTS OF A CONFEDERATE by D.T. Jones

“February, 1865.

“War is a nasty business. It makes phantoms out of men and ghosts out of boys – provided those men and boys survive. And who, after being exposed to the horrors of war, can truly want to survive? Is life really worth those incessant nightmares, the haunting faces of dead comrades, or the misunderstanding stares of people back home who have never seen a dying man? I never thought so as I lay in those soaking trenches, waiting for some Yankee to stumble into my trap. The pain was too miserable. When life became like hell, there was no point to continue it.

“I never wanted to be a soldier. My dream was to become a doctor who spent his days helping others – not hurting them. When talk about war first struck my little town in Tennessee, I merely sighed impatiently, vexed by the noise, and returned to my books of medicine.

“I didn’t want to go to war either; I never had anything against the Yankees. In fact, I thought that they were fine people. They had some strange ways, but they were still fine folks, especially my sweetheart, Rebecca Shaw, and her father, both of whom I loved dearly. Yet I did go to war – though to this day, I could not say how.

“I was cold; I was wet; I was hungry. I saw my best friends succumb to diseases which my pathetic supply of medicine could not ward off. I saw wounded men heave their heavy guns against their slumping shoulders as they sloshed through puddles created by the endless, chilling rainfall. I saw my first man die – never will I forget how his head suddenly shot back as a bullet buried itself into his eye. I don’t know why I remember, what with the confusion of battle, but half of his good eye, which was staring lifelessly into space as he fell, was a golden brown, while the other part of that brilliant iris matched the azure of the Tennessee sky. Strange, I repeat, that I can remember such an insignificant detail when I cannot even recall the name of the battle in which we fought. It was just another battle that added to


Ythe string attached to our lost cause. None of our suffering, none of our sacrifices, and none of our lives seemed to move the Yankees an inch out of our beloved Confederate home. We were doomed.

“Yet I fought, striving to take down as many of those blue-coated dogs as I could. People said that when I fought, it was as if the devil had possessed me; apparently, I would take chances and go where no one else would, reloading and shooting in a rapid frenzy. And I was praised for my heroism. Was I a hero? I don’t know. I never felt like one. Did I fight like the devil cornered? I don’t know that either. I can’t remember. I’m sure that everyone was exaggerating – a story is always more interesting if the truth is richly ornamented. But I do know that I never meant to be great, as they said. Great? There is no greatness in war. There is only carnage. What is great about a stifling, reeking atmosphere of dying shrieks and roaring guns? Nothing.

“Yet even with such a mindset, I continued to serve my people. I might disagree with them, but I would not abandon them. So on and on my company fought until we found ourselves in my beloved hometown. In that town, battle raged and cannons boomed as the Yankees pushed us steadily back. All around me, bodies and limbs and blown-off heads were strewn. How many times had I strolled with Rebecca along the very street on which men were shrieking in agony? I shuddered.

“ ‘Samuel!’

“Amid the din, I heard someone gasp my name. I turned and saw young Bob beside me, his face white and his hand pressed against his

side. ‘What is it, lad?’ I demanded, gently taking his shoulders. “ ‘I – I think I’ve been shot,’ the youth murmured in a dazed manner.

“For a moment, I panicked – but only for a moment. I lifted the boy up as if he was but an infant, and sped from the fighting. But where could I take him? I scanned the buildings until I spotted Rebecca’s house. Of course! Her father used to teach me medicine before the war – he would know what to do.

“ ‘Steady, lad,’ I urged to Bob. ‘I’ll save you yet!’

“Never had I run so quickly in my life, burdened though I was. I had reached the house and nearly gained the steps when Rebecca’s father burst onto the porch.

“ ‘Thank God, sir!’ I gasped. ‘Quick, the boy is dying and –’

“ ‘Get off my property, ye rebel scum!’ the old man interrupted in a wild scream as he waved his rifle.

“ ‘Wait!’ I begged. ‘It is I, Samuel –’

“ ‘Off!’ he shrieked. He fired his weapon, grazing my left arm. I nearly dropped Bob, but managed to recover swiftly. Seeing, however, that Dr. Shaw was about to shoot again, I set the boy to his feet, supporting him only with my wounded arm, as I drew my pistol. I meant only to disarm the incensed gentleman by letting his right limb feel the harmless sting of a bullet, but he shifted unexpectedly, exposing his chest to the gun’s barrel just as I fired. There was nothing I could do as the man tumbled forward, dead.


H “Horrified, I raised Bob once more and hurried into the house, desirous to flee the victim of my error – like a coward. Once inside, I rested Bob on a sofa before rushing to Dr. Shaw’s medicine cabinet, all the while listening to the boy’s labored gasps.

“As I reached for a bottle, I was startled to hear a feminine voice say, ‘Stop there! I have your gun trained on you, murderer!’ I turned to see Rebecca pointing the pistol; she recognized me instantly and uttered a cry that shook me.

“ ‘No, it was an accident!’ I exclaimed. ‘I didn’t mean to!’

“ ‘I’ll kill you for this!’ she screeched, ignoring my outburst as tears flooded her grey eyes and raced down her pallid cheeks. The gun shook in her hand as she repeated, ‘I’ll kill you!’

“ ‘Samuel!’ Bob’s whisper brought me instantly to his side, but he said no more to me. Instead, his clouding eyes turned to Rebecca. ‘Please don’t kill him, ma’am,’ he begged in strained gasps. ‘He didn’t mean to . . . the old man moved. Samuel was only . . . trying to help me. If . . . anyone deserves . . . shootin’ . . . it’s me, ma’am . . . I should’ve . . . should’ve stayed out there . . . like . . . like other folks . . . but I came . . . to Samuel . . . ’cause I wasn’t ready to die . . . I guess.’ Bob began coughing, but continued speaking bravely. “I’m sorry, ma’am . . . and Samuel. I guess . . . it’s all my fault . . . isn’t it?’

“ ‘No!’ I hissed almost violently as tears streamed down my face. ‘No!’ Behind me, I heard Rebecca sobbing. Bob smiled slightly as I answered him, then he closed his young eyes quietly; the smile relaxed slightly a moment

later, and I felt his head fall against my arm. A sob escaped me, and then another as I bowed my head upon the still chest. The pistol clattered to the floor as Rebecca sank to her knees, weeping.

“At length, I rose and went to a table, taking out the precious pen, paper, and ink that I had saved for so long. I sit there now, concluding this bitter narrative while chewing on my pen, lost in these miserable thoughts.

“Fifteen minutes have passed since young Bob’s untimely death. Rebecca still weeps. I pray that she will find it in her heart to forgive me, someday, for my crime. I go now to avenge her father and Bob, whom I failed; I shall throw myself into those Yankee lines. Will I feel pain as I am shot to pieces? I don’t know – I find it difficult to imagine more pain than what I am now experiencing. I used to want to relieve people’s hurts, but I have only caused them. I am, then, deserving of death, it appears – I cannot seem to do any good. I can only pray that God has mercy on my miserable soul.

“Signed, Samuel Collins.”


TENCOUNTER (Part 1) by Lea Koehler

The ball at the Castilian’s mansion was never one that I dreaded attending. Rather, I looked with longing towards this ball held during the last weeks of December. This was due particularly to it being the best event of the season. The music is wonderful; the guests are all of excellent pedigree; and I can never forget the impressive preparations around the house. Thus, this ball never leaves me without the feeling of satisfaction.

As I stepped into the ball room, I found myself encountered by many accomplished men and women. To my great astonishment, the Prince of Wales in all his exquisite finery had decided to attend this gathering.

Mrs. Hester, an accomplished writer of whom I sing endless praises, was also there to my great delight. Thousands of other famous singers, poets, and soldiers were there. Near the end of the line of greeters, I found Therese Castilian, a dear friend of mine whom I always try to model.

“Kathleen, how good it is to see you! Are you well?” asked my friend, as she took my hands into her own.

“I am quite well, thank-you. How are you, Therese?” I replied.

“Kathleen, I feel exceptionally happy today. Did Mother do a fine job organizing this party?” Therese inquired. She then whispered, “I have no idea how she came up with the scheme to mask all the servants- it is very original though! Who would have thought to mask the servants?”

“I have not seen anything better, dear friend,” I stated. “You have quite a number of distinguished guests here.” “That is true. Yet, you have not met the most distinguished of them all,” Therese replied with a twinkle in her eye.

“Well, I know from experience that you, Therese, are always full of surprises,” I said and then laughed. Therese quickly looked down and blushed a light pink while bluntly stating, “Mother says I must mingle with the crowd more. I suppose that means I cannot steal away with you?” I laughed. “Your mother is right


Yyou know, Therese.”

“You won’t be far?” Therese asked earnestly with a look of pleading in her eyes.

“No, I promise,” I replied with a warm smile.

This was a promise I could keep for many reasons. First, the crowd was my paradise for entertainment. Second, I had many friends with whom I had been negligent in corresponding with who favored the throng of people as much as I did. Most importantly, I was Therese’s best friend and I couldn’t let her down. After all, poor Therese had a hard time socializing freely with others. I loved to help the poor girl out in any way I could. In fact, there never crossed my mind a reason why I shouldn’t station myself near her.

With that, the two of us parted. To my delight and approval, Therese went over to talk with her cousins. That was a very promising sign for a very promising night. I did not move immediately from where I was positioned. Instead, I decided to view my surroundings. Until that moment, I had not had the chance to discover what exactly was about me.

This was indeed a wonderfully organized ball. The ceiling glowed gold with the dancing flames of the chandeliers. The walls had been colored off-white since I had last been here. Dark blue draperies hung about the windows gathering in a foot from the bottom of the material. The windows were perfectly clean so that they were able to clearly portray my reflection. The people about me were dressed in extravagant style. A delicately formed rainbow seemed to appear from all the ladies wonderful attire. The colors would settle on a background of black, which enveloped all the men’s fine

suits that they were wearing tonight. As I looked down, I couldn’t help but notice the immaculate marble flooring underneath my feet. The scene in front of me seemed to play before my eyes in a magical glow.

I felt something hard hit me while I was enjoying my thoughts. Turning around, I saw a servant with a tray full of empty cups apologizing profoundly before me. I tried to let him understand that it was nothing as quickly as possible, but it was enough time to study his appearance.

He seemed like an ordinary servant- except for his eyes that peered from behind the mask he wore. They looked tantalizingly familiar in a way. Their hazel color seemed to bring to mind someone I knew- I just could not recall who it was. However, I soon persuaded myself that many could have the same color of eye.

A hand found mine while I was still puzzling over that familiar expression in his face. I glanced to the side to find to my disappointment that Therese was back with a defeated look on her face. All thoughts of those eyes flew out of my mind at the sorry plight of the girl before me.

“What is it, dear?” I asked softly.

“The usual,” the girl muttered with downcast eyes.

I hugged her and soon felt the tears which the girl had tried to save until she knew they were safe from view. “Therese, why don’t we get a glass of water and tidy you up a little?”

She lifted her head and nodded in agreement as she brushed away the tears. I put


an arm around her, and we gently went across the floor to a deserted corner. We both sat down, and I began to try to bring happy thoughts to her mind. Ultimate success came to me when I remembered to ask how her favorite gentleman was doing.

“Oh, Alex is doing just fine,” Therese responded with a light pink coming to her cheeks. “He is very talented, and…”

“And?” I encouraged.

Therese put her hand next to my ear while she came quite close and whispered, “He took me out for a romantic ride- and he kissed me while saying there was never a better woman in the entire world!”

I drew back quickly and put my hands to my mouth to stifle a joyful cry. Therese looked on at my excitement blushing all the while.

“You do approve of Alex, Kathleen?” she asked. “How many times have I told you, Therese, that you and he are a perfect fit?” I exclaimed as I embraced her.

Suddenly, I felt Therese draw out of my arms. “Kathleen, where is Thomas? I just realized that I hadn’t seen him all evening.”

As suddenly as she had drawn back, my face went white.

TO BE CONTINUED...

CTHE ONYX LEGACY (Part 2) by Mara Ng

Cassidy moved silently through the neighborhood like a ghost, jumping over fences, creeping behind houses, and crawling through gardens in order to avoid using the road. The others had trouble keeping up with her. Before they reached the bus stop, they had to stop for a few minutes because Kate and Nick were exhausted.

After a few minutes, they finally reached their destination. Cassidy had hoped that they would be the only ones there, but there were already a number people waiting for the bus. Cassidy crossed her fingers


Tand hoped they would go unnoticed.

They dropped their bags on the ground, and sat on a bench. Then Cassidy stared at her watch so intently as if looking at it could make the bus arrive earlier. Everything had to be on time. That’s what Cassidy always felt like. She was never late for school or even lunch, which was always Mystery Meat. That was just how she was. She was always on time, systematic, and level-headed even if some people called her shy.

While staring at her watch, Cassidy felt a prickling sensation at the back of her neck. She turned her head around as inconspicuously as possible and saw a man reading a newspaper on another bench. He was wearing a brown coat and a dark brown hat, and he had round glasses resting on the tip of his sharp nose. But other than that, Cassidy couldn’t see the rest of his face without being noticed.

Nick, on the other hand, was facing him.

“Nick,” Cassidy whispered while fixing her watch which was fifteen minutes early. “Do you notice that weird guy in the brown hat, reading a newspaper?”

Nick looked up slowly, and whispered to his sister. “Yeah, I see him. What do you want me to do?”

“Just keep an eye on him. Warn me if you see him look at us. Okay?” Nick went back to his thoughts, while carefully watching the man in the dark coat. His sister did it again. She always noticed things

that other people didn’t. He wouldn’t survive without her, he knew. Neither would Kate. Even if Cassidy was so annoyingly uptight about everything, she always seemed to know what to do.

After a few minutes, Nick saw the man shift his position. He took something small out of his pocket. It looked like some kind of electronic device.

The man raised his hand.

Is that an iPod? Nick wondered.

Click!

By the time Nick realized what the man did, it was too late.

TO BE CONTINUED...


Today I have the pleasure of sharing my review of The City Harmonic’s debut full-length album, I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home). The band, famous for their hit track Manifesto, recently released the album on the 18th of October.

The album starts off with Yours, a catchy song praising God. From the start it’s easy to see that The City Harmonic are set to stun the crowd once again.

Following up is Spark; it starts out a bit on the slower side, and then ignites into a powerful song. The instrumental work on this song is great, and fits the mood of the song and Elias’s voice. The song borrows a line or two from This Little Light of Mine and adds some extra power to it. The excerpt of one of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s speeches adds on to the power of the song. This is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and definitely worth the listen.

Mountaintop starts off right away with a powerful, attention-grasping drum beat. By far this is one of the best by the band, and is sure to be a huge hit in the CCM market. The song again pays homage to King, with another short selection of his speech appearing in the

song and being based on one of the lines in the speech featured at the end of Spark.

The band only continues to impress with Fell Apart. The lyrics to the song are great as usual, and the instrumental work is phenomenal. I really enjoyed the piano solo featured in this song. Overall another powerful song, sure to be another big hit.

Be Still, O My Soul starts off the middle portion of the album on a much different sound. It almost reminds me of the music of an old western movie where the character enters a small and quiet town. It’s a refreshing shift in the album, yet it effectively transitions back into the band’s usual style near the song’s end.

The album continues with Wake Me Up. Personally, I would have liked to have heard another song like this one’s predecessor, yet this is still an impressive track. The album’s title track follows this one, and starts off on a great note. It’s obvious to see why they chose this to be their first single. This is another one of band’s best, and is simply amazing to listen to. The drums and piano complement the vocals nicely, and is a prime of example of what The City Harmonic is capable of.


The acoustic-driven track, Love, starts off the final part of the album. Gradually more instruments are added into the song, and makes the song quite interesting. The only complaint I really have with the song is that I wish it was longer!

The next song doesn’t disappoint though; Holy (Wedding Day) is a great song which features a bit of just abut every song on this album in one nice little package. Although the band has less than twenty songs, in my opinion this is definitely their best, and I look forward to what else we will be hearing from them after listening to this song.

The album comes to an end (well, somewhat) with Benediction, a short little track which effectively wraps up the album. As with Love, I just wish that this song was longer! It was very well put together.

Lastly the album has the radio edit of the band’s hit song Manifesto. It’s great to see it on the full-length album. The song is just as great as ever, as is the band.

Overall I think that this album is simply amazing. The band has grown tremendously, and has improved far beyond anything I had imagined. This album is sure to rival Switchfoot’s Vice Verses as the year’s best album thus far. I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home) is definitely an album worth listening to, and it’s no surprise how well it has sold since being released. I am waiting anxiously for the band’s next album. This album gets a perfect score from me. - 5/5

(For more music reviews on Contemporary Christian artists, visit Jeremy’s website at ccmforum.com.)


Living on a farm is a lot of fun and sometimes a little trying. My family only lives on four acres, which is not a lot compared to a lot of the cattle and horse ranches you may see out in the countryside of Florida, but it does require a lot of upkeep.

On our farm, we have horses, dogs, cats, sheep, goats, and sometimes a cow or two. When we first got the farm, we used to raise and sell goats. We made a lot of good cheese and ice cream from the goats milk. After the economy went down, we started raising our own cows and sheep for our own meat. It was really good. We had our own garden of vegetables and we started breeding and selling our sheep as well.

Of course everything is not perfect.

Sometimes our sheep and goats would have trouble giving birth or their babies were born dead. Sometimes we had to bottle feed a bunch of lambs at the same time because they couldn’t learn to feed from their mom. We have had A LOT of lambs running around the living room wearing sweaters over the years because they were orphaned and the outdoors were too cold! We also have had sheep and goats pass away over the years due to old age and sickness. Times like that are hard, especially when it’s a tragic death. Once we came out to find our four-year-old ram dead because he had choked on food during the night. Another time neighborhood dogs had dug into our yard one night and attacked our goats. But since we have gotten the Great Pyrenees Guardian Dogs, no predator has tried to come in. We have had owls

(Above: Tunis sheep)


take off with our house cats before too.

But there are a lot of fun times on a farm that you can’t get in the city! Riding horses, for example, is a lot of fun. Especially racing! All of our animals are quirky in their own little way. We have an old Great Pyrenees named Baxter who carries a wooden log in his mouth wherever he goes and always sleeps next to it. We call it ‘Baxter’s Cigar.’ We have a dog named Polar-Bear who opens the house door whenever she wants, making us lock the door when we are not home to prevent her from going outside. We have a sheep named Paddington who likes

to wait for my dad to get home before chasing his car down the driveway. We had to put a stop to that because he started butting the truck as well.

Overall, having a farm is a lot of fun if you are prepared to deal with occasional emergencies like difficult birthing, loose sheep, horses colicing, runaway dogs, and the like. Also, you have to stay on top of the animals health; i.e. worming the animals, shearing sheep, daily chores, cleaning stalls, etc. So if you were wondering how life on Jasmine Breeze Farm is like, now you know.

(Clockwise from top left: Sunset over the neighbors; Buttercup our Ram; Sunset over a Floridian Marsh; Two of our cows, Meat Cow and Longhorn)


The Arrival of Winterby Natalie Kellner

The earth shivers and withers in wonder.Why must it be plagued by the snow?The stars continue their gleaming,And gaze at the bare earth below.Pond’ring, as they watch the ground tremble,Whether they should cease to glow.

But hope has not completely vanished.They catch a glimpse of one certain treeWhich, though it shivers, still fights the cold.“Keep shining, we should,” the stars deem.The leaves of this plant - their color remains,On this dear, delightful evergreen.

There is hope for the earth, though it weepeth.There will indeed come a spring.The stars reminded us of warmthBy the light that they bring.So despite the gloom of the chilly, dark days,The gold stars continue to sing.

OutcastBy Kyra C.

Alone in the world,Hunched with pain.So painful and cold,Yet appearing to be sane.

Watching others,So blissful and happy,Surrounded by friends,Not thinking about an end.

But alas,All is not what it seems.Even the most happiest lassBears her own scars.Buried deep.Sealed by bars.

The truth ’bout allIs what makes us alike.We each have had a fallWeighing us down,Though most wear no frown.

Rich or poor.Girl or boy.Strong or sore.Bully or victims.We are all the same.

No one is to be blamed.It is just the cold hard truth.We all have been maimed.

Why do you ask?Because we are all outcasts.But together,That’s the past.

Look to the future,Smile and stretch,Free of all pain,Life’s no wretch.Cause we are all, honest and sane.


Cathedralsby Clare Wilson

I raise my eyes to heaven,To see if I can remember,

My eyes behold their beauty,And the glory of their structure.

If only I could go back again,And capture once more their glory,For I do not want to forget the awe,

And the wonders of their stories.I raise my eyes to heaven,

I strain my eyes to see,The beauty of the cathedrals,

In Spain, my longed for dream.

photo: C. Wilson


I made this Cheesecake for my 16th birthday and my whole family loved it. I did put Reese’s cups on top of the cake for decoration after it cooled. Also, my mom made a chocolate sauce to put on top for serving time. If you are a peanut butter chocolate lover, like me, this is the dessert for you!

Directions

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with aluminum foil.

2.) To Make Crust: In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, peanuts, and cinnamon. Stir in butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom and sides of an ungreased 8 or 9 inch springform pan, and set aside.

3.) To Make Filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk all at once, beating on low speed until combined. Stir in half-and-half and chocolate chips.

4.) Pour batter into the springform pan. Place the pan in a large baking pan, pour boiling water into the baking pan until it comes 1/2 way up the sides of the spring form pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes.

5.) Let cake cool completely, and keep in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

- 1 ½ cups graham

cracker crumbs

- ½ cup finely

chopped peanuts

- ¾ teaspoon ground

cinnamon

- ¾ cup butter,

melted

- 3 (8 ounce)

packages cream

cheese

- ¾ cup peanut butter

- 1 cup white sugar

- 2 tablespoons all-

purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon vanilla

extract

- 2 eggs

- 1 egg yolk

- ¼ cup half-and-half

cream

- 2 cups semisweet

chocolate chips

by Mary Orr


Documents

DPA Winter 2011-12