Month: December 2013

  • Happy Holidays

    Our Grandson and Granddaughter,
    Photo
    Reece and Jacklyn
    delivered a healthy baby boy ( 2 months early ) this morning at 12:35.
    3 pounds 11 oz.
    Photo
    Braylon Matthew Bryant
    Welcome to this world !!!
    I Love You More!
    Great Gramma 
    Photo

     

    mother and child were doing great this morning!

    Santa Dogs

    and since I'm not even close to being ready for Christmas

    and may not be around much ...

    I want to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday Season or that your Holidays were wonderful!

    I was born a Baptist but raised to be respectful of other peoples faith and personal beliefs,

    it's a big ole world and our differences make it a very interesting place to live

    and let live...

    Christmas

    Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

     

    Bodhi Day

    On DEC-8, or on the Sunday immediately preceding, Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day (a.k.a. Rohatsu). It recalls the day in 596 BCE, when the Buddha achieved enlightenment. He had left his family and possessions behind at the age of 29, and sought the meaning of life -- particularly the reasons for its hardships.

    Eid al-Adha

    Eid al-Adha: The Festival of Sacrifice, this Muslim holiday honours Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to God. One of the two most important holidays in Islam, it follows the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) and was celebrated on October 15th this year. People who observe this holiday dress in their finest clothes, visit family, eat festive meals, and children receive gifts and treats.

    Hanukkah 

    November 27 through December 5.  While not a hugely important tradition, at least compared to Yom Kippur, it has gained much status due to its proximity to Christmas. Hanukkah is celebrated with 8 days of gifts, and small games such as the dreidel, a gambling game played with a square top. Most people play for matchsticks, pennies, M&Ms or chocolate coins. The traditional explanation of this game is that during the time of Antiochus' oppression, those who wanted to study Torah (an illegal activity) would conceal their activity by playing gambling games with a top (a common and legal activity) whenever an official or inspector was within sight.

     Kwanzaa

    Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday which honors African heritage, first created in 1966 and is celebrated world-wide.  the African-American cultural holiday conceived and developed by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenga, was first celebrated on December 26, 1966. Kwanzaa is traditionally celebrated from December 26 through January 1, with each day focused on Nguzo Saba, or the seven principles. Derived from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits", Kwanzaa is rooted in the first harvest celebrations practiced in various cultures in Africa.

    may your days be Merry and Bright

    your evenings be full of delight

    and your nights be ....

    well that wouldn't be any of my business now would it =))))

    naughty or nice list

    ILYM

    Me and Tish

  • Geminid Crickets...

    I've been having odd animal encounters lately

    Tuesday it was the little falcon

    Yesterday when I opened the back door to the office I found a black cricket belly up on the threshold

    although I'm not terribly superstitious,

    I've always considered it bad luck to kill a cricket.

    I picked it up, it was still wigglin around a bit but one of his back legs wasn't attached correctly anymore,

    brought it in and put it on my desk where he moved about pretty good for the rest of the work day.

    It was dead this morning...

    It made me kinda sad though and I wondered if crickets felt pain and had I only made the poor thing miserable in it's final hours.

    so I googled it

    http://cricket-breeding.com/do-crickets-feel-pain/

     It may be unlikely that crickets feel pain, but there is really no way to know for sure without becoming a cricket.  It only makes sense to do our best to treat these feeder insects with respect and consideration.

    When your reptile pet gobbles up a cricket, the cricket most likely dies instantly as its body is crushed in the reptile’s mouth.  That is just a natural part of the life cycle.  Unnecessary cruelty, on the other hand, should not be encouraged or excused.

    =/

    so was I respectful or cruel?

    I don't know, maybe a bit of both.

    Anyway according to Earth Sky

     there should be Geminid meteors shootin around the heavens

     

    there is a bright waxing gibbous moon lighting up the peak nights of the annual Geminid meteor shower. Tonight (night of December 12-13) and tomorrow night should present a decent number of meteors. Which night is better? The forecast calls for tomorrow night (December 13-14) to be the peak night, but the moon will set earlier tonight, giving you more dark time before dawn for meteor-watching. You might see some meteors in the bright moonlight. But also take advantage of the dark predawn sky windows on Friday and Saturday mornings!

    Click here for custom sunrise/set calendar. Check boxes for moonrise/set times.

    In the Northern Hemisphere, this meteor shower often rates as one of the best – if not the best – shower of the year on a dark, moonless night. You can often see up to 50 or more meteors per hour in a moonless sky.

    Although the Geminids favor the Northern Hemisphere, this shower is also visible from the tropical and subtropical parts of the Southern Hemisphere. At temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, the meteor numbers tend to be lower.

    This Geminid meteor is seen coming straight from its radiant point, which is near the two brightest stars in Gemini, Castor and Pollux.  Photo taken on the night of December 12-13, 2012 by EarthSky Facebook friend Mike O'Neal in Oklahoma.  He said the 2012 Geminid meteor shower was one of the best meteor shows he's ever seen.  We won't be so lucky in 2013, because the moon will be in the way.

     

    I figure if I was respectful I'll wake up early and have clear skies

    if not.....

    ilym

  • A Christmas Survey – Holly Jolly Fun!!!

    has  a Christmas survey for us...

    and let me take this moment to say how thankful I am for her

     always positive and caring nature!

    *****EDIT*****

    all the photographs below are from the internet

    Now - on with the survey

     1.   Have you been naughty or nice this year?

    yes!

    2.   What is one of your favorite Christmas songs?

    O come, O come, Emmanuel

     the mid-19th century translation by John Mason Neale and Henry Sloane Coffin of the Ecclesiatical Latin text "Veni, veni, Emmanuel". It is a metrical version of the O Antiphons from the final week of Advent vespers, which now serves as a popular hym. Its origins are unclear: it is thought that the antiphons are from at least the 8th Century, but "Veni, veni Emmanuel" may well be 12th century in origin. The text is based on the biblical prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 that states that God will give Israel a sign that will be called Immanuel (Lit.:God with us). Matthew 1:23 states fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

    it's Marcias favorite too!

    3.   What is one of your favorite Christmas movies?

    Prancer 

    Jessica (Rebecca Harrell), the daughter of an impoverished farmer, still believes in Santa Claus. So when she comes across a reindeer with an injured leg, it makes perfect sense to her to assume that it is Prancer, who had fallen from a Christmas display in town. She hides him in her barn and feeds him cookies, until she can return him to Santa. Her father ( Sam Elliott and who don't like Sam Elliott)  finds him and decides to sell him to the butcher, not for venison chops, but as an advertising display.

    4.   What is one of your favorite Christmas foods/drinks?

     Sugarplums

    there are many different recipes but this is the one Mom made for us:

    pit a prune and a date, stuff the date with peanut butter and stuff that into the prune and roll in granulated sugar!

    "The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads"

    5.   What do you look forward to most at Christmas?

    being with family, church and elementary school programs

    6.   How early do you wake up on Christmas morning?

    about 7:30 depending on the Christmas Eve activities

     

    7.   What is one of your best Christmas memories?

    the year we got bikes,

    our youngest sister got a tricycle

    the day after Christmas it was stolen

    our Dad drove up the dirt road looking for it and found it at an old house

    the family living there didn't  have much except lots of kids and one of them was riding it

    Daddy just turned around and came home

    He never said a word about it...

    I think  we all learned about the spirit of giving that year

     

    8.   Have you ever gotten coal in your Christmas stocking?

    Well No....

    ouch!!!!

    dang I hate when my nose grows longer

     

    9.   What is one of your Christmas traditions?

    I deck the halls with Hallmark reindeer

    more than two hundred of them

    10.   Are you finished with your Christmas shopping?

    no

    =(

     

    11.  What was one of your favorite Christmas gifts you received as a child?

    my 1962 black bubble hair cut barbie

     this is her on the left,

    my sister got the red head,

    I still have mine

    I wish I had her case and bathing suit too

    12.   Do you have a favorite Christmas recipe you’d like to share?

    Uncle Charles Pecan Pie

    beat 3 eggs until fluffy

    add and mix well:

    1/2 cup brown sugar

    1/2 cup white sugar

    1/2 cup karo syrup

    3 tablespoons melted butter

    1 teaspoon vanilla, if you don't have vanilla you can use rum pum pum pum

    a pinch of salt

    2 cups pecans

    pour into a deep dish unbaked pie shell

    bake at 425 for 15 minutes

    reduce heat to 350 and bake 45 minutes longer

    I like a dollop of whipped cream on mine

    Hope everyone is staying warm, cozy, unstressed, overfed and Happy!!!!

    and being good!

     you know he's watching

    making list and all....

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

    just a bit ago I was  outside the office leaning against the brick columns that had been nice and warmed by the afternoon sun

    when a  Perigrin Falcon landed in a holly bush about a foot away

    he stayed for about a minute trying to figure out what sort of creature I was before he flew away

    Life is so very good 

    ilym

  • Top Ten Countdown Finale or Finally

    • this is probably the longest time I haven't been on xanga since I started posting here...I had a dear friend in Virginia pass away from ovarian cancer...she fought a good battle for 9 years...it was a fairly aggressive form and they didn't give her much time at the onset I think, but she was determined to see her youngest daughter happily married and a grandchild...the daughter married the perfect man and had two beautiful daughters...I think she's resting in peace now... I wish I'd made more of an effort to see her before she passed... Life is short ... unless compared to eternity.

    • I thought I should finish this top ten thing before I do Adamswoman's Christmas Survey... and I put it all together so the post would seem longer,  only 9 and 10 are new and there's one addition to my dinner party list:

       

      10. The top ten things you wouldn’t want anyone to know about you.

      1.)  my political views

      2.)  my weight - I don't even want to know =/

      3.)  my addictions or afflictions

      4.)  my afflictions

      5.)  my social security number, although if someone stole my identity they might just kill their self's.

      6.)  my password - I only use one, it's all I can do to remember one, maybe I should share that just in case =/

      7.)  my financial information (although #5 gives me away)

      8.)  my personal thoughts

      9.)  hummmmm...I'm running out of things here

      10.) see #9

      9. Your top ten best memories.

      1.)  my wedding day

      2.)  the birth of my children ( should this count as four top tens )

      3.) sailing the Caribbean on a 282-foot, four-masted schooner called Fantome

      4.) seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time

      5.) getting a Danny O Day Ventriloquist doll for Christmas ( I was 11 and mother had told me I was too old to ask for dolls anymore)

      6.) that perfectly perfect day on Caladesi Island

      7.) diving off the cliffs at Websters Overlook on Lake Allatoona

      8.) the week I was on the Marietta Blue Devils diving team

      9.) my first paycheck - it was only 20 bucks but boy did I feel rich and independent!

      10.)  well - somethings you don't really need to know, but it involved my husband and a blanket and a mountain.

      8. Your ten best friends.

      1.) my husband

      2.) my children

      3.) my siblings

      4.) my mother

      5.) my cousins

      6.) my boss

      7.) the ladies group from church

      8.) Linda Stout

      9.) Lynn Stout

      10.) if you add these people up it’s way more than ten….so I’ll stop here.

       

      7. Your ten best qualities or talents.

      1.)  accounting

      2.) organizing

      3.) loving children

      4.)  compassion

      5.) talking to animals

      6.) driving

      7.)map reading

      8.) memory

      9.) cooking chili

      10.) making cornbread

      1. Your top ten foods.

       

      6. The top ten ways you would spend money if money was no object.

      1.) good healthy food  for everyone

      2.) health care for everyone

      3.) education for everyone

      4.) a home for everyone

      5.) build my own observatory

      7.) roof my house in slate

      8.) go off the grid

      9.) own an island in the florida keys

      10.) help animals

       

      5. Your opinion, the top ten inventions / discoveries of mankind.

      1.) fire

      2.) antibiotics

      3.) looms

      4.) wheels

      5.) printing press

      6.) velcro

      7.) computers

      8.) telephone

      9.) electricity

      10.) preservation – as in canning and preserving food

       

      4. The top ten ways you’d like to spend your Saturday.

      1.) swimming in the gulf of mexico

      2.) swimming in a clear mountain lake

      3.) swimming in the atlantic ocean

      4.) swimming in the pacific ocean

      5.) swimming in the creek behind the house

      6.) reading

      7.) star gazing

      8.) playing with puppies

      9.) watching hunnered year old movies

      10.) water skiing

       

      3. Your top ten favorite songs.

      1. “Chanson Pour Les Petits Enfants” – Jimmy Buffett

      Now young Mr. Moon flew away in the night

      With his best friend Magnus right by his side
      They soared through the Milky Way counting the stars
      Once around Venus, twice around Mars
      2.) “Blackbird” –  the Beatles
      Blackbird singing in the dead of night
      Take these broken wings and learn to fly
      All your life
      You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

      And he asked me
      Why do you ride for your money
      Tell me why do you rope for short pay
      You ain’t a’gettin’ nowhere
      And you’re losin’ your share
      Girl, you must have gone crazy out there

      4.) “Moon River” – Audrey Hepburn

      Moon river, wider than a mile
      I’m crossing you in style some day
      Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
      Wherever you’re goin’, i’m goin’ your way

      5.) “Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke

      Everybody get up
      Everybody get up
      Hey, hey, hey
      Hey, hey, hey
      Hey, hey, hey

      I can’t post many more of the lines of this song…they are awful!  But you can do some dancin to this song.  I just dance, I promise I don’t listen to the words…I haven’t even watch the video ( or much of it anyway )

      6.) “Sittin on the Dock of the Bay” – Otis Redding

      Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun
      I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come
      Watching the ships roll in
      And then I watch ‘em roll away again, yeah

      7. ” Hey Ya” – Outkast

      One, two, three, uh!

      My baby don’t mess around
      Because she loves me so
      And this I know for sure.

      8.) ” A gift of a Thistle” – Horner – preformed by the London  Symphony Orchestra 

      from Braveheart – the whole sound track is just dang good.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLQkSDwsn1I

      9.) ” You Are My Sunshine” – Willie Nelson

      You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
      You make me happy when skies are gray
      You’ll never know dear, how much I love you
      Please don’t take my sunshine away...

      and because it’s been that sort of couple of weeks;

      10.) “Angel” – Sarah McLachlan

      Spend all your time waiting
      For that second chance
      For a break that would make it okay
      There’s always some reason
      To feel not good enough
      And it’s hard at the end of the day

      odd sorta list isn’t it….

      no one ever said I wasn’t sorta odd

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

      2. Your top ten people in history living or dead to invite to a dinner party.

      1.) John Wayne

      2.) Jane Goodall

      3.) Willie Nelson

      4.) Paul Newman

      5.) Albert Einstein

      6.) Jimmy Buffett

      7.) Ken Burns

      8.) Rachel Carson

      9.) Georgia O’Keeffe

      10.) Katharine Hepburn

      I'm adding #11 here - because I would really love to have this friend at a dinner party:

      11.)  Michel Fauquet

       

      1. Your top ten foods.

      1.) lobster with drawn butter,

      2.) the stuff that’s left after you clarify butter – omg!!!!

      3.) oysters on the half shell – small cold and salty

      4.) asparagus

      5.) steak, preferably Filet mignon  grilled and rare  - although if  the squeamish family is here I go med rare .

      6.)  trout caught out of the creek behind the house, smoked with pecan wood from the tree behind the house

      7.) mangoes – I wish I had a tree behind the house, but I’d have to move the house.

      8.) avocados

      9.) key lime pie – (no kitty you can not have my pie :)

      10.) seafood etoufee

      1.) lobster with drawn butter,

      2.) the stuff that’s left after you clarify butter – omg!!!!

      3.) oysters on the half shell – small cold and salty

      4.) asparagus

      5.) steak, preferably Filet mignon  grilled and rare  - although if  the squeamish family is here I go med rare .

      6.)  trout caught out of the creek behind the house, smoked with pecan wood from the tree behind the house

      7.) mangoes – I wish I had a tree behind the house, but I’d have to move the house.

      8.) avocados

      9.) key lime pie – no kitty you can not have my pie :)

      10.) seafood etoufee

      So there you Go....

      I hope if you are snowed in somewhere that you have a warm place to stay and plenty of bread and milk!

      ILYM

       

      p.s....if it's not cloudy where you are check out the heavens tonight and the next few nights:

      Expert observers are reporting an unexpected outburst of a little-known (but historical) meteor shower. The Andromedid meteor outburst began yesterday (December 8, 2013) and might not have peaked yet. The Geminid meteor shower is going on now, too, peaking on the mornings of December 13 and 14. So tonight might be an awesome night to go outside and watch for meteors!