The consequences
Rose takes charge
A Happy Ending
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Last play day with Liberty and the dire consequences
Two dirty, tired dogs
The consequences
Rose takes charge
A Happy Ending
The consequences
Rose takes charge
A Happy Ending
Wyanne's last visit to the doc
What a good man is Dr. Stonebreaker Wyanne'svet!
He's also a great vet and gives a generous discount to CCI pups.
He's pretty sure her lump is just a bruise and no cause for concern.
A fabulous visual journey
This is the first illustration of Maira Kalman's New York Times blog, describing her inauguration journey.
I urge you to see the rest here: theinauguration.atlast
She's a fabulous illustrator and has done many children's books.
Enjoy!
Thanks to Patti Digh of 37Days fame for posting this on facebook.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Wyanne's turn in photos
There's a lotta hoopla on facebook lately: "25 things about me".
I had no interest, but it did start me thinking about Wyanne. I wish I'd done this for all four dogs:
Here are 25 things about her all should know:
25 things about Wyanne
1.She’s an ‘old soul’
2.She’s beautiful.
3.Her favorite friends are Crista, Kodi, Prado, Liberty, Shammy and Garden.
4.She’s the color of vanilla ice cream with a tiny stripe of caramel topping down her back.
5.Her eyes look deep into yours.
6.She’s smart.
7.She changed how Jane, Sophie and Charlotte feel about dogs.
8.She’s given joy and tail wagging to lots of disabled kids.
9.She gets up in the morning with her eye-liner already applied.
10.She’ll try and tease you to play a game of tug-o-war.
11.She doesn’t like pedicures.
12.She’s been to church more times than a lot of people.
13.She snores – really loud.
14.After every meal, she has one loud burp.
15.She prances.
16.She looks like her daddy, Korbel, but she acts like her mommy Breezey.
17.People always say she looks like a polar bear.
18.She thinks she’s fooling me when she tries to lick kids’ hands right after they’ve eaten.
19. She likes the back door open at all times, in all weather, much to Rod’s annoyance.
20. She likes to hold hands at Mass.
21.She’s a great shopper.
22. She is an extraordinary ambassador for CCI.
23. She is beloved by all she meets.
24. Her ears are like velvet.
25. She’s Laurie’s favorite.
Godspeed, my darling dog. I will only cry if you come back, but will know you have done your very best!
For those of you unfamiliar with the CCI turn in process, about a month before the date, puppy raisers are asked to submit their favorite photos of their pup. Only about two for each pup are chosen, but when you see all the puppy pics of matriculating pups, usually around 30, you can't help but laugh and cry and everything in between. Here are the ones I sent.
There are a few very significant people in Wyanne's journey missing in photos, namely Rod, Jane, Sophie, Charlotte and Cath, but I wanted to include some photos of people and places where she's touched hearts.
I had no interest, but it did start me thinking about Wyanne. I wish I'd done this for all four dogs:
Here are 25 things about her all should know:
25 things about Wyanne
1.She’s an ‘old soul’
2.She’s beautiful.
3.Her favorite friends are Crista, Kodi, Prado, Liberty, Shammy and Garden.
4.She’s the color of vanilla ice cream with a tiny stripe of caramel topping down her back.
5.Her eyes look deep into yours.
6.She’s smart.
7.She changed how Jane, Sophie and Charlotte feel about dogs.
8.She’s given joy and tail wagging to lots of disabled kids.
9.She gets up in the morning with her eye-liner already applied.
10.She’ll try and tease you to play a game of tug-o-war.
11.She doesn’t like pedicures.
12.She’s been to church more times than a lot of people.
13.She snores – really loud.
14.After every meal, she has one loud burp.
15.She prances.
16.She looks like her daddy, Korbel, but she acts like her mommy Breezey.
17.People always say she looks like a polar bear.
18.She thinks she’s fooling me when she tries to lick kids’ hands right after they’ve eaten.
19. She likes the back door open at all times, in all weather, much to Rod’s annoyance.
20. She likes to hold hands at Mass.
21.She’s a great shopper.
22. She is an extraordinary ambassador for CCI.
23. She is beloved by all she meets.
24. Her ears are like velvet.
25. She’s Laurie’s favorite.
Godspeed, my darling dog. I will only cry if you come back, but will know you have done your very best!
For those of you unfamiliar with the CCI turn in process, about a month before the date, puppy raisers are asked to submit their favorite photos of their pup. Only about two for each pup are chosen, but when you see all the puppy pics of matriculating pups, usually around 30, you can't help but laugh and cry and everything in between. Here are the ones I sent.
There are a few very significant people in Wyanne's journey missing in photos, namely Rod, Jane, Sophie, Charlotte and Cath, but I wanted to include some photos of people and places where she's touched hearts.
Lying with the Enemy
Lying With the Enemy by Tim BindingMy review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read this as a supplement to Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, which totally sparked my interest in Guernsey and the German occupation of Guernsey during World War II. There definitely is more to Guernsey than cows!
The book started slow, but I got very engaged after the murder.
View all my reviews.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
A man of many talents
We all know how gifted Rod is in the engineering, problem solving, handyman, singing areas, but here's the product of his newest endeavor, breadmaking. YUM!
The real origin
The feast of the Presentation, also know as Candlemas Day
The event is described in the Gospel of Luke 2:22–40. According to the gospel, Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after his birth to complete Mary's ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn, in obedience to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12, Exodus 13:12-15, etc.).
Upon bringing Jesus into the temple, the Holy Family encountered Simeon the Righteous. The Gospel records that Simeon had been promised that "he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord." (Luke 2:26) Simeon prayed the prayer that would become known as the Nunc Dimittis, or Canticle of Simeon, which prophesied the redemption of the world by Jesus:
"Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32).
Simeon then prophesied to Mary: "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against—yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35).
The elderly prophetess Anna was also in the Temple, and offered prayers and praise to God for Jesus, and spoke to everyone there about Jesus and his role in the redemption of Israel (Luke 2:36-38).
[edit]Name of the celebration
In addition to being known as the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, other traditional names include Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, and the Meeting of the Lord.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Greek-Catholic Churches (Eastern Catholic Churches which use the Byzantine rite), it is known as the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord and Savior in the Temple or as The Meeting of Our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is known as the Presentation of the Lord in the Roman Catholic Church.
Traditionally, Candlemas had been the last feast day in the Christian year that was dated by reference to Christmas. Subsequent moveable feasts are calculated with reference to Easter. Prior to the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, Candlemas in the Roman Catholic Church marked the end of the Christmas and Epiphany season. The present Roman calendar substitutes the Saturday before the Baptism of the Lord as the final day of the Christmas liturgical season. If Easter falls early enough, 2 February can occur during the Lenten season (causing the omission of "Alleluia" in the Roman liturgy or Anglican lituriges).
Traditionally the Western term "Candlemas" (or Candle Mass) referred to the practice whereby a priest on 2 February blessed beeswax candles with an aspergilium for use throughout the year, some of which were distributed to the faithful for use in the home. In Poland the feast is called Matka Boska Gromniczna (Matka Boska, "Mother of God" + Gromnica, "beeswax candle").
Within the Roman Catholic Church, since the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, this feast has been referred to as the Feast of Presentation of the Lord, with references to candles and the purification of Mary de-emphasised in favor of the Prophecy of Simeon the Righteous. Pope John Paul II connected the feast day with the renewal of religious vows.
The holy day is celebrated with an all-night vigil on the eve of the feast, and a celebration of the Divine Liturgy the next morning, at which beeswax candles are blessed. This blessing traditionally takes place after the Little Hours and before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy (though in some places it is done after). The priest reads four prayers, and then a fifth one during which all present bow their heads before God. He then censes the candles and blesses them with holy water. The candles are then distributed to the people and the Liturgy begins.
Some Christians observe the practice of leaving Christmas decorations up until Candlemas.
In the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar the Presentation of the Lord falls on 2 February, forty days after Christmas. In the Church of England it may be celebrated on this day, or on the Sunday between 28 January and 3 February. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates the feast on 2 February.
The date of Candlemas is established by the date set for the Nativity of Jesus, for it comes forty days afterwards. Under Mosaic law as found in the Torah, a mother who had given birth to a man-child was considered unclean for seven days; moreover she was to remain for three and thirty days "in the blood of her purification." Candlemas therefore corresponds to the day on which Mary, according to Jewish law, should have attended a ceremony of ritual purification (Leviticus 12:2-8). The Gospel of Luke 2:22–39 relates that Mary was purified according to the religious law, followed by Jesus' presentation in the Jerusalem temple, and this explains the formal names given to the festival, as well as its falling 40 days after the Nativity.
In the West, the date of Christmas is fixed on 25 December, and Candlemas therefore falls the following 2 February. The dating is identical among Orthodox Christians, except that the ecclesiastical 25 December of most Orthodox Christians falls on 7 January of the civil calendar due to a theological dispute related to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, meaning that most Orthodox Christians celebrate the feast on 15 February.
In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Feast, called "The Coming of the Son of God into the Temple" (Tiarn’ndaraj, from Tyarn-, "the Lord", and -undarach "going forward"), is celebrated on 14 February. The Armenians do not celebrate the Nativity on December 25, but on January 6, and thus their date of the feast is 40 days after that: 14 February. The night before the feast, Armenians traditionally light candles during an evening church service, carrying the flame out into the darkness (symbolically bringing light into the void) and either take it home to light lamps or light a bonfire in the church courtyard.
[edit]History
The Feast of the Presentation is among the most ancient feasts of the Christian Church.
The earliest reference to specific liturgical rites surrounding the feast are by the intrepid nun Egeria, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land (381–384). She reported that 14 February was a day solemnly kept in Jerusalem with a procession to Constantine I's Basilica of the Resurrection, with a homily preached on Luke 2:22 (which makes the occasion perfectly clear), and a Divine Liturgy. This so-called Itinerarium Peregrinatio ("Pilgrimage Itinerary") of Egeria does not, however, offer a specific name for the Feast. The date of 14 February indicates that in Jerusalem at that time, Christ's birth was celebrated on 6 January, Epiphany. Egeria writes for her beloved fellow nuns at home:
XXVI. "The fortieth day after the Epiphany is undoubtedly celebrated here with the very highest honor, for on that day there is a procession, in which all take part, in the Anastasis, and all things are done in their order with the greatest joy, just as at Easter. All the priests, and after them the bishop, preach, always taking for their subject that part of the Gospel where Joseph and Mary brought the Lord into the Temple on the fortieth day, and Symeon and Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, saw Him, treating of the words which they spake when they saw the Lord, and of that offering which His parents made. And when everything that is customary has been done in order, the sacrament is celebrated, and the dismissal takes place."
Originally, the feast was a minor celebration. But then in 542 the feast was established throughout the Eastern Empire by Justinian I. In 541 a terrible plague broke out in Constantinople, killing thousands. The Emperor, in consultation with the Patriarch of Constantinople, ordered a period of fasting and prayer throughout the entire Empire. And, on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, arranged great processions throughout the towns and villages and a solemn prayer service (Litia) to ask for deliverance from evils, and the plague ceased. In thanksgiving, the feast was elevated to a more solemn celebration.
In Rome, the feast appears in the Gelasian Sacramentary, a manuscript collection of the seventh and eighth centuries associated with Pope Gelasius I, but with many interpolations and some forgeries. There it carries for the first time the new title of the feast of Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Late in time though it may be, Candlemas is still the most ancient of all the festivals in honor of the Virgin Mary. The date of the feast in Rome was moved forward to 2 February, since during the late fourth century the Roman feast of Christ's nativity been introduced as December 25.
Traditions and superstitions
"Down with the rosemary, and so
Down with the bays and mistletoe;
Down with the holly, ivy, all,
Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall"
— Robert Herrick (1591–1674), "Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve"
As the poem by Robert Herrick records, the eve of Candlemas was the day on which Christmas decorations of greenery were removed from people's homes; for traces of berries, holly and so forth will bring death among the congregation before another year is out.[citation needed] Another tradition holds that anyone who hears funeral bells tolling on Candlemas will soon hear of the death of a close friend or relative; each toll of the bell represents a day that will pass before the unfortunate news is learned.[citation needed]
In Scotland, until a change in the law in 1991, and in much of northern England until the 18th century, Candlemas was one of the traditional quarter days when quarterly rents were due for payment, as well as the day or term for various other business transactions, including the hiring of servants.
In the United Kingdom, good weather at Candlemas is taken to indicate severe winter weather later: "If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, / winter will have another bite. / If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, / winter is gone and will not come again."[9]. It is also alleged to be the date that bears emerge from hibernation to inspect the weather as well as wolves, who if they choose to return to their lairs on this day is interpreted as meaning severe weather will continue for another forty days at least.[citation needed] In the United States and Canada, Candlemas evolved into Groundhog Day celebrated on the same date.
The Carmina Gadelica, a seminal collection of Scottish folklore, refers to a serpent coming out of the mound on Latha Fheill Bride, as the Scots call Candlemas. This rhyme is still used in the West Highlands and Hebrides.
Moch maduinn Bhride, Thig an nimhir as an toll; Cha bhoin mise ris an nimhir, Cha bhoin an nimhir rium.
(Early on Bride's morn, the serpent will come from the hollow I will not molest the serpent, nor will the serpent molest me)
Thig an nathair as an toll, la donn Bride Ged robh tri traighean dh' an t-sneachd air leachd an lair.
(The serpent will come from the hollow on the brown day of Bride Though there should be three feet of snow on the flat surface of the ground)
The earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College:
4 February 1841 — from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris' diary …"Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate." [1]
In France, Candlemas (French: La Chandeleur) is celebrated with crêpes, which must be eaten only after eight p.m. If the cook can flip a crêpe while holding a coin in the other hand, the family is assured of prosperity throughout the coming year.
In Southern and Central Mexico, Candlemas (Spanish: DÃa de La Candelaria) is celebrated with Tamales. Tradition indicates that on January 5, the night before Three Kings Day (the Epiphany), whoever gets one or more of the few plastic or metal dolls (originally coins) buried within the Rosca de Reyes must throw a party on Candlemas.[citation needed] In certain regions of Mexico, this is the day in which the baby Jesus of each household is taken up from the nativity scene and dressed up in various colorful, whimsical outfits.[citation needed]
Sailors are often reluctant to set sail on Candlemas Day, believing that any voyage begun then will end in disaster — given the frequency of severe storms in February, this is not entirely without sense.
The event is described in the Gospel of Luke 2:22–40. According to the gospel, Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after his birth to complete Mary's ritual purification after childbirth, and to perform the redemption of the firstborn, in obedience to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12, Exodus 13:12-15, etc.).
Upon bringing Jesus into the temple, the Holy Family encountered Simeon the Righteous. The Gospel records that Simeon had been promised that "he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord." (Luke 2:26) Simeon prayed the prayer that would become known as the Nunc Dimittis, or Canticle of Simeon, which prophesied the redemption of the world by Jesus:
"Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32).
Simeon then prophesied to Mary: "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against—yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Luke 2:34-35).
The elderly prophetess Anna was also in the Temple, and offered prayers and praise to God for Jesus, and spoke to everyone there about Jesus and his role in the redemption of Israel (Luke 2:36-38).
[edit]Name of the celebration
In addition to being known as the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, other traditional names include Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, and the Meeting of the Lord.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Greek-Catholic Churches (Eastern Catholic Churches which use the Byzantine rite), it is known as the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord and Savior in the Temple or as The Meeting of Our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is known as the Presentation of the Lord in the Roman Catholic Church.
Traditionally, Candlemas had been the last feast day in the Christian year that was dated by reference to Christmas. Subsequent moveable feasts are calculated with reference to Easter. Prior to the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, Candlemas in the Roman Catholic Church marked the end of the Christmas and Epiphany season. The present Roman calendar substitutes the Saturday before the Baptism of the Lord as the final day of the Christmas liturgical season. If Easter falls early enough, 2 February can occur during the Lenten season (causing the omission of "Alleluia" in the Roman liturgy or Anglican lituriges).
Traditionally the Western term "Candlemas" (or Candle Mass) referred to the practice whereby a priest on 2 February blessed beeswax candles with an aspergilium for use throughout the year, some of which were distributed to the faithful for use in the home. In Poland the feast is called Matka Boska Gromniczna (Matka Boska, "Mother of God" + Gromnica, "beeswax candle").
Within the Roman Catholic Church, since the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, this feast has been referred to as the Feast of Presentation of the Lord, with references to candles and the purification of Mary de-emphasised in favor of the Prophecy of Simeon the Righteous. Pope John Paul II connected the feast day with the renewal of religious vows.
The holy day is celebrated with an all-night vigil on the eve of the feast, and a celebration of the Divine Liturgy the next morning, at which beeswax candles are blessed. This blessing traditionally takes place after the Little Hours and before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy (though in some places it is done after). The priest reads four prayers, and then a fifth one during which all present bow their heads before God. He then censes the candles and blesses them with holy water. The candles are then distributed to the people and the Liturgy begins.
Some Christians observe the practice of leaving Christmas decorations up until Candlemas.
In the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar the Presentation of the Lord falls on 2 February, forty days after Christmas. In the Church of England it may be celebrated on this day, or on the Sunday between 28 January and 3 February. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates the feast on 2 February.
The date of Candlemas is established by the date set for the Nativity of Jesus, for it comes forty days afterwards. Under Mosaic law as found in the Torah, a mother who had given birth to a man-child was considered unclean for seven days; moreover she was to remain for three and thirty days "in the blood of her purification." Candlemas therefore corresponds to the day on which Mary, according to Jewish law, should have attended a ceremony of ritual purification (Leviticus 12:2-8). The Gospel of Luke 2:22–39 relates that Mary was purified according to the religious law, followed by Jesus' presentation in the Jerusalem temple, and this explains the formal names given to the festival, as well as its falling 40 days after the Nativity.
In the West, the date of Christmas is fixed on 25 December, and Candlemas therefore falls the following 2 February. The dating is identical among Orthodox Christians, except that the ecclesiastical 25 December of most Orthodox Christians falls on 7 January of the civil calendar due to a theological dispute related to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, meaning that most Orthodox Christians celebrate the feast on 15 February.
In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Feast, called "The Coming of the Son of God into the Temple" (Tiarn’ndaraj, from Tyarn-, "the Lord", and -undarach "going forward"), is celebrated on 14 February. The Armenians do not celebrate the Nativity on December 25, but on January 6, and thus their date of the feast is 40 days after that: 14 February. The night before the feast, Armenians traditionally light candles during an evening church service, carrying the flame out into the darkness (symbolically bringing light into the void) and either take it home to light lamps or light a bonfire in the church courtyard.
[edit]History
The Feast of the Presentation is among the most ancient feasts of the Christian Church.
The earliest reference to specific liturgical rites surrounding the feast are by the intrepid nun Egeria, during her pilgrimage to the Holy Land (381–384). She reported that 14 February was a day solemnly kept in Jerusalem with a procession to Constantine I's Basilica of the Resurrection, with a homily preached on Luke 2:22 (which makes the occasion perfectly clear), and a Divine Liturgy. This so-called Itinerarium Peregrinatio ("Pilgrimage Itinerary") of Egeria does not, however, offer a specific name for the Feast. The date of 14 February indicates that in Jerusalem at that time, Christ's birth was celebrated on 6 January, Epiphany. Egeria writes for her beloved fellow nuns at home:
XXVI. "The fortieth day after the Epiphany is undoubtedly celebrated here with the very highest honor, for on that day there is a procession, in which all take part, in the Anastasis, and all things are done in their order with the greatest joy, just as at Easter. All the priests, and after them the bishop, preach, always taking for their subject that part of the Gospel where Joseph and Mary brought the Lord into the Temple on the fortieth day, and Symeon and Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, saw Him, treating of the words which they spake when they saw the Lord, and of that offering which His parents made. And when everything that is customary has been done in order, the sacrament is celebrated, and the dismissal takes place."
Originally, the feast was a minor celebration. But then in 542 the feast was established throughout the Eastern Empire by Justinian I. In 541 a terrible plague broke out in Constantinople, killing thousands. The Emperor, in consultation with the Patriarch of Constantinople, ordered a period of fasting and prayer throughout the entire Empire. And, on the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, arranged great processions throughout the towns and villages and a solemn prayer service (Litia) to ask for deliverance from evils, and the plague ceased. In thanksgiving, the feast was elevated to a more solemn celebration.
In Rome, the feast appears in the Gelasian Sacramentary, a manuscript collection of the seventh and eighth centuries associated with Pope Gelasius I, but with many interpolations and some forgeries. There it carries for the first time the new title of the feast of Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Late in time though it may be, Candlemas is still the most ancient of all the festivals in honor of the Virgin Mary. The date of the feast in Rome was moved forward to 2 February, since during the late fourth century the Roman feast of Christ's nativity been introduced as December 25.
Traditions and superstitions
"Down with the rosemary, and so
Down with the bays and mistletoe;
Down with the holly, ivy, all,
Wherewith ye dress'd the Christmas Hall"
— Robert Herrick (1591–1674), "Ceremony upon Candlemas Eve"
As the poem by Robert Herrick records, the eve of Candlemas was the day on which Christmas decorations of greenery were removed from people's homes; for traces of berries, holly and so forth will bring death among the congregation before another year is out.[citation needed] Another tradition holds that anyone who hears funeral bells tolling on Candlemas will soon hear of the death of a close friend or relative; each toll of the bell represents a day that will pass before the unfortunate news is learned.[citation needed]
In Scotland, until a change in the law in 1991, and in much of northern England until the 18th century, Candlemas was one of the traditional quarter days when quarterly rents were due for payment, as well as the day or term for various other business transactions, including the hiring of servants.
In the United Kingdom, good weather at Candlemas is taken to indicate severe winter weather later: "If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, / winter will have another bite. / If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, / winter is gone and will not come again."[9]. It is also alleged to be the date that bears emerge from hibernation to inspect the weather as well as wolves, who if they choose to return to their lairs on this day is interpreted as meaning severe weather will continue for another forty days at least.[citation needed] In the United States and Canada, Candlemas evolved into Groundhog Day celebrated on the same date.
The Carmina Gadelica, a seminal collection of Scottish folklore, refers to a serpent coming out of the mound on Latha Fheill Bride, as the Scots call Candlemas. This rhyme is still used in the West Highlands and Hebrides.
Moch maduinn Bhride, Thig an nimhir as an toll; Cha bhoin mise ris an nimhir, Cha bhoin an nimhir rium.
(Early on Bride's morn, the serpent will come from the hollow I will not molest the serpent, nor will the serpent molest me)
Thig an nathair as an toll, la donn Bride Ged robh tri traighean dh' an t-sneachd air leachd an lair.
(The serpent will come from the hollow on the brown day of Bride Though there should be three feet of snow on the flat surface of the ground)
The earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College:
4 February 1841 — from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris' diary …"Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate." [1]
In France, Candlemas (French: La Chandeleur) is celebrated with crêpes, which must be eaten only after eight p.m. If the cook can flip a crêpe while holding a coin in the other hand, the family is assured of prosperity throughout the coming year.
In Southern and Central Mexico, Candlemas (Spanish: DÃa de La Candelaria) is celebrated with Tamales. Tradition indicates that on January 5, the night before Three Kings Day (the Epiphany), whoever gets one or more of the few plastic or metal dolls (originally coins) buried within the Rosca de Reyes must throw a party on Candlemas.[citation needed] In certain regions of Mexico, this is the day in which the baby Jesus of each household is taken up from the nativity scene and dressed up in various colorful, whimsical outfits.[citation needed]
Sailors are often reluctant to set sail on Candlemas Day, believing that any voyage begun then will end in disaster — given the frequency of severe storms in February, this is not entirely without sense.
Just in case you were wondering...
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – The world's most famous groundhog saw his shadow Monday morning, predicting this already long winter will last for six more weeks.
Punxsutawney Phil emerged just after dawn in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses, many dressed in black-and-gold to celebrate the Pittsburgh Steelers' Super Bowl victory the night before.
"There's significant buzz from the Steelers win and quite a few Terrible Towels floating from the crowd," said Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary for tourism in Pennsylvania.
The annual ritual takes place on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, a borough of about 6,100 residents some 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club announced the forecast in a short proclamation, in which Phil acknowledged the Steelers' 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
According to German superstition, if a hibernating animal casts a shadow on Feb. 2 — the Christian holiday of Candlemas — winter will last another six weeks. If no shadow was seen, legend said spring would come early.
If you're really wondering
here's some history
In 1723, the Delaware Indians settled Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania as a campsite halfway between the Allegheny and the Susquehanna Rivers. The town is 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, at the intersection of Route 36 and Route 119. The Delawares considered groundhogs honorable ancestors. According to the original creation beliefs of the Delaware Indians, their forebears began life as animals in "Mother Earth" and emerged centuries later to hunt and live as men.
The name Punxsutawney comes from the Indian name for the location
"ponksad-uteney" which means "the town of the sandflies."
The name woodchuck comes from the Indian legend of "Wojak,
the groundhog" considered by them to be their ancestral grandfather.
When German settlers arrived in the 1700s, they brought a tradition known as Candlemas Day, which has an early origin in the pagan celebration of Imbolc. It came at the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Superstition held that if the weather was fair, the second half of Winter would be stormy and cold. For the early Christians in Europe, it was the custom on Candlemas Day for clergy to bless candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of Winter. A lighted candle was placed in each window of the home. The day's weather continued to be important. If the sun came out February 2, halfway between Winter and Spring, it meant six more weeks of wintry weather.
The earliest American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College:
February 4, 1841 - from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris' diary..."Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
According to the old English saying:
If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.
From Scotland:
If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,
There'll be two winters in the year.
From Germany:
For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day,
So far will the snow swirl until May.
For as the snow blows on Candlemas Day,
So far will the sun shine before May.
And from America:
If the sun shines on Groundhog Day;
Half the fuel and half the hay.
If the sun made an appearance on Candlemas Day, an animal would cast a shadow, thus predicting six more weeks of Winter. Germans watched a badger for the shadow. In Pennsylvania, the groundhog, upon waking from mid-Winter hibernation, was selected as the replacement.
Pennsylvania's official celebration of Groundhog Day began on February 2nd, 1886 with a proclamation in The Punxsutawney Spirit by the newspaper's editor, Clymer Freas: "Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow." The groundhog was given the name "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary'' and his hometown thus called the "Weather Capital of the World.'' His debut performance: no shadow - early Spring.
The legendary first trip to Gobbler's Knob was made the following year.
Since the 1993 release of the film Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray as a TV weatherman (who wakes up and it's Groundhog Day over and over again!) and Andie MacDowell as his puzzled producer, attendance at the real event has expanded. In 1997, there were 35,000 visitors in Punxsutawney, five times the Jefferson County town's 6,700 population.
The Groundhog Day festivities on February 2, 1992 were joined by Bill Murray studying for his role in the movie. Then, Columbia Pictures set out to recreate the Punxsutawney Groundhog Day down to the smallest detail. There were, however, many changes made.
Columbia Pictures decided to film the movie in a location more accessible to a major metropolitan center. The highways in and around Punxsutawney were few, so Woodstock, Illinois was chosen as the site. Unfortunately, Woodstock's landscape doesn't have Pennsylvania's scenic rolling hills. Nevertheless, adjustments were made for the production. The actual Gobbler's Knob is a wooded hill with a beautiful view; the Gobbler's Knob in the movie is moved to the town square. The Punxsutawney Gobbler's Knob was recreated to scale in Woodstock's town square based on detailed notes and videos the crew made on it's visit to Punxsutawney. [Photo: © Columbia Pictures]
The movie's script was changed to include the elaborate ceremony of the Inner Circle on Groundhog Day. The original groundhog cast for the movie was considered to be too small.
Some of the store names in Punxsutawney were used in the movie, such as The Smart Shop and Stewart's Drug Store. Punxsutawney's police cars were also recreated for the movie. The groundhog-head trash cans and Groundhog Festival flags that line the streets of Punxsutawney were displayed. Folks traveling to Punxsutawney to see the "Punxsutawney" they saw in the movie wonder why it looks "so different, yet seems so similar."
he groundhog, also known as a woodchuck (Marmota monax), is a member of the squirrel family. Groundhogs in the wild eat succulent green plants, such as dandelion, clover, and grasses.
According to handlers John Griffiths and Ben Hughes, Phil weighs 15 pounds and thrives on dog food and ice cream in his climate-controlled home at the Punxsutawney Library.
Up on Gobbler's Knob, Phil is placed in a heated burrow underneath a simulated tree stump on stage before being pulled out at 7:25 a.m. to make his prediction.
© Punxsutawney Chamber of Commerce
The groundhog's seasonal forecasting accuracy is somewhat low.
Phil's Winter prognostications have been correct only 39% of the time.
1887 Shadow; first official trip to Gobbler's Knob.
1888 Shadow (Six more weeks of Winter!)
1889 no record
1890 NO Shadow (early Spring!)
[Birthdate: Charles Correll ("Andy" on radio's Amos & Andy)]
1891 no record
1892 no record
1893 no record
1894 no record
1895 no record
1896 no record
1897 no record
1898 Shadow
1899 no record
1900 Shadow
1901 Shadow [Birthdate: Jascha Heifetz, violinist]
1902 NO Shadow
1903 Shadow
1904 Shadow
1905 Shadow [Birthdate: Ayn Rand, novelist-philosopher]
1906 Shadow [Birthdate: Gale Gordon, actor]
1907 Shadow
1908 Shadow
1909 Shadow
1910 Shadow
1911 Shadow
1912 Shadow [Birthdate: Burton Lane, Broadway composer]
1913 Shadow at 8:08 AM; first newspaper photo of Groundhog Day by John Frampton.
1914 Shadow at 9:34 AM
1915 Shadow at 11:45 AM; named Wiley William Woodchuck!
1916 Shadow at 9:07 AM; first films of Groundhog Day ceremony.
1917 Shadow
1918 Shadow; 18 degrees below zero.
1919 Shadow [Birthdate: Forrest Tucker, actor]
1920 Shadow
1921 Shadow at 7:17 AM
1922 Shadow at 7:11 AM; Groundhog Holiday Dance.
1923 Shadow [Birthdate: Liz Smith, gossip columnist]
1924 Shadow at 7:13 AM
1925 Shadow at 8:13 AM; [Birthdate: Elaine Stritch, actress]
1926 Shadow at 9:17 AM
1927 Shadow at 8:35 AM; [Birthdate: Stan Getz, jazz saxophonist]
1928 Shadow at 10:00 AM; program with Punx'y Rotary Club on KDKA Radio.
1929 Shadow
1930 Shadow at 7:11 AM
1931 Shadow at 12:27 PM
1932 Shadow at 9:11 AM
1933 Shadow
1934 NO Shadow.
1935 Shadow at 9:11 AM
1936 Shadow at 10:27 AM
1937 Shadow at 9:09 AM; early morning encounter with a skunk!
[Birthdate: Tom Smothers, comedian]
1938 Shadow at 9:05 AM; "darkest shadow in history"
(The Spirit, Feb. 2, 1938)
1939 Shadow at 9:10 AM
1940 Shadow at 9:00 AM
1941 Shadow at 4:25 PM
1942 Partial Shadow at 7:40 AM; "War clouds have blacked out parts of the shadow."
(The Spirit, Feb. 2, 1942) [Birthdate: Graham Nash, guitarist, singer]
1943 Groundhog did not appear; relied on Quarryville's prediction - NO Shadow
1944 Shadow at 9:10 AM
1945 Shadow at 9:00 AM
1946 Shadow at 7:52 AM
1947 Shadow at 7:37 AM; first newspaper photo of Groundhog Club at Gobbler's Knob
[Birthdate: Farrah Fawcett, actress, model]
1948 Shadow at 8:46 AM
1949 Shadow at 7:32 AM
1950 NO Shadow
1951 Shadow at 8:41 AM
1952 Shadow at 7:52 AM; on NBC's Today Show on Monday, February 4
1953 Shadow at 7:38 AM; [Birthdate: Christie Brinkley, Cover Girl model]
1954 Shadow at 8:03 AM
1955 Shadow at 8:51 AM; 4" of snow on Groundhog Day;
[Birthdate: Kim Zimmer, actress]
1956 Shadow at 8:33 AM
1957 Shadow at 7:47 AM; [Birthdate: Brent Spiner, actor]
1958 Shadow at 8:27 AM; [Birthdate: Holly Hunter, actress]
1959 Shadow at 8:23 AM
1960 Shadow at 7:33 AM; forecasts extremely bad weather on the Today show.
1961 Shadow at 7:41 AM; 25 below zero.
1962 Shadow at 7:29 AM; [Birthdate: Garth Brooks, singer]
1963 Shadow at 7:41 AM
1964 Shadow at 7:35 AM
1965 Shadow at 7:58 AM
1966 Shadow at 7:21 AM
1967 Shadow at 7:25 AM
1968 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1969 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1970 NO Shadow
1971 Shadow at 7:29 AM; 14 below zero.
1972 Shadow at 7:30 AM
1973 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1974 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1975 NO Shadow
1976 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1977 Shadow at 7:27; in midst of the energy crisis.
1978 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1979 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1980 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1981 Shadow at 7:27 AM
1982 Shadow at 7:26 AM; coldest January this Century.
1983 NO Shadow; predicted an early Spring after a mild El Nino Winter.
1984 Shadow at 7:04 AM
1985 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1986 NO Shadow; visited President Reagan at the White House in March.
1987 Shadow at 7:29 AM
1988 NO Shadow
1989 Shadow
1990 NO Shadow
1991 Shadow
1992 Shadow
1993 Shadow; the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray is released.
1994 Shadow at 7:28 AM
1995 NO Shadow; afternoon guest on the "Oprah Winfrey" TV Show.
1996 Shadow at 7:21 AM
1997 NO Shadow; 35,000 watched at Gobbler's Knob
1998 Shadow at 7:20 AM; predicting six more weeks of a mild El Nino Winter!
1999 NO Shadow at 7:23 AM; 37º rain
2000 Shadow at 7:28 AM; 12º overcast skies with flurries
2001 Shadow at 7:27 AM; 28º cloudy skies with light snow
2002 Shadow at 7:25 AM; 19º mist with a record 38,000 visitors driven to Gobbler's Knob by bus for security.
2003 Shadow at 7:27 AM; 30º overcast skies with PA Governor Ed Rendell attending the ceremony.
2004 Shadow at 7:27 AM; 17º clear skies with snow on the ground, crowd boos the forecast!
2005 Shadow at 7:31 AM; 14º clear skies with a wind chill of 3ºF.
2006 Shadow at 7:23 AM; 36º overcast skies with the crowd cheering the Steelers in Super Bowl XL.
2007 NO Shadow at 7:28 AM; 26º overcast skies with light snow and mist under a Full Moon.
2008 Shadow at 7:27 AM; 28º fog and mist with the crowd booing six more weeks of Winter.
2009 Shadow at 7:30 AM; 29º overcast skies with the crowd celebrating the Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII victory.
Shadow
98
NO Shadow
15
no record
9
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Sunday, February 1, 2009
Heavy Heart
I'm guessing some of you have been wondering if I've left the face of the earth for a week.
I'm guessing others of you are wondering if you're always going to have to listen to Woody singing We Shall Overcome.
Well, no and yes (at least until I get over my heavy heart, which won't be till after I adjust to not having Wyanne around).
Mostly I'm heavy hearted at having Janet and Lisa leave after such a full week of friendship. When I get more pictures from my camera I'll write more about the week, but right now, I'm feeling the grief of saying goodbye to my beautiful, awesome Wyanne.
Here's the email I just sent:
You're all invited to come and give Wyanne a goodbye hug this Sat., February 7th at Mission San Luis Rey at 12:00.
If you've never been to a graduation before, I'm suggesting you might want to bring kleenex. You're in for a very moving day.
I'm hoping you'll get there a bit early, first of all it's pretty crowded and second of all, we're expected to take the long walk to turn her in immediately (boo hoo:-( following the ceremony. I'd love to have pictures with her well-wishers before hand.
Depending on the speakers, it's usually about an hour and a half ceremony.
Rod and I will then walk her over to CCI, and give her a last hug.
We then plan to drown our sorrows at Killer Pizza from Mars, just a hop skip and a jump down the road from the Mission. We'd love to have whoever can join us.
No need to RSVP to this evite-just come if you can. I know it's impossible for many/most of you to come, but I know you'll be with us in spirit just as you've been on the journey with us from the beginning.
This is an open invitation so if you think of anyone I've forgotten who you think would like to come, please invite them.
Her future is in the Lord's hands,
ann
I'm guessing others of you are wondering if you're always going to have to listen to Woody singing We Shall Overcome.
Well, no and yes (at least until I get over my heavy heart, which won't be till after I adjust to not having Wyanne around).
Mostly I'm heavy hearted at having Janet and Lisa leave after such a full week of friendship. When I get more pictures from my camera I'll write more about the week, but right now, I'm feeling the grief of saying goodbye to my beautiful, awesome Wyanne.
Here's the email I just sent:
You're all invited to come and give Wyanne a goodbye hug this Sat., February 7th at Mission San Luis Rey at 12:00.
If you've never been to a graduation before, I'm suggesting you might want to bring kleenex. You're in for a very moving day.
I'm hoping you'll get there a bit early, first of all it's pretty crowded and second of all, we're expected to take the long walk to turn her in immediately (boo hoo:-( following the ceremony. I'd love to have pictures with her well-wishers before hand.
Depending on the speakers, it's usually about an hour and a half ceremony.
Rod and I will then walk her over to CCI, and give her a last hug.
We then plan to drown our sorrows at Killer Pizza from Mars, just a hop skip and a jump down the road from the Mission. We'd love to have whoever can join us.
No need to RSVP to this evite-just come if you can. I know it's impossible for many/most of you to come, but I know you'll be with us in spirit just as you've been on the journey with us from the beginning.
This is an open invitation so if you think of anyone I've forgotten who you think would like to come, please invite them.
Her future is in the Lord's hands,
ann
Friday, January 23, 2009
Next stop on Wyanne's day...
The local Seniors home, where she made many friends, including this handsome service dog, named Handsome of course!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The ever perfect Wyanne
Once again she wows the crowd.
Wyanne doin' her stuff at a local elementary school
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
All People's Breakfast
honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
Thank you so much, Willie, for inviting Wyanne and I!
Thank you so much, Willie, for inviting Wyanne and I!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
speaking of eating
here's our little beauty enjoying real food.Rod and I had dinner last night at our (at least my) favorite restaurant
IRIS in Carmel Valley. I've been there a total of 4 times, 2 dinners, 2 lunches, and the food is innovative and consistently good!Rod and I split the feekin chowdah and the house salad, both way above average!
He had the duck and scallops, a rare treat for him to have duck, and I had the fish and chips...not.
Both excellent!
There were so many things on the menu I would've been happy trying, hope we go back soon. But, oh, then there's the dilemma - get what you've already loved or take the chance and try something new...
Saturday, January 17, 2009
It's launch day
rather fitting on the birthday of Benjamin Franklin, a man of enormous creativity and courage!
Check out my new blog:
HeartsDelight
which in turn will take you to my Etsy shop:
HeartsDelightonEtsy
Check out my new blog:
HeartsDelight
which in turn will take you to my Etsy shop:
HeartsDelightonEtsy
Friday, January 16, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
maybe seeing this will make your day orange
My Birthday Rose
Originally uploaded by brendamb
for me it's been an up and down day and it's only 10:25.
back up with this gorgeous photo.
Monday, January 12, 2009
My days with Wyanne are numbered.
We had our next to last class on Saturday and she was stellar, except for missing the table on a few jumps.
Turn in is on February 7th at Mission San Luis Rey at noon. For those of you who have never been, please consider coming.
It's a tiny amount of time, but a huge glimpse of the life changing process that is CCI.
One of the highlights of the day is seeing the slide show of all the puppies that are matriculating (starting their journey of advanced training). Puppy raisers submit their favorite photos of their pups. I just sent mine in. It's a good way of looking back on the last 14 months with your pup. It helps me remember what good work Wyanne has already done!
Has it really been a whole week..
since I've been here????
Well here's my start to this week -
as much as I've been trying to cut down my spending, really discriminating between needs and wants, this falls in the must have category!
Monday, January 5, 2009
The latest pics of the most beautiful baby in the world
Many thanks to my great kids for letting me see how much more beautiful Lila gets every day.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
A humble apology
to Davi, my friend, my blog friend, my comment friend, my paper friend, my faith friend, my heart friend, my CCI friend, my wordscraper friend, my clutter friend
I've now added her creative blog,princessmagpie, to blogs I love.
It was mere oversight. I do love this blog, look for new entries daily.
And if you comment on her blog and not mine, I'll be deeply offended!
I've now added her creative blog,princessmagpie, to blogs I love.
It was mere oversight. I do love this blog, look for new entries daily.
And if you comment on her blog and not mine, I'll be deeply offended!
Resolution
Davi,
You asked people to share their New Years' Resolutions. I ignored your question until this morning, when I was looking at Jane's blog, finding reference to an interview with Danny Gregory.
Here's the link to the interview: DannyGregory
and a partial quote from the interview:
"I am interested in the neurological benefits of drawing and how it connects to meditation, and what effect it has on the preservation of visual memory as one ages. I am also interested in using journaling to help people deal with tragedy and disease. And finally I am thinking of how drawing helps you to appreciate the mundane and everyday in a way that could help be an antidote to the rampant materialism that is at the heart of the current economic crisis."
So now I do have a resolution: DRAW!
You asked people to share their New Years' Resolutions. I ignored your question until this morning, when I was looking at Jane's blog, finding reference to an interview with Danny Gregory.
Here's the link to the interview: DannyGregory
and a partial quote from the interview:
"I am interested in the neurological benefits of drawing and how it connects to meditation, and what effect it has on the preservation of visual memory as one ages. I am also interested in using journaling to help people deal with tragedy and disease. And finally I am thinking of how drawing helps you to appreciate the mundane and everyday in a way that could help be an antidote to the rampant materialism that is at the heart of the current economic crisis."
So now I do have a resolution: DRAW!
Join me????
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Waiting for the other shoe
to drop?
How many days have I been procrastinating about taking down the Christmas tree? I've whined, blogged for days, but when I actually got started - look what I found.
I simply had to share with you the glorious Nikes Laurie bought for Lila.
The other one is well on it's way to TX. I thought this one had gone before, but lo and behold, I opened that tiny little Nike box and there it was.
I feel sure it will arrive to its proper home long before it's needed.
How many days have I been procrastinating about taking down the Christmas tree? I've whined, blogged for days, but when I actually got started - look what I found.
I simply had to share with you the glorious Nikes Laurie bought for Lila.
The other one is well on it's way to TX. I thought this one had gone before, but lo and behold, I opened that tiny little Nike box and there it was.
I feel sure it will arrive to its proper home long before it's needed.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
The loneliest job in the world...
undecorating the Christmas tree; seems like Erma Bombeck must have words on this.
Before I begin this task I want to remind myself of all the love and the stories that each ornament represents and tells.
As I dismantle I plan to say a prayer for each person that added to my merry Christmas.
The three ornaments above are from three special students from three special years past. They are only a small sampling of the countless ornaments I've received from students in years past, many of whom I still have the pleasure of being in contact with. Then there are the ornaments from close friends, so many from Ann and Neil, handmade ones from Janet, ornaments with names for each of the kids from Joanne, the stamped ones for each of the kids from Sherry, thimbles from Mary Ann, a fashionista from Gayle. So many friends, so many memories. I promise to pray for each and every one of you.
The Somenity of Mary
Drawing by Helen Hull Hitchcock
From today's first reading:
The Lord bless you and keep you!
The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!
The New Year
"Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God who has reconciled us to himself through Christ." 2 Cor 5:17-18
Looking back, the blessings of 2008 have been extraordinary, the challenges for many have been nearly insurmountable, but through it all, God is with us and for us.
Thank you, God, for the love you've shown me by putting so many precious people in my life. I ask particularly that I may be a blessing to them.
New Year's Blessing Prayer
Lord, You who live outside of time,
and reside in the imperishable moment,
we ask Your blessing this New Year's Day
upon Your gift to us of time.
Bless our clocks and watches,
You who kindly direct us
to observe the passing of minutes and hours.
May they make us aware of the miracle
of each second of life we experience.
May these our ticking servants
help us not to miss that which is important,
while You keep us from machine-like routine.
May we ever be free from being clock watchers
and instead become time lovers.
Bless our calendars,
these ordered lists of days, weeks, and months,
of holidays, holydays, fasts and feasts --
all our special days of remembering.
May these servants, our calendars,
once reserved for the royal few,
for magi and pyramid priests,
now grace our homes and our lives.
May they remind us of birthdays and other gift-days,
as they teach us the secret
that all life
is meant for celebration
and contemplation.
Bless, Lord, this new year,
each of its 365 days and nights.
Bless us with new moons and full moons.
Bless us with happy seasons and a long life.
Grant to us, Lord,
the new year's gift
of a year of love.
Amen.
(From Prayers for the Domestic Church: A Handbook for Worship in the Home)
Comments
Knitting Obsession
I can't help wondering when I became so obsessed with knitting.
There was never a time when, if I had only a limited amount of time, I would do anything other than have my nose in a book.
Now, it's knit, knit, knit, horrified that if I finish a project I won't have something to replace it.
Finished the fingerless gloves for Laurie, Lila's baby hat. Now I'm onto more fingerless gloves. What fun.
And, as if that wasn't wonderful enough, I've discovered there are thousands like me who post projects, patterns, chat and anything else about knitting/crocheting, online at ravelry. I'm in heaven!
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