Sunday, December 19, 2010

Days 16-19 of AishaOaktree's 21 days of YULE blog party

Each day for the next 3 days, I will be sharing  either some legends, myths, devotions, my own thoughts perhaps a recipe or 2 on my blog for Aisha's YULE Blog Party at By The Broomstick.
Please visit the other blogs that are participating(above)

PLEASE pick a number if you haven't already won something!!

I am still a newb, learning. Therefore any legend, myth, devotion etc. will be coming from someplace I read it, and I will be giving credit to the right people.

ADDITIONALLY, I have a small gift tree that has a some ornaments on it, but it also has 21 little gift bags or envelopes that are numbered 1-21.  Each day I will pick a winner from the comments for that day.  These giveaways are priced from $1-$5, and there are a few are like booby prizes...I am doing this FOR FUN!!

EASY RULES:
*be a follower
*tell me something about that day's post that means something to you, or touches you etc.
*list your name
*pick a number from 1-21*  (*each day obviously there will be numbers listed as OUT, it will be your responsibility to pay attention to each day's posts, to see the number that is no longer available)

Picture of gift tree not ready, will add asap, so sorry for this, I want to do it outside on my little table, but it has been too windy.
You can't see the gifts anyway, they are wrapped and in bags, or just there#s are in the bags or envelopes.   NO ONE from DAY ONE picked a #, so I asked hubby to pick one and I could take it out of the running...that # is the #11....so pick a number between 1-21 except for 11, 5, 7, 9, 21, 20,4, 16, 13.


Once again, no one chose a #, I did NOT pull any out

I only allow 24 hours per post for picking numbers, comments always accepted :), but picking a # must be in the first 24 hours after I post each day! additionally only 1 win per person during the 21 days. Thank you.
*****************************************************************************

A Celtic YULE BLESSING
From Patti Wigington, your Guide to Paganism / Wicca
The Celtic peoples understood the significance of the winter solstice - it meant colder times were still to come. It also meant weeks indoors with family and friends. As you meditate on this, consider how you will spend the coming weeks of cold and darkness.

Winters in the Celtic lands were harsh, and the people knew the significance of the solstice.
Image (c) David Toase/Getty Images
The food is put away for the winter,
the crops are set aside to feed us,
the cattle are come down from their fields,
and the sheep are in from the pasture.
The land is cold, the sea is stormy, the sky is gray.
The nights are dark, but we have our family,
kin and clan around the hearth,
staying warm in the midst of darkness,
our spirit and love a flame
a beacon burning brightly
in the night. 

An Elemental Blessing 
From Patti Wigington, your Guide to Paganism / Wicca
Earth, air, fire and water: four simple and basic elements, and yet so powerful. Call upon the energies of all four of them as you take a moment to meditate upon nature's gifts at Yule.
 In the middle of winter, it's hard to remember sometimes that light is coming back to earth. However, despite the gray, cloudy days, we know that soon, the sun will return. Keep this in mind during those dreary days when it seems winter will never end, by invoking the four classical elements.
 My yard February 2010

As the earth grows colder,
the winds blow faster,
the fire dwindles smaller,
and the rains fall harder,
let the light of the sun
find its way home.
 

Ok too long without any art...

here are some STEAM PUNK ATCs for a swap.

Can you guess which one I'm keeping for myself?


The titles of each one (clockwise from upper left) :
"Get all you can" (out of life)
"She's a Dreamer"
"Mysterious Port Hole" --it's opens
"Magician's Assistant"
"Reflections of Life"

Items used:
Collage sheet images from Altered Pages, ARTchix studios, and Dezina's world
Black card stock, Chipboard
Watch parts, bling, buttons, liquid pearls

I am keeping "Magician's  Assistant" due to the fact that it has the thickest and heaviest watch piece on it.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Alphabe-Thursday (on Saturday)

Hi all, sorry to be so late we are dealing with a bad tooth in the house (son) getting Root canal in a week, unless a spot opens up sooner. The Poor kid has been in agony.  Please keep a good thought. I do believe the antibiotics are starting to help, but only time will tell. ...THEN we lost power for a few hours. last night and today.

On to why we're here...It's Alphabe-Thursday on Saturday, LOL...This week's letter is the Letter "L"
please stop over at Jenny's place to learn about other "L's"




L is for LIFE

Here are some images from my life

 My Godson, Christopher's wedding 7/8/05, I grabbed the wrong picture, sorry--they both have funny faces here.   My wrist had just had it's first surgery about 6 days before, I am in a cast here. a week later I was in the hospital having I&D surgery and was DXed with MRSA. (we all know how that story ended)
Our daughter Amanda and my great niece, Jessica. They are the same age-Amanda is 4 months older
 My nieces Dana(Jess's mom) and her younger sister Jennifer.
 My nephew, George and his wife Holly. George is Christopher's older brother.
 My oldest daughter April, she caught the bouguet.
My niece Jennifer, her mother-my sister Barbara, and Jenn's husband Charlie.
 My Hand surgeon "Stash" (Dr. Stanley Maryczk) and his assistant Louise.
Ron (hubby) holding Jennifer's first born, Emma at her "welcome baby party."
 The Late Princess "Boots(ie)"  RIP(Dec. 09).  Along with some of our geese with babies. (we are now down to only 2 geese) and the chickens have been gone a while. We were going to get a new flock, but we think our son's dog will chase, catch and kill them.
Amanda, Trisha(my niece-in-law...married to Christopher) and I at her baby shower, 3 summers ago.


2010
Last winter, the first of 3 storms in a row. I had just started my blog. It is February, and after the 3rd storm we had approx. 30" of snow in the yard.


 above 7am--below 1:15pm
The "king" with his wine and cheese doodles (after doing firewood)
One of My "winnings" from the ONE WORLD ONE HEART annual blog event. The crocheted (I think) shawl which came with other goodies! I won 9 prizes last year,after visiting over 1,000 blogs in a weeks time. I made a lot of friends, and started following over 500 blogs. The rest is history!

 Amanda and I at an all day scrapbooking event (crop) for charity, in this case, it was to raise money for a boy scout troop that needed new tents. (March)


 We bought a new ride-on mower (new to us) in April. Here are Ron (hat) Amanda and her friend Doug, starting to get it on the truck, while the previous owner looks on, and the end result.


 Our newest family member "Maggie"  around the same time.
Amanda named her and and took her with her when she moved out this past September.
 Ron and Maggie sleeping in the "King's" throne. (shhh you can see my fat legs at the computer to their right)
Tom moved home in May, but didn't go back to NC to get his stuff and his dog and cat until July 4th weekend. (before this and it was blogged about was our Fire in Tom's room on 6/6/10)
This is "Pico" which is actually short for  "Pico De Gallo" which is a food item.
 He is a terrier mix, about 3 years old. Pico is extremely playful and fun!
Pico has totally "killed" 4 basketballs and 1 soccer ball between then and now.  We swear he has shaken baby syndrome, the way he shakes the balls!
One tired Poochie!


This is "Caesar"  short for  "Caesar, like the salad".  He is a "Hemingway" having 6 digits on his front paws, see his thumb?  Tom used to have a Hamster named "Waffles" also.

End of Oct. early Nov.
some shots from around the very front part of our property.
 The tree below is the one I used to FILL with clear lights every Christmas, it was about 6-7 feet high when we moved in, in 1986, as you can see it is taller than the house now. (I posted about the loveliness of this tree and the story of my neighbor I believe, if not, I will I promise.)
 this is just the very top of the LARGE Canopy Maple just up the hill from the house near the clothesline, swing set and sand box. Most of it's yellow leaves all ready gone.

The base of one of the HUGE Pine in the very front corner of our property, see our neighbor's house next door, He and his boys are living down town with his folks, we was a cop, a Lt. broke his neck in a car wreck, is now very depressed, his wife left him and the boys before the wreck, but that was quite an ordeal, anyway, his Dad is now dealing with cancer also, so we only see him once in a while) and our Bocci Ball court (needs some TLC)
 Here is the top of one of our 3 Blue spruces up near the swing set etc.

Here is the bottom of that large canopy Maple, See here also how it towers over the house, and on one side is on quite a hill. This is the tree that worries me the most when we have a strong Nor-Easter!
 Above is a more distant view of the same tree and the limb off the large maple right next to our front door (actually the side door but it is where the driveway is so we use it, as did the previous owners) That other door you see, is the entrance to what used to be my late MIL's apt. now just part of our house now. the deck above is off our Master bedroom. The builder made it 100% flat, which has cause constant leaking and structural damage we have had 3 other contractors in to try and fix, so now Hubby has roofed it to help with the rain, it is now finished yet. (like many of the projects in our home. We have no $, and he has no help, well now he has our son, but generally that is on Saturdays only (more on this later) or after hubs gets home from work on tom's day off)

Below is my "Pretty" who loves to follow me around when I go outside. Like our late Bootsie, she also LOVES "leaf" season!
 Yet another one of our maples.
 Some oaks that are actually behind the barn.
I took this picture looking past the wishing well, swing set etc.
 a view of our 3 blue spruces.
  A locust tree on this side of the driveway, and a Maple on the other side and the light pole in between.
 This is the same kind of pine that is down by the Bocci Ball court. and next to it are 2 Hemlocks. There are also 2 hemlocks across the driveway from this. you can maybe make out the old dog house and one of our old rabbit hutches here. This "Mess" of chairs etc, is left from Son's campfire. I am still waiting for him to clean it up.
The barn is about 20 feet past all of this.

 Here is my "Pretty" again.
 A very OLD Red Cedar, at the front gate, which leads to front door we do not use. Note the old plow up against it.
 Looking down the fence from the Cedar to the driveway you see our forsythia and some of our Bridal  Veils. Also a second plow.
This is only part of my "front" property. We have 4.77 acres. There is a larger piece beyond the barn, that is fully wooded.


Here is what keeps my son Tom busy on Sundays. AIR SOFT. (like paint ball but with pellets)
His team is called "The Knights of Jersey" they are part of "Ocean County Air Soft League" this picture was taken at a charity Tournament "Shots for Tots". They tied for first place. The Tournament raised over $4,000 which goes to "Toys for Tots".
Thomas is head of the squadron often, his entire team say he has "Mad skillz".
3 people are not here today. Thomas is second from the left standing.

Thanks for taking a small peek into my life.