We bought a primrose tree in July and it is flourishing....
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
Laurie forgot the password and we haven't posted in awhile.
We updated our home page: www.laurieandbrian.net
And Brian's Page: www.laurieandbrian.net/brian.html
Happy Birthday to Laurie!
We updated our home page: www.laurieandbrian.net
And Brian's Page: www.laurieandbrian.net/brian.html
Happy Birthday to Laurie!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Oíche Shamhna -- Samhain Night
Halloween originated among the Celts in Ireland as the Pagan Celtic harvest festival, Samhain. Irish, Scots, Calan Gaeaf in Welsh and other immigrants brought versions of the traditions to North America in the 19th century.
The term Halloween, and its older spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows' Day"[2] (also known as "All Saints' Day"). The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Pope Gregory III moved the old Christian feast of All Saints Day to November 1 to give Halloween a Christian interpretation . Halloween is also called Pooky Night in some parts of Ireland, presumably named after the púca, a mischievous spirit.
Halloween is often associated with the occult. Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when the spiritual world can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent .
Halloween is most popular in Ireland, where it is said to (and most likely to) have originated, also known in Irish Gaelic as "Oíche Shamhna" or "Samhain Night". The Celts celebrated Halloween as Samhain, "End of Summer," a pastoral and agricultural fire festival or feast, when the dead revisited the mortal world, and large communal bonfires would be lit to ward off evil spirits. In Ireland they continued to practice their deep-rooted, ancient pagan rites well after the arrival of Christianity in the middle of the sixth century.
Halloween in Dublin 2003
Pope Gregory IV standardized the date of All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day, on November 1 to the entire Western Church in 835. There is no primary documentation that Gregory was aware of or reacting to Samhain among the Celts in the selection of this date. Because Samhain had traditionally fallen the night before All Hallows', it eventually became known as All Hallows' Even' or Hallowe'en. While Celts were happy to move their All Saints' Day from its earlier date of the 20th of April, ("...the Felire of Oengus and the Martyrology of Tallaght prove that the early medieval churches celebrated the feast of All Saints upon 20 April.")[3] they were unwilling to give up their existing festival of the dead and continued to celebrate Samhain.
On Halloween night in present-day Ireland, adults and children dress up as creatures from the underworld (ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches, goblins), light bonfires, and (especially in Derry and Dublin) enjoy spectacular fireworks displays. The children walk around knocking on the doors of neighbours, in order to gather fruit, nuts, and sweets for the Halloween festival. Salt was once sprinkled in the hair of the children to protect against evil spirits.
The houses are decorated by carving pumpkins or turnips into scary faces and other decorations. The traditional Halloween cake in Ireland is the barnbrack which is a fruit bread. Each member of the family gets a slice. Great interest is taken in the outcome as there is a piece of rag, a coin and a ring in each cake. If you get the rag then your financial future is doubtful. If you get the coin then you can look forward to a prosperous year. Getting the ring is a sure sign of impending romance or continued happiness.
Children also have a week-long break from school for Halloween, and the last Monday in October is a public holiday given for Halloween even though they quite often don't fall on the same day. See Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.
The term Halloween, and its older spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows' Day"[2] (also known as "All Saints' Day"). The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European Pagan traditions, until Pope Gregory III moved the old Christian feast of All Saints Day to November 1 to give Halloween a Christian interpretation . Halloween is also called Pooky Night in some parts of Ireland, presumably named after the púca, a mischievous spirit.
Halloween is often associated with the occult. Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when the spiritual world can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent .
Halloween is most popular in Ireland, where it is said to (and most likely to) have originated, also known in Irish Gaelic as "Oíche Shamhna" or "Samhain Night". The Celts celebrated Halloween as Samhain, "End of Summer," a pastoral and agricultural fire festival or feast, when the dead revisited the mortal world, and large communal bonfires would be lit to ward off evil spirits. In Ireland they continued to practice their deep-rooted, ancient pagan rites well after the arrival of Christianity in the middle of the sixth century.
Halloween in Dublin 2003
Pope Gregory IV standardized the date of All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day, on November 1 to the entire Western Church in 835. There is no primary documentation that Gregory was aware of or reacting to Samhain among the Celts in the selection of this date. Because Samhain had traditionally fallen the night before All Hallows', it eventually became known as All Hallows' Even' or Hallowe'en. While Celts were happy to move their All Saints' Day from its earlier date of the 20th of April, ("...the Felire of Oengus and the Martyrology of Tallaght prove that the early medieval churches celebrated the feast of All Saints upon 20 April.")[3] they were unwilling to give up their existing festival of the dead and continued to celebrate Samhain.
On Halloween night in present-day Ireland, adults and children dress up as creatures from the underworld (ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches, goblins), light bonfires, and (especially in Derry and Dublin) enjoy spectacular fireworks displays. The children walk around knocking on the doors of neighbours, in order to gather fruit, nuts, and sweets for the Halloween festival. Salt was once sprinkled in the hair of the children to protect against evil spirits.
The houses are decorated by carving pumpkins or turnips into scary faces and other decorations. The traditional Halloween cake in Ireland is the barnbrack which is a fruit bread. Each member of the family gets a slice. Great interest is taken in the outcome as there is a piece of rag, a coin and a ring in each cake. If you get the rag then your financial future is doubtful. If you get the coin then you can look forward to a prosperous year. Getting the ring is a sure sign of impending romance or continued happiness.
Children also have a week-long break from school for Halloween, and the last Monday in October is a public holiday given for Halloween even though they quite often don't fall on the same day. See Public holidays in the Republic of Ireland.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
More pics of Northern Calif. here:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9AbNWzRs5csa0
And of the wedding and wine country:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9AbNWzRs5csbS
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
While in Northern California for my cuz's rockin wedding, we toured around Napa Valley and beyond. All in all we visted 15 vineyards, drove through 2 Redwood trees, and visited 1 lighthouse.
Here's my list of Napa Valley Favorites, In order of preference:
1. Duckhorn Vineyards – nice experience, sit-down at your own table with all wines poured out, no rush, at your own pace, nice white and reds (day 3, #2 visited)
2. Miner Family Vineyards – Nice white wine, better reds, pretty view (Free for us) (day 4, #2 visited)
3. Luna Vineyards – hippie fun, try the Terrestrial (teroldego), take your last red to the tower for a great view of the vineyard (day 2, #3 visited)
4. Ehlers Estate – very nice, non-profit, good wine (day 3, #1 visited)
4. Darioush – not Laurie’s favorite, but everyone seems to like, elegant setting, Persian, ooh-la-la and fru-fu,(day 2, # 2 visited)
5. Robert Sinskey – nice, enjoyable, organic wines (day 1, #1 first visited)
6. Vine Cliff – (make appt.) gorgeous scenery, go for the landscape enjoy the wine, picturesque. Also, non-assuming, down to earth wine tasting room (day 1, #3 visited)
7. Chimney Rock – nice red, free glass, cool architecture, but rushed tasting (day 4, #1 visited)
8. Cakebread Winery – mellow, nice, free glass, an education, worth the visit, but too much talking not enough pouring (day 3, #3 visited)
9. Mondavi – classy, great deal, good pour on the 2000 Reserve Red Cabernet Sauvignon (day 3, # 4 visited)
10. Goosecross Cellars - ok - almost fun tasting, alittle awkward, free for us (day 4, # 4 visited)
11. Rutherford (Round Hill) – ok, good deal, cheap wines, good raisins, not bad (day 1, #2 visited)
12. Van der Heyden – Not much for a $ 10 tasting, (should be $ 5), but all right for a crazy eccentritic tasting. The only tasting we did in a trailer. (day 4, #5, last visited)
13. Steltzner Vineyards – ok, 2 for one special, but awkward tasting, rushed (day 2, #1 visited)
14. Beringer – ok, …..? (day 3, #3 visited)
15. Domaine Chandon – free glass, all champagne, ok… not so great (day 2, #4 first visited)
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
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