My First Award

I got my first award yesterday, and for the first time, I am speechless. I'd like to begin by thanking Debra She Who Speaks for nominating a newcomer like me. I've only been blogging since August, but I must say, the blogging world has taken me by surprise. I've been like a little kid in a candy store...cannot seem to get enough of my own blogs or join those of others. I'd never even thought of blogging until a friend turned me on to it. Prior to that, to me it was just something else like Facebook...which I do not have nor want...and Twitter...which I don't even know what it is. But blogging. There is something so magical and creative about blogging. It was an instant addiction to me.

The 'official rules' of this award are as follows:

1. Thank the person who gave this to you.

2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog.

3. Link to the person who nominated you.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.

5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.

6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

After giving this a lot of thought, I have decided to do as Debra and take my revelations one at a time. So, tune in if you want to know my secrets. Hopefully, my mind won't remain as blank as it this moment.

Halloween Lore

I have to say that Halloween has become my favorite day of the year. So, prepare yourselves to hear a lot about it up until then...and maybe afterwards, too. I do believe this comes from my ancestors. For the Celts, Samhain was the biggest and most significant holiday of the year and it was celebrated with the drinking of some very rough brews and the chucking away of food and other goodies to please the gods. This is because they believed that this was the time that the ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living...and the souls of those who had died during the previous year would travel to the Otherworld. As a celebration of nature's never ending renewal of life, Samhain celebrated the impending darkness after the light and harvest of fall after which life would re-emerge again in spring.

Halloween is a contraction of the words "Hallowed Evening", and it retains much of the original from and meaning that it had during the Celtic times despite the Church's efforts to destroy it as a pagan holiday.

To the Celts, Samhain was a great time to foretell the future. The Druids believed that the apple contained the seeds of Life and Death due to the pentacle that appears when you take an apple and splace it on its side and instead of cutting it from stem to flower, cut it through the equator... and they used the 'sacred apple' for this for a glance into the future. Today we bob for apples.

The carved pumpkin or 'Jack O' Lantern' was adapted from the old British practice of carving out turnips or other vegetables to make lanterns. Pumpkin carving has now become as essential to Halloween as mistletoe is to Christmas.

If you hold a mirror on Halloween and walk backwards down the stairs to the basement, the face that appears in the mirror will be your next lover. Please be careful if you try this at home. LOL!!! A less dangerous way of getting a glimpse of your spouse was believed to be to peel an apple in front of a candle--a lit candle.

And here is yet another one. If you walk backward into a dark room while looking into a mirror and eating an apple at the same time, you will see your future mate's face in the mirror's reflection. What can I say? At least you are not walking down steps.

Special foods and meals were often made for the souls of the dead and for deceased ancestors. In England, "soul cakes" were made for these wandering souls, and each person went 'a' soulin' for these at Halloween.

If you pare an apple all in one piece on Samhain night and allow it to fall to the ground unaided, it will spell out the initials of your future mate.

Hang an apple from a string with a coin pushed deep inside and try to bite out the coin without using your hands. Succeed, and your pockets will be full throughout the coming year.

More October Apple Lore

Oh gosh, don't they look good. It's been years since I had a candy apple, and sadly, I probably never will have another one, but I will always have my memories. You'd never believe that I used to absolutely LOVE apples to see me now. Matter of fact, I have no recollection when I had my last one. That's how long ago it was.

But even though I am unable to munch on a nice juicy apple, they are still magically important to me. My Celtic ancestors wassailed (saluted) their apple trees with a hearty wassail made of a good hard cider which had been heated with spices and and apples which floated on top. This was to insure they had a good harvest in the coming year. The apples, once they were heated enough, would burst their skins and the white flesh frothed on top of the wassail. (Doesn't that sound good?) And, wassailing was also performed at Samhain as well as at Yule. Samhain was the original New Year on the Celtic calendar, but several of the traditions, such as wassailing, was shifted to Yuletide when their calendar was changed.

Apples also have quite a history of being used for healing. As the old saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Apples have been especially beneficial and curing warts. Slice the apple in half and rub both halves over the wart to be cured. Then, put the two halves back together again and bury them within the earth while reciting an spell to the effect that as the apple wastes away, so will the wart.

When I lived in my other apartment where I had my magical garden (yes, a magical garden in the midst of Brooklyn, New York), I had an apple tree which was truly overwhelming to me since I hadn't had one since I was a child, we would harvest the fruits, (there wouldn't be much) and then complete the day with a meal that featured apples...such as apple sauce, apple pie, steamed apples with cinnamon.

And, before I close, one last little childhood tale to share with you. It was Halloween night, and my friends and I had been out 'trick or treating'. I had a quite a full bag of candy and other treats. I was so tired, I didn't even bother to sort the loot, but went straight off to bed with my bag of treasures. Now, there is no way a child is not going to want to taste his/her treats on Halloween night, so after mom put out my light, I got up and reached into the bag and took out a nice crunchy apple. Imagine that. Not candy, but an apple. Before the eve was done, I'd eaten 7 of them and had an upset tummy that kept me home from school for two days. The lesson learned was, "Your greed always catches up to you."

Biddy Early

I was cleaning out some my files last night and came across the following. The story of Biddy Early has always been one of my very favorite tales, so, if you don't mind, I would like to share it here today. Biddy, a wise woman from the County Clare, was absolutely the most famous of the Irish country witches. She was well-known as a healer, and many traveled from all over the country to meet with Biddy in her cottage on Kilbarron Lake. Much of what we know of her has been passed down from oral tradition or blended into myth and folklore.

Biddy O'Conner, the daughter of a poor farming family, was born in 1798 in Kilanena, Ireland. Biddy's mom, Ellen Early was well-known for her herbal cures and taught her daughter many of her secrets. Biddy was 'different' than the other kids, and they poked fun of her. Therefore, the story goes that Biddy played with the faerie. By the time she 16, both of her parents had passed away. She was evicted from her home and wandered about the countryside with no place to hang her hat. Little is known about this part of her life, but it is said that she earned her keep as a serving girl. In 1817, she moved to Feakle where she met and married widower, Pat Malley. He died a short time thereafter.

Biddy then married his son, her stepson, John, and they lived in a little three room cottage and had a son, Paddy, who died when he was only 8 months old. This is were Biddy first began to earn a reputation for her cures. Sadly, John died in 1840, and Biddy found herself a widow once again.

Her third marriage was to a man named Tom Flannery, and the couple moved into a little cottage near Lake Kilbarron which came to be known as Biddy Early's Lake. By now, Biddy's reputation as a healer was spreading, and the road to her little home was always filled with travelers who were seeking out her help. Her cures not only involved applying herbs to a wound or a recipe for the sick, but she was also intuitive and was able to recognize and understand other people's needs.

At some point, no one knows when or how, Biddy acquired her famous 'blue bottle' which was said to be magical. By looking into the bottle, she would be able to see what ailed those who sought her assistance and even view the future...under one condition..that she would never receive any monetary for her services. She was allowed to accept gifts, however, but was instructed to give away whatever was left over from her own needs. Others were never allowed to look into the bottle.

Now, in Biddy's time, superstitions involving faeries and all things supernatural were very strong, so when something occurred that appeared to be miraclulous...and without the aid of the church....it was usually attributed to witchcraft and the devil...and because of this, the local church viewed Biddy with a great deal of suspicion, and the priests were totally opposed to her. Furthermore, as her fame began to spread, they even tried to warn off the people from visiting her. In 1865 she was accused of witchcraft under a 1586 statute, was brought before a court in Ennis, but her case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. The few who had agreed to testify against her backed out, and many of the local people stood their ground against the clergy.

Her husband, Tom, died in 1868 and Biddy, now 70 years old, married her fourth husband, a man named Thomas Meaney, but he, too, got sick and died within the year. After his death, Biddy's health began to deteriorate, and she died in April 1874 with a rosary around her neck and her mysterious blue bottle wrapped in a shawl beside her. According to the legend, a priest who Biddy had befriended picked up the bottle and hurled it into Kilbarron Lake as per her request. Since then, many have trawled the lake in search of the bottle, but it has never been found.

I know what you are all thinking....so many husbands dying...this just doesn't sound right. But, the fact is, that most of Biddy's "gifts" consisted of whiskey and other strong liquors, and because Biddy provided for everything with her healing work, it is believed that her husbands, having nothing to do, drank and died of alcohol abuse. Did Biddy really exist? Absolutely she did, but because she lived in age where most of the folk were illiterate, nothing about her was written down, so all we have are the stories of her life which were passed down by local oral traditions.

How Beautiful was that Moon!!!!

Last night as I was seated at my computer, I turned to look towards the window. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought the sun was shining. The Moon was so big, so beautiful...a powerful Moon it was. Well, it was just more than I could take. Off went my computer, and moved out into my backyard to enjoy it. Actually, I had wanted to get out there earlier, but when you live in the city...and in an area where your neighbors do not understand your pagan ways, you try to avoid anything that would cause any kind of a stir.

Our night began with a chicken stew made with plenty of harvest veggies and some cornmeal bisquits ...not homemade as my baking days are over. I always like to sip on a little apple cider, but because I was unable to find any, apple juice would have to do. Then, I waited...and I waited, and I waited some more. My neighbors out in their backyards celebrating Yom Kippur so I thought it best to wait. They were still out there in the midst of their celebration when I finally went out, but I did a really quiet and short ritual. Actually, as a solitary, there is no need for me to do any more more than that so most of my rituals are quiet...and you don't have to speak out loud to commune with the Goddess. And then, I just sat outdoors , drinking in the beauty of the sky above me, the harvest Moon shining bright and luminous. What an amazing picture it was, and I marveled at the beauty and peacefulness of nature.

And as I went back indoors and prepared for bed, I gave thanks for Nature's bounty and gifts. It sure was a wonderful day to be alive, but I have to add...it sure wasn't easy getting up for work this morning. LOL!!! But, as I waited for my train, I looked up in the sky, and there she was...the Moon in all her glory...the gibbous Moon had come.

The Good Olde Days

(Remember this?)

I just had to share this one with you. What an afternoon I had yesterday!!!! It took all I had to keep in control of myself. My hubbie bought me this computer Christmas, 2006. Until that time, I had an old computer from the Board of Ed, Windows 95. When you turned it on, you'd swear a car engine was revving up. Okay, on with the story. I do tend to get sidetracked, and I apologize if I leave anyone lost. So, when he bought me my new computer, everything was on there with a 30 day trial period...including the Norton Anti-Virus program. Well, I one thing I am is petrified of getting a virus and losing my computer...which means the world to me. After all, how else would I have met all you wonderful people.

So, on with the story. Just before the 30 day trial period was up in January, 2007, I purchased my Norton program and signed for the automatic renewal which meant I was renewed again in 2008. No problem. Then, in early October, 2008, I received an email advising me that my subscription was to be renewed on the 29th? Huh???? Where I come from a year is 12 months, not 9 months. That one was easy to take care of. I was able to log into my account and check my subscription dates. All is well until October 1st of this year when I receive an email from Norton that my subscription is running out. Well, because of last year I knew exactly where to go to check on my account, but guess what??? When I press Order History, nothing comes up. I know for a fact I re-ordered in January, 2009, but there is absolutely no proof of that.

Next, I called the phone number Norton gives for subscription problems. After pushing almost a dozen buttons, I hear a voice on the other end telling me that I have at least a 30 minute wait in front of me and that I should try back at another time when it is not so busy. My friends, it is 4:10 on a Saturday afternoon. I should think THAT would be one of their quieter times. Do I really want to spend 30 minutes on the phone? On my Saturday afternoon? I think not, and I do believe that is what they are hoping for. Sometimes I wonder if I did hang on to one of these phone calls, would a live person ever come on the line?

The next best thing was to contact customer support online. Well, take heed everyone. That's not much better...but in time I did manage to speak (LOL!!!) with a representative. I did not complete that transaction until 6:10 pm...with no satisfaction no less. They say that their records show that I ordered a new program in October of 2008. Now, where would the logic be in that when I already had the program? Needless to say, for some unknown reason my order history has been removed from eyes, and I am at their mercy. Why is it that these email receipts seem to disappear when you need them the most? I did manage to get the subscription renewal date extended to 12/15 which is a little less than a month early.

Oh, how I long for the days when a real live person picked up the phone when you called....when you didn't have to get lost pushing so many buttons just to find one. Isn't it ironic that in these days of modern technology, a simple issue can take you an hour or more to resolve...while back in the days it took less than 15 minutes? All this got me to thinking about the good olde days of telephones.

At 62, I am often questioned about how the world used to be when I was young. As our conversation is then rudely interrupted by the ring of the questioning parties' cell phone, it is telephone technology which comes to my mind. Oh, how I remember how excited I was when we got our first telephone. Today, we have our choices of color, shape, tone,...you name it, but back then? The only choice we had was a heavy black phone like the one above. Mom was so proud of her newly purchased telephone stand which had prominent easily reachable place between the kitchen and the living room. And I remember how proud I was when I went to school bragging about 'my new phone." Phone numbers then started with a word, and 50 odd years later, I can still remember our first phone number began with Justice 4.......

Now, you must remember that back in the day, not everyone had a phone...so I really didn't have that many people to call. And, of course, it took a little more time to make a call since phones all had a rotary dial; buttons hadn't come out yet. Oh, and before I go, who could forget the party line? Phone lines were shared back then, so several people had the same line, and you had a special ring that meant the incoming call was yours before answering. Sometimes when you picked up the receiver to make a call, you would hear people talking, and you had to wait your turn to make a call...but somehow, that was easier to do back in those days. Nothing was as rush, rush, rush as it is today. If you were really careful not to make noise, you could listen in on the conversations, but most of respected each other's privacy.

Yes, telephones have changed a lot, but sometimes I wonder if it's for the best. Personally, I don't care to hear someone's personal conversation as I am waiting for my train or walking down the street. And what happened to list making? One of my pet peeves is the person who does their food shopping all the while talking on the cell phone finding out what the person at home wants from the store. No, I don't have a cell phone, and I don't much want one....never did and most likely never will.

Change and Moving Forward

Autumn has always been a time of change for me...much more than spring which is more of a time of beginnings. There is something about the cool, crisp air...the leaves in their fabulous shades of gold, orange, red and brown...drifting off the trees with slightest breeze. I love everything about it...packing away summer clothes, rinsing out the fall sweators, fall cleaning, fall colors....you name it, I love it. Was I a fall baby? Actually, no, I was a spring baby...but fall is where my heart is.

Fall is also the time we become introspective...we seek to go within, to identify changes we need to make in our lives...and change is inevitable. There is no avoiding it. Just as the world changes and the seasons pass, so must our lives. However, many of us do not take well to change. I know that personally, I've not done well with change. Not while I was younger and only after a good long fight. But if age has taught me one thing it is that the most important point to make about change is that it is not what you are facing that is the problem. It is you and how you react to change that is. Had I learned this lesson a long time ago, I could avoided a lot of inner turmoil and pain in my life.

The truth is that how you react stems from how you perceive the particular change. Speaking for myself, I spent many years in a go nowhere, dreadful job because I was afraid to embrace the change of starting over elsewhere--new job responsibilities, new people, loss of my sick and vacation time...virtually starting over in my fifties...but when I finally did, I found myself shaking my head. Why hadn't I made this change sooner? Well, at 62 years of age, I am still kind of set in my ways, but I feel that now I can call myself a wise old crone... Well, maybe not totally as wise as I would like to be; there is always more out there to learn. But, here are a few things that have worked for me when faced with the fear of change.

Take some quiet time to yourself to think about how the change will effect your life, how you are going to LET it effect you. What do I have to do to get through it? In my case, I knew I had to seek out more schooling before I could make a career change so I enrolled in an online college course to get my degree. And, I am a list maker. Whenever faced with the choice of making a change, I make a list of the pros and cons. What will I gain from staying put...and what will I lose?

When stressful changes seem overwhelming, take it one day at a time. Allow yourself to take all the time you need. Meditate. Breathe deeply. Seek the support of others. And above all, love yourself. Only then will you be able to live within yourself and be at peace.