Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving- a holiday which we’re told was initially celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Indians to give thanks for bountiful harvests.  Today, Thanksgiving is typically a celebration with friends and family where we stuff ourselves full of turkey and other delicious food till we’re in a food coma.  Damn that tryptophan.  Those still awake watch football or plan where they’re going for the Black Friday deals.

Over the last few days, I’ve been contemplating and reflecting over the things that I am thankful for this year.  Some times sarcasm creeps– what can you be thankful for when your world is turned upside down and you’ve lived through the darkest, loneliest, saddest times you’ve ever been through.  I’ve then given myself a mental pep talk.  After several days of  thinking, I’ve found some light in the darkness.

Basically 2009 has just plain sucked since February.  Life was so good before February- I had a husband whom I loved dearly and we were such a happy family with our new son.  Everybody was healthy.  Life was good.

Then along came February and the stage IV diagnosis, followed by our fight and culminating in our lost battle.

But through it all there are things to be thankful for.

Nathaniel.  I have a wonderful easy going delightful son.  He is a pleasure to be around and his growth and development is nothing short of amazing to witness.

John got to be a father and he was a great one.  Some men never have the opportunity to become fathers.  Of the ones that do, not all of them are great.  John enjoyed fatherhood as much as he physically could through his illness.  Mentally it gave him a reason to fight and a reason to live that stretched beyond self.  John loved his boy so much.  He told me that Nathaniel’s laughter was his most favorite sound.

I had a great marriage and was married to a wonderful man.  I’ve been able to experience true love.  There are lots of people who can’t say that.  I have enough wonderful memories to hopefully last a lifetime.

John’s illness has taught me to stand up for what is right and to fight for those you love and to pick up the pieces and carry on.  The Mary of years past, wouldn’t have stood up to the well known and credentialed doctor and told him that we weren’t done fighting and if he was, then he could be forever referred to by name as “the doctor that gave up on daddy and the doctor who let daddy die.”  The doctors and nurses have other patients and rooms to visit.  The patient has one life.  Sometimes you have to stand up for those you love and insist on the best treatment for your loved one.  In the end maybe the outcome isn’t the most important thing, but rather how you life the life you have and the memories that you leave.  We’ve all been born and we’ll all die… really it’s the parts in the middle that we need to really make count!

John’s death has left me with a hole in my heart- grief, heartache, and loneliness like nothing else I’ve ever experienced.  But, I’m getting through it… not over it, but through it.  Some days are like walking through a nice grassy meadow with the sun warmly shining.  Others are like fighting my way through thick mud and slipping, sliding, falling, and getting up and pushing on.  The sun rises.  The sun sets.  Life goes on.  If I choose to live life or not, it still continues- better to enjoy it while I can.  Nathaniel, the horses, and the cats have kept me going.  They all need me and they all love me.  I’m working or re-building my life.  It won’t ever be the same or the happy home and strong fortress that it was with the three of us, but we’re making it.  It’s not always easy, it’s not always pretty, and it certainly isn’t always clean, but we’re making it…. one day at a time.  Life goes on.  We never know how short or long our life will be.  To me it only makes sense to enjoy it to it’s fullest and be happy as best you can.

For some reason, John’s death has chilled me out more and I don’t usually get upset over the little stuff.  In the end, the little things don’t matter.  It’s the big picture.  I just want to relax and enjoy simple pleasures- hug my kid, ride my horses, take a walk, pet the critters, and just enjoy life.  I’m very fortunate that I can do all of those things without even leaving Leaky Creek!  I love my farm, my house, my horses, my cats, and my son.  I truly feel like there is something else out there beyond our realm.  I do think that John has given me signs.  It’s reassuring and gives me an inner peace that I need.  Attending church has been helpful.  I used to fear dying terribly.  After I held John’s hand as he died, my fear left.  Someday, I’m sure we’ll be together again… as long as he doesn’t hook up with some hot angel in the meantime…

Annapolis Fire Department.  They were absolutely amazing during John’s illness and they (along with Community Fire Company of Rising Sun) made his funeral a fitting tribute to a wonderful man and amazing firefighter.  AFD did so many wonderful things that I know I can’t mention all of them.  They covered John’s shifts, so he received full pay.  They allowed him to retire on disability.  They came to visit him in the hospital and were there for his 2nd round of IL2 treatments at 6 AM & 10 PM.  They transformed our half bath into full bath with a shower that John could use.  Sometimes when you’re sick… the ability to get clean just means so much.  Sadly, John was only able to use his shower a few times, but it was very much appreciated!    AFD built a ramp, so we could get the wheelchair in and out easily.  They mowed our grass and did assorted maintenance jobs.  They went with us to many doctor’s visits so I didn’t have to worry about driving on little sleep or in unpredictable traffic.  They sent meals.  They held a fundraiser in Annapolis.  They participated in Team Smitty for the LiveStrong Challenge.  In, short, they took care of their brother.  John truly worked for a topnotch organization.  He loved working there and they loved him, too.  I miss them.

I’m thankful to the wonderful medical personnel that we encountered… from the friendly, familiar faces on the ambulance, to the caring hospital nurses, to our beloved home health nurses, and every smiling caring face in between.

I am thankful to the friends and family who have supported us and were there for John, Nathaniel, and myself.  During times of crisis, you find out who your true friends are.  Sometimes they are who you think they are… sometimes they’re different people.  I  have been very fortunate that no matter how alone I feel, I am not without friends to support me.  Some friendships have strengthened and I’ve even found new friends.  A simple phone call can make all the difference in the world.  Many people have also helped me out with everything from mowing grass, to checking car brakes, to babysitting, to installing ceiling fans, to watching Nathaniel while I got some equine therapy… and just being there when I needed to talk, needed a hug, or needed a shoulder to cry on.  This Thanksgiving, I’ve received so many invitations- thanks to everybody who thought about my boy and me and knew that we might not have a place to go.

I also have the world’s best babysitter.  I can’t tell you how amazing she has been with my son and how much I enjoy and value her friendship.  We’ve known each other since elementary school, but had lost touch through the years.  Facebook re-united us and I consider her to be one of my best friends, now.  We share conversations, hugs, and tears.  There is nothing like having the piece of mind that my son is being cared for as if her were part of her family.  Nathaniel helped carve his first pumpkin and made his first art project with them.  Her daughter is like a sister to him.  Nathaniel adores her husband and I think it is important for Nathaniel to  have a good male role model in his life.  I can go to work and have no concerns and no worries… to quote the credit card commercials.. “Peace of mind– priceless.”   I know John would approve.

I also hope that I can do some things in memory of John to help fight melanoma and fight cancer.  I don’t want his death to be in vain.  Skin cancer can kill.  We need more melanoma awareness and much, much more research.  I’d love to do a memorial bike ride, since he loved to cycle.

So, even in what has been the worst year in my 34 year life, there are things to be thankful for.  Happy Thanksgiving everybody.  Hug your spouse.  Hug your kid(s).  Pet the critters.  Eat up and watch some football.  And if you get a chance before the food coma sets in take at least a brief moment to remember what you’re thankful for.

George Michael will perform two Australian concerts in February, and the first will be in Perth.                                                          

Rumours had been rife that the Too Funky star was headed down under, and today his Australian trip has been confirmed.

Heading to Australia for the first time since 1988, the Wham! star and solo pop vocalist will perform at Member’s Equity Stadium on February 20.  He will then perform in Sydney at Sydney Football Stadium on February 26.

He will perform tracks from the early days, Wham! and his latest material.

Promoter Paul Dainty said it was thrilling to bring Michael back to the country following his Faith tour in the 80s.

“He is a consummate performer and will deliver a stunning show to his fans who have waited 22 years to see him perform in Australia,” Dainty said.

Michael has performed for more than 2 million fans on this 25 Live arena tour so far. More than 350,000 people flocked to his London performances alone.

Michael has sold more than 100 million pop albums, had six American number one singles and won plenty of awards for tunes including Faith, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, Careless Whisper, One More Try, Freedom, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me and Too Funky.

Tickets will go on sale through TicketMaster on December 8.

Source  :  www.watoday.com.au

The fifth PVC Plasticisers conference will be held in Brussels, Belgium from 10 – 11 February 2010.

PVC has long been a target for environmentalists and with the future of traditional plasticisers uncertain the flexible PVC industry needs to be ready for all eventualities.

Hear about the latest developments in the plasticisers market while networking with key figures in the industry, including materials producers, converters, processors and end users.

Speakers will include TNO, CEFIC, Streamco Ltd, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, ECVM, BASF, Danisco and Eastman Company.

Attend PVC Plasticisers 2010 and you will:

-  Understand the challenging regulatory issues surrounding plasticiser usage
-  Explore the various plasticiser alternatives for PVC
-  Discover the exposure assessment to phthalates by human biomonitoring
-  Evaluate the risk assessment of plasticiser usage
-  Interact with others working in this industry during the various networking opportunities including the drinks reception

For more details and a full list of speakers and the programme is available at www.pvcplasticisers.com

It’s quite ironic, but I couldn’t seem to get this piece published anywhere. 

Now I know what you’re thinking – oh wow! A struggling writer turns to a blog to get her work into public discourse, the ingenuity! But give me a break, Im only 19.

Anyway, here you go – the piece no-one wanted. Let the blogging begin.

Australia’s got cold feet

Citius Altius Fortius – you know, faster, higher, stronger; it’s the Olympic motto. We all learn it in primary school, and every four years even the most inactive of Australians cannot help but be entrapped by it. Sitting in our front-row armchair seats, we cheer on our nation’s athletes to victory in distant lands. You have to love that kind of patriotism – well for the Summer Olympics anyway. See; add that white sheath of precipitation and suddenly, most of us lose interest.

12/02/2010- it’s the day that the 21^st Winter Olympiad begins in Vancouver, Canada. And before you ask, yes, I am counting down. Whilst my enthusiasm is clearly an extremity, it concerns me that no-one else in this country seems to display even the slightest bit of excitement for this upcoming cultural festivity! Quite simply – our nation has no care for the Winter Olympics.

Sure, everybody knows about ‘that guy’ who managed Australia’s first gold medal after his competitors conveniently stacked it on the finish line (Steven Bradbury, men’s 1000m short track speed skating, Salt Lake City, U.S.A 2002). Perhaps for some, the name Alisa Camplin will also ring a bell for her success in the same year (if not for her skiing, then the follow up ‘Extra’ gum commercials should do it). But do you know who Zali Steggall is? How can it be that such a self-confessed sport-fanatic nation loses all momentum for the highest of competitive forums – the Olympics?

The answer is actually pretty obvious – a clear lack of success, most of our country consists of desert and the highest Australian mountain does not allow for sufficient training facilities. Do not let this fool you, the Winter Games are undervalued. It is my intention to convert the masses. From this very moment, I urge you to jump on board the Vancouver bobsled. Channel our Jamaican friends from Cool Runnings (1993) and “feel the rhythm, feel the rhyme”, come on now – it’s winter time!

At this point, you may be questioning my unusual infatuation for this spectacle. It’s just snow, right? Well, I like to think of the Winter Olympics as being similar to Eurovision – an unconventionally entertaining geography lesson, which sometimes gives you the giggles, and sometimes makes you nod your head in approval. For me, the interest began back in 1998. Although I was only in Grade Two at the time, every night I would sit up with Sandy Roberts and Gary Wilkinson in Nagano, Japan, and be bewildered by disciplines I didn’t know to be humanly possible, set against the bright image of an arctic landscape. Bit of a romanticised reflection, but I’d never seen snow before and additionally hooked by the Olympic hype being generated for the then upcoming 2000 Sydney games, I was an instant fan.

 t is in our nature, as a modern Pacific island, to mock these sporting cultural norms of our foreign counterparts, and one would assume that this unfamiliarity is a key reason behind disinterest. Yet, it is for this same disparity that I believe we should embrace the Games with curiosity. Until 2006, I had never been skiing. Even then, I was frequently passed by French toddlers, as I struggled to just remain upright for more than five minutes! My point is, alpine sports are not intrinsic to Australian people (nor a natural skill) and for two weeks once every four years, it provides a great contrast to observe winter experts at their (and the summit’s) peak.

Let me give you a bit of context – the first ‘official’ Winter Olympiad took place in 1924 in Chamonix, France. Technically, it was not recognised until a year later, and at the time was celebrated as “International Winter Sports Week” (see – undervalued!). This, however, was not the first infiltration of icy events to the games. 1908 saw the inclusion of figure skating in the London program, and the 1920 Antwerp competition added Ice Hockey to this list, for which, unsurprisingly the first gold was awarded to Canada. Whilst we now expect that the Summer and Winter Games alternate every two years, this ruling was not stipulated by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) until 1986. Prior to this, the Olympic Charter had declared both competitive forms to be held in the same year. With the exception of St. Moritz (1948), Australia has participated in each Olympiad since 1936.

Like any sporting festival, the Winter Olympics have not been without intriguing highlights. Forget Steven Bradbury, in the 1994 Lillehammer (Norway) games, the final of the men’s 1000m short track speed skating, finished with the awarding of just two medals; going to Koreans who remained standing after an extreme amount of disqualifications and falls.

Skiing, skating and bobsledding have long provided the platform for the Winter Olympic program, but in recent times there are a few other unique sports which, in essence, only give you more incentive to switch into Vancouver this February. Snowboarding sees the ‘cool kids’ of the snow come out to play. Australian, Torah Bright finished 5^th in Torino (2006), but will use her goofy stance to start as a real medal hope next year, having won 6 of the last 8 major titles she has competed in. The need for speed is intense on the luge (feet first) and skeleton (head first) tracks, where tenths of a second can be the difference between finishing on the podium and finishing last. Did you know that the biathlon combines cross-country skiing with rifle shooting? But nothing can compare to the inevitable marvel at the sport of curling. Using a large broom (that’s its official name), competitors move large stones down the ice, in a lawn bowls-like attempt to get it as close to the centre of their team’s ring as possible. My friends, this stuff is gold!

It was always my intention to go to the 2010 Vancouver games. However, thanks to the fact I didn’t win Tattslotto’s $90mil (or rather, my inability to save), this dream won’t be. But you can join me in generating the Olympic spirit here in Australia! Get ready to befriend Miga, Quatchi and Sumi (the Olympic mascots) in Canada, and sit back for some better late-night viewing than Gunthy-Renker home shopping (the time difference will most likely see the broadcast in such hours).

Oh and by the way, Zali Steggall took home Australia’s first ever individual winter medal, earning herself a bronze in the Women’s Alpine Skiing Slalom; fittingly, in 1998 at Nagano.

Utada Hikaru having a one show in London, O2 Academy in Islington on February 12th 2010 – SOLD OUT ALREADY within five hours on November 13th??

…so I get no invitation or no-one to tell me about it?

Now, I may not mention Utada Hikaru or a lot of Japanese artists since my mind is corrupted by K-Pop, but it’s times like this that Tokyohive should open up or if there was an J-Pop website that updates frequently so I wasn’t 10 days on the news that I could have booked a ticket and gone to her concert.

Now that my bitching’s over, if you live in America, you still have a chance to book tickets, check out Utada’s Offical Site for more information.

Is anybody in London pissed off or is it just me? Hopefully, all the people watching are hardcore J-Pop fans because they rip their tickets and say it’s crap…¬_¬

Luckily, my barn is off from the road and I don’t yet have a problem with people dumping cats.  But over the years there have been a few stray cats who have made appearances.  Most moved on rather quickly.  John would always say, “Don’t feed them.”

I complied to some extent.  I figure a weary soul deserves a meal, but I didn’t make it a habit to feed the strays.  Back when Stray Grey first showed up, I would occasionally put out dry food for our cats in the barn or garage.  This practice was halted when I found a young opossum in the garage!!!!

Stray Grey decided to stay.  At first he was but a fleeting grey tabby shadow and would disappear whenever he saw you.

Stray Grey- exit stage right

Eventually, he lingered longer.  Over time he became my faithful barn helper.  He’d follow several feet behind me and talk to me with his deep gravely voice.

I’d never had a cat pick me.  Stray Grey’s interaction with people seemed to be quite limited… he obviously was not somebody’s pet.  He kept his distance and he didn’t trust humans.

I so looked forward to seeing my tabby friend.  We had a bond…. separated by a few feet… but a bond nonetheless.

If you got too close, he’d hiss and show his teeth.  He looked so fierce.  But he never ever tried to bite.

Stray Grey- looking fierce

Stray Grey- "Too close!"

He loved to sleep in the garage on the cat bed.  It was always such a treat to see him there.

Stray Grey on "his" bed

It became clear that he had picked Leaky Creek to be his home and me to be his human.  John didn’t protest and I think he looked forward to seeing him.  Stray Grey didn’t live long enough to grow to trust John.  John wasn’t bothered by it.

I have a rule with the strays, I have to be able to touch them before they earn their name.  Stray Grey let me touch him on a few occasions, but he never welcomed my touch.  Poor cat would cringe and on the rare occasion where I stroked his coat, he saw no pleasure in it.

I decided not to violate our trust and backed off.  I dreamed of the day when we’d cross the hurdle and Stray Grey would sit in my lap or come to me for attention.  Sadly, that day remains in my dreams… I hope that up in Heaven he’s met up with John and is getting his pets.

But, Stray Grey earned his name.  I always liked the name Toby for an animal.  So, he became Toby.  I think John thought that Toby was a dumb name.  He continued to call him Stray Grey.

Then came the horrible day when I opened the door to go feed and there was Toby sitting in the garage waiting for me and there was blood everywhere.  I was shocked.  It’s hard to evaluate injuries on an animal that you can’t handle.  My assumption was that he’d been in a fight.  It looked like his testicles had been shredded.

I didn’t even know where to turn to for treatment of a stray.  I called Doctor Foster and he said, if I could catch him and get him in here, he’d treat him.

Therein lay the problem…

For days we tried to catch him.  We did have him trapped in the garage.  John even got a live trap from the humane society and we tried to coax him in with food.  My friend, Erin, and I had a very ill fated attempt which ended up with a wild bleeding cat loose in the house.  Luckily, John was home and put his firefighter common sense to the task and we soon had him back in the garage.  Most men would have yelled and screamed.  John obviously wasn’t pleased that I’d let Toby get inside, but he handled the situation and dropped the issue.  Finally in desperation,  as Toby was getting weaker and sicker.  John suggested a snare.  He didn’t want to hurt Toby, but it was getting down to critical point.  Either we caught him and got him to the vet or he was going to die.

John fashioned the snare and we caught Toby.  Toby got loose.  John re-worked the snare and caught him again.  We loaded him into the cat carrier easily and got him to the vet.

Dr. Foster said he’d call us after he examined him.

In the previous post… I told you how compassionately Dr. Foster handled the situation.  It appeared as if Toby had been attacked by something.  It had basically ripped out his whole hind end… testicles, rectum, intestines.  The vet tech later told John that he’d never seen such injuries.

Dr. Foster offered us the opportunity to have Toby cremated.  Not thinking about it being February and concerned over the bill, I decided against it.

John always took care of things.  I’ll never forget how he insisted on overseeing his mother’s body placed in the body bag.  He wanted to make sure Ann was properly taken care of and handled properly.  He took care of the things I couldn’t handle.  He had a year earlier retrieved our other cat’s body and buried him.  John was my rock.  Being a firefighter he was used to handling things that the public never saw and he protected me from a lot of things.  I knew I could count on him when I needed him to be there.

John went and picked up Toby’s body.  I had told the vet that Toby was to come home to be buried.  Toby was a stray and he picked me and picked our farm to be his home.  We had a level of trust and an understanding and a bond.  Toby needed to come home…

Then for the irony.  After John brought Toby’s body home, I posted online that Toby had been euthanized.  I had posted trying to get suggestions on how to catch him.  Well, somebody replied that his injuries sounded like a raccoon had gotten a hold of him.

Not more than 15 minutes after reading that, I spotted some creature by the trees.  I called John.  We confirmed that it wasn’t a fox.  John went and got the gun.  Once he was sure it wasn’t a cat, he pulled the trigger.  One dead raccoon.  It had been nosing around a pile of bird feathers.

Toby died, but his death may have very well saved our barn cats’ lives.

John HATED to shoot things.  But, John was our protector.  He protected our animals and he protected his family… like any good man would do.

In this case John was glad the raccoon was dead!  I think it was the only thing that he was glad he killed.  Toby may have been my cat, but John was fond of him, too.

John went out to dig the grave only to discover that the ground was frozen solid.  John tried for a few days.  Good thing the temperature kept Toby “refrigerated.”  Finally, John went to Home Depot and rented some sort of “chisel pounder thing” and was able to dig the hole and we buried Toby.  I’ll also always remember how John decided to wrap Toby’s body in his cat bed pillow cover.  It was just so fitting.  John was always like that… he knew the right things to do at the right times.

John handled Toby’s escape into the house and his death and burial fiasco with such compassion.  Never was Toby “MY” cat.  Never was Toby a “stupid cat.”  John recognized that Toby was terrified, hurt, in pain, and afraid and he treated him with compassion.

Toby’s death devastated me- I never knew how much my buddy had taken hold of my heart.  Days later and even weeks later, I would think I’d hear his gravely voice when I went into the garage and went to feed.  I look for a cat and not see one.  I told myself that I was imagining things.  After my more recent experiences, I think maybe it wasn’t just in my head.

John was a cat lover… hopefully up there in Heaven he’s got Buttons, Salem, Spook, Kit Kat, and Stray Grey to keep him company.  And it’s Heaven, so they all get along!

Most men would have gotten angry and frustrated over trying to capture the cat and trying to bury him.  Most men would have yelled or screamed (I can’t said that some profanity didn’t come out of John’s mouth because it probably did).  Many men would have walked away.  Most men wouldn’t have done all of that for a stray cat… his wife’s stray cat on top it.  A cat that ran from him.   But… John wasn’t most men…

I have no idea why, but this concept just makes me giddy.  Coming in February:

HITMAN MONKEY #1
Written by DANIEL WAY
Penciled by DALIBOR TALIJIC
Cover by FRANK CHO

“The Legend of Hitman Monkey”

You’re digging him in this month’s issue of DEADPOOL and you want to know more about him? How about his origin story? A troubled soul, set upon a path of vengeance he does not understand. An assassin without equal, trained in the most secret of killing techniques. A flesh and blood specter, haunting the killers of the world. A monkey…with a gun. Bear witness as the legend is born. Hitman Monkey.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$3.99

There are 3 spots left for the February trip to Muskegon! Sign up now!

There is a troop meeting this Friday, November 20, at Grace at 7:30.

2010 SCOUT REGISTRATION: All returning scouts must complete a 2010 registration application and submit payment of $35.00 no later than Friday, December 4th. Any scout owing Popcorn Buyout money will need to pay the $100.00 (in addition to the registration fee) when they submit their renewal application.  This would also apply to scouts that did not sell the required $300.00 in popcorn.

Mrs. Riordan will have applications available at both the November 20th and December 4th Troop Meetings.

All checks should be made payable to: Troop 66. If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact:

Mrs. Riordan at 708-408-9240 or Beaners878@yahoo.com

FEBRUARY CANDLEMAS NEWSLETTER 2002 Vol.XIII-1
Return of the Light

IMBOLC (Christian Candlemas) brings new light, the rise of spring, bird nesting activity, anticipation of the warmth and fecundity to come.

While markers within Neolithic stone circles were probably well-known to the contemporary population, we sometimes forget that each stone had its solar as well as its lunar function. We sometimes forget to experience sunset at all.

Sunset at Easter Aquhorthies one mile West of Inverurie is always a revelation. At Imbolc it is defined by a clear shadow of the recumbent ‘window’ group falling on two stones to the north of the shimmering jasper stone at the modern entrance. As sunset approaches in early February, one is mesmerized by the advancing shadow as it creeps towards the two smaller circumference stones. Precisely at the moment of sunset, they align exactly and then both sun and shadow are extinguished.

The jasper stone alone, it seems, holds a memory of the light, continuing to twinkle and gleam until dusk. Its quality of reflecting light must indeed have been revered.

Other miracles of light seem to happen at this time, significant to much later civilizations. The Hill of Barra, NJ803 257, has no known stone circle, but was an enclosed ramparted settlement of the Iron Age which continued as a hilltop stronghold in the Pictish era. From its summit, accessible via the Bourtie-Meldrum Community Walk, at least five stone circles are visible, but most compelling is the uninterrupted view of Mither Tap of Bennachie. Around 5pm, weather permitting, for 10 nights in mid-February the sun and Mither Tap do a dance. For the week of Imbolc, Bennachie’s mass engulfs the sun, swallowing the orb low into Mither Tap. But midway through this time period, a change occurs and she agrees to spit the sun back out! On February 17th, the sun starts its sunset roll into Mither Tap, is received by the mother mountain at 5pm and reappears seven minutes later on her northern crag. This rebirth, even to time-worn eyes, is a surprise. Mother mountain has given birth to the sun! One dimly understands the joy of celebration, seasonal change.The sun is almost playful in this rite of passage, setting for the next week in more of a roll than an extinction, as each of the peaks in turn along her broad back appears to rise to swallow its fire. ©2002MCY

Ringing in Changing Seasons

A FEW weeks of unseasonably fine weather called for a FOGS-run experiment at Garioch stone circles in central Aberdeenshire.

There are many 18th and 19thCC references to ringing stones at Grampian circles – among them Easter Aquhorthies, Balquhain, the Standing Stones of Dyce and Arnhill, Tillytarmont. For good measure a small group of FOGS tried to produce effects at a number of circles. Results were especially good where surrounding stones remain complete, and gave an amphitheatre of sound. One person struck or played a musical instrument within the inner ‘sanctuary’ or preciinct enclosed by the recumbent stone and flankers, while listeners stood or walked to various points within the circle.

At Easter Aquhorthies and Loanhead of Daviot, the best point for receiving the sound was on a mound [E.A.] or stone platform [Loanhead] marginally to N of centre where string chords or even voice reduced to a whisper were quite audible. At Easter Aquhorthies there is a kind of ‘tuning fork stone’ projecting inwards from the centre of the massive recumbent; it may have been set strategically as a sounding board because the human voice carries remarkably well from this stone – its vibrations spreading out and reverberating not only through the circle amphitheatre, but also creating a secondary echo resonance.

The group repeated the exercise at Loanhead, where there is no such ‘sounding’ stone, but where the recumbent is split in two. Hands clapped between the two slabs resulted in echoes felt by participants throughout the inner circle. Again the group tried the voice experiment at Kirkton of Bourtie circle – a damaged monument with much stone clearance clutter, and while they could feel resonance, much of the effect seemed to disperse, with no amphitheatre to ‘capture’ the sound.

Ultra- and infra-sound experiments recently replicated by groups in south Britain and at New Grange in the Boyne valley in Ireland, including much sophisticated equiment, gave sonic waves graphically recorded’.

The effect on our FOGS observers, to say the least, was tantalizing and exciting enough to suggest yet another side to the rituals enacted by Neolithic celebrants to mark the changing seasons.

Charting the Nation
‘CHARTING the Nation’ is a three year collaborative digital imaging and cataloguing project, whose primary aim is to widen access via the web to historic maps of Scotland and associated archives dating from 1590 to 1740. It is led by two researchers at the University of Edinburgh, Charles Withers and Andrew Grout.

Bull carved stone, one of 30 originally surrounding Pictish Burghead

Roman discoveries at Birnie

Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus (AD192-211)

‘Spiritual’ Tourism

FOGS has added its voice to two national bodies attempting to moderate the state-dominated attitude to digging up the past. It is based on our members’ respect for sacred sites in our own area and on the premise that laser scan and sonic technology [archaeoptics and infrasound] can arguably be used to better effect than digging into and disturbing a sacred space with the possibility of loss of ‘finds’.

‘Spiritual’ tourism – one which takes account of people’s need to visit a site for its sacredness in an atmosphere conducive to contemplation – is supported by the Cruithni Charter, ASLaN (AncientSacred Landscape Network) and countryside organizations, including SNH, Friends of the Earth, Council for Rural England and others concerned for the historic landscape. As ever, our view puts emphasis on education, in order to prevent degradation or defacement. Additional URLs: here and here.

Copyright ©2002-2009 FOGS & MCY

The letters to the churches in Thessalonica are all about the last days before Jesus’ return.  This chapter encourages us to Watch and Be Sober in our minds, lives, and day-to-day activities.  The evidence in the world of His soon return is undeniable.

Listen Now - Recorded Wednesday, February 4, 2009 @ Calvary Chapel Orange County

As the presenting sponsor your business will be attached to one of the most recognized fundraisers in the state.  Ken & Colleen’s Kids presented by (your business).  You will receive a tremendous amount of promotion through live liners, recorded elements, online and onsite presence and a lot more!

As the phone bank sponsor your business has the opportunity to receive an amazing amount of mentions and high-profile recognition throughout Ken & Colleen’s Kids.  Four time an hour, recorded elements will invite listeners to call “(your business)’s Phone Bank” at 1-800-456-2772 to pledge their support to the Children’s Miracle Network.

As a day sponsor the client would be attached to this highly-reputable cause for an entire day.  The day’s sponsor would be recognized in five recorded elements each hour from 6am until midnight.  In addition a portion of your sponsorship will be donated to the Children’s Hospital of Iowa as a “Miracle Match”, where all hour Ken & Colleen tell listeners that thier donation is being matched by your business.  The “Miracle Match” has proven to be one of the most successful and listened to hours of the rotation.

Posted by Audiegrl

Former prosecutor and NYT best-selling author Vincent Bugliosi

Famed Charles Manson prosecutor and three time #1 New York Times bestselling author Vincent Bugliosi stars in this most powerful, explosive, and thought-provoking documentary.

In The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, Bugliosi presents a tight, meticulously researched legal case that puts George W. Bush on trial in an American courtroom for the murder of nearly 4,000 American soldiers fighting the war in Iraq. Bugliosi sets forth the legal architecture and incontrovertible evidence that President Bush took this nation to war in Iraq under false pretenses—a war that has not only caused the deaths of American soldiers but also over 100,000 innocent Iraqi men, women, and children; cost the United States over one trillion dollars thus far with no end in sight; and alienated many American allies in the Western world.

As a prosecutor who is dedicated to seeking justice, Bugliosi, in his inimitable style, delivers a non-partisan argument, free from party lines and instead based upon hard facts and pure objectivity.

A searing indictment of the President and his administration, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder also outlines a legally credible pathway to holding our highest government officials accountable for their actions, thereby creating a framework for future occupants of the oval office.

Vincent Bugliosi calls for the United States of America to return to the great nation it once was and can be again. He believes the first step to achieving this goal is to bring those responsible for the war in Iraq to justice.

**Scheduled for release in February, 2010

Have you checked out the Club Penguin Community lately?  Well if you have not, you better have because my Picture got on the

Go to the Club Penguin Community and scroll down to the Penguins From Around The World Section. Click On See Photos.

You will then see the Snowman Picture First on the list, Click it and it will load you the image that I took last February 2009!

That’s the picture that i took of the Snowman and the Two Penguin Pluses on either sides!

Click Here Now to check out the post back in February 3, 2009 when it snowed over the U.K, and I made the snowman and showed it to you on my site!

I Just Can’t Believe That The Club Penguin Team Actually Chose My Picture To Go On To The Penguins From Around The World!

Click Here To Comment!

~Yoda Ads

Today I had lunch with two friends, one of whom is a Realtor.

My Realtor friend said of this site, “When you read her blog, it’s like looking in a mirror. You can see yourself in her stories.”

I hope he doesn’t see himself in this one.

I used to be a licensed Realtor myself. I was especially bad at it. Possibly I was cursed.

This was during the two-year period my husband was the stay-at-home parent. I was concurrently working at the paper.

I achieved my license through the sponsorship of my broker, who promised handholding throughout the career launching.

I got a desk and a nameplate and the code to the office lockbox key.

One afternoon a man, woman and baby came into the office and told me what they were looking for in a house. I don’t remember the exact words, but it was something like “We would like a big, expensive house, please.”

This was it — my first commission was about to happen.

I made an appointment to take them looking at several addresses the next afternoon. I called the sellers to have them leave the houses vacant and clean.

In the meantime, I bought a new suit, rented a nice car and printed a list of homes that met their specifications.

I had a meeting with my broker for advice. He handed me the lockbox key, which was like a cell phone keypad. His advice: Don’t tell them you’re new at this.

I met the family at the office.

We were off.

At the first three houses I couldn’t get the lockbox open. The husband was getting that wants-to-flee look.

I couldn’t reach the broker by cell phone, so I apologized to the family and drove them back to my office for support. No one was there.

I went to the brokerage across the street and asked for help. They checked my key and said the code’s activation had lapsed.

One of the agents showed me how to reactivate it by phone.

We were off again.

It still didn’t work.

The next day two things happened. The family called to thank me for my time. They wouldn’t be needing any more of it, however, becase that evening they found a house with another agent and bought it.

And the broker ripped me a new butthole for outting his breaking the rules. Turns out, brokers aren’t allowed to let staff agents use their keys, which he knew.

The helpful agent across the street had reported him.

At that moment and this one, I hated him. I hated that I had invested money I didn’t have on a doomed mission. I blame him thoroughly.

My broker was forced to discontinue providing a key for new agents, and was forever angry with me about it.

This may be a result of my having a small fit.

I got a key of my own, but seldom had opportunity to use it — me being an especially bad Realtor, and all.

The full Pakistan vs Australia 26 December- 5 February Schedule and time table here:

26-31 Dec 2009 1st Test Match Melbourne 11.00am local, 5.00am Pak, 00am UK

03-07 Jan 2010 2nd Test Match Sydney 11.00am local, 5.00am Pak, 00am UK

14-18 Jan 2010 3rd Test Match Hobart 11.00am local, 5.00am Pak, 00am UK

22 January 2010 1st ODI (D/N) Brisbane 2.30pm local, 8.30am Pak, 3.30am UK

24 January 2010 2nd ODI (D/N) Sydney 2.30pm local, 8.30am Pak, 3.30am UK

26 January 2010 3rd ODI (D/N) Adelaide 2.30pm local, 8.30am Pak, 3.30am UK

29 January 2010 4th ODI (D/N) Perth 12.30pm local, 9.30am Pak, 4.30am UK

31 January 2010 5th ODI (D/N) Perth 12.30pm local, 9.30am Pak, 4.30am UK

5 February 2010 Only Twenty20 Melbourne 7.00pm local, 12.30pm Pak, 8.00am UK

Long Blue Shadows, oil on canvas, 36" by 48", unfinished, copyright Jessica Libor 2009

A brand-new painting, half-finished, that I begun yesterday and hope to finish as much as possible today.  All that’s left is the background sky and the subtle lace of the tree branches.  Since this painting will be exhibited in a show this February, I’ve enjoyed painting with snowy shades and looking forward to the winter.  I hope you enjoy the poetry below as I did.

Blue Winter by Robert Francis

Winter uses all the blues there are.
One shade of blue for water, one for ice,
Another blue for shadows over snow.
The clear or cloudy sky uses blue twice-
Both different blues. And hills row after row
Are colored blue according to how for.
You know the bluejay’s double-blur device
Shows best when there are no green leaves to show.
And Sirius is a winterbluegreen star

Winter by Walter de la Mare

Clouded with snow 
The cold winds blow, 
And shrill on leafless bough 
The robin with its burning breast 
Alone sings now. 

The rayless sun, 
Day’s journey done, 
Sheds its last ebbing light 
On fields in leagues of beauty spread 
Unearthly white. 

Thick draws the dark, 
And spark by spark, 
The frost-fires kindle, and soon 
Over that sea of frozen foam 
Floats the white moon.

Who’s playing? – Peaches plus special guests
Where? – Astor
It all starts at… - 8pm
How much? – $61.40
How do you get in on this? – Tickets on sale Friday November 13 from Bocs Ticketing, Planet Video, Mills Records and 78 Records.
Who’s going to be there? – people into electro rock and those who just want to cut loose to awesome music in a movie theatre
You’d like it if you were… drunk, high

Heads Will Roll says…

Did you miss out on Big Day Out tickets and were you worried you weren’t going to get the opportunity for a hypersexual 42-year-old woman to grind in your face? Well you’re in luck because Peaches is coming back to town. Her latest album, I Feel Cream, was awesome and the best thing Simian Mobile Disco did all year (read HWR’s review here), so we’re super excited to have her back. The last time she was in town it was for a DJ set and those tickets sold out super fast so don’t hesitate in buying your tickets when they go on sale.

Another Guy says…This is a much better idea than watching her, outdoors, in 40 degree heat.

Purchase tickets here

http://www.peachesrocks.com
http://www.peachesofficialblog.com/
http://www.myspace.com/peaches
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173533278909&ref=nf