For The Love Of My Dogs

This video was made in July 2009.

Thank-you for reminding me to think of the good times and not dwell on the violent death that happened to Cricket. I will keep that in mind. For now, I am still cleaning the blood out of my clothes, hair and out from my fingernails.

Grieving takes many paths. Thank all of you for your kind emails. For the supporting of my ADA Therapy dog. I would not be here today without this little Chihuahua.

Rest in Peace Cricket, Angel.

King Cricket is Dead

King Cricket

Today, a man brought a vicious dog to a community dog park. He did not know his dog as he recently adopted it from a shelter. Being unsure of his temperment, a leash nearby would have been prudent at the very least. Now my dog is dead. My therapy dog, my best little friend.




Cricket

Dear Cricket, I wish I had stayed lazily at home today in bed cuddled and warm with you near my side. Like a good owner, I got up with you, Dad and sister, Maggie Mae and took you both to the Englewood Dog Park.

I did not know it would be your last time there. You loved to go. Just the mentions of 'doggie park', was all it took to get your ears to stand up. You loved to go through drive thru restaurants and ride in parades. You took commands by hand signal and in three languages.

You saved my life, little one. You came to me in a time of my life when things were so dark. You helped me through pnuemonias, broken bones and pain like I have never experienced. You are the reason I am still here today.

I will mourn your loss all the days of my life.

God Bless you Crickie, May you rest in peace.

Love,
Momma

The Light House - A Temple of Light

The Light House
A Temple of light...

Gale wind hurls waves crashing to the rock
One brave edifice rises all alone.
Bearing relentlessly life or death's lock,
Set to take down this temple of light on stone.

Blown ships in this watery grave caught,

Like a goddess chained to rock waiting to atone.

The Captain's ship is up or down,

Safe santuary given, if precious be light found.

Dedicated to My Grandfather Captain Icabod Norton,

May you forever be at peace at sea...

by Christine McClintock

Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved.


Taking up the history of the early 17th century of the Norton Family, well authenticated record locates Icabod Norton as a wealthy owner of trading vessels plying on the waters of England and the North American coast and in the East Indies. Records show that the French in their depredations on the sea against English vessels sank several of his ships, one namely The Fox. The French government did make indemnity for the destruction of these vessels for four million dollars, which was never turned over to the heirs of Icabod Norton.

Rescued Baby Hummingbird

This is so precious, it will make you day. It did mine. Thank-you Jo for sending this to me.

Enjoy this very sweet video of the rescue of a hummingbird.

Happy Samhain - Féile na Marbh

Celtic Folklore
The Samhain celebrations have survived in several guises as a festival dedicated to the harvest and the dead. In Ireland and Scotland, the Féile na Marbh, the 'festival of the dead' took place on Samhain.

The night of Samhain, in Irish, Oíche Shamhna and Scots Gaelic, Oidhche Shamhna, is one of the principal festivals of the Celtic calendar, and falls on the 31st of October. It represents the final harvest. In modern Ireland and Scotland, the name by which Halloween is known in the Gaelic language is still Oíche/Oidhche Shamhna. It is still the custom in some areas to set a place for the dead at the Samhain feast, and to tell tales of the ancestors on that night.

Traditionally, Samhain was time to take stock of the herds and grain supplies, and decide which animals would need to be slaughtered in order for the people and livestock to survive the winter. This custom is still observed by many who farm and raise livestock.

Bonfires played a large part in the festivities celebrated down through the last several centuries, and up through the present day in some rural areas of the Celtic nations and the diaspora. Villagers were said to have cast the bones of the slaughtered cattle upon the flames. In the pre-Christian Gaelic world, cattle were the primary unit of currency and the center of agricultural and pastoral life. Samhain was the traditional time for slaughter, for preparing stores of meat and grain to last through the coming winter. The word 'bonfire', or 'bonefire' is a direct translation of the Gaelic tine cnámh. With the bonfire ablaze, the villagers extinguished all other fires. Each family then solemnly lit its hearth from the common flame, thus bonding the families of the village together. Often two bonfires would be built side by side, and the people would walk between the fires as a ritual of purification. Sometimes the cattle and other livestock would be driven between the fires, as well.

Divination is a common folkloric practice that has also survived in rural areas. The most common uses were to determine the identity of one's future spouse, the location of one's future home, and how many children a person might have. Seasonal foods such as apples and nuts were often employed in these rituals. Apples were peeled, the peel tossed over the shoulder, and its shape examined to see if it formed the first letter of the future spouse's name. Nuts were roasted on the hearth and their movements interpreted - if the nuts stayed together, so would the couple. Egg whites were dropped in a glass of water, and the shapes foretold the number of future children. Children would also chase crows and divine some of these things from how many birds appeared or the direction the birds flew.

Samhain is the tradition that gave rise to our current day celebrations of Halloween. Samhain (pronounced: sow-en) is a pagan holiday that is celebrated on October 31. It marks the end of Summer and the beginning of Winter.

In the past, Samhain was a festival for the time between the old year and the new year. It was a time for having bonfires and playing tricks. It was also thought a time when people could make contact with departed loved ones and foretell the future.

Today some people have special ceremonies on this day. Some people have parties and other people have special dinners.

One interesting dinner dish is called Colcannon. This dish is made of potatoes and cabbage. Items are put in the dish that are thought to tell the future. Traditionally these items are a thimble (for a spinster), a button (for a bachelor), a ring (for a marriage), and a coin (for prosperity).

The following recipe for a Samhain dish:

Colcannon:
4 cups mashed potatoes, 2 - 1/2 cups cabbage (cooked and chopped
fine), 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup onion (chopped very fine and sautéed), 1/4
teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Blend all ingredients (except cabbage) over low heat.
Turn the heat to medium and add cabbage (will be slightly green).
Stir occasionally until warm then add fortune items. Stir well.

Some people use decorations for their ceremonies or dinners. Fun things to use for decorating are autumn leaves or flowers, pumpkins, gourds, and autumn fruits and nuts. Candles also make pretty decorations for Samhain.

Christine O'Donnell and The Constitution

If you can sit through this it gives a great insight into the lack of knowledge many candidates have in basic Constitutional Law and Government 101 for that matter.

Christine O'Donnell looks, sounds and acts more like Sarah Palin every time I hear from her. This is not a good thing.

What happened to all the intelligent, educated women in this country? I suspect they are teaching law classes like Professor Anita Hill, at Brandeis University. Classes women like O'Donnell would never be caught in.

It now seems that ignorance in politics is as prevalent as tupperware parties used to be.

Here is a refresher on Constitutional Law, if you are a little hazy like Ms. O'Donnell.

AMENDMENT 1
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, or petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The exchange came in a debate before an audience of legal scholars and law students at Widener University Law School, as O’Donnell criticized Democratic nominee Chris Coons’ position that teaching creationism in public school would violate the First Amendment by promoting religious doctrine.

Coons said private and parochial schools are free to teach creationism but that "religious doctrine does not belong in our public schools."

Well said, Sir.

"Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?" O’Donnell asked him.

When Coons responded that the First Amendment bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion, O’Donnell asked: "You’re telling me that’s in the First Amendment?"

Many of the students where dumbfounded that someone could be so incredibly stupid, I think the rest of us are equally dumbfounded that someone like Ms. O'Donnell could get as far as she has in an election with no idea of what she is talking about.

Taking a look back to the last election with reflection on Sarah Palin, instills the heart with terror. Is O'Donnell just another Palin? Look how close that idiot came to the White House. It gives one the chills.

So in the spirit of a old western ballad.....

"Momma Don't Let Your Daughter's Grow Up to be Stupid"

End of the World in 2012?

End of The World Theory in 2010 Goes Out With a Whimper"

After the number of times this theory has been repeated, I am kind of sorry to see it go. Turns out the theory was based on some not so correct assumptions.

Surprised? Don't be.

Stephanie Pappas, Senior Writer for Live Science.com writes, 'It's a good news/bad news situation for believers in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. The good news is that the Mayan "Long Count" calendar may not end on Dec. 21, 2012'

The 'prophets' of these things are a product of their own neurosis, and simply a dime a dozen. So it looks like they are to have to go digging for another ancient calender to exploit.

Remember Y2K? I am still breathing.

A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events.

That will never work for doomsdayers whose whole premise is based on the fact the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31. This is how it happened.

The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.

Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.

"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."

But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.

"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."

So back to the history books to find another ancient calendar for all our apocalyptic hopes.

Darn, and I was so ready this time...giggle.

Personally, I recommend we take an honest look at the enviromental damage we are doing each day to our planet and begin counting. That will be far more reliable than a calender from the past. This is easier said than done as no one agrees to what degree we are damaging our fair planet.

So if you are one of those goofballs building space vehicles to leave the planet, good luck and 'May the Force Be with you...'

A Poem From The Past - Anglo Saxon Rune Poem - Old English

I have not heard Old English for years. I took a class in Old English and Middle English. Languages have always been one of my favorite studies. Listen to this and see if you can understand. Then remember the people you are related to who would have spoken it. It is humbling.


Feoh byþ frofur fira gehwylcum. Sceal ðeah manna gehwylc miclun hyt dælan gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan. ur byþ anmod and oferhyrned, 5 felafrecne deor, feohteþ mid hornum, mære morstapa; þæt is modig wuht. ðorn byþ ðearle scearp; ðegna gehwylcum anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetun reþe manna gehwylcun ðe him mid resteð. 10 os byþ ordfruma ælcre spræce, wisdomes wraþu and witena frofur, and eorla gehwam eadnys and tohiht. rad byþ on recyde rinca gehwylcum sefte, and swiþhwæt ðam ðe sitteþ on ufan 15 meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas. cen byþ cwicera gehwam cuþ on fyre, blac and beorhtlic, byrneþ oftust ðær hi æþelingas inne restaþ. gifu gumena byþ gleng and herenys, 20 wraþu and wyrþscype, and wræcna gehwam ar and ætwist ðe byþ oþra leas. wenne bruceþ ðe can weana lyt, sares and sorge, and him sylfa hæfþ blæd and blysse and eac byrga geniht. 25 hægl byþ hwitust corna; hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte, wealcaþ hit windes scuras, weorþeþ hit to wætere syððan. nyd byþ nearu on breostan, weorþeþ hi ðeah oft niþa bearnum to helpe and to hæle gehwæþre, gif hi his hlystaþ æror. is byþ oferceald, ungemetum slidor, 30 glisnaþ glæshluttur, gimmum gelicust, flor forste geworuht, fæger ansyne. ger byþ gumena hiht, ðon god læteþ, halig heofones cyning, hrusan syllan beorhte bleda beornum and ðearfum. 35 eoh byþ utan unsmeþe treow, heard, hrusan fæst, hyrde fyres, wyrtrumun underwreþyd, wyn on eþle. peorð byþ symble plega and hlehter wlancum ðar wigan sittaþ 40 on beorsele bliþe ætsomne. eolhx secg eard hæfþ oftust on fenne, wexeð on wature, wundaþ grimme, blode breneð beorna gehwylcne ðe him ænigne onfeng gedeð. 45 sigel semannum symble biþ on hihte, ðonn hi hine feriaþ ofer fisces beþ, oþ hi brimhengest bringeþ to lande. tir biþ tacna sum, healdeð trywa wel wiþ æþelingas, a biþ on færylde, 50 ofer nihta genipu næfre swiceþ. beorc byþ bleda leas, bereþ efne swa ðeah tanas butan tudder, biþ on telgum wlitig, heah on helme hrysted fægere, geloden leafum, lyfte getenge. 55 eh byþ for eorlum æþelinga wyn, hors hofum wlanc, ðær him hæleþ ymbe, welege on wicgum, wrixlaþ spræce, and biþ unstyllum æfre frofur. man byþ on myrgþe his magan leof; 60 sceal þeah anra gehwylc oðrum swican, for ðam dryhten wyle dome sine þæt earme flæsc eorþan betæcan. lagu byþ leodum langsum geþuht, gif hi sculun neþan on nacan tealtum, 65 and hi sæyþa swyþe bregaþ, and se brimhengest bridles ne gymeð. ing wæs ærest mid Eastdenum gesewen secgun, oþ he siððan eft ofer wæg gewat, wæn æfter ran; 70 ðus heardingas ðone hæle nemdun. eðel byþ oferleof æghwylcum men, gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena on brucan on bolde bleadum oftast. dæg byþ drihtnes sond, deore mannum, 75 mære metodes leoht, myrgþ and tohiht eadgum and earmum, eallum brice. ac byþ on eorþan elda bearnum flæsces fodor, fereþ gelome ofer ganotes bæþ; garsecg fandaþ 80 hwæþer ac hæbbe æþele treowe. æsc biþ oferheah, eldum dyre, stiþ on staþule, stede rihte hylt, ðeah him feohtan on firas monige. yr byþ æþelinga and eorla gehwæs 85 wyn and wyrþmynd, byþ on wicge fæger, fæstlic on færelde, fyrdgeatewa sum. ior byþ eafix, and ðeah a bruceþ fodres on foldan, hafaþ fægerne eard, wætre beworpen, ðær he wynnum leofaþ. 90 ear byþ egle eorla gehwylcun, ðonn fæstlice flæsc onginneþ, hraw colian, hrusan ceosan blac to gebeddan; bleda gedreosaþ, wynna gewitaþ, wera geswicaþ.

Enjoy this trip back in history. I did.

Colorado Hummingbird at Zazzle

Snow In The Pines by colorado_hummingbird
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Thank-you. It is a priviledge to live in Colorado and a greater treat to share it with you.

Hummingbird