Diwali

Diwali is the Hindu “Festival of Lights,” and India’s most important holiday. Because it is calculated by the lunar Hindu calendar, it falls on different days each year. Gifts are exchanged on Diwali—often sweets or candles or candleholders. The home is decorated and oil lamps are lit. Fireworks are common. It is a joyous celebration focused on family, good fortune, and hope for the future. The first day of this five-day celebration, the home is lined with oil lamps and marigolds, and prayers and sweets are offered for long life and to ward off early death. The offering should be made near a sacred tree. In Bengal, Diwali is the festival of Kali Puja, when Ma Kali, the fierce mother goddess of death and rebirth, is worshipped. Kali worship is sometimes reserved for the second day of Diwali. In other parts of India, the focus of Diwali is Lakshmi or Krishna. The fourth day of Diwali is the Hindu New Year. Regional variations let us know, as Westerners, that it’s okay to celebrate light and deity in whatever form we choose during this sacred time, as long as we enjoy ourselves. May our lights shine brightly!

Stompin' Tom Conners

Stompin' Tom"The Ballad Of Stompin' Tom" is being released today!

I remember as a little girl my grandmother loved listening to Stompin' Tom on her cassette player in the kitchen. I remember watching his "movies" on ASN with her where he stood in front of a crowd and sang and stomped on a 2 by 4 piece of wood. And who doesn't know about the Hockey Song on CBCs Hockey Night in Canada! Stopin Tom is a truly a piece of Canadian history and culture. So when I heard he was releasing a new CD I was really excited. This CD has made new versions of some of his old songs such as his famous The Hockey Song and Olympic Song. And because he is releasing a new CD wouldn't it be great if he does a tour!!! I have always wanted to see him in concert!

Check him out here:

http://www.stompintom.com/

Colour-Me Wallpaper

I want!

http://www.cookiemag.com/magazine/blogs/nesting/2008/06/colour-me-wallp.html

Sylvia

I watched a great film the other day called Sylvia. This was the life story of Sylvia Plath the famous poet and novelist. The film stars Gwyneth Paltro and Daniel Craig as Sylvia Plath and her womanizing husband British Poet Laureate Ted Hughes.

The film begins in 1956. Sylvia is in England on a Fulbright Scholarship when she meets Ted. The attraction is immediate and mutual. It is a meeting not only of the minds, but of an intense physicality as well. Within four months, they are married. When her studies are completed, Sylvia is offered a teaching post back in America. She accepts, and the couple relocates. A working wife, Sylvia must also tend to her unique voice or risk losing it. The newly published Ted attracts the attention of the literary world, along with the attentions of admiring women. Returning to England in late 1959, Sylvia and Ted attempt to renew their commitment, first with the birth of one child and then another. But as the marriage frays anew and Ted's literary stature overshadows her own, Sylvia's creative impulses surge. She funnels her fury and passion into her work, and her writing begins to flow forth in unstoppable bursts. "I really feel like God is speaking through me," she exults. Her destiny - and Ted's, inextricably intertwined with hers - is at hand...

Sylvia is most famous for her book The Bell Jar which I am reading right now and several of her poems which you can find by simply googling her name. When I am finished reading the book I will let you know what I think, I have only heard great things about it. Also, the film version of the book will be out later this year:)

http://www.sylviamovie.com/flash.html

Bad Luck Banishing Spell

I think we could all use some of this!

In the French Republic calendar, today is Pomme or Apple Day. This is a day to appreciate the harvest. The apple in particular is a magically useful fruit: when sliced cross-wise, the seed pattern forms a natural pentacle, each point representing an element, the fifth element being spirit or akasha. If you want to ensure that bad luck from this year does not follow you into next year, slice an apple cross-wise and see all of your bad luck going into the fruit. Take the fruit and throw it in a compost heap or bury it at the corner points of your property. As it rots, your bad luck rots away and is recycled into the ground. You may also take the seeds and plant them, each seed representing a wish you have for the coming year.

Sounds good to me!!!

Homemade Bailey's Irish Cream

A workmate of mine gave me this recipe to make homemade Bailey's! It is very exciting!!!

I will be making some for the Xmas holiday:)

1 cup Eagle Brand condensed milk

1 cup Blend

1 1/2 cup rye

2 tsp Instant coffee

1 1/2 tsp Chocolate Mix (quick)

2 Beaten Eggs

I will let you know how it turns out!

I have a feeling I will be drinking a lot of coffee with Irish Creme in it this holiday season;)

Feast of Sekhmet

Once in a while just for fun I will look at the spell a day on the Llewellyn website. More often than not there is a great story and a little chant or ritual you can do for fun to word of something or another or draw something or another into your life.

This is today's:

Sekhmet is a ferocious, lion-headed goddess—part of a triad, along with Bast and Hathor. In one of her furies, she killed men who displeased her and drank their blood until the gods mixed it with enough wine to put her to sleep. When she awakened, she couldn't remember why she was so angry. In honor of Sekhmet, honor the positive aspects of controlled anger. Ask Sekhmet to guide you in channeling your anger for use in positive change, rather than lashing out at anyone causing harm. Drink a glass of red wine or a red non-alcoholic beverage in her honor.

You can check it out at this website:

http://www.llewellyn.com/free/spell.php

www.mapmyrun.com

For all those runners out there here is a great website. It allows you to map your run to know how far you are really running. I have been using it since I lost my Nike ipod trainer which I am still bitter about:(

Plot your running routes over mountains (view elevation), through the woods (topo maps), and speeding through the city (street level views) with just a few mouse clicks. Once your running map is complete you can quickly view it in 3D, satellite maps, or share it with friends.

This site works well except that you have to be quite careful about the lines that you make. Try to zoom in on the roads a bit or your km will be off. When you get to the home page of the site there are maps that others have made in your city for different distances that you could also use.

Let me know how your maps and your runs go:)

http://www.mapmyrun.com/

Vitamin C

Thought I would share this with you as Cold and Flu season is upon us:

Vitamin C is one of the most important of all vitamins. It plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. Antioxidants act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism. Free radicals can cause cell damage that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vitamin C has also been found by scientists to be an effective antiviral agent.

Fruits:

Kiwi
Strawberry
Orange
Blackberries
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Tomatoes
Lime
Peach
Bananas
Apples
Lemon
Grapes

Veggies:

Artichoke
Asparagus
Avocado
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower
Corn
Cucumber
Green Pepper
Kale
Lima Beans
Mushrooms
Onions
Peas
Potatoes
Spinach
Squash - summer
Squash - winter
Sweet potato

Please eat up because no one wants a cold or flu!!

Run for the Cure

My work put in a team for the Run for the Cure this weekend. One of the tech guys put together a nice video of the event. Take a look.

Thanks Paul!

http://vimeo.com/1892586

Blog Update

Sorry for not keeping up with the Blog. I will now try to write on this once a week at the very least:)