A Superstitious Day

How did Friday the 13th get to be such an unlucky day?

Fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient, separate bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. The two unlucky entities combine to make one super unlucky day.

Superstitions kinda go hand in hand with folk lore,they get handed down from generation to generation and I'm sure there are plenty of people here who have heard of a few or even have some.

For me I always X out a black cat that crosses my path. Not that I think they are bad luck...Ok maybe I'm just a little superstitious -- no need to press my luck...hehe!

Some superstitions I remember hearing:
Step on a crack -Mother would then break her back
Black cat crosses your path -Walks towards you, brings good fortune, walks away, takes good luck with it.
Wish on a shooting star -Wish comes true
Blowing a lady bug away -Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home.
Penny in a gift purse or wallet -
Rocking an empty rocking chair -Invites evil spirits to come into your house to sit in the chair.
Break a mirror -7 years bad luck.

Mother In-laws contribution:
Walk under a ladder -Bad luck will come to you
Pass someone on the stairs -Stairways symbolized the means of ascending to the abode of the gods and it was dangerous to trespass; also, early stairways were very narrow and two people passing each other left themselves open to attack from behind.
Drop a dishtowel -A worse housekeeper than yourself is coming to visit you.
Throw salt over you shoulder -To counteract this bad luck you must through it over your left shoulder into the eyes of the demons, who were ment to lerk behind your shoulder.
Cross knives - It will cause a quarrel

Sylvie says:
Put a hat on a bed -The expression comes from a time when people believed that evil spirits lived in the hair.
Open a umbrella in the house -Bad luck, especially if you put it over your head.

What are some of your superstitions ?

Friday Fill Ins #111

Click the link to play

1. It seems like this winter is dragging on and on.

2. Would ya put the FREAKIN' seat back down when you're done, please!?

3. If I thought you would go I'd book us on a cruise tomorrow!

4. "I'm still madly in love"; is what I think of most when I think of you (hubby).

5. To me, Valentine's Day means hugs and kisses and a nice dinner with the family.

6. My family gives me strength.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Thai food with hubby, tomorrow my plans include shopping, then home with the family and Sunday, I want to go for brunch at mom & dad in-laws!

Wishing you all a Happy Valentines weekend

Wordless #29 -- Brownie Hawkeye

{new photos from my brownie}

Visit Wordless Wednesday

Pass It On!

Random Acts of Kindness Week

Feb. 9-15{Small actions make the world a better place}

Just think of the changes we could make if we each did one random act of kindness a day. When you are out and about today, remember to be aware of others, lend your hand when one is needed.

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
Random Kindness
Pay It Forward

A link list

inspired from a weekend+Monday, of web browsing, channel surfing, and reading.

listening to

sound of silence
dancing invisible;
can't get enough of
angels and saints

i've been hanging out here, here and this spot

reading
this novel by Ian Russell McEwan
&
this from Stampington & Company

watching
these videos on YouTube
&
getting LOST

daydreaming about
a little cottage
close to the beach
meadows filled with flowers;
a prefect place for repose

Have any links you think I might like?

13 questions [weekend update]

I was feeling a little under the weather this weekend so mostly I puttered around the house channeling my inner Eeyore.

"When someone says, How-do-you-do? Just say you didn't." -Eeyore

13 questions I asked myself this weekend:

1. Am I over reacting?
2. Should I do this Facebook 25 things?
3. What's for dinner?
4. What's with all these crazy dreams?
5. Who needs this aggravation anyway?
6. Do I really need this chocolate bar?
7. What do I really want?
8. Montreal or New York?
9. Why has my ass become so large?
10. Laundry? What laundry?
11. Why can't I get motivated?
12. What the f@#% !?
13. Does this make me a hypocrite?

Illuminated Photography {a tutorial}

(Inspired by Mommy Wizdom - Glow Stick Fun. )

This is a fun photo shoot you can do using glow sticks.

You'll need:

• digital camera (*point and shoot will do just fine)
• package of glow stick/bracelets/necklace
• tripod (optional)
• dark room
• some helpers (optional)

* preferably a camera that has a night setting.

1. First prepare the glow sticks by cracking them.
   
   
2. Next set up your camera for taking photographs in the dark, you will want to turn your flash off for these shots. Find the night mode or a similar setting; we want a high ISO to increase the light sensitivity, and give you a slow shutter speed. Next, setup your tripod or place your camera on a stable surface, hit the lights, use the timer if you don't have any helpers.
   
   
3. Go to it! Attach the glow sticks to the kids arms and legs and have them dance around the room, make some crazy designs, or write your name, or you could try attaching them to a ceiling fan. Just have fun with it!

If you try doing some of your own glow stick photography, or have already tried it -- post a link in my comments so we can all check out your masterpiece.

Friday Fill Ins # 110

Questions courtesy of YellowRose this week. Thanks YellowRose!
Want to play? Just click on the link below.


1. Please don't tell me how the story ends ~ Joan Osborne

2. Can you leave me alone 'till I have my coffee in the morning?

3. The color pepto bismol pink makes me want to gag!

4. I have a craving for grilled T bone, baked potato, buttery corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake... Oh, and SUMMER!

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it whenever I needed a break. I kind of do have a pause button, it's called daydreaming.

6. Eyes are the most complex organs you possess except for your brain.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner with baby girl and hubby then shoe shopping, tomorrow my plans include nothing special, just wait and see how the day plays out and Sunday, I want to get my house tidied and do some chores I've been putting off for a while!

Ps.. How could I have forgotten to mention I got tickets to see KISS today!!!

Three cheers for the weekend! -- hip. hip. hooray x 3

Wordless #28 - Another Storm!

Visit Wordless Wednesday

Synchronicity or Coincidence?

In the past few day I have been having some 'coincidences/ synchronicity' in my life. I've been having some strange dreams about people from my past, then having them re-appear in my life. Yesterday I had a song in my head all day then having hubby come home singing that exact song. Last night I woke up from a nightmare where I was alone in a car that crashed through a guardrail, I was careening down and embankment towards a river. The radio was blaring the song "Goodbye Stranger "(... its been nice, Hope you find your paradise), the time on the radio display kept flashing 4:44. When I woke up, I went downstairs to get a drink and glanced at the computer monitor and the time was 4:44 -- kind of blows my mind! There were even a couple of 'coincidences' I have had regarding a few of you out there in blogland. These 'occurrences' over the past few days have really got me thinking...
Am I connecting dots were there aren't any or are they 'meaningful' coincidences??

Coincidence means two things happening simultaneously, in its definition implies that the two things happened by chance.

Synchronicity is a series of coincidences that seem to add up to something meaningful. It has to do with the odds of two or more events happening. And especially if they have a special relationship to the person experiencing them.

Synchronicity, by Carl Jung's definition, is two or more events that occur within a meaningful manner but are causally unrelated. The chance of these events occurring by random chance are very small.

Have you ever experienced synchronicity in your life? And if so, what are your most interesting experiences with it?

Some links I find interesting:
Synchronicity: How to Decode Life’s Secret Messages
Carl Jung Resources
The skeptic's Dictionary
Global Consciousness Project
Global Consciousness Project Video
The Police - Synchronicity I
The Police - Synchronicity II

Reader recommendations:
Only a Movie recommends What the Beep Do We Know!? Down the Rabbit Hole
crone51 recommends Rupert Sheldrake

PS. I added at poll over on my sidebar as part of my BIP. If you would take a moment to participate, I would appreciate it!

Time for a cool change...

"Now that my life is so prearranged. I know that it's time for a cool change" ~ Little River Band

This weekend was a pretty quiet one. Hubby was off coaching his hockey team, Priss was away for the weekend, The Boy was off doing his thing and Baby Girl was hanging out with a gal pal, which left me here alone with my thoughts over the weekend.

What thoughts you ask?

Well... I've been contemplating change, craving it really. Possibly something small and subtle or something bold and gutsy. All I know is it's time for change, and when I get an itch...

{photos of the big white fluffy snow flakes fell Saturday night}

Damn that BIP!

PHEW! I thought I had what I needed backed up to a file on my computer, but as it turns out, you need to back up your CSS and also back up any widget codes you add to the sidebars, headers and footers.

Oh well... I've learned a lesson.

If you notice I have forgotten to add a link or anything else, please let me know so I can put it back on.

I'll never learn

{shakes her head}

Sometimes I wonder why I just can't leave well enough alone.

I'll be gradually adding everything back on here, but it might take a couple days. If you don't see you link over in my "distraction" section, it's because I'm an idiot and have deleted everything. GAH!

Ps. Happy February 1st!

Friday Fill Ins #109

Looking to play along?

Click on the link below

1. I'd really like to shake this gross mood I'm in right now.

2. Fuck Fudge is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is an awesome Sarah McLachlan song.
{My body aches to breathe your breath, your words keep me alive}

4. "Gentlemen, m'lady; you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!"

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like chocolate and graham crackers.

6. Oh, the movie never ends, it goes on and on. ~ Journey {Don't stop believing}

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a girls night out, tomorrow my plans include groceries, craft store and making some funky jewelry with my daughter and Sunday, I want to snuggle up at home and watch the Super Bowl with me honey!

{Wishing you all a perfect weekend}

5 questions asked and answered

The 5 question interview meme has been sweeping the blogsphere. have you played yet?

Last week I was interview by a lovely Canadian gal - Thistle, Of Thistles and Maple Leaves. Her interview questions were great and I tried to answer the best I could - view here.

I also got a chance give an interview to another cool Canadian, Lee over at Lemons 2 Lemonade. Lee asked me to send her 5 questions, I must say it was a little nerve wrecking! We had only just met on the blogsphere a few days prior to the interview and I wasn't sure which direction to go with my questions - should I get personal, or just ask some general question??? I just didn't know...

Well, I asked and she gave some fabulous answers. Go check out Lee's 5 question interview here.

If you haven't joined in on the fun and games it's not too late... just asked to be interviewed by someone who has participated. It's great fun and a good way for people to get to know you a little better. Thank you Thistle for the interview and Lee for allowing me to interview her!

OCD invading my dreams

I know it's suppose to be a Wordless Wednesday, but I needed to get this nightmare I had off my chest.

Last night I dreamed the drawstring around my hood was uneven. I was frantically pulling on them trying to even them up, but no matter what I did I couldn't make them the same length. It really annoyed the shit out of me!

Dream experts say dreams always leave us with an emotional hangover -- true, I woke up this morning feeling frustrated and anxious and those feelings have been with me all day. Some dream experts say about 12 percent of dreams are precognitive - that is, they come true. Gah! just imagine how frustrating this would be in "real life"! {hehe}

Dream Links you might find of interest:
Dream Doctor - Search for clues to your dream
Dream Psychology
Dream Journal - Create and customize an online dream journal
Daily OM - Dream Power

Wordless #27- Rural Decay

Visit Wordless Wednesday
{digging into the archives from last summer for this ww}

-19.°C

Keeping each other warm on this cold January morning.

Monday January 26

Thank goodness!... it's the last Monday of January. The winter blues are slowly starting to creep in and I've been looking for ideas to help shake the "blahs" and "woes".

I found this little framed cork board at Home Sense on Saturday and hung it above my computer at home. It's called a mood board or inspiration board... it will be a place where I can add images, quotes, colour schemes, etc, that will invoke my creative muse.

Some ideas I have for my mood board:

• favorite photographs
• inspiring quotes
• colour palettes
• personal mementos
• artwork
• letters/poetry
• magazine clippings/advertisements

Do you have an inspiration/mood board? Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Here are some links to inspire you to start your own board:
Design for Mankind
iHanna's Creative Space
decor8
Everyday Beauty

"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web." - Pablo Picasso

Tag -- I'm it!

I never liked being "it" when I was a child. I was always the kid who had to have control over all the playground...I'm sure you all had a friend or two like that, maybe even you were like that yourself. Usually when "tagged", I would take my ball, yo yo, jump rope, or what ever we were playing with at the time, and I would storm off home.

Now that I'm older and wiser... ok just older... I don't mind being "it", and in fact, I prefer it now. Little did I know way back when I was a youngster, the person who was "it" was the one holding all the power -- hehe, or should I say Mmuahahahahaha! {evil laugh}

OK, so Movie and Thistle, just tagged me in a photo meme... I'm It! Mmuahahahahaha!

Rules of the game:
1. Go to the the 4th folder where you keep your pictures on your computer.
2. Post the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the photo.
4. Tag 4 fellow bloggers to join in the fun!

{4th photo of the 4th folder, 40th Anniversary}
My mom and dad in a car after their wedding ceremony.

This folder is full of photos I scanned for a scrapbook I made up for my parents 40th Anniversary party. I also made a website so family and friends could view all their wedding photos. You can have a look if you would like... Click Here

Thank you Movie and Thistle for tagging me to play. I haven't viewed those photos or the website since their party in 2007.

Madeleine, Amber, Billy, Lee ... Heck, Tag! Your all it!
If your interested in playing, just follow the rules posted above and have fun!

Friday Fill-Ins #108

Want to play? Click on the link below.


1. Oh, I am so lonesome I could cry. The silence of a falling star, lights up a purple sky. And as I wonder where you are, I'm so lonesome I could cry! ~Hank Williams

2. The blog improvement challenge is underway. I am hoping for some exciting changes, big and little.

3. During the night, I was startled awake by a very loud crash.

4. Stock bus strike will force 23,000 students to find their own way to and from school; are you kidding me???

5. Right now I'd like to be on the beach relaxing.
(photo via BigStockPhotos.com)

6. The Tassimo my kids got me for Christmas is my favorite gadget.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to staying home, tomorrow my plans include some shopping, errands, buy some film, and take the brownie apart and Sunday, I want to head out early for some breakfast, then a treasure hunt with hubby!

{Have a beautiful weekend all! xxoo}

Testing New Comment Platform

I have been searching for a comment solution for here that will allow me to reply individually to comments you all leave. I installed Intense Debate on my Tweak blog so I can test it out and see if it will work out.

Intense Debate is a commenting system available for blogs and websites. Intense Debate comments enhances and encourages conversation on a blog or website and gives readers the opportunity to engage a blog's content and each other. One feature is Reply By Email which enables you to reply to and moderate comments via email!

Please come on over and give it a try and tell me if you like it or dislike it? Are there any bugs that you've encountered? Loading time, etc?

Thanks,
Jack
Blog Tweaking Experiments

An Interview from Thistle

I just read an interview meme over at Of Thistles and Maple Leaves. Thistle had some really interesting answers to the questions she was given, which of course encouraged me to give it a go.

Thistle sent me the following 5 questions... I asked for it! Too late to turn back now!

1) Are you a native bluenoser? If not, where else is home to you? If you are native, favourite beach EVER in NS and why?

Yup, born and raised right here in Halifax. What I like about living her in Halifax, NS is it has a nice relaxing flow, close to the ocean, lots of great scenery, but also access to city life. The down side is the weather can be a bit of a drag, especially in winter, but then, most places have their own weather woes that they have to deal with.

It's a toss up. Crystal Crescent is a 10 minute drive from where I live; it's a beautiful stretch of fine white sand, beautiful surf but it's too bloody cold to swim in. Then there is Beach Meadows that is 1 1/2 drive up the shore, long stretch of sand, no surf but the water is just warm enough to take a quick dip.

2) What person (dead or alive) would you most like to have three hours to sit and chat over a Tim Hortons with? What would you ask them?

I would have to say my grandmother (maternal). Just recently I was given some information about my grandmother that suggests she may not have had such an easy life growing up. I would like to have at LEAST three hours to sit and listen to her, learn about where she grew up and what life was like for her. I think my grandmother had a lot of heartache she kept hidden behind her kind smile. I miss her.

3) I love all your pictures...Did you go to art school or are you a self taught natural? Do you work in other mediums also? Do you have a favourite piece of work? ***Insert picture of it here__________***

First of all, thank you ... I really love taking pictures and appreciate the compliments people give! Photography is just a hobby for me, I just love to capture the moment, or scenery, or expression - always have a camera with me wherever I go. I have been thinking about taking some classes at the community college this spring and summer though.

One of my more recent favorites is this shot of my oldest

4) Do you have an ultimate art project that you would like to work on and care to share what it is? If you don't want to reveal info about it, but you haven't started working on it, what's holding you back?

I have an idea for a project but I think I'll wait to tell all the details at a later date. It will be time consuming and I really don't have that kind of time right now, maybe in the spring.

5) What is the craziest thing you did when you were younger that you can confess to?...

Oh wow! I was quite the wild one when in my teen years... Ok, when I was 14 - 15 (ish) I fell in with a bad crowd. I was with them one night when the boys broke into a crown victoria, hot-wired it and we cruised around the city all night and ditched it in a wooded path... (you live, you learn - Right?)

or if you prefer...

5) If there was absolutely nothing standing in your way, what would you like to do, above all other things?...eg time travel back to another year...eliminate some world event happening...become immortal...spend a day as an eagle etc...

I'm going to answer this one as a bonus question because it relates to #5...
I would travel back to September 1982 -- See question #5 (above)

PS. Not all my friends back then were hooligans. I did have some really great friends who I still keep in touch with :)

---

Thank you Thistle... that was fun and they were really great questions!

And now the rules for this little meme…which is a challenging one by the way because you just don’t know what’s coming your way….
If you want to participate:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

(*Note: If you would like an interview, you should leave an email address that I can send the questions to. If you don't, I will have to post the question as a comment in your blog)