bluuue moooooon, you saw me standing alooooooone...

if you know what movie/musical thats from, cookie for you :)
exciting lunar activity tonight! and a pretty cool way to bring in the new year :)

from spaceweather.com: Believe it or not, tonight's full Moon is a "Blue Moon." It's the second full Moon this month and the first Blue Moon to fall on New Year's Eve in nearly 20 years. Sounds like a rare excuse for a party...

There's more. In Europe, Africa and Asia, the Blue Moon will dip into Earth's shadow for a partial lunar eclipse. At maximum eclipse, around 19:24 Universal Time, approximately 8% of the Moon will be darkly shadowed.

Blue Moons are rare (once every 2.5 years). Blue Moons on New Year's Eve are rarer still (once every 19 years). How rare is a lunar eclipse of a Blue Moon on New Year's Eve?

A search of NASA's Five Millennium Catalogue of Lunar Eclipses provides an approximate answer. In the next 1000 years, Blue Moons on New Year's Eve will be eclipsed only 11 times (once every 91 years). A year of special note is 2848 when there will be two lunar eclipses in December--on Dec. 1st and Dec. 31st. Such a double-Blue Moon-lunar eclipse ending on New Year's Eve appears to be a millennium-level event. That's rare.

Go outside and enjoy the moonlight!

paging dr. house

so yesterday i woke up with a dull/burning pain in my ribs and mid-back. it continued all day, to the point where i couldnt get off the couch. ibuprofen helped....for about half an hour. icyhot patches didnt help; the pain felt like it was in my bones and not my muscles, anyway. so finally around 5 i took some tylenol pm and went to bed. slept for 4 hours, then woke up every 2 hours until about 8 am. had some pretty fucked up dreams every time i slept, too. dont ask me to relate them, as i dont remember them now...but if you know me and you know my dreaming habits, you have a general idea lol. anyway the back pain was gone this morning, but now i had the same pain in my chest, and it was hard to breathe, like something was squeezing me. mitch took me to the er around 6, and they told me i have post-nasal drip and a viral upper respiratory infection. which i think is complete and utter bullshit, as i have exactly one of the nine listed symptoms of VURI. but thankfully its easier to breathe now and the pain is (mostly) gone. they gave me sudafed and told me that if it gets worse to come back in. um, ya, if things get worse ill definitely go back to the er...but next time, ill be going off-post. to a civilian hospital. because frankly, army doctors (at least the ones at womack) suck balls and i dont trust them as far as i can throw them. oh well, moral of the story: im feeling better. and be wary of military medical care.

joyeux noël

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the maison

Not a creature was stirring, pas même un raton.

Les enfants had all said “bonsoir” to maman

And were now in their nightgowns, or en pyjamas.

While Maman was baking a Christmas gâteau

Le papa was away at the corner bistro.

Les chaussettes were all hung by the chimney with soin

In hopes that St. Nick n’était pas très loin.

And would bring to the children, both bons and mauvais,

All the bonbons et cadeaux that he could porter.

When out in the yard was heard such a son

That I leaped out of bed like a frightened cochon.

I hurried to open the bedroom fenêtre,

And who in the world do you think that it être?

Père Noël was there with his crazy chapeau!

And – ZUT! – he had reindeer to pull his traineau!

I watched as they came, and this quaint old garçon

Was shouting and whistling and calling each nom.

On Hugues et Maurice! Rodolphe et Richard !

On Pierre et Patrice ! Et Georges et Gérard !

With his round little belly that shook like gelée,

He struggled to squeeze down our old cheminée.

Then, huffing and puffing came into our salle

With his red suit all sooty; Mon Dieu, he looked mal!

With lovely cadeaux he filled all the chaussettes,

For none of the children had been really bêtes.

Then laughing aloud with an air très content,

He turned like a flash and was gone like the vent!

And I heard him exclaim in a voice so heureux,

Merry Christmas to all! Et Noël très joyeux!!

its christmas eve! rawr!

so today is christmas eve, and mitch and i are celebrating today as he has to work tomorrow. le sigh.
today has been great so far; we went to IHOP for delicious breakfasty numnums and then came back and relaxed. well, i relaxed; he had to drive someone to UPS and the airport. then he came back and relaxed. i got to talk to all of my moms side of the family this morning; they were all at my uncles house for breakfast. by now theyre at my grandmas (dads mom) getting ready to eat dinner and then open presents. (i miss being with family and friends this year...oh well. next year for sure!!) i watched white christmas while he played his nerd games. i put the potato casserole in the oven about half an hour ago and lemme tell ya, it smells AMAZING. the ham will be going in shortly; well also be having buttery broccoli. and wine...mmmmmmmmmmm, wine ^_^ after dinner presents will be opened and then well watch a christmas carol (the one with patrick stewart; its his favorite version, ive never seen it. so im excited :). all in all, its just gonna be a relaxing, low-key christmas, just me and the hubbs :)

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

the wives who wait

Twas the night before Christmas
And there all alone
I saw a young woman
Who sat by the phone

For what was she waiting
On this holiday night
Where were the stockings
Christmas tree, lights?

I saw one little tear
As it rolled down her face
And she curled up in a blanket
Then looked round the place

Something was missing
Someone not here
In her face I saw sadness
Did I also see fear?

I paused and I wondered
What could it be?
That would cause a young woman
To look so lonely

How could anyone so precious
Choose such a life?
Then I realized this woman
Was a soldiers wife.

Her gift for this Christmas
Is to hear that phone ring
“Hey baby, I miss you
Don’t worry about a thing”

Each day I thank God for the soldiers that serve
Ever willing to fight and lay down his life
But how often do I ever remember to think
About the young woman who is that soldier’s wife

Thank you God for these women
They are just as strong
They sacrifice daily
And without help get along

So God please protect our soldiers
On this holiday eve so late
And give an extra hug
To their wives who wait

written by Jeannie Lining, during OEF deployment 2008

hurrah! randominity!

mtvs "teen mom" is like a trainwreck, and i absolutely love it.

im ready for this week to be over; i have been SO stressed out lately. christmas is gonna suck this year :( yes mitch will be home christmas eve (although hell be on call) but he will be working all day and night on christmas day. i will be alone in the house on christmas day, and it sucks. i hate that we wont be with friends and family, it absolutely blows. i might take mitch in to work so i can have the car and maybe go see a movie or something.

i still have to wrap presents, i have to finish the penguin stocking im making for mitch (shh, its a surprise ;), and tomorrow i have to bake and decorate the cutout cookies. all this will (hopefully) get done tomorrow.

i am so ready to just drive down to PGD and hang out for a few days. SX people, meet me at harpoon harrys.

im getting ready to start another vampire series, night world. im pretty excited about it; its by the same guy that wrote vampire diaries. and i loved those books. im also excited to read the newest book in the house of night series. just waiting for it to come in at the library; i reserved it and i think im like #15 on the list. so it shouldnt take too long.

i miss the old worthington library. that place is just so cozy and relaxing to hang out in. the library here sucks. its small and there is far less of a selection. there are always loud kids running around and a ridiculous wait. unlike old worthington, which has like 10 self-checkout stations, the library here does not have self-checkout, and while there are 4 computers behind the desk, i have never seen more than 2 being used at a time. its so annoying.

i really wish we could afford to live in german village when we move back home. its so pretty there. although, no matter where in columbus we live, it will be a million times better than this godforsaken city. i am so beyond sick of fayetteville. fucking fayette-nam >.<

if mitch were a kitty, this would be him:

today is the winter solstice, aka Yule

Around the world at this time of year people of many diverse cultures are looking forward to the winter holidays. By some the celebration is called Hanukkah, by others Christmas, Las Posadas, Kwanzaa, Ta Chiu, and many others. As Pagans we are preparing to celebrate Yule, or the Winter Solstice.

Usually occurring around December 20th or 21st it is the shortest day of the year and the longest night. At this solar festival the Goddess shows Her aspect of Life-in-Death. She is the icy Lady of the cold and darkness, and yet She is preparing for the birth of the Child of Light – her son turned lover who will make Her fertile once again, restoring light and warmth to the Earth.

The traditions of the season are many and varied, but it is a time of coming together with the sharing of gifts, a custom dating back to the Roman festival of Saturnalia, of reflecting on the year past and preparing resolutions for the year to come.

Contrary to the popular belief of many, the customs we so often celebrate didn't begin with Christmas, but actually started over four thousand years ago in Egypt in a twelve day period of festivities honoring Horus the god who appeared as the sun each day. From that point forward, other sun-worshiping cultures such as Babylon, Greece, Persia and Rome created their own festivals until a new religion, Christianity began to sweep through the civilized world.

However, those who followed the Old Ways were comfortable with their unique lifestyle and traditions, knew their deities and weren't so eager to just give them up! In order to keep peace so to speak, the Church began to incorporate many aspects of Pagan worship into their rituals.

The plan was all well and good in theory, but the Romans weren't so pleased with this idea and felt that their gods and goddesses were being mocked. And so, around the fourth century the Church decided that what their patriarchal religion needed was a Mother Goddess figure. With that, a new emphasis began to be placed on Mary, the mother of Jesus, who received the often-used title of “Queen of Heaven” and in the pagan world created a link to the Egyptian Queen of Heaven, Isis!

The Church then chose December 25th as the day to celebrate and named their festival “Birth of the Son”. Sounds similar to the Pagan “Sun”, right? So, with this arrangement everyone could be relatively at ease and Christmas came into being.

As time went on customs and traditions sort of melded together – symbols adopted by those adhering to the Old Ways and those born of the new Christianity finally all passed into use and have become a part of our diverse winter celebrations – all with the common theme, the birth of a God by the Goddess.

Still today “decking the halls” sends a signal that we are anticipating a special time of the year, and making merry brings just as much joy as we gather with family and friends as it did among the ancient people as they feasted, drank and danced in honor of the return of the sun and the god of light and renewal. Greenery such as laurel, pine, and holly continue to serve as decorations of the season just as they did in the earliest winter festivals. Because they were always green they were thought to have power over death and destruction and to defeat demons.

Mistletoe, which was held in great reverence by the Druids because of its mysterious birth, was hung over doorways to protect from thunder and lightning and was held as being sacred – it's berries being symbolic of the semen of the god and believed to bring fertility and abundance. Bells were originally rung to drive away the dark spirits that came out during the long, cold nights and candles were given by the ancient Romans as gifts at Saturnalia because their brightness was thought to encourage the Sun back into the sky.

Perhaps one of the best-known customs, which dates back to Pagan roots, is the burning of the Yule Log. Although this originally came from the Greeks, the Celts gave it new meaning – the log which was of oak represented the Oak King and was adorned with evergreens for the Holly King. Traditionally, the log burned for twelve days continuously and a bit of the wood was saved to kindle the next year's fire.

From the Anglo-Saxons came the ritual of wassailing, the term “wassail” meaning to hail or salute. Wassailing the Orchard Trees was done by sprinkling them with a mixture of eggs, apples, and wine, ale or cider and offering a toast as a consecration so that they would continue to produce abundantly.

While historical facts are both important and interesting, our enjoyment of the Yule sabbat should not depend upon them. By whatever name we call this season, it should be one of light and warmth, peace and joy, and the celebration of birth and renewal. If we let it, Yule can be the one Sabbat that we can celebrate with those of other paths, without compromising our own.

We can appreciate the fact that we know the ancient origins of our current day customs, and whatever seasonal greeting we receive – be it “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Hanukkah”, “Happy Holidays”, or others – can answer joyfully, “And a blessed Yule to you also”!

~from witchvox.com

9 more days? i cant wait!

did anybody else read this book growing up? it was one of my favorites! i wish i could find it in stores now, but sadly its been out of print for quite some time Y_Y
well ive mailed all my cards, ive decorated the house and the tree, im almost done with gifts, most of them are ready to ship, all i really have left to do is bake cookies and wrap mitchs gift! ive watched all the christmas specials - the grinch, rudolph, frosty, mickeys christmas carol - and ive been listening to the nonstop christmas music station back in ohio online. i even got mitch to wear a santa hat! (see how thrilled the kitties are to be a part of this? lol)

i wish like crazy mitch and i could be home for christmas with our families, but we have to take what we can get, and at least he isnt working on christmas anymore. we will be able to have a nice relaxing christmas as a couple, and im looking forward to it :)

no bueno :(

its 65 degrees outside right now, and my windows are open. youd think this would be a good thing, right? nope. tomorrow its gonna be cold again, but now im in the mood for spring and tomorrows coldness will just make me all depressed kitteh :( im so sick of this weather, it need to either get cold and stay cold or get warm and stay warm!! :(

now i really want it to be spring *sighs*

look at my pretty tree! ^_^

oy

so now the word is that e-4's might not have to work on christmas day. which means mitch will be home for christmas! now lets hope this doesnt change.....have i ever mentioned how much i HATE it when the army jerks us around? >.<

*sighs*

so i dont usually post army-related stuff on here, but i must whine a little bit.
we just found out that mitch has to work staff duty on christmas. which means hell be gone from 9:00 christmas morning til 9:00 the next morning. there are 3 guys who he could switch with and who have no family here, but theyre refusing. which pisses me off - if they have no family here and nobody to see on christmas, why dont they switch with someone who does? but apparently in the army youre not considered a "family" until you have kids >.< oh well, at least we still have christmas eve. and i have a wonderful friend here, phoenix, who has invited me over for christmas dinner with her family. it just wont be the same...i was looking forward to spending the first christmas in the same physical location with my husband :(

this past weekend

i drove home to ohio to see my family and help decorate the tree. this is a huge tradition in my family. every year, on the second saturday after thanksgiving, all of my grandparents come over and we all decorate the tree, and afterwards there is a turkey dinner ^_^ its a huge affair in more ways than one - because there are 10 people in the house and also because our tree is always massive. my parents house has 19-foot vaulted ceilings in the family room, so our trees are always at least 12 feet tall. i think this years was 13 feet lol. unfortunately my grandpa john couldnt be here this year because he was in the hospital with pneumonia (he went home today and is recovering) but i was just grateful to be there. mitch and i arent going to make it home for christmas because hes on call every weekend indefinitely, so it was a real blessing to be able to be home for this.

me and my siblings in front of the tree. O-H! ^_^

happy thanksgiving!

its chilly outside, macys parade is starting, gonna start prepping the bird soon (its a little 3-pounder, so i didnt have to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn to put it in the oven lol). its a good day! im so thankful for my wonderful husband, and my family and friends! everyone have a safe and happy day! :)

i am in desperate need of a girly day

it has been far too long since ive been to a salon, and i need a pampering day. i want to get a mani/pedi, i want a haircut, i want violet highlights (yes violet :). and i want to get my bellybutton pierced. and get about a million more tattoos. then i wanna go shopping, then dancing. i feel bored and frumpy and i need a change. blah.

ps i love that i posted this at 11:11...maybe this wish will come true? lol

supporting our troops this holiday season <3

The American Red Cross again will sponsor a national “Holiday Mail for Heroes” campaign to receive and distribute holiday cards to servicemembers, veterans and their families in the United States and abroad.

The card campaign includes those working and receiving care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

A special P.O. Box address will be published the first week of November online at http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail.

In the meantime, people shouldn’t send cards to Walter Reed unless they are addressed to a specific wounded warrior.

Due to security restrictions, Walter Reed cannot accept generic mail addressed to “A Recovering Soldier” or “Any Soldier.” In past years, hundreds of cards were returned to senders because of generic addresses, many sent in response to misleading e-mails.

The American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc. will partner for the third year to provide screening of all mail sent to the following P.O. Box address:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Cards should not be mailed until Monday, and postmarked no later than Dec. 7 to reach servicemembers recovering at Walter Reed.

hello my name is brenda

and i am a bellydance addict. two lessons and im absolutely hooked. i love everything about it - its a fantastic workout, theres glitter and gorgeous costumes involved, and most of all it just makes you feel SEXY! speaking of costumes, i want this one. its $475, who wants to buy it for me? lol ;)

honoring those who served

i hope everyone took a moment to thank a veteran today ♥

i <3 christmas!!

ive already got the christmas fever, and its not even thanksgiving yet lol. one of the best parts about this year is that i have my own space to decorate! so phoenix and i went shopping this morning and i got all kinds of cute stuff! heres a few pix

pirate and irish nutcrackers

pretty pretty candles

random penguin stuff ^_^

wreath for the front door

i also got elf and mickeys christmas carol on dvd. i couldnt find a muppets christmas carol, but rest assured when i do, it shall be mine ^_^ its my FAVORITE christmas movie lol

ive been listening to christmas music nonstop this weekend...its pretty bad lol. if i could just skip thanksgiving and go right to chrismtas id be happy :) heres a sampling of my christmas playlist:

vive le vent - henri des (i love french carols lol)
mon beau sapin - roch voisine
merry christmas (i dont want to fight tonight) - asobi seksu
do they know its christmas? - band aid
feliz navidad - BoA (shes japanese, and the japanese lyrics put a great spin on this song :)
the restroom door said gentlemen - bob rivers
merry frickin christmas - frickin a
what christmas means to me - hanson (dont hate!)
christmas in killarney - the irish rovers
mele kalikimaka - jimmy buffett
we need a little christmas - johnny mathis
merry christmas, happy holidays - *NSYNC
wonderful christmastime - paul mccartney
my first christmas as a woman - the vandals
last christmas - wham!

so as you can see, im a huge fan of the non-traditional christmas carols XD
i cant wait til christmas is closer...phoenix and i are gonna bake cookies together. im gonna use my grandmas cookie recipe...hopefully it turns out good. theyll never be as good as grandmas though :)

from the U. S. Army's facebook page

A moment of silence is scheduled for 1:34 PM CT. Please join us in remembering those who lost their lives and keep your thoughts with our Fort Hood community.

thoughts/prayers/good vibes needed for fort hood

NBC News and msnbc.com

updated 28 minutes ago

An Army psychiatrist opened fire Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas, killing 12 people and wounding 30 others before being shot to death, officials told NBC News.

Eleven of the victims died at the scene, military officials said. A 12th died later at a hospital, NBC station KCEN-TV of Waco reported.

NBC News’ Pete Williams reported that U.S. officials identified the gunman as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who had been promoted to major in May. Defense officials said Hasan, 39, arrived at Fort Hood in July after practicing for six years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, which included a fellowship in disaster and preventive psychiatry.

Hasan was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq on Nov. 28, officials said. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said military officials had told her that Hasan was “pretty upset” about his deployment orders.

The Associated Press, quoting federal law enforcement officials, said Hasan had come to their attention at least six months ago because of Internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats. The officials said they were still trying to confirm that he was the author.

One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog item that equates suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.

Medical records on file in Virginia, where Hasan was born and was registered to practice, and Maryland, where he received his medical degree at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, revealed no disciplinary actions or formal complaints.

Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone, commanding general of the Army’s III Corps, said the gunman used two handguns.

Two other soldiers were taken into custody after the shooting. Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, said they were released, but later in the day law enforcement officials told Carter that another person had been detained for questioning.

cstsonline.org Maj. Nidal Malik Hassan was described as ‘upset’ about his pending deployment to Iraq.

A senior administration official told NBC News that the shootings could have been a criminal matter rather than a terrorism-related attack and that there was no intelligence to suggest a plot against Fort Hood.

Military and local hospital officials said the victims were a mixture of men and women, military and civilian. At least one of those killed was a civilian police officer, Cone said. At least four local SWAT officers were among those wounded, KCEN reported.

‘They shot me!’
Among the wounded was Pfc. Keara Bono, 21, of Independence, Mo., who was shot in the shoulder. She called her mother, Peggy McCarty, to let her know she would be OK.

Bono, who works with soldiers dealing with stress, arrived in Fort Hood only Wednesday from her previous posting in Topeka, Kan., NBC station KSN-TV of Wichita, Kan., reported. Her brother, Dustin, told the Kansas City Star that Bono was “mad more than anything.”

“They shot me! And I’m still here in this country!” Dustin Bono quoted his sister as saying.

Robin Geiser of Random Lake, Wis., said her 24-year-old son, who commands soldiers at Fort Hood, knew some of the victims. He had been scheduled to be in the readiness center Thursday ahead of his deployment in January, but he was spared because his day’s orders were changed and he was on the training ground, instead, Geiser said.

“I was terrified come January,” Geiser told NBC station WTMJ-TV of Milwaukee. “I’m doubly worried now. If you can’t be safe here ....”

Geiser said that in conversations with her son, he told her that “there’s a lot of anger in a lot of these soldiers.”

“Who knows what it stems from?” she asked.

the sundays

the sundays were an english alternative rock group in the early 1990's. their album reading, writing, and arithmetic is one of my all-time favorites. heres the video for my favorite track, heres where the story ends. please excuse the poor quality and the 90's fashions :p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGBwU1sNfAU

just a puppet on a lonely string

its been about 2 months since weve been home for a visit. i can tell because im getting homesick again. it seems to come in 2-month cycles. i *really* miss my friends. i want to go to ugly tuna with ashley and tanya and laura. i want to hang out at jackies with all my besties. i want to go to bdubs with ben and jordan and sam (male). i want to go bar-hopping and eat macaroni and cheese with sam (female). sadly it doesnt look like well be able to go home for thanksgiving as mitch will most likely not get a pass. so not only does this mean we wont get to see friends and family soon...it also means ill have to cook a turkey o.O that thought is mildly terrifying lol. i will, however, have to make a trip up sometime before christmas to pick up all my ornaments that are sitting in a box in nenes basement. so ill have to figure out a good weekend to make the trip. uuugh i hate making that trip alone, its so damn long (mitch cant come with me; he cant be more than 150 miles from post without a pass). i cant wait til mitch is done with all this army stuff and we can move back home. i miss being able to call up jackie or tine or sam or someone, and just meeting up some place and hanging out. i love the friends i have here, but they cant compare to the people i grew up with. i miss you guys :(

im so proud ^_^

i usually try to keep army talk off this blog since, well lets face it, sometimes i just need a place thats totally army-free lol. but im so happy i had to post this: mitch was finally promoted to SPC (specialist) ^_^

happy halloween and blessed samhain!

The holiday that we know as Halloween today bares little resemblance to it's origins. While many of the traditions of making jack 'o' lanterns, and giving out treats do come from the old European holiday known as Samhain, (pronounced SOW-ain), the origins of Halloween are very different from what we celebrate today. First, to give an understanding to the reader of these old "pagan" holidays, one must understand the meaning of some of the old language and culture of the times. The term 'pagan', while having come to mean rudely and wrongly something like "devil worshipper" by the Christian mythology standards merely meant "country people" in the language of the times. It was used as a sort of derogatory term by the ruling class in reference to those they ruled over meaning something like 'country bumpkin'.

Samhain was one of four "fire" festivals of the Celtic calendar year. It marked the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. In the old Manx New Year festival was called Laa Houney or Hollantides Day. In the Welsh, a language still used today; it was called Nos Galen-Gaeaf or Night of the Winter Calends. In the Old World the old day ended and the new day began at sun set. The day before Samhain was considered the last day of Summer, or in the old Irish Celtic language, Samradh, (pronounced sow-rawth), and was the day that marked the end of the old year, or the Light half of the year. Just as Samhain marked the end of the old year it also marked the beginning of the new year, or Geimredh, (pronounced geim-reth), otherwise known as the Winter or dark half of the year. The Autumn part of the year, or Foghamhar, (pronounced foth-am-ar), was considered to be part of the light half of the year. Spring, or Earrach, (pronounced air-rock), was considered to be part of the dark half of the year.

Samhain was, and still is, considered to be a very mystical and magical time that was 'between' the seasons and the years. It was considered to be the time that the spirits of those who have passed on could walk among those still on the corporeal plane and the time for doing divination. The veil between the worlds was and still is considered to be the thinnest at this time of year, and therefore the perfect time to find out what the new year would bring, as well as the time to delve into the past to help solve any unresolved issues.

Samhain lasted for three days in the old times and these three days were considered the time of "no time". It was during the days of 'no time' that people were allowed to do things that normally was frowned upon by the highly structured society of the Celts. This was where the tradition of 'trick or treat' came from. The children would go from dwelling to dwelling knocking on the doors asking for food or treats of some kind, and if the those who dwelt within did not oblige, they just might find themselves at the receiving end of a possibly rather nasty trick. Adults would indulge in shenanigans like taking someone's livestock and moving them to a different field without telling the owner of the livestock, or tearing down the gates to the corral that held a particular farmer's horses, cows, or pigs and allowing the animals to get away. There would be bon-fires and dancing and, of course, plenty of mead.

While it would seem to be a holiday that promoted a form of lunacy, it had a much deeper and serious meaning. These days were very special days and seemed to have a very mystical and magical quality about them. It was this quality that was used by the druidic priests of the Celts to their best advantage. These were the days in which to contact the spirits of the ancestors on the 'other side' of the veil between the worlds.

Unlike the view that most people share today about loved ones who have passed on, the Celts viewed their ancestors not as ghosts or spirits of the dead, but believed their loved ones on the 'other side' were very much living spirits and that death had been purely on a physical level. Ancestors were viewed as guides and helpers for their family still in the mortal world and not as something evil to be feared.

By the year 43 A.D. the Romans had conquered much of the Celtic lands an over the next 400 years two Roman festivals became combined with Samhain. Feralia, celebrated in late October was a commemoration of the passing of the dead. The second Roman festival was a celebration in honor of Pomona the goddess of trees and fruit. Pomona's symbol was the apple and this may explain the origins of "bobbing for apples" in our celebrations of Halloween today.

With the rise of Christianity, the Catholic church tried its best to stop this "heathen" festival, but as one can see they were rather unsuccessful in their attempts. So the church took the three days of Samhain and named them All Hallows Eve, All Hallows or All Saints Day, and All Soul's Day. These are, respectively, October 31, November 1, and November 2. Later the name was changed to Halloween.

It was not until Christianity came to the Isles that the Christian devil ever became associated with Halloween. There was no concept of a devil or Satan in the Earth-based religions, nor was there anything even remotely evil about Samhain, or as it is now called, Halloween.

Today, for most people, Halloween is the time for masquerade parties, and having the kiddies dress up in Halloween costumes and roam about the neighborhood for trick or treat getting all the tooth decaying sweeties they can stand; and for the older kids to run amok pulling, (hopefully), harmless pranks.

So as one can well see there is nothing inherently evil or "satanic" about Samhain, or Halloween. It's the a time to celebrate the cycle of the seasons and to have good friends over for a feast and merry making. So, "Merry we meet, and merry we part and a magical Samhain and Happy Halloween to all!"

source: http://www.trueghosttales.com/history-halloween.php

salem pictures!

we spent sunday morning exploring salem. because it was such a nice day and so close to halloween it was insanely crowded, but we had a lot of fun :)

the trees were absolutely beautiful

witch trials memorial: giles corey

witch trials memorial: bridget bishop

the old cemetery next to the witch trials memorial. it was extremely crowded, but i could tell how peaceful it normally is

Double, double, toil and trouble...

tomorrow i am flying to massachusetts to see a friend. well be spending a good part of the weekend exploring salem, home of all things witchy ^_^ im so excited! i promise you lots of pictures :)

wedding bands!!! ^_^

heres mine

heres mitchs

mitchs ring is on special order because they didnt have his size, it wont be in until end of november. im wearing mine now and it makes me a happy kitty ^_^

well its about damn time!!

i FINALLY got my settlement check from skybus! it has been deposited in our account and has cleared, and i plan on dragging mitch to the mall (if he ever decides to wake up; i might have to bribe him with waffle house) so we can buy our wedding bands! only over a year late lol. oh well, better late than never right?

know what pisses me off?

ignorant close-minded super-conservative holier-than-thou christian extremists!!! pick an article off this site, any article. im particularly fond of the beyonce one and the lightning bolt one *rolls eyes*. and yes, im 99% certain this site is NOT a joke.
http://christwire.org/

i never really found older men sexy

until i first saw leroy jethro gibbs XD
oh he is just beautiful...those eyes...*swoons* lol

nutella pound cake: epic deliciousness

i Stumbled on this recipe a few weeks ago and ever since then my mouth has been watering at the thought of it. so this morning i gave in and bought nutella (of course i bought 2 jars - one for the cake and one for me ;) enjoy!

the fixins: youll need flour, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar and of course, nutella

hell yea nutella! a jar full of chocolate-hazelnutty orgasmic yummyness ^_^

beat the eggs and vanilla together; in a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. look at that fluffiness ^_^

add the egg mixture and flour mixture and beat until combined. pour 1/3 of the batter in a greased loaf pan and spread with half a jar of nutella (i found it was a lot easier to spread the nutella if i popped it in the microwave for about 15 seconds.) layer another 1/3 of the batter, the rest of the nutella (leaving a little bit left in the jar for consumption ^_^), and top off with the last of the batter. swirl with a butter knife. bake, let cool, and enjoy the swirly tastiness :)

Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake
taken from danatreat.com
Makes one 9-by-5 inch loaf

1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
One 13-ounce jar Nutella

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease and flour a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.

2. Using either a handheld or standing mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed utnil fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

3. Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with the remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.

4. Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.

61* and raining

its the perfect weather for snuggling under a cozy blanket, reading, drinking tea and listening to the perfect music. which of course is what im doing (minus the tea, i cant bring myself to get out from under my blanket just yet lol). my perfect music for this weather = asobi seksu. havent heard of them? im not surprised. theyre not very well-known, despite recently releasing their 3rd album. i havent heard it yet, but their second album, citrus, is one of my favorite cds of all time. you must go buy it. theyre amazing. heres my favorite track off citrus: thursday

ARIELLAH!!!

my amazing friend phoenix (who has been bellydancing for 10 years) just told me about this:

What: Winter Solstice Workshop with Ariellah: Cary
When: Sat Feb 6 1pm – Sat Feb 6, 2010 4pm
Where: Academy for the Performing Arts 115 Commerce St. Apex NC
Created By: Heather for NCBellydance.org Workshops Calendar
Description: Winter Solstice with ~Ariellah~

Hosted by Mara and The Moorish Gypsy Tribe

Experience the Dark Side of Winter

Ariellah’s style infuses her personal interpretation of Middle Eastern Belly Dance with a modern dark flavor. She is widely known for her strong stage presence and unrivaled technique. Her performance is designed to mesmerize and evoke emotions of the darker more passionate side of dance. Ariellah believes her style emanates from the contentment bellydance has brought to her life, as well as her infusion of her lifelong involvement in the gothic subculture, allowing her to express herself in a unique and beautifully dark way……

i am SO excited for this!!! ariellah is AMAZING and i can not wait for this opportunity ^_^
ariellah

omnomnom

i just made what are quite possible THE best cinnamon rolls ive ever had. actually theyre orange cinnamon rolls. and they. are. DELICIOUS. im very proud of myself because this was also the first time ive made a yeast dough, and i must say it turned out quite splendidly :) so if you have the time, i definitely recommend making these. trust me, you wont be sorry :)

orange-cinnamon rolls, adapted from www.ourbestbites.com

dough:
1/4 oz package yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk (the recipe calls for scalded milk, but i didnt scald mine and it turned out fine)
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2-4 cups flour

filling:
4 tbs butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
zest from one orange
cinnamon to taste

glaze:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tbs melted butter
2 tbs orange juice

in a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. in a large bowl mix milk, sugar, butter, salt and egg. add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. add yeast mixture. mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5-10 minutes. place in well-greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

heat oven to 350*.

when doubled in size, punch down dough. roll out on a floured surface into a 15x9 inch rectangle. mix filling ingredients together and spread on dough. beginning at the 15-inch side, roll up dough and pinch edge together to seal. cut into 12-15 slices.

after the rolls are filled and cut, place them in a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

when the rolls have a few minutes left in the oven, whisk your glaze ingredients together. when the rolls are done cooking, let them cool for 5 minutes. spread glaze on and serve warm.

look at this deliciousness. LOOK AT IT!!! XD

first person to name the song gets a cookie ^_^

and no googling either, thats cheating lol

I was hanging with the fellas
Saw you with your new boyfriend,  it made me jealous
I was hoping that I'd never see you with him
But it's all good, 'cause I'm glad that I met him
Heh
'Cause now I know the competition's very slim to none
And I can tell by looking that he's not the one
He's not the type you said you liked
His style is wack, clothes are bad
Come on, girl, let him go
I want you back

also on my to do list

make my own laundry detergent. a few of my army wife friends do this and they say it works really well, plus it saves a LOT of money.

1 whole ivory (or whatever soap you like) bar shredded
1/2 cup borax
1/2 cup super washing soda
It's powdered detergent. Just keep it in a tupperware and shake it up. Use about 1 tbsp per load of laundry.

i <3 wizard of oz

"Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking..."

~Scarecrow

omnomnom

i made these a few nights ago and let me tell you, these are probably THE best potatoes i have ever tasted. seriously. you must make them now...NOW! ;)

broccoli cheddar twice-baked potatoes

seriously, how yummy does this look? *drools*

today is the autumnal equinox

The Fall Equinox is also known as: Alban Elfed, Autumn Equinox, Autumnal Equinox, Cornucopia, Feast of Avilon, Festival of Dionysus, Harvest Home, Harvest Tide, Mabon, Night of the Hunter, Second Harvest Festival, Wine Harvest, Witch's Thanksgiving, and the first day of autumn.

The word "equinox" was derived from Latin term "æquinoctium" which, in turn, came from "æquus" (equal), and "nox" (night). It refers to the time that occurs twice a year when the nighttime is equal to the daytime -- each being 12 hours in duration.

have a blessed mabon everyone :)

its never lupus

season 6 premier tonight!!! :bouncing:

uyuni salt flats, bolivia

when covered with water, the flats reflect the sky. its absolutely gorgeous and im dying to go.

in 2 days

this is where i will be. and im so excited ^_^
http://cncpaganpride.org/2009/

i hate army healthcare <_<

so yesterday i called the clinic and made an appointment for this morning with my PCM to get a referral for an ob/gyn. ive not been seen at the clinic before so they just made the appointment in my husbands name. well mitch just got a call asking about the appointment.....apparently i need to be enrolled in the clinic before i can be seen. WHY this didnt occur to them to mention this when they scheduled the appointment is beyond me! they even asked what the referral was for and i told them, a pap. wouldnt it occur to YOU if you were them, that hmmm, MAYBE, just MAYBE, a MAN doesnt need a pap smear?!? ok so we go to the clinic to enroll me, well we get there and they tell us we need my tricare forms (why couldnt they have just said that over the phone?) so they tell us which office to go to at the hospital and we go and do our thing, go back to the clinic only to be told we went to the WRONG office. WE WENT WHERE THEY TOLD US TO GO!!! so we go BACK to the hospital, go to the right office, wait for over an hour, get me enrolled in tricare, and are told the rules have changed and since we live off-post i have to be seen off post. FINE WITH ME! hopefully i wont have to deal with this bullshit anymore! so i pick my PCM from a list and get all squared away. we get home, after being gone for 4 hours doing all this shit. i called my PCM to get an appointment for a referral...they cant see me until the beginning of november. they said that tricare KNOWS theyre booked up until then. however, the woman at the tricare office said NOTHING about that, in fact she told me to tell them i needed to be seen as soon as possible, and i had told her i needed to be seen within the week. so then mitch calls the on-post clinic and asked if i could just go in and have a new scrip written up for me, and they said no but i can go to any off-post doctor that accepts tricare. well the lady at the tricare office told me i have to go to the clinic im assigned to, which is the one that cant see me til november. mitch googled and found a place that can get me in on monday thank god. so he called the tricare office to have them switch my PCM from the old clinic to the one that can get me in on monday (if i called id either break down in tears bc im so stressed or start screaming at someone. i am way past my tolerance level for the day). so he called tricare to have them switch my PCM...and apparently since im still on tricare standard i dont even need a referral from a PCM o.O so we found an ob/gyn that can get me in on the 30th of this month, a day after my scrip runs out, which is fine with me. i just wish id known this this morning so we wouldnt have had to deal with all this shit. fucking shitty morning. to everyone who says government-run healthcare would be the best thing ever, you dont know shit.

im in a domestic mood

items to make/cook/bake for fall:

marinara sauce
chili
english muffin bread
chocolate truffles
snickerdoodles
pumpkin bread
apple cider pancakes
[edited to add] candied lemon and orange slices - regular and chocolate-covered

my house is gonna smell so yummy ^_^

shoutout to

all my strawberry shortcake land loversssss!! :hi::bouncing::heart::lmao:






:ph34r:

oy, RAMIE!!

:hi::giggle:

NEVER FORGET

"Great harm has been done to us. We have suffered great loss. And in our grief and anger we have found our mission and our moment. Freedom and fear are at war. The advance of human freedom -- the great achievement of our time, and the great hope of every time -- now depends on us. Our nation, this generation will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."

~President George W. Bush

its the little things in life

so being the quick person i am ( :p ) i just realized i could listen to WNCI online. its like a little piece of home, listening to the morning zoo again :D lol dave and jimmy, you will always hold a special place in my heart ^_^


ahahahahahaha celebrity sleazeeeee

BEST. LOL. EVAR!!! XD

if you get the reference then im not the only nerd around here ;)

getting so excited

so im gonna be going to raleigh next weekend for the Pagan Pride Day festival. im looking at the website right now, specifically all the different workshops, and OMG they sound like FUN!! theres one called "animism in eden and sacred spaces", intro to druidry, goddess workshop, intro to wicca, folklore of herbals, and beginning bellydancing...omg i cant wait this is gonna be so much fun!!! :bouncing:

http://cncpaganpride.org/2009/

well this feels familiar...

so i was originally told that we (ex-skybus employees) would be receiving our settlement checks sometime this month. well i just called our contact person and was told that the final hearing is tomorrow and checks will not be sent out until a month after the hearing. so now we are "guaranteed" our checks sometime before the end of the year.

wtf guys, come on. i need that money! it just feels like were being jerked around by skybus all over again :(

le petit prince

On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

halloween

here are some possibilities for my costume. opinions?

http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/arabian/serena-the-snake-charmer
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/angel-fairy_2/fallen-angel
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/egyptian/queen-of-the-nile
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/geisha-samurai/tokyo-pop-princess-geisha
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/international/sassy-lassie
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/international/Senorita-Rosa
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/pirates/renaissance-pirate
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/pirates/elegant-pirate-lady
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/pirates/sexy-swash-buckler
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/renaissance/Fortune-Teller
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/roman-greek/medusa-the-mythical-siren
http://www.halloweenmart.com/adult-costumes/witches-wizards/siren-of-sorcery

slam your fist on the table and make your demand

outside its cooling down, and i can feel a slight crispness in the air. pretty soon back home, mom will start making applesauce and chili. im baking blueberry-banana bread. all this to me means fall is coming. sadly i probably wont see any leaves changing from my window, since around our apartment complex are nothing but pine trees. but oh well. heres my playlist for autumn.

anberlin - paperthin hymn
april sixth - dear angel
butthole surfers - pepper
coldplay - fix you
fall out boy - sugar were goin down
lashes - sometimes the sun
m.i.a. - 10 dollar
matisyahu - youth
missy elliott feat. vybz cartel & m.i.a. - bad man
ok go - a million ways
seventh day slumber - caroline
showbread - mouth like a magazine
spoon - i turn my camera on
stellastarr* - my coco

spin me round again

Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that you only meant well?
Well, of course you did.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it's all for the best?
Ah, of course it is.
Mmm, what you say?
Mm, that it’s just what we need?
And you decided this?
Mmm what you say?
Mm,
What Did She Say?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cpSv2mNhhc

ahhh ^_^

well this weekend was amazing. i went to myrtle beach with sam for a couple days since we both needed a break from...well...life lol. we spent all day sunday just laying on the beach (now im nice and tan - but my nose is burnt :( lol). it was SO relaxing. we were going to spend monday on the beach too but it stormed in the morning so we drove around looking at all the cute beach houses. the rain slowed down to a light drizzle so we walked the beach and found some pretty seashells, and a sea urchin shell. that was cool :) now today its FINALLY cooled down to 79 degrees (its been in the high 90s for 3 weeks!) and ive got my windows open to let the breeze in...its absolutely wonderful. i am so relaxed...i needed this weekend so much. now erin al and finn are coming in this weekend (yay!) and hopefully i can make another trip to the beach next weekend :)

this pretty much sums up my weekend right here:

hmpf.

today is a shitty day. im - how can i put this nicely - suffering from female complaints. add to that the fact that i forgot sam is coming this weekend (thats the one good thing going on) and were going to visit her brother and sister and pretty much spend the weekend on the beach. lovely, ill fit right in, i feel like a whale. just go ahead and roll me back into the ocean, ive done gone beached myself <_< i feel fat and bloated and pissy and totally not in the mood for company. so hopefully some beach therapy will do me some good. alcohol might help too :p lol

animal alphabet

my sister and i absolutely adored this video when we were growing up, and i just found it on youtube! w00t! did anybody else watch this when they were younger?
part 1 part 2 part 3

63rd Annual 82nd Airborne Convention

mitch and i were in indianapolis this past weekend for the convention. it was a lot of fun and so amazing to meet some of the veterans and hear their stories. it was such a good time and we hope to go again next year (itll be in WV - much shorter trip lol!) heres a few pix:

dinner friday night

and again bc i like this pic lol

formal saturday night (he looks so handsome in dress greens ^_^ )

this man was one of the paratroopers to jump on D-Day. so amazing to meet him. he told us to call him Grandpop :)

ALL THE WAY!

new phone

motorola rival. RIP LG enV1, youve been a good phone.

.

supposed to be cleaning bathrooms right now, but i dont wanna :p
might actually be in salem MA for halloween, how kickass would that be?! plus id get to see some pretty rockin people :)
erin al and finn are gonna be here for the weekend, yay!
going home next week w00t! and going to 2 military balls to boot! yay for getting to be a pretty pretty princess ^_^
theres a festival in raleigh next month for pagan pride day. it sounds like fun and im definitely gonna go, very excited about that.
i think i can hear the cats tearing apart my loofah right now so im gonna go and smite them. then i suppose i must clean. blah.
after cleaning is done you better believe im rewarding myself with a mikes hard pink lemonade, cheesecake, and monty python and the holy grail XD

one year ago today

i married the love of my life ♥

good weekend

1) i got gorgeous flowers for my birfday from teh hubbs XD
2) i bought hot pink bra
3) got some wallflower refills and now my house smells like Autumn Apple
4) its some kind of special weekend bc pretty much every place ive been to is tax-free this weekend. WIN!
5) there really isnt anything else, i just abhor the number 4 so i had to add a 5 :p

it are mah birfday!! XD

god i miss CD101 lol

Brenda,
It’s your birthday, and you know what that means? It’s the one special day out of the whole year when everyone celebrates YOU! You might get presents from friends and family, free drinks from your friends at the bar, a party thrown in your honor, special treatment or a day off of work, you get to make people feel bad if they forget to tell you “Happy Birthday,” and you might even get to wear a cool party hat. But you know what else you get on your birthday? An e-mail from the radio station that loves you most, CD101.

Happy Birthday from Columbus' Best Radio Station - CD101!

all soul's night

Bonfires dot the rolling hillsides
Figures dance around and around
To drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
Moving to the pagan sound.

Somewhere in a hidden memory
Images float before my eyes
Of fragrant nights of straw and of bonfires
And dancing till the next sunrise.

I can see lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on All Souls Night.

Figures of cornstalks bend in the shadows
Held up tall as the flames leap high
The green knight holds the holly bush
To mark where the old year passes by.

I can see lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on All Souls Night.

Bonfires dot the rolling hillsides
Figures dance around and around
To drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
And moving to the pagan sound.

Standing on the bridge that crosses
The river that goes out to the sea
The wind is full of a thousand voices
They pass by the bridge and me.

I can see lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on All Souls Night.

~ loreena mckennitt

yay!

i just made dinner reservations for our anniversary on the 11th ^_^ were going to the mash house. ive heard really good things about this place, its a steakhouse and they brew their own beer. its supposed to be REALLY good. heres their website: http://themashhouse.com/about/ you have got to check out their menu.....my mouth is just watering lol :)

BBC 100 books list

The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?
Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen -
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien -
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee -
6 The Bible - X
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - X
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell -
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman -
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens -
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott - X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy -
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller -
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare -
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier -
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien - X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk -
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger -
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger-
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot -
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell -
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald - X
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens -
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy -
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams -
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky -
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck -
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll -
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame -
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy -
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens -
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis -
34 Emma-Jane Austen -
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen -
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis - X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini -
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres -
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - X
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne -
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell -
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown - X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving -
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins -
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery - X
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy -
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood -
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding - X
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan -
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel -
52 Dune - Frank Herbert -
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons-
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen - X.5.....havent finished it
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth -
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon -
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens -
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley -
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon -
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez -
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck -
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov -
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt -
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - X
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas -
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac -
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy -
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding -
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie -
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville - X
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens -
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker - X
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - X
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson -
75 Ulysses - James Joyce -
76 The Inferno - Dante -
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome -
78 Germinal - Emile Zola -
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray -
80 Possession - AS Byatt -
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens -
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell -
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker -
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro--
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert -
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry -
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - X
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom -
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton -
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad -
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery - X
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks -
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams -
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole -
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas -
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare -
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl -X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo-

please sign

this is a cause that is close to my heart. please take a moment to sign this petition.
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6063/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=444

.....youve gotta be kidding me

im about to throw things.....fucking asshole. dont fucking act the victim when you brought this on yourself. and dont pretend to give a damn about anyone but yourself.

and theres the thunder

its a lazy day...im recovering from yesterdays unending drive from OH to NC. im currently watching twilight, and wishing i had a better vampire movie to watch...or that i had more seasons of buffy :p gonna finish reading dracula here in a minute...hoping SJ has found the 4th house of night book lol. the impending storm makes this a perfect day...no seriously. im in a dark brooding mood...maybe i should watch angel lol :)

She Walks In Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meets in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek and o'er that brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,—
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.

~ Lord Byron

fml

idk wtf is wrong with me lately. i shouldnt be pmsing yet, but im tired all the time and im super emotional. and ive fallen back into snacking all freaking day. and no, before you even think that cursed word, i am NOT pregnant. im just apparently a bitch. im tired of being here - dont get me wrong, ive made some great friends, but they just cant compare with the people ive known all my life. i miss my friends back home like crazy. luckily, mitch is letting me take the car this weekend and come home, so YAY im gonna be at jackies super spectacular party ^_^ this i am excited for.
ugh i just need to do something to get out of this funk. i REALLY wanna start seriously doing bellydancing, but lessons are expensive. plus we only have one car so im usually stuck in the house all day. a girl can only watch so much tv, read so many books, Stumble online so many times before boredom and lethargy overtakes her. i wish we had money for a second car...would solve a lot of problems. *sigh*

meh

i am in an inexplicable mopey mood right now. today wasnt especially awful, although it wasnt great either - i did laundry and dishes. but i also watched PotC3:at worlds end, so that was good. its raining right now but that in itself isnt the cause of my funk...i actually stood out in it for a bit after i remembered to rush outside and close the car windows lol. i like the rain, its calming. especially at night. so i dont know whyfor the blahs. its upsetting not to know why im so down.

i want ice cream. specifically a berry flavored ice cream. but due to it being sunday, the commissary is already closed and i dont feel like going all the way to walmart just for some frozen sugar that would inevitably end up on my hips. maybe husband will go get ice cream for me.....nah, nevermind. hes playing his video games lol.

so i think everyone should go read the republic of pirates by colin woodard. its SO good. heres the review from publishers weekly:
Woodard tells a romantic story about Caribbean pirates of the "Golden Age" (1715–1725)—whom he sees not as criminals but as social revolutionaries—and the colonial governors who successfully clamped down on them, in the early 18th-century Bahamas. One group of especially powerful pirates set up a colony in the Bahamas. Known as New Providence, the community attracted not only disaffected sailors but also runaway slaves and yeomen farmers who had trouble getting a toehold in the plantation economy of the American colonies. The British saw piracy as a threat to colonial commerce and government. Woodes Rogers, the governor of the Bahamas and himself a former privateer, determined to bring the pirates to heel. Woodard describes how Rogers, aided by Virginia's acting governor, Alexander Spotswood, finally defeated the notorious Blackbeard. Woodard's portrait of Rogers is a little flat—the man is virtually flawless ("courageous, selfless, and surprisingly patriotic"), and the prose is sometimes breathless ("they would know him by just one word... pirate"). Still, this is a fast-paced narrative that will be especially attractive to lovers of pirate lore and to vacationers who are Bahamas-bound.
so yea, its really good, even for non-fiction. go buy it. like now.

kthxbai.

gothic fusion bellydance

i want to learn this.

HBP

honestly, i was disappointed. there was a total of 2 memories of riddle, and there shouldve been so much more. they completely cut out the marvolo gaunt storyline, which is kind of crucial. no explanation whatsoever of the ring or of dumbledores shriveled hand. there was no funeral at the end. and overall, i was expecting the movie to be much darker. the book is one of my favorites in the series because its when everything really starts to get dark, and there was a total lack of darkness in the movie. oh and was it really necessary to burn down the burrow? really?

although i really loved the felix felicis part...freakin hilarious :)

*bounces*

just bought tickets to see HBP at midnite tomorrow with SJ!!!

SO FLIPPIN EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

window shopping!!

i ♥ forever 21 ^_^

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Bubba's Belly Run

as you may or may not know, a member of Army Wife Chat lost her husband in iraq back in february, just 4 days after he returned from R&R. just days later she found out she was pregnant with their second child.
nicki has put together this amazing benefit called Bubba's Belly Run. please check out the site, and if you cant make it to the actual run please condiser buying a flag. thanks everyone ♥

http://www.bubbasbellyrun.com/

i <3 shopping

cute new shirt yay!! i also got dark jeans and a shirt for the harry potter premier that says "Muggle" ^_^

comments

a few of you have said that you are unable to comment on my blog. i played around with the settings and it should work now. lemme know if you still have trouble! :)

RIP

flame if you must, but

im really not that upset over michael jacksons death. yes, he died, its sad. but it kinda pisses me off that everyone is saying what a tragedy it is and how the world has lost a fantastic performing artist and blah blah blah...yea people, he was pretty awesome in that respect, but HE MOLESTED SMALL BOYS. "wasnt proved..." my ass - hes guilty and everybody knows it. dont let the fact that hes the "King of Pop" overshadow that. he was a pedophile and a pervert. he wasnt some wonderful human being. get over it. i think its more of a tragedy that farrah fawcett died. RIP farrah ♥

aaahahahaha

for anyone who thinks twilight is a little overrated and edward cullen is creepy
http://www.buzzfeed.com/lindseyweber/buffy-summers-vs-edward-cullen-ru

In pirate language, "splice the mainbrace" means to have a drink.

Anne Bonny was an Irish-American pirate who plied her trade in the Caribbean. The few records of Bonny which exist seem to reflect that she was intelligent, attractive, and quick-tempered. When she was 13, she supposedly stabbed a servant girl in the stomach with a table knife, although it is unclear whether this is fact or purely legend. She married a sailor and small-time pirate named James Bonny. According to legend, James Bonny hoped to win possession of his wife's family estate, but she was disowned by her father.
There is no evidence supporting the story that Anne Bonny started a fire on the plantation in retaliation, but it is known that sometime between 1714 and 1718 she and James Bonny moved to Nassau, on New Providence Island in the Bahamas, which was then a pirate hub and base for many pirate operations. It is also true that after the arrival of Governor Woodes Rogers in the summer of 1718, James Bonny became an informant for the governor.
While in the Bahamas, Anne Bonny began mingling with pirates at the local drinking establishments, and met the pirate John "Calico" Jack Rackham, with whom she had an affair. While Rackham and many other pirates were enjoying the King's pardon in the New Providence, James dragged Anne before Gov. Rogers to demand she be flogged for adultery and returned to him. There was even an offer for Rackham to buy her in a divorce-by-purchase, but Anne refused to be "bought and sold like cattle." She was sentenced to the flogging, but later Anne and Rackham escaped to live together as pirates.
In October 1720, Rackham and his crew were attacked by a sloop captained by Jonathan Barnet, who was working for the governor of Jamaica. Most of Rackham's pirates did not put up much resistance as many of them were too drunk to fight. However, Read and Bonny, who were sober, fought fiercely and managed to hold off Barnet's troops for a short time. After their capture, Rackham and his crew were sentenced by the Governor of Jamaica to be hanged. According to Johnson, Bonny's last words to the imprisoned Rackham were that "she was sorry to see him there, but if he had fought like a Man, he need not have been hang'd like a Dog." After their arrest and trial, Read and Bonny both pleaded their bellies, announcing during the sentencing phase that they were both pregnant. In accordance with English common law, both women received a temporary stay of execution until they gave birth. Read died in prison, most likely from a fever, though it has been alleged that she died during childbirth.
There is no historical record of Bonny's release or of her execution. This has fed speculation that her father ransomed her; that she might have returned to her husband, or even that she resumed a life of piracy under a new identity. However, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography states that "Evidence provided by the descendants of Anne Bonny suggests that her father managed to secure her release from jail and bring her back to Charles Town, South Carolina, where she gave birth to Rackham's second child. On December 21, 1721 she married a local man, Joseph Burleigh, and they had eight children. She died in South Carolina, a respectable woman, at the age of eighty-two and was buried on April 25, 1782. This however is a complete supposition.

because ninjas dont get wenches