master"PIECES" of my LIFE

I Have A Dream...

I have decided to stick with love.  Hate is too great a burden to bear."  Martin Luther King, Jr.

friggatriskaidekaphobia

the fear of friday the 13th.  and you thought i was yelling obscenities, huh?

frigga - name of the norse godess whom friday is named after

triskaidephobia - fear of the # 13

13 has the "luck" to come after the # 12 which is considered the # for completeness,  twelve months of the year, twelve hours of the clock, twelve gods of olympus, twelve tribes of israel, twelve apostles of jesus, the 12 descendants of muhammad imams, etc., leaving "13" as transgressing this completeness and being irregular.

friday has been considered unlucky since the 14th century, making it an unlucky day to start new journeys or begin new projects (good to know).  since the 1800s friday has been associated with disasters, like stock market crashes and other disasters.  it has also been suggested that friday has been considered an unlucky day because, according to christian scripture and tradition, jesus was crucified on a friday.

approximately 17 to 21 million people in the usa are affected by the fear of friday the thirteenth.  some people go to the extreme of not carrying on their usual tasks, taking flights, or even getting out of bed.  it's been estimated that $800-$900 million are lost in business in the usa on this day.

as highly superstitious as i am (won't walk under a ladder, avoid black cats crossing my path, toss salt over my left shoulder when spilt, etc.) friday the thirteenth does nothing for me.  i guess it means i should get out of bed and carry on.

thank you wikipedia for this wealth of information and since i can't post without a picture.....this make me a pretty lucky gal any day of the week:

 

 

 

 

january random facts

January is named after the Roman god Janus, who was always shown as having two heads.  He looked back to the last year and forward to the new one.  The Roman New Year festival was called the Calends, and people decorated their homes and gave each other gifts.

Garnet is the gemstone for January.  Garnet extracts negative energy from the body and promotes health.  It is a powerful stone for putting “force” behind creativity that leads to action and results.  Garnet aids in the process of self-discovery by integrating one’s experiences and emotions with the intellect.  When worn or carried, garnet can provide protection and vitality.  Garnet has been called the “Stone of Commitment.”  It facilitates loyalty and comitment both in relationships and to tasks.

Carnations are the January flower, representing pride, beauty, admiration and gratitude, fascination, distinction, divine love, woman. The carnation’s multilayered, feathery soft petals conceal a hardy core – an appropriate paradox for this January flower. 

January is one of seven months with the length of 31 days.

January on average is the coldest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere where it's the 2nd month of winter and the warmest month of the year in the Southern Hemisphere where it's the 2nd month of summer.

Capricorn is the zodiac sign through January 20th followed by Aquarius for the balance of the month. 

Well, I can tell you all this, but I still can't tell you what my one little word for 2012 is.  If you have one please share maybe it will inspire me.

 

 

merry, happy, feliz....

merry christmas

happy new year

feliz dia de los reyes

hello 2012!

i thoroughly enjoyed the holiday season and felt like i was actually  "present" through it all (probably one of the reasons i didn't post on here as it all happened).

christmas was a success & everyone pretty much enjoyed themselves.

we rang in the new year at our friend's caroline & hywel's home.

and for the first time los reyes magos (the 3 kings) made it to our home.  the kids put out their shoes on january 5th and the morning of the 6th they found their treasures; gold (itunes card), myrrh (cotton candy) and frankincense (football cards/light up sketchers).  of course the kids were over the moon with even more gifts but i was happy to bring this tradition into my family.  i grew up celebrating los reyes magos and they might have even been more important than papa noel even (santa claus) so happy to share this little part of me with them.  i know if my parents were here they would want it this way.

and looking at the year ahead, i'm left pondering what i would like my one little word for 2012 to be......