Moments of Happiness

I know everyone can't be happy all the time. So I try to remember moments of happiness.. they are times when whatever happened, helped me to feel really good. And anytime I think back to those times, I fee good again.

Here is the list of my happy memories... what are yours?

Putting on my wedding gown and imagining Tim's expression when he saw me in it.

Holding my tiny son for the first time.

Lights on a Christmas tree

Walking down the street in Downtown Seattle when a very dapper older gentlemen tipped his hat at me. 40 years later I still feel as charmed as I did that afternoon.

Watching and listening to son play a solo on his violin.

Watching my daughter dance in a production that was so enchanted it had me in tears.

Singing along to a song in the movie "A Christmas Carol" ... "Thank you very much, it's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Watching my son and the love of his life exchange their wedding vows.

See my dad connect with his three new great-grandchildren.

When Tim buys me chocolate.

Watching an amazing sunrise.

Finding the perfect Christmas presents for my grandchildren.

Years ago walking with my mom and talking about how we were going to decorate my bedroom.

Washing dishes as a group at grandma's; telling stories and laughing.

These are some of the entries from my Sunshine Journal.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend

Add this simple spice blend to pumpkin to create the classic fall
dessert.
Makes about 3 ounces.

4 Tablespoons Cinnamon, ground
1 Tablespoon Ginger, ground
2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Allspice
1 teaspoon Cloves, ground

Blend all ingredients well. Cover and store at room temperature until
needed. Add 1 tablespoon to the pumpkin filling for a 9-inch pie.

Quote

Second star to the right, then straight on 'til morning.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

Makes: 8 cups
Time: About 3 hr (mostly unattended)

Planning Tip: Make up to 3 months ahead and freeze in an airtight
container. Refrigerate 2 days to thaw. Reheat in a saucepan, whisking
often.

4 turkey wings (about 3 lb)
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 cup water
8 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp stick butter or margarine
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Have ready a large roasting pan.

2. Arrange wings in a single layer in pan; scatter onions over top.
Roast 1 1/4 hours until wings are browned.

3. Put wings and onions in a 5- to 6-qt pot. Add water to roasting pan
and stir to scrape up any brown bits on bottom. Add to pot. Add 6 cups
broth (refrigerate remaining 2 cups), the carrot and thyme. Bring to a
boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours.

4. Remove wings to cutting board. When cool, pull off skin and meat.
Discard skin; save meat for another use.

5. Strain broth into a 3-qt saucepan, pressing vegetables to extract as
much liquid as possible. Discard vegetables; skim fat off broth and
discard (if time permits, refrigerate broth overnight to make
fat-skimming easier).

6. Whisk flour into remaining 2 cups broth until blended and smooth.

7. Bring broth in pot to a gentle boil. Whisk in broth-flour mixture and

boil 3 to 4 minutes to thicken gravy and remove floury taste. Stir in
butter and pepper. Serve, or pour into containers and refrigerate up to
1 week or freeze up to 6 months.

http://www.womansday.com/xp6/WomansDay/holidays.xml/1101tg_gravy.xml

Remember

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness.

Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.

CARAMEL APPLE SHORTCAKES

For the shortcakes

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar plus additional for sprinkling on the shortcakes
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup well-chilled heavy cream plus additional cream or milk for
brushing on the shortcakes
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the caramel apples

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream, heated
5 tart cooking apples such as Granny Smith (about 2 pounds)
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Into a bowl sift together the flour, 3
tablespoons of sugar, the baking powder, and a pinch of salt and stir in
zest. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat 1 cup of the cream with the
vanilla until it just holds soft peaks. Make a well in the center of the
flour mixture, add the whipped cream, and with a fork combine the
mixture until it just forms a dough. On a lightly floured surface knead
the dough 6 times, or until it is just combined well, roll or pat it out
1/2 inch thick, and with a floured 4-inch cutter cut out a total of 6
rounds, gathering and rerolling the scraps. Brush the rounds with the
additional cream or the milk and sprinkle them with the additional
sugar. Bake the shortcakes on a greased baking sheet in the middle of
the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden, transfer
them with a spatula to a rack, and let them cool.

In a dry heavy skillet cook 1/2 cup of the sugar over moderate heat,
undisturbed, until it begins to melt and cook the sugar, stirring with a
fork, until it is melted completely and turns a golden caramel. Remove
the skillet from the heat and whisk in the cream carefully. Return the
skillet to the heat and whisk the caramel sauce until it is
smooth. In a large heavy skillet cook the apples, each peeled, cored,
and cut into 8 slices, in the butter over moderately high heat,
stirring, until they are browned lightly, add the remaining 1 tablespoon
sugar, and cook the apples until they are soft and
caramelized. Add the sauce to the apples and stir the mixture carefully.
Break each shortcake in half, arrange 2 halves on each of 6 dessert
plates, and spoon the apples over them. Serves 6.


Source: Gourmet Magazine, November 1993

Message I Learned Long Ago

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all....

~ "Bambi" movie

Home

glitter-graphics.com

Home is where one starts from. As we grow older
The world becomes stranger, the pattern more complicated
Of dead and living. Not the intense moment
Isolated, with no before and after,
But a lifetime burning in every moment
And not the lifetime of one man only
But of old stones that cannot be deciphered.
There is a time for the evening under starlight,
A time for the evening under lamplight
(The evening with the photograph album).
Love is most nearly itself
When here and now cease to matter.
Old men ought to be explorers
Here or there does not matter
We must be still and still moving
Into another intensity
For a further union, a deeper communion
Through the dark cold and the empty desolation,
The wave cry, the wind cry, the vast waters
Of the petrel and the porpoise. In my end is my beginning.

~ T. S. Eliot ~

(excerpt, East Coker V, Four Quartets)

What Kind of Tea Are You?

You Are Black Tea

You have a bold personality. You're not afraid of simply being yourself. You have the courage to speak the truth. You are fearless in your actions. You come off as a bit intimidating and unapproachable. Only confident people are attracted to you. You don't try to scare off anyone. You're just an intense person!

What Kind of Tea Are You?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

World's Oddest Mothers

Published on Today 11/23/2009 under Stories - by Gracie Murano -11,100 views

Mother of Most Surviving Children From a Single Birth (8 babies)

Nadya Denise Doud-Suleman Gutierrez, known as Octomom in the media, is an American woman who came to international attention when she gave birth to octuplets in January 2009. The Suleman octuplets are only the second full set of octuplets to be born alive in the United States and, one week after their birth, surpassed the previous worldwide survival rate for a complete set of octuplets set by the Chukwu octuplets in 1998. The circumstances of their high order multiple birth have led to controversy in the field of assisted reproductive technology as well as an investigation by the Medical Board of California of the fertility specialist involved. Public reaction turned negative when it was discovered that the single motheralready had other six young children at home at the time and was notfinancially independent. Suleman, who was unemployed and on public assistance programs at the time, conceived the octuplets and her six older children via in-vitro fertilization. (Link)

World's Youngest Mother (5 years old)

Into the hospital at Pisco (Peru) came a tired, ragged Indian woman from the foothills of the Andes. She led by the hand a shy little girl, scarcely three feet tall, with chestnut braids and an enormously bulging abdomen. Pointing to the frightened child, the Indian woman begged surgeon Geraldo Lozada to exorcise the evil spirits which had taken possession of her. Certain that little Lina Medina had an abdominal tumor, Dr. Lozada examined her and received the surprise of his life when he discovered she was eight months pregnant.

Dr. Lozada took her to Lima, the capital of Peru, prior to the surgery, to have other specialists confirm that Lina was in fact pregnant. A month and a half later, on May 14, 1939, she gave birth to a boy by a caesarean section that was needed due to her small pelvis. Her son weighed 2.7 kg (6 lb) at birth and was named Gerardo after her doctor. Gerardo was raised believing that Lina was his sister, but found out at the age of ten that she was his mother. (Link)

World's Oldest First Time Mother (70 years old)

Meet Rajo Devi Lohan, the Indian woman who, in November 2008, gave birth to her first child - at the age of 70. She said she had waited for more than 40 years for this child and that she plans to breastfeed her for at least three years. And, who knows, maybe she will. (Link)

The Mother With the Most Births (69 kids)

Feodor Vassilyev (1707-1782), was a peasant from Shuya, Russia. Though not noteworthy himself, his first wife, Valentina Vassilyeva, set the record for most children birthed by a single woman. She gave birth to total of 69 children; however, few other details are known of her life, such as her date of birth or death. She gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets and 4 sets of quadruplets between 1725 and 1765, in a total of 27 births. 67 of the 69 children born survived infancy.

The modern world record for giving birth is held by Leontina Albina from San Antonio, Chile. Now in her mid-sixties, she claims to be the mother of 64 children. Of these, 55 are documented.

The mother with the greatest number of kids that are not tiwns is Livia Ionce. This Romanian woman, 44, gave birth to her 18th child in Canada in 2008. (Link)

World's First Male Mother

Thomas Beatie, who was born a woman but lives as a man in Oregon after surgery and hormone treatment, was the first man to become a mother. Beatie, 34, who is legally a man but kept female reproductive organs when he had a sex-change operation 10 years ago, made headlines around the world and was dubbed the "pregnant man" before giving birth to a baby girl on June 29. After giving birth he did not go back on the male hormone testosterone that he took after his sex change, because he wanted to have another baby. Beatie's wife, Nancy, 46, whom he married five years ago, was unable to conceive because of a prior hysterectomy. That is why he had a baby himself, through artificial insemination using donor sperm and Beatie's own egg. (Link)

World's Oldest Mother of Twins (70 years old)

She was utterly determined to have a son. The fact that to do so would make 70-year-old Omkari Panwar the world's oldest mother didn't even cross her mind. Her resolve was matched by her husband Charan Singh Panwar, 77. To pay for the IVF treatment vital to producing a male heir to the family's smallholdings, the retired farmer sold his buffalos, mortgaged his land, spent his life savings and took out a credit card loan. And it all paid off when Mrs Panwar gave birth to twins - a boy and girl - by emergency aaesarean section in a hospital in Muzaffarnagar, seven hours drive north of the Indian capital New Delhi.

The twins, born a month premature and weighing 2lb each, are healthy, according to doctors. The Panwars already have two adult daughters, and five grandchildren. (Link 1 | Link 2)

World's Most Prolific Surrogate Mother (12 babies)

Surrogate mother Carole Horlock, 42, has delivered 12 babies in 13 years - including triplets, setting the world record for the most prolific surrogate mother. She told the ABC News program "20/20." : "When I first started being a surrogate I expected to do it once," she said. "I hadn't looked past that. But I enjoyed it so much. Before I actually had given birth to the baby I wanted to do it again." Surrogates receive an average $25,000 to $30,000 for their services, "20/20" said. The downsides include in-vitro fertilization, morning sickness, bed rest, Caesarean sections and stretch marks.

Horlock will make no demands on the parents of the triplets beyond requesting an annual letter and photograph to let her know how they are doing. But her surrogacy experiences have not all been positive. Her father rarely speaks to her, distressed that she is effectively giving away his grandchildren. (Link)

World's Smallest Mother (2ft 4in)

The world's smallest mother is about to give birth for the third time - despite warnings she is risking her life.

Stacey Herald, who is just 2ft 4in tall, was told that becoming pregnant could kill her, but bravely defied doctors to have two babies half her height. The 35-year-old from Dry Ridge, Kentucky in the U.S. suffers from Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which causes brittle bones and underdeveloped lungs, and means she failed to grow. Mrs Herald, who uses a wheelchair, and her husband Will, who is 5ft 9in, are eagerly awaiting the birth of their third baby, due in the next four weeks.

Currently as wide as she is tall, she cannot hold her daughter because her belly gets in the way, and has to rely on her husband to do most things around the house. She admits being pregnant is ‘uncomfortable' and leaves her bedridden for weeks on end. By the time the new addition, a boy, is one, he will already tower over his mother. But despite all the obstacles, the mother and father, a trainee priest, say they want even more children. The couple met in 2000 while working for a supermarket in their home town.(Link | Photo)

Mother of the World's Tinniest Baby

Mahajabeen Sheikh gave birth to Rumaisa Rahman on September 19 2004 at Loyola University Medical Center. The baby weighed just 8.6 oz and was only 10 inches long and replaced Madeline Mann, born in 1989, as the world's smallest baby. At 1.3 ounces smaller than Madeline Mann, Rumaisa Rahman weighed less than a can of beer. She was born just 25 weeks and six days into her mother's pregnancy.

She had a twin, Hiba, who weighed 1 pound 4 ounces at birth. On her first birthday Rumaisa Rahman was doing just fine tipping the scales at 2 pounds 10 ounces. (Link 1 | Link 2)

Mother With the Longest Interval Between Kids (41 years)

Elizabeth Ann Buttle had two kids, Belinda and Joseph, which is nothing special in itself. Belinda Buttle was born on May 19, 1956 when Elizabeth Ann Buttle was 19. The amazing part is the interval between the birth of Belinda and Joseph, it is the longest interval between births ever.

Joseph Buttle was born on November 20, 1997 when Elizabeth Ann Buttle was 60, an interval of 41 years 185 days. If you're familiar with the song 'I am my own grandpa!', well, Joseph's sister was old enough to be his own grandma! (Link)

http://www.oddee.com/item_96889.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Oddee+(Oddee)

Inspirational Quote

glitter-graphics.com

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anthing that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting...

Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and...

Thank God for it as a cup of blessing.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork

1 (16 ounce) can cranberry sauce
1/3 cup French salad dressing
1 onion, sliced
3 pounds pork tenderloin

In a medium bowl, combine the cranberry sauce, salad dressing and onion. Place pork in a slow cooker and cover with the sauce mixture. Cook on High setting for 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 hours. Pork is done when the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Makes 6 servings

12 Most Creative Papercraft Artworks

Published on Today 11/22/2009 under Art - by Nora Vega - 11,280 views

This unbelievable papercraft project, by Japanese art student Wataru Itou, took over 4 years to create and features lights and a moving train. It's probably the most stunning papercraft sculpture ever. The sculpture is called, in English, "A Castle on the Sea," and is currently exhibited at Uminohotaru. The entire project, excluding the lights and possibly a few mechanical elements of the train, is made of painstakingly cut and folded paper. (Link)


"Amazing Howl's Moving Castle" is papercraft artwork done by Ben Millett. It took Ben about 72 hours to build it, spread over 3 weeks.

Howl's Moving Castle from Ben Millett on Vimeo.

(Link)


Heerlen-born, Rotterdam-based artist Bert Simons makes these scarily realistic papercraft models, by first making 3D models of real subjects.(Link | Photo)


This is a papercraft anatomy head, another work from artist Bert Simons.(Link)





Ray Keim of Haunted Dimensions released an extremely cool paper model of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion in New Orleans Square. (Link | Photo)


The interesting collection of do-it-yourself papercraft. This is the AT-AT Walkers from Star Wars. (Link)


Inspired by the big head mode in retro video games, Eric Testroete created this trippy papercraft self portrait for Halloween. The geometric look uses 370 individual paper triangles. (Link | Photo)


No, that's not C-3PO. Rather, that's a papercraft of K-3PO, the protocol droid stationed at Echo Base's command center in Hoth. (Link)


Do you want to get a free cool Stormtrooper Helmet? You can do them yourself like these sweet Stormtrooper Papercraft Helmets from Japan. They look so cool! (Link)


This papercraft female is wearing a kimono that's 100% made of paper.(Link)


Another do-it yourself… (Link)


Amazing Max Payne papercraft statue.. (Link)

http://www.oddee.com/item_96884.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Oddee+(Oddee)

Another 15 Extraordinary Sand Sculptures

Published on Today 11/21/2009 under Art - by Gracie Murano

(Link)


(Link)


Russian sand sculptor Wiaczeslaw Borecki carves a figure of Michael Jackson during the Sand Sculptures Festival in Blankenberge, Belgium (Link)


Sand sculptures representing 'The World of Pirates' are seen during theSand Sculptures Festival in Blankenberge. (Link)





Part of the Circle, by Susanne Ruseler and Arianne van Rosmalen, St Petersburg, Russia, 2008. (Link)


The world's tallest sand castle (31 feet 7 inches) was created in Maine, back in 2007. (Link)


(Link)


(Link)


Weston Super-Mare Sand Sculpture Festival (Link)


Sand Sculpture Festival atWeston-super-Mare in England. In 2008, the sand sculptors were representing the seven continents and the Colosseum and St. Peter's Dome were two of the buildings chosen to represent Europe. (Link)


As an impoverished child, Sudarsan Pattnaik would go to his local beach and build sand castles. Little did the youngster from Orrisa, India, realise his hobby would make him famous and wealthy. Mr Sudarshan Patnaik's ultimate objective is to create awareness and enthusiasm among the people and to make this a popular professional art form. He is traveling to various places in the country to spread this art form by holding workshops and training. (Link)


Another sculpture from Pattnaik, celebrating Obama's assumption (Link)


"Banana-Demonium" by Ted Siebert. (Link)


Gold Medal World Championship, People's Choice Medal, and Sculptors' Choice Medal sand sculpture "What Lies Beneath" by Carl Jara (Link)


Impressive perfectly detailed 12 meters high sand sculpture, at the Dutch Sand Sculpture Festival 2009. (Link)
http://www.oddee.com/item_96886.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Oddee+(Oddee)

Surprisingly, Jewish Hanukkah menorah now a favorite Irish Christmas tradition

Irish Christians are fans of the menorah

Finding Jews in Ireland is not an easy task. Of Ireland’s 4.4 million people, only 2,000 or so are Jewish.

But finding a menorah, the eight branched candle that celebrates Hanukkah – that’s a cinch.

For some reason, already lost in time and space, thousands of rural Irish homes have unwittingly adopted this famous candelabrum to celebrate – of all things – Christmas. It’s a festival of lights for sure, but somehow the Irish have followed them in an intriguingly new direction.

It was during the mid 1990s that the Irish craze for menorahs, one of the most enduring symbols of the Jewish faith and Israel, took off. Doubtless some enterprising Irish salesman with a hard neck or thing for irony brought them to the High Street where they were instantly snapped up.

Driving west from Dublin to Galway in December you can count them by the hundred now, shining out from the polished windows of Irish living rooms. Some feature candles, some electric lights, and all seem designed to perplex or mystify their Jewish neighbors who must shake their heads in wonder at the sight.

Irish Jews, it seems certain, will probably not respond to this accidental appropriation by putting up Christmas trees. Many Rabbis feel that a Christmas tree in a Jewish home, even one decorated with miniature dreidels, blurs the line in unproductive ways.

But Malcolm Lewis, President of the Progressive Jewish Congregation in Dublin, toldIrishCentral that he wasn’t concerned.

“The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, always puts a menorah in the window ofAras an Uachtarain, the President’s mansion, whenever Hanukkah arrives,” he said. “She also lights an advent candle as well.”

The symbolism of dispelling darkness with light transcends every faith and culture and Lewis is philosophical about the issue.

“Around about Christmas time you will see six or seven branch candles as decoration, call them what you will, but I don’t know if there’s any real significance to it or not. Maybe they just like the shape of it. If that’s the reason well that’s very nice.

“And don’t forget that Waterford Crystal (the famous Irish glass making company) makes a glass menorah. They run for about 700 to 800 dollars and so very few people have bought them I would imagine.”

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Jewish-Hanukkah-menorah-a-favorite-Irish-Christmas-tradition-70635682.html

What Kind of Scone Are You?

You Are a Cheese Scone

The early part of your day is filled with comfort and relaxation. You are the type of person who doesn't even bother to get out of bed at a particular time. Mornings are for being sleepy. And you're just as likely to bring your breakfast back to bed as you are to eat it in the dining room. Nothing beats the warm feeling of being under the covers. You're the type most likely to make your scones the night before. Then you can have your delicious breakfast without any work in the morning.

What Kind of Scone Are You?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

Cranberry Orange Loaf

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt Grated rind of one orange 1 1/2 cups sliced cranberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 1/4 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg 3/4 cup orange juice Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C). Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir in orange rind, cranberries, and nuts. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and egg with electric mixer until smooth. Blend in orange juice. Stir in flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool on wire rack. Wrap tightly to store. Makes 1 loaf.

Every Woman Should Have....

glitter-graphics.com

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A set of screwdrivers,
A cordless drill,
And a black lace bra.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
One friend who
Always makes her
Laugh...and one
Who lets her cry.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A good piece of furniture
Not previously owned by
Anyone else in her family.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
Eight matching plates,
Wine glasses with stems,
And a recipe for a meal that will
Make her guests feel honored.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...
A feeling of control over
Her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to fall in love
Without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to quit a job.
How to break up with a lover and
Confront a friend without ruining the friendhip.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
When to try harder and
When to walk away.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
That she can't change
The length of her calves,
The width of her hips, or
The nature of her parents.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
That her childhood may not have been perfect
But; it's over.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she would and
Wouldn't do for love or more.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
How to live alone
Even if she doesn't like it.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Whom she can trust,
Whom she can't and
Why she shouldn't take it personally.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
Where to go be it to
Her best friend's kitchen table or
A charming inn in the woods
When her soul needs soothing.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish
In a day, a month and a year.

Author - Unknown

Best Peanut Brittle

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup peanuts
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon baking soda

Grease a large cookie sheet. Set aside. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil, sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads. Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter or margarine and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet.
With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12
inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.

This is a wonderful peanut brittle that is easy to make and wows
everyone! Have all the ingredients for this recipe measured out and
ready. This recipe requires that you react quickly. You do not have time
to measure ingredients in between steps. Makes 1 pound (16 servings).

Printed from Allrecipes

Autumn People

"For those beings Fall is the ever normal season, the only weather,
There be no choice beyond. Where do they come from? The dust. Where
do they go? The grave. Does blood stir their veins? No: The night
wind. What ticks in their head? The worm. What speaks from their
mouth? The toad. What sees from their eyes? The snake. What hears
with their ear? The Abyss between the stars. They sift the human
storm for souls, eat flesh of reason, fill tombs with sinners. They
frenzy forth. In gusts they beetle-scurry, creep, thread, filter,
motion, make all moons sullen, and surely cloud all clear-run waters.
The spider-web hears them, trembles- breaks. Such are the Autumn
People."
Ray Bradbury seemed to have coined the label, "The Autumn People" in
his work called "Something Wicked This Way Comes".
So you see I am not trying to take credit for the creation of the
Autumn People, in fact how could I say that? The Autumn People have
been around far longer than I or even Mr.Bradbury.

WHO ARE THE AUTUMN PEOPLE?

By todays terminology the Autumn People would be those who live,
study and practice the magical and supernatural arts and ways of life.
Witches, vampires,werewolves,etc.al would make up the groups that
would be known as the Autumn People.
In todays society there are those people who have taken the
lifestyles of the witch, vampire and even werewolf and made
lifestyles of a positive,non-violent,balanced way of life. These are
the people that are the Autumn People of today.
The traditions of the autumn people are as diverse and varied as the
various groups that make up the autumn people.
However our heritage has always been the same, we have always been
the strange ones to those humans who seem to be afraid of the
night,to those humans who seem to be afraid of desires, nightmares
and even their own world in general.
Burning times, hanging times, staking times throughout human history
we have had tortures and even worse inflicted on us as autumn people
for our beliefs, way of life and even appearances.
But these are new times and history is what has happened, we can do
nothing about the past but learn from it. Now is our time to live and
plan for the future. Our future is in knowledge and educating not
only others of like mind but those who are different than us.
I am making this page because I am an Autumn Person. The traditions
and way of life that you see and read are purely my own. I am not
saying that this is the way all autumn people live or believe. Autumn
People are unique individuals with ways and styles all their own and
individualized, however similarities will be found as that invisible
thread that links us all.
I urge others of the autumn people to make a webpage of your way of
life as an autumn person to share with others.

http://autumnpeople.iwarp.com/index.html

Quileute to host Saturday event with entertainment, stories, culture for 'Twilight' fans

By Paige Dickerson
Peninsula Daily News

Print This | Email This

---

Recent Headlines

4:15 p.m. update: Electricity returns to Forks; some other unincorporated Clallam areas won't get power back till Friday; more weather and avalance warnings -- 11/19/09 -04:14 PM

First storm-related fatality: Transportation worker dies -- 11/19/09 -01:15 PM

Storm leaves much of Clallam County in the dark; Jefferson County not hit as hard -- 11/18/09 -11:29 PM

The gold in Andy's eyes: Portrait captures vision of music man Mackie and his gifts -- 11/18/09 -11:25 PM

Agnew soccer fields dedicated; so were the many who made park happen -- 11/18/09 -11:32 PM

LAPUSH -- The Quileute senior class will host a fundraising event at the A-Ka-Lat Center to teach and entertain Twilight fans from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The event, which will cost $20 at the door at the community center in LaPush, will include traditional dancing and storytelling by Quileute elders as well as photo opportunities with tribal dancers in full regalia and Forks High School students in their gear, said Anna Penn-Charles, organizer the event.

The Quileute tribe plays a big part in "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" movie that will be released Friday.

In the movie, which is based on the second book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga set in Forks and LaPush, Bella Swan, a klutzy Forks teenager, experiences heartbreak when her vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen, leaves her.

Her best friend, Jacob Black -- who is a werewolf -- makes a bid for her heart.

The Quileute have a deep connection with wolves, and legends say that they were transformed into people from the wolf -- but there are no werewolf legends.

In Meyer's stories, though, some of the teenagers are transformed into werewolves in order to protect the people of Forks and LaPush as vampires occupy the area.

Saturday's event is a fundraiser to support the Quileute Senior Safe Night for graduation night in June.

The June event is intended to encourage seniors to do something positive and not go to parties where there might be drinking or drugs.

"We have 19 students graduating -- an all-time high number of graduates," Penn-Charles said. "All of the proceeds of this event will support that."

The Senior Safe night is for students who attend Forks High School, Forks Alternative School and the Quileute Tribal School.

Saturday's festivities will include traditional dancing by several Quileute families, Penn-Charles said.

"We also have some beautiful traditional masks that Mary Leitka and Tom Baker will bring in," she said.

"We also have Harold Charles Jr. bringing in his raven mask."

Leitka, Baker and Charles are Quileute artists.

A highlight of the evening will be a young man who is not an enrolled Quinault tribal member but whose family is related to the Quileute, said Penn-Charles.

"When he announced that his name was none other than Jacob Black, we were so excited," Penn-Charles said.

"We have a real Jacob Black that is related to the tribe."

Penn-Charles said attendees will also automatically be entered to win some prizes.

"We want people to know that they aren't just paying for the entertainment but they also have the possibility to win some really amazing prizes," Penn-Charles said.

Memorabilia from Forks High School and the Quileute tribe will be among the prizes.

Last modified: November 18. 2009 11:42PM

10 Strangest Obituaries

Published on 11/16/2009 under Misc - by Gracie Murano - 67,481 views

DOLARES Aguilar has passed away. This, her obituary, appears in the Times-Herald Napa/Sonoma paper: Dolores had no hobbies, made no contribution to society and rarely shared a kind word or deed in her life. I speak for the majority of her family when I say her presence will not be missed by many, very few tears will be shed and there will be no lamenting over her passing… There will be no service, no prayers and no closure for the family she spent a lifetime tearing apart.

It's really nice to feel loved. (Link)


Louis Casimir, a retired University English professor, wrote it himself before he passed on. Louis J. Casimir Jr. bought the farm Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004, having lived more than twice as long as he had expected and probably three or four times as long as he deserved. Although he was born into an impecunious family, in a backward and benighted part of the country at the beginning of the Great Depression, he never in his life suffered any real hardships. Many of his childhood friends who weren't killed or maimed in various wars became petty criminals, prostitutes, and/or Republicans. Lou was a daredevil: his last words were “Watch this!” (Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3)


The final line in the Guardian's obit for Isabella Blow (fashion journalist, born November 19 1958; died May 7 2007) is "She is survived by Detmar [Blow] and a considerable hat collection." (Link)


New York Times obit for Selma Koch, 95, famed brassiere maven: Selma Koch, a Manhattan store owner who earned a national reputation by helping women find the right bra size, mostly through a discerning glance and never with a tape measure, died Thursday at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She was 95 and a 34B. (Link)





Jim Adams, didn't die the way he wanted: which was to be run over by a beer truck on the way to the liquor store to buy booze for a date… (Link)


CAT, PETER (THE), whose ninth life ended on 5 November 1964, was a well-known cricket watcher at Lord's, where he spent 12 of his 14 years. He preferred a close-up view of the proceedings and his sleek, black form could often be seen prowling on the field of play when the crowds were biggest. He frequently appeared on the television screen. Mr SC Griffith, Secretary of the MCC, said of him: "He was a cat of great character and loved publicity." (obituary published in Wisden Cricketers' Almanack) (Link)


Can I get the phone number of his widow Pee Wee? (Link)


William Donaldson, who died on June 22 aged 70, was described by Kenneth Tynan as "an old Wykehamist who ended up as a moderately successful Chelsea pimp", which was true, though he was also a failed theatrical impresario, a crack-smoking serial adulterer and a writer of autobiographical novels; but it was under the nom de plume Henry Root that he became best known. (Link)


Count Gottfried von Bismarck, who died on July 2, 2007, aged 44, was a louche German aristocrat with a multi-faceted history as a pleasure-seeking heroin addict, hell-raising alcoholic, flamboyant waster and a reckless and extravagant host of homosexual orgies. When not clad in the lederhosen of his homeland, he cultivated an air of sophisticated complexity by appearing in women's clothes, set off by lipstick and fishnet stockings. Never concealing his homosexuality, von Bismarck continued to appear in public in various eccentric items of attire, including tall hats atop his bald Mekon-like head. At parties he would appear in exotic designer frock coats with matching trousers and emblazoned with enormous logos. Flitting from table to table at fashionable London nightclubs, he was said to be as comfortable among wealthy Eurotrash as he was on formal occasions calling for black tie.(Link)


In a hot tub? (a creepy test, ‘What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com)

http://www.oddee.com/item_96879.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+Oddee+(Oddee)

SOFIA Seeks Secrets of Planetary Birth

11.19.2009

+ Play Audio | + Download Audio | + Email to a friend | + Join mailing list November 19, 2009: You don't always have to have a rocket to do rocket science. Sometimes a mere airplane will do – that is, a mere Boeing 747 toting a 17-ton, 9-foot wide telescope named SOFIA. Short for Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA will observe the universe while gliding through the stratosphere at 45,000 feet. When it begins operations next year, it will be the world's biggest, most advanced airborne observatory. Right: NASA's SOFIA infrared observatory 747SP overflies its home, the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. Credit: NASA/Jim Ross. "SOFIA is set to achieve some spectacular science," says project scientist Pamela Marcum. "For instance, this telescope will help us figure out how planets form and how our own solar system came to be." And as a mobile observatory, it can fly anywhere, anytime. SOFIA can move into position to capture especially interesting astronomical events such as stellar occultations (when celestial objects cross in front of background stars), while ground-based telescopes fastened to the "wrong" geographic locations on Earth's surface miss the show. SOFIA will fly above the veil of water vapor1 that surrounds Earth to take a wide-eyed look at the cosmos. Below: (Left) SOFIA's 2.5-meter infrared telescope peers out from its cavity in the rear fuselage. (Right) A close-up of the German-built telescope assembly. Photo credit: NASA/Tom Tschida. Larger images: #1, #2. Although our galaxy teems with planetary systems, astronomers don't know exactly how they form. That's because ordinary telescopes can't see through the giant, dense clouds of gas and dust that spawn planets. Using infrared wavelengths, SOFIA can pierce the haze and watch the birthing process – showing scientists how molecules come together to construct worlds. "SOFIA will be able to locate the 'planetary snowline,' where water vapor turns to ice in the disk of dust and gas around young stars," says Marcum. "That's important because we think that's where gas giants are born. The most massive planetary cores are fashioned [around the snowline] because conditions are best for rock and ice to build up." (Sticky ice particles help form planets just as they help you make a snowball to hurl at an unsuspecting friend.) "Once a large enough core forms, its gravity becomes strong enough to hold on to gas so more hydrogen and helium molecules can 'stick.' Then these large cores can grow into gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. Otherwise, they remain as smaller rock-ice planets." Right: An artist's concept of a protoplanetary disk where young planets are being born. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. "SOFIA will also be able to pinpoint where basic building blocks like oxygen, methane, and carbon dioxide2 are located within the protoplanetary disk." Knowing where various substances are located in the disk will cast light on how they come together, from the "ground" up, to form planets. One of the telescope's key strengths is its ability to complement other infrared observatories. With a 20-year lifetime, it can do follow up studies on objects shorter-lived infrared scopes don't have time to hone in on. If, for example, an orbiting observatory like WISE spots something deserving of more attention, SOFIA can move in for a long, slow look, while WISE continues gazing at the rest of the sky. (Note: For more information about WISE, check out the recent Science@NASA story "In Search of Dark Asteroids and Other Sneaky Things.") "WISE is designed to scan the entire sky at infrared wavelengths, gathering survey data for multitudes of objects rather than studying targeted objects in great depth," explains Marcum. "But SOFIA has time to spare for deeper studies." Below: To illustrate how infrared sensors can see things the human eye cannot, Marcum offers these white light vs. IR images of a warm-blooded dog and a cold-blooded lizard. [larger image] SOFIA can also do follow-up science to reap the full benefits of discoveries from Herschel's deep spatial surveys, and later, the James Webb Space Telescope's near- to mid-infrared investigations. "Once Herschel runs out of its 3-year supply of coolant, SOFIA will be the only observatory routinely providing coverage within the far-infrared to submillimeter wavelength range. This part of the spectrum is largely unexplored territory." "And although SOFIA covers the same part of the spectrum James Webb (JWST) covers, SOFIA is optimized for wavelengths just beyond JWST to complement its observations. SOFIA will do a bang-up job observing between the JWST and Herschel wavelength gap." Unlike these space-based scopes, SOFIA can "head back to the barn" periodically for instruments to be repaired, adjusted, or even swapped out for new and improved science instruments – keeping pace with cutting edge science from a "mere" airplane. Author: Dauna Coulter | Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA footnotes and more information For more information on SOFIA's science mission, see http://www.sofia.usra.edu. Footnotes: Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery 1The veil of water vapor enveloping Earth acts like an invisible "brick wall" to the infrared energy from cosmic objects, absorbing most all of it. The energy journeys millions of light years only to be stopped by our planet's atmosphere within 5 miles of reaching us. SOFIA solves this problem by viewing the heavens from "above the veil" – something ground-based scopes can’t do. Like SOFIA, space-based telescopes collect the infrared energy before it reaches Earth. 2SOFIA has an exceptional ability to finely separate out and distinguish different infrared wavelengths, allowing it to capture these spectra. More information: * SOFIA is a joint program between NASA and the German Space Agency, Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt, Bonn, Germany. The SOFIA program is managed by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.; the aircraft is based at the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility, Palmdale, Calif. NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., manages the SOFIA science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, Md., and the Deutsches SOFIA Institute, Stuttgart, Germany. * Plans are in the works for writers and teachers to be invited to join scientists with SOFIA up where the air is thin. * How do you keep a telescope still enough to point accurately and stay "on point" in a moving airplane? "First, SOFIA's plane will fly in the relatively stable stratosphere," says Marcum. "Also, we have a clever vibration isolation system. The mirror is mechanically isolated from the plane. Shock absorbers, serving the same purpose as those found in a automobile, surround the giant bearing that bears the telescope's weight, isolating the mirror from vibration in all directions."

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/19nov_sofia.htm?list1103030

Storm leaves much of Clallam County in the dark; Jefferson County not hit as hard

Port Angeles utility workers prepare to examine power lines around the A Street substation near 15th and A streets as rain and wind rake the area Wednesday night. -- Photo by Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News

By Tom Callis
Peninsula Daily News

Print This | Email This

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Recent Headlines

Noon update: Electricity due to return to West End, some other unincorporated Clallam areas won't get power back till Friday; more weather and avalance warnings -- 11/19/09 -11:53 AM

Storm leaves much of Clallam County in the dark; Jefferson County not hit as hard -- 11/18/09 -11:29 PM

The gold in Andy's eyes: Portrait captures vision of music man Mackie and his gifts -- 11/18/09 -11:25 PM

Agnew soccer fields dedicated; so were the many who made park happen -- 11/18/09 -11:32 PM

Port Angeles City Council lowers property tax levy -- 11/18/09 -11:32 PM

TO OUR READERS: Keep checking this Web site for National Weather Service forecasts and updates on progress toward restoring power across the North Olympic Peninsula. Please blog below to communicate storm and power outage information with readers.
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Another round of stormy weather knocked out power Wednesday evening to more than 16,800 customers -- essentially everyone west and southwest of Port Angeles as well as portions of the city itself -- and caused other scattered outages across Clallam County.

By 9 p.m., several thousand had power restored, but about 13,600 customers of the Clallam County Public Utility District and the city of Port Angeles remained without electrical service.

A downed transmission line put the West End in the dark.

Of the 13,600, about 12,000 were PUD customers affected by dozens of separate outages.

"They're working from one outage to the next," said PUD spokesman Jeff Beaman.

The West End lost power about 6 p.m. when a Bonne ville Power Administration transmission line was knocked out somewhere between Port Angeles and Sappho.

Beaman said he could not estimate when power would be back online for PUD customers.

Since the area where the transmission line had severed had not been located, he said, "we don't know what we are up against."

Fallen trees and power lines blocked sections of both U.S. Highway 101 and state Highway 112 late Wednesday, said state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kelly Stowe.

Both lanes of Highway 101 were blocked at Milepost 241 just beyond Olympic Hot Springs Road, she said at about 10 p.m.

Both lanes of Highway 112 at Milepost 45 near West Lyre River Road were blocked by downed trees at 9:15 p.m.

She did not know when the highways would be cleared.


Emergency center

The Clallam County Emergency Operations Center was activated at 9 p.m. to direct road crews to remove fallen trees across the county.

In Port Angeles, 4,846 customers lost power Wednesday evening.

As of 8:30 p.m., power had been restored to all but 1,600 customers.

Three of the city's four substations went down because of faults in the power lines, said Glenn Cutler, Port Angeles public works and utilities director.

He expected all customers to have power restored by midnight.

A power line along 16th Street was posing the biggest problem for city crews Wednesday night.

It was taken out by a fallen tree at about 6 p.m., and power had to be rerouted.

Cutler said it will take about three days to replace the power line.

Earlier in the day, power was lost and later restored to Diamond Point and to a few scattered outages near Sequim.


Jefferson County

In East Jefferson County, the wind downed a few trees, some causing power outages.

High winds and heavy seas prompted the state Department of Transportation to cancel the final runs Wednesday of the Port Townsend-Keystone ferry.

The National Weather Service on Wednesday evening reported winds of more than 30 mph in Port Angeles, Forks and Neah Bay, and more than 40 mph in Port Townsend. Wind speeds in Sequim did not exceed 12 mph.

Winds are expected to die down today in Port Angeles but not in Forks and Neah Bay, which are expected to have gusts of more than 25 mph.

And Port Townsend may have gusts as great as 44 mph.

Winds will continue to slow on Friday, but Sequim and Port Townsend may be breezy.

Rainy weather will continue across the North Olympic Peninsula for the rest of the week.

A flood watch will be in effect through Friday.


Few mudslides

Stormy weather earlier in the week caused minor damage to the Olympic Discovery Trail near Port Angeles, as well as a few mud slides around Clallam County.

Cutler said Wednesday that staff members are monitoring a portion of the Discovery Trail between the city limit and Morse Creek where harsh weather had eroded the asphalt.

A small slide also hit the trail in that area, but the path remains open.

"Right now it's still passable," Cutler said.

"If it gets some more wind and high tide action combined, than we could potentially close the trail."

The Port Angeles City Council declared a state of emergency Tuesday in response to the recent storms.

Cutler said the declaration allows the city to waive some bid requirements to bring in contractors.

It was used Wednesday to bring in a contractor to remove debris that was blocking a culvert on White Creek, a tributary of Ennis Creek on the east side of Port Angeles.

The city did not have equipment big enough for the job, he said.

Clallam County Engineer Ross Tyler said road crews have cleared two mudslides and one fallen tree this week.

The slides occurred on Dan Kelly Road west of Port Angeles and Joyce-Piedmont Road near Joyce.

A large tree was removed from Hoko-Ozette Road, and debris blocking a storm drain in Sekiu is going to require some "outside help" to fix, Tyler said.

A blocked culvert caused flooding Monday night along Marine Drive in Port Angeles.

Tumwater Creek overflowed its banks, causing large Pettit Oil Co. tanks at the company's Marine Drive depot to tilt and a small oil spill at Pettit's other site, at 527 Marine Drive.

The backup also filled Plunkin Shack Cafe's basement with three feet of water.

About 1.4 miles of Tumwater Truck Route, state Highway 117, were closed because of flooding, caused by a combination of heavy rain and alder trees growing along the creek's banks.

Port of Port Angeles Executive Director Jeff Robb used an emergency declaration to have the trees removed Monday night.

_________

Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.

Last modified: November 18. 2009 11:29PM

What's Your Pilgrim Name?

Your Pilgrim Name Is: Prudence Fuller

A pilgrim is a wanderer with purpose.

What's Your Pilgrim Name?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

Believe

I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in faeries, the myths and dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now? - John Lennon

The cause and effect of contemplation

Contemplate on those things good, pure, and lovely....

The threshold through which humanity once traveled to receive insights beyond our worldly understanding, are many.

The labyrinth, begotten by mankind's contemplative meditations on the constellations, not only reflect astrological patterns, they also illustrate brain lobes. Some posit, these very ancient, yet accurate interpretations of the sky and neurological formations were made possible by very sophisticated telepathy known as bi-location.

Today, the great labyrinth of inner communication is again making its eternal presence known. Like times past, the link that binds man closest to soul wisdom along life's mysterious path is the ability to routinely open one's self to Spirit guidance. However, routineis the operative term here.

The practice of contemplative meditation was so often employed by the Christ as a tool to realign soul with Spirit, that when the disciples awoke to find him absent, they immediately went to the nearest peaceful place in search of him. By example, he taught the necessity of taking the time to "be with the Father" in order to "do the business of the Father". Speaking in Christ consciousness analogy, this means the urge to connect with the will of Spirit within is so great because it is the purest desire of all life expression.

The question is, how does one align with it in the morass of daily living?

In Life Visioning: A Four-Stage Evolutionary Journey to Live as Divine Love, Rev. Michael Beckwith says, "Our life is informed by the questions we ask. If we ask meaningful questions, the universe responds with meaningful answers. This is promised in the biblical law: ask and it is given; seek and ye shall fine; and, knock and the door shall be opened. In many cases, the best question to ask is: What quality would I have to give birth to that would give me peace of mind if his particular situation were not to change?, and the universe will begin to speak to you".

The nature of contemplation is inquiry. Contemplation is in-the-moment communion with soul personality and Spirit to see how they are aligned in the present to express through the individual body; individual mind; and, or the collective consciousness. The more familiar with the language of this dialogue, and receptive to its message one becomes through inner communication practice and subsequent fine-tuning through daily life application, the more intuition is honed and the inner voice (ego) is quailed into a splendid stupor.

The Inner Voice Versus Inner Communication

This does not mean the role of the inner voice is insignificant. It simply does not penetrate into the realm of Spirit due to it's limited function. The inner voice is just the GPS system of one's emotional state. It's purpose is to serve as a mental, interpretative apparatus to dutifully indicate one's location on the sensory map, so to speak.

Allowing the ego-driven inner voice to control one's thoughts and emotions is the same as allowing the GPS system to key in the destination and drive the car. The GPS system (eg. the ego) does not think, it emphatically states its algebraic assessment of a given situation based on the factors given it via repetitive thoughts, experiences, perceptions, and beliefs.

The only problem with the ego is the it is often louder than Sprit's still, small voice. But, before giving ego a bad rap, remember it is the greatest catalyst for activating free will and conscious choice.

On a continuum of joy to shame, the inner voice provides signficant realtime information for sincere inquiry during moments of inner communication about how to realign with the peaceful nature of Spirit.

The secret to effective and personally measureable inner communication results resides in a compassionant, fluid approach to alignment which allows thoughts to be pixy dust for a while before calcifying them in into emotionally-charged repetitive thoughts, perceptions, experiences, and beliefs.

AngelSpeake

"Keep your courage strong as you walk forward in your life. Each challenge is the doorway to your learning, growth and your ultimate success."

~ www.Angelspeake.com

LEONID METEOR SHOWER

Space Weather News for Nov. 16, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

LEONID METEOR SHOWER: The Leonid meteor shower peaks on Tuesday, Nov. 17th, with a new Moon providing ideally-dark viewing conditions. Forecasters expect a relatively mild display (20 to 30 meteors per hour) over North America followed by a much stronger outburst (100 to 300 per hour) over Asia. No matter where you live, the best time to look is during the dark hours before sunrise on Tuesday morning.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for full coverage of the Leonids, including live audio from a meteor radar, a live chat with a NASA meteor scientist, sky maps, photos and more.

Quote

glitter-graphics.com

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace ♥ ~Jimi Hendrix

awesome arcade game art by melissa jones

Looking for a way to make your game room really special? Look no further than these original 3-dimensional arcade artworks by sign maker Melissa Jones.

Melissa creates original wood carvings of classic arcade characters, then creates a resin casting of the original and hand paints each one with bold acrylic colors.

Her arcade designs include classics like Donkey Kong, Galaga, Robotron 2084, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Q*Bert and Burgertime among others.

Prices for individual castings range from about $20 to $60 a piece, but complete sets with a matching canvas backdrop run from $225 to $375. But for about $2000, you can deck out your entire room with this complete collection.

She’ll also do custom orders on request. Check out Melissa’s entire collection over on her site NiceCarvings.

http://technabob.com/blog/2008/03/15/awesome-arcade-game-art-by-melissa-jones/

PUMPKIN ICE CREAM PIE WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed Gingersnaps (approximately 30 cookies))
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1 pint Vanilla ice cream, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream -- whipped

SAUCE
1 cup Caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup chopped Pecans

In small bowl, combine crushed gingersnaps and butter; blend well.
Press firmly in bottom and up sides of 9" pie plate.
Refrigerate 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon into ice cream.
Spoon into crust.
Freeze.
In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and
pumpkin; blend well.
Fold in whipped cream.
Spoon over ice cream in crust.
Freeze 3 hours until firm.
Let stand at room temperature 15-20 minutes before serving.
In small saucepan, combine caramel topping and nuts.
Stir constantly until heated through.
Serve warm over pie.

Interactive Mirror

Interactive Mirror from Alpay Kasal on Vimeo.

http://www.vimeo.com/1867956

Narcisse mirrors by various designers for Domestic

Narcisse mirrors by various designers for Domestic

French design brand Domestic has launched a collection of mirrors by various designers including Matali Crasset, 5.5 Designers and Ich&Kar (whose I Love Me mirror is shown above).

The collection is called Narcisse. Above: Meltingpolyhedron by Pierre Marie

Above: Apricot Sunday by Tado

Above: Spline by Matali Crasset

Above: Bibelots by 5.5 Designers

Above: 5 Mirrors by 5.5 Designers

Above: Landscape by Antoine+Manuel

Above: Smoooch! by Geneviève Gauckler

Above: Trululu by Rolito

Above: Alla Francesca by Ana Mir+Emili Padros

Above: Alice in Wonderland by Matali Crasset

Above: Alla Francesca by Ana Mir+Emili Padros

Here’s some text from Domestic:

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Narcisse. A collection of artists’ mirrors. Other than the qualities linked to its reflective functions, the key aspect of the mirror resides generally in the quality, design and workmanship of its frame. The Narcisse collection proposes to free the mirror from its traditional frame and thanks to the proposals of a dozen designers and graphic artists to see how, rid of its traditional codes, it is renewed to continue to give a faithful image!

The Narcisse collection is designed by matali crasset, 5.5 Designers, Geneviève Gauckler, Ich&Kar, Rolito, Tado, Antoine+Manuel, Pierre Marie, Ana Mir+Emili Padròs.

–

Posted by Marcus Fairs

http://www.dezeen.com/2007/12/07/narcisse-mirrors-by-various-designers-for-domestic/

Christmas in America: A time of bigotry or peace?

This is a great message... I wish I had written it, but I'm just as happy to share it...

Cindi

I am constantly defending my right wing friends to my left wing friends given the propensity to believe that the right wingers are racist, or bigoted. Of course this can go both ways, the left tends to be far from perfect in many areas, as a white male I have felt their wrath many times personally. I bring this up because I find it difficult to be in this country during this time of the year.

Christmas, originally known as Yule was a pagan holiday before the Christian religion adopted it to represent the birth of their “savior.” It was and always has been a holiday of peace, love and happiness- above all celebration of LIFE!

Hanukkah, the Hebrew holiday of celebration based loosely around the same time as the Christmas holidays. Good food, candles, games and family are the important factors in this holiday.

There are other similar celebrations during this time of the year, and all of them are about peace, happiness, and the celebration of life. Why am I writing this than, maybe because this year has been hard, or maybe because the last 8 years has been harder still on many of us. Hatred is thriving in this supposedly free nation and it is breaking through on every side regularly. I guess I wanted to remind myself that I can have a great family time this year, and that I should be striving to have that same great family time all year long every day. More importantly I needed to remind myself that regardless of how ignorant acting someone is they are still my neighbours in this great nation.

Maybe we can all remember that, or maybe not. Remember whether you be Islamic, Christian, Jewish or a dirty Atheist like myself we all have the ability to be better people and we should really start trying. If we as a nation want to preserve our liberties and have a future as a nation for our children maybe it is time to lay aside our minor differences for the betterment of all. Remember no matter your religious views (or non-religious views) having studied the holy texts I do know that we are supposed to HELP and be NICE and do GOOD to our neighbours...as an Atheist I am far more involved with the “do no harm” principle which equates to the same thing.

So for a month stop hating- if you can.

http://www.examiner.com/x-18115-Cochise-County-Libertarian-Examiner~y2009m11d13-Christmas-in-America-A-time-of-bigotry-or-peace

Stephenie Meyer on 'Oprah': Question about possible fifth 'Twilight' book cut for time, says Harpo rep

glitter-graphics.com

by John Young

Categories: Books, News, Television, Twilight

Earlier today, Twilight author Stephenie Meyer appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show for her one and only interview before the highly anticipated release of the movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Before a commercial break, Winfrey teased the rest of the interview with this promise: “Coming up, will there be a fifth book in The Twilight Saga? Stephenie answers that later.” However, as a number of EW.com readers pointed out, Winfrey subsequently never asked Meyer that juicy question.

What happened? “It’s a live show, so sometimes they don’t get to every question,” a spokesman for Harpo Productions told EW. “Know that if (Oprah) didn’t get to the question within the show, it would have only been cut for time.” Luckily, someone at Oprah managed to ask Meyer the fifth-book question backstage, and the author’s answer can be viewed at the show’s website.

In a nutshell, Meyer said she’s not sure about a fifth Twilight book at the moment. “I am a little burned out on vampires right now,” she said. “I think I need a little break. I might go spend some time with my aliens. I might do something completely different. I’ve got to cleanse the palate. I may come back to it. I did envision it as a longer series. But I wrapped Breaking Dawn in a way that I felt satisfied with, so if that moment didn’t come, I’d be okay.”

http://news-briefs.ew.com/2009/11/13/twilight-stephenie-meyer-oprah/

My Family

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

Zazen - A Guide to Sitting

A brief explanation of zazen-often called sitting meditation. Filmed at the Kokusai Zendo in Kyoto, Japan. This clip is from The Zen Mind by EmptyMind Films. Produced & written by Jon Braeley.

Major Presidential Monuments

Many monuments exist throughout the country to honor various Presidents. While some of them are relatively small and unknown, several of them have become nationally prominant.

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Washington Monument

The construction of a monument to honor George Washington was first considered by the Continental Congress in 1783. By 1847, $87,000 had been collected. A design submitted by Robert Mills was selected.

July 4, 1848, the corner was laid. The trowel used by Washington at the laying of the cornerstone of the Capitol in 1793 was used for the occasion.

Work progressed until 1854, when the building of the monument became involved in a political quarrel. The Civil War brought construction to a halt. For almost 25 years, the monument stood incomplete at the height of about 150 feet. Finally on August 2, 1876, President Ulysses Grant approved an act that provided that the Federal Government should complete the erection of the monument.

In 1880, work was resumed on the project. The marble with which the remainder of the monument is made was secured from the same vein as the original stone used for the lower part. It came from a different depth, however, which explains the “ring” noticeable on the shaft. The walls of the memorial reached 500 feet on August 9, 1884, and the capstone was set in place on the following December 6, marking the completion of the work. The monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885, and opened to the public on October 9, 1888.

Inserted into the interior walls are 188 carved stones presented by the individuals, societies, cities, states and nations of the world.

The Washington Monument cost $1,187,710. The height of the monument is 555 feet 5 1/8 inches. Its width at base of shaft is 55 feet 1 ½ inches. The weight of the monument is 90,845 tons.

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Lincoln Memorial

In 1910, two members of Congress joined forces to create a memorial that honored Lincoln. Shelby M. Cullom and Joseph G. Cannon, who had known Lincoln in Illinois, pushed through a Lincoln Memorial bill that President Taft signed of February 11, 1911. The bill created the Lincoln Memorial Commission to oversee the project and set aside $2 million and funds.

On Memorial Day, May 30, 1922, the building was dedicated, 57 years after Lincoln died. About 50,000 people attended the ceremonies, including hundreds of Civil War veterans and Robert Todd Lincoln, the president’s only living son. The main speakers were President Warren Harding, former President William Howard Taft.

New York architect Henry Bacon modeled the memorial in the style of a Greek temple. The classic design features 36 Doric columns outside, symbolizing the states in the Union at Lincoln’s death. The building measures 204 feet long, 134 feet wide, and 99 feet tall, with 444-foot columns.

Daniel Chester French, the leading American sculptor of the day, created the famous statue of Lincoln that dominates the interior. The memorial plans originally specified a 12-foot bronze statue, but it proved out of scale for the huge building. The finished statue is 19 feet tall.

Directly behind the Lincoln statue you read the words of Royal Cortissoz carved into the wall: “IN THIS TEMPLE AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS ENRICHED FOREVER.”

The chamber north of the statue contains Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, topped by a mural by Jules Guerin called “Reunion.” Guerin also painted the “Emancipation” mural in the south chamber over the Gettysburg Address.

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Jefferson Memorial

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial, modeled after the Pantheon of Rome, is America’s foremost memorial to our third president. Architect John Russell Pope used Jefferson’s own architectural tastes in the design of the Memorial. Architects Daniel P. Higgins and Otto R. Eggers took over construction upon the untimely death of Pope in August 1937.

The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Commission was created to direct the erection of a memorial to Thomas Jefferson by an Act of Congress approved in June 1934. The location at the Tidal Basin was selected in 1937. On November 15, 1939, a ceremony was held in which president Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the memorial.

In 1941, Rudolph Evans was commission to sculpt to statue of Thomas Jefferson. The bronze statue is 19 feet tall and weighs five tons. Also noteworthy, and adorning the interior of the Memorial, are five quotations taken from Jefferson’s writings that illustrate the principles to which he dedicated his life. Dedication was in 1943.

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

The memorial traces the 12-year period that Roosevelt served as president of the United States. Roosevelt remains the only president elected to serve four terms in office. Each outdoor room is devoted to one of FDR’s four terms in office. In a controversial piece, one 10-foot statue shows Roosevelt in a wheeled chair. Another statue depicts the president riding in a car during his first inaugural. FDR’s famous quotations are etched into the granite walls. The park was dedicated on May 2, 1997.

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Mount Rushmore

This epic sculpture features the faces of four exalted American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. These 60-foot high faces are 500 feet up.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began grilling into the 5,725-foot mountain in 1927. Creation took 14 years and cost a mere $1 million.

http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312172/monuments.html

Darkness Awoken by Storm Warrior

Darkness Awoken by StormWarrior on Polyvore.com

Ohai launches massively multiplayer online vampire game on Facebook

November 11, 2009 | Dean Takahashi | Comments |

Game startup Ohai is launching a new vampire-themed online world on Facebook as part of an attempt to snare more time and money from social network fans.

Social games have exploded on Facebook this year. But the games have been casual, holding the interest of users for just minutes a day. Ohai wants to take social games to the next generation by launching a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game that will have synchronous play, meaning live games with constant movement and action.

Susan Wu, co-founder and chief executive of San Francisco-based Ohai, said in an interview that she hopes that by launching City of Eternals on its own web site and on Facebook, the company will attract players who would never otherwise play an MMO. She also said that Ohai intends to make its games addictive enough to generate a lot more revenue each month than typical social games, which generate sales of a few dollars a month.

It’s an interesting gamble, since Facebook games are dominated by Zynga and Playfish, whose games have tens of millions of players. But it only makes sense that there should be more to Facebook games than farming carrots (Zynga’s hit FarmVille title) or running restaurants (Playfish’s Restaurant City).

“There is a huge market left untapped for MMOs that can be played by everyone,” Wu said in an interview. “It’s the next leap in social gaming. To date, MMOs have been pretty inaccessible.”

Ohai’s game is accessible in part because it runs on Flash and doesn’t have complex 3-D graphics like many hardcore MMOs that require expensive computers. The two-dimensional vampire game is synchronous, meaning players can move about simultaneously in a live world rather than take one turn at a time.

It runs at a fast speed in a small browser window on a Facebook page. That’s no small achievement, since the game has to handle as much as 5,000 web-based transactions per 100 players.

The game is set in New Valencia, a modern-day vampire city in the Pacific Northwest and it has a complex story with more than 20 different missions. Users can create their own vampire characters, customizing the look and clothing to their own tastes. The players can fight supernatural creatures in combat zones and level up, earning goods along the way. You start the game with an apartment that you can decorate. You can grow things to buy or sell, adopt a trade, and join one of four vampire houses, or clans. You can enlist your friends as minions in a vampire army. A lot of these features are standard in social role-playing games. But there’s a lot more room to explore in City of Eternals, which has a sizable map with a growing list of locations to visit.

The game is free to play. But if they want a better experiences, players can pay for virtual goods for anywhere from 2 cents to $20. Users can earn or purchase Ohai coins, which can be used to make the goods purchases.

The game is social because of the integration with Facebook. It is integrated with Facebook Connect and Twitter. In the middle of the game, you can use a mouse to hover over a vampire character, and it will show the user’s Facebook name and picture. You can then send them a Facebook friend request. Normally, in MMOs, there’s no easy way to find out the identity of another player, except through direct communication. You can do that via text chat in City of Eternals as well, but there is no voice chat at the moment.

Ohai has a real opportunity here for a few reasons. Vampire games were once the most popular app on Facebook. One of them was created by Blake Commagere, who joined Ohai as a co-founder but has since left. Now, vampire games are nowhere to be found on Facebook’s top 15 leading apps, according toAppData. So Ohai’s game has a chance to pull in desperate vampire fans. Its timing is also good given the popularity of vampire shows like True Blood, Underworld, and Twilight, Wu said. In that sense, City of Eternals can tap into the growing popular interest in the romance, action and dark humor of vampires.

There are also no popular synchronous MMO games on Facebook. Asynchronous role-playing mafia games, where players take turns one at a time, are popular. It may very well be that social gamers don’t really want to play synchronous games, which in some ways are more demanding of the user’s attention.

But that’s a test for Ohai. Synchronous MMOs aimed at hardcore gamers are wildly popular on stand-alone web sites. World of Warcraft has 12 million paying subscribers for its fantasy role-playing game, but there is no equivalent of it on Facebook, largely because typical PC-based MMOs are built by teams with scores of people working for years. Gaming on Facebook is just a couple of years old.

Wu, whose resume includes being a professional Quake 2 gamer and former partner at Charles River Ventures, started the company in the fall of 2008 and recruited a top team of game veterans. As co-founders she enlisted Commagere, Scott Hartsman of Sony Online, and Don Neufeld of Sony Online Entertainment. Both Commagere and Hartsman have left. Wu said that was a “natural evolution” of a startup.

With just three engineers on a team of 12, the company managed to build its first MMO in just nine months. Neufeld, who has worked on 15 MMOs in his career, said the team built a game platform that can be deployed quickly. Ohai plans to go into production on its second game next month and take much less time to finish the game. The plan is to create games that operate as efficiently as web services.

Ohai built the game in Adobe Flash 3D and created bite-sized entertainment that players can play in short bursts of time. There are 10,000 alpha users now who play an average of 65 minutes a day and log in as many as 10 times daily. So the average game sessions are short, in contrast to most hardcore MMOs like EverQuest. Players can enter the game at a variety of points, depending on what they want to do. They don’t have to waste time traveling from one part of the game world to another.

Ohai raised $6 million in January from August Capital and Rustic Canyon Ventures. Wu believes that Facebook games last a short time and don’t generate much more than a couple of bucks a month per user, whereas quality MMOs like World of Warcraft can generate a lot more money.

“Our goal is to take over the MMO universe,” Wu said.

[Pictured: Ohai's Franky Aguilar, Susan Wu, Don Neufeld, and Chris Olson]

http://venturebeat.com/2009/11/11/ohai-launches-massively-multiplayer-online-vampire-game-on-facebook/

Feelings

Pumpkin Cake with Ginger Frosting

Note: Best made a few days ahead for flavors to develop.

Planning Tip:
The cake layers can be baked up to 2 weeks ahead. Cool, wrap airtight
and freeze. Thaw layers and frost cake up to 3 days before serving.
Refrigerate covered. Bring to room temperature before serving.

1 cup canned 100%-pure pumpkin
3/4 cup each firmly packed light-brown sugar and granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp each nutmeg, preferably freshly grated, and salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Ginger Frosting -

1 package cream cheese -- 3 oz
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
Optional: chopped crystallized ginger

1. Position racks to divide oven in thirds. Heat oven to 350°F. Coat
three 8-in. round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with wax
paper.

2. Place pumpkin and sugars in a large bowl; whisk until sugars
dissolve. Add remaining ingredients except flour; whisk until well
blended. Stir in flour just until mixed. Divide batter between prepared
pans (scant 1 1/4 cups each); smooth tops.

3. Stagger pans on oven racks and bake 25 to 30 minutes until tops
spring back when center of cakes are gently pressed. Cool in pans on a
wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife between cakes and pans; invert cakes
onto rack, peel off paper and cool completely.

4. To frost: Put 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Spread top with about
3/4 cup frosting. Repeat twice, swirling frosting on top layer. Garnish
with pumpkin-shaped candies.

Today in History for Nov. 11

Revopark

EN-SUITE SKY GARAGE™

A Designer Brings Personality to a Temporary Rental

Bruce Buck for The New York Times

Jamie Drake’s temporary apartment faces south toward the still-under-construction “sky garage” designed by Annabelle Selldorf. He hopes to move into a two-bedroom there “someday, maybe.” More Photos >

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By PENELOPE GREEN

Published: November 10, 2009

THE view from the living room of Jamie Drake’s temporary apartment on the 32nd floor of a glassy high-rise rental building on West 24th Street is due west. This means that Mr. Drake, the 52-year-old decorator to Michael R. Bloomberg and Madonna, has a bird’s-eye view of the glacial but ineluctably fascinating construction of what will eventually be his new home at 200 11th Avenue, the Selldorf-designed tower in far west Chelsea.

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When Style Won’t Stay in Storage

The building is notable for two things: its “en suite” car elevators (sky garages!), a Jetsonian feature that will enable residents to drive straight into their apartments; and its construction delays, largely a result of permit hurdles for said garages, which have crash walls, mechanical ventilation and fire doors.

“It taunts me,” Mr. Drake said the other day, raising an eyebrow toward the 19-story structure, a silvery exclamation point on the horizon, still sheathed in scaffolding. He was perched on a love seat in his rental, hastily finishing his lunch: a tuna sandwich and a Diet Coke.

It wasn’t the sky garages that tempted Mr. Drake to sign a contract on a two-bedroom in 2007, he said, but the 16-foot ceilings, the view of the Hudson and the proximity to the Chelsea galleries.

For the last 10 years, he had been living in a floor-through loft across the street from the Flatiron Building, a few blocks away. Last December, in anticipation of moving “very soon” into 200 Eleventh, he put the much-published and very purple loft on the market for $3.95 million.

“And after two price reductions, it sold,” he said dryly, going into contract for $2.96 million last spring. The price of his new apartment is not public record yet, he pointed out gleefully when a reporter pressed him, but according to the Prudential Douglas Elliman Web site, asking prices for two-bedrooms there start at over $5.6 million. Mr. Drake’s new neighbors will include the fashion designer Domenico Dolce, who, as the Real Deal reported last month, just closed on two combined penthouses for $29 million.

Much of the contents of the old apartment went to Doyle New York last week, for a high-end “garage sale” that included Mr. Drake’s collection of Gene Davis screen prints (multicolored stripes made in 1969) and a pair of coral fiberglass Rodier bookcases. Estimated at $800 to $1,200, the bookcases sold for $6,250. Indeed, all 48 lots sold, at 33 percent more than their estimate, said a spokesman for the auction house.

“I wanted to start fresh on 11th Ave,” Mr. Drake said.

By mid-July, Mr. Drake had moved into a generic glass-and-steel-walled two-bedroom apartment — what real estate brokers call a “luxury rental” — on the site of the old Sixth Avenue flea market. It was, he said, “just good enough.”

Not wanting to live out of boxes, or drag, as he put it, “some mismatched pieces left over from Fifth Avenue,” he decorated the apartment with items culled from his office, a storage unit and an old boyfriend’s apartment, at a cost of $19,400, a figure that includes paint, silk taffeta curtains and pillows, ceiling lights and the reupholstering of three pieces of furniture.

The place, which has standard rental-white walls, mostly untouched by Mr. Drake, is much paler than his usual highly saturated, deep-plum palette. He did paint the two living room pillars in a shimmering ice blue, one of Benjamin Moore’s metallic paint colors. And the walls behind the beds in the two bedrooms are also painted — one in royal blue, one in moss green — which saves on headboards and wall art.

A diminutive banquette sofa made for a showhouse had been living in storage; an army of silk pillows made it new. A flokati rug was found online for about $500; a stack of coffee table books topped with an orchid made a fine coffee table.

On a vintage 1950s Italian coffee table Mr. Drake bought for $195 a quarter-century ago at the Sixth Avenue flea market, there was a handful of plastic spiders. It was the day before Halloween, and the spiders had fallen off the face of Spiderman, a guest, along with some other superheroes, at a party the previous evening. The table had been living in an apartment Mr. Drake once shared with a boyfriend, from whom he also extracted a neat little brass side table with a tripod base. (Among his tips for decorating speedily: “Shop at home — and extend your concept of home to include that of old boyfriends and storage units.”)

Mr. Drake has held off, or isn’t sharing, his plans for the new apartment, he said, “except for in the deepest recesses of my mind, because who knows when or if it will ever be ready? Now, there’s a line for the developers. do you think they will read this?”

He can only hope.

LOL Cats

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The Strongest Link: Thanksgiving

By Gloucester County Times

November 10, 2009, 3:00AM

By Donna Bensn Kennedy

Q. How have other cultures celebrated Thanksgiving?

A. We generally think of Thanksgiving as a uniquely American holiday, but there's actually a long tradition of harvest-time celebrations and thanksgiving celebrations.

Every autumn, the ancient Greeks enjoyed a three-day festival to honor Demeter, the goddess of corn and grains. The Romans had a similar celebration in which they honored Ceres, the goddess of corn (the word "cereal" is derived from her name). The Roman celebration included music, parades, games, sports and a feast, much like modern Thanksgiving.

In fact, one of the most prominent Thanksgiving symbols, the cornucopia, actually dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. The term (generally describing a horn-shaped basket filled with fruit, flowers and other goodies) comes from the Latin cornu copiae, literally "horn of plenty." In Greek mythology, the cornucopia is an enchanted severed goat's horn, created by Zeus to produce a never-ending supply of whatever the owner desires.

The ancient Chinese held a harvest festival called Chung Ch'ui to celebrate the harvest moon. Families would get together for a feast, which included round yellow cakes called "moon cakes."

In the Jewish culture, families also celebrate a harvest festival, Sukkot. This festival has been celebrated for 3,000 years by building a hut of branches called a Sukkot. Jewish families then eat their meals beneath the Sukkot under the night sky for eight days. The ancient Egyptians participated in a harvest festival in honor of Min, the god of vegetation and fertility. Parades, music and sports were a part of the festivities.

In the British Isles, the major Thanksgiving forerunner was a harvest festival called Lammas Day, named for the Old English words for "loaf" and "mass." On Lammas Day, everyone would come to church with a loaf of bread made from the first wheat harvest. The church would bless the bread, in thanks for that year's harvest.

Thanksgiving day is also related to the English Puritan's practice of setting apart individual days of thanksgiving. These highly religious occasions usually followed times of great difficulty: The Puritans would praise God in thanks for enduring a hardship. In practice, American Thanksgiving isn't a religious occasion, but it is centered around gratitude.

Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com

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