HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's Another New Year...
...but for what reason?

"Happy New Year!" That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets under way. But the day celebrated as New Year's Day was not always January 1.
ANCIENT NEW YEARS

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).
The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.
The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.
The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.
In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.
THE CHURCH'S VIEW OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS

Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.

During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.
NEW YEAR TRADITIONS

Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.
The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California.
Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.
The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.
Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus.
The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century.

FOR LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR

Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.
Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.
Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.

AULD LANG SYNE

The song, "Auld Lang Syne" is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days." The lyrics and the music can be found in last year's entry. Check it!

Once you've finished reading take this New Year's Quiz! http://wilstar.com/holidays/ny-quiz.htm

Mother's day

Everything I ever needed to know I learned from my mother:

My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE: "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside - I just finished cleaning!"
My mother taught me RELIGION: "You'd better pray that will como out of the carpet."
My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL: "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week."
My mother taught me LOGIC: "Because I said so, that's why."
My mother taught me FORESIGHT: "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
My mother taught me IRONY: "Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about."
My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS: "Shut your mouth and eat your dinner."
My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM: "Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck."
My mother taught me about STAMINA: "YOu'll sit there 'till all that spinach is finished."
My mother taught me about WEATHER: "It looks as if a cyclone swept through your room."
My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY: "I've told you a million times - don't exaggerate!"
My mother taught me about THE CIRCLE OF LIFE: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
My mother taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION: "Stop acting like your father."
My mother taught me about ENVY: "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have a wonderful mother like you do!"

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Eric Grohe

There are some people who can make something extraordinary out of ordinary things. Eric Grohe is one of them. He paints murals and here is a token of his talent:




If you want to see more of his work click here http://www.ericgrohemurals.com

Happy Spring!

Spring
Robert McCracken

Today is the day when bold kites fly,
When cumulus clouds roar across the sky.
When robins return, when children cheer,
When light rain beckons spring to appear.

Today is the day when daffodils bloom,
Which children pick to fill the room,
Today is the day when grasses green,
When leaves burst forth for spring to be seen.

Children's day

The United Nations General Assembly recommended in 1954 (resolution 836(IX)) that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children and of activity promoting the welfare of the world's children. It suggested to governments that the Day be observed on the date which each considers appropriate.

In Argentina Children's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of August, TODAY!!!
HAPPY DAY CHILDREN!

Olympic Games

This is the link to the official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Enjoy it!

http://en.beijing2008.cn/

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery chwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is the longest named railway station in the world. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgo gerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is an actual town in Wales.Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerych wyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, translated in English means "The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave".
The locals hardly use this long word, instead call it as Llanfair.
Also, this town boasts the longest single word (without the hyphens) .com domain name in the world. The maximum allowed characters as a .com domain name is 67 characters in length. So this, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery chwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.com has a few more characters to spare (58 characters in length). Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery chwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.com is officially in the Guinness Book of World Records and was registered by Internetters on 21st October 1999.

There are two other towns with longer name than llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogery chwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, one in New Zealand with 92 characters long, "Tetaumatawhakatang ihangakoauaotamateaurehaeaturipukap ihimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuaakitanarahu" and the other in Thailand which has a staggering 163 characters long named, "Krungthepmahanakornamornra tanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokph opnopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwes mahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit".

It is easy to understand why the people living there burst into tears when you ask them where they are from.

Winter

Winter

Autumn winds are dying
As winter rears its head.
Soon the land will sleep again
In the silence of the dead.
The gray sky seems a blanket.
The golden trees now bare;
Their branches reach out to the sky
To grasp the misty air.

Dark browns replace the orange
And grays replace the blue
Soon snow will change this landscape
As the spiral dance holds true

The silence will be welcomed
By a solitary crow.
An eerie song of mystery
That few will ever know.

For winter keeps its secrets,
The ones not hard to hide.
The answer's all around us,
But the question sleeps inside.

Friend's day

Friend's Day is a celebration of friendship held annually on July 20th, mainly in Argentina and Uruguay but also in some other countries.

The idea for Friend's Day goes back to Argentine teacher, musician, and dentist Enrique Febbraro, who had the idea of turning the anniversary of the first moon landing into an international day of friendship. He argued that on this particular day, the whole world had been friends of the three astronauts. The first official recognition of the day came with decree No. 235/79 by the government of the province of Buenos Aires, which authorized the celebration and gave it official nature.

In Argentina, Friend's Day is often a good excuse for a common friendly gathering, though people also employ the day to get in contact with old and seldom-met friends and greet them. Since it is not a public holiday in Argentina, the gatherings tend to happen during the evening.

Though Friend's Day has always been respected, in recent years it has turned into a very popular mass phenomenon. In 2005, too many well-wishing friends led to a temporary breakdown of the mobile phone network in the cities of Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Rosario. In Rosario, the celebration of the Friends Day has been moved to the 19th of July, when Roberto Fontanarrosa, the best comic writer of the city, died.

Source: http://www.translatorscafe.com/cafe/MegaBBS/forumthread12038.htm

Mandela's words

While reading about Nelson Mandela, South Africa and the Apartheid last Friday, I found this quotation I'd like to share with you.

Mandela's statement from the dock in the Rivonia Trial ends with these words:

I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

Verb tense practice

Those of youwho want to practise with verb tenses should try this website. You can do exercises and get corrected on-line. Thank you Anto for the tip!
Good luck!

www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbtenseintro.html

Irish Prayer

Today is a very cold morning, it's freezing outside!, but I found this Irish prayer that could make you feel warmer inside. I hope you like it!

Always remember to forget
The things that made you sad.

But never forget to remember
The things that made you glad.

Always remember to forget
The friends that proved untrue.

But never forget to remember
Those that have stuck by you.

Always remember to forget
The troubles that passed away.

But never forget to remember
The blessings that come each day.

Ken Nesbitt

Ken Nesbitt is a children's poet from Spokane, USA. His poems have appeared in every book in the acclaimed Kids Pick the Funniest Poems series and in school textbooks around the world. He writes a popular children's poetry web site, and his poems are also consistent winners of the "Read 'Em and Rate 'Em" contest on www.GigglePoetry.com.

Here is another of his poem (Back to School was also written by him)

This Poem's Not About a Dog

This poem's not about a dog.
It's not about a cat.
It's not about a fish or frog
or anything like that.

It's also not about my shoe,
or cows from outer space,
or purple pigs from Timbuktu,
or weasels on your face.

This poem's not the slightest bit
about some guy named Fred.
There are no robot ducks in it,
or hippos overhead.

It's not about electric sheep,
or eighty-five times nine,
or watching grandpa fall asleep,
or cheese from Lichtenstein.

It's not about a hungry hog
who ate a bowling ball.
This poem's not about a dog,
or anything at all.

--Kenn Nesbitt

Julian Beever

In a few days Julian Beever is going to be in Buenos Aires. Julian Beever is an English artist who draws and paints flat images on the floor, if you look at those images from the right angle, the pictures seem to defy the laws of perspective and you'll see an amazing 3-D effect. He only uses chalk, so after some time his works vanish. What a pity!

Here is an example,

Could you believe this is just a regular drawing on the floor? Incredible, isn't it?

If you want to read more about him:
http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/index.html

I believe

I Believe...

I believe-
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.
I believe-
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
I believe-
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I believe-
that you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.
I believe-
that it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.
I believe-
that you should always leave loved ones
with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.
I believe-
that you can keep going long after you can't.
I believe-
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.
I believe-
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.
I believe-
that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades
and there had better be something else to take its place.
I believe-
that heroes are the people who do
what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I believe-
that money is a lousy way
of keeping score.
I believe-
that my best friend and I
can do anything or nothing
and have the best time.
I believe-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.
I believe-
that sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I believe-
that just because someone doesn't love you
the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
I believe-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them
and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I believe-
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken
the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I believe-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I believe-
that just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.
I believe-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.
I believe-
that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.
I believe-
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.
I believe-
that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you you will find the strength to help.
I believe-
that credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.

by Unknown

Somebody sent me this poem by e-mail and I really liked it, so I want to share it with you. Enjoy it!

Benjamin Zephaniah

Here you have more info about Benjamin Zephaniah:

"Dr Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah was born and raised in Birmingham, England. He cannot remember a time when he was not creating poetry but this had nothing to do with school where poetry meant very little to him, in fact he had finished full time education at the age of 13. His poetry is strongly influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica and what he calls 'street politics'.

Young writers have said that the accessibility of his work has inspired them to take up writing, many record sleeves bare witness to the fact that he has inspired many of the new generation of rappers, and of all the performance poets that emerged in the late seventies/early eighties he is one of the few that is still going strong. He has thirteen honorary doctorates in recognition of his work and a wing in a west London hospital has been named after him. Zephaniah believes that working with human rights groups, animal rights groups and other political organisations means that he will never lack subject matter. He now spends much of his time in China, but he continues working throughout Asia, South America and Africa, and is as passionate about politics and poetry now as he has ever been." http://www.benjaminzephaniah.com/

This is one of his poems and my favourite one.

The London Breed

I love dis great polluted place

Where pop stars come to live their dreams

Here ravers come for drum and bass

And politicians plan their schemes,

The music of the world is here

Dis city can play any song

They came to here from everywhere

Tis they that made dis city strong.

A world of food displayed on streets

Where all the world can come and dine

On meals that end with bitter sweets

And cultures melt and intertwine,

Two hundred languages give voice

To fifteen thousand changing years

And all religions can rejoice

With exiled souls and pioneers.

I love dis overcrowded place

Where old buildings mark men and time

And new buildings all seem to race

Up to a cloudy dank skyline,

Too many cars mean dire air

Too many guns mean danger

Too many drugs means be aware

Of strange gifts from a stranger.

It's so cool when the heat is on

And when it's cool it's so wicked

We just keep melting into one

Just like the tribes before us did,

I love dis concrete jungle still

With all its sirens and its speed

The people here united will

Create a kind of London breed.

You can find more about him here: http://www.britishcouncil.org/arts-literature-publications-and-resources-poetryquartets-benjamin-zephaniah.htm

St. Patrick's day

Yesterday was St. Patrick's day, a very important day for Irish people around the world.

Why Celebrate St. Patrick's Day ?
Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with all things Irish, including luck, rainbows, leprechauns, shamrocks, and anything green or gold. It is celebrated by those who merely want an excuse for excessive partying and for those of faith who use St. Patrick's Day as a traditional day for spiritual renewal and prayer.
It is believed that we celebrate this day on March 17th to celebrate the day of St. Patrick's death. As the Irish immigrated throughout the world, they took their history, beliefs and traditions with them , especially the celebration of St. Patrick's Day on March 17th. Although he was born nearly 1600 years ago, his presence is still felt today around the world.

Welcome back to school!

Welcome Back to School

"Dear students, the summer has ended.
The school year at last has begun.
But this year is totally different.
We're going to only have fun.
"We won't study any mathematics,
and recess will last all day long.
Instead of the pledge of allegiance,
we'll belt out a rock-and-roll song.
"We'll only play games in the classroom.
You're welcome to bring in your toys.
It's okay to run in the hallways.
It's great if you make lots of noise.
"Your video games are your homework.
You'll have to watch lots of T.V.
For field trips we'll go to the movies
and give away candy for free.
"The lunchroom will only serve chocolate
and triple fudge sundaes supreme."
Yes, that's what I heard from my teacher
before I woke up from my dream.
--Kenn Nesbitt

St.Valentine's Day

The History of St. Valentine's Day


One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.


Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Valentine Traditions

• Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:
  Good morning to you, valentine;Curl your locks as I do mine ---Two before and three behind.Good morning to you, valentine.


• 
  In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!"


• 
  In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.


• 
  In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.


• 
  Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.


• 
  A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together -- but not too closely!


• 
  Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.


• 
  Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.


• 
  If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.

A dangerous riddle

There was once a storyteller who inadvertently offended a rich and powerful king. The king was furious and in his rage, condemned the storyteller to death!
On the day of his execution, as was the custom of the time, the storyteller was granted one final request. He said, “I ask only that I be allowed to live as long as it takes the king to solve a riddle”. Now the king rather fancied himself at solving riddles and so he readily agreed.
But through all of his lifetime, he was unable to solve the storyteller’s riddle. It became his lifelong obsession until he eventually lost his mind, lost his queen and lost his kingdom. He died in misery in a place set aside for the incurably insane! As for the storyteller, he lived to a ripe old age, dying peacefully in his sleep.
The riddle became such a threat to the sanity of man that a law was passed forbidding it ever to be repeated. And it never was. Until a few years ago when an archaeologist discovered an old manuscript upon which was written the story that I have just told you. It also contained the storyteller’s riddle.
I could tell you what it said and you might try to solve it yourself. But before you do, just remember what happened to that rich and powerful king, all those hundreds of years ago. Are you sure that you want to risk losing your sanity?!

All right, here it is: I can touch you but you can't touch me. Although I have no wheels, wings or sails, I can take you on a long journey. And sometimes you can see me best with your eyes closed! What am I?

VERY TECHNOLOGICAL QUOTES

Favourite Technology Quotations

Everything that can be invented has been invented.
- Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899

640K ought to be enough for anybody.
- Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, 1981

I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.
- IBM Chairman Thomas Watson, 1943

There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.
- Ken Olson (President of Digital Equipment Corporation) at the Convention of the World Future Society in Boston in 1977

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.
- B. F. Skinner

Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done.
- Andy Rooney

In a few minutes a computer can make a mistake so great that it would have taken many men many months to equal it.
- Anonymous

One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.
- Elbert Hubbard

Any teacher that can be replaced by a computer, deserves to be.
- David Thornburg

Those parts of the system that you can hit with a hammer are called hardware; those program instructions that you can only curse at are called software.
- Anonymous

We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.
- Carl Sagan

Never let a computer know you're in a hurry.
- Anonymous

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
- Thomas Edison

Technology is like fish. The longer it stays on the shelf, the less desirable it becomes.
- Andrew Heller, IBM

A scary poem

Here is a nice and scary poem I found. I hope you like it!

I Am The Night

I am the night.

I am darkness at it's bluest.

To me there is sheer delight in the shadow of the night

No need to insist, for the night I exist.

The light of day is not night's way.

I am the night.

I am a creature of the dark.

I have been groomed for gloom.

For eons of time, the night has been mine.

I can't remember when the night and me didn't function as twins.

Just as the ocean's floor holds mysteries, the night alone conceals my history.

I am the night

Just as poetry flows from ocean currents and from the slashing force of wind

springs forth designs,

Each drop of rain delivers music to our minds, poetry never ceases.

From my point of view, at night it increases.

I find beauty in each dancing shadow and exquisite delight in the secret of the night.

The spirit things clothed in the unknown,

Travel the same path that I consider home.

Things that move skillfully at night do so without sight.

I love these wonders for I am the night.

My five senses are more acute than most.

Of this superiority, I proudly boast.

My movements are as swift as lightening dashing across the sky.

They can't be held in focus by the human eye.

Question - Who am I?

I feed on a secret vein of life and rest in the protective cover of dusk in disguise.

My skin is cold to the touch, don't worry you won't touch me much.

My beginning is of no importance, but I see no end in sight.

I believe I am forever;

I am the night

I have been known by many titles and names.

For none of them do I feel shame, for I exist as all do.

Just as I am me, and you are you.

I am called Satan, Impaler, Death, Blood Drinker; just to name a few -

Pick one that suits you.

Some even call me a Ghost;

yet, vampire is what I am called the most

Whether these names are wrong or right, the fact remains -

I am the night.

©2002 Bernard Thompson

Prepositions = a nightmare?

There are 150 prepositions in English. Some of them are short, typically containing five letters or fewer. There are, however, a significant number of multi word prepositions. Throughout the evolution of the the English language, new prepositions have come into use, old ones fallen out of use, and the meaning of existing prepositions changed.

A preposition is a word governing, and usually coming in front of, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element.

Prepositions:
aboard
about
above
absent
according to
across
after
against
ahead of
along
alongside
amid
amidst
among
around
as
as far as
as well as
at
atop
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
between
by
by means of
despite
down
due to

during
except
far from
following
for
from
in
in addition to
in case of
in front of
in place of
in spite of
inside
inside of
instead of
in to (into)
like
mid
minus
near
near to
next
next to
notwithstanding
of
off
on
on account of
on behalf of
on top of
on to (onto)
opposite
out of
outside
outside of
owing to
over
past
plus
prior to
regarding
round
save
since
than
through
throughout
till
times
to
toward
under
underneath
until
up
upon
with
with regards to
within
without

Happy birthday Jennine!

You see! How could I forget?!
Happy birthday Jennine! I wish you the best, and good luck in the USA.
See you in March
Love you!
Andrea

I wish you enough

I WISH YOU ENOUGH
Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport as the daughter's departure had been announced. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, "I love you and I wish you enough." The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom." They kissed and the daughter left.
The mother walked over to the window where I sat. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry.
I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking but why is this a forever good-bye?" "I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.
When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, "I wish you enough." May I ask what that means?" She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. "When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them". Then turning toward me, she shared the following, reciting it from memory,"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."She then began to cry and walked away.
They say it takes a minute to find a special person. An hour to appreciate them. A day to love them. And an entire life to forget them.
TAKE TIME TO LIVE!

wear sunscreen!

summer!

Today: good literature, a nice poem by John Keats (1795 - 1821). To find more stuff about him, go to http://www.john-keats.com/

Written on a Summer Evening

The church bells toll a melancholy round,

Calling the people to some other prayers,

Some other gloominess, more dreadful cares,

More harkening to the sermon's horrid sound.

Surely the mind of man is closely bound

In some blind spell: seeing that each one tears

Himself from fireside joys and Lydian airs,

And converse high of those with glory crowned.

Still, still they toll, and I should feel a damp,

A chill as from a tomb, did I not know

That they are dying like an outburnt lamp,

- That 'tis their sighing, wailing, ere they go

Into oblivion -that fresh flowers will grow,

And many glories of immortal stamp.

John Keats