"It's a 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes; it's dark and we're wearing sun glasses. Hit it!" ~ The Blues Brothers, 1980
"Chicago was a town where nobody could forget how the money was made. It was picked up from floors still slippery with blood." ~ Norman Mailer, 1968
"I give you Chicago. It is not London and Harvard. It is not Paris and buttermilk. It is American in every chitling and sparerib. It is alive from snout to tail." ~ H. L. Mencken, 1920
On October 7, 1997, the Chicago City Council approved a resolution which absolved Mrs. O'Leary's cow of all blame for the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
"Chicago has a strange metaphysical elegance of death about it." ~ Claes Oldenburg
"It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago-she outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them. She is always a novelty; for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time." ~ Mark Twain, 1883
"Let the worthy citizens of Chicago get their liquor the best they can. I'm sick of the job -- it's a thankless one and full of grief. I've been spending the best years of my life as a public benefactor." ~ Al Capone, 1927
Due to outrageous circumstances (influenza B hit the whole family, I had a major deadline at work, preparing for our trip and planning Angelus 4th birthday party), I'm extending the current giveaways until next week. If you haven't entered, you have a second chance, don't miss out dovies. The Hullabaloo will continue when I return from the windy city with more new giveaways. Thank you for joining in and supporting the homespun arts.
Despite the domestic madness and puppy comforts, I do have a lot of fun pictures and stories to share. Alas, it will have to be later, Chicago calls.
Worn at my wedding and, touchingly, Amanda wore it for hers too; my tiara has seen many happy moments. I was wearing it when I won Queen at The Witches Ball and now I pull it out for you new Queens!
These cookies are perfectly hardy for a good old fashion snow day. Soft and chewy, but the oats allow for ample milk absorption when dipped. Who wouldn't dip these?
Oatmeal & White Chocolate Cookies 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter, softened 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 cups Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked) 1 cup white chocolate chips
♥ Heat oven to 350°F.
♥ Mix butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and chips; mix well.
♥ Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
♥ Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
The correlation between gratitude and increased well being is pretty amazing; powerful and fundamental magic. Kelly first turned me on to Gratitude Stones; using a object to spark grateful thoughts and improve your life.
Elect small, beautiful items, like stones or coins, as gratitude items. Slip them into places your cross often; your coat pocket, make-up bag and cookie jar to name a few. Anytime you meet one of your gratitude items in daily life, take a moment to think of something you are grateful for. Incorporating gratuitous exercises like this has been proven in multiple studies to produce positive effects.
My 1959 Mexican Peso depicts José María Morelos, an important Mexican historical figure from the 1700-1800's. He was been a Catholic priest who took up the cause of the Mexican Independence movement. The rim of the coin is inscribed with the words "independencia y libertad". Independence and freedom are two things I am very grateful for.
Eating chocolate increases the levels of endorphins released into the brain, giving credence to the claim that chocolate is a comfort food. The endorphins work to lessen pain and decrease stress. Another common neurotransmitter affected by chocolate is serotonin. Serotonin is known as an anti-depressant. One of the chemicals which causes the release of serotonin is tryptophan found in, among other things, chocolate. ~ Wiki
Depression.... If your feelings of saddness are more than fleeting, please seek help from a medical professional. You are not alone and you have done nothing wrong, you can not just "snap out of it". Please do not let shame, fear or anixity stop you. Don't suffer needlessly, asking for help is what is best for you. How to get started? Call your doctor or visit a free clinic.
Finding a free health clinic: •Log onto the federal government website for the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration. http://www.hrsa.gov
•Under "Find the Health Center" enter your zipcode. These health care facilities must treat you whether or not you have health insurance and whether or not you can pay for the healthcare.
Ready for more Homespun Hullabaloo? Great! Divine Lotus Healing is sponsoring this giveaway of one Aura Spray, any size and any kind of spray! The Dalai Lama gives it thumbs up...Way up! I love this man---->
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Namaste. I am Laura West, owner and sole proprietor of Divine Lotus Healing, LLC., located in Cambridge, MA, USA. I am certified as an educator, Usui Reiki Master Teacher, Crystal Energy Practitioner & Aura Spray Practitioner. I'm also a psychic, medium & channel for the divine. Much of my training comes from the Tibetan Vedic lineage.
My mission is to bring Eastern health practices to Western culture. I do this through my metaphysical classes, holistic supplies, client sessions & aura sprays.
My aura sprays are made with organic, locally sourced materials, contain no chemicals & have a touch of Reiki energy added during their creation. Thank you for visiting my shop!
Om?
Om or Aum is a mystical or sacred syllable in the Indian religions, i.e. Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.
Aum is commonly pronounced as a long or over-long nasalized close-mid back rounded vowel, though there are other enunciations pronounced in received traditions. It is placed at the beginning of most Hindu texts as a sacred incantation to be intoned at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or prior to any prayer or mantra. The syllable consists of three phonemes, a, u and m, which symbolize the beginning, duration, and dissolution of the universe and the associated gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, respectively.
H.H. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama's definition of the popular buddhist chant "om mani padme hum"
"It is very good to recite the mantra Om mani padme hum, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is great and vast... The first, Om [...] symbolizes the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind; it also symbolizes the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[...]"
"The path is indicated by the next four syllables. Mani, meaning jewel, symbolizes the factors of method: (the) altruistic intention to become enlightened, compassion, and love.[...]"
"The two syllables, padme, meaning lotus, symbolize wisdom[...]"
"Purity must be achieved by an indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by the final syllable hum, which indicates indivisibility[...]"
"Thus the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha[...]" ~ Wiki
<----- Click speaker to hear OM
_____________________________________________________________ The giveaway winner will win one Aura Spray, any size and any kind of spray! Items other than sprays excluded from the giveaway. (You must be a follower of this blog to win.)
• To enter, meditate over all the wonders at http://www.etsy.com/shop/divinelotushealing. Comment below with your choice of Aura Spray to enter the giveaway. • Receive 1 extra entry if you post about this giveaway on your blog (Include URL on your comment). • Receive 1 extra entry if you "like" the Domestic Witch Facebook page (see sidebar). • Receive 1 extra entry if you have the Homespun Hullabaloo button on your blog sidebar (see sidebar).
- Please make each entry a separate comment or they will only be counted as one. - I must be able to contact you through your blog or e-mail in order for you to win.
Giveaway winner will be chosen using a random number generator, enter by February 25th.
February 2nd has come and gone in illuminated glory. The date is lit with various customs, hard to pronouce names and mysterious origins. Most practically, marks the traditional midwinter day roughly halfway between the first day of winter and the first day of spring...nice. Here are some additional assoications, via Wiki.
Titles include Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, Imbolc, St. Brigid's Day, Groundhog Day and Lupercalia
In Poland the feast is called Święto Matki Bożej Gromnicznej. This name refers to the candles that are blessed on this day, called gromnicy, since these candles are lit during (thunder) storms and placed in windows to ward off storms.
Misconceptions... The tradition of lighting a candle in each window is not the origin of the name "Candlemas", which instead refers to a blessing of candles.
Modern Pagans believe that Candlemas is a Christianization of the Gaelic festival of Imbolc, which was celebrated in pre-Christian Europe at about the same time of year. The exact date of the Imbolc festival may have varied from place to place based on local tradition and regional climate. However, a connection with Roman polytheism is more plausible, since the feast was celebrated before any serious attempt to expand Christianity into non-Roman countries.
Flutter over to The Whimsical Cottage for a fairy good time! Danni is hosting a fantastic series, February Fairies, filled to the wings with fancy free fay frolic.
Bonus! Fly over to The Whimsical Cottage to find a secret poem and learn how to use it for an extra chance to win the The Green Fairy Divination Board.
The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for the Detroit area from 7:00 p.m. Tuesday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday. I'm so excited!
Provision Supply List: Beef Stew √ Espresso √ 30 Days of Night √ 30 Blankets √ Candles (it is Candlemas after all) √ Duct Tape √ Cute Sweater for Ruby √ Board Games √ Chewing Gum √ New Crochet Patterns √ TP √
We are all set! Ed's workshop closed for the day, in anticipation of the storm, so we have all day to cuddle on the couch watching snow fall and the wind howl. awoooooooo!
"I give you Chicago. It is not London and Harvard. It is not Paris and buttermilk. It is American in every chitling and sparerib. It is alive from snout to tail." ~ H. L. Mencken, 1920
On October 7, 1997, the Chicago City Council approved a resolution which absolved Mrs. O'Leary's cow of all blame for the Great Chicago Fire of 1871
"Chicago has a strange metaphysical elegance of death about it." ~ Claes Oldenburg"It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago-she outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them. She is always a novelty; for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time." ~ Mark Twain, 1883
"Let the worthy citizens of Chicago get their liquor the best they can. I'm sick of the job -- it's a thankless one and full of grief. I've been spending the best years of my life as a public benefactor." ~ Al Capone, 1927
