10/31/2013

another new experience

I never thought I'd ever see the local fire truck backing into my yard garden without the house being on fire!


Our water tank was discovered mysteriously empty yesterday morning and  this is the man who drove the fire tanker to refill it. That's Hubby keeping him company.

Hopefully, we can figure out why it wasn't full in spite of the rain that we have had lately.

Thank you, Eltham Volunteer Fire Department for the 13,000 liters of water--even if it only filled it about half way!

10/27/2013

The truth about Halloween?

There are many versions of how Halloween came to be but most of them agree that the Celtic Druids gave it an evil start.

Halloween is by definition "All Hallow's Eve" meaning the day before (eve of)  "All Saint's Day".  Now, the thought of a day for celebrating all the saints sounds quite holy (hallowed) and that would be the complete opposite of what pagans believe; so, what are they to do? They would celebrate their socks off the day before.

On this day, the souls of the dead were suppose to revisit their homes. It was a time for the living to placate the demonic supernatural powers that came with the dead souls with lavish displays of food. While the dead wreaked havoc on the living, they did so with masks and disguises to keep their identity a secret.
Another version goes like this:
In Ireland especially, people thought that ghosts and spirits roamed after dark on Halloween. They lit candles or lanterns to keep the spirits away, and if they had to go outside, they wore costumes and masks to frighten the spirits or to keep from being recognized by these unearthly beings.
Trick-or-treating has its roots in Druid history, too. The Druids (pagan priests) would use a candle in a gourd to light their way when they went to ask for materials for their great bonfire or food. If you gave them what they wanted, the priests would be on their merry way. But if you didn't comply, they would leave the gourd on your doorstep and someone in that house would die before the next Hallowed Eve. That sounds like fun, don't you think!

There are many versions and opinions about this holiday. Churches have alternate parties on the day. Some churches hand out tracts instead of candy. Are they right? I don't know.

I can only tell you my opinion, which is based on the contradictions of the Bible vs the holiday. God's laws concerning witches is very clear.
“You shall not permit a sorceress to live." - Exodus 22:18
He wants us to rely solely on Him--that means not knowing what tomorrow will bring or what dead relatives have to say. Witchcraft is about knowing the future and changing what you don't want; diametrically opposed to what God wants.
As far as I am concerned, this day we dress our children up as characters that God wanted struck down, has nothing to do with Christianity, no matter how you spin it.

Disclaimer: This is my blog and my opinions. You are  allowed to disagree with me but I will not publish comments that are not civil.

10/15/2013

back to what I like...

I was reluctant to change to Google+ but I thought I should 'keep up' with the times.

With all the controversy over the new policies--which I don't think would affect me since I don't socialize a lot on the web--I think I will also give up Google+. 

It's a bit confusing when bloggers post all the comments they make on other blogs, so I will go back to what I'm comfortable with.

I will still follow your blogs (from the old 'join' gadget) and it will be one less thing to worry about. 

10/06/2013

LocalSquare website

I got this email and thought it was worth passing on to my New Zealand readers. It's a competition for a new free classified website called Local Square.


Hi,
We are running a competition in October and thought your visitors may like to know about it. LocalSquare is a New Zealand free classified website, and throughout October we are counting each new advert listed on LocalSquare as an entry into our competition draw.First prize is a $100 gift card for The Warehouse store in New Zealand.
We are also offering four runner up prizes of $50 gift cards.
http://www.localsquare.co.nz/competitions/win-a-gift-card-for-the-warehouse.aspx
To be in with a chance of winning you need to add new listings to LocalSquare during October. Each new listing will count as an entry into the competition draw, so the more listings you add, the more chances you have to win.
Looking to get rid of some old clothes or furniture? List it for sale on LocalSquare for your chance to win in our October competition! You can list baby clothes, cars, electronics, DVDs, events, and loads more on LocalSquare.
We were hoping you could let you visitors and members know about this competition.
Many thanks
PeterLocalSquarehttp://www.localsquare.co.nz

10/02/2013

springtime is flourishing...

It's definitely time for nesting around here. I hear sparrows chirping out the laundry room window every morning, and they fly out for bits of grass, so it's a fair guess that they have started a nest in the eaves or roof over the back porch.

Starlings have been collecting dry twigs and grass and then disappearing beneath the edges of the house and the garage shed. Along with the thumping of their feet and wings on the roof and in the ceiling, I'm rather sure they are making themselves at home at our home!

I had noticed the swallows (they are 'welcome swallows' for those keeping score) hovered in the back yard garden a lot and today I found out why. They were being watchful of predators before they darted into our wood room on the back of the garage shed. I'm not one for a lot of assumptions, but I think it's a pretty fair bet that the two I saw go in are starting a nest inside.

I can imagine the cacophony that will eventually come with all the little ones demanding to be fed! It should be interesting, to say the least! But then, I  suppose that's what we get for living in the only house within shouting distance of the dairy cows in the pastures that surround us.

It's all nice and natural, but there are two concerns I have. One is: what kind of mess will they make? The other thing is, I'm thinking about how I can get some pictures of the new arrivals!! We'll see what happens.