Unicorns may be a creature of myth and fantasy…while you might not be able to tame or ride one, you can now have “proof” that they exist!! A jewel and gem hued painting is available, by American Artist Anna Potthoff, and your purchase supports the artist and their endeavors and adventures.
Click here to purchase/make an offer, free shipping within the USA, international shipping is also available!! Easy shopping and guaranteed safe transactions on eBay
Season’s Greetings, a “newer” way to greet the universal crowd to wish them a happy holiday season when one doesn’t feel a “Merry Christmas” is warranted in the situation. In our home growing up, though, the expression of “Season’s Greetings” meant and means something entirely different….in a magical kind of way.
There are 4 children in my family, grown up now, living lives of our own but we continue to celebrate our Season’s Greetings. Each of us have something “unique” about our birthdays, a conjoined “event” that was highlight, the 4th of July, Bastille Day, Santa’s Birthday, and yet, the youngest of us, my brother, when small, asked what was special about his birthday and inquired what Season’s Greetings was (he was learning how to read at the time.)
Being creative, as most mothers are, our mother explained that Season’s Greetings was his birthday “buddy” holiday, a special day when the North Pole aligned with the North Star, allowing all the elves to roam amongst us, being Santa’s helpers to look for all the good little boys and girls, and it officially started December 1st. The elves would watch for goodness and other such loveliness amongst us, leaving elf treats as a reward, inspiration and more….and thus began the tradition of Elf Treats and Season’s greetings.
As we grew older, the elf treats customization, of course, grew with us and now, as adults, elf treats are delivered by the help of the mail system instead in lieu of the winds of the Northern Zepher and help of a volunteer flying reindeer for giving….adding a flare of fun and spice amongst us.
Elf treats now are often fun but sometimes, they are also little gifts of help or need as well and aren’t limited to giving to each other-paying for the coffee for the person behind you in line, donating of time to a neighbor or babysitting for a family, sending kibble to an animal shelter in need, sharing a bubble bath basket for a stressed out relative, the possibilities of sharing an elf treat are endless, and the size is often on the smaller side but sprinkled with the magic of the season.
My sister and I live relatively close to each other, in terms of physical distance, now and since. Season’s greetings parties have been made, inviting the neighborhood, making new friends, and even the pets get involved, because whom doesn’t need a good jingle jangle from time to time? And with that, I wish you a very Merry Season’s Greetings and may you be the best of yourself and a good Elf this year and always.
Here are some elf ideas, in case you want to share! (And I have tried to be a very good girl this year!)
A day out with my grandfather, with local history, a great variety of plants, and even a stuffed mountain lion, it literally rocked as toured the Botanical Gardens and Geology museum–an extra nice perk? The venues don’t charge admission but do take donations (which are well worth giving!)
There is so much more to do and enjoy in Clemson, beyond going to a football game, and there is ample parking! The parking lot abuts to the gardens and is easily accessible, and most paths are handicap/scooter friendly for those who desire to go with some assistance.
Road side blooms make a lovely bouquet
On the way home, I came across a most obliging field of wild flowers; I couldn’t help but stop and pick some for my home (while leaving plenty for others to enjoy!) And what girl doesn’t enjoy a nice bouquet? I gifted myself the beautiful bouquet and it was well worth the 10 minutes of effort to enjoy such blossoms!!
It’s often said, I forget who said it originally to give credit, that a “melody often sounds like a memory” and it is true, at least from my experience. Music has a way of capturing a moment, expressing and sharing so many feelings and times in the history of the listener, even if they haven’t heard the song in ages–an adventure to the past, to a specific time frame or experience.
Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect”, for example, takes me to Clava Cairn (near with newly met friends, I hadn’t heard the song before that day but as I walked around barefoot in the grass, Jorge from Chili, laughed, and played the song as the four of us danced around the sites, laughing, and the song fit and stuck. And each and every time I hear the song, guess what? I recall the fun we all shared that day and we all fell in love with our times together that day, the 4 new friends having fun in a site that was thousands of years in making, dancing in the dark, barefoot on the grass.
A few videos have been attached, for listening and viewing pleasure, hoping that a melody helps you to make adventure memories as well.
The blessings continue to flow here in Scotland as I have made some wonderful friends along my journey. It isn’t always about what you are seeing, it is about whom comes into your life and leaves a happy mark on your heart that creates the best experiences; may the memories and friendships continue to bloom.
Recently, I was blessed in being asked to be a Flat Stanley participant for a student in Tyro Elementary, Lexington, North Carolina.
Here is a little back history Flat Stansley (compliments of this site.)
Dale Hubert first introduced The Flat Stanley Project to his students at Wilfrid Jury Public School in 1995. The project’s name comes from the eponymous character of the children’s book Flat Stanley.[1][2] Written in 1964 by American author Jeff Brown, the book centers around the life of character Stanley Lambchop, a boy who is accidentally flattened.[1][2]
In an interview with CNN in 2005, Hubert explained: “In the book, by Jeff Brown, Stanley gets squashed flat by a falling bulletin board. Stanley’s parents rolled him up, put him in an envelope and mailed him to his friend in California. And that just seemed like a way of communicating that grade-three students might enjoy.”[1]
Students involved in The Flat Stanley Project are read the story of Flat Stanley and are subsequently given black-and-white cut-outs of him for them to color.[1][2] The students are also asked to write a story about him, including details such as where he is from, his daily routine and his interests, then they mail their Stanley to someone, such as a friend or relative in another country, or a student at another school participating in the program. The person receiving the Flat Stanley is asked to take a picture with the cut-out doll and to send a letter back, either via email or regular mail, to the student recounting Flat Stanley’s adventures along with the accompanying photo. The student then shares the photo and letter with their class.
By then end of its first year there were 13 classrooms participating in the project across the province of Ontario. Classrooms in the United States were short to follow suit and by 2006 the program had grown to 6,000 classes in 47 nations. By 2011 it was reported that at least 88 countries were participating in the program annually.
A wonderful adventure with family!! My Uncle came to visit Germany from Maryland (and staying with his brother, my other Uncle). We all met up somewhere in the middle…in the lovely town of Neustadt an der WeinstraBe (literally translating into the “New City on the Wine Street” but it is truly an older city, being several hundreds of years old in age.)
The city hosts both multiple Protestant and Catholic Churches, Cathedrals, and squares/plazas galore, and many wonderful attractions, as we discovered wondering around the town after a delightful German lunch together. What a lovely treat to get to spend the day with my Uncles, cousin, Aunt and Thomas.
Play the video to experience beautiful Cathedral bells.
What a wonderful adventure–driving through Freiburg, Germany (where we stopped for a Cappuccino), we continued on the #5 interstate, through border control/inspection, and into Switzerland!! We were able to change countries in a matter of about 2 1/2 hours, which to my American mind, is just outstanding and so surprising.
I, with passport in tow, felt giddy to be going to Switzerland and was anticipating a stamp in my passport. Alas, it would not be possible as the border control did not have a stamp and only did visual checks. Bummer, alas that is the rule. The inspector said that passport stamps are usually only available via the airport.
I gawked as we drove thru Basel, Switzerland, which is 2 kilometers from the border, inside Switzerland. Remembering, albeit too late, that Switzerland is neutral and not part of the European Union, I did not think to convert Euros to Swiss Francs but I was in luck.
Upon arriving in Laufenburg, already having crossed the Rhine (Rhein) River, we pulled off in the Aldstadt (historic) district, which in part borders the Rhine. Opening the car door, the scents of a Swiss Spring filled the air with beauty and grace and the air smelled of sweet things verses grilled sausages (which is often an occurrence in Germany.) The Videos tell the rest of the story and how I was in multiple places at once (and we went further into Switzerland and shopped in Leistal.)
I can attest, Swiss crafted cheese and chocolate are absolutely amazing!!!
http://https://youtu.be/nZCAepnL6xU
While walking to the tram one day,a poster, advertisement caught my eye. To my delight, it was featuring, showcasing an upcoming concert, featuring Folk Music from across the ages and the globe, instantly causing giddiness for me, even more so when I found that the event offered free entrance!!!
Delightfully, Thomas and I dressed for the occasion and off we went for a beautiful evening of enchanting music, which included folk music:
John Phillip Souza
Williams (English Folk Song Suite, Seventeen Come Sunday, Intermezzo, Folk Songs from Somerset)
Galle (Bohmischer Traum)
Llan Alcazar
De Meij (Songs from the Castskills)
Manilow/De Meij (Copacaban)
Grainger (Irish Tune from County Derry)
R. Hariman/Bernaerts (Lord of the Dance)
Please, listen to the videos below. I hope you enjoy the music as much as we enjoyed it.
Director: Julian Reichard
#Ettlingen #Folkmusik #Musikverein
MV “Harmonie” Ruppur
http://https://youtu.be/ESeupHdkDyc
My Travels 