Change of Template!

Ahhhh! As you can see ('m sure O.o) I changed my template...I think it looks ugly! But I can't change it back to the way it was because I had a bunch of custom colors and fonts. Tell me what'cha think! Should I keep it, or lose it? :)

Oh gosh

I don't know where this picture came from, but when I saw it, I just cracked right up. =)

Playlist!!

If you look at my sideboard, you'll notice I have a playlist! It's kinda hard to go up and down to new songs, but other than that I think it's pretty easy to use! Give it a try and tell me how you like my taste in music!!! :) :) I know it's kinda a random list, esp. Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever Boys Like Clever Girls, but that way you hear a bit of everything I like!! Tell me what'cha think!!

Anna

Wow - I haven't posted in a while!

I guess I haven't because life's been rather hectic! What with school (yes, I've been doing that terrible thing through the summer! >.<) the beach, babysitting......and, well, life in general, I just haven't had time to post!

Yet I've managed to read some great books lately! One I just finished was so exciting...but I guess I'll leave that for a post on The Good Book Club. :) Another blog I have been neglecting horribly of late. I also have a nice stack of new books fresh from the library, so I have lots to post on there now!

Well, I guess I just wanted to explain my sad lack of posting lately. :)

Now, I have a few things I need to do, and perhaps I'll post a few other things today!
God bless!

Wedding Traditions

I was about to go on another search for strange facts when suddenly I had the idea of posting how some old wedding traditions got started! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! I know it's very long, but I simply love learning about traditions and how they got started.... :)

The engagement ring – one of the oldest of the Western European wedding traditions.

One of the ancient traditions of Western Europe which is still going strong today is the idea of the engagement ring. It was way back in 860 A.D. that Pope Nicholas I proclaimed that not only was an engagement ring required to seal the agreement to be married, but that the engagement ring must be made of gold. The making of the ring out of gold signified that the groom was willing to make a financial sacrifice for his new bride-to-be.

It would be another 617 years before the tradition of adding a diamond to an engagement ring would be started. It was in the year 1477 that King Maximilian presented the lovely Mary of Burgundy with a diamond engagement ring, and from that day to this a diamond has been a girl’s best friend.

It was in Italy, the land of love, that gold wedding rings first became popular, and it was also in Italy that the tradition of the wedding cake was first begun when, in the first century B.C., a cake or bread was broken over the bride’s head to insure fertility.

The tradition of the Best Man began in medieval Germany.

It was in ancient Germany that the Western European tradition of a Best Man began. In olden days it was sometimes necessary for a man to kidnap his bride from a neighboring village and he needed his strongest friend (his Best Man) to help with the kidnapping and to stand by him at the wedding ceremony to fight off any relatives that might try to take her back. (Yikes!)

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

But it was in England that many of our most enduring Western European wedding traditions got their beginning. The ancient nursery rhyme about something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue is now an important part of most Western European weddings, even though many brides and grooms no longer know the significance of the rhyme.

Something old is symbolic of continuity. The old item was often a piece of lace or a grandmother’s scarf or an old piece of jewelry. Something new signifies hope for the future, and can be anything from a piece of clothing to the wedding band itself. Something borrowed is symbolic of future happiness and is often provided by a happily married friend of the bride. And finally, something blue. In ancient times blue was the color of purity and often both the bride and the groom wore a band of blue cloth around the bottom of their wedding attire.

Before the German Wedding Day

According to German wedding tradition, when a baby girl is born in Germany, several trees are planted in honor of her birth. When her wedding date is set, the trees are sold, and the money is used for her dowry.

A unique German pre-wedding custom is the creation of a wedding newspaper by the friends and family of the bride and groom. This newspaper, or booklet, is filled with pictures, articles and stories of the engaged couple. The newspaper is sold at the wedding reception, to assist with the expenses of the honeymoon.

Belgium wedding Traditions

One of the most important and enduring traditions of the Belgium wedding is for the bride to carry a specially embroidered handkerchief that has her name embroidered on it. After the wedding this handkerchief is framed and hung on the wall in a place of honor. When the next female member of the bride’s family is to be wed, the handkerchief is removed from its frame, the new bride’s name is embroidered onto it, and it is passed down.

The wedding handkerchief is passed from generation to generation, and is considered an important family heirloom.

During the wedding mass the bride and the groom are enthroned in two large chairs placed near the alter, symbolizing that on this day and in this place they are the king and the queen. At the conclusion of the ceremony the groom slips the wedding ring onto the third finger of his bride’s left hand. The ring, being an endless circle, symbolizes never-ending love, and the third finger of the left hand is believed to hold the vein that travels to the heart, symbolizing love.

Austrian Wedding Customs and Traditions

Choosing the day

Although most weddings take place on a Saturday it was considered unlucky in the past. Fridays were also considered unlucky particularly Friday the 13th. The famous old rhyme advises a wedding in the first half of the week:

“Monday for wealth, Tuesday for health, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all.”

Wedding Decorations and Traditions in Spain

Orange blossoms have long been the flower of choice for a girl getting married in Spain. Since the orange tree bears fruit and blossoms at the same time it's flowers represent happiness and fulfillment.

Before a couple getting married in Spain exchange their vows in church, the groom gives his bride a wedding present of thirteen coins. This gift is a symbol of his commitment to support her. The bride-to-be then carries these coins, in a little bag, to her wedding ceremony.

Eastern European Wedding Traditions

May you be blessed with long life, prosperity, happiness and fertility

Many Eastern European wedding traditions concern long life, fertility and happiness and prosperity. In Czechoslovakia, for example, the bride’s friends would often plant a tree in her yard and decorate it with ribbons and brightly-painted egg shells. The belief was that the bride would live as long as the tree. Traditionally an infant would be laid on the couple’s wedding bed as a symbol of fertility. After the ceremony the young couple would traditionally break plates and the more pieces the plates broke into the more successful their marriage would be.

In Hungary a new bride wore an elaborate headdress at her wedding in which was woven strands of wheat as a symbol of fertility. Also a new bride would be presented with an egg. By smashing it she would insure the health of her future children. Traditionally the new bride would present her husband with a gift of seven scarves, seven being a lucky number and signifying her desire for a long and happy marriage.

A wedding tradition in Poland holds that the parents of the couple present them with rye bread sprinkled with salt and a glass of wine. The bread symbolizes hope that the couple will never go hungry, the salt symbolizes that life will have its difficulties, and the wine is a blessing for health and happiness.

The Pictures!

The Bride and Groom and the bridesmaids.

Jenny and the flower girls.

Husband and wife.

The Father and Bride walking down the isle.

The handsome groom watching his bride slowly walk toward him.

Together!

"You may kiss the bride!"

What age do you act?

Another quiz! I know....But I love these things!

You Are 14 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

And how perfect! My birthday is on the 18th, and I'll be fourteen!

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

(Ecc 3:1-8

Things to Ponder

If you try to fail and succeed, which one have you done?

Reminiscing....

Today I was looking through my old school things from when I went to Casa Esperanza in 4th grade. While looking at a little picture of Teddy and his friends, I caught sight of an old diary that my teacher had given me at the end of the school year. In it the younger class mates had written a word or two about me. It was cute, and some of them are rather funny, so I thought I'd share! :)

You are a great helper

~Kerian

Anna I like you kus you are rily nice

~ It was blank...anonymous?!

I like how you play with Angela (?? =/ Haha!)

~Matthew

Your nice sometimes. I ask you things. That makes me enjoy your company.

Love,
Zachery

She is a good to read thank you

~Cameron

Anna - you are a good artist (Awww!)

~ Anonymous...again!! :-o

You are vere sweet!!!

Love,
Shayne

Anna, you are a good friend to Angela

~Sam

You are kind.

By Abril

I like you cause your nice

~Kyleigh


And lastly, my teachor wrote a little note for me.

Anna- I feel so fortunate to have had you in my class this year. Your gentle spirit, kind heart and talented eye are gifts we have all benefited from. Thank you for sharing the special person you are with us.

Love,
Senora S.

In the back of the book I had scribbled a bit of journaling....

It was sweet to read all this and to remember the silly, sweet or sad things that happened while I was going to Casa.... The boy I had had a crush on...my best friend, Angela...my favorite part of the school day, drawing maps of the world....how the first day at school I had been so shy, but after just a few days I had made lots of friends... and my mortal enemy, Crysula! I also remember when I would draw some pictures in my sketch pad and how some little complement would fill me with pride. :) How much I hated my uniform.... How math was so difficult...reading time, another favorite time of the day.

It was so nice to sit and remember. That was the year I donated my hair! Ugh, that hair cut was so horrible! .....That is when I got my glasses! Yikes!.....

One of my favorite things about school was...Spanish class. I loved learning the new words for Cat, dog, green, pink, square, circle...

One of my least favorite things about school was...always having to have a partner when the went to the bathroom! Sometimes I would have to wait fifteen minutes before someone else had the need of the rest room! >.<

Yes.....I will always remember the friends and foes I had, and the happy and sad things that happened during that year at Casa! :)

Reviews in Fifteen Words or Less

Pride and Prejudice - By Jane Austen

Faaaabulous! All I can say is that this delightful, classical story is a must read!

Pride and Prejudice - 1995 (A&E - Mini)

I *love* this movie! Complete, interesting, and lovely, the only complaint.....it was too short! =P

Pride and Prejudice - 1980 (BBC - Mini)

Not heard of often, this might be my favorite film version yet! Must see! (O.o Mr.Darcyissooocompletelyperfect!! <3<3<3)

Pride and Prejudice - 2004

Mr. Darcy.....oooh! Perfect! Quite good. Though not competing with the minis, I liked it! :)



......((Ooohmygoodness! That was hard!! :))

Things to Ponder...

If someone invented instant water,
what would they mix it with?

I'm bored....how about some weird ol' facts!?

It's physically impossible to lick your elbow. (Trust me...I tried! ;)

The main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch each year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building!

A snail can sleep for three years.

Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.

Typewriter is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

A crocodile cannot stick it's tongue out!

*Sigh* Don't you love Garfield?

Here is today's "Garfield Comic of the Day"! So funny! Hehehe :)

PS - Click on the picture to make it bigger!

Yes, yes, another quiz...

I know, I know, I should be doing something more important - especially at this time in the morning! =P

Your score on this personality test was 69%

Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural lead, who's quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

Personality Quiz
Take More Quizzes

"I see his blood upon the rose"

I see his blood upon the rose
And in the stars the glory of his eyes,
His body gleams amid eternal snows,
His tears fall from the skies.

I see His face in every flower;
The thunder and the singing of the birds
Are but his voice-and carven by his power
Rocks are his written words.

All pathways by his feet are worn,
His strong heart stirs the ever-beating sea,
His crown of thorns is twined with every thorn,
His cross is every tree.

Joseph Plunkett

I haven't been posting very much lately, buuut.....

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

Things to ponder....

Would a fly without wings be called a walk?

Word of the Day

jocose • \joh-KOHSS• adjective

*1 : given to joking : merry

2 : characterized by joking : humorous

Example Sentence:

In the office, Ellie's lively, jocose personality keeps everyone smiling and upbeat.

Did you know?

When you need a word to describe something (or someone) that causes or is intended to cause laughter, you might pick "jocose" or a synonym such as "humorous," "witty," "facetious," or "jocular." Of those terms, "humorous" is the most generic and can be applied to anything that provokes laughter. "Witty" suggests cleverness and a quick mind, while "facetious" is a word for something that is not meant to be taken seriously. "Jocose" and "jocular" both imply a habitual waggishness and a fondness for joking.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Yaaaay!! Interesting and Strange Facts!

No one knows where Mozart is buried.

Under extreme stress, some octopuses will eat their own arms.

Black bears are not always black. They can be brown, cinnamon, yellow, and sometimes white.

'Jedi' is an official religion, with over 70,000 followers, in Australia.

If a surgeon in Ancient Egypt lost a patient while performing an operation, his hands were cut off.

The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.

People with blue eyes are better able to see in the dark.

An egg will float if placed in water in which sugar has been added.

A ball of glass will bounce higher than a ball made of rubber.

Men laugh longer, louder, and more often than women.

Unlike dogs, pigs, and some other mammals, humans cannot taste water. They taste only the chemicals and impurities in the water.