"...to seek and to find the past, a lineage, a history, a family built on a flesh and bone foundation."

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Wisdom Wednesday: Superstitions: a sprinkle of salt

Superstitions are very interesting to me. Such beliefs may be viewed by some as just silly; however, it seems as though those who give credence to superstitions do so because such beliefs are based either in real life experience or in religious training.

One of the practices my mom has shared with me, of throwing salt over your left shoulder after you spill it, is one she learned as a child.

A pinch of salt thrown over the left shoulder is meant to keep the devil at bay.

Salt was once a highly prized commodity, crucial in preserving food, and even used as currency in ancient times. According to my mom spilling salt has long been viewed as a sin. The action of throwing a pinch of the salt you have spilled over your left shoulder is intended to keep the devil at bay.

In Latin 'left' is 'sinistro' from which the word sinister is derived; thus, the left side is thought to be the devil's side. 'Right' in Latin is "dextro", interpreted as 'to the right', meaning good and fortunate; therefore, you toss the salt over your left shoulder with your right hand.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday: Beautifully Embellished Celtic Cross

Celtic crosses are very interesting because of the way in which they intermingle ancient Celtic symbols, such as the traditional vines and knots which appear on the 'post' of this cross with Christian and Greek imagery and symbols. The Celtic symbols are traditionally interpreted as representing life everlasting.

The IHS in the center of the wheel is the Greek iota-eta-sigma which stands for the name of Christ. The dove represents the Holy Spirit. The PX is again Greek; 'Pax Xristos' meaning Peace of Christ or Christ's peace. The 'A', which looks as though it has wings, is the Alpha/Omega symbol from the Book of Revelation, the biblical book in which Christ names himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. The six pointed star is often called the star of creation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (528 A.D.) refers to the star which led the Magi to Christ as "the Star of David" meaning "the star of the King of Israel". Also, in the Book of Revelation, Jesus is called the Morning Star (Revelation 2:28; Revelation 22:16).

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Friday, July 9, 2010

Eyes shining bright...

Hi Everyone,

Just a brief note to update all of you on the state of my eyesight. I had the procedure on Monday afternoon 5 July, and everything went really well. Although I am black and blue around my eyes, feel like I was hit by a 2 x 4, and things are still a little cloudy, my doctor is very pleased both with how the procedure went and with the outcome at this point.

Once again I want to Thank You most sincerely for all of your prayers, kind thoughts, and warm wishes. Also I want to give a VERY LOUD shout out to Carol at Reflections From The Fence who must have a very BIG heart because it's so filled with warmth for anyone who needs it. Thank You so very much Carol!

It's great to be part of such a wonderful blogging community. I guess the world really is just a slightly oversized little town, and I'm so glad to be a part of it.

And, as always, I hope the sun is shining on your part of the world today.

Cheers! Jennifer

Friday, July 2, 2010

Follow Friday: The English Kitchen

On Monday I came upon this blog, and honestly cannot tell you how I found it, but I did. It's not a Genealogy blog, but I thought I would share it with our family history community because food plays a major role in so many family gatherings. In my own family, food features prominently at both weddings and funerals, not to mention Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, and pretty much any other sort of celebration.

Written by Canadian ex-patriot Marie Alice Joan Rayner,
'The English Kitchen' is a feast for the senses. Rayner moved to England from Canada in 2000 armed with, in her words, "a bulging suitcase full of kitchen tools, handwritten recipes and a 4 litre can of Maple Syrup, totally prepared to be greeted with the worst." She discovered to her delight that, "most of what I had heard was totally and completely wrong! Here in the UK we have some of the best poultry, meats, fishes, ingredients and produce in the world, and some of the most innovative chefs."

Marie Alice Joan shares recipes and beautiful photographs about food, delicious, gorgeous food. I hope you'll stop by and have a look. Just be prepared for your taste buds to tingle.

The English Kitchen can be found at: http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...