IT'S RAINING MEN !!!

It's raining men, hallelujah....NOT! They are jumping around like fleas and I have gone into hiding in my bedroom. Headsets on, not helping! Saw-Man has his father here, Chainsaw-Man and his brother, "pull the plug" works to LOUD country music. 

The front door is gone. Just a big hole in the wall. Hope it does not start to rain! There are alot of cats in this neighborhood and they are not shy. But hey! Give me a break, do I have to feed them all? As long as that mean Blackbird does not try to sneak in here. He is always fighting with the cats.  I mean it! That is one big bird! He comes in here and I swear I will put him in a pie! I wish I had a camera so you guys could see this. Well you know what I am wishing for now!

I know, I know...I have no right to complain and really I do not. These men are so cute and hard-working and I really love them. I just come in here and vent to you guys, you don't mind do you? Ok time for some self medication:

 

Have a great week-end  everyone!

 

He kissed me!

He kissed me on my cheek and said, "Everything is going to be alright." I do not know why I choose to believe him, but I  did. For some strange reason this boy man who I have known for half of my life made me feel safe when others had failed. Suddenly I felt just maybe I could indure a little longer.

Oh Oh, Look OUT!

There is something strange happening in the blogging universe, have you noticed? There is like this black hole and a huge swooshing noice where the A-Z challenge used to be. Well I might be one of the only ones that knows what is  going on It is this...

ZODIAC KILLER

Well it is the end of the A-Z challenge. Congrats to all of you that managed to complete it. I thought a good way to end this challenge was with another serial killer.
The Zodiac Killer was a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970's. . He coined the name "Zodiac" in a series of taunting letters sent to the local Bay Area press.

These letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers), three of which have yet to be solved. The Zodiac murdered victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969. Four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were targeted. In April 2004, the San Francisco Police Department marked the case "inactive", yet re-opened the case at some point prior to March 2007.Although the Zodiac claimed 37 murders in letters to the newspapers, investigators agree on only seven confirmed victims, two that survived.Numerous suspects have been named by law enforcement and amateur investigators but no conclusive evidence has

Surfaced, or has it? Watch this:

Here is a good movie that I recommend 
Another one?

Who was the Zodiac killer, who was Jack the Ripper? Why is it they were never caught and why is it these serial killers continue to fascinate our imaginations?

Thank you for spending time with me during this A-Z challenge. I hope to be seeing you again real soon. What will I be writing about next? Wait and see, I think you will like it.

YOLANA BARD

So we are rounding off the final days of the A-Z challenge. Thanks again for all your well wishes. I am starting to feel better, but mentally I think I could use this lady:
Yolana Bard, was  known as the Queen of Psychics. For over 25 years she worked with politicians,  celebrities, and law enforcement officials. She was even at one time named "New York's Best Psychic." 

I have not read this book but would be curious to hear if anyone else has. She must have been a fascinating woman with alot of stories to tell. Yolana died at age 66, but her spirit in someway most surely live on.Yolana assisted countless numbers of people around the globe find the answers to their questions. Whether they were wondering how to find prosperity, joy in life, or merely wanted to contact a loved one who passed on, Yolana used her amazing gifts to offer guidance and hope. As one of the world’s most highly regarded psychic mediums, Yolana was regularly consulted on high-profile criminal cases, where she helped numerous police departments solve perplexing cold cases, particularly cases involving missing children. Her private client list included major executives, world leaders, and hollywood’s top celebrities.


Do you think that psychics and mediums really do excist in our world?

XANADU

Thank you everyone for your kind get well wishes. Still feeling blah. Here is a nice poem for all you dreamers out there:

Xanadu - Kubla Khan
a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail:
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean:
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!

The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me
That with music loud and long
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

WYRD SISTERS

The original Wyrd Sisters were the three Norns, the Norse Goddesses of destiny. In Norse mythology they are female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men. These three fatalists can be found tending the ash tree Yggdrasil in Doomstead. They are Past, Present and Future, spinning your destiny at this very moment. URD does fate, VERDANDI does present and SKULD the future.

They are also engaged in tapestry work of such complexity that nothing ever gets finished. Until one of their Destiny tapestries is completed confusion and uncertainty will be the Norn. SKULD who is the youngest and most beautiful also takes time off to serve with the VALKYRIES on a voluntary basis.

Sorry guys but until I am not battling the flu, my posts will be short and Minnie is on vacation.

VALKYRIES

Look out all you men out there, today we women rule! Valkyries: Choosers of the Slain. They are a team of Warrior maidens on horseback led by feisty Freya and her cat drawn chariot.

If you are a handsome warrior strutting your stuff on the battlefield, watch out for 40 raving beauties on flying horses descending upon the pitch. The Valkyries shriek, howl and cause total confusion. Why? Because they can grab any warrior they fancy, and take him away. There is only one rule; the bewildered  champion must be dead first.

Valkyries

Minnie-ism for today:

"Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly, men who say they are heroes well, they just gotta die"

So you must fight for your life, because if you fail you could be scooped up by one of these mighty and deadly beautiful valkyries and then swooped off to Valhalla which is the Heroes Heaven.There you will be forced to feast,drink gallons of mead, and fornicate all night. Sounds horrible doesn't it?

UGAH

Now you are totally wondering what I am talking about, no not Mythology nor  Norwegian culture.  I just love this word:
Ugah, kind of prehistoric isn't
  it?

UGAH: A form of greeting used by a small number of IRC users. Believed to have originated from a drunken discussion late one April evening. Sounds about right. Who cares anyways, no one seems to be paying attention. Minnies favorite word. By the way, Minnie is bored and I am pretty sure she is leaving us.

UGAH

Minnie-ism for today:
"Ugah, means who gives a sh.. and I am bored, really, look it up!"

HAPPY EASTER.

Thor

 God of Thunder. I know you have been waiting for this one!

Son of Odin and Jord, he's the famous Scandinavian God with Hammer, the burly red-bearded Lord of Thunderstorms. He rides through the storm clouds in a chariot pulled by goats and throws his hammer Mjollnir all over the place to create lightning.As perhaps you might expect, he's not terribly bright and Loki was always leading him astray. But they were  friends and was always ready to bash Lokis enemies with the  end of his hammer.



 Thor seems to have been the best loved and most worshiped of the Norse deities. He belonged to the common people, while Odin appealed to the learned and noble classes. A patron of farmers, Thor was associated with weather and crops. Although he could be fearsome, many myths portray him in a comic and affectionate way.

THOR

Minnie-ism for today:

"What is it about men and their tools? Big hammer,big deal. Really who cares?"

Thor appears throughout as a huge, strongly built, red-bearded fellow with a huge appetite.  His wife was the beautiful goddess Sif, who seldom appears in myths and remains a somewhat mysterious figure.Generally good-natured, Thor had a hot temper, and his anger was dreadful to behold. He was a fierce enemy of the frost giants, the foes of the Norse gods. When people heard thunder and saw lightning in the sky, they knew that Thor was fighting evil giants.


The thunder god's chief weapon was his mighty hammer Mjollnir, or Crusher, which the dwarfs had forged for him. When he threw Mjollnir, it returned magically to his hand like a boomerang. Among Mjollnir's other powers was the gift of restoring life to the dead. The connection of Thor's hammer with life and fertility gave rise to the old Norse customs of placing a hammer in a bride's lap at her wedding and of raising it over a newborn child.

Thor's treasures also included a magical belt that doubled his strength whenever he wore it and a pair of goats, Tanngniost and Tanngrisni (both "Toothgnashers"), that pulled his chariot across the sky. Whenever he was overcome with hunger, Thor would devour his goats, only to return them to life with Mjollnir.


According to one well-known myth about Thor, Thrym, king of the giants, came into possession of Mjollnir and declared that he would give it back to Thor only if the beautiful goddess Freyja agreed to marry him. She angrily refused, and the trickster god Loki came up with a clever plan to recover Mjollnir. Using women's clothing and a bridal veil to disguise Thor as Freyja, Loki escorted "Freyja" to Jotunheim, the home of the giants. Thrym greeted his bride, though he was surprised at her appetite at the wedding feast. "Freyja" consumed an entire ox, three barrels of wine, and much more. Loki explained that she had been unable to eat for a week because of her excitement at marrying Thrym. The giant accepted this explanation, and the wedding proceeded. When the time came for a hammer to be placed in the bride's lap according to custom, Thor grabbed Mjollnir and threw off his disguise. Then he used the hammer to smash the giants and their hall.


So what do you think, would you really put your faith in this God and his hammer to save  the world?

Mystery Person

Mystery Person who ever you are,

Thank you for becoming my 300th muse! I have only been blogging for 2 months yet I have met so many fantasic people. Mostly I believe this is due to the A-Z challenge so I really have to thank those that are responsible for putting this challenge together. As my 300th muse I do promise you one thing. I will always be honest. I will read your blog and always respond honestly. You may not always like what I blog about or what I have to say, but I blog about things that interest me. If you do not tell me who you are, if I can not find you, than I can not get to know you. I hope you did not come here, just to become a number. I am looking forward to SEEING you, talking to you and getting to know YOU. Oh another thing, if you have word verification I will not comment unless I really need to say something.

Have a wonderful day where ever you are,

RUNE NOT JUST A NAME

Rune is my husbands name but Runes are also an ancient Germanic alphabet, used for writing, divination and magick. They were used throughout northern Europe, Scandinavia, the British Isles, and Iceland from about 100 B.C.E. to 1600 C.E. Runic inscriptions of great age have even been found in North America, supporting stories that the Vikings arrived in the Americas long before Columbus.
RUNE

Minnie-ism for today:

"You got a question, ask Rune. He thinks he knows everything"

Runes are an oracle from which one seeks advice. They work best if you detail your current circumstances and then ask a specific question. Rune readings are sometimes obscure. They hint toward answers, but you have to figure out the details. This is when the rune casters intuition becomes paramount. Some times the Runes just "sing", and their meaning becomes instantly clear.
Since ancient times, runes have been used for divination and magic, in addition to writing. The word "rune" actually means mystery, secret or whisper. Each rune has esoteric meanings and properties associated with it, beyond its mundane meaning and phonetic value. Each translates into a word or a phrase signifying concepts important to the early peoples who used them, representing the forces of nature and mind. Each rune has a story attached to it, a relationship to a Norse God.
Odin, the Norse High God of the Aesir, hung from the world tree, Yggdrasil, impaled on his own spear, for nine days and nights in order to gain the knowledge of runes. When the runes appeared below him, he reached down and took them up, and the runic knowledge gave him power . He later passed on this knowledge to the Vanir goddess Freya. She, in turn, taught him the magic of seidr. Heimdall, the god who guarded the Rainbow Bridge, taught the runes to mankind.The Runes are divided into three Aettir or groups of eight. One who aspires to become adept with runes must have some knowledge of the mythology, history, and culture of ancient Europe and Scandinavia.

I first recieved my Runes from a dear friend, who sad to say died fighting a battle against cancer. Runes come in many different forms; stones, gems and wood are often used. My Runes are hand carved on to Carnelian stones and look something like this. I would take a picture but I don't have the equipment yet to do so.

 

Many sources report that Carnelian be a powerful activator to the second Chakra, called the Sacral Chakra, which relates to a sense of Self... along with the five senses, creativity, reproduction, sexuality and self-gratification.

Carnelians were used in Ancient Egyptian magick as protection for both the living and the dead.  A Carnelian in the form of the "tjet," symbol of Mother Isis, was placed on the neck of a mummy to ensure the protection, safe passage, and rebirth of the spirit in the afterlife.  Another Carnelian amulet was the Eye of Horus, which is still believed to offer protection against the evil eye.  In Roman times, Carnelian was engraved with the head of a lion or a great leader.

Magickal uses of Carnelian include using it as a focus for past life work and for finding a "twin soul" or family.  It is good for all love and sex rites, especially to rekindle or increase passion that has begun to fade.  Fire magick is also more effective if you circle a red candle with several Carnelians.

Mentally, Carnelian can improve analytical abilities and can clarify perception.  It removes extraneous thoughts during meditation and sharpens concentration.  Emotionally, this stone is a powerful protector against envy, rage and esentment...yours or other people's.  It calms anger and banishes negativity, replacing it with a love of life.  Anne knew me well enough to know that this was the stone I needed for my Runes.

 Do you find this interesting? If so I can write more about the Runes and the magick of stones later.
On another note: I would like to welcome my new muses, some of you make it hard for me to find you becaue you do not comment and you do  not have a link to your blog or email address. If you have not heard from me that is the case because I do want to learn all I can about my muses :)

QUEEN OF NORWAY

Queen Sonja

Queen Sonja was born in Oslo on 4 July 1937 as the daughter of clothing merchant Karl August Haraldsen  and Dagny Ulrichsen, both of whom are deceased.

Queen Sonja grew up in Oslo.  She received a diploma in dressmaking and tailoring at the Oslo Vocational School, as well as a diploma from École Professionelle des Jeunes Filles in Lausanne, Switzerland. There, she studied accounting, fashion design, and social science. She returned to Norway for further studies and received an undergraduate degree (French, English and Art History) from the University of Oslo.

She became engaged to then Crown Prince Harald in March 1968. They had been dating for nine years, although this had been kept secret because of opposition to her non-royal status. The Crown Prince made it clear to his father, King Olav V, that he would remain unmarried for life unless he could marry her. This would in effect have put an end to the rule of his family and most likely the monarchy in Norway as well; he was the sole heir to the throne. Faced with having to choose one of his relatives from the Danish Royal Family, the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein or even the Grand Dukes of Oldenburg as his new heir in place of his son, Olav V consulted the government for advice and the result was that the couple were wed on 29 August 1968, at Oslo Domkirke in Oslo. She then acquired the style of Royal Highness and the title of Crown Princess of Norway.

Following the death of King Olav V on 17 January 1991, Sonja became Norway's first queen consort in 53 years. Queen Sonja accompanied King Harald V when he swore his oath to uphold the Constitution in the Parliment building on 21 January 1991. It was the first time in 69 years that a Norwegian queen had been present in theParliment.

In 2005, Queen Sonja became the first queen ever to visit Antarctica. The Queen was there to open the Norwegian Troll research station in the country's Antarctic dependency, Queen Maud Land. The Queen is appointed a Rear Admiral in the Royal Norwegian Navy and a Brigadier in the Norwegian army. She has undergone a basic officer training course and has participated in exercises. Queen Sonja’s children:

Her Highness Princess Märtha Louise, born on 22 September 1971. She married Ari Behn on 24 May 2002. They have 3 daughters:

        Maud Angelica Behn, born 29 April 2003
        Leah Isadora Behn, born 8 April 2005
        Emma Tallulah Behn, born 29 September 2008

 His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon Magnus, born on 20 July 1973. He married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby on 25 August 2001. She has a son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby.
They have 2 children:

        Her Royal Highness Princess Ingrid Alexandra, born 21 January 2004, Hereditary Princess of Norway
        His Highness Prince Sverre Magnus, born 3 December 2005

 So what do you think? True Cinderella? One thing is for sure, she is one tough Queen, and I bet a wonderful Queen Grandma!

PLAY LAIV

LAIV-LARP (Live Action Roll Playing)
Since I could not find any Norse mythology for todays letter, I thought I would share some Norwegian culture with you instead. What are the youth in Norway up to? Have you heard of LAIV? Live action roll playing (LARP). It is a spontanious play performed by game players. What is the game? A plot with characters and no written diologe. The players make up the story within the script guide lines provided. Here is a group of Laiv performers, my son is the one with the hat.

My next challenge is to write a "screenplay" for this group of "Laiv" performers. I have decided to go with an alien-time travel-wild west theme. Sound interessting? One thing I am sure of, it should be alot of fun. The so called Scripts are stored for future use, making the game playable time and time again. Here is a teaser for my plot:

Earth is running out of resources so scientists start looking for alternative homes. Finding life on the star Carinae looks promising so they start extracting inhabitants to see if they could adjust. It so happens that one of these is the wife of Professor John Henry James.  Professor James holds the key that can change thoughts to action. Using this key he travels to earth, what he did not know is that he would travel back in time to find his wife. His journey brings him back to the Wild West. His new name is Doc. Holiday; Holiday being the code he and his wife had if ever one or the other should be in trouble.

So what are your children up to?

ODIN

We start off this week with the Father of Gods, Odin

God of war and death, but also the god of poetry and wisdom

Odin's father was Bor. Odin was Married to Frigg and their family inclduded, Baldur, Hod, Hermoth, Thor and Vidar. Together they were the chief divinity of the Norse pantheon, the foremost of the Aesir. 

Odin had to put himself through some very rigorous ordeals to become the great God that he was. One of these ordeals included the sacrifice of one of his eyes. Mimir was an ancient being noted for his wisdom. Mimir was the guardian of a sacred well (known as Mimir’s Well) that gave knowledge to those who drank from it. Odin so coveted wisdom that he gave up one of his eyes to Mimir to gain the privilege of drinking from the well. Mimir placed the eye in the well, where it shone as brilliantly as the Moon.

The well of wisdom lied under the second root of Yggdrasil, which allowed the Dew of Knowledge to seep into it. So Odin stabbed himself with his own spear and hung himself on the tree for nine days and nights. He was then allowed a peep, and saw magic runes appear on rocks beneath him.With a superhuman effort he lifted them and running his eye over the mystic symbols, he was instantly freed of all encumbrances. Restored and rejuvenated with everlasting vigour he droped lightly to the ground. His ordeal accomplished, Odin was at last able to drink from Mimirs well, making him the wisest of all.

Odins self-sacrifice gave him knowledge of the runes, the Norse symbols used for writing and fortune-telling. Yet although Odin was wise, he could also be sly and treacherous. It was not unusual, for example, for him to break his word or to turn people against each other to start conflicts.

ODIN

Minnie-ism for today:

"Odin knew that to get ahead in the world means you have to keep one eye open so he sacrificed one of his eyes. How cool is that?"

Odin's attributes were the spear Gungnir, which never missed its target, the ring Draupnir, from which every ninth night eight new rings appeared, and his eight-footed horse Sleipnir. He was accompanied by the wolves Freki and Geri, to whom he gave his food for, he only consumed wine or mead.

Odin could make the dead speak to question the wisest amongst them. His hall was Åsgard and Valaskjalf ("shelf of the slain")  was where his throne Hlidskjalf was located. From this throne he could observe all that happened in the nine worlds. The tidings were brought to him by his two raven Huginn and Muninn. He also resided in Valhalla, where the slain warriors were taken. If you think a wise one-eyed Norse super power on an eight-legged horse would be easy to recognise you would be wrong because one of Odins many talents was that he could shape-change, and travel incognito under a variety of false names and shapes.

Sharing  God status with brothers Ve and Vili, the Great Odin helped bring the world as we know it into being.. The legend tells that in the ice-laden wastes of Nifleheim, he got into an extreme snowball fight with Ymir, the king of the Frost giants. Ymir was slashed into pieces and Odin made the world from all the left over bits and pieces. On the day of the final battle, it is said that Odin will be killed by Lokis pet wolf Fenrir.

Teaser for A-Z Challenge

We are racing through the A-Z challenge so I thought I might give you an idea of what I will be writing about for the rest of the challenge. I bet you can guess...Yes, Norwegian Mythology and traditions.

My name is Sif (Siv) and I am the wife of Thor ,Odin is my father inlaw. There are many friends that I want to intoduce you to. Freya  leads the warrior women of the Valkyrie in a chariot drawn by cats.

The wyrd sisters hold the past, present and future in their hands.

I want to show you the tree that holds life together, and I want to take you to the hall of death. Follow me as I show you what runes can do. My name is Sif and I am a Goddess of the earth. I have much to show you.

Easter in Norway

 My daughter when she was so cute and little, a long time ago.

Let me take you on a trip to Easter in Norway.  A typical Easter here is not the same as you might be used to. Here is a list of what you will need to bring with you:

NJORD GOD OF THE SEAS

 So how about another story? You guys seem to like these so here is another Crazy Norse God, one with beautiful feet.
NJORD

God of the Sea and Wind

Njord is the god of the sea and wind,  as well as the merchants at sea, and therefore was invoked before setting out to sea on hunting and fishing expeditions. He is also known to have the ability to calm the waters as well as fire.

There were two main clans of gods, the Aesir as lead by Odin, and the Vanir, lead by Njord. Njord and his kin were recognised as the gods of agriculture and fertility, whilst the Aesir were known to be the gods of warfare and of power. With two distinct areas of worship, Njord was considered to be the chief power behind a calm and productive sea, and prayers were raised to him for a fruitful fishing expedition, or a safe voyage.


The Aesir and Vanir were unable to live side by side in peace, and eventually the two clans went to war in the Aesir-Vanir War. A long drawn out war, ended in stalemate, with neither side having a decisive victory, although the Aesir were considered to have a slight advantage. To end the war though it was decided that the two sides would exchange hostages to avert future hostilities. Thus a deal was made by which Njord,  went to live with the Aesir and in return the Aesir sent Honir and Mimir to Vanaheim, the home of the Vanir. It was not a fair exchange because Njord was far more valuable and superior to the Vanir hostages.

Njord went to live in Åsgard and took with him his twin children, Frey and Freya. Njord’s first wife and the mother of the twins was Nerthus, Njords sister. As the Aesir did not approve of marriage between brother and sister, Njord had to leave Nerthus behind.  Njord and his children were well treated and became central figures in the Aesir, Njord in particular being given a role in supervising sacrifices.

Njords second wife was Skadi, a Giantess. When Skadi’s father was killed by the Aesir she was granted the choice of a  husband from among the gods of Aesir. The catch was though that she had to pick her new husband based only on the appearance of his feet She chose the most beautiful feet she saw, thinking they belonged to the god Balder. Instead, they were the feet of Njord.

Skadi was used to living in the icy mountains, and Njord was used to living by the sea. Njord and Skadi could not agree on where to live. Njord’s home was Noatun, a bustling shipyard, noisy with the sound of the wind and the sea and the seabirds. Skadi and Njord could not live happily together, for Skadi hated the cheerful shipyard, while Njord felt unhappy at Skadi’s grim, cold mountain home. After spending nine nights together in each other’s lands, the two decided to live apart.

Norse mythology is different to many ancient mythologies as it tells of the demise of many of the leading gods at Ragnarok. Ragnarok was known as the doom of the gods and men. A battle that would cause the destruction of the nine worlds.Njord was one of the gods that managed to survive and he returned unscathed to Vanaheim (home of the Vanir) in Åsgard.

Bloganiversay Blogfest-featuring the letter M

My entry today must include these six words: Misty, Mambo, Moon, Musky, Mongrel, Myth. I hope you enjoy it. And don't forget to hop over to the other entries. You'll find them at Wendy's blog.

The Saw

The noise from the saw echoed down the street The saw had become my enemy. Every night for the past week, just after the moon appeared in the sky, the saw started spreading its terror. Usually I could block out the sound by turning up the music, but tonight even Mambo nr. 5 couldn't drown out that screeching sound. The sound of the saw, the sound that filled every inch of my body with terror.

Ever since the saw moved into our neighborhood things started to go wrong. One by one things started disappearing. At first it was just little things, like my keys and my clothes that hung on the line to dry. At first I thought that I was just being paranoid, but then my dog Misty went missing as well. Tonight I have had enough. It was time to confront the saw once and for all.

The sound of the saw got louder as I approached the darkened house, and then just like that it stopped. My heart skipped a beat and I could feel the cold sweat inching down my spine. I knew there was no turning back now. Slowly I approached the door and as I lifted my hand to knock the door swung open.

Bryan stood there, with a big grin on his face and his clothes covered in sawdust. The musty smell of his manhood hung in the air.

"Well it took you long enough," he said.

I just stood there staring at him in disbelief. So he was the saw, the reason for my sleepless nights. Misty ran up to me and almost knocked me over. She seemed pleased at her part in this elaborate scheme.

"You can believe in myths and fairytales all you like Bryan, but we are never getting back together again!" I turned and left him standing there like the fool he was.

"Come on Misty, come on you mongrel. Time to go home." As we reached the sidewalk I could hear Bryan almost in a whisper say, "But I was doing it all for you Kathy."

Somethings never change.

MYSTICAL NUMBER 9

Nine is the number of magic. Nine is a sacred number. Nine is the number of completion and fulfillment. Nine is the number of man. Nine is a symbol of wisdom and good leadership. Nine is the number of heaven. In Hinduism nine is the number of Brahma, the Creator.

When multiplied 9 always reproduces itself. 2 x 9 = 18  1+8 = 9      3 x 9 = 27  2+7 = 9      4 x 9 =36  3+6 = 9      5 x 9 = 45  4+5 = 9
 6 x 9 = 54  5+4 = 9      7 x 9 = 63  6 +3 = 9     8 x 9 =72  7 +2 = 9       and so on forever.

Mystical Number Nine

Minnie-ism for today:

"Was never any good at math, so all numbers are rather mystical to me."

The referance to the number 9 and its mystical properties are to be found all over the globe and through out history as well as religion. The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians about nine fruits of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22. The nine fruits of the Spirit are:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control.

Jesus died on the 9th hour, hanging on the cross. The Ninth Hour is the Hour of Prayer. I have heard it said  that the number 9 is the number of man and therefor the number of the beast. 666 (6+6+6=18 1+8=9.)

Numbers can be very fascinating but they can be dangerous as well. Numbers can become an obsession. A good example of that can be seen in the film "The Number 23" Many people with OCD find safety living in the rituals of numbers. The Beatles White album had a track on it called Revolution 9, when played backwards the song was a disturbing collection of referances to death. So disturbing that to this day I can not listen to the whole thing. Here is a taste of it:

Numerology has been attacked for going against the laws and teachings of God. In fact, just the reverse is true. The Bible, the Talmud, the Koran, even the Egyptian Book of the Dead, have alluded to numbers in ways that require interpretation by people of wisdom.

The Nine Muses in Greek mythology were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory). Zeus and Mnemosyne had a love affair that lasted nine nights.Muses were the goddesses who inspired gifted artists, musicians, dancers and authors. Plato built an altar for the Nine Muses in the library of his famous school."Muse" is the source for words like museum, amuse, music and mosaic. The word "museum" means shrine or temple to the Muses.

In Norse mythology there is a time called Ragnarok. Ragnarok is the doom of the gods. Ragnarok is the end of the world. During Ragnarok the god named Thor (the thunder god) fights a horrific battle with the sea serpent named Jormungand, also known as the Midgard serpent. Thor finally manages to kill the serpent.As the serpent dies, Thor walks nine steps. As he takes his ninth step, Thor falls dead to the ground. He died from all the poison the serpent had spit out.

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 99999999

There is enough subject matter on the number 9 to fill a book. I find it fascinating, you might find it boring. Mathematics is the only universal language. I may not speak it well but I do understand its importance.

I will leave you with this question, why is it said that a cat has 9 lives...not 6 or any other number?...9

Need some help from the experts out there

Here is the thing guys my daughter is going stateside soon, so I thought she could buy something for me. I am hoping you smart and wise shoppers could help me out. Give me the lowdown. I am finally going off the deep end and taking a dive into E-READER water so help me decide:

Kindle

IPad

NOOK

Any other suggestions?

I love  my books but there are so many great e-books out there that I do not have access to and alot of them are your books guys. Now how else am I supposed to read the great stuff I am hearing about? Oh, and just so you know, nook nor kindle or any other e-reader is available here in Norway. At least not that I have found and if they were I am sure it would cost a small fortune. So lets hear what you guys have to say...PLEASE...

LOKI THE TRICKSTER

LOKI

 God of Hokey Pokey and one of the world's major Trickster Gods.

Loki was a rascal; crafty, sneaky, silly and malicious. The son of two Giants, he was so outrageously mischievous that he even sneaked his way into becoming a God. He was the first Anti-Hero, quick-witting his way out of  tight corners and confrontations caused by his own misdeeds.

Now if you have not heard of Minnie before now, and you have been following my blog, then you have not been reading my blog . I am not sure how long Minnie is going to stay around, but for now she always has something to say.

Minnie-ism for today:

" Hokey-Pokey Loki, you did it again and I never saw it coming!Thats what I call, pulling a Loki"

Lokis'  first escapade was in true form. When the Gods were struggling to build Åsgard, they ran out of funds.  All the basic construction had been completed but they needed a large wall to keep out all the riff-raff.

Loki came up with the plan of contracting a giant to do the job. As payment, and only if he managed to complete his work on schedule, the giant asked for the Goddess Freya. The Gods were not too sure. "Don't worry," advised Loki. "He'll never manage it on his own, even if he works night and day. We'll just let him keep the wheelbarrow or something."

Alas, the giant was not on his own. He had a huge stallion called Svadilfari, which could haul boulders like there was no tomorrow. With three days to go, Freya was in distress and the Gods aghast.

Now Loki, like fire and smoke, was a shape-shifter. A talent he'd developed to make him the shiftiest rascal of all time. So he changed himself into a mare and seduced the Giant's stallion. The both of them  pranced off into the woods,  and Svadilfari was led far away from the stone pile.

With his horse missing, the Giant didn't quite make the schedule. Seething with rage, he tried to take Freya by force but unfortunatly for him Thor came along and cracked his skull with his famous hammer.

Meanwhile Loki was having a fine old time frolicking in the fields. In fact he became pregnant, and gave birth to a fine baby boy stallion with eight legs. He gave this as a gift to ODIN and it was called Sleipnir.

Loki was now well in with Odin and his son Thor, with whom he shared numerous adventures. Thor, the perfect fall guy, was even once persuaded to appear in drag as the prospective bride of a giant. That is another story. Thor could always be relied on to supply the muscle when corners became too tight for Lokis' trickery.

Loki also had many run-ins with the dwarves, which he cheated at any opportunity until they stitched his mouth shut, which kept him quiet for quite some time. That is my cue for now. There are so many stories of Loki that they could fill a book. Do you know anyone like him?

KVASIR AND BEET JUICE

 Here is another story from Norse Mythology. You are bound to love this guy!

KVASIR

God of Inspiration, Knowledge and Beet Juice.

First a little background information on the different tribes of Gods and the worlds they live in. Since the Nordics like nines, there are nine worlds. Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life, has nine roots which feed or lead to different realms. Starting from the bottom up, they are:

1 : HELHEIM, HEL's Domain of the Dead

2 : NIFLHEIM, the frosty Realm of Ice

3 : JOTUNHEIM, Land of the Giants

4 : NIDAVELLIR, the Land of Dwarfs

5 : SVARTALFHEIM, the Domain of the Dark Elves

6 : MIDGARD, Middle-earth, our bit, the Realm of Mankind

7 : ALFHEIM, the Land of the Light Elves

8 : VANAHEIM, the World of the VANIR

9 : ÅSGARD, the World of the AESIR

Aesir are the Norse top gods, like Odin, Thor and Loki. Vanir are rival gods to the Aesir. They were mostly wild and rough nature gods and detested the more noble warrior gods of the Aesir. After a number of battles and betrayals, the two sides were reconciled. After the final war , all the Gods made a truce by spitting into a bowl. They stirred up the mixture and created a new God of Knowledge. His name was KVASIR and he was made the most amazing diplomat to prevent further disagreements.

KVASIR

Minnie-ism for today

"Got to hand it to these Gods, they needed a mediator so they just made one!"

Sadly he didn't last long as he was slaughtered by treacherous dwarves, who drained his blood, mixed it with honey and fermented it into a highly potent mead. This became known as Kvas, the mead of inspiration, a fiery brew the color of beetroot. Drinking it was a highly enlightening experience.

The entire supply of Kvas was then taken from the dwarves by a giant named Suttung in payment for a family feud, and hidden in the mountains where the giants sister guarded it.Through a series of disguises and schemes, Odin managed to break into the cave and seduce the giant’s daughter.

For three nights, he drank the mead; on the third night, he changed into an eagle in order to escape. Suttung discovered the theft, and changed into an eagle as well to give chase. Some of the mead escaped Odin’s mouth as he flew and some he allowed to drop in order to distract the giant close behind him. When he finally made it over the walls of Åsgard, he spat out the bulk of the mead into vessels the gods had prepared, making his plan complete.

But as the story ends, the gods themselves cannot claim all of the precious mead for themselves. Both deliberately and by accident, some of the mead fell on the earth, where it touched some of the living; those whom the spilled mead fell upon became poets.


Such was the short but enlightened life of Kvasir. It was pointed out to me that I forgot to mention some simularities regarding the story of Idun ( which is pronounced Eden), Eve and her love of apples. I don't want to bore you with the simularities between theology and mythology, but it is worth a thought.
Do you recognize any simularities to Christian stories or other mythology?

Everything you always wanted to know about Minnie, but were afraid to ask

 Meet Minnie:

Minnie usually wears Red, but sometimes she may surprise you

This is Minnie. She may look tough but actually she is quite insecure. That is probably why she is such a grumpy old thing. I met Minnie years ago on the internet, where she came from before that I do not know. She seemed to be hiding out, homeless and ignored. Whenever I found myself cruising around in the image ghetto looking for a fix, I would run into her. Finally she just followed me home and has been living in my photos ever since.

 

Every now and then Minnie likes to come out to play Gibberish share her opinions, or to be nasty. She likes to point out others insecurities and often she tells me that I am not good enough, that I do everything wrong, that no one likes me. She tells me that I am selfish and that I should not spend so much time at my computer or on my hobbies. She tells me that I should study more, clean more, pay more attention to my family, and make more money. She also likes to point out all my bad habits and she teases me constantly. “Eat better, you are gaining weight, do you really need that chocolate now?" She spits out words like venom and tells me, “You look like an old hippie, get your hair cut and colored, put on some make-up and wear something other than jogging pants!” 

I really hate Minnie sometimes and have tried to get rid of her more then once. Just when I think she is gone, she turns up once again pointing her finger and yelling, “Do you want to end up like me, old and grumpy, and stuck in a strange laptop?” I never seem to know when she will appear. Let me tell you, I could really use a vacation from Minnie. If you could just take her off my hands for a while that would be great. Just copy and paste her into your photos. Minnie likes to travel. Minnie has some unusual friends. Einar, Frida and Bert call themselves Minnies groupies and they are as irritating as mosquitoes. Just ignore them when they start buzzing around inside your head, telling you that everything Minnie says is true. Her words of wisdom are referred to as Minnie-isms.

Frida, Einar and Bert

Minnies groupies have decided that they want Minnie to stick around so they decided that Minnie should have her own fan club.

The CPSWA is short for Controlled Patriots of Standard Word Abuse. These Patriots are fluent in Giggerish, hard headed, stubborn and willing to speak their mind even if what they say is not always liked by others. Are you someone like that, or do you want to be? If so then join Minnies fan club. It's easy, just post her fan club banner on your blog (if that is your thing) and play gibberish at least once. NOTE: NO LINK NEEDED!  This is a state of mind, not anything else, sharing the love is optional. 

Members names will be added to this list as they join in the Minnie fun. Gibberish is played and hosted by Minnie the last Friday of every month. Lets see what words of wisdom or "Minnie-ism" she has to say about this.

Minnie-ism:

"What have Gus, Frida and Einar gotten me into now! Dagnabbit, who gives a Jimminy cricket what I got to say? "

Here is Minnies official Fan club banner put it on your blog  if you want to:

Members of Minnies Fan Club-CPSWA

 in order of their appearance:

Minnie

Ellie

sue

Laura Eno

Gregg

damyantiwrites

Rachel

Hart Johnson

Elisabeth Hirsch

Craziness abounds

 Debbie

 Hilary Melton-Butcher

N. R. Williams

The Golden Eagle

Lucy Adams

Emily Rose

Luana Krause

Linda H.

Bossy Betty

M Pax

Michael Di Gesu

Jan at www.labanan.blogspot.com

shelly

 Ixy

Melissa Bradley

 Talli Roland

Bryce Daniels

Stranger in a Strange Land.

Geoff Maritz

Summer Ross

McKenzie McCann

Alex J. Cavanaugh

Alleged Author

Stephanie V

Madeleine Maddocks

Some Stuff for your page:

Take a look at some gibberish created by the CPSWA by clicking HERE


Minnie News:

Minnie will once again be making her appearance during the whole month of April for the A-Z challenge.

Minnie is starting her own mailing list to keep members up to date on all Minnie news as well as special surprises. If you would like to be on her Mailing list please e-mail me or leave a comment below.

JACK THE RIPPER

Jack the Ripper, who was he?

The true Identity of Jack the Ripper has eluded us for over a century. Mass murderers have always fascinated me. The true nature of evil or insanity? What makes them the way they are? None have fascinated me as much as Jack the Ripper. Why was he never caught or revealed, or was he, and like the identity of Kennedys assasin just never made public. The movie From Hell raises an interesting take on Jack the Ripper as do many other works of fiction. One has to wonder what ever happened to him, did he stop killing, did he die, or was he in fact caught?

As the murders were never solved, the legends surrounding them became a combination of genuine historical research,  and folklore. The term "ripperology" was coined to describe the study and analysis of the Ripper cases. There are now over one hundred theories about the Ripper's identity, and the murders have inspired multiple works of fiction. The monster in the man is a spark that can fuel any writers imagination. Don't you agree?

Jack the ripper

Minnie-ism for today

" What is it about the name Jack that makes everyone go so crazy?"

If you think about it, the name Jack has been linked to many crazy things. Jack-ass, Jack a lantern, Jack the knife, Crazy Jack, Cracker Jack, and Jack in the box (always freeked me out) Can you think of any more crazy Jacks?

Blogger Awards

Well no sooner than I post about awards I see that I have forgotten to finish this post. Here I go.

A versatile writer is capable of performing in different fields of endeavor. I have been deemed such a writer by a unknown female blogger who calls herself Lioness Rebirth. Thank you for this award, I am sure that I would like to get to know who you are and I will be stopping by your blog soon to find out. I would also like to thank all my newest followers and all the great comments everyone has been posting on my blog. It has been great meeting so many other bloggers from all around the globe. Your comments and support really do mean alot to me.

So here is the catch if you accept this award. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post. Tell us seven things about yourself. Award fifteen  bloggers that do not already have this award and contact these bloggers to let them know they’ve received their award.

 Now I have also been awarded for the second time the Stylish blogger award by a blogger I hope to know better once I am not ill.
Corrine O'Flynn 

Thank you all for these beautiful awards. Now there is a catch for this award as well- I give them both to a continued list of beautiful bloggers that I will add to as time goes by.

So here are some things about me that you will not find on my profile:

1.  I collect stones, crystals and gems. A hobby that I started based on my interest for alternative healing
2.  I read tarot cards and do astrological birth charts, all things of an occult nature fascinate me
3. I hate shopping unless it is for office or art supplies, and yes that does mean I am a artist as well
4. I used to sing before my voice got "Broken"--Do not misuse your vocal cords!
5. My favorite artist is Michelangelo and I dream of one day seeing his work up close
6. I was constantly teased growing up and never fit into any group, changing schools alot didn't help
7. I have had more jobs than I can count and one of them was working on a cruise ship
8. Throwing in another one, my mother is talking so much to herself now that I am starting to worry that she is possesed.

The versatile blogger award and styish blogger award travels on its path to the following Bloggers, most of which I have found through the A-Z challenge:

The Project
Bossy Betty
Mist of the blossom rain
Off the record with Debbie and Tony
On
Out of my mind
Life can be funny sometimes
Crazy World
The crazy life of a writing mom
Wordsream
Allison Writes
Bluestocking Mum
From my perspective
Everything Emerald
Walk2 write in florida

From N.R. Williams our beautiful Fantasy Author. Thank you.

Now that I have spent hours on this, I am wondering why it should be so much work to get an award. Who knows who made this award in the first place along with all these silly rules, so you know what? I say stuff the rules and do what you want with it. The best kind of award you can recieve is one that is sincere and has no strings attached. On that note I would like to say that I do love all the above blogs.

For the second time I have been awarded this prize by Melissa at Melissas Imaginarium. Melissa is an amazing woman and her blog should be on your list of Have to Check out. Thank you Melissa.

Now here is an award with no strings attached. I made this for all you beautiful dreamers out there. Do what you will with it but never stop dreaming!

ITCHY FOR IDUN

There have been alot of posts during this challenge on Gods and Goddesses. I thought that I might scratch this itch by providing you with some Norwegian Mythology, and tell you a story about the beautiful Goddess Idun, keeper of the golden apples. Minnie is back  and as usual she has something she wants to say.



In norwegian mythology, Idun  was the goddess of spring and rebirth. She and her husband Bragi, the god of music and poetry, lived in Åsgard, which was the home of the gods. Iduns most important duty was to be the keeper of the golden apples. These she carefully protected in a basket which she opened each day allowing all of the gods to take and eat one. Doing so kept them youthful, beautiful and immortal.

The prose "Edda" which is a book of Norwegian legends written in the 11th century, contains a story about Idun and the magic apples. One day Loki, the trickster god, was captured by a giant named Thiassi. The giant refused to free Loki until he agreed to bring Idun and the apples to Thiassi's home. Loki gave his word and sped off to Åsgard.

He invited Idun to bring her apples and walk into the forest, where he knew of some even more precious apples. Eager to compare her special fruit with that mentioned by Loki, Idun joined the trickster.  As soon as they reached the forest Thiassi in the form of an eagle, dove from the sky and seized the goddess and her apples.

Without Idun's apples, the gods  began to age. Horrified by this they demanded that Loki rescue Idun from Thiassi. Loki flew to the giant's home disguised as a falcon and once he arrived there he changed Idun into a nut, and  hid her in his claws. It didn't take long for Thiassi to discover this, so he became an eagle again and followed Loki. As soon as Loki and Idun were inside Åsgard, the gods lit the walls on fire.  Thiassi's wings caught on fire as he crossed the flames and once he dropped to the ground the gods killed him.

Hope you enjoyed the story, maybe I will tell you more about Norwegian mythology another day.