Halloween Facts and Fun for 2009

1. This Halloween we all are going to be short on the Pumpkins and the candy. That's a fact!

2. I am going to try to help by giving some suggestions on how to make the little demons that come to your door not go away disappointed and some easy cheap decorating tips to make your house the best one on the block, envy of your neighbors and hopefully make you feel good about yourself. That is the most important part; being HAPPY!!!!! That's a fact! 

So here we go with some ideas for you

Ghost Halloween Lollipops:

 this is my mom's invention

You will need:

2 or 3 bags of round lollipops depending on how many children you exoect

1 or 2 packages of small plain white paper napkins

1 or 2 packages of small  plain black paper napkins 

1 roll of orange curling ribbon

1 roll of black curling ribbon

1 black permanent marker

1 white gel marker (white out pen is perfect for this)

1 nice plastic cauldron or speckeld roasting pan or any nice big deep dish to put your ghosts in

it is really easy. just open the napkin and  put top of lollipop in the middle, twist around stick and then tie with ribbon. Then on the white ones draw a simple ghost face.(you can have a lot of fun with the expressions and the kids can help, just have a window open for the marker fumes.) On the black ones draw a little bat face with ears with white marker, Then just fill up your container with everyone standing up looking pretty and your good to go! I have done this for 10 years and the kids knew my house after the first year and looked forward to their ghosts and bats. The best part is it is very inexpensive as opposed to buying chocolate and it's almost like a little candy toy!

Other treat options:

 Because some of the children had allergies to chocolate and peanuts that is another reason why I chose the lollipops. But you never have enough and someone, (as if they should), will have a problem with the type of candy you give out to their children who are begging AT YOUR DOOR for candy you bought with YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!!! ANd needless to say, keeping you running to the door from 3pm till 8pm! So here are some good things to have on hand.
1. Always have change for the UNICEF box this is important no matter where you live.Just put the change jar we all have by the front door. It is good Karma.
2. have a small stash of alternative treats like granola bars, goldfish crackers,small bags of chips, etc.
3, for the kid who is allergic to everything(and should not be trick or treating anyway) give them a dollar bill. If they eat it I guarantee they won't get sick.
4.When you go grocery shopping use some of the change in the gumball machine on your way out. You will be surprised how much stuff you can accumulate between now and Halloween and 1 item will make 1 little person very happy. (just make sure that the little person is old enough to know not to eat it!)


this is good advice for people who live in large towns or apartment complexes .



Decorating your house:
1. a really easy way to make your front door look amazing is decorating with what is naturally around this time of year anyway and doesn't cost a thing. This requires a little effort and leg work on your part but it is worth it! The best things to gather are 

Halloween Facts

 (this a re-publish from last year and I am going to have more updated facts for this year but this is a good standard overall view of the tradition.)

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their New Year on November 1. This marked the end of summer, the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. Winter was the time of year that was associated with human death due to no food except what was stored from the harvest, the bitter cold, darkness, sickness, and isolation. Everything depended on the final outcome of the Harvest. Everything!Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of became blurred.

The night the veil is lifted between the living and the dead.This night of October 31, Samhain, the end of summer (Nov. 1), the division between the two worlds becomes very thin, when hostile supernatural forces are active and ghosts and spirits are free to wander as they wish.

In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.To the Celts, the bonfire represented the sun and was used to aid the Druid in his fight with dark powers. The term bonfire comes from the words "bone fire," literally meaning the bones of sacrificed animals, sometimes human, were piled in a field with timber and set ablaze. All fires except those of the Druids were extinguished on Samhain and householders were levied a fee to relight their holy fire which burned at their altars.

During the Festival of Samhain, fires would be lit which would burn all through the winter and sacrifices would be offered to the gods on the fires. This practice of burning humans was stopped around 1600, and an effigy was sometimes burned instead. You may think this an admirable thing to stop it but in reality the practice was extremely beneficial considering the few humans that were being burned had died from disease or just was there time. Either way, in the middle of the winters in this area, you can not bury someone or float them out on frozen ice to sea. And disease in these bundled up little communities spread like wildfire in winter as most illnesses were spread by human contact and, in a dark cold winter, people are going to huddle up! So it was extremely practical in many regards! Unless, however, your neighbor, who had been keeping your wife warm while you were out chopping wood, accidentally fell into the "Sacred Fire".
After years of these long winters the population inevitably rose and along with it what happens whenever you put to many people together:
Jealousy, Greed, and Power.
And what comes next ?
Law from the guy with the most Power.
Hence 1600 and rules......by.......from...........
you can fill in the blanks!

So be a rebel!

light that pumpkin with a piece of bacon!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

              !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BURN Baby BURN!!!
Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

Magic eye pictures for halloween

I am going to get more but for right now here are some.

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

New bat species discovered in Philippines
Sep 16, 2007

MANILA (AFP) — A new species of flying fox or fruit bat has been discovered on an island south of Manila, it was reported Monday.

The orange-coloured bat with a distinctive white-stripped face was discovered in a protected wildlife area on Mindoro Island, the Philippine Star newspaper said quoting the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The discovery was a result of joint research between the University of Kansas' Biodiversity Research Center and a team from the Comparative Biogeography and Conservation of Philippine Vertebrates (CBCPV), the paper said.

Known as the Mindoro Stripe-Faced Fruitbat for its striking facial features the bat was discovered by accident when it was caught in a net set by the researchers.

One of the Filipino researchers, Jake Esselstyn, told the paper that the bat was found during a survey of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians in Sablayan region on the west coast of the island.
From associated press

I am re publishing this because a bat has been named one of the newest species discovered and in the top ten. Which means in all animal. plant, and marine life. It is very significant to find a previously unknown mammal species. For us nature geeks this is HUGE!!!! But I LOVE bats and this is a little triumph for the naturalist and photog exposure for the new Bat on the Block. Let's hope she doesn't get a big head and start carrying on past dawn!!! Especially just to be seen flying out of those low life bat caves and having to fly home in the middle of the AFTERNOON!!!!!!!!! Shame shame! But I guess, when you are young, gorgeous and just recently discovered you go a little wild!

Bublebee bat
Bublebee Bat pups
Albino Microbat
World's largest bat The Golden Crowned Fruit Bat in Malaysia. Avg weight 2-3lbs Wing span 5-6 feet

Being it's Halloween time I thought i'd share this picture of the world's smallest mammal! It just so happens to be a bat which makes it perfect for this time of year!
The bumblebee bat roosts in colonies, but as an individual is solitary.Bumblebee Bats roost in the hot upper chambers of caves in limestone hills, just about as far away from the entrance as possible so that the small colony — up to 15 individuals — can fit without the bats being too close to each other.
This little bat weighs 2grams which is the weight of a dime!
Though close to others in its group, it hangs alone, rather than clustering tightly. Due to its tiny size, it has to keep separation from the rest.
If you really think about it, which I do because I have a way to over active imagination, this poor little thing has to go through pregnancy, labor(upsidedown no less!) breast feeding. She has to eat 3/4 of her weight to feed herself and her "pup"
The nursing cave is safe and warm, comfortable at about 100 degrees because of the decaying feces and dripping ammonia-saturated urine. It lies still, comforted by the steady but raucous melee of clicking sounds vibrating through its nervous system.
Sadly, the bats are small both in size and in number. The species was unknown prior to 1974 and is found only in the Karmhanaburi Province in Western Thailand. Their habitat has been highly affected by deforestation and unsustainable levels of teak logging. In 1982, the Royal Forest Department of the Thailand Government could only found 160 of them living in 3 caves, despite extensive surveys.
Bumblebee bats are are now considered one of the twelve most endangered species on the planet

Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

World's smallest mammal is a BAT!!!!!







Bublebee bat
Bublebee Bat pups
Albino Microbat
World's largest bat The Golden Crowned Fruit Bat in Malaysia. Avg weight 2-3lbs Wing span 5-6 feet

I thought i'd share this picture of the world's smallest mammal! It just so happens to be a bat which makes it perfect for this time of year!
The bumblebee bat roosts in colonies, but as an individual is solitary.Bumblebee Bats roost in the hot upper chambers of caves in limestone hills, just about as far away from the entrance as possible so that the small colony — up to 15 individuals — can fit without the bats being too close to each other.
This little bat weighs 2grams which is the weight of a dime!
Though close to others in its group, it hangs alone, rather than clustering tightly. Due to its tiny size, it has to keep separation from the rest.
If you really think about it, which I do because I have a way to over active imagination, this poor little thing has to go through pregnancy, labor(upsidedown no less!) breast feeding. She has to eat 3/4 of her weight to feed herself and her "pup"
The nursing cave is safe and warm, comfortable at about 100 degrees because of the decaying feces and dripping ammonia-saturated urine. It lies still, comforted by the steady but raucous melee of clicking sounds vibrating through its nervous system.
Sadly, the bats are small both in size and in number. The species was unknown prior to 1974 and is found only in the Karmhanaburi Province in Western Thailand. Their habitat has been highly affected by deforestation and unsustainable levels of teak logging. In 1982, the Royal Forest Department of the Thailand Government could only found 160 of them living in 3 caves, despite extensive surveys.
Bumblebee bats are are now considered one of the twelve most endangered species on the planet

Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

The meeting of the 5 families

The meeting of the 5 families

This is a really really quick sketch of a strange dream I had after going apple picking with my husband. I dreamt of "little Johnny Macintosh" going with his Dad to the monthly meeting of "The 5 Families". I forgot to eat dinner that day. My dream was about the food groups( which there are really 4, I split fruit and vegetables) and as if they were a powerful Mafia. The only explanation for this is: I was really hungry,I had not eaten all day, we had gone apple picking and I had seen the cutest little apple on one of the trees and ate it right there (I know that was wrong) and my husband is half Sicilian Italian so that's the only reason I can think of. In the dream everyone had a name. The Steak was called Sal "the Butcher" Bury. He was the Don. The Pepper was Peppy "Hothead" Perez who had a sidekick named Hal Peno. The Bread was Riley "Crumbs" Semolina. And the Apple was Johnny "Pie Face" McIntosh with his son "Little Johnny. The cheese was Carl "the Pope" Provolone (because he is "holy"). The cheese also had "dogs" like pit bulls which were eggs with spiked dog collars on. The Don had a man at the door who was a hot dog and his name was simply Frankie. And in the dream there were girls outside the door waiting for the meeting to end. I did not have names for them but there was a head of broccoli an asparagus and a string bean on a couch outside the room and they were all primping and talking. It goes on but I think it is a sign I have to eat better, as should we all. Or I have officially lost it. In either case I'll never look at a strawberry the same way again.

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

P.S. I am going to post the finished colored drawing next

Right after I finish it and my brussel sprouts

if anyone has ideas for the girls names I would love to hear them for when I do part 2

I will give full credit

Illustration Friday MODIFY

It has been almost two years since I posted for IF and I am working on new things. But for right now, just to get my feet wet, I am posting a very poor attempt with a free paint program I downloaded before I moved. I Hated my desktop settings and really was not happy with the option of just putting any old picture up there so I came up with the idea of creating my own desktop screen with "modifications". I love cats, books, my mother, and am trying to still warm up to my computer so I thought why not make my own little fantasy library office with a cat running the show. I created all this on my own with the exception of the kitty on the computer. That I downloaded and "modified". Everything else is me and I even have created my own icons as books that fit on the shelves. I know, I have a little OCD but at least it is creative OCD.

Meow for now,

Catraven

I know this is overkill but I have been absent from the web since before Christmas. Now it is March so the only two things I can think of for this month are flying kites and St Patrick's day.



So in honor of the green I am posting a bunch of pictures where you have to find the four leaf Clover or Shamrock. When I research the difference between the two I'll be sure to post all the useless information about the descrepancy. Anyway, HAVE FUN!!!!!
this post was from last year but I thought since it has been almost a year since I have been back on line I would re post it. I am trying to get things going again after a lot of major stuff that has happened in the past year but, I will not complain. Just happy to be back!
Meow for now,
Catraven =<..>=
Four Leaf Clover

Meaning and History of the Wreath

The earliest Christmas wreaths were made from holly during Roman times. Holly was looked on as having magical powers to the ancient Celts as it was one of the few plants to survive and look beautiful in the winter. The Celts picked holly boughs and put them in their houses to ward off the evils they believed lurked about in the darker months. Roman soldiers are believed to have brought the idea of decorating with holly back from Britain.
Holly was used by the Romans during their winter solstice celebrations and became sacred to Saturn, the sun god the Romans worshipped. The week long winter solstice celebrations of the Romans honored Saturn. Holly wreaths with their bright red berries were given as gifts. Holly was everywhere during these celebrations – on the public buildings, in the streets and shops, inside and outside of homes. The tradition of giving wreaths as gifts started here. Holly was thought to be lucky so the more you had the better off you were.
Early Christians in Rome would decorate their homes with holly to avoid persecution during the winter solstice festivals even though they didn’t worship Saturn. Over time the meaning behind the tradition of holly Christmas wreaths blurred and it eventually became a symbol of Christian faith. It was used to explain the life and death of Christ. The leaves represented the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus at his Crucifixion, when he was mockingly crowned "King of the Jews". The Romans usually placed wreaths of Laurel leaves on those who won a battle, excelled and won a tournament or they were just normally worn by Caesars as a "crown " to represent their position. A wreath placed on some one's head let everyone know they were exceptional, the best, God-like or Ruler. The wreath of thorns that was forced into Christ's scalp, was to add insult to injury and done with such cruel brutality. The red berries were interpreted by Christians to represent Jesus’ blood as it appeared on the crown of thorns. This was incredibly sacred because it represented the sacrifice Christ made for all mankind to redeem, save and forgive all from sin, with his own blood in pure torture. The holly bush was one of the few evergreen plants in Northeast Africa. The undying green came to represent everlasting life and hope and the shape of the circle represented eternity and everlasting life in heaven granted by God because of Jesus' sacrifice. The round shape also symbolized eternity. A circle has no beginning or end. For all these reasons one would think the wreath would be the main decoration for Easter. BUT.....

The Roman Emperor Constantine gave official status to Christianity and forced all the pagans to be baptized into the Roman church. He needed to join the Christians and pagans and so pagan rituals and idols took on Christian names and pagan holidays like winter solstice festival became Christian holidays. December 25th was the birthday of the Gods to the pagans. And the Winter Solstice was the most "holy" time and the most important religious time for the pagans. Eventually many pagan symbols and traditions were melded into Christian symbols and traditions. Including the Christmas tree. (that is for next post)
Now the Wreath, no matter how religious you are, symbolizes the celebration of the holiday, on your front door welcoming people into your home, showing your spirit of Christmas and is the most simple decoration, used as a sign of love, care and respect in cemeteries, not over commercialized with mandatory "Keeping up with the Jones' "variety of new yearly trend decorations and
a the second biggest universal symbol for Christmas.

Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

Christmas funny pages

MOre Magic Eye Pictures for Christmas

Get your aspirin ready

Warped Square? No, there are no curved lines in this figure

ALL OF THESE WORK MUCH BETTER IF YOU CLICK ON IMAGE AND OPEN IT. MY SNOWFLAKE BACKGROUND SEEMS TO DIMINISH THE EFFECT BECAUSE TOO MUCH GOING ON IN THE Peripheral.

Here are some really fun optical illusions but don't do more than one without a break or you WILL need aspirin. I am not kidding! Pace yourself.
Try one and then get up , stretch, walk to the water cooler, warm up your coffee or just close your eyes for a minute two. If you don't believe me now, you will! After trying to do them without a break, you will be glad you got the aspirin and mad because I told you so and you didn't listen. So be good and have fun!


This first one is very obvious . White or black dots appear in the corners and alternated depending on where your main focus is. They will flash and change even though the image is not animated in any way. It is impossible to see all the same color dots in all corners.


TAKE A BREAK

More "moving" images without animation.



TAKE A BREAK

TAKE A BREAK

In this one you will see immediately that green dots appear and if you watch long enough the pink dots will disappear and the green dots will replace them.




TAKE A BREAK

More self explanatory optical illusions.

TAKE A BREAK

Stare at the black dot in the middle and all the colours will disappear.

TAKE A BREAK

TAKE A BREAK

TAKE A BREAK

Black and white photo you will see in color. This one is really fun!

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

Mary's Christmas Gifs

Mary's Christmas Gifs

Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor - Image Hosting

Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor - Image Hosting

My Fairies

These are my fairies from last year (and a little older).
I am drawing again and will have more fairies but a little more on the darker side as life reflects.

Faires

Christmas Tree Facts

The use of evergreen trees to celebrate the winter season occurred before the birth of Christ.
Other types of trees such as cherry and hawthorns were used as Christmas trees in the past.

1: Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States since about 1850.
.
2:The first Christmas tree retail lot in the United States was started in 1851 in New York by Mark Carr. The best selling trees are Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir, Fraser fir, Virginia pine, Balsam fir and white pine.

3:The first decorated Christmas tree was in Riga, Latvia in 1510.

The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.

4:Growing Christmas trees provides a habitat for wildlife.

98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms. 73 million new Christmas trees will be planted this year.
***Artificial trees will last for six years in your home, but for centuries in a landfill.***

5:Christmas trees remove dust and pollen from the air.An acre of Christmas trees provides for the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.2-3 seedlings are planted for every harvested Christmas tree.

6:Christmas trees take an average of 7-10 years to mature.

Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska.
100,000 people are employed in the Christmas tree industry
Helicopters help to lift harvested Christmas trees from farms.
5: In 1856 Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, was the first President to place a Christmas tree in the White House.
President Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn in 1923.
Teddy Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House for environmental reasons.

In 1963, the National Christmas Tree was not lighted until December 22nd because of a national 30-day period of mourning following the assassination of President Kennedy.
A Christmas tree decoration was banned by the government. Tinsel contained lead at one time, now it’s made of plastic.

6:Thomas Edison’s assistant, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882.
Christmas tree lights were first mass produced in 1890.

7:)In the first week, a tree in your home will consume as much as a quart of water per day.Nineteenth century Americans cut their trees in nearby forests.93% of real Christmas tree consumers recycle their tree in community recycling programs, their garden or backyard.

8:Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo, Norway have given a Christmas tree to the city of Westminster, England. The gift is an expression of good will and gratitude for Britain's help to Norway during World War II.