Auld Lang Syne

“Should auld (old) acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld (old) acquaintance be forgot, and auld (old) lang syne?” Ahhh…. the long familiar song associated with this time of year.

Auld Lang Syne: “For (the sake of) old times.”

‘Tis the end of another year, my friends. 2022 is coming to a close as 2023 approaches. Did you all have a wonderful Christmas? I sure did. I was extremely grateful to spend a relaxing holiday at home with my family. We carried on the annual Christmas Eve tradition of driving around looking at the local Christmas decorations. Then, once we arrived home we watched the classic film, A Christmas Story starring Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, along with Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon who played his parents and Ian Petrella who played his pesky little brother, Randy. My family and I have seen the movie countless times, but every time we watch it, it still cracks us up.

And then on Christmas day, we stayed home opening our gifts as we sat by the fireplace. It was definitely a wonderful time!

Tomorrow is the first day of the new year and I’m certainly ready for it. Are you? I’m really looking forward to this next year! What does 2023 have in store for you? I’d love to hear about it! What are some of your holiday traditions and what exciting plans have you got for the upcoming year?

As we celebrate this festive holiday season, always be safe and enjoy. Life is for remembering, not regretting!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!

~ Love & Light, Sheila 💋

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“The Legend of the Christmas Spider”

I’ve recently been told about a very beautiful old tale and so now I’m sharing it with you. It’s a simple, yet sweet story that is full of inspiration. Hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!

“A poor but hardworking widow once lived in a small hut with her children. One summer day, a pine cone fell on the earthen floor of the hut and took root. The widow’s children cared for the tree, excited at the prospect of having a Christmas tree by winter. The tree grew, but when Christmas Eve arrived, they could not afford to decorate it. The children sadly went to bed and fell asleep. Early the next morning, they woke up and saw the tree covered with cobwebs. When they opened the windows, the first rays of sunlight touched the webs and turned them into gold and silver. The widow and her children were overjoyed. From then on, they never lived in poverty again.” ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Christmas_Spider

“The Legend of the Christmas Spider is an Eastern European folktale which explains the origin of tinsel on Christmas trees. It is most prevalent in Ukraine, where small ornaments in the shape of a spider are traditionally a part of the Christmas tree decorations.” ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Christmas_Spider

Wishing you all a very blessed holiday season!! From my home to yours…… Happy Holidays!!!

~ Love & Light, Sheila 💖

“The Legend of the Christmas Spider” ~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_the_Christmas_Spider

Krampus

As Christmas vastly approaches, many of us celebrate with family traditions and regaled storytelling. However, some tales aren’t so lavish and magical. In fact, some are the makings of horrible nightmares. The story of Krampus is certainly one not to be ignored.

Krampus, a humanoid creature bearing a pair of wicked looking horns atop his head, resembling that of a sinister being set out to wreak punishment on all misbehaving youngsters during the Christmas holiday season. Unlike his jolly counterpart, good ol’ Saint Nick, Krampus doesn’t have a fantastical list of names that “he’s checking it twice and gonna find out who’s naughty or nice”. Nope, according to tradition that began centuries ago in Germany, Krampus begins appearing throughout the towns on the eve of December 6th known as Krampusnacht. His mission? To seek out the ungrateful children, snatch them up and take them back to his lair where he commits unspeakable acts of torture. This Christmas Devil is quite nefarious and isn’t exactly my cup of hot cocoa when it comes to memories of a warm holiday season, but still rather interesting. Interesting enough that a feature film has been released throughout the cinematic world titled, Krampus.

Folklore claims that this evil beast is the son of Hel. In Norse Mythology, Hel is a female who rules over the realm also known as Hel where many dead are said to go. According to Norse Mythology, Hel is the daughter of the shape shifter referred to as Loki and the phrase “Go to Hel” simply means to die. Not exactly an idyllic family tree compiled of warm holiday sentiment.

So, my question is this….. Since Krampus is a dark being of irrefutable fear that weeds out the bad children from the good, is he in cahoots with our beloved Santa Claus in order to help restore the light in humanity? Hmmm…. Question to ponder…. 🤔

Krampus 1

The Lizard Totem

This little guy was hanging out on our decorative garden flag. So beautiful!!

“If Lizard is your Animal Totem, it reveals your inner world, and your stamina. It guides, and protects you, but at the same time it reminds you the importance of going with the flow of life. Lizard Totem is the symbol of a fluid mindset, that adapts fast in every situation, and makes the best of it.” ~ https://animaltotem.com/lizard-totem/#:~:text=If%20Lizard%20is%20your%20Animal,makes%20the%20best%20of%20it.