QUOTES on KEEPING YOUR WORD

Vows are often made in storms and forgotten in calms. (anon)

He who is slow to make a promise is always the most faithful in performing.

When you break your word, you break something that cannot be mended.

{And for those who like to hear it straight from The Boss}

The Lord hates those who don't keep their word, but he delights in those who do. (Proverbs 12:22)

It is dangerous to make a rash promise to God before counting the cost. (Proverbs 20:25)

{And those who have ever said - as I have done myself- "God, if you get me out of this I swear I will never (fill in the blank) again", just to turn around and blank again next week, or "God, get me out of this and I will donate (say, 10% of my pay, whatever) to (say, the church, orphans, the homeless, etc)" to then break that promise and say God will understand:

When you make a promise to God, do not delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. (Ecclesiastes 5:4)


{For the record, I'm not Christian. I'm not affiliated with any religion - it's just me and my God and none of nobody else's business. But, I do think the Bible has some very good advise for living. And I despise hypocrites who judge me and/or others, while they clearly break the rules in their own book which they use to judge others by - even though that very book warns many times that judgement is God's job, and no human should attempt to do it for him. Also, hypocrites are absolutely not only hypochristians - they come in every flavor, including Wiccan. And all the rest. So it is by these reasons I claim the right to quote the Bible even tho I'm neither Christian nor Jew. I may in the future also quote other religious sources, if I find something I like and want to share. And in case you couldn't tell, I've had this argument in my real life with a person who thought touching the Bible made me Christian, and my life made me a hypocrite for not following all their rules. I'm sure many of you know exactly what I mean. Have a good day, everyone.}

ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8 (SOURCE OF THE 60s SONG "TURN TURN TURN"

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which has been planted.
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

QUIRKY KIDS' RULES THAT WORK

#1 YOU CANNOT BE IN THE ROOM WITH ME WHEN I'M WORKING UNLESS YOU WORK TOO.

GOAL: Get your child to help or stop bugging you while you do chores.

Whether you mind housework or not, it does not help when kids, oblivious to the fact that your arms are full of their dirty underwear, are asking you to help them find their missing doll or shoe, or to do a puzzle with them. I tried to explain to my brood that if they helped me, fold laundry for example, we could do something together sooner. But they knew I'd be available anyway if I finished the clothes by myself, so my argument wasn't compelling. Then one day, as my oldest sat and watched me work, asking me favors and waiting for me to be done, I came up with a rule that takes into account 2 important facts about kids: 1) they actually want to be with you as much as possible {til their bodies reach a certain level of hormones, anyhow, and even then they want to be with you more than they will ever admit; they ALWAYS will need you} , and 2) {and this is expecially true the younger the child is,} you cannot force them to help you in any way that's truly helpful. I played one fact against the other and told her that she did not have to help me, but she couldn't just sit and watch. She had to go elsewhere if she wasn't working too. Given a choice between being with me and folding laundry or not being with me at all, she chose option #1. {But even #2, on the rare occasion, or with the rare child, who opts for it will get them out from underfoot til you're finished and MAY, in some situations, actually help a little bit - winner either way, though the first is clearly best and easiest.}

WHY IT WORKS: I didn't care which she chose. And it was HER choice, so the rule gave her control even as it took it away.

#2 I DON'T WORK PAST 8 pm (or 9, or whenver bedtime is at your house).

GOAL: Regular bedtimes and time off for you.

You just can't announce a rule to your kids and husband that says, "Bedtime has to go really smoothly so I can get a break at the end of the day." It will not happen. But if you flip the problem and make a rule about YOU instead of telling everyone what THEY have to do, it all falls neatly (usually, mostly) into place. When this occurred to me, my oldest was 6 and my youngest almost 2. I announced to them that the U.S. Department of Labor had just created a new rule and I was no longer permitted to do any kind of mom jobs past 8 pm. I would gladly read books, play games, listen to stories of everyone's day, give baths - the whole mother package - BEFORE 8 o'clock. Then, I HELD FIRM. I acted as if it were out of my hands. Sort of like Cinderella and midnight. Suddenly my 6 year old (and my husband) developed a new consciousness of time. My daughter actually rushed to get ready for bed so that wer could have lots of books and time together before I was "off". My husband, realizing that if things dragged past 8 he'd have to face putting both kids to bed himself, became more helpful. {A bit of thought along this line with the husband could lead you to think of certain "wifely" jobs you're not willing to do after a certain time, for even more help getting the kids settled. Use your imagination to think of other ways this can make your life easier in your own situation.} My oldest is 11 now, and my hours have been extended, but the idea that I'm not endlessly available has been preserved and integrated into our family routine. (And once the kids are old enough for later bedtimes, getting them ready for bed and settled in is not the chore it is when younger - they can do more and more for themselves - but at the same time, certain other things need more attention as they grow - sewing patches on scout uniforms, helping with homework you can barely do yourself, etc.}

WHY IT WORKS: You're not telling anyone what to do. The rule is for YOU, so you have only yourself to blame if it is not enforced. {Moms re busy and need every break we can legitimately get, and choosing your battles is probably THE most important rule when it comes to this. Assert your authority, sure. But avoid having to when you can. You also don't want your child to feel completely helpless, as if they have no choices in their own lives, and you want them to learn how to make wise choices, to live with their choices, and so on. Don't feel you're avoiding anything. You will, every day, get plenty of chances for battle.}

#3 YOU GET WHAT YOU GET AND YOU DON'T THROW A FIT.

GOAL: No more haggling over which pretzel has more salt or who gets their milk in the prized red cup and who gets the cursed green cup, or hich cast member of Blues Clues adorns whose paper plate.

My friend Janice, director of our town's preschool, told us about this terrific rule, now repeated by everyone I know on playgrounds and at home. Not only does it have a happy rhythm that makes it fun to say, but it does good ole "life's not fair" one better by spelling out both the essential truth of life's arbitrary inequities and the only acceptable response to the world's unfairness: You don't throw a fit. When I first heard this I was skeptical. It seemed too simple. But to m y utter wurprise it not only did the trick, but kids seemed to RALLY ROUND IT, almost with RELIEF! They must have seen that if it applied to them today it might apply to someone else tomorrow - then, the next time they get the red cup, nobody fusses and tries to take it from them. For this, perhaps, they can let the red cup go to little sis today.

Why it works: Its irrefutable - it almost has the ring of runic or prehistoric truth about it - and instead of focusing on an abstract notion like "fairness", it speaks directly to the situation at hand.

#4 TAKE THAT SHOW ON THE ROAD

GOAL: Peace and quiet.

So is it just me or does someone saying "one-strawberry, two-strawberry, three-strawberry" over and over again in a squeaky voice make you want to smash some strawberries into a pulpy mess? I want my kids to be gleefully noisy when they need and want to be. But I don't feel its necessary that I be their audience/victim past a few minutes or so, or that I should have to talk (shout?) over their, um, clamor when I'm on the phone. So once I have shown them attention adequate to their display, I tell them that they're free to sing, chant, or caterwaul to their heart's content, just NOT HERE. Same goes for whining, tantrums, and generic pouting. For the irrational and long-winded whining jags sometimes used by her 4 year old son, my friend has turned this rule into a pithy declaration : "I'm ready to listen when you're ready to talk". She then leaves the room.

Why it works: It gives children a choice rather than a prohibition, and does so without rejecting them.

#5 WE DON'T ARGUE ABOUT MONEY

Goal: To short-circuit begging and pleading for stuff.

This rule must be enforced consistently to work, but the basic deal is that you can tell your child yes or no on any requested purchase - and they of course are allowed to ask to begin with - but you do not discuss it. Ever, and not at all.

{ prsonally think its a good idea to give them some sort of explanation with the "no" in the first place, as I think it is good for a child to help develop reasoning ability, and understanding of real life. Even if too young to completely understand what you say, as simply as you can put it, they grow up with the knowledge and without actually knowing where they got it exactly, once it is told/explained a few times throughout their lives. Now by "a few times" I mean on different instances - and not just for money, but always giving them reasons for things, or most of the time. Also they eventually- and sooner than they would if you didn't explain- learn that you are not just trying to be mean, not punishing them, etc, but that you do have good reasons for everything you do. But, give that explanation once with each event/answer "no".}

If your childprotests, simply repeat, calmly, like a mantra, that you won't argue about money. Children cannot understand nor be reasonable about finances, bills, etc. Don't explain, just enforce {or, if you're like me, give the reason for your "no" with your "no", and that is all. Now, I don't mean to give them a long explanation about dad missing work lately due to his flu and his paycheck being short plus there was the extra expense ofbuyinganewrefrigerator andsoyoujustcannotafforditthisweek... I mean something like "this costs too much to buy for no special occasion but perhaps for your birthday," or "we can't afford it right now" or "this thing is not worth its price" or "if I buy this for you I'll have to buy your sisters something too, to be fair and that would cost too much" or WHATEVER you think is closest to their understanding, and that is the end. Whether they think its a good reason, they won't, but will learn it does no good to argue. And I see this as giving them a reason; you do not owe them an explanation or excuse - there is a difference. There is a purpose in giving them a reason.}

The key to success is that you have the courage of your convictions, and do not argue. Thus the calm repetition. It cuts both ways, though : When your kids want to spend their "own" money, point out potential mistakes and give advise on the purchase if you'd like, but at the end of the day, don't overrule them unless its a matter of health or safety {or of breaking other rules, such as being too young for certain things, or DVDs CDs or games with mature themes, etc.}. After all, you don't argue about money. No exceptions, either way. They may make some bad choices, but they will learn. And, you will enjoy shopping together a lot more.

Why it works: It shifts the focus from the whined-for treat to financial policy. You're almost changing the topic on them, no longer debating why they should or shouldn't have gum or some plastic plaything and, instead, invoking a reasonable-sounding family value. {I dunno about that. I think it works because they eventually learn you won't change your mind, and if you don't argue and only repeat the same thing over and over, there's nowhere else to go but for moving on. I also think it'll take a while to begin working, and that there will be some slip ups.)}

{The point is to always stick to what you say to them, money or not. If you ever argue with them about ANYTHING, you will have to argue with them about EVERYTHING. If they grow up knowing you will not argue, they won't try to - not usually. There WILL be times that they will try. They are kids, and kids will do this sometimes, they just do. Little things seem like huge issues, they cannot deal with negative emotions, including disappointment, the way adults can because their brains are not physically capable of it yet, etc etc etc. Kids will be kids. And parents must be consistent ALL THE TIME, not only with money, or bedtime, but all the time. And never ever ever make a threat you do not intend to keep. Don't say it unless you mean it.}

{ CONSISTENCY,THE REAL KEY THAT FITS EVERY PROBLEM, BIG AND SMALL, WITH EVERY CHILD, OF EVERY AGE, IN EVERY SITUATION, NO MATTER HOW MANY GOOD MAGAZINE ARTICLES OR BOOKS YOU READ.}

#6 I CAN'T UNDERSTAND YOU WHEN YOU SPEAK LIKE THAT.

GOAL: stop whining, screaming, and general rudeness.

This one requires almost religious consistency of application to work. {All rules do, even for adults.} But basically you just proclaim incomprehension when your child orders (rather than asks) you to do or give anything, whines, or otherwise speaks to you in a way you don't like. Whispering this helps; it takes the whole thing down a notch or two on the carrying-on scale. (And, they have to quieten down to hear YOU.) This is a DE-escalating tool, so calmly repeat the rule a few times and don't get lured into raising your voice. A child who is whining or being rude is clearly seeking attention (not always, maybe usually, but not always, and you know this for a fact when you find them doing so alone) and drama, so use this as a way to provide neither.

Why it works: It empowers your child by suggesting he has something valuable to say (IF he says it nicely) and allows you to completely invalidate (ie ignore) the rude presentation.

{I'd like to emphasize a point I touched on earlier. Kids will be kids no matter how perfect a parent you are, no matter what great pointers you read. That is the way they are built. The frontal section of the brain that controls impulses - the part that grabs sudden ideas you have and says, "Hey, wait, maybe that's not a good idea" is not fully developed until you are 25 years old. That's right, TWENTY-FIVE. So there are a lot of parents out there who don't fully have this ability yet, wondering why their toddlers and pre-schoolers can't control themselves better. That's why. So don't feel bad, and it will help you to remember this when your child is having a bad day. Matter of fact, reading up on the actual physical abilities of the brain at certain ages and such will help as much as reading articles like this will. Understanding is always a good thing, and understanding why your child has temper tantrums and begs for toys no matter what you do sometimes, that will help you and your child.}

QUOTES by MAYA ANGELOU

* Childrens' talent to endure stems from their ignorance of alternatives. {there are a couple of ways to go with this as advise, but for me, it says that when we undergo hard times, it's easier if we accept that this is the way things are - rather than keep ourselves frantic worrying about it, and wearing ourselves out looking for a way out of a situation for which there IS no real way out. Live with it.}

* Courage is fear that has said it's prayers.

* No man can know where he's going unless he knows exactly where he's been and exactly how he arrived at his present place.

*The quality of strength lined with tenderness is an unbeatable combination, as are intelligence and necessity when unblunted by a formal education. {Our education system has a lot of flaws - and I'll likely be writing a few blogs about it sooner or later. One of the worst results of those flaws is that it does dull a child's thirst for knowledge (I know, I mixed my metaphors but I'm tired and its loud here and I can't think of a better one) and makes learning an unpleasant chore, rather than making learning the immense pleasure it should, and could, be.}

* There is a very fine line between loving life and being greedy for it.

* {The following, most people will realize without my help, is NOT intended to concern rumors. It is about one's OWN story, or relating a thing that you witnessed as a remarkable tale, not idle and nosy gossip. I just had to say so, for a few people may take it otherwise, and that is NOT what Maya Angelou is about.} There's no agony like bearing an untold story inside you.

DREAM SYMBOLS, to interpret your dreams (a lot of this is psychological; even if the meaning is "you have an enemy", its cuz your subconscious knows

Let me start by making a few exceptions and explanations (where the knowledge comes from is explained under "SNAKES" - it was already there, and this top part is something I came back and did later, after I'd already written some of the other stuff.)

First, THERE ARE 3 BASIC TYPES OF DREAMS: #1 is when you dream of something because it really happened in your life, ie your family went to the ocean and you dream about crabs, or a random stranger you saw on the beach, etc, or you have a date with your big crush next weekend and you dream of something related to that, and so on and so forth. These kinds of dreams aren't always as easy to identify as you may think. The brain can work super fast, and can bounce around in your head like a ping-pong ball - one thought leads to another, which leads to another, and your eventual dream may be so many degrees away from the original event, or thought, or fear, or hope, etc (anything REAL, whether its a concrete person place or thing, or not). As an example, oh, let's say you dream you're riding in an airplane, but cannot think of any reason for that. Perhaps you have a plan to go to the lake with that hot date. The local beach reminds you of the ocean, and the ocean reminds you of it's size, and this makes you think how flying across it is the fastest and best way to go, and ta-da, you're dreaming of planes because you're going to the lake. Boy I took a lot to explain that, huh.

The 2nd type of dream is mental ramblings. This is just nonsense, no real reason behind it. It can be something like our lake leads to airplane scenario above, but carried way too far, so far there's no possible way to recognize it. Or it can just come out of nowhere, swirling tie-dyed dreams, that mean nothing at all.

The 3rd type is what we're dealing with here - the "psychic" dream, which seems to foretell the future, or even some aspect of the present or the past that you have no way of knowing, perhaps its personal and about someone else. Or maybe its telling you something you did not know about a past or present event or person. And so on and so forth.

At first thought, the scientific or skeptical minded want to dismiss this sort of dream as silly and impossible, or very rare at best. But we all do it, and it's not silly, and it is scientific. Its psychological. Psychiatrists have been interpreting dream symbols for decades. The subconscious, or unconscious, part of the brain has a way of knowing what our conscious, awake minds do not know. And our dreams are the perfect way for our subconscious minds to relate that info to us.

The thing is, except in the case where brain cells are damaged, our brains store EVERYTHING - they do not forget anything. That includes every single thing you ever saw, smelled, tasted, heard, felt physically, felt emotionally, thought, every idea; everything your brain has ever done, it has kept a record of - except, as I said, in the case of brain damage, big or small, where cells were destroyed. There are neural pathways connecting each of these memories, and the pathways are the reason we remember or forget. When we jar our minds to try to remember a thing,and eventually do recall something you'd forgotten, this is because your brain has managed to forge a neural path thru the brain and connect enough of those stored ideas and sensory impressions to be a memory. Its fascinating really - the whole subject of the brain.

So, somehow, in our dreams, our brains are able to open up suppressed memories, and make temporary "dream connections", and to NOTICE THINGS we did not notice with our waking minds. You've probably heard of the whole left brain right brain thing - the dream part of your brain, the part that can do all this, is totally separate from the logical part of the brain - the part that deals in cold hard facts and figures, and in WORDS. And the dreamy part of the brain communicates with us the only way it can - which sometimes, with some dreams, is nice, or scary, or plain crazy. This part of the brain also deals in SYMBOLS, SYMBOLISM. IN actuality, what is a word, and letters, except symbols that let us know what sounds to make to say a word, and relate to the meaning of the letters in the word when put together in specific ways. ANYWAY, symbols. And that is what this is all about.

One more thing, about dream symbols. It's clear when looking back thru man's history that certain symbols seem to be universal. IN GENERAL. But due to certain different experiences or ideas, that cannot apply to everyone. A snake will mean 2 widely different things to one person who loves snakes and keeps them as pets, and another who has a phobia. Most people, if told to picture a night with a full moon and stars shining out over a big, deep, still lake will think peaceful thoughts. But I had a horrible boat wreck in a similar scene (it started out partly cloudy, then a storm blew up, and we crashed into a tiny island sticking up in middle of this big lake), and I went thru a LOT of pain, surgery, trouble with pain meds - all sorts of vicious things - and wound up crippled for life and unable to even bend my left knee. SO, I won't get the same peaceful feelings from that picture as most people will. Nor will someone who is phobic of water (hydrophobic).

So, we can use books and such about dream symbols and what they mean AS A STARTING SPOT. You can think about whether that seems to apply to you or not, and if not, to figure out why it does not, and what sort of connections YOUR brain makes with that and every other particular symbol.

SO, 1st we figure out what kind of dream it was; 2nd think about certain things events or ideas that stand out in the dream; 3rd look up these symbols, then think about whether the general meaning seems to fit you or not, and if needed #4 where you must figure out for yourself what the symbols mean - but the prior steps will make this easier to do. BUT, you certainly CAN figure out the symbolism of your dreams - even help another person interpret their dreams by guiding their thought and letting them answer their own, and your, questions. You do not need a book. Besides, no book can possibly list every symbol you may see, and you're apt to find that what you're looking for isn't in the book a good percentage of the time.
Here are a very few to get you started. I've lost over half my list - probably over 3/4 of it. It'll turn up sooner or later, and when it does, I'll eventually post it - I'll be sure to connect it to this one so it's easy to use them all at once. And, keep in mind, your brain cannot REALLY see the future; at best (as with all prophecy) it can sense the energies of the present and see where they're headed in the future if nothing changes it. This means "prophecies", of every kind, often won't come true, even if they're 100% legitimate. The whole purpose in issuing a warning for the future is so it can be changed when one does not like that version of one's future. So, if you see jail in a prophecy, you're very apt to follow the law more carefully, thus breaking the predictions and making them APPEAR to have been wrong; but if you did not take it seriously at all, and did not change your ways at all, it would come true. So in truth, the most successful prophecy is one that was prevented from happening. By the same token , there IS such a thing as self-fulfilling prophecy, when, for some reason or another, hearing a prediction for your future, even if a scam from a complete fake, comes true, because you start acting in a way that causes the prediction to come true, where it never would've happended had you not heard the prediction in the first place.
OK - its just like me to go on and on, I can't help it even when I know I'm doing it. So, without further delay, the small dream symbol list i have today. Sorta ironic, that my intro to the list is quite a bit longer than the actual list itself. Oh, well. It's text, not like a movie - you can skip thru parts you're not interested in:




SNAKES - If you see one, lone snake AND feel threatened, this shows you have a bad enemy actively working against you, in some way or another trying to cause you harm, and is a warning of BODILY HARM from an enemy. (If you believe in the mystical and omens from supernatural sources, you need no further explaination; but if you have a scientifically leaning mind, as I do, this merely means your subconscius mind - the "R" layer of the brain possibly - has recognized an enemy, whether your conscious mind realizes it or not. Your subconscious has also recognized this enemy as the type prone to violence, or sensed extreme anger, or both, or similar. The same basic rules apply to every dream symbol, as far as where they originate, and how you know something in your dreams you may not know awake.)
Many snakes in a pit bodes much bad luck in love or business. If you overcome and kill a threatenin snake you'll overcome your adversary and you will win out. If you are afraid of snakes you can be sure your subconscius mind is using snakes as a negative symbol.
If you are not particularly afraid of snakes, or even like them or keep them as pets, you can be fairly sure these are not the meanings of the snake symbol to you. WITH ALL DREAM SYMBOLS, if the general meaning doesn't fit, think of what that symbol means to you and work from there - it's liable to come quickly and easily.
Throughout the history of humans, snakes have stood for a few things, and one of these may apply to you personally better than the meanings above. Snakes have stood for wisdom; for rebellion; for women and the Feminine: anything related to the serpent, Adam and Eve or the Garden of Eden, as each of the previous have been - it was the fruit of the KNOWLEDGE of good and evil the doomed pair partook of-; think of the cadecus (think I'm spelling it wrong but I'm in too big a hurry to look it up and I just cannot think of it) used for centuries as a symbol for physicians (medical doctors), so the snake can symbolize medicine or healing. Carry on in this vein until you find your answer, or give up, in any case and with any symbol you need to figure out.

MONKEY: (They'd mean something negative for me; I used to think they were cute, but not now, partly because I've learned more and more about how they act. I think the last straw was recently when I saw an Orangutan standing on its head and pissing in its own mouth, I think it was on YouTube. But that doesn't completely explain it, not as strongly as I feel about all types of monkies and apes, and I don't know why, but I despise them now. They freak me right out. Monkeys are to me what clowns are to some people - I'm not real crazy about clowns either but they're better than monkeys, and ventriloquist dummies...though Jeff Dunham's don't bother me, guess cuz they just too funny.)Sorry. MONKEY:
Dreaming of a monkey usually, in general, means you have deceitful friends who will flatter you to advance their own interests, but are liable to stab you in the back if they decide you're no longer of use to them. As always, if this sounds wrong, or even if you know you have some friends of this type, but you don't feel that is what the dream was about, then think of other meanings monkies have had, and so on and on.

NECK: Dreams featuring necks (dreams with people will, usually, also have necks; but he or she is evidently talking about necks being a main feature of your dream. Can't say as I've ever dreamed about necks - maybe I'm a weirdo) mean approaching money, unless neck is broken, which warns against mismanangement of your affairs (whether by you yourself, or by an employee, or a family member or friend who helps you manage such things). That's all it says, but I'd think the whole vampire thing is too obvious to omit, with whatever connotations vampires have to you. Or it could be a sex thang, I'd think.

NECKLACE: If your loved one puts a necklace around your neck, or you are wearing one, it shows an early marrriage and a happy domestic life. Or, consider whether you think the symbol was the necklace itself, or did it have a clearly visible charm or pendant that seemed to be the main focus? Then look up or think about what that may mean.



RACCOON : is a warning to be on your highest guard. Peple are presenting false faces to you in everyday life. To be chased by one shows that a person you thought was a friend has now turned their back on you, and now works behind your back for your downfall. Besides all that, the raccoon is thought of as a bandit, and so it can relate to anything about bandits, or thieves, or even prisoners or jail. Also, its a pest, scrounging around in garbage and makin a mess, and so on; in this way it can represent a scavenger, or scavenging, and so on. People who don't know how nasty and how very fierce they are think they're cute and cuddly, so there's that. Or back up one sentence, and it could be a symbol of ferocity - If you're unfamiliar with the sport of 'coon hunting, you may not have seen what a 15 to 30 lb raccoon, alone, can do to a pack of hound dogs. Only a well trained dog, or a stupid one, will even try once the coon turns to fight after giving up on being able to run and lose the dogs up a tree. Blood everywhere, and it was not the raccoon's blood. I'm talking 4 or 5 dogs, too, all on it at once. Now, if you never knew any of this about a raccoon it probably won't apply, but if you do know, it opens up a world of symbolism - and none of them really positive, unless YOU are represented by the racoon,that is. ; )


RAPE: Whether you put much stock in this whole thing or not, this is a horrible nightmare to have, and its SO horrible, don't risk dismissing it. Take this dream as a warning. Take all precautions to prevent such a thing happening to you in real life. Don't go anywhere alone for a while, and never in dark empty spaces - you should always be safe and protect yourself against this, dream or not. Don't drink so much that you lose control of yourself, don't leave with someone you don't know well (and if most of your relationship has been over MySpace, IMs, and text messages, YOU DO NOT KNOW HIM. Deep down women, especially younger women and teen girls, never REALLY believe this will happen - "not to ME". It is a thing so horrible its unimaginable, and if you literally cannot imagine it, its hard to believe completely in it. But it does happen, it happens regularly - someone is being raped violently somewhere right now as you read this. And it happens to young women and teen girls more than any other age group. You probably know someone who has been raped, though they may not have told it. Well I was all set to go off on a tangent, but I stopped myself. Nuf's nuf.



OCEAN: If you dream you are standing on a shore watching waves foam up as they break over the beach, it foretells you will narrowly excape an accidental injury. (NO IDEA how he/she connected an ocean to that?!) If you're far out on the ocean and hear the waves as they lap up against the hull of a ship, (perhaps as if you are on the ship, but are seeing as you would in the 1st person and cannot see that ship under you) you'll have setbacks in business and a troubled domestic scene (BOTH! not either/or and MAYBE both, but definitely both? Geez.) To sail on a calm ocean is always (NOTHING is ALWAYS) a good omen for all concerned.

ROSE: If a woman receives one rose and puts it in her hair (whether its you or another person) it means she will be deceived by someone she thought of as a friend. (Whoever wrote these seems obsessed by that subject - getting a bit Fraudian oops I mean Freudian {I think in most cases, like 99.5 % of the time, Freud WAS a fraud. Love the brain, love psychology, think Freud projected his own issues onto the entire human race in order to make himself feel normal. But that's another subject altogether-) perhaps the person who wrote this article or book about dream symbols recently had a friend deceive and hurt him or her, and so is reading this into many symbols, whether it really belongs there or not. Think about your own ideas for these symbols - I think you'll have more success) {He or she continues with this (not my input yet):} If a woman dreams she receives a bouquet of roses in the Springtime, she will find true love. But if it's winter her search will be fruitless. To see a rose bush in full foliage denotes a wedding in the family.

RUNNING: This is a sign of big changes in your life. Or, now this is just me, but could it be a sign that you are running away from issues in your life that you need to face? OR maybe you are running from some monster, with the monster being your new stressful job, or your demanding mother in law, etc etc.

NEEDLE: To find a needle in a dream means you have friends (UH OH) who APPRECIATE YOU! (YAY!) To look for one foretells useless worries - no need in worrying yourself sick.

SPIDER: Believe it or not, all spiders except the tarantula are GOOD luck. (Tho if it feels scary or negative, I doubt that is what your mind is trying to say.) The bigger the spider, the bigger the rewards. If one is climbing a wall your dearest wish will come true. A spider spinning a web means an increase in income due to your hard work.

OWL: Very bad omen. This book has one and only one short meaning with no alternatives and no differing circumstances such as breed, color, number of, or activity of the owl in question. I think all of this should be taken into account. Yes, owls have long been known as harbingers of death. But they're also known for being wise - the owl is the symbol of Athene after all- and also knowledge and books (there is a difference in knowledge and wisdom; someone completely illiterate can be very very wise, while someone with an amazing amount of knowledge - one who can answer every question on Jeopardy and do complicated math equations in his head - may be very foolish as well.). Owls are also great hunters. Still, in this and all situations, consider how you felt emotionally in the dream in general, as well as about the specific symbol. And if it feels bad, it certainly won't hurt to be extra careful with your life, health, your body, for a few weeks or so. Even if death is averted, there are things that can happen to you almost as bad, even worse, expecially after years, to have to live with.

TEETH: Having false teeth means you'll have an unexpected help with a problem. Rotten teeth shows you've been telling someone a lie or using smooth words to get your way. If your teeth are rotten, crooked, and/or falling out, your lies are hurting someone badly and you will soon be found out. If you dreamed you swallowed a tooth, you will soon have to eat your words.

CRAZY LAWS ; also, old herbal for ROSEMARY AND CARAWAY SEED

Just a handful, for now. I've got a bunch of 'em written down somewhere, but not sure where. I came across these and thought I'd share - I'll add the others if I ever find them: (Of course, I'm assuming nobody actually gets arrested or fined for any of these, and that it's a case of neglect - nobody has bothered taking them off the books. STILL, at some point, they did pass these laws in the 1st place. It's interesting to me to think about what could've happened that made them think they needed these laws.)

1. In Memphis Tennessee, it is illegal for a woman to drive unless her husband goes along in front of her, waving a red flag to warn other motorists that a female driver is behind the wheel.

2. In Henderson County, Tennessee it's illegal to eat ice cream on the sidewalk. This law, and various similar ones like not spitting on the sidewalk, or not spitting gum on the sidewalk, etc, aren't that uncommon as far as odd laws go. It may be the most common uncommon law ; )

3. In Baltimore Maryland it's illegal to scrub or wash sinks no matter how dirty they get. {See - now what on EARTH could've happened to not only make someone introduce this law, but for the city council or whoever has the task, to pass it?!}

4. In Halethrope Maryland kisses longer than 1 second are illegal.

THE FOLLOWING ARE ALL MARYLAND STATE LAWS - THUS, OF COURSE, APPLYING TO THE ENTIRE STATE, AND NOT JUST SOME TOWN THAT HAD A WEIRD LOCAL EVENT.

5. It is illegal for a woman to go through her husband's pockets while he is sleeping. {I guess the gals had a loophole there, as it wasn't illegal to do so if he was awake.}

6. Men may not buy drinks for a female bartender.

7. It's illegal to sell condoms from vending machines with one exception, you may do so in places where alchoholic drinks are sold for consumption on the premises. {Now, being that we're talking about condoms and vending machines, and selling condoms from vending machines, its obvious that this law is not that old - its certainly recent enough to be considered very very odd.}

8. The Maryland State Legislature once proposed a board of parachute examiners made up of 5 licensed parachute instructors who would test and license all other parachute instructors. {Actually a very good idea, to protect citizens from fraudulent, unqualified instructors who could get someone killed or at least hurt very badly. but.} The plan, though, was abandoned when it was discovered that there were only 3 licensed parachute instructors in the entire state.



ROSEMARY AND CARAWAY SEEDS - VERY OLD HOMEOPATHIC/HERBAL/ MAGICAL USES/BELIEFS FOR THESE 2 HERBS.
I have TONS of similar things, but not here in front of me. These were written on the back side of the paper with the crazy laws you see above, and since this was a relatively short and random-ish blog, I thought I'd just toss this in too. The recipie for the rosemary is copied from an old wife's book, exactly as it appeared - i.e. I DO know how to spell ; )
I don't think anyone will harm themselves using this lore to treat themselves instead of going to a doctor, etc etc, but for liability's sake, always see a medical health professional when it comes to diagnosing and treating illnesses and health conditions, and, tell your doctor about any herbal , OTC, or any other thing you are taking for your health, etc etc etc

CARAWAY SEEDS were once thought to have power against evil forces, and were once (and still by many New Agers, Wiccans, Pagans, and any people into herbal remedies) thought to be an excellent memory restorative.
[AS with the liability adivce about seeing your doctor, etc, I must say, do not self - diagnose or self-treat suspected evil forces that may be attacking you. See your qualified demon/ghost - hunter for diagnosis and treatment, as well as follow up, and keep him/her informed of any over-the-counter or other remedies you use. Ha ha ha. Joke. Well, I thought it was funny - though, for those who do believe in such things, the pros say you really shouldn't attempt to handle stuff like this yourself, cuz you could make things worse. So, maybe it wasn't that much of a joke, wasn't so funny. Aw, yeah, it was to me ; 0 ]

OF ROSEMARY
Take the flowers thereof and make powder thereof and bind it to thy right arm in a linnen cloath and it shall make thee light and merrie.

THE GRAVE OF ROBIN HOOD?

This gravestone says:

Hear underneath dis laihl stean

las Robert earl of Huntingtun

neer arcir yer as hie sa gued

And pipl kauld in Robin Heud

sick utlawz as he an iz men

il england nivr si agen

Obiit 24 kal Decembris 1247

This IS English; back in those days, many people were illiterate or near to it, and, there still wasn't many English rules and spellings set in stone. Even hundreds of years later, til quite recently, people tended to spell with, flair, I guess you could say. (Ye Olde Shoppe, etc.)
In today's English, this says (for those who are having as much trouble as I did at first - at first glance I did think it was another language, even):
("laihl" means "grave", or similar enough; the meaning together is "gravestone)
Here underneath this laihl stone
Lays Robert, Earl of Huntington
(? never?) archer (?) as he so good
And people called him Robin Hood
Such outlaws as he and his men
will England never see again
(Obiit = Date of Death; kal = kalends, aka "month"; thus the last line reads:)
Death, 24th (day) of the month of December, 1247




Here to the left-hand side is the grave itself, protected by an iron bar fence.










Here is the guest house at Kirkslees - the only structure left from the estate that Robin Hood died and was buried on. (Kirklees is in Yorkshire, England)

THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU'RE BORED - humor, or weirdness; got this off a website but forgot which, but it gave no credit to whoever wrote it. Wasn't me.

* Learn to type with your toes

* Bloat

* Flash your goldfish.

* Set up your Christmas tree in April

* Be someone special.

* Go back to square one.

* Factor your social security number.

* Flirt with an evergreen tree.

*Make a pass at your toast

* Blow bubbles

* Smile.

* Duck!

* Develop a complex.

* Try harder.

* Hit the deck
* Swab the deck

* Cut the deck

* deck the halls

* Sleep on a bed of nails.

* Do not toss and turn.

* Do a good job

* Crawl

* Cheer up a potato.

* Pinstripe your driveway.

* Build a house with ice cubes.

* Call London for a cab. (Unless you LIVE in London; in that case call Hawaii.)

* Change your name - daily.

*Challenge your neighbor to a duel

* Howl.

* Memorize the dictionary.

* Stomp in the bathtub

* Stomp the yard

* Stop.

* Look.

* Listen

* Buy the Brooklyn Bridge

* Mail it to a friend

* Memorize a series of random numbers

* Exist...existentially of course

* Print counterfeit Confederate money

* Take a picture

* Put it back

* Play Solitaire for cash

* Count to one million FAST

* revert

* convert

* think shallow thoughts

* comtemplate a cockroach

* get a dog the chase your cat

* let him catch it

* investigate the Czar.

* Form a political party

* Have a political party

* Prepare for the worst.

* Prepare for the best.

* Smell

* Shower.

* Smell again.

* Find a bug and chase it

* Make yourself a pair of wings

* Fly

* Spider

* Spied her

* Be immobile

* Dance til you drop

* Check under chairs for chewing gum

* Squish a loaf of bread

* Moo

* Bounce a potato

* Outmaneuver your shadow

* Climb the wall

* Appreciate everything

* Challenge yourself to a duel

* Paint your house Day-Glo orange.

* Stand on your head

* Stand on someone else's head.

* See how long you can stay awake

* See how long you can sleep.

* Speak with a forked tongue.

*Apply for a unicorn hunting license.

* Count your bellybutton.
* Rotate your garden - daily.

*Shoot a fire hydrant.

* Apologize to it.

* Pretend you're blind.

* Annoy yourself.

* Get mad at yourself.

* Stop speaking to yourself.

* BE a side-effect.

* Blow up a balloon til it pops.

* Disassemble your car.

* Put it back together again.
* Think lewd thoughts about yourself.

* Send chills down your spine

*Peel grapes.

* Make paper from the skins.

* Get run over by a train of thought

* Make up famous sayings.

* Bite your pinkie finger

* Shave a shrub.
*Flash your mailman.

* Quiver

* Whine.

*Critique "Three's Company"

* Buff your cat.

* Have a formal dinner at Burger King.

* Change your mind.

* Change it back

* Learn to speak Farsi.

* Swear in Russian.

*Use an eraser til it goes away

*Interview your feet

* Make a list of your favorite fung

* Repeat

* Ad lib

* Fade

* Write graffiti under the rug

* Sit in a row.

* Stack crumbs

* Gesture.

* Make up words that start with "x"

* Punt.

* Sing a duet.

* Balance a pillow on your head.

* Hold your breath.

* Faint.

* Hold onto an ice cube as long as possible. (You could add the variation my son and his friends showed me, if you're a glutton for punishment. They add salt in the palm with the ice, and the result is a nasty burn - the longer you hold it, the worse it hurts, and it leaves a nasty mark too. Had to tell it, but I do not recommend anyone actually DO it. I think it must've began somewhere as a prank, and then, boys being boys I guess, they started seeing who could hold it longest. All his life I've told my son that there is a big difference in bravery and stupidity. But stupidity seems all the rage among teen boys, it often seems to me.)

*Adopt strange mannerisms.

*Open everything.

wait a sec - I'm afraid I will forget to say it later, and though everyone should know this is a joke and is not intended for anyone to REALLY do any of this, the whole thing with the teen boys and salt and ice got me to thinking that I'd best add a disclaimer. DON'T TRY ANY OF THIS FOR REAL. Well, some of it's harmless, but still, I am not really recommending any of this as a serious cure for boredom.

* Balance a pencil on your nose.

* Eat everything.

* Begin.

* Tie-dye your sheets.

* Carpet your ceiling.

* Hold your ear lobes.

* Fold your ear lobes.

* Flap

* Squat

* Squabble
* scramble

* Scrabble

* Analyze the Quran

* Be Buddha

* Levitate

* Meditate

* Medicate

* Award yourself the Nobel Peace Prize.

* declare yourself Pope

* Plug in the cat.

* Turn on everything.

* Turn off your neighbor.

* Knight yourself.

* Kill a plant

* Kill a planet

TRIVIA

* 1/4 of all the bones in the human body are in your feet.

* Everyone's tongue print is different, like fingerprints.

* Most of the dust particles in your house (prepare yourself if grossed out easily over these things) are made of dead skin.

*You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you grow to an adult, you have only 206. This is due to growth plates, which allow not only for the rapid growth of children, but also help during the birthing process - the plates in the baby's head allow it to contract some during the trip through the birth canal, otherwise the whole thing would be much more uncomfortable for mommy.

*It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

* The world's oldest piece of chewing gum is 9,000 years old.

* Healthy human thigh bones are stronger that concrete.

* Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day.

* Your ribs move about 5 million times a year - each time you breathe.

* The average lead pencil (no idea if its the same with graphite, tho I'd think it would be similar) will draw a line 35 miles long, or write approximately 50,000 average length English words. (It does not say what length the average word is, but in typing you judge the wpm, or words per minute, by 5 keystrokes.)

* Queen Elizabeth I of England considedered herself a paragon of cleanliness. She [very seriously] declared that she bathed once every 3 months, whether she needed it or not. And this, of course, would be the real source of the similar redneck jokes today of the same subject. But in her time, people really did rarely bathe. They instead used lots of perfume and cologne to cover up the scent. Supposedly, some French people today are not that big on baths or showers - though they take them considerably more often than good Queen Lizzy did. I've read some Parisians say - in some fashion magazine I've forgotten the name of that was comparing French and American women - that the combined smell of perfume and natural body odor is sexy ... pheremonal and all I suppose. If that is true, I'll just be unsexy, thanks. I do want to go back and stress that I got this info on the modern French from one fashion mag, and then it was only a percentage, not all, nor even most, tho the percentage was oddly large to me.

* Months that begin on Sunday will always have a Friday the 13th.

* It's against the law to burp or sneeze in a church in Nebraska.

more quotes, both POETRY and WISDOMS: broken hearts, deceit, love, lies, cowards, mothers, and more

POETRY by HW Longfellow: (exerpt) All was ended now, the hope, the fear and sorrow, all the aching of the heart, the restless, unsatisfied longing, all the dull, deep pain, and constant anguish of patience.



Of all the agonies of life, that which is the most poignant and harrowing - that which for the time annhilates reason and leaves our whole organization one lacerated, mangled heart - is the conviction that we have been deceived where we placed all the trust of love. - Bulwer



The seal of truth is on thy gallant form, For none but cowards lie. - Murphy



Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle that fits them all. - Holmes



Love is not in our choice, but in our fate. - Dryden (tho i'm unsure if i believe this, or not. )



Love is a pearl of purest hue, But stormy waves are round it;

And dearly may a woman rue, the hour that she first found it. - unknown



To her love was like the air of heaven - invisible, intangible; it yet encircled her soul, and she knew it; for in it was her life - unknown



God made him, and therefore let him pass for a man. - Unknown (HA!)



A Mother is a mother still, The holiest thing alive. - Coleridge



He who is the most slow in making a promise, is the most faithful in the performance of it. - unknown



The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treason, stratagems and spoils; The notions of his spirit are dull as night, And his affections are dark as Erebus: Let no such man be trusted.

-unknown



All other goods by Fortune's hand are given; a wife is the peculiar gift of heaven.

- unknown



O woman, lovely woman! nature made thee to temper man: we had been brutes without you! - Otway



Woman's natural mission is to love, to love but one, and to love always. - Michelet



O woman! in our hours of ease,

Uncertain, coy, and hard to please,

And variable as the shade,

By the light quivering aspen made;

When pain and anguish wring the brow,

A ministering angel thou! - Scott



Talking is a digestive process which is absolutely essential to the mental constitution of the man who devours many books. A full mind must have talk, or it will grow dispeptic. - unknown



Who would choose torture to delay death?

Be swift, please;

If it must come, bring it quickly.

If there is any care in you for anything,

finish this, one way or another -

take my heart or throw it away -

but stop dangling it on a string. - Mine (Cheryl Butler) {if for some odd reason you wanna use this, it's fine with me as long as it is not for profit, and please credit me; if it's used for profit, I'd need a percentage, ideally, if i could prove it. Don't really see that happening tho, but it is a strange world. Just be nice and be fair ; ) } {PS, if using this to say to your lover because you find self in same situation, of course i expect no credit. Again, not like I'd know, but anyhow, feel free to use it in a relationship situation to help get your point across if you think it'll help. Didn't with me, tho - I had to finally, after years of on-off bullshit, quit him}

QUOTES, on: God and peace, face of Nature, admitting you're wrong, hypocrisy, more

(I will not slam anyone for religion, but hypocrisy is not a religion, and the religion that hypocrites use is but an excuse. Nor will I attack anyone on a lack of religion. It's not my business as long as my beliefs are respected in return. That said, the first quote does deride atheist. I include it because the rest is comparing atheist to hypocrites, with hypocrites coming out worst. Who can a hypocrite hate and judge more than an atheist - maybe to the same degree, but not more. Thus the comparison is very useful when pointing this out to a hypocrite - its like saying, "you think atheists are bad, well look at yourself", and it is part of the quote, so I'm using it, but adding this disclaimer too.)
HYPOCRISY: An atheist is but a mad, ridiculous derider of piety; but a hypocrite makes a sober jest of God and religion; he finds it easier to be upon his knees than to rise to good action. - Pope [as in the surname, not the catholic leader]
THE PEACE OF GOD: Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God. - unknown {by me anyhow - I did know, I think, but I forgot who said it}
THE FACE OF NATURE: The ignorant man gazeth upon the face of Nature, and it is to him darkness of darkness. But the initiated and illumined man gazeth thereon and seeth the features of God. - W.E. Butler
MOTIVES: We should often be ashamed of our very best actions, if only the world saw the motives which caused them. - La Rouchefoucauld
BALANCE: Run, if you like, but try to keep your breath; Work like a man, but don't be worked to death. - Holmes
THE NOBLE FEMALE: God often enshrines gallant and noble hearts in weak bosoms - oftenest, God bless her! In female breasts. - Dickens
ADMITTING YOU'RE WRONG: A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday. - Unknown
ALWAYS BEING RIGHT: None but a fool is always right. - Hare
THE IGNORANT: The greatest of fools is he who imposes on himself, and in his greatest concern thinks certainly he knows that which he has least studied, and of which he is most profoundly ignorant. - Shaftesbury