Bring on the New Year

I am not sure about you, but I am very much so looking forward to the New Year. This past year has been full of it’s ups and downs and some very low points for me, and I am just looking forward to a new year and a happy medium. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that life is full of ups and downs, but I plan on taking what I have learned this past year and the years before and pushing forward to another year with endless possibilities.

Some people believe that our New Year’s Eve celebrations can be traced back to ancient Roman observance around the time of the Winter Solstice in December call “Saturnalia”.
This is a pagan holiday known for totally letting go all discipline and rule for behavior and was known to get out of hand. Apparently this tradition has not changed much as New Year’s Eve celebrations still are this way.
Some people attend midnight masses at their church or synagogue on New Years Eve, but the biggest celebration is in New York City’s Time Square. People gather by the hundreds of thousands for the annual celebration and the famous ball drop.
In London, people gather in Trafalgar Square or Piccadilly Circus where they eagerly wait for the chimes of Big Ben to announce the New Year. In Sydney, people gather for the annual midnight fireworks in Sydney Harbor. The Dutch celebrate New Years by burning their Christmas trees in the streets in big bonfires. In Spain they eat twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight to ensure twelve good months for the year to come.
There are many New Years traditions and superstitions throughout the world. In my house no candle goes unlit on New Years Day as it is thought to be bad luck.
No matter how you celebrate New Years, take a moment to reflect back on the year past and look forward to a new year with endless possibilities.

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!

Cubical Etiquette

Well I was going to stick with a holiday theme all month but after the morning I had, I thought this would be a more appropriate post.

There are not one but two people that sit near by that are in the habbit of cutting their nails at work. This does not only annoy me but it makes me sick...literally. I have made comments to both of these people explaining that the work place is not the place to do that and have asked them politely to be more considerate and take care of their personal needs at home. Apparently I have a better chance at winning the lottery than that happening, as they were both grooming themselves this morning.

Other than common courtesy, there are ground rules that should be followed by cube dwellers.

Here are a few:

*Don't "praire-dog" over the tops of cubes or peek in as you walk past each one. - you could be the one that is sorry for this one, especially if you have co-workers with bad habits...and we all do

*Never read someone's computer screen or comment on conversations you have overhead. - A big pet peve of mine

*Limit the use of speaker phones. If you must use one, keep the volume at it's lowest audiable level - this goes on all of the time... I have heard more conversations about things that I have never wanted to know in the first place

*Never leave your cell phone behind in your cube with out tuning it off or to vibrate first.

*Be aware that your neighbors can hear your end of your personal calls. - It would be more interesting if the conversations were in English

*Use your "libary voice" - this one is a big pet peve of mine, I often have a hard time hearing my business conversations due to other people talking loudly

*Play radios at low volumes or use head phones - I get quite the variety of music, which all blended together is not music to the ears

*Advoid gum popping, humming, singing, pen tapping and slurping - I wish the lady that sings at the printer would read this one

*Avoid yelling across the cubes when having conversations with your co-workers. - Ok, I am guilty of this sometimes..but only because if I go over there I will get stuck in a longer, meaningless conversation

*Keep your shoes on! - just thinking about this has made me lose my appetite.

*Do your personal grooming, like clipping your nails at home!!!!!!!!

Cubicles can give people strong sense of community, but can also lead to interpersonal clashes. Use common courtesy and show some respect for your neighbors.

Celtic Christmas

Searching for the roots of today’s Christmas, I found my way back to the ancient Celtic festival of Alban Arthuan, a Druid fire festival. Alban Arthuan is held during the Winter Soltice on December 21. Alban Arthuan is also know as Yule, and marks the celebration of both the shortest day of the year and the re-birth of the sun.
The custom of burning the Yule Log is a tradition that is familiar to most people today. On the eve of the solstice the log is lit using the remains of the log from the previous year for 12 hours and is believed to bring good luck.
Another Pagan custom was decorating the Yule tree, usually pine. Brightly colored decorations would be hung to symbolize the various stellar objects which were of significance to the Pagans. This is where the practice of gift giving also originated, Pagans would put gifts on the Yule tree as offerings to the various Pagan Gods and Goddesses.
Some other Irish traditions include the candle in the window. A lit candle would be put in the window on Christmas eve and was a symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they traveled looking for shelter, it also represented a safe place for priests to perform mass at times it was not allowed.
The Laden table, after the meal on Christmas eve the table would be reset and placed on it were a loaf of bread filled with caraway seeds and raisins, a pitcher of milk and a large lit candle. The door was left unlocked so that Mary and Joseph or any other traveler could avail of the welcome.
A ring of Holly being places on doors also originated in Ireland, as it was one of the main abundant plants at Christmas time and the poor means to decorate their houses.
Decorations are taken down on January 6th (Little Christmas) as it is considered to be bad luck to tae them down beforehand.
The Gaelic greeting for ‘Merry Christmas’ is:
‘Nollaig Shona Duit’ pronounced ‘null-ig hun-a dit’
If you have a Christmas Tradition that you would like to share, I would love to hear it.

Say that again...

We are made up of a world of many divers people who some have become very near and dear to us, which is what prompted this post.
I have been reading a lot about how Christmas is celebrated in other countries around the world. Below are how they say "Merry Christmas" in other countries.


Australia - Merry Christmas
Belguim - Zalige Kertfeest
Brazil - Feliz Natal
China - Shen Tan Kuai Loh
Denmark - Glaedelig Jul
England - Happy Christmas (makes me think of the movie "Love Actually")
Finland - Hauskaa Joulua
Germany - Frohliche Weihnachten
Greece - Eftihismena Christougenna
Ireland - Nodlig mhaith chugnat
Indonesia - Selamat Hari Natal
Italy - Buon Natale
Japan - Kurisumasu Omedeto
Mexico - Feliz Navidad
Netherlands - Hartelijke Kerstroeten
Norway - Gledelig Jul
Poland - Boze Narodzenie
Portugal - Boas Festas
Romania - Sarbatori vesele
Russia - Hristos Razdajetsja
Croatia - Bozic
Slovenia - Screcno Novo Leto
Sweden - God Jul
United Stated - Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays (so I do not offend anyone)
Wales - Nadolig Llawen
Yugoslavia - Cestitamo Bozic

So wish your friends and family a Merry Christmas in their native language, let them know that you really care.
And no matter how you spend your holiday, I hope that it is a happy, healthy and safe one.

Answers and more...

Here are the answers to the Holiday Trivia

1. Uncle Billy

2. Traffic Cop

3. Dasher

4. It is too commercialized

5. Clara

6. We Wish you a Merry Christmas

7. Myrrh

8. God Rest you Merry Gentlemen

9. Stocking Stuffers

10. none

11. Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Clause

12. It's A Wonderful Life

13. Coca-Cola

Thanks Ceeci for playing along.

A few fun facts:

-Over 3 billion Christmas Cards are snet out each year in the United States

-Artificial spiders & webs often adorn Ukranian Christmas trees. Findind a spider web on Christmas morning is thought to bring good luck.

Holiday Trivia

Here is a little Holiday Trivia to get you in the spirit. The answers will be posted tomorrow. (no cheating)

1. Who lost $8,000 in It's a Wonderful Life?

2. Who yelled "Stop" to Frosty?

3. What is the name of the first reindeer Santa calls in The Night Before Christmas?

4. What is Charlie Brown's complaint about Christmas?

5. What is the name of the little girl in most versions of The Nutcracker?

6. What carol demand figgy pudding?

7. What gift did Caspar bring?

8. What song doe a caroler sing outside of Scrooge's office?

9. What are tiny, inexpensive gifts usually called?

10. How many times is the name of Santa Clause used in "The Night Before Christmas"?

11. What Emmy Award winning cartoon was based on a newspaper editorial?

12. What holiday film annually appears on television more than 300 times?

13. What cola company was known for its ads featuring a big, smiling Santa?

Stress and dreams

Stress at this time of year...who would have thunk it? With the holiday season fast approaching, we tend to put ourselves under a lot of stress, wether it be shopping, decorating, cooking, financial, planning and the all dreaded visit from the in-laws.
According to Laura, the dream Lady, your dreams are built in strees meters and here is what she has to say:

Drowning: This dream means you're in over your head,you're drowning in responsibilities, you're having a hard time keeping on top of things. Sometimes this dream can even mean you are going down into a depression! This dream is telling you that you've got to find time for yourself, you've got to find time to breathe!

BLEEDING: - Blood in a dream - no matter who is bleeding - represents YOUR energy. Dreaming of blood means something or someone is draining you. Ask yourself what you are wasting your energy on. Sometimes this dream means you are bleeding financially. Whether it be energy or money, this dream is telling you that you've got to stop the flow!

HOUSE ON FIRE: A house in a dream symbolizes you. If your dream house is on fire it almost always means your nerves are frazzled and you could be headed for a breakdown. If you're getting this dream, you MUST find a way to calm yourself: lighten your work load, get a massage, or enjoy a glass of Pinot Grigio! ;-).

CAR OUT OF CONTROL: Cars in dreams symbolize the direction you are headed in life or in a particular situation. Not having control of your dream car means you feel like you have no control over what's happening in real life. This dream is a warning that you are headed for an emotional crash if you aren't careful. In my research, I've found that this dream is about trying to control something you have no control over, such as somebody else's behavior or world events. If you're getting this sortof dream, it may mean you need to just let go. Put the breaks on your need to control everything. Life can be a lot more fun if you just allow yourself to go along for the ride sometimes.

MISSING A PLANE OR BUS: What a frantic dream this is!! Perfectionists often get this dream and it is usually caused by deadlines... especially self-imposeddeadlines. This dream will run rampant this season as we prepare for all those holiday gatherings where we must look perfect and all that we prepare must be perfect...and completed in time for the guests to arrive! You can free yourself from this dream if you keep in mind that this season isn't about the food, or the decorations or the perfect gift... it's about the company. If things aren't fully prepared by the time people start showing up, get them in on the fun! Great conversations can happen while mashing potatoes!

Your dreams are an excellent built-in stress meter
It's always important to pay attention to your dreams, especially during times when there is so much to do. Your dreams will keep you in check, they'll warn you when you're about to "lose it," and they'll pat you on the back when you're handling things well. Your dreams are an excellent built-in stress meter so please don't disregard them; you'll be a well balanced, happier person for it.