Lisa Online's Journal, 30 Oct 10

Last nights carnival was a huge success! The night air was crisp and there was a slight wind that would stir the leaves up now and then and even a rain drop or two but it didn't discourage the little people from having fun. My throat is a bit sore from all the cackling I did but I sure got a lot of exercise as I stood up for two hours stirring my witches brew! Dry ice... It is cool, literally!

I am so thankful for our Art school. Mary has been there since it opened 5 years ago and the children learn and grow so strong and are very happy to be there. The school encourages parent participation which is key to the success of the program. I could go on and on but need to talk about Ray. In the third grade the teachers have our kids pick a nursery rhymn or Fairy Tale. They have the children dress in character and then recite a monologue in front of a large piece of butcher paper that the child and their family painted as a back drop for their part. When Ray was in the 3rd grade I witnessed him giving his mom such grief about wearing a costume and being Jack and The Bean Stock. He was so embarassed to wear the costume his Mother had lovingly made for him. Well, yesterday our Ray who is now a 6th grader came to school dressed as a cheerleader in pony tails and a skirt while waving pom pom's. He is a very secure little boy now. I teared up a bit when I saw him and then laughed so hard. It made me feel great that all of the energy we are putting into our school is making very self confident, well educated, soon to be adult people. Ray loves Football and is very good at his studies and sports...I am sure he will be whatever he wants to be when he grows up! TOWANDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! p.s. stayed within my R.D.I. and am doing very well with moderation!

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

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. 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. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter. (From the History Channel...interesting read about the origins of Halloween, Happy New Year!) TOWANDA!!!

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1892 kcal

Fat: 75.36g | Prot: 42.87g | Carbs: 264.20g.   Lunch: tomatoe, campbells maryland crab, mayo, wonder bread. Dinner: smart balance, saltine cracker, nalley. Snacks/Other: carmel apple, apple, heath bar. more...

2127 kcal

Exercise: Stair Master - 1 hour, Resting - 15 hours, Sleeping - 8 hours. more...