Welcome, welcome....Spring ~ and other facts

Happy, HAPPY SPRING!!!!!

I love old ticking!

Today marks the first day of Spring ~
the rites of Spring are many & diverse throughout our world,
so I thought I might share some with you!

~ The Vernal Equinox...
the phrase literally translates to 'Spring's Equal Night',
meaning, on this day the amount of daylight & darkness will be equal...also, the poles or gravitational pulls of our mother Earth align perfectly, thus,
you are able to stand an egg on it's 'round' end
(try it, it's fun!!)

~ Wiccans celebrate the Sabbats of Ostara on this day...

All I know is, that today marks the first day of my Spring Cleaning! YAY!

no, really,...I look so forward to this day every year ~
regardless of the weather, the windows of the old farmhouse will be opened, letting in much needed fresh air in the stale rooms that have been closed up all year.

I start at the top of the house, sweeping in every corner, from the ceiling down...

then down the stairs, then finally to the cellar.

I will burn or 'smudge' the entire house with White Sage
to release any negative energies that have gathered
in the house over the past year...

I will wash the windows with white vinegar & newspaper, inside and out.
I will take down the curtains, wash them and hang them in the sun to dry.

I'm sure you all have your own 'ritual's that you perform this time of year, and I like to look back in my collection of Almanacks for the 'olde time' ways people readied their homes,
farms & lives for the upcoming Spring Season...

Here are a few of my favorites...you'll get a chuckle from some of these!

*these are for general good health*

*Pure atmospheric air is composed of nitrogen, oxygen and a very small proportion of carbonic acid gas. Air, once breathed, has lost it's oxygen, and aquired a proportionate increase of carbonic acid gas. Therefore, good health requires that we breathe in the same air once only.
(well, that should prove interesting the next time you're on a subway.)

*Light excersizes an important influence upon the growth and vigor of animals and plants. Therefore, our dwellings should freely admit the Sun's rays.

*Late hours and anxious pursuits exhaust the nervous system and produce disease and premature death. The hours of labor and study should be short.
(hmmm...no more late night at the office for me then!)

*Never visit a sick person (especially if the complaint be of a contagious nature) with an empty stomach, as this disposes the system more readily to recieve the contagion. In attending a sick person, place yourself where air passes from the door or window to the bed of the diseased; not between the sick person and any fire that is in the room, as the heat of the fire draws the infectious vapor in that direction.

*A white mark on the finger-nail bespeaks misfortune. Pale or lead colored nails indicate melancholy people. Broad nails indicate a gentle, timid and bashful nature, and Lovers of knowledge and liberal sentiments have round nails.
(what about nails stained from coffee and tea dye?)

and some others I thought were entertaining!

*A sun bath is worthier than warming by the fire...

*A room filled with quantities of trifling ornaments has the look of a bazaar and displays neither good taste nor good sense. Artistic excellence aims to have all the furninshings fine workmanship, while good sense understands the folly of dusting alot of rubbish.
(haha! don't come to my house!!)

*A poor book had best be burned to give place to a better, for the fire destroys i'ts poison, and puts it out of the way of doing harm.
(wow...what a great excuse to buy more books!))

*Better economize in buying furniture than scrimp on good books.
(now, does that pertain to magazines too?)

and finally...

How to become successful in all that you do:

Rise early. Be abstemious. Be frugal. Attend to your own business and never trust it to another.
Be not afraid to work, and diligently, too, with your own hands. Treat everyone with civility and respect. Good manners insure success. Acomplish what you undertake. Decide, then perservere. Diligence and Industry overcome all difficulties. Never be mean - rather give than take the odd shilling. Never postpone till tomorrow what can be done today. Never anticipate wealth from any source of labor. Honesty not only is the best policy, it is the only policy. Commence at the first round and keep climbing. Make your word as good as your bond. Seek knowledge to plan, enterprise to execute, honesty to govern all. Never give too large credit. Time is money. Reckon the hours of the day as so many dollars, the minutes as so many cents. Make few promises and keep the ones you make. Keep your secrets. Live within your income. Sobriety above all things. Luck is a word that does not belong to a successful man or woman. Not too much caution, slow but sure is the thing. The highest monuments are built piece by piece. Step by step we mount the pyramids. Be bold. Be resolute when the clouds gather. Difficulties are surmounted by opposition. Self confidence is your key, self reliance, your lock. Your conscience is the best monitor. Never be over-sanguine, but do not overrate your own abilities.
Don't be discouraged.

On this Spring day, I wish you all a bit of success, in every aspect of your lives....

Live Creatively!
~Lori~