TLDR or TMI

I laughed the first time I read the letters TLDR, which mean "too long, didn't read." It's a text or twitter phrase, which not so politely tells you your communication was too long. Alas, we live in an abbreviated world. We like short quick blasts of information, preferably of the more exciting kind - dare I say quickies?

I mused about the number of great authors, whose works might never have been read had earlier generations adopted the TLDR attitude. Edmund Spencer"s The Faerie Queene, John Milton's Paradise Lost, all the works of Dickens, Austen, Tolstoy etc.

I presume that texters, tweeters, even bloggers of the short post variety like their verbal entertainment in small readable chunks. Maybe there isn't the time these days to really "get into" a longer narrative or involved poem. In fact, who even reads poetry these days?

Slow Down

When you consider that a good number of people are holding down several part time jobs or a full time job with a bit of moonlighting, who has the time to read The Rime of the Ancient Mariner? and who really cares? There is no time to appreciate the aesthetics, when you need to peddle very quickly just to provide the basics.

I know a lot of people will disagree with me. Many will say, TLDR has nothing to do with time and everything to do with the hubris of a self-centred population! I am trying to be kind by posting both sides of the equation.

Another amusing abbreviation is TMI - too much information. My youngest uses this a lot. He will always use it, if we are describing someone's medical condition, or what he should be doing, or not doing, at a job interview. I wish, I had had this casual and very cool retort to use with my various math teachers over the years, instead of just saying, "I don't understand." TMI would have put me in control and told the teachers that they were in the wrong by overloading me :) - it might have worked!!

The fact that we have the number of abbreviations that we do though, is proof that we are travelling at the speed of light into another world.

What are your favourites?

A Chair By Any Other Name.....

........this iconic cottage chair was originally known as the Westport plank chair and was designed by Thomas Lee in 1903. As the story goes, Lee showed the design to a local carpenter, Harry Bunnell, who in need of some winter revenue, secured a patent for the chair and started manufacturing it, en masse in 1905. In 1938, Irving Wolpin made some changes to the design, secured another patent and changed the name to Adirondack chair.

The popularity of the chair drifted to other cottage areas and the name changed with the area. In Ontario, it is known as the Muskoka chair and in Quebec, the Laurentian Chair or Chaises des Laurentides.

Other manufacturers have changed the style slightly. Some narrow the arms - not desired - others change the shape of the top of the chair and still others add leg rests. The colours change too. Most are painted, but some keep the natural wood, oiled or stained to preserve it.

What makes the chair so appealing is its unique design. The arm rests are broad enough to hold both a drink and a snack. The chair, with its slanted seat, is close to the ground, such that you sink deeply into it and the back is tilted at just the right angle to lay back comfortably.....ahhhh! Finally, the chair is sturdy enough to hold a large adult and/or several small children :) plus it won't blow away on a windy day!!

I prefer them in all the colours of the rainbow, lined up outside shops or in parks. The perfect invitation to relax and enjoy.

Have a wonderful day!!

More Muskoka

I have to catch up on a few posts in the blog-a-day challenge for 2013, so I hope that you don't mind the travelogue. Yesterday I posted about starting a two-day mini vacation in Muskoka, a cottage area about 2+ hours' drive from Toronto. We decided on this "impromptu" weekend away mainly, because our bathroom was undergoing some major renovations and we needed, well what can I say, a bathroom.

So after Friday's explorations, we spent the whole of Saturday in Oxtongue Lake Provincial Park. It's a small park which abuts the absolutely huge and very famous Algonquin Park. We rented kayaks and spent about two hours exploring the bays and inlets of Oxtongue Lake.

Kayaking on Oxtongue Lake

After a picnic lunch - gotta love egg sandwiches in the wild -  we decided to drive to a nearby waterfall, Ragged Falls, which we might have kayaked to, however, although I do a lot of walking, it's not on my hands :) so I wasn't sure I could do the 3 hour trip, there and back, without some major medical emergency!!

Ragged Falls

So geriatric wimps that we are, we hopped in the car; drove to the park; paid our $14.00 parking fee and set off on a hike to the falls!! It was awesome!! Unlike many waterfalls, this was not a cascade with a complete drop. The water rather twisted and turned, like an Ox's tongue, as it raged down the escarpment. To get a better view, we climbed to the top of the falls - rocks were not the only obstacles - every photographer in the area had his/her tripod set up, every dog owner had a canine leashed or not, as the case maybe and there were even a few children - so - bi-ped, tri-pod and quadra-ped, all competed for space on a few slippery rocks that probably witnessed a mis-hap or two often!!

Oxtongue River

Fortunately, the trail moved away from the traffic at the falls and followed the river, as it wound its way further into the bush. We decided to hike this trail for few miles there and back. I always worry about going too far along a new trail, because these hikes are not loops. You always have to come back. So you have to make sure that you have the resources to make it back. Not only have we been lost before, but we have also run out of steam before the trail has run out of length - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so they say!! And hey, I'm still here :)

Oxtongue River, looking back!

Have an awesome day!!

Muskoka

I haven't posted in a a few days because my husband and I went away for the weekend. Since we weren't going to have a functioning bathroom until Monday, we decided that we had to make other plans.

This all began last January, well before the tiles started to fall off the wall in the bathroom shower. We happen to collect air miles at the local grocery store and cash them in on holidays. Well, since a lot of people rarely cashed in their points, the supermarket chain was having to set aside a huge portion of revenue, while waiting for these people to take a vacation. This fact was screwing up their accounting so much so that they made everyone cash in their points, within the year or lose them.

We cashed ours in, in January, for a weekend at a resort in Muskoka, Deerhurst. It's about two hours north of Toronto. Time passed and we were never either in the mood or had the time, to actually book this "free" weekend. Enter the bathroom gremlin who decided that we needed both a holiday and a new bathroom. Hence, forced by circumstances, we are up here enjoying the magnificent Fall colours of an area very close to Algonguin Park. Here are a few pictures

The sugar maples are a brilliant scarlet - absolutely stunning.

The lakes are still and embellished with gold leaf, literally.

Muskoka chairs from my kayak.

The view from the chairs.

I'll have more photos next post. Sadly we are going home today!

Have a colourful day!!

Ask a Stupid Question...

I always like those crazy celebration days and I think that the site Holidayinsights.com has one of the best lists. According to the site, September 28 is "ask a stupid question day." Now I have asked many stupid questions over the years and some of the greatest thinkers in the world have asked what seemed like very stupid questions, which once answered, proved to be actually very brilliant.

Before I go any further "ask a stupid question day" is a bone fide day. It was established by a group of teachers in the 1980s to encourage students to ask more questions. Again, before I get into a host of stupid questions, I just want to say that, if you go to the page for September 28, not only will you get all this information, you will also find a link to Jello moulds in the shape of human organs, you know, brains, liver, heart, eyeballs, hands etc. Ymmm. But I digress. Actually, they maybe the answer to a stupid question that no one has asked as yet!!

This picture asks a question

Unfortunately, it's really difficult to ask a stupid question these days, because most questions can be asked on line, with answers readily available, so that only your computer knows how stupid you are. Now my husband asks, what I consider, a lot of stupid questions, such as, where are the scissors? where are my glasses? Where are the keys?....etc. Stupid might just be a synonym for lazy :)

In my mother's house a very stupid question to have asked, would have been "what's for dinner?" My mother rarely cooked and could never understand why we didn't just want to eat sandwiches for dinner. Even now, when I ask my kids, who are in their 20s, why they don't clean their rooms. I get the feeling that I am asking a very stupid question. Obviously, as I have lived longer than they have, I am supposed to know the answer.

Today I asked the workmen installing our new shower in the bathroom, when we could use the toilet. Just to put things in perspective, today is Thursday. Their answer was Monday. I knew I shouldn't have asked. Again, most people ask "How was your day?" as a polite social convention. Practice has taught me that there are some people who rarely answer this question with more than a grunt and then there are others, who should never, under any circumstances ever, be asked this question!! I can still hear them talking in my dreams!!

Finally, there are the questions that might never be answered:

1. When will we get there? - no kidding, where are you going?
2. How long will it be until you are ready? - for what?
3. Why am I here? Where are you?
4. Why do I have to do this? Maybe because it's there!
5. Why did you do this? Again, maybe because it was there?

One of my favourite quotations is from Socrates - "The unexamined (questioned) life, is not worth living."

Please post any questions that need answers or answers that need questions. We'll do our best :)

Have an amazing day!!

Stone Soup

I have to believe that you may be defined by the fairy tales that you have read, either to yourself or to your children. I always read "The Little Red Hen" to my kids. It's a story of Russian origin with strong entrepreneurial, even capitalist overtones. I'm not really the "Donald Trump" of mothers, but I did love the self sufficiency of the little red hen, who, as the story goes -

1. Planted some wheat seeds that she had found. Now, she did ask for help from the other occupants of the farm - a dog, a cat and a duck. However, they graciously declined the offer, and so the little red hen planted the wheat herself.

2. She also tended the wheat herself, weeding and watering it, as needed, while the cat, dog & duck, just watched, each having declined a second chance to help.

3. When the crop had ripened, the little red hen cut the wheat, took it to the miller, had it ground into flour and brought the heavy sack home - all by herself, while the others just watched!!

4. Finally, she asked for help to bake the bread - another rebuff.

5. However, when she asked for help to eat the bread, the others were all there at the table. In true capitalist style, she answered, that since she had done all the work, she was going to reap all the rewards and ate the entire loaf herself!!

I know that I should have done the very "moral" thing and said that maybe the little red hen should have shared her wealth; however, the message of the story was very clear - you work, you win!

Stone Soup

Now I also read another favourite, to my kids, the legend of stone soup. Ironically this is also a fairy tale of Russian origin, which begins with -

1. A group of soldiers find themselves, without food, in a small town. They ask the townspeople for food and are told that they are very poor people and have none.

2. The soldiers commiserate with them and say that they will make soup from stones to feed the entire town. They set a cauldron boiling in the main square and add some stones. The townspeople are fascinated and gather around. One soldier says that the soup will be good, but would taste better with carrots. I few people leave and get some carrots, which are added. Another soldier says that the soup would be greatly improved with onions. Another group leaves and brings the much needed onions. The suggestions continue until the soup has been augmented, with beets, potatoes etc and lastly the coveted meat!!

3. When the soup is done, everyone sits down to a wonderful meal.

Now I am torn. The story of the little red hen, is clearly a lesson in - you do the work; you get the benefits and those who are unwilling to work, do without. Stone soup may appear at first to be a socialist sharing of wealth, however, were the townspeople actually duped into sharing their wealth by some clever government officials - read, taxes.

The only story that I remember reading to the kids that perhaps had a true socialist theme was "The Enormous Turnip," which also may have been Russian in origin.  I can't ever remember reading Cinderella or The Golden Goose.

Their dad read them Harry Potter!! Clearly I'm a work-a-holic, with pedestrian tastes, who has issues with sharing!!

Have a fulfilling day!

Grass...

..... A friend linked me to a site that listed 30 books you should read before you're 30. Well I've missed a few, however, I did read, Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, which was on the list. One of my favourite poems in the collection is Song of the Open Road. Here is the last stanza:

Allons! the road is before us!

It is safe—I have tried it—my own feet have tried it

well—be not detain'd!

Let the paper remain on the desk unwritten, and the

book on the shelf unopen'd!

Let the tools remain in the workshop! let the money

remain unearn'd!

Let the school stand! mind not the cry of the teacher!

Let the preacher preach in his pulpit! let the lawyer

plead in the court, and the judge expound the law.

Camerado, I give you my hand!
I give you my love more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law;
 Will you give me yourself? will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

The poem has a wonderful sense of adventure about it. There is this idea of being out in nature, free from the institutions that structure society and just being one with the Earth.

Splendorous Shawl

The other lines I love that use the word "grass" are from William Wordsworth's Intimations of Immortality
 
“Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;

I actually quoted these lines the other day. I was at a trade show and I was wearing a shawl that I had designed based on the poem. A person at the booth opposite me came over to admire the shawl - I'm a sucker for praise. I explained the inspiration behind the design and quoted the excerpt from the poem. She answered, Walt Whitman. She was forgiven. Well both poets have the same initials. Maybe all you need for great poetry is words and wit (whit) :)

I love it when poetry is integrated into the everyday to-ings and fro-ings of life. Some parks in Toronto have signs reading "Walk on the Grass." Now we just have to add "And read a poem or two!!"

Have a wonderful day!!

What not to wear - maybe?

The province of Quebec in Canada has proposed a law banning all obvious religious symbols in the form of jewellery and clothing for people working in government jobs, i.e. civil servants. This provincial bill would contravene our national statutes for freedom of religion, which operate at the federal level. But then Quebec has rarely considered itself a part of Canada. They don't even celebrate Canada Day, preferring to celebrate St Jean Baptiste Day instead.

Ironically, although Jews will be forbidden to wear yarmulkes, Sikhs, turbans and Muslim woman, hijabs, at work, if they work for the government, the province will not remove crucifixes from any of its public buildings, particularly the huge crucifix hanging over the speaker's chair in their provincial parliament. This apparently has nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with tradition.

You will be permitted to wear small symbols of your beliefs, such as a necklace with a cross or a Star of David on it. This means, of course, that there will be by-laws mandating the size of these items and some will be subjected to being "measured."

Nature and culture

For years the dominant religion in Canada was Christianity, which divided itself between a Protestant majority in the western provinces including, Ontario and roughly a Catholic majority in the eastern provinces, beginning with Quebec. However, Canada is now home to many different faiths and religious practices. Our federal charter of rights protects these.

This will not be the first time that Quebec has challenged the sovereignty of the federal government. We await the outcome of the debates over this bill in the Quebec legislature.

Well, it does make for more interesting news than the national debt :)

The picture? It's a cross in the hills of Liguria, Italy. I climbed half way up a mountain to see an old monastery there. Art is often based on religious beliefs and practices. We need to preserve freedom of religion, everywhere.

Have a colourful day!!

Death by Poutine

I enjoyed Tabitha Southey's column the other day in the Globe and Mail - Beavers don't Kill People. It was a humorous take on the efforts to curb the use of guns in the US. Her idea was - suppose you looked at something as sacred in Canada, as the right to bear arms is, in the states. The author decided that what might be consider sacred in Canada is the beaver. Therefore how would you feel if you were subjected to background checks, denied access to coffee houses and generally considered suspicious, just because you owned a beaver.

Her column ends by saying:

"I feel blessed to live in a country where most of our cultural icons are not capable of killing large numbers of people in a short space of time. It can take years to die of poutine, and the majority of poutine-related deaths are self-inflicted.

I once knew someone who died from reading Robertson Davies, but he managed to hang on until the second last chapter of The Manticore. It was the five-pin bowling that kept him strong."

I would like to add a few other cultural icons that would also be considered sacred to Canadian culture, which Tabitha might have used, as well, such as:

1. Loons. Loons are ducks that yodel. We like them so much that we used them as symbols on our one dollar coin, which we affectionately named the "loonie." Ironically the term, loonie, has nothing to do with the mental state of most Canadians, unless, of course, you have been elected to public office and then it's open season on them!!

2. As apple pie is to Americans, so poutine is to Canadians. We love our cheese curds, chips (french fries) and gravy. Though I have a creeping sense of deja vu, with the opening of a new poutinerie on the local strip. It is a branch of the US chain, New York Fries. How dare they!! Poutine is Canadian, well, French Canadian. It's right up there with Pea soup and Beaver Tails. They define us! If these go south, so will our Moose meat tortieres, Newfoundland Screech and Saskatoonberry pie!! - no way, eh!!

3. We have many Robertson Davies write-a-likes. Somnolent writers are a mainstay of the Canadian literary scene. Well, we are a quiet people. Our drones are sleep induced. They are non-aggressive and inoffensive, unless one snores. We don't need Ativan, to help us nod off, we just need a few more published authors.

4. Southey suggests that five-pin bowling gives us the strength we need to slog through most Canadian novels. I would like to add that we are also made strong by watching any one of our teams lose yet another game, in what many consider our national sport, Hockey. Notice that we nod and smile at all those who presume that Hockey is indeed our national sport. It has street creds; it is  played in the US. What can I say? It also keeps, in the closet, the fact that our true national sport is really Lacrosse. I know La - What?

5. Now, for all those who find Lacrosse too aggressive, there is always Curling. It's hard to imagine the thrill of sweeping at, over or around a spinning disc, sliding down the ice, in the vain belief that all those good vibrations will help you knock some guys rocks off, or something like that :) Curling always reminds me of Krokano on ice. Tiddly Winks, anyone?

Have a fun day

5 Ideas For Blog Posts Gleaned From My FB Wall

I was reading a blog post today by another author, Jairam Mohan, who got the idea for the post from the site Just Write. They post regular prompts, such as the italicized script below, which you use somewhere in your writing. Here is Jairam's use of the sentence, Ben and his kite.

The dark clouds rolled in quickly, casting strange shadows across the landscape.

Sometimes you just need a prompt, a word, a hint or a thought that someone else has had to spark an idea for a blog topic.

Today I have had a few:

1. Someone on FB reminded me that it was national book week and you were to grab the book closest to you, turn to page 52 and post the fifth sentence down to your status. I have written about this exercise before - The meaning of life." I wasn't sure how it would inspire more people to read books until I read a sentence that someone else posted:

"No one knows why these previously mild and pastoral people suddenly became aggressive and adventurous, but for two centuries they were everywhere-- in Russia, Iceland, Britain, France, Ireland, Greenland, even North America."

Now I have to find out the title of that book and read it!!

2.  It's Bill Murray's birthday and Mental Floss posted some amazing fan art for him! One could do an entire blog post on quotations from Bill Murray -

Dana: His name is Oscar.

Peter Venkman: Named after a hot dog, you poor man, you poor, poor man.

3. There was also an article in the NY Times on messy desks and what they say about you or how they can act as inspirations to others. I think that I must be some creative evangelist then, because I have one of the messiest desks!!

4.  Cracked.com posted a list of 5 personal things you can tell about a person just by looking at them. Well it's after 12:00 noon today and I am still in my night dress...maybe you could say that I was lazy :)

5. Again from Mental Floss - There was a list of 7 awesome things that birds can do!! For me all they need to do is fly - I consider that pretty awesome!!

Have a lofty day!!

The Horror of Horoscopes

My horoscope today said very emphatically "something needs to be cut out of your life today and if you don't get rid of it now, you may be stuck with it forever." It went on to say that I am to be ruthless, but Pluto would be there to help me!!

Alas, it's Friday. I usually indulge myself on Fridays, so what can't I have today or ever....henceforth!!

1. I decided I wasn't going to give up my blog. I enjoy the writing and it is a mental exercise, even if the odd angel turns up as an angle :)

2. I often buy a sandwich for lunch on Fridays from one of two French cafes on the street. I know that my Brie, Avocado and Tomato sandwich on half a small baguette puts on pounds that I don't need; however, I do need rewards!!

3. I'm having a friend for dinner tonight, so I can't give up wine today. Well, I could, but then I would feel very left out!!

4. Now, I was going to make a peach pie for dessert. Since I am finally able to make a decent pastry, I have started making pies. My youngest loves them and, of course, I could eat a whole one all by myself!! I am rethinking the pie :)

Cherry Pie

5. I have to clean the house today. This I would give up gladly, however, by the sounds of the horoscope, I think that what I rid myself of today has to be a kind of indulgence!!

6. I play a lot of FreeCell when I'm bored. This I know I should give up.

7. I also do a lot of crossword puzzles - well only two a day - One from each paper, unless it's the weekend and then, whoa!! we have crossword puzzles in spades, in both papers!! I guess that there are a lot of bored people, just hanging out on the weekend, waiting for work on Monday!!

8. Now I could give up trying to avoid the draft of a novel I wrote last November and actually start writing it. Then again I could give up procrastination in general. Meh - why change the habits of a lifetime :)

I'll let you know how the day goes!!

A Penny for Your Coffee Filter

Someone posted this list to my FB wall. I understand that you can buy scads of coffee filters at the dollar store for next to nothing. So go nuts, if you don't mind not recycling! Here are 25 uses for coffee filters:

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.

Store in a coffee filter

16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.
23. Use them to sprout seeds.. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.
24. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.
25. Use as a disposable "snack bowl" for popcorn, chips, etc.
Not just for coffee--

I wonder if they are better than paper towels. I use paper towels for a few of these things, but the filters are probably stronger and more free of lint.

The picture? - Three months and 5 days until Christmas!!

Have a memorable day!!

Who Put the Arch in Archangel II

Yesterday I posted about the first six of the twelve Archangels with the proviso that I usually don't post blogs of a religious nature, however, I do make an exception for angels. Here is my post, for what it's worth, on the last 6 of the archangels listed on the site beliefnet.com. After all, you never know when you might need to know the name Metatron and how to contact him :) The descriptions are from Beliefnet. My comments are below the details.

7. Metatron is not a subway, computer game's character or fairy tale ogre. He is an archangel with an interesting name and occupation.

Meaning of Name: Little YHWH (a variant of Yahweh)

Message to the Contemporary World: Behold the Spirit of God that is beautiful and benevolent and dwells within the heart of every child.

Patron Angel Of: Children, teachers, librarians, archivists, scribes, storytellers, nannies, babysitters, child psychologists, pediatricians, accountants, bankers.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When you are embarking upon new, uncharted territory in your spiritual journey and are in need of company and security.

I will mention this to my kids when they are out at night or even in the morning when they are rushing to work. Our subway or Metro rarely runs smoothly, if it is running at all. They may want to ask Metatron for some help. Now I have to smile at the fact that those bankers have a patron. Well, everyone needs someone to love them!!

8. Ramiel is a great name for a short stop or anyone else who plays baseball, regardless of the position!! However, he is also an archangel:

Meaning of Name: God’s mercy

Message to the Contemporary World: The only history a human can ever be certain of is that which he makes himself.

Patron Angel Of: Tribal elders, shamans, prophets, family elders, archivists, librarians, historians, educators, history museum curators, archeologists, forensic specialists, statisticians, stenographers, and stock market and economic analysts.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When it’s time to revisit your past and recognize your life’s patterns in order to facilitate future healing and growth.

I rarely think of my past. I'm glad I had it, but it's over and probably recorded in more pictures than I will ever have time to look at. I am, though, fascinated by other people's past. Skeletons in the closets of neighbours, political personalities, historical figures, etc. never cease to amaze me. However, I would not consider invoking Ramiel for some titillating gossip!!

9. Raguel is another name and angel I have never heard of. He may be the arch organizer of everything, though.

Meaning of Name: Friend of God

Message to the Contemporary World: The presence of anger is the absence of wisdom. The presence of greed is the absence of God.

Patron Angel Of: Land owners, farmers, manual laborers, community leaders, agricultural workers, industry workers, community planners, managers, foremen, supervisors, multitaskers.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When it’s time to reorganize your priorities and get down to business.

Every once in a while I need a foreman or two in my life, just to help me get things done. I could spend days just dreaming; you know wiling away the hours, doing nothing. Good to know that Raguel is there when the dishes need to be washed, the house cleaned and dinner made. He probably could recommend a good housekeeper or two, as well.

10. One of my favourite Archangels has to be Gabriel. I once met a woman who introduced herself this way: "Hi, I'm Gabriel, like the angel, but no relation." I have never forgotten her!

Meaning of Name: God Is my strength

Message to the Contemporary World: True liberation comes not by surrendering to either humans or machines, but to the Divine Order of the universe.

Patron Angel Of: Writers, orators, philosophers, theologians, actors, poets, physicists, computer geeks, bloggers, entrepreneurs, life coaches, motivational speakers.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When you begin to question your place in God’s Great Equation and want to take a conscious role in fulfilling your life’s purpose.

I guess I'm in hot water now. My religion, for the most part, is a combination of spirits, real or imagined, with a dash of bitters!! My blog, again for the most part, is an expression of that cocktail. However, now I have to face, Gabriel, the higher authority for bloggers. What am I going to say? I am both shaken and stirred!!

11. Sandalphon I have never met, though I love his name. He is described below:

Meaning of Name: Brother

Message to the Contemporary World: If humans didn’t shield the radiance of the Spirit in their hearts, there would be no need for sunlight.

Patron Angel Of: Prayer, music, law, youth, unborn children, children with disabilities, midwives, concentration, mathematics, playfulness and games (board games, video games), puzzles, riddles, secrets, academics, school exams, gifts and charity, florists.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When you need to find common ground between work and play. Not all work has to be arduous, and not all play is merely a way to pass the time. To discover the middle ground between the two is to discover a life of perfect harmony.

He oversees an odd mix of people, as well. These are the people who puzzle out problems or bring a hope into reality. Maybe a kind of Yin and Yang of celestial realms - always trying to find a balance or a harmony. I'll remember him!!

12. Last but not least is Azreal described below:

Meaning of Name: God helps

Message to the Contemporary World: To eliminate the fear of death, one must first eliminate the desire to control life. Death is not a call to judgment. It is merely a call home.

Patron Angel Of: The dying and the dead, caretakers, morticians, pallbearers (to secure their steps in a procession), grief counselors, funeral home directors, death.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When you are struggling with any notion of death, be it your own or that of someone you know or love. Azrael is not to be feared, but to be embraced as a guide to lead us from one existence to the next. He doesn’t just show up when death is approaching; he also comes to us to allay our fears of death when it is still so far away.

Enough said!! When you have to go gentle into that good night, you will have a friend in Azrael!!

It's not that I actually believe in angels, it's more that I believe in a helpful cosmos. I am also fascinated by the way people have organized the spiritual world. The folklore and literary references to higher beings, as well as evil beings - there may be as many devils - is amazing. Knowing these names enriches poetry, allegorical writing, even simple conversation. I hope that you didn't mind the post!!

Have another angelic day!!

Who Put the Arch in Archangel?

It must be the change of seasons, but there has been little out there to inspire me. Maybe I should rephrase this. There is a lot of inspiration out there, but I have not been tweaked by much of it. The brain seems strangely dull. That is, until I keyed the word "inspiration" into my title bar and brought up the site, Beliefnet.com. OK, I don't usually write about topics that might be considered "religious" in nature. I keep my beliefs to myself and respect that in others. However, I brake for Angels!!

In fact I think that I should have a bumper sticker that announces this to the world. I once saw a sticker on a car that read. "I brake for unicorns." I wanted it!! On the belief net site, there was a link to a post, with the title "Get to know your Archangels." Given that I knew the names of only one or two of this higher species, I thought that I might enrich myself today and find out about few more. So while you are waiting for unicorns, you might like to see what other mythical creatures are out there to invoke, should you feel so inclined :)

1. First there is Archangel Chamuel - here's his description from the site:

Meaning of Name: He who sees [seeks] God.

Message to the Contemporary World: To make peace with your self is to make peace with the world.

Patron Angel Of: Horticulturists, hunters (non-recreational), outdoor survivalists, physical fitness trainers, forest rangers, gardeners, farmers, chefs and cooks, naturalists, environmentalists, philanthropists, emergency aid workers.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When you are facing challenges in staying true to yourself and your cause. 

I am amazed that there is a heavenly being that is a patron of non-recreational hunters, what can I say? I am very glad that, as a gardener, I can speak to someone about the fungus, which destroyed my Impatience this year. This being might also be able to introduce me to a philanthropist or two.

2. Next there is Rafael - not just a ninja turtle or Renaissance painter - he is also an archangel!

Meaning of Name: God heals

Message to the Contemporary World: Heal thyself.

Patron Angel Of: Astronomers, doctors, healers, nurses, travelers, herbalists, intuitives (clairaudients, clairsentients, clairvoyants, claircognants, medical intuitives), light workers (reiki, acupuncture, yoga instructors, massage, kinesiology, chiropractics, etc.), therapists (all types), shamans, and medicine women.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When healing or a significant transition is afoot.

He is patron of a pretty eclectic bunch. Most represent branches of healing, however, they are a very divergent group. I am surprised that astronomers are included. Obviously there are messages in the heavens that need to be explained and who better than a star gazer.

3. Iophiel is a name I have never heard, so obviously, I would not have known that he was an archangel.

Meaning of Name: Beauty of God

Message to the Contemporary World: The illusion of beauty is pain.

Patron Angel Of: Painters, sculptors, masons, architects, visionaries, gardeners, artists in general, art historians, art teachers, photographers, fashion designers and models, interior decorators, wedding planners, film directors and production crews, community beautification groups, art museums curators and benefactors, philanthropists, secrets.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When you need to slow down and make rest, respite, and recreation integral parts of the healing process, whether this is healing of the body, mind, or soul.

I think that I have to get to know this interceder better. He is a patron of all the things I love!! I also notice that he includes in his office, gardeners. Well if Chamuel doesn't have the answer to my dyeing Impatience, maybe Iophiel will :)

4. Everyone knows of Michael, the archangel. He saved us from Lucifer and opened up a whole new world!!

Meaning of Name: Who is as God

Message to the Contemporary World: Learn to laugh and approach life with childlike zeal.

Patron Angel Of: Police, firefighters, soldiers, protectors of truth and justice, surfer dudes and dudettes, dancers, car racers, wrestlers, body builders, football players, basketball players, sun and beach worshippers, sports.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When the environment in which you live is about to drastically change, whether due to a new residence, a new job/career, or a change in family/friend dynamics.

Should Michael ever have a party, I don't think that I would be invited. I just wouldn't have the muscle, the legs or the outfit to "fit in." Yes I know we all have to be included, but surfer dudes and dudettes??? Heavenly choirs, Batman, what is that noise :)

5. Uriel is another Angel of the Arch - type that I have never met. I will be just so erudite at that next cocktail party, to which I am never going to be invited, with or because of, this arsenal of information I am gathering!!

Meaning of Name: Fire of God

Message to the Contemporary World: Is the End here yet?

Patron Angel Of: Judges, lawmakers, peacemakers, seekers of truth, upholders of justice, prophets, visionaries.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: I have rarely seen Uriel in consultations. In ten years, I can probably count on one hand my encounters with him, and those encounters were deeply serious in nature, usually involving someone’s path as a scholar or prophet.

The last lines of the description probably explain, why I have never heard of, much less even met, Uriel. He resides over headier realms, well beyond my ken.

6. Another unknown unearthed - probably not the best word - Cassiel:

Meaning of Name: Speed of God

Message to the Contemporary World: The rules have not changed. “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (Matthew 7:2)

Patron Angel Of: The oppressed, the down-trodden, the impoverished, the enslaved, the unjustly persecuted, orphan children.

Usually Arrives in Your Life: When you are at your darkest hour, feeling abandoned by all that you held dear. When your heart is heaviest and overflowing with tears, Cassiel appears to help shoulder the burdens of your woes and keep feelings of hopelessness at bay.

I may have met Cassiel, today. Indeed, I missed a post yesterday and didn't have a hope in Hades today of producing much, when I was directed to the aforementioned site by a feathered hand.

I will post about the other six tomorrow.

Have a heavenly day!!