DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

    Obon  or just  Bon  is a  Japanese   Buddhist  custom to honor the departed (deceased)  spirits  of one's  ancestors . This Buddhist custom has evolved into a  family reunion  holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.     The festival of Obon lasts for three days; however its starting date varies within different regions of Japan. When the lunar calendar was changed to the  Gregorian calendar  at the beginning of the  Meiji era , the localities in Japan reacted differently and this resulted in three different times of Obon. "Shichigatsu Bon" (Bon in July) is based on the solar calendar and is celebrated around 15 July in e...

A group a vampires has variously been called a clutch, brood, coven, pack, or a clan. Probably the most famous vampire of all time, Count Dracula, quoted Deuteronomy 12:23: “The blood is the life.” The Muppet vampire, Count von Count from Sesame Street, is based on actual vampire myth. One way to supposedly deter a vampire is to throw seeds (usually mustard) outside a door or place fishing net outside a window. Vampires are compelled to count the seeds or the holes in the net, delaying them until the sun comes up. Prehistoric stone monuments called “dolmens” have been found over the graves of the dead in northwest Europe. Anthropologists speculate they have been placed over graves to keep vampires from rising. A rare disease called  porphyria  (also called the "vampire" or "Dracula" disease) causes vampire-like symptoms, such as an extreme sensitivity to sunlight and sometimes hairiness. In extreme cases, teeth might be stained reddish ...

    Under the watchful gaze of crumbling saints and baby-faced cherubs, you hurry down a path lined with mausoleums. Eventually, you pass crops of headstones casting long, narrow shadows in the moonlight. Each engraved with the epitaph of the dead person's life. You run past sunken graves and dying flowers, hoping that the sound you hear is just the wind and you're trying to shake the feeling that something is following close behind you.     Maybe you've never taken a midnight stroll through your local cemetery. But if you have ever set foot in one, you've likely felt a hint of fear and uneasiness that is their legacy. Maybe you were attending a funeral of someone dear and close to you, touring graveyards or simply fleeing things that go bump in the night.     Whatever your reason for strolling among the tombstones, you probably felt something noteworthy about the experience-something different from all the other spaces and places...

The town of Gotland Travel 600 years back in time    During eight days in August the Middle Age is back. Gotland’s special settings, Visby’s 200 medieval houses on winding lanes, splendid church ruins, and the magnificent city wall frame a spectacle without equal.    Markets and music, theater and lectures. Knights clash in tournaments. Medieval Week leaves no one unaffected. It is an unforgettable journey in time and space. Experience Medieval Week on Gotland. Discover history.    Medieval Week 2011 takes place August 7th - 14th. About Gotland    Gotland, Sweden’s largest island, lies right in the middle of the Baltic .    Its population is 58.000, a figure that doubles many times over during the summer, as Gotland is a much-loved destination for holidaymakers.    The island’s biggest city, Visby, boasts one of the best preserved medieval ramparts anywhere in the world. Not surprisingly, Visby has been on UNESCO...

 This diy comes from  www.thevintagedresser.blogspot.com  .   When ordinary leaves just won't do. Musical Leaves Tutorial When we were in one of our favorite shops in Snohomish a couple of weeks ago,  Joyworks,  I spotted some leaves they had hanging above their check-out area. They had been cut from music sheets from a song book. For some reason they struck me as a fun project to do, so here we go: On a trip to town a few days ago, I cruised some streets, looking for trees with pretty leaves. I was in a residential area and felt a LITTLE conspicuous parking in the street, jumping out and ripping leaves off of trees, but sometimes one has to sacrifice dignity in the name of "art"! LOL! Now, FYI, It would have been easier to use these leaves if I'd come right home and jumped on this project! But no---I waited a couple of days before I got to it, and the leaves were curling and getting kind of crispy! So, I smoothed them...

   This diy/recipe comes from  www.instructables.com .   They can even be served or given to someone in a bleeding heart box.  Chocolate!   Chocolate!   Chocolate! Show All 7 Images Okay, I fell in love with Zombies at the time the movie Fido came out.  I'm also a researcher for the ZRS and my husband is the one who got me into these monsters.  Those are the reasons behind these Zombie Truffles!  There was a part in Fido, where Mr. Theopolis (the neighbor) comes over and says "Zombie Troubles?" and that's where my chocolate brains got their name!  I put different things in my candy, and you can always change it up to best fit your taste buds! ** This is to celebrate May, which is  Zombie Awareness Month !  :) ** Most important part to remember, if you use this to gift, or to display, you want to think about your presentation.  You want the end product to fit the mood that you're going fo...