May 1st is Beltane, May Day, Lei Day and Mother Goose Day

According to Wiki:

Beltane or Beltaine (pronounced /ˈbɛltən/, origin Old Irish) is the anglicised spelling of Bealtaine (Irish pronunciation: [ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠənʲə]) or Bealltainn ([ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠənʲ]), the Gaelic names for either the month of May or the festival that takes place on the first day of May.

In Irish Gaelic, the month of May is known as Mí Bhealtaine or Bealtaine, and the festival as Lá Bealtaine ('day of Bealtaine' or, 'May Day'). In Scottish Gaelic, the month is known as either (An) Cèitean or a' Mhàigh, and the festival is known as Latha Bealltainn or simply Bealltainn. The feast was also known as Céad Shamhain or Cétshamhainin from which the word Céitean derives.

As an ancient Gaelic festival, Bealtaine was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, though there were similar festivals held at the same time in the other Celtic countries of Wales, Cornovii areas of England, Brittany and Cornwall. Bealtaine and Samhain were the leading terminal dates of the civil year in Ireland though the latter festival was the more important. The festival survives in folkloric practices in the Celtic Nations and the Irish diaspora, and has experienced a degree of revival in recent decades.

For information on Mother Goose Day click here

Hawaiian Lei Day Info

Wiki May Day Info

Have a Happy Beltane, May Day, Lei Day and Mother Goose Day!!!!!

What Every Storyteller Dreads Hearing.....

Okay, we want to hear the words just not the way the cat meant it :-P

A Little Feel Good Music

Patti Labelle and Joe Crocker singing "You Are So Beautiful" with Billy Preston on piano. I just thought I'd put up something fun. This vid always makes me happy!!

Earth Day Smoothies

Thursday, April 22nd is Earth Day!
I noticed a few days ago that Planet Smoothies are celebrating Earth Day, by giving the first 30 customers at each location a free, reusable MacDaddy Mug with the purchase of any 32-ounce smoothie. Planet Smoothie has smoothies for kids as well as smoothies for weight loss , energy and breakfast.

While I do enjoy going out to get smoothies, they are after all delicious, fun and healthy. You can also make your own smoothie and your own smoothie recipes (also known as throwing in anything available).


A Berry Green Earth Day Smoothie
ingredients:
1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup of fresh spinach
1 peeled kiwi
1/2 to 1 cup of ice
some water if you think it necessary

directions:
Place all ingredients, ice and frozen fruits first, into the blender.
Blend until smooth.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
ingredients:
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 cups orange juice
1 banana, frozen (it can be fresh if you like)
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar

directions:
Add ingredients together in blender and blend until smooth.

Blueberry Fruit Smoothie
ingredients:
Carton of Blueberry yogurt
1 Cup of milk
1 Cup frozen or fresh blueberries, strawberries or peaches
½ cup ice cubes

directions:
Add all together in blender and blend until smooth.

Other simple smoothie recipes, which only require throwing all of the ingredients in the blender:

Strawberry Ice
1 cup strawberries, 1 cup orange juice, I cup crushed ice

Honey Melon
1 cup chopped honey dew lemon pieces, 1/4 cup apple juice, tablespoon honey.

Bananas and Fiber
1 banana, 1/4 shredded wheat cereal (or other high fiber cereal), 1/4 cup milk.

Happy Blending!!!

Barbershop Quartet Day

Apr 11th is Barbershop Quartet Day! Yea!!!
Yep I actually like Barbershop Quartets and the choruses.
I used to sing in a Sweet Adeline Chorus (in Vienna, Va) a few years back. That was FUN!!

Just for a little history of the holiday....it commemorates the gathering of 26 persons at Tulsa, OK, Apr 11, 1938, and the founding there of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America.

I know y'all wanted to know that:-P

Sweet Adeline Chorus



Who says you need for people for a quartet?


I love this movie! Buffalo Bills from the Music Man

Buddha Day.....a few words of wisdom and a story

Today, April 8th, is Buddha Day.
Unfortunately, I don't know why it's Buddha Day. I tried looking it up online but I haven't had any luck. (If anyone finds out the origin of Buddha Day, I'd love to know.)

Anyhoo, I thought that I'd put up a few Buddha sayings that I enjoy.


Ennui has made more gamblers than avarice, more drunkards than thirst, and perhaps as many suicides as despair.

"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."

Words have the power to both destroy and heal.
When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger."



The tongue like a sharp knife... Kills without drawing blood.

"When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky”

"He is able who thinks he is able."

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what hold you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom.”
(hmmm...I should mention that I'm not that great at meditation but I ain't ignorant, much)

“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.”

And, of course, we need just had to have a story.......This is from a blog I put up on my The Stories La Tells blog


Advice from a Three Year Old or WWBD?
(What Would Buddha Do?)

Late last night as I was looking through a book of stories, this story caught my attention.
I thought it would make a good addition this blog.
Apparently my subconscious loved the story because even in my sleep and in my first waking moments the story was still with me.
So I have decided to "exorcise" it quickly.


There was once a famous artist who decided that he wanted to study the works of Buddha and attain enlightenment. He thought that the best way to do this was to seek the most famous and wisest teacher and ask him, "What was the most important thing that Buddha taught?"

The artist traveled to the other side of the world to find the teacher he sought. When at last he found the teacher, he asked him, "What was the most important thing that Buddha taught?"

"Do not harm anyone and only do good," was the teacher's immediate response.

"What?" shouted the indignant artist. "You are the most famous of teachers! You are supposed to be wise beyond your years! And this is all you can tell me? A three year old could have told me the same thing!"

The teacher, who had sat quietly through the entire speech, looked at the artist and said, "A three year old could have said the same thing but it is a very difficult thing to practice, even for one as old as myself."
(A Zen tale retold by LLL, Storyteller)


Yes, this teeny little story has been stuck in my head all night and half the day. Why? Aside from the fact that I like stories, I think that it's because it's so simple a truth…….but not so simple to practice.
Makes you think.

Love, Laughter, Peace and Blessings!

Blah Blah Blah Day

Seriously. I would not lie to you.
April 17 is Blah Blah Blah Day.

Now, I bet that, like myself, y'all thought it might be a day to not listen to folks just running their mouths endlessly or maybe it was a day to talk a lot.
But NOOOOOOOO!

The purpose of this day is to take care of the long list of household projects and boring chores that people have been nagging you to do.

Okay. Anyone else disappointed?
Who the heck thought of this day???

I think I need to start the anti-Blah Blah Blah Day.
Liiiiiike...maybe....Talk to the Hand Day??? No??
I'll work on it.