Okay honey, black diamonds it is...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

There was a really cool discovery mentioned on the About.com medieval blog I follow occasionally. It's an 11th century black diamond ring! The Telegraph in the UK had this article about it.

[imagine whiney voice here] Honey....what do I need to do to get a ring like that?... It's from my time period.....LOL

I was most impressed that the diamond was cut into a pyramid shape and the gold it was mounted in was worn so smooth that it almost looked painted onto the edge surface of the diamond. (There is a picture posted with the article.) Black diamonds are a neat thing. I'm seriously hoping this story is followed up on and we find out more about the 11th century owner of the ring, if indeed that's when it's from.

Black diamonds being so rare, they are probably well out of my price range. According to this website, the "Black Diamond: Gives us courage to look within without illusion" That's certainly a handy skill to have.

But then again, when I pass away he could always have a life gem created to mount in a ring like this. :) I wouldn't be able to enjoy it, but I'm sure my spirit would be happy. AS LONG AS THE DIAMOND ISN'T WHITE! Clear diamonds are SO yesterday. Maybe a nice blue, like these flowers?

You know hon, you could always get your mom to cut some hematite....

a puzzled goddess posting from an avaricious place in her soul

Chunks out of time and scotch tape...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I remember hearing about the Dead Sea Scrolls when I was a kid, but I never had much of a clear idea of what they were. Yeah, they were written by dead prophets, a long time ago, and were translated on and off by scholars...so?

[my dear husband, philistine that he is, just loves the quote about the scripture written by a bunch of old guys in a cave smokin' rope, but we leave him his illusions...it's better that way. *grin*]

NOW that I'm MUCH older [don't agree with that too loudly!] , I understand the extreme sense of history and wonder in having 15,000 fragments that make up some 900 scrolls that are over 2,000 years old!

2,000....hmmm I doubt any of our ramblings on the internet will be around that long. :)

The neat part about this now is that the Israel Antiquities Authority is currently working to digitize these irreplaceable pieces of the past and place them on-line for everyone to see. There is an article on The New York Times website about it.

The part that made me grit my teeth was finding out that the original "experts" in the 1950's who were trying to piece these scrolls together used scotch tape to do it. Ouch! Anybody who has old records with crumbling pieces of scotch tape on them knows what that glue does to the paper. I have some pictures from the 50's and 60's that were pretty much ruined by the discoloration.

Seeing these eventually on-line is definitely something to look forward to.

from a puzzled goddess geeking out on the past

Blind nightmares of feng shui

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I have always hated venetian blinds as a window covering. They are ugly, dirty and awkward. Studying Feng Shui as I did a few years ago (didn't everyone?) I discovered a GREAT excuse for my hatred....They cut CHI! Make it sharp edged. NOT what you want to happen in your home or workplace; you want the energy to flow gently throughout.

But after consulting a blog or two, I've come to the conclusion that nothing in my current house is good Feng Shui! Surprise, surprise. LOL My door faces the wrong way. My windows slide, not openning outward. Most views out our windows are offensive to the senses in various ways, but that's what you get in a 1970's tract house. They weren't thinking of homely harmony when they were throwing them up as fast as they could. No wonder I keep most of my windows covered!

Now, if I could just get rid of the clutter I KNOW we'd all be healthier

...of course, I'm the worst offender!

homely musings from a puzzled goddess

ILTG!

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

For those who don't have internet savvy teenagers....ILTG stands for "I lost the game." The game is a silly activity that is kind of zen in its simplicity. If you think about it tilted on its side. :)

There are only really 2 rules to this game. When you think about the game, you lose. When you lose, you announce it to those around you and they lose too! Silly I know. But try yelling it out in a science fiction movie line sometime, or at an anime convention or sci fi con....bet you get alot of echoes! The stories about the game are numerous.


I just had to post this, because I know my dear hubby will read it and LOSE THE GAME! He of the myspace bulletin posts of "BTW....I lost the game." Brat.

post from a puzzled goddess who ALWAYS loses the game...

The Mickey Mouse Gang...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

The History Channel ran a show on Sunday, "The Secret History of Gangs." I think it carried less history than I'd have wished and less secrecy. The resulting show was sobering however. Here is a link to the Discovery Channel history of gangs.

I was never poor and never lived in a ghetto as a kid and, unlike a great many, had two parents. I was alternatively petted and terrorized by my siblings while my parents worked long, hard days with a 1 or 2 hour (or longer) commute.

I tried drugs and alcohol and grew up knowing I didn't like the effects of the experimentation. Probably luckily for me, I was hypoglycemic, so the alcohol killed my blood sugar for multiple days every time I got wasted. I was too practical to want to lose all that time to feeling like crap.

Drugs were an expensive hobby I didn't have the money for, I always had other things I'd rather buy. Plus, they just made me hungry so I would be paranoid and worry about putting on more weight. Like I said, I was lucky.

All that aside, I suppose I've never been able to understand why people would be willing to participate in gangs. Most gangs seem to victimize others who are in just as sad of shape as the gangsters.

Some of the earliest gangs in the US were in New York I guess. The Irish gangs, the Whyos, Dead Rabbits and Plug Uglies terrorized the New York streets. Many were robbed and injured and there was a HUGE outcry when 3 people were killed. THREE.

Compare that to the Crips and Bloods. Hundreds have died. The drug trade seems to allow them to pay to arm themselves to kill more. The solution in L.A.? They declared a cease-fire and open territory.

That may have kept down the bloodshed in LA, but what about the rest of the US? Gangs are spreading. Thousands of new members poliferate across the US in the suburbs. And yes, even in my very small suburbian tourist town we have been cleaning up gang grafitti. It seems the Columbia River Gorge scenic area is a great place to grow weed...up on those high forest trails where few rangers go.

I feel saddened at the current hype and glamour that rap and hip hop seem to have given to a very violent life, and I wonder how these suburban kids justify their actions. Is it just a selfish disregard for others? Or do they feel that disconnected from family and society as a whole?

I think we should induct all our kids into the Mickey Mouse gang...oh wait, that was done. It was called the Mickey Mouse Club and you pretty much needed to be white and middle class to join.

no answers from a puzzled goddess, just questions and paranoia

This is not the knife you are looking for...but it IS the spoon

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

I got into an interesting conversation with the daughter. I was joking around in the kitchen and spouted off with, "This is not the knife you are looking for..." No hand gestures, no funny voice, just kinda talking to myself, and, thought-provoking child that she is, she piped up with, "It is amazing how much of a cultural reference, "Star Wars," really IS.

I had to stop and think. So many movies have become cultural references for our generation. I'm not sure if it's admirable, or sad. What happened to books as a cultural reference? I still think in terms of he's very like Heathcliff, or "My dear Watson," or talking about, "The road less travelled," and "marching to your own drummer." And there are always the biblical favorites and stories of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Shepherd.

I think that our parents and the current older generation though are the ones who pass the movie references on. I remember the WWII movies from when I was a kid. The, "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." There is always the "go ahead, make my day."

My friends, strangely enough, are more into, "bring out your dead," "Solyent Green is really people!" and "beam me up Scottie." Somehow, I don't think these will stick for long with our children. Even though adults remember, "Rosebud," I think my children will be remembering, "there is no spoon," and "Red pill... or blue pill."

With the proliferation of books, movies, songs, and video games I have to wonder what our culture will latch on to next. Maybe, "Boom, headshot," as my son would say, or "Go for the eyes, Boo, go for the eyes!"

wishing you many cultural conundrums from a puzzled goddess

Tatting, 'tatoes, and too much sun...

Some goddesses are puzzled by this...like me...

We had a great Saturday in the park. And no, it wasn't the 4th of July. (for you older folks, you'll get it...the younger ones have no hope. *grin*) There were no fireworks but much fire.

As those who know us are aware, my family and I are involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism and are trying to start a new group in the Columbia River Gorge area of Oregon. We are trying to have an informal, no fee, park potluck each quarter of the year. We also hold monthly meetings for those wanting to learn about the medieval at the Pietro's in Hood River on the first Thursday evening of each month...so if you are in the area and interested in the Middle Ages we are trying to generate interest to become an "official" SCA group. :) We're close to filling out our formal paperwork!

Anyway, done with the rank plug for the local SCA. We had a GREAT time yesterday! I would have blogged last night, but I was so tired that I came home, unpacked a bit, and made the hubby take us out for pizza at our favorite pizza place in Stevenson, Washington, Andrew's. They have pretty good pizza and the owner, Derek, occasionally sits in with a folk/blue grass group sometime in the middle of the week. (I don't remember the night 'cuz we've only caught it sporadically. But it's lots of fun!)

Last night there sound system was set to Sirius radio, and they were playing 80's hits. It made the hubby and I laugh. We got to try to guess the group and song. (I cheated and read the screen, while he tried to guess!) It allowed us to have great conversation with the two teenagers about our teen years and music. (I still dislike most of the death metal my son likes, but guitar hero has given our family a new topic of conversation. *grin*)

Wow, how's that for a change in topic? This was all supposed to be a lead-in to talk about the "August in the park" event that we had on Saturday! So I guess I'll talk about that! LOL

One of our newer attendees actually gave us all a demonstration of glass bead lampworking! It was so cool! I just wish I'd had more time to sit and watch, because I have always been interested in it. She made such a beautiful bead for my daughter! She's got a Norse personna and has such a cool apron dress and treasure necklace!

We had other visitors from across the river. Our neighbors of Village Vindrbek and their families. It was so great that they jumped right in and were so willing to participate in it all. Here's Chrodec and Epona fighting! I took all kinds of pictures of the day and ended up, as usually happens, not getting one of myself. LOL

I DID get pictures of the family!


We made some new friends had some fun and I got a tatting demo from a new friend, Maja. It looks a bit intimidating, but maybe I'll get my courage up and try it. She has a great story that she tells as she tats about how we are women, connected to women in the past and linked to women in our future. I wish I remembered it all, but, with the meds, my memory sucks.

I swear to all the gods that I spent less than 15 minutes total in the sun yesterday. I hate the fact that the meds make me super sun sensitive. This is not natural color! At least I didn't stay out long enough that it was lobster red. I can't believe that this light color hurts almost as much as the lobster red did when I was younger.

We did eat WAY too much food. There was a wonderful Leek and Potatoe pie that won the people's choice vote in the cooking contest entered by WirAwen from across the Great AnTir River. Then the period cooking contest was won by Megan with her lovely and nummy tasting blackberry tarts! Good eats! We found some tankards to give out and much encourage future entries into contests...a shameless plug by the local Minister of Arts and Sciences!

Our guests from Vindrbek gave us some cool gifts that will definitely show up as prizes for an upcoming event. All kinds of good food, good fun and good company.

a medieval minute from a puzzled goddess, blessings to you all.




Update: Somebody Caught me there! LOL