Leap Year Lore and Traditions

Thirty days hath September,
April, June and November;
All the rest have thirty-one
Save February, she alone
Hath eight days and a score
Til leap year gives her one day more.

I know of a few traditions about leap year/day so this year, I thought I’d research and share some of the more interesting and entertaining traditions!

 

1.   Born on leap day?  According to astrologers, those born on leap day have unusual talents and personalities.  In more ancient times, it was believed that leapling babies were sickly and hard to raise.

I think if I were born on leap day, I would prefer to have an unusual personality!

2.  As we all know, the whole point of leap day is to align the measurement of time more closely with nature.  In the olden days, people believed that changing the calendar might throw nature out of whack.  Crops planted during a leap year would grow the wrong way.  (Does that mean our crops will grow to China?)  The Scots believed that “Leap year was never a good sheep year.”  Or maybe they just liked rhymes!!!

3.  My favorite tradition is that on leap years a woman can propose marriage to a man and if he refuses the proposal he has to give her a silk gown and a kiss.  I almost did this one year when I had been in a relationship with a great guy!  Heck, I would have at least gotten a silk dress!!!

4.  A Greek superstition says that if you marry during a leap year you will have bad luck.  I guess that in Greece one in five avoid planning their wedding for leap year.

5.  In China the legal birthday of a leapling is February 28 and the legal birthday of a leapling is March 1 in non-leap years.

6.  They Summer Olympic Games is always held on a leap year.  Since I’m an Olympic-aholic, I’m excited about this one!

And it didn’t dawn on me until doing this research that the US presidential election is held during a leap year.

 

7. One of my favorite is by cartoonist Al Capp in Li'l Abner. Sadie and every other woman in town were allowed on leap day to pursue and catch the most eligible bachelors in Dogpatch. Although the comic strip placed Sadie Hawkins Day in November, today it has become almost synonymous with February 29.

On a personal note, I was in the Li’l Abner play while in high school.  I played on the the young ladies chasing after the bachelors.  We even ran chasing them through the audience!

Have a great Leap Day!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Love and Faith

It’s time for your monthly self exam and if you promise that you did it, you can receive this beautiful Love & Faith image for free!

 

Even though our emphasis is Breast Cancer Awareness,

the Ribbon stands for so many other Awareness.

Below are the

March Awareness Ribbon Colors:

 

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (Blue or Brown):

www.preventcancer.org/colorectal

National Endometriosis Awareness Month (Peach or Yellow):

www.endocenter.org

Save your Vision Month (Green):

www.aoa.org/x5072.xml

Trisomy Awareness Month (Light Blue):

Workplace Eye Wellness Month (Green):

www.preventblindness.org

National Sleep Awareness Week March 7-13 (Black):

www.sleepfoundation.org

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 10 (red):

www.womenshealth.gov/nwghaad/

World Kidney Day March 11 (Green):

www.kidney.org/news/wkd/index.cfm

Brain Awareness Week March 15-21 (Grey):

www.dana.org/brainweek

National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day March 20 (Red):

www.nnaapc.org/news/awareness-day.htm

American Diabetes Alert Day March 22 (Grey):

www.diabetes.org/communityprograms-and-localevents/americandiabetesalert.jsp

World Tuberculosis Day March 24 (Red):

www.stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day

 

 

One Big Picture

Have you heard of the website One Big Picture?  I just found it this evening and love it!!!

(godafoss falls, iceland)

They have so many beautiful and amazing photos that are submitted by peeps. 

I think I’m liking these snow photos because I’ve been dying to take a drive in the mountains but just haven’t had a chance!

This one is called “The Milky Way over Idaho.”  I had to put an Idaho photo in there don’t ya’ know!  Oops, I sound like I’m from North Dakota!

This guy in the Yosemite valley scares me to death!!!

Some of these photos I’ve seen around the internet before.

(yellowstone)

Be sure to check it out on One Big Picture.

But go earlier in the day than I did.  I’m going to be up half the night!!!

Blessings,

Christine

A Rose Song

It’s another release day at McMahon Five Designs!

I’m back to the McMahon Five Vintage images this week.  I used some beautiful flowers, lace and DP by Prima from the M5D store.  I really love the DP that Prima has come out with lately.  Have you seen what they have for this CHA?  I’m in love with just about every piece!!!  I think Sue will be carrying some of those new releases.

A Rose Song JPG

 

Now, let’s see what else we have this week!!!

 

Monkey Business

JPG and PNG

 

 

Cupcake Kitten JPG and PNG

 

Live to Dance JPG and PNG

 

 

 

 

 

All Things JPG and PNG

 

If you would like to see more projects made with these new images, please visit my design team sisters (links in sidebar) or the McMahon Five Designs blog.

Blessings,

Christine

Courage and Support

In my previous post, I talked about my cousin, Gary, the trials he has before him and the fundraiser that was held on Saturday.

First of all, my painting sold!  I was so afraid that I would end up, at the end of the night, carrying my painting back to my car because it hadn’t sold.  Shortly after it all started, I took a look and it was at $25.  Yay!!!  My aunt (Gary’s mom) had the final bid of  $50.  I was so happy that she got it. 

Dee and Ruth, Gary’s mom and dad, spent their lives and raised their children on the farm that my grandpa farmsteaded in the 1920/30s.  My grandpa worked very hard, even working in the coal mines in Utah during the winter so he could buy more land.  When the time came, he sold parts of his farm to his two sons.

The time has come for my uncle to now retire and they have a bid on a home only a few miles from my house.  The farm is about 200 miles away so this is quite a move for them.  The majority of their children live in the Boise area so I’m excited to have them live nearby.  My aunt was purchasing the painting for her new home so I think I’ll make her a matching one as a house warming gift.

Now, back to the fundraiser.  It was held in a church hall and the place was packed.  I have no idea how many people were there.  More than 200 I would guess.  They had several silent auctions, over 50 things.  Some were products from business, gift baskets, a Harley jacket, 3 quilts, and many more things. 

They were also selling raffle tickets for many, many, many raffle items.  They began calling names at 7:00 and didn’t stop until after 9:00.  My sis won a 50 lb. sack of spuds. Yes, it’s Idaho. They are huge spuds; better than what you can get in the grocery store! 

They also had a separate raffle for three different items—2 guns and $500.  That raffle alone probably raised over $10,000!  It was just amazing the outpouring of love for Gary!!!

They placed memory jars on each table with some paper and pens and asked everyone to share a memory.  I’ll tell you the story that I shared, okay?

Our family was lucky enough to spend several weeks each summer on my grandpa’s farm.  We would go at different times.  My older brother usually stayed most of the summer and the girls would spend several weeks one or two at a time.  We would spend part of the time at my grandpa’s house (my uncle Ray Vern just lived across the driveway) and then part of the time at my uncle Dee’s house down the road a couple of miles.  Both uncles had children around our ages that we could play with! 

When I was about twelve years old, I was staying at my Uncle Dee’s house.  He had a really mean bull that kept escaping from his pen.  He escaped one afternoon and got his foot stuck in the cattle guard down the street.  My uncle wouldn’t let me go down to help out because he was afraid that the bull my hurt me once they got his foot loose.  After they got him loose, Dee decided to put a ring in his nose, with a chain attached, so when he touched the electric fence, he wouldn’t try to get out.

Dee and the boys got him rounded up in the pen and were getting ready to put the ring in his nose and the rest of us took a seat on top of the fence.  Well, that bull got loose and came charging right in my direction.  (It seemed that way to me anyway.)  I didn’t stop running until I got across the street and up the hill to the house!  To top it off, I kept having nightmares that the bull would come into the house, scruffing his way up the stairs, moving everything out of his way to find me in bed!!!  That’s pretty tough on a 12 year old!!!

I hope I was able to entertain you with my story.  I’m sure it will entertain Gary when he reads it one day on the hard journey he has before him!  I know that he will get better.  I feel it in my heart!

Blessings,

Christine

Courage

I don’t talk a lot about things going on within my family very much other than when I do things with them.  But today, I want to talk about my cousin, Gary.  He has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer that has gone pretty much to the rest of his body,  including his brain.  He isn’t even a smoker.  The doctors gave him a very slim chance of beating this.  He and his wife have more hope and courage than anyone could in a situation like this.

Shortly after the diagnosis, they traveled to Minnesota to go to the Mayo Clinic and get a second opinion and to get more information about the type of cancer he has.  This week, they Mayo Clinic sent the cancer “markers” to his doctor here and things didn’t look good.  Any treatment they would be able to give would only prolong his life and because of other medical issues, the side affects might actually kill him before the cancer did.

On a happier note, his wife recently fought a very hard battle with breast cancer and last week they preformed tests that told her she is six months cancer free!  That is truly great news in the midst of all of the problems.

So, this is a prelude to give you information about why I painted this and to ask you to please keep him and his family in your prayers.  A benefit for Gary has been planned for this Saturday with dinner, dancing and a silent auction and raffle.  My painting is part of the silent auction.  I’m also working on another canvas as a gift to Gary and Sue, his wife.

Gary has been pursuing some alternative treatment.  He traveled to a small town near here to an Eastern medicine practitioner.  I’m not sure what he does but they felt very good about what he did.  He has also been going to another Eastern medicine practitioner locally that uses pressure points and massage in the belief that the body can heal itself.  They will also be travelling to Malaysia to see a Shaolin monk.   He will be using herbs and his chi to heal Gary. 

As his wife said, Western medicine has already stamped Gary’s foot with an expiration date and so they are trying alternatives that have worked for other people.  As my brother said when the doctors gave him little chance of beating this, “They don’t know our family.”  We are fighters and I know that if anyone can do it, Gary can.

So I ask for your prayers in helping Gary get through this.  God has a plan; we don’t know what it is but we do know that we have to do everything we can before He proceeds with His plan.

Thanks so much!

Blessings,

Christine

Oh, I painted this as part of Donna Downey’s Canvas Create class.

Xylis

I’m once again smitten with one of Jess’ images. 

This one is called Xylis.  It kind of reminds me of some kind of fairy tale or something.  Kind of like Robin Hood but not.  I really enjoyed coloring this one.  I used some new color combos in the hair and I love how it turned out!!!

I used Prima DP that you can find in the M5D store.

Let’s see what else is being released this week.  There’s a freebie  down further in the post!

 

 

Xylis

JPG and PNG

 

 

 

 

Cutest Piglet Ever JPG and PNG

 

 

 

Ballerina JPG and PNG

 

 

 

Queen Elefante JPG and PNG

 

 

 

Girl Talk JPG and PNG

 

 

Sweet Lil' Sophie *FREEBIE

JPG and PNG

 

 

 

Hap-Bee Birthday JPG and PNG

 

 

Two More Images Updated and PNG Files Added!

 

Both of the sets below have had their file quality updated,

PNG files created and are ON SALE!  :)

 

Spring in Bloom JPG and PNG

 

 

Polka Dot Puppy JPG and PNG

 

 

 

 

For more inspiration, visit the Design Team blogs by using the links on the sidebar of my blog!

Blessings,

Christine

Deets:
Medium-Copics; Image-Xylis (M5D); Paper-Basic Grey, Papertrey Ink; Ribbon-Papertrey Ink; Lace-Prima; Cuttlebug-Nestabillities; Pearls--Kaiser Craft; Punch-Martha Stewart.

Challenges:
Flutterby Wednesday--Anything with wings
Card Patterns--sketch

Happy Valentines Day

Just dropping in for a quick Valentine for each and every one of my blog friends.  Did you notice my new blog design?  I designed the header using a digital scrap kit that Shabby Blogs was giving away last week and using a background from Shabby Blogs.  I adore it!!!

I know that I have been neglecting this blog for a long time but I’m promising to get better right here, right now!  I’ve been very busy lately.  I signed up for a swap that was pretty big to start with (26 postcard sized pages front and back) and then I totally over designed.  It took my mother (I signed up for a spot for her too which means twice as many pages) hour upon hour to finish it up.  I’ll share photos of that when I receive all the pages back.  If it’s anything like the last swap this lady hosted, I’ll have some beautiful pages right back!!!

I’m also going to start getting more involved with the challenges, card making and making lots and lots of art!!!  You wouldn’t believe how many classes I’ve signed up for and can’t wait to continue those as well.

That’s it for now.  I’ll be back tomorrow with a card for the McMahon Five Designs release using a beautiful image from Solocosmo.    Jess is such a talented artist!!!

Blessings,

Christine

Roots

I’ve said before that I love the images from Jessica of Solocosmo and this week is no exception!

This one is called Roots.  Her arms and legs turn in to roots.  Jessica is such a gifted artist.  You can see her version of the image here.  Compared to hers, mine is kind of lame but I like her anyway!!!

Here is the complete card for your viewing pleasure!  The DP is Basic Grey Out of Print and the ribbon is from my stash.

In other news, we have a new stamp designer.  Her name is Linda Stahl and the designs I’ve seen so far are stunning.  I can’t wait to use one of them. 

Let’s take a look at the new releases for this week.

 

 

Made Two Love JPG and PNG

 

 

 

Roots JPG and PNG

 

 

 

 

One Gorgeous Chic JPG and PNG

 

 

 

 

Friends JPG and PNG

 

 

 

Go Confidently JPG and PNG

 

 

 

 

 

You Are My Sunshine JPG and PNG

 

 

 

 

Tea Light Wrap SVG

 

Some of my DT sisters have made projects as well.  Click on their names in the sidebar to see the creations and give them some love!!!

Blessings,

Christine