Of Silly wedding Ideas and vampire burials~~~~

Dear Darklings,

I am going down a very crazy path, but it just seems to happen that way.

Today I was helping Brian get party favors at Party City.  His ex-wife (he's still good friends with her) needed help, his oldest daughter's birthday is tomorrow and his daughter is doing a sleep over at her friends house.

Which is perfect, his ex asked if he could pick up party favors and gave him a list of things, and colors, he asked me to come with him, and not having anything special planned I thought "why not?" so away we went.

We had no problem getting the items only if he wasn't sure he'd call his ex and use his cell phone to send  pix's to see if that was what she wanted---I'd have to say there are some positive uses for cellphones.   All in all it worked out fine.  He was going over to his ex's house that evening to help decorate for the party and he'd pick up the cake tomorrow while his ex finishes with the food.

I told him that it was nice of him to help out and he said that he and his ex get along better divorced than they did married he said to me "We have to work harder at it because we don't want the kids to be in the middle of any disputes so we try to work things out."

He told me his ex was planning to get re-married to someone else, he's met the fellow and he seems fine.  I asked "Well is your ex freaking out on wedding plans?"  and he said no not really, that it was going to be a simple affair, with a slight twist, his ex-wife's father had passed away and she wanted Brian to walk her down the aisle.   I asked "Isn't that a bit bizarre?"  he didn't think so, he vetted the guy without his ex knowing and the guy is on the up and up so he said "When I hand her over to him I'll tell him ' if you do her wrong you're going to be seeing a lot of me'." 

Hmmm I thought nothing like a nice little threat to keep a marriage in line.

As we happen to go down the aisle that had wedding decorations I asked "Does your ex have a theme for the reception?"  and he said that she hadn't had a chance to think on that.  

It was then that I spotted them---two cowboy hats, a white one that said "Bride" and a black one that said "Groom" both in rhinestones  and then I spotted a wedding cake topper that had the bride dragging the groom to the altar.

That did it---I was off and running with idea's I said to Brian "Why not suggest a rhinestone cowboy wedding," and I showed him the hats and the wedding topper "the bride could come down the aisle to the tune of "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", The best man could have a shot gun just in case anyone disputes the marriage when the minister asks if there is anyone who objects to the marriage.

 They could have an old fashion bar-b-que with paper plates, baby back ribs, bar-b-que chicken, beer, sarsaparilla soda,  chilly  and beans, sourdough bread, and serve not only wedding cake but also hot apple pie, the music could be country western, every one dress up like cowboys and cowgirls, they can all dance to "Achy-breakey Heart", and nobody has to worry about getting their clothes dirty"

Brian's eyes lit up and he told me that the guy his ex is marrying is into Cowboy re-enacting and is also a member of a Civil War re-enactment group---he'd be helping out with the birthday party but he was committed to this memorial weekend event, on Sunday Brian's ex and the kids were going to see it.  So he's going to suggest this idea to her.  "She might go for it, something easy and fun!"

So we loaded up the trunk and back seat of Brian's car with all the party favors, including some Mylar balloons, which made driving a little difficult but we managed and dropped everything off, he then dropped me off and went back to his ex's house to help out and maybe run the idea pass her.

Then after checking the crock pot to see how dinner was coming along I went and checked my e-mail and once again one of my co-workers sent me this interesting vampire tid-bit, which I'll print out in full here.

~~~~~~~~

‘Vampire’ skeleton discovered in Poland

  Archaeologists working in northwestern Poland have unearthed the remains of man who was buried with a rock jammed into his jaw and a stake driven into his leg. They believe that the individual was considered to be a vampire and given a deviant burial by the local population.

The discovery was made in a cemetery outside a church in Kamien Pomorski, a town close to the German border. They believe the skeleton dates back to the 16th century – it was found facing east instead of west (the typical orientation of a burial) and with a wound in the leg. At first the lead archaeologist Slawomir Gorka thought the injury was caused by a gunshot, but later tests revealed it was a puncture wound caused by a wooden stake that was meant to prevent the corpse from getting up.

The archaeologists also found that a rock was placed into the man’s mouth so hard that it knocked out his top-front teeth. It was a common method to have stones placed in the mouth of a person suspected of being a vampire.

The fact that he was buried in a church cemetery initially puzzled the archaeologists, but Gorka told the Polish website kamienskie.info that “We have to realize that the cemetery existed from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century, but not in every buried. It was during a period when it was not in use that he was buried, somewhere along the side of the initial cemetery.”

There have been several reports of so-called ‘vampire burials’ from medieval and early modern Europe. Archaeologists have come across another similar deviant burial last year in Poland, as well as in Bulgaria and near the Italian city of Venice.

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My co-worker also found attached two titles in regards to strange burials and vampire and thought I'd be interested in adding them in the future to my personal library.

I include these titles for your information, they are:

How to kill a vampire: fangs in folklore, film and fiction by Liisa Ladouceur

Deviant Burial in the Archaeological Record by Eileen M. Murphy

I thought how perfect, because after Brian and I had completed our purchases we went to Rasputin's next door to check out the DVD's and CD's, I found a cd of Gregorian chants that I didn't have as well as seasons 2 and 3 of "Supernatural" and a Bela Lugosi film "Return of the Vampire" (1943)  I had not seen that one in ages and considered it a find.  Then we grabbed coffee at Starbuck's and took the long route home to avoid the freeway traffic.  It may take longer but it's less insane.

Doyle is in the other smaller room finishing his work I can hear the click-snap of his stapler, the thumping of the papers to line them up and put them into their proper file folders and in a minute or two he'll go into the family parlor to put on some mellow big band music CD's, and with that he will then select a bottle of wine for us to relax with and enjoy with our dinner.

I can hear Belladonna's and Weiner dog's nails clacking into the other room to see what exciting thing Doyle will do, they know he's a sucker for giving them some doggie treats if they put on really sad faces.  So now I will sign off, get up stretch a bit and put out the dinner ware, the salad is ready and chilling in the fridge, dinner still has 45 minutes to go, so we will relax and chat and see what to do for the weekend.

Later Darklings

Of the Days after Thanksgiving~~~~

Well Darklings,

It's the day after Thanksgiving or Thanksgivukkah, and all through the house, the lingering scents of wonderfully cook foods linger, just enought to tempt a mouse, but we have no mice at least none to speak of, but tiny doggies who are hoping for some after Thanksgiving good cheer.

But one must be careful of doggie appietites a tummy upset can be a fright.

The Thanksgiving dinner was a success, everyone enjoyed themselves and there was more than enough left overs to take home and still have some for us, turkey sandwhiches with cranberry spread, perfect for lunch or a late tea instead.

Oh dear, see what happens when the holidays arrive, I start doing a little poetry.

Coralline is staying over the weekend with us, and just reveled in waking up in this "old house".  I thought she'd want to go some place but she just is perfectly content to help around the house as we did the final clean up and washing of dishes and pots and pans and silverware and glasses.

She was happy to go for a walk with Doyle, Brian, Belladonna and Weiner Dog and visit with Marrisa for a few hours before her folks had to leave to go to Marrisa's Aunt's house. 

Things were quickly and  carefully tucked into their proper places with everyone helping that we had it done in no time, Sis and I will heat up left overs for dinner tonight, although it still feels like the trytophan from the Turkey is still affecting us.

The new/old stove performed like a trouper, everything just perfect with the old thing.  Sis started baking cookies, all kinds of cookies, sugar cookies, chocolite chip, soft gingerbread cookies, Oatmeal and raisin, it is just wonderful,  right now the scent perking through the air, I offered to help her but she said she wanted the baking therapy.  So Laundry for me.

But the timing was just right, my policeman friend and his wife and children came as planned and I took them through a tour of the place starting with the garden while it was still warm outside,  and told them of how bad the garden was when I started but bit by bit things were getting fixed up thanks to friends and a very good gardener, I showed them the pet cemetery, the green house, even the garage and tool shed all period.

Then I walked them around to the front of the house to show the front garden and started the tour right from the entrace hall, main floor, upstairs, storage, down stairs and basement, and into the kitchen which was perfect for the children as Sis had a large selection of cookies ready to be eaten, and she even surprised me, she had hot mulled apple cider ready for drinking and hot water for pumpkin spice tea as well as coffee,

They had met "Kitty Kat" and saw some of the other strange things in the house, including the strange names over the door of each room, I said it was for fun.  Although the little boy Gavin had fun making "kitty Kat" roar, until I flipped the switch and said he was tired.  He even asked me if I had a floating head in a crystal ball----Hmmm I thought---and then said "Not yet, but I'm still looking for one".   He did give me an idea for next year. 

And he enjoyed my Cabinet of Curiosities, it seems the grosser the better, although his Mother sort of wondered, until I explained what such cabinets were all about, and why I have one.

They enjoyed sitting in the kitchen and relaxing, the wife told me that I gave her a lot of ideas on what to do with their home, but she knew it would take time and money, they both work full time, so I told them how I went about working on my Great Aunt's house and gave them the name and contact information of my contractor and gardener,  I said that first one must do the roof and the foundation, with all that work cracks will appear in the walls which can work to one's advantage espeically if you're doing re-wiring and plumbing.     

I made suggestions about not rushing to doing something but taking one's time, do what is important to the structural soundness of the house I said.   The wife fell in love with my stove, I told her that I was lucky in finding it, and that the cost of a refurbished one could send a person to the moon.  I also said that any speical hobbies would have to be put on the back burner, that bugeting is important, I said I was lucky in many respects.

They showed me pictures of the interior of their home and I said what should not be done otherwise they would destroy the feel of the house, I pointed out archtectural details that were correct to it and should not be destroyed.  Mr. Policeman wanted his "man cave" I told him about what I was going to do for Doyle, and said it is a good compromise.  He liked that.  

Doyle walked in with the dogs and Coralline in tow,  and while Doyle talked to Mr. Policeman Coralline told his wife what she loved about the house and proceeded to take her and her daughter upstairs to her room, while their son played with the dogs,   and then the Sun began to dip down, and they reluctantly had to leave,  I invited them to come to the Christmas party I was planning, children included as I knew the girls and my brother's boys would be there. 

They said they'd be happy to come, he would make arrangements to swap tours for that date.  I did suggest to watch for estate sales, sometimes one can come across a stove that is in good working order, the one they have now is small, I also told them about Elmira stoves depending on what feel they want to go with the house.  So much to do, so little time to do it in.

And now my nose is twitching,  to the scent of cinnamon and vanilla, Sis is baking another batch of cookies since she gave a lot of them to take home for the children, and Coralline is helping make a new batch including chocolate cookies with walnuts, the soft and chewy kind.  That child knows the way into this auntie's heart.

If it's a good day I think we'll burn a fire this evening.

Later Darklings

But sometimes its good to have fun.