Goolish Puppies

I just wanted to share with you all, our little doggies in their costumes for Halloween.... Yoda is our little Pug "the Butcher" named by my husband after Abdullah the Butcher (wrestler) whom he feels our pug looks like... LOL~

Then our Italian greyhound Jonesy who is dressed as Indiana Jonesy of course!

We love these photos and I hope they put a smile on your face this October day!

Big Bear Hugs

Toil and Bubble

A recipe for Green soup... So easy

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red onion chopped chuncky

1/2 cup stewing onion finely chopped

One 900ml container of low fat, low sodium vegitable stock

A half of a HUGE garden grown zucchini in which I scooped out the seeds and then choped into large cubes

1 cup of squash to add a little sweetness to the soup

3/4 of a large green pepper chopped chuncky

3 full stems, leaves only of Collard Greens chopped

1/2 a small bag of mini carrots as they are

Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour or until all the veggies are tender... Let the cauldron toil and bubble!

Now you can stop here if you like your soups more chuncky but I like a thicker more married soup so I let mine cool for a few hours in the pot.

Then I take my blender and scoop all that goodness into it and zip it for a few seconds. I don't blend it very long at all, just enough to kind of keep it a bit chunky but still thicken it up.

 

This soup is 0 points on Wieght Watchers and is super delicious and amazingly good for you too. Collard Greens are very high in iron for those of you out there that might have iron deficiency.

It is a great harvest style soup for a Halloween brew!

Nevermore...

Welcome my friends:

Today I will share with you one of my favorite poems... read by one of my favorite actors... or you can read it yourself!

Enjoy...

THE RAVEN

by Edgar Allan Poe

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door

Only this, and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow — sorrow for the lost Lenore

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore

Nameless here for evermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me — filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,

"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;

This it is, and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you"— here I opened wide the door;

Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"

Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;

'Tis the wind and nothing more."

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.

"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning— little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as "Nevermore."

But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further then he uttered— not a feather then he fluttered

Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown before

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."

Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,

"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,

Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster

Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore

Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore

Of 'Never — nevermore'."

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,

She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.

"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he hath sent thee

Respite — respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore

Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! — prophet still, if bird or devil!

Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted

On this home by horror haunted— tell me truly, I implore

Is there - is there balm in Gilead? — tell me — tell me, I implore!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil - prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore

Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting

"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken!— quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted — nevermore!

Funny Faces in Scary Places

Welcome Friends:

Today I want to share with you a set a ceramic pumpkins I made many many years ago. It was my very first experience with airbrushing. I absolutely still adore these three and a few years back actually found another to the set... she is a witch and not completed but maybe one day. For now these are my three boys in all their scary and funny glory. I really like that they infuse a bit of fun into a scary holiday! Hope you enjoy then!

And don't forget to enter my FREE GIVEAWAY listed in my PRACTICAL MAGIC POST... DRAW IS OCTOBER 31!

And SIGN UP FOR THE BEARS AND BUDS SWEEPSTAKES GIVEAWAY GIVEAWAY TO WIN MY BEAR "CARL"!

TRICK OR TREAT

Day Two of HALLOWEENFEST:

TRick or TrEat

Today I offer a treat...

no tricks are up my sleeve

Just pop on over to Bears and Buds Magazine

To win a Bear from ME

Here he is: Please Meet "Carl"

Just scan down on the link page to win this bear.

When you see the bear popping in and out of the box ... click and you can register to win Carl!

Happy Halloweenfest!

For The Love of Brooms

Hello Everyone:

First I must thank everyone who took the time to vote for my STEVIE bear in the URSA contest with Bears and Buds Magazine: WE WON THIRD PLACE!!!

It was a super exciting competition and I am so THRILLED with my win as this was my very first competion!!! AND we are already planning for next year!

THANK YOU THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR YOUR VOTES!
AND CONGRATULATIONS to all the other winners!!!

And now onto our month of OCTOBER...

I love October as Halloween happens to be one of my very favorite Holidays running as a tie with Christmas... but more the Nightmare Before Christmas in my house. You will understand why when you learn about my husbands collection in a post yet to come.

I thought I would start us off with a post about Brooms...

Brooms have very special places in our lives though we don't often think about them in a special way. For me the Broom holds very special meaning in my life.

To begin with everyone has one... at least one! They can be working brooms that help to make our lives cleaner and neater:

 The broom next door

The Broom in my Kitchen

The Broom in my Husbands shop

 The Broom for the steps

The Broom in our Family Business

Then there was our Wedding Broom that we made ourselves at Upper Canada Village on an old fashioned machine. It was so much fun making this broom! Then we gave it to my Mother In Law and she decorated it with wonderful things that hold special meaning to my husband and myself...

 

So we jumped the broom for our wedding,

and now it hangs over the door, the threshold to our home

It's considered good luck!



I also had mini brooms made to give to all our wedding guests ...

they were magnets for the fridge

And we cannot forget our magic brooms and ones we use for cooking

It's amazing how special brooms really are! Plus I find them really beautiful!

Although I wish I could fly around on one, I cannot!

Here are some fun things about brooms:

Also known as a Besom

A great deal of negative superstition surrounds brooms and brushes. They were associated with witchcraft and thought to sweep away good luck.

 It was considered unlucky to step over them.

 There is also a great deal of positive association with the broom. In some cultures, couples still "jump the broom" at their weddings to symbolize their new life together.

In feng shui and some European cultures, brooms are placed by doors for protection and to bring in business.

The direction in which the broom is placed makes a difference in its meaning.

The broom, or besom, in pagan and Wiccan tradition can sweep away negative energy and sweep in magical energy and is also used as a symbol of protection.

 In the movie Practical Magic, Aunt Jet says: "Broom fell, company's coming" in an ominous tone when a broom clatters to the floor.

In practical everyday life, brooms are used to sweep away dirt and cobwebs. 

 If you dream of sweeping up a pile of dirt or a mess, this may symbolize a need for self cleansing or more order in your life.

 Sweeping may symbolize the need to "clear a path" or a need to clear your mind. Sigmund Freud associated brooms and brushes with a fear of dirty thoughts.

Some Broom Quotes

A new broom sweeps clean, but an old broom knows the corners

The only man who makes money following the races is the man with the broom and shovel

Grab the broom of anger and drive off the beast of fear

There should be less talk; a preaching point is not a meeting point.What do you do then? Take a broom and clean someone's house. That says enough.

So till tomorrow my friends ...  may your ponder these words by Pablo Picasso about DUST

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"

OCTOBERFEST/ HALLOWEENFEST with Seraphim Bears Blog

Hello Everyone:

(Practical Magic Blog Party Post is Below and I have a FREE GIVEAWAY not drawn till OCTOBER 31st so join in the fun!)

First let me welcome all my new followers! You have all joined my blog at a very exciting time; there is so much going on here at Seraphim Bears, I am bursting at the seams to tell you all everything but I must hold back for a few more days... not too long though.

I will tell you this: It is my plan that for the entire month of October I will be posting an October/ Halloween related post on every day... so that means 31 days of Halloween will be here at Seraphim Bears Blog for you to enjoy. I have a lot of fun stuff in store for you, some bear related and some just plain old Halloween related and all things that I love and that are a part of my life!

The URSA award results are soon to be announced through Bears and Buds Magazine and I am the artist this month to do a special BEAR GIVEAWAY SWEEPSTAKES through that magazine. His name is "Carl" and I will write more about him tomorrow... I will say this... he's a really nice old man! If you liked the Movie UP you're gonna love him!

Okay, Okay... I have to run off now to get prepared for tomorrows post and the first post of the October Halloween blog posts that are about to start. I think I will be able to include something fun for everyone throughout this months posts but you have to check in daily cause theres a lot to share!

See you all tomorrow ... Have a fabulous last night of September!