So in the process of getting help from friends & family about planning mine & Jason’s wedding I stoped one day & thought…

“where did all of these traditions come from, what do them mean?”

And then I decided to look them up. I love learning about nifty history stuff, you know the kind of stuff they don’t teach in school! So I found a cool website telling about most of our “traditions” & how they came about. I’m going to print out little booklets & have them along with the wedding programs so people will know why we do what we do at weddings. I think it’s a neat idea!!

Here’s a nifty site with alot of info: http://www.gagirl.com/wedding/wedding.html

Here are a few of the ones I found most interesting!

Bachelor Party:
This was the last chance before his new wife took over the finances for the groom to gather money by gambling for his own future use. Ancient Spartan soldiers were the first to hold stag parties. The groom would feast with his male friends on the night before the wedding. There he would say good-bye to the carefree days of bachelorhood and swear continued allegiance to his comrades.

The Veil:
The wedding veil, symbolizing a wife’s submission to her husband, had it’s inception in days of old when a bride stood beneath a canopy to signify she was under the protection of her groom. It wasn’t white, as is the custom today, but was yellow in ancient Greece and red in ancient Rome. The veil originally symbolized the bride’s virginity, innocence, and modesty. This symbolism has been lost over the years but the veil is still customarily worn.

According to tradition, it is considered bad luck for the bride to be seen by the groom before the ceremony. In days when marriages were arranged they rarely saw one another as dating” was not a custom.

The lifting of the veil at the end of the ceremony symbolizes male dominance. If the bride takes the initiative in lifting it, thereby presenting herself to him, she is showing more independence.

In some Middle Eastern and Asian cultures, the veil was worn to hide the brides face completely from the groom who had never seen her. Only after they were married would the groom be allowed the lift the veil to see his new wife’s face.

Veils came into vogue in the United States when Nelly Curtis wore a veil at her wedding to George Washington’s aid, Major Lawrence Lewis. Major Lewis saw his bride to be standing behind a filmy curtain and commented to her how beautiful she appeared. She then decided to veil herself for their ceremony.

Something Old, Something New,
Something Borrowed, Something Blue,
and a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe:
This good luck saying dates back to Victorian times and many brides try to arrange their wedding attire accordingly.

Something Old represents the link with the bride’s family and the past. Many brides choose to wear a piece of antique family jewelry or a mother’s or grandmother’s wedding gown or handkerchief (see above).

Something New represents good fortune and success and her hopes for a bright future in her new life. The wedding gown is often chosen as the new item.

Something Borrowed is to remind the bride that friends and family will be there for her when help is needed. “Borrowing” is especially important, since it is to come from a happily married woman, thereby lending the bride some of her own marital bliss to carry into the new union.

Something Blue is the symbol of faithfulness and loyalty. Often the blue item is the garter. Brides of ancient Israel wore blue ribbons on the border of their wedding cloths to denote, love, modesty and fidelity. These are ideals still associated today with that color. Blue also denotes the purity of the Virgin Mary and is the most popular of all colors. In ancient Israel brides wore a blue ribbon in their hair to symbolize their fidelity

A Silver Sixpence in her Shoe is to wish the bride wealth. Some brides still place a penny in their shoe during the marriage ceremony.

This bridal custom is the most purely symbolic custom of all and its meaning has remained unchanged throughout the years.

Bridesmaids:
Inviting women to be members of your bridal party dates back to ancient times. One Roman custom was to dress the bridesmaids in a fashion similar to the bride’s to confuse evil spirits trying to kidnap the bride. Bridesmaids also had the role of fending off unsuitable suitors, leaving the bride for her groom. Although the specific functions of being a bridesmaid have changed over time, being the brides support system, confident, defender and friend hasn’t.

The Best man:
Many centuries ago, before the women’s rights movement, men who had decided upon a wife often had to forcefully take her with him (or kidnap her) if her family did not approve of him. The groom-to-be would sometimes face resistance from her male family members or from competing suitors who would fight him off. The groom would therefore bring along his “best men” to help him fight for the woman. Today the best man and ushers are honorary positions.

Bride On Groom’s Left:
Because the early Anglo Saxon groom so often had to defend his bride from would-be kidnappers, she stood to his left, leaving his sword-arm free. The “best” warrior in the tribe stood by the groom and was responsible for helping defend the bride, thus the placement for the modern day best man.

First Kiss:
No ceremony is complete without the kiss. In fact, there was a time when an engagement would be null and void without one. Dating back from early Roman times, the kiss represented a legal bond that sealed all contracts.

The kiss that seals the wedding is much more than a sign of affection. It has long been a token of bonding - the exchange of spirits as each partner sends a part of the self into the new spouse’s soul, there to abide ever after.

OK so once again I’ve been uber SLACK in the blogging department & I’m sorry.

But… life offline has taken over & the past days have been insane.

Jason & I are getting married November 15th so we’re trying to plan our wedding. That’s going pretty good considering how little time we have. Both of our families are excited, supportive & happy for us.

As a wedding present my James said he’d co-sign with me for my Sallie Mae loan for school. WHOO HOO!!! And it got approved. Him & I just have to send in a couple things & I have to send in some stuff to the school. So in January I’ll be heading off to Hutto TX for 4 months to attend Triple Crown Academy to become a dog trainer. I’m so excited!!!

I can’t afford anymore bills right now, so while I’m at school I’m going to start a blog on some free site. I’ll update it every few days about my adventures in dog training, & put up pics & videos. I think it’ll be fun!!
I wonder what breed of dog I’ll end up getting!?!?!
I’m not really picky I just don’t want any kind of terrier or poodle, lol

Anyway, that’s a brief update about the recent goings on in my life….

Guess I’ll say so long for now.

Once again I’ve fallen behind on my blogging due to several reason…

I’ve been really down about this whole thing with school, well this whole student loan lacking a co-signer thing. I’ve now offically asked/begged/bribed everyone that I know of who has good credit including my family & friends & Jason’s family & friends with not one single bit of luck. This depresses me.

Willis isn’t doing good at all from what momma told me yesterday, she said he only has a month maybe

The new kitten (who has apparently been dubbed “little bit” aka “Daddy Stank”) & Sage are now getting along great. They chase each other around the house & play all of the time & wake us up at all hours of the night. But I was right, having him around has caused Miss Sage to calm down alot, more so than I ever would have guessed. She even seems to grudgingly like Jason now, she laid in his lap, let him pet her & purred the other night, WOW!!

I got to pet a real live possum the other day. It was very cool, he was so sweet. I want one!!

I really need to keep working on my time management skills, they are still horrible & at the end of the day I feel like I’ve accomplished nothing. Jason & I really need another source of income asap but we’re not having any luck with the Rainbows. I really wanted to get into the blogging for cash thing again. I’m just not having any luck with that either. I can’t seem to keep my realrank good enough & I think that’s due to a lack of readers which is due to a lack of me having anything interesting to write about. My life’s ust not that interesting right now.

Sorry just kinda blah today I guess….

Soul Evaluation For August:

1. how is your life in general right now?
Life’s not to bad right now

2. what are the good things that have happened? how do you feel about them?
We got a new kitten, we got the ferrets back. I’m happy about it because Sage needed some playmates again she was way to spoiled.
Jason applied for a job in Savannah but we don’t know if he got it yet or not…we’re hoping he does.
I’ve applied for my SallieMae student loan but the application is still being processed, hopefully I’ll be accepted

3. what are the things that have happened that you don’t know whether or not it is really good or bad?
Nothing really

4. compare numbers 2 and 3… which list is longer?
the good, or most likely good stuff is longer

5. how is your physical health right now? why do you think it’s like that? how do you plan to improve it?
Health is still not the best, been having headaches alot & still tired as hell. And it’s still all my fault because I still haven’t started exercising like I said I was

7. how is your spiritual health right now? are you more spiritually content or disarranged?
It’s getting better. I’ve started an online course that’s helping out also.

8. on a scale of 1-10 how stressed are you?
7, lol, Still high strung apprently… it’s just little stupid things though. Bleh

9. goals achieved:
Got a new kitten.
Talked to my school about stuff.
Applied for the student loan.
Went to the police station to get my fingerprints so I can send them to the FBI for my background check, but that didn’t exactly get done, I apprently have to go somewhere else…so that’s a halfway finished goal, lol.
And we’re working on getting back into selling Rainbows.

10. goals pending:
Get accepted for the student loan I applied for.
Get my finger prints sent off the the FBI.
Send in my application for school once the application arrives in the mail.
Stop stressing so much.

11. new goals:
Get a cage built for a pair of rats, so we can start breeding them for our snakes to save money in the long run.
And we need to get an incubator for the snake eggs we’re hoping to have soon!

12. notes to self:
Stop, take a deep breath, relax

13. praises to self:
I’m proud of myself for being so determined to go to school in January

14. how much do you love yourself? at a scale of 1-10
7

15. did you treat yourself to something great within the month? what was it? did you like it? would you do it again?
Yes we did, & we are planning on treating ourselves again soon.

We got a new kitten, a little grey male. Sage is not happy about this at all. But I’m really hoping she’ll come to accept him because she’s way to spoiled & needs a sibling.

~*~

Jason applied for a job working in Savannah’s water treatment plant, as an “operator in training” or something like that. If he gets the job it’ll be a $1.50/hr raise. This might affect us in a bad way as far as gas goes, having to drive from Fleming to Savannah to work everyday until next June…But after I get back from school next May we’re planning to move to Savannah, so in the long run it could really work out. Also if he gets this job the hours are revolving or something like that, which means one week he’ll work days, one week he’ll work 2nd shift, then one week he’ll work graveyard shift….That alone just sounds like it might really suck…
Also when he has to work nights I’m going to freak out I don’t like staying in a house alone by myself at night, plus we’re out in the country. Yeah our landlord’s not more than 30ft away from us but still… Jason said he’d get me a gun, lol. I don’t want a gun, guns scare the shit outta me. I’d much rather have a big ass dog but our landlord David doesn’t like dogs. I’m really praying that if Jason gets this job though & Jason talks to him that he’ll compromise & understand and let me have a dog.

~*~

I’m in the process of still getting stuff together so I can apply for school. All that’s left to do is to get my fingerprints taken at the police station, send them in to the FBI & get my background check. And also to get approved for a student loan. I applied with SallieMae yesterday but got denied because I need a co-signer. So Jason co-signed with me last night, I’m not sure if that’ll do any good or not. If not then I don’t know who I’ll get to co-sign with me, Daddy can’t since he just got laid off & apparently he has shitty credit….that only leaves Aunt Jody…And I DREAD having to ask her.

Ange told me that when she applied for a loan from SM that she got denied on her own also, & with her mom as a co-signer & both of them have excellent credit…She said she tried many different loan places but the only one that would approve her was U.S. Bank or something…. So I might have to check them out…

~*~

I just found out today that my (ex) Stepdad, Willis has cancer, or it’s a very good chance that he does…. I’m still not really 100% sure of all of the details yet though… :-/

So apparently this whole hurricane Fay has the possibility of sending tropical storms my way. Savannah GA is under TS watches…
Did I mention I’m scared to death of bad weather!?! No? Well I am!!

Granted I’m not living in Savannah right now, but I’m about 30mns from it.

It still scares me…

And if it turns into a hurricane around here & we have to evac that’s going to be really hard. I mean I have plenty of family in Metter I can stay with & I can most likely take my kitty & two ferrets with me… But I don’t know what would be done with our 5 snake babies :-/
I might could take all of the Ball Pythons with me but I know none of my family would let me take our 8ft Burmese….

But I’m sure it won’t come down to that….I hope…

I know I haven’t written here in nearly a month, but it’s kinda hard to have two blogs & keep them updated when nothing at all of any interest has been going on lately.

We ended up getting Lindsay some fishes & an aquarium for her 18th birthday & I also bought her a computer for school.

I purchased Guitar Hero: Aerosmith last week & am really enjoying it.

We officially have our ferret babies back at the house now. Gypsy has calmed down alot & she’s also gotten alot lighter. She’s beautiful now & alot softer also. Jynx is pretty much still the same though as far as I can tell. Sage is thrilled to have her playmates back.

On a crappy note…

I’ve gotten alot worse lately about losing interest in things very quickly & it really bothers me. I’ll find a game I just HAVE to play & after a few days I’m bored with it. Games are just one, yet a major, example of things I’m losing interest in, things I once really enjoyed doing. I don’t know why I’m like this but I really would like it to stop. It’s starting to really affect me in a negative way. I just don’t have a clue as to what I need to do to fix this problem

If you’re like me you love food but you also want to try and stay healthy. Well here’s some fun facts about food that can help you stay just that weight you want, help you lose weight & even help fight cancer!!

~*~

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR:
It contains pectin, said to reduce cholesterol, and may serve as a fat-burning trigger (ancient Egyptians used it to keep trim). Fans claim it provides relief for maladies ranging from arthritis pain to sore throats. Down one to three teaspoons before meals to put your metabolism into overdrive. It’s also available as a supplement.

COLLOIDAL SILICA:
Marketers of Fiji Natural Artesian Water claim it’s high in this element, an antioxidant that bolsters tissue repair and the maintenance of healthy nails and shiny locks. Look for similar boasts from other peddlers of specialty water.

GRAPEFRUIT AROMA:
Advocates contend that exposure to the smell of grapefruit several times a day can lead to weight loss — possibly because of its effect on appetite and metabolism — which could explain the popularity of citrus perfumes such as The Gap’s So Pink.

LYCOPENE:
Tomatoes, when cooked, can boost resistance to prostate and other cancers, thanks to this substance. Lycopene may also help combat cardiovascular disease. It’s found in smaller amounts in watermelon, guava and pink grapefruit.

NUT BUTTER:
Walnut, almond, cashew, macadamia or hazelnut spreads are gaining vogue as fighters of heart disease, thanks in part to the much-touted health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. The nuts contain heart-friendly polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats, and are also sources of protein, fibre and folic acid.

DARK CHOCOLATE:
Already heralded for reducing blood pressure and promoting cardiovascular health, the dark variety is also said to help fight off cancer.

So I have two new addictions….

First there’s watching full length tv shows & movies over at Hulu.com. They have Family Guy, American Dad, ALF, The Fifth Element, The Girl Next Door, Angel & a whole bunch more. You can search by titles, genre, or TV station! It’s pretty damed nifty.

The second is that I’ve recently discovered SIMS 2 videos over on youtube. People take SIMS 2 in game video’s & put them to music, movies or make their own. I’m just way to amused by all of this, it’s sad, lol
I really want to learn how to do this (well once I actually GET the 2nd SIMS, I currently only still have the original with the expansions) I just think it’s really nifty!

Here’s some links to some of my favorite SIMS 2 youtube videos:

Nickelback - If Everyone Cared

Aerosmith - Jaded ((VERY close to the original Aerosmith vid, VERY COOL))

Nickelback - Far Away

30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill

Eminem - The Kids

So I am ready to go to school damnit.
January 5th can’t get here soon enough!
Well ok, perhaps I shouldn’t count my chickens before the eggs hatch…

I still have to apply for that career training loan from SallieMae. & there’s always the possibility that I could get rejected I guess… Then I’ll have to come up with the money some other way. But I’m trying to stay positive about this whole thing. Tomorrow I’m going to start working on getting everything that I need to apply for TCA together. I’ve got to have my high school transcripts, financial aid application, school application, essay stating why I want to attend that school, $50 application fee & a NCIC criminal history check to send in.

Tuition including student housing is going to cost around $14,000.00 for the entire 4 month course. That’s not including spending money, money for my food, dog food & whatever else I might need.

The only thing that really sucks is the housing doesn’t have wireless net access, yet the lounge area near the main building does. My dad was telling me about Alltel’s wi-fi internet access that he got for my sister, supposedly you can get online from anywhere that you have a cell phone signal… So if that’s true then I might get that for the time I’m gone.

I’m just really excited about doing this. I’m anxious to know what breed of dog I’ll be working with. You don’t have to buy your own dog, instead they provide you with dogs from local rescue groups in the area, and if you decide to adopt them then you get first shot. So I think that’s a really cool thing right there. Helping out less fortunate animals is always a great thing!!