Crochet beret

Prayers. Our Father and Hail Mary

Sometimes we have to pray. Sometimes we need to do that.

For faith or need here are the principals prayers.

OUR FATHER

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy Name.

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

HAIL MARY

Hail Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. 

Amen

Italy excelled in the horror of the Holocaust

Our South (of Italy), the same one that is lagging behind the rest of the nation, during the Second World War took the leading position in the horror of Holocaust hosting a concentration camp. On Memorial Day, remino that. 

By reconstruction of the Calabrian doctor Spartacus Capogreco, in June of ’40 by order of the Ministry of the Interior was built a concentration camp in Ferramento di Tarsi, Cosenza. Here until the arrival of the Allies on 8-9-’43 two thousand people were interned. On 27-1-’45 the Auschwitz camp was liberated by Soviet troops. In Remembrance Day we remember the Holocaust, the Shoah, the catastrophe, the genocide of 6 million Jews, but also homosexuals, prostitutes, Gypsies, and any other person inferios than the Aryan race. The horror of the concentration camps (or extermination camps) was known only at the end of the war. We have visually knowledge of that, through the testimony of the few survivors of atrocities, but also through the “Nuremberg Trials that indicates two sets of trials of Nazis involved in WWII and the Holocaust. Were held in the German city from 20-11-’45 to 1-10-’46 in the Palace of Justice. The first was the Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal. The second was for war criminals, including the process and lower the Doctors” (I quote the book Theatrum mundi. Landing on the Moon, p. 99 note 6).

The victims were crossing the gate of Auschwitz surmounted by the inscription “Arbeit macht frei”, in German “Work makes you free”, but only death would set them free because there were several waiting for atrocities. The prisoners of the concentration camps were deprived of their identity, replaced by a number, and their dignity, an inalienable right. In addition to hard labor, common destiny were shooting and extermination in gas chambers, disguised as showers from which flowed the gas Zyklon B or prussic acid or cyanide, highly toxic and volatile liquid that is obtained by combining cyanide and sulfuric acid is highly corrosive. The deportees were also subjected to medical experiments that included the inoculation of infectious and deadly virus in order to experience the effects of germ warfare. Not to mention the crematorium useful to dispose of the amount of corpses reduced to a pile of bones. On January 27, we reflect on these shameful pages of history.

Source: “La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno”, an italian newspaper, January 27, 2013, p. 16.

Statue of Liberty

Name of monument: Statue of Liberty

Nicknames: Miss Liberty, The Green Lady

Location: Liberty Island, New York Harbor

Built Between: 1884-1886

Weight: 225 tons (excluding the pedestral)

Height: 152 ft

Length: Foot 20 ft, Hand 16.5 ft, Ear 2.5 ft, Mouth 3 ft.

     The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture designed by the Frenchman Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. It was built by Gustave Eiffet and dedicated on October 28, 1886.

     It represents a gift to the Unites States from the people of France.

     The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States, and was a welcoming sight to immigrants arriving from abroad.

     A ceremony of dedication was held on the afternoon of October 28, 1886. President Grover Cleveland, the former New York governor, presided over the event. On the morning of the dedication, a parade was held in New York City; estimates of the number of people who watched it ranged from several hundred thousand to a million. President Cleveland headed the procession, then stood in the reviewing stand to see bands and marchers from across America. General Stone was the grand marshal of the parade.

     "Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free", that is inscribed on a plaque in the museum in its base.

Carvings. Saguaro (Arizona cactus) with zucchini

About Australia

Geography

     Australia is a huge landmass on the other side of the world fro Europe. A jumbo jet takes about 21 hours to get there! It is in the southern hemisphere between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, about 11,250 miles away. Being the only large piece of land in the continent of Australasia it is sometimes considered a continent itself. Together with the State of Tasmania, it is the world's smallest continent.

It is almost as big as the USA, and is about 25 times bigger than Britain and Ireland. It is also  flattest, the driest and the lowest of all continents – its average height above sea level is only 300 metres, while the average height for the rest of the world is 700 metres.

     It is a land of great contrasts. Its climate ranges from hot and tropical in the north, to cool and wet in the south. The inland region is called the outback, a huge dry area where cattle and sheep graze, and wild animals such as kangaroos and emus live. 

     Very few people live there and life is very isolated. Some of the farms are larger than a small European country, and are several hours drive from the nearest town. In North Queensland some small parts are so wet that rain forests grow. In the south-east of the country, there is an area of alpine country with snow-covered mountains in winter.

Curiosities

Australia is a great wine country and exports all over the world. South Australia is the centre for high quality reds.

Stretching for 2,000 km along the North Queensland coast is the Great Barrier Reef, the largest coral reef in the world.

A popular attraction in the Central Desert is Ayers Rock, the world’s largest rock. It is a single stone with a circumference of 8 kilometres, famous for its beautiful colour changes from sunrise to sunset.

Politics

Australia is a parliamentary democracy, and it is also a federation of six states that form the Commonwealth of Australia. It has a Federal Government plus six separate State Governments. Queen Elizabeth II is also the Queen of Australia and is represented by a Governor-General and by a Governor in each state. Many Australians, however, like their country to become a republic.

Facts about Australia

Language: the official language is English, spoken with a distinctive Australian accent.

Money: 1the official money is the Australian dollar. 1 dollar = 100 cents.

Size: 7,682,300 sq. km.

Some things Australia is famous for: surfing, beer, sheep, dreamtime, eucalyptus, barbecues, didgeridoos, kangaroos, Aborigine art, wine, coral, koalas, boomerangs, Christmas in the summer.

Capital city: Canberra, the only major city not on the coast.

Major cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane,

Population: About twenty-three million people. Despite its very low population density, two people per square km, Australia is one of the world’s most urbanized countries. Over 85 per cent of the population live in big cities along the coast in the temperate parts of the country. The five largest cities contain 60 per cent of the population. Some people live in rote areas and they do not even have a telephone, communicating with the rest of the world by radio.

Wildlife: Australian plants, animals and birds are unique because the continent has been isolated for so long. Among them is the koala (one of the symbols of the country), the kookaburra, (very large bird with a noisy call), the platypus and the kangaroo, another Australian symbol.

The first Australians: Aborigines were the first inhabitants of Australia and came from the north by boat between 25,000 and 40,000 years ago. For many years they had little contact with other cultures. A few thousand still live traditionally by hunting and living together in tribes. Many have moved to cities, and although are professionals, many are poor and isolated from their own, and white society.

     Source: Excursion, an old Italian book. 

Bridget Jones’s Diary soundtrack All by myself – Celine Dion

When I was young

I never needed anyone

And making love was just for fun

Those days are gone

Livin' alone

I think of all the friends I've known

When I dial the telephone

Nobody's home

All by myself

Don't wanna be

All by myself

Anymore

Hard to be sure

Sometimes I feel so insecure

And loves so distant and obscure

Remains the cure

All by myself

Don't wanna be

All by myself

Anymore

All by myself

Don't wanna live

All by myself

Anymore

When I was young

I never needed anyone

Making love was just for fun

Those days are gone

All by myself

Don't wanna be

All by myself

Anymore

All by myself

Don't wanna live

Ohhh

Don't wanna live

By myself, by myself Anymore

By myself  Anymore

Ohhh

All by myself

Don't wanna live

I never, never, never 

Needed anyone

The world of snorkelling, scuba diving

     Go snorkelling and you’ll be surprised at the fantastic beauty of the underwater world. Like swimming, you start learning how to snorkel in a swimming pool and need swimming skills such as swimming 200 yards, and swimming  40 feet underwater. You must take lessons and learn how to use the equipment, before you try diving in the sea. Why not find out if there is a sub-aqua club in your town?

The snorkel

The important considerations are comfort and fit. Bite gently on the snorkel tube and practise breathing through it. Try this with your face in the water before you begin to swim.

The mask

Always test your mask. Press it against your face and breathe in. If it stays in place, it fits. Make sure you can touch your nose easily.

Flippers

Your flippers should be comfortable, so get professional advice. Put on the flippers in shallow water and walk backwards. Flippers help you to swim faster without using your arms.

Life-jacket

Wearing a life-jacket is a good idea – it helps you float in an emergency.

Golden rules for safe snorkelling

-          Never snorkel alone. Always take a friend with you.

-          Watch the weather. Diving is dangerous in bad weather.

-          Don’t go too far from shore or your boat.

-          Always keep your partner in sight.

-          Learn basic snorkelling skills with an instructor.

-          Don’t go out with badly fitting equipment.

-          Don’t tire yourself by swimming too fast.

-          Keep healthy and fit.

Have fun!

Source: Excursion, an old Italian book. 

Flowers (Anemone) embroidered cross-stitch

Francis Drake and the Spanish gold

     Drake was one of the greatest English seamen in the times of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). At first he was a pirate, but, as he had rendered many services to the English Navy in the war against Spain, Queen Elizabeth appointed him admiral.

     Here is one of his adventures.

     He had been informed that the Spaniards were going to carry a great quantity of gold and silver from Panama to Nombre de Dios. He landed with twenty of his sailors not far from Nombre de Dios and hid in the forest along the path where the Spanish soldiers carrying the treasure were to pass.

     They waited all night and when at dawn the Spaniards arrived, A there was a short but fierce sc struggle. The Spanish soldiers were overcome and ran away abandoning the treasure.

     The English sailors took all the gold and hurried to the beach. Unfortunately their ship was not there waiting for them, and what’s more, hundreds of Spaniards were chasing them.

     Drake didn’t lose heart. He quickly built a raft with logs and started looking for his ship. He struggled for many hours against the waves, but, at last, he succeeded in reaching his ship, and so he was able to sail back home with all his sailors and treasure.

Carvings. Beetle with radish

Arthur becomes King

     Many centuries ago, in the times of the Saxon invasions, Britain was ruled by a king named Uther Pendragon.

     As it was not a peaceful time, Pendragon’s son, Arthur, was entrusted to a nobleman named Hector who brought him up together with his son Kay, without knowing that Arthur was the king’s son.

     When Pendragon died, Merlin the Magician advised the Archbishop of Canterbury to summon a meeting of Lords and Gentlemen.

     So he did and at Christmas many Lords and Knights gathered in a large London church.

     The Archbishop, pointing at a sword stuck in the middle of a large stone, said: “the man who succeeds in pulling the sword Out of the stone will be the true King of England”.

     All the Knights tried but they did not succeed in pulling the sword out.

     Then the Archbishop invited all the Knights for a tournament at Easter and among these there were also Sir Hector, his son Kay and Arthur.

     During the tournament, Sir Kay’s sword was broken and Arthur, who had seen the sword in the church, went there, pulled the sword out of the stone without any difficulty, and took it to Sir Kay.

     When the Knights knew that Arthur had been able to pull the sword out of the stone, they pro-claimed him King of England. 

Healthy salad with carrots

About the U.K.

Geography

Great Britain is a big island in western Europe. The Atlantic Ocean borders Britain to the west, and the North Sea borders it to the east. The Channel divides Britain from the Continent, while the Irish Sea divides it from lreland.

The British landscape is very varied. In Scotland there are high mountains like Ben Nevis, and in Wales there is Snowdonia. The Pennines, a range mountains, go all the way down the middle of England. There are also famous lakes in the north of England. Along the south coast are long sandy beaches.

Politics

The United Kingdom consists of the island of Great Britain (England in the south, Wales in the west and Scotland in the north) and Northern Ireland — the northern part of Ireland. The UK is a country with a constitutional monarchy — a parliamentary democracy and a Queen.

Facts about the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales)

Official name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Capital City: London.

Population: over 60 million.

Flag: Union Jack.

Size: 244,000 sq km.

Money: The official money is the pound sterling. £1 = 100p (pence).

The head of Queen Elizabeth appears on the notes and coins.

Language The official language is English. In Wales around 30,000 people speak only Welsh. In Scotland about 350 people speak only Gaelic.

Major business cities: London, Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow.

Member of... UN, EU (from 1973 to 2016 Brexit), NATO, Commonwealth, G7, Council of Europe.

Some things Britain is famous for: tea, marmalade, beer, fish and chips, clothes, weather, tartan, the Queen.

Hobbies: DIY, sport, gardening, pets, TV, collecting things, fishing.

Sports: cricket, football, golf, rugby.

Source: Excursion, an old Italian book. 

Origami 3D. Motorbike and wheel

Horse shoe… good luck!

     The Horse Shoe has always been considered lucky in Ireland and whenever you see it hanging on a wall it will always be handing with the opening positioned upwards.

     This is because it is believed that it has the power to catch good luck and hold it firmly in the cradle of its bend, to be bestowed later up on its owner. 

     So hang your very own Lucky Horse Shoe and let luck smile upon you and let joy be at home in your heart.