~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
March 18, 2012

★~ Today’s Quote’s: Not all who wander are lost. ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

★~ Goddess of Fertility Day: 

In the ancient times, a few days before the spring equinox, women wishing to conceive would make offerings to the Greek goddess, Aphrodite, and to other gods and goddesses of fertility in celebration of life, fertility, and rebirth. Often referred to as Ostara (after the Norse goddess of fertility), the day was often marked with a “plentiful feast, cleaning, decorating, and exploration.”

Celebrating the Goddess of Fertility Day is not only for those wishing to start or grow a family; it is also for those that want to seed a new project or grow an existing one.

★~ Awkward Moment Day:

Celebrate those times when things just don’t seem to go right and you just want to crawl under the table and hide. (It makes sense that this day follows St. Pat’s Day, doesn’t it?)

I had an awkward moment just the other day. I pulled it when I parked on the wrong side of the gas pump, turned my car around, and realized I was still on the wrong side. A guy who should have been minding his own business offered to point to the pump the second time.

One of my all-time best awkward moments (and there have been many) was when Cole was about three. We were meeting with our weekly mommy group, and all his playmates were going through a throwing-stuff stage. Moms were all moaning and admonishing tots as they leaped up to try and intercept flying stuffed animals and occasional Lego blocks. Cole was being good as gold, playing with a kitchen set when I confidentially announced that he did not throw things because we taught him what was appropriate to throw. (YES. Can you even believe I said that??) Well, about 20 minutes later, my precious boy threw his sippy cup and it hit the hostess in the head. She was so not amused…in fact, we left shortly thereafter after multiple apologies. She never got over it, and I never said “not my kid” again.  She had more than one kid. Joe, of course, said he never liked the hostess anyway and gave Cole a high-five.

Then there was the time one of my pups went under our fence into the neighbor’s yard and killed their pet rabbit. That was awkward too.

★~ It’s Oatmeal Cookie Day!

Oatmeal cookies have been around since the late 1800s. They originated in England, and evolved from the savory oatcake. In the Middle Ages, soldiers carried oatcakes with them in case they needed a quick boost of energy during battle. Although our modern-day version is much sweeter, oatcakes and oatmeal cookies share many of the same ingredients. For example, spices, nuts, and raisins are the most common add-ins for both recipes. My version includes chocolate chips.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1931 –  The first electric razor was marketed by Schick, Inc.

♥~ 1813 – David Melville of Newport, Rhode Island patented the gas streetlight

♥~ 1858 – Rudolf Diesel – Invented the diesel engine and unveiled it at the World Fair in 1900. Diesel originally designed the engine to run on peanut oil and was a big believer in the role plant oils could play in fueling America. Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning, petroleum-free alternative to diesel that can be made from any fat or vegetable oil. This day honors the man whose vision comes full circle as biodiesel becomes an increasingly popular fuel.

♥~ 1937 – A public school building in New London, Texas was destroyed by a natural gas explosion. An investigation later determined that a gas leak in the large, unvented basement of the school had been ignited by an unknown spark in the building.  The death toll was 298. The natural gas used in the building was raw, unprocessed natural gas, which is virtually odorless. As a result of the disaster, the Texas Legislatures passed regulations requiring that all utility gas must be odorized so that leaks could be more easily detected.

♥~ 1978 – The Bee Gees started an eight-week stay at the top of the pop music charts with Night Fever (they had a total of nine #1 hits) from theSaturday Night Fever soundtrack.

♥~ 2004 – A 100-foot diameter asteroid passed within 26,500 miles of Earth. It was the closest recored brush by an asteroid.

★~Born Today:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/hRIRTQ_k-Sg[/youtube]

♥~ 1927- John Kander, Composer (“Chicago”), turns 85

♥~ 1938 – Charley Pride, Country singer, turns 74

♥~ 1943 – Kevin Dobson, Actor (“Knot’s Landing”), turns 69

♥~ 1950 – Brad Dourif, Actor (“Deadwood”), turns 62

♥~ 1959 – Irene Cara, Singer, turns 53

♥~ 1962 – James McMurtry, Rock singer, songwriter, turns 50

♥~ 1963 – Vanessa L. Williams, Singer, actress, turns 49

♥~ 1972 – Dane Cook, Actor, comedian, turns 40

★~ Did You Know: 

♥~ Aphrodite, Ishtar, Inanna, Ashtart, Hathor, Isis, Freya. Nigua are all goddesses and gods of Love, beauty, magic, and fertility

♥~ The Ancient Egyptians regarded frogs as fertility symbols

♥~ Apples, hazel nuts, avocado,  were often used in ancient fertility rites.

♥~ The Lotus is the plant symbol for fertility, creations, and purity.

♥~ Infertility affects 7.3 million people of childbearing age in the United States — about 10-15 percent of the reproductive-age population, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

♥~  7% of married women are infertile by age 30, 11% by age 35, 33% by age 40, 87% at age 45.

♥~  Approximately 40 percent of infertility is due to female factors, 40 percent is due to male factors. The remaining 20% of cases are either a result of both partners or for unknown reasons.

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Odd’s favorite Goddess of Fertility and El Morno friend is Teresa–a nurse who nurtures prospective parents everyday; helping them realize their dream of starting or growing a family.

Teresa offers this In Vitro Fertilization blessing:

My your, shots be painless, your nurses compassionate, and your fears eased.
May your eggs be retrieved; mature and healthy and your embryos be Grade A+.
May your embryo transfer be effortless, and your results positive.
And if all else fails, may you find peace, knowing you have done your best, given your all and your future remains bright regardless of the outcome of your treatment.

Here is a wonderful gift idea for a couple dealing with fertility issues. Handwrite Teresa’s blessing onto a piece of paper, add a beautiful feather that has a few beads attached (rose quartz seed beads are a good choice) and a spiral charm which symbolizes creation. This  feather can be hung as a gesture to welcome the fertility goddess into their home perhaps providing strength during trying times.

The weather is effen beautiful in Chicago AGAIN, 27 degrees higher than the average temperature for this time of year.  Well, we are going to have a good day despite the weather! 🙂  Leave a comment if you have a chance, Odd Loves Company!

Enjoy your Sunday

Odd Loves Company!

♥