It's felt so wonderful to take a break this last month. That's one of the reasons that I didn't want to start a blog because I didn't want to feel pressure to post when I didn't feel like I had time.
I've had these pictures saved as a draft for almost a month and since I have some time to kill and I'm at someone else's computer I'll finally get these posted.
There is a little store in Richland, Washington named "Artsy Fartsy" They are a pottery painting store and I see them almost everyday on my way home from work. I love to paint ceramics and getting my own little creation. I first discovered this fun activity in St. George with my Radurtken Sisters when we painted mugs. I also have a cute bowl that I made with my Mom and sisters when they came to St. George for a Girls Weekend.
So back to Washington. I've been eyeing this store since we've moved there and I finally got a chance to take Cam on a date to paint pottery. He was a little unsure at first but then came up with a great idea that turned out fabulous. Here he is with his Pizza Plate. Several of the pizza toppings he made with the pop up paints so there is texture to the pizza.
I decided I wanted to make a cute holiday plate, I kept it fairly simple and it was great when I made some holiday goodies last week and could put them out on a festive plate.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Sorry I haven't been keeping up on my blogging, Cameron and I seem to have a busier month in November then we expected. Probably the same as most people out there!
This second one is at our reception.
And this third one is also at the reception. Grandpa is sharing some advice with Cameron. He always had something wise and loving to say. It makes me think of going to visit Grandpa and as I'd give him a hug goodbye he would tell me he loved me and to "Be a Good Girl"
When I was little, Grandpa used to call me, "Brown Eyes." I loved how it how he always made me feel so special. When Cameron and I would go visit when we were engaged and married he would tell Cameron to take care of me and that I was his favorite. But Grandpa didn't play favorites. I'm sure all of us grandkids felt like a favorite.
Halloween tricking our souls? -by Cameron Salony
Posted by Salony Labels: Christianity, Christmas, Easter, Family, Halloween, Paganism
I love the end of the workday. I leave my windowless office on the seventh floor, pull down my white sunglasses that would have been oh-so-popular in the ‘80s and walk outside to a smooth breeze and the rustle of fallen leaves.
Don’t let the devil “trick” your soul
My next thought was that these kids had been spending too much time researching the history of Halloween and not that of Christmas and Easter. If you have a problem with Halloween’s pagan roots (which some people wrongfully equate to Satanism), then at least know that Christmas and Easter do not have a pristine background either.
Howard W. Hunter, the fourteenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said to students at Brigham Young University:
“The [Christmas] season is steeped in tradition and its roots stem back in history. The commencement of the holiday lies in pagan worship long before the introduction of Christianity. The god Mithra was worshiped by the ancient Aryans, and this worship gradually spread to India and Persia. Mithra at first was the god of the heavenly light of the bright skies and later in the Roman period was worshiped as the deity of the sun, or the sun-god--Sol Invictus Mithra. Gradually Christianity gained a victory over Mithraism, which had been its strongest rival, and the festival day celebrating the birth of Mithra was used by the Christians to commemorate the birth of Christ.” [i]
Now an excerpt from the History Channel:
The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat.
In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.[ii]
Biblical scholars and historians attest that Jesus of Nazareth’s exact date of birth is unknown, but that they are pretty sure it wasn’t December 25, the day that ancient Aryans worshipped Mithra. Some Christians testify that Jesus’ actual birthday was in April. Don’t let me give you the wrong impression I enjoy celebrating Christmas just as much as the next guy; and not just for reasons that include a guy in a red suit and presents under a pine tree. I, however, reserve the right to know that while I celebrate His birth on December 25, I know that He was actually born in the Spring.
An Internet search about the history of Easter turned up the following information:
“The Pagan festivals always coincided with the vernal Equinox on the 21st of March every year. The festivals were lavish feasts that celebrated the booming of new flowers, the chirping of birds, butterflies, and sunshine and in general the feeling of rejuvenation that is inherent of spring.
The Christian church however, changed the Pagan festival from a celebration of spring to a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.”[iii]
Furthermore, in Pagan times the egg was the ideal symbol of earth’s rebirth. The almost eternal winter was halting and the earth sprung forth with new life just as the egg miraculously bursts forth with a living chick. Many pagans believed the egg had special powers. Some buried eggs under the foundations of buildings to ward off evil, some pregnant Roman women carried an egg in a pocket hoping its eventual contents would foretell the gender of their unborn child and French brides smashed eggs under foot before entering the threshold of their new homes.
With the advent of Christianity, the symbol of the egg was changed to represent the rebirth of man. Christians embraced the meaning behind the egg symbol and likened it to the tomb from which Christ rose.[iv]
I am by no means blaming the early Christians for acclimating forms of pagan culture into Christian worship. In some areas of the ancient world, this might have been the only way to convert pagans to Christianity. My intent is to, however, show that Halloween (even with its pagan heritage) has now transformed into a family holiday where parents bond with their children while collecting candy on doorsteps, where homeowners welcome visitors that they others wise wouldn’t have and where people can use their imagination. In this respect, today’s Halloween, in its purest form, is a family-oriented holiday and in my book anything that brings families together is all right with the Savior of Mankind. Sadly, some people celebrate the holiday in an unsafe fashion, but the core of Halloween is not of the devil.
This is me in the London Heathrow Airport after being in a plane for 9 hours. Thrilling
In Barcelona, getting a little something to eat at the end of our long day to travel.
The Columbus statue, we walked around Barcelona for about 4-5 hours before getting on the boat.
Hey Everybody!
Cam thinks Goudi's architecture is cool, so he's showing a "Blue Steel" pose.
Wow, am I really in Europe, this is great!
Can you spot Cam in his shirt that matches the arch?
A pretty good impression I thought.
Oh it's bright, but so great to be on the boat, and our feet were tired from walking but we saved probably 10 euro by walking from our hotel to the pier with our suitcases.
Our first gourmet meal on the boat, mine was Indian and I ate it wrong, but it still tasted good.
Port 1: Villefrance, France. A picturesque photo I thought
We took the train to Monaco, here's Cam with the city in the background.
And here he is again in one of their small streets.
The Monte Carlo Casino, very nice inside--but we only saw the entrance because you had to pay to go into the casino part.
The back side of the casino.
And another view.
We then took the train to Nice, France. This was near the beach and the older part of town with the tourist shops.
There was a beautiful park on a hill, we went part of the way up and took pictures but didn't climb to the waterfall at the top because of time and feet that were still tired.
This is the view from where we climbed, it was a pebble beach and the water sounded cool on the big rocks.
And back to Villefrache, you can see our boat in the distance.
Port 2: Livorno, Italy-- Gateway to Pisa and Florence. This is the Field of Miracles, and is stunning when you walk in the gates.
We bought tickets and took the climb up to the top of the leaning tower.
I don't know how it stayed standing when I let it go.
But it was a good thing Cam was holding it from the opposite side, because it seems to tip more in his direction.
A view down from the top. My dad would not have liked it. But you are all the way on the top with a little guardrail. If you look closely you can see the shadows of people on the top.
Keeping my balance on the slick marble.
Cam's about to fall into the middle of the tower.
And one last picture from the top, you can see the basilica and baptistery behind us.
Here I am in Florence. I can't remember the name of this church.
Posing in a museum. We saw some original work from Donatello and Michelangelo's students.
This is the 3rd largest Christian building in the world.
Cam in front of the baptistery.
Here we are in a Piazza, we just finished our rip-off gelatto, I won't say how much we paid, but it was ridiculous. Behind us is David--the exact replica--since the original is in a museum.
Same Piazza.
And there he is, I was confused in our navigation's and was glad we found it because I was getting downtrodden thinking we'd made it all the way to Florence and I wouldn't see THE David.
I just liked this sculpture.
This guy was weird, he wouldn't let go of my hand after we took the picture, maybe he thought I'd give a bigger tip the longer he held my hand...
A picture over the Arno River.
And some rowers on the river.
A view from the bus. Now you can see why it is the 3rd largest Christian building in the world.
The Tuscany Countryside.
My Man Cam, all dressed up and looking mighty fine for dinner.
From the top deck after dinner.
Port 3: Rome.
We walked from our port to the train station. And then took and hour ride into the city.
Our first stop was Vatican City.
I really liked the way the guards dressed.
This is Cam from the steps of St. Peter's Basilica.
They let us in while they were having mass. It's too bad it was Sunday and the Sistine Chapel is not open on Sundays.
Just another view inside, the people were ruthless in there, shoving and everything.
We were on a bridge here. You can see the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica very small in the background.
The Pantheon.
Oh look, some Roman Guards in front of the Pantheon. And a Gypsy.
Looking up while inside. It's cool that it's just as high as it is wide.
Cam inside the Pantheon.
Me coming out of the Pantheon.
Oh hey Cam, are you just hanging out with Roman Ruins?
They are all over the place, ruins, ruins, ruins.
The victory arch, as viewed from the Coliseum.
Interior view of the Coliseum.
Happy to be here!
Cam (That's all that needs to be said)
Heather (Again that's all that needs to be said)
The Coliseum is the most impressive from the outside.
A Modern Roman Gladiator
The street that lead to the Coliseum was really cool, we're walking away from the Coliseum in this picture.
The nice waiter that gave me a wet kiss on the cheek after the picture.
Cam's lunch, doesn't it look great?!
Like all of Rome, you're walking along down an alley way and then BAM, there's a Piazza and the Trevi Fountain.
We threw our coins in and so it looks like we'll be returning to Rome in the future.
Me posing on the Spanish Steps.
Formal Dinner night. We had my time dining and ate with new people most nights. This evening we ended up with all the same couples that had been at our table the night before, and they were all just so great!
Port 4: Mykonos, Greece. Made famous by the fabulous Jackie Kennedy Onassis. (sp?)
They have 365 churches on the island, one for each day of the year.
It was such a windy day, when I picked through my hair that night it took me at least 10 minutes to get all the tangles out, it was the only day I forgot my hair elastic.
They have lots of windmills that are now out of use but pretty to snap pictures of.
Ok, we bought some Cheetos to eat while the sun set... they were a weird gross flavor so I had to just eat the yummy strawberry cream filled candy bar. (Notice the wind in Cam's hair)
Pelican's are the Mykono's mascot.
Port 5: Ephesus, Turkey. You can see Cam Running towards the fortress.
When this is blown up really big it is a great model shot.
Here's Cam at the Temple of Didyma.
The detail on the stones was so pretty.
This was the tunnel we walked through into the temple, and a cool shot of Cam.
Here you can see the outside of the Temple of Didyma.
Ok, I know this is blurry, but the bus was driving fast. I begged Cam to keep it on the camera because look how cool it is...a waterpark half-pipe. By the looks of it Turkey really knows how to do waterparks.
Here we are at some more ruins. Our tour was called "Ancient Glories." At this city they discovered magnetism and was thus named after the city.
The Ancient City of Ephesus.
Me in front of Hadrian's Temple.
Nike
Celsus Library. I think I like it so much because they modeled it after those ruins that you see on Indiana Jones.
Us right in front of Celsus Library.
The theater that Paul wanted to preach at in Acts 19. I'm saying "Hey!"
Cam wants to preach here too. Nowadays they have big named concerts here, Elton John, Ray Charles, etc. because the aucustics are great due to all the marble.
A view from further back. Doesn't he look fine?!
A cool statue we found on our way back to the boat, which you can see on the left hand side...well, I guess that's the right hand from where the thumb is placed.
Port 6: Santorini, Greece-- Our favorite!!
My donkey that didn't want to go up the hill, grrr
Isn't the view immaculate? And the scenery behind him isn't bad either.
Oia, the town that I HAD to visit. We rented a 4-wheeler and rode around to our hearts content all day.
I just loved Santorini and would love to go back just to stay a few days there.
It looks like a postcard...and makes me feel relaxed.
Just checking out the ocean.
On Top of the World!
This was after about 20 switchbacks to get to the top of this mountain to the ancient city of Thera. I just realized how many times I've said ancient and ruins in this post.
Cam swimming in the water.
We were on black sand beaches, really cool, but just imagine how hot the sand gets.
Port 7: Athens, Greece. With a theatre behind him, this is Cam as we were walking up to the Acropolis.
Here it comes...
Very Cool, there is a lot of restoration going on which is cool but frustrating when you want a pretty picture.
Also on the Acropolis, with the Erechtheion in the background.
We saw someone try this so we took a try too. It's a timed picture with our camera leaning just right on the ground.
One of the temples they've restored beautifully in the Agoro below the Acropolis.
In front of Hadrian's Library.
The Olympian Zeus' Temple
A view from the other side includes a peak at the Acropolis too.
These are the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They definitely had a different walk and costume.
Panathinion Stadium, which was constructed for the first modern Olympiad in 1896.
Our day at sea we played some mini-golf.
Did some rock-climbing. (This was an impressive start, only on yellows so he had to get a jump to start the climb.)
Me whipping up to the top on the easy ones :)
Look we're on TV!! We participated in the Love & Marriage Game Show, and WON! The next day they started broadcasting it almost 24/7 on one of our stateroom channels. Way to go ROCKETMAN!!
Port 8: Naples, Italy. Here is a view on our drive up Mount Vesuvius.
And as we were hiking to the top of the Mount to walk around the crater.
This is a look at the inside of the volcano.
Our new friends, the Browns!
Authentic Italian Pizza.
Pompeii was huge. We were there for 4 hours walking around and didn't even see everything!
It was great having friends with us to take good pictures of us together.
In one of the houses.
Look at the painting still on the wall.
One of the theaters.
Another day at Sea where we tried our hands at simulated golf.
Unexpected stop #1 after 3 windows broke on the boat and we were late to port and missed our flight...London. We caught a flight to London but had to spend the night there which gave us a few hours before we flew home to see some of the UK. This is the Tower Bridge.
Big Ben
Cam in front of Westminister Abbey
Hey, a phonebooth. It reminds me of Rockettes and my grand finale in our Superman routine.
