Happy Halloween: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

“From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW. . . ” Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

One of Icabod Crane’s sources of fearful pleasure was to pass long winter evenings with the old Dutch wives, as they sat spinning by the fire, and listen to their marvelous tales of ghosts and goblins, and haunted fields, and haunted brooks, and haunted bridges, and haunted houses, and particularly of the headless horseman, or Galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they sometimes called him. All the while trying to win the affections of the Lady Abigail Van Tassel. The old Dutch Church was one of the favorite haunts of the Headless Horseman, and the place where he was most frequently encountered. Not far from the church, along the Hudson River was a wooden bridge; the road that led to it, and the bridge itself, were thickly shaded by overhanging trees, which cast a gloom about it, even in the daytime; but occasioned a fearful darkness at night. As one strolls past the Old Dutch Church on a dark Halloween night, it is easy to imagine the shadow of the horseman rising up from behind the gravestones, armed with a jack-o-lantern as he gallops along in search of his head; wherein lies the history of the Headless Horseman of Sleep Hollow which began over 200 years ago, and his spirit has lived here ever since.

Autumn in NY

There are very few days that exist that one could say I wish it would never end. Friday was one of those days. Although a little cloudy, 2 friends (Wency who is from India, and Muna, who is from Iraq), and myself, ventured out to enjoy the beauty of Autumn in NY. We headed up to Bear Mountain, which is only about ½ hr drive from here to enjoy the changing colors of the leaves on the trees. It would be hard for any artist to really capture the beauty in nature of God’s creation, as you will see in the pictures I had attached. Driving up the mountain, you come upon many lakes, with the beautiful colors of the changing leaves. What stuck me most was the mirror image of those colors reflected in the waters of the lakes. Although the day was a little cloudy, one would have never known, as each tree brought forth it’s own palette of beauty with the various colors of Autumn; oranges, golds, maroons, reds, yellows, amidst the remaining colors of green still on some of the trees.
Towards the bottom of Bear Mountain, lies one of my favorite and most peaceful places, Graymore, in Garrison, NY. Rich in history, Graymore has a few chapels which date back about 100 years with the most beautiful artifacts within each one. My favorite chapel, St. Theresa, is very tiny within, but with its peacefulness and beauty, I can sit there and just meditate while feeling its warmth within. You cannot walkout without experiencing an inner peace within yourself. My other favorite spot that I love to just sit is at the top of a mountain which overlooks much of the Hudson Valley. Abounding in artistic colors, in the distance one can also see the glimmer of the Hudson River.
Since I cannot take all of you with me to visit the beauty of Autumn in NY around these mountains, I will share a few of my pictures with you, and hope you get the warm and peaceful feeling that the colors of Autumn bring within.

Meet the Bakers!

Juelz waiting for Santa












Juelz inside the top of the Christmas Tree!






Roses (Baby Kitty) taking life easy












Roses Sexy pose







Piper as a puppy

Piper as Janis Joplin

a few days before she passed

Through my many blogs and Forum chats, I am sure most of your know the rest of the Baker clan: Kelly, Keith and Ryan. Thank goodness they are all grown, my daughter married, and the boys still living at home. Although, I admit there are some days when I would like to leave the door opened :) . It doesn't seem that long ago that I suffered many sleepness nights with them; but now my sleepless nights are the cause of the other half of the Baker Family - our cats. The oldest, 2 1/2 is kitty (Juelz Santana)-it's easier to say kitty, and "Baby Kitty" (Roses - her brother was Guns - Guns n Roses), but my boys refuse to call her Roses, so although she is about 1 1/2 yr old, she is still Baby Kitty. The older cat, her whole day is occupied with chasing the little one, so I ave to carry her back and forth to the kitchen for her food. For some reason though her play time is from 3 -6am, she will sit on my chest and tap me in the face until I start to scratch her - this little game of hers continues most of the night. While the other cat loves to jump up on the highest bookshelf she can find, then meow for someone to come get her. We did have a dog which was left to us by an elderly neighbor, who passed away when Piper was a puppy. Although she was only 10, she died last year, during that time when pets were dying from certain dog foods. In the morning she was fine, by 11 am she wasn't moving. She had the most mellow personality of any animal, and is still very much missed. Anyway, enjoy the pics!

Catholics of Today

by Pamela Baker









When one thinks of India, what first comes to mind is the beauty of their culture, and the peacefulness that one achieves through their many forms of meditation. What I am about to write about one would hardly call peace or beauty. It is the persecution of Catholics that is currently going on right now in India. India has long been known as a Hindu country, primarily in the Northeast part of India near Tibet, which is largely Hindu. For centuries, Catholic Missionaries have gone to the region to try to convert some of those interested in the Catholic religion. Many wars have been fought to prevent this, but as time passes, the people have become more tolerant towards other religions.

Two weeks ago, Hindu terrorists began a campaign to destroy all traces of the Catholic religion in that region of India. Catholic Churches and homes of many Catholics are being burned to the ground (see photos). Many priests are being killed, as well as many Catholics who continue to practice their religion.

Fr. Thomas Chellen, director of the pastoral center that was destroyed with a bomb, had a narrow escape after a Hindu mob nearly set him on fire. Fr. Chellen had this horrifying experience to share with Catholic News Service: “A gang of about 50 armed Hindus beat us up and led us like culprits along the road in what they referred to as the ‘Crucifixion Parade’ and led us to the burned pastoral center. “They then poured kerosene on my head, and one held a matchbox in his hands to light the fire. But thanks to divine providence, in the end, they did not do that. Otherwise, I would not have been there to tell this horror,' the 55-year-old priest, director of the pastoral center at Konjamendi in the Indian state of Orissa, told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview from his hospital bed Aug. 28.When the Hindu mob of 50 people broke into the pastoral center around noon that day. Father Chellen said he fled through the backyard with another priest and a nun. The terrorists then grabbed the 20 yr old noviate (one training to become a nun) who was teaching, and proceeded to drag from her school, to the center of the town, then stripped and raped her in front of everyone, and set her ablaze while alive (see the photo). Young children are being burnt while still living in their homes.

As of this week, the burning of Catholic Churches has spread to the South of India. Although India is only about 2% Catholic; most of them have made their homes in the Southern States, where I also have many friends who live there. I worry and pray for their safety, as these terrorists continue their journey of destruction. I asked my friend who is from South India, and is presently living here why the Government of India is allowing this. His response was “they turn their heads, as the Government is primarily made up of Hindu’s”.

Etsy has gone YouTube!

ETSY HAS GONE "YOUTUBE"
by Guest Writer Pamela Baker

It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were just learning the mechanisms of a mouse and keyboard while still trying to figure out what do to do next! Then along came the internet, which opened up a whole new world to those of us who had just mastered the art of just turning on our computers. “Surfing the net” was a foreign term 10 years ago. Now we have absolutely everything imaginable at our fingertips. A whole new world of learning, research, chatting, shopping and marketing has opened up.

Next came YouTube, where one can put any sort of video online for their friends to see. An adventure in which my boys are well in tune with. When I first saw some of the crazy videos people posted, I admit I was in awe of the whole idea, never thinking that one day I would be the one posting video’s on YouTube. As I mentioned before how the internet has opened a whole new world to us, it seems marketing by way of YouTube is the latest undertaking for some of us here at Etsy.

With what began as a mere thought only a few weeks ago, has now become a whole new trend. My group on Etsy, “The Boomer’s” started using "print screen" to save some of Treasury’s we had done; and then turned them into a videos, posting them on "YouTube". I though an even better idea would be to market some of the items from my shop onto YouTube. So after deciding which pieces of my jewelry I wanted to show, I uploaded the photos’, added some music, “U2” (one of my favorite bands), and the computer does the rest! Since I have posted the video only 1 week ago (Aug 6th ), I have already gotten some custom orders; just today I received two more requests for necklaces from my shop. I am posting the link to my "YouTube" Video to give you an idea of the prospects that this may lead to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uM69mwGjq8

Ok, I will admit it cannot be summed up in two sentences. There is a little more involvement to the whole process. If you are interested, make sure you have Windows XP or Vista. Go to your Programs and click on Accessories. You will have either Movie Maker or PhotoStory3 already listed. Some may prefer another program called Photo Gallery, which can be found in your Programs/Windows Live/Photo Gallery. Personally, I find PhotoStory3 the easiest to work with for myself. If you don’t have any of these, just Google which program you would like and then upload it to your computer. Once you have mastered that you are on your way. The rest is simple – just follow the instructions – upload photos- each Program will let you edit your picture once it is uploaded. Next, you can add titles onto each photo (if you wish); thirdly, you can add any song you may have already uploaded onto your Computer. A good program for this is Limelight. If any of you have teenagers, you can bet there are plenty of songs already on your computer. Oh yes, I almost forgot the most important thing, signing up with YouTube (doesn’t cost anything!) – http://www.youtube.com/ Now you are almost ready to start showcasing your work. When your photos are ready to be uploaded to YouTube, make sure you save them in a movie format (on mine, after the title I just have to type .wmv). Now that I have given you a sample of our new marketing techniques on Etsy, along with a little tutorial, the rest is up to you. Good luck and see you on "YouTube."!

****Since submitting this article I have put another video (as of yesterday) of my work onto YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GhFcGZ1tQk

Written by Pamela Baker of http://MagdaleneJewels.etsy.com
Posted by Sara's Texture Crafts
Labels: Craft Business, Craft Tip of the Day, Guest Writer Articles

I Love Your Blog!!!!

What a nice surprise to open my email from Sara of "Sara's Texture Crafts" , whose website is: http://www.sarastexturecrafts.fusiveweb.co.uk/ and find this adorable little sign "I Love Your Blog". Although Sara and I have never met, being that we are on opposite sides of the Atlantic, through my admiring her daily blogs of her crafts, and she in turn admiring many of my articles, which she has published, we have become friends. I look daily for what I will learn today regarding her expertise in felting, along with her other crafts of making yarn, jewelry, etc. So it really brought a smile to my face to find that she has put me on her list of seven favorite "I Love Your Blog" list!

So now, I in turn, must "spread the love" and send this little "I Love Your Blog" sign to 7 crafter's whose blogs I enjoy reading.

1. http://sassylynne-at-etsy.blogspot.com/

2. http://vanfleetstreetdesign.blogspot.com/

3. http://fusedglass.blogspot.com/

4. http://joonbeam.blogspot.com/

5. http://fehustoneware.blogspot.com/

6. http://roseworksjewelry.wordpress.com/

7. http://storybeader.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Sara, and I hope this brings a smile to my 7 friends that I listed!

In Remembrance - September 11, 2001

I can't believe seven years have passed since the tragedy of 9/11. I went to Church this morning and at the exact time the first plane hit the Tower 1, the bells started chiming for 5 minutes. It brought back so many memories. Living in a suburb right outside NY City, I can't tell you how much it affected us. Many of those whose lives were lost when the Towers collasped lived in this area. So every year it is a feeling that sits within you, almost like the day Kennedy was shot. You just never can forget that exact moment when you first heard those words - The World Trade Towers have been struck by a plane. I had just gotten to work, and as we all stood mesmerized by the TV, and minutes later when the second plane hit Tower 2 the shock and realization that this was a terrorist attack brought us all back to reality.

That afternoon I went with my friend Paul to sit quietly by the water, where we watched the smoke rising higher and higher in the sky from all the destruction. Neither one of us could even speak, we just sat in silence with our own thoughts gazing across the waters.

It was a few days before anyone could get into the city, as it was in lockdown; especially near Ground Zero. The moment when my friends and I did get down to see where the Twin Towers had once stood, it was a moment forever etched within me.

The quilt square above is my dedication to September 11, 2001.

Treasury: Nice Day for a White Wedding

Strummer, the "Ring Bearer."





A perfect match! The little "Flower Girl" from my Treasury
by SDEMKE @etsy.com






With my nephew, Christian, who is also my godchild, getting married in September, I had Wedding fever on my mind. As I looked through the various categories on Etsy of "Wedding" themed items, I saw so many beautiful pieces of various arrangements. Out of that came the thought of doing a "Wedding" themed Treasury, called appropriately, "A Nice Day for a White Wedding". A few pieces were done by my friends on Boomer's, and other friends I have made here at Etsy; and now from the Treasury, I can add a few more friends I have made along the way.
My nephew's wedding is going to be in a famous winery in New Jersey: Renault Winery, located in So. Jersey in Atlantic City (which means 4 hours of driving for dear Auntie!). He and his girlfriend have a son, Strummer, who will be 20 mos. old at that time, and will have the part of "ring bearer"; while the flower girl, who is the same age, will attempt to walk down the aisle with my nephew. Of course, if they make it, they will totally steal the spotlight from the Bride and Groom. When I saw the picture on Etsy of the little flower girl, who is probably about their age, I just couldn't resist adding that to my Treasury. As you enjoy the Treasury, I will be deciding busy shopping for something special to wear!
I know the pictures are a little hard to get a good focus on, so I also did a YouTube video, of the "White Wedding" Treasury: this is the link, and don't forget to turn up the volume!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfjlRK4RZL0