Shoo, don’t bother me.

Someone came to visit me today. I’m not sure if I would call him/her a friend (will be referred to as “Martin” from now on), but we are a little more than mere acquaintances. Martin may be one of the most annoying people I know though – he talks nonstop about completely irrelevant things, manners are foreign to him, and he cannot take a hint.

There, of course, is a superstition that would help make these visits quick and painful, but I would need a broom. I am not sure where this superstition originates from, but my best friend’s mother, who is from El Salvador, swears that it works. Apparently, if you have an unwelcome visitor, all you have to do is take a broom and stand it upside down; this will “shoo” (or sweep) the visitor away. Perhaps when I have a place that needs a broom, I will have to try getting rid of annoying visitors. Then again, perhaps all my future visitors will be welcome!

Rules for a Happy Marriage

One occasion that has superstitions and traditions completely entwined in it is a wedding. My best friend of ten years got married about a week ago and I was the maid of honor. Part of my responsibility (per the bride) was to ensure she and her new husband followed every superstition and tradition in the book. The first occurred at her bridal shower. The bride is supposed to save all the ribbons and bows from her gifts and combine them all to create a bouquet. This is the bouquet she uses during the rehearsal and will supposedly make the wedding day go smoothly. Of course, on the wedding day, the bride and groom must not see each other before she walks up the aisle. I’m not sure what the repercussions of this superstition are, but my friend was not willing to find out! One little tradition that may be the most commonly followed is that the bride must have/wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue (the rest of the saying is “and a sixpence in her shoe” but not many people know that part). The something old signifies that the couple’s friends will stay with them; something new looks to a future of health, happiness, and success; something borrowed is meant for the bride’s family to lend her something as a token of their love. My best friend had all of the above on her wedding day, so the marriage should last, right? Other than throwing the bouquet and the garter, the two also took the top tier of their wedding cake and put it in their freezer. The tradition is for the bride and groom to share this portion of the cake on their 1 year anniversary. Follow all these superstitions and you’re bound to have a long and healthy marriage full of good fortune!

In like a lion, out like a lamb.

Hmm…this little phrase has not held true this year. It was warming up quite a bit in the beginning of March, but at the turn of the month into April, it’s been windy, cold, and has even rained a little. What is the origin of this weather proverb? I wonder. Apparently it was derived with the help of astrology. Visit here to read an interesting cartoon that explains it all: http://www.jackstargazer.com/cartoonMar99.jpg

Now, I do not tend to believe what astrology has to say, but I do find it very interesting. There’s something about the explanations that the stars and formations in the sky come up with that intrigues me. Hopefully next year this proverb will prove itself once again!

A Day for Fools

I’ve never been much of a prankster, thus I’ve never been able to really fool people. When I was younger I would tell my parents that something terrible happened to me. Ex. “Daddy, I just started coughing up blood.” After a horrified response, I quickly realized that some things should not be joked about. Since then, I haven’t attempted fooling my friends and family much. One of these years, however, I’d like to pull a really great prank on them all!

I did a little bit of research about the history of April Fools’ Day, but didn’t find much information. Some believe the holiday is just a light-hearted celebration of the turn of seasons. Perhaps the switch from winter to spring makes people a little more playful…

Break a leg.

This past weekend was Dance Production – the most widely attended event at my college featuring student dancers and choreographers. This year I performed in two of the dances. I usually don’t get nervous presenting/talking/performing in front of a large group of people, but when I heard on the speakers “please, everyone, we’re completely sold out tonight so fill in all empty seats”, those butterflies in my tummy went crazy! The Tahitian dance (one of the dances I was in) was the first to start the show, so I was getting really really nervous. Once the curtains opened though, a roaring applause shot up my adrenaline and I danced my heart out. With the sound of the cheering crowd echoing in my mind, it was an amazing feeling and when I was backstage getting ready for my second dance, I was so pumped up. “Okay! It’s intermission; three more dances and I’m up again. Here we go!” Walking out of the dressing room, down the stairs, then behind the curtain, so many fellow dancers that I passed were saying “break a leg!” I really don’t get that. I mean, will it really jinx me if a person wishes me good luck before I perform? I would absolutely hate to break my leg on stage…that would suck. By telling me to break a leg, I just get confused… =/ I’m just kidding (sort of). I do appreciate the gesture, but if “good luck” might jinx a person, won’t “break a leg” do the same these days, since everyone knows what “break a leg” really means? Anyway, I welcome and would like to hear “good luck” just as much as “break a leg.” So, thanks!!!

bunnies!

As a kid I loved Easter because I got to wear a new pretty dress, open an Easter basket that was as tall as I was, and hunt for Easter eggs. Now that I’m 20 years old, I wear a new pretty outfit, open a few small gifts, and I still hunt for Easter eggs! My boyfriend and I started a tradition on our first Easter together. We each set up an Easter egg hunt for the other and it’s a ton of fun. This year I found all of my eggs at record speed! Another part of Easter that I have come to appreciate, and love, is going to the morning Mass at the nearby St. Dominic’s. Even though the church has standing room only (and hardly any as a matter of fact) since Easter is the day that every Catholic goes to mass, I love the music, the homily, and how dressed up everyone gets.

Anyway, I hope you all had a wonderful Easter with your own traditions.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

I DO NOT LIKE BEES! Sure, cartoon bees are cute and happy…but one real life bee just stung me! Grrr. Luckily, I’m not allergic, so I am going to live. Let me explain how it happened:

I was in my friend’s room and there was a bee that kept flying into the light. Our lame, but brilliant at the time, idea was to open the door, turn on the hallway light, turn off the bedroom light, and watch as the bee flew out of his room into the hallway. We would then be able to lead the bee outside. Yeah…right. The bee must have been frightened or something, but once the lights went off in the room I felt it land on my arm and then I felt the sting. It hurt! I screamed and ran into the hall. The bee was still on my arm, so I flicked it off. It was weak…sucker. My boyfriend squished that little punk. (Sorry if any of you have a problem with that.)  The stinger was still in my arm, so Joey pulled it out for me and then cleaned the area with an alcohol pad.  It was swollen for a while, but the swelling did go down and now I have two fully functioning arms again.

So, next time you think bees are great for making honey, remember this…they sting!  Here’s a little song I remember about bees:

 

I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee; won’t my mommy be so proud of me?

I’m bringing home a baby bumblebee; OUCH! – It stung me!

I’m squishing up my baby bumblebee; won’t my mommy be so proud of me?

I’m squishing up my baby bumblebee; I’m all dirty!

I’m wiping off my baby bumblebee; won’t my mommy be so proud of me?

I’m wiping off my baby bumblebee; I’m all clean!

Must I give something up?

Now is the middle of the Lenten season and I am a terrible Catholic. Wait, that’s not at all true. Honestly, I would say I am a great Catholic – great especially because of the fact that it is harder to be a practicing Catholic in college, unless of course you’re going to a Catholic school. I don’t drink, I don’t swear (actually, I have had the occasional slip up when I stub my toe or bang my shin against some awkwardly placed object…but I’m not proud of it), I don’t have sex, I help others whenever I can, I attend mass every Sunday, and I am very involved in my college’s Catholic community (I am co-president!). Nevertheless, during every Lent, I begin to feel that “Catholic guilt.” I never know what to give up, and when I do give something up, it doesn’t last. There has only been one year in which I stayed strong for the entire 40 days – my freshman year. I decided that Facebook/Myspace was taking over my life, so I decided to give that up. It worked! Every other year I have tried giving up sweets, lowering my bread intake, etc. and I always fail. This year was the worst; I made another attempt at giving up sweets and I didn’t even last 24 hours! I got over it and decided to at least abide by the Friday rule of no meat (or chicken). I have been failing at this too! When lunchtime rolls around, I head to the cafeteria and get a chicken philly, a burger, a sandwich…I completely forget about it being a Friday. Well, forget no more! Last Friday I managed to stay away from meat and I plan on doing so again in a couple of days. Just because I didn’t give anything up for Lent and forget about meatless Fridays doesn’t mean I’m a bad Catholic…right?

A Cow a Day

About three years ago I heard from my sister (who heard on the radio) that every single day, you see a cow. Whether it’s a picture of a cow or a real one, this little claim has held true for me for the past 1,000 days. This may sound crazy, but I invite you, dear reader, to open your eyes and observe your surroundings daily. Who knows, maybe you’ll soon become a believer like me!

p.s. To keep it interesting, I will let you know each day when and where I saw my daily cow. If you’d like, feel free to let me know when and where you saw your cow too. Here’s a freebie!

All About Me…

Yes…I finally updated this section of my blog.  Check it out!