My Tat...

Okay so I realised that my limited reading public here may have not seen this:




Alright, well I did it! and I didn't pussy out! :) It was nothing like I thought it would be. Did it hurt? sorta... it wasn't painful really... it was unpleasant and certainly not the best feeling in the world... but I would say having my wisdom teeth out or stitches, or falling off the hood of Erin Everson's car senior year of HS hurt worse!


I got it done at Tattoo Charlies here in Lexington. I could not give them a better recommendation if I tried. Every thing about it was very calming to me. I am not your typical tattooee (though now a days that kinda seems to be changing). But Charlotta (who did mine) was so kind and nice. She was very calming in her demeanor and her actions. She talked to me the whole time and just made me feel at ease... and besides that she did such a kick ass job on my tats. I mean I couldn't have asked for a better translation of what I wanted... which I guess I should let you guys see:





and a little closer view:


and before one single person asks... NO it's not the number thirty (though yes I did get these for my 30th birthday)... it's is the sanskrit symbol for "OM" which Ben calls the heathen symbol... however it's meaning is very divine...

"Om or Aum is of paramount importance in Hinduism. This symbol (as seen in the image on the right) is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism — omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable. Om, therefore, represents both the unmanifest (nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects of God. That is why it is called pranava, to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath."

"According to the Mandukya Upanishad, "Om is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it". from http://hinduism.about.com/od/omaum/a/meaningofom.htm

"Before the beginning, the Brahman (absolute reality) was one and non-dual. It thought, "I am only one -- may I become many." This caused a vibration which eventually became sound, and this sound was Om. Creation itself was set in motion by the vibration of Om. The closest approach to Brahman is that first sound, Om. Thus, this sacred symbol has become emblematic of Brahman just as images are emblematic of material objects.

Just as the sound of Om represents the four states of Brahman, the symbol Om written in Sanskrit also represents everything. The material world of the waking state is symbolized by the large lower curve. The deep sleep state is represented by the upper left curve. The dream state, lying between the waking state below and the deep sleep state above, emanates from the confluence of the two. The point and semicircle are separate from the rest and rule the whole. The point represents the turiya state of absolute consciousness. The open semicircle is symbolic of the infinite and the fact that the meaning of the point can not be grasped if one limits oneself to finite thinking". from http://www.omsakthi.org/worship/mantra.html

"The Definition of Om: The supreme and most sacred syllable in Sanskrit. It is believed to be the original primordial vibration of the universe, after the big bang. It is uttered as a mantra and in affirmations and blessings to connect all living beings. Made of the three sounds (a), (u), and (m), representing various fundamental triads:
Beginning, Middle, End
Past, Present, Future
Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Creation, Preservation, Destruction

Om in Judaism and Christianity: Indian mystical thinking influenced Judaism in many ways. Scholars believe Aum (Om) became Amen and, as such, was later incorporated into Christianity. Amen is said to mean "so be it", though this may be a later interpretation. Amen is widely mentioned in the Bible. It is used during worship (Revelations 3:14) as an expression of benediction (1 Chronicles 16.36), for expressing one's love of God (2 Corinthians 1:20), or as sign of gratitude". from http://www.jadedragon.com/archives/tao_heal/om01.html



so there you have it. The Tats and the meanings. I will say this... now that they are healed, I'm almost ready for another one... i could see this being addictive... but I think I can hold off! :) now Ben wants one! (a Godzillia one no less... ahh that man o' mine)

so let me know what you think!

A Literary Hero Passes on

I cannot express how influential the book "A Wrinkle in Time" has been in my life. I can no longer remember the the first time I read it (maybe at 6 or 7), but I have read it so many times since that I have bought 3 copies of it over the years. The story of the Murray's captured my fascination and really opened up my mind to the world of sci fi and fantasy... Hell, I still read the Time series to this day... and it still pulls me in like it did almost 24 years ago. It also opened my eyes to the world of theatre... the first real play I saw was a production of "A Wrinkle in Time" at Stage One in Lousiville. I was mesmerized, I was in love.

If you have never read them, I cannot shout it loud enough... GO READ THEM NOW!!!!!! It's not just a kids books (any more than Harry Potter is)...it reads on different levels... much like Narnia does (though perhaps not with the same obviousness ).

But I just want to say thank you to someone who helped foster my intense love of reading and helped me to discover the worlds beyond our everyday one!


Writer Madeleine L'Engle, 88; Author of 'A Wrinkle in Time'
By Adam BernsteinWashington Post Staff WriterSaturday, September 8, 2007; B05
Madeleine L'Engle, 88, a prolific author whose best-known novel, "A Wrinkle in Time," won the top prize for children's literature and was considered among the most enigmatic works of fiction ever created, died Sept. 6 at Rose Haven nursing home in Litchfield, Conn.
The cause of death was not disclosed by the family, but she reportedly had a cerebral hemorrhage in recent years.
"A Wrinkle in Time," published in 1962, won the American Library Association's Newbery Medal for best children's book. It went through more than 60 printings, was adapted for television and other media and helped establish Ms. L'Engle among the best-selling children's authors of her generation.
Yet "children's author" did not begin to describe the breadth of her output, which included more than 50 books of adult fiction and nonfiction, poetry, plays and many volumes of memoirs. Reviewers noted a timeless quality in her best fiction, which blended themes of adolescent pain, spiritual and emotional insight, ethical decision-making and, above all, adventure and entertainment.
Ms. L'Engle was a veteran author by the time "A Wrinkle in Time" was published, and the book cemented her reputation as a major literary figure. The novel weaved together aspects of theology and quantum physics and featured a female protagonist, which was unusual at the time.
The plot concerned three New England youngsters -- the socially awkward Meg Murry, her young brother, Charles Wallace Murry, and her older, more popular friend, Calvin O'Keefe. They use time travel and extrasensory perception to free the siblings' scientist father, who had vanished from the family after discovering a mysterious source of evil. They find him on a planet where absolute conformity rules.
The book introduced many readers to a "tesseract," a principle, according to the narrative, that allows the youths to "travel through space without having to go the long way around."
Ms. L'Engle tried to sell "A Wrinkle in Time" to a dozen publishers before Farrar, Straus and Giroux agreed -- with the caveat that the author should not expect much public reaction. She, in turn, had it written in her contract that the company could have the rights to the book forever, anywhere in the universe, except the Andromeda galaxy.
"A Wrinkle in Time" was an instant sensation and attracted critical praise that culminated in the Newbery.
The novel consistently encouraged debate, with some literary observers speculating that Ms. L'Engle's strong Anglican faith was a major influence.
Writing in the New Yorker in 2004, poet Cynthia Zarin said the book can be read as "science fiction, a warm tale of family life, a response to the Cold War, a book about a search for a father, a feminist tract, a religious fable, a coming-of-age novel, a work of Satanism" -- Ms. L'Engle said that Christian fundamentalists continually tried to ban it -- "or a prescient meditation on the future of the United States after the Kennedy assassination."
Ms. L'Engle demurred from analyzing the book too much, once saying, "It was only after it was written that I realized what some of it meant."
Madeleine L'Engle Camp was born Nov. 29, 1918, in New York. Her father, Charles Wadsworth Camp, was a foreign correspondent and author of thrillers, some of which ("Backstage Phantom," "House of Fear") were turned into films. Her mother, also named Madeleine, was a pianist from a prominent Jacksonville, Fla., family.
Ms. L'Engle, a demure child, said she was abandoned by her parents at a Swiss boarding school. "I shook hands with the matron, and they vanished," she told the New Yorker.
They later enrolled her in schools in Jacksonville, where she once was horrified to see an alligator crawl up a porch front, and a girl's prep school in Charleston, S.C., where she bloomed socially and was named c l a s s president.
Her father died about that time, and some critics noted that it was probably not coincidental that many of her books include searches for lost fathers.
Ms. L'Engle was involved in theater and playwriting at Smith College, where she graduated in 1941, and afterward spent two years as assistant stage manager for a production of Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard."
She married one of the show's actors, Hugh Franklin, who had a recurring role on the TV soap opera "All My Children." He died in 1986. A son, Bion Franklin, died in 1999.
Survivors include two daughters, Josephine Jones of Goshen, Conn., and Maria Rooney of Mystic, Conn.; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
In the early 1950s, Ms. L'Engle and her husband settled in Goshen, where they owned and operated a general store. In later years, she taught at an Episcopal day school and was a librarian at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, both in Manhattan.
Although she had written and published novels since 1945 -- her debut book, "The Small Rain," was about a young pianist's struggle between art and love -- it was not until 1960 that she wrote her first widely recognized work.
That book, "Meet the Austins," was the first novel in a series about a Connecticut family and its struggles with jealousy, love and death. A later book in the series, "A Ring of Endless Light" (1980), was a Newbery finalist.
As with the Austins series, Ms. L'Engle was compelled by popular demand to create more books with the Murry children, including "A Wind in the Door" (1973), "A Swiftly Tilting Planet" (197, "Many Waters" (1986) and "An Acceptable Time" (1989).
Over the years, the characters of Meg and Calvin, who becomes a biologist, marry and have a daughter, Polyhymnia.
The author did not claim to have any special knowledge of science while writing the books.
She once told National Public Radio that she was in a phase of searching for a better understanding of theology when "I just came across a phrase of Einstein's, which completely excited me. He said, 'Anyone who is not lost in rapturous awe at the power and glory of the mind behind the universe is as good as a burned-out candle.'
"And I thought, 'Oh! There's my theologian.' "
She had a long career as a public speaker, and in 2004 she received the National Humanities Medal but could not attend the ceremony because of poor health. Her newest book for young adult readers, "The Joys of Love," is scheduled for publication in the spring.
Less publicly, Ms. L'Engle struggled with difficult family relations, including her son's death from complications of alcoholism.
"I think that my characters came to me because I didn't have any family, and I wanted to have a family, and it was the only way I could get it," she told the New Yorker.
When she was reminded that she had a family, Ms. L'Engle replied: "Even so, writing the stories came out of my childhood experience

Derren Brown NLP

never need to worry about getting the right present again. I am just in total awe!

Derren Brown - Colourblind

This man simply blows my mind! I think he's my new hero

Deals with the Devil and Me

Warning... this is heavy and rather agnsty:


I don’t know why my mind has wondered where it has for the past few days, maybe too much Winchester Angst (if you were cool and watched Supernatural you would get that). But all the Winchester Angst got us discussing souls and deals with the devil and fathers and children. And it reminded me of the first time I ever really knew that the devil was real. Concrete and very real.

My dad died when I was 18, 11 years ago come this March. I was home for spring break my freshman year of college. It was sudden, and even all these years later I can’t decide if that was better or worse than loosing my Grandma slowly two years later. I never really got to say goodbye either way. I loved my dad with all the heart a daughter has for her father. And maybe a bit more because unlike the man who gave me life, my daddy chose to love me, to raise me, to protect me. He was, in many ways, my everything.

After he died, I was so lost, still am to some extent. I don’t think a week goes by that I don’t wish out loud just to have my Dad back. But right after, when the pain was so real that I could I have cut off my own hand and never noticed, I dreamt of my dad. The kind of dreams that you know are more than just a dream.

Both dreams happened the same night. I was home for the summer that same year, sleeping in the same bed I had since before high school. The first dream had me “waking up” and going down the hall to our living room. And there he was sitting on his end of the couch smoking a cigarette as he always did. My mind knows he’s gone, but there he is. I run back down the hall to my parent’s room to tell my mom, and there he is again, on his side of the bed like everything is normal and maybe the past 3 months of my life have been the dream, and this… this is real.

But it flashes and suddenly I’m in my kitchen with mom, like a lot of afternoons in high school. She’s going through the mail; I’m just shooting the shit. The front door opens and in comes my dad, as he did countless of days in my life. He’s in his suit and tie, he’s got his briefcase in his hand. My mom doesn’t even look up, but me, I know this is Dad, and I know he’s dead, but he’s here again. I beg him to stay, I tell him I love him and please, Please stay. He looks at me with such pity and such love. He says he wishes he could but he can’t. That he loves me and then he’s gone. He’s freaking gone. And I’m awake.

Wide freaking awake, because that was too real to be anything but him. It’s a feeling in my gut, which to this day, remains. And I know the feeling, the desperation of the begging, the needing for my Dad, because its still here, just a little quieter now. But that night, after I took some time to calm down, I fell back asleep.

This time the dream was unlike any I’ve ever had before or since. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was completely black. No visuals at all, nothing save a voice telling me that he could give me back my dad for one day, but I would have to trade all my other memories of him for it. I can still feel the weight of that choice on me. Would it be worth it? And at the time, I would have traded my soul for my dad, and looking back perhaps that’s what I could have done. But before I could speak, before I could say yes, because I know I would have said yes. I woke up… again wide freaking awake and now I’m scared, because I’m not stupid and I know what just happened.

I’m not going back to sleep because the devil just offered me a trade. The devil just tempted me with something I didn’t have the power to say no to. The devil’s real and his ruthless. But God, who I’m still angry with over taking my dad in the first place, God showed me His Mercy and His Love because he woke me up. He couldn’t take away my free will, but he could break the deal before it was struck.

Another Quiz

Normally I kinda hate these things, but hey I'll give it a go... feel free to pass it on



1. How old will you be in 5 years?
34

2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today?
my coworkers,

3. How tall are you?
5'6

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks?
Hopefully some proof that it's winter around here and some friggin snow

5. What's the last movie you saw?
Geez now I'm reaching... gonna go with Superman Returns on DVD

6. Who was the last person you called?
Ben

7. Who was the last person to call you?
Bobbi

8. What was the last text message you received?
Can't even remember. My friends have not figured out the concept of texting

9. Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail?
my mom

10. Do you prefer to call or text?
e-mail... I can do that at work with out getting busted

11. What were you doing at 12am last night?
Sleeping,

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced?
My father passed away, my mom is remarried

13. When is the last time you saw your mom?
weekend before Christmas

14. What color are your eyes?
Green

15. What time did you wake up today?
5:50 am, as always

16. What are you wearing right now?
PJ's

17. What is your favorite christmas song?
Song from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special

18. Where is your favorite place to be?
England

19. Where is your least favorite place to be?
Stuck in a meeting in Lexington

20. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?
Just about Everywhere. I would go to each state in the union and all of Europe


21. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years?

In my dreams, living in England working as a writer. In reality, living in Lexington or Chattanooga and being a mom, most likely working in Lending still.


22. Do you tan or burn?

Tan

23. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child?
Hobos... Long story

24. What was the last thing that really made you laugh?

A story one of my lenders told me

25. How many TV's do you have in your house?
4

26. How big is your bed?
queen

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer?
Desktop

28. Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

On

29. What color are your sheets?
Blue and white

30. How many pillows do you sleep with?
2

31. What is your favorite season?
Spring moving into summer

32. What do you like about fall?
Change in the leaves, having the windows open again

33. What do you like about winter?

Crisp sunny mornings

34. What do you like about the summer?
Just about everything except the bugs and snakes


35. What do you like about spring?
the first day it's starting to warm up and there's just the scent in the air, I guess of budding trees and things and just know the warmth is coming soon.

36. How many states have you lived in?
1

37. What cities/towns have you lived in?
4

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet?
bare feet

39. Are you a social person?
Yes in groups I feel comfortable with

40. What was the last thing you ate?
stuffing

41. What is your favorite restaurant?
Mandarin Chinese or Rincon Mexican

42. What is your favorite ice cream?
Brusters Cookie dough

43. What is your favorite dessert?
Creme Brule (sp)

44. What is your favorite kind of soup?
vegetable beef

45. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
Grape only

46. Do you like Chinese food?
Love it

47. Do you like coffee?
I'd rather have a diet coke

48. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average?
4-5

49. What do you drink in the morning?
Diet coke

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
Right Side

52. Do you know how to play poker?
Yup. Love the game

53. Do you like to cuddle?
Kinda, but I get hot (and not in a good way) after a while

54. Have you ever been to Canada?
nope

55. Do you have an addictive personality?
yup... never had any bad addictions, but I could see it happen if I let it

56. Do you eat out or at home more often?
At home, much much cheaper

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?
Not personally

59. Do you want kids?
Yes, eventually

60. Do you speak any other languages?
not really, unless you count UK english

61. Have you ever gotten stitches?
Several times

63. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool.
Ocean

64. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat?
Aisle... better to stop the crazies

65. Do you know how to drive stick?
In theory yes... Ben's truck is wack and I won't drive it

66. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
TV shows on DVD, Itunes

67. Do you wear any jewelry?
earrings and my wedding set

68. What is your favorite tv shows?
man I think any one who knows me could fill in this one: Smallville, Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Ghost Hunters, Doctor Who, Supernatural, Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs

69. Can you roll your tongue?
Nope. It's a genetic thing

70. Who is the funniest person you know?
Ben, Biddle.

71. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
I've been known to.

72. What is the main ring tone on your phone?
the disco theme. I've got an old phone

73. Do you still have clothes from when you were little?
Not that I know of, though I still have several things from High School.

74. What red object is closest to you right now?
one of Bebop's toys.

75. Do you turn off the water while you brush your teeth?
No, I brush my teeth in the shower. habit I picked up from my brother when he was in the Navy. Saves a ton of time.

76. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
Closed, Ben doesn't want to bogey man to get him


77. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?
neither

78. Do you flirt a lot?
Not really, I am a married woman.


79. What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
hot mustard from McDs
80. What is your favorite food?
Salsa

81. Can you change the oil on a car?
Nope... got a nice car care plan for that

82. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?
a couple or so
83. Have you ever run out of gas?
No, my Dad taught me better than that

84. What is your usual bedtime?
10-10:30

85. What was the last book you read?
Bridges of Madison County

86. Do you read the newspaper?
no usually

87. Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
yes Spin, & Good Housekeeping

89. Do you watch soap operas?
no

90. Do you dance in the car?
no but sing a ton

92. Who is in the picture frame closest to you? my Dad when he was a kid


93. What was the last note you scribbled on a piece of paper?
stuff to do at work

94. What is your favorite candle scent?
clean laundry or apple

95. What is your favorite board game?
any music triva game or TV sceneit

97. When was the last time you attended church?
Sunday

98. Who was your favorite teacher in high school?
DiCicco of course or Mrs Clark

99. What is the longest you have ever camped out in a tent?
one night, I'm not one for camping

100. Who was the last person to do something extra special for you?

Anissa at work... got us all breakfast yesterday.

Biddle Interview

For me, this little interesting chain started on my friend Biddle's Blog. I asked him for my five questions. My answers are below. Feel free to keep this going. It it rather enjoyable!

Rules are as follows: You comment on this entry requesting an interview. I respond with five questions. The questions will theoretically be tailored to you based on what I know of you (or want to know). You copy and paste those questions into your own journal, and write the answers, along with these rules. Anyone wanting an interview from you continues the game by requesting an interview from you.


5 questions for you (these were asked by my dear old friend Biddle)...

1.) Tell me about the best day that you can remember. The sort of day where you actually thought to yourself, "This is a very good day." What made it special?

Lots of days come to mind, and oddly enough most surround a car trip of some sort. Not sure what that says about me. But one of the best days was in high school. It was right before my 16th birthday in August of 93. My friend Leigh came in her car, picked me up (she had just turned 16 in June) and we drove down to the Electric Lady Land on Bardstown road. She bought me this cool ass hippie shirt with this crazy design and HUGH triangle shaped sleeves. I loved it (may even still have it somewhere). And I just remember riding home on the Watterson Expressway, smoking cigarettes and listening to Lynard Skynard (Gimmie Three Steps comes to mind). The sun was shining and it was just a feeling of freedom and growing up. Leigh and I had known each other since we were 6. Here we were set free in Louisville and we were almost juniors, school was about to start, but it was still that wonderful summer time and I had a brand new hippie shirt that I loved.

2.) Describe for me the child that you would eventually want in your future. (If you don't want a child, you can describe a pet that you would want or a nice piece of furniture.)

My future child… hmmm it’s hard to even imagine what they would be like. But in my minds eye, I see a little boy (who I would name Aedan or Declan if Ben was out of the room when that time came) with black hair and blue eyes like Ben. I imagine given our hair, he would have very curly hair. I see him being very very smart, which would be a blessing for him, but a curse for me… There is nothing worse then a small child who knows too much for their own smart ass good. And any child of Ben and I would be an extreme smart ass… I dread that day. I pray he loves to read as much as I do, and I would LOVE the irony if he hated video games… I would let him play what ever sport he wanted, but would secretly love it if he played soccer so I could share my love of Manchester United with him. I would want him to be best friends with Bebop as there is no better dog in this world. He will go to Catholic school and look so precious in the little uniform. I hope that he will have Ben’s ability to draw and create and my love of theatre. I pray he doesn’t develop his father’s love of guns and knives… and most of all that he’s a bit of a mommy’s boy, even if only at home when no one can see.

3.) What was the worst job you ever had?

So many to choose from… but I’ll go with working at the Dairy Mart on 22 in front of Orchard Grass (I think that was the name of the subdivision?). (Worked there before my senior year of HS and some into that year.) I had to open at 5 am on Saturdays and Sundays. It was kinda out in BFE, so my Dad, who didn’t like me going in by myself, would get up and go with me (which I enjoyed he helped me put the papers together and we chatted). It was just one of those jobs that remind you why you studied in high school- so you could go to college. The hours were long and the customers were kinda crazy. I was always a little afraid of getting robbed and my manger was a complete idiot. Mostly I just smoked cigarettes and bought scratch off lotto tickets…

4.) In another dimension, you're an internationally known celebrity. Tell me about who that person is and why she's famous.

I know I could have said I found the cure for AIDS or became the first female president. But I went with the answers that first came to mind… so this was it, as silly, geeky, and trashy as it is.

I would be a huge hit on television and movies as an amazing screen writer and director. Maybe for making Firefly a huge hit the second time around, with the blessing of Joss. I would have studied my craft under the likes of Joss Whedon and Russell T Davis. I would write and direct the amazing screenplay that joins Batman (Christian Bale version) and Superman (Brandon Routh version) into a kick ass movie that takes the world by storm. I would be in talks to bring back the Justice Leauge (cause I do love Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern) in film form as well. I would also write a few romantic dramdies that would be hits in the smaller venues like Sundance (see I’m not completely shallow… that is until you read the next sentence) I would also (forgive me Ben, but in this verse I haven’t met you) be married to the oh so hot and talented Nathan Fillion, but we would be home bodies and not the kind of couple that gets talked about the trash mags. I would use my power for good and support such charities as Equality Now, AIDS research and Vietnam Veterans issues. I would give a cool face to the world of geeks. I would be talked about as the person who made it cool for girls to read comic books and go to cons.

5.) Tell me one thing that you're right about and everyone else is wrong about.

Now there’s a loaded question…

On a day to day life level: That I’m not really ready to have children yet.
That turning on the fan, from your Heating and Air system, when the windows are open does help cool the house.
I can fill my 30 GB IPod with the CD’s I currently own.

On a work level: That the operational department of my company doesn’t know it’s ass from a hole in the ground. And that making a loan to “X Company” was a bad idea… (I’m being proven right on that case, which is soooooo satisfying.)

On a superficial level: I told you that Lois’ kid was Superman’s.

On a larger scale: The founding fathers did not create our country to be Baptist or fundamentalist run. They were Deists. VERY different thing.


Now if you'd like me to interview you, comment on this post. Make sure you send me a link to your answers.
.

New Years Superstitions

Spending most of my life in theatre means I've got a healthy dose of superstitions... Never say the same of the Scottish play, Never walk under a ladder, never say Good Luck before a show... never pick up a penny tail side up... make a wish on the fist star you see...

so I found good list of New Years Superstitions to share... found these at urbanlegend.com (one of the greatest and most useful websites ever) and oldsuperstitions.com

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful New Years eve and a blessed 2007.

Here you go:

Empty pockets or empty cupboards on New Years Eve portend a year of poverty

If the first person to cross the threshold of a house after midnight on New Years is a dark-haird man and he carries a shovel full of coal, then a year of good luck will follow.

Its bad luck to let a fire go out on New Year's Eve.

You could ensure yourself good fortune by draining the last dregs from a bottle of drink on New Years!

The Weather: If the wind blows from the south, there will be fine weather and prosperous times in the year ahead. If it comes from the north, it will be a year of bad weather. The wind blowing from the east brings famine and calamities. If the wind blows from the west, the year will witness plentiful supplies of milk and fish but will also see the death of a very important person. If there's no wind at all, a joyful and prosperous year may be expected by all.

Loud Noise: Make as much noise as possible at midnight to scare away evil spirits.

Letting the Old Year Out: At midnight, all the doors of a house must be opened to let the old year escape unimpeded. He must leave before the New Year can come in, says popular wisdom, so doors are flung open to assist him in finding his way out.

To dance in the open air, especially round a tree, on New Year's Day is declared to ensure luck in love and prosperity and freedom from ill health during the coming twelve months.

Children born on New Year's Day bring great fortune and prosperity to all the household.

On New Year's Day if, on rising, a girl should look out of her bedroom window and see a man passing by, she may reckon to be married before the year is finished.

Clocks should be wound up immediately the New Year begins in order to endow the house with good fortune, while all daily cleaning and dusting should be completed early in the day of December 31 in order to avoid the danger of sweeping good luck from the house.

Breakage: Avoid breaking things on that first day lest wreckage be part of your year. Also, avoid crying on the first day of the year lest that activity set the tone for the next twelve months

Money: Do not pay back loans or lend money or other precious items on New Year's Day. To do so is to guarantee you'll be paying out all year.

New Clothes: Wear something new on January 1 to increase the likelihood of your receiving more new garments during the year to follow.

Work: Make sure to do -- and be successful at -- something related to your work on the first day of the year, even if you don't go near your place of employment that day. Limit your activity to a token amount, though, because to engage in a serious work project on that day is very
unlucky.

Black-Eyes Peas: A tradition common to the Southern part of the United States says that the eating of black-eyed peas on New Year's Day will attract both general good luck and money in particular to the one doing the dining

A person who lives alone might place a lucky item or two in a basket that has a string tied to it, and then place the basket just outside the front door before midnight. After midnight, the lone celebrant hauls in his catch, being careful to bring the item across the doorjamb by pulling the string rather than by reaching out to retrieve it and thus breaking the plane of the threshold.

Nothing Goes Out: Nothing -- absolutely nothing, not even garbage -- is to leave the house on the first day of the year. If you have presents to deliver on New Year's Day, leave them in the car overnight. Don't so much as shake out a rug or take the empties to the recycle bin. Some people soften this rule by saying it's okay to remove things from the home on New Year's Day, provided that something else has been brought in first.

Just as the clock strikes twelve the head of the house should open the door in order to allow the Old Year to pass out and the New Year to come in.

Kissing at midnight: To ensure that those affections and ties will continue throughout the next twelve months. To not do this would be to set the stage for a year of coldness.

Stocking Up: The New Year must not be seen in with bare cupboards, lest that be the way of things for the year. Larders must be topped up and plenty of money must be placed in every wallet in the place to guarantee a prosperous year.

Paying Off Bills: The new year should not be begun with the household in debt, so checks should be written and mailed off prior to January 1st. Likewise, personal debts should be settled before the New Year arrives.

First Footing: The first person to enter your home after the stroke of midnight will influence the year you're about to have. Ideally, he should be dark-haired, tall, and good-looking, and it would be even better if he came bearing certain small gifts such as a lump of coal, a silver coin, a bit of bread, a sprig of evergreen, and some salt. Blonde and redhead first footers bring bad luck, and female first footers should be shooed away before they bring disaster down on the household.

First Footing: The first footer should knock and be let in rather than just using a key. After greeting those in the house and dropping off whatever small tokens of luck he has brought with him, he should make his way through the house and leave by a different door than the one through which he entered. No one should leave the premises before the first footer arrives -- the first traffic across the threshold must be headed in rather than striking out.

First footers must not be cross-eyed or have flat feet or eyebrows that meet in the middle

Squint-eyed, flat-footed, or red-haired men bring bad luck If they are first-footers, and so does a woman. But a man with a high instep, or one who comes on a horse, is considered particularly lucky.