musings on the byzantine empire

I should have written this a week ago, but what they hey, I had become distracted. On May 23, 1453, which was 553 years and 7 days ago, the City of Constantinople fell to Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire.

(click on any image for a larger view)


The Siege of Constantinople, 15^th century

Byzantine art and art history has always been a fascinating subject to me. Legends have their own appeal, and I will share my two favorite legends concerning the fall of Constantinople.

The City had a sacred icon of Theokotos (Mother of God), that was supposedly painted by St. Luke himself, that Theokotos herself gave to the city, the Hodegetria. The Hodegetria was displayed over the main city gate, showing all the divine protection Theokotos gave the city, and so long as Constantinople posessed the Hodegetria, it would not fall to an enemy army. On the eve of the final battle, when Emperor Constantine XI knew the city's defenses would no longer repel the Ottomans, he walked alone along the battlements, near the gate where the Hodegetria was displayed. Suddenly, Theokotos descended from Heaven, wrapped in light, and carried her holy icon back to Heaven, sealing the fate of the city.


Mosiac from Hagia Sophia of Theokotos and the Infant Christ, with Emperor
John II Comnenus and the Emperess Eirene making offerings to the Church

Hours later, after the walls had been breached, many of the people of the city were in Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, praying, making peace with their fates, as the priests celebrated the Liturgy. As Ottoman soldiers entered Hagia Sophia and began taking prisioners, the priests took the Eucharist and walked into the south wall, preventing the Eucharist from being defiled. It is said that when Hagia Sophia is once more a Christian Church, or even the entire city is once again a Christian city, the priests will emerge from the wall to finish the Liturgy that was interrupted the day the city fell.

Ah, the beauty and mystique of the Byzantine Empire.

hey, y'all, watch this!

This is something that has to be seen to be believed.






My dear, beloved husband, Tom, and his brother Luke (who was convienently out of frame), decided they needed to accelerate the flames in the barrel we use to burn brush in by adding more air. So they added air. They built a rig to insert directly into the barrel.

To create this device, you will need:
a length of chain-link fence post (heavy duty hollow pipe, about 3"diameter)
a hair dryer
duct tape
alcohol is optional, and was not involved in this particular project

If using alcohol, then begin consuming at this point. Using the duct tape, attach the blower end of the hair dryer to one end of the fence post, creating an extension on the hair dryer. Insert end of extension into barrel, turn hair dryer onto high, and watch the flames from the Pit of Hell leap up. Don't leave the end of the pipe against the edge of the barrel, so you don't over heat any section of the barrel and melt it.

I married into this, folks. :)

hey, cool

This quiz is kinda fun, what kind of fighter are you: Ninja, Cowboy, Knight, or Pirate?

Ninja You scored 11 Honor, 6 Justice, 5 Adventure, and 1 Individuality!

You are a soldier of the night. You rely on no more than your cunning and your repuation to strike fear in the hearts of lord and peasant alike. You've a sense of honor, but one that comes from within, not imposed from outside. Black clothes and shuriken for you. You're gonna do just fine.

This test tracked 4 variables. Here's how you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 95% on Ninjinuity You scored higher than 69% on Knightlyness You scored higher than 12% on Cowboiosity You scored higher than 0% on Piratical Bent Take The Cowboy-Ninja-Pirate-Knight Test on Ok Cupid

carnival of the recipies #42

Mmmmm...tasty. The Carnival of the Recipies is up at Conservative Friends. There are many tasty recipies in this weeks edition, where I make my debut in this particular carnival.

Uh-oh. It starts with one carnival, then a second, then before you know it...

a day in florence, alabama - part i

Ah, Florence. Il Duomo, Santa Croce with it's tomb of Michelangleo... oh, wait. Not that Florence, that's a little far for a day trip. I'm talking about Florence, Alabama. Florence sits along the banks of the Tennessee River, downstream from Huntsville, in northwestern Alabama.


The bluffs on the south side of the river that Muscle Shoals is built on. Muscle Shoals is named after the river mussels that the Native Americans would harvest from the shallows, the shoals in the river.


A pair of Mallard ducks, Anas platyrhynchos, riding the waves from river traffic.


Wild blackberries, Rubus fruticosus, growing among the rocks lining the banks along the river. They've adapted to a dwarfed form, entwined among the rocks so they can survive the yearly floods which scour the banks. There were a few ripe berries the birds hadn't eaten yet, which were very tasty. Also incidentially, cultivated blackberries are the State Fruit of Alabama.

friday cat blogging

Noah and Maleficent have their places on the couch staked out for the night


Hey, what'cha doing with that flahsy light thing?


Hey, what happened to the litle warning flash before the really bright one?
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The Friday Ark is up at Modulator, so head on over (or back over if this is how you came across this post), and check out all the other crittery goodness.

reflections on laundry

Today I finally got around to washing my white laundry, which I don't have much of; I can truly wait a month before I have to wash whites. I have the usual assortment - socks, dishtowels, underwear, shirts, but preferring bright colors in everything, my white items tend to be my backups. While loading up the machine, I came across the uniform shirt I wore on my last shift on the Rescue Squad. I wear a white sleeveless shirt under my uniform t-shirt, and after shift I generally strip both off at the same time and throw them in the laundry.

I held the shirts, thinking how it's been over a month since I last rode on the rescue truck, since I was able to use my skills as an EMT. I can't even remember what happened on my last shift, if we did anything or not. I'll have to read my own rescue shift blogging post to see what happened.

I'm not trying to turn this into my own pity-party. I'm trying to remember the past, to get past the grief for what I have lost, whether it be temporary or permanent, and move on. I don't know what the future holds, only time will tell.

rain

nature's breath, sweet and moist drifts across the land
the air thickens, grows heavy with the promise of rain
clouds thicken as the sun completes his daily rounds
mists swirl and gather, inviting and beconing

drops form, almost hesitant to fall
one, then another, then the gentle caress
steadily a rhythm forms, faster, gaining in force
the rain sings and becons as sleep calls

google searches

Aww, I'm not the 3^rd result for the following Google search: Kate NCIS killed. Let's see, right now I'm 6^th, not too bad. Yes, I'm highly amused by the amazing increase in traffic I've seen all because of my post last week about the NCIS cliffhanger.

The all time top 10 Google Searches that have lead readers to this site:

1. NCIS Kate killed
2. NCIS Kate
3. Oubliette - #5 result, need to work on that one
   
4. ncis killed kate
   
5. ncis cliffhanger - #1 and #2 results WOO-HOO!
   
6. kate killed ncis
7. remicade infusion
8. +ncis +"killed kate"
9. ncis kate is killed
10. killed kate on ncis

I find this so hilarious. Heck, I'm outranking fan fiction sites right now in results ranking. I'm glad to see that a search on the word "oubliette" is still in the top 3 of Google searches sending people to this site.

catblogging roundup

If you missed it, Ripe Bananas is hosting the current edition of the Carnival of the Cats. Ady gives the Carnival an interesting twist by providing a unique prospective into the thoughts of cats. Yeah, yeah, I know it's been up for a couple of days now, better late than never.

It's also time to start thinking about what you will be adding to the Friday Ark, hosted as always at Modulator.

early morning musings

Insomniac + 6 cans Pepsi Lime = no sleep

general status update

Well, a general update on how things are going with me, medically. No new visits with any doctors or tests. I'm waiting for a referral to a Neurologist from my regular physician, Dr. F. For those who may need some catching up, Dr. D the Ear Nose Throat I saw ordered some tests; the ENG test was normal, the ANA blood test was positive - no shock there, it tests for autoimmune disease and I have 2 already, the Crohn's Disease and Ankylosing Spondylitis. So, we've narrowed it down to something neurological. That's a big help. The big concern is that it's MS, since it's also an autoimmune disorder, and I have a cousin with it also. The MRI I had of my brain showed no lesions, but there are still many more tests that I can be put through.

I've been creating a record of every symptom I've had in the past month or so, and it's not making me very happy.

• vertigo
• loss of balance
• loss of coordination
• visual disturbances - some fixed object appearing to shake or vibrate
• short-term memory loss (sporadic)
• problems with remembering words - like being able to see a book on a table and not being able to say the word "book", or see it in my mind and have to revert to describing it "bound pages of paper"
• fatigue
• depression
• tingling in my extremeties - "pins and needles" in fingers, feet, and (I'm not kidding) my butt-cheeks
  
• muscle twitching - this is new, a muscle in my hand twitched for 15 minutes this morning
• hearing changes - in my left ear suddenly the sound became muffled and there was just a whine for about 5 minutes (don't know if this is related or not, but I'm going to tell the neurologist about it)
  

Something I've been musing over for a few days now is an episode I had about a year ago. With the Crohn's, it's not uncommon for patients to develop vitamin B-12 deficiencies, especially those who have had bowel surgery, like myself. So, I did a little research on the web, found that the deficiency is easily corrected with over the counter supplements, which I have been on ever since. I knew that long-term, severe deficiency can cause permanent nerve damage, and this weekend I found out what kind of damage that is - demyelination of the nerves of the central nervous system. The same thing that MS does. Shit. I even found some suggestions from excerpts from various medical/research journals that a B-12 deficiency can cause MS. Double shit.

I just want to know what's going on, so we can do something about it. The not knowing is driving me nuts.

mac ventures out

Early Saturday morning Mac decided to come out of Luke's bedroom and explore the house a little.


Mac peers at me from the safety of his room.


He checks to see if it's safe to come out


Cautiously, Mac ventures out into the wonders of the rest of the house

Mac is the resident scaredy cat, who prefers to live in Luke's bedroom, away from the rest of the cats, who he doesn't trust. Nor is he a big fan of people he doesn't know, either. Sometimes curiosity wins out in the end, though.

more recipe blogging

I think this is what I'm going to make for dinner later today. I generally just add this and that until it's right, but to share some of my recipes with the world, I'll make a stab at quantifying my recipe. This is more of a guideline, everything is to taste, so quantities can be adjusted however one wants. Usually I make it without the chicken and shrimp, but I think I'll try something a little different, a variation on my usual.

Jambalaya à la Mira
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 lb smoked sausage - sliced lengthwise then sliced across, forming half-moons
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs - cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2 in cubes
1/2 lb cooked shrimp - I use frozen pre-cooked salad shrimp
1 medium onion, diced - or about 1 cup frozen diced onion, thawed
1/2 bell pepper, diced - or about 1/3 cup frozen diced bell pepper, thawed
3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed - or a heaping teaspoon of minced garlic in a jar
1 can 14 oz diced or crushed tomatoes - do not drain
1 can 14 oz tomato sauce
1 can 16 oz chicken stock
a handfull of dried parsley
1 cup long grain rice
1-2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning (I prefer Tony Chachere's or Kroger's store brand)
pepper sauce to taste - Tabasco's Red or Green Sauce or Louisiana Hot Sauce
salt to taste - the Cajun seasoning blends have a lot of salt, so you may not need any at all

Notes:
The sausage should be pre-cooked, but I cook it over low heat to render some of the fat out of it since I think the regular sausage has a better flavor than the low-fat variety.

I use cooked frozen shrimp for convenience. Sam's Club has farm-raised shrimp which have a wonderful flavor. I use the salad size since they're bite size, tail off, and the least expensive.

Tabasco Green Sauce is milder than the traditional red sauce, and milder than anybody's Louisiana Hot Sauce, if you want more flavor with less heat.

Directions:
Cook the sausage over low heat in either a large skillet, 14" or a stockpot until the sausage is browned and some of the fat has been cooked out of the meat. Drain the sausage on paper towel, and set aside. Brown the peppers, onion, chicken, and garlic in the pan until the chicken is browned and the vegetables are soft or slightly brown. Add the sausage back to the pan, sprinkle about half of the Cajun seasoning and stir to coat the ingredients. Add the rice to the pan, stir. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, and parsley, stir well. Taste at this point for spice and salt. Add additional Cajun seasoning, pepper sauce, and salt as needed. Keep in mind, the longer the dish cooks, the hotter it will be; the heat from the peppers develops with cooking.

Simmer approximately 20 minutes, without stirring; resist the urge, just let it simmer away over low heat. Add the frozen shrimp, stir, and shake the pan a little to settle everything again. After about 5 more minutes, check the rice for doneness. If needed, add water and allow the rice to finish cooking. The dish should be moist, but not soupy.

Serve and enjoy.

oh, delicious

I have discovered my new favorite coffee drink.

1. Grind some good quality non-flavored coffee beans of your choice. I prefer breakfast blend, a light roast.
2. Brew to your preferred strength.
3. Pour into your favorite coffee cup, mine is a simple but elegant clear glass footed mug. Don't fill to the top.
4. Add Kahula to taste, depending on what kind of day it's been.
5. Add your favorite flavored creamer, I recommend Vanilla Toffee Caramel.
6. Relax and enjoy.
   

That's it. Simple enough, and quite tasty, a good after dinner dessert coffee. Nice and sweet.

Oh, for those who know what medications I'm taking right now and worry about me (you know who you are), there's barely any Kahula in what I'm drinking right now, about a teaspoon. I haven't and won't take any of my medications that don't mix with alcohol tonight. Just because I came up with the recipe doesn't mean I'm sitting here getting trashed.

memorial park catblogging

In keeping with my cemetery tour theme this week, one of the cemeteries Tom, Luke, and I visited was the Pet Memorial Park, outside Madison, AL.


St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals


A beloved kitty on the pedestal she always thought she deserved


Another beloved kitty, who will always be remembered by her family

unexpected encounters

While I was out wandering through the cemeteries of Madison County last Sunday, I made a couple of unexpected discoveries in Fowlkl's Cemetery.


A Red-Tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis - was circling nearby when we arrived at the cemetery


A toad that Tom nearly stepped on. The good ol' American Toad - Bufo americanus


There is no toad here, only a rock. I am a rock. Pay me no mind. Obviously this toad is extremely upset at being touched.


A different toad, our first theory was that she is a momma toad that had a baby nearby. The baby didn't know the "I am a rock" trick yet, so it hopped off.


But we found the baby toad.

After doing a little research on the web, I'm having seconds thoughts about the momma/baby theory. The female lays about 20,000 eggs, so that's a lot of babies. Spring is the mating season for the American Toad, so what probably happened was we interrupted a romantic moment between the female and the much smaller male.

nearly friday catblogging

Tux, the neighborhood cat was just chillin on the front porch again one day.


Tux kinda warily eyes me, wondering if I will bother him or let him be.


Tux is distracted by someone else, so I can get a little closer and get a nice shot of him lounging.

For those of you not familiar with Tux, he's the neighborhood stray that we provide some food and water for on our front step. He's nobody's cat, and everybody's cat, I'm pretty sure we're not the only ones that feed him.

Earlier this week the mystery of where all of Tux's food was going was solved. We have motion sensors which trip the lights on the front and back of the house. While I was in the kitchen, the light kicked on, and a big ol' fat raccoon was waddling through the yard. I moved closer to the window, to get a better look, and the 'coon saw me. He looked up at me, then went about his business. The next day I saw both kitty paw prints and raccoon prints on the front porch.

A few days later, Tom saw a 'possum in the front yard, eating the cat food. It was a little on the skinny side, but not afraid of people according to Tom. He had to convince it to go on it's merry way withoug going into the garage. Also, apparently mockingbirds think cat kibble is rather tasty. Yep, we're feeding all the critters in the neighborhood. Oh, well.
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The Friday Ark is up at Modulator, so when you're done here head on over and check out all the other creatures which we share the Earth, our yards, and our homes with.

Also, don't forget the Carnival of the Cats, which will be hosted by Ripe Bananas.

Gir from Your Moosey Fate tagged me this afternoon with this meme, so I'm trying to not get behind in my memes. Here we go.

1. Total number of films I own on DVD/video:
Somewhere about 70.

2. The last film I bought:
The Phantom of the Opera

3. The last film I watched:
The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King extendend edition with the cast commentary

4. Five films that I watch a lot or that mean a lot to me:
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, extended editions
The Phantom of the Opera
Farscape (the Sci-Fi TV series)
The Harry Potter Movies
The Hannibal Lecter Trilogy - Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal

5. Tag 5 people and have them put this in their journal/blog:
Barry Campbell at enrevanche
Jaquandor at Byzantium's Shores
Brainwise at Prophet or Madman
FireGem at FireGem's Domain
Rurality at Rurality

oh, holy crap

I never imagined my post on Kate being killed on the season cliffhanger of NCIS would generate so much traffic. As of 23:52, I've had 180 hits today, a new record, bypassing by far when I hosted the Carnival of the Cats. Most of my traffic from today is because of this Google search - Kate killed NCIS. At the time I'm writing this, I'm the 6^th result on that search, and the only one that's not a fanfiction site or discussion board.

Wow, I never thought my little tirade would generate this kind of results. All I wanted to do was share with my modest regular readership my theory and hopes of what would happen at the beginning of the next season. I'm more than a little shocked, to say the least