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Falkirk Downs Racetrack

On Tuesday the 18th of November, Falkirk Downs opened their doors for the first time in couple of years. The tracks and buildings had been renovated as well the structure of the races. Barter and coin betting booth allowed every citizen the chance to place bets, have fun and possibly become winners of either coins or prizes. It was a whole new system and worked out very well. Five stables registered with their racers. Barrett Royal Stables has six running, McDonough Stables has eight, Golden Dawn Stables has five, Wolfe Stables has four and McDale stables has three. Sables are allowed up to ten racers. Individual citizens can have up to two racers. Gabriel Vaughn has two registered, Fearghus Frasier, Joshua McDonough, Brigid MacKinlay and Graham Frasier each have one.

In the first race Renegade Star from McDonough's Stables came in first, followed by Hunting Demons of Wolfe Stables and Blacke Magic of Golden Dawn Stables. The second race had Drop the Act of Wolfe Stables coming in first followed by Wrong Turn of McDale Stables and Blackmoor's Sage of Golden Dawn Stables. The last Registered race had Jack of Wolfe Stables coming in first followed by Rag Doll of McDonough Stables and Cinnamon of Golden Dawn Stables. The last Race which is called the Hometown Race consists of citizens that come to the races that evening and wish to race each other. The horses are their own, non registered race horses as well the stable provide a few extra in case a citizen doesn't own a horse.

Seven citizens participated in the Hometown Race, Melantha Quinn riding Little Lady, Gabriel Vaughn riding Rapscallion, Gaelle Thorpe riding Buttercup, Broch Cunningham riding Hercules, Davin McDale riding Run Away Joe, Michael Cunningham riding Card Shark and Aiden Collins riding Batal. Gaelle Thorpe ruled the track on her fast little mare Buttercup. It became evident that both horse and rider wanted to win this race. She was followed by Gabriel Vaughn on Rapscallion and close behind him, Davin McDale on Run Away Joe. Gaelle received the top Prize - a choice of a Foal to be born of three pregnant race horses  in the spring from the Barrett Royal Stables. Gabriel won a certificate to choose one item from Benzaiten Imports run by Xander McDonough. Davin won the third place prize of a four point knot Celtic Pendant from Velvet MacShire jewelry. Gaelle Thorpe also made out the highest in coin winnings. It was her night to be in the spotlight.

The top three prizes for those who bartered in the first race were: Surrey bartered by Raphael O'Keeffe. Those with winning bets were Raphael, Niklas Traugott, Darren McCullen, Feargus Frasier, Allan Cleary, Eddie McAndrews, Kathleen Frasier, Xander McDonough, Keriann Saxton and Joe McAndrews. The Crowns supplemented O'Keeffe to make the extra surreys.  Niklas Traugott also won the second place prize of an oak rider's desk bartered in by Sean MacGrath. Third Prize of a wine decanter, glasses and wine donated by the Crown was won by Jon McAndrews and Lisette Frasier. The second race results for bartering was an Adult Racing Dog bartered in by Eddie McAndrews and won by Jon McAndrews. Second place as a Singing Crystal Tree donated by the Crown that four won, Darren McCullen, Eddie McAndrews, Hazel MacKay and Joe McAndrews. Third prize was five pounds of petit fours bartered by the Corina Turlough and won by Allan Cleary and Hazel MacKay. In the Third race, Corina also won the top prize of a Certificate donated by Draven MacShire for an Attendant Service which she says she is giving her sister. Second prize of a finely crafted Lute donated by the Crowns was won by Niklas Traugott, Darren McCullen, Fearghus Frasier, Corina Turlough, Eddie McAndrews and Xander McDonough. The last, but not least prize of the last, but not least, race was a silver flask filled with Potcheen won by Raphael O'Keeffe, Jon McAndrews, Allan Cleary, Kathleen Frasier and Joe McAndrews.

Many bartered items have been added to the Falkirk Downs inventory to be used in upcoming races. Those making bets of barter or coin need not be present at the races but only those present can enter the Hometown race. The Grand Opening was a huge success and we hope to continue the trend in the months to come. What made up most of that success was for those that attended having an excellent time out and spent. --submitted by Patrick Frasier, proprietor of Falkirk Downs, owned by the Frasier Family of Falkirk.

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Healer's Touch
by Samantha Golden

Chaparral - Chaparral stinks. Literally. And it tastes downright unpleasant. So the herb's major healing benefit comes as something of a surprise -- it's a mouthwash. We're not talking minty fresh here. You wouldn't want to reach for it before puckering up for your morning kiss. But don't let that stop you -- the unassuming chaparral shrub, native to the American Southwest, contains a chemical called NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid), which kills the bacteria and other microorganisms that turn fats and oils rancid. Stinkweed: If, as some people believe, effective medicine smells foul and tastes terrible, chaparral should be a terrific healer.

Its leaves exude a waxy resin that smells like creosote and is the source of its popular names: stinkweed, greasewood and creosote bush (though the plant contains no creosote). The Southwest Indians rubbed chaparral resin on burns. They used chaparral tea to treat colds, bronchitis, chicken pox, snakebite and arthritis. And they heated the tips of its twigs and applied the hot resin to painful teeth. White settlers adopted the plant and used it externally for bruises, rashes, dandruff and wounds, and internally for diarrhea, stomach upset, menstrual problems, venereal diseases and cancers of the liver, kidney and stomach. Chaparral was listed as an expectorant (to clear mucus from the respiratory system) and bronchial antiseptic but today few herbalists mention it.

Healing with Chaparral
Tooth Decay, Gum Disease. NGDA's antiseptic action, combined with its traditional use for toothache, prompted scientists to test it against bacteria that cause tooth decay. It reduced such by 75%. Oral microorganisms also cause gum disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Chaparral mouthwash is no substitute for regular brushing and flossing, but it may provide added protection. And you don't have to worry about the smell lingering either.

Cancer: NGDA is a powerful antioxidant, meaning it helps prevent the cell damage scientists believe eventually causes cancer. For more than 100 years, chaparral has been a popular folk treatment for cancer. The National Cancer Institute has received many testimonials from people claiming the herb cured their cancers. Some laboratory studies agree chaparral has anti-tumor effects.

Arthritis: Some animal studies agree chaparral has anti-inflammatory action, leading credence to its traditional use in treating arthritis. Try it and see if it helps your stiffness.

Life Extension: Life-extension advocates say antioxidants like NGDA help slow the aging process and might even extend the human life span. One French study sows NGDA significantly extends the average life span of laboratory animals. Other scientists claim the chemical almost doubles the average life span of laboratory insects. Scientists have not been able to extend the human life span, but these antioxidant results are certainly intriguing.

Safety Factor: Although NGDA is a food preservative it was removed from the list of substances generally regarded as safe because experimental animals fed large amounts for long periods developed kidney and lymph-system problems. No human kidney or lymphatic disease has ever been documented in chaparral users, but to be prudent, those with kidney and lymph conditions should not use this herb. For otherwise healthy, nonpregnant, nonnursing, adults who do not have kidney or lymph-system conditions, chaparral is considered safe in amounts typically recommended. It should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. -- Excerpts Taken from The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman

Community News

Barrett Memorial Zoological Gardens: With the onset of full winter weather looming closer with each passing day, certain accommodations need to be considered and seen to at the Barrett Memorial Zoological Gardens.  Chief among these accommodations and considerations is the winter quartering of some of the animals on exhibit at the zoo.  The zoological gardens are open year round to visitors, with shorter hours during the winter months, and some of the species on display will remain in the outdoor exhibition areas, while others will be put up in special, indoor enclosures.

The animals of the African Savannah exhibit will all be moved indoors to pens and other confinements specially considered and crafted to meet the needs and requirements of each different species.  These are creatures that are largely accustomed to hotter climes and geographies.  Other creatures which are accustomed to the change in seasons will remain in their permanent, year-round enclosures and exhibition areas.  With the assistance and considerable efforts generously afforded by Maurice McDonough, the zoological gardens have been designed and constructed to represent and provide a comfortable, natural setting for any visitors that may wish to walk the gardens regardless of the availability of various exhibits.

While I am extending thanks, I would like to also offer my most sincere gratitude for, and to, the considerable, diligent efforts of my colleagues and fellow workers at the zoological gardens.  First, I would like to express my appreciation and regards for the efforts of fellow zookeeper Kaylea MacKay.  Under her stewardship, both the aviary and the petting zoo have been remarkably successful and popular exhibits.  Another vote of thanks is due Keriann Frasier-Saxton for the exquisitely detailed sculpture that has been recently delivered to the zoo.  Visitors to the zoo will see this fine example of the artist's considerable skills upon entry to the facility, as it is situated directly in front of the administration building.  I would certainly be remiss did I not thank the zoo's all around handyman and jack of all trades, Patch.  Many tasks that might have proven exceedingly difficult, if not nearly impossible, were accomplished, what of the big fellow's unique properties and capabilities.  Lastly, and certainly not least, I would like to thank all of the visitors and patrons that have graced the Barrett Memorial Zoological Gardens with their support and presence at the facility.  I look forward to seeing many of the same faces continuing to visit the gardens in the winter months. --submitted by Calum Creighton

Hollow Oaks Mercantile and Inn - A new business is about to be opened in Heathfield's Barrett's Bay..  The building for Hollow Woods Inn and Mercantile is finished, the inside is set up and being stocked, and everything nearly ready for opening day.  We will carry picks, axes, brooms, buckets, barrels, cookware  and all sorts of general goods.  The Inn will have comfortable rooms and light meals, bar food, for a reasonable price in the tavern area, located on the right side of the building coming in. The mercantile on the left, rooms upstairs. Ale will be our specialty as well the popular drink of potcheen, wines and mixed drinks. Cocoa, cider, water and milk for those too young to drink or those who wish not to.

Our partnership is made up of  Captain Lorcan o'Domhnaill, Mack, Captain Solitaire De Costa and myself, Dorian Tremaine.  Our extended family has moved into South Winds Manor and everyone has been busy working hard to have both the Inn and Mercantile ready before Christmas.  We wish to thank everyone who helped us, and especially the Crown, for their great generosity.  We all look forward to becoming an addition to the community. --submitted by Dorian Tremaine

Births:  none this month. Marriages: none this month. Engagements: none this month   Deaths: None this Month. Citizenship: Please welcome Patch, working with Calum Creighton and Kaylea MacKay at the Barrett Memorial Zoological Gardens as they very handy, handyman.

Anansi - The Tricksy Spider

Easily the most popular and well-known god of the African pantheon,  particularly in West Africa, Anansi is often represented by the spider, or known as the Spider in tales that were passed down through the oral tradition. Son of the sky god, Nyame, Anasi is considered responsible for bringing the rains upon command from his father to douse forest and savannah fires, as well as set the boundaries of oceans and rivers during 

flood season. When the rains come to Africa, it is to Anansi that the people pray to protect their homes and families from overflowing banks and flash floods.

Amongst many African tribes, Anansi is credited not only with creating the sun and the moon, but establishing night and day. Furthermore, it is believed that he crafted the first man from clay and soil, presenting his creation to his father Nyame, who breathed life into the form and brought humanity into being.

Yet to most, Anansi is viewed as a trickster, sly and cunning. In the story of the little tar girl, Anansi finds himself stuck fast to the tar when the figure refuses to speak and angers him. Anansi first lashes out with his hands, striking the tar girl's cheeks, enmiring them with the tar. Then his feet kicked out, further catching the god in the trap, where the people whom he'd been tormenting with his trickery obtained their revenge.

Despite how he is perceived, Ananzi is not deemed truly evil. He was clever enough to set himself up as the King of the Humans after persuading Nyame's daughter to become his wife. Amongst his gifts to humanity, the god taught humans to sow and reap grain, and introduced the shovel to the African peoples for use in farming.  (taken from pantheon.org)

December

December is the twelfth and final month of the Gregorian calendar and the first month of winter.  It derives it's name from the Latin word decem, meaning ten, as December was the tenth month of the oldest Roman calendar.  The Latin name is derived from Decima, the middle Goddess of the Three Fates who personifies the present. Yule, is when the dark half of the year relinquishes to the light half.   Starting the next morning at sunrise, the sun climbs just a little higher and stays a little longer in the sky each day.  Known as Solstice Night, or the longest night of the year, much celebration was to be had as the ancestors awaited the rebirth of the Oak King, the Sun King, the Giver of Life that warmed the frozen Earth and made her to bear forth from seeds protected through the fall and winter in her womb.  Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider. The Holly King, represents the Death aspect of the God at this time of year; and the Oak King, represents the opposite aspect of Rebirth (these roles are reversed at Midsummer).  This can be likened to the Divine Child's birth.  The myth of the Holly King/Oak King probably originated from the Druids to whom these two trees were highly sacred.  The Oak King (God of the Waxing Year) kills the Holly King (God of the Waning Year) at Yule (the Winter Solstice).  The Oak King then reigns supreme until Litha (the Summer Solstice) when the two battle again, this time with the Holly King victorious.  Examples of the Holly King's image can be seen in our modern Santa Claus.

"The Winter Solstice, also known as Midwinter, occurs around December 21 or 22 each year in the Northern hemisphere, and June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. It occurs on the shortest day or longest night of the year, sometimes said to astronomically mark the beginning or middle of a hemisphere's winter. The word solstice derives from Latin, Winter Solstice meaning Sun set still in winter. Worldwide, interpretation of the event varies from culture to culture, but most hold a recognition of rebirth, involving festivals, gatherings, rituals or other celebrations. Many cultures celebrate or celebrated a holiday near the winter solstice; examples of these include Christmas, Hanukkah,  New Years, Pongal, Yalda and many other festivals of light. The solstice itself may have remained a special moment of the annual cycle of the year since neolithic times. This is attested by physical remains in the layouts of late Neolithic and Bronze Age archeological sites like Stonehenge and New Grange in the British Isles. The primary axis of both of these monuments seem to have been carefully aligned on a sight-line framing the winter solstice sunrise (New Grange) and the winter solstice sunset (Stonehenge). The winter solstice may have been immensely important because communities were not assured to live through the winter, and had to be prepared during the previous nine months. Starvation was common in winter between January to April, also known as the famine months. In temperate climes, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was nearly the only time of year when a supply of fresh meat was available. The majority of wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking at this time. The concentration of the observances were not always on the day commencing at midnight or at dawn, but the beginning of the pre-Romanized day, which falls on the previous eve."

 The birth of the Persian hero and sun-god Mithra was celebrated on December 25th. The myth tells that he sprang up full-grown from a rock, armed with a knife and carrying a torch.  Shepherds watched his miraculous appearance and hurried to greet him with their first fruits and their flocks and their harvests. His cult spread throughout Roman lands during the 2nd century.  In 274, the Emperor Aurelian declared December 25th the Birthday of Sol Invictus (the Unconquerable Sun) in Rome. The 25th December was a date picked by the Catholic church to appease the pagans who they were trying to convert, but who were not willing to give up their traditional holidays and festivals. Saturnalia was one of the popular Roman pagan festivals of celebration, drunkenness and making merry which ran from the 17th to the 24th of December. Gifts were exchanged on the 23rd and 24th. On the 25th December they would celebrate "The Birth of The Unconquerable Sun." It was decided that this would be a day for celebrating the birth of Jesus instead. Many of the pagan traditions such as decorating the house with trees and greenery were banned at this time, but they have crept back into our Christmas traditions. --submitted by Mary Colleen McAndrews

Merry Christmas!

I Heard a Bird Sing
by Oliver Herford
"I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

'We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,'
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December."
--submitted by Kaylea MacKay

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The Eve of Christmas
by Anonymous
Two thousand years have almost gone by
Since Jesus was nailed on a cross to die
His teachings were done by words and deed
And thousand would listen, and thousands would heed.
The words of His wisdom, and that of God
As many miles on foot would he trod
Let Peace be on earth, would be His command,
And nothing less than this should we demand!
On the Eve of His birth let us all be blessed
And thank our God as we see the end of our quest.
Let us all stand together, as brother and friend
And pledge our love, and respect to a world without end.
Together we stand, in joy and in sorrow
and praise the birth of Jesus with the light of tomorrow!
--submitted by Brigid MacKinlay

It's Christmas Time Again
by Bob Lazzar-Atwood
Put your problems on probation
Run your troubles off the track,
Throw your worries out the window
Get the monkeys off your back.
Silence all your inner critics
With your conscience make amends,
And allow yourself some happiness
It's Christmas time again!

Call a truce with those who bother you
Let all the fighting cease,
Give your differences a breather
And declare a time of peace,
Don't let angry feelings taint
The precious time you have to spend,
And allow yourself some happiness
It's Christmas time again!

Like some cool refreshing water
Or a gentle summer breeze,
Like a fresh bouquet of flowers
Or the smell of autumn leaves,
It's a banquet for the spirit
Filled with family, food and friends,
So allow yourself some happiness
It's Christmas time again!
--submitted by Gabriel Vaughn

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Did You Know?

Healing Lines: In many cultures throughout the world, threads, ropes, or cords were thought to serve as roads for the travels of spirits. The Australian Aborigines, for example, speak of a group of heavenly beings called the Rai, who travel through the sky on invisible ropes. The Aborigines believe that the Rai are spirits of the dead, and that only those people with magical powers can see the ropes they use. They also believe that during miruru, their name for the out of body state, a magical thread links the physical body and the spirit body, providing a route by which the spirit can return to the body. This concept also exists in the beliefs of the RIgo people of Papua New Guinea. The Rigos claim that when a person has an out of body experience, a fishing line is attached to the spirit and remains taut as it makes its aerial journey. According to the Rigo, the line allows the spirit to return, ensuring that it does not become separated from the body indefinitely.

Thread Roads: Since prehistoric times, shamanic rituals were an important part of the traditions of the Tungus people of eastern Siberia. After the Russian Revolution most of these practices disappeared as the Tungus communities were dispersed. Until that time, however, the original ideas and practices remained virtually unchanged. In Siberia, the Tungus shaman would poke poles, to which cords were attached, through the smoke hole of his tent. The cords were then linked to sacred objects outside the tent. The spirits were believed to travel along the cord 'road' into the tent, where they would share the special knowledge with the shaman. When the Tungus people of Manchuria, in northern China, initiated a shaman, they would attach one end of a rope or thong made of red Chinese silk or red-colored sinews to a tree. The other end was then attached to the place where the initiate sat during the three-day ceremony. The Tungus people believed that the spirits entered the world via the tree, traveled along the silk rope and whispered their secrets to the would-be shaman.

Releasing Illness: Such spirit thread lore became particularly associated with healing. An Aboriginal healer, for example, will attach the long, thin thread made by a certain insect to the head of a sick person, and run the thread to a nearby bush where the soul of the sufferer is thought to be lodged. The long thread supposedly allows the person's soul to travel back into his or her body, making that person whole again and ending the illness. The Buryat shamans of Siberia would position an arrow, itself a symbol of magical flight, on the ground alongside the head of a sick person and lay a red thread in a straight line from the point of the arrow to a pole erected outside the tent. The pole symbolized the world tree, by which the persons' spirit entered the spirit world. This arrangement was believed to provide a route along which the soul could return to the body.

Trapping Spirits: According to northern Eupopean folklore, threads could be used to block the movement of evil spirits. Spirit Traps were made by stretching long red threads across a large hoop, mounting it on a staff and placing it on the path that the evil spirit was suppose to haunt. The spirit, unable to pass through the taut threads, was forced to return to the spirit world. -- submitted by Samantha Golden (taken from the book Earth's Mysterious Places, Reader's Digest)

RECIPES of the MONTH