Today is all about enjoying life… having a laugh and sharing joy with others. So, get out there and stir up some mischief today and enjoy every moment!
Many Blessings,
Follow the Raven:
fun stuff
Halloween… more than it seems
Here’s a little something I wrote a few years back about what I saw one Halloween night.
Ghosts, Goblins, Witches and the whole lot … I also saw cheerleaders and football players.. I saw cowboys and Indians.. I saw a princess or maybe 2.. I saw fairies and angels and firefighters and doctors .. I saw monsters and goblins and vampires too… and then I looked past the costumes and wow did I see some really cool things. I saw families together having fun, laughing and playing as the night grew dark. I saw the love between mother/father and child… parents that made the night about having fun and being a child. I saw costumes lovingly made .. I saw the patience and time it took for those costumes … made or store bought. There were parents who made sure their child got to be who they wanted on this one day of the year.
Does it really matter in this day and time how this night originated and from which group of people or religion may have started any of it? As it is today .. it’s a collection, an infusion of many backgrounds, many religious beliefs as well as family traditions and lets not forget the media. All of these things have made it what it is today and now it is up to you, each individual to make it what YOU want it to be.
For the most part I saw Halloween night being one of family love and harmony… there was no fussing about what gifts to give or buy… there was no bickering about whose house to go to for you go to all of them. There was no dollar amounts being brought up and it wasn’t even about who had the most expensive costume. At this time of year, on this night… better doesn’t always mean more expensive!
To me as a child Halloween was far better than Christmas! There was nothing I had to worry about except how I dressed.. and I could be anything in the world I wanted to be this night and no one would say how ridiculous… because the more ridiculous the better it seemed to be.
Halloween to me is the true meaning of being a kid… allowing your imagination take over and then there’s the CANDY!!!! It can’t get any better than that!
Many Blessings,
Follow the Raven:
Be sure to check out my Facebook Page for more videos, Spirit messages and free readings even!
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Help me Win Toast of Music City!!
Toast of Music City has Started!!! Please cast your votes very day for the next 30 days!
You will need to register and log in – If you are out of country you can use my zip code to register 37067
You will find me under People and Places – Listed under Best Local Blog and Best Visual Artist
Holly Stokes – Raventalker.com
Many Blessings,
Follow the Raven:
Be sure to check out my Facebook Page for more videos, Spirit messages and free readings even!
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Get Daily Message from the Raven!!!
If you want more frequent videos and messages from the Raven… like my Facebook page! I post there far more often then here on my blog so you are missing quite a lot. Right now energy and messages are coming through so fast… it’s hard to keep up. It’s just easier for me to post the messages as they come in on my other page so be sure to stop by and check it out!
The Healing Path of the Raven!
Many Blessings,
Follow the Raven:
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Crystal Digging in Arkansas
This past weekend I spent two days at Sweet Surrender Crystal Mine digging in the dirt and mud for quartz crystals! It’s an amazing experience and such great energy from the land there. Connecting with the Earth and nature in a way that gives you a sense of being fully recharged… I’ll post another video of all my finds as soon as they are done being cleaned in the muriatic acid they are sitting in at the moment.. it usually takes about a week or two to get all the iron ore off them.
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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DIY Brazilian Blowout at Home
I have long, naturally curly hair and I love it!! Sometimes though, I would like my hair to be straight,NOT an easy task! To get my hair straight, I spend over an hour blow drying and flat ironing and pray that the weather is not so humid… living in the South, that rarely happens. After forever in front of the mirror, hot and worn out… there is still a chance that when I step outside, my hair will frizz and puff up like a puffer fish. Not exactly my idea way to start the day and certainly not the look I have spent all that time trying to achieve.
So now there is this new craze going on called Brazilian Blowout. It’s a treatment done at the beauty salons that I have found is quite costly. This treatment is said to last 30 days or longer. It leaves your hair straight, shiny and smooth and without all that work that it normally takes to straighten curly hair. My budget won’t allow me to go out and have it done, so I set out on a mission to find a way to do it myself. It wasn’t hard. There are lots of products out there, all seem pretty affordable ranging from $20 – $50. I watched a Youtube video showing how its done. I searched for products and book marked a few to consider purchasing soon.
I was at Walmart of all places to pick up some shipping boxes and thought I’d check out the hair products aisle. This is what I found for $10. I thought, well it looks like the products I’ve seen online so why not, if it doesn’t work, I’m only out $10.
I went home, followed instructions on the box and in less time than it took me to straighten my hair the other night.. I was done. 
This is what my hair looked like the day after, even after I slept on it all night. That morning all I had to do was blow it out a little and flat ironed quickly just to smooth down and bumps that occurred during the night. Instructions say not to wash for 48 hours, so now I wait. The true test of this product will be what happens AFTER the wash.
And then we can see how long this treatment lasts. For $10… I think this was well worth a try.
Follow this post for updates… I’ll post what happens after the wash and I’ll try and post weekly about how it’s going and how long it lasts.
UPDATE: This morning I washed my hair for the first time since the treatment and well the product did great, but I failed. MY hair is really thick and holds water and takes ages to blowdry, this morning I miss judged the time and while I was trying to get it dry I ran out of time, had to wet it again and just let it go natural for today. For me I will have to wash it at night and just flat iron in the mornings. I don’t have any product on my hair at all today and to my amazement it’s not frizzy at all. Normally I always have to use some sort of antifrizz product on my hair just to keep it under control. Today I had it mostly dry, wet it again and then dried just my bangs and walked out the door. I will flat iron it in the morning and it SHOULD be back to its straight fabulous self. On another note, my hair is really curly when I allow it to dry on its own, today a lot less curly, so the product works!
UPDATE: 2 weeks later… still straight and loving it!!!
The key is a good flatiron that gets up to 450.
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Toast of Music City 2014 Results!
Oooops we did it again!! I want to thank everyone who took the time to spend 5 weeks of their summer voting. Without all of you there is no way I could have done this. From the bottom of my heart, thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much! I am so blessed to have such great friends, family and fans, followers and readers. You all make me so proud and humble at the same time. Every year, I sit there biting my nails with anticipation, not knowing what the final results will be and year after year you all show your love and support with a win win win!! I cannot thank you enough! I am truly honored. Okay, wiping away the tears of joy so that I can click send. Thanks again for the love and support. The video should show you how much fun the night was!!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Talking Crow
I just had to share this “only in Raventalker’s World” story that happened this morning.
I always get to work an hour or more before I should be here. I like to use that quiet time to get my day organized and to just enjoy a little quiet, me time. So after I get my day ready I decide to step outside to search for some clovers and meditate before everyone starts coming in.
I’m looking in a patch of clovers when a crow lands on the lamp pole on the street next to me. He begins calling in other crows with the short, quick calls. I begin mocking his calls. He calls 3 times, I call 3 times, he calls 4, I call 4, etc. Suddenly another crow lands on the lamp pole just up from us on the street. Now I have 2 of them and I’m mocking both crows. Another crow comes in and lands on the lap pole in the parking lot and now there are 4 of us :-).
Here’s the layout: 
All of us are calling back and fourth and I giggle to myself about whats going on. I keep searching through the clovers, and calling at the same time. The crow from the parking lot lamp pole wants a better view at what I’m doing so he flies over to the building behind me. The sun is coming up from the other side of the building so I can see the building’s shadow in front of me. I can see where the crow is and as I continue searching for clovers and mocking their calls, the crow on the building steps around to the other side of me so he can see what I’m doing. Suddenly the crow on the building makes the little growling sound crows make to symbolize affection.
We call a few more times back and fourth and then they all leave.
I felt for a moment like Snow White in the forest talking to the animals. It was a precious moment, connecting with my crow cousins. A moment that in the middle of these hard times, I was able to smile and feel good inside. I didn’t feel so alone and felt connected, a part of something more than just my own being.
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Cummins Falls
This morning I got up at 4 am so that I could drive 80 miles to Cookeville to then climb down to see Cummins Falls as the sun was coming up … it was a looooooooooong way to that waterfall but it was well worth the trek! My day started out driving while it was still dark and then the joys of watching the sun come up and paint the sky in beautiful colors. I went straight from beautiful painted sky to nothing but fog and then finally just as I came out of the fog bank I arrived at my destination. Hmmmmmm… the gate is closed. Check website for hours.. crap, I’m an hour early. Well, now I have time to get my backpack ready. I’m on the phone with my bestie laughing about me driving out so far and the park being closed when I guy clad in flannel steps out of the woods… I was like.. stay on the phone with me… LOL. He walked right past me and opened the gate! Thanks! And I was on my way. The sign said <– that way to Overlook and –> that way to downriver shortcut…. I’d hate to see what the long way looked like. After hiking down the side of the mountain I ended up in a very wide creek bed. Started hiking toward the waterfall and had to cross over the creek several times … and I kept walking .. and walking … wondering where the heck is this waterfall!!!
Finally I rounded a bend in the creek and it was heavenly!! So majestic and beautiful!
We won’t even think about talking about the hike back up!
Have a look!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
Natchez Trace Parkway – Jackson Falls
Jackson Falls and the Double Arch Bridge on Natchez Trace Parkway.. there is something quite mystical about this waterfall.. You’ll see that in the photos.
Here’s a video of my drive down the first few miles of Natchez Trace and photos below:
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- Double Arch Bridge – Natchez Trace
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- Butterfly in flight
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- Butterfly in flight
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- Dragonfly in Flight
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- Grasshopper showing off his meditation skills
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- Jackson Falls – Natchez Trace
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- Jackson Falls – Natchez Trace
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- Jackson Falls – Natchez Trace
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- Jackson Falls – Natchez Trace
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- Jackson Falls – Natchez Trace
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- Double Arch Bridge – Natchez Trace
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- Double Arch Bridge – Natchez Trace
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- Double Arch Bridge – Natchez Trace
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- Jackson Falls – Natchez Trace
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- Jackson Falls – Natchez Trace
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Fall Hollow – Natchez Trace Parkway
Today I took a trip down Natchez Trace Parkway to Fall Hollow where you can hike to a couple of different waterfalls. I started the trek on the Tennessee side at the 444 mile marker and made my way down to mile marker 391.9 to Fall Hollow. The brochure said it was not an easy hike down or back up for that matter. About half way down I had to find a good sturdy stick to help me the rest of the way down. Without that stick I doubt I would have made it back up. It had rained all night and was still raining off and on today so the hike was worse than normal. There were lots of places you had to hold on to the trees to make it down to the next level. The good thing is you really don’t have to hike very far to reach the falls. There were 3 different falls to Ooooo and Ahhhh over and I’m glad I made the trip down to see them.
At the last waterfall I started taking a video and a little blue butterfly decided to pay me a visit. It danced all through the waterfall and then up into the forest where it disappeared.
Check out the video and the photos below 🙂
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Please Help Me Win Toast!
We want these signs to say 2014! 🙂
Please please don’t forget to cast your votes for me this year in Toast of Music City
I’m running for Best Blog and Best Visual Artist …. just click each link below to cast your votes.. I’m listed under People & Places for both categories of Best Blog and Best Visual Artist.
Thank you in advance to everyone that takes the time to vote this year.. I appreciate you guys far more than you know! Voting is daily from June 15th – July 22nd.
Thank you all!
Vote Now! Make sure you register with the site and click”VOTE” next to my name to cast your votes 🙂
Best Blog – Holly Stokes, myravenblog.com
Best Local Artist (Visual)– Holly Stokes, myravenblog.com
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Let the Fun Begin!
Life has it’s ups and downs and all arounds … it gets crazy and hectic .. but it’s also wonderful and fun.
Today … I just want you to have fun.. enjoy life… do something today to make yourself smile.. and maybe even make others smile.. laugh… love and giggle.
At the end of your days here on Earth … my wish is that you will be able to answer YES to the question “Did you enjoy the ride?”
So go on… do something unexpected today and have fun!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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More Additions to My Newest Series of Paintings
I’ve begun a new series of paintings using mixed media: ink and acrylics. I’ve listed my available pieces on Ebay and will be working on a few more pieces in this style before ending the series and moving on to other types of artwork .
Check them out!! Click Here to see them on Ebay!
Many Blessings, Raventalker
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Lost in Nature
This morning before work, I took a nice long walk around the lake with camera in hand and I got lost. Not lost in a way that I needed to be found…but lost in the most beautiful way. Honeysuckle and jasmine filled the air and I was taken away. The canopy of trees overhead, the animals all chattering away just like when everyone gathers around the office in the mornings but so much better. The sights, the smells, the sounds … I was absolutely lost in this world and for a good while I wasn’t the least bit interested in being found. It’s a wonderful feeling to step away from the busy hustle and bustle of life and enjoy the tranquility of nature. I walked roughly 3 miles around the lake at a quick pace this morning but instead of feeling tired and drained, I am refreshed, excited and full of new found energy. My thoughts were not of worries about work, life, bills, projects or anything else of the sort… instead, my thoughts drifted from the pure pleasures of my surroundings like when a breeze would sweep through the trails and suddenly I found myself drenched in the scent of honeysuckle and jasmine. I walked along and looked at everything I could possibly fill my eyes with. The way the clouds and the sun danced in the sky, the way the trees moved with the wind, the silhouettes of wildlife in the distance, the way the trail would seem to disappear and come back again as I made my way, the way the water sparkled in the sunlight and the colors that painted the Earth. I was lost and it was the most wonderful feeling ever.
Here are some photos of my walk this morning: (For more of my nature photos visit my photo blog http://natureblessings.wordpress.com )
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- Yellow Billed Cuckoo
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- Barred Owl
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- Titmouse
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- Cardinal
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- Cardinal
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- Geese
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- Barred Owl
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- Cedar Waxwing
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- Barred Owl
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- Barred Owl
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- Cedar Waxwing
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- Titmouse
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- Geese
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- Cedar Waxwing
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- Squirrle
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- Cedar Waxwing
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- Barred Owl
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- Ducks
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- Yellow Billed Cuckoo
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- Cedar Waxwing
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- Barred Owl
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- Cedar Waxwing
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- Deer
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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1st Day of Spring!
This morning I thought I’d take a quick walk around the lake so I got up while it was still very dark outside and made my way over to Radnor Lake. I arrived about 30 minutes before the sunrise so I was able to capture some great photos of the 1st Day of Spring this year.
A Time of New Beginnings.
Spring is the birth of life after after the long (and this year’s harsh) winter. The Earth comes alive with the buzz and hum of new growth and new life. Soon the landscape will be painted with colors from every spectrum. The air will be filled with all kinds of lovely fragrances and the sun will warm us all.
Here are the photos from this morning’s sunrise photoshoot. Click on the images to see the larger view.
To see more of my photos visit and subscribe to my photo blog Here!
Enjoying Earth’s Magic,
Raventalker
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The Arm Knitting Craze
One afternoon just before Christmas I saw someone post a link to a video on how to Arm Knit a Scarf in 30 minutes. I thought, no way! I made a mental note of the video title to look up later. Several days passed and I was out buying other crafting supplies when I remembered the arm knitting video, so while I was there, I picked up a skein of yarn to give it a try. Still, a week or so passed and I hadn’t yet tried it. Finally things were slowing down as Christmas was approaching so I took 30 minutes to watch the video and give it a try. OMG, it’s TRUE!! You CAN Arm Knit a scarf in 30 minutes!!!!
So about 20 scarves later here I am and I’ve made my own how-to video. Be warned that once you try it … yarn will mysteriously start showing up in your home. It’s an addiction not like any other!!
Many blessings,
Raventalker
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Creativity Amuck!
As most of you probably already know … I am a tad bit of what you might call a creative soul. {{giggles}} I can’t help myself, I am always creating something or at the very least, thinking of creating something.
After posting a photo of one my newest projects last night, someone asked “do you ever rest? and do you ever get tired?”. YEP, but resting to me is creating. Do I get tired? YEP! I am often tired but my curiosity to see the finished project and what it might look like when it’s done and the excitement of creating overrides how tired I might be.
For me, going home after work and not creating something is more tiresome than creating things. When I’m working on projects I am filled with the energy from the project, the thoughts of what will be and the process of seeing it come to life from my own hands. THAT is exciting to me and fills me with a type of energy that wipes away the tiredness from my day. There is a sense of fulfillment that comes from creating with your own hands that doesn’t come from anywhere else. To dream a project, gather all the materials, begin the creating process and then to see it finished is a feeling of pure joy for me. If you’ve never given creative projects a try, I hope that you find the time to do so at some point in your lives. Don’t worry about being perfect, don’t worry about failing, just do it. Try something and keep at it and if you don’t like what you’ve chosen, choose something else and try that. Pretty soon you might even find yourself addicted like me!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Help with Visualization
Visualization is greatly helpful in meditation, in dreaming more vividly and in creative endeavors. Some struggle when it comes to visualization so I thought I would help you teach yourself how to improve those skills.
Find a relaxing spot and make yourself comfortable. Now image something simple like a simple white ball. Once you can see that ball clearly in your mind make it do something like glow or spin. Now make it spin faster or glow more brightly. At each step, practice it and get yourself comfortable seeing it before moving on to something else. Once you have perfected the spinning or glowing effect make the ball do something else like bounce or change colors.
Once you have perfected the ball and have practiced this many times and feel comfortable that you can see this anytime you choose you can move to something more advanced.
Your next level might be something like visualizing a flower and once you have that flower pictured in your mind have it open up in full bloom. Take your time and do this slowly no need to rush it. You can practice making it open and close and once you are comfortable with that flower, change flowers and repeat.
There are many things you can choose to start off with and or advance to. Practice each image until you are comfortable enough with each one that you feel like you can do it without giving it much thought.
Here are a few other images you might want to try:
~ Opening and closing doors or windows
~ An open window with curtains blowing in the wind, the curtains then gain more detail
~ A field, and then within that field you see animals or flowers and then you can make those animals or flowers do things
~ Image walking through your own house, room by room seeing all that is in it. Imagine yourself sitting down in one of them and turning on the tv and then changing channels
~ Do the same as above but walk though your neighborhood or your town.
~ You can image animals and have them do things ….
There is no limits to your imagination.. just start simply and allow yourself to progress slowly. It’s not a race, no one is timing you. Work at your own pace and be patient with yourself.
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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The Versatile Blogger Award
Thanks to my fellow blogger
http://2flames.wordpress.com/2013/10/28/the-versatile-blogger-award/
for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award… I am honored 🙂
Rules:
Display the Award on your Blog.
Announce your win with a post and thank the Blogger who nominated you.
Present 15 deserving Bloggers with the Award.
Link your nominees in the post and let them know of their nomination with a comment.
Post 7 interesting things about yourself.
Seven things about myself:
1) I am an Artist of all kinds of media
2) A Seer and a Messenger
3) Married to my Soul Mate ❤
4) I love being it Nature and Capturing Magical Moments on Film
5) I love taking notice of those things that most overlook and showing them in photos
6) I am a believer in magical living
7) I am Love and Light
I now nominate 15 Bloggers in no particular order:
1) http://painttheworldwithwords.wordpress.com/
2) http://welistentomarymagdalene.wordpress.com/
3) http://deepsouldiver.wordpress.com/
4) http://littleworldofhope.com/page/2/
5) http://2flames.wordpress.com/
6) http://johncoyote.wordpress.com/
7) http://soundsoftime.wordpress.com/
8) http://talainsphotographyblog.wordpress.com/page/3/
9) http://nikitavdv.wordpress.com/page/4/
10) http://lightsofclarity.wordpress.com/
11) http://happyandsimple.wordpress.com/
12) http://cyberperkblog.wordpress.com/
13) http://theadventuresofashygirl.wordpress.com/
14) http://cssewell71.wordpress.com/
15) http://wherespiritstops.wordpress.com/
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The First Book!
I’ve composed my first Poetry/Photo book … The Raven’s Call
It’s a collection of poetry I have done over the years along with photographs I have taken. I do hope you enjoy it. I’m working on some future projects to include a book focusing solely on my visions and another that will be a collection of messages from spirit.
You can purchase a digital copy of The Raven’s Call for $1.99 here:
https://selz.com/items/detail/5256b250a1416c0ca412964d
or if you would like a physical copy in paperback you can purchase it here on Lulu:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/holly-stokes-raventalker/the-ravens-call/paperback/product-21245935.html
Rany Blessings,
Raventalker
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Seen at the Powwow!
Today was the Powwow in Mt. Juliet, TN. I found some nice trinkets, heard some great music and saw some beautiful regalia. I’m home now but I can still smell the sage burning 🙂
Here’s the photos I clicked at the Powwow today: Click to enlarge
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Thank You to My Readers!
Last night was the Toast of Music City Awards Reception and the results … AWESOME!!!
For the 3rd year in a row I brought home the award for Best Blog and Best Visual Artist. I could not have done it without all of you. Your love and support is a blessing and I am truly honored. This win is for all of us
… not just me .. because like I said without you .. I would not have any awards at all. Thank you … from the bottom of my heart .. Thank You!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Seeing Images in Patterns?
It’s called Pareidolia.
This is the phenomenon of recognizing patterns, shapes, and familiar objects in a vague and sometimes random stimulus. It’s the result of your brain trying to “make sense” of input that really has no sense to find in it. This is seen often in inkblot tests, where random splatters of ink suggest different images to different people.
I do this all the time.. I see faces and other images in patterns every day. Today wasno different.. I took a photo of a rainbow and captured a face!
- Click to enlarge
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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New Blogs Added!
Well I have decided to move my website from where it sat … over here to wordpress.. I’ll be working on getting these two additional blogs filled so please bear with me while I get reorganized and settled into the new place.
You can watch my progress by clicking the two links at the top of this blog. And you can also sign up to each of the others to follow them .. that way you get an email each time I add something new and stay up to date right along with me.
Raven’s Art
Raven’s Photography
Check them out!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Help Me Win Toast of Music City
Every year the Tennessean hosts a people’s choice contest for the Nashville area. Please take a minute to cast your votes each day from June 16th – July 14th and help me to win in Best Blog and Best Visual Artist.
Here’s the Links to cast your votes (You’ll have to first register with the site and then come back here to my blog and click these links to find me and cast your votes)
Best Blog
Best Local Artist (Visual)
A big thank you to everyone who takes a moment to cast your votes to help me win!! Thank you Thank You!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Lampwork Jewelry
My newest hobby is making lampwork beads .. and after teaching myself for the past 6 weeks I’ve finally got enough beads made to actually make some jewelry pieces. Still a beginner and lots still to learn but I am loving the outcome so far.
Here’s the finished pieces so far:
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Beyond the Rabbit Hole
Just there, beyond the rabbit hole, is a world of magic waiting to be found.
What adventures might there be beyond that magical rabbit hole? One will only know if you choose to venture through to the other side.
There’s a land there of mystery and magic just waiting for you. Do you dare take a peek?
Who’s to say what’s waiting on the other side. Curiosity has my mind reeling and an excitement of the unknown fills me to the brim. I do think I must have a little peek. Come on … won’t you come along for the journey with me?
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Guided
Have you had that feeling that you are being guided to do something particular for some unknown reason?
I get that feeling all the time. I never know how it will turn out until it does 🙂
So today I am sitting at my desk at work and I am drawn to get up with my camera and go outside. I walk out the front door for a moment and it didn’t feel just right so I walked toward the back of the building and just as I stepped outside .. I looked down and found this staring back at me .. waving hello!
click to enlarge
Instead of picking it up I just took it’s photo and whispered a little thank you.
I walk on over to a stone retaining wall and saw this dandelion standing all alone it’s it bright and beautiful glory. My thought
was… how great it is to take pleasure in ordinary things like this lone dandelion.
click to enlarge
I stepped back for a moment and as I looked down … here was another clover waving hello 🙂 … again I just took it’s photo and whispered my thank you.
I could hear some birds in the distance making a bunch noise. I figured it was young ones wanting to be fed. I stepped down toward the end of the wall to see what else there was to see and I looked up to find this Red-Tailed Hawk being bullied by a Mockingbird. He must have been too close to the Mockingbird’s nest.
click to enlarge
Uh oh .. I’ve been spotted! 
Here’s the following photos that I was lucky enough to capture.
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
When you follow that inner guide.. you just never know what experiences await!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Working Out Lampwork
My husband and I have recently taken on a new hobby… Lampwork!
We’ve enjoyed many hobbies over the last few years…. painting, weaving, stained glass … and now lampwork.
We did a lot of research online .. ok so my hubby did most of the research but I did read everything he sent me. Eventually we bit the bullet and started buying the equipment so we could actually give it a try. We tried to find someone locally to give us a class but that seemed impossible.. as everyone that we found didn’t seem too interested in teaching.
Youtube videos have been our main source of learning what to do and what it should look like as we do it. Above you’ll see the results of our very first weekend teaching ourselves this new hobby. Despite having lots of pieces fail, mandrels break, beads burst, shapes not coming out just right and marbles falling all over the place catching things on fire… we are getting the hang of it.
I can’t wait to learn more and look forward to becoming better. My goal is to get to the point where I can make pendents and other jewelry pieces. I no where close to that point now.. but I’m well on my way.
Oh yeah … you only pick up the wrong end of a glass rod once! Many Blessings, Raventalker
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The Magic Inside a Snowflake
Soft, cold, wet and sparkly and ever so small … but inside is magic! LOADS and LOADS of Magic!
What’s better than a snow day? Whether you’re a child or just a child at heart… snow days are the best!
The weather forecast comes on .. snow is predicted and we all wait with anticipation. Watching the skies, waiting for the first sighting.. hoping for it to accumulate enough to keep us from having to go to school or work! Morning comes and BINGO!! SNOW DAY!
A heavy sigh and the magic fills us. A quiet hush has covered the land like a warm winter quilt. Children start thinking of snowball fights, forts to build, sledding, snowmen and simply enjoying their day out of school. Adults get warm and cozy by the fire, make ready… pots of soup and cups of hot tea and cocoa and instead of the usual rush around to get chores done… they find time to let go and relax even if just for a moment.
The world around us just seems to slow down a bit and relax when the snow comes down. It’s a time to slow our normally busy pace and just enjoy the day!
Who knew that inside that tiny little snowflake was so much magic that it could change an entire day… if you’re lucky … even two!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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It’s a SNOW DAY!
Sigh…. I have been hoping for snow all winter long and now that Spring has arrived I had given up hope for the wonderful, fluffy, white stuff that keeps us from having to go to work. Yesterday afternoon, flurries teased us all through the day and evening. I woke up this morning to nothing more than a light dusting on the ground.. so I made my way into work as usual. BUT THEN…. the Kid in me kicked in and I made the best of my snow day.
I gathered up just enough of that magical melty stuff and created a little friend to share some giggles and smiles with whoever might wander across my page.
Here you go … meet Popsicle!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Wedding and Bridal Party Gifts
Can you imagine …. you are at a beautiful wedding and the bridesmaids are walking down the isle. What’s that hanging from their bouquets? Tiny dream catchers matching their colors!! Oh and here comes the Bride… LOOK! She has one too!
Maybe this is a DREAM WEDDING afterall!
I now have custom dream catchers available for weddings of all types… each set custom created to match your wedding theme!! Click here to view the order from my Etsy Shop!
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These sets are made to order – so please keep this in mind when ordering and allow plenty of time for them to created and shipped in time for the wedding. Standard turn around time is approx. one week.. depending on the amount of additional bridal party dream catchers ordered
The Above Image is an example of the Main Bridal Dream Catcher for the Bride and Groom to keep for their home. Each set will be custom created to match the bride to be. (The above shown pendents may not always be available)
With the Brides Dream Catcher will also be a small 3″ dream catcher that can be wrapped around the bridal bouquet and carried down the isle and then removed for a keepsake.
Also included are 4 small 3″ dream catchers for the bridesmaids … these will also be wrapped around the bouquets and carried down the isle to keep with the theme of the wedding. The beads can be chosen to match the colors of your bridal party or you may go with clear beads.. the choice is yours.
Additional bridal party dream catchers may be added for an additional fee… email me for
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quotes and questions.
Never Ending Love Dream Catcher – 10″ hoop wrapped in soft tan leather .. adorned with white glass beads.. pendents that say Happily Ever After and 2 brass rings that are bound together in the center.
Great gift for weddings, engagements and anniversaries.
All of my dreamcatchers are created with purpose, love and intent for healing and are smudged and cleansed for the best possible results.
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When in England…
When in England…..
One must stop regularly for tea and coffee.
One must see the countryside.
A pub visit is a definite!
Beware of the English Mustard.. it may very well take your tongue off!
One must try crumpets.. they are absolutely lovely!
To experience England truly, you have got to step outside of London.
Mind the Gap!
Be sure to visit Devon… it’s a wonderful area in all seasons.
You will get wet… no matter the season 🙂
Don’t forget to try the sausage rolls!
Ice is optional
It’s always around the round about.
Biscuits are dipped in your tea and coffee not the gravy.
Everything is about tradition
Fish n’ chips .. yes please!
Chips are crisps and fries are chips!
It’s best to do as the natives do… slow down.. sit for tea and enjoy your stay.
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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My English Experience – Week 3 – LONDON
Continued from My English Experience – Week 2
So now we have traveled from London to Stonehenge to Devon to Binbrook and now to Northampton and on to our final destination in London.
Up early, load the car and off to Northampton we go. Once in Northampton we popped over to see my hubby’s Nan and then we meet up with loads of family for a big dinner with
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everyone. Aunties and Uncles galore! What a great time we all had at dinner. It was fabulous getting to meet everyone in person that I had only known from Christmas cards and facebook. After dinner we all made our way back to Tina’s house for some rest and relaxation because we were up early again the next morning to make our way to London via the train.
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Day 1 in London – from the train to the hotel via taxi and then it was off we go. We walked across the Tower Bridge and then down the other side of the river to The London Dungeon. It was a bit confusing as there were 2 different lines going into the dungeons but we hopped into one and then waited for like 3 hours. It was well worth the wait. Once we were inside it took at least an hour or more to go through the entire thing and there
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were 3 rides inside as well. One room in the Dungeon was set up as a courtroom and I was pointed out in the group and told to stand on the podium… oh dear .. I was then accused of witchcraft… dancing naked in the woods to pagan rituals and such .. they asked me if I denied these accusations and I had to say no .. LOL. In the next room it was set up as a torture chamber and my husband was then brought up to sit in the spotlight while the actor made fun and began his torture… LOL…. it was well worth that 3 hour wait just to watch that!
After the Dungeon we were all starving and set off to find some dinner.
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We found a nice little Indian restaurant and filled our tummies. For Christmas my hubby had bought us all tickets for a Ghost Tour so it was now time to make our way over to the double decker bus that was going to take us on the tour. This wasn’t your ordinary red double decker bus that you see all over London.. this was a black double decker bus, LOL. Set up with mood lighting and actors we had a great time and learned a lot about the hauntings of London. That concluded the end of our first night and so off to bed we went.
Day 2 in London – Up early with lots to see and do. We were on and off the Underground railway all day, minding the gap as always. First we made our way over to
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The London Eye. The Eye moves so slow that you can barely tell it’s moving when you are on it. What a view! I’d love to ride it again in the evening when the lights of London are all on.
After the Eye we all made our way over to Harrods. Being just 2 days after Christmas and the big sale going on.. Harrods was ram packed with people. It was nearly impossible to see anything and to truly appreciate the Harrods experience. We purchased a few sweets and out the door we went in search of lunch. We found a nice steak restaurant but when the steaks came … you
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had to cook them yourself at the table on a hot stone. LOL. Definitely an experience my hubby won’t forget.
After lunch we made our way over to Covent Gardens. I love this place! It was a huge market that was a mix with actual indoor shops and an open air market. There were lots of artisans selling their wares and street performers throughout the market …. my mind was on creative overload. We purchased some really nice london artwork and a few other bits and pieces before we made our way out of
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the market and on to our next adventure. Our nephew Ben had particular streets he wanted to visit and a shop called Superdry. So we walked and walked and walked in the rain looking for these streets and that shop. We got super wet looking for a store called Superdry… how insane in that! I have no idea how long and how far we walked but it seemed like ages, we found the store at last and once he had a good look around the shop … we made our way back to the hotel for rest and to dry off.
Day 3 & 4 in London – Today it’s just me and my hubby left alone to
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explore the rest of London. We walked for hours traveling all over to see as much of London as two people possibly could. We took another trip to Covent Gardens, we went to Buckingham Palace and by Downing Street, we walked past Big Ben and Westminster Abby. We went to
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Camden Town to explore Camden Market and we went to China Town and the ever famous Soho. China Town smelled amazing with all the restaurants down every street, too bad we had already eaten at Leicester Square. We stopped in at several pubs through these two days. It was the best way to rest your feet and have a nice drink before heading back out into the drizzle that never stopped falling in London. I think my favorite pub was the
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Sherlock Holmes Pub. It’s a really small quaint pub that felt very homey and comfortable.
New Years Eve in London – After a day of walking in the cold and rain we weren’t real sure we wanted to walk down to where the fireworks could be seen, but it’s not all the time you are in London on New Years Eve so why not. We were just 2 miles
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from the fireworks so we bundled up and headed out for a walk along the river. It wasn’t so bad at first but the closer we got the more crowded it became. I don’t think I have ever seen so many people in one place my entire life. Once we got there, we had an hour to wait before the fireworks started. It was very close quarters for everyone. There were people as far as you could see in any direction. Suddenly it was midnight and Big Ben started to ring and the fireworks blasted into the air. What a show! A memory that I will not forget ever
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and I got to share this moment with my love, my dear husband Richard. The streets were so crowded that it took us an hour to walk the 2 miles back to our hotel.
Well that’s my English experience coming to an end. I hope you enjoyed … I know I did! I can’t wait to go back again.
Many Blessings and Happy New Year!
Raventalker
Here are a few other photos of our trip to London
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My English Experience – Week 2
Continued from My English Experience – Week 1
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OK so now we are on our way up to Binbrook where some of our family live. We will be staying the week with them and celebrating Christmas together. To the left is the view from Mum’s house.
On our way there we stop off at Stratford Upon Avon, the home of William Shakespeare. This is a lovely, old world type town with lots of quaint shops and at the
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moment a street market was going on. I bought a few extra gifts and dared myself to try something new. I bought a sausage roll type pastry that was filled with rabbit, partridge, pork, venison & pheasant. I thought that it might taste a bit gamey … but it didn’t .. it was really good and I’d
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definitely have another!
So we continued our journey north and finally arrived in the early evening. Worn out from the busy week… I remember stopping in to visit my sister in law and all the kids for a while and then we all ordered take out from the local chinese place and called it a night.
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Day 2 up north we traveled to the city of Lincoln and took a tour through the Lincoln Cathedral. Wow! The cathedral was massive and absolutely beautiful. Stained glass windows that stretched toward the sky towered over us as we made our way through the cathedral. This building was constructed in 1092 … ummm that’s over 900 years old!!! Amazing.. absolutely amazing!
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After our cathedral tour we ventured down the steep hill of Lincoln to do a little shopping. OMG.. that hill is as steep as I have ever seen! Once you get to the bottom.. the terrible part is.. you have to go back up! The shops were awesome… I found a great little rock shop where I purchased a few crystals for myself and something for my hubby. We stopped for some lunch and a cuppa at the bottom before making our way back up that hill. Thank goodness! I needed the rest..lol. After that it was back home to plan the following day.
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Day 3 up north, we gathered all the kids up and headed to a place called Hull. We had to drive over the Humber bridge to get there and this bridge is something I have never experienced before and dare say I don’t mind missing it. This bridge actually sways in the wind as you drive over it and the guard rails around it are tiny. I was glad
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to be over it but knew that it wouldn’t be the last time because we did have to get back home afterwards. In Hull we visited The Deep, an aquarium and it was great fun with all the kids. There really wasn’t anything else in downtown Hull that was worth seeing so back home we went to plan out our next adventure.
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Day 4 up north, we ventured off to York where we found loads and loads of lovely shops on cobblestone streets. I LOVE THIS PLACE! We found lots of gifts and had some lunch at Bella Italiano. The tiny cobblestone streets lined on either side with shop after shop was heavenly. It was a step back in time and I can imagine back in the day all the english folk dressed in their garb of the time walking up and down these streets daily doing their shopping and visiting. I would visit York again and again.. a definite must see!
Day 5 up north was Christmas day. Up early to open pressies that Santa had dropped off, then some proper english breakfast and then we nipped around the corner to see the kids and deliver more pressies. I had come down with a nasty head cold so I found myself a nice warm bed and took a nap before dinner while everyone else walked down to the village pub for a pint or two. Christmas dinner was very different than what I’m use to in the states. It was lovely and lots of fun. Christmas crackers were popped open, paper crowns were worn on every head and wine was dispensed all around and around and around and…. around!
Day 6 up north was our last. It was an easy day for us that day. Our only down day where we weren’t running here and there. We had a nice meal at The Click’em Pub down the road and had an early night for our travels the next day to Northampton.
Continue reading – My English Experience – Week 3 – London
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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My English Experience – week 1
So now that our holiday in England is over with I’d like to share with you all my experiences along the way. (WARNING: this post may be long)
When we first arrived at the Gatwick airport we were greeted by a magpie in the parking garage (unfortunately I didn’t get a photo) just near the car. I knew then that this was going to be a great trip! Mum right away said hello to the Magpie and said “we always say hello when we see a magpie.”
Here’s a bit of English superstition as to why she does this: One should make sure to greet magpies when they are encountered in order to either allay bad luck or encourage good luck, as related to the number of birds and therefore their place in the Magpie poem. Common greetings include “Hello Mr Magpie” “How is your wife/where is your wife?”, “Good Morning/Evening Sir” and other marks of respect.
And there is the rhyme that comes along wit the Magpie :
One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be told.
And this was before we even got in the car!
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Our first destination was Stonehenge, we were just an hour and half away… so this was our first stop. From the car it appeared much smaller than I had imagined but when walking up to it … it was much larger. One of the stones facing the pathway that leads you up to it had a face on it … THIS I shall never forget!
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There were ravens all over the place and well you know me … that was my sign that I was were I belonged. We walked around the entire thing taking photos at every angle and then made our way back to the car park. Goodbye Stonehenge, thanks for the experience. As we left Stonehenge and began making our way to Devon…. a rainbow appeared. More verification that this trip will be wonderful.
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Our next stop…. Devon. We have rented a cottage for the week with Mum, Dad, Tina, Gary and Ben and can’t wait to get there. It has been a long journey for my hubby and me… at this point we have been traveling over 24 hours straight and can’t wait to be out of the car.
Devon is located south west in England and is now one of my very favorite places to visit. The cottage was lovely. The building use to be an old threshing barn and is over 600 years old. The street taking you to the cottage was build by the Prince of Orange over 1,000 years ago. The cottage was quaint and warm and had everything we needed for a relaxing stay. We stayed in the Devon area for 5 days, each day venturing out somewhere new to explore. On our first day we walked down to the seaside, where suddenly I didn’t feel so well. Lucky for me the fellow that keeps the cottage showed up at the cafe where we had stopped for tea and offered to take me back. Thank goodness that only lasted for the day.. I was up and much better by morning and ready for our next adventure.
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Day 2 in Devon lead us to several places. We traveled first to a village called Cockington. It was a lovely old world type village with small narrow streets, thatched roof buildings and artisan shops. We walked all over the area taking photos of everything including a funny squirrel near the car park.
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Our next stop on day 2 was the seaside at Paignton. It was a beautiful sunny day .. but being December not many were out at the seaside. We took a walk along the pier and played a few games in the arcade and then grabbed a bit to eat at the cafe there. After our tea we walked along the beach in search of sea glass (my idea). I had everyone looking!
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Our final stop on day 2 was another seaside village called Brixham. This is a port filled with boats of all sizes. Seagulls soared above as we explored the area. Brixham was filled with lots of great shops that I think we visited each and every one! When we arrived we were greeted by a fantastic rainbow! I would definitely visit Brixham again!
Back to the cottage for some dinner and relaxation.. oh and lets not forget another quiz by Ben.
Ben, our nephew, would create a quiz each night for all of us to do… it was lots of fun and lots of cheating took place…lol
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Day 3 in Devon we traveled to Cardiff, Wales to meet up with Auntie Lynda and Uncle Tim. We all met at St. Fagans, the Museum of Wales History. This place was no ordinary museum, this place was massive! St. Fagans is an open air museum on 100 acres in Cardiff. The have taken various buildings from all over Wales and from different decades/centuries and moved them to the location at St. Fagans. I would definitely visit St. Fangans again and again. We spent the entire day there and still didn’t see everything. It was great meeting Lynda and Tim for the first time and I look forward to hanging out with them again.
After leaving St. Fagans we stopped off at a Toby Carvery for dinner. This is where I had my first taste of yorkshire pudding. The carvery experience was great and very filling … I couldn’t have eaten another bite!
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Day 4 in Devon we traveled to Cornwall to visit The Eden Project. The Eden Project is a massive working and learning center geared around sustainable living. There are 2 giant bio-domes filled with plants and trees from all over the world. Our visit was in December so the garden grounds outside the domes weren’t in bloom.. I can only imagine what it would look like when everything was in full bloom. It took us all day to tour the grounds and I’m sure we missed a few things. There were lots of workshops for children and adults both to take part in. For families with children…. it’s definitely worth seeing.
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Well that’s the end of week one in the UK. The next day we checked out of our cottage and headed for Binbrook in the North.
Continue Reading My English Experience – Week 2
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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Wish Bottles
I have seen these floating around online now for a couple of years and decided to make a few myself this year. I love the thought and sentiment behind these little beauties.
Take a small glass bottle … add some dandelion seeds.. decorate however you like..
Here is a sample of my own.
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Many Blessings,
Raventalker
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The Power of Wishes
I just have to share this story of something that happened to me the other day.
I was at work and there were two little girls that were hanging out at the office with their dad (one of our agents). I know these two to be quite the pranksters. So I was making my rounds through the office getting ready to finish my chores for the day so I could then head home. I came around behind them, smacked a chair and shouted at them and scared them to bits… hahahahahaha. We all laughed and I went back to my office to finish up for the day. They came to my door claiming what I had done was not funny. I said it sure was funny from my side seeing their faces when I shouted. They proclaimed that they would be getting me back. So for the next several minutes they played around the outside of my office waiting for the opportunity to get me back.
Something then happened that was one of those little awesome moments that I think these two little girls might remember for years to come.
I had a plastic cup in my office that had loads of dandelions in it that I was collecting to make wish bottles for Christmas. I walked out of my office with tons of stuff in my hands and was setting some of it down so that I could free a hand up to close my office door. The cup of dandelions then flips up and spills all over me and the floor! UGGGGGGG!
I said “Oh no! My Wishes!” the two little girls came running over and asked, “What did you say?”. I said, I dropped my wishes…. your what? .. My Wishes! I dropped my wishes!
They looked closer to see what the heck I was talking about. They had forgot all about trying to scare me and were concerned about my wishes now. They pitched in and tried to save as many as they could. They asked me what I was planning on doing with them and I told them I was going to make wish bottles. They looked confused and intrigued all at the same time. They helped pick up as many as they could and then I vacuumed up the rest and made my way out to my car. I put all my stuff in the car and then walked over to the side of the building to see if I could find any more dandelions. Lucky enough I found 3. I kept one and put it in my cup to replace what was lost and the other two I took back inside and handed them to the girls and told them I had some fresh wishes just for them. Quickly they ran outside to blow off the seeds and make their wishes. As I was walking away I looked back with a smile and said.. make sure you make those wishes count! They smiled and with excitement blew off the dandelion seeds.
Oh the joys of childhood and believing all things are possible with nothing more than a dandelion, a deep breath and a wish.
So for a moment they got to step out of the adult world of “now sit down, be quiet and behave” to come on lets BELIEVE!
Many Blessings,
Raventalker
the image above borrowed from weheartit.com
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Cyber Week Savings!
Click Here to Visit my Etsy Shop
This week only Save 10% on your purchase … lots of great and affordable gifts available. Remember each piece is handmade by yours truly and infused with as much healing energy as I can muster. Use coupon code RAVE777 to take advantage of this week’s savings!
All of my pieces are created with purpose, love and intent for healing and are smudged and cleansed for the best possible results.
Many Blessings,
Raventalker