Category: Family

The Family Bible, An Echo Of The Medieval Book.

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By the mid nineteenth century the Bible was regarded as being a lot more than just teachings inspired by the light of God.

They became objects of devotion in their own right, and given a special place in the house and often containing letters and memories in the form of dried flowers.

The family bible evolved into the religious hub of the house.

The Protestant faith of the time, held sacred the living Word, and placed more value on sermons rather than ritual, so it is not surprising that the Holy Bible became seen as such iconic objects.

The Bible publishers of the day served to the market by making massive family Bibles, complete with explanatory articles, special pages for births, deaths and marriages, and that owed much in style to the ancient book.

So the family Bible became the altar of domestic spirituality, somewhere where the sacred life of the household met the sacred life of the church founders, apostles & prophets.

As bookbinders we were housed in the grounds of an active monastery, perhaps for that reason we had far more than our fair share of family bibles to repair. Looking at our receipts I see we restored about twenty large format bibles a year

Unfortunately the structure of most of these family Bibles lacked the integrity of the contents.

In terms of design, many of these Family Bibles harked back to medieval examples of binding, at least in appearance.

The Family Bibles often had very heavy boards, often half an inch thick.

In further imitation of the early codex, they often came with clasps and fancy engraved corners. Some had brass edging around the sides of the boards.

Of course these fittings added a great deal to the boards’ weight

Attempting to keep within a tight budget, most of these Family Bibles were bound in thin sheepskin leather.

This thin skiver leather was just not up to the task of supporting the massive and heavy boards, that is why so many unrepaired Family Bibles can be found with one or more boards detached from the binding.

It is of course possible to repair these books, though they do represent a considerable investment, usually of several hundred pounds.

By Richard Edward Norman

Expert Repair of Family Bibles By Post

For over 30 years I ran a bookbinding studio within a Catholic community. In this time I became expert In the repair of large format Family Bibles. I am now a specialist in the repair of these books. I am also a qualified paper conservator.

Igbozue Connecticut USA Honors Their Wives in a Family Night Event

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On December 13, 2013, Igbozue Connecticut USA held an all night family party. It was an opportunity for the Igbozue men to thank their wives. There were many reasons for these men to do so. It is the women who provided, among other good deeds throughout the unfolding year, hospitable homes when members of the group host monthly meetings.

Igbozue family night is an annual event. This particular event was surprisingly different from earlier ones in three main ways: the event-threatening snow, the big fat cake from ‘IWAC’ and the win or lose anxiety of the raffle.

Igbozue Connecticut USA is a non for profit organization that encourages social interaction among the Igbos- one of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria.

The men presented their token gifts and the women received them in full admiration. In an all out display of gratitude, the women danced glowingly in a way that only Igbo men would understand.

IWAC, Igbo Women Association of Connecticut which is the female counterpart of Igbozue Connecticut, had something under wraps for one of their members who had retired and is about to move. They wanted to honor her with a gift. Halfway through the party, it was still a toss-up if the recipient will show up.

Then bingo, she showed up. The dancing crowd went wilder as the Dj played ‘Udor Akpuenyi’ (one cannot pull an elephant on a leash) by Sunny Bobo.

Not familiar with the rhythm of the music, children danced exuberantly in missteps while the oldies danced in measured steps to the beat and lyrics.

The Honoree, Professor Omaa Chukwurah, is a founding member of IWAC. Many misty eyes and cracked voices emerged as peers gave testimonies and recounted their interactions with her. Then it was time to devour the cake.

The indefatigable DJ, Joe Anyafulu had the music right. He delivered soul and highlife music that made guests dance most of the night.

Attendees said that it was a party to remember. Men bantered and laughed heartily while women held conversation and smiled. What started as a shaky night later became one of the organizations most memorable Christmas events.

The raffle generated lots of excitement. There were five winners. Mrs. Eneh won the first prize of a Godiva gift basket containing gourmet chocolate bar and glass tea cups. Mrs. Lolo Anna Okonkwo won a Christmas wreath. The Oredo family from Stamford won a set of Wild-Eye table knives and spoons and the fourth prize, ‘How Broccoli Head Lost Thirty Pounds’, went to Mrs. Pat Anekwe.

The event took place at the executive-inn and suite in Meriden Connecticut. It began at 8 pm with the breaking of the kola nuts, ended at 12.30 A.M with a toast of Champaign. Members came in from different places within the state of Connecticut. A guest came from as far as Stamford. My spouse and I came from Sandy Hook.

Food and drink were plentiful. On the dinner tables were the usual suspects of goat meat, bitter leaf soup, fried plantain, jollof rice, moi-moi, roasted fish, chicken and rice. There was salad for the health-conscious attendees.

The President of the association, Mr. Polycarp Okeke was thankful to participants and praised them for supporting the group despite the bad weather and he reminded guests to drive home safely.

Comparing Hard Core Rap Groups Like Dayton Family To Horror Rap Groups Like Dark Lotus

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This best way to demonstrate the difference between hard core rap and horror rap groups would be to compare different lyrical samplings of each side by side. However, its smarter to start with the difference in backgrounds and mentalities of hard core rap groups like Dayton Family and horror rap groups like Dark Lotus.

Dayton Family is a hard core rap group from Flint, Michigan, who named their group after one of the most crime-ridden streets in their crime-ridden city, Dayton street. That should say enough about the attitude of these hard core rappers. Its not often that an environment such as the one Dayton Family originates from breeds anything other than gritty, honest, street-heavy rap. You wont hear anything lighthearted in Dayton Familys rhymes, and when they talk tough, theyre not kidding around.

If there was ever any doubt about Dayton Familys cred, said doubt vanished once founding members Bootleg (Ira Dorsey) and Backstabba (Matt Hinkle) were each incarcerated separately during the turning point in the bands short career. These two imprisonments undoubtedly hindered the quality and quantity Dayton Family was able to produce as a hard core rap group throughout its career.

Now Dark Lotus, on the other hand, is different in many respects. For one, Dark Lotus is a horror rap super group, so each one of Dark Lotuss members was an established horror rap artist in his own right before joining up with Dark Lotus. That said, the themes present in Dark Lotuss horror rap music really is not far off each of its individual members own horror rap music.

For those unfamiliar, horror rap themes usually include but are not limited to death, suicide, murder, violence, Satanism, and other terrifying themes. Unlike Dayton Family, you will not see Dark Lotus rapping about the hood, drug dealing on street corners, or about cops in a derogatory fashion (at least not often).

Dark Lotuss horror rap, in contrary, is much more personal, introspective, and spiritual. Often times you can find Dark Lotuss horror rap artists bemoaning the fact that they are still alive and wishing to die, thoughts that often travel into the supernatural with talk of souls traveling to different destinations.

One common link between Dayton Familys hard core rap music and Dark Lotuss horror rap music is their origin. Members in both groups come from impoverished, street-centric adolescences, and thus have much of the same fodder for their rhymes. Though they may approach these topics from two different angles in horror rap and hard core rap, when you boil it down, Dark Lotus and Dayton Family are the way they are for very similar reasons!

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The Dayton Family, one of hard core raps most notorious Midwestern groups, and Dark Lotus, arguably the largest horror rap super group of its kind in the world (definitely in the Midwest), may write different styles of music, but they come from similar backgrounds. To learn more about Dark Lotus and their music, please visit http://hatchetgear.com/bands/darklotus.html.

Family Travel Tips Germany

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Is a family holiday on the cards? Germany is an easily accessible, family-friendly destination with entertainment for all ages. Numerous low cost airlines offer direct links between the United Kingdom and the European mainland country’s airports such as Frankfurt-Hahn, Dusseldorf-Weeze, and larger city airports. It needn’t be a pricey holiday!

Accommodation

If you’re hoping to save money and don’t mind very basic accommodation, hotel chains such as Formule 1 offer very reasonably priced family rooms with bunk beds and communal bathroom facilities. Alternatively, you might be able to snap up an affordable self-catering deal if travelling at low season. Holiday lets are quite common in tourist areas such as the Rhine wine region and Black Forest.

Keen on meeting some German locals? Consider arranging a place to stay through Airbnb, an exciting internet-based project that sees people opening up their homes to foreign visitors for short stays in return for a small fee.

If money’s no object, both Germany’s cities and rural areas boast posh hotels and luxurious guest houses to choose from. For inspiration, think Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt and Schlosshotel Im Grunewald in Berlin.

Sights and Attractions

It’s impossible for any family member to get bored in as big and diverse a destination as Germany. From world class museums for history buffs to theme parks for thrill seekers, no one risks being left dissatisfied with the holiday.

Many families choose to visit Heide Park near Hamburg. It’s one of the country’s largest theme parks with rides including a freefall tower, and various seriously scary rollercoasters.

Outdoor-loving families should visit Bavaria and its Alps. Here, you don’t have to splurge on entrance fees to museums and theme parks as everywhere is an attraction in itself. Hiking is the best way to discover the area so cram your backpacks full of snacks and set off for a day in the wilderness. If you’re kids are begging for more entertainment, visit one of the Kinderlands in Oberstdorf or the Ammergau Alps where they can pet farm animals, go on some rides, and even try their hand at canoeing.

Berlin and its history are fascinating and so worth exploring. For a bizarre adventure with a bit of an edge, visit the abandoned Spreepark fun park that features eery old rides overrun with flora. Guided tours are held over weekends. You could also be checking out MountMitte, an urban adventure park where families can go wild, climbing up all sorts of contraptions and even sliding in and out of old cars suspended in the air. Full safety gear and harnesses are provided.

General Tips

To set your mind at ease, book your accommodation, rental car, and any planned activities in advance. A cheap calls to Germany service may come in handy to sort out all the details quickly and effectively.

Airports served by low cost airlines, such as the above-mentioned Frankfurt-Hahn, do have a tendency to be located outwith city boundaries. Make sure you’re aware of this when you book your flights, and ensure you can get to your chosen accommodation easily and on time.

In Germany, autobahns (expressways) have no speed limits for regular passenger vehicles travelling without an additional load, unless signs indicate otherwise. An advisory speed limit is in place, however, and is 130km/h.

Meditations Meditating for Good Will

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One of the things we are taught when we are young is to respect each other and to treat each other with the up most respect. However some where along the way we seem to forget the art of good will. There is a simple meditation that you can use to help you ensure that your heart, mind and soul each day maintain good will towards all mankind.

The first step in this meditation is to sit comfortably into your meditation position. The recommended position for this meditation is to sit on the floor with no back support or alternatively sit on a chair with no back support. Ensure when you are in the position that your back and shoulders are straight, your head is upright, eyes closed with your palms pointing up and open.

Begin the meditation session by using a basic breathing technique. Clear you mind and use the simple breathing technique to ensure that you have focus to start the next stage of the meditation session.

First in your minds eye imagine your immediate family such as your husband or wife and your children if you have them. In your mind, begin with the mantra, “May my family live in total peace and in true happiness”. Continue saying this mantra whilst you see your family in your mind. Feel the love this mantra produces for your family. Feel the happiness and peace as your family lives its life in total peace and in true happiness.

The next stage of this meditation is to now extend that mantra to those people in a wider circle such as your friends, business associates, your customers and anyone who you may have met today. Now extend your mantra and say the follow, “May the people who come in contact with me who I call my friends know the love and peace I have to share.” Feel the love and peace to be extended to these people.

For this to truly work, you must now in your meditation session see one person who may have wronged you during the day. It may have been someone who cut in front of you whilst you were driving, an angry customer or somebody who was abrupt or rude to you. You must now use the mantra, “May the person who felt it necessary to be rude, know true peace and happiness and may they learn to treat others in kind”.

If at any time during your meditation session your thoughts track to inappropriate feelings such as anger or angst towards someone, simply start the meditation session from scratch and practice the mantras till you can get to the point where you can extend the goodwill to the person that took your focus away.

It has been proven time and time again, a person who harbor grudges and hate towards others live shorter lives because the hate builds into stress that causes stress to your body and weakens it. One of the great mantras or sayings I live my life by, comes from the greatest man to have walked on this earth and he spoke these words, “Love one another as I have loved you.” We have Meditation Music available to help you with your meditation. If you are suffering Asthma then check out our Buteyko Breathing Method training program. If you would like to read Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill to learn how you can achieve greater success then you can get access to this book by visiting our website.