Silvester

Happy New Year to all of you out there.

In Germany we call this day Sylvester and it actually has a long history and meaning which in a way is still celebrated by many.

" The name Silvester comes from a 4th century Roman saint: Pope Silvester I (also spelled Sylvester). Besides the fact that he served as pope from 314 to 335, very little is known about Sylvester, though several legends have sprung up around his name.  One, sown in a forged account called “Donation of Constantine,” claimed that he had been miraculously cured of leprosy.

The feast of St. Sylvester—that is to say, his burial ceremony—took place on December 31, 335. When the Gregorian calendar was reformed in 1582, the last day of the year was placed on December 31st, combining Silvester’s feast day with what we now call New Year’s Eve.  Despite the shared date, most German Silvester traditions actually stem from a far older pagan celebration called Rauhnächte. "

December 30, 2015 by Nicolette Stewart

Another popular German custom is Bleigiessen. A candle is lit, and small chunks of lead are melted in a spoon held over the candle. Because of the low melting temperature of lead, this process does not take long. The molten lead is then quickly poured from the spoon into a bucket of cold water, where it hardens almost immediately. Each person tries to determine what he or she "sees" in the hardened lead figure, much like children see sheep, etc. in fluffy clouds. Often the lead figure is held up to a candle or other light, and the shape of the shadow it casts aids in this important decision. The shape of the cooled lead (or wax) determines the future of that person for the year to come. 

Nowadays, Silvesterblei sets can be purchased in most department stores in Germany. These kits come complete with lead figures, a spoon, and a list of possible shapes and their meanings.

In der Silvester-Nacht

wird das Blei zum Schmelzen gebracht.

Es wird gekippt in Wasser, kalt und klar;

rate, was stellen die Figuren dar?

Schau sie an, so wie sie sind;

rätst die Gestalt du nicht geschwind.

Halt sie hinters Licht,

das Schattenbild dir mehr verspricht.

Kommt es dir nicht in den Sinn,

schau auf dieses Büchlein hin.

Es sagt dir frank und frei,

so allerlei...!

Looks like I got an angel, which means good things will come to me in the new year....yeah:)

May the new year be filled with good luck and everything else you wished for...xoxoxo Anjelikka

Once upon a time....

...well that is how most of these fairy tales start. But this one is quiet different. 

“What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.” William Shakespeare 

And Romeo sighs: “Oh, I am fortune's fool!”

Oh wait I did say this story is a little different than the ever so tragic story of Romeo and Juliet, because this story started when Greg aka Romeo decided to gamble all the lindens we had...

This was not just any lindens we saved, these were for our upcoming gacha honeymoon trip. It all started out good and it looked as if he was winning but he got a little greedy and bet the entire stack. Then before he knew it....GONE...is was all gone.

“You are a lover. Borrow Cupid's wings
and soar with them above a common bound.” 

“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.” 

So guess what: My back hurts and I have a headache, Juliet aka Anjelikka says in one long sigh.

...and Romeo explains: "My back hurts too and I have work tomorrow...fair well my love until I smell the sweet rose again."

Sigh!!!

NEW YEAR's EVE Party

This will be lots of fun this year. The upper Basement is already decorated and ready to go for the big end of the year party. DJ Dandy and DJ Likka will entertain you with music and your requests to party the night and the year away.

PRIZES...yes did I say prizes. There will be 1000L$ on the Board for the contest. Other games with prizes will also play throughout the party.

You don't want to miss the Fireworks either they will happen at 9, 10, 11 and midnight SLT...so come on over and enjoy. Why be at some overcrowded place, come to the Basement Club upper level instead.

The wise owl

Why do we think of owls as being wise? Is it because owls have more wisdom than any other animal? No, not really. I do love owls for some reason. Maybe it is because they are awake at night and can swiftly and quietly glide though the air. 

I am sitting here with Bubo the mechanical owl is probably the best bit of the 1981 version of Clash Of The Titans. Oh sure, so he isn’t a real feathery warm-blooded bird, but he’s the GOD_CREATED replica of ATHENA’S very own owl. That’s, like, as divine as you can get in the world of owls. Plus he helps Perseus defeat the Krakon, using Medusa’s head, and if that isn’t worthy of the elusive number seven position, we don’t know what is.

Men certainly are not wise at all, because wondering why men are scared to commit?

1. There are Plenty of Fish in the Sea…and He’s a Fisherman...

maybe he is a Pisces or Aquarian man...but the sign does not really matter. Look for other signs...you will see them.

2. There is or was Someone Else

Some men are scared to commit because they have unresolved issues from the past. If he keeps talking about his ex, even if it’s with anger, don’t be surprised if he can’t commit to your relationship. He’s either still holding out hope to reconnect to a past love, or he’s too vengeful to commit to you.

3. He Has Other Priorities

In some cases, the reason why men are scared to commit to one woman is because they simply have other priorities right now.

Forget what you heard about the crazy cat ladies, being one is actually healthy and guess what else "wise"!!!

We all need cats...

Everybody should have a cat. There are so many reasons why cats make such good pets.  First of all, they don’t demand nearly as much attention as a dog does.  You don’t have to walk the cat and you don’t have to deal with it barking at everything that happens to walk by your house.

Or smelling your neighbor’s crotch.

I like it that cats love to be clean, they eat, clean and sleep. I think I was so excited the very first time when I got a cat here in second life. It was great. I do not have those breed-able cats anymore but I do have maybe 4-5 cats wondering around the Retreat besides all the other animals. 

I have two cats in RL and they have taken over my room.

Halle Kitty

Ricky Ricardo

Christmas in Vieux Colmar - Coeur d'Alsace

The region’s traditions of gastronomy and craft-making are often on display at one of the many outdoor fairs: The Alsace Wine Fair, The Mulhouse Fair, and the Strasbourg European Fair. 
This rich assemble of events culminates with the grand Strasbourg Christmas Market, the oldest in France. 
In fact, during the Advent, the magic of Christmas takes over all of Alsace under Saint Nicolas’ tutelage. Passionate about art and culture? 
The International Festival of Colmar, Léz'arts scéniques, or Pisteurs d'étoiles will thrill you. Alsace is also an ideal France travel vacation haven for family outings: the Bioscope, the Eagle Park or Monkey Mountain appeal to both children and adults. Unique gastronomy, world famous French wines, charming villages, wonderful hospitality: The France tourism region of Alsace has the very best to offer, all within a beautiful setting.

In Second Life:
Vieux Colmar - Coeur d'Alsace - Ville de Coeur is Inspired by Colmar in the French Alsace region. This realistic region captures many views of the old town. The fact that it is from the region my mother was born in makes it very special during the holidays because she has passed away on Christmas Day.

Konnichiwa

¯\(ツ)/¯ Good Afternoon!!!

If you are the kind of person who is waiting for the 'right' thing to happen, you might wait for a long time. It's like waiting for all the traffic lights to be green for five miles before starting the trip.

I’m still waiting for my sun to shine, but then you cannot wait forever. The fires are burning and no relief.

“We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking.” 

I am logging off for tonight. 

I do...

....love this picture of us, but seriously if you are looking for a wedding venue let me suggest the Chapel at the Retreat.

Not only will you get a beautiful chapel just right for that special day, but best of all you can use it for free. Yes, free. Now, where else can you get things for free.
If you have a person who will stand in to marry you, great:) We do offer you some services and all we ask is for a donation. You can even have a DJ play the music you like.

There is no reason to spend thousands of lindens that you can save. Stop by and take a look at the chapel and the entire place. You will like it. We even do receptions, so check out the wedding webpage.

The decor can be arranged in any colors you like. Just remember everything takes a little time, so make sure you are generous and give enough time. There is a notecard in the chapel at the front door.

Home for the Holidays

Here at the Retreat, it is fun to be at home, especially around the holidays. The snow outside may be cold but inside it is cozy warm around the fireplace. Want to be part of the Retreat? That can be easy actually. We still have two rentals available for L$250 per week. Each home comes with enough prims to personalize your space. You have all the comfort you need and enjoy all that the Retreat has to offer.

Here at the Retreat, we celebrate four seasons. Each one is beautiful in itself. There are many things you will find here besides the rental we have available. There is a chapel for weddings or maybe you need to just get away for a quiet moment and reflect on life. Light a prayer candle! We do hold weddings here as well, so check it out.

There is the garden and the main house. We do have it open to the public and you often see some people enjoying the serene atmosphere of the Retreat. 

You like art? No problem we have an art gallery that features a variety of artists in second life. Have something to show? Just let us know.

The Basement Club is two clubs in one, the outside venue and the well Basement part. Weekend life shows with DJs playing a variety of music are here to entertain you. Several events throughout the year with contests, hunts, and prizes will surely entice you to come and stop by.

The Truth about Reindeer

Reindeer are also called caribou, depending on where you live, but it is the same thing. Now here is something that is absolutely true and when you think about it you may think "fake news" all these years.

Of course, you think of reindeer and Santa and how those reindeer pulled his sled.

Both female and male reindeer grow antlers. Reindeer shed their antlers at different times of the year based on their sex and age. Adult males lose their antlers in November and early December, and as we know, the Christmas Eve reindeer team has a full set of headgear.

This very likely means Santa Claus' reindeer are female since they're all still antlered-up on December 24. 

Yes, you read that right. Santa's reindeer were all female dressed as males I guess. Maybe it is time to rename the famous deer? What do you think?

Santa’s reindeer are an incredibly uncommon subspecies that exhibit many atypical characteristics: glowing noses and the ability to fly (just to name a few). While the gender of Santa’s most beloved sledders still remains a slight mystery, it is highly likely that they are female.

Of course, that just goes to show that a female reindeer has more than what it takes to be a part of Santa’s Christmas crew.

Ho, ho, ho Merry Christmas and all a good night. 

Who else but a female would wanna pull a sled with gifts and a fat old man around? Not males!

Happy Holidays from the Basement Club!

We recently celebrated our annual Holiday Party here at the Basement Club. A whopping 800L$ was available for grabs for any holiday outfit. We also had the Polar Express Game and had a winner. Yeah!!! Congrats to DJ Dandy who had the almost correct time off by one minute.

There were so many great costumes and outfits, it was very difficult to select the winner.

Don 't forget to stop by again, we have something happing every Saturday and Sunday here at the Basement Club!

Winter Kiss at Luanes Winter World

After that long ride on the Polar Express, it was time to cuddle and kiss and most of all stay warm. Amazing that in Second Life you can stay warm even without a coat.

And he kissed her on a bench and kept her warm,
for she knew he would do no harm.
Her heart pounding full of joy
for this handsome gentle boy.
Was this the day he would ask
or was he wearing a mask?
---nope, not today!

If you want to come and visit this magical place, it is highly recommended. Luanes Winter World

Are you sure it is the right train? I do not see any other people waiting for the "Polar Express"!
We waited in the eerie halls of the train station/subway to catch the midnight line to the magical winter wonderland.

All Greg wanted was his beloved "Honeybun" and he was not referring to me this time. He was highly disappointed because this kiosk did not have any but lucky for me they had some Vegicrisps. Yeah!!!

Ok, and we are ready to take the journey to go and escape to the winter wonderland...details on that in the next blog entry.
Want to visit this train-station? Follow the LINK to

Mopire Tokyo Subway Station

Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday Season...

 The gift of love,

the gift of peace

The gift of happiness...

May these are yours

this Holiday Season!!!

Anjelikka and Greg

So I asked Greg to take some pictures with me for our holiday card. I told him to get dressed in something nice. So here is the result. Not sure why he has the Grinch he named Willie.

We did have a lot of fun taking the pictures even if Willie kept staring at me. Creepy thing.

Are you naughty or nice?

"Tis the season of Christmas and all through the 'hood, Little boys and girls wonder, "Oh crap, was I good?" Were you naughty or nice, wanna learn which it is? Then enough with your questions -- just take this fun quiz. Oh, never you fear, there's a naughty quiz here, To test if you're nice, and to fill you with cheer. Find out with this quiz, did your deeds suffice? What will Santa write down, are you NAUGHTY or NICE?"

Click on the link and find out: LIST

50% Nice 50% Naughty

ice skating

I need to work on this I guess so I can be 100% Nice next year. I am sure Santa still brings me something for the 50%? Won't he?

Being nice has its benefits for sure. I know Greg is nice, he always looks for the best in all people. That is a good quality to have I think. I am more critical of others at times when I feel down. So I got a little work to do to be better.

But being a little naughty (winks) does not hurt either if you know what I mean.