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IOW Photo Contest and Fundraiser Rules and Information, info written by star (astarrynite):
*** DATES ***
SETUP - starts Sunday, August 1st and ends 9pm SLT, Monday, August 16th.
SETUP Location: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cathedral/122/39/485
VOTING - begins 10:00pm August 16th and concludes Saturday, August 28th during our dance celebration where winners will be announced and prizes given. Time TBD.
*** What you can enter into the contest ***
One photo taken by you that is appropriate for a General rated sim. You can use windlights, filters and other camera features and Photoshop type features, as long as everything is your work.
Ex: Standing in front of beautiful scenery, using windlight and adding a starburst. YES
Ex: Taking an image from the internet to use as a background of a pic you took. NO
No adult art, nude, porn or violence. The museum is located on a G rated sim.
*** How the textures can be added ***
Canvases are given out on a first come first serve basis. The center circles will be filled first and if there is enough demand for more easels the perimeter will be used and additional easels will be added.
I will make myself available as much as possible during setup for you so your texture can be added to the 1.5 x 1.5 canvas.
*** RL has intervened. I will be unavailable from *approximately* 8am SLT through 4pm SLT Monday 8/2 through Thurs 8/6.
*** What I need from you ***
A No Copy/Mod/Transfer Texture to add to the canvas. I (Star) will sell the canvas back to you for 0L at the end of the Contest. The Texture needs 2 things on it:
*** 1. Your name
*** 2. The name of your photograph
During the setup if you do not see an open canvas please msg me and if there is room available, I (Star) can add one for you. room available.
*** PRIZES ***
Vote by Tip Jar
1st 1500L
2nd 1000L
3rd 500L
Honorable Mention Gift
Judges Vote
1st 1500L
2nd 1000L
3rd 500L
Honorable Mention Gift
Winners will be notified at the Party on the 28th, by msg & notecard and announcements will be in the group notices of Small Talk, Isle of Wyrms Citizens and in the Sl Art Gallery Group.
There will be a door prize for everyone.
Questions? Please contact: star (astarrynite) inworld
A special thanks to Michiel Bechir for creating the flyer and taking the lovely photograph of Fiji and myself, as well as his continued support during setup for the contest. Picture taken at the Rivendell sim.
Thank you Co-Sponsors!!!!!
Terry's Place - Ninja
Birch Wolves Gallery
A big thanks to the following for donating gifts:
Grendel's Children
Flying Arts
Ye Olde Panda Panda
About the sim:
"The Isle of Wyrms is the center of the community built around the Dragon Avatars of Daryth Kennedy. Indeed in this fantasy themed collection of sims, the term "Here Be Dragons!" is quite literally true. An openly welcoming community, all folk are free to explore, mingle, chat an enjoy the many events that are continually being thought up and presented by the hardworking and friendly staff. The sims are primarily PG and have a reputation for being helpful and newbie friendly. Near us are Elvish, Draven, Mermaid, Furry, and Tiny fantasy sims, many of which work with us to bring unique venues and possiblities to the residents and visitors."
Está disponible la habitación azul?
Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino, a ser inaugurado entre octubre y noviembre del 2008
Is the blue room available?
Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino, opening in fall 2008
I mentioned on the previous photo that there comes a time when life becomes a series of losses. Sadly for some people who are alone without family this is an awful reality. But the other side of my parents’ life is that whilst they have lost friends and loved ones to the march of time, their family has grown dramatically in size. Thirteen grandchildren and many more great grandchildren have enriched their lives immensely. It was difficult during the pandemic lockdown periods, and particularly so for elderly people.
But my parents have always had a room available for family to stay with them on visits. As soon as you enter the guest room you see a picture of the Grand Canyon. I’ve lost count of the number of times my parents have been to the USA on church business and holidays. Facing the bed is a large mirror from where I took a selfie a few years ago which shows a portrait on the wall of me with my siblings (another hand painted one). That photo was taken in 1970, the year our family returned from 8 years in the highlands of New Guinea.
Vichy (03), France.
In the afternoon of 18 September 2020 I was looking for a hotel in the imperial city center of Vichy. The hotel I was looking for turned out to be hosting the annual event of the Lancia Club of France. Luckily there was still a room available for me.
Sometimes the life of a car spotter turns into a dream!
One of my local animal shelters has come under criticism recently. This is a very small shelter located in a very small town. Because of the pet overpopulation problem, this shelter is completely full. They post dogs and cats on social media to try to get them adopted, but it simply doesn't always work for this (or any) shelter.
Because this shelter is legally obligated to take in any surrendered animal, if their kennels are all full they have no choice but to euthanize an animal to make room. This is not something they want to do, but they don't have any other choice.
They recently posted a plea on social media for their most urgent dog - he'd been there the longest, so he was the one who was going to be euthanized if another dog came in. The post received a lot of attention on Facebook, including some negative - people posted criticizing the shelter & the workers, telling them not to kill the dog.
What they don't realize is that this shelter has NO choice. When their kennels are full, and another dog comes in that they HAVE TO take, there is nothing else they can do.
I thought I may be able to help, so I asked the shelter if they'd like for me to take some professional photos of their most urgent dog. I brought my camera to work with me the next day, and headed over there as soon as I was off. So, here is my proof that these are NOT bad people:
These shelter workers stayed after closing just so that I could photograph these dogs. They delayed closing up and going home just because there was a chance I could help get these dogs out of the shelter. Since they did this, I offered to photograph not only the one dog, but also their second-most urgent. It was so easy to see that these officers loved these dogs. They were so gentle and sweet with the dogs, giving them treats and affection the entire time they were out.
These are not bad people, this is not a bad shelter. They are good people with difficult jobs. If you want to make a difference, don't sit behind a keyboard and criticize - get out there and DO something. Adopt, foster, donate, volunteer. Take action and make a difference.
By the way...The two most urgent dogs were both Border Collie mixes. I sent the pictures to Border Collie Rescue, who took both the dogs - opening up not one, but two kennel spaces. Thanks to the compassion shown by everyone involved, those people who did more than sit there and criticize, two dogs are now safe & the shelter has more room available.
Feeling a bit nostalgic today.
This was a view from the Hotel Borg, Reykjavík, Iceland.
A slightly interesting backstory: We were simply exhausted after our flight and had dropped off our bags at the hotel and wandered around for breakfast as we waited to be able to check in. When we did return they couldn't find our room in the computer. I wasn't upset at all (these things happen) and since this was the off season I knew we'd be able to figure something out and get a replacement. I was just about to ask the nice ladies if there was any other room available but they were 5 steps ahead of me and gave us an extremely generous upgrade as replacement; we were given the creme de la creme of rooms in the hotel: the Borg Suite. Now, I personally have never been to any chic hotel in my life before this (or since that trip for that matter), let alone a suite room. Wow. It was amazing. It had 2 floors, the top floor being a sort of entertainment room at the top of the building that had a 360 view of Reykjavík; I could see famous churches, the Pearl, the Harpa, and mountains. It was amazing. This was also the first time I've ever experienced heated bathroom floors and heated towel racks. I couldn't believe it. Talk about luxury, and all thanks to a computer error. :)
I took a few city sunrise pictures, and I happen to like this one the most. Sure it doesn't have the famous Hallgrímskirkja in it or the mountains, but instead the cute, cozy, and colorful houses of a slowly waking city. I just find it appealing and hope you do too.
Pink Lady shelf. Marie Therese in Miniature Couture suit with La Boutique bags and RC poodle. Steve Skutka OOAK "Pink Champagne". Capucine in DAE viviette fashion. Movie Mixer in DAE vivette fashion. Trace of Lace in DD Savoir Flair.
Youtube video with more views of this room available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqsK8jOHR8Q
Europe, Portugal, Algarve, Sotavento, Olhão, Ilha da Culatra, Beach, Fisherman's hut, Armchair, Nets (uncut)
On the delightful Ilha da Culatra, one of the barrier islands of the Rio Formosa. It's a 30-minute ferry ride away from Olhão. Some 300 people who live from the coastal fishery reside there. There are two villages on the island: Culatra and Farol. There are no paved roads, only narrow concrete walkways. The island's vehicle fleet consists of tractors used to transport goods.
The atmosphere is very tranquil, and there are great beaches. In the villages, there are also holiday homes (mainly in Farol), some of which can be rented via the Internet. There are no actual hotels, but you can stay there for the night. All you have to do is ask for a room in one of the restaurants / café, and then the owner will contact a private house owner who has a room available. Nicely informal.
On the island there's also an old '20s seaplane base in Hangares.
Shot on the part of the beach of Culatra that the local fishermen use. I love the informal small-scale coastal fishery set-up. And visualized a fisherman sitting here after bringing in the catch of the day, tired and maybe weary, sitting on his throne and benevolently looking at his realm while enjoying his Super Bock or Sagres.
So yeah, it seems that I don´t have room available to store more planes and warships at my home.
Therefore, I´ve decided to dismantle/sell some of the warships and planes here. I will also transfer the rest of them to my parents House until I have a bigger LEGO room at my new house.
For more pictures of these models, please visit my Flickr page:
Eínon
Bare-Sun-Beach---New-Skyboxes---The-living-room
Available in two versions based on availability - Pink or Black
Rent one at: ♥ Bare Sun Beach ♥
IOW Photo Contest and Fundraiser Rules and Information, info written by star (astarrynite):
*** DATES ***
SETUP - starts Sunday, August 1st and ends 9pm SLT, Monday, August 16th.
SETUP Location: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cathedral/122/39/485
VOTING - begins 10:00pm August 16th and concludes Saturday, August 28th during our dance celebration where winners will be announced and prizes given. Time TBD.
*** What you can enter into the contest ***
One photo taken by you that is appropriate for a General rated sim. You can use windlights, filters and other camera features and Photoshop type features, as long as everything is your work.
Ex: Standing in front of beautiful scenery, using windlight and adding a starburst. YES
Ex: Taking an image from the internet to use as a background of a pic you took. NO
No adult art, nude, porn or violence. The museum is located on a G rated sim.
*** How the textures can be added ***
Canvases are given out on a first come first serve basis. The center circles will be filled first and if there is enough demand for more easels the perimeter will be used and additional easels will be added.
I will make myself available as much as possible during setup for you so your texture can be added to the 1.5 x 1.5 canvas.
*** RL has intervened. I will be unavailable from *approximately* 8am SLT through 4pm SLT Monday 8/2 through Thurs 8/6.
*** What I need from you ***
A No Copy/Mod/Transfer Texture to add to the canvas. I (Star) will sell the canvas back to you for 0L at the end of the Contest. The Texture needs 2 things on it:
*** 1. Your name
*** 2. The name of your photograph
During the setup if you do not see an open canvas please msg me and if there is room available, I (Star) can add one for you. room available.
*** PRIZES ***
Vote by Tip Jar
1st 1500L
2nd 1000L
3rd 500L
Honorable Mention Gift
Judges Vote
1st 1500L
2nd 1000L
3rd 500L
Honorable Mention Gift
Winners will be notified at the Party on the 28th, by msg & notecard and announcements will be in the group notices of Small Talk, Isle of Wyrms Citizens and in the Sl Art Gallery Group.
There will be a door prize for everyone.
Questions? Please contact: star (astarrynite) inworld
A special thanks to Michiel Bechir for creating the flyer and taking the lovely photograph of Fiji and myself, as well as his continued support during setup for the contest. Picture taken at the Rivendell sim.
Thank you Co-Sponsors!!!!!
Terry's Place - Ninja
Birch Wolves Gallery
A big thanks to the following for donating gifts:
Grendel's Children
Flying Arts
Ye Olde Panda Panda
About the sim:
"The Isle of Wyrms is the center of the community built around the Dragon Avatars of Daryth Kennedy. Indeed in this fantasy themed collection of sims, the term "Here Be Dragons!" is quite literally true. An openly welcoming community, all folk are free to explore, mingle, chat an enjoy the many events that are continually being thought up and presented by the hardworking and friendly staff. The sims are primarily PG and have a reputation for being helpful and newbie friendly. Near us are Elvish, Draven, Mermaid, Furry, and Tiny fantasy sims, many of which work with us to bring unique venues and possiblities to the residents and visitors."
Luke 2:7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Luke 2:7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Key Largo Living Room, available now in world at maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fasnia/76/130/996 Come to the marketplace soon!
..at the usually crowded Guilford Town Marina. Now only a few hearty boaters are still in the water mid-November. Low 20's expected soon!
See my other long exposures at flic.kr/s/aHsjsHDntb
Europe, Portugal, Algarve, Sotavento, Olhão, Ilha da Culatra, Fisherman Net, Gulls (slightly cut from L,R & B)
On the delightful Ilha da Culatra, one of the barrier islands of the Rio Formosa. It's a 30 minute ferry ride away from Olhão. Some 300 people reside there who live from the coastal fishery. There are two villages on the island: Culatra and Farol. There are no paved roads, only narrow concrete walkways. The vehicle fleet of the island consists of tractors that are used for the transportation of goods.
The atmosphere is very tranquil, and there are great beaches. In the villages are also holiday homes (mostly in Farol), some of which can be rented via the Internet. There are no real hotels, but you can stay the night. All you have to do is ask for a room in the restaurants / café's and then the owner will put you in contact with a private house owner who has a room available. Nicely informal.
On the island there's also a former WO1 seaplane base (Hangares).
A fisherman storing his nets and gulls at the ready to swoop off to get leftover fish. Shot at the beach edge of Culatra village.
Gail: We gotta find us a place to stay!
Sashya: I can recommend the bed and breakfast I stayed in the last time I was here. Assuming they have room available, it's a charming little place.
Gail: That sounds like the cat's meow, right there! Say, and what about transportation? What say we rent some motorcycles? That'd be fun, huh? You ladies know how to ride?
Sashya: Oh yes, I've used them often in my job.
Marie: Oui, Mademoiselle Gail, I too have a love for ze motorbike. Ze faster ze better, n'est-ce pas?
Gail: Now yer talkin!!
Betty Boop: We ain't evah go sell all dat chocolate Cloe!*
Cloe: I'm so sorry, Miss Boop!
Betty Boop: You!! Didn't ya read that sign out front? No shoes, no soivice! Take a hike!
Speedo Steel: I'm wearing boots.
Betty Boop: Ya ain't wearin no-... Whazzat?? Flesh colahed boots?? Tha resta ya 'outfit' ain't sayin much eitha!
Speedo Steel: I'm a rock star. This is my lawyer, she will sue you.
Agatha: One moment! First, Speedo dear, any crossing of the famed Betty Boop, in her own establishment no less, and I will drop you as a client faster than you can say 'Big Yank'. Now, Miss Boop, my name is Agatha Winterbottom, and I am a lawyer from Cooper's Town. Speedo is indeed my client on a completely unrelated matter** but I-
Betty Boop: Coopah's Town!! You mean youse a real Sindy from Coopah's Town?? Ya don't get no bettah 'n that!!
Agatha: -wanted... Oh, you flatter me Miss Boop when, in fact, the great thrill is mine to finally see you and your diner that is famous no matter where you go! In fact, I had planned to stop here so that I could present you with a small gift.
Betty Boop: A gift! From Coopah's Town?? My happy day!
Speedo Steel: Big Yank.
Newton: (thinking) What just happened? Does this woman actually think she can stop me from removing Speedo from the Nexus?? With a lawsuit??
__________________________________________
* Cloe accidentally over-ordered... by A LOT... on the candy, which ended up literally burying Betty! Seen in issue 1545!
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/48866494978/
** Hired by the Speedo Steel Fan Club in Cooper's Town to stop Speedo from being deported! Seen in issue 1542!
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/48811802696/
See the fabled Sindys of Cooper's Town here!
This is another sign that I love. I like that it has three different fonts; the script being my favorite.
This was a very interesting design to build in LEGO. As much as possible I tried to make the plane as streamlined as the real plane, which included the use of new parts on the leading edge of the wing near the fixed landing gear.
The cockpit can fit a minifig, there´s some room available on the forward compartment to carry cargo and it can carry three bombs under the fuselage.
Thanks for watching! Don´t forget to like and subscribe my Flickr page:
Eínon
5635 Freeport Blvd.
Sacramento, California
Cocktails - Dinners
Dancing South Sea Atmosphere
Visit our authentic Tiki Room
Available for banquets and private parties.
American Match Co.
♡ CREDITS ♡
Chez Moi :: GRACIE DINING ROOM::
Available @ ACCESS EVENT!!
Chez Moi Mainstore
Chez Moi Marketplace
Chez Moi Weblink
Chez Moi Facebook
CHAI. :: CALM SET ::
This set includes:
🌿 A beautifully crafted wooden decor table.
👐 A Buddha Hands wall panel:
Mudras are symbolic gestures that play a significant role in Buddhism, often used in practice to cultivate calmness and inner peace.
A tranquil planter featuring a meditating monk among rocks:
True calmness arises from understanding the nature of the mind, embracing compassion, and living in the present moment.
Eco-Friendly: Sustainably sourced materials ensure a minimal environmental footprint.
————————————
Calming Affirmations
1. I feel safe
2. I am calm
3. I am relaxed
4. I am at peace
5. My mind is calm
6. My body is relaxed
7. I am okay
————————————
How do you cultivate calmness in your home?
Share your thoughts in the comments! Let’s create spac
Available @ MAINSTORE
CHAI. Mainstore
CHAI. Marketplace
This year I made a total of 6 Soviet Planes and Helicopters.
It was quite fun to make them and I learned a lot building them; for example I stopped using LEGO windscreens and instead used brick built canopies.
This however limits the room available for a minifig inside but it´s more accurate and sturdy. I also continue to use heavy quantities of Curved Slopes, those parts are awesome to achieve the correct shape of those planes.
I already have an idea for next year Plane Collection Display. We shall see what I will make
To watch more pictures of the planes above, please visit my Flickr page:
Eínon
New Release. Sassy wooden circular frames to hang on your wall in any room.
Available in world or on the MP.
♡ CREDITS ♡
Chez Moi :: COAST LIVING ROOM ::
Available @ ACCESS EVENT!!
Chez Moi Mainstore
Chez Moi Marketplace
Chez Moi Weblink
Chez Moi Facebook
[ SQUARE ] :: VOXX Outdoor Wall ::
[ SQUARE ] :: ETHER FIREPIT ::
Available @ MAINSTORE
[ SQUARE ] Mainstore
[ SQUARE ] Marketplace
MYSA :: Apple and Pear Fall Sculptures ::
Available @ MAINSTORE
MYSA - Mainstore
MYSA - Marketplace
Taken around 8:00 pm Eastern Standar Time
at Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA.
December 11/2011
O Holy Night Katherine Jenkins and Aled Jones
Christmas or Christmas Day (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, literally "Christ's mass") is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated generally on December as a religious and cultural holiday by billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide. Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations,is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.
The precise day of Jesus' birth, which some historians place between 7 and 2 BC, is unknown. In the early-to-mid 4th century, Western Christianity first placed Christmas on December 25, a date later adopted also in the East.Theories advanced to explain that choice include that it falls exactly nine months after the Christian celebration of the Annunciation,[16] or that it was selected to coincide with either the date of the Roman winter solstice or of an ancient pagan winter festival in order to stamp out these celebrations and replace them with a Christian one.
The original date of the celebration in Eastern Christianity was January 6, in connection with Epiphany, and that is still the date of the celebration for the Armenian Apostolic Church and in Armenia, where it is a public holiday. As of 2011, there is a difference of 13 days between the modern Gregorian calendar and the older Julian calendar. Those who continue to use the Julian calendar or its equivalents thus celebrate December 25 and January 6 on what for the majority of the world is January 7 and January 19. For this reason, Ethiopia, Russia, Ukraine, the Republic of Macedonia, and the Republic of Moldova celebrate Christmas on what in the Gregorian calendar is January 7; all the Greek Orthodox Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25.
The popular celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian and secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, Christmas music and caroling, an exchange of Christmas cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore. Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.
Commemorating Jesus' birth Main articles: Annunciation, Nativity of Jesus, and Child Jesus
Anbetung der Hirten (Adoration of the Shepherds) (c. 1500–10), by Italian painter Giorgio da CastelfrancoChristians celebrate the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary as a fulfillment of the Old Testament's Messianic prophecy.The Bible contains two accounts which describe the events surrounding Jesus' birth. Depending on one's perspective, these accounts either differ from each other or tell two versions of the same story.These biblical accounts are found in the Gospel of Matthew, namely Matthew 1:18, and the Gospel of Luke, specifically Luke 1:26 and 2:40. According to these accounts, Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem.
According to popular tradition, the birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals, though neither the stable nor the animals are specifically mentioned in the Biblical accounts. However, a manger (that is, a feeding trough) is mentioned in Luke 2:7, where it states Mary "wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (KJV); the New International Version now translates this, "She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them" (NIV). Early iconographic representations of the nativity placed the animals and manger within a cave (located, according to tradition, under the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem), rather than a stable.
Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an angel, and were the first to see the child. Popular tradition also holds that three kings or wise men (named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar) visited the infant Jesus in the manger, though this does not strictly follow the Biblical account. The Gospel of Matthew instead describes a visit by an unspecified number of magi, or astrologers, sometime after Jesus was born while the family was living in a house (Matthew 2:11), who brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the young child Jesus. The visitors were said to be following a mysterious star, commonly known as the Star of Bethlehem, believing it to announce the birth of a king of the Jews.The commemoration of this visit, the Feast of Epiphany celebrated on January 6, is the formal end of the Christmas season in some churches.
Christians celebrate Christmas in various ways. In addition to this day being one of the most important and popular for the attendance of church services, there are other devotions and popular traditions. In some Christian denominations, children re-enact the events of the Nativity with animals to portray the event with more realism or sing carols that reference the event. Some Christians also display a small re-creation of the Nativity, known as a Nativity scene or crèche, in their homes, using figurines to portray the key characters of the event. Prior to Christmas Day, the Eastern Orthodox Church practices the 40-day Nativity Fast in anticipation of the birth of Jesus, while much of Western Christianity celebrates four weeks of Advent. The final preparations for Christmas are made on Christmas Eve.
A long artistic tradition has grown of producing painted depictions of the nativity in art. Nativity scenes are traditionally set in a stable with livestock and include Mary, Joseph, the infant Jesus in the manger, the three wise men, the shepherds and their sheep, the angels, and the Star of Bethlehem.
─Source: Wikipedia.
Copyright Susan Ogden
Oh, how i wish we could get inside here before it is torn down.
Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital, opened it’s doors in 1876. In its heyday it was the LARGEST building in the US...remaining that up until the Pentagon was built in 1943. It housed 7,674 patients, one of the most famous being Woodie Guthrie. Within the confines of the hospital were a chapel, dental clinic, classrooms, an infirmary and a movie theater.
My grandmother, who passed away before i was born, worked there in the 1940’s. My mom used to occasionally go to work with her mom and play on the playground there or go to a movie. I grew up about a mile from this grand building. It closed it’s doors for good in 2003, and has been left in ruins in spite of offers to turn it into a museum similar to what was done to Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania.
A private buyer purchased the building and it is slated for demolition the end of September. I am not sure why there is so little regard for the historic properties here. It was a beautiful building in it’s time and the architecture is pretty amazing. i could understand taking down some of the wings that are deteriorated beyond repair, but the main building should really have been saved for it’s historic value. There were several interested parties, with the money to rehab it, that wanted to save it and allow people to tour it, but the state said no and went with demolition for “Open Space”. A tragedy, imho, since it sits in one of the wealthiest counties in NJ, where open space is hardly an issue.
This is the only interior shot i could get, by climbing the fire escape and leaning over the railing and into the window. The ONLY thing that kept us from going in was a swarm of bees living in the window casing that were zooming in and out!! Otherwise there may have been need for the bail jar!! We kept tabs on the security guard and police activity...and actually got on the good side of the guard who let us onto the property closer to the fencing past the NO TRESPASSING signs! He felt as we did that it was an incredible waste of this place to knock it down, and since we seemed harmless, he let us wander ....little did he know we would have been inside if it were not for the bees!!!!
For more info and photos that do show the inside of some of this place, check this out! www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2601383/Haunting-picture...
Pink soiree silkstone, blue soiree silkstone in DD Platinum Pleasures, High Tea and Savories in DD Serenade in Brocade, Stolen Magic in DD Pretty.
Youtube video with more views of this room available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqsK8jOHR8Q
Lesser Goldfinches at Santa Rita Lodge, Arizona. The seeds are below the top rung access!; however there is one room available real cheep at the bottom.
One of the galleries downtown displaying my photography - there is room available, come join the fun!!
Insight for Living's Chuck Swindoll illustrates an "insight" with a funny thing that happened in Darlington, Maryland, several years ago. Edith, a mother of eight, was coming home from a neighbor's house one Saturday afternoon. Things seemed too quiet as she walked across her front yard. Curious, she peered through the screen door and saw five of her youngest children huddled together, concentrating on something. As she crept closer to them, trying to discover the center of attention, she could not believe her eyes. Smack dab in the middle of the circle were five baby skunks.
Edith screamed at the top of her voice, "Quick children... run!" Each kid grabbed a skunk and ran.
Some days are like that, aren't they? You just think you've got problems until you try to deal with them. When you do, they multiply. (you can read the whole article here: www.insight.org/resources/articles/jesus/deep-water-faith...)
This past week has been like that for me... a series of ups and downs. I was kicked out of the Pisgah Inn, essentially due to our president having a snit over the government shutdown. I managed, however, to get the last room available to stay in that general vicinity of western North Carolina. I made a new friend of a fellow from Russia... we had a lot in common. Not long after he left, some other fellow (whom I did not meet, though I'd like to) tried to see just how much of a mess he could make of things... the only thing we have in common is that he now possesses things that I once did (fortunately, none of substantial value). I fussed with someone I care about... I felt that I was correct in my assertions, though it made me feel less of myself and more of her. In the end, my assertions didn't much matter. Nothing is worth hurting the ones you love... especially when they love you so much.
The day this was taken of the Little River at DuPont State Park was a bit like that. The intention was to photograph the waterfalls along it. The clear blue contrastive day stopped me short of that... but it worked out beautifully in other ways. Don't let a little difficulty keep you from seeing the good for what it is... there's beauty in it.
Trip Day One: Monday, July 13th.
We left here and drove through Central New Jersey to 87 North. I realized I was driving part of the way exactly how I used to drive to my ex-boyfriends' house. That was weird, only in the way that things from your past make you think about where you've been and where you're going kind of way. :-)
Speaking of weird, we then went up to New Paltz, where I've lived on 2 separate occasions. Once I lived up at Mohonk Mountain House where I worked, and another time I lived in town with a previous boyfriend (who I met at Mohonk) and worked at a warehouse. It is even trendier than I remembered. I think we parked on the street Ben and I lived and I might have recognized the house of apartments, but I can't be sure. Years of brain damage have made it impossible to figure out anything anymore.
We then drove up into the Adirondack Mountains. It was going to rain and we were beat so I put in a search for a motel on the GPS when we stopped in Chestertown, NY. There was a place right up the road and the woman was super friendly when I called. Yes, they took dogs but no, they had no cabin or motel room available...but wait! She had a camper/trailer out back if we didn't mind that or need a refrigerator. How much? I asked and the price was right.
Had to take advantage of the white trashiness for a self-portrait. LOL. I'm not really drinking beer, don't worry.
About the Model:
The ship is quite simple and very small so I didnt have much room available for details.
As usual, I used my Father´s Cold War Era Books for inspiration and in all of the photos, the retractable frontal launcher for the SA-N-4 Missile was always closed. But I saw a photo of the launcher and I put it anyway.
Many years ago I used to play the game "Harpoon" and the Nanuchka was one of my favourite ships since they could launch lot´s of missiles against NATO ships and then retreat.
For more pictures, please visit my Flickr page:
Eínon
The XV-37 was a prototype swept wing jet fighter that never entered service with the Imperial Lego Air Force.
The VL-324 Trovão (Thunder) was the first successful Lego jet fighter, combining a swept wing and a Mach 1 speed; however, the fighter lacked radar and air-to-air missiles.
www.flickr.com/photos/einon/5106902531/in/set-72157628204...
As soon as the Trovão entered service, a new competition was launched to develop its successor. The requirements included a Mach 2 speed, onboard long-range air-to-air radar and a range of 2000km.
As for the armament, two 30mm ENA-60 Auto-cannons were carried on the nose while light experimental missiles could also be carried under the wings. The new fighter XV-37 could easily achieve Mach 1,7 but failed in some parameters, such as the small room available for the radar and landing gear. To land, the fighter featured only two retractable wheels in tandem, making the landing quite tricky.
Eventually, the XV-37 never entered service, since the far more advance Freelancer fighter won the competition (picture here:www.flickr.com/photos/einon/8512982392/) .
For a very short period of time, the XV-37 was the fastest plane in the world and performed a series of aerobatic displays around the world.
More pictures of this plane will be posted later.
Eínon
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I made this video during the Event but I didn´t have access to a decent WIFI so I´m only able to upload it now.
This Event was quite fun with Afols from all around the world and it included a visit to the new LEGO House and the LEGO Staff Shop.
It´s also a great place to see old friends again (but sadly I couldn´t meet with my friend Henrik).
However, the Event had a few small problems. First of all, number of participants.
Previously the Event had a limit of 300-450 participants (I don´t know the number exactly) but this year they had almost 900.
This meant that the quality of the creations was fantastic with some of the best Europeans Afols present, but it also meant that the room available for the Displays was small and MOC inscription was closed quite rapidly (which was expected).
With almost twice the number of participants, everyone enjoyed the tradicional Afols Dinner inside a huge tent outside of the main building; the food was quite good and more than enough but they forgot to add illumination except for the main entrance and it got to a point that I had to eat using the lantern from my phone while I was talking with some Italian Afols...
I´m sure they will solve this small issues next time.
I won´t be able to return to Skaerbaek for sometime but I will eventually return. I mean, I bought 13kg of LEGO there... there aren´t that many places that you can do that so cheap... :D
Eínon
The Church of the Nativity, or Basilica of the Nativity, is a basilica located in Bethlehem in the State of Palestine, in the West Bank. The grotto holds a prominent religious significance to Christians of various denominations as the birthplace of Jesus. The grotto is the oldest site continuously used as a place of worship in Christianity, and the basilica is the oldest major church in the Holy Land.
The church was originally commissioned by Constantine the Great a short time after his mother Helena's visit to Jerusalem and Bethlehem in 325–326, on the site that was traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Jesus. That original basilica was likely built between 330 and 333, being already mentioned in 333, and was dedicated on 31 May 339. It was probably destroyed by fire during the Samaritan revolts of the sixth century, possibly in 529, and a new basilica was built a number of years later by Byzantine Emperor Justinian (r. 527–565), who added a porch or narthex, and replaced the octagonal sanctuary with a cruciform transept complete with three apses, but largely preserved the original character of the building, with an atrium and a basilica consisting of a nave with four side aisles.
The Church of the Nativity, while remaining basically unchanged since the Justinianic reconstruction, has seen numerous repairs and additions, especially from the Crusader period, such as two bell towers (now gone), wall mosaics and paintings (partially preserved). Over the centuries, the surrounding compound has been expanded, and today it covers approximately 12,000 square meters, comprising three different monasteries: one Catholic, one Armenian Apostolic, and one Greek Orthodox, of which the first two contain bell towers built during the modern era.
The silver star marking the spot where Christ was born, inscribed in Latin, was stolen in October 1847 by Greek monks who wished to remove this Catholic item. Some assert that this was a contributing factor in the Crimean War against the Russian Empire. Others assert that the war grew out of the wider European situation.
Since 2012, the Church of the Nativity is a World Heritage Site and was the first to be listed by UNESCO under 'Palestine'.
Since 1852, the rights of the three religious communities are ruled by Status Quo.
Base in scripture
Of the four canonical gospels, Matthew and Luke mention the birth of Jesus, both placing it in Bethlehem. Luke mentions the manger: "and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them."
A variant of the narrative is contained in the Gospel of James, an apocryphal infancy gospel.
History
Holy site before Constantine (ca. 4 BC–AD 326)
The holy site known as the Nativity Grotto is thought to be the cave in which Jesus was born. In 135, Emperor Hadrian had the site above the grotto converted into a worship place for Adonis, the mortal lover of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty and desire. Jerome claimed in 420 that the grotto had been consecrated to the worship of Adonis, and that a sacred grove was planted there in order to completely wipe out the memory of Jesus from the world.
Around AD 248, Greek philosopher Origen of Alexandria wrote the following about the grotto:
In Bethlehem the cave is pointed out where He was born, and the manger in the cave where He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And the rumor is in those places, and among foreigners of the Faith, that indeed Jesus was born in this cave who is worshiped and reverenced by the Christians.
Constantinian basilica (326 – 529 or 556)
The first basilica on this site was built by Emperor Constantine I, on the site identified by his mother, Empress Helena and Bishop Makarios of Jerusalem. The construction started in 326 under the supervision of Makarios, who followed Constantine's orders, and was dedicated on 31 May 339—however, it had already been visited in 333 by the Bordeaux Pilgrim, at which time it was already in use.
Construction of this early church was carried out as part of a larger project following the First Council of Nicaea during Constantine's reign, aimed to build churches on the sites assumed at the time to have witnessed the crucial events in the life of Jesus. The design of the basilica centered around three major architectural sections:
At the eastern end, an apse in a polygonal shape (broken pentagon, rather than the once proposed, but improbable full octagon), encircling a raised platform with an opening in its floor of ca. 4 metres diameter that allowed direct view of the Nativity site underneath. An ambulatory with side rooms surrounded the apse.
A five-aisled basilica in continuation of the eastern apse, one bay shorter than the still standing Justinianic reconstruction.
A porticoed atrium.
The structure was burned and destroyed in one of the Samaritan Revolts of 529 or 556, in the second of which Jews seem to have joined the Samaritans.
Justinian's basilica (6th century)
The basilica was rebuilt in its present form in the 6th century on the initiative of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527–565), after the destruction of either 529 or 556. It was probably accomplished after the Emperor's death, as is indicated by the dating of the wooden elements embedded in the church walls between 545 and 665, which was provided by the dendrochronological analyses made during the recent restoration works.
The Persians under Khosrau II invaded Palestine and conquered nearby Jerusalem in 614, but they did not destroy the structure. According to legend, their commander Shahrbaraz was moved by the depiction above the church entrance of the Three Magi wearing the garb of Persian Zoroastrian priests, so he ordered that the building be spared.
Crusader period (1099-1187)
The Church of the Nativity was used as the primary coronation church for Crusader kings, from the second ruler of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1100 and until 1131. In an earlier phase starting from c. 1130, the Crusaders promoted the redecoration of the building in the medium of wall painting: images of saints were displayed in the central and southern colonnades of the nave, largely on the initiative of private donors, as is shown by the frequent use of dedicatory inscriptions and portraits. Remnants of a cycle of narrative scenes are preserved in the north-western pillar of the choir and the south transepts, as well as in the chapel located below the bell tower. The Crusaders undertook extensive decoration and restoration on the basilica and grounds, a process that continued until 1169, from 1165 to 1169 even through a sort of "joint venture" between the Latin Bishop of Bethlehem, Raoul, the Latin King Amalric I of Jerusalem and the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos. As detailed in the bilingual Greek and Latin inscription in the altar space, the mosaic decoration was made by a teamwork headed by a painter named Ephraim. Another bilingual, Latin and Syriac, inscription located in the lower half of a mosaic panel displaying an angel in the northern wall of the nave bears witness to the work of a painter named Basil, who was probably a local Syrian Melkite. The two artists collaborated within the same workshop.
Ayyubid and Mamluk periods (1187-1516)
The Ayyubid conquest of Jerusalem and its area in 1187 was without consequences for the Nativity church. The Greek-Melkite clergy was granted the right to serve in the church, and similar concessions were given almost immediately also to other Christian denominations.
In the year 1227 the church was embellished with an elegantly carved wooden door, the remnants of which can still be seen in the narthex. As detailed in its double, Armenian and Arabic inscription, it was made by two Armenian monks, Father Abraham and Father Arakel, in the times of King Hethum I of Cilicia (1224-1269) and the Emir of Damascus, and Saladin's nephew, al-Mu'azzam Isa. In 1229 Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II signed an agreement with Sultan al-Kamil which led to the restitution of the Holy Places to the Crusaders. The property of the Nativity Church came back into the possession of the Latin clergy on the condition that Muslim pilgrims may be allowed to visit the holy cave. Latin hegemony probably lasted until the incursion of Khwarezmian Turks in April 1244. On that occasion, the church treasures, now preserved in the Terra Sancta Museum in Jerusalem, were concealed underground and rediscovered only in 1863. The church was devastated, but not destroyed, the major damage being the dilapidation of its roof.
Under Mamluk rule, the church was used by different Christian denominations, including Greeks, Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians, and Syrians. In 1347 the Franciscans of the newly established Custody of the Holy Land were bestowed with the ownership of the former monastery of the regular canons to the north of the basilica. The Friars managed to gain a hegemonic role in Bethlehem until the Ottoman period.
Starting from the late 13th century, pilgrims lament the dilapidation of the church interior by order of Mamluk authorities: in particular, the marble revetments of the walls and floor were gradually removed, until they thoroughly disappeared.
The Duchy of Burgundy committed resources to restore the roof in August 1448, and multiple regions contributed supplies to have the church roof repaired in 1480: England supplied the lead, the Second Kingdom of Burgundy supplied the wood, and the Republic of Venice provided the labor.
Ottoman period, first three centuries (16th–18th)
After the Ottoman conquest of Palestine in 1516, the Nativity church suffered from a long decay. The nave was largely abandoned and used for profane purposes. In the aim to prevent people from entering the church with horses and cattle, the main entrance was walled up and transformed into a diminutive door, known until our days as the "Door of Humility", since visitors are forced to bend down to go through it. An elevated chancel, provided with three doors, thoroughly separated the nave from the east end of the building, which was reserved for liturgical activities. The Ottoman period was characterized by increasing tensions between the different Christian denominations. In 1637, Greeks were granted hegemony by the Sublime Porte and the Franciscans were expelled from the holy cave. In 1621 the Armenian Patriarch Grigor Paronter bought the partly ruined buildings to the south of the courtyard and established there a monastery and a hospice for pilgrims. In 1639, the Cretan painter Jeremias Palladas was commissioned by the Greek Patriarch to paint new icons to embellish the church. Further works were made in 1671 on the initiative of Patriarch Dositheos II. In 1675, Dositheos managed to gain control also of the nave, and promoted restorations of the floor and the roof, as well as the making of a new iconostasis. The Franciscans were restored in their rights in 1690, but they lose their hegemony once again in 1757, when the Greek Orthodox were granted full ownership of the upper church and the authorization to keep the keys to the grotto. Afterwards, a redecoration of the church was promoted: the nave was newly paved, the bema was provided with a solemn iconostasis and a wooden baldachin was erected over the main altar.
Because of uninterrupted water infiltrations from the roof, the Crusader mosaics started falling down, as is documented in many pilgrims' accounts from the 16th century onwards.
Nineteenth century
Earthquakes inflicted significant damage to the Church of the Nativity between 1834 and 1837. The 1834 Jerusalem earthquake damaged the church's bell tower, the furnishings in the cave on which the church is built, and other parts of its structure. Minor damages were further inflicted by a series of strong aftershocks in 1836 and the Galilee earthquake of 1837. As part of the repairs executed by the Greek Orthodox after receiving a firman in 1842, a wall was built between the nave and aisles, used at the time as a market, and the eastern part of the church containing the choir, which allowed for worship to be continued there.
The religiously significant silver star marking the exact birthplace of Jesus was removed in October 1847 from the Grotto of the Nativity by the Greek Orthodox. The church was under the control of the Ottoman Empire, but around Christmas 1852, Napoleon III forced the Ottomans to recognise Catholic France as the "sovereign authority" over Christian holy sites in the Holy Land. The Sultan of Turkey replaced the silver star at the grotto, complete with a Latin inscription, but the Christian Orthodox Russian Empire disputed the change in authority. They cited the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca and then deployed armies to the Danube area. As a result, the Ottomans issued firmans essentially reversing their earlier decision, renouncing the French treaty, and restoring to the Orthodox Christians the sovereign authority over the churches of the Holy Land for the time being, thus increasing local tensions—and all this fuelled the conflict between the Russian and the Ottoman empires over the control of holy sites around the region.
Twentieth century to the present
The passageway which connects St. Jerome's Cave and the Cave of the Nativity was expanded in February 1964, allowing easier access for visitors. American businessman Stanley Slotkin was visiting at the time and purchased a quantity of the limestone rubble, more than a million irregular fragments about 5 mm (0.20 in) across. He sold them to the public encased in plastic crosses, and they were advertised in infomercials in 1995.
During the Second Intifada in April 2002, the church was the site of a month-long siege in which approximately 50 armed Palestinians wanted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took refuge inside the church. Christians in the church gave refuge to the fighters, giving them food, water, and protection from Israeli military forces stationed outside. Israeli media claimed that the Christians inside were being held hostage, however, parishioners inside the church say they and the church were treated with respect.
Curtains caught fire in the grotto beneath the church on 27 May 2014, which resulted in some slight damage.
The church's joint owners undertook a major renovation starting in September 2013, probably to be completed in 2021 (see also under Restoration (2013–2019)).
World Heritage Site
In 2012, the church complex became the first Palestinian site to be listed as a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee at its 36th session on 29 June. It was approved by a secret vote of 13–6 in the 21-member committee, according to UNESCO spokeswoman Sue Williams, and following an emergency candidacy procedure that by-passed the 18-month process for most sites, despite the opposition of the United States and Israel. The site was approved under criteria four and six. The decision was a controversial one on both technical and political terms. It was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger from 2012 to 2019, as it was suffering from damages due to water leaks.
Restoration (2013–2019)
The present state of the church is worrying. Many roof timbers are rotting, and have not been replaced since the 19th century. The rainwater that seeps into the building not only accelerates the rotting of the wood and damages the structural integrity of the building, but also damages the 12th-century wall mosaics and paintings. The influx of water also means that there is an ever-present chance of an electrical fire. If another earthquake were to occur on the scale of the one of 1834, the result would most likely be catastrophic. ... It is hoped that the listing will encourage its preservation, including getting the three custodians of the church—the Greek Orthodox Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church, and the Franciscan order—to work together, which has not happened for hundreds of years. The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority would also have to work together to protect it.
A Presidential committee for the restoration of the Nativity Church was appointed in 2008. In the following year, an international consortium team of experts from different Universities, under the supervision of Prof. Claudio Alessandri (University of Ferrara, Italy), was given the task of planning and coordinating the restoration works.
Logistics and organisation
In 2010, the Palestinian Authority announced that a multimillion-dollar restoration programme was imminent. Although a majority Muslim nation, albeit with a significant Christian minority, Palestinians consider the church a national treasure and one of their most visited tourist sites. President Mahmoud Abbas has been actively involved in the project, which is led by Ziad al-Bandak. The project is partially funded by Palestinians and conducted by a team of Palestinian and international experts.
Restoration process
The initial phase of the restoration work was completed in early 2016. New windows have been installed, structural repairs on the roof have been completed and art works and mosaics have been cleaned and restored. The works went further with the consolidation of the narthex, the cleaning and consolidation of all wooden elements, the cleaning of wall mosaics, mural paintings, and floor mosaics. The works came to an end in 2020.
Discoveries
Italian restoration workers uncovered a seventh surviving mosaic angel in July 2016, which was previously hidden under plaster.[66] According to the Italian restorer Marcello Piacenti, the mosaics "are made of gold leaf placed between two glass plates" and solely "faces and limbs are drawn with small pieces of stone."
Property and administration
The property rights, liturgical use and maintenance of the church are regulated by a set of documents and understandings known as the Status Quo. The church is owned by three church authorities, the Greek Orthodox (most of the building and furnishings), the Catholic and the Armenian Apostolic (each of them with lesser properties). The Coptic Orthodox and Syriac Orthodox are holding minor rights of worship at the Armenian church in the northern transept, and at the Altar of Nativity. There have been repeated brawls among monk trainees over quiet respect for others' prayers, hymns and even the division of floor space for cleaning duties. The Palestinian police are often called to restore peace and order.
Site architecture and layout
The centrepiece of the Nativity complex is the Grotto of the Nativity, a cave which enshrines the site where Jesus is said to have been born.
The core of the complex connected to the Grotto consists of the Church of the Nativity itself, and the adjoining Catholic Church of St. Catherine north of it.
Outer courtyard
Bethlehem's main city square, Manger Square, is an extension of the large paved courtyard in front of the Church of the Nativity and St Catherine's. Here crowds gather on Christmas Eve to sing Christmas carols in anticipation of the midnight services.
Basilica of the Nativity
The main Basilica of the Nativity is maintained by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. It is designed like a typical Roman basilica, with five aisles formed by Corinthian columns, and an apse in the eastern end containing the sanctuary.
The basilica is entered through a very low door called the "Door of Humility."
The church's interior walls feature medieval golden mosaics once covering the side walls, which are now in large parts lost.
The original Roman-style floor of the basilica has been covered over with flagstones, but there is a trap door in the floor which opens up to reveal a portion of the original mosaic pavement from the Constantinian basilica.
There are 44 columns separating the aisles from each other and from the nave, some of which are painted with images of saints, such as the Irish monk Catald (fl. 7th century), the patron of the Sicilian Normans, Canute IV (c. 1042–1086), king of Denmark, and Olaf II (995–1030), king of Norway.
The east end of the church consists of a raised chancel, closed by an apse containing the main altar and separated from the chancel by a large gilded iconostasis.
A complex array of sanctuary lamps is placed throughout the entire building.
The open ceiling exposes the wooden rafters, recently restored. The previous 15th-century restoration used beams donated by King Edward IV of England, who also donated lead to cover the roof; however, this lead was taken by the Ottoman Turks, who melted it down for ammunition to use in war against Venice.
Grotto of the Nativity
The Grotto of the Nativity, the place where Jesus is said to have been born, is an underground space which forms the crypt of the Church of the Nativity. It is situated underneath its main altar, and it is normally accessed by two staircases on either side of the chancel. The grotto is part of a network of caves, which are accessed from the adjacent Church St Catherine's. The tunnel-like corridor connecting the Grotto to the other caves is normally locked.
The cave has an eastern niche said to be the place where Jesus was born, which contains the Altar of Nativity. The exact spot where Jesus was born is marked beneath this altar by a 14-pointed silver star with the Latin inscription Hic De Virgine Maria Jesus Christus Natus Est-1717 ("Here Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary"-1717). It was installed by the Catholics in 1717, removed – allegedly by the Greeks – in 1847, and replaced by the Turkish government in 1853. The star is set into the marble floor and surrounded by 15 silver lamps representing the three Christian communities: six belong to the Greek Orthodox, four to the Catholics, and five to the Armenian Apostolic. The Altar of the Nativity is maintained by the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches. The significance of the 14 points on the star is to represent the three sets of 14 generations in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. First 14 from Abraham to David, then 14 from David to the Babylonian captivity, then 14 more to Jesus Christ. In the middle of the 14 pointed star is a circular hole, through which one can reach in to touch the stone that is said to be the original stone that Mary lay on when she gave birth to Jesus.
Catholics are in charge of a section of the grotto known as the "Grotto of the Manger", marking the traditional site where Mary laid the newborn baby in the manger. The Altar of the Magi is located directly opposite from the manger site.
Church of St. Catherine
The adjoining Church of St. Catherine is a Catholic church dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria, built in a more modern Gothic Revival style. It has been further modernized according to the liturgical trends which followed Vatican II.
This is the church where the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem celebrates Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Certain customs in this Midnight Mass predate Vatican II, but must be maintained because the Status Quo was legally fixed by a firman (decree) in 1852 under the Ottoman Empire, which is still in force today.
The bas-relief of the Tree of Jesse is a 3.75 by 4 metres (12 ft 4 in by 13 ft 1 in) sculpture by Czesław Dźwigaj which was recently incorporated into the Church of St. Catherine as a gift of Pope Benedict XVI during his trip to the Holy Land in 2009. It represents an olive tree as the Tree of Jesse, displaying the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham through Joseph, as well as symbolism from the Old Testament. The upper portion is dominated by a crowned figure of Christ the King in an open-armed pose blessing the Earth. It is situated along the passage used by pilgrims making their way to the Grotto of the Nativity.
Caves accessed from St. Catherine's
Several chapels are found in the caves accessed from St. Catherine's, including the Chapel of Saint Joseph commemorating the angel's appearance to Joseph, commanding him to flee to Egypt; the Chapel of the Innocents, commemorating the children killed by Herod; and the Chapel of Saint Jerome, in the underground cell where tradition holds he lived while translating the Bible into Latin (the Vulgate).
Tombs
Traditional tombs of saints
According to a tradition not sustained by history, the tombs of four Catholic saints are said to be located beneath the Church of the Nativity, in the caves accessible from the Church of St. Catherine:
Jerome, whose remains are said to have been transferred to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome
Paula, a disciple and benefactor of Jerome
Eustochium, the daughter of Paula
Eusebius of Cremona, a disciple of Jerome. A different tradition holds that he is buried in Italy.
Ancient burials
A number of ancient trough-shaped tombs can be seen in the Catholic-owned caves adjacent to the Nativity Grotto and St Jerome's Cave, some of them inside the Chapel of the Innocents; more tombs can be seen on the southern, Greek-Orthodox side of the Basilica of the Nativity, also presented as being those of the infants murdered by Herod.
According to researcher Haytham Dieck, rock-cut tombs and bone fragments in one restricted room of the church date from the 1st century AD. In another clandestine chamber, the Cave of the Holy Innocents, skulls and other bones from as many as 2,000 people (according to Dieck) are collected, but are clearly not infantile.
Christmas in Bethlehem
There are three different dates for the celebration of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Bethlehem:
December 24 and 25 for the Catholics (Latins), who use the General Roman Calendar (Gregorian);
January 6 and 7 for the Greek Orthodox, together with the Syriac Orthodox, Ethiopian and Coptic Orthodox, who use the Julian calendar;
January 18 and 19 for the Armenian Apostolic Church, which combines the celebration of the Nativity with that of the Baptism of Jesus into the Armenian Feast of Theophany on January 6, according to the early traditions of Eastern Christianity, but follows the rules of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem in its calculations (January 6 Julian style corresponds to January 19 Gregorian style).
Latin and Protestant
The Catholic Midnight Mass in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve is broadcast around the world. Festivities begin hours earlier when dignitaries welcome the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem at the entrance to the city, near Rachel's Tomb. Accompanied by a parade of youth organizations, he then makes his way to Manger Square, where crowds are waiting. Finally, he enters the Catholic Church of Saint Catherine for Mass, after which he leads the way to the adjacent Church of the Nativity. The patriarch carries a figurine of the Baby Jesus and places it on the silver star in the Nativity Grotto under the basilica.
Protestants worship either at the Lutheran church or the Church of the Nativity. However, some Protestant congregations go to Beit Sahour, a village near Bethlehem.
Greek Orthodox
On the Orthodox Christmas Eve, 13 days later, many visitors and faithful again fill Manger Square, this time to watch processions and receptions for the religious leaders of the different Eastern Orthodox communities.
Armenian
Members of the Armenian community are the last ones to celebrate Christmas, on January 18 and 19, in their own section of the Nativity Church. The altars there are also used by the smaller denominations during their respective Christmas festivities.
Bethlehem (/ˈbɛθlɪhɛm/; Arabic: بيت لحم, Bayt Laḥm, pronunciation; Hebrew: בֵּית לֶחֶם Bēṯ Leḥem) is a city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank of the State of Palestine, located about ten kilometres (six miles) south of Jerusalem. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate, and has a population of approximately 25,000 people. The city's economy is largely tourist-driven; international tourism peaks around and during Christmas, when Christians embark on a pilgrimage to the Church of the Nativity, revered as the location of the Nativity of Jesus.
The earliest-known mention of Bethlehem is in the Amarna correspondence of ancient Egypt, dated to 1350–1330 BCE, when the town was inhabited by the Canaanites. In the Hebrew Bible, the period of the Israelites is described; it identifies Bethlehem as the birthplace of David. In the New Testament, the city is identified as the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. Under the Roman Empire, the city of Bethlehem was destroyed by Hadrian, but later rebuilt by Helena, and her son, Constantine the Great, who commissioned the Church of the Nativity in 327 CE. In 529, the Church of the Nativity was heavily damaged by Samaritans involved in the Samaritan revolts; following the victory of the Byzantine Empire, it was rebuilt by Justinian I.
Amidst the Muslim conquest of the Levant, Bethlehem became part of Jund Filastin in 637. Muslims continued to rule the city until 1099, when it was conquered by the Crusaders, who replaced the local Christian Greek Orthodox clergy with Catholic ones. In the mid-13th century, Bethlehem's walls were demolished by the Mamluk Sultanate. However, they were rebuilt by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, following the Ottoman–Mamluk War.[8] After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, it became part of Mandatory Palestine until 1948, when it was annexed by Jordan during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. During the 1967 Six Day War, Bethlehem was occupied by Israel along with the rest of the West Bank. Since the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, Bethlehem has been designated as part of Area A of the West Bank, nominally rendering it as being under Palestinian control. Movement around the city is limited due to the Israeli West Bank barrier.
While it was historically a city of Arab Christians, Bethlehem now has a majority of Arab Muslims; it is still home to a significant community of Palestinian Christians, however it has dwindled significantly, mostly due to difficulties resulting from living under the Israeli occupation. Presently, Bethlehem has become encircled by dozens of Israeli settlements, which significantly hinder the ability of Palestinians in the city to openly access their land and livelihoods, which has contributed to the exodus of Palestinians.
The West Bank (Arabic: الضفة الغربية, romanized: aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; Hebrew: הַגָּדָה הַמַּעֲרָבִית, romanized: HaGadáh HaMaʽarávit), so called due to its relation to the Jordan River, is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip). A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the Levant region of West Asia, it is bordered by Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east and by Israel (via the Green Line) to the south, west, and north. The territory has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.
The territory first emerged in the wake of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War as a region occupied and subsequently annexed by Jordan. Jordan ruled the territory until the 1967 Six-Day War, when it was occupied by Israel. Since then, Israel has administered the West Bank as the Judea and Samaria Area, expanding its claim into East Jerusalem in 1980. The mid-1990s Oslo Accords split the West Bank into three regional levels of Palestinian sovereignty, via the Palestinian National Authority (PNA): Area A (PNA), Area B (PNA and Israel), and Area C (Israel, comprising 60% of the West Bank). The PNA exercises total or partial civil administration over 165 Palestinian enclaves across the three areas.
The West Bank remains central to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The Palestinians consider it the heart of their envisioned state, along with the Gaza Strip. Right-wing and religious Israelis see it as their ancestral homeland, with numerous biblical sites. There is a push among some Israelis for partial or complete annexation of this land. Additionally, it is home to a rising number of Israeli settlers. Area C contains 230 Israeli settlements into which Israeli law is applied and under the Oslo Accords was supposed to be mostly transferred to the PNA by 1997, but this did not occur. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law. Citing the 1980 law in which Israel claimed Jerusalem as its capital, the 1994 Israel–Jordan peace treaty, and the Oslo Accords, a 2004 advisory ruling by the International Court of Justice concluded that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, remain Israeli-occupied territory.
Palestine (Arabic: فلسطين, romanized: Filasṭīn), officially the State of Palestine (دولة فلسطين, Dawlat Filasṭīn), is a state in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Founded on 15 November 1988 and officially governed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), it claims the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip as its territory, all of which have been Israeli-occupied territories since the 1967 Six-Day War. The West Bank contains 165 Palestinian enclaves that are under partial Palestinian rule, but the remainder, including 200 Israeli settlements, is under full Israeli control. The Gaza Strip was governed by Egypt but conquered by Israel in 1967. Israel governed the region until it withdrew in 2005. The United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and various human-rights organizations still consider Gaza to be held under Israeli military occupation, due to what they regard as Israel's effective military control over the territory; Israel disputes this. Hamas seized power after winning the 2006 Palestinian legislative election. This has since been ensued by a blockade of the Gaza Strip by Israel and Egypt.
After World War II, in 1947, the United Nations (UN) adopted a Partition Plan for Mandatory Palestine, which recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish states and an internationalized Jerusalem. Immediately after the United Nations General Assembly adopted the plan as Resolution 181, a civil war broke out in Palestine, and the plan was not implemented. The day after the establishment of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948, neighboring Arab countries invaded the former British Mandate and engaged Israeli forces in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. Later, the All-Palestine Government was established by the Arab League on 22 September 1948 to govern the All-Palestine Protectorate in the Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip. It was soon recognized by all Arab League members except Transjordan, which had occupied and later annexed the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Palestine is currently recognized by 138 of the 193 United Nations (UN) member states. Though jurisdiction of the All-Palestine Government was declared to cover the whole of the former Mandatory Palestine, its effective jurisdiction was limited to the Gaza Strip. During the Six-Day War in June 1967, Israel captured the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.
On 15 November 1988 in Algiers, Yasser Arafat, as Chairman of the PLO, issued the Palestinian Declaration of Independence, which established the State of Palestine. A year after the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) was formed to govern (in varying degrees) areas A and B in the West Bank, comprising 165 enclaves, and the Gaza Strip. After Hamas became the PNA parliament's leading party in the most recent elections (2006), a conflict broke out between it and the Fatah party, leading to the Gaza Strip being taken over by Hamas in 2007 (two years after the Israeli disengagement).
The State of Palestine's mid-year population in 2021 was 5,227,193. Although Palestine claims Jerusalem as its capital, the city is under the control of Israel; both Palestinian and Israeli claims to the city are mostly unrecognized by the international community. Palestine is a member of the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the G77, the International Olympic Committee, as well as UNESCO, UNCTAD and the International Criminal Court. Following a failed attempt in 2011 to secure full United Nations member state status, the United Nations General Assembly voted in 2012 to recognize Palestine as a non-member observer state. On 26 February 2024, the Palestinian government collapsed, with the entire Palestinian government resigning, including the prime minister.
Heaps of room available on her body for more ink.
Australian International Tattoo Expo.
Moore Park, Sydney, Australia (Saturday 12 March 2016)
Community free house, under new management August 2022. Currently no real ale or meals, but this is being investigated for a date in the future. Quiz night Thursday & Karaoke Saturday. Function room available, this is free when using the pub’s catering.
Sports & social club in the Wheatley area of Doncaster. Ballroom, crown green bowling, indoor shooting, weight training, snooker, cricket & football are just some of the sports offered. Function room available. See website for full details. Opening times shown are for the bar.
Carrie Underwood - HARK! The Herald Angels Sing
lyrics
Handel Messiah, Chorus: For unto us a Child is born
From The Gospel (NIV) according to the Apostle Luke
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
Luke 1: 26-38
26 God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
The Birth of Jesus
Luke: 2:2-21
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
813 Dodecanese Blvd. at the Sponge Docks
Tarpon Springs, Florida
Private room available - Famous Greek Salad - Best Steaks and Seafood - Greek and American Cuisine.
Denney Color Publishing
Dukane Press
R11639
CAPA-013566
Here is an updated version of the Battalion Chief's SUV - 5 Wide version. And the update is what? Mini figure capable! Yes there is a mini figure inside of this beauty! Photographic proof below! Ok, I know, there is no hair or hat room available, but there is room for a minifig! LOL This was posted on MOCpages 4/2015: www.moc-pages.com/moc.php/410352
Hedge End Club is located in the heart of Hedge End Village with ample free parking and is served by good bus routes. Hedge End Club has been an integral part of the village life for over 50 years and offer a safe and enjoyable social experience to all.
The bar team keeps an excellent cellar of cask and keg ales, lagers and ciders and they will always ensure a warm and friendly greeting to members and guests.
Hedge End Club also has a large function room available for private hire.
Hedge End is a town and civil parish in Hampshire, England. Situated to the east of the City of Southampton, it adjoins the districts of West End and Botley. Hedge End lies within the Borough of Eastleigh and is part of the Southampton Urban Area. The original hamlet developed on Botley Common after 1250 when it was granted to the men of Botley as common pasture. In 1267, royal charters allowed Botley to hold an annual fair and a weekly market on the common which eventually became a market town.
A black chopper.
Motorcycles are hard to create with LEGO parts. They are much more fragile than cars, there isn't much room available and they are always falling. However, I was able to complete this one in two days.
It doesn't use many parts (no need for Bricklink), it has no complicated functions and I'm very happy with the result. The only thing I would like to change is the front tire, but I didn't want to buy one because part can take a long time to arrive.
It's my last entry for the LUGNuts 30th Challenge.
Photos at Flickr:
www.flickr.com/photos/biczzz/4562002778/
www.flickr.com/photos/biczzz/4561372609/
www.flickr.com/photos/biczzz/4561372573/
All the photos at Brickshelf:
www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=429585
Or at Picasa:
Red Moon, Red Sunset and Red Midnight Silkstones.
Youtube video with more views of this room available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqsK8jOHR8Q
L4 in La Boutique Chanel, Chataine, Muffy in Miniature Couture and Capucine in DAE vivette fashion.
Youtube video with more views of this room available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqsK8jOHR8Q
~ Handmade background/room available for use in your artworks with creative commons license ~
~ Do not re-distribute in ANY WAY ~
~ Please do not use to create your own stock ~
~ Please credit me if used with a link back to this texture or my photostream ~
~ I would love to see what you have done, if you would like to put a small size sample in my comments, thanks & have fun~
~ Please add your artworks to my group here ~
After a late appointment one day last week I had to drive to Glasgow for overnight accomodation. There are some benefits to be gained from such a trip. En route I stopped off in Kirkby Longsdale for a look around. This picture depicts Devils Bridge over the River Lune.
On some summer Sundays this bridge becomes a meeting point for motorcyclists. No doubt this is on account of the cracking riding roads nearby and the room available on the bridge for parking up. Oh, and the icecream van as well.