Journey with Friends

Welcome my friends to our weekly issue of Journey with Friends.  This is a time that we come together for support, for encouragement, for fellowship – all with one single goal in mind – to live better.  Welcome to our journey to share our goals and our accomplishments and our disappointments and frustrations.

Together we can do this!

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Hey friends – how did you do last week?  Did you stand strong?  Any bumps in the road?  Any mountains you climbed?

Since I’ve been sick with the flu, I’ve lost a little over 10 pounds.  Okay, it’s not the best way to lose weight but I’ll take it, right?  I am doing better with the flu; however, I’m still not 100% yet.  The doctor assures me this is normal and it takes weeks – sometimes months – to get back to where you were.  Shaking my head – this is something I never want to go through again and don’t wish it upon any one.  Everything tastes ‘funny’ and certain foods I’ve loved before, I can’t stand at the moment.  For instance, I’ve been having a hard time with soda – you know the real stuff.  Especially being here in Atlanta, we live for Coca Cola.  Well I’m happy to report that since my illness, I can’t stand it.  I guess that’s a good way to kick it to the side huh?  And food wise, I can eat just a little bit – maybe 15% of what I was eating before and I’m done.  My tummy just swells too much from still being sick.  But on the other hand where I once craved everything, lately I’m just craving good old southern food – greens, mac & cheese, fried chicken – you know southern dinner stuff.  We went out yesterday to a local restaurant that serves this kind of food.  I couldn’t even finish my plate.  Weird.

And you want to hear another strange thing that has happened since I’ve been sick?  A remarkable overwhelming calmness has overtaken my body.  Things are just shrugged off my shoulders and my pulse rate has been ‘below normal’… well below normal for me.  When I was giving plasma, it was a struggle for my pulse rate to be 100-112 bpm.  Here lately, it’s been hanging around 94-99 bpm which is totally awesome.  Weird too huh?

Well friends – hope your week was marvelous and your scales were kind to you.  ❤

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Bacon’s Tales of Terror

Welcome back my friends to Bacon’s Tales of Terror on this 13th of the month.

Today, I want to talk about superstitions – that’s great for a 13th posting isn’t it?  Snorts.

Did you know that back in the day, breathing ‘in’ was interpreted as breathing in life while sneezing was interpreted as a swift exit of your essence or soul.  If your soul left your body through a sneeze then you would die without your soul.  This was the basis for further superstitions about sneezing throughout the centuries.

Do you tell people that sneeze, “God Bless You?”  This is actually a practice that is practiced all over the world and dates back to February 16, 590 AD.  Pope Gregory the Great decreed that prayers must be said to fight against a deadly plague in Italy at that time.  The plague was associated to be fatal by those who sneezed.  Telling someone, “God Bless You”, after they sneezed would protect people from the effects of the plague.

Saying, “God Bless You” can also be linked to around 1665 during the black plague in Europe.  Violent sneezing with the black plague was the sign of the end of the disease and death was certain to follow.  The pope made it a law so those that sneezed would be blessed due to their soon-to-be death.  It was also during this time that cover one’s mouth with their hand or cloth was put into place in order to stop the spread of further diseases.

In 17th century England if someone sneezed, people around them would remove their hats, curtsy or bow and wish them, “God Bless You”.  In the 1800’s in England, this poem came out:

Sneeze on Monday – sneeze for danger.  

Sneeze on Tuesday – kiss a stranger.  

Sneeze on Wednesday – sneeze for a letter.  

Sneeze on Thursday – something better.  

Sneeze on Friday – sneeze for woe.  

Sneeze on Saturday – a journey to go.  

Sneeze on Sunday – your safety seek – for Satan will have you for the rest of the week!

There is good luck also associated with sneezing:  if you sneeze between noon and midnight; if the family cat sneezes; if two people sneeze at the same time; if you sneeze twice in a row; or if you turn your head right when you sneezed.

But there’s also bad luck associated with sneezing:  if you sneeze in the morning while getting dressed; if you turn your head left while sneezing; if you sneeze three times in a row and someone is talking bad about you while sneezing four times is the sign of a cold.

 

Contributions to the Psychic Library on this information on sneezing superstitious.