MUSIC FROM: Ragini: Fluted Voice of the Goddess

Indian Female ragas (raginis) and bhajans – love songs to the divine feminine- performed on the bansuri, the classical bamboo flute of India. Accompanied by tabla, the evocative and dynamic Indian hand drums, and tanpura, the 4-string celestial drone instrument.

Founded in the 16th century for the exclusive use of the Hapsburg Royal family of Austria, the Royal Lipizzans are unquestionably the rarest, most aristocratic breed of horses in the world. The pride of the Hapsburg Empire, the Lipizzan breed was first established by Archduke Charles at Lipizza (now part of Yugoslavia).

Only a few hundred have ever existed at any one time. Indeed, it is a contemporary miracle of sorts that this precious bloodline is not extinct, having barely been saved by General George Patton from the Russian advance during World War II. The Lipizzans’ celebrated escape was recounted in the Walt Disney movie, “Miracle of the White Stallions”….

Assisting Patton in the clandestine mission to rescue the regal Lipizzans, Colonel Herrmann and his father, Colonel Ottomar Herrmann, Sr., smuggled the horses out from far behind enemy lines, riding at night and hiding by day. “We moved out into the night with nothing,” recalled Herrmann, “only a handful of horses”. The Lipizzans’ they saved under the protection granted by Patton, were “more precious than jewels”, he declared.

Colonel Herrmann, joined by two subsequent generations of Herrmanns, created an American renaissance of classical equitation’s. His family maintains a 200 acre ranch in Florida to ensure the propagation of this extraordinary breed.

All Airs Above the Ground, originally outlined by Xenophon the Greek, derive from defensive horsemanship created for war and predated-dated the birth of Christ by some 400 years. These spectacular leaps and plunges were originally meant for use by mounted riders to inspire terror in the hearts of foot soldiers.

That this nearly lost art remains alive, is due in very large part, to the commitment of Colonel Herrmann, scion of the Herrmann family, and historically among the world’s greatest trainers of this rare breed. In a lively and informative narrative throughout the presentation of his remarkable stallions, the history, evolution and contemporary application of this most sophisticated horse and rider training is recounted.

It is repeatedly noted that extreme patience and, most particularly, love are the requisites to such highly schooled animals. Herrmann epitomized the master of classical European equitation.

The performance we saw was sponsored as a fundraiser for Saddle Up Club. Saddle Up Riding Club is an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults both able bodied and disabled through equine therapy and direct interaction with horses.

To learn more visit: http://saddleupridingclub.org/

You can learn all about these beautiful horses at:

http://hlipizzans.com/index.htm

Ask Kytka Archives: January 5, 2003

Three Kings Day – Twelfth Night – Epiphany falls 12 days after the birth of Jesus and Christmas, on January 6. It marks the end of the Christmas holiday and many cultures take down decorations and burn the Christmas Tree. Almost all cultures share the celebration of a Twelfth Night Cake in which is hidden a dry bean and a tiny porcelain figurine. Whoever gets the piece containing the bean is charged with buying or baking next year’s cake and the person whose piece contains the figurine has to fulfill a dare by acting out a silly request. It’s meant to be fun….

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Do you have any verses for Autumn?

I sure do! Here are a few of our favorite verses and even an Autumn story! Enjoy!

Autumn wind came stealing
Through the woods one day,
And creeping round the tree, he stole
Their beauty all away.
He tore their russet dresses,
Combed off their golden hair.
He blew away the tattered bits,
And left them brown and bare.

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Cut one long side from an empty cardboard box. Decorate the box, inside and out, with pictures of vegetables and fruits. Make a table and chairs from

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Celebrating Advent is one of our family’s favorite activities. We love that it goes on for so many days and the children delight in the “countdown”. On this page I have listed several of our favorite activities as well as some resources you’ll enjoy!

Setting up a crèche for Advent:
The objects are wrapped and one opened each day from the first to the twenty-fourth of December and

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Our friend Renee was kind enough to share this story and idea for using it during the transition time between Michaelmas (September 29th) and Martinmas (November 11th). It really does fit well and is enjoyed by young children, who delight in helping to make the pancakes!

The Hungry Dragon

The dragon had not been out for days. It had been raining and he hated getting wet, but his stomach was growling. So, he went to the far corner of his cave and there, in his treasure chest, among gold coins and jewels, he found his rain boots, an old umbrella, and bucket for his cloudberries, special berries that grow in Norway.

He ventured outside. Looking up at the clouds…

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The Little Hobgoblin: A Halloween Story

Once there was a little hobgoblin who lived deep in the woods, in a little rocky dell. He was a very naughty little hobgoblin, for his favorite pastime was to play tricks on the farmers, and on the farmer’s children, and on the townspeople, and on the townspeople’s children.

When night came and it was dark outside, the little hobgoblin would peer out of his little rocky dell, and if the moon were shining, and the stars were peeping, the little hobgoblin would creep out through the woods. He would sneak right into

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I sure do!  I hope you enjoy the stories, verse and resources below…

The Story of Martin and the Poor Man

Long ago their lived a good young man named Martin. Even as a boy, he knew that one day he would be expected to serve in the military. His father was an important military officer. And, although he desired a peaceful life outside of the military, he knew that it would be his duty to follow the life of this father. So, Martin joined the military, became an officer and eventually was assigned to garrison duty in the town of Amiens.

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