Day Trips in Athens, Georgia-Part One

Planning an Itinerary 

Spring break is approaching pretty fast, and summer  vacation plans are already being planned. With the economic system being so bad and money being pretty tight, you are wondering what you can do for a vacation, yet be able to afford it.  This article is a set of links to several articles that help you make plans in the Athens, Georgia area.  The day trips are not expensive, they are great for the nature enthuses and it is an opportunity to spend good quality time together. 

The State Botanical Gardens of Georgia:   This day trip is especially good for the photography enthuses.  You could spend a long time in a day walking around exploring this 313 acre of land.  There are several different sections each displaying an unique spread of flowers and plants.  Each season brings new spreads of different flowers and plants. Spring is my favorite time to go to the gardens because of all of the fresh bloomed flowers.  Summer would be my second choice because of the hummingbirds and butterflies that gathers around a lot of the flowers. If you click on the link above, you can read more about the gardens.

Wildlife Zoo in Athens Georgia: Do you love wildlife animals? Bears, bobcats, owls, hawks and deer's oh my!!! I love going to this wildlife trail to photograph the bears and beavers.  Each will give you a wonderful show, just to have their pictures taken.  The bears are always into something, climbing trees,  playing with sticks, wrestling with each other.  You could spend the better part of a day just watching the bears and the beavers.  If you click on the link I provided, you can read more about Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail, I am sure you will find it interesting. 

Prayers of Protection

Image Credit: WhiteOak's Photography

With today's popular Ghost Hunting shows, Paranormal Teams and Paranormal Investigators-you often wonder if they use protection.  I know that Paranormal Investigators who have a lot of experience know how to protect themselves.  It is the beginner groups or those who are new to the paranormal, that I wonder about. Do they understand the dangers of spiritual attacks? Spirit Attachments? Do they understand that Earthbound Spirits and Dark Energy Forces are some of the entities that can attach to them?

Paranormal researchers need to be very conscientious about the everything to do with the investigation.  There is a lot of planning, research and of course plans of protection that is involved before each investigation.  I asked a wonderful Facebook group Paranormal Unity how they protected their selves before going on an investigation. The main response was prayers.  When I did a search on Google, I found a few prayers and other ideas for protection that I would like to share.   Please Note: I did NOT write these prayers I found them during my research. 

Image Credit:  WhiteOak's Photography

The Prayer of Saint Michael

"This Prayer to Saint Michael is mainly used by Catholics, which is addressed to Michael the Archangel.  Pope Leo Xlll added it in 1896 to the Leonine Prayers, which he had directed to be said after Low Mass.  The practice of reciting this prayer after Mass was suppressed in 1964."

Saint Michael the Archangel,

defend us in battle;

be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;

And do thou, O prince of the Heavenly Host,

by the Divine Power of God

cast into hell, Satan and all the evil spirits

who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of the souls.

~Amen

I believe strongly that before prayer at a paranormal investigation and after an investigation, each person should be smudged fir with White Sage and the group should chant the prayers together.  When smudging with sage, it is the warrior that drives away and all negativity. 

~WhiteOak

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father which art in Heaven, hollowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come, they will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive those who trespass against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

~Amen

Image Credit: WhiteOaks Photography

The Hail Mary

Hail Mary,

Full of Grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit

of they womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary,

Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now,

and at the hour of death.

~Amen

A Protection Prayer for a Child

I as (child's name) to be signed, sealed and protected by God's Presence so that nothing can get through to hurt them in Jesus name.

I sign (child's name) with he sign of the cross, seal and cover them with he blood of Jesus and surround them with God's glory light and presence so nothing can get through to hurt them in Jesus' name

~Amen

Closing Prayer

(after you are done with your investigation)

In the name of Jesus Christ, I command all human spirits to be bound to the confines of the cemetery.  I command all inhuman spirit to go where Jesus Christ tells you to go, for it is he who commands you.

~Amen

Homesteading Part-2

Part-2 Homesteading

The Animals

To read part one the beginning of our homestead journey click here: 

Self Sufficient Homestead

Besides living out in the woods when my husband and I homesteaded, some of our favorite memories were of the animals. 

I have a little yorkie and on the homestead we called him the "Lizard King".  We called him that because that is how he spent 85% of his time, chasing the lizards or waiting for them to come out from their hiding places so he could chase them. I have to tell you, I am not really sure what was funnier, my yorkie chasing the lizards around or my husband chasing the lizards that ran up the trees.  While I watched my husband do that was funnier than hell!!

One early morning while my husband and I were sitting outside drinking our morning coffee, we looked over and seen an amazing sight. This huge mama opossum was walking across our yard with her little babies riding on her back.  Another morning while we were sitting outside, we watched this coyote running through a section of our woods,  like a flash of lightening trying to get to its home before it became full daylight.

We use to put piles of seeds out for the chipmunks that hung out in our yard. It was so funny watching them pack their cheeks, than run to their home, empty the seeds and come back for more.

We use to have a lot of hummingbirds.  They sat on the tree limbs and watched for when the coast was clear, than dash down get some sweetness from their feeders then zip off back to the tree limbs.  These little hummingbirds were so competitive with the feeders.  One of them got hurt and fell to the ground.  My husband gently picked him up and we tried to nurse it back to health, but it ended up dying.  It was so sad, because we watched the life force drain from this beautiful little creature.  All I could do was cry when my husband buried it.  That was the first time in my life I ever held a hummingbird.

At night there were these huge opossums that kept getting into our compost pile.  Oh, my goodness, everything we tried to do to keep them away never worked.  So my husband stacked a pile of small stones on the deck and when the opossums came back, he would throw rocks off in the distance to scare them away.  Oh, it only worked a couple of times, because they kept coming back and nothing was to going to stop them.

A beautiful site we seen one morning was when this beautiful doe was walking down our driveway with her little fawn.  Honest to goodness it melted my heart seeing something that beautiful.

We use to have this deck walk-way that lead from the house to a little shower room. One night while walking across this deck, my husband turned around and yelled for me to stop!! There was a little copperhead snake peeking up through the spaces between the wood on the deck.  Needless to say, I felt my heart leap up to my throat.  Eeekkk, it still gives me the hibbie-jibbies just writing about it.  A few days later, my husband walks up behind me holding that snake so I could see what it looked like up close! That was nothing new with him~my mother-in-law warned me that when he was a small child, he use to bring all kinds of little critters home in his pocket!!!

I believe one of the most beautiful memories we have about animals on our homestead was, one night while we were lying in bed, we looked out our window and watched this deer that was right under our window. Of course not having any electricity the only sounds you really heard were Natures sounds at her best!  We just laid there very quietly, enjoying watching this beautiful creature. Thank goodness it was a full moon night!

It got to the point on the homestead that seeing wildlife became an everyday thing.  But neither one of us ever got tired of seeing or hearing the wildlife especially at night.  We have heard bears in the near distant, my husband adopted a opossum and named him "Gimp".  It was this opossum that began to show up every NIGHT! We knew it was the same opossum because it walked with a limp and it showed up almost at the same time every night.

I believe the quiet and seeing the wildlife are two of the things I miss most from our homestead.  The only sounds you heard were Natures' sounds, and all you could see at night was what the moon light allowed you to see.  We did have flash-lights but we tried tried to save the batteries. Besides, there is something very magical about the night-time when you live back in the woods.

WarWoman Dell

I have always said, if there were ever a picture that could describe my soul it would be this one.  WarWoman Dell is located in the Northeast section of Georgia in a wonderful town called Clayton.  The drive to Clayton reminds me of of the mountains in Colorado, they just seem to be right in front you, calling to you to keep moving forward.

Clayton is located in Rabun County and you will see a little of everything there, mountains, waterfalls, springs, forest, lakes and so much more.  Rabun County is nestled in the southern tip of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains.  It is a convenient drive from the major metro areas of Atlanta, Georgia, Asheville-North Carolina, Greenville-South Carolina and Chattanooga-Tennessee. 

History of WarWoman

WarWoman was a beloved Cherokee dignitary who voiced the decision of the Council on war and peace. Legend states that each spring this woman visited the Dell to preside over rituals.  

America's first natural born botanist, William Bartram, explored the area in the 1770's.  He documented the plants, climate, geology and culture of the people of this period and paved the way for future development.  A railroad bed was constructed here which would have connected the south and mid-western markets in Cincinnati.  Work stopped suddenly at the beginning of the Civil War and no rails were ever laid.  Unmanageable logging in the late 1800's and early 1900's degraded the forest.  The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCCs) went to work restoring the land by planting trees and controlling erosion.  Enrollees in Company 457  built the original picnic shelters, fish holding tanks, latrine and stonework drains in WarWoman dell. 

I was introduced to WarWoman Dell after attending a  Woman's Ceremony that was held in that general area, many moons ago. The second my feet touched the ground at WarWoman I was in love.  This is a place that no matter where I moved, it always stayed in my heart and has always been considered my sacred sanctuary. 

In 2008 when I visited there shortly after returning to Georgia, my heart sank.  The trails were no longer taken care of.  There were many trees down, the energy was extremely low and somehow it had lost a huge part of its spiritual energy.  Sometimes, I often go there and just sit by these huge hemlock trees often referring to them as my elders.  Those trees have heard many of my stories, my sorrows and stories of my spiritual path.  One of the most favorite times I had at WarWoman was when I was walking a trail and as I looked down to the ground I found a Hawk feather.  Many people that I have gone there with; always tells me the same thing, they say: "Oak, watching you here (WarWoman) is like seeing you walk right out of Nature as if you were a part of it."  To be truthful, often I felt like I was a part of WarWoman.

Many times, I would go there and walk this small trail away from  everything and sit by this tiny waterfall and just play my drum.  I always felt spirit activities there often wondering why I was always drawn to a certain place where there was a spirit of a young girl.  She would always stay at a distance from me but she was always near me.  The stories are endless when it comes to WarWoman Dell.  If you ever visit North Georgia, put WarWoman on your list of places to visit.  I hope you will love it as much as I do. 

2012 Christmas Designs

Every year I try to create something new for Christmas.  This year I have been very drawn to "textures".  I take photos or my artwork and take them into another computer program and add different special effects. I also never usually place "Christmas" on my designs ~so no matter what you call the holiday; the cards can be used.  

The Holidays are Approaching

Christmas Gift Idea's

When it comes to Christmas face it, it is not what it use to be.  There use to be a time when a child was happy finding a piece of fruit in their Christmas stocking.  In today's time chances of a piece of fruit being found in a stocking would get a very strange reaction.

Gifts are given out of love.  When you give gifts, there should not be grief, stress and sadness if you do not have the money to spend on expensive gifts.  I have seen where a lot of the appreciation of giving has lost some of its magic.  For me personally that has become very sad.  Many people celebrate and see the holiday differently and however you decide to celebrate it is your call on your own personal path. 

How many times (truthfully) has someone asked you what you wanted for Christmas? I personally have a problem with that, because like I said in the opening, gifts are given from the heart and should never be out of obligation.  When I think about giving gifts, I look at the person's heart and energy.  If someone loved hiking you would never give them a pair of ballet shoes, right? You would associate that person with Nature and a love they have for it.

Here are a few ideas that could be something for you to consider.

For Nature lovers  

Just about anything with a nature scene on it: 

Do you love baking?  

You can make a wonderful gift from your own kitchen

Places to find great recipes to fill a tin

Recipes From WhiteOak's Kitchen

The Low-Carb Kitchen

Recipes from a Southern Kitchen

Joan's Congo Bars

Back in the early 1990's I wrote this short story about how I see Christmas.  The story is called:  Glorious Christmas

I will be adding to this post throughout the next few days, please bookmark and come back to visit. 

Honoring the Divine Within

When you read the phrase:  "Honoring the Divine Within" what comes to your mind?  There use to be a time when I created a line of herbal products just for this reason.  In today's society, men and women have to manage several different titles at once:  Mother father, business person, wife, husband and so on. One of the main things I have always noticed is how easily it is for a woman to put her needs on the back burner to nurture everyone else.  I am not saying this is always the case, but the biggest majority of women do that. 

When you are raised in a house-hold where the mother and the step father were always top priority above anyone else, what choice is there but to make a nest on the back burner?  I personally have learned a lot throughout my childhood, not about things to do but about things NOT to ever do!  Since I have been out on my own at a very young age, I can tell you, you learn a lot by hand on experiences and you take those experiences to mold how you want your own life to be. Along my path I have had to learn how to ~Honor the Divine Within~ and there are times I forget to do that and often reminded in different ways.

"Be yourself. There is something that you can do better than any other.  Listen to the inward voice and bravely obey that" ~Unknown Author~

When you continuously put your own needs on hold or on the back burner, you are causing a lot of chaotic buildup on the inside. You are throwing yourself in an unbalance situation that can cause low self esteem, low self confidence and low self respect.  Soon you begin to forget your Divine Within and your own identity.

I am not saying this is always the case, I am just speaking from own experiences in life and remembering several conversations I have had with many other women and men.  Don't get me wrong, when I turned my life completely around after getting custody of my brother and sister, I have no regrets.  I gladly put myself on the burner because I have always had this Fairy Tale image of what a mother should be.  In my case; if I had the chance to change a few things I think I would~only because I actually lost a part of who I am (or was) when my brother and sister grew up and moved out on their own.  I made the mistake and built my world around them. Finding myself again became a very strange, very hard yet wonderful journey on my path.

"Only as high as I reach can I grow,  Only as far as I seek can I go, Only as deep as I look can I see, Only as much as I dream can I be"

~Karen Ravn~

During my healing process of finding my Divine Within, one of my journey's was finding my "child within".  The child that remembers all of the fun things in life, the child that likes to treat herself, and the child that remembers all of the beautiful things in life~often however it is not a matter of remembering all of the wonderful things in life, often it is learning how to find them.  The Child Within

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us"

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

~Take a few moments each day just to be with you

~Relax in a warm tub or take a warm shower using your favorite scent

~Buy yourself a treat, it does not have to be expensive

~Take a few minutes out of the day and smell a flower or better yet, purchase a fresh flower and set it next to your bed (when I was single I did this every payday!)

~Put on your favorite song and DANCE

~Remind yourself that you love who you are and you are proud of all of your accomplishments because you are worth it!