My Blog

MY NEW CAREER

AmberBarbara — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:39:32 GMT

Becoming a Warrior... (What's this becoming stuff...) Just modeling medieval garb for TherionArms.com I have been learning sword technique. My form was not so good in these pics...

GORGEOUS RARE AMAR LEOPARD MAMA & CUB

AmberBarbara — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:29:52 GMT

With more photos at http://news.monstersandcritics.com/uk/features/article_1393267.php/In_photos_Rare_female_Amur_leopard_cub_at_Marwell_Zoological_park?page=1 She was born 18 November 2007, at Marwell Zoological park in Hampshire, Britain, 28 February 2008. She was bred as part of a European conservation breeding program. Her mother's name is 'Ascha' but they have not named the cub yet.

AN ARTFUL WEEKEND

AmberBarbara — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:55:19 GMT

People who know me know that I have been feeling sad since my brother died last Oct. Often I like to engage in art activities to work through & transcend the sad times. This weekend (Feb. 28 through March 2, 2008) was full of art related activities, & most were free. I should have taken my camera along & taken more pictures. Thursday night WyldeFyre Collective hosted our weekly Social at Hot Mamas in Austin. (Last Thursday we had Belly Dancing, Ethnic Drumming, Hooping & Fire Dancing/Spinning). I belly danced & fire danced & took pictures of the other performers. It was a intimate, mellow, outdoor gathering, perfect for late Texas Winter/early Spring activity. The night was only a little windy & we all had a chance to talk with & enjoy each other. Friday I went through all the pictures & posted 85 photos on the WyldeFyre site & recovered after having bad allergies & very little sleep. Saturday I went to a Russian & Slavic Festival at UT Austin with Mark, the organizer of the Russian Meet-Up here in Austin. That was a great event. 1st we attended a talk on Bulgarian Rom, commonly known as Gypsys. Then we saw a display that included pictures from many facets of Russian Culture (Music, Geography, Folklore & Fairy Tales, the various Ethnic peoples, & much, much more). My favorite part was watching an exhibition of ethnic Hungarian & Romanian dancers. Yum Yum Yum! It was such a lively show I wanted to dance with them as I watched them perform to their traditional music. The mens' steps looked like so much fun. My 2nd favorite part was when we went to a Learn the Russian Alphabet class. WE were late, towards the end of the alphabet. The leaders would post words & ask people to try to pronounce the words in Russian. I pronounced the words in what I thought was a quiet voice that I hoped Mark could hear. At 1st the leaders said, "Very good" to me as they heard me sound out the words. The comments quickly turned to, "Do you speak Russian?". "I am just learning", I answered with a smile, hoping that made Mark feel good as my Russian teacher seeing my progress. I also met some of Mark's Russian linguist friends, PhD students at UT. If that was not enough for a Sat. after the Russian Festival I went to some other friends' house & ordered a Fire Baton. Yeah, new fire tools will be here soon! We also worked on costume designs for future fire performances & I drew out many designs for leather fire costumes. I don't draw much anymore but when I was a kid I use to draw for hours and hours. Sometimes I still think about taking figure drawing classes, if I ever find some spare time to try my hand at all the other art & language related hobbies I immerse myself in. And writing classes, more dance classes, maybe some piano & or basic singing classes... As you can see, I have to limit myself some or I would drive myself crazy trying to do everything that interests me. Then Sunday, several friends went to Hippie Church at Maria's Taco Express in Austin where we saw Carolyn Wonderland (really good blues) for free. I was pleasantly surprised when a friend introduced me to local, well known actor who said, "Oh I know you, I've seen you around." I guess I am becoming a known Austin artist...

FAMILY TREASUES

AmberBarbara — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 12:10:40 GMT

I am so excited. I just received this photo containing my Russian Grandmother from an old family friend. # 6 is or was my Grandmother. I believe this photo was taken in Serbia while my Grandmother was becoming a nurse after her escape from Bolshevik Russia. This picture was published in a book that I do not have the title of at hand now, but it clearly shows my Grandmother was Princess & a woman of great substance. Dr. Gray, a woman, was apparently responsible for helping my Grandmother & her sister complete medical training & travel to to the US. I would not be here were it not for Dr. Gray. I will have to research her & learn more about this particular angel of mercy from the early 1900s. It is so fantastic to learn about these strong women, who existed even back then when it was not a woman's world. They are my heroes & my legacy.

Austin TX Tonight Free ICE CREAM FLAMBE' Fire & drumming show

AmberBarbara — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:33:20 GMT

ICE CREAM FLAMBE' First Thursday Amy's Ice Cream Social Dec 6th 7-10pm Yes, it's cold, but come on out and get fired up! Fires will be lit around the circle for added warmth, and there will be coffee to go with your Ice Cream! EVERY MONTH IS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE BEFORE! Three hours of live drumming & fire spinning! Bring your drum and rattles, bells and whistles! EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE! (New fire performers need to contact us for sign up ) Photographers welcome (Please contact us upon arrival for safety concerns) Bring whatever you need to be comfortable! Amy's Ice Cream Super South 3100 South Congress in Austin Tx one block north of Woodward myspace.com/amyssupersouth myspace.com/wyldefyreproductions 512-260-2674 THIS IS AN EVENT FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY! We reserve the right to remove anyone that causes a safety hazard

ETHNIC HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

AmberBarbara — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:18:39 GMT

In preparation for the upcoming holidays I have been reading & researching Russian holiday traditions. I found the funny Ukrainian tradition (below) for the day after Christmas. This day after Christmas tradition seems reminiscent of Halloween rather Christmas to me! My Russian ancestors' family home was in in the Ukraine but I think they still considered themselves be White Russians, so I am not sure if my Russian ancestors would have celebrated this way of not. http://www.uazone.net/holidays/christmas.html Christmas in Ukraine is celebrated January 7 according to the Gregorian calendar as in most of other Orthodox Christian countries... ...Next day in some villages in Western Ukraine people organize some folk performances which obviously were inspired by ancient pagan habits. They dress up themselves as monsters with pelts and horns and run through the village trying to scare people. After that they run to the special place on the outskirts of the village and there happens the main act: they fight with all people of the village and finally are defeated. The scarecrows are burned in the big fire. And all people are dancing around this fire. This symbolizes the fight of Good and Evil and that Good defeated Evil for the whole next year. As I locate more interesting holiday traditions I may add to this blog. & here is more (added Nov. 17, 2007) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_worldwideRussia In Eastern Europe, Slavic countries have the tradition of Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost"). He is accompanied by his granddaughter Snegurochka ("Snowmaiden"). According to legend, he travels in a magical decorated sleigh drawn by reindeer, and delivers gifts to children. He is thought to descend more from Santa Claus than from Saint Nicholas. Christmas celebration in Russia is on the 7th of January (which corresponds to December 25 in the Julian Calendar). The tradition of celebrating Christmas has been revived since 1992, after decades of suppression by the communist government. It is centered on the Christmas Eve "Holy Supper", which consists of twelve servings, one to honor each of Jesus' apostles. The Russian traditions were largely kept alive by shifting some of them, including the visit by gift-giving "Grandfather Frost" and his "Snowmaiden", to New Year's Day. Many current Russian Christmas customs, including their Christmas tree, or "yolka", were brought by Peter the Great, after his western travels in the late 17th century. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_mythology There probably also was an important festival around winter solstice, which later became associated with Christmas. Consequently, in many Slavic countries, Christmas is called Bozhich, which simply means little god. While this name fits very nicely with the Christian idea of Christmas, the name is likely of pagan origin; it indicated the birth of a young and new god of Sun to the old and weakened solar deity during the longest night of the year. The old Sun god was identified as Svarog, and his son, the young and new Sun, as Dazhbog. An alternative (or perhaps the original) name for this festival was Korochun. http://www.unc.edu/depts/slavic/publications/brochure2.html Russian Orthodox believers still celebrate Christmas on January 7, according to the Julian calendar, which the Russian Orthodox Church follows. Their celebration of Christmas does not generally include gift-giving, and is confined to a purely religious observance of the birth of Christ. New Year's is the Russian holiday that would probably remind you most of Christmas as it is celebrated in the United States. In preparation for New Year's, Russians decorate a fir tree (yolka) with ornaments and lights just as we decorate Christmas trees. On New Year's Eve (December 31) they prepare an enormous dinner for their families and friends and exchange gifts with each other. Grandfather Frost (called Ded Moroz in Russian - he looks a lot like our Santa Claus, although he's usually not quite as fat) comes in the middle of the night and brings presents to the kids. Instead of elves, Grandfather Frost gets help distributing gifts from the Snow Maiden (Snegurochka), a character from a famous Russian fairy tale. Parents and schools often have New Year's parties just for kids. At these parties the kids dance around the New Year's tree and sometimes get dressed up in costumes, like the mummers in War and Peace. http://www.rispubs.com/article.cfm?Number=550 December 6th marks the Feast Day of St. Nicholas of Myra; a Turkish bishop who became the patron saint of Moscow and Santa to the world. Due to the suppression of religion during the Soviet regime, St. Nicholas was replaced by Dyed Moroz or Grandfather Frost, the Russian Spirit of Winter who brought gifts on New Year's. He is accompanied by Snyegurochka, the Snowmaiden, who helps distribute the gifts... ...Another cherished Christmas tradition, prior to the Soviet era, was the endearing character known as Babouschka. According to folklore, Babouschka did not offer food and shelter to the Magi during their search for the Christ Child. To this day, she wanders the countryside in search of the Baby Jesus. Along the way, she visits homes where children live, leaving them gifts at Christmas time. Babouschka, a character similar to the Italian Befana (picture), has returned as a continued favorite of the Russian Christmas traditions. The Christmas tree (Yolka) is yet another tradition banned during the Soviet era.To keep the custom alive, people decorated New Year's trees, instead. Since ornaments were either very costly or unavailable, family trees were trimmed with homemade decorations and fruit. Yolka comes from the word which refers to a fir tree. The custom of decorating Christmas trees was introduced to Russia by Peter the Great, after he visited Europe during the 1700's. An old Russian tradition, whose roots are in the Orthodox faith, is the Christmas Eve fast and meal. The fast, typically, lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears. The dinner that follows is very much a celebration, although, meat is not permitted. Kutya (kutia), a type of porridge, is the primary dish. It is very symbolic with its ingredients being various grains for hope and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace. A house blessing is customary at this time. The priest sprinkles a bit of holy water in each room of the home, praying that the abode and all who live there have a safe and happy year. After the blessing, the kutya is shared from a common bowl to symbolize unity. After the Christmas Eve meal, a great deal of merriment commences. Music, singing, dancing, games and a visit from the mummers are a part of the fun. http://www.russianlife.com/article.cfm?Number=192 I have always loved gingerbread, another Russian trait I guess :) Prianiki for the Holidays Russian Prianiki Gingerbread, or prianiki, was a favorite treat throughout Europe including Russia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. In the beginning, prianiki was made of flour, honey and sometimes, egg. With the creation of leavening agents, such as baking soda and baking powder, prianiki took on height. Honey was an essential ingredient as refined sugar was not available in Europe or Russia yet. Each country developed trade guilds who endeavored to create a better product than the next. Similar to bread baking, prianiki became a matter of pride for many communities. During the 1500 to 1800s, some of the most popular bakers of ginger bread were Nuremberg in Germany, Torun in Poland and Tula, Vyazma and Arkhangelsk in Russia. In Tula, bakers garnished their prianiki with berry jams while Vyazma introduced the use of molasses. Arkhangelsk created fancy little shaped cakes, bathed in colored icings. Traditional prianiki is dense, spicy and chewy, not crunchy as is the case with modern ginger cookies. Prianiki were and are made in many shapes and are often stamped with a wooden press to produce a design on the surface of the cake. Possibly the most popular prianiki comes from Tula, south of Moscow and famed home of metal crafts and samovar production. Not surprising considering prainiki is perfect with a hot, dark cup of tea! What follows is a traditional Russian recipe for prianiki. It's easy to prepare and sure to be a joy during the Holidays, or any time throughout the year. This recipe will make about 15 - 18 cakes. Of course, you can cut your dough into any desired shape. Ingredients 1 oz butter 6 oz honey (I like wildflower honey best) 6 oz jam (plum is preferred, quince is good too) 1 egg 8 oz plain flour 2 oz icing sugar (confectioner's sugar) 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp each cardomon, ginger, and cinnamon 1 tbs crushed blanched almonds 2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice Preparation - Cream together butter and honey - Add egg and beat - Blend in baking soda, spices and almonds - Add enough flour to make a soft ball of dough - Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour - Heat oven to 350 F and prepare a lightly floured board - Roll out dough to 1/8" thickness - With a 2 - 3" floured cutter, cut out an even number of circles - Cut each circle in half - Spread half with jam and place other half on top, sealing edges - Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes - Reduce oven heat to 325 F and bake for 10 more minutes - Cool cakes on a wire rack - Combine lemon juice and icing sugar, drizzle over cooled cakes

AMBER'S ANIMAL TALES AROUND AUSTIN - VOL NOV. 10, 2007 GRACIE KITTENS #4

AmberBarbara — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:37:46 GMT

Sugar Baby!

AMBER'S ANIMAL TALES AROUND AUSTIN - VOL NOV. 10, 2007 GRACIE KITTENS #3

AmberBarbara — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:36:58 GMT

Way too cute!

AMBER'S ANIMAL TALES AROUND AUSTIN - VOL NOV. 10, 2007 GRACIE KITTENS #2

AmberBarbara — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:35:07 GMT

Delilah is just so cute!

AMBER'S ANIMAL TALES AROUND AUSTIN - VOL NOV. 10, 2007 GRACIE KITTENS #1

AmberBarbara — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:34:01 GMT

I should be looking for homes from these sweets

MY RUSSIAN GREAT GRANDFATHER (DEDUSHKA)

AmberBarbara — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 09:20:22 GMT

Dedushka is grandfather in Russian. This is a picture of my Russian great grandfather, Prince Dmitri Wolkonsky, RIP. He was a diplomat serving the Czar. This picture is an antique. Prince Dmitri has been dead for almost 100 years. I only learned who this great grandfather was in the last month. Oddly enough I thought that I look rather like this great grandfather.

Babu's gravesite in Santa Margarita. Southern CA

AmberBarbara — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 09:09:27 GMT

My father would like it if I were buried here with my babushka. Her husband, my grandfather was cremated & his ashes were spread somewhere else. My father, her 1st son, will probably be buried with my mother in northern CA. My uncle, her 2nd son (who is also facing brain cancer now) does not seem to be interested in be buried at Santa Margarita. My babushka is all alone here. I was close with her & I think sometime down the road in the future maybe I will be buried in Santa Margarita CA, with my babushka, Princess Tatiana Wolkonsky Kelley.

MY RUSSIAN ANCESTORS ON THE HISTORICAL NOV. 7 ANNIVERSARY

AmberBarbara — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 09:00:30 GMT

Just getting started once again... I have been so slow getting back online after coming home from my brother's funeral. Then earlier this week NPR reported Nov. 7, 2007 is the 90th anniversary of the Bolshevik's takeover in Russia. The radio reminded me once again of how my family's futures changed so drastically when the group (who became the Soviets) took power. I remembered the memoirs I have just read, the memoirs that discussed my grandmother's exodus from Russia, and the old family pictures I was given when I visited my father recently. I want to post at least some of the Russian family pictures her to aid in the search of other Wolkonskys who may still be alive & looking for family, as I am. I will start with a couple of the old Russian family photos today & continue as I complete scanning more of these old family photos. I have not decided yet how much to tell from the memoirs because they are still unfinished & unpublished. This is my Russian Babushka when she was young, Princess Tatiana (Tanya) Dmitrievna Wolkonsky Kelley. She was a gifted linguist & nurse. She was considered quite beautiful and incredibly spirited. More on my Babu later. I am supposed to be very much like her in many ways.

WHERE DID HE GO?

AmberBarbara — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 22:34:52 GMT

The Mysteries of Life & Death have never been so vivid within my consciousness at any other time in my life. Upon learning of my brother Ted's death this week, the Mysteries have firmly planted themselves in my awareness, begging for answers, probably as a part of my struggle to give Ted's death meaning my subconscious can accept. Even when my mother died I was not so taken with the total bewilderment of loosing someone so close to me. How could Ted have been here one moment, alive & breathing, & then in the next moment be so utterly gone? Where did Teddy go? I can't tell, is my soul completely separated from him now & is Ted lost to me forever, or is my soul simply soaring in celestial places looking for where my brother went, trying to merge with his spirit once again. Now I must say goodbye to both my mom & my 1st brother. May you two be together, resting in peace and love. Save a place for me too! It will be a while before I can join you. I may edit this as entry as time brings more images to me that help me heal. As always, my blogs are also entered in Blogger at http://amberbarbara.blogspot.com/ as well as in Myspace. I originally started blogging in Myspace but because Myspace regularly drops my older Blog entries I know enter my blogs here & in Blogger.

No Words

AmberBarbara — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:34:54 GMT

Like they say in Memoirs of a Geisha & Wind River There are no words for profound sadness & grief Only the heart can experience these My brother, Edward Kelley, died sometime last last night or early this morning AM They think either congestive heart failure or pneumonia was the cause I will be at Creatures of Fire this week, dancing as usual, at the same time as the anniversary of the death of one of my best friends two years ago, having my Samhain..Halloween..Day of the Dead, but just a little more intense than usual Then in something like 8 or 9 days head to the west coast for services RIP my brother

Creatures of Fire, Drum & Dance

AmberBarbara — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:51:10 GMT

Date: Thursday, October 4, 2007: Time: 6:30 PM Location: Amy's Super South 3100 Congress (South) Austin Tx More Info: Amy'sSuperSouth@myspace.com WyldeFyre Productions and Amy's Ice Cream Super South present: CREATURES of FIRE from BEYOND the VEIL A night of living fire and fairies, - fire theater - entertainment for the entire family Amy's Ice Cream Super South 3100 S. Congress Oct 4th, 1st Thursday in October 6:30 Bright Shadow acoustic 7:00-9:00 fire and dance production 9-10 spinners in firesafe costumes (advance sign up) Drummers are welcome, (advance sign up) (So we can put you on the guest list) special guest; Harrison, Condor (Drummers), Illuminosity (Houston), Cedar (Hoops), Willow, AmberBarbara, Riven, Shaun-ti, Grandmothers Belly Dance, Sky, Celeste, Krysten, Ruth, GothWraith, FyreHawk, Margarite, Ranya, and more! $5 suggested donation for age15+ , $7 for couples contact info: wildwindsdancer@yahoo.com or amberbarbara@hotmail.com wyldefyre_andfriends@yahoogroups.com ice cream-smoothies-soda-water available from Amy's Ice Cream bring chairs, whatever you need to be comfortable special area for Photographers -Please notify person at the gate for seating and contact info arts and crafts booth space available no pets please

Gracie Kitten @ 5 weeks Grey Tiger Striped Female

AmberBarbara — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:35:29 GMT

Gracie Kitten @ 5 weeks Grey Male

AmberBarbara — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:33:55 GMT

Gracie Kitten @ 5 weeks Siamese Female

AmberBarbara — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:32:18 GMT

Gracie Kitten @ 5 weeks Red Male

AmberBarbara — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:31:18 GMT

Gracie Kitten 4 @ 4 weeks

AmberBarbara — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:35:47 GMT

Gracie Kitten 3 @ 4 weeks

AmberBarbara — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:35:13 GMT

Gracie kitten 2 @ 4 weeks

AmberBarbara — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:34:42 GMT

The one I would like to keep if I could

Gracie's kitten 1 at 4 weeks

AmberBarbara — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:33:56 GMT

Georgia: Help Puppy survives plastic bag torture faces euthanasia?

AmberBarbara — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:56:01 GMT

From Myspace Bulletin from Spinundrum Puppy survived death by being locked in plastic bag now faces euthanasia. RE: This puppy was left to die please give him a chance!!! ----------------- Bulletin Message ----------------- From: christina Date: Sep 12, 2007 8:53 PM Satoashley Jane Helping the Homeless Animals Zubbies Zoo babs loves to help animals Erin for the Animals Date: Sep 11, 2007 11:23 PM Liberty County, GA is located right outside of the gates of Fort Stewart and is approximately 45 minutes from Savannah. Do not contact me to save this animal. I do not work for animal control and may not be able to reach them in time. I am a volunteer. Please call Animal Control IMMEDIATELY at 912-876-9191. If it is after hours, please leave a message stating which animal(s) you are calling about. They listen to messages before euthanasia. This animal could die as soon as Thursday. Please save if you can and repost if you can't! case #805-1390 This puppy fought for life. Now he needs someone to fight for him. An officer found this little brindle boy clawing his way out of a plastic bag. He could have suffocated and died, but he fought for his freedom, he struggled for the opportunity to live. Yet his fight might be to no avail. He's no longer at risk of suffocation, but he is still at very high risk of death. Now at Liberty County Animal Control, he could be euthanized as early as this coming Thursday unless someone steps in to save him. He is 10 to 14 weeks old and was picked up at EB Cooper and Holmestown. If you can save this animal, please contact: Liberty County Animal Control 279 Briarwood Circle (off of Airport Rd.) Hinesville, GA 31313 912-876-9191 (leave a detailed message and include the case #) Please update me if you do, so that I know that these postings are working. Thank you! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: Although they share the same address and similar names, Liberty County Animal Control and Liberty County Humane Shelter are NOT the same entity! Animal Control is run by the county and all animals are at high risk of euthanasia (regardless of age, breed or temperament) as they are only allowed a brief period of time to be claimed. Also, Liberty County Animal Control is not an adoption facility. They are only able to release to licensed rescues. However, no one wants to see an animal die unnecessarily, so if you would like to adopt one of their animals, they are often able to set it up with a rescue. This teamwork spares lives :) Some breeds (such as Pit Bulls) are adopted out more cautiously, and depending on the rescue the adoption is done through, there may even be a home check to be certain the animal will not be used for the atrocities of fighting (which is a problem in this area), breeding (all animals must be spayed or neutered - no exceptions), or other unacceptable purposes. Before you ask: Animals that find themselves at AC do not receive veterinary check-ups or care such as vaccinations. In most cases, very little is known about their history since most of them were picked up as strays. Even their breed is often just a guess to fill in the blanks on paperwork or postings. In most cases, we do not know if they are housetrained, good with other species of animals, or good with children or little old ladies. If I do know, I do my best to include it in their list