An American Werewolf in London

Attention John Landis fans! Two bits of news with regard to Landis's 1981 thriller; the original has gone to Blu-ray, so look for that. And Dimension Films has acquired the rights to AAWL and a remake is in the works. No release date given. We can only hope they do a good job of it. Here at Holiday Hollow we try not to prejudge, despite how lame too many of the recent remakes have been.....

More info here; An American Werewolf in London



Thanks to JT at Halloween Forum for that tip!

Oh No! Godzilla! We Must Flee!

Who needs Transformers when you've got the King of Moster movies! If you're in San Fran in August (21-23), get over to the Castro Theatre for a bucket of popcorn and some vintage monsters, music and sound effects!

Midsummer's Day

Midsummer's Day occurs near the Summer solstice, or what we think of as the beginning of Summer. In farming, it marks the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvesting.

Today, Midsummer Eve, was traditionally sacred to lovers. On this evening you could pick seven different wildflowers and then walk home silently. Place the flowers under your pillow and dream of your future husband or wife. Oh, one more thing; you had to walk home backwards.

In the Celtic calendar, Midsummer Day was a “Quarter Day,” one of the days that marked the four major divisions of the year. Makes fascinating reading here; Quarter Days.

Traditionally, Midsummer's Day was the earliest day deemed safe for swimming, because of its connection with St. John the Baptist, who baptised Jesus in the River Jordan. Presumably the old swimming hole will have warmed up sufficiently by now too!

Factoids courtesy of the Old Farmer's Alamanac

Spooky Hollow Printables

....and one gorgeous charm bracelet! Carmen aka Whimsy Folk Artist at Spooky Hollow has started offering free printables from her original artwork. Click the link to see that bracelet (sold, not surprising!) and to bookmark her site. Owls happen to be my favourite bird and wouldn't you know, there they are!



Printables@Spooky Hollow

Happy Father's Day!

The Summer Solstice officially marks the beginning of the season. The timing of the solstice depends on when the Sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator.

This occurs annually on June 20th or June 21st depending on where you are on the Planet. The word solstice is derived from the Latin, meaning sol or Sun and stitium, to stop. Reflecting the fact that the Sun appears to stop at this time and again at the Winter Solstice in December.

In temperate regions ie: latitudes that lie between the Tropics and the Polar circles, the Sun is higher in the sky throughout the day, and its rays strike the Earth at a more direct angle, causing the warming we call Summer. In the Winter, the opposite occurs; the Sun is at its southernmost point and is low in the sky. Its rays hit the Northern Hemisphere at an oblique angle, creating the weaker winter sunlight.

Solstice celebrations can still be found. Notably in England, the annual observance held at Stonehenge.

Now if only the weather in my small space of the Universe reflected the date! Been distinctly cool and damp lately. Never mind....its England; it rains.So welcome Summer and Happy Father's Day to all you Dads out there! Get out and enjoy!

Thanks to the Old Farmer's Almanac, Stonehenge UK and Wikipedia for the factoids.

Fried Figs Anyone?

Santa Ana winds roasted fruit on the trees in California, 1859. Santa Ana winds were so hot and dry near Santa Barbara in southern California, the citrus and avocado fruit roasted on the trees.

What are Santa Ana winds?

The Santa Ana winds are strong, extremely dry offshore winds that characteristically sweep through in Southern California and northern Baja California in late fall into winter. They can range from hot to cold, depending on the prevailing temperatures in the source regions, the Great Basin and upper Mojave Desert. However, the winds are remembered most for the hot dry weather that they bring in the fall.

The mind boggles! I can't even picture the wind being so hot, it cooks fruit trees. It must have been seriously hazardous for people and animals to be out. Obviously I'm not cut out to live in Southern California. I like the cool, crisp days of a Northern Fall!

Thanks to the Old Farmer's Almanac for that!

Road Closed!

Ok, it would appear that Lena, the fabby creator of Simply Fabulous Blogs, who's backgrounds I use, has some issues with Photobucket. Been there meself. Hopefully she'll have this fixed soon.

And a-one, and a-two.......It's a dead man's party, who could ask for more, Everybody's comin', leave your body at the door.....

Oingo Boingo anyone?

Will the Real Santa Claus Please Stand Up

I'm looking forward to this movie about the man who was the origin of the Father Christmas legend. Long overdue I think. All we need now is a firm release date.



And more on the official website here; Nicholas of Myra

Excuses for a Summer Day

I meant to do my work today,
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.

–Richard Le Gallienne (1866–1947)

Scents of the Season

Fall Potpourri

8 Citrus fruits – oranges, lemons, limes

1/2 c whole cloves

1/2 c whole allspice

10 cinnamon sticks, broken

10 bay leaves, crumbled

Peel the fruit carefully, making sure not to remove any of the white pith. Cut or tear the peel into one inch pieces. Dry in a food dehydrator or place on a paper-lined cookie sheet in a low oven (140°F-60C) until the peels are slightly crisp.

Let sit overnight. Combine the peels with the remaining ingredients. Can be used either in jars or as simmering potpourri--one tablespoon to a small pot of water.

Thanks to The New Homemaker for that seasonal recipe!

The Pea of Happiness

I needed a smile today, and lo and behold, it appeared!

Halloween Posties

Kris over on A Nostalgic Halloween is kindly sharing some vintage postcards. Pop over to click 'n save them.

You can never have too many Halloween graphics! And is it really only five months til?