Greetings to Folks near and far from Northern Nevada! Today is a gorgeous day here, with leaves turning colors and cushioning the walkways and pathways around about. The air held a different kind of warmth this morning, kind of like a warm cozy blanket. The last few nights have been chilly starting around early evening and an extra blanket about three in the morning kept the chill off. Looks like we are going to have a beautiful autumn this year.

I just got back from a walk to the store with my eleven year old grandson. He is so excited about his upcoming trip to Disneyland and talked a blue streak all the way up to the store and all the way back home. This will be his first ever trip to Disneyland. His Momma, my daughter, has never been there either, so they both are really happy to be doing this. They are going with some cousins and other family members and all of them are so delighted that they will be able to witness the excitement of first-time visitors to the famous amusement park. When they get back home I am sure they will have a lot of fascinating stories to share with me.

I remember my first time to Disneyland, I was eighteen years old and as excited as my grandson is now. My sister and her husband took their little baby, Mom, myself and three younger siblings and they made that the most memorable trip I have ever been on. My brother-in-law, Billy, built a camper on the back of his pick-up truck and pulled a small trailer behind. So, there was plenty of sleeping room for all eight of us. Billy always made good memories for our family, memories to cherish forever - and now he will be doing the same for my grandson. What a guy - he is good folk!
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It is that time of year when people begin gathering around campfires or kitchen hearths to listen to ghost stories or stories of old. In Japan, "obakebanashi", ghost stories" and "mukashibanashi," tales of long ago, are repeated every year to the younger generations. One of these stories is about Kintaro.

Kintarô is an extremely popular figure in Japan, and his image adorns everything from statues to storybooks, anime, manga to action figures. For example, the anime Golden Boy stars a character with the same name. Kintarô as an image is characterized with a Masakari ax, a Haragake Japanese-style apron and sometimes a tame bear.

Japanese folklore is heavily influenced by both Shinto and Buddhism, the two primary religions in the country and it provides very interesting and intriguing stories to pass on through the generations.
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My favorite seafood is shrimp! If you like cooking up quick and delicious meals, try this Japanese dish:

Sake Steamed Shrimp - (Ebi Sakamushi) - Serves four people (unless you want to hog it all to yourself!)

8 shrimp
2 TBSP sake (rice wine)
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 TBSP vinegar
3 TBSP soup stock
1 1/2 TBSP sugar

Wash shrimp then devein them. Pour sake over the shrimp. Steam shrimp on high heat for 5 min. Cool before serving. For dipping, mix the remaining ingredients and heat in pan on low till warm. Serve with steamed rice or just as an appetizer.
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Till next time, may your home be filled with laughter and may it ring from floor to rafter. Blessings and walk in Beauty.
Phyllis
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Here's the latest article from the Folklore site at BellaOnline.com.

Something Wicked I Dare Say
A brief history of Halloween and how it changed from protection from evil to something wicked.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art13051.asp

Please visit folklore.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Folklore.

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Folklore located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=131

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Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Phyllis Doyle Burns, Folklore Editor
http://folklore.bellaonline.com

One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com
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