THE LEGEND OF THE WHITE BUFFALO CALF WOMAN

Lakota Nation

The White Buffalo are sacred to many Native Americans.

The Lakota (Sioux) Nation has passed down the The Legend of the White Buffalo -a story now approximately 2,000 years old- at many council meetings, sacred ceremonies, and through the tribe's storytellers.

There are several variations, but all are meaningful, and tell of the same outcome. Have communication with the Creator through prayer with clear intent for Peace, Harmony and Balance for all life living in the Earth Mother. 

Spirituality among Natives Americans and non-Native Americans has been a strong force for those who believe in the power of the Great Spirit or God.

It matters not what you call the Creator. What matters is that you pray to give thanks for your blessings and trust the guidance given to you from the world of Spirit. Many truths about Spirit are told and handed down from one generation to the next.

The legend of the White Buffalo Calf Woman tells how the People had lost the ability to communicate with the Creator.

Lakota Nation

The Creator sent the sacred White Buffalo Calf Woman to teach the People how to pray with the Pipe. With that Pipe, seven sacred ceremonies were given for the people to abide in order to ensure a future with harmony, peace, and balance.

Legend says that long ago, two young men were out hunting when from out of nowhere came a beautiful maiden dressed in white buckskin. One of the hunters looked upon her and recognizing her as a wakan, or sacred being, lowered his eyes. The second hunter approached her with lust in his eyes desiring her for his woman.

White Buffalo Calf Woman beckoned the lustful warrior to her, and as he approached a cloud of dust arose around them causing them to be hidden from view. When the dust settled, nothing but a pile of bones lay next to her. As she walked toward the respectful young hunter, she explained to him that she had merely fulfilled the other man's desire, allowing him, within that brief moment, to live a lifetime, die and decay.

White Buffalo Calf Woman instructed the young man to go back to the People and tell them to prepare for her arrival to teach them of the way to pray. The young hunter obeyed. When White Buffalo Calf Woman arrived with the sacred bundle (the prayer pipe) she taught the People of the seven sacred ways to pray.

These prayers are through ceremonies that include the Sweat Lodge for purification; the Naming Ceremony for child naming; the Healing Ceremony to restore health to the body, mind and spirit; the adoption ceremony for making of relatives; the marriage ceremony for uniting male and female; the Vision Quest for communing with the Creator for direction and answers to one's life; and the Sundance Ceremony to pray for the well-being of all the People.

Lakota Nation

When the teaching of the sacred ways was complete, White Buffalo Calf Woman told the people she would again return for the sacred bundle that she left with them. 

Before leaving, she told them that within her were the four ages, and that she would look back upon the People in each age, returning at the end of the fourth age, to restore harmony and spirituality to a troubled land. She walked a short distance, she looked back towards the people and sat down. When she arose they were amazed to see she had become a black buffalo. Walking a little further, the buffalo laid down, this time arising as a yellow buffalo.

The third time the buffalo walked a little further and this time arose as a red buffalo. Walking a little further it rolled on the ground and rose one last time as a white buffalo calf signaling the fulfillment of the White Buffalo Calf prophecy.

The changing of the four colors of the White Buffalo Calf Woman represents the four colors of man -white, yellow, red and black. These colors also represent the four directions, north, east, south and west.

The sacred bundle that was left to the Lakota people is still with the People in a sacred place on the Cheyenne River Indian reservation in South Dakota. It is kept by a man known as the Keeper of the White Buffalo Calf Pipe, Arvol Looking Horse.

The legend of the White Buffalo Calf Woman remains ever promising in this age of spiritual enlightenment and conscious awareness. In today's world of confusion and war many of us are looking for signs of peace.

Source: legendsofamerica.com

You have noticed that everything as Indian does is in a circle,

and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles,

and everything tries to be round...

The Sky is round,

and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball,

and so are all the stars.

The wind, in its greatest power, whirls.
Birds make their nest in circles,
for theirs is the same religion as ours...

Black Elk, Oglala Sioux Holy Man, 1863-1950

JOAN BAEZ: DIAMONDS & RUST

Pete Seeger & Joan Baez

After some days with the Amish Community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, The Grandma decided to return to Barcelona to celebrate her birthday with her family and with a special guest star: Joan Baez, who sang (19-20 March) in the Palau de la Música Catalana.

The Grandma enjoyed a lot of the great performances of her friend, Joan, who played some special songs (Viatge a Ítaca, No serem moguts or Rossinyol) and another special song for all The Collins Family: There but for fortune.

Joan sang in English, Catalan, Spanish, Arabian and Jewish showing a great knowledge of all of these languages.

It was impossible to choose one song in the middle of all of them but, Diamonds and Rust continues being the most beautiful one for The Grandma, who still believes in the idea of improving our real world and full it of respect, tolerance, diversity and friendship. 

Pete Seeger & Joan Baez

The Grandma is a great fan of American Country Folk and Joan Baez is one of her myths.

Pete Seeger, who died last year, is the other. She likes their letters and poetry and their soft and beautiful voices which have been the social movements’ voices since the 1960’s, great lights between grey clouds and dark skies.

For other hand, The Collins Family continues its preparation of the Cambridge Exams. The Grandma offers them a new interesting webpage for practising readings: British Council Webpage.

I went to jail for 11 days for disturbing the peace; 

I was trying to disturb the war.

Joan Baez

THE COLLINS FAMILY IN THE STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA

Seeley Booth

The Collins Family is visiting Pennsylvania invited by The Grandma. They’re spending some days in Lancaster with the Amish Community.

After sharing some unforgettable moments with this community, The Collins Family went to visit Philadelphia, one of the most beautiful cities, in The United States and the cultural and artistic center of the American country. The city has an important harbor in the River Delaware.

Philadelphia was founded in 1662 and its name means fraternal love city because it wanted to be a respectful religious city. The city was the capital of the USA during the Revolution War meanwhile Washington was under construction.

In this city were signed Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1787 and stands Liberty Bell an iconic symbol of American independence.

People like Noam Chomsky (linguistic); Will Smith, David Boreanaz and Kevin Bacon (actors); Louisa May Alcott and Isaac Asimov (writers); Solomon Burke and Taylor Swift (singers) or Kobe Bryant (basketball player) were born in this incredible city.

More information: City of Philadelphia

Good books, like good friends,

are few and chosen;

the more select,

the more enjoyable.

Louisa May Alcott

THEY DID IT, 'CAUSE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE

Keep Calm

The Collins Family has finished its 220 hours English course. It has been a great effort and 29 December seems too far away. They’ve worked a lot and every one of its members has reached a personal objective. We want to homage all the whole family for their effort, their constancy and their sense of responsibility.Last days, they worked occupational hazards with MJ and prepared and updated their CV’s. Thanks to MJ, The Collins Family could learn the last innovation in the job’s searching.

Although the course has been a collectivist success, we must pay attention to the special cases of Adriana, Eva and M. Carmen who have reached new employments.

The Collins Family will continue its adventures in the 2.0 world because they have another objective to pass: The Cambridge Exams. The Grandma will continue supporting them in this difficult work and won’t forget her family.

Come on Collins! We have already entered in the History like the great athletes. Now, we must keep us there.

The Grandma’s friends continue trying to recodify an Elementary’s CD. They don’t forget this mission, difficult but not impossible.

 Give me one moment in time
When I'm racing with destiny
Then in that one moment of time
I will feel
I will feel eternity.

Whitney Houston

THE AMISH & OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

After discovering The Grandma has gone to Lancaster County in Philadelphia (PA) to join to the Amish Community, The Collins Family has continued the classes. Today, they have studied occupational safety and health.

More information:  Occupational Safety and Health

Meanwhile, The Grandma continues her searching of new material for helping her family to success the KET, PET and FCE Cambridge Exams. Today, she offers them some information about Speaking:

More information: Speaking-KET

More information: Speaking-PET

More information: Speaking-FCE

Don't know much about history
Don't know much biology
Don't know much about a science book
Don't know much about the French I took...

Sam Cooke

A BIG FAMILY: THE COLLINS BY M.CARMEN

A Family Tree

We are a big family, but the really important are ourselves and our family. The Grandma is a friendly, lovely and wealthy woman, who decided to adopt a big family for living a lot of adventures. During this travel, we have worked a lot to improve our English and to search the answers for some questions which are round us. I want to explain you them and the way started here, two months ago.

One day, we received an Eva’s note, his grandfather was missed and we wanted to help her to find him. We travelled to Venice, and during the Corto’s quest, Eva was trapped in the Turkish part of Cyprus. We decided to travel to Nicosia for helping her.

When we’re in Cyprus, during the rescue, Gemma felt down to the sea and we lost her trail. We’re worried but we didn’t know any news about her then we decided to travel to Rhodes it was the last place that someone saw Corto, he has been there. We flew to Adriana’s home in this island and we could visit the island and enjoying Mediterranean lifestyle, culture, hospitality and good food!!!!

Meanwhile, our Grandma was searching a big and incredible home in England for us. We must learn English!!!!!!!!!!!

The Rose of the Winds

Travelling by train we knew The Hobo’s. They were popular people from the U.S; and The Lullaby, popular songs for sleeping babies “In the crib of hunger, my dild was. With blood onion is nursed" - Onion’s Lullaby, Miguel Hernández.

Good Luck, Eva!!!!!!!! She’s in an interview.

Karen was preparing Eurovision, Vienna 2015, and we’re helping her with a song “Hou, hou, hou“.

Gemma was located by a seaman, and we could evacuate both to Greece.

That day we received a grandma’s letter, she was waiting us with Belén in Paris. We visited The Louvre Museum and Disneyland Paris.

“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and the jobs a game”. Mary Poppins

The grandma explained us about different stories: Majorca’s legend, which was localized in Serra Tramuntana El Salt de la bella dona,  The Ancestral Haitian Culture , an unknown trip about beliefs, suggestions, fears and necromancy, The Navajo’s Nation and how  its language helped the UK during the Second World War !! The most important story, because it’s in our city, was about The non-recognized jobs , also named El banc de proves de Gaudí.

The weather was worst in U.K.  Those days, Vanesa explained it to us: What’s the weather like????

Suitcase

In other hand, Mozart, Grandma and M. Ángeles were waiting us Salzburg.  M. Ángeles made us a perfect visit in the city, visiting the most interesting buildings and places, as well as The Mozart’s Museum House.

During this travel, we received an Eva’s letter from Sant Boi, she fought her destiny and her dream. The Collins family were very proud of Eva. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

That night Karen participated in Eurovision Festival and she won! During this week, the war in Ukraine was increasing and seemed that the help didn’t arrive......” One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes” –Antoine de Saint-Exupèry - Le Petit Prince.

While we were playing in the world of imagination and dreams (Salvador DalÍ), Eva was working in a very real job, she was building the facilities for our pets in Downton Abbey.

When the work was ended, we took a fly to Venice.............It’s Carnival!!!!!!!!!!! Eva and Corto came with us for some days and the Grandma was in Piazza San Marcos waiting for us. We’re really happy, newly we were together.

“E’ lontano il Ponte dei Sospir ma io continuo a sospirar, aspetto il miracolo di poter tornar. Ciao Venezia, ciao!”

An important event happened in Adriana’s life, she must come back home quickly; you must know that you aren’t alone!!!

During this week Grandma talked us about the relationship between Winston Churchill, Barcelona’s population and London Tube. In all this cities, the people built tunnels to shelter from enemy fire; they were called “The Resistance”.

“KEEP CALM AND CARRY A WARD “.

Ohhh My God!!! The Grandma had a scare!! An owl was crossed on her road!!!!!!!!!! 

Andorran Passport

The next day she wanted to talk about pragmatic and utopian adjectives.

In the following days, The Grandma explained us about amazing stories in the near and far time........  What has in common Whitechapel, in London and Carrer Raval, in Barcelona. Perhaps....................the organs and the blood?????????? Why is a Salamander in Park Güell? Because the salamander symbolizes the August’s victory on Cleopatra’s Empire. Why church, factory and school form an equilateral triangle?? The same happens between Park Güell and The Forum. Is limited only the construction or is there more behind this?? Masonry, she taught us about it!!!!!!!! 

The Grandma suffered a great lost .....................We will always be with you!! “Someone told me along ago, there’s calm before the storm. Here you ever seen the rain coming down on a sunny day?”

A few days ago, Montse talked about Synesthesia, the fantastic world of the sounds, colours and numbers!!!!!!!!!!

After that, the Grandma proposed to travel along the Rose Line Road: London-París-Barcelona; she also told us Why is important the Phi Number (1,618) for the world community, What is the truth about Mona Lisa, Venus of Boticelli, the Keops Pyramid, the Eiffel Tower, Gaudí buildings...................their creation, their perfect measures and distances. All of them are based in the Phi Number.

We decorated Downton Abbey. Montse, Montse Pottery, Miriam and Dámaris prepared a nice story about kings, queens, princes and princesses and Laura spoke about the Oscars. We stayed in Barcelona again: the Sagrada Família was waiiiiiiiiiiitinggggggggg for us!!!!!

You've got the whole world in your pocket
But you just don't know
Everybody's smilin' at you everywhere you go
It's like you've got that secret
That everybody else wants to know.

Mika

THE FRIENDSHIP'S VALUES: MONTSE'S & MIRIAM

Last Friday, some members of The Collins Family played a tale called The Love’s Values. It’s an interesting story about a king, a queen, a prince and a princess with love as the main theme.

The Grandma knows how effort has had this tale’s creation and how many difficulties they had to spend to finish their work. This is the reason because of The Grandma has decided to punctuate this work with two marks: individual and collective. 

Congratulations girls and thanks for your patience!

Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
you saw her bathing on the roof
her beauty and the moonlight overthrough ya.

Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah...

Leonard Cohen

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... LAURA COLLINS!

The Oscars

The first Academy Awards presentation was held on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 270 people, although the names of the winners were already known since February 18 that year.

The first film that received the Oscar for best film was Wings by William A. Wellman and the first best Actor awarded was Emili Jannigs for his performances in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh.

The awards ceremony was televised in 1983.

The Oscars is also the oldest entertainment awards ceremony; its equivalents, the Emmy Awards for television, the Tony Awards for theatre and the Grammy Awards for music an recording.

The Academy Awards are considered to be the most prestigious cinema awards ceremony in the world and is an annual in the film industry.

OSCAR STATUETTE

Made of gold-plated Britannium on a black metal base, it is 34 cm in tall, weighs 3 kg and shows a naked knight which arms crossed holding a sword on a reel of film with five spokes. The five spokes represent the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers and Technicians. 

The sketches of statuettes were made by Cedric Gibbons and were performed in 1928 by the stenographer of the Metro Goldwyn Mayer. 

THE NAME

The origin of the name is disputed. One biography of Bette Davis affirms that the statue was named in honor of her first husband Oscar Nelson.

Another claimed origin is that the Academy’s Executive Secretary, Margaret Henrick saw the award in 1931 reminding her of her “Uncle Oscar”.

STATUETTES OWNERSHIP

Since 1950, the statuettes have been legality protected by that neither winners nor their heirs can sell the statuettes without first offering them to the Academy for the price of “1$”.

@Lauracinewoman

LA SAGRADA FAMÍLIA: WHAT'S THE TRUTH?

The Sagrada Família

Today has been a very special day.

The Collins Family has arrived to Barcelona to visit the Sagrada Família, the most famous Antoni Gaudi’s work, although it’s not the most interesting: La Colònia Güell is the most enigmatic one. 

This visit has been a personal gift of MJ, N and M for the family.

Download Barcelona's Natural Wonder by Antoni Gaudí

The Sagrada Família

After taking the public transport for avoiding the World Mobile Congress crowd, they have reached their objective: staying at 10:15 in the main entrance called Façana del Naixement. They’ve obtained their audio guides and they’ve entered into the Temple for discovering the power of the nature in Gaudí’s architecture. 

The weather has been fantastic: sunny and warm day and this has helped the visitors to experiment the mystery of the colours inside. 

The Collins Family has taken lots of photos and has talked about the symbolism of Gaudí and the Sagrada Família parallelisms with Majorca’s Cathedral.

Animals like turtles, tortoises, snakes, snails, salamanders and lizards have appeared from different and hidden places of the building and different Sant Jordi (Saint George) have protected us during the visit.

The Sagrada Família

Once the ground plant has been visited, The Collins Family has gone to contemplate the essence of life’s mysteries in the other side of the Temple: La façana de la Passió created by Josep Maria Subirachs an incredible and magic hieroglyph about life and existence.

Symbols of Alfa and Omega have reminded us that all things, even life, have a beginning and an end; an enigmatic magic square has showed us how important are mathematics in our existence; the maze has explained us how difficult sometimes can be choosing the correct way and the Salvador Espriu’s words has evocated the importance of respect and tolerance between different cultures and races. 

Two hours and a half later, exhausted, The Collins Family has returned to the hotel in Sant Boi de Llobregat, a beautiful town near Barcelona, next to one of the most important places around the planet: La Colònia Güell.

Download The calculations of La Sagrada Família by Antoni Gaudí

Who knows where the world may
turn us, only a fool would say
Who knows what the fate may
have in store
Follow the light of truth as far
as our eyes can see
How should we knows where that
may be? How should we know?

Alan Parsons Project

CAMBRIDGE EXAMS: FIGHT THE FUTURE

The Collins Family is working very hard in the preparation of their Cambridge Exams. They’re exhausted and their brains almost explode but they are very persistent people and they don’t surrender.

Meanwhile, The Grandma is trying to help them in the last details. Today, she has been looking some information about Cambridge Exams Listening for helping her family in this hard adventure. The Grandma is going to recommend them reading The last Sherlock Holmes story and listening the audio story at the same time.

For other hand, we have been talking about people who admire and we have been analysing some examples of non-verbal communication taking a relaxing cup of Café con leche in Plaza Mayor. We have also received news from Eva and Corto. We miss you a lot and we hope to see you very soon.

Finally, MJ has visited us with good news about our trip to Barcelona for visiting The Sagrada Família. 

More information: KET Exam Listening

More information: PET Exam Listening

More information: FCE Exam Listening

IN MEMORIAM: LIVE LONG & PROSPER

The Collins Family has continued its hard work preparing the Cambridge Exams. For relaxing and seeing another point of view, The Grandma invited all of them to travel into space. They went to French Guiana and there, they got on the shuttle: 3, 2, 1… lift-off!

The trip was exciting and thanks to Vanesa, who had explained them all the astronauts have’s and don’t have’s, they could enjoy the moment without any kind of danger.

More information: Modal Verbs (Must/Have to/Can)

The most incredible moment was when another spaceship drove in front of them and its member, who had long ears, wore blue clothes and had short and black hair greeted them with only one hand, in vulcan salute style, wishing them: LIVE LONG & PROSPER. The Colllins Family wished him the best, and promised to remember him forever, eternally.

 When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

John Newton

THE COLLINS FAMILY: 'CAUSE NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

The Collins

The surname Collins has a variety of likely origins in Britain and Ireland:

Anglo-Saxon: A patronymic surname based on the name Colin, an English diminutive form of Nicholas. In England, Collins usually signified son of Colin.

Welsh: Collen = hazel, hazel grove.

Irish: cuilein = darling, a term of endearment applied to a whelp or young animal. The medieval surname was Ua Cuiléin, which has usually become Ó Coileáin today.

The Collins Family are 17 members: Adriana, Belén, Dámaris, David, Eva Cyprus, Eva Maltese, Gemma, Karen, Laura, M.Carmen, M.Ángeles, Miriam, Montse Paris, Montse Pottery, Montse The Second, Vanesa and The Grandma.

Every member of the family comes from a different country and English is the common language. The Collins Family works together for reaching its objectives and, even seeing the world from a seventeen different points of view, they always arrive to find a point in common: The greater good.

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are

I never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we do it our way
All these words I just don't say

Trust I seek but I find in you
Every day for us, something new
Open mind for a different view

Metallica