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[Enufstuff]

@Harpa  I love that you have a Chopin on your piano and a

               Beethoven on a floor speaker. That makes a great pedestal for display. I have always liked collecting decor and it has evolved

with different styles since the 60's. I have to have curtains or at least a valance with blinds. I don't think that I have a bare wall in my house. What can I say? I like stuff! I'm such a Taurus.

        Ever since I learned in high school, about Heinrich Schliemann discovering Troy, Napoleon having his soldiers uncover the Sphinx and taking the Rosetta stone back to France, with Champollion deciphering the heiroglyphics,

 I have had a great interest in the ancient world. I try to watch

PBS and History channel documentaries on archaeology. I missed the series on Schliemann. Perhaps it will repeat sometime. I subscribe to Archaeology

Magazine and it has great articles on ancient civilizations all over the world. With new technology, much is still being discovered.

     Interest in Egypt became worldwide when Howard Carter discovered King Tut's tomb in 1922. It influenced decorative arts, fashion and people even had mummy unwrappings for entertainment. It was said that there was an Egyptian mummy

on the Titanic when it sank. Some people think that the ship was cursed.

    Howard Carter's exploration in Egypt was financed by the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, whose home in England was Highclere Castle. (Where Downton Abbey was filmed) If you watched Downton Abbey, you may remember one of the early episodes,

when the youngest daughter appeared before the family, wearing a harem pants outfit. Turbans became popular in the 1920's and Egyptian theme jewelry. ( I have a collection of that too and a collection of books on Egypt.)

   The 8th Earl of Carnarvon still lives in Highclere Castle. In a PBS documentary, he said when they were renovating, they found Egyptian artifacts that had been hidden behind wall panels. Many ancient artifacts were stolen by early archaeologists.

  My younger brother also has had a lifetime interest in the ancient world ; mostly Rome and Greece. He earned his PHD in Classical studies and is a Latin professor. He has traveled to Rome many times for work translating ancient Latin inscriptions and has lead tour groups in Rome.

He has some Roman and Greek artifacts and I gave him as a gift, a statue of Plato. It's funny that we both have an interest in

ancient cultures.

[Harpa]

@Enufstuff  Thank you so much for sharing your interest!! (And knowledge!) Wow! Did I ever goof! The PBS series was about Carter and his search for King Tut's tomb - how he pinpointed where it might be and then the find. But, still, Schliemann (besides the Bible) introduced me more into an Egyptian, I guess we could say, semi-fascination.

I'm a Taurus, too, but I don't know how that plays into my true personality. Anyway, I know we could have a hi-o time talking about all this! I love history and search out documentaries. I'm sure we never get the full picture or story.

I don't recall hearing about Titanic's cargo. Interesting! And I can kick myself for not making the effort to visit Philly when they had Tut's exhibit a few years ago. Have you ever had the opportunity?

I used to subscribe to archeology! As an aside, the only artificat we ever dug up was an Indian arrowhead in the garden when I was a little girl!

[Enufstuff]

@Harpa  How wonderful that you found an Indian arrowhead in your garden.There could be more ancient artifacts buried there. I would be so happy finding an arrowhead. You have your own ancient treasure!

    Since I was a little girl, I've had an interest in Native American culture. In the summers in Maine, we would sometimes visit Indian Island at Old Town Maine. The neighbor where we stayed in Maine, was a Mik Maq lady.

    I would visit her and we became very close. She took me blueberry picking and taught me how to make a blueberry pie.

She gave me a little handmade ash and sweetgrass basket from

her tribe. When her little dog had puppies, she gave one to me.

Her name was Zeleka. She and her husband had a baby boy and then, they moved away. I never knew where they moved to.

    My paternal ancestors were First Nations people from Canada.

We had Algonquin  and Huron from Quebec, Mik Maq from Acadia (now known as Nova Scotia) and Huron from Ontario.

   Before Covid, my daughters, great grand daughters and I were

going to pow wows and celebrating our native roots, honoring our ancestors. I have a large collection of Native made jewelry,

from the Northeast and the Southwest. I have also collected

small handmade baskets from several Northeast tribes.

  We have been missing the pow wows and keep watching for some local ones to return soon.

  It's too bad that you missed the King Tut exhibit. In Boston, there have been a lot of Egyptian exibits and lectures

that I have gone to. The Ramses exhibit was probably the biggest one that I have attended.

 A wonderful King Tut exhibit was scheduled for 2020.

My sister in law and I had planned to go and were so looking forward to it. Sadly, it was canceled because of Covid.

 One of my beautiful books has gorgeous pictures of King Tut's

treasures that were exhibited in this country years ago.

  One supposed trait of a Taurus is that we love to have beautiful things, since Taurus is influenced by Venus. Also, a love of music. Do you play the piano? Sun signs in astrology are fun to read about, but an individual's horoscope is so much more. A natal chart will show sun sign,

moon sign and the ascendant, which was on the horizon at your birth.

 Other factor's are the position of all the planets at the time of birth. Then for daily horoscopes, it is  how the planets transit

through the 12 houses on a chart and how they corespond to each other.  It can get very complex. Years ago, I learned how to do

natal charts and have done them for family and friends. It's fun.

[Harpa]

@Enufstuff  It's only recently that I heard the term, First Nation. I haven't had too many associations w/ First Nation people. Only that I grew up in Lenape territory. And we always pronounced it LEN' (short e) - ah - pe (long e).

Also recently, I've heard Lenape decendants pronounce it

Len - AH' - pe (long e). Which sounds more authentic.

So neat to read about your Native American interest, experience & heritage! I have more to explore on this subject!

I think you're right! We appreciate beauty! And yes, I do play piano, just not like I used to. I've adopted the pedal harp (years ago now). Talk about beauty! Both in form in the shape of the instrument itself and in sound! 

(And you caught me in another knicknack....there are a couple of harps hanging around.)

Well, His whole birth was foretold & charted in the heavens, so I'm wondering how natal charts may apply to us.

Very interesting, @Enufstuff !

[vermint]

I used to collect Depression glass...got rid of most of it a couple years ago, just took it to the Salvation Army Thrift Store. I realized that I don't really like "clear" glass and much prefer colored ceramic/stoneware pieces. 

I'm not big on knicknacks...my coffee table and end tables are bare. End tables have lamps on them, that's it. I have a few things scattered around the house, most of which I've had for a very long time.

Not big on hanging stuff on my walls either, no wall has more than one picture or metal art piece hanging on it. I like space for my eyes to focus on on and enjoy one thing at a time.

[Enufstuff]

@Harpa  Now I understand why your nick is "Harpa". I don't play any instruments, but I love music. I love harp music. At our wedding, I had a harpist for the ceremony and the cocktail hour.

   I also have CDs of Celtic harp music.

    You are right; the three "kings" were actually astrologers.