she knows of all the places that babies get kissed by their mommies – hands and fingers; tummy and toes; cheeks and ears and nose. she hears about love, and life, and the day she was born. that day is an especially important day – all over the earth, the sun and moon and animals all celebrate: they all are glad that she has arrived.

it’s storytime. it is my niece’s favorite time of the day. (well, ok except maybe for her milk feedings.)

baby annika with auntie debby

i just traveled again to san francisco to visit my sister, her husband, and their now-five-month old, now-14-pound, big-blue-eyed beautiful baby girl. the last time i saw her, annika was really tiny (but mighty), having been born at only 4 pounds, 7 ounces. but now she is a chunky, healthy, happy, and i must say, a truly adorable creature.

her mommy reads to her every day. and annika really pays attention. she is fascinated with the pictures, the sounds, and the rhythm of her mother’s voice. she looks intriguingly at the books. all while she wiggles, and giggles, and smiles.

it was certainly a delight for me to watch this in action. and, i even got my turn at reading to my niece.

after storytime, annika is swaddled, and kissed, and put down in her bed. as she is sleeping, i wonder if she dreams of giraffes and kangaroos; of kisses on her tummy and toes; and of the divine day that she was born.

sweet travels!

Historically, some form of coats of arms used for military purposes can be dated back to early man, including Greek and African warriors. These people painted their wooden shields with symbols of their heritage.

But the coats of arms of the medieval times of Europe developed into more than just a military ID badge. They grew to represent many things, and just like the number on your Driver’s License, they became unique to each person, or to a family, or even to an entire region. These emblems, used by several social classes, could signify heraldic achievement, or were designed to convey feelings of power and strength.

To see the grandeur of these insignias today, after having survived for hundreds of years, is quite extraordinary. I happened upon two unique collections of coats of arms in a couple of churches in Europe. These “quirky” museums were in the St. Peter’s Church of Riga, Latvia and the Tallinn Dome Church of Tallinn, Estonia.

Both of these collections displayed coats of arms that were actually used as epitaphs, a way to preserve the memory of the deceased. The Latvian collection had wooden epitaph coats of arms from the 18th century, with quite colorful baroque and rococo-style wood carvings. The Estonian collection had some very large coats of arms that were eight and a half feet in length, the oldest dating back to 1586. These were painted with heraldic colors, decorated with lush and luxurious ornamentation, and accented with leaf gold and silver, the combination of which resulted in a mother-of-pearl-like glitter.

Because the coats of arms were decorated with various pictures, I did a bit of research to find out some of their meanings. For example, birds: an eagle may represent a person of noble nature, or one who is high-spirited; a peacock, beauty, power and knowledge; and a dove, loving constancy and peace. Animals: a lion can symbolize courage; a dragon, a valiant defender of treasure; and a bear, strength, cunning and ferocity in the protection of one’s kindred. Flowers: a rose can characterize hope and joy; a primrose brings good tidings; and a carnation, admiration.

And then certain objects also have significance. Antlers stand for strength and fortitude; a castle for safety; and musical pipes, festivity and rejoicing. A wavy line denotes the sea or water; an indented line is for fire; and an engrailed line, for the earth or land. Even the colors have meaning: gold, generosity; blue, truth and loyalty; and silver, peace and sincerity.

If I could design my own coat of arms, I think it should at least contain a yellow sunflower, which to me represents bright sunshine, the outdoors, strength and happiness.

Sweet Travels!

General historical information about coats of arms from wikipedia

and from 101-family-crests.com

Meaning of pictures on coats of arms from Fleur-de-lis Designs

Latvian and Estonian information from the church’s brochures:

Then next time you are in Riga, please visit The Latvian Fire Fighting Museum. Located in a fire station built around 1911, using an Art Nouveau architectural style, this “quirky” museum presents history and objects of fire fighting in Latvia. From 1912 to 1944, a unit of the Riga City Fire Fighters Division used the building where the museum is currently located. And today, the State Fire and Rescue Service of Latvia still occupies part of the building.

The museum presents the fascinating history of Latvian fire fighting, from 1864 to 1940, as well as more recent history of Latvia’s State Fire and Rescue Service. The museum demonstrates fire techniques used, including hand pumps and steam pumps and engine pumps. For viewing are some cool-looking fire engines from the “Chevrolet-Sux” 1930’s production line. Fire fighters’ helmets, tools, uniforms, fire alarm devices, hoses, nozzles, awards, medals, photographs, documents, flags and other objects are exhibited, as well as data about some causes of fires and the resulting damage.

Unfortunately, when I went to visit this museum, just like my attempt to visit The Mini Bottle Gallery in Oslo, Norway, Riga’s Fire Fighting Museum was closed. (I really must plan some things better when I travel.) But, at least I was able to see the architectural style of the building, three cool-looking decades-old fire engines through the windows, and what looks to be some type of pump (probably the hand-type) displayed on the outside of the museum.

Per the State Fire and Rescue Service’s website, I must say that I like this about the museum: “The Latvian Fire Fighting Museum has an important role in the education of the young generation in the area of health and life protection. In the exhibition children can adopt basic knowledge about the fire safety regulations, on behavior in case of a fire, and how to protect themselves and others in extreme situations.”

As a child, I certainly remember learning how to “stop, drop and roll…”

Sweet (and safe) Travels!

Facts, history and quotes complements of the “State Fire and Rescue Services of Latvia” website.