Fall, Cooler Weather, and Folk Art

     Getting the yard cleaned up, and ready for the leaves to fall.  The garden has been good this year.  Tomatoes and okra in the freezer, and jars in the cupboards.  Last years autumn, came and went to fast.  Straight from to hot to cold.  Cleaning up my work area to do wood carvings, keeping the chainsaw sharp, and even fixed the tiller.  New carburetor, and it fired right up first pull.  Today's gas is bad for chainsaws, weed-eaters, lawn mowers, and such.  I love the out doors, am I the only one who thinks it is hotter in the summers now.  When I was younger I lived for the summer time.

  

     Now it is "Fall".  Kingsford charcoal, the smell of cut ceder trees, roasting "smashmellows" (marshmallows), and enjoying the yard.  If you don't have a yard, now is a great time to go camping.  This spot back here is where I make my walking sticks.  That is what I'll be doing today.  It is Sunday, Bacon, "grips" (grits), and eggs, are a regular thing.  A day to just idle around the house.  Now, if you told me I had high blood pressure and couldn't eat bacon, or pork chops.  Well I do have high blood and if ham didn't taste so good;  I hear that Jewish people have a problem turning down bacon too.  Let's go outside now:

  

On of my favorite things to make are log cabin bird houses.  This one is oak logs with a ceder roof.

 

     This is the second house, the first was made of all ceder.  This one a more rustic look. 

 

These beautiful houses take quite a bit of time to make.

     I really enjoy working with wood, the smell of the ceder, and it is my favorite wood to work with.  Oak is a hard wood, and even though ceder is considered a hard wood it seems easier to carve.  I first started carving walking sticks awhile back and even was in the newspaper.

     Another 15 sec.s of fame.  I have been in the newspaper twice in my life, and I'm still an un-discovered artist.  Maybe I need to get out more.  Only thing in my plans for today is starting a new walking stick, and steaks on the grill. 

     Gave this walking stick to my sister who has been having trouble with knees, and her hips.  This ceder stick is topped with a hillbilly with a mason jar of moonshine in his hand.

 

This walking stick might bite you.

     This spoon right here changed every thing.  My mother asked me to make a ladle.  To show how smart I am; Whats that?  I never made any thing before, but this is what came out.  Not to bad.

This spoon led to another spoon

Which in turn led to;

This guy.

Well I have started something now, and with a little paint;

These guys look like this;

 

and this

     With this I believe I am on to some thing.  With a little effort I started carving all kinds of stuff. 

     Christmas ornaments, to mirrors for a little girls,  I was making all kinds of things,  this mirror;

led to these;

As my collection grows

     I guess these guys won't be alone for long.  Before the cold set in last year, I bought two more pieces of glass mirror, and have plans for more walking sticks.  Going to make sure the chainsaw is sharp, because the trees in the back are what I'll be carving.  Going to 

 

think big, thinking totem pole.  The first problem is moving it to the work area, it is heavy.

"Freebird" an RV Adventure



    In September of 1998, I went down to Savanna Ga. and this caught my eye.  The job I signed on was coming to an end.  For 3 years I was working at Fripp Island,  after Forest Gump was filmed.  All that was winding down, and I have been moving around all my life.  This seemed like a good idea at the time.  When we went down there it was just to look around, you know, go down to River Street and stuff.  Most every thing we looked at was around 60 to 80 thousand dollars. Woe,  More than I got.  Then I saw this 1987 pace arrow being cleaned up for sale.  $18,000.00.  I knew it had me, when I open the door and the electric step slid out.  Kewl! 

    

   Inside, I sat down on the sofa while Susie and the salesman came in.  Moving over to the swivel chair behind the passenger chair, taking it all in.  Looking up at the drivers seat, thinking this is so awesome.  The whole time I was growing up, my father talked about traveling in a motor coach, and I'm sitting in one.  After looking the truck over I told the fella that I wanted to think about it. 

     We went to lunch,  excited at the mere thought of all this was overwhelming.  I even remember the restaurant we ate at; Red, White, and Blues.  We walked in with Blues memorabilia on the walls, and the best Bar-B-Q.  Bar-B-Q so good I bought a tub of it to go, with some special sauce.  Hard to believe that was 12 years ago this month.  Well, I guess I don't have to tell you, I bought that truck.  Susie hated me calling it a truck.  Funny thing is, I have always had a three day rule in my life.  Any time I spend a large amount of money I give it three days, to see if I really want it.  I went back to the RV place and wrote a check.  I told the sales man to hold the check for 3 or 4 days, I had to transfer some money.  Savanna is just over an hour from Beaufort, filled with so many thoughts, I don't remember driving home. 

      

 I made a good life for myself in Beaufort S.C. and now I'm thinking about leaving.  When I look back, I did all that in less that 3 years.  Talk about being in the right place at the right time, that was it.  I have never been able to top that one, but this next move comes close.  I didn't buy that motor coach to park in the yard, and use a couple times a year.  I was going to live in it.  Talk about a big yard sale.  I was going to have one.  Why?  You ask.  I have no idea.  My friends tell me all the time, "Man I wish I could go see stuff like you".  I have blamed my father being in the Air Force traveling.  I tell them I was born under a wondering star.  If I could, I'd do it again.  A week later..........

     

     I went down to pick it up, "Freebird" is the name I gave it, and the large window on the side, I call "Encarta".  From the encyclopedia that came with windows 95.  For the car we bought a trailer to pull behind.  When I went inside to get key, the sales man told me he won a free dinner.  How is that? I asked.  He said; You came in here last week with holes in your pants, painter cloths all faded.  They bet your check was no good.  Not every day a guy like you walks in and writes a check for $22,000.00.  Most people finance these with a house mortgage. 

When I got behind the wheel I felt like a truck driver on the interstate, checked the CB out, and it wasn't hooked up.  O-well.  They don't give driving lessons, and let me tell you driving this monster is scary.  I also know why all the cabinets have child proof catches on them.  It's not for kids, it is so the doors don't fly open while you're driving.  By the time I got to the house, I was ready to go traveling.  This is going to be so great.  Over the next month we sold out every thing.  Bought a laptop, but packed the desk top, printer, and scanner under the beds.  The laptop was 3" thick, the weight felt like 15 lbs., and got a new cell phone with a nationwide plan.  We were ready now, and the only thing I wish I had not sold was my hot rod F-100.  I love the pop of the pipes when the 289 thundered.  With a DVD of Map Quest we were off. 

     Well, I don't believe we did it.  Packed to the hilt with every thing we didn't sale.  Some stuff we plan to give to family, but this truck is ridding different than when it was empty.  First stop was outside of Charleston at a friend of Susie's.  The same person we got Midknight from.  Midknightreenville.  So, I moved it to the car behind the motor coach, it was already full with my painting.  I'm hoping right about now, this is not how I had things in mind.  A couple days later we are back on the road again.  This time stopping at Dogwood RV Park on hwy 25 about 20 miles, from Greenville.  We wanted to not be to close to the families till we kind a got use to it ourselves.

September and November are beautiful on hwy 25, outside of Greenville. It is the start of the Blue Ridge Mt.s here in South Carolina.  Leaving the Low Country and coming here and still in South Carolina.  Dogwood RV Park is owned by Bart and Donna.  They keep the leaves blow ed every day , in the fall this was a perfect start to RV'ing.  This is also where I learned about John Steinbeck.  A lady RV'er told my I was just like him traveling with a poodle.  I told her I didn't know about him.  She told me to read "Travels with Charlie". 

 

"Midknight Moonchild"

My traveling companion

     I enjoyed living in "Freebird" until a month or so after 911.  I never got tired of living in the truck, and wish I still had it.  The gas tank held 100 gallons of gas.  At times I wished I had bought a 5th wheel instead, because the truck stays parked for long periods.  I wish I still had all my money, for it is long gone.  Do I regret it?  Not one bit.  If I ever hit Lotto, I'll do it again.  I do have a lot of stories.  Freebird is just one, with a lot of chapters. 

Go Green with Me

 

 

     As God, by what ever name you call him or her, looks down at the creation we call Earth.  I wonder what thoughts are thought.  God by any other name, is he less a God.  People fight over what we should call him.  In the Bible, it said his name can never be spoken.  I make people mad some times, because they say their church, or preacher, is the only one that can get you into heaven.  Now you have to know that is not true.  Muslim's face Mecca and pray 5 times a day.  Jew's face the wall and pray.  Christians believe in a man that died on a cross.  Scientology believes  some one or some thing came from outer space.  Even the Native Americans believe in Father Sky, and Mother Earth. 

After saying all that, what we have is Earth.  Who, or what, is responsible for us being here, I think should be pissed off at what we have done with their gift.  Yes; "Gift".  We spend Zillions of dollars killing each other.  It is no longer Corporate America but the World Corporations.  Myself, I realize just how small I am.  I started out today talking about how every one is talking about going green.  Remembering the environmental movements of the 70's     and changes made.  When Bush became President, he lowered restrictions, and regulations.  Even selling off government, and public lands.  When they talk about raising taxes on the rich.  They are the rich.  The oil spill is a result of the the lowered restrictions.  Are we going green?  When some thing as small as packaging of the products we buy is ridicules.  A bag inside a box inside a box, to get a Popsicle.

To me going Green, would be cutting down less trees.  Plastic is made from oil.  All the plastic bag are oil.  When you buy a TV, all those Styrofoam packing things, are made from oil.  Plastic bottles, oil.  After these things are made and used, they don't turn back into oil.  They are trash.  I don't know about where you live, but where I live they just bury it and cover it up.  Going Green to corporate  government, is to buy a new $30,000.00 car.  I don't have it, do you? 

"Go Green"

I'm just one person.

 "Go Green"

If you are reading this you are another person.

"Go Green"

If you share this, we are a lot of people Going Green, but we have to do a lot of things to change things.  One is get people in office who are not corporate.  Corporations pay people off to turn their back.  Corporations pay people to be quiet.  You know if a large company wants to come to your city, or state.  They will bring jobs.  You tell them you have environmental issues and restrictions.  They go to China, or Mexico.  Corporate does not care about any thing but money.  Today I heard the Corporations are sitting on trillions, and jobs, because of uncertainties.  

How stupid is that.  That is like if I put $10.00 in gas, I can get a job, but I'm going to keep the $10.00, because I won't get paid till next week.  

"Go Green"

Packaging is a real problem!   

Why fill a large box with a little food?

What is worse?

For freshness you need a bag, so you but a 1/2 full bag in a box.

Now worse than that!

In the last couple months every thing got smaller!

5 lb Bag of Sugar is 4 lbs

I'm trying to be Green at my house I save aluminum cans and ever 2 weeks or so we have an extra $15, or $20.  I take the plastic bags from the grocer back.  The cardboard and plastic bottle, I take to the recycle place at our elementary school.  The food waste at my house goes outside on the ground.  Mixed in the dirt, it will go in next years garden.  The things listed above I do, because I want to.  If ever body does this it would help, but not near as much as......

cutting down on all the packaging and

Filling up the box!

"Go Green with me"

"The Box"



"The Box"

     One of the Grandchildren was over last week, and had nerve to say when Grandma dies that is mine!  "Haaa", I told her to get in line.  When I was young I told mom, I'm never getting married, teach me how to cook.  Well at 18 I was in the army, and married.  My new wife was Japanese-American, my high school sweetheart.  Good thing I had learned to cook, because she couldn't.  Kids today have the inter-net, but not, "The Box".  Inside "The Box" is the recipe to ugly biscuits that have been know to be hard as a rock.  
today you buy frozen biscuits in the frozen food department.  No Hardy's biscuits, the only fast food was McDonald's 15 cent hamburgers, or White castle, but no biscuits.  You had to make biscuits.  Gravy, made the right way, or cornbread.  "The Box" is Gold, maybe not used at every meal any more.  "The Box" is the key to the family.  It still gets pulled out for; Christmas, Thanksgiving, canning, and some times just to refresh the memory.  When it comes to memory, it is starting to get pulled out more and more.  It would be easier to steal the Hope Diamond.  Things like "War Cake", from the time of WWII.  How about "Dump Cake", or "Banana Cream Pie".  Mom had to make 2 of these pies because my father would eat a whole one by himself.  No lie.
      
Banana pudding at Ryan's, Quincy's, or Golden Corral, can't touch "The Box".  When I see the commercial with the two little boys and the trash bags.  Their mom's recipe for meatloaf, did not come from "The Box".  I hear all the time, no one makes so and so, like my mom.  She has a "Box".  If your kids feed your food to the dog under the table, you need a "Box".  How do I get a "Box"? you ask.  Well, to start with, it can be a cigar box.  If your children are crafty, have them make you a box.  OK got a box, go to Walmart, or Office Supply, and get 3X5 cards, 5X8 cards, A-Z 5X8 ID cards.  
     The 5X8 cards will be for your "The Box".  The 3X5 cards will be what you put in your pocket, when you go to your mothers or grandmothers house.  You may have to sneak recipes.  My Grandmother would not copy it right on purpose, because she was mean.  I will be your "Hero" start with Fryed Green Tomatoes, in the July blog, and you are at a great start.  When you write down recipes, don't just write what goes in, but write every step.  The real secret is in the process (the steps).  Dump Cake, is an easy one to start with.  If you can't cook, this is the cake for you.  Get a sheet cake baking pan, 9X13 and 2" deep.  Take a can of crushed pineapple, and a can of cherry pie filling.  Pour then in juice and all.  Mix it up a little bit,and pour, no sprinkle a box of yellow cake mix over the top.  With 2 sticks of margarine, cut 1/4 inch pieces putting on top of cake mix.  A cup of crushed Pecans, or Walnuts spread on top of that.  Put this in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Here is a real "The Box" worthy recipe for you.
 
     If it comes out of this, "The Box", then it is going to be good.  What we are going make is a friendship cake, and this will help add to your "The Box"  that you have made.  This recipe will make 3 cakes, one for you, and 2 to share.  Where the last cake was fast, and easy.  This one takes a month to make.  I can hear you saying "What! a month to make a cake"  
Get a glass container and put 1 cup of sugar, a cup of peach juice and a cup of pineapple juice no fruit.  Stir every day for 2 weeks.  This is your starter.  After 2 weeks we will start.  Pour 1 pint of this starter into a 1 gallon glass jar. Take a 16 oz. can of sliced peaches and juice.  Cut the peaches in small pieces, add 2 1/2 cups of sugar.  Stir this every day for 10 days, with a wooden spoon.  Do Not put in refrigerator.  Cover the jar with a plate or cloth, and leave at room temperature.  After 10 days add a 16 oz. can of chunk pineapple and juice, cutting chunks into 3 or 4 smaller pieces.  2 1/2 cups of sugar stir for 10 days.  The color will change and foaming will happen when stirring.  After 10 more days or day 20, take 2 jars maraschino cherries , drain and cut in half.  Add 2 1/2 cup of sugar and stir for 10 days.  After that 10 days, or day 30 you are ready to bake cakes.  

     To make these cakes first pour off the juice into 3 pint jars.  These are your new starters, keep on a shelf until needed.  (Indefinite shelf life)  

   The fruit put in a large bowl
    
     The ingredients you need are for 3 cakes 1 for you and 2 to give away.  3 boxes of Duncan Hines golden cake mix, 3 small boxes vanilla instant pudding, a dozen eggs, 2 cups oil, 3 cups pecans, 3 cups walnuts, and 3 cups raisins.

     We are going to only do each cake, one at a time.  Take 1 1/4 cup of your fruit, 1 cake mix, 1 pudding, 4 eggs and 2/3 cup of oil mix with a wooden spoon.  When mixed well, add nuts and raisin, continue mixing with your spoon do not use mixer.  Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.  Pour your mixture into a greased and floured 10 tube cake pan.  Bake in oven for an hour check a little before, a little after an hour with tooth pick.  When done let cool and ice with favorite frosting.  1 down and 2 to go. 

     Now, with a recipe like that you don't just share a cake.  Unless you are mean like my Grandmother, you will share my blog with your friends.  If you decide to keep my blog as your secret sorce of recipes.  Then you can share a pint of starter with them and claim this recipe as your own.  The fun in shareing is how your box will grow and become "The Box" the friends and familey want.  Keep coming back to my blog for future Southern Recipes at Charles Kenneth's Corner. 

SCULPTURED CANVAS



18X24 on Wood

     This is part of a series of paintings I did as sculptured canvas.  I know the people of the area where Jesus walked,  must have had dark tanned skin.  When I was young, before sun screen we got dark during the summer.  Melanoma, was not even on our minds.  In this painting, I painted Jesus as I thought he should look.  These painting's were featured in the local news paper for Easter.  My 15 seconds of fame. 

20X30 Canvas

     Now, this is not the best photo, but as the paper put it.  "The faces seem to melt as Judas betrays Jesus with the kiss."  The sentries ear suspended in air as it falls, from a sword out of no where.  I started painting this way because, I wanted a blind person to see the story.  At the time I never seen any paintings done like this and felt it was unique. 

  

20X24 Canvas

     This one Thomas is sticking his finger into the side of Jesus, as the others look on.  As you will see in the next two paintings, the damage from the fire.  These and many others were lost in the fire, or put out in the shed.  We had to all live in a hotel for 5 months, that is a story in it's self.

26X45 Canvas

     This painting is heavy from the gypson and plaster.  The smoke is thick as you can see.  The  paintings are salvageable though.  I'm proud to put these in the blog damaged, to show that they survived.  They will not look the same when I re-do them.

25X25 Canvas

    In these paintings, the first one show little more than a foot stepping on a hand.  A Roman with a large hammer, and another with a shovel.  The passion of the Christ's suffering is felt though.  In the second, one guard seems to be getting up, and remittance of another guard is left behind.  The stone rolled away.  This next photo, is from the news paper clipping from the showing Easter Sunday.

     This one hangs in Church in Charleston, S.C..  It was there in the church before the fire, and safe.  I have done other paintings in this style.

   

     This large painting of a pelican, I painted to show the feeling of waking on the beach at night, a pelican a few feet away.  This painting hangs in a time share condo, Litchfield Beach, S.C..  Couple years later, as I was going to work.  A pelican had a stand off with me on the bridge, to Fripp Island.  Up close and personal, standing in the middle of the road untill dropping over the side and flying off.  I thought just then, that was just like my painting.  This is also the very first time I painted in this sculptured style.



16X20 Canvas

     In this painting I call the North Wind, I'm trying to see just how far I can push the limits.  The nose sticks out 2 inch off the canvas.  The pelican was the first, and this was the last that I painted  this way.  In these paintings I do not trying to preach, or tell you what to believe.  I'm showing this story, in a form that a vision impaired person view a painting.  During a show a child saw the paintings and new the story was from sun day school.  I thank-you for reading and looking at my blog.  I hope you enjoyed it.



14X18 Canvas


                                                                      

 

GULLAH, Root Doctors, and the Sea Islands

      Imagine a place lost since the time from the Civil War.  The sea islands of South Carolina and Georgia, were just that  at the turn of  the  1900's.  Everybody knew about the taking of  Ft. Sumter at started the Civil War when 7 states separated from the union.  Few know about Ft. Fremont, St. Helena Island, and Port Royal.  They were taken at the beginning of the war also.  Ft. Fremont is covered in weeds and brush.  Trying to find away to the beach on St. Helena's Island I found it and looked up the history, about this place time left behind.
   
Fort Fremont S.C.
     Talk about forgotten.  This amazed me, especially the stories of  Hoo doo, Root  Doctors, and most of all the way they talk.  I could not believe stumbling on this, I had to know more.  I have been to Japan and Germany,  I felt like I was in a foreign country.  Really, they have their own language, Gullah.  Gullah is not only who they are, it is what they are, and their dialog.

     This is where the big gun went long gone from here.  When Port Royal fell to the union troops all the big plantation owners left, and never returned.  Some of these sea islands go way inland, they cover the coast down into the tip of Georgia, and Savanna.  In Georgia, they're called  Ceechee, but here they're called Gullah.  Their were two types of slave owners; the English Common Law, who believed that the slaves were property and nothing more, not human.  The other slaves from France, Spain, and Portugal, were kept by Catholic Codes for Blacks.  The English were mostly Protestant, so in turn the slaves of the low country have it mixed into their beliefs.  Down around New Orleans, their beliefs are more Catholic inspired.  Both with a strong mixture of their African roots from Gambia, Ghana, and Nigeria on the West Coast of Africa.

       Beaufort S.C. didn't even get a bridge out to these sea islands until 1930.  Think about that, it is 21 miles from the swinging bridge on Ladies Island across the bay from Beaufort, to the bridge to Fripp Island.   Captain John Fripp, a Pirate from the days of our Independence.  That's another story you should look up on the net.  The University of South Carolina has Pritchard's Island, for the studies of the sea turtle.  Hunting Island is a state park.  Now just think no bridge till 1930.  Cat Island, Yamacraw Island, Daufuskie Island.  These are just a few if the islands.  Kiawah, Hilton Head, and the other islands that are gated communities for the rich, were owned by the slaves.  During the reconstruction after the Civil War, each slave was given 40 acres and a mule.
     This forgotten place, these forgotten people, and few black people I have met know about Penn Center, or this place.  Penn Center, Penn Normal, Industrial and Agricultural School.  The first school of higher learning for blacks, and was visited by Martian Luther King during the march and movement of the 60's.  The only way to go into Beaufort to a doctor or to get supplies was in a small boat.  The only post office was at the store in Frogmore.  That is where the most famous "root doctor" Dr. Buzzard checked his mail.  Stories go that any checks he just tore up and kept the cash.  Reason being if he singed his name they could charge him with practicing medicine without a license.  Hoo doo is what it is called, and is very powerful medicine to the Gullah people.  You are free to believe it the miraculous without fear.  Immerse yourself in a culture, where spells, plasters, formulas, and potions, cure snake bites, evil spirits, natural, spiritual, and un-natural ailments. 
These magical medical  practices have been done since times beginning.  When your body is out of balance or harmony with things, you can be really sick.  The use of herbs, praying, today we get new medicines form the amazon, spider venom, snake venom, I think we still need them.
  
Down this road is where an old plantation was "Oaks Plantation" that is where they say Dr. Buzzard got the "sight" as they call it.  It's said a mockingbird landed on his head.  The thing is like stories go, he never seems to die.  The real root doctor, Dr. Buzzard died in 1928 or 1929.  (Stephaney Robinson) aka Dr. Buzzard had a very powerful mantle,  he's the one who said a mockingbird landed on his head died in 1947.  He used hoo doo to change the way things went in Beaufort County Court.  This is told by Sheriff James E. McTeer who also claims to be a "root doctor" too.   A few years ago I was telling an artist in Canada on the inter-net about Dr. Buzzard, and she said she met him down in Beaufort, and he wore blue/purple glasses.  Strange, after I told her he was dead,  OOOO no he isn't!  she told, I saw him.  You know, who am I to say she didn't.
     I had just gotten my first computer back then, was not that much into the inter-net.  Their was no my space, or facebook.   On Saturdays the store on St. Helena Island had people sitting on the porch talking and caring on.  Around the side a large black man was at a grill putting Bar-B-Q sauce on pork ribs, with a paps blue ribbon beer in his hand.  Tongs, paper towels, and bag of white bread were on a pick nick table.  Along the side of the street, where the sweet grass ladies sale their baskets.  I sat down and watched as they worked.  The Gullah even have their own bible "The Nyew Testment" here is how some of it goes.
     Now Jedus been bon een Betlem town, een Judea, jurin de same time wen Herod been king.  Atta Jedus been bon, some wise man dem dat study bout de staa dem come ta Jerusalem fom weh dey been een de east.  And dey aks say, "Wen  de chile da, wa bon fa be da Jew people king?  We beena see de staa wa tell bout um een de east, an we come fa woshup um op.
     Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, and Brer Wolf, were Gullah storytelling.  Rich African oral traditions, if you want read Daughters of the Dust "the language you cry in", for more Gullah.
     I've left from down there, over 10 year now, and probably would have to learn to lesson all over again.  I did learn how they weave the baskets, and that they cost $265.00 and up.  Really nice ones are over $400.00.

     Well; we've got our "goofer dust"  don't get "hag ridden" keep a "lodestone" in your pocket.  Pour "salt" around your windows and doorways.  With the left over dye from the indigo, paint your shutters blue to keep out spirits.  Also note that each day in it self has power.  Sunday is the Sun and its color is yellow, a day of peace, harmony, friendship, recovering lost things, or friendships.  Monday the Moon color white, is a day of love, and fertility.  Tuesday is Mars color red, its a day of courage, and stopping enemies.  Wednesday is Mercury color purple, is a day of health, spiritual well being, and good day to influence others.  Thursday is Jupiter color blue, a day of wealth, luck, and ambition.  Friday is Venus color green, love, happiness, lust, and romance.  And  Saturday is Saturn color black, a day of evil, and negativity, protect the home from bad things on this day. 
  Now that you have these words of protection, most of all be inspired by the places and people you meet.  They all have stories, and some just might stick with you the rest of your life.