Attributing good fortune to particular habits or possessions, otherwise known as luck, is a widely held but often doubted belief.  While some may contend that there is no such thing as luck, others will change their lifestyles, spending habits, and day to day behavior to suit their idea of what brings them luck.  Personally, I just think it’s fun to have faith in something with the dream of it somehow influencing our chances and fortunes.

Below are a few widely known good luck charms.  Ranging from Shoupe’s ilk to a talisman attributed to the Luck O’ The Irish, here’s a a bit of lesser known information.

Troll Dolls

It was a shock to me to read that these types of dolls, originally named Dam Dolls (after the creator) have been around since 1959.  Other companies that produced the Dam style of dolls branded the trolls as being lucky.   Their population surged in the 1990′s and still continues today by being showcased throughout popular culture, with even a Dreamworks feature film in production.

Horseshoes

Although the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of horseshoes is the game involving friends, two posts, and a barbeque; horseshoes are seen as being lucky.  Accounts and rules of the horses’ lucky properties vary almost as much as the types of horseshoes themselves, with tales of their lucky origins going back to the very practical, to the mythological.  One story is that the practice began in hopes to fend off the devil, whose cloven hoof was injured by a wayward nail delivered by a farrier…err, hoseshoer.

Four-Leaf clover

While we’re technically still in the month of March, it would be appropriate to round out this list with the evasive four-leaf clover.  Who doesn’t remember scouring a patch of clover for the chance to collect one of these lucky plants.  With an estimated rarity of 1 four-leaf clover per 10,000 of it’s three-leaf brothers, finding a four-leaf clover can be seen as a bit of a confirmatory bias.  Yes, it would seem that you’d have to be lucky in order to find one as the clover itself doesn’t necessarily make you lucky.  Now seen primarily in reference to St. Patrick’s Day, there are still many people who believe in the beneficial happenings that owning a four-leaf clover can bring.

Is there such thing as luck?

Are we able to manipulate our own luck with the use of trinkets or habits?  Comment below or on our Facebook fan page and let’s hear your methods of bending the luck in your favor.

It’s a little late for talks of New Year’s Resolutions, but one of the many many things that were on my list of things I would like to change is that I would like to have more of a green thumb.  You see, I moved into my house in 2009 and was gifted by the previous owners with an amazingly landscaped yard with many beautiful flowers.  But between my dog Boozy running his laps outside, and my neglect during the previous year; I hate to say that I’ve squandered a part of what initially had attracted me to this house.

So, in wanting to correct my mistakes and take responsibility for this – I need a crash course in how to take care of a garden.  I’m talking bare roots, no knowledge whatsoever about what it takes to make a garden grow and thrive.  Okay, that’s not exactly true.  I do have indoor plants which I know need water and sunlight, I get that.  It’s just that when it comes to the garden outside, I have no idea where to start, or what I should be doing on a consistent basis.

Can anyone lend their expertise and let me know how I should get started?  Remember that I’m a complete gardening noob and need to be walked through the basics here.  Please let me know, either in the comments below or on our Fanpage!

Last week, I polled our wonderful bingo community over at our Facebook Fan page to find out what are some of your favourite Christmas songs.  As a follow up to that post, and wanting to remain in the Christmas spirit, I have scoured the internet (ok ok, scoured YouTube) to find the very best renditions of the songs recommended by our BingoVegans.   So here they are, in all their Christmasy glory to help set the mood for Santa and his very long, yet remarkably swift trip.

5.  Frank Sinatra – Merry Little Christmas

You can’t get this song any better than the rendition of Mr. Sinatra.  Slow and easy, I can’t help but think of a fire after being outside, and the comforts of home during the holidays.  A great pick!

4.  Vince Vance & the Valiants – All I want for Christmas is You

Not to be confused with another song of the same name by pop starlet, Mariah Carey, “All I want for Christmas is You” was released as a single in 1989 by the American band, Vince Vance & the Valiants.  I love the theme of this song, as it tells a tale about not wanting gifts from Santa, only the love in her life to spend Christmas with.

3.  Willie Nelson – Frosty The Snowman

A bitter sweet story about creating a friend from snow and items found around the house, Frosty the Snowman was written by Walter “Jack Rollins” and Steve Nelson.  Coincidentally, the best rendition of ths song is by country music legend and recent activist, Willie Nelson.

2.  Billy Idol – Jingle Bell Rock

Now originally, the request was made for Jingle Bell Rock as sung by Elvis Aaron Presley.  Unfortunately, the closest rendition that I could find (the one that we all hear on the radio) is by Bobby Helms.  However, with a little digging, I found this gem of a song performed by Billy Idol.  Billy Idol was a favourite of mine growing up, and half the reason I selected this rendition is because he looks like he’s having so much fun performing.

1.  Christmas Don’t Be Late – Alvin and the Chipmunks (Joel’s Pick)

Love it or not, this is my personal pick of favourite Christmas songs.  I always know that the season is here when I hear this unmistakable song being played on local radio while shopping.  As always, I’m not too concerned about hearing the lyrics outside of “blah blah blah…HOOLAHOOP!”

So there you have it.  songs picked by BingoVegans in the season of Christmas.  How did we do?  Do you think that we can add anymore to this list?  What are your ultimate favourite Christmas songs?

Well I’ve gone and done it.  As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not the worlds greatest cook.  I’ve stopped counting the amount of upturned noses that my kids give me when I present to them a meal that I’m very proud of.  They do the usual; look at me to see if I’m joking, poke around their plate, then flat out refuse to eat.

In my wealth of wisdom, using the best of my decision making powers, I’ve committed myself to bringing some type of dish to our family’s Christmas dinner.  BingoVegans, I truly have bitten off more than I can chew.

Now that’s not to say that all hope is lost.  There are some things that I can make quite well.  So while there is a tiny spark that seems to be in me, culinary wise, I’m not sure if bacon and eggs would go over well with the family.  Toast is another story.

Even with the recommendation that my kids have given me of just taking a huge salad with us, I have to say that I’m a little deflated as well as slightly anxious as I count down the days until I unleash my creation (and hopefully not food poisoning).  I’ve been playing with the idea of just buying something from the store and trying to pass it off as my own.  Surely no one would be able to tell the difference between home cooked chicken and mashed potatoes and those you can buy from KFC.  Wait, they would, huh?  Hmmm.

BingoVegans, oh wise and culinary gifted, I appeal to you.  I need your help in coming up with the perfect holiday recipe that I can make and bring to Christmas dinner.  I don’t need anything too fancy, but rather something that will be remembered, and not as the cause to all the time in the bathroom afterwards.

So how about it?  Can anyone help and post a recipe that I can use?  I will look at all comments to see which one tickles my fancy, as well as my abilities, and I will make an update to this blog post – complete with pictures.  Thank you so much in advance for any help that you can give me

Once again CM LeeAnn has generously submitted horoscopes for the month of September.  According to my horoscope, I’m supposed to surround myself with like-minded people as myself…which is coincidental, as my cloning machine is almost complete.  Here they are

Continue Reading “Horoscopes for September” »

Hmm, starting to collect a little dust in these warm summer months around here .  The excitement has been coming to you all summer at Bingo Vega, and it seems that our lovely little blog is due for some much needed love by all of the team.

We’ve been lucky enough to have our very own CM LeeAnn to submit some horoscopes for the month of August.  Being a somewhat superstitious person myself (I won’t leave the house on Friday the 13th if I can avoid it), I’m glad to announce that this will be a feature that will continue on the Vega Vine.  Thanks for submitting this wonderful idea, LeeAnn; when my lottery winnings are deposited into my bank account, I’ll be sure to splash it in the right direction

Continue Reading “Bingo Horoscopes for August” »

Hi All!   I just thought it would be fun to share some facts about bingo that you might not know.   :)

1. Bingo was originally called Beano and was played at fairs in the country.  A dealer would have numbered discs in a cigar box, and when he pulled the disc out he called the number on it.  The person who won would yell “beano”, instead of “Bingo”.
2. Edwin S. Lowe, a toy salesman is credited with inventing the modern day game of bingo, as well as renaming it Bingo
3. After this Bingo was introduced again in 1930 and by 1934 there were 10,000 Bingo games being played each week.
4. Last year more people played Bingo than attended NFL games. WOW
5. There are more than 1,474,200 unique Bingo cards possible.
6. 96% of all Bingo players have won a game at least once.
7. The largest Bingo game ever played had 60,000 players, an additional 10,000 were turned away at the door.

Do you have any fun facts you’d like to share with us? Link us in the comment box below.

Hi All!

I just wanted to share a little something that is non -  bingo related..

I think most of you know that I’m a die hard football fan…   I go to the games, wave my terrible towel lol   Yes that’s right a CRAZY Pittsburgh Steeler fan! lol

This year of course my team won the superbowl, and we had our big welcome home Steelers Superbowl Champs parade.    It was crazy downtown, they estimated 700,000 fans all dressed in black gold waving our terrible towels of course.   It was total chaos, and I loved every minute of it.  I can’t wait to do it again next year, that’s right i’m predicting a 7th championship!  So I wanted to share a pic from that day. Beth

I’m very lucky.  Being a Canadian with American parents, I’m spoiled with the prospect of eating Thanksgiving dinner in October and November.  I look forward to the chance of driving 5,000 calories into my body in one sitting, becoming lethargic, and then vowing to never eat again.  I swear that after eating Thanksgiving dinner my house could catch on fire and I’d still think it would have been a pretty decent day. I’m like a tranquilized dog who lies on the grass and doesn’t care that the mailman is coming.

I have to admit that there’s something about Thanksgiving which piques my curiosity, as I’ve never tried it before and have always wondered about it.  I’m talking about the ominous cylinder of red goop — cranberry sauce.

photo credit: Daniel Morrison

Some people go absolutely insane over cranberry sauce.  While some people build their entire Thanksgiving dinner fantasies around Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie or Aunt Mary’s stuffing, there are some that salivate at the thought of cranberry sauce (and after hearing a bell, I’m sure).  I like to consider myself a brave person; I’ve tried a lot of foods in my 28 years.  Heck, when I was a baby I used to try all kinds of crazy things: peas, carrots, and beef puree come to mind.  I just can’t bring myself to try this one thing.

Yet, I find myself at the dining table staring at it.  I’m helpless under cranberry sauce’s spell.  I get the 1000-yard stare, and by this time I’m probably mouth-breathing as I try to unravel its many mysteries.  Do I eat it with turkey in the same bite? Do I cut it with a knife or just mash it around into easily manipulated shapes with my fork?  Has the sauce somehow defected from the desert line-up, and if so, are the other deserts angry?

Thinking about it logically, I know that I’m missing out on something.  Something that looks the way that cranberry sauce does couldn’t be featured in so many Thanksgiving dinner productions if there wasn’t something remarkable about it.

I think I’ve just talked myself into it.  I’ve been married, I have children, I think it’s time for me to move onto the next phase of my life and try cranberry sauce.  Wish me luck.

And here’s to wishing everyone luck today with our Thanksgiving specials today.  Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone, and thank you for playing at Vega!