Hanukkah began nearly 2300 years ago and is rich in history and tradition. Unlike most other Jewish Festivals, Hanukkah is what is called a Post-Mosaic (After Moses) Holiday. This festival was not commanded by God nor was it instituted by God. However, it is LIKE other Jewish Festivals in several ways:
THE PAST: Hanukkah reflects upon remembrances of the past and shows us God’s provident hand upon His people!
The Greek culture that ruled much of the Middle Eastern world over 2,000 years ago had much to offer. It brought the world beauty in the form of architecture, fashion and art. It brought intellectual “wisdom” in the form of philosophy, language and mathematical discoveries. It brought entertainment in the form of sporting events and leisure that was previously mostly unknown. To much of the world there seemed to be no harm in indulging in the subtle blending of these styles with their own. This became known as Hellenism named for the Greek word for Greece, Hellas.
In Judea, however, the Jews lived by another standard. They followed a God-given law, The Torah. They were allowed to live in the way they saw fit until the Syrian King, Antiochus Epiphanes, came into power in 175 B. C. He insisted on full immersion in the Hellenistic life-style to the exclusion of all else. Under his tyrannical rule, anyone who even owned a Torah was in mortal danger. The King’s abusive acts went from the arrogant to the ultimately offensive. He minted coins with his image alongside that of Zeus proclaiming himself to be “god manifest”. He sullied the Jews temple by sacrificing pigs on the altar (an extreme insult to the kosher system under The Torah) and he even killed a priest named Elazar for NOT participating in this mockery. Finally, an old Jewish priest named Mattathias was troubled enough to stand up for his beliefs. He would not abandon his religion and would not convert to the pagan practices that had so blended with their lives that the lines were no longer simply blurred, but were all but erased! Mattathias and his sons gathered up an army of farmers and craftsmen and they trained themselves to fight against the Syrians. Years of battles passed and when Mattathias was too old to lead any longer he appointed his son, Judah to take over for him.
Judah was a man of decisive force and had earned himself the nickname “hammer” or Maccabee. His followers soon after came to be known as The Maccabees. It took several more years, but this band of men had something going for them the Syrians did not have. The Syrian’s motivation was based on money, power and fear of the King. The Maccabees’ motivation came from determination to do what was right, regaining their freedoms and fear of the TRUE King! Through clever strategies, integrity and strength of character the Maccabees eventually were able to defeat the armies of their enemies and emerged victorious!
The people of Judah were triumphant, but were also devastated at the condition of their temple. It was littered with statues of false gods and almost every item that should have been consecrated unto The Holy God had been misused and abused. They set to work restoring the temple to its former glory. They built a new altar, removed the defiled stones, cleansed the sanctuary and finally in the year 164 B.C. on Kislev the 25th they were ready to rededicate their temple. In fact, the word Hanukkah means “dedicate”.
Legend holds that there was an additional event that increased the joy of the people during the ensuing celebrations. As they prepared to light the Ner Tamid, or the Eternal Light, they found they only had enough untainted oil to burn for one day. It would take a full week to make more, but miraculously the limited supply of oil lasted for EIGHT days the duration of the entire festival!
THE PRESENT: Hanukkah gives us a firm focus for the present and opportunities to apply the lessons learned to our situation today!
We can learn many applicable lessons from Hanukkah and its traditions! We, like the Jews of that day, can stand for what we believe in, cleanse from our lives the world’s culture and pagan practices, and rededicate our lives to living a life that shines Light to the World! In their joy, the people worshipped God with gratitude and set aside a time of full devotion to honor God and celebrate the restoration of their freedom. They were once again able to obey God openly and were no longer under the oppression of their enemies. They decorated the temple, prepared a feast and offered the sacrifices required by God upon the newly constructed altar.
We can apply this in many ways, such as dressing in a way that is modest, giving of our time and talents to worthy causes and sacrificing of ourselves to be a blessing to God and to shine HIS Eternal Light to a lost and dying world! Think of that from which we have been delivered and worship God with a heart full of thankfulness. Let that heart of gratefulness transform your entire life. Make time to whole-heartedly glorify God as you thank Him for the liberty that we have in Him!
THE FUTURE: Hanukkah points us to the future and our hope in Jesus Christ!
At the time, Jesus had not yet been born. Even so, I can see the possibility, as with other Biblical Jewish holidays that many of the elements of Hanukkah point to the truths of our Savior! We may even be able to learn some truths from the words Jesus spoke in the temple during Hanukkah in AD 29. Just prior to the festival he spoke about being the Good Shepherd. This may have been an allusion that the Jews would have understood as a Messianic claim! Then, we read in John chapter 10:
John 10:22-42
22And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.
24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
26But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30I and my Father are one.
31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.
41And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42And many believed on him there.
In an article by Gordon Franz, he points out that when Jesus was asked: “point blank, “Are you the Messiah?” (10:24). Jesus had to be careful how He answered that question. During the festival, throngs of Jews caught up in the nationalistic fever, were visiting Jerusalem. The word “Messiah” might spark off riots because of its heavy nationalistic and political overtones…Jesus does, however, answer the question in the affirmative, but not directly. When He answers, He is careful not to use the contemporary term and understanding… He says “I and my Father are one’” (10:30). That statement had heavy religious overtones for the festival which they were presently celebrating. Those gathered on the Temple Mount recalled the events nearly 200 years before on the very mount where, Antiochus IV, a mere man, proclaimed himself god. Jesus, the LORD manifest in human flesh, made the same claim but His claim was true. The Jews picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy because, in their thinking, He was a man who made Himself God (10:31-33). Jesus declared that He was the fulfillment of Hanukkah by saying the Father “sanctified” the Son of God and sent Him into the world (10:34-36), The Father was in Him and He in the Father (10:38). If the Greek word “sanctified” was translated into Hebrew, it would be “dedication” or Hanukkah.”
In the same article, Gordon Franz goes on to say: “John wrote his gospel primarily to a Jewish and Samaritan audience, One of the unique things about John’s gospel is his emphasis on the Jewish and Samaritan festivals and his indication that Jesus was the fulfillment of these holidays. Hanukkah was the rededication of a defiled Temple. At the beginning of Jesus public ministry, He said, “‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But He was speaking of the temple of His body” (2:19-21) Herod’ s Temple had been defiled by a wicked and corrupt priesthood. The Lord Jesus was “sanctified” by His death, burial and resurrection and is the New Temple.”
I pray that whether or not you celebrate Hanukkah that you WILL Celebrate the Light of the World without whom we would be in bondage and in a hopelessly lost condition.. I pray, also, that you will take the advice that the apostle Paul offered in Philippians chapter 2:
Philippians 2:14-18
14Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
17Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
18For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
Thanksgiving Greetings and Blessings from Chicagoland!
I want to take this opportunity to share with my Homeschooling Through High School readers a new meme which you (and parents of all our awesome homeschooling teenagers) can join! Hop on over to my HSB blog, "Plans4You" to learn all about...
Next, I have a simple recipe to share which your high schoolers can make with all your leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Be sure to log the time they spend making this on their Home Ec time card so you can apply it to a Home Economics credit!
(If you're not sure what a "Home Ec time card" is, please read my posts from August 19, 2009, "Keeping Track of Credits," and August 26, 2009, "Clever Credits." You can find them HERE.)
LEFTOVER TURKEY MASTER BLEND
This "Master Blend" can be used to make a number of dishes,
or you can serve it "as is" over rice, toast, or in a pastry shell.
The recipe calls for 4 cups of shredded turkey...if you don't have that much, you can either add some shredded chicken to make up the difference, or cut the Master Blend recipe in half, and be sure to cut any recipes and baking dish sizes you use the Master Blend in by half, as well.
4 cups shredded turkey
4 Tbl. unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock (may use canned chicken broth, but not bouillon)
1-1/2 cups whole milk, half-and-half, or light cream
Lemon juice, salt & pepper, nutmeg to taste
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
Add flour, and whisk until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
Add chicken stock and whisk until smooth.
Whisk in milk, half-and-half, or light cream. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture just to a simmer, whisking constantly.
Remove pan from heat; scrape the inside of the saucepan with a wooden spoon or heat-proof rubber spatula, and whisk vigorously to break up any lumps.
Return the pan to the heat and, whisking, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the shredded turkey (4 cups worth), and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
Season to taste with a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper, and a couple pinches of ground nutmeg.
That is your "Master Blend." You can use this immediately in one of the following recipes, or you can save it for use another time. Here are four recipes to choose from:
Turkey Pot Pie
Prepared dough for pastry crust (use your favorite recipe...you can use biscuit dough, too...even the pre-made doughs you buy in a tube at the grocery store, like crescent rolls or "Grands" type doughs will work here! You'll be covering a 13X9 pie.)
2 Tbl. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 small celery stalks, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 Tbs. fresh parsley, minced
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13X9-inch baking pan.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foam starts to subside. Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook, stirring often, until barely tender--about 5 minutes.
Stir the cooked vegetables into the Turkey Master Blend along with the thawed peas and the parsley.
Pour the turkey/vegetable mixture into the prepared pan. Now you'll cover the mixture with your dough:
Biscuit dough: arrange biscuits on top of turkey, overlapping the biscuits if necessary.
Drop biscuit dough: drop small biscuits on top to cover.
Pie dough: roll dough out into the shape of your pan, place on top of turkey, and tuck the edges in against the pan sides.
Brush the top of the dough with about 2 Tbs. (1/2 an egg) of beaten egg for a goldeny-brown glaze.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes until the turkey mix is bubbly and the topping is nicely browned.
TURKEY TETRAZZINI
1-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (about 2-1/3 cups)
8 ounces spaghetti, macaroni, or egg noodles
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted lightly
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13X9-inch baking pan.
Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat until the foam begins to subside.
Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, until tender...about 5 minutes.
Stir the mushrooms into the Turkey Master Blend.
Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water until tender. Drain well. Stir pasta into turkey mixture along with almonds.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 25 to 35 minutes until sauce is bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.
TURKEY CHILI PEPPER CASSEROLE
One or two 4-1/2 ounce cans of chopped mild or hot green chili peppers, drained (the amount you choose is determined by how hot you want this!)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
4 ounces tortilla chips, lightly crushed (don't pulverize these...should have 2 to 3 cups after crushing.)
8 ounces grated Cheddar cheese (2 cups, lightly packed)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13X9 baking pan.
To the Turkey Master Blend, add chili peppers (be sure to drain them first!) and cumin. Mix well.
In the prepared pan, layer the turkey mixture alternately with layers of tortilla chips and cheese. End with a layer of tortilla chips sprinkled with cheese.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.
TURKEY AND RICE CASSEROLE
1-1/2 Tbl. unsalted butter
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 2-1/3 cups)
3 cups cooked white rice or wild rice blend
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
1/3 cup dry, unseasoned breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. melted butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13X9-inch baking pan.
Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until the foam begins to subside. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring until tender--about 5 minutes.
Stir the mushrooms into the Turkey Master Blend along with the cooked rice and toasted nuts. Pour the mixture into baking pan.
In a bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Sprinkle over top of casserole.
Bake 25 to 35 minutes until sauce is bubbly and the crumbs are golden brown.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving, enjoy your leftover turkey (or make every single one of these with chicken and enjoy that!), and enjoy your teenagers! Be sure to visit me at Plans4You to check out the new meme. May God bless you and your homeschool this week!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 - Post from the Past: Things to do for Thanksgiving
Posted By Amy Verlennich
For those of you looking for some things to do for Thanksgiving (whether homeschooling or not)... check out some of the following ideas from a post from the past:
Have you wondered what it might be like to roadschool instead of just homeschool? I know we have often talked of it since my husband will be retiring when we still have two full time student and one on the way to graduating and thought buying an RV and selling our home is an awesome idea! While this book I'm sure doesn't stay true to life in what happens while roadschooling in an RV it sure sounds like fun, especially when the Wrights stop at a cave to mine for stones and semi precious jewels.
This chapter book which is geared to ages 5 to 12 is filled with educational value as well as an entertainment value. I've always had a hard time differing between stalactites and stalagmites but after reading this book I now have a way to keep them seperated and look forward to planning a trip to a near by cave this summer. Bats, minerals and a mysterious device are what keeps the reader turning the pages of this fast paced child's novel. I enjoyed it as well as I read along with my children or at least the ones who would pay attention, and even learned something. My daughter even came away with more knowledge about certain cave items and like me now knows the difference between the stalactites and stalagmites. My only word of caution was the use of the word 'freaky' - I do use this word from time to time - but the son in the story had a habit of frequently using the word so it did become tiresome after awhile. The word could be omitted all together or if a family doesn't want the word used at all it would be easy enough to black out and the story would still flow.
This was an excellent book written by author, Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley who is happily homeschooling her two daughters. She has been writing since she was a young child so there is a lot of love poured into the Wright On Time series. I do recommend this series especially with Christmas right around the corner these would make an entertaining and educational resource for your children. Please visit the author, Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley's website for more information on her and the series. These books retail for $12.99
**This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by: Lisa Cottrell-Bentley for this review.
~^~^My early AM quiet time, my morning bread that sustains me throughout the day.
~^~^A husband who isn't afraid to run the vacuum or help out with anything.
~^~^A daughter who has turned into a good writer, yeah!
~^~^Sisters who not only enjoy playing together, but know when to give each other a break.
~^~^The safety that the Lord provides each day.
~^~^The joy of entertaining friends and family this week.
I am blessed...
Starting on Friday, I will begin 30 days of Celebrating the gift of Christmas!
Sprinkled throughout my posts will be gifts that I give away to my readers.
Wishing you and your family a marvelous Thanksgiving.
Posted By Gena Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
It's really no surprise to anyone ever that the NEA was more interested in protecting its power than educating children. What is surprising is that they actually feel confident enough in their power to admit it. Here's the NEA's General Counseladmitting as much in his retirement speech this past summer.
"Despite what some among us would like to believe it is not because of our creative ideas. It is not because of the merit of our positions. It is not because we care about children and it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power....
This is not to say that the concern of NEA and its affiliates with closing achievement gaps, reducing dropout rates, improving teacher quality and the like are unimportant or inappropriate. To the contrary. These are the goals that guide the work we do. But they need not and must not be achieved at the expense of due process, employee rights and collective bargaining. That simply is too high a price to pay.
If you're a parent with children in the public schools you can voice your objections here. But the best way to object is by removing your children from their schools. Without your children they have no real power.
In a related story, future teachers in Minnesota are being "reducated" and become "culturally competent"
Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin in order to obtain a teacher certificate.
I've been sharing my family's favorite Thanksgiving recipes on the HomesteadBlogger Front Porch . Stop by to see how our Texas family celebrates Thanksgiving. I've invited the other bloggers to share their family favorites as well, so you are certain to find many delicious recipes posted throughout the community.
Here's a link to a great sounding Mandarin & Cranberry Relish at Nourished Kitchen, a blog I visit often for healthy, delicious recipes.
I pray your family has a wonderful Thanksgiving. We truly have much to be thankful for. And now, I must get back to my own Thanksgiving preparations ... some last minute shopping, a little baking, a bit of holiday decorating, and lots of family fun!
Blessings,
Catherine
Catherine Love lives in the heart of Texas with her husband Carl, and their 3 daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. They enjoy cooking, gardening, and learning new things as they pursue a lifestyle of learning together as a family. You can read Catherine's Kitchen Adventures and more on her blog- Seeds of Love.
I've said this before - my oldest son, Chad, is a sponge for learning. He has always been a great reader and made it easy for me when it came to teaching geography, world/American history and just about anything else you can learn by reading. If you need to know where some place is in the world, ask Chad. If you have a history question, he probably knows the answer. Some kid, he is.
However, my younger two kids are not as eager to read and absorb these subjects. So I decided we would study one state a day, beginning with the New England states. I had a good black line map that Carmen traced onto a large sheet of paper, outlining every state, and it hangs on the wall above our kitchen table. Every day, she colors in the state-of-the-day, and labels the name and capital city. I also had a Dover U.S. coloring book that she is coloring each day as well. She loves to draw and color so this is fun for her (which makes learning easier). We use our Worldbook Encyclopedias, our road atlas and whatever other resources I have, like Country magazine. The dictionary sometimes gives the source of the state name, which we find interesting. Alec just sits and listens but he likes to read what the encyclopedia says about each state's exports, manufacturing, etc. At dinner, I ask them questions to help them remember some of what we learned.
This isn't in-depth study but it's fun to learn some of the state's history, economy, population, year of statehood, state flag, weather, geography, bird, tree, etc. Almost every day, one of them (or I) say, "I didn't know that!. And every day, I try to find more resources to add to our study. I'm saving our state for last and we'll spend more than just one day on it. It's what you call "homeschooling on a shoe string". No expensive program needed.
My kids love board games! They especially love board games involving money, although they have been known to start making up their own rules after awhile, and playing the game ElCloud style. I enjoy board games, because I know they are engaging my children's minds and teaching them things like strategy and math.
We were very happy to have a chance to review the Life On The Farm board game by We R Fun, Inc. It had been on our children's wish list for several months. This is a high-quality, well-designed board game with a colorful playing board. We received the original version, for players age 8 and up, but there is also a preschool version available which doesn't require any reading.
Life On The Farm was designed by Keith Gohl and his sister Ev Johnson, to help others understand what life on a farm is really like ... from a family business perspective. Each player rolls a dice, moves forward that number of spaces, and then follows the directions on the board. Players draw income cards and expense cards which require them to pay vet bills, taxes, or collect sale income. It's a game of chance, as my 12 year old daughter discovered last night. She was poised to win, until she had to pay taxes four times, when no one else paid taxes at all that game.
The goal of the game is to be the first to retire with 60 cows and the money you began farming with. As We R Fun states on their how to play page: "Life on the Farm is not about running other players out of business - it’s about managing money and making the most out of what happens to you - what life is really about on a family farm! It is a classic board game, fast-moving, easy to understand and fun to play, and it truly appeals to all ages."
While I agree that this game appeals to all ages, and the family can enjoy playing it together ... we didn't find it very fast-moving. Well, I suppose the plays happen quickly, but the process of playing the game itself can be long. The instructions do include a shorter version, and that is the only way we have played it so far. It's just the nature of this type of board game to take awhile.
My kids have enjoyed playing the game twice since we received it. They wanted to play it many more times, but we didn't always have enough time to fit a game in. In our opinion, Life On The Farm is a great board game, with educational entertainment value for the entire family. It's an excellent way to spend quality family time on a winter evening.
The original version of Life On The Farm (ages 8 - 108) retails for $25.00, and the preschool version retails for $20.00. The game can be bought from We R Fun, Inc, The Old Schoolhouse Store, Amazon.com, and also on Kmart.com.
This would make an excellent educational (and FUN!) Christmas gift for any children age 7 and up, or a family gift for those you love!
This item was provided free for our review as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew. We received no other compensation, and this review is our honest opinion. Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
I just wanted to say that I have not forgotten to do personal posts. I'm getting some reviews done as well as dealing with things going on at the home front and working on Christmas presents - so needless to say I'm busy!
The Principal (Dad) gave us the entire week off of school since I have a hard time staying motivated around Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I'm like a little child when it comes to celebrating. Hannah is working on her lapbook for the Magic Treehouse book titled Thanksgiving on Thursday - which actually hasn't involved a whole lot of magic except for the children being transported back in time and they also let their parents know they were going out to play. She must get that finished up and we can move on next week. I'll get pictures up as soon as she is done and I get batteries for my camera.
I'm having my surgery on Friday the day after Thanksgiving - so we're putting the Christmas tree up the day before Thanksgiving. I'm praying and hoping that this will take care of my chronic pain that I continue to have as adhesions from my 2002 c-section readhere over time. This causes a lot of pain and also it seems now problems in concieving - so I also pray this will allow the Lord to bless us again. I'd love to have at least one more baby - definitely more - but at least :) we'll see what He decides.
So for now I'm logging off and I'll be updating soon with pictures - after I get batteries and hopefully before Thanksgiving or I'll do it after my surgery while I'm recuperating.
Finally, an old Jewish priest named Mattathias was troubled enough to stand up for his beliefs. He would not abandon his religion and would not convert to the pagan practices that had so blended with their lives that the lines were no longer simply blurred, but were all but erased! Mattathias and his sons gathered up an army of farmers and craftsmen and they trained themselves to fight against the Syrians. Years of battles passed and when Mattathias was too old to lead any longer he appointed his son, Judah to take over for him.
In an article by Gordon Franz, he points out that when Jesus was asked:
Have you wondered what it might be like to roadschool instead of just homeschool? I know we have often talked of it since my husband will be retiring when we still have two full time student and one on the way to graduating and thought buying an RV and selling our home is an awesome idea! While this book I'm sure doesn't stay true to life in what happens while roadschooling in an RV it sure sounds like fun, especially when the Wrights stop at a cave to mine for stones and semi precious jewels.
