October 1st 2009

This morning I had intended to post a note about it being the First of the Month and how I’d remembered when I was young in England we all came out with a funny saying on that date – Pinch and a Punch for the first of the Month. Then quick as a wink we would say – And no returns.

Wondered what it was all about and what the origins were. Had a quick look on the net and discovered it was to do with witches and pinches of salt

Wiki says:

Originating from old England times when people thought that witches existed. People thought that salt would make a witch weak, so the pinch part is pinching of the salt, and the punch part was to banish the witch. The witch would be weak from the salt so the punch was to banish her.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pinch_and_a_punch_for_the_first_of_the_month

I also saw a mention to White Rabbits and that sounded familiar –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_rabbit

But then with all the horrible things happening in the world at the moment it seemed rather frivolous .

Floods in the Philippines, an earthquake and tsunami in Samoa and now an additional earthquake in Sumatra right on the heels of the first one the other day

I’m sure governments all over the world will offer help but its happening to Pacific Nations, almost in our backyard and we wonder if there is more to come

Thoughts and prayers go to all those citizens affected by any of those disasters.