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Earlier in August I gave my presentation "Unlocking The Mysteries of The Ancient Maya" to the University of Minnesota Rotary Club.  So far this was the smallest rotary club I've presented, but yet again I was not disappointed with the warm reception that I received from the audience. 

After my presentation I was presented with a donation of a children's book in my name to the Jeremiah Program from their rotary group.  The Jeremiah Program is a great program that the University of Minnesota Rotary Club supports.  It is a program that helps single mothers conquer poverty. 

This is the 3rd Friday the 13th in 2012, which is apparently mathematically the most that can happen in one year.  To read the full accounts of where Friday the 13th became an unlucky day you can read what wikopedia has to say about it.  Friday the 13th superstition  

The Maya considered the number 13 to a sacred number.  The Maya had superstitions just like every culture does.  Both good and bad, but the number 13, was a good number and Friday the 13th didn't exist in Maya culture as their days and weeks were not labeled or equal to the days and weeks we use of the Gregorian calendar. 

Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking and presenting "Unlocking The Mysteries Of The Ancient Maya" , which is based on my book, to the Bloomington, MN Noon Rotary Club.  My presentation was filmed by Bloomington Access Channel TV and will be airing sometime soon on their channel. 

After the presentation was over there was time for some Q&A, and then I was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation and the Rotary Club made a donation in my name to the End Polio Now Fountation.

Tomorrow I am presenting to the Lake Minnetonka/Lake Excelsior Rotary Club.  Looking forward to it. 

My Maya expert friend Carl de Borhegyi, who I met during researching information for my book has discovered something new that I thought I'd share.  I got this message from him today. 


Hi Bonnie,
I made an important discovery today in my research, that I know will interest you. The mural at Tulum in Structure 5, Temple of the Diving God, represents a version of a creation scene from Hindu mythology, known as The Churning of the Milk Ocean. I have found this same mythological scene of the Hindu creation myth in several pre-Columbian codices, as well as in a few Maya vase paintings. I first discovered the scene a few months ago on a carved ball court wall panel at the archaeological site of El Tajin, in Veracruz Mexico. This will be one of the true great discoveries in Mesoamerican archaeology. History will be rewritten because of this new information. So much for Columbus discovering America. For more on this discovery read, Soma in the Americas at mushroomstone.com and control F, the Churning of the Milk Ocean. I wish I had found this sooner for your book. — Carl de Borhegyi


For more information on Carl and his exciting research and discoveries please visit his website at www.mushroomstone.com

One thing I really love to do is hand out my author business cards to people I encounter when I'm out and about.  It's a great way to let people know about my book.  I will hand them to people when I'm at the cashier station.  I've never had anyone turn down a business card.  They either get very interested and if they aren't they take the card and thank me, look at it, and probably discard it.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who does it.  In fact I learned this little tactic of promotion on the show "Wife Swap".  The husband of the wife swap had his own realitor business and he handed out his business cards every where he went.  I usually carry around a big chunk of them as some places have a business card station where you can leave several of them.  Some places even have a bulletin board you can tack it up on.  So it's good marketing.

Today, however, I ran into one interesting person.  I was standing in line waiting my turn to pay and this man was in front of me.  He was very cheerful.  He was greeting everyone, talking to the people at the counter, and talking to the people behind the counter.  He engaged me in conversation, so I whipped a business card out of my purse and said "Here, have one of these".  He took it and looked all inquisitive as if he didn't know what it was.  Like I was trying to hand something funky off to him.  He read it and said very loudy "MAYA! I don't know nothing 'bout no MAYA! I only have things to do with Jesus Christ.  JESUS CHRIST my friends, I love JESUS CHRIST!"...  Oh boy... I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction.  And then it happened...He gave me back my business card.  E-Gads!  I was horrified!  It's my first business card rejection.  Meanwhile...his loudness was causing people to stare, which made it slightly uncomfortable. 

I took the card back, blushing, and was glad his turn was over.  It was my turn to pay, so I paid, and just set the lonely rejected business card on the counter for the sales lady.  I was past the point of no return.  Everyone knew I had it, so it had to go somewhere. 

It is a bit ironic in fact that the man mentioned Jesus Christ, as Jesus is in fact mentioned in my book "The Ancient Maya and Their City of Tulum".  You may be thinking right now...Jesus.?..The Maya?  What do those two have in common?  Should they even be used in the same the sentence? 

Interestingly enough, Jesus Christ's birth has a lot to do with correlating the Maya calendar to our calendar of today.  It is Jesus's date of birth that separates A.D. from B.C.  and in order to correlate the Maya calendar, A.D. and B.C. come into play.  It's a little difficult to explain without going into lots of detail and giving away what is written in my book, but the date of Jesus's birth is significant in determining calendar reckonings. 

As I sit here in the frigid state of Minnesota on this January 19, where today the temperature outside is much colder than the temperature I keep my deep freezer in my basement, I debate on turning the thermostat in my house up and wish I was sitting on a beach enjoying tropical weather...say for instance...in the Yucatan Peninsula.

The Maya were smart in the fact that they migrated to Guatemala, Peru, and the Yucatan Peninsula when Alaska and Siberia were still connected via land bridge.  They were smart not to stay in the cold and go where the sun shines hot and fresh fruit is always in abundance.  Try finding good fruit in the grocery store in Minnesota this time of year.  It's slim pickings! 

It is amazing the Maya migrated all that distance when you stop and really think about it.  It is approximately 5,911.9 miles from Anchorage, Alaska to Tulum, Mexico.  Which according to Google would take 4 days and 15 hours to drive non-stop, that's not taking into consideration any potty or food breaks. Or even going through customs to get through Canada and Mexico.  Imagine driving all that way cooped up in a car with your family.  Yikes!..(and I thought the family driving trip from Minnesota to Wyoming was a long one!) 

According to Wikopedia, the average person walks  3.1 miles per hour.  So when we do our math....  5,911.9 miles divided by 3.1 miles per hour....It would have taken 1,907.0645 hours to walk from Anchorage, Alaska to Tulum, Mexico.  That's 79 1/2 days.!! .non-stop.  No one can walk non-stop. 

Thank goodness the Wright Brothers came along and invented flying!!