Sunday, November 28, 2010
Phew
Well Thanksgiving is officially over and now the run towards Yule/Christmas can begin. I must admit while I like getting together with friends and family it just tends to overwhelm me at the end of the year. Every weekend is jam packed with parties and activities and I find it a bit much. Looking forward to the new year so that I can take some time to slow down a bit. My mother in law has been going out of her way to make this year particularly stressful. She has this just great habit of sitting on her duff and doing nothing but giving orders and complaining. That is when she's not taking over my duties as mother to little 'un. Which makes life fun for those of us who are rushing around trying to get things done. I am usually more tolerant of her antics but right now I just don't have the patients for it. Hoping in the next week or so to have all my holiday plans cemented to that I can start the preparations early. Last year we moved in a week before Christmas so there wasn't much planning. I am rather exited to have the time this year to do some crafts and baking and actually buy my own decorations!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
A Little Break
Just wanted to let you all know that I wont be posting anything substantial until after Thanksgiving. We are hosting and have a very ill cat at the moment so I will see you all then!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
A Blog Prompt!
Well not that I had run dry or anything but I found this blog prompt and just had to write about it. What I mean is I spent the last three days mulling over my points and building on the inspiration provided and now here it is in a quickly typed out post here on my blog.
Here is a link to the blog which gave me the prompt itself; go check it out: http://paganprompts.blogspot.com/
My Thoughts on Sacred Space(s)
Well where to begin! Sacred Space(s) can be so different and unusual so how to define it is a lot harder than one may imagine. I personally have gallons of sacred space both indoors and outdoors and within me. Personally I believe that all of nature is sacred and therefore I just need to go out into my backyard to commune with something that is deeply sacred. I don't need any huge set-up to find nature awe inspiring and blessed it comes well excuse the pun naturally to me. I have created my own personal sacred space in my backyard; a nice little elderberry grove that I do my outdoor rituals in so it's kinda a sacred space within a sacred space if you will. It's blessed my life in so many wonderful and profound ways. This is also the first year I have been able to have my own garden. Which is a whole nother kind of sacred space to me, I was able to hum songs and dance in the garden as the ground was being overturned. I was the one who planted all the seeds and with the help of some friends and family I cared for the plants and I harvested their fruits and the fruits of my labors. I used this food to feed my family and placed it in soups, sandwiches, salads, and homemade salsa. In my own kitchen which is another one of my more sacred spaces (I am a Kitchen Witch and all).
My home is the sacred space of my whole family and we all contribute to it's well being in one way or another. However I do have two special altars which are a permanent fixture. One in the living room which is the "family" altar and hearth. If I work magic for the good of the entire family there will be a component here(a candle, an amulet to power up ect ). Then in my room I have my own personal altar; it's willy nilly just like I am and rather than traditional I went and spent a lot of my creative talents on it. If you were to look at it you would just think that it was a nicely put together shelf. It has all the things I need on it and because it sits atop one of my many bookcases I keep some of my most prized quick reference books on the shelf right below it for easy access. If I am talking to the Goddess privately or doing some magic with hubby that's where it would be done. Again there might be a dream sachet sitting there from time to time or some other spell component but for the most part that it where I sit as one with the Goddess and get some private spiritual time.
Then of course I have what everybody has that sacred little space within me that I share with the wider world. Call it spirit, soul, or the force for you Star Wars fans out there but I think it's really important that we recognize it in ourselves as well as everything we come into contact with. (Yes it's a love your enemies as yourselves type of thing.) When I go to my bedroom altar I connect with something greater than myself that is still a part of me. This sacred space is a garden within me and just like a garden it sometimes needs tender loving care and some connection with the Goddess doesn't hurt either!
Here is a link to the blog which gave me the prompt itself; go check it out: http://paganprompts.blogspot.com/
My Thoughts on Sacred Space(s)
Well where to begin! Sacred Space(s) can be so different and unusual so how to define it is a lot harder than one may imagine. I personally have gallons of sacred space both indoors and outdoors and within me. Personally I believe that all of nature is sacred and therefore I just need to go out into my backyard to commune with something that is deeply sacred. I don't need any huge set-up to find nature awe inspiring and blessed it comes well excuse the pun naturally to me. I have created my own personal sacred space in my backyard; a nice little elderberry grove that I do my outdoor rituals in so it's kinda a sacred space within a sacred space if you will. It's blessed my life in so many wonderful and profound ways. This is also the first year I have been able to have my own garden. Which is a whole nother kind of sacred space to me, I was able to hum songs and dance in the garden as the ground was being overturned. I was the one who planted all the seeds and with the help of some friends and family I cared for the plants and I harvested their fruits and the fruits of my labors. I used this food to feed my family and placed it in soups, sandwiches, salads, and homemade salsa. In my own kitchen which is another one of my more sacred spaces (I am a Kitchen Witch and all).
My home is the sacred space of my whole family and we all contribute to it's well being in one way or another. However I do have two special altars which are a permanent fixture. One in the living room which is the "family" altar and hearth. If I work magic for the good of the entire family there will be a component here(a candle, an amulet to power up ect ). Then in my room I have my own personal altar; it's willy nilly just like I am and rather than traditional I went and spent a lot of my creative talents on it. If you were to look at it you would just think that it was a nicely put together shelf. It has all the things I need on it and because it sits atop one of my many bookcases I keep some of my most prized quick reference books on the shelf right below it for easy access. If I am talking to the Goddess privately or doing some magic with hubby that's where it would be done. Again there might be a dream sachet sitting there from time to time or some other spell component but for the most part that it where I sit as one with the Goddess and get some private spiritual time.
Then of course I have what everybody has that sacred little space within me that I share with the wider world. Call it spirit, soul, or the force for you Star Wars fans out there but I think it's really important that we recognize it in ourselves as well as everything we come into contact with. (Yes it's a love your enemies as yourselves type of thing.) When I go to my bedroom altar I connect with something greater than myself that is still a part of me. This sacred space is a garden within me and just like a garden it sometimes needs tender loving care and some connection with the Goddess doesn't hurt either!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Don't forget the Eggs!
Well I was baking today then I realized that I didn't have any eggs. For those of you who bake on a regular basis you know how important eggs are to baking. In fact I think you need at least one egg for baking anything. Yup I can't think of one recipe for cookies or pie or bread that doesn't require egg. Now aren't I silly. I guess the pumpkin pie will just have to wait. So will the banana bread I was planning on making with little 'un when he woke up from his nap. I already did all my housework for today and even a little extra and was baking to fill in the empty hours between the end of nap time and bedtime tonight. Oh well, hubby is running out anyway so that he can get some new work pants. He grew out of his old ones (I guess I can blame all my baking).
Working on planning Thanksgiving, which will be at my house this year so that the only family with small children won't have to run all over Timbuktu for the holidays. We usually host to avoid unnecessary traveling with little 'un, it's just too much for him to go all over visiting. For Christmas we usually do each side of the family's one special Christmas dinner and save Yule and Christmas day for resting and spending time together as a family. Yes we celebrate both Yule (or the Winter Solstice for those not in the know) and Christmas. While my family is Pagan we do have many Christian relatives and Christmas is a part of our family tradition.
So to close out this post here is something I learned today:
1: When you plan on doing baking DON'T forget the eggs!
Working on planning Thanksgiving, which will be at my house this year so that the only family with small children won't have to run all over Timbuktu for the holidays. We usually host to avoid unnecessary traveling with little 'un, it's just too much for him to go all over visiting. For Christmas we usually do each side of the family's one special Christmas dinner and save Yule and Christmas day for resting and spending time together as a family. Yes we celebrate both Yule (or the Winter Solstice for those not in the know) and Christmas. While my family is Pagan we do have many Christian relatives and Christmas is a part of our family tradition.
So to close out this post here is something I learned today:
1: When you plan on doing baking DON'T forget the eggs!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
I'm Back
Well I've come back to post again now that I am not totally losing my mind. (That implies that I ever had it.) I hope that nobody was offended by my taking a leap off the deep end. Now that I'm back we can get back on track with something worth reading I'll start today with something I learned today.
1. I learned that I have way too many homeschool materials. Almost everyday I am going "Ohh I want that!" I will never use it all much less remember it all. Little 'un won't be starting a formal homeschool program for at least two years and I already have enough for all 12 grades and then some. It's silly; but I LOVE some of the homeschool materials that I have found and one thing leads to another and bam I have more material than I could cover in a lifetime. Miles and piles of it and most of it was free isn't that wild? Way too exited about it.
On another note Pillars of the Earth isn't at all what I had expected and it's taking me longer to read it than I first thought it would. I still plan to review it on this blog it's just going to be awhile. Part of the problem is I also bought Radical Homemakers and well I loved it and have devoted most of my reading time to finishing that instead of Pillars. I always do that; plan to read one book but end up reading something completely different. I have my own "special" system for reading books; it takes me longer but it somehow makes sense to me. Well since I bought Radical Homemakers by: Shannon Hayes with my own money and was not paid at all to review it; I will do so here.
I really liked it. I was thinking that it would be more in line with a conservative ways of thinking and I was surprised to find such a liberal bent to it. It wasn't about religion so much as it was about changing the world and the way that people think about society, family and the planet. Being a homemaker wasn't being handed down by a stern and angry G-d it was a way of life dedicated to saving the planet and the happiness of our families. She interviewed both men and women who had chosen for their own reasons to not work a 9-5 job and take care of what was really important; their families. Very in line (in my opinion) with Pagan ways of thinking. It made it seam doable; you don't need a huge bankroll to be self sufficient you just need some basic skills. Many sufficiency books expect that you have all this capital for getting the necessary tools. Not the case with this book, you just needed the gumption to learn those skills that you lacked. The author very nicely laid out her arguments for the need of Radical Homemaking and then listed the way you went about becoming a Radical Homemaker. All around a well written concise book. (It only has about 250 pages.) By the end I was left with a feeling that I had just gotten a label for what I was already doing in my home. I would recommend it to any stay-at-home person (some of the people interviewed did not have any children), especially if they are having doubts or feeling insecure in their decision to stay home to take care of their families. Two thumbs up! I can't say enough good things about this book!
1. I learned that I have way too many homeschool materials. Almost everyday I am going "Ohh I want that!" I will never use it all much less remember it all. Little 'un won't be starting a formal homeschool program for at least two years and I already have enough for all 12 grades and then some. It's silly; but I LOVE some of the homeschool materials that I have found and one thing leads to another and bam I have more material than I could cover in a lifetime. Miles and piles of it and most of it was free isn't that wild? Way too exited about it.
On another note Pillars of the Earth isn't at all what I had expected and it's taking me longer to read it than I first thought it would. I still plan to review it on this blog it's just going to be awhile. Part of the problem is I also bought Radical Homemakers and well I loved it and have devoted most of my reading time to finishing that instead of Pillars. I always do that; plan to read one book but end up reading something completely different. I have my own "special" system for reading books; it takes me longer but it somehow makes sense to me. Well since I bought Radical Homemakers by: Shannon Hayes with my own money and was not paid at all to review it; I will do so here.
I really liked it. I was thinking that it would be more in line with a conservative ways of thinking and I was surprised to find such a liberal bent to it. It wasn't about religion so much as it was about changing the world and the way that people think about society, family and the planet. Being a homemaker wasn't being handed down by a stern and angry G-d it was a way of life dedicated to saving the planet and the happiness of our families. She interviewed both men and women who had chosen for their own reasons to not work a 9-5 job and take care of what was really important; their families. Very in line (in my opinion) with Pagan ways of thinking. It made it seam doable; you don't need a huge bankroll to be self sufficient you just need some basic skills. Many sufficiency books expect that you have all this capital for getting the necessary tools. Not the case with this book, you just needed the gumption to learn those skills that you lacked. The author very nicely laid out her arguments for the need of Radical Homemaking and then listed the way you went about becoming a Radical Homemaker. All around a well written concise book. (It only has about 250 pages.) By the end I was left with a feeling that I had just gotten a label for what I was already doing in my home. I would recommend it to any stay-at-home person (some of the people interviewed did not have any children), especially if they are having doubts or feeling insecure in their decision to stay home to take care of their families. Two thumbs up! I can't say enough good things about this book!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A Bit of a Family Crisis
I as always apologize profusely for my lack of posting on this blog and as always my life off the computer has taken me away from my best intentions of posting something worth reading on this blog! October has just turned into a big pool of disappointment for me. I have totally given up for the reasons of this post trying not to complain; I'm pissed and I'm going to vent. Just thought I would give you all a warning.
My little sister has a heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. She was born without the left side of her heart, and also was missing her left lung. My parents were told by doctors that she would never survive. But; because of an experimental surgery (it's now become common practice among babies born with this defect) she has managed to live for now 19 years. Through 4 heart surgeries in total. She in fact just celebrated her 19th birthday yesterday. However due to a doctor's general lack of interest she is now in heart failure. She has been suffering from a distended stomach for some time now and my parents have been running her all over the area to get tests to find the problem and fix it. They did an ultrasound of her belly and my mother was told by Mr. Bigshot doctor's nurse (yeah he didn't even have time to make the call himself he made a nurse do it) that it was just air in there. Well my mother being adamant that we had already treated her for that and the treatment failed; took her to another less of a Mr. Bigshot doctor who looked at the radiologist's report and was told something totally different. She has fluid in her stomach because her heart is failing and we could have been doing something about it in July if it wasn't for the fact that this big shot doctor completely ignored the report that he was given and let her go on like nothing was wrong when she needed treatment. She has brain damage due to lack of oxygen at birth; she cannot tell us when something is wrong, we need to be vigilant and be able to rely on her doctors information to take care of these things. I am just livid right now that someone we have entrusted with the care of my sister has failed so badly. I know that there really isn't anything that I can do to change this and not being in control is just a huge pet peeve.
Poor little 'un and I both got a doozy of a cold on Friday and were too sick to participate in Halloween/Samhain this year. No trick or treating, no party, no ritual. Hopefully in a day or two I will have processed this and be on to better things. It's November and that means Thanksgiving is coming up. Here's to hoping it will take my mind off things.
My little sister has a heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. She was born without the left side of her heart, and also was missing her left lung. My parents were told by doctors that she would never survive. But; because of an experimental surgery (it's now become common practice among babies born with this defect) she has managed to live for now 19 years. Through 4 heart surgeries in total. She in fact just celebrated her 19th birthday yesterday. However due to a doctor's general lack of interest she is now in heart failure. She has been suffering from a distended stomach for some time now and my parents have been running her all over the area to get tests to find the problem and fix it. They did an ultrasound of her belly and my mother was told by Mr. Bigshot doctor's nurse (yeah he didn't even have time to make the call himself he made a nurse do it) that it was just air in there. Well my mother being adamant that we had already treated her for that and the treatment failed; took her to another less of a Mr. Bigshot doctor who looked at the radiologist's report and was told something totally different. She has fluid in her stomach because her heart is failing and we could have been doing something about it in July if it wasn't for the fact that this big shot doctor completely ignored the report that he was given and let her go on like nothing was wrong when she needed treatment. She has brain damage due to lack of oxygen at birth; she cannot tell us when something is wrong, we need to be vigilant and be able to rely on her doctors information to take care of these things. I am just livid right now that someone we have entrusted with the care of my sister has failed so badly. I know that there really isn't anything that I can do to change this and not being in control is just a huge pet peeve.
Poor little 'un and I both got a doozy of a cold on Friday and were too sick to participate in Halloween/Samhain this year. No trick or treating, no party, no ritual. Hopefully in a day or two I will have processed this and be on to better things. It's November and that means Thanksgiving is coming up. Here's to hoping it will take my mind off things.
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