I just wanted to pop on with a quick Happy turkey day for everyone. I've been feeling rather dreadful for the last week or so. I have just been so tired all the time. And my insomnia has been in full swing. No fun. Enough grousing, and time for some thankfulness. So here is my list
1: my husband and kids
2: hubby has a job. Something I couldn't say last year or the year before. Stupid recession.
3: We are all (for the most part) healthy.
4: my online family and friend. I don't know what I would do without you guys.
5: we have a nice home this year with good neighbors who a) live next to us not over us and b) aren't selfish, self-righteous, pricks.
6: I am slowly but surely reconnecting with my son.
Enjoy your turkey or ham everyone.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Everything is looking up
Ok well maybe not everything but this week is looking a lot better than the last. For about 2 or so weeks there we were the house of plague. It all started on Samhain when we got back from trick-or-treat, Squirrel looked dreadful. Truth be told, he was lacking his usual luster all day. After dinner he went to lay down and I came to check on him a bit later. He cheeks were flush so I felt his head and it was pretty warm. I went for the thermometer and sure enough, 102.6. CRAP. Turned out he had swine flu. He had a fairly mild case but it was still nasty enough. He missed a whole week of school and had to stay in bed, in his room, alone for most of it. I felt so bad for him. Meanwhile, I had been battling headaches for the entire week. Just as he finally started to feel better, the Diva and I started running fevers and I had a sore throat to boot. Turned out that I just had a really nasty upper respiratory/ sinus infection thing but it was still no fun. Diva it turns out may have been teething and had a small cold. She was better in just a day or two. I on the other hand played couch jockey for a week and caught up on CSI NY. Hubby seems to have my thing now though not quite as bad as I did. He is getting over it and feeling much better.
Needless to say, my Samhain plans were put to the side while I took care of my little man. I think the Gods and the ancestors will totally understand. The same with the full moon and now the new. I think I will settle for lighting a candle and a quick dark moon blessing this cycle. Catching up on everything from three weeks of various and sundry sicks has consumed most of my time and energy. The last two days have been spent on laundry. I have three loads left. The dishes are caught up and the living room is not a disaster area anymore. Diva's room still needs to be finished so she can play in there and my room doesn't bare thinking about although, it is not so bad now that we don't have 3 weeks worth of laundry on the floor. Life goes on as always.
Our last little disaster was the other day when the computer (Phoenix) that we had hooked up to the tv so as to watch movies and tv via the net decided to go up in flames. Not literally mind you, the power supply seems to have shorted and then damaged the harddrive. Good thing we didn't have anything left on that computer. Hubby is bemoaning the lose of his bookmarks for movie sights but I think we will be able to find them all again. After a few attempts at old computers my dad had lying around we finally loaded XP onto one that had previously run 2000 pro and all is well. Good thing because we don't have cable and the few free channels we are supposed to get are dwindling. We get PBS, Boomerang, NBC, CBS and ABC now. We used to have FOX, CW, history international, and WGN as well but they have disappeared so we rely on hulu and the network websites to keep up. OK yeah, and surfthechannel even if the legality is questionable. We are thinking of naming this new one Dionysus maybe. We haven't decided yet. We do at least have Persephone back and better than ever. She is running Snow leopard now.
I think that about cover everything. I hope everyone is enjoying the new moon. Brightest Blessing to you all.
Needless to say, my Samhain plans were put to the side while I took care of my little man. I think the Gods and the ancestors will totally understand. The same with the full moon and now the new. I think I will settle for lighting a candle and a quick dark moon blessing this cycle. Catching up on everything from three weeks of various and sundry sicks has consumed most of my time and energy. The last two days have been spent on laundry. I have three loads left. The dishes are caught up and the living room is not a disaster area anymore. Diva's room still needs to be finished so she can play in there and my room doesn't bare thinking about although, it is not so bad now that we don't have 3 weeks worth of laundry on the floor. Life goes on as always.
Our last little disaster was the other day when the computer (Phoenix) that we had hooked up to the tv so as to watch movies and tv via the net decided to go up in flames. Not literally mind you, the power supply seems to have shorted and then damaged the harddrive. Good thing we didn't have anything left on that computer. Hubby is bemoaning the lose of his bookmarks for movie sights but I think we will be able to find them all again. After a few attempts at old computers my dad had lying around we finally loaded XP onto one that had previously run 2000 pro and all is well. Good thing because we don't have cable and the few free channels we are supposed to get are dwindling. We get PBS, Boomerang, NBC, CBS and ABC now. We used to have FOX, CW, history international, and WGN as well but they have disappeared so we rely on hulu and the network websites to keep up. OK yeah, and surfthechannel even if the legality is questionable. We are thinking of naming this new one Dionysus maybe. We haven't decided yet. We do at least have Persephone back and better than ever. She is running Snow leopard now.
I think that about cover everything. I hope everyone is enjoying the new moon. Brightest Blessing to you all.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Samhain, a time for looking inside
I know I have been quiet lately. As I have mentioned before, this laptop is a bit of a pain and has made it hard to keep up with the blogs I follow let alone getting one typed without it freezing every five seconds. That should be remedied in the next few days though it is hard to tell for sure. Tracking numbers don't seem to mean anything to the post office anymore. Nor does getting things to people in a timely manner anymore it would seem.
I always get a little introspective this time of year. Even when I wasn't so sure of things I and even before I knew anything about paganism I would get this way. I start to think about the people and things in my life both good and bad. What to hold on to and what to let go of. I think about people and things I have lost. I tend to get rather quiet in the day leading up to Samhain. Halloween is my favorite of the secular holidays so I have always enjoyed it. To me they are two different things. I think they are to the vast majority of Pagans. It seems to be something that the zealots don't get. Amusing really. But I digress, as usual. This year has given me a lot to think about. I am starting to see that I am in a mixed place. There is without a doubt much good. My husband has a fairly good job and we are starting to get back on our feet. I have two beautiful children and a good husband. We live in a good home in a safe community. Safer than most anywhere else. I am surrounded by nature. I am starting to get back on my path. I am doing what I need to do to reconnect with THEM and I feel the change everyday. There is also much that causes me pain and/or stress. There are issues with my mother that I need to get a handle on but can't. I have to deal with a deadbeat ex-husband and his psycho girlfriend. There is the overwhelming loneliness I feel day after day. There is the strain that all these things put on my marriage and my husbands difficulty in dealing with his stress and anger. He is not really what you would call good with emotions. And much as I love my parents, there is the stress of living basically next door let alone on the same island. I do love my parents very much but I often question the wisdom in my choice to move near them. There is also the physical pain that comes with being overweight, having chronic migraines, and being genetically predisposed to joint and connective tissue problems. Some day's I wonder how I am able to function.
I'm not meaning to come off ungrateful or whiny here. All in all, I believe that at this point the good outweigh the bad. By how much depends on when you ask me but hey, I think it is that way for most people.
Introspection is a strange thing. What is the one thing you are guaranteed to find when you start seeking answers? That's right, more questions. I've noticed that when I get this way, I don't tend to go half assed. I look at everything. Most of the time. I would never be do bold as to say that I don't skip over things that I really don't feel ready to face. I usually poke at them a little but will then walk away and tackle something that I am ready for. You have to poke to find out if you are ready. Some things I know that I am not ready for period. I will poke and prod anyway just to be sure. There are other things that I feel sure I am unready for and then when I break out the handy mental stick I find that the shell starts to crack. Personal growth is a funny thing that way. We are always the last ones to realize that we have grown. Then again, depending on how we grew we may be the only ones that know. I know that I grew in some important ways this year. I am starting to get back on the right track and that feels good for me. Yes there are more questions now but I feel like I can handle them now and that the answers will come when the time is right. This is a time of transition for me and I am cool with that. Goddess knows I needed the change and the future is looking brighter.
I hope everyone has a very blessed Samhain. )O(
I always get a little introspective this time of year. Even when I wasn't so sure of things I and even before I knew anything about paganism I would get this way. I start to think about the people and things in my life both good and bad. What to hold on to and what to let go of. I think about people and things I have lost. I tend to get rather quiet in the day leading up to Samhain. Halloween is my favorite of the secular holidays so I have always enjoyed it. To me they are two different things. I think they are to the vast majority of Pagans. It seems to be something that the zealots don't get. Amusing really. But I digress, as usual. This year has given me a lot to think about. I am starting to see that I am in a mixed place. There is without a doubt much good. My husband has a fairly good job and we are starting to get back on our feet. I have two beautiful children and a good husband. We live in a good home in a safe community. Safer than most anywhere else. I am surrounded by nature. I am starting to get back on my path. I am doing what I need to do to reconnect with THEM and I feel the change everyday. There is also much that causes me pain and/or stress. There are issues with my mother that I need to get a handle on but can't. I have to deal with a deadbeat ex-husband and his psycho girlfriend. There is the overwhelming loneliness I feel day after day. There is the strain that all these things put on my marriage and my husbands difficulty in dealing with his stress and anger. He is not really what you would call good with emotions. And much as I love my parents, there is the stress of living basically next door let alone on the same island. I do love my parents very much but I often question the wisdom in my choice to move near them. There is also the physical pain that comes with being overweight, having chronic migraines, and being genetically predisposed to joint and connective tissue problems. Some day's I wonder how I am able to function.
I'm not meaning to come off ungrateful or whiny here. All in all, I believe that at this point the good outweigh the bad. By how much depends on when you ask me but hey, I think it is that way for most people.
Introspection is a strange thing. What is the one thing you are guaranteed to find when you start seeking answers? That's right, more questions. I've noticed that when I get this way, I don't tend to go half assed. I look at everything. Most of the time. I would never be do bold as to say that I don't skip over things that I really don't feel ready to face. I usually poke at them a little but will then walk away and tackle something that I am ready for. You have to poke to find out if you are ready. Some things I know that I am not ready for period. I will poke and prod anyway just to be sure. There are other things that I feel sure I am unready for and then when I break out the handy mental stick I find that the shell starts to crack. Personal growth is a funny thing that way. We are always the last ones to realize that we have grown. Then again, depending on how we grew we may be the only ones that know. I know that I grew in some important ways this year. I am starting to get back on the right track and that feels good for me. Yes there are more questions now but I feel like I can handle them now and that the answers will come when the time is right. This is a time of transition for me and I am cool with that. Goddess knows I needed the change and the future is looking brighter.
I hope everyone has a very blessed Samhain. )O(
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
cute little witchy quiz
what kind of modern tradition witch are you
You Scored as Kitchenwitch
A witch who works her magick and rituals mostly in the kitchen, who studies food magick. She studies how to make a magickal home, magickal meals and a sacred kitchen, a witch who practices domestic magick. A kitchenwitch studies herbs and plants that you can eat (culinary), and grows them as well if she can. She is often a source of hearth, food and cooking folklore, customs and traditions. If she can she will likely have a veggie garden, some fruits trees, and a culinary herb garden. Her tools are more likely to be kitchen utensils, wooden spoons rather than wands, cooking pots rather than a cauldron. She will probably have a shrine or altar set up in the kitchen or dinning area. Her patron deities will likely be Goddesses and Gods of the hearth, food, agriculture, home, and harvest.
You Scored as Kitchenwitch
A witch who works her magick and rituals mostly in the kitchen, who studies food magick. She studies how to make a magickal home, magickal meals and a sacred kitchen, a witch who practices domestic magick. A kitchenwitch studies herbs and plants that you can eat (culinary), and grows them as well if she can. She is often a source of hearth, food and cooking folklore, customs and traditions. If she can she will likely have a veggie garden, some fruits trees, and a culinary herb garden. Her tools are more likely to be kitchen utensils, wooden spoons rather than wands, cooking pots rather than a cauldron. She will probably have a shrine or altar set up in the kitchen or dinning area. Her patron deities will likely be Goddesses and Gods of the hearth, food, agriculture, home, and harvest.
| Kitchenwitch | | 96% |
| Greenwitch | | 79% |
| Cottagewitch | | 75% |
| Hearthwitch | | 71% |
| Hedgewitch | | 58% |
| Gardenwitch | | 58% |
Saturday, October 17, 2009
What is a witchy girl to do
Edit: I was about to cross post this somewhere else and when I pasted it suddenly my spellcheck kicked in. It doesn't always on blogger for some reason with my laptop but I realized how many errors there were so, I have fixed them now. If there is one thing I can't stand it is when things aren't spellchecked. All better now.
I find myself in a bit of a quandary here. I have been kicking around the idea of doing a pagan podcast for some time now. Listening to the pagan podcasters really helped me a lot when I was in my funk and I would love a chance to give back. I keep thinking that if I can help just one person who is going through the same thing I was, how amazing would that be. There are however a few obstacles in my way. Obviously, issue #1 is that the only computer I have that is capable of making a podcast is out of commission at the moment. No big deal, I should have it back pretty soon. Issue #2 would be getting the word out. That one is not a huge problem either since I have several contacts (albeit not close) in the Pagan podkin universe and they are all more than willing to help out a new caster in getting the word out. #3 What in the heck do I call the thing? I was thinking that The Elfwench's Witchy Kitchen had a nice ring. Any thoughts? I would like to keep it under the elfwench umbrella. Now that last part of issue 3 sort of ties in with issue #4 and perhaps the biggest one of all. I use the name elfwench for everything. My friends and family and most of my online persona's have the name elfwench in there somewhere. Now while I am out of the broom closet there are people in my little world who have not really cottoned on. Maybe they are just dense, I don't know. Maybe it is the big pink elephant in the corner. Do I really want to go about creating duplicate social network profiles just for the show so I can keep the two separate? The honest answer is no I really would rather not. While I am ,like I said, out I don't shove my beliefs in other peoples faces. I don't like it when my Christian friends and family do it to me, so I try not to be rude back and do it too them. It isn't like I have to worry about my parent disowning me or anything since they have known since my late teens. And I really think that most of the people I associate with are smart enough to see that I have been this way all of or most of the time they have known me so they really don't care. So I mean, is it really necessary to keep the two separate? Issue #5 ties in a bit with issue 4 in that some of the networking sights carry my real name. The Pagan oriented ones have me down as Amber Pheonix or Elfwench but places like Facebook and twitter display my real name. Which is nice since it means that friends and family can find me. Not everyone who listens to Pagan podcasts is Pagan. And not all ,Pagan or not, are nice people. Is it worth the risk harassment to not separate these two parts of my life? I think the chances of a problem are slim but it is still there. I am interested in hearing some of your thoughts and ideas here. Leave me a comment or send me an email, let me know what you think.
I find myself in a bit of a quandary here. I have been kicking around the idea of doing a pagan podcast for some time now. Listening to the pagan podcasters really helped me a lot when I was in my funk and I would love a chance to give back. I keep thinking that if I can help just one person who is going through the same thing I was, how amazing would that be. There are however a few obstacles in my way. Obviously, issue #1 is that the only computer I have that is capable of making a podcast is out of commission at the moment. No big deal, I should have it back pretty soon. Issue #2 would be getting the word out. That one is not a huge problem either since I have several contacts (albeit not close) in the Pagan podkin universe and they are all more than willing to help out a new caster in getting the word out. #3 What in the heck do I call the thing? I was thinking that The Elfwench's Witchy Kitchen had a nice ring. Any thoughts? I would like to keep it under the elfwench umbrella. Now that last part of issue 3 sort of ties in with issue #4 and perhaps the biggest one of all. I use the name elfwench for everything. My friends and family and most of my online persona's have the name elfwench in there somewhere. Now while I am out of the broom closet there are people in my little world who have not really cottoned on. Maybe they are just dense, I don't know. Maybe it is the big pink elephant in the corner. Do I really want to go about creating duplicate social network profiles just for the show so I can keep the two separate? The honest answer is no I really would rather not. While I am ,like I said, out I don't shove my beliefs in other peoples faces. I don't like it when my Christian friends and family do it to me, so I try not to be rude back and do it too them. It isn't like I have to worry about my parent disowning me or anything since they have known since my late teens. And I really think that most of the people I associate with are smart enough to see that I have been this way all of or most of the time they have known me so they really don't care. So I mean, is it really necessary to keep the two separate? Issue #5 ties in a bit with issue 4 in that some of the networking sights carry my real name. The Pagan oriented ones have me down as Amber Pheonix or Elfwench but places like Facebook and twitter display my real name. Which is nice since it means that friends and family can find me. Not everyone who listens to Pagan podcasts is Pagan. And not all ,Pagan or not, are nice people. Is it worth the risk harassment to not separate these two parts of my life? I think the chances of a problem are slim but it is still there. I am interested in hearing some of your thoughts and ideas here. Leave me a comment or send me an email, let me know what you think.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Mrs. B's giveaway
So I a wandered over to Mrs. B's to check out todays giveaways in Day 16 of Mrs. B's 31 days of Halloween and she has some really good ones today. Number 4 happens to be for a really cute tea infuser ball with a great decorative tail from Insperation Recycled. There are a bunch of chances for entires so you should really go and check it out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
