Turtleheart Cove

Valentine Rambling

2009-02-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

My sweet husband surprised me with this lovely little swan when he got home from work last night. I adore it, it's such a unique little bud vase. Roses from our backyard will be finding their way to this vase during the summer months, I do believe.

Our Valentine celebrations tend to be fairly simple. We will probably do a cheese fondue dinner by candlelight at home tonight, that's always romantic and fun. Then again, it's been a while since we've had a picnic on the floor...

I remember our first picnic on the floor. I was living in an efficiency apartment, a tiny little thing; the kitchen area was along one short wall of the living/dining room. We were both in college at the time.

We grilled steaks (a rare treat for college students!) on an indoor tabletop grill. I put an embroidered tablecloth on the floor in my tiny living room. Husband (boyfriend at the time) had gotten a pink rose for me, so that was in a vase in the center of the cloth. We heaped plates with steak and mashed potatoes and gravy. I think Husband got the biggest steaks he could find; they were huge! We had those little buttery crescent rolls, too. I don't believe there was a green or leafy vegetable in sight!

We sat on the floor and shared bites and savoured the juicy steaks. We laughed at our extravagance. So silly, but such a good memory. I think I might even have pictures of our feast somewhere, but this was way before digital cameras.

Still love him as much as I did back then, though.

Imbolc Planning

2009-02-01T18:46:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Imbolc and I have been thinking a lot about what I'd like to do this year. I think of Imbolc as the time of earth's quickening and also as a time of clearing out the old to make way for the new. A time of purifying mind, body, spirit, home.

So I think I will take a purification shower and continue with the cleaning I've begun around the house. I've also decided to try a couple of new recipes. The first one being:

SPRING TONIC SOUP

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 leeks, white parts only, well-washed and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or more, to taste)
6 cups vegetable broth or water
sea salt
Handful of mustard greens, watercress, or parsley, coarsely chopped
croutons for garnish
sour cream for garnish
sprouts for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add leeks, bell pepper,
and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Sprinkle
vegetables with paprika and cayenne to taste.

2. Add vegetable broth or water, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil
and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Add greens and continue cooking
for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. To serve, place a few croutons in each individual soup bowl, then
add broth. Top each serving with sour cream and a couple of fresh
sprouts.

Serves 4 to 6.

This soup is supposed to be rich with flavonoids, and will clear the sinuses and promote healing. Its also full of spring and fiery flavor.

I've always wanted to try making a baked custard and while browsing recipes online, I found the perfect one to try:

BAKED CUSTARD FOR TWO

1 egg
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a bowl, lightly beat the egg. Stir in the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt until combined.
2. Pour into two ungreased 6-oz. custard cups. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
3. Place in an 8-in. square baking dish; add 1 in. of hot water to the pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Other than these simple plans, I will wait and see what other inspirations arise tomorrow.

Feline Friday: Snugglin'

2009-01-30T00:01:00.001-07:00

Husband caught us nappin' together...

I never thought my Moose-man would ever turn into a lap kitty... but he's become a regular snuggle bug lately.

It's taken almost 8 years to develop this level of trust from my Moose-man. I'm honored that he has decided I'm worthy of it.

... that's the power of love...

Nostalgia

2009-01-25T19:42:00.002-07:00

Oh... I love '80's music... we're listening to Casey Kasem's AT40 Countdown for 1/19/85 on XM80's on 8 and there have been some good (and some bad) totally '80's songs playing tonight.

Like right now its Julian Lennon's "Valotte." I love that song... I had that album when it came out and it was a good one. I really liked Julian Lennon.

We've also heard some awesome Hall & Oates and I went right over Amazon and added some of them to my wishlist. Method of Modern Love, Adult Education, remember those?

And of course, we heard my favorite artist-- Steve Perry! Foolish Heart. God I love that song. I'm such a mushy romantic.

Listening to XM 80's on 8 has inspired me to add quite a few CD's to my wishlist lately-- Taylor Dayne, Level 42, The Outfield, Rick Astley, WHAM!, Pat Benatar. I am not ashamed! I have always said I'm a hopeless totally 80's girl.

Still Sexy at 60

2009-01-22T00:01:00.002-07:00

"The Voice" turns 60 today! Rumor has is it, he is in the process of recording his first album in over 10 years. Hopefully, he'll post his annual birthday message at Fan Asylum soon and he'll confirm it.

Happy Birthday, Steve Perry!

Crab Lasagna Rolls

2009-01-11T00:15:00.003-07:00

Thought I would post a favorite recipe. It's simple to make, tastes great and looks fancy-- which make it a nice recipe to serve for special guests/occasions. This recipe makes 8 rolls; serving size is 1-2 rolls.

CRAB LASAGNA ROLLS

8 lasagna noodles (cook & drain)
1 jar (26 oz) Italian-style tomato sauce

FILLING:
8 oz. package of imitation crab meat (or real crab, it it is within your budget)
1 1/4 C cottage cheese (drained)
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
1 TBSP dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 egg

1. Start with boiling water for the lasagna noodles. It's important that the noodles are whole, so I cook the pasta in a large skillet. Strange, I know, but I've found it works well.

2. While the pasta cooks, mix the crab, cottage & parmesan cheese, parsley, onion powder and egg together.

3. When the pasta is al dente, drain carefully and spread the noodles out flat on waxed paper. Do not over cook the noodles or they will be too mushy and easily split when you try to roll them.

4. Spread approximately 1/4 C crab mixture along the center of the noodle, leaving about an inch bare at one end. Keep the mixture away from the edges of the noodle and not too thick, or it will make too fat of a roll and will ooze out the ends.

5. Firmly but gently, roll up the noodle from the filled end towards the bare end. Don't roll too tightly or the filling will ooze out! Leave the crab roll with the seam side down to keep it from unrolling.

6. Place crab lasagna rolls seam side down in a pan and cover with sauce. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese and cover pan with foil. Bake covered at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Four to freeze, four for dinner.

7. Serve with a simple salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!

Feline Friday: All Grown Up

2009-01-09T14:50:00.005-07:00

A miracle has occurred!

You may recall that our Moose-man had some neuroses regarding food and eating habits, so he had his special dish. But no more!

He's all grown up with a real bowl and able to free range feed whenever he wants. Here he is, enjoying his meal at the "cat food station" that my dad made in his wood shop especially for our cats years and years ago, and until now, we've never been able to use.

We do still give him a specific measure for the day, and he's still on his special high fiber food, but he's able to pace himself now and make it last for 24 hours and not gobble it all in one feeding! This is incredible progress, people!

We are so proud of him. It only took about 8 years.

Shoplifter

2009-01-08T17:55:00.003-07:00

Huh. I witnessed an interesting incident today.

I was at the craft store and a woman at the next register over was raising a big stink about the price of wicker basket. She had a whole bunch of things she was buying and the cashier had already rung up and bagged the smaller items when the woman got upset about the price that rang up for the wicker stuff. She started to get louder and more belligerent, arguing with the cashier and then with the manager that came over. She got them all scurrying to make her happy, the manager went to check on the price for her and then, BOOM! She stormed out, saying she didn't want any of the items.

However, she stormed out with the bag of smaller items that had already been rung up and bagged, but not yet paid for because she was arguing about prices. By the time the cashier realized what happened, the woman was long gone.

Some people. Really.

New Tutorial

2008-12-22T22:40:00.006-07:00

Visit my craft blog for a *new* tutorial on
HOW TO MAKE POMANDERS.

Happy Solstice

2008-12-21T15:53:00.004-07:00

Happy Winter Solstice and warm wishes to all who celebrate today! (And for my blogging friends in the southern hemisphere, Happy Summer Solstice!)

I *did* put up a tree this year-- our small one. It fit perfectly on the coffee table in the living room; that's why I love these "skinny" x-mas trees-- its much easier to find a spot to put one of these than it is a big, bushy tree. I surprised Firehand by having the tree up, along with a few other decorations (mustn't forget the mistletoe ball!) when he got home from work on Friday evening.

I am full of joy knowing that from here on out, the days only begin to get longer and longer! Huzzah! Welcome back, Sun!

Whirlwind Iowa Trip, part 2~ Family

2008-12-20T14:01:00.009-07:00

SATURDAY PM

We arrived at Firehand's cousin's home around 2:30 PM and the holiday festivities were already in full swing. Everyone was just finishing lunch and Santa and his Elf were there visiting with all the young ones. After he left, it was time for all the kids to open gifts.

There was restrained order as every kid got to open a gift at a time around and around the circle, according to Great-Grandma's direction, while the adults looked on...

Once all the children's gifts were opened, chaos reigned. Below, Firehand is looking a little shell shocked from all the uproar.

The kids retreated to the play room and then the adults played a word game and had our grab bag gift exchange. All in all there were 19 adults and 8 children there for the day's celebration!

I got to make the acquaintance of one very special little boy, my newest nephew, now 5 months old, and as cute as can possibly be. He's feeling mighty sleepy in Grandpa's lap in this picture.

The festivities began to disband around 8 PM. We discovered our car was stuck in the mud, and all the men in the family tromped out into the wet and cold to solve that problem for us. Then off to the hotel for some quiet time with MIL, FIL, SIL and nephews before bed.

SUNDAY

Off to the holiday gathering at Grandpa & Grandma E's. Grandma (and helpers) had been cooking up a storm and we enjoyed beef with homemade noodles, her fabulous apple salad and all sorts of other good food for lunch. And off course we got our traditional plate of cookies and bucket of caramel & cinnamon popcorn to take with us when we left.

It was a much smaller gathering on this day, the only children being our 2 nephews, plus 10 adults. Still, that quite a few people in a small apartment! After gifts were opened, most of the adults played cards-- but I played with my newest nephew. A happier baby I have never met, I swear.

After leftovers for dinner, it was time for us to hit the road again...

... another 3 hours of driving to get to my hometown and family... More of the whirlwind trip on the way!

Whirlwind IowaTrip, part 1~ Traveling

2008-12-18T15:05:00.009-07:00

Our trip back to Iowa to visit family for the holidays was a real whirlwind this year-- I think this one was the shortest and fastest trip we've ever done. Want to come along on the journey?

FRIDAY PM

We left Friday night, almost as soon as Firehand got home from work. We had everything packed up the night before and just had to do a few last minute things and get our suitcases into the car and go. Sorry Howling Hill, the cranberry bread went with us...

Here we are, somewhere on the interstate between Sterling, CO & North Platte, NE. It's a mighty long drive, so I was entertaining myself by taking night photos of the lights as we drove.

Late night stop for gas. We were getting pretty tired by this point, but decided to drive a bit further. We finally stopped in Kearney, NE around 1 AM to get some sleep.

SATURDAY AM

On the road again the next morning... we stopped briefly at a truck stop outside Lincoln, NE to get something to drink and saw these old-fashioned gas pumps there.

Woo-hoo! Welcome to Iowa! Crossing the state line and the bridge over the Missouri River.

We stopped at the Iowa welcome center to use their wireless internet. We had to retrieve Firehand's cousin's new address from e-mail so that we could find her new house, which was where one of the family gatherings was being held this year. Still a couple more hours of driving until we get there, though.

Next up... family, family, family!

MMmmm... Cranberry Walnut Bread

2008-12-12T16:15:00.003-07:00

Made with fresh cranberries!

That's definitely good for a little Yuletide cheer. Oh yeah.

Feline Friday: Squished

2008-12-12T00:10:00.004-07:00

This does not quite look comfortuhbuls...

... but a little bit of head squish doesn't seem to be deterring Moose from his nap, so what do I know?

Song Title Meme

2008-12-09T15:11:00.012-07:00

Okay, so I found this meme over at Magic In These Hills a while back, and of course I have to do it and OF COURSE I choose Journey-- the Steve Perry years... what else? Duh.

Rules: Choose a singer/band/group.

Answer the following using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group.

1. Are you male or female? Walks Like a Lady

2. Describe yourself. Colors of the Spirit

3. What do people feel when they’re around you? Why Can't This Night Go On Forever (**ROFLMAO** sorry, couldn't resist!)

4. How would you describe your previous relationship? Don't Be Down on Me Baby

5. Describe your current relationship. Stone In Love

6. Where would you want to be now? Escape

7. How do you feel about love? It's a Natural Thing

8. What’s your life like? Sweet & Simple

9. What would you ask for if you had only one wish? Precious Time

10. Say something wise. Be Good to Yourself

Bah Humbug This Year

2008-12-09T12:55:00.003-07:00

Maybe. Maybe not.

We've been slow on acquiring the holiday spirit here at our house. For one, it's hard to think it's winter when the temps have been in the 50's. We have had snow a couple of times, but its melted within a day or two.

The only holiday decorating I've done so far is to put out the Yule wreath by the front door along with some silk poinsettias and our "Season's Greetings" sign. With having our upstairs so crowded with stuff from the downstairs, we have no room to put up our tree, even the smaller one. Not to mention, we can't reach the trees or ornaments because they are packed away downstairs while we've been rebuilding/refinishing the basement level. And it just seems like the house upstairs will feel even more cluttered if I put out holiday decorations. So I've been holding off.

But it would be nice to put a little bit of something Yule-ish out. I've been thinking maybe just the lighted garlands and giant pinecones and candles. Something really simple, from the box of stuff I *can* reach. Hmmm. Maybe. I'm thinking about it.

Surprise!

2008-12-08T18:35:00.004-07:00

My surprise from Beweaver arrived over the weekend! Isn't it gorgeous?!

Not long after Samhain, Beweaver posted her spirit photos for readers to interpret and gave out 3 prizes. I won 3rd prize for giving an answer that made her laugh, so I got a surprise gift in the mail-- this beautifully stitched wallet. I love it!

Being that I am so NOT a sewer, I am just fascinated by hand stitched and appliqued items and Beweaver makes some of the most lovely items I've ever seen. Her stitches are so tiny and even-- how does she do it? Check out her textiles page for more of her beautiful work.

Thank you, Beweaver!

Tarot for 2008~ 12th Moon

2008-12-01T14:40:00.006-07:00

The 12th cycle of the moon for this year began on November 27th. This is the moon cycle I've been apprehensive about, here's why:

Keywords/phrases from TP&S: chaos, shake things up, disruption, awakening, shock, havoc, major transformation, crisis, release from bondage, unavoidable change

Sound like fun? Yeah.

However, Tarot: Your Everyday Guide gives this insightful and helpful interpretation:

With this card, there is always the recognition that as traumatic as changes may be, they bring about the necessary end to something that is unsatisfactory, whether in one's personal life, or in one's greater social environment... If the Tower is about drastic, even catastrophic, changes, then the card read as advice to emulate suggests initiating such changes oneself.

Also: Consider where drastic changes need to be made in your life. The Tower has a lot to do with the toppling of structures, so a restructuring , or even total dismantling of certain systems may be in order. You must be flexible, imaginative, and prepared to let go of cherished beliefs and ways of doing things.

I've been hoping this card would only represent the chaos of balancing work with the holiday travel back to IA and all that entails, however, I have a sneaking suspicion that there is more to it than just that.

One possibility: I have had a tooth bothering me lately. I think that either an old filling is coming loose, or that there is a new cavity around it. At any rate, I need to go to the dentist, something I dread for many, many reasons. So much so, I've not gone to a dentist in aeons. As usual, I've been putting it off hoping I'm mistaken, but at this point, I'm sure I need to go. So I need to suck it up and find a dentist and go take care of myself.

Therefore, to help me motivate myself to do what I know I need to do, some empowering words from the Tarot Affirmations deck Tower card:

I am freedom from towering prisons of outworn defenses, habits and attitudes.

I am sudden disruptions in established routines that cause unexpected growth.

So be it!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T11:43:00.002-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American blogging friends! May the blessings and abundance of this celebration be upon you and your families!

I am thankful for:

my husband; he's funny, loving, kind, understanding and cuddly-- and handsome to boot
my marriage-- its not always been perfect or easy, but its better each year as the two of us share and grow together
my Moose-man! such a sweet kitty, such a great lump!
our house-- I'm thankful we have a house, a HOME, and are no longer renting; we can paint and personalize to our hearts content, as well as enjoy a yard to garden in and a patio to sit and relax
family-- wish they were closer, but they are only a phone call away
my spiritual path, spiritual guides & allies
friends-- new, old, bloggers, and those I haven't met yet
cinnamon rolls
trees, herbs, flowers
warm, fuzzy slippers
flannel sheets
candle light and candles
crock pot recipes
polymer clay-- and all art supplies!
being able to create with my hands and mind
the glorious color spectrum
good books to read... and re-read
fresh cranberries!
house plants
comfy new jeans
my Subaru Forester; it fits me just right, its safe, dependable, in good repair
a job I enjoy
commuting with my husband to work-- bonding time + saves gas!
my awesome camera
all our bills are paid each month
good music and the way it makes me feel when I listen to it
our president-elect
vintage china
down throw blankets
footstools
holiday baking opportunities
Swheat scoop cat litter
comfy pajamas for lounging in
being able to do laundry at home!
soups of all kinds
tarot decks
sunshiney days
much needed rain
yoga
alpaca wraps!
pashminas!
trade arrangements
Birkenstock shoes
felt tip pens/markers
crochet and all you can make with it
life in general

Value of Trade

2008-11-22T17:01:00.004-07:00

I'm becoming friends with a woman I've met at work. She noticed that I'm always FREEZING at work; I wear layers and have my coat draped over my knees and still am cold. Most days I'll bring my pashmina and wrap it around my shoulders and arms while I work, too.

Anyway, so she commented on my pashmina because she loved the color, and then told me about how if I liked shawl-type wraps that I should try alpaca because its really warm. She said she had an olive green alpaca shawl that she bought and never wore because it's too hot and she felt like she's drowning in it. She said she'd bring it in for me to see if I liked it and maybe we could work out a trade.

So yesterday she brought it in and I wore it during the afternoon. OH! So warm! Like, *immediately* warm. Better than wool. As soon as I wrapped it around me, I could feel the warmth rising in me. It was wonderful. And quite a lovely shawl, very simple but elegant-- green with a scalloped edge with fringe and a button to hold it shut. Fuzzy and warm, warm, warm! I told her I loved it.

Well, let's talk about trade, she says with a gleam in her eye. Yep, she definitely had something in mind. She knew I crocheted and what she really really really wants is... (drumroll please)...

a crocheted tea cozy!

That's it! Can you believe it!? I don't know why, she says, I've just always wanted one. I like the idea of them. And you're the first person I've met who could make me one. Her teapot? Round, 3-4 cup size, she wants something in blues. She drinks a ton of tea, in fact earlier this week I brought some special Red Bush Chai blend to share with her because I knew she'd appreciate it.

So. I'm scouring the 'net for a nice crocheted tea cozy pattern. I'm thinking maybe I'll make her a nice little set as a surprise... tea cozy, napkin ring, place mat or something like that.

I hope that will make a fair trade. I dunno, I'm new at this. But I like the idea of trading. Each of us gets something we really like and want. And it's nice to be able to give something that I created.

AWOL, Memes & More

2008-11-15T10:40:00.009-07:00

I've been AWOL this past week. Maybe it was noticed? Maybe not? My hours at work started up full-time again the day after Election Day, so now my days look more like this: long commutes, busy all day, tired in the evening and in bed early; which hasn't left me much time to do much of anything else, let alone blog. But it's good to be FT at work, and I'm enjoying my new project and meeting new people.

Playing catch up in the blogosphere this weekend!

First off, Talamuir, one of my very first blog friends, has tagged me for the Six Random Things meme and Kreativ blog award. Talamuir's blog was one of the very first pagan blogs I found way back when I started blogging years ago. We lost track of each other for a while, and recently reconnected, which makes me so happy. Visit her at her new place, Voices at Samhuinn and enjoy her lovely photography!

Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

I know I've done six random things in the past, but there are plenty of random things about me, so I'm going to share it some more!

I love to read historical fiction and non-fiction about the Tudor Period. I am fascinated with Anne Boleyn and her very tragic story-- and the other wives of Henry VIII. The great Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn's daughter, is also an intruiging woman.
I love vintage china and would love to collect it, but I don't see the purpose of having lots of stuff I don't use, so I mostly drool over it at antique stores and online. My favorite styles: anything chintz, especially in yellow/pink, and Clarice Cliff's Tonquin in mulberry. Looooove transferware and carnival glass, too.
I like to buy my books in trade paperback size. I carry them around in a zippered book cover during the time I'm reading them. I don't dog-ear pages or break the spine.
I've had the same pair of slippers since 1996. Firehand got them for me. They're warm, comfy sheepskin, all fuzzy inside. I wore off the fuzzy on the soles inside, so we had to buy new fleecy sole inserts about 6 years ago. It's about time for new inserts, again.
I love to crochet, but I am a "threadie"-- I don't crochet too much with yarn. I like making lace, doilies and such, instead. Especially floral motif doilies.
I took children's theatre classes when I was young and had many roles in theatre productions in junior high & high school, but I'd be terrified to be on stage nowadays. I don't know how I ever did it.

I've tagged six people in the past for this meme, but I've met some great creative people through Soul Coaching, so I'm going to tag a few more:

Jamie at Starshyne Productions because she is so inspiring and brings out the best in all that she touches.

Genie Sea at Reality Insanity* fierce and open sharing and beautiful digital tarot art collages.

Aurora at Foxy Art Studio inspiring quotes, lovely knitting projects and creative, honest journaling pages.

Also, my sweet friend Nydia at Bringing Up Salamandars nominated me for the "Love Your Blog" Award! Thank you! Along with the award comes this fun (or, if you're wordy like me, challenging) little meme where you have to answer the following questions with one-word responses.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Where is your significant other? desk

3. Your hair color? red

4. Your mother? inspiring

5. Your father? bearded

6. Your favorite thing? reading

7. Your dream last night? none

8. Your dream/goal? creating

9. The room you’re in? living

10. Your hobby? crafting

11. Your fear? many

12. Where do you want to be in six years? content

13. Where were you last night? pumphouse

14. What you’re not? slender

15. One of your wish list items? tarot

16. Where you grew up? Iowa

17. The last thing you did? potty

18. What are you wearing? pajamas

19. Your T.V.? off

20. Your pet? Moose

21. Your computer? emachine

22. Your mood? positive

23. Missing someone? Claire

24. Your car? Forrester

25. Something you’re not wearing? bra

26. Favorite store? craft

27. Your Summer? dry

28. Love someone? totally

29. Your favorite color? green

30. When is the last time you laughed? evening

31. Last time you cried? Sunday

Tarot & My NEW Etsy Store

2008-11-08T16:24:00.006-07:00

My tarot card for this moon cycle is The Empress (3). Little did I know just how appropriate this card was going to be when I drew it last January for my new year's spread.

Keywords/phrases from TP&S: mother, fruitfulness, healing, prosperity, creativity, productive action, abundance. Now is the time to express creative instincts in productive action; any kind of artistic endeavor will prosper.

Why is this card so perfect for me right now? Well, the new moon cycle began on October 28th and that's when I began putting together my listings for my **new** Etsy store, which is NOW OPEN!

I am never more content, balanced and focused than I am when I am creating. It is a meditation for me and a banquet for my senses. I love creating beautiful items and it has been a goal for the past year or so for me to create enough pretty, unique and useful things that I could open an Etsy store and share my creations with others who will hopefully enjoy them, too.

This week I've realized that goal and I'm excited! I'd love to have you visit my new shop and share the excitement with me.

It's Here

2008-11-03T17:18:00.003-07:00

And it's been framed and hung and it's just fabulous!

What am I talking about? The beautiful print by Emily Balivet that I won during Mrs. B's 31 Days of Halloween contest.

I had the perfect place to put it, right over my work area in my craft room. And being a tarot reader, I love that its theme is "psychic fortunes." It's a beautiful print!

Thank you so much Emily Balivet, for the artwork, and Mrs. B for hosting a fabulous contest the entire month of October!

Please Hold...

2008-11-02T19:30:00.004-07:00

... I am experiencing technical difficulties in setting up my Etsy shop, but continuing to work on getting it all figured out and put together...

... in the meantime... let's just take a nice, deep breath and enjoy a Steve Perry moment...

Well. I don't know about you, but *I* certainly feel a little bit better...

Our Front Stoop, Samhain Night

2008-10-31T23:53:00.006-06:00

Samhain Blessings

2008-10-30T23:17:00.010-06:00

Usually for Samhain I will put together a special ancestor altar to remember my ancestors known and unknown and also family members who have died during my lifetime. But this year I just left my family altar as it usually looks:

I did, however, put up a special altar in remembrance of my sweet calico Claire, who died earlier this year. I printed some of my favorite pictures of her for the altar; the box contains her ashes and the little pink heart has her footprint. After I lit the candles and sat with the altar awhile, I realized I would give anything just to hold my baby girl on my lap again and smell her warm kitty smell. I cried for a little while, because I miss her company and her attitude so much. She was such a good friend to me.

Tomorrow, on Halloween night, when I put an apple out on our doorstep as food for the dead who are journeying to the Otherworld, I will also put out the last can of Claire's cat food in one of her little pink dishes, too, just in case her spirit passes by. If not, I know the neighborhood cats will enjoy it.

Spend a little time this Samhain remembering those you've lost... they live on in our memories-- even beloved pets. Blessed Samhain.

The Year Was 1986

2008-10-29T14:01:00.008-06:00

Firehand and I have been listening to the XM radio 80's channel for weeks now on digital cable and it's been a total blast from the past. Lots of Huey Lewis & the News, the Bangles, Bon Jovi, Lionel Richie, Hall & Oates, INXS-- even some Squeeze! They even play old American Top 40's from the 80's. I once sent in a Long Distance Dedication that made it on the air; if we ever hear that particular countdown, I'll die of embarrassment. It was sappy as hell. We listen to XM 80's almost every evening.

SOOooOOo... when I saw this music meme over at Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, I had to see what came up for me:

The Rules:

A.) Go to Music Outfitters.

B.) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year.

C.) Bold the songs you like, strike through the ones you REALLY hate.

AND, just 'cuz I can, I'm adding color to the ones I absolutely adored and still do.

SAY HELLO TO 1986:

1. ~~That's What Friends Are For, Dionne Warwick, Elton John, and Gladys Knight~~
2. ~~Say You, Say Me, Lionel Richie~~
3. I Miss You, Klymaxx
4. On My Own , Patti Labelle and Michael McDonald
5. Broken Wings, Mr. Mister
6. ~~How Will I Know, Whitney Houston~~
7. Party All The Time, Eddie Murphy
8. Burning Heart, Survivor
9. Kyrie, Mr. Mister
10. Addicted To Love, Robert Palmer
11. ~~Greatest Love Of All, Whitney Houston~~
12. ~~Secret Lovers, Atlantic Starr~~
13. Friends And Lovers, Carl Anderson and Gloria Loring
14. Glory Of Love, Peter Cetera
15. ~~West End Girls, Pet Shop Boys~~
16. There'll Be Sad Songs, Billy Ocean
17. Alive And Kicking, Simple Minds
18. Never, Heart
19. Kiss, Prince and The Revolution
20. Higher Love, Steve Winwood
21. Stuck With You, Huey Lewis and The News
22. Holding Back The Years, Simply Red
23. Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel
24. ~~Sara, Starship~~
25. Human, Human League
26. I Can't Wait, Nu Shooz
27. Take My Breath Away, Berlin
28. Rock Me Amadeus, Falco
29. Papa Don't Preach, Madonna
30. You Give Love A Bad Name, Bon Jovi
31. When The Going Gets Tough, Billy Ocean
32. When I Think Of You, Janet Jackson
33. These Dreams, Heart
34. Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone), Glass Tiger
35. Live To Tell, Madonna
36. ~~Mad About You, Belinda Carlisle~~
37. Something About You, Level 42
38. Venus, Bananarama
39. ~~Dancing On The Ceiling, Lionel Richie~~
40. Conga, Miami Sound Machine
41. True Colors, Cyndi Lauper
42. Danger Zone, Kenny Loggins
43. What Have You Done For Me Lately, Janet Jackson
44. No One Is To Blame, Howard Jones
45. Let's Go All The Way, Sly Fox
46. I Didn't Mean To Turn You On, Robert Palmer
47. Words Get In The Way, Miami Sound Machine
48. Manic Monday, Bangles
49. ~~Walk Of Life, Dire Straits~~
50. Amanda, Boston
51. Two Of Hearts, Stacey Q
52. Crush On You, Jets
53. If You Leave, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
54. Invisible Touch, Genesis
55. The Sweetest Taboo, Sade
56. What You Need, INXS
57. Talk To Me, Stevie Nicks
58. Nasty, Janet Jackson
59. Take Me Home Tonight, Eddie Money
60. We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off, Jermaine Stewart
61. All Cried Out, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam With Full Force
62. Your Love, Outfield
63. I'm Your Man, Wham!
64. Perfect Way, Scritti Politti
65. Living In America, James Brown
66. R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A., John Cougar Mellencamp
67. Who's Johnny, El Debarge
68. Word Up, Cameo
69. Why Can't This Be Love, Van Halen
70. ~~Silent Running, Mike + The Mechanics~~
71. Typical Male, Tina Turner
72. Small Town, John Cougar Mellencamp
73. Tarzan Boy, Baltimora
74. All I Need Is A Miracle, Mike + The Mechanics
75. Sweet Freedom, Michael McDonald
76. True Blue, Madonna
77. Rumors, Timex Social Club
78. Life In A Northern Town, Dream Academy
79. ~~Bad Boy, Miami Sound Machine~~
80. ~~Sleeping Bag, ZZ Top~~
81. Tonight She Comes, Cars
82. Love Touch, Rod Stewart
83. A Love Bizarre, Sheila E.
84. Throwing It All Away, Genesis
85. Baby Love, Regina
86. Election Day, Arcadia
87. Nikita, Elton John
88. Take Me Home, Phil Collins
89. Walk This Way, Run-D.M.C.
90. Sweet Love, Anita Baker
91. ~~Your Wildest Dreams, Moody Blues~~
92. Spies Like Us, Paul McCartney
93. Object Of My Desire, Starpoint
94. Dreamtime, Daryl Hall
95. Tender Love, Force M.D.'s
96. King For A Day, Thompson Twins
97. Love Will Conquer All, Lionel Richie
98. A Different Corner, George Michael
99. I'll Be Over You, Toto
100. Go Home, Stevie Wonder

As you can see, I was a total 80's child. I liked almost everything. Lionel Richie got pretty overplayed and so did Madonna, though, which accounts for my dislike of them. I also was not swept up in the whole Tom Cruise/Top Gun mania that was so big that year, barf. Like barf out, totally! Fer shure! But I absolutely adored Level 42 and The Outfield-- in fact, I have them on (ahem) cassette and play 'em when I'm driving my car, even now!

Happy, Happy

2008-10-28T17:06:00.003-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
LITTLE BRO!!!

Okay, so he's not quite as little as this anymore, but wasn't he a cutie-patootie as a baby? This year he's 37! Wish I could be with him to help celebrate.

Love you, Little Bro!

To Tempt You

2008-10-26T18:35:00.016-06:00

I have been saying for almost a year now that I'm going to open an etsy store. Well, it's about to become a reality! I plan to start listing items next weekend. Thought I'd give a little preview of some things that will be available...

All sorts of rune necklaces...

Herbal rune sets...

Scarab pendant necklaces...

Moon necklaces...

... and earrings...

... polymer clay votive holders with etched votives...

... boxes with intricately designed polymer tiles on the lids...

... and more! Hope you'll come visit my etsy store INTO THE DAWN DESIGNS when I open next weekend-- and perhaps you'll find something to tempt you.

Six MORE Things

2008-10-25T18:18:00.005-06:00

Look what the lovely Mrs. B gave me-- a blog award! Thanks Mrs. B!

In accepting this award, I need to share six things that I love and then pass the award on to six blogs I love reading. So here goes:

Flannel sheets are wonderful. I say this because it's that time of year for putting them on the bed. It makes sleeping so snuggly warm and cozy.

I love tarot decks; I think they are fascinating. I love the psychology of tarot and seeing the different interpretations of all the archetypes. They are also like little mini-collections of art.

Felt-tip pens. They remind me of my grandma, she always had lots of felt-tip pens and would draw all sorts of intricate patterns and pictures with them. I treated myself to a set of felt-tip pens for journaling and I use them all the time.

My craft/Craft room. I love having my own space for creativity and spirituality. I love the colors of my room, it's warm and inspiring; and I love having all my books and altars and craft supplies all in one space where I can lose myself in creativity.

Cats. I love our Moose-man, he is such a sweet boy. I am making friends with all the neighborhood cats, too, and whenever we go to a pet store, I always find a cat I wish we could adopt. I'd have a half dozen, if Moose would allow me. Unfortunately, he is not willing to share his humans.

Herbs. I love them. I love having an herb garden, I love growing my own lavender, rosemary, chamomile, lemon balm, calendula... I love the smell of them, the feel of them, the look of them and the taste of them. I love using them in sachets or cooking or incense or teas...

I'm going to choose from my blogroll both here and at my craft blog, Into the Dawn for passing along this award:

What I Made Today- something new every day! A new favorite read.
The Long Thread- a blog about handcrafted goods in the age of mass production--another new favorite.
Skyclad Crafting- A wonderful pagan artist, specializing in unique wood crafts.
Weaving the Web- Creative and straight from the heart.
Enchanted Gypsy Travel Diaries- A nomadic family traveling the US in their converted school bus home run on veggie oil. She's a wonderful needle-felting artist, too!
Suzie's Sacred Space- Creative writing, photography, and more.

Feline Friday: Mr. Neuroses

2008-10-24T17:11:00.007-06:00

I say that my cat is neurotic, and some of you may think I'm exaggerating, but I swear to you I'm not. Let me tell you a big, long Moose story and you will see just how strange he is.

First of all, Moose appears to have no "off" button when it comes to eating. If we put a bowl of food out with his entire daily serving, he will eat and eat and eat until its all gone and still think he's hungry, so he'll scream and scream and scream for more food. If you ignore him, he will get sulky and do things like stomp all over your head and knock stuff off the table tops. His favorite time to do this is all night long, while you are trying to sleep.

We finally hit on a solution-- part A) he was put on a high-fiber cat food that bulks up in his belly and helps him feel full and part B) he's on an automatically timed food dish that goes off 5 times a day and gives him a measure of food. The dish is set so he gets fed at (approximately) 6 pm, 10 pm, 2 am, 9 am and 2 pm. This has been working pretty well for the past 7 years.

The new problem became-- Moose has an internal clock. I think most cats do. However, add internal clock with Moose's OCD and you have him becoming verrrrrrrry upset when his dish doesn't go off when he knows it should. And he will tell us about it. Loudly. Constantly. He will lead us to the dish and point it out. Frequently. Until it goes off. Or we make it go off. We have learned to live with this.

However, he has recently developed a couple of new issues. The first one being-- he knows WHICH section of his dish is supposed to be open at WHAT time. So if his 2 pm feeding still has food at 6 pm, he won't eat it, because its the wrong food for that time. He wants his 6 pm serving, not the rest of his 2 pm serving. He is very particular on this point.

He has also decided that what he likes best is to eat when we eat. He loves supper time when we are all in the kitchen together, eating. He likes eating lunch when I eat lunch, he will often even save his food so that he can eat when I am in the kitchen eating. At 10 pm he will cry and lead us to his dish. "Moose, you HAVE food!" we've been telling him. Yet he cries and leads us to his dish a half dozen times. Often, if we gave him some lovin' he would then eat. But recently that hasn't been working. It took us a while, but we finally figured it out. He wants us to BE WITH HIM while he eats, whether we're eating or not. He evidently thinks he needs the company or he can't properly digest, or something.

So last night, Firehand sat out in the kitchen at 10 pm and read so that Moose could eat. Yes, Moose owns us. Problem is, I think he's beginning to figure it out. We are in so much trouble.

Six Random Things Meme

2008-10-24T00:13:00.007-06:00

Livia Indica from Magic In These Hills has tagged me to share six random things about myself.

The rules are:

1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Okay, lets see if I can entertain you...

My feet are so small that I could not find women's heels that fit to wear for my high school prom and had to wear children's size dress flats. I still have a terrible time finding shoes that fit, which is why I prefer to wear Birkenstocks-- even though I wear an odd size, they always fit right.
I pretty much refuse to wear anything black. When I was younger I liked wearing black and white together and I still wear white now, but not black. It's just too... black.
Back in the '80's, I offended actor Richard Gere by loudly exclaiming “Oh my god, he’s SO SHORT” in his presence when I first saw him (he gave me a dirty look). He was making a film called "Miles From Home" in and around my home town at the time. Never heard of it? Most people haven't.
I have dated 3 Davids: one died, the second one mysteriously disappeared (I had nothing to do with either of those occurrences, btw-- just sayin') and the third one I married. (I also dated 2 Joes and 2 Mikes.)
I said "No' the first three times my husband asked me to marry him. I'm glad he asked one more time!
I have a degree in psychology and my all time favorite job was doing research for the Institute for Social & Behavioral Research. I'd love to do more behavioral research, it's fascinating.

In no particular order, I tag:

Nydia at Bringing Up Salamanders (let Lucas help you with this one!)
Sacred Suzie at Suzie's Sacred Space (maybe she can do it when she's back from vacation)
MrsB at Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom (go wish her Get Well Soon)
Peppylady at Peppylady's Almost Prefect World (check out her Skywatch posts-- lovely photos)
Willow at Ramblings of a Witch (and stop by her lovely shop Goldentree Wands, too)

Weekend In Pictures

2008-10-20T17:03:00.004-06:00

I am the sanding bandit! We did some sanding of the walls downstairs to smooth plaster from mudding. What a mess! Plaster dust everywhere! We were coated white-- if you look close, you can see it in my hair, on my face and shirt. I had to use a bandana for a face mask to keep from breathing in all the dust. We went outside afterwards and dusted each other off before we went into the main part of the house. I'll be so happy when this step of the work is done.

Had Firehand do some "modeling" of my rune pendant necklaces. I'm taking pictures for my etsy store. I've been trying to work up the courage to open an etsy store for--- oh, ages now. Nydia has recently become my cheerleader on this subject! Thanks, girlfriend!

Have been making sure the feeder is full for the birds. Here's a cute little finch who stopped by for dinner. Look how plump and colorful he is! I love finches.

Not pictured: We rented a few movies this weekend. Sweeny Todd (dark, gruesome and a musical, I've been wanting to see it for ages), Grace Has Gone (wonderful and sad film about a man who loses his wife in the Iraq war and is unable to figure out how to tell his young daughters), and The Golden Compass (intriguing fantasy with lots of moral/ethical questions). Firehand also watched Beowulf.

The Golden Compass was sort of filmed in a way that was confusing if you were not familiar with the story. The book is almost always better than the movie, so when we were at the bookstore this weekend, we got the GC trilogy to read. Looking forward to it.

Window Ledge Shrine

2008-10-16T14:12:00.005-06:00

Our house has these wonderfully wide window ledges which are at chest level, perfect space for Moose to sit and watch out the window-- or, perfect for a little window ledge shrine. I recently cleaned and redid mine; thought I'd share pictures.

This is the window ledge that is above my devotions altar in my craft room. From the left side you see a polished geode bookend (I believe its Botswana agate), a blue banded agate, white and rose quartz, a banded green onyx bowl full of polished stones, an amethyst cluster and a statue of the Dreaming Goddess of Malta.

Next is a white onyx bowl of soil from Iowa, a statue of the monkey god Hanuman, deer antler, green calcite, small piece of petrified wood in front of a river stone from Cape Fear river, abalone shell with sage smudge, Iowa geode behind an aqua aura cluster, clear quartz cluster, another agate geode and (cut off on the edge of the photo) a piece of flint.

The stones and crystals have been collected over the years. Some were gifts. The Iowa geode is half of a whole stone that was one of my very first, given to me by my uncle when I was young. It may very well be the rock that got me interested in collecting; I was fascinated by it and spent lots of time playing with the two halves (the other half is on another altar, in case you're wondering), fitting them together to make a perfect, round, dull grey rock and then opening them up to see the glittering magic inside.

The Dreaming Goddess of Malta is very symbolic for me. She not only represents dreams to me, but walking between the worlds and peaceful sleep, and hope. Not much is actually known about her, which makes her a wonderfully mysterious archetype. I was first introduced to Hanuman in college when I read Ramayana. He is a noble warrior and the most loyal and loving of friends.

I like having this small shrine here on the ledge because it seems to bring good energy into the room through the window. The early evening sun catches on the stones and crystals and adds a touch of magic each evening, too.

SPC~ Mirrors Week #3

2008-10-14T12:20:00.004-06:00

This month's Self-Portrait Challenge made me realize that we only have two mirrors in our house-- one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom:

So here's me, straight from the shower and squeaky clean.

Steam on the bathroom mirror after my shower is a rare thing. I'm not like Firehand, who loves hot, hot showers and then sits in the steamy bathroom afterward for as long as he can. He adores saunas and hot tubs, too.

But not me. Hot, humid air is my idea of one of the outer rings of hell. I gasp like a fish out of water. I feel positively stifled. I like warm showers and then as soon as I'm toweled off, I have to fling open the bathroom door and let all the hot air out. I love the blast of cool air when I open the door, it energizes me. Then I'm ready for the day.

For more mirror photos, visit this week's Self-Portrait Challenge.

DV Awareness~ Lindsay Ann Burke Act

2008-10-10T14:11:00.009-06:00

From the Associated Press:

RI Schools Required to Teach About Dating Violence
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. - Ann Burke saw signs of trouble with her daughter's boyfriend.

He'd incessantly call her at night, keep her from her family, and, ultimately, physically abuse her during a tumultuous relationship that ended with her death three years ago.

Burke's 23-year-old daughter, Lindsay, may not have understood the dynamics of an abusive relationship, but her death is helping to ensure that other young people do.

A new law in Rhode Island called the Lindsay Ann Burke Act requires all public middle and high schools to teach students about dating violence in their health classes.

The initiative was spearheaded by Burke and her husband, Chris, who say schools should be obligated to teach teens the warning signs of abusive relationships and broach the subject head-on so victims feel empowered to get help and leave violent partners.

"If this could happen to her, this could happen to anyone," said Ann Burke, a health teacher who runs a memorial fund to raise money for dating violence workshops for parents and educators.
Read the rest of this article HERE.

This is an excellent act and I am glad to see that middle schools, not just high schools, are included in the education. When I was in junior high, I was already experiencing inappropriate behavior from boys including physical abuse (bruises on my wrists from being grabbed and forced when refusing to comply to demands regarding sexual touching), sexual abuse (incessant uninvited groping of my breasts by a boy on the school bus) and emotional abuse (threats of suicide/self-harm if I did not comply with demands for sexual stimulation)-- all of which left me bewildered, fearful and eroded my sense of self-worth. I can't believe that I was the only girl at my middle school who was experiencing these sorts of behaviors, especially considering the boys who were involved, who were quite popular.

WAYS TO IDENTIFY DATING VIOLENCE:

Dating violence is a pattern of controlling behaviors that one partner uses to get power over the other, and it includes:

Any kind of physical violence or threat of physical violence to get control
Emotional or mental abuse, such as playing mind games, making you feel crazy, or constantly putting you down or criticizing you
Sexual abuse, including making you do anything you don’t want to, refusing to have safe sex or making you feel badly about yourself sexually

Early warning signs that your date may eventually become abusive:

Extreme jealousy

Controlling behavior

Quick involvement

Unpredictable mood swings

Alcohol and drug use

Explosive anger

Isolates you from friends and family

Uses force during an argument

Shows hypersensitivity

Believes in rigid sex roles

Blames others for his problems or feelings

Cruel to animals or children

Verbally abusive

Abused former partners

Threatens violence

Does your boyfriend/girlfriend:

Have a history of bad relationships or past violence; always blames his/her problems on other people; or blames you for “making” him/her treat you badly?
Try to use drugs or alcohol to coerce you or get you alone when you don’t want to be?
Try to control you by being bossy, not taking your opinion seriously or making all of the decisions about who you see, what you wear, what you do, etc.?
Talk negatively about people in sexual ways or talk about sex like it’s a game or contest?

Do you:

Feel less confident about yourself when you’re with him/her?
Feel scared or worried about doing or saying “the wrong thing?”
Find yourself changing your behavior out of fear or to avoid a fight?

Does your partner:

Embarrass you with put-downs?
Look at you or act in ways that scare you?
Control what you do, who you see or talk to or where you go?
Stop you from seeing your friends or family members?
Take your money or Social Security check, make you ask for money or refuse to give you money?
Make all of the decisions?
Tell you that you’re a bad parent or threaten to take away or hurt your children?
Prevent you from working or attending school?
Act like the abuse is no big deal, it’s your fault, or even deny doing it?
Destroy your property or threaten to kill your pets?
Intimidate you with guns, knives or other weapons?
Shove you, slap you, choke you, or hit you?
Force you to try and drop charges?
Threaten to commit suicide?
Threaten to kill you?

If you answered 'yes' to even one of these questions, you may be in an abusive relationship.

More information on dating violence can be found at the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Attack of the Pods

2008-10-09T19:53:00.010-06:00

Remember when I posted pictures of our tree in bloom? Well, now the flowers have turned to "fruit"-- or in this case, pods. They are everywhere! The pods grow so thick and heavy that the branches of our tree begin to bow down.

I'm showing my Iowa upbringing by saying this, but they look similar to soybeans. Only not fuzzy and not growing in a field. That's how I remembering eating soybeans, right out in the field. Here in Colorado, soybeans are popular served as an appetizer in the sushi restaurants and are called by the fancy name edamame instead (the price is fancy, too). But I digress...

Our pod/beans are eaten by the squirrels. The squirrels leap from the neighbor's elm tree onto our roof, gallop across the roof and leap onto our tree, collect the pods and gallop back across the roof to go store them away. All day long. THUMP! Ba-dum-ba-dum-ba-dum ba-dum ba-dum...

That's what autumn sounds like around here.

Fun with Shaving

2008-10-07T23:26:00.007-06:00

Firehand decided to shave off his full beard at long last, but not before we had a little bit of fun with the process.

Presenting Firehand as a young married Amish man:

Shave a little more, and you have Firehand as Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine:

But wait, there's more! Shave some nice sideburns and you have Firehand as David Tennant (swoon!) as the 10th Dr. Who:

I begged Firehand to keep the 'burns, but to no avail... guess I'll have to continue to sigh over David Tennant...

Tarot for 2008~ 10th Moon

2008-10-06T13:43:00.004-06:00

Last Monday (9/29) was the new moon, and my card for this moon cycle is the 6 of Cups.

Keywords and phrases from TP&S: good old days, old friends, innocence, family visit, renewing old ties, emotional renewal. This card advises that it is important to recover and deal with old memories.

Tarot: Your Everyday Guide notes that this card encourages creative and artistic activities and lifestyles, re-experiencing the pleasures of childhood, and setting emotional riches and quality of life as a main priority in your life.

Six of Cups also is concerned with those things from childhood or the past that have negative influence on our lives today, clinging to idealizations from younger years, and being trapped and obsessed with memories and emotions caused by childhood victimization. This card advises, "... when our hearts or minds are in the past, our energy is also in the past. This loss of vitality prevents us from living in our bodies and grasping the pleasures of the moment." Therefore, 6 of Cups says to put away the past and focus on creating a beautiful and fulfilling life in the present.

October is DV Awareness Month

2008-10-05T17:52:00.002-06:00

It seems that each October there is more and more promotion for breast cancer awareness and pink ribbon products are hugely prevalent everywhere one goes… but I, personally, would just like to take the time right now to let everyone know that OCTOBER IS ALSO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.

DID YOU KNOW?

One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
Females who are at the age of 20-24 are at the greatest risk for intimate partner violence.
One in six women and one in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape.
One in 12 women and one in 45 men will be stalked in their lifetime.
An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year.
The majority (73%) of family violence victims are female. Females were 84% of spousal abuse victims and 86% of abuse victims at the hands of a boyfriend.
Almost one-third of female homicide victims that are reported in police records are killed by an intimate partner.
Domestic Violence is one of the chronically most under reported crimes. Only approximately one-quarter of all physical assaults, one-fifth of all rapes and one-half of all stalkings perpetuated against females by intimate partners are reported to the police.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

WEAR A PURPLE RIBBON AND TELL PEOPLE WHY YOU DO. Purple is the color for Domestic Violence Awareness. Wear purple ribbons to bring national awareness to the issues faced by battered women, men and their children.

DONATE A PHONE. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has partnered with the Wireless Foundation for over 7 years through the CALL TO PROTECT program which was created to provide victims of Domestic Violence who may encounter emergency situations with free cells phones for that use. The collection of deactivated cell and wireless phones for this purpose has literally saved hundreds of lives over the course of the partnership. In addition to phones being distributed for emergency use, proceeds from the sale of phones not utilized for emergency use help fund agencies that work to end violence in the home, such as the NCADV. NCADV would greatly appreciate your old cell phone– CLICK HERE if you would like to donate your used wireless phone.

DONATE A CAR. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence & 1-800-CHARITY CARS: if you would like to donate a vehicle and have 100% of the proceeds used to support the NCADV, please CLICK HERE to access the 1-800-CHARITY CARS website.

Mabon Celebration

2008-09-22T17:56:00.000-06:00

I (and the majority of the Spoons) celebrated Mabon on Friday evening by assisting Amaset at her first Earth Temple ritual. She has been planning the ritual for months and it was very well done! Amaset works primarily with the Egyptian pantheon, so the ritual focused on Ma’at and her scales of balance. This was my first time attending an Egyptian-based rite, so it was very interesting.

The altar was lovely, all black and gold, with statues of Anubis and Ma’at, a set of amber glass scales and various other ritual items with an Egyptian theme. I wish I had a picture of it to share, but I don’t think a photo would do it justice.

I helped smudge people as they entered sacred space and then helped pass apples out to everyone in circle. We used the apples to cast circle, a very cool idea, I thought. I also called south for the circle casting, not the quarter I usually choose, so that felt a bit different. Anubis and Ma’at were invoked, Amaset talked about the autumn equinox, Ma’at and her relationship to balance and then we did a meditation where we met Ma’at. After the meditation we used information from it to determine what we wanted to attract or banish in our life right now and prepared the appropriate colored candles for burning on the actual equinox. We raised energy and then had cakes and ale (pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and homemade grape juice!) and opened circle.

It was a lovely ritual and well done; I think it was well received by the community. Amaset was given some real positive feedback and at least a couple people were interested in contacting her about more Egyptian ritual in the future.

My candle from the ritual is on my altar and I plan on burning it this evening, along with some sort of simple ritual.

May your life be filled with balance on this fall equinox!

Mudding & Laundry

2008-09-16T17:58:00.000-06:00

That’s what I have been doing for the past two weekends– mudding the walls downstairs and doing laundry.

I’ve never done mudding before and it is hard work. But I’ve learned a lot about how to do it just by doing it– slapping it on, spreading it out, scraping it down. I’ve learned that corner trowels DON’T work for making nice, neat corners; so I’ve learned how to make corners without ‘em. I’ve learned that when you’re short, mudding requires that you have a variety of at least 2-3 step-stools or ladders handy for reaching high places. I’ve also learned that when your hands are covered in mud from scraping out the bottom of the container, it’s best to just wipe ‘em on your shirt. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that you shouldn’t mud the ceiling with your mouth hanging open. Something could fall in, and it wouldn’t be very tasty.

And while I’ve been doing all this learning with mud, I’ve been doing laundry at the same time. Laundry, AT HOME! Hallelujah! At long last! It’s only been FOUR MONTHS since I’ve had the privilege. There were a couple of times where I thought I was going to be able to do laundry at home, only to be appalled by water back-up when the washer drained between cycles. So, here comes the plumber, YET AGAIN, (”I’m getting to know your place like the back of my hand,” he says) and we determine that construction debris and some roots from the tree in the front yard are clogging our line, which he cleans out so thoroughly that he gives us a one-year warranty on the work. And just for good measure, he caps off the toilet access in the downstairs bathroom for now, until we can get the stool put back in, and he has us “shock” our sewer line with copper sulfate something-or-other to kill off any remaining roots. And NOW, finally, I can do laundry at home! Which is good, because it was reaching critical mass.

So, as of this past weekend, we have achieved our 3rd (and hopefully, last) coat of mud on the walls, and all my laundry is caught up. We celebrated on Sunday by having our traditional Sunday bagel breakfast, followed by a trip to the bookstore, which we haven’t done in ages.

Next up: sanding the walls, most likely.

Tarot for 2008~ 9th Moon

2008-09-05T17:59:00.001-06:00

Only a week into the moon’s cycle, but this moon’s card, the 10 of Pentacles, is already quite fitting:

Keywords/phrases from TP&S: material abundance, family support, tradition, comfort, financial security, family matters, salary increase, concern about parent, inheritance, major life transitions

I think all the basement work and help from the in-laws is directly related to this card, wouldn’t you say?

Tarot: Your Everyday Guide explores the family connection in this way:

If you need help with a matter in question, whether emotional, financial or otherwise, this card advises looking to your family and extended family network for help It implies that your family has the resources you need. Think about how you can later add something to your family’s resources by way of repayment.

Also mentioned is “kin-keeping”– ways of staying in touch with family and keeping the lines of communication open, as well as honoring family traditions. It is interesting that the book brings this up, as MIL told us the only repayment she wanted for helping with the basement was for us to remember their birthdays and anniversary with a call or card– something the book specifically mentions in relation to the 10 of Pentacles!

Last Thursday vs. Today

2008-09-02T18:01:00.003-06:00

Firehand’s parents were here for five days helping us put up drywall, mud and tape down in the basement. We actually have rooms again! Here are some pictures to compare and contrast, starting with the family room before:

And after…

Bathroom walls and framed-in shower with new shower pan before…

And after (below)… Installing the shower has been a bit tricky because of the window in the way, which is why it’s not quite finished being walled in yet. The contractor had to frame the shower stall around the window. The minus side to this is that there is a shelf in the shower stall, to the right, below the window. The plus side is that Firehand did an excellent job creating a slight slope to the shelf so that it will drain and not collect water. Because the slope is so slight, the shelf will still be handy to use for holding soap and shampoo bottles.

Also, we now have a little bathroom storage space, where before, when there was a tub/shower, there was none. MIL suggested installing shelves that slide in and out, since the space is narrow and deep, to maximize use of the space. I think it’s a great idea and we’re going to look into how to accomplish this once we get that far along in the building process.

Here we are with the laundry room before (looking through into the bathroom in the first picture)…

And after drywall installation… You may notice that we only did the mud and taping halfway down the wall; that’s because we have another idea for the lower half of the wall, more pics later when that project is completed.

And last, but absolutely not least, our shiny new support post, right where its supposed to be, holding up the house:

And here it is again, hidden in the new walls of the guest room (to the left of the doorway):

Now we just have to mud everything at least 2 more times, sand, prime, texture and paint! And then new carpet, new baseboards, new doors framed and hung, vinyl in the laundry room and bathroom, tile the shower stall, get a new sink and vanity cabinet installed, install the toilet again, install a shower door, finished the new bathroom storage space… yeah, its gonna be a while… and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things that need done, too…

But we made excellent progress! It’s beginning to look ever so much better!

Blossoming

2008-08-26T18:02:00.000-06:00

About 2 weeks ago, the tree in our front yard started to blossom:

Every day, whenever we leave the house or return, hundreds of little white petals float through the air and swirl all around us. It’s rather like a fantasy, reminds me of that 80’s movie with Tom Cruise and Mia Sara– remember Legend? And for the first half hour of the movie, wherever they went, little flower petals were magically wafting through the air, dancing in the sunbeams…

Yeah, it’s kinda been like that around here…

SPC~ Get Your Shine On #3

2008-08-19T18:05:00.000-06:00

In the late afternoon/early evening, the sun shines directly in through my kitchen window, reflecting off the floor, the walls and even the refrigerator, making the entire room glow.

And as of this past weekend, the sun has a brand-new fridge to light up…

Our old fridge had been making the most horrible squealing noise off and on for at least the past six months or so. It would squeal and grind for a couple of hours and we’d beg it to hang in there for a while longer– refrigerators are expensive!– and it would stop squealing eventually and continue to run just fine.

Until this past week. It became clear that our fridge was gasping its last breath. It would only stop squealing if I came over and gave it a good solid thump; 30 seconds later, it would begin again. Our fridge was so ancient, we couldn’t even find parts for our particular model so that we could try to fix it.

So we spent 2 days pricing refrigerators at the home improvement and scratch-and-dent discount appliance stores. This is the one we ended up choosing. And since the plumber was at our house this weekend doing work for us anyway, we decided to ask just how difficult it would be to have a hook-up installed in the kitchen for an ice-maker in the new fridge. Not difficult at all, says he.

And so, for the first time ever in my life, I not only have a shiny NEW refrigerator, I also have an automatic ice maker. So luxurious! I feel extremely pampered.

To see more interpretations on the theme “Get Your Shine On” visit this week’s Self-Portrait Challenge.

Currently Reading~ To the Tower Born

2008-08-17T18:06:00.000-06:00

A book about the two lost princes of York, a sad and still unsolved mystery which made possible the chain of events which led to the beginning of the Tudor era. The only other historical fiction novel I’ve read so far that has explored this mystery is The Sunne In Splendour: A Novel of Richard III by Sharon Kay Penman, so I was very interested to find another one with a new theory on what could have happened to the young nephews of Richard III.

From the back cover:

To The Tower Born: A Novel of the Lost Princes by Robin Maxwell

In 1483, Edward and Richard of York– Edward, by law, already King of England– were placed for their protection before Edward’s coronation, in the Tower of London by their uncle Richard. Within months the boys disappeared without a trace, and for the next five hundred years the despised Richard III was suspected of their heartless murders.

In To The Tower Born, Robin Maxwell ingeniously imagines what might have happened to the missing princes. The great and terrible events that shaped a kingdom are viewed through the eyes of a quick-witted Nell Caxton, only daughter of the first English printer, and her dearest friend, “Bessie,” sister to the lost boys and ultimate founder of the Tudor dynasty. It is a thrilling story brimming with mystery, color, and historical lore. With great bravery and heart, two friends navigate a dark and treacherous medieval landscape rendered more perilous by the era’s scheming, ambitious, even murderous, men and women who will stop at nothing to possess the throne.

Festival the Second

2008-08-11T18:22:00.000-06:00

WHAT I ENJOYED DURING MY 5 DAYS AT FESTIVAL:

Teaching workshops! This is definitely #1 on my list of favorite things this year; I really, really enjoy teaching workshops. Amaset and I taught 2 together, and both of them went wonderfully well and were quite well attended, with lots of positive feedback.
Working Gate on opening morning. Even though it was 3 hours of standing and walking out in the hot sun, it was tons of fun going from car to car, welcoming people to festival and checking them in and giving them their ID bands and other stuff. Everyone is so friendly and excited to be there; it’s a great way to meet people and a great way to run into friends, as well.
Grounding and Centering people at the Drawing Down. I was on staff as Lieutenant for the the Centering Plaza again this year, and CP’s biggest responsibility at festival is comforting, grounding and centering people after they visit with Deity at the Drawing Down ritual on Friday night. Many people are pretty emotional afterwards, so we provide some TLC, whether it’s hugs, talking, energy work or bringing them a little bit of snack food and drink, each person has someone stay with them until they feel calm and centered again. It was a real honor to do this work and I really enjoyed it.
Seeing old friends and making new ones. Always fun to catch up on life and hang out. Never know who you’re gonna see, what you’re gonna do together or what you’re gonna end up talking about.
My tent. My tent rocks, that’s all there is to it. It’s big enough that it’s rather a pain to set up alone, but still doable, it just takes me a while. Wind storm Tuesday night? My tent did not budge one inch, I had it so tightly staked down. Absolute deluge of rain most of Wednesday night? I was high and dry, snug as a bug in a rug. Room for my “princess bed” (camp cot with futon mattress), a camp chair, and even a little altar inside. I camp in style. Heck, I’m there for nigh onto a week, why shouldn’t I be somewhat comfortable?
The lake, the stars, the moon, the mountains. My camp site was lovely, set up off the road, surrounded by pines, view of the lake through the trees in front of me, view of the Castle Rock behind me. Watched the quarter moon go down behind the Castle Rock at night. Stars as bright as diamonds. Made sure I swam in the lake at least once while I was at fest.
Falling asleep to the sound of drumming. Always one of my favorite things.

NOT SO FUN:

Drama with a ripple effect. Felt bad for those directly involved. I was caught in the ripple. ‘Nuff said.
Being in lots of pain. Missed out on some activities I really wanted to go to, plus ended up leaving fest a day early. However, being able to take a real shower and sleep in a real bed and spend all day Sunday with Firehand kinda made up for having to leave early.

A Dry Lughnasadh

2008-08-01T18:24:00.000-06:00

Sweet, sweet, sweet,
Is the wind’s song,
Astir in the rippled wheat
All day long.

~ Ellen M. H. Cortissoz (1833-1933)

Blessings of the First Harvest to you!

The dog days of summer are here in the Denver area for real. The temperatures have been in the mid-to-upper nineties for the past three weeks straight, and today and tomorrow’s highs are predicted to be over 100*F. All the juicy, lush vegetation of May is withering in the merciless heat, even regular watering can’t keep the lawn green or the ground in my garden from becoming hard and cracked.

The dry conditions put me in mind of the theme of sacrifice at Lughnasadh; the willing sacrifice of the Corn King, of John Barleycorn and other deity archetypes who give their life energy to the grain in the fields, so that the seeds will germinate when they are planted the next spring. What might you willingly sacrifice this Lughnasadh, so that you may bloom again in the spring?

Bad Days

2008-07-31T18:25:00.000-06:00

I don’t know if my fibromyalgia is being aggravated by my period this month or what, but it seems to be an awful combination. These past 2 days have been pretty miserable for me.

Yesterday morning I met with Amaset to do some shopping for supplies for our upcoming workshops at festival. I was in an FMS fog most of the time, having trouble thinking clearly and just in lots of nagging, dragging pain. I used the shopping cart to help me walk, because my energy was so low and my arms and legs ached and felt like dead weight and I was feeling nauseated from the pain.

Luckily we finished sooner than we thought, so I left early because I still had some other errands to accomplish– but all I could think about was crawling into bed, so I used that promise to push myself through the rest of what I needed to do. I had to have lunch while I was out, hungry but nothing sounded good to eat because of the nausea. Hoped eating would help me feel better, but other than helping with the headache, I was still in bad shape. Even driving the car was tiring, my arms and shoulders pulsing with pain– turning the steering wheel felt like such a huge effort. Went to the bank and ran a couple other places and came home, took pain medication, undressed and crawled thankfully into bed for the rest of the afternoon, hoping when I woke up I’d feel better.

I promised Firehand we’d go look at shower pans for the downstairs bathroom last night, so I got myself up before he was home from work. I felt slightly better than earlier, but still in a fog and absolutely exhausted despite my nap. We went to a couple of places to look at shower pans and then had dinner. Nothing sounded good to me, I had no appetite and just picked at my food, brought most of it home with me. More pain meds and went to bed and slept like the dead all night, for which I am thankful, because often when the pain is this bad, I’m unable to sleep.

I thought I was feeling better when I got up this morning, but that didn’t last very long. I was up for a little while, but freezing and aching, so went back to bed. Now I’m up again, but hot and aching and sick to my stomach with this dragging pain. And so tired.

You know, I try not to gripe about this, because nobody really wants to hear it, but sometimes it is so bad and I just wish I could explain how bad it is to someone and how much it drags me down. Not for sympathy, but just to know that someone gets it. Because feeling this bad and hearing dismissive crap from people who don’t get it just makes me feel incredibly isolated.

I am planning on going to bed early, and hopefully tomorrow will be a much better day.

Feline Firday: It's In The Bag

2008-07-25T18:26:00.000-06:00

We lost our sleeping bags when the basement flooded and you would not believe how hard it was to find something similar to what we had before: rectangular, super-oversized, flannel lined, good to -20*F, water proof outer shell. The closest we found were sort of oversized, flannel lined, good to -10*F.

Moose was eager to provide a quality inspection for us as soon as we unrolled the new sleeping bags.

Cuddly flannel? Check.

Squishy filling? Check.

Plenty of room for lounging? Check.

Yeah, and the box is pretty nice, too…

Happy Noise

2008-07-24T18:27:00.000-06:00

Lotsa sawing, drilling and pounding going on in our basement. We finally have a contractor and he’s begun work!

Did I tell you that after removing soggy carpet, carpet padding and 2 layers of floor tile after the flood, we made the horrific discovery that a very important structural support post had been removed? You know, the post that holds up one half of the house? Yeah. I guess it was in the way when the brainiac who finished the basement was building his wall, so… he just cut off the post level with the concrete floor and continued on his merry way.

Like I said, this flood has been a blessing in disguise. We discovered the missing support post early enough that no structural damage has occurred to the house. But if we’d never had to remove that flooring… our house would have started to sag and the walls crack and we would never have known why.

Consequently, replacing that post has been the first order of business. Last night Firehand and I both went downstairs and gazed adoringly at the shiny new support post, solidly in place, back where it belongs. As a homeowner, I find that little things like this make me a very happy woman. I am also excited about the newly framed and properly floated wall in the bathroom.

Just think how ecstatic I’m going to be when I get my new shower base and the new wall and doorway to the guest bedroom! And when the laundry room walls have been completed and the plumbing in there is fixed and I’m able to wash my clothes at home again… I’ll probably SWOON!

Festival the First

2008-07-22T18:28:00.000-06:00

I spent last Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday camping in the mountains at the first of two pagan festivals I’m attending this summer. This was a small festival, but it is my favorite one.

Everyone was divided into an elemental group and we were then given the task of creating part of the main ritual, based on our element. I was in the water group– for our part of the ritual we had everyone help conjure a water spirit from the lake to impart its wisdom upon us. For our water spirit, we used a 2 ft. blow-up monkey that we rigged to stand up in the water on the edge of the lake and dressed in a shell necklace and “toga” and had holding a wand, made earlier that day in a wand making workshop.

During our part of the ritual, we had everyone sing, “Born of water, cleansing, powerful, healing, changing, we are” and make “waves” by fluttering blue cloths in the air, to raise water energy. Then one of us “heard” the spirit of the lake and led the group around the rocks to the edge of the lake where they could all see the Mythical Sea Monkey of the Lake standing there. His message was to learn to ride the waves in our lives and go with the flow. I think the Sea Monkey was a hit; he got some laughs at any rate.

The moon was full during festival and on Thursday and Friday nights everyone who was gathered at the community camp fire for drum circle howled at the moon as she rose. (The Lady of the Lake asked us not to howl after 10 PM, so no howling on Saturday night, as the moon wasn’t visible before then.) Nonetheless, drum circle on Saturday night was an absolutely incredible experience, by far the best drum circle I’ve ever attended. I can’t even begin to explain what happened, but I do know there was some incredible witchery going on that night.

I kept coming across beautiful chunks of quartz all over the campground. Firehand helped me gather some lovely pieces and I made an altar at our camp site. The quartz, pine cones and wood I used were all found around the lake area. (That’s a battery operated tea-lite in the candle holder, in case you are wondering. Smokey the Bear says, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires!”)

This was a wonderful festival– I went for a hike, went swimming, made a wand, enjoyed some solitude, enjoyed some community, experienced a great drum circle, got rained on, got sunburned, howled at the moon, sang and chanted, heard hoot owls, ate with my fingers, shared marshmallows around the fire at midnight… an overall damn good time.

SPC~ Skills #2

2008-07-15T18:33:00.000-06:00

July 10, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged self-portrait challenge

Ever since I learned about rubber stamping, I have enjoyed making cards; it’s one of my skills.

One of my favorite looks for cards is to stamp a detailed image with black ink and then color it in using colored pencils. I like playing around with layers of color and I really get into my work. I get caught up in the zen of coloring and my mind drifts peacefully.

Also, the more into my work I am, the closer my nose gets to what I’m working on. See my tangle of hair hanging down on the left side of this picture? My hair is only chin-length, but as you can see, it’s touching the desk, which means my nose isn’t too far behind. So I’m definitely into my work here.

Wanna see how my cards turned out? Check them out at the newly relocated Turtleheart Crafts!

Wanna see more SPC Skills? Check them out HERE.

Tarot and More Tarot

2008-07-11T18:32:00.000-06:00

I met with Amaset on Wednesday to work on the tarot workshops we will be giving at festival this year. We are doing the Chakra Mapping Using Tarot workshop we did last year, which went very well, and now we are planning a follow up class called Tarot & Chakra Healing.

Our meeting was very productive. We made some updates to some of our chakra mapping handouts and determined which handouts and how many we needed for the workshop. We also inventoried our other supplies for the workshop and made a list of what else we needed to get before festival. Then we turned our attention to developing our new class.

After running through some ideas that weren’t quite what we wanted, we began to build on what we liked from those ideas, and suddenly the class started to come together nicely. We created a chakra healing tarot spread that we’re very pleased with. We wondered if perhaps we were using too many cards in the spread, but when Amaset counted up the cards in our layout and found it came to the number 13, we dubbed it perfect! We’ll use the chakra spread two different ways for healing exercises. Now we just need to round out these activities and complete handouts and we’ll be all set. I’m very excited.

We also discussed Amaset’s class on using the tarot for ritual and altar building that she’ll be presenting at festival. I’ve offered to help her with this one in any way I can, I just love the whole concept. We talked about different ways tarot cards can be used to create altars and I conceived a couple of ideas for an esbat altar and an elemental altar, which Amaset invited me to set up and share for the workshop. So I’m very excited about this workshop too, and want to get out my different decks and play around with them just to see what else I can come up with.

Then last night was my tarot practice group. Amaset presented some material for yet *another* workshop she’ll be doing for festival (she’s doing 4 in all). This one is called Introductions at Court and it’s a series of meditations she has written on the court cards for each suit in the minor arcana. Let me tell you, these meditations are wonderful, absolutely wonderful. She has really captured the essence of the court personalities and the meditations are so rich and vivid with beautiful, descriptive language. Really well done.

Working with the tarot has been a real treat for me this week.

Feline Friday: Everything Old...

2008-07-11T18:30:00.000-06:00

… is new again! Moose has a “new” favorite toy.

When we were moving the living room furniture around recently, I found this cat toy I’d made ages and ages ago out of a decorative curtain tassel and yarn… Moose immediately decided it needed to die:

I think it’s been dubbed officially dead now. As you can see, it was quite an exhausting endeavor. But the house is safe once again. Until next time…

SPC~ Skills #3

2008-07-10T18:29:00.000-06:00

I have learned the magic of compartmentalizing when it comes to organizing, and I *love* to organize stuff. I like the challenge of organizing, although when first starting on a project, it usually feels absolutely overwhelming. I get great ideas from Organizing Junkie– this is where I learned all about being creative with containers when organizing.

Here’s a project I’ve been working on the past couple days or so…

… reorganizing my craft supply closet. I’ve had these pull-drawer bins for years now, but they were in need of a major organizational overhaul. To let you know just how thorough (translated: obsessive) I am, I even have my stamps sorted by category; House Mouse in one drawer, DeNami/line drawings in another, words and alphabets in another, and so forth. I also have these pull-drawer bins in a smaller size for organizing my polymer clays and related tools. I highly recommend them.

To see more SPC skills, visit HERE.