homecoming

As much as I sometimes want to punch my brother in the mouth (he's a staunch libertarian, I'm very left-wing liberal), I still love him... Kind of.

And today, he is starting his journey home from serving in Afghanistan!! I'm so happy for him and his family. I know it's been rough for his wife and three kids; hopefully he's done with deployments. As for me, I know I'll be sleeping easier at night, knowing he's not having bullets whizzing by his head (Once heard from my mom that he said "It's just like TV, you're running and you can see the bullets hitting the ground" OMG!)

A bit of good news as an early Xmas present. :)

my weekend in pictures

Cam and I spent the weekend with my parents. And despite some serious drama caused by my dad's ex, it was a good weekend. Cam and I took off Saturday morning to visit Haha Tonka State Park, which has the most beautiful views.




The rest of the weekend was spent playing with the hose, building fires, playing with fireworks (including mining out cicada holes with bottle rockets), and enjoying a thunderstorm. We left last night to take advantage of the cooler night temperatures. Glad we did, because I got to snap this picture of the clouds and moon, which looks like (to me) a bear trying to snatch the moon.



Happy Fourth, ya'll.

Happy Week!

So I meant to post this sooner... as is usually the case. lol

Sunday was my birthday. While not a bad day, it wasn't terribly exciting either. Most of the day was spent looking forward to dinner and dessert. Spiced porkchops, potatoes au gratin, and green beans. And dessert: birthday pie! Apple pie, to be exact. Birthday cake is overrated (and is too time consuming to decorate), and apple pie is DELICIOUS. So that's what I had.

Tuesday, as we all know was the Solstice. As well as a full moon and lunar eclipse. I missed the lunar eclipse; I slept right through it! Although, I don't think I'd would have been able to see it anyway, due to cloud cover. Camden and I did, however, go out to watch the sun rise. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see that, either. Cloud cover, again! It was too thick to actually see the sun break the horizon, which was really disappointing. I was really excited about it, because this was our first Yule at home. Typically we've always been at my parents' for Yule, and, therefore, missed any celebration of it so we (I) didn't make the parentals uncomfortable. Ah, well... There is always next year!

And now we have Christams Eve, and Christmas is tomorrow. More presents (Camden got a TAG reading system for Yule), more food, more family. I'm excited because I'll get to see my sister for the first time since Spring... Or maybe even longer than that. And I'll get to see my brother before he deploys. Not to mention the time Camden (and I, of course) get to spend with my parents.

So, happy Yule (a few days ago) and happy Christmas. Happy holidays. :)

Holiday Cookies!

My favourite part about the holidays is making/decorating sugar cookies! Well, maybe not making them, since my sugar cookie dough NEVER EVER turns out the way it's supposed to, but I like cutting the shapes out. Especially if I happen to be doing it at my parents' house, because my mom has buckets (literally) of cookie cutters, so we always end up with the usual wintery shapes, but also mooses, lobsters, and of course, dinosaurs!

This weekend, Camden and I bought (sad face!) some sugar cookie dough that was pre-cut (more sad face, but I don't have cookie cutters) so we could make some holiday cookies. It was a fun afternoon diversion, since it was much too cold to even THINK about playing outside.


Not only do I not have cookie cutters, but I don't have colored sugar... So I made some! 3T of sugar and 4 or so drops of food colouring, mix it up. I don't think it would be useful to save, but it worked for what I needed it for.


Awaiting the oven! (See my sugar?!)


Cam got to decorate the first cookie.


Cam's snowman. I helped just a little bit with it. :)


Nom!

Rats!

So, I bought Camden a rat for his birthday. We named him Robin (because Cam is Batman).


And, well, when we got home, I decided I wanted to know everything about having a rat for a pet. So I get online, search around. And found out I did it wrong. :( Pet store rats = less than good. (Because they're usually bred for snake food, therefore, the breeder doesn't worry about genetics or socializing the animals). And also that rats need buddies. Since there aren't any good rat breeders (or rescues) near-by, I went back to the pet store. But she had already sold all the rats she had. So we had to wait another two weeks. And into our lives came Remy and Spencer!

We're still working on getting the rat twins acclimated to living with us, but I think that within the next month or so, we'll have a trio of happy rats.

In other news, we're happy that it's October. Because October means Halloween/Samhain time. Yesterday we made a Halloween cake (from a box, I was feeling lazy!) and bought a pumpkin. Today, the pumpkin got turned into a mean jack-o-lantern (per Camden's request) and its seeds are sitting in a bowl of salt water waiting to be roasted. Yum.

Before classes started (or just really early in the semester) I started experimenting with energy manipulation. Well, I was attempting to train myself to be more open to feeling/seeing/sensing energies. Sadly, this semester has been MUCH MUCH busier than I expected (or hoped) and everything but day-to-day living and school work has fallen along the wayside. Including any magical living ideals and this blog. But not to worry! Only eleven weeks left in the semester! :)

Solstice (a day late)

The longest day of the year has passed. The Holly King again walks the earth, while the Oak King bides his time in the underworld. This is a time of declination. The days grow shorter, imperceptible amounts each day, as we begin our trek towards Yule. We celebrate a time of abundance, when things are at the height of growth and progression, a height we can only appreciate by thinking back to the depths of winter, and also thinking forward to the same.

Oddly, despite the fact that it is 90 degrees (F) outside, I've been thinking of winter. I suppose it is like how in the depths of winter, I think of summer. I'm not looking forward to winter by any means (for winters here in NEMO are cold and windy and not fun), but I look forward to what it means. That the earth has completed another cycle of the sun. That the wheel has completed another rotation. Another year has gone by. That life gains its meaning from the eventuality of death, and death gains its meaning from life. Life is meaningful to me. In 100 years, I doubt anyone will know my name. But my life gains meaning in the lessons I've learned and the values I've passed/will pass on to my children. I can take all that with me, for I believe in the continuity of the soul, of harboring many lifetimes of lessons. (Which, of course, we forget the moment we're reborn. Quite unfair!) Our lives mimic the seasons. We are born in the depths of winter, by spring we are beginning to blossom with our physical, emotional, and mental developments, in summer we are young and fertile and growing, in fall we enjoy the bounty of our summer in the form of children and life accomplishments, and in winter, just as we were born, we die.

But, for now, it is summer and the Earth is glorious in her youth. Happy Solstice (one day late ^_^)

It's Mother's Day, of course, of course!

I hope all the mothers out there (and non-mothers, too, of course!) had a spectacular day. I got a potted flower from Camden (he had help from his Grammy) and did absolutely nothing! Okay, not entirely true, I did dishes and cleaned up the kitchen a bit. I also thought about going out to chinese for dinner, but decided I wasn't nearly hungry enough and it would have been a waste of monies. So instead I had left over BBQ pulled pork. And made Camden scrambled eggs and toast.

All in all, it was a pretty spectacular day filled with a whole lotta nothing.

Happy day!

Toad Houses

This weekend is Beltane! The beginning of Summer. Okay, not technically, but the growing season has begun and the warmth and sunshine (and thunderstorms) that come with it. And with Summer and warmth and sunshine and thunderstorms come...

Toads.

So to celebrate the oncoming toad-season, Camden and I will be making a toad house or two. My brother is going active duty in the military and is being transferred to a base in Tennessee (not deployed overseas, thank the gods) so Camden and I will be going to my parents' house to bid him farewell this weekend. Which means we'll actually have a place to put the toad house.

Fancy-schmancy toad houses	Less fancy, but still entirely serviceable

Cam and I will be making one (or two) of the less fancy varieties. They're pretty easy to make. Just decorate a simple terracotta however you will, then sink it into the ground an inch or two. It's also suggested that you sink a shallow dish, to hold water, into the ground so the edge of it is level with the ground. Or, one could make a door in said flower pot, then just set it down, bottom up.

I would like to do a May pole, but there are a few factors playing against me. Mainly that it's just the two of us, and I am almost 6ft tall and Camden is only half that. Although, now that I think about it, my brother's kids will be at the house at some point on Sunday... Maybe I'll attempt to fashion a kid's Maypole if the weather is nice enough to allow it.

Also, don't forget about my 100th post giveaway! I've only had two takers so far. Go here and leave a comment to win a (very adorable!) recipe box with recipe
cards, and the book The Goddess is in the Details by Deborah Blake.

Cam-zilla! (And other Easter pics)

I found my camera! It was hiding under a bunch of stuff in the back seat of the car. So now I get to post pictures of the egg hunt and the surprise picture Camden left for me. :)



Cam and I before the egg "hunt." I wanted a picture with him, but he didn't. Luckily, there was a train off in the distances, which got him to turn around, if not look at the camera.

Helicopter with bunny.


Helicopter with bunny dropping Easter eggs on the heads of children in the field.


Camden after he's picked up all the eggs he could manage.




And, finally, SURPRISE! Cam-zilla! hehe I gave him the camera on the trip home (Aha! I just now figured out how it managed to travel from the front seat to the back. I'm so scatter-brained!) and this is one of the pictures he took. The other was of my elbow between the front seats. What a weird-o. :)

Happy Easter

First off: Happy Easter! Second off: We had a pretty awesome weekend in Kansas City!

We got to my sister's Friday night, and she and Camden looked for the Spring basket the Bunny left for him there. (It was not in the oven, bathtub, or under the sink. Finally found it in the coat closet.) Saturday morning, we went to a couple of thrift stores and then made our way to a some-what poorly organised Egg Hunt. The idea: (Easter bunny + helicopter + a whole bunch of eggs)/(field + children)= way awesome. However, in the field we were in (there were four, divided by age group), no one we talked to had any clue what was happening or when. So when the helicopter flew over and the Easter bunny started dropping eggs, there was a mad rush of toddlers to grab what they could. Some were able to stuff their baskets full, while others didn't get any. I managed to get some nifty pictures, but my camera has gone MIA since we left Kansas City... I think it's hiding out in the car.

This morning we went to Crown Center and played on escalators. We went with the intent of visiting the Fairy Tale village exhibit, but it was closed for Easter, so we had to take our fun where it could be found. After we wore ourselves out, we went to the Plaza and played on the statues. We got some good pictures of ourselves on various statues (elephant, camel, lion, kangaroo, bunnies) on my sister's camera... But they're stuck there, because she doesn't know where the cord for connecting it to the computer is!

During the weekend, we also managed to hit JoAnn's, where Camden got some tool stickers, Half Price Books, where Cam bought a Thomas the Tank-Engine book and a Scooby-Doo book, and I bought a book on Celtic fairy tales and one called "Magic House" (more on this later), and Chik-fil-A, where we had dinner Saturday night and Camden played in the play-place for about 45 minutes before we were able to drag him out.

All in all, it was a horribly exciting weekend, but I'm glad to be back home.

Ostara

Happy equinox, ya'll! So far Camden and I have done nothing more celebratory than finding the eggs and spring basket that the Ostara Hare hid for us (at three o'clock in the morning thanks to a depressing dream and lack of ability to go back to sleep.)

On the spring equinox, light and dark are equals once again. Although today, I think the dark has won, thanks to snow clouds hiding the sun all day. (Yes, I did say SNOW. What a Spring!) The darkness has certainly taken control of my mood today. Hopefully the light will come back, and bring the warmth with it!

Obligatory post on love

But first, my stance on Valentine's Day in general. I think it's ridiculous! Birthdays, Mother's and Father's Days, Just-because Days. These and those like them are the days when we can show how much we care about those we love. And I find "Singles Awareness Day" even more ridiculous. Not just ridiculous, but demeaning. Is the person who is, for whatever reason, single, so inept and downtrodden that they need an usurped "holiday" to draw attention to their "plight?" (Goodness, I'm really using a lot of dictionary-words today, aren't I?) And of course, Valentine's Day, like all secularized holidays, has been so trivialized (right down to the Twilight hearts that say "Bite me") that even if there was a purpose to it at some point in time, it has been all but forgotten now. Now, on to the show. :)

What I love:

-My family
-Books that make me cry (and, oh, how I hate them, also!)
-Good food
-Flower gardens
-Long walks in the woods
-Forgetting that I'm a "grown up" and being goofy with Camden... in public
-Camping next to a river, and the mornings when it is somewhat chilly and you can watch the river steam and hear the fish jump
-Marathon reading sessions, especially when it is a new book in a series
-Cooking for friends and sharing the meal with them
-Climbing trees
-Playing the marimba, making it sing
-Bonfires
-Old cemeteries where the history of the people buried there can only be guessed
-Watching Camden sleep
-Looking down on the soaring hawks
-Thrift stores/charity shops, antique malls, flea markets, and garage/yard sales. aka: pawing through other people's stuff! lol
-Fountain Dew (Mountain Dew as a fountain drink.)

I'm sure there are elsewhats, but those are what come to mind at the moment. Just reading this list makes me melt on the inside. So now that my insides are an ooey-gooey mess, I think I'll just end here.

Happy V-Day!

Imbolc

This morning Camden and I took our priapic wands to the nearby state park, and shook them at the trees, the ground, and the lake, yelling "Wake up!" Well, he was yelling, and I was humoring his excitement. ^_^ It was a ton of fun, and now he's all sorts of excited about Spring. And I'm all sorts of excited, because I can tell we were heard. After we finished waving our wands around awaking the world, we saw:



A stick! (He was pointing at it very excitedly just before I managed to snap a picture. So mad that I missed it!)


And






A heathen! Oh, no, that's just Camden. ^_^



And as we were leaving the park, we found:



these fellows, who refused to run away. I guess that was some tasty grass or something!



And later this afternoon, as we were walking about the town because it was quite toasty out, Camden found the sun!




He was so excited by it! I know he was excited, because I distinctly remember him saying "sun" about 10 times in half as many seconds.


So, although our Imbolc activities happened a few days early (since I'm crazy busy except for the weekend) we still had a great (and successful!) time calling upon the Mother Goddess to give us some light, some warmth, and some Springtime!

Imbolc activities!

Imbolc will soon be upon us, and since everyone else is posting about it, I figured I may as well, too. I found an activity that I think will be fun to do with Camden (if he decides he wants to participate!!)

Priapic Wand

Materials:
Small Tree Branch, Acorn, Thin Brown String or Thread, Yellow, Green, and Gold 1/4" Ribbon, Small Gold/Silver Jingle Bells.

Select a small branch about 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter. Cut top end flat. Approx. 1/2" below top score a groove (parents only) with a sharp knife. Take 1' long piece of string/thread and tie in groove. Take another 1' piece of thread and tie in groove on opposite side of branch.

Place acorn at top of branch (flat end) and adhere with some glue. Now pull the string up over the cap and wind once around acorn. Repeat with all 3 other pieces of string. Pull strings back down to the groove in the branch and tie off. This will hold the acorn in place.

Decorate the branch by wrapping it with the ribbons, leaving enough length at top for streamers. Tie gold/silver jingle bells to the ends of the ribbons. For smaller children, thread the bells onto the ribbon while wrapping the branch.

Tell the children about how the acorn-wand is a symbol of the Lord of the Forest, and how this magical wand helps the sleeping plants and animals wake up and prepare for Spring. Then walk about pointing and shaking it at plants and trees, invoking them to wake up from Winter's sleep to witness the union of the Bride and the Lord of the Forest!

So if you happen to see anyone walking around shaking a jingly stick at trees in the coming weeks... It's probably me!

Today Camden reached a milestone, which I thinks fits perfectly with the Earth coming to life and growing. He undressed and dressed himself! I was quite surprised, because he decided to do it and did it entirely on his own, even picking out what he was going to change into (Buzz Lightyear pajamas). I was also impressed, because in the past he's always had trouble getting his arms in the right holes to put his shirts on. So, yay! My little boy is growing up! Now if I could only get him talking!

Blessed Yule!

Many happy wishes on this darkest day of the year! This is a day that speaks to me on many levels. Eleven years ago today my father returned home after three years in prison (vehicular manslaughter) and brought back the light to my family. This is the day of the Horned God's rebirth, bringing back the light to the world (in the form of the sun, at least until the Summer solstice). This day also serves as a reminder that no matter how dark things get, there is always a time when the darkness lifts and the light returns to our lives.

A remarkably short post for a remarkably short day. I'm at my parents' this week for holiday celebrations and have very little time for posting. But next week I'll be back at home and should have lots of time for religious musings and posting. See you then!

Traditions

I saw an article the other day (http://www.bib-arch.org/e-features/christmas.asp if you're curious) about why December 25 was chosen for the Christmas celebration. Interestingly enough, it didn't support the idea that the 25th was chosen to aid in the conversion of pagans. It says that Judaism belief that great things are expected to occur on the same day year after year. The great things in Christianity? Obviously, the crucifixion of Christ and salvation of humanity. What led to the resurrection? The birth of Yeshua. These two things supposedly happened on the same day: the 25 of March. Coincidentally, nine months after March 25 is December 25, ergo, the birth of Christ. (Other dates support April 6 as the Passion date, and therefore, January 6 as the birth date. Some cultures still put emphasis on January 6 as an important holiday)

It was quite an interesting read, if I may say so, but it made me start thinking of Winter traditions. I don't have any of my own, aside from going to my parents' to celebrate with presents and Christmas dinner. This year Camden talked me into buying a little tree from a thrift store, and we've decorated it. But that's about the extent of our winter-y decorating, although I would like to do more, if only for his sake.

My parents like to push the Santa issue, even though I don't want to go through that with Cam. I don't remember ever suffering the trauma of finding out Santa isn't real, but I know many people have. Do I want that possibility for Camden? Do I want him to expect expensive presents from a magical being, even though I may not be able to afford those presents for him? A few people I've talked to about it have said I'm denying him the full experience of Christmas... Or something like that. But I say I'm protecting him from the possible let down of finding out there's no Santa (in a literal sense), and I'm also protecting myself from the pressure of buying him what he asked Santa for, even though it's out of my budget, just to keep up the charade. And hopefully, without expecting tons and tons of presents from Santa, it will be easy to avoid much of the commercialism of the Christmas season. And he'll be able to show gratitude to the people who actually bought the presents for him.

Is it odd that I believe in magic, magical beings, and magical beasts, but not Santa?

Things to be thankful for...

I only missed Thanksgiving by two days. Not bad, considering that on Thanksgiving day I felt I had little to be thankful for. Monday, I had two teeth taken out. Both were the upper back molars on either side of my mouth (not wisdom teeth, though they might as well have been.) I'm still recovering from that, and on Thursday, my not-teeth still hurt! And that hurt was compounded by a cold that developed Wednesday night. A bruised chipmunk mouth + runny nose + sore throat + cough does not = a happy Thanksgiving! Let me tell you!

So I'm making up for my general bah-humbug attitude on Thanksgiving by writing up a list of things in my life I'm thankful for:

1. A healthy, happy, beautiful son
2. A generally healthy, generally happy, and always beautiful me! (Also known as I'm thankful for my well-being... because I'm not vain. Not at all. Just amazing)
3. A family who supports me in my endeavors
4. Friends who are willing to go out of their way for lunch on very short notice
5. Natural abilities and talent that enable me to pursue a career that I will enjoy (if I don't decide to join up with the Peace Corps instead!)
6. Amazing books by amazing authors, most notably the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan (and now Brandon Sanderson) which I have been following since I was 12 or 13
7. My understanding that god reveals Him/Herself slowly, in unexpected ways, always showing a new side or revelation
8. "The Best Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk Cookies You've Ever Tasted" recipe (and the ability to bake them *drool*)

I could probably go on for ages, but I think this list covers the basics, including family, friends, health, and food. I am always thankful for these things in my life, though maybe not always as consciously as on Thanksgiving (or two days after, in this case). Happy belated Thanksgiving!