Monday Confusion:

It's Monday, the day before Sept 11th and I'm not even sure what I should be feeling. It's been eleven years this year.  Have we healed?? Have people moved on or are we still carrying it with us. I mean I know I will never forget, but there is a bit of numbness involved when I think of that day. I feel lost whenever I have to think of Sept 11th as just a regular day, I don't want to forget the people that died but I really don't want to carry this sadness around anymore.

It's the beginning of another week and I have much to look forward to. Like this friday I get my new kindle fire (the new one they have debuting that day). i'm going to the gym tonight, my shows are showing tonight as well. It's a good day to be alive and happy and I think I feel kind of guilty for that considering what tomorrow is. I'm feeling confused and conflicted I don't know.

I think some of it also has to do with the fact that this is the first time in a very long time that I'm not taking classes. I haven't quit I just have to take a hiatus and I'm not liking it.It's fall my favorite season I can smell the pumpkin spiced incense already, I can't wait to watch leaves turn and walk during a rainy fall evening around my favorite city (Salem, MA). Even with those anticipatory feelings, there is something missing.

What are you plans for the week?? Are you guys/gals excited about Fall??How do you guys feel about tomorrow?? Share in the comments please.

Happy Monday and Have a blessed week

Missing Community....

I'm a solitary, I love being on my own, to me I'm pretty awesome company. I don't fear being alone; I don't mind the company of my thoughts. I don't have to be plugged in or distracted, I simply lay down on the couch or in bed and let my mind wander; no music just the silence and my own thoughts, sometimes I think great thoughts and come to epiphanies; sometimes I remember incidents that make me cringe and I wonder what could have been done differently, sometimes I simply remember the great moments of the week.  I'm a homebody, a wise old soul in a young woman's body and for me being still and solitary with myself is far more important than being among the crowd.  I enjoy this time, because after the solitary silence I have to hang out with family, friends, coworkers and there are very few moments to think when with them. Yet even I with my happy little corner, need community, a place where i fit, where my feelings are validated, my thoughts and opinions shared, where there are those with common beliefs, ideals and standards.

About a year ago, (I'm sure your remember) the fiasco with Kris from Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom running on the Circle of Moms interfaith blog contest; several women got up in arms when they realized a pagan and witch were in the competition and even went so far as to personally attack several of the women involved.  In the end, Kris won because the pagan mommy community got behind her, several other pagan moms made the top ten,and I discovered several really great blogs. I confess I'm not a mother, but the community that is found there was amazing. especially the christian ones who stood up for the other faith mothers. One of the women who acted with grace was Courtney from WomenLivingwell.org. I loved Julie's post, check out the amazing discussion and dialogue that was opened up by her post and her call and comparison of the Christian women and their reaction compared to the pagan blog and their rallying around Kris.

Now personally I'm not Christian and not considering going back, but I must say that the community I have witnessed on these blogs have made me jealous.  Perhaps, it has to do with their unified beliefs and one cannon that they have a commonality that allows them to work well together.  I don't  know, but I love watching their monthly events like their book clubs and bible studies.  All of this is to say I have found this lacking within the pagan community, or maybe it's because I haven't ventured out into that aspect of our community. I have googled and haven't found the kind of link up events where they share on a common theme, the only thing I have seen is the Pagan blog Prompts, which is a really great idea especially when you have nothing to write about.  But I want that, the kind of community I have witnessed, the community that my mother has at her home church where when one of the women was ill they all took turns in the bible study group in making a meal and bringing it over.  

I want that, I want us as a  community to be able to share our common themes and beliefs, yes we don't have a common cannon that we can turn to and say "here is what the Goddess says about sex, love, marriage, finances, raising our kids"; hell we can't even get people to agree on what Doreen really said/meant in the chant.  For me not having that as a guide can sometimes feel lonely, feeling as if I have to sit and figure out what the Goddess intends for this aspect of my life is very daunting. Subsequent generations won't have that because they will have out book of shadows to learn from, but who are we learning from now??So many of the teachers are contested and vilified by so many others, and lets be real some of the books being published shouldn't even be doing so.  

Yes, I work with the Goddess and pray with her, but sometimes I would love to go seek and find comforting words that say" hey this is what she said before and it's what she means for this situation'.  I'm not a mom so many of the pagan mom blogs don't pertain to me, I'm not married so many of the other blogs that focus on women and marriage don't pertain to me. Yes I read tons of book blogs, and crafting blogs, and blogs about lupus, I even read blogs by African American women who are doing success in their own lives, but what about the young black women who are all of these but aren't moms?? Or heck women period who aren't moms or married who aren't looking for either at the moment where do we go?? What aspect do we fit in?? Where's the advice for us??  I'm not a maiden anymore, I'm not a mother and I'm certainly no where near Cronehood *although I am looking forward to these years* I still have many more years in me where is the community for me??

I have seen several blogs in the christian community geared towards women like me who are seeking this kind of community and I can't help but wonder how come there isn't one for the pagan community.   I love reading many of the pagan blogs that I am subscribed to; but sometimes they deal with issues I have no understanding of, I'm not a mom, or grandmom, I don't have a lifelong partner that i have been with for over ten years liek some fo you (can I tell you how jealous I am of that?? Or how I'm storing up your lessons for when I am in that situation!!) and although I can empathize as a woman,& as a witch, that can only go so far, so again I ask where are the women like me??

My friend Vikki has attempted to fill that void on YT, by creating a collaboration channel called The Divine Sisterhood, 

which will discuss all kinds of things pertaining to women. Health, relationships, spirituality (although there are a ton of vlogs and channels addressing that aspect already). I think this is a wonderful opportunity, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I still do have to wonder though, why aren't their any books being written, or articles addressing this. Te pagan community has grown by leaps and bounds, the free spirited feminist drive that originally started many of the traditions or simply popularized them have mellowed as their (some not all) leaders have matured, their are now more people within the community who are from several walks of life, men, women, trans=gendered, straight, gay, married, hand fastened, poly and all kinds of different flavors; yet no one has written anything for this. 

There is a whole community that is being ignored, a whole community of men and women who are being left out in the cold, because we don't fit the stereotypes or archetypes that have been created. many of these archetypes exclude the newer generation, how do we revolutionize this and still keep what is necessary??

 How can we build a community when we don't all think, feel or believe the same thing?? How do we create a safe place for women who aren't maidens and aren't mothers to go to, and feel as if they aren't alone. Have you found any of these within your own community?? How about books, blogs, vlogs, youtube channels, magazines, anything addressing the needs of the growing pagan young adults?? Please share in the comments sections, as I will love to share that with others as well.

Love & Light always

What do I believe?

I visited a blog recently that stated what the writer believed in (it's a christian blog, so I'm not sure if I should link or not) and this got me to thinking; as humans we use labels to describe what or who we are; each label carries with it the perceived or preconceived notions about who and what we believe. Clearly I have stated several times that I am pagan, but what does that truly mean to me??

Being pagan clearly means anyone not of the Abrahamic traditions. But what else does it mean? Each time we tell someone we are pagan what are we conveying. or hoping is been shared?? When someone says they are christian we know it means they believe in Jesus, and follow the bible (however loosely they may do so), but what am I sharing when I say I am pagan??

This got me thinking what do I believe and what don't I believe?  Here are a list of things that are concrete beliefs for me:

• I know that I believe in the duality of Divinity, which is the Goddess and the God. I know the Gods are real, just as I know I am real. I know magic exists, I have been blessed way too may times within my life not to know the existence of the magic that weaves us all together.
• I believe in Gaia, that the planet is alive and consciously aware of us. That we are all interconnected and that what happens to 'one' happens to 'all'.
• I believe in the sanctity of life; & that we are all have a right to be happy, healthy and loved. I do not however thing that it means becoming a victim; you have the right to protect yourself and your family, up to and including harming others whose intent it is to harm you. But only when all else has failed. 
• I believe in a woman's right to choose.
• I believe in the Fae, and all the other beings that are present within their world.
• I love to read the tarot but I believe they are simply tools to help you open up to the unconscious mind, I'm still not convinced that they can predict the future.
• I believe that I am a witch and a follower of the an eclectic path that includes many teachings from my ancestry as well as draws from what i have been exposed to within my life
• I believe that sex is sacred and powerful and that even though it should be practiced freely it isn't something to just do with anyone, it should be shared with those who understand the gift they are being given.
• I believe int he sanctity of the human body. That is a temple and should be treated as such, taken care of, decorated as you see fit since it's the home of the Goddess.
• I believe in the sanctity of marriage, and that it should be available to all those who would seek it. It should be open to consenting adults regardless of race and orientation.  
• I believe that magic is real, and tangible.
• I believe in the existence of demons (i have had way too many altercations not to)
• I believe in ghosts and spirits (my family is filled with mediums)
• I believe in mediums and psychics
• I believe that color and crystal therapy works ( we even learnt about it in nursing school so I know there are scientific reasoning as well behind it)
• I believe in the power of herbs 
• I believe that when all else fails, a hex is a good thing to have as a back up.
• I believe in reincarnation, 
• I believe in soul mates. I believe that there can be several soul mates created from each person, and if you meet them you will know, but if you never meet then they can still be happy with one of their other potentials.
• I believe it is possible to love more than one person at a time.
• I believe that Jesus did exist. And that like most of the prophets in other traditions was sent by the Divine to be a guiding light to his people. Each generation gets one, one who stands out more than others who leads them towards greater consciousness and seeks for them a better world. I believe that each tribe also gets one. Many of the great names can be called prophet for that generation. Some examples would be Krishna, Buddha, Gandhi, Dr. King, & Mohammed (peace be upon him).  Even though i do believe these prophets have all existed I don't believe that thier beliefs are the only valid ways to Divinity.

What I don't believe:

• I personally don't believe in animal sacrifice, I however know that the magic that comes from hat is generally stronger than magic that doesn't use this
• I don't subscribe to the belief of light/dark magic, magic and energy can be manipulated but like all things that exist it doesn't exist in one phase only.
• I don't believe in reiki ) I know for some it works and for other it doesn't it's not tangible for me ( yes i see the irony) and i don't believe in it. 
• I don't believe in the existence of blood sucking vampire *until they do come out* I'm going to have to go with no they don't exist.
• I don't believe in or worship Satan, as he is a Christian (actually a Abrahamic figure) he doesn't have a role in my beliefs.
• I don't believe in 'otherkin' you are more than welcome to that belief but I don't and won't until there is other proof *scientific*, i'm just going to go ahead and say "Nope, don't believe in that either".
• I don't believe in the myth of the "Burning Times". I know the Inquisition took place, and that despite the name almost none of the people who were actually killed, have any actual ties to witchcraft. Many were labeled as witches because they didn't follow the rules of society, they turned down the wrong man, or made enemies with the wrong people. There was money to be made from labeling someone a witch, both for the church and the person making the accusation.  Many women were killed, midwives were killed so that doctors could take over their roles in the society, people who were diseased were accused, but there is no concrete proof that any of the people accused were ever actually witches. I need y'all to stop spreading this myth, Just. Stop. It. 

These are the highlights of what I believe and don't believe, these are by no means the only things I believe, but when I think of being a witch I hope that these are the some of the things people are thinking about when they hear the label. Why not share in the comment section some of your own beliefs??

World Book Day 2012

Yesterday was the first annual World Book Night. I celebrated in full bookworm fashion by reading up a storm on like three different books. Including one I got while standing at the bus stop while going to  Magic Monday class. How awesome is that???

It's called: The History of Love by Nicholas Cross

There are twenty nine other books listed on the site that they were giving out. Frick if I had known I could pick titles i would have picked the Henrietta Lacks book or maybe Maya Angelou, on second guess, I'm glad they didn't tell me to pick I would grabbed the box and ran. LOL

According to their website this is why they choose the day. Click on their website to sign up to join in on the festivities next year. I know I will.

Why April 23?A. April 23 is the UNESCO International Day of the Book, chosen in honor of Shakespeare and Cervantes, who both died on April 23 1616. (It is also the anniversary of Shakespeare's birthday.) In the Catalan region of Spain, the day is celebrated by giving a book and a flower to a loved one. We also hope that it’s a lovely spring day perfect for spreading the love of reading in your community.

Happy Reading my loves.

What I have learned living on my own

Hey there dear readers…

I finally have a breathe and want to tell you all about my new home. well I moved in in August, got rid of all the boxes and now am wondering how the heck i fit so much stuff in my old home when now it takes up most of an apartment?? 

Since I have moved out I have noticed a few things about myself I didn't know before. Some are good, some bad, some so-so, and some I knew but they have really been highlighted since I moved out.

1. Budgeting is key and I'm not as good as I should be: It's always easier to say or promise anything when you know the roof over your head is already paid for. Example I lived with my parents & never had to pay any bills other than those I racked up on my own, I paid for groceries as well but it wasn't required. Now that I have to pay rent, I have had to learn to budget, I mean I did before, but now it's not so easy to break it without there being consequences.
2.  I'm both a perfectionist and lazy. How could those two even be in the same sentence?? Well let me tell you, I have an idea of how I want things done, and if it doesn't seem like the perfect 'ideal' is going to be met I will put it off until such a times as it needs to be done; this isn't to say I don't handle my business or that I don't pay things when they are due, but more simple things like putting up the last of the pictures, sorting out the bottom cupboards, or putting off fixing the cabinets in the kitchen ( which I eventually did, and I post about it here).
3. It's was easier to be green when I only had myself to worry about: Now that I have a budget, I have found myself looking at the products that I purchase I want to be green but sometimes, it's cheaper to buy the non-organic or non 'green' item than it is to buy it's counterpart. I feel guilty as heck since I know ALL about the dangers of some of these things, but when your deciding to purchase several apples, celery and a couple of peppers or that green cleaner for $6.99; the larger variety makes more sense.
4. I'm a huge procrastinator when it comes to cleaning I don't mind it, I actually enjoy knowing I just mopped the floors with my crocheted cleaning cloth; I calculated once and discovered it takes about an hour and a half to clean my whole house: every room vacuumed, trash taken out, dishes done. floors mopped, mirrors & bathrooms cleaned. Yet I can stretch this into a two day affair, I will clean the carpets then take a break, clean somewhere else then take another break. And sometimes I have NO earthly idea what I spent the time on. Since I clean every week, it's not truly a mess, but things are out of order and i need to reset them, but sometimes i look at the pile of stuff to be done and say "oh well, I'll get to them tomorrow"
5. Before I could blame my parents now there isn't anyone to blame if I purchase food that's not healthy or from the nightshade family because I'm the who does the shopping. Not losing weight?? Well I'm the cook so who else is left to blame?? No One that's who.
6. Before I could blame being at home for not practicing, as I made the promise to bot really practice within their walls, and sometimes it meant not being able to practice at all. Now it's my home, but my practice is still floundering. I know I talked about feeling disconnected before, but now I know I really need to connect not just to the land but to some people as well, I need more friends who live within the city instead of going back home all the time.  Every monday the witch store in my town has a magic monday class and yet i never quite seem to make it there, when I lived further away I went more often. How's that for irony??

These are just a few; there are more, way more, some too personal to share, others I will share at another time. But for now these little insights have made me realize that although I have matured there are still many more things for me to learn and do.

What are some of the things you learned about yourself once you moved out on your own?? Share in the comments please

Can You Feel it??

Yesterday the twig was brown and bare;
To-day the glint of green is there;
Tomorrow will be leaflets spare;
I know no thing so wondrous fair,
No miracle so strangely rare.
I wonder what will next be there!
~L.H. Bailey

It’s almost Ostara/Eostre!!! Here in the east it has been warm, yes I know it’s winter, but it has been in the 40s and today it will be in the 50s. The last few says have been amazing here, warm, and very spring feeling, but the nights have sometimes been bitterly cold, as if the Winter isn't ready to let go and move on yet.

This weekend was an awesome weekend of learning, about blogging, about books & blogging, about HTML, about kitchen witchin, and most of all about myself. I got accepted on Netgalley which is an awesome way to get books before their release, I told my book blogging friends about it last weekend and Melissa warned me about requesting too many books....my brain heard, my fingers didn't get the message. I went on this morning bright and early and noted I had been approved for seven of my titles that I requested. Well!!! Can we say totally freaking COOOOOOOLLLLLL!!!!! Luckily they aren't due out until June or July and the publisher doesn't want reviews up until 30 days before or 30 days after release, so I'm golden. I will try to see if I can get book tours going so you guys can join in on the fun and win some awesome books. YAYAY.

Despite all the Internet work I got a lot of reading done, I finished a couple of awesome books, I'm in the middle of a hilarious one, and I got to go outside this weekend and enjoy the full moon. I didn't do any real esbat official ritual I simply meditated on the moon, tried taking pictures (I'm thinking I need a new camera).

Yesterday was our local St.Paddy's Day parade, I didn't get to go, because I picked up an extra shift at work, Downtown was beautifully decorated though,

 I went walking to start to meet the local dryads, as there are tons of trees in town Green almost all of them 50 years or older, many with knobby roots and interesting branches, this is one fo the original founding towns of CT as well as the 13 colonies, I'm sure these trees, woods, & these ancient buildings have seen much.  

Downtown New Haven is awesome and I walked much of Yale on Friday, I found little yarn shop, an awesome pub and a great green market.

I admired architecture, found hidden nooks and saw some signs of spring in the blooming of little yellow plants.
Yes this weekend was awesome.

How was your weekend? See any signs of spring? Learn anything new and exciting you want to share?
Happy Monday

Women plan gods laugh

#ThisCan'tBeLife

So remember the stress free moving day i planned prayed for??
yeah didn't happen at all, started this morning with my mother waking me up because she accidentally cancelled the turn of service for the gas.o _O  The phone rang and when he asked her about the service she said No you have the wrong number, then afterwards it occurred to her that it's not her phone and therefore the call wasn't for her =__= Not happy at all,

As if Loki wasn't done with me yet; shyt just went from bad to worse as the day wore on, did I mention the rain?? it's been raining since saturday night NON-STOP, need I remind you i have hundreds of books that can't be exposed to that much moisture period???

the leasing agent has the day off, and has the keys with him- not getting into my apartment. to make it even better :he's gone until thursday!!!!!. My family whom are helping me move can't help on Thursday because they work, do you see the shyt storm brewing here??

I just quit attempting to move right then, i just quit period. UGH
slightly dented but still here

New Locale

Hi my loves

I know so many of you having been discussing how much your lives are changing, many of you have found new jobs, and have moved to new homes, some have even moved back to their old homes. I am so excited for you ya'll. I would like to share my news that I too am moving, which if you saw the list on the side you would know that. I have decided that yes even in this shyte economy i need to move and change as many things as possible to improve my life.

I am moving from my parents home and am going to be in another town. pretty far, but not too far from my parents, (just enough so that my Mom can't surprise me).  I love my new neighborhood, I'm close to my favorite school and can attend and suspport my Bulldog teams, then not too far from where I am are theaters: both movies and playhouses, nightclubs, late night diner places, tons of things to do, and places to go, which kicks ass big time, so much FUN!!! I can't wait until the 15th,

I will be moving on Aug 15th, and will be off line for a little while, to help with my absence I will be doing a giveaway.

Details will be coming up, you can sign up for the prize soon. There will be several different prizes and options to win.

Have a Blessed Week

Chasing Dreams, can be tiring...

Oh dear readers I miss oyu.
 I haven't had the energy to even read any of my fave blogs and I'm beginning to feel it deep within, Even my magic had taken a backseat to this damn program, i know i said "balance" but it's hard to achieve when there are others involved, not just the program but family and friends (who I have rarely had a chance to see since January),  Not just that this season's allergies have been playing serious havoc with my sinuses, and I have caved to conventional methods of treating them instead of the natural way (as great as the natural way is sometimes it takes too long).

Ok no more complaints, as this smeester is over in days!!! i can't wait to be done for the summer, and can go for walks in the woods, sit beneath the trees and root myself deeply into the fabric of the day, the sweet rhythmic dance of nature.

Today while driving into school a flock of geese and the new goslings were crossing the busy highway, and a woman used her SUV to vlock oncoming traffic so they could pass safely i thought it was so amazing that even on a busy morning, nature still makes us take time for little ones. It's took a few seconds and they were safely across, and the amazing part to me?? No one had an issue with it, you saw people with their phones out taking pics, and others smiling as they drove by the little pond.

This was great to see, even on a busy Monday morning the Goddess lets herself be known in the smallest ways.

have a blessed week my loves and I will see you soon

I am Officially on Vacation

OMG it feels so good this is the first morning in a long time that I woke up past sunrise. I wasn’t rushing anywhere, I wasn’t freaking out that I needed to be somewhere, I just woke up and took my time. It feels so good.

So You must be wondering what the hell kind of program I must be doing, well I’m in the healthcare field and I ‘m in a program that will help expand my ability to work, I will be able to move around more with this new degree, and even though I know I have it abit in the bag, I’m still going to hold back on telling what it is. I still don’t want to tempt the Gods into coming after me.

So this weekend I took on a project of rearranging my room, inventorying ALL my books,and I mean ALL my books. It's been fun to see just how well my memory is holding up of what books I do own, and who has borrowed what. I have a ton of books, and inventorying them is proving to be a huge job, so i have begun to break them up by shelves and catalog them that way. (above is just one pile I brought downstairs with me)

I have also recently joined a group called Paperbackswap.com Just click on the link to Join It's Free, you put up 10 or 20 books you wish to trade and they give you 2 free points. You use the points to trade for books, and the person mailing it to you pays for postage, and that's it. Boom you have a new book at no cost to you, each time someone requests your book and you mail it, they then say they received it you get a point. I'm in love with this stie, I get new books in the mail without anything coming out of the budget. How sweet is that!?!?!?!?  (To be fair I must let you know if you click on the link and sign up I also receive a point for referring you).

I am super pumped about the Royal Wedding coming up, my Mother watched Princess Di's wedding to Prince Charles in the 1980s (I was born that November, so I wasn't around for that one), Her mother was one of the many to witness Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953. I know it sounds weird, but I'm from a commonwealth country and this to me is a huge huge event. Yes I know there are many anti-Monarchists running around threatening to ruin the big day, but you know what I'm excited. I remember being a child and having a huge crush on Prince Will when he was also my age (ok a little younger by nine months) and this to me is like one of my friends getting married. I loved the video that went viral and then got picked up by T-mobile.

I'm also pumped that Princess Grace's son Prince Albert will also be getting married this year, in June  to Charlene Wittstock a South African former Olympic swimmer.  And although Prince Albert isn't having the same amount of press I'm also excited about this one just because I love Princess Grace, and the glamour  of Monaco.

I have also begun to play catch-up on ALL my shows. I'm pumped to see all the good storylines like on House, Army Wives, and How I met your mother. i'm even pumped about Gossip Girl today (yes, it's my guilty pleasure so Don't. Judge. Me).

I've been browsing the Coming Soon section of Yahoo movies and can't wait to see:
1) Jumping the Broom (a TD Jakes movie)
2) Madea's Big Happy family (anything Madea is hilarous to me)
3) Something borrowed (I love Ginnifer Goodwin and Kate Hudson--so much like her Mom, very funny)
4) When Harry tries to Marry (its a Bollywood film, and the theater in my town always screens these so I'm super pumped)
5)Pirates of the Caribbean (it's Johnny Depp what more is there ot say??)
6)and yes Prom I know I know but it looks hilarious, my sister gets us tickets that I don't have to pay for so this one i will see just cause it's free.
7) and of course The Hangover 2
and we all Know HARRY POTTER without a doubt we will be watching the midnight preview and like last year, my sister and her friends are going all dressed up as their favorite characters.

I'm also pumped about Beltaine, are you?? What are your plans??
So that's me for this weekend and today what are you doing and what are you looking forward to???
Be Blessed

Simplicity

It's the little things,  there is a school of thought that is very old but very new. It's called the Simplicity School of thought, basically it's cutting down the unnecessary clutter in your life, whether that is physical clutter, emotional clutter or mental clutter, one kind of leads into the other. It's so old it's sometimes called Feng Shui, the art of decorating to bring peace, happiness and harmony, and NO clutter.


This is a school of thought I find myself moving towards as I get older, the only "clutter" I truly have are my books, and I have been weeding out the ones I will never read and the ones that were just plain shyt to read. Slowly but surely I have been giving away, tossing and getting rid of stuff, but I swear to the Gods it's like the stuff mate and multiply when your not looking. 


Im not sure how but my basement is now full of shyt and I have no idea how have of it got there. Some of it belongs to a family member who was a little down on their luck and needed to store their things while they down graded in apartment size but it just seems like the pile has grown and no one knows whose stuff it is.  I've managed to clean out a lot of stuff in the last few months, but there always seems to be more stuff everywhere.  


I have made it my mission this year to once again see the basement floor, to declutter the hallway closet (for coats) and to once and for all completely put all my christmas decorations in one place (they are organized but some in the attic, some in the basement, some upstairs some in the garage). i totally agree with them when they say if you don't want to be cleaning or maintaining it two months from now DONT buy it, so I have been avoiding the mall, even more than ever and I have not gone to my craft stores in a while (cause I always seem to come out with some new project idea).


What are some our your simplicity goals? Enjoy the video with some ideas below



and as always Be blessed

Snow Storm 2010

These are the pictures from today, the day after the storm ended actually the storm ended at 9am. We went out and shoveled from 1030 to like 1230.

Well we didn't really have to shovel as we have a snow-blower, but it can't go near the cars so we had to dig those out, and clean up what it left behind.

It's funny to watch people as the wind lifts the snow from the shovels and blows it northward, how everyone stops and turns their back to the wind so the snow blows against their backs instead of into their eyes, earlier in the morning the wind wasn't as intense and the weather wasn't as cold, but as the two hours wore on it got frigid. And I was happy to turn the shovel over and head inside. 
I had the “fun” job of clearing the front porch, I can actually feel now the pain of doing it.

Here are the chairs which looked so nice only last nite with the light dusting of snow.

Even the potted plant and the water hose are covered, I can't make it to the front door period.

A friend’s mother had the nerve to say today that snow isn't heavy O_o I didn’t mean to but I snapped back “how would you know you've never shovel, your back and knees won’t allow you”. Now that might sound mean, but this woman will use her back pain and knee pain to get out of doing anything remotely looking like work, O_o but she will quickly throw on heels and head to the club, after telling you she couldn't help you because her back was hurting. Le Sigh, i’m trying but sometimes people just say the dumbest stuff and think your supposed to take it because they are your elders. Ok sorry for the mini-rant, but it just bugs me that she was willing to write our pain off because it’s not on the same level as hers. Ugh MOVING ON!!

it wasn't all work, later in the afternoon the mail truck got stuck in our drive0way because the snow plow came thru and pushed all the snow we had worked so hard to clear, right back into the end of the driveway O_o snowplow FAIL, 

but this was fun to watch. (i know sounds mean, but hey I have to get my seven chuckles somewhere) 

Give snow a minute and it will find it's way into anywhere. this is  near the garage door

The potted arrangement my mother worked so hard on which sits int he front bay window.

You can barely see the holly branches within it

What the snow looked like before we cleared it away, it's about knee deep at the moment.

looking out over the deck

there is so much snow i can't open the screen door to go out on it.

Some places lost power, but we were fine, tons of left-overs, lots of cookies, plus new movies to watch meant we were well entertained. And for those of us who simply were too tired, it was a great time to hibernate.

Although ti wasn't great snowball or snowman weather, this was great powder to go skiing and sledding on, especially since we live next to two huge hills and two parks known for their hills. several people snowshoed (is that the word? what the past tense of snowshoe??) it over to the country club and used the golf course hills as a sledding and tubing course, ahh to be young and reckless again. (shh!! I'm going later tonite)
I hope you were safe from the storm and made out ok
Be Blessed my loves

Mall Renovations and Preview of Birthday/TurkeyDay table

Despite the global downturn, my town has managed to continue to not only grow but to go green.
The local mall recently underwent a renovation of massive proportions, adding a brand new dining area and new shops, It was desperately needed.

Here is the front of the new dining area

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  Close up of the bow, which actually lights up! You can't really see it but it also says Happy Holidays

the outside dining area

 
A Cake Boss Cake for the mall.

The side view, so you can see how deep it is.

I snuck in a Santa pic, I then walked very fast away!!

 
Turkey Day/ Birthday celebration set-up

the centerpiece, I will be adding flowers, and such but for now it's just the candles and my holder.

t 
my attempt at an artist’s pic 

Close-up of the napkins

One setting, each napkin is a different fall color.

   
Today is my birthday (Nov 22nd) I spent most of it relaxing, then at the mall walking around getting to know the new layout (I haven’t been in there in months). It was a good day.
Hope your day was great my loves
Blessed Be