I have finished Book One of Septimus Heap- Magyk. If any of you would like the book, post a comment. 1st come, 1st served.
Today's card is Rhinoceros. I thought this card would be about taking charge, standing your ground, etc, but instead it says, 'still the chatter within to see your true path in life.'
Until tomorrow.
The Witchcraft of FreeDragon
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday Sucks
I go swimming three times a week. More or Less. I enjoy it, it keeps my sugar down, and it gives me a good, full body, low impact workout. I arrive at the pool around 6-ish b/c I don't want to share the water with screaming children. It's usually me, a fat guy who doesn't want many people to see his fat, some old people, and a couple of guys who look like they are training for the Olympics. We all spread out and try to stay out of each other's way.
When I get out of the pool I feel heavy. I want to eat then take a nap. But instead I go off to work and I feel fine. Until I climb the 32 steps to my office. Suddenly I am heavy again, barely able to drag my 1 ton legs upstairs.
For the rest of the day I'll wish I could go home. We have a saying at my work- waiting for the shotgun blast. This means that the very beginning of the day is peaceful. If the whole day kept that calm for the entire shift, we might be able to accomplish something. Anything. But instead the managers come out of their morning meeting with an agenda that follows neither logic nor reason. And usually they withold important info because they think we should blindly follow orders without thinking.
We shipped out a machine Friday. We got a new one in today. We also moved one. Being that the managers all knew when these things would occur, the simplest thing would have been to set a date when production would stop. Then we could have done some packing, reorganizing, and arranging. We would have been ready, and possibly had things on a truck waiting to go.
Instead, the batch stopped on Wednesday. That would have been a good time to stop production. But we put a new batch of material on and kept going. Then we assigned more material. Now we have to reassign it, and what we didn't use too.
The new machine arrived at 5am, but the shift changes at 6 so night shift wouldn't start the project and day shift wasn't there. When day shift came in they started moving boxes and opening doors. Around 8ish the project finally got underway. And stopped at 9 for break.
My office mate had an out of town emergency, so I was trying to do her job and mine too. I'd run upstairs, do a little piece of my work, run downstairs, realize I forgot something, up, down, stopped by people who need me to do my job, forget what I was doing, find a mess, downstairs, stopped again, find another mess, remembered what I doing, realize I forgot a report, up, down, up, down, go on a plant-wide hunt for copy paper, steal some off a truck, send Kevin to steal more so I don't have to hunt for copy paper later, find another mess...it was a spin my wheels day. At one point I couldn't do anything because every single entrance to the room I needed to go in was blocked by men with forklifts.
All the while I am so heavy.
Somehow I managed to clear out a little spot. I felt encouraged. Our parts room is terribly short of space. I figured out to re-arrange things to make it a little easier to find things. It would be more of related items all together. But then while I wasn't looking someone dumped some junk in the space. Another mess to clean up. Suddenly I realize I have nowhere to put this stuff and my boss probably won't let me get rid of it, even though we'll never use it again. I look around and see piles and piles of worthless things, outdated parts for machines we don't have, samples for products we don't make anymore, broken things waiting for repair. I feel depressed. And heavy. And boy, do I miss my office mate.
I gave up on my space saving approach. I spent the rest of the day in my office trying to add up monthly costs and making to-do lists. We have two more machines coming. Oh joy.
Today's card is Octopus. 'Travel across earth and over sea to securely embrace your dream.' Don't let the forklifts stop you.
When I get out of the pool I feel heavy. I want to eat then take a nap. But instead I go off to work and I feel fine. Until I climb the 32 steps to my office. Suddenly I am heavy again, barely able to drag my 1 ton legs upstairs.
For the rest of the day I'll wish I could go home. We have a saying at my work- waiting for the shotgun blast. This means that the very beginning of the day is peaceful. If the whole day kept that calm for the entire shift, we might be able to accomplish something. Anything. But instead the managers come out of their morning meeting with an agenda that follows neither logic nor reason. And usually they withold important info because they think we should blindly follow orders without thinking.
We shipped out a machine Friday. We got a new one in today. We also moved one. Being that the managers all knew when these things would occur, the simplest thing would have been to set a date when production would stop. Then we could have done some packing, reorganizing, and arranging. We would have been ready, and possibly had things on a truck waiting to go.
Instead, the batch stopped on Wednesday. That would have been a good time to stop production. But we put a new batch of material on and kept going. Then we assigned more material. Now we have to reassign it, and what we didn't use too.
The new machine arrived at 5am, but the shift changes at 6 so night shift wouldn't start the project and day shift wasn't there. When day shift came in they started moving boxes and opening doors. Around 8ish the project finally got underway. And stopped at 9 for break.
My office mate had an out of town emergency, so I was trying to do her job and mine too. I'd run upstairs, do a little piece of my work, run downstairs, realize I forgot something, up, down, stopped by people who need me to do my job, forget what I was doing, find a mess, downstairs, stopped again, find another mess, remembered what I doing, realize I forgot a report, up, down, up, down, go on a plant-wide hunt for copy paper, steal some off a truck, send Kevin to steal more so I don't have to hunt for copy paper later, find another mess...it was a spin my wheels day. At one point I couldn't do anything because every single entrance to the room I needed to go in was blocked by men with forklifts.
All the while I am so heavy.
Somehow I managed to clear out a little spot. I felt encouraged. Our parts room is terribly short of space. I figured out to re-arrange things to make it a little easier to find things. It would be more of related items all together. But then while I wasn't looking someone dumped some junk in the space. Another mess to clean up. Suddenly I realize I have nowhere to put this stuff and my boss probably won't let me get rid of it, even though we'll never use it again. I look around and see piles and piles of worthless things, outdated parts for machines we don't have, samples for products we don't make anymore, broken things waiting for repair. I feel depressed. And heavy. And boy, do I miss my office mate.
I gave up on my space saving approach. I spent the rest of the day in my office trying to add up monthly costs and making to-do lists. We have two more machines coming. Oh joy.
Today's card is Octopus. 'Travel across earth and over sea to securely embrace your dream.' Don't let the forklifts stop you.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
She is Coming
First off, I didn't post a card yesterday. I remembered, and I intended to come in here at some point and draw a card. I also thought I'd post something witty and insightful. For some reason, it just didn't happen. So I'll be posting 2 cards today.
1. Butterfly. This is a beautiful card and I don't think I've drawn it before. Yay for butterflies!
2. Sloth. The card says, consider the smallness of your needs and treasure what you possess. So both our cards are about happiness. Which is good because a Dark Goddess is here.
Dark Goddess are very misunderstood. Their energy is heavy and intense. They can be scary to the nth degree. But that doesn't mean they are evil. I prefer to see them as strong-willed women who are unconcerned with what others may think of them.
The Goddess elbowing Her way into my life is Oya, Queen of Cemeteries, Queen of the Marketplace, Goddess of Storms, the Winds of Change Herself. Oya is the sister of Oshun, who I've worked with in the past. There is a 3rd sister, so I expect Her to show up next. (Go look it up, I'm not doing all the work for you)
I found out it was Oya hanging around while reading Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison. Please go read this book and turn your magickal thinking around.
Morrison talks about Oya in the section on gathering graveyard dirt. I was intrigued, and thinking about my cemetery project, I decided this would be a good goddess to work with. And since I just opened an Etsy shop, She might could help in that area too.
I began researching Oya on the Internet. There's conflicting information about Her. It seems to me that She rules what She wants to when She wants to do it. A few sources state that this African goddess is white with either red or blonde hair and that She probably is another version of St. Bride/Brighid. However, all the pictures I found were of black women. I think She is probably the same kind of energy, so the two are probably interchangeable. Each is both a water and a fire goddess. But I think African goddess are black and British goddess are white.
Oya is one of the 3 sister-wives of Chango. Some sources say She gave Him power over storms and other sources say He gave Her power of storms. Think they both have it because it takes both male and female energy to make a storm.
I work in ways deep
ever present
always moving
I work in ways dramatic
with thunder and lightning
sweeping and uprooting
I work in ways subtle
pushing and prodding
wearing and tearing
I swirl you and twirl you
I splatter you and scatter you
I shock you and rock you
I clear the way for what is to come
I can be slight or stupendous
brief or long lasting
uprooting or uprising
What I can't be is ignored
So how do I know She has come to call? Lots of little things. Her signs are everywhere in my life right now. I kept finding bones, I have a desire to explore cemeteries, I'm trying to increase my income, and it storms all the time. This goddess also is connected with beautiful cloth- and I'm dyeing fabric. If a fabric is pretty enough I consider it art all by itself.
If you want to work with Oya I must caution you on 3 things: things work best when a goddess chooses you, African gods will either help you or they won't, Oya is the goddess of change. You won't be the same afterward.
1. Butterfly. This is a beautiful card and I don't think I've drawn it before. Yay for butterflies!
2. Sloth. The card says, consider the smallness of your needs and treasure what you possess. So both our cards are about happiness. Which is good because a Dark Goddess is here.
Dark Goddess are very misunderstood. Their energy is heavy and intense. They can be scary to the nth degree. But that doesn't mean they are evil. I prefer to see them as strong-willed women who are unconcerned with what others may think of them.
The Goddess elbowing Her way into my life is Oya, Queen of Cemeteries, Queen of the Marketplace, Goddess of Storms, the Winds of Change Herself. Oya is the sister of Oshun, who I've worked with in the past. There is a 3rd sister, so I expect Her to show up next. (Go look it up, I'm not doing all the work for you)
I found out it was Oya hanging around while reading Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison. Please go read this book and turn your magickal thinking around.
Morrison talks about Oya in the section on gathering graveyard dirt. I was intrigued, and thinking about my cemetery project, I decided this would be a good goddess to work with. And since I just opened an Etsy shop, She might could help in that area too.
I began researching Oya on the Internet. There's conflicting information about Her. It seems to me that She rules what She wants to when She wants to do it. A few sources state that this African goddess is white with either red or blonde hair and that She probably is another version of St. Bride/Brighid. However, all the pictures I found were of black women. I think She is probably the same kind of energy, so the two are probably interchangeable. Each is both a water and a fire goddess. But I think African goddess are black and British goddess are white.
Oya is one of the 3 sister-wives of Chango. Some sources say She gave Him power over storms and other sources say He gave Her power of storms. Think they both have it because it takes both male and female energy to make a storm.
I work in ways deep
ever present
always moving
I work in ways dramatic
with thunder and lightning
sweeping and uprooting
I work in ways subtle
pushing and prodding
wearing and tearing
I swirl you and twirl you
I splatter you and scatter you
I shock you and rock you
I clear the way for what is to come
I can be slight or stupendous
brief or long lasting
uprooting or uprising
What I can't be is ignored
So how do I know She has come to call? Lots of little things. Her signs are everywhere in my life right now. I kept finding bones, I have a desire to explore cemeteries, I'm trying to increase my income, and it storms all the time. This goddess also is connected with beautiful cloth- and I'm dyeing fabric. If a fabric is pretty enough I consider it art all by itself.
If you want to work with Oya I must caution you on 3 things: things work best when a goddess chooses you, African gods will either help you or they won't, Oya is the goddess of change. You won't be the same afterward.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Me Too
I was reading Wide Lawns and she said some people who know her follow her blog and facebook just so they can gossip about her. This is the only reason I do not have a facebook page. Uncle Joe wanted to friend me and I thought about it for over 2 weeks. I took so long that I got a 2nd friend request. On the one hand, it would be great to have regular updates from my out of state family. It would be nice to see pictures of the dozen or so people I love most. But that's my father's side of the family. On the other hand is my mother's family and I love them not at all.
I don't know what's wrong with those people. I feel like we don't share any common traits or DNA. It's like culture shock on the rare occasions I go around them. Their way of life is so different from mine. All the women are oppressed. They lay around the house all day watching tv. They do nothing, say nothing, think nothing. Their self-esteem is nil. And here I am, a graduate from the cow college on the plains with a JOB. Not only that, but I've been with the company for YEARS.
One of my cousins told me she loves to inform anyone who will listen that I graduated from college. I couldn't understand why at first, then I realized it was a small way to shine herself. She has the idea that if I can accomplish something then surely she can. The potential is there.
I disagree with that. I think your potential is in you and you alone. It doesn't matter what your relative does. Bloodlines alone do not make anyone great.
Thankfully, this would also mean coming from a bad family doesn't automatically damn you to hell. What a relief.
I could go on and on about the tacky things they've done. I think the worst was when my cousin's wife asked my mother to leave my uncle's funeral. Yes, you read that correctly. I cannot think of anything more low class. Some people just do not know how to behave.
Then there was the time my aunt and my grandfather stopped paying their phone bill. Since my mother got the phone for her mother, the phone was in Mom's name. The phone company called one night threatening to turn off both my grandparents' phone and ours. My mother was stunned. My grandparents had been paying the bill for 20 years and suddenly, as soon as my grandmother died, they just stopped? Mom paid the bill, but she had the phone turned off. This lead to my aunt spreading a nasty rumor- Mom had the phone turned off for spite.
Then there was my grandmother's tombstone. She was worried that no one would buy a stone for her, so before she died she gave my mother the money to pay for it. All her siblings said she stole the money. Then when my grandfather died they bought a huge double headstone and pushed the stone my mother bought out of the way. The simplest solution would have been to buy a matching headstone for Papa, but oh no, we have to show out, be mean, and make the task your mother set for you a complete waste of money.
I despise these people and they are all on facebook!
I can see now- I join and suddenly everyone in three counties are looking at my pictures, criticizing my hair, saying I look nothing like the rest of the family, wondering why I don't go on and get married like a good girl, wondering if my job is important, saying I don't sew as well as my aunts, wondering why I let my dogs in the house, sneering at my degree and telling people I've done got above my raising...
I just can't do it.
My office mate has a facebook page and she's on it all the time. I've thought about asking her to look up my family but I'm afraid I'll see something that offends me. What if I find a cousin who talks about their horrid, mean ol' aunt in Salem, and boy, is she a bitch, and that daughter of hers...
Can't do that either.
I'm sure one day someone is going to stumble across my blog and then all my secrets will be out. No more will I have a private place to vent, to think, to express myself. I'll be criticized for what I've wrote and what I think. That's why I haven't linked my shop to my blog. I need a place that is all my own without having to explain anything.
I don't think it's anybody's business anyway.
I don't know what's wrong with those people. I feel like we don't share any common traits or DNA. It's like culture shock on the rare occasions I go around them. Their way of life is so different from mine. All the women are oppressed. They lay around the house all day watching tv. They do nothing, say nothing, think nothing. Their self-esteem is nil. And here I am, a graduate from the cow college on the plains with a JOB. Not only that, but I've been with the company for YEARS.
One of my cousins told me she loves to inform anyone who will listen that I graduated from college. I couldn't understand why at first, then I realized it was a small way to shine herself. She has the idea that if I can accomplish something then surely she can. The potential is there.
I disagree with that. I think your potential is in you and you alone. It doesn't matter what your relative does. Bloodlines alone do not make anyone great.
Thankfully, this would also mean coming from a bad family doesn't automatically damn you to hell. What a relief.
I could go on and on about the tacky things they've done. I think the worst was when my cousin's wife asked my mother to leave my uncle's funeral. Yes, you read that correctly. I cannot think of anything more low class. Some people just do not know how to behave.
Then there was the time my aunt and my grandfather stopped paying their phone bill. Since my mother got the phone for her mother, the phone was in Mom's name. The phone company called one night threatening to turn off both my grandparents' phone and ours. My mother was stunned. My grandparents had been paying the bill for 20 years and suddenly, as soon as my grandmother died, they just stopped? Mom paid the bill, but she had the phone turned off. This lead to my aunt spreading a nasty rumor- Mom had the phone turned off for spite.
Then there was my grandmother's tombstone. She was worried that no one would buy a stone for her, so before she died she gave my mother the money to pay for it. All her siblings said she stole the money. Then when my grandfather died they bought a huge double headstone and pushed the stone my mother bought out of the way. The simplest solution would have been to buy a matching headstone for Papa, but oh no, we have to show out, be mean, and make the task your mother set for you a complete waste of money.
I despise these people and they are all on facebook!
I can see now- I join and suddenly everyone in three counties are looking at my pictures, criticizing my hair, saying I look nothing like the rest of the family, wondering why I don't go on and get married like a good girl, wondering if my job is important, saying I don't sew as well as my aunts, wondering why I let my dogs in the house, sneering at my degree and telling people I've done got above my raising...
I just can't do it.
My office mate has a facebook page and she's on it all the time. I've thought about asking her to look up my family but I'm afraid I'll see something that offends me. What if I find a cousin who talks about their horrid, mean ol' aunt in Salem, and boy, is she a bitch, and that daughter of hers...
Can't do that either.
I'm sure one day someone is going to stumble across my blog and then all my secrets will be out. No more will I have a private place to vent, to think, to express myself. I'll be criticized for what I've wrote and what I think. That's why I haven't linked my shop to my blog. I need a place that is all my own without having to explain anything.
I don't think it's anybody's business anyway.
Friday, August 27, 2010
TGIF
Today's zone is the kitcehn. There's always a lot of work to be done in here. I never seem to get all the dishes washed. Also I have a gas stove which leaves a greasy film on every thing. I like being able to cook even if the power is out, and I like that my food cooks faster on a gas stove, but does it ever make a mess. And if anybody reading this could invent a gas gauge that goes IN THE HOUSE so I don't have to try and remember to check the gas level, that would be great. I completely forget about the tank until it is empty. Then the gas company wants to charge me an extra $40. Somebody, please, invent the little gauge that sits on the wall. Thanks.
I'm so glad the week is almost over. It seems to me that this month has dragged on forever. Yesterday my sugar was up and down all day and I felt like crap on toast. I did manage to get some things together for my etsy shop, and I'm delivering an order to a local shop this afternoon. And I actually got some reading done so I feel encouraged that I might be able to educate myself after all.
Today's card is crocodile. It says 'the alchemy of energy teaches that death will always yeild new life' Hmm, that sounds like change is coming.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Living Room
Today is Thursday and our zone is the living room
I will be dusting the bookshelves today. About ten years ago I had the idea that all my book cases should match so I painted them all black. It makes a wonderful effect- the book covers seem to pop out in vivid color. But nothing shows dust like black.
Speaking of books, I looked at the greatest 100 novels ever written list and was embarrassed to find I had only read 6. I decided I had to remedy that, so I'm going to educate myself. However, I will be starting with a series that is not on the list- the Septimus Heap series. I started it not long after the first book came out, and I think I got to book four. Then life got busy as usual. So I'm starting over with book one and after I finish the series I'll start on Hemingway. I believe I should read not just what I 'ought to' but what I like, which is probably why I've only read 6 of the greatest novels.
Today's card- dolphin!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Today's zone is the bathroom. I scrubbed the toilet this morning b/c I knew Kevin would be having a friend over today and I just didn't want him to think I'm a bad housekeeper. When Sophie had the puppies I was rushing off to work one morning and I noticed dog poo on the floor. Something told me to clean it up, but I was running VERY late and puppies poo everywhere so I figured there'd be more when I came home. Or Sophie would take care of it eventually. Or both. Anyway, I left and Kevin's friend pulled into the driveway about 5 minutes later. I am terrified he thinks I have a nasty house and he's been telling every one Kevin has a lazy, sorry woman. I know he wouldn't say any such thing because he's a nice man and he's married to an old cougar, so he probably thinks anyone is better than what he's got. He didn't come to my birthday party because if he came alone the cougar would have called every few minutes to check up on him, and if he bought her then she would have tried to run the show. I've only met her once. She's very pushy. But anyway, I wasn't going to have a dirty house two visits in a row so I ran around fluffing pillows, tossing junk mail, and sweeping the floor.
Today's card is mountain goat. Don't lose your footing!
I reading Forest Grove today and she has instructions for mead, so I decided to post my dad's recipe for Homemade Muskadine Wine.
You need a 5 gallon container filled with crushed muskadines. You need pure juice. Don't add water unless there is not enough fruit to fill the container. To get the juice, mash ripe muskadines. Strain out the seeds and pulp.
If the fruit isn't sweet, add enough sugar to float a raw (uncooked, still in shell) egg. Put the egg in a spoon. Submerge the egg just under the surface of the liquid. Pour in sugar until the egg stands on end. The egg should rise to the surface, but not go above the surface.
Place lid on container. Don't seal the lid of the container, tape it down with duct tape. As the fruit ferments, the gas will rise. You'll know it's done when the tape breaks. This can take 1 week to 10 days, depending on the temperature. It takes longer in cool weather.
Now seal the container. Your container should be nearly full with not much air above the wine. Air turns wine to vinegar.
Let sit for about one month to work. Again, warm weather makes the process faster. As long as bubbles are rising in the wine it is still working.
Bottle and seal. let sit for at least one year. The longer it sits, the better. When the wine is finished it changes color. It will turn from a grape juice color to a brown similar to the color of bourbon.
Today's card is mountain goat. Don't lose your footing!
I reading Forest Grove today and she has instructions for mead, so I decided to post my dad's recipe for Homemade Muskadine Wine.
You need a 5 gallon container filled with crushed muskadines. You need pure juice. Don't add water unless there is not enough fruit to fill the container. To get the juice, mash ripe muskadines. Strain out the seeds and pulp.
If the fruit isn't sweet, add enough sugar to float a raw (uncooked, still in shell) egg. Put the egg in a spoon. Submerge the egg just under the surface of the liquid. Pour in sugar until the egg stands on end. The egg should rise to the surface, but not go above the surface.
Place lid on container. Don't seal the lid of the container, tape it down with duct tape. As the fruit ferments, the gas will rise. You'll know it's done when the tape breaks. This can take 1 week to 10 days, depending on the temperature. It takes longer in cool weather.
Now seal the container. Your container should be nearly full with not much air above the wine. Air turns wine to vinegar.
Let sit for about one month to work. Again, warm weather makes the process faster. As long as bubbles are rising in the wine it is still working.
Bottle and seal. let sit for at least one year. The longer it sits, the better. When the wine is finished it changes color. It will turn from a grape juice color to a brown similar to the color of bourbon.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Star
Here is the star I made for my friend's birthday. I still need to frame it. I'm working on another one that is red and white with a blue background. I'm curious, would any of you buy a framed star, or would you prefer that it be the design on something such as a box or book cover?
Tuesday
today's zone is my sewing room, which we've sorta seen already. so i was thinking about posting a pic of one of my needlework projects. that will have to wait until this afternoon b/c i'm about to head off to the gym, and that's the deal with all lower case- i'm typing with 1 hand and eating breakfast with the other.
i may not get to a picture today b/c i need to go to the store, iron some fabric i dyed, finish laundry, and wash dishes. plus, i actually have to clean up in here at some point.
magically speaking tuesday is a fire day and the prefect time to try a new art or craft. if you've been wanting to learn something today would be the day to start.
today's card is deer. kevin told me there was the barest hint of a chill in the air this morning. to me deer all about fall. deer are gentle creatures that go about their own business. they will eat up the garden though, so today might be a good day to make sure no one tries to reap your rewards.
i may not get to a picture today b/c i need to go to the store, iron some fabric i dyed, finish laundry, and wash dishes. plus, i actually have to clean up in here at some point.
magically speaking tuesday is a fire day and the prefect time to try a new art or craft. if you've been wanting to learn something today would be the day to start.
today's card is deer. kevin told me there was the barest hint of a chill in the air this morning. to me deer all about fall. deer are gentle creatures that go about their own business. they will eat up the garden though, so today might be a good day to make sure no one tries to reap your rewards.
Monday, August 23, 2010
A Cooler Weather Idea
I decided then when it cools off (if it ever does)I'll start my cemetery project.
I love cemeteries. I like to see the family names and imagine what those people were like when they lived. I like to make rubbings of the tombstones. Some strange and beautiful art can be found on graves. Last year my father, my cousin, and myself visited several cemeteries in the area. My father showed me the graves of my family. It gave me a much better picture of who we are and how my great-grandparents lived. I took lots of pictures and had a good time. I also learned a lot of history about the area. It was a good day- cool, but not cold, and the turning leaves were just beautiful.
There are about 78 cemeteries in Tallapoosa County alone and I intend to visit them all, starting with the ones closest to my house. I fear a few of these places are in danger of being lost. My plan is to visit each one, write down the surnames, take some pics, and make rubbings of anything that catches my eye.
My other for reason for the cemetery project is that I think I am becoming a bone witch. I continually find bones- bird skulls, coyote skulls, turtle shells, and deer antlers, and these bones speak to me. I feel like I'm holding a power object. Before you ask, the bones I find I always bleached white and cleaned by Mother Nature. I don't think I could 'harvest' anything.
Last year I visited the Georgia Aquarium and the exhibit that drew me the most was the model of the whale skeleton. I viewed it from every angle and snapped picture after picture. I liked the whole Aquarium, especially the otters, but I remember the bones best.
I had some reservations about working with bones because it is a dark energy. I don't particularly want to deal with the dead. But the dead are all around all the time. My house is haunted, I nearly died this year. The bones are calling me. I have finally come to realize that I cannot truly live if I do not acknowledge that there is a end. To live blindly without making the most of the journey is just a waste.
I love cemeteries. I like to see the family names and imagine what those people were like when they lived. I like to make rubbings of the tombstones. Some strange and beautiful art can be found on graves. Last year my father, my cousin, and myself visited several cemeteries in the area. My father showed me the graves of my family. It gave me a much better picture of who we are and how my great-grandparents lived. I took lots of pictures and had a good time. I also learned a lot of history about the area. It was a good day- cool, but not cold, and the turning leaves were just beautiful.
There are about 78 cemeteries in Tallapoosa County alone and I intend to visit them all, starting with the ones closest to my house. I fear a few of these places are in danger of being lost. My plan is to visit each one, write down the surnames, take some pics, and make rubbings of anything that catches my eye.
My other for reason for the cemetery project is that I think I am becoming a bone witch. I continually find bones- bird skulls, coyote skulls, turtle shells, and deer antlers, and these bones speak to me. I feel like I'm holding a power object. Before you ask, the bones I find I always bleached white and cleaned by Mother Nature. I don't think I could 'harvest' anything.
Last year I visited the Georgia Aquarium and the exhibit that drew me the most was the model of the whale skeleton. I viewed it from every angle and snapped picture after picture. I liked the whole Aquarium, especially the otters, but I remember the bones best.
I had some reservations about working with bones because it is a dark energy. I don't particularly want to deal with the dead. But the dead are all around all the time. My house is haunted, I nearly died this year. The bones are calling me. I have finally come to realize that I cannot truly live if I do not acknowledge that there is a end. To live blindly without making the most of the journey is just a waste.
Blah Monday
I woke up not feeling my best. I'm hot, then cold. I slept all night but feel tired and weak. I decided not to go to the gym today, but I am (sigh) going to work.
Today's zone is the bedroom. I'm sorry, but I'm just not posting a pic of my bed. It seems too personal. I will tell you that I have a beautiful, antique feather bed and it was handmade by my great-grandfather. This is the same man who turned a school building into his house. He was a farmer and he grew all of his food except the coffee.
Today's card- spider. I love spiders. Anything that eats bugs is good. Kevin hates spiders. I won't let him kill any in the house. I'll say, 'Be nice to Grandmother.' He thinks I'm nuts. But we don't have a bug problem.
Today's zone is the bedroom. I'm sorry, but I'm just not posting a pic of my bed. It seems too personal. I will tell you that I have a beautiful, antique feather bed and it was handmade by my great-grandfather. This is the same man who turned a school building into his house. He was a farmer and he grew all of his food except the coffee.
Today's card- spider. I love spiders. Anything that eats bugs is good. Kevin hates spiders. I won't let him kill any in the house. I'll say, 'Be nice to Grandmother.' He thinks I'm nuts. But we don't have a bug problem.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The sewing room
Okay, Muddy, tell me which corner you don't like and I'll tell you about the previous tennant.
Today's zone is the outdoor storage room which I use as a gardening shed. I'm not posting a pic because it is small, dark, and cobwebby. But my altar is in there so I promise to take a picture on Mabon. Today I will be sweeping, tossing trash, and washing flower pots. Yes, I wash them to prevent plant diseases and to destroy the eggs of pests.
Today's animal card is red squirrel and the bottom of the card says 'gather your resources now, for they will sustain you through the coming change' which is odd because I was just thinking I should prepare for winter...
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Saturday, post tech
I LOVE my internet! Woo-Hoo!
You can tell how eager I was because I started writing posts 3 days ago. I have a lot of catching up to do.
Posting pics is a pain, so when I finish my house it will be a while before you see anymore pictures. Therefor I won't be posting pics of the animal messages cards. But that's okay, once you know the kind of the animal we're dealing with each day you can find your own representation.
So let me draw the first card...
FOX!
What a great start!
See you tomorrow.
You can tell how eager I was because I started writing posts 3 days ago. I have a lot of catching up to do.
Posting pics is a pain, so when I finish my house it will be a while before you see anymore pictures. Therefor I won't be posting pics of the animal messages cards. But that's okay, once you know the kind of the animal we're dealing with each day you can find your own representation.
So let me draw the first card...
FOX!
What a great start!
See you tomorrow.
Saturday, Pre-Tech
It’s Saturday. I’m still waiting on the tech. I am very excited and I can’t wait to be back in action.
You’ll have to go back and read the last 2 posts to know what is going on.
Today’s zone is the front and back porch. I’m going to wipe down my doors. This is something most people don’t think about, but it makes an incredible difference in the way your home is perceived. This would also be a good day to repot plants, replace old or broken garden art, repair or repaint lawn furniture or put down mulch. Don’t stress. Don’t try to do it all. Remember, we will be back here in one week.
How to make it Witchy- Saturday is the day of banishings. To keep bill collectors away put two needles laying crisscross under your doormat. To keep enemies away put a large open safety pin under the mat. You can also bury the herb devil’s shoestring along the edges of your walkway. Sprinkle goofer dust on your fence and gate. I wouldn’t sprinkle it on the door as it can stain paint.
For protection hang stars or empower statuary (lions would be a good choice). Anoint the door knob with patchouli oil for keeping ghosts away. Place a pot of mums near the entrance to keep your neighbors from talking about you. Hang a mirror on your door to send negative energy back. You can also hang wind chimes on your door. The sound chases evil away.
This is the back porch-
And here’s that dragon I couldn’t get a good shot of last night-
And here is my front door knocker-
Here is my front porch:
Friday
So it’s Friday now. One day away from Internet!
I thought I should explain some things. First, I drew the dragon in the last post. I realize it is not a great drawing since I can’t actually draw, but I really like my little dragon. Probably because he’s all mine. Most of my art has to be based on something. He’s all free-hand. I wanted to take a picture of the dragon on my backdoor but the light was terrible. I couldn’t get a shot without a reflection or glare. Also my dogs tried to run out every time I opened the door. The dogs will probably be in most of the photos. They are large and they have a knack for getting in the way.
Another thing that COULD be in a photo (not saying this will happen) is Bill the Ghost. We don’t know that his name is Bill but a man named Bill did expire in the house so we just assume. Did I mention the house is haunted? He has a thing with doors. Actually, I don’t think I’ve told this story.
The house seemed fine when I moved in. Normally I can sense a ghostly presence. I didn’t notice anything. My friend the air witch came over with her psychic daughter and they didn’t notice anything either. There’s something a little odd about my sewing room but it’s more of a hot, stuffy, air-can’t-move kind of feeling. I’ve been burning incense and banishing negative energy so the room feels better now but it still seems to have a kind of energy drain on it.
Two months after I moved in I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I got back in bed and just as I was starting to go back to sleep the bedroom door opened.
Of course it startled me. Kevin didn’t live here at the time. I was a single woman living all by myself in the country and suddenly my bedroom door opens in the middle of the night.
Well, I did just go to the bathroom. I shut the door, got back in bed and no sooner than I laid down the door opened again.
Okay that’s just creepy.
I got up, turned on the light, and firmly closed the door. I pushed it. I made sure it was shut. I locked it. Then I turned around and before I got back into bed the door opened.
Waaaaaay creepy.
I shut it, then sat up in bed with the light on for over an hour staring at the door waiting for it to open. Nothing happened. Finally I decided I was stupid. I turned off the light and tried to sleep. About 30 minutes later the door opened again.
I gave up. I left the door open and didn’t sleep at all.
Over the next few nights the door would open all by itself. I couldn’t find a cause for it. I locked it thinking that maybe the latch was worn. It didn’t matter if the door was locked or not. It was always open in the morning. Sometimes it woke me up and sometimes it didn’t. Sometimes it would be wide open and sometimes slightly ajar.
Other doors started to open. I told Kevin and we ran several experiments. We opened and closed doors and windows trying to create drafts. We slammed doors. We stomped around and tried to make doors open by vibration. We looked at knobs and doorframes. Try as we might, we could not make a door open. Kevin told me I had a ghost. I agreed and we headed to the porch. As we walked through the kitchen the living room window slammed shut. We could find no reason for it.
My solution was to leave the doors open.
This worked for a while. One day I came home and the backdoor was open. I was freaked out. I thought robbers were in the house. I stood on the porch for a while and debated going in. I realize no one should ever go in if they come home and find the door open. If you catch the robbers in the act you will be meeting villains alone and unarmed. Things could get ugly. Particularly if you are a country woman living alone and no one will think to check on you for days.
However, I knew I had a ghost. So I entered (carefully, just in case) and when I was sure I wasn’t being robbed I told the ghost he couldn’t be messing with the backdoor because it was too dangerous.
I haven’t come home and found the backdoor open again.
Sometimes I hear him walking through the house in heavy work boots. Kevin has heard him too. The dogs never react so I feel that this is a benign presence. He’s touched Kevin on the arm, lightly, as if brushing into him. I’ve seen Bill the Ghost, he’s white and not at all like that awful shadow person in my last house.
But I could be sharing my space with other things that are not so nice. Bill the Ghost seems to be a different energy from the draining sewing room. My dog Sophie had three stillborn puppies and almost died. My dog Halona had complications after I got her fixed. I had to rush her back to the vet. I became diabetic. Both Kevin and I have unexpectedly been in the hospital. I have had the worst luck with the garden- rabbits, horned worms, and seeds that never sprout. Something ate my aloe. My aloe! I’ve been growing aloes for years and nothing ever bothered them before. The washer keeps breaking down. And it storms here all the time. It will rain here when the rest of the state is suffering a drought.
I asked Kevin if he thought we were having a bad year. He said no because he finally had his finances under control. He said he was happier. I just couldn’t spoil it for him so I didn’t pointed out all this other stuff. Maybe I’m having bad luck. Maybe the land is angry. Maybe the grumpy old fart next door is sending negative energy my way.
Until I figure out what is going on I’ll keep my incense handy.
It’s Thursday and I am writing this in hopes that on Saturday I will have Internet service in my house . That’s right, I’ve signed up for satellite internet. It is expensive but I don’t think I can do without anymore. Particularly now that I’ve started an Etsy shop, FreeDragon Fabrica. I wanted to just call it Fabrica, but that name is already taken. I didn’t want to have a shop, I wanted to do alchemy, which is sellers bidding on crafting jobs. But I had to have a shop to be an alchemist. I love being able to say I’m practicing alchemy. It’s so pagan.
But anyway, if the shop works, great. If it doesn’t, I haven’t really lost anything. All I want to do is generate extra income to build up my savings account. I know one day I’ll get fired from my ‘real’ job over stupid shit. Every single thing at my work is an uphill political battle. I had originally planned to quit in June, but the diabetic coma happened and I decided I really needed my insurance. I probably should have left anyway. I stayed out of work today because I just couldn’t think of a good reason to go in. All I could think of were problems and bad attitudes. I hate my job. Actually, I despise the company I work for and the people who run it. I don’t have a problem with the job, just assholes.
So I am embracing a new stage of my life. Each day I plan to blog. I’m going to TRY posting daily. I’m not promising anything because sometimes I’m just weary. Sometimes I feel like I just have too much on my plate. But the fastest way to create change is to live it. I want to make a living with my own hands so I start doing alchemy part time, then eventually I’ll be able to do it more and more until finally it’s how I earn a living. Nothing changes if I just whine without taking action.
Writing is good for me. It organizes my thoughts and makes me think about my life and how I want to live. I realize other people may benefit from a daily routine so I will be posting spells,
recipes, and thoughts. I find it difficult to keep a diary because my life is bigger than a few pages. Sometimes I can write for hours. I fill up pages, computer screens, and sheets of drawing paper. Sometimes I need a mental release and sometimes my ramblings lead to creative ideas.
The other problem with a diary is that it is meant to be written in daily. I have never been able to do this.
For a long time I kept journals. The problem with journals is that I wanted separate books for all the various subjects I deal with. I had books for witchcraft, binders for quilting, folders for art, notepads for all the general household stuff- bills, gardening, menus. I had books all over
the house and I never could find what I was looking for. Sometimes I’d rewrite the whole mess in an attempt at organization. This did nothing but lead to more notebooks as I further categorized my life.
I love my computer. I usually have 4 or 5 files open. I can drag, copy and paste, add pictures, scan my art, and see what other people are doing. I can type, delete, retype, edit and undo. For once everything is in one place even if it's not all in one file.
I really struggle with daily routines, so I think if I know people are expecting me to post I’ll be more likely to look at my control journal.
A control journal is not exactly a journal. It’s more like a life map. The control journal is a tool of the FlyLady. The FlyLady teaches people how to regain control of their lives by having daily routines. Specifically, by cleaning and maintaining the home.
It sounds a little anal oriented and maybe it is. However, the home is the beginning of all things. It makes sense for the home to be the most serene place possible. The FlyLady advocates
dividing the home into zones. Each week FlyBabies (FlyLady followers) focus on cleaning one
zone. The result is a completely clean, organized home.
But anyway, if the shop works, great. If it doesn’t, I haven’t really lost anything. All I want to do is generate extra income to build up my savings account. I know one day I’ll get fired from my ‘real’ job over stupid shit. Every single thing at my work is an uphill political battle. I had originally planned to quit in June, but the diabetic coma happened and I decided I really needed my insurance. I probably should have left anyway. I stayed out of work today because I just couldn’t think of a good reason to go in. All I could think of were problems and bad attitudes. I hate my job. Actually, I despise the company I work for and the people who run it. I don’t have a problem with the job, just assholes.
So I am embracing a new stage of my life. Each day I plan to blog. I’m going to TRY posting daily. I’m not promising anything because sometimes I’m just weary. Sometimes I feel like I just have too much on my plate. But the fastest way to create change is to live it. I want to make a living with my own hands so I start doing alchemy part time, then eventually I’ll be able to do it more and more until finally it’s how I earn a living. Nothing changes if I just whine without taking action.
Writing is good for me. It organizes my thoughts and makes me think about my life and how I want to live. I realize other people may benefit from a daily routine so I will be posting spells,
recipes, and thoughts. I find it difficult to keep a diary because my life is bigger than a few pages. Sometimes I can write for hours. I fill up pages, computer screens, and sheets of drawing paper. Sometimes I need a mental release and sometimes my ramblings lead to creative ideas.
The other problem with a diary is that it is meant to be written in daily. I have never been able to do this.
For a long time I kept journals. The problem with journals is that I wanted separate books for all the various subjects I deal with. I had books for witchcraft, binders for quilting, folders for art, notepads for all the general household stuff- bills, gardening, menus. I had books all over
the house and I never could find what I was looking for. Sometimes I’d rewrite the whole mess in an attempt at organization. This did nothing but lead to more notebooks as I further categorized my life.
I love my computer. I usually have 4 or 5 files open. I can drag, copy and paste, add pictures, scan my art, and see what other people are doing. I can type, delete, retype, edit and undo. For once everything is in one place even if it's not all in one file.
I really struggle with daily routines, so I think if I know people are expecting me to post I’ll be more likely to look at my control journal.
A control journal is not exactly a journal. It’s more like a life map. The control journal is a tool of the FlyLady. The FlyLady teaches people how to regain control of their lives by having daily routines. Specifically, by cleaning and maintaining the home.
It sounds a little anal oriented and maybe it is. However, the home is the beginning of all things. It makes sense for the home to be the most serene place possible. The FlyLady advocates
dividing the home into zones. Each week FlyBabies (FlyLady followers) focus on cleaning one
zone. The result is a completely clean, organized home.
I have adapted the FlyLady’s system. Because my house is so small, I focus on one zone per
day. If I don’t complete a zone in a day it’s alright because I’ll be back on it in a week. A long time ago I realized housework was a never-ending job. It doesn’t matter if I get done or not, just the simple act of living forces me to start over eternally.
Each day I plan to post the current zone. I will probably post pictures of my house because everybody gets a kick out of seeing inside people’s houses. Everybody thinks a witch’s house is mysterious and strange but mine is pretty ordinary.
Speaking of witchy stuff, each day I will also post a totem animal. Every day I read my Animal Message Cards. I draw one card and I look for that kind of energy in my day. The cards have become good indicators of what my day will be like. I realized there are some cards I have
never drawn so each day I will be posting a card in no particular order. This forces new energies into my life, helps me better bond with my cards (yes, bonding with a deck is vital for good
readings), and it allows my readers the chance to meld with totems outside their normal realm. When I get done with the animal cards I’ll go through my Dragon Tarot deck. Reconnecting is good too.
And since I’m a kitchen witch, I’ll show you how to give ordinary food a magical side. Later on when the weather cools I’ll show you how to season cast iron cookware. I’d like to do some posts about gardening but that probably won’t happen because I never seem to have the time to get
my hands in the dirt. I’ll probably have something to say about quilting. If you want to skip those I understand. Quilting blogs totally bore me.
So if you’re ready…
Enter Ye Into the House of Dragon…
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Busy
I haven't sold anything else since I made my $50, but I have made lots of things, prayer beads, necklaces, dyed fabric...and now I'm trying to finish Storm at Sea.
Storm at Sea is the name of a quilt pattern which is all straight lines. That appear curved. It's fairly simple, but the color placement makes it tricky. Pay attention! It's very easy to get the blocks flopped around.
I started Storm at Sea last year. Every time I work on it there's a storm. Lots of blowing wind, lightning, rolling thunder. Usually the power goes out. And I got my colors flipped around so I gave up.
But this past week I was looking for something a little more high end. I decided I need to sell to about 3 or 4 stores in order to build up my savings account. I just want a little cushion in case I get fired or my diabetes takes a turn for the worse. There's a store called the red door and it's all hand crafted things, but more on the art side. So I was looking for something with some 'wow' and I found my stack of storm at sea blocks.
I realized my mistake wasn't that bad. In fact, I could still make it work by constructing the quilt in the reverse order. Feeling optimistic, I got busy.
Lightning struck the fence post outside my sewing room window.
I'm going to finish the blocks today. There is no rain in the forecast. I'll tell you what gets struck by lightning.
Storm at Sea is the name of a quilt pattern which is all straight lines. That appear curved. It's fairly simple, but the color placement makes it tricky. Pay attention! It's very easy to get the blocks flopped around.
I started Storm at Sea last year. Every time I work on it there's a storm. Lots of blowing wind, lightning, rolling thunder. Usually the power goes out. And I got my colors flipped around so I gave up.
But this past week I was looking for something a little more high end. I decided I need to sell to about 3 or 4 stores in order to build up my savings account. I just want a little cushion in case I get fired or my diabetes takes a turn for the worse. There's a store called the red door and it's all hand crafted things, but more on the art side. So I was looking for something with some 'wow' and I found my stack of storm at sea blocks.
I realized my mistake wasn't that bad. In fact, I could still make it work by constructing the quilt in the reverse order. Feeling optimistic, I got busy.
Lightning struck the fence post outside my sewing room window.
I'm going to finish the blocks today. There is no rain in the forecast. I'll tell you what gets struck by lightning.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
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