The Truth About Cheap Wine

The dearly departed AJ was a foodie. She didn't drink much at all, but she understood wine and food. She thought expensive meant good. Expensive for drinking, cheap for cooking. Thus she inadvertently started my love affair with Carlo.

I love wine. Sometimes I make wine because my father has some 200 muskadine vines in his backyard. It's a proper vineyard, but we just call it the vines. Making wine is a lot of work, none of hard, just time consuming. I give wine away because there are laws about how much you can make and keep. I always go over because the legal amount is so small it's almost not worth fooling with. To stay in the good graces of the law, I give a bottle to the sheriff. Bust me, no more wine for you!

Because wine has been readily available my whole life, I was a toddler when I got my first sip. My father discovered a sip or two would make me sleep and this is how he put me down for the night until my mother found out.

I know what good wine is- it tastes good.

I don't remember exactly how I got started with Carlo. I think AJ had just hosted a dinner party and there were several bottles in the kitchen. I remember there was some sherry, some Crown Royal, and two bottles of wine. She was watching tv and called to her asking if it was ok if I had some wine. Sure. I got the Carlo. AJ, not paying attention, assumed I got the expensive stuff. I came back with an ordinary kitchen glass and three inches of juice. I said, 'This is good.' and AJ said, 'Drink all of it.'

And so for three of four nights in a row, I drank cheap wine from every day glasses. Finally AJ realized the level in the expensive bottle wasn't going down and she was suddenly running low on cooking supplies. She walked into the living room amazed, 'You're drinking the CHEAP wine I COOK with!'

Yeah, so?

The next time you are in the store, read the expensive label. It will probably say something like 'Does not contain fruit juice' Well then what the fuck is made of? Carlo's label says '100% grape juice' Which is what wine is, fermented juice. As a winemaker, I cannot think of a way to create wine without fruit. You need grapes, blackberries, strawberries, peaches and the like. Fruit, fruit, fruit.

At work, some of the men were talking about a wine-tasting where supposed wine-snobs couldn't tell the difference between French wine and cheap American-buy-it-in-Kroger wine. The cheap wine won. My co-workers had an appreciation for Carlo, as not only is it affordable, but it is very smooth and does not cause indigestion.

I keep my wine on the table so it's handy. Kevin thinks that is terrible. He can't drink wine unless it's chilled. I'm used to dusting cobwebs off my bottle before popping the cork. You want chilled? Go out to the pump house in the winter. (No, we can't keep our illegal goods in the house. Someone might see it.)

I don't drink as much wine now. Damn diabetes. Wine is sugar. I also drink less beer because beer is carbs. Double damn. I've switched to rum. Captain Morgan, if you must know. Rum is a sugarcane byproduct but oddly enough has no sugar and no carbs. I pour it in my Diet Coke and when that's all you're allowed it's not too bad. When a cure is found I'm going to celebrate with a full every day glass of Carlo.

Woo Hoo!

I've made another Etsy sale! Yay!

This is especially meaningful b/c before I found out about it, I was making plans to increase sales. Which to me proves if you are focused the Universe will gladly help.

The Name Game

I must confess I choose new blogs based on name alone. If it sounds good, I think it is good. Though this is not always the case. I save the blog to my favorites. I then stalk the blog for several weeks to make sure I want to follow. Finally, I own up to reading it. A blog has to be really, really good for me to subscribe on the first visit. And I have noticed there are lots of 'confessions', 'muttering', and 'ramblings' but as far as I know, I'm the only one with free thoughts. Na, na, na, na! I'm different!

Ebbing

The cans on the counter were banished to the recycling bin. The dishes were washed and put away, but I left some pots in the sink to confuse the twins. The towels got washed, dried, and put away. Yesterday's warm weather made me want to spring clean, so I moved the washer and dryer, swept, and mopped. I put my plants on the porch so they could get sun. I never did start my paying sewing project. Maybe tonight.

Wading Around the Pile

I have a lot on my mind, so forgive me for rambling all over the place.

Despite my best efforts, at times the house rebels. Refusing order, my house opens the door wide to chaos. It starts with the cans of diet coke (which btw, is highly addictive and you should never, ever drink it). The cans appear on my desk (4 at the moment), on the dinning table (2), beside the couch (1), and on the kitchen counter (lost count, but probably more than 7). Oddly enough, there are no cans of diet coke in the fridge. I buy so much of the stuff, that when I go to my local store just for gas or milk, Dwayne says, "You forgot your drinks!" I think Dwayne is my dealer cleverly disguised as a gas station attendant.

Next the dishes multiply. They follow the coke cans. A coffee cup here, another cup Kevin drank out of, and whatever cup I'm carrying around because coffee is my vice. Coffee is so much my vice that I've turned it into a virtue, almost a religion. I love me some coffee, black strong, and scalding hot. Kevin does well to get 2 cups down.

Suddenly the dishes hop out of the cabinet and pile themselves in the sink. I don't cook that much, so where are the dishes coming from? I believe my dishes have twins residing in a parallel universe. Each day they visit their siblings, returning only after the sink is empty.

I have schedules, plans, ways to keep the house running. But somehow the house squats down and wallows in filth. I'll do a little here and there, wash some dishes, some clothes, then I'm tired, so I start watching 'Sex and the City'. Before I know it the day is over, the floor needs sweeping, dog hair is floating to the corners, and there are no clean towels.

My sewing projects also pile up. I have one PAYING project due tomorrow and I haven't even started. Know why? I've got to clean off the table. Can't cheat and work on the dinning table- coke cans, coffee cups, and a few sticky spots of unknown origin.

I'm sitting here amid cans and empty spools with my empty cup. What I really want to do is go outside and dye fabric. I've been reading about Imbolc and SNAKES. I am afraid of snakes. Not deathly afraid, I can handle them if I need to, but whenever I see one my heart flips over. I used to have horrible nightmares about snakes. Twice, in 2 different English classes, my nightmare has earned me great grades. Maybe that will be my Imbolc post. But I've rambled too far. Anyway, what I have read is that Imbolc is an earth (not fire) celebration and on Febraury 2nd, people stomp the ground to wake up the snakes, let them know Spring is coming. This makes far more sense to me than the 'quickening in the womb' analagy. Imbolc is the 4am wake-up call.

So previously, another thing I read was Brighid blessing cloth on Imbolc. I decided I wanted to design some fabric just for Imbolc. I spent a long time thinking of just the right design. I finally settled on a circular pattern. But here's the kicker- my circles are made up of wavy, snake-like lines! Ah! A lightbulb moment!

Of course, making my fabric requires cleaning off a table. So now I'm back to the pile. Sigh.

Is It Real?

I decided the lesson I got from last night's moon was this- see things as they really are, not how you want them to be. You can't achieve goals if you think your tools are better than they really are. So for the next month, I will be trying to access my situation/place in life and make sure I'm not traveling in the wrong direction or butting my head against a wall.

Cold, Brilliant, & Hurtful

I stood under a moon so bright and full, it hurt my eyes to look at it. This Cold Moon altered the landscape, spotlighting tin roofs and making pines look thin. The bright moon made me think of a diamond- hard, cold, and giving no warmth. I sensed potential, but it seems to me we attach far too much emotion would we should be seeing things as they really are.

How was the moon for you? What did you feel? Was the Goddess there?

The next full moon will be 2-18-11, the Quickening Moon. I think for that one I'll actually write a ritual. And of course, I still want to know what you think.

Cold Moon Esbat

Today is the full moon and tonight, no matter how cold it may be, I would like for you to stand outside under the full moon. Yes, I know it is freezing out (hence the name) but you don't have to stay outside very long. Just for a minute or two, feel the light of the moon. Feel the power of the Goddess. Each full moon has a different kind of energy. Tomorrow, we'll compare notes. The cold moon is about planning, letting go of the past (it's still the new year), and spending time with family. Esbats are about pleasure, so tonight would be a good night to stay in and watch a movie. Sleep well tonight, tomorrow is a good time to put plans into action.

I would like to have full moon rituals. Leave a comment, tell me if you're interested, what you would like, and next full moon we'll have a ritual everyone can participate in.

No, I Ain't Done Yet

Kevin came home last night in rather pitiful mood because men are babies when they're sick because he hasn't felt well for a week. He has taken up most of my time, so no, my project is still incomplete, and I will be postponing the quilting project yet again. Sigh. But my doctor visit went well and my Etsy shop is seeing more traffic. Yay!

At long last, here is the dragon magick post:

I love dragons! They are real, but I think they are astral creatures. Dragons are found all over the world, in most cultures. I like Chinese dragons, and sea dragons, but I especially love the big, Western, fire-breathers. I think all dragons should have horns, wings, claws, and treasure. One of my favorite witchy items is The Dragon Tarot.  This deck really speaks to me. I read the cards at least once a month.

I have dragons all over the house, in the kitchen, on the living room walls, tucked into bookshelves, and often, in my pocket. This last one is the subject of today's post. I call him 'My Little Friend' because he has yet to tell me his name. That is normal dragon behavior- you really have to earn their trust. My Little Friend declined to be photographed. Maybe next time.

I started doing dragon magick several years ago when I read D.J. Conway's Dancing With Dragons. This is an excellent book for learning the basics and to have a good starting point. The sequel is Mystical Dragon Magick. It gives a more in-depth look at dragon magick. What you need to know about dragons is they work with people in different ways. After you show an interest, the dragons will teach you how to work with them in your own way.

I started seeing dragons everywhere- figurines, books, movies, clouds in the shape of dragons, shadows like tails, flashes of light in my peripheral vision, and dreams of dragons. People gave me dragons for birthdays and Christmas. Some of these dragons seemed to be alive, like they only stopped moving when I looked directly at them. I realized this was how dragons communicated with me and showed themselves in a form I could understand. I keep a sea dragon in the kitchen. Every morning I touch one of his claws and ask the dragons to protect me. Sometimes I sense a response. Sometimes he tells me I can handle it myself. Dragons always step back and let you learn your lessons. Dragons present challenges so you can learn and grow. Dragon magick is hard. They do not hold back and they are brutally honest.

I met My Little Friend at Air Witch's house. He was sitting on her altar, under the crystal ball. I admired him and she told me to take him home. I had good luck for the rest of the day. Dragons are very beneficial.

I gave My Little Friend a crystal I found on the Tallapoosa River. This is his 'food'. Each day the crystal absorbs sunlight through the window. At night, I place him on or near the crystal and he 'drinks' in energy. Once, I gave him an amethyst. He didn't like it, but I didn't listen. The next morning he seemed drunk. He wasn't responsive to me for days. He was totally miffed. Always listen to your dragon!

Sometimes I take My Little Friend out of my pocket and tell him my problems. Several solutions will come to me. He helps me think and gives me perspective. He is also very protective. My workplace is rife with office politics. There are some people who make me cringe. Every time I see these people, I'll touch My Little Friend and say, 'Enemy!' Then suddenly they become very busy with problem after problem, so busy that they stay away from me all day. Good dragon!

If you want to work with dragons, you must first think about what kind of dragon you like. Fire? Earth? Storm? Gold? Silver? Wise? Crafty? Celtic? Chinese? Fairy? You may find dragons you aren't fond of vying for you attention. This means the dragons are challenging you to expand your mind. After you overcome an obstacle you can expect another and another until you ask for a break. Remember, this isn't easy and often the truth hurts. Dragons think the worst dishonesty is lying to yourself and they will work tirelessly to make you face yourself- warts and all.

Postphoned

I have a lot going on- Kevin is sick, and I have a project that is taking up more time that I expected. Tomorrow (hopefully) I'll do a post on Dragon Magick and Tuesday after I go to the doctor, I'll post the quilting lesson. Now you see why I have a big pile of unfinished projects on my sewing table.

Shameless Self-Promotion

'Cause I gotta make a dollar every once in a while :) This is a wooden storage box. The spine slides out to reveal a 'secret' compartment. This book/box is for sale in my Etsy shop and I'm thinking of making more, maybe a set of element books, Fire Spells, Earth Spells, Water Spells, Air Spells, or I could do more generalized sewing/cooking books. I wasn't sure how it would go over, so I only made one. Kevin thinks it's cool. When someone buys it, I'll do a dark mirror post.

How Does Your Witchery Grow?

I believe in vampires. Not the blood sucking kind, and I'm sorry, but the sparkling ones are just silly. I believe in psychic vampires, the people who drain the energy from you for their own twisted gain. Some people are natural psychic vampires who use the energy of others to boost their low self-esteem. They feel good when you feel down. Think a really dark 'frienemy' But some psychic vampires know what they are doing and they don't mind hurting you. I once dated a guy who was in the vampire subculture and it (and him) was just freaky. He didn't have a very good gripe on reality. When I was dating him, I drove a red Nissan pick-up with a tape deck. I had made a tape of my favorite songs and on the tape was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Don't Come Around Here. Every single time I went to the vamp's house, that song would be playing. I tried rewinding, fast-forward, and listening to the radio instead, but somehow I always heard the song. One day I took the tape out, turned the radio off, and drove in silence. When I got to his house that song was playing on his stereo. I also believe in signs and omens.

I believe in dragons. Not as real, live animals, but as astral beings who can visit this world. I've seen a few dragons. They like to disguise themselves as every day objects so most people never notice. But if you do dragon magic you will notice and after you notice you can't unsee them. They're sort of like children's picture puzzles with hidden shapes.

I believe in ghosts. I'm not sure about werewolves. I suppose it is possible, but I've never met one. Anybody can learn to shift their astral body into an animal though I rarely do it. I prefer my shape. But it is a fun thing to do late at night.

I strongly believe in circles. I love fairy rings and standing stones. I do rituals in cast circles. Sometimes I sleep in a cast circle and wake feeling very well. I protect with circles and I banish with circles. Circles are awesome.

I work with stones. I love rocks. I like fire, too, but I don't work with it much for safety reasons. Yes, I scorched my altar once. Burned a CIRCLE on one corner. I'm not much on water unless it's a living body like a river. Calling the winds is another fun thing to do. I'm pretty good with weather magicks, but I don't do it much because I worry about upsetting the natural balance.

I use herbs more and more. I couldn't when I first started because I had no way to store them. I started with spices I bought at Big Lots. I still believe that's a great way to learn herb magick. I don't want to accidentally make anyone ill, so I don't store poisonous plants and I almost never use them in magick. When I do, I have a separate mortar and pedestal that's black. My every day food mortar and pedestal is white.

When I work with trees I try to be nice to the tree. I introduce myself and bring it an offering. I pick up trash and remove nail from the trunk or prune limbs to help it grow. Always push the limb's aura back into the tree before making a cut. Explain to the tree what you are doing and why. If you feel negative energy, you do not have the tree's permission. Leave it alone. Always keep your promises to a tree. Trees have been much abused by humans and the one of the greatest works a witch can do is protect trees.

I believe all gods are one god. I think god is too big for the human mind so we break it into parts we can understand. I usually just call the Lord and Lady. I only call certain goddess when I have a problem I think one goddess in particular could help me. I call Oya when I go to cemeteries and Brighid for creativity.

I don't deliberately mess with people's lives. That's wrong. But if you start messing with me, you deserve whatever you get.

I believe when trouble arises the best thing you can do is clean your house. Clutter attracts negative energy that chokes your life. Usually if I empty the trash and burn some incense I begin to see ways out of a problem.

Witches traditionally have a negative stereotype. The best way to overcome it, is to be kind to all, mind your manners, help whenever you can, and be true to yourself.

The Smell of Summer

Sunday I put hay in the dog pen so my babies could be warm while I was at work. I guess they really burrowed down in it today because they smell like they've been lolling in high grass on a sunny day.

Newest Member of the Pack

This is Charlene, a chocolate lab. Her owners moved away and left her. I rescued Charlene Saturday night and I'm really glad I got her before the ice hit. She is a little on the thin side as she had been on her own for nearly two weeks. She is a very sweet and well-mannered dog. We are trying to convince Kevin's father to take her. His dog Charley died a few months ago and he is heartbroken about it. He says he doesn't want another dog, but we think after he meets Charlene he'll love her. Charlene appears to be purebred. She is probably less than a year old. The only medical problem I have noticed is her eyes are runny. I think she has a bit of a cold, but I believe the problem will go now that she's getting regular meals and staying in a warm house. I can't believe people abandon dogs.

project 1: plastic canvas- checkerboard

I decided to make a box. That gives me 6 patterns in one use.

The first thing I did was draw out on patterns on graph paper. As you can see, our next plastic canvas pattern will be log cabin. Yes, I know that's a quilt block. It works here. Please note that graph paper usually has 8 small squares in one inch. The plastic canvas I am using has a raised grid of ten by ten squares. You will need to be careful in drawing if you want one square on the paper to equal one square on the canvas.  It is all to easy to follow the darker lines on the paper and end up with a wonky project.

Here is my plastic canvas. It's cheap and readily available. I buy mine at Hobby Lobby, but Wal-Mart sells it too.

This is not the greatest pic, but here I am cutting the canvas with a cheap pair of scissors because cutting paper, plastic, and like dulls blades. I cut a row of squares and after I have my desired size I will trim the 'sticks' My finished piece is 40 x 40 squares. Meaning I made my cut on the 41st row.

While I'm at it, I cut a second square for the log cabin pattern. I got both squares out of the sheet in the second picture.



Now I am ready to begin stitching. There are two ways to go about it and neither matter much as far as the end result. The difference is how you like to work. The first way is to work the entire row, one row at a time. This means you start at your first row and go all the way across, counting stitches and changing thread colors as you go. This is great if you like for things to follow in an orderly fashion. The second way is to work in sections. I chose sections for this projects because it makes more sense to me. Sections are great if you like for things to progress in stages.

I'm starting by making a grid for my checkerboard. I'm using black yarn like you would use for knitting or crochet. I don't know the brand name because I tore the label off a long time ago. There are no knots in plastic canvas. Thread ends stay in place because they are under the stitches. You will need to hold the end for the first five stitches are so. If it is too tedious to hold, leave a really long end, make a few stitches and trim the excess. I am working diagonally, starting on the left, and moving one row over and one square up to the right. Make sure all your stitches go in on direction for an even look. Please be aware that I flip my canvas around a good bit and you may not be able to tell one side from the other just looking at the pictures. I try to keep the end I'm working on closest to me.



First completed row. I followed the raised grid on my canvas. You can't see the grid here, but the stitches start 10 squares from the left side.

To end, flip over to the back side, slide the needle under five or so stitches, pull the yarn tight and snip. Be careful not to mix up your front and back. It may be helpful to mark the back with a piece of masking tape. (This is one of those pics were it appears I am working on the same end I started on. I'm not. It's flipped over and upside down)

After I got the grid done (an even 10 x 10, making 16 squares, 8 gold and 8 purple) things progressed quickly. So quick in fact, I forgot to take pictures until I was almost done! Oops. I'm sure there's a blogger learning curve. Good thing I'm not giving cooking lessons. As for color choices- I'm trying my best to use up this gold. And I just like purple. On the stitches- the black is in single stitches- one stitch from square to the next. Both the gold and purple are covering several squares in a stitch. I'm moving diagonally from end to end. I did this so it would work up quick. The projects need to be quick so I can post one every week. Single stitches would take a while. I have to be a week ahead, meaning I've already started on next week. The black grid allows me to sew without having to count holes.

Finished! I left the edges unstitched because that is where I will be sewing the box sides together. I decided this is the bottom of our box. To add stability and to keep the stitches from pulling out during use, I will glue a piece of fabric to the back. I didn't do it today because the glue I use has a strong smell and it is too freakin' cold and windy to go outside. Just an interesting side note- I was born during an ice storm with some of the coldest temps on record. We may get close to those record lows with the coming sleet/snow/freezing rain.

Remember- next week will be a quilting project. I will be making a tote bag with the Spool quilt block. Our next plastic canvas project will be on January 23rd.



I Don't Work on my Birthday

So don't expect a post until Monday!

Crown Me

I'm thinking our first project will be plastic canvas, because I'm just not in a quilt mood at the moment, and it will probably be the checkerboard pattern b/c that's really easy. So there, decision made.

The Time of the SeaGoat

Today both the moon and the sun are in Capricorn. This is a good time to make people follow the rules or to rightfully claim something that has been promised to you. And since the moon is dark, now is also the time to banish things/people that don't fit in your life. Think earth energy- work with stones or bury unwanted items. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn- Father Time. Come up with a new schedule, review your calendar, or set firm limits on your time. Tomorrow is another good magick day if you can't get anything in today as both sun and moon will still be in Capricorn AND it's the new moon AND there's a solar eclipse at 3:50am EST. Being that you won't be able to see it, think of working behind the scenes, personal problems you want solved but not brought to light, or secrets. Happy witching!

Before We Begin

I said every week we would have a sewing project. But it occurs to me some of you might need time to prepare. If you're like me, your sewing table is groaning under the weight of unfinished projects. Go clean it off. Don't swear you'll finish all this stuff and for god's sake, don't try to organize it. Just clear off some table space.

I'm going to give you the list of planned blocks/projects so you can start thinking about color, thread, fabric, yarn, etc. But I must warn you- the list is subject to change at any time. Also, I thought about a new project every week, but then I remembered life happens. People get sick, the budget is tight, time runs out. So every once in a while we'll take a week off. I don't know when and where these weeks will be.

A Year of Stitches- Quilt Blocks & Plastic Canvas Projects


Quilt Block                                                                Plastic Canvas

1. Churn dash                                                             pine tree

2. Bear paw                                                                Irish Chain

3. H Square                                                                 North Wind

4. Drunkard’s Path                                                     Greek Key

5. Wheels of Mystery                                                Attic Windows

6. Tea leaf                                                                   Magic Carpet

7. Mariner’s Compass                                                 Log Cabin

8. Spool                                                                       trip around the world

9. Tumbling blocks                                                      Amish whirl

10 heart 'n' hand                                                           checkerboard

11. Hummingbird                                                         winding blade

12. Witches’ star

13. Spider’s web                                                           dragon

14. Sunburst

Yeah, there's some gaps on the plastic canvas side as we get towards the bottom. I ran out of ideas, ok? It was harder than I thought to come up with a list. And some of the plastic canvas patterns are really quilt blocks. I'm sorry, but I can't bring myself to make tissue box covers (shudder)
 
My idea was to make individual blocks that could either be turned into pillows and tote bags, or sewn together at the end to make a quilt. The plastic canvas will either be fridge magnets, boxes, journal covers, or art in it's own right. And I should mention I don't plan on piecing all the blocks. I want to cover traditional piecing, applique, paper-piecing, embroidery, and some will be painted onto fabric. I don't like doing something the same way every time.
 
So go think, plan, clean, and get ready. We will be starting on Sunday, January 9.

Welcome to 2011

While I was writing this post, it started to rain. We are having freakish weather here in the South. Tornadoes. Very unusual for New Year's. Damn global warming! Halona rushed in here as the sky darkened and shoved her head in my lap. Thunder, Mama! The older she gets the more nervous she is about storms. I had to lay on the bed on hold my baby until she was snoring contentedly.

Yesterday, Kevin asked if we were going to watch the ball drop, which surprised me. I think I've watched the ball maybe twice in my life. We decided sleep was more important. When I came home yesterday, I swept the house with my regular broom using this chant:
Witch's broom swift in flight
Cast out darkness, bring in light.
Earth be hallow, air be clear,
Fire bright, as water heals,
A scared bridge this site shall be
As my will, so mote it be.
I tapped the broom on the floor, said the chant, tapped the broom again, swept, then repeated the process in the next room. After the house was physically clean, I went around with my magick broom to sweep out negative energy. Last, I burned incense. I don't want to carry my old problems into the new year.

My grandmother believed it was wrong to do laundry on New Year's Day. She said if you washed your clothes and hung them out to dry, every drop of water that fell off would be one tear you would shed in the coming year. I don't think this is true, but I'm always looking for an excuse to do less housework. No laundry today!

Today I will be renewing a spell to keep money from being wasted. You need a purple ribbon for each faucet in your house. You don't need a whole lot of ribbon, just enough to tie around the spigot. The ribbon will get wet and water stained, so cheap is good here. Hold the ribbon and think of money. See yourself saving more. Think of raises and increased interest rates. See bills diminishing. Vow to spend less. Tie the ribbon around the faucet. That's it. Redo the spell when the ribbon looks bad.

Have you picked out a stone yet? This is mine. I'm keeping it in the living room window for easy access. Remember, after one year we will release the stone back to the earth. Got your notebook ready? Think about what you want. It can be anything. Got lots of wishes? No problem, write them all down. Each day hold your stone close and say, I want... Name all your wishes. Don't worry about how you are going to get these things, just say what you want. As your wishes come true, check them off your list. You can add to the list at any time. If you didn't get exactly what you wanted, write down what you got and if it is better or worse than what you wanted. This will teach you how your personal universe works. Yes, we all have our own reality.

Want to be rid of something? Get one pebble for thing (or person) you don't want. Tell the pebble why you don't want the thing in your life. Throw the pebble as hard and as far away as you can. Can't throw rocks? Drop it in the trash or the sewer. This spell works very well if you can throw the rock into a fast running river. I will be throwing mine into the cow pasture.

Are you ready for the garden 2011? Yes, this is a cardboard box. I will cut the box so it lays flat, then place the cardboard on the ground to kill the grass. In the spring I can plant without having to pull weeds. If you're choosing a garden spot, think location, location, location. The farther away from the house, the less likely you will tend it. Also think water. Does the hose reach? Again, the more buckets you lug, the more of a chore the garden becomes. And think about size. More garden = more work. Anyway, small gardens are charming.

One last spell- today I will burn a white candle to symbolize the Goddess and all the gifts She brings. I'm trying to become more accepting of opportunities that come my way. I hope the new year brings you everything you need for happiness and joy.