tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27324973381883028382024-02-03T01:23:42.392-08:00Lost in Astral SpaceA Random Collection of Musings From Around The Astral PlaneThe Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-14786352251444218292013-09-30T11:19:00.003-07:002013-09-30T11:19:48.798-07:00Travel Log 9-30: Less then 24 hours to Octo ber!I've been busy as a bee getting the kids costumes together for this upcoming month of fun!<br />
I think it's safe to say this is the favorite season/ month for many of us. So many crafts, so many projects! And sooooo much pumpkin!<br />
This year there is a fly in my autumn ointment. I've finally decided to deal with my weight issue and am on a pretty intense diet and exercise regime. Right when every treat I want to gobble until I puke comes out. So I've made it my personal mission to find or make recipes that will work with my diet and fill my pumpkin cravings.<br />
If any of them end up any good I'll post them here =). The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-20808356880253052682013-09-08T15:15:00.001-07:002013-09-08T15:15:54.521-07:00Travel Log 9-8 : Honesty I've mentioned a couple times now that there have been a lot of changes that have come around in my life in the past year. I haven't gone into any detail on those changes on purpose. I am not good at opening up when it comes to things that are going wrong, or are emotionally invested for me. <br /> Part of why I started writing this blog all those years ago was that I wanted to make a space where I could push my personal boundaries and become a more open person. Part of that is owning up to the things that I don't like talking about. I was doing better with that before I pulled a ghost on all of you. I was opening up and talking about the aftermath of my Mom's sudden death. That was something that in person I couldn't articulate in any way. I couldn't even really let myself grieve until a few months ago.<br />
So in the interest of forcing myself to be more open about things it's time to put the biggest change to happen over the past year. The end of a decade long emotionally, and sometimes physically abusive, relationship and a nasty separation and divorce.<br />
It's very hard for me to admit to myself, let alone others who I respect and admire, that I let myself be in that kind of relationship or be used in the ways that I have been. It makes me feel weak, and stupid, and small. But I'll continue to be those things if I don't accept what happened, that I allowed it to happen, and let it go so that it has no more power over me.<br />
So this is my confession to myself and the world in general. I've been weak, I've been stupid, and I've been used. I opened myself up and got taken advantage of in the ways that were guaranteed to hurt me the most. Now I'm working on being strong again. <br /> I have been supremely gifted by the Powers that Be and have friends that are supportive and understanding. I have been extremely lucky and had the Universe deposit someone who has been everything that I didn't know I needed into my life, almost as if it was just waiting for me to wake up and say 'this isn't me' and make changes to drop him in my lap.<br />
So things haven't been horrible. I've had a hard year, but it's had some absolutely wonderful changes along with the bad. All of this was hard to say, but I do feel some relief now that I've let it out. Time to add being more open and honest about my life to the list of meditation subjects, lol.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-64320090846904836202013-08-26T09:53:00.001-07:002013-08-26T09:53:42.475-07:00Travel Log 8-26: Monday Monday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I always feel this song is appropriate on Monday mornings. Something about this day just seems to be cursed. Waking up on Monday mornings is like pulling myself out of a deep fog.<br />
But I digress.<br />
I have been attempting to restart my daily meditation. With the kids all in school (my youngest started kindergarten this year *tears*) I have a couple hours a day to myself. I've been splitting that between going to the gym to lose this stubborn fat that seems to have taken up permanent residence around my middle and art and meditation. The art has been progressing- here's my current work in progress-<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSif7s9Gm5_YbHmQkPnH22SPzxjEZDTL5HZIxPBIWMuRsgjErJjUkV_QgpKa_Vnts0tc1D9HGnmZUiHTVf0Kof-f60q0eP7Ei5HiYPwDZG63pnKmow1F6dK3PogAyG_FX-8JmBSbyJXHw/s1600/2013-08-25+16.40.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSif7s9Gm5_YbHmQkPnH22SPzxjEZDTL5HZIxPBIWMuRsgjErJjUkV_QgpKa_Vnts0tc1D9HGnmZUiHTVf0Kof-f60q0eP7Ei5HiYPwDZG63pnKmow1F6dK3PogAyG_FX-8JmBSbyJXHw/s320/2013-08-25+16.40.01.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
But the meditation has been failing. Miserably. I can't seem to pull myself out of the now long enough to clear my mind and open it to possibilities. I'm going to try some meditation prompts and see if that helps.<br />
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All in all though, the changes and transitions in my life are getting easier. I'm finding my way back into, not my old skin, but a new one that I think I like better. I think this Autumn is going to be one of the best I've ever had.<br />
<br />The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-40708015350656887452013-08-24T20:37:00.001-07:002013-08-24T20:37:42.971-07:00Travel Log 8-24: The curse of the blank page I've been having some trouble figuring out what to post. I've been in non communication mode for long enough now that putting something out here is a daunting task. I guess I'll fill you guys in on some of the stuff that's been going on in my world.<br />
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I've taken up crocheting and gotten pretty decent at it. Being naturally clumsy and a tad bit disorganized it's rather a shock that something that requires attention to small detail and rather a large amount of hand eye coordination has worked out so well for me. I'll be posting pictures of some of my in progress projects as I finish them.<br />
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I've been doing a bit more with my artwork, and developing the skills and artwork up considerably. Here's a couple of pieces I've worked on recently.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2_fz40QHb3nBxymkf_jbQ0b-lfp9FR2Y70mt-Pl0fyaMIce8vlwRTv5iclvUwiKa6ZFAcWNhk0Gv5bJdBMbEcRQlu-Qs6rpFAz1dv5rXvq7X7a0eGhIfpiULVuctvePuhdP6e6iXd9r3/s1600/Apocalypse+Betty2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2_fz40QHb3nBxymkf_jbQ0b-lfp9FR2Y70mt-Pl0fyaMIce8vlwRTv5iclvUwiKa6ZFAcWNhk0Gv5bJdBMbEcRQlu-Qs6rpFAz1dv5rXvq7X7a0eGhIfpiULVuctvePuhdP6e6iXd9r3/s320/Apocalypse+Betty2.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBSXHhdxAiYlOI32371qav9kJnyEZiUbKJb1tT9hpcuybMo_BYyn7N2d8zWirzxl8uTzGGOuBwPWX2Fv9h1IqPso41Mww9EcVIR2bopSldEFfiXPvnJqWnqdah76YvwaVFqPtXzjFT97k/s1600/Tinkerbell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBSXHhdxAiYlOI32371qav9kJnyEZiUbKJb1tT9hpcuybMo_BYyn7N2d8zWirzxl8uTzGGOuBwPWX2Fv9h1IqPso41Mww9EcVIR2bopSldEFfiXPvnJqWnqdah76YvwaVFqPtXzjFT97k/s320/Tinkerbell.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
I've been keeping up my writing of sorts as well, getting into some role playing and actually having some fun with some table top games again. <br />
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All in all keeping myself busy, and feeding into my creativity where I can. I'm hoping to start bringing all the sides of my life back into balance so you'll be seeing a mish mosh on here but then, variety is the spice of life!The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-77245464147263841612013-08-23T09:19:00.001-07:002013-08-23T09:19:52.835-07:00Travel Log 8-22: *Ahem* Hi Everyone!!<br />
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It's been a while. Over a year. A lot has happened in what really amounts to such a short time. My personal and home life has been turned upside down and shaken around until it's almost unrecognizable. In general Life has decided it was time for me to make changes and enforced the point.<br />
I've been writing, drawing, and generally immersing myself into my geeky proclivities. My spiritual focus, however, has fallen to the wayside. Consider this my return to the fold. It's time to refocus and make my spirituality a focal point again.<br />
So I'll be updating here again with my thoughts, spiritual trials, and most likely dragging my geeky pursuits into it as well. And I'll stop just haunting all your blogs and start posting on them again. Some of you I've kept in touch with via Facebook, and I've not forgotten any of you, just gone silent while I've digested all that's happened in my life over the past year.<br />
But now I'm back! Just in time for Fall too!The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-4056939154056704672012-03-13T15:16:00.002-07:002012-03-13T15:16:50.070-07:00Travel Log 3-13: The Black, The White, and The Grey While strolling through the Blog O'Sphere today I stumbled across a great post by Kallan over at <a href="http://mypaganworld.blogspot.com/2012/03/on-fighting-to-become-my-authentic-self.html">The Secret Life of the American Working Witch</a>. Check it out. It's about looking at your potential to be the truest self you can be, recognizing what you have to give up in order to be that person, and honoring the strength inside you to make that happen (that's what I got from it- go see what you get from it).<br />
This resonated with me. As you all know I've gone through a lot of changes in my little world over the past six months. These exterior changes dominoed into changes in my role within my family and the world in general. I'm not completely comfortable with all of these changes, and I'm not really sure that these changes make me the best me possible- or even the me I want to be. I had made such strides towards really owning who I was over the past couple of years and feeling that slipping away from me under the strain of becoming who my family needs me to be has been a slow torture. You would think that there would be some way to merge these two people- who I want to be and who I need to be- but I have yet to be able to find it. Past experience has taught me that being the best me I can be causes people who count on me to fall apart themselves and drag everyone into a horrible downward spiral.<br />
In order to keep peace for those who depend on me the me that I present has to not be the real, or even optimal, me. I know this, and in many ways I accept it as the role that I have to play for the next few years until my father passes, but that doesn't stop a part of me from grieving not only for my mother but also for the me that is being suffocated deep down where I have to bury it. This is the black that has infested my life.<br />
A little piece of white that is shining in is that in certain ways my writing is starting to take off. I am now not just a monthly contributor to PaganPages.net, but I have been accepted as a freelance (writing world code for paid) contributor to the Pagan Writers Community. This is a HUGE step for me and I had to swallow a bunch of my ridiculous self esteem problems to even apply (as with most mental block issues I <i>know</i> they are ridiculous but that doesn't stop them from interfering in my life if I'm not careful) and was completely stoked to be accepted. Especially since a lot of very well credentialed writers have also signed on.<br />
And then there is the grey. The current trend in politics has been really driving me nuts. The rehashing of what have been considered basic rights already fought for and achieved has really brought my blood to a boil. Then seeing how quick we all came together as a country to say how unacceptable the whole thing was made my heart swell with American pride. It heartened me to see so many people starting to engage with each other and the political process. Then I decided to try and do my part by helping with the organizational end of an event happening in my area. Let's just say that this is an experience I shall not soon forget for so many reasons- some of them good, some of them bad.<br />
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Next week? Our first family trip to Las Vegas. Light a candle for me people- make it a BIG one.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-46785212044375227602012-03-06T10:56:00.001-08:002012-03-06T10:56:52.216-08:00Travel Log 3-6: Furry Peanuts Don't anyone keel over with shock but I am here to make a post. Everyone ok? No medical assistance needed? Good.<br />
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This weekend I was treated to a moment that I will treasure forever and which showed me an aspect of one of my children that I was very proud to see. As a family we headed out to see the Lorax.<br />
I was especially excited about this. I absolutely loved The Lorax when I was growing up. When my husband said he had never seen it I gasped so loud that I almost passed out from lack of oxygen then proceeded to make him watch it. And sang the barbaloot song for about three hours and may possibly have scarred him for life. But I digress.<br />
We mosied off to the theater this weekend in a great mood. The kids were happy and looking forward to the jokes they had seen in the trailers they had seen, not to mention the candy and popcorn in their future (I may have been singing the babaloot song on the way but can neither confirm nor deny in case my hubby wants to use it against me later). It all went well and we were settled in our seats with our 3d glasses on (the kids had cute orange ones- yes I'm a geek. Don't judge me) and the movie had some good laughs going. Especially the humming fish. They were hilarious.<br />
Then the big production number with the Once-ler came. At first my littlest guy was dancing in front of his seat with the rock beat, but as the song went on and the tone of the scenes on screen changed to a stark contrast with the happy beat of the song he started cuddling me and saying "no, don't do that."<br />
Then came the moment when the last truffula tree gets chopped down. The production company did an awesome job with this scene. It is the only bit of color in the landscape and once it falls silence reigns as the Lorax looks at the Once-ler in sorrow. In our theater this silence was only broken by my little guy sobbing uncontrollably. My little three year old was sobbing as if his heart was breaking and asking me why he took the last one. As the Lorax pulled himself up by the seat of the pants and took himself off the squishie man took my face in his little hands and looked at me with tears streaking down his little face and told me "I'm going to listen. The Lorax won't leave me."<br />
I have a very special little guy an I hope he never changes. I am so proud of his empathy.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-71109122621157724392012-01-10T14:41:00.000-08:002012-01-10T14:41:10.047-08:00AAAnd I'm backI am officially back in the blogging world!<br />
Thanks to my hubby and his yule gift of a new laptop I can now mesh blogging with my, now, ridiculously busy life.<br />
Since my mother passed last year the tribe here has been going through a lot of changes. All of us have now moved into my parents house and we're in the process of cleaning up our credit so we can buy the place within the next 8 months. That is huge for us, but it comes with some bitter mixed in with the sweet.<br />
See we don't really want to buy this house. We had looked forward to finding the perfect place for our family that was just<i> ours,</i> you know? Now we're buying a good house, that we know all the ups and downs of, and that will fit our family but it's just not deep down what we really wanted.<br />
And in a way we've inherited a couple kids. My father is 85 and clearing up the chaos that he leaves in his wake when he 'fixes' things(actual things and metaphorical things) is quickly shooting to the top of my list of things that are going to land me a padded room. Then there's my sister.<br />
While chronologically she is 41 and my older sister by 10 years, due to brain damage sustained during seizures as a small child she is a perpetual pre-teen. I love her to death, and she is an absolute sweetheart. I always figured someday I would be taking care of her, I just didn't figure it would be while I had 2 pre-teens of my own and 2 small children as well.<br />
It doesn't help that my parents way of dealing with her has always been to distract her with shopping. I am sure you all can see the problems that just spring up with that.<br />
I also joined a gym and am trying to get myself in shape. So far I've been going pretty faithfully (until the holidays hit and I got a horrendous case of food poisoning that put me down for quite a while).<br />
Oh and I'm really chugging away on finishing my book.<br />
So yeah, busy bee here, lol.<br />
I'm hoping to be hopping around all of your blogs and catching up over the next couple of weeks!The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-84266395699235418412011-11-19T14:56:00.001-08:002011-11-19T14:57:10.163-08:00Peeking around the cornerHi all!<br />
Sorry I've been gone so long. I stuck my head in the sand and haven't really pulled it back out in a while. I should be back to normal (ha ha- yeah just remember that's a relative term) in the next few weeks so I'll be catching up with you guys and finally putting together pieces for here too. I missed you all.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-91519839064274014262011-08-15T16:19:00.000-07:002011-08-15T16:19:31.600-07:00Travel Log 8-16: The Abyss<span class="body">"And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.</span>
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<a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/f/friedrichn126026.html">Friedrich Nietzsche</a></span><br />
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I think that we have all stared a bit too long into the abyss, and now it is looking back at us and organizing.</span><br />
<span class="bodybold"> If you are not familiar with the NAR (New Aposolitic Reformation- and I will not link to that filth on this page) go check out this awesome post by AmethJera at <a href="http://amethjera.blogspot.com/2011/08/dont-know-what-weve-got-until-its-gone.html">Broom With A View </a>or check out just about anything on the <a href="http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wildhunt/2011/08/invisible-christian-privilege.html">Wild Hunt </a>lately.</span><br />
<span class="bodybold"> It would appear ladies and gentlemen that we are at war and never even got to do anything to start it. And unfortunately this one isn't going to play out on online chat boards where we can all snark our way into scoring points. Apparently for once some of the crazies are taking the fight to our home ground so to speak. We, the spiritualist and witches, are going to be attacked on the spiritual level. They have even given us the dates that they will do this and what intent they are going to focus on! We are going to be faced with a full frontal assault of a cosmic nature targeted at ourselves, our government, and even at the gods and godesses that sustain our lands all at, according to some people that seem to be foaming at the mouth, the behest of a god that has been able to inspire frenzied loyalty.</span><br />
<span class="bodybold"> There has been a lot of debate flying about as to how, or if, the pagan community should respond to this. Personally I can't imagine letting something like this go, and (this is only my opinion here) not responding in some way smacks of fear and hubris. I have found in my life that the universe helps those who help themselves. I have never gained anything from sitting back and hoping someone or something handles things for me. I will be doing what I can to help repel and counter these attacks that are going to be made on the spirit of my homeland as well as myself. I can see no other course of action that would be morally acceptable to me. There are a couple of sites helping to try and organize this. So far the best set up one is <a href="http://hailcolumbia.us/">Hail Columbia</a>. Go check them out and see what you can do to help. Even lighting a protective candle is something. If it helps imagine that you are a Who in Whoville and it's time for you to let out your Yap so that our message can get through-</span><br />
<span class="bodybold">WE ARE HERE! </span>
The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-12113481275893375222011-08-09T09:18:00.000-07:002011-08-09T09:18:45.313-07:00Travel Log 8-9: Wow Is My Plate Full You know when you go to a buffet and you keep putting a little of this and a little of that and by the time you're done you've got a heaping plate full? Well that's me for the next few months.<br />
I've been trying to get my butt motivated to write (since mom passed I have had a hard time picking up anything creative) and decided to do the NANOWRIMO summer camp dealio that they have been doing. Yay me for getting on the finish a full novel band wagon.<br />
Then I decided that I wasn't going to let my funk keep me from starting college next fall so I went and talked to an admissions councilor for the school I want to go to and found out that I should have no problems applying and getting accepted as long as I take 2 more general ed classes at my community college. Great, 2 classes no sweat. Except one of them is a math class that I need to have another math class prerequ'ed that I haven't completed yet. And the semester has already started and there is no way for me to get the pre requisite class this late. So now I have to find a way to test into a higher math class than I have ever taken before and math hates me. No seriously, it hates me. So now I have to set up testing and cram 2 years worth of evil Algebra into a couple weeks or it sets me back a whole year on admission.<br />
Oh and did I mention that I still have 4 kids, 2 of which just started a their school year at a new school, 2 blogs, and a periodical submission to do.<br />
Yeah I would have to say that my eyes were much bigger than my stomach here, lol. But I can't see what I would choose not to do so it looks like I'll be running around like a madwoman for a few months.<br />
<br />The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-12889140715519071942011-08-03T08:03:00.000-07:002011-08-03T08:03:27.985-07:00Travel Log 8-3: Chasing NormalityHello again.<br />
I'm heading back towards having a routine in my life after my mother's passing. Thank you all for all your kind words and thoughts.I'm sorry I kinda ran off and hid my head in the sand but truthfully I never really prepared myself for this. My parents were in their fifties when they adopted me, so I've spent a lot of my life looking at the reality that they will die sooner rather than later, but we all had been preparing ourselves for my father passing first. He's the one who has all the health problems. My mom was healthy as a horse (despite her residual nerve damage fro the polio). I've been keeping up with the rest of you on and off (even though I haven't posted so consider me a part time stalker, lol) and I think I have caught up. A special thanks to <a href="http://yellowdoggrannie.blogspot.com/">Yellow Dog Granny</a>- as usual your shots of humor during the week have really helped to pick me up.<br />
I'm trying to pick up a lot of the projects that I had been working on before all this happened. I announced on Witchy Thrifting a great new thing and I figure I'll fill you guys in too. I've been asked to write a monthly Witchy Thrifting column for <a href="http://paganpages.org/">PaganPages.org</a>. It's a really cool free ezine for all things pagan and I'm really excited to start writing for them. I had planned to announce that after my first column was turned in my first article, but with my mother's passing that has been put off until this month.<br />
Also I have been honored to be invited to do an interview for You, Me & Religion this month and it was featured this past weekend so hop over<a href="http://youmereligion.blogspot.com/2011/07/monica-chase.html"> HERE</a> and check it out!<br />
I really hope all of you (and I know a lot of you have) are keeping up with this DC40 nonsense. This is one of those situations where we are being attacked as a whole community and on our own spiritual 'turf' so to speak. I really hope we can all come together to help deflect this harmful magick that they are looking to cook up against us. I have some ideas on that but that will have to wait for another time.<br />
Generally I'm finally taking that deep breath in and facing that life is going to go on and it's time to step back on the carousel. I have an appointment with an admissions councilor for CSULA tomorrow and am starting to plan out what I need to do to start school there next fall. I even started participating in the NANOWRIMO summer camp and plan on getting my novel finished by the end of this month (since procrastinating it isn't going to work with everything else I have going on).<br />
I'm going to have one hectic month, lol, but I need this kind of chaos to keep me from slipping back into a funk.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-50721402337465381462011-07-17T20:13:00.000-07:002011-07-17T20:13:32.867-07:00A very bad day I've been absent from here because of family tragedy. Thursday morning my sister and I found our mother in her bed, no longer amongst the living. This has been a huge shock to our family as she was in the best of health. The past few days have been a haze, and I don't know when things will be settling down to normal. She leaves behind my father that needs care as well as my sister who has a mental condition. I am their new caretaker and things are really hectic to say the least. I'll be back when I can think straight.<br />
Knowing you guys were out there has honestly helped a great deal the past few days, so thank you for your friendship and I hope to be back soon.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-14558898185178026282011-07-12T09:59:00.000-07:002011-07-12T09:59:24.693-07:00Travel Log 7-12: I think I may be Going Insane.. I know, I know- going? Lol. <br />
You see, when I was younger I had a plan for my life. I was going to grow up to be Perry Mason. That was the plan. I was going to be a lawyer and solve crimes and generally drive a really cool car. I stuck with that plan from age 4 until 5th grade (pretty long for a kid, huh?). That's when the establishment came crashing down on me. See my parents had put me in a private school that they thought was going to be great (because it was a private school and they are from the generation that all private schools are inherently better because you have to pay for them), but it wasn't. It was a progressive school that pretty much used all us little learners as guinea pigs to try out new ideas in teaching and early cognitive development. So while while my parents were being dazzled with tales of how I was mastering calculus (something that personally terrifies my father), I wasn't being taught to multiply or divide.<br />
After a couple years of this I realize that I need to have grades recorded in order to get into the college I wanted (yes I was a 3rd grade thinking of this- I was weird) and finally convinced my parents to send me to a public school for at least 2 years to establish a gpa (I have no idea why my parents didn't get me psych eval'd when as a 8 year old I was tossing those terms around, lol) so that I could look better on college applications. So I headed off to public school for 5th and 6th grades.<br />
This is where my plan derailed and took the rest of my undergraduate school career with it. I flunked math. I was devastated. I continued to flunk math all the way through. I was a 5th grader who couldn't multiply or divide the way they wanted. I was considered so far behind that the teachers really didn't even bother with me.<br />
So I gave up. I coasted my way through the rest of my schooling and then proceeded to pick the least higher math related tech program I could find for my first foray into college. That didn't work out and I later went back for an AS in Respiratory Therapy. That was really intense and took some serious commitment but I got through it with a 3.4 gpa- the best of my life.<br />
And now I'm looking at picking up my original plan and going back to get a 4 year degree as a ramp up to law school. I'm over 30, have 4 kids- 2 of which aren't in school yet. I haven't been in school since 2004. That's 7 years! I am trying to work on a novel and a nonfiction offering, as well as getting everything in order to buy a house sometime in the next 2 years. But deep down I really want to do this, and I can't think of a time that is going to be better to get started on this. Life is always going to be there and if I really want this then I need to buckle down and get my butt in gear. It's just a little extra work and stress, right?<br />
I must be going insane.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-4513547592054164482011-07-07T07:20:00.000-07:002011-07-07T07:20:04.453-07:00Travel Log 7-7: After an Extended Holiday Weekend I mentioned before that the 4th had some thought percolating in my brain, and I think that after running around playing catch up in blogland has shown me that a lot of you have had similar ideas. I am on the same page with HecateDemeter ( post link <a href="http://hecatedemeter.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/a-love-letter-from-a-realist/">HERE</a>) Bishop In The Grove (pot link <a href="http://www.teobishop.com/archives/what-we-are-one-pagan-american-response/">HERE</a>) and Kallan from the Secret Life Of The American Working Witch (post link <a href="http://mypaganworld.blogspot.com/2011/07/happy-independence-day-usa.html">HERE</a>). I am very disappointed with the directions that America is currently taking, but I still love and am unswervingly devoted to the ideals that America was founded on.<br />
I am that person who can't sit through a 4th of July parade or fireworks show without tears. To remember generations of people who not only created an ideal, but then sacrificed in every imaginable way in order for that ideal to survive. It never ceases to draw strong emotions from me. I feel such a strong connection through time to people who suffered for an ideal that our modern world takes completely for granted.<br />
The 4th always reminds me that the world I live in did not just spring fully formed into being. People created it and cared for it. When I see veterans with silver hair and canes marching together under a banner that they are button busting proud to carry I can't help but think of the horror that they have seen and the hells that they have lived through. The loneliness that their families lived through while they were gone and abject terror that they lived with that a man with an envelope would knock on their door and tell them that their loved one was dead. And in a way all of them did die. The person they were when they left died out there in service to us, and their souls won't ever be the same. I can see the line of people that have given their lives and loved ones who wept for them down through the generations all the way back to a group of farmers standing on a hill with muskets facing down the most well trained military force in their world.<br />
I owe those people a debt. Something that can not truly be repaid but still must be striven for. I owe them the debt of life. I am indebted to live my life to the fullest, and to live that life with honor. To make the world I live in worthy of their sacrifice. The ideals of our country are not dead. We are not dead, and we owe that to those who were willing to give their lives and part of their souls in order for the ideals to live on.<br />
There are some debts that it is impossible to repay, but I still have to try.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-67993521438620820572011-07-05T09:14:00.000-07:002011-07-05T09:14:51.837-07:00Travel Log 7-5: Two Wheels and Some Explosions Well I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend! I sure did (there's a post up on <a href="http://witchythrifting.blogspot.com/2011/07/witchy-prowling-over-holiday-weekend.html">Witchy Thrifting</a> with some of my weekend finds!) and it isn't over for me yet. The Hubby has taken a couple days off so we're still on a mini vacation. Sorry I haven't been stalking you guys as much as I normally do but I'll be back to doing that and catching up with everything tonight or tomorrow!<br />
Besides going to some thrift shops this weekend we've been to a children's museum/water play area, a country style fair, a parade, and today we're off to the beach! We've definitely been busy little bees here.<br />
The parade was awesome and was lead by a LARGE compliment of motorcycles that had the little guys thoroughly impressed. The whole thing really gave me some things to think about and I'll be popping that into a post once it's done solidifying in my head.<br />
We also got to see a bunch of fireworks out of our front window (they are very illegal to do personally around here- our state is waaaay too flammable) from a near by display at a high school, so that was kinda cool. The cat's didn't freak out which was really nice because getting scratched by a nervous cat was not on my to do list for the night.<br />
Well we're off to the land of sand and sea. Enjoy the summer weather while I'm off to face my lifetime nemesis sunburn in a battle to the death.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-51720002930982942702011-06-30T12:51:00.000-07:002011-06-30T12:51:03.186-07:00Travel Log 6-30:United We Stand, Devided We Fall Just recently NotHannah over at <a href="http://thediviningwomen.blogspot.com/2011/06/actionary-pagans.html">Divining Women</a> put up a post that pretty much hit the nail on the head for how I've been feeling about our greater Pagan community lately. With all the very scary things going on in politics lately (admittedly sprinkled with good nuggets such as the latest victory for equal rights in NY) I've been honestly looking at real estate in Canada. It worries me that women are being arrested in Alabama for miscarrying, or that politicians are actually trying to play chicken with our national credit. And lets not even talk about the current crop of republican candidates for President- I may just toss the kids in the car and head for the border.<br />
All this craziness has really pointed out something that is missing from my peace of mind. A whole in my safety net if you will. There is no where for me to turn as a Pagan to have my rights and freedoms protected or enforced. I am completely at the mercy of police and government agencies that have been proven time and again to not be the most open minded of bodies as a whole. Sure I could go knock on the ACLU's door, but they're currently fighting for women's and voter's rights in a bunch of states so I doubt I would be a priority. That is what worries me. That should something happen I am pretty much on my own because I don't have a large church behind me to get my back so to speak.<br />
And what is really to blame for that? Why can't we as a community band together to further our group interests? In my opinion it's because we (as a group) are just a little bit too attached to our 'fringe' status. We want to be allowed to do whatever we want without bowing to the societal requirements that build the respect that would give us the validation necessary to go about our business unmolested by legally sanctioned persecution. In essence we want the reward but don't want to have to compromise enough to get the work done that earns the reward. We all want to be seen as sparkling individuals, be respected and accorded all rights. While in a perfect world this would already be and we wouldn't ever have to talk about it, but as I think we are all agreed that this is far from a perfect world.<br />
Why can't we all unbend enough to accept that we need to be a group, represented by identifiable figureheads that can do interviews and promote our causes in the media? Are we really that afraid that we'll somehow morph into a christian styled church just because we're all grouping together? Or that we won't be able to recognize a power hungry leader and let them run amok?<br />
I think that this is a discussion that we all as a community need to seriously have with each other. I think that something needs to start being developed so that we have a way to fight these evangelical movements that are attempting to stamp us out like bugs. Between fight or flight I would much rather find a way to fight but none of us can do that on our own. There needs to be a recourse for people other than stay in the broom closet or move.<br />
Besides I already have to stop myself from saying 'aboot' I really don't want to add 'eh' too.The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-69877028244444064422011-06-27T09:50:00.000-07:002011-06-27T10:10:21.069-07:00Travel Log 6-27: We're Not Made of Jello! We Get Behind A Fellow! .......Black and Yellow!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Ok, so I watched The Bee Movie this weekend, lol. But really this is appropriate because I'm here to show a little support for one of our witchy sisters out here in blognland. Sandi from <a href="http://craftsbysandi.blogspot.com/">Crafty Sandi Blog</a> has opened her own <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/akashasmiles">Etsy shop</a> and besides her really cool usual stock she is featuring a very cool little invention of hers. Spell Tarts!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.247174565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.247174565.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> These little scented soy wax tarts are a great way for those of us who can't have candles burning at all times of day for special reasons (like little pyromaniacs that think playing with the candle thingie will be fun but will in reality set the house on fire). The backs are flat so that you can carve runes, sigils, or spells into their backs and then just pop them into the cauldron or tart burner and viola! They even come charged with intent so it's great for that quick go to spell.<br />
So go check her out and lets support another witchy entrepreneur going out there and being upstanding and respectable and stuff! (especially when they come up with really cool ideas that I am totally jealous of, lol)<br />
Also Sandi donates a portion of all proceeds from her shop to Domestic violence and abuse causes so please go check her out, she is definitely a witch deserving of our support!The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-31600300572183634202011-06-22T09:08:00.000-07:002011-06-22T09:08:34.854-07:00Travel Log 6-22: Quick Post and A Couple of Monkeys The Solstice went fine once I pumped myself full of caffeine. Lots of laughing (only a little bit of which was maniacal) and fun was had. Didn't get to bake the bread, but hey more cookies are always a good thing (shush diet, your opinion doesn't count in this matter). <br />
Just a quick little pop in to let you know that <a href="http://witchythrifting.blogspot.com/">Witchy Thrifting</a> has a new entry- with pictures!<br />
And speaking of pictures here's some of the pictures I took at the Santa Ana Zoo this past week on our last adventure- Nature shots are so not my thing, lol.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9U55LvSCMGndyhrup6Dnn1Ca6ECUj1SDNv92RhBlCVCKP_CCgG8tPa03R0ElmJdiD0YYFqB1Se9nqiGJCjiAg4hPlRj64Z00OXTlKotgJBkoRulSF0Y2pLfi-DnLApt8EUf1k1PLocU8/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9U55LvSCMGndyhrup6Dnn1Ca6ECUj1SDNv92RhBlCVCKP_CCgG8tPa03R0ElmJdiD0YYFqB1Se9nqiGJCjiAg4hPlRj64Z00OXTlKotgJBkoRulSF0Y2pLfi-DnLApt8EUf1k1PLocU8/s320/IMG_0152.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Ooh, look at those strange specimens out there. They have some strange sort of flashy box and the little ones keep hopping around the big one and asking for candy.."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7mc-Mme_RWxwN6CBuIyyk3laDiZi9NXlqBdL__JahvSBfYKrWNdGkmEHyComunTKU7awpXtV_aSX6tskZElMFPCopvvEMg0Mt_XJR8gzkdsDQnRsPzWZNGZCy0H6a8lG4_3zP5skR9iY/s1600/IMG_0102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7mc-Mme_RWxwN6CBuIyyk3laDiZi9NXlqBdL__JahvSBfYKrWNdGkmEHyComunTKU7awpXtV_aSX6tskZElMFPCopvvEMg0Mt_XJR8gzkdsDQnRsPzWZNGZCy0H6a8lG4_3zP5skR9iY/s320/IMG_0102.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">" Hold still?? Are you insane woman those are poison dart frogs!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXqF2Re2iNQQUuw15tBP7a1c3EOzal5W_pugLTVJIpCYI6oWdOzPtZ-kE_DmnChg-N1J_1WW1GKBwsbmnvTD4_EHPAQKftAYXJjw-XSRrfuXqH-Uy5CTV-UtOrV4AI487YuTA16wSNSxf/s1600/IMG_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXqF2Re2iNQQUuw15tBP7a1c3EOzal5W_pugLTVJIpCYI6oWdOzPtZ-kE_DmnChg-N1J_1WW1GKBwsbmnvTD4_EHPAQKftAYXJjw-XSRrfuXqH-Uy5CTV-UtOrV4AI487YuTA16wSNSxf/s320/IMG_0109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I think I can hot wire this one"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj3VLO1h-Eo1hf8Ybgt_5O4PGmDYoC6VgfmovLXsAGIsWRIBkfIEszwpokUGav_PhYAndYP_zuv6WB3b3Ub6CA7ZFsi_boM9cC4lyqgjCYkQM67-jOiwLMUa5c1kVan2nBLplaROzdvvb/s1600/IMG_0118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj3VLO1h-Eo1hf8Ybgt_5O4PGmDYoC6VgfmovLXsAGIsWRIBkfIEszwpokUGav_PhYAndYP_zuv6WB3b3Ub6CA7ZFsi_boM9cC4lyqgjCYkQM67-jOiwLMUa5c1kVan2nBLplaROzdvvb/s320/IMG_0118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Look Grandpa he's climbing why can't I?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFFoV0LsyuQCqiQHgF_zeQo1tUESh_e54LP-6AvgklHgTQFBfvWhgFm-wrRtrMNLjk3gGvXxH12abtl9m-WZlrBzle2Lkg5t4QwqgPxHNX8vmkZgkjle-qgXFvLgflgJE-aUOh478bAS5/s1600/IMG_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFFoV0LsyuQCqiQHgF_zeQo1tUESh_e54LP-6AvgklHgTQFBfvWhgFm-wrRtrMNLjk3gGvXxH12abtl9m-WZlrBzle2Lkg5t4QwqgPxHNX8vmkZgkjle-qgXFvLgflgJE-aUOh478bAS5/s320/IMG_0122.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">" No Mommy I can't look at you for pictures there are MONKEYS!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotQYHp4EJ7q8t8Iw5CcsWI5uFxqd4DqfqkPmdEMeMYG6uieoNbo_43siZdjpz-n9rva-qIAkXClQyzAEaufA66H7Qv6QHotAKnWmg8sPd0Jbmq_gElQ4bWHUws1itHjqELJ2m2bUTayck/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotQYHp4EJ7q8t8Iw5CcsWI5uFxqd4DqfqkPmdEMeMYG6uieoNbo_43siZdjpz-n9rva-qIAkXClQyzAEaufA66H7Qv6QHotAKnWmg8sPd0Jbmq_gElQ4bWHUws1itHjqELJ2m2bUTayck/s320/IMG_0123.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Being the older brother is pretty sweet sometimes, especially if it means you get to see the spider monkeys better."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNllsfVsFyCU9AWtqwOm2NhSKBmH4ZC7rXkuaAbuR_lfzNduO9IL4__qB-Aenfr1BZJV1tB68ZHGN1VSUAGwp4P_KyVtQCtKn5EMyO8Zc-z4l4cR8XaNeBSMCq6Hcdo5DYsPLZHDKF6XFv/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNllsfVsFyCU9AWtqwOm2NhSKBmH4ZC7rXkuaAbuR_lfzNduO9IL4__qB-Aenfr1BZJV1tB68ZHGN1VSUAGwp4P_KyVtQCtKn5EMyO8Zc-z4l4cR8XaNeBSMCq6Hcdo5DYsPLZHDKF6XFv/s320/IMG_0151.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The tamarins are sooo cute- look at the babies on it's back!"</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table> Now we're off to the Children's Museum for today's adventure!The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-38210168998935433732011-06-21T06:56:00.000-07:002011-06-21T06:56:45.794-07:00Travel Log 6-21: Sleep is For the Weak... It's Midsummer, <span style="font-size: xx-small;">yay!</span><br />
Last night I was up late dancing around with the fairies and was still so full of pixie dust I had a hard time sleeping once I did slip into bed (ok I was playing the new Alice game and lost track of time, but it sounds better to blame it on the fairies). Which is why now that my personal pixies dragged me out of bed extra early I feel like a zombie fresh out of the freezer. The fact that they are not just barely up and stumbling around bleary eyed like I am, but instead are at full running through the house awake and yelling stage makes me rather queasy.<br />
So I had this whole plan for today that would involve baking and cooking and playing games then having a mini bonfire in the fire pit this evening. I wonder if I can get all that accomplished curled up in a corner whimpering...<br />
Blessed Midsummer/ Litha to all of you out there (and Winter solstice to those in the other hemisphere!). I'm hoping that I can guzzle enough pepsi to get in the spirit!The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-69782735241966613082011-06-17T09:57:00.000-07:002011-06-17T11:10:09.829-07:00Travel Log 6-17:The Worst Witch First off there is a new post up over at <a href="http://witchythrifting.blogspot.com/">Witchy Thrifting</a> so go check it out!<br />
Last month the lovely Magaly over at <a href="http://pagan-culture.blogspot.com/">Pagan Culture</a> held an awesome event called Witches in Fiction. During the party I focused on the awesomeness that is Granny Weatherwax, the witch I hope to grow up to be. It came to me while I was lying in bed last night so I decided to write about it now rather than wait until next year. While Granny is who I want to be in the future, and hope that I am becoming more like now, there was a witch that embodies who I was, and still very much am. The first witch I really connected with and saw myself in. <br />
Mildred Hubble.<br />
Never heard of her? Well she is the main character of a book series in the UK that got turned into a tv show in the 90's and a movie, as well as a US movie in the 80's starring Fairuza Balk, Tim Curry, Diana Rigg, and Charlotte Rae (Mrs Garrett) called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Worst_Witch">The Worst Witch</a>. I never got to see the UK versions and want them so badly I can taste it. But the US tv movie that was released in 1986 was the first time I looked at a character on tv and saw myself. I watched that first year cuddled up in my Care Bear pajamas hugging my teddy bear and found myself a hero.<br />
Mildred is a regular girl. About as regular as they get. She has freckles and messy hair. She struggles in her classes and the toughest teacher in her school has decided to come down like a ton of bricks on her at any given opportunity. Of course this is Miss Cackles International Academy for Witches, a boarding school for young witches so Mrs Hardbroom, Mildred's teacher nemesis, is extra scary. When they hand out the black cats Mildred gets a grey tabby who's so afraid to ride on her broomstick so she has to put him in her satchel and hang it from the back of her broom. The girl just can't catch a break. The prettiest, smartest, most popular girl in school makes it her mission to make Mildred's life as miserable as possible. In fact a prank that this girl plays on Mildred has her so upset she runs away from the school only to run smack into a group of evil witches planning to take over the school. But then in an awesome twist, Mildred captures the evil witches and saves the school earning herself praise and a special flight with the head warlock (Tim Curry).<br />
This is an age old story. Persecution followed by a make-good situation. Nothing new there, but as a almost 6 year old (this of course premiered around Halloween and my birthday is November 5th) this was the first time I looked at a character in a movie and saw myself. And she was a witch.<br />
Mildred Hubble was my revelation. She was ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. Magic was a part of her world, a part of <i>her</i>, but as ordinary as homework (in fact a lot of it was homework, lol) and she wasn't even considered very good at it. It wasn't a story about these girls being witches, it was a story about a girl who just happened to be a witch. It wasn't about how good she was with a potion or a spell, it was about<i> her</i>.<br />
I loved it. I would wait every year for it to come back on at Halloween and then watch every time it was on. I taped it once and watched the tape almost every day until my sister taped over it with something with Carey Elwes in it (I don't remember what it was just that there were tudor costumes and it was all very dramatic -6 year old code for <i>bor-ing)</i>. You can imagine the fights over that one.<br />
For years I watched and loved that movie until slowly they stopped showing it. then a couple years ago it popped back up again and now I have it on dvd.<br />
Mildred Hubble was my stepping stone. She was me. I wasn't popular. In fact I was so socially awkward it was almost painful. I never fit in and I was an easy target for teasing. Mildred helped me get through that. The theme song from the movie still plays in my head almost as a soundtrack for how I see my formative years.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/k86-cUlgPvk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div> Is there a little Mildred in you?The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-3776788214971052682011-06-16T10:03:00.000-07:002011-06-16T10:03:19.062-07:00Travel Log 6-16: I Ain't Been Eateded.. This is just a quick post to let you know that I was not sacrificed to the wild animals yesterday, thank goodness (although it was a near thing with the giant anteater). I did however almost get taken out by a bird in the rain forest aviary where the birds (and apparently turtles) get to fly around. We saw A LOT of monkeys. I mean A LOT.<br />
I really liked this zoo because it is laid out like a park. There is play equipment and lots of wide open grass space for small kids to run and play. The enclosures were all really well suited to the animals that were in them and none were cramped or on concrete. There were even baby tamarins! They were tiney tiny and adorable. We took a miniature train ride around the zoo and got kissed by butterflies. It was a lot of fun. They even have little keys that you can put into boxes located around the zoo that will then play songs about the animals and the zoo for the kids. We had a ton of fun.<br />
I took a lot of pictures but I still need to sort through them all so no pictures up here yet. <br />
Also don't forget to check out <a href="http://witchythrifting.blogspot.com/">Witchy Thrifting</a>!The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-37655084995142033272011-06-14T20:07:00.000-07:002011-06-14T20:08:37.832-07:00Travel Log 6-15: 50 Monkeys and Me.. We're off to the zoo today! The Santa Ana Zoo to be exact. Funny little bit of history there. Apparently when Joseph Prentice donated the land for Prentice park he put only 2 restrictions on it- 1) that the park would bear his name, and 2) that there would always be at least 50 monkeys in the park.<br />
Cause yeah...nothing says public park like 50 monkeys.<br />
But that is to my advantage today as the Grands, the midgets, and me head over to the zoo that has built up around the monkeys. They have elephants and a working farm, and even a petting zoo for the squishmeister. And truthfully the best part about it is it isn't the LA Zoo. That place is so depressing. All the enclosures are concreted in(and during california summers that's such a humane way to make an animal live not to mention all the smog - hacking penguins is so NOT cute) and every time I've gone there (about 3 times in my entire life) I want to arrange a jail break for all of them. I always leave depressed. So going to a zoo in a nicely wooded park should be a fun trip for everyone.<br />
I'll try and post pictures after we get home if the kids don't feed me to a wild animal (the Littleman is all about necessary sacrifice, lol) or if I don't pass out. All in all not a bad plan for a Wednesday.<br />
Oh and I have another post up on my <a href="http://witchythrifting.blogspot.com/">Witchy Thrifting</a> blog so hop on over and check it out!The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-75250830317910119532011-06-13T11:42:00.000-07:002011-06-13T11:42:21.593-07:00Travel Log 6-13: Monday...Why Does It Have To Be Monday.. Well this weekend was fun but busy.<br />
Went to the opening for Super Bad Action Figures in sunny (sunny like the face of the sun sometimes) Redlands California. It was a lot of fun to catch up with all my geeky friends and see a new mecha of geekiness open up. We escaped with our wallets intact no thanks to our 4 year old. He was convinced that he just could not possibly live without the Iron Man statue that was taller than him. The squishmeister (our 2 year old) had a close encounter with Boba Fett and a storm trooper that had him hiding and actively asking for a jedi. I also had a moment that had me wishing I hadn't forgotten my camera- Boba Fett taking down Captain Jack Sparrow. It was a beautiful Kodak moment and I missed capturing it..sniff...<br />
The babysitter experiment went awesome. The boys were as good as gold for her so she didn't run screaming into the night! The hubster and I even got to go to a thrift store by ourselves which made a whole bunch of difference! He even found some really cool 1960's sliding rules that are in awesome condition. He totally math geeked out on them, lol.<br />
So that means that we can hopefully (if we can still get tickets) go to the Green Lantern special showing being put on by Four Color Fantasies! Woot! It has been forever since we got to go to a midnight release, and on top of it to make it one with free tshirts and swag bags? Oooh Ducky! (for that reference check out this hilarious post from <a href="http://shewhoseeks.blogspot.com/2011/06/important-public-service-announcement.html">Debra She Who Seeks</a>)<br />
Yesterday was spent finishing up projects and running around to craft stores (Michael's had a great sale going on ribbon and we all know I can't pass up ribbon- they even had cording for a buck a roll!) and generally being busy. Now I feel like I need a weekend to recover from my weekend, lol. <br />
And this morning I have been out there <strike>stalking</strike> checking out all your lovely blogs and already laughed so hard soda almost came out of my nose-twice! If you want a good solid laugh check out <a href="http://www.midgetmanofsteel.com/2011/06/im-terrible-matchmaker.html">Mental Poo</a> (not if you're easily offended though) or check out <a href="http://www.cogentascending.com/">Cogent Ascending</a> which I found thanks to Magaly over at <a href="http://pagan-culture.blogspot.com/">Pagan Culture</a>. <br />
How was everyone else's weekend?The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2732497338188302838.post-43318658844241175432011-06-11T09:17:00.000-07:002011-06-11T10:24:25.392-07:00Travel Log 6-11: They're Action Figures....Yeah That's What They Are... Happy weekend all!<br />
This weekend we're going to be doing a couple brand new things.<br />
First thing we're going to do is go to the grand opening of a new comic inspired store that one of our friends is hooked up with. It's called <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Superbad-Action-Figures/171546099558421">Super Bad Action Figures</a>. If you are anywhere near Redlands Ca, and want to meet Wolverine (the character not Hugh Jackman, darn it!) in person or have a hankering to hang with the local chapeter of the 501st Imperial Battalion then come on down! We'll also be there with midgets in tow since our 4 year old thinks storm trooper is a viable career goal (almost brings a tear to my eye *sniff*).<br />
And then later the hubster and I are going to be going out sans midgets. This is significant because up until now if we went out without the littleun's then one of my family members were watching them and that was only if we really had to. This time we'll be doing a trial run with a lovely young lady that came recommended by a friend. She is awesome and I've talked to her a ton over the past couple weeks. How lucky is it that I stumbled onto one of the few pagan baby sitters in southern California? I was super stoked to find out that she actually attends a Temple that a bunch of people I know (not the referring friend, lol) go to? So I don't have to hide the pentagrams when she comes over to babysit!<br />
Now we just have to see if me and hubby can actually be ok with someone else being with the kids. So wish us luck as we are off to go geek out!<br />
Oh and I almost forgot to let you know that I have another craft up on my other blog <a href="http://witchythrifting.blogspot.com/">Witchy Thrifting</a> if you want to check it out!The Travelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07571659015292953033noreply@blogger.com5