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Thanksgiving is over...thank all the gods available!
This was the first time that I handled Thanksgiving. Admittedly it was just for our little family (all 6 of us), but it was the first time we actually did the whole huge meal thing. Prep lasted 2 days with me and my daughter (9) doing the baking on Wednesday and then me, her, and my hubby doing everything else yesterday. We had pumpkin bread, honey wheat rolls, sweet potato banana mash, mashed potatoes, apple honey glazed turkey breast, apple topped pork loin, pumpkin spice bars, triple chocolate cake with butterscotch whipped cream frosting, and gingerbread with maple whiskey cream sauce (thanks again Mrs. B for passing that link and idea on, it was sooooo good!).
I can now admit that in my zeal to make the perfect holiday meal I may have gone a little overboard. We ate no where near this amount of food, and I fully anticipate eating left overs for the rest of the month at least, lol. It was an intense 2 days. It was the first time that me and my daughter spent that much time together in the kitchen and it was awesome, so this is now a tradition that we will keep up every other year (my 2 older kids split holidays with their dad and me). I never had that type of time with my mom, we were going out to eat every night from when I was 6. So this is completely new to me to have this kind of bonding time over an oven or a cook top. It's really nice and I hope that she likes it as much as me.
The dinner was a success and we gathered around our table and told each other what we were thankful for over turkey, pork, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (my 3 year old is VERY finicky and loud). It was great.
The kitchen however looked like a very large and messy war had been waged and there were no survivors, but I figure that's pretty traditional too. I was extra thankful that my hubby rolled up his sleeves and helped me get it done so now my kitchen is almost back to normal.
How was your day?
Friday, November 26, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Travel Log 11-22: Oh What A Weekend It Has Been!
I have been busy busy busy this weekend. I got all the craft shopping done for Yule presents and got some of the stuff made. I even took pictures of the final products! So yay for me remembering visual aides!
I do want to give a shout out to one of my favorite stores, Dragon Marsh, and if you happen to be anywhere near Riverside Ca and you haven't already, then check this place out. They have everything from herbs and essential oils (and staff on hand that knows all of their uses from medicinal to spiritual) to tools and even fabrics for robes or period clothing. The staff is awesome and perfectly willing to help and answer any questions you may have! So yeah, they rock, lol.
But back to what has occupied me this weekend!
Oh and I finally got pics of the rolls that I made! the kids helped me this time so they were extra fun to make.
And here is one of the little tidbits going into the gift baskets that my friends and family will be getting for Yule this year-
These are my first foray into the world of soaps. Admittedly it was the melt and pour type, but for this craft that is the best. They are single use rose petal soaps all tied up in cute little bags! I used a yellow tint to make them butter yellow, and a tangerine-lychee sent to make them smell purty.
And then with the left over soap I made these-
I got a mold and made a few of these pretty little bars to go with the petal soaps.
And then I found these awesome little bottles and filled them with a sugar-lemon face scrub.
Here they are lined up and waiting to be finished off with some light olive oil for a moisturizing face scrub!
Aren't those bottles just adorable??? Aren't they??
And then the crafting weekend wouldn't be complete without firing up the 'ol sewing machine and cranking out some seams. I made These adorable little reusable tea bags-
I still need to make a few more of these and I got a couple other patterns, but for $2 squares of fabric they look pretty good huh?
I also got a bunch of herbs, which is where the great people at Dragon Marsh came in (they answered all my silly questions with a ton of patience and even steered me towards different options for some of the really rare herbs on my list), and am going to make some homemade herbal teas to go with the bags but I haven't gotten to those yet. And I plan on making those little jars prettied up (there will be ribbon, oh yes there will be ribbon!)
So that was my weekend. Pretty fun and I got a lot done! Now I gotta start working on getting the baking done for Thanksgiving!*
*I just noticed how many exclamation points I used in this post and I do apologize. They say excessive use of punctuation is a sign of a disturbed mind, so you guys should have expected it really...
I do want to give a shout out to one of my favorite stores, Dragon Marsh, and if you happen to be anywhere near Riverside Ca and you haven't already, then check this place out. They have everything from herbs and essential oils (and staff on hand that knows all of their uses from medicinal to spiritual) to tools and even fabrics for robes or period clothing. The staff is awesome and perfectly willing to help and answer any questions you may have! So yeah, they rock, lol.
But back to what has occupied me this weekend!
Oh and I finally got pics of the rolls that I made! the kids helped me this time so they were extra fun to make.
And then with the left over soap I made these-
And then I found these awesome little bottles and filled them with a sugar-lemon face scrub.
Here they are lined up and waiting to be finished off with some light olive oil for a moisturizing face scrub!
And then the crafting weekend wouldn't be complete without firing up the 'ol sewing machine and cranking out some seams. I made These adorable little reusable tea bags-
I also got a bunch of herbs, which is where the great people at Dragon Marsh came in (they answered all my silly questions with a ton of patience and even steered me towards different options for some of the really rare herbs on my list), and am going to make some homemade herbal teas to go with the bags but I haven't gotten to those yet. And I plan on making those little jars prettied up (there will be ribbon, oh yes there will be ribbon!)
So that was my weekend. Pretty fun and I got a lot done! Now I gotta start working on getting the baking done for Thanksgiving!*
*I just noticed how many exclamation points I used in this post and I do apologize. They say excessive use of punctuation is a sign of a disturbed mind, so you guys should have expected it really...
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Travel Log 11-18: Oh Sarcasm, What Would We Do Without You?
There has been a lot of political craziness this year. A LOT. I mean, seriously what has been up with our country and all the protests, sensationalized stories, and just general nonsense? From a rousing round of who's the witch to a rather disturbing obsession with a 16 year old girl calling someone a name (cause yeah, that doesn't happen on a daily basis just about EVERYWHERE), to all the tea party nonsense (and trust me I'm pretty sure the bodies of those long ago heroes in war paint are on a constant rotation in their graves when they look at the majority of this group) it has been one ridiculous thing after another.
But amongst it all has been a steady stream of people who have been standing up and saying it's ridiculous. Which to me is the most important part. From the Rally to Restore Sanity to this little tidbit that a group of clowns in Knoxville TN started the sarcastic and snarky have started to fight back in our own style.
To me this is awesome because sarcasm is a language I mastered at a very young age. However the really sad part is that the majority of crazy people that are involved don't speak sarcasm which means a lot of the great messages and retorts being tossed out there are just not being received. So while I am amused as heck by all the great witty remarks finally being blazoned onto picket signs, they are unfortunately not going to work
But here's to all the snarky warriors out there- may you eventually drown out the intolerant and closed minded, for here in America our national language is sarcasm!
But amongst it all has been a steady stream of people who have been standing up and saying it's ridiculous. Which to me is the most important part. From the Rally to Restore Sanity to this little tidbit that a group of clowns in Knoxville TN started the sarcastic and snarky have started to fight back in our own style.
To me this is awesome because sarcasm is a language I mastered at a very young age. However the really sad part is that the majority of crazy people that are involved don't speak sarcasm which means a lot of the great messages and retorts being tossed out there are just not being received. So while I am amused as heck by all the great witty remarks finally being blazoned onto picket signs, they are unfortunately not going to work
But here's to all the snarky warriors out there- may you eventually drown out the intolerant and closed minded, for here in America our national language is sarcasm!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Travel Log 11-14: And On A More Personal Note...
While my personal modesty and some issues from my childhood (trust me that is a place you sooo don't want me to go) I have been avoiding posting anything really personal about my own spiritual beliefs or practices. I intend to change that.
It may seem strange to some, but just being on here for a year and openly posting that I am a witch is a big step for me. Now it's time to take another step. Hopefully eventually I can be as open a person as many of you wonderful people are in our little blog world here. A lot of you are very secure in yourselves and very generous in your sharing of your personal practices and moments with the rest of us. And I realized recently that while a lot of people share traits in what they do, none are exactly the same. They all have their own flair and feel to what they do, and I have gotten ideas and helpful tips just reading about what they do. But kind of like a voyeur I have not shared in return and as such I have not given back to this pool of knowledge that I keep dipping out of.
There are a lot of reasons for that, but mainly it's because I'm scared. Scared that what I do won't be considered valid, fear that others will think I'm not "authentic" or that I'm just some sort of poser. And I realized recently that those fears are just down right ridiculous. I am who and what I am. I feel what I feel and practice how I practice, and someone may find something of worth that they can use for themselves in what I do, so I am bound by my willingness to learn to offer what I have learned so that others may use or discard it as they need. ( and yeah, that sounded pompous didn't it, lol)
So here is a little of what I do.
I am not big on ritual. I am way too self conscious to be able to pull it off with conviction and while it works awesome for some people, that very self-conciousness keeps me from being able to focus on the task at hand so to speak.
So what I have developed is my own form of energy work. To me divinity is a huge pool of energy, and everything has a piece of that, and is connected to that. I can't see "auras" as they are sometimes called, but I can feel the energy itself inherent in living things. To me it's like feeling the worlds heart beat. Usually my work consists of a focusing agent (usually a candle) and a deep meditative trance.
Once I am seated I take some deep breaths and then center myself. By this I mean I pull all my own energy back into myself and hold it in the center of my being ( for me this is just below my sternum, but I think its a fairly subjective thing). Then I light my candle ( I tend to use jar candles as it allows me to pick up and move the candle while lit with minimal heat and spilled wax issues). I take a moment to connect with the energy in the little candle flame and recognize and thank it. I don't, on the whole work with the elements as separate entities or personalities, but if I am physically using one while I work I do like to say thank you.
In terms of the elements I tend to have an "all are one" sense of them. Each drop of water contains the same energy as a crashing wave, or a still deep pool. Each flame holds the warmth of a hearth fire and the destructive power of a forest fire. To me it is essential when I approach any of the elements that I recognize what they are as a whole, helpful and destructive.
Once I have thanked the fire I let my own energy release and spread out as far as it will go, until it touches what I feel is the "dominant" energy. For me this is dependent on the time of day. If it is daylight out and the moon has not risen then that would be the sun. Or if it's night time it's the moon, or sometimes the stars. That's when I let myself drop into a meditative trance. Then I pull myself back until my energy forms a protective globe around me that will filter everything that comes through and only allow positive energy to pass (sometimes I ask for help from other trusted energy sources with this).
I invite that "dominant" energy to pour itself into me, as if I were an empty jug that needed filling. I visualize that energy as sunlight, or moonlight, pouring in like a thick syrup until they fill all the way up to the top of my head. Then I visualize a thin line of energy pouring from that source into me and refilling as I need it.
That's when I start to focus that energy filling me up towards whatever I need. I build that energy layer by layer into a ball between my hands, then once I feel it's built up enough I release it back out so that it can go where it can make my will happen. I allow for a trailing line of energy that connects to the divine power source using me as a conduit, so it will continue to have enough energy to get what I need accomplished.
Then I send my thanks out to that divinity and pull myself out of the trance.
The last thing I do is thank the candle flame again and put the lid on the jar, saying good bye (this is also a reason I use jar candles, it allows the flame to "put itself out" rather than me snuffing it). One last stretch and I get up and put my candle away.
That's what I do for a normal focused working.
Lately I've been doing some unfocused meditations that have brought me some interesting insights and I'll post those another time.
Thank you for bothering to read this all the way, and hopefully I won't actually die of embarrassment or delete this later..
It may seem strange to some, but just being on here for a year and openly posting that I am a witch is a big step for me. Now it's time to take another step. Hopefully eventually I can be as open a person as many of you wonderful people are in our little blog world here. A lot of you are very secure in yourselves and very generous in your sharing of your personal practices and moments with the rest of us. And I realized recently that while a lot of people share traits in what they do, none are exactly the same. They all have their own flair and feel to what they do, and I have gotten ideas and helpful tips just reading about what they do. But kind of like a voyeur I have not shared in return and as such I have not given back to this pool of knowledge that I keep dipping out of.
There are a lot of reasons for that, but mainly it's because I'm scared. Scared that what I do won't be considered valid, fear that others will think I'm not "authentic" or that I'm just some sort of poser. And I realized recently that those fears are just down right ridiculous. I am who and what I am. I feel what I feel and practice how I practice, and someone may find something of worth that they can use for themselves in what I do, so I am bound by my willingness to learn to offer what I have learned so that others may use or discard it as they need. ( and yeah, that sounded pompous didn't it, lol)
So here is a little of what I do.
I am not big on ritual. I am way too self conscious to be able to pull it off with conviction and while it works awesome for some people, that very self-conciousness keeps me from being able to focus on the task at hand so to speak.
So what I have developed is my own form of energy work. To me divinity is a huge pool of energy, and everything has a piece of that, and is connected to that. I can't see "auras" as they are sometimes called, but I can feel the energy itself inherent in living things. To me it's like feeling the worlds heart beat. Usually my work consists of a focusing agent (usually a candle) and a deep meditative trance.
Once I am seated I take some deep breaths and then center myself. By this I mean I pull all my own energy back into myself and hold it in the center of my being ( for me this is just below my sternum, but I think its a fairly subjective thing). Then I light my candle ( I tend to use jar candles as it allows me to pick up and move the candle while lit with minimal heat and spilled wax issues). I take a moment to connect with the energy in the little candle flame and recognize and thank it. I don't, on the whole work with the elements as separate entities or personalities, but if I am physically using one while I work I do like to say thank you.
In terms of the elements I tend to have an "all are one" sense of them. Each drop of water contains the same energy as a crashing wave, or a still deep pool. Each flame holds the warmth of a hearth fire and the destructive power of a forest fire. To me it is essential when I approach any of the elements that I recognize what they are as a whole, helpful and destructive.
Once I have thanked the fire I let my own energy release and spread out as far as it will go, until it touches what I feel is the "dominant" energy. For me this is dependent on the time of day. If it is daylight out and the moon has not risen then that would be the sun. Or if it's night time it's the moon, or sometimes the stars. That's when I let myself drop into a meditative trance. Then I pull myself back until my energy forms a protective globe around me that will filter everything that comes through and only allow positive energy to pass (sometimes I ask for help from other trusted energy sources with this).
I invite that "dominant" energy to pour itself into me, as if I were an empty jug that needed filling. I visualize that energy as sunlight, or moonlight, pouring in like a thick syrup until they fill all the way up to the top of my head. Then I visualize a thin line of energy pouring from that source into me and refilling as I need it.
That's when I start to focus that energy filling me up towards whatever I need. I build that energy layer by layer into a ball between my hands, then once I feel it's built up enough I release it back out so that it can go where it can make my will happen. I allow for a trailing line of energy that connects to the divine power source using me as a conduit, so it will continue to have enough energy to get what I need accomplished.
Then I send my thanks out to that divinity and pull myself out of the trance.
The last thing I do is thank the candle flame again and put the lid on the jar, saying good bye (this is also a reason I use jar candles, it allows the flame to "put itself out" rather than me snuffing it). One last stretch and I get up and put my candle away.
That's what I do for a normal focused working.
Lately I've been doing some unfocused meditations that have brought me some interesting insights and I'll post those another time.
Thank you for bothering to read this all the way, and hopefully I won't actually die of embarrassment or delete this later..
Friday, November 12, 2010
Travel Log 11-12: My Current Obsessions
Well everyone, I have been obsessively working on artwork lately. I even revamped my profile pic, even though most wouldn't notice the difference. I've been doing a trial on a new to me digital art program called Corel Painter. This thing rocks! Like seriously, all it needs is face paint and it's filling in for KISS...ahem, I digress, lol.
Here's an example-
My profile pic before (done entirely in microsoft paint if you can believe it):
and here is the new revamped one (which includes the switch from my natural hair color to my current choice)
It took me about half the time to do the new one.
Now I'm working on the artwork for our Christmas cards, which is awesome because I have wanted to do that for years but never had the equipment.
But other than artwork I have taken on my first turkey this past week (alright it was a turkey breast, but hey, never even tried that before!) and it was a pretty good run. The only hiccup was that I freaked out about the meat being pink and put it in for a half hour longer until I checked the USDA website and found out it's ok, lol. What's the holidays without a little fear of food poisoning?
Doing trial runs on all the new recipes for thanksgiving and so far they have all worked. Going to try and roast a pork loin in my new electric roasting pan this weekend.And I should have pictures of rolls too as I am going to do another batch tonight! I'll also be posting a blog on meditation a little later. If I'm going to use this blog as an online diary of sorts then I need to start recording some of my spiritual experiences here as well, so bear with me =D.
Here's an example-
My profile pic before (done entirely in microsoft paint if you can believe it):
and here is the new revamped one (which includes the switch from my natural hair color to my current choice)
It took me about half the time to do the new one.
Now I'm working on the artwork for our Christmas cards, which is awesome because I have wanted to do that for years but never had the equipment.
But other than artwork I have taken on my first turkey this past week (alright it was a turkey breast, but hey, never even tried that before!) and it was a pretty good run. The only hiccup was that I freaked out about the meat being pink and put it in for a half hour longer until I checked the USDA website and found out it's ok, lol. What's the holidays without a little fear of food poisoning?
Doing trial runs on all the new recipes for thanksgiving and so far they have all worked. Going to try and roast a pork loin in my new electric roasting pan this weekend.And I should have pictures of rolls too as I am going to do another batch tonight! I'll also be posting a blog on meditation a little later. If I'm going to use this blog as an online diary of sorts then I need to start recording some of my spiritual experiences here as well, so bear with me =D.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Travel Log 11-9: And Now For Something Completely Different..
Ok, not so very different, but I couldn't think of a title (it happens to the best of us how do you think they got The Iceman Cometh?).I've been hitting up the after Halloween sales and I found something I just had to share!
This is my new computer companion-
She sits on top of my scanner and watches me surf the web and of course peruse all of your blogs!
She shares her spot with Iron Man (because who would be better to ward of tech problems I ask you).
I got a few other goodies, but she is by far my favorite!
My sweet hubby also got me the scanner/copier/printer so she has an even posher spot to rest.
This weekend marked my first foray into the strange and cryptic world of yeast. This is a place I haven't so much feared to tread, but have been wary to broach (wary, yes wary, cause a grown woman shouldn't be scared spitless of a little packet of powder). But this weekend I rolled up my sleeves and went for it. I started simple and made my first set of from scratch rolls. They were Honey Wheat rolls and I knotted them and made them look all pretty and everything.
I would have pictures except by the time I went and got the camera and came back half of them were gone and my husband and the evil midgets (some people call these mischievous fae "kids" or "children" but I calls 'em like I see's 'em) were all conspicuously not in the kitchen and when questioned had sworn that they were all in another town sitting quietly and definitely NOT touching the rolls at the time of the disappearance. So I have no pictures, but I hope to do another set in a day or so (they take overnight to rise) and then I shall have the camera ready.
I can't wait to try other types of bread! Jaz over at Octoberfarm has some awesome no-knead recipes that I have been dying to try so now all I need to do is get a clay pot like she has and I'm on it!
This is my new computer companion-
She shares her spot with Iron Man (because who would be better to ward of tech problems I ask you).
My sweet hubby also got me the scanner/copier/printer so she has an even posher spot to rest.
This weekend marked my first foray into the strange and cryptic world of yeast. This is a place I haven't so much feared to tread, but have been wary to broach (wary, yes wary, cause a grown woman shouldn't be scared spitless of a little packet of powder). But this weekend I rolled up my sleeves and went for it. I started simple and made my first set of from scratch rolls. They were Honey Wheat rolls and I knotted them and made them look all pretty and everything.
I would have pictures except by the time I went and got the camera and came back half of them were gone and my husband and the evil midgets (some people call these mischievous fae "kids" or "children" but I calls 'em like I see's 'em) were all conspicuously not in the kitchen and when questioned had sworn that they were all in another town sitting quietly and definitely NOT touching the rolls at the time of the disappearance. So I have no pictures, but I hope to do another set in a day or so (they take overnight to rise) and then I shall have the camera ready.
I can't wait to try other types of bread! Jaz over at Octoberfarm has some awesome no-knead recipes that I have been dying to try so now all I need to do is get a clay pot like she has and I'm on it!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Travel Log 11-8-2: Cause I'm Totally Late To The Party...
I just found out about the Bloggerette Sorority and am posting this because I really really want to join (can you tell that I wasn't in one in college? lol). So if you're not part of it then check it out here, and if you are I hope I get to join you!
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