Been a busy few days round here even though Demon has been home sick for the last two days, finally feeling a little better and back at work today. Of course they were the two best days of the summer so far, so Spawn and I went to the zoo Tuesday and the Water Park Wednesday. Blew the kids mind since that was the first trip to the water park this year - he was liiiiittle tired by the time we got home lol Tired, stiff (me not him), sun kissed, and feeling good!
Monday we hit the library and after digging around in the interesting way they file their witch books, finally scored half a dozen to bring home. Cakes and Ale for the Pagan Soul has made my bookshelf list - not my top ten want but my bookshelf list - alongside Pagan Paths, Wisdom of the Elders. (And a new copy of the Goddess is in the Details since mine is probably never coming home.) Note to self to only lend to neighbours, them, I can go get my books back from!
Cakes and Ale also provided one, maybe more, of several signs in answer to a question I asked my Goddess the night before. Apparently the Ladies, and once again after my on off relationship with Her, we are back to Ladies multiple, are adamant that I really do need to try setting up a women's Circle round here. A clue as to How/Where to start would be nice lol Guess I better figure it out since it's non negotiable...
It seems to be the week for Clue by 4's - or maybe just for realizing that which should have been blatantly obvious. Talking to @Mariadkins about Stonehenge reminded me - like I needed reminding since it's seared in my brain oh so many years later?! - that I've been there, walked and touched the stones. I've also been to number of other old and powerful places, and grew up surrounded by ancient monuments, stones and grave sites in addition to growing up in one of the wilder places in the UK. Not to mention being surrounded by myth, legend, folklore, ancient tradition aka superstition and ritual. Is it any wonder I'm the way I am?? Makes me wonder if that's why it always feels as though I have (much as I'm hesitant to use the word) an affinity for places, especially old ones.
I've said before that while you can take the girl out of the island you can never take island out of the girl, it's true and accurate. Places talk, places have feeling and personality, and history, if you listen to them, Even after all these years, not least the ones living in the middle of the Canadian Prairies, I can still hear/feel the whispering call of the island. It's not something that has ever gone away, nor something I would want to lose - it's not even as simple as a call to come home, there's no beckoning in it per se, more a simple "I'm still here, I'll always be here.' closer to a strength, energy, memory to draw on than anything else. Do I get it from the other island I lived on for just as many years? Nope. No ifs ands or buts, I just don't. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing!
More than that, perhaps because we walk pretty much everywhere, I hear whispers from other places, always have done. Everywhere has it's own voice, its own spirit, and some are certainly happier, healthier and younger/older than others. No surprise that Christopher Penczak's City Magick is one of my favourite additions to my bookshelf in the last couple of years. Come to that I've read several of his works and have a definitely liking for @Penczak. His thoughts, words, work, resonate with me in a way similar to those of @starhawk17 and @zbudapest. Just three of the people who have been an influence on my path and life in recent years.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Magic Spoon and other odd thoughts
So I have a magic spoon - is that weird? lol Well ok it's not actually a "magic" spoon, it's on old, large, very battered, silver spoon that belonged to my great grandmother. And it's also the spoon that I use to make ooey gooey Witchin' Brownies - literally since they come from a recipe I found many years ago in The Real Witches Cookbook. I know just how many spoonfuls of each ingredient to use to make them. People seem to like them! It's also one of the few things that made the cut and came across the Atlantic with me several years ago. Funny what makes the cut when you have to pack your life into two bags - or a bag and a suitcase, and of course most of the space is taken up by clothes since they ARE kinda necessary!
Hate else made the cut? A towel - yeah, yeah, Hitchhiker's reference - two of the best pieces of advice in life come from that book - Don't Panic! and Always know where your towel is. What else? Some jewellery, though I'm not a big jewellery person, mostly rings and things that belonged to my mother, grandmother, and great grandmothers. That'd be why I, who has never been married, own four wedding rings ;) My grandfather and great grandfather's war medals - WW1 and WW2 - which sit on my wall in shadow boxes, my tarot cards, both decks, my Blue bear dream catcher, and a handful of other trinkets. Not much really for 35 years of life. Oh and my journals/notebooks. those I didn't shred anyway, why shred you ask? Because I'd rather shred them than leave them with my ex, period.
Of course since then I've replaced a lot of things, especially the books, and added a whole bunch more. It took a longtime and not a little luck in thrift stores and book stores to replace the "must haves" in my library, but once again my bookshelf is piled high and groaning. I really need to get myself some genuine bookshelves lol Funny though, much as I love books, and some of my other stuff, every once in a while I find myself wondering what I'd take if I once again had to put my life into two bags thanks to a fire, flood, earthquake or whatever. Guess once you do it one time, you rethink your priorities and work out what things you really wouldn't WANT to live without ( aside from family and pets since we're talking 'things'). All the others are just nice to have ;)
What would I include now? Still my tarot cards, photo albums and family history books, spellbooks and journals, trinkets and jewellery, my staff, a handful of books....
----------------------
Is it odd that I, the 'what's a closet?' witch, like both 19 kids and counting and sister wives? Colour me crazy but I do. Was thinking about that the other day while watching the 2nd Duggar grandchild arrive. First, they have different faiths/lifestyles/whatever, which always interests me, second they're 'good people', as gramma would say, and third, they walk their walk even when the world throws them curve balls or criticism. Have to respect that in them, it's all I ask - leave me be and let me walk my path even if you disagree with it.
Hate else made the cut? A towel - yeah, yeah, Hitchhiker's reference - two of the best pieces of advice in life come from that book - Don't Panic! and Always know where your towel is. What else? Some jewellery, though I'm not a big jewellery person, mostly rings and things that belonged to my mother, grandmother, and great grandmothers. That'd be why I, who has never been married, own four wedding rings ;) My grandfather and great grandfather's war medals - WW1 and WW2 - which sit on my wall in shadow boxes, my tarot cards, both decks, my Blue bear dream catcher, and a handful of other trinkets. Not much really for 35 years of life. Oh and my journals/notebooks. those I didn't shred anyway, why shred you ask? Because I'd rather shred them than leave them with my ex, period.
Of course since then I've replaced a lot of things, especially the books, and added a whole bunch more. It took a longtime and not a little luck in thrift stores and book stores to replace the "must haves" in my library, but once again my bookshelf is piled high and groaning. I really need to get myself some genuine bookshelves lol Funny though, much as I love books, and some of my other stuff, every once in a while I find myself wondering what I'd take if I once again had to put my life into two bags thanks to a fire, flood, earthquake or whatever. Guess once you do it one time, you rethink your priorities and work out what things you really wouldn't WANT to live without ( aside from family and pets since we're talking 'things'). All the others are just nice to have ;)
What would I include now? Still my tarot cards, photo albums and family history books, spellbooks and journals, trinkets and jewellery, my staff, a handful of books....
----------------------
Is it odd that I, the 'what's a closet?' witch, like both 19 kids and counting and sister wives? Colour me crazy but I do. Was thinking about that the other day while watching the 2nd Duggar grandchild arrive. First, they have different faiths/lifestyles/whatever, which always interests me, second they're 'good people', as gramma would say, and third, they walk their walk even when the world throws them curve balls or criticism. Have to respect that in them, it's all I ask - leave me be and let me walk my path even if you disagree with it.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Detecting Witchiness ;)
Like others, I saw this on Twitter and had to share!
Question:
Fifty sure-fire ways to detect paganism without having to resort to a dunking stool or wart-inspection.
*1) Never puts any rubbish out on refuse-collection day. I mean, re-cycling and composting is fine, but you can take it too far.
*2) You casually ask what phase the moon is in, and she tells you down to the exact number of days, hour and minute of rising, position on horizon, and current angle of declination.
3) All the stray cats in the neighbourhood tend to congregate in her garden (and use your own as their litter).
*(In my case squirrels LOL)
4) A screech owl has chosen the lamp-post outside her house as its favorite calling-post. That’s just when it’s getting warm at night aand you like to sleep with the window open.
5) Doesn’t cut down the weeds in her garden; in fact it looks more like she’s cultivating them. Needless to say, you get the seeds wafting over onto your pristine lawn.
*6) Most of her clothes on the washing line are black.
7) The local kids talk in whispers as they go past her house, then start running at the last moment.
*8) Nobody trick-or-treats her house; not after the incident when the kids’ costumes were less scary than hers when she opened the door to them. (She was embracing the Crone that year no doubt!)
9) Footprints on the roof. And the trees in her flight-path have been pruned down. I swear it’s true!
*10) She can’t even make a simple sandwich without adding fresh herbs to it. And don’t ask her for a cup of tea unless you want something yellow coloured and smelling of flowers.
11) She hardly ever gets junk mail. You ask her what her secret is and she confides that she returns it to sender after writing something on in strange curly writing.
*12) When you pop next door for a chat, the kettle is always already on.
*13) The Jehovah’s Witnesses never call (not anymore; not after the ast time .
*14) Keeps the local scented-candle shop solvent.
15) Has a pond full of frogs (and you haven’t seen that bothersome double-glazing salesman around for a while).
*16) She’s always smiling, darn her!
*17) She goes dressed as normal to a Hallowe’en fancy dress party; and wins first prize.
18) Her house always smells of incense.
19) Has named her four cats Hecate, Kali, Diana, and Moonbeam. (Or her rats Devon and Cornwall)
20) Her bumper sticker reads “I brake for toads”.
21) Frequently gets raided by the drug squad who confiscate large amounts of dried green leaves; they always return them with apologies after analysis.
22) At Christmas, it seems like half the garden has been moved into the house.
*23) You sometimes hear the sound of singing and dancing through the wall. If you look out of the window, it is usually a full moon.
*24) She was given a bodhram drum for her birthday. And she plays it at midnight in the fields. And she’s got a blasted tamborine.
25) You discover that her realistic resin skull ornament in her living room, actually is real.
*26) You catch her washing a crystal ball along with the dishes.
*27) She wears a lot of silver jewelry, even when doing the gardening. And bat ear-rings for goodness-sake.
28) You knock on her door and she answers it naked except for a toweling robe. You apologize for disturbing her in the bath, but notice that her hair isn’t wet.
*29) Irritating tendency to hum a lot. What’s she got to be so happy about, huh?
30) She has a tame robin that will eat from her hand in the garden. That can’t be natural.
*31) Never catches a cold, even though she walks barefoot most of the time. In the snow as well.
*32) Doesn’t kill spiders. Not even big hairy long-legged ones that suddenly appear from the waste-pipe whilst you’re having a bath.
*33) She listens to what you are saying like she really cares.
*34) She has lots of female friends who come round every few months. When you ask what they get up to, she tells you that they just have cakes and ale and a good natter.
*35) You catch her hugging a tree.
36) Her dinner-set is decorated with Celtic patterns.
*37) She has a mail-order account with a semi-precious gem wholesaler.
38) You notice that the parish priest crosses himself whenever he walks past her house.
39) She never watches television. ***And she has shelves full of books with black spines and silver-lettered titles.
*40) To your certain knowledge she has never set foot in the local church. In fact, you have heard rumours that she has been barred from it.
*41) She makes jars of quince and mandrake relish for the Women’s Institute coffee morning jumble sale.
(Ok Witchin Brownies from a genuine Witches Cookbok lmao)
*42) You ask to borrow a pack of cards for an impromptu bridge evening, and there are 78 in the pack.
*43) You have never known her to visit her GP.
*44) When you talk with her, she maintains eye contact all the time.
45) Expectant mothers are forever visiting her. Also women who become expectant mothers a month after visiting her.
*46) You ask her for suggestions for nice walks in the area, and they all go by way of stone circles and strange earth mounds.
47) She only buys organic. And you just bet that she’s a vegetarian as well. (Well, maybe not stricly vegetarian.. ..)
*48) When you ask her about her vacation plans, she tells you she will be camping in a tee-pee in the Brecon Beacons.
*49) There aren’t any mirrors in her house. Or clocks. (One clock - that tells Temp inside and out AND moon phase roflmao)
*50) She tells you that she is coming out of the broom closet, joins Witches’ Voice, and erects a stained-glass pentacle window in her front door . Ooo what a give-away!
Question:
Fifty sure-fire ways to detect paganism without having to resort to a dunking stool or wart-inspection.
*1) Never puts any rubbish out on refuse-collection day. I mean, re-cycling and composting is fine, but you can take it too far.
*2) You casually ask what phase the moon is in, and she tells you down to the exact number of days, hour and minute of rising, position on horizon, and current angle of declination.
3) All the stray cats in the neighbourhood tend to congregate in her garden (and use your own as their litter).
*(In my case squirrels LOL)
4) A screech owl has chosen the lamp-post outside her house as its favorite calling-post. That’s just when it’s getting warm at night aand you like to sleep with the window open.
5) Doesn’t cut down the weeds in her garden; in fact it looks more like she’s cultivating them. Needless to say, you get the seeds wafting over onto your pristine lawn.
*6) Most of her clothes on the washing line are black.
7) The local kids talk in whispers as they go past her house, then start running at the last moment.
*8) Nobody trick-or-treats her house; not after the incident when the kids’ costumes were less scary than hers when she opened the door to them. (She was embracing the Crone that year no doubt!)
9) Footprints on the roof. And the trees in her flight-path have been pruned down. I swear it’s true!
*10) She can’t even make a simple sandwich without adding fresh herbs to it. And don’t ask her for a cup of tea unless you want something yellow coloured and smelling of flowers.
11) She hardly ever gets junk mail. You ask her what her secret is and she confides that she returns it to sender after writing something on in strange curly writing.
*12) When you pop next door for a chat, the kettle is always already on.
*13) The Jehovah’s Witnesses never call (not anymore; not after the ast time .
*14) Keeps the local scented-candle shop solvent.
15) Has a pond full of frogs (and you haven’t seen that bothersome double-glazing salesman around for a while).
*16) She’s always smiling, darn her!
*17) She goes dressed as normal to a Hallowe’en fancy dress party; and wins first prize.
18) Her house always smells of incense.
19) Has named her four cats Hecate, Kali, Diana, and Moonbeam. (Or her rats Devon and Cornwall)
20) Her bumper sticker reads “I brake for toads”.
21) Frequently gets raided by the drug squad who confiscate large amounts of dried green leaves; they always return them with apologies after analysis.
22) At Christmas, it seems like half the garden has been moved into the house.
*23) You sometimes hear the sound of singing and dancing through the wall. If you look out of the window, it is usually a full moon.
*24) She was given a bodhram drum for her birthday. And she plays it at midnight in the fields. And she’s got a blasted tamborine.
25) You discover that her realistic resin skull ornament in her living room, actually is real.
*26) You catch her washing a crystal ball along with the dishes.
*27) She wears a lot of silver jewelry, even when doing the gardening. And bat ear-rings for goodness-sake.
28) You knock on her door and she answers it naked except for a toweling robe. You apologize for disturbing her in the bath, but notice that her hair isn’t wet.
*29) Irritating tendency to hum a lot. What’s she got to be so happy about, huh?
30) She has a tame robin that will eat from her hand in the garden. That can’t be natural.
*31) Never catches a cold, even though she walks barefoot most of the time. In the snow as well.
*32) Doesn’t kill spiders. Not even big hairy long-legged ones that suddenly appear from the waste-pipe whilst you’re having a bath.
*33) She listens to what you are saying like she really cares.
*34) She has lots of female friends who come round every few months. When you ask what they get up to, she tells you that they just have cakes and ale and a good natter.
*35) You catch her hugging a tree.
36) Her dinner-set is decorated with Celtic patterns.
*37) She has a mail-order account with a semi-precious gem wholesaler.
38) You notice that the parish priest crosses himself whenever he walks past her house.
39) She never watches television. ***And she has shelves full of books with black spines and silver-lettered titles.
*40) To your certain knowledge she has never set foot in the local church. In fact, you have heard rumours that she has been barred from it.
*41) She makes jars of quince and mandrake relish for the Women’s Institute coffee morning jumble sale.
(Ok Witchin Brownies from a genuine Witches Cookbok lmao)
*42) You ask to borrow a pack of cards for an impromptu bridge evening, and there are 78 in the pack.
*43) You have never known her to visit her GP.
*44) When you talk with her, she maintains eye contact all the time.
45) Expectant mothers are forever visiting her. Also women who become expectant mothers a month after visiting her.
*46) You ask her for suggestions for nice walks in the area, and they all go by way of stone circles and strange earth mounds.
47) She only buys organic. And you just bet that she’s a vegetarian as well. (Well, maybe not stricly vegetarian.. ..)
*48) When you ask her about her vacation plans, she tells you she will be camping in a tee-pee in the Brecon Beacons.
*49) There aren’t any mirrors in her house. Or clocks. (One clock - that tells Temp inside and out AND moon phase roflmao)
*50) She tells you that she is coming out of the broom closet, joins Witches’ Voice, and erects a stained-glass pentacle window in her front door . Ooo what a give-away!
Thursday Stuff
So the seven day forecast Wednesday night predicted a beautiful Thursday and then more showers for the next few days ( altho so far today, Friday, is sunny and bright) so we decided to make the most of Thursday and hit the zoo, especially when I awoke to brilliant sunshine. Picked up a Metro on the C-train that someone had left behind (recycling lol) and found some keys that someone had dropped. Seemed to be a finding day since we also found three sun hats and one pair of shades while walking around the zoo. Not surprising with all the kids there - wee ones with their parents and school/class/group trips. Still have the library card we found on the sidewalk the other day, going to drop that back at the library next time we are there. Actually, once found a well loved stuffie in the zoo, dropped that at their lost and found because we all know small children really hate to lose well loved stuffies! Hopefully that one was reunited with it's owner.
We had a good time at the zoo though, lots of butterflies in the butterfly house now, the flamingos are out, saw the not so baby gorilla and all kinds of other things. Trying to find the energy for anything once we got home though was a struggle for a while lol Also forgot yesterday, just remembering now that I said I'd lend a neighbour my copy of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom. Don't mind lending to the neighbours because I can just walk over and retrieve if necessary, one still has my Green Egg Omelette. My copy of the Goddess is in the Details on the other hand is probably never coming back :/ Oddly enough that was one of the few pagan books they did have in the library the other day though. It's definitely a very small section - I'll have to check out their catalogue and see what else they have there or in other branches. It's sad when my recreated after coming to Canada bookshelf is about ten times bigger than the section in the library! Did pick up one book, Pagan Every Day, and Barbara Ardinger went up in my estimation (not that she was low, just unknown, judgement reserved) when I hit mid February - it has a page and an essay for every day of the year - and she picked up on, and agreed with, one of my pet peeves about certain segments of Pagan/new age society. (I think that deserves it's own post one day soon though)
See? Nothing interesting to say - trying to get back into the blogging habit :/
We had a good time at the zoo though, lots of butterflies in the butterfly house now, the flamingos are out, saw the not so baby gorilla and all kinds of other things. Trying to find the energy for anything once we got home though was a struggle for a while lol Also forgot yesterday, just remembering now that I said I'd lend a neighbour my copy of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom. Don't mind lending to the neighbours because I can just walk over and retrieve if necessary, one still has my Green Egg Omelette. My copy of the Goddess is in the Details on the other hand is probably never coming back :/ Oddly enough that was one of the few pagan books they did have in the library the other day though. It's definitely a very small section - I'll have to check out their catalogue and see what else they have there or in other branches. It's sad when my recreated after coming to Canada bookshelf is about ten times bigger than the section in the library! Did pick up one book, Pagan Every Day, and Barbara Ardinger went up in my estimation (not that she was low, just unknown, judgement reserved) when I hit mid February - it has a page and an essay for every day of the year - and she picked up on, and agreed with, one of my pet peeves about certain segments of Pagan/new age society. (I think that deserves it's own post one day soon though)
See? Nothing interesting to say - trying to get back into the blogging habit :/
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Community Minded Again
Ye gods, where to even start today? 20 minutes to a Cleaner Calgary good to see Mayor Nenshi taking part. I have to admit I forgot it was today, terrible short term memory, until I read about it in my Metro this morning after my free shower on the way home from Safeway. (Thanks #YYC lol) but, it does seem to me a variant of it would be the perfect thing for around here, maybe this weekend.
On the same note, also in my Metro was a piece on coping with working 9 to 5 in the summertime. Included in the suggestions was bringing home baked goodies like cookies or muffins to work to share with co-workers and lift spirits - also a perfect suggestion for getting in touch with and getting to know your neighbours. It's one I've used several times, not to mention being a #RAOK!
Then I found a piece elsewhere on how to create a healthier community (Yes I am aware I have a bee in my bonnet, but it's nothing to the bee about distracted drivers - that comes later lol) Hey I have to live somewhere, so why not do whatever I can to make that somewhere the best place it can be no matter where it is, right? So, creating a healthier community. The article had 12 suggestions.
1. Volunteer
2. Encourage healthy eating - if your neighbourhood lacks affordable healthy food look into creating a community kitchen or garden (I wish!)
3. Make job searches easier - compile a list of online local job resources and distribute copies anywhere that offers free Internet access.
4. Reach out to your neighbours - have a block party, pot luck BBQ or kids play dates.
5. Support your local library - organize a donation or fundraising drive.
6. Look into neighbourhood watch, block watch or block parent programs.
7. Work to identify and remove or fix hazards.
8. Organize a littler pick up.
9. Start an exercise group.
10. Raise funds to upgrade a playground.
11. Give blood.
12. Welcome new neighbours.
Which brings me to a question - anyone have any suggestions for questions to ask people to get an idea of how they feel about their neighbourhood? A neighbourhood survey of sorts - what people like/don't like, know/don't know about services, amenities, etc, use/don't use, want more or less of, want rid of or would like to see. You get the idea. Any and all suggestions welcome.
On the same note, also in my Metro was a piece on coping with working 9 to 5 in the summertime. Included in the suggestions was bringing home baked goodies like cookies or muffins to work to share with co-workers and lift spirits - also a perfect suggestion for getting in touch with and getting to know your neighbours. It's one I've used several times, not to mention being a #RAOK!
Then I found a piece elsewhere on how to create a healthier community (Yes I am aware I have a bee in my bonnet, but it's nothing to the bee about distracted drivers - that comes later lol) Hey I have to live somewhere, so why not do whatever I can to make that somewhere the best place it can be no matter where it is, right? So, creating a healthier community. The article had 12 suggestions.
1. Volunteer
2. Encourage healthy eating - if your neighbourhood lacks affordable healthy food look into creating a community kitchen or garden (I wish!)
3. Make job searches easier - compile a list of online local job resources and distribute copies anywhere that offers free Internet access.
4. Reach out to your neighbours - have a block party, pot luck BBQ or kids play dates.
5. Support your local library - organize a donation or fundraising drive.
6. Look into neighbourhood watch, block watch or block parent programs.
7. Work to identify and remove or fix hazards.
8. Organize a littler pick up.
9. Start an exercise group.
10. Raise funds to upgrade a playground.
11. Give blood.
12. Welcome new neighbours.
Which brings me to a question - anyone have any suggestions for questions to ask people to get an idea of how they feel about their neighbourhood? A neighbourhood survey of sorts - what people like/don't like, know/don't know about services, amenities, etc, use/don't use, want more or less of, want rid of or would like to see. You get the idea. Any and all suggestions welcome.
Distracted Drivers
Now, distracted drivers. A piece in the Metro today mentioned that because traffic accidents and fatalities have fallen for the third consecutive year, some people are saying there is no need for stricter distracted driving legislation such as is already in place in BC. My poor followers on Twitter got a taste of my opinion yesterday when the idiot in the blue car was so busy talking on his cell phone at 52nd and 26th that he completely blocked the crosswalk. The crosswalk on a major road, at a 4 way intersection, between two schools at exactly the time both schools were ending and there were a LOT of children around. Dude, smarten up. Before you hit someone because you're not paying attention, before you cause someone else to hit a kid who had to go into the road to get around you because blocked the crosswalk.
Yes a 25% decrease in traffic injuries is to be commended, but it's nowhere near good enough that we can sit back and stop looking at ways to further decrease injuries and accidents. We need distracted driving legislation, and we need people to be smarter when they're driving - after all, they ARE controlling a potentially lethal weapon.
And dude in the blue car? Put down the phone. Next time you might not be so lucky, next time someone else might not be so lucky!
Yes a 25% decrease in traffic injuries is to be commended, but it's nowhere near good enough that we can sit back and stop looking at ways to further decrease injuries and accidents. We need distracted driving legislation, and we need people to be smarter when they're driving - after all, they ARE controlling a potentially lethal weapon.
And dude in the blue car? Put down the phone. Next time you might not be so lucky, next time someone else might not be so lucky!
Monday, June 6, 2011
BetterYYC, Starhawk, and.... Stuff
To create a #betteryyc we need to engage the next generation, the children. Not just with special one off events - although those are good too - but also on a daily basis, both singly and in groups. Always remembering that they learn by example, by copying what they see us doing and not by what we say if our actions don't match our words. In order to encourage them to help create a #betteryyc we need to let them see us working towards the same goal, no matter on how large or small a scale.
Alone I cannot change the world but I can cast out a stone that will create ripples. (Or something like that!)
@BetterYYC - Do one thing today towards creating a #betteryyc
Reading an anthology recently - Storming Heaven's Gate - I ran into a piece called "Street Trees" by Melody Ermachild Chavis, taken from her book Altars of the Streets. In it, she too talks about involving the children in hopes that they will grow up with a sense of community, of belonging, of being a part of something worth being proud of and taking care of instead growing up apart from their home and community.
Btw insanely jealous of @JacqMulyk not only for attending the City Repair workshop in Portland, but also for meeting Starhawk there! Jealous, much lol. Pretty sure that I've mentioned before the influence that Starhawk's work has had on me, both in life and in my path. And I believe the site in Portland is also the one Starhawk talks about visiting in The Earth Path. Not that I would know what to say if I ever met the lady anyway, except possibly "I'm not worthy!" ;) Side note, no surprise either that Z Budapest ( @zbudapest ) has also been a considerable influence, as has Christopher Penczak ( @Penczak ) to mention a couple.
In the Earth Path it is pointed out that to create community requires a place to congregate. That, at least, we have in my immediate neighbourhood - in my pocket neighbourhood. Yeah I know I'm taken with that phrase, but it sums up our apartment complex perfectly-ish - a cluster of houses or apartments surrounding a central shared space. Not that we can do much with it, don't think the landlords would like it, but at least unlike the complex a block over we ARE allowed to play and congregate here. Not kidding, next complex over has large signs saying No playing, running, balls or games of any kind, please use the public parks provided elsewhere. (Paraphrased sine I forget the exact words - should take a photo lol) Let's see, public park? That would be the park that is now two fenced baseball pitches ;)(yeah I know, bee in my bonnet!)
Seems like every year's crop of children, some the same as previous years, some new faces, are drawn to0 me - probably because if my son is out there I have to be out there too. They know my name, they know we have sidewalk chalk, and bubbles, and whatever else we might have outside that day and we share. they come to me to fix their bikes, their scraped knees and their feuds. And it's good, even if there are some days I'm just not in the mood, in which case Spawn and I go off somewhere else - not because I quit believing in being there for them or in fostering community, just because I'm only human and sometimes I need a day off!
So speaking of a #betteryyc it seems that someone seeded the beds by our rental office with sunflowers - that's sure what they look like to me! And no, this time it wasn't me ;) Here's hoping they're allowed to grow and don't get weeded away - not likely given the incomplete job the guys round here do whether it's clearing snow, picking up litter, weeding or cutting grass. If they did a proper job, I wouldn't be picking up broken glass from the playground as many times as I have done over the years we have been living here. And yes, the playground in the middle of our green space IS part of their area. How do I know it wasn't glass that got broken their after their morning rounds? Because 9 times out of 10 it's alcoholic glass, and even here5,6 and 7 yr olds aren't drinking in the playground and leaving empty beer/cooler/vodka bottles behind. Pet peeve. But since I don't want my kid cutting himself on it, or anyone else's, I pick it up. Found a knife once too - in our playground - not a small one, a large kitchen knife! And people wonder why I say I live in the 'Hood?!
Alone I cannot change the world but I can cast out a stone that will create ripples. (Or something like that!)
@BetterYYC - Do one thing today towards creating a #betteryyc
Reading an anthology recently - Storming Heaven's Gate - I ran into a piece called "Street Trees" by Melody Ermachild Chavis, taken from her book Altars of the Streets. In it, she too talks about involving the children in hopes that they will grow up with a sense of community, of belonging, of being a part of something worth being proud of and taking care of instead growing up apart from their home and community.
Btw insanely jealous of @JacqMulyk not only for attending the City Repair workshop in Portland, but also for meeting Starhawk there! Jealous, much lol. Pretty sure that I've mentioned before the influence that Starhawk's work has had on me, both in life and in my path. And I believe the site in Portland is also the one Starhawk talks about visiting in The Earth Path. Not that I would know what to say if I ever met the lady anyway, except possibly "I'm not worthy!" ;) Side note, no surprise either that Z Budapest ( @zbudapest ) has also been a considerable influence, as has Christopher Penczak ( @Penczak ) to mention a couple.
In the Earth Path it is pointed out that to create community requires a place to congregate. That, at least, we have in my immediate neighbourhood - in my pocket neighbourhood. Yeah I know I'm taken with that phrase, but it sums up our apartment complex perfectly-ish - a cluster of houses or apartments surrounding a central shared space. Not that we can do much with it, don't think the landlords would like it, but at least unlike the complex a block over we ARE allowed to play and congregate here. Not kidding, next complex over has large signs saying No playing, running, balls or games of any kind, please use the public parks provided elsewhere. (Paraphrased sine I forget the exact words - should take a photo lol) Let's see, public park? That would be the park that is now two fenced baseball pitches ;)(yeah I know, bee in my bonnet!)
Seems like every year's crop of children, some the same as previous years, some new faces, are drawn to0 me - probably because if my son is out there I have to be out there too. They know my name, they know we have sidewalk chalk, and bubbles, and whatever else we might have outside that day and we share. they come to me to fix their bikes, their scraped knees and their feuds. And it's good, even if there are some days I'm just not in the mood, in which case Spawn and I go off somewhere else - not because I quit believing in being there for them or in fostering community, just because I'm only human and sometimes I need a day off!
So speaking of a #betteryyc it seems that someone seeded the beds by our rental office with sunflowers - that's sure what they look like to me! And no, this time it wasn't me ;) Here's hoping they're allowed to grow and don't get weeded away - not likely given the incomplete job the guys round here do whether it's clearing snow, picking up litter, weeding or cutting grass. If they did a proper job, I wouldn't be picking up broken glass from the playground as many times as I have done over the years we have been living here. And yes, the playground in the middle of our green space IS part of their area. How do I know it wasn't glass that got broken their after their morning rounds? Because 9 times out of 10 it's alcoholic glass, and even here5,6 and 7 yr olds aren't drinking in the playground and leaving empty beer/cooler/vodka bottles behind. Pet peeve. But since I don't want my kid cutting himself on it, or anyone else's, I pick it up. Found a knife once too - in our playground - not a small one, a large kitchen knife! And people wonder why I say I live in the 'Hood?!
Trailer for Camping!
So apparently while he was in BC over the weekend, Demon bought a trailer - 19ft, great condition, dirt cheap, from his parent's neighbour. Nice. So, this summer we're going camping in his parent's backyard - which is 5 acres - so he can check it out, figure out if and how everything works, and check out the mechanical side of the trailer. Luckily he's a kick ass mechanic by trade so that's not a problem. Then over the winter he'll finally get the tuck fixed up and running - another acquisition from another friend of his parents a couple of years ago, and next year we'll be able to go wherever and whenever we want. Roll on next year lol I'm not exactly their favourite daughter in law.
At least it's out of the city I guess, and those 5 acres include a back pasture that would be the awesome, most kick ass place to hold an outdoor ritual, not least because of the power flowing through there. And I don't mean electrical power lol Every time I go there I just imagine turning that back pasture into a ritual site and having a retreat there for a few days, seriously, has to be seen and felt to be believed. And they have some wonderful neighbours. Not to mention deer to chase away, passing bears and howling coyotes ;)
Ok not going to go there, family is what it is, I didn't choose them, they were just part of the package when I chose my Demon! Instead let's bury this post and get the other, better, one up then finish the dishes, sweep the floor and head to the mall - not for anything exciting - foil and garbage bags - but it's still a trip to the mall hehe
At least it's out of the city I guess, and those 5 acres include a back pasture that would be the awesome, most kick ass place to hold an outdoor ritual, not least because of the power flowing through there. And I don't mean electrical power lol Every time I go there I just imagine turning that back pasture into a ritual site and having a retreat there for a few days, seriously, has to be seen and felt to be believed. And they have some wonderful neighbours. Not to mention deer to chase away, passing bears and howling coyotes ;)
Ok not going to go there, family is what it is, I didn't choose them, they were just part of the package when I chose my Demon! Instead let's bury this post and get the other, better, one up then finish the dishes, sweep the floor and head to the mall - not for anything exciting - foil and garbage bags - but it's still a trip to the mall hehe
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Books and a couple more random-ish thoughts
Hmm... should have been easier to remember my top ten, guess I'm getting old and will have to go check my list lmao Danggit I'm getting senile in my old age!
Top ten book wish list
Pagan Book of Living and Dying
Shamanic Book of Death and Dying
Pocket Neighbourhood
The Great Neighbourhood Book
On Guerilla Gardening
Urban Homestead
Dreaming The Dark (yeah, yeah, I still don't have a copy....)
I was a punk before you were a punk
Dumbing Us Down
The Grandmother of Time:
An eclectic mix, maybe, no more so than me...
Part of me wants to blog about everything that has been going on in the last ten days and part of me says no, not yet, it's not over yet and it's going to be a long and complicated post when I do blog it :/ Family always makes for complicated events and explanations! So more on that later.
I have, however, realized how much I miss blogging and realize that somehow I have to find time for it... somehow. Hard part isn't so much time as, on an average week, time at the computer to type without someone else wanting a turn, helping me, or asking what I'm doing every 2 seconds lol There are a number of things the I keep wanting to share and blog about, just going to have to try harder I guess - back to the old days of writing it by hand and then typing it up since typing it up can be done pretty fast as long as my spell check is on lol
So many things going on, life certainly isn't boring. Oddest thing just now, was thinking about something that happened last night that made me wonder if there's another visitor in our house - we get a few - when something moved by itself one night and Demon said to me "Was that the ghost?" I just asked "which one?" Mostly it's quiet but every now and then it starts to feel like "Which one?" Anyhow, something odd happened last night that makes me think there's another visitor here, and just as I was thinking that the broom fell out of the closet all by itself. Double omen that yeah, company's here. Guessing that doesn't make too much sense to most people if I haven't blogged about Olivia and the visitors she seems to attract - adding to my to do list!
Finally finished reading Ariadne's Thread, may well need a second read, it has a LOT of stuff in it. And provides seemingly random quotes.....
"Our religion is powerful but it must never get too organized, or the magic will be lost."
Guess it's a good thing that corralling witches is often likened to herding cats ;)
"Every voice must be heard before the whole story can be told and ... the truth resides not in one person but in the centre, in the agreed upon truth of all present."
Ok apparently I need to go to bed REAL soon, and, on the plus?? side I have a list of things to blog. Dammit I need more waking hours in the day!!!!!
Top ten book wish list
Pagan Book of Living and Dying
Shamanic Book of Death and Dying
Pocket Neighbourhood
The Great Neighbourhood Book
On Guerilla Gardening
Urban Homestead
Dreaming The Dark (yeah, yeah, I still don't have a copy....)
I was a punk before you were a punk
Dumbing Us Down
The Grandmother of Time:
An eclectic mix, maybe, no more so than me...
Part of me wants to blog about everything that has been going on in the last ten days and part of me says no, not yet, it's not over yet and it's going to be a long and complicated post when I do blog it :/ Family always makes for complicated events and explanations! So more on that later.
I have, however, realized how much I miss blogging and realize that somehow I have to find time for it... somehow. Hard part isn't so much time as, on an average week, time at the computer to type without someone else wanting a turn, helping me, or asking what I'm doing every 2 seconds lol There are a number of things the I keep wanting to share and blog about, just going to have to try harder I guess - back to the old days of writing it by hand and then typing it up since typing it up can be done pretty fast as long as my spell check is on lol
So many things going on, life certainly isn't boring. Oddest thing just now, was thinking about something that happened last night that made me wonder if there's another visitor in our house - we get a few - when something moved by itself one night and Demon said to me "Was that the ghost?" I just asked "which one?" Mostly it's quiet but every now and then it starts to feel like "Which one?" Anyhow, something odd happened last night that makes me think there's another visitor here, and just as I was thinking that the broom fell out of the closet all by itself. Double omen that yeah, company's here. Guessing that doesn't make too much sense to most people if I haven't blogged about Olivia and the visitors she seems to attract - adding to my to do list!
Finally finished reading Ariadne's Thread, may well need a second read, it has a LOT of stuff in it. And provides seemingly random quotes.....
"Our religion is powerful but it must never get too organized, or the magic will be lost."
Guess it's a good thing that corralling witches is often likened to herding cats ;)
"Every voice must be heard before the whole story can be told and ... the truth resides not in one person but in the centre, in the agreed upon truth of all present."
Ok apparently I need to go to bed REAL soon, and, on the plus?? side I have a list of things to blog. Dammit I need more waking hours in the day!!!!!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Random Weekend Thoughts
Been a lot going through my mind this weekend - or not, depending on how you look at it. Demon has been in BC attending a funeral and I've been alone with my thoughts - well as alone as it gets with a 5 yr old, two dogs and a room mate - especially since I woke to pouring rain this morning which killed our original plans for today. Of course, the sun was shining brightly by 4pm but that was too late for any of our plans. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.
Anyway, firstly I was reading a lot of web pages last night and discovered that there is a name for places such as where I live - 'a cluster of houses/apartments clustered around some sort of shared open space'. Apparently I live in a "pocket neighbourhood". Nice - can ya tell I kinda like that name? lol And I found two new books to add to my MAJOR wish list - Pocket Neighbourhood, and The Great Neighbourhood Book. I think they make my top ten wants, might have to add them as a separate post.
Secondly, found this from @EarthActivists on Twitter - As #EarthGuardian you can help document your city... where are the dangerous places for children?... your mayor should intervene.
The sentiment is certainly one the provides food for thought and only adds to the ongoing thoughts stirring in my brain about talking to neighbours about our neighbourhood, about what they like, don't like and would want to see changed, removed, improved or included.
Also found this, or at least we re-reminded of it.
"The commons is everything that we inherit or create together and must pass on, undiminished, to future generations." the Commons
Thirdly, was reading about the decline in organized religion - and that therefore Canada is becoming a nation of atheists. "Canadians are increasingly identifying as religiously non-affiliated, suggesting that organized religion may be on the decline."
Guess I'm missing something - including the original question as it was phrased - because I don't see that just because increasing numbers of people are no longer affiliated to (I presume) mainstream organized religions, necessarily means that they are all atheists. Or am I missing something? Usually an question of religion considers the mainstream faiths, and the obligatory "other" category. Or I guess in this case "none". Yet I'd have to check "none "if given the choice between mainstream religions and none and yet I most certainly don't consider myself an atheist. Colour me a little confused by the logic applied and the extrapolation that a decline in adherence to mainstream religion equals Canada becoming a nation of atheists. Just seems to me that it's a little too much of a stretch of the data :/
I don't doubt that mainstream and even organized religions may very well be on the decline, we all know minority religions, non mainstream religions and personal spirituality - not sure you can call it "religion" per se when it's a person's personal path - are on the increase. Even here, "census data suggests that organized religion is heading for extinction in nine western democracies." But is that just mainstream religion, organized religion, or religious beliefs of any kind? Damn I hate sweeping statements that bother my warped sense of logic!
Oh and of course now Adobe wants to update my flash player, I swear it did that once already this weekend lol
Now where was I? Thirdly, was just checking some of the blogs on Circle of Moms faith based poll and the centre of their own controversy as to whether or not Pagan blogs count as 'faith' blogs - duh!
According to Dictionary.com
faith
–noun
1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3. belief in god or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
And before you ask, Dictionary.com defines god thus
God
–noun
1. the one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe.
2. the Supreme Being considered with reference to a particular attribute: the God of Islam.
3. ( lowercase ) one of several deities, especially a male deity, presiding over some portion of worldly affairs.
Notably, in the definition of Faith it is "god" lowercase. Anyway, semantics aside, Faith Blog does not mean Christian Blog people, no matter what you might think of those of us other faiths, be they Judaism, Islam, paganism, Hinduism, worship of the great flying spaghetti monster or whatever. Too late on a saturday night to go off on THAT particular tangent.
Ok I got sidetracked - while reading a pagan blog I ran into this
"he stopped my hand and said "Mom, I want to learn to spell my favourite word... Namaste!"
For those who are unfamiliar, 'Namaste' translates to mean that there is a light in you, there is a light in me and we bow in honour of one another's light.
I asked my child why 'Namaste' is his favourite word and he replied "because if everyone has a special light inside, then we are all shiny together." Yes friends, a humble reminder from a preschooler!"
Out of the mouths of babes.....
Ok there's more but let's end that on a happy note :)
Anyway, firstly I was reading a lot of web pages last night and discovered that there is a name for places such as where I live - 'a cluster of houses/apartments clustered around some sort of shared open space'. Apparently I live in a "pocket neighbourhood". Nice - can ya tell I kinda like that name? lol And I found two new books to add to my MAJOR wish list - Pocket Neighbourhood, and The Great Neighbourhood Book. I think they make my top ten wants, might have to add them as a separate post.
Secondly, found this from @EarthActivists on Twitter - As #EarthGuardian you can help document your city... where are the dangerous places for children?... your mayor should intervene.
The sentiment is certainly one the provides food for thought and only adds to the ongoing thoughts stirring in my brain about talking to neighbours about our neighbourhood, about what they like, don't like and would want to see changed, removed, improved or included.
Also found this, or at least we re-reminded of it.
"The commons is everything that we inherit or create together and must pass on, undiminished, to future generations." the Commons
Thirdly, was reading about the decline in organized religion - and that therefore Canada is becoming a nation of atheists. "Canadians are increasingly identifying as religiously non-affiliated, suggesting that organized religion may be on the decline."
Guess I'm missing something - including the original question as it was phrased - because I don't see that just because increasing numbers of people are no longer affiliated to (I presume) mainstream organized religions, necessarily means that they are all atheists. Or am I missing something? Usually an question of religion considers the mainstream faiths, and the obligatory "other" category. Or I guess in this case "none". Yet I'd have to check "none "if given the choice between mainstream religions and none and yet I most certainly don't consider myself an atheist. Colour me a little confused by the logic applied and the extrapolation that a decline in adherence to mainstream religion equals Canada becoming a nation of atheists. Just seems to me that it's a little too much of a stretch of the data :/
I don't doubt that mainstream and even organized religions may very well be on the decline, we all know minority religions, non mainstream religions and personal spirituality - not sure you can call it "religion" per se when it's a person's personal path - are on the increase. Even here, "census data suggests that organized religion is heading for extinction in nine western democracies." But is that just mainstream religion, organized religion, or religious beliefs of any kind? Damn I hate sweeping statements that bother my warped sense of logic!
Oh and of course now Adobe wants to update my flash player, I swear it did that once already this weekend lol
Now where was I? Thirdly, was just checking some of the blogs on Circle of Moms faith based poll and the centre of their own controversy as to whether or not Pagan blogs count as 'faith' blogs - duh!
According to Dictionary.com
faith
–noun
1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3. belief in god or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
And before you ask, Dictionary.com defines god thus
God
–noun
1. the one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe.
2. the Supreme Being considered with reference to a particular attribute: the God of Islam.
3. ( lowercase ) one of several deities, especially a male deity, presiding over some portion of worldly affairs.
Notably, in the definition of Faith it is "god" lowercase. Anyway, semantics aside, Faith Blog does not mean Christian Blog people, no matter what you might think of those of us other faiths, be they Judaism, Islam, paganism, Hinduism, worship of the great flying spaghetti monster or whatever. Too late on a saturday night to go off on THAT particular tangent.
Ok I got sidetracked - while reading a pagan blog I ran into this
"he stopped my hand and said "Mom, I want to learn to spell my favourite word... Namaste!"
For those who are unfamiliar, 'Namaste' translates to mean that there is a light in you, there is a light in me and we bow in honour of one another's light.
I asked my child why 'Namaste' is his favourite word and he replied "because if everyone has a special light inside, then we are all shiny together." Yes friends, a humble reminder from a preschooler!"
Out of the mouths of babes.....
Ok there's more but let's end that on a happy note :)
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