Ack! Need Help!!!

I am participating this year in the Artisan Fair at my work. This, however, means that I need help with transportation, set-up, selling and tear-down.

The reward will be my stellar company, and your choice of baked items OR a one-of-a-kind piece of beadwork made by moi.

Thursday, 12/7/06 (that's next Thursday, folks)

11 am is when we arrive to set up - which means you'd need to be at my house by no later than 9 so that everything can be packed up and I can check back and make sure I have everything.

You will have lunch breaks, and there's a deli on site.

We finish up at 6, and have a half-hour to pack up.

PLEASE - if you are able to help me, please let me know. It's extremely important that I have someone available that will BE THERE.

~M

The question was raised of what I would like to find under the christmas tree... Well, I will say that I have materialistic wants just like everyone else does. The difference is that I seem to run the gamut from refined to totally boy-ish... So, here's a partial list of my truly, truly "wish" list...

Music/DVD's:

Sweeney Todd - the original Cast!!

Into The Woods - ALSO the original Cast!!

Great Big Sea's newest DVD and CD... Of course!

Great Big Sea's 2nd newest CD - one I don't have except pirated onto my computer.

Random foodstuffs:

I always wanted to own REAL vanilla

Narcissism:

Bare Minerals - I'm curious, what can I say?

Home Stuffs:

Bath Sheets are ALWAYS a good thing!

Have I mentioned we BROKE our current bed?

Bed in a bag set

OR this bed in a bag set

Flannel good - flannel WARM

Satin good - satin is sexy!

Also good... Also sexy!

Outdoor Gear:

We need a new tent in a year...

This one would be nice, too

or this one... I'm not THAT picky

We need a table for putting stuff on...

This would be nice for the camp kitchen

This item is specifically for me to GIVE to two people, if only because it would be hilarious for them to have one - not that it would get them into camping, but because they can say they have one. LOL. I'll give you 2 guesses as to who these people are.

~M

Flotsom and Jetsom...

So, I will be making a compromise that makes me very happy... I'm going to make dress # 4, with the sleeves from Dress # 5... I really *LOVE* the sleeves of # 5, but I agree that the rest of it was simply asking for trouble... # 4, however, will give me a really simple look that will be nice to make, and great-looking.

Now I need to pick up the patterns for them... I am hoping that I will be able to do so in January when a little bit of a windfall will come towards me. I should be able to pay off most of my "impending doom" bills (other than my student loan), and have some left over to use for setting up the wedding. Yay me!

As for the student loan, I am working currently on getting all my crap together in order to show the nice people at Sallie Mae that their request for $545 per month is recockulous, and will not allow me to basically live, breath or even think... It's getting there... I need to get all my bills together, fill out the paperwork, and then present it all to Sallie Mae for an adjustment - or something... whatever...

Fred is on Day 4 with no cigarettes, and hasn't broken yet. Yay for him!!!

I'm getting an aquatic frog for Speedboy for Christmas. He doesn't know yet. I'm going to wrap up all the stuff for it, and then let him pick out his pet afterwards. I like the idea that it's fairly simple for him to take care of, and he'll have his own pet - not necessarily cuddly, but it's good responsibility for him, and something he can call his own, rather than trying to share the Shady with me.

It's getting to that point where I'm going to have to decide on whether I want another cat or not when Shady passes away... I'm not sure. I've had her for so long, I don't know what I'll do without her. I think it sucks ass that if she passes away, I won't be able to take any greiving time off from work... I know that it's not "proper", as she's "just" a pet, but to me she's more than that. She snuggled up to me last night and tried to munch her weight in cheese and turkey. It was hysterical, the way she was snuggled around my head, murping, purring and generally making herself a bother until she got fed treats.

New photo shoot got done on Sunday. It's a Christmas theme, naturally, so I had a santa hat and some suggestively-placed bows. I had a lot of fun, as did Fred. Unfortunately our colds got the better of us before we could take care of the naturally-occuring levels of horniness... We're both just too wiped for nookie, which sucks...

And I think that's about it for now...

~M

Snow, Sickness, and other annoyances...

So, I wake up this morning and what to my wondering eyes does appear, but SNOW! In freakin' November! At practically sea level. GAH!

I got an email from Mum, who said that it's snowed a good 2 inches up in N. Washington, which is surprising. The last time it snowed at all up there, I have pictures, and I was about 10 years younger. As it's at sea level itself, it's rather a surprise to most drivers up there... And apparently down here, too. I saw them either going like a bat outta hell or creeping along, desperate and terrified. Ugh. Makes me glad I was on the bus.

Also, the cold that I had last week, and had kicked last week, came back with a vengeance. My co-workers decided to be nice and SHARE their colds with me all last week. So, since my cubicle is literally five feet by five feet, and is pretty much built like an old library study cubby (The same with everyone else)... And since we're all stuffed into an area that's only twice the size of my living room and kitchen area, if you come in sick, you're bound to give it to someone else. Several someone else's, to be exact. I heard them whining about how they couldn't afford to take the time off work - well, neither can I. And I don't need to feel miserable while at work, either.

Speaking of my mom sending an email, turns out my sister came home from hospital on Friday, after having her food operated on. She was back in on Sunday because her incision started to leak - turns out, that was normal... Then she fell and smacked it, and thought she'd ripped stitches - but there wasn't any breakage or tearing... Mum's been getting her pills every 3 hours on a schedule, and basically being what Mum refers to as the "Princess and the Pea" personage... I don't remember EVER being that much of an invalid, and I had my guts ripped out, fiddled with for 4 hours, half of them permanently removed, and plopped back into me. Oy. I was actually capable of making sure I got my pills on time with an alarm clock... OOOOoooh! The concept. I'm sorry, but while I'm sure it's a bitch and a half to have your foot operated on, there's no reason for her to make Mum wake up every 3 hours in the middle of the night to make sure she's got pills. She has an alarm clock, and can have water set next to her for the evening...

Other than that, I'm just dealing with the daily grind... I will say that I'm extreeeeeeemmmmmly proud of Fred. He's gone now 3 days without a cigarette, and it's looking as though this time will be for good. Yay for Fred! Everyone needs to go to his blog and give him kudos and congrats. He's had a hard time of it trying to quit... Nic fits are bad when you're in a crappy job, and even worse when you're surrounded by sharp impliments and tools, and people who are determined to piss you off constantly. *chuckle*

Currently I just want a nap, and a bath, and another nap... Ugh. I hate being sick.

Decisions, Decisions...

So, I found 6 different dresses, and one top and skirt option for my wedding dress. I need opinions, though, so you need to help me - Gee, aren't YOU lucky! :-)

You who know me already know what I look like, so picture me in each one of these dresses or the top/skirt combo, and tell me which one I'd look best in. Please, please, please? I need to have some help making the decision - I know that I *could* make each of these look good on me (these are in NO particular order):

Wedding Dress 1
Wedding Dress 2
Wedding Dress 3
Skirt, to go with this top
Wedding Dress 4
Wedding Dress 5
Wedding Dress 6

So - let me know which one I should get married in... The colors would be a light or silvery blue, and a dark blue - rather like a bright navy color...

~M

Update as of 11/27 @ 8 am...

So, apparently I have 2 votes for # 5 (Fred and Ana - Josh's mom), and three votes for # 4... And two people who would fight over # 6, because the pic shows it in purple. LOL.

Just as an FYI, Fred will be wearing a wedding kilt and kilt jacket - completely trad, including argyle socks and a sporan. SO - if that helps any with the decisions...

Also, dress # 6 cannot be held accountable simply because the person made the original dress in purple. *chuckle* As I mentioned above, I would be changing the colors to silvery blue and bright navy blue...

I do agree with Kyla - Trad really doesn't suit me... But I had to throw them in there as a possibility, since it IS a pattern, and I can switch things up a bit if I feel feisty enough. LOL.

~M

Freya's Rusty Bedsprings!

What is it with people who want to have the warm fuzzy feeling of being a good samaritan but not actually have the will to DO anything?

One of my jobs is to search for owners of lost pets, based on the Rabies ID number on the back of our ID tags... It's a pretty cool idea - as long as you keep up on the address and phone number, if your pet gets lost, you can have it returned to you in pretty short order.

Apparently, people don't always think to update their tag information for their pet, or they decide it would be a WONDERFUL idea to travel with their pet across country, and then they end up getting out...

These things happen, and I think it's rather stupid that you wouldn't update your information OR you'd let your pet roam free in a strange neighborhood, but they happen. Pets get out, life happens, and sometimes you don't remember to update your information...

But what gets me are those people who decide, once they've *found* the pet, that they want to call us and have US take it away - or have a working phone number of the owner. When we don't have it, or can't pick up the pet (we're in the Pac NW, folks - we ain't drivin' to Arkansas for a dog), they get upset that we refer them to local animal shelters for further assistance.

Now - why, for all the love of little green apples, would you feel that it's "too much trouble" to dial another number and wait for animal control to come out and pick up the pet? I mean, you've dialed 2 numbers, and now the third one is going to completely kill you? Come off it.

I kid you not - I got a call today from a guy who wanted to report that he found a dog, and the phone number we gave him was disconnected. I looked up the ID tag information, and found that the number was the ONLY phone number we had. I recommended that he call Animal Control and his response was (and I QUOTE): "Oh - well, that's too much trouble. I was just trying to be nice and catch the dog before it got hit by a car."

WTF?!

I would hope that (heavens forfend) my cat got out, people would hunt me down and find me - or at least turn her into animal control so that I could check there for her. If I were to find a pet, I would do the same.

I just don't get some people.

~M

New View...

So, I need your opinion on what you think of the new blog style, and whether you like it better than the old one...

I'm really not one for change, but I thought that this might be a nice one. I like the colors - soothing and calm. I also like the new goodness on the side which shows the different labels that I have. I like the title bar, which includes now my entire description of myself - I even like the watercolor look of the pic in the upper left-hand corner... The one thing I don't like is that it's not a triple bar, like the old template was.

So, let me know what you think, please.

~M

Witches Weekly

I haven't yet seen an update on Witches Weekly, so I figured I'd write my own this week and put it in the spirit of the season...


What is one thing you are most thankful for this year, and why?


I have to pick one thing? Yikes... Well, if I had to pick ONLY one thing, I'd have to say that I am thankful for having such a kick-ass family unit that I've created here in in the Pac NW...


I've always been of the belief that you're stuck with the family you were born with, but you can *create* a family that you're happier with later on, when you're older, wiser, and understand more about yourself and others.


Don't get me wrong - I love my birth family - they raised me, took care of me, generally pointed me toward the "right" path, gave me pointers and have bailed me out several times when I needed it... But I don't get to see them very often. Add to that a rather high sibling animosity which seems to reign supreme in the family, and you have the makings for a rather interesting, highly stressful, often-times bordering on homecidal, holiday season.


To compare it with the family grouping that I've created here... Well, it's just a different creature all together. There are stresses with this family as well, but it's not normally of the murdering sort. We help one another out when we can, even if it's only with the giving of a soft shoulder to cry upon. We kick one another in the ass when it's needed, and laugh about it later when the crisis is done with. And the holidays are fairly stress-free. It's not about how many presents we get from one another, or whether we all got a present from other people. It's about spending time with one another, accepting each other for who we are, and giggling about it with one another over sparkling apple cider - and occasionally some wine coolers or margaritas.


It becomes about the food, the visit, the people, and the overall warm fuzzy feeling that we get when we see one another. I love the fact that I can get my friends a beautiful necklace one year, a basket of home-made baked goodies the next year, and then the year after that, throw a huge party wherein that IS the gift, and it's equally received with happy hugs and thanks.


My mother is on the list for BOTH of these families, in case you were wondering... She and I didn't always get along - what parent and child do - but once she recognized that I was my own person, and I lived out on my own for a while, and once I knew who I was, and knew that I didn't have to worry about HER decisions, only mine... We get along really well now.


If you were wondering whether you were on this list of my made-in-the-PacNW family, I would like now to say that if you have to wonder, you probably aren't - or you're oblivious, which is a sign that you probably ARE part of the family. LOL. Here's a partial list of those who are in my life that I'm most thankful for this year (It's just those who live around me - my web friends are on another list):


Mom
Fred
Josh
Lilith
Geoffrey
Angst
Anxiety
Mishu
Fae
Alyee
Raistlin
Vlad
Bishy
Mana
Neffie
Faunna
Amy
Ace
Courtney
Lyse
GD
Kylanath


Happy Holidays, guys!


~M

The Aftermath of Turkey Day!

So, Thanksgiving turned out to be a fun time with friends and family. Vlad and Bish and her two children, Bubble-butt and AJ, joined us. Also, Neffie and Faunna-na came to the party and joined in a little later.


The enchiladas were, I have to say, amazingly tasty. I find that people like my enchiladas more than most. I think it's because I pour the sauce over the enchiladas instead of dipping the tortillas in them prior to rolling the filling in.


In case you're wondering, this is how I make my enchiladas:


Enchiladas
makes 14 enchiladas


6 chicken thigh and leg parts
2 tsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 serrano chile, minced*
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet fajita seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
2/3 package of queso fresco


14 burrito-sized flour tortillas
2 large glass pans, lightly buttered


12 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
6 oz hot water
2 packets enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded colby-jack cheese
2/3 package of cotija cheese


Place thawed chicken parts in COLD water and bring to a boil. Turn down and let cook until completely done. Remove from the water and let cool completely. Remove skin, and pick clean from bones**.


Bring a large pot to medium heat and add olive oil, onion, serrano and garlic. Let cook at medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken, cook over medium heat and heat. Add the taco and fajita seasoning packets, the line juice, and the water.


Blend until the chicken starts to flake apart. Don't worry about overcooking - leg and thigh are MEANT to be cooked like this... Add the lime juice and the two cheeses, and stir until creamy and melted.


Follow the directions to make the enchilada sauce. BUT - instead of dipping the tortillas into the sauce, wait until all of them are rolled and in the pan.


Take about a cup-full of chicken filling and place it on the tortillas. Roll it closed and lay in the pan, placing the open edge down. Repeat until completely gone and pans are filled.


Take the enchilada sauce and split evenly over the top of the wraps, making sure that it's spread over every portion of the top of the wraps.


Sprinkle the cheeses over the top, cover with tin foil, and bake at 375 for about a half hour to 45 minutes.


Top with chopped cilantro for an extra spice.


*If you want it spicier, add more serrano chiles or REALLY heat it up with a habanero pepper.


**If you want a really tasty homemade stock, keep the water you just boiled the chicken in, strain it, and place the bones back in. Add carrots, celery and onion, and some peppercorns, a bay leaf, parsley, garlic and thyme, and simmer for about 8 hours. Strain, and cool. You now have a really rich, tasty stock.


Enjoy!


~M

I hate it when I second-guess myself...

So, here I sit, contemplating whether I should stick with my original idea of the blue elizabethan for my wedding gown, or whether I should pack it in and choose something else, that's just as un-traditional, but probably more comfy... Considering that I'll be in mid-June heat in it...


I should not be contemplating changing my mind. I should NOT be contemplating changing my dress... I would be completely foolish and totally crazy to look at ANYTHING other than the elizabethan for my wedding gown at this point... right? RIGHT?!


Argh.


~M

Some great taglines that I've come across...

1. Save The Whales. Collect the Whole Set.

2. A Day Without Sunshine is Like, Night.

3. On The Other Hand, You Have Different Fingers.

4. I Just Got Lost In Thought. It Wasn't Familiar Territory.

5. 42.7% Of All Statistics Are Made Up On The Spot.

6. Light Travels Faster Than Sound, Which Is Why Some People Appear Bright Until You Hear Them Speak.

7. I Feel Like I'm Diagonally Parked In A Parallel Universe.

8. Honk If You Love Peace And Quiet.

9. Remember, Half The People You Know Are Below Average.

10. He Who Laughs Last, Thinks Slowest.

11. Depression Is Merely Anger Without Enthusiasm.

12. The Early Bird May Get The Worm, But The Second Mouse Gets The Cheese.

13. I Drive Way Too Fast To Worry About Cholesterol.

14. Support Bacteria. They're The Only Culture Some People Have.

15. Monday Is An Awful Way To Spend 1/7 Of Your Week.

16. A Clear Conscience Is Usually The Sign Of A Bad Memory.

17. Change Is Inevitable, Except From Vending Machines.

18. Get A New Car For Your Spouse. It'll Be A Great Trade!

19. Plan To Be Spontaneous Tomorrow.

20. Always Try To Be Modest, And Be Proud Of It!

21. If You Think Nobody Cares, Try Missing A Couple Of Payments.

22. How Many Of You Believe In Psychokinesis? Raise My Hand.

23. OK... So What's The Speed Of Dark?

24. How Do You Tell When You're Out Of Invisible Ink?

25. If Everything Seems To Be Going Well, You Have Obviously Overlooked Something.

26. When Everything Is Coming Your Way, You're In The Wrong Lane.

27. Hard Work May Pay Off In The Future. Laziness Pays Off Now.

28. Everyone Has A Photographic Memory. Some Just Do Not Have Film.

29. If Barbie Is So Popular, Why Do You Have To Buy Her Friends?

30. How Much Deeper Would The Ocean Be Without Sponges?

31. Eagles May Soar, But Weasels Do Not Get Sucked Into Jet Engines.

32. What Happens If You Get Scared Half To Death Twice?

33. I Used To Have An Open Mind But My Brains Kept Falling Out.

34. I Couldn't Repair Your Brakes, So I Made Your Horn Louder.

35. Why Do Psychics Have To Ask You For Your Name?

36. Inside Every Older Person Is A Younger Person Wondering What Happened.

37. Just Remember - If The World Did Not Suck, We Would All Fall Off.

Final Countdown...

I'm in the home-stretch and getting ready for Turkey Day... If you just landed here, we decided to do something completely different for Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong - I love turkey. I do. I just don't like to deal with it every year.


SO - while I did pick up one, it's going to be cooking sometime in the future - possibly for our christmas dinner. Instead, I decided that we needed to do something a little more festive, with a little more OOMPH. So, I'm doin' Tex-Mex. I'm making Chicken and cheese enchiladas, home-fried tortilla chips, cornbread with serrano chiles, roasted corn, lime juice and queso fresco, and home-made pico de gallo (that's pronounced guy-o for you gringos out there). There will also be a fresh squash medley that is pan-fried with onions for a veggie, and salad brought by Bishy, one of our guests.


I love mexican food. I love the spices, the flavors, the smells, and the ease of cooking it. It's healthy (for the most part) and it's really fun to make, too. Here's my Pico de Gallo recipe:


Pico de Gallo with corn and black beans
serves 8-12 people, 2-3 days...


This is best done 24 hours before you serve it. That gives time to mix all the flavors together. Easy-peasy, and really tasty, too. Make sure you season it when you mix it, and taste and re-season if necessary when you serve it.


6-8 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small
1 large red onion, peeled, and small diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, minced
1 cup corn, roasted (you can used frozen or fresh)
1 can cooked black beans, drained
1-2 bunches cilantro, chopped
lime juice
salt
pepper


Mix everything together. Add the lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. This lasts in the fridge about a week - unless you're in my family, at which point it lasts about two days - three at the most.


~M

Wimps!

Oh - and just as an aside - no one has posted ANYTHING on the WomenStrength tribe about either Mother's Day or Feminism vs. Humanism since I posted there...


I find it amusing that, in the face of absolute logic and specific definitions, they cannot form further arguments about the situation... Must mean I said something that MEANT something, rather than just ranting like they did.


~M

Witches Weekly

No Witches Weekly this week, so I grabbed one from the archives, from Jan of 05.


Do you fear repercussions of the re-election of George W. Bush on your rights to practice your religion freely?


Repercussions should always be feared, regardless of who is in office. The fact that there is a right-winged, WASP in the white house simply makes me feel like a more open target. This is a man who wants to impliment christian prayer within schools during school hours, but doesn't want to recognize Wicca as a religion within the US Army because it's a "cult" following, not really a religion. Never mind that the US Army actually recognizes Satanism as a religion, and that one of the largest cults in existance has been proven to be Christianity (see History Channel's "History of Cults" series).


Honestly, the reason one should fear repercussions is not just because G-Dubbya happens to be in the white house. It should be because one understands human nature as a whole (we're talking a group of people, not one individual person). Human nature is flighty, cautious, and willing to beat down anything that it doesn't understand. Since Wicca (and most other pagan religions), is a minority religion within the world, and since most christians still act as though you're worshipping some evil deity when you mention Islam (tied for 2nd as a world religion), you can bet that they're going to be going after those who choose to believe differently with several pitchforks and burning stakes.


Good rule of thumb for pretty much everyone, regardless of their religion is to simply not talk about it at work, or around people that you don't know - unless you're asked about it specifically. And don't talk about it at work pretty much at all. There's a reason that your job is not allowed to discriminate due to creed - don't go pushing it around and seeing how far you can go. Same thing goes for politics. Religion and politics are two discussion topics that, unless you know the person very well, you shouldn't discuss in public areas. It's just not good show.


This, of course, leads nicely into the 2nd part of the question: What steps do you think are important to take in securing religious freedoms for Pagans, Witches and related?


First of all, I'm not all about Pagans, Witches and related... I'm about religion as a whole. It's a private thing for me - something that's deep within me, that I look at in my own time, in my own space. I don't believe that I'm the only one that's right, and I don't believe that anyone else is, either. I believe that each person from each religion can (and should) learn from other religions in order to understand their own beliefs better. Asking whether I want to take steps to secure religious freedoms for a specific group not something that's easy for me to take - nor is it easy for me to explain why...


I went on a rant earlier this month on the whole "femanist rights" issue, and whether I am a humanist or a femanist. I have the same personal feelings on religions. Each and every religion should have equal rights and equal say. Yes, it is important in securing religious freedoms, but those who are securing them should not lose sight of other religions who need rights, too. Each one should be equally represented, or NONE of them should receive rights at all.


Do I believe that it could happen? Hmmmm - well, if everyone would actually drop all of their human nature for about 15 seconds, we'd have an amazing lack of war, hatred, and general unhappiness toward our fellow persons. Let me know how that works out for y'all. I'm not pessemistic - I'm realistic. Human nature wins out over logic pretty much every time. The fight or flight instinct within each and every one of us is there for a reason and it's not going to go away anytime soon.


So - that then begs the next question... Do you feel Pagan and Witch groups should better organize into “churches” to provide a more “legitimate” face to general public? Why or Why Not?


I don't do public worship. Unitarian churches accept Pagans and Witches, with very little issues. I think that's great. Honestly, the Pagan and Wiccan community has created quite a number of groups for those who would worship in a wider community. Organizing into churches will do one of two things, depending on where they end up locating them:


1. Riots, burning crosses, bombings and general threats will occur throughout the entire time that the building is up, and anyone found going into it and coming out of it will find it easier to cross the picket line at Planned Parenthood than heading to and from worship.


2. No one will go to said churches because of the fear that #1 is going to happen should they be seen there.


Either way, the idea of an actual place of worship is not something that is going to go down well in most communities - not even the liberal one that I live in here in the Pac NW... Can you imagine what would happen should a church open up publicly in the SE? I don't think so...


So... The upshot of the entire discussion is this: Worship as you will, just don't think you're exempt from hatred.

Sam... sung... blue - weeping bout my batt'ry...

NO apologies to Neil Diamond on that one - I had to do it.


I really am disliking my phone currently. My Samsung simply has no battery life in it anymore. It stays charged for about 3-4 days, and will randomly shut off and turn back on... And if I try to call anyone, it tears through the battery within a day or two. Bleh...


I'm glad that I'm due for an upgrade soon, as is Fred... I figure we'll both get upgraded at the same time, and extend out our contract for a bit longer. I like my carrier, and it's not my old job, which is a double-plus as far as I'm concerned.


I'm hoping for something inexpensive (read: free upgrade) in blue. heh heh heh...


~M

Sallie Mae Sucks Ass!

They've now called me a total of 8 times today... One of which was while I was on the phone with them, and three more times immediately afterwards... They tell me that I have a choice - I can either pay $50 for another forebearance which would last me through March, OR I can pay my account to current now - which is a total of $1500... Yeah, like I have THAT kind of money hanging around... And, get this - that's only THREE MONTH'S WORTH of payments.


I was actually told by the rep at Sallie Mae that they can call as many times a day as they want until they get paid. I told them that it's against the law to harass me that way, and if they didn't knock it off, I'd take legal action against them for harassment. The gal sounded sympathetic, but then told me that it was their right to continue the collection process until they received a payment. I then asked her "So, what you're saying is, Sallie Mae believes that somewhere during the 3 hour period of time between calls, I'm going to somehow magically come across $1500 that will bring my account current - is that what you're saying?" She got snotty with me after that, saying that it was up to me to make sure that the calls stopped...


Of course, after I got off the phone and had 3 more phone calls from them in the next 15 minutes, I sat at my desk and cried for a few minutes - and then started looking for collection harassment laws. And found that I was RIGHT!!! Section 806(5) says "Section 806(5) prohibits contacting the consumer by telephone "repeatedly or continuously with intent to annoy, abuse, or harass any person at the called number". NEENER! Now I need to figure out what to do with said knowledge.


I also found out that I can contest the amount that they're insisting that I pay since it places a hardship on me - so I'll have to look into that and take care of that as well.

Bwa ha ha ha!

Nair does not come in wookie strength... Or size...

If you haven't seen the 825 things Mr. Welch can no longer do during an RPG, then you need to take a few hours and giggle your way through it. And of course, then add things onto the list yourself, like Fred and I are doing. Bwa ha ha ha.


Tomorrow I go shopping for the troupe Duck Dinner, and for Thanksgiving dinner for us. I'll have to make sure that I have *cash* for the cab driver, since last time, on the 3rd, he got snotty with me ("You don't have CASH?!") and didn't turn in my slip until LATE, so now I'm overdrawn... Bleh. I realize that it's partially my fault since I didn't balance my checkbook - but on the other hand, he could have turned it in and had it processed within a week instead of 2.


I'm working on a training manual for my work. I have about had it with the whole inability for anyone to stick with any one thing, and am having difficulty finding where procedures are. They had me sit with people for two weeks listening, handed me a stack-o-crap to go through - none of which really made a lot of sense, and then expected me to just get on the phones. I'm a little OCD when it comes to policy and procedure. It has to be there, and easy to find, and easy to read - or there's a problem. I'm going to work on it until I have most of it done, and then hand it to my boss's boss, K, and have him look it over and see what he thinks of it. I've done this before, at another office, so the only difficulty is making sure that the steps are correct, and getting time to actually WRITE it between phone calls.


Whee!!!


~M

Stuff and things...

I've had to re-schedule the Holiday Feast for Dec 10th. My work is not going to allow me the day off. SO, there you go. I heard back from Lil, who currently has 3 on her list of people coming, but is waiting for 4 more people to get back to her (one of them has a totally valid excuse, as it's Angst, and her schedules don't get put up until 2 weeks prior to when the date is - ah, the joys of working non-set shifts)...


I'm hoping that moving it one day won't mess anyone else up. I just can't see making everyone wait until after 8pm for dinner on a Saturday night - especially when I'm going to be cranky for not having the whole day to prep and make sure everything is where it should be.


Lil has offered to bring garlic bread, dessert, and Krab salad (bless her!). I've asked if there's a way to get hauled around on Friday, as I'll need to go shopping for everything and make sure that I have it all. Have to go to Pacific Seafood retail, then over to WinCo. They're in totally opposite directions, and on opposite sides of the river - total pain in the ASS if one tries on the bus, and prohibitively expensive if one decides to take a cab.


So, with the current head count, I have 9 people so far. Looks like I'm gonna be busy - but that's ok. I like busy. I like lots of people in my house, having a good time. I also like the idea that I'll be working on Saturday, which will give the boys a full day to clean up the house fully and vacuum (insert evil laugh here).


I've taken the 7th off as well, so that I can come to work and sell things - Yes, I have to take the day off in order to do this... There's not enough people to man the phones for us to normally participate. They're having an Artisan's Fair, and I can whip out some delicate beaded necklaces and bracelets that can be sold fairly cheaply. Should be fairly easy - I'm going to work on them in the evenings and during my days off so I have enough to sell. Yay me.


Fred is securing our place at Courtesan Carnival on Thursday. I need to find out when it is so I can put in for time off NOW. I know it's in January, but I have no idea the date. And then I need to make sure that I have money for the car rental. Whee!!!


~M

Guess I'll go eat worms...

"Reflections"
China Beach SoundTrack
The Supremes

Through the mirror of my mind time after time
I see reflections of you and me


Reflections of the way life used to be
Reflections of the love you took from me


Oh, I'm all alone now. No love to shield me
Trapped in a world that's a distorted reality


Happiness you took from me and left me alone
With only memories


Through the mirror of my mind
Through these tears that I'm crying
Reflects a hurt I can't control
'Cause although you're gone
I keep holding on to the happy times
Oh, when you were mine


As I peer through the window of lost time
Looking over my yesterdays
And all the love I gave all in vain
(All the love) All the love that I've wasted
(All the tears) All the tears that I've tasted
All in vain


Through the hollow of my tears I see a dream that's lost
From the hurt that you have caused


Everywhere I turn seems like everything I see
Reflects the love that used to be


In you I put all my faith and trust
Right before my eyes my world has turned to dust


After all the nights I sat alone and wept
Just a handful of promises are all that's left of loving you


Reflections of the way life used to be
Reflections of the love you took from me


In you I put all my faith and trust
Right before my eyes my world has turned to dust.


I'm sure that this is just another part of my period talking... Perhaps it's also due to my meds not working quite so well during it... Could also be that I work with a bunch of people who are all rather clickish and don't really want me to be a part of their group - at least, not yet. I'm not sure - but I know that I'm really feeling alone and without friends currently.


Specifically, I feel really without female companionship, and I hate it. I had such a good time this last weekend when Fae and Aly came down, and now they're gone, I feel completely and utterly alone.


I've never done well with having female friends - something (or someone) has always gotten in the way - and so I end up losing their friendship. I don't have many friends anyway, and it seems as though, since I started with my relationship with Fred, people I thought were friends have either drifted away or refuse to even acknowledge my presence without the courtesy of telling me that they don't want to be around me - or why. I find that horribly rude, honestly, not to mention cowardly.


I could name names, but they know who they are... I'd like to think that they simply haven't stayed in touch with anyone - but I know that they have... I know because they blog about it constantly, and it hurts to see that I can be so completely cut out of their lives without a thought or an explaination. I suppose the logical thing is to look at it like this: If they didn't have the guts to tell me they didn't want to be friends anymore, then they weren't really friends to begin with. And perhaps that's my issue with them - I assumed that they *were* friends. Which is why I volunteered to do so much for them. You do things for friends that you wouldn't normally do for other people. I guess that's my fault for assuming, and I got hurt because of it.


Work hasn't been any better - I don't feel like I have anything in common with anyone. I don't have lunch with the two people I could talk D&D with, and the ones that I *do* have lunch with - well... They're either much older than I am, or much younger - or they have children / families that they talk about constantly. I end up leaving about 15 minutes after my hour lunch starts so that others who have more in common can sit with them. I end up crocheting in the library - alone...


Of course, this just re-affirms my belief that it's best for me to keep a specific distance between myself and others, both at work and in my social life. I should be greatful for the friends I have, I know. It's just - sometimes I really want people to like me, because I honestly like them - and it hurts to know that they don't like me in kind.


I really wish I didn't care, sometimes. I really do - then I wouldn't feel like this and I could just get on with my life.


~M

Not feeling QUITE so groovy...

So, I have figured out that when one has just started bleeding, one should NOT decide to go looking online for clothing.


I'm now officially depressed. I can't afford new clothing, and am terrified to go out clothes shopping even if I *HAD* money. *sigh* I've decided to go back to the dreaded palazzo pants of the 90's. I remember them being amazingly comfortable and, for the most part, flattering on me. And since they're fairly easy to sew, I think I can get away with making a few pair for me. It's now just a matter of picking up fabric that I can afford - and then actually *doing* it.


I should know better than to do this. I am on the tail end of PMS, I started bleeding last night, and I feel totally frumpy and yukky. And now I am feeling like I want to cry because there were all this pretty clothing on Ebay (not that I'd actually buy from Ebay as far as clothing, but it's nice to look) and all I can think is that it wouldn't look good on me, so why bother? I can't even look at them in a clothier's or pattern-maker's eye today. UGH!


I'm such a mess. All I want is a hot pad for my abdomen and for someone else to do the laundry.


~M

Witches Weekly Question for Nov 10th!

When did you first realize that the pagan path was for you?


I think I realized it when I was very young, but I never knew what "pagan" was, so I couldn't say that this is what I wanted to be.


I was always a little different from the other children. I think being raised in a haunted house probably had something to do with it. Also seeing things which no one else saw, knowing things no one else knew, and being generally precocious as a small child were other bits which had to do with it.


I tried going to church with friends. I still love going to Midnight Christmas mass at the local RC cathedral, though now that they've changed the Mass from the latin to english, I'm less enthralled. The music is something that gives me goosebumps, and I have this moment, just at midnight when the bell tolls, of absolute peace. It's fabulous.


I went to the LDS church once... I also went to the Episcopal and the Babtist churches... All with friends... I spoke with Rabbis and with priests. I just didn't ever feel as comfortable as I was when I learned that there was another path for me to take that was spiritual in nature, but within myself.


I was about 15 when I first learned about Paganism, and the different forms therein. There was a store in downtown Port Townsend, Phoenix Rising, that was filled to the brim with crystals, tarot cards, wands, pentacles, not to mention all the statuary of fairies and dragons. I was drawn to it mostly because it was completely different from what I'd been around in the past - and I even found books promoting the combination of secular christianity and paganism.


My mother was hesitant at first, but accepted that I needed to learn more about different religions. I brought home several Scott Cunningham books, "Guide to the Solitary Practitioner" and "Herbs and Lotions", and pointed out that she'd already been raising me by what Cunningham called the "Wiccan Rede":


Do what ye will, an it harm none
What ye will do, will come back 3-fold
Be careful what ye wish for, ye may get it


Once she found that these were the basic tennets of the religion, and that everything was based upon these *fairly* practical ideas, she was fine with it. I think she was actually relieved that I wasn't going to be going to a secular church - and that I wasn't going to be doing anything "cult-ish" (at least, in her eyes - you need a group of people to join if you're going to be in a cult, and I was going and doing all of this on my own... On the other hand, perhaps I was a cult of one - a Cult of Personality, even! LOL)...


So I guess I've always known that it was the right thing for me - I just needed to figure out what it was. LOL.


~M

Strength? No. Random Hatred? You Betcha!

This little gem was posted on the WomenStrength group on Tribe.net... For a bunch of people who claim to be feminists supporting and upholding the rights of everyone, they sure are a negative, hatefilled bunch, eh? The original post is in Bold type, and my response is what follows... Enjoy!


"MOTHER'S DAY IS OPPRESSIVE AND SEXIST AND WAS PUT TOGETHER BY THE DOMINANT MALE CULTURE AS A REASON TO BLAME WOMEN FOR THE NEGATIVE/POSITIVE OUTCOME OF THE NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG MEN THAT WILL ONE DAY TAKE THEIR DOMINEERING AND OPPRESSIVE PLACES. AND ALSO AS "A PAT ON THE BACK" FOR WOMEN WHO WERE "SEEN AND NOT HEARD" "


Sheryn - I'm sorry, but I'm just not buying the definition you've provided. It sounds to me as though you are driven by a high amount of negativity toward anything male, and you don't wish to accept any option other than "Men Bad - banish all men - or at the very least, make them all subservient and castrate them all".


The following is the definition of Mother's Day, from Wikipedia:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother's_Day


"Different countries celebrate Mother's Day on various days of the year because the day has a number of different origins. One school of thought claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Mother worship - which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods, and Rhea, the wife of Cronus - was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March (March 15) to March 18.


"In the United States, Mother's Day was originally conceived by social activist Julia Ward Howe during the American Civil War with a call to unite women against war. She wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation:


"From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with
Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.
"Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the meansWhereby the great human family can live in peace...


"Howe failed in her attempt to get formal recognition of a Mother's Day for Peace. Her idea was influenced by Anna Jarvis, a young Appalachian homemaker who, starting in 1858, had attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers' Work Days. She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors.


"When Jarvis died, her daughter, also named Anna Jarvis, started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908, in the church where the elder Anna Jarvis had taught Sunday School. Grafton is the home to the International Mother's Day Shrine. From there, the custom caught on - spreading eventually to 45 states. The holiday was declared officially by somes states beginning in 1912. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day. Nine years after the first official Mother's Day holiday, commercialization of the U.S. holiday became so rampant that Anna Jarvis herself became a major opponent of what the holiday had become."


Eileen, as a point of reference, Hallmark did NOT come up with the idea of Mother's Day - they may have been the driving force behind the marketing schemes of today, but they did NOT create it.


If we go with the first school of thought, that it was created waaaaaay back in ancient Greece - possibly before - then we are on a track of the more Pagan and matriarchal aspects of society, and it could possibly not only be linked to May Day and the Equinox celebrations of fertility, but also to the Ides of March, Goddess-worship, and rites of passage into womanhood. Being thankful that one IS woman, that one has the ability to create life, to nurture, and to be an embodiment of a goddess in one's creating of life. Not to mention celebrating the whole "mother earth" idea, which cradles, nurtures and nourishes each and every person on her.


If we then decide to add in what Julia Howe and Anna Jarvis wanted most of all with their movement, which was to try and rally women together to unite for peace and work together toward a common goal, regardless of which side of the issue they were on (in their day, it was specifically the Civil War), it then takes on even further significance, and should not be hated at all.


So, taken all of the this together, instead of concentrating on the consumer-driven, corporate hoo-ha that's been hyped for years, concentrate instead on this:


Mother's Day could be looked upon as a day wherein we - as women, whether we be mothers, daughters, sisters, or aunts - can come together in a united effort to recognize the power that we have in the ability to create life, to nurture, and to nourish each other and the earth, and the power that the earth has to create life, to nourish and to nurture us.


Instead of focusing upon the negative aspect of what this has become, start a new trend for it, and have your friends and family join in. It doesn't have to be a negative day, or a day of hatred toward anything, whether general or specific. Turn it positive, and stop buying into the hype with your negativity.


~M

Switching, and a horribly early morning post of randomness...

So, I've switched over to the Blogger Beta format. Supposedly, it's not going to change anything as far as the format is concerned, but it will allow for labels to be had, such as "general mayhem", "literary quandries", etc... should be interesting, if nothing else. Of course, I can't go BACK if I don't like it - or if YOU don't like it - so I'm hoping that it'll do everything that it's supposed to do with no issues.


Speaking of issues, I have a knot that's causing the left side of my back to squinch up (yes, that IS a technical term). Even if it *does* quit raining tonight for fire practice, I doubt that I'm going to do anything, since the ouchie factor of the knot is high enough to make me not want to move at all.


Aly and Fae came down last night to visit for the weekend. Yay us! I got to feed them my uber-special Spanish Rice, which I've improved upon over Thursday night's attempt. I don't understand why people would BOTHER with the boxed crap - it's just as easy and quick to do it from scratch. No, really! I'll post up the recipe and you can see for yourself! Fred stayed up until almost two in the morning, talking with them. I woke up at 4:30 to a very amorous fiance, and was pounced... Rather, I think we ended up pouncing one another. LOL. I will say, it was a nice way to be woken up, especially THAT early in the morning.


I ended up falling asleep on the MAX heading into work this morning, which is probably where the knot came from. I'm not doing so well with the whole 10 hour shifts with the 2.5 hour commute... It's harsh on my sleep schedule, and harsh on my brain. I may try for a "normal" 8 hour shift, though I'm only going to do it if I can get weekends off - if not, then forget it. I'll suffer through.


Fred and I have decided that, since we're doing a big troupe dinner on the 19th, and then the Holiday Feast on the 9th of December, we're going to do a really simple Thanksgiving thing... We're doing Tex-Mex. I'm making a mess of chicken and cheese enchiladas, cornbread, mixed squash, home-made tortilla chips, and pico de gayo. Yum! I'm actually looking forward to it. It's been a while since I've had a full Tex-Mex dinner, and I really LOVE working with SW flavors. It makes me happy - the same way Sushi makes me happy... tee hee.


Fred's still trying to quit smoking, bless him. I'm a little frustrated, but I don't know what else do to other than continue to let him know that I love him and I would like him to quit - and to NOT NAG. He's got to be the one to ultimately decide each time whether or not he's going to light up - and I can't be there 24/7, regardless of what I might *want*. I'm hoping that we can take the Thanksgiving weekend (since we're both off Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and he's off Saturday), and get him off them completely. I will say that for the most part, he hasn't been smoking at home at all - which is really nice. I've found that I feel better, and am breathing better... Allergies to cigarette smoke suck ass.


I have almost finished my winter coat... It still needs the front buttons and button-holes. I also need to get another 5 yards of fleece and use it to line the rest of the coat. Unfortunately, the wool is just NOT keeping me warm enough in the wind, so I'll need to beef up the coat to stay warm through the winter. It's a minor annoyance, but one I'd better get solved ASAP so that I don't freeze my butt - or other areas of my anatomy - completely into uselessness.


I also decided that I'd try applying at Skorch Magazine. According to their criteria of what they were looking for, I fit it... But the email they sent back said the opposite - though they promised they'd keep me on file if something came up. I guess I'm destined to be an online amature model for a while, and not make any money at all... *sigh* Personally, I think it was my legs. I know that I'm not supposed to get down on myself, but I'm not shaped the way magazines in general want large women to be shaped. They want thinner-looking legs... So, I won't be getting any mag offers. Not anytime soon.


Sallie Mae keeps calling me and threatening. In order for me to start paying them, I'd have to have a job paying DOUBLE what I'm getting paid now... That's not going to happen anytime soon, so they really do need to just quit. I've told them this, and they've acted snotty and asked when I'm going to GET said higher-paying job, and if I'm LOOKING for said higher-paying job. Whatever. I know they'll ruin my credit, and I also know that I can't do anything about it. If, at some point in the future, I end up applying for and getting a loan for a house, I'll include their loan into it, and get them to go away for good.


And now I have to go to work. Yay.


~M

Humanism vs Feminism

This is a post that I placed in the "WomenStrength" tribe at tribe.net... If you're interested in reading the complete thread, be warned - wear an asbestos suit... LOTS of flames going on there, and a lot of really angry, militant women (or should I say wymyn) who are pissed off about anyone saying anything negative about feminism...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism


Regarding feminism vs humanism... The following are selected texts from what I found in Wikipedia - the links are above:


"Feminism is a diverse and thoughtful collection of social theories, political movements and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerned with the experiences of women. Most feminists are especially concerned with social, political and economic inequality between men and women (in the context of it being to the disadvantage of women); some have argued that gendered and sexed identities, such as "man" and "woman", are socially constructed. Feminists differ over the sources of inequality, how to attain equality, and the extent to which gender and gender-based identities should be questioned and critiqued. In simple terms, feminism is the belief in social, political and economic equality of the sexes, and the movement organised around the belief that gender should not be the pre-determinant factor shaping a person's social identity, or socio-political or economic rights.


"Some feminist theories question basic assumptions about gender, gender difference and sexuality, including the category of "woman" itself as a holistic concept, other theories question the male/female dichotomy completely (offering instead a multiplicity of genders). Still other feminist theories take for granted the concept of "woman" and provide specific analyses and critiques of gender inequality, and most feminist social movements promote women's rights, interests and issues. Several subtypes of feminist ideology have developed over the years. Early feminists and primary feminist movements are often called the first-wave feminists, and feminists after about 1960 the second-wave feminists. More recently, some younger feminists have identified themselves as third-wave feminists while the second-wave feminists are still active.


"Some radical feminists, such as Mary Daly, Charlotte Bunch and Marilyn Frye, have advocated separatism - a complete separation of male and female in society and culture - while others question not only the relationship between men and women, but the very meaning of "man" and "woman" as well (see Queer theory). Some argue that gender roles, gender identity and sexuality are themselves social constructs (see also heteronormativity). For these feminists, feminism is a primary means to human liberation (i.e., the liberation of men as well as women.)"


*********************


"Humanism is a broad category of active ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appeal to universal human qualities - particularly rationalism. Humanism is a component of a variety of more specific philosophical systems, and is also incorporated into some religious schools of thought.


"Humanism entails a commitment to the search for truth and morality through human means in support of human interests. In focusing on the capacity for self-determination, Humanism rejects transcendental justifications, such as a dependence on faith, the supernatural, or divinely revealed texts. Humanists endorse universal morality based on the commonality of human nature, suggesting that solutions to our social and cultural problems cannot be parochial.


"Some have interpreted Humanism to be a form of speciesism, mostly because of the word itself, but this doesn't appear to be the case. Humanism does exalt human traits, but doesn't necessarily insist that no other species could or do have the same, or that other species have no rights just because they are not human. The term was originally intended to point out the focus on human affairs and concerns as opposed to those of gods; not meant to be taken as opposed to other species. For these reasons, Humanism appears to be neutral with regard to issues of animal rights."


***************************


I don't claim to have a degree in anything (other than my culinary arts degree, which doesn't mean anything in this debate), and I don't claim to understand all the nuances behind either of these movements.


However - It is from the definitions above that I can say I understand a little more about both of them and feel that I can make a comment regarding this thread.


Based upon the definitions above, the following would be my own basic interpretations:


Feminism: The belief that people should not define one's worth by gender, and that gender should not be considered when dealing with others under any circumstance.


Humanism: The belief that people, regardless of gender, should not be defined by gender, monetary, or social worth, but instead by their moral and ethical daily practices which are NOT defined by any church, but instead by inherent morality and human ethics.


So, I suppose, based upon that understanding, I am a humanist, not a feminist. I don't believe that it's only one's gender that should be considered to make one equal, but what they do, on a day-to-day level, which makes them better or worse, and equal with others.


Before you ask - yes, I believe that a female is capable of pretty much anything that a male is capable of doing, if she puts her mind to it. Yes, I believe that people should be receiving equal pay for equal work, and there should be no glass ceiling - regardless of race, creed, gender, or social standing.


HOWEVER, there are things which a male body does inherently better - just as there are things which the female body does inherently better. The human body was created with different strengths and weaknesses, not to single either gender out, but to instead have them work together as a team in order to survive on the most primal level. Evolution has not changed how our bodies have been created, nor will it anytime soon.


I believe that if you want to make a difference, you have to start with yourself, and act the way you want to be treated, assert yourself when you are wronged, stand up for your own rights, and demand that people accept you for who you are. I believe that you should hone your strengths, accept your weaknesses, and learn how to use both to their full advantage in life. I don't believe that working soley upon the feminist side will help everyone in society, and I don't believe that feminism must be accepted before humanism can work.


~M

Other Good Questions from Witches Weekly...

How do you (or would you) go about teaching/including your child about your practice/beliefs?

What kind of coming of age ritual might you suggest for your child and how would you approach them about it?

What might you tell them about being a Pagan in a Christian-centric community?


Oh, boy... I'll start off with this caveat: This is one of those hot buttons that I often end up jumping up and down about - be warned. This is simply what *I* believe - it's not what you should do - but keep in mind how YOU were when you were little, and it might make sense. Also - note the word "normally" - there are those young 'uns who are exceptions to the rule. I believe that they show themselves naturally, and their parents will be able to see maturity and understanding as the child exhibits it.


First of all - I *DON'T* teach or include children - ANY children, mine or otherwise - in my practice or beliefs. Those under the age of 12 aren't normally able to understand the concept of a higher power, or of gods/goddesses, or rituals and why they are there. They are too busy learning about the world as a whole, and how it affects them directly, and how they can affect the world - it's not a matter of higher powers placing that tree there because it was meant to be - it's a matter of how high they can climb it.


Those between the ages of 12 and 15 normally are too involved with themselves to pay attention to the world at large, and will only be interested in being a pagan for the sake of being different. They are not normally aware enough to appreciate the mysteries of what is going on in the world beyond what directly affects them - they are, after all, teenagers.


That being said - if I were to teach someone else about my beliefs, and I felt that they were old enough to understand them, the first thing that I would do is to basically have them sit down and write everything they currently understand about the god/dess. then have them write down questions that they have about what they DON'T understand. This gives me a basis on where to start from - I don't want to go over what they already know - I want to find out what they do know, what they understand, and where to go from there.


As far as a coming of age ritual - I'd ask them whether they *want* one, first. Some children don't want to be the center of attention, some do - some don't care. I'd also ask them what they'd want IN their ceremony, who they'd want to be there, what they'd want to do for it. I'd help them in planning what they want, with the idea that the end result is them feeling more mature and adult - which is, really, what a coming of age ritual is all about.


Regarding "being pagen in a christo-centric world"... Well, that's something that would happen as I continue teaching them. I believe what my mother always taught me about religions in the world... "Picture a bicycle wheel," she'd say, "You can imagine one, can't you? All the spokes running from the outside rim to the hub? Ok - well, think of it this way - the world is the outside rim. All those spokes? Those are the different religions and how people believe through their life's path. The hub of the wheel is what we get to as we travel through our lives and down our individual religious pathways.


"Just like the bicycle wheel can't support anything without the many different spokes to even out the balance of weight, the world can't survive without the many different religions and paths of life that we, as human beings, take. It is up to each one of us to appreciate the differences, accept them, embrace them, and know that our choices aren't the only ones in the world - but that we help support the world with them." I think my mother is a very wise woman regarding religion.


Part of what I would teach is that being in a christo-centric world doesn't have to be a bad thing - but I believe that religious intolerance is still something to be aware of. I don't advertise what religion I am at work - this isn't necessarily because I'm afraid of what "the man" might do to me. It's because I don't feel that my religion (or anyone else's, for that matter) is something that should be discussed at work - I feel the same way about politics and sex. Unless your work happens to be at a religious order, don't talk about religion. Unless you happen to work at a porn shop, or a sex shop, don't talk about sex. Unless you work with a politician, don't talk about politics. It's just not professional, and it's no one else's business what I do outside of work. At work, I'm on THEIR dime - which means that I need to be a positive representative of my company. Outside of work, I'm on MY dime - which means that, as long as I don't drag my company's name into it, I can do as I please with my religious / political / sexual beliefs.


~M

OOOH! 2 in one day! Can it be?

Yeah - I got to looking into the Witches Weekly archives and found this little gem of a question - I couldn't resist. I'm in a ranting mood! LOL


What are some things that people do in the name of paganism or neo-paganism that tend to annoy you?


Hmmm... I think that being so totally self-rightious about their religion is one that irks me... But then, that's not just in the Pagan or neo-pagan community - that's pretty much everywhere. Those who believe that their religion is the ONLY religion out there, and it's the only RIGHT religion to pick - well, they're as bad as those they rant against. There's a great quote from my fiance regarding religion, and it explains why A. I'm a solitary practitioner, and B. he's a devoted athiest: There is no religion which, when practiced fully, condones the subjigation, mutilation, or killing of another for ANY reason. Fred's decided that he will remain an athiest until all religions understand this, accept it, embrace it, and preach it fully and honestly. I don't blame him.


People who say that Wicca is better than all other religions are no better than the Roman Catholics who say that Roman Catholisism is better than all other religions... Remember that those who believed that there is only *ONE* true religion, and that one religion was the only way to go created the Inquisition - and it can go both ways.


Also - those who aren't willing to do the work and look into, understand, question, even dis-prove parts of, the religion they wish to be a part of... They irk me. I've had a few run-in's with people like this. I watched as they duct-taped together portions of each of the sabbat rituals into something that they liked, rather than keep with traditions - and then looked down on me when I declined the invite to join in... It's not that I'm not into doing things a little differently - but for someone who was booted from a coven for not studying the mysteries of the religion, and then deciding to simply make something up and call it "official"... Well, I have to say that it doesn't strike me as someone who wants to do a lot of soul searching for something as important as a religious belief. If you're not willing to work and question and dig into your religion, then you shouldn't be a part of it - and you certainly shouldn't be calling yourself the LEADER of such a religion.


Another thing that irks me to no end is the "fluffy bunnies" - you know the ones... The ones that bounce up to you at a party and have coven names like "The sparkle fairy princess coven of light and moonbeams", and member names like "Sunshine EverDance" and "Moondrivel RiverDance". They tell you that being a Wiccan is just the most nicety-nice thing in the whole world, and if everyone would join them and just be nice the world would be filled with sparkles and rainbows and lolly-pops and...


And about that time you just want to smack them - if only to shut them up, since it's obvious that they haven't a brain in their head to knock sense into. It's not that I'm cynical. I'm a realist. The realist doesn't see the glass half-empty or half-full; the realist looks at the glass, sees that they've got to make sure that it doesn't get knocked over while others are moving around the room, and understands that eventually, someone (most likely them) will have to take it to the kitchen and clean it. I see the world as it is, not as it "should be". Yes, it's true - if people WERE nice to one another, and DID get along, and COULD accept one another for who they were and not for any number of possible disqualifying issues, then the world would be a great (if boring) place.


The truth of the matter is that human nature won't allow such things to happen. We are, by nature, a group of materialistic, jealous, greedy bunch of creatures who want a lot, but don't necessarily want to give in order to receive. We can *choose* to be different... we can *choose* to accept that person across the room as different and not abandon them when the house we're both in is set on fire... But that's the whole point, isn't it. It's about choice - and we, as a group, have chosen not to do so. I don't like people. Individual persons are great, but people? Well, as K would say, "People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals - and you know it."


So yeah - those would be the most that I have issues with within the Neo-Pagan and Pagan communities. Which is why I'm a solitary practitioner, and proud of the fact that I question my religion almost daily, and reconcile with it at the end of the day because I can prove to myself that it's the right one for ME.


~M

Argh! Foiled again!!!

Why is it, every time I find a comfy clothing item that I like, invariably the company that makes it either gets sold out and the new company stops making the product, or the company itself simply quits making it for what I see is no apparent reason?!


Take for instance, my FormFit(tm) undies... They are comfy, cotton undies that fit everywhere - they don't slide, they don't roll down, they don't cause chafing, the elastic is completely wrapped in the fabric, they were affordable... AND now that they're not their own company, but under Jockey, Jockey has decided to NOT MAKE THEM ANYMORE! They have something similar, but there's no guarantee that they'll fit - and since it's Jockey, and I have had issues in the past with Jockey fitting large women, I doubt that it will be the same.


So - I'm back to going to either Lane Bryant or Avenue to get my undies - and at a MUCH higher price. FormFit were 6 in a package for $12. If I'm lucky, I can get 4 for $20 at either LB or Avenue. Yay... I can't even find any on EBAY, for the Lord and Lady's sake.


While I realize this may not be a complete crisis or anything, it's bloody annoying to realize that my foundation garments are no longer being stocked - it's about as annoying as it is to find that my bra size keeps fluctuating between a 42DD and a 44DDD depending on the cut, maker, and fabric type. Bleh!


Oh - and I *HATE* shopping for clothes as it is. This means I have to actually go out LOOKING instead of knowing where to go exactly and just go in, buy it, and get out. GAH!


~M

Witches Weekly Question...

Who has been a spiritual mentor for you during your path? If you do not have one (or even if you do), what motivates you to stay on your spiritual path?


An interesting question... My spiritual mentor? Well... I guess that's been a sort of combination of friends and my Mother - and my own personal moral beliefs. I was raised with what those in the craft call the "Rede" since I was born, by a parent who was not in the craft - it was simply the most sensible thing she could come up with that made sense to us kids. Religion wasn't a big thing in our house - my father really wasn't a religious person, and my mom was disenchanted with the secular areas she had been exposed to. She handed me a stack of different religious texts when I was 13 and said to choose for myself.


As for what motivates me to stay on my spiritual path - Myself, I guess, is the answer to what keeps me on my spiritual path. I've always felt that there was something bigger that couldn't be defined or cubby-holed into a specific religion, that was out there... It's not that I believe in any one divine being - or that I believe in many of them... I simply believe - that's all.


I'm of a serious mind that Terry Pratchett has it right - believing in gods is sort of like believing in the Postman... You already know that they exist, that they'll be there every day, whether you actually are there at the postal box or not. It's what you do in your daily life that matters and reflects your personal beliefs, more than whether you happen to be standing there, waiting for the letter to arrive.


Of course, that begs the question as to whether I believe in a structured spiritual path and worship... No, I do not. If I did, I'd be a HUGE hypocrite, as I don't have a set time for me to do alter work or anything. I'm a solitary practitioner because I don't like dealing with other people's drama - nor do I like dealing with how other people feel that I "should" be worshipping. I believe that my daily actions and thoughts are enough for day-to-day things, and if I need something additional, such as advice or guidance, I can choose to meditate upon the question until I can find the best answer possible - whether that be within myself, or to ask someone else for advice to help me.


I don't believe that having high holy day celebrations or equinox rituals make me any better of a person than those who go to church each Sunday. I give thanks every day for the gifts I have received, which include my health, my family, the roof over my head, and the food on my table. I do this by doing the best that I can each day, and choosing to not wallow in self pity too much when things get hard for me.


I believe that each person is in charge of their own lives, and can choose to do good things or bad, regardless of how they were raised. There are very few exceptions to this belief, and those that are - well, there's something seriously mentally wrong that no amount of medication or treatment can fix. I believe that each person has the power to make their own way through life, without purposely hurting another person. I believe that indirect hurts are just as bad as direct hurts. I believe that each person needs to make atonement for their actions if they end up hurting another person - especially if they do so purposely. I don't believe that a spiritual leader has the ability to take payment for atonement and make it a "done deal" (indulgences, etc). I don't believe that sitting on your knees saying "hail mary's" or "Our Father's" is atonement, either. I believe that atonement comes from within, and affects the person wronged directly and personally - and can only be done once you feel true remorse at your actions.


So, there you have it - some of the things that I believe, and my answer to the Witches Weekly Question...


~M

You know you've been raised by housecats when...

After your 3-day stint at work (10-hour days, not including the ride there and back), you spend most of your day off lounging, napping, and generally being lazy instead of doing things you *should* be doing - like cleaning the house, sewing your winter coat, working on wedding invites, etc...


Apparently I was raised by housecats. LOL. I was up at 7 am and fed the cat, then went back to bed and napped until 10... dreaming about sleeping. *snicker*


I'm off today, then work tomorrow, then am off for 2 days... Since my automatic deposit doesn't kick in until next paycheck, I'm heading in to pick it up today and deposit it - then it's back home to do something constructive - hopefully to finish the coat. I'll be food shopping on Sunday *shudder*. I hate shopping on the first weekend of the month. Those that I call "professional breeders" are out in full force after getting their welfare checks - with all of their badly-behaved offspring in tow. I realize that there are those on welfare who are NOT professional breeders. They are in that situation because it's necessary for the moment and they're working hard to get themselves off of it. HOWEVER - they have become the few, the noble, the ones that I end up lumping in with honest politicians and the Easter Bunny. See, the ones that I normally run into are those who are here in the US by questionable means, and/or those who are simply too lazy to work at all for a living - and are trying to convince their 16-year-old daughter that SHE needs to get pregnant now, so that they won't lose any of their welfare income.


I wasn't honestly prepared to have this be a political debate today, so I'm going to stop there and go catch my bus... This is, however, a subject that I'm sure I'll visit again...


~M

Wonder-Feast powers! Activate!!

Form of: Steamed water!
Shape of: various seafood!


Yeah - it's weird, but it works... sort of. I've come to the conclusion that I'm NUTS for doing this... Instead of a separate holiday dinner and thanksgiving dinner, I'm doing this combo feast thing... It's gonna be expensive, and I'm already stressing out about it. Not to mention the fact that my mother wants me to come up to visit for "official" thanksgiving - which I can't do since I'm busy saving up money for the holiday feast. I've sent an invite to her to come down HERE, but I doubt that will happen. I may have bitten off more than I can chew. That's not to say that it won't happen - it will. I just may not be able to pull off everything that I wanted to...


I am also starting the holiday blues... It happens every year. I worry about the lack of fundage for pressies, the food, the entertainment, the general well-being for my friends... and the lack of sunshine for myself. I've thought about heading to Aruba, but ironically, I would need money for it, which I don't have. *chuckle*


This year, on top of the dinner and the lack of money, I also have to worry about keeping my new job, doing photo shoots, finishing my winter coat and working on wedding plans... I think I may have two or three too many plates to spin here... I'm not sure... I haven't heard from anyone willing to help me with the wedding stuff yet, so I'm doing it on my own, like I did for the last one. I'm not going to worry about a bridal shower or bachelorette party - the last time, Kate was supposed to be in charge of it and she waited until the night before the wedding to even plan it.


bleh...


~M