Wednesday, May 29, 2013

It's The Simple Things In Life....


ART: Drawing of Cernunnos II
ARTIST: andrea-koupal


It's days like today that remind me how good the simple things in life are. The storm knocked out the power for a couple of hours, which forced me to sit outside and thus, I got to really enjoy the lightning show and the thunder and the rain. A great blue heron and a snowy egret flew overhead, along with swallows and nightjars. And to top it off, saw the first lightning bugs of the season! A very pleasant evening indeed.

I also took advantage of being without electricity to do some magic work to help calm my nerves about progressing forward towards being a teacher.  I feel more confident now.

This is also the first ritual in years that I've invoked a God.  I almost always just invoke Sekhmet or the Goddess in general.  But I got the pull to invoke Herne/Cernunnos, the Horned God of the Hunt and Woodlands.  I was a bit nervous, invoking a Prey God with the Predator Goddess, but They seemed to work just fine with each other.

I enjoy doing my own lil rituals and ceremonies.  I should do them more often.  I need to reconnect with Sekhmet.  I haven't been walking my Faith.  I should do some spiritual journeying (guided meditation). 

Saturday, May 25, 2013

A Good Full Moon


ART: Native American
ARTIST: thornevald

Met up with my High Priest tonight.  We didn't do ritual, as it was just the two of us.  I plan to do my own, solitary ritual to mark the Full Moon.

He gave me two exciting pieces of news:
1. I'm going to begin training as the Maiden for the Coven -- basically a High Priestess in training.
2. I'm cleared to begin working towards initiation.

The Maiden sets up the Temple room.  Makes sure the Quarter altars are set up and have the proper elements and items on them.  The Maiden also handles the libations to the Gods (offerings of food and wine) once the ritual is over.  I'll might also begin training on how to invoke the Goddess and draw Her down into me.  I'm excited about that.

For initiation, I have to create a piece of art that symbolizes my link to the Divine.  It can be anything I want, as long as I make it and can explain why it symbolizes what it does.  I've got so many ideas swirling around my head to make for this.  Not sure which one I'll choose just yet, but I'll figure it out.

And I have to write a Sabbat ritual.  Any Sabbat I want.  So I'm thinking of writing something for Samhain, as it's my favorite.  Once I get those two items accomplished and turned in to my High Priest, it's up to me to ask for my 1st Degree initiation ritual.  He explained that the initiation ritual marks the completion of this, so only I will know when I ready for it.  And it also signifies that I'm ready to begin on my 2nd Degree initiation, should I want to start that.

So while we didn't do a ritual to celebrate the Full Moon (an Esbat), it was still a very productive Full Moon for me. 

Now to figure out what I'll be making for my 1st Degree art work.......

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Photos 131 - 141

Photo 131:

ritual candle lit

Photo 132:

Photo of the photo I got from Wolf Park.  I donated money to their annual wolf birthday party and got a photo of Fiona enjoying her "cake".

Photo 133:

Unknown, stinky, white blooms.

Photo 134:

Jenga blocks are rarely used for the game....

Photo 135:

Local, well-fed, raccoon.

Photo 136:

beautiful Garnet Point I bought.

Photo 137:

Dominos also rarely get used for the game....

Photo 138:

My lil friend the garter snake.

Photo 139:

What I got at Bath & Body Works.

Photo 140:

beautiful sunset

Photo 141:

Adorable Zuni rabbit Mary gave me.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Friggin' ADORABLE!

So I was cooking scrambled eggs, for fried rice, when David came in with Holly saying a dog had be bitten by a snake and that he wanted me to come see it to tell them what species it is.  David claims it's a baby bushmaster, until I point out that bushmasters are in South America.  *chuckles*  Oh, how I love that man of mine.  He concedes that it might be a garter snake, but it's brown and flattening itself out, so he wants to make sure it's not venomous.

So I grab my pocket camera and off we go to look at this "baby bushmaster".



It's the most adorable, and PISSED the FUCK OFF garter snake ever.  It was coiled in typical s-pattern strike position and struck numerous times.  Would have been scary if it wasn't merely 6 inches long and about as thick as a pencil at its center.  *laughs*  I'm not sure it's teeth could have punctured my skin if it wanted to.

Once it realized I wasn't trying to eat it or hurt it, it calmed down and was quite mellow.




Man, I wished the face was in focus.  But it gives ya an idea of how tiny it really was.

So I told the dog owner that it's a lil garter snake, non-venomous, and she was so relieved.  She was in awe that I'd even pick the thing up and was even more shocked when it mellowed out and let me handle it with complete ease.  I love showing people that snakes aren't evil. 

I was seriously tempted to keep this little guy.  But I was good and released him into a safe area, away from dogs.  *smiles*

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Scheming

Early next week, I'll schedule my test for my teaching certificate for the end of the month.  I'm scared as hell.  What the fuck do I know about teaching in a classroom?

Sure, I've got 17 years experience working with kids, but that has almost all been in a day care setting.  And the classroom teaching experience I do have, is in Montessori education, which is nothing like public school.  I'm so scared that I'm going to totally suck at it.

David's job is totally sucking the life out of him, and he desperately wants a new career path.  He's looking into being a physical therapist assistant.  He'd have to do 2 years in a program before he could do that, and we just can't afford to do that unless I'm teaching.

Everywhere I turn, it leads me back to teaching and I am really chafing under that.  I hate being forced to do something.  And my knee jerk reaction is to run as hard and as fast as I can in the opposite direction.  But I can't really do that any more.

In good news, my debt in the debt consolidation program is getting low.  Only two balances left.  One at $800 and the other at $3400.  I know that sounds like a lot, but considering that I started out the program with $15,000 with them, I am doing great.  Once the summer hits, I'll add my last credit card to the program and get rid of it too.  How nice it will be not to have debt hanging over my head.  I'll have a credit card in the end, but only use it for gas and pay it off at the end of each month to up my credit score.  Then hopefully, David and I can begin seriously look for a house.

Our next door neighbors are thumping on the walls in the night.  I hate it because it's loud enough that I wake up in fight-or-flight mode, which makes it damn near impossible to fall back asleep immediately.  With  my heart racing and my mind in attack mode, it takes a while to calm my body down enough to fall back asleep.  Fucking assholes.  I've called the apartment office and filed a complaint, asking them to speak with my neighbors about this, but it doesn't seem to have made a difference.  I've started pounding on the walls in return, each time they do it first, and that seems to have culled it a bit.  But it still happens from time to time, so I'll just keep pounding until they finally get the message.  I mean, how hard is it to be CONSIDERATE?  *shakes her head*

I know getting a house won't magically make the world a better place.  We could have terrible neighbors there too.  But at least I won't be sharing a fucking wall with them.  And I plan to make cookies or something to share with the neighbors when we get a house, to start everything off on the right foot.  I'll be all sorts of kind and considerate and friendly to hopefully get the same in return.

Monday, May 13, 2013

No Cuddles!


ART: Nooo, I don't want to be cuddled!
ARTIST: wind-princess

 
Yep, that sums me up most of the time.  *laughs*  I just love the expression on the face of the bottom wolf.  Hilarious, I tell you.

Eh, I don't write much any more.  I'm usually wrapped up in the 365 Photo Challenge or the Project Life.  And thus, I don't get around to writing like I used to.  I remember now that any time I'm doing the 365 Photo Challenge, my writing seriously lags behind.  I don't have the mania anymore to fuel doing both.

My creativity went on sabbatical there for a while.  I couldn't even get motivated to paint backgrounds in any of my journals.  I generally have anywhere from two to six journals going at a time, so I can bounce around whichever one strikes my fancy.  Nothing was done in any of my journals for weeks.  It was getting sad, seeing them laying there, collecting dust instead of thoughts and memories.  But I'm happy to say that I'm slowly regaining that spark again.  I'm mostly just making backgrounds, but hey.  It's better than nothing!

Got the official invitation to my lil brother's wedding.  Hard to believe he'll be a married man in 9 weeks.  In the meantime, I've got to find a dress!  I'm hoping to get a red one, as I know I look good in that color.  Plus, I can wear the shoes and jewelry I wore to my wedding with it.  *grins*  Gotta love that. 

I'd like to be a little thinner (ok, a LOT thinner), but I'm not seeing that happen too much.  Mom did buy me a walking DVD that she uses that she says isn't too stressful on her knee.  I'm going to give that a go when it arrives.  And I'm making it a point, starting today, to walk Holly through the wooded trails each day.  It's more than double what I normally walk her, so that should help out some.  And I need to try out the yoga DVD I have.  I can't keep letting myself get heavier and heavier.  The toll it's taking on my bad knee is making me more aware of the excess weight I'm carrying.  I'm also making it a point to drink more water.

Hmm, and I think that's it for my babbling.
For now.  *grins and winks*

Friday, May 10, 2013

Photos 121 - 130

Photo 121

Leviathan using her antler jungle gym.

Photo 122

Healing candle for a friend.

Photo 123

artwork done by one of my students for an art competition.

Photo 124

Sammy, the golden retriever -- belongs to the family I babysat for that day.

Photo 125

Leviathan hiding.

Photo 126

Mosaic in a rest stop.

Photo 127

Teacher Appreciation Day.

Photo 128

Leviathan's first time swimming.

Photo 129

A Zuni bear my Mom picked up for me years ago....by my favorite bear carver -- Emery Eriacho.

Photo 130

Gift cards I got from two of my students.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Swimming!

Leviathan's eyes aren't looking that great and sadly I don't have the money to take her to the vet (if I can find one in the area that even sees reptiles).

I thought might maybe a good soak in some warm water would do her some good.

She looks so small!


Apparently the swim did wonders for her.  She was super energetic afterwards -- I did make sure the water was warm enough to raise her body temperature.



Once I put her back in her home, she went all crazy, burrowing EVERYWHERE.

And then I topped off the day with a nice, juicy mouse, and she's happily curled up in her hide, sleeping now. 
A good day all around for my little serpent.
I'll have to let her swim more often!