NoJoMo #4: What does your typical holiday meal consist of?

NoJoMo #4: What does your typical holiday meal consist of?

Depends.  What holiday are we talking about?  Because what I eat for Easter is different than Valentine's Day which is different from Christmas, which is different from my birthday.  And yes, my birthday IS a holiday for me.  Anyone else that would like to join in on the festivities, this year it begins Nov 10th (my actual birthday) and lasts until Nov 14th.

I will be trying out Tommy Tamales.  I've been following them on Facebook for a year or so, but haven't made it over to try their tamales out just yet.  The photos of their Smothered Tamales never fail to make me drool.  Two tamales (your choice of chicken, beef, vegetarian) smothered in chili and queso.  Oh hell yeah, gonna FEAST on that amazingness.  And since it's my birthday, I'll snag sushi at some point.  Gotta have my yearly dose of all the unagi I can eat.

And then, since it's on my mind, I need to start gathering up all the items I need for New Year's Day meal.  Black-eyed peas, cornbread, greens, and pork are all required items.  Which, I have a recipe that makes a KICK-ASS dip out of the black-eyed peas.  Like, I personally HATE black-eyed peas and would gag down one SINGLE spoonful each New Year's Day.  But this dip, I've made multiple times throughout the year and gladly eat all the black-eyed peas, it is so good.  I'll have to find that recipe and share it.

And for all the rest of the holidays?  Breads and cheeses are the only common thing in all of them.  ::shrugs::  What can I say, I'm a simple girl at times.

Now, ritual days are different.  There's usually wine of some sort or pomegranate juice.  And then as far as food goes, I have a fried honey cake recipe I typically use.  Or fruits, breads, and cheeses.  Seriously, I love me some good bread and cheese.  ::chuckles::

NoJoMo #3: Share your favorite joke

NoJoMo #3: Share your favorite joke.  The sillier, the better!

Eh, I don't really tell jokes?  I mean, my husband and I say things in the moment that are hysterical, but actual jokes?  No, not so much.

So instead, I will recommend that you go watch Sheena Melwani on Facebook and all the clips between her and her father.  Friggin priceless.  And that will give you PLENTY of fabulous dad jokes to last you a good long while.

NoJoMo#2: Your goals for this month

NoJoMo #2: Your goals for this month.

Well, I am so glad you asked! ::chuckles:: This just so happens to be my birthday month, and it is my personal tradition to create a list of birthday goals....one for each year I’m celebrating. So this year, beginning Nov 10th, I will begin on my 41 Goals for my 41st Year. I ALSO set up a goal bingo for each month in my Bullet Journal.

Here’s the photo of that spread for November:

The ones partially highlighted, are ones that are currently in progress. As I complete the goal, it gets fully highlighted as a Win.

NoJoMo #1: Your Self Portrait

So apparently there is a NoJoMo going on right now (November Journal Month) with prompts! So I’m going to work my way through those prompts as well this month.

Prompt #1: Your Self Portrait

A blazing fire, roaring and crackling
Lupine eyes in the night
Fangs and fur and talons galore
Serpent’s venom on her tongue

Breezy and free
Untamed
Artist’s brush upon her breath
Running for the love of it

Moonlight pouring
Down a silver blade
Pomegranate juice and blood
Dancing with the Harpies

Just a woman
But more than “just”
Dangerously brittle
And beguiling fierce

Pull and pulse
Waning
Growing
Universe in her words

Wolf and Woman
Serpent Lady
Child of the Lioness
Me

Hmm, didn’t anticipate a poem to come through. Been ages since I’ve written in verse and I’m a bit rusty. But you know, that just adds to the charm.

In less poetic form, who am I? I am Manitou Wolf, She Who Walks with Wolves.
I am a 6 foot tall Amazon. I speak softly and carry a big stick. And be forewarned, my bite is a thousand times worse than my bark.
I am a Scorpio through and through. Scorpio sun sign. Scorpio rising sign. So I won’t be changing anytime soon. Though, I am in a constant state of transformation.
I am a Texan, though not overly proud of my state. I am descended from Ukrainians, Scots, Danes, Cree, and British. There are Witches and Seers in my lineage. And there are the less desirables there as well – Klan and Confederates – and others I’m sure.
I am Neurodivergent. I’m bipolar, major depressive, anxious, and most likely on the Spectrum in some form. I’m highly creative, highly inquisitive, and love nothing more than to research things that pique my interest.
I am a Librarian. Should have been a Zoologist. But I’m finding my niche and working towards my dreams and desires. Like I said, always in transformation.
I am a Witch. I work with entities that most would tremble before or never approach in their dreams. I walk beside Sekhmet through the red desert. I turn skin and become the Wolf. I soar among the storms with the Harpies. And I call the Great Serpent kin. I am a Keeper of Spirits and a Curse Speaker. But my protection is beyond compare.
I am challenging and a Challenge. I am constantly knocking down my own barriers and walls. And then, I am known to panic and rebuild them in haste.
I am a tough nut to crack. But if you manage to win me over, know that I will go to the ends of the earth for you. Those I call kin and friend, I am you greatest cheerleader and champion.

999

The Power Ball lottery is up to $999m.  I see a huge sign that keeps me up to date with what the lottery is worth on my way to work each day.

This morning, I got to thinking...."If I won, what would I do with my winnings?"

First thing, I would put in my notice at my current job.  I would go back to school to get a degree in zoology/animal conservation/wildlife management.  Then it would be off to various animal sanctuaries to take part in their internships.  And then, I would just apply to the local zoos until I could get a full time job there.  

Oh, I would take all the art classes I could ever want.  Krav Maga classes for damn sure.  I'd finally meet some of my Journaling buddies that I've known for 18+ years.

I'm sure that Hubs would stay at his job.  He enjoys it (most days) and he's one of those who HAS to keep busy.  Plus, he genuinely enjoys helping people.  

MAYBE I could get Hubs to agree about selling our current duplex.  I'm pretty sure if the house I wanted has a large garage, I could get him on board in a heartbeat.  He could have all the tools he wants -- be it house tools or tools for guitars. 

Dark

Hard to believe that in a little over a week, I’ll be turning 41. There were so many times in the past that I never thought I would live this long, so it’s a very big thing for me to celebrate each year that I am alive.

Wow, that sounds so damn dark. ::chuckles softly::

I am still a bit melancholy from Samhain. I couldn’t face the Beloved Dead candle again this year. Some deaths, even years past, are just too painful to sit with at the moment. At some point, I do need to get the candle out, and write down the new Beloved Dead to add to the candle. Maybe doing that in the Spring Time will alleviate the melancholy.

I completed my first ever InkTober. I’m pretty damn pleased with myself on that. I mostly followed tutorials on the various prompts, but I am still very pleased with how well they all turned out. And I’m super stoked to do it again next year. Plus, continuing to sketch and draw and paint between now and then, of course. ::chuckles:: Honestly, I am kind of mad at myself for not picking up the pencil and learning how to draw sooner. I am loving it so much.

I had an interview yesterday at another Library System. It’s closer to my home (though, still NOT the elusive Home City Library), pays more, and there is no Pambie there (nickname for my boss that my husband created). Pambie and I are still having our ups and downs for sure. Sometimes communication is breeze and we get along just fine. And then other times, I swear we are speaking two completely different languages and all we do is butt heads.

April and Kevin came down to visit me and my husband during October. We’ve known each other since the OpenDiary Days and we finally got to meet this year. And it was so awesome. I was very nervous going in, because people usually tell me I am very intimidating and that I come off very unapproachable. But I reminded myself that we’ve been friends for close to two decades now, so she KNOWS me. So once I got my internal chatter to chill the fuck out, I had SO MUCH FUN with them. Lots and lots of things to show them and enjoy and man, I was completely BEAT by the last day they were here in TX. But it was so worth it. So very worth it. Now, it’s my plan to get my butt up to her state at some point, so she can show me all the awesome her state has to offer.

I definitely plan to eventually finish uploading all the photos I took while they were here to my FB page. And EVENTUALLY make an actual photo book of it via Shutterfly. And the awesome part is that April also took a lot of photos, so I can include some of those as well to round everything out.