Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 09:49 AM EST [General]
Wow. I just realized it's been a whole month since my last post. I've been so busy lately that time has gotten away from me. So this is to update you all on the happenings in my life and to let you know I'm still alive. We are currently constructing a guest house on our property for my daughter to live in and we are doing much of the work ourselves. Getting the site prepped (when we have had weeks of rain) and removing the structure that stands where the guest house is going, renting a dumpster to dispose of all the accumulated junk in our pole barn, finding an electrician who doesn't think it's OK to try to rake us over the coals ($1300.00 to run a sub-panel and 4 outlets...get real), picking out flooring and wall board and paint, it has kept me really busy and will do so through October as she is due to move in by the 31st. I'm so excited to have her closer to me. And I love doing the kind of handy man stuff involved in this project. I'm not what you would call a girly-girl. The kids have memories of lots of boring trips to Home Depot and Scottys for me to peruse the power tools and such. It sure is coming in handy now. My daughter is paying for all this and if we had to hire contracters for all of it she would go broke real fast. I have lots of experience with the basic wood working kind of stuff. Laying flooring, installing the wallboard, painting, etc... and my husband can do the plumbing and the smaller electrical stuff.
On top of that we have several party invitations this month. My best friend is planning a really cool party and I'm trying to help her arrange things and get the house ready. I have costumes to sew and then , of course, there is Samhain to get ready for.
So, to make a long story short... no, I have not died...I'm just really busy so please forgive me for not posting regularly. Hopefully after this month is through I will have more time to post. Till then, please bear with me.
Monday, September 10, 2007, 02:13 AM EST [General]
Just a quick update as it has been awhile since my last post. I went camping over Labor Day weekend with a small group of friends to Juniper Springs. The springs there are beautilful and a very chilly 72 degress year round (quite refreshing on a hot Florida day). The trails are wonderful and wildlife abounds (a camp mate encountered a black bear on the way to the bathroom in the early hours) but mostly it was raccoons. The raccoon population there must outnumber the humans by about 3 to 1. They literally circled the camp looking for treats that might have been inadvertantly left about. We managed to keep our foodstuffs safe until the last day when they quite cleverly managed to get our latching cooler open. They had quite a feast on turkey and cheese and left their cute little paw prints everywhere. We had a great time and are already planning our next outing. We are going canoeing at Swannee River Park when it reopens in November. I can't wait. I hope all of you are well and I will post again soon. Perhaps a new poem...Hmmm... what rhymes with Raccoon?
This was written as a guided meditation for a group. If you would like to use it alone you may pre-record it.
Everyone should lie comfortably on the floor. Use pillows or whatever is needed to become very comfortable. In low, modulating tones, guide everyone through a relaxation process and into a deep meditation.
"Close your eyes, breathe deeply, in through your nose, out through your mouth.
In - Out
As you inhale visualize a warm golden light entering your body with each breath.
It flows through you like a wave.
Calming you...soothing you.
You feel the muscles in your face, around your eyes and mouth begin to relax.
In - Out
The warm golden light flows down your face into your neck and onto your shoulders.
Relaxed.
Warm golden light filling your lungs, surrounding your heart.
You breathe easy, your heartbeat is steady...slow.
In - Out
Warm golden light flows down your arms, into your fingers, relaxing every nerve...every muscle.
Down through your stomach and your back.
Tension just eases away.
In - Out
Into your legs, your thighs, your calves, all the way down to your toes.
Warm and relaxed.
Breathe In - Out
If there is any tension left in your body anywhere focus the warm golden light and ease it away until you are completely relaxed.
In - Out
My voice will not disturb your peace; it will guide you on your journey.
Visualize all of us together, standing together in a circle.
It's a clear night.
The sky is filled with stars, the moon is full.
The circle has been cast, all negativity has been banished.
We are together.
See yourselves turning towards the north quarter.
We raise our arms to draw the invoking pentagram of Earth.
In blue flaming light, beginning at the top to bottom left, up and over to the right, over left, bottom right, and back to the top.
See the blue flaming pentagram. This is the door...push open the door.
There...beyond the door...a rich, life laden forest.
Trees that tower above us. Their leaves forming a canopy.
Hear the sounds of the forest.
The rustling of the leaves...birds softly calling.
The regal stag standing amongst the trees...that's the spirit of our Lord.
Smell the deep rich scent of the earth.
The trees, the plants, the creatures that dwell here are our brothers and sisters.
We do not stand apart from this.
We are one.
It is who we are.
It nourishes us.
It heals us.
Our Mother earth, our Father who guards us.
This is the element earth.
We turn now to the east quarter.
We raise our arms and do the invoking pentagram of air.
In a blue flaming light, starting at the right draw to the left, down right, up, down left, and back to the right.
See the blue flaming pentagram.
This is the door... Push open the door.
There, on the other side, feel the wind come through.
Caressing your face.
Lifting your hair.
Bringing with it the scent of flowers on the breeze.
Hear the wind.
Feel the wind.
A glowing tornado of wind.
It cleanses... It caresses.
And fills you with life.
This is the breath of the Lady.
Become a part of it.
It becomes a part of you.
Breath and feel and see the glow.
This is the element air.
We turn together and go to the south.
We raise our arms and draw the invoking pentagram of fire.
In blue flaming light, draw from the top to bottom right, to the left, over right, bottom left and back to the top.
See the blue flaming pentagram.
This is the door...Push open the door.
Feel the heat of the fire.
See the gold and red and yellow and blue of the flames.
Hear it crackle.
Feel it's heat and it's power.
See it ever reaching higher.
Curling and crackling, the light flickering.
It's a healing light and a healing warmth and it fills you with power.
This is the soul of our Lord.
This is the element fire.
We turn together and stand at the western quarter.
We raise our arms and draw the invoking pentagram of water.
In blue flaming light, from the left to the right, down left, up, down right and back to the left.
See the blue flaming pentagram, push open the door.
There before you, water, endless, endless water.
Cascading down.
See the foam, the life.
Feel the spray on your skin.
Smell the saltiness in the air.
Hear it crashing on the shore.
Feel the life giving energy flowing with each wave.
This is the womb of our Mother.
This is the element water.
We go now and form a circle at the center.
We join hands and raise them high to the night sky.
We call upon the Lord and Lady to join with us.
Feel their presence, always within us.
The moonlight that bathes our faces, like a tender kiss is our Mother.
She is the universal Mother.
The source of fertility and endless wisdom.
She is at once the unplowed field, the full harvest, and the dormant, frost covered earth.
She is nature... All nature.
The Temptress and the Crone, the tornado and the fresh spring rain, the cradle and the grave.
She is omnipresent, changeless, eternal.
Feel the power raging through us and heightening our senses.
This comes from our Lord.
He is the warmth of the sun.
The burning deserts and towering mountains.
He is the vastness of the sky, rain and lightening.
Uniting with the Lady.
Spreading seed upon the land.
He is the Lord of the green.
The guardian of wild things.
And he is our strength of will.
The Lord and Lady are the parents of our souls.
Our teachers and our friends.
Constant companions and the source of all wisdom.
We are one.
We are them.
Thank you Lord and Lady.
Thank you Air, Water, Fire, and Earth, for sharing yourselves with us.
Just a quick note to let everyone know I'm still here. I know I don't post often but I do try to keep up with my friends blogs.
This weekend I am celebrating a very blessed event in my life. My daughters birthday. She was actually born on the 9th but with work schedules and such we decided to party this weekend. Hubby and I will be going over to her place today and I will cook her faorite meal. My famous beer-battered fried chicken, rice and homemade country gravy, green beans and buscuits. Instead of cake (because she's not too crazy about cake) we will have key lime pie. We will go swimming, hang out and enjoy each others company. There will be much drinking and merriment (we are staying the night so no worries there). We don't drink often, but oh my, when we do, it's a blast and many hillarious memories are made! My daughter and I are soooo close. We don't even have to finish our sentences with each other. We start to say something and know when the other "gets it" and so we just stop in the middle of the sentence. It drives my husband crazy! She's my very best friend and the day of her birth is as much a celebration for me as it is for her .She is the kindest soul I have ever known, strong and self-sufficient, extremely intelligent, and wise beyond her 27 years. I am very proud of her. I feel the same way about my incredible son, but todays blog is about her. I will extole his virtuse on his birthday! I have been so blessed in my life to be given the opportunity to raise these incredible beings and to have found a life-mate that is equally special. As you can see, I'm feeling very sappy today. Oh well, I have every reason to. I hope all of your weekends are filled with laughter and joy. I anticipate mine will be.
