Hello all...
I'd love to know how many people ever read this...
Leave comments, please! You don't have to say much, just maybe "Hi.. i was here. your blog sucks, is great... needs more info on......."
Anyway... I'm going to be trying to work on this blog a LOT more. Perhaps a daily spell... maybe a "on this day in pagan history.." you know?
Well...
I'm also trying to clean out the house. ther'es WAY too much .....stuff.
I also want to kind of make over my living room.. i can't stand these white walls any longer!
Someone gave Tom a gallon of this green paint... I was thinking of mixing it with a couple gallons of white that I can get for like $7 at Big Lots and painting the place!
Then I could use my big bottle of gold paint and a couple old t-shirts to stipple a gold glaze over it... I think this would look amazing.
Our neighbors up the road moved a few weeks ago and gave us a huge pile of lovely poplar planks. Tom's going to use them to make the huge bookcase/entertainment center we've always wanted.
Hopefully between now and then I'll be able to get a new camera.
Well.. I've bored you all enough for the moment...
I'll try to post tomorrow!
be well in heart and strong in Spirit
Shosha
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Amazing Recipes...
In the "old days" folks made a lot of what they needed... later we love to recreate that "I did this" feeling. Here's some interesting recieps to help:
Thin Paste
¼ c Sugar
¼ c non-self-rising wheat flour
½ t powdered Alum
1 ¾ c Water
¼ t Oil of Wintergreen
Mix Sugar, flour and Alum
Gradually add 1 cup Water stirring quickly to prevent lumps.
Boil until clear and smooth stirring constantly.
Add rest of water and Oil of Wintergreen stirring to mix thoroughly.
Page-Mending Paste
¾ c Rice flour
2 T sugar
¾ c Cold Water
2 ½ c Boiling Water
½ t oil of Wintergreen
Mix rice flour and cold water until smooth
Add Boiling water
Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and add Oil of Wintergreen.
Cut or tear white tissue paper to the size and shape of the ear or cut in the page.
Brush tissue with paste and lay on tear being sure to smooth out wrinkles and bubbles.
Will be transparent when dry.
Stamp Gum (for making your own stamps or stickers)
1 packet Unflavoured gelatin
1 T cold water
3 T Boiling water
½ t White corn syrup
½ t Lemon Extract
2 drops boric acid solution
Sprinkle gelatin into cold water to soften.
Pour softened gelatin into boiling water and stir ‘til completely dissolved.
Add corn syrup, lemon extract, and boric acid solution and mix well.
Rub stamp on it and stick down.
Waterproof Glue
2 packets Unflavoured Gelatin
2 T cold water
3 T Skim Milk
¼ t oil of wintergreen
Sprinkle Gelatin over cold water and allow to soften.
Heat milk to boiling point and pour into Gelatin, stirring ‘til dissolved.
Add oil of wintergreen
For porous to Non-porous or porous to porous use glue warmed.
For non-porous to non-porous use gelled.
Sawdust Modeling Compound
1 c Fine Sawdust
1 c thin paste
Old newspapers
Shellac or Clear Varnish
(Optional: colour saw dust with food colours before making compound.)
Mix sawdust and paste to make a thick dough, kneading well.
Model as you like. Will air harden in 2-3 days depending on thickness… maybe longer.
Can be sanded smooth.
Crystal Garden
Shallow bowl
A few rocks
6 T Salt
6 T Bluing
6 T Water
1T Ammonia
Food Colours
Put rocks in bottom of bowl
In a separate bowl mix the salt, water, bluing, and ammonia
Pour mixture over rocks
Drop food colours here and there
Let stand a few hours
Coloured Flame Pinecones
1 gallon Water
1 pound Chemical of choice
Orange: Calcium Chloride
Purple: Potassium chloride
Blue: Copper Chloride
Red: Strontium Nitrate
Emerald Green: Copper Sulfate
Carmine: Lithium Chloride
Small Plastic tub or dishpan
Pinecones
Plastic mesh bag (like from oranges)
Mix water and chemical in plastic tub
Fill bag with pinecones and tie shut
Submerge pinecone-filled bag in liquid chemical and weight with rock.
Soak 10-15 minutes
Spread on newspapers to dry
Bath Bags
1 ounce Rose petals
½ ounce lemon Verbena leaves
OR
1 ounce Rosemary
½ ounce Peppermint
4 ounces Oatmeal
OR
1 ounce Rose petals
1 ounce Lavender
½ ounce Thyme
4 ounces Oatmeal
Put into a muslin bag and hang under tap while filling tub.
Powdered Incense
Grind to a powder and sprinkle on charcoal.
Juniper (recipe from 1662)
1 ounce well crushed Juniper Berries
2 t gum benzoin powder
2 t musk
3 drops lemon oil
3 drops clove oil
3 drops rose oil
Rosemary Rose
4 T Powdered Rosemary
1 ounce powdered rose petals
1 ounce powdered Frankincense
1 ounce powdered Myrrh
1 ounce powdered Sandalwood
6 drops rose oil
3 drops rosemary oil
Formed Incense Sticks
1 c fine sawdust, sifted twice like flour
1 c gum Arabic syrup: 2 2/3 T gum Arabic powder
1 cup water and mix until no lumps
1. Put sawdust into a glass or stainless steel bowl and 1 recipe scent (recipes follow)
2. Add syrup a little at a time until powdery mixture holds together enough to form into
3. 1 ½ inch stick about ¼ inch thick. (Will make 30-40)
4. Allow to dry a few minutes and insert a toothpick as a stem.
Scent Recipes
¼ c gum benzoin powder
¼ c gum benzoin powder and 6 droppers (1 dropper = 20 drops) ambergris
2 t semi-liquid Storax, ¼ c gum benzoin powder and 1 dropper oil of clove
6 T powdered Frankincense, 15 droppers tincture of musk
6 T powdered angelica root, 8 droppers oil of orange, 8 droppers oil of lime and 12 droppers oil of lemon
¼ c gum benzoin powder, 8 droppers tincture of ambergris, 8 droppers tincture of musk, and 4 droppers tincture of civet
Very Basic Soap
Makes two Bars
1 cup Distilled Water
2 cups Lard or Crisco
10 level teaspoons Lye (often sold as a drain cleaner… Red Devil is a good brand. Make
sure it’s pure lye!)
Prepare mold: cardboard box on several layers of newspaper and lined with two layers of brown paper bag, dampened.
Put water in a glass jar and stir in lye (DO NOT let it get on your skin!) Stir until dissolved and allow to cool to 85 degrees F
Put lard into an enameled kettle and melt it.
Allow to cool to 90 degrees f
Add lye SLOWLY, it will turn pink then slowly turn to white
Stir until thick, a spoonful will kind of plop rather than trickle… takes about 20-30 minutes of stirring.
When the compound feels like thin pudding and looks satiny on the surface, pour into the mold and quickly cover with towels to keep it warm.
Allow to sit at 24 hours, it should be firm.
Cut into bars and allow to age (air dry) two weeks before using
Variations:
Add these just before pouring into the mold. Be sure to stir well to mix properly.
Add a handful of finely ground oatmeal
Handful of Lavender flowers
Use Chammomile, green, white, of other herbal tea instead of water.
Store bought soap scents
20 drops favourite essential oil
or any combination of these
Thin Paste
¼ c Sugar
¼ c non-self-rising wheat flour
½ t powdered Alum
1 ¾ c Water
¼ t Oil of Wintergreen
Mix Sugar, flour and Alum
Gradually add 1 cup Water stirring quickly to prevent lumps.
Boil until clear and smooth stirring constantly.
Add rest of water and Oil of Wintergreen stirring to mix thoroughly.
Page-Mending Paste
¾ c Rice flour
2 T sugar
¾ c Cold Water
2 ½ c Boiling Water
½ t oil of Wintergreen
Mix rice flour and cold water until smooth
Add Boiling water
Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and add Oil of Wintergreen.
Cut or tear white tissue paper to the size and shape of the ear or cut in the page.
Brush tissue with paste and lay on tear being sure to smooth out wrinkles and bubbles.
Will be transparent when dry.
Stamp Gum (for making your own stamps or stickers)
1 packet Unflavoured gelatin
1 T cold water
3 T Boiling water
½ t White corn syrup
½ t Lemon Extract
2 drops boric acid solution
Sprinkle gelatin into cold water to soften.
Pour softened gelatin into boiling water and stir ‘til completely dissolved.
Add corn syrup, lemon extract, and boric acid solution and mix well.
Rub stamp on it and stick down.
Waterproof Glue
2 packets Unflavoured Gelatin
2 T cold water
3 T Skim Milk
¼ t oil of wintergreen
Sprinkle Gelatin over cold water and allow to soften.
Heat milk to boiling point and pour into Gelatin, stirring ‘til dissolved.
Add oil of wintergreen
For porous to Non-porous or porous to porous use glue warmed.
For non-porous to non-porous use gelled.
Sawdust Modeling Compound
1 c Fine Sawdust
1 c thin paste
Old newspapers
Shellac or Clear Varnish
(Optional: colour saw dust with food colours before making compound.)
Mix sawdust and paste to make a thick dough, kneading well.
Model as you like. Will air harden in 2-3 days depending on thickness… maybe longer.
Can be sanded smooth.
Crystal Garden
Shallow bowl
A few rocks
6 T Salt
6 T Bluing
6 T Water
1T Ammonia
Food Colours
Put rocks in bottom of bowl
In a separate bowl mix the salt, water, bluing, and ammonia
Pour mixture over rocks
Drop food colours here and there
Let stand a few hours
Coloured Flame Pinecones
1 gallon Water
1 pound Chemical of choice
Orange: Calcium Chloride
Purple: Potassium chloride
Blue: Copper Chloride
Red: Strontium Nitrate
Emerald Green: Copper Sulfate
Carmine: Lithium Chloride
Small Plastic tub or dishpan
Pinecones
Plastic mesh bag (like from oranges)
Mix water and chemical in plastic tub
Fill bag with pinecones and tie shut
Submerge pinecone-filled bag in liquid chemical and weight with rock.
Soak 10-15 minutes
Spread on newspapers to dry
Bath Bags
1 ounce Rose petals
½ ounce lemon Verbena leaves
OR
1 ounce Rosemary
½ ounce Peppermint
4 ounces Oatmeal
OR
1 ounce Rose petals
1 ounce Lavender
½ ounce Thyme
4 ounces Oatmeal
Put into a muslin bag and hang under tap while filling tub.
Powdered Incense
Grind to a powder and sprinkle on charcoal.
Juniper (recipe from 1662)
1 ounce well crushed Juniper Berries
2 t gum benzoin powder
2 t musk
3 drops lemon oil
3 drops clove oil
3 drops rose oil
Rosemary Rose
4 T Powdered Rosemary
1 ounce powdered rose petals
1 ounce powdered Frankincense
1 ounce powdered Myrrh
1 ounce powdered Sandalwood
6 drops rose oil
3 drops rosemary oil
Formed Incense Sticks
1 c fine sawdust, sifted twice like flour
1 c gum Arabic syrup: 2 2/3 T gum Arabic powder
1 cup water and mix until no lumps
1. Put sawdust into a glass or stainless steel bowl and 1 recipe scent (recipes follow)
2. Add syrup a little at a time until powdery mixture holds together enough to form into
3. 1 ½ inch stick about ¼ inch thick. (Will make 30-40)
4. Allow to dry a few minutes and insert a toothpick as a stem.
Scent Recipes
¼ c gum benzoin powder
¼ c gum benzoin powder and 6 droppers (1 dropper = 20 drops) ambergris
2 t semi-liquid Storax, ¼ c gum benzoin powder and 1 dropper oil of clove
6 T powdered Frankincense, 15 droppers tincture of musk
6 T powdered angelica root, 8 droppers oil of orange, 8 droppers oil of lime and 12 droppers oil of lemon
¼ c gum benzoin powder, 8 droppers tincture of ambergris, 8 droppers tincture of musk, and 4 droppers tincture of civet
Very Basic Soap
Makes two Bars
1 cup Distilled Water
2 cups Lard or Crisco
10 level teaspoons Lye (often sold as a drain cleaner… Red Devil is a good brand. Make
sure it’s pure lye!)
Prepare mold: cardboard box on several layers of newspaper and lined with two layers of brown paper bag, dampened.
Put water in a glass jar and stir in lye (DO NOT let it get on your skin!) Stir until dissolved and allow to cool to 85 degrees F
Put lard into an enameled kettle and melt it.
Allow to cool to 90 degrees f
Add lye SLOWLY, it will turn pink then slowly turn to white
Stir until thick, a spoonful will kind of plop rather than trickle… takes about 20-30 minutes of stirring.
When the compound feels like thin pudding and looks satiny on the surface, pour into the mold and quickly cover with towels to keep it warm.
Allow to sit at 24 hours, it should be firm.
Cut into bars and allow to age (air dry) two weeks before using
Variations:
Add these just before pouring into the mold. Be sure to stir well to mix properly.
Add a handful of finely ground oatmeal
Handful of Lavender flowers
Use Chammomile, green, white, of other herbal tea instead of water.
Store bought soap scents
20 drops favourite essential oil
or any combination of these
Sunday, June 29, 2008
My favourite Sites: Links and More
Well... We didn't exactly have a camp out... but our Summer Solstice was a bigger hit than expected!
We had an amazing feast and the ritual was fun. I like fun and I think it's greatly needed especialy in Sabbat rituals. I'm not saying that you should be disrecpectful, but please have FUN. enjoy worship. We were serious, but we laughed. We were respectful, but we danced.
Yesterday, the 28th, I picked up our first ever Angel Food boxes. Now, this is run by churches across the country but everyone is welcome to participate. It's called Angel Food Ministries and it a Great way to save grocery money! There aren't questions asked and there's no religious connotations except that you usually order and pick up your items at a church and you get this little magazine called "the Servant" when you pick up the order. I actually read it. It's nice. Nothing there that isn't appliable to any other denomination or religion.
The URL for this is: http://WWW.AngelFoodMinistries.com
You can find locations near you along with the listings of items in the main box and the extra boxes.
My family and I intend to order every month one regualr box and one each of any extra boxes.
Now... I'll be you're wondering where I heard about this. Well... in my everlasting hunt for money-saving ideas and tips I found a website called Hillbilly Housewife ( http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com) You'll love this one too...
It's sponsored by Living on a Dime... the link to wich you can get on the site.
The ebooks really ARE useful and worth the money! I have them all AND I ordered the dining on a dime cookbook.... again.. WORTH IT!
Next on my list is ThriftyFun. http://www.thriftyfun.com
there are times that I think you can find anything you want to know on this site thanks to all the cool people from around not only the US but around the world!
(this is where i finally found a copy of KFC'c Huckleberry Cake recipe that my Mom used to make when I was growing up on our farm in Sodus, Michigan in the 70's)
Also in my fave places:
Old Farmer's Almanac: http://www.almanac.com/
Care2: http://www.care2.com/
The Witch's Voice: http://www.witchvox.com/
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com
and the best weird, timewasting, habit forming website:
http://www.pointlesssites.com/hypnotic.asp
We had an amazing feast and the ritual was fun. I like fun and I think it's greatly needed especialy in Sabbat rituals. I'm not saying that you should be disrecpectful, but please have FUN. enjoy worship. We were serious, but we laughed. We were respectful, but we danced.
Yesterday, the 28th, I picked up our first ever Angel Food boxes. Now, this is run by churches across the country but everyone is welcome to participate. It's called Angel Food Ministries and it a Great way to save grocery money! There aren't questions asked and there's no religious connotations except that you usually order and pick up your items at a church and you get this little magazine called "the Servant" when you pick up the order. I actually read it. It's nice. Nothing there that isn't appliable to any other denomination or religion.
The URL for this is: http://WWW.AngelFoodMinistries.com
You can find locations near you along with the listings of items in the main box and the extra boxes.
My family and I intend to order every month one regualr box and one each of any extra boxes.
Now... I'll be you're wondering where I heard about this. Well... in my everlasting hunt for money-saving ideas and tips I found a website called Hillbilly Housewife ( http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com) You'll love this one too...
It's sponsored by Living on a Dime... the link to wich you can get on the site.
The ebooks really ARE useful and worth the money! I have them all AND I ordered the dining on a dime cookbook.... again.. WORTH IT!
Next on my list is ThriftyFun. http://www.thriftyfun.com
there are times that I think you can find anything you want to know on this site thanks to all the cool people from around not only the US but around the world!
(this is where i finally found a copy of KFC'c Huckleberry Cake recipe that my Mom used to make when I was growing up on our farm in Sodus, Michigan in the 70's)
Also in my fave places:
Old Farmer's Almanac: http://www.almanac.com/
Care2: http://www.care2.com/
The Witch's Voice: http://www.witchvox.com/
You Tube: http://www.youtube.com
and the best weird, timewasting, habit forming website:
http://www.pointlesssites.com/hypnotic.asp
Monday, June 16, 2008
What the Heck is "Self-Proclaimed?!"
Ok...
Now as you know, I'm not really a ranter, but I was reading up on some ideas on ways to make my Summer Solstice celebration a little more Irish feeling when I saw that infamous phrase: Self-proclaimed.
I have seen that phrase printed over and over as a prelude to witch, druid, shaman, pagan, and a few others, but I've never seen it used with catholic, luthern, buddist, methodist or the like.
Why? What makes some people "official" in their religions and others not?
What kind of stir would I make if I were to write an article and refer to someone as being a "self-proclaimed baptist?" (bad enough I don't capitalize it, huh?)
I think it's a way of attempting to take away power from a person. Telling them "you're not real" makes them seem harmless.
Now that I think of it... I can't be angry with these people. It must be terrible to live in such fear that you must undermine another person's beliefs just to make yourself feel better.
But then... don't most people do something similar?
Who doesn't watch that size 3 darling waft past in that cute little sundress and mutter to your friend how "scrawny" she is or how being so thin makes her look skeletal? but really...let's be honest.... she was cute. and the dress was past cute.
weird how i tend to talk myself out of being mad at people at times isn't?
I wish I could do that all the time.
Well...
No one's perfect... yet.
Shosha
Now as you know, I'm not really a ranter, but I was reading up on some ideas on ways to make my Summer Solstice celebration a little more Irish feeling when I saw that infamous phrase: Self-proclaimed.
I have seen that phrase printed over and over as a prelude to witch, druid, shaman, pagan, and a few others, but I've never seen it used with catholic, luthern, buddist, methodist or the like.
Why? What makes some people "official" in their religions and others not?
What kind of stir would I make if I were to write an article and refer to someone as being a "self-proclaimed baptist?" (bad enough I don't capitalize it, huh?)
I think it's a way of attempting to take away power from a person. Telling them "you're not real" makes them seem harmless.
Now that I think of it... I can't be angry with these people. It must be terrible to live in such fear that you must undermine another person's beliefs just to make yourself feel better.
But then... don't most people do something similar?
Who doesn't watch that size 3 darling waft past in that cute little sundress and mutter to your friend how "scrawny" she is or how being so thin makes her look skeletal? but really...let's be honest.... she was cute. and the dress was past cute.
weird how i tend to talk myself out of being mad at people at times isn't?
I wish I could do that all the time.
Well...
No one's perfect... yet.
Shosha
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Gardening...
Well... we've done it. Tom and the girls got the lawn mowed yesterday. No mean feat I might add, since we live on about 4 acres. We don't mow the whole thing but about an acre and a half gets trimmed. Mostly in the Orchard.
While they were busy with that, I got the gardens planted. Beans, a whole 10'x10' of Sweet corn, Okra! I love fried okra! Tomatoes. I got heirloom tomatoes, Margolds. Some romas and the grape tomatoes Tom loves so much. Carrots... three colours: yellow, cream, and orange. I like the purple ones too but I couldn't find seeds for those. Still looking for Blue Potatoes to cut up for statrers, but it looks like i'm skunked again this year if I cna't get them in before June.
I plan to order a huge dehydrator this year. I'll keep you all posted with how that goes and how well it works. I'm also getting a little 'tiller. One with maybe a 10" width to use for weeding. WAY easier than hoeing. The weeds will also end up food for my plants that way too.
I admit, I'm not as organic as I wish I could be. It's just not feasable at the small scale we're on.
We have a LOT of huge commercial farms around us who spray and then all the bugs come our way and we don't stand a chance unless we spray too. We do, however try to use less harmful sprays and chemical fertilizers. We also NEVER spray during Blossom because of the bees.
When the flower buds turn kind of silvery and after all the flowers are gone we spray. You want to keep the bees you know!
Well... We don't have kids today so I'm not going to be spending my day on here!
See you all later!
Shosha
While they were busy with that, I got the gardens planted. Beans, a whole 10'x10' of Sweet corn, Okra! I love fried okra! Tomatoes. I got heirloom tomatoes, Margolds. Some romas and the grape tomatoes Tom loves so much. Carrots... three colours: yellow, cream, and orange. I like the purple ones too but I couldn't find seeds for those. Still looking for Blue Potatoes to cut up for statrers, but it looks like i'm skunked again this year if I cna't get them in before June.
I plan to order a huge dehydrator this year. I'll keep you all posted with how that goes and how well it works. I'm also getting a little 'tiller. One with maybe a 10" width to use for weeding. WAY easier than hoeing. The weeds will also end up food for my plants that way too.
I admit, I'm not as organic as I wish I could be. It's just not feasable at the small scale we're on.
We have a LOT of huge commercial farms around us who spray and then all the bugs come our way and we don't stand a chance unless we spray too. We do, however try to use less harmful sprays and chemical fertilizers. We also NEVER spray during Blossom because of the bees.
When the flower buds turn kind of silvery and after all the flowers are gone we spray. You want to keep the bees you know!
Well... We don't have kids today so I'm not going to be spending my day on here!
See you all later!
Shosha
Friday, May 16, 2008
Back... but where the heck was I?
Well... after a really weird couple of weeks, the last few days of dealing with both girls and the hubby being sick I'm back to my dear ol' blog!
I remember promising you a majikal chant for spring cleaning.... I tried a different one out in each room and found that this one worked the best (even if it is OLD) "Out with the old, In with the new." I also charged my cleaning products, blessing them, and visualizing them working even better than they normally do... and sure enough, it works!
Now I have to go read the old posts to remember what it was I was going to write about next! LOL
until again we meet: Merry Part!
Shosha
I remember promising you a majikal chant for spring cleaning.... I tried a different one out in each room and found that this one worked the best (even if it is OLD) "Out with the old, In with the new." I also charged my cleaning products, blessing them, and visualizing them working even better than they normally do... and sure enough, it works!
Now I have to go read the old posts to remember what it was I was going to write about next! LOL
until again we meet: Merry Part!
Shosha
Friday, April 11, 2008
Friday's Babbling.... :)
I think I've had it. Spring Fever.
I can't wait to get out side... I want to sleep.. a LOT!
The crocus have bloomed and my daffodils are getting ready to bloom! I can't wait!!!
Last weekend, Tom and I worked up on the MoonHill.
We have a semi-circular wall of sorts built using t-posts as supports and logs for the actual walls. It's really cool... In the middle is our firepit. It's rung with large stones and big enough to burn skids in it. tom also built a tripod with a hanging grill on it. I love that thing!
As you come up the hill on the path, (the path is lined on each side with trees and shrubs and the like... all kinds of plants... eventually we hope it'll make a sort of tunnel-like effect.) and you look up toward the wall, you'll see my pride and joy: My Wall of Bottles. All kinds of wine bottles... green, clear, brown, blue... laid on a foundation of logs and stabilized with caulking.
It took me the best partof Saturday morning start to finish...
It's really lovely. I can't wait until Full Moon this month, it'll be our first out door (weather permitting) Ritual this year!
Seems like I "can't wait" for a lot of things.... like cooking out!!! We've done it once already...
these Bacon-wrapped hotdogs... they're amazing!!
Tom heard about them when California banned their sales because they weren't "healthy."
Ok.. I'm all for healthy foods.. but come on! NO STATE... NO GOVERNMENT has that right to force it's people to be healthy or safe or anything like that! that's CRAZY!
You all reading this... what are your thoughts?
Should a town, state or other government have the right to tell you what you can and can't eat?
Feel free to post!
I can't wait to get out side... I want to sleep.. a LOT!
The crocus have bloomed and my daffodils are getting ready to bloom! I can't wait!!!
Last weekend, Tom and I worked up on the MoonHill.
We have a semi-circular wall of sorts built using t-posts as supports and logs for the actual walls. It's really cool... In the middle is our firepit. It's rung with large stones and big enough to burn skids in it. tom also built a tripod with a hanging grill on it. I love that thing!
As you come up the hill on the path, (the path is lined on each side with trees and shrubs and the like... all kinds of plants... eventually we hope it'll make a sort of tunnel-like effect.) and you look up toward the wall, you'll see my pride and joy: My Wall of Bottles. All kinds of wine bottles... green, clear, brown, blue... laid on a foundation of logs and stabilized with caulking.
It took me the best partof Saturday morning start to finish...
It's really lovely. I can't wait until Full Moon this month, it'll be our first out door (weather permitting) Ritual this year!
Seems like I "can't wait" for a lot of things.... like cooking out!!! We've done it once already...
these Bacon-wrapped hotdogs... they're amazing!!
Tom heard about them when California banned their sales because they weren't "healthy."
Ok.. I'm all for healthy foods.. but come on! NO STATE... NO GOVERNMENT has that right to force it's people to be healthy or safe or anything like that! that's CRAZY!
You all reading this... what are your thoughts?
Should a town, state or other government have the right to tell you what you can and can't eat?
Feel free to post!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Spring
Spring officially "sprung" at 1:48 am on March 20th this year.
However, in my neck of the woods (south west Michigan), we had one last hurrah for winter in the form of a 6 inch layer of snow, just in time for the Easter weekend. Yeah, I know, I'm pagan and don't celebrate Easter.... well... yeah, I do. Only my Husband and I are pagan. Everyone else is not and so, Easter it is.
But really, the point of this post is Spring.
My daffodils are up about three inches, the Great Blue Herons are home again, canadian geese, Robins, and the bluebirds and indigo buntings have all been sighted and heartily welcomes home for the summer.
I didn't even mind that little snow storm because I could still see that soft greenish note in the treetops where the sap is running and the buds are swelling...
It makes me crave raw fresh veggies, things that look, smell, taste GREEN.
Green is the colour that gives me hope. It's the return of life. Green tends to be more relaxing to me than any shade of blue. mmmm.... laying on a blanket under a tree looking up at all the shimmery green leaves in the breeze with the sun dappling through (sigh)
It's also a time to start opening up the house again after being sealed against the winter.
We're supposed to be getting a 60 degree day next week and I can't wait!
The windows and doors are getting opened, bedding will be hung out on the line to be freshened (yes.. I do wash sheets and blankets, but I have a few down pieces that only get freshened when I can't get to the laundromat.)
A nice general cleaning will then commence and all the cobwebs that were missed, the dust that just floated from place to place... everything will be washed! This also uncludes some outdoor items, like the grill and our firepit up on MoonHill. There's also a large black plastic tub that will get filled in the morning with water and allowed to heat (it gets pretty warm in the sun!) and my Darling Husband Tom, will get the honours of giving the boys (our 8 year old beagle/bassett mix, Russell and our 7 month old English Pointer, Ralphie) their spring baths.... and do they need it!
I'm already trying to get a head start in the house: Cleaning out the frige and taking everything apart and washing it properly... getting the airconditioners ready.... touch ups on the walls.... cobwebs gone... and planning my strategy for getting rid of a lot of ..... stuff.
We're also talking about cleaning the garage one weekend and taking the stuff from the Garage attic too... this will all get sorted, cleaned and priced and put into a three or four day garage sale that will then fund some neat family adventure for a weekend this summer.
I'll be posting about our cleaning sessions.
Something I'm looking forward to sharing with you all is making your own cleaning products and the majik I use to make them more effective.
By this I mean to help them clean better, more thoroughly and to help keep things cleaner longer.
well...speaking of work to do, it's WAY past time for me to get a move on...
I'll be posting tomorrow with some great "green" cleaning recipes and that lovely chant I mentioned.
Maybe I'll even make up a basic itinerary for cleaning and post that too, just to give you an idea of what I do.
Be well in Spirit and Strong in Heart!
Shosha
However, in my neck of the woods (south west Michigan), we had one last hurrah for winter in the form of a 6 inch layer of snow, just in time for the Easter weekend. Yeah, I know, I'm pagan and don't celebrate Easter.... well... yeah, I do. Only my Husband and I are pagan. Everyone else is not and so, Easter it is.
But really, the point of this post is Spring.
My daffodils are up about three inches, the Great Blue Herons are home again, canadian geese, Robins, and the bluebirds and indigo buntings have all been sighted and heartily welcomes home for the summer.
I didn't even mind that little snow storm because I could still see that soft greenish note in the treetops where the sap is running and the buds are swelling...
It makes me crave raw fresh veggies, things that look, smell, taste GREEN.
Green is the colour that gives me hope. It's the return of life. Green tends to be more relaxing to me than any shade of blue. mmmm.... laying on a blanket under a tree looking up at all the shimmery green leaves in the breeze with the sun dappling through (sigh)
It's also a time to start opening up the house again after being sealed against the winter.
We're supposed to be getting a 60 degree day next week and I can't wait!
The windows and doors are getting opened, bedding will be hung out on the line to be freshened (yes.. I do wash sheets and blankets, but I have a few down pieces that only get freshened when I can't get to the laundromat.)
A nice general cleaning will then commence and all the cobwebs that were missed, the dust that just floated from place to place... everything will be washed! This also uncludes some outdoor items, like the grill and our firepit up on MoonHill. There's also a large black plastic tub that will get filled in the morning with water and allowed to heat (it gets pretty warm in the sun!) and my Darling Husband Tom, will get the honours of giving the boys (our 8 year old beagle/bassett mix, Russell and our 7 month old English Pointer, Ralphie) their spring baths.... and do they need it!
I'm already trying to get a head start in the house: Cleaning out the frige and taking everything apart and washing it properly... getting the airconditioners ready.... touch ups on the walls.... cobwebs gone... and planning my strategy for getting rid of a lot of ..... stuff.
We're also talking about cleaning the garage one weekend and taking the stuff from the Garage attic too... this will all get sorted, cleaned and priced and put into a three or four day garage sale that will then fund some neat family adventure for a weekend this summer.
I'll be posting about our cleaning sessions.
Something I'm looking forward to sharing with you all is making your own cleaning products and the majik I use to make them more effective.
By this I mean to help them clean better, more thoroughly and to help keep things cleaner longer.
well...speaking of work to do, it's WAY past time for me to get a move on...
I'll be posting tomorrow with some great "green" cleaning recipes and that lovely chant I mentioned.
Maybe I'll even make up a basic itinerary for cleaning and post that too, just to give you an idea of what I do.
Be well in Spirit and Strong in Heart!
Shosha
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Coven Forming
Circle of the MoonHill
Age Range/Type: Adult
Located in: Berrien Springs, Michigan
Key Contact: Shosha
Spiritual Path: Ecclectic/Irish/Celtic/Shaman
Status: Group Forming
Community Support: Open Circles... Legal Clergy... Teaching Available
Group Overview: Greetings! The Circle of the MoonHill is reforming and is willing to take on new members.Our Mission Statement:The Circle of the MoonHill is dedicated to it's members and the Earth upon which we live.We aspire to learn always and all ways.To perform majik for the good of one and the good of all.To offer support to one another in our joys and in our sorrows.To better ourselves, eachother, and our World.Please contact me, Shosha with any questions you might have.
AIM: ShoshaAmonithil
Yahoo! Messenger: RealPaganWoman13
Telephone: (269) 277-6966
Email: CircleOfTheMoonHill@comcast.net
Age Range/Type: Adult
Located in: Berrien Springs, Michigan
Key Contact: Shosha
Spiritual Path: Ecclectic/Irish/Celtic/Shaman
Status: Group Forming
Community Support: Open Circles... Legal Clergy... Teaching Available
Group Overview: Greetings! The Circle of the MoonHill is reforming and is willing to take on new members.Our Mission Statement:The Circle of the MoonHill is dedicated to it's members and the Earth upon which we live.We aspire to learn always and all ways.To perform majik for the good of one and the good of all.To offer support to one another in our joys and in our sorrows.To better ourselves, eachother, and our World.Please contact me, Shosha with any questions you might have.
AIM: ShoshaAmonithil
Yahoo! Messenger: RealPaganWoman13
Telephone: (269) 277-6966
Email: CircleOfTheMoonHill@comcast.net
Circle of the MoonHill First Annual Summer Solstice Backyard Campout
When: Jun. 20th. 2008 - Jun. 22nd. 2008
Where: Berrien Springs, Michigan
We still have plenty of room! Sign Up! The sooner the better!
A Popular question has been "Do I have to spend the night?" The answer is "no, you don't have to stay over night." Just let me know that you're not going to stay, but that you'll be here on Saturday.
How To Sign Up: This event is technically by "invitation only" as it's at a private residence.
We have limited space for parking so the invitations will be emailed to you on a first come first served basis.
RSVP by May 20th, 2008, Invitations will be sent to the first 15 invitation requests and Invitations will be emailed no later than June 1st, 2008.
Just Put INVITATION in the subject line. and let me know the following info: Your name, how many people you're bringing.
PLEASE! NO PETS.
We have enough of our own.
You can also contact me at:
AIM: ShoshaAmonithilYahoo!
Messenger: RealPaganWoman13
and (269) 277-6966
Email: Circleofthemoonhill@comcast.net
Where: Berrien Springs, Michigan
We still have plenty of room! Sign Up! The sooner the better!
A Popular question has been "Do I have to spend the night?" The answer is "no, you don't have to stay over night." Just let me know that you're not going to stay, but that you'll be here on Saturday.
How To Sign Up: This event is technically by "invitation only" as it's at a private residence.
We have limited space for parking so the invitations will be emailed to you on a first come first served basis.
RSVP by May 20th, 2008, Invitations will be sent to the first 15 invitation requests and Invitations will be emailed no later than June 1st, 2008.
Just Put INVITATION in the subject line. and let me know the following info: Your name, how many people you're bringing.
PLEASE! NO PETS.
We have enough of our own.
You can also contact me at:
AIM: ShoshaAmonithilYahoo!
Messenger: RealPaganWoman13
and (269) 277-6966
Email: Circleofthemoonhill@comcast.net
Friday, March 14, 2008
Laundry Soap
I just made 2 gallons of no weird-stuff laundry soap.
I paid $8.82 for the bulk ingredients and The batch cost only about $1.98.
Here's the recipe:
1 cup of grated Fels Naptha (about 2/3 bar)
1/2 cup Laundry Soda
1/2 cup Borax
2 Tablespoons Glycerine
In a large pan (one that will hold about 2 1/2 gallons... like a stockpot) put 2 gallons of water and bring nearly to a boil. Add everything else and cook and stir until the Fels Naptha is dissolved. You might need to whisk it a time or two. Once it's mixed as you like you can start laundry!
Use 1/2 -1 cup per load... I use a full cup for 5 pairs of work jeans. They have stuff on them like machine grease, coolants, graphite residue, and tiny tiny metal shavings and grit.... they come out CLEAN!
Happy Laundry Day!
~Shosha~
I paid $8.82 for the bulk ingredients and The batch cost only about $1.98.
Here's the recipe:
1 cup of grated Fels Naptha (about 2/3 bar)
1/2 cup Laundry Soda
1/2 cup Borax
2 Tablespoons Glycerine
In a large pan (one that will hold about 2 1/2 gallons... like a stockpot) put 2 gallons of water and bring nearly to a boil. Add everything else and cook and stir until the Fels Naptha is dissolved. You might need to whisk it a time or two. Once it's mixed as you like you can start laundry!
Use 1/2 -1 cup per load... I use a full cup for 5 pairs of work jeans. They have stuff on them like machine grease, coolants, graphite residue, and tiny tiny metal shavings and grit.... they come out CLEAN!
Happy Laundry Day!
~Shosha~
Pagan At Home's First Blog Ever!
Hi! I'm Shosha, Pagan At Home's editor in chief. I'd like you to know me a little better and understand just what I'm hoping for in this blog.
When I'm not blogging here, I'm a housewife. I have a husband and two daughters (nearly 21 and just shy of 18.) I live on about 4 acres of land in South Western Michigan and I'm nearly surrounded by the fruit trees my husband and I have planted since we moved here October 31st, 1999.
By this time, I was out of the proverbial Broomcloset.
I've subscribed to several pagan/wiccan/witchy-type e-groups, news letters and the like but none of them helped with the information I was looking for. I wanted to know how to "be pagan" all the time. Not just at festivals and gatherings or Rituals. I tried to sum up what it meant to be pagan... in general by concensus, to different representatives of various groups/factions/whatever you want to call pagan "denominations" and more so, what it meant to ME.
Over all, Pagans in general, greatly dislike being generalized about.
Pagans, in general, also seem to be extremely fond of doing things in very old fashioned ways... Much like the Hippies of the 60's and , Later when they got into their mid/late 30s, Back to the landers... the ones who went over board with "Little House on the Prarie." (I know these people well because they were my parents. My Mother was way into making anything and everything she if it could be made cheaper than buying it. I am still. I just finished a 2 gallon batch of Laundry soap that cost me only 1.98 to make.)
They also, in general, like magic, magick, magik, and my personal favourite: Majik. They talk about it a LOT. but no one seems to DO it much. That was another thing.
When you read about the "old days" of pagans (witches) you hear of them casting this spell to ensure that... or that spell to keep such and such from happening... or not happening, depending.
Books are loaded with spells... most of which seem to need a lot of.... stuff to go with the little rhyme. And talk about overboard... with all the do taht on a monday, but only if the moon is in the 3rd quarter and Mercury is in retrograde, unless it's in August when you have to do everything on Sunday at High Noon.... and face that way and.... well.. you get the picture.
I understand that the more you put into a spell (by spell I mean ANY majik doing) the better it is... and sure all that stuff can give it an oomph, but honestly, who but Ms. Teen Witch has that kind of time? Goddess bless her heart. I wish I did, but with kids, and Hubby, and two dogs, three cats, 5 dozen chickens, a garden the size of County Cork (gotta feed everyone!) when do I have time to look up all the whens and gather all the whats?
I'm even taking forever to write this because I'm also doing dishes, laundry, and baking bread at the same time!
So here's what I'm hoping for:
I'd like Pagan At Home to be a kind of "Mother Earth News meets Family Circle meets Pagans" e-Zine-type blog.
I WANT you readers to comment... add things... Write "articles" anything it takes.
Tell me some good everyday spells. How do you go as green as you can where you live without breaking yourself and your bank? When you clean... do you chant to help keep the grunge and clutter from coming back? does it help? Would you share your chant? or if you don't... why not?
What's your favourite recipe? Not just for incense, but for bread pudding... or pie... or maybe a sugarfree chocolate cake that folks scarf down like no tomorrow....
Tell me thing... Tell eachother these things!
May Blessed Be You All.
~Shosha~
When I'm not blogging here, I'm a housewife. I have a husband and two daughters (nearly 21 and just shy of 18.) I live on about 4 acres of land in South Western Michigan and I'm nearly surrounded by the fruit trees my husband and I have planted since we moved here October 31st, 1999.
By this time, I was out of the proverbial Broomcloset.
I've subscribed to several pagan/wiccan/witchy-type e-groups, news letters and the like but none of them helped with the information I was looking for. I wanted to know how to "be pagan" all the time. Not just at festivals and gatherings or Rituals. I tried to sum up what it meant to be pagan... in general by concensus, to different representatives of various groups/factions/whatever you want to call pagan "denominations" and more so, what it meant to ME.
Over all, Pagans in general, greatly dislike being generalized about.
Pagans, in general, also seem to be extremely fond of doing things in very old fashioned ways... Much like the Hippies of the 60's and , Later when they got into their mid/late 30s, Back to the landers... the ones who went over board with "Little House on the Prarie." (I know these people well because they were my parents. My Mother was way into making anything and everything she if it could be made cheaper than buying it. I am still. I just finished a 2 gallon batch of Laundry soap that cost me only 1.98 to make.)
They also, in general, like magic, magick, magik, and my personal favourite: Majik. They talk about it a LOT. but no one seems to DO it much. That was another thing.
When you read about the "old days" of pagans (witches) you hear of them casting this spell to ensure that... or that spell to keep such and such from happening... or not happening, depending.
Books are loaded with spells... most of which seem to need a lot of.... stuff to go with the little rhyme. And talk about overboard... with all the do taht on a monday, but only if the moon is in the 3rd quarter and Mercury is in retrograde, unless it's in August when you have to do everything on Sunday at High Noon.... and face that way and.... well.. you get the picture.
I understand that the more you put into a spell (by spell I mean ANY majik doing) the better it is... and sure all that stuff can give it an oomph, but honestly, who but Ms. Teen Witch has that kind of time? Goddess bless her heart. I wish I did, but with kids, and Hubby, and two dogs, three cats, 5 dozen chickens, a garden the size of County Cork (gotta feed everyone!) when do I have time to look up all the whens and gather all the whats?
I'm even taking forever to write this because I'm also doing dishes, laundry, and baking bread at the same time!
So here's what I'm hoping for:
I'd like Pagan At Home to be a kind of "Mother Earth News meets Family Circle meets Pagans" e-Zine-type blog.
I WANT you readers to comment... add things... Write "articles" anything it takes.
Tell me some good everyday spells. How do you go as green as you can where you live without breaking yourself and your bank? When you clean... do you chant to help keep the grunge and clutter from coming back? does it help? Would you share your chant? or if you don't... why not?
What's your favourite recipe? Not just for incense, but for bread pudding... or pie... or maybe a sugarfree chocolate cake that folks scarf down like no tomorrow....
Tell me thing... Tell eachother these things!
May Blessed Be You All.
~Shosha~
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