Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Feb 5, 2010

Thoughtful Thursday

Here are some really simple ways to show your appreciation for those who impact your life in a positive way. 


~ A heart felt thank-you note/card.


~ Gift certificate to their favorite coffee shop.


~ Fresh baking for their early morning meeting.


~ Fresh cut flowers to be passed around the office. Include a card that says: A little something to brighten your day. I’m yours for two hours then give me away.


~ Invite your friend or co-worker out for a cup of coffee or a drink after work.


~ Lend a hand when a friend or family member is painting or remodeling their home.


~ If you know your friend wants to get organized but is having a tough time starting, buy them a book on organizing, some containers and nice notebook.


~ Cook a meal so they don’t have to after a long day at work.


~ Frame one of their favorite pictures.


~ Share a plant or a plant clipping.


~ Pick up some groceries and drop them off  to someone homebound in your neighborhood on your way home.


~ Return a favor. If your neighbor always shovels your walk way or mows your grass get out there before him or her and do theirs for a change.


~ Watch your niece or nephew or neighbor's child(ren) for an afternoon to give their parents some time off.


~ Make reservations at their favorite restaurant.


~ Make a candle light dinner at home for your spouse.


~Give a hug. Simple as that.


~ Tell them what you think they are particularly great at.


~ Write notes to leave on a pillow, a computer keyboard, or in a lunch box.


~ Give a hand made gift. 


Make a special day just for them. Plan a day for them around what they enjoy. Go with them if it’s appropriate.


Our relationships with others are what enrich our lives. Take time to show the people who make your life better how much you appreciate them and how much they matter.








Nov 22, 2009

Serenity Sunday





This Thursday, millions of families will gather around beautifully decorated tables to give thanks for all that they have. In honor of this day of gratitude, here's my Homemade Cranberry Relish recipe. I have nothing but fond memories of my grandmother each time that I make it for a celebratory dinner.



Cranberry Relish


*1 bag whole cranberries
*1 orange (chunked)
*1 apple (chunked)
*1 large box strawberry jello
* 1 cup of sugar


Grind cranberries, orange and apple until finely chopped (I use a food processor but a blender or food chopper will work too.) Pour into large mixing bowl and add in box of strawberry jello. Add sugar to taste... until not too tart, not too sweet. Let set in the refrigerator over night and  voilĂ ..holiday relish!


My List:


1.) My children


2.) Family traditions


3.) Brown and crispy turkey skin (yummy!)


4.) The smell of fresh baked rolls


5.) Happy memories


6.) Grandmothers


7.) Brown, red and gold tablecloths


8.) Mulled wine


9.) Silly turkey napkin rings


10.) Full tummies




*  Framed turkey hand print made by my son Conor in first grade.








Sep 1, 2009

Tarot Tuesday


I'm using my Fairy Ring Oracle by Anna Franklin today and the card I drew is  the third card in  the Summer Court, The Gruagach ( groo-ah-gock).  She is a long haired fairy in a plaid robe and is shown in front of a Scottish castle at the edge of a loch. Her name itself, means "long haired one" and this character likes to haunt castles and grand mansions but unlike the house dwelling brownie that is attached to a family, the Gruaghach is attached to the building itself.

In an upright position, the appearance of The Gruaghach in your reading,  often refers to matters concerning family roots; traditions; inheritance; ancestors, family money and heirlooms. This card is all about establishing firm family foundations and ties to our ancestors. What is your definition of family? Is it by blood or by spirituality? How can you strengthen your family and it's foundations?

In the reversed position (upside down) this card indicates empty forms and rituals...going through the motions but not feeling a connection. There may be family disagreements and petty squabbles...disputes about legacy and inheritance, perhaps even a change in residence.

The Gruaghach seems to have been more than just a  ordinary house fairy and although her name means "long haired one" it sometimes implies that  of wizard or sorcerer. They are ofted depicted struggling with the four animal totems of the season...the Stag of Samhain...the Unicorn of Imbolc.... the Dragon of Beltane and the Lion of Lammas and may have appeared to turn the wheel of the seasons.

The Graghach is going to be turning the Wheel very soon and ushering in the Autumnal Equinox (and not long after, Samhain) so this season let's think of ways to honor and celebrate our ancestors and family members!



On Another Note:

I'm so excited my favorite season arrived today in the mail!

Jun 6, 2009

An Essay By My Daughter....



Who I Am and What I Value


To help describe who I am and what exactly I value, I chose a specific piece of art. The artwork I have chosen is a statue of a woman. This female appears to be sculpted out of stone, the type of stone is unclear to me. The woman is pregnant, her swollen belly has the image of a globe for skin. Her hair is significantly lengthy and is adorned by butterflies and golden spiders. The look represented on the face is one of contentment and joy, love and possibly pride. The stone skin is covered in cave like marks, which seem to be random in placement. This statue very simply represents my most important values that make up who I am. They are family, education and compassion.

The very first glance at this piece of artwork screams family. The statue is undeniably pregnant, and enjoying it greatly. The image of the earth and the markings on the skin sends the message that the mother is very connected to bringing a child into the world. The markings on her leg make me feel it is also important for her to teach the child to live in the world. This is a very important task. Family is the most important value to me personally for many reasons. First of all family is an individuals beginning to instruction of life. Family is the support system where each individual learns from each other, from each person's mistakes.

This support system is always there for you. From family a child learns to socialize and how to emerge into the world once ready. Having many individuals together all the time forces socialization. This effectively teaches one how to handle many different real world situations properly. It is important to learn social skills in order to function in society, if nobody learned to socialize we would have no society. I myself have two children, this increases the value of family to me. I value the fact that I need to teach my girls to be a productive member of society, and I take this seriously.

My family is part of what makes me who I am. My life revolves around making sure my family can properly function and succeed in society.Another image quickly evident to the eye is the globe that is the pregnant belly. Immediately one thinks of education, or knowing the world inside and out. I believe education is as important as food and shelter. This is because knowledge or education is the means of obtaining power, controlling your destiny and achieving what you want out of life. In the society of today you need education to achieve an admirable and enjoyable yet profitable career. Education equips a person with the ability to achieve their dreams.

It is education that builds in every individual, the confidence to take decisions, to face life and to accept successes and failures, and move forward. This is an important value because I would like to be a nurse in the future. As a nurse every year you need to renew your education and keep up with constantly changing medical technology. Also learning is extremely fun to me, I like to think of myself as an intelligent person and pride myself upon that. I plan to instill a great education in my children in order for them to be able to achieve all their dreams and goals. Education opens so many doors, while ignorance closes many. I want the world to open to my children and I ,therefore it is important to me that my family has all the means necessary to make life what they desire. This leads to my final value which is compassion.

The look on the pregnant woman’s face is one of extreme compassion and love for her child. The look on her face is what instantly drew me in to the piece of art and ultimately lead to using it as my medium for this essay. I feel compassion is an important value to have because it gives a person a desire to help those who are suffering. This is also an important trait to being a nurse, mother, wife or productive member of society. Compassion requires a “do unto others” mentality, which I believe benefits society greatly. If more people cared about one another society might run more smoothly. The reason I value this so much is because compassion makes me who I am.

Everything I do in life, and enjoy doing involves compassion. Raising my two children requires so much compassion, in order to understand how they are feeling and parent accordingly. It makes me a better mother to be able to feel for my children and have the desire to help in any way possible. There is nothing in life that gives me as much satisfaction.

Another important part of who I am that requires compassion is a health care worker. With my desire to become a nurse a great deal of compassion is needed to be excellent in my career. I cant stand to see people suffering and want to do everything I can to make them more comfortable. Having compassion allows me to empower my children or residents to regulate their emotions and behaviors to function better in society. I want to help everyone I possibly can, I feel for those in less fortunate situations, and I absolutely love every minute of it.

Compassion makes me a better person, able to effectively function in society, trying to improve the overall experience of life. All three of these values are very important to me. I live my life with these values on the forefront, I practice them everyday. In the end my values are what makes me who I am. They develop my identity, if you take any of these away from me I become a completely different person.


"Wow!"... I thought, "This is MY child that wrote this!" this!

May 17, 2009

Serentity Sunday


Wow, what a beautiful day it was yesterday! The sun was shining..... the temperature reached 82 degrees.... a refreshing breeze caressed my face and there wasn't a cloud in sight. It was the perfect day for the the annual Hazel Dell parade in Vancouver, Washington. My roommate Coral's oldest daughter, Isabella, (affectionately called Bella) played her clarinet in the Chief Umtuch ( pronounced Um- tuck) Middle School Marching Band and they were enthusiastically cheered on by the huge crowd that lined the sidewalks and streets.

With the beautiful weather yesterday and today (another 82 degree day) just reinforced the feeling of what is really important in this life...a small town parade...great weather... family and friends and a very laid back weekend.


My List:

1.) My kids


2.) My cats


3.) Good friends


4.) Cool breezes


5.) Picnic lunches


6.) Lemon flavored Propel


7.) Tolerance and education


8.) Music


9.) An old rusty Weber barbecue


10.) Taking life one day at a time



May 11, 2009

When Witchy Wasn't Cool...


I had the coolest thing happen this weekend, I got an invitation to the Black Hat Society Network! I had been quite envious of this site for a long time now as an invitation is needed to join but low and behold the web mistress put an invite in her blog that said just send an email and an invitation would be extended...."Way cool..!" I said and promptly emailed her.


There is a cookbook in the works at The Black Hat Society Network and I'm really excited to be able to submit an entry that has been in my family for many, many years. My grandmother, may the universe bless her lovely soul, was the grounding and driving force in my young life that was less than idealistic due to my father's alcoholism. Without my grandparents, I would not be the person I am today and I wish that I could hug them one more time.


As a child I didn't even realize that my grandparent's were earth based, to me it seemed as everyones family was that way.... looking back, I see that my grandma and grandpa were true pagans at a time when it was unacceptable and thought of as blasphemy at it's finest. Holidays were mixed with little nuances of paganism and there were occasions that they celebrated that other families didn't have and it wasn't until I grew up and the path found me, did I realize the legacy that they had given me.


My grandparents have been gone for many years now, and at times I can acutely feel my loss but other times I can hear my grandmother's words echoing in my head or think that I've caught a whiff of her perfume (she made her own rose water perfume) and realize her energy still surrounds and comforts me in my lonliest times.

Apr 26, 2009

Serenity Sunday


Food has magical properties – both in its nutritional value, but more importantly in how it makes us feel when we eat it. Living in a magical household means paying attention to the every day activities in our lives. When we go into the kitchen and prepare food it turns into an act of love for ourselves and our families – and it is magic.

We turn ordinary ingredients into fabulous meals using wooden spoons and spatulas as our wands. We perform simple alchemy to change base materials into “gold”. All good cooks know they are magicians in the kitchen, but for Pagans this daily work is as important as casting spells in the sacred circle.


A simple blessing I use before meals:

Blessings upon this food...

Blessings upon this family...

Blessings upon all who need...

May no one hunger.



My List:

1.) My children

2.) Good friends

3.) Beautiful colors at sunset

4.) Yorkshire pudding

5.) My t.v. remote

6.) A hot bath

7.) The smell of lavander

8.) Small pots of herbs growing on my porch

9.) Loreena McKennit

10.) Rainbow trout

Apr 12, 2009

Serenity Sunday


Ah, here we are on a Sunday again...Today the kids and I will be going to Coral's mum's house for dinner and I'm in charge of a dessert. I wracked my brain for a few days now just trying to figure out the perfect dessert to bring. Thankfully Nola let me off the hook and suggested Ambosia Salad and I'm looking it up on the net because I haven't made one of those since before dirt! Found a good one...here it is (along with this week's list)



Ambrosia Salad

2 cans pineapple chunks, drained
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 jars maraschino, drained
1 can coconut flakes
1/2 bag mini marshmallows
4 oz. sour cream
16 oz. Cool WhipCombine sour cream and Cool Whip. Fold in all other ingredients. Chill covered for at least 2 hours.

My list:

1.) My kids

2.) My cats

3.) Facebook

4.) Twitter...still trying to figure that one out!

5.) Good friends

6.) Bunny cake

7.) Pineapple

8.) Getting local radio on my laptop

9.) Waking up to classical music

10.) Prime rib.....Mmmmm!

Feb 17, 2009

Celtic Tree Calendar


Because my roots are Celtic in origin, I thought it would be fun to do some research on the Celtic Tree Calendar, which fascinates me to no end. I've always loved history and it's so cool when learning about the past leads you to realize that the past and present are not so removed from each other. Family's hand down stories and traditions from generation to generation and I just love seeing where a particular belief or custom originates from. I can still remember my grandfather teaching me all about the trees, he was a fire marshal for the local forest service in the town I grew up in and passed his love of nature to me.

The Celtic Tree Calendar calendar has thirteen lunar divisions. Most modern pagans use fixed dates for each month, rather than following the waxing and waning lunar cycle. Otherwise, eventually the calendar would fall out of sync with the Gregorian year that we all use today because some calendar years have 12 full moons and others have 13. The modern tree calendar is based on an idea that each letter in the ancient Celtic alphabet corresponded to a tree. Today marks the end of the tree month Rowan and tomorrow begins Ash.

The tree month of Ash (Feb. 18th -Mar 17) was a sacred chieftain tree and said to "court the flash" as it was prone to lightning strikes. Its wood was thought to be enchanted and was used for Druid wands and spears. Ash people are quick witted, spontaneous and gregarious. They have a lively curiosity and are intelligent, persuasive speakers, enthusiastic, curious and communicative. In Celtic mythology the ash is known as the tree of enchantment and it is said the Welsh magician Gwydion fashioned his wands from ash wood.

The Ogham (oh-wahm) or sacred Druidic alphabet contained hidden secrets for magic and divination and only the initiated could understand these meanings. The ancient Celts had a close bond with trees and we can see in their magical alphabet and in the tree calendar.They had a deep respect for their trees and it is reflected in the old Celtic word for oak (Duir), the word Derwydd or Duirwydd (oak-seer) was probably the origin of the word Druid.

Jan 30, 2009

My Ten Things...


I was listening to Ariel's new podcast on iTunes last night and the topic was gratitude. What a fantastic podcast, as I listened I began to realize when you sit down and simply list ten things that you are greatful for, your focus begins to shift and it becomes easier to actually change the direction and tone of your emotions. You become more positive, more grounded and able to focus on the things that really matter. Every day we run into situations that cause us to drag and dim our energy and just by listing the things that are blessings in our life takes that weight, that heaviness from our shoulders and causes us to be a more positive, productive person. I made a list of ten things I'm greatful for in my life and when I was finished I felt so energized, so positive! My aura felt clean and refreshed and I was more able to charge forth into my hectic day.

My Ten Things:

1.) My children.

2.) My health.

3.) My friends.

4.) The fresh air in my lungs when I walk outside.

5.) The feel of grass under my bare feet.

6.) My freedom to express my spirituality.

7.) My cats

8.) My electric blankie (yes, I did just say that...)

9.) The hard knocks in my past that made me who I am today.

10.) My ability to love and laugh loudly.