off on a new adventure!

I have started a new blog - goodness gracious miss*R!
~ going into 2007 I need to do what is right for me and after pondering the last few weeks, it means starting a new blog - with warts and all.

at first I was going to walk away from blogging altogether, but I love it. I love how I can be creative with the tap of a finger, how I can play with photos, words and other stuff.

then ~

I was going to keep my new blog private as
there are a few people out there who are reading my blog and taking it unto themselves to tell me what they think my problem is. They don't comment until one day a vein bursts in their head and they email me with vicious unkind words

but instead, I say this:

! ! if I receive one email pointing out my personality faults or saying I am on the road directly to hell - then I will out whoever sends the email - meaning their name will be in print on my new blog along with the nasty words that they felt they had to attack me with - or the personality faults that they thought I might need to know.

(just a few weeks ago, someone pointed out that I had low self esteem - thankyou for that)

I don't mind friends emailing me with advice or wisdom, I welcome it actually

- it helps me sometimes, putting a different perspective on my thoughts - sometimes your advice hits home - kind of like free advice or counselling. It is those who are silent that bother me, those who read, who voyeur, who suck my energy and when they think I am down, they attack with words - like vipers.

I guess this sounds like I am some kind of prima donna blogger & I guess I will lose readers along the way- but I need to blog for ME until I develop that tough shell that my Nan told me that I needed way back when I was a little girl

MY NEW HOME

the day after Boxing Day

yesterday was a quiet day for us. I cleaned up after the day before and slept. I also started a healing spirit doll for a sweet gal I have met through blogging. I think I have found my purpose (well today that is)

I also started working on my new blog & I like it. Goodness gracious miss*R! I am still not sure where it is going though - I am seriously thinking of keeping it private for the time being. To access it you will have to sign in each time you wish to visit. still not sure though.

today, I am off to have my hair coloured & then I am hitting the art supplies shop. I have just signed up for an online journalling course and I need to get myself some supplies (any excuse!)

then off to the gym for me - you know, christmas piggy wiggy and all that.

my christmas day was the same as every other year

my mum and sister had an argument, people complained that I forgot 'something' and I drank champagne in the kitchen getting more insane with each glass.

XOXO

wishing each of you, my friends a wonderful Christmas day * may it be filled with joyful laughter, memories of Christmases past, love & peace.

I will be back soon with a new blog ~ xoxo

off on an adventure

the inner child and I are taking a break xo

midsummer magick

celebrating my summer solstice tonight! for a bit of fun I took this quiz that I found at Aceys blog

I am so looking forward to next year ~ I can feel in my soul it is going to be a time of spiritual growth for me and a time when I finally get a grip on it all.

with a little help from my Bach flower friends.

You are The Star

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised

The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

why is it so?

can some one please explain why chocolate jumps into your mouth as you walk past the box? And why is it that once there were 9 little chocolate shells and now there is one?

another mystery of life.

wasn't me, I didn't do it

My daisy lupin Christmas memory

I have many, many memories of Christmases past ~ but the one that is most special for me is a Christmas not long ago ~ Christmas of 2001.

The year I finished my radiation treatment. During that year as I 'did' my treatments, I had met many wonderful women online on a cancer support forum.

My gorgeous darling, sensitive husband gave me a 'reward' for being 'brave' ~ a trip to New York city to visit my bestest friend Gin. She and others helped me get through those weeks of treatment. So at the end of July we began our preparations for this huge 5 week holiday (the trip alone is daunting - I think a 14hr+ trip from Sydney to Los Angeles then from LA to NY - so many hours, on a plane)

Sept 11 dawned and as we all know - New York was attacked.

what to do? do we go or not? we had to make some pretty fast decisions in the days following - against the advice of many, we decided to continue on with our plans. And I am so glad we did!
Gin lives on Staten Is. Her husband is a NYPD detective. her parents were italian. She is a New York yankee fan. She is an all round nice person and she welcomed us into her home and heart.
Before we left Australia, Gin emailed me and asked me to make a list of what I wanted to do. my list went something like this:
to pay my respects at what was now known as Ground Zero ~ we arrived at the site and while we were there, a news show was being made and we were all asked where we came from, once we said Australia, the news crew came running over to film us ~ we were on the news that night ~ oh gawd, I looked a sight: my nose was red from the cold, I had a woollen beanie on and really looked like a homeless waif - ahh well such is fame!
to eat pastrami on rye in a traditional New York Deli ~ and we did and it was delish!
chestnuts from a street vendor ~ an aquired taste - not my kind
a ride in the carriage in Central Park ~ such fun - we were wrapped up under a blanket and off we went!

to have an 'affair to remember' by visiting the Empire State building ~ we got to the Empire state building and had to produce id. of course we had left all our passports back on Staten Is - Gin flashed her 'detective' badge and they let us in - thank heavens - it was sooo cold up the top, it was raining ice, but the view was amazing
I wanted to visit 34th street and we did and I danced to the Christmas music in Maceys! those New York people thought I was hilarious
I wanted a white Christmas - even though Gin and Ron assured me they had done the naked snow dance, it didn't snow on Christmas day - although at first I thought it had - you see, I woke early Christmas morning and looked out the window - seeing white! snow! I woke everyone up and made them look and then realized I was looking at the next doors drive which was covered in white pebbles - it was funny!
We visited the huge toy store in New York city, we travelled on the Staten Is. ferry, unfortunately we couldn't visit the Empire State building as it had been closed to the public, we went to see the famous Rockettes, we had New York hotdogs with the lot,

we had our photo taken with New York police

~ we met friends of Gins who had worked on the rescue after Sept 11, we visited people we didn't know and talked to them about life. We, strangers from Australia were welcomed with open arms into their homes.
We had a traditional Christmas eve italian dinner ~ we went to midnight mass ~ we had a traditional Christmas day with our friends.

Then we travelled for 3 weeks to Pennsylvania and Indiana to 'meet' some more online gal friends...then came back to New York to fly back to LA.

The day we were driving to the airport - it started to snow.

I cried all the way from New York to California - knowing that I would miss this gal with all my heart.
and that dear friends is a little peek into one of my Christmas memories.

another ghost of Christmas past

I would like to know:

just why is Santa holding my hands down?

and why was I crying? (was it because I didn't want to be here on earth? or was it because I was born in the southern hemisphere and knew in my soul that I was in the wrong place. Lord knows I was supposed to be living in Cornwall. Was it because I was thinking - oh gee, here we go again..another life - I wanna go home to the angels! or was it because I am a TRUE Wednesdays child - full of woe added with the ruling planet of Saturn * serious) ~ whatever it was, I wasn't a happy soul this day - 1959 - my first Christmas, ME ~ not quite 1 year old

something went dreadfully wrong

this morning, I finally found time to cut my fruit cake up - I have promised a piece to Gina from Patras place and the rest is wrapped up and given away over the Christmas break.

But something has gone wrong - the cake is dry.. I could just about cry. I have been making these cakes for nearly 20 years and this is the first year it hasn't turned out moist. So I stressed, I planned to make another, I panicked. what should I do.... ok - I could send myself demented and try to get another made or I could just accept that this didn't turn out. I only eat a little of my fruit cake, Joe and Sophie don't eat it, either do my other two children or their partners. They like the chocolate slice that I am planning on making on the weekend. MY mind is muddled on what to do - my soul says don't worry about it, that it's not important * but then there is the ego, the 'responsible' Capricorn who keeps telling me that it is tradition, that I *should* make another, that I won't settle unless I do.

yeah, ok so I make another, running around like a manic fool, trying to make Christmas perfect for everyone, I don't have fun! Why do we do this to ourselves?

I am trying so hard to follow my soul..... I am having constant conversations in my head about the dilemma of the cake - the new moon is coming & I feel totally spaced out and ungrounded..... if I don't make another, the world won't end, I know that

another little dolly

this is my Christmas dolly ~ I only made two - one for me and one for a friend...sadly I am behind in my posting of parcels and she is still sitting on my table ready to go to the post office. If I can get my act together today - she will be off on her journey!

a ghost of Christmas past. . .

me!

monday musings

"Reminding one another of the dream that each of us aspires to may be enough for us to set each other free."
Antoine De Saint-Exupery

gratitude on Sunday

I spent most of today in my garden ~ trying to get it into some kind of order in time for Christmas day. While I was working, a butterfly landed on my hand and just sat there, wings moving ever so slowly. It made my heart stop, just for a minute. for the simple things in life, I am grateful.

a wander through my garden on Sunday

I found a delightful site called green thumb Sunday - I was going to join but had to put a blogroll on my sidebar and I am not fond of those so decided not to....however I can still show a little of my garden each Sunday when I can.....gives me something to do and something to write about if I have a block (HA!)

here are some photos taken just last week of my lavender ~ I have rows of it planted and at the moment this lavender is flowering like mad - can't remember if it is english or spanish. I also have lavender 'allardii' growing. Eventually I want to have as many kinds of lavender growing as I can.
I have a jar full of it beside my bed and it really helps me to sleep.

the cosmos

yesterday, I walked around in a daze, like a muddle headed wombat. My head felt like it was full of cotton wool. I felt so ungrounded. I decided to move furniture around & give the kitchen a little bit of Christmas spirit. not a good idea in the frame of mind i was in. I had this gorgeous glass jar, full of water, with seashells sitting in the bottom and floating candles on top. It slipped from my fingers and as it went down - I remember thinking - oh that is going to hit my foot, I wonder if it will cut it? and down the vase went - smashing to bits and hitting my foot. I looked and it seemed ok, a little nick over the bridge of my foot - not too bad - until the blood started. Of course no bandaid to be found and anyhow, bandaids weren't going to be fixing this. I grabbed a towel and put it over the cut - looking to see how bad it was - there was one puncture mark in the cut that went quite deep. what to do? improvise. with what? All I could find was a sanitary pad - so I folded that, held it tight and strapped sticky tape all over my foot and wrapped it in a towel. then went to bed. this morning my foot is bruised and really sore. I don't think it needed stitching and it seems to be ok.

so with that and an email I received this morning pointing out some less than perfect character traits of mine - I am feeling a little low. And of course, me being me - I fired an email back and wished I hadn't - lesson for today - think before you click send.

faery Friday

ooh I was so excited when I stumbled across this website - what fun! so get your colouring pencils out - all the glitter you can find and let your inner child express herself . Let her colour outside the lines if she wishes, let her use as much glitter as she wants, let her scribble, draw, cut and paste. let her have fun!!
colour in with the faeries

introducing dear Mona

this is Mona - my gift for tonights patchwork party - we all take a gift, put it in a draw and pick one each

she was going to be menopausal moaner but she is just too darn cute to be a moaner, me thinks! I have had such fun with her. You know, I am so happy that I have re-discovered my love for making dollies - I did it for many years and I guess I got burnt out ~ but now I am having fun creating & I truly believe these dolls are art....

Mona:

from her gorgeous vintage diamante belt buckle (sorry, the photo is blurry)

to her cute vintage ribbon & beads around her neckline

right down to her little black tuille petticoat underlay

Mona! I think you are just PERFECT!!

stay tuned

the unveiling of MONA will take place later today!

a little more decorating

our Christmas tree

we have our main Christmas tree in our sitting room. Each year, we buy this from our local bush fire brigade and the money goes towards buying fire fighting equipment.
This year, I really cannot get into the spirit of Christmas, I don't know why. I am leaning towards a very simple Christmas, towards a more earth based celebration.
we put the tree up and I got the lights out and put them on. To me, that was enough. It looked perfect. Until I voiced those words. Cries from the gallery, that I call my family; 'mum! you can't JUST have lights' ~ 'oh we have to have all our special ornies on the tree' ~ and on and on it went - so I trudged out to the store room, dragged the million or so boxes in~ full of ornaments. But my heart is not in it.

AND! I would like to know where everyone is? while I decorate? sitting by my lonesome ? ?

So I fume, rant and rave until I explode. then they are scared! Yep!

'can we help?' ~ 'is there any thing we can do?'

I burst into tears. WELCOME TO MY CHRISTMAS.

Is it worth it?
anyhow - no more from miss Robyn bah humbug. . . . . I am really wanting to share my Christmas home.

this ornament , above, was made by my son in kindergarten - it was the first handmade ornament I had ever received as a mother and I treasure it. It has to be my favourite.

the nativity scene was made by Sophie at her art class - I use a small piece of vintage lace to sit it on

and this is Mr plum pudding - made by Sophie when she was at pre- school.

just have to share!

remember I received dolly in the post from daisy-lupin? well, here she is

isn't she just wonderful! when I opened the package I could smell a gentle waft of lavender * the calming herb. And it did calm me. I looked at her and fell in love * I could feel all the healing energy that my friend Daisy had infused her with. I have her hanging on my bed post, just above my head. I just love her so much. She has a blue lace agate hanging around her neck -which is perfect for me and is decorated with snowflakes, flowers & leaves, pearls & feathers and lots of other glitter and such. Inside her is tucked some lavender ~ but best of all dear daisy tucked in some of her rowan tree - the witches tree. that touched my heart. I can really, really feel the healing coming from this doll. She is special to me.

thankyou Daisy - you did good xoxo

wednesdays ~ wish upon a star*

When you wish upon a star*, makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you

If your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star* as dreamers do

I find it hard to ask the universe for material things for myself. When I pray or meditate, talk to the angels or faeries ~ it is always for something for someone else or for my 'spiritual' life ~ but hey! I want other stuff too & I believe that the universe is full of abundance ~- there is as much as we want for the asking. But we HAVE to ask. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for things for ourselves at all

*so each Wednesday, I am going to ask * I am going to wish upon a star * I am going to put my request out there, let it go and trust.

join me if you will xo

reflecting

awhile back, I wrote a post about my mum - how she drove me insane, sometimes ~ and I need to clarify this - not for anyone but myself. I come from a long line of passionate, fiery women, well, either ~ passionate or completely insane. My mum, my Nan and her mother and probably her mother before her, myself ~ as well as my daughters ~ all passionate. I can remember when I was a little girl and my dear Nan was driving my mother absolutely demented to the point where at one stage my mum stormed outside screaming 'if I ever get like my mother, get a gun and shoot me'. Of course I don't have a gun but yes, my mother did turn into my Nan. And I have turned into my mother and my eldest daughter has turned into me ~ just the other day she said to me: ' geez, mum you frustrate me sometimes' . But the fact that we say these things does not mean that we don't love each other. AND(never start a sentence with and) after this past week of realizing that many won't have their mothers here with them at Christmas time, made me feel quite awful reading my previous post - cause I love my mum, I really do. And I will cherish the time we have left together

keeping Frank at the post office busy!

yep, these past few days, there have been deliveries after deliveries. Boxes & envelopes. And I feel much loved - thankyou

hmm let me see

* Janet sent me the most gorgeous decoration ~ a heart with the chakra colours on it ~ Janet ~ it is just perfect for me oxox.

*Pea sent me a gorgeous card with a felt teapot & teabag - still trying to work out just when I have to drink it - so we can be drinking it at the same time;

*Sheila sent me a lovely Holly elf * he is magickal - I have him hanging over my faery altar.

*Daisy-lupin sent me a package but I can't open it til Christmas ooh and she did me a lovely card!

*Ang sent me the sweetest card -love that!

*I received my secret glitter gal ornament too but I can't reveal who sent it just yet - but let me say it is perfectly me!

*I have been having fun opening more of my stocking treasures too! among them so far - the most exquisite bell to for the angels; a lovely book of quotes; two beautiful decorations - one of which my grandson begged me for (it was the Holy family); a drawer sachet that I tucked into my vintage flower drawer and Christmas carol cd. I am so glad I decided to open one gift a day - it is such fun! thankyou Lee-ann

** oh and I nearly forgot (how could I?) I received a spirit goddess dolly from Daisy - I adore her, she is perfect for me * I can feel her healing energy just looking at her & she is extra special cause Daisy tucked some rowan into her as she made her (shhh don't tell customs!) oh, Daisy, I love, love, love her! thankyou !

I will take photos a little later - my batteries died & I forgot to recharge them

and from me : today I finally sent my Christmas stocking off - sorry Lee-ann, I have been a little under the weather with this glandular thing; I also sent a couple more ornaments off & tomorrow the last of them will be sent off.

monday musings

At this moment * I trust the eternal wisdom of the universe * God is guiding my every step and is surrounding me with love & protection

Sundays gratitude

here in NSW ~ Sunday is a watering day. So early this morning, I made myself a cup of tea and headed of to water my garden. We must use a hand held hose or watering can. No sprinklers or fixed hoses. Here I was, watering - muttering to myself about global warming, hating that I live in a day and age that the world is going crazier by the minute and feeling sorry for myself as my glands are still swollen (I am such a sorry sack, sometimes) - when I noticed that there was a light drizzle of rain. I looked out at the valleys across from my home and they were covered in mist. A magpie warbled just at that very minute and I realized just how blessed I am. truly blessed. I felt my soul tingle when that magpie warbled and felt gratitude ~ that I could hear the song, that I could see the mist across the valley, that my chickens were scratching and clucking ready to lay their eggs. That I could smell the dampness of my lucerne mulch, that my english lavender has flower spikes forming, just in time for Christmas. And I was grateful that I could snap myself out of my poor me moment and realize just how lucky I am. Gratitude is good for the soul.

a prayer shrine

over the past year, I have come to love many of you gals - have found that many of us are 'kindred spirits' and many of us are tied by our heartstrings. I believe this connection was meant to be ~ it is for a reason, whatever that maybe. I believe that we were sent into each others lives to help each of us get through some emotional turmoil and to help each of us cope with this world as it is right now.

And I feel blessed.

Each of us prays for each other, sends out best thoughts out for each other and wraps each other in a cocoon of love.

We are all so fortunate to have met.
One of our 'own' has just lost her mum and we all mourn for her, grieve along with her and feel her pain.

I have set up a little prayer shrine for us to use, whenever we need to ask for prayers or whenever we want to pray for someone. I have infused it with angelic healing.

Use it as you need, with my love

xoxo
our sacred shrine

when words aren't enough

Lisa our dear ocean dreamer has been on my mind constantly these past few days. I won't say I know how she feels because I don't. I will oneday. I have said prayers and I have lit candles but I want to do something more, I want to hug her and hold her hand and take her pain and hurt away - right now. But I can't because I live down here. all night this kept coming into my mind - until I knew I just had to get it out - if I keep worrying about it - then, it makes the angels work so much harder.

we need to ask, believe and let go

this is for Lisa - because I can't do anymore

XOXO

the tangle that is Christmas and other stuff

can someone please explain how this happens?

last year after Christmas, I carefully took the lights of the tree in my dining room and wrapped them round & round my arm. carefully. I then tied them up with some gorgeous gold ribbon and placed them on top of the decorations in the 'dining room' box. On Thursday, I decided it was time to put this tree up and decorate it. So I took the lid of the box and there were the lights all neat and tied. Until I took the ribbon off. It was like they had a mind of their own, like they had had enough of being constrained for 12 mths, tied up like a turkey. And in a blink of an eye - I had the tangled mess that you see above. Or maybe - this happened to show me what my poor frazzled Christmas brain is like - a big tangled mess.

so I got on with my decorating - this tree is not my main tree {I have a real tree in my sitting room as my main tree}. This tree is a tradition now - when I first put it up about 15 years ago, I lived elsewhere and my kitchen was huge. In one corner I had an old kooka stove that was for show only. One Christmas, my home was featured in a country magazine so I had to pull some pretty fantastic ideas from my brain. I decided to do a kitchen themed tree - but didn't really want to go hanging my utensils all over it. So I made some cloth gingerbread men - with a little cinnamon stick, some cloves and a teenie tiny cookie cutter all tucked into his pocket. I made about 20 or so and decided to give them away to friends after the photo shoot. A tradition was born. Each year from then on, I have put this tree up and made a different decoration, sometimes more than one design.

I haven't been as industrious this year - I have made decorations to send to my friends but not enough to give away as friends visit - I plan to give them some Christmas cake & awhile back I bought some Christmas soaps from Peggy. The idea was to have them in a little pressed glss bowl at my door to give out to my friends instead of my home made decoration. But when I unwrapped the soaps, Peggy had packaged them up into individual cardboard boxes and tied them with raffia! Just like a gift. so this is what I decided to do :~

don't they look wonderful? Just perfect!

and here are some close ups of my decorations ~ most I have made myself, some were given to me (there is a little ball that Leeann sent to me in my Christmas stocking) & some were purchased at some time during my travels - all with a meaning.

in memory of John

All we are saying is give peace a chance.
John Lennon

i love my plaster angel and when i took the photo the other day - I could see it making a gorgeous little thing for our sidebars. to show that all we can do is give PEACE a chance. Take this if you wish and put it on your sidebar with my love xoxo

too precious for words

this is the nativity scene that I saw in a junk shop window & begged the owner to sell it to me. Even though it wasn't for sale. The lady who owns the junk shop has an eye for the kitsch. She also has a lamp of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - the light is actually his heart and it glows. Trouble is, as it ages the light travels further up and it is now in his throat - looking very much like a goitre. I love it! and have begged her for that but she keeps it over her bed - much to her husbands dismay.

I love my nativity scene & I always, always put this up at this time of year ~

this is a part of my belief that I try to blend in with my hedgewitchery.

It is special. It is actually handmade - and has a little light inside that glows over the Holy family.oh yes, it is incomplete - Joseph is missing so I use the shepherd and there are only 2 wise men (one had melted in the heat of the lamp), the camels aren't really part of it as they are out of proportion. But I still love it. It isn't grand by any means. But I still love it. why? 'cause it is simple and was obviously made from the heart. And isn't that what it is all about?

what days are made of

Thursday is the day that I either go to patchwork or clean up my kitchen and dining room - today lucky me, I get to clean - then I can decorate. Although in this heat, it is not feeling much like Christmas.

I also have to get myself into some kind of gear and finish my Christmas gift for my sewing group - each year we make one item and then have a kind of raffle - we receive one gift back. I usually make a cloth doll - I started this one ages ago. I have an idea in my head as to where she is going but who knows what will happen when I start?

I have been experimenting with different ideas and techniques - so far I am happy. I just need to find an old cardi to make her a jacket. This is the dolly that I bought the vintage coin purse for. Her skirt will be made out of the vintage floral fabric with a black tuille petticoat and her camisole will be made from the lace. I hope to put vintage diamante ear-rings on her shoes and am looking for some kind of old diamante hair clip to stick on her hair. Black & lime green tights (painted on) and pink shoes - hmmm maybe a little bit of glitter on them?

I am sure this dolly is a reflection of menopausal moaner.

you know * I love making dollies, I use to make them to sell a few years ago, but got burnt out in the end from orders, orders, orders. I am thinking of selling them again, next year on etsy along with my totes that I make, not sure yet!

I also have to go to the post office to send of the second last lot of my packages. I have to cut my fruit cake into smaller pieces and wrap it up in cellopane ready to give out and oh - you get my drift - I am busy!

driving miss robyn ~ insane

this gal got her drivers license yesterday - she can now legally drive herself on the road. oh my gawd. She is all grown up - but I don't know it, I can't accept it. How does a mother cut the ties to let their baby fly? I have given her a vintage St Christopher medal (blessed of course) to put into her car & I have asked St Michael the archangel to be with her each and every time she drives - but still I will worry - cause thats what mums do. isn't it?

a little Christmas for you today

I meant to post this on December ONE

but menopausal moaner got into my mind and made me forget

~ a virtual advent calendar

decorating today - for YOU

not much today - I cleaned my healing room ~ my sanctuary.

I decided to forgo the frenzy that is Christmas in this room - totally.

In this room is where I do reiki healing, in this room is where I meditate and in this room is where I talk to my angels. This is where I pray.

It is where I sometimes cast my circle and do my spell work.

I have an altar set up and the room has been blessed.

As I went about anointing the altar I got to thinking of each of you - how you have each touched my life in different ways.

How many of us are feeling quite frazzled lately and I decided that today I would dedicate my candle to each of you

* to take as you need and do with what you will.

* * *

I would also like each of you to find a small area - even just a shelf

decorate it with special bits and a candle.

When you light that candle think of your blogging friends around the world and send love & peace to them.

You don't have to remember names or mention everyone - the saints, angels and faeries know exactly what is in your heart.

They will take this flame and spread it where it is needed.

Then, close your eyes and feel that flame coming back three fold

much love, blessings, bliss & peace to each of you xoxo

mail ! & lots of it

I have been remiss over the past few days - last week I received two package and yesterday my glitter sister ornament arrived on my doorstep! of course I cannot share that just yet - but let me say - the one that was specially made for me is oh! so perfect !!

from Gretel, my SOSF partner ~ which contained lots & lots of fun stuff - stuff that was specially chosen with me in mind ~ among the treasures were 3 old postcards {one being from Cornwall) ~ a gorgeous vintage book of reflections {watch here for Monday musings!} ~ some halva, a teeny pink sugar mouse & a chocolate butterfly ~ she also tucked in a pack of her Red Elephant Christmas cards {they are just darling! ~ too, too sweet to use} but the thing that touched my heart was a little wooden box - made from an old beam taken from a Devon farmhouse - when I touched this dear little box, my heart stirred, my soul gasped! I felt a connection, I truly did. My hands tingled as it nestled in my palms ~ My great grandparents could have passed by this farmhouse ~ they could have visited or even lived there. Of course I will never know but I can imagine. thankyou dear, dear Gretel ~ I am so blessed that our paths have crossed xoxox

from Lee-ann from Pear Tree Cottage ~who is my Christmas stocking partner *her package arrived on Friday, but I was so, so sick with this glandular thing that I only opened it on Sunday. But what a surprise! the box was filled with paper and among the paper chocolate coins were sprinkled and there sat my Christmas stocking - full of presents each one wrapped individually with a coin stuck to it. Leeann was also thoughtful to tuck a gift in for ms*Sophie ~ who was so touched that she got tears in her eyes. thankyou Leeann, you are sweet gal. There were two miniature Christmas puddings that jumped into my mouth that very second! And I unwrapped one gift which was a CD of Christmas carols - I looked at all the other gifts and decided to open one each day - like an advent calendar I guess - gives me something to look forward to - my inner child is excited! so far I have unwrapped a gorgeous glittery purse {of course I will use it, my inner child demands that!} and a teeny tiny book of womens wisdom. Leeann ~ thankyou so much - xoxoxo

as I go along decorating

Be it Chanukah or Yule,
Christmas time or Solstice night,
All celebrate the eternal light.

for those of you who know me - you know that today, Monday is the day I usually change the sheets on my bed & give both my bathrooms a good scrub. yay for me !

Once that was all done today, - I got to thinking about how I would decorate my bedroom for Christmas. In past years I have always had a vintage themed Christmas tree in our bedroom - full of old lace, buttons & vintage decorations, but this year - my soul is saying - keep it simple. I have a lovely vintage angel that Joe bought me at a garage sale ages ago and in keeping with the simple theme - it is perfect. Along with candles. oh and of course, the obligatory gardenia from my garden. You see, this year - I must keep Christmas as simple as I can ~ to help me relax, to unwind, to settle the messed up jigsaw that is my mind. Decorating with candles, mostly. what better for this magick time of year? LIGHT - is it a coincidence that the birth of Jesus, is around the same time as the Northern Hemispheres' WINTER SOLSTICE? the time when the olde religion that I practice celebrates the return of the light to the world in the form of the sun. what about us down here in the southern hemisphere? does that mean our light returns for us in June, when our winter solstice occurs? questions, questions. I celebrate Christmas because it is a tradition but I celebrate it in a different way to most - I bring hedgewitchery into it if I can ~ and I believe that Christ came to earth to bring light into our hearts, into our souls, to teach us to love. And that is what I strive for. So I will use light to decorate my home. Hopefully bringing that very peace that I am trying to find.

blessings, bliss & peace xo

monday musings - during this time of magick

* the season we call Christmas. The time when most of us truly feel magick in our hearts ~ {from whatever reason or belief it comes} ~ I give some Christmas musings


Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.
~Oren Arnold~

gratitude on Advent Sundays

above is the first stage of my advent wreath on my altar - the first mauve candle in a fake pine wreath next to a vintage statue of the Holy Family. I will light the candle each night at dinner time & let it burn for an hour or two. Each Sunday a new candle will be added.

setting up my advent wreath today, I wondered to myself, what I could say that I was grateful for. I have many blessings, many wonderful friends & my health is good. I lit the candle and as I did, I realized that I am grateful for my spirituality - that spark inside that has me constantly asking questions * celebrating, when I 'realize' something about life & the bubbling joy inside that I feel this time of year. I am grateful that I know what I believe is true for me, even if I find it hard to put into words. During this past week, ~ a friend pointed out to me that I am trying to blend two totally different beliefs and it's hard to achieve clarity of thought if my two paths haven't joined. And asked me the question: Do you think you have been able to join these two paths?

I hope that during this advent that I can somehow blend my two paths (the catholic and the old religion that was my great Nans') - I am sure I can. I have to. I am going to search the internet for information and ideas. You will see me grow . And I am sure my wise women friends will give me input as I go along.

so setting up my advent wreath on my altar - saying prayers & spells as I went & decorating the wreath with some vintage flowers which I will add to each Sunday ~ is one step towards the bringing together of my beliefs. During the week - I am going to add some crystals and other bits n pieces to my advent wreath to make it my very own - my yule time advent wreath with a touch of the olde religion and alot of me.