Wow! It's been awhile. Where has the time gone? I sure as hades don't know.
This summer was quite busy but I still can't figure out why I didn't have time to post.
We'll have to move before November and in this city it is turning out to be quite difficult to find a place big and nice enough for the family. Not to mention the dog and cat. The expense (and boy is it expensive) isn't the problem. It's that nobody is renting.
I may have found a place. However, it entails getting an addtional job, which isn't so bad in the long term. I will blog about it when it happens but I am learning not to be too optimistic and count my chickens...blah blah blah.
The Pagan New Year is soon upon us. I have many plans/dreams/and hopes that I intend to bring to fruition. I am hoping to take a number of courses within the next six month. Perhaps I have planned on too much or maybe it is just that I can't decide which courses to take. There are two jewellery making courses, one a silver smithing and the other a glass bead making course. At Douglas College there are two I'd like to take. The first would be a step towards attaining long time dream to be a Doula. The second is an Autism and Behaviour course. Both would help me in a huge way. Finally, I'd like to take an African dancing course or an adult ballet class.
I think, due to time and money contraints I will have to wittle the list down a bit.
There is so much more, but I am sort of supposed to be doing something right now ....be back later .

Everyday musings my foot! If only I could muse everyday. Well, I guess I could muse more often but I haven't a Muse (that is an entirely different story).
Anyway, now seemed like the perfect time. We are "suffering" a heat wave here in Beautiful British Columbia. I love the heat but this is ridiculous! Who to blame? The government of course. Who else can you blame?
It's 8:30 am and the house is still barable. I am trying something new. I am facing the fans outwards, towards the outside, to see if we can't blow the heat out of the house. I don't know if it will work but cold is the absence of heat. Makes sense to me.
I think it is finally time to show my family a park that I fell in love with 2 yrs ago. I think with the forest, the ocean, and the lush groundcover that it could be the coolest (natural) place in the Lower Mainland. I am going to convince my family that we have to go to Lighthouse Park today.
If I have the energy and am not too hot I will write and tell ya how it goes.
I have to get out of the heat. I cannot regulate temperature very well and when it's hot I am REALLY hot. I just want to be in bed.

We have just experienced the brilliance and the idiocy of our southern neighbours on their Independance Day. First, the launch of Discovery in all it's glory! I had tears in my eyes when the orbiter turned and there was our Mother Earth in all her beauty.
The idiocy? We live in British Columbia, Canada. Roger's Wireless just phoned to see when we were going to pay our son's cell phone bill. Now, you would think that they would have the correct information for billing. You would think that that was important. Apparently not.
The operator/collector asked Philip, "I just want to confirm that you are at 503 Blackburn Street, New Hampshire?".........NEW HAMPSHIRE?? That's on the other side of the continent. In another country! I wish they were sending the bills there, but NOOOO, somehow they get here to our address. I don't know how and I don't know why. Anyhow, not to insult anyone's intelligence, we paid the bill, online. Too bad someone in New Hampshire didn't.

Hhmmmm, I haven't written in awhile and some have been mentioning it. Which means, at least two people read this thing.
Part of the reason that I haven't written is because I feel so amateurish (is that a word?) after reading and becoming a huge fan of www. dooce.com , thanks Heather (you don't know me but am truly interested in your life). I've passed the recovering Mormon stage and barely remember anything from my early years. Okay, maybe I haven't passed it but blotted it from my mind along with all other memories.
Now I am a Witch!!! Um, a tad different.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the Gathering for Life on Earth. Every year about this time or 3 months earlier I start thinking almost exclusively of this festival. Like last year my Mom, brother Mangus, sister Tara, and niece Alessa will be there with me (brother in law Mike and niece Aiyana are not attending this year). New addition, my son Jacob. He is excited about being able to be nekkid as much as he would like. He is also looking forward to being "responsible for himself"....he isn't really but I've told him this so that he will behave impeccably.
The Gathering is the one time a year that I drink fairly heavily and not worry about it. It's party time for me. Hopefully, my Mom, brother, and sister will assist me with Jacob. However, I have seen numerous times parents of children at the Gathering NOT being responsible. That's not me. After the kids are safely in their tents THEN I will go to the "special place that starts with G" to have a bit too much to drink, lose my inhibitions, and dance like there's no tomorrow.
I should come back with some interesting purchases and if I do I will post the pictures here.
Mostly, the Gathering is MY time. It is where I do what I want when I want. I spend a lot of time meditating, drawing, and just staring into the lake. Yes, it's all about me.
Just this year, it's about Jake too. I hope he enjoys it. Aiyana didn't like it last year because of the nudity. Jake is a bit more open about that kind of thing so I am sure that he will be fine.


Okay, outside of the Gathering. Work is going great (when it is going smoothly). I can't write anything that I could get fired for because there just isn't anything. Not that I have observed anyway. I work for a great company that truly does care about the people we serve.
The kids all passed into their next grades. Taylor is going to grade 11 (GASP!! am I old or what?), Jason is going to grade 9 and High School, and Jacob is headed to grade 7. Luckily Alessa and Aiyana will still be going to that school with him, so he won't be alone.

I guess that is enough info for now.

Talk atcha later.

Hey there.
Today I am involved in a fundraiser, a silent auction, for the Circle I belong to. I created something for the auction which I hope someone, anyone, bids on. I don't really care how much they bid but I would really like if someone wanted it.
For the auction I was going to do another project but I was doing it when I was sleepy and it didn't materialise the way I wanted it to. It was supposed to be a painting of a Goddess giving birth to the Sun. Somehow I smudged it and it didn't look anything like I wanted it to.

I knew I had to get something going as I had made a commitment to have something to auction. I was listening to "I hear you calling" by Chalice and Blade and felt sort of inspired.
There are many new things happening to the Traditiont that I belong to, and this project symbolises how I feel about the whole thing.

Here it is....I hope you like it.

Your Stress Level is: 60%

You are somewhat prone to stress, especially when life gets hard.When things are good, you resist stressing over little problems.But when things are difficult, you tend to freak out and find it hard to calm down.

How Stressed Are You?

I hope the coding worked properly. I guess this is how stressed I am. Let me know how stressed you are.

I am so ANGRY that Chris Daughtry is no longer on American Idol. However, he will make it.

Soon I will be putting pictures up...maybe.

Look at this bed! I love it and I wish I could have it. Maybe if I win the lotto....

It is handcrafted by the artist John Perilloux out of Louisiana.

Here is his website

http://www.johnperilloux.com/index.html

Okay, I couldn't save the picture but go to the site and look at the furniture. It is gorgeous.

Very nice day.
Took Murphy to White Rock (where apparently dogs aren't allowed). It was the first time I had let him off his leash. He had sooo much fun. That dog was everywhere. You couldn't stop him. He didn't go far but he was running around like a mad dog. He rolled in the sand and wiped his face in it. He chased birds that were much bigger than him. I was laughing so hard.

Then, when we got home he had a bath and he isn't he world's stinkiest dog anymore.
He smells so good.

Holidays!! Don't need to get up with the ALARM! Don't have to slave away at work. Fun and frivolity. Just what Beltaine is supposed to be. Carefree.. Today it is quite windy outside but we are still going to head out to the beach with Murphy. Perhaps we will stop and have lunch. I am thinking I would like some sort of salmon dish. I love eating out on the patio of almost any restaurant in the fresh air. Today it will be an adventure with the wind. Gelato is an option as well. I am hoping that the ocean will be wild and am looking forward to hearing the water lapping on the beach.

Well, shortly we are off.

A very happy Beltaine (or May Day) to you and may your life be fertile.

Just a quick post. I am busy watching, "Dead Like Me".

This is Murphy.

I got a dog! His name is Murphy and he is four years old. Murphy is a shelter dog who used to be named Soonjin but I don't speak Korean. He is a shih tzu and kind of stinky right now. He will be going to the groomer on Saturday. The poor guy hadn't been cared for very well. But now he will be spoiled. I will get a picture of him up soon.

Hhmmm, this is what I woke up to this morning. Guess I should stop having Albertan guests visit...hehe. This is what Dai, Aaron, and Amber brought. I think it was the combination of the three.
Tomorrow is Taylor's and Jason's birthday. Tay is going to be 16 and Jason 14. I know this sounds cliche, but it seems like I just gave birth to them yesterday. They are both taller than me now. Their voices have changed and I have a pretty good idea of who they are going to be when they are older. I am very proud of my sons (Jacob too!!). I've been thinking of scanning one of the two pictures I have of Matthew and putting it up here with pictures of Tay, Jay, and Jake. Of course, it is March, and that has traditionally been a difficult month for me. It seems though that this year it is going a bit easier on me.
I am hoping to get my tattoo this month (at the end) or early April. It will be to mark a new era in my life. I can't put my finger on why it feels like that but I do sense something under the surface that is just "different."
Chances are that I am going to be looking for and/or interviewing (as I have submitted a CV already) a new job with a school board. I've applied to the one and intend to apply to 3 more. I was going to do it today but I HATE snow. Okay, that isn't true. If I am in it for recreation, I love it. If I chose it. Like going up a mountain to tube or throw snowballs or something. To do day to day business......yech! That is the primary reason I moved away from Alberta. Cold and Snow. Yeah yeah, it looks lovely, clean, and pristine. Nice for postcards and Yule. Full stop.

Anyhoo, get back to you soon. I can't believe I am the mother of 2 teenagers and a pre-teen. I feel barely out of my teens myself.

AHA!!! I think I've got it!!
I changed the template of my blog and it got fixed!
Not sure right now if I like this template...I think I will try to customise it...or find another.
However, that big gap is gone and that's what counts.

Hehe, I am so proud of myself.

Last day of February. In the last week I have seen flowers blooming and snow falling. Strange place to live. But awesomely beautiful. Spring has sprung and I need to do something different with my life. Still thinking on that. I often wonder how much more I can volunteer for projects or events without spreading myself too thin. By volunteering, filling up my schedule, etc...I think I will learn and experience new things. However, I find myself going too fast to enjoy anything. Sure I get many flashes of enjoyment but ...I guess it all comes down to...how can I work from home and still make the cash? Working at home would give me more time with the kids and Philip. My time would be my own. Any ideas? Please, feel free to comment.

I haven't written in the blog for awhile. I don't know why. I think it may be because of that huge gap at the top of the page and I have NO idea how to get rid of it. It is not aestheically pleasing and it really bothers me. Almost feel like scrapping the whole blog.

Arrghh! I have to get rid of that blank space on my blog. I don't know what happened.

Okay, so last week I hurt my back and I have been able to rest a bit since. It is sort of nice. Over the last week I have seen two things on tv, that while being extreme, made me want to add something to my life. I have been thinking of making a change. Most of all, I want to be home more for my children. This working out of the house is killing me. I need to figure out a way to work at home and make enough money to share the bills and whatnot with Philip. The two things I saw were a WALMART commercial with this guy who rock climbs, he is about 45 ish and seems to be having the time of his life. The other thing was Jack Osbournes, Adrenaline Junkie. Now, don't start thinking weird things. Right now I don't want to rock climb or do extreme sports. The thing is that I want to do someting. Working, worship, and home are not the only things I want. I need something more. It could have to do with the fact that next month heralds my last year in my 30's. I don't want to grow sedate and bored. I need some excitement.
Alright, on proofreading this, I realize there are two topics...but really, they are one and the same.
I don't want to work somewhere out of the house anymore and if I do I want it to be my OWN. AND it has to be somewhat exciting or leave time for exciting things to happen.

Please, friends and family. Feel free to comment on any one of the blogs that I write. I value your input.

When my sons were born, Aaron (the artist we are talking about in this thread) was just a teenager. Now that he is grown even if I got pregnant, I couldn't afford to commission him. He says that he can't even afford his own work. This is when I am trying to beg him for a painting, of course. Luckily, before he started making real money doing what he loves, he gave Shaggi and I both one or two paintings. I remember I made him paint me something for the "honour" of staying in my home for a night. Man, that guy was gullible. Good thing or we wouldn't have anything he's painted. Not only is his work gorgeous it really is how he earns his living. Art only. To me that is the "dream" ...to do what you love to do. He earns his living how I would love to. Not necessarily painting...but something other than slogging 5 days a week. I was thinking about this the other day. Since the industrial revolution, how we earn our living has changed so much. When I really think about it, most jobs don't have a whole lot of meaning. Couldn't we make our own coffee? Do we really need so many investment bankers? If we could all act like grown ups would we need lawyers? I am not saying that there isn't merit in these jobs...I am just saying that there are too many people running around working all day. Are we REALLY here to work? Is that our purpose? For 8 hrs a day 5 days a week? When there are so many lovely things to experience? My dream would be to live for the now. Doing what I love. For beauty. Or for sustanance. Or both. I am one of the lucky ones. My job actually means something. However, it IS a job. It's work. There are flashes of enjoyment...but because it is so mandated there is all this other stuff in the way. PAPERWORK. Blaaahhhh!!! The ultimate for me would be to grow my own produce. Raise my own animals. Have some sort of cottage industry going. And still be able to visit the city. Yes, it would be a ton of work, I know that, but I would really like to try it. I just wish that I would have that spark of inspiration that would allow me to take that thought and run. I know it's possible. I see it all around me. My very own brother for example. Wow, off topic, but I guess I really needed to say that. Thanks for the opportunity. Now I am going to post this on my blog so I don't lose it. It might be the "spark". Very many Blessings, Sparrow

http://www3.telus.net/paquette/blogger

Wow!!
This is by my brother, Aaron.

Springsteen is quite the songwriter. "Garden of a thousand sighs." Wow, that gets me. It resonatates.

Another artist. Aaron Paquette. He resonates. Mind you, he and I have a few shared memories. He is my "next to baby" brother.
http://www3.telus.net/paquette/blogger
Support him if you can ( I certainly can't...not financially anyway). Or let him know what you think of his work. He told me he can't even afford to buy his work. Haha. Lucky before he got famous-ish I got two pieces.

"On top of Grouse Mountain, all covered in snow, I lost my poor...mind...where did it go?"

I took one of the ladies I support up the tram to the Mountain. We ate an incredibly expensive meal. $37 for lunch.
She really didn't like it when I started throwing snowballs at her. That's the Pacific Ocean off in the distance. You might be able to see the Islands. Shortly after this picture was taken the clouds moved away and we could see the city. It didn't make as pretty a picture though.

I took this picture on the way to work one day. We are driving down 8th past New West Secondary school. I thought the colours were so pretty I couldn't resist. It is taken from inside the car. This was one of the first picture I took on my new phone/camera.
I just found some really cool features for the camera a few moments ago. They are "fun frames"...I think this will be fun.

I took this picture this evening just as the sun was setting. There was a pretty glow in the house after a fairly rainy day so I stepped outside to check it out. This picture was taken from my front porch. There is another photo coming soon. As soon as it will send from my phone.

Wow! My last post sounded like I was bouncing off the walls! I guess I was. I finally got my thyroid medicine and I am full of energy. Too much.
I found out today that someone actually reads this thing. Surprise surprise!
So, for you who reads this (really, that is perfectly good English)...I am getting my house in order. Spring cleaning. Getting rid of stuff I don't need or want. I have about 3 bags of old clothes that I will never fit into again or don't like (when I get back down to the size I want I will buy all new things). I'm making the kids do it too! Jacob sorted through his and Jason's clothes and they have a big bag ready to go. I am starting to collect the things I will need to perk up my garden a little. Most of the flowers grow on their own but there is a little box out front and some pots I'd like to plant. In the back there is an herb garden that still has things growing from last year and I am going to add to it.
Oh, I didn't get that transfer I was talking about earlier. Apparently I am not qualified to work in the daycare. I don't have my Early Childhood Education (1 or 2 yr program) only my Bachelor of Education in International/Intercultural Elementary studies. Oh that and 3 kids. Hhmmm and about 3 yrs experience working in daycare. With developementally disabled children. Sabotage? Perhaps.
Being a smart ass here. I am a tad bit angry. Oh well, maybe it's a sign to do something else. Like teach.
We'll see.

Ah, everything is sweet. On Friday evening I found out that the group accepted me. Yah!!
I've applied to another department at work...we'll see how that goes.
It's still raining here but I still love it. After all, we live in a rainforest.
Today I am not feeling well, so I took the day off. I really needed some time to myself to relax. Work was getting to me.
Philip and I have been invited to a book opening or something...some sort of party we can't get to...because it's in Worcester, England.
Oh, to have enough money to just hop a plane and go wherever you want. That's the dream. I wish that we could just get on a plane and I could meet the rest of Philip's family. So far I have met his Mom, Dad, and youngest sister. There are still 6 brothers, 3 sisters, and all of their spouses and children. If you can spare some energy send some to Dublin for James (Philip's brother...second to oldest-I think) as he is going in for major surgery soon.
About being wealthy enough to just hop a plane anywhere. I don't want to be so stinking rich I don't know what to do with the money. What I want is to own a nice home with a hot tub and music room. Go on trips when I want to where I want. Go to any concert I feel like seeing (same for Philip and the kids). No stinking rich, just .......very comfortable with perks.
I am not greedy, I just know that all that is possible. Now to figure out how to get it.

Well, it's a new calendar year. I am waiting to see what happens.
This year feels like it is going to be different.
I don't make resolutions but I am going to have a different sort of a year. I just had my evaluation done at work and I have a few goals there. There are some courses that my boss has recommended and I am looking forward to taking. One is on theory and one will be related to relaxation. The relaxation one will further my goals towards my magickal life. The theory will be interesting at the least.
Also, I have interviewed with a High Priestess to become part of a Circle (Coven). I haven't had that closeness in the Craft for about two years. I really miss the group in Edmonton and am really psyched about continuing the path with another group. It is one that I have been watching for the almost two years I have been here. I should know by tomorrow night or Saturday morning. Then I will tell my very good friend. I hope he is okay with it and knows it doesn't necessarily mean I don't want to cirlce with him. Sometimes we will...but I need a "family".
I've got goals to improve my home so that the family will feel even more like it is a sanctuary. I'd like it to be more organised. I am NOT a great housekeeper so that is an astronomical goal...LOL.
Philip's parents sent us some Holiday money from Ireland and we purchased a huge aquarium with the money. Already, we have 7 fish in the tank. There were 8 but one of the guppy females already died. Jake really likes the guppy family. He thinks it's great that the one male needs at least two females or one will die. Haha, what a way to teach children about polyamoury, huh?
We are hoping to get some gourami, angelfish, and a few sharks, but this is a tester tank right now. In fact the kids have named the fish..Tester 1, Tester 2, Tester 3, Testercle (lol) and so on.
Anyhoo, yep, it is 2006 and I feel that this year is one that will change my life.
I hope that yours will be as good as I feel mine is going to be.