The tree frogs are SINGING!!!!!

For those of you that are NOT in the know. GIGGLE The Farmers Almanac states that it's not really spring, until the tree frogs sing!!!

And tonight was the first night you could hear them singing away...... so nature says that it is officially SPRING!!

Of course, they used the sound of tree frogs in the old 50's science fiction movie where Giant Ants were attaching people in the desert.........

so it's either the first sign of true spring..... or the ants are coming!!!!! RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!

Found some old pic's today

I found some old pic's in a box today, and decided to scan them

1. My Botchie (that's my dad's mom, Russian.) at Dalenbacks Lake in East Brunswick. Well, it wasn't actually a lake, it used to be a sand pit, that they opened up for swimming. It was a big thing in my life, we spend many summer days there. Picking blueberry's, swimming, and having fun!! All the way up till the time I got married. Soon after that they drained the sandpit, cemented it, and called it the Municipal Pool. Yuck!!!!!! Where's the fun in that????

I'm the small one, about to fall off the tube, the other is my sister. As you can see from the picture, I was a water baby!

2. that's me, with the cute naked butt, and sunny smile.... on the swing!!! My sister was there watching me, but I'm pretty sure she was just sitting there waiting for a chance to off me! She was very jealous. GIGGLE

3. This is a rare picture of my Dad. My real dad that is, I've mentioned my mothers husband Ernie before, but he was my step dad..... and I never considered him my dad at all. I always called him Ernie.

This is my real dad who died when I was 14 years old. Funny, after all these years, I still miss him.....

The moans and groans of SPRING!!!!!!

LOL this explains it all!!!!!!!!!!!

Why did the Pagan chicken cross the road?

Alexandrian/ Gardnerian: To reveal this would be to break my oath of secrecy. I can say, though, that it really is an ancient rite, dating far back in time, back even before 1951, and I have learned it from an unbroken lineage. As Gerald said, it takes a chicken to make an egg.

Asatru: First, we don't believe in a "One Chicken" or a "Hen and Rooster." We believe in many chickens. Second, "crossing the road" ispart of the three levels, or worlds, and the chicken simply crossed from one level to another. Hail to the Chickens!

British Traditional: The word "chicken" comes from a very specific Old English word ("gechekken" ), and it only properly applies to certain fowl of East Anglia or those descended there from. As for the rest, I suppose they are doing something remotely similar to crossing the road, but you must remember that traditional roads are not to beconfused with the modern roads....

Celtic: In County Feedbeygohn on Midsummer's day, there is still practiced St. Henny's Dance, which is a survival of the old pagan Chicken Crossing fertility rite. Today, modern pagans are reviving the practice, dedicated to the Hen and the Green Rooster.

Ceremonial: "Crossing the road" is a phrase that summarizes many magical structures erected and timed by the chicken to produce the energy necessary for the intention of the travel across the road. For example, the astrological correspondences had to be correct, the moon had to be waxing (if the chicken intended to come to the other side of the road) or waning (if the chicken intended to flee to the other side of the road), and the chicken had to prepare herself through fasting and proper incantations. Note: certain forms of invocation (summoningan egg *inside* your chicken self) can produce abnormal or even dangerous eggs and should only be conducted inside a properly erected barnyard....

Chaos: Thinking in terms of "roads" and "crossings" is simply looking at the formal, typically perceived structure of chicken crossing space-time. We, instead, focus on the possibility of chicken crossing itself; what appears to be a random act is thus actually the norm--it is the road which is the freak of chance. Indeed, quantum mechanics now demonstrates what we knew all along: two roads can simultaneously exist in the same place at the same time. Thus, by attuning ourselves to the dynamic energy (called "crossing"), we can manifest the road. Of course, to the knowledgeable, this appears as a chicken crossing the road.

Dianic: The chykyn ("chicken" is term of patriarchal oppression) sought to reclaim for herself the right to be on the other side of the road, after it had been denied to her for centuries. By doing so, she reawakened the power of the Hen within herself.

Discordian: cock-a-doodle- doo!!!

Druid: To get to the sacred grove, of course! Keep in mind that 99% of everything written about chickens-crossing- the-road is pure hogwash,based on biased sources. Yes, there were a few unfortunate chicken sacrifices in the past, but that is over now...

Eclectic: Because it seemed right to her at the time. She used some Egyptian style corn and a Celtic sounding word for the road and incorporated some Native American elements into her Corn-name, Chicken-Who- Dances-and- Runs-with- the-Wolves.

Faery: In twilight times and under sparkling stars, those properly trained can still see the chickens crossing the roads. Reconnecting with these "fey-fowl" as they cross is crucial to restoring the balance between the energies of modern development and living with the earth.

Family Traditional: Growing up, we didn't think much about "crossing the road". A chicken was a chicken. It crossed the road because that was what worked to get her to the other side. We focused on what worked, and we worked more with the elders of the barnyard and less with all this "guardians of the chicken coop" business. We didn't get our concepts of "chickens" or "the other side" from Gardner, either. You can choose not to believe us since we did not "scratch down" on paper what was clucked to us orally (which, at certain times in history, was the only way to avoid becoming Easter chicken soup!), but that doesn't change the facts: there were real chickens, and they really did cross the road!

Kitchen Witch: The chicken crossed the road to get food, to get a rooster, or to get away from me after I decided to have chicken for supper!

Left Hand Path: White, fluffy chickens prancing across the road! Do you think that is all there is to crossing the road? Do you dare to know the dark side of crossing the road and the other path to self-development?

New Age: The chicken crossed the road because she chose this as one her lessons to learn in this life. Besides, there was so much incense and bright, white corn to explore on the Other Side.

Posting on an Online Discussion Group: What do you mean "why did the chicken cross the road?"???!!! ??? Haven't you read **any** of the previous posts? We've been [expletive deleted] debating every word of that question, painstakingly trying to come to some kind of answer. I know you wrote "all i wnted to know was why chickens cross the road, i'm not looking for any chicken spells" but I'm fed up with newbies who can't even bother to REEEEEEEEAAADDD the posts on that very topic! No, this is *not* a flame. But, I and several others here have the*maturity* to properly explore and respond to this question, and we were properly trained; we *didn't* just read a book and think we were full-fledged chickens. (whew, feeling much better after ranting)

Reclaiming: "Didn't we settle this in the November meeting?"...."Yeah, why do we have to keep revisiting consensus all the time?"...."Actually , in November we decided that the chicken did cross the road, but we ran out of time for why."...."Well, I think the chicken came before the egg."...."Can we stick to the point here!? Was it a free-range chicken, or did it escape from one of those awful factory farms?"...." O.K., everybody -- breathe. Remember that we're here for all the chickens.".. .."I see lots of hands. Pondweed, then Mudflat, then ..."

- by "Sethian"/Jane Roberts

Humming and Hawwwwing is done!

After a few months trying to decide what color or fabric I should do the dinning room chairs...... I've decided, and it's done.

Yes, It's leopard print!!!!

I've been Gothing up my living room the last few months. The darker curtains in shades of rust, green, blue, and gold. The dried blood red shagg carpeting. But I couldn't decide on the chairs.

I was going to do them black. Now, you see, there is a reason.

Merlin thinks that the dinning room chairs are his little home. He loves sitting under the table on the chairs...... and leaves BLACK HAIR all over them!!!! They, of course, were originally pastel blue and pink when I got them. (yack, but JC pennies didn't have nice colors back then)

So I wanted to go dark to keep the cat fur from showing.

But you know the real reason???? I LOVE LEOPARD PRINT!!!! Yeah, it's this total hang up with me. But I LOVE IT!!!

And with the curtains, and cast iron and amber light fixture, the Leopard rocks!!!!!

My house, my colors!!!!! And I know a certain someone, related to me, (you know the one the house fell on! ding dong!) will have a problem with that, and I'm sure I'll get many snide remarks.

But In the long run IT'S MY FUCKING HOUSE!!!!

Now for the kitchen. Hummmmmm, wonder if they make leopard print wall paper???? GIGGLE

Hummmmm

Well, thanks to my freaking doctor, (who by the way thinks she's a goddess, but isn't) This week I endeavored to remove all wheat from my diet (gluten free) So far so good. Not bad at all, you have to read the ingredients, but then I do that already to check for eggs. Eating lots of rice, (because bread is a no no!!!) and of course sweets.

But today I decided to try Rice bread that I picked up at the health food store, along with rice chips (sour cream and onion flavor), and cookies, that look like fig newtons, but have no flour, and they have raspberry's in them.

All were fantastic! The bread had a heavy smell of yeast when untoasted, but when toasted it tasted a lot like the breakfast bread made by my grandmom. Light and fluffy! And the cookies were yummm, very raspberry, and the crust thick and slightly chewy. Not bad at all. The rice chips...... well, I can't eat potatoes, so if I close my eyes and use a dip, tastes pretty good.

This doesn't seem like such a bad thing after all.

I'm losing all my puffiness, in my fingers and feet, and I do feel pretty good, a little more energetic..... which she assures me will get even better when all the wheat is out of my system. So, I'm granting her that she was right, and admitting that my wheat allergy has gotten worse...... mainly because of the fact I can feel a BIG difference, and it's only been less then a week.

OK, well, she's good, still not a goddess, but good. GIGGLE

Oh, and I finally received the magnets that I'm selling at shore leave today. NICE!!!! I was worried that because I found them so cheap, that I wouldn't like them..... but they are really nice ones.

I got a mix of Fairy's (made a mistake ordering one of the fairy ones, and ordered 2 packs of 10 instead of one, but they are pretty, and hopefully will sell!), dragons, pirate ones, some with I love my captain, and lots of Wicca ones..... that along with the tiny little boxes, the mortar and pestles, my copper cauldrons, and the super"Secret Item" (that I've been working my butt off making for the last 2 weeks!!!!!) it all should be enough to satisfy any customer at shore leave.

More then enought I think, since Eileen is sharing a table with me, and she has her jewerly and the odd, but cute rubber duckies! Yippee!

AT LAST!!!!!!

A settlement between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Wiccans adds the five-pointed star to the list of "emblems of belief" allowed on VA grave markers.

Eleven families nationwide are waiting for grave markers with the pentacle, said Selena Fox, a Wiccan high priestess with Circle Sanctuary in Barneveld, Wis., a plaintiff in the lawsuit. The settlement calls for the pentacle, whose five points represent earth, air, fire, water and spirit, to be placed on grave markers within 14 days for those who have pending requests with the VA.

"I am glad this has ended in success in time to get markers for Memorial Day," Fox said. The VA sought the settlement in the interest of the families involved and to save taxpayers the expense of further litigation, VA spokesman Matt Burns said. The agency also agreed to pay $225,000 in attorneys' fees and costs.

The pentacle has been added to 38 symbols the VA already permits on gravestones. They include commonly recognized symbols for Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism, as well as those for smaller religions such as Sufism Reoriented, Eckiankar and the Japanese faith Seicho-No-Ie.

"This settlement has forced the Bush Administration into acknowledging that there are no second class religions in America, including among our nation's veterans," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which represented the Wiccans in the lawsuit.

The American Civil Liberties Union said the agreement also settles a similar lawsuit it filed last year against the VA. In that case, the ACLU represented two other Wiccan churches and three individuals. VA-issued headstones, markers and plaques can be used in any cemetery, whether it is a national one such as Arlington or a private burial ground like that on Circle Sanctuary's property.

Wicca is a nature-based religion based on respect for the earth, nature and the cycle of the seasons. Variations of the pentacle not accepted by Wiccans have been used in horror movies as a sign of the devil.

OK, this weekend I CLEANED!!!!!!!

Sometimes I let my Mother take over my head, and let her have her way, and this weekend was one of those times.

I started out with cleaning the windows in the kitchen (4 of them) And the ones in the living room (4 also) Inside and out!!!! Thank the goddess for tilt -in windows!!!!

After they were all sparkling clean inside and out, I went out side and using the hose I cleaned the screens also, and while I was out there I hosed down the siding and shutters on the house. This way when summer comes, and windows open, you don't get all that winter dust from the screens blowing in. Over kill much???

Then I cleaned the screen doors windows. Not bad, but big!!!

Then I changed the one screen door, that was all glass for the winter, and put up the screen there. That was a BITCH! Since the screen doors are like complicated to take off the glass and replace it with a screen. You would think it would be easy!!!!! Took over an hour!!!

Then I went outside, and vacuumed and dusted my car's interior. I took out the mats from the floor and washed them also!!!

Enough????? Nahhhhhh Never enough when Mom takes over!!!!

Then I went back inside and vacuumed the entire house, and dusted the whole thing.

Then I cleaned out my bedroom drawers!

Then I cleaned the refrigerator!!!!!! Yucky, moldy old food and crusted shelves!!!!

This all started on Saturday and ended sometime on Sunday!!!!

I did take time out to go and do a little gardening. Moved some planters around..... even though they weigh like 5 tons each! Planted this years crop of artichokes, and did some weeding in the yard. (let me tell you, crawling around over rocks to rip up weeds...... not a pretty sight!) Giggle

And put together the copper fire pit Jamie gave me. Copper my ass!!!! Pretty as can be, but was made of CAST IRON!!!! Weighed like 50 tons!!!!

Eileen saved my ass by coming over Sunday afternoon, and I took some time to sit outside on the swing and talk, we even flagged down the ice cream man and had Italian ice's. So I did get some rest. And we dared to peek in the windows of the house next door, that's empty and for sale. Nice place!

But, spring cleaning is a must for me!!! And in a day and a half, I got it all finished!!! Yippee!!!!

Home Depot sucks!!!

Well, at least right now it does. I've gone there 3 times in the last 2 weeks, and 2 times to Lowe's also, so lets spread the blame around.

I was just looking for a few things..... Peppers, any kind of them, and those cute tiny Japanese eggplants that were out last year..... that we absolutely LOVED!!!!, and some Mum's or Maragolds for buggie control.

AND, NO GO!!!!! NOTHING, besides a few tomatoes!!!!!

Not even the Marigolds that I use for pest control in the garden!!!!!! And those should have been out BEFORE the Pansy's!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!

So, I'm totally pissed off now, and just about gave up, when Matt said he wanted to go to Wal-Mart after school.... and while he went looking at video games, I ambled over to the garden center.... AND TAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

They had EVERYTHING!!!! Fantastic!!!!!

I got my eggplants, a flat of red and gold marigolds for the buggies, and even a really HUGE pink geranium hanging basket!!! (Changed my mind about the peppers, always grow them, but I'm not a big fan, so I passed them by.)

The only PINK geranium one in the whole store..... AND IT'S MINE!!!!!!! YIPPPPPPIE!!!!! (they had tons of red, white, and even some strange coral ones.... but only ONE pink.) And it's pretty too. Two shades of pink, light and shocking, and even some white in it. I hung it on my arbor in the front yard.

All I have left now is to transplant the Artichokes, and that's for a nice cloudy day, maybe next week.

See, transplanting when the sun is behind the clouds, gives the plants a chance to take hold and survive.

Too much bright sun the very first few hours is badddddddd.

You can also plant them in the early evening too, this gives transplants the whole night to adjust to their new homes.

Banging head against the wall!!!!!!

You know what? I HATE when a small chore turns into a HUGE ONE!!!!

This year, as part of my spring cleaning, I decided that the dryer vent should be vacuumed out. Small job, sure, everyone who has any kind of brains at all will do that every few years, or risk a fire..... right????

Well, sure, that's why 4 years after buying the house, I decided I should do it. DUHHHHHH!!!!!!


My dryer is in a small space attached to the kitchen, behind doors. So to start the project I had to remove the doors to get at the dryer. No problem.

Then I had to scooch the dryer out from the space, slowly. No problem

Then I had to climb BEHIND the dyer, small space, enough to work in, but that's about it. No problem.

Once back there the problems started. Shit!!!! the dryer hose to the outside is one of those stupid plastic ones that aren't used anymore..... why because they RIP! And let bugs and animals in the house. Well this one was ripped in a few places...... no problem

Then I decided to check even further. Removing the hose, revealed MAJOR PROBLEMS!!!!!!!!!!

The hose wasn't installed right, and inside the dryer..... inside where the electric is, was COATED WITH A HUGE AMOUNT OF LINT!!!!! THE WHOLE INSIDE. No problem

Got the vacuum out, and vacuumed the inside of the dryer, reaching in with my hands to grab stuff, and bring it out.

When I'm telling you I had a whole garbage bag of lint when I was done.... I'm NOT exaggerating!!!!!

Not a problem to do, but if I hadn't done it, one day, something would have ignited it, a spark, or just the heat from the dryer, and FIRE!!!!!!!!

So, off I go to Home Depot. Got a new METAL hose, one that doesn't rip, got pipe clamps (there weren't any used in the install!!!!!! What fucking idiots installed that dryer!!!!! Plus, a HUGE ROLL OF DUCT TAPE!!!!


Took off everything!!!! Cleaned out all the lint. Then attached the new hose to the outside vent..... duct taped it, and then clamped it. Then did the same to the dryer part..... duct taped it, and clamped it.

Now I'm leaving out the cleaning, and the part where I had to pull out the whole dryer and tip it over so that I could get all the stuff out, and have access to the hose. That took a while, let me tell you.

Then cleaning behind the dryer, the floor and walls, and then pushing the dryer upright, and placing it back in the nook it came from. SIGH

Then of course, putting the doors back on, and sweeping all the escaped lint up off the floor, and vacuuming the rest.

I'm bushed!!!!!!!!

Small project, BIG WORK!!!! WHEN WILL I EVER LEARN!!!!!!