Are fairy's just like butterfly's?
Who live in summer, comes winter dies?
Do their wings go slow and lazy thru the sky's?
Or like hummingbirds do they whiz by?
Are fairy's colors autumn bright?
Or green to hide in springs delight?
Do they fly so fancy free?
Or fight and worry like you and me?
No matter witch, I watch the sky's,
to dream I could see a fairy fly!
Getting ready for fall and winter is a full time witchy thing. Time to gather the herbs, cut and tie them and hang them from windows to dry. Don't wait too long for this, when it gets cooler they will lose their potency!!!! Cut them early in the morning, tie the stems together with a natural or cotton twine or string, and hang them (stems up) in a cool, dry, shady spot...Either outside or inside, to dry. Time to cut up the rest of the veggies and dry them out.. Also for winter use.
I have to cozy up my house. In the summer I tend to declutter, and in the winter I clutter up a bit to give it a warm atmosphere. Like putting down area rugs, changing the curtains to a warmer winter color. Getting bowls of potpourri ready to keep the house smelling good with the windows closed (though the hanging herbs really help with that) Getting mint dried and ready for hot mint tea on cold winter nights. Clean out your closets and such also.
I also have to gather acorns to burn at Yule. Burning acorns, then checking for patterns in the ashes, is an old tradition for future telling about the coming year.
I have to buy some mums. And make sure I'm stocked up with soup ingredients. Nothing like hot homemade soup on a cooooold winter day! Also have to stock up on some winter foods that I usually don't make in the summer (it's just too hot to cook them) And such things as pumpkin scones to set the mood.
I also need to clean out my shed. Make sure all the summer stuff is put away, and the winter stuff is within easy reach. Nothing is as horrible and hunting thro a cold shed or garage, looking for Christmas decorations!!!!! I want them right there, sitting where I can reach them and then run back inside. LOL
I also want to stock up on winter projects. Things that can be done in the house during the cold spell. Like crafts, good books, and home decorating projects. Things you don't want to do when it's hot out! I have a few projects that I'm planning for the cooler months.
some simple rules of thumb for winter:
Mulch your plants! Big one's little one's doesn't matter, add a fresh layer of Mulch around them to protect them. You can use grass clippings or bagged mulch.
Cut down all the old growth. Like removing tomato plants...Don't let them rot in the ground all winter, this causes mold and fungus.
Bring your houseplants inside. One cool night could kill them all off in a blink of an eye.
Also wash all the plant pots your going to store for the winter in a very deluded mix of water and bleach. This prevents plant fungus and diseases from growing during the winter. And when you use them in the spring, they are clean and fungus free!!! And remember to put them away!!!!! Leaving out an empty plastic plant pot will just cause it to crack during the winter.
Do your winterizing! Check seals on windows and doors to see if some has to be added or replaced. Winter is not the time to find that your front door is letting the breeze in!!
Fall is time for painting your walls. Keep all the windows open, and paint and refresh everything. The house will air out before winter hits, and your house will look great
Replace all the protection spells around your house. This should be done at least twice a year, spring and fall. Open the windows and re spell the inside of the house with salt, and follow by doing the outside of the house also. A good tip also is the crumbled Bay leaves sprinkled outside all your doorways. When evil crosses a bay leaf it will reveal it's true nature to you. So I leave a line of them crumbled up outside all my doorways.
Don't forget to give all your altar items a good wash in salt to get rid of all the bad vibes they picked up over the summer. I do that in the spring and fall.
I have a small problem people. I'm really good at keeping my Karma level, and making sure I don't screw it up. But I don't know what to do with this one...... I have an old friend who's not talking to me, and I'm not talking to her. I won't go into details...But she's a total ball buster. She comes off as sweet and innocent and proclaims to EVERYONE how honest she is....But it's really a big lie, maybe one that she only tells herself, but she's dishonest as the day is long, and has a tendency, when she's being ignored, to run major scams. I never cared because I felt if people fall for the scams they deserve what they get. Right? Ohhhh I know it was wrong, but I liked her, and didn't want to get her upset! My only excuse.
Now the problem, I received an e-mail, from an address I didn't know, but seemed familiar so I opened it. And it was from one of this girls "best friends". I have no idea why he/she wrote me, must have gotten my email address off of this other friends computer... And because I'm older decided to write... At least this seems to be what happened.
Well, they found out about the scam's. They said they just started to put things together about her, and it's coming out with red flags, they questioned me about a bunch of stuff.... I refused to answer about the other stuff (it's not my place!)
But they persisted, and they spoke especially about one thing. They found out about the scams this girl plays on a certain hotel, and asked me if they should write the hotel and let them know about it! I immediately wrote back and said NO! Don't do it!!!!
Not because I don't believe she deserves it, but because I'm sure she'll think it was me. I didn't put anything else in the e-mail besides the "NO", because I didn't want an e-mail from me getting around, especially if this was just another scam from the girl herself.... She sooooo enjoys being furious at people...She loves to rant and rave how they mistreated her, and were bad to her.... It's another way she keeps the attention on her, and her alone.
Now what should I do? Should I send an anonymous e-mail to her telling her that one of her "best friend's" is about to rat her out, should I warn her? Or should I just let it go???? I'm really torn about this!!!
I blocked her "friend" from my e-mail, so that I don't get anymore letters, and I kept the letter in case I had to defend myself... The email address would betray the "friend"......I have to cover my ass you know.
Now should I just ignore this all, or let her know.... What do you think?
Check out this coffee table!!!!!!!! WOW WOW WOW
For those of you who don't know me.... I LOVE DRAGONS!!!! This table is soooooooooo cooooooool!!!! And not expensive!!!!! Only about $300 with shipping. You can't buy something like this in the store, and it's perfect. Hummmmmm, I want it!!!! But will I buy it????? That's the question. I have trouble buying something for myself. I want it, I love it, but I may pass it by since it's just for me! SIGH I've got to get over this stupid thing about not spending money on myself!!!!
Well, I received a copy of the paper my sister needs to sign. See, to get her money from me, she needs to sign a paper, have it notarized, and then I can write her a check from the account for her money. Giggle. The lawyer wrote that she has to give it to me to get her check.
Now this is the bitch that couldn't drive over to my house to lend me $10 bucks for gas!!!! What do you think she's gonna do???? Do you think she'll mail the letter to me so I can mail her a check back, or do you think she'll get her narley butt over here to get her money?????
I personally think the terrible distance between our house's will shrink when it means that she's getting money. LOL But, I'm going to make her very uncomfortable by telling her, that she shouldn't drive all that distance, (remember it's about 30 min or less) and that I'll do it all by mail..... And by SNAIL MAIL!!! I'll take my time mailing it out to her....Really s l o w.
Payback is a bitch isn't it.
It's weird, but I'm really not sure.......If that makes sense at all. The house closing was yesterday, and everything went smooth as butter. But, I felt like crying and crying. I guess that even though I didn't get to the house much, I always knew it was still there.... And that made a difference. Now it's gone, and I feel like I'm mourning the loss of my Dad all over again. Sometimes I just want to slap myself. LOL
But, in a few days the money will be available. Didn't turn out as good as I thought, with all the bills, there wasn't that much left to split up. But I promised the girls that they will get $5,000 each, and I'm going to stick to it. As soon as the checks clear, I'll send them their checks. That leave some for me, wish it had been more, but what can you do?
I'm still going to treat myself a bit. Starting with new tire's for the car, and getting the air condioner fixed in the car (I might wait till spring for that).... And a TV. My old one exploded, and I've been watching a teeny tiny one. That's it for now though, maybe a tiny bit of shopping, and the rest has to be put away for emergency's. Sigh I'm happy though, it's good. Really
I have "ONE" bedroom shoe missing. Just one, always put them in the same place, but when I looked.... Only one was there!!!! It was there just a week ago!!!! And I never moved it!!!!
I have one large ceramic frog missing...... I have his hat, but he's gone
I have one valance for a set of curtains missing..... Have the curtains,,,, but no valence, even though the valance would stand out because it's heavily beaded!!!!
I HATE HOUSE TROLLS!!! The least they could do is take "ALL" of something, not just half or one. SIGH
Ohhhh, I have an idea for next year. I'm thinking that I should get two large half wine cask planters, and a metal arch (the cheap ones from rag shop) and space the casks in the front of my patio, so that they frame the end of the patio facing the driveway. And put them so that I can have one end of the arch in one barrow and the other side in the second barrow. This way I've created an arch leading to my patio. Hummmmmm
I already have two of them, but I have blueberry's in them, and I don't want to use them for something else too. You don't want to put too many permanent plants in one cask.
Then, besides putting regular flowers in them, I can get a climbing vine, like clamentis, or honey suckle to climb over the arch. Seems like a good idea to me!!!!
Then I can block off the rest of the entrance with smaller planters with plants in it.... So that the only way to enter my patio from the front of the house is thru the arch.
Cool, now all I have to do is think of something to block the sides of the patio, so I don't have to sit and watch my neighbor's back door all day while on the computer. LOL
This is the problem. I HATE MY KITCHEN!!!! The oak, oak and more oak, is aggravating to me. I want to redo it....But what to do???? As with most kitchens, at least the cheap ones, the doors are solid wood, but the cabinets themselves are pressed board, with a finish. So I can't just strip the wood, and re-stain it. On the doors yes, but the cabinets... No, stain just won't take. So I have options:
1. Paint everything in a nice high gloss white....... Not bad, since the walls are paneling with tulips on them, and the white would look good, and make the room seem larger.
2. I can paint the cabinets a color, maybe white, maybe sage green, and then refininh the doors in a cherry or a darker wood tone.
3. I can paint all of it, but in contrasting, or colors that set off each other. Like the cabinets in white, and the doors in sage green.
Some added ideas, I can cut out the center of the cabinet doors and add such things as Rattan, glass, decorated Plexiglas panels or even something as simple as chicken wire that has been painted.
And of course I can add new handles to everything. And they do have some pretty ones at the store, expensive, but pretty.... Like sea shells, or star fish, or just fish. Hummmmmmmm.
The floors I re-did last year, in a tile that looks like mossy slate, I do love it.
And then again, is the counter top... What to do with that!!!!???!!!! Should I get one made up at home depot or lowes, should I tile it, regular tiles or marble tiles..... I haven't a clue!!!!!
But, I do want to get a new stove. This one is white AND black........ I prefer a whole black one, and it's also gas, and I like electric, not gas. So, I could just get a nice black gas one, or a black electric with a smooth top, or whatever!!!!! I'M NOT GOOD AT MAKING DECISIONS!!!!
I do know that I want to replace the sink. I have a stainless steel one, whitch is cool, but it divided into two sinks... I hate that!!!! I just want one huge sink, no divisions. So that's that.
Or maybe not.... Damn!!!! The fridge is almond!!!!!!! That won't do at all!!!!! No I need to get a black refrigerator, or a stainless steel one. Oh shit shit shit.... What am I getting myself into for a freaking kitchen that I barely use.
Oh, Oh, and better add the box freezer I bought. It's WHITE!!! Now, I wonder if you can paint it????? If I painted it black, it would fit right in. Hummmmmmmmm
Seems I have a ton of work to keep me busy this winter. LOL
Oh, and that overhanging cabinet I want it GONE!!!!
When I went to Barb's for a few days, she spotted these wonderful planters at a local store!!!! She just seems to have a gift for finding things!!!!
They are cement, and have a finish that makes them look century's old!!!! ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!!!! Right now I filled them with some old scraggly chrysanthemums that were in the pots with the vegetables, but in the fall I'll fill them with fresh potted Mums, and in the spring I'll put in something very colorful.
I had the Chrysanthemums in with the tomatoes and other planter vegies. They keep all the bugs at bay. Not one aphid or anything!!!! But they don't scare away the bees that you need to set the fruit. I pick the dried ones and use them for pest control in the house during the whole year.
When I went to cut down the tomato plants I ran into a real problem. The stems and trunk of the plants were so HUGE, that I had to use a saw to cut them down. WOW I think next year I'm going to go easy on the fertilizer. LOL The tomatoes were too huge and thick. But, I guess considering the sea wind, it was probably a good thing, as it was I had to tie the tomato trellis to a heavy outside chair, because the breezes were pulling them down.
I had to get rid of the Trellis that arched around the buddah in the front yard. I bought it at the rag shop for like $10 bucks, and 3 years later it was falling to peices. In the spring I'll buy a good one, or a wood one, I haven't decided yet what one to get. It looks bare out there, so something has to replace it.
Well, it's the middle of August, and I'm getting the garden ready for winter. My tomatoes are still growing, and there are tons of flowers on the bush....But to tell you the truth..... If I eat one more tomato I'm gonna barf!!!!!!!
Love fresh tomatoes, but by this time I've eaten about 200 or them (exaggerating of course) and I'm sick of them.
So It's time to pull the plants out, and get the soil in the pot ready for next year. That means I'll remove the tomato plants, and dig the soil in and around to loosen it up. I'll add some mulch and let it sit for the winter. The same goes with the eggplant. Loved them! Now I'm sick of them.
I know, I can make tomato sauce, and rattatoie with the egg plants and freeze them for winter use..... I've done that a million times before.... But I prefer to eat them fresh.
The artichokes are growing again, and I'll leave them alone, since they like cooler weather, I may get a few more before the season is over. I'll check my house plants that are outside, and bring them in for the fall.
The blueberry's will stay in the pots all winter, though I may wrap the smaller pot of blueberry's in newspaper to keep it warm for the winter, the larger pot won't need it.
I'll bring the pot of strawberry's in and put it by the sunny kitchen sink, and try to get a few more berry's out of it before it dies down. Strawberry's don't do well in the house.
I'll pick all the flowers on the chrysanthemums, and dry them, to use in the house for pest control all winter.
Unfortunately my old friend Mary had TONS OF FLEA'S in her house, and she didn't even bother to kill them, so occasionally I find a flea or two in my house from her, and the chrysanthemums kill them off fast!
Now that the huge picnic table is gone to my daughters, I'm going to move some of the larger pots around to make more room on the patio, so that next year I can get one of those covered swings to sit and read on during next summer.
I do need some new pots. Two nice big ones for in front of the house. On either side of the stairs, because I put fake Christmas tree's in them for the holidays. (Yes, even though I'm a witch I celebrate Christmas.... Our holiday... Yule... Is on the 21st of December, so I do both at once!!!) All lighted up, they look so pretty, and I'm using the old containers for planting, so I need some new ones.
Then I'll sweep the patio, cut my rosemary and lavender down, and bundle them up with string, and hang them in the kitchen to dry. When they are dry, I'll put the herbs in containers to use all winter. The rosemary in the kitchen and bath, and the lavender in the bath. Both plants will re-grow in the spring if I don't cut too much off. But I've been doing that for years so I know just how much to cut without killing the plant.
When all that's done, all I have left is to remove the watering hose later in October, and cover the outside spigot with a freeze proof cover. Most out side spigots are freeze proof, but I don't like to take any chances with a really cold winter, they could bust and then I'd have to call someone to replace it, and why spend the money? The hose I'll store in the shed, and take it out to use next winter.
The chairs I leave out all winter, they are iron, and weather really well, not a trace of rust in like 10 years or more, and the two tables between them remain out all winter also, the cold doesn't seem to affect the glass on the tables at all! And I can still sit out there when the weather is warm, and that happens sometimes in the winter. Indian summer they call it.
I do need to put some more bulbs in the front garden, and move the ones I have around a bit..... Now that the bamboo has grown HUGE, I need to move some of the lily's and such or you'll never see them in the spring. Plus, I have to take down my arch around the Buddha. It's gotten old, and sort of leans to the side. One good winter storm and it will fall apart. Next year I'll get a nice heavy wooden arch, and that will last for years!
You can use this spell to get rid of old boyfriend, husbands, or even bad memory's. Gather everything that reminds you of it/him and place in metal trash can. Do this our doors, because your going to burn it, and you don't want to cause a fire.
Pile it all in, and recite: (do the full name, like "Harry Smith" or "memory's of the summer of 78" You get the picture?
"(insert name of person, or thing)"
Reap what you sow.
Recall your faithless past.
Travel the row you hoe,
and grow a heart at last.
Begone from screwing me,
This is my will.
So mote it be!"
Then lite a match, and set the papers, pictures, etc on fire. Watch it carefully so you don't set the whole neighborhood into flames. When it burns down completely, let cool, and then dump the ashes so that they blow away into the wind.
Well, I think I've recovered. LOL My sunburn is still a tiny bit tender in spots.... But basically it's all tan now. And I managed to catch up with my sleep. LOL
And>>>>>>>>>> I found out that my favorite childhood spot to go crabbing, is still there, and is still free!!!! So I can go anytime I want to, all the way into October some time!!! Plus, it's a great spot for fishing also. Looking forward to getting some flounder and blues this year Fantastic!!!
The baby was soooooo funny! At one point we caught her putting milk on her toes with the bottle, and then licking it up. Giggle. And then we caught her snacking on the crunchy cat food!!! We laughed our selves sick! But she's a sweetie
I managed to vacuum all the crumbs up. Giggle those kids are a hoot, but there were crumbs EVERYWHERE! But all in all we had a fantastic time.
I gave Jaime a picnic table and umbrella, and also some beach chairs for her back yard. (why I had like 5 of them I have no idea!) And she called last night to tell me that they were sitting outside on it, eating dinner. I hope she gets more use out of it than I did. I put it up every year, but never actually sat there. Now I have room on my patio to put a nice large covered swing. I can sit out there and read during the good weather. LOL
Jaime brought me one of her hubbie's old monitors, so I can go back on line at last!!!!! I really had withdrawal pains when I couldn't get on my computer! I'm glad to be back on line again!!!! But I miss my flat screen monitor, and when I get some money I'll buy another one. The old types take up the whole desk! They are so huge!!!
Now, next week, on wendsday I have to run up to Barb's and spend a few days. I'm going to leave early and check on Mom's house before I hit her place. It should be nice, we haven't managed to get together almost all summer. Both our schedules were really filled to the max. So we're going shopping (she's looking for new wallpaper for her kitchen), and outside in her pool, and generally chill and catch up on our talking.
I wrote the home and garden network (HGTV) who does all the "fix it" shows, about how I HATE my kitchen, and would love to know how to get it re-done for next to nothing..... And they actually wrote back to me!!!! 5 times!!!! Each time asking for more pictures of the house, kitchen, and us!!!! There might be a chance that I'll get my kitchen re-done on TV!!!!! Now I'm excited! Even if I'm not picked, it was at least nice of them to show such interest!!! But, I HOPE I'M PICKED!!!!!
I have a house full of grandkids, I'm super sunburned, got crab smelling hands, and a poor pussy cat with his fur petted the wrong way!!!!! GIGGLE
But I'm having a blast!!!!!! We actually only caught 1 crab, but we got there way to late for some real crabbing, but we'll go there again today, and keep trying. The one crab was yummmmmmy! GIGGLE I had to talk Jaime out of eating about 10 million baby crabs we caught, to small, even though she wanted to take them all home with her. Giggle.
And the beach was MAGNIFICENT, WONDERFUL, SUNNY, WARM WATER, PARADISE!!!!! I'll write more of the adventures of "tortured grandma" tomorrow
Ahhhh summer is almost over, it sort of makes me sad, but I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to worry about it. LOL Next week my daughter Jamie, Mark and the grandkids are coming for a few days!!!!!
I'm really looking foward to it Beach, boardwalk, crabbing!!!!! Yippie! It's going to be fun, I know.
Then I have to head up to south brunswick and spend some time with Barb. We have both had such a busy summer, I haven't had time to get up there much. I'm looking foward to trying out her new heater for the pool. She says it keeps the water nice and warm, and this means she can keep the pool open until at least the end of Sept. Nice!
Then school starts again, and of course I have to drive my son up and back each day. I don't really mind, but it takes up the whole day! This year he has school 5 days a week, guess that's better then before when it was 6 days a week, but not by much. But I'm realy proud to say he still is on the Deans List. Strieght A's across the board. Who would have thunk. LOL And besides his physics major courses, this semester he's taking Chinese!!!!
You have to excuse any spelling mistakes. My monitor blew last week, and I haven't gotten a new one yet, so I'm typing on Matt's laptop, and for some reason it's blocking spell check, but, again, I'll cope.
The sale of the house is done, closing is this coming week, and then I'll be RICH!!!! Well, not really rich, but with tons, and tons of money!!!! I'm looking foward to that, I want to get some new furnature, and of course a new monitor for the computer... and I'm thinking of going on a nice trip to England. Maybe over the christmas holidays. I'm giving the kids some of the money, I know Mom would have wanted that, and I'm going to do it for her. The kids are happy, and have lots of things they can do with the money, so it'll be well worth it.
