Cauldron

I'm sure some of you remember my pretty cauldron from last year. I stole it from my girlfriend Barb... well, she actually gave it to me..... but it took me years to convince her to do that!!! GIGGLE

It's very, very old. I would say it's from the late 1700's- early 1800's.... and before Barb got it, it held tons of Iris's!!!!

But, over the years, from all the weight of the soil, one little crack has almost made it all the way around the pot!!!

I repaired the crack with metal putty, cause it's cast iron, and I don't know anyone who can weld cast iron..... so........... because of the big crack I kept it empty!

Last year I had an idea, and started gathering empty milk bottle... the plastic ones with tops. Gathering them in a big plastic bag, I had them in the cauldron.... today I added another plastic bag full of those nasty leaves that gathered in my yard.... so that the cauldron is filled to the top with all those milk cartons and leaves.

Then I put about 2 inch's of dirt on top!!!!!

Now I can plant annuals there, without the heavy weight of the soil cracking my pot some more!!!!!

Annuals have light roots, so you don't need much soil, and the cauldron will look pretty, and hopefully not crack anymore!!!!

I'm very proud of myself!! GIGGLE

Tools and gardening

I use a variety of tools when gardening. I have a ton of store bought ones.... and yet, today I went out side with a FORK!

Yeah, a FORK!

Since I spent some time this morning putting my arbor trellis BACK up. (75 mile an hour winds yesterdays tipped the darn thing over!) I figured I would rake up the soil under the trellis to allow the pretty tulips and daffodils have a softer journey up from the ground. And a fork is perfect for that!!!

Then I moved the dirt from one long planter.... to put it in the other long planter...

(I used a lot of the soil to re pot indoor plants this fall)

So I combined the dirt into one planter, and moved it into the SHADE!

I love fresh sweet snow pea's... but last year I had the STUPID idea to put the planters in the SUN!!! Snow pea's don't like the sun!

Really, they do not like the sun. A fact I found out real fast when no peas made it to the picking stage!!! GIGGLE So this year I moved them back into the shade.

Too early you say? Nope, I'll plant the peas by mid March, and have a bumper crop! Snow peas like shade and cold!!! So do things like spinach, and cabbage.... but I'm not planting those this year.

My tomatoes have come up in the indoor pot, just tiny yet, but by the time they are ready to go outside they should be big and strong.

I plant them in a large pot.... and put in dirt only HALF WAY up the pot.... this way as they grow, I add soil, and by the time they are ready to go out, they have a HUGE ROOT SYSTEM!! I don't like those peat pots used for seed starting for the tomatoes, they tend to confine the seedlings too much, and the roots don't get big enough.

My herbs I planted indoors will stay inside, because I have others planted outside... but this way I have quick access to some herbs in case it's raining outside.

One thing I did notice while outside, even though It's early yet, most of the dirt in my planters are ice free!!! Pretty good for this time of the year.

One seed I'm going to pick up this year is more "Teddy Bear Sunflowers"!!! Those tiny sunflowers (no bigger then 4 inch's!!) were the hit of my garden last year. They look just like regular huge sunflowers... but itty bitty. So pretty and cute!

Just a reminder that Spring is coming!!!

good thing!

I still insist, the faster sanity RUNS from your family.... the better the family is!!!!!!

Yeah baby!!!! that's what I'm sayin.....

Static, fun or punishment??

This is the reason I hate winter in N.J. the MOST!

Not that I don't hate it for the cold, snow, ice.... and so on.... but the static electricity in my house is freaking AMAZING!!

My poor cat, who usually runs and HOPS up on my lap.... during the winter he creeps across the sofa, putting out one paw to lightly touch me..... SNAP.... the static gets him, then he goes the rest of the way onto my lap. Ears back, not a happy kitty!

I think he's pretty sure that it's some kind of punishment I put on him all winter!!!!

I CAN'T HELP IT!!! everything I touch sparks, the light switch, the teapot, EVERYTHING!!! it's getting really annoying!!!!!

As soon as spring comes, and the heat stops coming on.... the static goes away!!!!

I WANT SPRING............BAD!!!

Inch worm, inch worm, measuring the......

I just planted a HUGE pot of these Yellow Marigolds!!! I found them last year, and because they were so different then the regular old orange marigolds... I kept the seeds for this year.

Marigolds do great from your left over dried flower seeds!!! Lots of annuals don't do good from the plant seed, because they have been mutated and changed to such a degree that the seeds from them don't breed true! But Marigolds do!

And after gathering them when the flower dries, you can keep them in a jar for years without a problem!

And like I've written before... Marigolds are my mainstay for wonderful things they do!

1. planted with other plants they keep ALL bugs AWAY!!! Even those pesky caterpillars!!!

2. Dried flowers, sprinkled under furniture, and in the cushions KILL FLEAS!!!

3. rub fresh flowers between your hands, and then rub it into your pets fur, prevents the pesky fleas from hitching a ride on them!

So, I'm starting a big pot of them inside, so I can get them transplanted outside by the end of March. One year I didn't do this, and the caterpillars almost killed my blueberry bush's!!!

Plus, they look so pretty when you stick them in planters around the other plants!!!

These are different because they sort of look like Daisy's... and of course Yellow reminds me of spring!

House Fairy

This idea was given to me by one of my oldest and best friends..... she had been having terrible house troubles!!! Leaky roof, washing machine breaking, fights with the family... and so on.

And she decided that since the Fairy's in her garden were so wonderful, she decided to invite one in to the house for luck!

It's very hard to convince a fairy to come inside, but there is a way....

First you have to build a fairy house.... something like this.....






She picked the flower pot one, and in a huge pot where she keep a palm tree, she built a little house for her Fairy friend. Detail is VERY important to entice the little lovelies into the house!!!

The more welcoming you can make it, the better!

Then one spring day she put the plant with the house out on her back porch, during a full moon.... and in front of the house she placed a wee tiny cup filled to the brim with honey!!!

In the morning she lugged the plant back inside... and said this:

"Wraith of the house, Take heart and live,
To every chamber This light I give,
To every corner This breath I send
Approve and favor my willing hand."

Things soon changed around the house, nothing was breaking down, arguments stopped... every month she repeated the chant and left a raisin, or grape, or nice nut.... by her fairy house... and it is still working after 5 years!!!!!!!

So, I'm going to do the same, over the next week or so I'm going to attempt to build a cute little fairy house in one of my potted plants..... so that when the weather finally starts getting warm..... on the night of a full moon.... I'll attempt to welcome a "wee one" into my house!!!

What are your neighbors like?

OK sweeties, prepare for a rant!!

Why do I always get neighbors that look and act like the picture above me??? Why????

No matter where I move, they seem to follow me like some dark cloud.

Not that they are bad people, I'm sure they aren't.... but WEIRD is the word.

The one on the left of me.... well, not only weird but PIGS!! How do I know.... for one thing their patio is outside my living room window, so It's sort of in my sights all day long.

It's BLACK with mold!!! There are weed growing thru the cracks in the cement that are well on their way to becoming trees!!!! (BTW, it's the only house on our whole street that looks like that... everyone else maintains their property with style!)

And their front door was leaking... so instead of getting a new door... or (OMG WHAT A CONCEPT!) Spending 2 bucks for weather stripping.... they decide to cover the WHOLE door in a giant sheet of plastic!!!!! yes, PLASTIC, that they taped all around... but it doesn't stop that FREAKING FLAPPING NOISE ALL DAY/NIGHT LONG!!!

Now they have a back door, that opens on grass... so they have been using that. Climbing over a mountain of snow to get to their cars, that are by the PLASTIC COVERED DOOR!!! It's been over a year now... and still no new door.

(now you have to understand, if you call the office and tell them something... like I need a new door... they will come and replace it for you!) And really cheap if not free!!!!) so that's not the reason they haven't replaced it... but this is.............

I know for a fact they have 2 cats, and two HUGE DOGS!!! Big ones, like pit bulls

(by the way... you have to get the parks permission to have dogs, and I KNOW they didn't!!!)

and it stands to reason, if they didn't get permission... how can you show your dogs????? SO THEY DON'T!!!

THEY NEVER, EVER, WALK THE DOGS!!! Or in any way let them out of the house!!!! Can you guess where the poop and pee is??? I can't!!!! And I don't want to know!!!!

And they go away for days... no one comes to check the animals, or anything, and I know for a fact during the summer they DO NOT leave the air conditioning on for the poor puppies!!!! And since my living room face's their driveway, I know they don't take the dogs with them!!!!

Besides the fact, that every morning the man goes out to go to work (when he works, and that's not often) and brings out a huge bag of beer cans for the recycle bin. EVERY MORNING!!! Who can drink that much beer??? there is only 2 of them living there... and the woman is a TEACHER!!!! Does she go to work trashed on beer every day!!!! YUCK!!

Now the only other one who bugs me is behind me on my right. They seem nice, and put a really well made screen porch onto the house.... but they forgot one thing...

THE LATCH ON THE STUPID SCREEN DOOR!!!! And for want of a 10cents hook and I... the door bangs open and closed all day and night with the wind!!!! Inside it's not to bad a sound, but then summer is coming and the windows will be open, and I know the noise is going to drive me NUTS!!!

They must hear it!!!! it's their house, how can they ignore it!!! Doesn't the banging drive them nuts!!! But, since it's been going on allllllll winter long... I guess it doesn't bother them a bit!!!

Oh well, rant is over.... I feel better now.

Spring cleaning has started

I WISH this was my shed, I'd actually KILL to have this shed (well, there is also one that looks like Dr. Who's Tartis that I would LOVE ALSO!).... But, alas and alack, my shed is the plain old boring white one. It's wood, painted white, but that's about all you can say about it.

When my son is home, he's always saying he'll put the stuff in my shed for me.... like the holiday decorations... and he does..... he PUTS them in the shed. Doesn't stack anything, or place it where it belongs, just opens the door and chucks it.

I can't complain..... too much, but each spring I have to go out in the shed (while he's away at school, so he DOESN'T help me!) and clean it, re stack it, and generally neeten it up!

That's what I did today. My back is sore, the dust makes me itch like crazy, but I feel soooooooo much better now that it's done!

The good thing about living here, is that in the 8 years I've been here, I've NEVER, EVER seen a SPIDER!!! I don't know if it's because of the salt in the sandy soil, or because my lot is all gravel, but not one stinking spider!

So when I go out in the shed, I can clean with complete abandon, cause I know those little nasty's aren't out there!

First I prepare.... I take my phone, keys, cigs, and a lighter.... gotta have supplies. Then I prop open the doors so that they don't keep whacking me as I move around the shed.... the I reorganise, and clean out the old crap!!

I love cleaning!!!!

This time I found an old white metal corner unit for the kitchen, that I haven't seen in years! I didn't even know I still had it! I'm going to use that outside to hold some of my plants. And I found an old watercolor picture of a Fairy that I had bought while still in high school!!!! I don't believe I carried that with me during 15 different moves!!! It was in the shed because our old dog... gone 15 YEARS!, had chewed on the frame. So, I found another frame, but never re-framed it! I did that today!

Garden Blessing

Garden Spell

Pick a time around twilight, and go out to your garden, and place your hands on the ground where you will be growing your plants.... and recite:


"Creatures of the land
And creatures which take flight,
This garden is protected
Both day and night.

Faeries join your hands
keep the eaters from this land
let my seeds grow big and strong
sunny days bring them along!"

Then, if possible, place a small clear crystal, or a favorite stone of yours..... on top of the ground as a gift for the Faeries.

Check back in a few days, if the stone or crystal is still there, that means the Faeries like it... so keep it there, planting around it, but not moving it!

LOOK, LOOK!!!!!

Now, you have to look real close!!!! They are GROWING!!!! My herbs, and my tomatoes!!!!!!!

It makes me soooooooo excited!!!!





But not enough to jump up and down..... jumping up and down HURTS!!!

I spent the day yesterday out in my garden..... cutting down the plumes from the Zebra grass (my hands are cut up like crazy!) Picking up leaves, and garbage!!!

My MIND, and my SOUL.... feel wonderful after being in the garden...... but my BODY is saying WTF!!!!! Ouch, ouch, ouch..... (but with a grin on my face!!!!)

Spring alter

The seasons are changing, so I decided after putting up new curtains, that I needed to change my alter around a bit.

My old chalice has seen better days! Silver plate is good, but wine eventually pits it bad, so I replaced it with this glass one. I bought it years ago, but deemed it too pretty to use, and put it in the china cabinet. Now it's out, and I will use it in my next ceremony



Also in the china cabinet was this fantastic chunk of Amethyst that my daughter gave me. I just felt it wanted to be out... so I placed it on my alter also




And again, hidden in my china cabinet, was my good crystal ball. I just love the antique dragon holder!!!! He also came out for the summer. and now sits on my alter!!

Sunshine spell

SPELL TO ENCOURAGE SUNSHINE

You will need: suntan lotion carnelian or red jasper crystal orange candle

Light the candle,

rub suntan lotion into your hands and toss the crystal from palm to palm seven times as you say:

"Goddess Sol bless and decree that the sun shall shine on me"

Do this every morning leading up to your holiday or event that you want sunshine for.

Valentine Cup Cakes

Even the most die hard cooks out there, have to admit that Paula Deen is the epitome of great southern cooking!!!!

I couldn't resist sharing this recipe of hers for Valentine day!!!!

Paula Deen’s Red Velvet Cupcakes from Food Network

•2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 1/2 cups sugar
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon salt
•1 teaspoon cocoa powder
•1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
•1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
•2 large eggs, room temperature
•2 tablespoons red food coloring
•1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

•1 pound cream cheese, softened
•2 sticks butter, softened
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
•Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

Garnish with chopped pecans, fresh raspberry or strawberry, or sprinkles.

Blessing your staff

Many witch's now a days are using staff's instead of wands!

I think it's great, a staff represents power, and is very solid compared to a wand. Plus it can be carved, decorated... and in a pinch.... used for walking or hiking.

I haven't found one I like yet, but, believe me, I'm looking!!!!

Blessing your staff

Components Required - You need a rod or staff
- You need a place YOU can focus best in
- You need a Crystal (white quartz or obsidian)


First perform a cleansing ritual. place the crystal on the ground in front of you.
Hold the staff or rod out in front of you horizontally. Recite the following spell.

As stone is to earth
So staff is to stone.
Death and rebirth
Heart and bone.
May light fly, I call away stone.
I summon you sky. Call me on.

- Use a staff and stone special to you
- Add your own touches to the spell (it is just a guideline)

Wiccan Alphabet

This Wiccan alphabet
Is for Witches to learn
When you come to the end
Then it's time to return...



A is for Athame
To make sacred space

B is for Bonfire
For leaping apace

C is for Cauldron
That calls forth our dreams

D is for Deosil
The way that redeems

E is for Earth
The Mother of all

F is for Familiar
A helpful fuzzball

G is for Grove
Where we meet with our Goddess

H is for Hags
And all they have taught us

I is for Incense
For energy re-settings

J is for Jumping
The broom at our weddings

K is for Knife
To cut the libations

L is for Laughter
And joyful vocations

M is for Magick
The mystical means

N is for Night
When Covens convene

O is for Owl
For psychical sight

P is for Pentacle
To set things aright

Q is for Queen
Of our starry Heaven

R is for Runes
For magickal spellin'

S is for Spiral
The wheel of rebirth

T is for Tarot
For truth to unearth

U is for Uncanny
Enchanting spell spinnings

V is for Velvet
Dark, for beginnings

W is for Wheel
The spiraling year

X is for Excellent
The Craft so sincere

Y is for Yggdrasil
The Tree of the World

Z is for Zodiac
The heavens unfurled

I'm trying!!!

I'm trying hard to wait out this winter.... before I do something nuts like dye my hair blond or cut it all off!!!!!

So I made a list of what I'm going to focus on, instead of the weather!!!!

First is this guy from Warehouse 13 who's going to be at "Shore Leave" in July, along with other yummmy stars!!!



Focusing on my summer patio garden too!!!



Ohhhhhhh, New shoes..... or just shoes without toe's!!!! SUMMER SHOE'S!!!! SIGH



Of course the Beach!!!! My fav place to be all summer, seaside heights!!!



And last, but really the most important... THE BOARDWALK!!!! Smells of food wafting in the breeze, the, click click click, of the spinning wheels, the sound of kids laughing!!!! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sigh!



I'm going to keep looking at these pictures, and telling myself it's soon to be here!!!!

Bitchin!!!!!

I'm not much for cooking shows... I don't cook!!!

But my sister told me about this one, called "Bitchin Kitchen", and I had to check it out!!!

I screamed with laughter.... plus muscular men ripping their shirts off??? What's NOT to love!!!!

It's on the cooking channel... check your local listing.... wends at 10pm.

Hay, what's it gonna hurt??? Watch it once, and let me know what you think!!!

(You know, the skull on her stove had nothing to do with me loving this show!" GIGGLE

HELP!!!!

HELP!!!! MY HOUSE IS BEING TAKEN OVER BY SOME REALLY CRAZY ALOE PLANTS!!!






Aloe plants are NUTS!!! For years and years they sit in their pots ignoring you. They don't like direct sun, they don't like to be watered, they just grow and grow.

Then every few years they grow SO MUCH, that they actually push large branch's OUT OF THE POT!!!

And being a bleeding heart plant lover, they know I will save their ass's!!!

Trick with transplanting Aloe??? You have to put the branch's in water for a few weeks... I know they HATE water.... but this is one of the few times they want it. You let the branch's sit in a glass of water for a week or so, THEN, and only THEN do you put it in a pot of dirt!!!!

And as you can see, that one old plant, the one in the waaaaay back of the picture, is chucking it's plants at me in an alarming rate!!!!

And I have to find pots for them..... sigh.... I'm such a sucker!!!!

Oh, and don't worry about drainage!!! The ones that do the best are in glass bowls that have NO DRAINAGE!!! Why????? THEY ARE NUTS, THAT'S WHY!!!!!!!

I do crazy things this time of year!!!!

I do crazy things this time of year!!!! I know, your laughing and saying...."and this is new?" Bad ladies!

It's just these two months, January and February... I go NUTS!!!!

I'm at the end of my wits trying to find stuff to keep me occupied before I can go outside again!!!!

I re-read books, make silly doll clothing (and you all know I HATE to sew!!!)

I clean till my house runs screaming when it see's me carrying a dust mop

I pace, back and forth, thumb through a million seed catalogs, and try and find new things to do.

Really, it's "keep occupied" or scream obscenity's at the weather... non stop for hours.... sigh

I found my old fish tank.... that was fun...... almost a week cleaning it, setting it up... decorating it, filling it with water........ and then a week later.... finally getting some fish in it!! Now it's done.... and once again .... I HAVE NOTHING TO DO!!!

I keep peering out my windows... saying "I'm going to move that pot there, or that plant there, or WTF IS ALL THAT GARBAGE IN MY YARD!!!" But I can't force myself out there, cause it's just too cold and wet! SIGH!!!

And I know if I try to mush through all that left over snow, and clean up my patio... I'll feel better, but I'll probably lose a finger or two to frostbite!!!

So, I stay inside, and..... whine.... OK, there I said it.... I'M WHINING!!!!

Spring better come soon, that's all I gotta say!!!!

Ahhhhh feeling better.....

Today I ran out to Lowes to see if the seeds were in yet! AND THEY WERE!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPEEEEEEDDDDDDOOOOOOO!!!!!

I got some chive, dill, and lime basil to grow inside! I have a great window in the living room where I had dill growing for almost 2 years.... before I made a booboo and over watered it on day. So now I'll have my herbs growing again... I'M SOOOOO EXCITED!!!

I also picked up some tomato seeds to start inside too! Last couple of years I've bought plants, and they didn't do well, so this year I'm growing my own!!!

Just by playing with the dirt and pots.... I could feel my spirits rising!!! As I planed the seeds, I felt my connection with the Goddess growing stronger!

Winter sometimes seems to disconnect me.... the only time I feel the real power is in my garden. And doing this small step this morning, lets me know... winter is almost over!!!!

5 tips for a woman

1. It is important that a man helps you around the house, and has a job.

2. It is important that a man makes you laugh

3. It is important that you find a man who you can count on and doesn't lie to you

4. It is important that a man love you, and spoils you

5. It is important that these 4 men don't know each other!!!!!

Damn Right!!!!!!

You youngins have it sooooo easy! We had to work for our high!!!

Joy joy... happpy happppppy!!!

Its my favorite season of ALL TIME!!!!! JELLY BEAN SEASON!!!!! I LOVE JELLY BEANS!!!!

Couldn't find my chocolate covered ones.... but that's OK....

the season of jelly has just started...

I WILL FIND THE Chocolate COVERED JELLY'S!!!! WHOOOOO HOOOOOO