Effortless Oracle - Keeper of Mysteries

Small celebration.

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:22:57 GMT

I've gone ahead and ordered a paid account here [at DW] for myself. It is in advanced celebration of completing the training I needed to do to be an applied behaviour therapist for the local school-board here. Monday is the field visit and observation, and I am really excited to be able to work in this area. *knocks wood*

Saturday, I will be working with my clients at the Special Olympics basketball finals, and am working a 6 am to 6 pm shift... Yes, I hear all the laughter from those who know that I am not at all a morning person... but, well, it's the finals. *grin*

Now, I need to grab a Guinness and go back to making supper for the evening. Yes, caved in and am doing the whole corned beef and cabbage thing, with fresh and lovely boiled new potatoes. It's going to be good, so that is all that matters.

Next up, though, is going to be a grilled leg of lamb.

In honour of the day:

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:55:32 GMT

May it be so for every week.

Nature Journal - 14 March

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:21:16 GMT

Tis the season. The earth is warming, even if the spring rains still hold the cold of winter in them. The evenings have a watery softness in them that is coaxing the new growth and new life ever upward and outward. The Cailleach Beara is indeed transforming into the Maiden and the snakes are emerging from their slumber.

And just to prove that Pádraig did not drive the serpents from my ancestral land (if he even ever set foot upon the blessed plot), I offer this wisdom from a modern bard:

Let the circle be wide round the fireside
And we'll soon make room for you
Let your heart have no fear
There are no strangers here
Just friends that you never knew

We will travel along on the wings of a song
With a mind that is open and free
If we close our eyes to the other side
We're just half of what we could be

Shake the hand of the man from the far distant land
Meet and treat him well
And the young girl so fair with the wind in her hair
She's got a story to tell

There are songs to be song there are rafters to be rung
There is reason to resin your bow
There are stories of old and new ones to be told
To carry away when you go

We'll pass the bottle round and we'll drink another round
That our friendship will always remain
For how can you tell when we say our farewells
When will we all meet again

So let the circle be wide round the fireside
And we'll soon make room for you
Let your heart have no fear
There are no strangers here
Just friends that you never knew

Tommy Sands

Sun R 07:12 // Sun S 19:07 // Mn R 06:19 // Day Length 11h 55m
Moon: Waning Crescent 01% Illuminated
Morning Stars: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

Friday!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:50:56 GMT

What a dreary one, too. It's cold, drizzily, and damp. And, I've been called into work from 5-10 for a co-worker whose had a family emergency. Fair enough. I'm sure that down the line something will come up for me, too, and I'll need emergency relief; so I'll just look at it as time to work on the next part of a few stories. I do have something in mind for Gwynne and Roberto, I just need to get the ideas out of my head and typed up. So, I will be working on that tonight.

I also think that I might unlock parts of Gwynne's story. Maybe the DarkStar bits and put a disclaimer in the sidebar. I need to reread the work for Incarnation I and when the changes I need to make are made, I will probably unlock them as well.

Now, off to the store to get some pizzas for the beasties' supper. Yeah, I'm sure pizza, salad, and soda for supper is going to be a hardship for them *grin*

Productive day!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:25:47 GMT

I am skittishly leery of talking about the one... why call the attention of the universe to me if I don't need too, right?

... and am well pleased with the other. I'm almost jealous of the muse, and might steal the idea for myself later on down the road. *grin*

WTF am I talking about, you ask. I made a new layout for mistress_gwynne, and it is fantastic (if I say so myself).

Nature Journal - 05 March

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:25:56 GMT

The seasons are shifting as the Year Wheel turns. The earth is warming and the blankets of snow have all but melted. The last small hangers-on are the white pockets clinging to the northern most, shaded portions of the woods... and the miniature Everests that grace all large car parks.

Snow flurries have given way for winter rain and I think that our chances of getting another sustained period of snow covering us are very slim. I'll not say that we won't get any more snow, for in March, all weather is possible, just that it will be fleeting spring snow that lasts only days instead of weeks.

The birds coming to feed are different as well. The little snow birds are gone, moving northward I imagine, and we have many more wood doves and cardinals on the lawn feeding now. The chickadees are also present, as always, and delight in teasing the cats through the glass doors.

Elsewhere, the trees are budding now. The fat promises of new life are impossible to miss when I look out of my windows. The crocuses and irises are beginning to poke their green fronds up through the wet, dark soil of garden beds whilst their wilder cousins grace the dark winter lawns with amazing verdant splashes of colour.

Slowly, slowly, spring is making its presence known.

Sun R 06:24 // Sun S 17:59 // Mn R 23:59 // Day Length 11h 35m
Moon: Waning Gibbous 70% Illuminated
Morning Stars: Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune

2 weeks notice given.

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:54:48 GMT

Yes, LJ has been served its notice.

2 ~~weeks~~ days given for the accounts, and then it will be posting at DW and IJ exclusively.

It is past time.

We have weather.

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:01:26 GMT

My sinuses are screaming, it must be snowing.

*pained grimace of a grin*

Wonder if it will be a dusting of snow or a blizzard? Only time will tell. *goes to get aleve*

Owning Characters

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:35:25 GMT

An idea has been nagging at me since bringing Gwynne 'out to play' as it were, and perhaps it was given free reign to rise closer to the surface with some of the latest contests occurring on-line.

But what really brought it completely to my attention was chatting with a good friend on AIM about making Gwynne fully my own as there is so little of her in WoD:Mage other than a quote and a name.

My own background in the arcane and occult is solid enough that I can do this. I also know how Gwynne will be able to move through the ages without being locked into the 'avatar' system. My delightful ancestors and forebearers, the Celts, also have been considerate enough to provide me with the means to keep her awakening story as it is with a few minor changes and will allow me to explain future awakenings.

So, it is time to give faith a lot more room in my life. I will accept and run with my friend's faith in me and the muse. For now, I've f-locked the entries I've already posted at DW and IJ. Her LJ has been closed and locked. Even with more faith in my creative life, there are still some at LJ that know of the muse and her story that I just do not trust. They give the few sterling and considerate writers there a terrible name and have pretty much tarred the whole place with toxic negativity for me. I am far, far happier to give her free voice here.

Dreaming - 14 February '10

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:27:10 GMT

Neptune has moved into the morning sky. My dreams get very surreal but make a lot of sense on a symbolic level when this happens.

I was having one of those dreams this morning right before I awoke, but like many of Neptune's offerings, it vanished as quickly as I opened my eyes.

The only thing I can record about it this morning is that I remember that I dreamt and the dream was in colour.

Nature Journal - 10 February '10

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:57:15 GMT

The view of the woods and the snow is beautiful from my patio window. It is almost deceptive and might lead one who has never seen a snowfall before to think that it is a soft blanket of white that gently covers the earth. From my windows, at least, it is.

I was out driving yesterday and saw some of the harsher aspects of nature. There are a lot of Virginia pines uprooted and on their sides; victims of the heavy wet snow and sleet that we had. Their roots are very shallow, these weed trees, and they grow too close together wherever there is free forest floor and no established hard wood trees to control thier growth.

I'm glad that my woods are mostly oaks, hollies, and maples; the pines that we do have aren't leggy 'bolters' but established slow growers. Their branches can support the weight of wet snow, dipping down in graceful green and white arches to the ground. They are perfect for the cardinals to rest on as they forage for food, and afford me stunning, if fleeting, glimpses of nature's beauty around me.

Sun R 06:48 // Sun S 17:41 // Mn S // Day Length 10h 53m
Moon: New 9:51 PM
Morning Stars: Mercury and Saturn

Welcome to Ashtoreth Falls, to your left...

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:44:53 GMT

Oh sweet Mother of Christ?!? Why me?

Two hours ago, one of the water pipes inside my kitchen wall decided that it had had enough and went *Burst!*

First thought was to shut down all of the pricey electro-toys and put them in the driest part of the house. Then I called our emergency maintenance number and MetCom and was sarcastically panicked. "Hello, I know that it is cold out and there was a blizzard, but I've got an inch of water on my kitchen floor, coming down from from the ceiling! and 1/2 my dining room carpet resembles a swamp."

As of now, the nice young men have left after getting MetCom to shut off the water valve... oh my neighbours are going to love us... and wet-vacc'ing the carpets. Just what they wanted to be doing on a Friday night.

The eldest had a bottle of Bushmills that he was saving for the 17th of March. We've decided that it is best opened tonight.

I'm going to laugh tonight.

Tomorrow, I shall cry.

The world around me today

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:09:55 GMT

The snow arrived later than predicted. We had a lot of light sleet last night, and I was asleep before it turned into the snowy blizzard we have now.

The birds are back again, and I've put out the last of the seed for them. The cats and I are enjoying watching them foraging for the seed we've spread out for them, and they are writing us ever changing hieroglyphic messages in the snow.

I will have to get some more seed tomorrow.

Sun R 06:51 // Sun S 17:38 // Mn R 04:41 // Day Length 10h 47m
Moon: Waning Crescent 10% Full
Morning Stars: Mercury and Saturn

ROTFLMAO!

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:37:51 GMT

New Being Human...

Mitchell gets stuck with clean-up after a blood frenzy and the music is I'm Into Something Good by Herman;s Hermits.

Dying laughing.

Which weather god do I speak to?

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:16:10 GMT

Now, I do like snow, but this is silly. We got nothing last year, or close enough to nothing to count as nothing, and now we're set to get *blinks* 22 more inches in the next two days?

Made my grocery list so I can go out to the store at 0-dark-hundred to get supplies in case we're snowed in for 24 hours again. Mainly, milk, cereal, eggs, bird seed, red wine... the essentials.

Needless to say, the cancelled schools again for tomorrow already this afternoon.

Cat report

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:02:23 GMT

We put our some bird seed for the adventurously opportunistic birds this morning. Never mind that the seed is now covered with snow, they are happily digging for it, and we will put out some more later.

Lily is parked by the glass door looking out at them, tail twitching, and I can imagine that she is chanting "I'm a lion, I'm a lion, I'm a lion..." to herself with each twitch of the tail.

Puck is sulking and eating her food in the kitchen, and I imagine that she's saying, "doesn't taste at all like bird, but it's all they'll let me have."

We tried opening the door earlier for Puck when she was crying piteously to go out to get the birds, but the stubborn wench made a bee-line back into the house once her precious paws hit the cold white stuff. Now when she cries, we tell her to shut it and she goes off to sulk. Lily, meanwhile, is the Queen of the Kalahari... well, at least in her little kitty mind.

( She's a lion )

We shall see what we shall see.

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:26:36 GMT

Still snowing. In fact, it isn't supposed to stop until after 7 pm or so, so there's no work for me today. We'll have to see what tomorrow brings re: road conditions. It is gorgeous out there, but whilst looking at the snow still coming down, I am glad that I am inside and do not have to go outside save to play.

The net connection is on-again/off-again... mainly depending on where we're trying to connect. Thank god TVU is working. I've closed all programs save this one so that I can watch Hull v Man City. TVU, though, won't play the Fox Soccer Channel for me, so I'm watching Fox Sports en Espanol. It works nicely.

ETA: The latest forecast - Blizzard Warning in effect until 10 PM EST this evening... Whee!

Snow!

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:56:33 GMT

It is coming down. Supposedly, we'll be getting anywhere from 2-3 feet. I'm not going to hold my breath, but there is weather as the net's been at a snail's pace all day. I can... eventually... log in to places, and am sending this via Semagic as I can queue it if need be.

Fun times.

In other news, my SIL broke her ankle as a result of ice. Ice = bad. Snow = good. Thank you.

In other other news, my beasties are trying to get me to play WoW. I told them that I will consider it once I take over this world and the nine levels of the Inferno first.

Sledding [of a sorts] and shiners

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:59:11 GMT

The beasties went out last night to slide about in the snow and ice. They also filmed themselves and their friend doing so. I call it Jackasses in Winter.

As soon as I can figure out how to get that on YouTube, it's going up.

The beastiette wisely remained home and warm. The middle beastie, my poor unlucky lamb, has a shiner from a spectacular tumble... at least there was plenty of ready ice to be applied to the bump. The elder beast did a good job of frozen first aid before they got home and thawed out.

Time for some tea, and then I have no idea what. My house looks like a war zone, and they've already cancelled school for tomorrow. I'm hoping for inspiration in tea.

In the valley of the shadow of death,

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:39:07 GMT

I shall fear no evil, because if it come close enough, I shall vomit upon it.

My children have once more shared their germs whilst hoarding their sweets, and I've been in bed with a novovirus. Maybe I should not blame the beasties, but instead the insta-salad in a bag I bought on Monday. The convenience was not worth it.

*knocks wood* I hope that I am over the worst of it. I'm hungry but still afraid to eat due to the nasty side-effects of such foolishness. I tried oatmeal yesterday, you know, gentle and boring oatmeal, and it hated me with a hatred that knew no bounds. Tea, though, particularly Lady Grey, has been my friend.

I might be suicidally adventurous and try scrambled eggs on toast in a few minutes.

In other, happier news, I think that I am going to buy the new moon perfume from BPAL:

CANDLES MOON
To-day is the Day of Bride,
The serpent shall come from his hole,
I will not molest the serpent,
And the serpent will not molest me.

The serpent will come from the hole
On the brown day of Bride,
Though there should be three feet of snow
On the flat surface of the ground.

Moonlight shining on the Quickening Tree, the heat and wax of sacred candles, the milk of ewes, Brigid's blackberry, the sting of keening wind, and the last flutter of the Cailleach's winter snow.

Crash!

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:36:45 GMT

Lost AIM.

Tried to reconnect three times, but the lines are having none of it. *sighs*

Hopefully the wet will move out over the night and it will be a happy network tomorrow.

Until then, I have a feeling Roberto's got one more round to go before I go get some rest.

Shelter under my staff, oh weary soul:

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:50:12 GMT

Or, make that staph.

Ted thought he had a small insect bite on his forearm. Oh no, my friends, nothing that small and simple. In the span of the day, it enlarged to triple its size, turned a livid red, and if you touched his arm three inches away, he yelped. Over to the Urgent Care Centre we trekked and the poor beastie had it lanced and drained by the wonderful medicos on call. I will be very glad when he will no longer need to risk life and limb in that locker/change-out room at his school. There seems to be a distinct lack of sterilisation going on there, as he has always come home from school with Pink Eye after being in that room.

In any case, we're home. He's Bactine'd and bandaged, little Miss Flu is feeling better and sneezing a bit less, and the Elder Beast is fighting tooth-and-claw to keep from succumbing to the flu.

I also hear that I did not miss much in the derby today.

Now, though, there is food calling me and then time to hide the plague victims away in bed before I relax for the night.

Trillian Updating and Preparing to Navigate the Styx once more.

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:07:14 GMT

Trillian is happily updating itself. I estimate a restart in about 3 minutes, but, in the long run, it's not a big thing.

Sort of packing for the trip up to Mum's for the big birthday weekend*. I've decided that if the beasties have clean clothes on tomorrow morning and a pair for Sunday, that's good enough. I'm not going to worry or stress over it.

I do have to pick up a birthday present for my niece, but there's a few stores out there along the way. *grin*

*By big, I mean big. My three cousins, my niece, my aunt, and my uncle all have birthday between the 25th and the 4th of February. We have one big sour beef and dumpling supper each year for it. Mmmmmm... Yes, definitely going to concentrate on the food and not the packing.

We will be back Sunday, well fed and well watered, and ready to relax and have fun.

It's Thursday.

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:37:59 GMT

The good news is that the day is nigh over. Had a bit of a worry with my bank account over the past 24 hours, and it finally got resolved about 10 minutes ago. I'm sure that Western Union is just spiffy, but CitiBank's computer system makes me want to call them ShittyBank. They doubled billed me for a money gram to make the car payment so that there were no late fees. It's Wachovia, why they couldn't have done an on-line payment and avoided the fess, I have no clue... but I'm not trusting the express payments again. I sent an email off to ShittyBank's customer (non)service and was told

Currently we are experiencing an unusually high volume of e-mails. We are here to help you. Our current turn-around time is 48 hours. If you require immediate assistance, please contact us via the number on the back of your card.

Needless to say, it was a bit stressful.

All is well now, but I can feel the budding migraine, and am taking steps to nip it in the bud. Currently, those steps are dark chocolate and tea.

In other health news, all beasties are now feeling better. Thank god for small favours.

They're back.

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 01:20:21 GMT

The peace is over.

*sighs*