Lest We Forget - Day Four

No matter what their age, honour and remember their sacrifice.

Please watch this last video.

Lest We Forget - Day Three

No matter what colour the flags are, honour and remember their sacrifice.

Please watch this video.
There will be one each day until the last on Wednesday 11th November.

Lest We Forget - Day Two

No matter what colour the flags are, honour and remember their sacrifice.

Please watch this video.
There will be one each day until the last on Wednesday 11th November.

Lest We Forget - Day One

No matter what colour the flags are, honour and remember their sacrifice.

Please watch this video.
There will be one each day until the last on Wednesday 11th November.

Remember, Remember...

Drawing by Crispin van de Passe the Elder.

'Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t'was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli'ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England's overthrow;
By God's providence he was catch'd
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!'

November 5th is the night known as Bonfire Night, Fireworks Nights and/or Guy Fawkes Night in England. What is this all about? You may wonder.

Basically, in 1605 Guy Fawkes along with several other Catholic restorationists created the Gunpowder Plot to blow up King James I of England (James VI of Scotland) when he opened Parliament on November 5th. Although the plot was overseen by Robert Catesby and Guy Fawkes was only the explosives expert, Guy Fawkes is the most remembered of the plotters. He was also the one caught leaving the area of the explosives (under Parliament) just hours before they were due to be ignited.

Several other members of the plot were discovered and so began the torture, trials and executions of those involved.

Guy Fawkes being arrested under the Houses of Parliament.

Since 1605, Guy Fawkes has forever been associated with fires, fireworks and the destruction of Parliament...

His influence can be seen even today from popular hero imagery, to 20th century political posters, from the 'V for Vendetta' movie to 'Fawkes' the Phoenix in Harry Potter.

To this very day, the 5th of November is still celebrated. It was originally for the safety of the King, however, today I get the feeling that the attempted act is now celebrated instead. ;)

My memories of Bonfire Night are of me shivering, trying to get warm around the wonderful bonfires both at home and at public gatherings, fireworks, sparklers, mulled wine and cider, hot dog's, hamburgers, jacket potatoes in foil and mushy peas with mint sauce. More importantly, all these things mixed in with friends, family and lots of laughter and excitement.

I have to say it is definitely one of the things I miss about England, few folks here know of it and in this area it is not celebrated at all but I hear some do over on the eastern coast. I know one thing for sure, when we have land we shall be having a good old fashioned Bonfire Night with all the trimmings and will be sharing it with our Canadian friends.

*raises her pot of steaming mushy peas and mint sauce to you all*

Happy Bonfire Night! :)

Mischief...

The Visitor by Arthur Hopkins.

Today is the 4th November, Mischief Night! I have many memories from this night during my childhood in England...

Mischief Night, in England, is the night before Bonfire Night when children and teenagers get up to 'no good'. Around the rest of the world this night has migrated to the night of Hallowe'en or even the night before, but in England it remains on the forth.

The light hearted rampage of activities range from knocking on people's doors and running away, to putting honey on doorknobs and even removing gates. I have personally seen, in my misspent youth, confetti sprinkled on peoples lawns, throwing 'flour bombs' (flour in a plastic bag), door handles tied together on terraced houses and then both doors knocked on. I also remember everyone thinking it was the only night of the year that we could get away with being 'Mischievous'!

Now remember, these are light hearted playful pranks and anything that is not...is vandalism and not in the spirit of Mischief Night.

From Wikipedia:

Traditionally, Mischief Night was celebrated on 4th November. This was due to Guy Fawkes' mischief and part of the mischief was to light bonfires early.

There will be a lot more about Bonfire Night tomorrow, so remember to come back for the read!

Enjoy and stay within the bounds of light hearted pranks! :)

Eyeballs and Death!

Eyeballs in a Jar!

Last night we attended our friends annual 'Hallowe'en Open House and Rude Food Party' and, as usual, it was a blast! The house was decorated with all the nasty, creepy, crawly, shiver making decorations. The food was excellent and well thought out, it covered a whole range of yakky things from savoury brain dip to cheesy eyeballs, from meatloaf man and woman to bats wings. There were floating hands in the punch and eyeballs in a jar, which was our contribution to the party food.

Eyeballs in a Jar:

These are simply lychee's stuffed with red or green grapes, put into a spaghetti jar and topped up with the syrupy juice from the lychee's! They were very effective and you could only get them out by using a kebab stick which glided through the flesh of the lychee and nicely popped the grape, just like an eyeball. The two tastes worked really well together! :)

As for the costumes, well there was some really good ones...this is 'Death and his wife Mrs De'ath'! Or should I say hubby and I...lol ;)



If you are friends with me on Facebook, I will shortly be putting up a new album of this years party, come on over and take a peek!

No matter how you spend this special day, either at a Hallowe'en party or raising a horn to the ancestors at a Samhain ritual, I wish you and yours a wonderful time.

Enjoy! :)

Loony Luna Day #30

Headline Fail!
Author unknown.

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
No crap, really? Ya think?

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!

Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!

War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!

Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?

Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Weren't they fat enough?!

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!

And the winner is....

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Did I read that right?

Enjoy! :)

Can it!

Just found out something disturbing and worrying about canning over at my friends' blog:

The Big Red Barn

If you are canning your own produce or use tinned goods you need to read this!

*shakes her head in disgust*

Filming History

During my time as the department head of the Reprographics Section, at an archives in England, I was fortunate enough to microfilm, via a archival camera, many rare and fascinating works from six miles of shelving. (I also scanned glass negatives but that is a whole different story.)

I filmed everything from church scrolls to illuminated manuscripts, from Victorian newspapers to very rare books in a Cathedral Library. Can you tell I loved this aspect of the job?

Just for you history buffs out there, here is a sample of the rare items I filmed...

Church Visitations 1347

Honeywell's notebook (approx 1600)

William Bryd’s compositions (approx 1550-162o)

Tyrconnels bibliographical catalogue 1670

Henry Bond “The Longitude Found” 1673

Francis Hall “Explicatio Horologii” 1676

Pope Nicolas II tax book 1293

Ms 15 Randulfus Niger De Re Militari 1200

Useful Books For Homesteading #3

A few more books for those of you who, like me, are interested in self-sufficiency...

Enjoy! :)

The Tenth Month

This is my favourite month of the year, all the others have their importance and meaning but to me, October is the best.

Why? You may ask.

October is the month of the final harvest, agriculturally and spiritually. It is a time of reaping the seeds you have sewn, of hoping you have sewn them deep enough to bear what you required from the planting.

For me, this time of year means a warmth of colours in the beautiful trees (if you don't know about the leaf changes in eastern Canada, think New England) and the wealth of vegetables like the picture above. The fresh market stalls are covered with the vivid colours of pumpkins, squashes, courgettes and root vegetables. The streets are littered with natures fallen beauty, with leaves, berries and apples. The days are bright blue and sunny, with a hint of crispness in the air.

If I were in England now there would be a galleons of golden homemade cider, some clear and some cloudy, being sold in farm shops.

The build up to Samhain or Hallow'een (depending on your point of view) is always magical to me. It is the only time, every year, that many people openly acknowledge the magical and the spiritual, whether in jest or sincerity. Really, there is nothing like October for a sense of dramatic excitement and wonder.

I ask that you all enjoy this month for it's gifts, colours, tastes, smells and the huge change in the life force of the growing seasons.

I raise a glass of cider to you all! :)

Loony Luna Day #29

Dear Dad (author unknown)

A father passing by his son’s bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made, and everything was picked up.

Then, he saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow.

It was addressed, ‘Dad.’

With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and, with trembling hands, read the letter…

‘Dear Dad,
It is with great regret and sorrow that I’m writing you.
I had to elope with my new girlfriend, because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mum and you.
I’ve been finding real passion with Stacy, and she is so nice, but I knew you would not approve of her, because of all her piercings, tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes, and because she is so much older than I am.
But it’s not only the passion, Dad. She’s pregnant.
Stacy said that we will be very happy.
She owns a trailer in the woods, and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter.
We share a dream of having many more children.
Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn’t really hurt anyone.
We’ll be growing it for ourselves, and trading it with the other people in the commune for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want.
In the meantime, we’ll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS, so Stacy can get better. She sure deserves it!
Don’t worry Dad, I’m 15, and I know how to take care of myself.
Someday, I’m sure we’ll be back to visit, so you can get to know your many grandchildren.

Love, your son, Joshua

PS. Dad, none of the above is true. I’m over at Jason’s house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the school report that’s on the kitchen table. Call me when it is safe for me to come home.

Enjoy! :)

S.O.S.

If you have been with me online over the years, whether on this blog or on Facebook or wherever, you will know about my love for tree's.

You will know that my favourite character in Lord of the Rings is Treebeard the Ent, you will know that where ever we live I have to see at least one tree out of my window, you will know that when writing, I gaze into that tree as I collect my thoughts. You will also know that I love being in woods, that my eBook publishing house (Wyrdwood Publications) plants trees in deforested areas and, yes, it's true...I have hugged several trees. :)

Why am I telling you all this?

Simple. A short while ago I came across The Prince's Rainforests Project, I joined up and started spreading the word on some of the social networking sites I belong too and I thought it was time I posted something on it here.

Please watch the video below, visit the website, join up and send your own S.O.S. message to the world!

Back on Track!

Hull - Wakefield Steam Train

Well, it has been an interesting and fun filled couple of weeks with my family but now they have returned safely to the UK and I am back online full time and writing again.

Over the next couple of days I will be catching up with emails, tweets, followers and new requests for friendship and numerous other things. If you are about on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter pop in and say 'hello' and tell me how your last two weeks have been without me...quiet I suspect! lol

Anyhoo, I am back in the saddle and would love to hear from all you lovely folks! :)

Family

Hi folks,

I know I have been rather busy lately, only posting periodically, and for the next two weeks I will be even more quiet. However, I do have an excellent reason, my family (parents and brother) are arriving today from the UK for a visit.

Needless to say I am very much looking forward to it, I've not seen them for a year and three months!

Anyhoo, have fun with your family and friends and I will see you on the other side.

Enjoy! :)

Copper Age!

Some very talented friends of mine, an artist and a writer, have come together to launch a new webcomic: Copper Age.

Please check out their website, investigate their comic and, of course, become addicted to their awesomeness! :)

About Copper Age:

Copper Age is a creative enterprise focused on comics but also producing art, stories, music, video, and pretty much anything else that seems like a good idea at the time. The Copper Age, historically speaking, came before the Iron Age we now live in. Copper is not as good a metal for killing people as iron, but you can make nice body decorations out of it. So that’s Copper Age - Awen touched, tree hugging, in love with folklore and mythology, and far too fond of tentacles to be healthy.

www.itisacircle.com launches with The Blind Fisherman – a tale which started life as a series of pictures and later had words attached to it. It’s a small story arc, and not quite traditional comic form. There are sea monsters, demented occultists, and other strangeness. After this comes Personal Demons – which is more like a conventional comic and begins with the witch Annamarie Nightshade visiting a gothic house, and finding something entirely unexpected.

Enjoy! :)

Quiet, huh?

Hello again folks,

I know it seems like I've been quiet of late, especially here on Blogger. Seems is the right word, I have actually been very busy behind the scenes on my various projects, this is what I have been up to:

• Revising 'Chameleon' (bk1 of The Chameleon Sagas) with some of the suggestions and notes from my editor.

• Writing 'Castrum Lucis' (bk2 of The Chameleon Sagas). It got particularly tricky on chapter five, so I have had to split the chapter and move part of the plot further into the book.

• I finished writing the second short story in my series for Pagan Children: ''The Witchlets of Witches Brew - Ash the Solitary Witch'.

• I have written most of the third short story in my series for Pagan Children: 'The Witchlets of Witches Brew - Birch the Selfish Witch'.

• Preparing eBook covers for 'The Witchlets of Witches Brew'.

• Created a presence on My Space. This social networking website actually has a few extras regarding The Chameleon Sagas including a 'Chameleon Petroglyph' which is the symbol of the Chameleons and an ever growing play list of music to go with the book.

• Helping an avid fan and beta reader to create a fan site for The Chameleon Sagas, along with images and profiles of characters! More on that later.

• Created a new profile background on Twitter to advertise my novel 'Chameleon'.

• Created a Fan Page for Wyrdwood Publications on Facebook, this page will eventually replace the group as it is easier for members to get real time updates, rather than having to remember to check out the group.

• Reading submissions for possible publication via Wyrdwood Publications.

Add in to that hubby, family, friends and home...you can see why I haven't been around much! Rest assured, I am not going anywhere and I will hopefully be posting more again soon.

Enjoy your day! :)

Writing to Music #1

Cappella Giulia Chansonnier
Florence - Fifteenth century

For those of you that write, how many of you write to music?

I enjoy it immensely and find that it makes writing certain scenes easier. For instance a dramatic action scene can be helped, greatly, by dramatic music or a love scene by sexy music. Sometimes, a mixture of both can help, of course it all depends on what you are writing. It's really about putting you in the mood to write the mood, if you know what I mean.

So for your delight and pleasure (I hope), I have included a few of my favourite CD's to write to...

Love:

Action:

I will post more another day, enjoy! :)

Loony Luna Day #28

You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello, and too old to REALLY understand computers, to fully appreciate this. For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on...

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, 'Who's on First?' might have turned out something like this (author unknown):

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue 'W'.

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on 'START'.............

Useful Books For Homesteading #3

Some more useful books for those that are interested in a more self-sufficient lifestyle!

Enjoy! :)

6 Words.

A friend of mine recently had this on her blog, I thought it was very interesting and a tad difficult.

What’s Your 6-Word Personal Growth Story?
(original site, not my friends blog.)

This is very hard, I mean...how on earth do you sum up your life in just 6 words?

My friend made several attemps, but the one I liked most was:

She who dances comes alive completely.

My 6 words are:

Lives with eyes of a child.

That about sums up my life seeing as I have an inner adult…lol

What would your 6 words be?

TPA #3

More information from the files of The Pagan Activist:


Pagan Awareness Booklets

These items are in PDF format and will open in a new window.

If you do not have an PDF reader you can get one here for free.

Pagans at Work

Paganism

Pagans in Schools

ACAS (UK ONLY) - Religion or Belief and the Workplace, A guide for Employers and Employees.

I hope this information is useful! :)

Loony Luna Day #27

This is hilarious, watch all the way through!

Enjoy! :)

New selection

Since I came back from my hols, I have gathered a new selection of books to read and thought I would share them with you:

I am enjoying all three books and just wanted you to know that Leviathan is an advanced reader copy, it is not available to buy until 6th October 2009.

Look up!

Perseid meteor shower

As some of you know, I have a particular interest in all things skyward and have posted previously on planets. Well, today is the height of the Perseid meteor shower, this shower happens every August and tonight is the best time to check it out.

More info on the Perseid meteor shower HERE and HERE.

So take a loved one, a rug and a bottle of something nice and go and watch the stars tonight as they put on the best show in town.

Enjoy! :)

Loony Luna Day #26

Beer & Ice Cream Diet

Justification for beer and Ice cream! But stay away from the pizza!

As we all know, it takes 1 calorie to heat 1 gram of water 1 degree centigrade. Translated into meaningful terms, this means that if you eat a very cold dessert (generally consisting of water in large part), the natural processes which raise the consumed dessert to body temperature during the digestive cycle literally sucks the calories out of the only available source, your body fat.

For example, a dessert served and eaten at near 0 degrees C (32.2 deg. F) will in a short time be raised to the normal body temperature of 37 degrees C (98.6 deg. F). For each gram of dessert eaten, that process takes approximately 37 calories as stated above. The average dessert portion is 6 oz, or 168 grams. Therefore, by operation of thermodynamic law, 6,216 calories (1 cal./gm/deg. x 37 deg. x 168 gms) are extracted from body fat as the dessert's temperature is normalized.

Allowing for the 1,200 latent calories in the dessert, the net calorie loss is approximately 5,000 calories.

Obviously, the more cold dessert you eat,the better off you are and the faster you will lose weight, if that is your goal.

This process works equally well when drinking very cold beer in frosted glasses. Each ounce of beer contains 16 latent calories, but extracts 1,036 calories (6,216 cal. per 6 oz. portion) in the temperature normalizing process. Thus the net calorie loss per ounce of beer is 1,020 calories. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to calculate that 12,240 calories (12 oz. x 1,020 cal./oz.) are extracted from the body in the process of drinking a can of beer.

Frozen desserts, e.g., ice cream, are even more beneficial, since it takes 83 cal./gm to melt them (i.e., raise them to 0 deg. C) and an additional 37 cal./gm to further raise them to body temperature. The results here are really remarkable, and it beats running hands down.

Unfortunately, for those who eat pizza as an excuse to drink beer, pizza (loaded with latent calories and served above body temperature) induces an opposite effect. But, thankfully, as the astute reader should have already reasoned, the obvious solution is to drink a lot of beer with pizza and follow up immediately with large bowls of ice cream.

We could all be thin if we were to adhere religiously to a pizza, beer, and ice cream diet.

Happy eating!

I'm back! :)

Hello folks,

Well, we are back from our holiday/fest/holiday and feeling very relaxed. We are both tanned, slimmer, fitter and glad to have had a good break.

Today, we have been sorting all the gear and packing it away until the next trip, I must say it feels strange to be back in a many roomed building after living out of a tent for two weeks. When we walked in, I was surprised at how large our apartment suddenly seemed after such a small living space.

The good news is that my reaction to the mozzies this year was a lot less, the bumps are smaller and they hardly itched, I guess I am being assimilated. So I guess the 'Borg' were right, resistance is futile. lol

Trying hard to get my brain back into gear but not too hard as I am still enjoying the feeling of being totally relaxed and carefree.

Anyhoo, I hope you are all well.

Away for a while...

Whispering Pines

Hey folks,

I shall be away for a little while.

Hubby & I are off to have a few days of peace and quiet and then we will be attending Kaleidoscope Gathering. After which, we shall be hanging out with friends on their new land! :)

More info on KG.

All in all, I will be away from 29th July until 9th August! Yippee!

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones, I will see you all when I get back.

Enjoy! :)

TPA #2

More useful information rescued from The Pagan Activist.

Scholarships for Pagans

By Patti Wigington

(Source: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/familyandparenting/a/Scholarships.htm)

There are literally thousands of sources of funding available out there for college students, from grants to loans to scholarships. For many people, a scholarship is the way to go, because (a) it can make a huge difference in the cost of your education and (b) you don't have to repay it later on, like a student loan. Many private groups make scholarships available. The following is a list of scholarships which may be awarded to Wiccan or Pagan students. If you know of a group or individual who has a scholarship plan available to Wiccans and Pagans, please email me with information so I can add it to the list.

Free Spririt's College Scholarship

http://www.freespiritgathering.org/scholarship/index.html

One or two $500 awards given to students in an undergraduate or graduate program of higher learning. The student does not have to be pursuing a traditional program of study at a traditional college. Enrollment in a therapeutic massage program, holistic healing program or other non-traditional program qualifies.

Pagan Alliance of Nurses

http://www.pagan-alliance-of-nurses.org

Scholarship: Awarded in the amount of $200 to assist nursing students, nurses, and other health care providers in financing their education. Recipients must be members of PAN or, alternatively, be the significant other or family member of a PAN member and currently enrolled in a nursing program. Applicants are asked to submit an original essay on a topic chosen by PAN in order to be considered for funding. For more info, check PAN's website.

Fly By Night

http://www.flybynightbookstore.com/scholarships.html

This magical resource center offers two scholarships -- one in the amount of $500 for students attending the Ohio State University, and one for $250 for students attending any other college. A GPA of 2.75 is required, as well as the applicant's being able to show their commitment to the Pagan community.

Carolina Spirit

http://www.carolinaspiritquest.org/scholarship.html

Offers a $500.00 scholarship for a rising high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate. All applicants must live in NC, SC, VA or the District of Columbia. Applicants must be 17 years of age or older, have a current GPA of 2.8 or higher, be Pagan, and currently accepted in a full time course of study in any accredited four-year college or university. Application includes an essay about what being a Pagan means to you.

Coven of the Sacred Waters

http://sacredwaters.netfirms.com/pgnship.htm

Offers two scholarships to Pagan and Wiccan students, in the amounts of $500 and $400. The web page is a bit out of date, but you can contact them via email to get this year's application information.

I hope this information is useful!

Goddess Remembered

Goddess Remembered ~
(Description from: National Film Border of Canada)

This poetic documentary is a salute to 35 000 years of "pre-history," to the values of ancestors only recently remembered, and to the goddess-worshipping religions of the ancient past. Goddess Remembered features Merlin Stone, Carol Christ, Luisah Teish, Starhawk, Charlene Spretnak, and Jean Bolen, who link the loss of goddess-centred societies with today's environmental crisis. They propose a return to the belief in an interconnected life system, with respect for the earth and the female, as fundamental to our survival. Goddess Remembered is the first part of a three part series which includes The Burning Times and Full Circle.

You can watch the entire documentary HERE!

Enjoy! :)

Great Wildcraft Game!

Wildcraft! - A herbal adventure game!

Wildcraft! includes a 20x20 inch game board, instructions, 4 player pieces, 52 plant cards, 52 trouble cards, 25 cooperative cards, and a spinner. It also comes with a downloadable story to enhance the story of the game.

Find out more and order here.

	• Made in the U.S.A. • Box/board made with 100% recycled chipboard. • Printed with vegetable oil based inks. • Water based coating on paper, no varnish. • Forest Stewardship Council certified paper. • Shipped direct from factory for a lower carbon footprint. • All material is 100% recyclable.

Enjoy! :)

Sloe Not Slow!

One of the drinks I like to make is Sloe Gin. Sloes are the small round berries of the Blackthorn and can usually be found ripening during October (ish). Careful when picking Blackthorn, as the name suggests, it has spikes or thorns!

More info on Sloe berries

I know this post seems early but the Blackthorn needs to be located before you pick the berries and what better time to search hedge rows and wooded areas than in the summer, when you can make the search into a day out with perhaps a picnic too! Clever, huh? ;)

Anyhoo, here is how to make Sloe Gin

Need:

Demijohn (carboy) - Sterile
Air trap for the the demijohn (carboy) - Sterile
3lbs Sloes
3lbs sugar
3 bottles of gin (cheapest)
Syphon tube

Rinse berries, prick with a sewing needle several times and drop in Demijohn (carboy). Pour in sugar and Gin (save the bottles). Close demijohn with air trap. Shake contents well.
Shake demijohn once a day for the first couple of weeks then let it sit. 3 months after preparing, the liquid can be syphoned off into the old gin bottle bottles, be careful of sediment.

Sloe Gin can be drunk neat like a liqueur or add lemonade for a longer drink.

Tip: To save on the pricking, freeze berries and then defrost them quickly and squish them in the freezer bag. The action of freezing them breaks them down. Pour mush into demijohn and continue with instructions. This is great if you have to use a couple of weekends to collect the berries.

Enjoy! :)

TPA #1

When I closed down The Pagan Activist, I quickly realised that one or two bits of information should survive the closure and remain in the ether somewhere.

I have decided to add them as occasional posts here, on my blog.

Abuse Strategy

Practical strategies and tips on what to do when your Human/Legal rights are abused.

I have listed tips and advice to deal with most forms of abuse. They come under the following categories:

General
Home
Work
Internet
Sexual

General:

* Take a deep breath, calm and centre yourself. Many rash comments and actions are the result of anger and most of which are completely ineffectual. If the abuser is in your face step back and breathe, it is not a withdrawal just a regrouping.
* Don’t brush it off. If you do, who will stop it happening again? The next person? What if they brush it off? Think about it.
* Make notes. Due to the emotion of the moment you may forget details. Make notes, copious notes on what happened, who said what to whom, where, when, why. The more information you have the better your stand will be.
* Witnesses. Do you have witnesses to an incident? Get their details, ask them to write it down also, it is called ‘corroborating evidence’ and if it gets to court you will need it.
* Evidence. Get all the evidence on the abuse and the abuser that you can. Every little bit helps.
* Get Legal Advice. If you feel the situation warrants it, after due consideration, get proper legal advice. Most legal services provide a free surgery; use this service to know what your options are BEFORE launching into expensive legal representation.


Home:

* Written. If the abuse is written and comes to you via hand or post, do NOT throw it away, save the envelope and record when you received it then file a complaint with your local police department. And contact your postal service, they may already know of this person through another complaint.
* In Person. Remember that most countries laws are on the side of the home owner/tenant when it comes to trespassers. Walk away from the abuser and go indoors. Call the local police immediately. Ensure the abuser cannot get inside. Do not interact with the person.


Work:

* All incidents. Report the abuse and abuser to your boss, if the boss is involved or does nothing, use the whistle blowing policy that most businesses have and go above your boss’s head to the next manager. If this fails continue upwards to the CEO if you have to. Inform any Union you belong to, Unions usually have in place plans for such events and can be very good to have in your corner. Depending on what country you are in, there are laws against discrimination of religion in the workplace.


Internet:

* Emails. Print it, save it on your computer and on back up disc. Do NOT delete it! File a complaint with your local police department. Turn on your ‘Full Message Headers’ (search for this on your provider) and file a complaint with the email service provider within 24hrs. They will want a copy of the message with the Full Message Header attached so do that first!
* Junk Mail. If you are anything like me and get a lots of Christian and sexually oriented junk, which is annoying, it is time to end the siege of junk mail in your mailbox. Go to www.newdream.org/junkmail/ to download a form that you simply fill out, sign and mail (addresses are provided). This will remove your name from the majority of mailing lists. You will be amazed at the amount of junk you won't have. If you have a GMail account, you can find out who is selling your email address to spammers using this technique:
If your Gmail address is: username@..., rather than just entering that at some website that asks for your email, replace "username@..." with "username+websitename@...". Gmail uses software that supports this format, and will strip everything between the "+" and the "@", so you receive the mail at your username@... address, but if you click on the "Show details", you will see who you originally gave your email address to. You can also search Gmail for "username+websitename@..." to find all emails that have that tagged version of your email. (Thanks Farrell for this tip!)
* Forums. Any Forum posts should be dealt with by the Forum Moderators if not go to the owner or admin of the Forum directly. Any abusive PM’s must be reported to the moderators, as in most cases the mods can not access these, hence the term Private Message. You can copy and paste the abuse message into an email to the Forum owner, remember to save a copy in your sent box!
* Chat. Similar to Forum, contact the chat room owner and report the individual. If the abuse occurs in MSN Messenger or Yahoo Messenger, save the conversation and report it to MSN or Yahoo directly and they will deal with it.
* ISP. While many Internet Service Providers (ISP) consider e-mail harassment to be a serious violation of their policies and user agreements, and consider such activity a cause for termination of services, they are often unable to disclose users’ identities without legal action.


Sexual:

* In Person. Just because you are Pagan does not mean you are open to unwanted sexual contact, this is a huge misconception. State firmly and clearly to the abuser that you are not interested, start off by thanking them! This often defuses the situation, if they persist or are getting too forceful to the point you are uncomfortable. Walk away. Preferably get yourself in public if alone. If the person persists, call the local police.
* At Festivals: Most festivals have rules against unwanted or inappropriate sexual contact and make attendees sign to say they have read the rules when they register. This then allows the organizers of the event to rightfully remove the abuser from the festival without further ado, so ensure you report all unwanted contact immediately to the organizers or festival security. You will be amazed how quickly they will act on it.

Disclaimer:

Please note that although this post offers useful and practical advice, it cannot replace the advice of a Lawyer/Attorney/Solicitor from your home country. Please consult them for appropriate advice.

I hope this information was helpful.

Being Human

Sometimes, okay rarely, the BBC comes out with a series that is actually good. We all know about Dr. Who and Torchwood but how many of you watched Being Human?

Being Human was a great little series about three flatmates living together and sharing problems...sounds run of the mill, huh? Well, add to this that one is a Vampire, one is a Werewolf and one is a Ghost!

The pilot episode was interesting, although the first series was much better. I am glad they changed one of the actors for the series, he fits in much better.

Overall, it's amusing, sometimes moving and a little spooky...best of all, it's good.

The first series has been shown to good reviews and if you can get your hands on copies of it, I suggest you watch it. As for the second series - it is being written.

Here is some more info on the series.

Enjoy! :)

Time Team

One of my favourite shows, in the UK, was Time Team and I watched it for many years.

More info about Time Team.

To my surprise and joy, I see that America is to have it's own version, Time Team America. This new series is due to start on Wednesday 8th July on PBS, those of you who get this channel and like history, do check it out!

More info on Time Team America.

Enjoy! :)

The Pagan Activist

Today, is the last day that The Pagan Activist is available!

After four years of working on this project 24/7 I can, at last, let go of the reins and let it float away in the ether.

Over the years I have found many new friends, assisted in bringing forth information on almost a thousand Pagan news stories, collaborated in Pagan activist work with the VA Pentacle fight, The Hammer Project, Free Stonehenge and many, many more.

The Pagan Activist has highlighted many causes with 29 Petitions, spread the news through 21 Podcast and Radio sites, given 26 columnists a platform to follow their Muses, held many world wide parties online in the Forum, made available awareness booklets and information for those that are searching.

Most importantly, it gained loyal readers in 62 countries. To all of you...I salute you, for without you the four years of The Pagan Activist would not have been possible. I hope you all found the short life of The Pagan Activist as helpful, fun and interesting as I did.

A very special big thank you goes out to everyone who donated over the life of the website, without you it would not have survived this long. May you all find happiness in everything you do!

Finally, to my hubby, for his patience and loving ways. Without you, I wouldn't have been compelled to create The Pagan Activist nor have been able to work on it everyday. Your the best! And yes, you have a full time wife back again! lol ;)

I hope ya'll enjoyed the ride! :)

Pale Blue Dot

When life gets you down and things are just out of whack, when a little perspective is what you need, look no further than this video...



Enjoy! :)

Useful Books For Homesteading #2

A second dose of useful books I thought ya'll might like...



Enjoy! :)

Teaser!

I thought I would share with you today, the teaser trailer for my upcoming novel....



Some folks requested a fan page for me on Facebook, those of you who may be interested please go HERE!

Enjoy! :)

Loony Luna Day #25

A Calgary senior citizen drove his brand new red Corvette convertible out of the dealership.

Taking off down the road, he floored it to 130 km/h, enjoying the wind blowing through what little hair he had left.

'Amazing,' he thought as he flew down the Trans-Canada towards Banff, pushing the pedal even more. Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw a Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrol car behind him, blue and red lights flashing. He floored it to 160Km/h, then 180, then 200.

Suddenly he thought, 'What am I doing? I'm too old for this,' and pulled over to await the RCMP's arrival.

Pulling in behind him, the Officer walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch and said, 'Sir, my shift ends in 30 minutes. Today is Friday.

If you can give me a reason for speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go.'

The gentleman paused. Then said, 'Years ago, my wife ran off with an RCMP officer. I thought you were bringing her back.'

'Have a good day, Sir,' replied the Officer.

Aren't we lucky?

Enjoy! :)

Verbs for Writers!

Something for those of you who like to write...

Yesterday, I came across a website with 1000 alternative verbs in a nice handy list and I thought I would share it here with you folks. Feel free to copy the list, the authors permission is given at the bottom!

1000 verbs

Enjoy! :)

Garlic Tip #3

Wild Garlic
- by the time we got these home they had drooped so we cooked them!

One of my favourite seasonal things is Wild Garlic, every year hubby and I buy some off the local market.

Click here for more information on Wild Garlic (also known as Ramsons).

Wild Garlic is so versatile, the whole plant can be used. The small bulbs, single clove as compared with the normal garlic bulbs, looks somewhat like a spring onion (green onions to folks in the US). The bulb can be eaten just like any other garlic or preserved in a mixture of white vinegar and water and stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

As for the leafy part, these are great in salads and cooked as a leafy green, with a wonderful garlic taste. In fact, I used them in anything, from slow cooker stews to salads to stir fry! Yum!

Do try them and I am sure you will be hooked, just as I am!

Enjoy! :)

Where the Hell is Matt?

When I first saw this vid, posted by a friend on Facebook, I was left with a heart warming feeling of connectivity and a silly grin on my face.

I hope you feel the same!



Check out his website!

Enjoy! :)

Loony Luna Day #24

UNDERWEAR IS IMPORTANT!!

If you don't laugh out loud at this one, call the morgue and reserve a tray, because you are dead!

Always wear clean underwear in public, especially when working under your vehicle...

From the Northwest Florida Daily News comes this story of a Crestview couple who drove their car to WalMart, only to have their car break down in the parking lot.

The man told his wife to carry on with the shopping while he fixed the car in the lot. The wife returned later to see a small group of people near the car. On closer inspection, she saw a pair of male legs protruding from under the chassis.

Although the man was in shorts, his lack of underpants turned private parts into glaringly public ones.

Unable to stand the embarrassment, she dutifully stepped forward, bent down, quickly put her hand UP his shorts and tucked everything back into place. When she stood up she looked across the hood and found herself staring at her husband who was standing idly by.

The mechanic, however, had to have eleven stitches in his forehead.

My Weekend...

Just wanted to show you where I will be this weekend.

I will be away from all things electronic, in the company of good friends and food.

Whatever you are doing this weekend, I hope you have fun!

Enjoy! :)

Useful Books For Homesteading #1

I thought I would share a few books with those of you who are homesteading or just want to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle:

I will post more another day.

Enjoy! :)

Loony Luna Day #23

Dear Tide,

I am writing to say what an excellent product you have!

I've used it all of my married life, as my mom always told me it was the best. Now that I am in my fifties I find it even better!

In fact, about a month ago, I spilled some red wine on my new white blouse. My inconsiderate and uncaring husband started to belittle me about how clumsy I was, and generally started becoming a pain in the neck. One thing led to another and somehow I ended up with his blood on my new white blouse!

I grabbed my bottle of Tide with bleach alternative, to my surprise and satisfaction, all of the stains came out! In fact, the stains came out so well the detectives who came by yesterday told me that the DNA tests on my blouse were negative and then my attorney called and said that I was no longer considered a suspect in the disappearance of my husband.

What a relief! Going through menopause is bad enough without being a murder suspect!

I thank you, once again, for having a great product.

Well, gotta go, have to write to the Hefty bag people.

Shameless Plug #2

My small, eco-friendly publishing house has a new release:

Wyrdwood Publications is pleased to announce that the eBook, Goodbye Grandmother by Kerri Connor, is now available!

Goodbye Grandmother is the story of eleven year old Hope who is getting ready to attend the Wiccan funeral rite of her beloved Grandmother. Although Hope has attended ritual with her family in the past and her mother is the High Priestess of the grove they practice with, this is the first time Hope has attended a funeral rite and is, needless to say, sad and nervous at the same time.

This story is intended for intermediate children readers as it does contain difficult situations that are harder for younger children to understand. As death is something that affects all of us at one time, or another, this is an important story for children to know there is someone else out there in the world that feels as they do. This is a story that parents should share with a child on it’s first reading, and can then be referred back to as a child goes through the grieving process of losing a loved one. Parts of the story can be read to younger children, with the parents editing out those sections they feel the need to pass on, depending on the age of the child.

Available exclusively from The eBook Store on the website.