tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72161095134950067182024-03-05T14:20:10.777+00:00Topsy-Turvy of the Mischievous HeathenThis is just the standard, everyday blog of a Pagan-Heathen mum, and my daily ramblings and musings.Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-24297910106914686292014-09-27T14:26:00.000+01:002014-09-27T14:46:03.498+01:00Teaching Religion to Our Children<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I know. Again it's been ages since I've
blogged on here. In fact, I think that I've racked up a couple of
years. Apologies for that...but at least I've got a bit of
inspiration going at the moment, so I thought that I would get it
down. I was thinking of submitting it for an article, but because
it's one of my rambles, I wasn't so sure that it was really up to
that
standard.<br />
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This week, my six year old
daughter didn't go to her RE lesson. While the rest of the school,
from Reception through Year 2, went off site for the morning to the
Harvest Celebration at the local evangelical church, my daughter went
to read to the little ones in the nursery. In my eyes, this was a
really good arrangement. While the other children had to sit still
and listen to a one-sided version of religion (when they attend a
non-denominational school), my daughter was doing something she
loves...reading...as well as learning how to help out and how to
volunteer her spare time.</div>
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As a Pagan parent, I am regularly asked
by other parents why my daughter doesn't go to RE. She does go to RE,
just not all of the time. She only attends the session if it a
religion being taught the general educational points about it...the
morals, ethics, history, etc. If it is a session that will be
revolving around the worship of a specific religion, that is when my
daughter is removed. When they have people in to do a workshop on
Diwali or the Chinese New Year, my daughter is right in front for
those lessons. When they have the assembly for the week being led by
the local preacher, it's time for her to hang out in the nursery
again. One of the things that I have discovered is that a lot of
parents, Pagan and not, do not realise that it is only a requirement
for schools to have some sort of RE provision in their curriculum. It
is not a requirement for your child to attend that provision. If I
was completely shut off from the view of my child learning about any
religions other than our own, I could take the option to pull her out
of RE completely. But I'm not like that, because I personally feel
that it's an important aspect for my daughter to learn how other
people celebrate their faith and spirituality. It is ok for us to
have our faith, and it is ok for other people to have theirs.</div>
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Going off of that point, I am regularly
confused by a few other Pagan parents who refuse to discuss religion
with their children at home for fear of indoctrination. I do admit
that it can be a very fine line and a sensitive topic because so many
of us are converts from other mainstream religions that rely on
indoctrination. We want our children to be able to think for
themselves, decide for themselves. But if we don't lead by example,
what are they going to have to base an informed decision on? Are they
going to learn about Paganism alongside Christianity, Islam, Judaism,
and Hinduism at school? I doubt it. My daughter is in her final year
at an infant school, so we are now researching junior and primary
schools for her to move up to. One of the questions that we've been
asking the headteachers is what is included in their RE curriculum.
In Lincolnshire, it is in the SACRE (what the schools of the county
have to base their RE off of) that Paganism is an option to teach.
That is only one of many options given to them out of several other
minority religions that they don't have to teach but can offer. After
mentioning it to one Headmistress, she went rushing for her thick
file for all three key stages. Nothing. No mention of Paganism.
Luckily, in our discussion with her, they make the best attempts
possible to skirt RE as much as possible. They focus more on teaching
morals and ethics, the history and brief points of religions but have
no worship element because they have so much to teach of academic
subjects that they don't really have the time for it. She was
actually in agreement with me that religion is better taught within
the family and community.
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So, again, the question I would like
the answer for is why are Pagan parents afraid to teach their
children about their path? It doesn't require daily or weekly pushing
and indoctrination. For my daughter, we teach by example and
answering her questions as to why we do what we do, but keep it in
terms that are age appropriate. She went to her first ritual at four
days old...a Wassail ceremony followed by an afternoon in a pub with
local Morris musicians playing. We sat right next to them, with her
asleep in a ring sling. Even now at six, she will stop what she's
doing to listen to folk music. She's been to workshops on tarot,
drumming, needle felting...you name it. It's up to her whether she
wants to be involved or not. During the tarot workshop, she sat with
her headphones, MP3 player, and Leapster. She brought her own little
drum to the drumming workshop, and had a few guided pokes with the
needle in the felting workshop. She loves going to rituals. For the
last one, she ran around the farm that we were at with the other
children chasing the gaggle of ducks and feeding the sheep during the
ritual. She occasionally opts to join in with the adults in the
circle, following along, and she's 'helped' an adult perform the
Eastern quarter. Let me clarify that one...we've had the discussion
with her when she has asked if she can do it by herself, and she has
been told that she cannot hold a quarter on her own until she has
come of age.
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Coming of Age. That's where we have
drawn our line of “rules” on how and what we teach her of our
path. She has asked if she can wear a pentagram since she was four.
We've taught her what we see as the meaning of it, but she is not
allowed to wear one until she comes of age, at about 12 or 13. The
reason being is that with the way that our society currently is,
wearing a pentagram can induce a strong reaction, and I'm sure that
many of you have had to defend your path against people who think
that it's an invitation to proselytize at you or accuse you of devil
or demon worship. At this age, she's too young to defend her beliefs
from that. At 12 or 13, she's more likely to be knowledgeable of why
she believes what she does and will be in the beginning of the
teenage attitude that can argue the fuzz off a peach. If she wants to
wear something at this age, she has a little triquetra necklace that
nobody questions. At 12 or 13, we will sit down as a family and
discuss what path she wants to take and why she has chosen it. If she
wants to be a Pagan, we will sit down together and write a special
ritual to share the big step with our friends that will be there to
support her on that path. If it's another religion that she chooses,
that's fine...we'll support her in any way that we can.</div>
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For us, it's all about the informed
choice. If we were to choose to hide what we believe from our
children, where are they going to learn from? Do you really want them
to learn about faith and spirituality from the man that stands in the
middle of the town centre screaming and proselytizing at the top of
his lungs that puts down every walk of life because humans are
inherently evil, or from the gang that hangs out in the alley and
wants everyone to join in with attacking and fighting those that
don't think the way that they do? Because without the base guidance
from the family, children will take their questions elsewhere.
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Now at the age of six, my daughter is
asking lots of questions and is learning how to go look information
up in books (note that I didn't say the internet. We're teaching the
importance that books hold first, and she doesn't have to sift
through the information). The big thing at the moment for her is
learning about the seasons and celebrations, and why we celebrate
them. Samhain will be at the end of next month. In our house, we take
that time to remember those that have passed on over the year, and
remember our ancestors. Her favourite part of it is making everybody
in the house dress up in a costume while she answers the door to
other children and gives them sweets. We've also found great
entertainment when people think that the black cat in the window is a
decoration...until she moves. The girly has discovered just how
awesome the winter and spring holidays are. In December, we celebrate
Yule with our Pagan friends, and that's when we exchange gifts as a
family. There's also lots of food shared (granted, that's pretty much
every ritual celebration that we have, and her favourite part). On
Christmas morning, she receives gifts from Santa Claus, who, for us,
represents the spirit of generosity, caring, celebration, and love of
everybody. We then spend the day watching holiday films in our
pyjamas and have a lovely meal. Pretty much like a lot of other
families in the country. In the spring, we celebrate Ostara (spring
equinox), and alongside ritual we celebrate the arrival of new life
to the world and the beginning of things growing. That's when she
gets the start of those commercialized chocolate eggs. She loves the
idea that she gets to eat them about three weeks before her friends
get to even look at theirs. She received about six or seven of them
this year, and insisted on sharing with everybody...I think that the
last one was finished in August.</div>
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There are many age appropriate
approaches to guiding children in religion without indoctrination.
Coming from the States and having “separation of church and State”
I had no RE in school. I would appreciate it more if it wasn't in
school here, but because it's part of the national curriculum we suck
it up and just make sure that she's only there for the educational
elements of it. At home, we're going to continue to lead by example,
in a way that is organic. If she wants to join in, she can. If she
wants to go chase the ducks...fair play to her. Other parents at her
school think that she must surely be ostracised by her peers because
she doesn't join in for everything. The awesome thing about young
children is that they don't care. They have never known anything else
but that the girly goes elsewhere when they have to go to assembly,
and she either reads or catches up with work from earlier in the day.</div>
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Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-32287886274216784652012-02-14T16:18:00.000+00:002012-02-14T16:18:15.470+00:00Recipe: Bacon, Onion, and Cheese Scones (Gluten Free)I've been bragging about these on Facebook, so I thought I would share.<br />
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To make 18 scones:<br />
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Two to Three rashers of smoky bacon, diced<br />
one small onion, finely diced<br />
Grated Cheese (I use Mature or Extra Mature Cheddar, but any other strong flavour would be interesting)<br />
Four cups of Self Raising Flour (I use Dove's Farm Gluten and Wheat Free)<br />
a pinch or two of salt<br />
two round tablespoons of margarine<br />
enough milk to draw it into a dough (I used whole goats milk)<br />
<br />
In a skillet or frying pan, fry up the bacon, and when it's almost done, add in the onions. Cook until the onions start to go soft and the bacon crispy. Turn the heat off and set to the side.<br />
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Preheat the oven and baking sheet to Gas Mark 7/230C/425F.<br />
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In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and salt, give it a bit of a mix with your fingers. Add in the margarine, and rub in to the flour until it's mixed. Add in the grated cheese, give a bit of a toss, then add in the bacon and onion and toss with your fingers until evenly mixed. Gradually add milk until it draws in to a dough, but don't over do it.<br />
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Tip out on to a flour-dusted surface, and lightly knead it (but keep a light touch and don't over work it). Use your hands to press out the dough to about a 2cm thickness. Cut out in rounds with a cookie cutter or pint glass.<br />
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Pull the baking sheet out of the oven, and layer with nine of the rounds. Brush the tops with melted margarine and top with grated cheese. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes.<br />
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This is a recipe that I have modified from the <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=48242" target="_blank">Jamie Oliver forum</a>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-39623352020807384282012-02-05T13:15:00.000+00:002012-02-05T13:15:36.248+00:00Abnormal PsychologyAs part of my college Access course, I am required to take Psychology. The unit that we started a fortnight ago is "Abnormal Psychology", and I'm finding it to be just as interesting as I found "Early Social Development". One of the tasks that the instructor wanted us to do was to go out in public and do something out of character, and what would be seen as weird in our society. I had a few giggles, because some of the things that she suggested, I've already done.<br />
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<ul><li>Walk down the road singing songs from "The Wizard of Oz". Been there, done that. I did a 5 mile charity walk around downtown Indianapolis with a couple of friends. For the last half mile, we linked arms and skipped to the finish line singing "We're Off To See the Wizard" at the top of our lungs.</li>
<li>Walk around town barefoot. Again, that same charity walk. It was bucketing down with rain, and I don't like squidgy shoes. I took my shoes off after the first half mile, and walked 4 1/2 miles around downtown Indianapolis, barefoot, happy as a lark. I have a barefoot preference, anyway. I've also gone to collect by boys from the village school barefoot. My neighbours were mortified. My shoes were dry and intact, and my feet dried quicker than a pair of shoes would have.</li>
<li>Sing out loud. I regularly catch myself doing this, along with dancing, because I forget myself when I'm listening to my headphone, and find myself singing whilst walking through the college refectory, or dancing in the queue waiting for the bus.</li>
</ul><div>Add in that I made the choice to take an alternative path of faith to the majority of the population, I don't understand the point of some modern fashions, I wore Sophie in a sling rather than putting her in a pushchair, and many other things, and I'm probably classified as being a few bricks short. I wonder what labels would be ticked for me in the psychiatric manuals? But, there's actually nothing wrong with me. I'm not harming anybody and I'm not harming myself. I find it to be a pointless task to try to be like everybody else in society, and boring. What's the point of it? People need to open their minds up and find that it's so much more fun to be weird. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I embrace my individuality, and I enjoy being weird and abnormal. Sometimes, the things that I do or say actually gets other people to stop, question themselves, and why they do the things they do, and the point to it all. Maybe that's what my intended role in our society is...to be one of the ones that comes across as safe and innocuous, but once in a while I shake up the people that need to be dragged out of their rut, kicking and screaming. For me, it breaks the monotony of routine, and gives me a much needed laugh at myself, and can bring a bit of levity to the monotony of other peoples' lives.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I admit that I'm weird, and I'm proud of it. Are you?</div>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-699079431184455812012-01-08T15:17:00.000+00:002012-01-08T15:17:05.001+00:00The Mask and the Mirror<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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One of the things that I regularly think about is about the masks that people regularly wear. I don't mean a physical and visible mask, although I love the Venetian ones. I mean the ones that we use to hide our true feelings and thoughts from other people. I admit to having multiple masks because they're my protection from the outside world. Strength, when I actually feel weak. Confidence, when I actually feel like I have absolutely no chance. Shyness, to hide the lack of confidence. <br />
<br />
To those closest to me, they know me behind those masks. They know that I can be ultra-sensitive, I have a rather dry sense of humour, and I tend to lack some tact, meaning that I don't always mince my words. The running joke when anybody visits my house is that your tact button gets checked in at the door. To keep myself grounded, I regularly pull out the mirror. I think that it is very important to reveal to yourself what and who you really are. I can get quite caught up with things in life...going to college, being a mum, and having to live and abide in general society. I may not have much, but I will bend over backwards to the best of my ability to help people. In today's society, not everybody understands that somebody can be quite happy to lend a helping hand. One of the problems that I have is stepping back and remembering myself, which ends up to the detriment of my physical and mental health. I regularly forget that there are people that will help if I ask...basically, I forget to ask.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, there are people in this world that forget to drop their masks and forget to look at who they really are in the mirror. They don't see the ugliness in which they show people. It's not the beautiful Venetian masks that they show, it's the mask of a gargoyle. They forget to temper the mask with the mirror, and lose themselves to the outside. They hurt those around them with jealousy, greed, arrogance, and superiority complexes that have no justification. They're hiding their true selves by beating those around them down with nastiness, misplaced judgement, and ignorance.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, though it is a difficult thing, you just have to step away from people like that and let them get on with it. When the time comes, their mask will fall off, and the damage that they have done will be glaring back in the mirror, revealing that they have lost people that actually cared for them. For me, there are people that have irrevocably burned their bridges with me. I won't retaliate...karma will catch up with them. But there are a couple that I still care dearly for, but I have decided that it's just time to let them get on with it. They can dish out advice, but can't take it themselves and turn it into claiming that I'm being nasty when I'm not capable of it.<br />
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It's taken a fair bit of soul searching for me, but I'm currently in a place where my life just keeps getting better every day. That makes a change, as I have hit some pretty low places, but I'm going to run with the positivity and just ignore the negative. If those people need me, I will still be here, but I will no longer be offering what I have to give unless it's specifically asked for.<br />
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<img height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJC58_u8wV9EcRNNEmATrLc9QNiWgQHBheeKeKZxpxVMpG6NRlO_5B-tb42gq2yapLvsrx1Prn54n4fZRMhuG8Nw-ocBMK1xkgs-qbnzgklZ3-fMxzNyi-cbUXnpfL2bj-vEnCQ8PTsCn/s400/Venetian_masks__Three_Ladies_by_fabula_docet.jpg" width="400" />Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-88406114122957262832012-01-02T10:10:00.000+00:002012-01-02T10:10:09.682+00:00Facebook PageI've finally decided to build a Facebook page to try to get more interaction and ideas. Feel free to join me over there!<br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" src="//www.facebook.com/plugins/likebox.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FTopsy-Turvy-of-the-Mischievous-Heathen%2F215451171810335&width=200&height=590&colorscheme=dark&show_faces=true&border_color&stream=true&header=true&appId=216128795075011" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="border: none; height: 590px; overflow: hidden; width: 200px;"></iframe>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-46598105335281283612012-01-01T18:45:00.000+00:002012-01-01T18:45:09.077+00:00Happy 2012!As per when I hit my college restart, it's been a while since I've last posted. It's just been so busy for us for the holidays, which turned out to be some of the best that I've had, barring the fact that I'm still trying to dig my house and kitchen out. I'd much rather spend time with my family and friends, as we all would. I have tomorrow to do it before starting the new term at college. I thought today, being a new start, I should use this space to recap the year, and to put down some pseudo-resolutions.<br />
<br />
<u>Recap of 2011</u><br />
<br />
This has probably been the year that I have seen the most positivity that I can ever think of having. I've experienced the strengthening of friendships, renewal of old friendships, and the gaining of new friendships. This is the year that I've finally gotten brave enough to truly put myself out there, and starting this blog has made the biggest difference to me. For those that are interested in going back to my start, just follow <a href="http://topsyturvyheathen.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-really-should-get-this-going.html" target="_blank">this link.</a><br />
<br />
After the downer of having to drop my college Access course in March, I restarted it again in September. It was a bit of a struggle to fit in with the new group to start with, but now I can say that I've got friends amongst them that I plan on keeping for a lifetime. I'm extremely pleased and surprised with my progress on the course. They started with a new awarding body, which makes things a little more complicated, but I feel that I'm doing a lot better than I was last year, and it feels more like I'm getting somewhere than I was last year.<br />
<br />
I've seen a lot of changes with the Imp. We were struggling with our relationship at the beginning of the year, but she then started at an excellent nursery in May, and us having our separate time has made the hugest difference to the both of us. I have my own identity back, and my life is no longer revolving around her every move, and her personality and skills have taken dramatic leaps and grow with each day. She started there with being six months behind in her speech, and after a fortnight there, the switch finally flicked and she was speaking in complete and clear sentences. She skipped a few steps. She now makes her opinion clear, and, most of the time, when her emotions aren't getting in the way, let's me know what she wants and needs. She's become very independent, and it makes it a lot easier for us to be equals within our little family unit.<br />
<br />
Seeing my mom, stepdad, and one of my three brothers back in May was a truly special time. I hadn't seen them since 2003, and being able to spend a fortnight with them and my now-10 year old niece that I met for the first time was amazing.<br />
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There has been the sadness, as well, with the loss of a yearmate in the beginning of the <a href="http://topsyturvyheathen.blogspot.com/2011/05/uk-bank-holiday-monday-and-us-memorial.html" target="_blank">year</a>, and the loss of friends' pets that meant a lot to me. I have had my down moments, but they've been a lot quicker to get out of than they have been in the past.<br />
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<u>Pseudo Resolutions for 2012</u><br />
<br />
I'm not in to making resolutions, because they're too easy to break. But there are a few goals that I truly want to put in place. From the way that I'm looking at it, 2012 looks to be truly spectacular for me. It may not seem like much to some people, but that is the word that has been shouting at me, because I am truly looking forward with a lot of positivity.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Spend more time with my friends, aka My English Family</li>
<ul><li>I've spent more time than ever with my friends this year, which has made a huge difference to me, but I think we need to do even more. My closest friends I have dubbed as my honorary siblings, so, if you look at it that way, as well as having three blood-related brothers, I also have four sisters, three brothers, the Imp's Grumpy, and the keeper of my heart. Hmm, because I'm likely to be blogging more about them, I should probably come up with alternative names for them all. You've already seen me regularly post about one, Witchy Kitty. She's changing to a <a href="http://leonielucas.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">new blog</a>, but I think she can keep her same name with me :P I'll come up with names for everybody else as I go along.</li>
</ul><li>Get out of Lincoln more often. </li>
<ul><li>I rarely leave the city. I think I can maybe think of three to five trips out for the day in the last year. I'm already planning a trip to Cardiff to visit Illustratedmum (Welshy sister), which I really should do more often. More day trips are in the pipelines, as well as some potential weekends away.</li>
</ul><li>Finish my Access course and start University</li>
<ul><li>That's all dependent on me getting accepted to uni. My UCAS will definitely be going out tomorrow, and I need to keep up on my course work. </li>
</ul><li>Keep up on my blogging.</li>
<ul><li>This blog has made a huge difference to me, so I need to focus back down and post more often again. Maybe make a goal for at least once a week or fortnight, minimum, to get me back on track.</li>
</ul><li>Read more books</li>
<ul><li>I'm normally an avid reader, but I've just not had the mental focus to concentrate and read, so my stack is building up. I must try harder. </li>
</ul><li>Do more crafting.</li>
<ul><li>I've put my cross stitch aside for the time being, because I really need to find a floor stand for my frame. I've opted for some smaller crochet projects that I can get the sense of accomplishment of actually finishing something. For holiday gifts, I managed to whip through and complete three scarves. That's a huge accomplishment for me, the way that things have been so busy. One of them was even finished in a day...that was only due to me reinjuring myself and having to force myself to actually sit down and stop. The other two took me a fair bit longer, but I still managed to finish one for Yule and one for Christmas, and I was quite pleased with myself. One of my posts to look back on regarding projects would be <a href="http://topsyturvyheathen.blogspot.com/2011/05/unfinished-projects-and-our-path.html" target="_blank">this one</a>. Another project that looks easy is from <a href="http://www.channel4.com/4homes/how-to/craft-projects/how-to-make-a-string-of-hearts-garland" target="_blank">Kirsty Alsopp's program on Channel 4</a>. She did a heart garland for across her mantle for Christmas, but it's inspired me to attempt to do something similar for each Sabbat to go across my shelf in the living room. I just need to find fabric that I fancy, and the time.</li>
</ul><li>Concentrate more on my rituals and celebrations.</li>
<ul><li>I don't mean doing anything fancy, but, as seemingly seems to be a repeating theme, I need to take more time to stop and celebrate. It's not that I don't celebrate with a thought or few every day, but I need to stop more. Nothing organised...we all know that I don't play all that well with others that try to be organised, but I feel the need to do some energy and spiritual work with others (just as long as it's not organised. Got to make that clear :P )</li>
</ul><li>Project 365</li>
<ul><li>I'm a rather snap-happy person with my mobile, so I've finally brought up the courage to start a Project365. Feel free to follow me, if you're interested, on <a href="http://silverswan365.blogspot.com/">silverswan365.blogspot.com</a></li>
</ul></ul><div>Again, those are just a few goals, but nothing is set in stone. I really can't call them resolutions for the year, because they're ongoing things in my life that I'm looking forward.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I hope that all of you will be having as spectacular of a 2012 as I anticipate mine to be. Feel free to share yours in the comments, because I love seeing what everybody is looking forward to.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Mel</div>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-889125524373155322011-11-23T21:57:00.000+00:002011-11-23T21:57:27.179+00:00Thanksgiving ConnectionsI'm going to be upfront. I haven't celebrated Thanksgiving since I last visited my family in 2003. Living in England, it's just another day. I do try my hardest to remember to call my mom, but this year it's fingers crossed that she's around between the time that I wander in after collecting the Imp from nursery and when I go to bed.<br />
<br />
One of the things that I've been contemplating today, after speaking with one of my course mates and an instructor about Thanksgiving, is how much world history we Americans aren't taught when we were growing up. Since moving to England, and especially since moving to Lincolnshire in 2005, I have learned so much more about the 'back stories' to historical events in the United States, and it all finally makes sense in my head. I still couldn't remember most dates if my life depended on it, but I now feel like my knowledge of history has been greatly enhanced, and I'm now understanding the reasons behind some of the major historical events that I grew up with.<br />
<br />
Take Thanksgiving for example. What do you remember? I remember being taught that the Pilgrims sailed on the Mayflower, landed on Plymouth Rock, and after a hard time the Indians shared their bounty. Yep. That's it...that's all I remember from school. I never thought to question where and why the Pilgrims actually left England. I was under the assumption that the were all from the same town...Plymouth, in Devonshire, on the southern coast of England. Moving up to Lincolnshire was quite an enlightenment. I have since found out that the Pilgrims were of a branch of Quakers called Separatists, who didn't get along well with the majority of the public, who were Church of England. Laws were being established demanding that everybody attend the national church. The original Separatist church was in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, which just outside of Doncaster. After several years of problems, the Pilgrim Fathers (as they're referred to over here) decided that it was time to leave. They couldn't get the paperwork that would allow them to leave the country, so they tried to sneak out by hiring a boat out of Boston, Lincolnshire (east coast). They were caught and arrested as they tried to board the boat. A year later, another attempt was made and successful, when they hired a Dutch merchant to take them from Immingham (just outside of Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire) to Leiden, Holland, which was successful, and they stayed there for twelve years. They then decided that they wanted to create their own colony in the Americas, bought a small ship called the Speedwell, and travelled to England to meet up with the Mayflower in Southampton. Leaving in August 1620, the Speedwell wasn't up to the journey, so they returned to Plymouth, piled all 102 people onto the Mayflower, and left again in September. After the rough journey, losing two people and gaining a baby, the Pilgrims finally dropped anchor in November. An advance party went ashore, but the majority of the colonists remained on the ship until December 23rd, when they departed the Mayflower to build Plymouth colony.<br />
<br />
Here comes the reason for Thanksgiving. Because they had landed in December, the winter was difficult because they had not stored away crops. Forty people were lost. On 16 March 1621, an Indian leader approached them, greeting them in English that had been taught to him by English fishermen that wintered in the area. After signing a treaty with Samoset and another leader, Squanto, the Indians taught the Pilgrims how to farm the land. That autumn, the Indians were invited for a feast from the bounty of the harvests.<br />
<br />
It really makes you think about the reasons behind some holidays. Yes, I still see Thanksgiving as a time to be thankful for what we have, and to spend time with family. But now I also see it as a time to celebrate religious freedom, through observing the trials and tribulations that the Pilgrims went through to arrive to America. Many of us of different faiths have continued to fight for what we believe, to find the place that is right for us. For the Pilgrim Fathers, that was the east coast America. Have you found your place?<br />
<br />
Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow to all of my family and friends in the United States.<br />
Mel<br />
<br />
References:<br />
<a href="http://stufffromthelab.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/why-did-the-pilgrims-come-to-the-new-world/">http://stufffromthelab.wordpress.com/2007/11/12/why-did-the-pilgrims-come-to-the-new-world/</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrims_(Plymouth_Colony)">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilgrims_(Plymouth_Colony)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.mayflowermaid.com/">http://www.mayflowermaid.com/</a>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-88893276761406783332011-11-09T19:30:00.000+00:002011-11-09T19:30:21.760+00:00A bit of a shameless appeal for sponsorship...I'm still quite busy, at the moment, but a bit of a shameless ask, the Imp will be doing a sponsored Sing-a-Long at nursery for this year's BBC Children in Need. I have set up a Just Giving page for if you have a bit spare that you'd be able to give to this worthy cause. Sophie has been working really hard on practising at home, and any little bit helps.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you so much,<br />
Mel<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> </div>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-18607942076029157852011-10-27T23:23:00.000+01:002011-10-27T23:23:24.901+01:00Recipe: Peanut Butter Squares (Originally Posted on Alternating Kitchen Witch on 13/02/09)I don't normally have this recipe around until December, but seeing as though I've been in the mood for Yule and Christmas since, maybe, July, and I've had a special request for it, I think that now is the perfect time for me to repost it from my old blog to this one.<br />
<br />
This recipe came to me from my mom, and it was passed to her by a friend. From the first year that she made it, it has become a necessity for the holiday season because everybody wants them. I've since introduced them to my friends here in the UK, and I get <a href="http://thewitchykitty.blogspot.com/">Witchy Kitty</a> batting her eyes at me to beg to make it. I have altered it a little bit to accommodate for some of the ingredients being American, and one of the original ingredients not being gluten-intolerance friendly. As for the imported, that's only the butterscotch chips. (I think I have one bag remaining in my horde...hint hint to my mother :P). We can't get Karo Syrup over here, but I found that golden syrup works perfectly well.<br />
<br />
And, enough of my waffle, here's the recipe that I've copied and pasted from my old cooking blog:<br />
<br />
<br />
Heat:<br />
<ul><li>1 cup of sugar</li>
<li>1 cup of golden syrup (Karo Syrup is what the original recipe calls for)</li>
</ul><br />
Do not bring to a boil. Heat only until the sugar dissolves.<br />
<br />
Remove from the heat and stir in:<br />
<ul><li>2 cups of crunchy peanut butter</li>
<li>4 cups of Oataflake cereal, or Whole Earth Organic Corn Flakes (the original recipe calls for Special K, but, it's not wheat free-friendly.</li>
</ul>Spread into roasting tray and allow to cool.<br />
<br />
Melt 6 ounces each of:<br />
<ul><li>Coop Dark Chocolate (the original recipe calls for semi sweet chocolate bits...chocolate chips. I used a bar and a bit, so, get two bars).</li>
<li>Butterscotch morsels (this is an American thing. You can buy them as an import<a href="http://www.letseatdirect.com/cgi-bin/sh001234.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.letseatdirect.com%2f&WD=butterscotch&SHOP=%20&PN=Baking_Chocolate.html%23a028000217303#a028000217303"> here</a>, in the UK, or maybe experiment with another type of chocolate...maybe white chocolate, melt it separately from the dark chocolate and swirl them when you do the top.)</li>
</ul>Spread over the cooled mixture. After the topping cools, slice into 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares. (makes for perfect party table treats. My family normally has them for Christmas).<br />
<br />
These are extremely moreish :D It's a recipe that I've gotten from my mother, who received it from a friend.<br />
<br />
Witchy Kitty swears she hates peanut butter, but she adores these.<br />
<br />
Brightest Blessings,<br />
MelMelissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-9277925389747219302011-10-26T22:15:00.001+01:002012-01-02T10:09:01.258+00:00Epic Posting FailI am extremely guilt-ridden at the moment. I've been so busy with college that I've not had the mental capacity to post here on my blog. My goal was to post at least once or twice a week, and I've just looked, and I've not posted in a month. I truly, truly apologise. I've had a bit more work in college this year than the course was last year because I am taking Higher GCSE Maths as an extra class (I currently dream in numbers because I've been doing so much of it. Good thing I like Math) and the curriculum is a touch different. It is definitely time for a catch up, and hopefully things will be settling down into a better routine after this half term break for me to get back to my regular posting schedule.<br />
<br />
I am really looking forward to Samhein. We will be celebrating a few days early, with friends coming to eat, drink and be merry here at home. We've not gotten together since the summer, so I'm stupidly excited. On the 31st itself, a couple friends will join me for jack o'lantern carving (I do the stencils on them). I have one or two pumpkins from the back garden that are big enough for me to carve, and I'll buy a bigger one from town tomorrow. Pumpkin carving for me is also harvesting my seeds to plant next year, and collecting the flesh that will be part of our <a href="http://topsyturvyheathen.blogspot.com/2011/09/recipe-pumpkin-pie-gluten-free.html">pumpkin pies</a> for the year. I will hold a private ritual before bed, honouring my family, ancestors and friends that have passed on this year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I've witnessed some spectacular natural events over the past week. The skies over Lincoln have been clear enough at night to spot a few <a href="http://www.meteorwatch.org/2011/01/04/meteor-showers-for-2011-2012-ones-to-watch/">shooting stars</a> from the Orionid Meteor Shower, and it's been a wrench when I've gone to sort the quails out at 11pm to go inside. Today was another spectacular scene as the Imp and I stood in the rain waiting for a bus with <a href="http://thewitchykitty.blogspot.com/">The Witchy Kitty</a> and her family. There was a huge double rainbow over the city, with the end of one of the rainbows hitting the cathedral. Absolutely stunning, and I couldn't help but attempt to take some photos (Witchy Kitty and I decided to race to see who would post first, and she will also be cross posting me)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijozjsaoy8tr_dEqSSSdvG2IS0i8Y_LH_KIcxLuAU3ql0rPW5_vBqFKIrBjp_gcTbqFOeeVggUw7_ny3qj_zio0FMqbuO6gTnUvVxCFLWNv2FtSz82oGplmF1K7eDJRODyz1GSgqDHmN9b/s1600/rainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijozjsaoy8tr_dEqSSSdvG2IS0i8Y_LH_KIcxLuAU3ql0rPW5_vBqFKIrBjp_gcTbqFOeeVggUw7_ny3qj_zio0FMqbuO6gTnUvVxCFLWNv2FtSz82oGplmF1K7eDJRODyz1GSgqDHmN9b/s400/rainbow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just down the road, you should be able to spot Lincoln Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Shooting stars and rainbows actually hold a lot of meaning to me. Memories of high school marching band...serenading the band directors in the early hours of one morning during the week before State Marching Finals and the Leonid Meteor Shower being extremely active at 4am as we shivered and played through the entire program. And, when I was most stressed with the preparations, feeling the presence of my grandmother and spotting a rainbow around the sun, every year of the morning of State. The memories of my grandmother are the strongest, and still there whenever I spot a rainbow, or get the scent of gardenia when there are none around. I see her in the Imp, and have since I fell pregnant with her.<br />
<br />
Well, this is the time for memories and renewal for me, and I feel utterly renewed with finally getting the chance for a clear mind that has allowed me to blog a new post. Here's to fingers crossed that it continues.<br />
<br />
Mel<br />
<br />
P.S.<br />
Good luck to the Greenwood Marching Woodmen on your trip to Saturday's 2011 ISSMA State Finals.Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-85639208826978356752011-09-28T18:10:00.003+01:002011-09-28T18:10:01.038+01:00Recipe: Pumpkin Pie (Gluten Free)Not many of the English have ever tried a proper, American-style pumpkin pie. Just like with my Apple Butter, it takes some getting your head around it. I know that I've got a couple of friends that should try it again, because they had it straight out of the oven, which isn't as nice as after it's cooled down.<br />
<br />
Growing up, pumpkin pie was only served on Thanksgiving, and it was either shop-bought, or the pumpkin came out of the tin. Having my own place, I now grow a few pumpkins in my back garden. If I need bigger ones for carving, once I clean the gross stuff out, I scrape the flesh so it's quite thin (it makes it easier for carving, especially when you use stencils), and save it. I tend to put it in 2 to 2 1/2 cup amounts into a zipper bag, and just toss it into the freezer until I want it.<br />
<br />
And, I don't just make pumpkin pie in the autumn. Since I'm no longer in the States, I haven't celebrated Thanksgiving since I last visited my family in 2003. I make it whenever I fancy it. We always have it for Yule and Christmas, in my house, and the Imp's Grumpy gets a pumpkin pie for his birthday in June. I miss having "Cool Whip" on top, but I get by with squirty cream.<br />
<br />
The recipe that I use is from <a href="http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipes/pumpkinpie.htm">Michelle Jones, of BetterBudgeting.com</a> . I use my own <a href="http://topsyturvyheathen.blogspot.com/2011/07/basic-pastry-originally-posted-110209.html">gluten free basic pastry recipe</a>, but I'm needing to experiment with how to get it to not glue itself to my metal pie plate in the baking process...I'm thinking either greasing the pan, rolling the pastry instead of pressing it in like I normally do (since I'm getting better at rolling it out without it disintegrating), and/or layering baking paper underneath.<br />
<br />
But, here's the recipe that Ms. Jones posted, along with the alterations that I make:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"></span><br />
<div align="left" style="font-family: Verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ingredients:</span></b></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">1 unbaked pie crust (deep dish, if you are getting store bought)</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> <b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></b></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">2 c. fresh pumpkin purée (or canned pumpkin) (I steam my pumpkin flesh before puréeing it, but you can also roast it)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I use the Carnation condensed Milk, and one tin will do, whether it be the normal or Light)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">2 large eggs (in the lifetime that my quails start laying, I'm waiting to try using their eggs...it will take approximately 10)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (I have a thing for cinnamon, so I do the 'this looks about right' method, and use quite a bit)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">1/2 tsp. ground ginger</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">1/2 tsp. nutmeg</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">1/2 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">(If you like the spicier pies, add 1/2 tsp. cloves, I do not use them.)(I do put the cloves in, it's Ms. Jones that doesn't)</span></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: Verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></b></div><div align="left" style="font-family: Verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Directions:</span></b></div><div align="left" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Combine filling ingredients with mixer and pour into pastry shell. Place a folded piece of foil around the crust to prevent over-baking. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees (220C/Gas Mark 7) then reduce heat to 350 degrees (180C/Gas Mark 4) and continue to bake for 35-40 minutes longer (or until knife inserted 1-inch from the edge comes out clean and not gooey). </span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Remove pie from oven and cool on wire rack for about an hour or so. Serve pie slices with a dollop of whipped cream. Refrigerate leftovers; if there are any!</span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><div align="left"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;">For the future, I do cross a lot between American and English recipes. If I forget to write out what I've converted (such as the original of this recipe only had the temperatures in Fahrenheit), my favourite site for conversions is this one: <a href="http://onlineconversion.com/cooking.htm">onlineconversion.com/cooking.htm</a></span></span></div></span>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-40557917672133125882011-09-26T18:40:00.001+01:002011-09-26T18:40:00.067+01:00Joy Pockets (260911)Yet another busy one for us, but we've had some lovely times in between the exhausting ones.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Finding out that I will be able to do the higher GCSE in Maths as a blended, independent learning class alongside the foundation class that is part of my Access course. I'm extremely happy with this, as it will give me one of my first English educational certificates.</li>
<li>The Saturday morning kiddy show at the cinema. According to the Imp, we were watching 'blue quails', and she really liked them (we went to see "Rio", which is about a blue macaw). We followed it with a bit of retail therapy and lunch, and with all the rush around me being in college and her in nursery, it was nice spending time outside of being home.</li>
<li>I now have all of the bits that I need for our planned homemade Yule and Christmas gifts.</li>
<li>Being told by the Imp that biscuits make her tummy feel all better. She was a bit poorly yesterday, and didn't eat more than a slice of toast and a couple of prawn crackers. I figured that she actually was feeling better this morning, but she was afraid to eat, so her stomach didn't appreciate it. I phoned a friend to bring her some digestive biscuits, and she's now back to being all smiles and chattering away. We don't have them in the house, because I can't have them, but they seem to be doing a better job than my poor attempt at making her toast yesterday (we don't own a toaster, because we don't need one).</li>
</ul><div>So, what are your Joy Pockets for the week?</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://bohemiantwilight.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="joy pockets" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-cvrXI_GQcGHM0dZoePcjxAjHn8HA7iP2iu2ayNqsL9j0WNiRGwEi47WSuq0gZ1LExe_8P6SBRqj958HKVYPM0gRvy7_6cH-lB2jsuxE1sUAHfm8WFM_H0nexOCcZWBlSRans5AwtyDo/s1600/jplogoA.jpg" /></a></center>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-66391773026010430922011-09-26T13:01:00.000+01:002011-09-26T13:01:20.782+01:00Happy Autumn!Well, I had started a post on Ancestry and Pathways, but I wasn't happy with the direction that it was taking, so it's now been deleted. I am honestly trying to get back into the swing of my regular posting regime, but the thoughts aren't flowing without sounding pompous, confused, and/or ignorant. Oh, well...we all have days like these.<br />
<br />
The equinox has recently come and gone, and I completely missed that specific day out of busyness and complete exhaustion. Oops. Well, not really. Outside of the Samhein, I find it quite difficult to pinpoint a specific day for my personal celebrations. Yule gets rather close, but it gets celebrated on the best day that I can get all of my friends organised and here on the same day, sort of close to when everybody else actually observes it. I'm pretty sure, though, that if I were regularly observing with a group, we might get close to some of the other Sabbats I have seen other Pagans and Heathens that get into an absolute flit over trying to make sure that they can observe a Sabbat on a very specific day.<br />
<br />
One thing that we have to remember is that our ancestral tribes didn't have paper or electronic calendars to worship, oops, I mean Observe, such as we do. They'd have a few people that kept track of the moon and the stars. And the weather...we can't forget the weather. You couldn't throw that first or second harvest festival until those harvest actually started to come in, and that depended on what the weather was doing. You'd count your own age by how many moons or seasons had passed. The Chinese have named their years by a rotation of twelve animals. The Celts calculated by thirteen lunar months named after trees that were common during those months (I will be researching both of these calendars, soon, for future posts).<br />
<br />
I regularly get teased by <a href="http://thewitchykitty.blogspot.com/">Witchy Kitty</a> because of the obvious lack of clocks in my house. There is one in the kitchen, that came with the house. The only calendar in the house was bought by somebody else, and regularly doesn't get changed until we're one or two, sometimes three, weeks into a month. I don't wear a watch, but I do set multiple alarms on my mobile, and I'm making a conscious attempt to add specific dates to my Google Calendar, which will send an alarm (or three, depending on how many I've set) to my mobile. I'm early for most things, or I'll have a panic attack. But, for the most part, I run on what's jokingly referred to as 'Pagan Standard Time'. If I don't have to be there at a specific time, I will get there when I do. It's been a few hours into daylight...I'm starting to get hungry, so maybe I'll go eat something. It's a couple of hours past sunset...I'm kind of tired, it's probably time for bed.<br />
<br />
Today feels like a good day to do my seasonal clean-up of the house, and I feel the desire to do some baking tomorrow. So, I may seem a bit late to some of you, but because the day is just right for me, Happy Autumn Solstice!Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-9310083511396223072011-09-19T22:14:00.000+01:002011-09-19T22:14:54.760+01:00Joy Pockets (190911)Well, most of the past week was a fair bit of disaster for me, but I can always find stuff that lighten it a little bit.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li>The Imp going swimming with <a href="http://thewitchykitty.blogspot.com/">Witchy Kitty</a> for the first time today, and the joy and excitement of the both of them when I joined them afterwards on the bus. The Imp had never seen anything bigger than a bathtub or her paddling pool, and I guess she acted like she's been there forever. She even told Mr. Kitty to 'go away, I can do it myself' more than once. I'm so proud of her.</li>
<li>Seeing my kitties and Witchy Kitty's kitties a lot happier and better on a new food. And having one of her kitties that I've never seen more than a tail in the almost two years that they've had her decide that she wanted fuss off of me, she wanted it there and then, and she was going to be nose-to-nose standing on my chest to get it.</li>
<li>Having a fantastic GP that understands that he won't see me unless I have a serious issue, so actually listens to me. He gets a bit miffed with me because I'm quite prone to letting things build up and walking in with a list of problems (bad habits from living in the States, and trying to get my head around that I can just go in on the NHS and it won't cost me a couple of legs and an arm), but I did only go in with one this time.</li>
<li>Listening to the quails 'chat' in their excitement of getting bits of sunflower heads. The four girls have lovely little chirps that sound like an evening chorus of crickets.</li>
</ul><div>Fingers crossed for a much improved week this week. I hope you're all doing well.</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://bohemiantwilight.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="joy pockets" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-cvrXI_GQcGHM0dZoePcjxAjHn8HA7iP2iu2ayNqsL9j0WNiRGwEi47WSuq0gZ1LExe_8P6SBRqj958HKVYPM0gRvy7_6cH-lB2jsuxE1sUAHfm8WFM_H0nexOCcZWBlSRans5AwtyDo/s1600/jplogoA.jpg" /></a></center>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-75528219843998555192011-09-16T18:59:00.001+01:002011-09-16T19:00:33.930+01:00I haven't forgotten...I do promise, I haven't forgotten about my blog. This was my first proper full week in college, and I'm trying to get back into a routine that hasn't existed for months. Instead of getting up at 9am, as I normally would, we're having to get up at 6am. It's a bit of a shock to the system when you're not a natural morning person in the first place. I used to always function at my best when I could stay up until 4am, and sleep until noon, but that doesn't work when you have a child.<br />
<br />
I guess a bit of an update. The Imp and I are back to being a team again now that we're having some time apart. The three days that I'm in college, she spends in nursery. When I first came across realising that it takes somebody else taking care of her for a brief time for us to remain stable without all of the screaming and drama, it felt like I was a let down for a mum. We've been inseparable since she was born. But after she turned three, we started getting more and more frustrated with each other. I never have wanted to be a shouty mum, yet I didn't want to be a soft touch, either.<br />
<br />
My intentions when she was born was to do all attachment parenting to the fullest extent, and to carry it further. I was going to strictly breastfeed until she self weaned....we succeeded with that one, and she breastfed until 19 months. I wanted to do baby-led weaning...we succeeded with that one, too. She nabbed a roast carrot off a plate at about 6 months old and carried on from there. I'm now getting lovely comments from her nursery that she is an amazing eater, and not the least bit picky (except with cucumbers).<br />
<br />
I was going to babywear. Again, we succeeded in that, and she was in a sling until just before she turned three. We did briefly own a stroller in May, but that was because we couldn't expect her to walk all over London for three days, and my back and hips can't handle the extra weight any more. Freecycle is a good thing...we were gifted a lovely little stroller, and as soon as we were finished with it, we gifted it on to another family. (to find your own local Freecycle network, go to <a href="http://www.freecycle.org/">www.freecycle.org</a> )<br />
<br />
I was going to do home schooling. This is where we have tripped up. When things went wrong when she was 10 months old, I had to go onto government benefits. Home school curriculums are quite expensive, on top of I would have to be looking for work when she turns 7. To be completely honest, we can't afford for me to continue to be on benefits. We currently survive by me keeping very strictly budgeted. If we want something, I have to be able to work it in or we don't get it. Another issue is socialisation. I struggled to even take her to mother and toddler groups. I think it's such an artificial environment, and so political. Yes, I said political. I have a couple of really awesome friends that I met through those various groups that we used to attend, but they are the exception rather than the rule. The rule is referred to, if you've not heard of it before, the Baby Olympics. Everybody is constantly judging you and your child. And when you're going to a general public mother and toddler group with any sort of alternative opinion, well, you will be judged to be beneath them. Let's see...Pagan, attachment parenting (which goes against the mass marketed books that they all have to use as gospel), not from the area (obvious by my harsher accent), etc. You get the picture. So, if I can't cope with a group like that, how am I going to be able to put us forward to the inclusive home school groups of the city? <br />
<br />
On top of all of that, it is just now the Imp and I. Sometimes, we can go a fortnight without any adult contact outside of popping to the shop, which doesn't count. As she's started coming into self-realisation, we started clashing more and more. I was becoming Shouty and Really Angry Mum, because we're both as stubborn as each other. And in the lifetime that I get a job, what would happen then?<br />
<br />
When she turned three, I came to the realisation that we needed some time apart. I don't mean shipping her off. I mean just a few hours a day that we can do our own thing. It probably sounds like I'm talking about a teenager, but one big thing for me is to acknowledge that even a three year old has a mind of their own. They are humans within their own right, with opinions, feelings, thoughts, and views. We work really well together when we're both respecting each other. If I'm just shouting, I'm not listening, and it works the same in the other direction. I did a lot of research, and found a nursery that was a perfect fit for both of us. They are very child-led, without talking down to her, and encourage a lot of independence. The Imp adores it. Last week was the first three days that she's spent the whole day there. She comes home extremely tired, but laughing and giggling. She adores her teacher, and she has a circle of friends.<br />
<br />
Given this, and starting to research primary schools, I no longer feel the guilt of not being able to home school. I think that the Imp is so much happier with this decision. That's what the point actually is...she is happy. I am happy, as well. I now have the opportunity to take a course to prepare me for university properly...I went to university straight after High School, but I don't think that I was properly prepared, and I bombed out. I'm now 35. I have finally decided what I want to do, and a career that I actually want to do, for me. It wasn't an opportunity that I've had in the past. In the future, it will give both of us a lot better quality of life, and more opportunities.<br />
<br />
I apologise for being so slim on the ground for posts, and it might take me another week or two to get back into a routine, but I am still here :)<br />
<br />
MelMelissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-85117080673726090972011-09-12T22:02:00.000+01:002011-09-12T22:02:18.953+01:00Joy Pockets 120911I apologise that it's been a fortnight since I've done my Joy Pockets, but it has been so super busy with getting back to college, and last Monday was a particularly rough day for us. But, here we go. I hope to be back to my normal posting self within the next week or two, once I'm into a better routine.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The hints of autumn arriving. The leaves just starting to change, the arrival of blustery winds, and the chance that the weather isn't likely to go over-warm again for a while.</li>
<li>Tied in to the weather, the excuse to make beef stew today...nom. I'll post the recipe later this week.</li>
<li>The Imp being so excited to be able to return to nursery. It's three, super-long days for her, but she adapted straight away.</li>
<li>Succeeding in sorting out my budget spreadsheets up to June. Ok, this probably sounds really sad, but I actually enjoy doing it because I'm really proud of my spreadsheets.</li>
<li>Starting back at college, and the excitement of getting into a routine, and having work that makes me think. Oh, you will probably see me posting about my frustration on papers and assignments, but I honestly do enjoy it.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Mel</div>
<div>
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<center><a href="http://bohemiantwilight.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="joy pockets" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-cvrXI_GQcGHM0dZoePcjxAjHn8HA7iP2iu2ayNqsL9j0WNiRGwEi47WSuq0gZ1LExe_8P6SBRqj958HKVYPM0gRvy7_6cH-lB2jsuxE1sUAHfm8WFM_H0nexOCcZWBlSRans5AwtyDo/s1600/jplogoA.jpg" /></a></center>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-39039800047289012782011-09-07T19:17:00.000+01:002011-09-07T19:17:49.318+01:00Cross Stitch: Wheel of the Year - RestartI'm not going to bother posting a photo today, but I've actually managed to get a couple of hours of stitching this week! It's been a busy week, still, with getting ready to start college (Induction was today), and the Imp...well, the Threenager has seriously struck over the past week and a half (part of the reason that there was no Joy Pockets post this week...on top of me being absolutely wiped out lately).<br />
<br />
Tomorrow, my classes aren't going ahead, but the Imp still has a place at nursery. So, after dropping her off at 8am, I will be returning home, doing a quick tidy, putting on my multiple episodes of "Torchwood", and sitting and stitching all day. :)<br />
<br />
As for the Imp and nursery, today was the longest that we've been apart since she was born. I was busy today, but tomorrow, I think will be a complete culture shock for me. She's 3 2/3ish, and more than ready to be independent. She loved being there all day, and is looking forward to tomorrow...so much so that she's just brought me her night time nappy without being asked, at 7:15pm. Her hair is in her 'night night braids' (so we don't have to fight with it to brush it in the morning), and she's gone and put her own pyjamas on. I guess that's a hint for me to tuck her in.<br />
<br />
MelMelissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-12443237030596993252011-08-31T21:03:00.001+01:002011-08-31T21:05:32.172+01:00Recipe: All Day Apple Butter (Slow Cooker/Crock Pot)I think I have mentioned this recipe in previous posts, and this is an excellent time of year for me to post it. The apples in this region are ripening, and we're coming up to Mabon. I grew up with apple butter in Indiana, every autumn, and I remember going to Nashville, Indiana, and seeing the pretty jars with the gingham cloth covers. Buying it in the grocery store wasn't right...it just didn't seem to have the right texture. <br />
<div><br />
</div><div>After emigrating to England, apple butter was one thing that I really missed, so I set out to discover a recipe that I could make myself and found this one. It is very much tried and tested, and my English friends that I can convince to try it end up falling in love with it, and can't wait until I do my annual batch. I store it in recycled plastic takeaway tubs, and I generally have seven or eight tubs...one for my fridge (and it lasts for a really long time in there), and the rest go into the freezer until <a href="http://thewitchykitty.blogspot.com/">Witchy Kitty</a> finds out that I've made it, then one goes home with her, and one or two go to American ex-pat friends in Digby. The rest get used throughout the year, generally pulled out when I have friends over and have made (an attempt, not perfected) gluten free scones.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>For those of you that have never tried it, the way that I explain it to the sceptics is that it's like an apple conserve, and really nice on bread, scones, toast, pork, turkey, etc. You can use it in other recipes, as well. I have a mini pie maker that I have yet to test out, and I'm contemplating making apple butter pies. It is dairy free, gluten free, and pretty much free from everything else unless you have issues with spices, sugar, or apples.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Here's the recipe:</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>5 1/2 to 6 lbs of apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped (you can use any type of eating apples. I prefer red or golden delicious, as these are common varieties in Indiana)</div><div>4 cups of white sugar</div><div>2 tsp ground cinnamon (I use rounded tsp, but I adore cinnamon)</div><div>1/4 tsp ground cloves</div><div>1/4 tsp salt</div><div><br />
</div><div>Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples and mix well.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Cover and cook on High for 1 hour.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Uncover and continue cooking on Low for 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, in increase smoothness (I'm also known for using my potato masher).</div><div><br />
</div><div>Spoon mixture into sterile containers, cover, and refrigerate or freeze.</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>I know that I got this off of a website, but, unfortunately, it's been a decade, so I can't remember where it came from. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Mel</div>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-49441553999996141552011-08-31T20:40:00.000+01:002011-08-31T20:40:03.251+01:00Cross Stitch: Wheel of the Year - Week Off (yet again)Again, this week has been a complete fail on picking up my stitching. I'm not normally as busy as I have been lately, and I don't normally go to bed before 9pm, as I have been for almost the past week and a half. I'm putting my foot down and actually going no where tomorrow, and aiming to get back to my stitching. At the very least, I'd like to finish that first page before starting college next week. Fingers crossed.<br />
<br />
But, I will at least post a recipe tonight, and tomorrow I will be posting this last week's suggestion from Pagan Blog Prompts, because it's a rather apt topic.<br />
<br />
MelMelissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-15123598539190611042011-08-30T12:29:00.000+01:002011-08-30T12:29:02.581+01:00Joy Pockets (300811)OK, I am a day late, but I was sidetracked last night with snuggling with <a href="http://thewitchykitty.blogspot.com/">Witchy Kitty's</a> Cub. For being a stay at home mum, I feel like I've been super busy lately, but I struggle to figure out why. But, here are my Joy Pockets for the past week (don't forget to check them out at <a href="http://bohemiantwilight.blogspot.com/">Bohemian Twilight</a>).<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Still having Yule and Christmas on the brain, I was rather pleased with myself for coming up with the perfect gift ideas for the Imp's grandparents...all handmade and within my pathetic budget. I've felt bad for the past several years that I haven't been able to send anything at all to my family, and to find something perfect is exceptional.</li>
<li>Having fantastic neighbours. I have one neighbour that takes my bins out every week because I'm dreadful at waking up on Monday morning. Yesterday, the neighbour behind me made an exuberant search and managed to capture one of my delinquent quails that boldly jumped out of the hutch while I was sorting them out and made a mad dash for it. She was found, safe and sound, next to his bins after a half hour/45 minutes.</li>
<li>A girly night that didn't wind down until 2am. It was a fantastic Friday night.</li>
<li>Sharing a meal with friends, and my attempts at gluten free chicken gravy turning out amazing on top of cheesy mashed potatoes and stir fried chicken and red onion.</li>
<li>Waking up for one of my normal stirrings to find both cats in bed with me. Loki has always slept with me, and was by my hand. I moved my foot to find that I kicked Florence and she didn't shift. Florence joined us in December of last year, and she's never slept with me before...she normally sleeps on the Welsh dresser downstairs. She's been extremely cuddly since the rearrangement of my bedroom.</li>
<li>My family in Maryland and North Carolina being safe and sound after the hurricane. My cousin and his wife lost a few roof tiles, and my brother lost a couple of trees...one that missed the house and landed in the woods instead.</li>
</ul><div>So, what has brought joy and a smile to your face this week?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Mel</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://bohemiantwilight.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="joy pockets" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-cvrXI_GQcGHM0dZoePcjxAjHn8HA7iP2iu2ayNqsL9j0WNiRGwEi47WSuq0gZ1LExe_8P6SBRqj958HKVYPM0gRvy7_6cH-lB2jsuxE1sUAHfm8WFM_H0nexOCcZWBlSRans5AwtyDo/s1600/jplogoA.jpg" /></a></center>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-23963954618029748542011-08-26T16:31:00.000+01:002011-08-26T16:31:39.863+01:00The Desperate Need to Rearrange<blockquote>Hello, everyone. My name is Mel, and I am admitting to having a problem. I am a serial furniture rearranger.</blockquote><br />
There...it's out there. I have a need to rearrange furniture. When I was still living with my parents, and when I had more space than I do now, I had to rearrange the furniture every three months or so. I'm sure that I absolutely drove my parents crazy with it. They'd walk into my bedroom and I'll have managed to rotate the entire thing by myself.<br />
<br />
I've lived in this house for just over two years, and haven't been able to figure out how to rotate the furniture because of the way that the rooms are laid out. I live in a Victorian two up-two down terrace, and in some areas modernisation has not been its friend. Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic place, and perfect for just the Imp and I, but I can't move the furniture around. I have gas fires, an alcove with a cupboard built specifically to set a telly on, and a sofa that was gifted to us that only fits along one wall in the living room. The dining room is bigger than the living room, but I can't flip them because there's no place suitable for the telly. <br />
<br />
Upstairs is a whole different story. We have a lot of heavy furniture. Some of it's ours, some of it belongs to the landlord. I have four bookcases in my bedroom, alone, that were taking up an entire wall. I have been agonising over this for a long time, because it's really been bothering me. As much as I adore my books, my bedroom just seemed consumed by them. I suffer from insomnia, then my sleep is rubbish, then I don't want to wake up in the morning. The Imp's room was worse...she had three wardrobes and two bookcases, as well as a huge, dark set of drawers, her bed, a wooden doll's house, and the rest of her toys. She rarely actually played up there, and I couldn't figure out why because she still had loads of space (we both have nice sized double bedrooms).<br />
<br />
I finally snapped on Monday. I've been slowly having a sort out for the past several months, being harsh with myself and getting rid of things that are just taking up precious space. I couldn't avoid it any more...I had to succumb to my desperate need to move furniture, and our bedrooms are the only place that it could happen. I helped the Imp put all of her toys into their laundry baskets, cleared the bookshelves off, then proceeded to rotate it all. She helped me pick bits up from my bedroom floor and shift books off and on the shelves. In her room, I shifted two bookcases, her bed, a doll's house, and two wardrobes. I added a wardrobe from my bedroom, and swapped her massive bureau with the smaller one from my room. In my room, I shifted four bookcases, a large dressing table, a big telly on a stand. my bed and the nightstand. Even though I've added another wardrobe to her room, the Imp's room feels a lot more spacious and balanced. Yesterday, I hardly saw her because she was actually playing up there...I was shocked, to say the least. Since Monday, she's actually kept her room tidy and helped me make her bed every morning.<br />
<br />
The difference in the feel of my room is amazing. I've actually felt the need to go to bed at a decent hour...last night, I was up there within a half hour of tucking the Imp in. I didn't go to sleep straight away, but I relaxed quite nicely with my Kindle and the telly. I'm actually getting a little more rested with the sleep that I have, and I'm not struggling to wake up in the morning. The energy is actually feeling like it has a better balance.<br />
<br />
I was chatting with Witchy Kitty yesterday, and the overall energy in my house has been feeling a lot better. Ever since I've moved in here, the house has had it's own special personality. Over the past year, it seemed to have changed, to almost being depressive. The house spirits haven't been very happy with me, and I wasn't seeing it. I was struggling with relations with my friends, my own stress, depression, and loneliness. I've finally managed to work my way out of my own personal funk, though, recently. I finally received the confirmations that my childcare will be funded for my return to college to do the course that I started last year. I've made a definite decision as to what educational path I will be taking. My friends are coming around more often, and we're back to everybody not being so low. And I've made a definite decision to redecorate. The first of the paint will be brought around this weekend, so I can get a start on the living room and dining room, to be followed by the kitchen, bathroom, the Imp's room, and finally my room. <br />
<br />
It's almost like the house is happier that I've made some decisions, and that I'm settling within myself. I've always had a deep desire to move about, but since moving into this house, I've felt like a real homebody. It's been a difficult thing to accept, I think. When I was looking at houses, I actually refused this one, because the rooms felt too small and the previous tenants smoked like chimneys. I have had a deep desire to move to the other side of the country to be closer to a friend, but this is the first place in either Indiana or England that has actually felt like my true home. I moved out of my parents' home when I was 20. Counting that move, I have moved around 16 times, including moving back in with my parents, and have been classed as homeless twice. I'll be 35 next month, and I now have a deep desire to stay put. I'd honestly like to be able to understand why it has taken this long for me to find 'home'. I used to want to travel all of the time, and now I rarely ever leave the city. My ideal holiday is going and spending time in Cardiff with my dear friend and her boys for a week.<br />
<br />
I've managed to get the furniture shifting out of my system this week, and once I get it all painted, this house will be like new. I'll be restarting college in a week and a half, and I've got everything together and ready. I know where I'm going and what I want to do. I've fully recognised what I need and want mentally and emotionally, and, with the support of my family of friends, I'm almost ready to take the leap to find it.<br />
<br />
Mel<br />
<br />
Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-91889569888971707532011-08-24T17:25:00.000+01:002011-08-24T17:25:39.970+01:00Cross Stitch: Wheel of the Year - Week OffI've been rather busy over the past week, so not much of my cross stitch has gotten done. I'll be counting next week as week 7. I hope you're all having as fantastic a week as I've had.Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-14014751694316408392011-08-22T20:24:00.001+01:002011-08-22T20:25:01.581+01:00Joy Pockets (220811)<div>It's actually been a busy one for us this week, so not a lot of cross stitching done, but a lot of giggling and laughing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li>The arrival of our fluff babies! Five gorgeous quails, four girls and a boy (in two separate hutches...poor George has to wait until the next batch to get some company). I've posted a couple of photos at the bottom.</li>
<li>The Imps ecstatic giggling when bouncing on the harnessed trampolines in town. One of the best £3 I've spent, just to hear her giggling like that.</li>
<li>Finally winning the battle of my downstairs, and getting it to a point that it now fairly easy to keep up the tidy. </li>
<li>Being able to appease my need to rearrange furniture (there will be a post around this tomorrow or Wednesday!)</li>
<li>Barbecuing on Saturday with friends. Being able to introduce people and everybody getting along together like a house on fire. We're already planning Yule, and at least one other meal before then. There was a lot of laughing going on, and I think we finally finished at around 1am.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4DfRUxUsl9tPAX1eskDptw2PCvHgA5ConlZfnweuztokaQo_eUTYVGnLC_U9pJ6gNDGd4VSLN1X3SRzBUMljbfQGYfDkpl89Jz1s9tBRopBK3Hj8iYOkwGSMTMUXeDQkjfEEYyR-iStsZ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harriet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENbmPT-1MFIANrczINntoVWwr2mu_MSALzM13XnMskpOa6G-TwlYGCKq4IiwWiadWLL0dwIUBlqtuhqw_BCOdWh6TVuhlP1AZRjKr6i4qOkQ_I0nm48LuR2_Tu8NfQ0GoRdZGEi0-jH-M/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gertie and Gertrude</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NM34arxrRQnhqJ9lAEq042-_X0CDOPnDL7Rip0heWGmvWb1fH6Qvi_gw6sufuEyTXg8NN2vADL-Nto9QNk98OOa7Toeh1MKyI4FE7RKEKUIwIdFMX3_H7WRDlUCxmd5_hDXwePlHU7K6/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NM34arxrRQnhqJ9lAEq042-_X0CDOPnDL7Rip0heWGmvWb1fH6Qvi_gw6sufuEyTXg8NN2vADL-Nto9QNk98OOa7Toeh1MKyI4FE7RKEKUIwIdFMX3_H7WRDlUCxmd5_hDXwePlHU7K6/" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bounce!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<center style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</center><center><a href="http://bohemiantwilight.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="joy pockets" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-cvrXI_GQcGHM0dZoePcjxAjHn8HA7iP2iu2ayNqsL9j0WNiRGwEi47WSuq0gZ1LExe_8P6SBRqj958HKVYPM0gRvy7_6cH-lB2jsuxE1sUAHfm8WFM_H0nexOCcZWBlSRans5AwtyDo/s320/jplogoA.jpg" width="253" /></a></center><center><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Mel</center>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-8696137905861886062011-08-17T21:26:00.000+01:002011-08-17T21:26:53.644+01:00Cross Stitch: Wheel of the Year - Week 6<div><br />
<img height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPbUo1Y2gSDoUR3yfiusUYhl76SOeWevbancwBU_phGbQCgck2E9LyAsSoVXEcPmxQXhEQpPX7YkJIygS-ux7rWb2hLSe-0zSe3wZGfW9yen7LGVhPKJhc6DIPm17ARok0RFvZ4dJjcjZO/" width="400" /><br />
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Again, I've not been able to get as much completed this week as I wanted to, but I had a bit of a shock today as I was working on more of the dark brown stitching. The shapes of leaves all of a sudden popped out, and that gave me the biggest boost--that I'm actually getting somewhere. I'm now at a point where it's a lot of scattered colours, in small bits. I'm not sure if I will finish it over the next week or not, because I'll be busy, but fingers crossed. If not by next Wednesday, then by the following one.<br />
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Mel</div>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7216109513495006718.post-38623914796715907742011-08-15T23:54:00.000+01:002011-08-15T23:54:08.753+01:00Joy Pockets (150811)<br />
<center style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>We're now in the home stretch for the arrival of our quails, and I'm stupidly excited. We're just waiting for the arrival of the food and feeders, which I expect either tomorrow or Wednesday, and the birds will be arriving on Saturday.</li>
<li>The hilarity of wet cats. I needed to bath my cats to give me a fresh start to sort their skin out. My boy, Loki, is absolutely loopy and loves water, so he didn't mind being dumped into the bathroom sink full of warm water and baby shampoo (and after a generous dollup of body butter for extra dry skin rubbed into his fur, his neck is almost healed). Florence didn't enjoy it at all, but she was funny because her fur soaks up water like a sponge...on top of leaving a huge puddle in the bathroom carpet, she looked so pathetic it was difficult not to laugh (her neck is improved, but was a lot worse than Loki's in the first place).</li>
<li>The first Christmas gifts are now hiding in the cupboard under the stairs. It's a joint gift for the Imp and I from her Grumpy, and we managed to get a really good deal, so shopped early. I already have Yule and Christmas on the brain, and have for the past month or two. I've already forewarned Angela at <a href="http://thepaganmomblog.com/">The Pagan Mom Blog </a>that my excitement for this year is likely to start creeping into my posts pretty soon. I think the reason that I've got it into my head to start preplanning is because since I started this college course before, I know what's coming, and I want to have everything superbly organised so it's very little effort when the time comes.</li>
<li>The Imp's current fascination with chickens. When we visited a friend who has some recently, we hardly saw her in the house because she was out chattering to her rapt audience and feeding them the grass that had been growing between the flagstones in the path.</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBVBSf6LqhKuTi2PaM7DBP7egWgHpqO1J95X07YgKYs5Vebi3MbD55714SfhwYsb_Jmi7AxVVD_m2jwKgbCzDk5-157o-92gSAfUyooXYx9dLYmJt_-dU1xEmqaQ6HxLfb6okzaPSyUeq/s1600/IMAG0147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBVBSf6LqhKuTi2PaM7DBP7egWgHpqO1J95X07YgKYs5Vebi3MbD55714SfhwYsb_Jmi7AxVVD_m2jwKgbCzDk5-157o-92gSAfUyooXYx9dLYmJt_-dU1xEmqaQ6HxLfb6okzaPSyUeq/s400/IMAG0147.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Imp and her audience</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviMsGe21Rd836kCtTLJf653bfFZ-NlA-tV2XqgBcobz5hyaD9pG6h8MRYytAI32HlNMvVqZZ0QvNnDWsIPpW00EM81yjGFGjUuVkbvzSb7-zDi3oGDN5auz34PiTTb5xVb163k-aKrRGN/s1600/IMAG0146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgviMsGe21Rd836kCtTLJf653bfFZ-NlA-tV2XqgBcobz5hyaD9pG6h8MRYytAI32HlNMvVqZZ0QvNnDWsIPpW00EM81yjGFGjUuVkbvzSb7-zDi3oGDN5auz34PiTTb5xVb163k-aKrRGN/s400/IMAG0146.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Imp and her audience</td></tr>
</tbody></table><center><a href="http://bohemiantwilight.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="joy pockets" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-cvrXI_GQcGHM0dZoePcjxAjHn8HA7iP2iu2ayNqsL9j0WNiRGwEi47WSuq0gZ1LExe_8P6SBRqj958HKVYPM0gRvy7_6cH-lB2jsuxE1sUAHfm8WFM_H0nexOCcZWBlSRans5AwtyDo/s1600/jplogoA.jpg" /></a></center><center><br />
</center><center style="text-align: left;">Mel</center>Melissa Wheelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05514634850054333392noreply@blogger.com0