Joy Pockets (150811)

• 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.
• 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).
• 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 The Pagan Mom Blog 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.
• 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.

The Imp and her audience

The Imp and her audience

Mel

Joy Pockets (110711)

I've been contemplating a proper post all day, but nothing has been springing up. I'm getting frustrated, because I feel the need to write. Hmm...I never thought I'd say that. I've regularly discussed with The Witchy Kitty that I'm an editor (or, in her words, Wicked Widdy Witch) not a writer. But I'm finding that the more that I blog, the more of a desire that I have to write.

Witchy Kitty regularly posts her Joy Pockets, that are inspired by Monica at Holistic Mama and Bohemian Twilight, and I think that I'll start posting them myself. It's suggested that it's done on Friday or Saturday, but Monday feels just right for me. It gives me the weekend to mull over my previous week and get it into some words.

So, here are my Joy Pockets for the Week :)

Florence 'helping' me tweet

• My gorgeous little Imp, and being amazed at how she's gone from behind with her speech to being a proper conversationalist, and how much easier it is on our relationship now that she can communicate with me.
• My lovely two brats...oops, I mean Cats. Loki, who is regularly meowing at me, and Florence, who graces me with a little squeak about once every two months. Last week I was lucky enough to get two of those squeaks.
• Gluten Free Cupcakes. I will be making 30 for the Imp's end of term Pirate Party at nursery, and there will be six leftover. Did I ever mention that I enjoy my own cooking?
• Lughnassadh. My favourite Sabbat is coming up soon, and I'm starting to get ideas to actually write a ritual out for it, to share.
• The calm and relaxation inspired by my crafting, which is currently my Wheel of the Year cross stitch project.
• Hearing that my mom has managed to talk to my boys, and she forwarded a new pic of them.

Don't forget to have a look at The Pagan Mom Blog tomorrow for my guest blog post in her "31 Days of Deities" series :D
Mel

Summer Solstice

I know there's not been anything from me in over a week, but I've been on a complete one track mind with projects. Those are now complete, so now to crack on with the blog posts that have been floating in my head, including a guest post for The Pagan Mom Blog for next month, and my views on Winnie the Pooh (trust me, it's not as silly as it may sound).

So, how have you spent your summer solstice, or Litha? Did you see in the dawn? Or even more lucky to see it in at Stonehenge? Unfortunately in our house, dawn doesn't exist. The Imp likes her sleep, and I'm a late night person that struggles with not getting enough sleep as it is. I think I've only seen a couple of solstice dawns when I was childless and working nights. Instead, I tend to nurture my creative streak throughout the day. Today I completed a project that I started on the New Moon (the decorative part of it) of last week, that was given as a gift this evening. I also baked some gluten free vanilla cupcakes as a solstice gift.  Most of my solstices I spend baking at least one thing that I don't have on a regular basis, and a lot of the time it is either shared or gifted.  For me, this seems to be the most natural thing in the world, and a perfect way to celebrate.

Leading back to my previous post about unfinished projects, it was an excellent feeling to finish the project today. For those that don't know me well, I'm an avid fan of attachment parenting and babywearing, and try my best to encourage and help others where I can. My friend at The Witchy Kitty blog had a gorgeous boy last week, and I thought that the best way to welcome him into the world was with a hand made work of art that will give him all the perfect snuggles he could ever desire. The day that he was born last week, this unfinished ring sling finally shouted at me that it needed to be completed. Four days of intense cross stitching, with the assistance of both the cats, and supervised to the high standards of the Imp. My fingers were numb and tingling by the end of it, but the feeling of accomplishment was amazing. Today I sorted it onto the sling as a pocket, that can be removed when he's older to be added to a quilt.  I have found in the past that when baby gifts are given, most of the stuff tend towards perishables, clothing, or decorative that they grow too old for. There's nothing wrong with that, but I do adore giving gifts that will be of use for a REALLY long time. And being handmade, started on the new moon, completed on a solstice...well, I'm simply buzzing tonight.

I still have other projects, but I now don't have the pressing 'Finish me! Finish me! Finish me!' screaming in my head, so there is now space again for my thoughts for writing.

Brightest Solstice Blessings!
Mel

Circle of Moms Top 25 Faith Blogs Finish

Thank you so much to those that voted for me...I've amazingly finished 36 out of 321 parent and grandparent faith blogs.  Twelve Pagan blogs finished in the Top 25.  Congratulations to Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom for coming in 1st, followed by The Pagan Mom Blog in 4th, and for showing grace, courage, and strength when confronted with adversity.

I truly hope that lessons have been learned by everybody involved, and that it shows that just because we don't all have the same faith, we're all fabulous mums with a lot to share with each other, and with those around us. I've met some fantastic ladies in this that have become lovely friends, and I hope to continue to develop other lovely friends on my path.

Mel

Guardians and Guides

Well, my intention was to not go three or four days without a post, but unfortunately this weekend caught up with me. Migraine, a day of shopping with the Imp's Grumps (and me on the warpath for a new mobile...I still have to have a bit of patience, but got loads of information), and a fantastic day out at the seaside. I ended up too wiped to think properly. That doesn't say that ideas haven't been floating around, including a bit of brainstorming for my guest post for Angela at The Pagan Mom Blog, which I am really looking forward to working on this week.

On Friday, the Imp actually truly inspired me. Not too bad for a 3 1/2 year old. We had to spend Friday afternoon at the hospital, for her (currently) 6 monthly chat with the paediatric allergist, who's trying to decide whether she's coeliac or wheat/gluten intolerant. When it came time for her to go down to the ward for her blood draw, it took them over ten minutes to get anything from her. And she didn't cry, flinch, or whine. She took it in her stride in a way that most adults couldn't, with only the occasional frustrated 'ouch' under her breath. All for the promise of a piece of cake when we met up with her Gran...she ended up with a huge piece of chocolate cake all to herself that she managed through all but a third of.

It makes me think of the spirits that are near her. Those that are guiding her, those that protect her, and those that she just chatters to in general. To be honest, it started whilst she was in the womb, with the spirit of my grandmother, her namesake. Occasionally I'd drift to memories of walking hand in hand with my grandmother through a shop, and the way that I would try to imitate her stride at the age of four. I'd slip back to my purpose of walking down the path to the car, to find that I'd be walking in the same manner again. Granted, I had a fair limp from carrying the Imp, but it wasn't just a random memory that struck me. It was a regular one.   After her birth, my friends and I have regularly caught something in the corner of our eye, looking over her. When she became mobile, she'd regularly go to a certain spot behind a curtain (no matter where she was. And she still does it.), and would spend at least 10 to 20 minutes intently conversing. On Friday, it was almost like there was somebody else there that she was listening to, to shut out her discomfort. On Sunday, she was in the back seat of the car, having a full-fledged conversation with somebody, that included the appropriate pauses, and hand actions. We couldn't hear or understand a word she was saying, but she was animated and it carried on for about 20 minutes.

I think it used to be just my grandmother, but I think she's now starting to gain other friends, and possibly starting to attract her first spirit teachers and guides. She has recently had a huge breakthrough in her language and vocabulary, and with that she seems to be more relaxed, independent, and attentive. She's now starting to say some rather insightful things, and I think that there were guides waiting for her to reach that maturity.

I have my spirit friends and guides, as well. My grandmother has been there when I've been at my loneliest and needed comforting. My gryphon is around a lot, representing when I need strength, intelligence, and cunning. There are others, as well. Some are a permanent presence, some are just there for a temporary message or just a visit. We all have them, it's just whether or not we chose to acknowledge them. It could be a child's imaginary friend, a guardian angel, an ancestor just checking that you're doing ok, or just a curious passing spirit. They can be a positive, neutral, or negative influence, though most of us are most likely to attract the positive or neutral. Dependent on your convictions and beliefs, the negative can be sent on their way.

In the past, parents have worried over their children having imaginary friends, thinking that they needed to get rid of that part of their childhood to interact more with the solid world. That's not something that I agree with. I feel that my daughter needs her spirit friends and guides. As she grows up, I can't always be there physically. But her great grandmother can be. Well, not physically, but her spirit can be there to comfort her, as well as those others that she can feel comfortable to talk to. It's an unfortunate thing that modern children are forced to grow up so quickly, that they're not allowed to keep the innocence of their childhood. "Forget and ignore your imaginary friend, it's time to be mature and grow up". I don't agree with that, because I believe that those spirits are there to help them grow up at the right pace, and to learn balance and peace.

Our far ancestors, the ones still living the tribal lives, honoured their deities and ancestral spirits on a daily basis. They actually encouraged them to be there to guide and protect them. Now, people are so wrapped up in themselves, they forget about those spirits to struggle on their own, when stopping for just a moment to 'ask for help' in your own way, and acknowledging your spirits could make the burden of your life easier.

Mel