I started reading about magic and spellcrafting in the early to mid 80s and found Wicca, specifically, in 1988.

One of the things I remember learning when I was new to the Craft was to be wary about casting a spell when at all impaired.  I learned to not cast when under the influence of any non-usual medication or under the influence of illicit drugs, and to be careful about casting when ill.

Now granted I am not terribly sick.  But I am sick enough that my energy is low and my focus is off.  I am not on any illicit medication but coedine and antihistimines can certainly cloud the mind.  So I wondered whether or not I should take advantage of  “the perfect timing” that the Universe provided.

Additionally, as I tried to narrow the focus of the spell I realized that, as with most things in my life, I was trying to do too much in one fell swoop.

And so I’ve come up with a new plan.

For now I am simply going to mark New Year’s Eve with the lighting of two candles.

A black candle to represent everything that is in the past.  To stand for all that I am willing to release, to forgive, to let go of.

A white candle to represent my future.  To stand for my willingness to accept whatever blessings the Gods have in store for me.

Simple.

Less a spell, than a symbol, a representation of my hope that 2007 will mark the beginning of my journey back to myself.

I am considering adapting my previous spell plans into future rituals, narrowing my focus to one thing at a time, instead of trying to “fix everything at once”.

The future is always full of possibilities, for now it is enough that I try to simply reinforce my hope that 2007 can be full of blessings and beauty.  For now, it is enough for me to do all I can to have 01/01/07 be a fresh start.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:New Year's, spell

I’m not sure if I picked something up from my youngest who was home from school last week with a fever, or if one of the nieces/nephews we spent Xmas Eve with contaminated me.  Heck I could even have picked something up at the hellhole I call work.

In any case, I am officially in the process of falling sick.

My throat is all scratchy and stiff.  I’m sniffley and sneezey.  My right side of my face feels all swollen from the sinus pressure.  I’m tired and achy, but yet unable to sleep.

I just took a half-dose of Nyquil in hopes that it will dry me up and knock me out enough that I can sleep through the night as tomorrow and Thursday are scheduled to be LONG days at work.

__________

We went out to eat tonight, which I really really REALLY didn’t want to do.  But, it was elder child’s bday and I had promised.  At least I managed to get Princess Nibbles to leave my new grandchild (read baby doll) at home.  I convinced her that if a dog could be the Nanny in Peter Pan then our two cats should be able to handle the job.  As I type this she just carried the baby, in it’s working mobile bedecked cradle/playpen (can you belive this is a TOY?) upstairs for the night.

So we went about 40 minutes away, had dinner, brought a cake with us (a Chocolate Ecstasy mousse filled ganache topped creation) and embarrassed her by singing aloud in spite of not being alone in the dining room. 

Dinner was just so-so.  At first I thought it was just me bring sick since nothing seemed to have any taste.  But, noone had a thrilling meal.  In fact my dad’s stuffed flounder was stuffed not with crabmeat, but with a mix of crabmeat and tuna by the look and taste of it.  Can you say ICK POO YUCK?  I thought you could.

We came home and my “almost a teenager” daughter opened presents.  Mainly clothes and a few more art supplies. 

She got 2 pairs of jeans and a virtual TON of Tshirts (all bought on clearance over the past couple of months, yes I am that good) since that’s what she tends to want to live in.  She also got (from Pop-Pop) yet another book on Manga (and other style) cartooning (which I think brings her grand total up to 5? 6?) and a handful of professional quality colored pencils (flesh tones as requested and a few metallics which she hasn’t noticed yet).  Additionally (from us) she got a tackle-box type case to hold the supplies that she doesn’t have to share with her younger sister (the expensive colored pencils, special eraser(s), graphite sticks, inking pens, etc.).

But she also got (from her all too generous parents) “permission” for a second earring piercing and a straightening iron that can be used before you blow dry.  So it saves her a step which might mean that she’ll actually DO SOMETHING with her hair from time to time.  Probably not, but let me have my hope for at least this one night.

While her initial reaction was low-key (except for the ear piercing) I know she was nevertheless thrilled with her presents.  Frankly no matter what she winds up getting for her Bday in any given year it’s usually a bit anticlimactic after the Xmas morning extravaganza.

My head aches.  My stomach is killing me since my bowel issues are as yet not completely resolved.  I am tired and frankly still cranky after my Xmas day disappointments.

I’m waiting for my meds to kick in and intend to read a bit more of my Christmas gifted book, before turning in for the night.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:birthday

Well Christmas went well … sort of.

My friend “M” wound up without a pet sitter last minute and couldn’t come down.  I was incredibly disappointed.  I really look forward to her annual visit, its one of the best parts of Christmas for me.

However, that aside, the day went smoothly.

The girls enjoyed their presents and there were only a couple of moments of angst.  One when my youngest daughter opened a present intended for her older sister but had been mislabeled by PopPop.  He of course laid the blame on me, but well there’s nothing new there.

My dad surprised us with managing to pick up some presents for hubby and myself despite his “boo-boo” ankle and his work schedule.  While nothing was particularly thrilling, I mainly got gift cards, he was quite generous as always.

One of my gifts was a book I had jotted down on my list The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.  I read just over half of it and had to force myself to put it down or Id have finished off my Xmas gift in one day.

Our big present for my father was one of those one cup at a time coffee makers.  I swear this thing wouldn’t be out of place in the mess hall on the Starship Enterprise.  It’s black and chrome and the water resevoir glows with an almost eerie blue light. 

Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System

My father made one cup of coffee so far … a cup of decaf which he used to make a Jamaican coffee (with Tia Maria yum) … and he was thrilled with the process and the result.  There is no muss, no fuss and everyone can have exactly what they want – plain coffee, flavored coffee, tea, etc.

Overall though, while the day went smoothly, I had a blue day.  Part of it could be the fact that I didn’t feel well.  I seem to be dealing with a very mild partial bowel obstruction so there’s a good deal of pain bloating and difficulty eating.  I woke up with a sinus infection today so that’s also part of why I felt so punky yesterday.

But mainly its that I was lonely.  The girls were off with their presents, as it should be I guess.  My dad was in another room, not that he and I socializing is generally a good thing.  Hubby spent most of the day upstairs on the recliner due to his back.  At one point he even at one point took to the bed to nap.  He didn’t even come down when the girls decided, in the evening, to tackle their stockings.

So the girls had a great Christmas, my dad seemed to have a good one as well.  Hubby seemed perfectly content, though his nose is probably out of joint that I stayed downstairs all day – umm it was CHRISTMAS.  Me, I had a blue blue day.

I am off to work a half day today.  It is my older child’s 12th bday today and I want to be home at a decent time.  The plan is to go out to dinner, though the way my head and ears and throat are feeling … I am dreading it.  Hopefully I can come home, take some meds, and nap a bit so I don’t fall asleep in our appetizers later.  Oh and if the Universe could see its way clear to my intestines clearing I’d be very greatful.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:Christmas

Almost everything is wrapped …

I have a gift card that needs simply to be tossed in a box with a little tissue paper for Dad and another that requires the same treatment for a friend of my daughter … and then a few things that I don’t need until after Xmas (2 more things for Lady Rose)

I have most of it all under the tree already, with the exception of a small mountain “from Santa” wrapped in its own special paper and a few things from “mom and dad” that I’m not putting under the tree until after the girls are asleep on Xmas Eve.

With all our money issues, and my stress, it all worked out and the kids are getting a pretty good haul.  Princess Nibbles is getting a mish mosh of toys and the focus for Miss Artistic is art supplies.

My dad is getting each of the girls the one BIG thing they each wanted, which lets him be the hero and since I do his shopping for him, saves him a load of work and effort.

All the store-bought cookies have been beautifully (if I do say so myself) arranged on two platters and wrapped up with cling-wrap to keep hungry fingers away. And Xmas morning will find all of us noshing (and the adults drinking coffee) while we do the unwrapping.

I still have to go food shopping for Xmas Day dinner, and then of course COOK. 

I believe that I will be serving fresh ham with raisin gravy, sauteed mushrooms, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, broccoli with cheese sauce.  I do not make nearly as much food on Xmas as I do on Thanksgiving.

Xmas Eve we are going to my cousin’s house where the girls will get to hang out with their cousins making it a croud of 6 kids between the ages of 5 and 12.  We are supposed to get there around 5:30 and I’m assuming we can plan to be home by 11 or 12.  Before we head over there my girls each have a box to open – PJs.  Its a tradition that allows them to go to bed on Xmas Eve in something new and also serves to have them look totally cute in all the photos I will be taking the next morning.

I’m tired and irritable and cranky but feeling more relaxed than I have in weeks because … well … its almost over.  LOL 

In other news:

My dad took off the light cast that was on his bad ankle as it got wet in the shower.  He’s been walking around on it, and while I know he’s still in pain, he seems to have lucked out as it could’ve been a lot worse.

I dyed my hair today and at first I loved it … looking at it more closely I realize that it did not “take” evenly and is a bit streaky and uneven. If washing it over the next few days doesn’t even it out any I will have to bite the bullet and pay for my hairdresser to “fix” it.  I am majorly bummed as I did it to feel better about my self and wound up feeling worse.

I’m still planning a spell for New Year’s eve and plotting some resolutions as well — but that’s a post for another day.

I hope to still get on and blog even with the holiday but in case I don’t —-

Joyous Yule

Merry Winter

Happy Holidays

to each and every one of our readers and to their families as well

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:Christmas

Please check out Ms. William’s site on myspace  to listen to more of her music

ARTIST: Dar Williams
TITLE: The Christians and the Pagans

Christians and Pagans – only $0.99 at Amazon.com

Amber called her uncle, said “We’re up here for the holiday
Jane and I were having Solstice, now we need a place to stay”
And her Christ-loving uncle watched his wife hang Mary on a tree
He watched his son hang candy canes all made with red dye number three
He told his niece, “It’s Christmas eve, I know our life is not your style”
She said, “Christmas is like Solstice, and we miss you and it’s been awhile”

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And just before the meal was served, hands were held and prayers were said
Sending hope for peace on earth to all their gods and goddesses

The food was great, the tree plugged in, the meal had gone without a hitch
Till Timmy turned to Amber and said, “Is it true that you’re a witch?”
His mom jumped up and said, “The pies are burning,” and she hit the kitchen
And it was Jane who spoke, she said, “It’s true, your cousin’s not a Christian”
“But we love trees, we love the snow, the friends we have, the world we share
And you find magic from your God, and we find magic everywhere”

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
And where does magic come from, I think magic’s in the learning
Cause now when Christians sit with Pagans only pumpkin pies are burning

When Amber tried to do the dishes, her aunt said, “Really, no, don’t bother”
Amber’s uncle saw how Amber looked like Tim and like her father
He thought about his brother, how they hadn’t spoken in a year
He thought he’d call him up and say, “It’s Christmas and your daughter’s here”
He thought of fathers, sons and brothers, saw his own son tug his sleeve saying
“Can I be a Pagan?”
Dad said, “We’ll discuss it when they leave”

So the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table
Finding faith and common ground the best that they were able
Lighting trees in darkness, learning new ways from the old, and
Making sense of history and drawing warmth out of the cold

At once funny, touching, and meaningful this is one of my favorite songs ever it’s underlying message that this time of year is about family and faith, hope and peace, regardless of what religion (if any) we profess.

Lady Rose had told me about it YEARS AGO (I think she had heard it on a folk or college radio station), but I first heard it when I picked up the CD The Best of Pagan Song.

Its really worth at least a listen!

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:Christmas

“All the Whos down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot,

but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did not.

The Grinch hated Christmas – the whole Christmas season.

 Oh, please don’t ask why, no one quite knows the reason.

It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

Or maybe his head wasn’t screwed on just right.

But I think that the best reason of all

may have been that his heart was two sizes too small.”
 

Hubby is on his way to drop off the girls with their Auntie Lady Rose so that she and all 3 girls can attend a concert this evening.

The original plan was for me to STILL be at WORK right now earning moolah but Dad has some work right now and as a retired person on a fixed income he has to grab it while it is available so we didn’t have access to a second vehicle. 

Actually — the original original plan was for Lady Rose and I to take the 2 elder children and leave my youngest home with her father ….. but my increased hour requirement at work eliminated that option.  As it is I will have to work late the next couple of days (and possibly SHUDDER go in on Saturday) to make my leaving early today up.

But, on the bright side … I can attack the small piles hills mountains of presents  packages, boxes, and bags that I have scattered about in various hidy holes and get a bit closer to being ready for Christmas morning.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, my heart is just not in it.  Oh it will all get done … believe me!  But I am not enjoying the process … I have very little anticipation for the day itself. (And not as much help as I need)

While I know they are each getting items they want (between us, the PopPop and various friends and relatives) and fully expect to have their happy screeches echoing across the continental US, I don’t have that happy “I know something they don’t know” kind of feeling.

While I manage to get a 3-day weekend (read unpaid) and have the extra blessing of a dear friend coming down to spend the holiday with my family I can’t muster up any happiness.  Despite the fact that the holiday came together financially, in spite of my fears and worries, I can’t seem to relax even a smidge.

I could list reasons.  I could lay blame.  And yes I have valid items in both categories.  (Ask Lady Rose — it’s true)

But, mainly it is just me.

I am wound so tight I twang when I walk.  My anxiety and depression issues are kicked up in high gear.  I am not sleeping well or enough.  

As the new year grows closer.  As that time for making resolutions and realizing hopes draws nearer the one thing I am SURE of is that SOMETHING needs to change.

I am determined to do the work on my end, practical and magical, to bring about those changes.  I am going to work on taking better care of myself physically.  I am going to look into getting myself into therapy (and back on medication).  I am going to go and see the list of doctors I have been putting off.

And maybe, this time next year, I can be closer to being the “me I used to be” who actually took some degree of pleasure in this holiday madness.  To that end I leave you all with words from my favorite Christmas cartoon:

“Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer.

Cheer to all Whos far and near.

Christmas Day is in our grasp

so long as we have hands to clasp.

Christmas Day will always be

just as long as we have we.

Welcome Christmas while we stand,

heart to heart and hand in hand”

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:Christmas

We trimmed the tree tonight.

My memories of trimming the tree as a child involve memories of me, mom, and dad eating snacks instead of dinner (hot appetizers, cheese, crackers, and whatnot) while we hung ornaments. Going back even as far back as immidiately after the marriage to my hubby ”tree trimming day” was even then usually just the 4 of us.  Relaxed, no stress, a day to simply enjoy the holidays and even, dare I say it, each other.  It actually almost beat out Christmas as my favorite holiday. 

In the past years since my mom’s death, I guess because facing the holidays without his wife is painful (not that my father and I discuss emotions beyond the fact that I am apparantly “too sensitive”), my father has taken to inviting people over that day.

In the first couple of years it was this relative or that relative.  Now it is a party with ALL of his side of the family (not that its all that big honestly) and maybe the occassional family friend.  For the record it is my “job” to either find the time to clean the whole whole sparkling clean (the way my mom would’ve gotten it) which is hard for me both in time, talent (my mom I swear I don’t know how she did it), and physical condition … or hire (and pay) to have someone else do it.  My dad will pay for the spread, but I am expected to play surrogate wife and pseudo-hostess and do all the shopping, prepping, cooking, oh yes and table set-up.  Guess who gets to extend the invites and take the credit — not me!

To boot, other than hanging a token ornament each that night, now the tree is decorated prior to “tree trimming day” in a harried, rushed, and totally non-festive way.  No snacks, no talking, just “business”.

This year was probably the “worst” one yet in that my father and I hung 90% of the ornaments, our only conversation being the mentioning of a few ornaments (from my grandmother) probably being 75 years old.  The girls hung the other 10% and honestly were totally unenthused.  My husband sat on the couch and read a book as his “pain levels are up” hanging not even one ornament — not even one. 

And at one point, my depression raging, I made the comment that the only “mom” ornament in our collection is one I bought myself off a clearance rack the only responce I got was my husband’s query as to “how many Dad ornaments” did he have.  I was quick enough to remind him that we have a Homer on the tree that is HIS ornament.  The girls have several ornamanets each.  I have — well squat, with the exception the decorations being my parent’s ornaments and so there are one’s with memories attached (and some I made back in the day) but even among those there are no ornaments that were chosen “for me”.  Somehow wanting a “special ornament” ONE year from my kids or my husband doesn’t seem like a lot to ask. 

So between the two men in my life (in which sometimes I swear it feels like I have two husbands (and not in a good way) or 4 children (and not in a good way) my already depressed mood has worsened considerably.

Hubby went to bed at 8:30 as he was “exhausted” and while there are actual causes at play my sympathy is low because HE was home all day, HE got to sleep late, and I went to work on like maybe 5 hours of sleep.  Never mind the fact that I could just chuck an ornaments at his head for his sitting and reading while we were tree-trimming (and guess who got to hear a comment from her father over that one? — oh yeah fun night).  I have to remember to wake him up before I go to sleep tonight so he’ll take his daily medications or tomorrow his pain, depression, and whatnot will be even worse and I am counting on him coming with me to Sam’s Club to do the shopping for this thing on Saturday.

As I wrote this entry I thought long and hard about why I am so angry about all of this.  Mad at my dad, and my hubby, and yes the girls who (for the first year) really didn’t care about decorating (see it’s not just me who could tell this year was “off”).

What I came up with is that, in my heart, tree-trimming day was MY Solstice celebration.  Not in a true Sabbat celebration ritual kinda way but in a family gathered together to celebrate the season way.

When I was 20, still new to Paganism I started the tradition of giving my parents one (or more) new tree ornaments every year on tree-trimming day.  It was my secret way of giving them a Solstice gift.

After I became a parent and my girls got older it was about showing them the ornaments that have been passed down.  The pink glass ornament that was great-grandma’s, the older ones (faded and tarnished) that may have been her mother’s, the ornaments from my childhood like the little velvet bear whose fur is almost worn off, their special ornaments (and the joke of my older daughter having “first christmas” ornaments for 2 different years as she was due before Christmas and didn’t come til after). 

I liked that!  I miss that!

I never minded the extra effort, the food fixing, etc.  I always made a huge spread as if we were having a housefull of company but it was just us and we would laugh and talk and listen to carols and hang ornaments and tell the same stories about some of them all over again.

Tonight was probably the exact polar opposite of those festive nights.  It was dull and tiresome and painful and depressing and well (in the great words of The Breakfast Club) — “demented and sad, but social”.  It was a waste of time and energy, it made me hate the upcoming holiday festivities even more. 

So no nothing awful happened.  None of this is a tragedy.  And I realize how many people in the world have it much much worse than I.

But what should have been some kind of fun family evening just wound up with me feeling sad and lonely and well if I can’t talk about it here — where else can I?

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:Christmas

Originally this post was going to be a rant about my stress level tonight with the approaching holidays and a tree-trimming party this Saturday.  I was going to bitch and moan about how much I have left to do but then I decided I had better just shut the F up, stop whining and do it.  Of course telling yourself to stop feeling anxious and depressed rarely works, but here’s hoping!

Before I go back to my duties, so to speak, here is the revised post for the evening: 

A short while back I wrote about a spell I am planning/hoping to cast on New Year’s Eve in hopes of helping to get me out of the emotional/physical/spiritual slump I have been in for the past couple of years (read decade).

I have a few invocations already written and I wanted to share them with you here:

East:

Creatures of air, hear my plea

let creativity come to me.

Fill me with wisdom, ideas and clarity.

Banish distraction and anxiety.

South:

Creatures of fire, hear my plea

let will and passion come to me.

Fill me with love, hope and energy.

Banish my fears and negativity.

West:

Creatures of water, hear my plea

let sight and vision come to me.

Fill me with peace and tranquility.

Banish my anger and stagnancy.

North:

Creatures of earth, hear my plea

let strength and power come to me.

Fill me with health wealth and stability.

Banish all illness and lack of energy.

Banishing candle:

Banish the roadblocks in my way

Clear my path from day to day

Repel ill will and keep me free

Protect me from all I cannot see

Blessing candle:

Place my feet upon the way

Illuminate my night and day

Light the path in front of me

Guide me when I cannot see

__________________

I spent the last part of my sleep this morning in a really weird dream. 

I was in a foreign hotel room with my late mother and an older gentleman wound up coming to call. He was there to pay respects over some loss my mother and I were jointly grieving and it came about that he was an ancestor of my late maternal grandfather. There was a mention of there being ancestry that neither of us would be aware of and then the alarm went ringy-dingy-buzz.

I realize of course that logically the scene made no sense.  As a Witch I am called to look at it for hidden meaning.

On the surface it is about missing my mother.  Christmas shopping tends to bring that feeling to the surface as I find myself looking longingly at items I would’ve or could’ve purchased for her.  Sweatshirts bearing cheesy sentiments about Grandmothers seemed to be everywhere last night as I spent time doing some shopping and every time I looked at one I felt it. 

Also last night found me watching an episode of the TV show Medium off of our DVR.  SO that COULD have been a stimulus as well.

But … the dream was so vivid and clear I want to think there was more to it.  If it WAS my mom trying to tell me something, hopefully she’ll come back tonight.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:dreams, spell

It was a relatively long day at work.  Not horrible, but tedious nontheless.

I left work and went shopping, running here and there in hopes of filling in some of those blank spots underneath the Christmas Tree.  My errands took about two hours and tired but filled with a sense of accomplishment I arrived home.  My favorite purchases of the evening include two items for my older child who is a budding manga comic artist.

A tackle box type thing for the “good quality” items she is getting for birthday and Xmas.  That way she has a way to keep seperate the items she doesn’t have to share.  Also a set of 4 “inking pens” each a different line thickness.  Oddly enough I found the inking pens in Office Depot and NOT in the art supply store.

I was closer than I had come so far to feeling even the faintest echo of the Holiday Spirit.  I didn’t quite have a song on my lips or a tune in my heart but I didn’t feel as weighed down and that was a good thing.

My eldest daughter turns 12 over the winter break and (when I called to say I was on my way home) asked for a friend to come and celebrate the day with us.  She knows this girl from camp, she lives in the community, but they attend different middle schools and so don’t see one another.  They do, however, spend countless hours on the phone each week.

I was leaning toward extending the invitation … UNTIL … I opened a piece of mail from the school which informed me that my VERY BRIGHT daughter is once again failing Spanish class.  Why?  It’s not that it is too hard, her test scores average an A.  But, every time she doesn’t hand in homework it translates into a test score of ZERO which has brought her average grade well below the cut-off for an F.

I yelled, I screamed, I lectured.  I reminded her that she has been taking part in an hour long after school homework program for the past few weeks and is still not handing in her assignments.  I explained, quite angrily, that every time she comes home and pretends (or tells me outright) that all her homework is done she is lying to me.  I explained how disappointed I am. 

But it will go nowhere.

We have tried this before.  We have had this discussion countless times.  We have tried everything from grounding, to withholding priviledges, to promising rewards.  A close friend and “Aunt” had offered to take her for a whole weekend away with art museums, movies, and sushi if she could improve her grades (all she had to do was to start doing homework).  Guess that’s not happening any time soon.

In other news ….

the girls had a great time at the concert and due to the late hour of their return, stayed home from school today

my father fell down a flight of stairs while working yesterday and suffered a severe sprain of his ankle (though by the looks of it both I and the orthopedist thought it was fractured) so he is unable to work, unable to do the holiday shopping he needs to (thank the Gods I buy the presents he gives to the girls), in pain, and not exactly cheerful.  The doctor hopes that the swelling will be down by Fri (maybe Tuesday), but if it isn’t I fully expect my father to have to go for a second set of films in case the technician missed a hairline fracture.

my younger daughter picked up some kind of bug (I’m hoping she didn’t pass it to Lady Rose’s daughter) and is running a high enough temperature that she’s out of school tomorrow but hopefully back for the half-day on Friday or her little heart will just break.

I still have wrapping to do, though I am (I think), with the exception of a couple of gift cards, DONE gloriously DONE with my shopping.

My mood is foul.  My spirits are low.

Hope your holidays are merrier.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

PS 

The elder daughter’s “punishment” thus far is no phone and no friends (even including her birthday) until after winter break is over.

Written by Mama KellyTags:Christmas, kids

It’s been another long week.  I worked Sunday through Friday, have today off and get to work 6 days straight again.  URG!  I hate hate hate hate my job.  I work for a company that does telemarketing.  My department coordinates free chiropractic exams for people across the continental US.  It is way worse than it sounds.  I am underappreciated, underpaid (in that I haven’t had a raise in 3 years), and work in a positively filthy environment surrounded by an inordinate ratio of non-repentant ex-cons and drug addicts.  The bathrooms are cleaned (poorly) once a week, the break room appliances are about to come to life and walk away once the bacteria inside them gains sentience, and you’d be surprised how rude people can be on the phone to a stranger.

I stay because my hourly rate, despite the lack of an annual increase, is pretty good; the hours are relatively flexible (I have to work a minimum of 35 hours a week but I can schedule myself however I wish); I can do the job both blindfolded and bound; and it is a 10 minute drive from my home/my kids’ schools.

The bright side is that even with the drastic, painful, should-be-illegal increase in my weekly health insurance premium, working 47.5 hours a week gives me a decent wage.  Granted if we were living on only my paycheck we’d be below the poverty line but we’re not so it’s all good.

In other bright news, we returned from light shopping to find a check from my tenant.  For those of you who’ve haven’t been reading this blog for a while my husband and I turned a townhouse we had been living in into a rental property after moving back in with my dad after my mom’s death and other financial issues made it seem like a good idea.  Our first tenant started out just fine, then started paying late, then started only making partial payments, then stopped paying entirely and refused to leave.  We took her to court and evicted her but between the unpaid rent, cost to do repairs (she trashed the place), and the lost rent while we did those repairs we lost in the neighborhood of over $20K.  Money we didn’t have and so we have been gradually trying to climb back out of the hole since.

Fast forward to today.  Our new tenant had paid us 6 months rent in advance when she moved in over the early summer/late spring.  Which went to paying bills that had backed up and left us wondering whether she would have the wherewithall to start paying monthly once the 6 months were up.  She paid us for the next 3 months.  I am literally dancing for joy!!!  Between that and a decision to (probably) do a Home equity loan to pay off some consumer debt we should be back on track by the time we have to look for a NEW tenant in the spring, if she doesn’t decide to stay which is what I’d like to see happen.

I’ve done a good bit of my holiday shopping via Amazon this year and have gotten some good deals.  In fact some items were purchased AFTER first buying then at Barnes and Noble.  I came home, compared prices, and would up saving almost $20 on 6 items by changing who I will buy them from.

Today’s light shopping included a trip to Toys R Us and Barnes and Noble with my older daughter while my younger daughter attended a 2 hour long birthday party.  We picked up gifts for the 4 nieces/nephews we will be seeing on Christmas Eve, gift cards for the nieces/nephews I will NOT be seeing for the holidays, and a few miscellaneous items for MY girls.

My “baby” (she’s 7) got a new baby doll and some accessories (including a longed for a doll-sized pack n play as she nearly cried when I wrapped one up for a grab bag at a holiday party we attended last week).  I came across, totally by accident, a tarot deck for my older girl (she turns 12 right after Christmas).  I already bought her one when she had her first moontime in the spring, but it was based on fairy tales and apparently didn’t thrill her much because I rarely saw it again.  THIS ONE though is sure to be a hit as it’s art is based on Manga which is her current obsession, evidenced by the pile of art supplies and instructional art books that will be under the tree this year.

The Manga Tarot

On a side note, while waiting for my older child to run back out of the party place with my younger daughter, hubby and I sat in the car and saw something unusual.  A teenaged boy dressed as a chicken/rooster.  I have no idea why he was walking around dressed like that in a strip mall as we didn’t see any new chicken eateries having opened up, but he was getting paid $40/hour to do so.  I know because, with the cold, I told him he probably wasn’t being paid enough to be walking around all day.  I took his picture (its on my cell phone and I will upload it here soon) and snuggled him a bit (hey he did the arms-open-wide hug request – he started it).

So I’ve been hugged by a chicken today.  Can YOU say that?

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:Christmas, money