Today I am grateful for getting a good deal accomplished in terms of de-cluttering in preparation for company the next two weekends and Christmas the weekend after (which will include company as well).

Today I am grateful that two of my dearest friends “E” and “M” will be among my visitors and am looking forward to their company and their friendship.

Today I am grateful for getting all my cooking done for the week ahead. My Indian dish came out really yummy, my stew was to die for (but then it did have a whole bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon in it), we haven’t tried the jerk chicken, but unfortunately the chicken with Chinese vegetables only got rave reviews from 1 out of the 5 os us and probably wont be made again.

Today I am grateful that while both Princess Nature and myself are apparantly coming down with some kind of upper respiratory bug neither of us is truly ill either which means odds are good we’ll be healthy in time for Saturday’s “tree trimming” party.

Today I am grateful that while Miss Artistic is still having problems with her depression, with oppositional defiant issues, and with schoolwork, overall she is happier now than she was a year ago, two, or even three. Hopefully, there is light at the end of the tunnel, even if I can’t see if just yet.

Today I am grateful for a house being filled a little at a time with holiday decorations. Granted my house is not bedecked with twinkling lights as I would like to see, but things are starting to look a bit festive all the same.

Wishing you and yours happy holidays!

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:Christmas, holidays, preparation, Xmas

Today I am grateful for having enough food to feed my family not only on Thanksgiving, but every day.

Today I am grateful for a primarily restful weekend, relatively free of drama.

Today I am grateful to be wearing my late mother’s wedding set. Every time I look down at my hands she’s a little closer to me.

Today I am grateful to have made some headway on both holiday shopping and clutter clearing.

Today I am grateful that each of my girls is blessed with good friends and that each of them enjoyed a night sleeping away from home.

Today I am grateful that my “stats” at work have so far been quite good. May it continue through February when everyone’s pay level is set to be evaluated so that mine either stays the same or (dare I hope it) goes up.

Written by Mama KellyTags:gratitude

Today I am grateful for finally having an overnight visit with Lady Rose.  It’s been far too long since we last had this time with one another and we both look forward to returning to the habit in 2010.

Today I am grateful for being able to share life stories and worries and help one another find inspiration again in the midst of life changes.  We each came out of the visit with ideas for the future and narrowing of focus in terms of books we each hope to write.

Today I am grateful for getting decent sleep two nights in a row.  It’s amazing the difference it makes in terms of how I feel physically and how I cope emotionally.

Today I am grateful for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.  Granted, my employer decided to make it impossible for me to take any additional time off, but I always enjoy being able to fill my table with a feast and spend the day with my family.

Today I am grateful that for the first time in far too long I can trust that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if I am not able to see it now.  I can have hope that in a few years, or in a decade if need be, that my life will be closer to how I wish it to be.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:gratitude

Today I am grateful for a short week at school for Princess Nibbles which allowed her to only miss 2 days of school instead of 5 as she has had a nasty chest cold since last weekend.

Today I am grateful for a Dr. willing to call in prescriptions for me on Friday when I came down with one of my sinus infections/bronchitis episodes as he wouldn’t be able to see me until Tuesday.

Today I am grateful for being able to afford to take Friday off.  Granted, I’ll still feel the pinch come payday, but losing the pay doesn’t drive me to a state of panic as it would’ve just a couple of months ago.

Today I am grateful for a weekend spent resting and napping and forcing fluids so that tomorrow morning I should be up to going back to work (even if I’m unsure about making it all day).

Today I am grateful for a hubby who, while suffering a touch of this bug himself, was willing to run out for Chinese food & do the food shopping & take care of most things that needed to be done to allow aforementioned rest.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:gratitude

Well it’s November 1st.  Finally October is behind me, something I am grateful for each and every year.  While this one was a little bumpy, more than a little stressful, and overall pretty exhausting I can truly say with a thankful heart that nothing of any major consequence occurred.  I look forward to this particular month getting a little easier with passing time.

Yesterday was rather peaceful.  I managed to get a bit more sleep than I usually do, woke up and began my once-a-week cooking.  As always I am grateful for the ability to afford the food to feed my family and the energy & stamina to spend 4 hours on my feet preparing enough food to last the next 7 days.  But, this week I am particularly thankful to be able to afford to spend a little extra at the supermarket so that I could send 3 full meals over to “C”’s house.  “C” is the pseudo-step-mom of one of Miss Artistic’s best friends “S” and she recently fell off a horse and suffered a compound fracture on her dominant arm.

Once the cooking was done I tossed on a Rennie dress and the new corset I bought when we were in Maryland a couple of weeks ago.  While I was grateful for the gleam it put in Gamer Dude’s eyes, I was disappointed that the few trick-or-treaters came before I was so bedecked.  But my own children were out for a couple of hours (along with a few of Miss Artistic’s friends).  As I generally do, I fed the hungry crew pizza upon their return and listened to their happiness and excitement echoing off the walls of the house.

While I never got the time or privacy to do any type of formal rite, I consider my house blessed by their laughter.  However, I am grateful to have found a couple of minutes outside (in my Rennie gear) listening to the wind rushing through the leaves and whispering my hopes and dreams to my ancestors.

I am also grateful to have received, right in time for the new beginning this time of year always represents for me (maybe even more so than January 1), my new datebook.  I had seen the Busy Body Book featured over at Mrs. B’s blog, Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom.  I immediately fell in love with it, as it has columns which will enable me to keep myself very organized by separating my to-dos into categories (i.e. the kids, Dr visits, bills, work, and the blog).  I was particularly grateful that when I ordered mine for 2010 I was able to get, for free, a 2009 edition.  This will enable me to fine-tune my category choices so that I can start up 2010 with a handle on my plans for doing much more with this little spot in cyberspace.

May the coming days be filled with blessings large and small for each of you. May they be filled with pleasant surprises and moments of sheer joy.  May each day bring you closer to your deepest desires and fondest dreams.

Blessed be!

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:blessings, gratitude, samhain

I’m feeling a bit silly and in a Halloween mood, so to share the giggles here is a collection of goofy Halloween riddles, seasonal quotes and clipart.

Why do witches use brooms to fly on?
Because vacuum cleaners are too heavy.

How do witches keep their hair in place while flying?
With scare spray.

How do you make a witch scratch?
Just take away the W.

Why was the skeleton afraid to cross the road?
It had no guts.

What do you call a witch who lives at the beach?
A sand-witch.

What did one ghost say to the other ghost?
“Do you believe in people?”

What do you call two witches living together?
Broommates.

What’s a vampire’s favorite fast food?
A guy with very high blood pressure.

What does a sorceress wear?
A bewitching outfit.

How did the priest make holy water?
He took some tap water and boiled the hell out of it.

What happens to a fast witch on a slow broom?
She flies off the handle.

Hark! Hark to the wind! ‘Tis the night, they say,
When all souls come back from the far away-
The dead, forgotten this many a day!
~ Virna Sheard

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, “Tonight is Halloween!”
~ Dexter Kozen

ON HALLOWEEN
The witches fly
Across the sky,
The owls go, “Who? Who? Who?”
The black cats yowl
And green ghosts howl,
~ Nina Willis Walter

On Hallowe’en the thing
you must do
Is pretend that nothing
can frighten you
An’ if somethin’ scares you
and you want to run
Jus’ let on like
it’s Hallowe’en fun.
~ from an Early Nineteenth Century Halloween Postcard

May Jack-o-lanterns burning bright
Of soft and golden hue
Pierce through the future’s veil and show
What fate now holds for you.
~ Author Unknown

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, “Tonight is Halloween!”
~ Dexter Kozen

 Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and bling-worms sting,
Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Cool it with a baboon’s blood,
Then the charm is firm and good
~ Song of the Witches – Shakespeare (Macbeth)

Wishing every one a safe and happy Halloween, filled with delightful frights and magical treats, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:halloween, humor, quotes

Inspired by Andy over at The Spicy Cauldron, this week’s Blogging of Blessings focuses on the little things …

Movies (or TV shows or well-crafted commercials) that make me cry.  Laughing until I cry.

Hanging with my kids.

Playing Scrabble.  Playing 500 Rummy.

Reading.  Stories that allow me to fall in love with another place and time.  Authors that create characters that feel like old friends.

A hot cup of coffee, very light and very sweet on a cold lazy morning.

Pastries, cookies, bagels, cake, and pie.

Homemade hummus and baba ghanouj.  Indian food.  Any food that someone else cooks.

Knowing my children love my cooking.  Having their friends love my cooking.

Having a big pot of chili, pasta sauce, stew, or soup bubbling on the stove.

The smell of baking cookies.  The aroma of baking bread.

Spending an entire day, the weekend before Xmas, baking a bunch of cookies.

Having cookies for breakfast on Xmas Day while we open presents.

The myth of Santa Claus.

The fun of the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny.

Knowing that while my kids have outgrown it all, one day there will be grandkids to have fun with all over again.

Looking forward to growing old with my hubby.

Knowing my husband since we were teenagers.

Friends I’ve known since I was a kid.  Friends I’ve only met as an adult.

Friends I’ve lost touch with.  Friends who I’ll never see again.

Friends who I only know online.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:gratitude

We were trebly blessed to be nominated for this award by three different blogging friends – Nydia, Saje, and Anna.

Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how much this meant to me, especially as I am in the midst of a terrible case of blogger’s block right now.

Now the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog.
3. Link the person who nominated you.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.
5. Nominate seven ‘Kreativ Bloggers’
6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them

7 random things, huh?

1. I dye my hair pretty often. I do it myself at home with whatever brand is on sale and whatever color matches my mood and the season at hand. In the summer I let it go a true blonde, but the rest of the year it ranges from dark blonde, light brown, or various shades of red. I dyed my hair over the weekend and took a risk and went for a deeper color than I usually use. Reviews are mixed. My father hates it. A couple of women at work called it “interesting.” But, others (including the Hubby) love it. As for me … I don’t really like it much and can only hope that it mellows to a shade that I can live with. Otherwise, supermarket due is relatively cheap and I can always just dye it again in a couple of weeks.

2. I have 4 tattoos and I am currently due for a new one (promised for my 40th birthday). The delay is less about finances and more about I don’t know what I want or where I want it. More accurately I have a number of ideas, none of which can be practically done right now. So, it’s a matter of picking something relatively small, in a hideable spot, that is meaningful.

3. I get chronic headaches. I also get 5 distinctly different types of headaches. I get migraines complete with the nausea & sensitivity to light & sound; I get tension headaches that run from the base of my skull up; I get headaches related to teeth grinding; I get sinus headaches; and I get what I call my NF headaches. This last group feels like a throbbing egg in the middle of my brain that is simply mind-numbing and I’ve always simply attributed them to my having neurofibromatosis. I’ve had MRIs but haven’t followed up with a neurologist up to this point as well, frankly, I tend to my health issues last in line. Anyway, the result is that the days that I don’t have a headache are far outweighed by the days that I do.

4. I dislike most vegetables and will avoid eating them if at all possible. I like most fruits, but most of them disagree with me. I eat too many high calories foods. I eat too much junk food. I use food as my main coping mechanism for the stress in my life and the stress associated with my job. My eating habits are pretty much embarrassingly bad and it is one of the things I hope to work on as we get our life priorities back in order.

5. I hate to drive. Any travel outside of my teeny tiny little radius of comfort zone is enough to make me hyperventilate. The result is I really don’t go anywhere by myself or do much of anything. It is one of a long list of things I need to “fix” in my life. It limits my world so much and robs me of opportunities for growth and community that I might otherwise have.

6. I am painfully shy.  The very thought of going to a public circle meeting or similar type function by myself is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat.  Even going with a friend would have me really nervous the night before.  Oddly enough I have no trouble overcoming this in a classroom setting where I happily draw all kinds of attention to myself by raising my hand with questions and/or answers.

7.  I bite my nails, badly.  I will bite them down to the point of pain and even blood and have never (outside of small windows of time) been able to kick the habit.  It is frankly embarrassing, but I have tried all the lotions & potions and nothing works.  I think I may try getting hypnotized as I really want to get my late mom’s wedding set resized to wear and I hate to do that and “waste” such pretty rings on such ugly hands.

My nominees:

Rather than try and pick favorites amongst my bloggy friends and all my regular reads, instead I picked bloggers who inspire me because of writing they have published, wares they create, or art they have created.

Patti of 37 Days – author of a wonderful, inspiring book

Thalia of Amused Grace – gorgeous Goddess art

Kirsten of Tollipop – adorable prints and frequent giveaways

Fox of The Unveiling of a Pagan Spirit – follow her blog to her jewelry shop

Joanna of Gaian Tarot Artist’s Journal – creator of a soon to be published Tarot deck that I personally must have

Lucky Girl of Make Every Day Your Lucky Day – another blog that leads to another jewelry shop

Thyme2Dream of the Blog of the Same Name – fantastic elven and fae inspired lovelies to adorn yourself with

But, I love all of you!!!

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama Kelly

Today I am grateful for taking the first steps toward getting our finances back in order. There is still work to be done but for now, the weight off my mind, is worth all the extra stress these past few weeks.

Today I am grateful for slowly getting our house in order. Windows are slowly being replaced and clutter is slowly being eliminated. Hopefully by the year’s end we will have the girls in separate bedrooms.

Today I am grateful for libraries. While I wish ours was more local (it is 15-20 min away) I am looking forward to satisfying my urge to buy bunch of books with the joy of coming home with a bunch of books I can instead read for free.

Today I am grateful, as I always am, for the ability to fill my ‘fridge with food. I am also grateful for having enough to share with friends. I sent Miss Artistic to a friend’s house for a sleepover yesterday and sent enough vegetarian chili to feed the entire family.

Today I am grateful for the sleep I get on the weekend. It is just as broken as it is during the week (no matter what I do, or take, I wake up every hour or two all night long) at least I get to stay in bed longer and accumulate a bit more rest.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

Written by Mama KellyTags:gratitude

Today I am grateful for new windows.  Mr Grumpy has been slowly replacing the windows in the house a window at a time.  He buys the windows as he can afford them and then does the labor himself (with a little help from Gamer Dude).  This coming winter should see us all staying a little warmer with a little less money out of pocket.  Also my allergies (and related upper respiratory infection issues) should be much better as the windows were the original ones in this house and were as a result 35 years old (or more) there were issues with moisture (such as ice forming inside) and some mold.

Today I am grateful that Miss Artistic is holding her own emotionally.  I know that her anxiety levels have to be really high as she’s had a couple of melt downs in the past weeks.  But, so far nothing like we’ve dealt with in the past.

Today I am grateful that Princess Nibbles has a new best friend.  Her former best friend “J” moved away in the wake of her father’s passing.  While the plan was for them to keep in touch – it never really happened.  “Big E” is 3 months older than her and one grade ahead but they are thick as thieves.

Today I am grateful for getting my camera finally fixed.  I had broken it back in May, but had never gotten around to mailing it in – mainly as I was scared that the repair wouldn’t be covered (ah the joys of denial).  But, hurrah, it was and my electronic baby is back home with the only money out of pocket being the cost of shipping it.

Today I am grateful for commission bonuses at work.  The future of the department is not clear.  It is really hard to say what’s going to happen with their profit margins, etc.  But, for as long as it last I am enjoying having a paycheck that more closely approximates a living wage.

Today I am grateful for a ‘fridge full of food.  This week’s once-a-week cooking found me making a large batch of meat sauce with sausage and meatballs; 2 pork loins on beds of onions and potatoes (with gravy made from the drippings); a small meatloaf (with another gravy); and a batch of Swedish meatballs (adapted from this recipe) which will be served over egg noodles with a side of vegetables rather than as an appetizer.

Today I am grateful for cool autumn breezes and the whispers of that which lies beyond the veil.  This is my favorite time of year and I am relishing in it.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

PS Meanwhile check out the following giveaways …

Isn’t this little Goddess that Nydia made just the sweetest thing?!?!? The drawing doesn’t end until the 22nd, so there is still time to enter.

Mrs. B is offering this great kids’ book in her giveaway. It runs until Sept 23 so you still have time on this one as well. Personally I plan on buying this one and tucking it away for the future grandchildren I hope to one day read to sleep.

Written by Mama KellyTags:blessings, gratitude, life