Laptop: My apologies one and all for not being able to post very much over the last several weeks, but my laptop problems continue – so with both my laptop and Mama Kelly’s laptop being out of commission things have gotten a bit quiet around here. 

It has been over four weeks now and about $500 spent so far to get my laptop repaired.  It started out being infected with a virus (due to logging into facebook – seems it is a very common thing to have happen).  After paying just over $200 to have it fixed and waiting for two weeks for them to get to it, they then informed me the laptop needed a new hard drive, which meant I had to order disks from Dell so all the original drivers and software could be reloaded – which meant another week of it being in the shop and brought the total up to almost $500.  Had I not already spent $200 fixing it from the virus, I would have just gotten a new laptop, which only would have cost me about $600.   So now I’m stuck with this one for another 4 or 5 years. we are planning to get Angelgirl a new one for her birthday this May. I had planned on getting myself a new one (with a webcam) at the same time, and passing this one along to hubby, but now that this one is “like” new I’ll just keep it for as long as I can to make the money spent on the repairs worthwhile.

Now that I have the laptop home, it only worked for two days and now it no longer connects to the internet.  The third day I woke up, turned it on, and now for no apparant reason msn (whatever that is) is the manager of my internet connection (no idea how that happened) so now windows diagnostic can’t help me, when I run “repair” it can’t “clear the dns cache,” whatever that means. When I try to get to the internet it just says I’m “offline,” even though the wireless router connection is strong.  I’ve tried everything I can possibly think of and so has my daughter, and at this point I think it is totally messed up. Since I have no idea what happened in the first place I’m sure whatever we’ve done trying to fix it (settings, etc.) has messed it up for good.  

So I am limited to snatching a few minutes here and there online since hubby and my daughter both need the desktop computer a lot in the evening for school work.

Surprises: On the bright side, last week I was totally surprised by having Thursday and Friday off because of the snow.  It was a huge surprise because my office hardly ever closes.  Thursday hubby (he’s a high school teacher) and Angelgirl had early school closing so to surprise them (since they didn’t even know I had the day off!) I bought lots of Chinese food and a few treats from the bakery for them to enjoy.  It was a big feast that they got to enjoy for both snow days and even into the weekend.

This month I am keeping busy planning a surprise birthday party for my youngest sister.  She is turning 40.  I’m planning to make her a huge brunch with stuffed french toast, spiral ham, a coffee and hot chocolate bar (with lots of toppings), smoothies (the smoothie maker will be her gift), hash browns, eggs (with a variety of toppings), cinnamon bun bread pudding, and few other things. I’m cooking almost everything at my house, but taking it all over to her house. My other sister and her family live across the street so they will be stopping over and I will ask her husband to invite the two neighbors she is friendly with too.

Qi Gong: Last week I had an appointment for a qi gong healing session with a couple who teach Qi Gong.   I found their website a couple of years ago and have wanted to take their classes and meet them ever since.   They are about an hour and 15 minutes away so it is driveable – though I may spend the night at a hotel when I take the classes so I’m not driving back and forth three days in a row.  I will be taking their healing qi gong class in July (Fri. evening to Sunday for two weekends).    I plan on taking the advanced class after that and whatever other classes that I can as they become available.   One of their instructors is also in New Jersey, and they recommended I take an introductory seminar with him on March 28 – I sent my registration in yesterday. 

I am thrilled to finally be beginning my journey to learn qi gong.  It is all about healing, working with energy, and to me any way, it is kicking my spiritual path into high gear.  Although different in philosopy and practice, it is similar in principle to wicca and takes the “work of a witch” to a whole new level beyond wicca 101 and I think even beyond advanced wicca. It is a moving meditation that is done daily to clear, balance and gather one’s chi energy. It is also system for promoting healing in others, as well as teaching them how to promote healing in themselves (which is one of things I like most about it, because it helps people to take care of themselves).

I will be posting more about qi gong as I take classes, read books, and learn more.

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:computer virus, family, qi gong, snow days

This year I will be celebrating Candlemas by attending an open circle ritual this weekend on the 7th in a town very close to where Mama Kelly lives.  I’m looking forward to meeting fellow wiccans and pagans and enjoying an evening of ritual, drumming, and good company.

Later in the month I have a healing session appointment with a couple who teach qi gong.  I have been visiting their website for a couple of years now and planning to take their qi healing intensive class, qi gong therapist intensive classes and other classes they offer.  This year I am finally going to take the plunge.   The first class, qi healing intensive, is being taught in July.  In order to start learning now I have scheduled a healing session with them and afterwards I will be attending a basic class that they teach.  It is an introductory class that is held weekly.  I have also bought several books on qi gong.  I am very excited to finally meet the instructors and looking forward to learning some basic qi gong that I can do daily to improve my health and energy in preparation for the more in depth studies I will be taking later and working on getting my certification.

Wishing everyone blessings, love, light and creativity, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:Candlemas, qi gong

Life around my house has stayed a bit busy, mostly with meetings and things associated with Angelgirl’s middle school activities.  Her girl scout meetings have started up again after a break for the holidays and it’s cookie selling time.  She is rehearsing for the spring play (she is Violet in Willie Wonker and the Chocolate Factory).  There were also a few rehearsals to squeeze in for the orchestra’s concert performance last week (she plays the viola).  And of course we manage to fit in her karate classes too.

The big news this week is Angelgirl has her schedule for her high school freshman year that begins in September.  She is excited and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed – but also delighted that she is looking forward to it.  She is taking Honors Sophomore Alegra (by the time she reaches 12th grade she will be taking statistics!   **ooowww my brain hurts**), Honors English, a science class, a history class, gym and 2 electives – Tech 1 and a language – German  (even though she has had Spanish in middle school she wanted to take something new for language and wanted to something that wasn’t that popular).

To keep focused on my main goal for the year – organizing – I’ve been little by little sorting through clothing.  I have packed up several bags of 3x, 2x and 1x clothing and given them to my sister.  My daughter has also been going through a few things and passsed a couple bags of small clothing to her cousin.  There was a great sale going on (pants for $3 and $5, shirts $7 to $10) so I now have a nice small collection of clothing that fits me well now that I’ve lost over 100 lbs rather than the old, baggy stuff I had been wearing.  I also got a  small stack of clothing that is ready for the next sizing down phase – it fits now, but is just a bit snug.

One of my other goals is bringing more spirituality and health into my life on daily basis and one of the ways I want to do that  is by learning more about chi gong and hopefully find a class I can take.  I bought two books about it to get started.  Some where  have a dvd set that I bought about two years that I need to find – but in this house is could be just about any where so that will take awhile.    I also bought a few wiccan pagan type books that I’m looking forward to browsing.

Life may be a bit fast paced, but it’s moving along very nicely and I’m doing my best to not take on too many projects and get overwhelmed.  

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:daughter, family, goals, high school, middle school

2010 has started off with a bang, and the first few days have flown by. 

Also (**drum roll please**)  I’m starting the year 100 lbs lighter then I was last year.  As I mentioned before, I had gastric bypass surgery August 6, 2009.  Starting Feb. 28, 2009 with the  pre-op weight loss (a requirement to get insurance approval) and combined with the post-op weight loss the total weight loss is now 100 lbs.    My pain levels in my joints is much lower, I’m sleeping better, and as a result I have a lot more energy.  I still have about 60 more pounds to lose but the numbers on the scale are not what is important – I am focused on my health and well being.  I won’t bore you with all the details here, but if you’re interested in following my weight loss journey you can read my New Year’s post and other information on my weight loss blog Diet Pulpit.

Jan. 1 my good friend B. stopped over in the afternoon for a long over due visit.  She lives about two hours away, plus she has to take care of her granddaughter while her daughter works (long hours) so she doesn’t get to visit very often and it had been at least 4 months since her last visit.  When she does come to this neck of the woods she plans a two or three trip stopping in to see several friends.  We chatted, laughed, and enjoyed watching the movie Julie & Julia (one of my favorite movies and I got the dvd as a xmas gift from my hubby). 

Jan. 2 we all went to see Mama Kelly and spent a lovely afternoon and part of the evening visiting with her family, chatting, opening gifts and enjoying the ham, salads and snacks we brought.   I gave Mama Kelly a dvd of Julie & Julia – it’s about blogging and food so of course I had to!  *lol*    I also surprised her with her very own Season of the Witch calendar (in a leather binder), as well a few other things.    She got me a tarot deck (need to write a review), a cookbook for recipes after gastric bypass surgery (can’t wait to try some out), and other witchy goodies.   I’m already looking forward to our next visit for our regular overnight get together on Feb. 20th.

Jan. 3 was Angelgirl’s (my daughter) karate banquet – Angelgirl received her 2nd degree black belt.  It was a wonderful afternoon of karate demos and performances, a nice meal, and a bit of music played by a DJ and dancing afterwards.  I brought my mom and she really enjoyed it too.

This week we all went back to work and school and almost every night we have something going on – Monday Angelgirl had an eye docotor appt., Tuesday she had orchestra practice.  Today she has a school trip and needs to get picked up from the school since they are returning later and she will miss the bus and followed by karate class. Tomorrow night we have to go to her school for a meeting regarding her high school scheduling (she’s only half way through 8th grade – but they start the paperwork early for high school).

This weekend I am taking my mom and sister  to see the movie Avatar.  I am also planning on taking my niece if she wants to go, and taking her out to lunch and for a little shopping trip to the mall to celebrate her 16th birthday (which is Jan. 7) – I haven’t been able to reach her by phone yet so that part isn’ts definite yet. 

I already have a few things on the calendar for next week as well, so it’s definitely a bit of a whirlwind around my house but I’m enjoying every moment with family and friends and looking forward to a year full of surprises, laughter, and love.

Hope everyone is enjoying the start of their New Year.

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:family, friends, new year

The days following the Winter Solstice (or Christmas) are an inbetween time, filled with centuries of traditions and magic from many cultures and religions, a time that is not a time (out of the ordinary, existing outside the day to day rules and routine).  In ancient Babylon, these days were seen as the time of a struggle between chaos and order, with chaos trying to take back over the world and many traditions for this time of year are associated with driving away evil spirits for the start of the new year.

The origin and counting of the Twelve Days “is complicated, and is related to differences in calendars, church traditions, and ways to observe this holy day in various cultures.  in most of the Western Church are the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany  (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th). In some traditions, the first day of Christmas begins on the evening of December 25th with the following day considered the First Day of Christmas (December 26th). In these traditions, the twelve days begin December 26 and include Epiphany on January 6.”

No matter which days one decides are best for celebrating the 12 days of Yule it is an excellant time for reflection, gaining wisdom from the previous year and setting goals and magical intentions for the upcoming new year.

Rather than making “resoultions” that if not met by year’s end or are abandoned within a few weeks of the new year’s start which can lead to giving up, guilt and negative feelings of self worth, I will be focusing on small, doable steps that are part of a broader overall plan. I will also allow myself to be flexible, realistic, and adapt as life unfolds and circumstances warrant.

What I will be doing during the 12 days of Yule:

An overall life review – what goals have I neglected, are there goals I need to discard or new ones I want to add; what habits and practices are positive and life affirming for myself and family, which ones need to be discarded, added or tweaked.  Followed by a simple new year’s eve ritual to give thanks for the previous year (embracing the mistakes, the ups and downs, both the good and bad times, releasing the old hurts, stress, negativity) and blessings for the new year (clearing the way for a fresh new year and welcoming the new lessons to be learned, the good and the bad times, opening heart, mind and spirit to wisdom and love).

Setting a Focus for 2010 – to add meaning and overall purpose for the upcoming new year, I will be focusing on a theme for the year and planning an overall goal for each quarter of the year that reflect the chosen theme. 

Goal setting to achieve 2010 focus and overall life goals  - reasonable, doable small steps for the upcoming year, mapping out steps to take to achieve the goals and mapping out a timeline on the calendar.  In other words, visualize and set forth intentions, followed by real world activity to manifest my goals.

My overall theme for this year is Organizing – this has been my goal for decades, and in the past I’d always feel bad that I didn’t “finish” getting my entire house done and my life organized.  But realistically my health and pain levels and lack of time (since I work full time and other life demands that require my time) make it impossible to get the entire house and my life organized to perfection, so I was setting myself up for failure.   This year my approach is going to be very different.  I will pick much smaller tasks that I can achieve, such as a bookshelf at a time or a few boxes sorted each month, etc.

NOTE:  this year New Year’s Eve is a  Blue Moon, December 31st, one idea is to a and\or set up an altar, write out your goals and charge them with the Full Moon energy (ie. can keep them in a jar or box on the altar throughout the year; write them in your calendar or journal, leave it on the altar overnight and carry with you throughout the year).

Tips:  keep goals simple and doable (break down big goals into smaller tasks); make sure your goals are realistic within the time frame you’ve set  (i.e. don’t set a goal like save a $10,000 dollars in a year if your expenses and debt are overwhelming – instead set a goal of paying down debt and creating a budget; don’t set a goal of building a website in a year when you don’t know anything about computers – instead set a goal of taking a computer class); don’t overwhelm yourself with too many goals and tasks; create categories to organize your goals (i.e. self improvement, home, work, family, spiritual, community, etc.) with only one or just a few goals in each category; be gentle with yourself and adjust your timetable as needed. Build in positive feedback and rewards for yourself along the way.  For example to help change your inner landscape and clear away inner obstacles create daily positive affirmations, inspirational music to listen to, inspirational amd empowering books to read.  Create positive feedback in the physical world, for example take a big positive step to start off the year that will create a positive environment for smaller changes to continue reaching an overall goal; create a symbol of your goal that you see daily; give yourself positive rewards along the way as you complete tasks.

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year filled with bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:goals, new year, resolutions, Yule

This past weekend Teacherman (my hubby) and I had the awesome pleasure of attending Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice concert at St. John the Divine’s Cathedral in New York City.  It was the 30th anniversary for the concert and construction on the cathedral was complete so the entire cathedral was open for the first time in many years.   We have wanted to attend the Winter Sosltice concert for over 20 years, ever since we first went to see Paul Winter in concert and heard about it, so even a winter blizzard that was rolling in wasn’t going to keep us from going.  It had already started to snow earlier in the morning, but by afternoon the snow had temporarily stopped. The weather channel was calling for 12 inches or more by later in the evening. We left early in the afternoon and arrived in New York by train with of plenty of time.  We then took a cab up to the cathedral and found a restaurant near by and had a lovely dinner.  On the way back to the cathedral we stopped in a bookstore to browse and warm up a bit and then made our way to the cathedral.  It was a truly wintry magical evening honoring the longest night and the sun’s return and a reminder to one and all to focus on the blessings in our lives and to always remember that even in darkest of night, the light continues to shine.

While there I picked up the Silver Solstice cd (music from the 25th Winter Solstice Celebration). I highly recommend it and all of Paul Winter’s cds, these are a few I have: Earthbeat, Wintersong,  Journey with the Sun (Summer Solstice), and Wolf Eyes- songs from the cds are also available for downloading and make a great addition to a magical musical collection.

It was truly a magical and awe inspiring event – the music floated through the cathedral, beating drums awakened the soul, the golden ship (symbol of the sun) sailed down the center aisle, the whales sang and the sounds of the night (owls, crickets) paid homage to the longest night and then the vibrating sounds of the sun gong were heard as it it was slowly raised 100 feet, all the way to the ceiling of the cathedral.  We howled with the wolves and honored the Mother Earth.  The beautiful voices of the Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble inspired joy and celebration in the heart.  The Forces of Nature Dance Theater performers were a delight to the eyes and ears.   A gigantic spiral Solstice Tree (inspired by the tradition of the Tree of Life and World Tree) graced the stage, adorned with a myriad of bells, gongs and chimes (to symbolize the diversity of beings in the life family).  At the conclusion of the concert, the Sosltice Tree was brought to the center of the stage and all the dancers and singers danced and sang around the tree in celebration, and everyone in the audience got to their feet, clapping along to the beat of magnificant drumming.  As everyone was leaving the cathedral  we were greeted by the blizzard.  Several inches of snow had arrived and a blanket of snowy sparkles covered everything.  Someone in the crowd began howling to the wolves and it echoed across the wintery wonderland, and a chorus of howls rose up from the crowd as we all stepped out into the night howling and laughing as we began our journey homeward.

Words truly can’t describe the experience.  Below are some links and youtube videos of some of the highlights from past concerts, there is even a link for a free download of 9 Paul Winter tracks.

Wishing everyone a joyous holiday filled with blessings, love and light, Lady Rose

Paul Winter Links and Videos:

FREE Downloads - 9 tracks from Paul Winter’s Solstice Journey (http://paulwinter.bandcamp.com/)

Links provide by Paul Winter’s Living Music from an email we recieved: “To give you a feel for music of the Pokrovsky Ensemble, we’ve collected a few videos from past solstices and performances given in Russia. We’ve also found a video of the Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, our other special guest ensemble.”

2008 Winter Solstice – nice overview of varioius performers who have performed last year, begins with the Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble performing one of my favorites (they also performed this year)

2008 Finale – can see the Solstice Tree, but a different song then the one played this year

2004 Winter Solstice, 25th anniversay – nice overview, can see the Sun Gong ascending 100 feet

Forces of Nature Dance Theater - video of a performance they did at Central Park. Seeing them in person at the Paul Winter Concert was incredible.

Written by Lady RoseTags:concert, Paul Winter, Winter Solstice, Yule

This year our family has started a new tradition, making a donation to the World Vision Organization.  We sat down with the catalog that came in the mail of possible gifts to donate and my daughter narrowed down a few selections she thought would make the best choices within our budget – chickens, fishing gear, medicine, and clean water.   Together we decided to donate:

•  fishing gear (provides an impoverished family with the means to put food on the table),
• two chickens (which will provide eggs, and since they are easy to breed can multiply and provide food to share and potential income), and
• 3 ducks (provide eggs and multiply, but have the additional bonus of being able to survive in a flood; 1000’s of families in Bangladesh have lost their food and livelihood because of torrential rains that kill their chickens so World Vision is helping to switch to duck farming).

Since I will have more time to plan and save for next year I hope to be able to afford a larger donation for Yule 2010 (perhaps we will be able to donate enough for a cow, or a donkey, or a goat along with some medicine and clean water).

Knowing that our donation will make a real difference in someone’s life and seeing the smile on my daughter’s face is priceless.   I look forward to sharing this tradition with her for many, many years.

If you are interested in making a donation, there is a lot to choose from in a variety of price ranges. For example – it only costs $12 to donate 2 ducks or $25 for 2 chickens and provide a continuous source of food for a family, or $50 to help stock a school; $100 for a small business loan for a woman; medicine for $35 (provides $390 worth), and much more to chose from.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the Yule holidays.

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:charity, Christmas, holidays, Yule

We had a nice Thanksgiving at my sister’s house, along with my mom, my brother, and the kids.  My other sister, wanted to have Thanksgiving with just her immediate family – but we popped in to say hello for a few minutes since my two sisters live across the street from each other.  (Although until a couple of weeks ago they shared a house – but that is a looooong story and I won’t bore you all with the details).

We provided the plates, napkins, cups, turkey, stuffing, a few veggies, two appetizers and two desserts for the Thanksgiving meal.   We even provided one of the tables – since my sister just moved in a couple of weeks ago she doesn’t have a kitchen table yet or have her kitchen stocked up yet.   She  made the potatoes, yams and green beans.  My brother brought a cherry pie.  All togther there were six adults and four kids, and everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable meal.  The next day my hubby, Teacherman, made a wonderful turkey and rice soup.  Friday and Saturday we spent home, getting a few chores done and a little shopping.

Sunday the weather was very nice so we headed up to New York on the train to visit Dylan’s Candy Bar.  We had been looking forward to it ever since we heard about the candy store on a tv show. It is located on the corner of 60th and Third.  It is three floors of sugery goodness with a huge variety, including nostalgic candies from decades past.  They had free samples of candies and candy cane milkshake to try.  The first floor (entrance) had many, many bins of candy sold by the pound and there were a variety of containers to chose from to scoop your selections in to, and a lot of holiday goodies.  On the bottom floor was a chocolate fountain with a varity of items to dip into it (for a small fee), a large variety of fudges and other items.  We didn’t make it to the top floor – but upstairs is the cafe and party rooms.

My daughter, Angelgirl, picked out a small gift for each of her friends for Christmas and filled a small container with a variety of candy from the many bins for herself. I picked out a nice tree ornament for us. Teacherman picked up a few candy bars for friend’s. I had fun picking up a few gifts too – for three friends at the office, Mama Kelly, and the most fun was putting together a container of goodies for my 2 Goddess-daughters (Mama Kelly’s girls). The container was $10 for all the candy you could stuff inside, so I picked up a wide selection and tried to get the most unusual items I could find from the bins. In one container I put all the gummy, sour, sugary treats and in the other I put a variety of chocolate items. Once the containers were full, I looked around for tiny candies that I scooped over the top and shook it down so the little bits filled in every bit of space. It was a bit of struggle to get the lids closed but I did it. When I got home I divided everything equally into zip lock bags. There was 20 or more different kinds of candy all together, and I can’t wait to share all the goodies with them. 

From there we strolled over to Central Park and took a horse and carriage ride around the park.  It was the first time for Angelgirl, and she really enjoyed it.  Then we  stopped in FAO Schwartz  (toy store) and saw the big piano just in time for the show where they perform a few songs and after wards they let in small groups of folks at a time to hop on the big piano keys.  I also picked out a small but fun Harry Potter gift for my two Goddess-daughters.  I resisted the urge to get anything for myself. 

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Xmas!   I have all my shopping done now and only a few  more items have to arrive in the mail, everything else is all ready.  I even picked up wrapping paper, gift boxes, etc. this weekend.   I’m looking forward to wrapping and putting the presents, gifts bags and baskets all together.  I can’t wait for the holidays!   **big grin**

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving.

Bright blessings, Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:candy, gifts, new york, Thanksgiving

I’m taking the day off Friday, October 30th, to relax and enjoy my 54th birthday. We will be celebrating on Sunday with a trip to Medieval Times (more about that later). I feel like I’ve been celebrating already for a few weeks with all the fun things I’ve been up too lately.

Late Sept. I went to a Native American Indian harvest festival with Angelgirl (my daughter) – it was small but nice, held at a farm about 15 minutes away. Angelgirl and I enjoyed a relaxing morning browsing the displays and a couple of demos, and listening to speakers, stories, and some music. When it came time for dancing and they asked folks to join – I, of course, jumped in – and Angelgirl pretended not to know me.  LOL   It was adorable.

Oct. started off with a date with Teacherman, my hubby, to see Billy Crystals’ one man show, 700 Sundays at a theater in Philadelphia. It was “truly maaaarvelous”. He is an outstanding performer and the show was very funny, as well as touching the heart and leaving a few tears in our eyes. He told stories about growing up, his parents, etc. – the title for the show comes from the 700 Sundays he had with his dad before his father passed away when Billy Crystal was a young teen.

The following week (Oct. 8th) we went, along with another couple, to see Bruce Springstein playing his next to last concert at the “old” Giants stadium. He wrote a new song in honor of the stadium, “wrecking ball,” since the old stadium will be torn down soon. He is always at his best when in he plays in New Jersey, and the concert was great. This tour he plays a different album each night – our night he did the Born to Run album, which of course is awesome. The show even had fireworks at the finale.

For my birthday we are going to Medieval Times (on Nov. 1) – it has been over 15 years since we’ve been. I’m very very excited; plus we have the royalty package so we have FRONT row seats which is just going be soooo very cool (included is a dvd of the show and a cheering banner so we can wave it as we cheer our knight during the joust). Teacherman surprised me by getting a limo to take us all – which adds a big WOW factor to the day. There will be six of us, Teacherman and Angelgirl, my mom and two good friends from work (my friends and I are getting dressed in medieval costume which is going to add even more fun). Doors open 90 minutes before the show so there is plenty of time to mingle in the big room with the bar, where the characters from the show (the knights!) come out and mingle and photos can be taken. For the limo ride up we have a bottle of sparkling white wine and bottle of red wine chilling, and we are also packing some shrimp, cheese and crackers and for the ride home we are bring strawberries and chocolate dip along with a tin of the fancy cookies shaped like a straw. (I won’t be indulging, of course, but I can at least sip my ice water from a chilled glass in the limo and for a huge splurge I can have a strawberry on way home.)

I am so very thankful to have this time with my family and friends.

Wishing every one a happy and safe Halloween.   Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:birthday, concert, events, outings

Greetings one and all.  I know it has been awhile since I’ve posted here, so let me catch you up on what’s been going on and some of the fun things I’ve been up too lately and other fun things planned for the future. 

Since my gastric bypass surgery on Aug. 6th, I’ve been focusing on creating a healthy eating plan that works with the “pouch” (the 2 oz stomach created by the surgery), constructively dealing with emotional and mental obstacles and overall generally putting all my energy into getting healthy, enjoying life and taking one step at time to achieve my goals.  It’s been a time where I feel I needed to withdraw a bit and just focus on my top priorites – my health, my family and the day to day challenges as well as the daily surprises and the general ups and downs.  I have also been reflecting on what in life brings me joy and contentment, and focusing my energy, not just on physical health, but on spiritual well being as well, which for me includes spending quality time with family and good friends.  

The first few weeks after the surgery were a roller coaster at first, with a bit of weight gaining for a few days followed by struggling to lose, then gaining a few pounds again and ending up frustrated because I wasn’t making any progress.  Not exactly what I had expected.  However, my body seems to have calmed down a bit and healing well, and finally I’ve seen some weight loss  (I’ve lost 25 lbs in the past two weeks, and overall since I started with the pre-op process on March 3, 2009, I’ve lost a total now of 79.5 lbs).  If any one is interested in more details about gastric bypass and\or my journey to get healthy, feel free to stop over at my blog Diet Pulpit.

Overall life is going along very well. Angelgirl is enjoying the 8th grade. Teacherman’s leg injury, from the fall he had on Aug. 6th, is healing well.

Last weekend Angelgirl and I attended a small Native American Indian Event at a local farm about 15 minutes away. We spent the morning listening to stories and music, browsing booths, looking over artifacts, and admiring beadwork, especially a bead project the woman was working on a bead loom (oooooh I so want one – but will resist the urge for now - I have too many crafts around already that I don’t have time for). The Lenapi Indian reservation is not far and they hold larger events there on a regular basis. I hope to be able to attend more often and learn more about their culture. Native American traditions are very close to a wiccan way of life and it is always spiritually renewing to be around others who also respect and honor the Earth. 

We have a lot of fun events to attend coming up this month and through to December and beyond. Hubby and I will be enjoying with friends the comedian Billy Crystal and a Bruce Springsteen concert. I am also planning to go Medieval Times (medieval dinner and show) some time around my birthday which is Oct. 30th. I’ve invited a couple of my girlfriends from work and my mom to come along, but we haven’t set the date yet (most likely early November).

In December we are going  with another couple to see the Paul Winter concert held at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine In New York. It is an awesome Winter Solstice performance and this year is their 30th anniversary so it’s just going to be stunning.  I have wanted to attend this Annual Pilgrimage from Darkness into Light for over 17 years ever since I first heard Paul Winter in concert. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the solstice than with good friends, awesome music and watching the huge sun disk floating across the ceiling of the cathedral.  We are going to make a day of it in New York to see the holidays lights, the big Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, and a nice dinner.

Teacherman is looking forward to it and he thinks it will be a grand idea if we can round out the experience to balance out the year by attending the Summer Solstice Sunrise Drumming Event in Philadelpia in June, it is held on the roof top of the theater and everyone brings a drum (link for the 2009 event).

I am looking forward to enjoying these awesome events with family and close friends.  It is a double bonus for me for many of these events because they are closely related to wiccan themes and they are renewing to my spirit as well.

Some long term possible future plans include attending Womon Gathering next June and possibly taking a Qi Gong class or two (if I can find one locally, so far I haven’t been able to find one, but I’m still looking).  

Mama Kelly and I had such an awesome time when we attended Womon Gathering  in 2008 (one of many posts about our experience:  Friday at Womon Gathering 2008), that I definitely want to go again, and hopefully every year or every other year if need be.   Plans didn’t work out to attend this year, Womon Gathering 2009, so I’m not taking any chances for next year and planning early.  Teacherman and I discussed it and  I decided that I am going to go in June 2010.   I know it’s a bit early to be thinking about next June, but registration is in December so it doesn’t hurt to plan early. 

Having driven there once before, I feel comfortable with the idea of going by myself if I needed to, but I’d be happy to have friends or family come along if they wanted to attend also.   I’ve been getting the word out, so folks can start thinking about it and let me know what their plans are in case any one wants to  corrdinate registration and cabin accommodations (need to put on the form names of those you want to share a cabin with), and later on driving arrangements (I can only fit one other person in my car, but if more then that end up coming along, could always split the cost of renting a bigger car or just forming a train of cars).  

So if any one is planning to attend Womon Gathering 2010, let me know in case you want to corrdinate cabin arrangements or travel plans together or arrange to get meet and get together at the event.

As my 54th birthday approaches, Oct. 30th, and as part of my overall journey to wellness in all aspects of my life, I am making sure that I put time and energy into taking care of me and not letting the bumps in the road of life  or the negativity of others drain away my energy or focus.    A big treat I gave myself was getting a new car (a 2009 Ford Focus, it is a cute little 2-door silver coupe).  My old car was a 14-year-old Prism, that needed repairs, the air conditioner no longer worked and it really needed to be replaced.   Teacherman said he would get me Vanity Plates as a birthday gift if I wanted them - I am hoping that LDYROSE is available – if it’s not, I’m not sure what else I would chose.  I don’t want something too witchy, since in a few years Angelgirl will mostly likely be also driving this car.     I also treated myself to a trip to the hair salon – for a wash and very small trim (only about an inch or two).  The ladies at the shop down the street were very nice and amazed that I hadn’t been to a salon since my wedding in 1991 and that I never, ever plan on getting my hair cut.   The woman who washed my hair said it was the longest she had ever washed.  For me, it was definitely a luxuary indulgence but one I gave myself as a treat to celebrate the weeks of recovering from surgery being over and feeling good.  Who knows, maybe I’ll even get my nails done one of these days in the not too distant future.  It would be a first, since I’ve never had manicure.

I am also enjoying the sense of empowerment and appreciation for life that comes from the wisdom of the Crone.  Fall is my favorite time of year, even though it is a mixture of sadness over some past events, it is also for me a time of year that fills me a renewed sense of spiritual awareness, reflection, and connetion with the Goddess.

At this time of year, the Crone’s energy is all around us, the cool breezes, the blazing colors of the leaves, reminding us that there is light and there is darkness, but we are capable of wisdom, strength, and love; our spirits can endure and thrive if we open ourselves to being in harmony with nature, staying grounded and balanced, and sharing the warmth of love and friendship with others.

May the blessings of the Crone heal your spirit and fill your life with wisdom, 

Lady Rose

Written by Lady RoseTags:concert, family, gastric bypass surgery, health, life in general