~*~ November Pagan Families Thread!!!~*~

[CariOfOz]

Get thee in here mamas!

Now that the broo-ha-ha of Samhain/Beltaine is almost over , we're in the last mile before the silly season of Yule/Midsummer!

Life is not being kind at the moment, I'm trying to stay positive... hubby has a lead on a job that claims to pay a certain amt which is very close to what he was earning before he got fired 2months ago. (ya know.. I've been saying 3months ago... it was 2 months ago today... 2months isn't so bad, we can make it through 2 months!) So he's emailed them his cv & a cover letter... he'll call them tomorrow and see if he can go in and talk to them wednesday (since he's already arranged to be off early to take the boy in for his immigration medical ) Please please think good thoughts for us!

I think I'm going to go dust off my rather neglected altar in the bedroom, and spend a little time inviting prosperity back... we miss it

[sweetsunshine85]

Happy New Year, sisters! Blessed be!

[mary3mama]

Yay! A new month.

Last month was soooo busy for us what with the big move and all.

I'm jumping on this new thread right now so that I can keep up!

In the great news category, we have a signed contract on our house in WV. We have only to get over the minor hurdle of the home inspection (the house is only 3 years old...not too many issues probable) and the large hurdle of the appraisal (oy! can the market recover already yet?!)

So any good vibes towards and awesome appraisal are more than welcome.

November already! Wow!

Have a blessed month ladies!

[saphire]

Good luck Mary and Cari
I'm missing all you mamas since I haven't been around at all. I hope I haven't missed out on too much. How was Samhain/Beltaine for everyone?

[sweetsunshine85]

Samhain was good for me. We had the bonfire and threw things in it... HAs anyone heard of a tradition with hazelnuts in the Samhain fire????

[_ktg_]

Morning Lovely Ladies!! Hip Hip Hoooray for November and now ... I'm off to grab a hot posh coffee and dig into the new month!

!

[wombatclay]

November! My favorite month!

Good luck and light to all!

Neat cosmic switcheroo! And neat that they're friends... it's like the two of them had a barter/swap before birth.

Mamaofthree- that reminds me of the scene in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" where they tell the parents the guy is a vegetarian and the parents respond with a "but of course you still eat lamb!" line. It sounds frustrating to be facing it in reality though.

Thanks all... DH is sort of walking on eggshells and we're having some deep talks. But we're doing ok. We have very different "love languages" and he often feels like he is letting me down because he can't seem to figure out what to do/say to let me know how he feels. It's something that blows up every now and then, and this was the now.

vacation- we have to go for at least a few days. It's a time share and his mom "cashed in" her credits instead of "banking" them. Apparently if we don't go then there will be some sort of complication with her contract? I don't really understand how it works, and I was being subtle ("what if the kiddos are sick and we can't go?" sort of thing ). DH said we'd probably go for at least a few days then come home... we have no one to care for the chickens, the cat, the plumbing (it's snowing and the stove has to be fed every 12 hours... no stove, possible burst pipes if the temp drops fast), etc. We'll find a way to pay for gas/food... I'm going to hit the stores today for gf/cf boxed items we can pack in the car, then figure out how to pack the rice cooker, crockpot, and electric kettle. Maybe I can find a cheap electric griddle at the thrift store? We wont be able to eat out unless there's a good allergy aware place in Hyannis sooooo.... food from a box, here we come!

Snow- we have snow. About an inch. It snowed flurries all day Samhain and while trick/treating.

Divination- pulled cards for the year... Salt & Pepper (magician), Potluck (world), and Fridge (emperor). A good year maybe!

[wombatclay]

Salt & Pepper:

Even though this is a card of mental energy, it's also one of mental nutrition- it begs you to slam the refridgerator door on unhealthy habits, jump off the pity-party merry-go-round, and be positive.

Potluck:

Potluck is the 'way too happy meal' arcanum, so roll out the barrel... and have a barrel of fun with your friends, family, and community. Dismantle your defense mechanisms, and throw a party. Joy is your birthright- personal success is this card's main course.

Fridge:

It represents owning and using your power- not to bully others, but to take charge of situations without dictating. The Fridge brings personal obligations into realistic light and urges you to figure out the best and most efficient way to get to the core of the matter.

Obviously, there are several pages of stuff for each card, but those are the "themes". It feels spot on in terms of what I need/want for this coming year.

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by mary3mama

In the great news category, we have a signed contract on our house in WV.

Oh, I'm so jealous...we still haven't had a single showing, and the realtor said that I ought to drop the price at least $500 to keep the house in the "current" stream of...of their website, or MLS listings, or something. I think I don't want to do that till spring. She said I don't want it to get stale. At this time of year, I don't care, really. I don't want to be moving in the winter anyway.

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

Please please think good thoughts for us!

Of course, dear Cari. I posted on your FB, too

Originally Posted by wombatclay

November! My favorite month!

Me, too, since it's my birthday month! Shall we have a virtual party again? Maybe not...last year was special, being my 50th and all.
Only 22 days till I see M again, though That crazy man wants to take me window-shopping in Boston on Black Friday I usually hibernate on Black Friday.

I'm going to hit the stores today for gf/cf boxed items we can pack in the car, then figure out how to pack the rice cooker, crockpot, and electric kettle. Maybe I can find a cheap electric griddle at the thrift store? We wont be able to eat out unless there's a good allergy aware place in Hyannis sooooo.... food from a box, here we come!

I often prefer that anyway, even though I don't have the food issues your family has. I just like to be in control if I need to. I guess I just hate having to rely on outside forces in case there's only really crummy choices.

Snow- we have snow. About an inch. It snowed flurries all day Samhain and while trick/treating.

Divination- pulled cards for the year... Salt & Pepper (magician), Potluck (world), and Fridge (emperor). A good year maybe!

YAY, snow!! We have a possibility of flurries late Thursday night
Sounds like your divination is spot-on, Clay!

M is home sick today. He has lower intestinal issues, his spleen is bothering him, and he's running a slight temperature Please send him vibes if you have any to spare, mamas!

[mary3mama]

Originally Posted by Maiasaura

Oh, I'm so jealous...we still haven't had a single showing, and the realtor said that I ought to drop the price at least $500 to keep the house in the "current" stream of...of their website, or MLS listings, or something. I think I don't want to do that till spring. She said I don't want it to get stale. At this time of year, I don't care, really. I don't want to be moving in the winter anyway.

<snip>

That crazy man wants to take me window-shopping in Boston on Black Friday I usually hibernate on Black Friday.

The 'no showings' thing still concerns me. As long as you are getting SOME interest there is hope. But to have no one interested? That is ooky. Can you ask your realtor to hold a 'realtors' open house?'
That could be helpful because you will get feedback from other realtors. They might not have noticed your house on listings but once they are there IRL they might think of just the right client to show it to.
Alternatively, they might give feedback that will help you to see why it isn't getting showings. And if you can address those issues (some maybe you can, others you might not be able to) then maybe you can start getting traffic.

Oh, yeah! I hibernate on that day too.
I worked in retail before and vowed that I'd never be in a store again then. It was HORRIBLE. I remember being in the store at 3 am (because we opened at 5:30) and not going home until 1am the next day. And the people! the most awful, rude, hateful lot I'd ever experienced. Greed run rampant. Ugh.

Get a stack of holiday movies, have plenty of good food and a few projects for each family member and hunker down until the following Monday, that's my strategy.

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by mary3mama

The 'no showings' thing still concerns me. As long as you are getting SOME interest there is hope. But to have no one interested? That is ooky. Can you ask your realtor to hold a 'realtors' open house?'
That could be helpful because you will get feedback from other realtors. They might not have noticed your house on listings but once they are there IRL they might think of just the right client to show it to.
Alternatively, they might give feedback that will help you to see why it isn't getting showings.

Well, she said it's way overpriced for the market, and it is. It's underpriced for what I paid for it, but the area is literally glutted with houses, and you can get a 4BR/2BA house with land for a couple/$10K or more less than what my house is listed for.
But I'm not willing to lower it at the moment.
She did bring her whole office in here to see it-- and that's what they all said, too.

Get a stack of holiday movies, have plenty of good food and a few projects for each family member and hunker down until the following Monday, that's my strategy.

Yeah, me too-- but M wants to go window shopping in Boston and show me stuff. So, whatever; if he's willing to guard me and keep me safe and sound, I'll do it

[Valerie.Qc]

We got snow yesterday. A few flurries this morning also. (Clay, our weather seems very similar despite the distance Being closer, I'd take care of your pets and home on your vacations... Sadly, it's a 6h drive from here )

Sahmain: I attented an Healing Session offered by my yoga teacher and her friend so I spent a good part of the day chanting, rising energy and giving/receiving Love. I got home, put make up on the kids and went to the village for Trick-or-Treats. No special meal, no fixed ritual this year... but I took a time to Thank my ancestors and I had a sweet moment remembering the conception of DD2 that took place on Halloween, on a Sunday, 6 years ago... I had shivers thinking how strong the feeling of her presence was on that day/night: she was already her intense self.


Love, job vibes and selling vibes!

[DaughterOfKali]

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

I think I'm going to go dust off my rather neglected altar in the bedroom, and spend a little time inviting prosperity back... we miss it

Good idea!

[redveg]

Originally Posted by CariOfOz

Life is not being kind at the moment, I'm trying to stay positive... hubby has a lead on a job

Sending those vibes/thoughts you way!!

Originally Posted by mary3mama

In the great news category, we have a signed contract on our house in WV.

So any good vibes towards and awesome appraisal are more than welcome.

That is good news. That didn't take long at all, Congrats! Sending those vibes your way

Originally Posted by wombatclay

November! My favorite month!


Thanks all... DH is sort of walking on eggshells and we're having some deep talks. But we're doing ok.
Snow- we have snow. About an inch. It snowed flurries all day Samhain and while trick/treating.

I love November too. My kids Birthday and my Anniversary are this month I must have miss what was going on with your DH but I am glad this are good. Snow, we had 2 days where it snowed and some flakes last night, but nothing is on the ground.

Originally Posted by Valérie.Qc

Sahmain: I attented an Healing Session offered by my yoga teacher and her friend so I spent a good part of the day chanting, rising energy and giving/receiving Love.

Sounds wonderful

[mamaofthree]

Cari: . i will send you all the good vibes i can muster. the money thing is so freakin scary.

clay: i just have to say you are a way better unwanted gift receiver then me. i would be pissed. it isn't like you can all just pack up and go for even a few days. cold weather in your face RIGHT NOW. possible busted pipes, no one to care for the critters, no money for food or gas, and yet all this pressure to go on the trip anyway. UGH! can't MIL go for a couple days? what about dh taking the big kids? maybe just you and the little guy at home for a few days might be nice. i really enjoy spending time with one kid at a time, i hardly ever get to do it. usually it is just a trip to the store. lol

just realized i have only about 10 weeks left until i have another wee babe! eeeek. seems so soon.

so i am going to order a set of diapers i have wanted for YEARS, and they cost so much and my baby will just poop in them, but they are so cute and the woman is all happy to make them for me. lol i am finally feeling like i actually want to get stuff for this baby. i have been so scared to do anything just in case... you know. i have been drooling over organic cotton baby clothing and cloth diapers and little wooden toys. (we got the NOVA natural toy catalog and i am dog earing a bunch of pages. lol for the big kids and the baby)
making up a list of what to get the kids this year. got pretty much everyone covered. i don' actually go out and shop anymore. i just order stuff on line. lol so for about now until sometime in december we get packages. the kids get all excited. it is fun. lol
so wells fargo is sending someone out to appraise the house. which is GREAT! that means they are keeping the ball rolling. since this is a short sale they can take as long as they want. so fingers crossed that the whole thing will be done by the end of the month. it would be nice for the family buying it to be able to be in it by turkey day.

speaking of thanksgiving, i know not everyone does it on this forum, but i have to say it is my FAVORITE holiday. all that yummy goodness and i don't have to make it. lol although the kids and i might be serving dinner with IHELP for a few hours that day, i have been toying with what i might make. lol

ok off to start the day.

h

[_ktg_]

Originally Posted by mamaofthree

speaking of thanksgiving, i know not everyone does it on this forum, but i have to say it is my FAVORITE holiday. all that yummy goodness and i don't have to make it. lol although the kids and i might be serving dinner with IHELP for a few hours that day, i have been toying with what i might make. lol

I love t-day too, and I love making it!! Its an all day thing for me with cooking and family and etc. I love the cooking aspect of it, most since I love to cook. mmmmm

When we were growing up it was very processed (stuffing from a box, can of cranberry goo, the green bean casserole, and the canned yams/marshmellow thing) and now I'm trying to introduce alternatives to my family and see what they like and keep doing it.

I love homemade cranberry sauce, and roasted sweet potatoes with pumpkin pie spices & sugar. This year I'm tempted to tackle the green bean casserole to make it unprocessed if possible...

Yay for only 10 more weeks!!!

[witchygrrl]

Yay November! This month is going to be CRAZY! Er, at least the middle of the month. DH is doing a Full Moon ritual at our local pagan shop, then his parents are coming to visit, and then we fly to FL!


Samhain was pretty good...DD handled our private ritual pretty well. She had her dolly that her great-grandmother who has passed gave her, and her stuffed owl. That kept her comforted as we invited those from beyond the veil.

Clay, Hyannis, eh? I lived there for a year. There should still be stuff to do and see now...good thing this isn't in January. But it's been a very long time since I've been there, so I don't have much advice, honestly.

Maia, have you considered taking your house off the market and putting it up again in the spring? See what the market is like then, iykwim?

[mamaofthree]

i have replaced the greenbean casserole with brussel sprout. i make them with caramelized onions, garlic, bacon, and balsalmic vinegar (sp). they are so freaking good. my dad who is not a fan of the brussel sprout eats those puppies up! he loves them. so does dh and dd and well pretty much everyone except my boys. lol
oh and the sweet potatoes... my mom always did them with brown sugar (leaving them not mashed, sort of cutting them length wise into 4-6 slices) and butter. i have tweeked the recipe. i add some apple cider, and sliced granny smiths and i use both jewel yams and the yellow sweet potatoes. i do add the brown sugar and butter and also pecans. they are so good. but i can't make them for my folks, because my mom refuses to eat them. she is mad i changed her recipe. oh well.

h

[wombatclay]

Yup... a week in Hyannis in November. Keeping in mind that we can't eat out, we will have a budget of "less than 100 dollars for the week", the kiddos are 5, 3, and 1 and the 3yo has sensory issues that rule out boats, movie theatres, loud/sudden sights or sounds (anything with a crowd, flashing lights, loud music, etc)... any ideas?

Hugs to everyone seeking a job, selling a house, or counting pennies. I'm starting to plan gifts and yule activities... I'm starting a new thread, but DH is getting very interested in Odin and asatru. Any suggestions on an Odin themed gift I could make? I think we'll be continuing our tradition of "something to wear, something to read, something you want, and something you need" with homemade gifts on yule and storebought stuff on christmas.

I know dd1 wants dinosaur stuff... maybe I could sew up a dinosaur? DS would probably like a snuggly chomper dino too. Hmmm... dd2 wants to be a vet. Maybe I could make two dinos and one bunny? I'd like to get them each a bilibo... there are fights over our one!

Turkey Day- should be interesting this year. My MIL has gone very old-school holiday about Tday (DH said she never was when he was young). But last year the "no gluten" thing was hard for everyone to grasp (and dd1 got really sick because you really can't scrape pie off crust or meat off stuffing and "avoid the gluten" which is what was done before we arrived), and this year my SIL and her family are brand new vegans. So a gf/cf vegan tirkey day? My MIL will cry! Maybe a gf/cf stuffing with mushroom gravy, grilled portobellos for the veggies and a turkey breast for the meaty folk, mashed potato, baked sweet potato (we do NOT add any sort of sweetener to our sweet potatoes... no honey, brown sugar, or marshmallows), green beans, cran-orange relish.... Yum!

What I find really unusual is that while Tday has become a holiday focused on a meal... so many of the new/traditional foods are, well, kind of fake? Like... we make an amazing cran-orange relish. Fresh cranberries, orange juice, water, sugar. It's sweet tangy and yummy. But everyone at the table would rather eat the cran jelly from the can. And while we made amazing breads (pre celiac) and turned those into stuffing and fresh buttermilk biscuits... people wanted the bread crumb stuffing from a bag, and the biscuits from the can, and the gravy from a can, and green beans covered with onion soup mix, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows. I totally "get" tradition, and the desire to have a taste of childhood but... canned cran jelly and soup mix covered beans and marshmallows mixed into veggies? These weren't ever a part of my childhood... and they don't seem to be a part of anyone's "real life" diet. They're just pulled out at Thanksgiving. It kind of confuses me I guess. Why not more "real foods" if the meal is going to be the focus? Fresh bread and biscuits with butter and honey, roasted root veggies, gravy made with the drippings from the roasting dish, a juicy turkey or venison stew or salt encrusted fish or grilled portabellos or a thick squash soup or potato chowder? Cran relish made with fresh cranberries, mashed potatoes, green beans, squash pie, gingerbread with real ginger, an apple brown betty made with crisp apples, tangy cranberries, and lots of brown sugar and butter?

Ok, I think I'm hungry!

[bluets]

Originally Posted by sweetsunshine85

Samhain was good for me. We had the bonfire and threw things in it... HAs anyone heard of a tradition with hazelnuts in the Samhain fire????

not hazelnuts but we toss hickory nuts into the fire - because there's a HUGE prolific hickory tree on the edge of our yard.

inhale deeply - such a fire smells very yummy.