~~The August Pagan Parents Party ~~ - Page 3

[Millie Ivy]

oh, any my birthday is this month, as well as my anniversary. Happy August!

[_ktg_]

Good Morning Everyone!  Had a wonderful weekend in the yard, re doing my garden beds and harvesting some of the first veggies of the season for us.  We picked 5 giant cucumbers (gave one away to our neighbors) and ate one immediately for bedtime snack.  Up next - using up the cukes for salads & some tsaszki (sorry for the spelling!) dipping sauce mmmm delicious!!

I picked up 4 new plants (3 blueberries & 1 raspberry) for our garden/yard and found them a nice sunny spot and next I have to dig a bed and rig up a trellis for the raspberry to help it grow for next year's harvest.   I'll work on getting some pictures up about the progress in the garden - which looks neat now that I trellised the cucumbers and just let the lettuce go to seed. 

I don't think that DH fully gets that I want to turn our yard into a small sustainable farm in the suburbs as he keeps raising his eyebrows a bit when I come home with another plant or seedlings. I think hoop houses and building out additional rows are going to blow his mind next year until I come up with a plan/place for chicken & a beehive.  

DH tried to fix our leaky faucet in the kitchen - which resulted in a very broken faucet and now an emergency trip to Home Depot for a new faucet. Ugh -- that is not the way to end a weekend with a partially torn apart kitchen and no access to the sink.    Running back & forth between the bathroom & the kitchen stove was ... well interesting for our spaghetti dinner last night

Clay - ditto to what Aubergine said - now with pictures!

Aubergine & Red - missed you 2 gals lately and it sounds like summer is treating you both wonderfully.  I'll try to hop back on  FB , but the layout is just awful to look at these days (for me at least!) 

Red - are your kiddos heading off to college this year or am I remembering wrong?

Millie - I think cedar evokes protection (i.e. oils or the braches for smudging), the color black or silvery-grey is good for protection.  hmm I don't have anything about a protection spell or such anymore. This is where I turn to the holy awesomeness of google

Witchy - any nibbles on the job front for your DH? keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Hugs, sparkles and a cup of posh <<insert your favorite drink here>> to everyone - especially on this Monday Morning

and now it's time to go back to work for me

[Aubergine68]

Originally Posted by Millie Ivy 

Aubergine- You really want to.....what? ;-)

And I feel  you on being more engaged with your goals..  I feel like I need to pare mine down and focus a little more on the most important things.  I can be a bit of a spazz and take on too much.

Do yoga!  I got interrupted and posted an  incomplete post!

Lol at the pic ktg!  There is an interactive screening of Princess Bride coming up here that I am taking my kids to later this month.  You have to say the dialogue along with the characters and blow bubbles whenever anyone says "true love",as I understand it.

Lol at the pic, 
 

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by Aubergine68 Maia, I have to say, you look seriously hawt!

Why, thank you! Now that I'm nearing (again, sigh) a much more normal weight, I'm feeling hawt again, too

Originally Posted by Millie Ivy oh, any my birthday is this month, as well as my anniversary. Happy August!

Happy birthday to you and Aubergine, and happy anniversary too!

 

[Aubergine68]

Your dh won't know what hit him, ktg!

My yard needs some serious work  - a month of torrential rains in June/July killed some plants and made the weeds grow crazy.  I don't know why I even bother trying to grow peppers, third year of pepper fail.  I grated some garden zucchini and chopped some garden tomatoes and baked that with cheese and a little bacon and good grass-fed organic hamburger yesterday.  The kids got a macaroni version, but I liked my gf version just fine!

I like wearing black stones to feel protected - hematite, jet, obsidian, black jasper.  

Time to get some breakfast going for me!

[redveg]

Originally Posted by _ktg_ 

Red - are your kiddos heading off to college this year or am I remembering wrong?

One more year of High School.  It's odd they all only need one credit of English to graduate but the school system won't let them take only one class?  They make them take a full day of class.

Originally Posted by Aubergine68 

My yard needs some serious work  - a month of torrential rains in June/July killed some plants and made the weeds grow crazy.

This happened to me too this year all the rain made my weeds grow great but the beans, tomatoes, peas and peppers all are in sad shape:(

[redveg]

Getting off to a slow start today.  I feel like I didn't get enough sleep last night and am dragging.  My dog is driving me crazy!!  He wants to go outside and play soccer so he is just running around the house barking.  I guess I have to go do that.  I hope everyone has a great Monday:)  I will try to keep up this month.  Summer is just when I really try to get out and this year has been a tough one for me.  I am sure next summer will be too but I just feel it's the last one before my kids really start their life.  It brings up all sorts of emotions.  I need to start focusing on the positive things but all I think of right now is how I have spent everyday, except a weeks vacation, with my children and soon that will change, they will be out there and I won't see them, eat dinner with them hang out and watch a movie or just talk with them.  I know they need their own life and so do I, it's just, well it's just! 

Okay, off to play soccer with the dog before he loses his voice:)

[_ktg_]

Originally Posted by Maiasaura 

Ha - at first I thought you were commenting on the picture of the 7 dwarfs which made me

That pic is the scene from "The Princess Bride" where they are waving goodbye to Wesley, Indigo, & Fezzik who are planning to storm the castle to save Buttercup.  I was playing off of Aubergine who said "Have fun storming the castle" which is the line they say while waving goodbye. 

Billy Crystal is on the right, who plays Miracle Max.  yes he does kind of look like a woman in that pic

[Aeress]

Hi All! I finally gave in and realized that I NEEDed some help wit my anxiety. I am doing 5htp which really has helped during the day but I had an awful night last night, like totally anxious/freaking out bad night. I went to my pcp and decided to go on zoloft to help even out some things. I believe it was a good decision. I seem to need to do it every few years. I go on for 6-9 months and then I can wean myself off. I was hoping to do only herbs/vitamins, but they aren't enough, at the moment, but i hope they will help overall. I also asked to have my hormone levels and thyroid checked. I also decided to go back to therapy for awhile. So I am on my way to feeling myself. :)

In good news, my issues have pushed me to consider doing more spiritual practices on a daily basis. I need to focus inward for a bit.

Love and light to all!

[bluets]

there must be something calling us lurkers out today...

maia - love the new 'do :)

redveg - hope your garden is wetter than my dusty dirt.  is it bad when i weed one bed and have enough grass for almost a straw bale?

aubergine - happy birthday!  i have a lovely pepper plant or two.  with no peppers.  but the plants are huge.  but no flowers, no peppers.  my best plants are the volunteer tomato plants and the blue lobelia.  so what does that lobelia mean, i wonder?  no asthma in this house...

ktg - hoping you get those plumbing woes fixed soon.

aeress - SAMe might be much much better than 5-htp.  you might ask your pcp if it can play well with zoloft.  there's been some clinical work on SAMe and anxiety, so the pcp may even have heard of it.  in the longer term, you might consider B12 and/or folate, along with large amounts of magnesium.  in fact, magnesium (lots of it!) is my go-to for pretty much any mood disorder, in addition to a few specific homeopathic remedies.

update here: busy busy busy with studies, work, my apprenticeship...  ds starts grade 1 at a new school next week.  stupid hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri - 8:35am to 3:50pm.  Wed - 9:35am to 3:50pm.  not so bad for the littles but the high school starts a whole hour earlier.  for a town that stupidly relies on busing, the first stop for one of the high school bus routes picks up some kids at 5:30 a.m.  *boggle*  i am not voting for this slate of people again on the school board.

welcome to newcomers!  and a call out to the other lurkers (you know who you are....)

[witchygrrl]

Maia--I too, love the new do. Glad that you seem back on track with your diet! Weightloss is such a PITA. But I've lost 9 lbs this summer....yay me!

Clay, enjoy storming the castle! I *do* love the Princess Bride. Back in college, we did a theatrical version of it; I did lighting and my DH was the ROUS. That was before we were together, just as friends. ack, that was a long time ago. Anyway:D

My friend's shop reopened in its new location! First open moon ritual is on Friday-can't wait!

No nibbles yet on the job front for DH or me. He's on schoolspring, which is a website for teachers to find jobs, and two have him under "review." But they've been at that status for a few weeks now. Not sure what that means. But a few more long term sub jobs have opened up that are nearby, so apps are going on for those too.  So frustrating to go down to the wire like this.

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by _ktg_ Ha - at first I thought you were commenting on the picture of the 7 dwarfs which made me

Oh, well maybe I need glasses for close-up soon It's teeny and I didn't enlarge it. I hadn't seen Princess Bride till I got back with M, who said I HAD to watch it because it's us

Originally Posted by Aeress So I am on my way to feeling myself. :)

YAY! So glad you found something that works.

Originally Posted by bluets maia - love the new 'do :)

so what does that lobelia mean, i wonder?  no asthma in this house...

Thanks! Lobelia...we used to put that in a smoke blend, for...um...relaxation

Originally Posted by witchygrrl Maia--I too, love the new do. Glad that you seem back on track with your diet! Weightloss is such a PITA. But I've lost 9 lbs this summer....yay me!

No nibbles yet on the job front for DH or me.

Thank you Yes, back on track, whew. Down to 150.2 this morning. That's only about a pound and a half from my last lowest weight! I ate summer squash today, though; hoping that didn't impact. Tomorrow will tell. I'm very excited to get back into the 140s! I can't wait! Then onwards and downwards. I may have to stop losing and stabilize somewhere in the 140s. I don't think I'll get into the 130s before stabilizing time, but if I can get to the low 140s I will be really, really happy.

[LionessMom]

HI! I have been lurking. Feeling better today though. I have just been so tired lately. Nice to see all of you!!

[redveg]

Originally Posted by Aeress 

Hi All! I finally gave in and realized that I NEEDed some help wit my anxiety. I am doing 5htp which really has helped during the day but I had an awful night last night, like totally anxious/freaking out bad night. I went to my pcp and decided to go on zoloft to help even out some things. I believe it was a good decision. I seem to need to do it every few years. I go on for 6-9 months and then I can wean myself off. I was hoping to do only herbs/vitamins, but they aren't enough, at the moment, but i hope they will help overall. I also asked to have my hormone levels and thyroid checked. I also decided to go back to therapy for awhile. So I am on my way to feeling myself. :)

In good news, my issues have pushed me to consider doing more spiritual practices on a daily basis. I need to focus inward for a bit.

Love and light to all!

I can so relate!  I hope you feel better asap.

Originally Posted by bluets 

redveg - hope your garden is wetter than my dusty dirt.  is it bad when i weed one bed and have enough grass for almost a straw bale?

update here: busy busy busy with studies, work, my apprenticeship...  ds starts grade 1 at a new school next week.  stupid hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri - 8:35am to 3:50pm.  Wed - 9:35am to 3:50pm.  not so bad for the littles but the high school starts a whole hour earlier.  for a town that stupidly relies on busing, the first stop for one of the high school bus routes picks up some kids at 5:30 a.m.  *boggle*  i am not voting for this slate of people again on the school board.

Looks like rain today and been getting some during the evening hours the last two days so the garden has plenty of water.  Overall it's been a not so good year in the garden for me.  Not happy with the seeds I bought.  I think next year I am going to go straight to plants instead.   

The school start/end times can put a serious dent in the schedules of working parents and force kids to be at the bus stop hours before school.  I never understood the way they schedule things.  I was lucky and could drive and pick up every day otherwise my kids would be one of the ones at the bus stop in the dark and during the Winter they wouldn't get home until dark.

Originally Posted by witchygrrl 

Maia--I too, love the new do. Glad that you seem back on track with your diet! Weightloss is such a PITA. But I've lost 9 lbs this summer....yay me!

No nibbles yet on the job front for DH or me.

Great on the weight loss:)  I hope you and your DH find jobs.  Sending positive working vibes your way.

[redveg]

So has anyone ever woke up and felt like crying for no reason at all?  This is what today is like for me, if Hello is sad the wrong way I might just fall apart.  I feel on the tears right there and couldn't tell you why? 

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by redveg 

So has anyone ever woke up and felt like crying for no reason at all?  This is what today is like for me, if Hello is sad the wrong way I might just fall apart.  I feel on the tears right there and couldn't tell you why? 

Yes. On those days, I just chalk it up to Bad Day or whatever, and my most comforting thought is "all I have to do is get my head to the pillow tonight, and tomorrow things will look different". Sad, huh? But sometimes a day is just...well, a waste of a day. Be gentle with yourself. How did today go?

[MaxsFox]

Totally redveg.  But in my case it's probably due to being at the end of shark week.

I envy all you ladies who are planting gardens and harvesting your crops.  But...I might not have to envy you for too much longer.  We've found some land.  It's 5.5 acres, has a cabin on it and a stream in the backyard, and is close enough to a city to provide jobs but not be suburban.  There's just two problems.  The first is that we have the money, but might not have access to it fast enough to get it before someone else snaps it up.  The second problem is that it is an hour farther away from where my son lives, rather than closer like we had planned.  But it's perfect for us - exactly what we have been dreaming of for our off-grid homestead, and cheap enough that we can buy it outright.  That means we can live on one income while I do nursing school or whatever ("whatever" possibly being another child, which we both desperately want).  That also means Badger can actually come and see us more often, as it's my work schedule that keeps us apart the most right now.  Besides, he'll be 4 1/2 by the time our lease here is up next summer (enough time for us to get the new place ready to move in if we buy it soon) and he'll be starting public kindergarten in his father's town.  We had agreed that at that point he'd stay with the ex during the school year and come to us for vacations and over the summer.  If we get this land, so many doors open to us.  And there are so many coincidences surrounding the land and cabin and the area it's in, it makes me feel like we've been led to it.  Led to it, in fact, the day after I started work again on a project that I promised Kali I would complete in Her honor.  What do you ladies think?  And can you send some more positive energy our way, if you can spare it?

As for the project I promised to complete, here's the pic below.  I'm five hours into an enormous back piece, with four(ish) more hours to go.  It's a lot of pain, but so much gain!

[Maiasaura]

Originally Posted by MaxsFox 

Totally redveg.  But in my case it's probably due to being at the end of shark week.

I envy all you ladies who are planting gardens and harvesting your crops.  But...I might not have to envy you for too much longer.  We've found some land.  It's 5.5 acres, has a cabin on it and a stream in the backyard, and is close enough to a city to provide jobs but not be suburban.  There's just two problems.  The first is that we have the money, but might not have access to it fast enough to get it before someone else snaps it up.  The second problem is that it is an hour farther away from where my son lives, rather than closer like we had planned.  But it's perfect for us - exactly what we have been dreaming of for our off-grid homestead, and cheap enough that we can buy it outright.  That means we can live on one income while I do nursing school or whatever ("whatever" possibly being another child, which we both desperately want).  That also means Badger can actually come and see us more often, as it's my work schedule that keeps us apart the most right now.  Besides, he'll be 4 1/2 by the time our lease here is up next summer (enough time for us to get the new place ready to move in if we buy it soon) and he'll be starting public kindergarten in his father's town.  We had agreed that at that point he'd stay with the ex during the school year and come to us for vacations and over the summer.  If we get this land, so many doors open to us.  And there are so many coincidences surrounding the land and cabin and the area it's in, it makes me feel like we've been led to it.  Led to it, in fact, the day after I started work again on a project that I promised Kali I would complete in Her honor.  What do you ladies think?  And can you send some more positive energy our way, if you can spare it?

As for the project I promised to complete, here's the pic below.  I'm five hours into an enormous back piece, with four(ish) more hours to go.  It's a lot of pain, but so much gain!

What the heck is shark week? I have heard that somewhere else, too.

My opinion, for what it's worth...get the property!!! Yes!  An hour isn't all that bad (especially I'm guessing compared to now). As for snapping it up, go try for it!

Nice ink, BTW

[revolting]

Get the property. I'm so jealous!

Can I just say that I'm so done with August. In the first half of the month, I have:

1) gotten into a car crash

2) had a huge fight with my mother about my eldest and preschool

3) had my other car stolen

4) had a flat tire on the car I crashed within days after getting the car out of the shop

5) had trespassers using the empty apartment directly below me below me for drugs/drinking/partying regularly while management does nothing

6) my husband working out of state most of the month

7) a vacation to prepare for, without a car, and not being able to figure out how to do things like buy two car seats and get them home on public transportation with two small children in tow

8) an 18 month old who screams the.whole.time on the bus or train as he desperately tries to run away from me

I dunno. I'm a pagan but not a witch. Still undecided about the whole magick thing. But, man, I would love to hear how y'all use your pagan spirituality to help you through sucky times.

[HeckedyPeg]

Maxsfox: That property sounds amazing!! You should go for it! Best of luck :)

Revolting:  so sorry you're having such a crappy month so far! I hope it turns around for you. I don't have much in the way of advice (except to skip the mgmt co and call the police next time those squatters start partying).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millie Ivy 

oh, any my birthday is this month, as well as my anniversary. Happy August!

Ha, funny, my birthday was Tuesday! Happy birthday to you and Aubergine! :)

Originally Posted by redveg 

So has anyone ever woke up and felt like crying for no reason at all?  This is what today is like for me, if Hello is sad the wrong way I might just fall apart.  I feel on the tears right there and couldn't tell you why? 

ALL THE TIME! I usually have two "down" periods a month, once around my period and sometimes again in the middle. I get so weepy and just depressed and anxious and irritable. I've found evening primrose oil helps if I start taking it the week before expected period. I am sometimes just depressed though, in a non-hormonal way. I hope you're feeling better!

Originally Posted by Maiasaura 

What the heck is shark week? I have heard that somewhere else, too.

Periods, lol ... my DH refers to mine as shark week a lot!

I'm glad this week is over. I had final exams and almost no time to study, so ... blah. Also, MIL in the hospital again; she has metastatic lung cancer and has been in and out of hospital for several months, and every time she gets weaker. The doc finally gave up on the chemo ... we all know how it's going to end but still, so hard.