Is Friday the 13th an unlucky day? It is for the more than one dozen black cats waiting at Seattle Humane Society shelter. Two of them were dropped off a couple of weeks ago by a couple that just divorced. They stated the reason for getting rid of the cats was that they couldn’t stand any more bad luck. If I knew who they were and where they lived they might find some bad luck now that they have abandoned their family members. I can’t begin to tell you how angry this makes me. Ahem….
I woke up this morning feeling pretty ooky. Body aches all over. And it’s no wonder, since the weather has changed dramatically (yay!) and I had my assessment physical therapy session yesterday. Both of which are great news. Both of which leave me aching. I seriously considered staying home but decided that I just didn’t want to use sick time. Again. So here, I am. Working, not working, listening to Rhapsody’s New Age channel and enjoying the heck out of the cool breeze flowing through my office window. The sound of thunder. The sound of the light rain. The sound of birds.
Perhaps it’s because I just celebrated two very important anniversaries that I’m in this reflective mood, perhaps it’s because it’s finally not so hot that my brain is frying. But I find myself really wanting to continue my assessment of what fits in my life and what doesn’t. And it sure isn’t my cat(s) who don’t fit in my life. They fit all right. Miss Mitty inside and Miss Broken Ears outside. She comes by often for food and water and I’m worried about her while I’m gone for Faerieworlds. I will be asking the cat sitter to leave some food and water out on the shady patio while I am gone.
Several friends got together for a garage sale this past weekend. As a friend of mine, Jan, used to say after a gig when no one but the groupies came, “A good time was had by all.” We didn’t do nearly as well as we would have liked but after we dropped off everything that was left at the local Value Village, I know that Patrick and I felt much lighter.
It was difficult for me to give in after carrying around a chair for 25 years that my ex-husband stripped of its fabric and stuffing. I kept thinking I would refinish it one day. But after 25 years I guess that’s just not going to happen and if I did do it, where would I put it? I had no room for it. But it was very sad for me. It was my grandmother’s chair. An aspiring upholsterer and successful alcoholic (successful in the fact that he was drunk all the time) he stipped all but one piece of her furniture. And when I divorced his sorry ass 23 years ago all but this one piece went to the dump. God, to throw that stuff in a landfill. Makes me sick for all kinds of reasons. But I also feel as if I’ve finally let go of the one last thing from that horrible marriage and THAT? Feels damned good.
Patrick finally decided how he was going to get rid of some dead animal artifacts he’s been carrying around since he was a young boy who thought a real fur and antler jackalope was cool. Who didn’t know what to do with the stuffed wolf head his parents brought back from a trip to Canada. He plans on burning it all in a ritual. And that feels right too.
I’ve changed my LJ and have a new account. I’ve decided that my SCA involvement is going to be very local, very specific. I’ve moved on from friendships that were not feeding me any more. I’m reading Body Sacred by Dianne Sylvan. It is helping me deal with my negative body issues. And you know what? It’s working. I’ve never felt so good about my bod. And I feel motivated for the first time in my adult life to really take care of myself. I decided when I turned 45 that I would be in better shape at 50 than I was at 40. And it’s been a roller coaster, a love hate relationship. But I finally feel as though I’m getting right sized in the mind and heart about who I am. That Itty Bitty Shitty Committee is so packed and out of here. Buh bye.
Faerieworlds is next week and we are looking forward to it. Yes indeedy. My lovely faerie bolero is finished but it will be too hot to wear it much I think. The velvet bodice thingie is done. I will start packing seriously Tuesday night. Menu planning happens Sunday. I doesn’t look exactly how I envisioned but it will do for one day. The other day I’m just going as casually as I can. Aiming for comfort and nothing else.
I’m working on a new wall hanging. I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve decided to give myself a very long window to completion so I can decide to embellish a lot or a little. It is a great wheel of the year in wool felt. There are 8 pie pieces of ivory felt. These pieces will have spaces between them to show the black felt background. I decided that each piece would have an animal and a plant for each Sabbat. They are the following:
- Yule – cardinal and pine
- Imbolg – lambs and crocus
- Ostara – rabbit and lily
- Beltaine – frog and cattails
- Midsummer – bees, hive, and lavender
- Lammas – Canadian goose and wheat
- Mabon – pumpkin and mouse
- Samhain – nightshade and snake
It sounds a little predictable but I’ve drafted it out and I am just so pleased with how my drawing and design skills are progressing. Each piece is simple, very simple but I am trying to use scale and balance to keep it from being cutesy. There are Celtic motifs, vines, and other little bits that will punch it to the next level. As I finish a pie piece, I will post it to LJ.
For your reading edification, hopefully thought provoking:
On Perfection, Enlightenment, and Being Grumpy from Pagan Godspell
Cat’s Spiritual Journey Parts 1-5 from Quaker Pagan Reflections (follow this link to get to #5 where you will find links for 1-4)
Rain Dance from Clusterfuck Nation
Have a wonderful weekend, stay cool, find time for love and something joyful
Stitch Witch Cottage 