Author Archives: Cynthia

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About Cynthia

I am a textile artist, embroiderer, wood burner, costumer, painter, and weaver who sees magic and change in the chain stitch and a well done Palestrina knot. I wish I had more control over the ways of the human world but alas, all I can control are my actions and my attitude in life and the consistency of my stitches. And sometimes even that doesn’t pan out as hoped and I must rip rip rip.

Miss Mitty is Passing on The Chai Story

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Two months ago a 10 year old lab, Chai, was playing with a red rubber ball.  The ball had a hole in it and his tongue got stuck in the hole. There was no second hole in the ball to release pressue and the ball became a vacumm. Long story short, Chai lost his tongue and after 2 months is still trying to recover.  The story is tough to read, the one vet image almost impossible to view, and the videos even harder. 

If you have a dog and buy them red rubber balls as toys I highly recommend that you boycott the balls from Four Paws until they not only give retribution to the numerous folks who’s beloved dogs have suffered because of a design flaw.  If you find rubber balls with the same design flaw I hope you boycott them too. 

There is an email address and pre-written letter that you can send to Four Paws telling them of your boycott.  I did this and added that I have a well-read blog and am passing this information around to everyone I can.  HIt them where it hurts, their wallets.

The Chai Story

Signed

Miss Mitty, She Who Doesn’t LOVE Dogs Per Se But Understands What It’s Like To Be An Innocent Victim And Caused Irreparable Harm

Always a step ahead

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Couldn’t help myself. Woke up thinking I was going to get to some sewing and ended up wiling away an hour making seasonal changes to the blog…

Summer didn’t return this morning as promised, we might just have to face facts that this was less of a growing season that we wanted.  I’m preparing for higher prices on the grains and produce…  Which has already happened due to gas prices. Which is now below $4 in my area, WTF???

Going to put out the autumn decor this week as well as finish the new black linen pants and banner.  I’ve got several bags to finish, both tarot and wand, and a couple hats possibly before Concentric Circles.  I work better when it’s not hot so this helps me if not my blackberries, which just need 2 days of good ol hot summer to finalize juicing up.  This rain might ruin them.  Good thing I have some stashed in the freezer…  I needs me some cobbler vera soon.

Off to putter through my day as I wait for the frikking phone to ring inviting me for an interview.  In the process of transferring my domain names to my new web hosting service, my websites were down for at least 24 hours.  Perhaps they went to my sites and thought, this gal don’t know her shit… Hmmmm.

OLOTEAS last Saturday

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Saturday was a lovely sunny day. Warm but not hot.  My friend Ruth and I went on over to OLOTEAS.  It was a long day, we could have gone over later.  There wasn’t much going on and most folks were in the pool or inside. Ruth and I sat outside in the shade and talked, stitched (me), perused Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner (Ruth).  This was her first pagan/Wiccan event/ritual ever.  I have lent her a good beginner’s book (she said pick ONE), the Scott Cunningham.

I have a few friends who came and hung out for bits of time but no one remembers me much from when I used to go with Narcissus.  Who, by the way, was thankfully not in attendence.  So basically I get to start over which is lovely. 

This month’s ritual was not Wiccan but more Goddess oriented.  Just at dusk they lit the tiki torches and a central bonfire.  We processed in to the lovely standing stone circle at the Longhouse Spiritual Retreat in Redmond, WA.  The five priestesses were garbed in white and were wearing circlets of herbs and summer flowers from the site.  The intent was to send out energy to support the global food system and environment.  Cakes and ale were blackberries from the property picked that afternoon and raspberries from a local organic grower.  It was a lovely ritual.  I turned to Ruth when it was over and her eyes were just sparkling.  She said it was everything she had hoped it would be. Can’t ask for more than that.  What a priviledge to be able to take her to that and how wonderful of the Lord and Lady to set it up so well.

September 14th is our local Pagan Pride day, another opportunity to make new friends.  I’m looking forward to this event as well and will probably go with Ruth. 

I am looking forward to September 27th.  It is the annual Concentric Circles event.  Local groups, especially those looking for new members, will be casting circles and doing ritual in 2-3 locations throughout the day.  There will be workshops and merchants (I’ll be one of those).  Typically a large group of pagans come out to that event that don’t go the rest of the year. It will be a wonderful opportunity to run into old friends and meet new ones.  Ruth might bring her daughter who wanted to hear all about the event.  It’s going to be a  blast, I can hardly wait. 

And suddenly I see opportunities to take up my time.  I need to finish up some pouches etc…  Hmmm.  Maybe today is the day to sit down and make a calendar and list of what I want on my plate for the coming month.  This will help me know in the morning when I awake what that day brings.  Yes, that is the ticket.  So…  Wand bags and hats and pillows, here I come…

I woke up this morning

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feeling cranky and confused and in a state of what the heck am I supposed to be doing???

As soon as I woke up enough to get out of bed I made some tea (my current favorite is Celestial Seasonings “honey vanilla white tea chai”) and sat down the couch. Thumbed through a magazine on holiday crafts, not really getting into much. Still wondering what I want to do. No energy…

Got online and there was a response to my offer to teach free workshops to our local witch meetup group.  That was the catalyst.  I’ve scheduled and reserved rooms at two local libraries for the full day.  This will give us 7 hours to make one robe each.  And now I seem to have energy for my day.

It is quite clear that I need structure in my day or I get a low-grade depression.  Time to start thinking about how I want to go about this… 

I will do some sewing that has been calling my name today.  I will look online for a job. I will do some organizing of seasonal decorations and see what I want to use this year.  Tonight I go to my recovery meeting.

Okay.  This I can do. And like it.  Not bad for a Monday.  I need to remember today.

Summer is back

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And I’m making potato salad for the OLOTEAS ritual potluck today.  Now, you should know that I make the best potato salad ever.  The purist’s potato salad.  I keep it very simple and folks who don’t like potato salad like mine.  For one thing I put in a ton of eggs.  And I have a family secret ingredient. Narcissus hates that secret ingredient but he loved my tater salad.  And I hate things like olives and capers and sweet pickles and crap like that in this particular salad and don’t bring Miracle Whip anywhere near me.  Feh. Bleah. Criminal.  Just the basics folks and that’s good enough but really it’s the best ever.

My Potato Salad

  • However many potatos you need to make the size of salad you need
  • 6-9 eggs
  • Mayonaise (Best Foods is the one I recommend, it really is the best)
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Secret Ingredient (which happens to be dill pickle juice from the pickle jar, about 1/4 – 1/3 of a cup)
  1. Cook those potatoes until they are fairly soft.  Nothing worse than biting into a potato that is al dente in my opinion.  You need just enough solid potato to keep it together but enough mooshy potato to make it creamy.  I do not peel my potatos but when I cut them up for the salad, I get rid of the about 80% of the skins at that time.  It just happens really.
  2. Hard boil the eggs.
  3. Dice the potatoes and eggs (after peeling the eggs of course)
  4. Add pickle juice
  5. salt and pepper to taste (add more after the mayo and mustard most likely)
  6. Be very generous with the mayo and and temperate with the dijon mustard. You want a creamy mix, no dry areas, just a little more than you think you might. I usually start with a bit and keep adding until I get the right consistency and flavor. Hard to have too much mayo but it’s a fine line between perferct and too much mustard.
  7. C’est Magnifique!

I’m picking up my friend Ruth at 2:30 and we’re off like the Dixie Chicks to fun in the sun.  And perhaps a dip in the pool.  I’m taking my bags and putting them out just in case someone is in the mood to shop although it will be stealth merchanting really.   Woohoo! Ritual, good friends, good food, sun, shade, and water. Can’t ask for much more than that.

I woke up this morning and it occurred to me that I might run into Narcissus there and it became very clear that I’m okay.  I’m finally free.  Yes! But how cool would it be if he went somewhere else today?  Wouldn’t miss him a bit.

Also the mailman dropped off my new tarot deck, Pearls of Wisdom.  This is an art deck for sure.  Vibrant colors and very busy.  But it has elements that I just love and it’s going to be another of my embroidery inspirations…