Blessings Darlings!
Today I saw a FaceBook post from a friend. He's teaching first aid, and wanted to know what to teach along with that. This is my reply ....
About
a decade ago, my boss collapsed - Atrial Fibrillation. It took 18
minutes for the EMTs to arrive (that's a story for a different time).
One of my coworkers was a volunteer firefighter, had spent the past year
and a half I'd worked with her claiming how ready she was to deal with
anything.
That
coworker froze. I, along with a woman from the loan office housed next
to ours, did CPR and kept the boss going until the EMTs got there and
defib'd her.
Why
did the 'trained' person fail, while I could function (even tho' my CPR
training had been two decades earlier)? Because in ALL things I didn't
procrastinate, instead my habit was to deal with problems as them came
up (and try to head them off, of course, but that, too, is a story for a
different day. OTOH, my coworker was the youngest child of many, and
her siblings would usually step in to 'help' her if she was slow in
doing things, or her boyfriend would handle unpleasant things, etc.
Cultivating
the habit of handling problems (that you failed to prevent) as they
happen, so you don't freeze and act out the habit of putting things off
and having others handle them, is to me the most important thing to
learn along with the skills involved in first aid.
Frondly, Fern
Showing posts with label Druid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Druid. Show all posts
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
Imbolg!
Blessings Darlings!
Being as I'm even more of a hermit than my friend Suz is, I don't get out much. But today I found myself driving off to the Big City on business, and I ran smack dab into Imbolg.
At first it was a subtle thing. The bare trees of winter no longer seemed as harsh. Their outlines had softened with the faint beginnings of swollen buds.
Then came the official in-my-face sign: LAMBS! Very young lambs, already rather coated in the signs of Mud Season.
As I've mentioned before, I don't personally celebrate the High Days based on either the calender or astrological timing, I do it by local herding and agricultural signs. These are the signs of Imbolg in my area.
So, it's official. Imbolg has arrived. Bridget - come in, come in, and welcome!
Frondly, Fern
Being as I'm even more of a hermit than my friend Suz is, I don't get out much. But today I found myself driving off to the Big City on business, and I ran smack dab into Imbolg.
At first it was a subtle thing. The bare trees of winter no longer seemed as harsh. Their outlines had softened with the faint beginnings of swollen buds.
Then came the official in-my-face sign: LAMBS! Very young lambs, already rather coated in the signs of Mud Season.
As I've mentioned before, I don't personally celebrate the High Days based on either the calender or astrological timing, I do it by local herding and agricultural signs. These are the signs of Imbolg in my area.
So, it's official. Imbolg has arrived. Bridget - come in, come in, and welcome!
Frondly, Fern
Monday, October 22, 2012
Who Controls You?
Blessings Darlings!
So you say that you are a Witch, or Wiccan, or some other form of Magic User. You Create Change in Conformity to Will (a phrase that goes back to, gasp, Aleister Crowley). Or so you say .....
If you and your Will are so tight, then why can perfect strangers push your buttons and get reactions from you that cause the clerk in the store you're in to have to try to calm you down? If you can't control yourself, and be in charge of your anger/reactions so you can choose how you act, how do you expect to control the Universe, or even do a working to help you in some smaller way?
Get it together.
Frondly, Fern
So you say that you are a Witch, or Wiccan, or some other form of Magic User. You Create Change in Conformity to Will (a phrase that goes back to, gasp, Aleister Crowley). Or so you say .....
If you and your Will are so tight, then why can perfect strangers push your buttons and get reactions from you that cause the clerk in the store you're in to have to try to calm you down? If you can't control yourself, and be in charge of your anger/reactions so you can choose how you act, how do you expect to control the Universe, or even do a working to help you in some smaller way?
Get it together.
Frondly, Fern
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Omen or not?
Blessings Darlings!
Neatly bucketed black walnuts, now scattered over the deck.
Very cute garter snake sunning itself on the back step.
Dreams for a week all about the same area of Chicago.
Barking foxes every night at 11.
Are any of them omens? How would you know?
None of them are actually 'magically significant' for my life, as it turns out. Black walnuts scattered? Squirrel! Garter snake sunning? It's fall, but that was before the first frost - they are sunning themselves EVERYWHERE, lots of them run over on the roads. Barking foxes? they have a den in the larger copse by the house, and there's another under the big altar in the wooded area on the East of the house. Dreams about Chicago? That's my guilty conscience telling me to call my Mother more often.
Know what's normal for your area, and what's not. Only the unusual should be looked at as an omen at all. Certainly that the daughter of a Jewish mother is feeling guilty is NOT unusual.
Frondly, Fern
Neatly bucketed black walnuts, now scattered over the deck.
Very cute garter snake sunning itself on the back step.
Dreams for a week all about the same area of Chicago.
Barking foxes every night at 11.
Are any of them omens? How would you know?
None of them are actually 'magically significant' for my life, as it turns out. Black walnuts scattered? Squirrel! Garter snake sunning? It's fall, but that was before the first frost - they are sunning themselves EVERYWHERE, lots of them run over on the roads. Barking foxes? they have a den in the larger copse by the house, and there's another under the big altar in the wooded area on the East of the house. Dreams about Chicago? That's my guilty conscience telling me to call my Mother more often.
Know what's normal for your area, and what's not. Only the unusual should be looked at as an omen at all. Certainly that the daughter of a Jewish mother is feeling guilty is NOT unusual.
Frondly, Fern
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Incoming!
Blessings Darlings!
For discussion purposes I 'divide' magic into two broad categories, thaumaturgy and theurgy, the thaumaturgy being measurable 'miracle working/money drawing/physical healing/etc' and theurgy being "spiritual development work".
I've posted some about those things before, like here, and here, and here, and here.
Now, probably everyone agrees that the theurgical magic you do is tied to you. Cuz who else would it be tied to? I'm also assuming that you probably use your magical tools to do this magic when use of them is appropriate.
It has come to my attention that some folks don't think that 'everyday' magic you do is also tied to you. As in "Blood anoited [sic] tools binds magic to you and your bloodline. Not wise if you plan on to use the tool for basic everyday spells." This was a response I got on the Witchcraft, Paganism, and Wiccan page on FaceBook. I'd link you, but, due to people posting complaints about the regular plagiarism there, posting by all but the admins is now closed so getting at MY post is impossible.
Darlings, your tools are ' yours' because you and then are bonded together. that's a fundamental part of your being able to use them fully. If you are REALLY bonded to, say, Wand, then you can use your finger and not a pretty anointed with ANYthing stick. And, guess what - your flesh, blood, and bone makes up that finger.
ALL MAGIC YOU DO IS TIED BACK TO YOU. That's how we trace back hexes to who they came from. That's how the "Law of Return" works, to those who believe in that. That's how the 'three fold law' works for those who believe in that. That's how your senses work, for that matter - that tree I'm looking at is sending things that ENTER MY EYE so I can see it.
If you think you can duck being tied to your magic by NOT being 'blood tied' to your tools, you are fooling yourself.
For discussion purposes I 'divide' magic into two broad categories, thaumaturgy and theurgy, the thaumaturgy being measurable 'miracle working/money drawing/physical healing/etc' and theurgy being "spiritual development work".
I've posted some about those things before, like here, and here, and here, and here.
Now, probably everyone agrees that the theurgical magic you do is tied to you. Cuz who else would it be tied to? I'm also assuming that you probably use your magical tools to do this magic when use of them is appropriate.
It has come to my attention that some folks don't think that 'everyday' magic you do is also tied to you. As in "Blood anoited [sic] tools binds magic to you and your bloodline. Not wise if you plan on to use the tool for basic everyday spells." This was a response I got on the Witchcraft, Paganism, and Wiccan page on FaceBook. I'd link you, but, due to people posting complaints about the regular plagiarism there, posting by all but the admins is now closed so getting at MY post is impossible.
Darlings, your tools are ' yours' because you and then are bonded together. that's a fundamental part of your being able to use them fully. If you are REALLY bonded to, say, Wand, then you can use your finger and not a pretty anointed with ANYthing stick. And, guess what - your flesh, blood, and bone makes up that finger.
ALL MAGIC YOU DO IS TIED BACK TO YOU. That's how we trace back hexes to who they came from. That's how the "Law of Return" works, to those who believe in that. That's how the 'three fold law' works for those who believe in that. That's how your senses work, for that matter - that tree I'm looking at is sending things that ENTER MY EYE so I can see it.
If you think you can duck being tied to your magic by NOT being 'blood tied' to your tools, you are fooling yourself.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Poke Berries and Mullein.
Blessings Darlings!
I've been blessed with the poke berries and the mullein that I was looking for. Poke berries are drying for future use even as I type, I'll dry the mullein after they are done and I've washed everything clean of the toxins.
I'm still putting out to the Universe that I'm looking for a few good hawthorn trees, one or more for the haws and one (best by a well or stream or river) as a clootie tree.
Oh, I got a bonus today - wild hickory nuts, when I thought I was going to be getting more black walnuts! I'm not sure these will be my favorites, tho. While it is FAR easier to get the outer husk off the hickory nuts, the meat itself come in smaller/narrower twists and turns in the shell, which makes the meat harder to get out once you've freed and cracked the nut.
Frondly, Fern
I've been blessed with the poke berries and the mullein that I was looking for. Poke berries are drying for future use even as I type, I'll dry the mullein after they are done and I've washed everything clean of the toxins.
I'm still putting out to the Universe that I'm looking for a few good hawthorn trees, one or more for the haws and one (best by a well or stream or river) as a clootie tree.
Oh, I got a bonus today - wild hickory nuts, when I thought I was going to be getting more black walnuts! I'm not sure these will be my favorites, tho. While it is FAR easier to get the outer husk off the hickory nuts, the meat itself come in smaller/narrower twists and turns in the shell, which makes the meat harder to get out once you've freed and cracked the nut.
Frondly, Fern
Monday, October 8, 2012
Imperfect Practice
Blessings Darlings!
I spent much of the last waxing moon making my first batch ever of magical chalk. Today I tried out the finished product. Clearly my skills in this still need some work. The chalk is too hard - I can use it on concrete, and probably asphalt, but it fails on wood, plastic, and cardboard.
I will try new proportions of ingredients, vary the ingredients some (corn starch should work the same in magic as white flour, shouldn't it?), etc.
A witch's work is never done. Just like tweaking recipes for food, recipes for magic take practice and I don't know if I'll ever call them 'perfect'.
Frondly, Fern
I spent much of the last waxing moon making my first batch ever of magical chalk. Today I tried out the finished product. Clearly my skills in this still need some work. The chalk is too hard - I can use it on concrete, and probably asphalt, but it fails on wood, plastic, and cardboard.
I will try new proportions of ingredients, vary the ingredients some (corn starch should work the same in magic as white flour, shouldn't it?), etc.
A witch's work is never done. Just like tweaking recipes for food, recipes for magic take practice and I don't know if I'll ever call them 'perfect'.
Frondly, Fern
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Visiting My Ancestors
Blessings Darlings!
I just read Byron's lovely article "Food For Thought ... and Spirits", to credit the inspiration for this post.
Byron has a great advantage over me on this one. The bulk of my ancestors are buried almost 900 miles from me, in two Jewish cemeteries in Chicago, while she lives close to hers. And she has a different heritage of working with them. Jews DO visit their cemeteries, and DO work with each ancestor on the anniversary of her/his death, but decorating graves or eating/drinking at the cemetary is right out. It was a VAST break in Jewish tradition when we planted flowers along with burying my uncle Maury - but everyone at the cemetery service knew Maury and knew that he LIVED in his garden, so knew why we chose to break tradition in this way.
So where do I go now to honor my Ancestors?
Celts had several options. Tir Na Gog is 'in the West', and the Ancestors are often seen as part of the Sea/waters. Or they are said to be in the North. When I lived close to, but west of, the Chesapeake Bay, that West association didn't work well. I winged it. But now the Potomac is north of me. I'll do my major working on that river. Part of that will be a boat of food pushed out on the water, as part of my Samhain celebration.
But, as you know, I start the preparation work for Samhain well in advance. As part of that, I'll be sharing food and drink much of the month with my Ancestors. I find that efforts put in to renew the ties well before Samhain, when I will be out communing with them officially, pays off.
And, I'm assuming that all y'all already have ancestor altars you work with regularly, right?
Frondly, Fern
I just read Byron's lovely article "Food For Thought ... and Spirits", to credit the inspiration for this post.
Byron has a great advantage over me on this one. The bulk of my ancestors are buried almost 900 miles from me, in two Jewish cemeteries in Chicago, while she lives close to hers. And she has a different heritage of working with them. Jews DO visit their cemeteries, and DO work with each ancestor on the anniversary of her/his death, but decorating graves or eating/drinking at the cemetary is right out. It was a VAST break in Jewish tradition when we planted flowers along with burying my uncle Maury - but everyone at the cemetery service knew Maury and knew that he LIVED in his garden, so knew why we chose to break tradition in this way.
So where do I go now to honor my Ancestors?
Celts had several options. Tir Na Gog is 'in the West', and the Ancestors are often seen as part of the Sea/waters. Or they are said to be in the North. When I lived close to, but west of, the Chesapeake Bay, that West association didn't work well. I winged it. But now the Potomac is north of me. I'll do my major working on that river. Part of that will be a boat of food pushed out on the water, as part of my Samhain celebration.
But, as you know, I start the preparation work for Samhain well in advance. As part of that, I'll be sharing food and drink much of the month with my Ancestors. I find that efforts put in to renew the ties well before Samhain, when I will be out communing with them officially, pays off.
And, I'm assuming that all y'all already have ancestor altars you work with regularly, right?
Frondly, Fern
Mugwort, and sumac, and grapes, oh my!
Blessings Darlings!
Wednesday I FINALLY made my monthly trip to the DC suburbs. I have business to do there early in the month, and I try to combine a lot of things in the trip. However, it's VERY hard to drive there without a car ... so the trip had to be delayed from Monday when I intended to go until Wednesday, when my car cooperated. Car needed an offering of a new starter before it was going ANY where. Or, as we say around here, "O Entropy! Dread sister of Death".
Yes, we are Shakespeare sluts.
Drive thru' the heavy fog to drop the Spawn off of work. He reminds me he works 'till 4, not 5, that day. Crap. Okay. I start the long drive - I'm not just hitting the DC 'burbs today, I'm on a mission. Therefore I'm going all the way to ... Annapolis!
The drive and getting the business-related part of the day done took less time than usual. Head east to Annapolis. I was searching for dried or (even better) fresh elderberries to use for a tincture to treat colds and flu. None were to be found in either my area's store nor in Frederick (a mere 30 miles away), so I was driving 110 miles to search for them. Finally found them in a little place in Annapolis, after checking 3 other places. VICTORY WAS MINE!
Back into the car, heading west. Hungry. Raided grocery store between Annapolis and DC, and ate in the parking lot of a minor league baseball team for peace and quiet. Well, what did I spy with my little eye? Wild grapes! So after I ate I grabbed a plastic bag and harvested.
First the grapes.
Then both the fuzzy and less fuzzy seed bunches of staghorn sumac.
Then ... holy cow, that's MUGWORT! Squee!
I didn't harvests the acorns, nor the vines from the grapes, nor the poke berries. Instead, I headed back to Frederick to hit the Costco, then out home to pick up the Spawn.
Elderberry tincture is kind of started. I ran out of vodka, so can't make a full batch. And I might want to make some with ginger added. I'm not sure if I will use brandy and make a mugwort tincture or dry it, for that matter. Probably dry it, so it can be used any way I want to later.
All in all, a busy but productive day, making for a happy Fern who is still singing show tunes. It was HARD to not buy the 6 CD set of Rodgers and Hammerstein movies at Costco....
Frondly, Fern
Wednesday I FINALLY made my monthly trip to the DC suburbs. I have business to do there early in the month, and I try to combine a lot of things in the trip. However, it's VERY hard to drive there without a car ... so the trip had to be delayed from Monday when I intended to go until Wednesday, when my car cooperated. Car needed an offering of a new starter before it was going ANY where. Or, as we say around here, "O Entropy! Dread sister of Death".
Yes, we are Shakespeare sluts.
Drive thru' the heavy fog to drop the Spawn off of work. He reminds me he works 'till 4, not 5, that day. Crap. Okay. I start the long drive - I'm not just hitting the DC 'burbs today, I'm on a mission. Therefore I'm going all the way to ... Annapolis!
The drive and getting the business-related part of the day done took less time than usual. Head east to Annapolis. I was searching for dried or (even better) fresh elderberries to use for a tincture to treat colds and flu. None were to be found in either my area's store nor in Frederick (a mere 30 miles away), so I was driving 110 miles to search for them. Finally found them in a little place in Annapolis, after checking 3 other places. VICTORY WAS MINE!
Back into the car, heading west. Hungry. Raided grocery store between Annapolis and DC, and ate in the parking lot of a minor league baseball team for peace and quiet. Well, what did I spy with my little eye? Wild grapes! So after I ate I grabbed a plastic bag and harvested.
First the grapes.
Then both the fuzzy and less fuzzy seed bunches of staghorn sumac.
Then ... holy cow, that's MUGWORT! Squee!
I didn't harvests the acorns, nor the vines from the grapes, nor the poke berries. Instead, I headed back to Frederick to hit the Costco, then out home to pick up the Spawn.
Elderberry tincture is kind of started. I ran out of vodka, so can't make a full batch. And I might want to make some with ginger added. I'm not sure if I will use brandy and make a mugwort tincture or dry it, for that matter. Probably dry it, so it can be used any way I want to later.
All in all, a busy but productive day, making for a happy Fern who is still singing show tunes. It was HARD to not buy the 6 CD set of Rodgers and Hammerstein movies at Costco....
Frondly, Fern
Monday, October 1, 2012
Autumn
Blessings Darlings!
Fall is an insanely busy time around here. The Chubby Hubby has caught up on work after the summer conference he teaches at and is involved in new projects, for one thing. For another, the weather has finally cooled off so I'm doing more things. Meanwhile, the garden hasn't really slowed down yet.
The first thing I did with the cooler weather was do the sewing I'd put off all summer. In late spring I'd taken all the clothes that needed patches and other repairs and gotten them ready to be worked on. Mostly that meant that I'd ironed or fabric-glued patches in place, intending to sew the the patches on more securely. Since the clothes were all long-sleeved shirts and long pants, they didn't need to be done immediately. But I discovered that during the 100 degree days of summer I was .... disinclined .... to sit with material covering me, doing the sewing in my lap (knee and elbow patches have to be sewn by hand here, I don't have a sewing machine with an long narrow plate to slip them over). So suddenly it was 'patch or die!' or at least "patch or everyone will have to wear their GOOD STUFF around the house, leading to them wearing out into no longer being the good stuff".
It took a few weeks, but the winter stuff is now caught up on. Which means I'm identifying summer stuff that needs work. Why do the underarms get holes in them? I understand the holes in the front of the shirts - we have cats. Cats have claws. Cats poke holes in things. Those holes I'm going to do some embroidery over. I'm thinking of doing protective runes.
I've also started the fall round of carpet shampooing, and all the rest of the fall cleaning. It's a constant battle against cobwebs here!
And I'm working on harvesting every wild herb that I can. I'm sure that this is embarrassing the Spawn, who is often with me when I suddenly stop and grab, say, a nice mullein plant, or cut some grape vines, or dig up some chickory roots. And then I have to clean them, dry them, store them.
And, as I type this, tomorrow in October 1. Which means Samhain is coming. With my 9-day personal prep for that (see this post), and coven ritual, and maybe Audience with the Ancestors with the larger tradition .... busy.
What's on your plate for Autumn? Are you preparing for the Cold Times, for Samhain? Clearing the way for introspection or study?
Frondly, Fern
Fall is an insanely busy time around here. The Chubby Hubby has caught up on work after the summer conference he teaches at and is involved in new projects, for one thing. For another, the weather has finally cooled off so I'm doing more things. Meanwhile, the garden hasn't really slowed down yet.
The first thing I did with the cooler weather was do the sewing I'd put off all summer. In late spring I'd taken all the clothes that needed patches and other repairs and gotten them ready to be worked on. Mostly that meant that I'd ironed or fabric-glued patches in place, intending to sew the the patches on more securely. Since the clothes were all long-sleeved shirts and long pants, they didn't need to be done immediately. But I discovered that during the 100 degree days of summer I was .... disinclined .... to sit with material covering me, doing the sewing in my lap (knee and elbow patches have to be sewn by hand here, I don't have a sewing machine with an long narrow plate to slip them over). So suddenly it was 'patch or die!' or at least "patch or everyone will have to wear their GOOD STUFF around the house, leading to them wearing out into no longer being the good stuff".
It took a few weeks, but the winter stuff is now caught up on. Which means I'm identifying summer stuff that needs work. Why do the underarms get holes in them? I understand the holes in the front of the shirts - we have cats. Cats have claws. Cats poke holes in things. Those holes I'm going to do some embroidery over. I'm thinking of doing protective runes.
I've also started the fall round of carpet shampooing, and all the rest of the fall cleaning. It's a constant battle against cobwebs here!
And I'm working on harvesting every wild herb that I can. I'm sure that this is embarrassing the Spawn, who is often with me when I suddenly stop and grab, say, a nice mullein plant, or cut some grape vines, or dig up some chickory roots. And then I have to clean them, dry them, store them.
And, as I type this, tomorrow in October 1. Which means Samhain is coming. With my 9-day personal prep for that (see this post), and coven ritual, and maybe Audience with the Ancestors with the larger tradition .... busy.
What's on your plate for Autumn? Are you preparing for the Cold Times, for Samhain? Clearing the way for introspection or study?
Frondly, Fern
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Calling Out Plagiarism
Blessings Darlings!
I respect authors, artists, etc - as a result, I take a hard line on plagiarism, as I've mentioned before. And I don't keep silent when I see folks do it FaceBook. Oddly enough, that doesn't endear me to some people. Specifically, it doesn't endear me to plagiarists. Which, actually, cheers me quite a bit - if I am to be known by what groups hate me, being hated by plagiarists is a fine thing in my never humble opinion.
Well, I ran into some plagiarism in an open FaceBook group earlier this month. It was posted on the 14th, I saw it and snarked on the 26th, and they (the plagiarist and her friends) found it today. Instead of saying something like "ooops, you're right, I should have linked back to my source, Llewellyn Publishing's blog at <this address>", the plagiarist called ME negative. Because pointing out plagiarism is negative, but plagiarism itself is white light and unicorn farts?
Here is the complete text of the conversation, as of this moment. I had to get someone else to grab the text for me (given the results, easycapture.com seems to rock!) because the plagiarist blocked me during the conversation. If you'd like to check, the link to the group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/219529221497038/?bookmark_t=group .
I expect that the group owner didn't think s/he would need a plagiarism policy, that no one would do it. But plagiarism puts the OWNER at risk, so some policy would be a good idea.
Anyway, for your reading pleasure:
Frondly - and HONORABLY - Fern
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
A Bad Influence
Blessings Darlings!
H. Byron Ballard, a delicate flower of Appalachian womanhood and the author of "Staubs and Ditchwater", is A Very Bad Influence. She sent me a copy of her book, which I am enjoying immensely and will write a review of when I am done reading it. But I'm reading it slowly, because I am savoring every word of it.
What, you ask, makes a woman I just raved about a Very Bad Influence? It's because she makes me even more shameless about what I do that draws strange looks. Let's look at today.....
I needed the car, and the Spawn needed to work AND to get to the county health department before it closed at 4:30 to renew his food handler's certification. Of course, instead of getting off work early as he had been promised, there was a rush at the restaurant and two of the three managers were in conference and the third was interviewing a potential new hire. So I was in the car, reading and waiting. Nothing new about that. And, no, it wasn't that I did a little something something to free my son to get to where he had to get to on time.
No, I tried to head out to the wilderness across the street from the restaurant to see what wild herbs/weeds I could gather. Discovering that I hadn't paid the cell phone, so the spawn could not call me back once he got off, I gave up that idea and paid the phone and then read some more. Okay, an attempt at some root work prep that failed.
Spawn got off work, with a full 22 minutes to get his recertification done. Got to the health dept. with plenty of time. I grab the plastic bags, and see what there is to collect around THERE. Pine cones, from some spruce - Great! Oh, LOOK - HUGE gobs of sap have fallen off the trees! Gather that .... a few nice feathers, one from a duck most of the rest probably from pigeons, sure. Oh, my - BLACK WALNUTS! gather gather gather gather ....
You have no idea just how thrilled I am at the black walnuts and the pine sap. And, knowing me, I'd have collected all that even if I was NOT reading her book. But reading her book certainly helped me feel absolutely NO shame in doing it.
Wish I had found some fallen black walnut branches....
Frondly, Fern
H. Byron Ballard, a delicate flower of Appalachian womanhood and the author of "Staubs and Ditchwater", is A Very Bad Influence. She sent me a copy of her book, which I am enjoying immensely and will write a review of when I am done reading it. But I'm reading it slowly, because I am savoring every word of it.
What, you ask, makes a woman I just raved about a Very Bad Influence? It's because she makes me even more shameless about what I do that draws strange looks. Let's look at today.....
I needed the car, and the Spawn needed to work AND to get to the county health department before it closed at 4:30 to renew his food handler's certification. Of course, instead of getting off work early as he had been promised, there was a rush at the restaurant and two of the three managers were in conference and the third was interviewing a potential new hire. So I was in the car, reading and waiting. Nothing new about that. And, no, it wasn't that I did a little something something to free my son to get to where he had to get to on time.
No, I tried to head out to the wilderness across the street from the restaurant to see what wild herbs/weeds I could gather. Discovering that I hadn't paid the cell phone, so the spawn could not call me back once he got off, I gave up that idea and paid the phone and then read some more. Okay, an attempt at some root work prep that failed.
Spawn got off work, with a full 22 minutes to get his recertification done. Got to the health dept. with plenty of time. I grab the plastic bags, and see what there is to collect around THERE. Pine cones, from some spruce - Great! Oh, LOOK - HUGE gobs of sap have fallen off the trees! Gather that .... a few nice feathers, one from a duck most of the rest probably from pigeons, sure. Oh, my - BLACK WALNUTS! gather gather gather gather ....
You have no idea just how thrilled I am at the black walnuts and the pine sap. And, knowing me, I'd have collected all that even if I was NOT reading her book. But reading her book certainly helped me feel absolutely NO shame in doing it.
Wish I had found some fallen black walnut branches....
Frondly, Fern
Friday, September 21, 2012
Demeter Devotional
Blessings Darlings!
There is a call for submissions to a Demeter devotional being put together. Read all about it, and submit your stuff!
Just thought you should know.
Frondly, Fern
Dammit - this works better if I actually include the link, doesn't it?
http://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/calls-for-submissions/untitled-demeter-devotional/
There is a call for submissions to a Demeter devotional being put together. Read all about it, and submit your stuff!
Just thought you should know.
Frondly, Fern
Dammit - this works better if I actually include the link, doesn't it?
http://neosalexandria.org/bibliotheca-alexandrina/calls-for-submissions/untitled-demeter-devotional/
Friday, September 14, 2012
Poofiness
Blessings Darlings!
I've been making my own laundry soap since about the beginning of the year. It's a pretty simple recipe - grate a bar of soap, add a cup each of Washing Soda and Borax, mix well, use 2 tablespoons per load. It's easy to make, with grating the soap taking the longest time.
So today I opened a new package of Ivory Soap to make a new batch. It was ... dampish. I couldn't grate it. How can I dry it? I looked up 'nuking Ivory Soap' online, and found it was a COOL thing to do. The stuff .... blooms. It would have been a GREAT part of a lesson on foams while we homeschooled.
My family and I had a GREAT time playing with the blooming bar of soap. And much to my delight, the expanded foam, once cooled, was a breeze to crush into tiny soap flakes, better than anything I'd grated for laundry soap making. I am exceedingly pleased with the results. Well, the poofy flakes go rather more airborne and made me sneeze, but that's not a big deal.
Frondly, Fern
I've been making my own laundry soap since about the beginning of the year. It's a pretty simple recipe - grate a bar of soap, add a cup each of Washing Soda and Borax, mix well, use 2 tablespoons per load. It's easy to make, with grating the soap taking the longest time.
So today I opened a new package of Ivory Soap to make a new batch. It was ... dampish. I couldn't grate it. How can I dry it? I looked up 'nuking Ivory Soap' online, and found it was a COOL thing to do. The stuff .... blooms. It would have been a GREAT part of a lesson on foams while we homeschooled.
My family and I had a GREAT time playing with the blooming bar of soap. And much to my delight, the expanded foam, once cooled, was a breeze to crush into tiny soap flakes, better than anything I'd grated for laundry soap making. I am exceedingly pleased with the results. Well, the poofy flakes go rather more airborne and made me sneeze, but that's not a big deal.
Frondly, Fern
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Is Pagan Reconstructionism Plagiarism?
Blessings Darlings!
I got asked this after last Friday's blog post on plagiarism in the Pagan blogosphere/FB universe. The question make me giggle.
Nope, if there is ANYTHING you can count on among Reconstructionists is that they cite their sources. And demand to know the sources of others. They will delight in telling you which Homeric Hymn they are reciting, where in the Táin Bó Cúalnge a reference comes from, what Snorri wrote down about this, that, or the other.
It's not to say that they eschew all UPG, but that they consider scholarship a virtue that should shine forth in their lives and practice.
Frondly, Fern
I got asked this after last Friday's blog post on plagiarism in the Pagan blogosphere/FB universe. The question make me giggle.
Nope, if there is ANYTHING you can count on among Reconstructionists is that they cite their sources. And demand to know the sources of others. They will delight in telling you which Homeric Hymn they are reciting, where in the Táin Bó Cúalnge a reference comes from, what Snorri wrote down about this, that, or the other.
It's not to say that they eschew all UPG, but that they consider scholarship a virtue that should shine forth in their lives and practice.
Frondly, Fern
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Lenten Traditions
Blessings Darlings!
Yes, I know we're closer to Advent than Lent if you look at the Christian liturgical calendar.
As you may have already picked up, I'm a moderate Doomer. I think that our society is facing problems (mostly End of Oil and Climate Change) that we are not at all facing, and that are making our shaky economy fail. Because of this I see 'getting by' as getting harder and harder in the future. I'm not saying that civilization itself is going to fail. But it will change. And there will be very Hungry Times. The human population will be reduced to what the earth can really support without the help of fossil and nuclear fuels.
It won't be pretty.
I'm learning skills to help me thru' the change. And .... looking at the past for lessons for today.
So, this afternoon I was planting onion sets, to provide a bit of fresh green onions for winter. Which got me to thinking about winters without fresh veggies, and the impact on the body. Especially the impact of folic acid deficiency and birth defects, when it hit me. Lent!
Traditionally during Lent meat was off the menu - it was likely to have run out by then anyway. And the grain might have been running out. And your body was low on folic acid from the winter as it was. Getting pregnant at that time would have led to lots of birth defects in the spina bifida range.
So what did European tradition call for? Lent. Forty days or so of not just no meat, but no sex. Which was the best way to prevent pregnancy at the time. Not eating meat, and it being the hungry time of year, the menu would have relied on any early greens you could find. Yes, Hunger Games lovers, that includes dandelions. But also lovely early peas (and pea shoots), mustard greens, collards might be coming up again, spinach, lettuce - all those early crops. What do all those early crops have in common? High levels of folic acid. And great levels of beta carotene/vitamin A as well, another important thing in early pregnancy.
So by the time sex was allowed again after Easter, women's bodies were up to healthy levels of important vitamins. The risk of conceiving a child with birth defects was lower.
Pregnancy isn't an issue for me anymore, but vitamin deficiency could well be during the Hungry Times. Sprouts will help this type of thing.
Frondly, Fern
Yes, I know we're closer to Advent than Lent if you look at the Christian liturgical calendar.
As you may have already picked up, I'm a moderate Doomer. I think that our society is facing problems (mostly End of Oil and Climate Change) that we are not at all facing, and that are making our shaky economy fail. Because of this I see 'getting by' as getting harder and harder in the future. I'm not saying that civilization itself is going to fail. But it will change. And there will be very Hungry Times. The human population will be reduced to what the earth can really support without the help of fossil and nuclear fuels.
It won't be pretty.
I'm learning skills to help me thru' the change. And .... looking at the past for lessons for today.
So, this afternoon I was planting onion sets, to provide a bit of fresh green onions for winter. Which got me to thinking about winters without fresh veggies, and the impact on the body. Especially the impact of folic acid deficiency and birth defects, when it hit me. Lent!
Traditionally during Lent meat was off the menu - it was likely to have run out by then anyway. And the grain might have been running out. And your body was low on folic acid from the winter as it was. Getting pregnant at that time would have led to lots of birth defects in the spina bifida range.
So what did European tradition call for? Lent. Forty days or so of not just no meat, but no sex. Which was the best way to prevent pregnancy at the time. Not eating meat, and it being the hungry time of year, the menu would have relied on any early greens you could find. Yes, Hunger Games lovers, that includes dandelions. But also lovely early peas (and pea shoots), mustard greens, collards might be coming up again, spinach, lettuce - all those early crops. What do all those early crops have in common? High levels of folic acid. And great levels of beta carotene/vitamin A as well, another important thing in early pregnancy.
So by the time sex was allowed again after Easter, women's bodies were up to healthy levels of important vitamins. The risk of conceiving a child with birth defects was lower.
Pregnancy isn't an issue for me anymore, but vitamin deficiency could well be during the Hungry Times. Sprouts will help this type of thing.
Frondly, Fern
Monday, September 10, 2012
Battle Cry!
Blessings Darlings!
I was just clued into a neat blog by woman who works with the Morrighu. It's a WONDERFUL read. Skitter your butts over there.
http://shield-maiden.blogspot.com/2012/09/why-we-fight.html
Frondly, Fern
I was just clued into a neat blog by woman who works with the Morrighu. It's a WONDERFUL read. Skitter your butts over there.
http://shield-maiden.blogspot.com/2012/09/why-we-fight.html
Frondly, Fern
Friday, September 7, 2012
Plagiarism!
Blessings Darlings!
Plagiarism (from Wikipedia): defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work.
I've been running into an astonishing amount of plagiarism on Pagan sites and pages online lately. It's hard to find an original thought. Instead, you get a picture of an athame with text that comes from Wikipedia. You look, and the person posted it after taking it (with permission) from another site which may or may not be the one that original plagiarized the text. Okay, in this case, the text was originally plagiarized by Ravensgrove Coven on Facebook.
But that one group isn't the only one doing it. Lots of groups on Facebook, lots of blogs, lots of websites, have scraped all their content from others, usually without attribution. And in the cases where the stuff is copyrighted, without getting permission from the writer/artist.
Honor? The 3-fold law? The Wiccan Rede? Karma? Common decency? "The Christians stole all our stuff"? Some Pagans have no ethics, no morals, no honor, and lie about their belief in the Gods, the Rede, the 3-fold law, etc.
Like what someone else has written, and want to share it? Great! Write a summary mentioning who wrote it and provide a link to the original source. That way you share it AND the creator gets the traffic/attention. I've done that with many folks blogs posts that I like. You will NOT read their entire blog post on MY blog. I will link you to THEIR blogs.
Want to incorporate someone else's words that inspired your work, and don't have their permission? Look at what I posted on Thursday, Sept 6, 2012 (with luck, I'll remember to put the link in!). Instead of quoting the words, which I didn't have permission for and ... uh ... was pretty sure that the writer wouldn't want to give me permission for, I did a bullet point summary. The source being from a closed group I could not link back to it in general, and since I also wanted to protect the privacy of the 'bad example', I also did not want to post her name/identifying into, like an avatar.
Today was one of those days when I called out plagiarism when I saw it. And I discovered that some of the people ... well, I'll leave out what the Lala called them ... before she was bounced from one group ... don't seem to understand the difference between plagiarism and copyright violations.
Let me explain the difference between plagiarism and copyright violations: plagiarism, as noted above, is ANYTIME you pass off the words of another as your own (not giving credit) even if the words are public domain (that is, wikipedia); copyright violations muck up an author's 'exclusive right' to their words.
Honestly, plagiarism is explained to US kids thoroughly in high school, when they are taught to do research papers. It's not rocket science, it's not a PhD level concept, it's not a 3rd degree mystery.
Frondly, Fern
Plagiarism (from Wikipedia): defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work.
I've been running into an astonishing amount of plagiarism on Pagan sites and pages online lately. It's hard to find an original thought. Instead, you get a picture of an athame with text that comes from Wikipedia. You look, and the person posted it after taking it (with permission) from another site which may or may not be the one that original plagiarized the text. Okay, in this case, the text was originally plagiarized by Ravensgrove Coven on Facebook.
But that one group isn't the only one doing it. Lots of groups on Facebook, lots of blogs, lots of websites, have scraped all their content from others, usually without attribution. And in the cases where the stuff is copyrighted, without getting permission from the writer/artist.
Honor? The 3-fold law? The Wiccan Rede? Karma? Common decency? "The Christians stole all our stuff"? Some Pagans have no ethics, no morals, no honor, and lie about their belief in the Gods, the Rede, the 3-fold law, etc.
Like what someone else has written, and want to share it? Great! Write a summary mentioning who wrote it and provide a link to the original source. That way you share it AND the creator gets the traffic/attention. I've done that with many folks blogs posts that I like. You will NOT read their entire blog post on MY blog. I will link you to THEIR blogs.
Want to incorporate someone else's words that inspired your work, and don't have their permission? Look at what I posted on Thursday, Sept 6, 2012 (with luck, I'll remember to put the link in!). Instead of quoting the words, which I didn't have permission for and ... uh ... was pretty sure that the writer wouldn't want to give me permission for, I did a bullet point summary. The source being from a closed group I could not link back to it in general, and since I also wanted to protect the privacy of the 'bad example', I also did not want to post her name/identifying into, like an avatar.
Today was one of those days when I called out plagiarism when I saw it. And I discovered that some of the people ... well, I'll leave out what the Lala called them ... before she was bounced from one group ... don't seem to understand the difference between plagiarism and copyright violations.
Let me explain the difference between plagiarism and copyright violations: plagiarism, as noted above, is ANYTIME you pass off the words of another as your own (not giving credit) even if the words are public domain (that is, wikipedia); copyright violations muck up an author's 'exclusive right' to their words.
Honestly, plagiarism is explained to US kids thoroughly in high school, when they are taught to do research papers. It's not rocket science, it's not a PhD level concept, it's not a 3rd degree mystery.
Frondly, Fern
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Face Palm
Blessings Darlings!
Today I saw a question in a FB group. Here's a summary of the question, with more defining details added:
* long time witch (>10 years)
* not Wiccan, but practices in the 'Wiccan way'
* Totally no idea what to study next
* And she's studied everything in every book
* there was no internet OR books when writer started
How adept are you at astral projection? At OOBEs? At various types of possession/mediumship? Curing cancer or AIDS? Can you identify and use every plant in an empty lot near you, or a forested area near you? Is your area crime free because of your efforts?
Further, I asked: Have you spoken to your God/dess/es about what to study next? Used guided meditations to find out? Divination? What answers did you get from these type of searches?
Oh, I also pointed out when Cunningham alone started being published, and that I've been on the internet since she was 20.
Why is she saying I'm not being helpful? I'm confused!
Look, if you've been a Witch for over 10 years, shouldn't you have ways to see what you should study next without asking strangers in FB rooms? Shouldn't you be mature enough to not get upset when people ask questions like mine? And ..... really? You can't find a book with anything you aren't an expert in already? I can find tons of books I can learn from, and I've been around this block rather more times than you have.
Sheesh.
Frondly, Fern
Today I saw a question in a FB group. Here's a summary of the question, with more defining details added:
* long time witch (>10 years)
* not Wiccan, but practices in the 'Wiccan way'
* Totally no idea what to study next
* And she's studied everything in every book
* there was no internet OR books when writer started
How adept are you at astral projection? At OOBEs? At various types of possession/mediumship? Curing cancer or AIDS? Can you identify and use every plant in an empty lot near you, or a forested area near you? Is your area crime free because of your efforts?
Further, I asked: Have you spoken to your God/dess/es about what to study next? Used guided meditations to find out? Divination? What answers did you get from these type of searches?
Oh, I also pointed out when Cunningham alone started being published, and that I've been on the internet since she was 20.
Why is she saying I'm not being helpful? I'm confused!
Look, if you've been a Witch for over 10 years, shouldn't you have ways to see what you should study next without asking strangers in FB rooms? Shouldn't you be mature enough to not get upset when people ask questions like mine? And ..... really? You can't find a book with anything you aren't an expert in already? I can find tons of books I can learn from, and I've been around this block rather more times than you have.
Sheesh.
Frondly, Fern
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Today's Haul
Blessings Darlings!
Just in from the garden and tabulating today's frugal harvest:
2 cucs, 9 oz total
1 zuc, 12 oz
green beans, 12 oz
Tomatoes are still totally green. Vines from the purple sweet potatoes still trying to take over the garden, but I have no clue if the sweet potatoes are growing under the earth. No sprouts yet from the lettuce and spinach.
We ARE falling behind in eating the beans and cucs, so Suz is going to get some as gifts. If we can work out our schedules!
Frondly, Fern
Just in from the garden and tabulating today's frugal harvest:
2 cucs, 9 oz total
1 zuc, 12 oz
green beans, 12 oz
Tomatoes are still totally green. Vines from the purple sweet potatoes still trying to take over the garden, but I have no clue if the sweet potatoes are growing under the earth. No sprouts yet from the lettuce and spinach.
We ARE falling behind in eating the beans and cucs, so Suz is going to get some as gifts. If we can work out our schedules!
Frondly, Fern
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