Easter! Time for Necromancy!

 Blessings Darlings!

Five days ago was western Easter Sunday.  On that day, I attended a class (at Between the Worlds/Sacred Space) by Christopher Orapello on Necromancy.  Yes, the folks running that conference UNDOUBTEDLY chose that scheduling.  Yes, I'm sure that they laughed and laughed and laughed.  Yes, Gwendolyn/Ivo/etc, you know I adore you all.

This coming Sunday is Eastern Orthodox Easter. 

And I've been reading BJ Swain's book on Familiars, which includes 'networking with the fairies via the dead to ask for a familiar'.  His writing style also inspired the parallelism in the first paragraph.

So while many have resurrection and new beginnings on their mind - I have a 'new beginning' in necromancy on my mind, thus combining all themes.

It being a beginning, I don't have any 'dedicated tools' for this type of work.  And it occurred to me that since I work at a thrift store chain that gets lots of stuff from people cleaning out homes after the death  of family members that a lot of what passes before me has strong links to the dead.

Of course this is not the FIRST time this thought occurred to me - it's why I do a quick cleanse on all things I buy from work.  The difference is that now I am considering SEEKING things that have links to the dead.  Many donors tell me when they are clearing out stuff after a person dies, so I can look stuff over, note what is there, and look for it after it's been on the shelves a day or two (I am required to wait at least 2 hours after things are on the shelves before I can buy them so we employees don't bogart all the good stuff.  I choose to give things extra time.)  

Mind you, I'm still not sure I will do any necromancy.  But then my Prepper side speaks up and reminds me that it's good to be prepared for anything, and an offering plate, a box or bowl for requests, and a candle holder or two won't take up much room . . . and you never know when necromancy will be the right tool for what you need to get done.

Frondly, Fern

150 Pieces of Chocolate on the Wall

Blessings Darlings!

We've been out of eating chocolate for a couple of weeks now.  It didn't bother me much, since I can be happy making a cup of hot cocoa; or mix cocoa powder, vanilla, and some sugar into yogurt; or make chocolate pudding. 

The Chubby Hubby, OTOH, wants some chocolate on hand that he can just unwrap and put in his mouth.  The problem with Ready To Eat Chocolate is ... I eat it.  Shamelessly.  Which is one of the reasons we were out of eating chocolate to begin with.  Sure, I had bought that chocolate after Easter when it was half price and I didn't get THAT much of it, but long story short - it's gone and I ate more of it than the CH did.

Well, today I had to go into the Big City to hit the bank for business, and hit Costco on the way home.  After all, I needed gas for the car anyway, right?  And wouldn't you know it, whether it's because Halloween is coming or school has started, they had the big bags of 150 pieces of good-enough chocolate (Kit-Kats, Reese's, Almond Joys, bags of M&M's, etc) for under $15. 

We now have 148 pieces of chocolate in the house, and the CH has stored the bag of the survivors on a High Shelf.

But I know where the step-stool is.

Frondly, Fern

Easter Weekend

Blessings, Darlings!

This is the hardest weekend for our mixed-religion family.  Passover for the Jewish Spawn, you see, doesn't mesh well with the Chubby Hubby's Methodist Easter Feast.  The Spawn loves his flakey layered rolls, but .... it's Passover.  And Easter baskets were out when he was a kid, too. 

So what can I serve that makes everyone happy?

Traditionally, we have a rib roast as the main meat. But the stores here in WV don't have them on sale for Easter - the stores in Maryland do.  And with things being as they are, I couldn't afford one this year, at $35+. 

What to do?  What to do?

The answer - read the food ads, stupid.

Aldi's had a sale on frozen ducklings.  We haven't had duck in AGES and AGES.  We used to rub them in 5 spice powder, slit the skin, and roast 'em indoors.  But the smoke filled the house - fatty little delicious buggers! 

The duck is thawing, we're going to salt & pepper it and grill it out in the smoker.  With a pan of taters under it, so the taters can roast AND get the fat dripping on them.  We'll have salad (Spawn will have strawberries in with his greens), duck, taters, broccoli, and baked apples for dessert.

Everyone should be VERY happy. 

Or else.

Frondly, Fern