Here's to lazy days

I am leaving tomorrow for Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. My skin is the color of milk. I am not worried - SPF 45 will be slathered all over. I am sure that I'll garner a few more freckles and I hope a little redness. I love that slightly sunburned and totally salted all over feeling. It's just for a few days. I'll post some pics when I get back.

Meanwhile, I just have a little problem to worry about while I am gone.

The flip side of Sagittarian is a little too non-chalant about details. Jupiter gets the big picture, just isn't so good at the smaller strokes that make it.

I had another Jupiterian friend drop by the other day. She had a bunch of cats (5 of them) in her 2-door car with her on her way from one of her domiciles to another a few states over. One of them escaped and went into my woods.

I spied the 3-legged, 14 year old cat yesterday. She came out for a moment and when I had her in hand, she jumped from my arms and bolted again. I fear the worst as we have two resident cats that I am sure will try to make mincemeat of her and two dogs, one of which would be scared of the cat, the other - Chip, the lab - will try to play with it to death, I am sure. (We also have a hamster and 3 hermit crabs, probably going on 4 hermit crabs after our trip to the beach. My Julia is a collector of small animals.)

My friend will make the four hour drive back to collect her and is very apologetic and appreciative of my efforts to catch and keep the cat safe until she can get her back. I've got the cat carrier cleaned out and waiting. I will try to shrug that off while hearing whooooooooooossssshhhhhhh, whoooooooooossssshhhhhhhh. (that's the sound of the surf, in case you were wondering.)

Why do I always seem to have something to worry about? I am Jupiter's Girl, but man, that Saturn sure likes to challenge the dickens out of me.

Your Majesty...

My Jupiterian sister popped in for a visit yesterday with her new man. A co-worker of hers remarked to her the day before that she must have a horseshoe up her ass. She attracts men that are almost half her age. Her new man is sweet, handsome, works hard at his own business, and treats her right. I swear, that girl...!!!

I think it's her joie de vivre that is the most beautiful thing about her. Jupiter is in charge of that. She has a Saj Moon and Ascendant. You don't get much better than that for a positive attitude, except for her Virgo Sun - which keeps it all in check. (I love Virgos.) Cathy is detail-oriented, takes care of many at one time (that service thing Virgos have), and all the while shrugging it off with that Saj wisdom and knowledge that it's all good.

And to boot, she's a very talented artist. I have a painting and two of her prints hanging on my walls around the house. I showed her my new comforter and painted bedroom. New = 1 year old now. I have nothing but a calendar and dream catcher hanging. I asked her to create something to go over my bed. I can't wait to see what she does.

More berries than you can shake a doggone stick at here in my woods.

Blackberry Season '07

I feel sorry for city folk that don't have access to nature's bounty, except for store bought berries. I love being able to walk out my door to harvest fresh fruit for juicing, or baking muffins, pies, or making jam. Not that I'll make jam or pies with these. There's too many seeds for my liking. I have been there and done that. I just usually pick and eat them. So does my dog, Chip. I leave the lower blackberries alone in case he's put any of those in his mouth. He eats the ripe ones. I have never seen a dog that likes fruit and vegetables so much. He follows me to the compost pile when I have stuff to throw on top. He digs out broccoli stalks and carrots and munches down. I guess it doesn't hurt him.

Laurence Gardner

Laurence GardnerWhen you have an extra hour +, any slight interest in physics (and metaphysics), and a penchant for thinking out of the box - I recommend viewing this video (link above).

I made my first batch of Ormus on the 16th of this month. I am in the middle of the process for the second batch - making more of it this time. If you want, I'll share how I did it.

You have to know what it is first and choose to experiment with it. I advise you to visit www.subtleenergies.com/ormus and read through the material. It was a bit dense going for me, but fortunately I am intuitive and absorbed the meaning without understanding the science.

I am healing my mind - which has been riddled with ADD.

I made batches of Ormus with Olive Oil and Sea Salt last year. Then, I drank Danae Harding's "Spirit of Life" water for a couple of months. I knew that I wouldn't invest large amounts of money again for a product that I could create very inexpensively. Just overcoming inertia and intimidation of the processing was all that was necessary.

I am now an alchemist too. Add that to my list of titles

Now what???

I have been merchandising for 7 months. My task lately is to take the stock that I have boxed and labelled from other stores and put it to the shelf of stores it was transferred to. And not feel discouraged by the fact that the stores I am reassimilating the merchandise to are already packed with product. I just want to lie down in the middle of the aisle and stay there. When the customers going around me ask the manager what is wrong with me, he can tell them I am working.

I am an actress and astrologer no matter what I am doing to make money. This is one of the most tedious things I have done to date.

I should go...

For What It's Worth

Happy Mother's Day and all that. I am going to a brunch at my sister's house today. Six of my seven siblings, and their kids, and my Mother will be there. My sister, the hostess, called me from the grocery yesterday, wondering where she could find goat cheese for her casserole, and should she get a third bottle of champagne for mimosas. Mmmmmmmm. I am already salivating.

As for this holiday, I am not sentimental about being, or having, a Mother. Mine was definitely the epitome of patience and long-suffering. Talk about the guilt complexes and anxiety attacks I'd get over not meeting with her approval... I used to be, and still can be, somewhat of a wild hair in the family.

I let my people off the hook as to buying me something, or feeling beholden in any way. It was in my nature to procreate. I am a caring nurturer from way back. I loved being pregnant and having babies.

I look back fondly on my times with the little people; nursing them, potty-training, teaching them to use their words, playing with them. Julia could play "library" all day - if I'd only join her in it. She loved to role-play. We'd take turns being the patron and the librarian. If you were the patron, you get the baby in the stroller also. I would yank her chain mercilessly in my roles. I had to be serious about the part I was playing or she'd get mad at me.

Aaron liked to make up stories and have me play them out with him too, only it was with trains. He was a "Thomas the Tank Engine" fan, between two and five years old -he amassed a collection of tracks, trains, freight cars, and an imagination to work out issues he saw in the Thomas and Friends segments. He was so adorable. He was also a Raffi fan. He had a little guitar when he was two and would play and sing along with Raffi.

We are at different, yet delightful, stages now. The kids are 12 and 14 years old. I speak with my mother every morning until after Aaron leaves for school. She likes to hear my send-off to him as he departs, "goodbye, Son. Have a great day. I love you." I practically sing it to him - desperate for him to fulfill the "have a great day" part. She finds it amusing. He is barely responsive to it.

I don't need a card, bouquet, breakfast in bed, or any other gift of appreciation for being a Mom. I find the job to be very rewarding - and almost involuntary. I had to have kids. I knew that from an early age. And I feel that way about my own Mother. She was just doing what she was programmed to do.

I am going to have to stop at Walgreen's on my way to the sister's this morning and pick up a little something for the guest of honor at brunch. The gesture will mean something to her, and therefore to me, and I'll lift my mimosa to toast the example she set for raising children so gracefully.

"Palestine - Peace, Not Apartheid" by Jimmy Carter

I barely follow politics at all. It is tedious and I never think I am getting the whole story. World affairs go on with or without my attention. I trust in a higher authority to clear up any messes. It's all in Divine Order anyway.

I love what Jimmy Carter, and Rosalynn too, stands for. I appreciate how patient he remains with leaders he meets with, and how diligently and intelligently he works to resolve the problems in the Middle East.

Years ago, I attended a few Parish Council meetings in my area because I had an issue with the planning and zoning board who told a Sewerage company that it was okay for them to put a treatment plant on the property next to mine. I kept losing my cool about how things were going down. I did a lot of calling to DEQ, Council Reps, P&Z engineers, Tulane Law Clinic, and then finally the EPA - who called the company in question. I was mostly upset about the blatant disregarding of my taking issue with a treatment plant being next door to me. "It was a done deal," I was told - before they even voted on it. I felt very powerless. If I were the kind of person, had the programming and all, I would have sabotaged their efforts in any way.
Man's inhumanity towards man is absolutely stupid and unevolved. A writer to a forum I used to participate in once said of the fighting - "it's like holding your own hands to your neck and strangling." Blame the hands, right?

I think that we, as a race, have gotten so much smarter than to try and destroy OurSelf.

Dinner and a Movie

Michael and I spent our anniversary working together. He didn't have to accompany me to work, but I am grateful to him for it. The man is swift.

We fed the children, mine and a visiting nephew from Georgia, pizza and salad for dinner. Then, we went to an Italian restaurant in Slidell that we always talked about going to. Both of us decidedly wanted to try something different, and Italian. Assunta's was IT. I don't know why they aren't more crowded, possibly location. It was the best food. Mmmmmm.

Then we stopped at Friendly Video and rented "American Dreamz". It might have been a good movie; I don't know. The two glasses of wine with dinner sedated me. Of course, Michael hardly ever makes it through a whole movie. He was gone before me.

I feel a little remiss that I didn't get more sentimental and maudlin in my previous blog entry about how sweet Michael is, and how after 17 years we have figured out ways to get the most enjoyment from this marriage. We are a good team in all that we do.

We fight like the Bickersons sometimes, but don't let the resentment and ugliness linger anymore. The secret to our success, I think, is to ignore one another's more aggravating points. We had trouble doing that for about 12 years, but once we became re-committed to honoring our commitment to one another, that insight came to me.

We have spent several anniversaries at the Jazz Fest. One of our more troubled years, a friend took us with her for free. We rode a shuttle in with her. Soon after our arrival, the friend and I went to one stage to see something, and Michael stayed put at the one he was happiest at. We never saw each other for the rest of the day, though I constantly looked for him. I was alternately on pins and needles, anticipating his anger with me, and then looking around and enjoying the moment in complete surrender. Sure enough, after it was over, I synchronously reconnected with him. He was seething.

There was another Jazz Fest where Michael gifted me with a diamond anniversary band in the middle of a crowded intersection, near the food stands. It was such an unexpected gesture. I forewarned him that I was going to cry and he just nodded like it was okay and then we hugged as I shed the tears. We were in our own private universe as hundreds of people had to just go around us.

The reason I don't go on more about him is that I have witnessed celebrities effusively talk about their matings and then break up. Love is conditional in a marriage. Sure I love him from the bottom of my heart now, but if he acts like an idiot, and there are many ways to act like an idiot, I will slap him and go.

After all this time, though, I don't think there is anything idiotic enough for either of us to part over. I suppose we will grow old together. Bicker, love, bicker, love, laugh, love, bicker, love. Love outweighs all negativity and laughing together brings out the Lovers in us.

My Anniversary

It was 17 years ago today that I got married. I purposely chose this time of year for out-of-town guests to also have the option of going to Jazz Fest, which is always the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May. We honeymooned in the Bahamas.

We started out as friends...

I will have a house full of kids today. How romantic.

Here's to the next seventeen.