Friday, May 18, 2007

Eye Candy Friday


My first Rhododendron bloom. I love the color. Maybe next year I'll have more.

I am about 24 hours away from leaving for New Orleans. I am unbelievable excited! There is still so much to do, but I feel confident I can get it done and be ready to go. I hope I can sleep tonight. Usually when I'm going on big trips, I don't sleep the night before I leave. I better sleep tonight. :-)

I still have not gotten a picture of my knitting progress. I hope to do that tonight. I am planning on taking my knitting with me for while I'm riding in the car. I have a small flashlight I can use to see while we ride. Gosh, I can't believe I'm going to New Orleans!

I am also taking my camera so I hope to bring back lots of pictures to share.

Well, I can't think of anything else to say so I'll say bye for now.

Blessings,
~*~

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Only 4 days left....

....before I head to New Orleans! I'm so excited! I found my white skirt and shirt that I need for the lave tet. I also found the coolest little dress for walking around NOLA. My friend that is there already says it is HOT. The dress I got today isn't really something I would normally wear out of the house without a sweater over it, but my whole goal of this trip is to do something I wouldn't normally do and to maybe come back a little different than I am now. So, I have a cute green sundress to wear. Yippee!

I have so much left to do and yet it seems to be getting closer and closer. I hope I get it all done and can get a good night's sleep the night before we leave. Usually when I am going on a trip, I am unable to sleep the night before I leave. That would be bad in this case as we are driving!

Gosh, I am so excited I can barely contain myself. I do have knitting class tonight and tomorrow is book club, which I am probably going to skip out on. Tomorrow at lunch I have to shop for shoes and a new bra ( I know... TMI!).

Oh well, I hope to get some pictures tonight of my current knitting project. If I can get it done I'll post a photo so you can see what I'm working on. I still haven't felted that bag I made a month ago. I will make that a priority when I return from NOLA.

Blessings,
~*~

Friday, May 11, 2007

Eye Candy Friday...


A view of the lake where I fish, taken from the deck of my dad's house. I think it is lovely.

Blessings,
~*~

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

New Orleans

Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted to go to New Orleans. I have wanted to see the swamps in Louisiana, I have wanted to walk through the garden district. As I have gotten older I've added a few things to my list for New Orleans. I want see where Anne Rice lived, I want to visit a real hoodoo shop and see Marie Laveau's grave.

Well, in 10 days, I'll be on my way to do all those things, and a whole lot more. :-)

I've been invited on a trip to New Orleans. We will leave on Saturday, the 19th, and return on the 23rd (which happens to be my birthday). Not only do I get to do all the things listed above, I also get to meet attend a serious vodou ceremony. I am so excited. My friends and I are planning to take lots of pictures and I hope to have some good ones to post later.

I've been giving the vodou thing a lot of thought. I truly enjoy the ceremony and learning about the religion and I think I will continue to be a "believer", but in my heart... I'm a witch. I always have been and always will be. When talking to our Manbo, a friend and I asked if it is possible to be both, vodou and witch, and she laughed and said, sure... you're a vodou witch!

I'm not sure just how much I'm allowed to talk about in regards to the vodou and the things that happen. I don't want to say more than I'm supposed to, so I'll stop now.

Anyway, just wanted to give a little update on what is going on with me. I appreciate all the support from you guys about Jade. It has been very strange not having her around and now a strange black cat has shown up outside my house twice in the last few days. Jade used to lay in the windows, she would switch her window throughout the day, almost like she was guarding the house. Now this other cat has shown up. It won't come near me and I've only seen it at night (I say it because I don't know if it is a male or female) so the situation is a little weird.

On Saturday morning, my father had a cyst removed from his spinal column. I spent the entire day at the hospital with my stepmother. She was very worried, but he came through fine.

So, anyway, this is what I've been up to... planning a trip and helping my dad and dealing with the loss of Jade. I've also been working in my yard a little. Tomorrow I get my vegetable plants and get them in the ground.

Blessings,
~*~

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

She's gone...

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been so busy and also trying to care for my cat, Jade. Over the past few days she became increasingly worse and this morning I had to take her to the vet and have her put to sleep. She was in a lot of pain and was unable to eat and had trouble breathing. The sneezing blood had increased and it was just time to let her go.

I have not handled this well at all. I never thought she would be the first of my brood to leave me. Jade was my witch cat, my familiar. She left this earth one day after Beltane, on the day of the Full Moon, the Witches' Moon.

Her ashes will be returned to me either Friday or Monday. I am planning to put her ashes, along with a picture of her, on my ancestors altar.


You can see in this photo, taken this morning, that she doesn't look well. She seemed to be in so much pain. The doctor was very sweet and very caring and they let me be with her as she passed. I was the last thing she saw. She went very peacefully, as I loved on her.

Well, I think that is all I can say right now. I'll try to get back to regular posting soon.

Blessings,
~*~