The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 16 Tea of the year. I can taste my favorite tea right now. What's yours?

Since starting this low carb kick, I've stopped drinking coffee in the mornings because I didn't want to drink it without flavored creamer, which is full of carbs, and the *sugar-free* ones are nasty. So I've started drinking Lipton French Vanilla, which is a flavored black tea, with a splash of real heavy cream. The cream makes it absolutely decadent, and the vanilla adds a sweetness without adding any sweeteners, and tea is naturally not as bitter as coffee anyway...

The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 15 Best packaging. Did your headphones come in a sweet case? See a bottle of tea in another country that stood off the shelves?

This is something I usually don't think about... Packaging? Hmmm... I can't think of anything at all that had packaging so awesome I'd want to blog about it...

The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 14 Rush. When did you get your best rush of the year?

This one was hard for me and I had to read a lot of other people's entries before I could figure out what *my* best rush of the year was...

Was it going to NYC? No, we had a lot of fun, but the driving made it too stressful to be a rush. Was it ARGH? Same thing, tons of fun, but the crazy roads stressed me out too much to make it a rush. So I thought and read some more...

Jacqueline suggested the first dive into the lake (in May she said, but we all know I didn't get in til JULY practically), and that was indeed a rush, but was it the *best*...??? No, I can't say it was.

First kisses? Um... none this year.

Meeting my grandson Benji? Giving him a bottle for the first time? Making him giggle? All awesome wondrous marvelous things to me, but not *rush* producing moments...

Getting the car fixed all right & proper? Hmmmm... close, but no.

I think the BEST RUSH for me was getting my new camera. Crazy, no big deal to some, maybe a little materialistic, but I had a lot of emotional attachments to my old camera which died before its time, and I have been very sad, and without a good camera, for a long time. Jacqueline & I researched all kinds of cameras, and looked for the perfect camera for me in our price range, and I really couldn't be happier...

I've had her for several months now, and I still am discovering new things and learning all the settings. There is rarely a day that goes by without me taking some kind of pictures, and I am frequently thanking Jacqueline for encouraging me to get it, helping me find the means, and researching so many different brands and features...

I <3 my camera...

Just in time for the holidays!

There are some new fancies at Faerie Gardens!

Etsy Buy Handmade BunnyKissd

Don't forget our holiday sale is still going on! 10% off everything! Prices already adjusted so no need to wait for an updated bill! ^-^

The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 13 What's the best change you made to the place you live?

Well, living in a rental it's not like we can make a lot of changes, but we did decide that we weren't using rooms the way they were intended to be used, so we re-purposed them. We moved the big table from the eat in kitchen where it was taking up too much room and was just covered with my art projects, and stuck it in the living room where we all use it now for meals, drawing, etc... We also moved a small table into the kitchen for me to have a crafting area with light.

The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 12 New food. You're now in love with Lebanese food and you didn't even know what it was in January of this year.

Hmmm... I don't think I've tried too many new cuisines this year, unless you count low carb. LOL!

I've been counting my carbs and testing my blood glucose in an effort to get it under control. It's actually going pretty well. If I want treats I can have them but I need to plan for them, cut carbs out someplace else.

We've been trying a bunch of different low carb recipes and while none have really been spectacular, none have been terribly horrible either. I've discovered that BBQ pork rinds are pretty good, and Jacqueline made a pan of almond flour-based, cheesecake-topped brownies that were really good!

The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 11 The best place. A coffee shop? A pub? A retreat center? A cubicle? A nook?

Oooh! I did this one for Photo Friday back in July....

Next to Jacqueline

When she has that smile... Or maybe it's just Flatrock...

Photo Friday: Winter

Icicles

The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 10 Album of the year. What's rocking your world?

LOL! I was going to say that there were a lot of albums I really enjoyed this year, but now that I am double checking when they came out, I am finding that some came out way back in 2006! I can understand now why Reid doesn't do this anymore! XD

So anyway, Madonna's latest greatest hits album, Celebrations; The Fame Monster from Lady Gaga; and Sting's If on a Winter's Night that I don't even have yet are my top picks for 2009. Don't make me choose one, cuz I couldn't possibly decide...

The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 9 Challenge. Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the best challenge of the year for you?

I think school has been my biggest challenge this year. Going to school online was a great idea at first: no classes to attend, six months to get the work done at my own pace, no teachers forcing me to listen to their rhetoric... And after my first 6 months I knew how to get the work done, to pace myself, but just keep moving, finding my own additional resources on the internet when theirs were inadequate...

But I got lax in my 2nd term. I let too much time go by without doing the work. I wasn't making any real effort to learn the things I needed to know to pass the tests. And it showed. It took me ALL 3 times to pass my Earth & Space Science test, and the last one I had to pay for out of pocket. I spent the time between the last 2 times franticly trying to stuff more knowledge in my brain.

It worked. I passed. But not with the grade I wanted. Yeah grades don't count for a pass/fail class, but they do to me. I let myself down. And sadly, I feel like I am doing it again with this damn Chemistry. I let so much time go by, and now I am stuck cramming again, and feeling inadequate and dumb. But I'll pass. I always do.

The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 8 Moment of peace. An hour or a day or a week of solitude. What was the quality of your breath? The state of your mind? How did you get there?

This was definitely my time at ARGH. Jacqueline & I spent some time in the cabin alone while the girls ran amok ... um... were out playing with new friends, and we just read and relaxed, I drew, she cooked... It was just very nice... Sun pouring in, nature all around...

I got there though, by driving a very long time over very steep curvy hills from NY through PA, MD, WV, and VA to TN. ^-^

Update? What's that?

Hey, what, so you want a real update? Like what's going on? Sure I can do that... Anything to avoid the Chemistry....

I feel like we've been on the go since before school started this fall... My stepfather died in August, right after I started my 3rd semester at WGU, the day after my gift-grandson was born. We made many trips to & from Syracuse amidst all the change, helped a friend with a drag show, and near the end of September we cleaned out my mom's attic and brought home a lot of boxes to go through. (Some are still waiting patiently.) Always trying to find the joy in each moment...

At the beginning of October, we took a short trip to NYC to visit our friend, RH Cooper, and spent a wonderful day visiting Rockaway Beach. Who knew such beauty existed so close to the city!? I didn't... Oh, we also got to shop at Trader Joe's for the first time, and took a walk through Queens for take out! Thanks, Reid, for a lovely time!

Photo by , minor editing by moi...

After that we adopted another Guinea pig from FreeCycle to be a friend to our little Allie McBeal: Babykins. And just before Halloween we went in costume to a Halloween-Birthday Party at Jacqueline's sister's house and had a great time. Lots of games and food and fun...

Rocker Chick, Ghoul, Witch, Witch's Apprentice, Nickelback ( XD ), and Reverse Dutch Rabbit

Then we headed to TENNESSEE! And didn't even get visit our friend theFrugal Pixie; we were on the other side of the state... -_- BUT we did get to meet a lot of great unschoolers! The kids had a blast and made lots of new friends, and Jacqueline & I got to relax in a gorgeous cabin, with gorgeous surroundings, and not worry about people judging us for ANYTHING.

Our Cabin's View

Then we had a little time to breathe.... except for all the boxes still needing to be unpacked and sorted from Mom's attic... and the boober-head Benji needing changing and feeding and attention... and the Chemistry... >.< But then it was Thanksgiving, and time to stuff ourselves silly! Oh, yeah, we already were silly...

Amused by my dropping back & taking pics, the group decides to "moon" me... but they forgot part...

We got our first snow that stuck on December 1st, but it was gone by noon (It snowed once before but didn't even get the ground white...), and on the 5th we headed to Aunt Jenny's again for her annual holiday party...

Sadly, Babykins got sick that night and passed away. At least we were able to give her a few months of happiness, with a bigger cage, lots of toys, a better diet, and a best friend who she was cuddled next to when she crossed over...

RIP Baby

But we still need to find joy the joy in the moment, and part of that is getting ready for the holidays! Since there's no spare money to buy a tree, and no room for a full sized one, we went and found a nice small one in our woods. Jacqueline & the kids decorated it yesterday, while I ignored my Chemistry some more...

And Jacqueline has been a baking fool and made all kinds of goodies! Gingerbread with homemade whipped topping, glazed gingerbread cookies, and even a carb free brownie for me made from almond flour & topped with cheesecake! Yum!

Of course there is still the ever present Chemistry, and worrying about money, and trying to help my dad, and trying to find time to be with friends, and giving the kids opportunities to have fun, and finding time to connect with each other, and meeting our own needs for solitude... Finding the balance isn't always easy, and I struggle a lot with guilt and feeling judged and perhaps a bit isolated by my own *busy-ness* if you know what I mean, but I keep trying...

Waning quarter moon through trees and clouds

The Best of 2009

The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge

December 7 Blog find of the year. That gem of a blog you can't believe you didn't know about until this year.

Freak Revolution

Mosaic Monday Bunday

It's been too long since I've posted one of these! No prize for guessing the theme this week; just a nice simple Winter Yule edition...

Clockwise from upper left:
Rabbit Dances, Bunny Plush, Fae, the Winter-Fairy Bunny Brooch, Mini Stocking

For other Mosaic Monday posts, click here!

Recipe Time!

These were one of my step-father's specialties; he never made them big enough in my opinion, but then I guess I could eat more, with less guilt... ^-^

Chocolate Rum Balls
3 1/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup rum

1. In a large bowl, stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and nuts. Blend in corn syrup and rum.


2. Shape into 1 inch balls, and roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container for several days to develop the flavor. Roll again in confectioners' sugar before serving

For more Christmas Ball recipes *snicker* check out the Domestic Witch!

Etsy Blogger of the Month: CalKat

Say hello to November's Blogger of the Month...



Calkat is Kathy and Carrie and they can be found at a few other places too with lots of great items for sale!

This beautiful necklace is one of my favorites from their main store...


...but their Ametista shop is full of the stuff I *really* like!

Like this Mystic Mermaid MoNsTeR bOx...


...and this Artistic Apothecary Bottle: Queen of the Witches...


Don't forget to check out all their shops and their blog, and see what they have that might be calling to you...

• The CalKat Blog - enter contests, be the first to hear about sales, and get a behind the scene look at things


• The CalKat Etsy Shop - gorgeous OOAK jewelry at affordable prices


• The Ametista Etsy Shop - bottles and boxes and oddities, oh my!


• The Yoga Fairies Etsy Shop - full of delightful little fairies in popular yoga poses


• The Clay Shoppe at Etsy - where you can find lots of fantastic & one of a kind molds for your polymer clay projects

The Best of 2009

I am a little behind in doing this, but since I am still feeling a little down about things, I think doing this will help me see just how great I've got things here...


The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge
What is the challenge?

A look back on your year. A time for reflection. A chance to make new friends.

How to participate in 5 simple steps:

1. Write on one or all thirty-one of the prompts for the month of December

2. A post can be a sentence, photo or 3,000 word essay

3. Link up your blog or Twitter account at the link above (you'll find the prompts there too!)

4. Tag your posts and photos #best09.

5. Share your best moments of 2009 over the course of December. Don't get hung up on details or length - if there's an aspect of the question that doesn't resonate, change it to meet your needs.

December 1 Trip. What was your best trip in 2009?
We didn't take lots of trips, and NYC was lots of fun (Rockaway Beach, meeting Reid & Karen...), but taking the kids to ARGH, seeing the mountains, staying in that gorgeous cabin, meeting all those fun & friendly unschoolers... So. Much. Fun.

Roan Mountain State Park, Tennessee

December 2 Restaurant moment. Share the best restaurant experience you had this year. Who was there? What made it amazing? What taste stands out in your mind?
We don't go out to eat very often, so each time we do, it's very special, which makes it hard to choose the *best* from the past year. In March we did our annual St. Patty's Parade Day at the Dinosaur BBQ. Jacqueline & I join my mom, Aunt Sue, and Judy - other guests have come - and Ginny and her baby girl, Dawn, joined us this year. The food is always fantastic, and we always have a blast.

In May I took Jacqueline out to The Outback Steakhouse. We had a quiet dinner under the watchful gaze of an alligator, and the food was yummy as always. I can't remember what we had, but it's always so good!

But if you make me choose, then I'll have to say when we took the kids out to Raging River BBQ after Pagan Pride Day. Again, I don't remember everything we had, but it was all very tasty, especially the Fried Pickle Chips; they were definitely better than I expected! And we hardly ever get to take all the kids out all together.

December 3 Article. What's an article that you read that blew you away? That you shared with all your friends. That you Delicious'd and reference throughout the year.
Hmmm... that's not something I usually do. But back in July, I posted something that I've tried to keep in mind about Blogging without Obligation and being Authentic, all prompted by this poem.

December 4 Book. What book - fiction or non - touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies?
Most books I read, are not books I own. I don't have the kind of income, or storage space, where I can just purchase books willy-nilly; so we go to the library every few weeks and check out a bajillion books. Thankfully the library we visit has a great online site, and we can put books on hold there from the entire system which is county-wide. Anyway, there's been no buying or giving away of even one copy! LOL! And I read mostly at home, in bed, before going to sleep.

The book I am reading right now, Eat Pray Love, is good, funny & moving, and the books by Sophie Kinsella that I read this year (Remember Me? and Confessions of a Shopaholic) were pretty good, IMHO. Chocolat really moved me, but the book that touched me the most was Esmerelda Little Flame's Temple of the Twelve, "a spiritual fairy tale" that "transcends all differences between various paths of Pagan spirituality and unifies them all."

December 5 Night out. Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?
Our nights out are few and far between. We're both homebodies for the most part, and we don't have much extra money for going out, but we were lucky enough to have a few night's out this past year. The best was probably the Diversity Rules Benefit Show.


December 6 Workshop or conference. Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?
I only went to one conference this year, ARGH at Roan Mountain State Park, and it was fantastic. The workshops were mostly for things I already knew, but I still learned a lot: I learned that I don't like driving at night, particularly on roads I don't know, to the point it makes me frantic and panicky. I learned that I have a fear of heights when driving as well (not as a passenger or on my feet). I learned that there are people who feel the same way about school as I do. I learned our kids are well behaved even in the midst of other home & unschooled kids. I learned that there are people out there who won't judge me for my relationship, religion, income, or anything else. I learned I want to go again, maybe even move somewhere where there are more people like that...

More tomorrow! If you're playing along, let me know! I'd love to read your Best of 2009!

Thoughts

The people over at kind over matter recently posted this image by .elsie*cake.

and it got me thinking... The year is almost over... My thirties are almost over too!

My 40th birthday will be near the end of this July; do you think it's too late to do a 39 by 40 list? I mean I am sure I won't have anything like create a toy line or fabulous spring line, but I could fill it with things I really want to do...

What would be on yours?

Wishcasting Wednesday

What is your winter wish?



I used to like winter. But I do not find it so enjoyable anymore. The constant cold, the piles & piles of snow, the driving on bad roads, slush in my shoes...

However, I don't want to just "get through" winter again. I want to enjoy it.

I want to revel in the bite of the wind telling me I'm alive. I want to marvel at the beauty of snow covered landscapes, those lit by bright sun, dazzling under an impossibly blue sky, and those under dark grey clouds, sulky & foreboding. I want to make snowmen and snow angels, have snowball fights, and hide in snow forts. I want to delight in each individual unique snowflakes, and see the beauty in reddened cheeks.

I do not want to be bitter and cross because it's always grey and cold. I want to LIVE & FIND JOY IN THE MOMENT.

Full Cold Moon Dream Board

This is my first time doing this; so I am not sure if I did it right, but I went with the prompt of "set an intention for how you would like to complete this year" and searched flickr for the photos I thought would best represent it. However, I should note that I didn't just put them in order here; I arranged them so they were aesthetically pleasing to me.

Click for more details...

The first thing that came to mind was my relationship with my parents. I found a Daddy-Daughter pic and they're even looking out at a beautiful sunset over a warm body of water. Then I found a photo of a mother and daughter gazing into the future together.

I decided I wanted the center photo to definitely be something to do with the moon & dreams - and if it was purple? Bonus! And came across the center image here...

Then I remembered my disappointment from earlier today when the NYS Senate voted no on the same-sex marriage bill, and added an image of two brides on their wedding day. An image that not only symbolizes my hope for this so I can marry Jacqueline, and have her get all the privileges any other spouse would, but also the hope that my husband follows through with his promise to file for the divorce, instead of leaving me hanging in limbo waiting.

Then I thought of my need to finish this Chemistry course and pass in order to become a Science teacher. I found a macro of someone's homework that looks so much like mine! And a teacher who you can tell just loves his job, which is what I hope to find!

While searching for that, I stumbled across the balanced rocks, and thought they were perfect to symbolize the balance I am looking for in my life. Between school and work and love and play... the sun is there symbolizing joy and happiness, and the rock and water are symbols of *me*...

I also found a picture symbolizing polyamory, two women and a man, something I also hope to make reality someday.

Last but not least, in fact perhaps most important, the child drawing, so intent on the creation, the flow of color, that the photographer is unnoticed. This is the artist within me, the one I hope to nurture and cherish, and never push aside for "more grown-up" activities...