Mmm... brew's on and smelling good! Hope y'all are ready for some delicious bits from all around the world, starting first with my favorite, local Pagans and their awesomeness!
My mom's been in town, so I'm sorry for the general lack of postings. I'd be a complete bitch, though, if I didn't serve y'all up some coffee. What kind of (web)host would be be then. ;)
(If you ever want to be featured in TCC's Wednesday Perk-Ups, by the way, just shoot me a message! I absolutely love including people in this!)
When Witches Go
Trish Veilleux: Remember When... You Raised Six Girls?Okay, so she's not a Pagan writer, but she IS an incredibly talented woman with a multitude of inspiring stories about her family and friends. Trish has lived (and continues to live!) a full and exciting life, and she manages to find love wherever she goes. As one of six daughters, Trish shares the story of her mother and the trials and joys that have come out of raising so many girls in such a small space (and of being one of those little girls!).
Have I ever mentioned how incredibly talented she is?! I may have said it only a few sentences ago, but seriously, I could say it over and over again and still the words alone would cease to give her talent meaning. Y'all will just have to see for yourself. :)
Forgetting one's life is tragic - something we all hope will never happen to us or a loved one. But for one woman, my mom, a beloved mother of six, it has happened.
This is a true story and a recounting of some of the ordinary and extraordinary moments that occurred in that very special woman's life while raising her children - all girls.
My illustrations represent some of the greeting cards created over the years to convey my love for her and my gratitude for all she did.
I will fully admit that I had tears in my eyes while reading this book. It is so touching and makes me pine for my own mom. I count myself blessed every day that I still have her.
(Currently only available on iPad, but trust me, Trish is working on other media! :) You'll hear it here first when she does!)
By the way, a portion of the proceeds will be going to Alzheimer's research!!
Eliora: Enchanting Elegance for your Magickal LifeAn absolutely incredible Pagan artisan and very good friend, Eliora has a handcrafted gift to meet your every need! She has everything from besoms to altar accessories to gift sets, and everything in between! Be sure to check out her shop, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. :)
Tori Zigler: Special price on her books, “Mr. Pumpkin-Head and Other Poems” and “Witchlet”!It's still July, so I'll continue posting about her books! Throughout the month of July, an excellent wordsmith and good friend Tori Zigler will be selling her books on SmashWords at half price! I personally own her collection of poems and will be taking advantage of her book, and y’all should, too!
To take advantage of this offer, simply go to my author page at http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/toriz and add one or both of my books to your cart, then enter the coupon code “SSW50″ at the checkout phase. Since both books are half price, it’s basically an option for anyone who hasn’t got them yet to buy one of my books and get the other one for free! But this offer is only available throughout July, so don’t wait too long to take advantage of it, or you may miss your chance!
Psst... I also heard word that she's preparing other short stories for publication, so keep an eye out for those, too! Y'all know you're going to here about it here. ;)
Sam Curtin: “Dark Cell” novella on Amazon! FREE for a limited time!!I just CANNOT get over the tenacity and passion this gal has for writing and for sharing her stories with others. To make sure you get a good dose of Sam (she's good for the soul and the heart!), she's running a mid-July promotion for her novella, Dark Cell, available on on Amazon... buy now for the low low price of $0.00! That's right, get her book for free!!
If you haven't done so yet, be sure to also check out her Facebook pages for news, discussion, and other fantabulous offerings!
And another inside scoop (I LOVE these, haha), she's working on a full-length novel, to be published through her publishing house! I'll be one of the first to get it, and I hope you'll be the second!
Colleen @ Urban Earthworm: Birth Story(As she also warns... read at your own risk! ;))
I've been all about babies and birth stories lately for myriad reasons, and reading about friends' experiences just makes it that much better! I also hear her on the slew of baby announcements... I swear, it's just because of my age bracket (I'm in my almost-late-20s), but still! LOL
There have been a slew of pregnancy announcements in my life lately. It seems like half of my friends (or their significant others) are pregnant. So many of the women who were pregnant at the same time I was are at it again. I am so happy for everyone, but I’m also a little jealous. I’m still waiting on my freaking jaw surgery before MacGyver and I can talk about our next one(s).
With this slew of announcements, I’ve also gotten a lot of email, facebook messages, and phone calls asking about our homebirth and natural pregnancy and childbirth in general. I’ve ended up promising a number of these friends that I would put my h0mebirth story back online for them to read. Flintstone was born at home in September 2010, and this is how it happened (the birth part; get your mind out of the gutter)[...]
Such an incredible, moving, personal story from a wonderful friend! Thank you, Colleen, for giving us a glimpse into your amazing birth experience!
Food for Thought
Huffington Post: American Confidence in Organized Religion At All Time LowAccording to a recent Gallup poll, the number of Americans who have faith in organized religion is at an all-time low.
Only 44 percent of Americans today have a lot of confidence in organized religion, compared to 66 percent in 1973 when organized religion or church was the highest rated institution in Gallup's "confidence in institutions measure."
Not that I'm terribly surprised. It seems that there's a lot less confidence in anything "organized" nowadays, so for religion to be added is just adding another to the pile.
Speaking of lack of confidence:
ONTD Political: 14 Reasons Why This is the Worst Congress Ever
- They’re not passing laws.
- They’re hideously unpopular.
- They’re incredibly polarized.
- They’ve set back the recovery.
- They lost our credit rating.
- They’re terrible even when they’re “super.”
- Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. Repeal.
- The budget shenanigans of Senate Democrats.
- They can’t get appropriations done on time.
- The transportation-infrastructure fiasco.
- The FAA shutdown.
- Failing the Fed.
- The experts agree.
- There actually are problems they need to solve.
Can I just... leave it at that? Really? Okay, thank god...
Local Brew
I'm adding things happening in the next couple weeks around the Maryland area that local-to-me Pagans (and others!) might be interested in. If you'd like to share what's going on in your neck of the woods, let me know! I'd love to expand this to include several different places. :)
Every Sunday, 1:00pm-5:00pm: Open Hearth Foundation Pagan Book Drive1502 Massachusetts Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003
Got Books? Got Tarot Decks?
We will be collecting donations of books, periodicals, and tarot decks at the OHF Library in the DC Pagan Community Center.
This event is for you because ...
We, Pagans, tend to love our books. However...
Maybe you have a few duplicates...
Maybe you have read a few once and just know you probably won't get to them again, but others will definitely enjoy them...
Maybe there are some you bought and just know you won't get to reading them and, really, books should be read...
Maybe you just don't have any more room and you know you have to make a sacrifice for the greater good...
The OHF Pagan Library is constantly building our collection and you can help! Stop by, bring us your books, check out the library!
The Open Hearth Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible.
This weekend, 21-22 July - 2:00pm: SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier: Free chocolatier tours!360 Main Street, Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Gaithersburg’s SPAGnVOLA Chocolatier is giving free tours of its factory at 2 p.m. on July 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 360 Main St. Those who take the tour will learn how chocolate is created, from the tree to the table.
The company’s cocoa beans are grown in the Dominican Republic. To RSVP for this event, email rsvp@spagnvola.com.
Friday, August 3 - 7:00pm-9:00pm: Full Circle UUCA: Full Moon CircleUnitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis, 333 Dubois Road, Annapolis, MD 21401
This event is open to women and teen girls with their moms/adult female. UUCA's Full Circle program runs full moon circles for women each month at 7 pm on the Friday closest to the Full Moon. More info is available from Susi at sdf.c@comcast.net.
Decaffeinated: Blissful NewsYoga Today: The Most Difficult Pose: Savasana?
Regular yoga practitioners just may feel me on this one. As difficult as some of the poses can be, they don't even come close to lying down and relaxing. Funny, how the one pose that seems to have the least amount of work actually can take some of the most!
To truly find savasana, total relaxation, takes years and years of practice and it’s much more subtle than sleep or even rest. It demands the student to be fully present and that’s not an easy task. Therefore, be patient with yourself.
This Month in HolidaysBe sure to check out our NASA Goddard-provided list!
(Thank you to HolidayInsights.com for this list!)
Month:
- National Blueberry Month
- National Anti-Boredom Month
- Unlucky Month for weddings
- National Cell Phone Courtesy Month
- National Hot Dog Month
- National Ice Cream Month
Week Event:
- Week 2 Nude Recreation Week
Individual Days:
1 Build A Scarecrow Day (first Sunday in month)
1 Canada Day
1 Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day
1 International Joke Day
2 I Forgot Day
2 World UFO Day
3 Compliment Your Mirror Day
3 Disobedience Day
3 Stay out of the Sun Day
4 Independence Day (U.S.)
4 National Country Music Day
4 Sidewalk Egg Frying Day (YOU DON’T SAY)
5 Work-a-holics Day (even though everyone is on holiday)
6 National Fried Chicken Day
7 Chocolate Day
7 National Strawberry Sundae Day
8 Video Games Day
9 National Sugar Cookie Day
10 Teddy Bear Picnic Day
11 Cheer up the Lonely Day
11 World Population Day
12 Different Colored Eyes Day
12 Pecan Pie Day
13 Barbershop Music Appreciation Day
13 Embrace Your Geekness Day
13 Fool’s Paradise Day
14 Bastille Day
14 Pandemonium Day
14 National Nude Day
15 National Ice Cream Day (third Sunday of the month)
15 Tapioca Pudding Day
15 Cow Appreciation Day (go out and give a cow a hug)
16
17 Peach Ice Cream Day
17 Yellow Pig Day
18 National Caviar Day (something’s fishy here)
19 National Raspberry Cake Day
20 Moon Day
20 Ugly Truck Day- it’s a “guy” thing
21 National Junk Food Day
22 Hammock Day
22 Parent’s Day (fourth Sunday in July)
22 Ratcatcher’s Day
23 National Hot Dog Day
23 Vanilla Ice Cream Day
24 Amelia Earhart Day
24 Cousins Day
25 Culinarians Day
25 Threading the Needle Day
26 All or Nothing Day
26 Aunt and Uncle Day
27 Summer Olympics (every 4 years)
27 Take Your Pants for a Walk Day
28 National Milk Chocolate Day
29 National Lasagna Day
30 National Cheesecake Day
30 Father-in-Law Day
31 Mutt’s Day
Espresso Shots: News with a Kick!
More Rape Culture Articles- Defining a Rape Culture (pdf)
- FORCE: What is Rape Culture?
- FORCE: Rape Myths
- Marshall Women's Center: Rape Culture
- A Division by Zer0: Feminists don't think all men are rapists. Rapists do.
- NYT: Teaching Good Sex (not 100% rape-related, but a good read nonetheless)
Craftster: Melted Bead Suncatcher
Okay, this is just cool! Cheap beads, an oven, and a baking pan are all you need to make these!You'll need:
- a bag of cheap plastic beads, in whatever colors you want
- metal baking pans or ceramic dishes, in whatever sizes and shapse you want
- an oven (duh)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lay down a single layer of beads in the pan or dish and shove it in the oven for 20 minutes or until hardened -- keep checking so they don't burn.
After the beads cool, flip over the pan and gently coax your creation out. Drill a hole through the top, string some fishing line, and hang 'em!
I'm thinking this would be a fun project for kids, too!
Have a mentioned how much I love you? As always and awesome post (and thanks for the continued support you've given me, you have no idea how much it makes my heart swell)! I can't wait to try out the suncatcher :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome post (and not just because I'm in it, LOL!)
ReplyDeleteAs soon as Trish's books are available in other formats, I'll be grabbing a copy; the story of her childhood sounds very interesting (I love hearing about large families).
P.S. Look at my post for this past Friday. ;)
Love this post!
ReplyDeleteHave so much fun with your mum. =)