“Cherish your solitude. Take trains by yourself to places you have never been. Sleep out alone under the stars. Learn how to drive a stick shift. Go so far away that you stop being afraid of not coming back. Say no when you don’t want to do something. Say yes if your instincts are strong, even if everyone around you disagrees. Decide whether you want to be liked or admired. Decide if fitting in is more important than finding out what you’re doing here. Believe in kissing.”

—	Eve Ensler

Got this from George Takei's FB... I love it!

Instead of watching TV...

You know what you should do? Take photos of friends with their face squished against glass. Then assign the pictures to your phone contacts; it'll look like they're trapped inside your phone... just a thought.

Lest you think I have original thoughts, I confess to having stolen this from someone on Twitter ... or Tumblr... or somewhere.

Magic

“I want to be magic. I want to touch the heart of the world and make it smile. I want to be a friend of elves and live in a tree. Or under a hill. I want to marry a moonbeam and hear the stars sing. I don’t want to pretend at magic anymore. I want to be magic.”

~ Charles de Lint

art credit: "Light Flurries", R. Gonsalves

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.

~Madame Marie Curie

Drove to Bethesda, drove home.
Saw relatives. Ate too much.

Cold dreary single-digit weather.
I love it.

Today is October 1 - first day of my favourite month.
Two holidays - one month.

10 days until my accounting test.
14 days until I need to have completed an 1812-style ball gown.


photo credit: unknown
If it's yours let me know I'd love to give you credit and send readers to your gallery.

Food for Thought

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.
Sarah Williams
from "The Old Astronomer to His Pupil" in Best Loved Poems of the American People

I love this...
I put it here, there, and everywhere more for me than for you gentle readers.
Hopefully you enjoy it too.

If it was only this easy.

Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music.

The i-Tit will cost from $499 to $699, depending on cup & speaker size. This is considered a major social breakthrough because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them....

QED
Problem solved.

Food for Thought

Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities also has the power to make you commit atrocities.

~Voltaire

Something to think about as our politicians and religious leaders spout rhetoric and propaganda

just cuz...

Looking behind I am filled with gratitude. Looking forward I am filled with vision. Looking upwards I am filled with strength. Looking within I discover peace.

Quero Apache Prayer

Made of ALL of the WIN!

to help your Monday...

Food for Thought

Put very simply, prayer is when we ask the universe for something, and meditation is when we stop and listen.

Reboot! Reboot!

INSTALLING SPRING...███████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 44% DONE. Install delayed ... please wait. 

Installation failed. Please try again. 

404 error: Season not found. Season "Spring" cannot be located. The season you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. Please try again.

we are not amused.

it is snowing

Do yourself a favour and watch this

Caution: Don't try drinking or eating anything while viewing.

May NOT be suitable for small children, bosses, pastors and the like

It figures...

Fertility Goddess Asherah: Was 'God's Wife' Edited Out of the Bible?

Didn't she "enhance" the plot?
Perhaps she outshone the male protagonist?
More power to the "uppity female"!

Newest project

The (mostly) Marvellous Memoirs of a Modern Medieval Maven

fret not, I shall still be here...
This is just something new, separate, and focused.

International Women's Day

I abhor the term "feminist" - all I want is to be considered an equal and have equity in this Game of Life.

hide and seek

“Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.”
~Hafiz of Persia

Jerk

Canadian PM Harper wants to make all official communications come from the "Harper Government", not the "Government of Canada"???

A rebranding of the 'Harper Government'


He re-branded the Canadian Government by CUTTING CANADA OUT of the name.
Nice, eh?

I think 'Harper Regime' sounds good, don't you?

We already have the Loonie (1$ coin) and the Toonie (2$ coin). Why not a $3 coin called the Harpoonie? it has a nice ring to it, non?

Perhaps there should be Harper statues erected? and some Harper Palaces?

It worked for Saddam Hussein, the Ayatollah, Lenin and even Gadhafi — at least for a time.


I'm sorry but it's the Canadian Government, not the Harper Government!

Silly delusional narcissistic prime minister!

'cuz yeah... Rehab fixes everything, right?

Galliano Heads To Rehab While His Friends Play Dumb

Read more: http://ca.jezebel.com/5774394/galliano-heads-to-rehab-while-his-friends-play-dumb#ixzz1FT0nurx0

What.
A.
Douche.

...and is it just me or does every picture I've seen of this man like a cartoon character?

Looks like meat's back on the menu boys...

Exclusive: PETA’s Pet Killing Program Set a New Record in 2009

tsk tsk

We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn.
~Henry David Thoreau

It's really blustery out there tonight. Any wagers as to whether my power stays on or not? That old willow in the ravine by the main grid link... it's a'swaying.

Speechless

This is one of the most heartwrenching things I have ever seen.

The Julie Project

Cheers!

Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes...the ones who see things differently...they're not fond of rules...
They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to... think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.
~Steve Jobs

Il était une fois... les technologies du passé.

You heard the man! Get busy!

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.
~ Neil Gaiman

The year in review

1. What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?

• Went to Denmark
• Learned to cable (or more correctly - learning)
• Archery
• throw knives
• SCA events

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't really make'em, so I don't really keep 'em or break 'em.
I do reset - we review budgets/ savings/ schedules and organize.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes - two good friends.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
ummm... technically no. They died last year, but very close to the holidays

5. What countries did you visit?
Denmark & USA

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
more control (self-control?) of my schedule.

7. What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
June - Denmark

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
lotsa progress in lots of areas, but nothing really big.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I plan to do too much, and I fail to "get to it all"

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Back issues, and hip/knee issues. All sorted. May the gods and goddess bless the alternative care types Chiropractors/massage therapists/ yoga therapists.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
my laptop

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My own family - they are awesome.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
Many politicians... many public servants...

14. Where did most of your money go?
House, kids, pets

15. What were you really, really, really excited about?
Life - I know that sounds trite, but I love my family, my job, my house, my friends, and my "hobbies"

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?
too many

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder?
Happier

b) Bigger or smaller?
About the same

c) Richer or poorer?
about the same

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I'd spent more time outside with my kids, pets, and my garden

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying, procrastinating, sitting

20. How did you spend Christmas?
My in-laws came - it's all good

21. What was your favourite month of 2010?
I always love Octobers, but June was awesome!

22. Did you fall in love in 2010?!
I'm already in love

23. What were your favourite TV programmes?
no tv - I do have shows I lik but I dvd/youtube 'em, but I do love edu-tainment.

24. How will you ring in the New Year?
Kissed hubbins good-night and told each other we'd see each other next year and went to sleep.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
nope

26. What was the best book you read?
Practical Magic - I had no idea it was a book. *blush*

27. What were your greatest musical discoveries?
Heather Dale and Runrig

28. What did you want and get?
A nice bow, a serger, a new laptop, and an old fashion popcorn maker - pretty shallow, eh? ;)

29. What did you want and not get?
A pony! LOL just kidding! Nothing that I needed.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
I did not see anything except Robin Hood with Russell Crowe
It was not a "favourite"

31. What did you do on your birthday?
hubbin BBQ'd, kids made a cake.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
weight loss? I guess.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
Yoga pants. Comfort first. Egads I hate fashion and shopping.

34. What kept you sane?
yoga and laughter.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None! I'm strangely "celebie-free". It's quite odd

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
too many - I'm "this" close to being banned from listening to the news ;P

37. Who did you miss?
Nobody really - I'm in touch with family and friends online, and in person.

38. Who were the best new people you met?)
I met Vicki in person :D

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010.
taking time for me is important.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up 2010.
*buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzes like a Vuvuzala*