Sorry for being MIA

The little one and I have been fighting a nasty cold for the last three days. I hope everyone else is having a much better holiday weekend than we are!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello everyone from the US! I hope you're having a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I am. Despite this scratchy throat I have.

Here's a little song from Adam Sandler for your Thanksgiving enjoyment....

The Thanksgiving Song

The Perils of Waxing

My mother-in-law sent this to me a few days ago. I thought I'd share it with all of you. It had me laughing so hard tears ran down my face.

For those of you who wax, you will understand fully and those who don't will never make this mistake. Better go pee before you read this. This by far is one of the funniest things I have ever read. ~ This is why I shave!! Hope to put a smile on your face: Hair Removal..

(I don't have a clue who wrote this, but WHAT A RIOT!)


All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of easy, painless removal - the Epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the wax. Read on..


My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, and play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours:


'Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet.' So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom.


It was one of those 'cold wax' kits. No melting a clump of hot wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair right off.


No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius, but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!)


So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees.


('Cold wax,' yeah.. Right!) I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and pull. IT WORKS!


Ok, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.


With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the wax strip across the right side of my bikini line, covering the right half of my hoo-ha and stretching down the inside of my butt cheek (it *was* a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself..... RRRRRRIIIIIIPPPPPP!


I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!!.....OH MY GAWD!!!!!!


Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. CRAP! Another deep breath and RIPP! Everything is spinning and spotted. I think I may pass out..must stay conscious.. must stay conscious.


Do I hear crashing drums???? Breathe, breathe OK, back to normal. I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip. There's no hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX????


Slyly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair. The hair that should be on the strip.. It's not!! I touch. I am touching wax.


I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG mistake... remember my foot is still propped upon the toilet? I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down.


Sealed shut! My butt is sealed shut. Sealed shut!


I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do next and think to myself 'Please don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!' What can I do to melt the wax?


Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!!!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right???? *WRONG!!!!!!!*


I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit.


Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together, is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub..in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax.


So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cemented myself to the porcelain!!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!


I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter 'So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!'


There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located, 'are we talking cheeks or hole or hoo-ha?'


She's laughing out loud by now... I can hear her. I give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box.


YEAH!!!! RIGHT!!!! I should be the joke of someone else's night.


While we go through the various solutions, I resort to trying to scrape the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better than having your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!!!!


By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event.


My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace..the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!


The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend. Its sooo painful, but I really don't care. 'IT WORKS!!!! It works!!!!'


I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my grief and despair..THE HAIR IS STILL THERE..ALL OF IT!


So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I could have amputated my own leg at this point.


Next week I'm going to try hair color!

***NOTE: The brand of cold wax strips used in the story is unknown, but the idea of Nad's cold wax for your nether regions sounded hilarious!!!***

Domestic Witch's Home 'Crafted Holidays

If you haven't seen her button on the side of my blog, or even if you have, you should check out her blog. Her "Home 'Crafted Holidays" have begun!

Yours truly will be participating later on in the festivities. But there have been two great entries so far. How to make a pendulum. And how to make Infused Cooking Oils. Both very interesting!!!

Check it out, maybe you'll get some ideas. After all nothing says "I love you" to your friends and family like something handmade.

Old Blue Chair

I was listening to this song earlier today and got to thinking. Where’s my “blue chair”? Do I have one?

Where do I go to sit back and evaluate my life? Where it’s going? Where it’s been?

I have a lot of places.

I like to:
• Think things over lying in bed.
• Sit on the couch watching my family interact.
• Rock the wee one to sleep in the old rocking chair my mom gave me. (In which she did the same with me.)
• Meditate on my zafu and zabuton.
• Watch the world drift by in whatever transportation I’m in. (My favorite is sitting in a balcony on a cruise ship watching the waves.)

Where’s your “blue chair(s)”?

Things that make me giggle...

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been working like a mad woman on various projects. I'll be posting some of them in the days to come. In the meantime, here are a few clips that made me laugh. Hope they bring some hilarity to your life!


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Working with the Goddess

The Moon: Indicates the goddess. Following your intuition and reveling in the mystery of femininity. The Moon is the pagan equivalent of the Goddess aspect. I’ve been working with a goddess lately (Isis) and these cards are showing that.

Three of Pentacles: The stars also indicate the feminine. I am the goblin practicing drawing the symbols that will bring me closer and closer to my relationship with the Goddess.

Ace of Wands: I am a strong earth sign. Therefore, what more would you expect than a green phoenix? (It’s actually a Simurgh.) But this card indicates me getting ready to start on my new spiritual path!

What an interesting reading!!!! I’m always amazed at what cards come up, when I do readings for myself.

What makes you happy and thankful?

Over at A Cup of Jo she asked everyone what three things make you happy?

1. My darling daughter!!! Everyday with her is amazing! And of course the hubs! He makes me happy every day!



2. My friends! I couldn't imagine life without all the spectacular women I'm friends with! You help me realize that though I may be a wife and mother, I'm also a kick ass chica with hopes and dreams of her own! Thanks so much ladies!!!!!



3. My jump started spiritual path. Recently, I've sort of kicked my journey into gear again. It's refreshing to be moving forward again.

Lazy Sunday Movie: The Men Who Stare at Goats

The hubs and I went to see this a few days ago. I thought it was hilarious. He said it was okay. Sort of stupid. But again, I thought it was hilarious! I didn't have any major ideas about this movie going into it. Maybe he did. I don't know.

Anywho, The Men Who Stare at Goats focuses on Ewan McGregor's character Bob. He is a reporter who tries to make his ex-wife regret leaving him. So he goes to Iraq to write about what's going on. While there he runs into George Clooney's character Lyn Cassidy. Lyn and Bob end up running around Iraq and Bob learns all about the secret Army project of Psy Spies.

All in all a fun way to spend a few hours.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, May 1915


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Thank you to everyone who's fought for our country! Especially those that gave everything for us!

Info and history of Veteran's Day

Synchronicity: Rosemary

Rosemary.

I've been seeing this everywhere. I've cooked with it recently. Saw two separate blog posts about it. I watched a movie where the main character's name was Rosemary. My name loosely translates to Rose Mary.

Hmmm. It's as though the universe is calling me by name and trying to tell me something.

Is there something major in the works that is just beyond the veil? If I try hard enough, concentrate enough, will I see it?

Or do I just need to cook?

Prayer for Those at Fort Hood

Isis, protect the wounded and the fallen at Fort Hood.

Wrap your wings around the injured so they may feel sheltered.

Please help speed their recovery.

Wrap your wings around those who’ve passed so they may feel safe.

Please help them on the next step of their journey.

Wrap your wings around the families so they may feel shielded.

Please help ease their grief and pain.

Isis, watch over the wounded and the fallen at Fort Hood.

Giveaway: November in Runes

Another giveaway of Runes. Man oh man! I'd love to win one of them. But I'd like everyone to have a chance. Check out Domestic Witch's blog. She's always got some sort of domestic trick up her sleeve.

Challenge: Books to Read Before I Die 2010

I've decided to join in Bibliophile's Challenge Books to Read Before I Die.

Here are the guidelines for the challenge:

1. Between now and December 31, 2009, make a list of between 10 and 20 Books to Read Before You Die.
2. The books on your list can come from your stacks or the library, and be in print or audio format.
3. Once you've created your post with tentative titles, THEN sign up using Mr. Linky, by pasting the link to your post, along with your name/blog name. This is how you will be registered. Finalize your list by 12/31/09.
4. NOTE: If you don't have a blog, you can still sign up and join in the fun.
5. All bloggers who complete the challenge will be entered in giveaway to win an Amazon Gift Card.


My current list: (May change since I already started it.)
* The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Baum
* Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury
*A Clockwork Orange - Burgess
* 1001 Arabian Nights - Burton
* Don Quixote - Cervantes
* The Complete Sherlock Holmes - Doyle
* The Count of Monte Cristo - Dumas
* The Man in the Iron Mask - Dumas
* 100 Years of Solitude - Garcia-Marquez
* The Secret Garden - Hodgson-Burnett
* The Shining - King Currently reading.
* The Bell Jar - Plath
* Catcher in the Rye - Salinger
* Treasure Island - Stevenson
* Dracula by Bram Stoker Finished. Blog post here.
* Gulliver’s Travels - Swift
* Walden Pond - Thoreau
* The Picture of Dorian Gray - Wilde Finished. Blog post here.

Some of these I read a looooooong time ago, or never finished before. I'm setting out to complete this entire list by Dec. 31, 2010.

What Makes you Tick?

Do you know what the secret of life is?

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share?

I'd like to get to know my readers better. Therefore, if you like to answer questions about yourself, and want some free advertising for your blog/site, let me know and we'll get started.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup...well Semi-Homemade

I finally got around to making my Great-grandmother's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Only I did it a bit semi-homemade. I didn't boil my own chicken or make my own chicken broth. I used one of those rotisserie chickens from Kroger.

Great-grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup
Meat of 1 boiled chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
12 cups. chicken broth
4 large carrots sliced
4 large stalks celery sliced
1 large onion diced

Sliced Noodles

Homemade noodles - 3 eggs + 1 1/2 tsp. salt. add enough flour to make into dough.

Roll out dough on floured countertop. Roll to 1/8" thickness. Cut into 4" long sections. Roll sections up into long rolls. Slice noodles into 1/4" noodles. Unroll. Add to boiling broth separately or you will get a lump of dough.



Wait for 10 minutes or so for the noodles to cook. Serve. Makes 8 servings.



This would be really yummy with a beer and a roll.

Giveaways: Mother Moon's Message

These are some amazing Runes that Mother Moon is giving away. Check out her blog.

So head over there to enter.

Family, Friends, Wine and....Prophesy?

How did you celebrate your Samhain/Halloween/Day of the Dead?

The little one and I curled up with my Halloween treat of a movie Young Frankenstein. It was as funny as I remembered.

But the majority of my celebration came the day after Samhain. Sort of a New Year family feast!

We had my mom and step-dad over for a breakfast of French Toast (with pumpkin pie spices in the dip), bacon and Bloody Marys. (Apparently even though I hate Bloody Mary's I make awesome ones.) This is my secret. I don't rim the glass with it. I add about a 1/2 tsp. to everything and shake.

Lunch time was spent with close friends and their new son. And I showed Amber how to make some baby food. Sweet potatoes and Butternut squash.

Dinner was celebrated with my dad and step-mom. We had my Tuscan Pork Roast mashed potatoes, salad, cheesecake and decaf coffee with Grand Marnier.



After everyone had left, the little one was in bed, all was cleaned up and the hubs was upstairs doin his thing. I curled up with a glass of warmed Witches Brew wine to watch Nostradamus Decoded on Discovery.

After everything I was asleep on the couch by 9:15pm.