Lily of the Valley

Yesterday morning I walked over to the library to pick up my reserve of Neal Stephenson’s Quicksilver. (An excellent book, by the way, if you happen to like scientific science-fiction set in the past.) The gardens along my walking route are all beautifully in bloom. There are still a few stray tulips, thanks to the chilly weather, and irises are starting to make their appearance. I’ve also rediscovered an old favourite, the lily-of-the-valley.Lily of the Valley

When I was younger, from about kindergarten to grade five, we lived in a house who’s front and side gardens were totally inundated with lily-of-the-valley. Their scent was a big part of my childhood, but I had all but forgotten it until recently. Now I can’t get enough of it, especially when it is beautifully mixed with the scent of a nearby lilac tree. (We also had one of those at that house.) I want to rush out to the local Crabtree and Evelyn and buy their entire stock of lily-of-the-valley scented items. I want to plant some outside my window, even though it isn’t my garden to plant in. They bring back such happy memories, and I am so glad I discovered their beauty and their scent again.

Image stolen from somewhere on the harvard.edu site

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Witches Weekly – Altars & Shrines

Witches’ Weekly has been updated again. Here are my answers.

Altar/Shrines

Do you have an altar/shrine?
I don’t have a permanent altar or shrine, mostly out of respect for quanta’s religious beliefs. Just as having a crucifix on the wall would make me uncomfortable, me having a shrine would make him uncomfortable. Relationships are all about compromise. I do, however, have a pretty box in which I keep all my altar items. It sits on a shelf in my bedside table, and I am well aware that it is there.

If you do, what objects do you have placed on it and are any of them homemade or natural objects (ex: feathers, rocks, crystals)?
All the items in my altar box are manmade, and none have been made by me. Really, that makes me a little sad. I am working on a cross stitch piece to use as either a central picture or altar cloth. I would also like to obtain a few nice crystals, but the stores I have contacted are out of lapis. Other then that, I haven’t found any natural items that call to me. I think that the items needs to feel right. I won’t add something just so I have something handmade or natural.

If you don’t, (you can answer this if you do have one as well) do you have an area where you focus on your spirituality?
I also have a few places in the house that make me pause and reflect for a few moments. I suppose these could be seen as mini-shrines. One is the laughing Buddha on my writing desk. Although I don’t feel that Buddhism is a good mix with Wicca, there are elements that are useful–such as mindfulness or the reminder to laugh once in a while, which I see embodied in this wee Buddha. Also, my small indoor garden is a sort of shrine to nature.

How do you feel when you are settled at your altar/shrine (or area)?
I feel at peace when I set out my altar items or pause at my mini-shrines. The day seems to stop for a few moments. I is very nice.

3 Comments | Posted in Memes & Collabs |

Being Feminine

My Daughters of the Moon deck arrived today. I am just tickled pink with it. Although it is strongly feminist (without being overly political), I am finding myself very comfortable with it. It is almost like it is giving me permission to wholly feminine, at least for a little while.

I guess that sounds like a strange thing to say, considering that most people would consider me a fairly feminine woman. I love to clean house, cook, and do needlework. (Yes, I really do love to do these things.) I don’t wear dresses and skirts very often, but I do my best to always dress nicely, and I rarely leave the house without makeup on. But I often feel maybe like I am lacking something because I have no girlfriends. Everyone I am close to is male, with the exception of my mother. And while I have no real problem with this, sometimes I do wish I had a girlfriend I could chat with. C’est la vie though, I suppose.

Anyway, I’ve finally gotten caught up on reply to comments from this week. Sorry about the delay. I have no excuse to offer, other then I didn’t get around to it until just now. All replies are in the comments of whichever post they apply to. Is that the right way to do it, or should I be replying via email? I have no idea what the etiquette is.

1 Comment | Posted in My Life |

Damp Digs

Spring in Southern Ontario means that one day it will be blazing hot, the next it will be pleasantly warm, and on the third it will be damp and chilly. Sort of like it was today. Our apartment is nicely damp too, which makes the day even more special. And now quanta and I are arguing about getting a dehumidifier. My sweetheart, who I dearly love but who is very cheap, kindly reminded me that just a short two years ago I nagged about getting a humidifier. And it is now sitting, unloved, upstairs in the storage unit. I then reminded him that we bought it for another apartment!!! One that wasn’t in a basement in an area that used to be marshland!!

*sigh*

I’m okay. But my knees are killing me. I have a problem with my knees, and the pain is amplified by the damp and cold. Today hasn’t been pleasant. And you would think that spending a few dollars on a dehumidifier for a damp, basement apartment wouldn’t be too much to ask. Of course, if you thought that, then you don’t know quanta. 🙂

Uhhh… but we will just ignore the fact that I spent a wee bit of money at Reitmans today on some nice new summer clothes. *cough*

4 Comments | Posted in My Life |

Unconscious Mutterings 68

It has been a damp and dull Sunday here at the Pond. Right now there is a minor thunder storm raging. As an act of rebellion, I am both using my computer and running the washing machine. I suppose I feel safe doing these things because we are in an apartment (although why that makes us safe I don’t know), and because there are many taller buildings nearby. Theoretically, they would be hit instead of us. *shrug* I had no worries at our old place because it had excellent lightning rods, something to do with the rather expensive cell phone tower on the roof I would suspect.

Anyway, on to this week’s Unconscious Mutterings.

  1. Finale::Music
  2. Martial arts:: Dr. Sexy
  3. Flirt::Girls
  4. Energy::Water
  5. Flavor::Flavour (why do Americans avoid “u”s? They make words pretty!)
  6. Guess?::Who
  7. Accomplishment::Job
  8. Prom:: Dress (we didn’t have a prom at my high school)
  9. Diploma::University
  10. Bloody::Mary

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More Quizzes

Keeping to the theme of today, ie. All About Me!!!, here are several quizes that I have done lately. (I’ve fixed the spelling for some of them. I couldn’t help myself.)

Discover your Zodiac Personality
Discover your Zodiac Personality @ Quiz Me

Interestingly enough, I actually am a Taurus. I am a fairly typical Taurus, I think. I am a homebody, and happily so. I like material things, and I also like to keep a tidy but homey house. And if there was ever anyone who was stubborn, it’s me. At least about certain things, anyway.

Continue reading

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100 Things About Me

  1. I am a woman.
  2. I am engaged.
  3. I am a Wiccan.
  4. I am a daughter.
  5. I want to be a mother.
  6. I love my fianc
4 Comments | Posted in Memes & Collabs, My Life |