With my 14th wedding anniversary coming up in just a few days I guess I was feeling nostalgic when I stumbled on a wedding favor site recently or I probably would’ve surfed right on by without looking.  When hubby & I got married we skipped the whole formal wedding thing as the stick turned blue in the midst of our plans and we wound up getting married at city hall with only a handful of people in attendance.  I do not regret the choice, it was the right one to make in the face of the upcoming expenses of a baby, though I do get a bit wistful from time to time over missing the fairy tale moments that could’ve been mine. Which leads me back to ….

Truly Wedding Favors has a whole page of “fairy tale” wedding favors.  Choices include castle place-card holders, horse-drawn carriage photo frames, and the sweetest little heart inspired snowflake tea-light holder.  The first two would be perfect for a Renaissance themed wedding/handfasting and the later would be wonderful for any Winter season wedding.

They also have other unique favors such as Wildflower seed kits which would be great for a Spring-time handfasting and Heart shaped tea infusers which, paired with some loose tea would be wonderful any time of year.

They also have many choices insofar as bottle stoppers.  Two of my favorites are the “wish upon a star” and “we tied the knot”.  Maybe its just me but the later seems just ”perfect” for a traditional handfasting ceremony.

There are also plenty of items that can fit the bill as a favor for any party, not just a wedding.  One example are the “Enchanted Carriage” favor boxes which would be wonderful for any little girl’s birthday party.

The site is easy to naviagate and has a wide range of favors ranging from sweet to funny to quirky to classy.  Whatever your wedding theme you are sure to find something here that will fit.  My only nitpicking negative with the site is that the “as low as price” is for those purchasing for truly large events - think at least 100 people or more.

Hope someone can make use of this.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

This post was originally written on 5/7 as “paid for blogging” article. Unfortunately the offer was pulled before I got the article up. The info is still valid and is still what I think about the site itself. If you are interested in doing something similar at your own blog, check out Smorty.

Womon Gathering is ONLY 26 days away!  I have started making a list of what to pack, what I need to pick up from the store and will start getting things together this weekend.  I am going to visit Mama Kelly at the end of the month for a final review of our packing and finalize our plans. Teacherman (hubby) thinks I should rent a car since mine is over 10 years old now. I think I probably will, that way I don’t have to take mine and risk breaking down on such a long trip and I don’t have to take his leaving him to use my much smaller car (being over 6 foot it’s a tight fit for him).

I find myself daydreaming about the event throughout the day and smiling a lot.  I went once before over a decade ago so I have some memories of it. Also I know a woman at work who goes every year, so she has told me some details about what to expect and sends me emails when there is news on the event’s message board.

The event takes place at a private camp grounds way up in the mountains far away from civilization.  From the moment you enter through the “gateway” you are on sacred ground.   It is like being in a safe, blessed sacred circle for the entire four days. Every effort is made to set aside the mundane every day world of stress and rushing about, (i.e. cell phones are kept off).  Many of the women attending have gone almost every year, and of course there are others coming for the first time also.  

The “gateway” is a tent structure that you pass through after you have unloaded your belongings, parked your car, and settled in.  The “gateway” is the symbolic place between the worlds, a sacred space to release what you wish to leave behind, to ground and center yourself before entering the community of the festival. Each year the “gateway” is different and embellished with the element theme for the year.  For example, one Air year a woman stood in front with two huge bird wings (real) and fanned each woman as they entered.

This year the theme is Water. We have been asked to bring a vial of “local” water from home to carry through the “gateway” and to be used in some of the rituals also.

There is a large sacred bonfire lit at a ceremony the first night and it is kept lit throughout the entire event.  It is a quiet space for meditation.   I have fond memories of sitting by the bonfire, enjoying the peacefulness and just breathing in the fresh air at various times throughout the four days. I am looking forward to doing so again.

Many of the women decorate their area of the cabin with magical and spiritual items and some even set up small altars. I am looking forward to planning with Mama Kelly an altar four our area of the cabin. I’m not sure what I’m bringing yet, but probably a large shell (since the theme is water), and perhaps some crystals. No candles are allowed in the cabins, of course. I’ll also be bringing my drum and tarot cards for two of the classes.

I can already feel my heart and spirit beginning to soar as I daydream of the four days on sacred ground, immersed in learning, drumming, chanting, circling, and best of all sharing it with my best friend and heart-sister, Mama Kelly.

Wishing every one a joyous weekend and bright blessings, Lady Rose
(founder of the Diet Pulpit and co-author of Stir the Cauldron).

With Miss Artistic’s latest crisis Lady Rose & I had to talk seriously about whether or not to still go to Womongathering.  The long and short of it is that we are.  I have my hesitations because of not having much in the way of cell phone access once there.  I have my worries over the fact that I will be pretty much out of contact for 4 days.  GamerDude keeps telling me that I need this.  The last 10 years have been rough, the last 7 months have been beyond stressful.  I have lost myself and he wants his “real” wife back, I can’t say that I blame him.  I miss myself as well.

I have emailed the organizers to find out if there are any land-lines anywhere on the property.  I have a hard time accepting that I would be completely unreachable in the worst case type of scenarios. But, regardless of what their responce is there is no going back.  To “cancel” after tonight means no refunds.  I just have to hope and pray that we can get Miss Artistic through this crisis and keep her stable enough, long enough, to let me have this short period of respite.  I have to hope that being able to call home once a day, from the one spot that has cell access, will be enough.

We have yet to sit down and discuss what to bring, what time to leave, exactly how we’re organizing this at all.  That will come on 5/31 when she comes up for her semi-monthly visit.  But, insofar as the Gathering itself I am starting to get a little excited about the classes that are appearing on the schedule.  Now, there is a heavy focus on croning rites and as I have had a hysterectomy in many ways I do see myself as a crone in spite of not even being 40 yet.  I am certainly “mid-life”.  But, my aim is to reclaim my spirit, my hope, my faith.  I am most likely better off calling to the fruitfulness of the Mother instead of taking a step closer to accepting the eventuality of “old age”.  In that spirit I am considering:

Thursday night I think I would like to attend “Laughter to Feed Your Soul”

Friday I think I would like to attend a Tarot workshop, though there is a 2 hour toning workshop that appeals to the former choir geek still living inside me. 

Saturday I am tempted to do the Reiki 2 attunement though there is also a trancing practicum that makes me go Yum just a little.

Sunday I am drawn to a class title “Unstuck Your Sensual Self” and with my libido the way it is it seems a tailor-made way to end to experience and try and come back to my husband.

There seems to be a lot in the way of “down time” and as I am not planning on doing a lot in the way of shopping I plan to spend it doing a lot of journalling and hopefully also listening to music (as I hope to borrow my teenager’s MP3 player).  I need to use every minute of my time there to dig deep and uncover my true self as well as to gather the inner fortitude that it will take to hold on to it after I come back home.

May it go well!

Mama Kelly
 

Almost a year ago I wrote about our need as a society to Save the Bees. Unfortunately things are not any better for our fuzzy black and gold friends. One of my daily blogreads, Blogickal, turned me onto a site Help the Honey Bees by Haagen-Daas which educates about their plight and allows you to “make and send a bee“

Imagine a world without flowers, without so many fruits, vegetables, and other foods (like almonds) that rely on bees to pollinate them.  Imagine a world of exponentially rising food prices and even more hunger and starvation than currently exists.

What can you do to help?  Short of keeping your own hive … plant more bee-friendly plants on your property, buy local honey (which is good for seasonal allergies too), raise awareness & tell people, and send a little energy to the bees when you hold circle or work other magic.

Consider keeping something like this 120 hour yellow candle on your altar and light it every day sending healing energies to the bees all over the world.

Recent News Articles:

Researchers see bee progress

The plight of the honeybee, and us

Bee deaths cause a buzz

Honeybee deaths still on the rise

Apple growers feel sting of mysterious honeybee loss

Related Reading:

A Spring without Bees: How Colony Collapse Disorder Has Endangered Our Food Supply

Beekeeping for Dummies

The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

Blessings
Mama Kelly

PS Feel free to use the square graphic above on your own websites to raise awareness.

:: written on 5/11 ::

It seems that somehow we are back at square one with my eldest daughter and the depression issues she has been coping with.  So yes that means we are firmly planted back in crisis mode.  Again, I do not want to go into detail because, frankly, I want her to maintain her privacy.

What I can tell you is that she can use all of the white light and prayers that any of you are willing to send her way.

What I can tell you is that I (and GamerDude and Princess Nibbles) may need some as well to get through another week like the one last month.

I do not know what else to say beyond that.

Blessings to you all

Mama Kelly

Starhawk is one of the first authors on Wicca that I ever read. I love her classic text, The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess, as well as her works of fiction, The Fifth Sacred Thing and Walking to Mercury.

While I myself am not much of an activist (short of a couple of Pro-Choice Marches on Washington in my younger days) I honor her message that a Witch is called to work change not only in their life but in the world as a whole.

But change often starts from within. We have the ability to change for the better every life we touch if we move through our days consciously and with purpose. Unfortunately the demands of daily life can drain away our inner strength, leaving us unable to tap into the magic of the Universe unless we make it a point to renew our spirits.

Meditation and visualization work is jsut one way to accomplish that. I hope that you enjoy this week’s Pagan Video Tuesday selection to help each of you to take a few minutes to recharge your own spiritual batteries.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

9:37

Journey To Your Place Of Power

download it for your MP3 player for only $0.99

I can’t believe I have been blogging for a couple years now, and I haven’t blogged about the day I became a mom! I’ve mentioned it here and there, but never did a post dedicated to that wonderful, awesome day. In celebration of Mother’s Day, I’d like to share the best day of life with all of you.

Background: When I was about 20 yrs old I had a cervical cancer and had to have a hysterectomy. When Teacherman and I were married Sept. 1991 we knew we were going to adopt and started looking into agency as soon as possible - most required that we be married a few years, but finally we found one that counted our years of living together towards the requirements. At first we tried adoption here in the U.S. but it can take 10 years or longer, and we were already almost 40 so ten years was not an option. We also applied for open adoption, where our photo and bio were placed in a notebook to be looked over and someone could pick us. We had two opportunites where we were considered but both times the birth mothers picked someone else, and emotionally it was very difficult to handle. Then we heard of China adoptions. We went to an introduction meeting and within five minutes Teacherman and I looked at each other with smiles and we knew we were going to be parents in about a year.

Oct. 20, 1996 - After a long, roller coaster ride of a year with mountains of paperwork completed, tons of letters of recommendations from almost everyone we knew and barely knew (including local police, bankers, neighbors), lots of home studies and parenting classes the big day was finally HERE. We had travelled half way around the world to an awesome country and were now standing in a room with 9 other parents-to-be with our hearts pounding and the biggest smiles ever on our faces.

Where motherhood began - Zhanjiang, China

Silver Seas Hotel, Zhanjiang, China - where we stayed

The Harbor, South China Sea, Zhanjiang, China

Zhanjiang Social Welfare Institute - where the babies are cared fod

(Note: I wish I had more photos, but back then I didn’t have a digital camera, so our photos would need to be scanned. These are photos are from the Zhanjiang Kids Org photo collection.)

Our translator told us the babies would be arriving any minute. We could hear the “aunties” (foster mothers) lining up in the hall, my hands started to tremble with excitement. Once every one was ready Dur (our group’s mentor) called out #1 and our name, and the first auntie came in carrying a sleeping baby. As she placed our daughter in my arms I just cried and smiled, my heart felt like it was going to burst with so much joy and love. Teacherman cried too but managed to hold on to the video camera. I managed to remind him to film the others too because we knew we would want to have it recorded for later. Words are totally inadequate to describe the atmosphere in the room, but I’m sure you can imagine how awesome it was, like being in a delivery room times ten. Within in a few minutes ten new families were formed, babies were having diapers changed, aunties were being given the extra baby clothes we brought for donations, and within another few minutes we were all piled in the bus waving goodbye, every one smiling and eyes filled with tears. Some of the aunties cried too, happy but sad to see their small charges leave.

We all went to our hotel rooms to begin life our lives together. Angelgirl curled her little fingers around her daddy’s pinky and grabbed his nose. She has been the center of his world ever since. I couldn’t stop staring at her, and the smile on my face was from ear to ear.

The following week of official paperwork, travelling within China to complete all the necessary steps, visiting the hospital for the requried physcial checkup on all the girls, our trip to the U.S Embassy for their passports, all passed in a blur. We had 1 day of site seeing where we visited a beach and a lovely temple. No one minded at all that our days were spent mostly in hotel rooms, small offices, and crowded on a bus, because no one took their eyes off their daughters and no one stopped smiling the entire time. Even the plane ride home (over 20 hours) went by blissfully.

We arrived home Oct. 30 (my birthday, which actually lasted two days that year because we crossed the international date line). A friend of ours picked us at the airport and whisked us to our house, where my family and a few other close friends were waiting for us with a welcome home banner and cake. Angelgirl took in everything calmly and checked out everyone who held her.

From the moment she was put into my arms, my life has been blessed and filled with joy each and every second. She turns 12 this week, and it amazes me how fast times flies by. She will always be my Angelgirl no matter how old she is, and I will never ever forget the joy and love that began that moment she was placed in my arms.

Hope all the mom’s out there had an awesome Mother’s Day!

Bright Blessings, Lady Rose
(crossed posted on Diet Pulpit)

Oh Goddess Mother,
You are the mystery of Night,
Your radiant shine is the Day,
Infinite realms cascade within You,
Abundance is Your essence of Being,
Blessings flow from You Limitlessly,
Your Universe is harmony and tension in Balance,
Within each of us, You are Alive.

© Abby Willowroot 2000 (SpiralGoddess.com)

Today I grateful for no more or less than the gift of being a mother.

Today I am grateful for the gift and blessing that was the carrying of each of my daughters within my womb. For each flutter and kick and hiccup. For toes between my ribs and a body that will never be the same.

Today I am grateful for those first days weeks and months when my baby was my world and I was theirs. For sweet smelling heads and milk-drunk smiles.

Today I am grateful for watching them grow into themselves. Princess Nibbles is still very much a little girl and I am loving every moment that it lasts. Miss Artistic is in the midst of transforming into a woman and I am enjoying the flashes of seeing who she will become.

Today I am grateful for the moments I do get to share with them. For trips to the mall or to the grocery store. For cuddling up to watch a movie. For long, deep talks and answering all of those questions, easy and hard.

Today I am grateful for the knowledge that I will always be their mother. When they are grown with children of their own, when I am long returned to the earth from whence I came I will still be their mother.

Thank you dear Goddess
Thank you

Mama Kelly

PS and to all my readers …..

glitter-graphics.com

If you recall on Sunday I wrote about our trip to New Hope in a post titled “Who Would Throw Away a Perfectly Good Squirrel”.  It took GamerDude a couple of days to download the photos from the camera and then another couple of days for me to get on his machine, as opposed to my laptop, to upload the photos onto Photobucket.  For your viewing pleasure:

At the end of our day I found these irises outside the New Hope Winery. I am pleasantly surprised with how well this closeup shot came out

We also came across this gorgeous old tree there. My eldest is almost 5′2″ so you can use that to determine the size of the tree.

We were wandering by the water out behind one of New Hope’s tattoo parlors feeding ducks and geese and I loved the contrast of the fresh pink blossoms up against the weathered wall. 

I also loved the contrast of these wee delicate flowers growing on this low stone wall.

And this post would not be complete without showing you the squirrel who inspired the post’s title.

Blessings

Mama Kelly

I know that I’m “cheating” again with this blog feature by highlighting a mainstream song instead of a Pagan tune. However lately it has become one of my favorite songs because of its messages:

• to embrace moments of beauty
• to use each day as a fresh start
• to believe in the potential of your own life

It is a great uplifting song on a dreary down type of day.  It is a wonderful reminder the the endless possibilities that each day allows.  I hope you like it as much as I do.

Unwritten
download for $0.90

video is close-captioned with the lyrics
3:45

“I am unwritten, can’t read my mind, I’m undefined
I’m just beginning, the pen’s in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We’ve been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can’t live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inner visions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, yeah, yeah”