Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Me
Happy Birthday to Me-ee
Happy Birthday to ME!!

Twenty-eight years ago today I was born in a hospital in Carmichael, California at 3:30 in the afternoon. I weighed 7 lbs, 7 oz and was 19 1/2 in long. I’m the first born of seven children.

Aquarius Child - January 20-February 19
indya.com Astrology
Ruled by Uranus
A Masculine Positive Fixed Air Sign
Polar or opposite sign: Leo
Colour: All the colours of the rainbow

Aquarius is the eleventh sign of the Zodiac, lasting from January 20 - February 19. Aquarians are friendly, idealistic, independent and humanitarian. Usually pacifist, they often mount campaigns against injustice of any kind. Personal independence is important to those born under this sign and they make every effort to maintain it. They are friendly but rather distant, and frequently unpredictable. Though they are original thinkers, they can be rather eccentric.
Physical Appearance: They have clean-cut good looks and a ready smile that shows off their excellent teeth to advantage. They can eat any amount of junk food and still remain slim. Aquarians like to wear unusual outfits like hippie gear or New Age kaftans.
Relationships: Aquarians are not good at close relationships, despite their caring-and-sharing attitudes. They tend to be wary of emotion, often misconstruing it as mere sentiment that makes irritating demands on their affection. In emotional relationships, they like to retain a certain degree of independence.
Career: Aquarians can turn their hands very successfully to most things, since they are very determined individuals. Most are hardworking, even driven in their chosen field. Many choose rather unusual or esoteric careers like Astrology. They see life as a series of golden opportunities to make the world a happier place, and if money comes their way, so much the better.
Health: Aquarians’ lungs are particularly sensitive to cigarette smoke and air pollution, so they should be careful to avoid these wherever possible.
Ideal Partner: Anyone who is also an idealistic free spirit will be suitable for an Aquarian. A well-grounded Capricorn suits them best. (Although my hubby is a Leo!)

Chinese Snake - 1977
Chinese Zodiac Info
Ranking order : Sixth
Hours ruled by the Snake: 9 am - 11 am
Direction of sign : South - Southeast
Season and principal month : Spring - May
Stone: mossagate
Corresponds to Western sign : Taurus
Fixed Element : Fire
Stem : Negative
Greatest Affinity : Ox, Rooster
Greatest Enmity : Pig

The snake is a great thinker and philosopher, but conversely often makes decisions purely based upon intuition. Snakes are charming people with a strong sense of responsibility and a good sense of humour. On the downside the snake is a bit of a miser, and doesn’t like to spend money.
The snake is endowed with immense intuition, and is somewhat enigmatic. Graceful and soft-spoken, the snake is a lover of the arts, fine books, food, music, the theatre. The snake has a natural penchant for the finer things in life. Snakes are famous for their beautiful skin and good looks.
The snake has the annoying habit of shunning advice and relying on their own counsel - annoying because, more often than not, they are correct!
Snakes make good teachers and although somewhat ill-disciplined themselves, require obedience and discipline both in the home as well as in the workplace.

It’s my Birthday, and I’ll dance if I want to
Sing if I want to
Laugh if I want to
You will too when it happens to you!
(to the tune of It’s My Party)

Link to Article

No matter how many times or in how many ways parents are told that raising kids on a full-time basis is hard, the notion never really seems to sink in until they experience it first-hand, until they’ve been worn down by day after day of incessant demands, floor scrubbing to get rid of various repulsive spills and unspeakable substances (both organic and inorganic), fruitless cooking (since no one ever eats the food), refereeing between siblings (I could use a striped shirt and whistle), prying sobbing children off their legs at preschool drop-offs, providing educationally oriented entertainment (the “ABC” song is the soundtrack of my dreams), potty training (don’t get me started), and sleep deprivation from a nightmare-plagued grade schooler, all the while enduring a household decibel level that rivals a space shuttle launch.
It’s a rarity for today’s parents to feel comfortable enough to openly share their frustrations, their fears, or parental miscues without worrying about being perceived as bad parents. Too many think that every other parent is a paragon of rational perfection and peacefulness while they themselves must be the ones with no clue who shout like bears behind closed doors.

I found this article while wading through my email … and it caught my attention because my sis-in-law and I were just talking about this exact thing just the other day!
This article rings so true! There have been many times where I have wondered “what am I doing wrong?” or “are my kids the only ones who can be complete little monsters?” I always felt I wasn’t (couldn’t be) the only one … but there are those days where I’ve see other mothers as composed as can be, and I’ve just got done yelling at the boys to stay put for the 20th time. And then, of course, my mind starts to wander and the thoughts about being an adequate parent pop into my head.
Reading this article just confirms to me that every parent has those “days” … actually most of parenthood is those “days” … but we as parents try to hide behind an “it’s all ok” facade, so others won’t think we’re bad parents. But just because we have our off moments when dealing with our munchkins, doesn’t mean we’re bad parents. It shows that we are human … and regardless of the love that we ultimately feel for our kids, there are days when we feel we can’t take it anymore.

Ten Things I Love About Winter
1. beauty of snow falling from the sky and blanketing everything white
2. snow … whether or not it’s deep enough to play in … but the deeper the better
3. the cold
4. snuggling up
5. storms
6. the holidays
7. eating holiday goodies and not having to worry about your figure too much since clothes are rather bulky anyway
8. hot chocolate
9. my birthday … lol
10. baking/cooking

Ten on Tuesday

Well, the boys were gone for 2 nights instead of 1 … woohoo!
On Saturday, hubby and I relaxed at home for part of the day then we picked up another movie (Forgotten … very good!) and went out to a late lunch. When I was at the computer, I spent my time re-vamping one of my websites … Witchy Ways. Gave it a whole new layout.
Then on Sunday, hubby and I went out to a late breakfast and then went grocery shopping … it’s so much faster and easier when you don’t have 2 screaming kids in tow … lol! Afterwards we hung out at home for a few more hours, then we went and got the boys.
Back to normal days, now …. full of whining, fighting, and of course they have their cute moments … lol! But now that I’ve had a much needed break … I’m ready to take the kiddos on again!

Do you fear repercussions of the re-election of George W. Bush on your rights to practice your religion freely?
Not in a major way, no. I believe he has too much on his plate right now to mess with the 1st amendment of freedom of religion. I do not, however, appreciate his stance on Paganism. When I had read that he didn’t believe Pagans/Wiccans in the military had a right to practice their religion, I was floored. That’s when my opinion of him started to change.

What steps do you think are important to take in securing religious freedoms for Pagans, Witches and related?
The first and foremost step is to get word out that what we follow is not “evil”. People need to be educated on exactly what Paganism is and what it stands for. We revere nature. We are a peace-loving bunch … not satan-worshippers, like so many seem to think. People need to realize that we all worship the same Ultimate Force … just by different names.
The media needs to start portraying the true side of Paganism. Instead of all these movies and such portraying evil-doers, blood sacrifices, and the devil and connecting them with our symbols (the main one being the pentacle/pentagram) and titles (witch, witchcraft, pagan, ect.), it needs to start showing the loving, human side. The fact that we are day-to-day people, just like everyone else, shocks most people. We need to change the bad image into a good one.

Do you feel Pagan and Witch groups should better organize into “churches” to provide a more “legitimate” face to general public? Why or Why Not?
NO. Not in the sense of organized chruches as what the Christians have. A coven is organized enough. If certain covens would like to start up church organizations, then that’s fine … as long as it didn’t start to become a required thing (if you’re Pagan, you must go to church). One of the things I love about this way of life is that it isn’t as organized as the Christian religions. I love being a Solitary Eclectic Pagan, free to practice where ever and whenever I want … within reason. I like being able to worship in my own home or out in nature.
The public needs to realize that we aren’t “evil” (see above) and that, yes, we do things a bit different than what they are used to … but we enjoy it. We revere and worship the natural earth around us. We shouldn’t have to conform to oraganizing churches like the Christians have, just so others will think we’re an ok bunch. They need to learn to accept us as the good, nature-loving people we are.

Witches Weekly

Today’s been a much better day than yesterday. And tonight even better. The boys are at my parents for the night. So I get a much needed respite from the whining and bickering.
Hubby and I went out to dinner at the local Chinese buffet … mmmmm! … I’ve been craving Chinese lately. Then we headed over to KMart to buy a movie to watch when we got home. We picked up The Village. It was pretty good … although not what you’d expect. Now I sit at the computer … and revel in the thought that I have all night to type away and make graphics and do whatever … without interruption from the 2 monsters … ahhhh ….
And then when they come back, I’ll be refreshed and ready to take them on once again.

Ever have one of those times in your life where you’re completely and totally frustrated with life and wonder why you are where you are? Me too … I’m going through one of those times now. I don’t know what happened, but somewhere between leaving high school and having 2 kids and tons of bills to pay, I lost myself (I did find myself spiritually, so that’s a plus). But I feel like I’ve lost my sense of me. I haven’t been depressed per sé, but I haven’t exactly been my usual happy self for some time. Money, or lack thereof, seems to be the main issue. They (whoever “they” are) say money doesn’t buy happiness. I beg to differ. Being greedy doesn’t buy happiness … but being flat broke all the time doesn’t, either.

But it’s not just that … there’s more under the surface. My boys are my life and joy … but they become hard to enjoy when they’re constantly whining and bickering about something. I love them so much it hurts and brings me to tears, and we do make it past those days and have great ones together. But there are times when I want to be as far away from them as possible. Is that cruel? I don’t ever wish I never had them, ever … but sometimes I think how different my life would have been. I wouldn’t change it, but the thought does cross my mind from time to time … especially when I’ve had a hard day of dealing with lots of whining.

A little bit further beneath the surface, is this damn apartment we live in. It’s not tiny, but it is rather small for 2 adults and 2 kids. It’s cluttered with years of accumulated stuff. One of my biggest pet-peeves is clutter and disorganization. Living in this apartment has become it’s own hell … and I don’t even believe in hell. It drives me nuts everyday when I see clothes piled everywhere (most of which are hubby’s), papers strewn all over the computer desk and in stacks everywhere, and toys … toys packed in every nook and cranny you can imagine. I do try to keep it picked up and somewhat organized, mostly because I would literally go insane if it got too out of hand, but with an 8 year old, a 2 year old, and a hubby who doesn’t know how to pick up after himself … it gets harder each day to keep up with it all.

Add to all this that lately I haven’t been feeling all that well (sore neck and shoulder, headaches … from the sore neck, and sinus congestion) and well, let’s just say I’ve been rather grouchy lately. I have a lot less tolerance for the boys these days … and I really feel bad for it.

I know I gotta keep my chin up and have faith that things will work out and we won’t always be in hard times. Some days I’m more optimistic than others. Yesterday (Thursday) has been one of those down-in-the-dirt days. Maybe today … being a Friday … will be a more glass-is-half-full day. Here’s to hopin’!

This article was sent through a Pagan group I’m in. When I read it, I thought, “Finally! Someone who realizes the true nature of our beliefs.” We Pagans are not so different from anyone else. As stated below, we all worship the same higher power … there are just many different names this force is given.

:: A Christian Speaks of Wicca and Witchcraft ::
by James Clement Taylor
I am a Christian and not a Wiccan. A Christian is one who has been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and who has made a personal, free-will decision to commit himself and all his or her life to our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Both of these things are true of me. I am a member of St. Mary’s Eastern Orthodox Church, Calhan, Colorado. In this paper, I am not speaking as agent for any church, but I am, entirely on my own responsibility, speaking the truth in love, as we Christians are supposed to do.

A Situation of Strife and Shame:
There are many Christians today who believe that anyone who is not a Christian is doomed to an eternity of suffering in hell. Any decent person, believing this, would be compelled to try to save as many people from this fate as possible. But is this belief correct? Jesus Christ, having noted the faith and righteousness of a Roman centurion, a Pagan, proclaimed:

“Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:10-12)

If we accept these words as true, and surely we should, then it is clear that heaven will contain many who are not Christians, and hell will contain many who are! Clearly, throughout the Gospels, Jesus Christ sets forth the criteria for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and those criteria include love, kindness, forgiveness, and a refusal to judge others:

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matthew 7:2)

“But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’” (Matthew 9:13)

“Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” (Luke 6:36-38)

Is it not clear? Anyone who fails in these things, will calling himself a Christian save him? Anyone who obeys God in these things, will being unbaptized condemn him? Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

Yet it is not by good works that we earn our way into heaven, because there is no way we can earn the free gift of God’s mercy and grace, which alone can save us. But it is clear that it is not by faith, in the sense of sharing the Christian faith, that we are saved, either. The faith which saves us is not faith in the goodness of our works, nor faith that we have the right theology and/or belong to the right church. Rather, it is faith in God, and in His mercy:

“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.” (Romans 9:16)

But the Wiccans, you will say, do not have faith in God. Yet by their own theology, they certainly do. Those who call them Satan-worshippers are entirely wrong. They do not worship Satan, or even believe that Satan exists. Instead, they worship a Goddess and a God whom they understand as manifestations of a higher and unknown Deity.

Now if you are a Christian, this will sound familiar to you, and it should. In the Bible we find the following:

“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, `Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, The One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you” (Acts 17:22-23)

The Wiccans worship the Unknown God, as manifested to them in the form of a Goddess and a God. Therefore, our Bible tells us they worship the same God we do; and if they do not know this, we should know it!

For those of us who are unable to simply stand on God’s Word, and must prove to themselves the truth of what it proclaims the holy Apostle John has given us the method for doing this. You have only to attend any public Wiccan ceremony, and test the spirits which are there, to see “whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1). You will find that, while the power manifested there may be less than what you have experienced as a Christian, that power is clearly the power of God.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, these people of Wicca have been terribly slandered by us. They have lost jobs, and homes, and places of business because we have assured others that they worship Satan, which they do not. We have persecuted them, and God will hold us accountable for this, you may be sure, for He has said, “Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Let us, from this point onward, repent of our misdeeds and declare that henceforth we shall obey Christ our God, and not judge others or condemn them, so that He will not have to judge and condemn us for our sins.

1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? well, first name is Brandy
2. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? yep
3. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? dark purple
4. FAVORITE DRINKS? Pepsi, chocolate milk, hot chocolate
5. FAVORITE SPORT? ice skating
6. HAIR COLOR? strawberry blond, red when dyed
7. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR EYES? hazel green
8. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS OR GLASSES? glasses
9. # OF SIBLINGS? 6 … 4 brothers, 2 sisters
10. FAVORITE MONTH: January
11. FAVORITE FOOD? Chinese
12. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? 50 First Dates; in theaters - National Treasure
13. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? ummm, don’t really have a favorite
14. WHO DO YOU CALL TO VENT? Crystal
15. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD? ummm, my stuffed animals
16. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs
17. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? chocolate
18. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? a couple days ago
19. WHAT IS UNDER YOUR BED? carpet, dust bunnies … lol
20. WHO IS THE FRIEND YOU HAVE HAD THE LONGEST? Casey
21. FAVORITE SMELL? the ocean, rain, roses
22. WHO INSPIRES YOU? people who stand up for what they believe
23. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID Of? loss
24. PLAIN, BUTTERED OR SALTED POPCORN? buttered and salted or kettle corn
25. FAVORITE CAR OR TRUCK? don’t have one
26. NUMBER OF KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING? 2
27. CAN YOU JUGGLE? balls, no… life, yep!

Yoda:: The Force
Mensa:: ???
Pink:: Cadillac
Text message:: IM
Galactic:: Battleship
Chicks:: Cheep Cheep
Quesadilla:: Mexican
Backpack:: School
Socket:: Wrench
Compromise:: Relationship

Unconscious Mutterings