Terri Schiavo has passed away today at 9:05am. I am so glad and relieved this whole fiasco is over with and she can now enjoy her much needed rest. I am glad Michael stuck to his guns and made sure her wishes were carried out.
It’s very sad that this case has been dragged through the court systems as much as it has. What should have been a private matter was blown into a national event with the president moving faster to pass a bill to keep the poor woman alive, then moving when terrorists attacked our country and caused thousands to die. Not to mention the thousands of lives that have been taken in name of our “war on terror”. And they were trying to keep one woman in a persistant vegetative state alive??
Anyway, I don’t want to go on a huge rant….so I’ll just end here by saying, “enjoy your rest, Terri. You more than deserve it.”

I’ve been following the case of Terri Schiavo for about a week now and have read many peoples views on whether she should live or die (via news coverage, message boards, and blogs). My personal opinion: 15 years is a long time to be kept alive artificially, too long…time to move on and let her die with dignity and be at peace.

I decided to meditate on the situation, since it has been getting to me lately. I did not ask the Goddess and God to let her die….nor did I ask to let her live. I simply put my personal thoughts out there and thought whatever happens, it will be for the betterment of all. She’s here for a reason and this is happening for a reason. I believe we choose our life plans for the current life while in the Summerlands, before we are born back to the Earth. I believe this is one of the obsticles she chose to deal with in this life. Whether she lives or dies will (hopfully) be towards the greater good. That is what I asked for.

Never would I have thought to say there are cons to potty training ‘K’. I love that he loves his “big boy” underwear so much that he’s now telling me when he has to go…and then actually going when he sits on the toilet. It’s such a big accomplishment in the course of just over a week. I didn’t think he’d progress so fast from wetting his three pairs within a few hours to going all day and only having one accident. And he hates to have to put a diaper on at night, but for now, I coax him into it. Maybe if he’s still doing this well in another week we’ll try going through the night.
Anyway. The one con that has popped up with this whole training business is that ‘K’ loves to talk. In itself, that’s not bad. Actually, it’s very good. He was a late talker, so to hear him jabber on about all sorts of stuff all day is great. Except for when he’s on the toilet. He gets up there, does his stuff…but when I ask him if he’s done, he says no….and talks and talks and talks and….well, you get the idea. He doesn’t go potty anymore….well, sometimes he will….but rarely. Mostly he just sits there and talks. But I don’t want to discourage this going-potty-on-the-toilet idea (which is what we’ve been working towards since he was 18 months old). So I sit in there with him for 10 minutes or more each and every time he has to go potty. Which for an almost 3 year old, is quite often….especially since this whole concept is still new for him and I’m sure he loves the praise I lavish on him.
So there you have it….the one con of potty training my toddler.

8.7 Quake Hits Indonesia

“It was horrible. The only thing on my mind was how to get out of the house immediately and save my 3 1/2 month baby girl,” said 27-year-old Marlina.

It is sad and frigntening that the same region that was hit with a tsunami in December was in panic at the thought of facing another one now…only 3 months later. I was shocked to hear of the magnitude of the earthquake (8.7) and that it was only about 100 miles away from the epicenter of the tsunami-causing quake in December.

“It was like reliving the same horror of three months ago,” said Fatheena Faleel, who fled her home with her three children.

I can only imagine the fear of all those people….who’ve already lost so much.

The Prioress
You scored 5% Cardinal, 53% Monk, 64% Lady, and 35% Knight!

You are a moral person and are also highly intellectual. You like your solitude but are also kind and helpful to those around you. Guided by a belief in the goodness of mankind you will likely be christened a saint after your life is over.
You scored high as both the Lady and the Monk. You can try again to get a more precise description of either the Monk or the lady, or you can be happy that you’re an individual.

The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=7809636052692681167

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I have never been very political….so this is interesting to find out where I am on the political scale.

You are a…
Social Liberal
(70% permissive)

and an…
Economic Liberal
(21% permissive)

You are best described as a…
Strong Democrat

You exhibit a very well-developed sense of Right and Wrong and believe in economic fairness.

The OkCupid Politics Test
http://www.okcupid.com/politics

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just keep adding to this post…lol.

Wiccan
Holy Crap! You’re taking -28 souls with you to hell!

-55 to -20
You dont believe in god. But you believe in Mother Earth, Mystic Energies beyond standard scientific energies, and you may even believe in or practice a little magick.

Or you could just be a stoner looking for an excuse to get high with your ‘coven’ (lol)

The Very Offensive Religion Test
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=4742239088554089333

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One more…that’s all…I promise!

The Spiritual Tradition Test
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/take?testid=1915440969500378302

Scores: 16% Dogmatic, 55% Mystical, and 38% Esoteric!

DOGMATIC:
Higher dogmatic scores indicate a highly principled person who believes in living life correctly based on the teachings of scriptures, teachers, or prophets. Higher dogmatic scores also reveal a person who believes that there is only one right path to salvation or enlightenment. Dogmatic types are often in deep reverence for their faith.

MYSTICAL:
Higher mystical scores indicate a person who makes sense of the world around them through their own self. Spiritual enlightenment for a mystical type involves polishing one’s own heart, mind, and body. Mystical prayers are often ecstatic, involving singing, dancing, music, or poetry. Mystical types can frequently seem perplexing and impulsive.

ESOTERIC:
Higher esoteric scores indicate a person who lives life by the principles set forth by more dogmatic traditions while, at the same time, also living life by the mystic’s tendency to translate the world around them into themselves. Esoteric types rely heavily upon symbol and meditation for answers to their questions. Quite possibly the most distinctively secretive type, esoteric people guard their mysteries well–keeping those who are not ready for enlightenment away from powerful ideas and beliefs.

1. Halloween/Samhain is more fun to celebrate than any other holiday.
2. The last vacation I took was to San Francisco.
3. The next vacation I plan to take will be to Santa Cruz Boardwalk.
4. I’d really like to be more healthy.
5. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t thinking about the boys in some way.
6. The book I last read (or am currently reading) is/are a few Wiccan/Pagan books.
7. The last program I installed on my computer was an updated version of Spyware Blaster.
8. When it comes to food, my weakness is chocolate.
9. I really look forward to spending time alone.

The last one is not a fill-in-the-blank, but a challenge……..(completely optional, my friends!)
10. Choose a person’s blog in the comment section, and welcome others to visit it, by leaving a link to their blog in your entry today.
Kathy’s Site/Blog “Butterfly Dreams“

Monday Madness

1) What is your favorite Easter decoration? (rabbit, egg, chick, etc)
Bunnies and flowers

2) Do you like Easter colors or do you wish they were different?
Yep, I like them…they represent springtime

3) What did you do today to celebrate Easter?
The boys got baskets full of toys and candy, and they had an Easter egg hunt. We then went to my parents house and visited with my parents and siblings and had an Italian (early) dinner. Lots of fun!

4) What is your best Easter memory?
Don’t have a best one. They’ve all been great…except last year when nobody did anything (everyone was broke).

5) If you are Catholic, did you observe Lent, and if so, what did you sacrifice for Lent?
Oh, not Catholic. Pagan…and I celebrated Ostara the previous Sunday.

Sunday Brunch

Happy Easter!…..even though I don’t celebrate it for the religious reasons (actually never have….not even when I was younger) we go over to my parents house every year to visit with my family (mom, dad, 4 brothers and 1 of my 2 sisters). We’ll be leaving in a bit…as soon as I get my butt up and take a shower.

UPDATE 9:20pm:
Got back from my parents a litte while ago. The boys and I had fun visiting with everyone. ‘J’ decided to head back home after dropping us off cuz he didn’t feel well.
Let’s start from the beginning, though. The boys got up this morning and found their baskets on their table. Actually ‘G’ had the baskets mixed up, so I had to kind of try to hint to him that his was the other basket (you know…couldn’t spoil the whole Easter bunny thing). Both baskets had the same toys and candy, but I had things color-coded to what he likes. Guess that didn’t matter to him…lol. Eventually they did trade, though. Then he was wondering why the Easter bunny didn’t hide the eggs we colored last weekend. Ummm…well “the Easter bunny” would have hidden the eggs…..if it weren’t for a little boy (’K') getting up at 4am and not going back to bed. So I put him in my bed with me….but cound’t get back up or he’d follow me. So hence, it was bedtime and no eggs were hidden. I did end up hiding them later in the morning, while the boys stayed in the bedroom. They had a grand time finding them….although I had to tell ‘G’ more than once to leave the lower ones for ‘K’.
Anyway….then we went out to my parents. It was great visiting with everyone (except my brother’s fiancée had to work, so I didn’t get to visit with her). Ate lots of food (Italian…yum!) and fruity desserts. My mom always cooks lots of great food….so I always leave stuffed. The boys on the other hand ate so much candy and stuff that they didn’t really eat dinner. Oh well….it’s a holiday right? And ‘G’ is staying the week….or at least part of it…at my parents, so they get to deal with him….lol!
Now I’m really tired (not used to being up and moving at 9am when I stayed up til 4am), and I may get to bed early tonight….who knows?

The boys and I took a nice walk yesterday afternoon. We used to take walks all the time before it got cold…and in the spring last year, before it got too hot to be out. It was nice to get my butt off the computer chair and get out of this stuffy apartment for awhile. ‘K’ got to ride in the stroller….he just loves it! And of course ‘G’ walked (and helped push the stroller when I deemed it safe for him to do so…ie. not by any roadways). We walked into town…a good couple miles I’d say. Stopped off at Ben Franklin first…so I could pick up some black nylon cord (you know…the stuff that’s used for necklaces…maybe it has other uses, but I’m not sure what) for a pendant of mine. Also picked up a couple white candles and drooled over the essential oils (of which I could not afford). Then to the nagging of “mommy, I’m bored” and “when are we going to leave” and of course “I’m hungry” we left. Ugh! Can’t a girl shop?? Not with two moaning monsters, apparently.
So onward we went…to the grocery store! (Gotta have snacks on our little journey. ) Picked up something for each of us to snack on, and left. I wanted to stop by the bookstore, but food is not allowed and ‘K’ just wouldn’t give up his cookies for the life of him. Oh well…gotta make sacrifices, right? I didn’t really feel like dragging him in there kicking and screaming. We walked away…and guess what…two minutes later the little booger decided he’d had enough cookies!
Anway, stopped by the sandwich shop and got a wrap for myself to eat for dinner later. On our way home, we stopped by Burger King and I got the boys their dinner for when we got home.
Once we got home (about 2 1/2 hours later) it felt good to sit again. My feet and legs were kind of sore! I’m not used to doing all that walking! But it was fun and it’s nice to spend that time with the boys. We’ll definitly be doing it more often, now that spring is here!

Bring on the fire and damnation! Apparently I’m going to hell for my ’sins’!

You know those damnation sermons where the preacher is all excited and into his sermon…yelling that if you don’t accept Jesus than you’re going to hell for eternity? Well, I was kindly sent a link for a website of such a nature. As I was reading through it, I just had to laugh at some of the stuff there. Like the explanation for missing children and teens:

This is what has just happened. Some of you may have seen people disappear before your very eyes! Infants,and children are missing. Dont Panic the Children,Teenagers,and adults that just vanished were born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do not be afraid for them. They are safe!

They had made preparations for this event. Their sins had been forgiven and they are now alive,and well in heaven with Jesus Christ.

Those left behind!

Will be forced to think weird explanations, like the millions who disappeared went into a ufo etc.

You have been left behind!

But it is not too late for you! If you Do Not Take the MARK OF THE BEAST.

You are hearing all kinds of explanations about the mysterious disappearance of all these millions of people. Do not believe anyone who tells you how these people vanished, unless their explanation can be backed up by the Holy Bible.

Ummmm…WHAT!?

And apparently I have to be beheaded before going to ‘heaven’:

If you have asked Jesus Christ to forgive you of all your sins,and asked Jesus Christ into your heart,and You Do Not Take The Mark Of The Beast,You Will Enter Heaven,After you are Beheaded.

No thank you! I like my head right where it is, thank you very much!

But this one has to be my favorite:

B.I.B.L.E. = Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

That one’s a real tear-jerker!

Funny how I received the email for this site today…as I just reaffirmed (dedicated) myself in my own beliefs early this morning. Ah well….just laugh and go with the flow, right? My own flow, that is.

Tonight being the zenith of the full moon, I performed a ritual in honor of the Goddess. But I did much more than that. I decided to move my usual ritual area from the dining room (in front of the computer) to the living room in front of our big window. It gives a much better view of the moon than the walls in the dining area.

So, to start the night out, I cleansed myself in water with a few drops of olive oil added to it. Would have taken a cleansing bath, but didn’t want to wake the boys and spoil the ritual. I then cleansed the new ritual area by taking the smudging sage and, at each direction, cleansing all negativity from the area. I then asked the Goddess and God to bless the area and visualized their energies flowing through it.

Next, I started the full moon rite itself. (After consoling my woken up 3 yr old and geting him back in bed.) I constructed the same rite as I did last month. Instead of re-typing it, read it here. Before ending the full moon rite, I performed a consecration of my pentacle pendant. I put the pendant on the alter pentacle and touching it with the tip of my wand said:

I consecrate you, O pentacle of silver,
to cleanse and purify you to serve me within and without the circle.
In the names of the Mother Goddess and Father God,
you are consecrated.

I then sent energy into the pendant, cleansing it of all negativity and past associations. I sprinkled it with salt, passed it through the incense smoke, through the candle flame, and sprinkled it with water. Then I held it up to the sky and said:

I charge you by the Old Ones:
By the omnipotent Goddess and God:
By the virtues of the Sun, Moon and Stars:
By the powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water
that I shall obtain all that I desire through you.
Charge this by your power, Old Ones!

I then performed my own dedication rite. ‘My own’ meaning I made it up as I went along, so I won’t be typing it out here…as I can’t recall all of what I said. My first dedication rite was performed at Litha (June 21) last year, using Scott Cunningham’s version. I technically started studying the Pagan path in March of last year, so that is why I decided my year-and-a-day dedication should be now. I presented myself the pentacle pendant as a gift for sticking with my studies for this long and choosing this path as one I will follow.

Once the dedication rite was complete, I ended the full moon rite.

I felt energized afterward. It’s now 4am and I don’t really feel tired. I recall feeling this way last year at my first dedication as well.