April showers

They say "April showers bring May flowers." If that's true, we'll have a LOT of flowers! It's rained on and off the last few days (more rain than dry patches yesterday and today). And you should hear the wind! There's always a wind by the sea, but this wind is quite nasty. I'm not complaining though; it's oddly soothing listening to the wind blowing in from the sea.

More runic ramblings

Following on from my post back in February called "Runic Ramblings" for the Pagan Blog Prompt for that week.

The runes I won in the blog naming contest never came; I don't know what's happening with them, but I've given up on having them. If they arrive in the future, great, but I'm not holding my breath. Kelly told me to find a set I liked and buy them; I think he's given up on the ones I won too. *Sigh*

I was eyeing up some amethyst gemstone runes, but they kept being out of stock. Then they brought in a new version of them; a slightly smaller (and slightly cheaper) version. I mentioned them to Kelly, along with my concern that they may be a bit too much smaller and therefore difficult to read. He told me to get them anyway, and if I couldn't read them he'd have them and we could get me a larger set. So, I got them, and here they are:

They can't be much smaller, since they're around the same size as the clay ones Rita and her daughter-in-law, Leah, made for me. And, yes, I can read them just fine.

In case you didn't see them when I posted them before, here are the rune symbols they made me:


Thanks again Rita and Leah (and Dagan)! :)

My rune set came with a pouch, but I can't use it. I have an issue with velvet; I think I'm allergic or something? Anyway, I feel like someone's clamped their hands around my throat while pinching my nose closed if I touch the stuff. It's not as bad with things that aren't pure velvet, but still not nice. Anyway, the pouch was "velvet style" (their words) and it was close enough to velvet to make me feel like someone was pinching my nose closed. The result being there's no way I can be focusing energy on runes when all my focus is on remembering how to breathe. So I gave the pouch to Kelly, and brought supplies to make myself another. When I was buying the runes I thought I might need to, so I also brought this purple chord to use when making my bag:

I brought this purple glittery card recently too:

I have three pieces of it; each one 12inches by 12inches. My plan is to make the chart with the rune symbols from Rita on it with just one piece, but I got extra "just in case" since I figured it's best to have too much than not enough. Besides I can always find a use for pieces of card, and purple is always a good thing in my book. And, hey, it was only 50p (a little under $1) for each of them!

So, I just need to get some more tape for my braille labeler, then Kelly can help me make the chart. After that it's just a case of making the pouch for my runes, and I'm all set.

Now to figure out a way to make my tarot cards readable...

Gnomeo and Puss

I watched "Gnomeo And Juliet" recently. It's basically the story of Romeo And Juliet with garden gnomes, but with enough humour added to make it not so serious and soppy. It's really funny and sweet at the same time. I'd wanted to see it for a while, and I'm glad I finally did!

I also watched the version of "Puss In Boots" I wanted to watch; the one I thought we got before, which tells the story of what happened in Puss's life before he met Shrek, and how he was wrongly accused of robbing the townsfolk and is now trying to make amends by attempting to get his hands on the magic beans that will allow him to grow the magic beanstalk on top of which still lives the goose that lays the golden eggs. It was an amusing, and cute movie, which I enjoyed very much. We got a free short movie with it called "Puss In Boots: The Three Diablos" which follows on from the first one, and tells the story of what happens when Puss teams up with three naughty little kittens in order to steal back a ruby from a villain called The Whisperer. That one was cute too, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much. Though that might have been because I'd assumed he was teaming up with his own kittens, and they weren't his. Still, like I said, it was cute.

Fairies, witches and Nac Mac Feegle

"Midnight" by Jacqueline Wilson tells the story of Violet, who's obsessed with fairies, and the author of her favourite fairy books; Casper Dream. Which wouldn't be so bad, but she's at an age where fairies and magic aren't accepted by her peers, so she doesn't have any friends. If tat wasn't bad enough, her world was recently turned upside down when her grandmother revealed a secret her parents had been keeping from her and her brother, Will. But then Jasmine comes to Violet's school, and everything changes. I thought it was an enjoyable story, with a sweet ending.

"The Wee Free Men" by Terry Pratchett is the 30th Discworld novel. In it 9 year old Tiffany Aching - with the help of the Nac Mac Feegle - has to rescue her brother from a world of dreams where a wicked queen has taken him to. And "I Shall Wear Midnight" by Terry Pratchett is the 38th Discworld novel. In this one, Tiffany Aching (now almost 16, and a witch) finds herself in the middle of a modern day (well, as much "modern day" as happens in the Discworld) witch hunt and has to fight the source of it all... The Cunning Man... With the eyes of all the other witches upon her. As most - if not all - of you know, I'm a Terry Pratchett fan, so I'm sure I don't need to tell you I enjoyed both of them. ;)

Scarf and flowers

I have a couple of craft project photos to show you today.

Firstly, here's the scarf I knitted for myself:

I've started making a matching hat; in fact, the knitting of it is done, and it just needs to be sewn up. I will also be making mittens to match. I know we're well and truely in to Spring now, but I'm going to keep working on them so I have them ready for Winter, when the cold weather and - I hope - snow comes again.

I also finally have a photo for you of the flower magnets I decorated for Ostara. Here they are:

It was a children's craft kit, but I thought it would be fun to work on as a Spring themed activity; especially since I don't have a garden to work in.

I mostly decorated them myself, though Kelly did help with which colour was which, and he put the glittery stuff on, because we weren't sure if it was a proper glaze or what. I hope I didn't do too badly, because I plan to give 4 of the 5 away as presents. Well, I tried, and that's what counts, right?

SD&B - Part 4: Cara's Magical Cure

Anna was exhausted, but she couldn't rest. She'd walked all day to find the witch; the witch who could save her grandaughter's life. Now, finally, she could see the witch's house. And there, standing by the gate, was a young girl. She had golden hair and the bluest eyes you ever did see. She was small and thin, and wore a simple lilac dress.

"Is this the home of the witch?" Anna asked.

"Yes," said the child. "I am her. My name is Paige."

"They say the witch is so skilled at healing, she can snatch the sick from death's own grasp. No child has the wisdom or power for such magic!" Anna snapped.

Paige took hold of Anna's hand. "Do they also tell how the witch can ride the wind to travel faster than the swiftest runner?" she asked.

Anna nodded, then felt Paige's hand clasp her own more tightly. Suddenly, the wind rose up, and she felt her feet leave the ground. She was carried along so quickly that the trees far below them were no more than a blur of green. Before she knew it her feet hit the ground once more, and - were it not for the small hand holding her own - she would have landed flat on her face by her own front gate.

Paige gave the old woman a few moments to recover from their journey, then let go of her hand. "Let us care for the sick," she said, leading the way down Anna's own front path, Anna following in a dazed silence.

When they went inside, they found Anna's grandaughter, Cara, laying in a bed in the middle of the room. Cara's breathing was ragged, and her skin was chalky white. Paige could see at once that she didn't have much time, so she took hold of Cara's hand, and began to say the words to call up the spirits to help her save the dying child.

At first nothing happened, then Cara opened her eyes and smiled up at them.

Tears of joy filled Anna's eyes as she hugged her grandaughter. Then she looked up at Paige. "How?" she asked.

"Wisdom and power do not always come with age," Paige said simply, and she walked out of the room.

Anna hesitated a moment, then let go of Cara and followed Paige outside. But she was too late. By the time she had stepped out on to the front path, the wind that had carried the young witch home was dying down, and Paige had vanished.

***

This post is part of Magaly's "Sexy Dark And Bloody" bloggerversary party. Click on the banner below to join in the fun!

Willow's World: just a cute photo of me and Kero

Hi humans, this is Willow. I thought that you would like to see this photo of me and Kero.

Aren't we cute? Lots of licks, Willow

SD&B - Part 3: The Pineapple Loving Dragon (FD)

Luke loved to climb the mountains. When his parents were alive they had warned him not to; told him the dragons would swoop down and grab him, take him back to their caves and barbeque him for their dinner. But now his parents were dead, so he climbed the rocks all the time. He often wished for someone to take care of him though. His ragged clothes no longer kept him warm when the wind was cold, he was always hungry, and sometimes he was very lonely.

One day in Winter, when the snow was deep, and the rocks were slippery with ice, Luke was climbing them as usual when he slipped. He was sure he'd fall and break his neck, but something huge swooped down and grabbed him in its enormous scaly claw. As the thing carried him over the mountains, he heard the beating of its leathery wings, and knew it must be a dragon. But he didn't scream, he was much too frightened to scream, he just whimpered and tried not to imagine how it would be getting eaten by a dragon.

The dragon flew in to a cave, still holding him tightly with one huge claw. Then it gently put him down beside a fire a little way in from the cave's entrance, flew a little further in to the cave, and settled itself on a pile of straw where Luke could see it clearly.

"It's going to burn me alive," Luke thought, trembling with fright.

"I'm not going to eat you," the dragon said, as if reading Luke's mind.

"You're not?" Luke asked, the shock making him forget his fear.

The dragon shook her head. "Not me," she said.

"But dragons eat people," Luke said.

"Most do," agreed the dragon. "They eat cows, sheep, and other such things too. Not me though."

"What do you eat?" Luke asked, curious.

"Sometimes vegetables, but fruit mostly," she replied. "I'm especially fond of pineapples."

Luke's stomach growled loudly.

"Are you hungry?" asked the dragon.

Luke nodded, and the dragon went to a box at the back of the cave, pulling from it the most enormous pineapple Luke had ever seen. Then she used her sharp claws to cut a piece out of the pineapple for him, eating the rest of it in one enormous bite.

Luke knew he shouldn't really take food from strangers; especially when the stranger was a dragon. But he was so hungry he didn't care, so he gobbled up the pineapple, trying not to hurt himself on the pineapple's prickly skin. He moved a little closer to the fire as he ate, enjoying the warmth and food. "Don't the prickles hurt your mouth?" he asked after a while.

"With a mouth like mine I don't even notice them," said the dragon.

"You're lucky," said Luke, sucking the finger he had just pricked.

The dragon laughed, a deep rumbling laugh that echoed around the cave. When she stopped laughing, she gave Luke a serious look. "So, what were you doing out in the snow by yourself? Your parents will be worried."

"My parents are dead," Luke replied, and he began to cry.

The dragon moved closer to him, placing one huge claw gently on his shoulder. "Don't cry," she said. "You can stay here with me."

"I'd like that very much," said Luke.

So, Luke stayed with the dragon, where he was never cold or lonely again. The dragon also made sure he had plenty of food to eat. You may not be surprised to learn that, just like the dragon, Luke became especially fond of pineapples.

***

This post is part of Magaly's "Sexy Dark And Bloody" bloggerversary party. Click on the banner below to join in the fun!

SD&B - Part 2: Frank The Friendly Ogre

Frank knew he didn't belong. The other ogres enjoyed mud baths, Frank enjoyed bathing in the stream. They were rude and never used their manners, Frank always said, "please," and all those other polite things that sensible people say. So, one day, he packed up his things, and set off in to the world to find a place where he could belong.

He walked and walked until he came to a town. "Perhaps I can find somewhere I can belong in the town," he said to himself as he walked down the main road.

Ogres are quite big, so as he walked his weight cracked the stones of the road, and sign posts and street lamps were bent as he squeezed past them. Everyone who saw this was not happy, and by the time he reached the town centre, a large and angry crowd had gathered. "You don't belong here," they shouted. "Ogres are too big to live in towns. Get away from here and find somewhere else to live." And they chased Frank out of the town.

So Frank set off again. He walked and walked until he came to a forest. "Perhaps I can find somewhere I can belong in the forest," he said as he walked along the trail.

Not only are ogres big, but they're clumsy too, so I'm sure you wont be surprised to learn that branches broke off the trees as he passed, and several plants and flowers became crushed under his huge feet. Then, suddenly, he found himself surrounded by angry wood sprites and flower fairies. "You don't belong here," they cried. "Ogres are much too clumsy to live in the forest. Get away from here and find somewhere else to live." And they chased Frank from the forest.

Sighing, Frank wiped away a tear and set off for a third time. He walked and walked until he came to the mountains. "Perhaps I can find somewhere I can belong in the mountains," he said as he started walking up the rocky mountain path.

After walking for a while, he spotted a huge cabin. Sat outside it on an enormous boulder was a giant; the giant was crying.

"Can I help?" asked Frank.

The giant looked up, and his eyes widened when he saw Frank. "But you're an ogre," said the giant.

"I'm sorry about that," said Frank.

The giant couldn't believe his ears. "I didn't think ogres said sorry," he said.

"They don't usually," replied Frank. Then he told the giant who he was, and how he had left his swamp home, and was looking for a place where he could belong. "The other ogres think I'm too clean and polite, the townsfolk think I'm too big, and the sprites and fairies think I'm too clumsy," he finished, tears rolling down his cheeks.

The giant smiled and wiped away the last of his own tears. "Then you can help," he said. "My name is Jack, and I'm crying because I'm so lonely living here in the mountains by myself. Will you live with me?"

"Really?" asked Frank, hope drying his tears.

"Yes," Jack replied. "My cabin is clean, and plenty big enough for us both."

"Thank you. I would love to live with you," said Frank, smiling too.

At last, Frank had found somewhere he could belong, and Jack had found some company. They were both very happy. And, as far as I know, they still are.

***

This post is part of Magaly's "Sexy Dark And Bloody" bloggerversary party. Click on the banner below to join in the fun!

SD&b - part 1: thoughts on stereotypes

I don't like stereotypes.

I think at least part of this is that I spend every day of my life fighting against them. I'm a blind witch, and both "blind" and "witch" have their stereotypes atatched, and people are amazed that I'm not a "proper" either. Well, I'm here to tell you that there's no such thing as a "proper" blind person, or a "proper" witch.

Why do things in fiction have to act in a certain way? Why do witches have to be ugly old women? Why do dragons have to be meat-eaters? Why do ogres have to be dirty, rude and smelly? I'll tell you why... It's because those are the stereotypes we've come to associate with those beings. I don't think it's right that you aren't a "proper" something because you don't conform to those stereotypes. And because I feel that way I knew I just had to join in with Magaly's "Sexy Dark And Bloody" bloggerversary party.

The official party date is April 13th, but I've written a trio of tales for your enjoyment. I did have several other ideas, but since I like the number 3, and since it's Magaly's 3rd bloggerversary, so it's appropriate, I settled on just these. Besides, March got away from me, so I didn't manage to get the time to write any more.

So, join me over the next few days, and we'll throw away the stereotypes, and show the world that there's a place for everyone; even if they aren't "proper"... Well, whatever they are!

Note: "Sexy, Dark And Bloody" comes from the title of a piece of Magaly's own fiction, and has nothing to do with the required content of the stories; the theme is stereotypes in fiction, and that is all. Though I expect some - in fact, many - of the people participating will write something that could be described as being one (or all) of those things. My prefered audience is children, however, so I have prepared a trio of children's stories, none of which is either "sexy" or "dark" or "bloody" as far as I can tell.

***

This post is part of Magaly's "Sexy Dark And Bloody" bloggerversary party. Click on the banner below to join in the fun!

Blog absences, birthdays and sandals

Today is Chelsea (one of Emma-Jane's cousins)'s birthday. I doubt she'll see this, but I'll say "happy birthday" anyway. :)

And, while we're doing birthdays... Tomorrow is my friend Corinne's birthday, so I'll say "happy birthday" to her too!

***

My sandals aren't looking too great, and the kinds I like are on sale right now, so I got a new pair. Here they are:

***

That's it for today. I have posts scheduled for the next few days, but I myself wont be around much (if at all). I'm reading the books I won yesterday so as to enter the kindle giveaway (see post below this one for details) and it wont leave much time for blogging. My goal is to have the books read by Thursday, and my list submitted by that night, then I can take some time to catch up on my friends' blogs on Friday before getting behind again when I spend the weekend visiting the participents of Magaly's blog party, LOL!

Anyway, since I've just taken Kero out, I want to get back to my book before he needs out again or something.

Zoe's Easter Egg Hunt

As much as I'd love to keep this to myself so as to increase my chances of winning the kindle, I thought I better share this with you all. So...

There's an Easter Egg Hunt going on over at http://zoewintersbooks.com/2012/04/01/zoe-winters-easter-egg-hunt-big-prizes/. Better hurry if you want to join in though, because the deadline for getting the books cheap is tonight, and the deadline for getting your entries in is April 15th.

And now, since I've just won the books via Magaly's giveaway, I'm off to read them and get my entry in so I can try to get my hands on that kindle!

Easter 2012

Since it's Easter today, I wanted to wish you a very happy Easter!

Plus, I thought today would be an appropriate day to share the photo I have of the rest of my Ostara goodies; since it's essentially the same holiday. So, here's the photo:

Blogs, birthdays, Facebook and food (FD)

No, you haven't come to the wrong page; my background is different. Mam did it for me.

***

It was Magaly's birthday Thursday, April 5th, so a belated happy birthday to her! :)

Have you been visiting her blog to join in with all the fun for her "Sexy, Dark And Bloody" blog party? If not, maybe you should. Just a thought!

***

I was having trouble accessing my e-mail the other day, so I was bored. I mean, I had loads I could do, but because I couldn't do what I wanted to be doing, I was bored. Strange how that works. Anyway, because I was bored I decided to reactivate my Facebook account. I don't know why, but it seemed like a good idea at the time, LOL! I've hardly been on it since I reactivated it though.

***

I was approached by someone about a weight loss game style app they were making. They asked me last year if I would try it out. I figured it couldn't hurt, so agreed. So the other day I got an e-mail saying it was up and running, and asking if I'd check it out, which I've been doing.

The idea of it is that you get points for tracking your progress, get points for doing exercise, etc. You can also gain extra points by participating in challenges. You also set reward goals for yourself. The points all add up to level you up, and when you level up you can participate with more challenges, be entered in giveaways, and reward yourself with what you promised to.

I've actually been having fun with it, and finding myself saying, "if I do that, I can get exercise points," and so on.

I've also managed to learn something; what my problem is with not losing weight. I can't say I'm surprised, but it's nice to have it right there where I can see it. And what is it? Sugar.

Drat this sweet tooth!

I need to find sugar free alternatives for the things I love to eat so much... Badly, by the look of my sugar intake for the past few days!

Anyway, if you want to check it out for yourself (the site and app, not my sugar problem, obviously) then go to www.slimkicker.com. And if you decide to join, I'm on there with the same username I use on here, so feel free to send me a friend request!

***

OK, it's dinner time, so I'm going to have to let this do for today. Hope you're having a great weekend.

Eclipse and Breaking Dawn

I recently watched "Twilight: Eclipse" which is the 3rd in the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, and "Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" which is the 4th movie, but first half of the 4th book in the same saga.

In "Eclipse" Bella is forced to choose between her love of Edward and her friendship with Jacob. In "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" Bella becomes pregnant, and the fetus is growing at an alarming rate, leaving Bella in danger of dying, and in the position of being forced to decide whether to risk her own life or terminate the pregnancy. I don't like to give spoilers, so I wont say any more than that. There is more information on the links provided above for anyone wishing to read more about either movie.

Anyway, I enjoyed both. Although, since I'm more in to romance and domestic issues than violence, I enjoyed "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" more than "Eclipse" since Breaking Dawn focuses on Bella's pregnancy and the relationships between the vampires and werewolves than anything (though there was - obviously - some violence between the vampires and werewolves; there always is at some point in the Twilight movies, especially between Jacob and Edward) where as most of Eclipse seemed to be fights between various vampires and werewolves in some shape or form, with breaks in said violence from time to time to work out relationship issues with Bella, Edward and Jacob.

Since I have yet to read beyond the first book, I can't tell you if I enjoyed the books or movies more. However, I expect it will be the books I find most enjoyable; it will if the first is anything to go by anyway.

Willow's World: vet again

Hi humans, this is Willow. The humans took me to that vet place again! I had a needle jabbed in me; but I didn't cry. Apparently I don't have to have that done for another year now. Thank goodness! My ears and paw are healing nicely, and I didn't have to have more drops or cream for those. I'm very pleased about that! And I lost 1.5 kilos, which is half of a kilo more than the vet wanted me to have lost. I have to go back in 3 months for another weigh-in. The vet is very pleased with what I have lost so far though. Just thought you'd like to know. Lots of licks, Willow

Kero's korner: of walkies, equinoxes, and me (FD)

Hi humans, it's Kero here.

We've had beautiful weather most of the time, so I've had lots of walkies. We've been to the park, to the seaside, and to town. It's been great fun!

Also, there was some sort of holiday thing going on again. The humans said something about some sort of "Equinox" or something like that, and we all had treats. It was great; even if I have no idea what it was all about! Willow and I got some cheese and a bag of small rawhide shoes to share. I don't know why photos didn't get taken when we were getting the treats; they usually do when one of those holiday things you humans go so nuts over happen. Never mind, we enjoyed the treats.

Anyway, I don't really have anything else to say, so I'll just post this photo of me:

Licks and sniffs,
Kero

''A thank you for a thank you

This card came in the post for Kelly and I a few days ago. It's from Rita and Karma; a thank you card for the goodies we sent them for their birthdays. Well, Kelly and I would like to say thank you to Rita and karma for the card! :)

Blogs and Spring

Well, I've figured out how to do just about everything I used to do with the new blogger update; except adding pictures. I can't do it on my laptop due to not being able to update things, and I haven't yet been able to figure out which key combination the new Jaws (which we have a demo of on Kelly's PC) wants. Not to mention, I was getting pretty frustrated having to keep restarting the computer when the time for the demo to run out came. Kelly's helped add photos to a couple of posts that I have scheduled to go up soon though, so at least there is a way around it. Still, it's frustrating, and I miss being able to do it myself already. I can't help it, I like doing things for myself, and get frustrated when I can't for whatever reason. Well, I'll just have to put up with it until I can get a new laptop and get my Jaws updated. And, hey, I can still do more than I expected to be able to. I was worried I wouldn't be able to use Blogger at all after the update came in. But, enough of that, because - despite my frustration - I don't want to get too whiney about it.

It's Spring, and nature is glorying in the season. The weather is beautiful most of the time; today is absolutely gorgeous! The birds are singing, and flowers are popping up all over the place. Is it as beautiful and Springlike where you are?

Kony 2012

Please spare 30 minutes to watch this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Warning: tissues may be necessary for some of you.

Fairy tales and hairy tales

I recently listened to some of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytales. Well, I should say "re-listened to" since I've listened to and read them so many times I could tell you the basic story of many of them even without a book in front of me, so to speak. Anyway, I listened to this spacific CD of them recently because David Tennant (I think I spelled his last name right... Anyway, the guy who played the 10th Doctor in the Doctor Who TV series) reads "The Brave Tin Soldier" and I happen to like him. I also love fairytales in general, so it was a great combination; fairytales and one of the few actors I like enough to remember the name of, LOL!

I also recently listened to "The Real Fairy Story Book" by Georgie Adams and Sally Gardner. It's a collection of fairy stories told by fairies. Stories like the one about the tooth fairy who got fired for making a mistake on the first day of the job. They're really sweet little stories!

Another book I recently listened to was "Hairy Tales And Nursery Crimes" by Michael Rosen. It's an amusing collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes where some of the words are changed to make them silly. Sometimes this is done by changing words for similar sounding words, sometimes by changing the letters around, sometimes by replacing letters, sometimes by removing letters, sometimes by adding letters, and sometimes just by putting something random in the place of the word. That way you end up with stories like the one about the three silly ghosts bluff who were trying to cross the fridge, and nursery rhymes where the dish runs away with the chocolate biscuits.

I also recently watched a fairytale themed movie. It was the movie "Puss N Boots" (which we brought because we mistook it for the "Puss In Boots" movie, which is the story of the Puss In Boots from Shrek). Anyway, "Puss N Boots" is an adaptation of the classic story of Puss In Boots, where a miller's son named Peter is left nothing but a talking cat by his dying Father, while his brothers are given the mill. But the cat is very clever, and helps Peter to gain a castle and the hand in marriage of a princess. Not too bad of an adaptation; definitely amusing, and - being the big kid that I am - I enjoyed it. Still, I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't the version we'd thought we were picking up...