Snow

Now that January is over, Winter is here again in Colorado. We are in a bit of a cold snap, yet the sun is shining brightly in the sky as the steam rises off the highways as they struggle to dry out in this 6 degree weather. Yesterday we had a few inches of snow in all of it's winter glory, it came floating down from the sky as if it were falling in time to some unheard music. I took a walk down the street to pick up the mail and take in the sights as I stepped through the powdery snow surrounding me. I think one of my favorite things about the snowfall is the silence. It's calming. Since moving to Colorado some 20 years ago, I have become a huge fan or Winter. It's not hard to like a Winter where it's sunny most every day and the temperatures get warm enough to eat outside during the day as was the case two weeks ago. Things never stay the same, weather wise, so a person can't get too bogged down with boredom. With our single digit temperatures, tonight will be a good night to knit and chat with friends by a toasty fireplace. Fireside Books, here we come.

At the park in my neighborhood today

Yesterday during the snow

Even Buddha was cold but, being Buddha, he didn't complain

Pinnacle?

This past Sunday I officially became a High Priestess. It was a surreal realization that I have reached the witchy peak, though I will be studying for another two years, because one can never learn too much I suppose. The Temple of Witchcraft has a 5 year program, if a person wishes to continue. Four of us are moving ahead to High Witchcraft. After this year's study I  can add Shamanic Witch to my qualifications but I don't feel this will be my strongest area, despite my love for animals.  The best thing I was able to take away from this past year are the discovery of my totem animals that I use for the four elements. Together we have done some amazing work in circle.
So, now I can officially start my own coven. Hmmm. I would love to have a High Priest as partner because it's important to have both male and female energy for the balance. With no one in sight and not a whole lot of motivation on my part to start constructing anything concrete, I am happy to be a coven of one for now, and am ok with the idea that I may always be solo. If you come to think about it, even in a coven, everyone is solo since no one's spiritual beliefs are identical. The best you can hope for is that you are all on the same page.
For now, I am just basking in the glow of the realization that the study during past three years has made me grow and enhanced my talents. For that I can say a resounding Blessed Be!

Satisfaction?

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson made this observation back in the 1800s, yet a few centuries later, we are still struggling to be individuals. It's the human condition. The constant struggle between the spirit who is free and the human that imprisons itself can go on throughout one's life. Or not. We make choices every minute of every day, so that at any time, we can choose to be ourselves. Seeking acceptance from others is a waste of time. Trying to break out of societal labels is futile. It's not only convenient for people to put labels on others, it's comforting for them. When we compartmentalize people, it seems to give us a sense of order and reinforces that righteous sense judgment that our human side seems to need. Trying to fit in the mold and seek the approval of others, is not a satisfying experience. When you play your life as a game, you will lose.

The other day I took a quiz on "What Harry Potter Character Are You?" It was no surprise that I came out as Luna Lovegood. She and Harry Potter have always been my favorite characters. Both she and Harry are outside the norm. They are both survivors. Luna wants to be accepted for exactly who she is. She wants to be surrounded by the people she loves and (according to the quiz) would use her money to help her loved ones.She also doesn't care what people think of her. I always wanted to her Luna and Harry pair up in the end because they are kindred souls.

In my work, I deal with many people trying to reconnect to a kindred soul. Kindred souls share the same inner values that transcend the mundane interests. This is why we see some seemingly unlikely relationship pairs: The night owl with the morning person, the sports person with the couch potato, the same sex couple, the age different couple, the gorgeous person with the average person, etc. Interests and appearances are superficial, yet too easy for society to pass judgment on.

There is great freedom in giving up trying to be accepted as part of the crowd. There is also frustration and resentment around the labels and boxes people try to slot you into. In giving up acceptance, you accept for yourself that societal labels will always be there. With that wisdom in place, you can then begin to live your authentic life.

Perhaps at first, kindred souls will connect over common interests, just like all friendships. It's only through the passage of time that deeper awareness comes. While I might share a common interest of knitting, or watching the same television shows or liking the same places or cities as someone else, those people are not my kindred souls if they are politically conservative, gun toting people or righteously religious. Why? Because these are  values that people hold as their truth. These beliefs are not going to be changed and are not in line with what I hold to be of value. I don't have respect for people holding values that are not in line with the equality and dignity of all humans. I don't respect people who don't want to help others or resent giving others help through societal laws. Therefore, I will only put effort and time into relationships with people who hold the values I do. While there may be many friends to meet along the path, each of us must discover for ourselves, which ones touch our soul enough to commit the time and effort to. For a kindred soul, I would do most anything to be there for them. For a friend, a bit less. If I am not with a kindred soul, I am content to be alone doing the things I love to do. It's much more satisfying than trying to fit in and seek out other people's attention.

For the new year, instead of "resolving" to lose weight, exercise more, get a new job, a new place to live or buy the latest electronic toy, it might be helpful to understand the difference between goals and resolutions. Goals are outward manifestations of accomplishments. Resolutions are tools that can change your life by leading you towards inner satisfaction.

Let's Party

I have so much fun putting together a party and the holidays are no exception. This month I have three at the home. The latest one was for my small Scrabble Group. I planned a simple yet elegant meal including a small plate appetizer dish to have while we sipped on cocktails. I knew I was getting obsessive when I found myself digging through mounds of stamps to find a large snowflake one so that I could sprinkle snowflakes on the table.

 After trying out several color combinations I came up with a simple yet festive theme that I liked.There is something very magical about the days that lead up to Yule. All of the decorations and tiny lights seem to sparkle even more.

I enjoy treating my friends to a special evening where they can relax and enjoy, at least before we try to kill each other in a friendly game of Scrabble. I have the holiday edition which adds to the merriment of the season. A few days earlier, we hosted a dinner and movie night with much more casual food which called for a more casual look to the table. I left the Yule log in place and chose a plaid tablecloth to give things a more homey look. You just can't have a serious dinner when you are planning to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! It's the same setting I have planned for our Yule Eve dessert and drink party. Despite all of the work involved in putting together these small dinner parties, for me, it is what makes the holidays so much fun. I love holidays because they take us out of the ordinary days. This is also why I enjoy changing my house just enough to reflect each season of the year. It's the pagan within me that desires the connection to the earth. To be able to share those celebrations with others, whether it be just one person or a dozen, makes it all the more special.

The Red Scarf

I had a most spectacular day yesterday. I spent the day getting ready for one a holiday dinner for one of my gaming groups. As I bustled around to put the finishing touches on my holiday table and mixed up my homemade remoulade sauce for the crab cakes, I realized that I was living totally in the moment. Unfortunately, the holidays can become a time when we tend to reminisce more than usual, which can be a source of depression. We may long for the days when we were children and life seemed so carefree and full of magic as we waited for Santa to arrive, or we may feel the sadness of our childhood memories surrounding the holidays. While we can't erase the memories of the past, we can give them a moment of our time and then bring ourselves back to the present so that we can find joy from what exists at this very moment. In looking back, we can choose to remember the good memories and minimize the not so good ones. We can choose to see that the bad choices we made in the past, were what we thought were good ones at the time. While we can't change the choices we have made in the past, we can choose how we want things to be right now, and into the future, we will be able to continue to make choices. I see the present as it is, which also includes so many possibilities. I am empowered to make manyof those possibilities happen, others, I am not. When I travel I love to shop. I like to buy things that are specific to the particular place and I also like to shop for ordinary items such as clothes or jewelry. The reason being that every time I put on that pair of shoes or those earrings, I am reminded of a wonderful experience.The place I bought them is always with me until the next time I get to return. Every year at this time, I wear my long red scarf that was knit for me by my friend who told me at the time he knit it that everyone needs to have a red scarf for the holidays. I agree! When I put on my scarf, I am surrounded by good memories and hope.

Blame It On Portland

On my latest trip out to Portland, I attended the Saturday Market which is always a highlight of my trip. This time I came away with a messenger bag. It wasn't a planned purchase. I saw this great looking bag that I discovered had plenty of room for my knitting project, my I-Pad and a few purse essential such as wallet, phone and lipstick. I could sling it over my body making hands free walking possible. Sold! It wasn't until I was pinning my button collection onto the one side that I realized what I had bought. Back home in Denver, I am still using it. I have too many holiday gift projects to go anywhere without a stash of knitting projects.

Fireside Books and Coffee

Unlike Portland, Denver has a wide variety of cozy coffee shops that encourage a person to hang out. I discovered a new one early in the month that I returned to tonight. The best part of this place is that it is also a used book store. This makes it a dangerous place to hang out for me but I feel it is well worth the risk. For the holidays they have put up a beautiful real tree which sits by the lovely fireplace.
With the books lining the shelves all around us, we were in cozy heaven. My friend and I decided to eschew our beloved Fancy Tiger this coming week and instead hang out and have a grilled cheese dinner at what is fast becoming another favorite spot. Since I spent the better part of the weekend getting my house ready for the holiday festivities, I plan to spend many hours sitting by my tree knitting away while I catch up on some of my favorite shows. This year we brought back our holiday village after an 8 year absence. Our cat Luna terrorized the Halloween village we used to put up, so after we got her we took a break. We decided to chance it this year and though she has already taken a stroll down main street causing a few of the citizens fall over in a faint, we think it might be OK.

Intact village, for now

I put up some new exterior illumination on the back porch. I have hanging icicles and over them a string of white and blue snowflake. The side tree is plain white lights giving my back area a frosty winter look which is good since the lights will be up all winter long. The lights strung across my wall unit in the living room are multicolor, as are the lights on the small tree that sits in the window. This year the living room  tree is flanked by extra village buildings that did not make it to the main showcase. It's a nice effect. My mantle in the family room is a woodland scene with a few elves, a few owls and a winter bird sitting in a holly garland with some pine cones as accents. Tiny lights will be added when I find them. The tree is a simple Yule tree. It has pine cones, sparkle, red balls and tons of white lights. It's unsentimental but visually pleasing. I added my Byers Choice Nutcracker Suite doll collection to my sofa table this year in order to change things up. As a kid my parents would take me into Philadelphia to see the ballet perform The Nutcracker Suite. To this day it remains one of the best performances of it I've seen.This year's yule Eve party will be desserts and holiday cocktails which is a change from the dinner we used to have. Though I like to maintain some of my traditions around the holidays, I feel it's good to change things up just a bit to keep things fresh. We are hosting two parties next week which I am already looking forward to. One is a movie night (National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation) with movie style food. The other is my small gaming group that I will host with much more elegant food since it will be a smaller group.
I like to get the holiday decorating done early so that I can enjoy it and also so I can concentrate on some of the other fun holiday things such as special meal planning, baking and making gifts. Then there are the outside activities as well, taking in the sights of Denver at the holidays and lunch and teas out with friends. All I wish is that this special time go very very slow.

Walking Shoes

Portland is a very walkable city. I find myself walking a minimum of 3 miles a day as I set out to explore and just feel this city. Today was a drizzly day, a day that is more typical of this town this time of year than the days I have been experiencing on this trip thus far.
Portland is a brooding town. The dark skies and rain make it that way.  Portland feels like a natural fit for me. Weird is the norm, black is the color, and coffee and tea stops are on every block. As I trudge along (dressed in black from head to toe with just a spot of color in my scarf), earphone plugging my ears, messenger bag strapped over my body, hand in my pockets, looking ahead into some distant place; I am in the city groove without even trying. I love that "trendy" here is vintage, reuse and recycle. Fashion "style" is whatever it is that a person is wearing. No one cares. No one is looking and evaluating. This is a city that is not about how much you make or where you work, but rather how interesting you might be to talk to, what you are reading and how much you care about your environment. Hiking and biking are huge pastimes. Art is everywhere. Local theater is affordable. Most thing here are affordable. It reminds me of Denver, with Denver getting the edge because of the near perfect weather.
As I was walking today, it started me thinking about how people are always trying to find a place to fit in whether it be a town, a religion, a group of friends, or a job. The irony is that once a person finds themselves, they realize that they fit in wherever they are without even have to try.You find your true zen when you no longer care to play the role that others expect of you and follow your own path, make your own choices and be the person you want to be, not what other people see you as. In order to do this, it helps to remove the labels that your and others place on you. Labels don't define us, they in fact, limit us. We are limitless in every sense of the word, like the stars, the drops of water in the ocean and maybe the rain in Portland.

Stumptown coffee