Just wait.....

There is so much I want to post... so much I want to show you, but I have been without a camera for so long.  I have so rarely been without a camera in my life that without one, I truly feel that something is missing.  I have it on good account that there is one under the tree for me, so just wait!  You and me, both. 

In the meantime, enjoy the following song, "Just Wait," Blues Traveler.  

 If ever you are feeling like you're tired
And all your uphill struggles leave you headed downhill
If you realize your wildest dreams can hurt you
And your appetite for pain has drinken it's fill

I ask of you a very simple question
Did you think for one minute that you were alone
And is your suffering a privilege you share only
Or did you think that everybody else feels completely at home

Just wait
Just wait
Just wait
And it will come

If you think I've given up on you you're crazy
And if you think I don't love you well then you're just wrong
In time you might take to feeling better
Time is the beauty of the road being long
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/blues+traveler/just+wait_20020795.html ]
I know that now you feel no consolation
But maybe if I told you and informed you out loud
I say this without fear of hesitation
I can honestly tell you that you make me proud

Just wait
Just wait
Just wait
And it will come
Just wait
Just wait
Just wait
And it will come

If anything I might have said now has helped you
If anything I might have just said helped you just carry on
Your rise uphill may no longer seem a struggle
And you appetite for pain may all but be gone

I hope for you and cannot stop at hoping
Until that smile has once again returned to you face
There's no such thing as a failure who keeps trying
Coasting to the bottom is the only disgrace

Just wait
Just wait
Just wait
And it will come
Just wait
Just wait
Just wait
And it will come
Just wait
Just wait
Just wait
And it will come

Peace, Love and Kindness,

Earth Mother

Just be marginally less of an asshole, ya dig?

It's not rocket surgery...

Peace, Love and Kindness,

Earth Mother

First snow.....

Nothing is sticking to the roads, so I guess I have to go in to work......

I missed the weather last night, so I really wasn't expecting this!

I know the Tadpole is going to be a happy boy when he wakes up!

This is wet, sloppy snow.....

....but it is still beautiful!

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Earth Mother

I never get tired of this....

Boho Mom posted a video that made me think of this one...  

Now go hug somebody!

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Earth Mother

Shittiously awesome white elephant gift swap find...

Oh yes she did!  I found this while thrifting on Friday afternoon.  $5.  Our annual white elephant gift swap at the office is on Wednesday, and this is so perfect!  Unless, of course, I change my mind...  after all, this IS a fabled, Unicorn on Black Velvet Painting...  and even the frame ROCKS!  

I must admit, it is nicely done.  So what do you think?  Should it stay or should it go?  Or should I take it to the gift swap, leave it up to the Universe and see if I can go home with it?

It is just SO FABULOUSLY FUGLY!!!!

I also snagged some cold-weather reading at the thrift store....

 This was the weekend crafty project....  dozens of cardboard stars covered in glitter.  Not sure what I will do with them all!

Moon Song #16

Peace, Love and Happiness...

Earth Mother

I Finally, Finally, FINALLY found a Mexican embroidered dress!!!!

I have been looking for one of these for YEARS!!!

It was $2 at a yard sale.  I saw it in a pile, just a small glimpse, but I knew... I dug it out, and had to restrain myself from doing the happy dance right there in a stranger's garage!  And it goes all the way to the floor!  And I'm 5'9"!  It is in great shape.  A seam under the arm has come apart, but that is an easy fix.  The embroidery is near perfect.  Now where does one wear a Mexican embroidered dress in 45 degree weather?  I had planned on wearing a shorter version, if I ever found one, with jeans and boots.

I'm a happy girl....

Peace,

Earth Mother

Estate Sale Goodies....

I stopped by a great estate sale with lots and lots of rusty stuff a few weeks ago while the Old Hippie was at work....  This wasn't one of those over-priced estate sales coordinated by a third party.  This was more like a garage sale given by the family.

This old, galvanized animal trap was $5.   

It opens at both ends!  The Old Hippie had to make a few quick adjustments, and it works perfectly.  We finally caught the raccoon that had been draining all the hummingbird feeders.  He has a new home at the river south of town.

I paid $2 for this hand-made and obviously well-used stool.  I imagine this was part of the daily life of the little old woman who lived in the house, and it has absorbed bits of her energy over the years.  How many grandchildren have stood on this stool to reach a cup from the cabinet or help stir cake batter?

This rusty old, hanging basket was 50 cents.

One hand-hammered, aluminum pitcher....

...with a double-knotted handle.  This is truly a treasure, and only $2!

I really didn't know what this was until I asked.  The man said that his mother had this on the front porch for the milk deliveries.  It was $1.  I am still unsure of its original purpose, but it will have a place in the garden in the Spring.  For now, it is the perfect size to neatly hold the newspapers in the garage before they are taken to recycle.  We only shred newspapers to add to the compost pile when all the dry leaves are gone later in the winter.

A small galvanized garbage pail, complete with lid, $2.  Sure it's rusty and has a few holes, but will have dozens of uses in the potting shed.

One old, aluminum kettle.  One buck.  No holes and the handle is still in very good condition.  

Moon Song

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Earth Mother

Things that make you go... WHA??? and dish towels...

Now this is something you don't see every day.  What you do see every day on I-30 are trailer loads of hay headed southwest.... round bales, square bales (something I've never understood because they are not square, they are rectangular), and the biggest, tightest square bales I've ever seen.  Bigger than round bales.

On a much different note, where in the world can you buy a decent dish towel at retail?  I've found polyester ones that absolutely do not absorb a drop.  They just spread it out evenly.  I've found WHITE ones???  I don't know about you, but I'd have to bleach them after every use because the Old Hippie somehow cannot make a pot of coffee without having to mop up at least half a cup from the counter with the previously mentioned white dish towel.  The white ones that I do find have edging in a bright color that doesn't last through the bleachings.  

The only place I can find a good dish towel these days is at yard sales.  Ones that seem to be deemed useless by the owner merely because they happen to have a blue goose or a Christmas teddy bear on them.  I just don't understand why anyone would find a really good and broken in, cotton dish towel useless.  Well, I do understand, but regardless....  A good dish towel has several useful incarnations before it is truly trash-worthy.  I usually use a dish towel for years, bleaching as needed.  When they are stained beyond help, or get holey or start to frey, they go to the garage where they are used as shop rags, car wash rags, etc., etc., etc.  After several near come-aparts on my part, the Old Hippie knows to use ONLY the garage rags to clean up caulk, or starter fluid, and dozens of other stinky garage chemicals.  Even after a dish towel has run its course as a shop rag, it still has uses.  After a good washing, the good parts can be cut up into thin strips and put in a bird feeder.  The birds carry it away to build their nests.  We have seen several nests over the years that have our scraps woven into structure.  Now THAT will make you SMILE!  Okay, I'm all done ranting on about dish towels.  

Have a nice and cozy Sunday!

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Earth Mother

Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacree Movement

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it!

I was unable to find the original in one continuous video, but this is a great thirty-years-later version....

If everyone picked up one piece of trash that is not theirs every day, you would be surprised what could happen...

An Anti-Litter Massacree Movement!

Happy We-Stole-Your-Land-And-Killed-Your-People Day!

Peace, Love and Happiness,

Earth Mother

Baby lizards, woodpeckers, and moon lessons...

Very nice Full Pisces Moon this past Monday.  The cloud patterns around the moon were picture perfect... only my I have no idea how to get my camera set to capture the image.  Here the Old Hippie is getting schooled on Lunar surface features.  Tadpole has absorbed every word of a book on the planets that I found for him at Goodwill and readily shares his knowledge on the subject... 

Isn't he cute?  This is just one of dozens of these little guys that scattered out from under the Rose of Sharon.    I imagine a few will be breakfast for the birds.  Tiny frogs seem to be everywhere you look, too....

 I snapped this picture through my kitchen window.  There were two Red-Headed Woodpeckers on the suet log feeder - the reason I ran for the camera - but I wasn't quick enough.  If anyone goes outside in the morning, one of them will perch itself on top of the power line pole and chatter away.  There are also Red-Bellied Woodpeckers and Downy Woodpeckers that eat from the feeder each day.

Moon Song #14

Peace, Love & Happiness,

Earth Mother

Have you ever thought to yourself, "What would the Honey Badger do?"

Honey Badger don't care.... Honey Badger don't give a shit.  If you have had the good fortune to have already been introduced to the Honey Badger, 'nuf said.  If you have not, well let me do the honors......

Bastards getting you down?  Channel the Honey Badger.  I read somewhere that each individual is accompanied in this life by nine animal spirits or totems to guide them through life and protect them.  I don't know about that, but occasionally drawing on and projecting the attitude and essence of the Honey Badger is abundantly helpful.  Caution:  Use wisely and sparingly to avoid someone hurling household objects at your head....

Symbology of the Honey Badger: fearlessness, personal power, 

overcoming all obstacles, forward movement.

 

A favorite animal to work with for a good many people going through a rough time is the honey badger. And, don't let its sweet sounding name fool you, as the honey badger is downright fearless and will give those working with it the energy to move on in whatever direction is needed, even if that direction is difficult. Honey badgers have the remarkable energetic capability to remove fear from your path. Once fear is removed the strength it takes to overcome obstacles is more easily found.

 

 

 Whenever feeling less empowered or wallowing in pity, or stressed out by the all the crap that whirls around in the world, call on the energy of the honey badger. The honey badger will take on an enemy like a poisonous snake even knowing that it will get bitten. Research shows that venom will temporarily slow it down, but once revived…it will track down the snake, kill it, and then eat the snake’s prey. Now that’s what I call a power animal! The honey badger owns its space and accepts its personal power.

 

 

The honey badger shows us by example to be relentless and to attack problems or obstacles head on, even when it means going against the norm. Relentless forward movement can mean success even when temporary setbacks occur. (from Jennifer Adele at gaianvoices.com)

 

Ever needed to own your inner Honey Badger?

Happy Honey Badger meditations to all.......

Peace, Love & Happiness,

Earth Mother

Do-Over.........

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why,
START OVER

 

I'm jumping back in, ready or not, so please be patient with me while I dust off and oil the rusty.  I'm not quite ready to share the details of what has kept me away, but maybe bits and pieces will surface here and there.  Soooo....  I'm just planning to jump back in, pick up where I left off some eleven months ago......

 

Peace, Love, and Happiness

Earth Mother

&

Old Hippie

& Tadpole, too......

Life happened....

Hello everyone!  I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive.  Someone once told me that Buddhism summed up in one phrase would be "everything changes."  Well, I think, "shit happens - get used to it" works well, too.  Hoping that this dark night of the soul will soon have its dawn.  Miss you all....

Peace,
Chris............