We have a house!

We found a rental home! We are so excited and hope to be moved in by Thanksgiving! The house is in North Willits, where we use to live, in a small township. It's near one of our favorite hiking trails and is minutes from many of our friends!



In a way I'm bummed to move away from the friends I've made here in Lake County but I know this is the right move for us. Seth has been offered work in Willits and I too have been offered to teach yoga again and perhaps restart the Waldorf playgroup. It's the right move for us :)



The house is a dream come true. A great low price, 3 bedrooms, two baths, new carpet, new windows, etc. Everything is very well kept and in good repair. I'm so in love with it! The kitchen is really big with lots of counter space. A window above the sink will help my daily mediation of dish washing. The home sits up on a hill in a wooded area with lots of redwood trees and a wrap-around porch. The neighbors have a son a little younger than Nykki :)







On our trip out the show my sister the house we found 3 butter bolete mushrooms! Yum! That one is my favorite! What a beautiful welcome home gift from nature! I can't wait to get some garden bed going in the sunny front of the property, a little greenhouse, ya know, grow some yummies.







I hope the move is smooth and not too much stress. *crossing fingers* Well, I'm off to pack!



(the magickal, fairy backyard)

Our Anniversary!

October 29th is Seth and I's 4th anniversary!

My beloved Seth where would I be without you? You are my protector, my guider, my lover, the father of our children, my steadfast soul mate and I am blessed to spend every moment that I do with you. My co-creator, my partner, my husband....I love you.

Continuing Drama...

So I need a spell work, advice, prayer, meditation, something....life is so busy!



So I attended the La Vida homeschool charter school board meeting last night in the hopes of giving the school the new breath of fresh air it needed to survive and again, I, like many parents before me, was not taken seriously and nothing got done. At this point some of the parents and former staff are so outraged it's gone legal and I have no hopes for the school's survival so I'm feeling like I need to step aside for the moment because my being dramatic about everything doesn't help the situation or myself. So that's that.



In addition to that I'm battling Med-i-cal who has not payed medical bills from April they were suppose to pay. I'm filling out new paperwork and calling the collection company nearly everyday with updates in the hopes that if they see I'm trying to pay my bill they wont put it on my credit report. I can't have $3,000 worth of medical bill right now on my credit when we need to rent a new house by december. So in the meantime I'm juggling the billing at the hospital, the collection agency and social services. *sigh*



On the other front my student loans through Citibank were consolidated through the government loan consolidation program for student loans however Citibank is saying they never got the check from the Educational Department. So now I have two bills, one from Citibank and one from the Ed. Dept. saying I owe them both money this month! Citibank is calling nearly everyday and I'm like "Dudes, I don't freakin' have a loan with you anymore, I don't owe you money." Ugh.



When do I get time to homeschool, when do I get time to nurture, when do I get time to sit and read stories with all this drama? It has to end and it has to end now. I refuse to let the world as it is destroy my peace of mind. I want to step aside but sometimes it's hard to figure out just how to do that. I can't just let my credit go south and I can't not pay my student loan bills.



I hate credit. Boy how I wish I didn't have those student loans. College should be free in the this country, or very cheap, like Europe.



The prophets of the Mormon church have always advised their members not to go into debt except to buy maybe a house or go to school. I agree and I live this life principle but I still have debt that I can barely control - debt that the managment thereof is like a full time job.



I'm always looking for the root of issues, to stop then at their germination, not just to prune them once they've overgrown. What do you think is the root of all this?

New Camera!

(Yes my hair is red again BTW)







Homeschooling - learning about seeds. Oak Meadow Lesson 4 Science

Rain and Star Trek

We had rain today. It's the first rain we've seen since March. We are so rain starved in our part of the world in the summer time. We all breethed in the sweet scent with much love and relief.

Ahhhhhhhhhh!


In other news some of you may be wondering why I haven't been posting as often lately. Well....I hate to admitt that the Treky in me got hooked. A friend lent us the entire collection of Star Trek Enterprise on DVD. Now I had never seen the show because it came on after I no longer had TV so Seth and I were in geek heaven for the past two and half weeks as we drunk in all 96 episodes!

Sheesh! Now Seth wants to watch all the Voyagers. Yikes!!



I loved Dr. Plox because of his happy personality and his natural healing approch. I also loved Hoshi because she's a linguist - and well, so was I once! LOL I do think however that Hoshi and T'Pol need to be on an all butter diet for at least a month. Bring back the days of curvey Counselor Troi! :) now there's a Star Trek sex Goddess! *winking suggestivly*

My Kids' Room

*Side Note* Today I had the weirdest feeling around 2 PM. Like a great disstrubance in the fource (LOL) but seriously did anyone else feel that??

Nykki had a fever for a day two days ago and so with him and Ronan vegging their sick bodies out in front of one movie after another I spent the day cleaning their room. I know my cell phone camera sucks but since it's the only one I have right now it shall have to do. Anyway I thouhgt I would share some pics of the boys room.




Vintage image of Peter Pan's the Darling's Play Room.



Book stack that never stays clean so why bother putting them up "correctly"?



Doll corner



Kitchen Play



Vintage boat pics hung on floral wire with close pins

Most of the kids decorations, books and toys come from the thrift shop. I would say 90% of them. By the way I did NOT do the paint job on the walls and believe me if we weren't renting I would redo it! LOL

I'm back!

I had a super-duper weekend. I'm organizing photos to get together for a few posts about our great time. I'll be posting more tonight....

Off for the Bay.............

I'll be gone today through Sunday in the bay area for my graduation ceremony. Check back in on Sunday!

Summer time fun..............

I love public parks! It's the only place in America, other than your house, where you can hang out WITHOUT being a consumer.

Old Fashion Sunday Comics....

Blue Hair

Seth thought it would be cute - I couldn't resist. What do you think?

On the Mend

Thank you for the prayers and well wishes we are on the mend! I'm off to pick up some craft supplies at the thrift shop and then we're all sitting down for a Star Wars-a-thon (thanks to our sweet neighbors for lending us those!)

Even when I'm sick I have to have some busy work to keep me still otherwise I wont rest. LOL

Stomach flu

We're down with a stomach bug.



No, make that a stomach couger.



Pray, work spells and/or send good vibes our way please.

Back Yard Campout!!

The heat is good for one thing (I mean other than growing my food, sheesh!) A hot day means a warm summer nights for backyard campouts!



Candle light for stories




Ghost Stories! Ahhhh!



Waking up to Mama Cass and Milly! Good morning girls!

Fires and Chicken Pox

It seems like things in my life keep raging on, in one way or another....



We woke up to our 5th day in a row of smoke filled skies. The Northern California fires burn on, and even though they are making steady progress in putting them out I'm getting really tired being inside all the time :( The kids have chicken pox so we're stuck at home and inside on top of that!



The good news is that the chicken pox is very mild, we had chicken pox party and shared it with willing friends. We played the "share a honey stick" game and "say your ABCs with a spoon in your mouth, now pass the spoon to your friend" game!

The kids thought we were nuts I think!

Here's a snipet of my hororscope, I think it's very true:

"Friday, Jun 27th, 2008 -- The intensity of your feelings builds throughout the day, moving you to express yourself in a creative way."

So in other news.....

...my son has taken to dressing like a rock star.



Is his dad related to Mick Jagger? I don't think I have rock star on my side of the family! Ha!

Tagged

I was tagged a bit ago by Yarrow to tell 7 random things about myself, so here it goes!

1. I never have a clever response in the moment and infact I end up letting people get away with saying mean things or bullying me into some awful stuff in the moment because of my inability or lack of self esteem in standing up for myself or my beliefs. Yesterday someone close to me slammed Mormonism repeatedly and I gave my acdemic responses but I didn't say "Hey, this is personal." Today a friend told me gay people were going to hell. What does one say to that?

2. I sometimes like hanging with rednecks more than hippies when I'm in California becuase a lot of hippies in Mendo are rich from growing weed and stuck up, but outside of Mendo I almost always prefer the hippies.

3. When my kids are sick (like right now Ronan has a stomach flu) I always feel like it's my fault and I'm a bad mom.

4. I have seasonal allergies

5. I'm in love with the sunshine

6. Yesterday I had keebler chocolate chip cookies. I'm so bad.

7. My sheets right now are covered in baby puke.

Thanks for tagging me Yarrow, I love you and your blog mama :)

I saw Ani Di Franco!!!

Oh my Goddess!!




So yesterday was one of the best days of my life!

I went to Willits and we had an awesome playgroup, it was like a party! Great snacks, terrific people - all the elements.

Then we went to our old place to check the mail and get some stuff and I had to go to the bathroom but we didn't have any toilet paper - just the mail. So I ....um...well...how do I say this? I wiped my ass with my student loan bill!!!! ROFL!

Feel free to virtually high-five me at this point

*slap!*

We went home, I got all cute, left the kiddos with my man, picked up Carlee and proceeded to the BEST CONCERT EVER!







Ani's opening act was non other than the amazing Judy Grahn (who's the head of my graduate school program in Women's Spirituality at ITP Palo Alto).

Judy

So I heard Judy and her latest poetry (amazing) and then during Ani I ducked out and hung with Judy for a moment then back for MORE ANI!!!!!



How can I describe an Ani Di Franco concert? Ani could find the words but I can't.

2 T-shirts, forty dollars
1 bumper sticker, 3 dollars
Seeing Ani DiFranco with your best friend, priceless!!!

And now I have a sexy man walking around my house wearing an Ani T-shirt (pause for momentary drooling)

It was the Best day! Did I say that already?

Ouch!

So a few days ago I got a tiny infection between my finger nail and my finger. No biggie right? They usually go away on their own.

Not this one.

It got worse, so I put Tea Tree oil on it and took Goldenseal.

It still got worse.

I put Lavendar and Peppermint oil on it.

It got better.

Then it got worse again.

I made an appointment with my naturopathic doctor.

Last night the finger got stiff and started to go numb, I figured I couldn't wait for my naturopath. I called her emergency number but she didn't call back.

My friends daughter had a brush a while ago with super staff, I figured I had better go to the emergency room.

So off we all went.

A local, stab it, drain it, remove part of my fingernail, bandage it. Prescribe antibiotics.

Very standarded western reaction, but the infection had built up behind the nail so it probably was best to drain it.

Ouch!

I might not be a fan of western medicine or even technology but Goddess bless pain numbing technology!

Home and in bed at 1 AM with a trobbing finger (the local had worn off at this point). The doc had wanted to give me Vixadin for the pain - no thanks, I've had babies, I can handle it LOL

Restless sleep, grouchy children. But we're all doing much better today!

Be thankful my camera cord is currently lost or might not have spared you the pictures! LOL

And yes, I got a shot in my butt! Nykki found this to be the highlight of the trip.

Ancestors

I wanted to share some photos of my ancestors today.



This photo is of me with my great grandfather before he passed away. I was about 9 when this picture was taken and he was nearly 100. He died a year later. His name was Basil and I still think that one of my children will end up with Basil for a middle name. My great grandfather had alzheimers the entire time I knew him but my father has lovely stories of boyhood days spent on granpop's farm. Drinking from the well, baking biscuts, tending to the chickens and of course getting switched when he was bad *ouch*

So to trace the lineage, Basil, is my father's, mother's, father.




Here is my great grandmother. My biological mother's, mother's, mother. Her name was Lillian but everyone called her Neenaw. Wasn't she beautiful? She died of cancer shortly before I was born. My parents have an audio recording of their wedding in 1976 and Lillian's voice is on that tape. Her voice was small, quite, very dainty and feminine.



Here is a picture of me with my grandmother and grandfather in about 1980. My biological mother's, mother. So this woman is the daughter of the woman pictured above. Her name is Janet and my grandfather's name is Robbie. He passed away when I was 12 and Janet is still living. Robbie was a rocket scientest for NASA (yes and I think that's a pocket protector in his pocket LOL), so think of him when you say "It's not rocket science!" LOL He was also Cherokee and spoke 5 languages. I miss him a lot.


So there you have it, some pictures and some stories of the people still living in my cells.

Have a wonderful day!