tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30007710707306990052024-03-13T11:53:20.357-04:00Warming the HearthMusings of a Magickal HomemakerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-52771075864272882582015-09-30T09:52:00.000-04:002015-09-30T09:52:00.085-04:00Adventures with SourdoughSo my dad gave me a sourdough starter a few weeks before Thanksgiving last year and gave me strict instructions for caring for it and extremely vague directions for actually making bread out of it. The instructions included feeding it daily and weighing water and flour to do so. I immediately went off the grid on that. An overflowing scoop of flour, a scoop and a half of water, mix, call it good.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-11401045453674929072015-01-09T07:43:00.001-05:002015-01-09T07:43:12.034-05:00Wordpress Foray FailSo I thought I'd move the website to Wordpress. To have more control, etc. But this has turned out to be an utter failure. Wordpress requires me to do too many updates and my host, (Ipower) does not seem to like them. It is just too buggy and their customer service people are incapable of doing anything but trying to sell additional services when you call to ask them why. So my updates fail and IAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-86424713210527284132014-10-23T22:55:00.000-04:002014-10-24T06:31:18.769-04:00#Review and #Giveaway of Orpheus and Eurydice
I am absolutely thrilled to be able to share the book Orpheus and Eurydice from Barefoot Books with you. This book was written by Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden and illustrated by Carole Henaff. I am a big fan of this book, and I think you will be too.
The first thing I did when I received this book was look at the end. It had a happy ending. I said to my husband "WTF, this story doesn't have aAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-64259892695186622282014-10-16T00:00:00.000-04:002014-10-16T09:11:23.848-04:00Demeter and Persephone #review #giveawayI was super-excited get my review copy of Demeter and Persephone from Barefoot Books, just in time for Samhain. (I also got a copy of Orpheus and Eurydice, but that will be another post and another giveaway!) Now it is here and I am excited to share it with you!
First, you should know that I am somewhat of a purist when it comes to the myths. I despise most of the modern feminist retellings of Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-32374853843674594752014-10-07T22:00:00.000-04:002014-10-14T22:23:40.438-04:00Working for a LivingThis week I begin a new, temporary, chapter in my life. Working full time outside the home. I was a single mother for over 10 years, I am not in unfamiliar territory. I hated it then and I hate it now. But, my mother needed surgery and wouldn't get it unless she felt things were handled and her boss trusts me, so I have agreed to do her job for six weeks.
We need money, it's true and this is a Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-63354864074378216442014-10-06T13:00:00.000-04:002014-10-09T23:50:03.458-04:00Monday House BlessingSo the Flylady has us (Flybabies) do this thing every Monday she calls the Weekly Home Blessing Hour. This appeals to my Kitchen Witchiness so I embrace it even though she's using the word "blessing" in a figurative sense, and I am using it magically.
Of course, the first time I did it I raced through it and read it wrong and thought that I was supposed to do a 10 minute de-clutter of Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-41278657854717846732014-10-02T11:25:00.000-04:002014-10-09T23:50:19.856-04:00Flying at Night, Falling Flat, and we're up againAs you may know, I made the Hearth Day Resolution to follow the Flylady's program to get my house in order and I am proud to say that my house is looking pretty decent. Each month, she gives you a habit to work on with the goal that you will develop all these wonderful positive habits that will keep your house clean and organized and you'll just do them, because they're habits, and won't Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-60600848187840004322014-09-10T10:58:00.000-04:002014-09-10T10:58:01.391-04:00Book Review: Curses and BindingsToday I am reviewing another book from Witchipedia's Read A Long Book Club, Curses & Bindings: How To Do Them, How To Defend Against Them, How To Heal From Them, by Tannita. I would like to say that this isn't normally the type of book that I'd read, but that's not entirely true. Reading about the darker aspects of magick is something of a guilty pleasure of mine so I was pleased when Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-26730849122299374192014-09-01T18:33:00.005-04:002014-10-09T23:50:31.796-04:00Adventures in LaundryAs the month of August closes, I am reviewing my laundry adventures, which were substantial, before we move on to the next habit in the Flylady's plan: The Bedtime Routine. The Universe must've taken note of my intention to perfect my laundry routine because she cooperated beautifully by rendering me without fully functioning laundry facilities for several days.
I had just put up my shiny new Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-28576377848829693282014-08-25T09:10:00.000-04:002014-08-25T09:23:12.358-04:00Review: Practical Prosperity Magick #witchesreadPractical Prosperity Magick; Crafting Success and Abundance by Ellen Dugan was the Read-A-Long book for the Witchipedia for the month of July and I just finished it a few days ago and have been chewing on it since. There is some good information in this book, but I really really do not like the delivery. First I should say that I came to the book a bit prejudiced because I do not like this authorAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-32400649178151677832014-08-24T11:40:00.000-04:002014-08-24T12:10:18.109-04:00On Sharing the Bathroom with Trans-Gender FolksSince it seems to be a hot topic of late, I thought I'd chime in. You know, just for fun. It looks like fun.
If you look like a girl, dress like a girl, talk like a girl, walk like a girl, I am not even going to notice you walking into the lady's room. If you look like a man, talk like a man, walk like a man, I am and I'm going to wonder what the hell you're doing in girly land. I will probably Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-47516084547278374332014-08-23T20:12:00.000-04:002014-08-24T17:28:12.188-04:00Unboxing Citrus Lane #favoritethingsSo one little indulgence I decided to sign up for when my husband got his job back and I was feeling flush for the first time in months is a membership to Citrus Lane for my Sunshine who is two and a half. We get a box every week of fruits and vegetables from Door to Door Organics and he is always super-excited to open it up. So I thought he'd love a box that was just or him full of Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-90523190295625417482014-08-22T12:19:00.000-04:002014-10-09T23:50:48.625-04:00Doing the LaundryIf you haven't been following along, I am following the system at Flylady.net to get my house organized and beautiful as my annual Hearth Day Resolution. This month's habit is laundry and I am pleased to say I am starting strong here.
I had to get into the habit of doing laundry daily when I started using cloth diapers. Otherwise, the whole house stank of pee and poo. But Flylady says we must doAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-75222670024227775762014-08-14T15:54:00.001-04:002014-08-14T16:09:26.077-04:00Letting the Genie Out of the Bottle When my husband came home from work Monday night he told me Robin Williams was dead. I didn't believe it. He told me he commit suicide. I felt a profound sense of not surprise and then I knew it was true. Robin Williams suffered from mental illness. He fought it bravely. He eventually lost the battle.
I cried. I cried a lot. I am not sure why. Obviously I loved his work. Obviously I grew up Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-25482917967842847632014-08-12T01:04:00.001-04:002014-10-10T19:04:18.853-04:00Enough with the Fat ShamingAs a fat person with a rather healthy lifestyle, I am tired of the assumptions made about fat people. People look at a fat person and assume that that person is fat because he or she lives a lazy, gluttonous lifestyle and therefore has earned her fat and thus has no right to be respected. That he or she should just take it when they are ridiculed for dressing comfortably at the beach, or going toAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-69481358034691832772014-08-01T09:56:00.000-04:002014-10-09T23:52:14.282-04:00My Hearth Day Resolution - Learning to Fly
Last year's Hearth Day Resolution was something of a wash. It was "be prepared" and I was not. I was not prepared for my husband to lose his job three months after buying the house we moved to so that he could be near his job. Seriously. You'd think someone could have put a bug in his ear. And so instead of preparing, we spent most of the year in emergency mode and living hand to mouth. I did Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-6176128035243787972014-07-26T21:08:00.000-04:002014-10-09T22:53:47.979-04:00Taking Care of Business. And Myself.
I haven't been as retired as I may seem. I've been working a lot on the websites. I'm sort of auditing everything at the moment. It's got to be done. I am feeling better.
My husband's job is back. His real job. The one we moved all the way out here away from all my people for that laid him off three months later. He has now had two proper paychecks and it's such a relief to just pay the damn Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-23273258773989507352014-05-27T10:45:00.000-04:002014-10-09T22:58:53.114-04:00PainWomen/mothers/ladies do not complain. Ladies have responsibilities to others. Ladies do not eat/bathe/dress/rest until everyone else is fed/clean/clothed/resting. Ladies do not let a little thing like pain slow them down. Women who came before us suffered long and hard to overcome a reputation as the "weaker" sex. Any sign of weakness discredits their efforts. Everyone suffers. Everyone deals. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-43954312591553787252014-04-21T10:00:00.000-04:002014-10-09T22:20:59.813-04:00My Earth Day ResolutionIt's Earth Day again and time for me to commit myself to another year of softening my footprint. Last year, I committed myself to reducing waste in my household and I've done an okay job.
Here's what I've accomplished this past year:
I have eliminated almost completely the use of disposable sponges, paper towels, napkins and tissues through the use of washcloths, handkerchiefs and cloth Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-91668989344043773072014-03-27T12:08:00.000-04:002014-10-10T19:04:32.668-04:00My Views on Minimum Wage
My daughter is a big advocate of raising the minimum wage to $11 from its current rate of $7.40 here in Michigan. I believe she is such a big advocate because she and her boyfriend make minimum wage. She only has one job. He has 3. They do okay. They could do better.
Because she feels so passionately about the subject, I am forced to think about it often and the subject is starting to grow on Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-5437971418337216042014-03-20T11:06:00.005-04:002014-03-20T14:26:03.944-04:00On Feeding ToddlersI am not a child development expert, nor am I a nutritionist. But I have three kids and I have cared for considerably more. I currently have a toddler and I discuss such things as feeding with other parents pretty regularly. I have learned a thing or two in my time and I am going to share it with you.
Feeding toddlers need not be complicated, but I find many people make it complicated. This is aAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-3274282381362245892014-03-20T07:00:00.000-04:002014-10-09T22:58:04.054-04:00Drawing Update:Heart Day ResolutionThis is just an update on my Heart Day Resolution which was to learn to draw.
I really LOVE the book You Can Draw in 30 Days: The Fun, Easy Way to Learn to Draw in One Month or Less which I have finished. I've actually been through it twice. (The first time was two years ago.)
I am currently working on the book Animal Art by Lee J. Ames, which is about 40 years old and has been floating Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-2450352040736382602014-03-02T13:01:00.002-05:002014-10-09T23:33:12.296-04:00My Heart Day Resolution - BelatedI know this was due on February 14, or thereabouts but I have been having trouble getting my writing done lately. Rest assured, I did dedicate my heart day resolution on time and I actually began working on it a little ahead of schedule. I have proof. But hold on.
If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out my original post on the subject at http://sacredhearthblog.blogspot.com/Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-25341368634606998062014-01-21T10:13:00.000-05:002014-10-09T23:53:33.365-04:00Baking Bread from ScratchOnce a week I bake bread. Possibly twice this week because it went really fast. It took me awhile to get the hang of it, but I've got a system now and it's very simple. Because I believe everyone should bake their own bread for the money savings if not the health benefits, I am going to share my system with you.
This makes two lovely loaves.
First: the Ingredients
Flour
I use halfAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3000771070730699005.post-12768486377468121142014-01-10T10:05:00.001-05:002014-10-09T23:54:06.551-04:00It's a cold, cold world
I survived Snowmageddon. Barely. And I'm still digging out.
As you may now, my Hearth Day Resolution was "be prepared" and I think I did alright even though I made a HUGE mistake right at the beginning. You see, we have a giant tank in our basement that we fill with oil to run our furnace. Well, it ran out. Just in time for the biggest snowy/cold spell I have experienced since the '80s (I am Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03100439521741521659noreply@blogger.com0