Showing posts with label enchantress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label enchantress. Show all posts

Wizards Duel Challenge Temperature Check~

Hey Ho My Wizard friends and Enchantresses!

Last Fall I issued a call to arms on Hopes and Dreams and Goals....
Remember?
I'm just checking in on your Ride!

How are you faring?
Have you made progress on your Journey?

I remember your stated goals and thoughts....
Please check in & tell me how you are doing! I want to hear about YOUR quest and journey!

I have made quite a bit of progress on my plans...

If you remember I made a commitment to you all that I would work on the following back in October:
Space, Independence, Creation, Love, Music, Spirituality, Writing, Friendship, Lust, Adventure, Leader/Teacher, Empowerment, Generosity.

Changes I have made so far include Adding the following components to My Life:

1) I am writing to "a person a day" in my circle to tell them some positive thoughts of how I feel about them. If I were to never see them again, or if something were to happen to me, or them, I want them to know my thoughts of love and admiration for them. This one component has made a HUGE difference in my life. Hopefully theirs too. Why save shit up for a goddamn Eulogy? Tell them NOW. Live NOW is my thinking.

2) Working on writing My Story. You haven't seen it here. It is a work in progress. Only a select few have been my sounding board for some really weird and amazing stories. I am also currently taking a Memoir Course on Writing and reading some Memoir books of other published authors. This is very delicate, fun, scary and empowering to me. Scares the shit out of me, and some of my stories have scared the shit out of others....and some of them make us laugh too. It's a goodly thing.

3) I am committed to my health and overcoming the obstacles in my way that Menopause has so lovingly laid before me. I've added Yoga, walking to my weekly habits. Drinking 65-80 ounces of water a day, keeping my calories down, drinking less coffee and alcohol, eating very little junk and trying to get more solid sleep. I ache less. I have more energy. My BP is phenomenal. 98/65 this morning! Have kept off 19# this last year. Want to lose more, but commitment to healthful living is best.

4) I am taking a more Pro-Active role in my life of Music. I am trying to practice on a more regular basis and MAKING Harry set aside time out of his busy schedule to do so. Not always easy to tackle him for it. He's on the go a lot and when he's home he wants to veg.
I am learning some new music: "Lannigan's Ball", "Loch Tay Boat Song", "Long Black Veil" are all in the memory banks now. Am starting to learn "The Foggy Dew" and "Nonesuch" (with an additional verse that I wrote :) I also have written several Mischievous verses to "Scarborough Faire" which I will be adding to my Faire repertoire. I've been playing and performing for a long time....so there is an effort involved in keeping it fresh and exciting.
It's like being married for a long time. While it may get boring or complacent...it doesn't have to be that way.
You have to work at the magic....but the magic is still there, you just have to keep it interesting.
New songs, new venues, new costuming. New Story Songs to learn and live.

5) Visited St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC which I ADORED. Am setting up some more Church/Cathedral tours to local lovely architecture sites this year with friends. There will be outings and wine involved :)

6) Have joined 2 new writing ventures:
The Pagan Blog Project- writers once weekly tackle an alphabet letter (for 2 weeks) on subjects of interest to us Spiritually or inquisitively. It's been a lovely, fun learning experience. I have one due out tomorrow on my "Eclectic Spirituality".
Surf to my other blog for this: www.Merlynsmagick.blogspot.com

Magpie Tales: A poetry writing prompt via photograph opportunity. I post them on Mondays. It's been lots of fun to do this. While I can write reams (and do) this one I am trying to keep short, succinct and deliberate with my words. As Sheldon would say, "It's fascinating." The other writers are very interesting to read too.
Surf this blog www.Merlynmischief.blogspot.com under the labels of "Magpie Tales"
to find some of these works.

7) Continuing on with My StoryBook Club. This has been one of the JEWELS in my life along with Music. We have added new members, and we meet at different locations. There is always delicious themed food and drink, laughter, insightful discussion from highbrow to bawdy...and swearing is most certainly involved. No kids. Just smart, immature Adults who LOVE Children's Literature. Since October we have studied the following: Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Zombies, The Golem, Trolls, Damsels in Distress. This month's upcoming theme for March is: Banshees. :) I'm SO HAPPY I started this gathering.

8) Putting myself on a Priority List. To love others better I need to love myself. Take care of ME. That means lovingly, cutting myself out breaks, giving rewards and offer forgiveness to ME for my past, my mistakes and my self induced failings.

9) I have offered Forgiveness to Others. I accept that others are who they are. I FORGIVE them. It's ok to hurt. But once it scabs over....it's better to put on the balm and soothing salve of Forgiveness...for them...but mostly do it for YOU. Move on. You can't change the past, no matter how much you'd like to. So GO FORWARD.

10) Friendships are high priority. Have made an effort to make get togethers happen, large and small for myself, for fun and for others. It's good to have close friendships. It's good to have parties. Even if my house is too small and people are crammed in. You know what? They don't seem to mind. To have a companion for walks, or snuggling with movies on the couch, for chat, for adventures, for phone calls, IMs or whatever. It's good to have a couple of really close bosom friends to be able to write to, bitch with, cry with, get the weirds laughing with, to have a glass with. I treasure them all FAR beyond what they will ever realize.

There you are....I am sitting pretty comfortable in the saddle. It's a long, arduous journey..But there are my high points of my journey. In offering my life up to you, it is hoped in my heart of hearts that it helps you in some way on your path.

So...
How are you?

Talk to me.

Self care means different things to different people~

Got a call from my grown up girl, Jesse, yesterday, saying in a very sad voice....

"Mommy, I'm SICK."

Jesse is a no-nonsense kid. She isn't a complainer. She works full time, goes to college full time, and is keeping an apartment with herself and her nice boyfriend. She's TRYING.

She has been sick off and on lately, working at a day care....no insurance...It seems her wisdom teeth have become unbearable. She can't open her mouth. Swelling has gone down her neck into her shoulder. She's in PAIN. Poor kid.

Thankfully, at least I knew what to do next. "I'll call my new dentist and see if they can get you in. They are awesome and really nice." At least that seemed to help her psyche. Sometimes when you are in so much pain, you can't think what to do, who to call, where to turn. At least she turned to mommy. That's always good. :)

My doctor could amazingly get her in on an emergency appointment 2 hours later. They did a full pan of x-rays and an abbreviated exam. They gave her a recommendation, a referral to an oral surgeon and a prescription for a Z-pak for the infection.

She needs to have all 4 of her wisdom teeth out asap. I don't know how she will manage it. But the doctor says, (and i agree) that if she could swing the money for all 4 out at once, and only get knocked out once, that would save her some money, time and pain.  She is almost 26 now.

I had this procedure done when I was 18. Had all 4 of my wisdom teeth taken out in one sitting. Two of them were impacted. The doctor had to give me "extra sodium pentathol" for the procedure. I don't remember walking out of the office, the elevator, or getting to the car with my mom on one side and the nurse on the other walking me there.
What I DO remember is this: A knight in shining armor with gleaming armor and pennants flying.

Yah. True. My mom was driving me home, and a next door neighbor was riding his horse and mom stopped the car to talk to him for a moment. I didn't see the neighbor on a horse. I saw a KNIGHT on a horse with SHINING armor that hurt my eyes, and pennants flying. Even in a drugged state of post traumatic healing...my Arthurian nature called to me.
Drugs are an amazing thing. Some people pay good money for an experience like that. I'm sure my mom did on her insurance bill. I was glad to get the surgery done.
I am so hoping that Jesse can figure out how to swing it. I wish I could do more for her...moral support, transportation and nursing is about all I can give her.

Yesterday was my Self Care day....and while I did some things for me, I actually helped my daughter more. I told her she needs more rest. To eat better. To be more creative. I am hoping she will try to care for herself. It's hard to be a mommy sometimes from a distance.
I put myself on "hold" for so many years...
caring for others...
making things "nice" for everyone.
Now, I encourage myself to do for me, and for you to do for YOU.

I went out with Harry last night to play an open mic for a lark. 
My self care included 2 Gin and Tonics and singing my heart out in a dark bar.
I reminded myself about my love and Mentor Janis Joplin by looking at her pics and story yesterday.
I have some pics that are very similiar.

I am very similiar to her in a lot of ways.
I need to get in touch with my Janis side again.
She was wild, free and unchecked.
Yes, she was a bit whacked.
Yes, she was SO hard on herself.
Yes she could belt out a song.
Yes, few people understood her.
Yes, she walked the edge.
Yes, I wish she could've found the love for herself  that she so easily gave to everyone else.
Yes, she loved too much, and sometimes the wrong people for her.
Yes, I wish she hadn't died.
She was fucking COOL.
She IS still cool to me.

Know what?
She was an ENCHANTRESS.

And people didn't "get" her.

It was good for me to remember her when I was singing.

And it got me thinking...

I have loved this "Wizard's Blog".
But wizards have been engrained in us as a MALE image.
(Too bad for that, eh??)

So I will give you another image.

ENCHANTRESS.

For my riders on this quest with me....
WE are wizards of our own worlds....making our way...

but let's give our feminine natures a boost today.

Let's adopt the word, "ENCHANTRESS"

instead of the word,  "Wizard"...(which is unfortunately...so male oriented, don't you think?)

instead of the overused word, "Goddess" (so presuming of perfection...and we need to embrace our flaws. Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living"  It's GOOD to see our flaws...so we can improve ourselves)

So, my DEAR Enchantresses...and Fellow Wizards,
Here below are some ideas I found for giving YOURSELF some pleasure and pampering....
Surely you should do something for YOU today too:
To make some MAGIC for YOU.

YOU DESERVE IT.

Janis did.
She should've used more of these....and less escapism...
maybe we'd still have her today.
I wonder what Janis would be like today....if she hadn't OD'ed....

She should've done more of the following....

Watch clouds
Meditate
Practice feeling contented
Focus on your breathing
Learn a new skill
Ride a bike
Go on a picnic
watch a favorite show
visit a park or woods
clean your silver
get your hair done
mani/pedi
hot bath with oil finish
put a positive word on your water bottle
discard something you don't want
look at the stars
enjoy a candlelit evening
kiss someone
go to the library
enjoy a cup of hot coffee
sauna/hot tub
light some incense
have an adventure day (do something out of your comfort zone/try something NEW)
Read
snuggle
take a hike
bubble bath
buy yourself some flowers
facial
listen to some favorite music
go on a retreat
have sex
people watch
garden
do something creative
daydream
have a movie marathon (Harry Potter/Pirates/Star Wars...)
Swing on swings
get some energy work done
massage
nap
game night with friends
have company over
feed someone
write a love letter to yourself
start a gratitude journal
do a brave thing daily
have a "jammie day"
treat yourself to something
say YES to what you LOVE
dance
make a bucket list
do something off your list
eat whole foods
drink more water
read the comics
call someone you've been meaning to call
schedule a "no schedule" day
write
go to an art gallery or museum


There are more....I'm sure you could ADD to this list.
Do something for YOU today.

You ENCHANTRESS you :)