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October 31, 2004
Taking a page from the Rev's book on religion I thought I would share a bit more about my religion. Today is Samhain's Eve, or Halloween, this is one of the most major Sabbats of the circle. It is the Wiccan New Year. The feast of Samhain marks the beginning of the dark time of the year, when the barriers to the netherworld are at their most insubstantial. Most of you might already know this but I am going to share anyway. Traditions state that during this time, especially All Hallow's Eve, ancestors and other spirits may walk in our world. From this has come several Halloween customs: - Jack-o-lanters are to guard from spirits who may mean harm. They are also a beacon to your ancestors. A "yes we are home" welcome sign. - Treats have always been left for the spirits, ghoulies, and ghosties. Traditionally these took the form of bread and milk left on the porch, but chocolate and sugar work wonders for appeasing all sorts as well. - Costumes were traditionally a form of protection from the spirits you didn't know. The masks and make-up make it hard to tell a child from a ghost. - Always answer the door if someone knocks on Halloween. You can never know if a spirit is going to be in the group of revelers or not. - Trick or treating: This is a time for the spirits to play as well; not answering the door or making treats available is just making yourself a target for mischievous souls. Tonight is also a great night for divining, so break out your cards, stones, mirrors, tea leaves, apple seeds, etc. and have at it. Find out what future holds, bond with your ancestors, or just enjoy yourself. Merry Samhain! posted at 11:44 AM
----------------------- October 29, 2004 Samhain...Halloween....All Hallow's Eve...Day of the Dead. Whichever you celebrate have a Happy Holiday! This is my favorite holiday, always has been, but this year the strangeness surrounding it has gotten worse. In some cases people are making small tentative steps forward - like in Scotland. And then there is this place and this place. Their hearts are in the right place, they need to step away from the stereotypes. Unfortunately, there is also this. My personal responses to each: Yay for witchy pardons! I think the Wiccan community in Seattle has spent too much time in the broom closet. Major props to the ASPCA for protecting kitties from idiots who don't understand the High Holy Day or its rituals. I stopped reading at "Accept Jesus,or else." Or else what? This ooks me out quite a bit. posted at 4:36 PM
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I have to admit, I have a problem. I am horribly addicted to the "Next Blog" button. That thing is like crack. Yummy sugar coated crack! Since the day it showed up I have been using it as a gateway into other worlds and blogs I never would have found on my own. Somewhere around the second day it was there I started wondering how many times I would have to press it until I came across a blog of someone I knew...someone on my links. It has happened! I was finally "Next Blog"ged to a page I recognized. It was the Dastard's page! I'm wondering if this is some crazy mixed up sign... There may have to be a prize or something. posted at 11:44 AM
----------------------- October 28, 2004 The word, look, and attitude of the day? Comfy posted at 1:59 PM
----------------------- October 27, 2004 Done! Done! Done! ~happy dance Peanuts style~ I am a procrastinator. Big time. There is no cure for it. Well, I'm sure there is but I haven't gotten around to finding it yet. Just thought I would share that bad joke. I discovered today in class that I hate worksheets. I know I will use them and make my students do them, but truly I loathe their (the worksheets) existence. I discovered this as I was comparing my unit design to others in the class. Now, I included everything that was needed (resources, quizzes, worksheets, study guides, etc.)but mine was about half the size of most of them. Honestly, I feel sorry for the poor students that are the guinea pigs for some of these lessons. I want to go to the Rocky Horror showing tonight, break out the vinyl pants and rock star top. I work right up until it starts though. No way am I going all stressed out n icky. I want a shower and time to prep...being a rock star takes work. Maybe I will just stay home. I can recite RHPS lines, lyrics, and the audience participation part in my sleep. 'Sides our campus is too staid to know what to really do with RHPS....they don't even allow Virgin Sacrifices anymore! mmmmmmmm...bananas.....ok this train of thought just died in a horrible firey ball of fire. Mo' later. posted at 4:24 PM
----------------------- October 26, 2004 In the absense of actual things to tell you all, still too busy to think, I kipped a quiz from Jenn's site. This is the pin-up girl I would be given half a chance. Although, I really adore Betty Page too.  You're Brigitte Bardot! What Classic Pin-Up Are You? brought to you by Quizilla posted at 9:14 AM
----------------------- October 22, 2004 busy busy busy...sleepy...hide...runaway...lesson plans...midterms...papers....laundry...dishes...sleepy...busy busy busy posted at 10:43 AM
----------------------- October 21, 2004 I'm feeling musical... First, in honor of last weeks Drag Queens..."I'm wearin' sexy underwear..." Then this also seems to be an Aerosmith type of day - my theme song: "Pink - it's my new obsession Pink - it's not even a question, Pink - on the lips of your lover (oh) 'Cause Pink is the love you discover Pink - as the bing on your cherry Pink - 'cause you are so very Pink - it's the color of passion Ah, 'cause today it just goes with the fashion Pink - it was love at first sight Yeah, Pink - when I turn out the light And Pink gets me high as a kite And I think everything is going to be all right No matter what we do tonight You could be my flamingo 'Cause pink - it's the new kinda of lingo Pink - like a deco umbrella It's kink that you don't ever tell her..." And then there is the sweets a la Suzanne Vega: "It won't do to dream of caramel, to think of cinnamon and long for you." And just cause there has to be some Queer music - Garbage: "She gave you everything she had But she was young and dumb She'd just turned 21 She didn't care to hang around So when the shit came down why she was nowhere to be found This life can turn a good girl bad She was the sweetest thing that you had ever seen You're so such a delicate boy In the hysterical realm Of an emotional landslide In physical terms With your cherry lips and golden curls You could make grown men gasp when you go walking past And in your hot pants and high heels They could not believe that such a body was for real It seemed like rainbows would appear Whenever you came near the clouds would disappear Because you looked just like a girl Your baby blues would flash and suddenly a spell was cast You're so such a delicate boy In the hysterical realm Of an emotional landslide In physical terms You hold a candle in your heart You shine the light on hidden parts You make the whole world wanna dance " posted at 1:08 PM
----------------------- October 19, 2004 Lady should not be let loose in Target! She went shopping for me and found a halloween headband. Ya know the ones with the alien dealiboppers on them? Well, these are sort of like that...only with ears instead of dealiboppers. Sticking out, green ears. After I tried them on I realized I looked very much like this - Princess Fiona. All I need is a greenish skin tone and someone to be Shrek. posted at 8:47 AM
----------------------- October 18, 2004 Why do people give me strange looks when I veer off of the sidewalk to tromp through the piles of dried leaves? The were scooped together a week or so ago then left to dry and blow around. What else could they be in such neat lines for but to play in? posted at 6:16 PM
----------------------- October 17, 2004 Things I learned this weekend: 1. Never judge my family on past experiences. There were no petty fights, snide remarks or nasty jabs made at anyone's expense. 2. This funeral made Miller history. This was the first time all the "cousins" were together at the same time. The "cousins" is what my father calls all the kids from him, Joe, and Jack. There are seven of us. 3. I was reminded that I am the only girl "cousin". 4. Not everyone is as tall or blonde as I remember. There were a few tall ones, but I am right on par with most of the guys. I'm also pretty sure there were only a few blondes there. 5. My family remembers odd things about me. One of my cousins, Jimmy, says I used to read stories to our horses. He also remembers that instead of watching t.v. on Sunday morning with him I would spread out the newspaper and pretend to read it all. Yep, I was apparently a dork even before I was in school. 6. My aunt Star and her husband Paul are amazing people. 7. I'm not the only one that had to steel themselves to see the family. Every one of my cousins had a moment or two of "oh god what do I do with the whole family". 8. I'm not the only democrat! Several people, including Paul and Star, are very supportive of my work in the multicultural groups. Some even know of my bi identification. 9. Belly dance scarves make great dress-up distractions for the children of the family. 10. More modern colors and forms in stained-glass windows are strange to me. The church the service was held in is all about modernity. Pretty, but very odd. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I just want to tell everyone that I love you! Thank you for supporting me and giving me ways to deal with my family. It was never a question of if I would go. It was just how would I make it through. But I am all in one piece, and feeling better than I ever expected. I love you, I love you, I love you. posted at 11:18 AM
----------------------- October 15, 2004 Warning: This is a part of Mandy that isn't very pretty. Welcome to my self-centeredness. I don't want to see my family. I like and am doing well with the arrangement we have. I live my own life and they live theirs. I don't have to listen to their conservative republican rhetoric and they won't be asked to go to Drag shows. It works. It has worked since I was in highschool...maybe even before. Why do they have to change it now? I only speak to my father when absolutely necessary. We have come to terms with the fact that I am too much like my mother to make him happy. I am loud, outgoing, and openminded. That isn't even mentioning how physically alike we are. Unlike my father's side of the family I am short (5'7" isn't short but it isn't the 5'11 + that is the rest of that side) and curvy and not blonde. My father and I didn't talk for quite a few years after the divorce, which happened when I was 12. He blamed me for things I didn't do. I told him to piss off. We started talking again just before I moved to Alaska....so about 6 years ago. During that time only one other person from that side of the family wanted anything to do with me. I haven't heard from any of them since I moved back. My father didn't even know I had broken up with Chris. I have heard from members of my family whom I don't even know. All wanting to know if I will be there. My grandmother has called twice, for hours at a time, berrating me about what a poor granddaughter / niece I am. If I really loved my uncle I would be down in Cheyenne right now with the rest of the family. Everyone has been telling me about my uncle Jack's life. I don't want to know. I'm sorry but I don't. Jack is one of those that I haven't talked to since I was in highschool. Even before that we didn't speak often. The Jack I want to remember is from when I was little little, 3 or 4. He was the first to call me princess. He had no problems playing dress up with me when everyone else was watching the football game. I will always remember, even though I wish I wouldn't, when he bought me a computer for school. It broke down after about two weeks. We couldn't send it back to be fixed. None of the registration codes matched. This is the only part of that Jack that I know. Honestly, I don't want to know what kind of man he really was. I am just venting. I'm trying to build up my defenses. It's not enough that there is a funeral. I have a feeling that things will continue this way and they will play their favorite game of tear down Mandy. posted at 1:52 PM
----------------------- October 13, 2004 I just talked to my father. My uncle died today. He was 57. He had been battling bone marrow cancer for 5 years. The funeral may be Saturday, no one knows for sure. posted at 6:18 PM
----------------------- October 12, 2004 Yep, it is a day of mini-posts Mandy style. The ASUW senators are having some sort of meet and greet in the Union. They seem to be playing all of U2. Yay for Bono and the boys! posted at 1:34 PM
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There are random piles of sand all over campus. Most are located near the bike racks for some reason. Any one feel like building sandcastles with me? posted at 1:31 PM
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Now what do you suppose this guy's Halloween costume is supposed to be? posted at 9:37 AM
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This morning I noticed the graffiti love bandit is on the prowl again. This time bus signs, stop signs, and game day traffic signs were tagged. Even the College of Business marquee, union parking lot side, was not safe. Some bore the trademark heart that I saw earlier on HalfAcre. Others were blessed with the word, in bold flourished letters, LOVE. I want to find this person and hug them....or just send anonymous gifts of thanks. posted at 8:36 AM
----------------------- October 11, 2004 I'm sorry hear that this happened. SuperMan has fallen. Christopher Reeve died Sunday. The Man of Steel will always look like him to me. |
