Recovering From A Computer Crash!

So sorry it has taken me so long to post anything...I had a computer crash and had to wait until I could afford to get my PC fixed. I'm still battling on the homefront for religious equality. Here's an interesting tidbit...
I log onto Facebook a little while ago and THIS is what I see:
Gay Boyscout 
This is a summary:
"Eric Jones says he was kicked out of a Boy Scout camp after admitting he is gay. Eric says the Boy Scout oath encourages him to be open, so on Sunday he told the director of the camp he is gay. That’s when he was told to pack his things and leave. Boy Scouts say the rule allows them to remain focused on their mission."
This is ridiculous! I am going to do my best to contact this family and have a conversation with them to show my support! Really people, can't we all just get along and love one another?
Love, Hugs & Blessed Be,
Jai

Help Pick The NPCA Calendar Cover!

We're close to finishing up our new National Parks Conservation Association 16-month calendar. But the important matter of which stirring photo of America's national parks will appear on the calendar's cover hasn't been decided. All of the photos are beautiful.
Help Pick Our Calendar Cover!
Voting ends April 24, 2010.. So go vote for your fave!

Button/Blinkie Exchange

I finally have button for the blog! Please feel free to snag one for your site. When you've done that, send me an email and I'll put your button or blinkie on my site. It's that easy!

Luv, Hugs & Blessed Be!

This Made Me Laugh



Why Am I Doing This?

People have contacted me asking me why I am doing this. They've said things like, "Wouldn't it just be easier to quit Boy Scouts?" or "Why can't you just ignore it?".
I guess the answer can be summed up like this:
     I signed my son up for Cub Scouts because I grew up in Girl Scouts and LOVED it. We went horseback riding, camping and fishing. We did art projects and visited Nursing Homes and did Meals On Wheels for the elderly. THAT was why, when my son approached me about joining Cub Scouts I immediately said "Absolutely!". I totally agree with thier philosophy of giving back to the community. I think we could all take a page from that book.
     When I spoke with the Division leader he specifically said "Everyone is welcome". He didn't say "Everyone EXCEPT Pagans, Wiccans, Druids or Atheists".
    The BSA may have been started as a Christian Organization, however the policy HAS changed when it comes to acceptance of other religions. Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Islamic, Moravian & Meher Baba are all included in the religious emblem program. There are religions that are included that I have never even knew existed! (for example: National Association of Anglican and Traditional Catholic Scouters)
     It may have started as a Christian Organization, but it obviously is not limited to Christianity. Acceptance of these religions happened because someone wanted them to change...and they DID! The same could be true for Pagans & Wiccans. It's past our turn for equality.
     Like I've said: I'm not hoping for "special" rights, I'm asking for equal rights.
I hope this clears things up a bit.
Thank you for your continued support!
)0(Blessed Be)0(

"Phase One" Is A Work In Progress

Good Evening to All! Well, the "movement" to raise awareness for the lack of equality of Pagans/Wiccans in the BSA has officially started! Expect a Facebook page soon, because that's what I'm working on now. I will be posting it as soon as it is up and running, so be sure to check back here from time to time.
I have been working on writing up a Mission Statement and I'm looking for a couple of team members to help spread the word. So, if you're reading this and you are interested in helping PLEASE contact me. (You can do so by clicking on the Facebook button to the right of the page OR by emailing me:  HERE )
I know that change will not happen over night but I am prepared to stand up to the BSA! Thank you all for reading my blog and to those of you who are bravely standing with me against the BSA! There is a special place in my heart for all of you!

Luv, Hugs & Blessed Be
Jai

Not Gonna Get Me Down

My plan to change the world has met with some resistance. LOL But, that's OK, it's not going to get me down. I'm committed to the cause. I keep telling myself that it's going to get better. A good friend of mine told me that it's going to be the hardest in the beginning because this fight is going to raise the hackles of more than just a few people. I'm OK with that. You know why? Because as he said those words to me I just happened to look on my FB page and I saw a post that had a picture of the rainbow flag that had the caption of "Click "like" & "share" if you support Gay Marriage!". I thought to myself, "You know, at one time the thought of anyone supporting gay marriage was an atrocious thought. There was a time when gays and lesbians would never have held hands in public, adopted babies together and raised children in loving families."
I know the road to LEGAL gay & lesbian marriages is a long one and one that I support 100%, and I am, in NO WAY, saying that their fight is over...but I'm saying that through raising awareness about gays and lesbians acceptance has improved and laws are CHANGING!! (This is a WONDERFUL thing!)
My point is this: I simply want to raise awareness of the lack of equality when it comes to Pagan and Wiccan members of the BSA. Through awareness things CAN change. I will fight this fight until my knuckles bleed. I'm only asking for a few people to stand with me.
)0(Blessed Be)0(

Not Special Rights, But EQUAL Rights!

    (This will be a fairly long post, so please bear with me!)

 My son (he's 9 and in 3rd grade) joined Cub Scouts last August. I've been bugging him to join since he was in first grade and I guess I finally wore him down. (OK, I'll be honest and say that he actually joined because a scout leader came into his classroom and talked about racing pinewood derby cars and shooting BB guns. This, of course won him over...duh, right?) So due to his enthusiasm and the lack of parental involvement within the group I signed up as a den parent. I was ready to rock and my son was so excited.
     As some of you may know, when you join Cub Scouts you have to buy a handbook that lists a ton of achievements. When you complete these achievements you receive awards or insignias that you can pin and/or iron onto your uniform. My son was so enthusiastic that he worked through the first 8 or 9 goals in record time. He got to stand in front of the group of parents and peers and receive his rewards for a job well done.
    All was going well until two weeks ago when I spoke to the Scout Leader about the religious achievement emblem.
  My son had completed his steps of religious requirements and in my excitement I searched for the website that contains pictures of the religious emblems that are available. We couldn't wait to see our religious pin. What would it look like? Would it be a pentacle or perhaps the Triple Moon Goddess? I searched the page once, twice....four times and didn't see any symbol for our religion. Surely I must have missed it! So, I searched one more time, just to be positive that Pagans were not represented. My mind reeled...how could this have happened? Was this for real? Surely we can't be the first Pagans to join the Cub Scouts. Right?
I decided against going off and being mean and hateful and decided to go to the Scout Leader and make him aware (nicely and politely) that our religious symbol was not represented. I mean, surely this must be some sort of mistake....or an oversight. I had faith that the Scout Leader would have some idea of what to do about this.
So, I walked up to him and said "Dylan has completed the necessary steps for the religious emblem, however I noticed that our religion, Paganism, isn't represented."
To which he replied: "Really? Well can't you just pick a different one?"
.........uhm...pick another what? Another religion perhaps...or the symbol.
Either way...hell no!
Why should my son have to pick a different symbol? This is 2012, why is this still an issue? If I had been Christian and told him there were no crosses to represent my Christianity would he have told me to pick the star of David and just pretend it's a cross?
Needless to say when I got home I was FUMING. I went back to the website with religious emblems and I wrote an email to the owner of the site. They responded the very next day with the following email:

"First, our apologies for not responding to you earlier, even if it was to acknowledge that we have received your email and that an answer would be coming soon. We're all volunteers here at the U.S. Scouting Service Project, Inc. (USSSP) -- NOT BSA employees or professionals. We do the massive work we do basically on our "free time" (I'm taking an early coffee break from my work here in order to respond to your posting) and sometimes emails kinda get "stuck" for a day or so.

Second, as I stated -- we here at the USSSP are NOT officially "anything" but a support, cheerleading and "kick in the seat of the pants" organization to the BSA. We are not funded, supported nor endorsed by the BSA (they would love to see us "go out of business" eventually but they've also agreed that without us, they would still be in the 80s as far as technology awareness and usage of the Internet is concerned). Our goal when we started almost 20 years ago and remains today is to "pull, push and prod" the BSA into usage of electronic mediums and electronic methods to bring their programs and program support to parents like yourself and indirectly to youth like your son. It has been a long process -- and we still have a long way to go in several areas. The information I present here is based upon the BSA's historical and current policies. As one of my daughters would say, "we're just the messengers -- just sayin' ".
My personal congrats to Dylan for his personal accomphishment. There's a LOT of Pagan and Wiccan youth in our programs -- I don't have any accounting of numbers, but it's a fair representation. Here's what the BSA's Religious Relationships people have been saying (Religious Relationships have been "rolled up" into the BSA's Program Group two years ago, with the director of Religious Relationships along with two other Relationships (Labor and ScoutReach) directors reassigned to more "broader roles" in the Program Group).
The religious emblem program is NOT a BSA program. Each religious group can develop a medal, medallion or patch which they make available to youth and/or adults to earn or receive. You cannot purchase them from the BSA Supply Group. The BSA doesn't have any say in the design or development of the award(s). They DO however, have say on the *wearing* of the various religious emblems on their official uniforms.
The Wiccan "Hart and Crescent" and a Cub Scout award (which I cannot recall the name right off) are valid awards which Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts may earn -- just like any other faiths' awards. However, the BSA doesn't recognize the Wiccan/Pagan faith as a "national partner", and that's where the issue with promotion and awareness comes into play. For a set of reasons -- some valid, many not so valid -- the BSA has refused to approve Wiccan leaders as "national partner organizations" to the BSA. Most of the "mainline religious organizations" are BSA partner organizations -- and as a block, they have made recommendations over the years (the last time I'm aware of it was in 2005 before the National Jamboree that year) not to approve the Wiccan national partner organization application.
Religious politics aside, the BSA DID do something back in 2003 which I've stated on my personal website and which should be a comfort to Wiccans and Pagans whom are a part of the BSA. Until that time, the wearing of the religious emblems on the BSA's various field uniforms was not allowed; in 2003, the BSA's National Executive Board permitted "all faith's religious emblems to be worn formally with any of the official uniforms; and at times which the emblem is not appropriate for wear, to be represented by the appropriate youth and/or adult religious emblem square knot patch without additional devices or pins denoting specific religious rites or observances."
In other words, the "Hart and Crescent" youth religious emblem could indeed be worn during Scout Sunday and during Blue and Gold banquets and Courts of Honor; and otherwise the small purple and silver (grey) square knot emblem is worn on the uniform to signify that the Scout or Scouter has earned or received *his or her faith's religious emblem* without something else saying "I've earned the .... " award from a particular religion.
We at the USSSP have been providing religious emblem information as part of our site in line with what the BSA has also provided on their official sites. We have done so for consistancy -- not because we agree or do not agree with their stance. When people come to our site to seek information (as you have done), we do provide the official information as well as the unofficial but "makes sense" responses because we want you and others to be fully aware of our unofficial but supportive nature to you and other families."

The BSA does not recognise Paganism or Wicca as a religion. Say WHAT? Yet, they don't mind taking my Pagan money to pay the $30 fee for the yearly membership. Also, note that the writer of the above email states that I can find and/or make an emblem of our religion and present it to my son....PRIVATELY. One has to wonder if by "privately" he means "behind closed doors in shame".  Why should my son have to accept an award in private while all the other boys in his den get to stand up in front of all of the parents and his peers and proudly receive their pins? This is just plain WRONG! And *I*, as a parent refuse to let this happen to anyone else's son.
Which brings me to why I am writing this blog:
It's time for ALL of us to stand up for the equal treatment of ALL religions who are not considered "mainstream".  I don't know about you, but I refuse to sit down and take this. Who's with me?!

Thank You for your time & Blessed Be,
Jai

The Longest Journey Starts With One Small Footstep

Well you can't meet people if you don't. put yourself out there. So, that's what I'm doing. I just joined 3 local groups in Knoxville. One is a book club (I know, big shocker..lol..not) one is a Metaphysical meet up and the third is a Pagan group. I'm excited to meet new people! Who knows, maybe it could be just the positive experience that I need in my life right now! I'm super excited and can't wait to go to my first meeting. Wish me luck!
)0( Love, Hugs & Blessed Be )0(

Keeping up with life

The coffee is brewing, the munch'kin is asleep and well, life moves on anyway. I think I've finally come to the realization that life is like a football game. You can't change the players, but you can't change how you play the game. I've let myself go nuts because my ex just doesn't get that he's a father and that our son should come first. He's never going to get it, so the only thing I can do is change how I handle the situation. He's usually the one that's passive when I'm the one going off. So, instead of going off....I'm going to learn to be passive. There are ways of pissing people off and then there's my way...lol. I'm tired of always being left in the dark and being the last person to know anything. I thought that he and I had finally grown up. He and I had made a commitment to communicate openly and honestly. He broke that promise by keeping things from me. I've finally accepted the fact that that was a fantasy....it's never going to happen. He's always going to keep things from me and there's absolutely nothing that I can do about it. So, I'm changing me, instead. It's easier said than done....but I'm going to make a conscience effort to do it. OK, well...I gotta get off of here, my show is on.
)0( Love, Hugs & Blessed Be )0(

Please excuse me while I vent

     I recently ended a friendship with someone who had been a major character in my life. We called eachother sisters and when we would introduce ourselves to people in public we would always say, "and this is my sister.....". I ended it because there's was always drama going on in her life. But what she didn't admit to herself or anyone else was that SHE INVITED this drama in and then expected everyone around her to treat her like she is the victim. She cheated on her husband in 2009 with her "high school boyfriend", got pregnant and then had an abortion to cover up her affair. I stood by her through it all, because that's what friends do, right? Anyway, she ended up leaving her husband a month or two later. She was staying with friends and met yet another guy. This one, after dating for him for a month, got arrested for making/selling meth. Oh, wonderful....so, guess who had to clean up the tears. She wasn't upset that he got arrested, she was upset because she couldn't stand to be away from "the love of her life". WTF??? Seriously? Ok, so continuing on with my story.....      He'd been in jail for about a week when my "friend" met another guy. He also used/sold drugs. So, she leaves jailbait and ends up with the guy that I will call "the abuser". They were together for a few months when he started beating her ass. (supposedly) then she SUPPOSEDLY got pregnant with his kid and the guy supposedly beat her so bad that she lost the baby. Confused yet? Try to keep up, kiddos. Now during all of this time, she is still legally married and from what I was told by her mother she was still sleeping with her husband off and on when she needed money. Nice, huh? Of course I didn't know all of this shit while it was happening because she knew I'd go off on her for becoming a whore. So much for her "good christian values", right?
     Where was I? Oh yeah, so, she's still with "the abuser" when "meth-head" gets out of jail. She sees him out in public, runs up to him and kisses him. So, she leaves "the abuser" IN THE PARKING LOT and drives off with "meth-head". She's with this guy a month or less when BOOM...all of a sudden she's pregnant again. And apparently her and "met-head" planned this one. About a month later, she miscarries. She calls me, and of course she's upset...but she doesn't call me to console her, she calls me to tell me that she is pissed at "meth-head" because he doesn't want to try to have another baby until he's got a job. I can say a lot of negative things about "meth-head" but that was seriously the smartest thing I'd ever heard him say.
     Which brings me to why I "broke up" with her. I caught her in so many lies! She lied to "meth-head" about when she actually got together with "the abuser". I know for a FACT that she cheated on "meth-head" with "abuser"....I have the texts that she sent to me by accident, she meant them to be for "abuser". When I confronted her on it, she told me flat out that she was still with "meth-head". When I asked her why she would go out with another man she said AND I QUOTE: "Well, a hot guy asked me out so I was like, why not?" She has two children that won't even speak to her now because she's ignored them while she was switching guys like and AT&T operator switches calls. The thing that started the demise of our friendship was her judging her daughter for cheating on her new husband with her ex husband. She sat there and called her daughter a whore, that her daughter was selfish and that she couldn't beleive that her daughter considered herself to be a Christian. OMG...are you kidding me? Seriously? Uhm, hello, pot? Yeah, kettle would like a word with you. I told her that she has no room to talk that way about her daughter and that the apple didn't fall far from that tree. I've never just been out and out cruel to someone, but damn it....she deserved it. I can't imagine saying something like that about my kid. EVER. 
     So, that's the story of an ended frienship. Why did I end it? Because I'm ALWAYS the one that has to clean up her messes. I'm always the one left holding the kleenex that wipes her tears away. But the real reason? I'm sick of her shit. Totally. Fucking. Over. It. When you've given so much of yourself to someone, in the end, there's nothing left for myself. I saw what the rest of my life would be like if I kept her in it and it was UGLY and HORRIBLE. So, I walked away...and I haven't looked back.
     Ok, I'm done now. Thanks for reading. 
Jai

New Day, New Choices!

After bitching about my weight for so long, I have finally taken the steps to learn how to control what I eat, how I eat and when I eat. Starting Monday I am beginning a new chapter in my life. A friend of mine told me that she signed up for Thrive!Weight Loss. It's a system designed to teach you how to read food labels and what all that mumbo jumbo means. It also includes a grocery list that you take to the store with you. The list describes what breads and complex carbs you can have and how much you can have. The friend that suggested this program to me lost 40lbs in 4 months. I am really excited about this and I feel good about it! I'm motivated and determined. Anyway, I will be posting my progress to share here with all the world....I need all the support I can get!
Blessed Be!

Keep on, keepin' on

A new chapter in my life is, finally, starting. My student loans have all been consolodated and yesterday I started the steps to getting registered or college. It's so strange because I've been fighting with this since last year and every time I got closer another obsticle would pop up and then another, then another.....so on and so forth. I still won't let myself get excited about it until it's 100% DONE! Like, when I have my books under my arm and a class schedule in my hand. Anyway, I've gotta jet off of here for now.

Blessed Be,
Jai

Update

R.I.P. Mooner, my baby girl. I love you.

It's been a while since I've posted an update on what's been going on in my life. Well, on January 31st my bestfriend/sister was admitted to the hospital for pulinary failure.....again. I spent the next week driving back and forth from Knoxville to Oak Ridge everyday to visit her in the hospital. She's home now and doing well, thank Goddess!
The week after that (which was the second week of February) I noticed a lump in my cats jaw. So, Tuesday the 9th I took her to the vet. The vet said that she didn't think that it was anything to worry about, that it was probably just a bad tooth that had some swelling, so she was given antibiotics and sent home. We were told to come back in seven days to see if the antibiotics were working. I'm very anal when it comes to my cat so, of course, like the hovering mama that I am I kept a close eye on her. On the following Friday, I ended up bringing her back in because it seemed like she was getting worse. She had to have a needle biopsy done because the lump had gotten bigger and it was obvious that the antibiotics weren't working. The vet was afraid that she had cancer.
     During all of this, the lump had gotten so big that my baby girl could barely open her mouth to eat. She would push food up the side of the bowl and then push the food into her mouth. Watching this broke my heart. I'd try to help her by putting food on a spoon but she was just not getting enough food into her mouth. She was so hungry. Her biopsy tests came back as inconclusive. (This was Tuesday, the 16th.) By this time, I had made up my mind on what had to be done. I couldn't sit there and watch this lump get bigger, so big that she couldn't eat and watch her suffer. I just couldn't sit there and watch my baby girl suffer any longer. So, Friday, February the 19th, I signed the papers to have her euthanized. I held her the entire time and told her how much I loved her. She looked so peaceful and I was so thankful that she's no longer hungry, or in pain. She's at peace now.
     Even as I type this the tears are streaming down my face because there's this huge emptiness inside my heart. Friday night was the hardest night of my life. For 13 years, there's always been a warm furry lump right next to me in bed. I can't even remember what life was like before she came along. I miss her face, her obsession with drawers and cabinet doors. I know that she is much better off now, but there is this huge empty hole in my life. I miss her so much.

Just Plain Tired

Gawd, I'm so tired. I have been trying and trying to get my ducks in a row so that I can start college and every single time I get one step closer something always pops up. First it was old student loans that needed to be taken care of. THEN it was a waiting game for the company through which the loans were through to send a letter to the college that I am applying to saying that my loan payments were up-to-date and being paid....which they are. So, after my college got that letter I thought "Oh, goodie! I'm so close I can taste the veneer on the desk!" Then, one thing kept popping up over another. I stuck with it and took it all one day at a time. I was ready....seriously, ready. I had meetings with the student loan department and everything was all set to go......and then, one more thing popped up, keeping me from starting. Apparently there was another loan sitting stagnate from the first college that I started a few years ago. Oh, come on! Seriously? Where the hell did THIS one come from? So, now that I've worked with the consolidation company and they've finally agreed to take this most recent loan on as well. I'm ready to start school, I'm ready to start a new life, and to work toward a reputable career. But I swear, if one more thing pops up, I really don't know if I'll be able to take it. Haven't I proved myself enough? I mean, I've been patient, and even now I'm trying to remain head strong, and focused on my goal. But damn, how much can one person take? I don't know if I can keep it up anymore. I really just want to throw in the towel.

Bed Hopping

I just don't get it. I probably never will. How in the hell anyone can justify starting a new relationship when they haven't even severed ties with the previous one. There's something seriously wrong when a person can't even take responsibility for the damage they've caused. Not just to others involved, but to themselves. Everything is always someone else's fault. Excuses like "well, I did it because he made me mad" just don't cut it in my book! I'm disgusted by the whole "i'm mad so I'm gonna do want I want and I don't care if it hurts anyone else" crap! Grow the fuck up and take responsibility for yourself and your own damn actions. And STOP expecting ME to cover your ass! You're seriously testing my friendship and my loyalty. I mean, if you can't be loyal to your husband of 23 years, then how the hell do you expect me to think you'd be loyal to OUR friendship? Are you kidding me? You went on and on about finding your own place, how you wanted to be independent, start a new life for yourself...and I supported that 100%. But then when you were having a weak moment and thought about going back to your husband, I tried the "think of the independence you'll have, you'll no longer be at his beck and call".....that didn't satisfy you though, did it? Hell no, your new "boyfriend" (or whatever the fuck he is) called you and I guess that made things better for you? I'm sorry, but where the hell is that independence you couldn't wait to grab hold of? Right out the damn window...wow, that didn't take long, did it? What a joke. You don't want to be independent, because apparently women like you can't fucking hack it. And you say "new guy" isn't your boyfriend and it's not serious, but the two of you have had conversations about moving in together....UHM EX-FUCKING-SCUSE me........moving in with someone is pretty f'ing serious in my book! GRRRRRR, some women really PISS ME OFF...and women like ME are getting pissed off at women like you for making us look bad. 
Signing off.....ONE PISSED PAGAN, 
Blessed Be,
Jai

Stuck

Liminal. Right now that is the perfect word for me. Stuck in a threshold that will hurt someone one no matter what direction I take. Do I go right or left? Forge ahead or turn back? I thought I knew what I wanted, who I wanted and now, I'm not sure that's what's best for me. Of course I should've thought of that before things went too far. Before I stupidly blasted past that threshold and found myself cemented in this one. It's not that I don't know what I want....Because I know exactly what I want. The problem is that I know exactly what I DON'T want, but I put all my eggs in that basket way too soon and now I'm here....stuck.....knowing if I speak it aloud that it will hurt the one person that I never intended to hurt. But if I don't say it, get it out, I'll hurt myself far worse. This sucks.

Happy New Year!

WOW...is it just me or did 2009 zip right by? It didn't even wave goodbye when it left...wasn't that rude? I spent my new years eve night exactly the way I wanted to: reading a book in my pj's. That seems to be my favorite thing to do these days. I guess growing older makes you calmer? I dunno, but I seem happier chillin out with my friends & family, watching movies that reach about a 20 on the gross-o-meter these days. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, nor is it always quiet. But it sure is fun! I didn't make any resolutions this year. Didn't even try. Why? Because I make a list every year and I never follow through with any of them..lol. Eh, at least I'm honest about it.
Anyway, I finally have all my ducks in a row and I'm ready to start school. Now all I'm waiting for is the letter that I need showing that none of my accounts are in default. I'm really excited to get started. I'm so excited I could literally wet my pants! (Hey, at least it's warm for a second or two...lol) But, seriously, I'm ready to hit the ground running and get started and get registered for classes. Anyway, I thought since it had been forever since I'd posted anything that I could refresh my page and let anyone who cares to read this know whats going on in my life. Hope your New Year's kicked ass and I hope this coming year brings you happiness and internal peace!
Blessed Be,
Jai

Life, Opinions, ACTION!

Hmm, where to start?
I've got a lot to say, so this blog may be a little long winded, so pull up a chair and get comfy.
First off, I've been really sick for the past few weeks with the swine flu and during this time I was also moving. It sucked, big time. Because I couldn't rest when I needed to I ended up being sicker, longer. I still have a hellacious cough, but other than that I'm feeling a little better. BTW, did I mention that I absolutely LOATHE moving? Just the thought of it exhausts me and there were a couple of times when I was ass deep in cardboard boxes that I almost dropped to my knees and cried. Yeah, I hated it that much. During the move I realized just how much stuff I held onto that I really didn't need. I realized that I'd been holding onto the things that people had given to me that I really didn't want. So, I got rid of a TON of stuff. I'd kept letters and cards that were just sitting in boxes, taking up room. It's not like I had them displayed on shelves or anything, they were just sitting there, collecting dust. So, I bit the bullet and tossed them. There were other things too...things that I really didn't need or use....EVER. What's the point of keeping something that you're not going to use? Shouldn't something that you truly treasure be OUT of a box and shown off? How can you really appreciate it if it's hidden somewhere? Anyway, I tossed a lot of stuff that, quite frankly horrified my mom. LOL. She was like "I can't beleive you're going to throw that away! Your grandmother gave you that." I had to remind her several times that I don't need half of the stuff that I've been storing since childhood and that I really didn't think that Grandma would mind if I donated certain items to people who could really use it and enjoy it! Besides, I don't have room for it....Know what I mean? Well, I really thought that I would post a lot more things, but I'm really worn out and I've got to wrestle the munchkin' into the shower and then BEDTIME! (My favorite time of the day! Yippeeeeee!!!! Maybe later I'll post more.
Blessed Be,
Jai (the very tired Witch)

R.I.P. Ted

You will be missed.