The Fairy Garden.

Well, what a week half term was, good, bad and every shade in between.  I was hoping to have time to share some of it with you, but everyday was jam packed from beginning to end, so instead I will finally share with you the rascals birthday present.  Her fairy garden which has engulfed our small pond.

Primroses of every shade, violas, heucera, water mint, yellow flag iris and some purle ones whose names I don't know, our grumpy gargoyle Scree and of course her lovely ceramic fairy toadstools.  There our broken pots under which our lovely frogs can hide from prowling felines and reclaimed bricks to his the plastic pond edge.  Shhh don't let the fairy know it's plastic.

All hidden behind my witches herb wheel, which is just starting to recover slowly from the winter cold.  Bronze fennel, garlic chives, lavender both French and English, creeping rosemary, and three varietys of sage, pineapple mint and curly mint too hides in there not showing its face yet.  The tree in the middle is a dwarf Cherry, hopefully we will see some fruit this year, the flowers all dropped off last year as it got too hot, but this Mumma Troll has plans to give it a better life, hehe. So my lovelies, until tomorow when I can share some more with you I say adieu.

Lots of Itty Bitty Stuff

I just love days when a plan comes together don't you?

Yesterday and today however are turning into lots of stuff and nothing at the same time.  I got one of my dwarf trees planted in the border of my teeny tiny garden yesterday, I got some washing clean and folded and I read some of my book which I am absolutely loving at the moment. I would highly recommend it to you, this book even has a whole community forum and all, people love it so much.

Wee man and I had a trek round the dinosaurs in Crystal Palace park yesterday, with stinky dog and the we picked up some violas with which to make a fairy garden round the pond, but more on that next week when we have made another purchase for Rascal's birthday.

Here are my lovely Crytsal Palace dinosaurs as viewed some time yesteryear, and the picture below is our lovely local assets as it looks now.

I was looking forward to going out and sitting under the full moon for a while last night, but my eyelids would not stay open and I think the stresses of recent weeks got the better of me.  Usually it is Daddy Troll lying asleep by 8pm while I throw anything I can get my hands on at him to stop the incessant snoring that usually accompanies this slumber.

Today was a trip into Bromley, to pick up a little something for the Mother In Law. She is 60 this year, so as one of my handmade things would be frowned upon no doubt, we decided to send her and Father In Law to see War Horse, which looks amazing and she loves going to the theatre so hopefully will appreciate this.

We don't have the tickets yet for her so the little something ended up being a rather nice candle holder from M&S.  Then we picked up two pairs of old man corduroy trousers for daddy troll as he only has 1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of combat trousers, which are not suitable to go out to a restaurant in. I'm sure they are all the thing apparently, but I can't get images like the one below out of my head.

Daddy Troll was then overcome by the sickness thing that he seems to suffer from periodically, so we had to race home, just as I was looking at an interesting gemstone and incense stall in the Market Square, but never mind.

 This afternoon is wet and miserable out, so I think I will just do an hours crafting and then read some more of my book.  I picked up an interesting one from the library yesterday after picking up Rascal from school and I am eager to get started on it, but eager too to finish the one I am reading now.  It's off to work tonight and the tomorrow afternoon we are off to a restaurant to celebrate my birthday (21st) and Rascal's birthday (22nd) and Mother In Laws birthday which is also on the 22nd.

I'd just like to add Daddy Troll is a Pisces too.....it kind of explains the lack of clothing we both have and the old man trews too,lol.

Quickening Moon

It is the full moon tonight, the Celtic tree Month of the Rowan ends and the month of the Ash begins.  Tonight's full moon is also known as the Quickening moon.

The quickening moon is the full moon which falls in February, it is the month where the Earth lies dormant still, but if you go and take a careful look there are signs of life stirring everywhere, literally the life is quickening. This is almost the end of winter and to be honest hasn't come a moment too soon, although having just taken the kids to school the temperatures are still decidedly on the chilly side. Brrr, but at least there is some sunshine. Hooray.
The Ash moon, the moon of waters, is also the moon of love.  This is the perfect time to explore love magic and having had a request from Daddy Troll that we do some spell work together then maybe this would be a good time to begin.

If like me you are born under and Ash moon then according to Celtic astrology you will have the following traits,

February 18 – March 17, Ash: Ash trees highlight the connection between all things in the natural world, and lend compassion, sensitivity, and inquisitiveness to individuals born under their guidance.


You can head over to this site if your birthday doesn't fall within this month and you are interested in Celtic astrologyy.
http://horoscopes.lovetoknow.com/Celtic_Astrology
There is also this page which I found which offers more thorough interpretations.
http://www.celticattic.com/contact_us/the_celts/celtic_astrology.htm

If none of this interests you whatsoever then simply take a look at one of natures most beautiful gifts to us, enjoy the moons light and wonder for a moment at the free spectacle which shines over us each and every 28 days.

Journalling

Journalling is something I have never routinely done, but.... in my new found spirit of give it a go it is something which I am embracing.  I love the freedom it gives you, to create, to make something from just a blank sheet of paper, or in my case card as I am never one to stick to the rules.  So here are the journal pages I have made so far, all totally random and just well, just bits of me and my crazed thought processes really.

This page was inspired by my love of all things celestial.

This was a tangle I did whilst watching Shawn of the Dead, hehe.

This was a moment of punk rock that entered my brain, I'm confused as to where in the recesses of my mind this little gem was hidden, having never been into punk nor grown up being forced to listen to it either.  If I was making a journal page on music I grew up with then it would be an odd mix of something with Dolly Parton, the Bee Gees and Cliff Richard.  Hmmm an odd threesome.  No I'm definitely not going there.

This was a page about my star sign funnily enough, I certainly don't believe in the stuff and nonsense they churn out in the papers as they are far too generalised to ever be true for most people, but I have always felt that in some way my life and its events are governed by something greater than myself.

This page came out really well, and discusses in no uncertain terms my loathing of the colour pink.

This page was written after an argument with Daddy Troll, of which there has been a considerable amount in more recent times, it felt good to get it off my chest in some way.

I'm really pleased at being able to scan things now as it shows the work so much better, but it has taken me three painful and exasperating days to try and work out how to change the format of the files so I could upload them on to Blogger.There are another two pages but I just can't get them to scan properly which is a shame, but hey - ho. I have tried to take pictures of them but they have writing on them and they just look rubbish, as does most of my photographic work! I am off now to finish some more pages, I have two currently on the go and need another two to finish this particular project.  Then I want to concentrate on making some which I will keep for myself, inspired by Aradia's Cauldron and the pagan 52 week journal she is doing there.  It is a lovely blog so if you haven't had a look head over and take a squizz at it.

Growing weary of pop music?

I have grown weary of pop music and have been on the search for something a little .... well.....a little less poppy.

There are some cool tunes which I have found on my travels and which are to my liking that I wanted to share with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7asPGWuLdeM  a great  Swedish group

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCyYqVT8dpg&feature=fvsr  a medieval pagan sound from Germany.

 Of course I couldn't not include the lady that that I included in my wedding music, although this one comes with a cool video for all you Lord of the Rings fans and is a tune I had not heard before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-MOZ4YFGTo&feature=related

This one is a bit like eating a donut without licking your lips.  I dare you to listen without tapping any part of your body,lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W2duTA5kJ4

Also check out Lisa Theil on You tube, all very magical and just what I have been looking for for now.

If you have any recommendations that you think I might like I would love to hear them.

It's OK I'm A Witch

I cleaned out the pond yesterday, a grimy labour of love I know, even though it is very small I had hopes it would breed life into my slice of Earth.  My hope have come true.  I know I am maybe a little too excited by what I have just seen but it's OK I'm a witch so I'm allowed to get excited by this kind of thing.

Mating froggies, WHOOP. I had fears that the cats had eaten them all, but here they are three years after I collected some frogs spawn, doing the do, and doing it by my pond side.  I did feel a little sorry for this fellow though as he was clearly aware of the action by not getting any.

 I thank mother nature, I find more happiness and more beauty in the most natural things in this life.

The Sun Shines And So To Work

Hello my lovely peeps, I hope you are all well.  I have been away just for a little while as illness has struck Troll manor in a big way.  The Bogey monster came to town and he had a field day when he found our house.

 Me and Daddy Troll have been up  for the past two nights trying to placate a screaming Wee Man who has had a temperature and cough which has clearly been unpleasant for him. We are a bit worse for wear now due to lack of sleep but hey. Wee Man is now on his 5th course of antibiotics for his ear infection, but in truth I think we will just have to wait until we visit ENT to see what is actually causing it.

I have been very busy spring cleaning the house and today the garden too.  That's the only trouble with having the sun shine through the windows.  The dirt shows itself in a BIG way, but it will be worth while in the end ( there is an end isn't there?, lol).

Anyway, enough for now, babies are still sick, and there is still a mess to clean, but I will not be gone long.

Imbolc and A Nice person In The World.

After this weeks events I have questioned humanity, but today I have faith in the world again ( well for now anyway).  The lady I work with on a Saturday night has had a rather large clear out of her wardrobe and has very kindly donated all her unwanteds to my eldest daughter who is the same size as this lady.  My daughter now has a brand new wardrobe, albeit in bin liners at the moment.  How lovely :))).

Today I celebrate Imbolc and was extremely impressed with a little snowdrop I have had my eye on in one of my pots as it has chosen today to open.  That is celebration enough for me.

The Lemon balm also in the pot is showing good promise too, yummy.

One of the things on my to do list for this year was to learn to meditate, I think I have found what I am looking for in the art form known as Zentanling.  This is basically doodling, but with style. I found myself last night creating a tangle which was for a swap, and realised when I had finished it that I was calm and relaxed and my mind had been free of thought for the time I spent doing it, which was about 2 hours.  I love the result too.  The little Zentangle city I have just finished this afternoon and will go to the same lady.

Usual excuses for the crappy pictures, yadda, yadda, yadda.

I would also like to thank everyone who has left me lovely messages on my previous post.  It means a great deal to know that I might not have moral people around me (family excluded), but that there are good kind and just people in the world.  I wish I could live on a commune, in the middle of Alaska with you all,lol.

Numbness

I work in a petrol station part time.  It's the biggest petrol station in the UK and is very busy all the time.

 This picture was taken by one of my friends daughters.  It makes the place look beautiful, she is a talented young lady.

 Last night I went to work and was told about an armed robbery which had taken place Sunday night.  I was shown the footage of my two colleagues. Three masked men grabbed him by the neck holding something (presumably a gun or knife) into his back.  My other colleague was then made to empty the tills into a plastic bag while the first boy ( I say boy as he is only 20) was held to the floor.  These are not just colleagues, but they are friends, two friends which I have a laugh and a joke with. Two friends which make working there a little less monotonous.  Two friends which I take time and effort to enquire after, and seeing footage of them having been physically attacked at the place which I have to go to work has left me feeling numb.

The company's only solution to this attack so far is to stop us going out of the garage after midnight, but we have also been warned now, that because we will not be required to leave the garage at any time there will only be one person needed to do a night shift!

I am numb, I work the Saturday night shift and have no desire to be on my own from 9pm until 6am.  What is the solution?  What can I possibly do except keep turning up for work waiting until these men decide to do it again?

Daddy Troll also came home with news yesterday, that a former colleague of his had just been banged up for 6 months for priming a 12 year old girl who was actually a NOW reporter.  This was a man to whom my husband had spoken to on many occasion, this was a man who had enquired why my husband did not have photos of his children at his desk and this was a man who had then been shown photos of my babies when my husband had taken some photos into work at his request.
Is there such thing as an honest, decent, real human who has values and is morally sound?  Am I the odd one out, did I skip a class at school or something?  Do good humans only exist in Blogland and are those blogs that I read of real people?  I find myself questioning it all?