Ahahaaaaa! Found this little something-something in my stack of papers. It was written by one of the elders of the coven I was part of in Minnesota. We chanted it during a midsummer ritual when we consecrated our new circle space. For some reason, it is a very powerful piece for me. In fact, I may use parts of it tomorrow night at my private full moon observance.
We are the children of the Earth. We search for beauty in all things. We grow nearer to the Divine. We nurture abundance and bounty.
We are the children of the Air. We search for creativity, intellect, and awareness. We grow nearer to the Divine. We nurture education and communication.
We are the children of Fire. We search for courage, desire, and strength. We grow nearer to the Divine. We nurture passion and change.
We are the children of Water. We search for emotions and the hidden. We grow nearer to the Divine. We nurture cleansing and reason.
We are the children of Light. We search for all that is good. We grow nearer to the Divine. We nurture all that is living and growing.
We are the children of the Dark. We search for discernment. We grow nearer to the Divine. We nurture all that is resting and dormant.
We are the children of the Divine. We are blessed.
27 August 2007
15 August 2007
New Financial Plan
Let us veer away from the recently negative, sad, and infuriating chain of events and turn to a decent bit of communication that happened between my husband and I in the last few days.
This conversation occurred as we were driving home from Minnesota this last Monday. It was about finances. Brent still makes a corporate salary, I have my Masters and make a respectable salary (for a teacher), and we live in SE Iowa, where the cost of living is much lower. Needless to say, we live very comfortably, and are able to enjoy just about anything we like...which leads to a smidgen of reckless spending. We're not thousands in debt or anything like that, but we make several trips to Walmart during the week or we make frequent ATM cash withdrawals. Now, I haven't had to hock my wedding ring, but it's a concern.
So, we came up with a plan on Monday's drive. We had nothing else to do anyway!
The Nelsons' Solid Financial Plan
1. An ATM cash withdrawal of $100 will be made once a week. H gets $40, B gets $40, and $20 goes to the "money drawer."
2. All purchases are made in cash; the only exceptions are groceries, gas, and bills - these will be put on credit card (all others are cash).
3. Credit card usage should be limited as much as possible to the weekends.
4. Nelson family is allowed one credit-card-restaurant trip per week. Any other dining out is paid in cash.
5. Money is not taken from "money drawer" unless the other person is consulted.
6. Money from "money drawer" is used only when $40 allowance is gone, and then only for necessary household purchases.
7. Online purchases must come from weekly allowances, which is then put into a separate "Online Purchase" envelope. This money is then recycled into next week's allowance (under $100) or deposited in bank (over $100).
That's it. We've done detailed budgets before and it became a bookkeeping nightmare. This way, we only have a certain amount of money, but how we spend it is irrelevant. It hopefully will also make us think about our purchases and think ahead to things we REALLY want or need.
This conversation occurred as we were driving home from Minnesota this last Monday. It was about finances. Brent still makes a corporate salary, I have my Masters and make a respectable salary (for a teacher), and we live in SE Iowa, where the cost of living is much lower. Needless to say, we live very comfortably, and are able to enjoy just about anything we like...which leads to a smidgen of reckless spending. We're not thousands in debt or anything like that, but we make several trips to Walmart during the week or we make frequent ATM cash withdrawals. Now, I haven't had to hock my wedding ring, but it's a concern.
So, we came up with a plan on Monday's drive. We had nothing else to do anyway!
The Nelsons' Solid Financial Plan
1. An ATM cash withdrawal of $100 will be made once a week. H gets $40, B gets $40, and $20 goes to the "money drawer."
2. All purchases are made in cash; the only exceptions are groceries, gas, and bills - these will be put on credit card (all others are cash).
3. Credit card usage should be limited as much as possible to the weekends.
4. Nelson family is allowed one credit-card-restaurant trip per week. Any other dining out is paid in cash.
5. Money is not taken from "money drawer" unless the other person is consulted.
6. Money from "money drawer" is used only when $40 allowance is gone, and then only for necessary household purchases.
7. Online purchases must come from weekly allowances, which is then put into a separate "Online Purchase" envelope. This money is then recycled into next week's allowance (under $100) or deposited in bank (over $100).
That's it. We've done detailed budgets before and it became a bookkeeping nightmare. This way, we only have a certain amount of money, but how we spend it is irrelevant. It hopefully will also make us think about our purchases and think ahead to things we REALLY want or need.
21 July 2007
The Monster I've Created
Hmmmm....parenting dilemma #125: Equal treatment of all children.
This morning, Brent took Spencer and Kirby to the Y for basketball camp. This was from 8:30-Noon. That left Elliot and I to run errands.
Now...we've been trying to potty-train Elliot. So, everytime he uses the toilet by himself, he gets a sticker on his chart. When the chart is full, he gets a treat. The chart has about twenty spots on it, and if he pees in his underwear, I cross out a sticker and he needs to make up for it. Anyway, it's been a big deal, and he's had his eye on a Go, Diego, Go backpack at Walmart.
Which we finally got to get for him today! Yay Elliot! Potty Prince!
Back to the story. When I picked the kids up, Spencer told me how he had trouble keeping his shoes on during play. They're the zip-up kind, and they actually functioned as his gym shoes during the last year. Needless to say, between gym class and regular wear this summer, they're pretty shot. So, we went to the shoe store to buy new shoes for him.
Guess who's upset because she gets nothing special??? Kirby. Elliot got the backpack and Spencer gets new shoes. She didn't talk to me all through lunch and had tears in her eyes whenever she'd look at me.
My first reaction was to tell her: Look, sometimes you get things and the boys don't. That's how it goes sometimes. What I snippily wanted to add, but didn't was: Sometimes you're more special on some days than others. Get over it. But then, I started to feel bad for her - WTF??
After I said my above piece, I went ahead and ignored the silent tantrum, and eventually she did get over it, but it got me thinking. Have I been so worried about making sure my kids all get the same stuff, that now they expect things when they don't need or deserve it? Christmas is a good example. In the past, we've always tried to spend the same amount of $$$ on the kids. Well, the older they've gotten, the trickier that's become. But, they're still young enough to raise a fuss when one child has more presents than the other...so we buy a couple of "filler" presents for the child who's got the least to alleviate the problem. Soon, the belief prevailed that if "she got something at Walmart, I should get something too." Yuck. I'm raising greedy little yard gnomes!
This morning, Brent took Spencer and Kirby to the Y for basketball camp. This was from 8:30-Noon. That left Elliot and I to run errands.
Now...we've been trying to potty-train Elliot. So, everytime he uses the toilet by himself, he gets a sticker on his chart. When the chart is full, he gets a treat. The chart has about twenty spots on it, and if he pees in his underwear, I cross out a sticker and he needs to make up for it. Anyway, it's been a big deal, and he's had his eye on a Go, Diego, Go backpack at Walmart.
Which we finally got to get for him today! Yay Elliot! Potty Prince!
Back to the story. When I picked the kids up, Spencer told me how he had trouble keeping his shoes on during play. They're the zip-up kind, and they actually functioned as his gym shoes during the last year. Needless to say, between gym class and regular wear this summer, they're pretty shot. So, we went to the shoe store to buy new shoes for him.
Guess who's upset because she gets nothing special??? Kirby. Elliot got the backpack and Spencer gets new shoes. She didn't talk to me all through lunch and had tears in her eyes whenever she'd look at me.
My first reaction was to tell her: Look, sometimes you get things and the boys don't. That's how it goes sometimes. What I snippily wanted to add, but didn't was: Sometimes you're more special on some days than others. Get over it. But then, I started to feel bad for her - WTF??
After I said my above piece, I went ahead and ignored the silent tantrum, and eventually she did get over it, but it got me thinking. Have I been so worried about making sure my kids all get the same stuff, that now they expect things when they don't need or deserve it? Christmas is a good example. In the past, we've always tried to spend the same amount of $$$ on the kids. Well, the older they've gotten, the trickier that's become. But, they're still young enough to raise a fuss when one child has more presents than the other...so we buy a couple of "filler" presents for the child who's got the least to alleviate the problem. Soon, the belief prevailed that if "she got something at Walmart, I should get something too." Yuck. I'm raising greedy little yard gnomes!
06 July 2007
Europeans Got Some Things Right
In my recent European wanderings, I've discovered there are a lot of things I like about Greek people and their way. Some things are European in general, and some are specifically Greek.
First of all, I really dig their tiled bathrooms. I know we have those in America too, but I liked them better in Europe. I want to redo my shower now.
Brent and I both really liked their money. Euros are cool. It's nice having a 1 and a 2 Euro coin. And they're pretty.
Finally, and this was a biggie. Several people in our tour group were concerned with all the doings at JFK, Glasgow, and Heathrow airports and asked the tour director if she foresaw any trouble on our flights home. The TD looked blank for a moment, and then she replied that Greeks don't worry much about those kind of things. There's no point in it, and if something is going to happen, there's not much she can do to stop it. Basically, her point was that Greeks, in general, don't work themselves up about things that are beyond their control.
And I thought - now there's what our country missing!
It's not that Europe is lazy or hands-off or don't think about the big picture. They aren't. But, in America, we always seem to be worried about something. We do have a tendency to sweat the small stuff.
Also, I liked how Greeks are towards their parents. Our TD told us they don't ship their parents off to nursing homes or assisted living apartments. They bring them home or find them a place really close to their house (like next door). I just found that refreshing. And, they don't celebrate birthdays so much as celebrate their "Name Day." In Greece, anyway, most children are named after a saint, and that's the day they celebrate more. It's not so much about parties and presents, but about reflecting on how you've lived your life, and just celebrating life in general.
I don't know if this is all a Europe thing, or a Greek thing, but some of their attitudes struck a chord with me. I was doing an internal "Right On!" many times during this trip. We'll see if I can work these European attitudes into my own daily living.
First of all, I really dig their tiled bathrooms. I know we have those in America too, but I liked them better in Europe. I want to redo my shower now.
Brent and I both really liked their money. Euros are cool. It's nice having a 1 and a 2 Euro coin. And they're pretty.
Finally, and this was a biggie. Several people in our tour group were concerned with all the doings at JFK, Glasgow, and Heathrow airports and asked the tour director if she foresaw any trouble on our flights home. The TD looked blank for a moment, and then she replied that Greeks don't worry much about those kind of things. There's no point in it, and if something is going to happen, there's not much she can do to stop it. Basically, her point was that Greeks, in general, don't work themselves up about things that are beyond their control.
And I thought - now there's what our country missing!
It's not that Europe is lazy or hands-off or don't think about the big picture. They aren't. But, in America, we always seem to be worried about something. We do have a tendency to sweat the small stuff.
Also, I liked how Greeks are towards their parents. Our TD told us they don't ship their parents off to nursing homes or assisted living apartments. They bring them home or find them a place really close to their house (like next door). I just found that refreshing. And, they don't celebrate birthdays so much as celebrate their "Name Day." In Greece, anyway, most children are named after a saint, and that's the day they celebrate more. It's not so much about parties and presents, but about reflecting on how you've lived your life, and just celebrating life in general.
I don't know if this is all a Europe thing, or a Greek thing, but some of their attitudes struck a chord with me. I was doing an internal "Right On!" many times during this trip. We'll see if I can work these European attitudes into my own daily living.
04 July 2007
Greece Trip Highlights
Yes, we are back in the motherland. The kids came back this morning, and we are all happy household again.
I apologize for telling you about the trip for the first couple days, then leaving off abruptly, but we were on the cruise ship, and the ship's two (slow) computers were monopolized by teenagers.
So, instead of trying to backlog ten days' worth of adventure, I'll pack it into a concise list of highlights (and lowlights, as the case may be).
1. The sheer joy of finding out we were bumped to the first-class section for the Philly-Athens leg of the plane trip.
2. Looking like uncouth cretins when we asked the flight attendant how much we had to pay for mimosas in the first-class section.
3. Walking through the Propylaia (entrance) and catching my first glimpse of the Parthenon.
4. Not knowing how to turn lights on in European hotel rooms for the first few hours of the trip.
5. Brent running in the ancient stadium at Delphi in 119 degree weather.
6. Doing all of our walking trips in the hottest weather Greece has seen in 100 years.
7. Standing at the northern end of the ancient Olympic ruins, feeling the utmost awe of the "ancientness" of it all, and hating Theodosius whoever for destroying it all because the ceremonies and rituals of the ancient Olympics didn't jive with Christianity.
8. Watching and filming Brent and three other people from our tour group running a race in the ancient Olympic stadium. (No, he did not win, and yes, it was still insanely, dangerously hot.)
9. Feeling extremely tuned into Homer's world of "The Iliad" as I stepped through the Lion's Gate at the ruins of Mycenae.
10. Delivering the first few lines from Homer's "The Odyssey" in the acoustically amazing ancient theater at Epidaurus. ("Sing in me, O Muse...)
11. The amazing dark blue color of the Aegean Sea sailing aboard the Ruby.
12. Unlimited buffet on the Lido deck.
13. Full Moon Saturday on the Aegean Sea. Freakin' gorgeous.
14. Mykonos's whitewashed houses, cozy streetways, and hanging-out-to-dry octopus.
15. Eating fried squid in a cafe on the beach, watching the sunset on Mykonos.
16. Doing the beach thing on Rhodes. Water is clear, beach is rocky. Sun is hot, breeze is cool. Wish you were here.
17. Many boobs on beach in #16 (not mine).
18. Taking a scenic bus tour of Rhodes, and seeing the absolutely breathtaking view of a beach that was two different shades of blue. Light turquoise at the shallow end, dark sapphire as it got deeper.
19. Visiting the place where St. John received a vision from God and wrote the Book of Revelation...on a Sunday...in the middle of a service going on in the chapel right next to the grotto. Yes, uncomfortable, but inspirational.
20. Sitting with other tour members on the outdoor latrines in the city of ancient Ephesus in Turkey.
21. The ancient city of Ephesus itselt.
22. Bargaining with a leather seller in Kusadasi, Turkey...and walking out with two sweet name-brand leather purses and a wallet for Brent for 75 Euro ($90-100).
23. Watching crazy Athenian drivers and motorbike riders with a death wish from the safety of the tour bus.
24. Being there amid hundreds, thousands of years of history. Feeling that sublime feeling of being a microscopic little speck in the universe, realizing I am just a drop in the ocean of this planet as I stand among rocks that have been standing for thousands of years, and will probably be there a thousand more.
25. Knowing I'll be back to the Greek Islands, most definitely. Someday, anyway. I've got to get a boob lift first so I can fit in with the beachgoers on Rhodes.
Tune in tomorrow for my thoughts on the European ways.
I apologize for telling you about the trip for the first couple days, then leaving off abruptly, but we were on the cruise ship, and the ship's two (slow) computers were monopolized by teenagers.
So, instead of trying to backlog ten days' worth of adventure, I'll pack it into a concise list of highlights (and lowlights, as the case may be).
1. The sheer joy of finding out we were bumped to the first-class section for the Philly-Athens leg of the plane trip.
2. Looking like uncouth cretins when we asked the flight attendant how much we had to pay for mimosas in the first-class section.
3. Walking through the Propylaia (entrance) and catching my first glimpse of the Parthenon.
4. Not knowing how to turn lights on in European hotel rooms for the first few hours of the trip.
5. Brent running in the ancient stadium at Delphi in 119 degree weather.
6. Doing all of our walking trips in the hottest weather Greece has seen in 100 years.
7. Standing at the northern end of the ancient Olympic ruins, feeling the utmost awe of the "ancientness" of it all, and hating Theodosius whoever for destroying it all because the ceremonies and rituals of the ancient Olympics didn't jive with Christianity.
8. Watching and filming Brent and three other people from our tour group running a race in the ancient Olympic stadium. (No, he did not win, and yes, it was still insanely, dangerously hot.)
9. Feeling extremely tuned into Homer's world of "The Iliad" as I stepped through the Lion's Gate at the ruins of Mycenae.
10. Delivering the first few lines from Homer's "The Odyssey" in the acoustically amazing ancient theater at Epidaurus. ("Sing in me, O Muse...)
11. The amazing dark blue color of the Aegean Sea sailing aboard the Ruby.
12. Unlimited buffet on the Lido deck.
13. Full Moon Saturday on the Aegean Sea. Freakin' gorgeous.
14. Mykonos's whitewashed houses, cozy streetways, and hanging-out-to-dry octopus.
15. Eating fried squid in a cafe on the beach, watching the sunset on Mykonos.
16. Doing the beach thing on Rhodes. Water is clear, beach is rocky. Sun is hot, breeze is cool. Wish you were here.
17. Many boobs on beach in #16 (not mine).
18. Taking a scenic bus tour of Rhodes, and seeing the absolutely breathtaking view of a beach that was two different shades of blue. Light turquoise at the shallow end, dark sapphire as it got deeper.
19. Visiting the place where St. John received a vision from God and wrote the Book of Revelation...on a Sunday...in the middle of a service going on in the chapel right next to the grotto. Yes, uncomfortable, but inspirational.
20. Sitting with other tour members on the outdoor latrines in the city of ancient Ephesus in Turkey.
21. The ancient city of Ephesus itselt.
22. Bargaining with a leather seller in Kusadasi, Turkey...and walking out with two sweet name-brand leather purses and a wallet for Brent for 75 Euro ($90-100).
23. Watching crazy Athenian drivers and motorbike riders with a death wish from the safety of the tour bus.
24. Being there amid hundreds, thousands of years of history. Feeling that sublime feeling of being a microscopic little speck in the universe, realizing I am just a drop in the ocean of this planet as I stand among rocks that have been standing for thousands of years, and will probably be there a thousand more.
25. Knowing I'll be back to the Greek Islands, most definitely. Someday, anyway. I've got to get a boob lift first so I can fit in with the beachgoers on Rhodes.
Tune in tomorrow for my thoughts on the European ways.
27 June 2007
Greece: Day Three
It was 104 degrees here yesterday, and after spending the entire morning on a beautifully scenic bus ride, we toured the ruins of the temple and oracle at ancient Delphi. As I'm sure you all know, a long, long time ago, Delphi was a special sanctuary for the Greek god, Apollo, god of the sun. People would come from all over the country to ask the oracle (a woman) a question about the future. That was after leaving sacrifices and offerings for Apollo, natch.
We visited the ancient temple and oracle site today, and then we took a LONG UPHILL walk to the Stadium, where the athletes would participate in special races, called the Pythian Games. Brent decided to be crazy and run the whole length of the stadium, which I got on video. Let's not forget, it's over 100 degrees, we've just monumentally exerted ourselves on this huge walk, and then Brent decides to RUN the 100 yards. I'm actually surprised I didn't have to administer CPR...which I probably would have enjoyed.
Then we walked back down and visited a museum with all kinds of statues and relics from the Temple at Delphi. After that, we went to see a temple nearby dedicated to the goddess Athena and the gym where the athletes would practice their skills. It was all very awesome, and there were times that I was able to imagine people and activities of long years past taking place here. But...it was so hot that at times it was hard to focus and enjoy.
So then, we came back to the hotel, very hot and exhausted, so we went swimming. Had supper, did a little souvenir shopping, and went to bed. We're so old.
Also, on our three-hour bus trip from Athens to Delphi this morning, we stopped at a rest area, and I bought a copy of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." In Greek! We won't be able to read it, but it will look cool!
Today, we're off to ancient Olympia to see where they held the ancient Olympic Games. Brent will probably run in the stadium again
Cheers
We visited the ancient temple and oracle site today, and then we took a LONG UPHILL walk to the Stadium, where the athletes would participate in special races, called the Pythian Games. Brent decided to be crazy and run the whole length of the stadium, which I got on video. Let's not forget, it's over 100 degrees, we've just monumentally exerted ourselves on this huge walk, and then Brent decides to RUN the 100 yards. I'm actually surprised I didn't have to administer CPR...which I probably would have enjoyed.
Then we walked back down and visited a museum with all kinds of statues and relics from the Temple at Delphi. After that, we went to see a temple nearby dedicated to the goddess Athena and the gym where the athletes would practice their skills. It was all very awesome, and there were times that I was able to imagine people and activities of long years past taking place here. But...it was so hot that at times it was hard to focus and enjoy.
So then, we came back to the hotel, very hot and exhausted, so we went swimming. Had supper, did a little souvenir shopping, and went to bed. We're so old.
Also, on our three-hour bus trip from Athens to Delphi this morning, we stopped at a rest area, and I bought a copy of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." In Greek! We won't be able to read it, but it will look cool!
Today, we're off to ancient Olympia to see where they held the ancient Olympic Games. Brent will probably run in the stadium again
Cheers
25 June 2007
Athens, Greece: Day One and Two
All right! Here we are! Our flight on Saturday went very smooth, transfers were good, and we even got our luggage and a taxi relatively quickly after touching down. It's a little overwhelming, as everything is in Greek, but there's plenty of English on signs and stuff. Also, many of the shop owners know English...but we are trying to speak a little too. We have used 'parakalo' (please) and 'efkharisto' (thank you).
It's pretty hot here. In the 90s/100s. We had the afternoon yesterday to ourselves, so we walked around an area of town called "Plaka" which is known for its shopping. The streets are small and crammed with stores left and right (no cars in this area). Parts of the city are dirty, though, and we've seen a few beggars, etc. There was also a flea market going on here too, which Brent and I passed through quickly...most of it's junk from people's garages. Makes me think of some Saturday mornings here.
The hotel is nice, except Brent and I couldn't figure out how to turn the lights on. We called down to the front desk and asked how to do it. Very humbling. Turns out you put your card in a card reader right by the door and leave it there...that's what keeps the lights on. Also, the shower head is one of those funky European deals that blasts the water out really hard and peels your skin off. Although, yours truly did figure out the trick to it this morning. Skin is completely intact.
So....day two...still really hot here. High of 109 yesterday. About the same today. We are sweating through clothes like crazy and taking two showers a day. This morning, we started with a bus tour of Athens, then a walking tour of the Acropolis. There were a lot of people and rocks...not to mention the Parthenon - huge temple for Athena. But it was still very awe-inspiring. I really don't even have the words to describe it.
Then we went to the National Archaeological Museum. We saw lots of sculptures and vases dating 400-500 B.C. As soon as I finish here, we're going to try to squeeze in a trip to the Turkish Baths. Tonight we get a fancy dinner and to see some Greek folk dancing.
We start a three-day bus tour tomorrow, and computer access will prolly be limited. We'll be seeing Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Napflio before heading out to do some island-hopping for another three days. So until then...see ya.
It's pretty hot here. In the 90s/100s. We had the afternoon yesterday to ourselves, so we walked around an area of town called "Plaka" which is known for its shopping. The streets are small and crammed with stores left and right (no cars in this area). Parts of the city are dirty, though, and we've seen a few beggars, etc. There was also a flea market going on here too, which Brent and I passed through quickly...most of it's junk from people's garages. Makes me think of some Saturday mornings here.
The hotel is nice, except Brent and I couldn't figure out how to turn the lights on. We called down to the front desk and asked how to do it. Very humbling. Turns out you put your card in a card reader right by the door and leave it there...that's what keeps the lights on. Also, the shower head is one of those funky European deals that blasts the water out really hard and peels your skin off. Although, yours truly did figure out the trick to it this morning. Skin is completely intact.
So....day two...still really hot here. High of 109 yesterday. About the same today. We are sweating through clothes like crazy and taking two showers a day. This morning, we started with a bus tour of Athens, then a walking tour of the Acropolis. There were a lot of people and rocks...not to mention the Parthenon - huge temple for Athena. But it was still very awe-inspiring. I really don't even have the words to describe it.
Then we went to the National Archaeological Museum. We saw lots of sculptures and vases dating 400-500 B.C. As soon as I finish here, we're going to try to squeeze in a trip to the Turkish Baths. Tonight we get a fancy dinner and to see some Greek folk dancing.
We start a three-day bus tour tomorrow, and computer access will prolly be limited. We'll be seeing Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Napflio before heading out to do some island-hopping for another three days. So until then...see ya.
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