What a Day!

Last day of August! It is also Friday, and we all love Fridays. And to top it all off, the second full moon of the month is occurring! Does it get any better? **Yes! It is also a three-day weekend for Labor Day!**

There seems to be an obsession across the Blog-o-Sphere with summer making its exit, and for autumn to get the heck here. Too hot, too dry, too miserable.

Today's newpaper says our autumn foliage will be dim, dull and early because of the hot, dry summer. That is disappointing, but we will just make do, right? I hope it will be a nice long fall, though. Too much to ask?

Anyway, Happy Friday, Happy Last Day of August, and Happy Blue Moon.

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Thriftin' Thursday

This summer I did little to no thrifting. I know! Can you believe that? But this last couple of weeks, I went to two or three garage sales, stopped by the Salvation Army thrift store and in a fit of Ebay frenzy, made a couple of purchases. Will the madness ever end? (snort)

In the spirit of full disclosure, I wanted to show off my thrifty, but fine purchases. Nothing really huge, just some really nice, fun stuff.

First up, is this lovely McCoy log cabin vase. I adore McCoy pottery, especially this color. And it just so happens that my blog friend, Jeanne, from The Candy Corn Chronicles blog recently opened an Ebay shop and had this wonderful little item up for sale. She wrapped it and packed it and sent it off to me so quickly. It is a favorite new treasure.

McCoy Log Cabin

Another Ebay purchase was from a shop I have gotten some wonderfully witchy treasures from over the last few months. I call the seller, "Son of OctoberFarm". He is also known as The Blog Tech. His mother is Joyce, everyone's favorite cook, baker and witchy woman of the blog OctoberFarm. 
Joyce has offered her son the chance to make squillions of dollars by selling off her fab collections of Witch items, among other things. I nabbed this great pagan style candle holder. Isn't it great?

Pentagram Candle Holder

A quick stop at the Salvation Army Thrift Store netted me this sweet container which I thought would be perfect for autumnal floral arrangements and for Yule. I love this color combination.

Metal container

Lastly, but not leastly (!) I found this fab Victorian-style frame at a yard sale. Ignore the picture inside the frame; I will remove the picture and create something lovely, not sure what yet. But what a great decorative frame for $1.00!

Resin and wood frame

Thrifting is a fun little hobby. You never know what great treasures you might find. Shopping on Ebay can be dangerous because they have EVERYTHING. Best to do it in short bursts. To avoid overspending I created a complicated, never-remembered password, so that it takes extra effort to get to the Ebay website, lol!

Have a super Thursday! Bright blessings!   Robin.

Kittens looking at me as I type. (we installed a temporary screendoor to the family room to keep them secure).

Wordless Wednesday--Summer's End in My Garden

Volunteer Brown-Eyed Susans

White Hydrangea beginning to turn pink

Unknown Weed/Wildflower

Roguchi Clematis--blooms and seed pods

Cherry Tomatoes

Sweet little petunia

Coleus

Passing thoughts

Sending thoughts of safe passage to those in the path of the Tropical Storm Isaac.

Sad to hear of the death of an American hero, Neil Armstrong. What a life he led!

It would be remiss of me not to mention the passing of another American icon, Phyllis Diller. Gosh , she was a funny woman, paving the way for other women to try their hand at comedy.

The last week of August is here, and I say, hurray! Joining many other bloggers in anticipating the arrival of Autumn.  Will be glad to have this summer passed.

Take care. Be good!

A Summer Evening on the Porch

Perhaps you would say my needs are a bit too simple. Then so be it. Last evening my husband and I took our books and placed ourselves in comfy spots on our back porch. I had a chilled glass of my favorite Barefoot Zinfandel, my husband his JD and coke.

The air was redolent with the summery smell of fresh-cut grass and Royal Velvet deep purple petunias. It was that time of day when the sun had sunk low enough to to relieve us of a scorching, but still provide helpful light for reading. It was warm, but not steamy. The occasional breeze set the leaves and shrubs and plants to dancing a bit with no need for music.

As I glided on my porch swing, my eyes and mind wandered from my book, to enjoy the small but special sights provided by Nature. A hummingbird zips by tasting bits of this and that, then dashing quickly on, no time for chit chat. Bumble bees seem in no rush as they sample the parts they enjoy on tiny purple flowers of coleus. The ever-present wasps, scary but apparently not interested in threatening us this evening, bounce and weave around the beams of the porch ceiling.

A tiny group of sparrows sit on the cedar fence and quietly discuss the day's events. Usually in an argumentative mood, they are content to speak in hushed tones. I hear crows in the high trees across the way, but they too, are keeping voices to low and amiable levels. Several butterflies drift through the back yard, here and there, off and on, floating up and then back down, settling on a brown-eyed susan, then a hydrangea bloom and on to the next appealing spot.

I think about other summer evenings, from long ago and far away. Pleasant thoughts occur and I swing and glide, breathing deeply of the soft, warm air.  Peaceful and content for the moment.

A simple, soft serene evening on the porch. What more could I need or want?

Unexpected

Gifts from Stacy

Most unexpected, a packet arrived for me in the mail. What on Earth? I think. Did I win a giveaway? Nope. A sweet, dear friend sent me the most thoughtful gifts of sage (for my Autumn fires) and a beautiful charm bag.

Inside this glimmery, glittery little bag were four stones that Stacy from Magic Love Crow blog 
chose for me when she attended her fave Gemhound show. The colors of the stones symbolize a "robin", the wild bird.  I was so moved by her thoughtfulness and want to say a big, public THANK YOU to my dear friend Stacy. These stones are treasures for my altar. If you would like to see some wonderful artistic paintings, please visit Stacy's blog. She is amazing, energetic and very very creative.

Another unexpected "gifting" was from Kim of The Wiccan Life blog
who gave me a lovely award, "Very Inspired Blogger Award".  Thanks so much for thinking of me Kim, I appreciate your kind and generous gift.  Kim herself is a recipient of many awards, and I just love her blog. She has a Witchy Cat blog too. Please visit Kim and say hi from Robin.

The kittens are growing and getting sweeter everyday. Their separate personalities are becoming very distinct. I will be posting on my other blog, Purrrrsnickitty  a bunch of cute photos and updates.The kittens received some unexpected things as well.

Wow, August is coming to end very quickly.  Looking forward to the Blue Moon on August 31st!

If You're Happy that it's Friday, Clap Your Hands

Yep, I hear you all clapping. Although, those that have to work on weekends, not so much.

Life is loping along here. Kitten craziness, doggie activities, ignoring weeds in the garden, reading a ton of books and generally busy-ness.

For two weeks I have not been able to find my camera charger and that has been a disaster for me. Missing a lot of kitten photos for one thing. Not capturing my flowers when then were so beautiful (they really were, Stacy!) and now things are looking a bit blech! My other blog, Purrrrsnickitty has been sadly neglected because of lack of photos.

But, joy has returned to Robinville!! Found the dang charger. The problem was I was looking for the wrong thing, I had forgotten what it looked like! Too many chargers in this house. Isn't that a bit of a drag? Anyhoo, camera is charged up!

I am wishing everyone a super Friday, and a great weekend. Be careful out there!

Bon Apetit!

An American icon, Julia Child, would have been 100 today. She passed away in 2004, but her legacy lives on in the hearts and stomachs of millions. Having grown up watching her on those early show on Public Television, I adored her style, personality and her knowledge of all things French. Her recipes and books were, and are, astounding.

For my summer reading, I just finished her wonderful book, My Life in France. Such a delightful read. Beginning with her marriage to diplomat, Paul Child and there early days in Paris, we learn that Julia Child did not know how to cook or could not speak a word of French. This amazing woman set her mind to becoming fluent in the language. She fell in love the with flavors and aromas and culture of French cooking and we are treated to her tales of these experiences, both positive and negative, from her own perspective. Her words are frank and witty, as she waxes rapturously of her many trials and tribulations and triumphs.

Told against a backdrop of early post-World War II days in Paris, Julia Child paints a picture of life in France from a viewpoint you have not seen before.  The story continues through the years of McCarthyism and other political dramas. We learn of her enduring love for the French way of cooking, her days at the famous Cordon Bleu cooking school, and her desire to bring this lifestyle to the typical American home cook. Her endless patience and perseverance in writing her first book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking is a work of astounding effort.

Julia Child led a full life that was interesting, exciting, satisfying, and enviable.  Millions of people world-wide are cooking the French way because Julia cared.

Please read this fabulous book if you have an interest in cooking, French living or have a curiosity to learn about this beloved woman, her marriage and life, her writings, recipes, cooking and opinions on a various range of subjects. I loved this book immensely, and was sad to finish it. What a delight she was.

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This Thing Called Karma

kar·ma

noun /ˈkärmə/ 

(in Hinduism and Buddhism) The sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences
Destiny or fate, following as effect from cause    

(source: Google Dictionary)

In Wicca, we live by the "Three-Fold Law of Return"; the way one lives will return to you three times over. Good actions will be returned three times, bad actions will be returned three times. One may not ever know how these returns come. But be assured, you will be rewarded in kind.

There are many sayings that all refer to karma: "What goes around, comes around", "Payback is a bitch", "You reap what you sow" are a few.

When many of us were little, we were taught "The Golden Rule": do unto others, as you would have them do unto you."  It makes sense, is a wonderful rule to live by and life would be beautiful if everyone followed this rule of brotherly/sisterly love.  Unfortunately, too many feel they are above the rules, or they live a terribly egocentric life. That backstabbing, name-calling, gossip-mongering, rumor-starting, petty squabbling ways are fine and the norm. Rules are made to be broken?

Common decency and courtesy shouldn't take much effort. Too often, though it seems the effort it takes to act in hypocritical fashion or self-serving ways is worth it to those who don't care a whit about karma.

A sad fact in this world of ours. No room for naivety or taking a person's words or actions at face value. We are at times forced to look at something with a jaundiced eye. Betrayal awaits those who are not aware that there are people in our path who say one thing, mean another and will turn on us in a heartbeat.

But Karma will find a way. Life is too short and too precious to waste worrying about these people and their  unctuous behavior. Do good, and you will be rewarded. Do bad, and you will also get what you deserve.

Just a few thoughts.

(note: this post was inspired by recent events both on the national and world front, and by some incidents lately in the blogging world.)

Lexie Update, Kitten Proofing, Summer Thoughts

Our whirlwind vet visit included x-rays and a brief threat of serious surgery. Fortunately the x-rays indicated Lexie did not have an unusual hernia. She is currently being treated with antibiotics. Her age and changes in hormones since her surgery almost two months ago have created a condition that may be with her permanently. We shall see. Otherwise, she is doing well after her vet visit.

We are modifying some things around the house this weekend in our further attempts at kitten-proofing. They are still too small to be allowed free roaming priviliges, but their area of romping is getting slightly larger. Kittens are great therapy! Laugh-out-loud type therapy. Highly recommended.

Meanwhile it has been a miserable summer for me, garden-wise. The hot dry conditions played havoc with containers; a thankless task this daily or twice-daily watering. We had not planted a vegetable garden this year because my brother is physically unable to work in it. I had had plans to add to my magickal herb garden and the moon garden, but just never did. It has been a difficult adjustment.

Looks like our migratory birds have started their trips to destinations south. The night-time chorus is getting louder as the summer begins its last days. Seems like just a couple of weeks ago we were celebrating the first day of summer.

Still, there are moments of summer left before the leaves turn and the snow flies.

The Wheel turns slowly, but inevitably. 

The Vet Again for Lexie-Girl

Off to the vet this morning with our sweet dog, Lexie-Girl. She has a large swelling in her nether region. X-Rays this morning and hopefully a diagnosis this afternoon. Holding a positive thought.

Meanwhile the kittens are growing and enjoying the freedom of the family room.

And we have had a good rain overnight.

Must dash. Hugs from Robin.

It's a Travesty!!

Our darling Raethan drove the almost three hours to come visit her family this past weekend. What a delight. Of course her true mission was to see the new kittens. Love at first sight.

The aforementioned travesty is that I was so involved with Raethan and the kittens and enjoying myself that I completely and totally and unforgivably forgot to take one single photo. Is that not ridiculous?!?

But it was fun to have some mother-daughter time, shopping, dining out and chattering away and lots of kitten interaction.

I promise I will do better next time. Blogger responsibility, you know!!

Once In a Blue Moon!

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(no, I don't mean Blue Moon Beer)

This is the month to do something you would only do once in a blue moon. The full moon is occurring right now and it's gorgeous, plus it's happening during our beloved First Harvest festival (Lughnasadh). Then on August 31st, a second full moon will occur, giving us the aforementioned Blue Moon. Powerful time for witches! We use the power of the moon, in different phases to do spell work and rituals. Two full moons in one month is, well, a Goddess-send!!

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(click on image to read about the blue moon)

When my husband and I lived in California, we went into a car dealership on August 31st, which so happened to be a blue moon. We got the best deal ever on a used Nissan Sentra, and that car lasted us for years. Once in a blue moon that kind of deal comes along.

What will you do this month that you would only do once in a blue moon?

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Celebrate the First Harvest

Lughnasadh! August 1st is a special sabbat for Wiccans, as it is the first of three harvest festivals that signifies the winding down of the Wheel of the Year. Lughnasadh (pronounced loo-naw-saw) has its roots in the harvest festivals observed by early pagans when living off the land meant the difference between life and death. These pagans were attuned to the seasons of the year and worshipped the old gods and goddesses.

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In these modern times, Wiccan observances take on more symbolic meanings, but are no less significant. And in this day of backyard gardens and community gardens we do enjoy our own harvests. Many will be serving their own home-grown veggies during the sabbat celebrations.

With the rain-starved, hot conditions we have faced this summer, a lot of us are looking for signs of Autumn, and Lughnasadh is a signal that we are approaching our favorite season (by "our", I am referring to the many witches and other pagans who adore autumn). There is still plenty of summer left to enjoy, but thoughts are turning to this beautiful time of year and the final sabbat of Samhain (pronounced sow-wen..sow as in cow) otherwise known as Halloween.

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Lughnasadh is a time to begin to see the fruition of projects and goals that we set for ourselves back at Ostara (the Spring Equinox). A time to reflect on our Path and its direction.

I love the summer and its wonderful offerings of gardens, vacations, family time, relaxation, the easy-going lazy days, beautiful nights filled with the night-time chorus of tree frogs and crickets. Porch sitting, swing-gliding, lemonade...all the charming, delightful summer pursuits.

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Today's celebration will most likely include corn on the cob, fresh-picked tomatoes, barbecued steaks or chicken or burgers. Fresh summer fruit like watermelon, blackberries, blueberries. Ah, blueberry pie!!

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Enjoy the scents and flavors of summer, for it is fleeting now and Autumn is coming. Take a moment to relish these last days of summer and give thanks for it all.

Blessed Lughnasadh!!

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