Tree murderers

We had the lawn mowed one last time yesterday.  Because of the rain, it was still too thick for our push mower.

Hopefully, now we will be able to take that task back, and not have to pay someone for the rest of the mowing season, which actually goes into November some years.

Our neighbors to the west cut down the huge silver maple tree that was the last vestige of late afternoon shade for our back yard.  We have no idea why they did it.  The tree was mature (like as in 150 years or more), and healthy, and gorgeous.

We are guessing that the owners of the house want to change the back yard.  They managed to kill all of the grass already, and, as stated previously, this has been a banner year for overly thick, healthy grass.  They had to have sprayed it with something to kill it.

The house is a rental, so there's no telling what they plan to do with the back yard.  Maybe a garage? Maybe they're going to pave it all in?  The current tenants work on cars a lot, which they drive onto their covered back patio.

Whatever the case, it was very sad to see the crew out there yesterday (which included the owner and her entire family), murdering a huge, healthy tree.

Thankfully, they did not also chop down the gorgeous sweetgum tree in the front yard.  They just cut big limbs off of it that were potential porch crushers in the event of a major ice storm.

We went to a local community festival yesterday.  We started out with brunch, then wandered the booths and shops.  That was fun, and we ran into friends here and there.

We had hoped to purchase some items for holiday gift giving, but did not get as far into that as we thought we might.

We used Uber to get to and from the festival, since there is limited parking in and around that part of town.  It worked out perfectly!

Then, I had my monthly massage, and she really worked hard on some stubborn knots and adhesions in my neck and shoulder area.  I am going to be sore from rebounding today, but should be feeling better tomorrow.

Today, we are going to meet up with friends to mark a birthday.  Dave will go take care of his dad, and I will finish my weekly household chores, and do some cooking.

The moderate weather is staying with us, mostly because it's been cloudy.  We'll probably see 90 again before the week is over, though.

Autumn is here!

Happy Mabon, the celebration of the autumn equinox!

It's funny, the weather turned RIGHT on time!  It was 59 degrees when we got up yesterday, and the equinox was exact around 10 last night in our part of the world.

Mabon, the One Who Returns, is the ancient Welsh story of the missing child. 

It seems that many ancient cultures have some kind of story of a sacrificial person who travels into the unknown, taken away from loved ones (usually into the underworld), who is ultimately restored to family.  The story of Persephone and Demeter is another example.

While Mabon is away, he grows in strength and wisdom, and brings his gifts back when he returns to his mother.
This gift is reflected in the time of harvest, which was at its peak at this time of year for our agricultural ancestors.  Harvest festivals took place in old Europe as the days grew shorter, and the cool winds started to blow.

So there's your Pagan tradition story for this holiday! *smile*

In other news, my monthly shot went fine, and my bi-monthly labs and doc visit went fine as well.

I am now scheduled for my bi-annual scans on Oct. 18.  If they come back stable, I have no idea how HUGE of a relief that will be, or how it will manifest in my psyche and emotions.

Of course, that's what we are HOPING for, but it's still "foreign" to think about, in a way.

We are going out for brunch today, so I had better get in the shower.  Happy Sunday, happy harvest!

Slow news week

There's nothing much to report on this week.

The receptionist at work is leaving.  She's been there a year longer than I have.

She's being very secretive about it, and actually told a co worker that she doesn't want anyone to know where she's going, because she wants nothing to do with any of us.

Nice.

She and I have been "work friends," and it hurt to hear that.  I have stayed my distance from her, and wish her well, but wow... that was just plain mean.

She could have phrased it more kindly, since she professes to be a good Christian and spiritual person.

I guess I just don't understand, and can't relate to, being rude and unkind to others.  It's not in my nature to behave that way.

I have my bi-monthly labs and doctor visit this coming Thursday.  I am going to ask the doc if we can do a fasting wellness lab next month when I go for my scans.

I have to have fasting labs before the scans anyway, and I need an annual wellness check for our insurance company.  All he has to do is order the full metabolic panel, and get me a print out of the report.

Might as well have them do it instead of having to go somewhere else and take extra time off work, like I've had to do in the past.  

The timing is perfect, since the insurance company requires it annually in November.

I'm also curious to see if my numbers are significantly different after the diet changes.  Cholesterol/triglycerides and A1C, in particular.

Speaking of that, I have had no more weight loss, so I guess I've hit my new normal, which is actually what's been on my driver's license for several years! 

I wanted to lose a little more of this squishy floppiness around my mid section, but it looks like it's not going to happen.   The medication is probably causing it, and I've done as much about it as I can.

I will need to donate the clothes I have been saving in hopes of getting into them comfortably again.  The majority of the weight came on so quickly, (after ending the chemo pill treatment) between April and June, that I have not yet cleared out the items that no longer fit.

That's disappointing and aggravating, but I feel SO much better about myself anyway, that I will be able to let that go. 

I DO need new jeans!  The couple of pair that I have are too loose now.

Dave has lost 13 pounds, and is on a new belt hole, but refuses to stop going out for beers when he is on his own.  This is stalling his progress, and he knows this, but he hasn't been able to stop doing it.

He stopped for a beer one day last week before picking me up, and again yesterday, and he'll have one today  (we accepted an invitation to meet friends this afternoon....I will not order a beer, but you can bet your biscuits that Dave will, HA!).

The lawn guy was finally able to work this morning, after a two week hiatus due to rain.  Maybe this is the last time we will need him....we'll see.  If the weather cools off, and stays that way, our reel mower will be back in action!

Have a lovely week!

Rainy days and Sundays

It's been a lovely, rainy, cool week!

Right now, it's 64 degrees outside, and there's a nice breeze going through the house.  This is unusual for early September, but we are very happy about it!

It's supposed to be back up in the 80s next week, which is still relatively cool for this time of year, and no more rain until the end of the week.

With all of the rain this past week, which included a couple of pretty heavy down-pours, I am happy to report that the roof leak SEEMS to be successfully repaired.

The couch is dry!

My new tattoo is healing beautifully, and I should be able to get back in the hot tub by next weekend!

Speaking of that, it's FINALLY September of 2018! 

That means that the loan we took out for the concrete work and hot tub in 2013 is going to pay off!

Dave's pay check will get a little bigger with those funds no longer being auto-withdrawn.... and then he will turn around and put that same amount into his retirement savings plan at work.

YAY!

There really isn't much else to report!  Enjoy your Sunday Fun day, an have a good week!

Tattoo time!

I finally did it.  The one tattoo idea that I have put off for the longest amount of time has finally been accomplished!

21 years ago, after Grandma and Mom passed away, and while Dad was dying, I got my first tattoo.

It was a rite of passage for me, and was a way that I marked myself as a priestess of the old religion.  I chose the triskele, a very powerful symbol for me, then, now, and always, and a passion flower vine.

Over some brief time, I came to dislike the crooked way the vine image was tattooed around my left ankle, so I had another tattoo added to it, in an effort to balance it out.

In that way, the image on my left ankle, with its green triskele medallion on the outside, and a crooked vine all around, with a feather on the inside of the ankle, came to symbolize for me Earth and Air.

Once the feather was in place, I started to design, in my mind, the image that I would some day have tattooed upon my right ankle to balance things out....something that would represent Fire and Water.

I always figured it would be Celtic knotwork of some kind, with colors to represent fire, and some rendition of water.

In the interim, I got my Dragonfly for Spirit, on my right shoulder blade, the fall after my divorce in 2000 (another rite of passage....earned my wings!).

Then, just about 2 1/2 years ago, during a break in chemo, I got my red winged black bird....both times, still knowing that the Fire Water one would come when it was TIME for it.

Many years ago, Dave introduced me to the image of the Bowen knot.

He and his son both have a tattoo of the Bowen knot.

During a time when Dave and his son were estranged, Dave had his modified with a second knot overlapping his own...it was a way he could join with his son when his son didn't want contact.

Of course, his son was mad about this change, and still doesn't understand it.

Anyway, a few years ago, in my search for the perfect image, I found a Bowen knot, turned so that it forms an equilateral cross, or Solar cross,  in a circle of Celtic knotwork.   PERFECT!

When Dave met his new tattoo artist a few months ago to start work on his big arm piece, I went with him for the second visit.  I looked at the artist's work, and the shop, and thought I would be pretty comfortable going there myself.

I connected with this artist on Facebook, and sent him the image, and my ideas.

Many weeks went by, Dave's project was completed, and it was FINALLY my turn this past Tuesday.

The artist sketched out his idea, and I loved it.  It was perfectly suited to what I had in mind.

SO.... this happened!!

I am calling this a new beginning.... I have come through an incredibly difficult journey, and emerged on the other side of it, ready to move on into the next phase of life.  With confidence that, whatever the future holds, I will walk  through it in balance.

 The stencil, that's the Bowen knot in the middle

 Doing the outline. Ow.

 The coloring in.... I thought the outlining was bad....wow.

Final clean up.  Click on any image to enlarge.