White Horse Hill

The day and my mood are grey.

Found out yesterday my friend Barry Finn passed away rather suddenly. He had been in hospital following a mild heart attack, and then died suddenly Friday morning. Barry was diabetic and had received a liver transplant about ten years ago; he nearly died then and his loved ones have been grateful for so many extra years with him. When he was in the hospital awaiting his transplant, I went to visit him and sang some songs for and with him (the nursing staff thought it odd but loved it).

I knew Barry from our years in the Boston Singers' Club, which met weekly at Paddy Burke's for several years. When that disbanded I saw him occasionally at other sessions or events; he was a very active performer in the local folk sing, specializing in sea chanties and songs about labor, and also wrote songs. Went to a huge house concert/song circle at his home once which was great fun. Hung out with him at Old Songs a couple of times. He tried to get me to go to the Getaway in Maryland, but I never made it. He also got me to start coming to the session at the Green Briar (after I had already moved from Boston and was only there occasionally) and helped me "get a foot in the door" to sing some songs.

Barry was always very supportive of my singing, and coming from someone as musically inclined as him, this was high praise. He more recently recommended a young Appalachian singer to me. He was a kind and generous soul, giving people rides or whatever else they needed. The last time I saw him was after a not-very-lively night at the Green Briar, and he was disappointed the singing was not happening as he knew I made a special trip to be there. He gave me a ride home though I insisted I could take the T. Since then I had occasional contact with him on Facebook, and when he heard I was teaching in Boston in the spring, his first question was "On Mondays??" to find out if I would be at the session.

He was a unique and wonderful man and I will miss him. I always thought he'd be a constant fixture, there when I sought him out. His passing makes me realize we must always be aware that we often see people for the last time without knowing it.

It's been a strange morning watching the 'live' news footage of September 11, 2001 on MSNBC. Now they've moved on to current events and the memorials being held today. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I felt like Peter Jennings was my closest friend, I didn't stop watching him for days on end.

September days have a melancholy quality; that day in 2001 in manhattan was sunny and blue; today here in Albany it's cloudy and dark. The season is shifting, we're moving towards winter, and our thoughts become caught up between memories of the past and dreams for the future. I get uneasy this time of year, but also hopeful. I'm nervous about starting this new teaching job next week.

Spent a wonderful working weekend (with plenty of leisurely fun!) at Brushwood last week; five nights! Rode out with Krissy on Thursday and Todd joined us on Sunday. Got lots of gardening done, plus cleaned up the brush and debris at our new campsite (we'll be next to Bill in the treeline by the entrance to the Labyrinth field, near Arches). We'll be getting a trailer. It's sad to leave Silver Woods after so many years, but I hope to move back some day, hopefully in a small wooden house set in a more level area that where we've been (which is not terribly user-friendly at night, with all the tree roots and little hills and holes).

Tracy had a baby shower and got lots of cool prezzies! Brushwood threw a lovely party and lunch for her. Also there were two great potlucks. Perfect weather except for a wee bit of rain on Monday. I am so looking forward to going back for Heartsong. We'll be pressing cider, but sadly there are hardly any apples! :( That late frost must have killed the blossoms. So Brushwood is planning to buy some apples. Hoping next year is a bumper crop again like last year!

Hello, all!

I haven't posted in a long while. Not really in the mind space to post a lot of catch up just now, maybe later this week, I am using LJ a lot less these days, preferring the quick fix of Facebook I guess, but will try to come back, as some of my friends here post some intriguing stuff...

Quick stuff:

I got a teaching job for the fall. Two sections of composition, teaching for the inner city location of a local community college. It'll be very different from teaching media studies to rich spoiled white kids, which is what I've been doing for the last decade. It's not my ideal thing but I need a job badly so I'm happy to get it.

I made peach jam and apricot preserves this week; first time ever!

It's been very humid for days and days, though the heat is finally letting up. Between all the rain and then this heat my exercise regimen has slacked off a lot. Still trying to walk every day.

Going to Boston for some doctor's appts. later this week. I am having a polyp removed from my uterus (I think, unless they decide to reschedule the procedure after the exam), and hope it will turn out to not be malignant. healing thoughts welcome. Also having some urology tests done for a weird pain I've had a couple of times in recent months; no symptoms now but I figure I should get checked out anyway since it's hard to schedule an appointment with docs in Boston when you live in Albany.

That's about it for now, I guess. More soon.

I still have plenty to do before we leave tomorrow: pack my herbs, resins and other incense making stuff, and art supplies, organize the clothes that will go on hangers, and pack a few magazines in my computer bag in case I decide to do some reading (I have two months' worth of New Yorkers to get caught up on!), plus a quick look at my toiletries and make sure I'm not forgetting anything. Also in the morning I have to pack the food from the freezer and fridge we're bringing. We won't have to do any food shopping other than bread and milk for the first few days!

Looking forward to three weeks living outside! I got caught in the pouring rain today on my way to do a landscaping job and it was a drag; the sun came out for a few hours, and then it rained AGAIN! Gods, when will it end? The weather forecast for Brushwood is mostly sunny for the next few days, a few isolated storms here and there.

In other news: my poison ivy is far from done, but it seems to be on the downside of peak now. Still itches, but the weeping from the blisters seems to be done now. I managed to shave my legs today, carefully avoiding all the sores and rash areas. That made me feel better immediately. I hope the rest of this rash clears up quickly!

So I won't really be online for the next three weeks. Hope you all have a great July!

We're headed to Brushwood on Wednesday for most of the month of July, coming home on Monday the 27th. We're so looking forward to it! I was lucky enough to go for a five day stretch at Memorial Day (a working weekend during which I did several hours of gardening every day), but Todd has only had a couple days here and there this spring, so he really needs a vacation!

Hoping to get some more gardening done when we get there: I still have the "Earth" shrine garden to dig (the other four are done) and clean up the new sacred/ritual site out past the labyrinth field. Also, hopefully will be able to rehearse the air ritual for Monday. Then Sirius Rising shouldn't be too complicated, I will be working registration here and there and doing a stint on Dogstar Radio, and maybe giving a workshop (I need to confirm this). But other than that, I hope to be able to relax and have fun! Monday is my busiest day so it will be good to get it over with and enjoy the week. Then Starwood is more working registration and more relaxing and hanging with friends.

I'm also bringing my running shoes and hope to at least get out for a my uphill walk each day, if not some jogging, too. I finally got some new shoes and have been jogging about every other day and I don't want to let it slide while I'm away.

Lots to do before we go: I am close to finishing this tarot essay. I have some film reviews and interviews to post. Also a few tasks in the garden (if this damn rain ever stops). Plus packing! Tonight I'm going to go through the pantry and freezer and make a list of what I'm bringing, and finish my clothes packing.

So this may be my past post before then; hope all of you have a lovely weekend and rest of the month!

Well, the weather is at least allowing some periods of sun amidst the bouts of rain. Still relatively hot and humid; today will get up to 76. Todd ended p having to work and extra 24 hour shift today; otherwise we might have gone to the drive-in last night, and maybe gone to pick strawberries today. But I find myself at loose ends.

Old Songs is also today, in Altamont, about 20 miles away. I haven't been in several years; which is ironic because when I lived in Boston I went almost every year. The line-up looked pretty good this year. Most of the friends I know who go are giving it a miss this year; they had such a miserable time with the mosquitos last year, and some imagined slight about a memorial for a singer, that some of them won't go back. Todd says he'd like to check it out one year, since we can just drive in for the day. The camping facilities kind of suck (it's at the fairgrounds), so most folks stay in hotels or have RVs. Tenting is roughing it there. But the fun part about the event is staying up really late singing in the Barn (or dancing if that's our thing) or around campfires. Hotel stayers miss out on this a bit, maybe.

There is a neighborhood wide yard sale today, up and down Delaware Avenue; they were setting up when I took Maggie for a walk this morning. Now that I have some breakfast in me, I'm gonna go check it out. Then maybe some yard work if the ground dries out a bit, and of course continued indoor chores like organizing my office. Also have an essay to finish and some film reviews to write.

Have a great weekend, everyone! Maybe yours is gonna be more glamorous than mine.

Thursday afternoon: take the bus to Boston.

Friday morning: appointment with gynecologist to have uterine polyp removed (NOT looking forward to this).

Friday afternoon: weather permitting, and if I am feeling up to it, gardening. If it rains (and it looks like it might), I'll work on my Carnivale essay.

Friday night: maybe hang out with my friend Laura.

Saturday morning: introduce BLOW UP at the Brattle Theatre for their "Elements of Cinema" series; I will be talking about the element of COLOR.

Saturday afternoon: meet up with my friend Jim and ride out to Hudson for the Barn Party!

Saturday night: party! Maybe stay over, maybe come back to Boston.

Sunday: come back to Boston if still in Hudson, then garden for clients in JP and in my Fens garden.

Monday morning: appointment with urologist to possibly figure out where the weird, occasional lower abdominal pain thing I've been having lately is coming from.

Monday afternoon: interview director of the documentary FOOD, INC.

Monday afternoon, 4 pm: head home on the bus.

Had a visit from an officer from the New York State Dept. of Agriculture (Food Markets division) today, and am happy to say I have been approved to sell baked goods at the local farmers' market! Bungalow Baking will be selling cookies, cupcakes and brownies every Tuesday at the Delaware Avenue Farmers' Market this year!

I am gonna try this out and see if it turns out to be a worthwhile financial endeavor. Selling cupcakes at the cafe was fun, but I didn't make much money. But this time, I will be able to sell for retail and not wholesale pricing, so the profit margin should be slightly higher! I want to do it as a way to get involved in the community, too. The folks at the market seem really nice (well, except the woman who just kind of gives me a blank look and snottily says "no" when I ask if any of her stand's vegetables are organically grown) and the manager was really excited when I asked about selling baked goods, because the only baker they had (an Amish family) came all the way from Columbia County and had decided not to make the trip to our neighborhood market any longer. So as far as I know I'll be the only one.

NYS law says only certain baked goods can be sold at markets. Nothing with cream or cheese in it. No pumpkin allowed--I guess my Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes won't be making an appearance! And quickbreads are problematic, too, apparently, as are single crust fruit pies. I am going to offer an unfrosted carrot cake, since cream cheese frosting is a no-no. But mainly, cookies, cupcakes and brownies. I have to be careful about allergens, so I want to find a source of chocolate chips not made in facilities processing peanuts or tree nuts--anyone know of any?

Beware: unsold baked goodies will be frozen and may find their way to Brushwood this summer! ;)

I'm headed west for the holiday weekend. The weather will be near perfect (sunny, high 70s during the day, high 40s at night) and I hope to get a lot of work done on my various garden projects at the elemental areas and near the shower house by registration. The tulips I planted in the fall looked amazing at Beltane, and I look forward to see what's blooming now! Maybe the irises?

Todd can't come as he has to work Sunday (poor thing! but we're going for OUR Fest the first weekend in June), so I am catching a ride out with Krissy who lives near Worcester, and back on Monday with Eric who lives an hour from us near Poughkeepsie.

Hope you all have a safe and delightful holiday weekend, whatever your plans!

Oh, and if you are on Facebook, check out my Notes, where I am conducting a fundraising experiment to try and attend a conference I am invited to speak at in the UK in July. Since my department at Emerson cut all travel funding for adjunct faculty, getting to these events has been difficult. So I decided I'd ask all my Facebook friends to contribute a couple of bucks to the cause! If I can raise my airfare by May 27th, I'll be able to go and maybe sleep on Ronald Hutton's floor, as he lives in Bristol (of course I need to clear this with him first!). If you want to send me the cost of a latte, with the understanding that if my efforts fall short by the deadline, each and every person who donates will receive an immediate refund, you can send me a buck or two via Paypal at charmingcrafty at aol dot com. (The name on the account is Hannah Johnston, as she and I created a joint account to receive registration payments for our Harvard conference in 2006).

Hannah and I have been trying to find a home for our proposed academic anthology on HBO's Carnivale for a while now. I. B. Tauris was interested in the topic (they have a wonderful series with titles like "Reading The Sopranos"), but their sales department didn't think it would be lucrative for them. Lucky for us, they ARE interested in doing a book on the history of witchcraft on television with them. That's another story: instead of editing other peoples' submissions, we'll be co-writing it, and it will be more mainstream, less academic (which is easier of course!)

But the Carnivale project has been vexing us in terms of finding a publisher. We met some folks from Macfarland at the Popular Culture conference in NOLA, and chatted with them about it and then emailed a proposal. They are interested in offering us a contract! We just have to tweak the proposal a bit first. But it looks like a done deal. Hooray! We're very happy.

We will be looking for another 2-3 authors to write additional essays/chapters, so if anyone out there knows (or is) a likely suspect, please do chime in!

Well, finals are over. Now on to phase two of spring into summer. I had a part-time job temporary job lined up (at the local garden shop) but it fell through (the manager needed to get someone in faster because they were busy and I was not available Beltane weekend; he apologized for promising me the gig and yanking it away, oh well, easy come, easy go).

Hoping I can pick up some freelance work before July. I am owed some moolah from a couple of gardening and writing jobs here and there. Then it's off to Brushwood for July and then searching in earnest for a real job. I may have a part-time teaching job at St. Rose lined up for fall, but its not a sure thing yet.

In the meantime, the weather is sunny and cool: perfect for gardening, and starting my jogging routine back up! No more using the crazy unseasonably hot weather for an excuse to put it off. I sit here in my workout duds and running shoes and, after a brief errand run to the post office, will head over to the track. I also got some nice fresh fruit and veggies at the store yesterday as we had literally no fresh produce in the house (my fault as I was away so much the last couple of weeks). I may even dust off my juicer, as the waning moon is a perfect time for a cleanse. So, yeah. Fruit fast in my future. Joy. :-) Seriously, it's a little challenging, but it's good.

Here are some photos of me and friends enjoying beignets, posted on my Facebook account. Enjoy beignets here! And the Garden District here.

I hope to get pics of my trip to NOLA posted on Facebook tomorrow and will leave a link to them here if anyone wants to see them!

Also, I have a poem in the latest issue of Goblin Fruit, found here!

Also, newsflash: Spring has arrived!

New Orleans so far has been wonderful. The trip here was rough; we were sleep-deprived as Hannah's two boys had both been sick all week. Then the flight into Newark from Boston was so bumpy I actually got sick on the plane! Thank goodness for the little blue bags. I was woozy and Hannah actually carried all our bags between her so we could make the next leg of the flight; which was fine.

I had to give my talk two hours after we arrived. Time for a shower, then had to register. Even though we registered online we still had to prove it because there was no record of it; lots of really crabby peopel upset at the lack of organization. There are 40 PAGES of panels (titles only) listed in the program; at least twenty panel sessions going on simultaneously at any given time. Mine was sparsely attended, and half the panel dropped out so there were only two of us, and my paper almost didn't happen because the AV equipment was not cooperating at all. Kate (the panel convener and friend from Albany) and her husband Gene helped and we finally for the Powerpoint up and running, although the format was affected and the bottom of the slide was cut off. Oh well, it went fine.

Hannah's paper was yesterday and her panel was great except the last presentation had us scratching our heads a bit. Susan introduced us to her friends Richie and John who are both smashing and hilarious. John lived in NOLA for 20 years so he is our go-to guy for food advice.

Our hotel is great! Dauphine Orleans in the heart of the French Quarter. Free and excellent Continental breakfast. Susan and Karen from Brushwood are staying here, too! They have friends from Nebraska here, along for some fu, not for the conference.
The weather has been wonderful: no rain yet though it's been rumored we might get some any time this week. Sunny and in the high 70s, and 60s at night.

Have had some great food so far. Olivier's was good, though the rabbit was a bit dry. We went for obligatory beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde which we loved! It was windy by the water and powdered sugar was blowing everywhere. Last night we ate at Bon Ton, an amazing place that serves only seafood. Then we went to a dive bar called Evelyn's Place for a nightcap.

This morning we're heading to the Garden District. We're meeting John later and having lunch with him at Cetral Groecery, the place that invented the muffaletta.This afternoon, we're heading over to the cemetery and maybe the Voodoo Temple if we can find it. Tonight we're getting fried chicken at Fiorella's!

So here's where I need help from any of you who care to weigh in. My paper is for a panel on Medievalism and Popular Culture. The topic/title is: " 'Perhaps you lust for what you cannot have': Excalibur and the Quest for Neo-Pagan Authenticity"

here is the abstract:
Among adherents to neo-paganism are a great many participants in medieval role-playing communities: from “Renaissance faires” to Pennsic Wars to the Society for Creative Anachronism. As neo-paganism rose to popularity in the 1980s, the association of pseudo-medievalism with this new and evolving spiritual culture was inescapable, and connections between various pagan folklores of the British Isles and Arthurian folklore were widely seen. The primary cinematic expression of the pseudo-medieval aesthetic was seen in John Boorman’s film of the King Arthur saga, Excalibur. This film emphasized the magic and sorcery of the story, suggesting a struggle between pagan and Christian ideology and the inescapability of fate and the destiny foretold in myth. These themes were ripe for appropriation by the neo-pagan zeitgeist, and the imagery, language and music of Excalibur founds it way into many expressions of neo-pagan culture: ritual texts, non-fiction books, songs and even a pagan opera. Alongside Excalibur’s influence, The Mists of Avalon, the feminist novel of the Arthurian saga by Marion Zimmer Bradley was also having an enormous impact upon neo-paganism, and with one important distinction: its author actually based some of the novel’s invented “priestess tradition” on neo-pagan practices and beliefs. This paper will explore the direct and unmistakable impact of both these fictional Arthurian texts upon neo-pagan culture.


so here is my question; do or did any of you experience any interesting rituals or gatherings or other social events that reminded you of anything to do with either Excalibur or The Mists of Avalon? I'd love to have any firsthand memories or impressions you have that might be related to this. It might turn into a longer paper someday and will definitely be one aspect of the discussion of Excalibur in a forthcoming book I'm writing with my colleague Hannah.

So--any thoughts? :)

Here is an interesting bit of info that I just got; a woman on an academic pagan list I belong to mentioned she recalled coming to Starwood one year and saying to people who had stayed on from Sirius Rising the previous week that it was too bad they missed the broadcast of The Mists of Avalon mini-series. The response: But we didn't! She then described how (she heard) "someone" had brought a projection system and DVD player and preview copy and screened it for the whole campsite! Well, I was that someone and all I had was a VHS copy which we showed in the studio on the already-existing equipment. I later learned that Diana Paxson (I assume?) arranged to show a preview copy to PSG earlier that summer, before the cable broadcast, and did in fact screen it for the whole campsite...so maybe these two folkloric events somehow combine...

It's been busy lately; starting a new blog, needing to get caught up on watching a bunch of videos, press screenings, reviews, etc. I have to prepare/write my presentation/paper for the Popular Culture Conference next week! I present a week from today, oy! (Glad to be going the same afternoon we arrive, then I can enjoy New Orleans fr 3 days!). I have faith I will be ready, I've been thinking on it and all, and hope to create a Powerpoint presentation with plenty of images. But I do still need to do it!

So here's where I need help from any of you who care to weigh in. My paper is for a panel on Medievalism and Popular Culture. The topic/title is: " 'Perhaps you lust for what you cannot have': Excalibur and the Quest for Neo-Pagan Authenticity"

here is the abstract:
Among adherents to neo-paganism are a great many participants in medieval role-playing communities: from “Renaissance faires” to Pennsic Wars to the Society for Creative Anachronism. As neo-paganism rose to popularity in the 1980s, the association of pseudo-medievalism with this new and evolving spiritual culture was inescapable, and connections between various pagan folklores of the British Isles and Arthurian folklore were widely seen. The primary cinematic expression of the pseudo-medieval aesthetic was seen in John Boorman’s film of the King Arthur saga, Excalibur. This film emphasized the magic and sorcery of the story, suggesting a struggle between pagan and Christian ideology and the inescapability of fate and the destiny foretold in myth. These themes were ripe for appropriation by the neo-pagan zeitgeist, and the imagery, language and music of Excalibur founds it way into many expressions of neo-pagan culture: ritual texts, non-fiction books, songs and even a pagan opera. Alongside Excalibur’s influence, The Mists of Avalon, the feminist novel of the Arthurian saga by Marion Zimmer Bradley was also having an enormous impact upon neo-paganism, and with one important distinction: its author actually based some of the novel’s invented “priestess tradition” on neo-pagan practices and beliefs. This paper will explore the direct and unmistakable impact of both these fictional Arthurian texts upon neo-pagan culture.


so here is my question; do or did any of you experience any interesting rituals or gatherings or other social events that reminded you of anything to do with either Excalibur or The Mists of Avalon? I'd love to have any firsthand memories or impressions you have that might be related to this. It might turn into a longer paper someday and will definitely be one aspect of the discussion of Excalibur in a forthcoming book I'm writing with my colleague Hannah.

So--any thoughts? :)

Wow, it's been a turbulent one this year.

First, I heard Frank Dalton is having a hard time with his health and may need brain surgery. Then, I hear a young man who was in a film project with us last year died mysteriously in Ohio (found in a dumpster). Now, I hear that Kirk Rose, an old friend from Boston who's been living in Michigan for years, passed away after he had a heart attack last week. He was so young! Only in his forties I believe. He had health problems with his hip for years but this is quite different and so shocking. I am so sad for his wife and son.

if al that's not enough...The weather's been unseasonably cold: well below freezing every night (it got down to 17 here last night!) and my spring flowers are in a bit of a holding pattern. Still, I can see the shoots of daffodils, tulips and hyacinths getting taller by the day. So there is hope amid all the tragedy.

I'm going to light a red candle for life force and healing today. Yes, red.

Yesterday morning, as soon as Todd got home from his overnight shift, we took off early to head to Brushwood for a BVT meeting. We actually made it there in good time and were only 20 minutes late for the start of the meeting. Had a productive meeting, then took a break. I wandered up to our campsite and took a few photos in the nice late afternoon light. It was a warm day, but the night was going to be cold. Break over, then another sub-meeting to try and plan the ritual activities for Sirius Rising. Then an excellent potluck dinner! Then hung out chatting and reading in the studio until fairly late, and intermittently going outside to feed and stand by the fire. Then off to bed in the trailer, up for breakfast and more hanging out.

Three things: learned that Brushwood doesn't want to do a separate harvest festival next year, even though it went so well, because they felt the schedule was too crowded and that people would only go to one fall event and Heartsong already had more "name recognition." Teresa was sorry she had not told me before; but no big deal, I guess. The harvest energy will still be there and now that we have the cider press I am sure it continue to get plenty of use! Second thing; talked with Frank B, and we finally came up with a name for the site out past the labyrinth field we've been cleaning up and turning into a sacred space, and Todd is going to make a nice wooden sign for it. Third: the bulbs I planted in the fall by the shower house are coming up beautifully! The tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and irises all look great. I can't wait to start planting some summer and fall-blooming plants there!

Then we visited my mom in the nursing home on our way back. She is doing well, and gave me he recipe for corned beef and cabbage. :) Stopped by her house to pick up a couple of things, as the house is getting cleared and cleaned out so a family friend can move in and rent it. He was my dad's gardening partner so now he can continue to do that. My nephew was home from college in DC, and came over to help us. We got an old china cabinet, and a couple more things. My nephew asked if he could have my mother's old wedding portrait painting I was really glad he wanted to get it restored (the glass broke years ago and it's dusty); it's needed that for years. Missed my brother but he's coming to Albany in 2 weeks and will stay with us.

Now we're home, unpacked, and I made us some fast quesadillas and guacamole to eat while we veg in front of the TV. Then first thing in the morning I'm off to Boston for work! Wow, lots of travelling in a short time. I wish Brushwood was closer! Six hours each way to only stay one night is a bit much. Oh well, summer's coming!

Hope everyone had a great weekend; it went fast!

Wow, in like a lion and maybe March will really go out like a lamb!

It was in the 50s today and mostly sunny. I did some cleaning up in the yard, filling up the 4 yard bags I had on hand with leaves. I didn't even go near the backyard because it's still too muddy. But I cleared out most of the leaves and crap from the flower beds in the side and front yards.

The post man asked if I wasn't a bit ahead of schedule; he may be right, it's still not even spring yet and we may get another freeze. But I have daffodils and crocuses and other green shoots coming up, and they need some light and air to grow, so hopefully they'll stay strong if the weather gets brutal again.

We did some errands today and finally picked up wedding rings! We had silver bands for our handfasting, just basic ones we got on Ebay, but I lost mine after 3 days. :( Doing pottery at Sirius Rising. We happened upon a store in the mall where we'd looked before that has rings from the Southwest, silver with various types of inlay like turquoise, lapis, malachite etc. They didn't have our size in what we wanted at the time so we figured we'd go back again sometime. The store itself had moved out of the old mall and we were surprised to see them in the smaller one. So Todd asked "Want to get rings?" They still didn't have malachite or lapis in our sizes but Todd found a mother of pearl inlay ring and mine is opal, so they kind of go together! We're going to charge them on the altar with our handfasting cords for this full moon cycle coming up.

I hear we're going to get slammed here in the Northeast, worse on the coast than here by the mountains. So I'm not sure how it will go when I try to travel on the bus from Albany to Boston tomorrow morning. I have to teach tomorrow night at 6 m, unless classes are cancelled. Sometimes they decide to go ahead with day classes and then cancel evening ones, but they'd announce that too late in the day for me to make my travel plans, most likely.

So: what's the forecast in your area? Here, it starts late tonight and snow overnight, and we are getting no more than nine inches total, if that. Which is considerable, I guess.