I realize I haven't posted since I relearned how to walk. Strangely, I found that with the use of my legs, I suddenly had a desire to be OUT, always. I mean, that and I met a boy, started school. Still in school, single again though.
This is what I've inadvertedly done in the last 5 months in regards to the list. To be honest, I forgot it existed, but I still managed to complete a few of the items on the list.
5. Make friendship bracelets and send them to random people all over the globe.
- I quit that some months ago. So...I guess I'm done.
8. Get my grades up.
- Not out of the frying pan yet, but definitely out of the fire. Still on academic probation...but nearly out.
19. Travel somewhere spontaneously.
- Went to Seattle in October to see the musical, Wicked.
25. See at least 2 concerts. (2/2)
- Since July, I have seen Our Lady Peace, Great Big Sea, Bif Naked, and Armchair Cynics. I will be seeing OLP again next May.
31. Play a full game of Risk.
- Been there, done that.
32. Learn to like wine.
- Been mulling it ALL season. Om nom nom.
49. Take Belly-Dancing Lessons.
- Tried it. Couldn't continue because it hurt my knee too much. I'm not really 100% better yet.
55. Eat perogies at Granville Island.
- ...and they were delicious.
62. But a CD instead of downloading it.
- Done it. Bought about 5 since I wrote the list.
64. Be a tourist in someone else's city.
- Seattle.
85. Stay sober at an Earth Sciences Social.
- Seeing as I am the Social Coordinator this year, I don't really have a choice. (1/1)
86. Read a book out of my normal genre.
- Gods Behaving Badly, Marie Phillips. It was actually pretty funny.
94. Pay back the money I owe to Alex.
- Oh hells no. I've since decided to consider that compensation for severe mental, physical, and emotional distress.
97. Brass bowls.
- I found one at the Sally Ann. It now serves as my incense holder atop my TV.
99. Detox.
- Sometime in...July, or August?
Still working on:
41. embrace all that I love.
47. Standing up for something I believe in.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Garden porn, little kitties, and my failed social life
This blog is picture heavy!
I haven't actually done all of these things super recently, but I've been lazy about posting about them.
This blog contains:
#5 - BFF Global
#9 - Get a kitty
# 13 - Walk again
#35 - Solstice Party
#43 - Organize my recipes
#44 - Grow a garden
#5 - bracelet making and I have been on a hiatus. I apologize deeply to anyone who's requested a bracelet and hasn't received one...and I promise to start making them again soon. I've just been busy with the moving, and the unpacking, and the walking again. I'll get to it - I swear!
#9 - I DID IT! I have a kitten now. In my house, trying to attack my back as I sit on the couch and type this...I'm so glad his claws don't draw blood yet...
His name is Cedric. He's a small, cute, furry fartbag who attacks everything in sight, meows at me constantly, and follows me around. My lap is his favourite place to be, and that suits me just fine.
Being cute.
Cleaning himself on my knees. His second favourite spot. Especially when I'm not wearing pants. My legs almost look 'artistic' with all the skin scratches I have.
Not only does he have a foot fetish, but my shoes are pretty tasty, too.
Eating food, not shoes. Yes, you can see books in this picture.
Sleeping on my bed.
Sleeping on the couch. He sleeps on me lots too...like right now, but it's too hard to take photos of. It's cute though, I promise. ...and makes it hard to type.
#13 - I'm almost there! No more crutches, just a cane now, and I almost don't need that anymore. I'll consider 13 done when I can walk without the need for a cane at all. I can walk without it for very, very short distances (ie: my house) but I still need it for farther distances. So close!
#35 - I totally blew the solstice party. I TRIED TO PLAN ONE, and only Thomas wanted to even come. Well...that's being unfair. Some friends had to work, but the rest of them were being douchebags. So, Thomas and I hung out, baked cookies at my house, BBQ'd at his house, and went to the Fraser Downs Horsetrack and Casino. I'd never been in a casino before, and the racetrack was fun, even if we lost our $2 we bet. The total damage after I was introduced to the slot machines:
Thomas: +$9
Katee: -$12
...and then we went home. So I guess I can't really count it, since it wasn't a real solstice party. I celebrated by myself at the exact celestial time of the solstice that night...but by definition, it doesn't count.
#43 - I did it! ...sorta. Here's two sample pages:
My corns, and the bed the carrot were planted in.
A better view, and a little random flower plant I planted in the corner, for loss of what to do with it.
Forget-me-nots.
Green leafy things hiding in the upper left corner - hosta that I salvaged. Empty pot has carrot seeds, pot next to that is wormwood, and the urn has spanish lavender and roman chamomile.
regular lavender, and it's one tiny little flower bud.
Little white flowers are alyssum, there are ice plants in there somewhere, and I've no idea what the rest of it is.
DO YOU SEE IT? Cayenne peppers! ^_^
Random caterpillar.
Flower, flower, flower, and parsley.
Peas.
Mmm...basil. There is lots more where this came from.
See? Told ya. I have even more than that, though.
...this is the last of the basil. Look at how big this has gotten though! When I got it, I thought it was gonna die. Oregano is the funny vine thing, and the shrub is thyme.
Roses. (I'm almost done, I swear)
Feverfew.
Oriental poppies.
'Cukes and peas. (the peas are in there somewhere, I swear)
TOH-MAE-TOH!
(Roma)
TOH-MAH-TOH!
(Patio)
Eating food, not shoes. Yes, you can see books in this picture.
Sleeping on my bed.
Sleeping on the couch. He sleeps on me lots too...like right now, but it's too hard to take photos of. It's cute though, I promise. ...and makes it hard to type.#13 - I'm almost there! No more crutches, just a cane now, and I almost don't need that anymore. I'll consider 13 done when I can walk without the need for a cane at all. I can walk without it for very, very short distances (ie: my house) but I still need it for farther distances. So close!
#35 - I totally blew the solstice party. I TRIED TO PLAN ONE, and only Thomas wanted to even come. Well...that's being unfair. Some friends had to work, but the rest of them were being douchebags. So, Thomas and I hung out, baked cookies at my house, BBQ'd at his house, and went to the Fraser Downs Horsetrack and Casino. I'd never been in a casino before, and the racetrack was fun, even if we lost our $2 we bet. The total damage after I was introduced to the slot machines:
Thomas: +$9
Katee: -$12
...and then we went home. So I guess I can't really count it, since it wasn't a real solstice party. I celebrated by myself at the exact celestial time of the solstice that night...but by definition, it doesn't count.
#43 - I did it! ...sorta. Here's two sample pages:
#44 - my garden has been all set up for a few weeks now. We just planted carrots on the weekend, and that's the last of the garden for the summer. Now for some garden porn:
My corns, and the bed the carrot were planted in.
A better view, and a little random flower plant I planted in the corner, for loss of what to do with it.
Forget-me-nots.
Green leafy things hiding in the upper left corner - hosta that I salvaged. Empty pot has carrot seeds, pot next to that is wormwood, and the urn has spanish lavender and roman chamomile.
regular lavender, and it's one tiny little flower bud.
Little white flowers are alyssum, there are ice plants in there somewhere, and I've no idea what the rest of it is.
DO YOU SEE IT? Cayenne peppers! ^_^
Random caterpillar.
Flower, flower, flower, and parsley.
Peas.
Mmm...basil. There is lots more where this came from.
See? Told ya. I have even more than that, though.
...this is the last of the basil. Look at how big this has gotten though! When I got it, I thought it was gonna die. Oregano is the funny vine thing, and the shrub is thyme.
Roses. (I'm almost done, I swear)
Feverfew.
Oriental poppies.
'Cukes and peas. (the peas are in there somewhere, I swear)
TOH-MAE-TOH!
(Roma)
TOH-MAH-TOH!(Patio)
...that's essentially it. I have a few more flowers, but flowers are boring, and I've been uploading photos for AGES! How people with photo blogs do this is beyond me...
OVER AND OUT!
OVER AND OUT!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
#73 take two
Edit: I learned something new today. Blogger timestamps your post for when you START the post, if you let it sit as a draft.
I'm going to consider this the last post for #73. When I listed it, it didn't occur to me that I could be writing from now until eternity. I covered a bunch in my first post, and I've decided to do this one list form, since it would take me ages to complete in paragraph form. It covers a whole plethora of ideals, some of which will be expanded upon at a later date, some not.
- the body is sacred and beautiful, regardless of social and cultural norms.
- a person can love many other people.
- marriage is for life.
- People shouldn't be buried. It's a waste of space. (somebody, somewhere, is going to hate me for that...)
- if men don't have to shave, neither do women.
- marriage for reasons other than love is acceptable, but only if both partners are totally committed in their decision.
- Gay love is acceptable.
- So is gay marriage.
- I am pro choice.
- There may not be anything after death, but until I find out, as far as I'm concerned, it's reincarnation.
- As the human race, we should practice religious and ethical tolerance, not hate.
- The government system doesn't make a difference to me. When there is someone I like, I will vote. When there isn't, I won't. I feel no obligation to my country to vote. If Canada goes to hell, I'll move to a better country.
- I think homelessness is bad, but feel no pity for the people who are homeless by choice of drug addictions.
- The supernatural is real, and it is something to be afraid of.
- The perfect family unit isn't always perfect.
- Being "hip" and "in" is overrated. I will dress how I feel, and wear what I want, regardless of whether it is "so yesterday" or not.
- Drinking alone is unacceptable. Always.
And this...
"There's only one race, and that's what the show brought out. That is the human race. There is only one race, period!"
SO SAY WE ALL!
(alright, so I geeked out there, a little. But I think it's pretty profound for the cast of Battlestar Galactica to be invited to a United Nations meeting. And Commander Adama speaks truth.)
I'm going to consider this the last post for #73. When I listed it, it didn't occur to me that I could be writing from now until eternity. I covered a bunch in my first post, and I've decided to do this one list form, since it would take me ages to complete in paragraph form. It covers a whole plethora of ideals, some of which will be expanded upon at a later date, some not.
- the body is sacred and beautiful, regardless of social and cultural norms.
- a person can love many other people.
- marriage is for life.
- People shouldn't be buried. It's a waste of space. (somebody, somewhere, is going to hate me for that...)
- if men don't have to shave, neither do women.
- marriage for reasons other than love is acceptable, but only if both partners are totally committed in their decision.
- Gay love is acceptable.
- So is gay marriage.
- I am pro choice.
- There may not be anything after death, but until I find out, as far as I'm concerned, it's reincarnation.
- As the human race, we should practice religious and ethical tolerance, not hate.
- The government system doesn't make a difference to me. When there is someone I like, I will vote. When there isn't, I won't. I feel no obligation to my country to vote. If Canada goes to hell, I'll move to a better country.
- I think homelessness is bad, but feel no pity for the people who are homeless by choice of drug addictions.
- The supernatural is real, and it is something to be afraid of.
- The perfect family unit isn't always perfect.
- Being "hip" and "in" is overrated. I will dress how I feel, and wear what I want, regardless of whether it is "so yesterday" or not.
- Drinking alone is unacceptable. Always.
And this...
"There's only one race, and that's what the show brought out. That is the human race. There is only one race, period!"
SO SAY WE ALL!
(alright, so I geeked out there, a little. But I think it's pretty profound for the cast of Battlestar Galactica to be invited to a United Nations meeting. And Commander Adama speaks truth.)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
#73, and respecting June as Pagan Values Month
I get the distinct feeling I'm going to find this harder in practice than I'm currently thinking it is in theory. I was going to put #73 off for a long time yet, because honestly, I have no idea what I believe in, but in honour of June being International Pagan Values Blogging Month, I thought I would at least give it a shot. This may end up as a series of posts, simply due to the length (and the verbosity of the writer!)
Disclaimer: My beliefs are my own. I don't make fun of your beliefs, and I request that you refrain from making fun of mine. That said, take everything I say with a healthy dose of skepticism, because I do the same. (Hey, I could be crazy, and I'd never know...)
I am a Pagan. I am a panentheist. Panentheism, as defined by our beloved Wikipedia is "a belief system which posits that God exists and interpenetrates every part of nature, and timelessly extends beyond as well." Basically, "God" (that is a poor choice of words, and I will get to it in a moment) is in everything and everyone. It is a belief that "God" didn't necessarily create the universe, but that a force exists behind the universe (and as part of the universe). I don't always believe this, but generally, I do.
Now, I need to point out, that I do not actually believe in "God" in the conventional sense. I think that there is 'something' in the universe 'somewhere' that can be called Divine, and I think the proof for it is in the fact that we can find something of beauty in every living and non-living thing, no matter how ugly, deformed, or grotesque the person or item in question is. I think that ability to find beauty is part of the Divine, and as such, it exists in everybody and everything, because everybody and everything is beautiful in some way. That's what makes me a panentheist.
I don't worship the Divine. I respect its reason for being, but that's it. I don't have a God. What I do worship, is the Earth. For convenience's sake, I refer to her as a Goddess, because in my head, it makes sense to me. When I liken the Earth to a human being, or something more identifiable to the masses than a giant ball of magma chambers and tectonic processes, I picture her as a pregnant woman, almost full term, generally dressed in a simple, partially transparent white dress.
Disclaimer: My beliefs are my own. I don't make fun of your beliefs, and I request that you refrain from making fun of mine. That said, take everything I say with a healthy dose of skepticism, because I do the same. (Hey, I could be crazy, and I'd never know...)
I am a Pagan. I am a panentheist. Panentheism, as defined by our beloved Wikipedia is "a belief system which posits that God exists and interpenetrates every part of nature, and timelessly extends beyond as well." Basically, "God" (that is a poor choice of words, and I will get to it in a moment) is in everything and everyone. It is a belief that "God" didn't necessarily create the universe, but that a force exists behind the universe (and as part of the universe). I don't always believe this, but generally, I do.
Now, I need to point out, that I do not actually believe in "God" in the conventional sense. I think that there is 'something' in the universe 'somewhere' that can be called Divine, and I think the proof for it is in the fact that we can find something of beauty in every living and non-living thing, no matter how ugly, deformed, or grotesque the person or item in question is. I think that ability to find beauty is part of the Divine, and as such, it exists in everybody and everything, because everybody and everything is beautiful in some way. That's what makes me a panentheist.
I don't worship the Divine. I respect its reason for being, but that's it. I don't have a God. What I do worship, is the Earth. For convenience's sake, I refer to her as a Goddess, because in my head, it makes sense to me. When I liken the Earth to a human being, or something more identifiable to the masses than a giant ball of magma chambers and tectonic processes, I picture her as a pregnant woman, almost full term, generally dressed in a simple, partially transparent white dress.
I also picture the statue created by Oberon Zell, called "Millennial Gaia".
Women with giant, pregnant bellies seem to signify everything that is right in the world, to me. And the imagery makes sense. The idea of a Primal Goddess, or an Earth Mother has been around for thousands of centuries. I guess, in a round-about way, I technically worship Gaia, the primal Greek goddess who represents the Earth. It wasn't just the Greeks that came up with the idea of a the Earth being a fertile, female woman, though. Countless other civilizations have all had the same figure. Gaia just happens to be one of the more easily recognized figures. The imagery for her is endless, but essentially, she is one of the two images I posted above.
In addition to being a Pagan, I am also a geologist, and thus, a scientist. I do not believe in creation. I will admit to being uncertain how the universe formed, but I know without a doubt how the Earth was formed, and there was nothing Divine behind it. Charles Darwin had the right of things in 1859 when he stumbled upon evolution. Did you know we share 98% of our genetic makeup with a primate, and 50% of it with a banana?
Science, ultimately, is the way to go. In ancient times, religion was created to explain the unexplainable. Countless times have scientists been persecuted for trying to discover what's going on in the world, and having it go against religious scripture (but then again, so have other religions). Now, science has taken much of the mystery out of our world. We know where the tides come from. We know now that lightning is a complex interaction of charged particles during a storm, and not the wrath of the Gods. We know that when it rains, it's due to a buildup of precipitation in clouds, and not angel's tears, or any other such nonsense. Why then, am I even spiritual/religious/what-have-you at all?
Because science cannot explain everything. We will try, I can guarantee you, but we will never find out the meaning of life (no, it's not 42), we will never find out how exactly the universe formed, and I doubt we'll figure out how to travel faster than the speed of light.
Just as Paganism isn't solely about worshipping gods, it's not all about casting spells or doing hexes, either. Nor is it about being a little fluffy-pansy ass-good witch. We are people, too. We have our ups and downs.
Some Pagans do spells. Some do not. In the end, spell casting is just another way of praying, but with all the bells and whistles of ritual-work attached. ...and just like praying, it only works if you believe in it. Unicorns are real to me, because I believe. Unicorns to the next person are just myth, fairy tales from childhood, and nothing more. Spells and praying work the same way, although, some would disagree with me. Praying is a way to speak to your gods, but if you don't believe in the gods, then what good is praying?
Paganism, to me is about the raw power of the Earth, and being in awe of it. Paganism is knowing that the "Earth is our mother, and she gives and she takes" - natural processes put us into this world, and natural processes will take us out again. The ability to call yourself "Pagan" isn't predetermined in a guidebook, bible, or any type of religious scripture. I've met plenty of people who could easily pass for Pagan, if going by the following list:
- earth based spirituality (respect for the earth, but not always necessarily earth-worship)
- spell casting, and/or some other kind of ritual work
- generally try to follow a path similar to pre-Christian times
- generally polythetic
Am I all of the above? No. So then why can I call myself Pagan, at all? Because it comes from the heart, and in my heart of hearts, I am a Pagan, no matter how little or how much I believe, I'm always going to be Pagan. I don't need the gods to be Pagan, I don't need to cast spells, and I don't need to wave fancy wands and walk deosil three times in a circle, invoking the great flying spaghetti monster, or any of that nonsense.
In addition to being a Pagan, I am also a geologist, and thus, a scientist. I do not believe in creation. I will admit to being uncertain how the universe formed, but I know without a doubt how the Earth was formed, and there was nothing Divine behind it. Charles Darwin had the right of things in 1859 when he stumbled upon evolution. Did you know we share 98% of our genetic makeup with a primate, and 50% of it with a banana?
Science, ultimately, is the way to go. In ancient times, religion was created to explain the unexplainable. Countless times have scientists been persecuted for trying to discover what's going on in the world, and having it go against religious scripture (but then again, so have other religions). Now, science has taken much of the mystery out of our world. We know where the tides come from. We know now that lightning is a complex interaction of charged particles during a storm, and not the wrath of the Gods. We know that when it rains, it's due to a buildup of precipitation in clouds, and not angel's tears, or any other such nonsense. Why then, am I even spiritual/religious/what-have-you at all?
Because science cannot explain everything. We will try, I can guarantee you, but we will never find out the meaning of life (no, it's not 42), we will never find out how exactly the universe formed, and I doubt we'll figure out how to travel faster than the speed of light.
Just as Paganism isn't solely about worshipping gods, it's not all about casting spells or doing hexes, either. Nor is it about being a little fluffy-pansy ass-good witch. We are people, too. We have our ups and downs.
Some Pagans do spells. Some do not. In the end, spell casting is just another way of praying, but with all the bells and whistles of ritual-work attached. ...and just like praying, it only works if you believe in it. Unicorns are real to me, because I believe. Unicorns to the next person are just myth, fairy tales from childhood, and nothing more. Spells and praying work the same way, although, some would disagree with me. Praying is a way to speak to your gods, but if you don't believe in the gods, then what good is praying?
Paganism, to me is about the raw power of the Earth, and being in awe of it. Paganism is knowing that the "Earth is our mother, and she gives and she takes" - natural processes put us into this world, and natural processes will take us out again. The ability to call yourself "Pagan" isn't predetermined in a guidebook, bible, or any type of religious scripture. I've met plenty of people who could easily pass for Pagan, if going by the following list:
- earth based spirituality (respect for the earth, but not always necessarily earth-worship)
- spell casting, and/or some other kind of ritual work
- generally try to follow a path similar to pre-Christian times
- generally polythetic
Am I all of the above? No. So then why can I call myself Pagan, at all? Because it comes from the heart, and in my heart of hearts, I am a Pagan, no matter how little or how much I believe, I'm always going to be Pagan. I don't need the gods to be Pagan, I don't need to cast spells, and I don't need to wave fancy wands and walk deosil three times in a circle, invoking the great flying spaghetti monster, or any of that nonsense.
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