41 Things Update!

With 6 months and 8 days to go, I have completed 11 out of 41 things...I had better get moving! :-) The competed ones are the ones underlined and in bold! Thanks to my friends who help get me motivated and come along for the ride!

1. Learn Archery
2. See Buddha the turtle get released back into the wild
3. Go to the rodeo
4. Get a tattoo
5. Build an aquaponics system  in the house
6. Have a garage sale and empty the garage
7. Lose 10 lbs
8. Go to Sanibel Island
9. Pagan Food Drive for "The Women’s Center”
10. Run a 5K
11. Grow more heirloom seeds or unusual foods
12. Take a belly dancing class
13. Go rafting or tubing in North Florida
14. Go to FPG
15.  Learn to use a sewing machine
16. Go to Cassadaga
17. Go on a Haunted Ghost Tour
18. Build a spiral herb garden
19. Get Reiki attunement level 3 
20. Go see The Molly Roger Roller Girl
21. Visit Mt Dora
22. Go see Classic Albums Live
23. Visit the Dali Museum  in St. Pete
24. Teach Reiki level 1
25. Make a fire pit in backyard
26. Re-do garden Altar
27. Fight HOA about chickens!
28. Visit land in S.C.
29. See an ADF Ritual
30. Present Workshop about Pagans to Police Academy
31. Visit Morikami Gardens
32. Get DNA done
33. Go to Jacksonville Pagan Pride Day
34. Go Vegan for a month
35. Learn Fencing
36. Learn to make hpyertufa pots
37. Put in application for C.O.G.
38. Start a garden project with the kids from PAL and BCC Environmental club
39. Buy a pair of cowboy boots
40. Get a drum and learn to drum
41. Volunteer

Day 10....but is this the end?

I survived! In fact, I have to say I have not felt this good in 10 years! Not that it was easy. I did well until about a week in, then I had an intense cheese burger craving. But it went away after 15 or so minutes and all was well.

So, even though I have 1 juice to go, I thought I would throw up so numbers.......I lost 11 lbs,  4 inches off my chest, 4 inches off my waist, and 3 inches off my hips!!!!!! I am pretty happy with that!

"Super Hubby" lost 12 lbs, but he did not do any measurements. Tonight, he will go to a juice in the morning and two meals routine. But, I think I am going to continue with the 2x a day juice and raw only food for dinner, until I go camping at the beginning of November.

I  found I really like Watermelon, pear and green apple juice for breakfast, and my favorite lunch juice is kale, spinach, tomato, carrot, green pepper and onion! Yummy!!!!

So, I will update this before I go for my un-plugged weekend and let you know how it goes.

Day one!

I started my juice and raw food only 10 day challenge today. It is harder than it looks, as I am sure you can imagine.

I started my day with a large glass of water. Part of this plan is to drink water until you are able to breathe under it, I think! Then, I made my first juice. Here is what I put in the juicer....4 carrots, 1 green apple, 1 cucumber, 1 stalk of celery and 1/2 of a peeled lemon. It was easy to do but I underestimated the amount of time for clean up so I didn't get a picture of it. I had to get to work.

Yea, about that....fasting and work do not go together, at all. "The Cucumber Cooler", that I call the above recipe was not good but it was not bad. It is hard to describe it. But I drank it and went to work.

Work....sigh. I go all over for work and I never realized how many places serve food!!!! OMG! So, by 11:00 AM and two more bottles of water, I wanted to kill the world!

At lunchtime, I was lucky enough to go home and make a juice. I made the "Mean Green", that is the juice, Joe Cross, made a lot in the movie. It's 6 kale leaves,1 cucumber, 4 stalks of celery, 2 green apples, a 1/2 of a peeled lemon and a piece of ginger. OOOOKKKKK!

If anyone tries this, use a very, very, very, small piece of ginger, it is over powering!  Again, it was not horrible but it was not anything, I would crave....ever.

By 2:00 PM, I was feeling better, not so hungry but I started to get tired. I had no coffee, which is a miracle in it's self, I live on coffee. But I pushed through it, being busy at work helped.

For dinner we had salad, with kale, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers,onion, carrots and radish. It's only a little past 7:00 PM and I am ready for bed...I feel strange, not bad but.......just strange!

I'm feeling a little bit RAW!

As most of you know "Super Hubby" is a go with the flow sort of guy, who pretty much lets me do whatever I want and is always there to help me out, when something goes wrong! LOL.

I have been on a bunch of medication for Sarcoidosis (8) and have been feeling sort of run down the last few weeks. I was on the couch watching Netflix, when I came across a documentary called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". WOW!

So, I mentioned it to S.H., he watched the film and said "Why not, let's try it". I did a bunch of research, picked out a juicer and found some yummy recipes to try out.

I found a website connected to the movie called Reboot your Life and it had several plans from 3 Day Juice only fasts to 15 Juice and raw food fasts. S.H. and I decided on a 10 day Juice and raw food fast. That means breakfast and lunch are made at home in our juicer and dinner is raw food only, like salads, vegetables and fruit. I know there is raw milk and other items, not cooked that we could eat but, we are going strictly veggie and fruit......FOR 10 Days!!!!! Not sure what I have gotten myself into, but check back and I will let you all know how it goes!

Here is a picture of my juicer, ready to go and the crazy amount of fruit and veggies to go with it!

That New Book Smell! GIVEAWAY!

I have been waiting to read this book since I first heard that Deborah Blake was writing it! Now you have a chance to win a copy! Go to her blog and follow the directions there ....and good luck! 

That New Book Smell! GIVEAWAY!

Anniversary Adventure

A few months ago, I bought "Super Hubby" concert tickets for our anniversary. It was not without a few moments of hesitation on my part. S.H. is almost 10 years younger than I, so to say we have different tastes in music, would be an understatement!

Plus, it was for the band "Creed". They were very popular around 1996, when I was raising two toddlers and the not yet "Super Hubby" was in high school. (I try not to dwell on that, it's creepy) LOL. This band's music was popular at an important time in his life. I actually don't remember much of 1996, except for diapers and potty training.

We won't even get into the fact that this Pagan Chicky was going to a Christian concert. They are not blatantly in your face Christian musicians but still, a slight moment of discomfort. :-)

So, we go to the show and I had gotten great seats for us. First row, middle balcony, and if you have ever been to The King Center, in Melbourne, you know it's a great view.

We settle in and watch the opening band, "Like A Storm". They are LOUD, but really good, a cross between old punk and the newer rock music. I enjoyed them. Two songs in particular were really good, "Slave To you" and "Just Save Me". I bought the CD, in the lobby, during the set break. They were out there, signing the CD's and they seemed like great guys.

The second group, "Eve To Adam", a very Christian band, but by some strange twist of fate, has almost the same name as a San Francisco cross-dressing service, was not my kind of music. They did do a great cover of "Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol. Which by the way S.H. did not know....WTH? :-)

All this time, there is no one sitting to my right. "Creed" gets on the stage and WOW! Scott Stapp sounds exactly like he does on the radio, an amazing voice! I don't know the first song but it's great. I am really enjoying myself, but then... here comes trouble.

When the young man first sat next to me, I didn't mind, in fact I thought to myself, he only missed half of the first song, not bad timing. He starts to try and get something out of his pants pocket and ends up elbowing me in the chest. It hurt. He says nothing, just continues to get whatever he was getting. I say nothing but I roll my eyes at S.H., because he knows what I am thinking....

Since becoming a police officer, I do not enjoy crowds anymore. It's mostly because I get aggravated by rude people much quicker then I used to. "Creed" finishes the song and the guy takes off his shirt, and I notice a huge tattoo on his arm that says "RUDE" ( no kidding)  and he starts twirling his shirt in the air and guess what? It hits me in the face...twice. On the third pass, I cannot help myself, I grab it! He looks at me like I am crazy, and I look right back at him. He pulls the shirt out of my hands and puts it in his lap. S.H. smiles at me and we go back to watching the show.

Two songs later, "Mr Rude" is slumped over in his seat. I lean over and try to see if he is breathing. He did not smell like he had been smoking pot or drinking, so now I am concerned about a possible drug over dose. I see his chest rise and I give S.H. a thumbs up, so he knows the guy is breathing. S.H. is also a police officer and we both know, if this guy dies, the headline of Florida Today, would be..."Man dies at concert, while sitting next to two Police Officers".

We spend the next two hours, rocking out and checking on the guy. At one point, I even reached over and took his pulse, just in case. The show ends and the guy's friends kick him awake and he stumbles out after them. Not once, did one of these so called friends check on him during the show.

We watch him get into the backseat of a car (Thank all The God's, he wasn't driving) and we head to our car. Only to find a drunk guy pissing on a tree, in front of our car.....by this time, I am over it, I pass by him and say "You should be embarrassed.... to take that pathetic thing out in public" and we leave.

It may be a while before we go to any more concerts but it certainly was not a dull evening.

41 Things to do before 41!

As usual, on my birthday, I make a list of things I want to do before my next birthday. Here is the to-do list before I hit 41!!!! They are in no particular order and 13 are from last years list, that I didn't get to before today.

1. Learn Archery
2. See Buddha the turtle get released back into the wild
3. Go to the rodeo
4. Get a tattoo
5. Build an aquaponics system  in the house
6. Have a garage sale and empty the garage
7. Lose 10 lbs
8. Go to Sanibel Island
9. Pagan Food Drive for :The Women’s Center”
10. Run a 5K
11. Grow more heirloom seeds or unusual foods
12. Take a belly dancing class
13. Go rafting or tubing in North Florida
14. Go to FPG
15.  Learn to use a sewing machine
16. Go to Cassadaga
17. Go on a Haunted Ghost Tour
18. Build a spiral herb garden
19. Get Reiki attunement level 3 
20. Go see The Molly Roger Roller Girl
21. Visit Mt Dora
22. Go see Classic Albums Live
23. Visit the Dali Museum  in St. Pete
24. Teach Reiki level 1
25. Make a fire pit in backyard
26. Re-do garden Altar
27. Fight HOA about chickens!
28. Visit land in S.C.
29. See an ADF Ritual
30. Present Workshop on Pagans to Police Academy
31. Visit Morikami Gardens
32. Get DNA done
33. Go to Jacksonville Pagan Pride Day
34. Go Vegan for a month
35. Learn Fencing
36. Learn to make hpyertufa pots
37. Put in application for C.O.G.
38. Start a garden project with the kids from PAL and BCC Environmental club
39. Buy a pair of cowboy boots
40. Get a drum and learn to drum
41. Volunteer

All in a Day's Work - Super Sea Turtle Edition!

Yesterday started out just like every other day of work.... Shift meeting, a stop for my bagel and coffee, off to the park to watch the sunrise. (The Pagan in me loves that I get to greet the sun every morning!)

I was talking to another Officer about the arrest we had made the day before when we hear radio traffic from the Sheriff's Office helicopter, that it appears a swimmer is struggling in the river. Assistance is needed.

Our department has a police boat and we have an officer that is the marine unit, so he gets on the radio and says he is on his way to get the boat in the water and he needs help. I jump at the chance! The boat operator is my friend and dive buddy.

I get to the marina and we hear the helicopter on the radio saying it is not a person, it's a turtle!! We drop the boat, jump on and head out.

As we get closer, we hear the copter and can see the turtle.

He is struggling. We see he can't dive, but he is not caught up in anything. We back the boat off a bit, because if we stress him out and he can't dive, he could drown. I shot this video while we waited for another officer to arrive.

We called the great people at Sea Turtle Preservation Society and they told us if we could get it to land they would meet us. They explained it must have a crack in it's shell and air is trapped inside. This causes a bubble, that prevents them from diving.


A Sgt. from the Sheriff's Office arrives and we attempt to get this poor turtle in the boat! We take turns driving the boat closer and two of us try and grab him. He is super slimey! LOL. He has algae and barnacles growing on his shell. We get soaked! On the 4th try we get him on the boat.

 

It is only then do I realize how big he is!We estimate him to be about 250 lbs.

We get him to land and we try to carry him in a tarp to the truck, but that was not working. The STPS people say he is a deep sea turtle and for him to be in the river is unusual. The Indian River is a mix of salt and fresh water that runs into the Atlantic Ocean.

So the three of us just all grabbed a spot of the shell and put him in the back of the truck for his ride to Orlando. Where Sea World said they would take him in and fix his shell.

Here is his ride! LOL, If you are local, check them out, they have lots of volunteer opportunities! The lady from The STPS says that since I caught him, I get to name him...so I decided since he was big, round and calm, I would name him Buddha.

 

 I peek in on Buddha one more time before he leaves so I can put a wet towel on him for the ride. I tell him it was awesome to meet him and to get better soon, The STPS takes my phone number so they can call me when he is ready to be released back into the ocean and they said I can come along!

All in a Days Work - A Visit and a Gift!

Last Friday at work, I was sitting in the park, typing a report, when I see a tortoise walking at full speed straight toward my patrol car. He went under my car and was hanging out.....

 I got out, took some pictures, thanked him for posing (LOL) and waited for him to go on his way...... 

Well, yesterday, I was in the same park, doing a patrol of the area, due to some small brush fires. I see a tortoise on the path that I am driving on, so I slow down, pull over and grab my camera for some pictures.

I follow him a bit, taking more pictures and the Torty stops....I wait, and wait, and wait! Finally, I go in front of him to see if he is caught on anything and I see this.

You can't tell by my picture but this is a small feather. Most Blue Jay feathers are large, at least around here. I thank the Torty and take the feather.

Later tonight, I am looking at all my pictures I have taken of tortoises in the last few weeks. I look at last Friday's and today's....I think it was the same Torty, who hung out under my car and then showed me the feather! Here are side by side pictures, what do you think?

Friday

Today

Lughnasadh Bread Recipe

Here is the recipe, I use to make bread to celebrate Lughnasadh. It's an olive oil and rosemary bread. It smells so good when it's baking and tastes even better! I will be making this on Tuesday night for my harvest celebration, so I will post pictures on Wednesday. Enjoy!



Ingredients:

• 2  cups white flour
• 1/2  cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup warm water
• 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1  teaspoon white sugar
• 1  teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons of  fresh chopped rosemary or 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary
• 1 package active dry yeast
• Pinch of extra sugar
• A little olive oil to coat the bowl and loaf pan

Add 1/2 cup of warm water, package of yeast and a pinch of sugar into a measuring cup. Stir, lightly cover and set aside. Mix both flours, salt, sugar and chopped rosemary into a bowl. Check on the yeast, if it's bubbling, add it and the other half cup of warm water water into the bowl. Add the olive oil. Mix with a fork until all dry ingredients are moist. Knead for 5 minutes.

Oil a large bowl, form dough into a ball and place in bowl. Cover bowl with dish towel and let sit in a warm area for 2 hours. Oil your loaf pan, place punched down dough, inside loaf pan. Let it rise again. Heat oven to 400 degrees. At the 10 minute mark I like to sprinkle some more rosemary on top. Bake for 20 more minutes.

Celebrate the First Harvest!

I love to read. Book, newspapers, and blogs. One of my favorite blogs is The Bishop in the Grove by Teo Bishop, over at Patheos.

The blog there today was about metaphorically experiencing Lughnasad, the first harvest. How we have planted "seeds" and seen them grow or fail in the past year. Ideas and plans that have come to fruition or been dropped by the wayside for one reason or another.

But there was a mention of knowing about where our real food comes from and how we should make this a part of our harvest rituals and celebrations. Teo asks "Do you know where your food comes from?"

I can answer yes, for most of it.

Living in Florida, I can have a garden year round, so I always have fresh veggies and herbs. The stuff I can't grow, like the fruits, I get from a local farm, where I also get my eggs. That is until I wear down the Home Owner's Association, and get my own chickens.

I get my meat from the local grocery store. Oh and some from hunting friends...yes, I eat deer. Yes, they are cute. No, I don't feel bad. Nobody is perfect ;-) and venison chili is out of this world!

Today, I am making soup with my garden veggies. It also has chicken in it but it is just as good without it.

Wednesday night, I will celebrate Lughnasad, with a loaf of awesome rosemary and olive oil bread and a ritual in my garden. I will post the recipe and some pictures on Thursday or Friday.

Now that my indoor aquaponics system is finished, I will have more lettuce and herbs growing.

What started out as a tribute to my late Grand Father, has turned into a hobby or maybe even an obsession but it has also made me a better Pagan. Working in the garden, eating from the first harvest, makes me want to celebrate.

I Harm None but I Carry a Gun!

My heart and prayers go out to the people of Aurora, Colorado. I let my two oldest go to our local theater for the midnight show of "Batman" last night, how many Moms are regretting that same decision today...

This is why I carry my firearm EVERYWHERE...

I am not saying one off duty cop could have kept anyone from being killed but maybe not so many would have been hurt.

These crazy mass shooters almost always give up without a fight, once the police arrive and there is a threat of return fire, because they are cowards!

I know many in the Pagan community detest guns. I detest innocent people being killed going to see a movie. I believe that "Harm None" includes protecting the innocent from harm.

"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." - Edmund Burke

All in a days work - Contagious Kindness

The other morning on my way to work (ridiculously early, I might add!), I stopped at my 

usual drive-thru for a coffee and bagel. In front of me, was a car with a few bumper stickers that left me in doubt that a kindred spirit and fellow Pagan, was inside!

I love to see other Pagans "out in the wild" but I hate that while in uniform, I can't approach them. Mostly because, I know some pagans have a dis-like of the police or any government type body. Some for good reason. Some do because they think, it's a requirement. :-)  Also, while at work, my time is not mine and I feel like I should not be discussing religion, on the city's dime. 

I order my breakfast and pull up to pay. I am here, every work day so I have a friendly relationship with the wonderful Theresa, the lady who gives me, my much needed coffee! We always have a quick chat about whatever and she always tells me to be-careful and that she prays for my safety.

As I pull up to pay, Theresa smiles and says the person ahead of me bought my breakfast! I love being wrong... sometimes! The person ahead of me looked at me as a person not just a police officer! Lesson learned, Universe!

So, I paid for the person behind me and I went on my way with a smile.

The next day, same routine, ordered my stuff, pulled up to say hi to Theresa and she told me, it went on for 7 more cars!!!! The car I paid for, paid for the next car and so on and so on....7 times! 

I know it's a small thing, but it made me so happy and I would like to think it made everyone involved happy too! So, to the Pagan driving the red Honda four door with the awesome bumper stickers, Thank you for  breakfast and double Thank You for the smile!

Crazy New Project - Indoor Aquaponics

Sometimes, I feel bad for "Super Hubby"...he has to put up with me and all my crazy ideas. This time, it is indoor aquaponics!

As you know, from a previous blog,  S.H. made me a seed starting rack about two years ago. It has four shelves and one shelf has grow lights. Now I start most of my seeds this way.

I was looking at the three unused shelves...What could I do with the space? I am a big fan of Youtube gardening videos and I saw one about Aquaponics.

Aquaponics is  is a sustainable food production system that combines a traditional aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as snails, fish, crayfish or shrimp in tanks) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water) in a symbiotic environment. The plants filter the water which contains nitrogen, the plants use it as fertilizer, the clean water goes back to the animals, the animals "poop" in the water and the cycle starts again.

Our youngest son had a fish tank with two gold fish and a huge mystery snail, we call "Goliath". The fish were the kind you win at the fair, but they lived for two years. After they died, we moved "Goliath" to a smaller tank, that was easier for the kid to clean. The fish tank sat in the closet unused. Until now.... :-)

S.H. went out and bought tubing, expandable clay balls, a submersible water pump, pvc pipe and a shallow plastic tote. It cost about $35 dollars at Lowe's. He put it all together on Saturday while I was at work.

Today, I am off and will be going to buy a few fish to put in there with "Goliath". I plan on growing lettuce. I will try and make a video of the entire system when it is up and running!

Princess Reiki Update - Sassy Cat!

Reiki has been part of our family  for a little over 2 months now. She looked sassy today, so I decided to take her picture to show how great she is doing! Her eye has fully opened but she can't see out of it.
Her new thing, besides chasing poor Bailey dog, is to sit on the back of my computer chair when I write. Here she is on the chair, love the look on her beautiful face!

The 40 Things List - Update

Today I turned 40! Thank The Goddess, I made it! Below is my list that I made last year of all I wanted to do before this milestone birthday. I did ok. I didn't get it all done, I missed 13 things, but now I have a new list to accomplish for a new year! Coming soon "41 Things to do before 41!" 

I have crossed out the things I did get to do and hopefully soon, I will post some stories about the fun I had!

Do a girls only trip
    Buy a pair of cowboy boots
    Go to the rodeo
    Get a tattoo
    Go see Alex's graduation in Montana
    Have a garage sale and empty the garage
    Loss 10 lbs
    Go to Sanibel Island
    Run a 5K
    Grow a coffee plant
    Take a belly dancing class
    Go rafting or tubing
    Find 50 geo-caches
    Go back to College
    Read all of Shakespeare's plays - even the sad ones.
    Make my garden pretty, not just useful
    Loss 20 lbs
    Get a Reiki attunement level 1
    Watch the AFI's top 100 movies of all time
    Make a message in a bottle
    Go to a Sci Fi or Fantasy Convention
    Go see The Molly Roger Roller Girls
    Pay off the car
    Make mosaic stepping stones for my garden
    Visit Mt Dora
    Go see Classic Albums Live
    Play Texas Hold 'Em at a real casino
    Have a family photo taken
    Visit the Dali Museum  in St. Pete
    Go to another Renaissance Faire or Highland Games
    Finally watch "A Christmas Story" (LOL)
    Go to The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter
    Teach Jack to Drive
    Learn to play racquetball
    Save seeds from my garden to re-plant
    Practice at the range more
    Place a Geo-Cache
    Have foot reflexology done
    Write anything, a story, a blog, a novel...just write.
    Throw myself a Welcome to 40 Birthday party in June 2012

Princess Reiki Update!

I am a dog person, always have been, but this little beast has totally stolen my heart!  In the last 20 days she has started eating real food, both eyes are open, but it is unknown if she can see out of the left one) and is beginning to explore.

 

She is is doing so well. I have no doubt the Universe put "Reiki" in my path that day at work for a reason. She would not have survived another two days the vet said, now she is running our house, and that includes the 75 lbs dog!

There's a sucker born every minute...

8:32 A.M. was my minute! I was at work, doing my usual patrol stuff, thinking about my diagnosis from three days ago...

The radio sends out a tone alert, house fire, lady still inside. I hit the lights and sirens and when I get there, all I see are CATS! Lots of them. Cages and cages and cages piled up outside on the grass, and the Fire guys are bringing more out! The home owner was a cat hoarder!

We get the home owner and all the cats and her dog out and safe. The fire is put out. I start to count the cats, 10, 15, 20, 30, 36!!! 33 older cats, 2 nine week old kittens and 1 kitten, way too small to be with out a Mama cat.

As I count them, I attempt to check  their health. I will be calling the county animal shelter to get them on the way and they like a heads up on health. They do not want to risk bringing infected animals into the main shelter. I call the shelter and two Officers arrive. The home owner decides to give all the cats to the shelter.

All the cats look ok, not great, but not too bad, all except the little one. It's not moving and from where I stand, it doesn't appear to be breathing either. I love all animals but I do not go all mushy about them. I can't at my job, I see lots of hurt and dead animals.

But this little non-moving ball of fur, makes my eyes fill with tears. Maybe I am feeling over sensitive due to my own health issues, maybe I am getting soft in my old age, or maybe I have been on scene, at this call,  in the Florida sun to long. Whatever the reason, I decide to try and send some Reiki energy to it. I took my Level I  in February and Level II,  last month. I have been using it on plants, people and everything in between for practice.

I walk over to the cage, stand behind a bush (can't let the Fire Guys see what I am up to) :-).  I take a deep breath, I thank the Universe for allowing me to be helpful and I write the Cho-Ku_Rei symbol in the air, three times and push it towards the little kitten. The kitten opens one eye and LOOKS at me! Damn! I feel like one of the wolves in "Twilight", I am bonded, this is now my kitten.

There are only a few issues, one being my beloved "Super Hubby" is allergic, and that fact that I cannot receive or gain ANYTHING from being on a work call. No free coffee, no discounts at lunch, no free kittens!

The Animal Control Officers start loading up all the cats. I go with them to the truck, when they take the little one. I ask what's going to happen and the officers says it is to little for them to care for and if they can't find a foster home, they will have to put down. My heart sinks.

I call my Sgt. and I ask if fostering an animal counts as a gain. I will be spending money and it would not technically be my kitten so she says it is okay! Next, I call "Super Hubby" and I explain the situation, and being the S.H. that he is, he says "well, if it is meant to be your cat, I guess you will have to bring it home".

The kitten goes to the shelter, I go back to work. I start second guessing how all this is going to work out.

On my lunch break, I go up to the shelter and see the kitten. It's a girl and she still looks pathetic. Scrawny, skinny and can only half way open one eye. I take her picture and send it home to S.H. and the kids.

I fill out the foster application and the shelter approves it. I keep looking at her and thinking, I will call her "Baby Ugly", poor thing is a mess.

I go back to work for another 6 hours and at shifts end, I am back at the shelter picking up the kitten.

Now we are home, and the family is all checking out the new house guest. S.H. has gotten a box ready with a blanket and gone out and gotten kitten milk and tiny bottles, so I can feed her. As I write this, she is in the box, not looking great but I have hope for this blessed Reiki baby.

I think instead of "Baby Ugly", I will give her a beautiful name that she can grow into. Princess Reiki Sohia. :-)

Coming All The Way Out!

Today is International Pagan Coming Out Day. I never had any intention of ever coming out to anyone, who does not already know. My Husband knows, my Mom knows, most of my friends (Hey MPP Chicas!) know. That is how it is and how I like it.

When asked by someone if they should come out, I always ask them, “Why”? It’s no ones business but your own. I never felt the need to stand up and tell anyone I was Catholic, when I was, why should this be different.

I always felt that as long as your significant other knew and was at least comfortable enough with it not to freak out, things were good. Why tempt fate, and all the ugliness that may show itself now that you are seen as “different”. I help run a great little pagan group called Moon Path Pagans, so I was not exactly “in the closet”. I never really thought of it as hiding...

But I was hiding. Afraid. Wondering what would the guys at work say, would my friend “Joy” still talk to me, would this put a wall up between me and those I love.

Today I am “Coming Out”.  All the way out! Why?

On Monday, I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. If you do not know what that is, don’t feel bad, neither did I. If you have heard of it, you may know, it is the disease that killed comedian Bernie Mack and NFL player Reggie White. The American Lung Association describes sarcoidosis as a disease characterized by the presence of areas of inflamed cells that can attack any organ of the body but is most frequently found in the lungs. I have it in just my lungs...for now.

To say that Monday was an eye opener of a day, is an understatement. I was happy to finally have an answer to why, I had not felt like myself since the beginning of the year. I was short of breath, and had chest pain behind my breast bone. I always tired, with a continuous cough. Sounds like a run of the mill pneumonia. Most pneumonia gets better with antibiotics and some time. Mine didn’t. A few tests later and now my life is different.

I may go into remission and be fine, or I may get worse. What does this have to do with coming out as a pagan? All I know, is the control, I once had over my life is no longer mine and I have things to do! There is no time to fear. I am Pagan. And I don’t have the time to argue about it. :-)

All in a days work - Hot Dog Guy

I was sitting in my favorite place to run radar this afternoon when I saw a strange thing whiz by me!

I called out over the radio, "Dispatch,  I will be out with a hot dog on a motorized scooter with no helmet".

Dead silence.... after a few seconds the dispatcher stutters out "Ten-Four, location?" I give the location and I know every officer in the general area is headed my way to see what I am doing.

This young man was kind enough to give me permission to take his photo for the blog. He works down the street at the local hot dog stand and he dresses up once in a while for Kid's Night.

Ancestor Altar

Since the death of  Deputy Pill, death in general has been on my mind. Her funeral was three days ago.

I have had an ancestor altar in my home since my Grand-Father passed away.  I thought I would share a picture of my altar and talk a bit about what an ancestor altar is and what it means to me.


My altar is a old side table that my wonderful Pepere, had by his favorite lazy boy chair until he passed in April 2009. On my altar, are pictures of him and my Memere, who passed almost a year to the day after him, in April 2010. Small urns of their ashes adorn my altar, as well as two silver horses. I choose to have horse symbol, because they raised horses for almost 50 years. There is a candle for each of them, that is lit on their birth days and the anniversary of their passing. I light the candles on April 1st and they stay lit until the end of the month. I use real ones when someone is home and flame-less battery powered tea lights when we can't be home. My Pepere’s old cowboy hat is there too.

My altar is in a corner of my dining room because that is the central gathering spot in my home. The altar is a permanent year round addition to my home but as we get closer to Samhaim, it becomes a place of focus and reflection. I add an offering bowl and put in food that my Grandparents enjoyed. I go to it daily and speak to them as if we are just chatting on the phone. I ask for guidance in the coming year and ask them to watch over my children as they did when they were alive.


On the night of Samhain, my family gathers for dinner and a ritual. We light the altar candles and we leave a chair open for the departed and I recite this prayer;


This is the night when the gateway between
our world and the spirit world is thinnest.
Tonight is a night to call out those who came before us.
Tonight we honor our ancestors.
Spirits of our ancestors, we call to you,
and we welcome you to join us for this night.
We know you watch over us always,
protecting us and guiding us,
and tonight we thank you.
We invite you to join us and share our meal.
(Theses lovely words were written By Patti Wigington)


Then we sit down to eat, making up a plate for the ancestors and talk about our favorite memories of  our departed loved ones.

 An ancestor altar is very personal.  I will be looking for a metal star to place on the altar, in memory of Dep. Pill. She was not a part of my biological family but she was a part of my law enforcement family. A friend of mine has placed photos and toys of a beloved pet who passed, on her altar. There is no right or wrong way to set one up. The only warning I have is to never place a photo of the living on your ancestor altar.

My heart is aching

 Law enforcement is a family! And one of mine has been killed. She was more than a just a cop, she was a Mom, a wife, a grand-mother and a good person.

I had taken today off, so I could go with my youngest on his school's field trip to the zoo. My cell phone started go crazy, missed calls, text messages and emails. Friends and family frantic to find out if I was ok. The news was reporting a female officer was shot in the north end of the city that I patrol.

I called my Husband, a detective in the neighboring jurisdiction, trying to find out what had happened. He told me it was a Deputy from the Sheriff's Department and that it was most likely Barbara or another friend of ours, Dani. He wasn't sure but he would call me back soon. 

I called everyone to let them know I was fine, but I wasn't. I don't remember the rest of the field trip or coming home. I remember finding out for sure, that it was Barbara. 

My squad had captured the suspects, doing their jobs with precision and perfection, even though they were angry and grieving. I am so proud of them.

I am sad, angry, and numb all at the same time. Below are the details of the incident.

Deputy Sheriff Barbara Pill was shot and killed after stopping a vehicle near the intersection of John Rodes Boulevard and Elena Way, in Melbourne, shortly before 11:15 am. 

The vehicle was wanted in connection with a stolen property call from a local motel. As Deputy Pill made contact with the driver and ordered him out of the vehicle he opened fire on her, striking her multiple times. Responding deputies, Melbourne police officers, and Florida troopers chased the vehicle a short distance until it crashed on Turtlemound Road. A male and female subject in the vehicle were taken into custody and face charges in connection with Deputy Pill's murder.

Deputy Pill was transported to the Holmes Regional Medical Center where she succumbed to the gunshot wound.

Deputy Pill had been in law enforcement for 30 years and served with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office for 15 years and had served in law enforcement for 30 years. She is survived by her husband, two sons who also serve in law enforcement, and a grandchild. 

R.I.P and may the Gods sing songs of your valor!

‎''Hel, great goddess,
Guard of the spirits of the dead
Our friend Barbara has come to you now
As Barbara kneels before you, hel
know how much she was loved in this life
And how many she loved in return
Before she crossed over she was an honorable soul
A soaring spirit, a brave warrior
Watch over her, hel as she crosses the bridge
From this life to the next
And welcome her with honor and glory
So that she may live on forever
In our hearts and memories.''

 

A Not So Lazy Saturday!

So far, the March photo challenge has been pretty easy. I have been posting the pictures on Facebook. I will post them here at the end of every week, like a week in review.

This challenge got me thinking that I may start one of my own in April. A Pagan one! I have to give it some more thought, and today there is no time for that.

I have to take the 6 year old to his baseball game, hit the store, drop by The Herb Corner for a chair massage and grab a few stones and herbs for a Mojo bag, then off to the Central Florida Pagan Association office.

Tonight is our general meeting and I could not be more excited! I will be meeting some new people who are interested in joining! We have a great year of events planned already! The first one is a Past Life Regression class, then we are having our Auras photographed. If you live in the local area and are interested look for us on Facebook under Moon Path Pagans or our Website.

Work was not so good this week, as we had a small plane crash and all aboard were killed. My department did all it could but the damage was catastrophic. This is the first crash I have ever had to deal with as an officer. Hopefully, never again. I can't explain how it feels when we don't save someone. Even if we never had a chance, it still leaves a strange hole in your heart. Hug your loved ones close and send healing energy to the family of the victims.

March Photo Challenge

I saw a few people do this in February and thought it was a great idea. Here is the list for March... Join me!

What is a Pagan?

A hippie? A nature lover? A devil worshiper? A person who has a loose grip on the "real world" and likes to dress up and play witch? People have different opinions as to what a pagan is...

I have an opinion as well. I'm a Pagan!

Am I a hippie? No, but I like to wear tye dye t-shirts. Not really a pacifist either.

A nature lover? Yes, I like to hike and be anywhere outside.

A devil worshiper? Nope, sorry. I don't believe in the devil. Evil is inside everyone. I prefer to take responsibility for any evil I may do and not blame it on some cloven foot dude.

 My reality... I am a mother of three, married, own a home, have a dog, work as a police officer and a graphic designer. I attend my son's baseball and soccer games, act as a chaperone on field trips, and donate my time to worthy causes like Habitat for Humanity, my local animal shelter and food pantry.  So, I think I have a good grip on what is real. And I am really more of a jeans sort of girl. I've never worn ritual robes. 

When I turned 39 last June, I decided to make, sort of a bucket list. 40 things I would do before I turn 40. One of them was, I would write something, anything. So, I chose to write a blog about having one foot in the magic world and one in the mundane.

There is no set plan for the content. I may talk about work one day and my obsession with raising chickens when I retire, the next, who knows. One thing I will do, is photo challenges, every day in the month of March, so be prepared!

I'm a Pagan. Maybe I will start a campaign like the Mormons. Let me know if you would like to be featured on the blog's, I'm a Pagan section! :-)

Amber