Hi, folks!
It’s dim and grey outside, and nearly the forecast high of 52F. Branches are waving and leaves fluttering, and rain is sheeting across the yard. Well, the birds aren’t happy. They’re shoving and flapping at each other.
Wednesday’s garden time was just Tempus and me again. I started working on the window boxes, harvesting radishes and greens and planting more seeds. I did some picking up and then got my rolly stool, weeded somewhat around the base of the weigelia (that needs a *lot* more work) and started in on the edge of the pathway. When Tempus came out he started getting sand from the buckets that we’ve had for a while. I dug and pulled and dumped, walloping the pieces that were coming out to get the pebbles loose and gradually worked my way down the path to the driveway.
By that time, Tempus had finished emptying that one bucket of sand onto the part of the path that we worked on last time. Then he got a shovel, dug along the driveway to get the edge clean and then started working back along the curve of the path.
What we’re trying to do is get the grass out of the pathway and to discourage it from coming back. Even as hard-packed as the sand and gravel mix that I was digging in was packed, grass had rooted in it. We’re hoping that this rain today will wash the dirt back down in, so that the sand we’re putting on becomes the next layer as the gravel works its way to the top.
I turned and started on in the inside edge of the path, working my way up to the hydrangea, then around it, mostly pulling grass and sorrel, trying to get every bit, to give the succulents and bulbs around the base of the big plant a better chance to survive. After the effort of the pulling and digging *that* should have seemed a holiday, but by that time my hip sockets were screaming bloody murder. It would have been easier if they had disowned me and taken off to bed on their own! It was painstaking, fiddly work and I’m not all the way to the edge of the rose bed. I have more to do and we have more sand to put down, but that path is *way* better than it was.
I also showed Tempus, while nibbling dandelion leaves (yum!) the way to tell, close up, which were dandelions, which hawkweed and which were the other plants that we don’t want in the lawn. I’m going to have to go over that section relatively soon, with my weeding stick, but at least the pathway is almost done.
So, although I was tired, I was also saying, “OW!” off and on all of the night before last. Also being twitchy about the possibility of another large earthquake, because of all the little ones….well, I slept very badly, so yesterday morning I ran *way* late for getting the newsletter out.
I needed to be at the shop on time, since I had a counseling appointment set up. That ran until people started arriving for the Crone’s Tea, and *that* ran until the students were showing up for the Wicca 103 class! All of that went really well. Tempus ran errands late in the afternoon.
This morning we have one of the bank people coming in at 10am so we can get the last steps of transferring the shop bank accounts over to West Coast Bank from Bank of America. We’ll open at the regular time, although if someone comes in to browse before that, that’s fine.
We’ve got some sorting to do in the back, putting away some things into their “living space” on the shelves. We also have to see if we can get the crystals display finally counted. We’ll be there a little late tonight, closing when everyone gets there for Esbat.
The shop open at 11 today. Winter hours – Thursday through Monday, 11am-5pm. If we’re supposed to be closed, but it looks like we’re there, try the door. If it’s open, the shop’s open!
Love & Light,
Anja
***
Café Press Products from Ancient Light - http://www.cafepress.com/ancientlight Everything from T-shirts to pillows to coffee mugs to journals with witchy or just fun designs! I’ve added a bunch of products to the Happy Naked Pagan Dance design!
Spoonflower Fabrics - http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/coastalanja The newest designs are in the Bugs ‘n Slugs Collection. We have designs for sale in the Garden Collection and Mushroom Collection and the Pagan Collection is coming soon.
Our Circle’s site! http://www.ancientlight.info/circle/ Add things by e-mailing me here. mbartlett@harborside.com
***
Today
The Moon is a waning crescent - Waning Moon Magick - From the Full Moon to the New is a time for study, meditation, and magic designed to banish harmful energies and habits, for ridding oneself of addictions, illness or negativity. Hecate’s Brooch Phase lasts until 2:35am on Monday. Hecate’s Brooch – 3-5 days before New Moon – Best time for Releasing Rituals. It’s the last few days before the new moon, the time of Hecate’s Brooch. This is the time that if you’re going to throw something out, or sweep the floors, or take stuff to Good Will, do it! Rid yourself of negativity and begin the letting go process.
This is the time of year when, after dinnertime, the W pattern of Cassiopeia stands vertically on end high in the northwest.
Celtic Tree Month of Luis Rowan Jan 21 - Feb 17
Celtic Tree Month of Nuin/Nion Ash Feb 18 - Mar 17 - (NEE-uhn), ash
Goddess Month of of Bridhe, runs from 1/23 - 2/19
Goddess Month of Moura runs from 2/20 - 3/19
Runic half-month of Sigel, 2/12-26 It represents the power of the force of good throughout the world and is the harbinger of victory and ascendancy over darkness.
Sun in Aquarius
Moon in Capricorn
Mars Retrograde, Saturn retrograde
Color: White
Planting 2/17-18
*
****
*
©2012 M. Bartlett, Some parts separately copyright
*
****
*
