Apple Buck Season!

Ah, Autumn. My favorite season. Leaves show off their true colors, the wing grows cold, guiding plants and animals into hibernation as Winter stirs, and the harvest comes in off the fields, feeding us all through the cold months.

My dear friend Susan Stuart invited me to go apple-picking with her today, and I jumped at the chance! Farm fresh apples? Where do I SIGN?! We drove up to the farm of a friend of hers, and went to town. The trees were heavy with baking apples and yellow beauties. I filled my OVFF backpack tot he brim! And as I did, I could hear the trees rustle just a little more freely as the breeze blew in. The weight of the fruit they bore was heavy, and they seemed glad to be rid of it to us. these trees were old, at least 25 years, and we came home with bushels!

So, I decided it was time to try my hand at pie! I might go for apple butter next, but tonight, PIE. I had to go to the store anyway, so I quested off to get the extra ingredients I needed. There I was, scouring the isles, a knight in shining shopping cart in search of my pie-tin dragon! I'm fairly certain Eric is still laughing at me. Husbands, who knows?

The peeling and slicing took much longer than I anticipated, but it was worth it. I'd never worked with apples so FRESH before. This, my dear ones, is why I want apple trees of my own someday. To care for them, to watch their fruit grow and change color and begin to fall to the ground. To lighten their boughs before the frosts and start the process again in the spring with sweet apple blossoms. Yes, one day, I will have trees of my own.

But back to pie! I went for Dutch style since I have 2 tins, 2 pie crusts, and a TON of apples. Making the crumble topping was a little more than I bargained for, but with wooden spoon in hand I defeated my enemy! No butter would undo me! No flour would deter me ! I would have PIE!

Two of them, in fact. Indeed, husband and children were met with gooey goodness of hot apple pie, and I learned how the heck to make such a thing! All is well, my lovelies. all is yummy...

Three New Cirtters!

We've been so focused on getting ready for Detcon and recovering from Eric's injury, that I didn't see these two coming until I was furiously going at notecards with a sharpie. and so...

Sparkle

Sparkle lives in the far right cupboard
She's keeper of the tea
So when the kettle's boiling
You know just where she'll be

Never ask what's in your cup
If you're sick or feeling down
just know that once you finish it
you're sure to come around

For she always brews the tea you need
Black, Green, Sweet, or spice
So no matter which tea you choose
You'll never get the same once twice!

Orpheus

In the attic you'll find Orpheus
the oldest of our band
He's keeper of the stories
and the songs of the clan

Keep an eye to the oak out front
For a squirrel of purest white
He runs errands for Orpheus
But no one knows quite why!

At midnight you may hear a voice
Like dust on a gravel road
You may hear your name in a song
You're not sure how you know

This last one attacked me at work. I was knee-deep in a spreadsheet when WHAM! Lightning ax and cackle of DOOM...

Fauna

Little Fauna lives for storms
Be they snow or rain
Her axe always keeps her safe
When lightning comes to play

She spins around like a carousel
To a rhythm all her own
Her axe is sharp and jagged
And older than she knows

Static follows her everywhere
As she runs about the house
But her aim is true when scaring off
Every bug and mouse

10 Minutes At A Time

So, in trying to get my Mimsey back to where it used to play, I’ve decided to go back to a technique that has worked for me in the past, but that I haven’t used in nearly 5 years. Partly because my life has been so hectic, but also because I simply let the habit lapse. And indeed, habit is part of why it worked.

And yes, the hectic nature of my life is partly my own doing, but if we do not make time, how will we ever have time? (The only good thing to come out of the second Matrix movie) If 30 minutes can be spared, at the same rough time of day, who know what could happen? 3 10-minute bursts, 3 points of focus, 3 disciplines. I work in 3’s. It’s what I do.

• 1. Instruments. Nothing gets the juices flowing like picking up my Guinevere and Agnes (yes, my Mandolin’s name is Guinevere, and my Mandola’s name is Agnes). Doesn’t matter the song or tune, doesn’t matter if I’m doing solo practice and revisions or just screwing around, 10 minutes with an instrument in my hand. 1 instrument only. Splitting focus in a 10-minute span fractures the mind. 1 focus. 1 burst. Limited time, so I have to work hard to cram in the needed practice. This is separate from song-writing with Eric. This isn’t about creation. This is about maintenance.
• 2. Focused Meditation. This is the tricky one. This is the basis of previous study, but it also requires a quiet, uninterrupted environment. Tough to do when 2 kids and 2 cats are running about, but I have a plan. I have a basement with a finished room that rarely gets used right now. Instant sanctuary space. I’m surrounded by instruments; I need only set up the altar downstairs.
• 3. Free association writing. A single subject, a 10-minute burst of free writing. Anything goes, no sentence structure, no need to connect the thoughts, simply get them all down. 1 subject, every thought that comes to mind. A different subject every day. This was the basic technique used for my previous element work. 4 blog posts later….

I’ve decided to do my first series of writing subjects on the Tarot. I did a dry run on the major Arcana as a whole and it was…jumbled. I also tried doing the ace of each suit, but it just ended up a secondary rendering of my previous elemental works. I need fresh subjects, so off to each Major Arcana in turn! I have pulled my first three subjects: the Devil, the Moon, and The Wheel of Fortune. These are the three archtypes/concepts running through my brain for the next few days. This should be an interesting ride….

Scatter Shot: Ready, Fire, Aim…DUCK!

This spring has been a whirlwind, literally. The ups and downs have had G-Force behind them, and keeping up has been a real challenge. Well, Universe, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

First, I tore my left shoulder just weeks before FKO. Nothing serious, but enough to make my arm useless for a while. It was my first MRI, and holding still while stretching out my arm was mildly horrible. But I did manage to fall asleep, so it wasn’t a total nightmare.

Then there was FKO! My first FKO and my second trip to Canada, and I was ridculously excited. The Canadian border patrolman poked at me once, and I managed not to panic. He only poked at me because Eric was doing all of the talking, but overall he was fine. Completely unimpressed the carful of instruments, which was a relief.

FKO itself was a dream! We got to hang out with so many people that we hardly ever get to see. So many amazing songwriters, singers, and smiles. We got to sit about in ConSuite and swap stories with some old friends, and a few new ones! If you haven’t already, go on the hunt for Piers Cawley. He’s an incredible storyteller, and a brilliant singer. He does more traditional English/Irish folk music, but he’s also hysterically funny! And speaking of funny, Gorgeous Gary!! Filk Waif Extraordinaire!!

Seeing Sooj is always a joy, and being inspired by her is a treat onto itself. Two words: Hot McGonagall. Oh Yeah, I went there. But it's not my fault! Alexander James Adams, you know not what you have wrought. And this time Heather Dale and Ben Deschamps got to go to a home con! They actually got to go home every evening! Yay for them!

And holy cats in a basket, Copy, Red Leader!!! Go find them. Right now. I’ll wait, seriously, GO NOW. Worth every second! I missed their concert, but their album is amazing!

On the way home, I wrote one of the crudest, most hilarious lists that I have ever written. “You might be a Redneck Submissive…” Yes, it’s both as funny and as bad as it sounds. The idea for the 4th album also decided to come racing into the 12 ½ hour roadtrip home. Not complaining!

Then came the real-life whirlwind: the tornados. Waking up to the tornado sirens is never fun. Half asleep, we stumbled downstairs, calling to the cats who were already quite scared. We checked the weather stations, we still had power. The funnel cloud wasn’t close enough to panic and it was moving away. We stayed up another 30 minutes to make sure that the next squall line wasn’t going to yield a similar wake-up. The cats snuggled up close to feel safe as the wind howled. We went back to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. I laid awake, listening to the rain, counting the second between the lightning and thunder. Both cats lay over my legs, twitchy but lovey. As the storm drifted off, so did I.

Then 2 weeks ago, I got a serious curveball. One of my medications changed. My pharmacy changed which generic they used for my prescription. Oh, great.

PSA: if your pharmacy ever changes your generic medication, WATCH YOURSELF. Inform your family, inform those closest to you so they can keep an eye on you, and keep an eye on yourself. The pharmacy tells you it’s the same medication. Sometimes, it’s really, really not. One ingredient change, however benign, can make all the difference. This is a known issue when it comes to birth control pills, but in anti-depressants, MAOI’s, and a handful of other medications it can also be an issue.

Anyway, it took 5 days for me to adjust to my new meds. It may as well have been a dosage change. Eric and I agreed that if I didn’t see improvement in a week, I was going back to the Doctor. Last time this happened, I couldn’t sleep for almost a month. Thankfully, this time the manic subsided and I’m back to essentially normal.

But I still feel, energetically, like the flow that once ran a certain course is splashing every which way. I feel like a constant shotgun blast of energetic who-ha. A scatter-shot mess, no less powerful but much less controlled than it once was. It'as almost like a waterfall hitting a HUGE boulder int he side of a cliff and sending water flying in every direction as opposed to simply falling naturally. One external stimulus too many, and my brain scatters into attention marbles, rolling all over the place. Yay for beiung a human claymour mine!

And I know what one of the other main issues is. After this winter, it’s going to take time to recover. Eric and I both took a beating these past few months, and we’ve come out the better for it, but no less exhausted. but the healing has begun. even now, I can feel the sprouting of new growth slowly expanding. These next several weeks will be a healing balm of warm sunlight, pool time, and songwriting. The stories are coming. The songs are coming. And then there’s Hot McGonagall and Kaiju (that's right, I said KAIJU), but that’s another tale…

Farewell, My Niñera

This weekend, I was given some of the worst news I’ve had all year. My niñera, the amazing Latina lady who babysat my sister and me when we were wee small, Mrs. Emma, had died. She died two years ago this month of a stroke. She was in her 90’s and feisty to the very end, which makes me happy. Losing her is hard, but it reminds me of so many amazing and wonderful times in my life.

To this day, my sister and I argue over who gave whom the chicken pox. Hint: it was Lexie. Her class got them first, showed symptoms first, and though I showed spots first, it’s because I was younger and had a less developed immune system. Anyway, Lexie and I ended up quarantined in Mrs. Emma’s back bedroom. Away from the rest of the family, away from her grandkids so we didn’t contaminate the planet. For a week, we were under quarantine, and it was more fun than it should have been, all because of her.

Mrs. Emma grew her own peppers in her garden out back. She grew peppers so hot, when she dried them over her stove, nowhere was safe. Every breath of air in her house burned. It took my father one deep breath to become accustomed to the burning air in Mrs. Emma’s house. My mom took a little longer, but not much. Lexie and I were in agony, and my father had only one thing to say: “It’s good for you.” And yeah, it was.

Mrs. Emma cooked for us, and her cooking was just as hot as her peppers might make you think. It was also some of the most amazing stuff on earth. I’ve never tasted its equal, and believe me, I’ve looked. I’ve never met her equal, either. She is the reason why I LOVE hot food. She's the reason I can eat pickled jalenpeños straight out of the jar. She is a big part of why I love vindaloo. And it's not just the hot peppers of her garden. She, just like my mother, insisted that we try new things.

I didn’t get to say goodbye, not really. But I know she knew. She always knew.

Thanks, Mrs. Emma. Thanks for everything.

Music, Magic, and Bread

After discovering my family’s Jewish heritage, one of my goals became perfecting the art of Challah. With decades of baking experience and practice, I figured it wouldn't be terribly hard. But I’d never made bread before, and this one fought me! My first batch was an overall success, though I did have to sacrifice a dishcloth during the rising process. My second try was better. I went from one enormous loaf to two smaller ones. Another dishcloth sacrifice, and two successful loaves. Next up, it’s time for turban challah! One large one with golden raisins, and as many tiny dinner-roll -sized ones as a single batch will yield. My given understanding made it work, but I still had a doughy fight on my hands…literally!

Natural ability is one of the great nibblet treasures in life, but it can only take one so far. It’s something I’ve lived on for a good chunk of my life. The music my mother gave me is strong, but it took years to master the violin. After my jaw broke down, converting that knowledge to the Mandolin took time. The frustration of it was strong, though thankfully my stubborn streak remains stronger. I was put off slightly by my own bafflement at guitar. Merging the knowledge prior to that blockage with what I knew of violin became an even greater challenge. I’d never had success with picks before now. Thankfully, my husband is a good and patient teacher.

This same principle, I’ve found, applies to the magics in my life. They require practice and nurturing, much like bread. The ingredients are all there, but how they are combined is essential. The energies that we allow into our lives are as important as what we do with them. For bread to rise, the circumstances must be right. The energies of our lives flow best when we are surrounded by that which we love, respect, and honor. A place of stillness and quiet, with just the right amount of movement. Be that music, drums, or simply the sound of our own breathing. This blog was built for some of that rising process.

Once risen, the dough must be kneaded, shaped into that which will bake best. Energy by itself is much like raw talent. It takes many forms, and can do so much by itself. But shaped, studied, learned from, it can be a tool that allows us insight, shows us what we are truly capable of. And once the shape has been taken, only trial by fire will do. That which is worthy survives. That which is not, burns and make your kitchen stink for a week. And can make your spirits smell just as burnt.

And in the end, the result is the same. Nourishment requires nourishing. Now, time for more flour-packed fun!

Winter is GOING...

So, it’s been quite a while for anything new to come bubbling up here. There’s good reason for that, as some of you who follow me on Facebook have gathered over the past months. A brief recap:

Album Release

I got sick
New job! (same company, got promoted, LOTS more work)
Eric got pneumonia (more on this later)
Complete block on songwriting
Eric finally got better
Birthday!
Spring arrived, not a moment too soon
Writing a Musical! (and by writing I mean the concept was that of Susan Weiner, I’m just doing the blocking and dialogue and stage plot)
New baby! (no, not mine)

….so yeah, it’s been a little busy in the wonderful world of Lizzie.

Album Release

Windycon was amazing. I got to see so many people that I haven’t seen in ages, and got to celebrate the marriage of two people who honestly could not be more perfect for one another. They’re ridiculously cute, and it brightens me up a little every time I think of them.

The CD release for “Crowes and Consequences” went off without a hitch, and out concert that Sunday was a whirlwind of Eric on many instruments, Andy’s puns of DOOM, Jason holding down the low end, Justin giving us one half of a serious heartbeat, Beth Kinderman -the other half of that killer beat- and I taking bets on how long we could survive this sausage fest, and me ducking to make sure that the careening maniacs around me didn’t take off my head in mid-verse!

Writing a Musical!

Susan Weiner is evil in all the best ways. She’s put together one doosey of a musical concept involving Cheshire moon songs telling the story of a fairytale princess turned baddass. I’ve gotten the stage plot and dialogue finished at long last, and it’s going to be EPIC. We’re hoping to feature this at WindyCon 2014, so stay tuned!

I got sick

I don’t get sick that often, but like so many things in my life, nothing is down by halfs. The epicness of my sickness was surpassed only by how badly I wanted to do laundry while I was at home. Eric, after making fun of me wildly, put the kibosh on that most soundly. It turned out that on top of it all I was mildly anemic, which further complicated things and left me exhausted.

New job!

I was approached several times over several weeks by 2 manages in my company regarding the work that I do because I’m the person who did it the most. They were worried about risk issues, which I illustrated. Then I got called down to the principal’s office. My first thought, of course, was that I was getting canned. So, sweating mortars, I sat down and was promptly told that not only was I not being fired, I was being promoted. YAY…. Until the job was put out in front of me and I realized just how screwed I was about to become.

Eric got pneumonia

Eric and I got bronchitis at about the same time. His expanded into full blown pneumonia, even though he was feeling a bit better. He actually went to his GP for an issue he was having with his hands. His doctor heard his breathing and immediately sent his off for a chest Xray. If Eric had waited even a couple of days, he likely would have been hospitalized. He came close more than once over the course of the next 6 weeks. That’s right, 1 ½ months of battle royale against lung infection. He had sleeping issues, coughing fits that left him in pain, and a wife who spent every waking moment and many sleeping hours in a perpetual state of worry/fear.

This is by far what wore me out the most this winter. Not the storms which dumped foot after foot of snow on us, not the new job that had my head cracking at the seams with new data, but knowing that my husband was out of my physical reach for hours every day and miserable as a man can get outside of a Vogan poetry reading. He missed a total of 3 weeks of work, sapping us both.

It’s difficult to put into words how scared I was. This is one of those time when knowing the statistics of how often people die of something was NOT helpful in the slightest. And of course my brain decided right then was the time to get mean about, well, EVERYTHING. Eric would rally and relapse, and I would be on the world’s most unforgiving rollercoaster. I’d just found my soulmate, and I had to cart him off to the ER not once by TWICE. And of course, it only stressed him out more to worry about me, which stretched out his recovery time. Yay, vicious cycle.

His lungs cleared, so I was able to breathe for about 2 days before the pneumonia came back. I didn’t cry until we got home. I was quite proud of myself. It felt very much like jumping from the frying pan into a boiling kettle. The relapse news hit me harder than the initial diagnosis, and even though the second round was not nearly as big a problem as the first, I had been so frayed for so long that I simply couldn’t avoid cracking, if only a little. I felt horrible for doing so, because this wasn't about me by any means, and I tried so hard to refocus and make sure Eric was taken care of, but the wonderment of my brain wouldn’t let it die. My brain kept dancing around singing “I’m going to think up the worst possible scenarios and play them out in your head one by one JUST BECAUSE!” Thanks, brain. Thanks a heap.

And, to be perfectly honest, I was reluctant to share any of this at the time because the people who responded to these posts most had more medical advice than the ER Nurses, and were MORE THAN HAPPY to share it regardless of their lack of medical training/experience. Instead of being supportive, people wanted to make themselves look smart and feel important. I simply didn’t have enough cope in stock to deal with them with any kind of tact, so I just stopped talking.

Complete block on songwriting

Which left me with nothing as far as songwriting. Eric kept throwing more and more and more bits of music at me, good pieces that deserved to be paired into songs, but I simply had nothing. Nothing in my brain would get past the worry over Eric’s barely stable health, the contact barrage of snow, and work stress, I simply had nothing left. We couldn’t keep the driveway OR the front walk clear to save our lives this year, it was awful. And all the worse for a man barely recovering enough blood oxygen to have equilibrium. I could almost hear things around the edges as exhausted sleep finally kicked in my door every night, but it never lasted long enough to become something other than a forgotten dream.

Eric finally got better

Eventually, through slow going and easy steps and antibiotics and steroids and everyone in my life trying to keep me from freaking out, Eric made the trek back. The cough still sounded like a huge dog with a frog in its throat, but there was less and less behind it. And as the cough subsided, as he slept easier, I slept a little easier, wasn’t quite as drawn. February came to a close, and so did much of my anxiety.

Birthday!

Is it that time already? Honestly, my birthday snuck up on me this year. And Eric, being the amazing husband he is and having seen me fray and resew and then refray and cauterize the seams of my existence in the previous months, decided to surprise me. BBC adaptations of Jane Austin books! Luckiest. Crowe. EVER. All the kids popped over for my birthday party, consisting of good pizza and ice cream cake and games and tons and tons of laughter. Works for me.

My birthday was capped off with a banger of a Cheshire Moon show in Chicago with our wandering fiddler, Susan! It was so nice to see her settled and happy, and she TORE IT UP at the show. We stayed an extra day in Chicago to see an equally fabulous show by three Fifths at Life Force Arts center. I knew then that spring had sunk in and taken hold of me as three paintings there poked at me for songs. They even gave me melody lines. We headed back home, and little by little….

Spring arrived, not a moment too soon

…finally. A handful of false starts and flurries and deceptive meteorologists later, spring finally arrived. And as the earth slowly woke, so did I. Ok, it felt like coming back from the dead more than simply waking, but as the birds came home, the geese started finding nests, and the rabbits started chasing each other around, I could feel my gears unlocking, creaking to life once more.

New babies! (no, not mine)

Two new additions to the extended family! One human, and one not. A pair of local filkers here in DSM welcomed a new foal just days ago. He’s not even 2 weeks old and he’s on his feet and wobbling around. He’s auburn with a white star on his forehead. The cute is lethal.

Another young man made his appearance at length. My older sister’s best friend, and one of my dearest friends in the world, gave birth to her first child just 2 days ago. He’s the most adorable little blueberry ever, and he could not be in more loving hands. Fairy Godmother Brigade, ASSEMBLE!!!

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So yeah, life’s been just a TINY bit off the rails, but back into the green and the black, the better pieces of conscienceless. Old projects are poking back out for new work; new works are sprouting up, getting ready to flower. Now, if only I could get my shoulder to stop hurting every time I try to lift my left arm, I’ll be set!

What a harvest!!

The last 3 months have been a whirlwind of challenge, projects, and gratitude. I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to post, but it’s been quite a ride.

Back in Late July/early august, we started the IndieGoGo crowd funding for the second album. We wanted to try and get it done before the kidlets started school. Right around the time of MuseCon, the first weekend in August, we were barely 1/3 of the way to our goal. With only about 10 days left, we realized that we likely wouldn’t make our goal, so we booked a half dozen or so shows for the month of September (when we originally wanted to record the album).

That’s when the magic happened. In the next 10 days, not only did we make our goal, thanks to the brilliant help of amazing friends and family, we actually exceeded our goal! But in so doing, that meant that we would have to perform at these shows along with recording the album by October 1^st if we wanted to get it off to print in time.

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We got together the song list, and each song had a list of needed parts to be done. We got together with the always amazing Donna Miller, and got this wagon rolling. 2 pagan prides, 1 long night of recording bass and drum tracks, 1 Water Dragon Festival, several nights of vocal and overdub acrobatics, 1 night at Stam, 1 frantic weekend of recording a fiddler, and two small shows later, we managed to get the album done JUST in time. All the while, I’m pumping out Daleks faster than I ever have before! I almost have the pattern memorized at this point.

Then along came the CRITTERS! Matt Hawk did such an amazing job putting our Critters on paper. We cannot thank him enough.

Then in flew Shawna Jaquez with her perfect interpretation of us in album art form. She’s roomed with us at a couple cons, seen us in action several times, and captured the madcap perfectly. All together, it made the perfect package for our music, and we are so grateful.

The first weekend of October brought Archon, and it was amazing. Between the incredible costuming, the amazing music and seeing so many faces that we’ve missed, it was stellar. Also a special thanks to Matthew for recording our show! He does amazing work, by the way. The new music was incredible, too1 Between the Unusual Suspects, Three Fifths, Toyboat, and Mark and Valerie’s new duo, it was fantastic. And congratulations to Mike Nixon and Cathy McManomon for winning the Songwriting contest! Both your songs still bounce through my head now and then.

After that, it was a mad dash to get everything recorded for the Bonus disc. We ended up cutting one song, much to my disappointment. But we’re still going to do that song, and it’ll go up on Bandcamp as the B-side to the version of Disenchanted that we recorded with the always effervescent Amy McNally. Once we get them both done, that track will be up on Bandcamp, and all proceeds for that will go to InterFilk.

Speaking of Interfilk! We got the bonus disc finished just in time for OVFF! All the hugs!! All the amazing music!! Congratulations to Cat Faber for writing the most amazing piece of music I have heard in a long while. The Tricky Pixie Concert was full of zombie conga lines, waltzing, tango, and of course the slaying of an alligator. Please tell me someone has pictures…

Betsy Tinney brought a roomful of people on a journey of musical watercolor bliss. Alexander James Adams, as always, was a Green Man with a fiddle on fire. I got to harmonize with the beautiful SJ Tucker on Cheshire Kitten, and then managed not to SOUND like I was shaking during the Songwriting contest. Once again, GO, CAT FABER!!!

We stayed for the Dead Dog, filled with Cello and until we were in fact dead. We headed home to find 2 boxes full of OUR NEW CD!! We spent the next 2 nights burning the Bonus discs, stuffing and addressing packages, and laughing at my inability keep the cats off the table (it’s a chronic condition. I would seek help, but this is so much more fun!). The first round of packages headed out the door, followed only a couple days later by round 2. Daleks were packaged with Critters, and soon everything was on its way, except was going to be delivered at WindyCon.

Then off to Windy we went! WindyCon holds a very special place in my heart. It was the con where I first sang in a filk circle, and it was the first time Eric heard me sing. And with the exception of a serious moment of drama, this weekend was amazing. Our CD release party featured some of my favorite faces, everyone got their packages, and thanks to a last-minute change in my office, we got to stay an extra day! Another wondrous Dead Dog, especially when we got to come together for “By My Side” from the musical Godspell. Thank you, Becca Leathers. You’re my favoritest Becca Leathers EVERS!!!

And congratulations to Heather and Raven! Seeing that goofy grin on Raven's face is one of the best things ever. May you always be as happy as you are right now.

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And now we are home for almost 2 months. I’m making my last Dalek for a Yule present, then I’m done for a while. The second and third harvests have gone, and now we settle in for the winter months, filled with evergreen boughs, spiced cider, and chosen family. Thank you all so much for your laughter, your smiles, and your unending support. Enjoy the holy days! Or even just the snow!

Holy Critter Crackers, Batgirl!

The Critters are coming! The Critters are coming!

Our second album, Crowes and Consequences, is coming right along. We've gotten all the base tracks done, and Susan's due in today to do her bits!

But now! Now, we have the first bits of our infamous Critters! Take a look!

Dust Bunny:
Dust bunny is our Captain
He keeps us all in line
And he always keeps his watch tight
As he is keeper of our Time

He runs us forward backward round
Til every deed is done
Then makes sure we all have a perfect
Seat to watch the fun

He makes us laugh, he makes us growl
He keeps us fit to stalk and howl
And he always keeps the sharpest eye
Beneath his heather cowl


Magdalen T. Shrout:
Back in the coat closet
You’ll find Magdalen T. Shrout
And whenever there’s a party
That’s when she’s about

She nicks the gloves folks leave behind
But not just on a whim
She unravels the woven ones
And knits them up again

For Magdalen makes all the clothes
For Dust Bunny and his band
So if you’re ever at these parties
Go ahead, give her a ‘hand’


Buttonhole:
Buttonhole is the shy one
Some doubt that she exists
But if you leave out lemon peel
She simply can't resist

She rearranges everything
From shells to spoons to stone
And where you'll find the shampoo next
Only Buttonhole knows

The spirit house upon the shelf
Is where she makes her home
and if any try to talk to her
She says,"I want to be alone."


Ferrigard, the Yule Critter
When the Christmas tree comes
Firrigard comes to life
He swings about like Tarzan
from the ornaments and lights

He reties all the ribbons
Into impossible bows
And he loves to play matchmaker
By moving the Mistletoe

He spices all the cider
whether you want it or not
And he nips just a spoonful
Just as long as its hot


Pickles:
Pickles got left in the fridge one day
He never did that again
But he earned his name and used it well
To our sweet lady’s ends

Though the scent of dill does follow him
To table, hall and toaster
Believe me when I tell you
What he does is never kosher

He sings the ice in cups to crack
He whistles cats to pounce
And he’s the one who makes the glasses
Not break, but bounce


Esler:
You're lucky if you see young Esler
More than once or twice
She's light of foot with foxie ears
And a nose for every spice

Whenever peppers are hung to dry
It always make her bolder
So never mind when you hear a rattling
In the wooden spoon holder

The frying pan is her pride and joy
Cast iron, perfect for eggs
But don't forget to wash it out
Or she'll throw beans at your head!

Taka:
Taka looks like an old librarian
From Victorian Hyde Park
But don’t let the bouffant fool you
Those fangs are razor sharp

She loves the wing chimes in the hall
And collects fresh water shells
And ourlady has stopped wondering
Why the books reshelve themselves

They all go back in order
Each volume in its place
But if you put one back wrong
She just might eat your face


Whizzer:
Whizzerlives in the bathroom sink
Not underit, in the drain
He moved in when she replaced the floor
And never moved out again

He blesses all the band-aids
He sleeps with his helmet lit
He tunnels through the garden
To make the seeds all fit

He’s brown with dirt and minty fresh
He’s quick with a pebble, too
So careful of the flowers
Or you’ll find one in your shoe

Masters of Library Science

So, Eric and out went out to Conflikt last January by train. On our way there, we came across a couple going to a Librarians convention. Before we finished our first full day on the train, I wrote a song that had these two library buffs crying with laughter. Here's why....


Masters of Library Science

When you walk into a con hotel
Or a comic book store
There’s art and plot and figurines
And geekery galore

You try to take it in
Cause there’s so much to see and do
But you better move aside
Cause there’s a geek girl coming through!

I know more about Dune than you
Sarcastic, almost crass
Walking ‘round con in a corset
Doesn’t mean that I won’t kick your ass

It means that I’m a geek girl
A brown coat, thru and thru
I’m a Whovian, a Trekie and a
Klezmer filker, too!

Our steampunk guns all started out
As phasers long ago
BA in Anthropology
And I’m good at saving throws

We hold ritual with sonic
screwdrivers instead of wands
Then afterward watch
Battlestar Galactica ‘til dawn

I collect stripey knee socks
And I’m a furrie, yes it’s true
But panda ears won’t save you
When I make things go BOOM!!

Because I’m a geek girl
and I don’t need to be saved
With my companion cube in hand
I aim to misbehave!

I’m as delicate and fragile
As a porcupine in heat
And if Magic is your game of choice,
Prepare for your defeat

I’ve got Life of Brian memorized
And every song from Buffy
And about the plush Cthulhu
Well...I can’t help it! He’s so FLUFFY!

So if you see me coming, ladies
Come join me in my quest
To show the geek boys that we’ve got
What it takes to pass the test

Because we’ve been here watching
Fangirls across the world
And when we do take over
You’ll be ruled by GEEK GIRLS!!


For all the girls out there who've ever had to show the boys how it's done.

Princessa Trifecta

Over the past few months, I've been rather obsessed with fractured faerie tales. Twisting and folding the old tales into new shapes, for better and for silly. And out of the snowball fight sprang three Disney Princesses who were VERY tired of being supporting cast members in their own stories.

Snow White: The witchling that walked away from the crown to find her own path of pretty poison.

Rapunzel: Gives up waiting to be rescued, cuts her hair, dyes it purple, hits the road to anywhere.

Sleeping Beauty: Maleficent kills the only family she's ever known. Armed with the power given her the three faeries that taught and protected her, she takes her vengeance.

As my lovely husband put it: Discordian Disney. So cometh the storm...

Depression, energy work, and dams

A very dear friend of mine, who shall remain nameless until he gives me permission to do wotherwise, asked a very pertinent question today. He has been dealing with the lovely effects of bi-polar disorder, and was looking for input on the eternal question: 'To medicate, or not to medicate?' This, I know from something.

'I have been living with the side effects and fun times of bi-polar disorder since the age of 11. Yes, the highs and lows do get worse as you age, but that has more to do with cellular degradation in the synaptic nerves than anything else, which is completely normal and happens to everyone. The only thing that I can say is that LIGHT meds are your friend. Heavy meds can lead eventually to the shakes of nervous system breakdown. And the shakes CAN be avoided if you keep to light meds and monitor your potassium intake.

Find what lets you quiet your head. The voices, all of whom are yours but run around like 'A Funny Thing Happen On The Way To The Forum on MUSHROOMS' most days and nights, can get overwhelming. Meds take the edge off, but YOU have to find what lets your grounded center spin and organize the flow of energy. Because it's your energy, keep in mind. People with these kinds of disorders tend to have a hole in their dam (the dam that lets you control the energy flow of your being). We get hit with waves. Some awesome, some drowning. You have to build your banks to withstand the flow, but not so much that the flow backs up into a stagnant quagmire. It IS manageable. and who knows, there may come a time when you CAN be off meds. I only went back on because of a series of additional long-term stressers in my life that pushed personal buttons. Before that, I was free of meds for several years and was perfectly comfortable. It CAN happen, but finding an equilibrium before weening off is a good plan, too.'

It's a fine line to walk, that much is certain. It's a rough road, that's certain, too. But then you get covered in a tidal wave of rainbow punch, and it feels better.

Earth

Earth is the great resting place. The place of peace, or tranquility, of balance, or focus, the culmination of the other elements, together forming the perfect framework for life itself.  The Earth is the element of stillness, of fertility, and of growth.

The Earth is looked upon my many cultures as not only a woman but a mother. The Great Mother to all, the mother earth. Often, the Mother Earth is accompanied by the Sky Father, the brother Fire, and the sister Water. The great Rocks of the earth is seen as the bones of our bodies, the water becomes the blood in our veins, the wind becomes breath in our lungs, and the fire in our hearts is our passion, our very life. The Earth is the beginning and the end of the circle. The Earth mother gives us life, and to her we return when we are buried. We return to her every if we are burned, for scattered ashes still break down into the earth and are recycled into nutrients needed for the growth of plant life.

Volcanoes bring the oldest of rock to the surface of the earth, rock and dust and pieces of stars that haven’t seen light since the dawn of our world. Volcanoes are unstoppable, and the only thing anyone can do is get out of the way, but afterward they bear the most fertile soil. Nutrients and minerals necessary for life, renewed and spread out so that life can continue. Mother Nature’s menstrual cycle. Pyroclastic clouds can travel near to 700 km/h, and they are just the heralds of the full eruption. And I thought MY PMS was bad!

Earth is the most tangible, visible part of our lives. It is our home, it is the essence of home, or shelter, and of strength. It is held as the element of Winter and of darkest night. The caves of our world hold no light from the outside. They hold a deeper darkness than the night sky. That is also why (according to the Northern European pagan traditions) this is the element of the North, the coldest, darkest of places during the winter.

Trees are used in nearly every form of divination and spiritual work. From the wood used for runes and ogham fews, to the paper used for tarot card. Wands and staves used in ritual, the wooden handles of swords, the oak branches on which are hung buckets for hauling water for the cauldron.

Earth is where things grow. But in order to grow, roots must run deep and take a strong hold. Not too strong, because if roots grip too tight, they can’t grow to new places. Branches must reach up high and wide to take in the sun. they should not grow beyond what is sustainable, but their strength can stand against the harshest wind, even flood.

Earth is represented by the pentagram, the 5 pointed star leading from the 4 main elements to the fifth. Life itself. Earth, being the stage for the play of life, is represented by one of the oldest, simplest symbols for balance, and leads directly into the next level of thinking: life itself. Its meaning, its complexity, its simplicity, its very existence.

But it’s not all tree hugging. To be stuck in earth is to be sedentary, to be unmoving, unyielding, a creature of circular logic resulting in inaction, the opposite of fire. But indeed the earth is not entirely motionless. In fact, the core of the earth is ever in motion, even if that motion is slow and steady. Sometimes, however, that motion is quick, and powerful. An earthquake can cause destruction like no other. When balance is tipped and the scale leans, the ground itself can split and crumble. If personal balance is upset, it can disturb every aspect of our lives.

Earth is a feminine element along with Water. The masculine elements are Air and Fire.

Water

Water is the element of emotion, empathy, and compassion. The ebb and flow of emotional states, ranging as wide and as deep as any ocean. Water is the place for coping mechanisms, defense mechanisms, the realm of self-preservation in the face of stress. The face of stress itself, for the ocean can be as perilous as it is beautiful and life-giving. A hurricane is equally as beautiful as a sandy beach, and in the eyes of Water, they are the same.

The cleansing element, represented by the cauldron. A vessel, not the actual liquid. Because a cauldron can be filled with anything, as we have the capacity to feel anything, from the harshest rage to the tenderest love to the most ardent joy. Water can overwhelm as much as give life. Our bodies are 80% water, but we can still drown. With the balance of logic, or rationality, emotion becomes a tidal wave from which there is no escape.

Water is as present in our lives as the rain. Water is held as the element of the Autumn and Twilight. Twilight  causes more accidents on roadways than any other time of day because of the liminal space it produces every single day. Autumn is the time of harvest, or plenty, and of reflection as we look forward to the cold of winter. It is a time of aging, as the year begins to wane. It is in the time that Northern European traditions begin the new year. For as the earth dies, as the trees lose their leaves and become bare as old bones, they celebrate the gestation of a new year, as a mother awaits the coming of her child. As the sun sets int he west, we know that it will rise again in the East, where Air begins the cycle again.

Oceans ebb and flow with the whim of a single outside force: the moon. Emotions react to stimulus in this way, ever shifting, ever changing. Unmoving water stagnates, becomes filled with all kinds of things that grow and rot and allow other nasty things to breed and fester. Flowing water remains clean, clear and able to shift around obstacles and traumas. Still water allows for reflection, but water must move in order to remain clean. The ebb and flow of motion and stillness.  Even ice moves, glaciers cutting away at landscapes over hundreds of years. Even in solid state, water in nature continues to move.

Water is also used to reflect, both within and without. Water is nature’s mirror, showing us not only what we know, but what is around us that we may not. Water has been used by seers for millennia for this very reason. Water revitalizes the body, clears the mind with it’s thick waves and it’s floating stillness. Water, much like fire, is an equalizer, but it is a fickle as the wind itself. A single particle of anything placed into water will affect the boiling and freezing points of water. Water itself cannot be compressed. When it freezes, it expands instead of shrinks, the opposite of every other molecule. Emotions, if repressed and bottled up, eventually explode.

But it’s not all water parks and ocean jaunts and mermaids. To be stuck in water is to be a creature entirely of emotion without rationality, without logic, the opposite of air.

Water is a feminine element, along with Earth. The Masculine elements are air and Fire.

Fire

Fire is the element of action, reaction, passion, movement, and light. Fire is represented by the wand or staff, the wooden stick, the catalyst of reaction, the focus of action.

Fire establishes our priorities. It applies to the basest of our instincts. The earliest of humans feared fire because they saw it only for its destructive force. Fire is by far the most reactive of elements, since it is in fact a chemical reaction. Fire is the very essence of action. It roars, it whispers, it cracks and sparks and flies, brings light to the farthest corners of any darkness.

Fire holds many sacred places in our lives. Fire is held as the element of Summer, and the full daylight. The heat of the sun bears down and warms the earth so that everything can grow and bear fruit. It is held in the South, where (according to the traditions of the Northern European pagans) the sun is warmest, toward the equator. We must always remember that the stars burn with the same ferocity of our own sun.

Fire is as destructive as it is a tool to create. Fire, like passion and anger, must be controlled or it will spiral into a destructive force like so other. Fire shows us the consequences of our actions. It shows us, without mercy, that every action has a reaction, and if we are to act, we must always understand what affect we will have on others, on our world, on ourselves. We, as living beings, have more power than any scientist can extrapolate, though quantum physics is slowly catching up. It takes more energy to excite molecules than it does to cool them, to slow them down. It takes more humanity, more energy, and more life to act than it does to stand still. Stillness has it's place, stillness is necessary  but that's the reason why Earth, the element of balance and stillness, is the opposite of Fire. Fire must be balanced, or the forest of life will go up.

Fire is the very essence of motion, and inspires not only dance but art of every kind. It led mankind out of our caves, giving us warmth and light to find out way in the unknown darkness. The fires of the forge gave us tools, broadened our understanding of matter, and led to the further exploration of our world through horseshoes and wagon wheels, cars and planes, and eventually, the space shuttles that ferry us to space and home again. The light of a single candle can help create the works of Shakespeare, or it can be the bonfire that lightens the feet of tribal dancers across the globe. On the end of a stick, it can bring light and warmth to one family after another. On the end of a string, spun high and low, round and round, it can bring wonder to even the more rigid of hearts.

But again, it’s not all dancing and spinning. To be stuck in fire is to be wholly reactionary, without balance or focus, the opposite of earth. And a lack of fire means a lack of heat, and therefore a lack of life.

Fire is a masculine element, along with Air. The feminine elements are Water and Earth. 

Air

Air is the realm of logic, the realm of rational thought, the realm of sequence and separation. Here lay the spreadsheets, the number sequences, the mathematics of our lives, the very essence of the pristine and meticulous. Air is where things begin, in the continuously moving recesses of thought. Here begin intention, planning, plotting, and analysis. Air’s opposite is Water, the realm of emotion. Air is represented by the knife or sword, which directly connects to the separating, cataloging logical mind. Air is the lightning strike of inspiration  followed by the flame of action.

Many things within out daily lives fall into the realm of Air. Air is considered the element of Spring, and the Dawn, the place of beginnings. It is held in the East, where the Dawn emerges, to begin the day.

However, it’s not all wonderment and breezy hillsides perfect for cloud-gazing. To be stuck in Air is to be detached from emotion (water, being the opposite of air), to be so caught in the thought process that action is not taken. But you can’t think your way out of an emotional state, which is how the opposite applies.

Also, if you think about what wind can do, wind uncovers that which is buried. It takes time, and it takes meticulous work for something as insubstantial as the very air we breathe to move something. But if left to its own devices, it can also whip up a tornado, a force that simply cannot be stopped by the hands of anything but physics. Physics, one of the most cerebral of all sciences, is the best tool to use when trying to pull apart this phenomenon. And yet, nothing can stand in its way unscathed. Wind can bring a mountain to dust as it has done with Uluru, the great rock of Australia, or it can hum the most silent of places into life, like the great Singing Dunes of Death Valley in the US.

Wind sings with a voice like no other, it bites in heat and in cold, and without it, there can be no life as we know it. The very air we breathe becomes our own voice, and it carries our words as far as it can. No wonder Air is the realm of thought and intention. Our words become that intention, that focus of our thoughts. The wind in our words lets us communicate ideas. Words themselves are as precise and meticulous as any math problem; no wonder air must be used in order to bring them out.

Air is a Masculine element, along with Fire. The Feminine elements are Water and Earth.

Meditation Thoughts - Elemental

So, I'm doing a four part series on elemental meditation and self-discovery. I did this a few years ago for my own benefit, a 'back to basics' approach. I thought to share some of my findings, not just because they helped me but because they might help someone else, too.

So, in my workings, the general elemental sequence goes like this:

Air - Fire - Water - Earth

There are SEVERAL schools of thought when it comes to this sequence. Some start with Earth if not air, other start at cross points, but this is what has worked for me. Your mileage may very, and that's also much of the point. This kind of journey is a deeply personal one, and it's important to keep that in mind whenever studying any kind of meditation or religious workings or techniques.

So, away we go!

Crowes and Consequenses!

It’s finally time! We’re getting revved up for Cheshire Moon’s second album, ‘Crowes and Consequences!’ We’ll be roving about the studio with a flock of some of our favorite musicians, including Jason Neerenburg from Toyboat! That’s right, the overlord of bass will be unleashed on our songs, alongside the enigmatic guitar stylings of the young Jared Coleman, the winding dance of Susan Weiner (who’s moving to Chicago, dang it all), all unique voices lending their own light to breathe life into these new stories.

 We went with Kickstarter for our first album, but this time we’re going with IndieGoGo.com (Context and my apologies for the sour note). We’re also teaming up with artist Matt Hawk, the infamous creator of the artwork SJ Tucker, Tricky Pixie, ManOverBoard, and much more! As many of you know, we had a song on our first album about a mischievous band of housemates, called Critters. Well, they wanted to be seen by the world, and who better to bring them to life? That and I try not to argue with sprites. Healthier that way.

Also joining the fray is artist Shawna Jasques, who will be doing our album cover! Shawna art captures one of the most unique perspectives in indie art, but don't take my word for it! <a href-"https://www.facebook.com/ShawnaJaquez?fref=ts"> Go ffind out!</a>

 So keep an ear out, because we’re hoping to get the project off the ground and into the aether by July 1st!

(PsycheDalek Army, ACTIVATE!)

Dangly Bits

 So, I've been thinking about things recently, and one of the things that my beloved pointed out is that we both tend to play to the energy of the room. So, when our home is either a mess or a blank slate energetically  we don't react as well to it. Once I set up the house altar, things started to improve because it helped to regulate and radiate the energy of the house.

 It got me thinking, "Ok, what else can we do to make this the norm?" And thus, DANGLY BITS!

 I made the chords for each of these using a technique that I developed when I first started to crochet rune bags with embroidery floss/crochet thread. In order to illustrate the rune, I would slip a series of tiny (and seriously, I mean TINY.These things make my eyes hurt after a while) rhinestone beads onto the chord prior to starting the bag. Then, as I crocheted, I would slip each beads into it's proper stitch. This made the rune slant just slightly to the left, but it worked!

 So, I did the same thing here. I strung the beads onto  a spool of rainbow crochet thread, but instead of crocheting, I cut off 4 long pieces of crochet thread, one strand with beads and three without. Then, I did a simple four point braid, slipping a bead into the mix every 5-9 crossovers. If you're wondering about the 4 strand braid technique, try this!



 Anyway, about a week ago, I found a fallen oak branch. I brought it home and found the section I needed. What happened next was out of my hands. Each stone and each chord knew where it wanted to be. I just made sure everything fell into place. The end result, well...

 But the next question became painfully clear as my dear kitty decided to be 'helpful' during this process: where on earth can I put this so that my cats can't get to it? I mean really, shiny bits hanging down on colorful cording? CAT. TOY. My Maine Coon is the MacGyver of cat kind. He works doorknobs, breaks open his food bin, he knows how to turn on faucets, he even knows how to pick things out of cups or bowls with his paw.

 So, I used another old friend. A 20lb geode that has followed me for the past 10 years. He's a grumpy old soul, but he keeps things well-grounded. So now he sit on the top of a bookshelf, the end of this oaken branch in his care. He holds it tight as the rest dangles off into space, catching and rolling every bit of light that touches it. They want me to write them a song. I can't wait.

Loki loves you... oh GREAT....

Why is that being the favorite of a god makes life insane? A favorite of Anansi, for example, might find themselves ensnared in a bargain they didn't quite count on. A favorite of Odin might find themselves on one hell of a quest. And by that I mean hang onto your hat! Being a favorite of any deity can come with some interesting consequences. Especially this one, but I can’t ignore a trickster when he dances. And I’m certainly not going to turn down a song when a trickster wants a tune.

Though I do wish he didn’t smile quite so wide when I sing this one…

The demo's going up on the website shortly, so keep an eye on www.cheshiremoonband.com/music !