puppy lust

I am having serious Deerhound / Wolfhound puppy lust. I'm holding out so far (much to the relief of my housemates, and the cats), but I seem to have a deep-seated need for my own Cú Faoil. Yikes.

first snow!

We (finally!) got our first real snowfall of the Winter last night, maybe 5-6 inches, which is the perfect amount -- enough to make everything beautiful, but not so much that I have to immediately go out and plow (all the vehicles here can make it in and out). It was getting really creepy not having had any snow yet more than a week into December. No doubt the local ski areas are breathing a sigh of relief. The icicles off the roof are now growing steadily, and it's more and more like living in an ice castle. Yum.

Some pics I took this morning while walking my son to his bus are here: http://web.mac.com/chelidon/iWeb/Site/Winter.html

My favorites:

The Casa in Winter
Icicles on my office (they're twice as long now)
Snowy Drive
Beamish Boy looking for trouble... (and again here)
Stream and snow
Northern Snowy Moose
View out one of the office windows

Beyond Abundance

It's great to talk about getting away from Scarcity Mentalities, and looking at situations as inherently abundant, and not as zero-sum games where someone has to lose in order for someone else to win. And in many, many realms that is a valuable and useful mental shift to make. But. In the realm of physical resources, there is a relative scarcity coming. That's relative scarcity -- not that there won't be any (of anything), just that there will be less, and what there is will cost more and be more valuable. There's certainly good to this. Consumption of, well, everything, in this country, and much of the industrialized world, is simply, physically unsustainable, both in terms of the raw materials and energy needed to continue as we are, and in the pollution and other waste products we create. It can't continue, and it won't.

A great brief high-level summary of this shift, and some of the likely global consequences, is here: The Post-Abundance Era. Well worth a quick read, and not a doom-and-gloom or moralistic perspective, just a clear, well thought-out, practical look at what's ahead.

A much greater degree of simplicity, and basing personal consumption on what we need, instead of what we want, will become more necessary for most of us. It's a good time to learn to live simply. It always was, but each day onward it makes ever more sense, and is ever more needful.

Serious Witch Craft

Yes, that was the title of the following spam I got in my inbox today, "Serious Witch Craft." Okay, I admit, I had to read it. And then I had to giggle, especially at the signature. Oi. ;)

But gosh, here I am missing out on, "new, devastatingly powerful witchcraft secrets taught to you at no charge!" Such a deal! And maybe he'll toss in a free map to join him in the no-doubt highly mystical city of Ciaro, Egypt! And those seven days of "private lessions" that cause "hot streams of excitement," who could pass up such a...hey, wait a minute, I hope he didn't mean 7 days of "private lesions," or worse, 7 days of "privates lesions"... Yikes. Maybe better not chance it.

Y'know, I bet he makes some good money off this, too... ...there but for the grace of the Goddess and an annoying sense of personal ethics go I. Yet another chance to hit the jackpot missed. Ah, well. At least, y'know, I Be Blessed With Powers of Magic. That's something. *giggle*

-------
Hey -

Have you seen the new movie "Wicker Man" yet? All of the country is
abuzz about Witchcraft - the power to cast effective spells that
make your wildest dreams come true! Love, power, money, revenge...
it's all finally yours... *IF* you know the secret spells, that is!

I'm writing you today to invite you to my special one-time event - a
free 7-day private lessions Online Course that is causing hot
streams of excitement among magick apprentices all over... you'll
see why:

http://(blahblahblah...)

Visit my site... and from now on, each day for the next 7 days, you'll
get (at the privacy of your own e-mail address)... new, devastatingly
powerful witchcraft secrets taught to you at no charge!

In fact, if you sign up among the first 500 people, three (3) Old
Witchcraft Spell Samples That You Can Use Right-Away, will be
yours immediately at no charge (yes it's ALL free):

http://(blahblahblah...)

[Please note that my event is of temporary nature; please don't
delay your decision to receive your complimentary 7-day private
lessons in wtchcraft.]

You Be Blessed
With Powers of Magick,

Bob Andrews
[Currently near Ciaro, Egypt]

Pagans 1, Falwell...well 1, kinda

aka Go Unitarian Pagans!

Falwell’s Flub: Jerry-Rigged Policy Opens Door For Pagan Proselytizing In Virginia Public School