Etsy Ireland

Many thanks to the team at Etsy Ireland for the warm welcome. I'm thrilled to be working with you guys.

Anybody who hasn't already, should go and check out:

http://etsyireland.blogspot.com/

To see all the wonderful things that members are making. - Who knows, you might get some ideas yourself!

Right, back to it. Today is feeling like a crafty day and I owe my friend a pair of pumpkin-topped baby slippers for her two-year old nephew.

Samhain, Blogging and Prettiness

Well, with Samhain fast approaching, I'm really loving MrsB's 31 days of Samhain (which, if you've not already seen it, is here: http://www.confessionsofapagansoccermom.com/p/31-days-of-halloween-2010.html) and we're already looking ahead to the next turn of the wheel and Yule.

It seems the year 2010/11 is going to be one of doing things in "unusual" ways (- something of a life lesson for me this time round I've discovered - learning to accept things in formats other than what I'm expecting) so just as we're having a non-traditional Samhain, we're also going to be having a different sort of a Yule too. Reason being, my Mum is coming out to visit and that will cross the 21st itself, so we'll be postponing our more traditional Yule until somewhere between the 24th and 28th. C fancies around the 25th because that's what he used to do with his ex-girlfriend, but I'm still kicking against that somehow. - I wouldn't want for people to think that we were celebrating anything other than a traditional Yule and somehow, I think that date would be stressful. However, he has a good point when he points out that there's nothing else to do really on the 25th, so we will see.

.....but I'm digressing, the reason I was going to mention that was, I was wondering what everyone else is going to be doing for Samhain and Yule and When do you celebrate Yule and why?

Meanwhile, I'm desperately hoping to have the cottage just nice and how we want it by then as it'll be Mum's first visit.

I'm also hoping to be able to learn to prettify the Blog as well fairly soon and to put up pictures and things too.

Getting Going

Okay, well I finally got prodded enough to finally put something "on paper" as it were.

Don't you just hate that staring at a blank page thing? - grrrrr!

So, figured it's best to just jump right in and start. - Ooo incidentally, that reminds me - apologies to those who like proper scansion etc. - sometimes it's hard for me to use the word "I". That's mainly a manifestation of BD (Body Dismorphia) - on bad days and when insecure, it's really difficult. Getting easier though and on the "fix it" list for down the line.

So, it's the end of the Living History Season proper. Hopefully we may get to some winter/off-season events this year but we don't know yet. Been a manic year, but so much fun for both of us and after a couple of low-ish years for both of us, the joy and the fun has really come back!

For now, it's back to studies (for both of us) C is just entering the third year of his BSc(Hons) in Physics with Astrophysics and I've just started a distance learning BA(Hons) in Theatre Studies which is amazing, but, given that it's my first time learning since my associate, degree very intimidating.

When we're not studying, we split time mainly between our three cats (who're familiars rather than pets and tend to be treated as children and when referred to collectively, it's "the kids"); the garden; various crafts; magic (as in illusion - C is a former member of the Irish Magic Circle); cooking; and a whole heap of other stuff too.

Right now though, I have to run. We had our first frost yesterday morning and it's wrong-footed me so I'm still playing catch-up. I need to go light the fire for more hot water and to dry the laundry. Then like FLYlady always says, "babystep" until back on top!