I know there's, like, a whole recession thing going on (over here they're calling it "the credit crunch"; same thing) but are people so poor they can't afford soap anymore? Because the last few days on the bus home all I smell is cheap perfume/cologne and it's like people have bathed in it. I have a very difficult time with perfumes and colognes. I don't know what ingredient(s) cause me to react as I do, but by the time I get off the bus I'm light headed, have a headache and am nauseous.

Why can't people just take a bath or shower using soap instead of bathing in cheap crap????

And speaking of stinky things, a tater tot'ism from last night:-

Me: *farts*

TT2: Oh my god! She's blowing holes in the ozone layer! Save us!!

Time for a cup of tea, me thinks....

I telephoned TT3 this afternoon to check up on her post-school and see how she was.

Me: So how was your day?

TT3: Fiiiine.

Me: What did you do in school today?

TT3: Nuuuthing.

Me: Well that's not true because you took a test today, didn't you? What did you test in today?

TT3: Nuuuthing.

Me: So you took a test in nothing?

TT3: *giggles* Nuuu...reeeeading

Me: HA! It didn't work this time!!!

For those who might not remember, read about the usual stuff.

1. I meant to do an entry yesterday wishing US moms a Happy Mother's Day. Got a bit side tracked. Went out to a park and walked around, enjoyed the gorgeous weather and all. So Happy Belated Mother's Day to the US moms here. I called my mommy to wish her a Happy Mother's Day too. Mother's Day in the UK was back in March so we didn't do anything special. And for once, I was ok with that.

2. The weekend was fairly lazy. I was ok with this. Needed it. Did get housework done though.

3. Saturday during my web surfing I stumbled upon something mentioning Jim Jones and Jonestown. I didn't realise this year marks 30 years since it happened. I was only a little girl at the time but I remember seeing it on the news. Wound up finding a documentary on it, I think may have run on the History Channel. Also found an audio recorded while the suicide/murder was in session. On a scientific/psychological level, rather fascinating. On a human level, strange and frightening.

4. Said findings must have put the power of suggestion in my brain as I dreamt of Jim Jones that night. I sought him out and told him to fuck off. Must consider doing that with Adolph Hitler.

5. I'm sure there was a number 5 but I can't remember it. TT3 is taking SATS today and I'm sitting here at work wasting time on my lunch break.

It was either late January or early February 2007 (I'm thinking the latter more likely) when I had a telephone conversation with my friend S.

S: I've got a really good idea for an urban fantasy book. What do you think about it?

Me: I'm really the wrong person to ask. Urban fantasy not a genre of book I'm attracted to although I suppose it seems like I should be. I just don't care though. (insert me spewing more vitriol about why I don't care and inserting more "I don't cares"). Besides, I'm not a writer and anything you write I'm going to think is bloody brilliant anyway.

S was offended. Oh she didn't say she was offended, but I could tell. It wasn't my intention to offend but to say, "Write what you feel good writing. My opinion doesn't really matter." I think I had just returned from Glastonbury and my mind was still off with the fairies, hence my not really caring about much of anything at that point in time.

S had already been writing romance and erotica that had been published through various e-publishing places. So urban fantasy was a change.

I know not how many others S spoke to about her idea. Her husband, of course, but no doubt she spoke to her other friends who are writers who provided better encouragement that I did.

And write it S did. Wrote it, submitted it, and it's been published. Those people who know S too know I'm talking about stacia_kane and her new book Personal Demons. (and it's about this time that S will tell me she means a different book, because she's working on another urban fantasy but going with the theme - I don't care! ;P)

It's been an important book for stacia_kane because this one has seen her go from e-published only to an actual physical book on a shelf that can be found in book stores and on Amazon. It's quite cool. She's also got a kick ass new agent and it's clear that important things are happening for S and she's on the brink of writing stardom and topping the NY Times Bestseller's List.

I got my copy from S on Sunday. It had arrived on Saturday when I was away. Started reading on Sunday/Monday. Finished it last night. Really enjoyed it. As I said before - bloody brilliant. Go buy a copy and read it! Although it's not the genre I normally read, it was an easy read because there were still aspects of mystery to it. So the book sucked me in pretty quickly.

Knowing stacia_kane as I do, there were certain things that made me laugh or smile. ( spoilerish )

So as I said, go out, buy it, read it, enjoy it. There's more to come. Well done stacia_kane! I was anyway, but I'm so proud of you! xoxo

Because I can't resist a book meme usually. Taken from several LJ friends.

What we have here are the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you read for school, underline the ones you started but didn't finish (or are on the shelf waiting for a free week).
( List under the cut )

Geeze you've been busy posters! I was away in my beloved Avalon this weekend. Got home late last night so today has been catch up day. I've spent at least a couple hours just reading and catching up with everyone. LJ is a terrific time leech!

I really needed my weekend in Avalon, although it was a busy time and I wasn't able to fully immerse in the energies. Still it was good. A little house hunting was had as well. The possibility exists....

Sunday was a special day as it marked TT2's 14th year of existence. So happy birthday to her once again! My babies are growing up.....If there was any doubt as to that, TT3 reminds me daily. Oh not by anything she necessarily says but the things she does. A couple years or so ago TT2 got that "I'm so embarrassed by my mom and I'm not going to sit with her on the bus anymore" thing. TT3 was never like that. Always happy to sit with me and chat with me. I knew my baby would never go through that phase.

Yes, I'm deluded. And yes, she is going through it. *le sigh*

Today was a bank holiday here in the UK. I was grateful for that. It was absolutely gorgeous out but I was so knackered it was hard to enjoy it. We did go out and buy some plastic storage boxes so we can start boxing stuff up to store it. Time to get the flat in order to put it on the market.

Tomorrow it's back at work. At least it's a short week. It's even shorter by the fact I've got a final hearing on Thursday. It's slated for a full day but I have a feeling it's going to go part heard. Too many witnesses to get through in just one day so it's likely we'll have to go back. I have high hopes this one will go well though, but best not to count the chickens before they hatch.

This time from dunedain_minx

Leave me a comment telling me you’d like to have your brain picked and I’ll choose 7 of the interests listed on your profile for you to explain.

Blawgs - Blawgs is the term the legal world now uses for blogs that focus on law and legal issues. I quite enjoy some of them because they're giving lawyers a way to express their opinions on legal issues. Some blawgs aren't that great though because they're just regurgitating news. One of my favourite blawgs is Family Lore(who actually links to mine! Whee!) and Nearly Legal. There's been a few more family law blogs popping up but Family Lore is my fav.

Danu - Celtic Mother Goddess. On the Wheel of Brigit Ana (which I wrote about before) She sits at Winter Solstice as Mother of Air. In the Ana Wheel She is a crone goddess, a great grandmother. I don't necessarily see Her that way. To me Danu is Queen of the Fae, a goddess of Crystal, of the land. But a friend said she believes it's simply because Danu is such an ancient goddess. I can see this. Anyway, Danu is one of the goddesses on the Wheel of Brigit Ana that I developed a strong relationship with and this carries on.

Earth-based Spirituality - As stated in my bio, I'm a Goddess loving Pagan. I've practiced an Earth based spirituality in some form or another for about 26-27 years. I hold the Earth and the elements as sacred and this features heavily in my spirituality. When people ask what Earth based Spirituality means, this is what I say. There was a profile I filled in once that asked what 5 things I couldn't live without. I broke it down to the basics: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit. Sums it up well for me.

Greek Mythology - I've got a long standing love affair with Ancient Greece and the mythology of that time. Despite my Celtic leanings, I still have very strong relationships with many of the Greek goddesses and gods. I love reading their stories. As as I said in the previous version of this post, Aphrodite is very special to me and still is.

Nutopia - A conceptual country created by John and Yoko Ono Lennon. "Citizenship of the country can be obtained by declaration of your awareness of Nutopia. Nutopia has no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people. Nutopia has no laws other than cosmic." I like the idea of Nutopia and consider myself a citizen. :) More can be found here: http://www.imaginepeace.com/yokowrites021.html

Tarot - I've had a long standing fascination with tarot. It's probably the method of divination that most people are familiar with and close to. I've used many decks over the years but my favourite of the moment is the Glastonbury Tarot. The book for the deck alone is worth reading for anyone who has a fascination with Glastonbury and Avalon. Loads of history, myth and legend in the accompanying book.

The Usual Stuff - This has become my main tag for all my entries. It started out because of TT2 and a conversation I had with her, details of which can be found here: http://yeyo-x.livejournal.com/28997.html Listing it as an interest really is just me being facetious about it. :)

Cross posted to tuathadeavalon

In these times of Change connect to your Essence,
Deepen your relationship to Goddess,
Find your inner Stillness, your Place of Power,
The Source of your future Self

On the
Goddess Retreat at Chalice Well
with Kathy Jones
Monday 2nd-Friday 6th June 2008
Residential Retreat staying at Little St Michael's Retreat House

The Goddess Retreat at Chalice Well in Glastonbury
Monday 2nd-Friday 6th June 2008

In these times of change the Goddess Retreat with Kathy Jones is a
wonderful opportunity to drink from the Lady's Well of knowledge and
inspiration. By taking this time for yourself you will deepen your
relationship to the Goddess as Lady of the sacred Isle of Avalon, and
find your own inner stillness, your place of power within, so that
you can face the challenges of everyday life with more confidence.

During our five days together we will open our hearts to the Goddess
and to each other, connecting to our authentic natures, empowering
our future selves. We will walk the sacred landscape of Avalon and
enter into the magic of the Chalice Well gardens. We will perform
ceremonies beside Chalice Well and make inner journeys to meet the
Goddess. We will spend an evening outdoors beside a Sacred Fire -
bring warm clothing. There will also be the opportunity to meet the
Lady of Avalon as embodied by Her priestess.

Kathy Jones is a Priestess of Avalon, a writer, healer,
ceremonialist, teacher and initiator. She is the author of many well-
loved Goddess books, including her latest Priestess of Avalon,
Priestess of the Goddess as well as The Ancient British Goddess, In
the Nature of Avalon & Spinning the Wheel of Ana. She is the creator
and teacher of 3 year trainings to become a Priestess of Avalon in
Glastonbury, England and other advanced priestess courses. She is the
webster/organiser of the internationally famous Glastonbury Goddess
Conference. She also teaches Esoteric Soul Healing, based in the
teachings of Alice A Bailey. She is cofounder of the Glastonbury
Goddess Temple, the first Goddess Temple in Europe for a thousand
years or more and of the Isle of Avalon Foundation, an esoteric
teaching centre. You can find information about her and her work on
www.kathyjones.co.uk, www.goddessconference.com
www.goddesstemple.co.uk

This Retreat is open to all those who love the Goddess and wish to
deepen their relationship to Her.
The Retreat is based in Glastonbury at Little St. Michael’s Retreat
House in the beautiful gardens of Chalice Well.
Fees : Fully residential 5 days/4 nights Retreat, including shared
accommodation, all vegetarian meals and tuition fees in 2008 - £410
Single room supplement - £100
A non-refundable deposit of £100 per person secures your place.
Please write to Kathy saying why you wish to participate in this
retreat.
email kathy.jones@ukonline.co.uk

For more information see
http://www.kathyjones.co.uk/retreats/retreat08.html

At this very moment, TT3 and Angel are embroiled in a debate about romance.

TT3: "Well, it's kinda romantic when the guy is employed."

We now know where her priorities lie.....

Or Interests Meme if you prefer. I'm sure I've done this one before, but why not again! This time from magickalme:-

Leave me a comment telling me you’d like to have your brain picked and I’ll choose 7 of the interests listed on your profile for you to explain.

magickalme chose...

Aphrodite - Ah yes, fair Aphrodite, how I adore Thee! She's my Matron Goddess. She's my Triple Goddess. She's my Lady of Avalon. I've just always been very drawn to Her. I often say it, but I'll do so again - She gets a bad rap for being a flakey air headed love goddess. She's so much more than that. Much about Her has been lost in the mists of time but it's beginning to be known that She was much more as a Goddess of agriculture and of the sea. Yes, so much more. I've got an affinity with a lot of the Greek goddesses and gods though. I'm a not-so-in-the-closet Hellenist that way.

Chicken Teeth - See this post: http://yeyo-x.livejournal.com/26841.html As an addendum, nuffink got nixed as a category because humourising didn't work!

Herbs - I'm interested in herbs on a medicinal level. There are certain herbal oils that are now staples in my cabinet such as lavendar and tea tree oil. But yea, I'd like to know more about herbal medicine. The only thing that drives me mad is reading all the latin names for everything.

Knitting - I like knitting but I don't do it enough. I do find it relaxing and all that and it's way cool to show off something you've made. I've been knitting off and on for a few years now and still consider myself a beginner. Hence really needing to do it more often as I should be a total pro by now! But I do like it. Wish I had more time and patience for it.

Pride & Prejudice - I'm a fan of the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. All other versions pale in comparison. Sorry, but as historicals go, this one is the shiznit! I also really liked Sense & Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant but of course we're not talking about that right now. Yes, I became determined to read the book a couple years ago and did so. Really enjoyed it. Even the Beeb version wasn't 100% faithful to the book but it was pretty close, I'll give it that. Some of the dialogue was word for word. You can't go wrong there. I love the way they spoke back then. It made the book a bit more challenging to read but once I got into it, I was totally there. And what do I love about it so much? It's just a great story and I love the way Elizabeth is so independent and opinionated. We don't think much of it now but back then that was something and to me it's like Jane Austen giving a kick in the nads of patriarchy.

Simple Living - I'm fascinated with the concept of simple living; taking delight in life's more minor pleasures, appreciating things more, living more lightly on the Earth. I suppose my idea of simple living is very idealistic. I've been reading The Lilypad List by Marian Van Eyk McCain. It's one of those books that I got right into and then another book took over and dammit, I'm still working my way back to it. Although I'm only about a third of the way through it, but it's a good book so far and highly recommend it. Anyway, yea, this book cuts right through the ideals and addresses what people are really looking for: less stress, less debt, less drama. I am too. Maybe eventually I'll finish this book, take heed of the author's advice and actually start living a more simple life. :)

Wheel of Brigit Ana - The Wheel of Brigit Ana is a concept created by Kathy Jones that focuses on honouring the goddesses of the British Isles (Brigit, Artha, Rhiannon, Domnu, Ker, Banbha, Kerridwen, Danu) with the Lady of Avalon at its centre. Each goddess presides over one of the eight festivals of the year (Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice, Lammas, Autumn Equinox, Samhain, Winter Solstice). It's been a very interesting and powerful way to journey through the year. I have been working with this Wheel exclusively for about 4-5 years now and with each turn of the year the journey becomes more deep and meaningful. It's difficult to really explain in one short paragraph and there is much that I'm omitting. What I can say is that it is a very dynamic, multi-faceted concept that has brought a great deal to my spiritual path. :)

I was having a chat with curiosity yesterday morning. It had been a long time since we chatted. We had the usual catch up with each other and not unusually that included curiosity's writing as she is an aspiring writer. And as I thought of it, I've got a handful of published writing friends on my friends list. I hadn't really given it much consideration but out the multitude of interesting people on my friends list the Writer Peeps outnumber the lot. Oh it's not that there are loads, but writing seems to be a career that many of them have. So I thought I'd give a shout out and shamelessly plug these fine people and their work. ( Read more... )

Minor rant here...since the TT's have come to live with us the amount of laundry we have has increased by leaps and bounds. We have to wash a load of laundry nearly every day in order to keep on top of it lest it take over.

We had a recent Laundry Takeover when I allowed Angel to deal with the laundry. He did so much and then left the rest. And we all ignored it until it became one huge Laundry Beast that threatened to totally consume our humble abode.

Mom had to take matters back over and tame the Laundry Beast. It has taken some time but the Laundry Beast is under control now.

It's because of the laundry that I am thankful to my mother in law who turned us on to Eco Balls. Once one gets over the slightly corny/silly name and reads about them one has to wonder about these little marvels. We had our own doubts about how well they would work. But I'm here to say we've been using them for the past 6 months and we've been nothing but happy with them.

Which leads to my being thankful to my mother in law because otherwise we would be spending a small fortune on laundry detergent and fabric softener. Nope! Don't need either with the Eco Balls and we've definitely saved loads of money by using them.

So Elle's eco tip for the day: Eco Balls. Especially if you have children who like to leave loads of clothing lying about.

If you haven't caught the Twitter updates last night, you can see them here. ( And now a more proper update... )

For those who find me so fascinating they want to read about when I burp and fart, here are my Twitters from the past 24 hours. Enjoy!

06:49 I know I do not update as much as I should here. Having a jasmine tea and wondering why I'm up. Good Charlotte concert tonight with TT3.

16:56 We're here queing and its bucketing rain. Kill me NOW.

16:58 Benji just stuck out and took a pic of everyone in the queue.

17:35 More rain. forget killing just drown me.

18:21 We've been in line for an hour and a half. open the doors already.

18:36 They're passing out free cans of rock star now. Dont think its needed for the amount of adrenaline going round #

19:21 We're finally in. T~shirt acquired. took a piss. Scored good seats. Now to dry out. Still soaked. #

19:25 Btw did i mention that i kick ass? well i do. Overplanning rocks! #

19:29 I think the rock star is kicking in. Tastes like candy. No wonder the tt's loue'em. #

19:41 Theyre blasting out old 70's rock. I'm happy save for the screaming banshees about. #

19:44 The Academy has a whole greek theme to it that's rocking my world. #

19:53 God some old semi bald asshole just sat down next to me and is trying to chat me up. #

19:55 He seems to think he can impress me by telling me how he can get backstage. #

19:56 Someone please sterilise this guy #

20:14 Openers are Rooney from LA. Good ol fashioned pop rock band. I like. And baldy took the hint and finally shut up. #

20:49 Rooney not bad. Now a snack break and then GC. Baldy is on his third beer and still trying to be friendly #

20:58 Theyve got a hung up sound system and one lonely marshal on stage which looks more like a prop. #

21:00 Call me old fashioned but where are the stacks? #

21:14 GC on and bloody paris hilton sitting stage left. #

21:33 Aw paris got bored and went backstage. Tt3 having a fab time. Gc are rockin #

21:36 Aw shit shes back. Spoke too soon. Fucking primpy bitch. WHY BENJI OH WHY?? #

21:46 Ok so baldy aint so bad. A guy gave him a pass to sit in the reserved seats and he gave it to me and tt3 #

22:14 Theyre doing love song by the cure. Its really good. #

00:16 On the train home. Bootleg poster and tshirt acquired. Good show and good time. #

00:53 Home now. A full update on LJ will be forthcoming tomorrow. For now, sleep! #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Good Charlotte at the Brixton Academy. I'm taking TT3 to her first rock concert and she's over the moon because she is a total GC fanatic.

I kinda like them too....but I'm just wondering how many babybats are going to be there. If it's anything like the Fall Out Boy show with TT2, there will be plenty. You know it's not like I want the Goth scene to die a slow death or anything (although I think the lot of us might take a morbid enjoyment in it), but babybats can be really annoying mostly because looking at them just makes me realise how old I really am (and I ain't that old!). They also make me realise I've really let my Gothy wardrobe go to hell because I pretty much stopped clubbing. So in usual form, I have nothing to wear tonight! Ack!

The one good thing about babybats is they don't seem to have a Gother-Than-Thou attitude, or maybe I just haven't talked to enough of them. Yes, the scene shall ever carry on I suppose. Babybats...*shudder twitch* I suppose I really shouldn't talk given both TT2 and TT3 have Gothy tendencies.

Anyway, I've been Twittering today and since I can Twitter post via mobile, will Twitter a bit tonight during the show. Mostly I'll be saying things like, "SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF HERE! THEY'RE TAKING OVER!"

Desk tidied - check
Taxes done and ready to be sent - check
Application for TT3's secondary school filled in and posted - check
Deposit posted for holiday flat this summer - check
Card bought for friend and duly signed and ready to go - check
Banking done and council tax payment sent - check
Eyebrows waxed - check
Books returned to the library - check
Grocery shopping done - check

Next on the list - Take a nap - CHECK!

Something outside of my office window is burning or something and it literally smells like shit. It's not pleasant.

Someone has decided to put flowers in the loo...and not just in the room but in one of the stalls. I presume these two things are not related.

So I've not been around much. That hasn't been on purpose it's just that life has sort of spiralled out of control. I'm overwhelmed with all the crap that needs to be sorted out...mostly paperwork...mostly stashed under my desk until I decide to get to it.

And one of the things that needs sorting leads to another one of those myth things I keep bringing up...

Myth 4 - You live overseas so you don't have to file a tax return.

Wrong! Despite living abroad I still must file the damn thing. And I can't file the short form either. Noooo....it has to be the long one. The only advantage is I fill it in with a lot of zeros.

I probably need to file a state one too but I refuse. I only filed a state one the first year I was here because I knew I was getting a refund. As far as I'm concerned I no longer live in that state anymore so I ain't filing.

But I do file a federal one every year just like a good little girl (unlike velcroswench who is a bad little girl and hasn't filed for years!). The nice thing is that my "foreign earned income" is tax exempt...or at least up to something like $80,000. Which means I don't want to earn TOO much or I'll get penalised by having to pay taxes to a country I haven't lived in for 6 years simply because I'm a citizen. Nice, eh? (please note my sarcasm)

I had a moment of near nervousness the other day though when I got a letter from the IRS. My first thought was, "Shit...they're going to audit me."

Nope! It was all about the Economic Stimulus Payment thingy. I read, somewhat bemused, because it wasn't clear if I would in fact receive this payment. Given my taxable income is zero and I pay zero tax, do I still get the $300? I won't turn it away if I do. But it Smells Like Recession to me.

In the meantime, I deem this weekend Tax Weekend so I can get this year's pain and aggro over with. Filling in all those zeros is such hard work (please note more sarcasm). But then it's done and I can get on with the next lot of paperwork I don't want to do. There's plenty of it to be had too.

This post brought to you by slack-at-work-Friday.

PS: I feel a Legalicious post coming as there's been news to muse at on the law front.

I changed my layout and default icon in hopes that spring might show us her face but with a forecast of snow it would seem not. And on that note the forecast was right and it snowed great guns this morning. I love when it snows because I feel like running outside, twirling around and laughing my head off like a little girl. I resisted the urge today because I was still in my nightgown. I probably would have done otherwise.

So....the whole strike thing. Was it a success? I personally consider there was some margin of success because there was an apology beforehand for breaking the promise to consult users and the LJ Advisory Board. This was my main beef and clearly the good people of SUP saw and took note of the discontent amongst their users. Yea, I was and am a bit indignant about the loss of basic accounts to ads, but by and large it's a pill I can swallow because I pay for my account anyway. What I hope is that those who have a greater issue with it than I will not be swept under the rug and a workable solution can be found to the satisfaction of all. I just hope that SUP will continue to honour the promise they made to LJ users to keep us in the picture on things. It's their business, of course, but it affects us.

And this whole thing brought an astounding 467 visits to my journal this week. Ok, so the big major journals that everyone knows and reads think this is probably paltry but that's about ten times what I usually have in a week. I'm not sure how people found me but I'm honoured that my little journal could spread the word about things a bit.

Anyway, yea, it's been a nice relaxing weekend. Lots of chocolate, lazing about and movies. There was a long overdue visit with velcroswench on Saturday. We made brownies....very...chocolatey brownies...mmmm.... Tomorrow we go to the in laws' for dinner. No doubt there will be more chocolate. Diet commences Tuesday, me thinks!