Ramblings

It's late, and my mind is swollen with words. Dancing and prancing in the way of what I want to see with my third eye. If it weren't for the frantic mating behaviours of the birds around here I would think winter would have given spring a miss and gone right into summer. But the birds have flipped out with spring fever.

Nest building is in full swing, and they are chasing one another. Males chasing off other males, and males chasing females. They are scouring everything for nest building material. There is a patch of pampas grass up the street away that rattles most of the day as birds troupe in and out, wrenching away pieces to take home with them. They have completely decimated all of the little seedlings I raised inside under lights since January. I planted them out, and they ripped them out. Even the poisonous ones!

But it is all part of the great cycle, and it brings me warmth and joy to see life continuing in all circumstances. I wake to their morning territorial challenges, laughing that they sound so sweet and enchanting to the human ear. And I watch their battles and chases, viewing them as playful and loving in my own disconnected way.

Now is the time of year when the plans for my life not only abound, but down right multiply exponentially. I have plans for all parts of the yard, and each room in the house, and many of them are massive. Life and activity ramps up this time of the wheel and I can feel myself carried on the currents. Just as at the downturn of fall into winter, I can feel the pace slow and I draw within myself. Now is a time of outreach, or affecting the world around me. Of finding life in every corner, and of rejoicing continually in the renewal of the universe.

All things in their time and season.

But even as this burgeoning life flows through my soul, I must keep pace with the other side of the cycle of life. That of death, and compost. I find myself at the end of a long relationship. My heart is heavy with the sorrow that will most likely ensue as it does not seem that the relationship will end naturally and peacefully. Unfortunately, that is some of the reason I can no longer invest in it. My friend does not walk the walk, but talks a big talk. I knew, but I went anyways. I have just been disrespected and hurt too many times at this point to continue to be able to invest myself in this. My friend is at a point in her life where she is not seeking change. I am at a point in mine where change is nearly the only constant. We are more than 30 years apart in age, and the generation gap also gets in the way. But, without respect I can not continue to play the game, for whatever ends I may reach. It is sad, but all things must end. I hope, with all my heart, that we can part amicably, for I have no wish to burn bridges or cause pain. I know that pointing out my grievances would do no good, and result in no growth. As I have tried in the past and only received a handful of hurt for my troubles. So I will try to let things slip and hope we can grow apart peacefully. Although, just as I knew going into it, that I would be hurt in the way that I am now, I know that my ideal will not play out. It just doesn't hold true to previous experience. There may be a 'witch war' as they say, but at the very least there will be vicious words directed my way, and ill thoughts hurled through the ether. I will survive.

The good news though, is that there are many new avenues opening up in respect to meeting other witches. The closing of this door is finally allowing others to open. I am definitely a witch that works best in groups. And I hope to find a group that I fit well with, and that I can fill a space for them. Mutually beneficial is important to me. And proper fit can't be found through a coven dating service. So I continue to Seek, as we all do. Hoping to find some friends that may be on the same crooked path, if not for long, at least for a while. At times we all must journey alone, but it is nice to find a friendly soul along the way.

Full Moon

Lady of fullness, Lady of Light,
Bring me prophetic dreams tonight.
Let me know their meaning when I wake,
So that by them, right action I may take.

Semi Permanent Plant Labels

I wanted some rather permanent plant labels for the near 300 bulbs I am putting in the front garden this year, so I looked around online and decided there was no way I was dropping nearly $0.60 to a $1.00 per label. I am crafty person, I can make just about anything. And I always have a ready supply of assorted supplies (my husband calls it junk) around to make things from.

I decided something looking like these: http://www.jamaligarden.com/pID_21171.asp would be the easiest to accomplish after several experiments. I also had a ready supply of aluminum, steel and assorted allows in my can recycling bins. While my first attempts are not as neat as the commercially available ones, I am sure my technique will improve by the time I get to the 72 I would like this season. Yesterday I managed six of them in about two hours, and perfected the pattern and plan. I may even make a cardboard template to standardize my sizes.

Here is a basic rundown of the plan:

Supplies: 1 wire hanger and 1 pop can per label.
Tools: wood board to bend against and protect work surface, kitchen knife (with a sturdy handle to use as a burnisher also, or something else to fill that role), wire cutters (dikes), and needle nose pliers (my leatherman filled this role), gloves if you don’t have tough fingers. :)

1. Cut the top and bottom off of the can with the kitchen knife.

2. Score the cylinder from the inside with the knife and bend back and forth for a clean edge.

3. Print side down, bend the long edge of the can over the edge of the board to create a straight sharp fold line.

4. Bend all the way flat with fingers.

5. Burnish down the fold with the butt of the knife.

6. Fold up this side again, it will fold easily on the edge of the exposed metal. This seals in the rough, sharp edges from your cutting the can with the knife.

7. Burnish down this fold also.

8. Repeat the folding and burnishing (3-7) on the other long edge.

9. Fold the short side, print side down against the board as was done for the long side.

10. Complete the fold and burnish down. Repeat on the other short edge. You only need to fold the short ends once, as they will be wrapped around the wire, enclosing the raw edge there.

11. Cut the wire hanger at the folds closest to the hook.

12. Straighten out the hanger as best you can.
13. Find the center of the wire and determine the width of your label. You will need at least 3/4 of an inch on each side of the can as it is now to fold in securely. You can measure this out if you want. I just eyeballed it and adjusted as needed.
14. Bend the wire into the upside down U shape, trying for right angles.

15. Lay the wire against the back of the label and tentatively fold up the sides, don’t press down hard here. It will take some adjustments to get it centered and straight.

16. About 1/4 of an inch in from the folds, use the dikes to cut the top and bottom folds to create tabs to tuck to the short sides under. 4 cuts total.
17. Tuck the short ends under the tabs created. Adjust and wiggle as needed.

18. Use the needle nose pliers to firmly crimp down the label at all for tabs and along the inside edge of the wire as best as possible.

If you want you can again bend the wire under and in to look more like the ones I linked to first. I also some that were angled in from the label down, or had the label bent back about 45 degrees from the upright stakes. The wire is easy enough to bend that you could do whichever you wanted out in the garden for what works best for the plants at the time.

First Morning Glory Blossom

I discovered our first purple morning glory today. And our heavenly blues have come up from seed. I had given up on them.