I had the most excellent Beltane. Wade and I spent the weekend at Lake Anna, what used to be our home away from home. We haven’t been there in over a year, with both of us being hospitalized. It was so nice to see so many old friends, be back on the boat and play cornhole.

We went down armed with a ton of gardening and cleaning gear. With the help of our friends, we got the boat and trailer cleaned and new plants in the yard.

Cinnamon Raisin Rolls

Prep time: 15 minutes
Standing time: 20 to 30 minutes
Baking time: 20 to 25 minutes Servings: Makes 1 1/2 dozen rolls

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) package hot roll mix plus ingredients to prepare mix

• 1/3 cup raisins

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened, divided

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Headlines:

Pagan Freedom Day 2011 An ancient pagan Greek historian and author Thucydides (460-404BCE) once wrote “The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage.” It takes courage to publicly announce ‘I am Pagan’ in South Africa, but that’s exactly what Pagans do every year on Freedom Day.

In January 2004, this initiative was formally chartered as the Pagan Freedom Day Movement (PFDM). Since 2004 Pagans of every religious persuasion, including Witches, Wiccans, Druids, Asatruars and many others, have mingled and shared with other South Africans in celebration of their constitutionally guaranteed freedom to practice their own personal religions, and to gather openly with others of like mind, without fear of persecution or prejudice. Read full story from newstime.co.za

Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Prep time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1 (9-inch) baked pie-crust

• 1 cup milk

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 package (4-serving size) instant French vanilla pudding and pie filling mix

• 5 peanut butter candy cups, divided

• 1/3 cup whipping cream

Preparation:

• Combine the confectioners’ sugar and peanut butter with a fork in medium bowl until blended. Spread mixture evenly in bottom of pie-crust.

Arts & Entertainment:

Summer Movie Preview, with a Witchly Touch My question isn’t “What films will you be seeing this summer,” it is “What movie besides Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2” will you be seeing.  LOL!  For us Pagans of all types, this is the pinnacle of film.  It has opened the world up to the possible fact that Witches and Wizards exist and we’re not that bad.  When you say you are a Witch, the fist image in their head isn’t the Wicked Witch of the West, but maybe of Hermione or, in my case, Looney Lovegood.

What was supposed to be a week off, turned out to be 2. I planned on playing catch up and starting a few new projects, but it didn’t happen. Turns out, I really needed to get my head together.

I didn’t realize being unemployed would be so difficult. Wade told me I do more now than I did when I had a job. Since coming out of the hospital I’ve managed to get involved in so many projects, sometimes I wish I had a job. No, not really. The one thing I did was drive for the first time in over a year. Kind of scary when you can’t feel your feet. I think I’ll be back on the road this summer, so if you live in the DC area, you may want to be on the look out.

Vitamin Deficiency

Important Vitamins:

• Pantothenic acid for the brain.

• Vitamin D for the bones.

• Vitamin B12 for the blood.

• Vitamin A for the heart and circulation.

• Thiamin for the muscles.

Every cell in the body relies on a sufficient supply of vitamins to do its metabolic work. Vitamins perform many functions, they promote blood formation and healthy skin, hair and vision, as well as the maintainability of  nerves and muscles. Most vitamins must be obtained from foods or supplements because the body cannot produce them.

Garden Thyme

Botanical Name: Thymus Vulgaris

Thyme is a perennial shrub, and a member of the mint family. With over a hundred varieties, the most common being garden and lemon thyme. It’s an aromatic herb that enhances flavor, stimulates digestion and improves appetite. Other than it’s culinary value, it has many properties for medicinal use. The main ingredient helps inhibit the growth of fungus and bacteria. Thyme is useful for treating respiratory congestion, bronchitis, asthma, whooping cough and sore throats.

History, Mystery & Basic Structure

Lesson 1: Intuitive Tarot Certification Course

So begins my journey into the world of Tarot. I will be using The Rider-Waite and The Witches Tarot decks. I picked up The Witches Tarot a while back, the artwork is what drew me to it. It has been used a lot in my photography, but never for divination. The second deck purchased was the Rider-Waite deck, honestly a store owner told me that this would be a great deck to learn on, so I bought them. I actually really like this deck now, and pleased that I have it. I’m sure I will purchase a few more decks throughout this course, right now I have my eye on the Dali deck.

No site updates this week.

I wish I could say I was taking a vacation**,** but I’m taking this time to play catch up. Not only am I behind on many projects, my health is suffering as well. I feel like I’m going a 100 miles an hour to nowhere. Hopefully I can get a few things finished and started in the next week, as well as a much needed me day. For those of you that have your own blog or site, you know that maintaining it can be time consuming. It only makes sense to put it aside for now.