My New Aquarium

Well, I hadn't intended on getting a 20 gallon aquarium, but when Brian said it's only a few dollars more to get a 20 gallon from a 10 gallon, I thought 'why not?'. And so we came home with a 20 gallon aquarium for my Betta fish 'Reiki', three glolite tetras and two emerald green corydora (catfish).

After a few days, however, I decided to move Reiki back into his bowl because the tetras were nipping pretty fiercely at his tail. He seems happier back in his bowl and is blowing bubble nests (apparently a sign that they're happy).

So, with Reiki back in his bowl, I decided to add more fish to my aquarium. I added two more glolite tetras. After a week I added two gourami. Unfortunatley, they were fighting (they are related to Betta fish) and so I returned one of them and came home with three serpae tetra. I also added one more corydora as they like to flock together in larger groups.

So, here I am thinking everything is okay, but such is not the case! The serpae's are nipping at the gourami, so I'm going to buy three more serpae's and see if that solves the problem. Apparently, they like to be in schools so I'm hoping that with the bigger school, they'll leave the poor gourami alone. He's not in dire straights or anything, but I think he'd be happier if he was left alone.

So that's the beginning of aquarium life for me. I do enjoy sitting and watching the fish swim about. There's something peaceful and calming about the aquarium . . . and it draws me in . . . every time.

Ostara

Ostara came and went in the blink of an eye! As happens, life has been busy with all its ups and downs and I'm finally finding some time to get to some of the things that have been on my to-do list. Like post Ostara pictures!.

Here are some pictures of my Ostara altar for this year. I left up most of what I had for Imbolc and added a few items like the eggs I had dyed last year. I changed out the crystals adding some pretty ones that I thought represented Ostara.

If you follow my blog you'll know that last year Mary spoke to me saying she wanted to be on my Imbolc altar and so she is here and will stay on the altar through the end of May. As May is the month of Mary, I'll change the altar to reflect this special month.

I hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Ostara!

Happy April Fool's Day!

There are many theories surrounding the origin of April Fool's day including the Roman winter festival of Saturnalia; the Festus Fatuorum (the Feast of Fools) which evolved out of the Saturnalia; British folklore of the town of Gotham who in order to avoid losing their main road set about making fools of themselves; and according to anthropologists and cultural historians, April Fool's Day traces its roots back to a festival marking the Vernal Equinox or Springtime.

However, the most widespread theory about the origin of April Fool's Day dates back to 1582 when King Charles IX of France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar so the year would begin on January 1st rather than the traditional April 1st.

This decision caused a lot of disagreement and controversy. Although the staunchest and most stubborn continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st, others with more modern views started to perform tricks and pranks to bolster those in the opposing camp. Among the latter were several village curés who did not approve of this manner of manipulating the calendar. Consequently, as around this date the fishing season was closed for spawning, some people made a habit of keeping the last fish they had caught and let it rot. Then, on the sly, they placed it on the doormat of the presbytery.

Others believed that the days surrounding the first of April marked the end of Lent when it was customary to give sweets to those they liked, while to the others they gave a fish! Children got wrapped up in the game and made imitation fish which they gave to their friends and relatives as jokes.

Some like to think of April 1st as an important holiday for breaking up the monotony of a long winter and its accompanying depression. It’s a day for jokes and pranks with laughter guaranteed. In this context, television and other local media broadcast several hoaxes - France sold the islands of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to Canada in exchange for the province of Newfoundland; the Confederation Bridge collapsed; Ontario was handed over to the United States; the St Lawrence River would soon run dry, and so on.

I personally like to believe the legend that says a girl born on April 1st will become a quiet and peaceful woman. Her calmness and silence, following the example of a fish, will be widely acknowledged and appreciated, because unlike other women, she will know how to keep a secret . . .

(Adapted from an article by Myriam Fontaine)

Something's Fishy

I went into the pet store yesterday to buy dog food and Bijou treats and left with a Betta fish! I've been thinking about it for awhile and thought it would be nice to have some company in my Reiki studio.

I love fish! They're so mezmerizing, calming and relaxing. I named him 'Reiki' . . . go figure! He is the prettiest blue with a hint of green. Call me crazy, but when I talk to him he comes right to the front of the bowl and looks at me. I swear he knows exactly what I'm saying . . . who better to tell your deepest, darkest secrets to?

Breakdown . . .

Bowl $20
Decorations $13
Food $6
Water Conditioner $5
Betta Fish $4

Watching 'Reiki' swim around in the bowl . . . priceless!

Happy Ostara!

Well, time slipped away on me and I wasn't able to get a video or pictures of my Ostara altar done before today. But for those of you who enjoy the videos, not to worry, I'll have one up in a day or two!

Sending everyone Happy Ostara wishes and may the Goddess bring you abundant blessings!

Ch, ch, ch, changes . . .

Well, it seems like here in Wisconsin we skipped over spring and went straight into summer. The temperatures have been in the high 70s and low 80s. It is so nice to wake up in the morning to the sound of birds singing!

On a sad note, our dog Shelby was diagnosed with bladder cancer back in September and he has progressively been getting worse. So we made the difficult and heartbreaking decision to let him go. I can't tell you how much my heart aches . . . if you've ever been in this situation you know all too well the pain and heartache of having made such a decision. I am most grateful to my friend Marsha for suggesting a veterinarian that came to our home. Shelby was able to pass over in the peace and comfort of his own home. As difficult as it was, it was also peaceful and I know we did the best we could for him. I'll always miss his physical presence, but I feel he is still with me in spirit. He is now with our Teddy over the Rainbow Bridge having a ball! Rest in Peace, beloved and loyal friend and companion.

I started my Volunteer position with Agrace HospiceCare last week and have been assigned to two lovely people. Although I've only had a few visits, I have to say that I'm looking forward to my visits next week and in the weeks to follow. And I learned how to play Kings in the Corners! What fun!

And lastly, I'm moving my Reiki practice, Loving Heart Reiki, LLC, from the Harbor Wellness Center to a new space in Madison above the Duncan Edward salon. In order to provide a more relaxing, tranquil and peaceful experience for my clients, I feel this move is necessary and I'm looking forward to the change.

So, it's been a heartbreaking, life changing, moving forward kind of month, but this I know for sure, time heals and change happens . . .

Happenings

My goodness! How times does fly! I can't believe we're almost at the end of February and spring is on the horizon . . . even with the four to five inches of snow we had overnight! It's a light, fluffy snow and I have to say it's really quite beautiful. I took some pictures this morning . . .

I've been keeping myself pretty busy with classes and Reiki/EMF sessions. I've completed four of the five required training sessions for Agrace HospiceCare and should be out in the field sometime in March . . . I've completed two of four classes towards certification as an Aromatherapist . . . I'm giving a presentation on Reiki for the Young Onset Parkinson's Group next Thursday . . . and a trip has been planned to Sedona in May for Karuna Reiki® training. If you'd like to see the expanded story visit this post on my Reiki blog.

Do you know how it feels when you think you're doing nothing and then you sit down and really think or write about what you have been doing (or you go back over the week or month in your planner)? I've been in kind of a slump thinking that nothing's happening and then I wrote about it all this morning and realized something IS happening! Sometimes when you're so wrapped up in the doing, you don't realize it until you step back and take inventory. I realized that as I was writing my post this morning I'm doing okay. Things are happening and I'm right where I'm meant to be. All is good . . .

Valentine's Day

While prancing around the internet the other day searching for information on the Shen Yun dancers, I came across the Overture Center site and low-and-behold Jim Brickman was coming to town! I love Jim's piano playing and have most of his CDs. I couldn't get on the phone fast enough to find out if hubby wanted to go to a 'Romantic Evening with Jim Brickman' with me. He didn't . . . no surprise there, but he said to buy the tickets and maybe Carl would go with me. As it turns out, Carl did go with me and so we enjoyed a wonderful evening beginning with Sushi and ending with Jim Brickman.

I was so inspired by the evening that I've decided to dust off the old ivories and start playing the piano again. I'm also inspired to pursue a life-long dream of singing and so, I've signed on for voice lessons with Melanie Cain, a noted voice and piano teacher here in the Madison area. I can't wait to get started!

Is there something you've always wanted to do? What's holding you back? You may never be the nation's hotest romantic musical sensation or Susan Boyle, but YOU can be the best YOU ever and pursue your dreams . . .

Love is my Religion

I love this video . . . it's what I always say when I'm participating in a discussion with my friends who come from different faiths . . . the bottom line is 'Love'. Enjoy!

The Magnificent Mile

My best friend, Bernie, came from Canada last Monday to visit with us for the week. We hadn't seen each other for a few years, but it was as if we hadn't been parted. Being friends for 45 years, we know each other inside and out, forwards and backwards, and everywhere inbetween. She's been my anchor through some pretty stormy seas, helps me to see that life really is 'that simple', and makes me laugh so hard that my belly aches.

It felt like a whirlwind kind of trip and by Friday we were on our way to Chicago to take in the sights. Thank the Goddess for the GPS . . . how did one ever survive without one? I'm a small city/town kind of girl and driving through Chicago, not knowing where I was going, was almost more than I could bear. We did, however, make it safely to the hotel. That night we had a lovely dinner and a BIG glass of wino!

Saturday morning we leisurely got up and got ready to head out to the Magnificent Mile. It was cold and the wind was blowing, but we headed out bravely to face the day. We did some shopping at Macy's (where we had our brows shaped . . . yeeouch!) and the Hershey store (yummy!). I bought some lotions at the H2O store and Bernie bought a couple of hats from Eddie Bauer. We got Green Tea Latte's from Starbucks and took a picture under an enormous Marilyn Monroe statue.

We walked the mile up and down. There was Tiffany's and Cartier, Nordstrums and Saks Fifth Avenue. I can see why they call it the Magnificent Mile, but honestly, unless you're rich the likes of Oprah Winfrey, it can be a little intimidating and well, not quite so magnificent. One day maybe, but for now it's Target and JCPenney for me!

Afterwards we hopped in the car. We had a few hours before it was time to take Bernie to the airport so we decided to check out Schaumburg and have some lunch. Getting out of Chicago was harder than getting in and after taking a few wrong turns we ended up at the mall in Schaumburg. Ours hopes at eating at the Cheesecake Factory were soon dashed as there was a 30 minute wait, so we ended up eating at McDonalds, looked around a bit and then headed back to the airport.

Bernie caught her flight and got home safely and my trip back to Madison was uneventful. We're already planning our next visit . . . which will hopefully be in Maui next year! Aloha!

Imbolc/Welcome Spring

This year is decidedly different from last year. The energy feels different. And the way I'm viewing certain aspects of my life is different. Rather than focusing on a single idea, I find that my mind is stretching farther - out of it's limits you could say. I'm expanding, growing and learning things about myself I didn't know before. And part of that growth and change includes my beliefs and spirituality.

While I was clearing away my Yule altar and thinking on what I wanted my altar to represent for Imbolc, I decided that while I respect and admire Brigit, setting up an altar to her this year didn't seem to fit for me. I was quite perplexed and at one point thought that setting up an altar for this Sabbat was going to go the way of the Dodo. And as usually happens in these moments of uncertainty, when I clear my mind of any thought on a thing, is when Divine inspiration hits. 'Spring' said inspiration - set up an altar for spring.

And while it seemed a little early to be celebrating spring in my neck of the woods, I heeded inspiration's voice and started setting up an altar for spring. And as usually happens when I start working on an altar, I am led by Divine guidance. I never know how an altar is going to turn out until it is done and I'm lighting the incense and candles. I stand back and look in awe and amazement and what has been created. Not of me, but by me.

I had originally thought that I'd be placing one of my Goddess figurines on the altar, but as happened last year at Ostara, Mary called saying that she wanted and needed to be on the altar. And as I always do, I listened to Mary's gentle urgings and placed her on the altar.

And so whether you're celebrating Imbolc, Candlemas or Spring, tune out, listen for Divine inspiration and get ready to set up your own altar in whatever way inspiration leads you. You can't make a mistake . . . Inspiration won't let you.

If you're looking for more information on this Sabbat, I came across a wonderful website by Mara Freeman. She elaborates deliciously on Brigit, Imbolc and Candlemas.

Happy Imbolc! Happy Candlemas! Happy Spring!