Setting up a yule altar

Yule is the time of year when Pagans and Wiccans celebrate the Winter Solstice. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, this will be on around December 21, but if you're below the Equator, your Yule celebration will fall in June. This Sabbat is considered the longest night of the year, and following Yule, the sun begins its long journey back to earth. Try some or even all of these ideas -- obviously, space may be a limiting factor for some, but use what calls to you most.

Colors of the Season:

Winter is here, and even if the snow hasn't fallen yet, there's a definite chill in the air. Use cold colors to decorate your altar, such as blues and silvers and whites. Also find ways to include the reds, whites and greens of the season. Evergreen boughs never go out of style, so add some dark greens as well. Cover your altar with a cloth in a cool color, and then add candles in a variety of different wintery shades. Use candles in silvers and golds -- and sparkle is always good too!

Symbols of Winter:

Yule is a Sabbat that reflects the return of the sun, so add solar symbols to your altar. Gold discs, yellow candles, anything bright and shiny can represent the sun. Some people even get a large pillar candle, inscribe it with solar symbols, and designate it as their sun candle. You can also add evergreen boughs, sprigs of holly, pinecones, a Yule log, and even Santa Claus. Consider antlers or reindeer, along with other symbols of fertility.

Other Signs of the Season:

There's no limit to the number of things you can put on your Yule altar, as long as you've got the space. Consider some of these items as part of your Sabbat decor:

• Fruit and nuts
• Mistletoe
• Snowflakes, icicles, even a bowl of snow
• Candy canes
• Bells
• Sun Wheels

The Legend of Frau Holle

In some Scandinavian traditions, Frau Holle is known as the feminine spirit of the woods and plants, and was honored as the sacred embodiment of the earth and land itself. She is associated with many of the evergreen plants that appear during the Yule season, especially mistletoe and holly, and is sometimes seen as an aspect of Frigga, wife of Odin. In this theme, she is associated with fertility and rebirth. Typically, she is seen as a goddess of hearth and home, although in different areas she has clearly different purposes.

Interestingly, Frau Holle is mentioned in the story of Goldmary and Pitchmary, as compiled by the Grimm brothers. In this context -- that of a Germanic Cinderella-type tale -- she appears as an old woman who rewards an industrious girl with gold, and offers the girl's lazy sister an equally appropriate compensation. Legends in some parts of Germany portray her as a toothless hag who appears in the winter, much like the Cailleach of Scotland.

In the Norse Eddas, she is described as Hlodyn, and she gives gifts to women at the time of the Winter Solstice, or Jul. She is sometimes associated with winter snowfall as well -- it is said that when Frau Holle shakes out her mattresses, white feathers fall to the earth. A feast is held in her honor each winter by many people in the Germanic countries.

Peach cobbler

I love peach cobbler and it has been raining here today so  decided to make some warm gooey peach cobbler to warm up my family here is the recipe that I used:

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk

And crumb topping
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cup sugar
2Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish or large cast iron skillet and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with crumb mixture. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for40 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Loose that weight already

When you want to loose weight there really truly is only one way. Consume fewer calories then you are burning. there are so so many diets out there that promise to tell you the right stuff to eat and yes its easier if you don't eat only pizza and no veggies or water but the fact is that if you only consume 1500 calories of pizza that whole day and you burned 2200 calories you did burn off a little bit of weight. but this road is discouraging to most because it takes so very long to see any difference. If you add in a little bit more exercise you could bump up those burned calories to maybe 3000 a day keep in mind that most women burn 1500-1700 just sitting on there bums all day and for men its around 2000. so 3000 is a easily obtainable number. walk down the street to get your lunch instead of driving that burned a few more. If you really want to get those numbers correct get a exercise app like noom. it lets you break down your food to better figure out the calories and you can track your calories burned as well. having to log it is proven to help people not eat it. If you don't want to get technical about it just keep a food journal and write every EVERY thing that you eat. Make sure you drink lots of water you can't flush out and toxins or fat if there is not water to flush it.
Try to eat better you will develop a taste for veggies. eat stuff like cinnamon and cayenne there suppose to cause a thermogenic burn that heats up your body and burns more calories. I drink lots of black coffee but some say caffeine is worse for your weight loss I just know that it keeps me going and so I am burning more calories then sitting on my butt. try simple exercises at the work desk there are lots to do with your legs. that way your not just on your bum all day. every fifteen minutes get up and walk. use the stairs instead of the elevator or only use the elevator up to the floor below yours then walk. PORTION CONTROL. You do not need a pizza to yourself you only need one slice yes one slice you can also have a salad on the side with vinaigrette or salt and pepper NO RANCH. READ LABELS. Try to buy things with the least amount of ingredients and ones that you can pronounce. Adding one or more of these things into your everyday routine should help you see the scale start to go down in about a week. yea I know a whole week. Want to see it move faster? Burn those calories baby exercise every single chance you get every single day. eat carbs only in the morning and 15 min before a big exercise routine. eat protein at every meal even if it comes from beans for you vegetarians out there. don't eat less then 1200 calories in a day and don't eat more then 1500 for a women and 1900 for a man. tell your self you are skinny and get motivated. believe that the weight will come off. pray to who ever you believe in to give you the strength to resist that extra serving. FOOD IS FUEL It is not comfort, it is not luxury, it is not to taste yummy it is for your body to function properly and you should only put into it what is going to help it do that. 

Meteor shower

On the 12th of August every year there is a meteor shower. This day also happens to be my wedding anniversary. so finally this year for the first time I got to lay out in the yard with my husband and watch the night sky. Our little boy snuggled into the covers with us and watched as well. I have to say it was probably the best anniversary i have had. There has always been a reason why we have never been able to watch the sky before, full moon, cloud covered, husband had to work that night, ect ect. But i am very happy that we got to this time. we did see alot of smaller and dimmer meteors but we also got to see one very bright very large very spectacular one as well. we only laid out for about a hour but that was enough. 

Allergy's

Allergy's are here and for the first year in my life I am also a sufferer of this. So today we will be looking at Natural Allergy relief. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, and with this treatment alone many allergic responses can be quelled in the body
Quercetin, a flavonoid found in apples, inhibits the body's release of histamines, Raw crude bee pollen produced within 10 miles of your home can be found at your local health-food store and sometimes from your local beekeeper. The easiest way to take bee pollen is to add it to a cup of tea. Start with a few granules and work up to 2 tsp. daily over a period of a few weeks. You may notice an increase in energy and clearer thinking as bee pollen contains natural B vitamins.
Swallow two teaspoons of locally produced honey each morning to boost your immune system. Many of the irritants that cause seasonal allergies can be found in the honey our insect friends produce. Take your time swallowing the locally made honey. You may even feel a tingling as it runs over your tonsils, which are highly concentrated with immune-related cells. Your body is reacting to the irritants in the honey that cause your seasonal allergies.

Clear your sinus with a Neti pot. Neti pots are basically small teapots made for your nose. The process is a bit unusual, but effective. With your face parallel to the sink, slightly rotate your head to the right. Insert the spout of the Neti pot into the right nostril and breath through your mouth. Repeat on the left side. Any excess debris and irritants will be flushed out with the soothing salt water rinse. Plus you will be able to breathe deeply through your nose immediately after this home treatment.

cover all bedding and pillows with allergy preventive covers.

try a butterbur treatment

I hope that you have gotten a few ideas from these listed here. Enjoy your warm summer allergy free days. 

Beltane

Today is the first of may which is Beltane a wonderfully fun festival that is marked with bone fires, and the classic maypole. flowers are a fun part of Beltane and so is the crowning of the may day queen. there are wonderful recipes that you can stat ahead of time for a fabulous celebration and so many beautiful decoration idea's that you can keep your hand busy for weeks preparing things. this is one of my favorite celebration that is only over shadowed by Samhain. circle bone fires for luck, jumping them is traditional but not really recommended. most of all have fun and don't worry about how you celebrate this festival just do it your way!!!