Checking In

It has been a good long time since I last posted - nearly a year. So I just wanted to check in and say, I'm still here, still breathing, and I'm still *intending* to write a blog! 

Life has been so busy of late that on the rare occasions that I get time to write I am almost always too tired to dredge up any inspiration or too brain dead to articulate my thoughts clearly. So as a quick'n'easy cheat post - a bit of a TV dinner of a post in fact - here are a few photos of life in Moonrootland over the last 12 months. I hope to be back with something a bit more substantial and nourishing in the not too distant future!

  

Views Through Different Windows, or The Blessings of Blogging

I started this blog in 2007 just after Imbolc, so it is now 9 years old. How time flies! I'm not really sure why I started. Several of my friends were blogging and it looked like fun. Also, I had always wanted to write and I thought it may be a relatively pain-free way of getting feedback on my writing. 

It turned out it was, but really that was only one of the many benefits of blogging that I discovered. I found a voice, for one thing. I found that people liked my writing, which was a confidence-booster. That in turn led to me having the courage to attend writing classes and workshops which I have enjoyed and learnt a lot from (including the fact that you shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition - but hell, rules are made to be ignored, right?). My writing has improved, and my confidence has grown so much that I am actually working on writing a book, something I have wanted to do for many years.

Reading someone's blog is a little window into their world, giving an unexpected sense of intimacy at times. I have deliberately guarded my anonymity on the blog, being vague over the details of my and others' real names, or the exact location of Halfway Up A Hill. And yet reading over old posts I am sometimes astonished at how much of my inner self and feelings I have revealed. Possibly much of that is because just over a year after starting 'Moonroot' I suddenly and unexpectedly found myself in the middle of a divorce. The blog was and is a source of comfort through difficult times, and looking back I'm certain that it was therapeutic during some of my darker days to be able to write about them in the way I have. That's not to say I haven't self-censored; there is stuff in my personal journal that I wouldn't dream of sharing with the rest of the world. But looking back I find that I have shared far more than I would have expected, and I think it has been positive and healthy to do so. 

Blogging has also helped me with journalling, oddly enough. I always loved the idea of journalling but the perfectionist in me wanted my journal to be a thing of beauty, not poorly constructed rantings and crossings out. The journals that people share pages from are usually works of art, poetry, insight. Every journal I started before I had a blog, I began with such high standards that I couldn't possibly maintain them and invariably gave up shortly afterwards. Blogging has no such drawbacks as unlike writing with pen and ink, things composed on a computer can be retrospectively edited, cut, pasted or deleted without spoiling the overall 'look' of the thing. But then when I found myself unable to access my blog for whatever reason, I missed it so much I still needed an outlet for all those thoughts and ideas rattling around in my head. So I bought a cheap notebook and some pens and started noting it all down. And before I knew it, I was journalling. Now I can't imagine how I would cope without my journal and have already decided that should I ever appear on Desert Island Discs my luxury item will definitely be an inexhaustible supply of pretty notebooks and nice pens. 

I have also met many wonderful people through blogging, either through commenting on their blogs or through their comments on mine.  Some of these people I am still in touch with - though we have never met - and others have dropped away over the years. And I miss those who have dropped away. I enjoyed the glimpses into their lives, I felt that we were friends even though we had never sat down over a cup of tea together. If you're on my blog-roll, even if you haven't posted for years, I'm still hoping I'll hear from you again one day! I guess this is one of the weird side-effects of the digital age, where we can share so much with total strangers, feel such intimacy yet lose touch so quickly when our point of contact - e-mail address, Facebook page, blog etc gets deleted. Even so, on balance, I think this sharing with strangers is a good thing. I have had insights into other lives all around the world, views through different windows. People I have never met have shown me great kindness in difficult times (and I hope I have done the same for them). If this sharing means better understanding between people, greater compassion, more empathy then I do not think it can be a bad thing, even if the relationships we create turn out to be ephemeral. 

So here's to blogging and its many blessings. Long may it continue. 

Better Late Than Never

 

Mandrake showing remarkable restraint around Christmas decorations

It has been a while since I posted. For a large part of last year I was beset by technical problems. My computer decided to deny me access to my photographs, and I could neither upload nor download photos. Hence most of the photographs in newer blogposts have been recycled from earlier posts. I couldn't even share photos of our new kittens (well, new in Autumn 2013) - be warned, that will soon be remedied!

Then my email vanished into the ether when my email provider was bought out by a bigger company who promised 'nothing would change' and then promptly disabled the service with no warning, explanation or apology. Then I managed to get locked out of my 'alternative' email address when it prompted me to change my password then steadfastly refused to recognise either the new or old passwords.

My misery was compounded when my broadband suddenly ceased working. This was complicated by the fact that the account was still in T's name, as it had been set up some years ago as part of a phone package he had bought. The broadband was free (this was when they were trying to get people to switch to broadband) so I hadn't wanted to rock the boat by changing the name of the account holder in case I would have to start paying. IB and I tried everything to fix the broadband before finally having to get T involved. He very kindly investigated for us, only to confirm that it had been disabled as that tariff (i.e. free!) was no longer available. So I then had to search for a new provider. I got one arranged, but a couple days before it was due to start, there was a big storm during which the house was hit by lightning. Luckily, there was no damage except for the phone line which was fried (no I can't believe it either). That took 3 weeks to get fixed.

All in all, it seems like events were conspiring to keep me away from my blog. So it has been a lo-o-o-o-o-o-ong time between posts. But it is a new year, I am back and will be hopefully making up for lost time over the coming weeks.

In the meantime, kitten pics!!!

 

A sleepy baby Woodruff

 

Despite being from different litters, Mandrake and Woodruff are inseparable

 

The candle is much shorter these days, and Woodruff is much larger! I will have to take a new photo for comparison.

 

Woodruff being adorable.

 

Mandrake is always in search of fun.

 

Mandrake.

 

A bit older in this one..

 

 

Nearly fully grown!

 

And as you can see, they have settled in well with the rest of the household...

 

...which doesn't leave much room on the sofa for the humans!

 

Announcing...

I am very proud to announce that I have been asked to write a monthly column for the online magazine Pagan Pages. My column is called 'The Tree of Life' and you can read my first article in the new Beltane issue here.

I feel very honoured to be asked to write this column and I am very grateful to Pagan Pages and the lovely folks who run it for giving me this opportunity. Of course I will continue to blog here at Moonroot too - I love my blog and the wonderful people it has enabled me to connect with via the blogosphere.

Happy Beltane, one and all.

On the Popularity of Dead Frogs...

One feature I like on Blogger is the opportunity to view my 'stats'. It's interesting to see where people who are viewing the blog live, or which websites pointed them in my direction, and it also tells me which posts are getting the most hits.

For a long time the most popular post has been 'Falling In Love', which surprises me as it's just a quick reflection on the beauties of early summer. I imagine it must be because it's a phrase that might easily be Googled and lead searchers here, though they're probably disappointed when they get to it if it's Mills & Boon they had in mind. Likewise those seeking gardening tips are undoubtedly disgusted by my laid back attitude to weeds when they are directed to 'My Lawn is Full of Dandelions', which is also high on the popularity chart - especially in spring. Hopefully at least 'St Anthony's Well, Llansteffan' is exactly what it says on the tin, and presumably 'ThriftWitch: The Clean Start Soap Spell' is a pretty unambiguous title. All popular posts.

But this week a new favourite has hit the top spot after scoring multiple hits, week in, week out. The post in question is 'When is a Dead Frog Just a Dead Frog?', and although it is a post I am proud of, I can't understand its popularity. Are there that many people out there Googling the term 'Dead Frog'? How else do they come to that particular post? Has someone else commented on it in their blog and people are coming over out of curiosity? Or... Oh my gosh, is it some sort of weird sexual practice... why didn't anyone tell me!!! At that point the possibilities fail me. Don't get me wrong - I do think it's a good post - but the most popular Moonroot post ever?

So, if you are one of those who has been drawn to 'When is a Dead Frog Just a Dead Frog?', do please satisfy my curiosity. How on earth did you stumble across it in the first place?

P.S. I couldn't find a convenient photo of a frog, so the photo is of somewhere a live frog might like to hang out. See? I'm nothing if not versatile.

Wow!

I have just found out that 'Moonroot' is listed as no. 23 in the '50 Best Blogs for Wiccans' at this site.


They say, 'Many Witches and Wiccans embrace environmental, sustainable political causes, and moonroot dishes out valuable advice on spells, meditations and other ways for the community to protect the planet.'

I am amazed and flattered. Wow. Thanks!  

Phew!

Things have been a little quiet on here of late. My computer crashed spectacularly and for several weeks with fingers crossed I waited to see if it could be resuscitated - and whether or not I had lost all the precious photos and documents I had been meaning to back up and not got around to...

Well, the computer is duly back from the dead and I am eternally grateful to Stuart for not only reviving it but also restoring all my files. Phew!

I have been itching to get blogging again and have lots of posts waiting to be written. There is a lot of lost time to be made up for...

Beauty, Balance and Delight

I haven't posted here on Moonroot as frequently as I would like over the last year. I fully intend to post here more regularly in 2012. But I have also started a new blog, Beauty, Balance and Delight, to which you are warmly welcomed.

Happy New Year! Here's to a wonderful 2012 and some interesting adventures in the blogosphere...

I Love My Blog!

Today is the anniversary of my very first blog post on 'Moonroot', back in February 2007. I had set up the blog and then found I hadn't a clue what to write about. So in time-honoured fashion, I chatted about the weather! I began just writing about my daily life, and gradually found my voice. It was so heartening to find that people were leaving comments and enjoying the blog.

I myself was greatly enjoying it. I had always kept journals, albeit somewhat patchily. Sometimes I would even buy a beautiful new journal but not write in it, anxious about despoiling the clean new pages, waiting to start 'until I had something worthwhile to say'. Since starting my blog, I still keep hand-written journals, but something about the process of blogging has freed up my journalling. I no longer worry about having to write an entry every day, I write when I want to. And somehow I want to write more. I don't worry about the state of my handwriting, or the crossings out or smudges, or even the tear stains that occasionally mark the pages. This is journalling as it should be, life on paper.

Blogging has also encouraged me in other directions. Buoyed up by the kind comments others have left here I have taken a couple of writing courses, which have been both fun and educational. I have also become enthused by digital photography - having started taking photos merely to illustrate the blog and make it more interesting I now carry a camera with me everywhere, snapping away whenever I find inspiration, and learning by trial and error what works and what doesn't!

I have also 'met' lots of lovely people via the blog and found great joy in reading their blogs in turn. There is such a flowering of creative talent in the blogosphere! And these same people have been so kind and supportive to me in times of difficulty - most notably, of course, during my recent divorce. Thank you all so much. You have no idea how much you helped me in those dark days.

Sometimes people ask me why I blog and it is hard to come up with a short answer. But for all the reasons listed above, I love my blog. And I suppose above all, that is why I keep blogging!

Reminder: 6th Annual Brigid Poetry Festival

Feel free to copy the following to your blog/facebook/website and spread the word. Let poetry bless the blogosphere once again!


WHAT: A Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading

WHEN: Anytime between  now and Brigid's Feast Day, February 1, 2011

WHERE: Your blog

WHY: To celebrate the Feast of Brigid

HOW: Select a poem you like - by a favorite poet or one of your own - to post February 1st.

RSVP: If you plan to publish, there is now a Facebook Community page for the event. If you  post a poem on your blog, please share the link on the community page so we can all go there and read it. If you don’t have a blog or website of your own, go ahead and post your poem in its entirety to the community page.

Feel free to spread this invitation across the blogosphere!

Thanks to Reya, Deborah and Anne for their vision and hard work in initiating and maintaining this tradition.

Spam, Spam, Spam

I'm not sure if 'spam' is the correct word for irrelevant and unwanted links to other blogs/websites on a blog's 'comments' section. But although I'm unsure of the correct terminology this is what I have been receiving from time to time, and it seems to be on the increase.

One of my readers has posted to me with concerns about this, and I think they're justified. So from now on, I am changing the comments section to 'moderated', so that I can see each post before it appears and weed out any that are inappropriate. This doesn't mean that I will be censoring genuine comments, just weeding out the links to porn websites etc!

I hope everyone who reads my blog will understand and be happy with this decision.

Blessed Be.

Invitation to The Fourth Annual Brigid in the Blogosphere Poetry Slam

Feel free to copy the following to your blog and spread the word. Let poetry bless the blogosphere once again!

WHAT: A Bloggers (Silent) Poetry Reading

WHEN: Anytime February 2, 2009

WHERE: Your blog

WHY: To celebrate the Feast of Brigid, aka Groundhog Day

HOW: Select a poem you like - by a favorite poet or one of your own - to post February 2nd.

RSVP: If you plan to publish, feel free to leave a comment and link on this post, where the Slam originated. Or link to whoever you hear about this from and a mighty web of poetry will be spun.

Feel free to pass this invitation on to any and all bloggers. Thanks to Reya, who began what is now an annual event, and Deborah Oak for continuing it.

Kreativ Blogger Award

Livia Indica has nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger Award on her NeoPagan Ink blog. Wow, thank you! I'm so flattered to be awarded this.

Now I've got to nominate 6 others and list 6 things I like.

In no particular order I nominate:

• mccabe at Dancing Mermaid for her amazing photos, poetry and joyously creative spirit
• Jackie and the Gingers at We Three, Ginger Cats Tales - stunning photography and a poetic telling of what it is to be a cat
• Snapper and the Griffin, for quirky photos and gorgeous tales
• Fiona at The Cottage Smallholder for writing like a dream and managing to make even me, who really doesn't enjoy cooking a whole lot, want to take up my garlic press and wooden spoon and get creating deliciousness
• Mike at Team Spirit for sharing his funny and intriguing novel with us, and
• Juliet at Crafty Green Poet - truly creative and lovely poetry to boot!

And I like:

• The smell of lemons (I use lemon essential oil to clean my kitchen!)
• The art of Andy Goldsworthy
• Snuggling up in front of the wood burning stove with the cats on a chilly evening
• This song (which I never get tired of)
• Earl Grey tea - something about the scent always gives me a little lift
• The Tai Chi class I've just started taking. I'm not a great fan of exercise - never have been - but Tai Chi makes me feel really energised yet calm.

Have a nice weekend!

A Long Overdue Thank You!

Rather belatedly, I'd like to thank Andy at The Spiritual Journey of a Somerset Pagan, and Livia Indica at Magic in These Hills for nominating me for the 'I love your blog' award.


Many, many thanks to both of you for the honour! I love your blogs too, so it means a lot that you would pick me.

The Rules for those receiving an award are:

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog
2. Link the person you received the award from
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Put links of those blogs on yours
5. Leave a message on the blogs nominated

My nominations include some lovely blogs I've discovered in recent months. I send awards showering down on:

1. Mitchell Mutt at The Book Rant, whose posts are unfailingly short, to the point and hilarious;
2. Mimi at Little Sips of Tea, a delicious comfort-blanket of a blog;
3. Rima at The Hermitage, a magical wonderland of quirky creativity;
4. Mike at Team Spirit because I am so enjoying Drood's adventures and can't wait for Chapter 8;
5. The Awakened Heart, down to earth, spiritual and often downright funny - lovely!;
6. Aims at Big Blue Barn West - Aims' moving story is so beautifully and honestly told I am quite addicted;
7. Paul at Moon and Raven, because it's always well-written, thought-provoking and he covers such a diverse range of subjects.

I'm really surprised how easy it was to pick seven - how hard to stop at seven, in fact. It goes to prove that there really are a lot of wonderful blogs out there to enjoy. I recommend all of the above for your viewing/reading pleasure.

Arte y Pico Award

Catching up with Blogland after my visit to Avalon Spring, I'm flattered to find I have been given an award by the lovely Moncha over at Dreaming of Avalon.

It is called the Arte y Pico award, given for 'Creativity, Design, Interesting material, and Contribution to the blogging community', and it originated here. Thank you so much, I'm deeply honoured to have been chosen and feeling very flattered that Moncha thinks I fit the bill!

Firstly I must share the rules, which are:

1. Pick 5 blogs that you feel are deserving of this award, based on their Creativity, Design, Interesting material, and Contribution to the blogging community, no matter what language
2. For each award giver: include the name of the author and a link to their blog, so they can be visited.
3. For each recipient: show the award with the name and link to the blogger from whom it was received.
4. For both giver and receiver: show the link (http://arteypico.blogspot.com/)
5. Publish these rules.

And now I get to pass the award on!

I choose:

Dancing Mermaid: mccabe's blog is a delight - I am in awe of her words, her art and her photos all of which always lift me up and make me feel better about the world.

At Brigid's Forge: Because I love Lunaea's words and photos - and I love to see the pretty Goddess rosaries she produces.

The Gold Puppy: Reya is a friend from real life as well as the blogosphere - unfortunately the Atlantic separates us! She always has such an unusual slant on life (I call it Reyavision) which makes me think, and her photos are just fabulous!

Jackie Morris's Blog: Jackie is an amazing and talented artist and writer. I love her 'Three Ginger Cats' blog, but she also has this blog which showcases her gorgeous artwork and photos. If I could afford them I would have her paintings hung all round my house - until that day comes I content myself with sighing over her blog.

It's The Journey, Not the Destination: Donald is another dear friend across the pond. He too is a talented artist, photographer and writer. He's only been blogging a short while but I'm so glad he decided to join us so I can enjoy his work!

If you haven't visited any of these wonderful blogs before I recommend them all heartily. Have fun browsing!

Happy Birthday to Moonroot!

It is exactly a year since I started this blog. Back then I wrote:

"I took a stroll down the hill to look at my bees, and they were out in force enjoying the balmy weather. There's really not that much bee fodder available this early, even though it has been an extraordinarily mild winter, so I was relieved to see them making full use of the gorse blossom near their hive. The snowdrops haven't yet opened, but there are daffodils in the bottom of the hedge that are nearly out, and on the way back to the house I found a clump of crocuses opening wide smiling faces to the sun. "

Just a few days after that we had inches of snow and ice!

This year I can report that the weather is cold, wet and stormy. The bees are very sensibly staying home and feeding themselves on their honey stores. But the crocuses are out (though staying tightly furled against the elements) and the snowdrops and daffodils will soon be joining them. Hopefully cold, wet weather at Imbolc/Groundhog day means (if groundhogs know about these things in Wales) that real spring is not too far around the corner.

My first ever blog post was about the weather, because I didn't really know what else to write. I just knew I wanted to get started writing! Since then I have written about my day to day life, as well as pondering such diverse topics as gratitude, ageing, elderflowers, peace, community, infertility, history and magic. Blogging has been a great way to stay in touch with friends, family and loved ones via this and their own blogs. I have also had such a blast discovering for myself the many talented bloggers out there in cyberspace. But the best thing of all has been discovering a whole new community of blogging friends.

Many, many thanks to everyone who has taken time to read and/or comment on my blog over the last year. Happy Birthday, moonroot.blogspot.com/!

P.S. The photo is of an altar I set up to Brigid at Imbolc last year. The bowl contains many of Her symbols - a tiny anvil, some rowan berries, a herb knife, a candle etc - symbolising Her triple aspects as Goddess of smithcraft, healing and poetry.