Coffee, Chaos and Cuss Words

This is my end-of-the-year contribution to Kallan Kennedy's Sunday Stew. Please go check out the rest of the fabulous chefs over at  The Secret Life of the American Witch! “Tradition is a fragile thing in a culture built entirely on the memories of the elders.” Alice Albinia When the year comes to a close, I find myself saying ‘Good riddance! Out with the Old; In with the New!’  Following almost every Yule /Winter Solstice, I feel giddy with the promise of the return to lighter and brighter days. The end of a year contains the anticipation of a blank slate and a fresh start. Each year we break out the new wall calendars with their pretty pictures to motivate us. Last year at home we had ‘Cats and Kittens’; this year we have ‘Dark Literary Classics’ and at work, I have ‘The Witches Calendar’. It’s a little tradition we follow to mark the passage of days by replacing one themed calendar each year for a new one. That thought led me to consider other traditions that we have. There...

We're almost at the Finish Line for 2013, aren't we? Looking back over the year that was holds little in the way of fond memories. It has been a difficult year, and I need to acknowledge what I went through from its beginning, to see where the end of this year has brought me. I am still here...with more support and friendship than I could ever have imagined. A year that has shown me more about what I am capable of than any other time in my life. Here, I take a last look at 2013...reflect on the events that have come to shape my here, my now and guide my footsteps onward... January- Still reeling from the loss of my Mom on October 19, 2012. Channeled all my pain and love into looking after Dad, who lost his wife of 48 years. We're all numb but my focus is him...my Dad...and I'm going to take care of him as much as he'll let me. I live almost 2 hours from him, yet the sibs within 15 minutes of him have 'stepped back'. We have Sunday breakfasts and I go up duri...

Blessed Yule!!! Welcome back to the Light friends! I had taken a little bit of a break from writing for awhile. As the year is coming to a close and the winter holidays are upon us, I have had more pressing issues to contend with. I am still mourning the loss of my parents and this holiday season is particularly difficult for me. However, when I am troubled I always rely on the Goddess and I have been busy with much meditation and self-reflection. In working through grief and reflecting on the year now passing, I have found much inspiration to guide and sustain me.  My dear friend, Kallan Kennedy, has honored me by including me again as one of the contributors for her amazing blog-The Sunday Stew- at  The Secret Life of the American Witch!  Here you will find my contribution for the special Yule/ Winter Solstice edition. Please be sure to go to Kallan's blog and read all the articles from those wonderful chefs and let their wit and wisdom nourish your spirit. artist unkno...

Many use this time of the year to debate the true cultural and historical facts of the day, get a ridiculous jump on their Christmas shopping, prepare for the invasion of friends and relatives, or clear out the supermarkets in the attempt to cook the ultimate holiday meal. This dark part of the year has a hold on me and I am still in a period of deep self-reflection mingled with grief. Knowing that this melancholy around my heart needs assistance to dissipate, I asked the Gods to send me the inspiration that would help move me forward out of the gloom. The answer that came was simple: create a Gratitude List . Gratitude Lists are not limited to the Thanksgiving holiday. I first started using them when I was actively attending Al-Anon meetings. While I have not been to a meeting in almost 20 years, I have used them many times to get me unstuck when Life saw me dancing in a quagmire. As life changes, so do the lists. At different times of the year, I may need to reflect on different thin...

Here is where I find myself; not in 'limbo', not in apathy or avoidance, but in the long, dark tunnel leading from the past to my next destination. Doors have closed, by choice and by chance, and I now seek the next door leading to my new path. I am truly excited about what the future now holds, but first, it requires some  raising of the anchors and letting go of past before moving on to the future. Some periods of transition are shorter than others. For some, once a decision is made or an action taken, the movement and consequences are felt immediately, like a strong gust of wind. In other situations (like my own) the progress is slow and feels uncertain that-even with glimpses of light- we will ever make it to the end of the proverbial tunnel. I am in a period of transition with what technically can be defined as my 'family'. As I gather my strength to me to complete some of the final acts as executrix, I find the energy within fluctuates. Emotionally I am burdened w...

Being the executrix for my parent's estate has been like an endurance trial with a moving finish line. Never, at any point of this ordeal has this felt like it has gotten easier. The reason is my because my crazy siblings have a knack for creating chaos just when it seems I'm handling things well. At those brief moments when I think I am able to see the light at the end of the tunnel....*WHAM*!! Nope, just the headlights of another sibling truck making a delivery from Crazytown... It's the manipulation that gets me the most. My brother has been downright abusive in his quest to rule the world  get his 'inheritance'. Despite frequent reassurances from me that I'm doing what I can to settle all the business of the estate, he insists I do more and get him cash faster. At times he has relayed his wishes with extreme profanity and verbal abuse...other times with selective memory and invitations to Thanksgiving dinner. My older half-sister has just gone along with hi...

Our spirit guests have gone back home. Those spirits who came for our yearly Samhain and Dia de los Muertos gatherings have left us with a whisper and a smile as the Veil has drawn back between our worlds again for another year. We are now in November and there is both a New Moon and a Hybrid Solar Eclipse on November 3, 2013. There are many ways one can call upon or harness the immense energy at play today. I am still reeling from the psychic effects of two major holidays which just passed.  But the New Moon or Dark Moon is a time looked at differently by many magickal practitioners for what kinds of workings they want to do. For me, the Dark Moon is a time for the last bit of spiritual house cleaning. I have spent much time in the past month (especially during this period of Mercury Retrograde) reflecting on what I want for myself and what I would like to develop in the coming days. At the Dark Moon I go deeper still and am completely honest with myself about what has been proble...

Samhain's Sirens: Samhain's Sirens October 31 : Happy Samhain Eve and Halloween! This is our last big day of celebration, and we have a very special offering for you! Tomorrow, we'l...

*The October Extravaganza at Samhain's Sirens is almost at an end! Be sure to visit the blog and take advantage of the last few days of crafts, recipes, articles and giveaways before the Grand Giveaway at the end of the month! Follow the link:   Samhain's Sirens! This article is my contribution to Kallan Kennedy's Special Samhain Edition of the Sunday Stew. After this the Sunday Stew will be on hiatus until Yule, so you know this edition of the Stew is going to be something really special!  Please follow this link:   The Secret Life of the American Witch! I don’t stand on ceremony and I've never really liked all the Pomp and Circumstance that some thrive on in their rituals. It has been one of the things that drew me away from ‘Wicca’ and led me to my own solitary path as a Witch. While others really feel strongly about putting on their ceremonial robes, casting the circles, calling the quarters, etc….I just wanted to settle down, keep it simple and get to the magickal ...

Samhain's Sirens: Samhain's Sirens, Day 20, October 23 : It's a Wonderful Wednesday here! Kallan's baby, Nichole We have TWO giveaways for you today, great music, more from our ama...

Samhain's Sirens: Saturday Craft-Tacular - Elemental Spell Pens : Welcome to the third edition of the Samhain’s Sirens Saturday Craft-Tacular.  Today we’ll be working in the wonderful world of polymer cl...

Samhain's Sirens: Samhain's Sirens: Day, 16, October 18 Crafty Witc... : WOOHOO!! Happy Friday everyone! Are you ready for a great craft and giveaway? Check out Autumn's DELICIOUS recipe and of course, ...

Another awesome day at Samhain's Sirens...and a kick ass giveaway from Kindred Kollections! Come see! Samhain's Sirens: Samhain's Sirens, Day 14- October 16 : Wow, can you believe we're already half-way through the celebration? Time sure does fly when you're having this much fun! We h...

Another awesome day at Samhain's Sirens! Go check out this fabulous giveaway and MORE!! Samhain's Sirens: Samhain's Sirens Day 13, October 15 : Welcome back! It's a Terrific Tuesday here for the Sirens! We have some great stuff for you. Remember, if you have a question or ...

I realized just today that I had a Tumblr account that had been long neglected. The reason was because it was still connected to the old blog name previous to the relaunch of  Mid-Stride Moxie. So, out with the old? Ha! In this case, I guess so...I had to start over properly with the new Tumblr page for the new blog! It's just getting started...and I'm still learning how to make some of this stuff work.... One of the things I love doing is sharing photos...of nature, odd road-side attractions, cool items I see while antique shopping or flea-market treasure hunting, beauty and fashion, retro/vintage/kitsch anything, spiritual sites and inspirations, awesome affirmations of all kinds for the middle-aged gal on the go... So, it just seems right that I should re-start a photo blog on Tumblr just for those moments...it's the right place to put them and a way to share without hijacking the space or attention of my friends on my social media pages... I'd love to have you join ...

Good day friends! Once again I have another blurp that I have written as a contribution for Kallan Kennedy's-  The Secret Life of the American Witch!  Please, visit the page and check out all the wonderful contributing Chefs who make the Sunday Stew such a treat!  As always, I hope that you enjoy my contribution and I would love to hear your thoughts!  ************************************** Many Pagans are blessed to be able to spend Samhain with a loving circle of friends, family, and other like-minded folks. They will conduct group rituals, raise cones of power, chant and sing songs, drum in the midst of their circles, and enjoy the celebratory feast afterward. Some children (and adults!) are lucky enough to take part in Harvest celebrations, play games, create masks, wear costumes, decorate sugar skulls, and then enjoy the spoils from hours of ringing doorbells and shouting ‘Trick-or-Treat!!’. But what about the rest of us? What is there for those of us to do to c...

There is an amazing giveaway (yes-ANOTHER one!) over at   Samhain's Sirens ! This one is featuring a wonderful plaque made by the awesome Loren Morris of  Sagas Cottage . It is a wonderful piece featuring the Witches Familiar.... Please...go check out the amazing blog (also featuring wise and lovely Loren!) and enter to win that gorgeous bit of art for yourself!!

Hello my friends! I'm feeling a little nostalgic today, so I thought it was a good idea to throw out a few more tunes for you as I reflect on my Mid-Stride life. October 19 will mark the one-year anniversary of my mom's passing from this life. I have been running the spectrum of emotional reactions from laughter to tears and all areas in between. I miss her very much. She was quite a character! Feisty, curious, outspoken, compassionate, giving, funny, are just a few of the words I can think of to describe my mother. My mom was the youngest child of Italian immigrants and had a strong love for the food, music, and traditions of her culture. Naturally, she shared that with her children. Many of the strongest memories I have of my mother focus on two main areas: food and music. Since I don't have enough room for you in my little apartment to share a meal with you, I'll share some of the music I enjoyed with my mom and some of her favorites, too. Mom loved the crooners who ...