A Friends Garden

Our house is very deep and the side space between the houses lends itself to being turned into the wonderful French gardening concept of an alley... a long narrow space filled with plants or trees to pull the eye forward. To make the feet desire to move along and visit with the plants.

I decided to develop this space into my Friends Garden. It's the space where all my friends and other gardeners have brought plants from their gardens to share. I love this space. When I look at this plant I think immediately of her. When that one blooms I think of him! It's wonderful. It's also the space where I lovingly transplanted some of the treasures I brought from my beloved gardens at my home in Maryland. Or replicated some of my favorite choices. My neighbors comment on it quite often as being interesting and lovely.

The few warm days of complete sun have pushed my gardens into the next phase of delight. The roses didn't fair well. And, the pansies are all gone. But, the daylilies are in their glory. As I walk around and clap with delight, I share them immediately in my thoughts with friend, Eileen, who was my first neighbor when moving to Greensburg.

Eileen loves daylilies and hosta. She and I spent lots of time walking her gardens and sharing stories and tips as only two gardeners do when they get together. Knowing how sad I was when I left most of my treasures back in Maryland, she was one of my first friends to stop by bringing all sorts of green gifts to share. Hosta and daylilies carefully labeled- all the ones you'll see today. Eileen is a big presence in my Friends Garden.

For the past couple of years, Eileen has decided to try her hand at hybridizing lilies. It's not hard to do, per se, but it takes patience. And a lot of trial and error. This year, after three years of trying, she's beginning to see some of the outcome of her efforts and she's very excited. I can certainly understand and I'm pleased for her.

So, what great gardener would be where they are without their assistants? Fiona sat on alert while I photographed and picked and dead headed. She couldn't find a trophy vole or chipmunk to bring me, so she decided to simply sit and watch. Good girl, Fi...

While my silly boy-dog decided to watch me and look at some of his favorite flowers. He likes to poke at the lavender...I really think he must be sniffing some of the plants as he goes to the same ones regularly. Rory is very interesting. Much more serene and contemplative than his bossy sister.

Here's the first daylily vision that made me say, "Oh!" Of all of the ones that Eileen has given me, this one seems to be the most reluctant, but what a beauty! This is Christmas Eve.

And strolling further... I love the compliment of the dark throat with the quiet exterior on this lily.

This lovely is called, Brocaded Gown, and it may just be the most aptly named lily in my garden. I love the ruffled edge and the puckers. It does look like fabric, and when the light hits it just right, it seems to glow.

If you love the refreshing color of pink, then this is a beauty you want in your garden....

I adore how all the plants and colors seem to play so nicely with each other. Each one its own note in my garden symphony.

This little lovely is actually a spider wart. And, while not a daylily, it is in the lily family. When I saw these tiny gems, well, I had to include them in this show for you today.

And, this last one? I don't have it in my garden yet. Eileen sent a card with this beauty on it; she knows how much I adore all shades of purple. It's one that she's been working on for three years and this year it bloomed. Isn't it gorgeous? I am so happy for her! And, if I am lucky, one day I may have it in the Friends Garden. It's not ready to be shared, yet. So for now, I'll just have to live with this gift...

...yesterday, Eileen called to tell me that she's decided to name this glorious new lily of hers, "Holly," after her gardening buddy. How lucky am I to have made a friend like that? Thank you, Eileen. Really. What an honor!

I hope all of you have moments of recognition and deepening friendships this summer.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Eileen's Friend

Life Is What You Make It

This is the woman we spent our weekend with... My Aunt Katherine, or Kat, or if you are one of her friends from her country club days, Kitty, or Kits. She was a fabulously well dressed, clothes horse in her hey day. Now? She still likes to look good, still fusses with her hair and worries that she's attractive. But she doesn't worry quite as much as she used to... Time has a way of mellowing even the sharpest of us; dulling the flinty, sparky parts of the personality.

For almost 10 years now, Kat lives in a great continuing care community. She left a home that she absolutely loved because her husband needed care. David, died shortly after. They were married over 50 years. He was not the most pleasant of men. Could be cutting and cruel. Never physically, but emotionally. He was...well he's dead, so I'll leave it at that. But, Katherine always forgave his behavior. For Kat, David hung the moon. That will never change.

She's made a few friends at her community. One of them calls her, Miss Butterfly because she's always flitting about. Slower now, but she still comes and goes, never lighting anywhere for very long. Aunt Kat wanted to show off Rory & Fiona to her friends. She adores those two Scotties of mine- has pictures of them everywhere! Oh, and she wanted them to meet Michael and me too, but truly, it was all about the dogs, who by the way, were wonderful and behaved. This was their first sleep over.

We helped with odd jobs around the apartment that a woman who is 92 and becoming frail would love to take care of for herself but can't. Like flipping the mattress, dusting the lights overhead, re-setting the electric clock so it stops blinking 12:00. Simple things made complicated by the fact that there is no one there to help...but she doesn't complain. Well, perhaps a little.

Kat had an excellent circle of friends and she adored entertaining. I remember, as a little girl, being at her home for over night stays and snuggled in a big bed listening to the laughter and conversation of a cocktail party underway. Falling asleep to the pleasant sounds of people enjoying themselves. Yes, I have an Aunt who used to host the most wonderful cocktail parties. Little foods to pass about. Piano music in the background. Drinks poured out of a shaker into crystal glasses.

In her day, she was a superb cook; had a fabulously decorated home. And, great gardens. She was a member of garden clubs and a ribbon winner for many of her arrangements. I can't look at a daffodil without thinking of Kat...she's won lots of ribbons for her daffies...simply beautiful.

As we held hands on our stroll before leaving, we stopped to admire the tiny Black Eyed Susans growing along the way. They mean Summer to us who grew up in one of the nicest states in the union. I've planted the Maryland state flower here at my home in PA because they remind me of "home." And that makes me happy.

I think I learned to love gardening from Kat, although I couldn't stand it when she'd rope me in to helping her weed. Yuk! It felt a little odd naming the flowers for her... she used to tell me the names. When I say one, she responds, "Oh, that's right, how could I have forgotten?" She asks that with more frequency these days.

Although, at times, she and I still go head to head since she knows where all my buttons are and just how to push them, over time I've come to realize that a great many of the qualities that others like about me, I just may have gotten from this tiny, fussy, woman who makes me generally crazy.

She was so grateful that we came to visit and we actually had a nice time being there. She loves Michael and thinks he's the most thoughtful, pleasant guy. She'd be correct. He's really sweet with her. And, let's face it, no matter how old a gal gets, it's nice to have a guy be sweet with you.

She loves to get a hug or kiss because there are so few anymore. No one around to give you a kiss out of the blue for no other reason than, "Just because!" How can you not share a smooch with someone when you know you can give them that sort of smile?

Here's the thing about Kat, the thing I admire the most is that at 92, she still is curious about life and things around her. She still wants to learn and delights in a small accomplishment. Like, learning how to use chop sticks for the very first time and actually being able to pick something up with them! She's wanted to know how to do it for years and I was able to show her.

I suppose what troubles me is that I'm not there. None of us is there. My cousin Val is in Florida and I'm here. Katherine's the last of the six Dietor children. She's cried at the funerals of every person who has meant "love" to her. Her parents, her siblings, her husband. And, now recently, her two closest friends have passed away. Imagine saying that many farewells...

And, I want to know how that must feel for her, but I don't have the nerve to ask. I want to understand how someone can constantly have everyone they love slip away and leave them behind, but I just don't have the nerve. The truth is, pondering it unsettles me; I don't want consider it as the path for my life. But, I know it is possible.

What I've watched over the years is a remarkable development of incredible courage in a woman who, when she was younger, seemed as though she had no depth of character at all. She who worried and fretted over everything. Fearful of EVERYTHING. Yet, this huge thing? This being alone in a wide world? This sort of sadness, she has shouldered and moves forward with each day. My Aunt was a fabulous friend. Her friends loved her because she totally loved them. Now they are just memories.

When you talk with her about how it feels, she'll say, "There's only one way ...

...to live. You look for something good in the day. You remember how kind God has been to you. You try not to feel sorry for yourself because what good does that do? You just end up feeling worse. You just look for something good and think about that; not the parts that make you sad."

Bravely you walk on through your life each day, not fixating on all that has been lost to you, but looking at what you still have. Because after so many years of living a swell life, you know that there aren't countless days left and not a single one should be wasted. On the really blessed days you have your family and sweet dogs with you. And that gives you something wonderful to think about on days that aren't so good.

I've learned a lot from Katherine. And I'm still learning a lot from her. Thanks for our visit, Kit Wit. I love you. I'm glad we've both lived long enough for me to realize that, despite the rough patches we've had, in the end the love is the only part that matters.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Katherine's Niece

Silent Sermon Sunday

"To listen is to lean in, softly, with a willingness to be changed by what we hear."
~ Mark Nepo

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly

Summer Weekends...

~ photo courtesy of my friend, Eileen Mross

I'd like to be there this summer weekend. Watching youth relish the sun and waves. Experiencing the glory and renewal of my being at the sea side. But, instead, I am doing a good work, a favor, an act of Human kindness. What the wise Jewish folk call a, "Mitzvah." The giver of a Mitzvah is as blessed as the receiver; maybe more so.

I am visiting with Aunt Katherine. She is the very last of my father's tribe. And, she wanted to visit with Rory & Fiona...so we will meet that very simple wish. I will try to remain patient and in good spirits. It may challenge me. But, that's a good thing.

I hope you have the opportunity this weekend to grant a wish and make a difference.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Katherine's Niece

No Longer A Meme Virgin

Well, thanks to the curiosity of Mrs. Hall, I'm no longer a meme neophyte, so welcome to the opportunity of learning about me through the question or notion of another's blog, called a Meme. If you're not familiar with Senora Hall, and you want to dive into something spicy, sharp, pungent, irreverent, with a good dose of reality-checking, loving living...run to her blog.

Her question is: If I was not me, I would be... That first picture? Yeah, I'd be her. Audrey Hepburn who was/is the epitome of feminine charm with grace and pose; lovely in all ways. Who later in her life turned her charms to Unicef as an ambassador; using her celebrity to gain attention to children in need. That neck? Yeah, I'm all about that sensuous neck of hers. Yes...I would be Audrey Hepburn. She who played Holly Go-Lightly and I always loved my name thanks to that. Go ahead, adore me! I am beautiful, no?

If not Audrey, I know I would be Eleanor of Aquitaine who, in the 1100's, lived to be in her 90s!!!! Hear it? 90s!!!! Unheard of and considered a miracle by some. She had a cunning mind. Shrewd. Educated. She almost ripped England out from underneath her husband, King Henry when he wasn't looking and playing war games elsewhere. In his absence, she quite successfully ran the kingdom for him.

Prior to Henry, as the Queen of France, she road into the Holy Land as part of the French Crusade. Yep, she and her women road, bare chested...yeah you heard me, bare chested like the ancient women warriors. She went as part of the French Army. Her unique version of the Amazon princesses...

And, if that wasn't enough, how about being the mother of Richard The Lionhearted? One of England's most notable monarchs. Yeah, if I wasn't Holly Lee, I'd probably be Queen Eleanor. She was a ripping good Queen.

Of course, going back to my desire to be tall and lithe, if I wasn't me, I'd most likely be a Rockette! Yep...a dancing fool on the Radio City Music Hall stage. Doing the moves...high kicking and high stepping to the applause and adoration of millions.

I have an insider's view of that life, thanks to my sister-in-law's mom, Judy. She was a Rockette! And, she happens to be the most photographed one from that glamorous 30s vintage.

Judy is still absolutely stunning and keeps us mesmerized by her stories and memorabilia. Yes, I'd want to be a Rockette.

However, if I wasn't tall enough to make the cut...and most likely I wouldn't be because this isn't the first life when I've been vertically challenged, then I'd really do well as this flip, irreverent, flinty, intelligent, independent, self-aware, caustic, glowing, comedic, multi-faceted, super star, Katherine Hepburn. What are the odds that I would pick to be both Hepburns, but when you know quality, you work with it. Don't you agree?

I can't think of one movie of hers that isn't worth sitting through repeatedly. Even when she was in the twilight of her time, as in On Golden Pond. Stunning! But, if you want to know Kate in her prime, look no further than The African Queen, and my absolute favorite, Bringing Up Baby. Don't know those? Oh you've got to be kidding! Run. Find them. Go now. I'll wait.

From cinema queens, back to historical queens: If I was not me, I would be Elizabeth I, queen of the ages. The woman who was not wanted by her father...not chosen to succeed him. Walked close to death several times. But that's just fine, because she was DESTINED to be Queen. And, she somehow knew that about herself at a very young age so she waited, worked to be educated and knowledgeable, and made herself ready. She would not take a man as her consort and risk losing her power to the age of male dominated blindness. She ruled alone and supreme. She ruled alone and grieved it as a woman. She ruled the country through war, the threat of it, and into peace where it remained for the best part of her reign. She was sovereign and mother to her country, and willingly sacrificed her personal needs for the good of the many.

She is responsible for funding explorations that lead to discoveries in the New World...bringing us all a little closer to the global village our Earth has become. Can you imagine what she would think of this world and all that is at our disposal, now? Hail Regina! Queen of The Ages, you are the fair, Elizabeth...

The reality, however, is as much as it's fun to gather wool about how I would be as these remarkable women, I'd rather be the owner to these two monsters...the ones that make me laugh. That make owning a canine a complete pleasure and joy. I never thought I'd ever be lucky enough to own a Scottie, and Rory & Fiona are the absolute best that I could have ever found.

And, while I am Queen of The Universe, which I know you understand, it's still fun to wonder how I would have lived as any of these stellar women...god, my life would be so very different. Better? Who can say? But I know for a fact- I am blessed beyond anything I could have imagined in this lifetime because I am now a member of this family of mine.

Michael, Evan, and Melissa mean more to me than I can adequately express. And worth giving up riding bare breasted into battle. Yeah, worth more than that, for certain.

This meme taught me something, though, and I think it's important... If I had answered this question a few years back, I'm fairly certain that I would have chosen all males as my options. I wouldn't have thought of one woman that I like so much. This post reveals what can happen when you decide that you must learn to love both the male and female parts of your energy so that you can live life in balance.

I've worked really, really hard to learn to love and respect the feminine parts of my being. Thanks to that work, and some wonderful women who are now part of my world...I think I'm pretty successful.

I am happy with who I am. Truly. This life of mine? It's a great one. Now it's your turn to play along with this meme and tell us who you'd be if ye wasn't you. Meantime, sit and sway to the song that is probably my all time favorite. And, that's not to be taken lightly because I have close to 700 CDs in my iPod, so if I say this one is my favorite? I ain't kidding.

So for the guys out there, listen up! This song? As far as I'm concerned, if you want to know what a woman wants to make her life a happy one, here's the recipe, and it's not complicated. Just follow it. You'll come out the real winner, I promise!



Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Queen of the Universe aka Queen of The Here & Now

Wishcasting Wednesday

Just yesterday, I did a post about mixing the ingredients of my day into a dish worth eating till there's nothing left....the notion of relishing my life and all the small and large parts of it...

I love synchronicity!

Because today, the fabulous Jamie prompts us to consider this Wishcasting Wednesday, "What do you wish to savor?" See? On the same wave length...

So, not to just sit back on what I've previously penned, I'm going to add this. What I wish to savor is all the tastes of summer. I'm going to max out on the garden my neighbor and I put in this year. And, eat as much as I can stand of the veggies that are rushing to meet the sky.

I want to eat as much sweet corn as the chances permit. Nothing on them at all, just straight from the cob to my lips.

I will eat a snowball if I can find them here, although that seems to be a Maryland treat and not much of them found in PA. But, I will eat Italian Ice if that's all that can be located.

I want to eat crabs! Even if I have to drive back home for them, crabs make for summer when you've grown up in The Land of Pleasant Living. There's nothing like the wonderful, wonderful taste of them and the fun of sitting around with friends while you pick and eat. Old Bay if you please!

A cold beer on a hot, steamy afternoon! Ahh...

And, melons!!! Water, cantaloupe, honey dew, MELONS! I want to sit and spit the seeds...

The tomatoes will be coming soon, and I will eat as many as I pick of the Sweet 100s! And, then I'll break out in a rash that looks like prickly heat from too much acid foods...

...BUT WHO CARES?! It's summer and you don't get to savor those sorts of scrumptious tastes for very long.

Who's with me?

Savor it all...SAVOR your life!

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly

Thoughts From A Kitchen Sink

You know how it can be...you come home from a long day and you realize, "Crap, I have to make dinner! What the hell can I make?!" So, you start the pantry shuffle dance. You open a door and look in...you go to the fridge and stare at the blinding light and the shelves of non-inspirational stuff...so much....NOTHING TO EAT!

You move on next to your canned goods cupboard...and you crack open the doors...

...hoping that Rachel Ray will fall out onto the floor with your 30 minute meal of three ingredients. Bringing her own can opener with her so you don't have to do a thing. But, no, the bitch isn't in there. So you stare and stare as though inspiration will just jump off the shelf at you. Which of course can't happen as Inspiration went to Red Lobster for a nice sit-down meal; you're on your own.

So, a tad frustrated, you start throwing random things into a pot, everything you can put your hands on...everything but the kitchen sink. And, you hope that something edible will emerge.

Writing a blog can be the same. Especially if you write to keep on top of your creative A-Game. If you write to make yourself think in a cohesive manner, especially on days when you can't even recall the correct spelling of your own name. Especially on the days when you've got absolutely nothing... When the ghost of E.B. White leans on the office door jam and smiles with a knowing smile saying, "I know, it's not easy...really sucks to be you at the moment." Well, perhaps E.B. didn't say that last part...but sometimes ghosts aren't very clear when they speak.

Perhaps what he is saying is, "...really start with what's there; the ingredients of your day. Work with what you've got." Thanks, E.B. I think I will. I'll start creating some thoughts around the random things that sit, parked in my camera.

I'll begin by reminding myself that I must always search for the real in the artificial. Even when the real is fooled by the artificial. The difference is, the trick is, can I tell them apart?

And, on days when things just don't want to cooperate. When it all feels like a weight on my shoulders and nothing wants to come together to amuse me or insight me or to inspire me...

Can I take a lesson from my dog to just sit in peace with what it is at the moment? Just accept it and not fight so hard against things I can't name, can't define, can't control, can't, can't, can't? It seems to be so much easier to just let it go. Stop picking at it; picking at me...

Because it will change again if I take a deep breath. Just breathe in and out till it changes again. The sun returns, the rain abates. The day becomes less stressing and things return more to what I understand and can relate to, if I stop trying to force it and accept it instead.

Which isn't to say that there aren't hard, rough, uncomfortable moments because there sure the hell are. But, the magick is, can I put on my big girl pants and work to find the rightness in the hard spots? Even more, can I find a spec of beauty in them so they aren't just hard but, at a bare minimum, add character? At least add some strength to my emotional spine?

Can I find the luscious in the prickly? Can I find the, "Ah, now I get it?!" Can I realize that even the most harsh of things have their intrinsic beauty? And, use them to remind myself that the part I focus on depends on my vision, alone. I get to decide...

As I concoct an emotional meal from these random thoughts and images, can I remember the key ingredient? The necessary salt and savor of my life-the one who makes so much possible and brings such depth of flavor to my life? Because, when I remember to put the divine spice back in my life meal...when I add this guy to my thinking...

The truth becomes so very obvious. That in everything that comes my way, EVERYTHING, it's so much more wondrous when you live it and love it and worship it and like it and want it and eat it all up because you made it from scratch. Even though you were fairly certain at the start there was nothing there worth eating. Eat up your life till there's nothing left... and then lick the plate clean!

Bon' Appe'tit!

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly

It's All Timing

Midnight Hollyhock

For three years, I've hoped to see this bloom...sometimes you just have to wait for what you want to materialize. And, that can really be hard. Worth the wait? I guess that depends on so many different variables.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly

Silent Sermon Sunday

Jimmy Dietor

Dad, I love you. And miss you. All these years later, you still walk with me every day.

To you who are fathers to children, to animals, to those in need, by love, in friendship~
Happy Father's Day with Blessings & Thanks.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Jimmy's Daughter

Solstice Truths...Ye Must Learn

Gather round all who are called to follow the old ways...The Path. Abide a spell with this crone. The one who would share the truth of things- the truth of our Mother. It is time for the God & Goddess to join in bliss and celebrate the depth of lust, passion, trust, and love. The Wheel turns and Litha is soon upon us. Merry Meet!

In the shortest night/longest day, cast your circle, spiral your intention, draw in the power of the sun and blend it with the peace of the moon. Send your energy above and deep below. Ask a benediction on your life. Ask to be considered worthy to be one of the followers of the Goddess/God.

Let me say this, Dear Ones- I've enjoyed my time here with you in the Blog World. I'll miss it if I'm asked to leave; perhaps shunned for what I now impart. Telling you what I believe. It will not be the first time I have been escorted from the village but I'm certain it never gets easier to take.

It may be that I'm burned as a heretic by some. It could be the first time a crone was burned by her own! However, it's a risk I am willing to take. The question is, are you willing to take the risk of having a new thinking thrown your way?

Like most who walk The Path and those of us who pursue magick and craft of healing, we have been previously burned. Set ablaze. It's one of the reasons most women are reluctant to show themselves and own and foster their power. While the reluctance to act powerfully may be expected and understood, what I do not condone, will not sanction is our simpering, misguided attitudes when it comes to our Great Mother! It's time to stop believing that we are so vitally important to her future! She needs none of us to maintain her power. Let me explain:

Do you know this aspect of the Goddess?

This is Ma'at. Hail Divine One, I yield to you and do your bidding! It is said that for those individuals called by the ancient ones like the Egyptian pantheon, life will not be easy. I have found this to be true.

If you are called by Ma'at, the Goddess of Truth, Balance, Law, Quiet Strength, you must be unfailingly ready to tell the truth when it needs to be shared. So this is where I find myself today. I tell you, in preparation of the Solstice, reconsider your notions and ideas of our Mother.

We often picture her brightly colored, containing all life, not just on this earth plain but above and below. Sweet, gentle, ethereal, in need of protection and correction. In need of us to act as her sponsors for survival. To a certain point, this may be true. But we have taken this notion to a pinnacle of arrogance. We believe that only we can make Mother Earth whole and sustainable. WE ARE ARROGANT! Cheeky. Ridiculous.

Mother Earth has given us all that is needful. She is our home. She is ALL. And, while we need her to survive, she does not need us. Does Not Need Us. Self-sustaining and clearly directed, she is like the great Warrior Queens of ancient days. Like Maeve. Breede. Freya. Isis. A wise warrior and ruler who knows the ways of Humans. And loves them regardless. Loves them as her children.

Knows them and loves them for the foolish children they are, youngsters without knowledge and life experience. Without understanding. She is a mother! She understands that in her decision to raise up her young, she will be hurt countless times by their ignorance, rashness, indifference, attempts to grow, to stand alone. A mother will be hurt! But, a mother knows that it is her role to bring about opportunity to grow and become more than! Mistakes will be made. Bad ones. Some things will perish. CEASE TO BE. But Mother will remain. And, so shall we; so long as we show potential and growth.

However, be warned! If Mother ever becomes weary of us; when she's had enough of our foolishness, she will belch us off her blue marble face like a child spits watermelon seeds!

Although we can harm her, we do not possess the power to destroy her. We can only destroy ourselves. If we continue to act foolishly, Gaia may decide she has had enough. Bring an end to us. Long after any trace of Humankind is gone, Mother will remain. Because she is, what she is, what she is. She is earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.

We can and must learn to walk through our lives with more grace and quiet. We must trust Mother more than we do; trust that she is stronger, more resilient and able than we could ever imagine. Trust that our current ways of life, though difficult, will bring about growth and countless opportunities to learn to do better. As she evolves and changes, some things will go away to make room for miracles we cannot imagine. It is the natural order of things. She will not be held static by our limited ability to see the entire view.

The magick we raise during Litha contains both sides of this complex relationship meeting in the moment. We celebrate the intricate dance of our physical world and our spirit. We take account of our actions and see the crop it grows. We celebrate our successes. Mother, lets us know when we are not bringing all of our potential to things... and when we are not being what we can be. We continue to grow toward a harvest.

With honest, joyful awareness we meld with her during the lush summer solstice. We resonate with her passion. We are humbled and grateful. For as much as we, her children, can be thoughtless, cruel, and foolish, she would not have us any other way. It is the cosmic way of things for the Great to rear the Small. And we are very, very small!

Stop acting as though our Earth is a frail, doddering crone who must have you to defend her and keep her going. See her in the fullness of her power. We are her daughters and sons! We are also her lovers! Her kings & queens. We are her partner. As she is ours.

We celebrate the passion and life sustaining blending of male and female energies during this time. Recast your patronizing, condescending attitudes about what must be done to save the Earth! This is the foolish talk of politicians and others who monger fear and have agendas deeply hidden for purposes of gaining power...agendas not funded in the truth of our ways. Do not fall prey to this baneful glamour!

See the truth of her. See her with the Sun King! See him yield to her perfection. Feel her as she curls her vibrant lithe arms around his strong body. Pressing her feminine energy into heights that requires NOTHING of you other than a bowed head and a profession of love and awareness. The pledge to walk as gently as you can and teaching those in your charge to do the same is what she desires. Not for her benefit, but for ours!

As you sit in the beauty of a budding summer's night, cast a healing circle, as Mel so wonderfully explains. And pledge yourself as her child and disciple. Stop patronizing her and believing you have the power to direct her. She does not need to be saved- she needs to be adored. She does not need to be healed; we need to be healed of our juvenile, thoughtless ways. We need her; she does not need us.

She does not need us; she wants us. Like a true mother, she loves us and provides, watches, and blesses or punishes when that's what it takes to spark the divine in us. She cries for those who will not be saved. And through it all, she endures.

This Solstice, stand still in her power like the sun! Rejoice in the longest day and know its glory. Realize the truth of Her. Feel her. Love her. Stand in the light of the miracle of how insignificant, yet everything, you are to her.

This time...feel the firm, ripe, erotic, all encompassing truth of our Mother. Learn your place. Apologize for those life choices that have harmed; pledge to do better and be true. Abide with her in all actions. Honor her for all she freely gives. Do so in love and light. As above, so below, bright blessings both near & far. A blessed Litha, Dear Ones!

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Your Loving Crone

Wishcasting Wednesday

So, my wish today is late because I am just getting in from a work trip...and I'm tired. But, when I hit the door, Jamie's question for Wishcasting Wednesday, "Who or what do you wish to play with," flies easily to my mind... and the answer waits with joyful expectation just at my door.

I wish to play with my puppies! I wish to play with Fiona & Rory. Chase them. Hug them. Kiss them. And let them run and get their toys...

And, if Rory wants to play...

...fort in the bed clothes, then I'll let him wiggle into them and peek out at me because he loves to go subterranean even if it is in the towels and laundry. And, I? I love to stand there and laugh like a crazy thing while he does...

And, Ms. Fiona wants me to drag out her favorite chew toys...because no Princess should have to dig through the toy box for their own stuff, you know.

Rory will stare at me until I move and chase him. Then he will come back for more when I give up, out of breath, rasping, "Okay, that's it; all done!" He never accepts that!

So, that's what I'm off to do. Make up for some lost time with my Wild Highlanders, until they've had enough and get up in Dad's chair to catch their second wind.

"Aroo to you!" I hope your playmates are as much love, fun, adoration, and adorable pleasure as mine.

Namaste' Till Next Time,
Holly aka Mommer