1450's Year in Review - Part 2

Each year we start out planning what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. Well 2010 was no different than any other year. We start our strong in the first 2-3 months doing as much in our spare time as possible. By mid year we start to get bogged down and loose sight of our plans. However, we did make it to a few very fun things along the say.

In May we planned a trip with some friends to the South coast of Oregon and spent a long weekend in Bandon and Port Orford. It was relatively nice and we had a good time visiting, camping, and geocaching. We were introduced to “Frickles” (see a previous post) and continue to love making these deep fried wonders. We spent some time shopping at the Eugene Saturday market one weekend. For those that have never been there – it’s a eclectic (if not downright strange) collection of people selling crafts and local produce.

In June, the school year ended and we planned a riding trip to Milican with family and friends. Disaster struck for one of our riding/geocaching friends as he was laid off from his long standing job. I lost three employees and have struggled getting new staff trained all summer and fall. We did make our Milican trip with our family, but it was abbreviated (but very fun). We took some great pictures during the trip, rode some wonderfully dusty trails, and found a few geocahces in the high desert. Watching the parasailing from the butte was also very interesting.

July wiped by, the biggest event was the acquisition of our Great Dane Crixus. He has been a wonderful addition, but very high maininence. Getting used to an enormous puppy has been very stimulating and at times high tension! We took a quick unplanned trip to Crater Lake in August and took Crixus with us.

In October and November we worked and played with the dogs on the beach. Morgan grew leaps and bounds and is poised to move to High School this next year. As the year comes to a close we keep our eyes out for next year and are once again planning. I hope that we can be better about meeting our dreams and ideas. Seeing friends and family along the way and taking the slow road.

I wish you all a great end of 2010 and hope that all your dreams for 2011 come true…. Jamaica here we come!!!!

1450's Year in Review Part 1

2010 is starting to come to a close, in review of the year’s activity, it sometimes seems like it went far to fast and we didn’t do as much as we would have liked. In part that is true – we didn’t get out and do those enjoyable things as much as we would like. Both Bridgett and I have been dealing with difficult work situations this year that have been very time and energy consuming. Bridgett is moving into a new chapter in her life – her company sold to a larger conglomerate on the 23rd of December. I am still stuck in the same situation – but I think it will improve in the next couple of months.

While getting an update on my tattoo – the tattooist explained that he had a conversation with a friend that explained why life seems to move faster the older one gets. When we are younger, our daily lives are filled with new things constantly. However, as we get older we fall into routines that start to interfere with the “newness” we could be experiencing. In short – we drive the same route, we have the same meals, we see the same people, and get far too comfortable in our daily habits. Consequently life moves faster because nothing in our routines really excites us.

Imagination and creativity suffer as do our stress levels because we don’t have the same level of excitement for life and new experiences. When we do get the opportunity to experience something new – it moves like lightning and ends far to quickly.

What to do? Well – I suppose attempting to live life more randomly and force a change from the usual habits and actually follow-through with plans for adventure and excitement. Of course – when you’re a parent – keeping food on the table and a roof overhead are still important. Keeping a better balance is the tricky part.

For 2010 – we did a few things that fit the bill (not as much as we would like) – In January we took the trailer up to Astoria and Fort Stevens to go Geocaching and check out the old bunkers from the abandoned artillery base that protected the mouth of the Columbia River. It was a great trip, albeit a bit rainy (it was January in the Pacific Northwest after all). In March, Morgan and I did a couple of intensive photo trips around the coast. I switched camera systems later that month and really enjoy the new sharpness to digital images that I didn’t have before.

In April we did some more Geocaching and had a very nice ATV/camping trip at Winchester Bay. The weather was fantastic for the third year in a row for our annual group riding trip.

Enough for now – I’ll continue our “year in review” in a couple of days. Stay tuned!

"Yule" be Happy this Year

Something a little different for our blog this time given the closeness to the Holiday’s; after all we are “evil” pagans. This fact of course is nothing new to the few people who actually read our blog or our closest friends and family – we aren’t exactly in the broom closet so to speak. However, the holiday season is always a bit different for us. At least we do live in a liberal part of Oregon where people are somewhat tolerant of these differences. Having come from the ultra-conservative south central Idaho region – we can really appreciate the “weirdness” of western Oregon.

Of course like most spiritual people we do have our beliefs and ideas of what the holidays mean. The nice thing about Yule is that 90% of what the capitalistic and Christian world celebrates was stolen from the ancient pagans of Western Europe. Decorated trees, mistletoe, holly, gifts, carols, and even the idea of Santa Claus all have their roots in pre-Christian cultures. After all history was written by those who could write in vividly illuminated script . . . dang Monks.

For us, we light the Yule log, celebrate the rebirth of the male aspect of divinity, and generally have a good time like others would. We just look at things a bit more historically with the bent that modern neo-pagan wiccans ‘think’ is how our ancestors would have worshiped. No goat skin headdresses or leggings for us, and no we don’t go sky clad (nude) in the winter weather – if we lived in Arizona maybe… I can’t recall the last time we may have sacrificed anything but a nice bottle of mead and a prime rib. No Veronica, not all Wiccans are vegetarians.

The difficulty comes from those around us that can’t understand why we aren’t part of a mainstream religion. While most of the derisive snorting has gone away – we still have to deal with family and friends that think we are downright weird ourselves or in some minds committing great sins. The number one reason: I can’t abide intolerance. It really ticks me off (how is that for irony). We don’t subscribe to the whole “our religion is better than your religion” or the “God will smite you for doing insert whatever sounds fun here” mentality that mainstream brick and mortar religions have. How many people die in the name of any given mainstream religion each year?

Humans are fallible. The natural world is both ordered and chaotic. Spiritual sense is ours to define. Why do we need professional priests, churches, or temples to tell us what is right and wrong? Why would our higher powers give us a brain and not let us use it? Yes we will agree that there is evil in the world and there are good people of remarkable character – but the vast majority of the living and nonliving world is neither good nor evil– it simply is what it is.

Faith, spirituality, and self awareness are other key ingredients for us. Serving life and each other through moderation and making certain we do no harm to anyone (ourselves included) fits our ideals and morals quite well. Magic – well that is what you make of it. Literally, we define what is magic and make it happen through will power and strength of character.

Tolerance for belief (or disbelief) is the lifeblood of America. It’s why I ‘m proud to fly the Stars and Stripes outside my house year round. I’m not some anti-war hippy or mushy tree hugger, but I’m Wiccan and proud to not let anyone tread on me either.

Our good Atheist friend in Portland, my agnostic coworkers, my Christian family members, our even our mushy tree hugger friends; are all part of what makes up the cosmos. They are our religion and our faith. We are all part of it. No one way is better. After all - there is no scientific evidence to prove the existence of any divinity – but then again there is no scientific evidence to disprove it either.

So I say: each to his or her own belief this holiday season. Be surrounded by the love of your family and friends, help a stranger, give to a charity, drink and eat heartily, and keep the magic of celebration alive. But most of all have a happy holiday whatever you believe. An it harm none – do as thou will. Merry insert verse of your choice here everyone!