FOCUS in ACTION

Day 6 and I'm still FOCUSing. So far so good.

Mother Nature has blessed so many of us with frigid temperatures. I know she has a purpose and I'm waiting with bated breath for spring. A normal January here in the south eastern Ozarks would have me prepping seed trays out in the greenhouse. The one we had to recover this year after having put the wrong plastic (non-uv protected) the first time. Ice tried to destroy the pvc structure back in December but so far so good. Now if I could just get out there to play.

In the mean time I bought a small bag of potting soil. I have 2 pineapple tops to plant. My the time they are well rooted this fall, I can move them into the house without fear of the cats chewing on them - maybe. Can you tell I'm ready for spring?

I bought a new book a couple weeks ago. A new form of gardening that has piqued my interest considering I have clay and rock to plant in. Straw Bale Gardens works with the concept of planting above ground in straw bales. Very little soil is used. Only from the seedling you plant or to spread on top  if you plant to start from seed. I'm thinking that as the bales compost down (2 years, maybe?) they will provide excellent compost layering in a lasagna garden method. I'm currently weighing the cost and I think the straw is winning. Even at $5 per bale, if I get 2 years use out of planting, that's cheaper than top soil mixes to improve the rocky/ clay ground I have to work with. Also creates a 'raised bed' so I have less reason to be down on my knees and jabbing myself with a pointy rock. Are you seeing a pattern here?

I can see several of these positioned in a wheel or pentagram shape for my herbs.
Your thoughts?

Blessings
~Rain

WORD OF INTENT - Focus

Happy New Year!

I spent yesterday clearing out my witchy email account. There were feeds from two different blogs going back a full year. Why had I kept them? Because I admire these two women. Though younger than I am, they have an amazing insight to who they are, where they want to be, how to deal with the crap the universe tosses in their path... and like me, an amazing man at their side. I didn't want to miss out on anything they had to say. When you are finished here, please stop over and visit Aradia's Cauldron and The Whimsical Cottage. Sign up for their email feed and follow their journey as pagan's and first time moms (Aradia had a son in July and Whimsical is expecting a summer child.

Last year, a friend of mine, Michelle Hill, got me thinking about a word of intent for the year. Her word was FOCUS. I liked that word a lot. And as 2013 seemed to constantly spiral out of control, I am finding that is a word I need for 2014. There are so many areas I want to focus on. Yes, I said many and I think that is possible.

Spirituality: I need to FOCUS more on daily practice. I get so caught up in every day stuff I let my practice go by the way side. Not this year.

Creativitiy: I kept letting work and the stuff get in the way of 'me time' in 2013. There are so many avenues I want to explore that making time to play and be creative is important to me. I read a book at my son-in-law's over Christmas called 'Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity' by Hugh Macleod. One of the keys is about not letting work overtake our life. We have to make time to do the things we enjoy. So I will FOCUS more on doing the things that I enjoy... just because

Career: This is a big one. For several years I've been paddling the publishing stream. I've gotten a few small things published and even got my first feature in 2013. But those little minows in the back water are no where near where I need to be if I'm to make a monetary contribution to my husband's retirement. Remember, he is the one who supports my every endeavor. And if I say I am a writer, then I'd better be writing. So I am going to FOCUS more on actually sending out proposals and submitting work this year. I'm off to a good start with an editorial in Polymer Cafe magazine this year with a reminder from my editor she will take all I want to submit. So why am I not stepping through this door more often?

I also have a book contract with Boroughs Publishing Group. But one contract is not going to suffice. I need at least three novellas a year to Boroughs. These smaller reads will put me in front of my readers and keep me there so when the full-length novels come along, I have a built in audience.

I also still want to write the Organized Witch book. I start out with good intentions then they fall by the wayside with my lack of spiritual practice.

2014 Brings a huge change in my life - my daughter and her family are moving to WA state at the end of the week. I won't have 8- week summer vacations with my granddaughters under foot, or long weekend trips to TN to see them. My life is all about me and my husband. It's time I started FOCUSing on these areas - so I can afford to make trips to WA to see my girls. LOL

What is your intent for 2014? I'd love to hear from you.
Blessed Be
~Rain