MAGICAL AFFIRMATION MONDAY - Affirmations for Happiness

 Merry Meet and Blessed Ostara, everyone!

I am typing this up as the temperature here in the Ozarks surges to 76*. The sun is shinning from a blue sky. Birds are seranading me outside the living room window....

... and I'm still not able to do much. My altar did not get changed as I'd hoped. Maybe I'll get in sync at some point.  Though one of my five Red Lion Amarylis has two beautiful flowers. 

Last fall, Bob and I planted over 140 spring bulbs. So far I've seen evidence of two. TWO! I swear the squirrels sit in the tree..

Courtesy of Pixabay

"hey guys, look at all that straw she's spreading. You know what that means? We're eating good this winter!"

AMAZON

Here is today's affirmation:

I AM OPEN TO BEING HAPPIER

THAN EVER BEFORE

Blessed Be

~Rain

TURN OF THE WHEEL - Ostara

Spring is trying to appear in the Ozarks. Our temperatures have been a roller coaster, right along with the weather patterns. Rain comes in spurts but when it rains - it pours. We are under a Flash Flood Advisory until Wednesday. 

I planted over 100 bulbs last fall. This is one of the beauties. I love the vibrant blue. There are also soft pink ones. 

As with every spring in our yard, I have an abundance of daffodils from previous owners. I call this set On Golden Pond as they are planted in a large grouping in the back yard. Of course, that means mowing around them until about mid-June when the leaves die back.

I've also done a major cleaning on and around my altar and bookcase. While I don't have everything in place yet, the area is looking much more presentable. I'll be sharing pictures tomorrow and Wednesday for short posts this week while I try to get everything on track. 

How does your garden grow? Or are you buried beneath mountains of snow? Stop in, pour a cup of tea and chat. I love visitors.

Blessings!

~Rain

WELCOME SPRING! - Ostara

In like a lion... out like a lamb.

I'm not sure where we fall here in the Ozarks. We did have a couple of decent storms early in the month. On the 11th we had our first winter snow storm - yes our first. Our average snowfall per season is 17"... we have had 1.7" And I'm pretty sure we are done.

We've had rain, sleet, hail from pea size to soft ball in some places... but the snow is done for the year.

Potential peach crops were severely damaged by the freeze last weekend as were other budding flowers and plants.

Tulips are coming up though they've not bloomed yet. The daffodils weathered the cold pretty well and the grape hyacinth are filling the bird feeding area. The Cherry Blossom bush doesn't seem the worse for the cold and the sweet scent of the pink clusters are beginning to fill the air.

While grocery shopping last week I bought a bouquet of colored daisies in blue, white, pink and yellow. I will add a picture of them on my altar in the next day or two. I'm still battling this silly head cold and haven't done much that required leaving the recliner.

Yesterday I brought home 12 straw bales to add to the 8 or so I have in the green house. I'm anxious to clear out the decomposed bales from last year and set in the new bales for a new growing season. The composted bales will fill the potato tires and be the base for the flower beds and planters.

How have you welcomed Spring? Link up pictures of you altar. We'd love to see.

Blessings
~Rain 

BLESSED SPRING!

A day of RENEWAL seemed like the perfect time to try and get back into here. I've not meant to stay away, I've just not figured out what to journal here. I guess I need to take my own advice and make a list of LABELS and go from there. So that is my plan beginning next week.

For now, I have to get through the Texas Music Awards this weekend. I've spent the past few weeks spotlight artists nominated for various awards. As time consuming as the spotlighting/ promoting is I know my task is nothing compared to my dear friends, Lucky and Jinelle Boyde, who coordinate the actual Awards as well as running the Texas Music Triangle 24/7.  I send them tons of love and thank the Goddess every day for bringing them into my life. Their friendship has kick-started my foray back into the music business... an area of freelance I gave up almost twenty-five years ago to raise my daughter.

Today, when I would like to have been revamping my Altar to welcome spring, I was stuck on finding one particular item I wanted to complete the layout in my mind.

You know how you get an idea in your head and nothing else seems to work? That's where I am.

When my Altar is set up for the Autumn, I have 4 ceramic, maple leaf-shaped candle plates for my votives at the 4 quarters. For Ostara I wanted something similar. I would be content with round, solid-white plates (only about 3" across at the most) but would be tickled to pieces if I could find ones shaped like 5-petal flowers or tulips. Nope, Nada, not to be found.

I know it's silly but I guess it's the OCD in me that won't let my mind open up to anything else. My step-mom would have called me stubborn :-) Boy do I miss her. Grammy (my 'step' Mom) crossed over in early April of 1996. Doesn't seem possible she's been gone so long but I feel her presence every day.

So to welcome Ostara I had the opportunity to interview a Country Music Legend then take a long nap after a very stressful yesterday. Yes, it is a new beginning.

May the God and Goddess Bless you on this turn of the wheel.
Many Blessings!
Rain