On this day in 1983 I married my best friend after knowing him for 5 years. We are still best friends 25 years later and looking forward to many more. As friends we support each other and care and make the other laugh. We have shared so many things…and watched as the world changed around us, and we changed.

So…just cause I’m in a mellow mood I thought I’d put up a timeline of important things that have happened along this 25 year road out in the world. And I noticed that the more things change, the more they stay the same. This is by no means a comprehensive list…just kind of a ponder at how much really happens in 25 years.

Sitting at lunch today…and reading through the blogs it struck me that we can get a jump on the 2008 General Election! So I did some google searching for John McCain pictures.

Fortunately I have a strong stomach! But this could be kind of a weekly project for the coming campaign cycle. Pick a candidate from your area, or a national one, post some pictures and we get to do a couple of things:

1. Save them from being purged off a campaign website or congressional site. Do you realize how many Abramoff pics got purged from congressional sites…lots is what I heard!

2. We get to caption pics for fun and humiliation use later! lolcatz now as a political section for those that have accounts at icanhazcheezburger!

So…this is just a fun time!

^{by bubbanomics}

edited to put bubbanomics pic on the Front Page.  It’s awesome! ~~~OTB

Pretty Bird Woman House has a home…

Many thanks to all who spread the word and helped raise funds: Pretty Bird Woman House closed on a property for the new shelter. It is great news for the women and children who will soon have a place to take refuge when domestic violence threatens. See pictures here. The money raised during October, November, and December paid for the house and is paying for the fence and security system that will be installed!

Pretty Bird Woman House needs your help again. We are asking that you help turn this House in to a warm and cozy place.

This is going to be stepping way out of my self-imposed hiatus. BTW we should all try it since it has been good for my perspective on the primaries.

During the past two weeks of not posting much (20 comments a week down from 80+) I’ve lurked and read the blogs here and elsewhere. I’ve gotten out and had dinner with my neighbors and friends. One of the most interesting things of the past two weeks has been discussions on the upcoming primary election. The results have been staggering…to a political junkie that hangs out in the blogsophere.

Disclaimer: These are my observations based on a limited group of co-workers, neighbors, and friends. I live in Marin County, CA and we voted 67% John Kerry in 2004. Don’t get in a hissy fit if you disagree!

I live in the lovely San Francisco Bay Area. There are marvellous things to be said for this heart of liberalism. Having 4 seasons is not one of the things you will find here!

Growing up in the intermountain states of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming mostly, I loved the seasons. There is a crispness in the air for autumn, the leaves are crunchy on the streets, and no matter your age you have fun kicking and crunching autumn leaves.

In Utah Halloween always seemed to get the first snow in the valley. Although a dusting of snow always was there on top of the Wasatch mountains.

Special thanks to highacidty and navajo for the graphics

It’s time to mark your calendars and *Save the Date* of December 1, 2007! We will be celebrating a multitude of winter holidays…and are always willing to learn about more!

Check out the info at the SF Kossacks website…and get ready to RSVP…soon!

Samhain (pronounced Sow-in or Sahm-hayn), known most popularly as Halloween, marks the end of the third and final harvest, is a day to commune with and remember the dead, and is a celebration of the eternal cycle of reincarnation.
Samhain is the most coveted Sabbat by many Pagan traditions.

A little background on Pagan holidays. The Sun marks the year at four clear points called the Quarter Days – in the Northern Hemisphere. These days: Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Autumnal Equinox. The Celts divided the year in to eight by inserting the four Cross Quarter Days at October 31st (Samhain), February 1st (Imbolc), May 1st (Beltane) and August 1st (Lughnasad). These points are roughly half the number of days between the Solstices and the Equinoxes. Each of these days is considered a sabbat. A sabbat is a holy days among Celtic Pagans.

Pagans believe in both a Goddess and a God. The focus of most pagans is on the Goddess and she was found in trinity in the Celtic world. As a Virgin, we first see her at Imbolc as Bride. She has a Mother aspect, both Beltane and Lughnasad – times of fertility and harvest. It is here at Samhain that we meet the Goddess in Her third aspect, one that causes the most problems for many of us: the Crone.

This is an essay that circulates in the Pagan community every year. It is one that helps us remember those that went before…and paid the ultimate price.

So, as I hand out candy and other treats to the little kidlets in my neighborhood, I’ll also hold this in my thoughts and heart.

Well it was a quiet evening in the suburbs. Ate a quiet dinner and decided to run some errands getting ready for the weekend of projects. Pretty quiet, very normal…then we decided to drop by the Border’s bookstore for a couple of CDs.

The discount book aisle is one of my favorite places at Borders. Usually it’s a place to find history books and gardening books. Tonight it was a place for laughs…then pondering.

$2.99 George W. Bush: Portrait of a Leader by Karen Hughes (Hardcover – Nov 5, 2005) Original Hardcover $24.99

$3.99  Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Paperback – April 2004) Original Trade Paperback price $16.00

At the end of the aisle…a table full of books on Living Green and guess what is front and center? 
$15.95  Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit by Al Gore (Paperback – Oct 31, 2006)

In the interest of time to prepare, I thought I’d post this early. Mabon, to those that follow the old ways, or more traditionally the Autumn Equinox, will be Sunday September 23. So without further ado, here are some general thoughts on traditions, and the source of those beliefs.
~~~
The Autumn Equinox or Harvest Home is also called Mabon, pronounced ‘MAY-bon’, after the Welsh god Mabon ap Modron, which means literally ‘son of mother’. The Druids call this celebration, Mea’n Fo’mhair, and honour The Green Man, the God of the Forest, by offering libations to the trees. The Welsh know this time as ‘Alban Elfed’, meaning ‘light of autumn’.

The past few weeks there have been lots of discussions about the dissatisfaction with the Democrats. We elected them to do a job and the damn well should have done it. Nope, they dumped us over board and left us afloat and we’re pissed. Now we are trying to figure out what to do next.

In keeping with that theory, I wrote something back in the spring of 2006 for my personal blog, that came back to remind me of how we have two choices: give up or swim.

So I’m offering the parable of the Tuolumne River…at flood stage: 13,200 cfs for 17 miles – Class V from start to finish. Swimming or not…real time…

For comparison: this picture is of the Upper Klamath at Class IV. And yes I’m in the front of the boat…on the right side as you’re looking at the pic!

We’ve got ponies….lots of ponies and none of that stuff that comes with them so far. Someone had to start the pootie and other critter presence. We’ve got puppies, aka bitches, so the cats are fighting back! But in the interest of mellow moods of zen….I give you mellow pooties!

Rockin’ the night away!

Friends of all sorts