Battle of the Nerf Guns
So Dryst and I just finished 4 rounds of Nerf Death Match. I won, with a flawless victory and stealth, the first round and tied with simultaneous shots the next 2 rounds. The final round went to Dryst with a shot to the belly, after losing his hip and shoulder. Clearly, I won outright!I like to play games with the kids. Sometimes I get frustrated because Dryst is getting better and better the older he gets, but then again, I still have the experience edge. Eventually he will catch up to my experience level, but I will still have guile and subterfuge on my side. His agility and speed are his current assets, but I am gaining my speed again after the accident.In any eve

Newsletter Updating
I'm working on my second issue of the EarthTides Pagan Network Newsletter as editor and I am having a blast! I really like trying to get articles to fit well on pages, make the alignment and placement of images look good, as well as organize and keep the calendar and networking sections up-to-date.I am also the webmaster for the site (http://www.earthtides.org) and so I get to set up a lot of the nuance and updates for that as well.I think my mind really enjoys organizing data and analyzing structures. Probably why I got a degree in physics and have been an algorithm programmer for over a decade. The "devil" is in the details,

Awakening and Gratitude
I think the awakening process is both a wonderful thing and a challenging thing at the same time. I have moments of great joy and happiness, yet other times of such frustration and anger. When I am confronted with the patterns I am trying to change, they shackle onto me and want to drag me back to the old way of seeing things. It can be very tiring and miserable, if I let them.I am thankful that I am able to get out of these moments more easily than in previous years, yet I still am hopeful for the day when these passing thoughts will float on by like wisps of clouds off in the distance. On most occasions, I am able to let them flow on by as I am confident and sure of my new vis

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving
I really enjoy cooking! Perfect for this time of year. I have made a squash medley, made up of butternut, acorn, and delicata squashes. With a little bit of maple syrup, vegan margarine and soy milk, it will make a lovely vegan squash dish! Well, the bit I tried tasted good!I also made a stuffing with my own "poultry" seasoning, similar to Bell's, with onions and celery. Of course, I am not stuffing anything into the cloaca of a dead bird, but I call it the same. A friend calls it dressing, but I am also not dressing anything either. I made a double batch of a great vegan gravy the other day. I brought some over to our homeschool group's Thanksgiving celebration, and

Introspection
I am now at a point in my life where I am ready to look inward. I have followed and been a part of many diverse and different ways of looking at the universe, and have picked up a lot of great information and ideas, but also a lot of bad habits that are hindering my growth now.I want to find the place within myself, the quiet, loving, caring me that will help guide my next thoughts and actions. A place I can go in times of strife or worry or doubt where I can be myself and find myself. I no longer enjoy "enforcing rules," especially since they are all made up in the first place. I want to release being "right" and "first."I want to find a peace and joy with everyone