No photos yet...

Hello, everybody!

My camera is fixed, thank gods (what could I do without it?!), it was nothing but a misplaced cord, but now I can't post the photos I took, because ther's always a "failure" box coming every time I try to. Arght! Uunless you guys have an Orkut account, I just managed to post there for family and Brazilian friends. Anyway... Last week was so busy! I got a cold - of course I'd get it, my body is still getting used to the weather! But luckly I never stay more than two days sick, so after an afternoon of sleep and a cup of warm French basil I woke up feeling better.

I spent most days putting things in order (specially Lucas's toys - this boy has too many of them!), cleaning pans, washing clothes, cooking, etc, etc. While I was busying around I listened almost non-stop to Steve Ray Vaughan's Life by the Drop song. I just love this man, and lately this song got my heart, since I found it again among our cds, Sometimes I get stuck with a song and want to listen to it endless times. I don't know if you're like me, but sometimes I get poor Rodrigo crazy with this habit! LOL

The family room is the emptiest place, because we will still have the book shelves made by my inlaw (remember that in Rio there was a built-in set of shelves for them?). So, we only have our sofa, TV/DVD set, and Baruck & Misquin bed. Our bedroom is almost completed, but I still need to have some frames to be made for my beautiful goddesses images. The kitchen is the place that has most things in order, as well as Lucas' room.

I'm slowly getting into this new routine of being entirely for my house, not needing to worry about being late for work and vice-versa. It's something completely new for me, since I work outside full-time since I was 17! It's a pleasure to take care of little details, to plan meals, keep things in good order and feel connected with Nature around me (although Baruck is trying my patience leaving "little presents" at Lucas' bed the other day, and also this morning at our sofa. Seems like he's confused about this new place, I don't know... It's just disgusting to find those... masses of "digested food" around twice the same week). Rodrigo leaves everyday early in the monrning for the coffee harvest in the chilli hours! I stay in bed just a little bit longer, then my day starts.

By the way!!! Thank you so much for all the great comments about our cold weather! Loved reading everyhint you friends said. 12ºCelsius is the average temperature sometimes reaching 10ºC, which IS REALLY COLD for our standards! We do want to install an inside roof next year before Autumn starts, because it would really be hard to deal with this every year (Holly, be sure we are really warm here and only one couple of seasons will be fine fo rus to stand! Thank you for your concern, girl!). So we'll start saving some money, gods know how! :o) IN the end everything finds the right way to happen, so I'm relaxed (or almost). Thanks you for the support and lovely words.

Oh, I plan to make a pagan garden somewhere at our place, and I found this at Patti Wigington's newsletter: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/lithathesummersolstice/ss/ElementalGarden.htm . How cool! Exactly what I wanted. I'll start making this this weekend if everything goes well.

Well, gotta go now, and I hope next Monday I manage to post the photos I took during the weekend! *sigh* Another test for my anxiety, I guess... See you then! Have a beautiful week, thread your dreams gently in the meantime.

Cold country nights

Holly, my super creative and awesome friend got worried when I commented about the cold nights we're facing here. After commenting her back, I got worried that someone else could get worried too, so I decided posting about it again!

In Brazil there is no such thing as a house heating system like in the U.S. and Europe (oh well, I bet the really rich people have them, but this is another thing...). We ordinary people need to keep warm at night wearing good pajamas and blankets! Our blankets are thick and warm, so we just need to keep ourselves under them and everything is ok. In the far future we would love to build a fireplace, but now it's impossible. An electrical heater demands a lot of expensive energy, out of question as well!

I lived many years in Petropolis, a town in the mountains, where Autumn and Winter are very cold. Then I moved to Rio ten years ago and I lived there till now. IN Rio the weather is that warm and cool one, being Winter something we don't have to care about, just a blanket will do. So, when I moved last December, I knew I would feel the difference when the seasons changed. And here it is Autumn with all its strenght and cold! As our house doesn't have the inside roof, being directly to the tile roof, the place gets colder than usual, of course. I really didn't get used yet, specially because I'm the kind of person who feels the cold even when its Summer time! :o)

My main worry was Lucas, because he kicks off the blankets during his sleep several times a night. He moves a lot while sleeping! Onced I even found him sleeping on his knees out of the bed, as if praying! My solution was to keep him really warm with thick pajamas, and stuck his inside blanket' sides under the matress. It was the perfect thing, since it's a large one and it doesn't traps him while moving. I still wake up two or three times a night to check him out, but so far, he sleeps all night long straight, a very good sign. If he's ok, so am I.

So it's really a matter of getting used to the weather, and waiting for the warmer seasons to be back again! I believe this is nothing compared to the Northern Hemisphere's below zero autum & winter time ! The good thing is to get the three of us together to watch TV under the same blanket while drinking hot chocolate! :O)

Six things that make me happy

Miss Yves, this intriguing, sweet and clever friend, tagged me for this fun. How could I resist?!

Here are the rules:

"The rules are simple: Tag and link back to the person who tagged you.List six important (un) things that make you happy. Tag six bloggers and let them know they’re “it”. We all feel this blogging community to be one of inclusion and friendship."

Currently, these are the 6 things that make my day - at the same time I update you about my home - but no photos, my camera is f... up yesterday, gods know why, arght! Hope, hope I'll have it fixed today. Oh well:

1. Going to sleep in our brand-new beautiful bed, which finally arrived last Friday, after much "ggrrrrrr" at the phone with the seller... It has clean lines, a gorgeous tobacco color and big enough for me, my hubby and our witch boy.
   


2. 
   
   Arranging our clothes inside our brand-new beautiful wardrobe, which finally arrived, last Friday, etc, etc, etc... Everything is in place, well organized the way I like it! The bedroom looks so cute with it!
   


3. 
   
   Waking up with my little boy jumping over me, saying his sleepy "good morning, mom", followed by Baruck, Misqüin the kitty (he was supposed to be Zen, but Lucas had a better name for him...). It's being waken up by pure love...
   


4. 
   
   Start the day by making our breakfast at our new kitchen, under Hestia's protective look from her frame, and enjoying the first morning sounds from Nature - including Ringo's barks demanding to get in too!
   


5. 
   
   Working hard all day with hubby to put things in place in Da House, although we still have plenty to do! Bit by bit, this house is becoming more and more like a home.
   


6. 
   
   One of the best things: making our own meals again at our brand-new oven! It was great to have these months of "holidays", but I was missing it sooooo much! What's a witch without her kitchen, and her cooking tools? It has always been a pleasure to prepare meals, imagining what to do, and mixing spices. It's an act of love, and a magickal art too, of course!

Now, tagging six friends - you all know how hard this is to me! But here it goes - remember you don't HAVE to join, only if you want to! I tag Tori, Bohemian Mom, Miss B., Patty, Janet and Suzie. Have fun! :o)

A great page!

Still talking about natural recipes, I stumbled upon this cool page with tons of beauty natural recipes. I will collect them and try some, to see how good they are (or not). But it worths a look:
Homemade Beauty Recipes. If you try any of them, let me know your opinion!!

More beauties for Da House

Some time ago I was asked to trade some of my Etsy prim cats by Meg, this awesome artist who also created Kelli's cards. She wanted to give her little son two of my cats he enjoyed, so I chose three of her Etsy prints and voilà, the trading was completed! I custom created one of the cats, since the one he wanted was already sold. She told me he loved them, and it warmed my heart! When a child loves your art, it's the best!
In return, I received last Friday these three gorgeous goddess prints that are now waiting to be framed and hanged at home:

Artemis:


Aphrodite:


Nut:

Amazing, aren't they? I just can't wait to have them in place! My Etsy may be not working so well as I wished, but I found many cool people in the process, it makes all the difference!

At home at last! :o)

Aahh...Yesterday we spent our first night at our little home! Alhoug we haven't moved aaaaall the stuff yet (how many things you cat gather in ten years of living together!!!), but we could'nt wait anymore., so the night was really fun, but really cold inside, because as you can see in previous photos, our home doesn't have the inside roof, and there are no heater in Brazil. But nothing that a couple of good blankets couldn't resolve...

In the afternoon, I cleaned our old matress throughly with white vinegar and water (thank you so much for the tips!), and let it dry under the sun, and also cleaned Lucas's new/old bed: he inherited Rodrigo's single bed, since his own got too small for him. This one is a beautiful dark wooden one, in excellent shape. 

So far we took his bed and bedside table (another inheritance from me, a rounded table that belonged to my aunt when she was a child, that the piece must be almost 80 years old! What he loves about it is that it is hollow inside, with a door, so he can save his treasures! Little by little we'll move his belongings = too many toys, books, comics, study table, decorations, etc... He's so excited!

We took the sofa, TV and its table, of course... For the kitchen, the fridge and stove are already in place, and the dining table too. For me it was enough to start living. We still have our meals at inlaw's, but I hope that by next week, things will change. I'm really, really thankful for their hospitality and kindness, but how I needed to finally sleep in my own place, without all the night sounds, like my inlaw's incredibly loud voice (and his tv equally loud), the many dogs barking all the time under my window... It was absolutely priceless to listen to the crickets' cute sounds, and only that! To wake up at home in silence was wonderful too. I used to wake up in a fright around 5 with my inlaw yelling at his dogs and his workers - he's got a very explosive temper that is hard to deal with for me... Anyway, I'm in heaven, if there's such thing! :o)

Of course, there are things to be fixed, still, but simple problems that can be easily solved. Oh, and the well works perfectly!!!!!!! The water runs at full speed through the pipes, clean and pure!

Still about natural cleaning recipes. I do intend to use as much natural stuff as possible for all the obvious reasons. So I'll gather recipes in a binder, according to topics. I want to make my own laudry soap,  cleaning mixtures, my candles (with inlaw's beeswax, it will be great!), everything that I can make with a good quality. Let's see how far I can go with it...

I hope you all had a great weekend, and the moms had a beautiful day! See you again next week!

Home-made cleaning products

Hello, folks!

I had to come to the town next to ours' downtown to "visit" the store where I bought our bedroom furniture, and to see why we didn't receive it yet. We bought it on the 28th, and till today, there are only lame excuses that increasingly upset me, so today was the final drop on my cup, and I had to come in person, instead of trying to deal with it by phone. I just hate to feel like a fool!

But first I wanted to stop by here to ask you something very important: If you guys have good natural cleaning products' recipes, please send them to me! :o) I got some from Dani, and also Brett will soon post some of his recipes. I really want to start only using natural products at home, for all the obvious reasons. The more I get, the better, I guess. Can you share some of your favorite ones? This witch would thank you forever! :o)

Kisses and bright blessing, everyone!

PS: The guys from the new well team are right now at home, cross fingers, etc! I made a drawing on the ground with the Laguz rune, hope I get homwe with good news, so we can move this weekend!

Da house ready to go!

Update: It worked!!! Go figure it, it simply worked! So here are the photos (aha, you though you'd get away with it this time, uh? LOL)

And it's finally true! Da House is completely ready - or better, at least inside! Meaning that the front and back verandas will have to wait the coffe harvest time to finish, but everything else is now painted, repainted, fixed, cleaned, perfect!
...
(But unfortunately this Blogger s... simply refuses to allow me adding the new photos I took!! It spares you the pain, but I really wanted you all to take a lok at them, everything looks so sweet! Arght! Groaning.... *sigh* Second thought, read above!)

The kitchen in all its humble glory! Where I'll cook and spend most of my day-time for sure!

The living room with Rodrigo finishing the varnish...

Lucas' room with his famous turquoise walls. It looked pretty cool!

Our room, now just waiting for the furniture to arrive! Explaining: We bought last week our new bedroom furniture, since in our apartment in Rio the wardrobe was built-in, and our bed, an old cheap one that couldn't resist another moving. It's a simple, but brandnew tobacco/marple color set, and I can't wait to get them! Of course, we had to divide the payment in several parcels, but we couldn't pay at once.

The bathroom, it's tiny but comfortable!

And the corridor linking the rooms...

Well, about the well.. That same ridiculo team returned on Sunday (without letting us know in advance...) and already wanted to be back on Tuesday, before trying one more time! What the f...? That's what they call proffessionalism? No way. My "calm" inlaw politely asked them to leave and not coming back, and tomorrow another guy (the one Rodrigo and I wanted since the begining, but was out of town), will come and he said he will find water wherever it is for us. Humm... Better be right! Rodrigo had used his pendulum and the water is there, just waiting for a clever hand to bring it to surface. Cross fingers everybody! It would be so much better than a water reservatory!

Yesterday I fiinished giving the final touches of varnish on the back door ad kitchen's window, and my hands are all stained with it! They use gasoline to remove them, but I can't stand the smell, so I will let them go away by themselves.

Aaahhh... So in one week we'll be finally at home... With silence, peace, good vibes, privacy! I-just-can't-wait! See you then with (luckly) the photos I wanted to share today, and some more!

Lucas playing with bricks and cars...

Bright blessings to everybody!

Thank you

A big THANKYOU for all the sweet words you friends sent me on Dedê's death anniversary - it means a lot to me, like a worldwide size blanket around me. You're all right, I know, I only find it hard to get used to her physical absence, but I'm sure shes somewhere, going forward, and definitely sending me her bubble of light to surround me and my fanily. And yes, it's like losing an arm or a leg, I do need more time - maybe my lifetime - to adapt myself in living with only one part of my emotional body instead of two. And Holly, how wonderful it would be f she decided visiting me! I would love it. Just a few days after her death I had a vivid dream where she told me she was ok, although still a bit restless. And Lucas had THAT dream that changed my mother's state of mind for better. So I'm kind of ok, just missing her a lot.

My Samhaim was very simple and cool. I simply went alone at sunset to the back of our so-soon-new-house-to-be while Rodrigo went fecthing Lucas back from school, and lit a purple candle on the ground, protecting it from the wind with bricks. I sat on the ground too and stayed there, thinking about my sister, my father, and my grandparents, who are all gone. I thanked the privilege of being part of their lives, and also thanked for the year that had just finished, and the new year that was just begining, asking for strenght to carry on. It was good to stay there in silence, looking up the sky to the thin moon that was up. I felt good and in peace with this part of myself.

I hope you had a beautiful Beltane, and those who don1't follow the Old Path, that you had a great weekend!