April Showers Bring May Flowers huh?

Well, I was going to write about Beltane for the May blog but my head and heart just aren't in it. There is a saying that April showers bring May flowers, I sure hope so!

April was a month that was a complete rollercoster ride for me. I'm hoping that because it was it'll be a great month of May. I'll break down April for you here just so you can see what a rollercoster ride it really was but I'm pre-empting this break down with: I'm not trying to "dump" or be negative. I have some insights here that may be useful for others that are going through similar situations.

April...
March ended with my Grandfather, who was more of a Dad to me than anyone has ever been and who I called Dad my entire life, in the hospital with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease (COPD). He was on 15 liters of high flow oxygen and the docs were not very optimistic about him ever getting off the high flow. But he showed them! He went down to 6 liters by the first week in April and was transferred to a Respiratory Rehab (RR) facility until we could transfer him to a Transitional Care Unit (TCU) and then finally back home. At the RR he was getting Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy to get his strength back seeing that he was very weak due to being bed ridden from March 7th until he transferred to the RR. We were so excited when just two weeks ago he was told that the RR was kicking him out because he was doing so well and he had been approved for the TCU we were hoping.

With all this going on we kept taking our boys to the RR or the TCU on Sundays. That was our day to visit with Dad, have lunch with him and enjoy every second that we could. It was important for the kids and I to spend that time with him not just because of the CHF and the COPD but because he had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones back in February right after Valentine's Day. I knew how important, when he was gone, the time that we got to spend with him would be to each of us and so did he. Dad loved the boys. He was so proud the one day because my youngest, M, decided to give his Papa a hug and kiss all by himself when we arrived. It made not only my heart soar but dad's too.

Mind you, during this whole thing with my Dad happening, my husband was still working his day job, our private company, volunteering for our fire department as an EMT and volunteering as an adult leader for our county 4-H. He was busy. We also had the added stress of my being on jury call... We didn't know for sure if I was going to be called in but thankfully I made it through the month without being called in to serve.

In the end it's a damn good thing it was important to us to get the kids into the cities to see Dad. Last week he fell in the bathroom, even though he had been doing good with his PT and getting stronger. He was trying to get dressed and missed the seat. He was pretty shook up about it and I don't blame him. It's a scary thing as an adult to fall like he did. That fall, I think, really marked the beginning of the end. Thursday, almost a week ago, my Mom showed up to the TCU to find that Dad was back up to 6 liters of oxygen and was on a mask, not a nasal cannula. She called me at 7:45a to tell me this and said she was taking him to the hospital. Once at the hospital the ER doctor ran some x-rays and ended up telling my Mom that he didn't think that Dad was going to make it through the day and suggested she call everyone who needed to be with her and Dad. When my Mom told me this I called my husband home from work, gathered my boys including the oldest being pulled out of school. When my husband got home, we flew down to the hospital. We got there around noon. Arriving in the ER to Dad being in a coma basically was a scary thing. I knew that it wasn't a good thing and his breathing was labored and erratic. By 1p the ER was sending him up to the ICU where he would be until the mortuary came to get his body. That transfer from the ER to the ICU was horrible. His vitals dropped further and when he was settled in the ICU the nurses actually turned off the monitors so we didn't have to worry about numbers.

At 2:35p Dad passed away. What's funny is that I was right there next to him, telling him that it was OK, we were all going to be OK without him, and he needed to go with Grandma. Grandma has been gone for almost 18 years and I know he wanted to be back with her... She was his ONLY love and he missed her so. But at the very end when he drew his last breath I smelled Grandma's perfume that she always wore. I took so much comfort in the fact that she had come to help him cross. He was at peace finally. He was back with the love of his life. After he had passed the boys were able to come in and say their final goodbyes. R and B didn't want to get close to Dad and that was perfectly fine. M on the other hand had me lift him up, gave dad a kiss on the forehead, told Dad "love you Papa" and was done. J took the boys home for me after that and I stayed with my Mom until the mortuary had come and taken Dad's body.

Friday we signed papers for cremation and had a final viewing of Dad. I kissed his forehead one last time and told him I loved him. I think the hardest part of all was leaving him at the mortuary knowing that I'd never see him in body again. THAT fact hit me like a ton of bricks and broke my heart.

Now that I've gone through all of that and brought you up to speed... Here's my "AH-HA" moments and insights.

1. We never know when or where the fates are going to cut our lines. 
2. We need to spend as much time with our loved ones letting them know how much they mean to us as we possibly can so that we have no regrets. 
3. Our loved ones will come get us and help us cross when the time is right for us to leave our Earthly bodies. 
4. Smelling my grandma's perfume the exact moment that dad drew his last breath was her way of letting me know that she was there and everything was going to be OK. 
5. We, as humans, stress about things that are out of our control but everything works out the way it's supposed to even though it may not be what we want to happen. 
6. We need to live our lives without regret... Period. 

April was a rollercoster that I tried to take in stride and let the fates lead me where they needed me to be. Funny thing is I'm more at peace with Dad's passing because of that and because he was at peace with his passing. I'm determined though that April's showers of sorrow are bringing May flowers of happiness and peace. I'm hoping that May will bring us all flowers of happiness and peace! 

Food and Spirituality

Food affects not only our bodies, what we eat also affects our mood and our spirituality.  Eating healthy helps keeps the energy channels open.  I've heard many people say they prefer to go meatless for spirituality; feeling more open, less clogged.  Some prefer to go grain-free, with the same result.  Personally I fall into the grain-free category.  When our bodies are bogged down with built-up wastes it can be hard to be in a good mood, feel energetic, work on our spirituality; it can be hard to connect with anything if we're not feeling good.

Cooking, for me, is not only a way to feed my family food, but to feed them love and positive energy as well.  Every meal is prepared with love.  Not just the love that goes into creating a dish, but stemming all the way back to either growing the food ourselves, or lovingly picking it out for purchase. 

photo courtesy of BeverlyLR

Call me crazy, but I think it makes a difference in not just how we prepare it but also how we obtain our food.  In the store hurriedly tossing whatever looks somewhat good into the cart vs. carefully selecting our items; part of the careful selection includes reading ingredient labels, or picking out the produce that looks/feels most fresh.  Some would argue they don't have time for all that nonsense . . . but they may easily make up that time by sitting in a doctor's office for various illnesses. 

What do you think?  Do you pay special attention when selecting food to eat?  Do you prepare meals with thoughts of love?

~*Earth*~

If you like, you can always catch up on my cooking adventures at: http://cavemomscooking.blogspot.com/

Demon, Book Two in the Dark Musicals Trilogy, inspired by Sweeney Todd is available now!

Purchase

Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble
 

When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn

It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist terrorizing the campus.

Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.

 Head to face book to join the Demon Release Party.  You can also add Demon to your shelf on good reads.

If you haven't read the first book in the series, now is a great time to get your copy. To celebrate the release of Demon,  Phantom is now on sale for only $1.99 exclusively on Amazon!

Purchase

Amazon * Smashwords * Barnes & Noble

Phantom, Dark Musicals Book #1

The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.

 

      Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player and Demon. She also has short stories featured in two anthologies called HerStory and A Celtic Tapestry.


 Follow the author Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Pinterest

 THE GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of Demon, Author Laura DeLuca has put together a Demon themed prize pack. It includes a signed copy of Phantom, geode and geode slice, rough crystal points, incense and holders, Gothic style leather key chains, smudge stick with abalone shell, mini Buddha and elephant statue, crystal, natural stone and pentacle pendants, and a $10 GC to Little Caesars, . 

The The Sisters Elemental Etsy shop has also created custom Lavender Purification  bath salts and a set of ammonite necklaces, both of which are featured in the book.

And finally, the awesome mommy bloggers at  Mom Powered Media are also throwing in a $50 Amazon GC to support one of their own!

One lucky winner is going to receive all these fabulous prizes. To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on  5/17/13. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to Mom Powered Media, The Sisters Elemental and the author for offering these fantastic prizes.

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****Please note no compensation was received for sharing this post. Host blogs are not responsible for prize delivery.***

A Celtic Tapestry Anthology

The wheel of the year turns, bringing the joy of spring, the warmth of summer, the richness of autumn, and the merriment of winter. But eight Celtic festivals link these seasons together, bringing with them romance, lust, danger, and even magic. From a city under threat from night-time creatures at Ostara, to a selkie caught by the light of the Lughnasadh moon, to a writer caught in the flames of a fiery goddess at Imbolc.

Eight authors have come together to give their own twist on these festivals, weaving each story with a blend of myth, magic, and contemporary telling…to create A Celtic Tapestry



 

 
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www.moonrosepublishing.com

 

  Guest Post by Laura DeLuca - Author of Brigid's Flame  

 

Brigid’s Flame is my contribution to the anthology and it was inspired by my patron goddess, Brigid. She is the goddess of poetry, smith craft and childbirth.  In my story, a struggling writer invokes Brigid on the sacred night of Imbolc to help rekindle his creativity with her eternal flame.  The chant my hero uses in one I wrote myself and have used many times to help overcome writers block.

“Brigid, I call you on this sacred night.

I summon your flame. I invoke your might.

The words will come. My mind will soar.

My strength and confidence will endure.

Goddess Brigid, fill me with creativity.

As I will it, so mote it be.”

Here is a simple spell anyone can use along with the chant to help bring some inspiration into their lives.  All you need is a candle (preferably orange or yellow, but white can also be used), a bowl, and a few ice cubes. If available, snow or icicles would be even better.  Set the items up on your altar or some other space where you have privacy. Place the ice cubes or snow into the bowl and light your candle.  Star into the flame and focus of what you are trying to accomplish. Imagine that the ice is your creativity. Right now it’s frozen and blocked.  Now see that flame warming the ice, melting away those blocks. Continue this visualization as you chant the spell.  Once the ice has melted it, drink the water. This is your creativity flowing freely back into you.     

   

The Giveaway

To help celebrate the release of The Celtic Tapestry, our friends over at A Celtic Attic are offering one lucky winner a beautiful Brigid's Cross wall plaque. To enter just fill out the rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on 4/11/13 Open WORLDWIDE. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again A Celtic Attic for offering this fantastic prize.


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***Please note I received no form of compensation for this post***

Ostara by ~*Spirit*~

It’s that time again for another Sabbat! This is one I am especially excited for because it marks the beginning of Spring, which I love!! After a bland winter my soul gets itchy to be outside and see all the beautiful colors that Mother Earth has to share with us. This sabbat is Ostara, and a special note as it’s also my youngest daughter’s birthday.

The spring equinox is called by many names: Ostara, Oestara, Eostre’s Day, Rite of Eostre, Alban Elir, Festival of the Trees (I like that one lol) and Lady Day. It is known as one of the lesser sabbats, however I think solstices and equinoxes have added punch to their power through the energy of the universe, as on this day, the night and day are of equal lengths.

A quick tip on remembering which are the main sabbats and which are the lesser are the dates:

Solstices & Equinoxes (lesser sabbats) (March 21, June 21, September 21, December 21) – all on or close to the 21^st.

4 Major Imbolc Feb 2, Beltane May 1, Lammas Aug 1 and Samhain 31 – First or last day of the month, barring Imbolc.

Winter is a time where everything is dead and/or dormant. Spring is when everything is brought back to life, so for spell work, Ostara is the time to invoke those qualities/personalities into your life that you are wanting and letting go of those that you don’t want with the passing winter. This is the perfect time to renew yourself and find balance within.

An example of a great spell/ritual that you can do on Ostara is to take some old leaves, write on them qualities that you wish to get rid of and plant it in the ground to “ground out” those qualities. You can also do the same thing but plant it with a seedling, yet these words are to qualities that you want to bring forth in your life, as the plant grows, the abundance will flow to you.

The symbolisms for Ostara are much the same as Easter, eggs (fertility/abundance), rabbits (fertility) and fertility in and of itself is the embodiment of LIFE, which spring is all about bringing the earth back to life.

Here is an explanation of the word Ostara and Easter in comparison from The Real Witches Handbook, by Kate West:

“It is no coincidence that the name for this Sabbat sounds similar to the word “Easter”. Eostre, or Ostara, is an Anglo-Saxon Dawn Goddess whose symbols are the egg and the hare. She, in turn, is the European version of the Goddess Ishtar or Astarte, whose worship dates back thousands of years and is certainly pre-Christian. Eostre also lives on in our medical language in the words “oestrous’ (the sexual impulse in female animals) and ‘oestrogen’ (a female hormone).”

Now in my personal life, I have been blessed with seeing rabbits the other day. One had just given birth and I saw it’s babies! I also watched as two more female rabbits made their nests and I got to learn a bit about the nature of rabbits as well. The whole time I just smiled and kept thinking, “Well, Ostara IS coming up…,” seeing what you believe in IN action is pretty cool. I felt honored to have experienced that so close to the sabbat that embodies it.

Now before I forget, this is also the time to get planting! Fertility isn’t just for the cute little bunnies and other critters, it’s for us to reap the benefits of our own gardening.

I’m not going to list animal/color/candle/herb/oil/food correspondences because I believe we each walk a unique path and what’s right for one isn’t right for another.

Enjoy this Blessed time! ~*Spirit*~

Our First Book Review!

As our readers know, we have a couple friends that are authors. And damn good authors at that!  One of our friends, Tara Chevrestt has two personas that she writes under.  The first being Tara and the second being Sonia Hightower. Tara writes the sweeter, tamer genres and Sonia writes more on the naughty, erotic side! The book I reviewed for our dear friend is called Grapes of Lust. 

Here's the blurb on the book from Amazon, but if you visit Sonia's blog, Book Babe, you can see more on the book itself.

It’s a dark and stormy night, and two lonely souls are drinking alone at Vespera’s Vineyard. Circumstances force them to share a table, and they can either drown in their sorrows or breathe in the instant attraction.

Celia thinks she should continue to grieve, but Nicholas and his injury touches a part of her soul.

Can they move on and embrace life again? Can lust replace wrath and sadness? Will what happens at Vespera’s continue outside the vineyard?

Our thoughts: 

Sonia's short story is something that you can read quickly and find yourself fantasizing about being in Celia's shoes.

In this story two people who are having themselves a little solo pity party are shoved together and find lust together. Something of which they have both needed in their lives at that moment. I love that Sonia left us an open ending to this story. Maybe one day we'll find out what happened after Celia and Nicholas' short time together!

This short story is worth taking the time to read it! It's a quick read at only 23 pages but it's the story that those pages tell that will have you mesmerized and wanting more!

If you're interested in downloading the book, click here to purchase from Amazon or here to purchase from Secret Craving Publishing.

Enjoy! 

Written by ~*Fire*~

Destiny and Destiny Unveiled Giveaway

Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn't remember. She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother's death has set his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother's spirit is reaching out to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the spirit finds a male witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella. Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabriella and Darron at odds. 

There is more to the story than Gabriella and Darron could even imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and lives will be lost. Only after Gabriella and Darron both come to terms with who they really are, and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.

Available on Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.  

Destiny Unveiled

Gabriella and Darron thought their magickal battle was over when they defeated the evil warlock, Richard. When her Aunt Donna seeks Gabriella's help in rescuing her catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven, Gabriella discovers that her cousin holds a power within her that would be catastrophic in the hands of the evil witches. Gabriella's coven sets out on a journey that may be their last. Along the way, they meet new allies, face devastating treachery, and battle not only the Dark Coven, but the darkness within themselves. When Gabriella finally comes face to face with the cousin she never knew existed, her true destiny is unveiled, and the fate of the mortal world is in her hands.

 Available on Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble. 

About the Author

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Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama.  Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Demon and Player.

The Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the new covers, Author Laura DeLuca is giving away a prize pack that includes a oil diffuser, incense and burner, decorative wooden keepsake box, lavender scented drawer liners, a crystal point, stone pendant, and signed copies of Destiny & Destiny Unveiled with the original covers.

The Whimsical Pixie Etsy Shop is also donating a beautiful altar set inspired by the original cover of Destiny Unveiled. 

The book's cover was recreated on the altar box lid; the design was first set in pyrography, painted, stain and given a protective coating of high gloss polycrylic. The flower Celtic knot pentagram is worn by Gabby and her friends as a symbol of unity and has been pyrographed on the altar tile. Red paint was floated around the perimeter to coordinate with the Blood Moon of the cover. A red rose in full bloom was used on both millefiori* pieces; the censor and charcoal tongs. It symbolizes the Gabby's destiny being unveiled. 

A scene in the book tells of the young hero doing spell work on the beach using a drift wood wand to cast a circle and sea shells to form a pentagram. Both of these have been included as well as censor sand and a roll of charcoal disks so you can perform your own ritual. Whether you're just starting to walk the path or have for years, this kit makes an attractive addition to your ritual tools.

One lucky winner is going to receive both these fabulous prize packs. To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on  3/28/13. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to The Whimsical Pixie and the author for offering this fantastic prize.

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