Meeting Persephone

In an effort to get a bit more positive despite how I feel right now I've decided to come up with a Top Ten list of my favorite things. I don't really care about stuff that much, but there are a few things that I've surrounded myself with that are important to me for mostly sentimental reasons. The one rule I'm placing on myself in compiling this list is that I cannot rely on the standard answers like family. If anyone else feels like tackling this type of list on their own blog, let me know - I'd love to see what you come up with. And so, without further adieu.....


1. The Tudors series from Showtime. I love love love this show! It's sexy and racy and of course like a lot of people I am still naive enough to romanticize the era despite my knowledge that it wasn't quite as pretty as it's portrayed to have been.

2. Holyfield vineyard/winery. It's a local family owned winery with a real rustic feel and wonderful (by my standard) wines - Vignoles and Melody being two of my favorites. We've gone out during harvest time and it's such a great experience to bring in the grapes and be a part of the process. They also treat their harvest crews very well!

3. Way of the Druid by Graeme K Talboys. This book played a huge part in my process in making an actual declaration of a path because of Graeme's no nonsense approach in writing about Druidry. The discussion of personal responsibility struck me and pushed me toward looking more critically at myself and how I behave in the world. I'm eternally grateful for this piece of work. The fact that I've had the pleasure of communicating with Graeme is just icing on the cake.

4. My stained glass nativity set. It has no spiritual value for me, but if my house caught fire and all of the living beings were safe, it would be the first thing I would be sure to get out of the house. My paternal grandfather made it for me about 14 years ago after he'd already declared that he was done making them because his fingers were sore and bleeding but then churned out one more just for me. It truly contains his love and blood and I'd never let anything happen to it.

5. Oogie my dragon incense burner. I knew he was adorable when I picked him out with his claw stuck up his nose (as can be seen from a photo of a similar model posted in an earlier entry) but he really is effective as well. The sandalwood that I typically burn in his belly comes out in billowing clouds of scent and immediately lends me calm and carries prayers quite efficiently too.

6. Our wedding mirror. The second thing I'd be sure to salvage during a house fire. This mirror was made for me by one of my step-father's closest friends and my former employer. He owned a glass company in Montana. It is an exact replica of our wedding invitation sandblasted into the mirror and framed in oak and is really lovely.

7. Canvas tote bags. I know that the baggers at the grocery store loathe these things, but I love them.

8. Shatto chocolate milk. Divine. There is just nothing else to say about this local natural dairy's chocolate milk. Love it. And it comes in a glass bottle... :o)

9. Calms Forte natural sleep aid and anti-anxiety OTC "medication". It works just as well as Xanax for me and since I'm one of millions of Americans living without insurance and insist on natural products, this is definitely an important point.

10. My wood burner. I've created many gifts with this thing and absolutely love it. I'm not half bad with it either and that always helps...

There. I've come up with 10 things that I love and bring me happiness and none of them are those standard answers that are expected. When one is suffering a sort of writer's block (or at least publisher's block) it's nice to find something to say. Interestingly, once you start thinking about the wonderful things in your life the list keeps growing in your mind and so I've thought of one other thing that is incredibly important to me and so here's a "bonus" thing -

* My maternal grandfather's coin purse. It's just a silly little hard rubber coin purse where he kept all of his change, but when he'd passed this was the one and only thing that I'd asked for and I got it. When I lived with my grandparents for a time in my teens, my grandpa and I would go for walks every day and stop for a soda where he'd pull out his coin purse to sort out change and pay for our drinks. It's a truly special thing to me.