Check Your Witch and TAG her Thrice!

I used to believe I was too full of myself and that was the reason why I talked about ME so much, but you know what my Wicked Darlings? I was wrong, I'm NOT "too full of myself", I'm interesting. Yep, you can stop laughing right this minute, I have proof. I'm sooo interesting that Julie from The Domestic Witch, Amanda from Iris Awakened, AND Sarita from A College Girl's Days checked me out and tagged me thrice!

So I'm going to answer 15 questions as mandated Heather cheeriest-blogger-who-started-it-all. Then I'll tag 13 Wicked Darlings, why 13 you may ask? How long have been reading this blog!? You should know that by now! 13 because it is my lucky number, haven't you noticed?

The Famous Fifteen:

1. Have you started Yule shopping yet? I started years ago, not that doesn't mean that my house is loaded with stuff, it means that I'm making ALL my Yule presents this year. Yep, call me Crafty Gone Wild.

2. Tell me about one of your special holiday traditions? In my family we exchange presents on January 6th. The presents are usually put under the dining room table, right next to the plate where we left juice and cookies for Magic Kings and grass for their camels. I grew up in a Caribbean Catholic household, remember? So I kept all the good things ;)

3. When do you put up your tree? Yule at midnight, this year the 21st of December.

4. Are you a Black Friday Shopper? Went once, might try it again, but doubt it very much. I'm not into elbow breaking.

5. Do you travel at Yule or stay at home? I have been traveled for the last ten years.

6. What is your funniest Yule memory? One morning we caught my older brother eating the Magic King's cookies. We beat some Yule joy into him, okay just a little, I was like 6 or 7.

7. What is your favorite Yule movie of all times? Scrooge

8. Do you do any Yule baking and what's your favorite treat? I'm not the greatest baker ;( but I love my aunt's Dulce de Leche Dominican Cake.

9. Fake or real tree? I have a very real palm tree, yes, a PALM.

10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done? My Yule panic button has been broken for years, or maybe, I haven't gotten to use it yet.

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Yule Eve? No, I'm usually sining, putting up my Yule Tree and waiting for the sunrise.

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Yule? Sitting on the floor wrapped up in blankets, drinking hot cocoa, watching my favorite Yule movie.

13. What Yule craft do you like best? I make a very cool Yule Log.

14. Yule music? Yes or No, and if yes, what is your favorite song? I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.

15. Do you plan to finish all your shopping? Hm, about that...

The Thirteen Tagged:

1. Hedgewitch Hollow

2. A Racing Mind

3. At the Farm

4. Casa Hice

5. Goats in the Garden

6. Groggy Froggy

7. Hesitant Housewife

8. Holding Patterns

9. Memoir of a Crazy Witch

10. Pixie World of Wonder

11. The whimsical Cottage

12. Zen Cupcake

13. Asshole Boyfriend

WOW! That was tough!! What are you up to?

The Wild Hunt Rocked My Wolrd!

I rarely do this, but today I felt like I had to. I was at The Wild Hunt, catching up with my Pagan news, and Jason Pitzl-Waters put such a huge smile on my face that The Boyfriend would probably get jealous if he saw it. At least, he would be until I explained that I wasn't smiling because of Jason, in particular, but because of the great news he was sharing: My Wicked Darlings Patrick McCollum, a very important member of the Pagan community, was in Washington, DC, spreading Pagan Culture.

Please visit The Wild Hunt, and check out Jason's Obama Administration Officials Meet With Patrick McCollum post, then come back here and let me know if it made you smile like it did me. I promise the post is short, but its importance is HUMONGOUS!

I Suffer of Severe TMIS

This condition can affect sleep, productivity, and it can seriously compromise one's sanity. I guess you want to know what TMIS is, huh? It is Too Many Ideas Syndrome. Those of you who have told me that you've ran of ideas to blog about, are probably thinking you bitch! But trust me, you don’t want my kind of TMIS.

Imagine this: you are working on a literary review that is due in two days. You already read the book and kept notes while you were at it, so now you just have to write it. You grab your laptop and your screen is blessed with a new letter every time your fingers stroke a key.

Typing: Book X discusses issues of race, interfaith…

In My Head: Character A should kill Character B in the next scene of…

Me Talking: “Focus Magaly. Focus.”

Typing: … relationships and…

In My Head: Hm, I really like Character B. I don’t want her dead yet, but…

Me Screaming: “Damn it mind, can you give me a break!?”

My dad opens my door, by accident of course, and stares at me wild-eyed. I return a similar look, he runs to his room in terror. I get up and shut the door, get back on my laptop and kill character B. You see, I had to do it, or my mind wouldn’t have left me alone. A good killing scene takes time, this means that I will be working on the review until the wee hours of the night, in order to make my deadline.

In the past, I used to deal (or tried) with this alone, but a couple of nights ago I discovered that I no longer have to. The Boyfriend seems to be really good at keeping me on track. We were on the phone, the other night, discussing the issue:

“Amor (Spanish for love) I’m losing my mind here.” I whined loudly to make sure he knew I was desperate. “I love to be riding my productive wave, but I’m hardly sleeping and my lower back is starting to feel the effects.”

“You have to take breaks hun,” he suggested. “What are you working on?”

I was glad he wasn’t standing in front of me at the time, for I made a face that would send any reasonable man running for the hills. “Well…” (Insert pitiful whine here) “A few things: some research, my novels, rewriting a couple of short stories, blogging…”

“Have you tried scheduling things out babe?”

“Yes, but there aren’t enough hours in the day.” I felt defeated. “Plus, every time I start working on something, a new idea pops up and I feel I can’t put it on hold.”

“I can’t believe that, you’re too smart and a very fast writer. You just need a system. You should try blocking time for your different writing commitments.” Then he made me the proudest girlfriend in the whole wide world, he called out the titles of everything I was working on, and my Wicked Darlings, that’s a challenge even for me at times! He continued, “But leave some free time in between, like that if you spend too much time in one project, the others won’t be affected too badly.”

“I adore you, have I told you that?” Now I wanted him in front of me because I had one of those smiles that said: Do things to me. Pleeeeease!

“Not that I can recall.” He teased.

“Well, I adore you mi amor!”

We reminded each other how much we missed being together. We said a few other things you probably don’t care to know about, and then ended the call.

I put together a writing schedule and it is working famously. I’ll blog about the details soon. Oh, here is a cool article I found on Writer's Digest, where Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant gives 9 Ways to Overcome Too Many Ideas Syndrome.

How do you deal with TMIS? Also, does your better half get involved in your work? And if s/he does, how do you feel about it?

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I commented on one of your recent posts, why wasn’t my name considered for Touched by Pagan Culture Saturdays!? One must be a follower of the blog in order to be considered. Please review Wanna Be Touched by Pagan Culture?, and Show Don't JUST Tell!, for more details.

2. Your blog is supposed to be about “Pagan” culture, so why don’t you address more Pagan issues? We are oppressed and we need more people letting the rest of the world know that we aren’t crazy! All you do is talk about yourself, no offense. Non taken. Actually, Pagan Culture is about "everyday life through the eyes of an Eclectic Pagan". That "Eclectic Pagan" happens to be me, so posts about how I live my life make perfect sense to me. Please take a look at What Is Pagan Culture? to learn more.

3. You follow a Nature religion, which makes me think you are an Earth loving person, so why don’t you review ebooks? You have no idea how sad this makes me. I wish I could review ebooks, but my vision is horrible and I can not take the extra stress. I spend too much time in front of a computer as it is (writing my fiction, blogging, doing research...). I will start reviewing ebooks once I get the proper equipment, but times are tough and ebook readers are expensive.

4. What would it take to get a text link on your blog? Not much, if your book, product, service... fits Pagan Culture's theme. Check How to Request a Pagan Culture Review for more details.

5. Would you write a full review (essay or argued) of my book? A few people have already written puff pieces, but I would like a more in depth (nonbiased) examination of my work. I would love to review fiction that includes paranormal elements and nonfiction that promotes tolerance, critical thinking, eclecticism and love. I'm not incredibly interested in "how to" books, but if you wrote one that teaches something no one else has ever taught before, please send me the blurb. I enjoy reading and reviewing urban fantasy, dark fantasy, paranormal romance, and young adult fiction with a touch of magic. Read How to Request a Pagan Culture Review for more details.

6. I’m Christian and my teenage daughter just told me she is Pagan. I’m really scared. I don’t know jack about your religion, but I want to know more about my daughter's beliefs. Do you have any suggestions? My first suggestion is talk to your child. She is the only one capable of telling you exactly what she believes in. The world of Paganism is a vast one, so it would be difficult and irresponsible for me to even try to tell you about your daughter's personal beliefs. However, most Pagans walk a path of love and understanding, but I can't speak for all of us. Let me add that I am the happy Eclectic Pagan daughter of a very supportive Roman Catholic father, and a mildly understanding Afro-Caribbean Catholic mother. Most people say I turned out okay, so love, support and understanding might be the key.

7. Why do you call yourself a Witch? I’ve read your blog for a while and you seem to be a very decent person, so why not call yourself Wiccan instead? That sounds so much better. I call myself a Witch because I am a Witch. I'm an Eclectic Pagan who practices Witchcraft, so I guess you could call me an Eclectic Pagan Witch too. To be honest, I've been walking my spiritual path since I was 16 or so, but I didn't hear about Wicca until way later. I already knew--and loved--what I was by then, so why fix something that isn't broken? I believe Mike Nichol's A Witch By Any Other Name can tell you exactly what I mean.

8. Do you have a Book of Shadows? I do not have a formal Book of Shadows or Grimoire. I have a collection of spells and rituals, but they are not nicely organized in a cool looking leather bound book. But I started a Dream Journal recently, a Book of Shadows (or something of the sort) might be next on line.

9. Are you Wiccan? No, I'm an Eclectic Pagan who practices Witchcraft. (see question number 7)

10. Do you worship Satan? No, I do not.

11. You are in your 30s and your pictures show you to be in very good shape, what’s your magic? WoooHooo! I really like this question, or more specifically, what it implies. Yep, my modesty is legendary my Wicked Darlings. My magic is eating a healthy diet, exercising often and smiling until my face hurts. I know that doesn't sound very "magical", but it works for me, so I might do the same for you!

12. Does The Boyfriend have a brother? Cousin? Heck, I would take an uncle, if he looks/acts anything like your man! I think The Boyfriend is one of the kind and I saw him first, so don't even try or I'll hex you. Just kidding, I'll just beat you senseless... joking again, maybe...

13. Do you ride a broomstick? No, I drive a MINI, but I can't wait to get my Nimbus 2013! Now seriously, read The Witch's Broom: A Flying Myth That Cleanses for details on this issue.

14. Do you speak with an accent of any kind? And I don't mean a typical New York dialect. I thought I heard you speaking in a delightful slightly Cajun or British accent. I'm from the Caribbean and my first language is Spanish. I came to the US when I was 16 years old, so yes I have an accent. The strangest thing is that I have a distinct accent in both English and Spanish--I'm not sure how that happened. Most people spend some time trying to figure out where I'm from when they first hear me talk (in English and Spanish). Funny note: once I was presenting a research paper to a group of scholars in the Midwest, and a professor from the UK asked me to read the first part of my paper again. I felt really bad and told the audience "I'm sorry, I know my accent gets a bit on the way when I get too excited." The lady professor smiled at me and said, "Dear, we understood your reasoning quite well, we just want to hear you talk some more. Your accent is lovely." The crowd busted out laughing and I blushed beyond believe.

*************

I know I haven't answered every single question I've received, but I was very careful to make sure that the ones I chose, addressed most of your concerns. If you have any more questions, or feel I didn't answer yours, please add it as a comment on this posts or email me (paganculture @ gmail.com).

SueAnn's Journey

Are you feeling artsy today? In the mood for something crafty? If you are not, this post will get you there. Pack a bag, get your sunglasses and put a smile on your face, Touched by Pagan Culture Saturdays! is going to sunny New Mexico!! My Wicked Darlings, today we are following SueAnn's Journey!!!

Many of you have told me how much you are enjoying Touched by Pagan Culture Saturdays! It has put in touch with great bloggers and it is just plain fun. Well, I love it too. Wanna know why? Because it has helped me discover wonderful things. For instance, I was reading Slommler's profile today and realized a couple of things:

1. I have always misspelling her profile name. *I'm terribly ashamed*

2. Slommler, or Sue Ann (only to her closest bloggy friends lol) has been married for 35 years! My dears, I was just an ambitious sperm trying to get my swimming strokes right, when this lady and her better half started their journey.

Then I clicked on the link for her blog, as I've done many times before, and aw... I was lost in a world of tender beauty. I realized that the misspelling situation might not have been my fault after all. You see, Slommler makes babies, not real ones (although she made a few of those too and they have given her 5 wonderful, very real, grandchildren). I'm talking about baby dolls. Her creations are so real-looking that you can stare at them for hours, wondering will it open its eyes and smile at me if I look at it long enough?

But I'll stop here, for I feel I could speak about this wife, mother, grandmother, friend, artist... forever. Please check out SueAnn's Journey, then come back and let me know if her life touched you, as it has me.

*************

List Randomizer

There were 54 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Slommer
2. Melissa aka Equidae
3. Emma
4. Diana
5. Emma
6. Bella Foxglove
7. Sarita
8. Alix
9. SueAnn
10. Jon
11. Bridget
12. Tiffany
13. Alix
14. Lea
15. Cogent Ascending
16. Emma
17. Diandra
18. Lyon
19. Sarita
20. Tiffany
21. Diana
22. Bridget
23. PJ
24. Clandestiny
25. Bridget
26. Gail
27. Melissa aka Equidae
28. Cogent Ascending
29. LJ
30. Chef Green
31. Jon
32. Judy
33. Frau
34. Sarita
35. Rue
36. Slommer
37. Jon
38. Lea
39. Melissa aka Equidae
40. Alix
41. Bridget
42. Lyon
43. Gail
44. Rue
45. Diandra
46. Chef Green
47. D. Duplicki
48. GreekWitch
49. D. Duplicki
50. Asshole Boyfriend
51. Dianna
52. Patricia
53. Tiffany
54. Slommer

IntenseDebate ROCKS!

WoooHooo my Wicked Darlings! Guess what? Pagan Culture has threaded comments!! I'm sooo excited!!! (you can tell by the amount of exclamation points).

You see, I love Blogger. It has allowed me to connect with you and to spread Pagan Culture freely and, um... free. Sites like LiveJournal, WordPress... are nice too, but they are not as user friendly as Blogger. The first site does not give you as many choices for layouts and the second requires basic HTML knowledge, and my dears, I'm soooo NOT ready to deal with that amount of stress. But Blogger isn't perfect either. I hate the fact that it does not offer a threaded comment feature. It used to bitch for days about it. Did you notice I said "used to"? As in, I no longer do? And I DON'T, for I've found IntenseDebate.

I was going through one of my I-can't-believe-Blogger-doesn't-have-freaking-threaded-comments scream-a-thons, when I told myself "Magaly, I'm sure some genius out there already figured out how to get around this". That is how I stumbled into IntenseDebate. I read the guidelines and installed the comment plugin. Now I can't wait to see how it is going to work.

I'm hoping it will create a better sense of community. I love the idea of being able to reply to comments right under the Wicked Darling's name. I know some of you might hate having to add your name, email and website the first time around, but I hope you don't mind too much.

Please let me know what you think. Is it too much work? Or is the ability to comment right under a commenter's name worth the trouble?

*************

Note: if you are going to add this program to your blog, make sure you apply it to "New Posts ONLY", the alternative might scare the living Gods out of you.

Another Note: I was not paid to write this.

Do Unto Your Lover What He or She NEEDS

“I’m really ease to get along with… mostly. It is difficult to make me upset. It is easy to make me smile. BUT if I’ve made up my mind about something, it is impossible to get me to compromise.”

My inability to meet people halfway is a burden. I’ve gone through life believing that something was REALLY wrong with me. In the past, some have tried to use logic to MAKE me see the err in my ways. They failed. Others tried force. They failed faster. The Boyfriend is trying to use understanding, compassion and love. For the first time in my life I WANT to compromise.

I’ve learned that one of the biggest mistakes we make in relationships, romantic or otherwise, is that we fail to correctly interpret a Golden Rule: “do unto other as you would have them do unto you”. Most of us try to make loved ones happy, by doing for them the things that would make US happy. Big mistake. We need to listen to theirs words, understand their wants, and then do unto them what they NEED.

The Boyfriend has been the first man to approach my heart using the principles mentioned above. For instance, everybody who knows me for more than a few minutes will conclude that I love fruits and sweets, so former admirers have bought me boatloads of both. Nice, but not as nice as The Boyfriend. He has taken the time to figure out what fruits I like, how I like them, and has presented them to me in the most creative of ways. PERFECT.

It is not that I haven't appreciated the gestures others have made. I've said "thanks", haven't I? But the secret is in the details. How can I help but fall head over heels for a guy who goes to the grocery store in the middle of the night, and gets and arranges the treats I love, for no other reason than to put a smile on my face? How can I not love the man who knows about all my faults and doesn't run away, but reaches out and says, “Hun we can work through this. I believe in you; in us”?

I’m scared. Heck! I’m terrified. Yet, I will put my heart, mind, body and soul into reciprocating his efforts. The Boyfriend is the only man who has experienced my bullheadedness and has not tried to use it against me. On the contrary, he helped me realize that I'm not as narrowed minded--about certain issues--as some have led me to believe. Instead of forcing his idea into my head, he is doing his best to understand and help me solve my issues. This wonderful man is showing me that life can be sweet, if we do unto others what they want and need.

Pagan Culture Updates

First, I hope your are having a blissful day. Second, I must tell you that the healing energy you sent me was POWERFUL, I’m feeling like a trillion bucks--our economy is so crappy right now that I doubt a million would be enough to describe my state of elation. Third, I jumped out of bed this morning because my dad and little brother were arguing. I was getting ready to mediate, when I heard one of several ideas they are planning to use to torture The Boyfriend when he comes home next month. I’m not supposed to tell you about them, but think Fools Rush In, minus the baby part.

Now to the ‘real’ updates:

1. Touched by Pagan Culture Saturdays! A few of you have told me that you’d like to know in advanced when you are going to be Touched by Pagan Culture. The suggestion makes sense to me, for I’ve noticed that the last two randomly selected bloggers didn’t find out until a day or so after they were showcased. I’ve created a poll (see main sidebar) to let YOU decide how long in advance you’d like to be informed when you are chosen. I’ll leave the poll up until December 13th, then I’ll update the rules after that.

3. Why is it that every Saturday, the same names seem to be considered for a chance to be Touched by Pagan Culture? Because they follow Pagan Culture and they comment often. Click HERE to review the rules.

2. Why don’t you review ebooks? I can’t. I don’t have time. Sorry. I do most of my reading while waiting around, or riding the bus/train. I don’t have an ebook reader, so I have to read ebooks on a computer. It is difficult to take a computer everywhere I go. And you don’t know this, but my eyesight sucks butt! and the light from the computer screen makes it worst. I have to save my visual strength for my writing and to do research. So again, sorry ;(

I have received other questions, but I’m answering these three first because I’ve been emailed over 10 times (combined) about these issues. I promise to start working on a FAQ section to address the rest of the emails. Also, please add any questions, concerns, suggestions to improve Pagan Culture… as a comment on this post. I will include them to the FAQ section.

Thanks a bunch for your input my Wicked Darlings, without YOU Pagan Culture wouldn’t exist--literally!

Short Stories and Mad Rants

Grab a cup of something warm or something cold, depending on your location--if you are in New York I recommend the former. This freaking wind is making it freaking cold! Ready? Good. Sit back and get your read on! Short Stories and Mad Rants has been Touched by Pagan Culture Saturdays!

If I didn’t know what type of person I was, I would say that I cheated this morning. I’m saying this because you all know yesterday I was in the dumps, so when List Randomizer picked a flash fiction blog to be showcased on Touched by Pagan Culture Saturdays! I felt my mood lifting as if by magic. Maybe is was magic, Diandra is a “writer, Witch and lover” after all.

I started reading the first story and told myself “This is just what the doctor ordered.” Nothing warms my reader's soul better than an eclectic bundle of short-short stories on a Saturday morning. And Diandra delivered. This wonderful flash fiction writer left me in shock for about a minute… then, well my emotions morphed into something else…

So please read Diandra’s Short Stories and Mad Rants, and let this writer Witch intrigue you, scare you, or surprise the heck out of you!

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List Randomizer

There were 87 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Diandra

Sarita

D. Duplicki

Leathra

Emma

Lyon

One Pink Fish

Frau

Ellen Abbot

Slommer

D. Duplicki

MouseDemon

Cat

Heron

Alix

Noor

Sarita

Amanda

GreekWitch

D. Duplicki

Melissa aka Equidae

Lyon

Sarita

Melissa aka Equidae

Alix

Ellen Abbot

GreekWitch

Slommer

Ellen Abbot

Alix

Clandestiny

Emma

MJ

Bridgett

Diana Kennedy

Susanne Iles

Gail

Judy

Leathra

Chef Green

Pixie

Jon

Diana Kennedy

Diana Kennedy

Bridget

Bella Foxglove

Alix

Slommer

Janicu

Lora

Bridgett

Heron

Ellen Abbot

Melissa aka Equidae

Asshole Boyfriend

Christine Forest, M.D.

Lora

Jon

Clandestiny

Lyon

Sarita

Slommer

Melissa aka Equidae

Bridgett

Emma

One Pink Fish

Ellen Abbot

Slommer

Lyon

Lea Elizabeth

Filho de Logunede

Frau

Slommer

Lyon

Judy

Sarita

LJ

Gail

Melissa aka Equidae

Filho de Logunede

LJ

Sarita

Sarita

Melissa aka Equidae

Slommer

Cogent Ascending

Judy

Timestamp: 2009-11-28 14:25:12 UTC

Please Make Me Shine…

Pagan Culture--or should I say me?--gets its considerable amount of hate mail, from Pagans and non-Pagans alike. The first group uses colorful words to tell me that “Eclectic Paganism is the pipedream of the weak and confused”, while the second groups (mostly Christians) email me to preach about “eternal torture in a hell of [my] own creation.”

I have a rule: hate mail goes straight to my spam folder, unopened. The subject lines are usually quite telling and I don't know about you, but I don't let anyone insult me if I can help it. However, every once in a while I click on one by accident or I’m tricked into believing it’s something harmless. Today, I opened a hateful massage because I felt the need to reply to the sender. I will only share the subject line and I apologize in advance, for it might hurt you like it did me. It said: “You and your children will burn in hell because of your blasphemy and deviance!”

The body of the email contained a series of insults, accompanied by Bible passages--ironic, I know. At the end, the sender pasted a review of the movie The Golden Compass, titled “Will your kid discover his personal ‘daemon’?” The critical piece argued that Hollywood’s “relentless goal” might be “to de-flower, de-Christianize and paganize Western youth”. The conclusion tells parents that “The dark spirits encircling this movie, as with the books, are palpable and will eat our young alive.”

The review didn’t bother me much, for this type of ignorant, closed-minded opinions are all over the Internet. I take that back, one thing did annoy me: the disrespect of the writer who failed to capitalize the words Paganism or Pagan, when referring to the spiritual path and its followers. I’m pissed off, but hardly surprised, for I know that stupidity is rarely restricted to just one part of the brain.

The email as whole, especially the message it promoted, did hurt me. It sadden me to think that someone can hold so much malice in his heart, to wish harm to innocent--even unborn--creatures. I don’t care what anyone says about me. I'm a grown woman who knows how to take care of herself. But when some idiot attacks my future children, I get angry. Ask me how bad I wanted to scream nasty things to that person? How bad I wanted to curse his existence? How bad, for one short instance, I wanted to cause him harm? Very bad. But I’m better than him so I didn’t.

I replied with the following note instead:

Sir,

I don’t believe in hell, but I do know that what goes around comes around, so I’ll pray for your children. I pray that your ill intent doesn't touch them, for they shouldn’t have to pay for your bigotry or your ignorance.

I would appreciate if you didn't email me again. May the Gods cleanse your soul.

Wicked Darlings, I was in in tears when I started writing this post, but not now. The Boyfriend called me, in between, and I’m feeling much better. Nevertheless, I’m still angry deep inside. I don’t want to be, so send me some of your positive energy.

In Darkness? Light! So please make me shine again…

Dominican Thanksgiving? Funny!

I know this should be a super cheery holiday and all, but this post doesn't start in a jolly way. Yesterday someone asked me "How do Dominicans celebrate Thanksgiving Day?"

"I grinned," and said "you are too funny."

He gave me a bewildered look and my eyes opened as wide as his. A thought came to mind, but I didn't want to jump to hasty conclusions, so I asked instead. "Are you serious? Was that a trick question?"

"No... sorry I asked." The sad look on his face almost made me feel bad--almost. Then he opened his mouth again. "It must be very upsetting not to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving. I knew the Dominican Republic was a poor country, but I didn't know things were so horrible."

I shook my head and prayed ignorance wasn't contagious. I know that's a horrible thing to say, but a thirty-something-year-old man who went to high school AND college should have known why Dominicans don't celebrate Thanksgiving, shouldn't he? He didn't.

I was so tempted to say I'm sure Dominicans would have come to the States to celebrate Thanksgiving, if the Pilgrims or the Indians would have sent an invitation; my people will go anywhere where there is free food. But don't worry we aren't too sad about it, we understand the oceans were too dangerous then.

However, I didn't say any of the above. I was overcome by the spirit of the season and decided to share my superior, um... 3rd grade knowledge. I explained we didn't celebrate Thanksgiving because the holiday is only celebrated in the US and Canada. We talked about the details of the harvest festivities and laughed. I also told him I was going to make fun of him on this post, but that he shouldn't feel too bad because of it. At least he wasn't the man who sent "a message of support to Canada and its struggling national igloo"!

So today, I'm thankful to know people who are not too grand to laugh at their own silliness. I'm also thankful for second chances, new beginnings, love, plus a whole bunch of other things that would make this list way too long.

Happy Thanksgiving my Wicked Darlings!

Dream Journal

I used to keep a traditional journal; a detailed account of everything that happened to me: the good, the bad, the kinky, the ugly… Then I got a divorced and burned everything.

I know some of you might be thinking ‘why would you do such a thing!’, while others are going, ‘I so get you girl!’ No, I’m not psychic *grin*, but I always get this kind of 50/50 reaction when friends and loved ones find out about my smoky little secret.

You see, I have a theory: in order to truly let go of past relationships, one must get rid of the tangible things. This does NOT apply to people who have children or pets because that would be murder or animal cruelty--both punishable by the law of men and the wrath of the Gods.

Some of my friends have told me that my theory shows insecurity. I disagree, but everybody has an opinion and I respect that. I don’t know about you, but my memory is very sensitive. Things like images make my creative mind relive entire experiences--there are things I rather forget. I’m not saying you should go back and destroy the prom pictures your parents hold as national treasures, but there is no need for you to keep videos of you sucking face with past lovers. Then again, if no one in the relationship is bothered by it, that is a whole different ball game.

My idea behind destroying these “tangible things”, is that one should care enough about the person one shares one's life with, that one should avoid unnecessary pain (this sentence just solved a critical philosophical question: can one use "one" a bunch of times in a single sentence?). Back to my point, it is not like we are going to forget what happened in the past. That would be foolish, especially because the past helped us become who we are today. But do we really need those pictures, that video, the T-Shirt with his or her name on it, that uneaten wedding cake!? I didn’t think so, so I got rid of everything from my former marriage--my journal was just collateral damage.

However, I like keeping a paper journal, it helps me stay current on my handwriting skills and it is a fun thing to do. Plus I have this cool bound journals, I’ve gotten as presents, and they deserve to be used for something more honorable than draft writing. I’ve decided that a dream journal would be the solution. My dreams are very random and although some people are gifted enough to be able to control their dreams, I'm not. Unless it is my recurring dream about Lion-O and I defeating Mumm-Ra, which I have mastered. Don’t be too impressed, you would be able too, if you had been having the same dream since you were 13 years-old.

Anyway, I had 3 very significant dreams some time ago. I misinterpreted them, of course, but one of my Wicked Darlings made me see the light. And WOW! Those 3 dreams changed my life for the better, so I put my dream journal to good use. I examined my orthography and calligraphy after I was done writing, and trust me; a dream journal was a great idea. My handwriting is getting atrocious!

I was going to wait until after Thanksgiving to share this with you, but I dreamed Parker Jr. (Bridgett’s grand-turkey-peacock) was chasing me around the house, dream journal in hand, um... in wing. I told myself “Magaly, a turkey-peacock chasing you right around Thanksgiving? And holding your dream journal? Hmm… you must share this colorful post now!" So I did.

Do you keep a paper journal?

*************

Parker Jr.'s portrait was stolen from Doog & Boo Plus Two. I hope Parker doesn't know any good lawyers!

This Scribbler’s Comments Rock!

I follow many blogs, and although I would love to comment on every single one of my Wicked Darlings' posts, I just can't. I don't have that kind of time. So how do I choose what blogs to comment on? I don't, you do. Why? Because I want my comments to be analytical. You spent your valuable time writing a post, so I want you to see that I really thought about what you wrote. I take the time to find ways your post applies to me and then I leave you a response. I would never insult you with a half-assed comment, aimed to cheat you into believing that I actually read your writing.

That is the reason why I was thrilled when the creator of One Pink Fish nominated me for the My Comments Rock Award. I like thinking that my responses to your heartfelt writing is indeed profound. Thanks so much my lady!

Clandestiny, from Naked in the Closet, nominated me for the Superior Scribbler Award. That one left me thinking for a long while... I just don't consider myself a "superior scribbler", but hey, why argue with such a perceptive lady? *grin* Plus, I feel that I'm superior at certain things anyway. Deciding what blogs to comment on is a good example. You see, there is a method to my blog commenting madness. I ALWAYS comment on the blogs of the Wicked Darlings who stop by Pagan Culture. Then on weekends, usually Sundays, I try to blog surf (search for new cool blogs) and catch up with those of you I haven't heard from in a while.

In the end, I guess Pagan Culture has benefited from my ability to think critically and my 'superior' methods *grin some more* to find ways to deal with comment guilt. Don't believe me? Well, go check out Diary of a Natural Witch, for according to Tiffany my baby deserves the Best Blog Award!

Now for the hard part, my nominees, YIKES!

My Comments Rock Awards go to:

Clandestiny, from Naked in The Closet & Chef Green, from The Sauce. These two individuals have said things that have touched my heart of hearts. I wish I could give the award to Judy too, but she doesn't have a blog ;( Heck, I want to give it to a bunch of you, but I don't make the rules--I just break them ;)

The Superior Scribbler Awards go to:

Crap! Wait, I have to work for this one. And I mean WORK. How in earth will I come up with 7 things you don't know about me?

1. I went to bed at 3am this morning.

2. I ate 5 oranges for breakfast.

3. I have period cravings (gross, I know guys).

4. I stare at people even if it is impolite. I can't help it!

5. My shoe size ranges from 8.5 to 9.5 depending on the maker.

6. I wanted to be Lion-O when I was growing up. He has the coolest sword!

7. I don't like wearing a bra. But I do... sometimes...

My 7 nominees now:

1. A Raising Mind

2. Better than Cured

3. Following the Willowisp

4. Gorsedd Arberth

5. Meadowsweet & Myrrh

6. Monsieur le Roi

7. Marcia Colette

The Best Blog Award goes to:

1. fever because Lora has spunk! I just started following her blog, and I can't wait to have some time to read her old stuff. This girl writes it like it is and I'm loving it!

Oh, in case you are thinking "Magaly you insolent cheat! You were supposed to pick 15!!" Well, think again my Wicked Darlings. This is the BEST blog award, so how can you have more than one best? I'm not intelligent enough to figure that out, so I picked one. Guess I did cheat, huh?