Happy Yule and Merry Solstice Tide!

December 22, 2021 Little Journeys EverywhereLeave a comment

Don’t mind my pinkie! This was Daddy Maxwell working on getting our Yule logs burning! We burned two, one that I actually put together and decorated with Holly, oranges, pine, dried apples, pennies, and inscribed runes on the wood, alongside my bestie! This year is her first celebrating Yule officially so many blessings to you, sister! We also had some of that delicious fizzy juice while we gathered and played around the fire because who doesn’t love a holiday classic, am I right? 😉

Little Maxwell’s learning time for today! We practice our writing by writing a letter to Santa! I wrote the sentences out that she wanted to say and then she copied them down. This is often called copy work but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! We even found an address in Finland where you could actually send your letters to Father Christmas. 🙂

We also made Lego Dot friendship bracelets!

Yule for us is a day of joy, of family and of hygge. We share treats and we have lots of snuggling! We play games together, sing carols (paganized of course! XD), and enjoy time making handcrafted gifts for family members. We get to pick one gift from under our tree to open but the gift opening is very much secondary to the time spent together. I made us a wonderful lunch that we sat down at the table for and we did crafts like making a homemade Lego snow globe!

Of course there are special magical things that we do to honor the return of the Sun. Along with our sparklers, we ring bells to harald in the return of the light. We see the long night, not as a time of darkness but of necessary rest and recuperation, of reflection. We think on the trials of the year and of the new adventures spread out ahead. We remember those that left us but also rejoice that we can still keep them in our day to day as our Ancestors, our beloved dead who never truly leave us.

Clean crisp air, the child almost burning your lungs. The smell of smoke from the fire and the warmth of snuggling beneath a big blanket together while we watch a movie or play a game. Getting to feel your heart grow two sizes at the joyful exuberance of a little one when they bite into that tasty treat or unwrap a gift you made our picked out just for them.

Yule is the first day of the cold times, the lean times, but also a day of joy to share with those you love. That is what this season means to us. What does Yule mean to you? Do you have any traditions for this time of year, whatever way you may celebrate? Let us know in the comments!

With Peace, Passion, and Joy to the World.

Share the Light, Sisters and Brothers.

Ta!

Bliggety Blogs

Bear Walker Ale, A Review

December 2, 2021 Little Journeys EverywhereLeave a comment

The sharp, hollow crack and hiss of the opening can was the sound that met my ears upon opening this new, local brew. Daddy Maxwell had brought two of them home from work and we stood in our kitchen to try this new ale.

I’m always in the mood to try something new when it comes to beer. I only just started even drinking the stuff in the last few years when I was nearly bowled over by my developing partial stomach paralysis (gastroparesis to the medically initiated). To my surprise, a small glass of beer seemed to actually help my stomach digest the food I ate. So from then on, I found myself enjoying a can of Yuengling after dinner every so often. It was the only one is had that I liked but it wasn’t long before curiosity had me testing out different drafts just like I taste test new and interesting coffees. That’s what led me on my journey towards the smooth, almost creamy Bear Walker Ale.

It isn’t sweet like you’d expect when you see ‘brewed with maple syrup’ as the tag line. I expected the kind of sweetness that’s like a Mounty have you a swift kick in the teeth and the subsequent dental bill all in one. Instead, it was a dark, discreetly sweet flavor that brought to mind a smokiness, like Deadpool splayed out in front of a fire. You get the sweetness more on the back and the sides of your tongue, a warm mix of delight for the taste buds.

I always appreciate when my drinks come with fetching literary abandon. 😂

All of that being said, Daddy Maxwell was not a great lover of said flavor. However, he also isn’t a fan of beers, more specifically ales and lagers in general. I am a lover of many types of alcohols, in contrast,and I can confidently say that if you aren’t someone who enjoys those kinds of tastes, this isn’t going to be the beer for you.

Bear Walker is a product of Jackalope Brewing Co. and is brewed and packed right here locally in Nashville, Tennessee. I’m always down to try a new local beer so when Daddy Maxwell’s co-worker was so stoked for him to try it that she went on her break and bought a six pack to share around the office, I knew I had to try it. Given that it has been nothing but a delightful experience for me, I can say with heartfelt enjoyment a big thank you to Ms.Holly. Without you, this blog post would not have been possible. So, I guess…#sortofsponsored ?

Either way, go out on your next break and grab you one. Have it when you get home and let us know what you think down in the comments! And as always,

With Peace and Passion,

✌️ Drink Responsibly. ✌️

Movies, Shows, and Such · Parenting

A New Game That’s Brought Us Together: A PKXD Review

November 21, 2021December 2, 2021 Little Journeys EverywhereLeave a comment

So Little Maxwell is always asking if she can download this new game or that new app. I’m pretty particular about what kinds of games I won’t let her play. For example, I don’t let her play the “match-three” style of games like Bejeweled or Candy Crush. Is Bejeweled even still a thing?

She got an ad for another game in one of the apps she was playing one day and begged me to download it. I checked it out and agreed but under one stipulation: she only played with me. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the fact that it’s a sort of social game that doesn’t have the option of offline play. The game is called PK XD.

Hopping in to the game, I was blasted with the neon and sheer… Well. Childishness. It definitely is made with it’s target audience in mind. It’s bright and accentuated with catchy music and sound effects. There are regular community events and an arcade of mini games that allows each player the opportunity to collect in-game currencies without having to spend real money. In fact there are quite a few opportunities to do so which I was rather pleased with. The game has admins that regularly run my paces through the two floating islands that the PKXD universe consists of.

As for communicating with other players, there are predetermined, pre-selected scripts and responses, even Emojis with sound effects like laughing or crying, that the player can select but speaking freely with players one-on-one outside of that doesn’t seem like an option that is commonly used if even available. I found myself put at ease a little more by this realization. Little Maxwell isn’t really reading fluently yet but I doubt it will be a long. I like knowing that anyone she might become friendly with in-game is relegated to the many, though very PG, communications.

We took the opportunity to catch a photo op at one of the murals during Pet Week! Both of us are supporting pets from the Halloween update. Little Maxwell has an Alibrije spirit cat and I have a spooky Ghost Horse! 👻

The more I played with her, the more I’ve come to really enjoy the game itself. What I love the most though is the fun and engaging quality time that I get to spend with my daughter now, doing something that we both really enjoy together! As a gaming family, we are all often enjoying the latest video game, table top or board game. But, though they may enter set with other family members like when I play Diablo with my sisters and Dad and Minecraft with my brother and bestie hetero life partner, those don’t always necessarily include little Maxwell or her dad. So it’s always nice when we have a game that we can play together especially when it’s one that she so adamantly enjoys.

It’s very easy to add each other 2 your friends list and once you are linked as friends, the game gives you the opportunity to jump in to the servers that your online friend is playing from so you can literally play together. We have had a very big time helping each other decorate our houses and bouncing around the parkour Pet Week course. Visiting other people’s homes to see how they’ve decorated as well. The game boasts a sort of trophy/achievement system by way of stickers that can be collected from literally anywhere and anything. Today, I unlocked a hidden sticker no I received by drinking milk 10 separate days. Another I got from adding items to my house or even finding hidden pets throughout the world.

While it isn’t the most graphically complex game I’ve ever played, I can definitely recommend PK XD or anyone looking for something to do with their kids that don’t be mind-numbingly dull. There is no end to different events, achievements, and fun things to do when you’re spending time with the people you love.

What do you think? Are you going to give PK XD a try with your little ones anytime soon? Let me know what you think in the comments!

With Peace and Passion,

Ta!

Bliggety Blogs · Poems, Songs, and Shorts · WakingWitches & WanderingWunderkammer

Words Go Up, But Thoughts Below

November 13, 2021 Little Journeys EverywhereLeave a comment

Asar, Lord of the Duat, take him into your shining fields.

Anpu, Protector of the Dead, guide him through the winding dark paths and places.

Setekh, Warrior of the Way, protect him as his spirit finds its way.

Nebet-Het, Mother of Mourners, be with us as we grieve.

Aset, Lady of Life, give his spirit breath again into his next life.

Hewet-Her, Comforter of Comforters, hold him fast as he travels into the lands of the West.

Tehuti, Writer of All Wisdom, give me the knowledge and strength to comfort and give guidance to my family in this time of loss.

Today, after a painful battle with a rare form of cancer, we buried my grandfather. I ended up at home alone after the wake and found myself with a terrible problem. No matter what I did or tried, no matter how much I wanted it, I could not make my brain focus on anything. I wasn’t overcome with sadness, nor were constantly shifting thoughts stealing my attention. There was no depression and all I thought about the wake itself was that I hated to leave my grandmother Ruby to go home alone. I didn’t want her to have to go back to an empty house that would never feel like a home again.

National Novel Writing Month was in full swing but the words wouldn’t come. What was wrong with me? Maybe it was the headache that was working itself out. Maybe it was fatigue. Grief? All I had in me was busy just processing the day, trying to let go of all of the hundred conversations and people. The casket, the coffee. The bowl of mints, the director’s nametag and my mother’s tears.

I found myself writing out, instead of my poor NaNo novel, just an unpunctuated, long single stream of thought with no rhyme or reason. Then, my hopes and prayers for my granddaddy as his spirit passes on. It gave me a sense of…peace. Something like happiness but less than joy. Like he was standing there watching the proceedings and seeing how there wasn’t just tears but there were smiles and humor too. Seeing how the family shored together despite differences and even, in some cases, not even knowing one another. There’s support there and there’s love. I could see him there. He’d probably be wearing navy and looking kind of sheepish with his hands in the pockets of his slacks, his watch on and his chin scruff and he’d be smiling because I think he’d be happy with what he saw.

Afterwards, I still felt like I’d been hit by a truck but on the inside, it felt like finding peace.

My grandaddy, Lehman Franks. I will see you again someday. When we walk the Field of Reeds together, our family will be whole once again.

Adventures In Unschooling · Bliggety Blogs · Eco-Loving Living! · Poems, Songs, and Shorts

Moss Garden Mystique

November 12, 2021November 12, 2021 Little Journeys EverywhereLeave a comment

So if you’ve been following my blog for a long time you may have noticed something.

I L O V E moss. It is my favorite plant, hands down. I would rather have a pretty moss than flowers any day. 2 weeks ago I noticed that my Moss garden container had rusted through the bottom and had started to fall in so that the soil was actually falling through it onto the ground.

Rather than risk it damaging the moss garden itself, I decided to relocate it into a different container but also into my backyard instead of in the front of the house. Mostly because the only container I had for it that would be big enough was my daughter’s old kiddie pool. So I took an afternoon and moved it. It’s new container doesn’t look the nicest and because there’s actually more room now then there was before, the Moss is going to have to grow back together to cover any bare spots.

Nevertheless, it is another step on our journey. 🙂 I have several different mosses in my garden that I collected from our home forest. Several of them came from our forest school spot that we don’t get to visit much anymore since Daddy Maxwell and I got Lyme disease. The ticks out here in Tennessee are outrageous and keeping them off of you 100% is a pretty impossible feet. I’ve been too nervous to go back into the forest sadly but at least I still have my little moss garden to look at and to remind me of the beauty that can be found there.

These are some of my photos my little garden that I wanted to share with you today! Maybe it will brighten your day as well. Most of my photos are taken using a camera app called Foodie that my sister introduced me to for photographing cookies that I sell. It takes the best pictures I’ve ever taken and even has the ability to edit those pictures in the app.

Moss isn’t just pretty though, it’s pretty fascinating! Did you know that even though moss is a plant, it doesn’t have roots? That’s why you often see it attached to rocks and the sides of old stone stairs, etc. It gets its moisture and nutrients from the air and from the water that falls above it. That’s why moss is always so bright and green and lush after it rains. It’s color often tells you how much moisture it’s had. Even though it might be brown, it may not be dead, just dehydrated! Kind of like a rows of Jericho but to a much lesser degree of extreme.

This time of the year, the home school method we use for our nature school has a whole week dedicated to mosses, mushrooms, lichen, and fungi. It’s one of my favorite units!

This was what my moss garden looked like when I started it this second time. Once it fills in a little more, I plan on doing something pretty with it like making it into a fairy garden or a zen garden. Something like that.

Already my garden is filling in really nicely and the moss is settling. I also collect abandoned birds nests after their particular species has finished with them (if they don’t come back the following year) so I added two of them to the garden just for something extra.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this up close view into one of my favorite things! Maybe next time you see a little moss patch, you might stop thinking ‘bleh’ and start thinking ‘awwww’! You never know what you might come to think is adorable when you stop and take a closer look!

With peace and passion for the natural world,

Ta!

Bliggety Blogs · Poems, Songs, and Shorts

Poetry In Pictures: Rain

November 11, 2021 Little Journeys EverywhereLeave a comment

There’s something inherently magical to me about rain. I’ve waxed poetic about it in one of my first posts here on WordPress but today, I’m sharing the sacred, life giving rain with you through the camera lense. I hope it inside you as it inspired me. Along with my photos, I also want to share the Algonquin Water Song.

This Algonquin water song was written by Irene Wawatie Jerome, assisted by Kathleen DeShane, for Grandfather William Commanda’s Circle of All Nations Gathering (Canada, 2002). It’s words say,

‘Water is the life’s blood of our Mother, the earth.

Water is the life blood of our own body.

Women are the keepers of the water.’

It is the Grandmother’s vision that people will learn this song and carry it with them, singing it and honoring the water. One day, that we might heal the water of the Earth.

The Algonquin Water Song can be found at www.singthewatersong.com as well as lyrics and translations.

With Peace and Passion,

Ta!

Bliggety Blogs · Eco-Loving Living! · Primary · WakingWitches & WanderingWunderkammer · Yoga & Meditation Methods

What Lies Above

October 29, 2021 Little Journeys Everywhere2 Comments

Today, I found myself irresistibly fascinated by the shapes, colors and textures of the clouds as a storm front made it’s way into our local area.

They were beautiful and strange. Remarkable and wonderous. It led to conversations about the heights that certain clouds sat at and the colors that some had taken on.

It just served as a potent reminder of the wonders all around us in the natural world, in our world, if only we took the time to look.

I hope that at some juncture in your schedule, you take the time out of your day to just stop for one moment…and look. Look up. Look down. Look at all the wonders that can be found in the things that we overlook everyday.

Those things that we see but have become so much the norm that they are easily passed over. Look at the clouds or the rain. Even the soil beneath our feet and how it teems with life. How we would not be able to survive without it. How sick much of it has become…

Without these small, oftentimes considered insignificant things because of their regularity, our world but not be the amazing place that it is today so take a moment to just appreciate it.

With peace and passion,

I bless you with clarity, friend.

Ta!

Adventures In Unschooling · Primary

A Field Trip To The Nashville Zoo!

October 22, 2021October 23, 2021 Little Journeys EverywhereLeave a comment

I know, I know! It’s taken a year and a day to get this post out! Honestly, it’s taken me this long just because this post is a long one (I took a lot of pictures!) and I just didn’t have the spoons in me to dedicate to it.

But here we are! Finally!

We visited the Nashville Zoo at grassmere at the beginning of this month had a wonderful time! If you’re planning on visiting Nashville Zoo yourself, see you the end of this post for some of my tips to help you have the best trip you can have!

I found this really interesting fungus scattered underneath a bush by one of the enclosures! It was fun getting to show it to the kids and explain what it was and how it worked!

Do you see why it took me so long now?

But, as promised, here are some of my tips that I have picked up from the few trips I’ve made to the zoo at this point!

Don’t forget the sunscreen, especially if you have little ones.
The Nashville Zoo does allow you to bring snacks and such in so definitely don’t forget to bring some treats for your walk and maybe even think about a picnic! Zoo food can get expensive, especially if you have more than one child! 💲💲💸💸
If you have one, take a wagon. They’re invaluable for curtailing tired and whiny small children and carrying bags.
Take extra money for the carousel or special treats!
Consider a season pass if you’re a person who likes to visit the zoo more than a time or two. It also gives you special perks for things like ticket costs and the carousel. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed this gigantic post on our field trip to the Nashville Zoo! Please like and consider following for more posts to come!

With Peace and Passion,

Ta!

Adventures In Unschooling · Primary

The Heartlake Herald: A Doggy Dog Sanctuary Comes To Town!

October 14, 2021October 14, 2021 Little Journeys EverywhereLeave a comment

Today, readers, here in our bustling Heartlake City, it is an especially auspicious day! Today, we welcome the Snuggly Barker Shack to our Fair City!

The Snuggly Barker Shack is a non-profit organization that gives dogs who are deemed unadoptable based on medical conditions a sanctuary where they can live out their best years in a place where they are given appropriate medical treatment as well as all of the love and care that they can handle!

All the sticks and bones a sick pup could chew!

Today is a very special day here at the Shack! Today is one of our pups rescue-vrsery! Only the finest snacks and treats will do and they have top of the line Pup Chef Camilla on the job!

Everyone is getting ready for Henry’s very special day!

Our very own Shack was inspired by the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, place that provides a forever home sanctuary and fosters for old and sick dogs who would otherwise be euthanized. It’s only through the contributions of kind donors like you that Old Friends can cover the costs of every day expenses and veterinary care for so many senior pups!

Please consider donating or buying merch at their website https://ofsds.org/ or:

Checking out their upcoming DOGumentary
Reading their book, Homecoming Tails available here
Following them on Facebook here
Subscribing to their YouTube channel here
Live Cams here
Or play the mobile app game to support the shelter and devs! Play and set up your own senior sanctuary and care for the actual Old Friends pups to learn about their stories! Here

We here at the Heartlake Lego City Herald hope that you will help to support the Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary in any one (or more!) of the many ways we’ve listed above.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this second edition of the Heartlake City Herald! Please join us again next week to see what’s the brick deal in our Lego city here at home! Here to give you the big connect, this has been your hostess with the mostest, signing off!

Parenting · WakingWitches & WanderingWunderkammer

Which Card Will It Be?

October 14, 2021 Little Journeys EverywhereLeave a comment

Little Maxwell choosing her card of the day after seeing me do it. But she couldn’t pick just one! There were way too many pretty ones! So she picked a whole stack! The card decks featured are the Everyday Witch Oracle, the Everyday Witch Tarot, the Halloween Oracle (that’s the black cat card you can see next to her hand), and last but certainly not least, the Isis Oracle deck.

These are all personal favorites of mine that I certainly recommend, especially if you’re looking for a deck that really speaks to you. These all use imagery that’s fairly easy to understand and conceptualize and out of all of the decks that I’ve seen and used over the years, these have my favorite imagery of all, especially the Halloween Oracle and the Everyday Witch Oracle. 10 out of 10 definitely recommend! 🙂