Lady Victoria Eclectic Pagan's blog: "Misc."

EARTHLINGS is a feature length documentary about humanity's absolute dependence on animals (for pets, food, clothing, entertainment, and ... all » scientific research) but also illustrates our complete disrespect for these so-called "non-human providers." The film is narrated by Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix (GLADIATOR) and features music by the critically acclaimed platinum artist Moby. With an in-depth study into pet stores, puppy mills and animals shelters, as well as factory farms, the leather and fur trades, sports and entertainment industries, and finally the medical and scientific profession, EARTHLINGS uses hidden cameras and never before seen footage to chronicle the day-to-day practices of some of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit. Powerful, informative and thought-provoking, EARTHLINGS is by far the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the correlation between nature, animals, and human economic interests. There are many worthy animal rights films available, but this one transcends the setting. EARTHLINGS cries to be seen. Highly recommended!

Absent from the mind, Absent from the body, Absent from the soul, But are you absent? Can you be absent, but present at the same time? Are you a spirit? Can you hear me? I can feel you through the breeze, or can I? Perhaps its my imagination. Are you my imagination? I thought I saw you, but perhaps it was just a mirage. Are you a mirage? I would like to communicate with you. Are we capable of doing that? Are you there? I suppose so. But are you? Talk to me! Are you absent? Yea I may appear scarce as of late, but my dear friends, know that I think of you often and long for your banter... I miss your words, through blog and comment, I miss your photo shares and chat, I miss the lounges and quips back and forth, but most of all I miss you! Please bear with me while I attempt to get so many things in order in what is my daily existence and possibly have an opportunity to move on with my life. Some semblance of normalcy needs to be established - for no building stands on shifting sands, so do as I must, make sure of my foundation before I build further. I have had the fortune of looking inside my self and seeing that the status quo of my current situation is doing more harm than good and am trying to make preparations for my next stage in life. Those that know me can understand, those that don't, don't bother, it's just some "stuff" I have to deal with. Please just know that I miss you all and wish nothing but positive and good wishes for you all, each and every day, you are in my thoughts, my heart and my soul!
TOP Comment Graphics Hot Site FAV Myspace Tweaks Generators

I wasn't sure what I was going to write so decided to place this in "Misc." for reasons being that I'm not sure where I'll wind up with this need to purge... Today is the one year "anniversary" of the death of my One, Master, Soul Mate and Twin Flame. I woke up as usual, nothing... a void, an emptiness... the lack of emotion concerned me because this is not like any grief or remembrance I have ever experienced and I have lost a many loved ones. I turned over in bed and opened my eyes to see a wonderful man that came into my life at my darkest hours to hear the words "I Love You" in his dry throated and gravely voice, and charming, sweet, sleepy smile. Climbing out of his arms and legs wrapped about me, I go to bring him his freshly brewed hot cup of coffee (all Hail the Goddess "Caffina" and the God Juan Valdez) and lie back in his arms thinking is this real? How can I feel nothing for the man that once was the very reason for me to keep on breathing just one year later after he died in my arms and so much for a man, my Eugene that I have such a strong connection with that it's sometimes frightening, yet feels so right? I feel guilty for not grieving, but I feel no reason to grieve. It's just another date in my past. I had to persevere and move on... or else succumb to the fate of what slipped through my very hands. Life. Albeit life of another, but a life that could have just as easily been mine, or yours, or someone you love (as well as hate) - get the drift? No matter what the present brings, it too shall be a past... an only the memories you choose to hold on to are those worth carrying. I do not grieve, for I celebrate the time we had together and remember the goofiness as well as the discipline, the sadness wiped out by the shared joys, the experiences and the laughs. It made the time I had with Master worth living. I know I'll never have another like Him... but then again, another chapter in the life begins to unfold... Wow - it must be the Cruzcan Coconut Rum Pina Coladas and Mother's finest herbs to get me to blog this, but it is as was requested of me and at midnight I shall spread 1/4 of His ashes into the canal so that He will always be by what he loved... His little piece of Paradise that His lil one helped make a dream come true. Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet Daniel Monroe Carl. May Summerland be treating you as you deserve. I Loved You when You were mine to love. Now it is truly time for the living to move on... Beltane is just around the corner and one never knows what jumping over a broomstick really means until they do it themselves *smiles*...

I have been away with things going on at the home front. In preparation for yesterday's court hearing, I have been away and now that the courts assigned an appointed Guardian to Eleanor, my entire life is in turmoil and I am jobless, homeless and without a vehicle since everything is in her name and I have been ousted. Eugene and I are making contingency plans and Claudia won - she's getting everything when Eleanor dies (including the home I made with Daniel) which I fear will not be long since I will not longer be caring for her. I am in the process of submitting a bill to the court and the estate for services provided at reasonable rates and documenting receipts for reimbursement for out of the pocket expenses to the household for everything as well as the 24/7 care for my no longer "ward". The legal papers Eleanor signed are null and void and my promise and commitment to uphold her written wishes as well as the wishes of her son of whom I loved is now out of my hands. Life goes on and I am looking at this as an opportunity to get on with my life with Eugene. Maybe move to Tuscaloosa Alabama near the University so that he can get his Masters and on to his Doctorate. We can travel and no longer be committed to being "homebound" caring for someone that is no longer my legal responsibility. Spring/Ostara is a chance of rebirth - new beginnings and I pray that you too will see this as a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow in peace, love and happiness. In Love and Light, Victoria

Wow... spring fever has hit at an all time high... I apologize for not being around but life outside the box is much more interesting! I am already sunburned from my gardening and cultivation efforts. I have already harvested two bunches of grape tomatoes from my garden and a plethora of seeds are germinating to my sheer delight! The sun and warm weather has done wonders for me and I exhuberate in the delight and wonders of life! For the first time in over 5 years, I have gone to a movie, 300 that was awesome and a matinee only cost me $5.75 as opposed to a $12 movie back in my NY days..*{gets melancholy and snaps outta it soon*). Oh well.. to my friends that read this... be happy that I am finding the simple pleasures in life fulfilling, yet think of all my friends and wish that they find the peace that I have found to balance life as it exists... Brightest Blessings, In the name of the Maiden, Mother and Crone.. Blessed Be!

Finding A Connection With Youth Kieren Sell South Washington County Bulletin Published Wednesday, March 07, 2007 St. Paul Park resident Michelle Schaeppi has read all the Harry Potter books, listens to music on her iPod, has her own MySpace page and is fluent in the language of text messaging. As the youth director at All Saints Lutheran Church in Cottage Grove, Schaeppi considers it part of her job. “You can’t be a good mentor to kids if you don’t know what they’re exposed to,” Schaeppi said. But being a youth director was not something Schaeppi planned, nor is it her first career. For 10 years, Schaeppi worked as a legal editor for Thompson West, a publishing company in Eagan. Schaeppi was volunteering part-time with the youth program at All Saints when the job as youth director opened up, and she knew it was the right place for her. “I liked my job at West,” Schaeppi said. “But it didn’t leave me fulfilled. “It’s one thing to have a career, but this is a life change, a lifestyle; it’s not a job.” As a member of All Saints for eight years, Schaeppi saw youth directors come and go and the effects the turnover had on the kids. “I watched the kids’ frustrations and disappointment,” she said. “They get attached to someone and then they leave.” Schaeppi has been the full-time youth director with the church for a year and a half and received her associate’s degree from Inver Hills Community College this fall. She is currently working on her bachelor’s degree from Metro State University in psychology and religious studies and hopes to continue on in school and obtain a master’s degree. At All Saints, Schaeppi runs the youth program and the confirmation program — but she said her main job is keeping in contact with the kids. “My paycheck comes from the church, but my employers are the youth,” she said. “To be able to take a step back and appreciate teens as young adults is a great thing.” Schaeppi is currently organizing a ski trip to Colorado for April, and often takes the youth to movies and hosts X-Factor on Sunday nights, a time when kids can come to the church and just hang out. Schaeppi said she sees the kids finding a sense of spirituality in those activities — even if it is seeing the latest horror film. “The kids don’t realize their everyday world integrates into spirituality,” Schaeppi said. Schaeppi is a mother of three and said that bringing in the perspective of a parent can be a huge asset. “They look at me as an adult and parent, but also someone whose opinion they respect,” she said. Schaeppi said she will stay at All Saints as long as she feels called to be there, but knows even if she moves on, she will always be involved with youth in someway. “I love being around teenagers,” she said.

Greetings All, For everyone who knows me, you know that I go out of my way to help everyone on my Lists. I had never entered a contest before, and my love Eugene entered me into this one. Pay-Back Time People. PLEASE click on the Pic and VOTE for me in the BEST FRIEND ON CT Contest!!!! Thank You and Brightest Blessings! In Love and Light, Lady Victoria

Sorry for my lack of being on lately... I had a minor accident yesterday while running errands and a woman driving a hummer in a rush decided to go around a bus in the mall parking lot and did not see me crossing the street. Thankfully I was just "tapped" and refused medical treatment by the medics to be taken to the hospital "just to be checked out". I knew nothing was broken but am sore and thankfully bruises are not yet apparent but muscle spasms are are starting and the aches of trying to avoid being hit by extending my arms out acted like shock absorbers. I will try to play catch up with everyone but wanted to wish all a safe and blessed day!
www.hostdrjack.com "True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost." - Charles Caleb Colton

New Immigrants (An e-mail I received… just passing it on) From: "David LaBonte" My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. Dave LaBonte (signed) Written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register: Dear Editor: So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry. Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home. They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity. Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France and Japan. None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan. They were defending the United States of America as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl. And here we are in 2007 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags. And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet. (signed) Rosemary LaBonte P.S. They also had to pass a physical, have someone to sponsor them, or back they went from whence they came. Pass this on to everyone you know!!! KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING!! I hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across the nation!! Ever onward!! MAY GOD(DESS) BLESS AMERICA

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers." The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another. One of the best things to hold onto in this world is a Friend.