Witch Mix

I shared this a couple of years ago but it's always worth a second (or hundredth!) viewing, especially at this time of year!



Enjoy!

Sunday Funnies: Simon's Cat

If you haven't discovered Simon's Cat yet, do yourself a favor and zip on over to YouTube right now! Absolutely hysterical, especially for us crazy cat lovers!

Autumn Hearth & Home

Since we live in the tropics where there is barely a change of season, we have to work a bit harder to get into the Autumn spirit! I do this by decorating every spare inch of The Castle, lol! Since I've been so busy the past few weeks setting up our other house, I've decided to decorate slowly, one area at a time, appreciating the transformation, just like Mother Nature does with our earth home!

If you were to come visit me today, you'd be greeted by a bright new doormat welcoming you to my Castle...



a cheerful little jack o' lantern at the entryway...



and fresh flowers on the table enveloped with my favorite Fall tablecloth.



"What's that heavenly scent?," you might ask. Ah, dear friend, that would be the loaf of freshly baked cinnamon bread! Won't you sit down and share some with me?

Cinnamon Sugar Bread

Ingredients

* 1 cup milk
* 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
* 1 egg
* 3 cups bread flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons yeast

Directions

Place ingredients in the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer.

Bake using the sweet bread setting if your machine has it. If not, use white bread setting.

When the bread is done, remove from the machine and let sit on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Enjoy!

And don't mind Lily's new baby Clementine, adopted just in time for Samhain...she won't nibble much...wink...



Brightest Blessings,

Happy October 1st

"October, the tenth month of the current Gregorian calendar and the second month of Autumn’s rule, derives its name from octo, theLatin word meaning “eight,” as October was the eighth month of the old Romancalendar. The traditional birthstone amulets of October are opal, rose sapphire, and tourmaline; and the calendula is the month’s traditional flower.

October is shared by the astrological signs of Libra the Scales (or Balance) and Scorpio the Scorpion, and is sacred to the following Pagan deities: Cernunnos, Hecate, the Morrigan, Osiris, and the Wiccan Goddess in Her dark aspect as the Crone. During the month of October, the Great Solar Wheel of the Year is turned to Halloween (Samhain Eve), one of the four Grand Sabbats celebrated each year by Wiccans and modern Witches throughout the world."
- Secrets of a Witch

Ah...my favorite month is finally upon us! Since I'm participating in Domestic Witch's October Blog Party, I'm going to do my best to fully embrace October, and in the process post a bit more often.

Whether you are in the midst of gorgeous autumn colors or, like me, still suffering through 85 degree heat, wishing you the brightest blessings of this season!

Happy Birthday, Mom

I wish you were here blowing out 69 candles on your birthday cake. I hope Julia Child is making you dinner and that Elvis is singing Happy Birthday to you while Patrick Swayze spins you around the dance floor.

We love & miss you more and more each day.

Moving on Up (Sort've)

Things have been so crazy around here, just haven't had the emotional energy to do any blogging. K & K & critters are finally settling in, though, one more weekend of hard work and we should be back to "normal."

Since the last tenant's lease has expired, Beren and I have decided to leave his Daytona house vacant for the tie, we're going to use it as a weekend/vacation spot for a few months. With more people living in the Castle, we think it'll be best to have a place to go to give everyone some breathing room and this way when his girls visit they'll have a place to sleep other than the living room couches! So, today we'll load up a trailer with some furniture and supplies and head north. I'm looking forward to the change in scenery and some alone time with him, will be nice to have the whole house to ourselves and am sure my kids will appreciate some time without me hovering around as well! *wink*

Before I leave town I'm going to whip up a batch of lentil soup so the kids can nibble on it over the weekend and also bring a thermos of it for myself! With the other house not being equipped for cooking yet, I have no idea what my menu options will be so better to be safe than sorry.

I'll be sure to take some pics of the new-to-me abode and of any adventures we have while there. I'm not sure if we'll have internet yet so in case I'm not able to check in, hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

A Challenge!

Annie has issued me a challenge this Saturday morning, how fun! Ok, Annie, here goes!

"If they would make a movie about your life, who would play the part of you, your true love, your best friend, your mother/parents and your worst enemy?"

Me: Jane Seymour

She's been my favorite actress since I saw Somewhere in Time 28 years ago and fell madly in love! I had the pleasure of meeting her in person several years ago and found her to be as gracious & lovely as I'd imagined.



My True Love: Richard Gere

Do I really need to explain why? Take a look at pics I've posted of Beren and you'll understand! Same deep-set brown eyes, same gray hair...swooon...I don't know a lot about Mr. Gere except that he's strong yet sensitive and stands up for what he believes in, just like My Man.



My Best Friend: Meryl Streep

This gorgeous lady is incredibly talented, strong, witty, and her statuesque beauty & style remind me so much of my friend Jersey!



My Mother: Doris Day

Doris is perky, smart, adored by everyone, and always a lady. Just like my Mom.



My Worst Enemy: Courtney Love

This one is really hard for me because I don't think I have any true "enemies" but I did have a horrible encounter with a nasty acquaintance recently. I'll never forget this woman..shudder...she was the epitome of the trashy barmaid stereotype so the first person that comes to mind is Courtney during her dark days.



I challenge Susan, Sally and my daughters Kali & Lily 'cause I'm hoping to get them blogging again!

Grand-Pets

As much of an adjustment as it's been for the 2-leggeds in the house, it's even more so for the critters! So far we've survived the first week with minimal fur flying though Lucy did receive a sharp smack to the nose courtesy of Jezebel! No pics of that event, nor of the brief nose-to-nose encounters between Jackson & his new canine sibling, but here are a few cute shots of other furry encounters:

Presley Meets Tabitha...



So glad Presley is blind & therefore can't see the look of disgust Tabitha cast him!



Jezebel Meets Presley



Lucy & Presley, enjoying the view



Jackson's been spending a lot of time at my desk and on other higher-than-Lucy surfaces so that he can peer down at her!



So glad Presley doesn't have any interest in stilettos!



So, there you go, a couple of the newest members of our household. Next time I'll introduce Killer, the 4-foot Ball Python, ok? *wink*

Our House

We've had a busy week here at the Castle, am taking some early morning quiet time to write a few lines. You see, I'm happy to report that my eldest daughter and son-in-law have moved back home for a little while. They just need some time to regroup, re-evaluate, and rejuvenate. It's been a rough first year of marriage for them, they didn't have time to catch their breaths before dealing with the death of a family member followed closely by the loss of Kevin's job and then a few months later, Kali being laid off by the School Board! Icing on the cake was the "repossession" of a family member's loaner car, leaving them a one-vehicle couple in a town that is not conducive to such! Poor kids were just completely overwhelmed and unprepared.

So, in the past week we have added 2 adults, 1 cat, 1 dog, 2 fishtanks and a 4.5 foot ball python to our home. Whew. Suffice it to say that we are filled to capacity but when Beren's girls visit every-other-weekend we're going to be overflowing! I'm not sure where we'll put everyone, lol, but somehow we'll manage. (The only good thing I can say about my ex-husband at the moment is I'm grateful that he insisted on purchasing a 4-bedroom house instead of the 3-bedroom I coveted)

The cons of this move are obvious: no adult child wants to move back with his/her parents, especially with husband and furkids in tow! K & K have been together 5 years, most of the time living together on their own, paying their own way and enjoying the independence (and privacy!) that comes along with that responsibility. I'm sure they would much rather be in their own little home with plenty of space for their "stuff" rather than crowded in with all of us.

However, we've all acknowledged the pros of the situation as well: First off, we like each other! Really like each other. A day rarely went by without Kali speaking to at least one of her sisters and certainly to me, and as you know we have family dinners, parties, etc. together every chance we get. I'm very fortunate that my grown children still (mostly) want to hang out with me...grin...and that their Significant Others blend in as well as they do. We can be a wild & rowdy bunch after all and it takes a certain type of personality to appreciate us!

Also, though 2 more humans and multiple pets do cause additional messes around the Castle, there are also 4 more working hands willing & able to cook, clean, maintain, etc. They both enjoy cooking, Kali is a great organizer and Kevin is awesome in the garden. Of course, it goes without saying that since they're both artists our home is even more beautiful and colorful than a week ago!

Though we no doubt will encounter some challenges in the next few months as we learn to live together once again, I am confident that it'll all work out and this will be a positive experience for everyone. We joke that we are starting our own little commune, a new way of living together, each contributing his or her own strengths and talents to the collective table, literally and figuratively because one of the best parts of the situation so far has been our return to dining together. With 6 chefs in the house, each of us have been assigned one night of cooking (allowing one night for pizza take-out) and so far that has worked out famously! It's exciting to see what each person comes up with, allowing us new & different cuisines than we would normally experience. Now that I'm not the only one cooking each night, I look forward to dinnertime again, a chance for us to sit around the table and share stories, laughs over a good meal and a cheap bottle of wine. Of course, due to our busy schedules we haven't been able to do this every night but even if Lily comes home late from work, for example, she knows that she'll have a plate of food lovingly set aside for her and there will be someone to sit down and enjoy it with. Rarely is my house empty anymore! *smile*

I am sure we're not the only family experiencing this right now, and I daresay that with the current uncertain economic forecast, we'll be seeing more such as ourselves. And really, despite the stress and worry, I see the potential for so much good out of this economic crisis we're experiencing. If it draws people closer, brings families together, encourages sharing whether it be of a home or a meal or whatever...it's a good thing. Our priorities have shifted, we've been reminded of what really matters. Not the brand new SUV, not the fancy new house, not the perfect decorating or spotless kitchen, the 6-figure income, expensive vacations or designer clothing. Family. Friends. Community. That's what's important. We in our family have always known that but now even more so. I am truly grateful to once again have everyone I love most in the world under one roof, happy & healthy & safe.

I am incredibly blessed.

On My Hearth: Shrimp with Lemon Basil Pasta

My kids are all home for dinner tonight, yay! I've got Italian music playing in the background and a fresh glass of Chianti, lovely! As I've mentioned before, they are in various stages of vegetarianism so cooking can be a challenge but they all eat shrimp & pasta so this will be perfect! Since Beren picked up the shrimp BOGO last week, it's also a cheap way to feed a bunch of people. Add a big salad and the fresh multigrain bread I purchased at the French bakery today, perfection!

Shrimp with Lemon Basil Pasta

4 servings

Ingredients:

* 12 ounces Contessa x-large Cooked Tail-on Shrimp
* 1/2 pound linguine
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 1/2 teaspoon basil leaves
* 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1/4 parmesan cheese, grated
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Steps:
Cook pasta for 8 minutes in boiling water.

Add shrimp and cook for additional 2 minutes then drain.

Mix pasta, shrimp, and the remainder of the ingredients to pot and simmer on low heat for approximately 5 minutes.

Place on large serving platter and sprinkle cheese on top.

Serve immediately.