American Pride and Strawberry Fests

This is Memorial Day weekend...a time to remember what our ancestors did to fight for our freedom. People should be proud of where our country is today and feel pride for those who died so that we may live in freedom.

I have family members who fought in the American Revolution, the Civil War, World war II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. Becasue I can prove my heritage, I can join the Daughters of The American Revolution. In order to join this group you muct prove you are a direct descendent of someone who was a signer of the declaration of Independence, the constitution, or fought in the american revolution. I am proud of my heritage and would fight so that we could be free.

If one looks down my steet, you can see American Flags on almost each house. I live in a military town, so we are proud of who we are.....as we should be.

Where does the strawberry fest fit into all of this....it really does not. I just went to the festivel yesterday and enjoyed fresh strawberries becasue it this the season for them. Strawberries were everywhere....food, drink, games, books, gifts, you name it. Personally, I thank God for such wonderful sweet berries....YUM.

I finished my short story today. Wrote my query letter, polished everything up and will send it out tommorrow. I have to wait 8 weeks to get an acceptance or rejection letter....8 weeks...thats all summer. Oh well......its my first short story Ive sent to a major magazine and Im excited, even if I get a rejection. Im excited becasue I polished it up....edited...worte the query letter. That is alot of work. Now its back to the book. Ill strat writing again tonight. I alwas try and leave off so thats easy for me to pick up where I left off. Am I always in the mood to write? NO! But I try to put myself into the mood. Some days I have to sit and listen to music or read for awhile before Im "in the mood". thats Ok....its a matter of dedication. I want this book done...becasue I have other books to write. I ahve some ideas for romances....for a serious book.....a mystery...to rerite my childrens horse story.....to publish my thesis project which is a business project. I also have some short stories tha Id like to write and publish. I hope to do a project with a close freind and send off. I hope to do work for others...henceforth...freelance writing. I dont are is it takes me years....I will persist....I will not give up. To write is to breathe....to write is to relieve my mind of so many ideas and thoughts....its like therapy...beside....books put people in places they may never travel too and gives them expereinces they would not have in their lives......books are freedom of the mind. Lets hear a cry for that! Freedom of the mind....creativity.

Happy Memorial Day!

Slainte!
Heidi
=)

In Rememerance.....

Dear Dad....

This is for you.....
I rememeber so much, thankyou for being who you were, the unique man who taught me everything I know.

Thanks for the memories about Flying.....taking me up in the Cessena....ground school....letting me fly solo for the first time...

Thanks for teaching me to throw knives, and tomahawks.....shooting....making amno....hiking into sites....

thanks for teaching me to fight with honor and courgae.....for for instilling in me values and morals of education...

Thanks for being there when I cried and needed my father.....

thanks for the Western memories....watching John Wayne....I still do watch him

thanks for taking me to Renanissance Faires and supporting my riding.....

thanks for being my father and giving me life.....the most precious gift is that

I love you Daddy!

Heidi

Short Story

Ahhhh...writing. Some days the words flow from my fingertips onto the paper or from my thoughts into actual words. Some days they do not...

Ive been working on a short story for publication. The story is actually a portion of the novel and I hope it will do well. I have some formatting issues to solve before I can submit my work and a quick error I found regaurding dates. Easily solved, or so I hope. All I know is that Im meant to write...I have to get the words out, to place them where others can read, to share stories, to help ease pain, to show you that life goes on even if you dont want it too.....these are life's facts.

To be a writer is to entertain, writing also helps explain the things in life we are unsure or scared about and to identify the things in life we love. Writing is life...

Slainte!

Heidi =)

20 plus pages of writing!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, the joys of writing. I had conversations in my head. Now let me clarify this...I am NOT , repeat NOT hearing voices.....LOL....I have conversations between characters. Of course, these conversations are in a graveyard...where else?
If I was Sydeny...who would I pick? So many choices to pick from....Aiden, Slate, Ashton, and OH...now there are three new character...Arlen (Aiden's twin...hes a ghost, Andrew...a vampire, and Sean...an immortal)
Here is a partial scene...... Let me know what U think.....
I better hurry before the thunder storm takes over.....but then theres the laptop.
The lack of light, feeling of hopelessness and feelings of complete and utter loneliness is exactly what spirits felt on the other side, those spirits that stayed behind and didn’t follow the light anyway. Hope without light and hope without a guide creates an unimaginable terror when wandering on a realm between the living and the eternal life. Watching Aiden kneel in the humid damp grass at the headstone of his brother was even making me sad. There was no doubt in my mind; I had to help him, to bring him back to our side of the light. He needed to survive for his family, for himself, and for us as a triple master envisioner team. Tears streamed down his face as leaned forward on his brothers headstone, the cross headstone seemed to move a bit as Aiden's weight touched it but it was just an illusion. The headstone remained firm unchanged as it had throughout many years. The graveyard was old, dating back to Old Charles Towne and not the current Charleston. Dates from the 1700's emerged throughout this graveyard proving its place in history prior to the American Revolution. The scent of saltwater penetrated the air, reminding me how close I was to the ocean. I looked around the graveyard and watched a fog gently begin to materialize and roll in from the not so distant water. The approaching fog looked strange to me tonight and seemed to have an eerie glow about its quickly changing density. My senses told me it was time to evacuate to a safer place, but why should I be so scared in a graveyard. I had spent many nights in graveyards for investigations and such, but something, wasn’t right here. I turned around to check on Aiden and watched as a young male spirit about ten years old manifested in front of his brothers headstone. The sadness now penetrated the air and it was consuming everything in its path. The sadness was very similar to the fog because of its depth and intensity. I watched as Aiden reached out to his brother. He extended both arms and I could sense him calling on his master envisioner powers to summon the dead. This was not good; he should not be using his power to summon a loved one who had passed over. The vibrations his brother bestowed upon us clearly stated he was at rest in his intended place. By accident, I had glanced at Aiden's forearm and he had cut himself to allow his blood to consummate the summoning of his brother. He was breaking the cardinal rules of envisionment. Never summon with blood and never summon people who had passed on to their designated realm because that action changed us from an envisioner status to that of a necromancer. I had misjudged Aiden and his power and I felt foolish for making such a mistake. I thought about what Aiden was doing but before I could speak his sadness hit me in the chest with such power that it almost knocked me off my feet. Have I mentioned that emotions are extremely powerful in any realm and can sometimes cause physical problems? "Aiden, stop!" Reaching out to touch Ashton, I accidentally put my hand through his brother's spirit. A cold tingling sensation ran throughout my body as my hand passed through the specter. The young boy who looked like a miniature version of Aiden, turned and looked at me as he smiled. He looked so peaceful but yet irritated as if I had interrupted him from some important event. He was probably upset Aiden had summoned him. The spirit turned his direct attention to me and glared at me. All my instincts were telling me he wanted to talk with me, but sprits generally cannot speak so that a normal person could hear them, but could envionsers could hear spirits speak. You must be Sydney; I have heard Aiden speak of you often. I wish he would let the pain and sadness go so I could stay in peace. He believes he caused my death, but he didn’t, it was an accident. Help him. Please, I beg you. He spoke very clearly inside my head and for the first time I understood Aiden's anguish. Aiden thought he was responsible for his twin brother's death. How terrible to go through life thinking you killed someone, let alone thinking you killed your twin and broke the precious vow twins share. I wanted to help Aiden, but how do you truly help someone who believes that they killed their brother? How do you help someone search deep into his or her soul and realize that they are not the monsters they believe that they are? I wasn’t sure how to help Aiden, but I had an idea and maybe now, here in the graveyard where his brother was buried I could begin to help him. Maybe I could help Aiden to experience peace for once in his life. "Aiden!" I yelled trying to capture his attention as I waved my hand in front of his face. His attention was directed towards his brother and he turned and looked at me with surprise once he noticed that I was standing in front of him. Aiden’s gaze slowly drifted towards me as he realized that I near him. The look on his face was one of total surprise and I began to wonder if Aiden had seen me at all. After all seeing a spirit of a long lost loved one has a tendency to push people into shock and disbelief. I understood the effect of seeing spirits and its effect on people better than anyone. I could relate to Aiden and his experience of seeing your family specter and interacting with him or her. Specter’s and ghosts were people too or at least they had been people in their former lives and they still had feelings and emotions because those did not dissipate during death. "Arlen." Aiden's voice sounded like a whisper as he called his brother. "Arlen, I summon thee to me. Hear my plea younger brother." I watched as Arlen's spirit floated towards his brother and hoverd nearby. Sadness filled the air leaving the air heavy in spite of the heaviness the humidity provided. Arlen looked at Aiden with a sadness that sent chills throughout my bones. I knew Aiden was troubled and death only makes emotions stronger because the energy used to create the emotions becomes maginified. Aiden and Arlen were beautiful and to look at one in life and one in death broke my heart. The feeling of overwhelming need, the need to be with someone you love, rolled over me and I could relate to the feeling. I had lost my father and I to felt the need to have my father by my side. What Aiden didn’t understand was that although our family member or friend may be dead didn’t mean that they left us alone. I truly belived that they stayed close to us as Arlen had obviously stayed close to his twin. "What is it big brother?" Arlen's words seemed to echo off the headstones in the graveyard. He reached his open arms towards Aiden. "Come to me Aiden." Aiden walked the few steps that distanced himself between his brother and stood face to face with him. Watching the two brothers I saw a lone tear creep down Aiden's right cheek. I wanted to go and wipe that tear, to hug Aiden, hold him, let him know he wasn’t alone on this planet nor in this world. He had to know that Arlen was awlays close, just a name away. Arlen had fully manifested himself so that now he appeared completely human. He had someone managed to develop his summoning ability and appeared before Aiden and I as a solid human. He opened his arms up and held them open as if he was waiting for some lover to fly into his arms. This seemed rather strange because Arlen looked like a typical thirteen year old male. "Aiden come." With those two spoken ghostly words, Aiden was in his brothers arms. I knealt down in the damp grass and felt tears well up in my eyes as I watched them hold each other. I wished I could hold my father like that, I wish he had not left me so abrupbtly, so alone, just like Arlen had left Aiden. The difference was that they were twins and shared a unique bond which held them together even through death. "Arlen." Aiden's voice was shaky, but determined as he began speaking to his twin. "I tried to save you, I tried, I would rather you lived so that I died. I never meant to let you down little brother." Tears were streaming off all three of our faces now. I couldn’t help it, I wanted to help both Arlen and Aiden ease their pain, but it was beginning to consume me. Suddenly, Aiden opened his mind to me enabling me to see the death of Arlen. Two teenage boys were playing in the Ashley river, swinging over the river on a rope atached to an old live oak tree. The weather had been beautiful and hot and the boys had snuck away from their chores to go for a swim. If caught, the knew their would be hell to pay, after all a plantantation owners sons were to help run the plantation and prepare for college and not to be playing in the river. The were considered men at thirteen and were expected to act like it. Aiden had pushed off from the tree first and had made a wide sweep around the pier with the rope before dropping into the cool water. He hit the water and the coolness of it took his breath away but relaxed him. He quickly pulled himself out of the water and ran back to the oak. Arlen had already grasped the rope and pushed away from the tree. He must not have pushed hard enough from the tree because he quickly circled back to the tree and pushed off once again. Aiden cheered him on, encouraging his five minute younger brother to put more effort into the push. Arlen pushed and as he rounded the pier he let go. The problem was that his hands had slipped from the rope and he was too close to the pier. Aiden called to his younger brother as he watched him hit the pier and fall helplessly into the river. Aiden wasted no time in diving from the tree into the water towards his brother. He had always hated to open his eyes in the river due to the mudd, but his eyes were wide open in search of his brother. He quickly found him at the bottom of the river and pulled him upward. He tired to pull his brother onto the the pier and noticed the bloodstain on the wood from Arlen. He must have hit his head as he let go of the rope, henecforth causing the bright red blood stain. Aiden panicked. He didn’t know what to do except to call his brother's name. He yelled to their friend John to run and get help. John took off at a sprinters run as Aiden cradled his brother's head in his lap and used his hands to stop the bleeding. Arlen gasped for breath and opened his jade green eyes, the same eyes Aiden possessed, and he took his last breath he looked directly into his brother's eyes and smiled. Arlen died, quietly, in Aiden's lap, forever a teenager.

Beltane....May Day

Beltane...May 1Today is a Celtic Holiday, known among Christinas as May Day.I thought a little info would be appropitae...Beltane Also known as May Eve, May Day, and Walpurgis Night, happens at the beginning of May. It celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. The Goddess manifests as the May Queen and Flora. The God emerges as the May King and Jack in the Green. The danced Maypole represents Their unity, with the pole itself being the God and the ribbons that encompass it, the Goddess. Colors are the Rainbow spectrum. Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight. Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill and then give it to someone in need of healing and caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend. Form a wreath of freshly picked flowers, wear it in your hair, and feel yourself radiating joy and beauty. Dress in bright colors. Dance the Maypole and feel yourself balancing the Divine Female and Male within. On May Eve, bless your garden in the old way by making love with your lover in it. Make a wish as you jump a bonfire or candle flame for good luck. Welcome in the May at dawn with singing and dancing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Beltane Customs Notes from a Workshop by Selena Fox presented at 1997 Beltane Festival at Circle Sanctuary from a work in progress © 1997, Selena Fox, PO Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 USASacred TimeGoing A-Maying & Bringing in the May -- Merry-making and Nature communion. * Midpoint between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. * In Pagan Rome, Floralia, from April 27-May 3 was the festival of the Flower Goddess Flora and the flowering of Springtime. On May 1, offerings were made to Bona Dea (as Mother Earth), the Lares (household guardian spirits), and Maia (Goddess of Increase) from whom May gets its name. * Roman Catholic traditions of crowning statues of Mary with flowers on May 1 have Roman Pagan roots. * Marks the second half of the Celtic Year; one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals. Complement to Samhain, it is a time of divination and communion with Fairy Folk/Nature Spirits. * Pastoral tradition of turning sheep, cows, other livestock out to pasture. * In Pagan Scandinavia, mock battles between Winter and Summer were enacted at this time. * Building on older tradition of this time being a holiday for the masses, in the twentieth century, May Day has been a workers' holiday in many places. * Some say that Mother's Day, in the USA, Mexico, and elsewhere has Pagan roots.MaypoleForms include pole, tree, bush, cross; communal or household; permanent or annual. * In Germany, Fir tree was cut on May Eve by young unmarried men, branches removed, decorated, put up in village square, & guarded all night until dance occurred on May Day. * In England, permanent Maypoles were erected on village greens * In some villages, there also were smaller Maypoles in the yards of households. * Maypole ribbondances, with two circles interweaving; around decorated bush/tree, clockwise circle dances.Flowers & GreenwoodGathering and exchange of Flowers and Greens on May Eve, pre-dawn May Day, Beltane. * Decorating homes, barns, and other buildings with Green budding branches, including Hawthorn. * Making and wearing of garland wreaths of Flowers and/or Greens. * May Baskets were given or placed secretly on doorsteps to friends, shut-ins, lovers, others. * May Bowl was punch (wine or non-alcoholic) made of Sweet Woodruff blossoms.Beltane FiresTraditionally, sacred woods kindled by spark from flint or by friction -- in Irish Gaelic, the Beltane Fire has been called teine eigin (fire from rubbing sticks). * Jump over the Beltane Fire, move through it, or dance clockwise around it. * Livestock was driven through it or between two fires for purification and fertility blessings. * In ancient times Druid priests kindled it at sacred places; later times, Christian priests kindled it in fields near the church after peforming a Christian church service. * Rowan twigs were carried around the fire three times, then hung over hearths to bless homes. * In the past, Beltane community fire purification customs included symbolic sacrifice of effigy knobs on the Beltane Cake (of barley) to the fire, or, in medieval times, mock sacrifice of Beltane Carline (Hag) who received blackened piece of Beltane Cake; Maypoles in Spain were each topped with a male effigy which was later burned. Contemporary Pagans burn sacred wood and dried herbs as offerings in their Beltane fires.May WatersRolling in May Eve dew or washing face in pre-dawn May Day dew for health, luck, beauty. * Getting head and hair wet in Beltane rain to bless the head. * Blessing springs, ponds, other sacred waters with flowers, garlands, ribbons, other offerings. * Collecting sacred waters and scrying in sacred springs, wells, ponds, other waters.Sacred Union & FertilityUnion with the Land focus, often with actual mating outside on the Land to bless fields, herds, home. * May Queen (May Bride) as personification of the Earth Goddess and Goddesses of Fertility. * May King (May Groom) as personification of Vegetation God, Jack-in-Green -- often covered in green leaves. * At Circle Sanctuary, in addition to May Queen & May King, is May Spirit Couple, an already bonded pair. * Symbolic Union of Goddess and God in election/selection, crowning, processional, Maypole dance, feast. * Morris Dancers and pageants (with Hag & Jack-in-Green) to awaken the fertility in the Land.http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/Beltane.htmlEnjoy your Sunday!!!!SLAINTE CAIRDE!!!Heidi =)