No pictures, just babble...

I haven't posted in a couple days so I figured I put in a few words (or so).

 

Karate is kicking my ass again. I am now attending four classes a week. One on basic escrima sticks and on the same day as that, basic karate practice. Then I go again on Wednesday for basic karate. Then again on Thursday for Black Belt Team practice. OOooooo he worked us hard yesterday!! Again I ran into the issue of feeling like I could not breath fast enough or get enough air into me fast enough for what I was doing. I think it is this bulg on my bellay that is compressing my lungs a bit. Mom had the same issue.     So now I resolve to do 20 sit-ups a day (baby-steps) and once I can do 20 of those with little to no trouble (and without gasping for air or needing brake), I will add on 10 more and so on and so on till I reach a hundred along with my regular workouts. I should be past doing 20 in a week if I can keep with it.

 

I tell you what, punching on the bag has really strengthened my arms!! I can do sit ups...and lots of them now!! That is a great feeling!

 

I am told that after I get my Black belt uniform (which is blue instead of white thank goodness) and sparring gear that that is about the extend of the major expense with karate. What's left is to just purchase the weapons when we get to that point. But that still leaves me with $300 still due in order to move up to the BBT by September....OYE!!! I dunno if I can handle sparring. It is constant movement...and with this gasping for air shit, I dunno...will have to work on that.

 

But hey!! I can fit into an XL shirt now!! My regular size is XXL...sweet! I have shrunk...even though it is hard for me to see it, a smaller shirt proves it! Now all my older cotten T's just hang off me...and it is not comfortable. Now I need new shirts and you think I would be excited, but that is money I don't have right now. I need to learn how to take up the seams on my shirts.

 

I went to the Hilldale mall Wednesday and stopped by the University bookstore. They had a bunch of books on clearance for $2 each. I found three. One on German Gods and Goddesses, one on the views of Native American religion and practices for daily living in a modern world, and another one that I can't seem to remember. I left them in the work van...OOPS! I'll get them later.

 

I went to Half price books today and found a book on making Milk-based soaps....sweet!! Even though milk is rising in price, I think it will be cheaper in the long run than using veggie oils. I usually use olive oil (which is an arm and a leg right now), coconut oil, and veggie shortening with various other tidbits like chamomile flowers or clove.

 I bought some passion fruit tea from starbucks this morning, that should be good when it is ready. My last batch of suntea actually started to ferment and tasted horrible. BLAH! What a waste. It was Raspberry black tea.

 

I am trying my darnedest, no pun intended, to learn needle felting. I am getting frustrated with it quickly because I have all these images I want to bring to life, but I cannot seem to get it out and onto wool! There is little info on the net, and the books I borrowed from the library where only for wet felting. I really wish authors would be more descriptive with thier titles!

 

I am participating in a voluntary survey of "Subtle Pagans." An author wants to interview pagans who are not into the festival spotlight, and who lead regular lives like the rest of the world. I really don't care for the crowds, the hub-bub showing off of flamboyaintness, and how some people embody being pagan by dressing foolishly. This is not the middle ages people, and a Pagan holiday festival is not a Renisance fair or a S and M gathering. Good grief. I am embarrassed for them. It's like they are competing on who can dress more outragiously.

I have yet to be at a festival that portrays pagans as they really are, normal folks who simply believe differently and are more earthy (vs flamboyaint) people.

 

On the crafting front, I am back to knitting. After about a month of hiatus, I got the knitting bug bitting at me again. Now to finish some projects so I can get to work on my winter wares.

 

The polys are alive and growing. A couple more weeks and I will have cocoons and moths! Definately will have pictures of those.

 

Until next time...