Brooms and Besoms

The wedding besom is a ceremonial broom used in marriage ceremonies.  This practice has occurred historically in many different cultures.  Most likely, its use is due to the association of a broom with home and hearth, and by extension with the concept of family.  In Great Britain and Wales, the jumping of a broom was a sort of official-unofficial wedding.  It was considered official and resulted in a legitimate union in the eyes of the communities, but could easily be undone. In Wales, this process would involve jumping over the broom into the prospective home by the couple together in front of witnesses.  Either member could later jump backwards over the broom in front of witnesses to annul the marriage.  (George Monger - Marriage Customs of the World).

These traditions are most seen continued today by couples of African descent. But in the subculture of wedding ceremonies, they are also used by those practicing a Pagan religion for its relation to British and Celtic customs, of which many neo-Pagan religions are based on.  The connotation often associated with this "jumping of the broom" today says the broom symbolizes that the past is swept clean and the couple will take their first leap of faith together into the new life with a clean slate. This would be the root of my decision to have a special besom for my big day.  Of course many are available online by people who are either specializing in these historical items from dedicated besom online-stores, or even more easily found on Etsy.

However, as with most things Crafty, I felt it would be much more meaningful to create my own.  Now as I am certainly no broom-crafter by trade, I knew I would keep the actual construct simple, and instead dress it up with sparkly, colorful ribbons and flowers.  After all, it is a spring wedding!  My colors are hot pink and silver, so I went all out on the ribbon.  Pretty much all the supplies were purchased at Michaels, a few of the flowers were picked up while I happened across them at Wal-mart and JoAnn fabrics.

With a little creativity and hot glue, I have to say I am very pleased with the outcome.  While my parents seem to be torn between a sense of pride in my uniqueness and tenacity and a sense of caution about my "weird" spiritual choices, even they seemed impressed and excited about my wedding broom.  Great success!

Restroom Reno

So I realized that with school and job hunts, I have completely neglected posting about the renovations and home improvements that have gone on in the background.  We finally got around to fixing up our bathroom a few months ago and I am so happy with it.  It was pretty much the last room in the house that met with the paint roller.  And as each other room became cleaner and brighter, the bathroom just looked more and more dreary. The constantly drooping tile edges of the vanity were not a friendly reminder to address the bathroom.


In an effort to help motivate myself, I jumped on the fixture removal, patching, and spackling in one weekend.  However, we then decided that if we were painting, we might as well update the loosely tiled counter and wobbly vessel sink with space-inefficient handles that always pinched my fingers against the wall. Not to mention, the mirror on tilting hinges that stuck out from the wall.  We certainly were not very clear on the original motivations for the (poor) decisions made in our foreclosed treasure of a home. At least the shower is nice!

Either way, I moved along onto taping the frames and edges.  But with the addition of the new counter in the plans, our finish line was extended a few weeks.  We did eventually agree on a very well priced granite counter with sink bowl included from Home Depot and had a contractor we knew install the vanity.  I finally got around to painting it a spa-blue color and with the new brushed nickel faucet and light fixture it took on a whole new life.  Now I am thrilled to relax and refresh in our master bath.

Intuitive Interests

Often, things don't turn out how they seem. The best we can do is to be as prepared as possible.  The fiance and I have been watching quite a lot of Derren Brown shows lately.  If you don't know about this, I fully recommend finding it on Hulu Plus!  Often times his experiments involve showing normal people how they have instinctual (psychic) powers.  The average person is fully capable of amazing things if appropriately prepped to recognize the messages.  And, we return to the theme of preparedness.  Of course the term psychic makes most people cringe. But no one will as easily dismiss instinct. Whatever you want to call it, keeping alert to those feelings can really help.

It's about that time for me to really hit the pavement on the job hunt.  Although I did enjoy my studies, I am starting to realize the job postings for linguists don't exactly match my work.  We were often advised about the misconception that linguists are not inherently multilingual - we analyze a language's structure. (Well someone forgot to tell the world this, resulting in a linguist=translator dichotomy).

So I took a step back.  I really needed to figure out what can be a life move for me.  The question then is not simply "What do I enjoy?" but "What do I enjoy that can be applied toward a lucrative career?"  Here's a moment for regression and instinct.  I have utilized this spring break to think about what I like to do.  At what point in my life have I found it easy to stay up until 3 am because I was just so involved in my project?

Thus, my new interest.  More accurately, a long lost interest that might actually be worth something to the job market today.  I flashed back to the days of MySpace.  I would actually stay up late reading articles and how-to's on HTML and basic web formatting so I could customize my site.  I spent entire Saturdays taking photos, then sat glued to Adobe Photoshop. I watched tutorials and experimented with layers and filters until my eyes burned.  Combine that with the constant advise from my parents' recruiter friend who says, "A degree in computers will land you a job," the positive reactions about this path from the fiance as well as the parents, and I had a brilliant (although fiscally depressing) idea. Today, I just applied for a program in Interactive Media and Web Design.

While the thought of more school is a little exhausting, I suppose it does not send me off track to go for one more degree at 22 years old. Also, my position as a grad assistant payed for most of this last degree, so it's not quite the stretch to take out a loan to pay for some more courses if it will help me establish a solid career that I enjoy. I read through the course list and as long as I turn a blind eye to the price per credit hour, I get butterflies in my stomach at some of the interesting titles and descriptions. Gut, please don't steer me wrong!

Home and Hearth

With the spirit of spring cleaning in mind, I thought I might share about today's witchy activity based on Llewelyn's Witches' Spell-A-Day Almanac.  The entry for today was about clearing out negativity.  Not to mention my dogs have left wonderful gifts of floating hair tumbleweeds around the house.

I don't know how it all works, but I do acknowledge that we feel the effect of positive or negative energies daily.  Some days you just feel in a funk, weighed down, or groggy. I've found correlations of this with the moods of the other people in my house, or the weather.  Simultaneously a very cheery friend can instantly lift your spirits.

Whatever the scientific explanation, I do believe in the power of these energies on a psychological level and how, by extension, a spiritual cleansing of the home can trigger a change in mentality.  The very fact that you are acknowledging and addressing the issue of energy in your home will allow you to focus attention on your own energy and how you feel in your home.  The attention-directing nature of these cleansing rituals can thus be successful and leave your home feeling open, happy, and safe by altering your own perception of your home.

I first went over the floors with my very modern broom (AKA vacuum) and then set up a candle as per the Almanac.  While it asked for a grey taper candle, it is always alright to use what is available here (for me, a white tealight).  This is about your connecting and believing in the process to effect perceptual change, and in turn, manifesting better feelings.  I did, however have the purifying herbs to surround the candle with - rosemary, bay leaves, and parsley. I feel lighter already!

Tuesday Fitness

Alrightly, so I figure it's time to actually start posting about what I am DOING for fitness and not just want I read about and plan on doing.  Tuesday warrior energy - utilized. I admit, it has not been a very productive work out week.  I tried one of Melissa Bender's at home work outs last week between exams, just one of the 10 minute core workouts. I ended up with sore-to-the-point-of-unusable thighs for the next 3 days.  And I mean, this was the worst post work out soreness I have ever experienced.  Talk about efficient exercise time management. I don't know if it was because I did not stretch properly, or I am just incredible out of shape.  Either way - I took a 5 day break from working out...

Well, I got my sea legs back and hopped back on that horse today.  I decided with the intensity of the last workout, it's best I stick to the short ones, and refrain from moving beyond beginner level suggestions at that.  I haven't jogged in a while either with the cold front causing some hesitation about going outside. So I found a quick, in-home cardio routine.  Advice: think ahead when prepping for a workout! Tennis shoes, yoga mat, strategic placing over an area rug, etc.  Also interval timers prove helpful for her particular work outs - I was using my fiance for this until he resigned and found an iphone app (Seconds) for this.  I followed up with an easy dog walk because they haven't gone out on a full walk in a while.  Overall, this workout (plus pre-workout stretching) went very well. I guess I will find out how I feel tomorrow.

Chips, dip and pasta: never-mind the mismatched dishes

I let the dogs loose for water back at the house, and made up a glass of chocolate almond milk for myself.  I read several times that chocolate milk is a great post-workout drink for the nutrients and energy it provides.  I have had some bouts with heartburn recently so I've swapped for almond milk (FYI, good soother for cranky reflux).  I cooked garden veggie pasta with a simple sauce of tomatos, chili pepper, garlic, and thai red curry paste.  Just enough to have flavor, but not actually be hot.  I topped it off with reduced fat goat cheese.  For a side I heated up some left over homemade potato chips - not at all healthy, but I had them leftover from our last dinner out :P
I even made up a version of the sauce they were served with at Whale's Rib.  (According to my taste buds, that would be mayo, dijon mustard, oil and red wine vinegar and just a pinch of sugar).  Tasted like a match to me! Again, not advisable, but waste not want not.

My goal is to keep up a simple but regular routine. I'm more concerned at the moment with making exercise a habit than I am with those workouts being at bootcamp level.  At this point, slow and steady wins the race.  Short, simple workouts just to make sure I actually do them.

I even put a little post it on my desktop to remind me how much I should get done in a week. I did not schedule these focus areas on days, or even for durations or designate if any are in the same day or not.  I just want to work on these areas, this number of times in a week.  They say that once you have done something for a month, it becomes habit.  Two weeks of consistant workout is my record...so I'm halfway there, right?

Time Out? Yes, Please!

With all the craziness that is February, I realized that I may have fallen into old habits.  Over stretching myself.  Certainly at the time, taking on a continued schedule at the spice and tea store (which I usually only work on school breaks) seemed plausible.  I have one less graduate class this semester, as it is my last semester.  But - somehow I forgot that wedding planning, PhD applications, job applications, and exams amount to a little more than the work that I would have saved by that one class.  Hm.

I was working with a fellow employee last Friday at the store and realized - wow I have so much to do the rest of the weekend because I can't do that work today (Friday). I really should not have tried to fit in a side job when I already am a full time student and working as a teaching assistant. Unfortunately that is my doom. I fear boredom.  I hate down time and I hate sitting around not knowing what to do, then I put SO much in my week that I can't possibly have free time.  However, you start to realize how that may actually hurt things when your fiance brings home a movie from RedBox and you are not even sure if you should take a break to watch it with him.


For this post, I will keep it short.  It's a moment for me to stop and reflect before I delve into the world of studying for midterms.  I want to remind everyone that you don't have to be wonderwoman or superman all the time to be a success. Overworking yourself can make you focus too much on all that you did not finish yet, and blind you to the fact that you've done more than most people do in the same time and that's amazing.  Because all that work can't really be worth it if you don't have 5 minutes to realize, "hey, you are doing a great job."

So maybe someone out there can take these words as inspiration, and I'll try to do the same (as difficult as it is sometimes!) - Put down the projects, take a sick day from work, quit that side job you really didn't need. Just sleep or sip tea or read a book (for fun!).  Go to dinner with a friend or boyfriend. Time will go by so fast and you will wonder what happened to this year and the time you meant to take a vacation or visit a friend.  These moments are no less important than making an extra buck. In fact, they are probably more important.

Yes to the Dress and a Run in the Sun

Less than 4 months to go until the focus of all our friends and family will be on me, walking around and dancing.  But with a big gown (yet to be altered), I'm less concerned with fitting into my dress as I am looking good and feeling healthy on my honeymoon.  We are spending 4 nights in Rome and 4 nights in Paris, which is sure to include quite a bit of trekking around town. I would hate to get winded or tired and tell him we need to take a break!

I may not work out, but I am familiar with the concept. We moved to Florida because my father got a government job which required some strict fitness criteria to get in.  It's been many years since all of that, I can't vouch for his fitness at the moment. But now my brother takes the torch. He is on the wrestling team at his high school and trains constantly. The wrestling team has some strategies that are a little too much for my tastes (a growing teen who is supposed to be 130lbs probably shouldn't be fasting, working out, and sweating until he can fight the 115 weight class).  But, the extreme diets and 3 mile runs in sweat clothes aside.... I have managed to pick out some core features of a workout that seem to be repeated in much milder workouts by the average adult.

My conclusions are that you need:
Cardio+Workout, neither one will work alone.  Cardio is great for endurance, heart health, circulation, and fat loss.  Some ab work and push ups/pull ups will certainly help shape those muscles, creating definition, strength, and strong core muscles helps protect your body and maintain good posture. But, it would be hard to see your rock hard abs with a layer of fat over them, unless you add in the cardio to help work it off.

I don't have an eminent problem with fat, other than in my own mind! We are always our own worst critic.  My goal as far as fat loss goes is simply to lose enough so that I can see my ab workouts paying off.  The cardio for me is more about endurance and to strengthen my heart and lungs.  (I have no endurance - not joking).

I started trying to jog this week.  But hopefully I can get a run in 2-3 times a week and do some exercises at home in between. There are actually some great little workout routines out there for specific areas you want to work on.  These are great for the days in between jogging.  Pinterest is pretty helpful here too.  I found a great blog by Melissa Bender and she has workouts GALORE.  I found a 10 minute total core work out (a quick one is all I wanted to start with - when I start too intense the drive seems to fizzle out within weeks).  Today is a run day (I last jogged on Sunday or Monday) so after this post I'll have to get dressed and get my butt outside. Tomorrow or Friday I will do this core workout.

I'll try to take a picture so we can get a before and after.  That is, as long as there is an after - keep your fingers crossed that I actually keep up!