A day or two after I got home, I went & had a manicure (yeah I know, but I love my nails.. it's my one really girly pleasure ;) and today I christened my newly polished manicure by hitting the garden centre!   I like nothing more than getting my hands in the dirt and growing (or attempting at least!) to grow some of our own veggies.    While I was away, the weather here warmed up considerably... so in the space of 3 weeks half my veggies bolted to seed *sigh*.   That's ok though, it just means I can plant more! lol

My visit to the garden centre today netted me 2 nice looking capsicum plants, a 6pack of green beans, 1 variegated thyme, 1 garlic chives, 1 purple basil *yum*, 4 black beauty zucchini, 1 sage seedling, and 4 cucumbers =D      All area happily potted up on the veranda even as I type.  The kids love to help plant things so of course they were in the middle of everything.  

Since we rent this house, and I doubt the owners would appreciate us digging up their 'nice' new turfed yard (nice is in quotes because there is no topsoil under said turf, and it looks pathetic.. a veggie patch would surely look MUCH nicer hehehe).  I've had moderate success over the past couple of years with my veggie gardening attempts and each season I seem to get a little better at it.    

The pitiful little tomato plants that hubby picked up about a month ago have been nursed to a much better condition (seasol is brilliant stuff), and with the warmer weather they're actually starting to grow now.  We're still munching sugar snap peas, although few of them make it to a cookpot... the kids steal them off the vines lol, but we might have enough out there to go in a fried rice tomorrow.   And the golden zucchini has about 8 or so fruit starting to grow!   

As soon as the sun disappears behind the trees, I think I shall have to adjourn to the veranda with a cup of coffee and admire our handiwork.

Mrs. B has a very interesting Pagan Journal prompt up at the moment.  She wants to hear what we think is the most frustrating aspect of being pagan.  I suppose at different times, there are different answers to this question... lack of community, lack of activities within that community, the ridiculous price of some 'supplies' (I put that in quotes as there is very little I think of as a required supply for pagan practice.. and the absurd prices feel almost predatory in some cases)  I had a bit of a ponder whilst I made a cup of coffee and came up with my answer.

Ok I sat there for a minute trying to figure out a way to put this diplomatically, and came up with nothing lol.   So I'll just say it & duck for cover!  I was close with the community aspect, but that wasn't *quite* it... My issue is finding community that doesn't feel like, for want of a better more pc term, a bunch of nutters.  *ducks*  There seems to be such a strong tendency toward the extreme in pagan circles where people appear to want to be as out there as possible.  As a pagan I totally understand the need for, and really do LOVE the symbols.. but really, if your outfit inspires a game of count the pentacles @@, nuff said.   I also realize that our faith is as much a part of our everyday lives (probably moreso) than your average Christian... but I've met people who behaved as if everylittle mundane thing was some great mysterious message from the Gods.  Sorry Joe, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.   

I think I've hit on it... my real problem is the lack of 'down to earth' people that celebrate this 'earth based religion'!!  I can't really be the only down to earth, no nonsense pagan mum living in this greater metro area with a population of some 2 million folks can I?  (not that it matters, because I found the same problem when I lived in California too)  I have had about TWO pagan girlfriends, maybe 3, in my entire history as a pagan that I really felt I could sit down for a cuppa without the conversation drifting to the way fringe.  I suppose I must say I have no huge problem with discussing some of the more unusual topics paganism can bring up... but sometimes it'd be nice to sit down with a couple of pagan friends and just chat about ... nothing :D and just know that even though we aren't actively talking pagan stuff, that common bond is still there and doesnt' require constant reinforcing.

I shall now pull a Salman Rushdie and go into hiding LOL. 

Just a quick note to say I am back :D    In a couple of days, when my net is UNthrottled *sigh*  I will put up a post about my travels and plenty of pics of me & my guys up to all sorts of fun.  But for now, I'm doing good to be able to get this page to load so no way am I attempting to add photos!  I have, however, noticed during my browse through blogs I follow that Mrs. B has a new pagan journal prompt.   So I may wander off and get a cuppa coffee and come back and post on that.