Casual Post: Introducing Catface!

In Humor
Father Award of the Week to Casapinka's husband: When she awoke to a crying daughter because she had forgotten to play tooth fairy...

in a stupor reached into my brain for the "Three Night Rule" that the tooth fairy occasionally enacts, which fell like a lead balloon. Luckily, Husband found an envelope on the Barbie Dream House that had 15 Euros in it and a one dollar bill, the only US cash he had on him. "Juniorette's response while staring wonderingly at Daddy and scornfully at me: "Not only does the tooth fairy know we're going to Ireland this summer, this must mean that we're going to get OUR dream house, too!" 

(You see, Litdiva? Fathers learn and even exceed expectations!)

In Veganism
Just found out a vegan chain store opened in my city, downtown, back in the winter! Well! My corner store sells lots of goodies, and they'll be expanding eventually; but it'll be fun to have somewhere to make a little trip to for fun. Plus I never do orders online cause I don't want to pay all the shipping, but shipping from downtown once in awhile shouldn't be too expensive.

pic from hello Elo

In Kitties
Hi-larious photo from my friend Yolga--this is her cat, whose name is Kitty but whom she calls Catface. Catface was not posed for this picture (you know you can't be posing cats). Yolga's mother had to race for the camera and then contort in strange positions to make sure she got the shot. She did a great job!

(Is it me or does Catface have something important she needs to say? Very intent look on her face.)

I got Minion a kong toy but wasn't sure she'd use. She chews on it all the time (it's small like the green one, but pink.) She holds it with two paws like an ice cream, and I hear it squeaking: erka erka erka.

 Got some pics of the elusive Haley this week.

  

Minion hunting a fly--contemplating scaling the doll-figurine house.

 Animal dreaming next to animal dreaming deck.

(I let her choose today's oracle card. Butterfly-transformation.)

The intelligence in the eyes is disturbing. I dare not buy her a science kit.

 
       

Daydreaming: How do you do it? (Seriously, I need help)

Part 1 - The Background - If you're short on time, you can skip to Part 2 - Give Mabel Advice

Alright, I told you awhile back that I bought my first oracle deck. I guess I should expand a bit.

Okay I did tell you about my Inner Butterick Pattern Fairy who turns complex scented oils into talcum powder (which I liked as a child, and I think Butterick Pattern Fairy is my inner child). I felt she needed an oracle deck or tarot or something. My Betty friend Urthalun posts a card a day on her blog and my Fairy said "I want! I want!"

Butterick Fairy and I agreed on the Animal Dreaming Oracle Cards by Scott Alexander King since we love animals, and my adult self doesn't find it culturally-appropriating-ish like some animal-oriented decks. It's based on Australian animals, so sometimes the author talks about consulting elders, or going on walkabout, but he mostly he takes one quality about the animal and embroiders on the theme.

I was sure this was the right deck for me when I got it, because King explains in the little booklet that all his cards have positive meanings. Well I'm a positive sort of gal. I also got it because the texts are usually broad enough that you can get something interesting out of them on any day, rather than: Today you shouldn't make any money deals.

I tried out the two larger "spreads" in the book, where you're supposed to learn which animal represents your inner self, and your self as a teen, and this sort of thing. I'm not sure how useful it was, or whether I was really able to *believe.* I mean... the last one, the animal that's supposed to represent me when I'm myself an elder, when I leave this life, is the card that represents... Elders. The meaning of the card is: Talk to elders and learn from them. ... This seemed a bit unhelpful. Who is going to be older than me when I'm 80? Or maybe I'm going to be a really immature and unwise old lady who needs to seek out wisdom from other 80 year olds.

Part 2 -  Mabel Seeks Oracle Advice Using the 3 Card Spread

The three-card spread, which you can turn to when something is troubling you, seemed a little more helpful. Because something is indeed troubling me (I'm not going to go into it, but it's not new, and it's not going to go away anytime soon, and please don't email me and ask me what it is. :-o ) The first card is supposed to represent lessons from the past that you should integrate into your present. The second represents the talents, loves and gifts currently surrounding you, that can help you (and anchor the lesson from card 1.) And the third represents the energies to realize your prospective abundant future.

So here's what I got.

1. Lessons from the past that you should integrate into your present: The raven here represents prayer, which should make my dad happy. This made sense. Prayer isn't in the past for me, since I do pray daily, but it's a big part of my history. And my praying's been a bit all over the map since the new year. So I'm going to take this card advice as: Refocus my praying on my issue, which the card says will strengthen my self-perception.

2. The talents, loves and gifts currently surrounding you: The platypus card, called: women's wisdom. Well this made me laugh of course, because I thought of the Betties, and also the other women who comment here, and all the girlfriends in my life who I reconnected with these past months. The card is actually about trusting your own judgment by drawing on your innate masculine and feminine qualities. I'll admit my judgment's totally blown in this area at the moment. So I may just take the card at face value for now and be glad that I have a lot of wonderful friends and family, male and female, offline and online, in my life right now.

3. Now this is the funny one. I was excited for this one cause it's like "The actual advice part!"  This is the card to show you the energies to realize your prospective abundant future, the wisdom and strength needed to break through familiar/limiting behavior: The lizard = daydreaming.

The lizard wants me to take note of my daydreams, even journal them, because they are future possibilities that I'm dreaming up, and if I don't take note of them they might arrive but I won't recognize them when they do. The explanation was hard to understand. Upon second reading, I think he's just talking about creative visualization maybe. Except not purposeful--not sitting down and purposely thinking through a situation you want to happen. He's saying that when you daydream, it's your soul flying off and identifying its desires, I guess. And you should pay attention. It's a bit woo for me.

Friend maewitch and I once discussed taking walks, cause I said I find them really boring. She said, don't you just daydream on them? I said no. I don't really daydream.

If do get lost in thought. But I'm just thinking about stuff. Maybe imagining a conversation with someone. But I don't think that's "dreaming."  I also put myself to sleep, or amuse myself if I'm somewhere bored with no book, by thinking up stories, or redoing movie endings. That's definitely daydreaming, but I'm in control of the scenario, and it's not my life.

I never imagine I'm walking around in London having an adventure, or something. Do people do that? What on earth is daydreaming? And I don't scour the internet looking for my dream mansion to live in, because I don't want to feel unhappy with the life I have here and now. I don't think about what I would do if I won the lottery. Is that daydreaming? Is my desire to protect my appreciation of my real life, hindering my dreaming life? In which case, I should be listening to the lizard?

I'm curious to know what you guys think, and how you day dream. Help a girl out.