All posts filed under: Strange Thoughts

Winter Songs

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I like eggnog, but I can’t drink it as is. I always need to add a little milk, or it’s too rich for me. The same goes for Christmas carols. I need to break them up with some songs that just make me think of winter. Songs about winter, that were used in a movie set during winter, or just played a lot during the winter season get mixed in my Christmas playlist to break up all the Christmas cheer. When the holidays are over, they make a great playlist on their own. Winter Playlist: Winter- Tori Amos This Year’s Love- Davis Gray Daughters- John Mayer Transatlanticism- Death Cab for Cutie If I Ain’t Got You- Alicia Keys Palace- Sam Smith Into the Mystic- Van Morrison Ophelia- The Lumineers Poison and Wine- The Civil Wars The A Team- Ed Sheeran I Put a Spell on You- Brigitte Wickens Winter Song- Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson Winter- Josh Radin Alive- Chris Daughtry This is Me- Keisha Rise Up- Andra Day From Now On- Zac Brown Band …

End of Year Wrap Up

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Every December I read the same article by David Wong from cracked.com, 6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person, to get myself motivated for the new year and set goals. He originally wrote it in 2012, and since then it has received over 25 million views, and cracked.com has been reposting every year since. This time, I needed to reread it more then ever. This is the first year in quite a while that I have totally failed to achieve my New Year’s Resolution. And by fail, I mean barely tried. My goal was to submit my writing to poetry journals and websites for publication, and I quit after three rejections. Which is ridiculous, because I know better. I know that it will take patience, diligence, and many submissions to find the one publication that my work is the right fit for. Which brings me back to Wong’s article. The part that always resonated with me the most is this quote: I’m asking what do you offer? Are you smart? Funny? Interesting? Talented? …

Three Quiet Ways to Celebrate the Winter Solstice

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December has turned out to be a bit more busy and stressful then I anticipated. Since tonight is the winter solstice, I’ve found a few quiet, relaxing ways to celebrate tonight. Make your own dried oranges for ornaments or a solstice wreath I shared instructions for drying orange slices last week, and you can use them to decorate in several ways. Thread them with a little string and hang them on your Christmas tree as ornaments, and the lights will make the glow gorgeous sunset hues. Another way to use them is by decorating a solstice wreath. I ultimately bought a fake wreath to attach mine too (I’ll redecorate it every year!) but you could follow the instructions here for making one with a wire hanger. Releasing ceremony The more formal version of this ritual is to write down on a small piece paper, in red ink, either something you want to leave behind in the new year, or something you want to gain in the new year. Then you burn the paper with a …

Senryu 47 – L. Stevens

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Originally posted on FREE VERSE REVOLUTION:
my fingers retreat curling into the warm spot your hand abandoned ? ? L. Stevens is an intj who loves learning about everything and filing it away for later. She finished second in little infinite’s first haiku contest and her poetry been featured by Pack Poetry and Free Verse Revolution. She writes short stories and poetry about the moon, darkness, and anything else lurking in the deep abyss of her imagination. Occasionally, rays of light shine through her work to contrast the shadows.

How to Make Orange Slice Christmas Ornaments

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After posting a shot of my handmade orange slice ornaments yesterday, Jeff Cann pointed out that I left everyone hanging without a how-to for making your own. So here it is! You can also use this method on lemons, the come out amazing shades of red. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Wash and dry oranges throughly Slice oranges thin, about 1/4 – 1/8 thick Place on baking racks or roasting pan without touching Bake for 4-6 hours. If you don’t have a rack to put your slices on, you should flip them about every hour The oranges will be ready when the rind is dry and no longer shiny, and the slices do not feel sticky or tacky. Once the oranges are dry you can make a small slit with a knife tip or scissors, and tie string in a loop so you can hang them. You can also set some aside for a homemade wreath (how- to coming soon!) Jeff also wanted to know if my dogs try to eat them, and my beagle …

6 Ways to Celebrate Krampusnacht

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When I first heard Krampus referenced in the 2015 film of the same name, I had a feeling the legend referred to in the film was not dreamed up by a Hollywood screenwriter. It just seemed to old world to be the product of a modern imagination. It turns out, Krampus, and the holiday dedicated to him, Krampusnatch, are part of holiday celebrations that orginate in alpine regions of Austria and Germany. Krampus is the hairy, horned companion of Saint Nicholas. Krampus is tasked with punishing misbehaving children with coal and bundles of sticks, while St. Nick rewards the well behaved ones with presents. Originally part of pagan traditions, Krampus was folded into Christian holidays and Krampusnatch is celebrated the night of December 5th, before the feast of Saint Nicholas. The characteristics of Krampus varies, but he is usually described as being hairy, with the cloven hooves and horns of a goat. He typically wears chains and bells, with a long, pointed tongue lolling out and bared fangs. For a period of time Krampusnatch celebrations …

Thanksgiving Eve

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Here’s what I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving Eve: 1. My new potato peeler. 2. Taking a post rain walk this morning. I got one more glimpse of foliage before the predicted weather blows it all off the trees this weekend. 3. I’m hosting my family for Thanksgiving, and the bomb cyclone hitting a good portion of the United States won’t keep them from coming. 4. I own a house big enough to host them. 5. My company remains closed on Friday, giving everyone an extra day off to clean, relax, and recover. Whatever your plans are for tomorrow, I hope they unfold as expected and you have a great Thanksgiving.

My Witch Store Burned Down, and I’m a Little Disappointed in the Owner

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It was my younger sister who originally introduced my twin and I to our witch store. “I found a crazy store today,” she texted. “It sells coyote bones and spell books, you guys will love it.” And we did. Although we are not necessarily practicing witches in need of animal bones or a crystal supply, the store had a few of our favorite things. We found ourselves visiting every few months to stock up on handmade soap, tea, essential oils, and candles. Another reason we kept coming back was the owner herself. She was a transplant from Massachusetts (as are we) and we rooted for the same NFL team she roots for. Around the end of February I was scrolling through Facebook and noticed some terrible news. Our witch store had fallen victim to a devastating fire. A few days later the extent of damage confirmed our worst fear. The roof above the store was almost completely gone, and much of the merchandise was damaged from smoke or water. The store would have to close …

A White, Blinding Terror

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Over the winter I noticed a pattern in much of my writing A lot of it was centered around the night and darkness. I was also using the word night a lot, leaning on it for easy rhymes. The same went for dark. So I’ve been challenging myself to write about night and darkness without actually using either word. Recently I passed through my first haunted house of the Halloween season, and in taking my own advice, jotted down some notes on what parts of the experience left the strongest impression. It’s one of my favorites, a haunted trail that with elaborate scenes and structures. By far the part of the night that stuck with me the most was two completely contrasting scenes paired together. The first was a wooden shack, pitch black inside that, as usual, I found myself leading my group into. As I groped through the darkness, feeling the walls for a door to escape to, I realized that we were actually in a slowly narrowing hallway, the wall on my right …

Haunted House Tips

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One of my favorite fall activities each year is reaching and attending haunted houses. I love seeing the different themes and ideas the various groups who run them come with year over year. I always take not of the few details that each one will use to set the each scene in a particular time or place. Below are a few tips to make the most out of your own haunted house visit, I’d love to hear about some of you favorite haunts! Do some research Some haunted houses are designed for all ages, and others are more geared towards older children and adults. A haunt’s website will give you an idea of whether it is a good fit for you. Doing research in advance can also lead you to new places to try. In the past we’ve discovered haunted houses that exclusively featured kids, haunted mazes, historical sites, and outdoor trails. Make a Schedule My husband and I like to visit multiple haunted houses each October. Since the number of nights each one is …