Have totally forgotten about Inspirata for a while – I have been focusing more on school, since I started that on the 24th March, and also on the spirituality side of things, so sorry about that.
I have applied for Youth Allowance (government assistance) whilst I’m studying, but it turns out I’m only eligible for $50 every 2 weeks because Michael earns too much – go figure. But I did put down a budget and worked out that if we were paying $130 a week rent (and there’s a place available for that right now), and adding in groceries, electricity, etc., we would be able to do it on his wage. If I were to get a part-time job, all the better.
Anyway, since talking about that kind of gets me a little antsy and irritable, I have also made my very first plans for celebrating Samhain this year. Samhain, for those of you who don’t know, is pronounced ‘Sow-ween’ and it is the Witches’ New Year, as well as a commemorative day of the departed, particularly those we have lost in the last 12 months. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is held on the 31st October (Halloween), but here in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s at the start of May. I will be going ‘camping’ (aka simply sleeping in a tent; there’ll be actual toilets and showers available) at a Pagan Alliance member’s house. It’s a fancy dress thing – gothic or emo dress – so I’m looking forward to that. What I’m not looking forward to is the drive down – it’s an almost 4 hour drive, which is a really long time to be sitting in a car, but I suppose it could be worse. But I’m really excited about that, since I’ve never been to an actual event for a Sabbat; I’ve only ever done my own thing.
We’re going to Melbourne for the Easter break (Friday 10th – Sun 12th) so I won’t be here then. Looking forward to catching up with my sister, my friends and Michael’s family.
Anyway, I think that pretty much catches you all up. Sorry if I don’t update here as often, since I’m doing school work too, I have to dedicate a lot of time to that.
Take care 
So last night I managed to pump out three articles for my various commitments. Number one was a moot report for the Tas Pagan Alliance’s quarterly publication, the Ravens’ Call, on our last moot, which I got completed pretty swiftly and efficiently.
The next one was again for the Ravens’ Call, but for my own column called ‘Internet Interest’, where I will normally review two or three websites and give reasons why they’re beneficial for our Pagan community. Since this was my first column, I re-introduced people to the Tas Pagan Alliance website, which I’ve recently revamped so that it’s more user-friendly, up to date, and can be utilised as a means of communication to members, whereas the alternative was to email someone or text message someone, and hope they got the news. And then the second part of the column, I introduced people to The Pagan Activist site, which is a great site for news about Paganism and current goings-on in the world in relation to it.
My third and final article was actually for The Pagan Activist – I’m their columnist for ‘Paganism Down Under’, and submitted my third article to them for online publication on the 1st April. I essentially wrote about Black Saturday, and the devastation that Mother Nature can cause, as well as creating beauty in our world.
So, it really need not be said that I was quite busy last night, and therefore didn’t get to bed until very late – I think it was about 3am when I finally did. I need to get out of this habit of staying up all night, because I then don’t get out of bed until midday the next day, and I get pissed off at myself because I’ve lost half the day. That, and on Saturday I’m doing stocktake for a store – one day’s work, $16.20/hr; I’m not complaining! – and I need to get school and assistance payments sorted out this week too.
Big week ahead. I’m a little scared, to be quite honest. I shall make it through, but it does frighten me a little to have a bit more responsibility back in my life – to think 6 months ago I was living very independently, and now I’m having to rely on Michael and my parents for a whole lot more because I’ve proven myself to be unemployable. Bah at employers. Bah humbug.
Slowly but surely, I’m starting to feel better. It’s been hard, and there’s still a way to go yet, but after talking with many people about it, and getting my feelings out, it’s getting easier to talk about her, to look at pictures of her, to do all that stuff.
Michael has been a huge support – he’s going through the same thing that I am, but is dealing with it, at least on the outside, a whole lot better than I have been, and he’s been there for me each step of the way.
Anyway, onto brighter topics. I went shopping yesterday, since I had two $50 gift cards for Kmart (well, one for $50, one for $43.95 since I spent some of it) and bought:
- Hot pink eyeliner
- White eyeliner
- Maybelline’s Define-A-Lash in Waterproof
- Blusher/Bronzer
- Four eyeshadows
- Eyeshadow palette
I also bought ‘Twilight’ – no, I haven’t read it already, so I’ve been desperately avoiding spoilers online. I’ve done pretty well so far, since I only know that it’s about a chick who meets this guy who’s a vampire. That’s all I know. I started reading it last night, and am up to Chapter 3 (they’re long chapters, aren’t they?!). I’m enjoying it so far, but it’s not ‘must-read’ to me just yet, or something I’d be recommending to people yet. Obviously, because I’m only up to Chapter 3.
Then today, I went out and bought a perfume (just a cheapy that states it’s comparable to Britney Spears’ Curious perfume), cat food, hair mousse, a lip gloss and some choccies and a card for Michael, since I didn’t give him anything for Valentine’s Day. I had Subway for lunch, which was good – nice to have something that tastes healthy.
As for my site, Inspirata hasn’t seen a lot of love really, so I did a little revamping around the place, adding some more subpages, separating stuff out a little more. Happy so far.
Aanndd I need to work on my other sites more. GeekWitch.org has not seen ANY love for a while, which is a shame because I love that site, and TasPagans, don’t even get me started there. I think I jumped into that project with too much hope that it would really take off. If we haven’t got a lot of traffic by the end of March, I reckon I’ll just redirect the URL to the Tas Pagan Alliance site. Make things easier.
Anyway, that’s enough for now.
EDIT: I saved this as a draft but never published it – duh Terri!
Well, not really a pub, but a restaurant that serves alcohol 
That’s a little long for a title, though.
So I attended the 2nd North-West Pagans in the Pub moot last night, and it was fab. Despite the amount of people who show up (we had about 10 last night), we manage to have a laugh and have a great time. I had a small BBQ Chicken pizza for dinner, and a chocolate mousse for dessert – uh-may-zing (and for $13 for both, who can complain!). Kel also made chocolate fudge and brought some for everyone, and that was fabulous too.
I’m still in a bit of an ‘out-of-it’ state right now, due to the tragedy of the bushfires. Luckily, the death toll didn’t go up overnight – for the first time in the last three nights – but it’s still standing at 181, which is a LOT of people. I can’t believe it.
So as it’s getting late and I’m completely exhausted, I’d best be getting to bed – it’s really something for me to be going to bed before 1am!
