Remember when we went to the fair? After the wedding? Well, last night as I was replying to comments, something Carol said reminded me that I had not told you guys about our “entrance” to the event. (In light of my son’s recent deliveries, this is quite pertinent, and you can visualize it all much better now.)
Get the image of a county fair ticket booth and gated entry in your mind. Got it? Great. Now, see past that where there’s guys who wave a metal detector wand in front of you? Yeah. Now listen for J.D.’s voice someplace above the top of my head,
“Oh. Well. That’s gonna make a LOT of noise…..”
It took me just a split second to process this remark. What he meant was, both he and his father had guns on their persons. (Jade probably also had knives, and possibly ANOTHER gun.) As well as badges. So yeah, that device was absolutely gonna make a BUNCH of damn noise when we all walked through.
Bruce looked over as J.D. spoke, I nodded to him and touched his shoulder so he could lean down and hear me. I told him what was about to happen, and he laughed, saying,
“I can’t wait to see this!”
When you travel with police officers off-duty, you sort of observe and expect different things than most people. I forget that they are always armed. Guns are just part of our lives, have been forever. (My father, you will recall, was a Marine Corps Drill Sergeant, survival and weapons instructor. In my childhood home, the place was riddled with weapons!)
When the boys with guns (and knives) reached the dudes with metal detectors, they quietly gave their information, and we all stepped aside. There is a book at places like this where they need to be signed in, with their badge numbers and agency details. It’s not a big deal, just takes a few minutes (you get to chat with the on-duty deputies and security employees). Joking happens and smiles are exchanged all ’round. THEN we are allowed into the fair. Even me and Bruce.
On my own today I did something I’ve never done before. Bicycled downtown for my errands. It was so simple Hot, but simple.
The progress shot.
(With covered bike parking in the foreground.)
Since I had to drop off that last commission beaded kit (too ugly to share, but here it is on the company’s site in case you’re still interested) and pick up a request item at the library, this (above) picture had to be taken. They are still aiming for a Fall opening, it appears. Sadly, it’s still ugly.
As I texted with my girls earlier, I need a better way to carry shit. That quilted market tote was what I used today, pretending it was a messenger bag. But it wasn’t ideal. The Foreign License Plates gave a nice showing though, Montana and Wyoming, parked right next to each other. With a Maryland not far away.
Oh, and speaking of distance, I want to thank Anna for letting me know this morning (with the phone photo below) that she had arrived safely to her original home in New York.
What a nice sign.
It was a super long drive (and we are SO going to miss her over here on this side), but she made it. And what a lovely welcome she was greeted with.
On our card altar this afternoon we also received a positive message.
7 of Cups
This is one of my absolute favorite illustrations. It has such promise. Also, come on, snake in a Triple Goddess chalice! It couldn’t be more ME if it had my name engraved right there.
Let’s begin with the suit, Cups as emotions. Right where we’ve been for days now, so no surprise there. Our hearts and feelings have been like frayed edges lately. (Blame Mercury and Venus and solar storms!) The hope here is that we are able to calm some of this turmoil down. Focus on what is in front of us. Dream big but be realistic.
One way to interpret this in a reading is with the phrase “head in the clouds” but that’s never felt entirely complete for me. Since we know that what we think and feel is totally capable of becoming reality, it feels more honest to say “dream it and it will be ours.”
Sevens are the most spiritual of all numbers. In fact, here’s a great explanation*
” … Sevens deal with esoteric, scholarly aspects of magic. Representative of scholarly activities, mystery, and the focused search for esoteric meanings. Seven deals with the activation of imagination and manifesting results in our lives through the use of conscious thought and awareness. Ruled by Saturn … with a deeper understanding of the aspects of Seven, you can quite deftly utilize its magical vibration to your own benefit.”
*From here. I am a huge fan of this woman’s work, and really need to put her on the blog roll.
Overall, this card was so perfect for me today. I hope it creates the same for you guys.
Today’s Deck:
Robin Wood Tarot
Late last night Max’s girl showed up. And he was very pleased.
Right now, he’s back on duty: constant vigilance!
Yeah, that was gonna make a noise… Gotta love it. Like the card, too. Very you. And happy Max.
~
One of the funniest parts of this was that we had to wait for another Alameda County deputy to show up, there needed to be two of them. One of the guys on duty said, “seems like since there’s two of YOU, you should be able to sign each other in!”
J
9:22 p.m.
7-22-12
Ha ha. That is certainly a different paradigm than most folks experience!
OK, so you post a picture of that horrendously hideous building, and then say the piece you just completed is “too ugly to share”?!? Really??? LOL!
That is a gorgeous feather! Really, I have never seen one that color… it’s so beautiful! Thanks, Anna!
Ah, back to the awesome Robin Wood artwork! I absolutely love this 7 of Cups, too! Choices, choices, choices! Love that sign & symbol site, thanks for the link!
Maximum loyalty!
(Wow, sometimes even I myself can’t believe the ridiculous number of exclamation points that appear when I comment here!
)
~
I should have YOU do some of my proofreading on the nights Dan works. I never like to use the same word twice so close together, if I can help it. And there it was: ugly cross stitch, ugly building.
J
9:27 p.m.
7-22-12
(I know! Me too !!! But we both do it!)
It wasn’t the repetitive-ness, but the irony, that struck me… I’ve always been a huge fan of irony!
~
I was ignoring you and your irony, trying to distract with that comment of my word choice. You refused to be led down the garden path didn’t you?
J
9:46 p.m.
7-23-12
I love this deck, and seriously am thinking of getting one as my Last Purchase that’s not grad-school related! lol I always look forward to these images.
~
Do it! You’ve worked so hard, it would make a wonderful treat. And bonus, you could use it on special occasions to de-stress when you get to feeling overwhelmed. (NOT that you will, of course!)
J
9:32 p.m.
7-22-12
I really enjoy your working deck, so I always like when we get to that point on your altar. I like that card. It seems like a good one to have in mind today.
And I’m glad y’all like the feather. Every time I see one, I think of Julielanders, and this one was so pretty I just had to share it. ! It was a super long drive — 8 days, but overall, not so bad. I’m glad to be home, but I’ll miss you too!
~
Auspicious omens all around.
J
9:36 p.m.
7-22-12
I always like this card because it is so me, in it’s original meaning of “head in the clouds” or having so many different dreams and ideas you don’t know what to look at first (maybe that’s the Challenger aspect). This one is very pretty.
I do struggle with having too many ideas and not focusing on one, or else leaving all my ideas up in the air and not focusing on any of them to the extent of doing anything with them. I need to be accountable to get things done right now.
~
The TRUE origins have not yet been discovered, but what I have found in my several-decades-worth of studies in the Tarot is that many of the definitions that came through the Rider-Waite background have far too much of that time period attitude and thinking overlapping the Magickal qualities. Not to mention power-over church thought and misogynistic leanings. So I have no problem re-framing illustrations like this with a positive, and more accurate, phrasing.
J
9:42 p.m.
7-22-12
Enjoyed your story. Love the feather.
I think my head was in the clouds for a week. I struggled this morning trying to remember exactly what I did in the past week. I know I was busy but have little to show for all that business. : )
~
You were productive,
but that doesn’t always equal a product.
J
9:45 p.m.
7-22-12
I always tell the querent that the 7 of cups means that what you dream of CAN be yours … just chose which dream to pursue. Lovely card!
~
Thank you! I was HOPING you’d give us your interpretation on this one.
J
9:47 p.m.
7-22-12
Well, you know I love seven, because we ARE seven! I’m reading the posts in backwards order because I’ve been busy aspiring, and each day gets better!
I have an MT sticker in my back window that I purchased when the Captain and I went there two years ago. It helps me focus on my goals, mainly to finish the book. Montana represents achieving my dream.
My dad was a State Trooper, so he always carried a gun. I remember he had an ankle holster, which seemed highly inconvenient to me, having to bend down to grab your gun. The most important lesson we learned from him was to face the door of the restaurant so you know who’s coming in, and with what. You should see me and my brother jostle for that seat when we go out to dinner. It’s pretty funny.
~
My father NEVER sits with his back to the door. We all just learned to let him have that seat.
J
11:51 p.m.
7-24-12
(He told us it was an old gun-fighter trick from the wild west.)