Hogmanay

This year we stayed at home, really, in the house. But I wanted, as we now know we are staying, to ritualise Newyear/Hogmanay to include our home. I put together a bit of a mishmash of tradition and neo pagan elements.

• Lit candles to start (a little before midnight)
• Ate the handmade biscuits to thank all the good things from the past year 2014
• At midnight we Drank to the New year along with our hopes and plans 2015
• Opened the back door to let the old year out.
• Swept the living room with a broom made from a bush in the garden to the front door.
• Opened the front door to let in the New year
• Placed the broom at the threshold.
• Our cat Thistle was the  'first foot' :)
• Lit the smudge stick and smoked it through all the rooms in the house.

It felt right to mark the turning of the year in some way. Lets see how it goes!

After sweeping out the old year, our garden broom lays across the threshold.

Ingredients for the smudge stick were all gathered from the garden. Dried lavender, rose petals and rosemary. It smelt good.

A quick trip to the Goldcoast

As usual my short holidays are actually accompanying Dougie on business. He gets to work, I get to relax. The last few days were spent in the Goldcoast which is really lots of sun, beach, nightclubs and shopping. (Not actually any of my favourite things to be honest) However, on the plus side I was able to catch up with a very good friend and see her Honours art work in exhibition. I did visit the beach and found some lovely shells and pumice. I read by the pool. We had breakfast with friends. I went op-shopping (OK there are some types of shopping that I like). I swam and did yoga.

Deb's Honours Art work, taken with Deb and her Mum

A beach

Very good lunch at the Commune cafe

Very good iced coffee

proof that I went on a beach

an idea in the early stages