Year 2: Staff and Scroll

Pictish coded translation of the school motto:
Everything is alive, everything is interconnected.

(My personal sigil in green below the title.)

The stages I went through in arriving at my personal sigil.

Year 1: Lifeways 101

Lesson 7

The inner you-

Top Five Rules I Live My Life By:

Harm Nothing- I have not, do not nor will not harm any living creature willingly. By harm I mean not only physically but also mentally and spiritually.

I would not be who I am today if yesterday had not happened- I learn and grow with every triumph or disappointment life has to offer. Each one makes up the me you see right now.

A Little Kindness Goes A Long Way- I give what I can. I help were I can. I ask others to do the same. No act of kindness is too small to make some kind of impact on the world.

Every Action Has A Reaction- Everything I do makes ripples in the world. I may not see the results but they are there. I can effect change (both good and bad) through my every action.

Live For Today- I have seen the end and came back to say that each day, every moment is important. If you are not living in the here and now you might as well not live for there may not be a tomorrow.

Year 1: Lifeways 101

Lesson 6:

My Health

My body care right now is not so good. I have been ill for more than a year and have concentrated almost all of my energy trying to get well. I have not been getting regular exercise, my diet is poor and in general I feel and look unhealthy. I know that if I were to take better care of myself I might feel somewhat better but I have reached that point where the pain and sickness has sort of won over logic. I am hoping with my new treatments and a change of address my will to care will begin an upward trend again.

As to the question of air quality versus health: I can say that I have experienced that first hand. When we first moved to the valley of California I very quickly got a terrible cold. It then developed into a very bad case of laryngitis. For months I fought with sore throats and nasal issues. I finally broke down and saw a doctor. She gave me something to heal the problem.

However, the moment I stopped taking the meds my throat began to swell and I lost my voice. Off and on for months this happened until I went to a new doctor.

He informed me that I had a bad case of “Valley Throat” and that as long as we lived in the deep pollution of the Central Valley I would never get well. According to him, “Being outside on a bad day in the Valley is like smoking half a pack.”

Eventually we moved. Within a week my throat was fine and I have not had an issue in the two years we have been in the Pacific Northwest.

I can see that there is a real danger with regards to air pollution and it’s effects on humankind.

Year 1: Lifeways 101

Lesson 5:


Issues I Feel Are Unfair-

Issue: Taxes
Why am I paying taxes so that we can build more bombs or so that our “President” can go on fancy vacations? I want my taxes to go to the things that would be helpful to my way of life…like that pothole down the street from my house or the erecting of stop signs in my neighborhood.

Issue: Environment
Why don’t we do something about the environment? And-I don’t mean “we” like as in myself and a few friends. I mean “we” as a whole world. We are all aware that our actions are leading us down the straight and narrow path to destruction but we seem to do very little about it (if anything at all). Maybe I should request that my taxes go to this issue even more than the pothole!

Issue: Government
Our government does not work. It has not worked for a very long time (if ever) and I think it is time for a rethinking (or revolution) of how our nation is ran.

Issue: Education
It is mandatory to attend school from the age of 5 through 18 here in the USA. However, it is not mandatory that they teach us any more than what will allow for us to pass state and nation wide testing. Why is it that I went for 12 years without learning about health insurance and how to use it once I received it? Why was I never taught about renters rights or fire prevention? What about basic first aid or animal care? How about cooking, sewing and cleaning? What about resume writing? How to pick the best college for my needs and not get screwed over by financial aide? Where are all those skills that I really needed once I graduated high school? Why did I spend 12 years learning about the same people who did the same things over and over in my US “history” classes when I could have been using that time to learn how to be a successful adult?
Issue: There are so many more I would write about but I would spend all my free time talking about them instead of doing something about them!


People that I admire-

My Mom-She is a hard worker. She worked two jobs almost the entire time I lived with her as a child. She worked so that I could have the things I needed to live a good life. No matter what though-She never complained and she always had time to talk to me and ask how my day was.

My Boyfriend- I have never met anyone with more integrity. He never lies, cheats or takes credit for anything that is not his idea. His line of work (journalism) harbors a lot of less than honest people but no matter what he stands up for his beliefs. He never does something that goes against his moral code even if it might mean his job or worse.

My Boss- He is the kindest boss I have ever had. He sets the bar pretty high for his employees but never allows for them to fail. He is supportive and nurtures your best qualities and helps you succeed in ways you didn’t think you could. He is understanding and allows for family and health to come first. He is the type of boss I hope to be someday.

Year 1: Lifeways 101

Lesson 4:

I never knew it would be this hard to make friends once I was out of school. I guess being forced to do stupid assignments makes you get close fast! I have been living here for almost 2 years and I have not made a single friend! I mean, I know a lot of folks through work and stuff but they are just acquaintances.

I’m beginning to think this might be a lost cause. How do you make friends when you are an adult? I don’t go to bars. I don’t attend church.

It’s strange too because in high school and college I always had quite a few close friends. It’s like I grew up and lost the skill. And, I’m sure that it is not helpful that my mate has very little in the way of social skills. Still though, I thought for sure by now…

However, I am still hopeful. I have been volunteering for a number of things about town and making my way out more to the local hot spots. There is time yet!

The one friend I have made is also a relative of sorts. She is my boyfriend’s sister and may someday be my sister-in-law. She and I have very little in common but somehow our personalities mesh great. We have a easy friendship. Most of the time we spend together is spent laughing. We seem to just naturally crack each other up. And-We love to take pictures. Mostly these pictures are of ourselves and each other. This seems to be a never ending source of entertainment too. We always joke that someday they’ll find us both dead with giant smiles and memory cards full of pictures of us laughing. This kind of morbid thought is just the sort of things that makes us laugh that much harder.

Year 1: Lifeways 101

Lesson 3:

Since my “family” currently consists only of myself and my boyfriend it is rather difficult to conduct a "family meeting".

We do, however, have a bit of a ritual each week which could serve as such. We typically go to our favorite greasy spoon café every Sunday morning. We drink copious amounts of coffee and stuff ourselves with eggs and bacon.

We always take this time to talk about the weeks events, work and odd things that happened. We also talk about the future both near and far. We discuss politics and the state of our world. We laugh at jokes and silly childhood stories. We plan vacations and moves. We sometimes cry, argue and always laugh in the end.

Sometimes these morning “meetings” last for more than an hour and half a dozen cups of coffee. We have watched storms roll by and waitress shift changes. Although we have been together for nearly five years these meetings of ours never get old.

We like that it is just the two of us and our family will likely never grow beyond that. If it does or doesn’t I do hope our Sunday morning meetings never stop. I love how much closer we feel just after them.

Year 1: The Elements: Scavenger Hunt for Earth

EARTH
1. Emu
(This bird loves the land so that it gave up flight.)
2. Coyote
(Mysterious canine who stalks the mists of forest and field.)
3. Apple
(The forbidden fruit and beginning of life as we know it.)
4. Moss
(The green accessory of the forest.)
5. Forest
(Shelter for all of Mother Nature’s children.)
6. Buffalo
(He digs and rolls in the dust of the earth so as to be closer to her.)
7. Ant Eater
(Nose always pointed down she searches the dark depths.)
8. Potatoes
(Quietly they grow and grow beneath the rich soil.)
9. Pumpkins
(Round and full of life like our Mother Earth.)
10. Stones
(The jewels which are born from the womb of Gaia.)
11. Grass
(Rich green carpet that extends to the corners of the world.)
12. Mushroom
(Springing up in the dark damp like trolls.)
13. Cow
(She provides that which is required for life with warmth and nourishment.)
14. Clover
(Like lucky grass that holds the treasures of the forests.)
15. Ground Squirrel
(She lives beneath the trees in safe dusty hollows.)
16. Pigs
(Never is one happier than when it is covered in the mud of it’s labors.)