Halloween party ideas

This year my husband and I thought we would do something other than the traditional trick or treat night.  Going from house to house in the dark is a bit dangerous anyway, so I've been scouring the web for fabulous ideas.  Here are a few you're just going to love.

Martha Stewart  for these wonderful ideas and more.

Spoonful  has numerous crafts, games, and more.

I will be adding a ton of great and tasty recipes for this Halloween season.  I'm certain there will be many tasty and spooky treats for you and your monsters to cook up.

Have a hauntingly good time!

Halloween

It's almost that time of year when the spooks come out to raise the hairs on the back of our necks and the witches stir their wicked brews.
For the month of October, I am going to keep with the tone of Halloween, giving you great ideas to make this the best and safest Halloween ever.  I will research and add a long list of spooky novels, scary movies(good for adults as well as children), recipes for haunted dinners and parties, crafts, and costume ideas.  Also, one can't forget about staying safe this year, so I will make certain to list ideas that will help keep everyone safe this holiday season.
There are several blogs out there that are also featuring Halloween, including a great Haunted Palooza, which I won't be missing.  I'll add all of these wonderfully spooky sites as well, so keep checking back or look for my tweets.  It's going to be a hauntingly good time.

Is Wicca Devil worship?

I have heard on more than a few occasions people around town mentioning other religions and saying that they were satanist or Devil worshipers.  This misguided belief about Wiccans comes from ignorance, plain and simple.  These people fail to properly research the religion to find out what it is that Wiccans actually do.  Instead, they point their finger screaming, "Satan worshiper."  Some have looked it up online, but only on sites written by those who practice the same religion as them.  It's not accurate information people, it's biased.  Expand your research to individuals who are not judgmental.

Here are some definitions on Wicca, Satanists, and Devil worshipers.  I do not subscribe to any of these religions, but I always try to understand someones religion prior to forming any opinion about it. 

Wicca
The Wiccan religion is based on nature as well as the Pre-Christain belief systems of Europe.  These people do NOT worship that which they do NOT believe.  That being said, Wiccans do NOT subscribe to the belief that Satan actually exists and therefore cannot worship him. They believe in a natural balance of positive and negative forces in the world.  To say that they are Satanist or Devil worshipers, is false and completely ignorant.

Satanists
Most Christians, Jehovah's witnesses, Mormons, and others, believe these people worship the Devil. In reality, they typically do not believe in the Christian Devil. The word, Satan, actually means 'Adversary'.  To Satanists, the Devil is an IDEA of all that is against Christianity. They refuse to allow churches to tell them what to do.  Satanists do, however,  perform rituals that mock Catholic Mass.

Devil Worshipers
This is a belief that is actually very rare, but some people take to the belief that the Christian Devil is more powerful and better than the Christian God.  They feel that he is the one who is in control of our world and so their loyalties lie with him.

My religion prevents me from passing judgment on any of these people, however I do not subscribe to these beliefs.  I do like some of the Wiccan ideas such as their extreme love for nature and all living beings.  
As you can see, Wiccans DO NOT worship the Devil.  Would you worship a being you did not believe in?  Of course not, so to believe that Wiccans are Devil worshipers is simply you wrongly judging them because you think that ALL people should follow your beliefs and those that do not are destined to be thrown into the depths of Hell for their sins.  

I've asked this before and I'll ask it again;  How do you know that your religion is the one and only truth?  Did God himself come to you and tell you exactly what to believe?  Did he tell you that ALL others of this world would be damned to Hell for not believing the same as you?  I doubt it, but if he did please send me the video of the conversation.  I'd love to see it.

A simple truth

On religion

For the past few days, there has been much-a-do about the Wiccan religion around here.  My daughter is Wiccan.  Now, I am not a Wiccan, however I did study it for a class in college where I had to completely submerge myself into it for a good grade.  (I got an "A" by the way) What is bothering me here is that my daughter's soon-to-be in-laws believe that it is a satanic religion and therefore she has a demonic aura around her.  They want nothing to do with her even though she is about to have there grandchild.  

When I was studying this religion, I found out that it is actually derived from one of the oldest forms of Christianity.  When the church changed the religion they claimed that all of those (persons who stayed with the old Christianity-now Wicca/slightly revised) who refused to adapt to the new religion were witches.  Hence the burning, hanging, and drowning of so many men and women long ago by those who supposedly did God's bidding (Really?  What happened to not judging others or, Thou shalt not kill?).  If you didn't change your beliefs back then when the church TOLD you to, you were a satanist and put to death.  

A few other things that many have not grasped about the religion is that Wiccans believe and worship God.  They also respect and love all of nature because it was given to us by God.  As far as witchcraft is concerned, spells are nothing more than glorified prayer.  I had to do some of this while studying it and every spell was more like a ceremonial prayer.  Instead of simply kneeling down and praying, these men and women go all out on thier prayers.  What's wrong with that?

If you know the bible, then you are aware that Cane and Able gave gifts to the lord.  They set up a sort of alter and placed their offerings upon it.  Wiccans don't sacrifice anything like Cane had done, but many people seem to be under the misguided impression that they do.  They do set up an alter however, much the same as Cane and Able had done.  Also, they go by a set of Wiccan laws that covers ALL of the ten commandments.  

I'm not sure how so many people, without knowing about this religion can judge so easily.  After all, don't those religions go by the bible which clearly states; 

Luke 6:37  

New international version: 

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Or perhaps; King James Version: 

Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Both version of the bible is currently being used by many Jehovah's witnesses, so why do they judge others?  Not to mention that many religions believe theirs is the only TRUE religion.  

I ask this question: How do you know for certain that every other religion is wrong?  Did God himself come down and tell you and therefore you are the blessed ones who were gifted with the truth of life, death, and everything in between?  I doubt it, so STOP passing judgement.  That's not your place, it's God's!

Eye opener!

When your daughter says, "I'm pregnant!"

It was a beautiful morning today, at least until the kids woke up, then it was screaming and fighting and "mom he has my money!" "Mom she's touching me." Wow, that can mess up the most serene sunrise ever seen.  However, I've now dropped the kids off at school and the house is back to its peaceful state for the time being.  So what am I doing with my wonderful, quiet rest of the morning?  Well, my mind is whipping around thoughts of my twenty year old daughter.  She just got engaged a couple of months ago and we had been trying to plan for her wedding next fall, but we hit a major bump in the road and are in the process of trying not to plummet off the embankment.  My daughter is now pregnant.  

She woke me up at four in the morning a couple of days ago saying, "Mom, can you read this?  I don't know what it means."  I rolled out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen, put on my glasses, and picked up the pregnancy test.  Half asleep, I glance at it and in a groggy voice I respond:  "It says your pregnant."  I slowly turn away when my eyes pop wide open and I spin around, "Wait....What!   What the heck did I just say?!" That news will wake you up faster than three cups of espresso and a bolt of lightening.  The look on my daughters face said, she to would not be returning to bed.  

Initial surprise and Oh my freaking God! is finally out of the way and we are now fairly excited about the news.  He fiance is happy as well.  All we have to do is rework the wedding around the pregnancy because my daughter does not want to be a basket ball bride.  I told her she could either step up the wedding plans or keep the original date which is four months after the baby is due.  She should be back to her old self by then and I could care for my grand-baby.  I'm just in the process of thinking about the cost of the wedding, cost of baby items, and the cost of having the baby.  I'm not sure how to pull all of this off in one year.  Wow, what a bill its going to be!  Were theres a will and no other real choice, there's a way.

Just let him go for crying out loud!

Abusive relationships     

For the past few months, my sister has been telling everyone that her abusive ex-husband moved to Arizona.  She wound up selling everything she owns and told the family that she just needed to get away and was planning a trip to California.  She should be leaving today from what we all understand.  What I found out is that she had actually sold ALL her belongings, worked for a couple of weeks at McDonalds to earn some travel money, and is indeed going to California...where her abusive ex-husband actually lives.  She just didn't want the family to know she would be moving back in with the man who hit her and left her lying on the floor in a seizure to beat up her son then got angry with her when she came around and called 911 for herself.
     He would up doing a year in prison for that and blames her for the whole thing.  His mother lives with him as well and the last time my sister went to visit this lady, the woman slammed her head into the camper trailer door several time, then took her and her son(my nephew) a couple miles away and simply dropped them off.  They sat for hours in another state, in the cold, at a gas station after having called us for help.  Finally, her ex-husband picked her and her son up.  I simply cannot understand why a woman would choose that lifestyle when she is already free from it.  Why the Hell go back!?
     I do wish her the best of luck and under the circumstances, she's going to need it.

For help if you are a victim of domestic violence:

Safe Horizon

Joyful heart foundation

About.com

Get the help you need.  You do NOT have to allow this in your life.  Remember that we all deserve better.

Doctor say what!!!

This is too funny I have to share. Sorry in advance to my daughter, but I have to.

Went to the Doctors office with my daughter and they ran a couple test on her.

Nurse comes in and says: "So does three lines mean twins?" He says no more, leaving with a puzzled look on his face. (obviously, the doc and him were in on this together.)

Daughter: "What's that mean?"
Me: "I think he's joking, hun."

Doctor comes in and says

: "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"
Daughter

puts her head in her hands and begins to freak out. "Just give me the bad news."
Doctor

: "How far along do you think you are?" Winks at me as my daughter shakes her head, which is still cradled in her hands.  Her breathing was becoming so fast, I thought she might hyperventilate.
Daughter

: "What!...What!"
Doctor

: "Just kidding."
Sondra

: "That's just mean."
Doctor

: "That's what makes it funny."
I couldn't help but laugh. The look on her face was simply priceless. I wish I had a video camera at the time.