From the Mind of AlphaBetsy

       Several years ago I had a very vivid dream. In the dream I was the daytime face of a vampire. I would take care of his business that was not possible to handle at night, and set up appointments for him, etc. The feeling of the dream was that I had been in his employment for many years, so when he came to me to tell me that we had to move to Pittsburgh it was just a given that I would move my family to continue my employment.        I was incredibly reluctant to tell my husband that we were going to have to sell the house, and relocate, so I just kept putting it off. Every time I would begin the conversation something would happen, or it would seem like the wrong time.        Suddenly it was about a week before we were going to be making the official move, and the vampire confronts me to see whether I had let my husband know what was happening, and gotten our house sold, etc. I admit that no, I haven't. The vampire looked me straight in the eye at that point and said, &quo

      Hello. My name is Betsy. The country, my friends, my family and parts of my life are a bit volatile, and I have decided to blog.      Last  week my country voted for one of the most controversial presidents ever presented. I am sad, I am scared for my friends who are minorities, LGBTQIA, non-christian and women, and I am angry. I am also resolved to stop being a bystander, and to get out there to start being the change I want to see in the world. I don't have a clear plan yet, but it is coming. I can feel it bubbling up.      The Friday after the momentous vote, I was privileged to be involved in my company's Veteran's Day flag raising. I was part of a team that assisted a local Junior ROTC group handle the ginormous flag that our company flies daily. I also got to speak to two lovely Honor Flight veterans and their wives while we were waiting for the gentlemen who would be sitting with them through the ceremony. I got a couple of photos before the ceremony began.

Magical Monday Rune(s) of the Week: Tiwaz: Tyr, the sky god. This rune represents honor, justice, leadership and authority, analysis, rationality, knowing where ones true strengths lie. It symbolizes willingness to self-sacrifice, victory and success in competition or legal matters.  Ehwaz: Horse. Result of action. Divine partnership. Marriage. Cooperation. Adjustment. Agreement. Contract. Move of location. Change for the better. Help from another.  Tarot Card(s) of the week: Knight of Bows - Fox:  Determination leads you to success but sometimes at personal cost. Your life may change or enter a different path at any moment. Native wit and cleverness guide your steps toward fulfillment, as does your gift of anticipating the future.  Thoughts:  I am curious what is coming on the wind with all the talk of change. I have nothing planned, so that is a little unnerving.  Because of this I decided to do a 3 card spread

  My first big change of the year happened last Saturday. I went to see my favorite stylist Adam at Lucky 13 Rock and Roll Hair Salon. He cut off over 10 inches of my hair which is being donated to wigs for kids. That initial cut was a little startling, but I love my new hairstyle. It is so much lighter.   Friday is my birthday, and my mother and sister are taking me to Ikea for the first time. Saturday Seth's parents are taking the two of us to the melting pot, and the Saturday night we are going out to eat and bowling with my family.   It's going to be a great week. 

I am in a time of metanoia. I am working on changing my heart, mind, self and way of life. I am trying to learn to love myself, to learn to appreciate my body and to be thankful for everything my body does for me. I am working on looking at my body for all it's strengths and not just all the flaws. I am evaluating how I treat myself physically and mentally. I know it is time for me to change, and while it is hard for me I am committed to making it happen.   Some of the changes will be easy, or at least easier. Always when I am craving change the first thing to be effected is my hair. I was at first reluctant to take out any of the length, but I am reconsidering. I have a tendency to hide behind my hair, and it may be time to take that away for a while. I am thinking I may want to do an asymmetrical bob. I have been flirting with it since before the wedding, and I think it is time to jump. I am thinking this could happen as soon as next week.   I am also planning to get

To keep myself motivated and to share my own progress I am going to start doing Fitness Fridays. I am really trying to make myself get more active and eat better because my health is flagging. I am feeling tired all the time, getting sick at the drop of a hat, and just generally feeling gross, so it is time to make a change. I was doing so well for a while, and I have fallen off the wagon so hard it's ridiculous. I am working on finding a balance between body love and being complacent. I want to love my body as it is, and how it is, but I also know that my weight does cause me issues and health problems. In some ways I have begun to feel guilty for wanting to make these changes. I know, though, that my reason for wanting the change comes completely from within and not from without. I'm sure that society has had some effect on my psyche, but I don't feel that giving up on body image completely will help my self esteem in the long run. I will not push my fitness agenda on a

Now that the wedding is completely over, and the final bits of stress have gone, it is time to settle back in to our normal lives.It's funny how crazy things get leading up to the wedding, and then it's over. Just like that. I am gearing up to start classes again at the beginning of the year. I just don't know what I want to do. I began school as a paralegal major, but I just don't have a passion for it which is important to me. My passion, and what my heart wants, is to be an English Professor. I just know it is a huge monetary and time investment, and I don't know if we can afford it. It's really hard for me to make a decision this big. I think the problem I run into is that I can see so clearly both sides of the issue, that I cannot stop seeing all the negatives, and weighing them heavily. *sigh* I need to just make a decision and stick with it; easier said than done, right? With Samhain beginning the witches year, I decided to set myself some Samhain to

A weight loss update...I've lost 10 pounds so far and going strong. The weight watchers is working great for me. I am eating better than I think I ever have. I am going to start working consistent exercise into the mix soon. Probably in the form of some exercise dvds I already own...like Yoga Booty Ballet which is so much fun. I also want to find a good place to roller skate because I want to use my blue flame skates. Okay, really I just want an excuse to get a new pair of skates. And to get in shape to try out for Derby, maybe next year. In a previous post I had hinted about some big changes and decisions and I wanted to touch a bit on that. I have decided that I want to go to school. I applied on Monday to a local college for a paralegal program and should hear in the next couple of days if I have been accepted. I am hoping to be able to go full time, so I can actually get my associates degree in two years or so. I will update more once I have confirmation and planning  togethe