The Great Hippie Road Trip!

Things have been rough around the Vardo so far this year. Things are starting to turn around, and I want to keep this trend going with a super awesome vacay! We need something to look forward to, and we need a grand adventure.

I have been thinking that the Witchlings and I should start off the summer with an adventure! My stepdaughter is coming out for the summer again, and I thought that Bug, Mojo, my dog Mal, and I could pack up the car and take a camping adventure across the country, pick up LaLa, and continue our trek back. 

I have this Route in mind so far, which will take us through Santa Rosa NM to see the Blue Hole the first day, Keystone State Park in Tulsa OK to camp the second night,then on to Terre Haute, IN to see friends the third day. We will then spend a few days with family and friends in Indiana and to pick up LaLa. 

On our way home, we plan to stop in Memphis TN, second day we will see Crater of Diamonds in Oaklahoma, then the third night somewhere in the area of Midland, TX. I am open to suggestion here, I picked Midland because of driving time, not coolness.

 I would LOVE to get input from all of you for tips and tricks for road trips with 3 kids (3, 8, and 13) and a dog, places to see, and even any neat gear or camping trips. 

I have also started a GoFundMe campaign to try to raise some funding for this trip! Donate if you can, share if you could, and if nothing else, leave me a comment to let me know if I'm nuts, or to cheer me on.

H.W.

and the "war" rages on

I don't get it, and honestly need someone to explain it to me.

I waited until today to watch the Fox News video. There were several things that caused this delay, but the foremost was I just did not really want to see it.

I knew how pissed off I would get and just did not have the strength to deal.

For anyone else who was hanging out under a rock with me until today, here is the piece of crap video that passes for "news" over at Fox.

Let me tell you the specific thing I don't understand.

It's not the intolerance, or even the ignorance. I don't expect such rabid right-wing mouthpieces to actually have any idea about the Pagan faiths. Why would they? I don't expect them to have the knowledge, just to acknowledge that Paganism is a group of religions that has the right to exist.

It is the absolute and overblown attitude that, although these types of "Christians" are the loudest to demand respect, to give respect to any other faith is somehow damaging to their faith. That is what drives me batshit.

I do not understand this, I never have and unless someone provides a good explaination  I never expect to. I have no grasp of this notion. I do not understand why dismissing the faith of others in some way validates your own.

Do not misunderstand, I have no issue with poking a little fun. I personally found the line about liking to burn incense funny, and I am certainly not above poking a little fun at other religions.

I do, however, find it to be a big leap from joking to ridicule. It is also a big leap to holding the position that you hold the only correct position, and so broker no tolerance for the belief or practice of any other faith.

Freedom of religion, not freedom for your religion. Just because you think we're weird, or even wrong, does not grant you the right to decide our holidays are not worthy of observation.

If you want respect, if you really want to end the "war on Christians", maybe you should stop picking fights.

Feeling the Kindle love

You guys are awesome!

My book Magickal Life, was downloaded 697 times during it's free promotional week on Amazon! I don't care if I never make a dime off of the book, twice I have put my work out there, after being a writer since I was a teenager, and between the two nearly 1,200 people have read my work. It's such an amazing feeling, and it's a good shot in the arm right before NaNoMriMo starts next week. It's been so hard to find positive things to concentrate on, and I'm so glad I took that big first step. 

I have always been so afraid to let anyone see my work. It really sucks that I had to hit total rock bottom emotionally to do it, but it's out there and that big first step is now out of the way. I'll keep you posted on my NaNoWriMo progress. I have book two of the Through the Veil series pretty much outlined and hope to get the first draft of it knocked out for the most part. If I don't drag my feet editing, I hope to have it published on Kindle by the first of the year. Much love and blessings to you all!

Hippie's little book of Magick

It's not big, it's not flashy, but I've been working on it on and off for the last year and a half and it's going to be available as a FREE Amazon Kindle download Monday the 22nd to Friday the 26th.

Please just click the book cover and download your FREE copy. I hope you enjoy it and can work some of my ideas into your Magickal practice!

And although you may have missed the free promotion on it, please take a peek at my first fiction book

Bright Blessings!

Congratz Mrs. B!

I just saw over on Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom that not only did Mrs. B WIN the top 25 Faith Blogs but there were 12 Pagan blogs in the final top 25! I think that's tremendous! There was a lot of drama about Pagan blogs even being "allowed" in the Faith category of the Top 25, so I am very proud that the Pagan blogoshere stood up for out choice to be Pagan and to want to blab about it on the internets. So take a minute and swing by CPSM and congratulate her, and check out some of the other great blogs that are in the Top 25, both Pagan and "mainstream".

H.W.