mandigutterrose

The Cliff's Notes version of me: I am a 36 year old Pagan housewife and mother to two children on earth and one who has left us. I am a hobby farmer, a so-so cook, an avid reader, and a sometimes crafter. I'm not a vegetarian although lately I have been leaning that way; I've found that cutting out a large part of my meat consumption has helped with my depression and chronic pain. I'm also in my 10th year of volunteering for a house rabbit rescue.

ALLERGIES: pine scent, seafood and shellfish

My son is 9 and my daughter is 5 going on 15. I made the choice to homeschool them this year after several outside factors tipped my hand. I am completely new to this and swore I'd never do it, but here we are. I find I'm actually loving it! School was getting the best of my kids and I was getting the exhausted, emotional leftovers. Now I get to see them make connections, explore their world, learn what's required and so much more, and really enjoy them being kids. Both of them are in soccer so I am a soccer mom, and their coach would call me the Team Mom if I let her, but I don't. My husband coaches the 7u league so they get extra time with him as well. My son is in Karate and has really flourished with it; we started when he was diagnosed with ADHD and hoped it would help him focus, but it turns out it's something he has a natural ability for. My daughter is in dance, and while she might not ever be a professional ballerina or Broadway performer, her love for movement and music is obvious. I feel very lucky to be their mom, I lost my first daughter at 18 weeks in the pregnancy and it's given me a different appreciation for the ones I was able to keep in my arms.

As far as swaps go, if I sign up for postcard swaps, those will be shared with the family for the most part. Any other swaps are for myself and my own enjoyment and shared creativity with other adults! We all need something to make us remember that we're separate from the roles we take on, Swap-Bot does that for me.

Now that we're homeschooling, I'd really like to include some personal points of view about different places in our our communities and the world in general. Please share a little about your daily life, or what your area is known for, or what interesting things you've seen while traveling (especially if it's a tourist postcard from a place you have visited.) If you speak a language other than English, please include a phrase or greeting in that language! My son has shown an interest in learning Spanish this year, and mine has become quite rusty from lack of use so any refresher is good for the both of us. Any kind of card is welcome, we like 4"x6" cards as they fit in our albums but we really enjoy any and all mail, whether they're store bought or handmade art cards. I retrieve our mail so if you'd like to share an off-color card with me, that is perfectly fine, it just won't go in the family-friendly pile, it'll go in my personal album. :-)

As I mentioned briefly, I'm Pagan, as are the rest of my family. We prefer secular type cards, stickers, decorations, etc. but we don't have a problem receiving things like holiday cards that have a nativity scene or things of that nature. If it's important to you, it's respected by us, and we just hope that respect is mutual.

Big Disney fans over here! Not particularly of Bob "Paycheck" and how he's nickel and diming people, but of the parks, movies, and shows. You'll never go wrong with Disney in this house.

I adore the written word. I have an e-reader, it's been collecting dust for years. I can't seem to break my love affair with words on paper. I collect all kinds of bookmarks and I read all genres. I have books all over the house, from the bathroom to the mudroom. If you're ever unsure of what to share about yourself, your preference in literature is always a good start. Even if you aren't all that into reading, let me know what book really resonated with you in your school days or what magazines you subscribe to. If the swap requires you to recommend a book based on my likes, just know I like everything, so go ahead and recommend something YOU found enjoyable. Our local librarians love to gather my book requests because they never know what avenue I'm going to travel down next.

I started with 12 chickens and somehow things got to this point...

My husband tells me we have over 40 chickens now, my chicken math doesn't necessarily agree. We have 9 ducks. None of our birds are processed for meat, they are all pets. I do hope to get into raising turkeys for sale next year, but there will be no processing done on my property - all birds will have to be purchased and taken alive.

Besides my poultry babies, we also have four goats (Totes Magotes, Cray Adorbs, Hottie McHotterson, and Amazeballs) and a pig (Pearly Mae Hamm). Again, all pets. In the house, we have two dogs (No Way Jose and Tsunami Noh), two cats (Ellington and Harley Quinn), two fish and a snail (Kaizen, Fishy, and Cupcake), a rescued parakeet (Kevin), and two bearded dragons (Haku and Acacia). I'm often told I should open a petting zoo, but I'm extremely particular when it comes to our pets and I don't think I could control myself if someone were to do something I deemed unkind to one of them.

This lifestyle is a lot of work and responsibility but it is very rewarding and my family has a very unique perspective on "normal."

Bookmarks and Books - homemade, from the library, secondhand, books that have highlighting or writing are A-OK

Return address labels - I really like using labels compared to handwriting my address

Airplanes - My first word as a baby, we lived near an Air Force base and thus began my love affair with aircraft

Candy, Gum, and Honey Sticks - I have a vicious sweet tooth

Chickens and Roosters - These were the first step into our little farm life and they've always held a special place in my heart. My kitchen is completely decked in chickens and sunflowers and it brings me so much joy.

Coconut - Is there anything that smells or tastes more wonderful? Well, maybe raspberry...

Coffee and tea - Any flavor, factory sealed only please, and tell me if there is a special way you like to drink it, K-cups welcome!

Colors - my favorites are yellow, pink, and black, but I also appreciate jewel tones, pastels, and neons.

El Dia De Los Muertos and Sugar Skulls - We were married on Day of the Dead and it's part of my heritage, I love the separation of celebrations on November 1st and 2nd.

England - I am trying to learn as much as a I can about a particular village in Cheshire. It's Frodsham Village and I hope to one day have an extended stay there. The only part of my family tree that we have been able to clearly trace goes back to the founding of Frodsham Village, my maiden name was Frodsham.

Gods, Goddesses, and any pantheons or myths from your locale or heritage

Halloween - It's not just a holiday, it's a lifestyle around here.

Harry Potter - We have one from each house in this family, but I'm partial to Ravenclaw!

Animals - any and all, but my favorites are pandas, hippos, raccoons, manatees, peacocks, crows and ravens, goats, pigs, rabbits, and bees

Incense and candles - I love a seasonally scented house.

Journaling and planning - If it's not written down, I'll probably forget it.

Lipgloss/Chapstick - I wear a full face of makeup but my vice is lip stuff, especially Lipsmackers. I've never grown up in that aspect.

Lisa Frank - This obsession never diminished and I'm in heaven with its revival.

Studio Ghibli - I was introduced to Spirited Away in high school and was instantly hooked.

Lord of the Rings - books and movies (all the Legolas!)

Maneki Neko - This little Japanese cat is truly lucky for me.

Mermaids - Yes, Ariel, but also any other artwork

Miscarriage/Stillbirth/Infant Loss Awareness - I participate in a Facebook group called Grieve Out Loud where grieving families share their losses. I am very open about my own loss and I'm always willing to listen and share others' experiences.

Postcards and notecards - Never have too many

Recipe Cards - filled out or blank

Rocks and crystals - We collect rocks from various places and crystals for various purposes.

Roses and sunflowers - my fav flowers

Seashells - or really anything to do with the ocean, my happy place

Skeleton keys - whether they're reproductions or real

Stamps - rubber and postage

World War II history - I think everyone has a historical period that resonates with them and WWII is mine, especially in regards to the Pacific

Celestial designs - sun, moon, stars, galaxy, etc.

Tarot - I like card designs, various decks, and I collect random cards for my card grab bag.

Suzy's Zoo (Suzy Spafford) - I can't seem to find much of this cute artwork

Tattoos - I have several and would love to see/hear about yours.

Witchcraft and similar - Voodoo, Santeria, anything along magickal lines, imagery, spells, tools, etc.

Washi tape - dollar store deco tape is ok with me

Zodiac signs - I'm a Cancer, my husband is a Virgo, my son is a Gemini, and my daughter is a Scorpio. It's interesting around here.