Ellie@Home by Nicole Kapise-Perkins

     The wheel of the year has turned, as we Pagans say, and the new year began at Halloween, a cold, wet, altogether icky night that nevertheless failed to keep my children inside. (Not that I would have tried anyway. It was Halloween, for crying out loud!) We headed out, costumes on, buckets primed, and braved the rain in search of the sweet, sugar-coated manna, Halloween candy. And my children made out like bandits, because there was hardly anyone out. Very happy were my ghouls indeed.      Halloween, or Samhain, as it is known in the Pagan calendar, arrived to a house in mourning this year, as on October 27 we said a sad farewell to our cat, our faithful, fuzzy, domineering, bossy (we are talking about a cat, after all) companion of thirteen years. Kami was my other baby, and even now, a week after the fact, I still call her when I walk in the door. It's a habit I'm trying to break, as it's only serving to confuse my four year old, who u...

I have been away, lost, un-posty, and I feel like a worm, dear readers. Again our internet connection has stopped working. We're looking into the problem, but until it's actually fixed I will be ion only very sporadically. I'm working on a new children's book as well as promoting my Reiki business, but I'm not so busy that I can't update whenever I and my computer are in a spot wherein I may pirate (arrrrr!) an internet signal. In apology, I am leaving you with a recipe from Lucia Weiss' The Wednesday Chef blog. Not cookies or snackers, but an amazing, lovely, STUNNING dinner dish that is relatively easy to make and an absolute favorite of my whole family. Enjoy! Squash and Cheese Pie Yield s 10 to 12 servings as side dish or first course Notes on the recipe: I ended up grating close to a whole cup of the Cheddar because of the massive amount of filling. So make sure you dip your pinky finger in the puree to taste before pouring it into the pie s...

                                                                         Recently I was given the opportunity to review Lily Oak's newest book, Quick & Easy Tarot , released by Hedge Witchery Books (http://www.hedge-witcherybooks.com), and I am so very grateful for the opportunity. I read tarot every day; I have even been known to carry my deck around in my purse for no other reason then to have it nearby. I am not a beginning reader by any means, but Lily Oak has included pieces of information in her book that were quite new and fascinating to me.             She begin...

     So much has been going on here in Ellie's kitchen: a milestone birthday was celebrated with friends and family gathered around the table; I'm waiting (HOPING!) to hear back from a literary agent concerning a children's book manuscript; I've posted two new essays on the SageWoman blogs, and have been given an opportunity to blog for The Bookish Owl ( http://www.thebookishowl.com ).      We've had several lovely warm days, and I've had my little boy out along the bike path that runs by the river, exploring nature, investigating bugs, and getting supremely dirty. (Because what could be more fun, really?)      Today will be a down-tempo day, as my little bitty one is very sick (Sick enough that he fell asleep for a nap on his own at 9 am...and he had only been up for three hours. This is an unheard-of occurrence.) AND it's COLD OUT THERE! Soooo...an afternoon spent in the kitchen is in order, methinks. Sweet potato cook...

   I suppose there is an advantage to random insomnia....while sitting around, eye-poppingly wide awake at 2:30 in the morning, there are positively no distractions. Can't turn the television or the stereo on because two of the bedrooms are off the living room, and I don't want to make my daughter or my husband share in my misery. (Trust me, it really doesn't love company.)    This would explain why I was able to write an entire children's book in the wee hours of this morning, and draft and half-write a second. And these are not infant or toddler board books, with three and four word sentences per page. Nor are they mini-novels. They are (or would be, if I could draw!) picture books: short, 4 to 5 sentence paragraphs per page. I've got this. Why the heck can't I get published? Grr. It's all about sending it in at the right time. (Yes, I am arrogant enough to believe that my work is good enough to publish. Because it is.) I just need to figure out when the ...

     Yesterday my not-so-little girl returned to school, dancing her way into the ranks of the high school hierarchy as a Freshman. Many of her friends left this year to go to different schools, so she was quite nervous. A text sent to me at lunchtime (they are allowed to play with their phones during lunch...I wonder how many actually eat and how many are too busy texting the friends they just had class with) cheerfully announced that she was having a lovely day and that she "LOVES BEING A FRESHMAN!!!!!!!" No more worries on her account.      Truthfully, I was surprised that she was nervous at all. This is the child who has always taken the world by storm. Born an absolute beauty, she has always turned her big blue eyes toward every challenge, and with typical Aries recklessness (I speak from experience) dives in without a second thought, often suffering the consequences of her impetuousness, but always willing to do it again. She is awe-inspiri...

     Today was the day. The weeks of lazy, hazy, ice cream for breakfast days were at an end, and my sixteen year old woke painfully early, scarfed a breakfast of corn fritters, and got ready for The First Day Of School.      What a change a year can make.      This time last year he was a shy, unsure, introverted boy, heading to a new school. Familiar classmates were there, but it was still such a change, and sometimes a hard one. Today.... today my son is a confident, self-assured, self-directed young man, eager to return to work, to begin studying the science he so loves, ready to embark on the first leg of the journey to adulthood. As I watched him walk to the bus stop this morning, on his way to begin his Junior year of high school, I sadly realized that as of today many things are at an end. My little boy, my first-born, is an adult now, at least in most ways. He will be learning to drive. He is applying for jobs...

   I have been having many many problems with my computer lately. I think it's time to take it to the doctor (eg, Staples). Poor sick computer.    All has not been well here in Ellie's world. My uncle passed away suddenly last week; his funeral was a sad goodbye to someone who lived life to its fullest. And two days ago we learned that my husband's great-uncle passed away as well.    On a lighter note, my husband, my sister, and my older children and I spent a ridiculous day doing the back-to-school shopping that needed to be done, as my older boy is heading into his Junior year, and my daughter is entering high school as a Freshman. There is no happier sight than a sixteen year old boy, a thirty-two year old woman, and a thirty-eight year old man racing shopping carts through TJ Maxx. (Especially when the fourteen year old girl is IN the shopping cart the thirty-two year old is pushing) Trust me on this.    The children return to school Wednes...

     'Tis a lovely day here in western Massachusetts. Humidity is low, the sun is shining, and while it's lovely and warm, there's a sweet breeze drifting through the open back door, rustling the leaves of the grapevine, and they're whispering  fall is coming .      Fall, my most favorite of seasons. Three of my children were born in fall, I was married in the fall, and my all-time favorite holiday arrives with a gasp, screech, and lots of candy and pumpkins. Is there ever so wonderful a season as fall in New England? (Readers are going to have to help me out here, as I've never traveled outside of the US, and never further from home than Pennsylvania and Florida. How's fall in your world?)      It's coming, but it's not here, not yet, and summer is still holding her own. On the back steps the peppers and tomatoes are reaching their peak: one pepper picked with much glee, and in a few more days I'll be snapping th...

Hello all. This is just a quick note to let the lovely people that read this know that I will be updating very sporadically; my dear little Toshiba has an evil, terrible, dreadful hard drive-eating virus, and unless I visit my mother's house and pirate her husband's computer, I cannot add new news, creativity and book rants. I am most sorry, but I will pop in whenever I can for this sad computer-less time, and as soon as my compu is fixed, I will be back with a vengeance! Thank you all soooo much for your continued support! Much love, Cole

Greetings all! Still icky-hot here, but we've had a few days here and there where we've gotten out to enjoy the summer days. Yesterday, for example, my troop of children and I headed to my mother's, where my youngest has a lovely backyard to play. He's very into faerie tales and faeries lately, so OF COURSE, we had to make a faerie house. These images and 'instructions' are from the very fun website http://www.fairyhouses.com/  . Check it out! Location Fairy Houses can take many forms and can be created in many different places. Find a quiet place away from roads or busy pathways. The base of a tree or the side of a rock could be just right. Close to the ground is usually best. Sometimes you may find a special place in the low branches of a tree or bush. Look for building areas in woods, beaches, meadows, and especially your own backyard! Use only natural materials to build your house – nothing artificial. Many fairy houses look so natural that...

I've been lax in posting lately, and I'm truly sorry. It's been hot, sticky, and gross, and we've spent our days sitting (melting) in front of fans, trying to stay cool. After watching a dust caribou (that thing was way too big to be a bunny...) roll across the floor I went on a bender, cleaning this place from top to bottom. Now that we can kick back and relax again (my older son quoted Miayazaki's film Howl's Moving Castle as I was cleaning yesterday: "There's a witch on a rampage in here!") I decided we needed some treats that didn't require turning the stove or the oven on. How's popsicles sound to you?       After a four-store search I found popsicle molds, and now we make our own out of juice or iced tea instead of buying sugar- and food-coloring laden ones from the store. The only downside? These will only last about a day-- as soon as they're set my kids dive in...and in...and in. But who cares? They...

We have baby tomatoes! And peppers! AND my morning glory FINALLY has blossoms! Oh, happiness! The tomato plants have taken over the back stairs. I can't find it in my heart to complain :) As my pansies have gone by I've added dill, savory, creeping thyme and monster-sized oregano plants to my herb garden box. Happy is Nicole.

   It's been a few days since I last posted, and for those lovely people that have been checking in, I'm sorry. The temperature has been scary-hot here, so I've been keeping my little guy inside. No running at the park means no rest time; no rest time means no computer time for Momma! We made it out today, though, and I have a big pile of loot from my local library, with delicious titles like Eve's Diary (Mark Twain); The Dyer's Hand (W.H. Auden); Wild Fruits (Thoreau); Shakespeare's Sisters (Sandra Gilbert); Fire of the Goddess (Katalan Koda); Ravensong (Catherine Feher-Elston); and If You Want to Write (Brenda Ueland).    The air conditioner's running, iced tea is dripping condensation on the coffee table, and I've got plenty of books to keep me occupied. Now, if only it weren't too hot to bake cookies.... Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are proof that the Goddess loves us and wants us to be happy, joyful, and fat. 2 cups sugar ...

A week or so ago I posted directions on how to make a journal out of an altered book. After sorting through my collection, I found a 1922 edition of Charlotte Bronte's The Professor , my least favorite of her books, purchased because I am a fan and I felt that I ought to own every one of her books, whether I liked them or not. (Also, it was an inscribed antique book for $6.50. Really, I couldn't go wrong.) But I really don't like The Professor , and so it has become the chosen one:   I am no artist, as you can see, but I love the concept so much I decided to go ahead and make a commonplace book, filled with whatever strikes my fancy, and a few attempts at drawing as I see fit. My incredibly crafty and artistic daughter has asked if she can make one, but her excitement was a bit quelled when I told her she had to use one of her books. Mean, mean mom.

   Now that it's officially summer (okay, midnight tomorrow is officially summer, but unless you're Pagan, who's counting?) it's time to contemplate one of our world's most wonderful features: dirt. Who doesn't like the smell of rich, freshly-turned soil, dark as good chocolate, filled with plant-potential? Okay, you may not like dirt, but you must like food, and without lovely chocolatey-brown dirt, you have no lovely food.    For the last thirteen years I have lived in an apartment in the middle of downtown Turners Falls. While it had enough room for my large family, there was no yard, and the only green in sight was the strip of scraggly grass on the edge of the road. (I also had the apartment with north- and west-facing windows. Direct sunlight was a rare treasure, usually obtained at 6 AM and 4:30 PM). Two months ago my family finally moved. We are in another yardless apartment, still in downtown Turners Falls, but with one huge difference. (well, two, if ...

     It was a rough day here, readers. Four years ago my grandmother Ellie passed away, and the pain is still as raw now as it was then. I didn't get to say goodbye, so I'll never really have closure. I suppose the pain never really goes away, but over time it becomes softened, the sharp edges are worn away to a dull ache. I'll have to wait and see.      On a brighter note, I'm at 100 views, which is AMAZING, thank you all so very much. People from the Netherlands, Armenia, Spain, Venezuela, Germany and Mexico have stopped by, as well as readers in the US. That makes me feel all sparkley inside, like a rainbow exploded or....something.       Anyway, THANK YOU, all of you, any of you, who stop in a read my rambling posts about posty-ness. I am forming a better idea about where I want this blog to go and how I want it to grow into a big, strong, proud blog when it grows up, so if you kind and lovely people just be...

Thanx Natalie at Super Healthy Kids!! Raspberry and Cream Banana Ice Cream (I'm using strawberries, tho ) To make this, blend in a food processor: 1 1/2 frozen bananas 1/2 cup frozen raspberries 1/3 cup vanilla Greek yogurt Blend until smooth and creamy.  Eat immediately or place in the freezer for a harder consistency.  This flavor is creamy and delicious, but also refreshing!

It's been raining rather steadily here for a few days, long enough for me to have made some progress on my stack of summer reading books. Thus far I have finished: The Peabody Sisters by Megan Marshall (An incredible 20 year's worth of work on a group of sisters that made an enormous impact on education in the nineteenth century.) Saffron and Brimstone by Elizabeth Hand (I'm buying this one. The stories were GREAT!) Anam Cara by John O'Donohue (not as moving or thought-provoking as I'd hoped.) Crow Planet by Lyanda Lynn Haupt (Fascinating. I've always liked crows, but other than looking up and thinking 'oh, look, a crow,' I've never really thought about them. Haupt has encouraged me to look at them--really look at them, that is, in a whole new way.) I still have a huge pile to work my way through, including a ludicrously decrepit copy of the life of Sir Richard Francis Burton. Can't wait to travel with Sir Richard!!

http://www.graceisoverrated.com/ I think this is my new favorite place. A blog about journaling? I'm there. She even has downloadable/printable pages for kids' journals! Christie, I think I'm in love.

   In many different traditions lighting a candle is a sacred action. It expresses more than words can express. It has to do with gratefulness. From time immemorial, people have lit candles in sacred places. You may want to begin or end your day by the sacred ritual of lighting a candle on this gratefulness. Or you may want to light a birthday candle for a friend. One single guideline is all you need: Slow down and do it with full attention.                                        ~GrannyMoon https://www.facebook.com/GrannyMoonsMorningFeast

A fabulous Repurposed Book as Sketchbook tutorial by Livividli Lifestyle Blog was linked up to our Green Crafts Showcase this month. I was so inspired by it that it will not only be featured tomorrow as one of the top 5 projects, but I wanted to create my own version. Instead of a sketchbook, I repurposed my book into a journal. What You Will Need: 1. An old book. You can easily find these at garage sales or thrift stores . 2. Crayons or any other items to decorate your journal. How To Do It: 1. Decide what the purpose of your journal will be. Here are some ideas: a travel journal a place for quotes or poetry a scrapbook (almost like a smashbook !) a sketchbook like Livividli Lifestyle Blog write down creative project ideas– I always have a journal in my purse for when ideas pop in my head! an everyday journal 2. Go for it! The great thing about this project is that there aren’t any guidelines or rules. Envision what you want for your journal and then put i...

   Rainy, rainy day. What to do with a rambunctious three year old when he can't go outside and ride his beloved bike? Something needs to be done: the cat is beginning to fear for her life.    Days like today make me wish I had heeded Sarah Ban Breathnach's advice and created a Rainy Day Cabinet, after the manner of Victorian mamas the world over. Lacking a Rainy Day Cabinet, I've turned to Amanda Blake Soule's The Creative Family to see what I can come up with before the cat loses any more whiskers.    We are recently installed in a new apartment with an abundance of space and naked walls. Let's play.....Art Gallery!    Mr. Rambunctious has been given free reign with all the art supplies his little heart desires, and I've gone digging through boxes for picture frames. I'll replace the photos with pieces of my kids' artwork, and viola! Naked wall in living room becomes Wall of Pride. And, like every true gallery, we can change the art work out...

My little Bubbah, my Bean, and I spent a glorious afternoon at my mother's today, playing outside and watching a pair of spastic squirrels square off over Bubb's dropped peanut butter cracker. (We eventually tossed them another one, just to make it fair. I surmised the squirrels were sisters--they still went after each other's cracker.) After spending a day sunning and relaxing, the last thing I feel like doing is cooking an elaborate dinner. Plus, it's shopping day. The inside of the fridge looks remarkably like Antarctica: white and empty. Soooooo...what's for dinner? Let's hop over to http://yummymummykitchen.com for inspiration! Bakes Spaghetti with Burrata it is. Thank you Marina!!! Baked Spaghetti with Burrata  serves 8  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  1 small yellow onion  4 cloves garlic, minced  1 teaspoon dried basil  1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon sea salt  1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper ...

   Happy Morning, everyone! (No, I'm not one of those delightfully chipper morning persons you read about--my husband will be the first to tell you.) I've been awake for a couple hours now, and feeling mostly human, so you get nice Cole instead of evil just-woken-up Cole. So why am I so chipper this morning? It's a beautifully sunny summer morning (Okay, almost summer. I know it's not summer yet...I'm Pagan. We get that stuff. No big party? Not a new season then. See? Perfect logic.) and I woke up to birds singing at the birdfeeder, and had a chance to meditate. Yes, meditate. Not meditate as in sitting pretzeled up making funny sounds with my breath while warbling Vedic chants (not to say that's not a great way to do it) but just lying in bed, watching the leaf shadows move on the walls, listening to my baby breathe beside me.    Meditation is about finding peace within. Allowing yourself to relax fully so that you may achieve a true sense of peace and calm, t...

     Soo...it being that most marvelous time of year, SUMMER, what are your plans? Mine, being Momma and Writer, are going to be the same as my plans for spring, fall, and winter (minus the hot cocoa and quilts, and with a few sandy-beach reading spots thrown in). Somehow, tho, it does seem that I have more time for reading through the summer, probably because my idea of dinner in the summer is salad, not stew; ergo, I'm only cooking for about 15 minutes instead of 45.    Anyway, here you are, my summer reading list. I have not read all (most!) of these, so I can't guarantee they're worth the time, but the ones I have read, I'll let you know. ;) ***All of the photos and info found here are via Goodreads. Know Goodreads? You DON'T?!? Check it out today!!! http://www.goodreads.com Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O'Donohue Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom     Discover the Celtic Circle of Belonging John O'Donohue, po...