Betsy Snow White Bibliophile

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  • Will you be my Grandma?

    Will you be my Grandma?

    Recently I was on my assigned week for our company’s Meals on Wheels route. The way our assignment works you run a week every 3 months. We leave the building about 11 am and deliver to between 6 and 9 houses. This week we had a couple of new houses on the route, and had lost a few houses as is common while people lose and gain eligibility.

    The house on Petticoat Ct was a new one, and when we pulled up I was immediately charmed by the well maintained flower boxes, beds, and pots. We got to the porch and I remarked how rare it was to see the old cast iron boot scrapers anymore, this one in the shape of a dachshund. We knocked on the door, and when it was opened the sound of 1940’s jazz/ big band came streaming out. She invited us in and the house smelled like cinnamon. On the wall was an Irish Blessing. She was sweet, and asked me to point to where to sign because she doesn’t see very well.

    I wondered if she has close family. Does she get company often? I hope so.

    One day she came to the door wearing a pair of bright pink shoes. I complimented them and she laughed that her sister said she was spending the big bucks on Sketchers, but “jokes on her. These are from Walmart.”

    Dear Lady on Petticoat Ct. I no longer have any living grandparents and I miss them terribly, so I would like to apply to be a new adopted grand daughter for you. I am very good at being quiet and listening for long periods of time. I love to watch all classic movies and TV shows. I will listen to any music. I love puzzles, crosswords, and word finds. I lived most of my life with my maternal grandparents and it made me really appreciate the wisdom of my elders.

    Thank you for your consideration.

    Betsy

  • She’s an Impostor!

    She’s an Impostor!

    Recently, I was attending a party at my brother and sister-in-law’s house, when a friend of theirs whom I have met a couple of times but never really spoken to asked me what I do. I told him that I am currently working at a bank, and that I am about to finish my degree in English-Creative Writing. He said, logically, “So you are a writer?”. And, my brain froze, I internally stuttered over calling myself a writer. I am roughly two terms away from a degree in Creative Writing and I am hesitant to call myself a writer.

    What the ever loving hell is that?

    Oh, I know what this is, Impostor Syndrome. That feeling that you are not good enough, smart enough, or enough enough. How can I claim to be a writer? Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Charles de Lint, J.K. Rowling, hell even V.C. Andrews are writers, are authors. I am, what, a dabbler, a student, a learner, but not a writer.

    But why not? Why not a writer. I have written poetry and stories since I was old enough to do so. I have hosted a blog on one platform or another since 2008. I have written essays with depth, and meaning. I have grown and learned, and written so much. When do I become a writer then?

    In the end I told him I am a writer. I told him about my blog, and how I had just bought my domain. He loved my “brand” and told me that he works in publishing for companies. We had a lovely talk about publishing, self-publishing, and self-promotion. It was nice to get outside validation of some of my choices as a writer.

    Because I am a writer.

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  • Eight Wheels of Badass Joy

    Eight Wheels of Badass Joy

    I can remember the first time I put on a pair of roller skates. I was 5. We had a field trip to roll-a-way skating rink for my Daisy girl scout troop. My mother strapped me into the skates and I was off. My mother was terrified because I had my tongue sticking out the whole time and she was sure I was going to fall and bite my tongue in half. That never happened (thank god) but inside me a love sparked that I carry to this day.

    As a preteen I would slip my Paula Abdul tape into the boombox and skate in circles in my garage for hours. Round and round to Cold Hearted Snake and Hush just me and my favorite skates. In the late nineties I would flirt with inline skates, but I always came back to my favorite quad skates. In my teens I would stop skating for a bit,  switching with my friends to skateboarding which was not my forte.

    In my twenties I was at the Columbus International Body Arts Expo when I saw a flyer on a table for a newly forming Roller Derby team in Columbus. I was immediately interested, but was trepidatious so I just didn’t pull the trigger. One of my coworkers joined, and I was there at the very first exhibition bout. I was mesmerized by these ladies, who were skating rock stars.

    With names like Scarlette Fury, Ruby Doom, and Holly Hotwheels these badass women were the hardcore skaters that I always wanted to be. They were fast, and hard hitting. They were semi-violent tank girls on quad skates. All I wanted was to be one of them, be friends with them, and to support them in any way possible.

    Since then I have gone to at least one bout every year. I trained with them for a couple of wannabe sessions a few years ago, until a freak non-skating knee injury led to a torn ACL. I have volunteered by working the door, and anywhere else they need me. And next season my friend Susan and I are going to be Roller Derby cheerleaders for Ohio Roller Derby.

    It has been a while, but I am also beginning to want to get back on my skates. I have begun checking out paths that are smooth enough for skating, and safe enough. I need to get my skates out to give them some TLC. I think I am going to paint them, and maybe glitter them up a bit. It’s time to skate again.

     

  • What I am loving: Movies of the 80s edition

    What I am loving: Movies of the 80s edition

    Playing on Amazon Prime one day I found the movie Earth Girls are Easy, a particular favorite of mine from when I was younger. If you are unfamiliar with this particular film it centers around Gina Davis’ character Valerie and what happens when an alien ship crash lands in her pool. The furry aliens are shaved and reveal themselves to be Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans and Jeff Goldblum. Valerie is just trying to keep them “safe” while waiting for her pool to be drained by a surfer dude named Woody, played by Michael McKean. There is sex, weird super feel good touching, dance battles, musical sequences and eventually a happy and slightly bizzare ending.

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    I thoroughly enjoyed my latest watching of this film and was conveying as much to my sister-in-law, Niki, when she mentioned a movie she remembered from the eighties with Jeff Goldblum and Cyndi Lauper. I am a movie buff and was shocked that I had no knowledge of this film. Niki recalled that the movie was called Vibes. Well it wasn’t on streaming anywhere, but I found a copy of the dvd for sale on Amazon, so I ordered it.

    Vibes is about a couple of psychics, Goldblum and Lauper, being used to recover some kind of treasure in South America by Peter Falk. Lauper plays a woman who channels a spirit which tells her important things, and Goldblum is a man who can touch an object and tell you where it has been. Overall the movie is an entertaining romp, and Lauper is ADORABLE in it. I wanted 90% of her clothing, and enjoyed her performance so much.

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    Then yesterday I decided to hop into yet another 80s film with Desperately Seeking Susan, a film I know I watched as a kid but that left no impression except that Madonna is cool. Rewatching it I thoroughly enjoyed the punk aesthetic, and the mistaken identity/ amnesia story. Roberta’s husband was appealingly skeezy, Roberta adorably naive, Dez (played by Aiden Quinn much to my delight) charmingly frustrated, and Susan breezily chill and confident. I genuinely enjoyed watching it again for the first time, since I had forgotten everything but the fact that it starred Madonna.

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    More than anything, though, I am in love with the style of the female characters in these films. My freak/punk/goth heart swelled at the fishnet, petticoats, lace, boots, ornate jackets and leather. It sent me down a rabbit hole on Pinterest. Are there any other 80s movies I should revisit? Let me know in the comments.

    Here are some images of amazing styles from the three films.

  • Local 614 – Stadium Virginium

    Local 614 – Stadium Virginium

    Last Friday night, I reserved a table for my mother, my sister, and myself to the first show of the year for Columbus drag queen Virginia West at Axis Nightclub. This was our second straight year of attending Stadium Virginium, and we were excited to repeat the experience. After drinking several “Rob’s Busted Peach”, a delicious vodka fueled drink, it was absolutely time for the show to start.

    The theme for this years show was 80’s and 90’s Pop, and the show was a blinding whirlwind of your favorite songs. Things that were actually shouted out by me, “Oh my god! Is this Debbie Gibson?!” (It was) “What do you mean you have never seen the breakfast club?” (I am apparently a shitty older sister) “Holy Shit Hall and Oates.” This was sprinkled in among singing at the top of my lungs and screaming “YAAASSSS!!” Old school Madonna, Whitney Houston, Prince, Bobby Brown, Spice Girls, Britney, and a fabulous Missy Elliot performed at the highest level of entertainment by the multi-talented cast. There was dancing, singing, amazing drag, and a lot of humor.

    To cap off the amazing night, Virginia invited the audience to donate to Everytown USA in light of the recent shooting in Parkland, FL.  Last count I heard over $700 was raised in the course of a single song.

    There are several more shows this weekend and you can get tickets Here! I could not recommend it more.

     

  • Magickal Monday – Sturgeon Moon

    Magickal Monday – Sturgeon Moon

    Happy Full Moon, Witches!! I hope the coming of the sturgeon moon finds you well. This is a full moon in Aquarius, which according to Madeleine of Written in the Stars Horoscopes and Tarot is the full moon of the Rebel, so get out there and break the rules. Find new ways of doing things. Make things happen.

    I decided to do a spread today with The Halloween Oracle. I used a spread from the accompanying book called the Halloween Three Card Draw.

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    I shuffled until I had three “jumpers” and then laid out the spread. Imagine my surprise as I turned over the first card it was actually two, hmm… I decided that I would read with both of these cards standing in the Card 1 position. In another bit of irony I ended up with two different skulls, so Card 1 is Skull of Flowers and Skull of Light.

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    Skull of flowers is about coming back from a hard time. Learning to create again after you have been cast down. “Sometimes the universe gives us a blank slate to work from, so we can build what we really want, rather than just settling for less.” I recently got a new job after too many years of working in a department that did not appreciate my contributions, and often took advantage of my knowledge without duly compensating me for my work. My new position came with being told I was highly desired, with a lot of positive feedback, and with a substantial raise. This fits well. The skull of light is about shining light into the shadows in order to see yourself, and allow yourself to be seen. I have been hiding in a position that made me unhappy, because I was half convinced that I was not worthy of anything better. That I was not smart enough, knowledgeable enough, or talented enough to achieve anything more. In the last couple of weeks though, I became painfully aware that I cannot continue as I have. That I am worth more, and deserve more, and I achieved it fairly quickly once I turned my mind that way. Again, pretty accurate.

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    Card 2 The Challenge: For card two Zombie jumped. The zombie is about control. Do you want to control everything? Or are you allowing others to control you? What are you doing currently that you do not want to do? What are you not doing that you wish you were? Why aren’t you doing it? It is time to find a way to live your best life.

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    Card 3 The Solution: Another twofer! This time I was presented with The Veil and Scrying. The Veil rules the future. It’s presence says that the veil is thin, and other worlds are close. Listen to what messages may come regarding the future. “Plan, set intentions, think big!” Scrying is about trusting your intuition. Maybe you should try scrying, especially with this card coming with the veil. It is time to work on your intuition, and stop relying on your rational mind for all the answers.

    Tasseomancy is not generally my cup of tea (pun intended) but I think I am going to get my white cup and my witches brew tea, and see what may come up.

    I see a person jumping a fire. And the head of a bull? I saw a sword, and a circle. I think it is time I did some wilding. It has been too long. Only a little over a month until Earth Warriors Festival!

    I have put some water with a piece of quartz and a piece of moonstone in it out to charge in the moonlight. Full moon blessings friends.

     

     

  • Blessed Lammas/ Lughnasadh

    Blessed Lammas/ Lughnasadh

    It is difficult in the heat of August to think that Fall is starting. In Ohio we have at least another month of summer like conditions to go at the beginning of August, so for me Lammas is less a Fall/Harvest festival than it is a celebration of the continuation of summer. It is the time when all the county fairs begin, and when the schools are getting ready to open again for the school year.

    Lammas is a bright golden sunny holiday; it brings with it the glance of fall that comes when you think of children going to school, football games, and bonfires at night. Corn is not quite its ripest or sweetest, but it is working toward it. August is when you start to work overtime to do all the fun summer things you wanted to get in before the season was over. Lammas is a warning that your summer is winding down, and your autumn is on the horizon.

    Enjoy the last days of your summer. Go to a baseball game, eat a popsicle from a truck, go on a picnic, do all the things that make summer what it is.

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  • Magickal Monday (okay Tuesday) – New Moon

    Happy New Moon! It is a monthly time of beginnings. Anything new with you? Any plans up your sleeves? Now is the time to get started. 

    In light of the full moon I decided to play with my cards a bit. First I asked for a focus from the Halloween Oracle. I received: 

    Werewolf is about exploring your wild side. Maybe it is time to return to nature, or to do something crazy, like how at the Moon. Basically it is about allowing yourself to be more free than may be normal for you. Embrace the more animal side of your nature. 

    I also pulled for a new moon spread I found on Pinterest using the Deviant Moon Tarot.

    My pull looked like this: 

    1) What intentions can I set to strengthen my practice? Eight of Pentacles: It is time to put in some work. Establish a regular practice, even if it is a simple one. Find small rituals that resonate for you. These do not have to be elaborate, they just have to be done.

    2) What intentions can I set to strengthen my spirit? XI Strength: You are stronger than you think. You have been told that because you are emotional you are weak. That is not true. Empathy can be a great strength, as can sympathy which is different but important. Build your strengths, and learn how to use them to your benefit. 

    3) What intentions can I set to strengthen my creativity? Ace of Wands: Create! Don’t think about it, don’t plan it, don’t procrastinate! Just buckle down and make things, write things, paint things, etc. Creativity builds on itself, and soon you will find it burgeoning. 

    4) What intentions can I set to nurture my relationships? IX The Hermit: Be sure to take time for yourself, because that is healthy. Don’t go too far though. Escape is good, but don’t go into hiding. 

    5) What intentions can I set to inspire others? Five of Wands: Be the calm voice in the chaos. Diplomacy is a gift, so use it to be a bridge. 

    6) What intentions can I set to broaden my compassion? Seven of Wands: People are feeling lost and confused, and you know this feeling, so reach out. Be the light for others. Be compassion. Help. 
    In my witchy world I officially bought our passes to Earth Warriors Festival. If you have never been to the festival it is a multi-path pagan festival that is housed at Camp Graham in Clarksville, OH. It is truly one of the most open festivals I have ever attended. I could not recommend it more. And this year is the 10 year anniversary, so the festival is bringing in even more authors, teachers and musicians. 

    Blessings.

    Betsy

  • Magickal Monday – Witchy Haul!

    Magickal Monday – Witchy Haul!

    Happy 4th of July Eve to my American Friends! To everyone else Happy Magickal Monday!!

    I have done some witchy shopping in the last couple of weeks, so I thought I would share some of my recent purchases.

    From a little shop in Yellow Springs, Ohio called House of Ravenwood I bought a piece of statuary that is a Merlin/Wotan – Odin. The workers and I thought it to be Odin. The box called him Merlin, but to me he is an Odin as the wanderer piece.

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    From my friend Seamus’ shop The Magical Druid I picked up a beautiful copper bracelet with pentacles on it. I also picked up a gorgeous piece of peacock ore, and a nice chunk of Black Tourmaline.

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    And a new oracle deck called The Halloween Oracle. The imagery on this deck is beautiful. I love Halloween, so this deck is right up my alley.

     

    I shuffled until a card popped out as a simple one card spread and I got the card:

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    Nightsong – Hidden Talents:  Should this beautiful but shy bird sing to you by appearing during your divination, know that you must unwrap the present of yourself. Look! Some of the gifts within you remain unopened! The time has come to step into your true potential and claim all possibilities for yourself. There is no more time to waste. No more excuses! – Stacey Demarco

    I am so excited to continue working with this deck. I think it is quickly going to become a favorite.

    My younger sister has gifted me with a beautiful picture which I am planning to frame to add to my altar space. I have no idea where it is from, or who the artist is, so if you know them please let me know.

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    I also made a trip last Thursday to my friend Heather’s shop Violet Flame Gifts in Newark. I was picking up the gorgeous drinking horn she made that was just begging to be owned by my husband. While I was there I found a gorgeous wand that I could not resist. Labradorite and Turquoise are two of my favorite stones. I am thinking of this as my Pisces wand, because of the shells and starfish motifs on it. I am so in love.

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    That is all, and enough, lol. Expect to see more of the oracle deck, and of that wand.

    Bright Blessings!

     

     

  • Things I Love Thursday – GLOW

    Things I Love Thursday – GLOW

    So, it all started a couple of weeks ago when I was staying up to finish a paper for school. My husband had gone to bed so I decided to turn on something random that I wouldn’t have to stay up to finish. I decided on a documentary about women wrestlers from the late 80’s called GLOW: The Story of the Glorious Ladies of Wrestling. I ended up staying up quite late to finish the documentary.

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    I fell in love. Instantly. I did not watch the show when it was on, and honestly younger me would not have appreciated it, but oh it hit something within me. The glitter, the drama, the silliness, the humor, the insane costumes, and everything. If you have not watched the documentary then you should.

    Then just a few weeks after I watched the documentary Netflix announced a show based on the original show called GLOW. Starring Allison Brie, Marc Maron and Betty Gilpin. We binge watched it as soon as it hit, and I loved it. At first Allison Brie’s character, Ruth, was ridiculously annoying. By the end of the season, though, she had grown on me and really come into her own as a character. I cannot recommend the series more.

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