Eva's journal

 Our coven celebrated summer solstice a bit early (it's on Wednesday, but people have jobs) today. The day started out cloudy, but it got clearer and by the time I went to catch the tram (and later bus) to get to Inger's place it was sunny and warm. I was going to pick some Golden rain/Laburnum, to have in the Oak king's wreath, by the lake next to her place. I also had the plan to take a quick swim if the weather was warm. Which it of course was. I went swimming there on Tuesday too, but then it was really cold. Now it was only cold when I first got in, then it was lovely. 

Then there was the ritual of course, and hanging out with the rest of the coven - all in the dappled sunlight under oak trees. Food was good, and I'm happy that I am allowed to eat again. There was different types of cabbage, green asparagus, lentil patties (made by me), home made bread, new potatoes cooked with dill and a rhubarb crumble with custard. I didn't have the crumble though, trying to keep my new weight.

After we got back to Inger's place the rest left, and Inger and I, and Inger's daughter went to the lake again for another swim. It was even nicer now, after a long sunny day. And then I took the bus home.


And finally, tonight I bottled my elderflower bubbly. Anna, Maja and I went out to pick them and catch pokemon on Werdnesday evening.

 So, Friday until late afternoon was spent being hung over, which enforced a feeling that has being growing for years: that I actually don't like alcohol much (I do like the taste of beer though). I am very much a person who wants to be in control, and alcohol helps me to relax in social situations, but while it's fun while you're drinking I'm not sure it's worth it. It's not only the hangover, but actually also the feeling of being relaxed and drunk that I'm not sure if I like. I will have think about this.

Anyway, after I got better again and after dinner Valeria, Maja and I went downtown to the Pride festival. Maja bought Pride striped socks and a Pride flag for her own money and I bought Women's lib pins for her and Valeria. And ice-cream. Valeria bought matching socks, but since I already have a pair of Pride overknee socks I didn't think I needed more, and just bought ribbon to have in our hair.
I got to hang with Atalanta, a woman from the local trans group who I met six years ago or something, when I was giving a lecture  at the Pride festival. There was also some excellent entertainment: A burlesque performer who was also a classical dancer doing a beautiful and fun performance en pointe, and, which was the best, A guy in a 1900-1920 suit doing a strip routine to "Pomp and circumstance" ending wearing just a small pink brief, shoes, socks and sock suspenders.
Weather wise it was a lovely evening and we walked home too. Then Anna came over for tea and I did some more sewing on Valeria's Eleonora di Toledo gown.

Saturday I went to Caroline, who has moved south, ca 2 hours by train. This meant that I missed the Pride parade/march, so Valeria and Maja represented the family :) This was my first visit both to Caroline and martin's new flat and to their ritual place and we had a lovely time. The weather was nicer in Helsingborg than in Gothenburg and we sat on the balcony and had tea and I got more both tan and freckles in my face. The ritual was really good and after we got home again we just sat talking until three am. As a consequence of my dieting and my new-found insights about alcohol I didn't have any except a few sips from the ritual cup, so while I was sleepy on Sunday morning I wasn't hung over. And it was really nice to find that I could be awake that late without drinking - normally I gets very sleepy if I'm sober at parties.

I took the train home just before noon and started on a small sewing project, making a top with peasant blouse top and a jersey midriff. These are really popular among people who do rockabilly or 50s looks and I like them a lot. I have made one before and it was nice finding out that they are really easy to make, so that I don't have to pay lots of money for something partly (or wholly) synthetic, but can make them myself.
I made dinner and Anna came over for tea. We watched two Miss Marple episodes while she hemmed a medieval tunic for her son and I continued sewing around all the edges of the trim on Valeria's gown. There's lots of it, but I am making progress

Today I plan to grade tests, go to a meeting at work and then go and get an X-ray of my feet - I hope to get some help for my bunions. Then more sewing I presume. Which reminds me that I have to go downtown to get some bias tape and some piping, The former is for a dress that I have remade and the latter for another pair of shorts; I found a piece of of dark blue twill and I plan to add red piping to it.

I've neither had time nor energy to do much with the dollhouse lately. Rickard and I have put on the front doors, so that it looks like a real house. And today, after working some for my real, paid work I finished a bed for the Maja doll, which I started a couple of days ago. The base is foamboard and the legs are wooden strips, it's made in the same way as the beds that I made for my other dollhouse. The fabric hanging down on the sides is a strip of linen with the selvedge, originally inteded to be used for ruffs.


The lamp, which changes the colour of its light, is from Skala Minimal.

( More images )

I have also made a doll of the Goddess Brighid, that was a gift to a very ill little boy and his parents. Since she's a Goddess of healing (and poetry and smithcraft) I thought that he needed one. The penannular brooch was made by my friend Inger.

This Saturday we welcomed a new coven member. The first one without ovaries ;) There should have been three, but they were busy this weekend so it will probably have to wait until September, since in the summer they have their own wedding and another coven member is also getting married so that we have very few free weekends.

It was touching as always and we also had a good party. I left at 1 a.m. because unlike the others I wasn't sleeping at the covenstead but at my mum's place, since she was taking care of Maja while Rickard was working and I was busy with wicca stuff.

Sunday morning I woke way too early, before both my mum and Maja, so I was rather tired the whole day. Despite this we had nice day. My mum left for work at nine and then Maja and I played and read. Mostly outdoors, despite teh really chilly weather (10 C/50F and strong winds) until noon. Then I made lunch at around 12.30 my half sister picked us up and we went with her to see her mother and then go through some old junk of my father's. I now own a new (for me) rucksack, a couple of studio photos from my mum and dad's wedding and of me and my brother and two more old sewing machines. I didn't take those now though, since we were going home by train and they weigh a ton. There was some other stuff too, which we will have to borrow/rent a car to go and get later in the summer.

It was nice to meet my sister and my father's widow and I also loved seeing the place where they rent storage space, which is an old mental asylum.

Then we went hoem with the train and got home and it poured down the whole evening, which was a pity since IFK Göteborg were playing a cup game and the twins were there to see it and stood in the rain for two hours. I made them hot chocolate when they came home and now we'll have to wait and see if they catch colds.


Oh - and Maja lost her two front teeth last week.

The weekend was rather busy. On Friday I finished an article and to celebrate I went to my friend and former high priestess for tea and cookies, and ended up having an improvised ritual which was really fantastic and not getting home until 1 am. Then on Saturday we did laundry and then Rickard and I went to a gig with one of Sweden's best and most legendary rock bands: Sator.

An old song:



(It's a not very good fan video, but the song is good)
( Read more... )

Sunday was spent out of doors. First Valeria and I went to a protest against an extreme right rally here in Gothenburg. And there really wasn't any rioting, I just wanted an "r" for Sunday too in the headline. Some of the protesters tried to stop the racists from marching by sitting down in front of the police, there was some egg throwing and the police used horses and dogs to clear the way for the racist march, but there wasn't any rioting. I know what a riot looks like. And I wouldn't bring my daughter to one. Oh, and some even more extreme right organization threw something that exploded with a very loud bang in to the anti-racist demonstration, but didn't harm anyone as far as I know.

After the police had blocked the whole anti-racist demonstration from entering the towns' center where the racist public meeting was to be held (it must be practical for the police with a moat that encloses the whole centre at times like this ;)) Valeria and I went home, changed clothes and the whole family went to the other side of the river to a football match. Of which I will say no more than that it was still sunny and it was fun to do something with the whole family. And that we lost with 3-1.

I now had new freckles and yesterday my forehead and nose were pink from the sun.

Mostly mental health I think but physical too. I really ought to start working on an article which is supposed to be finished on the 8th, but instead I've spent the morning at home - relaxing, cleaning and re-decorating my altar and studied the tarot, which I'm trying to learn to work more with. Then, in forty minutes I'm going to the hospital to talk the counselor at the arthritic ward and then aqua aerobics at the same place.
I may not work as much as I should, but I deserve this day.

I also had a very good full moon celebration yesterday, despite having only slept two hours between Sunday and Monday.

For practical reasons my coven celebrated the summer solstice one day early. We were out in one of our member's house, 35 minutes by train from Gothenburg and we had a wonderful day out in the countryside. The ritual was lovely, the company was the best, the sun shone all of the time (it was raining in Gothenburg), the food was yummy and we felt the blessing of the gods.

Though I can't say that most of the things are unpacked at least the furniture is now mostly in the place it's supposed to be and at least half of the boxes are unpacked. Some of them, like my medieval garb, we can't unpack until we have bought a closet for Maja, since there isn't any space to put them right now, other things are in those awful boxes were lots of different stuff is all jumbled together at the very end of the move. But by mid-April we have probably been to IKEA to get that closet and new desks for the big girls and then we should be able to unpack everything.
One good thing with Rickard being free from work and Maja thus at home is that it's okay to stay up late together and unpack things while she's watching a film and we're having a beer.

Tomorrow the cleaners will come to our old flat and then we hand over the keys. This night I went over there for the last time and cleaned away all remnants of the magical and religious work I've done there, you can't leave energy like that lingering around after you've left. It felt very empty when I was finished.

No matter that I'm tired and sick and we really ought to do some cleaning - this will be a good day! Because first I'm going to have a ritual with my friend/former High Priestess and then we're going to go to Tip the Velvet the Gothenburg Burlesque Club together - and lots of our friends will be there too.
I'm doing laundry now, but I'm trying to get the energy to pack my stuff, put my hair in rollers and learn my ritual parts by heart.