Fangirls, Catgirls, and Halloween. Oh My!

Awesome weekend! Friday was Halloween and other than maybe hitting a construction barrel and knocking off my passenger side rear view mirror (um...oops?), it was a great day. The Pumpkin was home since there was no school that day (I wish they did that when I was a kid). We cleaned up the house and mostly chilled for the day. She was a vampire ninja (pictures below). Originally, the fi and I were supposed to take her out Trick-or-Treating while my parents passed out candy. Well, my mom went over to my grandfather's to help him pass out candy which meant my dad would be sitting there by himself. And since I was still a bit shook up about the whole taking out my mirror thing (we had gone out to dinner and just gotten back), I asked my dad if he minded trading.

Well, I learned why my mom goes all out with the Halloween decorating--it just brings joy to everyone. Its fun passing out candy at the "cool" and "spooky" house. The weather was great too--a little chilly but nice. My daughter made it all the way around the neighborhood this year (a first) and got tons of candy! Afterwards, I did a ritual to honor those who have passed, in particular my Mimi.

The next day was Youmacon! This is my first year going and I can't believe that such an awesome con was going on so close and I didn't even know about it. After the ex came to pick up the pumpkin, I headed up with the fi and a couple of friends. I was the only one of us to cosplay (just a goth Lolita type get up, I wish I took a picture) and as it turns out I blended right in. Almost everyone there was in some sort of cosplay get up. My cosplay outfit morphed into a goth Lolita catgirl when the fi bought me some cat ears and leather collar with a bell (MEOW!). I also got a beautiful purple Chinese style dress. And the best news--it was a medium! That's right, I've actually lost more weight!

But there's even more! Youmacon was just bubbling full of events and panels for a fangirl like me. I did sit in on the Sailor Moon panel (I've never been in a room with so many senshi cosplayers before!). We went and watched a new anime in one of the screening rooms too (To-Love-Ru). But since this was a first trip, it was mostly exploratory t0 what was there. I think to get the real Youmacon experience you need to go for all four days (the thing runs 24 hours, as lot of the more adult stuff happens "after hours"). We (me, the fi, and our friends) are thinking of trying to do whole thing next year (even getting a hotel room to crash at for downtimes and at night). We'll have to see what next year brings, but it is a definite possibility.

Oh...and beware of Vampire Ninjas (not Geishas as they are often confused by people handing out Halloween candy).

Oh and I forgot. The Pumpkin's birthday was the 28th. She is on an all things Asian kick right now (as you may have guessed). Originally she wanted to bring in Chinese food for her snack, but I didn't think that'd go over well with her classmates. So I made homemade cupcakes and decorated them with the kanji for friendship (well, at least that's what the Internet said). Here they are (though not all decorated yet):

A Change is Coming?

I've had the weirdest feeling? Impression? I'm not even sure what to call it. It's rather like a hyper-awareness The world around is going through a change, a major change. Well, I should say semi-global change--I don't think this change extend much beyond our planet. And I know just how crazy I sound when I say stuff like this, but the feelings been there for some time now, getting stronger as the years have passed. It was faint when I was college, but now it seems almost dizzying and I'm not sure what to make of it.

I can't help feeling that everything that's happening right now is part of it--elections, the economy, the environment. I could be wrong. I don't know...

What I do know is that I've been rather lax with my craft for some time now. I've put behind other things like getting my life back together. And while things are going swimmingly now, I think its time to nurse some of the lingering spiritual wounds. For the longest time, I had to practice my craft in complete secrecy in fear of what the person who was supposed to be my spiritual partner would do to me. Even when I was free from him, there were more pressing matters to be attended to, so I put my craft to the side, practicing when I could but not really advancing any.

So, I'm a student once more, but this time a student of the Craft. I'm working out a course of study for myself. But I know I am the point where I need teachers, people who can guide me to the next step. Lacking any local resources in this area, I've decided to enroll at witchschool.com. I'm aware of the controversy about the school (ie its all for profit), but they do offered structured courses within a set curriculum. And there are several courses offered for free, which I am currently taking now. If I find their courses to be worthwhile, I can see investing the money ($30 for lifetime membership seems very reasonable) to take other courses through them. At the very least, I'll have been initiated into a tradition.

Well, I guess that's enough of my crazy for one day. Tonight, I trick-or-treat!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween by smoonsilver