Tonight begins astrological Samhain, the last night my altar will be up because tomorrow I finish packing up and head to Hurley NY. It’s a 120 mile drive that could take me a bit more than four hours, depending on how good the back roads are. I am hoping to fill the tank with water, get gas, and be rolling before noon … which is about the time I crawl out of bed on cold days. 

This photo was taken at my parent’s wedding in the early 1950s. You can see why I’m short. I cropped out my dad who is still very much alive and sealed the photo with Mod Podge, hence the texture. It has a place of honor above my altar. I love how my mother is holding her mother’s hand. I still have her wedding dress in a box under my bed back at the farm. There is no way I was ever going to fit in it, but I couldn’t let it go, but have yet to formulate a plan for what to do with it. I’m thinking of making dream pillows for those who miss her most or donate it to someone who makes christening gowns for stillborns. If you have ideas, please share.

The tea is brewed, so I’m moving back to the chair next to the altar and keep my hands warm holding the cup while offering love and gratitude to all who came before me back to the beginning of time.

Tomorrow night I’ll celebrate the pagan new year in a wide open field with a great view … having totally not factored in that to see the valley below, I must go up a mountain. I’ll get into my travel mode as I start moving south to New Jersey, and then a stop just north of Philly. After that it’s back to flying by the seat of my pants. With below freezing temperatures at night and the price of diesel gas at $3.78 a gallon, it’s looking like the most direct route avoiding major highways will be the one I take … unless you can suggest a detour too good to miss.