Happy Fourth Anniversary, Independent State of Caledon!

I found Caledon when the fourth sim was just being added. And as of last night it has grown to 50! Long may her citizens prosper and be happy. ALL of them!

Guv'nah Shang, The Vicereine, Kamilah Hauptmann, and me.

Happy Anniversary to Caledon!!


Note: Slideshow of event has been removed as visible protest to the banning of some citizens & friends of The Independent State of Caledon from the celebrations.


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One Night Only: The Moulin Rouge in Isle of Skye

February 27th at 7pm SLT

We welcome all can-can dancers, bohemians of the new revolution, absinthe drinkers, green fairies, gentlemen (particularly those bearing gifts of diamonds), ladies, evil Maharajahs, narcoleptic Argentinians, and courtesans.



After seeing a bit of the Baz Luhrmann kinescope again several weeks ago, I decided that I really would like to throw a party based on his vision of the Moulin Rouge. Thankfully I have friends who loved the idea and were more than happy to make this vision come to life for me and for you. Hypatia Callisto has been an inspiration and so great to sponsor the event with me. Icarus Ghost has been a fabulous co-conspirator, provided the wonderful windmill build, and will be our band leader for the event. Kate Nicholas and I have been working on the major parts of the build. She has created a remarkable design based on our conversations and collaborations. And finally, Iason Hassanov is building the Eiffel Tower (a scale model) for us.

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Step into THE carbaret of 19th century Paris. Spectacular! Spectacular!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

While I missed the fabulous Caledonian Mardi Gras parades entirely due to my real life schedule, I was fortunate enough to join in the post parade revels for a while.

Lady Eleanor, Lady Eva (and our feathers) dance with the creator of the Caledon Mardi Gras Parade, Iason Hassanov.

photo credit: Eleanor Anderton

For more information on Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras see this Wikipedia link.

Time for the Annual Ski Trip

I'll see you upon my return! Or sooner, if a creative streak finds me and I decide to write in these pages while I am on the slopes.

The Snow Storm
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,
Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields,
Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air
Hides hill and woods, the river, and the heaven,
And veils the farmhouse at the garden's end.
The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet
Delated, all friends shut out, the housemates sit
Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed
In a tumultuous privacy of storm.
Come see the north wind's masonry.
Out of an unseen quarry evermore
Furnished with tile, the fierce artificer
Curves his white bastions with projected roof
Round every windward stake, or tree, or door.
Speeding, the myriad-handed, his wild work
So fanciful, so savage, nought cares he
For number or proportion. Mockingly,
On coop or kennel he hangs Parian wreaths;
A swan-like form invests the hiddden thorn;
Fills up the famer's lane from wall to wall,
Maugre the farmer's sighs; and at the gate
A tapering turret overtops the work.
And when his hours are numbered, and the world
Is all his own, retiring, as he were not,
Leaves, when the sun appears, astonished Art
To mimic in slow structures, stone by stone,
Built in an age, the mad wind's night-work,
The frolic architecture of the snow.

Là Fhèill Brìghde

Thig an nathair as an toll
Là donn Brìde,
Ged robh trì troighean dhen t-sneachd
Air leac an làir.

Wishing you and yours a blessed St. Brigid's Day.

As the patron saint of healing, poetry, and smithcraft among many other things, Brigid watches over me - and has always been special to me.

A different St. Brigid than most of us are used to viewing.

Brigid's feast day was placed by the early church on the calendar at the pagan festival of Imbolc, the ancient celebration of the coming of Spring. Brigid holds the distinct honor of being both a Pagan Goddess and a recognized Christian Saint. Her story is even more amazing in that no one actually knows if she even existed in the “real” world. Belief in her was so widespread that early Christianity had no choice but to honor her, as the Pagans simply refused to stop worshipping her.

The festival that honors Brigid is called Imbolc, which is celebrated on February 1st. This is a solar festival which honors the sun, and of course light. It is also a festival of purification by fire. The word Imbolc translates to “in milk.” When our ancient ancestors peeked out of their caves and saw pregnant animals wandering by, they knew that Spring was just around the corner.

Worship of Brigid eventually reached Scotland and the British Isles, so she is a true Celtic Goddess indeed. However, Brigid was eventually made a Saint by the Christian church. This aspect of Brigid founded a religious community at Kildare in Ireland. A fire in her honor was kept burning day and night until fairly recent times. Nineteen maidens were in attendance at all times to make sure the fire never went out. This reverence for fire was most likely residual from her Goddess aspect. As a Saint Brigid was seen as the midwife for the Virgin Mary, and she is also the patroness Saint of Ireland.

The eve of St Brigid’s day is still celebrated by some in Ireland and in some parts of Britain. Images of her are made out of straw and used as protectors of the household. Offerings of food and gifts are placed outside for her, as she is said to walk among the hillsides on that night. St. Brigid’s crosses are also made in the shape of a sun wheel to honor both the Goddess and the newly arrived Sun.

The celebration of Imbolc in Scotland is a bit different with Brigid replacing the blue-faced hag of the Highlands, who is the winter version of the Goddess. Her name is Cailleach Bheur. This festival of Brigid was at one time only open to the women of the Highlands.

Tonight on Isle of Skye I will be lighting the fires - the sacred flames of healing and purification. I have not yet decided whether this will be a private marking of the day or something more public and festive. Just might get something fun together and send my messenger around to all of you to join in the celebration.


For more information on St. Brigid please feel free to travel to the Sanits SQPN site.