Halloween Traditions

Hey everyone! It’s my favorite time of year! Spooky Season! This week on the podcast we are talking about Halloween traditions and the things we like to do every year on Halloween. I am in a transitional place in my life, but I want to talk about some of the new traditions I have started over the past few years as well as some of the traditions that I have kept from my childhood.

Pumpkin Carvings by Jason and I

Halloween Decorations

Checking out the decorations at Michael's

I know a lot of people like to decorate for Halloween, and I am no exception. It excites me when the first Halloween decorations hit the shelf at the end of July/beginning of August. I typically like to hit up the décor sections early in the season and I like to hit them up again the day after Halloween. This, of course, was a tradition that I shared with my mom in the past. She always liked to prepare for the coming holidays early. I, however, keep my house decorated in a spooky aesthetic all year round. So, I keep two types of Halloween decorations: the ones I only pull out in October, such as fake cobwebs and spooky lights, and the ones I keep up all year, like my collection of gothic literature decorations.

31 Nights of Horror

Every October, like many horror fans, I TRY to achieve the near impossible (for someone with very little time), and that is to watch 31 horror or spooky movies in October. There really are no rules to this challenge other than you have to watch 31 horror (or, spooky if you don’t like horror) movies in October. Some bloggers even go so far as to create a daily theme for this challenge. Like this one from Horror Hound.

Every year, I fail miserably at this due to poor planning and not taking this challenge as seriously as other people do. I have only made it through ten movies this year. Aside from that, I like to go to the movies and watch at least one horror movie at the movies, and I have stuck to this tradition every year including in 2020 when most movie theaters were shut down and movies were going direct to streaming. This year, I saw Barbarian in the theater. The movie is about a woman, Tess, who books a remote home in Detroit to stay at while she attends a job interview only to find that it was double booked by an awkwardly creepy man named Keith. Tess ultimately decides to share the booking with Keith because the weather was horrible and there were no available hotels in the area.

Local Fall/Halloween Festivals

Pumpkin Nights with Jason

This is a new tradition that Jason and I started last year and continued this year during October. Last year, we went to Frights’n Lights in Frisco, which is a fall festival held every weekend in October that displays hundreds of horror icon lanterns and movie character carved pumpkins. The festival also boasts the largest trick-or-treat trail in Texas. This year, we decided to take a similar route and attend Pumpkin Nights in Arlington. Pumpkin Nights is a fall festival held every weekend in October that displays a trail of events and photo opportunities made almost completely out of pumpkin lanterns. The event also hosts a variety of activities such as shopping, a food truck park, and a playground for kids and adults.

Matching Pajamas

New PJs with Christen

This is also a new tradition that Christen and I mentioned on the podcast. Last year, I attended a slumber party that was thrown for Reyna at the beginning of October 2021 and I decided to stay the night to watch horror movies. Christen, the girls, and I went on a late-night run to Walmart for snacks and ended up in the pajama section. We bought matching nightshirts and wore them while we watched horror movies all night. We had so much fun shopping together, we decided we needed to do it again in the future. A couple of weeks ago, Reyna had her October slumber party and we ended up at Walmart in the pajama section again. We bought another set of matching nightshirts and ended the night watching horror movies, thus adding a new Halloween tradition.

Whether it is a new tradition or an old tradition, Halloween will always be my favorite holiday. I want to hear from our readers. Do you have any fun Halloween traditions? How long have you kept these traditions? Are there any new things you’d like to try this year? Please comment below.

A Dragon made of Pumpkins at Pumpkin Nights

Heard it on the Podcast - October 19, 2022

 

Did you miss a link we mentioned on the podcast? Here's a quick post we'll do every Wednesday to share any links or information from the podcast. We'll also keep a running post on the "Links from the Podcast" tab so you can refer back to any previous episode. Here's the links for this week:

19-OCT-2022

S2E43: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

• Susan G. Komen 3-Day:  http://www.the3day.org
• Aromatase Inhibitors:  http://httpl//medlineplus.gov
• 3-D Tomography:  Mayo Clinic

You can read more about Cindy's story on Caring Bridge.

 

Think Pink and Save a Life!

That's me on the right after our first 3-Day walk in 2011. Christen is squatting just below me.

If you’ve noticed a lot of pink lately, that’s because October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In October, many different organizations and individuals take on the task of bringing awareness to this terrible disease that affects 1 in 8 women at some point in their lifetime.  Many people don’t realize it can also affect around 2200 men each year, with an average of 410 of them dying. And while we’ve been working hard to get the information out there and help people make good choices about their health, many are still reluctant to do monthly self-examinations or annual mammograms.

Cancer is scary; this I know. In 2016, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. As a result, I endured two surgeries to remove the tumors, 6 long weeks of daily radiation treatments, and more than 5 years of taking a daily hormone-based chemotherapy pill – a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor called Anastrazole, also known as Arimidex. The medication caused many side effects, including an intense worsening of my post-menopausal hot flashes, an acceleration in the development of arthritis in my joints, plus foggy brain and memory loss, among others. It wasn’t pleasant, and that was just the physical part of it.

The radiation machine. I did this 5 days a week for 6 weeks.

Super blurry, but this is me going into radiation.

It really came as no shock to me when I was diagnosed. I had spent the past 5 years fundraising for the Susan G. Komen Foundation through the 3-Day Walk for the Cure they sponsor each year. I knew many women with breast cancer, some who survived, and some who did not. I knew the statistics. I knew it was bound to happen to me or to someone I knew. What I didn’t know was what my mother never told me…that I had a higher than usual risk due to multiple family members who had breast and ovarian cancer. I was shocked and dismayed that this was never discussed…like it was some sort of dark secret we couldn’t talk about. It was strange because we often talked about diabetes and heart disease that ran through the family, so why not breast cancer? 

I decided that had to end. I took it upon myself to make it my mission to spread my story to anyone who would listen. I survived breast cancer, and others can, too, if we share our stories and we share our histories. We need to encourage our friends and family (male and female) to do those monthly self-checks andshare our family histories and cancer risks with our children and grandchildren. There is no reason to keep this disease a secret. It is not shameful, embarrassing, or improper to bring up at the dinner table, but it is life-threatening, and if you love your friends and family, you owe it to them to bring breast cancer out of the closet.

I was part of the opening ceremony of the 2017 3-Day

To that end, I encourage you to get your mammogram if you haven’t done so this year. It may be uncomfortable for some, but it is not painful, and it could save your life. And while you’re at it, ask your family about your medical history. Do the research; ask the questions. Then share it with the others. You might save their life, too.

In the spirit of sharing, I have linked my own story on a website called Caring Bridge that I used to update my friends and family on my breast cancer journey. I hope it will inspire you to get involved, learn your risks, and get those mammograms!

Breast cancer doesn’t just affect the person who has cancer. In previous essays and articles, I have often stated that I don’t know a single person who hasn’t been affected by it – whether it is themself, a loved one, or a friend or neighbor. It touches all of our lives. We need to share those stories.  Please share your breast cancer stories with us in the comments below, or on our Facebook Chat Group “MMC Chat.” Sharing is caring!

Here are some more breast cancer links:

My Cancer Story at CaringBridge.com

https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/cindymurray2016

My SGK 3-Day “Walkers, Texas Rangers” team Facebook Page:  

https://www.facebook.com/walkerstxrangers

My Think Pink Crop for the Cure Event:

https://www.craftyneighbor.com/retreats/thinkpink.html

The National Breast Cancer Foundation:

https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day:

https://www.the3day.org

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure:

https://www.komen.org/how-to-help/attend-events/race-for-the-cure/

Race for the Cure:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3193217314090307

MammaJamma Ride:

https://www.mammajammaride.org

Listing, an Obsession

This week on the podcast, we talked about list making and the different types of lists that we make. Have you ever wondered why people make lists? To me, nothing is more satisfying than making a list and checking things off it. It is the ultimate calming activity (aside from putting things in alphabetical order) for my Obsessive-Compulsive mind.

I can remember being obsessed with lists even as young as elementary school. One constant activity I did to calm myself down was to make a list. The lists were different every time. For example, I showed rabbits (I owned over 100 of them), and every single one had a name. I would sit and write down the name of every single one of my rabbits. In high school, I started keeping an APN (all-purpose notebook) and I would keep all my lists contained in that. At the beginning of 2021, I bought my first bullet journal and I started putting my lists in that journal, dubbing it my “List Journal.” But, why do I do this? There must be some psychological explanation for why I make so many lists.

• People make lists to remember things, which is something I do as well. I will make a weekly list of things I need to do in my classroom or at home. I keep them, on my phone and in my planner. Those are essential lists I make, but as I mentioned above, I also compulsively (and maybe even obsessively) list sometimes. 
• As I have mentioned before, I have Bipolar Disorder and I also have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which can be symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. A common, OCD compulsion is called “glazomania.” Glazomania is an unusual obsession, passion, or fascination with making lists, which I have.

Is it wrong to be obsessed with lists? Absolutely not! Lists are a wonderful way to stay organized in a disorganized world. The problem (according to the article “Five Manias and Obsessions You Might Not Know About”)  lies when you are obsessively making lists, but the lists aren’t helping you in the way that they should, or if the only thing you do is make lists. However, making lists can also help stop compulsions related to OCD.

You decide. Is an obsession with lists a good thing or a bad thing? I want to hear from our readers. What kind of lists do you make? Do you obsessively make lists as I do? Comment below or continue the conversation on our Facebook Group: MMC Chat.

My Big Fat Excel List

 

If you listened to yesterday’s podcast, you probably realized we are very nerdy (like you didn’t know that already). How many people do you know that get so excited over making lists? I know a few, but then, I also know a lot of people who give me some side-eye when I talk about it. So yeah, I agree, it’s not for everyone, but then, neither is budgeting, cleaning house, or a whole lot of other things that are “good for us”. And yes, I really do think making lists is good for us. It’s good for the mind, it’s good for the soul. We can use lists to help us make decisions (pros vs. cons), brainstorm ideas, clear our mind (brain dump), and even remind us to be grateful.

The other day, I was reminded of how helpful lists are when I started my weekly planning routine.  If you watched our “Plan with Us” live stream back in May, you may recall that I mentioned using a Brain Dump worksheet and an Eisenhower Matrix to help me remember and prioritize all the tasks I have to keep up with for my home, family, and work life. Those two tools work very well, but I often felt like things were still falling through the cracks. For instance, if you look at the Eisenhower Matrix, you’ll see that there are only nine lines in each of the four quadrants. I look at that and think it might be enough lines for all the things I have to do today, but it certainly won’t be enough space to list out everything that needs to be done for the whole week, much less the month or long-term goals. I have similar problems making lists and laying out goals in my planners and using the PowerSheets® Tending Lists. So what’s a goal-setting, planner girl to do? 

Create a spreadsheet, of course!

After fussing about with my growing list of tasks that I had jotted down here, there and everywhere, I decided to compile all of my to-do lists and tasks into one comprehensive list that I could refer to every week while I’m laying out my planner. The list includes everything from daily work routines to step-by-step actions for each of my major goals for the year, along with several long-term pipe dreams. For each task, I have estimated the amount of time it would take to complete, the frequency if it is a repeating task, the date I would like to complete it (which updates every time I open the file for those daily tasks), and a rating system based on the Eisenhower Matrix. Thus, when I sort the list by date and rank, I wind up with the most urgent and important items at the top, ranked in order by urgency and importance. No more do I have to spend half my Sunday figuring out which tasks need to be done in what order throughout the week because the spreadsheet decides all that for me! Of course, I can choose to reorder the list in any way I choose, changing the ranking of items I feel are more important at the time. And if a new task or project comes up, I just add it to the list, assign the appropriate ranking levels, and sort…voila! 

This is a peak at my very long list I created in Excel.

I know this sort of nerdy spreadsheet automation is not for everyone, and it did take a little bit of time to set up, but I was so excited to discover how much time this little spreadsheet shaved off my planning time, and how accurately it helped me prioritize my tasks and allocate my time. I was also shocked at how many things I had on that list and realized it was no wonder that I am so overworked and overwhelmed at times. Having it all laid out on paper (because, of course, I printed it out) helped me look realistically at all the things I had committed myself to and to see that there’s no way I could do them all…or at least not right now. But having the list is also a reminder of the things I want to do…the things I am working towards and all that I want to accomplish. In creating this list and working from it diligently, I’m hoping to tick more tasks off of it than I add, and if I keep whittling it down, eventually I can get it to a manageable and reasonable size.

Oh, who am I kidding…we all know I’m already thinking of more things I want to add to it!

*There are several great spreadsheet applications available to make a list of your own. I made mine in Microsoft Excel, but you could also use Apple’s Numbers, or even Google Sheets, which is a cloud-based spreadsheet application that you can use from just about any device – and the bonus is, it’s free!

Heard it on the Podcast - October 12, 2022

 

 

Did you miss a link we mentioned on the podcast? Here's a quick post we'll do every Wednesday to share any links or information from the podcast. We'll also keep a running post on the "Links from the Podcast" tab so you can refer back to any previous episode. Here's the links for this week:

12-OCT-2022

S2E42: For the Love of Lists

• Layle by Mail:  https://youtu.be/eGNqt4RKR6s
• Listers Gotta List:  https://www.theresetgirl.com/listersgottalist/
• Libib:  Apple Store Google Play
• Library Thing:  https://www.librarything.com
• 1001 Books:  About
• Eisenhower Matrix:  Download
• Krystal Iduñate's Bingo page:  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd6D-lKOA11/
• Cindy's "Now" Playlist:  On Spotify
• Rocket Book:  Reusable Notebooks and Planners
• Christen's Binder
• Tombo Brush Marker:  Tombow.com
• Miracle Morning
• Wikipedia List of List of Lists
• Amber's Coffee Instagram
• Cindy's Travel Page:  http://travel.craftyneighbor.com
• Anchor Chart:  https://www.weareteachers.com/anchor-charts-101/
• Glazomania:  Definition

A List of Lists for Fun!

A list of lists? You might think that absurd, but I think it is quite intriguing. This week on the podcast we are talking about all things list making. Amber, Cindy and I love to list, and even though we are in different stages in our lives, we can all agree that making lists has greatly benefited our lives. The act of making a list can be more than functional. It can also be relaxing, thought provoking, reflecting into the past, or planning for the future. You will have to listen to the podcast on Wednesday for the full conversation. Today I wanted to share some lists you can make on your own! 

I will first start off by mentioning that there is absolutely nothing wrong with making a list of lists! I take great pleasure in thinking up what kinds of lists that I want to make and that is perfectly fine. It is a great place to start getting your thoughts together, and if it fires you up, then you know your brain is in the right mindset. So, start off by making your own list of lists you would like to create. 

Where are you going to store your lists? You could easily start off with a sheet of paper, but It can get a little out of hand if you have a bunch of lists floating around. If you want to make more personal lists and keep the lists as a book then pick out a journal or spiral. If it is portable enough, you can carry it around and make lists anytime you want. Some lists are disposable, and some are the kind you want to keep around, so I recommend keeping them separated. You probably do not want to keep your life's greatest achievements between your grocery list and your house cleaning list, but if that doesn’t bother you, then go for it! 

Here’s a few ideas for lists you can try:

Functional Lists:

A list of lists

List of items in a collection 

Missing items in a collection

Spice inventory

Freezer inventory

Fun Favorites Lists:

Favorite foods

Favorite authors

Favorite artists

Favorite movies

Reflecting on the Past and Memory-Keeping Lists:

Greatest achievements

Movies and shows watched in the current month

Books read in the current month

Places you’ve lived

Places you have visited

Looking to the Future Lists:

Project ideas

Bucket list

Vacation destinations

New restaurants to try

Books to be read

Shows or movies to be watched

Gratitude Lists:

People you are thankful for

Simple pleasures

I am sure there are a slew of list ideas that I have not mentioned. My point is not to list all the possible lists, but to get you thinking about what you might want to list for yourself. What lists would you like to make? Does list making sound intriguing? Are you already practicing this relaxing and beneficial method to get your thoughts organized? I would love to know what you think in the comments. 

What Do I Know?

  

This week, Amber introduced us to the subject of palmistry, and as I stated in the podcast, I know zip-zero-zilch about the subject. Nevertheless, we did have a lot of fun drawing lines on our palms with our pens and comparing what we saw there. I don’t know how much of what we learned was true, or whether it can predict your fate, but it’s often fun to explore different ideologies if for no other purpose than to firmly cement the things we do believe in. I also think that anything to do with spirituality, lifestyle, and goals is very personal and that we are free to pick and choose what works for us as individuals.

This idea reminds me of a sermon presented by Rev. Dennis Hamilton at the Horizon Unitarian Universalist Church here in Carrollton many years ago. Dennis is a former Jesuit priest and an eloquent speaker. The lessons he taught were almost magical, and always eye-opening. You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t present this idea as gracefully as he did. I don’t know the exact date, but it was closing on the beginning of Hanukkah, and he spent a bit of time in a discourse about the Maccabees and the miracle of the oil, and how an obscure holiday has now become a Jewish favorite, encouraging hope, faith, family, community, and, of course, giving gifts for 8 days. Dennis wrapped up his sermon by bringing his lesson to the point: celebrating Hanukkah – or any other holiday, for that matter – whether you are Jewish or not, is not cultural misappropriation. 

No religion or belief system is as pure and undiluted as it was in the beginning; all religions and beliefs have been influenced, embellished, and altered over time. Cultures adapt and adopt the beliefs that are appropriate or that suit them until it becomes mainstream. He argues that as long as you stay true to your belief system, then it’s okay to celebrate Hanukkah or any other holiday. Several well-known cases in point include the Christian use of Christmas trees and Easter eggs, Hispanic/Latino Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), and even Halloween*. Most of us don’t consider those things to be “idolatrous” or “satanic”, so, the use of divination such as palmistry, astrology, runes, cartomancy (such as Tarot), etc., is not either. If you think palmistry tells you about yourself, your past, or your future, then go with it – there are always lessons to be learned and powerful insights to be gained. And if you think it’s all just a fun game and that it was your friend pushing around that pointer on the Ouija board, that’s okay, too. We all get to create our own beliefs and find our own way, and no belief or spiritual practice is “right” or “wrong” or exclusive. You do you.

I don’t know if I believe in palmistry. As I mentioned, I don’t know that much about it. I do know that years ago, someone read me and told me things that I knew without a doubt were not true, but now, some 40 years later, I look at it again with fresh eyes and wonder. I know that I would love to have a transcript to look back and remember all of it just as I wish I had some record of every tarot reading and horoscope…it would be interesting to compare. For now, I will leave my mind open to the possibilities. Open to the idea that I don’t know everything. Open to the notion that I am still growing, learning, and finding my spirituality. It is always changing, contracting, expanding, absorbing, releasing, and developing, which is the essence of spirituality. I plan to embrace it. I hope you embrace your spirituality, too.

I encourage you to think about your own spirituality. What truths do you know? Where do you have room to grow? Are you open to digging deeper and learning more? Tell us about it in the comments below or start a chat about it in our MMC Chat Facebook group.

*For more about Pagan beliefs in our everyday lives, check out my blog “What is Pagan” on June 13, 2022.

This Podcast Got Me Thinking

Hello and happy October! I am excited that Modern Musings opened the month up with an artes magicae topic such as Palmistry. I have always had a love for anything esoteric, supernatural, and occult. And what better time than the month of October to explore those topics. As we mentioned in the podcast, we are not very experienced with the art of palm reading. I really felt like I was having a sleepover and reading my hands as if I were a teenager. I had a blast participating in that episode and it got me thinking. 

You may or may not know that I have a grimoire. Well, the black cat’s out of the bag. What is a grimoire you might ask?  It is a book of knowledge (some call it a book of shadows) that I am putting together of all things artes magicae, if you will. It comprises all that I am learning, studying and putting to use. I have a little bit of everything in my book from herbs, moon water, affirmations, chakras and tarot. I have a whole section dedicated to divination, but I have not dedicated much of my time to it. After the podcast, I decided that I should move forward with my notes and exploration. 

I have hopes to study and explore many forms of divination, and really get a feel for the ones that interest me the most. There are so many different types of divination, it can be overwhelming. I have a deep interest in knowing where a technique comes from, how it is named, and how it compares in another culture. Let’s just say that when I asked Google how many types of divination there are, and I clicked the link for Wikipedia, I almost fell out of my chair, I counted almost 400!  I was so excited to see the nomenclature and explanation of why some words end in ‘scopia’ and some in ‘mancy’. The reasoning being that ‘scopia’ was more scientific whereas ‘mantia’ is more mystical. Yes, I am a nerd, and etymology excites me!

John William Waterhouse - The Crystal Ball

I hope that we can touch on this topic more in the future. I know all three of us have enjoyed discussing tarot cards, although tarot is my favorite, I would like to know more about reading tea leaves, rune stones, scrying, dowsing rods, and more about tapping into my intuition by opening that so-called third eye. What are your thoughts? I would love to know what you think. Tell us in the comments. 

Heard it on the Podcast - October 5, 2022

  

 

 

Did you miss a link we mentioned on the podcast? Here's a quick post we'll do every Wednesday to share any links or information from the podcast. We'll also keep a running post on the "Links from the Podcast" tab so you can refer back to any previous episode. Here's the links for this week:

5-OCT-2022

S2E41: Palmistry

• Amber was using the following book as a reference:
• Cindy was using various sources she has pinned on her Pinterest board: Metaphysical Board