URL : http://www.flashgame-girl.com/Puzzle-board/Wizard-Of-Symbols-Online.html

Game description :

The Wizard of Symbols keeps potent magic symbols hidden in his lore book. Decode each one by connecting the dots with your mouse.

Game controls :

Use mouse to interact.

I just have woken up, and a Wizard talked to me…you must skateboard with us…

This video from Salazar Productions is using some interesting technics for wizard smoke, I believe that  you’ve never seen that kind of thing before…so watch it, and you won’t regret. There is really styslish skateboarding with nice tunes too.So maybe this will be the perfect skateboard video…

THE VIDEO : WIZARD SMOKE

Salazar website : salazarfilm.com

A short skateboard video from Salazar Productions featuring, Bradley Sheppard, Alien, Nate Lacoste, Chris Connolly, Nate Roline, Stacy Gabriel, Desmond Hoostie, Mike Klinkhamer, and Rob Rickaby Directed By Liam Mitchell Cinematography by Nathan Drillot and Liam Mitchell

Wizard Smoke from Salazar on Vimeo.

Fantasy-based TV series had never been this good!  If you start watching this, you just couldn’t wait for the next episode to come out.  This was adopted from the best selling book of Terry Goodkind, “The Sword of Truth“.  The Legend of the Seeker features Richard Cypher (Craig Horner) as the young hero from Hartland that was prophesied to end the tyranny of Darken Rahl (Craig Parker).  He was named by the Wizard of the First Order Zeddicus Z’ul Zorander (Bruce Spence) to be the Seeker who wields the Sword of Truth.  A Seeker always has the Confessor Kahlan Amnell( Bridget Regan) to fight side by side with him.

The first Season was full of action and has a lot of twist that would make you hold on to your seats!  At first, Richard didn’t know that he was the Seeker but when he rescued Kahlan from the Daharans, that was the start of a never-ending adventure.  When Zeddicus Z’ul Zorander joined them on their quest to kill Darken Rahl, they were almost unstoppable.  Of course some setbacks were expected like the Mord’Sith ( one of my favorite character) which could deflect wizard’s powers, use the Sword of Truth against the Seeker, and make men do their bidding.  And oh, did I tell you that they could also bring the dead back to life?

On their journey, Richard and Kahlan fell in love with each other.  And they lived happily ever after?  Not a chance!  As a Confessor, Kahlan would destroy the person that she loves if she gave in to her desire.  Confessors have the ability to make people do their will just by touching them.  If Kahlan gave in to her desire, Richard would be under a Confessors spell and the only way to break this spell is to kill the source– the Confessor herself!  Can you believe that?!!

Even if you do not fancy watching fantasy-based TV series, the actions and stunts made in the series would surely make you grab a popcorn and watch it with much excitement!

Please watch out for my next blog– it’s all about the characters of the Legend of the Seeker.  For now, here is the Season 1 trailer for you fans out there:

Well, the craft fair was a huge success. I had a blast with my buddy Kazan Clark and so many wonderful friends at St. Anne’s. Let’s hope it happens again next year.

Now that I have a little breather, I wanted to try my hand at some challenges. This week, I figured since I had such a great time with Kazan, I would go over to
2 Sketches 4 You and try out their challenge. Click the link to check out the sketch.

I love the little play on words “Snow Love” because 1) I love snow and 2) “sNOw Love” is for when people feel a little left out in the cold. So leave a warm message inside when you send this one to a friend.

Important Stuff: Wizard™, S4-222 Create a Flake One (Spellbinders™); Crush patterned paper, Head Over Heels (Fancy Pants); Black/White patterned paper (Die Cuts with a  View); Tis the Season snowflake ribbon (Jo-Ann’s), Black/White stitched ribbon (Michael’s); 95 pt. Letter Stamps, Horizontal Stamper (JustRite Stampers); Encore! Silver ink (Tsukineko), Glue Rings (Glue Arts); Heart Brad (WesTrim); Jackpot Embossing Powder (Powder Keg); 3D Foam Squares (SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVE by 3L); Diamond Glaze (Judi-Kins); Sketch Markers-C3, W3, W5 (Copic)

Other Stuff: Clear glitter, White cardstock

(A close up to finish it off…see all those little sparkles? Glitter. Snow-looking Glitter!)

If I don’t chat at you before then…have a fabulous Thanksgiving!!

Eli

 Ola Pessoal,

Faz algum tempo que eu não vejo uma propaganda com o aproach emocional tão inocente e bacana. Adorei!!

A campanha é assinada pela W/ Brasil do publicitário Washington Olivetto para o cliente Wizard, a maior rede de ensino de idiomas do mundo. Com o investimento anual estimado em R$ 15 milhões por ano.

O nome da campanha foi entitulada como: PEDIDO.

O comercial envolve dois amiguinhos, que se deparam com situações, onde o mais novo demonstra gostar de uma menina e o mais velho o encoraja para se aproximar dela, dando a dica de pedir um pedaço da maçã em inglês, por que é mais legal.

O mais novo pergunta então como que se fala isto em inglês e senta ao lado da menina, repetindo a frase que o amigo ensinou.

O final é surpreendente pois o amigo ensinou outra frase para ajudá-lo na conquista.

O anúncio fecha com a assinatura: Inglês vocâ vai precisar para sua vida. Venha para a Wizard, a maior rede de ensinos de idiomas do mundo! Wizard. Você Bilingue!

Achei a criação de muito bom gosto, pois a W/ conseguiu transmitir a mensagem da escola de idiomas com a mesma inocência e pureza do mundo infantil. Conquistando todos os tipos de público e despertando o emocional do consumidor.

Confesso que esta propaganda me lembrou o clássico, também criado pela W/: MEU PRIMEIRO SUTIÃ, para a Lingeries Valisèire, veiculada na década de 80, considerado um dos 100 melhores filmes brasileiros de todos os tempos.

Endlich kann ich mal wieder etwas von dem posten, wofür ich den Blog eröffnet habe: Kreativität!

In unserer Rollenspiel Gruppe spielen wir Dungeons & Dragons und nehmen für die Kämpfe zur Veranschaulichung Miniaturen. Und da hat es mich wieder gepackt. Ich habe meinen Spaß am Modellieren wiedergefunden und bereits einige Ergebnisse.

Eigentlich sollte es eine 28mm-Mini werden; ein Eladrin Wizard für Chris, der in den Shops bisher keine Figur gefunden hat, die ihm gefällt, bzw. die überhaupt nach einem männlichen Eladrin (Hochelf) Zauberer aussieht, der kein alter mann mit spitzem Hut und Rauschebart ist (die Auswahl an weiblichen Charakteren scheint ungleich größer zu sein).
Jedenfalls ist mir schon das Gerüst zu groß geworden, was ich jedoch erst später gemerkt habe, als schon einige Arbeit in dem Figürchen steckte. Nun mache ich es in der Größe zuende, um ein bisschen zu üben und zu probieren.

Größe: 45 mm
Zeitaufwand: ca. 4 Stunden

The Large Hadron Collider

 The greatest wizard of all fantasy
once claimed that when you break a thing in hopes
to understand it you have left the path
of wisdom. We are bold apprentices
of nature, smashing bits to tease a truth
from mysteries exploding out of clouds.

Marc Ladewig
Author of Odysseus-The Epic Myth of the Hero

Witch & Wizard  by James Patterson

About This Book:

Caption From The Cover Sleeve:
Your books, music and art – banned by the New Order.

You are holding an urgent and vital narrative that reveals the forbidden truth about these perilous times.

This is the astonishing testimonial of Whit and Wisty Allgood, brother and sister who were torn from their family in the middle of the night, slammed into prison, and accused of being a witch and wizard.

They are not alone in their terrifying predicament. Thousands of young people have been kidnapped; some have been accused; many others remain missing. Their fate is unknown, and the worst is feared – for the ruling regime will stop at nothing to suppress life and liberty, music and books, art and magic … and the pursuit of being a normal teenager.

Most copies of this story have already been seized, shredded, or burned. Read this rare surviving edition and pass it along with care – before it’s too late.

Cherry’s Rating: 1 out of 5 cherries

Genre: YA fantasy

Verdict: Insubstantial + cliffhanger ending.

My Take On This Book:

Uma das grandes pérolas dos anos 70.

Hard rock, Blues e Psicodélico é o som deste PowerTrio norte-americano que apesar de ter sido tão genial durante a época de ouro do Rock, infelizmente nos dias de hoje, quase não é lembrada.

Escutem e vocês vão entender do que eu falo.






Wizard – Wizard (1971)

01 – Freedom
02 – Come and See the Bride
03 – What do You Know About Mary
04 – Opus Ate
05 – Goin’ Away
06 – Killing Time
07 – Got to See my Way
08 – Ride
09 – Seance
10 – Talkin’ to God
11 – Evergreen
12 – Got Love
13 – Freedom (Bonus)


Download Wizard 1971 Wizard

Dopethrone is the third full-length album by the doom metal band Electric Wizard. It was released in 2000 through Rise Above Records and re-released by the same label in 2004 and 2007 with an extra song.

Dopethrone, along with Come My Fanatics…, is often cited as Electric Wizard’s seminal release and the highpoint of their career. Reviewers have described it as “some of the absolute slowest, heaviest doom imaginable” , and have said “it may well be the finest record to emerge from the whole British stoner-rock scene”.

On this album, Electric Wizard’s very slow, heavy and psychedelic sound became more abrasive and aggressive. Jus Oborn’s vocals are heavily manipulated and low in the mix and the guitars are extremely fuzzy.

Tracks:

# “Vinum Sabbathi” – 3:05
# “Funeralopolis” – 8:43
# “Weird Tales” – 15:05

I. “Electric Frost”
II. “Golgotha”
III. “Altar of Melektaus”

# “Barbarian” – 6:29
# “I, The Witchfinder” – 11:04
# “The Hills Have Eyes” – 0:46
# “We Hate You” – 5:08
# “Dopethrone” – 20:48

Genre: Doom metal, Stoner metal, Sludge metal

Three great and powerful wizards created the Tricolor Amulet to protect Magic Valley many years ago. An evil sorcerer has disturbed the Stones of Elements, using his magic to send the fairy people of Magic Valley into a deep sleep. Travel through this entranced land and use the Amulet of Tricolor to restore the Stones of Elements! Link colorful gems to free the fairies and bring prosperity back to Magic Valley, one stone at a time!

It Takes Just A second To Say Thanks,

It Takes Longer To The Work On This.

Amulet Of  Tricolor

In my review of the second book, I said “Sequels are often a disappointment, but The Golem’s Eye succeeds where others have failed.”

That statement is even more fitting for this third and final installment. I will go so far as to say that this book is the best of all three.

So far in the series, twelve-year-old Nathanial went from being raised by a petty and unloving wizard to defeating another rogue wizard who used the Amulet of Samarkand. A few years after that, Nathanial went on to take position at Internal Affairs, uncover yet another plot that involved a Golem and Gladstone’s staff, and found himself being saved by one of the last two remaining survivors of the Resistance. All with the aid of a sarcastic djinni named Bartimaeus.

Story overview:

Nathanial is now seventeen-years-old and has grown into a young man. With this come increased responsibilities as he is now the Information Minister. As prestigious as that sounds it mainly entails putting together pamphlets and other forms of propaganda to entice civilians to join the wizard’s war against America (one that is going poorly). In doing so he becomes even more cold and indifferent, especially to Bartimaeus whose essence is nearly depleted from having to stay in the human world for so long.

It seems that something deep inside of Nathanial cannot let go of Bartimaeus, who is one of the few reminders of the days when Nathanial used to be a caring lad. It takes a visit to his old school teacher and a face-to-face encounter with the supposedly dead Kitty for him to see what he has become. About the time he realizes this, Nathanial finds himself facing the man behind all the previous plots from the first two books.

The plan is to let spirits take possession of each wizard’s body. This way the wizard would have limitless power. The mastermind failed to realize that this only allowed the spirit to take full control, and soon the land finds an army of angry beings wanting revenge for hundreds of years of enslavement. Nathanial acquires a good partner in Kitty as they both attempt to find a way to save the people: Nathanial to obtain Gladstone’s staff and the Amulet of Samarkand, and Kitty to use Ptolemy’s Gate to enter the other-place and gain Bartimaeus’s favor as an ally of freewill.

My thoughts:

This story is candy for readers. I absolutely loved this series and this volume had me glued to the pages, filled with excitement, and not disappointed with the results (though I could have used a happier ending). I’m glad that Nathanial found his redemption, and that both he and Kitty developed a close bond. My only complaint is that this series has come to an end; I have grown so fond of it that this idea is a little depressing, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Things to consider:

There are some disturbing elements, but nothing beyond what is appropriate for this tale. The closest “inappropriate” situation is when Kitty summons Bartimaeus, who chose the form of a scary demon without clothing. Actually, this is done quite humorously and it is a laugh to see Kitty’s response, but the scene does have potential to be a little questionable. That is, if the reader takes it beyond the lighthearted intentions. Also, parents need to be clear that the “spirit” element of this story is fictional; they need to inform their children about the differences between these fantastical elements verses real-world ones. I can see some Christians holding picket signs and yelling accusations against this, but that’s the point of this blog: to thwart this kind of ignorant behavior. I stick to my series rating, preteen (tween) and older. Not gender specific.

Opportunities for discussion:

A main topic in this story is the risk of one losing their morals to the pressures of fitting into the mold of society. A Christian message you might add? Indeed so. Ask your children if they have ever compromised their morals for the sake of fitting in, then ask them how that made them feel.

Past reviews in this series:

1) The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1)
2) The Golem’s Eye (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 2)

March 24, 1033

I left the Temple of Boccob shortly after dawn yesterday, with low mist hugging the roads and a red sun rising slowly over the hills.  It was such a pretty spring morning that I was sorry to be leaving.  Xanda got up with me, principally to wave goodbye from the doorway as I traipsed the cold roads in my new blue clothing, my bag of holding slung lightly over my shoulder.  I turned and waived back just before I lost sight of her, and I will always remember the way the Temple looked that morning, all shrouded in mist.  As soon as I got to town my tranquil mornin ceased, of course.  There were at least a dozen people piling their things in wagon after wagon, bustling around the little square.  I felt quite lost before an older human male noticed me and pointed me in the right direction. 

I’m riding with Honey and Handy in their wagon.  They’re as cute as their names sound, an old and wrinkly human couple selling Handy’s prize wood carvings and Honey’s prize weaving.  Most of the group are Humans, and I find them quite energetic.  The obscene amount of energy they have must contribute to their short life spans.  They just can’t keep it up for that long!  I haven’t spent much time with any but Elves in a long time.  I must be quite a sight to see, piled in the wagon like another sack of cloth, bouncing away in uncomfortable misery on the worst roads in the country.  I couldn’t have picked a worse time for travel, with the rains making muddy holes in all the major byways.  We should be reaching Brindol on the 29th, and hopefully the closer to town we get, the better the roads will be.  I’m crossing my fingers.

I volunteered for the first watch tonight with a few others, spaced evenly about the campsite.  It’s been a beautiful night, with clusters of sparkling stars bejeweling the heavens.  It doesn’t look like it will stay that way for long, though.  An ominous cloud has just begun to form on the horizon.  I fear it will be days of rough travel in pouring rain for us from now on.  In some ways I love spring, but in others I wish I could just skip it!

March 28, 1033

It was just as I feared.  Pouring rain with little let up these last three days.  We can see Brindol now, a wide circle of gray stone and painted wood in the valley below.  Little bits of color flutter from the ramparts, the red flags standing out against the cloudy sky.  Tomorrow I’ll be there!

I love when pop culture references come up in a reading.

For the magician card, my favorite reference is the Disney movie “Halloweentown”. I love the line that “Magic is just wishing for something, then letting yourself have it”

If you want to get all intellectual about it, this could speak to psychology, and “self-sabotage” , how and why we don’t let ourselves succeed. But I don’t want to do that today. Today, let’s soar and fly, because we let ourselves.

The Magician card is fun, powerful, evocative. In my eye it brings forward images of Merlin, Dumbledor, Gandalf. Wisdom, humor and above all…magic.

What is magic? The ability to move things around without physical effort? The ability to make what we want appear out of thin air? If you could have magical powers like a legendary wizard, what would you do with it? What would the things you do with your magic say about you?

While we could talk all day about magic, the wizard archetype, and making life magical, let’s focus just on the balance aspects of the card.

Think of labor-saving and thing-making stereotypes of magic we’ve always seen in books, movies and tv. Underneath that is simply desire and fulfillment. We desire ease…and magic fullfills that. Over centuries this desire has shown itself culturally. Times of rest in the agrarian culture, labor saving devices in the modern industrial one. We desire certain things…some attainable, some more fantastic. Again these have been symbolically fulfilled on a cultural scale. Man wants to fly, so in time we invent airplanes, balloons, hang gliders, helicopters and more.

So magic has to do with the balance of desire…the wish for something…and our ability to have it fulfilled.

The magician is often associated with the Alchemist…changing one thing into another that is more desired. There are consequences. We might get gold from lead, but the lead is lost in the process. We may find sudden wealth, but at what price of contentment…and taxes? Again…balance is the key. You may desire love or a relationship with a person…but at what price? Is the cost of fullfillment make the desire worth it? When does harm to others negate our wish? If you knew the consequences, would you keep the same wish? Genies are magic too…of a trickier sort, often with hard lessons in tow with the magic.

Magic, manifestation…the law of attraction. It’s all related. If we wish for something, we have a choice…

We can set our intention…but then put on the brakes and not allow ourselves to have our wish made real

We can make a wish, then do nothing…nothing but be disappointed when the wish goes unfulfilled, ultimately rejecting the magic at our fingertips

Or we can wish for something and allow it so aggressively and excessively that we also allow all the imbalances and lessons that come with it.

Magic is a double edged sword. I wonder if that is why a knife or anthame is part of magic lore and tradition.

Yes, we can allow ourselves to have our wishes. It is ok to allow our happiness. Yet the balance of that is doing the work needed, and having the compassion to not harm others in the rush of attainment.

Desire and fulfillment, attraction and repulsion, self and others. These are the dichotomies of the magician.

May you make a good wish…and let yourself have it. May your life be magic.

Paper Creations for any Occasion!!

Premiering Thursday Night, November 19th. If you are a St. Anne’s mom, I’ll see you there at the Chocolate Lounge + Holiday Artisan Mart…

Look for my banner.

Eli

As everyone around raved about how wonderful the Harry Potter books were, I simply let it go and opted to watch the movies on my comfy couch instead.  Sure, the movies were entertaining.  I never really considered reading the books as I considered myself a grown adult not interested in a child’s aspirations to become the perfect wizard.  It was not until a dare from my own daughter who has immersed herself into the series, as well as friends who have highly recommended it that I felt compelled to pick up the good old Harry Potter and start reading.  It seemed like easy reading after all.  In my mind, I expected it to be catered to the child’s imagination.  I figured I could try to go along with it.

There ought to be a Harry Potter glossary, I thought, as I read funny words which were unique to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry.  Little did I know that in this world of magic that Harry is from, I would merely be known as a “muggle”.  Quite an unattractive word that describes someone who does not know magic.  Other words I had to learn were Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, Seekers, Snitch and Quaffle, which all had to do with the famous game of Quidditch.

Hogwarts seemed like a school I would have wanted to attend myself.  It seems to be the best place of education you can get to be the best wizard or witch you desire, and admissions are done by invitation only.  Our current real-life education budget cutbacks do not apply to this school where they feast on the best foods you can imagine in dining halls and sleep on four-poster beds, surrounded by rich mahogany and artwork that move and talk to you as you walk past.  The one thing I could identify with in a small way was the system of each student belonging to a “House” or team that you would stay with throughout your Hogwart years.  It seemed like a wonderful way to keep the team spirits of the young wizards and witches in training to stay loyal and focused.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was more of an introduction of what’s to come.  In my opinion, it just gave enough information to introduce the characters and give a hint that each character had a past that we really know little about.  As we read each page of the book, we join Harry and his friends as they slowly learn more about the secrets of Hogwarts, the pure vs. the evil, and how to use magic in a good way.  There’s so much to understand in this series, especially about Harry’s true past, his late parents, who and why Voldemort killed his parents and why he was unsuccessful in doing so with Harry as a baby.  What about the scar on Harry’s forehead, shaped like lightning?  Is that a curse that Voldemort tried to put on the now famous Harry Potter?

As I slowly read the book in the beginning with little enthusiasm at first, my eagerness built up somewhere along Chapter 7 as they enter the great dining hall and put on the Sorting Hat who solely determined which House each first year student is to be placed in based on this hat’s reading of each student’s personality for just a few seconds.  In my usual limited imagination, this book somehow managed to expand and develop my mind into thinking that one’s imagination should be limitless.  From here on, I was glued to see what Harry’s next discovery was down the dark halls of Hogwart’s under his invisible cloak.  I couldn’t help but wonder about the secret behind the Sorcerer’s Stone and who was really after it.

Most of all, I found the most enjoyable parts of the book had to do with “Quidditch”, or the game made famous by wizards and witches, as they fly off in the air and score goals which translates to points toward the House cup.  There was nothing more I wanted to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon than stay in bed and snuggle up with my Harry Potter book, reading about an exciting game of Quidditch and rooting for the Gryffindors as Harry, the Seeker, catches the Golden Snitch on his Nimbus Two Thousand!

From the movie, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”:

Tuesday, 11/17/09

On Monday night, I lightly longed Selena for about 10 minutes, mostly as a refresher for her. She tends to rush a little on the longe so I encouraged her to do a relaxed trot. She was great!

The weather was so spectacular today (Tuesday) that I took a vacation day and spent some quality time at the barn.

I rode Selena in the outdoor arena. The footing was still wet from the rain but the base was solid enough for some easy walk-trot work. We rode for about 30 minutes and my mom took pictures so I could track our progress and position. Selena was focused and very willing to work. We warmed up with about 10 minutes of walking, followed by walk-trot-walk-halt transitions. I threw in a few shoulder in exercises toward the end of the ride. Selena accepted contact willingly and we had a really nice ride.

Wizard and I rode for about 30 minutes on the trails and Mom hiked with us. He felt a little stiff throughout the ride and his right hind leg/hip was hitching just a bit. He also blew up for a minute on the final leg of the trail. He eventually relaxed, but my concerns are growing about his comfort. When we got back to the barn, a friend ran her fingers down his back and rump to check for soreness. He is not backsore at all but he is very tender all along his hip and croup on both sides. My hopes were that this trail walking regimen (1-2 days of walking on trails and light groundwork on other nights) would build muscle without too much wear and tear, but he is still not as comfortable as he should be. My friend has a therapeutic magnetic horse blanket and she put it on his back for a few hours. It will be interesting to see if it has any good results.

My mom was snacking on almonds while I tacked up. Selena seemed fascinated by the almonds so Mom gave her two. She loved them! She fed two to Wizard and he enjoyed them as well. Due to them not being part of a horse’s naturally digested food, we did not feed any more, but it was amusing to see them enjoying an unusual treat. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.

The Scarecrow Syndrome

                Watching the movie “The Wizard of OZ” for the thousandths time it occurred to me that this film is not only about a young lady being caught up in a tornado and being transported to a faraway land where she meets three unlikely friends that set out on a journey to find the Wizard of OZ so that she can return home and her friends can be granted with a brain, heart and courage, but it is actually a story of one’s search to find love not knowing that the love they seek is right there within them.

            We can all learn a valuable lesson from this masterpiece of movie making. Each of us, at one time or another, have looked for love outside of ourselves, whether through another individual, money, material things or whatever there is outside of us that we felt would bring us love. When we found those things, we would love them for awhile but would find that in time those things did not bring us total satisfaction or love, simply a sense of appeasement until they grew old. All the while, we were ignorant of the fact that all we needed to do was look within ourselves.

            The characters in the movie “The Wizard of OZ,” Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion were all guilty of looking outside of themselves, in search of things that they already owned. Dorothy searched for love, when all the while the love she searched for was right there at home with her family. The Scarecrow was in search of a brain, when all that he needed was right there within his heart and that alone made him intelligent. The Tin Man was in search of a heart to fill the void within having no idea that he already had heart due to the care and love he showed Dorothy and his other comrades. The Lion wanted a hefty dose of courage because he felt that he was a coward when all the while he showed courage in everything that he did.

            At the finale of the Yellow Brick Road all of them discovered that the Wizard was only an ‘illusion’ and possessed no power at all, signifying our search to find something outside of ourselves to complete us or make us happy, there in discovering that all they needed was to look within and this is usually what happens with us in our search for love or something to complete us, we set out on journeys, searching for something outside of us only to discover at the end of the journey that it was within us the entire time.

            I named this the Scarecrow Syndrome not only because he is my favorite character from “The Wizard of OZ” but because of his search for a brain and his already having the HEART that allowed him the ability to do and accomplish all of the things that he wanted to do, inspiring me to look within myself to discover all that I need to do is follow my heart to reach my destiny. It’s ALL within us!

            “OZ never gave the Tin Man what he didn’t already have…”

                                                                        -AMERICA/”Tin Man”                       

No one moved quickly in The Zone this Monday morning. Wild Thing and Moose were a few minutes late for school today because Moose couldn’t get out of bed. Apparently, the lethargy was contagious: when I returned home, I found Wizard downstairs in his bathrobe.

Me: Why aren’t you dressed? You have school today.

Wiz: I’m not going to school today.

Me: Why not?

Wiz; I don’t feel like it. You didn’t let me have a weekend so I’m taking today off. Besides, I don’t feel well. [coughs weakly]

Me: You didn’t ask my permission to stay home, and I don’t approve. I’m calling school and telling them you’re not excused.

Wiz: Fine. [flops back down in front of the TV]

I called Wizard’s bluff: I phoned the middle school and told them that Wizard was home, not really sick, and without my consent or permission. The receptionist said she’d take care of it. An hour later an unmarked police car pulled up in the driveway.

Me: Wizard, there is a car I the driveway. Someone is here to see you.

The doorbell rang, and Wizard sauntered up as I answered it.

Cop: Good morning, Mrs Alto2. I’m Corporal Cox from the middle school. I understand we have someone who doesn’t want to go to school today.

Me: Yes, sir. Here he is.

Corp. Cox chatted with Wizard for a minute and determined the kid was well enough to go to school. The cop sent Wizard upstairs to get dressed. Wizard took his sweet time, of course; so the officer told Wiz to hurry up or he would go up and help Wiz get dressed. Wiz came downstairs, dressed and with books, shortly thereafter.

While Wiz was upstairs, Corp. Cox recommended he take Wizard to school and sign him in. I imagine Corp. Cox used his drive time to “light a fire under my son”, as he phrased it.

I have no regrets narc-ing on my son. He thought he could get away with truancy, and he can’t. However, I am sure Wizard will be furious after school today. Frankly, I hope he gets detention, too. He’ll have to walk the 4.5 miles home from school because I won’t go get him.

Sunday, 11/15/09

It has been three weeks since Wizard’s feeding regimen was altered. He now gets a little bit of senior feed mixed with his regular grain and I also give him a rice bran mash. He picked up his weight quickly and he looks lovely. His coat is glowing and his muscle tone is very good for a horse in light work.

Wizard and I went on a trail ride with Mary the Morgan and her owner. We wore our bright safety vests in order to be as visible as possible for hunters. We rode over 5 miles. Throughout the ride, Wizard was alternately great and awful. At times, he walked along like a pro, light on the bit, forward, and comfortable. And at other times, he was hopping around, kicking up a little and prancing. I thought the kicking was related to the flies (there were a few buzzing around) until Mary’s owner mentioned that it looked like he was kicking at his belly. I dismounted when we walked past the Infamous Piggies (who are gone, by the way!) and checked Wizard’s belly just to be sure nothing was wrong. I had no expectation of finding anything but there it was, on his midline and ahead of his sheath: a huge swollen tick bite! It was larger than half a golf ball, almost the size of a peach. The tick was not attached so I removed it and felt for any crustiness or oozing.

I remounted. He was still playing with me (I was pretty pleased with my riding- I was able to stay light and quiet in my seat and settle him nicely) but he was more settled. It seems like this horse is extremely sensitive to discomfort and this tick bite has been driving him mad.

When we got back to the barn, I hosed him off (he was a little sweaty in the warm air) and gave him some alfalfa.

I took Selena for a hand walk with Mary the Morgan. We did some ground work along the way, encouraging her to walk at the proper leading distance. She caught on by the end of the walk. We walked over 4 miles and encountered all sorts of exciting things: several ATVs and some random gunshots. Both mares were fantastic- they watched the ATVs with interest and merely flicked their ears when the gun fired.

When we got back to the barn, I worked on some more schooling with her. There is a mare at the barn who calls and calls calls when Selena leaves the barn. When we returned from our walk, I heard the mare calling so we practiced standing and walking around the property while the mare called. Once Selena was focused on me, we went back to the barn for some grooming and treats.