Goddess Sealed and Approved!

Merry Meet Again, Family, Friends, Lurkers and Followers!

Have I mentioned that I love antiquing! It's one of my most favorite hobbies and the one that gets me into the most trouble. For me, there's something indescribable about finding that one quirky piece that just screams, "I gotta have it!" Unfortunately, at this point, what I "gotta have" is a bigger house to accomodate all my stuff....preferably a vintage Victorian farmhouse on several acres of property!!!

Yesterday, we went to an antique show at a local college. It was enjoyable, but really nothing to break a sweat about. Then, just as we were leaving, I spotted something that I had been considering for quite some time, an antique farm table for my dining room. The tabletop is actually made from hand-planed, antique barn wood, the legs are painted red and have been distressed with black, it has a single draw on one side.

I was...smitten!!!! I turned to Ray and with an almost orgasmic tone to my voice said, "I must have this table". Now, the way Ray and I operate is that we both have to agree if we're going to buy something and often spend hours arguing about where were going to put it, why I have to have it and how much it's going to cost. If I madly and deeply fall in love with something, the latter is often my last concern, hence the reason I get into trouble.

I have to admit, there are times Ray just doesn't feel my "vibe" when I see a piece that evokes such a passionate response. Like the time I convinced him that we really, really, really needed a two hundred year old step ladder. In those incidences, I have to resort to the fine art of whining before I convince him that, once again, I'm right! On this particular occasion, he was not convinced and with valid reason.

You see, we already have a dining room table that we purchased when we got married. The problem is, it is completely and utterly...impractical, as most of the purchases we made when we first began collecting antiques tended to be. It's exquisitely inlaid with an ornately carved base. So, after two children and years of entertaining, it's beginning to show signs of wear. It was definitely not meant for every day use and rather than have it lose it's value, I thought that we should replace it with something more practical. See, now doesn't that seem reasonable???

So, an hour or so of incessant whining later, we were leaving the show, with Ray still not feeling my vibe. As we walked through the parking lot, I convinced him that we should go back, just once more, just to be sure. In his "I'm annoyed" tone he demanded, "what is with you and this friggin' table?" It's not really our taste and we don't even know if it's going to fit in the dining room!" I honestly didn't have an answer, with the exception of that I was never more certain that, "I hadda have it!"

Ok, so to make a long story short, I got the table and it's friggin' awesome!!!! Yes, it fits in the dining room, yes it matches all the other pieces of furniture, the red legs look absolutely beautiful with my red dining room walls and it was relatively inexpensive as far as dining room tables go.

Today, is our 24th wedding anniversary. Yesterday, while we were antiquing, Ray was spending an awfully long time looking at jewelry. I told him, "if you're thinking of getting me something, I would like a key". "A key?", he asked. "Yes, a key, to wear in honor of Hecate".

Hecate, my patron Goddess, is often depicted carrying keys. It is said that these are the keys to the crossroads, the keys of wisdom and knowledge, the keys to the Underworld.

Well, I didn't get my key and while Ray and I both found my affinity for this table a little...ummm, unusual, there was someone else who had a much deeper understanding.

Later when the table was delivered, we discovered something very unique that had been imprinted over time into the table top!

In Darkness, Light!

Me