turning leaves

I seem to have acquired a number of Rider-Waite decks. This one is my favorite.

Sometimes beginners' luck is a real and wonderful thing. I began my collection by buying the Londa (click "more samples") and the Aquarian (click) decks for myself. But the Rider-Waite is a classic, and I thought I should probably have a R-W deck for study. It didn't actually appeal to me visually and I felt I'd be satisfied with a used deck. I was casually cruising ebay, and ran across the University Books edition. Packaged in a brown slipcase box, the card backs feature wavy pink stripes on white, centered with a dark pink rectangle surrounding a pink ankh. Eight bucks and shipping, and it was mine.


That's the slipcase on the right, up there in the first pic. The card on the reverse of the slipcase was missing, but some research showed it was supposed to be the Empress. A friend scanned the Empress card from this deck and printed it onto card stock for me (made a couple of copies--more later), and I trimmed it, using the original card as template, and glued the copy in place on the slipcase.

The cards were in pristine condition, showed absolutely no wear, as if they'd never, or rarely, been used. The only damage to the slipcase, other than missing the Empress card, was normal shelf wear.

A few cards from this edition--shown with a regular style box.

A while later, I bought a one of a kind designer tarot bag from an online vendor, and was surprised to find a used R-W deck inside. "For crafting," the designer wrote. In case I wanted to cut or glue the cards to a craft project of my own, since it was an incomplete deck. I went through the deck, obviously worn, but cared for, as it was slightly "soft", but not dirty or stained. And the only card missing was...the Empress. So I scanned the blue-black hatched plaid design on the back of this deck, and carefully cut and glued it to the extra copy of the Empress card my friend had made me, et voila! Another complete R-W deck.

Over time I accumulated a Universal Waite deck, a Giant Rider-Waite, a mini R-W, and even a Tarot of the New Vision, which is the R-W images, viewed from the back of each scene. And then another friend who has an ebay store gave me a boxed R-W she had found somewhere, again as "scrap", an incomplete deck. I checked carefully--all the cards are there. A little cleaning where needed, a little mending and reinforcing of the box with clear tape, a little cleansing of this deck and the surprise bagged deck, and my three "used" Rider-Waite decks are home and happy. I may find other, newer, better homes for the last two eventually. But the UBooks edition stays with me.

(pictures are not mine, as I am lazy and these are public domain)

When it's very cold, H makes me tea and brings it in a thermos, with a mug to drink from. I have to be proactive and beat him to the stove to use my tea things.

Portmierion "A Fine Romance" teapot, Haddon Hall teacup by Minton, Daher tray, triple-plate French spoon, vintage tongs, strainer and bowl, Nippon sugarbowl.

Raised Byzantine Catholic (him) and Southern Baptist (me), we retain the imprint of habits and traditions, long after having let go of their origins.


H's handpainted Santa and Father Christmas figures

and a handful of toys, including a little Welsh bear and my son's childhood elephant pulltoy

Plus a few more around and under the tree

Share space with the altar for the Yule solstice.




No matter where the spark begins, I hope this time before the New Year begins is happy and full of light and warmth for all of you. Best Wishes, flist!

H called from his room after surgery last night, all fuzzy and loopy. The good drugz, he haz 'em. The surgeon was supposed to call me and give me details, but he somehow neglected to do so. But the patient himself reports that all went well. He's being discharged probably around noon today, no doubt with an admonition to stay off ladders at least until he's healed.

Thanks so much for all the well-wishes and good thoughts, we both appreciate them.

Eight years ago today...











Little show on a little network that literally changed my life, through fandom and friends made and opinions challenged and meta. Show, my show, still.

On our drive today, spring was assaulting all the senses: new green leaves, fruit trees and ornamentals in flower, blue skies, white clouds, bird song, chuckling streams falling down hillsides, the springtime odor of dilute cow manure sprayed over cropfields, remaining on the air till the aroma of skunk cabbage superceded it, and lingered until the battered old diesel truck full of saplings in pots pulled out ahead of us and farted a gentle eddy of black cloud in its wake.

OOps! Overshot my DW-versary by two weeks!

Dreamwidth's four, and I've been here four years. It seems like forever, and not that long, the way the best friendships are. I'm glad to be here, and I'm glad Dreamwidth is such a kickass place to be. Long may both of us wave!

I hate the posting box. I hate the profile page. I live in dread of not being able to control how my friends page looks.


I want to go home.