The new blog regarding the libelous book Forbidden Family by Joan Mary Wheeler now known as Doris Michol Sippel, and related topics.

I've had my original blog since December 2009, one month after Joan/Doris published her book. I got a notice the other day from Wordpress that my blog was suspended because it "contains content written for gaming search engines" -- I have no idea what that means -- I do play that stuff online, but my blog is not about that. Gert's blogs also were suspended for that same reason. I suspect some glitch in their algorithm programs. And because our blogs are linked, they all got suspended. -- Our blogs are not about fooling around, they are about restorative justice.

We are very mystified and upset with WordPress - that their mistake has messed up our blogs. We notified WordPress, but to no avail. Well, it is what it is.

So I have to rebuild - but that's not necessarily a bad thing, because we know from experience that Joan/Doris will not stop attacking and belittling us, her birth sisters, everywhere she goes on the internet. It's her favorite past-time. Because she has no life. We, on the other hand, have lives, and as much as we are disappointed with WordPress - this has given us a chance to examine things.

Our main objective to our blogs - to refute the lies in the book has been done. We covered every page, every lie - and many lies were refuted using actual police and court document, letters written by Joan (some in her own handwriting) that are a direct contradiction (lie) of what she said in the book and on the internet.

A second objective was also achieved: using that documented evidence, we proved to her first publisher, Trafford Publications, that Joan/Doris lied in her book, in violation of the contract that she signed with them -- that 'everything' in the book was factual and true. And that by putting in a footnote that led her readers to an article she wrote in 1990 that contained my real name, she did not protect my identity -- she led her readers right to me - affixing a real name and identity to those lies. In May of 2011, Trafford pulled her book from publication.

Because of our activities online, we have also been able to counter and refute her lies about us online. Yes, she still has a bunch of 'supporters' who believe every word she says -- but in examining them, we have found them to be as damaged as she is. And others reading our blogs have discovered how damaged she is - I have through the years, had several adult adoptees, and former friends of Joan/Doris contact me through my blog and even on facebook to give me support and tell stories of how they too were maligned by her.

And since we know that Joan/Doris will not cease in her hatred of her birthsisters - because she resents us deeply - in the fact that our father relinquished her to adoption, but not us - we need a venue such as a blog - to continue refuting her lies. Because if she has the 'freedom of speech' to lie about us - we have the freedom to tell the truth about us.

For about 3 years now, I have actually done very little blogging. With our main objectives reached, there hasn't been that much reason for me to spend that much time on it. And since I've retired two years ago, my life has taken new directions.

We are in the start of a new year - the time of new beginnings. The time to end one chapter and start a new one. "The word January comes from the Roman name for this month; it was named after the god Janus, who had two faces. This diety ruled over beginnings and endings, the past and the future. Since January is reckoned as the first month of a new year, this connection with the god Janus is appropriate. It is an excellent time to work on putting aside the old and outdated in one's personal life and making plans for new and better conditions." -- from "Moon Magick" by D.J. Conway - 1997 Llewellyn Publications.

As most of us make New Years resolutions, so had I. I had started studying Latin several months ago, but got sidetracked when my eyes started having trouble and in October had my first cataract surgery. In December, I had my second surgery. Around the New Year I got reading glasses and started back reading. I'm still a bit near-sighted in my left eye, and am now waiting for new bifocals.

I had thought about what my New Years resolutions for 2018 would be and decided that I wanted to get back to my Latin. There are also three areas of my pagan spirituality that I've been reading about in the past years, and doing it rather haphazardly. These areas being: the pagan holidays and changing seasons, (how our ancestors observed them, how they are observed in modern times); the moon and its lore, how our ancestors developed lunar lore, (there is a treasure trove of moon folklore from all ancient cultures). And lastly Tarot cards.

Last week, I went through my personal library and pulled out my books on these subjects and mapped out a loose "study plan" - certain days of the week would be set aside for studying a certain area. Monday (moon-day) obviously will be for reading about the moon. Saturdays and Sundays for seasons and Sabbats (neo-pagan term for holy day). And then there is Tarot Tuesday, with Latin being studied on Fridays. I figure by the end of the year, I will have read and studied all 18 books that I have on my moon and seasons/sabbats, and made a dent in the 10 books I have on Tarot. As for Latin, I hope to have mastered conjugating verbs.

Yes, I am planning on growing - learning new things and totally revamping my front garden this year. Partly because the gas company ripped part of my garden up when they put in a new gas line and partly because I always wanted to have no lawn - just a garden.

So yes, as D.J. Conway says in her book "Moon Magick," " (it is) .... time to work on putting aside the old and outdated in one's personal life and making plans for new and better conditions."