The "New" adventures of Ms. Baggs and friends, or The Visit.............

It has been such a very long time since Ms. Baggs made plans for a new house, shopped for the "just right" materials for her new home. Frankly, she had sort of given up. I bought her a new townhouse, but it just didn't suit her. We began making vintage boxes into rooms and setting them together, but alas that wasn't right either.

She is a picky Olde Bagg. And nothing that was begun was going to suit her. So off she went on one of her adventurings and I hadn't seen her for months. No letters, no visits in the fireplace (flue powder you know) and mostly no Ms. Baggs and her lovely presence. It was rather lonely her at the Casa and also quite uneventful without her spark and verve.

Then just before Halloween, she flew in and settled in the Halloween House and told me that she would have a secret arriving in the next month or so. My interest and curiosity was peaked. After all, we're talking about Ms. Baggs here. The witch who went off to help pixie's deliver their twins, which by the way turned out to be triplets, at the drop of a hat and came back with another roommate. A mouse of fine character but little brain. We've kept him busy helping with the ongoing clean up of unnecessary stuff and junk here at the Casa whilst Ms. Baggs galavanted, goodness knows where.

We've found Mervin Mettleton, wondering all over the house and he never really seems to know what he's doing. Do have to be careful that he doesn't get into a kafuffle with Chandler Linx, our new cat. They are quite contrary with one another and I've found them scuffling in the hallway more than once.

So all in all Ms. Baggs, as usual, left me with a bit of a mess to manage. But that was prior to Halloween so it's ancient history now.

We've all been waiting with anticipation and some trepidation on my part, I must say. Goodness knows what she will bring into the Casa. I got a note from a friend, Ms. April, who has the Angry Gnome and Company living at her home, a couple of weeks ago. Seems that Ms. Baggs had been visiting with the Witch Sisters and had come to some sort of a deal with them. You remember the Witch Sisters and their lovely home, Stump House? Well if not, here are a few pictures, thanks to Ms. April, into the wonderfulness of those lovely ladies. But I've wandered again, haven't I?

Ms. April told me that the Witch Sisters had given her notice that they were moving somewhere out of state and that they would keep in touch. Well I tell you here and now, while they are lovely witches of the highest order, their cheek to just up and leave Arkansas has put me off, a little. Ms. April has been so very kind to take them in and built them Stump House from beginning to end. What will become of Stump House? Who is going to tend the house and why would the Witch sister's be in cahoots with Ms. Baggs on this matter?

I asked Ms. Baggs herself about what was going to happen next but of course she was too busy making plans with Mervin Mettleton to give me a proper answer.

Last night about 5:15 pm, one of Federal Express's finest rang the bell and brought in the biggest box I have ever gotten in the post and had Sweet Man sign for it. It was marked to Ms. Baggs c/o Casa de Cuckoo and weighed a ton. So here we were with a something of import and Ms. Baggs had just popped out to the market.

It took Sweet Man and GK to move this monster box from Ms. April into the house. I can hardly wait to see what's inside.

I suppose I will have to wait until she pops back in from the market (in Bombay) to see what manner of mischief is afoot. It is frightfully hard not to peek and see what's inside this huge box. And I think I hear rattling about coming from inside the enormity. I hope she hasn't brought all of Mervin's family here to live. I can't abide the skittering of mice.

Wish us luck lovelies, I'm sure we are going to need it.

And the winner of the box and yummy fudge is......................

I am proud to announce that the winner of the Princess Langwidere decorated with the head of Oma Linda and containing my Cinnamon dark chocolate fude is L J Dogsmom. I'll send an email to you and you can send me back your address.

Thank you all for the lovely comments and hurray for another Celebrate Oz.

April Ross alias, Henry Rott and The Angry Gnome presents...................

April is also a dear friend of mine. And does not have a blog but is an integral part of Celebrate Oz as a presenter so she borrows this blog for the celebration.

 April has the most fertile mind I have ever known. She builds whole worlds for her gnomes and creates the most delightful stories and vignettes out of paper mache and whatever else "tickles her fancy". She and Kim Cowley have been friends for a very long time and I love the banter that goes on between the two. So even if April didn't mean for you to eaves drop on her comments to me about the Tinman that she created ....... I have to let you in on what April made first for the celebration and how it is now going to live with Kim.... so we will begin by being the proverbial fly on the wall. Enjoy what April does best. Oma Linda

Hi Gnoma:

 I have done two things for Shadow of Oz...the first is a Tin Woodman but he is not a Giveaway. He WAS going to be but a certain little British woman called “DIBS!” when I showed her his photo. So, I did a second item for my Giveaway. But I would like to show the Tin man.

Here is the background on the Tin Man, who was a normal man by the name of “Nick Chopper”.

And here he is, with his love, Nimmie Amee

Even though the Wizard gave the Tin Woodman a heart, he was too late to claim his lost love. For me, The Shadow of Oz was his lost hope of ever being loved again...who would love a Tin man and HOW could he love, completely, as when he was a flesh and blood man. I believe his heart exploded...

My second Oz item is one of my favorite wicked characters, Princess Langwidere. (Re-named “Mombi” in the movie, “Return to Oz”..played by actress, Jean Marsh.)  The Princess has 30 heads and can wear a different head every day, if she pleases. To me, she is a Shadow of Oz. I decorated a box in her honor and will fill it with home-made Cinnamon Chocolate Fudge for the Winner of my Give Away. I am NOT Responsible for any Lost heads upon eating the fudge! Shadows are dark, as is my fudge, made with dark bittersweet chocolate.   Here are the photos of the box, as well as the fudge (Which will be made fresh after the Oz Celebration!)

The small glass bottle is the “Powder of Life”, which was stolen from Princess Langwidere by Dorothy Gale

this is the Favorite Head of the Princess!  The most beautiful and Powerful head of all!

for those of you who do not know.....this is Oma Linda's head

The inside of the box.

This is the type of fudge which will be made especially for the Winner of my Princess Langwidere box!

To win this box, please leave your name saying that you would like to Win!  Drawing will be Thursday, April 16th. 

THANKS, GNOMA!!!!  I HAVE LOVED THIS!!!  I told Kim that I always ADORE your Oz party because it pushes me to make something I would not ordinarily create..it is SO GOOD for me and I ALWAYS LOVE IT!!!!!  LOVE YOU, Gnoma!!! XOXOOXOXOOXXOOXOXO, April.

Vampire Soiree 2015........where's your vania?

Aurealia Baggs here. I suppose the only way to start this contribution to The Vampire Day Soiree 2015 is to come clean about my failure to give you the inside information regarding Vampires that I promised.

It is with great shame that I tell you this. I asked my friend Apriliano to help me out with this task as I am really so busy with the design of my new home. I've been dashing off on shopping trips for the materials for weeks. I thought that I could give my contact information in Transylvania to Apry and he would take care of it for me. But it seems that he didn't want to disappoint me but didn't have the time to personally take care of the job himself. He asked his sister's son, Bruce, to take on the assignment. If I had known Apry was going to farm out my errand to someone else I would have asked an adult gnome to do so not a mere child of 96.

Be that as it may poor Bruce got the message completely backassward and lost the paper on which the instructions for travel and contact were written. Rather than going back and asking  for the information from his uncle he decided he could wing it and work from memory.

When I got back from my shopping trip, where I found the most amazing building materials, I was shocked to find such a collection of strange items left on my doorstep.

Chocolates, hex signs, a meat sandwich of unknown origin. When I finally contacted Apry, he told me of his assigning the job to Bruce, we went to see Bruce and asked him what this collection was and where was my insiders information from my acquaintance in Transylvania. Bruce had the most quizzical look upon his face. His exact words were, "That's definitely not the 'vania' that I visited. I went to the Pennsylvania not the Transylvania". I was horror struck. What was I to do for you my readers? How was I to explain to my contact in Transylvania that a mere child gnome had gone awry?

But then I got so tickled I could do anything but giggle, which turned into rolling with laughter. Apry and Bruce were both looking at me like I had lost my mind. I had to sit down because I was laughing so hard and with such gusto that I actually got weak in the knees.

Now the Hershey's kisses made sense, as did the Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign and the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. Poor Bruce, what a misguided, literally, young gnome he is. I couldn't be mad at him, after all he had made an effort but I will in the future just do things myself rather than putting the burden on someone else.

So my dears. Instead of inside scoop on the Transylvania Vampires for this soiree, I have the lovely hearts and goodies that Apriliano and Bruce delivered to me. What a fiasco.

All that is left is the hex sign and some of the kisses from Bruce, we split the sandwich.  Apry bought me this beautiful blood red necklace. I think it is such a lovely gift for Vampire Soiree 2015. Truthfully I think he thought he had a debt to pay for his error. I'll take jewelry no matter what the reason.

Hope you have dark, delicious and dangerous read or viewing at the other participants. I also hope you'll come back and visit Gnoma Linda and I as we finish our design on my new home and take you with us as we build it.

Happy Vampire Soiree 2015. And thank you to Holly's Horrorland for again hosting this fun event.

Ms. Baggs and I are going to be participating in...............

The 4th Annual Vampire's Day Soiree on February 14 and hosted by Holly's Horrorland.

Ms. Baggs has called in some favors from friends in Transylvania so we are getting some great input from some "in the know" folks.

Hope you'll join us for the fun.

Gnoma Linda and Ms. Baggs

Just in time for Winter Solstice...........

Hello my friends. Ms. Baggs here.

I just arrived back at Casa de Cuckoo last evening. What an exciting time I've had in the last month. The birthing of the sprites was simply delightful. Both parents, siblings and all the tribe were in attendance. It was quite the celebration and life affirming experience. I don't know if you know this but sprites are born mid air. That is if they are Aire sprites, water sprites are quite a different matter.

 I've hardly had time to catch my breath thus far but I did think it was only proper that I let each of you know that I have arrived safely back at Halloween House and am looking forward to celebrating Solstice with the Cuckoos.

Preparations are all in place and I feel a bit of a slacker for not having helped at all. The Gnomes have, as usual, made themselves very welcome here and are on display as indicated in these photos. Gnoma Linda always let them put on their little plays and act out gnome life this time of year. And this years gnome and elf tree is a pip. Larger than I remember it from years past but honestly, I don't see how all the magickal and fun ornaments would fit on a smaller tree.

Ornaments from everywhere, Germany, Australia, the wildes of Arkansas, South Carolina fixin's, Sweden and Cuba as well as some well loved oldies from Gnoma Linda's childhood. And of course loads of mushrooms and magickal beings.

my goodness the Cuckettes when they were but fledglings 

And as if the excitement of the return of the Sun wasn't enough to celebrate, my old pal The Angry Gnome has sent me such a stunning and brilliant Solstice gift. I am the proud caretaker of a Slimton Pink Dragon. I know right? I had no idea that they were again exporting these rare dragons. Just imagine my delight when I saw this note from Ms. April and The Angry Gnome. Oh stars, imagine, I get to be an attendee to a firing of a Pink, that is if she hasn't flamed yet.

Can you imagine? Getting to watch a flaming of a pink may happen once in a hundred years or so. Give or take. I most certainly will share that event with you when it occurs, if it occurs. Oh bother, who cares. I am a trainer to a Slimton Pink and couldn't be any more pleased. Did you see that Ms. April also provided the traditional jar of wishes so that the Slimton Pink can begin her training in wish giving as well. I'm over the moon. What a delightful and wonderful gift at Winter Solstice.

I do hope that you have a pleasant Solstice and welcome back the Sun in your own way. And I'll be back to tell you more of the details of the birthing of the sprites, tell you of my travels to the land of the fae, show you photos of my adventures and also introduce you to my dragon.

Stay well my friends.
Aurealia Baggs

Oh poof, she's gone again...........

Ms. Baggs has been called away to help with the delivery of a set of sprites in the fae world. The Mommy of the youngin's is a particularly good friend of Aurealia's. Quite interesting how they met.

But I can't divulge those stories without expressed consent from Ms. Baggs herself and she tore out of here in quite a rush yesterday.When I asked when she might be back she flung her words over her shoulder as she faded from sight. "By Christmas at the latest. Please tell The Angry Gnome's landlord that I shall not be available for the house building until the spring".

Well, that's a fine kettle of champorated cuttle fish.

So it is with a bit of embarrassment that I give Ms. April and Ms. Gail the news that we shall not be traveling to the wilds of Arkansas this December. But I will make every effort to take a journey to see them in the very near future. I personally had made some lovely plans to visit with two of my favorite folks, but since this is all about Ms. Baggs and her new Home Sweet Home, I will be of good cheer and look upon this time as a gift to use in another way.

Sure hope Ms. Baggs lets us know how she and sprites get along. Also hope we can console Apriliano as he didn't have a word to say at her going. He's been rather restless without her. We'll see if he would like to visit some his neighboring gnomes in her absence. Looks like he has enlisted the help of his friend Danisiano Donkey to take some things to his neighbors. Maybe he'll share his adventures soon.

At any rate, I'll let you know about what's going on here.

New opportunities.........

Ms. Baggs here.

Thought I'd drop in before all the hub bub of Friday sets in to wish all of you lovely humans (and any other creatures) that might be droppin' by YOCG a very Happy Halloween, Blessed Samhain or Hallowoooooonie as Gnoma likes to call it.

To tell you the truth, it has been a whirlwind of activity around here since we had the Halloween House tour. Thank you all for your lovely comments about our endeavors. Gnoma and I have since started making plans for my new "normal" (only a setting on a dryer) home. We've been checking out so many possibilities as to the style, function and availability of  "Home sweet Home" of the future.

In doing our research we stumbled across an opportunity afforded us by a friend. Apriliano got in touch with his maker and asked her if she might be available to assist Gnoma and I in building "HSH". Well we were in luck, Ms. April, will be holding a seminar on Gnome Home construction in the wilds of Arkansas in early December, which means we are going on a road trip.

I've begun networking with others of my kind and tradition in the area and there are a few good crazies available during that same time sooooooooooooo, I will be crystal and rock hunting, naturals gathering and staying with other friends along the way. This should be a extremely soul nourishing getaway.

I've been here at Casa de Cuckoo now for about 3 years and in that time I have traveled internationally once and to the realm of the fae many times but I've not been to any of the "states" in quite awhile. I'm looking forward to this trip because I usually travel in the realm and get places in the blink of an eye but Sweet Man is taking vacation and loves to drive an automobile, so I will accompany Gnoma and SM. We will be taking a large vehicle, I gather Gnoma has some plans to bring back some "rusty, dusty and just my style" goodies.

I must admit, I've only been in one of those human inventions for in town junkettes to Gnoma's haunts and so I'm a newbie to the drive and sleep kind of travel. This should prove to be interesting. No wonder the humans have suitcases and trunks. I should think about packing. What will I need to bring along for the seminar? I wonder how far we will have to travel to find the crystals and rocks. I also wonder if I'll get to see a live armadillo? (I've only seen the ones decorating the highways, I don't think they are real, to quote Gnoma.) What exactly is an Oklahoma and why must we slice through Amarillo?

Here are a couple of photos from the Internet of house styles, which is your favorite for my new HSH? Or do you think I should go with the traditional Gnome house construction in a tree? Let me know what you think.

Until next time,
Aurelia Baggs

The blood red axe............

This is YOCG entry for:

My name is Aurealia Natlandia Baggs. 178 years ago, I was born in a small hillside hamlet outside what is now Innsbruk, Austria. I am a Tyrolean gnome and enjoy all the special quirks and abilities of my race.

I have made my current home with a very special family here in New Mexico. Lovely bunch of Cuckoos who know what fun and games really means. We share a love of potion making, spell weaving and moon loving. Oma has found us a fixer upper and we, my friend and roommate Apriliano and I, are enjoying helping to fix this Halloween House into a great snuggle to live in. During the winter months it is our hope to build a proper Gnome home and begin to entertain the surrounding fae, of which there are many.

Halloween House

Oma and the Cuckoos have a very close relationship with the fairy folk both in the house and her gardens, also the large sprite colony nearby and as well as a small band of trolls that live under their home. For humans they are quite accommodating and welcoming to those of us who are small and magically abled. Oma is also friends of friends like the very famous author Nichola Battiliana of Ontario, Canada. It is one of my great pleasures in life to own one of Knickertwist's signed copies of Fairy Magic. I keep it close at all times to use as a guide. Apriliano my roommate and I never would have met if it had not been for The Angry Gnome's landlord, April, also close with Gnoma Linda as she is called in Arkansas. So many of my treasured potion and magical working items are from Oma's dear friend Lady Cecelia Laudanum, world known Elvin translator who lives in the wilds of Wales. UK. So you see, it is a collaboration at the very roots of our living arrangements and our lives that makes all this work so seamlessly.

I have been told that many of you were interested in the the bloody axe that is stored in the attic. Oma had a giggle with all of you when she suggested that I might be charged with murder. It wasn't murder at all. And that axe has never been used for foul play, unless you are from South America and are a Cocona.

I am a skilled potion maker. Many of my drafts and brews are used extensively in the fae communities of the world.  I love to and am known for trying new and unique ingredients in my drafts. I believe that it is all my trials and tests with new ingredients that have made me sought after and well known. And because of my luck in the world of the fae, the human world has also started to hear of me and my success. And so I have also been consulted by pharmacutical companies after successful potions have been around awhile and gotten good results.

One of the new found ingredients is from the Cocona fruit which is only grown in a small section of South America, most notably Peru. Once the juice of this plum like fruit has been distilled with some secret ingredients, I know that I have the best potion for mending a broken heart.

It was during my purchase of a large crop of Cocona that I had a misadventure with the human world. Many of the humans that have contacted me have been what I think you refer to as "snake oil salesmen". These people are looking for magic in a bottle. But not the magic that comes from the bottle if you get my drift. They want a "magic" slim down potion, a fast healing balm, a get out of trouble brew, which I could probably come away with but won't. My potions are only for the believers. And so that is how I got into a sticky wicket with my "bloody axe" and accusations of misdeeds.

I was on a buying trip in Peru and was being pursued by a particularly unwelcome company man who had been instructed by his employers to get me to sign a deal with them for a diet aid. The precise language was if I couldn't be convinced then either I wasn't to come home or he wasn't. And he was to strike a deal, no matter what.

After much whining and dining, cajoling and begging, this offensive character finally got the message that I wasn't going along with his grift. He threatened me but I just laughed at him and went to my meeting with the head grower of the essential ingredient in my latest potion for healing of hearts.

When I reached my meeting, the Cocona fruit grower told me someone else had bought his entire crop yield and that I was out of luck. I was completely taken aback. After all, I had been promised this product and I had worked on this arrangement for 6 months. The most troubling part was that I had assured Queen Mab herself that I would have the potion delivered to her by midsummer's night. Now I would have to break a promise. I was furious, livid and loud.

I lost my cool and began to yell at the grower. That is when he confessed to me who had bought the Cocona fruit. The company man was behind this mess but for a slightly higher price to cover his inconvenience, the grower was willing to sell me the fruit. Even though the thought of paying a higher price for something that I had already struck a deal for galled me, I agreed and took possession of the fruit right then and there. I left Peru later that night.

ripe Cocona fruit

After getting the product back to my home, I began processing the fruit, which requires smashing of the fruit with a heavy club or axe. The blood red color of the fruit is what you see on the handle and head of the axe. As a matter of fact, you don't ever want to get any of the juice of this particular fruit on your skin, it tends to stain it for quite some time. But this ingredient is the special quality needed to set the potion on it's course.

As it happens, when their man did not return after our trip to South America, the shady company sent the police to investigate. When they found the "bloody axe" in my possession, it became a regular CSI scene right in my own home. I was taken into custody for suspecion of foul play and detained at a very nasty lock up situation in county jail.  Of course, once the forensics came back negative for blood, they were forced to let me go. Cocona fruit juice and blood don't have any shared components.

But I am very glad they didn't make me take a lie detector test, as I might have had to admit that I did know where their man was...or should I say wasn't any longer.

My name is Aurealia Natlandia Baggs, I am a magical creature and I do admit to having a very nasty temper.


Thank you all so very much for stopping by to help us celebrate Ms. Magaly's 4th year of Witches in Fiction. As always it is a pleasure to participate in such a wonderful event and to "play" at writing with some real authors. If you have a chance go and see what wonderful stories, crafts and fun can be had at Magaly's Pagan Culture here.