Hello!

Welcome to all the new people who have friended me since my last visit! I really, truly, honestly need to keep a better eye on my journal and update more frequently.

As I've said before, time passes a great deal differently on Olympus than it does in the mortal world and I get so busy - time just slips away from me! As it is, I haven't written anything here in almost a year, and I was hoping to do better with that, after my last fiasco of forgetting my password and needing to start anew!

All that aside, how is everyone? A turn of the seasons is a long time for humans, and I know many of your lives have no doubt been as full as mine!

Everything here on Olympus is...well...it's Olympus. Only now there's this strange tension everywhere - kind of an undercurrent of feeling. You all know the feeling I'm talking about. Where things don't feel exactly right, but nothing is precisely wrong.

I think it has to do with Artemis and Acheron. She's still - upset is not exactly the right term to use, but for lack of a better one, I'll use it - that Ash...you know I should probably just let that drop. I know Artemis reads this blog (whenever she can get her computer to work), and she's been through enough.

I know there are people who say that she deserves everything that falls in her lap, but justice is blind, and I can't help but see both sides of the issue. I can't help but see her around, when she deigns to leave her temple. Sometimes the baby (and I really should stop calling him "the baby" - he's not, anymore, though he always will be, for me) sits quietly in the garden below her temple and listens to the music her kori plays. Sometimes, like his father, he carves a bit of wood while doing it, though he's always careful to pick up the shavings, lest he upset her garden. He's very respectful and considerate, which earns his father some odd looks.

Speaking of his father, Zarek's doing well. He's been helping Ash out with some things, and the Kattalakis'. Those electric weapons - I don't even want to talk about those. They frightened me so badly. I know Zarek and Sasha have their differences, but Sasha has not only been my friend for a very, very long time, he's part of my family. Part of my heart. If anything like what happened to that poor Litarian happened to Sasha....

I'm not even going to think about that. Zarek will make sure everything is all right.

I never cease to marvel at the hope and joy that is still present, even in the darkest of times. Whenever the world offers something wrong, whenever the balance is shifted to one side or the other, something always shifts again to correct it.

Perhaps that's the justice in me talking, but I've always found it to be true. Everything relies on balance. Everything has an opposite. It's when things are taken to extremes, and the balance is upended, things go wrong and people die.

I should go. Zarek took the baby over to Vane's to play with their son (who, like Ash, calls the baby "Bob" - thank you, Acheron) for a while, and they'll be back soon. They probably won't be hungry though - Bride always makes sure they have plenty to eat, and no doubt she'll send Zarek home loaded with all kinds of goodies to last a week or more. Especially since they've just had that spring celebration - Easter.

Aphrodite and Demeter both love this time of year. Persephone returns (much to her understandable dismay - Hades is a hard man to leave), there are feasts and festivals that, while not specifically dedicated to either of them, reflect those that used to be held in both their honors.

And he can say what he likes, but I know Zarek loves those caramel creme eggs that come around for the holiday. And those boiled eggs Bride makes that Vane and his lot literally wolf down - oh she gave me the recipe for them...what were they called?

Oh, here it is. I found it! Deviled eggs. Yes, those.

Hmm. He's not home yet, and these don't take long. I wonder if I have time to make a half-dozen or so.

On second thought, I'd better make it a dozen. Zarek always comes home hungry these days.

Blessings upon you all,

Astrid

Well, I am deeply embarrassed and ashamed of myself, and if you don't think that's something for a justice nymph, think again!

I just got to the computer and checked my e-mail, and there were a few things from LiveJournal. Okay, more than a few things. Too many things, really, and one was a very nice note from karynmalfoy (I'm sorry, I don't know how to do that little name-link thing, and Zarek isn't here to show me how, nor is the baby, who is much better at this stuff than I am (and probably really shouldn't be called "the baby" anymore but I'm his mother and he'll always be my baby) - another embarrassing thing. That boy is good at so many things!).

Things here are going well. It's busy a lot. There's been this revival of late (and by "of late" I mean in the last hundred years, just with a surge of activity in the last couple decades) by a group of mortals...they've really started in on paying attention to the Olympian gods. What do they call it? Hellenic reconstructionist? Something like that. Anyway, a lot of mortals are starting to resurrect the old ways as best they can. Apollo is really...how does Acheron put it? "Getting off on it". Apollo has really been annoying V'Edrix and the rest of the Oneroi by appearing to some of these mortals in dreams all god-like saying things like "You belong to me" and basically sending them into fits of worship and tribute. Lots of these people are really "into" Aphrodite as well, and she's kind of unsure and lost about it. I mean, what goddess doesn't want worship? Especially her? Artemis...let's just not even address that, okay? I know she and her brother have their differences, but usually where one is, the other follows. This revival thing goes through the echelons, with no god left out, and believe me, there are more than just the ones everyone seems to know about. These Hellenic people are thorough, which makes more work for me.

The thing is, most of the old ways were lost, so the people trying to worship now are kind of lost. I've been running around like a mad thing trying to argue on behalf of the humans, while at the same time defending the gods' rights to be worshiped.

And this isn't to say that everyone up here isn't paying attention, but they're deities. They're fickle and betimes more neglectful than they realize. Time passes so quickly down there, that by the time they "get around" to answering a mortal's prayer and acknowledge their tribute or sacrifice, it's already too late to do anything about it.

It's complicated.

And time consuming. Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I just wanted to apologize to everyone who reads my journal and let you all know that yes, I'm here, and so are Zarek and the baby. This is just the stuff I'm having to manage. What Zarek is up to is his business to post, not mine, but I'll tell him he should check on his affairs here in the mortal realm soon. He gets busy, too. I know he's supposed to be "retired" or whatnot, but honestly, it seems he's busier now than ever. He's gone a lot of the time, sometimes with the baby, sometimes not.

Don't get me wrong. That's not a complaint. It's just an observation. I know he's been working a lot lately. There's something going on, I know it. I just like it better when he tells me than having to find out through Mother.

I mean, do you know what it's like to have the goddess of justice talk to you about what your husband has been doing?

It's not fun.

Thanks for reading, all! I'll try to post more in the future! Really I will!

Astrid

Time passes so much differently here than anywhere else. I mean, I sit down to read a few chapters of a book and in that little span of time, two weeks has passed on Earth. I go looking for my husband and son and two more weeks pass. It's really quite interesting.

But that's not what I sat down here to write.

I found my husband and son playing in one of the gardens below Mom's temple. I wouldn't dare to intrude upon them, but they were laughing together, and it so warmed my heart, all I could do was stare for a moment.

My Prince Charming. If you think he's handsome when he's not smiling, multiply that by ten thousand when he does. And he does. Rarely, to be sure, but he does.

It's even more rare outside the house, though; this smile I'm talking about. He smiles outside the house in his...well Sasha called it his "wolfish" way, and I suppose that's a compliment coming from Sasha. (It could have been an insult, and probably was, but I'm trying to be fair here and give Sasha the benefit of the doubt.) Zarek smiling outside the house generally means someone is about to...that is...let's just say it isn't pleasant, all right?

This was different. He was genuinely happy, and it was so wonderful to see. I had to record it here, because I don't want to forget. I forget things like that a lot. I know I shouldn't, but I think it has something to do with the passage of time here.

That and the fact that I'm not human, like he is. Was. He isn't human anymore, and hasn't been, really, for thousands of years, but he hasn't forgotten what it means to be human, or what it feels like to be one.

Sometimes, I wish he would.

Hello, everyone!

I do apologize for the very long hiatus in updating my journal!

I'm really sorry to all those who friended my previous journal that I never got back to, but I see Valt has added a note to Zarek's journal about what happened.

I feel so silly, really! And of course I couldn't remember my password or anything. These technical things...I'm amazed I can type! But I've learned a lot!

The baby's been teaching me. How pathetic is that? The baby knows more than I do about modern technology. And his Daddy of course has been helping a lot. When he's not in his studio, that is.

I can't promise I'll be the best at updating or friending or whatever it's called. And the gods know I'm terribly busy. You know what they say...no rest for the wicked? Well, the wicked don't rest anyway, so, I'm busy a lot. And I'm a mom, which, as anyone with children knows, is a full-time job in itself.

How do you mortal women do it?

I know it seems like I don't appreciate my sisters, or my mother, and really, there are times when I REALLY don't, but they are a help with the baby.

Zarek has been spending a lot of time with him. It makes me smile, to see them together. Zarek is so gentle with him. He's a good father. The best.

Gods, the time! I know...it passes differently for you all than it does here. It's why when I saw how long it had been since I posted an update, I immediately felt guilty.

Guilt for a justice nymph is interesting!

And then of course I couldn't figure anything out. I still can't, really. I did my best. Here's a new journal, and I won't forget the passwords this time. I need to remember to pass them to Valt, just in case it happens again.

Thank you all again! Again, my apologies!

-Astrid