Welcome to My Portal to All Things GrannySage
A portal in the real world is a gateway or a doorway, the entrance to some structure or tunnel going somewhere. A magickal portal, on the other hand, is a doorway that connects two distant locations, whether separated by time or, most commonly, space. It could be a different place in the universe, an alternate reality, a time portal to the past or future, or a different dimension.
This is the portal to the mind and creativity of GrannySage, aka Diane Wallace. Once you step through the portal, you never know what you might find. Of course, there is always an escape portal, if you can find it that is!
Diane's Background
I was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, on the shores of Lake Superior. The picture shows me standng in front of a one room schoolhouse I attended in Copper Harbor, Michigan. I went to college at Northern Michigan University and graduated with B.S. degree in Social Work.
I married a boy from Kansas and moved there after graduation. I worked in the social work field for years. My last social work job was as a nursing home social worker. But writing has always been my passion. I had three children and was a stay-at-home mom for 10 years. During that time I wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that was a cross between Erma Bombeck and Ann Landers.
But life gets in the way, and I didn't write anything for years. Then, in January of 2008, I quit my job as a customer service representative at a call center. While waiting to find a new job, I started writing again. And this is the map to all the things I have created since then.
I have remarried and am now following the Wiccan spiritual path. I talk about that on my GrannySage's Almanac blog.
I am a published writer on Associated Content. But I have found a home here at Squidoo and have been focusing all my energy to making new lenses. It's fun and easy, and you get to meet a lot of really interesting people.
I hope you enjoy the journey!
Lenses that Describe Where I Grew Up
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Yooperology: Exploring All Things Related to Yoopers
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What is a Yooper? Well, if you are one, you don't need me to explain it. But you may enjoy reading this lens devoted to all things Yooper. If you aren't a Yooper, well first of all, we are sorry, but not everyone can be. You can become an honorary Yo...
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Where in the World is Northern Michigan University?
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I guess the title gave it away! Northern Michigan University, one of two major universities in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, is located in Marquette, Michigan, in the heart of Yooper country. It is my alma mater and the source of many fine memorie...
Amazon Books about the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Diary of an Isle Royale School Teacher
The journal of the schoolteacher who taught my mother and her family one cold winter on Isle Royale
Amazon Price: $12.95 (as of 11/21/2009) 
Strangers and Sojourners: A History of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula (Great Lakes Books)
The social history of the communities which now make up Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties.
Amazon Price: $26.95 (as of 11/21/2009)
The Clue at Copper Harbor
A very cute mystery story based in Copper Harbor
Amazon Price: $8.95 (as of 11/21/2009)
Lenses About my Favorite Music
In the 1970's, I became somewhat of a hippie. I say, "somewhat" because I never really embraced the whole culture, just experimented with the lifestyle a little. I did spend a few months in a commune, though.-
An Ex-Hippie Remembers: Long-Haired Hippie Music
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"Old hippies don't die, they just lie low until the laughter stops and their time comes round again." Joseph Gallivan, British journalist. Yep, I was a commune living hippie back in the 70's. And as time has rolled on, I am finding very little to li...
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The Traveling Wilburys - My "New" Favorite Band
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One evening I caught the end of a PBS show about Bob Dylan. That inspired me to watch the DVD of one of my new favorite bands. It is not a new band, in fact, two of its members are deceased. But the band is new to me. I am talking about The Traveling...
Lenses About My Hobbies
These lenses talk about my hobbies, collecting fairies and gnomes, and copper enameling.-
The Adventures of Wanderer the Gnome
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Not only do I collect fairies, I also collect gnomes. Because of my Scandinavian ancestry, I've always been attracted to Earth elementals, such as gnomes. I find the Travelocity "Roaming Gnome" commercials extremely entertaining, especially when he y...
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Romantic Gifts: Fairies, Not Flowers
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Another Valentine's Day has come and gone, and once again I did not get any flowers! I have never gotten any flowers from my husband, and we've been together for ten years. Not very romantic, you might say. On the contrary, my husband has found a mos...
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The Art of Copper Enameling
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The Art of Copper Enameling is a review and discussion of one of the oldest arts in history, Enamel on Copper. This art was taught to me by my mother, Violet Miller, and I am passing along that knowledge to my own daughter. Learning to enamel is not...
GrannySage's Animal Lenses
I love all kinds of animals. I have two cats and I wrote "White Cats Can't Jump" about Wileykat, my cat with special needs. I am also a strong supporter of helping endangered species.-
White Cats Can't Jump
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If you remember the movie, "White Men Can't Jump," it was based on a stereotype that a white man could not play basketball well. Borrowing on that theme, I dedicate this lens to my cat, Wileykat, who is a "special needs" cat. Wiley came to live with...
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Woman Who Hobbles After Wolves
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This lens is dedicated to wolves and all who love them. I named it "Woman Who Hobbles After Wolves," as a sidekick to my favorite book, "Women Who Run With the Wolves", by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. The reason I am only hobbling afte...
My Patron Goddess, Diana
How cool to be named after a Goddess. Now when I meet other women named Diane, Dianne, or Diana, I remind them that we are named after a powerful goddess.
Moon Goddess Diana
Howard Johnson
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Are You a Good Witch, or a Bad Witch?
My favorite books as a child were the Wizard of Oz books. My mother read them to me every night. Little did I know that some day I would call myself a witch.
About 15 years ago I realized that Christianity, the spiritual path of my youth and most of my adult life, no longer spoke to me. I began an intense search to find myself and a belief system I could embrace. The search led me to Wicca. Wicca is Not Satanism, as many still proclaim. It is a religion that venerates nature and views divinity as having both masculine and feminine aspects, both God and Goddess.
Wiccans do not strive to convert others. We do not stand on street corners handing out "Witchtowers." We believe in not harming others nor in imposing our will upon others. We look just like other people, unless we are dressing up for one of our celebrations.
Witches believe in magick, which according to Wiccan author Scott Cunningham is "the movement of natural (but little understood) energies from the human body and from natural objects to manifest change. Once a world-wide practice, Christianity attempted to stamp it out because magic placed power in the hands of the people. Early Christians linked magic with "Satan," a false association that continues to this day."
source: Dreaming the Divine, Scott Cunningham (Llewellyn Publications)
Today, quantum physics is proving what witches have understood for thousands of years.
The picture above is of GrannySage, dressed as.....herself. I love Halloween, or Samhain as we call it, because it is the one time of the year I don't have to wear a costume.
Add These Two Books to Your Library!
Dreaming the Divine: Techniques for Sacred Sleep
Explores the mysteries of dreams; written by a highly regarded author on the subject of magick.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/21/2009)
The Annotated Wizard of Oz (Centennial Edition)
The first book was just the beginning! There are many, many more.
Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 11/21/2009)
Lenses on Spirituality
After years of searching for the right spiritual path, I finally found my home in Wicca. Here are a a few lenses that reflect my spirituality.-
Gaia - Earth Mother
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Gaia (also spelled Gaea), the primordial Greek Earth Mother, who was said to have created the universe, the first race of gods, and mankind. This lens explores the different concepts of Gaea, Our Earth Mother. Is the Earth alive? Is she sentient? Wh...
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Words Have Power - Be Careful What You Say
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Do you know the saying "Be careful what you wish for, it may come true?" Turns out, that is not just a saying, it actually happens. What follows on this lens is the story of how I met my "career goal" of becoming a Walmart Greeter. In the process, w...
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Ostara: The Sabbat with the Rabbit
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Just what is a sabbat anyway? According to the Merriam-Webster On-line Dictionary, a sabbat is "any of eight neo-pagan religious festivals commemorating phases of the changing seasons." In the case of Ostara, it refers to the celebration of the Sprin...
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Save the Tree Spirit, Save The World
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Well, actually the saying is "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World" from the TV show, Heroes. But I thought the adapted title fit this lens pretty well. This is the story of how I "saved" a 'tree spirit" solar lamp from a terrible fate. The lens al...
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Whispers of the Crone
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The dictionary defines a hag as a "an ugly evil-looking old woman." Some synonyms include beldam, beldame, witch, and crone. Wikipedia describes a crone as "a stock character in folklore and fairy tale, an old woman who is usually disagreeable, mali...
Proud Member of Senior Squids
I also belong to the group Senior Geek Squids Check them out as well.
This and That
This is where I have all my lenses (well, one at the moment) that just won't fit into any other category. But don't let that stop you. This one is really good!-
Des Moines, Baryshnikov, and Me
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After many months of rushing home to watch American Idol twice a week, only to have my favorite come in second place, I had to stop and take a deep breath. Why, I wondered, are we so fascinated with celebrities? That led me to reminiscing about my i...
Newest Lenses by GrannySage
I've been a bit remiss in updating this lensography, so I have two new lenses to feature. One is about the cliche "It is What it Is" and is dedicated to my sister. The other is a Halloween/Samhain lens.-
The Witch Who Danced With Ghosts
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I wanted to write something a little different for my Halloween lens. So I dusted off a little story I once wrote for a pagan forum. Squidoo, being the wonderful place it is, allows me to enhance the story with pictures and music. The main character...
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"It Is What It Is" - Just a Cliche?
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Recently my sister and I were planning my mother's memorial service. She died at the age of 95, and even though it had been expected for some time, there was still the process of grieving and planning to lay her to rest next to my father. I was obs...
GrannySage's blogs
- GrannySage's Almanac
- This is my main blog where I talk about a lot of different topics, including Wicca, music, and freelance writing.
- Friends of Faerie
- My faerie friends wanted their own blog - so here it is!
- Customer Service Anecdotes and Tips
- I have been working in the people industry most of my life, starting out as a waitress, then as a social worker in nursing homes, and as a customer service representative. I have a wealth knowledge about customer service skills that I would like to share with others.
Published Articles
- Diane Wallace's Content Producer Page - Associated Content
- Associated Content is a great place to get published and make some money too.
Sage with Wanderer the Gnome at Copper Harbor MI
GrannySage Welcomes You
I like visitors and I love to hear from you. Don't be shy, leave a note.
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Reply
- WhiteOak50 WhiteOak50 Sep 18, 2009 @ 3:23 pm
- Wow, very good lens! My husband is from Michigan, so as I was reading I was familiar with some of the places from hearing him talk about them. I have only ever known one other person who has ever heard the soft whispers of the name "White Feather" . The Eagle turned out to be one of her animal totems. Brooke Medicine Eagle is a very powerful spiritual woman, I love her book when White Buffalo Woman Comes Singing.
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- luvmyludwig luvmyludwig Sep 10, 2009 @ 7:29 pm
- It was great to get to know you better.
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- mbgphoto mbgphoto Jul 11, 2009 @ 7:51 am
- Interesting lens! It was good to get to know you a little through your lens. I will be visiting others. 5*
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- Pastiche Pastiche Apr 9, 2009 @ 9:03 am
- Hello there GrannySage, you've got an interesting life story going! Welcome to Senior Geek Squids group - this About Me lens is now featured in the voting plexo of member profiles and lensographies - vote it up!
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Reply
- thewishpearl thewishpearl Mar 19, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
- Good luck with your lenses and remember "one lens at a time"
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Portal to an Aztec Ruin
Aztec Portal, Aztec Ruins National Mo...
Steve Gadomski
Buy From Art.com
Graphic Borders Courtesy of GRSites
The border images you see on this lens come from a site called GRSites. Click on the button below to visit it.
For more information on how to use these backgrounds on your lens, please visit the lens that was my tutor and mentor.
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HTML Borders Backgrounds
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Have you seen sharp looking lenses formatted with HTML borders and backgrounds and wished you could do the same? There are already plenty of EXCELLENT how-to-HTML lenses available, so I thought I'd do something a little different. There are two main...
