Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Here, it's been in the high 30s and mid-40s. The little snow that settled last week is either gone or transformed into treacherous slush. What a weird year this has been so far.Been raining all morning, now it's big, wet snowflakes. Was finally able to get more done in the bathroom, hope to have the walls all tiled tomorrow but that will depend on how long it takes at the VA to find out if I'm experiencing sever allergies or something more serious.........
I have a whole tribe of my own waiting for me there, too.Anne called with some sad news: Casey died in the wee hours, in his sleep. He was 15 years old, so it's no surprise, but still...I'm sad. Casey was there for me when I was grieving for Karma.
But...they are running amok now over rainbow bridge so...eventually I will get to join them too.
The novel continues...
Chapter 2
Snoopy awakes.
A very loud clap of thunder wakes up Snoopy and he jumps to his feet. He is shaking because he had been dreaming about bird hunting and remembers that in his dream he shot Woodstock. Just at this moment Woodstock hops inside of his dog house. Snoopy hugs him and begins to do his happy dance. All is well except for the dark and stormy night.
The take away from this novel is simple. Sometimes things are not as they seem to be.
The end.
Here, it's been in the high 30s and mid-40s. The little snow that settled last week is either gone or transformed into treacherous slush. What a weird year this has been so far.Been raining all morning, now it's big, wet snowflakes. Was finally able to get more done in the bathroom, hope to have the walls all tiled tomorrow but that will depend on how long it takes at the VA to find out if I'm experiencing sever allergies or something more serious.........
View attachment 291129
We are approaching the threshold of winter.
Life is being drawn into the earth, painlessly descending down into the very heart of herself.
And we as natural human animals are being called to do the same, the pull to descend into our bodies, into sleep, darkness and the depths of our own inner caves is continually tugging at our marrow.
But many find the descent into their own body a scary thing indeed, fearing the unmet emotions and past events that they have stored in the dark caves inside themselves, not wanting to face what they have so carefully and unkindly avoided.
This winter solstice time is no longer celebrated as it once was, with the understanding that this period of descent into our own darkness was so necessary in order to find our light. That true freedom comes from accepting with forgiveness and love what we have been through and vanquishing the hold it has on us, bringing the golden treasure back from the cave of our darker depths.
This is a time of rest and deep reflection, a time to wipe the slate clean as it were and clear out the old so you can walk into spring feeling ready to grow and skip without a dusty mountain on your back and chains around your ankles tied to the caves in your soul.
A time for the medicine of story, of fire, of nourishment and love.
A period of reconnecting, relearning and reclaiming of what this time means brings winter back to a time of kindness, love, rebirth, peace and unburdening instead of a time of dread, fear, depression and avoidance.
This modern culture teaches avoidance at a max at this time; alcohol, lights, shopping, overworking, over spending, bad food and consumerism.
And yet the natural tug to go inwards, as nearly all creatures are doing, is strong and people are left feeling as if there is something wrong with them, that winter is cruel and leaves them feeling abandoned and afraid. Whereas in actual fact, winter is so kind. Yes, she points us in her quiet soft way towards our inner self, towards the darkness and potential death of what we were, but this journey, if held with care, is essential.
She is like a strong teacher that asks you to awaken your inner loving elder or therapist, holding yourself with awareness of forgiveness and allowing yourself to grieve, to cry, rage, laugh, and face what we need to face in order to be freed from the jagged bonds we wrapped around our hearts, in order to reach a place of healing and light without going into overwhelm.
Winter takes away the distractions, the noise and presents us with the perfect time to rest and withdraw into a womb like love, bringing fire and light to our hearth.
Brigit Anna McNeill.
View attachment 291129
We are approaching the threshold of winter.
Life is being drawn into the earth, painlessly descending down into the very heart of herself.
And we as natural human animals are being called to do the same, the pull to descend into our bodies, into sleep, darkness and the depths of our own inner caves is continually tugging at our marrow.
But many find the descent into their own body a scary thing indeed, fearing the unmet emotions and past events that they have stored in the dark caves inside themselves, not wanting to face what they have so carefully and unkindly avoided.
This winter solstice time is no longer celebrated as it once was, with the understanding that this period of descent into our own darkness was so necessary in order to find our light. That true freedom comes from accepting with forgiveness and love what we have been through and vanquishing the hold it has on us, bringing the golden treasure back from the cave of our darker depths.
This is a time of rest and deep reflection, a time to wipe the slate clean as it were and clear out the old so you can walk into spring feeling ready to grow and skip without a dusty mountain on your back and chains around your ankles tied to the caves in your soul.
A time for the medicine of story, of fire, of nourishment and love.
A period of reconnecting, relearning and reclaiming of what this time means brings winter back to a time of kindness, love, rebirth, peace and unburdening instead of a time of dread, fear, depression and avoidance.
This modern culture teaches avoidance at a max at this time; alcohol, lights, shopping, overworking, over spending, bad food and consumerism.
And yet the natural tug to go inwards, as nearly all creatures are doing, is strong and people are left feeling as if there is something wrong with them, that winter is cruel and leaves them feeling abandoned and afraid. Whereas in actual fact, winter is so kind. Yes, she points us in her quiet soft way towards our inner self, towards the darkness and potential death of what we were, but this journey, if held with care, is essential.
She is like a strong teacher that asks you to awaken your inner loving elder or therapist, holding yourself with awareness of forgiveness and allowing yourself to grieve, to cry, rage, laugh, and face what we need to face in order to be freed from the jagged bonds we wrapped around our hearts, in order to reach a place of healing and light without going into overwhelm.
Winter takes away the distractions, the noise and presents us with the perfect time to rest and withdraw into a womb like love, bringing fire and light to our hearth.
Brigit Anna McNeill.
I bet we like the same kinds of books, Mindful.
Autumn has always been my favorite time of year--maybe because in my little corner of the world it is a time of not much wind, pleasant temperatures, and is quite beautiful as the trees turn. October is my favorite month.
But I have never minded the winter either though we have all four seasons here. It is a time that you can go out and play, ski, snowboard, ice skate, etc., but it is okay to stay in
guilt free that you aren't out painting stuff, mowing, taking care of the flower beds and garden, etc.
There are few things so satisfying as a fire in the fireplace, a cup of really good hot chocolate, and a good book.
Anne called with some sad news: Casey died in the wee hours, in his sleep. He was 15 years old, so it's no surprise, but still...I'm sad. Casey was there for me when I was grieving for Karma.
But...they are running amok now over rainbow bridge so...eventually I will get to join them too.
Thanks, Ringel05. January 14 is the last day for me to feel protected and I am going to terribly miss my W-7 desktop. I am not upgrading since I don't need all the options it comes with as my needs for a computer have changed and I am going to replace my desktop with one of my 7 Chromebooks. I like the speakers on the Acer Chromebooks and enjoy the bass that accompanies them. It doesn't have tinny-sounding speakers at all and the music I listen to any time I am online sounds terrific and so do the podcasts and anything else. Of course, I am REALLY going to miss my Logitech stereo sound system with great speakers and subwoofer and great bass and I checked to see if I went ahead and upgraded to W-10 desktop, my sound system wouldn't work with it. My system is about 6 years old So goodbye to a great era with W-7 and XP before that. I DO love my Chromebooks and they handle anything I need. But Ringel, I am going to go with your advice about going with an external hard drive every morning when I use my Chrome browser to check my banking and other financial records. I will feel much safer that way than exposing them to the Cloud. As always, I am deeply grateful to you for sharing your knowledge with those of us who haven't your expertise.Support ends but some people will continue to use it until they can't, just like some still do with Windows XP. The real problem 7 users will run into down the road is newer systems that they might want to put 7 on will no longer work properly for 7 not to mention the security risks.Speaking of Windows 10, I just read on FB that support for Windows 7 ends in January 2020. If so, it's times to upgrade to Win 10 folks. Hombre and I have not regretted doing so long ago.
What's really surprising is as of 2018 most ATMs were still using XP.......... That's not a good thing.
Great guy, you are.
What a beautiful way to post a sad but uplifting message, Gracie. What a beautiful picture and I know how you feel about your beloved 4-paws over the years. We have that in common. We go through a period of mourning that most pet lovers do when our hearts are broken. I am so grateful for all the memories and all the fun and loving times. Hugs, Gracie.Anne called with some sad news: Casey died in the wee hours, in his sleep. He was 15 years old, so it's no surprise, but still...I'm sad. Casey was there for me when I was grieving for Karma.
But...they are running amok now over rainbow bridge so...eventually I will get to join them too.
As long as you have what works for you then that's the whole idea. As for Win 7 you do not need to dump it immediately, heck you may be able to continue using it for another ten years if your computer doesn't die and you take certain precautions. Be very careful where you go internet surfing, don't open ANY emails on it unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure who sent them and don't download and install anything that is not from a trusted company. Don't even download stuff from friends and keep your antivirus up to date, if you don't already have it install Malewarebytes also and keep it up to date. Also do all your banking on your Chromebook.Thanks, Ringel05. January 14 is the last day for me to feel protected and I am going to terribly miss my W-7 desktop. I am not upgrading since I don't need all the options it comes with as my needs for a computer have changed and I am going to replace my desktop with one of my 7 Chromebooks. I like the speakers on the Acer Chromebooks and enjoy the bass that accompanies them. It doesn't have tinny-sounding speakers at all and the music I listen to any time I am online sounds terrific and so do the podcasts and anything else. Of course, I am REALLY going to miss my Logitech stereo sound system with great speakers and subwoofer and great bass and I checked to see if I went ahead and upgraded to W-10 desktop, my sound system wouldn't work with it. My system is about 6 years old So goodbye to a great era with W-7 and XP before that. I DO love my Chromebooks and they handle anything I need. But Ringel, I am going to go with your advice about going with an external hard drive every morning when I use my Chrome browser to check my banking and other financial records. I will feel much safer that way than exposing them to the Cloud. As always, I am deeply grateful to you for sharing your knowledge with those of us who haven't your expertise.Support ends but some people will continue to use it until they can't, just like some still do with Windows XP. The real problem 7 users will run into down the road is newer systems that they might want to put 7 on will no longer work properly for 7 not to mention the security risks.Speaking of Windows 10, I just read on FB that support for Windows 7 ends in January 2020. If so, it's times to upgrade to Win 10 folks. Hombre and I have not regretted doing so long ago.
What's really surprising is as of 2018 most ATMs were still using XP.......... That's not a good thing.
Good idea! I hadn't thought of that but I do believe I'll address the issue with his primary care provider. Unless he can afford, or will go to, a professional who can help him, I am becoming increasingly unable and inadequate to deal with his issues. He has no family that he hasn't totally alienated. My family has now passed judgement and found him unworthy of me. I have known so much so long but for all the usual, various reasons, have continued supporting him. He won't ever change. I no longer wish to be a servant to his three-year-old, spoiled rotten child persona. There's so much more, but y'all don't need to read all about it.Well, winter finally arrived. A few inches of snow over a solid quarter inch of ice. It still isn't very cold, hovering around freezing.
The partner is improving, slowly. I finally gave in to his bullying and rants and handed the car keys over with the prayer that he not take anyone else out. IMHO, he is not capable of responding physically to any sudden requirement for fast, positive action while driving a motor vehicle. But, the bullying, rants, and tantrums were terrible. He has still not made good on his threats to return to his house in Anchorage, a constant threat when he's not getting his way. I think that at some level he realizes he can't quite do much on his own. He's been diagnosed with cerebral vasculitis but refuses to do the tests and see the neurosurgeon for a specific diagnosis. An unfortunate side effect seems to be increased irrationality and temper flare-ups. He's becoming quite unreasonable, more than before. My compassion will only stretch so far before I break and demand he leave.
As far as all the other things, I will manage to get my place cleaned up and in order. I'll have to be very disciplined but everything he used to do, I am doing now. I will be changing oil and filters in the three operational cars the coming two weeks. As I've often observed, best to be wanted and not needed because I really don't need him. Now that he's pretty much useless and very, very unpleasant to deal with, he is not wanted, either.
I thank all of you for your ongoing prayers and positive thoughts, vibes, etc. They do help.
Does Anchorage have an adult services program, i.e. some sort of agency that can intervene and the state intervenes and handles the needs of those who are incapable of handling their own affairs and/or are a danger to themselves? If they do, that might be your out GW. They would place him in a safe facility for him and the state would be responsible for any expenses. He technically is a resident of the city.
I don't think anybody minds if you vent here GW. We're helpless to do any hands on assistance for you, but sometimes it does help to vent to people who understand. And a lot of us, if not all of us, do understand. The agency you would consult would be Adult Protective Services here in Albuquerque--probably something similar in Anchorage. Ours is pretty useless here--staffed by people who frankly don't give a damn--but the program is effective and well managed in other places.
I thought venting was one of the primary purposes of the CS!
If you can find a state program that will intervene and help take care of the partner, GW, that sounds like an excellent solution. If he hadn't already been so problematic before, it would be a different situation, but his attitude and actions can't just be blamed on his medical condition. From your descriptions, his issues may have worsened, but in large part they already existed. He's lucky you've done as much as you have.
The Coffee Shop indeed has become a place where people can vent their anger or frustrations so long as politics/theology/ideology and other controversial opinions are left out of the mix. It has also been a place to express joy, concerns, grief, hope, anticipation, accomplishments, triumphs, fears, frustrations, etc. And at different times we laugh with, support, provide information, and all other aspects of the human existence.
It is an amazing thing.
I remember one day I had extra bluefish so I took them behind a supermarket where a group of cats was living. I had two whole 5 or larger pound fish. At exactly the same time another person was dropping off a bag of cat food. The sad thing was that these cats never saw a fish and went for the kibble first. Hopefully they enjoyed their fish tooWell....there are some very smart cats in this feral colony I am feeding. They are used to being fed at around 8am or 9am at the lastest. This morn, I didn't get up til 10am...to the doorbell being rung. When I opened the door, Adam the BIG black and white cat, and his mate Lilith, were both staring at me from the front door screen, both still on their hind legs. FEED ME their eyes were saying.
So I did.
Eureka was kinda weird........ Which is why I actually liked it.......The USMB Coffee Shop, for me, is an oasis amid the stormy sea of vacuousness that surrounds it. EUREKA!!!
