USMB Coffee Shop IV

[Foxfyre]

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.

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.

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.

Yes. It reminds one of the best parts of the family.

Really good to see you AA. You haven't been here in quite awhile, but welcome home.

 

[Foxfyre]

Good night darlinks. I really do love you guys.
And we continue to pray and/or send good vibes and/or positive thoughts and/or keep vigil for:

Harper
Pogo’s friend Pat and special comfort for Pogo,
Montrovant for continued progress in his transition.
Seagal and Mr. Seagal.
Beautress for wellness
Kat for wellness
Mindful and her shoulder for healing
All those we love and care about who aren't on the list.
JustAnotherNut for wellness
Gracie for wellness and solutions.
Peach's Mr. P for wellness and successful surgery.
Ringel and Ms Ringel - comfort, wellness, solutions for both.
Extra prayers/positive vibes for gallantwarrior dealing with his own health issues as well as a terribly difficult situation with Rod and increased responsibilities.
Did we miss anybody? Jog my memory please.

And we always leave a light on so that those who have been away can find their way back.

I wonder what the world looks like to an ant? Sometimes I think it helps to have a perspective outside our own sphere of experience.

 

[Ava]

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.

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.

Yes. It reminds one of the best parts of the family.

Really good to see you AA. You haven't been here in quite awhile, but welcome home.

Thanks, so much, Foxfyre. I've only recently been back posting at USMB but when things become so heated in other forums, it feels good to come home to sweetness and kindness at a wonderful coffee shop and delicious-looking food in pics. It is also nice to be in touch with people with whom we all have many years of day-to-day experiences in common. Like Gracie said one time in a post: ( paraphrasing ) "why do we all still come here? Is it like Cheers or something"? I think that sums it up quite well. We have a history together. I still work so will enjoy infrequent time posting with my buds. Love to see them all. And you, Foxfyre, are still doing a great job here tying all things together with your loving heart and soul.

 

[Ava]

Good stuff dark chocolate covered espresso beans

Those look really good bigrebnc1775 . And welcome to the Coffee Shop. I believe this is your first visit here, so happy you're joining right in. First timers here receive a complimentary beverage so here is yours to enjoy with those wonderful looking espresso beans:

That picture is jaw-dropping delicious-looking. FANTASTIC! YUMMY!

 

[bigrebnc1775]

Good stuff dark chocolate covered espresso beans

Those look really good bigrebnc1775 . And welcome to the Coffee Shop. I believe this is your first visit here, so happy you're joining right in. First timers here receive a complimentary beverage so here is yours to enjoy with those wonderful looking espresso beans:

That picture is jaw-dropping delicious-looking. FANTASTIC! YUMMY!

Harris Teeter's bakery has molded chocolate coffee cups with saucers like that filled with coffee-flavored pudding with the whipped topping

 

[bigrebnc1775]

I had a great workout yesterday
Walked 10 miles in 2 hours and 40 minutes got caught in the rain should have gone to the gym but it was great none the less.

 

[gallantwarrior]

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.

Some of us still celebrate the turning of the seasons, as the Earth rolls through it's natural cycles. The cycles have been pretty messed up this year, though. Maybe Mother Earth started taking birth control pills. That tends to mess up natural cycles.

 

[gallantwarrior]

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.

I love all times of the year. The colors and smells are most significant to me.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Well....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.

I suspect that the feral lifestyle weeds out the more "domesticated" cats. It's takes wits to live on your own without a cushy house-pet situation.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Well....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.

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 too

They most assuredly did. These cats are not stupid, just took the more accustomed offerings first.

 

[Foxfyre]

I remember when Ringel and Mrs. R were feeding the birds outside their home with leftover popcorn I think in El Paso? And when they were slow getting the popcorn out there, the birds would peck on the sliding glass doors.

You can't tell me these critters can't reason.

 

[Frannie]

I remember when Ringel and Mrs. R were feeding the birds outside their home with leftover popcorn I think in El Paso? And when they were slow getting the popcorn out there, the birds would peck on the sliding glass doors.

You can't tell me these critters can't reason.

My wife used to feed some squirrels peanuts right out of her hand for a while at home. One day the front door was open and a squirrel came in the door looking for my wife. The next day she gave him or her a payday bar.....

Party time she said the way it took it and hopped

 

[gallantwarrior]

Back to more normal temps today. It dropped from 40 to 11 degrees. I think the swings are the worst. Last week, in a few hours, the temps in Fairbanks dropped from 34 to 8 in a matter of hours. Now, it's really too cold to snow but the overcast will cause things to warm up again.
I finally finished butchering the last spruce at my friend's place. 16" in diameter and probably 50' long, it will provide a bit of warmth for my place. I now have loads of spruce to split and stack and will be going after the downed birches on my place. Today, I plan on cleaning the house. It's a regular disaster because I've been covering the partner's work and neglecting my indoor jobs. My home is a pit. Between no time to clean and having the hoarder partner who has never unwrapped anything that required the wrapper be thrown into the trash, I do have my work cut out for me. The good news is, I got the big generator back and can now run the vacuum cleaner and the well. No more dragging water from town to douse my critters.

 

[Foxfyre]

Well....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.

I suspect that the feral lifestyle weeds out the more "domesticated" cats. It's takes wits to live on your own without a cushy house-pet situation.

When we lived on the mountain we didn't have cats but a lot of our neighbors did. The smartest ones, however domesticated, were the ones who figured out the danger from the occasional feral dog, coyote, foxes, golden eagles, big hawks, owls, etc. Most perished young but the ones who survived knew how to survive.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Well....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.

I suspect that the feral lifestyle weeds out the more "domesticated" cats. It's takes wits to live on your own without a cushy house-pet situation.

When we lived on the mountain we didn't have cats but a lot of our neighbors did. The smartest ones, however domesticated, were the ones who figured out the danger from the occasional feral dog, coyote, foxes, golden eagles, big hawks, owls, etc. Most perished young but the ones who survived knew how to survive.

The ferals I used to foster lasted a couple of years, at best. The females were constants and the males were transient. I did once find a litter of newborns, half-eaten and no doubt murdered by a marauding tom looking to pass on his genes. But I have also observed females from two generations raising kittens as a group. In many ways they resembled a lion pride. But, we lived right next to a major road and many neighbors liked birds better than cats. Right now, all three of my house cats originate from that feral colony.

 

[bigrebnc1775]

Why are some people so fucking heartless?
Abandoned Bunny Is Found On The Side Of The Road Cuddled Up To Its Favorite Teddy Bear, Gets Rescued

 

[Foxfyre]

Well....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.

I suspect that the feral lifestyle weeds out the more "domesticated" cats. It's takes wits to live on your own without a cushy house-pet situation.

When we lived on the mountain we didn't have cats but a lot of our neighbors did. The smartest ones, however domesticated, were the ones who figured out the danger from the occasional feral dog, coyote, foxes, golden eagles, big hawks, owls, etc. Most perished young but the ones who survived knew how to survive.

The ferals I used to foster lasted a couple of years, at best. The females were constants and the males were transient. I did once find a litter of newborns, half-eaten and no doubt murdered by a marauding tom looking to pass on his genes. But I have also observed females from two generations raising kittens as a group. In many ways they resembled a lion pride. But, we lived right next to a major road and many neighbors liked birds better than cats. Right now, all three of my house cats originate from that feral colony.

When I was a kid I grew up with a little part Scotch terrier that I raised from pretty much the week he was born. Mama dog got killed and the dog's owner was going to put the newborn pups out of misery. I begged for one and he handed over the pup I nursed with tiny doll bottles from infancy, grew up with, was my only dowry at my wedding. Amazing dog though. And he was raised with our colony of cats, all who had adopted us rather than the other way around. Many times I would witness a mama cat leave kittens with another mama cat, go get the dog, lead him to the nest, leave him babysitting the kittens to protect them from the tom cats while she and her friend went hunting or whatever they do when they leave the nest. Interesting to watch.

They may not be capable of complex thought as we know it, but you can't tell me they don't reason things out.

 

[gallantwarrior]

Well....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.

I suspect that the feral lifestyle weeds out the more "domesticated" cats. It's takes wits to live on your own without a cushy house-pet situation.

When we lived on the mountain we didn't have cats but a lot of our neighbors did. The smartest ones, however domesticated, were the ones who figured out the danger from the occasional feral dog, coyote, foxes, golden eagles, big hawks, owls, etc. Most perished young but the ones who survived knew how to survive.

The ferals I used to foster lasted a couple of years, at best. The females were constants and the males were transient. I did once find a litter of newborns, half-eaten and no doubt murdered by a marauding tom looking to pass on his genes. But I have also observed females from two generations raising kittens as a group. In many ways they resembled a lion pride. But, we lived right next to a major road and many neighbors liked birds better than cats. Right now, all three of my house cats originate from that feral colony.

When I was a kid I grew up with a little part Scotch terrier that I raised from pretty much the week he was born. Mama dog got killed and the dog's owner was going to put the newborn pups out of misery. I begged for one and he handed over the pup I nursed with tiny doll bottles from infancy, grew up with, was my only dowry at my wedding. Amazing dog though. And he was raised with our colony of cats, all who had adopted us rather than the other way around. Many times I would witness a mama cat leave kittens with another mama cat, go get the dog, lead him to the nest, leave him babysitting the kittens to protect them from the tom cats while she and her friend went hunting or whatever they do when they leave the nest. Interesting to watch.

They may not be capable of complex thought as we know it, but you can't tell me they don't reason things out.

Cool story. Animals can be pretty amazing.

 

[Lumpy 1]

Why are some people so fucking heartless?
Abandoned Bunny Is Found On The Side Of The Road Cuddled Up To Its Favorite Teddy Bear, Gets Rescued

I'd start off with rotten parenting or whoops it was a mistake..

 

[Dajjal]