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81
I love the idea of love opening space in a person for a new breeze to blow through. Lovely thought. Hope he'll find happiness with his immigrant darling.

And hope YOU will have a peaceful, unfrantic holiday!

You too, ((((Amber)))).

hugs and ho hos,
Hops

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Poor DD, what misery. And poor YOU!

Bravo on not getting infected yourself....that must've taken a lot of strain and effort.
Cleaning up and disinfecting the house after all that, not fun I'm sure. Yikers. And what timing.

Hope everybody's safe and well for the holiday anyway.
May you all enjoy whatever pieces of it bring joy to the worlds.

hugs
Hops
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Before each meeting, the leader for that session sends out a topic plus a few "questions to ponder." Then we go around, one at a time uninterrupted, and give relatively equal time. It's a wonderful format for getting to know other people at a deeper level than "normal" activities usually do. Kind of like here! These were my questions last time:

1. Where do you see yourself as an individual in readiness or contemplation about the end of life? What thoughts are helpful or uplifting for you, and what thoughts are not?

2. How much do rituals, memorials, symbols and remembrances mean to you? Do simplicity or efficiency appeal?

3. What would most help you find meaning and peace in advance of your own passing?

hugs
Hops
84
Youngest DD made 5 costumes for a 4 day con event, got sick on day 1, attended day 2 then went to bed for the next 2 days.....chills, fever, aching, skin hurting, snotty with some tummy troubles.  Just miserable.

She has a training session scheduled for tomorrow, before our dinner out, and it's not clear if she'll make either, neither or both.

Last night was terrible.....we travelled 3 hours, she got a bath, then slept on the bathroom floor for 2 hours.  I changed her bedding, found meds/clean jammies made tea and helped her get to bed.  Every time the pug showed up, DD wept....she missed her badly, and we cry when we have fevers.  Pitiful.....oldest DD calls her sister the "the very ill Victorian child." Pitiful.

This morning DD woke feeling much better, though her skin still hurts....her sore throat is better, and everything improved.

I fed her lemonilo (onion chicken flavor) ramen, made with chicken and bone broth.  I made mine with 2 eggs mixed into a little broth and Kewpi mayo....very creamy.

If you think you might want to up your ramen game.  Lemonilo is the one. Hopey offers 2 flavors, for $1.45 a pack, at our store....cases of them. 

I'm noticing zero charge around the travel difficulties......no desire to rehash them, woohoo!

Enough to say there was a water leak, 1 ejected guest, and disinfecting the household/bedding, on top of zero privacy, and lots of socializing.....
::checking in with myself::.
I'm not even fetal today.  Therapy is totally worth it, IME.

I dropped Christmas cards off at my brother's house.  It was nice to see him, my niece, and the new furniture installed in the LR and main bedroom.  I think a new love interest, is catalyst, and good for him. I sense a lightness in his spirit, and perhaps more empathy, for ESL folks, as she's an immigrant.  I picture a cool breeze blowing through him..... restorative and cleansing.  Yes.

That's my update.



Lighter

85
Reflections on death. 
It's like a book.....to contemplate a loved one's death....a pet's, or our own....one accesses different chapters.  All have very different meanings, IME.

What was your group focusing on, Hops?

About Christmas..... I'm going to cover pinecones in PB and seed. for the birds and squirrels, this year.  Two wreaths,  dinner out with the girls and the bf.... it's a wrap.  Boxing day sounds like fun.

Sorry about your hairbrush.  As my father used to say.... "We all protest in our own way."

Lighter

86
Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by sKePTiKal on December 21, 2025, 10:51:31 AM »
Happy Solstice and Jul!

The days start to get longer now; night's shorter. Time to put my seed orders together during my "slow time". Got my Seed Savers catalog before Thanksgiving this year!

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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by Hopalong on December 20, 2025, 11:46:29 AM »
I don't worry about neurodivergence, Lighter, but I often ponder it. DNA just gonna DNA, imo. Under a lot of divergence (great word, ambiguous, large) are streaks of creativity or in some cases, brilliance. I remember how startled I was when I first saw some tinsel braided into someone's hair, startled and delighted. It's like that.

Amber, I love the slowness of winter too. I think it quiets the restless spirit, at least it generally does mine.

You two are so productive your executive assistants need executive assistants! Much respect.

hugs,
Hops

PS I'm so glad I don't do Christmas. It confuses some people intensely, but I'm unhooked from trying to fix it. More Netflix and chill, and eventually it's over. I am going to one thing I'm really looking forward to...Boxing Day at a British friend's home.

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What amazes me about your mind, Lighter, is how much it can hold even while you also make order externally. People talk about the "hive mind", which is a perceptive image for groupthink. But you are uniquely your OWN mind, which also reminds me of a hive because of its busy-ness.

I could not react so intensely to so many relational stimuli, or even environmental stimuli, without spending even more time portraying a fetus. It's astonishing to witness and I imagine after long descriptions here, you feel rebalanced.

I do understand the stubborn Frenchie within who does not stop pulling toward a goal. Or 100 goals. Made me smile.

Made Pup sniff and ignore me for ignoring him for a while. I led an online meeting the other night and he was SO good I thought he'd outgrown that toddler-at-your-ankles-while-you-talk-to-an-adult stage. Then I fetched my new hairbrush (lovely flexible detangler type) and he had chewed it into a glob of rubbery spikes. At least the group got a laugh out of it to end with.

It was our final session on Death. Great insights, surprising expectations, meaningful reflections.

hugs
Hops

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and I don't think anybody here will ever lack for it.
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Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board / Re: Farm Journal - 2025
« Last post by sKePTiKal on December 17, 2025, 12:00:47 PM »
Slow days around here! Which is GREAT; I've been looking forward to this. So not much news.

The BF seems to have chilled out & got his head on straight. For now, 2 weeks & counting.
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We've been around zero for a few days now. The worst days we had 20-40 mph wind. Today's high will be 40.

I have the heavy comforter on the bed (and if it really gets cold, the fur (real, recycled) blanket will get added. I've been having some neck/shoulder pain (side sleeper) so Hol gave me a bed topper (think feather bed type) to try. She was going to donate it. That makes the new mattress just a bit softer; still firm for both of us. And new 2nd pillows in down, too. It's indulgently soft & warm in bed... which is why one or more kitties sleeps with us.

During the day, about the only thing I add to my normal coat, neck scarf, and fingerless gloves is a ski hat or headband. I keep reminding myself, I used to ice skate for 4-5 hours in zero temps. And I try acclimating to the cold in the fall & early winter, by not overdressing outside.

Nevertheless, about 3 pm every day - regardless of outside conditions - I need to start the fire in the woodstove.

It's supposed to warm up this week.
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