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May Days: general chat, anything goes
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Thanks, Charly, enjoy that spring weather! I miss real seasons but anticipate a move within the next 2 years so maybe I will get to see them again. For now, we're getting ready to say goodbye to the 80s here in AZ; I can handle the 90s but it will all be downhill from there. ;)
Had quite a bit of rain and a brief hailstorm today. We needed the moisture.
Glad you got the needed moisture but hope the hail didn't cause any damage. I can't even remember the last time I saw hail. I did almost nothing today, attended a hospice seminar this morning (I'm a volunteer companion) and watched a movie this afternoon. Well, if I go to bed now, I can at least add reading to that. :p
It was relatively small hail, so no damage as far as I know--thank goodness.Is it a challenge emotionally to be a hospice volunteer, Reggia? I'm sure it can be rewarding, but I'd think it would also be rather sad.
Yeah, I was a little worried about that sad part. I wasn't really looking to do hospice work when I answered the ad but decided I'd go ahead with the training. Anyway, I've only been doing it a few months, and have only one patient/client; she is quite elderly and just a joy to visit. LOL, I think they are "breaking me in" with her.Today's tidbit: it is National Candied Orange Peel Day. Okay, yeah. :p
Alice said: Ever heard of Clair Patterson? I am reading about him in A Short History of Nearly Everything and its very shocking that he is not in all the history books.
Never heard of him... I have got to read this book; still very eager to read something by Bryson.
Good to see you, Gabi! Yes, extremely hot & dry here. We are hitting 100° every day now, right now @ 10AM it's 92° (33C).All the buildings under the ground, wow! Not so pretty like in Lord of the Rings, huh? ;) When I lived in Boise, ID for a couple of years, there were a few houses here and there built into slopes; I guessed to keep warmer in the winter.
Your post reminded me of a jar of Australian opals my father gave me many years ago. I hope I can do something with them one day. Anyway, I'd love to see a pic of the walls & floors you mentioned.
Alice, only verga? LOL, I tried to look that up but didn't realize my opal image search was still up and, uh, never mind. And I still don't know what verga is.
Wishing all of you a Happy Mother's Day!
I hope the moms in the group had a nice Mother's Day (even if you're not in America). We've had some 90 degree days here. I think we've skipped Spring.
And now for something completely different...
Hey, Gabi, I sent you a message but I guess it got eaten by the electrons. Can you tell me the Aussie term for the vehicle driven by the person who catches stray animals? Does anyone know if the English (British) term is the same? Thanks.
Reggia wrote: "Good to see you, Gabi! Yes, extremely hot & dry here. We are hitting 100° every day now, right now @ 10AM it's 92° (33C).
All the buildings under the ground, wow! Not so pretty like in Lord of ..."
Verga is where it tries to rain but the rain evaporotes on the way down so you just see it hanging there disappearing. A blue opal is getting to be very popular here in the states and I think its from Australia. In Nm there are some "earthships" homes that are underground.
All the buildings under the ground, wow! Not so pretty like in Lord of ..."
Verga is where it tries to rain but the rain evaporotes on the way down so you just see it hanging there disappearing. A blue opal is getting to be very popular here in the states and I think its from Australia. In Nm there are some "earthships" homes that are underground.
I think they mean in your own e-mail address book so that your spam filter doesn't chuck the messages.Thanks for the message and other info, Gabi. :)
Verga is very pretty to look at...but it gets frustrating when we need rain! ;)
Before she left Goodreads, Alice was in my friends circle, so I've been posted on her leaving. Her main reason is her health, which (as most of you probably know) isn't very good; her EI is especially debilitating in the summers. I'm sure we all hope and pray that her condition improves soon!
That's sad about Alice! :( I hope her health does improve. I hadn't heard from her, but I did wonder this morning why it was showing that I had one less friend than I thought I had...Gabi, there's nothing *that* weird about making things more difficult than they really are. It's a sign of intelligence. :) Though I love the saying they use on the TV show "House MD" about not overcomplicating things: "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." :)
I'm very sad to hear that Alice has been feeling that poorly. I saw a note elsewhere that she wasn't well but didn't know she'd be leaving the site and our group. I will certainly miss her very much! Thanks for letting us know, Werner.
I just felt the need to apologize again for having been absent so much. I have hesitated to share much personal stuff here, especially with these automatic feeds but I'm going to go ahead and briefly mention that I am going through some intense life-changing moments right now. We can use the term 'crisis' and it is overwhelming but I do hope to keep our group going. I would just like to encourage everyone to keep posting, and by all means, start new discussions if an interest has not already been posted. I confess that lately I read far more than I post, but again I am overwhelmed. I am very thankful for each one of you here and your willingness to participate in this group. I hope all of our efforts are rewarded in some way that is beneficial to each of us. It really is great to meet new people and have a place to not only share our thoughts of affirmation but to hear other new ideas as well.
Sorry to hear about the 'crisis.' I hope things sort out for the better soon, Reggia.I recently got news that my cousin's baby developed mysterious bruises and his red blood cell count was too low--they're trying to figure out what's wrong with him. Like you said, Gabi, it's always something for someone...
Callista, so sorry to hear about your little cousin's mysterious illness. I hope they can quickly find out what's wrong, as well as a solution to help him.Gabi said: I think most of us are basically here because our real lives are leaving some need unfed, and finding a kindred soul is very warming to the heart.
That is very true, Gabi. Realizing that there were other people out there (here) is what got me hooked on the net all those years ago. :) Thanks for your post, and I'm encouraged to know things may keep going here even as I go through some busy and uncertain times. I have some rather drastic changes to my home and family life. Adjusting is easy enough for me; providing will prove rather difficult.
Charly, thanks so much for your support and kind words. It truly means a lot. :)
Also, this is a good time to say that I am open to ideas that any of you may have for the group. Post them here, or send a message to my mailbox.
Thanks again, and I hope everyone has a great weekend. Hope you fit in some time for reading! ;)
108? Ugh. I'm glad I don't live where you live.
Hi Callista! I would add advice never to visit here between May and October. I've always loved summer but Arizona is just not for me. It's been my plan to get out of here as soon as my daughter graduates -- two more years!You're right, Gabi, it's a bit hot for May. I take it as a warning for what's coming. Many people love this place for the mild winters but I'm not so sure it's a fair trade-off at all. Yes, I've got A/C and ceiling fans are a great help. I go to bed each night with a cold gel-pak on my neck. Amazing how much that helps!
LOL, gin & tonic -- never had one in my life but maybe I'll start. ;) My grandmother was religious about having one every evening before supper. She lived to 90.
You must be in the Phoenix area. I have family there. I know to avoid it in summer. :)Now, if you lived up north, say, in Flagstaff, it would be milder. :)
Yeah, no one wants to visit us in the summer. :( Not that I blame them... Flagstaff gets real winters, snow & everything. :) My daughters and I usually go up there and also to Sedona once in the summer for an escape, and again in the fall to view what little bit of autumn color we can find. It's been cooler these last couple of days, we even had rain! A nice little break but from here on my theme song is Wake Me Up When September Ends. ;)
Hope everyone is having a nice Memorial Day weekend. Any special plans: parades, picnics, ceremonies?
Gabi Dearest heart , I just loved your last post about hols and war and your lovely mum and all. You write soo well!!
My late and greatly lamented ma in law sounds like she was just like your mum, she too was beautiful and got about a bit in WW2, her husband of hardly any time at all having gone missing at the Fall of Singapore
When he (amazingly) came back, having been a Japanese P.O.W. the whole time, she turned to and became what he needed a full time wife and mother of several...........
Hope you have(d) fun at your virtual party. Sorry, but I can't make it.Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Monday of May in the States, Gabi.
Word Associations? Is that a different team? I've wondered if anyone else here likes word games. I enjoy zipping through a number of them in the morning. Brain exercises :p but fun, too. ;)
Gabi wrote: "Hey Barb & Callista, Party over in word associations. .
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Hi Gabi- I read the word assoc regualarly but don't tend to do it - it moves a bit fast for me. If your'e not there every day your offering can get a bit off-track
Gabi wrote:Damn! I am constantly forgetting to post my message, before I move to another part of the lounge. I was looking for where you have been going to talk to people who have terminal illnesses? It would be very rewarding, I should think. Is this a volunteer program, or something where you could find employment.
Part of palliative care, I should think, yes?
Tell me how you are getting on in the employment department.
It's simply for the volunteer program of a hospice organization. I am strictly a non-medical volunteer; I am not even allowed to help someone in or out of a wheelchair. (It seems there are many rules in the "for profit" hospices.) I only have one patient right now but my director spoke to me about taking on another in the same care center.
Not getting anywhere with paid employment. I registered and been admitted to the college but trying to get a scholarship before I enroll in any classes.
I'll be able to spend more time here tomorrow. Good night to some of you, and good morning to the rest!Barbara wrote: Dearest heart , I just loved your last post about hols and war and your lovely mum and all. You write soo well!!
I enjoyed Gabi's post, too. And that mention of black Irish, there's a legend that says we descend from mermaids. Haha!
Mermaids? I heard a story about seals.
Ah yes, 'selkies' are what they are called. Since they are seals in the water, I guess they are a little different than mermaids. The Secret of Roan Inish is a curious little movie about one. There is also the Spanish theory. More here on the possible origins of Black Irish
Reggia, I own a VHS tape of The Secret of Roan Inish, and it's one of my favorite movies! I love the beautiful storyline, the way they evoke the culture and visual feel of postwar Ireland, and the deft handling of the supernatural element. (Of course, I'm a sucker for stories and films about the supernatural, as long as they're well-done by my standards. :-)) A film that came out a few years ago, The Water Horse --set mainly in World War II Scotland, and dealing with Nessie-- has similar qualities, though the approach there is more SF than supernatural, and the makers of the film went in more for special effects and physical danger/excitement than those of the earlier one did.
Yes, The Secret of Roan Inish was where I learned about the selkie-seals. :) Lovely film.
That sounds very interesting, Charly. I was wondering if it was based on a book...
It is warming up here, maybe I should say heating up here. Another week or so and we'll be into the 100s for the entire summer. How's your weather?