Yeah Pinga!!

Good idea Wolfie - sweet letters for Dan Benson, maybe with little ideas for the future.     Maybe we should try to arrange for them all to arrive within a week.

I think my blood pressure is up today with all the political BS going on.  And yet Illinois has legalized same-gender marriage. Happy dance! 

A follow-up on my post last Friday about finally getting an appointment to see a specialist - things get buried pretty quickly at this site with the big news from Aaron.  Anyway, I had my appointment today.  He is very nice.  Took my symptoms seriously.  Ordered some tests.  Blood test today.  Nasty internal test to happen within the next two weeks (not pleasant to think about - I hate the prep - but necessary).  Meanwhile I have some treatments to try.  I'm glad I took the bull by the horns and called him.  I don't blame my family doctor for not being more agressive about getting me an appointment - she has never seen me with a crohns flare-up and has been more concerned about managing my Parkinsons.   Feeling weak and tired tonight - but optomistic.  This too will pass. 

"This too shall pass . . . " - one of my favorite sayings too!

Glad you had a good appointment - hope all your tests turn out the best for you.

awesome news seeler, that you got in and things are moving....sorry about the ugly test, but if it helps or rules out stuff, that is good.

Glad to hear you like the doctor, it helps when you have to go back to see them!  Tests are never fun :(

I'm in tomorrow to see mine.  I hope there are some answers about what's going on with my allergies/immune system.  He ordered enough bloodwork!  I've never seen that many forms for it before.

Pinga - I am so glad to hear that your Dad's surgery went well.

Seeler - I am pleased to hear that your appointment also went well.

Chemgal - May your appointment go equally well tomorrow.

I've had a couple of wonderful real life conversations over tea over the past two days. One of the conversations was with a minister that I have known for over 20 years, whom I sought out to ask for advice. Near the end of our 90 minute conversation, he asked me a question "For a few minutes, will you be my minister?" I was so honoured that he would ask me to do this as he is someone that I really look up to (both figuratively and literally, since he is at least 6.5 feet tall).

I'm back.  Some answer, some questions.  Allergy testing was positive to what I thought I was allergic to.  No idea why the skin test didn't work.

There was also another abnormality unrelated to what this specialist treats.  More testing and a followup with my GP.

chemgal - its no fun having chronic health problems.

This one might actually be very useful after a quick google.  It might explain some of the stuff I've had, as well as my mom and maybe even my sister.  Too early to fully jump to that conclusion though.  This is one of those times where I feel kinda good about a test picking something up unexpected :)

I'm getting my hair cut today - then that leaves only one more trim before CHRISTMAS!  Is it weird that this is how I measure time?

lol Hilary your calendar and mine would look very different going by haircuts :)

Good afternoon everyone!

I liked your story about the minister, somegal . . . he must think very highly of you to ask you to minister in turn to him.

chemgal and seeler . . . I'm tired of doctors, I'm tired of tests, I'm tired of travelling to appointment, I'm tired of feeling crappy, I'm tired of putting so much energy into healing and cooking and eating properly . . . but . . . I'm going to do everything I can to get better.  I'm trying to stay focused.  And I'm thankful . . . that I do not have to deal with what so many others who have way more serious illnesses than I am dealing with.  So, I am thinking about both of you as you go through your health issues and challenges.

Instead of counting down days on a calendar, or chocolates on a chocolate advent calendar, you count haircuts Hillary .

It is a white wonderland here . . . I think winter is here to stay.

Hello everyone. I hope people with health issues find answers and improvement. Pinga I'm glad to hear your dad's surgery went well. Sounds like it was a good boost for him.

Alberta and Northwest Conference had our "mid-trienium" event in Red Deer this past weekend. It was an excellent gathering with good inpsiration and good conversations. Red Deer was probably not the best location this time of year since the first big snow storm of the year hit. That meant that most of our group stayed an extra night. We made the best of it by going shopping and by visiting in one of the hotel rooms in the evening. I hadn't been shopping with the girls in ages. It was great. We solved all the problems of the world on the drive home. It was a good weekend.

I was sad to learn that WC is closing down. After a weekend with Conference, and conversations with other congregations in the country I'm more aware that we need to "do church" differently. WC is a ministry that should be promoted and revised. I've seen great suggestions in the thread asking if it should close. I hope something good happens.

Tonight I finshed my antibiotic! Yah! Here's to continued health improvements for ma and others.

yeah.  I hate antibiotics and what they do to you.  Hope you are feeling better soon, tabitha.

Tabitha - you've been through a real bout - I hope that this time you are truly better. 

Tabitha, hope each day gets better and better for you!

Good morning all!

Packets of tea on table . . . herbal and regular.  And the kettle is boiling.  Coffee perking.  I can hear the rumbling of pots and pans in the background . . . breakfast is on the way.

Nothing like a cup of tea shared between friends.  Sipping the hot brew and sharing hopes, dreams, and goals for the day.

My hopes, dreams, and goals - this day - hope that there is safety and peace in the lives of my loved ones, dreams for a day that at the end of it I can say "that was a good day", and goals - church work to do, a massage that relaxes and invigorates me, to be focused on this day and not look into the future.

What about you - any hopes, dreams and goals this day?

aaah, beloved, i love your hopes and dreams and goals.

Last night, i went out for a drink with two friends after work as it was the one friend's birthday tomorrow.  It was a good night and important that I be there.  It was a reminder how grief can sneak up and overwhelm us at times and how so many carry heavy burdens.  Good to be there for my friend.  It was later than I anticipated but the presence meant more than the clock.

I then worked late (very late) last night developing a graph of a key process that has been terribly broken and a frustration to our users.  I was able to deliver the graph showing major improvements, and though our data is not showing the full cycle, it shows how we have improved deliverable and decreased avg queue from 20 days to under 5.  That was a great graph to share...so hoping people respond well.  Lots of opportunities still, but we are getting there.

I am looking forward to going to a  dinner & show with friend tonight, and hope I won't fall alseep in the theatre! 

I think of all of our friends as I will soon pour a cup of coffee, make a late breakfast and take a break from the computer prior to my next set of meetings.

Hilary - sits, sips, and smiles.  It sounds like there's a lot of positive stuff going on, even if that just means acting positive in a negative situation.  Stay warm today, everybody.

It's difficult to start the day on a positive foot when, immediately after the alarm, my guy leans over and says "I've been tossing and turning since 2:00."  It's hard to be bright and cheery when he's tired and grumpy.  We work in the same building, so I'm going to have to find excuses to stop by his desk to make him smile through the day.

Sleepless nights can sometimes make for grumpy days .  Hope your guy catches up tonight.  Must be interesting working in the same building.  My hubby and I worked in the same office (we weren't dating then).  A few years later I moved to another office in the same building and that is when we started dating . . . and the rest is history.  I worked in the same office building for a few years before I quit to be home with the family.  It was sometimes nice to be able to just go down the hall and see him if I needed to.

I know it is hard to stop a partner's mood and disposition from affecting us, but I hope you are able to maintain your cheery self throughout this day, Hillary.

Wow, Pinga, that is impressive (going from a 20 to under 5 days)!  Well done to you and your team.  A lot of social outings for you.  Hope you enjoy the show tonight (and don't doze off - I dozed off at my study group last night!! too many late nights and early mornings the last few days).

Massage was heavenly - in my dream and wish world I would have one at least every 2nd or 3rd day.  Working on church stuff . . . neverending.

What are you going to see, pinga?  I'm hoping to go to Ender's Game this weekend.  It's based on my favourite sci-fi book and stars my celebrity crush: Harrison Ford!

Oh my goodness ... so much going on with all our 'roomies' :-)  I can't possibly reply to each and every one - but I am lurking along here.   I'm cozied up by the big window - looking outside to the sky - there is a very active aurora forecast tonight, so if those clouds will just clear away we might have a spectacle!  In the meantime, I'll stay cozy here with y'all! 

There was snow when I came out of the Princess Theatre in Waterloo tonight.  Just light flakes but it was snow.

I went to see Enough Said with a friend who was a friend of my husbands when they were teens.  Her, her boyfriend (then husband, now ex) and my husband hung out.  We hit it off from the moment we met and have developed a friendship separate from the "group" friendship.  We catch up, chat and just enjoy a good movie.  (they have a great package deal which makes for a nice night out with dinner from their cafe.

I want to see Judi Dench in Philomena and there are a few other good movies headed there.

Nice to be curled up in a big window, carolla.

good to see you Hilary.  

Seelerman and I were just commenting this morning that all of Canada except the East seems to have had snow by now - some of you seem to have had a lot of snow.  So far, although we've had frost on the windshield a couple of times, no snow - not even flurries.   That's good!   We don't get our snow tires on for another week - and I hate wearing winter boots.   It is pretty though!  

We just got our first significant snow fall last night. It started as I was leaving AB and continued through my 2.5 hour drive to BC. The road was not bad, though I suspect it is not great this morning. Last year we'd had snow for almost a month by this time.

Been a while since I popped in. I read and get caught up on folk's lives. It is like Facebook for me, though. By the time I read it, it seems odd to comment on "old news". Something else has moved into place. Just wanted to let you know that I do stop here and read. Especially on hard days, when this place shows me "you are not alone".

Went bowling today but found that I am too weak from this flare-up of crohns to bowl.  Even modifying my approach and simply rolling the ball without the three step, arm swinging, and follow-through was too much for me.  Dizzy, panting, weak.   I'll be glad when I get feeling better.  And, after my morning post about no snow, Seelerman and I noticed some flurries in the air and landing on the windshield.  (not enough for wipers though). 

seeler - I hope that you were still able to enjoy the social aspect of being out with your bowling friends.  May your flare-up be short-lived so that you can be back to normal in no time.  (Whatever your normal is!)

My youngest son had a wonderful voice as a young lad. He sang at the church sometimes and did solo's on christmas eve in front of 500 without batting an eye. he couldn't read music, didn't wish to learn music, but, had the voice of an angel (truly).

he now has a wonderfully deep voice and it is still a great sound, but wouldn't often sing.   (You may remember that he sang the old hymns with me that my mom loved the week of her death, just a curl up on the couch kind of thing).

It was good tonight when he gave me some music to listen to and I was surprised that it was choral music.  he then walked away singing to himself.

i am so glad that music is there for him, and that it may reappear for me to hear his voice more often again. 

Yes, Hilary, I was able to enjoy being with my friends, helping out by keeping score for my team, cheering and encouraging everyone, and gathering the statistics at the end to bring home and feed into the computer.  Fortunately, my stats weren't affected by what would have probably been a very bad day. 

Pinga - what a joy it must be for you to hear your son singing.  Despite my tone-deafness, both my children have beautiful voices.  What I would give to sit between them in church again and hear them singing some of my favourite hymns.    My son plans to come home for a few weeks next summer.  Perhaps we'll get in a couple of Sundays at church while he's here.

Is anyone out there????

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If so, this will probably bring you out of the woodwork. I've been in the kitchen whipping up a couple of Quiche.

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One is to take to the Rainbow Brunch at my church.

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The second is for dinner with Seelerman tonight (and leftovers for tomorrow)

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And the virtual one is for you people who drop into our room today. Help yourselves. I used a basic recipe, added a bit of olive-oil based mayonnaise with the milk, and some chopped ham and shredded greens. I'm hoping it will be good. Let me know.

What's the Rainbow Brunch seeler?  And thanks for the quiche :-) 

I'm cleaning out my closet - just taking a break at the moment ... whew!  good to to get it done!

This afternoon , maybe clean out more of the garden ... it's that time of year!  Forecast is for freezing weather next week, so have to at least get the hoses brought in.  

Then off to friends for dinner - I hope some of the delicious fish they caught on a recent trip to Kitamat BC to visit their son! 

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

The quicke sounds heavenly.  Sounds like you have another busy day, seeler.  I echo carolla's question - what is a Rainbow Brunch?

Hope you get your garden cleaned and hoses put away carolla.  My garden (and if I had any hoses still out) would be covered in about 8 inches of snow LOL!  And definitely frozen in the ground.

I'm off in a few minutes to meet a friend who is visiting from out of town for brunch.  Well, she will have brunch and I will have tea, as I've already eaten.  And it is unlikely there will be anything on the menu I could eat :(.  I will see if there is something little I can have.

Will pop in later to see how everyone else is doing?

I'm back from a delicious Rainbow Brunch.  This is a rather informal gathering (approx. every two months) that meets at our church.  It is organized by the LGBT community for members, friends, and supporters.  This is the third time I've gone, and felt welcomed each time. The food is delicious.  And today we were able to celebrate the announcement that our church council has agreed to start the study process towards becoming an Affirming Congregation. 

I was able to work a full week. I did shorten a day-but only one. The flip side was I was in bed before 8 every night.

It will be a puttering weekend for me-The 11th is a day off for BC schools. I'll do some sewiing and tidy up the mainfloor -and that will take the weekend!

Great quuiche Seeler-let me add some BC apples

Hah, i read that as quickie rather than quiche

Great news re the process, Seeler

Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better, Tabitha

Tab, someone gave me a treat of BC apples. I feel like a hoarder. They are so good. Better than we get in any Sask. store.

Had a wonderful two hour lunch with my visiting friend from out of town - it was nice to see her and catch up on one another's lives.

Watching "Little Princess" on tv, with Shirley Temple - she was a great little actress.  My daughter had a remake of this movie when she was little, but I do like this original.

Glad you are feeling a bit better Tabitha - hope you are able to fit some rest in too this long weekend.  It is a holiday here too - schools off and most businesses also.

Thanks for explaining your Rainbow Brunch, seeler - and congrats on the decision and direction your congregation has taken on becoming affirming.  I hope we can get there someday.

I'm going to have a lazy afternoon - play on the computer, watch tv, and work on a few projects.

Hello everyone. This is a lazy day for me here in snowy FSJ. I am knitting a sweater for my husband that I knit first for his birthday then frogged. (frogged means unravelled it back to yarn) When he tried it on, it fit except the armholes were almost down to his waist. I tried ripping it back and only knitting from the chest down. That wasn't working so I just frogged it. I am now using smaller needles and it seems to be going better. In between stitches, I am playing Scrabble with seeler and somegal on FB. I hope everyone is enjoying a good Saturday.

somegal was clobbering me. A bingo worth 79 has allowed me to catch up.......we usually play even, neck in neck games.....

northwind - I checked your stats for Scrabble.  You're good!    It will be a real challange to keep up with you.  The same with Myst.   Myst played two bingos against me in our first game.  The one we have going now is a bit more even.  And Somegal keeps me on my toes.   It's fun.   Scrabble is one thing I can do on Facebook that I can't do on WonderCafe.  For anything else, so far I much prefer WonderCafe. 

I really enjoy playing Scrabble on FB. There's some good competition out there. Sometimes I'm gone for a bit because I don't have access to the App when I'm in AB.

I did enjoy, but, again, became paranoid about security as i didn't know who owned the scrabble app / game

So, are you saying we shouldn't use the Scrabble app?

no, I am saying that I quit playing all games on Facebook as I didn't know the author or access.  Northwind, I am overly cautious on security due to my work.

My hubby has worked in computers all through his working career, and he is always overly cautious about computer security too, Pinga.  And, I guess it has rubbed off on me, and I am overly cautious also.

I love Scrabble - wish I had someone in real life to play with - I guess I should seek out a lonely neighbour who might like to get together and play.

Beloved, if you are on Facebook, I would love to play a game of Scrabble with you. I have great fun playing with Northwind, Seeler and Crazyheart.

No snow here yet and it's unlikely that we'll get any anytime soon given that we are getting temperature lows of 7 or 8 and highs in the double digits still.

We are at -19 today. I suppose winter is here. We can be thankful though because this time last year it had been here a month at this time already.