Shellon

Hee Hee Because of our lifestyles and lease, we have wierd animals. Well I think they're wierd, but that's most of the fun. All are buried at the daddy tree now. We've had LuLu the transgender dwarf hamster who had her name changed to Louie when we got better instruction on how to tell boy/girl in this critter. We had him for nearly three years, a huge time for dwarf hamsters til we had to euthanize him, then I missed him so much we got Ed, another dwarf, who lived almost as long as Louie. Someone was going to throw away another hamster, a teddy bear one, so we adopted him. His name was Peanuts and he lived until just after Ed died and I think he died of a broken heart, missing his friend. We had love birds named Laverne and Shirley that my oldest used to take outside for sun and one day decided they also needed a shower from the garden hose. She also had a beautiful black lab, perhaps our only normal pet, named Tiphara. She lives on a farm in Arkansas now. We had a chicken named Icecream who I left out on the porch and forgot about. A cat took his head. We've had a frog that was freely hopping around the house, I forget his name; something like poop or turd or something equally as gross. I stepped on him in the middle of the night. The only greasespot in our family. Kelly got two fish for Christmas, they are named Will and Grace My birthday is coming up and I'm getting myself another dwarf hamster, will name it when I see what it looks like.

Happy Anniversary you too! See you soon

Geoge, since we've talked about life changes, forward and backwards in motion, I get what you are saying. I think sometimes life is disappointing and then THAT is disappointing, even a shock, especially when last week we were 25 and beautiful and suddenly, we're not so much 25. :unsure: Our culture places us in catagories, I think. If you are a couple, for instance, there are more social settings where one "fits". If you have young children still at home, there are more events to share with other parents. When we reach the places you and I have found ourselves the last years, we sometimes feel like we don't fit anywhere. Remember the reality of eating a meal alone in front of the television dread? When Bob died, I was only 36 years old and was quite suddenly the one that, socially, didn't fit. I wasn't part of a couple anymore, so the friends events included me less and less. Much like 'who gets custody of the friends' in the divorce thing. In my situation, I realized it was not me so much as others, when I came to understand that I wasn't receiving invitation because if they saw me, they'd have to actually SAY something, maybe about Bob and that was to be avoided, they thought. Selfishly they felt if they avoided me they might avoid the awkward moment of not seeing Bob. Maybe address their own reality? I don't know. Singles clubs? Hee Hee those don't really fit either do they? Or the invitation to come for dinner only to find out that they've also invited another single person "who would be perfect for you!" Each is unique to our situation and yet each is so similiar huh? Your life is differant now too. Your babies are growing and leaving the nest, your needs have shifted, your social "setting" is at a wierd place. Life stages are carved in some stone that someone fixed a long time ago and if we don't fit into the mold we feel less than adequate and most often it's not even of our choosing that we landed there! But it is what it is and we eventually learn to tuck and roll in the right direction, the edges get less sharp, we find our new normal and gain new understanding about where we fit or even if we WANT to fit. Maybe we always did fit and the rest of the world didn't. Why do we have to adapt to them, why do we have to adjust our lens to see their view. I liken it to the other stereotypes in our culture. If a women is blond, one might assume she's stupid, if one is not thin, another might assume they're somehow lazy or whatever other judgement follows. You're not old just 'cuz some list somewhere says you suddenly are when you reach some age. When you are 90, I think that's old.

Thanks excath, I think so too

This one says more that I could ever specify; dedicated to my friend

Happy Birthday!!!

That reminds me of the quote that goes something like this: The reason a dog has so many friends is because it wags it's tail instead of it's tongue.

Raising my hand! Love it!!

Happy Birthday my strange friend.

Mo, you look so beautiful!!

Again, Jeff, well said It get pretty obvious pretty quickly what's really going on, doesn't it, as to motive.

1.) Why do you come here? Because I have been able to develop friendships with a few decent human beings with integrity. At first it was for differant reasons, they are the bonus. 2.) Why do you stray? I stay here 'cuz of those few I mentioned and 'cuz I can learn more here than most other social settings. 3.) What would it take for you to leave? I guess I'd have to leave if one day a sign was on the door that said "gone fishing". 4.) Why do you post here or read these treads? I mostly read and when I do post, I'm reminded why I mostly just read. I enjoy the humor that is so prevelant here and the insight into others wisdom and experiences. 5.) What area do you post in the most? When I do, it's most often Open or Prayers 6.) Are the area's you do not look at? Nah, most are not too scary 7.) Do you go to other boards? Sure 8.) Do you take breaks from this place from time to time? Nah, it's stuck on me 9.) Do you come here less than you did in the beginning? About the same, depending on whether I'm in class or working of living a thing some call life 10.) What do you think of these questions? I like them, Roy, 'cuz you have the courage to ask rather than assume and make up my mind for me about how I feel, or speak for me. Pretty rare here eh?

Amen! It's never going to be perfect, how boring would that be?

I don't get it. This is the internet, these are electronics we sit at to speak here. I wouldn't know most here if I tripped over them. Don't we visit this site freely, of our own accord, in addition to others? If I choose not to post here for any length of time, why is that anyone's business or concern? Because I'm so loved and appreciated? Yeah, right, sure. Do we get so involved in other sites? Do we worry if someone leaves or chooses another platform or venue? I get that we're some kind of dysfunctional community that a few think doesn't function, but if you look at it with an eye towards the original idea, I suggest that you might get that it's by one's free will to be here and consider the work it's done. Wasn't the original idea to expose the other side of the twi story? It's done that, it's still doing it. If we want more intimate friendship, there are other places to do that. And there is always the other side of the stories here when someone says they were kicked out or had to leave or what the hell ever. If I get fired from a job, maybe I need to look at what I did. Just a thought for example of owning our own stuff. And if I have a problem with someone here and choose to not address it and see what we might do to make repairs, then it's my own fault. GSC is not a friendship site; those things are done on the outside edges if two or more choose to explore that option. It's a site to tell the other side of the TWI story. It's doing that. And if anyone makes the choice to take from here to hurt others, the shame on them. Of course it happens, it's gonna always happen when people think they get to have all the power and control. A few places to develop friendships and other relationships for social needs. www.myspace.com www.facebook.com

Happy Winter Solstice to you too Garth! :)

We need to do our winter lunch at a midway place again, it's past time.

Happy Birthday to you!!

Happy Birthday!!!

Our dinners are two fold Tonight : Oyster Stew crackers great wine On Christmas day Chicken and dumplings Mashed tators Gravy Kelly's strawberry shortcake Rolls More great wine Pies My moms cake that I grew up on Milk Some kinda beer Leftovers the next day

Merry Christmas from us to you

4 days blah blah almost here

HA!

Praying here too!

8 Days 14 Hours 52 Minutes Got cookies too, how wonderful!