How is everyone in the current situation? General Chat

Sorry Carole to hear about Eddie. xx

Oh Carole, such awful new.

Try to enjoy each and every moment with him.

xx

Thank you for your good thoughts.
Ed had a good night and is brighter today. (He must be feeling stronger judging by the fight he puts up over his dustbin lid tablets). His little bottie looks like a baboon but he has regained control of his bodily functions - one less stressor for us. We are having a spell of lovely weather for him to relax in the garden.

Ed is back to trotting on his lead and scampering in the woods already! He was watching me like a hawk yesterday - determined that he wasn't going to miss out on another walk!

Well its not been a good week, a very good friend was stabbed to death in her home last week, still trying to get my head round it.

One of the tradesmen here lost his daughter and grandson last week. They were stabbed to death by her ex. So terribly, terribly sad.

It's a dangerous World we live in these days and it's impossible to get heads round such a needless waste of lives

Oh Vee I am so sorry. Do they know why it happened?
I think I have some idea how you are feeling as my best friend of over 50 years took her own life in early December. I did write a brief obit for the dog paper, but probably never put anything on here. I found it so hard to deal with at the time - well I still do tbh.

Chris, I saw the case that you refer to on the news. How sad - there seem to be so many people unable to deal with life events. Covid conditions certainly haven't helped them find help.

I am so sorry Vee - it must be devastating to lose a good friend in such a terrible manner. I hope that whoever did it is quickly apprehended and dealt with accordingly.

So sad when love and trust turns to hatred and death.

I think that sometimes it is more difficult to come to terms with losing someone who took their own life than it is by any other way. Death due to age/illness/accident/even murder, usually has an explanation as to the reason why - but how can you get into the mind of someone who chooses death over life?

I have come across it both with family members and friends, and in later years two friends lost both their sons - one soon after the first, and in the second case it was a few years later. But it hit just the same.

When I first came here my son was at a nearby weekly boarding school and each weekend [Friday afternoon to Sunday morning] he would bring home one of the overseas students to spend Shabbat with us. One American boy who had come to our home maybe three or four times, went back home for the summer vacation and put a gun to his head. He was just 15 years old. When the students went back to school after the vacation they were told and counselors were available, but some of the other overseas students were so distressed that they asked their parents to arrange for them to go back home.

My son just walked out and came home, and I had to make arrangements for him to go to the boarding school my daughter had attended, which was in the north, near Haifa, so he could not come home every Shabbat.

I'm so sorry for everyone's losses. Death is never easy to deal with, but when you not only have to come to grips with the death itself but also the cause of death, it is just that much more tragic.

I am glad that Eddie is doing well.

That is even more sad.
I truly hope that he isn't her beneficiary.

Oh man.... I’m sorry to hear of all these lives tragically lost.

The hearth that my woodstove sits on was made by a friend who took his life about 6-7 years ago. I have since learned that he suffered from bi-polar disorder, but was never willing to seek treatment, other than his self-medicating. We had fallen out of touch but now it’s something I think about periodically as it is kind of the center piece of the living room. I’m actually looking forward to getting the other house built and not having the constant reminder. Is that horrible of me..

I was briefly texting with someone a few nights ago who was feeling guilty that they hadn’t been in touch with someone they knew who had OD on drugs. My only conciliation was that it sucks to lose someone that way. He expressed further guilt and I said how were you to know he wouldn’t be here anymore. That actually seemed to help, give him a bit of perspective.

It’s a good reminder that if you know someone who suffers from depression or other mental health issues to reach out periodically in a gentle way.

The last 15 months living through this surrealistic world of covid has been really hard on almost everyone, myself included (anxiety, insomnia). The rise in alcohol and drug use to try and numb all the various fears and emotions people have been going through, the lack of interaction and physical touch, as simple as a hug, it’s been devastating. I fear this will leave a permanent scar on many.

So let people know you love them

I’m going to go out for breakfast this morning, and eat it inside the restaurant, first time since our worlds were turned upside down. What a treat it will be

Enjoy!

It feels a little weird but it’s delicious

We haven't eaten out since September '20. There is no spontaneity these days - just too much planning ahead needed.
We did visit some old friends last week though. Had coffee and warm scones, and it made a really pleasant change. Collected a few doggy mementos from our mutual friend's estate too.

We start obedience class with Cat-dog and Tornado-dog a week from Monday. It will be nice actually talking to people abd interacting in a normal manner.

We usually eat outside cafes anyway, but I think I'd be too worried to try inside just yet.

Despite having had both vaccinations, both myself and my OH have COPD so know that any respiratory problem is likely unsurvivable for us. This Indian/Beta variant is looking to be more concerning too so I think it will be quite a while yet before we brave the public indoor scene

I’ll let you all know how I’m doing in 10-14 days...

I’m 27 days out since my second jab.

I sure have saved a bit of money not eating out. I’ve picked up Thai food, to go, twice. I’ve definitely gotten pizza slices, and burritos as well