Z: Zen

Z: Zen

 Here is Jack Layton's letter to Canadians, although I think everyone, everywhere,  would feel inspired by it .
Jack Layton's Last Letter


Zen is a Buddhist teaching emphasizing meditation and intuition. During difficult times we should focus on what is important and trust our instincts.  Not always easy to do. There are times when we feel cheated, left out, used and abused. We wonder if we are making the right decisions; what with all the information that gets thrown at us. So much advice, so many people telling us what they think we should do. Some do it out of love, a love that often smothers more than it nurtures. Some are just plain busy bodies that have a need to fill. Others want to help, but have their own challenges to face. In the end, we are alone when it comes time to make decisions  about our lives and what  direction we should go.  We must push aside doubt, block the noise, focus, and do it. We can do it.
   

Y: Youth

Y:Youth
 
"How do I know my youth has been spent,
My get-up-and-go, got up and went.
But in spite of all that, I'm able to grin,
When I think where my get-up-and-go has been."

Pete Seeger 
 
Yeah I'm seriously lacking in "get up and go". Found out I will have to have my thyroid out, which really sucks and my legs are messed up . At least that hasn't  stopped me from getting out, even if it's just for short intervals. 


Went to the James Street Art Crawl last Friday. Hadn't been to it in months mostly  due to the weather. It rained all spring and then it was brutal hot and humid  most of the summer.
I don't mind so much feeling like I'm going to melt if I'm out on the nature trails, but going in and out of buildings with no air conditioning, is just too much for me. 


Have to say I was disappointed in the Art Crawl this time. It's turning more into a street festival; with food stalls, craft booths, and various special interest groups pushing their agenda. Hey !I have nothing against Vegans, yet I don't really think it's appropriate to  have a  t.v. on a public street, showing videos of piglets being slaughtered . It's the Art Crawl  and I came here to see art!!


There are so many of these festivals during the summer and they all have a sameness about them. Food, shopping,  really loud third rate bands, beer gardens, and those inflated bouncy castles for kids. And why would I want to sign up for a cell phone contract or a fitness club while I'm at an outdoor festival?  Hey I sound like a complaining old fogey!

Yeah, well, my life is not exactly a picnic right now.

X: X Rays

Before I talk about X Rays. Here's a few snaps from the Hamilton Caribbean Parade

And just a few metres away  a tribute to the Hiroshima dead.

A day of sorrow; a day of joy.

I find out that the X Rays I had to treat acne when I was a teenager, may have caused my thyroid problems.
I find out next week just how bad.

W: Warcraft

W: Warcraft

Picked up another addictive habit. Playing the online game Warcraft Cataclysm. My son and his friends play and
told me about a trail version, so I figured what the heck. It's blazing heat out and I feel so much better when I stay indoors, so I thought I'd give it a try.  I'm really terrible  at it, but have managed to get to level 15 with my Blood Elf character, although she has been killed and resurrected several times(damn those vampire mist bats!!) . So far  she can attack enemies with fire bolts and frost bolts. 

The game has "quests" to earn points to obtain a higher level. These quests are mostly  going around killing weird creatures and collecting things. The people who know what they're doing can chat, join groups, and guilds. I'm way too slow for all that, although I really would like to. It makes me feel good  to know  that I'm not the space cadet I think I am and can actually figure things out in this game and have a strategy.

Have some time to waste? Give it a try

Here's a good quote I found at Doonesbury.I couldn't agree more and it's another thing that makes me feel better. I'm not alone!!

"I have always wished for my computer to be as easy to use as my telephone; my wish has come true because I can no longer figure out how to use my telephone."
— Danish computer scientist Bjarne Stroustrup


In closing I just wanted to say that I published some recent comments but now I can't figure out where they went  and can't remember who they where from. They are really good comments too so Thank You.

  What's that I just said about not being a space cadet ?

V: Value

 
V: Value
Does human life have value anymore? After my recent travels and also watching news about  the  the phone hacking  scandal; I think not.

 What else can I say about air travel that hasn't already been said? Does anyone remember the comic Alan King? He had an entire routine about how awful air travel is and things have only gotten worse. You have to practically be an Olympic athlete to survive it.

I know we need airport security, but those body scanners are dehumanizing. Doesn't seem to matter how much security we have when any bozo can hack your cell phone and even delete your messages.

Enough said about all that, because it's too depressing to think that we no longer have any privacy or any dignity.

On a lighter note: I'm plugging a website for my friend Sourav,  who lives in Mumbai. It's called Skyward Future Artists. If you like art you will enjoy this site.


We are having a crazy heatwave, 38C out there. For the last three days I haven't been any further than my garden and even then only for a few minutes. I can't handle this oppressive weather. Yeah, last week I was visiting friends who live in the dessert and it was incredibly hot; but they live the typical American lifestyle.  The go  from the air conditioned house, to the car, and then to the cool indoor destination, with only short periods outside,so I was fine. Back home it's a different story. I don't have a car, I detest cabs, and public transportation in my city really sucks. I'm staying in my nice cool house and am amazed how much better I feel with the air conditioning on. Haven't had a hot spell in weeks. It's lovely to feel almost normal.

Most of my vacation pictures didn't turn out . I'm waiting for my friends to send me a few shots.  Meanwhile, here's one of my favourite restaurants in Las Cruces, N.M., me at the pool cooling off, and some art.

 

U: UN

U:UN

And I don't mean the United Nations. No, I was looking up a word in the dictionary; the old school, book kind, when I came a cross the the entry for : un.  A very useful prefix, that can be used to change the meaning of so many words: unkind, undead, unbelievable, undeniable, unlike,unreal, etc. etc.

Perfect because I'm feeling very un.  First, the phone call from the neurologist's office, telling me they can't interpret the results of my thyroid biopsy, so they are referring me to an endocrinologist. That I don't get. Either the thing is malignant or benign. Has to come out, or be treat with drugs.  Another delay, another nuisance.

Then I got the bill for my share of the tree removal: $1045.!!! At first my neighbour and me were hopeful that that was the total for both of us, but Nope!!    AND does the neighbour who's tree caused all the damage give a hoot!! Nope. AND no point in putting in an insurance claim since I have a $500 deductible and they threaten to raise my rates if I do. Don't you just love insurance companies!

Canadians, this is the kind of crap we will have to go through with insurance companies if  we decide to go with private health care; so  think about it before you start ragging on about what a mess our system is. We have a pretty good system; even if the doctors can be real twits sometimes.They are just as big of twits in the U.S.


I've been reading some MS blogs, which I haven't done for awhile.  So many people having real challenges.
 So many people who believed the drugs would help, yet sadly they progress; just like me. Doesn't seem to matter what we do, MS keeps marching to it's own pace.

  My challenge right now is with my walking. I can still walk pretty good, but I've had to give up climbing the stairs at the harbour, and walking uphill yesterday,  was  really slow and difficult. My right leg is the one causing me problems, but the left one ain't so hot either. I guess that's because I'm compensating for the right leg, which stresses the left.  I can see that in the near future I may have to sell my house, because the stairs are getting hard to manage. 

The Canada Day weekend was pleasant. The first real summer weather and the first weekend for  air conditioning. I have a love/hate relationship with my air conditioner. I feel so much better when it is on but I hate the ever increasing expense of electricity.  For me the culprit in my MS struggles is the heat, so I really need this air and I hate that reality.

Here's a few photos  from this weekend. It was Scottish day at Dundurn Castle, and I just happened to be going by when the bag pipers were practicing. We were being sill at the garden and the ants were having a good time too. The Elvis is from my trip to the Falls last week. For $2.00 he will do a dance and give you a guitar necklace.

CCSVI Clinical Trials

 A break from my alphabet posts because of an important announcement. The Federal government is going ahead with funding for CCSVI clinical trials. Read about it here http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1016906--ottawa-to-fund-trials-of-controversial-ms-treatment?bn=1

Yay!!! It's a step in the right direction.