Paul's Corner

As an artist myself I can tell you that a painting is never finished.

nor is the journey.

Maybe I should go further and say that a painting is always a work in progress and so is a human life no matter what stage you are in.

I thought when I reached 30 life would be over. Then I figured when I reached 40 life would be over. This year I turn 60. Things have not been exactly as I planned them (actually nothing has turned out as I planned it). You have to sort of play it by ear and do what makes you happy. I sincerely hope that you do have another 40 years on this earth, but what if you only had one year. What would you do with it? Do what makes YOU happy.

I'd stop thinking and start bloody painting!!! and get really messy too!

Well, then go for it!!!

I tried to post this story on another one of your sites, but it wouldn't post. I will make a long story short here though. My husband wanted to teach college. He went to school for 10 years. I worked and put him through school. It was a very lean time emotionally and financially. His last year, or what we thought would be his last year, his committee decided he needed to do more work on his disseration. He had passed everything and they wouldn't let him graduate with his Ph.D. so he couldn't teach. Instead he went to work for NASA. Had he actually gotten that Ph.D. when he had his heart attack five weeks ago we would have been living is a little college town without the facilities to save his life. All of life has a domino effect and everything builds on everything else. Where you are is where you should be.

"All of life has a domino effect and everything builds on everything else. Where you are is where you should be."

AMEN TO THAT , JO ! I AGREE!! there are no accidents, no coinsidences, everything happens for a reason, we think WE control things , but we do not. It goes so much higher than us. I guess we can control our attitudes, but not the final outcome.

I though by the time I was 30, I would be completely established in life with my dream job and the perfect family, living life to it's fullest with lots of money in the bank. Well, I am 35 and I was more established when I was 25 than at 35. I have 0.00 money in the checking, wondering how to feed my family this week.(but not worried as I know it will always work out, it always does!).

My life is nothing like what I thought it would be. What MY perception of what my life should be. My prior dreams didn't include 2 beautiful children with morals and respect for others, a strong marraige, a secure job and always the ability to make ends meet, .... somehow. I think I am pretty lucky. I hope I am just as lucky 10 years from now as I am now. It can only get better form here. (well, lets hope I can put the kids through college, at least)

Gotta go to bed, big baseball tournament tommorrow.

Love to all,
Kelly

I had been harboring a deep resentment over that University and those professors that he had for nearly 30 years now. Last month I was able to let it go. I have Joe, who could ask for anything more!

"What's past is prologue."
- William Shakespeare

I don't think life never goes to plan, how can it when you don't know what is round the next corner. When I was in my early 20's I always thought I would be married with children living a very happy life, how wrong was I. I'm now 34, single, no children but that's the way it is meant to be for me at the moment. I'm hoping that one day soon that will all change it would be nice to have someone to share everything with and not feel so lonely at times. Is there such a thing as the perfect man? I just don't seem to have found mine yet. I was treated very badly in the past so that has made me very wary and hard to completely trust someone, but hopefully that will all change. Life is one long roller coaster, sit back, enjoy the ride and see what life has ahead of us.
Live for today as you never know what tomorrow will bring!
Kim

When I was a freshman in high school, one of the first assignments we had was to write our autobiography. We were to write it as if it were 10 years in the future. I found my essay recently when I was cleaning out some boxes, and what a joke life has played on me! The innocence I had when I wrote it is gone. All my dreams did not come true, but one - I did marry and have a wonderful family. As I age, I try not to think too far ahead. It's frightening to realise that your life is more than half over and if you're lucky, you can have maybe 10 years left, and you don't know if they will be good ones or not. I am just happy now to take each day as it comes.

"Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday".....

Love to all here at the corner.

Sally C.

Paul, when you looked ahead twenty years ago, (when you were half-way to this point) what did you see?

The memories that you talk about now from those times may seem more solid than the 'fluffy dreams' you can make out for the future, but back then, that is exactly what they were too - imaginings. The achievements and the stuff of consequence that you can now see looking back were only possibilities then. Maybe they seemed more solid because some of them, at least, are common to what most of us would hope for during those years from twenty to forty - a loving relationship with the right person, the joy of children, building a career etc. They were more easily defined. That doesn't mean that they were more likely to happen. Many people don't achieve them, for whatever reason.

I think that this stage that you are at now is a natural point of the journey when you are drawn to look carefully at the canvas of your life. I think by the very nature of its place on the journey, it is more open-ended. The slight anxiety you are feeling, I reckon would be familiar to many people when they reach your age. I'm a few years ahead of you and I certainly recognise it. The future is a blank canvas. For all of us, no matter how settled or secure we think aspects of our life are. The only constant is the fact that we are the ones holding the paintbrush and choosing the colours. And I think the pictures we paint are not the circumstances of our life, but our attitudes/reactions to them. Your instinct has always come across to me as being a total embracing of life. I'd say the future canvas of your life will have the same underlying theme as the one you have painted up to now. The patterns may be different but the colours will be just as vibrant and clear.

I think that as long as we are experiencing this life - living and learning - the future is always better than the past because we bring into it all the lessons and wisdom that we have managed to collect along the way. And the present is the best of all. It's the only moment we can actually experience fully.

Two quotes about time that I love:

'Time is the force that brings every new experience to the door of your heart.'

John o'Donohue

'We think in eternity but we move slowly through time.'

Oscar Wilde

Love to everyone,
Mary

Dear Paul,

Since you are an artist, you can always call yourself "a work in progress"!

Take care,
Claire

I have been thinking about this since you posted it and even talked to my husband about it. (He is a big fan of yours too by the way.) You can't "reinvent" yourself like so many people claim to do. You start with what you have and go from there. You have a hell of a lot going for you so you wouldn't need to "reinvent" yourself anyway. You say you have lived half your life, but you have only lived 1/3 of your adult life.

There was a broadway play and then a movie starring Robert Morse called "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying". There is one scene where he is in the executive men's washroom and he is singing to himself in the mirror the song "I Believe in You". (By the way I have thought this would be a great roll for you in the movies.) I believe in you Paul. Your fans believe in you. All of us believe in you. Now you have to believe in you.

Words to the song:

I Believe in You

You have the cool, clear eyes
Of a seeker of wisdom and truth
Yet there’s that up-turned chin
And the grin of impetuous youth

Oh, I believe in you
I believe in you.

I hear the sound of good, solid judgment
Whenever you talk
Yet there’s the bold, brave spring of the tiger
That quickens your walk

Oh, I believe in you
I believe in you.

And when my faith
In my fellow man
All but falls apart
I’ve but to feel your hand grasping mine
And I take heart

I take heart.

To see the cool, clear eyes
of a seeker of wisdom and truth
Yet there’s that slam, bang, tang
Reminiscent of gin and vermouth

Oh, I believe in you

How I believe in you.

I believe in you

I believe in you …

After seeing Strictly Ballroom again I am, once again, struck with your talent. After finding this website, I am struck with your honesty & openness. I feel the opposite of one of your thoughts: I fell it is a slow road we walk away from our birth & we go towards our death with stealth-like speed. Fourty-one is a good age; the fourtys are good years. You are blessed with a god-given talent of a very unique & creative dance style. You make it look effortless when all of us dance wannabe's know how hard you have had to work to dance so beautifully. You must be strong of character to cultivate that talent. Harness your anxiety! Pick the brush up and paint that damn canvass. Time waits for no one. Memories are lovely (I spent 4.5 years on Bill Shatner's Rescue 911 as a dispatcher extra, had a re-enactment done on one of my 911 calls & made the Rescue 911 1995 wall callendar); however, yesterday is a cancelled check. When we fall off of our motorcycles, we get back up, dust ourselves off & get back on for the love of the ride. Rest assured, you still have a lot to offer the arts. Good luck to you & your family!

I guess this may not be in relation to the topic, but in a way it is, given that our lives are not always lived as planned.

Yesterday we attended the celebration of a niece's graduation from college. She got a degree in Public Relations with a minor in Marketing. Doesn't have a job yet,(has not had one in 2 or 3 years, she's been doing an internship with a local hockey team) lease is up on her apartment in June 1st and doesn't know where she will be going. Back home to live with her father(my younger brother) or stay here and live with her mother(and stepfather)? Her ideal job right now is to get on with the Dallas Mavericks(Pro Basketball) but has had no definite offers or interviews. NO PLANS!!!

The end of May we will attend the HS graduation of another niece(18 in March) who is currently working 2 jobs so she can move out of her biological father's house where she chose to go after a disagreement with her mother over a $500 cell phone bill. Is she going to college, no one knows, she won't talk to any of us about her plans. Her 20 year old brother, can't get a job but he has applied for several credit cards, I shredded the evidence of denial(thank god) for his mother last night.
All three of these kids have their lives before them and have no clear cut plan for their immediate or long term future, talk about flying by the seat of their pants. At least Ashley does have a college degree( the 1st of 7 grandchildren - not mine but my mom & dad's).

I'm 54 and guarantee you that I'm not where I thought I would be when I graduated from High School. I too have gone back and reread my prophecy from my senior year book and I too missed the mark. But I would not want to have to go back and live the last 48 years over(don't remember much before age 6).. I will just try to live out the next 20 or so years the best I can with the love of a wonderful man and knowing that I have raised a very successful son.
I think that's the best I can hope for.

Paul, your talent so exceeds anything I might have ever done or hope to do I know your future holds something spectactular. Go, Paint your canvas, brew a little beer, make some sausage, enjoy Andrea and the girls. Remember: " A life lived in fear, is a life half lived."

Hugs to all at PC
Sherrlyn

**getting up on the soapbox**
(I don't mean to sound like an all knowing oracle here) A person can live two years and have lived half of their life. You can never know what the halfway point is until you know the end point. You can live to be 40 and still have 60 years left to go. You can't measure the life you are living in time, you can only measure the life you have lived. Are you happy? Are you doing the best you can? Maybe it's not as much a philosophical question as a practical one. My 2 cents 1.3 canadian.
**getting off the soapbox***
Dez is eating solid food! She still hasn't been moved from critical care but we are hopeful.
Peace

Easy topic to understand. I've looked back at my h.s. yearbooks and college books as well. What a hoot. Nothing has turned out as planned. I did obtain a degree. Whoopee...It's been completely useless for the most part for the past few years. When I went to work for Deloitte haskins + Sells after college, I expected to be a partner in my early thirties earning in excess of $100k a year and living exceedlngly well in my 40's and retiring comfortably in my fifties. So, I'll be 44 July 6th and I start grad school on July 5th. Success? Financially? NO, Mentally? I have discovered over the past 20 years what screwed me up so bad. The last few years have been the hardest but I think I can consider myself on an upswing. The 7000sf house and beach home, with aloft in NYC is not going to make me Happy. Only contentment is going tomake me happy. You don't know what the next day will be like, so you MUST smile each day, hug your family and tell them you love them. Read something that lifts your spirits, Avoid unnecessary negativity and deal with it if must.
My mom's sudden death really provoked in me the need to say things the day you intend to. Let procrastination be part of your past.
Paul you say half at 41...People in my family barely make it past 65. If that's the case I may have 20 years or so left. My daughter would barely be out of college. To me that is a horrific thought. For now, my preparation for that is to get myself in great shape. Act and feel as young as I can. It can't hurt and it may help.
One thing I am doing for future work is not set time limits. No hard and fast rules on time. Either it will or won't happen. I guess that's the reason I don't wear a watch now. Haven't worn one in 7 years.
I hope we get to see the mini series here in the US.

I finally got to speak to Whitney on the phone the other day. She is really sweet. I've got to call Auntie mil this week.

peace and love

Tim

Tim,

Good time for a birthday! Mine is July 6 too. It was supposed to be June 6, but my mother always blamed the European invasion in 1944 for not being able to give birth on time. She said it frightened her and I didn't want to come out.

Ours is not to reason "Why?", ours is but to-- drink beer and laugh until we cry!

Peace in that in-depth brain of yours,
Dhi

Hey all, long time no me!

Well I guess I should start with commenting on Paul's latest post. Hmmmmmm....

It's difficult to say goodbye to yestday and hello to today if yesterday was a fabulous experience. But if we were to discount tommorrow, we would have never accomplished what we did yesterday. Make sense?

WHen you're young the life seems easy and we dive into risks. But as responcibilities change, and we learn from a portfolio of past experiences we then become...hesitant. But is being hesitant good? Not at all! We need to get out of the comfort zone, get our hands dirty once again, and feel alive as we did when we were children.

School is going well. The anatomy class is kicking my butt (or glutes as we say in class). Three people have dropped so far and I have managed to get A's on the first two tests. Now we're on to bones and muscles, yikes. I have a ton of studying to do this week. In our clinic class I have messaged five people so far and my prof for clinic (drill Sargent Mike) told me that I was doing well. I take it as a complement b/c he is ruthless with the students. A few students that I've practiced so far told me that I had good hands. I'll see what happens for my first evaluation in August.I cross my fingers.

Hello to Grandma Millie, Timmer, Kelly, Paul, and Andrea!

I meant to say massaged.

Jeez ya think I'd spell that one right!

Jo (Texas) I'm having problems with my e-mails at the moment so I can't contact you direct. Thanks for the photos they were lovely. Once I'm up and running again I will be in touch.

Hi to everyone on PC I hope you are all very well.

Take care
Kim

I suppose the news I'm about to give relates to this post. I took a pregnancy test yesterday and the results were positive!! I even took another this morning because I just couldn't believe it-it was positive,too!! I'll have my first doctor appointment on June 3rd. This will be baby #3.

I'm feeling a little anxious about whether or not we're going to be okay and I mean financially. My husband has reassured me over and over that we will be fine. And, then my thoughts go to this.....I am a third child and my mother was a single mother, her mother had 4 children and practically raised them without a second income, too. I plan to continue working. And, this was a planned baby.

So-how does this relate to the Paul's post/question? I know what I'll be doing for a great deal of my life....and that's raising a family. Talk about not being able to paint a picture!! I have no idea what my life holds in store. I just know that I'm going to do as much as I can so that I don't have too many regrets. And, NOT having a third baby would have been a regret.

Hellos and hugs to everyone at PC!!

HUGS!
Abeth

wow...everyone's so introspective of late...
im enjoying the posts very much!!

Kelly (UK)...i could relate very much to your post. I find your outlook very refreshing!

Hugs and smooches to all at PC today/tonight.

wow those brisket recipes made my mouth water and my eyes tear in sympathy from the chilis! sheesh! I love it!!

latte luv from
Katalina de Seattle

ps extra special hug to Inn and well wishes for your friend.

Congratulations, Abeth! Nothing holds quite as much promise as a baby. Here's wishing you a glowing pregnancy, and an easy birth! (When is the due date?)

Vicki

http://www.vineyard.org.au/index.htm

Hi Paul,
I really enjoyed your dancing in Strictly Ballroom. You have so much talent. Not to throw religion on you but from reading your "Tonights Question," I feel that you are searching for what you are supposed to do in this life. If you ask Jesus, he will tell you. He will also provide you with joy, happiness, and love. Please look at the above link. It's the church that I belong to in the USA. This church is nationwide and there are many churches in Australia. This church is awesome!!

If you believe in Jesus there is no death but eternal life so the journey doesn't end but continues in heaven. You can dance on the streets that are golden!!!

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his is only begotten son. That whomever shall believe in him, shall not parish but have eternal life."

Arminda,
Not to throw religion you sure hit everybody in the face with a pie.

Thanks! :-)

Arminda,
That was not a compliment.

Abeth - what wonderful news. Congratulations. Take it easy, treasure and enjoy every moment.
Love Kim

Yes, I know but coming from you I'll take it as a compliment!

I don't normally like to talk about religion I think it can cause too many arguments and I think it is a private thing and each and every one of us believes in something different but I was curious to read that if you believe in Jesus you go to heaven so does this mean that if you don't you won't? So what if you are a good person but don't believe where do you go?
Kim

Arminda,
I don't know how to take that. I am not a Christian and have no intention of being one. Like Kim I think that religion is a personal thing and this is not the place to discuss it.

Yes, you're right. This is Paul's website. What I wrote was for him to read because I was concerned. My intentions was not to offend anyone. Take care.

Yes please. Religious talk ...please reserve it for a religious chat room. This is for self improvement, friendship, and mutual respect. Not downloading one theological legalistic point of view on others.

# 3 huh? We planned 3 ourselves, but the fourth was a complete shock. But we love her to death. She is spoiled rotten by her mother and I and her 3 older brothers. She's charming and beautiful.
Best of luck. You'll be fine. The 3rd one just fits like a glove...No real changes like you noticed from 1 to 2.

peace and love everyone.

Tim

Tim I liked what you wrote about this being a place for self improvement, friendship and mutual respect, the world would be a better place if there was more of it.
Take care
Kim

Abeth, best of luck! I hope the whole experience is a joyful one.

Monika, how are things with you?

Best wishes to Paul.

Hi to Michelle, Peter, Evelyn, Millie and to all PCers.

Love to each one of you,
Mary

What's with people in today's society that when God's name is whispered everybody gets offended?
All she was doing was responding to Paul's concerns and issues in his message. It's not up to you to decide what should or should not be written on his website. Obviously, if Paul did not want to express his thoughts to us, he wouldn't have done so. She has every right to respond just as much as the rest of us do. Remember, it's only someone's thoughts based on ones life experiences. Lighten up! Folks! Being too politically correct is not a good thing.

There are two things that I do not discuss with people. That's RELIGION & POLITICS! Yes I go to church, I am in the choir, and in a small bible group. But I do not push religion and my beliefs on anyone. I do feel the need to pray for those who are hurting here on PC.

Boohoo, the kids left today for home. What a hoot the last two weeks have been. Even though Logan is a Downs baby, the tharapists look to see him go to college, have a job and live on his own. Although his hearing is perfect, they are learning sign language with him. They are starting to teach babies signing from age three months on up. Logan has learned, "I hungry, & more". They learn the signals then gradually pick up the words. Everyone around him has to buy into the program. It has given many Mothers a tool to communicate with their infants, when they are crying and they don't know what they want.

Now I am on to our church's annual garage sale this week. All the proceeds go to the youth ministery for their annual trip to Mexico. They bring in anywhere from 5k to 7k each year. I am in charge of the jewelry. It's keeps me out of trouble. Stuff will be coming in all week for sorting and such.

I have canvased the neightborhood and they are filling up my horse trailer, with all their junk that will be someone else's treasures. We found two antique crystal serving dishes in the bottom of a box that we thought was just junk. What a find!

I thought our horse show was a May 29th & 30th. Wrong? It is this weekend. After that I think I am going to the store to get a bottle of Whidbey's Loganberry Liquer, and kick back for a couple of days. It's made right here on Whidbey Island, Washington. Alana took back a bottle for a member of her knitting club, as it is not sold anywhere but here.

Jeff (my son-in-law) makes miniatures of medievel warriors. They are only about an inch high and very detailed. He had two cases with him. One was with his figurines and the other had all his tools in it. Ooops, he took the wrong case as a carry on and had to have it shipped. At least they did not conviscate it. There is about a hundred dollars worth of miniature tools in it. I got some of them for his birthday which was May 5th. I've seen some of these setups and they are spectacular.

I've rambled on long enough.
Those who bring sunhine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

Take care love to all.
Marge

Abeth
See if you can find out more about the sign language programs for infants. Everyone who has contact with your new baby will have to buy into the program to re-enforce it. It sure has been a great tool for my daughter with Logan.

Take care
Marge

Perhaps the past and the future make us what we are in the present? The old and the new join in a painting to define the artist himself. Goodness, Paul's thots always make me philosophical! Hmm.

Well I don't think the new things ahead could measure up to what I've already accomplished. Somehow I'd like to think that when my life is over, I can look back and see the beautiful finished product. Then the doubts come and I say, "I hope!"

Marge, so you show your horses? Certainly sounds fun.

Love to all...congratulations Abeth. here's to a good pregnancy!

Maile

Paul, In response to your question: "...will I, can I, do better?"

You don't have to do anything "better".
Perhaps "differently" will be enough.
It's up to you.

Peter

Mary, re songs that bring on full sensory immersion: I know I've gushed and enthused about it before, but The Cranberries' "Linger" does it for me. It's the combination of those haunting tones, and the sheer (dare I say it) sensuality of it that takes me right in. I love the vocals.
What more can I say?

I guess it's different for everybody.

Best wishes,
Peter

Well, a heart attack six weeks ago, no stress test yet and this morning my husband rides off on his motorcycle without the doctors approval. So this afternoon I am getting fitted for a device to keep me from grinding my teeth. I figure I will wind up with really strong jaws and no teeth otherwise.

Peter, it is different for everybody but I agree with you about this one. It's a complete experience and I think the opening bars entice you into that experience. Good choice.

Yes, the full body immersion wouldn't be possible without the sensuality. One that does that for me is Sting's 'When We Dance'. Gorgeous.

Take care,
Mary

Mary,
I really want to thank you for your words.
I'm sorry for not thanking you sooner, but I really had to think about what I did...I mean, I've never been so open (like my previous post) before. I first wasn't sure if I did the right thing, by throwing every word of pain and fear that I have "on the corner". I felt a little ashamed of it, for being so open, but now I realise that it really did make me feel better!

Your words really mean so much to me and yes I hope and believe too that this is the end of one path for me and the beginning of a new one...
Ofcourse the fear is still there, it isn't just gone by talking about it, but knowing that I don't have to carry this by my own anymore, makes me feel more secure...
Thank you for making me tell my story....

Kim,
I also want to thank you for your words.
No, I really don't mind that you wrote it, I am very glad you did, words like that mean so much to me...
I tried to thank you personally by sending you a email, but it's undeliverable.
Maybe next time...
thanks to you too!!

To answer 'Tonight Question'????
I don't know, I quess maybe I'm too young to talk about it, I mean when I look back 10 years, I was a 16 year old girl, ofcourse I had dreams back then, but I really don't remember what they were and if they came true....?

What I do know is that today I am happy about the way I live. I have a boyfriend how I love very much, we live in a beautiful house, we build just by ourselves, I love my parents, my brother, other family and friend and they love me...

And the future:
The only dream I have for the future right now is being able to stay alife as healthy and as long as possible and enjoy the love of my boyfriend, parents, brother, friends and family.

I think that each morning I wake up again is a gift, I live from day to day at this moment and try to enjoy it as much as I can.
I know it's not really positive, it isn't the right way of living and I'm sure those thoughts will become better with a little help, and more time, but that's just the way I'm thinking about it right now....

Love to everyone,

Monika

Paul, the following paragraph :” Has the best already happened or will I, can I, do better?”
A lot of that depends on your definition or perception of what "the best" is or is supposed to be or perhaps even can be. I personally don't think there is just one version thereof. The best keeps happening all throughout life, taking on different forms and shapes as we too change and alter our perspectives, views, thoughts, person, body and mind. I guess you have experienced a lot of bests in your life and will experience a lot more as you continue to journey along your life's path. And why succumb to the pressure of expecting to do better than you already have and do? Unless you can let it happen naturally, unencumbered, unforced, that would be different. I think taking stock about the past and the future is also a very normal and natural occurrence in everyone’s life at different points in time, especially at those when we seek new direction. Perhaps the answer to your question lies in doing a little bit of all the things you’re contemplating, taking the lessons and wisdoms from the past with you into the present and remain open minded and positive about the future.

Abeth, congratulations on baby #3, I wish you a happy and healthy pregnancy!

Thanks to all of you for your support and love on the previous post. I still haven’t talked to my boss (that’s now rescheduled for Thursday at 2 pm) but instead I talked to my dissertation advisor (who’s in the same department) and that was much better. He’s such a great guy, mentor, colleague and friend and so much more supportive and understanding. He had great advice, made me express my anger and hurt and made me feel okay about it. He’s completely freaked out now, because he’s never seen me like that—this angry and hurt—but he also told me that I’m not a quitter and face problems head on and solve them and that I have the strength to deal with this as well. We will see, but I know that I REALLY don’t want to give up my career because of her. He also told me that I need to tell her how her words and criticism are shutting me down in the classroom—because they are—that will be very tough. But I feel much better and calmer at the moment, taking lots of deep and calming breaths and am treating myself to a (mini) vacation at home.

Nic, ever heard of Linkenheim? That’s home to me and since you are from the same area, at least from an US perspective :) you might actually know where that is. Thanks for asking me to shift my focus and perspective on the students and away from my boss. Usually, I get along fine with the students, but I also don’t expect to get along with everyone of them in terms of being their best friend.

Jo, I’m sorry that you and your husband had to experience this arrogance from his Ph.D. committee. I so often find myself stunned into disbelief by what is going on in academia. I sincerely hope that I don’t end up like that. Glad you found a way to let go of the anger and frustration. Good for you!

Kelly, how is your recovery going? Inn, glad that Desiree is doing better & Diane, I hope you are doing much better as well. You all continue to be in my thoughts and I’m sending you more healthy, healing energy.

Monika, as I told you in my email, I’m so proud of you for putting your story out there and being this honest with yourself, thus freeing yourself of the fear of hiding behind fear and allowing others to support you.

Mary and Peter, I know what you mean about being transported into that other space through music. It happens to me often and it’s fantastic! How are you doing?

Marge, glad you had such a wonderful time with your family. Logan (and everyone else of course) is so blessed to have you in their lives.

Hello to Michelle, Inn, Katalina, Dhiana, Vicky, Maile, Kim, Tim, Sherrlyn, Sally, Claire, Julie, Mary Ann and everyone else who stops by here. Looking forward to Grandma Mil getting back into the discussion when she gets back to FL, I think today. Special Hello to Paul, Andrea, Elise, Emilie, & Erin. Wishing you all well!

Hello

Monika I am having a lot of problems with my e-mails at the moment, sorry about that. Once it is back working again I will contact you if that is OK.
I think what you wrote on the bottom of your message is so true. Every day is a gift and all any of us can do is live day to day and try to treasure every moment of it.
Take good care of yourself
Love Kim

Hello Evelyn I hope you are also very well and to every one else hello to you all.
Love Kim

Maile
My horse is retired now, and I will be taking him to a farm where he can live out his life. He is 25 yers old, and I have had him for 18 years. We have had quite a lot of adventures together. He has what they call Wobbles. It is caused by a pinched nerve in the spine above their kidneys. When he canters, his hind end swings out and he gets scared. So he is no longer really reliable to ride. It can be corrected, but is very expensive. If he were younger I would consider it.

I have been in horses since 1975. I did some showing, mostly in english, but my daughter did most of the showing. She did English, Western, 3-day eventing and medievil jousting with live steel.

I am getting out of horses, as I turn 65 in June, and it is time to move on to other adventures. I still have friends with horses so I can go clean out a stall once in a while and groom their horses.

Monika
Each morning when I wake up, I say the following prayer. "God whether I get enything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other people--because that's what life is all about. I don't want to waste this day. Why should God give me another day if I'm going to waste it?

Take Care everyone.
Marge

Evelyn,

Don't let anything stop you from getting that Ph.D. My husband and I were physically, emotionally and financially drained after 10 years. The world lost a great teacher, don't let it lose another one.

HiYa everyone!! I am amazed at such a prolific and diverse group! Very interesting to read everyone's comments. I just stumbled onto this website and am really enjoying it. Like everyone else that walks this wonderful earth, I have had my share of ups & some serious downs. I lost a very high-paying job that I absolutely loved in 1996 due to a lay-off and really changed my ways of living since then. I always had to earn the almighty dollar to support myself, house, lifestyle...needed to know that the security of a paycheck had to be there. The journey of the last 8 years has taught me to no longer fear the future nor long for the past. I know I'm blessed to have come out of the struggle intact (with my home.) Instead of the security of a long-term job and regular paycheck, I moved around to different types of work trying to find my place in life again. The temporary job I loved the most was driving a towncar...that was a total hoot, met the nicest people. I guess I'm sharing this info. because 5/13 was my one-year anniversary at a job that has such promise in my old line of work. I am fortunate to experience life's silver lining. That saying "one day at a time" is so true. I think I can withstand any storm at this stage of my life now. My best to everyone... M.A.

Hi Monika! It's great to hear that you're starting to feel better. Seeing every day as a gift is a pretty good way to approach things, I reckon. Wishing you lots of good days. Love to you.

Hi Evelyn! I'm doing great thanks. Sorry to hear you're still being challenged at work with your boss. You must have earned some kind of medal at this stage for endurance under pressure! Your advisor is right. No-one could accuse you of being a quitter. Hang in there and keep believing in yourself. I'll be thinking of you on Thursday and taking some empathic, deep and calming breaths on your behalf to add to yours! Good luck.
PS I don't suppose you're getting any time for CWG?

Hello back to Inn!

Welcome to Mary Ann and hi to everyone else in PC.

Take care all,
Mary

Arminda -

Wonderful post. Thank you for telling it like it is.

Everyone has the right to speak their mind on these boards - at least that is what I keep reading in all the posts.

Robin

Mary Ann welcome to this great place. I am quite new here but I have been made very welcome by everyone. They are all a great bunch of people and I am sure you will enjoy contributing to this site, I do. Happy 1st Job Anniversary. I think you are doing the right thing by taking one day at a time, that is all any of us can do. Be happy in what you are doing
Take care
Kim

Jo (Texas) How did you get on at the dentist? I hope it wasn't too uncomfortable for you. My e-mails are working again so I will be able to write later today.
Chat later.

Hello to every one have you all had a good day?

Marge Happy Birthday for June, I hope you have great fun in your new adventures, enjoy every moment.
Kim

We're baaack, everyone!

Grandma Mil here, basking in the aftermath of a marvelous visit up north for the Bat Mitzvah (Jewish confirmation of a 13 year old girl) of one of our granddaughters.

The week was filled with great pleasure and a chance to spend time with our two daughters and their families, and other family members, like nieces and nephews. Our daughter in Israel with her large family was not able to attend.

I cannot go into much detail, for there were so many memorable moments, especially of pride and joy, on seeing our family. Of course, we were treated with the greatest respect and much love, befitting our age and stage of life!

One story I have to relate, for it truly is a Mil
story: During the elaborate luncheon and dance following the religious services, our granddaughter called friends and relatives up, one by one, to a table where candles were lit in their honor. It was supposed to be a quiet and lovely moment, as our granddaughter mentioned each. Ellie and I were the first to be called up.

Our granddaughter told everyone, "I call up my Grandma Millie and my Grandpa Elliott from Florida...I remember when I was in Florida as a kid, I saw my Grandma lipsync during a show, and I thought she was Barbra Streisand...."

With that, the disc jockey put on the rendition of Ethel Merman's "Everything's Coming Up Roses" in order to introduce Ellie and me...I bounded up to our granddaughter, and started lipsyncing to that one, (which I knew very well!) The kids went wild, and the adults were on their feet, cheering and clapping, and the disc jockey played the whole song through! It was an incredible, unrehearsed, (and unplanned) moment, and was caught by the video guy.

Our daughter and son-in-law were very thrilled, and assured me later that everyone thought it was one of the highlights of the affair.

A business associate of our daughter told me later, "Millie, when I grow up, I want to be just like you!" A very tall man shook my hand and said, "Millie, you rock!" What can I say? I thanked them, and hoped the video tape doesn't show this Grannie making a fool of herself...at least I was sober! (I don't drink anyway!)

Peter, our granddaughter was adopted at birth, the only child of our daughter and husband. She has grown into a beautiful and self assurred young lady. She does well in school, but also, she is a swim champ (the breast-stroke is her specialty) on her swim team which has sent many of their stars onto Olympic competitions.

When all you "chickies in my pen" come to the Paul Convention in February, I promise to be as
outrageous as possible...(on stage, anyway.)

To all the newbies, I am now directing a large variety show to be on stage in February, called "Follies 2005" and about 15 people here on PC have professed interest in coming to Florida, spend the weekend meeting each other, and then seeing the show at the end of the weekend.

Even Paul has said he would love to attend, if he could. Now, that would be a major event here in our retirement village, for I have shown "Strictly Ballroom" here 5 times on our large screen since 2001, and all the seniors that come to my shows know about Paul, and yes, about the plans for a Paul Convention, and you should hear the ohs, and ahs.. Tim is hoping to do a tap routine during "Follies."

The dates are (approximately) Febr. 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2005. The weather in Florida is generally beautiful, even swimming weather in heated pools, and I have contacted some hotels about rates, two in a room. If anyone wants more information, let me know.

Paul, special love and best wishes on your newest project. Meryl Streep and Sam Neill starred in the movie made in 1988..."A Cry In The Dark" filmed in Australia..what a story!

Warm thoughts to Kelly and Diane...

Peace and Love, everyone,

The Mil

Robyn:
Thank you. I appreciate your support. I usually don't post things online very often but after seeing Strictly Ballroom I wanted to find out more about Paul and to see what other movies he might have been in. So, I did a Google search and I found this website and I found out a lot about Paul. After reading some of Paul's thoughts, I felt that I should write because he sounds like he is at a crossroads in his life. I can remember being at a crossroads in my life but then I found Jesus and my life changed for the better!

Thanks again.

-Arminda

Will "Through My Eyes" be televised on USA television? I understand "A Cry In the Dark" was very slanted against the mother. The acting was great, but the evidence against her was so thin.

Well……………. I went to the doctor yesterday and they diagnosed me with SARCOIDOSIS, its an Auto –Immune disease.You have very few white cells in your body fighting infection. It is basically too much protein build up in your lungs. No know cause and no cure. They said they have never known of a case that cause lymphnods in the neck like mine. It is usually lymphnods in the body that are infected. (I’m special) It makes you fatigued a lot, and you get sick a lot and very easily. (boy, this explains why I am always sick and tired and my chest and lungs hurt all the time) So….. no dairy products, msg or sodium and no sugar substitutes like equal and no diet pop. (I will lose weight for sure!) I went for all kinds of tests and chest x-rays and blood work yesterday, but there will be more in the future. Nothing is changing for me except I have to make time to rest. I can’t go go go go like I am used to. I missed last night’s baseball game in Niles and I am not going to baseball this weekend. (did you faint?). A gal from work found a kick butt web site that gives a lot of info , all the things I have been experiencing are in there, headaches , short term memory loss, dizziness, metal taste in mouth, irritated eyes, the runs (yuk), my chest hurting, my lungs hurting, cant breathe. The “worried, or panicked or paranoid” feelings are normal, depression , and oh yeah,, this makes you cry easy. HELLO!!!!!! I cry at the drop of a hat! Now I know I am not crazy. My neck is very sore and my nerves are trying to regenerate, I still have droopy mouth when I smile or laugh or talk, but it could be worse, it may get better over time.
Nothing to complain about.

My cousin died yesterday from AIDS related illneses. I found out when I was at the doctor. He was suffering so bad, it is a blessing for him.
My aunt was actually telling me "sorry for what you are going through". I couldn't belive she could think of me in her state of mind. I could not imagine losing a child.

Clay is in his cast for another 3 weeks then if it has fully healed, he can be out of it walking around but not playing. 2 weeks later he can start playing a little, get some at bats and first base but no pitching for the rest of the season. The way he is going, he will be out completely the whole season. I caught him swinging his team mate over his head like a wrestler! The kid never learns.

Mil, how are you?
Diane, How are you feeling? How are you recovering?
Tim, hows the job?

Paul, how is your "summer job" going? the acting , the beer, the restarant/pub?

Love to all at the corner.

Kel

Hello All,

Kelly-Wow-you have had such a time of it but now you have an answer. Is there any manageable treatment available to you? I am sorry to hear about your cousin

Monika-How are you doing?

Jo-I cracked up when I read about your "dental device"!

Welcome to anyone who is new!!

Mil-Welcome back and glad to hear that that trip went fantasically!

Thanks for the congratulations from everyone. If I'm calculating properly-my due date is the end of January 2005. I've had a scare though-I've spotted some. Went to the doctor and had blood checked and will go again tomorrow. Now that we have a baseline of pregnancy hormone-the next test will hopefully show a double in numbers. No spotting today. She thinks that it just was probably implantation...go figure. My heart is beating so quick right at this moment. But, I've done some self talk and have come to the conclusion that I will take this pregnancy day by day and enjoy it. I know that religion was a hot topic in some earlier posts but here's my two cents....whoever is in charge will see fit to guide me and my husband through this pregnancy.
The other good news is that I haven't spotted all day!

To anyone that I missed-I'm sending hugs and hellos!

Abeth

Abeth,

CONGRATS TO YOU !!! I SPOTTED TO WITH MY SON, AND ALL TURNED OUT WELL.

THE ONLY TREATMENT FOR ME RIGHT NOW IS STEROIDS WHEN I HAVE FLARE UPS. HOPEFULLY ONCE I EMBRACE MY NEW LIFESTYLE, I WILL GET BETTER.

CONGRATS AGAIN TO YOU MOMMMY!!

KEL

Grandma Mil,
It's great to have you back!!

Abeth,
I am feeling pretty good right now.
Ofcourse I am still scared, but I finally can talk about it, and that makes it easier to carry.
Thanks for asking.
Concratulations on having a baby!!!
My best friend is also pregnant, she's having her baby in October.

Jo,
How's your husband doing???
Hope he's going to be alright!!
Guess what I did yesterday???? I took a ride on my motorcycle. I've said ones before that I didn't ride that much, because the weather wasn't that great, but the only reason I didn't ride is (ofcourse) because of my fear....
but I really took a ride on my motorcycle yesterday!!!!
I DID IT!! AND IT WAS GREAT!!!!

Welcome to Mary Ann,
You'll find out that this is a wonderful place with wonderful people!!

Kelly,
It's good that you finally know what's wrong with you!!

Kim,
You said in your post that you were having problems with your email and if it is working again you would contact me if it's OK with me.
Ofcourse it's OK with me!!! Just let me know if it's working again, so I can send you my 'undeliverable' email.

Evelyn,
I truly hope that the meeting with your boss was ok. I thought about you a lot this day.

Peter,
How are you doing??
Haven't 'seen' you for a while.
I hope everything is ok!!
I am still thinking about the way you explained/talked about Australia...wonderful!!

Hello to Mary, Marge, Paul and everyone I've missed.

Love to everyone here on PC...

Monika

Welcome back Millie! It sounds like you had an amzing time. The 'Mil moment' I can picture clearly in my head. You're a natural! No doubt. Looking forward to FIF!

Kelly, it must be a relief to finally know what the problem is. Now that you know what you're dealing with, I hope you can find some kind of equilibrium with it. Staying positive has to be beneficial and when it comes to that, you're an inspiration. I hope your neck starts to feel better soon. Wishing you healing.
Sorry to hear about your cousin.

Diane, I hope you are doing okay. Thinking of you.

Hi Monika! Best to you.

Janice, I miss you! Hope you are well. You too Lori.

Peter, I'm guessing you are busy with work. If you are - wishing you some peaceful, non-thinking moments in between.
BTW, do you like any Van Morrison songs?

Abeth, I hope all continues to go well for you.

Michelle, best wishes to you, as always.

Love to Paul and to all of you here,
Mary

Monika my e-mails are now working correctly so you can send me that "undeliverable" e-mail now. I'm looking forward to chatting with you.
Take care
Kim

Welcome back Grandma Mil it sounds like you had a wonderful time.

Hi to everyone else on PC. Have a nice day!

Kelly, I wish you the best. You will find your way and you have a strong support team with you.
Abeth, congrats on the the baby.
Hello to Evelyn and Mary and a special hello back to Katalina. Drop a line will ya?
Dez was moved today to a rehab facility near home. She is doing well. Thanks everyone for caring.
peace
Inn

Monika,

GOOD FOR YOU! You ride that motorcycle girl! Keep it up and ride all the time.

My husband is doing great. It is hard to believe that he actually had emergency heart surgery six weeks ago. The stress test has finally been scheduled for June 3. I will be glad when that is done with.

Hello to everyone.

Paul,
Read your most recent post and can relate. There are certain points in everyone's life which require periods of self-reflection. Which make us look backward to see far we have come. Which make us look forward and wonder how far we still have to go.

I find this poem helpful in putting things in perspective.
As preface the following:
Ithaka was the beloved island home of the legendary Greek hero, Odysseus (from whom we get the word odyssey). After playing a leading role in the Trojan War, Odysseus roamed the world for 10 years, having adventures, meeting challenges, and learning lessons that profoundly changed him. Today, an odyssey means a long (often exhausting) exhilaration and/or excruciating transformative journey.

For me, the essential meaning is that life is what we make of it. Ithaka may be the destination but, the journey is the reward.

Ithaka
--Constantine Cavafy

When you set out on your journey to Ithaka,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon - do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty,
if a fine emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaka in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaka will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithaks mean.

"Life is not meant to be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.............WOW, WHAT A RIDE!!!!!"

Jo:
LOVE your quote on life! I must add it to my favorites as it is very true and pretty funny if you think about it. Thanks for the pick-me-up!

Arminda:
You have me mixed up with our other Robin. I did not respond to you and I don't agree with all your views.

Abeth:
Congratulations on your pregnancy! I'm sure you must be so happy. Good luck and good wishes.

Grandma Mil:
Glad you had a nice time. You are so lucky to have so many loving and special people in your life. We should all be so lucky!

Kelly:
So glad you finally know what your diagnosis is. At least now you know what you're dealing with and can tackle it head on.

Where is Janice and Hanh???

Peter:
I was watching a show recently wherein an Aussie priest was assigned a job in Ireland. Many people did not take well to him and one of them called him a "kiwi". The priest responed, "I'm not a kiwi, I'm an Aussie." Do you know what they meant? I have not heard of this term before.

Paul:
How are you doing? Did Andrea do her guest appearance at the ballet yet? You must tell us all about it.

Hello to Tim, Mary, Michelle, Kat, Evelyn, Monika, Inn, Mary and all others here I might have missed.

Love to all,
Robyn

hi to all at PC today.

Welcome back G. Mil! I loved reading your post.
I'm definitely planning for Feb 2005 Follies. I have a friend in Orlando that I could visit at same time...that would be my first trip to that part of the country.

Hugs to Inn, Kelly, Abeth (wishing you the best as a new mommee), hi to evelyn and diane and lady Dhi and Marge and Mary, Tim and Peter and of course hi to Paul and family.

Special "hi" back to Inn.
How are ya dahlin?! Miss you!
I'm going to have lots more time now...things are settling down and I can get back online more often post work hours. I'll PM ya.

I'm house/doggie sitting for my sis and hubbie in Maui (again). That time of year again.
One of these days I'm going...lol

general shout out to anyone here on PC that either is thinking about or has gotten their massage license? I'm considering this to supplement my day job and may go to evening school but am wanting to talk with people who have done it or are in the process of doing this.
My area of interest goes along with sport-training arenas and massage and/or naturopathic areas and holistic treatments...maybe coupled with someone who does nutrition or acupunture...Im just exploring options at moment, but again, would love to hear from someone with experience firsthand....

Hugs a latte,
katalina de seattle (or rather Edmonds)
*wink n a grinn*

Jo...i loved your idea about the sliding in at full blast in a hurting, wornout body saying Oh WHAT a RIDE! that made me really smile.
oh to really fully live LIFE at full blast!

gonads (or female equivalent) to the wall, petal to the metal..lolol

Hugs,
Kat

Katalina, on the last day of our visit up north, our daughter took us to lovely old shopping center in Norwalk, Ct., and we browsed in the antique stores area called SoNo...then, our daughter asked us if we would like some coffee in an antique coffee house, and we said, of course.

Latte was on the menu, and I thought of you, ordered one, dietetic, of course, and enjoyed it immensely. So, you can see, PC was not out of my mind at all! You are on my FIF list already! By the way, Julie is studying massage therapy, and she's off to a wonderful start!

I told Ellie just this afternoon that with the Bat Mitzvah over, we will now look forward to the FIF ONLY nine months away...I could have a baby, (yeah, for sure, Grannie) but glad Abeth is the expectant mother instead! Congrats, Abeth, and be sure to take your calcium, and stay off your feet whenever you can!

Robyn, yes, Ellie and I are very fortunate to have been able to attend our granddaughter's confirmation. I worried needlessly about hitches that could have arisen, but none did, thank God. I guess one could say we were truly blessed.

Peace and Love,

The Mil

thx for the memory G. Mil! lol *grinn*
i love to go antiquing out here....i live in a cute little part of town that has quite a few antique malls...i could (and do) spend hours there at a time, and every time i visit a new place i like to check out the antique malls. I have a blue/creme Currier & Ives winter dinnerware set too from my Dad's mother and I'm always looking for new pieces to add or replace the cracking ones... I have a small collection of ruby red Avon glass and milkglass. i started collecting a few teasets too...i have a secret girly side i guess...lol

thinking of you and curious about Florida. My buddy wants to take my to the (sp?) Epcot Center. I would love to see it. I'm a beach baby too. Was a former lifeguard/swimming instructor - infants - adults (~7 summers) and swim teamer (from age 4 on up)and taught water safety. I learned to windsurf, waterski, kayak and am curious about kiteboarding...do you have any favorite beaches out that way?

Hugs,
Katalina

Hi everyone,

Marge,
A little late respond, but I liked your quote about (not) wasting days!!
I am finaly realising now that that is exactly what I did this year: I've wasted my days by letting that fear controll my life.
It's very hard for me to admit it, but I am happy now that I did...

Mary,
I like Van Morrison!!

Inn,
It's great to hear that Desiree has moved to a rehab facility near home. I'm still sending her healing thoughts!!

Abeth,
How are you doing?
Aren't you sick???? I had a colleague how was pregnant and she was sick her whole pregnancy. I told you that my best friend is also pregnant and she isn't sick at all...Hopefully you aren't sick eiter!!

Jo,
I am glad your husband is doing great!
btw, what is a stress test, I mean what are they doing than?? Is that a test where you have to run and ride a bicycle while they put you on monitors/machines??? Hopefully everything will be alright!!

Rob"y"n!!
I also wondered (in a few post ago) where Janice and Hanh are. I miss them too!!

About that "kiwi" I might be crazy, but isn't a kiwi a little bird from New Sealand?
I've heard ones that people from New Sealand call themselves Kiwi's???
I don't know if that's true...

Kim,
Did you receive my email now???
I think you have, because it didn't came 'undelivered' back to me.

Evelyn,
How did your meeting with your boss go?

Hope everyone has a great weekend
Love to everyone here on PC...

Monika

Hi Robyn,
I've been thinking and reading again what I've said about Kiwi's and New Zealand...
If you this about it this way, it does make sense:

- I'm not a "Kiwi", I'm an Aussie...

* I'm not a New Zealander, I'm an Australian....

Maybe I was right????, Peter, Paul, please help us out here!!!

Monika

I ment: if you "think" about it this way

Monika yes I did get your e-mail, thank you for your lovely message. I have also e-mailed you so I am hoping you got mine too.
Yes I think New Zealander's are Kiwi's and fruit, very nice!

Hello to everyone on PC I hope you are all well.

Paul I hope life is treating you well and you are finding work. I do wish we could get more of your films here in the UK, I'll have to keep watching Strictly Ballroom :)

Take care
Kim

Monika,

The best that I understand a stress test is that they take pictures of your heart sort of like a catscan before, during and after the test. Then they insert an IV in your arm and put you on a treadmill to elevate your heart rate. I don't know if they take pictures again before they inject the thalium (I think that is a dye), but at some point they inject the thalium through the IV. I think the point of the whole thing is to tell how well the blood is actually flowing through your arteries and if there is a blockage. A woman that my husband works with was going to take an aerobics class at work, but they said that she had to pass a stress test first. She started the test and they stopped it and sent her immediately to the doctor. She had to have two stents (pieces of wire mesh that are inserted through the groin to the artery in the heart) put in her heart for blocked arteries. They actually make a small puncture in the groin and run a small hollow wire all the way up to your heart. Then these stents are released with sort of spring like action that locks them in place. This was the way the doctor explained it to me anyway. You are completely awake during the whole operation.

Hey Katalina! Looking forward to your PM.
Jo I love your quote too, I guess that's how I did it up to this point. I've had to slow down a bit now though.
Monika, thanks for the continuing support. She was doing well tonight too.
Grandma Mil, I so hope I can make it to FIF. I'm still planning and god willing I will be able to make it. It's going to be so much fun.
High hopes.
Peace

Monika,

I meant to add that my husband didn't actually have a blockage, he had a tear. They told me the term for it is "the widow maker". It is what that Russian ice skater Sergei Grinkov had in 1996.

Hi everyone!
I am tired and cranky.

The kids are gone. We got the garage sale off to a great start. They had so many donations this year they had to quit accepting donations on Wednesday.

Now I have a horse show office to work this weekend. Thought it was next weekend. I think I will sleep all day Monday. I deserve it.

Monika
I'm glad you liked the quote. I say it every day.
I know what your are going through with your boss. I too have had my share of stinkers that made my work life hell. My attitude was that I would be soooo nice and sweet to them that they would want to throw up.

Gotta Go, Love to all, and take care.
Marge

I came across this site a couple of days ago, expecting some pictures maybe a bio, instead, I found something that I really needed to hear. I'm about to go to college... i don't know what I want to do, or how to begin. Right now the only emotions/life I feel are from reading books, watching movies.. i'm living vicariously and I hate it, every day seems like it's the one from yesterday. I don't what path i will take, i don't know what will make me happy. i don't want to be stuck in materialism, lose perspective, become something typical and useless. so hello everyone! thanks for helping me wake up out of a rough day.

Hello Marge,

I think you mixed me up with some one else, because I don't have a problem with my boss, nor at work, I love my work and my boss is really nice to me!! Yes I had some problems in the past with my previous boss, but that's 3 years ago.
Maybe I said something that caused the misunderstanding??? I don't know, and if I did than I am sorry because I didn't mean to cause misunderstandings...

Jo,
It sounds very painful and awful, that stress test!!

Kim,
Yes, I did get your email too, thank you!!

Love to everyone,

Monika

Katalina, the Epcot Center in Disneyworld could be the eighth wonder of the world! Go to Google and type "Epcot" and be mesmerized! Disneyworld is 185 miles north from our area, which is near the Ft. Lauderdale area, and the airport.

You, as a swimmer, would appreciate our granddaughter, who just celebrated her Bat Mitzvah.

She too, started as a mere child, and many times she complained about the swim practice after school and on weekends. The years flew by, she persevered (and so did her parents), and today she is the breaststroke expert on her team.

She is self-assured in all parts of her life, and that could be part of the discipline that swimming brought to her. If I sound like a proud Grandma, you're right!

The beaches in south Florida, around Miami Beach, are deemed the best in the world. The sand is soft and white, and the water sparkling blue. Further north, where we live, the beaches aren't bad either!

Julie, who lives closer to the beach than we do, is planning a day at the beach and a visit to the surrounding shops with all our FIF guests. I don't think there is too much surfing like in California, but who knows?

(We old folks are just content to use the heated and sparkling clean pools around our condos.)

Inn, you have been on the FIF list since its beginning. The list of wanna-comes is growing! Right now it is 17!

Peace and Love,

The Mil

Jo and Monika:

I had a stress test a few weeks ago because I had "dyspnea on exertion" (fancy term for shortness of breath when you do stuff like going up the stairs)! It sounds more frightening than it really is and if you have heart disease, it can induce chest pains. I had the one where they put you in this machine to map your heart action first. Then they inject a dye into your arm and you have to wait while it circulates through your body. Then, they put me on a treadmill and watched my heart rate as I walked. That was hard for me, especially towards the end. I was SO out of breath and had some chest pain. After I rested for awhile, I went back into the machine and it traced the dye through my heart. Then I went home. If you can't walk the treadmill, they will inject something to make your heart rate increase, just as it does when you walk the treadmill. Then they give you something else to get the rhythm back to normal. I could've had my choice of test and opted for the treadmill. There is a doctor there with you through the test, so if anything happens, you can be treated right away. My test came out positive for coronary artery disease, so I will have to watch so it doesn't get worse. If it does, then I will have to have the angioplasty as you decribed with the needle in the groin.

But, enough about me! Glad to see some familiar faces who have been gone for a while, and glad to see some new ones.

Hope all are well and are enjoying the weekend. Tomorrow my twin granddaughters turn 9 years old and I will be finishing up last minute decorations, pick up the cake and finish wrapping their gifts. I'm like a little kid myself when I'm with them. They make me smile and keep me young...

Smiles to all today,
Sally C.

Sally C, enjoy every moment you can with your grand daughters they soon grow up. I hope they have a wonderful birthday.
My sister has 4 gorgeous girls from the ages of 3 - 13 but sadly I don't get on with my sister any longer so I now don't get the chance to see the girls. The last time I saw them was nearly 2 years ago so they have probably grown and changed from when I last saw them. I always try to keep in touch but my sister stops them from making contact. I had some great times with them so I am thankful for that.
Enjoy tomorrow
Love
Kim

Thx for the rundown of Florida beaches, G. Mil!
I can't wait! I think the highlights will be meeting you and watching your wonderful Follies and putting faces and smiles to the PC gang finally. BTW: your granddaughter sounds like a jewel. Yes, swimming is a fantastic allover body (and strong mental discipline) sport. Congrats on her bat mitzvah as well. :-)
thx for the info on Kelly is it? for the massage...I have narrowed the choices down to 3 schools. I'm getting some good information thus far. We shall see where I end up going. I'm definitely trying to go for a school that has its accreditation. I'm looking at Seattle Massage School (Ashmead), Brenneke, or the Brian Utting School of Massage. So far those seem to be the top 3 here from what I've gathered. Now it comes down to grant/loan decisions...:D

Hi Inn! I'll try to write today...
Seattle is getting some light misty rain again...It has been quite a while....we have needed it. I may go for a run with one of the dogs I'm watching and just feeeeeel the mist cooling as I burn off some steam and try these muscles again...push to the limit.
Wishing you and your family well dear Inn. Big hugs, Kat

Sending out warm wishes for a lovely weekend to all of the PC gang.

latte luv,
Katalina

Katalina, Julie is the one that is taking beginning courses in Massage Therapy. She lives in Florida, not far from us, so when I hear from her by phone, I will tell her to contact you personally.

BTW, last year, on our 50th wedding anniversary, our kids gave us a paid-in-full trip to New York, and we chose to see "42nd St." on Broadway, which was just fabulous.

Greg Miehle, who used to write to us here on PC learned that we were coming, and arranged a private backstage tour for us. One of the dancers from the show gave us the tour.

Greg happens to be a massage therapist to the Broadway stars, and was working as the therapist for the cast of "Hairspray" the last time we heard from him, which proves that a career in massage therapy can lead one to very interesting jobs!

I had a full rehearsal for Follies today, and everyone in the cast seemed to enjoy watching the acts get better and better...still lots of work to do, but the costume lady has already found a pattern for my costume as Momma Morton in
"Chicago" as I lipsync, "Ask any of the chickies in my pen, they'll tell you I'm the biggest.....mother hen...." etc., etc.

Peace and Love,

The Mil

Monika,

I don't think the stress test is painful (just the IV, I hate those) and my husband said that he couldn't feel anything during the surgery because they had given him a local to deaden the puncture area. The only pain he had was back pain and he said that laying on a hard table during the surgery was unbearable.

Grandma Mil thank you for all of your help you are a treasure. It is hard to decide which one to do. I would love to see more of your posters, thank you.
I will be in touch very soon
Love Kim

Monika,
Sorry!
Haven't had much time to catch up on everyone's posts, and probably did get you mixed up with soneone else.

I am tired from today's horse show, but not cranky anymore. It did not rain so the show ran for 10 hours. Lots of office paperwork. Tomorrow we start all over.

Now for a hot shower and bed.
Take care everyone, love to all.
Marge

Marge,
It's okay, you don't need to apologize, there are so many posts, it's sometimes hard for me too to keep up...

Love,

Monika

Ah, Paul...Life's journey - what a trip, eh! I am person who likes structure and makes plans of action. Yikes!! Things NEVER turn out the way I plan. So I make a plan so I can have piece of mind, then let it go and hold on for the consequences. Is this fun? YES!! Is it scary? YES!! Is there any other way for me? NO!! Waiting for things to happen is the toughest part. Right now you are in a holding pattern which is boring and frustrating. I know you will break out! But it may be something in completely different direction that does it for you. Keep the faith.

Millie...Glad you had a great time with your family and that the Follies are moving along - can't wait to see what you cooked up.

Evelyn...Rock on, girl!

Hello to all in PC-land.

Linda

Hi to all PCers! Hope you are all feeling good today. We've had blue skies and sun for the last few days and it has given everyone such a lift. Roll on summer!

Hi Inn! I was so glad to hear about Desiree's progress. Like everyone else, I'll continue to think of her and send her healing thoughts. Wishing you the best too.

Jo, I LOVED your quote too! I hope that's how I feel at the end of the journey. As it stands, I'm trying to catch up on lost time, but it's never too late to get it right. Thanks for that. Wishing your husband good health and healing.

To whoever posted the poem on Ithaka - thank you. It's wonderful.

Robyn, I smiled when I read what you wrote about the Aussie priest in Ireland. Was the show called Ballykissangel by any chance?

Hi Katalina! It's great to hear from you. Good luck with the massage idea. I always think that any holistic therapy like that has benefits not just for the person receiving them but also for those giving them. I hope it works out for you.

Millie, I can't believe FIF is only nine months away. I can't wait to see that costume! Love to you.

Hi Monika! I got to see Van Morrison when he made an unexpected appearance at a Bob Dylan concert many moons ago. He came on at the very end (after the encores) with Bono from U2 and another Irish singer, Leslie Dowdall. They jammed with Dylan for about forty minutes. It was amazing! It made such an impact on me, I can still remember how I felt when it happened! He tends to be a bit unpredictable these days in concert but some of his songs really touch some deep part of me.
Hope you are feeling good Monika.

Sally, hope you enjoyed your time with your granddaughters.

Michelle, hope all is well with you. Love to you.

Evelyn, how did the week go?

Paul, wishing you the best as always.

Welcome to Cat!

Hi to Peter, Tim, Marge, Kim, Linda and everyone here.

Love to all of you,
Mary

Monika & Jo (Texas) Thanks for your e-mails I will be in touch within the next couple of days.

Grandma Millie I have e-mailed you but I think I forgot to reduce the picture, sorry if it takes you too long to download.

Love to everyone else here on PC, I hope you have all had a wonderful day.

Kim

Hi Guys

Well I am in sunny gulf coast Florida. Inlet Beach to be specific, ironically is directly adjacent to "Laguna Beach" you'd think I was in California (NOT).
Anyway the water is crystal blue with no seaweed, no jelly fish. The weather is perfect even a little cool in the evenings.

Auntie Mil, glad your trip to NY was terrific. Everyone needs a super time once in awhile.

School starts in a couple of weeks. A huge committment. It will pay off though.

I'm reading an incredible book, I thought it wouldn't be, but it's actually helping me with all my other issues. Dr. Phils Ultimate Weight Loss Book. He delves into the psychology of weight loss/gain and it corresponds directly to a lot of personal issues. I really like it.

I hope everyone is having a great day and starting a wonderful week.

Well checking out..

The Timmer

Paul writes:

"Has the best already happened or will I, can I, do better? Or is it time to take stock on who I am and step back from the past and go forward anew. And what part of me must I need let go of - if any - to do so."

My aunt once said to me, "you can do anything in life as long as you have energy." I've since resolved to answer this ultimate mid-life question for myself by the measure of energy I feel remains in me for the things still left undone on the blank canvas of my own journey.

Aging -- that harsh and inevitable passage -- has a rhythm and a tide which becomes increasingly stronger as time passes. There are those who are strong and those who are not. So the question becomes: even if you have the will, can you summon the energy to swim against the tide?

Still, what is the worst thing to endure if we drift with the tide?

For myself, I find that the only unendurable thing in life is emotional isolation. It is trite, but Love IS the answer.

Paul writes:

"I would be honest with you and tell you I am a little scared it may not be as good as the past."

That's you, yourself, and you, giving yourself a whole lotta Angst there, Paul. I know that's 3 against 1, but don't let the odds overwhelm.

The truth is: noone who loves you will love you any less if your achievements in the next 40 years do not exceed those of the last. And noone who admires you for the work you have done in the past will admire you any less even if you don't do anything else in the future.

Basically, you have nothing to lose. In the words of a wise existential philosopher (my 14-year nephew): so what?

Sorry if that sounds rude (I don't mean it to be), but so what if what you do in the future do not overpass what you have done in the past? Do we say about Einstein: that loser! He came up with Theory of Relatively but could never developed the Unified Theory!

Now, I'm not saying there's nothing left for you to achieve in life, you old fart (kidding!! kidding!! all you crazy fans reading this, put down your knives! I don't mean to say Paul is old!), but achievements of historic measure are standalones. They are a permanent part of history. Generations will love them over and over again, as we do, but measure not your future against it -- it is a standalone, as all true achievements should be. Let it be and go forth.

Paul ponders: "what part of me must I need let go of ..."

Hanh suggests: All of it. Let each day begin anew. Bring along only the Love that sustains you -- that is all you need (quoth the Beatles), everything else is excess baggage.

I was digging through some old cross stitch work that I did when my husband was in college. (We didn't have a television and I had to do something at night to keep my sanity.) I did one for him concerning his doctorate. It reads "Maybe I'll Make and Maybe I Won't and What If I Do and What If I Don't." Well, he didn't - so what!

Why you should never post your picture on the Internet ...

http://www.smlinks.com/sotw/why/

Keep scrolling when the page loads, it gets better.

Hey Paul,
I am writing from San Francisco, CA. I am sorry to say that there isn't enough of your work over here in the states to enjoy, but I've seen most of it.
You and I are the same age and yet I feel the walk to death could be a swift one so I am filled with the fear that there will never be enough time to do all I dream of...even if I'm lucky enough to have another 40 years. I spent the first half of my life being a nomadic, bohemian looking for one adventure after another. It's been excellent and I don't regret it. Now, some 18 years after I left college in design (costume) I am moving to New York City to follow that dream working on any stage for any wage just to be a part of the magic that is theater...at 40! Fashion still excites me after all this time. Success is determined not by the fame and fortune that might follow your actions in life, but just by the pure joy you get in doing them. I will have to color and cut hair to support my dream and maybe work 16 hours a day or more, and yet it will be a priveledge if I can pull it off, even if it's Off Off Broadway.
You know what thrills you I am sure... That must always be the answer to your question. It's important that you also know that what brings you joy personally, brings joy to millions of others as well. Thanks for sharing of yourself.

Oh, I should say...hello to everyone else. I enjoyed reading many of your posts here. I can see you have kind of a little, online, family and it's charming.
In keeping with the current thought I want to say this and I hope it isn't too sappy, but it this thinking keeps me young and happy.

I can get depressed sometimes and feel like life is more of a struggle than I expected, when this happens I first think about how I have two eyes, a nose and mouth all pretty much in the right spots, then I think that I'm farely cute and that's a blessing, then I think how lucking I am to be born in a First World nation with healthcare, decent jobs, oppurtunities, comfortable living,and equal rights... if that isn't good enough I remember I was born and raised in Southern California where the sun shines most the time, in a home where parents loved me, where we had comforts, food, laughter and friends. I'm surrounded by natural beauty all the time' I can come or go as I please and I get to do what I want career wise or in any other way pretty much. I know what it is to be in love and to be loved back in that way, something many lonely, socially challenged people go their whole lives without knowing.
These may seem like ordinary things everyone has and yet in this world it is a small fraction compared to the impoverished, the sick and starving, the repressed and the damaged, the majority of people on this planet still live in the Dark Ages and suffer greatly because of it. Just to be able to sit down and say...What dream should I follow now? Is something they will never know, much less the dream itself. We have so much already, everything else is glitter in your hair.

Leslie,

I don't think it's odd to have all the blessings that you do, and still be depressed. Sometimes , we have no control over it. I have learned SO much about myself since being diagnosed with my Autoimmune disease. I know why I am the way I am, why I have such a high threashold for pain (because we don't feel pain like normal, It waits and hits us later) depression, ours is not emotional but physical(does that make sense?) I cry at the drop of a hat, I'm parranoid all the time, wel not paranoid but I do worry alot. my body aches all the time,(my husband always said it was because I am heavy, It's not I find out) I have headaches all thetime, I get dizzy and my vision gets blurred. But I have always considered myself blessed. I still do. While I have 1 disease, My mother has 6. 5 of them being Autoimmune diseases with differeent consecuenses. It's hard to feel sorry for myself when she has it so much worse. She fell alst week landscaping and tore up her body pretty bad, Of course I went over and finished hauling the bricks and soil and planint everyting, but she sprained her ankle and broke her foot in the fall! She didn't feel the bad pain till Saturday. 4 days later. I was at her house yesterday cleaning and cooking a weeks worth of food for her and dad. As long as she is around, I consider myself very lucky. But feel bad you get down. I thinks it's normal. I really don't think we can control it. We can try to make it better, but we can't really control it. I am not down that I have this disorder, it is arelief finally knowing "whats wrong with me" why I am the way I am the last 10 years. I have been more down about Clay not being able to play baseball with his broken foot. Yeah, Baseball IS that big a deal in our house. His team continues to lose and the boys continue to greiv the loss of aclay, even though we are still there every game and Clay is on the bench, Its not the same. Just one more of life lessons.

Sounds like your life is pretty good, Keep thinking about the great and positive stuff. It will keep your spirits up, and when you pray, (if you do) praise him for the good things you have and thank him for all the blessings. I try very hard to do this and not requewt anything. I feel like I already have alot.

Love to all on the corner, gotta go get my half aleep daughter out of bed.

Kelly

Mary,
I'm the one who posted Ithaka. Glad you liked it. Seemed appropriate for Paul's self-relective mood.
Hope he finds it helpful.
--Richard

Sorry.
self-relective = self-reflective

Farts and Poops!

Is this a comment on the comments or a comment on the commentators?

Jo,
I think that he/she how posted it is just scared. Someone how give's a anonymous comment like that is just a chicken.

I think everyone has a right to have his own opinion an posts whatever he/she wants, but this is (in my opinion) a post to make us ridiculous.

We shoudn't even react to it, just ignore it....

Monika

Monika,
You are right.

>>Farts and Poops!

I think this is just his/her way of saying that he/she has bowel control problems.

Thanks Richard. I got a good belly laugh out of that!

Gr. Mil, thx...sorry about that...I should re-read posts more...thx for the info about Julie and Greg doing massage.
Yes I'm excited about this...I am looking into this very seriously now and am plotting my grant/aid options. I meet with some ppl in diff schools over the next few weeks and will be going to open house and maybe taking introductory workshops offered for a fee... I am really interested and am contacting others who are doing this or are interested in doing this. I just learned that a coworker has her license and was thrilled to learn that I may be going into it....hmmmm..maybe a future collaborator or potential partner...we'll see....but it sure doesn't hurt to know others in the biz.
I LOVE that Greg does this for VIPs...how KEWL is THAT?!! WheeeeHooooooooo!

Hugs n luvs to all at PC today.
Hi Inn, Hi back to Mary...big *grinns*

ps..i need virtual hugs today...xoxoxoxo to the PC.

latteluv,
Katalina

thx goodness there's FIF to look forward to..
:-)

Kat

You're welcome Jo.

Kat: What is FIF

Hi to all!

Tim, you're right about the commitment, but you're also right about it being worth it. Wishing you huge amounts of positive energy to launch yourself into the course. Good luck!

Hanh, good to hear from you. I really enjoyed your reflections on Paul's post. Very thought-provoking. Thanks.

Kelly, your bravery and positive outlook continue to inspire me. I wish you the best as always.

Hi Richard and welcome!

Leslie, you're so right. Having the freedom to ask 'What dream should I follow now?' is something that can never be taken for granted. BTW, welcome to you too!

Katalina, sending lots of virtual hugs across to you!

Diane, thinking of you and hoping all is well with you.

Love to Paul and to everyone. Hope wherever you find yourself, there is harmony and peace of mind.

Mary

Hello Mary. And thank you.

Richard,
Hello and welcome to PC.
Loved your post about Ithaka.
Laughed about that bowel control problems...

Tim,
It sounds really great, the place where you are now. That beautiful beach, clear blue water.... Enjoy your time before school starts...
Good luck to you!!

Hahn,
It's great to 'see' you back!!!

Katalina,
I am also sending you virtual hugs!

Peter,
are you ok?
haven't heard from you for a while...

Love to everyone,

Monika

Hello to Leslie S. and Richard - two more new additions to Paul's online family!

Hi Hanh,
Glad to see you posting again. You always crack me up!

Mary,
Yes, I had a wonderful time at my grandaughter's birthday. I must confess that I spoiled them terribly, but what are Grammys for anyway?

Tim,
Wish I was there! Get plenty of rest so you can charge full force into school. I just got Dr. Phil's book on weight loss, and he has so many good points that I never thought about. I like him a lot. Do you ever watch his show? LOVE it! Wish he was my shrink!

Kat,
Here's a bunch of virtual hugs and kisses for
you... XXXOOOXXXOOO Take as many as you need.

It's way to hot today for May - 91 degrees for two days in a row. We're waiting for thunderstorms to roll through to cool things off a little tonight. In fact, I just heard a HUGE crash of thunder!! Made me jump out of my seat, so I guess it's here. Gotta get off the 'puter.

Hi to everyone, and as always, a shout out to Paul. Hope things are going well. Anyone heard from Janice Duke? Miss her.

Smiles for everyone,
Sally

Richard, might I ask if you are "Richard Armitage" that posted several months ago? Either way, welcome to you! I've always loved Ithaka.

Big Hugs to Katalina from Chicago!

Monika, I haven't been keeping up with the posts lately, but as I read about your TIA I knew I had to respond. I had a TIA back in 2000! I was walking into a bookstore and felt my right side peripheral vision go fuzzy. The next thing I knew I was unable to speak. When I tried to talk only garbled words came out of me. I remember picking up a book and being unable to read. I focused on the letters and tried to remember what sounds they made, but nothing made sense! I was so afraid and alone! I couldn't have told anyone what was wrong and couldn't remember my phone number to save my life. Finally, after about half an hour it wore off and I felt normal. I saw a neurologist who did every test known to man and they found nothing! The only conclusion they felt comfortable with was that it was probably caused by birth control pills, which I promptly stopped taking. I've had no further symptoms since that day. It was suggested that I take an aspirin every day, so I do that as well as TRY to eat right and stay fit. That's all you can do! I've since found three other women who have had TIAs that were thought to be caused by birth control pills. Who knew? Anyway, please don't let the fear overwhelm you. Do what you can and then just LIVE! My best to you, Monika!

Hello to Jo, Kim, Hanh, Mil, Tim, Leslie, Marge, Kelly, Diane, Dhiana, Peter, Linda, Sally C., Evelyn, Inn, Maile, Abeth, Robyn, Cat, Vicki, Sherrlyn, and all who come to PC!

Mary, thanks for being Who You Are.

Paul, I hope you're loving the journey!

Love to you,
Michelle

To Everyone: Thanks for the welcome to PC.

To Michelle: No, I am not Richard Armitage. I only happened upon PC a week or so ago. Glad you like Ithaka. Seemed an appropriate message for Paul to get at this milepost. Too bad I made a couple of typos, but the message is still intact.

To Paul: Hope all is well and you haven't posted for awile 'cause you're acting/dancing your days away.

xoxoxoxoxoxxoxox to Katalina!! latte love babay! Now I'm really looking forward to FIF...free massage..lol! I know you will be great, who could be more personable?
Hello Grandma Mil,Mary,Monika,Kelly (my best to Clay)Diane,Peter,Timmer and Paul and the rest of the clan.
Welcome to Richard and Leslie.
peace

Sally, I had also been wondering about Janice . I've been in touch with her tonight by email and all is well. She is busy looking for a new job and sends her love to all in PC.

Michelle, likewise to you my friend. Love to you.

Hello back to Inn and hi to Monika.

Richard, if you scroll back up near the top of this thread you'll find Grandma Mil's post where she explains FIF beautfully.

Got sidetracked from an early night but to bed now for sure.

Take care all,
Mary

awwww shux..*baskin in delubbade PC...*
and of course...as soon as i know what i'm doing i will be happy to oblige Inn -free backrub - i know i won't have developed Shiatsu strength for a while..so everyone's safe! lolol

oh mi goodness...i have to say..the other day when i was treated to a pedicure by my sweetheart of a sister Julie, i was so embarrassed...i got super duper Ticklish when the person was massaging and scrubbing the underside of the soles of my feet..Yikes...i was seriously cracking up and unfortunately (red face and all) so was the rest of the salon...oh jeez. Wonder if masseurs/masseuses ever experience cases of the giggles....lol ( i have a feeling they might...)

Hi back to mary, michelle inn, Kelly, Timmer, Marge, richard, and all those sweeties who hang at the PC.

Here's wishing ya'all a happy week...
Muah!

what can i say...from a gal who knows Rain..,
the sun's always out at PC thx to the whole FamDamily! *wink n a grinn*

Katalina

Paul
Your journey is still evolving. You have so much to look forward to. Your daughters graduating from high school and college, getting married, having children and becoming a Grandfather. Wow! Isn't that scarry!! I thought I would never like being a Grandmother, but I am loving it. I am sure Gran Mil can validate this.
Take care & love
Marge

I always loved being a grandmother, Marge, maybe because I was only 44 when our eldest daughter gave birth to her first child in Israel, and went on to have 8 more kids! Now, she's a grandmother herself, and Ellie and I are great-grandparents of 4. We have 12 grandchildren in all, here and overseas, and cherish each one, even though we don't know some of them too well, because of distance, but what the heck, they're ours and we're grateful, and we love them all!

Richard, perhaps you would like to join the Paul's Corner people who are hoping and planning to come to Florida where my husband Ellie and I reside in a large retirement village of 9,000 retirees. Our village is only half an hour from the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, International Airport.

This "convention" is called "The Paul Convention".

It is in honor of our Paul, who is our guiding light, and whose work and generous spirit has made it possible to bring us all together in friendship.

Kudos also to Cat Connor, who built this site with Paul! Paul has written that if he could, he would love to attend also, but...

Here's the information: The convention is slated for February 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2005. We nicknamed it the "FIF".."Florida in February", or "Follies in Florida." 17 people have written that they would like to attend, and meet each other for the first time. I seem to be the only one that has met 2 already, in person, Julie, who lives nearby in Ft. Lauderdale, and Whitney, from WV, who came in 2003 to meet us and see my "Follies, 2003." Those in-person meeting have been marvelous, and we've drawn close, as if we've known each other for ages!

Now, "Follies 2005" is in rehearsal, and already looks like a real hoot. I am the director and producer, and my cast is made up of 40 seniors, ranging in ages from 65 to 93. They all sing, dance, and emote, and some had professional careers in their former lives.

"Follies 2005" will be final entertainment during the convention, for it will be presented on the last morning, at 10:00 a.m. on February 7th. The show will be in our big 970 seat Theatre. I promised Tim a spot in this special show, right, Tim? Keep practicing, the show is 9 months away!

After this morning matinee, the participants would be able to leave for home for the Ft. Lauderdale Airport is only a half hour away. The ticketed shows for the village residents will be the evenings of Febr. 8th and 9th.

I have chosen a lovely Marriott Courtyard Inn only 15 minutes from the airport, and 10 minutes from our "village" as the headquarters for the convention. Julie is in charge of taking everyone for an excursion to the beautiful beaches around Ft. Lauderdale where she lives. Besides the beaches, there are the the trendy beach shops.

Also, I was asked to show "Strictly Ballroom" on our huge 9 ft. screen in our multimedia auditorium as part of the festivities. Then, there are the heated swimming pools and workout rooms here in our village, plus golf and tennis, and I am sure I can make arrangements for my "chickies."

Richard, if you need more info, please contact me.

Thinking of you all, the 17 that told me you would like to attend, and those that are newbies and may want to attend also. You come from all parts of the United States. Diane from California, and Mary from Ireland said to count them in also, and now, if only Paul and Cat could honor us...

Peace and Love,

Grandma Mil

Grandma Mil,
Thanks for the info and the invite. Unfortunately, I live in Europe so it's not very likely that I will be able to attend.

Used to live in Florida, actually--St. Petersburg/St. Pete Beach, to be precise. I highly recommend the Gulf coast beaches to anyone visiting the state. Clean, soft, white sand and as a rule less crowed than on the Atlantic side.

Again, thanks for the invite. Hope all goes well with FIF preparations.
--Richard

Thanks, Richard, will keep you posted on the FIF
doings anyway!

Grandma Mil

Hello everyone, like Richard I also will not be able to attend FIF (very sad). Living in the UK makes that very difficult. I hope to hear all about it when it is over. Maybe you could all come to the UK and do one!
Hello and welcome to Richard, you will like it on here every one is really friendly.

Grandma Millie, a big thank you to you. I am using one of your pictures you sent to me, now I have to get stitching! I'm looking forward to seeing the end result and will keep you posted with my progress. I have appreciated all the help you have given me, big hugs to you.

Love to you all
Kim

Thanks to everyone for the kind welcome.

Kelly,

I too have an auto-immune disease, but that was diagnosed over 12 years ago and I have beat it into submission if not remission. The trick is lots of exercise and a very healthy diet (organic, low beef, lots of greens and fruits...)as well as keeping your stress levels low (tricky), but things like Yoga, reading, gardening and stuff like that help.
I really don't get depressed anymore and if I do it lasts a very short time. Partly because I have changed the way I think, I stop myself from feeling self pity immediatly, It's a sign of being self-absorbed and I hate that. I did have some therapy which saved me really and the truth is that even though this kind of depression is chemical, your capable of changing your chemical balance through the diet and exercise and if needed medication, (if you prefer not to go that route there are organic supplements like Sam-E, or St. Johns Wart and other things that boost your Seratonin behavior). Just because you now know what you have doesn't mean you need to surrender to it. Read all you can, there are tons of books on the subject and they lay it all out for you and how you can get the best of the situation.
If I ever get depressed anymore, it's about other people or the state of the World, war, child abuse, things like that and the best way to deal with that is to be a part of change and give of yourself in any way you can. For me, I am going to become a Foster Mother. It's something I have thought a lot about and really want to do.
I'm not a Christian, but no one can deny that Jesus understood humanity and how to live in this world together. I do practice his principles which is more than I can say for many of my "Christian" friends.
Thanks for you thoughts and support.

Leslie S.

Hello All!

I just came home after a long day of school and I thought that unwinding here on Paul's corner and drinking a bottle of volvic water would be a good idea. Plus I have to recover from a lousy message I had from a new student.

School's going well. I passed my bones test and I'm onto muscles. As much as I like school i can't wait for it to be done in October. Six hours a day of lecture and clinic is killing me. And I have developed a new respect for week-ends.

For all those thinking of comming for follies next February I highly encourage it. Fort Lauderdale is the place to be during that month. The weather not hot but just right with cool ocean breezes so outdoor activities are a pleasure. The hotel that our dear Grandma Millie has choosen is absolutely outstanding! It's very Florida and very classy as well. Seeing follies and a tour of Fort Lauderdales hot spots will be a blast. So when you think of fun, relaxation, and memorable times think FOLLIES 2005!

Good wishes to Grandma Millie, Peter, Timmer, Kelly, Diane, and everyone else whom I forgot. Paul, Andrea and family!

Take care all

Hello PC,

Richard-My husband and I honeymooned in Clearwater and we explored St. Pete's-loved it!! And, welcome!

Millie-Since baby #3 will be due at the end of January-it looks like I won't be making the FIF. I'm sure it will be a huge sucess. Keep us posted on how it's coming along.

Tim-Or should I call you "superstar"!?! Hope you're doing well. I'm starting to get used to the idea of having 3 children. And, I've gotten better at not caring what people think about it either!

Monika, Kelly, Diane-I hope you're feeling well.

Kelly-The spotting has stopped-huge sigh of relief!!

Peter-Where are you?

Kim-The Cicada invasion has happened but not at my house-thank goodness! But, I did take my girls to the zoo the other day and saw and heard plenty. In fact-when I asked them what animals they saw at the zoo-they told me cicadas!!

Hellos and hugs to Michelle, Jo, Mary, Marge, Inn, Robyn, Maile and anyone else that I may have missed! I now get to blame my "memory" on pregnancy hormones, ha, ha!!

Vicki-My due date should be the end of January. Since I'll be having a c-section-I don't have an exact date yet.

Katalina-Sending an extra hug to you-hope you're okay.

Leslie-There certainly has been alot of interesting talking on this board. The most recent thing that I can relate to is the depression. I am bipolar and it has taken many years to get my life in order and on track. I do take medication but not while I'm pregnant. The medication that I take has not been deemed safe until after the first trimester. But, I have an excellent doctor and have learned soooo much about bipolar, myself, and life in general. I'm like you-things that make me sad/down are child abuse cases, war news, the atrocities that people are capable of inflicting on other human beings. But, I've learned some self talk, too. I felt like I spent my teens and 20's in some zone that I'm unable to identify-maybe hell?!? But, today, life is good. I could go on and on and on....I had a major set back about year ago and my view about people and life changed for the worse. It's gotten better though. Coming here and being part of group has helped. But, that's another post for another time.

All is going well for me. I'm already starting to "grow"!! I'm taking the pregnancy on a daily basis. Although it's my 3rd-I'm still amazed and perplexed by the whole thing. I've been joking that I'm probably going to have a "mean little boy"!

Okay, time to sign off here and get home. Thanks to everyone who read through this post. Have a lovely evening!

HUGS!
Abeth

Hello Paul and Paul's Corner PCers,
I am new from the Big Apple, just discovered Paul from watching the Strictly Ballroom two weeks ago. I have been watching that movie every single day since and surprise to find that a sequel, Strictly Ballroom 2 was never made. I sincerely hope, you will consider making it before you retire from acting. You can be the actor, director and choreography director or maybe Ang Lee can be the director (he is one of my favorite directors).

I am in the process of collecting the rest of Paul's movies, already received Sydney-A Story Of A City and Dark Planet, plan to watch them this Memorial Weekend. Can someone tell me where to get The Kick? I would love to see more of Paul's dance performances, are they available on DVD or VHS? I am just so in awe of your talents!

My office is located in the heart of the Broadway, love Broadway shows. I saw The Full Monty twice a few years ago, wish one day can see Paul performing here (I guess I have a right to dream!)

I have sampled a few messages in this chat room, everyone seems very nice and wise, I may stick around for a while.

Warm regards,
Katherine

Katherine,
Welcome. You will enjoy the Dark Planet. It is an excellent Science Fiction movie - good plot, great acting! You can buy Kick from videoflicks.com. I ordered a copy of it today.

Abeth those Cicadas sound awful. I don't like it when the wasps, bees, flies and those dreaded spiders come out of hiding (although they all look like tarantulas to me) so I know I couldn't cope with what you have to put up with. I'm just not brave enough!
I am really pleased that your pregnancy is going well and that the spotting has stopped. Just make sure you take it easy.

Katherine hello and welcome. I also have problems with getting hold of Paul's other work. I can only get Strictly Ballroom at the moment so I keep watching that over and over again, each time I enjoy it that bit more.
Stick around we are a friendly bunch.

Take care all
Kim

Hi, Jo & Kim,
Thanks for the warm welcome and I'm ordering the Kick right now, hope there is a lot of Paul's dancing!

See you later!
Katherine

Hello everyone! Welcome to Katherine (NYC), Leslie and Richard and am hoping I’m not forgetting anyone else. I have both Kick and Dark Planet and a few others, there’s a lot of dancing in Kick, but not so much by Paul as in SB. Great though!

Lots of hugs and kisses to you Katalina, hope you are feeling better. What’s up? Good luck with massage school, wouldn’t mind getting one, so I’m going to get in line for one at FIF.

By the way, Grandma I think it should be FFIF = February Follies in February, and furthermore, it was fantastic talking to you a little while ago. Funny that we both thought to do that on the same day. Hugs and kisses to you too!

Kelly, I’m glad that the docs finally determined the cause of your health problems, I just wish it was something curable and less stressful and less taxing on your body. I hope that the switch in life style, food etc. brings desired results. And I hope Clay heals fast and well. Thinking of you and continuing to send you healing thoughts.

Diane, dear, how are you doing? Thinking of you as well and including you too in my thoughts and well wishes. Hope to hear from you some time.

Paul, how are you doing? Your “silence” either means you are blissfully happy or something much closer to the opposite or plain busy. I hope you are blissfully happy and busy. Supportive thoughts to you and your family and wishing you all well.

Jo (Texas) I did tough it out already re. the Ph.D., got it last year in May, although there were many times when I almost gave up. Kind of glad I didn’t. :) Best wishes to your husband as well and may he fully recover from his heart problems as well.

Marge, it is me that has the boss problems. Tried the “being nauseatingly sweet” approach, it usually leaves me feeling ready to throw up though, rather than my boss. Hmmm, what am I doing “wrong”? :)
Haven’t decided yet how my meeting with the boss went last week. It was tough, but I feel empowered because I faced and conquered my fear and it felt good to tell her why I don’t appreciate her treatment of me, what I find problematic about it and not okay and how it affects me. She didn’t exactly engage in that and did not take responsibility for her actions (I knew that would happen) and she tried to deflect most of it. What was really interesting and annoying about it was how everything was based on the “I have so much more experience than you, do not question me!” which kind of makes it difficult to have a real discussion about the issues, but I also stood my ground and explained a lot of things to her, although I still feel that it fell on deaf ears. I’m not sure if this really changed anything, but only time will tell that. The really bizarre thing happened at the end, when she asked me to apply for a position that’s a shared one with German (teaching) and the Language Center (development of multi-media online teaching materials). I know they need someone to fill that position and a lot of projects depend on that person. It would bring several of my interests together, artistic, multi-media, teaching, curriculum development etc, but I’m not sure how independently I could work or if it’s to her dictates (probably). It could be interesting or absolutely chaotic. Hmmm. So I applied and will see what happens, but it seems that I’m going to stick around in the US in some form or other, at least next year. Gives me another year to find a permanent position, keeping fingers crossed and thumbs pressed—okay, that’s awkward to do at the same time. Thanks for all your thoughts and Mary, thanks for your added calming breaths, I needed those and sensed them & Monika, thank you to you as well for your support and thoughts, I sensed that as well! Working on a more positive outlook and not letting things get to me as much as this did. Not sure how to achieve that, but hey, why not try it anyway?

Mary, I do have lots of time for reading, and did some today in CWG. It was such an affirmation of what I’ve been thinking these past few days, mind-boggling how it always seems to be in-ling with what I’m thinking and working out at the time, whenever I pick up that book.

Michelle how are you? Inn, Hi & how is the new job? Glad Des is doing so much better, been thinking about you all as well and sending healing thoughts both of your ways. Monika, how are you doing? Feeling better or the same? Wishing you well as well and lots of calm and inner peace. Glad you faced your fear and got on the motorbike and enjoyed it that much. :) Abeth, glad you are enjoying your pregnancy and that the spotting stopped. I’ll be thinking of you and praying that the bipolar doesn’t interfere now with your pregnancy or for that matter ever! Julie, looking forward to the tour of FL and the beaches. They sound great!!! Hi Linda, how are you doing? How is your back surgery recovery going? I hope it is going well and lots of healing thoughts your way as well! Peter, dearest, where are you and how are you doing?
Hello to everyone who stops by here and lots of love to all of you. Before I get interrupted yet again, I’m going to post this now!

Evelyn,
Good for you. I am glad you stuck it out and got that Ph.D. Sometimes I think my husband might have if he had been going it alone, but he says he wouldn't have gotten as far as he did without me - so who knows. The last year he was there he was teaching senior level mathematics and he was getting the same sort of treatment you are getting - maybe a little worse because he was still a student. His students loved him and as far as I am concerned he is still the best teacher around. Don't let that boss get you down. You know who you are and what you can do. Look for something next year where you will be appreciated.

Hello to everyone. Busy week so far, with bronchitis thrown into the mix. Went to the doc (actually got an NP)who got me fixed up with all kinds of good meds - better living through chemistry! Memorial Weekend coming up and I'm taking off Thursday and Friday to add to the holiday Monday, so I'll have a little mini-vacation, which I can surely use. Going with a girlfriend to Magic Mountain on Thursday to ride the roller coasters and make believe I'm a kid again.

Can't keep up with everyone's posts, but glad to hear everyone's good news, and sending positive vibes to those whose news isn't so good right now.

Kathryn - I've had some luck buying Paul's movies on ebay; got Dark Planet last week for $.01 (plus shipping)! Also got Joseph and The First 9 1/2 weeks there (lots of Paul visible in that one!) :) Oh well, I'll be kid on Thursday and a dirty old lady the rest of the time.

Best to all!

Vicki

I'm not taking notes tonight so I hope I remember everything I want to comment on.
Welcome Kathrine.
Abeth, I'm glad you are in a better place. You should send pictures to post for us on the yahoo site so we can all see your "growth".
Evelyn, thanks for thinking of me and Des. She is doing well in her therapy. She has a long way to go but shes on her way. As for the job..well I still feel like I'm coming short of my abilities but I'm more comfortable than I was. I hope you find more comfort in your job as well.
I'm hoping Paul's silence is because he is busy, and our Peter too. He's busy jumping fences in the purle suit. Well it's starting to thunder so I should shut down.
Hello Grandma Mil and Dear Katalina, hey babay if you sent me a PM I didn't get it and if you didn't send it what the heck is taking so long...hint hint. latte love @-->
peace

Dear Mr. Mercurio:

This is the first time that I have visited your site. I'm not sure if you will ever see this, but I trust that what I say will be communicated to you, if not by me, then by another person, an experience, a visual image, an experience . . . but I felt the need to say this out loud . . . in this case type it out loud.

I just read your post of May 15, 2004 pondering the age old question: What does the future bring? I'm half way there, but where am I going? What lies ahead?

There were two times in my life I asked myself these questions. One wwas when I turned thirty-five and the other was when I turned fifty. When I achieved forty, I felt that I was at a pinnicle. Even before I turned forty. I had never felt better physically, psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally. I felt that everything was coming together during this period and extended into my fortys. I had never been happier.

I must say, however, that I knew that there was something else that I was meant to do. It was not that I was unhappy, rather, it was something inside of myself that knew I was meant to do, something more.

When I was forty-two, I witnessed the mistreatment of an adolescent Latino male. The treatment of this young man enraged me. It was not alright with me. I felt that something must be done to change what was happening to this young man and many others. That is when I had my epiphany.

I decided right then and there to go to school to be able to help this social situation. And I did. I got my bachelor degree in psychology and my master degree in social work. I think that because of the way that I felt at that time, the togetherness of mind, body and spirit enabled me to come to this decision and proceed through years of schooling. More importantly, I was able to see what I needed to see.

Now at fifty, almost fifty-one, I find myself where you are when you wrote this post. Questioning. Wondering. A little unsure and a lot afraid. I am older now and do not feel as strong physically as I did ten years ago. How can I live up to my past? How can I live up to the decisions that I made those years ago? What if I fail? What if I do not fulfill the promise that all of my professors, superviors, and collegues told me that I had? Yes, I am more than a little afraid. Yet, if my life experience has taught me anything, it is to trust.

For me is it not about living up to the past, it is about pursuing the future with the goal that you have in mind, that the past helped me create with all of my life experiences - both the good and the bad. It has made me who I am.

I have always found that when I listen to the universe, my life moves joyfully and easily forward, providing me with great rewards. When I have tried to push my life in one way or the other, it has never worked and I have always ended up being unhappy. Even when I have listened to the universe, I have not always been happy. It was only in retrospect that I was able to see that the universe was taking great care of me and providing me with what I needed.

So now here is where I stand, afraid, questioning and wondering what now. I followed where I was meant to go, but now what. I still trust. And I refuse to be stuck in fear.

So this brings me to why I came to your website.

Before last Saturday, May 22, 2004, and I say this with all due respect, I had never heard of you. Yet on this past Saturday, I was in my local video store looking to rent movies. I came across "Strictly Ballroom." I had heard the title, but really did not remember anything about it except that it was supposed to be good. So I rented it.

That night I watched that movied four times, and repeated certain scenes, especially the final dance sequence more times than I can remember. I have watched it several times since then, especially you sequences and the sequences with Tara.

While I could go on about the whole movie, since I am writing to you, I would like to talk about your part in the movie.

Wait, I think that I was just disconnected by my internet service. To be continued.

Yes, I was disconnected and fortunately, what I wrote before was posted. Please forgive any errors of spelling and grammer. I did not have a chance to correct before it was posted. So to continue . . .

I thought that the movie was a perfect marriage of script, actors, director, music, editing, choreography, everything. I was put in mind of when I saw "A Chorus Line" before it opened on Broadway back in 1975. It was thrilling. It is very rare for me to be as thrilled by film as I am by live performances, i.e., musicals and plays, dance, opera, concerts, but this movie gave me that feeling, especially the dance sequences. So many wonderful touches in your performance Mr. Mercurio. For me, it always came from your eyes and the expression on your face caused by the look in your eyes.

I loved your relationships with Tara, her grandmother, her father, and your father. I read one of your earlier posts where you spoke of a casting director wondering if you could act. Obviously, I must agree that the person does not know their craft. If the casting director was truly good, they could see from "Strictly Ballroom" that you could act.

So many things to mention, but for now I would like to focus on the last dance sequence. You and Baz Lehrman were lucky to have each other. He was lucky to have an excellant performance from you, and you were lucky that he took such care to show the best of everything that you gave.

When you slide in on your knees and stand up to meet Fran - is breathtaking. While I am not a fan of slow motion in movies, the reason being that your illusions are shattered when you see that the actor/s are not emotionally plugged in and committed to what they are doing. This was not the case with you.

The way you looked at Fran throughout that dance sequence . . . There are two places in particular that take my breath away. The first, after the music is stopped and your father starts clapping, in your mind you hear the grandmother say, "Feel the rythum (sp?). Don't be scared." This look happened on your face. So powerful. And then you start to dance. The other moment comes at the end of the dance, when you are sliding on your knees, your eyes never leaving Fran's and you come up to your full height - all in slow motion showing what a great actor you are.

If I could find someone who would look at me the way you looked at Fran throughout that whole dance, I would be a very happy man. I would also spend the rest of my life trying to keep that look on that person's face.

I want to thank you for sharing your talent and life so freely and generously. You have given such a wonderful gift to all of us. Please give us more to see if you are of a mind to.

I have gone on much to long now, but I would like to say one more thing. I wish that I could see you perform live. What came across through the screen was electric. I can not imagine what it would be like to see you perform in person.

And one more final thing, as Fran's grandmother says in the movie: "Feel the rythum. Don't be scared."

Well, I think that I have been disconnected again. So once again, thank you.

Sincerely,
Michael Davey

bluedog checking in at the corner....

Mr. Davey, what happened to you happened to the rest of us that frequent the corner. We were mesmerized by Mr. Mercurio and the movie and went searching for more info. One can imagine the surprise and delight of his fans to discover Mr. Mercurio actually posts at this site. His posts can be funny, witty, sarcastic, heart-wrenching, tormented, caring and educational but never boring!

Welcome aboard - there are some really cool posts made at this site...

Bluedog, I think you summed up all our feelings in your post. Once you see Paul, you want to see more, more, more!

Welcome to Michael, Katherine (NYC), and all others I may have missed. The posts are adding up so fast, I can hardly keep up with who posted what and when. Senior moments all around!!

Katherine from NY, I LOVE NY! Have ever since I saw my first Broadway show. I don't go as often as I used to, but always make a point to see any show Frank Langella is in. In fact, I'll be going up very soon to see his new show. He's up for a Tony again, so am hoping this will be his year to add another to his collection!

Vickie, Paul's movies aren't hard to find. I've gotten them from Ebay, Amazon, Videoflicks and even from some Australian fans I write to. In fact, THE FINDER is on it's way to me as we speak from one of my friends! I LOVED 9 1/2 Weeks and also Back of Beyond. Lots of Paul, good stories. Welcome to Whoop Whoop is a quirky little movie that does nothing to promote tourism in Australia, but Paul has a small part worth watching.

Kim & Abeth, They're baaaack! The 17 year Cicadas. They are so creepy with their little red eyes and all the casings they come out of, but it's something that only happens every 17 years...

Gotta run. Shout out to all - be well.

Smiles to all,
Sally

Hi Bluedog:

Thanks for the comment and THANKS for the support. When I was watching "Strictly Ballroom" I felt that I had been transported. It was so exciting to watch something of that excellence - so rare for me anyway. As I said in my post, I used to wait outside the stage door at the Shubert Theatre in NYC, waiting for the original cast to come out. I think at that very young age, I was tring to confirm that what I had just seen on stage was not in my imagination. That real people actually performed what I had just seen.

I have read a number of Mr. Mercurio's posts. It was kind of overwhelming to get so much information all at once. It was like you said, "funny, witty, sarcastic, heart-wrenching, tormented, caring and educational but never boring." So I decided to take my time.

Truth be told, I just needed to say what I said out loud. It's like when you discover something really wonderful and brilliant and joyful, you just have to talk about it. Does that make sense?

I still have the DVD of "Strictly Ballroom" for another 3 days, then I have to return it. I've already sent away for my own copy.

Thanks again Bluedog. Thanks for making a fifty-one year old feel less like a groupie and more like someone who has seen something very special.

Thanks for the welcome Sally C. I was posting at the same time you were.

Michael Davey,
You said it for all of us!

Sally C.,
Every 17 years! How do you get away with every 17 years? We have Cicadas and those disgusting little casing stuck to everything every single year.

Michael, thank you. Your words vividly brought back to me the reasons why I found this wonderful site. I remember in my first post trying to express something similar about how Paul's performance in SB affected me, but I know I didn't manage to convey it so clearly. And yes, I think it makes a lot of sense to need to say it out loud. It's like an affirmation of some truth. It's too good to keep to yourself! Bluedog is right, I think most of us found our way here because of an experience like yours. It is the bond that links each person who comes here. I also found the story of your journey so far very interesting. Thanks for sharing it. And welcome!

Paul, since coming here, I have come to see acting as only one of your many gifts, but I know it is a focal one for you. I hope that you are getting the freedom to move freely in a creative way and if not, that the chance is waiting somewhere in the near future for you.

Abeth, I hope life continues to be good for you and that the tough times are behind you.

Welcome Katherine! Working in the heart of Broadway sounds amazing. You are very lucky!

Hi Evelyn! I was delighted to hear that your plans for the year ahead are more definite. Well done on dealing with your boss and good luck with the interview. The job sounds really interesting. Things may suddenly take a very positive turn for you. I hope so. CWG - I agree. I have found that I always seem to turn to it when it has something I need to clarify or affirm for myself. I feel so lucky to have found it (Michelle, you know that's your doing! Thanks.)

Hi Vicki! Good to see you post again.

OK - I have to join the ranks of 'Those who miss Peter.' Peter, when you go missing like this, I always hope you're busily happy or happily busy (not sure which!). But isn't it nice to know that your presence is missed and that it's not the same here without you? Hope all is well Down Under.

Kelly & Diane, best to you both.

Hi to Inn, Kat, bluedog, Tim, Michelle, Mil, Sally, Hanh, Marge, Richard, Kim, Jo, Julie, Leslie and all the other lovely people who come here.

Love to each one of you,
Mary

Jo,
Just lucky, I guess! We always called them 7 year locusts when I was a kid....

Sally

Michael, only 51? I wish to adopt you immediately! How beautifully you express yourself, and your observations about "Strictly Ballroom" only remind the rest of us "oldies" why we became part of this website in Paul Mercurio's honor in the first place.

I joined 3 years ago, after showing "Strictly Balloom" for the first time on the evening of 9/11, (a litany already explained in the archives) as part of a film seminar that I run in our retirement community in south Florida. I was to show it 5 times more, with the seniors seeing it multiple times.

We all agree that it is a one-of-a-kind film, never to be surpassed since its release. I am old enough to have many classic favorites in my lifetime, but this film remains my all time favorite, not only because of Paul Mercurio's magnificent dancing, but his interaction with Tara Morice, in one of the sweetest and sensual love stories ever put on screen.

Paul, as you stated, is magnificent as an actor, as well as a dancer, and yes, breathtaking scenes like the "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" love rhumba and the paso doble are not only magnificent dances, but excellence personified in the expression of love through the dance. You will, undoubtedly, watch your DVD many times over, until you will be able to quote the dialogue, line by line, as we all love to do!

Baz Luhrmann touted "Moulin Rouge" as the highlight of his career, but how wrong he was...his first, "Strictly Ballroom" was his best, because, as "Fran" said, he "kept it simpler and danced from the heart."

In the films of today, with so much cruelty, ugliness, and unhappiness, "Strictly Ballroom" only grows in stature with each passing year, because of its exemplary message of love and hope, and all ages can watch it, from 8 on up!

Paul has inspired young and old to take interest in the dance, and the film is touted by teacher
sites, like teachwithmovies.org I definitely would have used this movie as a teaching tool, but I retired from teaching the year SB was released.

How many of us, in encountering low moments in our lives, have confessed to watching "Strictly Ballroom" for an hour and half of solace and beauty? 'Fess up, chickies, for Grandma's confessing too!

Michael, welcome, and look forward to hearing from you again. We hope Paul will be able to answer you soon. The other men who write often are Peter and Tim, all wonderful people, and as far as the ladies...the best!

You may have read about the Paul Convention that we are planning for early Febr. 2005 (Febr.5,6,7) here in Florida. If you are interested, I will send you the details.

Peace and Love,

Grandma Mil

Bravo, Michael Davey, you have put it so eloquently for us, I don't seem to be able to stop watching that movie (SB). Now, all we have to do is raising enough money to make a sequel before Mr. Mercurio retires from acting. I got to talk to my venture capital friends!

Vicki, Inn, & Sally C. thanks for the welcome. I have never chatted before, it's not my style. Now I am hooked. I just saw the Mamma Mia, love it, plan to see it again soon.

Regards,
Katherine

Michael what you wrote was just so beautifully put. This will sound so silly but I was truly choked by the way you wrote from the heart. I no exactly what you mean about the "look" on there faces, I also hope to one day have that special moment myself. All I know is that if love and happiness decides to come my way I am going to grab it with both hands and never let it go, I don't know if it's me being soppy, stupid, daydreaming or just wishful thinking but I would like to think it could happen to me.
Strictly Ballroom to me is a fantastic film and it is one that I can keep watching time and time again and each time I enjoy it that bit more. I always hoped for a Strictly Ballroom 2 as Paul and Tara worked so well together, you had dance, emotion, a storyline, romance, love and everything we all wish for a happy ending. So how could there be a Strictly Ballroom 2 when the first one had it all. Why ruin a good thing.

Welcome to Paul's Corner

Sally C, YUK! I am so glad we don't get those cicadas here in the UK, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

Hello to everyone else on PC I hope you are all well.

Take care
Kim x

Kim,
They "pipe" that cicadas noise in at Jackson Square in New Orleans. We were there once early in the morning and I thought "Hey, those things don't come out until late afternoon" and then I realized that they had speakers all over piping that noise in to make it seem more "Southern".

Michael, thanks for your post; I smiled all the way through. Unlike many of the folks on here, though, my "Paul Epiphany" came while channel surfing and I caught his performance in "Joseph." I kept saying, "Who IS that actor?" After reading the closing credits (and wiping my eyes), I did an Internet search and found this site, although it took me a while longer to find Paul's Corner. Not long after, I was shopping in a drug store when this video jumped out at me (I swear!). I picked it up, and saw Paul Mercurio's name on the cover - "Exit to Eden." Enjoyed seeing MORE of Paul in THAT one (and I don't give a damn about what the critics or the BDSM community had to say!) From there, I was back on the Internet ordering "Strictly Ballroom" and I'm too embarassed to tell you how many times I've watched it - sometimes all the way through, and sometimes just my favorite parts - and still enjoy it so much. I've told all my friends about it, and they've asked to borrow it, but I'm not ready yet. I did share it with my folks, but I watched it with them and took it back home with me.(Maybe I need a Paul Anonymous meeting or something?)
Posting on websites is not a usual thing for me, but the people here are wonderful, so warm and friendly and genuine. They've made me feel welcome - and I hope you feel welcome, too. Hello to everyone!

Vicki

Monika
Keep smiling at your Boss. It will keep him guessing.

Michael Harvey - Welcome to PC.
Check out the other sites of Paul Mercurio on line, you will find his poetry, his recipes, his pics, and lots of other stuff. Check out his Dad Gus Mercurio who played Frew in Man from Snowy River and Frank in Crocadile Dundee II. He also played in some of the Flipper series too. He is a very good character actor.

Cicadas
My daughter and her husband ane keeping score on how many Cicada's hit their windshield. I think Jeff is ahead as he travels more than Alana.

There has been so much to read and catch up on here that I am still behind.

Paul
Where are you. When we don't hear from you on a regular basis we worry about you. Just jump in and say "Hi"

Taken seperately, the experience of life can work harm and not good. Taken together, they make a pattern of blessing and strength the like of which the world does not know. V. Raymond Edman

Love to all
Take care
Marge

Welcome to Michael Davey. I agree you are very eloquent, and we were all captivated by that little Aussie film and it's wonderful actors (one in particular... wink,wink).
Hello bluedog,Marge,Grandma Mil,Peter and everyone.Latte love to Katalina! Vicki, I am also a big fan of East of Eden, who isn't? A very enjoyable film cinematographically speaking..wink wink.
I'm worn out tonight. More new stuff going on at work, stress at home, long hour days. Oh I so need a trip to Canada, a manicure, pedicure,facial,mud wrap and a glass of Maple Leaf champagne made with real Niagara Grapes. I get a soothing feeling just thinking about it. Well, it's off to bed for me. Hope you all spend time in your happy place today.
peace.

Out of curiosity has anyone tried any of my brisket recipes. I am fixing the Barbecued Texas Beef Brisket for Memorial Day week-end. My husbands intake of red meat is limited to 3 to 4 oz. so he will have to have lots of potatoes and salad to go with it instead of "pigging out" on meat.

Hello Everyone!

I must say I am completely overwhelmed by the responses, the warmth, kindness, and affection given to me, that you have for each other, and for Mr. Mercurio. If he ever has a bad day, all he has to do is come here and see the impact his work and sprirt has had on all of you, me included. All of you are so lovely. I'd like to respond to you a little.

Bluedog and Sally C - thank you again. You were the first two to welcome me.

Mary: I can clearly see the bonds all of you have, again myself included, because of the shared experience of Mr. Mercurio's performance. Like I said in an earlier post, it was one of those magical coming togethers (which does not happen near as often as I would like) of actors, script, director, music, choreography, editing etc. that made the movie so special. I think that if even one of the actor's were different, it would not be the same movie. Wonderfully good yes, but not magical.

Can you imagine anyone else playing Scott's father? I cry everytime I see his scenes. It is heartbreaking. And I cry too when Scott and Fran are at her family's house practicing the paso doble. The relationships between those people. I cry when her father and grandmother look at Fran with tears in their eyes and proudness radiating from them to their chica. Can you imagine anyone else playing those roles? I can't. Nor any other supporting character. All so well done. And then the roles of Scott and Fran. Well I don't have to say it do I?

Grandma Mil: Adopt me? Really? Well I do love Florida. Let's talk.

I was very moved by your reporting that you showed the movie on 9/11. It is still something very difficult for me to talk about. I was living in NYC when it happened.

I was getting ready for school (I was working on my master degree) and I just didn't want to go. So I sat down with a cup of coffee as a delaying tactic and was watching Matt Lauer of the Today Show interview someone when there was a special news report from the local news station saying that it appeared that a plane has crashed into the one of the World Trade Towers. Well all of you know what unfolded.

Everything stopped and everything exploded at the same time. No trains, buses, or cars in or out of the city. Fighter jets roaring overhead every few minutes. I was out of my mind because I knew quite of number of people who worked in the World Trade or worked in the immediate area. Unfortunately, some of my friends died.

As I grad student, I was serving an internship at a mental health agency in Manhattan. When I could get to work, I saw client after client, some new and some old, reporting severe anxiety, panic attacks, depression, all in crisis. This continued for the next 3 months, then another wave began after 6 months.

I saw clients who had been in the World Trade when it happened, clients who had lost loved ones in the collapse, and clients who just could not wrap their minds around what had happened. There was no sense of safety anywhere, and to make matters worse, the anthrax scare began a few days later.

I listened to their stories hour after hour, day after day for months. In addition to my own trauma of being a New Yorker and having to deal with my own feelings of terror and incomprehension of what had happened, I was bearing witness to my clients accounts of their own fear, terror, and horror. It was a great deal to bear. All of the therapist took care of ourselves and each other as best as we could, but it was overwhelming. I'm still dealing with the aftermath, as everyone is. It still echos. And with the actions taken by President Bush from 9/11 forward, I feel as unsafe and afraid as I did on that day. Okay stop. I didn't mean to go on a rant like that.

So Granma Mil, I can not think of a better movie to watch to provide relief from the events that began that day. A chance to be able to turn away from the horror everyone was experiencing and lose yourself in something magical. Bravo to you.

I agree that this is a film that would absolutely be watched when you were feeling low and needed to be lifted up as much as I would watch a box of kleenex movie when I needed a good cry. So much of what happens to the characters and the characters themselves can be identified with by us the audience. I can see a bit of myself in all of them and that's what makes the actors and their performances so special. Normally I would not identify with a leading man, but Mr. Mercurio's character is drawn so well and he has a sensitivity and vulnerability, strength and hardheadedness that comes from within him that it is easy to get past his looks and be drawn in to Scott not Paul Mercurio. Does that make sense?

A Paul convention? Sounds like a wonderful silly good time! Please give me more information. Maybe we can get Mr. Mercurio and family to come and he can teach a dance class!

Katherine NYC: Thank you. I can't stop watching the movie either. Please see above. Do you think I might be a little obsessed?

Kim UK: Again thank you. No, I do not think you are silly. I choked when I read your message too. I hope we all find someone or already have someone that looks at us like that.

Vicki: I'm glad I could make you smile. I love to be able to do that for people. My day is not complete until I have at least one full out laugh out loud!

No need to be embarrassed about how many times you have watched the whole film, certain scenes. I have only had the DVD since last Saturday and I have lost count of how many times I have watched the whole movie, certain scenese and especially the brilliant finale. And I think that I would be stingy with my copy of the movie too. Can you imagine after people watch it and then the excuses they'll come up with so they won't have to return it? "It got stuck in my video/DVD player. The disk warped, the tape broke, I lost it, my dog ate it!"

Thank you for recommending Exit to Eden. I must check out that film. I love all of the actors in it.

Marge: Thanks for you welcome.

Inn: Thanks for the welcome and the compliment.

I hope that I did not leave anyone out. If I did, please forgive me and to you I say thank you.

Well everyone, think paso doble!

Hello to all on PC!

Sorry I haven't written in forever but it is a crazy time in my life right now! Just because I haven't written doesn't mean that I haven't been lurking in the shadows reading!! Hope all is well with each and every one of you!

Michael Davey, welcome! Oh, my goodness, you put into words so beautifully what I feel every time I watch SB! I can't even count the number of times that I have seen the DVD and I must admit that I have 2 copies. Of course, I loaned my second copy to a young lady I work with and she is addicted now and I can't get it back! But that is just shows the quality of the story line and the acting that once you watch it you just can't stop!!

Mil, I haven't forgotten you. One of these days I will sit down and catch you up all that is going on in my life!! FIF sounds like it shaping up wonderfully!! Still going to try my best to be there!!

Mary, sorry I haven't been around for a while--everything still going well? Started that course yet? I'm obviously not a very good cheerleader!! :?)

To those of you talking about the cicadas (sp?) I am doing my part in getting rid of them....every time I go out to clean in my pool there are quite a few floating in it! But luckily we haven't had as many as people around us--yet!!

Hello and love to Paul, Andrea and the girls!

Good thoughts going out to all on PC!!

Michael,
If you can get a copy of it (I think VideoFlicks.com might have it) I highly recommend Joseph. The acting is superb.

Ole, Michael! We always think paso doble, and the scenes you described are our favorites also!

I think you are another treasure on this site, joining the others, and we are all enriched by the personal experiences of each.

Your experiences on 9/11 and the aftermath are indeed sobering to those of us who could never really feel the true terror and sorrow while watching the harrowing images on our TV sets.

It was a fluke that I was showing "Strictly Ballroom" that night. I had advertised the movie and the date, September 11th, weeks in advance.

When evening came, my husband and I went to the auditorium, thinking that no one would show up.

Well, people did come, looking shaken and anxious, and the seats were filled quickly.
I started the movie.

At "The End" with the falling red curtain, the audience was on its feet, applauding and cheering. The lights went on, and these dear people had smiles on their faces, for the first time that day, I am sure. I pointed to the door, and told them, "Ladies and gentlemen, we now have to go outside and face the music."

Now, 3 years later, it is understandable that
the people who live and work in Manhattan are still suffering the after-effects of such a calamity. Yes, you are right, Michael, statistics show that most Americans do not feel safer in spite of what the administration touts.

I will drop you a private email to explain the Paul Convention.

Peace and Love,

Grandma Mil

Every once in awhile a movie will really get to you. I remember the first time that my husband and I saw Strickly Ballroom, at the end of it we both stood up clapping and yelling BRAVO! I still do.

The first time I saw Strickly Ballroom was on cable. Our cable company had a bad habit, at the time, of cutting movies off in the middle of the movie. Strickly Ballroom had gotten to the scene where Scott walks Fran home and they are talking about the dance being the dance of love, but it doesn't mean you are in love. Then my screen went blank. I thought "tomorrow I am killing everybody at the cable company." Evidently everbody watching it felt the same way because the next day it was shown completely.

Michael my fingers are crossed that we will find that right person. Surely there must be someone out there for all of us. Let's hope so anyway.
I don't mind admitting that I watch Strictly Ballroom nearly every night I just think it is a fab film. Although some people would probably think I need therapy for my addiction!

Jo (Texas) I will contact you later this evening, I'm sending you lots of hugs. My sister was diagnosed with the same and she was only 34. Keep your chin up.

Love to everyone
Kim x

Michael...welcome and i love the way you expressed how SB moved you heart and soul...
I chuckled about your movie rental failure to return excuses.....actually...i rented SB about a year ago and had realized that i saw it in a movie theatre when it first came out - with a buddy of mine who loves dance and we used to hit swing dance parties together....he does exhibition dancing and it was an exciting movie to see with him at the time..and when i rented it a year ago..it was even more powerful....
I immediately hungered to learn more and found this wonderful site and PC family and have been hooked ever since...Paul and all here...

I have since gotten the DVD for the reasons you outlined in your excused...tape overplayed, burned,melted, dog ate it - in my case it would be the cat..lol ...and didn't want that to happen.

It will be awesome to maybe meet many of the PC gang for FIF next yr....and our adorable G. Mil too....i personally am thrilled at the possibility.

Am looking forward to reading more of your posts...I love how descriptive and emotive you are when you write. I sure connected.
Hugs a latte, Kat

ps.. Hi Inn baby..sorry i guess my PM didn't reach you..hummmm...I'll try again? Or you can try me at my PM? angeliz4me@yahoo.com

smoochies from
Katalina land o lakes, puddles, standing water...slippery slides..mudpies...

For the record, I'll do everything I can to be in Florida next February!

We are having some "interesting" times here, so I can't make any firm plans until this fall.

Welcome to the new people!

First-forgive me-I have Baby Brain which means I either repeat myself or I forget way too easily.

Michael-I'm like the rest of the people who have been deeply touched by SB. I suffer from the same symptoms-watch it repeatedly!! I even keep the cd in the car and I play my favorites-repeatedly-"Perhaps...", "Tango Please", "Tequila", and "Paso Doble". My two little girls (5 and soon to be 3) love watching it, too! They love to sing "Perhaps" and their current favorite is "Tequila". It beats "Sponge Bob", sigh!! Also, I will never forget where I was on 9/11. Your post touched my heart.

Millie-It doesn't look like I'll be coming to the FIF aka Paul's Convention. The new baby should be arriving at the end of January 2005. When I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to come-he was all for it. Well, now he's all for me giving birth!!

Inn-I love pedicures. I always feel so pampered. I've never heard of the wine you mentioned and since I can't drink-please have two glasses for me.

Kim-Funny that you mention a fear of bees. I suffer from bee phobia!! And, as therapy for it-my kitchen is decorated with bees-my cabinets are even yellow!!

Sally-where do you live? I'm now seeing those red eyed friends here at work and I work on the water in Baltimore.

Evelyn-I can beyond relate to the stresses of an issue with work. I went through such an awful experience that started May '03. I left there in Sept. '03. I've been working on putting my life back together and getting better. It's hard to believe what kind of person I turned into. I'm trying to get back to the real me except different.

Hellos and hugs to everyone here!! Have a lovely evening!!

Abeth

Hello again everyone:

Lori: Thank you for your welcome. You have 2 copies? And someone will not give one of them back to you? See, I told you what would happen. Once they see it, excuses, excuses, excuses! If I were you, I would grab her by whatever is convenient and within reach and shake her until the DVD falls out of her person. You KNOW that she is carrying it with here!

Jo(In Texas): ROTFLMAO!!!!! You rock! You go girl! Ready to kill everyone at the cable company . . . that sounds like me. I have always been an assertive person, not aggressive, but assertive and an activist. I find the older I get, the less crap I am willing to put up with. As a matter of fact, I have called the cable company a number of times, AND have withheld payment until the problem was resolved. Where is the recipe that you are talking about? I have a few Latin recipes, very traditional, that I can recommend as very tasty and good for you health-wise if you are interested. Hardly any fat. I hope that your husband is doing well. He certainly sounds like he is setting your teeth on edge and standing on your last nerve with the heel of his shoe! Riding his motorcycle? Sorry Jo, but I think I really like him! Also thanks for the website reference. Can you explain something to me please? What is DVD region 1? And what video tape format should I order? Thanks.

Side Note: As I said before, I am trying to read the archives to catch up with all of you. It is overwhelming. Kind of like cramming for an exam. So much information. I promise that I will try to learn about all of you as soon as I can.

Grandma Mil: Me? A treasure? You certainly can turn a person's head. I suppose that is why you are on the stage?

As far as 9/11 - I don't think that it mattered where you were when that event happened. I also don't think that New Yorkers or Washingtonians experienced it more than anyone else on the plant, because it did happen to all of us. The entire world and everyone in it was shaken to the core of their being by this event. Doesn't everyone in the world feel less safe now than before? Doesn't everyone's heart beat a little faster when they watch the news now? It is the same for everyone in my opinion. The only thing that I can say as a New Yorker was that being in New York you got it first hand. Not just the buildings missing and the smoke billowing, there was the smell. There were people wandering the streets holding pictures of their loved ones asking if you had seen him or her. There were those things and more New Yorkers dealt with, but we all dealth with an event that changed the world and us forever.

I don't think that it was a fluke that the movie had been scheduled in advance. As I have said before, I think that - well, I think that I should leave this. I don't want to get into an area where I begin to discuss beliefs that boarder on what someone might consider to be of a religious nature, although I do not subscribe to a religion myself. More of a philosophy of life and how it works.

Yes G.M. please send me the info about this convention. I have yet to find it in the past posts, but then there is so much to read and get clear about.

Jo(In Texas): Once again - you rock!

So does everyone else here!

Kim(UK): My fingers are crossed to. And no you do not need therapy for watching the movie as much as you do. I am a therapist - that is my unoffical of the record opinion.

If you found a piece of music or art that moved you in the same way, and you listened to that music as often as you could, or looked at that piece of art everytime you passed it, would that make you need therapy? Of course not. This is no different.

Film is art just as much as music, painting, dance, etc. "Strictly Ballroom" is a piece of magical art that takes us places that we dream of, that we wish were true for ourselves and our loved ones. Through the course of the movie, we watch as the characters struggle, transform, and evolve, giving us inspiration and hope for our own lives. Kind of an example so to speak.

Art moves us as humans. That is its intent. Haven't we all seen/heard/experienced a piece of art that moved us so much that we cried or laughed or just had to sit down for a moment? The creators/artists try to convey through their work what they feel, think, believe, hope for, dream of, (fill in anything you want here) and then they give it to us. As a gift. Given so freely and generously. We view the art and it evokes something within us. Sometimes, and in this case, estatically joyful, and other times we hate it. In all cases, it makes us feel. It makes us human. Feeling makes us human. Feeling, no matter what we are talking about, whether it is art, politics, religion, our favorite foods, 9/11, inspires us to higher things and hopefully, makes us better human beings. Well that was a rant wasn't it? Please forgive me. Kim- keep looking.

Katalina: What a beautiful name. I love that. What is it? I have never heard it before. Thank you for your welcome and your wonderful words. You people here are just to amazingly warm and kind and loving. You absolutely cracked me up with your post - the cat got it?

You used to swing dance? I love that dance and the music from that era. I really don't know what I'm doing. I just get out on that dance floor and throw myself around. I have a recording of "Swing, Swing, Swing" and I put that on and dance the hell out of it!

Well I have hogged the thread too long. Thanks everyone. Be well.

Michael

Hey Michael,
Those recipes are in the last essay from Paul in April entitled TOO BIG. I would love the Latin recipes. Are they Latin like Mexican or Latin like South American - it doesn't matter because I love food.

DVD region 1 is the USA and the VHS video format would also be for the USA. I don't think you can buy anything but USA formats in this country. Well, maybe you can, but who has a player to play them.

Well, guess you forgot to sign her last post?

I better quit here. I meant "Well, guess WHO forgot to sign her last post?"

Michael, welcome to you! You bring such good energy with your posts. By the way, I don't think Mil showing the movie was a fluke either. I'm not religious but I believe in a sense of universal order that flows in and around all of us. I'm learning to enjoy the ride!

Peter, I miss you.

Paul, love and light to you.

Diane, I hope you're feeling better everyday. Be well, my friend.

Mary and Evelyn, we shoul have a CWG discussion soon!

Peace to all of you wherever you are, and a big hug from Chicago!

Love to you,
Michelle

Michael, you are a treasure. I simply love art. I am one of those people who sit on the bench and just look and look. I like scuplture particularly human/human like subjects. I love David and the Pieta, Egyptian, Greek I could stare for hours.
I used to go to NYC often - I live in Pennsylvania- but I haven't been since the Feb. before 9/11. I just can't bring myself to go. It's not the fear of another attack it's just I don't want to see the skyline. I always judged my trips by the site of the towers. A big hello on the way in and I'd always turn to say good-bye on the way out. I know I will break down when I have to see their absence with my own eyes. I'm not looking forward to it, but I know I won't be able to stay away much longer. I want to see the new Hayden.
Katalina, I've PMed you so be expecting it! latte love. Hello to all the corner!
Peace

Michael, look for an email from me on details on
the Paul Convention. Cat's out of the bag (couldn't help that, Cat) that she and her Bill may make the convention also!

On your point, Michael, about loving things that are lovely and meaningful and wanting to enjoy them over and over: I do a video concert once a month, extracting electronically classic scenes from the movies, Broadway, opera, ballet, and documentary, and placing those scenes on a tape that runs 90 minutes, and showing it on a 9 ft screen. I have been doing it for 10 years, and have quite a collection of tapes from past ears.

Last month I told my audiences that I will be running a summer film festival of these tapes, and I asked, "is it okay that I show tapes you have seen before?" One woman raised her hand and called out, "of course not, we wouldn't remember anyway!" That got a big laugh and applause! Thank God for senior moments!

Peace and Love,

The Mil

Michael no that wasn't a rant, I could sit here all day and keep reading what you are writing, you have such a beautiful way of writing how you feel.
At least I've heard it from the horses mouth so to speak that I'm not "bonkers". HOORAY, I'm sane!
One thing that I am certain of is that I will always continue to keep looking and I hope you do to.
Thank you Michael for your kind words.
Take care, Kim

Abeth you did make me laugh, so has your kitchen helped with your Bee phobia? My biggest phobia of all is spiders, I can't stand them. Even the smallest look enormous to me. Maybe I should try doing a room out in spiders to help with my fear of them!! Let me know if it works.
I hope all is going well with your pregnancy.
Take care, Kim

Michael, what an important purpose your journey led you to in helping others deal with the overwhelming emotions in the aftermath of 9/11. It must have been very difficult for you at times, being in such close contact with the after-effects. It must be hard to deal with the intensity of it all. I find myself overwhelmed with sadness listening to the story of even one person affected. No way could I or anyone this far away even begin to imagine the pain and grief of those experiencing it first-hand, but I do agree that each of us, everywhere, was changed that day.

I LOVE the way you put the re-visiting of SB into context the way you did. You are right in saying that no-one would think anything strange about listening to a great piece of music or of admiring a favourite painting over and over again. Something of beauty enhances us each time we experience it. And Paul's performance in the film is a thing of beauty - no doubt. Thanks for clarifying that for me. Michael, I hope you intend sticking around.

All of us found our way here because of the gifts that Paul has shared through his acting and dancing. And in coming here, we have found ourselves blessed with the gifts he has shared through just being the person he is.

Paul, if your purpose (or at least one of them) in this lifetime is to be a channel of beauty for others and to affect them as an artist or as a man, it seems to me that you are achieving that purpose in as vibrant and effective a way now as ever, despite the fact that you have had to deal with a frustrating stretch of your journey yourself in recent times. The truth at the centre of that purpose remains alive and constant.
Best wishes to you, as always.

Michelle, I look forward to that discussion!

Lori, it's great to hear from you! I was wondering how you were doing. Things are going very well. Don't worry. Your strength as a cheerleader comes from the fact that I know you're in the background somewhere. If I need any assistance, I'll give a shout!

Love to everyone here tonight,
Mary

Does any one here have Gecko lizards around them? They are little translucent lizards that chirp and drive you insane and unfortunately it is Gecko time of year for us. My husband is literally scared to death of them and screams when he sees one. They won't hurt you they just look like little tiny alligators. I always have to catch them and put them outside when they get in the house.

Hello Everyone . . . Again:

My third post today. I just can't stay away. Actually, I have a terrible cold and being here cheers me up and makes me feel better.

Jo - My Rocking Girl (In Texas): Woman you have me ROTFLMAO again! Gekos? I have this image of your motorcycle riding husband up on a chair while you are chasing this lizard around the house. I mean no disrespect. I have quite a few phobias myself. Snakes being one of them.

Found the recipes and they look delicious. I will try them. The Latin recipes I have are pretty tradition in all Latin counties with variations; however, my friends from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Venezuela taught how to cook these dishes so it has their influence. Do you want me to send them or post them here? Does anyone mind? Let me know.

Michelle: Thanks for the welcome and the support I feel as you that the Universe has a flow and we must not fight it. I've been reading some of the posts and spirituality comes up a lot here. Very cool. So I will not hesitate to speak more and promise not to go overboard.

You're from Chicago? I'm in Northwest Indiana. How cool is that?

Inn: I love art too. There was a sculpture in the lobby of the Museum of Modern Art. It was really beautiful. I used to love to touch it. Let my hand follow the lines and feel the material. Sometimes I would stop in on my way to work just to touch it. You are not supposed to touch the art, and the guards would remind me of that. I touched it anyway when I could. Go to NYC and look at some art.

You could see the World Trade Center pretty much from any avenue especially downtown. I was one of those New Yorkers that always looked at the landmarks. I could see the Empire State Building from my bedroom window and often times fell asleep looking at it. It was beautiful especially when there was a moon passing behind it.

After 9/11 it took me almost a year before I could look downtown to where the World Trade Center used to be. It was very difficult. Then it was over. Once I looked it was over. So go to NYC, look, cry, and then go to an art museum okay?

Grandma Mil aka Matron Mama Martin: Now I get the reference to "chickies." Thanks for the email darlin. It sounds like so much fun. Let me give it some thought. It is more about logistics at that time, that the desire to come okay? Also thank you for your art work. Very tasteful and well done.

I also wanted to say I love you for what you are doing - sharing you love of art, carefully selecting certain scenes, putting those scenes together and sharing it so generously with others. Very classy. Yes very classy indeed.

Kim(UK): You are . . . yes . . . I'll keep looking too.

Mary: Well you have certainly taken my breath away with your post. Yes, it was difficult to deal with all of the trauma, but I was following my path, doing what gives me great joy, what I was meant to do, and I was helping others. I did pay a price for the intensity of it as everyone else did, but it was worth it. I also believe that even though you and everyone else that did not experience what New Yorkers did first hand, you witnessed the event and experienced it vicariously which is just as traumatizing. If you watched any television at all during those day, you were bombarded with horrific images and heard terrifying stories as often as New Yorkers did first hand. It was traumatizing for everyone near and far. But let's talk of something more pleasant.

"Something of beauty enhances us each time we experience it." Yes, thank you for saying that so beautifully and concisely. I loved your post Mary. It was truly beautiful. Thank you for helping me to clarify.

Darn it - I got disconnected again.

I just wanted to say goodnight everyone.

Soon.

Michael

Michael,
If the others don't mind then post them here. If they do then send them to me. I love Cuban food. I think everybody would enjoy the recipes though. A Cuban friend of mine used to make us a dish of rice, chicken, peas, raisins, and cinnamon when we went to her house. She showed me how to cook it. It is very delicious. Thank you very much for the recipes.

Your picture of my husband isn't very far off. He is totally terrified of the little fellows. One day I opened the front door and he was cowarded in the corner. I said "Okay, where's the lizard." That day he said "My back went out and I can't get up." Usually though I can hear him scream LIZARD all over the house. It is a blood curdling cry for help. He grew up in Houston and I didn't so he should be used to them and I should be screaming. I actually find them facinating except for their chirping which will drive you insane. The bug that I hate is the Palmetto Roach. When they start burning off the forest in Mexico,like they do every June, we get them in swarms because they are trying to avoid the smoke. Fortunately the chirping little Gecko comes to the rescue.

I need a good recipie for fried bananas.

Inn, I never eat bananas these days, let alone
fry them, but here is my old recipe:

Peel the banana (the peel is bitter, so discard, quick!)
Place in olive oil and fry until browned..should take ages...
Cool and try to eat..
Follow with 2 Pepsid AC

Peace and Love,

Your giddy Grandma Mil

Hello Everyone:

Before I start, I want to give a big hello and thank you to Abeth. I missed you in my previous posts. I'd love to see your two girls in action, singing and dancing. Isn't it wonderful to watch kids dance and sing and play. We haven't spoiled them yet with preconceived notions of how that is done. It comes straight from their hearts and souls without any rules.

Also my congratulations to you on the coming baby. I'm always so in awe everytime I see a pregnant woman and thrilled that a new life is coming. I always wonder if this will be the one. Will this be the one who holds the key to world poverty, world hunger, world peace, the cure for cancer, the cure for AIDS? Will they be the one? I am happy for you and your family.

Grandma Mil aka MMM: You doll! Thanks for the new art work. I love it.

Inn: I have a recipe for Tostones. I'm sure many people do. It is fried green bananas. They are not sweet, but go great with a meal.

Okay my rocking woman Jo: Here is a recipe for Picadillo. As with all cooking, it is to taste. Increase or decrease any ingredient you want. Take some out and add some others. What I am giving you is just a guide. How much fat depends on what kind of meat you use. I usually use 1 lb of ground pork and one lb of ground sirloin. Want less fat? Stick to the lean ground sirloin.

1/4 cup annoto oil (see below)
1 large onion finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (I always use more)
2 cloves of garlic (I always use LOTS more)
1 fresh hot red or green pepper, seeded and chopped (sometimes I use more, depends on my stomach)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced.
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped (you do not have to seed. When I'm rushed or lazy, I just throw it all in)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (more more more)
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup seedless raisins (more)
1/4cup pimiento-stuffed green olives (more, my Latin friends are always appalled that I do not cut up the olives. I like them whole so I only do it when they come to dinner)
1 tablespoon capers (more)
1/2 tablespoon of fresh cilantro (more)

Like I said earlier, it depends on my taste that day and what I am craving. Sometimes I want it spicier, sweeter, saltier. You get the drift; however with your husband and his heart Jo, I'll leave it to you what you think is best. My Cuban friend Marcelino loves this dish but hates the olives, so when I make it for him at the end I split it in 2 one pot with and one without. That goes for everything else to. Does that make sense?

You can buy annato oil in any Latin market. Since I do not use it so much, I buy annato seeds, sometimes called achiote seeds. In a skillet, put 1/4 cup olive oil and about a tablespoon of the seeds. Heat oil until it becomes rust color. The annato seed does have a little flavor, but it is used primarily for the color for the dish. You can always used plain olive oil.

Begin by putting the diced potatoes in a pot of water and par boil until they are about half done. Don't over cook or they will get mushy and then you'll have mashed potatoes. Then heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onion, bell pepper, garlic and hot pepper until the onion is tender and transluscent. Add the meat and cook, stirring and breaking it up until it has lost its color. Add the par boiled potatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add tomatoes, cumin, salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the raisins, and mix thoroughly, and simmer very gently until cooked about 20 minutes. All above simmering is without the lid. Then add olives and capers and cook a few more minutes to warm through. Serve with rice and black bean if you like (my favorite) and if you are really adventurous - tostones.

Tostones is very much like Grandma's recipe for fried bananas except these are green plantains and not sweet.

In a skillet put enough oil as if you were going to make french fries. Peel the plantains and slice about an inch thick. Make sure that the oil is hot before you put the plantain in or the plantain will absorb all of the oil and you'll have greasy mush. Fry on both sides for about 2-3 minutes. Removed plantain with slotted spoon onto paper towel or a brown paper bag. With a folded up paper towel placed over each piece of plantain, take the heel of you hand and push down, flattening the plantain. Do this to every piece and put back in the hot oil (the oil should continue to be heated during the above) and fry again until golden brown. Tostones beats the hell out of Wonder Bread. Trust me.

Inn: The above recipe can be used for sweet bananas too.

Later everyone.
Michael

Hello. This one's for Inn

Fried banana recipe

Ingredients:
4 Ripe Bananas, peeled and cut in pieces
2 cups sunflower oil for deep frying.

Batter:
1 cup flour
2 Crushed cardamom seeds
Pinch of salt
Water (if you want a really crispy outer coating use ice cold mineral water with bubbles like Spa)
You could also use orange, peach or apricot juice for extra flavor.

Method:
Put flour salt and cardamom in a bowl and add enough water (or juice) to make batter. Dip the banana pieces into the batter and deep fry in hot oil until golden-brown and crispy. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Serve hot. Enjoy

Richard:

That recipe sounds fantastic.

Michael

Thanks Michael. The Picadillo don't sound half bad either!
--Richard

Michael

A big welcom to you. You have the same kind of compasion, caring and feeling that Paul has.

9/11 touched all our lives. My son-in-law Jeff works in the Whitehouse in the President's Commumication Corp. As he was on night shift at the time he did not find out about 9/11 until we got ahold of him. His Mom was frantic.

My neice who works for the American Embassy in D.C has a girl friend whose husband was somewhere in the Widwest. As he could not fly home, he rented a car. He never made it. He was killed in a car crash. Cheri, my neice, said it was the saddest funeral she had ever attended.

Each year the Westminister Kennel Club annual Dog Show in NY honor a few special dogs who have gone beyond the call of duty. A blind man's dog, was honored after 9/11 as led his master down a great many stairs to safety. There were several other dogs honored there as well But this golden retriever received a standing ovation. I was on my feet too.I tear just thinking about it.

Again, Welcome Michael, we all look forward to reading your future posts.

"The truly happy people are those who have a source of happines too deep to be seriously disturbed by ordinary troubles." Marion J. Rich

A giant circle of love, healing light, hugs & kisses to all.
Take care
Marge

Those recipes sound great but half of the stuff I have never heard of before and just can't get it here, maybe I should move to another country! Some where hot and sunny sounds very nice at the moment as long as there are NO cicadas, bees, spiders and lizardy things. I'll have to stay put I think.

Jo I have had to start again on my picture, I had stitched quite a bit but then I decided I didn't like the colours, typical! Second time lucky. Will be in touch later today, you are such a great tonic, you did make me chuckle to myself.

Michael good for you, never stop. My eyes are wide open.

Chat to you all later
Love Kim

Kim, where do you live in the UK? With the abundance of Indian food in the UK I can't imagine these ingredients are not readily available. Perhaps you just aren't familiar with some of the names? For example, cilantro is also known as coriander but you must get the leaves, not the seeds. It looks like flat-leaf parsley but has a pungent smell. Are there other ones you aren't familiar with? I don't know annoto oil either. Michael suggests an alternative is olive oil since annoto is primarily for coloring. If I knew what the color should be then I might be able to suggest an alternative. Cheers.
--Richard

Hello lovely Kim(UK):

How are you darlin?

Richard is absolutely right. I was confused myself when I started cooking outside my own culture. Cilantro (which you can also use dried, but fresh is better) and coriander is a perfect example. Another was peas and andules(?). I drove myself nuts for a week looking for a (can't remember the name right now) specific olive - oh yes! Manzanilla olives! only to find out that they are Spanish olives with pimientos. And as far as the hot peppers go - there are so many different varieties, some hotter, some not, some sweeter. I'm sure that others on the board can help out with alternatives. I'll also try to come up with another recipe that you might not have as much trouble finding the ingredients. What do you like? Comfort food? French? Italian?

So let us know Kim what it is you might not be able to find and maybe we can come up with the alternative okay? Also there is always the internet for spices and seasonings. I've ordered some myself. And as I always say, if you don't have what you need, improvise.

Marge: Thank you for your huge welcome. I can feel it here. Thank you for drawing a comparison between Mr. Mercurio's compassion, caring and feeling and mine. It was a tremendous compliment. I hope that he doesn't mind.

I was very moved by your post. Thank goodness you son-in-law was safe. The tradegy concerning the husband of your niece's friend is just another example of the repercussions of 9/11. Such sadness, but I think that it is good to tell each other these stories. It connects us and makes us feel less alone, less like we are the only ones that feel the way we do, that the pain and sorrow are shared, that we should be over this by now should have moved on. There is no time frame on grief, sorrow, or despair. After we share, then we can support each other and take solice in each other's comfort. What do you think? I remember that dog show. I watched and cried at the same time.

I remember images from the World Trade Center of the dogs and their partners searching through the rubble for survivors. Those dogs were climbing over glass, sharp metal, and never stopped even though their paws were lascerated and bleeding. They just kept going. I remember thinking at the time, how do those dogs do that? I get a splinter in my foot on the boardwalk at the beach and I'm the biggest baby. I was wondering what was in their consciousness that enabled them to do that, to keep going even though their paws were raw and bleeding. It was such singlemindedness of purpose. It helped me through the following days and months. Oh, another rant. Sorry.

Grandma Matron Mama Martin: How's it hanging in the cellblock? Big Kiss!!!

Until later everyone
Michael

P.S. Kim - my eyes are wide open too. )

Richard I live in Yorkshire, flat caps and wellies! There are plenty of sheep, lambs, pigs and cows so I'm OK for meat it's the other stuff to go with them I have the trouble with. Yes there is a lot of Indian food here and you were right it was the names I have never heard of. We don't seem to be very imaginative when it comes to food, we tend to eat a lot of "crap/junk" food, egg & chips, bangers & mash and so on. I need some good recipes any ideas?
Take care
Kim

Hello Michael, you are such a sweetie. I'm not often called "darlin" so that was nice to read.
Yes I do like comfort food which one of us doesn't, there isn't much that I don't not like, well except for seafood, I'm not a fishy person. Just looking at some of those slippery little suckers turns my stomach.
Have you any recipe ideas????
Take care, Kim

Dearest Michael, glad you like the "Strictly Ballroom" artwork. It can also be found on Fan Artwork after scrolling down "Archives" on the Paul Mercurio main page.

Ellie and I went to the movies this afternoon, and guess what..."I, Robot" is coming in June to the movies theatres, and on June 17th or 18th "Salem's Lot" based on the vampire story by Stephen King, will be a mini series on TNT.

Although the setting is supposed to be a New England village it was actually filmed in Australia, and stars Rob Lowe, Donald Sutherland, and Samantha Mathers.

TARA MORICE is in it, although not in a starring role, but this is the first time she appears on American TV! On TV we can tape the series and try to find her at our leisure!

Peace and Love,

Grandma Momma Morton, all you chickies!

Hi Kim,
Well, if you live in rural Yorkshire then I can imagine some "exotic" ingredients might be hard to come by. If you live close to York (or get there much) you should be able to find just about anything. Check out spice/produce sections in the larger grocery stores, check out ethnic markets, etc. Asking at your favorite curry/kebab shop or "ethnic" neighbors where they get their ingredients might also help. If you come across an ingredient you aren't familiar with then hit the internet and Google, Google, Google. Or, post here of course!!!

As to British "crap/junk" food, hell there's nothing better than a good old fry-up. And, bangers and mash or the ever-famous British Sunday roast can't be beat for hearty, comfort food. Being from Yorkshire I bet you make a killer Yorkshire Pudding!!!

As to getting good recipes--would need to know what kind of food (I assume you mean non-British) you like or would like to try out. Then we can go from there.

As to imagination, well I'm sure you've got plenty of your own to draw inspiration from. At the end of the day, where food is involved, there's no right or wrong--it's all about what YOU like not what the celebrity chefs tell you you should like.
--Richard

Michael,
Thanks for the recipes. They sound nice and spicy! They also sound a little like Indian food which I LOVE. I am going to try the Picadillo this week-end.

My niece's husband was working at the World Trade Center 9/11. He had an appointment in New Jersey that day and decided not to stop by the office on his way. If he had he would have been on one of the top floors of building one when it collapsed. The live in Connecticut and he couldn't get home and he couldn't call home until late in the day and we were all worried sick about him. My niece said that abandoned cars sat in the commuter lots for months because their owners wouldn't be coming back for them and nobody claimed them for months. You just know what had happened to the owners of the cars.

Yes, I'm back again. This cold is just knocking the crap out of me. My hair hurts, hell my eyelashes hurt. I hate being sick. For the first time in about 3 weeks the weather outside is gorgeous! The sky is crystal clear and so blue. The sun is intense, yet there is a breeze blowing and I'm stuck inside. I'm looking at my garden through the window and I want to be there. AHHHHHHHH . . . . Sorry, its the cold medication. As a matter of fact, I'm not responsible for anything I say from here on out. I feeling really loopy, which normally I wouldn't mind, except my nose is running like a faucet, and I'm sneezing like my big nose is stuffed down a pepper mill.

I just downloaded the clip "Edge". Have you all seen it? It is so fantastic! Where have I been? AHHHHHHH . . .

Kim darlin: I would be happy to give you lots of recipes if you want. You just need to tell me what you like. My mom's side of the family is from the deep south in the US. Another category of food. African-Americans call it soul food. I call it Grandma's food. Same stuff. Collard and mustard greens, macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas, potato salad, smother pork chops and chicken, BBQ beef, chops and chicken (can't wait to try your recipe Jo), fried everything including ocra, deviled eggs, corn bread, the works. All of this is labor intensive, but oh so worth it even though it is very high in fat.

When I was in school, I did not have alot of time to be messing around in the kitchen so here is a recipe that is quick and satisfying if you like this kind of dish.

Chicken Piccata: This can also be made with veal.

Chicken Breasts
Cheap white wine (some people disagree with using cheap wine, I was a student and could not afford the good stuff AND I could not tell the difference between expensive and cheap in dishes like these. And trust me, restaurants in NYC use cheap)
Butter
Mushrooms (if you like)
Plain Bread Crumbs
Shallots (if you are of a mind to)
Chopped fresh parsley
Lots of fresh lemon

Get the amount of chicken breast you want to cook. I'm a big eater and like this as a leftover so I use 2 at least. Bone them and skin them and then cut them up into large bite size pieces. Toss them in bread crumbs.

In a shallow skillet, melt butter or margarine, at a very high flame (careful not to let the butter burn, drawn butter would be best if you want to take the time). If you are using mushrooms and/or shallots, sautee them first for a couple of minutes. Drop the breaded chicken in the the skillet and golden brown very quickly, maybe 2-3 minutes on each side. When you turn the chicken over and you think its brown squeeze in the lemon. I usually use at least one, sometimes more. I like lemon. Stir and then add about a cup (depending on how much chicken you are cooking) of white wine. Shake the skillet and watch out for the flame that burns off the alcohol. Turn the flame down to a simmer and let the liquid in the skillet reduce a bit.

Turn out of the skillet onto plates, garnish with lemon wedges, sprinkle with fresh parsely and serve with whatever you wish. I usually serve with white rice, a fresh veggie, and a light salad. Open that bottle of good wine and then eat and talk and laugh and enjoy and then eat some more. The dinner only takes about 30 minutes to make from start to finish, but it should take at least 3 hours to eat. Dinner should never be rushed. Also a good, fresh loaf of bread with butter. Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy!!!

This recipe can also be modified in 2 other ways if you like.

Instead of coating the pieces of chicken in bread crumbs, toss them lightly in flour.

The first variation is made with mederia wine. Get the cheap cooking version.
leave out the lemon, white wine and mushrooms.
Add capers.

Do everything as above. Add the mederia wine, let it flame and then reduce the heat to reduce the liquid - add the capers. It's ready now eat.
Cook the chicken like the above recipe, very high flame, with butter, 2-3 minutes on each side.

The second version is a modified chicken marsalla.
need:
Marsalla wine (get cheap cooking kind)
Mushrooms
paprika
milk, or light creame or heavy creame (your choice and your diet)

Sautee mushrooms cut up the way you like (I prefer slices) high heat
Lightly flour chicken and add to mushrooms after a couple of minutes
sautee at a high flame 2-3 minutes each side.
Add the marsalla wine, reduce heat and let liquid reduce for a minute, then add the cream, stir all that goodness together. Turn out onto plates and sprinkle with paprika and fresh parsley if you like.

I may have made all of this sound too complicated. They really are very easy and fast and taste good. Okay darlin?

Grandma Mama Morton: You doll! You know I have been thinking that you could get those gorgeous broads, opps, I mean lovely ladies . . . no, I mean gorgeous broads your working with on the Follies and do the Cell Block Tango. That would be so hot!!!! A little bump and grind while they talk about offing their husbands and boyfriends.

"So I took the shootgun off of the wall and I fired two warning shots . . . . . . into his head. He had it coming . . . Then he ran into my knife. He ran into my knife ten times! He had it coming . . . " What do you think?

Thanks for the headsup about on Salem's Lot and I, Robot. Fantastic. Bye the bye, what did you and your everlovin other see today at the movies?

You take care of yourself okay? I've worked in Florida this time of year and I know how brutal the heat can be. Do go traipsing (sp?) around getting heat stroke okay? I can't wait to meet you one day. Lots of hugs and kisses for you. I'm really trying to work out next February. Just a difficult time logistically, but the desire is there okay MMM?

Until later or the medication wears off
Michael

Paul,
We hope that you are happy and just thinking!

Hiya Richard
I live in Yorkshire but I'm not actually a Yorkshire Lass. I am originally from Kent very near to London. Yes I can make Yorkshire puds in a fashion but they turn out either burnt or very stodgy and a bit floppy so I have to admit mine come wrapped in a bag of the shop shelf already done, but covered with gravy they are very yummy. Oh I agree you can't beat a good old Sunday roast, I'm having roast chicken this Sunday with of course the yorkshire puds. I have to admit I am partial to the junk food, yes naughty I know but what the heck you only live once. Bacon, eggs, fried bread and everything else that goes with it all that washed down with a cuppa, I can taste it already.
Yep I would like to try out any non british recipes as long as it isn't fishy and nothing too fancy or too difficult I'm not the best cook.

Hello Michael, I hope you get over your cold really soon, there's nothing worse than being bunged up.
I will try any recipes as long as they are really easy to do and not fishy.
I liked the one you listed, do you have to use cooking wine or just your normal cheap plonk? I have cheap plonk here I always keep a bottle in the fridge for when I do the ironing, it makes it more pleasurable and less of a chore, well that's my excuse anyway.
The weather here isn't as nice as yours, it's been chucking it down all day and it is suppose to be our Summer!
Hope you are better soon, Take care

My rockin Jo: You are welcome. I have more Latin recipes if you are interested. Just let me know. It seems that there are quite a few recipes on these threads. It took me forever to find your BBQ. Cat, do you think that it would be possible for a separate space for us posters to share recipes? I have know idea what I am asking you for here. I could be asking you to spend the next 5 months of your life setting something like that up. It was just a thought. Okay?

Okay Jo: I'm sorry that your family was in the position of worrying and wild imaginings over your niece's husband. So many people around the world were in the same situation. I forget the exact number, but so many countries around the world had loved ones in the World Trade Center that day. After the planes hit, the phone lines were overload. No one could call in and it was very difficult to call out.

My family was frantic. All they knew was that I had class that day downtown, near the World Trade Center. When we finally spoke - well I can't go there right now.

And the cars, yes I remember the cars abandoned.

On a lighter note, how are the Gekos, your husband? Is he feeling okay? Is the stress test rescheduled yet? Keep us posted okay? I'm thinking of you Rockin Jo.

Darlin Kim and Richard and all friends across the ponds: Fryup? Bangers and mash? British Sunday Roast? Flat Caps? Wellies? Yorkshire puds? Here in the US I have never heard of these things. Well that's not exactly true, I have heard the words, but I never knew what these things are. Well, what are they? Please be specific and elaborate okay? Like what is a Sunday roast chicken like there? Seasonings, cooking etc. What do you serve with it? Maybe we could get an international exchange going. I'm ready to expand my culinary skills. I made Mr. Mecurio's grilled vegetable dish - fantastic - thanks Mr. Mecurio - but what is you Spanish chicken? I need more details. Baked? Broiled? Stove top?

Don't you think it would be a great way to get to know each other a little better? Okay, okay, the medication is still in effect - please be patient.

One more thing about the Picadillo recipe I posted earlier. Remove the annato seeds before you start cooking. Okay?

Soon,
Muchos besos,
Michael

Hello everyone,

Haven't posted for a while, I had a very busy week.

Michelle,
Thank you for telling what happend to you in 2000, I am really sorry that you had to deal with the same problem as I had, I know exactly how you felt, and you know exactly how I felt (or still feel). It really makes me feel more relieved to talk about it. I also had to stop immediately with taking the birth controll pill, my neurologist said that that was risk factor #1. I was pretty shocked too to hear that.
Thanks you for sharing!!

Evelyn, Mary and Kim,
Thank you all for your 'personal' support, it really means so much to me that you are all thinking about me and supporting me.
Love you all!!

Inn,
How is Desiree doing? Hope she's getting better everyday.

Jo,
Thanks for explaning to me what a stress test is.
I wish your husband (and you) good luck to that stress test on Thursday (?).

Sally C.
Also thanks to you for your stress test explanation.

Richard,
Where exactly in Europe do you live?
Maybe I've missed it? there are so many post, I can't hardly keep up.

Abeth,
How are you feeling?

Mr Michael Davey,
Welcome!! Your words about Strictly Ballroom are unbelievable beautiful. So completely honest, right from your heart!! Wonderful, thank your sharing it and for joining us!.
Your posts are extremely long, and because my English isn't that good, it is taking me a lot of time to read and understand them all. I didn't have much time to read them all (I only read your first two posts), but hopefully I can read them tomorrow. I am sure they are very interesting!! Looking forward to read them.
Oh, yes, I also read that you didn't feel that well, I hope you are feeling better again??

I had a wedding of a friend tonight and it's now 2:23 AM so I really must get some sleep now...

Hope everyone has a good weekend!!

Monika

Hello All!

My husband's away on a trip so I thought this evening i'd pop in. I was going to go to the book store but by the time I turned around it was already 8pm so I decided to give myself a facial, make dinner, and hang out with my beloved dog Ginger.

Grandma Millie, I"ll give a call tomorrow to see if I can pop in sometime next week (seems to be the phrase of the evening) .

School going well, the massage I gave today went smoothy exept for the fact that I wrapped the student like a burrito in the end with arms still under the sheets (there's a wrapping technique to wrap a client with the sheets at the end of the massage.
I have a test wenesday on the first part of muscles. Most people were out of class today b/c of the holiday week-end and my professor was out of town so Drill Srgt. Mike did our muscles review and showed an extremely boring video on a disection (it grossed my out so I studied my book instead. There was one student who fell asleep and woke up when a crumpled piece of paper bounced off her head). Mike is actually more than just strict with the rulebook he's also amazingly knowledgable, a good teacher, and a caring person (he's always asking how everyone is doing and makes sure no one gets left behind when it comes to learning this stuff) . He's also one of only five people in the country who teached lyphatic drainage. ANd of course his sense of humor is there to, expecially when it comes to creatively wake up students sleeping in class.

It's funny to have my hubby gone this long. I'm the one who feels that is the perfect example of undependence, but I have to admit my routine in the evening gets thrown off when he's gone. Even Ginger is feeling displaced without him. But hopefully it will give me more of an opportunity to get back into my writing and spending time with a few friends that I can take out of the woodwork. I have one who just started an advertising business and i have to see how she's doing. I have another who started filmschool and I have to see how SHE's doing. And I have grandma millie who I know is always doing fabulous!

Well I'll say good-night from Fort Lauderdale!

Paul, hope all is well with you and your family. Say hello to everyone for me.

Hay Paul!
Jump in and give a hello, just like Kat does. We worry about you.

Michael
Just happened to have the news on and the Westminster must be soon. They just highlighted an AKC special award for a Serviceman and his german shepard that had just finished serving in Afganistan(sp).

I am looking forward to going to Maryland this summer to celebrate my Grandson's 2nd birthday. (After the Cicada infestation I hope)We plan to go to the new WWII Memorial. I have seen it on the National news and it is very moving and beautiful. I was there last year, but it was still work in progress.

I think I have my house back now. First the kids for two weeks, then the annual garage sale, then the horse show, then Dan & Mike in my house doing some remodeling. Dan is so cute, I asked him if I could adopt him. He said his girlfriend would object. They both wear earrings in their ears and they have been taken for a gay couple which cracks them up. Mike is married and has a three year old daughter, whom I can tell that he adores, as his eyes just twinkle when he talks about her. Although they will be across the street working, I will miss having them around. I have been spoiling them by making dinner.

Everyone in my neighborhood is gone for the Memorial day weekend. Should be real quiet around here.

We have sure had some heavy rain this week. Also had some more funnel clouds. One touched down and tore most of the metal roofing off a huge dairy barn, and snapped a sizeable tree in half. No one has been hurt.

This quote cracks me up.
If you are unhappy with your lot in life, build a service station on it. Carrie ten Boom

Love circe to all
Take care
Marge

Hello,
Monika, Julie, Kim, Michael, Richard, Tim, Grandma Mil, Marge, Cat, Abeth, Mary, Inn, Katalina, and anybody else that I might have left out.
Michael,
I would like the any Latin recipes that you have. If no one else is interested in them then you can e-mail them directly to me. By the way you left out cornbread with cracklin's dipped in buttermilk as one of the great Southern foods. My grandmother lived on that.
Kim,
Your description of English food made my mouth water.
Monika,
Are you still riding that motorcycle?

Hello to all PCrs in the States.
Hope you are all having a pleasant Memorial Day weekend. When I was a kid growing up in the Midwest I remember on this weekend we always made up many flower bouqets and took them around and put them on all the graves of dear departed relatives.
It was also an opportunity to pay a visit to many of the dear (and some not-so-dear) living relatives.

Michael
Achoo,achoo, cough, cough, snort. Keep taking those meds, bud. At least it will help with the symptoms. Unfortunately, the only cure for a cold is time and rest. Hang in there. :-/
As for the UK terminology/cuisine, I'll let Kim do the honors.

Monika
I live in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Paul, Paul
Wherefore art thou, Paul? Get thee to a computer terminal! Your corner is crowded but your spot in it has been empty far too long. ;-)

--Richard

Richard,
Oh my god, I was completely astonished to hear that you are from the Netherlands too!!!
I live in Drenthe!!
Thank you for telling me, now I know I am not the only one who's from Holland!!

Jo,
the weather is really great, the sun is finaly shining and they (the weather people) said that it would be 22 degrees Celcius, so perfectly weather for taking a ride on the motorcycle!

Monika

Monika,
Nee hoor. Jij bent niet alleen! Prettig Hemelvaartsdag. Doooiiiiieeeee.
--Richard

Richard,
Dank je, maar je bedoeld Prettige Pinksterdagen??
Jij ook!!

Monika

Monika,
Sorry, jij heb gelijk. Ik ben altijd in de waar over deze christelijke feestdagen!!!!
--Richard

Hi Monika and Richard, even though I don't really know Dutch, I understood that!!! :) I am your German neighbour living in the US, so Happy -whatever-it-is-you-actually-are-going-to-celebrate this weekend!

The other thing I saw from glancing at the post is Inn's request for a fried banana recipe. I know other's have posted on that, here is what I do:
Bananas
olive oil
curry

slice the (almost overly ripe) bananas lengthwise and place into a frying pan. Mix some olive oil with curry and brush onto the bananas and then pour the rest of the oil into the frying pan. Fry the bananas until they are crisp on the outside and warm on the inside. You an also bake the bananas in the oven at a high heat (350 - 400 F). Some of my friends are known to also have added a bit of sugar to the oil and curry mix, but if your bananas are ripe, I think they are sweet enough.

Will read the rest of the posts properly later, I have a babyshower and high school graduation party to go to today. Made a huge Quiche Lorraine and a Red Pepper and Zucchini Quiche for the babyshower last night, and they smelled really good and I want to eat them, NOW ... but I will mind my manners!

till later. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Hello Evelyn,
Nice to hear from you. I'm sure you celebrate this holiday in Germany, too. Not sure what it's called there but in English it's called Pentecost. Anyway, it's over two days this weekend. In my first post I had said the wrong holiday. Was thinking right but wrote the wrong thing. Anyway...

Another banana recipe. Doesn't appear that the person originally asking for these has checked back in to get them.

The quiches sound delicious. Maybe you could post the recipes for Kim. She's looking for some food ideas. Enjoy the baby shower.
--Richard

Wow! I've just caught up on the posts and I feel like I've dipped into a pool of positive energy! But where is the one who filled the pool in the first place? Paul, you are missed.

Oh to be creative in a culinary way! Michael, Jo, Richard....I'm enjoying the recipes. There's something very appealing about seeing a list of ingredients and feeling the confidence of whoever is posting that it will all come together in some magical swirl to become something delicious. You make it sound so simple! (Have you all checked out Paul's recipes BTW?) Fried bananas - that's banana fritters isn't it? One of my favourite ways to eat bananas is between fresh bread spread with honey. Not very adventurous, but delicious.

Michael, hi to you. I hope your cold is getting better. Summer colds are the pits but one good thing about this cold is that you are getting the chance to get to know us all quicker than you might have. I too love the energy that you bring here. I look forward to having many discussions with you and to getting to know you too. Take care.

Richard, it's great to know that there is another PCer on this side of the water!

Marge, enjoy the peace and quiet.

Kelly, Diane & Abeth - hope you are all doing well.

Monika, Kim, Evelyn, Peter, Michelle, Mil and everyone in the ever-expanding PC family - hi and love to each of you.

Mary

Hello Michael, Oops sorry I keep forgetting that we all use different words to explain/describe things. I noticed in your earlier post that your nose was like a running faucet, we call it a tap.
Fry up - extremely greasy, high in
cholesterol "naughty but very nice", you basicalley get all of your ingredients (eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms etc and shove the lot into a frying pan.
Bangers & Mash - Sausages, mash potato with of course baked beans and brown sauce over the sausages.
Sunday roast - I don't do fancy cooking so I just bung the chicken in the oven and cook it slowly with some chicken seasoning sprinkled over the top and then steam the veggies, it's all pretty bog standard basic stuff. I'm quite a boring cook, I'm not that brave enough yet to do anything too adventurous.
Flat cap - another name for it is a peaked cap.
Wellies - also known as Wellington Boots, they are very similar to riding boots only they are made of rubber and come in shades of green or black.

Monika, you are so very welcome, love to you too!

Jo (Texas) Pop over and I'll do you a fry up, maybe next year!
Oh, the picture was perfect I've made a start already. I'll e-mail you later.

Richard, Thanks for leaving me with the honors, I hope I explained it all but feel free to help out!
Yes I do like quiches so Evelyn I would love some recipes if you have any.

Hello to Mary, Marge, Grandma Millie, Julie and everyone else I haven't mentioned.

Paul I hope life is treating you well, we hope to hear from you soon.

Love to everybody
Kim

My goodness, Paul leaves us alone for a few days and look at us - we take over the whole show! The board is really hoppin' with so many good and interesting topics, I can't keep up.

Paul, hope you're quiet because you're busy. We miss you.

Grand Mil, thanks for the info on SALEM'S LOT. I love Stephen King and all things scarey. Will have to mark my calendar. Can't wait to see I ROBOT. There are so many good ficks coming out this summer, don't know how I'll be able to see them all. Weekends go by so fast anymore...

Jo, Michael, Richard, Kim, and all others who have posted recipes, thank you. I'll certainly try out a few, especially the fried bananas. I think I gained 5lbs. just sitting here waiting for my print-outs of all the wonderful sounding dishes!

Abeth, I live in Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. We're in a good spot, (or bad, depending on your perspective with the way things are these days) close to New York City, and I work in New Jersey. We're close to the beaches and Atlantic City in Jersey and we have a camp site about an hour and a half from here on a lovely wooded lot in the Pocono mountains. We're really fortunate to be able to enjoy both the mountains and the beach whenever we want since we're not too far from any of them. Culture and history are just a stone's throw away in Philadelphia and New York, and I take it in whenever I can.

Jo, you're starting to sound like Steve Irwin, The Crock Hunter, with all the lizards and insects around you! We don't get much of a variety outside of the ticks, mosquitos, gnats, bees, wasps, hornets and the occasional toad, snake, slug or other unidentified creepy crawlie thingie. It's interesting for us, though, as we are behind a "greenbelt" and once in a while we'll get rabbits, raccoons, and an occasional groundhog. When we first moved here, we saw a magnificent 10 point buck just at the edge of the woods and we had a pheasant family that used to come up and eat our birdseed!

Inn, where in Pennsylvania do you live?

Where is Peter and Tim? Hope all is well.

Have to get ready for our Memorial Day parade in a little while. We just finished putting out the flags and bunting earlier and only have a few more little things to do. After the parade we're going to the V.F.W. to honor our local heroes. It's a tradition we've done for many years, and giving a few hours of our time is the least we can do for the ones who have done so much for us.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone.

Smiles to all,
Sally

Good Morning Everyone!

I would like to share something with all of you that happened to me this morning. I woke up about 5:00am. I needed to take more cold meds, I was sneezing and coughing. It was still dark, but there was this wonderful pink light in the room. I got up and looked out of the window. There was a ceiling of clouds that were pink and reflecting the pink light everywhere. I looked to the eastern horizon and saw the most glorious and spectacular sight. The sun was coming up, but had not yet broken the horizon. The shades of colors were so amazingly beautiful. Gold, orange, red, pink, magenta, blue - all shimmering. You could actually see the suns rays piercing through all of it. I stood in the window and watched the sun come up all the while the colors where shifting and changing. Everything, the buildings, the garden everything took on these colors. It filled me up and I felt it lifted me up. I was in awe.

When I was posting on here yesterday, I was a whiney brat. I don't like being a brat and I hate it when I whine. I keep reading the posts in the archieves trying to catch up and learn about all of you. Some of you are and have been going through very difficult times physically and emotionally. And I whined and stamped my feet at having a cold. I apologize to all of you. It is just a cold. I've had them before. I know how long it takes for my body to handle them. This is the third day, so I know that I'll be turning the corner today. It's just a cold. So as a way to make amends, I send to all of you the feelings, energy, and light I felt this morning. I hope that you can feel it.

Marge: Haven't heard anything about the Westminister. I haven't been watching much television lately. Out weather here in Indiana has been pretty volitile. The thunder and lightening storms come up very quickly and the skyies look very threatening as far as tornados are concerned. I actually went into the basement of my house last week, because I didn't like the look of the sky and the winds. You enjoy yourself this weekend okay? Oh and keep cooking for those young men who are working across the street. There is nothing like a great homecooked meal and good conversation after a long day's work.

Evelyn: Your banana recipe sounds fantastic, and I agree with Richard. I love quiche. Please share your recipes.

Richard: I used to place bouquets of flowers on the graves too and go off to BBQ. Unfortunately, this year is it so much more difficult with the war in Iraq and Afganistan.

Monika: Thank you for your welcome and yes my posts are extremely long. I have been thinking of that. I don't want to monopolize the board. I promise I will try to be more concise and to the point in the future. Right after this post. LOL.

Mary: Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel your energy too as I do with so many here. Thank you for your best wishes re: the cold - please see above - and yes - I have been trying to catch up and learn. It's a rollercoaster ride (which I love) for sure.

Some of the recipes are simple - jump in and share some of yours. I look forward to speak with you more and getting to know you too.

Rockin Jo: I completely forgot about cornbread with cracklin with buttermilk. My grandparents and my Mom used to do that all of the time. I loved the cornbread, but not the buttermilk. I can still see my Grandmother outside over a big castiron pot making the cracklin.

Okay Jo, here is a recipe for Arroz con Pollo. Every culture has a version of this. I have found Latin versions of this that take less time and are less labor intensive; however, I happen to like this one because it tastes better then the other I have tried - including those of my Latin friends. I'm going to assume that since you live in Texas you won't have any trouble finding these ingredients. I usually use Goya brand for the chorizo and the sazon with coriander. If you have other brands go for it. Remember this recipe is just a guide. Add more or less of anything and everything according to your likes. To make it a little more heart healthy for your significant other (how is he doing by the by?) get rid of the skin on the chicken and cut down on the oil.

1 1/2 cups of olive oil
10 cloves of garlic finely chopped and divided
7 fresh scallion (I usually use more) finely chopped and divided
1 bunch of cilantro - finely chop some for garnish and a few sprigs for cooking
3 1/2 teaspoons of terragon dried (more for me)
Salt to taste - careful, there are olives in this recipe
16 or pieces of chicken - I usually use drums and thighs, but you can use anything you want
1 cup of dry cheap white wine
White and black pepper
4 packets of sazon with coriander - these are the 17 oz packs
2 packets of chicken bouillon - the granuals not the cubes
1/2 teaspoon cumin - I use lots more
1 package of frozen peas
8 Spanish chorizos (more or less if you like)
5 or 6 red bell peppers
3 1/2 cups of rice
2 jars of Spanish olives

In a 10 quart pot, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add 6 cloves of garlic and saute for 2 minutes, then add 4 scallions, 3 or 4 twigs of cilantro, 2 teaspoons of tarragon, and a few dashes of salt. Saute this mixture for another 2 minutes, then add the chicken. and saute for 4-5 minutes on each side. I usually saute the chicken in batches, because all that chicken in the pot at the same time is a mess and never seems to cook well. After the chicken has been sauteed and is all in the pot, add 1 cup of wine (more is better as far as I'm concerned) and let simmer for 1 minute, then sprinkle with the black and white pepper (more if you like it spicy, less for just the flavor), add 2 packets of sazon, 1 packet of chicken bouillon, and 1/4 teaspoon of cumin (of course again I use more, but do it to your taste). Stir all of this thoroughly and then add 11 cups of water, cover with lid and let simmer for 50 minutes, or less if you find that the chicken is tender before the prescribed time.

Check constantly. The water should always be above the chicken. If you add more water, taste the broth for flavor and add more sazon or salt if needed. When it is finished cooking, take the chicken out of the pot and put the broth in a separate container.

While the chicken is cooking, in a separate pot cook the sweet peas for 1 minute with a clove of garlic and a couple of dashes of salt. Leave the peas in the water until it is time to add them to the rice.

Cut the chorizo into 1/4 inch round slices and saute them lightly in a frying pan in their own fat. Take the sauteed chorizo out of the pan and place on paper towels or a brown paper bag. Do not discard the fat. In the same pan that you sauteed the corizo, add a little bit of olive oil and saute the red peppers for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the skillet and let the peppers set.

After removing the chicken and separating the broth, add a 1/4 cup of olive oil to the 10 quart pot and heat over medium heat. Add the rest of the garlic, scallions, 3-4 twigs of cilanto, tarragon, a couple of dashes of both peppers, 2 sazon packets, 1 chicken bouillon, and cumin. Let this mixture saute for 2 minutes and then add the rice and saute for 1 minute stirring constantly.

Add the chicken and 9 cups of the broth that you saved from the chicken. If you have less than 9 cups of broth, then add water. Stir the entire mixture well. Let simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes covered with lid then reduce heat, remove the lid and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Place the lid back on the pot and continue to simmer checking constantly. If you see that the rice is still not cooked, add more broth or water until the rice is tender. If water is added instead of broth, add some more sazon and salt to taste.

Empty rice with the chicken in a large baking dish. Add the drained peas, chorizo, drained olives and mix everything gently. Then place the red peppers over the whole pan and heat in the oven for 5-15 minutes.

Final note from me:

If you want the dish to look pretty for company, then follow the above directions. If it doesn't matter to you, then just dump all of the remaining ingredients including the peppers into the pot and mix gently and thoroughly and then turn out into the baking dish.

By the time the chicken is finished cooking it is falling of the bone. So as I am transferring the chicken and rice to the baking dish, I am also pulling out all the bones. You'll never get them all out, so be careful when you eat and warn your guests!

Okay Jo. Check the recipe to see if it makes sense. I've made this so many times that I am writing this out of my head. I hope I didn't forget anything. Let me know.

Finally Darlin Kim: I forgot to mention this yesterday. I was ROTFLMAO about you using cheap wine to iron instead of cooking. I loved it! In answer to you question, yes by all means, use cheap wine. How are you today? Eyes open?

Well everyone, hope you enjoy the recipe and contribute some of you own. Be well.

Soon.
Michael

Hello Michael, Yes I am very well today, I hope your cold goes real soon. There is nothing worse then feeling blocked up. YES, my eyes are still wide open, there never shut, are yours? I'll be getting eye strain or a severe squint soon!

To the lovely person who was after fried banana recipes, please forgive me but I've forgotten your name. I had a nosey through one of my cook books "Mrs Beetons Everyday Cookery" and I found 2.
Bananas - Fried
Bananas, Flour, Oil or butter to fry & Poached eggs.

Peel the bananas and cut them in half length wise. Flour each and fry in butter or oil until light brown. Drain well and serve with poached eggs, just as bacon and eggs would be served.

Bananas - Savoury
Peel and cut the bananas in halves or quarters, season with salt and Paprika pepper (mixed). Melt some butter in a saute pan and cook the bananas for 10-15 min. Drain, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, dish up, and serve hot.

Not sure if they are of any use but they were the only ones I could find.

Sally C, hello to you. Jo does sound like Steve Irwin she isn't scared of anything either. I no I couldn't touch them, I'd run a mile!

Kim,
The honor (or honour) is all yours. Yes, we are are a common people separated by a common language. Different spellings (honor/honour, color/colour, neighbor/neighbour, etc), different words for the same things: tap=faucet, crisps=potato chips, chips=fried potatoes, lift=elevator, boot(not footwear)=car trunk, bonnet=car hood (and not the fancy hats that ladies wear on Easter Sunday!), etc, etc, etc. Hell, there're even regional differences within the US and Britain. But, at least we're still able to talk to each other!

With your permission, Kim, I will expand a bit on your definitions/explanations.

Yorkshire (where Kim is from) is a largely rural, farming/livestock region of England with its accompanying standard attire.
Flat caps: a flat, short-brimmed cap that goes a little over the back of the head and angles up toward the front. Like the caps that golfer's wear. Good for keeping all of that blazing English sun off the top of your head. :-p
Wellies (Wellingtons): Yes, rubber boots. Like galoshes only sturdier and coming further up the leg. Like knee-high waders. Handy for when you're traipsing around the farmyard or mucking out the barn. :-/
Created and named for the Duke of Wellington to keep his feet dry while trudging through the mud and blood during one or the other of his military campaigns. One of the first innovations using the (then) new process called vulcanization (covering/impregnating items with rubber to make them waterproof). Amazing the number of improvements to daily life that come about due to war, isn't it?

Fry Ups: Good old fried food. Just the traditional breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, sausage, etc. In Britain they go a bit further and add sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes and baked beans (which are closer to what we call pork & beans). Brits are mad about them. Trivia: If you placed all of the cans of the things they eat in a year end-to-end they would go around the world a couple of times!!!
Fry ups aren't only for breakfast, though 'cause you can eat egg and chips (fried eggs and french fried potatoes [chips]) any old time.

Bangers and Mash: 'nuff said by Kim

Brown Sauce: Closest thing in America is Heinz 57. Put it on everything. Most popular brand in Britain is HP Sauce. Love the stuff. They also have red sauce which is ketchup. Trivia: According to a recent survey it was found that the use of either brown or red sauce falls along pretty definite lines dividing North and South in the country. Most people love one and hate the other.

Sunday Roast: Nothing mysterious here. Kim does roast chicken. I was thinking more of the good old joint of beef roasted in the oven and carved from the bone. Served with oven roasted potatoes, veg of some kind and gravy made from pan drippings. Fell out of favor for a few years due to the Mad Cow Disease scare and the banning of meat on the bone. Called Sunday Roast because it's usually made on Sunday's. We do (or used to anyway) the same thing in America--cook up a big old, time-consuming all-out meal for Sunday dinner. Pot roast or fried chicken, mashed potatoes and pan gravy comes to mind.

Yorkshire Pudding: Ummmm, what can I say about this. It's not a pudding in the sense of a sweet, custardy-like thing for dessert. Yorkshire pud is a kind of bread. Basically, you make a pancake-like batter and spoon it into a hot muffin pan containing hot oil and shove it in the oven. While it bakes it puffs up all light, fluffy and crusty like souffle. And, like souffle it almost invariably collapses when you take it out of the oven. You poke a hole in it and fill it with some of that luscious pan gravy which soaks into all the nooks and crannies. Called Yorkshire Pudding 'cause it's from that region of England.

All this sound about right Kim, our Yorkshire (transplanted from Kent) Lass?

Michael
You wanted details. Had enough yet? I don't know about you but all of this talk about food is making me bloody hungry!!!

Take care,
--Richard

Transplanted lass from Kent calling Richard! Well what can I say you know more about it all then I do. You hit the nail right on the head, you were spot on. Yes my tin cans could have taken me around the world several times over, if you could see my cupboards now that is all you can see. Quick and easy to do, that's the way I like it.
Roast beef sounds lovely especially with a big dollop of mustard. I don't know if you can get them but have you tried the Bisto roast potatoes? Ummmmmmm very tasty, I'm having them with my chicken tomorrow.
Yes the mad cow was a huge problem here and it did cause a lot of problems with the farmers, quite a few had to have there stock destroyed. I still eat beef and it hasn't done nothing to me, or at least I don't think it has!
I'll think of you when I'm eating my roast and sipping my cheap plonk tomorrow.
Chat later
Kim

Mary
Where on this side of the water are you?

To All
Isn't it interesting that Paul, the originator of this blog is truly "on the other side of the water" and down under to boot. And, isn't it amazing that someone in some far-flung corner of the world could, by merely writing down his thoughts/feelings, hopes/fears, wants/needs and putting them in this internet bottle cast upon cyberwaves to float ashore in every part of the planet, bring so many people together? Does anyone else find this nothing less than miraculous?

I've thought back on the original post for this thread. It started out being a piece of self-reflection from a milepost in one man's life and evolved into a discussion of recipes. Food. The ulitmate tie that binds. Perhaps if all of the fools that run the various governments around the world were forced to come together around one big dinner table to share some good, home-cooked food then maybe they could put aside all of the blatant self-interest cloaked in -isms and -ologies and then maybe they would understand what most people already know--that we're all basically the same, languages and cultures aside. That we all need to work together 'cause, for better or worse, this planet is all we've got. And, if one man with one computer in one small corner of the world can bring so many together, what more can all the leaders in the world do with all of the knowledge and resources readily at hand? Maybe it's time we collectively rise up and in one voice proclaim (to paraphrase the movie Network) "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!"

Then again, maybe not. Maybe we are all merely pawns being moved around the board by great forces beyond our control. Who knows.

Anyway.

To Paul
Whatever else you've done or are going to do, you've done a good thing here. Good on ya, mate.
--Richard

Richard:

I am sitting here in tears. I am profoundly moved. Yes! Yes! Yes! I feel the same and was thinking the same this morning. It is almost as if you have put my thoughts into words here. It is miraculous that this man has done somethings so remarkably that we are all here. How do you explain that?

Thanks Richard - you are pretty remarkable too.

Michael

P.S. I owe you one terrific recipe!

Aw shuck, Kim. t'wern't nothin'

I've been to Kent, actually. The Garden of Londen, isn't that what they say? Chiselhurst (sp?) to be exact. Had tea in some stately pile called Great Ash with Lady Shakespeare, a great, great, great something or other of William Shakespeare. Ain't I posh?

Yeah, mad cow was a real tragedy. According to what I understand they think it came about due to some dodgey livestock feed. Seems they ground up leftovers from slaughtered sheep (bones, skin, etc.) to increase the protein content of the food for cattle. Rather a bizarre form of canibalism. Ironically, this feed was mostly produced here in the Netherlands. Rather a mess for everyone concerned and in some unexpected ways. For example, I can no longer donate blood in the States because I've lived here in Europe and may have been exposed to mad cow!!! Whatever.

Roast beef with mustard. Or how about creamed horseradish. Or Dijon mustard and get them both together.
Don't know the Bisto potatoes. Is that something you purchase already made up from the shops? Anyway, you say you're not very adverturesome in cooking. If you can roast a chicken, you can roast a joint of beef. It's just a question of cooking time.
Having problems with your self-made Yorkshr Puds? Try gently mixing the lightly beaten whites of one of two eggs into the batter at the last minute. Should help keep them fluffy/puffy.

Mad about baked beans. Try this American version.

Boston Baked Beans (6 servings)
4 cups cooked or canned navy beans
If using dried beans you will need to soak them overnight or longer. If not possible cook them in water until the skins split and they get soft.
1/3 cup molasses (dark treacle)
2 tblespoons brown sugar (dark bastard sugar)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 large onion, sliced into rings

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine all the ingredients except the oil and onion in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish, along with 1/4 cup of water. Mix thoroughly. Cover and bake 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a skillet. When it is hot, add the onion, stirring to separate the rings, and saute until brown. After the beans have baked for 30 minutes, top with the onions and bake, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. Serve at once

Enjoy your Sunday dinner.

--Richard

Thanks for the recipe Richard can't say I've heard of navy beans, don't suppose they come in a can covered in a nice orange sauce then.
So do you like all these stately places then? Blimey we have plenty here, lots of toffs sitting on there backsides wanting us ordinary folk to pay them to have a nosey around there homes, yeh right! Most of them are lords & ladies, earls etc who wouldn't give us the time of day but they want us to pay for the up keep of there homes. That to me doesn't sound right.
So how long was you in Kent for? I used to live in Maidstone, have you heard of it? It is quite near to London.
Well I'm of for a cuppa now, so will chat later.
Kim

Oh forgot to say the bisto potatoes come frozen, bagged and already done. You just need to heat them in the oven, see, quick and easy.

Kim
I believe navy beans is the kind of beans used in your mad passion tinned beans. That's just the name for them in America. If you can get them dried use them. If not, try any variety of white bean. If desperate, go ahead and try using the tinned beans but I'm not sure what the outcome will be what with the tomato sauce and all.

Have heard of Maidstone but don't believe I've ever been there. Yes, you have plenty of aristos expecting the commoners to pay their way. Take Lord Bath for example. Visit the estate and pay your entrance fee to gawk around in the house. All to subsidize his lifestyle and pay upkeep on his zoo.

However, I did no such thing with regard to Lady S. She was a close family friend of friends of mine. I travelled with these friends down from London one afternoon for a visit and spot of tea. No paid admission, private, personal visit.

Only place I've ever paid admission to visit was Holyrood House in Edinburgh where Queen Victoria used to live. Now it's one of the Queen Elizabeth's official residences, you know. I asked the tour guide, since Her Majesty was not in residence, if I could sit on the Throne. All he said was, "We are not amused!" Cheeky bastard!!!
Also, once on a visit to the Tower of London I decided to take a peek at the crown jewels which at that time were under lock and key there. Said to one of the guards, "So, if Liz gets frisky one night and wants to have a royal romp with Prince Philip can she call down and command that the crown be sent up?" He totally missed the humor of it all and very sternly informed me that no, the crown jewels are the property of the State and the People of England and the Queen is only allowed to wear it one day in the year--the opening of Parliment. Told him that I wasn't aware of that fact and how truly democratic it all was. :-))
Have a cuppa for me. With milk and three sugars, please.
--Richard

Michael, thank you for the gift of energy and light. I felt it and it was wonderful. Actually, your words are enough of a gift for me. They have an immediacy that makes what you write seem familiar and known to me in some lovely way. I think I'm getting to know you already.

You mentioned in your first post that you took a change of direction in your early forties career-wise. Did you feel that coming or was it a case of spontaneously deciding to go for it? I'm curious because I've felt like I'm at a transition stage for some time now, but am not really clear where I want to go. I love my job and yet I also know I'm ready to move into something that will offer me a new challenge. It feels confusing at times.

Richard, yes it is. Nothing short of miraculous I mean. I was really moved by what you wrote about how Paul has brought us all together. Thank you for that. You are so right in what you said. I think Paul's light draws the light in each of the people who come here. And coming together, with him at the centre, the circle of light is amazingly bright and it grows brighter with each new person who joins in.

BTW, I live in Ireland, just outside Dublin.

Love to Paul and to everyone out there tonight,
Mary

Michael,
Thank you very much. But, I'm no one special. Just one person trying to make his way in the world.
Here's a little story for you (and everyone else). Fits in with the direction of this thread.

Confucious sat one day in comtemplation over the meaning of life and each person's place in the scheme of things. While in thought, he fell into a deep sleep and began to dream.
In the dream he descended into Hell, which it seems was an enormous banquet hall with at its center a long table loaded down and groaning under the weight off every conceivable type of exquisite delicacy.
Seated around the table were all of the souls which had been condemned to this Hell. In spite of the presence of an endless supply of wonderful things to eat all of them were starving. For, the one rule here is: eat of everything and as much as you wish but you may do so only using a five-foot-long pair of chopsticks. There were cries of anger, pain and frustration due to the realization that they were doomed to sit at this table of plenty for all of eternity without ever being able to partake of the feast. This was their eternal punishment because they had not discovered the key.
Then in the dream, Confucius ascended into Heaven which was an identical banquet hall with the same type of table loaded down with the same type of delicacies. Around this table were seated the souls granted entry into Paradise. The same rule applied here: eat of everything and as much as you want but only using the five-foot-long chopsticks. But, at this table everyone was well-fed. There were smiles, laughter and cries of joy. For, you see, the souls sitting here for all of eternity were able to enjoy the feast and partake of its abundance because they had discovered the solution--the true meaning of life. They were each using their chopsticks to feed each other. This then is the reward--the key to happiness and fulfillment: in feeding others we receive nourishment in return. No one need ever go hungry.

Hope you get to feeling better, Michael. And, try not to cry, mate. You'll only make you nose run worse.
--Richard

Hey I am too checking back for the banana recipies. I always thought sugar was involved, they taste so sweet.
Sally, I live in a boring little burg called Wilkes-Barre.
All the dishes sound so good,except the baked beans..no offense intended Richard..I hate beans.
I'm having pot roast for dinner tonight, with salad. Ice cream for dessert.
Peace

Sorry I'm distracted. Monika, Dez is doing very well. She is going for an outing with her husband and kids tomorrow. I think it will do her a world of good. As they are both EMTs I think they will handle all the medical necessities quite well.
Katalina, I guess we are still having PM trouble I hope you got the email with the alternate address in it. Latte love to you!
peace

Michael
OOPS! The Westminister is in February of each year. They just awarded this honor to this soldier and his dog. He will probably be hilighted next Feb.

As to recipes.
When my Mother died, we found piles of recipes that she had saved over the years. Some of these recipes go back two and three generations in my family. So far my daughter has documented close to 300 of them and counting. Some of them are dulicates. Mom used to make a fantastic BBQ sauce, but we have yet to come across it. I am checking with some of my cousins who liked it as well.

The following recipes kind of variable.
Potato Bake Takes about an hour to make & serve.
I'm asked to make this all the time for potlucks. I made it for my remodel guys, and they were drooling before I could get it finished.

Chuckwagon Beans. Another favorite requested.
It has kind of a sweet & sour flavor to it.

A new one I received is
Vegetable Lasagna Yum!
Don't we have some vegetarians in our PC family?

Apple Pie Coffee cake. Only three ingredients with a sugar/cinnamon/butter topping.

I also have my Dad's cookbook for large groups of people, and I have his written book of recipes. Included in it is a recipe for a chocolate, mashed potato wedding cake. However, I don't do cakes from scratch well.

Richard
I love your "Confusious" post..

Paul
Where are you.

Love to all.
Marge

Inn,
Only commented that you hadn't been checking in because you had not responded.
Bananas are full of natural fruit sugars. That's why they taste so sweet. When you fry them, the natural sugars caramalize and taste even sweeter. If you go with the split and fry in oil or butter method you can sprinkle granulated sugar on them as they cook which will make an extra caramel coating.
No offense taken over the beans. The recipe was mostly for Kim, PC's mad-about-baked-beans Brit. Just an option for something other than out of the tin.
Enjoy your pot roast.
--Richard

Richard I was very amused! I'm still sitting here now laughing, what a tonic you are.
So did you have cucumber sandwiches with "Lady S", isn't that what posh people eat? You see with me not being posh and not speaking with a plum in ones mouth I wouldn't know. I expect you even had your tea out of a cup and saucer, us commoners use mugs.
I take it you didn't get to sit on the throne then.
I'm not sure I like the sound of dried beans, I like my food to have some colour to it, if it hasn't I don't think I would enjoy it. I eat with my eyes.
Next time you've got the kettle on mine is white with 2 (in a mug)

Michael, I have just been told what ROTFLMAO means, I'm glad I made you laugh. Next time you do the ironing have a glass of wine it does make it less of a chore. If you have a lot to do then keep the bottle out and stick a straw in it.
How's your cold?

Goodnight everyone, sweet dreams

kim
Glad you got a good laugh.
As I recall, Lady S. served cake. Cucumber sandwiches--bah. What a waste of a potentially good pickle! Mugs?? No my dear, Royal Doulton(sp).

No, didn't get to sit on THE throne. Later on I did get to try one out in another part of the palace. Came across it in a rather smallish room behind an ornately carved door. This throne had a handle on the end of a charming little chain. Come to think of it, maybe Her Majesty used to sit there, too. Is it possible that there is more than one throne room? That's truly royal!!??

Kim, Kim, Kim--not dried beans like some old flowers from the garden pressed in a book. Dried as in uncooked!!! Are you having me on or wot? If not, ou do need to put the tin opener down and get out more!
Sleep well.
--Richard

Oh no not Royal Doulton with the hand painted periwinkles? Make mine a beaker-white with 3 (I have a big sweet tooth can ya tell?)
Richard no worries on the recipie checking. I rarely get angry at anyone and most of my posts are made with tongue firmly in cheek so be easy. I'm chuffed about the naners and will surely put a good sprinkle of sugar on mine. I'm going to make them right now. I'll let you know how they turn out.
peace.

Inn
No, not the ones with the hand-painted periwinkles. Hyacinth is using those later for one of her tasteful candle-lit suppers.
--Richard

Egads! You people are making me nuts! I'm trying to stick to a diet and all this recipe talk is making my mouth water! (And I know all this drool is no good for my keyboard!)

How about the weather? It's been a beautiful day here in Southern California. Warm and mild. White fluffy clouds against a sort of blue-brown sky. :)

May I express a little bid of sadness here? I went to Magic Mountain the other day (an amusement park famous for lots of roller coasters) and I'm afraid I've finally gotten too old for them. All the newer ones have so many twists and turns (and the darn thing you sit in actually turns upside down) that I get motion sick. I feel like a damn dinosaur! I used to absolutely LOVE roller coasters. Another thing I cannot do, folks. I believe I've ridden my last, and it makes me sad. Silly, eh?

My best to everyone.... Vicki

Kim: Thank you for explaining the phrases. You can imagine how I laughed when I found out what flat caps and wellies were. I thought they were food too. Richard, your further explanations were excellent. I'm still not clear on brown and red sauce. You described brown as Heinz 57 which I think of as ketchup. Do you mean the brown gravy they make? Yorkshire puds - if I used Bisquick (which I use to make pancakes) would that work or would I use a traditional mix? Also how much oil in the muffin tins? These things sound so good, I want to try them. And Kim, I'm still laughing about the ironing! And yes, I'll use a straw.

Richard: I loved your stories. Tea with Lady S, wanting to try on the crown jewels AND sit on the thrown - you cheeky bastard. And what really has me laughing is they did not get the joke. Can you imagine Liz getting frisky? The visual image is having me ROTFLMAO!!!! As well as the handle on the end of a chain. Did someone come when you pulled it? Well as least you got to try out one throne! Thank goodness I am not eating your baked beans right now or I would be tooting all over the place!

And Richard, with all due respect, you are special, also humble, with a great sense of humor and insight that rings true, which makes you even more special.

Mary: Thank you. I love your words too. Sometimes I feel like you are completing my sentences.

As far as my career change . . . It was sudden. I was present to the moment when it was offered to me by the Universe and went on the path I was meant to. I will say that there were many years of preparation for that moment, and for a few years before it happened I was feeling like you are now.

I started acting, singing, and dancing when I was 6. I continued all through my schooling in school plays and community theatre. When I was in my last year of high school, I took a required psychology course and knew that was what I was meant to do. So when I started college at 18. I had every intention of becoming a psychologist. During my first semester at college, I auditioned for the musical Cabaret and got the part. I did a couple of more musicals and well . . . a little flattery went a long way and I moved to NYC to be an actor when I was 19. I got an agent fairly quickly and starting working as an actor filling in with jobs as a waiter and bartender. I was very very lucky. I did television commericals, industrial films, commercial print modeling, some short spot characters on soap operas, and lots of theatre all over the east coast. All in all I did quite well and was eventually able to support myself from the income of acting. When I reached my mid-thirties, even though my career continued to improve and the jobs were better, I liked it less and less. I was very unhappy, so I stopped and got a job in an office as a word processor. I made lots of money, was happy, but knew that something was missing.

One day I was rollerblading along the Hudson River in downtown NYC. I stopped to rest. As I was resting, I witnessed the severe mistreatment of an adolescent Latin male. It was at that moment the universe offered me the opportunity. Fortunately for me, I heard the offer and took it. Went to school got a bachelor in psychology, a master in social work and now I'm a therapist.

While I loved being an actor most of the time until the end, I don't think that acting was what I was meant to do on plant. I think it was preparation to get me to that moment when I said yes to what I am doing now. As an actor, I had a varied and fantastical life, experienced many things that I would not have otherwise and it made me who I am today, prepared me for who I am today and what I am doing. I take all of my experiences with me - that make me me - into the room with me everytime I have a session with a client.

So - do you think that the Universe is offering something to you? Is there some specific challenge that you see and want? Do you feel like you want to move toward something or move away from something? If you love your job, do you think that it could be something else in your life? Perhaps add something or move things around? It is hard to be with confusion. It's very uncomfortable. It is also human to want clear answers when you ask for them. The only thing that I can tell you is that the Universe has its own time frame which unfortunately does not always match ours. Look at me. The Universe sent me down a road for 23 years before it brought me here. Fortunately, for me, I had a lot of fun and it was very rewarding, but I did not arrive at my true calling until I was forty-two. Does any of that make sense? I would like to speak more about this if you would like, but I feel I have gone on too long already. I promised earlier that I would shorten my posts - I did not keep my promise on this one. Let me know Mary. Just breath, find stillness, and listen.

Muchos besos mis Amigos
Michael

Hey Gang
Here is a banana recipe to drool over.

Maui Kalua (Baked Banana)
6 large bananas
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ to ¾ cup rum
1 cup toasted coconut.

Bake bananas in their skins in a luau pit, or in pre heated hot oven at 400 F for about 15 minutes. Remove bananas from skins and place on individual serving plates. Cover evenly with brown sugar, spoon on rum, and set aflame. When flame dies, sprinkle with coconut. Makes 6 servings.

Anyone have a luau pit?
Marge

Hello Paul and Everyone,

I am finally back and have spent the last thirty minutes catching up by reading your emails. As I told Grandma Mil--I think-- I have just returned from Kyoto, Japan with my husband, and was so delighted with the trip I kept wondering what took me so long to go to the Far East.
Anyway, first to Kelley. I, too, had Sarcoidosis. For two and one-half years none of the many doctors I went to knew what the problem was. I had lymph nodes growing in my neck and under my check and throat. Actually it was this that prompted a biopsy, several chest x-rays and a blood test called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) to come to a definitive diagnosis. All of these symptoms affect people differently. I hope I can give you hope be telling you that after a year and one-half on prednisone, I have NO symptoms of Saarcoid. That doesn't mean it may not return next week or next year. BUT, I go on with my life. I think the years of acupuncture treatment and ten years of martial arts training (both of which I still do) served me well, especially helping me not to be bed ridden, etc. If you want to talk with me more about this, please write.

And to you Paul, everyone has given all the solace and love to you (I avoid saying advice) that I would want to givve. I am 62 and am still painting the picture of my life and enjoying every moment of it. You can and will do the same. AND, we are all here for you.

Hi Michael,
Feeling better 2day I hope? Glad you liked the stories and thanks for the kind words. We live many "lives" in one lifetime and often it takes many changes in direction to find our true path. I've altered course several times.

>>As well as the handle on the end of a chain. Did someone come when you pulled it?
--No one showed up actually. There was only a loud sound of rushing water. Go figure!

>>I'm still not clear on brown and red sauce. You described brown as Heinz 57 which I think of as ketchup.
--Yes, Heinz does make tomato ketchup (red sauce)-- it's probably the most popular brand. But, they also make something called Heinz 57 which is a brown-colored steak sauce.

>>Yorkshire puds - if I used Bisquick (which I use to make pancakes) would that work...
--No, don't use Bisquick or any other pancake mix. They contain baking powder. I only used pancake batter as an example of texture and consistency. Although normally served with roast beef, you can also eat them with chicken, or any other meat for that matter. Try the recipe below. These can be a bit tricky to make, especially the first time if you don't know what the end result is supposed to look like. If in double, Google Yorkshire Pudding and see if you can find some pictures.

Yorkshire Pudding
1/4 cup of bacon drippings
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, well-beaten
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine well-beaten egg and milk in a bowl; beat till light. Gradually beat in sifted flour and salt; beat till smooth. Let stand 30 minutes.

Divide bacon drippings evenly into four "cups" of a muffin pan and put pan into oven until drippings are hot and smoking.
Remove pan from oven and pour (or spoon) batter into pan. Divide batter evenly between "cups" of the pan. Work fast so that the drippings don't cool down too much and be careful 'cause the grease will splatter.
Put pan back into the oven and bake at 450 degrees for +/-15 minutes. The puds will rise and turn golden brown.
The trick is the hot fat and the hot oven. Don't keep opening the oven to check. Serve immediately as they will deflate as they get cold. Pour nice beef gravy over the top.

Take it easy
--Richard

Oops
double=doubt

Hello Everyone,

So many posts in such a less time, that means: More than 100 posts in 3 days. I can't keep it up anymore. It takes me so much time to read and understand them all. Time that I actualy don't have, so I think this is were my (PC) Journey ends...

I though about it very well (haven't had much sleep last night because of that) and it is very hard to say goodbye, but I think that it's the best thing to do.

Maybe I'll stop by ones in a while, but I don't know why I should. If I don't read your posts every day, I am going to miss some parts and I don't know what happend to all of you. I don't want that either. Than I really don't understand anymore what's going on or what it's all about...
It's hard for me to keep up, but if I miss more days, than I really don't understand it anymore.

These two months that I've visited and posted on PC really changed my life.
Thanks to PC I was able to express myself like I've never done before. It was such a relief to talk about the things that are going on in my mind. Without PC I think I'd never expressed myself and admitted that I have problems.
Thanks to Evelyn and Mary I was able to talk about it and it made me feel so much better. Ofcourse my problems aren't solved just by talking about it, but it has been a real relief not have to carry this by my own anymore.
Thanks to Paul I've "met" some wonderful people and I am going to miss them all very much, but that's just the way it is. I wish that it hasen't have to end, but like I said I just don't have enough time and I really need time to understand and write, because my English isn't that great......

Bey for now to:

Paul,
Thank you so much for this wonderful experience!
Hope everything is going to work out just fine for you. I Wish you all the best and thanks again!!

Evelyn and Mary,
I hope we keep in touch by email.

Grandma Mill,
Thank you for sending me those beautiful pictures of Paul's daughters. And those posters.
They are all very beautiful!!
Good luck on FIF!

Kim,
I haven't had time to mail you yet, so I'll do that later if you don't mind.

Jo,
Thank you for talking about that motorcycles, that helped me to ride it again.
Good luck to your husband!!

Inn,
I hope Desiree is going to recover completely!

Kelly,
I hope you are going to be alright too.

Tim,
Good luck to you and your family.

Peter,
Thanks for your posts, some made me really laugh (especially when we all talked about dancing the chicken dance in a purple speedo or a white dress...)

Abeth,
I hope your pregnancy is going to be ok and that you are going to have a healthy little baby...

Bye for now too to Michelle, Marge, Julie, Lori, Hanh, Dhiana, Kat, bluedog, Sally, Richard, Micheal, Leslie, Vicky....
I am very sorry if I missed a name, forgive me for that...

Thank you all very much for this wonderful experience!!!
Love you all,

Monika

Monika
Ik begrijp wel dat het moeilijk voor is want Engels niet jouw moedertaal is. Zoveel vreemde woorden, zoveel culturele verwijzingen. Maar, je hoeft niet alle posten te lezen. Lees vooral de hoofdpost van Paul en sommige van de anderen. Als je vragen hebt, misschien kan ik je helpen. Je kan me altijd vragen. Je kan me altijd direkt emailen. Mijn adres is willevcon at hotmail.com. In het Nederlands ben ik niet heel welbespraakt, maar ik doe m'n best.
Je hoeft niet weg to gaan--ECHT!!
Sterkte. De mazzel.
--Richard

Richard, Royal Doulton, Oh I say very posh indeed, give me a mug any day. So you have also watched Mrs Bucket, do you put your milk bottles in the dish washer and have candlelit suppers?
I still think I will keep hold of my tin opener just for a while longer, I can't make any mistakes with that!

Michael I'm so glad I made you laugh, isn't that what we are all here for. I have a full packet of straws in my kitchen so I'm always prepared, straight from the bottle chilled, so you see ironing can be quite enjoyable it is the cooking I have the problems with.
How's your cold today? I hope you are feeling better.

Monika, that is so sad you are leaving us. You WILL be missed. Write to me when you can, I no you are busy. Take care of yourself.

Helen thanks for your message, as you can see I have now found PC, I hope you are also well.

Well I'm now of for my mug of tea, catch you all later.
Kim x

Kim
>>I still think I will keep hold of my tin opener just for a while longer, I can't make any mistakes with that!
--There are no mistakes, just unexpected results.

The lady of the house speaking. Yes, Royal Doulton with hand-painted periwinkels. Milk in bottles?? What would the Vicar think. No, Wedgewood dear Wedgewood. A gift from my sister who has a Mercedes and yard with room for a poney. And that's Boookaaay, dear Booooooookaaaaaayy.

Monika, I am very sorry to hear you are leaving but please drop in on occasion. I personally don't care if you are following the thread, I'd like to know you are doing ok when you get the chance. I've put my email on this post so please feel free to drop me a line when you can. You have been a kind and lovely person to know. Keep in touch.
Richard, you kill me. I just love Hyacinth and the rest of the gang. You cracked me up..room for a pony. I wish they still made that show. I had my bananas and they were not like I remembered but is anything ever as good as the memory?
Vicki, do feel silly. I was very sad when I could no loger handle the rides I used to love so much. But now I get so nausous and it takes ages for the feeling to go away that it's just not worth the effort. Good-by Sooper Dooper Looper, good bye Tilt a Whirl it was fun while it lasted.
ooops gotta run, late for work again!

Inn
...and room for a pony
Yes, my sister Violet. She also has a swimming pool.
Do come to my next soiree. The Commodore will be in attendance and I will be singing a selection of tunes from the Pirates of Penzance. Cocktails and finger sandwiches at 6.
Onzlow, do put on a shirt. No need to take that tone with me Onzlo!
I hate it when people try to act so superior. It makes is difficult for those of us who are.
Must run. My darling Sheridan is on the line. Something about money for silk pajamas and a trip to Iceland. I do admire my dear Sheridan. He's so adventuresome.

Richard, you mentioned your sister Violet, you know the one with room for a pony what about tarty Rose and daddy dearest, have you disowned them?
Have you also seen Only Fools & Horses?

Dear Richard, Dahling...

I love that you and Kim share things English, and that your posts have introduced us all to such lovely and delicious-sounding recipes.

I always thought that the English were chin up, and all that, plus only fish and chips for dinner!

A dahling woman, who is from England but now lives in our village, is named "Jackie" and is a former showgirl, where she appeared long ago in film and TV in England. She is helping me with choreograpy and motion in my "Follies".

It is quite a sight to watch her try to get 4 rather portly and uncoordinated senior ladies, all in their 70s, to move to the beautiful music of "Shadow Waltz" from "42nd St"!

Yes, this will DEFINITELY be one of the comedy routines, and everyone is being a good sport about it, but poor "Jackie" gets so frustrated each rehearsal, for the ladies cannot follow her gorgeous and showgirl steps! She has managed to
get these ladies into a Busby Berkley type of routine, and I can hardly contain my laughter and glee! (Paul, where are you???)

Helen, your experiences with scarcoidosis and your recovery is heartwarming and reassuring, bless you! I hope Kelly will draw comfort from your story.

Monika, stay in touch!

Peace and Love,

Grandma Mil

Hello Gran Mil
Glad you're enjoying the banter. I was beginning to wonder if we were sounding a bit clique-ish what with could be perceived as inside jokes. Must remember that this is a world-wide forum and not everyone will be familiar with some of the stuff. Not trying to exclude anyone.
All those references to Hyacinth, Royal Doulton, pools and ponies come from a program called Keeping Up Appearances. You might be able to find reruns of it on cable in the States. If so, it's well worth a look. Hilarious.
The British do get the reputation of being staid, stiff-upper-lip and humorless or bumbling basket cases. And that they only eat bad, overcooked or greasy food. You get that perception in most part from all of those uptight Victorian costume dramas based on Jane Austin books or dopey romantic comedies a la Hugh Grant, etc.
I assure you, it's not all that way. No more than knowing what all Americans are like by watching Jerry Springer (god, what an embarrassing bit of Americana!!) or a great deal of the stuff out of Hollywood (like American Pie I, II, III). Or that the only thing Americans eat is McDonald's or pizza. Unfortunately, these things are our public face to the world.
Bye the way, my little anecdotes about Lady S., sitting on the throne, crown jewels, etc. are 100% true.
As for FiF--hang in there, it'll come together in the end. Somehow things always do.
--Richard

Richard I'm sitting here crying bucket loads into my tissue. Humorless, bumbling basket cases, stiff upper lipped, I'm deeply, deeply hurt, NO I'm only kidding. I like to think I do have a good sense of humour, I wouldn't say I'm stiff upper lipped but maybe to a certain extent I might be a little bonkers!

Grandma Millie, Yes we do eat a lot of fish and chips. You can't beat it, covered with salt & vinegar handed to you wrapped in paper. Come over and try some.

Chat later everyone
Kim

Dear Richard and Kim,

I have always loved and admired the British...my favorite actors for years were Sir Laurence Olivier and his wife (for 20 years) Vivien Leigh.

Now, in my old age, I have changed course for the Aussies, Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice!

Of all the countries I would like to visit someday, England and Australia are at the top of my list, with Ireland and our Mary, not far behind.

We used to fly to Heathrow from Miami on British Airways, then change planes to go to Israel to visit with our children and grandchildren. We won't be able to make such trips in the immediate future. Maybe peace will break out somewhere, sometime.

I love Hugh Grant and the Brits in those comedies that we get on nightly TV here in Florida.

My favorites films are from the English novels of Jane Austin and the Brontes...."Wuthering Heights", "Jane Eyre" and "Pride and Prejudice"..I sent a copy of the movie "Pride and Prejudice" to Princess Hannah in Manchester, and she absolutely loved it, over the more modern versions seen on television.

Peace and Love,

Grandma Mil

Hello Grandma Mil, like you I much prefer the Aussies it is just a shame we don't get to see much of them. Even though I'm British I don't go much on some of our actors, there expressions never change from one minute to the next and yet they get paid an absolute fortune to read of a cue card. I'll stick to Strictly Ballroom!
I am hoping to visit Australia within the next couple of years. I have a very dear friend who lives in Perth so it would be nice to see her and her family and you never know I might even be brave and try Paul's kangaroo recipe!

Love, Kim

Monika
Life without PC? I hope not.
Do like Katalina does, jump in once in awhile and say "Hi" and then "poof" gone for a time.

I sometimes scan the posts, and only read the short ones. I find that I get bogged down in some of the larger paragraphs, and go back later and site read them line by line.

I try to keep my paragraphs short even when I posting about a larger subject.

I am watching "The Blue Lightning" (1985)with Sam Elliott (another one of my favorite hunks) and Robert Culp that seems to be filmed in Australia. Anyone ever hear of it?

Kim(UK)
Can you tell me a little about "Only Fools and Horses" Is it a UK film?

Later, Take care, love
Marge

Hello Everyone!

Weather here in Northwest Indiana, USA has been very volatile and violent. Winds up to 70 miles per hour. Torrential rains, lightening striking very close and frequent and tornado warnings. I have been down to the basement a couple of times today already. The power of it is amazing really, until you realize that that stuff can kill you. Then I run! Michelle - how's the weather in Chicago?

Kim darlin, Cheeky Richard, and Inn:

You guys have me rolling with the quick and sharp banter. At first I wasn't sure what you were referring to although it sounded familiar and then when someone mentioned Keeping up Appearances it all clicked. I used to watch it when I lived in NYC. I loved that show. I also like Are You Being Served?

I have been laughing out loud remembering your posts from yesterday. Tremendously funny. Then when I logged on and read your comment Richard about the loud sound of rushing water, I lost it. I was laughing so hard I have to visit my own smallish throne room! Also thanks for the Pud recipe. I'll try it soon.

Kim: I am going to return your advice. As much as a bottle of wine with a straw in it can ironing more pleasurable, take that same idea into the kitchen. I do. Whenever I cook, I pour a glass of wine (I prefer red) and let the fun begin. That way you are bolder and willing to take more chances. Also if it doesn't turn out you don't care as much. You just chuck it and then open a tin. May I also recommend wine from Australia and Chili. In my opinion the best things going.

Monika: I hope you have not left yet. I want to say goodbye. If I promise to keep my posts shorter will you stay? Seriously, do what you need to do for yourself. When you come back to visit, just ask what has been going on and we will tell you. I wish you well.

Helen: Welcome back.

Vicki: I remember when I had to stop riding rollercoasters too. The first time I went on one that not only took you upside down, but then the ride repeated itself backward. Just thinking of it turns me green.

Marge: How is the weather where you are? Are you okay? I loved the luau banana recipe. Kind of reminds me of Cherries Jubilee Well at least the flaming liquor part. The Potato Bake sounds good. as does the Veggie Lasagna. Okay - so come across with the recipes.

Grandma Morton: How's it handing sweetie? Are you taking care of yourself. Take care of Ellie.

Dear Mary: I hope this finds you well. I wanted to clarify something about my post last night. At the end, I asked alot of questions. On reflection, I do not want you to think that I was acting in any kind of professional capacity. My personal and professional life are completely separate. According the the guidelines of my profession, it would be unethical and illegal to provide any kind of counseling in this manner. My speaking to you came from a connection that we have made and therefore a fondness that I have for you. I also can identify with where you are standing right now. As some people say in the states, "It gives me the itches." Trying to clarify this does not mean that my concern and words for you are any less heartfelt, and I am more than willing to speak with you further at any time if you wish. I wish that we were closer so we could meet over dinner, drink, and talk and talk and talk. As a matter of fact, I wish I could do that with so many of you. Individually and at a huge banquest. Right Richard. Food binds us.

Well all, I have to go because a storm is blowing up again and there is lightening. Have to unplug.

Soon.
Michael

P.S. Sorry - no proofreading.

Marge, no Only Fools & Horses isn't a film it was a comedy series. It was about 2 London brothers living in Peckham that shared there flat with there Uncle Albert. It was so funny, typical Londoners. Can I ask where you are from, maybe I could send you a video of it. David Jason played the part of Del Boy, Nicholas Lyndhurst was Rodney (Del's younger brother) and Buster Merryfield was Uncle.

Michael, "I'm Free". Yes, Are You Being Served was another good one, a classic.
I know, don't I have to put up with some cheek just lately, I don't mind it's all good fun.
I haven't tried the Aussie wine, if it's as good as there films then I'm sure I will love it. So that is where I am going wrong then, I need a BIG glass of wine before I even attempt to cook anything, I'll remember that. Cheers!
We have had a few claps of thunder this afternoon, I don't like it either.

Take care everyone
Kim

Marge,
I tried your banana recipe for desert today. Yum! My husband LOVED it. Thank you. Haven't heard of Blue Lightning, but Sam Elliott is good in anything.

Michael,
Tomorrow I am cooking the Picadillo.

Does anyone know if you can purchase Red Ribbon Blues? I can't seem to find it anywhere. I saw it on DirecTV and haven't been able to find a copy of it. It is an excellent movie and if you get a chance everyone should see it.

Monika,
I agree with Marge. Just look over the messages. I am sure that some of them are probably hard for you to understand, but do look in now and then. Don't leave us forever.

P.S.
Kim,
Australian wine is BETTER than French wine or California wine. No kidding! Don't know what they do to those grapes, but it is good.

Just checked on ebay and found out what "Only fools & horses" is all about.

When the United States first got TV, (B&W of course) the only movies that were shown, were old english movies, because there was some sort of rule that American flicks could not be shown if they were less than 10 years old or something like that. Now, of course, I wish they would bring them back.

Marge

Monika, Mary & Michelle:

Hello to you.
I've been lying low. Been busy sorting lots of stuff. Too flat out.
Fortunately that will soon change for the better.

I hope you are all well.

Best wishes to all PC'ers.

Peter

Hello Everyone:

I just came in from outside. The thunder and lightening storms cleared up for a bit and it was gloriously beautiful outside. The first time out since I came down with the cold. But it is blowing up again so I'l have to make this quick.

Kim darlin: Yes I love that classic and dare I say it? I love Absolutely Fabulous. Yes, dare I say it. I am addicted to Absolutely Fabulous asmuch as Strickly Ballroom. Although for completely different reasons. It is cheeky, trashy, witty, silly, low and silly again good fun. I've seen the episodes so many times. Although I must confess, I have a feature on my television where you can turn on subtitles. Whenever I am watching a show from the UK, I turn on the English subtitles so I do not miss anything. Don't tell anyone.

Jo is absolutely right. You have not lived until you have tasted Aussie wine. And do not forget the wine from Chili. They, in my opinion, beat every other wine hands down. So open a bottle and get to it girl! I've been thinking of a few more recipes that are very simple and you get to open a few tins in the process for the recipe. Maybe that is the key to get you into the kitchen and ween you off the tins! Soon darlin. Eyes open.

Rockin Jo: How are you mama? Did you make the BBQ brisquet? Good luck with the Picadillo tomorrow. Just remember - make it the way you like it - its all about you baby. How's that hog ridin husband or yours? Is he feeling good? If he ain't behavin, I know that your the one to get him in line. You go rocking Jo!

Marge: How is the weather where you are? Are you okay? Are you alone? Don't hesitate to give a shout out if you need to okay? And by the by, you are leaving me hanging about the Potato Bake. If you have people not being able to wait until you have finished cooking it, then I want in on that too. You take care of yourself real good okay?

Where is that cheeky Richard? I want more stories Richard. Actually, you did not have to tell me that those stories actually happened. When you were telling the story about the smallish room with the handle attached to a charming little chain, you had me completely sucked in. I exploded when I got it. I WAS amused!

Later everyone.
Michael

Jo I'm glad you are back I missed you yesterday. Oh I will try the Aussie wine for sure. Maybe they get the kangaroo's to tread on the grapes or something!

Michael, I will of course try the Chili wine too. All of this wine tasting I'll end up sloshed. I can see one major hangover coming. Easy recipes, now you're talking my language, and the use of tins better still. Anyone would think I have an addiction to tin cans, is there therapy for that?????
Ab Fab I think has now finished here. I think they made one more lot earlier this year but that was it. OK Sweetie! Subtitles, can you not understand us Brits? Yep eyes are open, what about yours?

Marge try to get hold of a copy of Fools & Horses, it is funny I'm sure you would like it. Another good classic.

Chat later
Kim

Peter, welcome back stranger! It's great to hear from you. Hope all the stuff gets sorted the way you want it and that you don't get too flat in the process. Looking forward to hearing from a less-busy you. Love to you.

Michael, rest assured I picked up not even a hint of anything unethical or illegal! Promise. I was fascinated with your story. Thanks for sharing it. Your words helped me a lot because they allowed me to see clearly that what I am looking for is something where all my experiences to date and everything that I have (hopefully) managed to learn so far can be as valuable and relevant as all my career experience so far. This is a step forward, so thanks. I have some time to find out what that is exactly, as I have a year left of a post-grad course to complete in the coming year. Somehow (maybe naively), I feel that the right choice will find me. The dinner, drink and talk sounds wonderful BTW and don't worry about the distance. All three seem to be available here at the moment! Take care Michael and stay safe in that storm.
PS I LOVE Absolutely Fabulous!

Monika, I agree with Inn and Marge. Please drop in whenever you can. Your place here is reserved and we won't forget you! It has been lovely having you around and getting to know you. I'd be delighted to stay in touch. Sending you love and wishing you peace of mind.

Millie, I promise you will get 'cead mile failte' (a hundred thousand welcomes) if you ever come to these shores!

Richard and Kim, thanks for the entertainment! Keeping Up Appearances is showing here in the afternoons at the moment. It makes me laugh no matter how many times I see it.

Michelle, you're in my thoughts. Hope you are well.

Evelyn, you must be almost finished by now? Best to you.

Love to Paul and all,
Mary

Mary, you're welcome. I'm pleased we were able to make a few people laugh and smile. Enjoy watching it, I did/do.
Kim

Mind the lorry Richard, and do drive slowly past number 10 so she can see my new hat.

Went back this afternoon and re-read quite a few of Paul's older essays and the comments. I highly recommend it if you haven't. This is REALLY a nice guy here.

Hi Everyone:

Chili is the food or vegetable
Chile is the country.

My mistake.

Michael

Michael, when I checked in just now, I read your post again and I'm a bit concerned that when I posted late last night I may have come across as appearing to make light of your genuine concern re: the personal/professional boundary. Please forgive me if that's so. In no way did I mean it in that way. Let me reassure you again that you have no need to worry. I knew that your words came about because of an ease of communication between us and from a recognition of having been in a similar place. And I really appreciated you taking the time to write your thoughts on what I had asked you. I'm glad I did, because like any conversation between friends, what you said made me think and enabled me to clarify something important. Thanks again for that.

Looking forward to talking more with you.
Take good care,
Mary

Ah Paul. I check in to tell you how impressive the preview for "I, Robot" was today while watching "The Day After" (title may be wrong) and I find that we're on the same page as usual.

I too think about the fact that my time on earth is approximately half over. I'd rather think the glass is half full, but who knows? I fear I haven't been the best steward of the talents with which I've been blessed and I realized many years ago that I'll be older much longer than I'll be young. Right now we're both relatively young. If we have dreams, even now, there's no reason we can't take our best shot. The question is, what aren't you willing to do to make things happen the way you want and what do you really want?

In my oppinion, you're one fortunate son of a gun. I know that though we see you that way, you sometimes see yourself differently (I don't know anything about your personal life other than what you tell us). Please keep building on those many successes. I believe you're a winner and we all know you're a fighter. "Walk on the sunny side..." as dear Mil will say.

And remember you aren't alone; I know the anxiety you speak of, however, "A life lived in fear...". For me the hardest part is getting started, no matter what it is. As they say, "Don't push the river; it flows." (I don't know who said that originally). You're stressing. Take a deep breath and stop.

At 41 I also wonder if I need to rethink my career decisions. What I keep reminding myself is that I don't have settle for one thing. I can do many. My responsibility is to develop the natural gifts I have and try to use them to the benefit of humankind in some way.

The fortune cookie says, "Everything you've experienced will come in handy someday". I know it gets better; this is the first day of the rest of your life (have I exceeded my cliche limit?)

I don't expect a response to this post. I won't be back for another month or so and I try to write messages that done require feedback as you seldom give it. Be well and enjoy your family. There's no guarantee that you have another 40 years in which to do so (I don't mean to be morbid). Everything is on loan as I'm sure you know. Though the remainder of life is a mystery to you, as it is to all, it's my belief that you're exactly where you should be . Seek, knock, ask. Persist. Anything could be around the next corner.
Love to you and yours,
Whit

Hello everyone, boy you have been busy posting. I've made it to the point where Richard and/or Michael asked me (on behalf of Kim it seems) to post the two quiche recipes. Before I forget, here they are. They aren't "mine," got them on the web, since I couldn't find any in my cook books. The URLs are included. One note though, the pastry tasted good, but it kind of crumbled, and I didn't like that a whole lot. Will work on that and maybe come up with a somewhat different recipe where the pastry doesn't crumble this much. Come to think of it, my sister has a recipe for that type of thing. Too bad she's out of town for the long weekend (Richard, in German we call this holiday Pfingsten, kind of very close to the Dutch word)

Quiche Lorraine
You can serve this classic French egg dish, featuring bacon and Swiss, as a main course anytime of day.
Flaky Pastry (below)
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded natural Swiss cheese (4 ounces)
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
4 eggs
2 cups whipping (heavy) cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1. Heat oven to 425°F.
2. Make Flaky Pastry--except place folded pastry in quiche dish, 9x1 1/2 inches, or pie plate, 9x1 1/4 inches. Unfold and ease into quiche dish, pressing firmly against bottom and side. Trim overhanging edge of pastry even with top of quiche dish.
3. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion in pastry-lined quiche dish. Beat eggs slightly; beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into quiche dish. Bake 15 minutes.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Bake about 30 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Flaky Pastry
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Mix flour and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary).

Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Roll pastry, using floured rolling pin, into circle 2 inches larger than upside-down pie plate, 9x1 1/4 inches. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.

Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/recipe.asp?rid=45111

Red Pepper and Zucchini Quiche
INGREDIENTS
Pastry
* 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
* 1 t sugar
* 1/2 t salt
* 1/3 cup olive oil

Filling
* 2 t olive oil
* 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
* 1 1/2 t salt
* 2 medium red bell peppers, diced
* 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini
* 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
* 1 cup low-fat firm silken tofu (8 oz / 225 g)
* 1 large egg replacer
* 2 t dijon mustard
* 1/2 t freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
* 2 T pine nuts

METHOD
Crust
In large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt with fork. Gradually stir in 1/3 cup oil. With your fingertips, blend mixture until crumbly. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons cold water, tossing with fork until mixture clumps together (dough will seem crumbly).

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Push with heel of your hand several times to knead. Press dough into a disk.

Preheat oven to 400F/205C. Coat 9 1/2 inch / 24 cm round tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.

Overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on work surface to make 24 x 18 inch (61 x 46 cm) rectangle. Unwrap dough and center on plastic wrap. Cover with 2 more sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll out dough into rough 11 1/2 inch / 29 cm circle. Discard top sheets of plastic. Lift bottom sheets of plastic and dough onto rolling pin. Carefully position rolling pin and dough over prepared pan; unroll dough into pan. Discard remaining plastic wrap. Gently press dough into bottom and up sides of pan. Run rolling pin over rim to trim edges; use trimmings to patch crust if necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes.

Pierce bottom of crust in several places with fork. Place large piece of parchment paper or foil on crust; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place tart on baking sheet and bake 8 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake until crust begins to turn golden, 10 to 12 minutes more. Let cool in pan on wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350F/180C.

Filling
Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add bell peppers, zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring, until vegetables have wilted and most of liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and cool completely.

In food processor, puree tofu. Add egg replacer, mustard, pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and process until very smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down sides of work bowl with rubber spatula. Add to bowl with vegetables; add basil and stir until well blended. Pour into cooled crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with pine nuts.

Bake quiche until filling has just set, 35 to 45 minutes. Set tart pan over a large can; carefully remove side of pan. With 2 metal spatulas, lift quiche and place on large serving platter. Cut into wedges.

NOTES
Per serving: 128 calories; 6 g protein; 2 g total fat (0 saturated fat); 23 g carbohydrates; 27 mg cholesterol; 435 mg sodium; 3 g fibre.

http://www.vegan-food.net/index.cgi?quiche

Oh before I forget, welcome MIchael and I hope you are getting over the cold.

Back to reading :) & love to all

Hello Everyone:

Thanks to everyone who has asked how my cold is coming along. I'm much better, thank you.

Helen: Thank you for sharing those recipes, they sound great and I can't wait to try them. It was Richard who ask for Kim. It was I who ask for myself - little brat that I am.

Mary: No worry. You were clear as always and we are on the same page. I'm glad that my rambling was of help. I am looking forward to more conversation with you as well. Always thinking of you.

Kim: Eyes open? Yes, here too.

Cheeky Richard: How are you friend? Everytime I here loud rushing water, I'm always seem to end up looking for a smallish throne room.

Rocking Jo: How's the Piccadillo?

Soon.
Michael

Hi everyone!!!

Marge,
you are so right!!!!
A life without PC???? It's hard to imagine!!
When I walk by my computer it's like he is whispering to me: pc... pc... pc... pc... pc... pc... pc...It's a complete addiction!!!

Maybe I'll do just what Katalina does: jump in once in awhile and say hi, I don't have to read everything do I ? it's driving me crazy!! Just can't keep up anymore...

everyone else:
thank you all for your words!!

Oh yes, before I forget, I have some very important information for all of you!!!
I just receive a email from a friend of mine and he told me that there is an internetsite where you can find all the information of milions of people, including bankaccountnumber, security number...everything...!!
He also told me that you can delete yourselve.
So I've visited this side too, entered my name and YES all of my information was on the internet!!!!
That was a real shock to me, so I deleted myself right away. I also searched a few other names to test it and yes, they were also on the internet!!!
So my advice: go to that internetsite, seach for your name and delete it. Hopefully it didn't cause to much damage yet!!!

The adress is: www.humnri.com/enter/passport

Good luck!!!

I'll keep in touch whenever I can,

Love,

Monika

Evelyn thanks for the recipes. I am going to try the Quiche Lorraine, that does sound very nice. Thank you.

Monika, nice to see you back. Just drop in when you can. Keep in touch! Love to you!

Michael, glad to hear you are feeling much better now. How is your weather today?

Jo, I miss you already. Come and drop in again soon. Don't forget I'm always here for you, anytime. Of course I will stay in touch with you, expect a letter very soon. Love to you and your husband. xxx

Hi to everyone else I hope you have all had a great day.
Chat later
Kim

Hello All!

Evelyn those quiche recipes are making me hungry now. It's been forever since I've had quiche maybe I'll try your recipe tonight.

I've been keeping busy while hubby is away. I started that garden project in the front of my house this week-end and it killed my body. Luckily I have a Homedics bubble spa machine for the bathtub and gave myself a hydrotherapy treatment last night. I'm studying today for a test on Wensday and....hopefully tonight I'll set aside time for something more relaxing cook myself something and take a walk on the beach.

Hopefully there will be more excitement happening in my life by the time I post next.

Take Care All!

This will be my first and last post here.

I came to this site thinking it would be cool to leave a comment to Paul about his work, but all I've found are cliques, neurotics and people who need to write dissertations to impress others with what they know, looking for sympathy.

Sorry, Paul, I love you and your work but I don't have time to slog through your blogs. Perhaps it would be easier for first-timers like me if you set some rules for posting in the future. That way newcomers wouldn't feel daunted or scared off because they wouldn't fit in.

Good luck to you!
Gwen

Hello all,
Have been away from the computer taking care of some of the mundane things in life.
So many posts. Nearly impossible to make a comment on each one. So a general thanks for the good words. Hope all is well with you and yours. If it was a holiday where you are hope it was pleasant. It was, and still is, a holiday here. Had forgotten that until I went out to run some errands only to discover that nearly everything was closed today. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. Played with the cat instead and enjoyed the glorious weather. In the meantime, Keep Cooking!

Kim
How was the Sunday roast and Bisto tatties? Ah, yes. Rodney and Del Boy. Couple of real lads. And all the other shows: Black Adder, Ab Fab, Vicar of Dibley, anything with French & Saunders, Are You Being Served?, the sequel Are You Being Served, Again?, etc. etc. Great stuff. And in that I am unanimous!

Inn
Tarty Rose? Well.....she's just tarty. Need I say more? Daddy dearest is donning his uniform, getting ready for the next assault.

Granni Mil
One, two three kick. Three, two, one thrust. Oh, my aching back!!!

Michael.
You are amused? We are pleased! Stories. I'll give it some thought. I remember well growing up in Missouri and the nightly tornado warnings so I'm well acquainted with that kind of weather. Never went into the basement, though. Always went outside looking for them. How crazy is that? In the meantime, just hang on tight and keep pulling that chain. Whoooosh. I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto. Repeat three times after me: There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.

Paul
While sitting here reading and posting comments a friend dropped by for a visit. She's Aussie, too. Explained about this blog and mentioned your name. She exclaimed, "Oh, Strictly Ballroom. I LOOOOVE that film!" So, another satisfied customer.

--Richard

Gwen,
Paul has not been posting much lately so yes, the comments section is full of posts from other people sharing their thoughts and being nice to each other. Perhaps you were expecting one-on-one correspondance with the man himself. Sorry to disappoint you, but you are not the center of any universe, except the one between your own ears.

>>This will be my first and last post here.
--If this is true, then you probably won't see this response, but am going to post it anyway. The way to fit in is to join in. Making such judgmental, mean-spirited, self-important statements is definitely not the way to do it. Did your teachers always write "Gwen does not play well with others." on you report card? Maybe it would have been nice to get to know you. Then again, probably not.
Have a nice day.

--Richard

I told Kim that for personal reason I won't be on the site as much, which I won't. However, I HAD to make one last comment about Gwen. I can't help it, I am sorry to anyone I offend - except Gwen.

Gwen you're a Bitch!

Hiya Richard glad to see you are back with us. My Sunday roast and bisto tatties were soooooooo delicious, washed down with my cheap plonk, I was in heaven. Did you also have a bank holiday today?

Gwen, neurotics are you mad! Each and everyone of us had to write something for the first time but that is how we got to know eachother. Sympathy, keep it!

Kim
Glad your Sunday roast turned out good. Good that you settled back down to earth and posted. Hope you got to share your culinary endeavors with someone. Yes, today was the last day of a three day holiday.

Howdy Jo (our tough-as-nails, don't take shit from nobody Texan WOMAN) Gotta luv ya.
Gwen just had an opinion she wanted to share. However, opinions are like assholes--everybody has one. Don't mean you should go around showing it to everyone. People like that are merely flashers. They come around and drop their drawers for shock effect and then take off again. They're like farts in a tornado--barely noticeable and gone with the wind.

--Richard

Hello to all our old posters who were once newbies but knew how to approach a group with kindness and were received with the same. Welcome to all the newbies who know that agitating someone is no way to make friends.
I have a great mini-quiche recipie for anyone who wants it just let me know.
Richard, the tarty rose comment was Kim not me. I was the "watch the lorry Richard" comment.
Hi Katalina hope you got my PM.
Peace

Innussiq
Yes, I realized as much after I had already posted. Sorry to you and sorry to Kim for the improper credit. Mea culpa, mea culpa.
For you:
Mind the pedestrian Richard. Heavens it's Daisy and Onslow. Drive around again Richard.
--Richard

Hello Everyone:

Monika: You came back. Bravo! Yes PC does call. Please keep popping in. No pressure.

Kim darlin: Your dinner sounded fantastic. Wish I was there. The weather here is the same as yesterday - very volitile and very severe at times. Michelle: How is it in Chicago?

Julie: Hoping to report something more exciting in your life next time? Hummmm . . . started gardening project followed by a hydrotherapy treatment (hoping the water jets were appropriately place for maximum relief) (skip study for test - gives me the itches) cook fabulous quiche and then walk on the beach. I like it - enjoy!

Gwen: I think cheeky Richard took care of this for everyone.

As we say sometimes in the US Richard: 3 snaps up and an around the world.

Speaking of Richard: Yes I was, am and sure I will be more than greatly amused if you continue. Just because you have one doesn't mean you have to show everyone? Farts in tornado are barely noticeable and gond with the wind? ROTFLMAO!!! I need to find the smallish throne room again!!!

Actually my report card said "plays TOO well with others and we wish he'd stop. It's very distruptive!"

And by the by - I'm jerking the chain, clutching that snitty little dog and repeating there's no place like home as if it were a mantra - I just can't seem to find those damn red shoes!

Got to unplug, lightening.
I love you all.
Michael

P.S.

Rocking Jo from Texas. Mama - do what you have to do. I'm here, we are all here. Speak when you can and need to. Take care of that hog ridin lizard fearing man of yours. And please, especially take care of yourself.

I'm always thinking of you
Michael

P.S. P.S.

Inn: Yes I want the mini quiche recipe.

Besos,
Lightening!@!
Michael

Richard, Yep my feet are now firmly on the ground and so was my stomach after that roast. Nope, I had no one to share it with, my bottle was the only company I had. :(

Michael, Yes it was and maybe another time!

Innussiq, I would like the quiche recipe please.

Take care everyone
Kim

Kim
Well, then throw a dinner soiree. Call up all your friends/family/co-workers. Throw the house open. Cook up all your favorite dishes and try out the new recipes you've gotten on PC. Invite Hyacinth over to provide musical interludes. Scatter some chopsticks around and see what happens. You're too charming to dine alone!

Michael
Been checking out CNN and reading about the destruction in Indianapolis and Marengo. That's not close to you is it? Whatever the case be sure to duck and cover.

>> "plays TOO well with others and we wish he'd stop. It's very distruptive!"
--do we EVEN want to go there?

>>I just can't seem to find those damn red shoes!
--Check with that Munchkin from the Lollypop Guild. I always thought he was a sneaky little sod.

--Richard

Richard you're making me blush you little tinker!
Get everyone together, now that's an idea but what can I put with tinned beans and cheap plonk?

Night everyone
Kim

Kim
Quit being so hard on yourself. You don't have to be Delia Smith and do it all yourself to have a successful dinner party. Make it pot luck. We already know that you can make Sunday roast. Ask everyone to bring their favorite dish. It requires a bit of coordination so that you don't end up with nothing but 3-bean salads and apple pie.
As for the cheap plonk, make it BYOB (Bring Your Own Booze). With any luck you'll get a nice selection and can fill you drinks cabinet with the leftovers.
Above all, don't take it all too seriously. The food is mostly just the drawing card. The guests are what makes it a jolly old time.
Sleep well.
--Richard

Just have time for a quick KFB (Katalina Fly-By) tonight so hi to you all!

Whit, it's good to hear from you.

Michael, it's so calm here at the moment, it's hard to imagine the chaotic weather you're having. Stay safe please!

Love to Paul & everyone,
Mary

Kim: I agree with Richard completely. Pot lucks are the best. Food that binds right Richard? It makes it more fun and everyone is more involved. And then everyone can have the best time! Go for it. Actually, go get one of those Aussie wines I was telling you about, put the straw in it and then give it a go. And you would be amazed how much liquor you will acquire for your next soiree! That can be your calling. The hostest with the mostest on the ball. (Thanks Ethel.)

Richard: Thank you for your concern. Indianapolis is about 2 1/2 hours southeast from here. Although I did go down to the basement again. It seems that for the past 3 days all I do is stand at the windown and look for funnels everytime it gets dark. I keep blankets, radio, food, water, and candels and of course flashlights down there. I thought about running outside to see, but then I thought I had better not!!!!

As far as those shoes: I don't think its the lollipop kid. I have my eye on the Mayor of Munchkin City. He seems a little taller lately. The cheeky little sod.

Thank you for making me laugh so much and so hard. It feels great!

Soon.
Michael

Mary: Hello. Thanks for your concern. I could use a little of that calm. It is supposed to be like this for the rest of the week. The midwest is known for its volatile weather, but everyone is saying that they have never seen anything like this. How are you? Enjoying yourself? I send you good thoughts.

Michael

monika
Regarding your website. Is this a joke? www.humnri.com/enter/passport.
What if a person has no passport?

Michael,
>>Food that binds
--Indeed. Just be sure to keep plenty of prune juice on hand!!! But seriously, folks.
Yes, if people are involved by bringing things to a party they have more of an investment in its success than when merely showing up expecting to be entertained.

>>Mayor of Munchkin City. He seems a little taller lately.
--Just where do you think those tarty little ballerinas got off to? Check under the robes, man. UNDER THE ROBES!!!

Be safe.
--Richard

Richard: You are killing me. After I wrote and sent the message with "food that binds" I thought - well I gave him an opening . . .

As far as the ballerinas go . . . I have to find the smallish throne room the the charming chain.

Besos

Michael

>>well I gave him an opening . . .
--Yes, I know. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but I just couldn't let that one go by. Sorry.

>>the smallish throne room...
--Don't wear out the chain!

Gots to go. Chat more 2morrow.
--Richard

I think I’m caught up now, just wondering how long that will last :) Perhaps 3 minutes, if even that. Good god, you guys are way too funny and I laughed so hard, so many times—all those wonderful Britishisms (I know, not a real word, but a good one!) and now you’ve all made me homesick for a visit to the UK, getting really antsy here. It took you that long, Michael, to get Richard’s reference to the pulling of the chain? I laughed so hard!! Note to self, go use the throne before reading posts on PC, might come in handy!!!

Kim, some (!!!) Americans – and it seems that Michael (who thinks my name is Helen, it is not!!!) is one of them :) – have a really difficult time with British accents, esp. the understanding part of them. I was watching “Calendar Girls” on Friday evening with my American friend and while she’s passably good with British accents, perhaps with the RP/BBC version thereof, not with Yorkshire and it’s not even the thickest Yorkshire accent that they used in the film. Yeah, this was fun, writing an awful, grammatically terrible run-on sentence … me good!

Lots of good recipes here, thanks. I might just have to add them to my online recipe collection. Kim, if you need ideas, you can take a look at it (kind of don’t like to advertise it, but what the heck, in a way that was the point of putting them online) although I don’t think you will find many that have lots of tins in them. I like to cook with fresh ingredients!!! http://www.tc.umn.edu/~meye0289/Recipes.html at least that’s what I think the URL is.

Kim and Michael, what does the “Eyes open” reference mean? Not getting that one.

Little brat Michael and Cheeky Richard write:
“>> "plays TOO well with others and we wish he'd stop. It's very distruptive!"
--do we EVEN want to go there?”
Evelyn (which is my real name, Michael, but if you really want to call me Helen, I suppose I can accept that) adds: Yes please, this is way too interesting a subject matter not to fully explore! So please, do spill!!! :)

Cat, I hope your life sorts itself out so that you and Bill can come to FFIF. It would be so totally awesome to meet you in person!

Jo in Texas, I laughed so hard at your description of how you save your hubby from all the little creatures down south. Some of them I had in or near the places I lived when I lived in Louisiana, but I guess there’s something good about the very cold Minnesota winters, they kill of some of the insects: ) Although spiders and lizards don’t bother me, snakes on the other hand, I have a real phobia, can’t even deal with them behind glass in the zoo or on film. Take care of yourself and your hubby and please stop by whenever you can, I’d miss you!

Michelle and Mary, I’d love to get into a conversation/discussion about CWG. I have a lot of time on my hands now, terms been out for 2 weeks and have been reading quite a bit and catching up on sleep, Boy does it feel good to get 2 – 3 extra hours each night!

Peter, it was so good to hear from you. Hope things sort themselves out for you ASAP/pronto/NOW and in a good way for you, less stressful way. Be well, dearest friend!

Inn, why don’t you just post the mini quiche recipe here, as it seems several of us are interested in it and this seems to be the recipe post anyway. Either way, I’d love to have it.

Mary, what exactly is the course in that you are finishing up as part of your post grad studies? I must have missed it when you posted it a while back, but I never really figured it out. Waiting for the doors to open, to find what it is you want to add to your life, to find the new direction is both an exciting time in your life and sometimes so stressful and intimidating and it leaves me questioning myself and not trusting myself and then totally trusting myself. Bizarre how that fluctuates at times. I’m sure that you are going to find your way, if you hang in there a while longer. Maybe you aren’t quite ready yet, for what lies ahead of you. I’ve sometimes wondered about that for myself, as I still find these pockets of fear of the unknown, of what is ahead of me that I need to tackle and overcome and let go of. I sense that I’m getting closer to what it is I’m supposed to reach, but I still don’t quite know what that is. Time will reveal all that, that I know. You will find it as well.

Monika, glad to see you are back! I would have missed you terribly, although I’d keep emailing you personally, no matter what.

Whit, good to see you here as well; come on, post more often than just once a month!

Julie, don’t study too much, there is something as over-studying for a test, but good luck with it! Okay, when do I get an invitation to spend some time in your wonderful bath tub??? Sounds absolutely wonderful!

Hi Marge, you and Grandma know so much about movies. It’s amazing. I’ll have to write some of those down and put them on my movies-to-watch list, part of my “cinematographic education” that I’m embarking on this summer. My best friend, Ari, is in charge of that and has put a list together of older English-language movies, but I think the two of you may just have been added to the list of my movie mentors. Hope you had a great weekend.

Love to all of you and Michael, I hope you get to come out of the basement eventually, hope it’s a nice one! Thanks for taking the brunt of the storms. On the northern edge of the storms here in the Twin Cities, we just got thunderstorms, lots of rain and the occasional tornado watch/warning in some of the surrounding counties. Stay safe!

Okay, off to playing with the cat!

Evelyn: Please forgive me. Evelyn is Evelyn and Helen is Helen. I'm so glad you got a chance to catch up and have some laughs along the way.

As far as understanding those from the UK: Sometimes is is the difference in the words we use as Richard illustrated earlier. Sometimes it is the accent and the speed with which the speaker is speaking. Sometimes it is all of the above. It isn't just people from the UK. Sometimes if I am watching a movie from the US and there is a great deal of slang and an accent, I'll use the subtitles too. My thinking is I don't want to miss a single word. They are all too good.

As far as the "Eyes Open" reference, I'll defer to Kim.

As far as the "play TOO well with children . . ." hummm . . . I'll defer to Cheeky Richard.

I do thank you EVELYN for the website with you recipes. I love that kind of exchange and it is very generous of you to provide that.

All kidding aside, I apoligize for using the wrong name. It's Helen right?

Goodnight Evelyn,
Michael

P.S.

Evelyn aka Helen: I just tried the website you gave for the recipes and I did not get anything. Please?

Michael

P.S. P.S.

Evelyn aka Helen: please ignore the previous post. )

michael

STRUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over 300 posts and only three by me!

Firstly welcome to those newbies - Michael and Richard and Gwen. Excuse me if in my skipping over the posts I have missed any other newbies but welcome to you all.

Thankyou Whitney for your post as it hit home to me. And whilst you may not post as often as you first did I still always enjoy seeing you come back with words of wisdom.

Gwen is gone not to come back. Gwen if you took a leaf from Michael and Richards book (and many others for that matter) and just barged your way in merrily, happily and positively you would have felt right at home. You got to give yourself a chance and us also.

And as for you Monica - it is your choice to stay or go but please dont feel that pressure of having to read every day to keep up. I havent read the site for a week or so - selfishly I have been lost in the dark trying to find the light switch - So a quick skim over some posts a small amount of posts and then I am going to change the subject so as we can all start over and get lost again! You will always be welcome here!

I do thank Michael (and Richard) for their efforts in reading past posts so as to get to know us all here. What a commitment and what a journey and I look forward to being reminded of something that I have said in the past - I think.

Sadly I havent been too busy. I was to have shot 4 days in May but ended up with two. I havent posted here because I would just winge on and on about the stuff I have winged on and on about before. Funny how winged looks like winged? mmmm where is my dictionary??

Mind you coming here is as much about sharing the nothings as it is in sharing the somethings.

Lately however I have been living with my head in the sand - you cant get depressed about it if you dont think about it and if you drink enough the feelings dont feel like feelings but tiny little annoyances and thus I have been stumbling around in the dark looking for a light switch. I got tired of looking and just opened the door instead but unfortunately that room was dark as well! I can feel my frustrations starting to swirl in my guts and so I may move on....

I am going to make fried bannanas for dessert tonight!! Slice em long, fry em in some butter and a sprinkling of sugar. Douse em in a little muscat and serve em up with some lovely vanilla ice cream!

with love

Michael,
Thanks for welcoming me back. I miss one day and there's so much to keep up with. I really enjoyed going back and reading the receipes. My husband, Jim, and I like to cook and we have large gatherings two or three times a year (i.e., 60 people or more for a barbecue, 15-20 for Thanksgiving, and then an intimate sit-down of 8-10 for Christmas Eve dinner). So I like to get ideas for new and exciting things to cook since Jim and I do ALL the cooking. We just tell our friends to come and bring themselves.

Evelyn: This is Helen aka Helen saying "Hi." Sorry about the mistake. But, it WAS fun reading the posts for you to me.

Michael: This is Helen, up-to-now called Evelyn. I hope your welcome back was for me, too.

By the way, my husband just asked me if I would like to visit New Zealand. . .and I said, of course. But, I would really like to visit Austraila (where he has already been because of business). I am totally bombed that when he went three or four years ago, I could have too. But, three or four years ago, I did not know that Paul was alive etc., etc., etc.

Well, bye for now. I am off to write Kelly.

Glad to see you back, Paul. Go towards the light!
Chin up and hang in!

Vicki

Dear Paul,

Hoping you read this...

There is a book by John Eldredge called, 'Waking The Dead'. After reading your latest post, my heart urges me to recommend this work to you. It is a book about the heart - its longings and its needs - written from a Christian perspective, though it is not meant to proselytise (is that spelled right? :).

I truly hope you give the book a try as it is deep (like you), and it has changed my own life.

with love and care, Theresa L

Hello all
Hope all is well with everyone. Many of you were probably back to work after the long holiday weekend. If so, when you get home kick off your shoes and take a break. Be sure to make time for yourselves. If you're in the bad weather zones, be safe.

Michael
Are you over the rainbow or still stuck in the basement?
>>As far as the "play TOO well with children . . ." hummm . . . I'll defer to Cheeky Richard.
--Oh no, mate. This one's all yours.

Kim
White, 3 sugars. Mug is fine by me.

Paul
Nice to hear from you. Thanks for the welcome. It's good to get to know you and the rest of the "family" here. Had a feeling you were checking in but just didn't feel like "talking". No probs, mate. No pressure here.
Sorry to hear that you're feeling down. I won't insult you with any of the old platitudes about how it will get better with time. While generally true, it does little to lighten the load in the here-and-now.
You said that you were contracted for 6 shooting days over 2-1/2 months. Surely they have to pay you for the entire time since your exclusively available to them over that period? That helps to relieve the financial pressures. I know it does little to relieve the pressure to be creative, but you're certainly no one-note-wonder so keep flicking those switches. You've got the wife and kids to care for and to care for you. And, if you're feeling down, there's always us in PC. Jump in and vent away. You are not alone!!!
--Richard

PS
By the way Paul. There was a little report on the radio yesterday. Seems that the officially recognized oldest living person in the world is here in the Netherlands where I live. He'll be 114 next week!!! With that to go for, at 41 you're barely 1/3 of the way through this journey called life. Just keep dancin' in the dark.
--Richard

Australia is not like Hollywood, no big retainers it's just a case of you want some work or not - six days is better than none. As I said on an earlier post I can work if I can get it and it doesnt conflict with my days on this TV gig - which by the way have changed four times in the last 28 days. Frustratingly I have now lost more work due to day confilcts and day changes than I will earn in doing this gig. That is good old Oz for ya! Look at it their way and you will realize their position. There are 140 speaking roles in this film most of them will be on one day to 12 days. If the producers had to pay every one a retainer they wouldnt be able to shoot the film as it would inflate the budget by at least a factor of close to 100.

On the bright side I had my fried banannas and ice cream and boy was it good!! Dont think I will get into a habit of it though as it will most likely work against (and over) my belt buckle.

Paul,
I see. Wasn't aware of how it worked down under. Yes, I can see the "bottom-line" aspect. Just like cooking, why buy the ingredients until you need them? However, the powers-that-be need to realize that, although you are merely one ingredient in the final dish, without that one ingredient the finished product will not taste the same. You should spare no expense to ensure the best ingredients are always available. Just common sense and respect. But, I guess those factors just don't get calculated in the final formula.

If I may be allowed a tiny sermon? Repeate after me:
The bottle is not my friend. The bottle is NOT my friend. The bottle IS NOT MY FRIEND.

Sermon over. The preacher has left the pulpit.
--Richard

Hello Everyone:

I hope that everyone is well and survived any bad weather where they are. Yes, Richard, I finally came out of the basement. As a matter of fact, I just came in from outside where I was having my morning coffee and enjoying the flower garden. It is crystal blue sky with bright sun; however, there is supposd to more of the same as yesterday and the next three days. . .

By the by I did check under the robes - no shoes or tarty ballerinas either. I saw them running off with the lollipop brats. It is very curious here in the merry old land of OZ.

Helen: I apologize to you as well. And of course the welcome home was for you. Or is this really Evelyn having me on? )

Evelyn aka Helen: Since Cheeky Richard slammed that ball with a powerful backhand to my side of the net. . . I was trying to keep up with Richard in the witty repartee department (I know, absolutely pointless, he's much too quick and clever, but I was trying make him laugh) by making a double entendre (sp) make of it what you will. I'll just say this, my teachers did say that about me, or a form of it. I used to drive them to distraction asking so many question not only of them but the kids around me causing them to talk and so on.

Paul: Thanks for the welcome. I have truly enjoyed reading past posts and getting to know everyone. Everyone here is so lovely. It has been a pleasure.

I too am sorry about the employment situation and can empathize. Happened to me more than once when I was working in NYC, especially with television commericials. The powers that be can put you on hold for the shoot dates without actually giving you the job. You do not have to accept the hold, but you want to work and there's lots of money to be made in commercials so you accept. There is also a consequence of not getting any other work from them if you refuse or try to get yourself off of hold for other employment. They have to tell you 48 hours (if I recall correctly) if you are working or not. During that hold, you can't take any other work, and as always happens other work presents itself. On those occassions when I was released without employment, I would go home crack open that bottle of Aussie wine and get just buzzed enough to loosen up. Then I would pretend that person who put me on hold was standing in front of me and let go with a rant. I can't imagine what my neighbors thought all those times. I'd be screaming and swearing like a sailor until I was finished. It always made me feel better. Try it!

Soon everyone.
Michael

P.S. Yes Richard - I agree the bottle is not the way; however, sometimes . . . then put the bottle down!

Michael

Michael
Welcome back up from the basement.
See, I warned you about that lollypop kid!

Yes, I know the routine all too well. I also work on a "freelance" basis. You always option days for people 'cause you're never sure when the next job will come along. Sometimes nothing comes of it and you've turned down something else.
However, if it happens more than once with the same people, I usually bill them for a standard minimum. After all, my time is valuable, too.

>>I used to drive them to distraction asking so many question
--Yes, how dare you disturb our carefully crafted lesson plans. No room for curiosity here. We'll soon beat that individuality out of you.

>>I agree the bottle is not the way; however, sometimes . . .
--Agreed. Just a gentle reminder to put the bottle down.

--Richard

Kim
I'm supposed to ask you if it's true that:
Hovis is roight taystee?
--Richard

Paul,
It great to hear from you again, hopefully you will find the light switch soon!!
Thank you for saying that I am always welcome here!!

Richard,
That oldest person in the world is a woman and she lives 20 minutes away from me!!! Her name is Mrs van Andel-Schippers.

Gotto go again!!!

Monika

Here is the mini-quiche recipie. Bake in mini muffin tins, I use non-stick so I don't grease the pans it's up to you.
2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cups grated sharp cheddar or your choice of cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
You can mix in any kind of meat you like here-ham cubes,ground sausage,crumbled bacon-do not add more than one cup.
bake at 450 degrees 8-10 minutes it makes a tray of 12 mini muffins.
enjoy!
Hello Paul, we've missed you.
Peace

Dearest Paul,

Welcome back, we missed you soooo much!

I don't feel like writing cliches about how much we worried about you, so I will take the (slightly changed and shortened) lyrics of a 1940s song, recently recorded by Cindy Lauper, to express what I feel...(maybe I should put it in "Follies"...)

"At Last"

At last,
Our Paul has come along,
Our lonely days are over,
And life is like a song!

We found a dream
That we could write to,
A dream that
We could call our own,
We found his latest email
To press our cheeks to,
A thrill that we had always known.

You write,
And then the spell is past,
And here we are in heaven,
For you are ours at last!!!!

Grandma Mil, with love and devotion..

Hello Everyone:

Monika: Yes! You are going to pop in! Bravo!

Richard: So you understand the freelance situation. In my current profession, I can do as you do; however, as Paul pointed out, in show business it is much more dicey. There are 1,000 actors standing in line behind you who are willing to do anything to get the job being offered to you. Here in the US, the actors' unions have rules that protect the actors, but they are rarely enforced. If an actor complains, word gets out very quickly and your chances of work reduced tremendously.

--Agreed. Just a gentle reminder to put the bottle down.
Early on in my career, I was at a point where I was trying to break through to the next level. I kept going up for parts and it would end up between myself and someone else. I kept losing out, because they had a Broadway credit and I did not. I was very frustrated. I was also very young. I started partying. Remember it was the age of Studio 54. I knew the doorman and many of the bartenders so it was a free party. And party I did. Multiply everything you have heard about Studio 54 by (fill in the number). This went on until one morning I was getting ready for an audition. I was shaving and saw my face in the mirror. I looked like a raccoon, the circles under my eyes were so black and my face was puffy. That's when I put the bottle down. It was shortly after that, I began the rant process. I also began to go to a dance class as soon as possible and/or a voice lesson. So much more self-validating of myself and my talent.

So dear Cheeky Richard, I'm waiting to hear more stories. Make them up if you want. I can't get enough of your wit and cleverness.

Kim - Sweetie Darling! - and everyone else too. Kim has been looking for easy recipes and I have promised to help. So here is one.

When I was in school, I did not have time to make dinner everyday. And since I was not dancing or working out, the pounds began to add up from all of the fast junk food I was eating on the run. So I began to cook all day on Sunday for the week. I only made things that could be reheated and would keep in the fridge like chili, stews, lasagnas etc. Here is one that is great for brunch or lunch and goes great with fresh fruit and a tossed salad. (Think soiree Kim.) Richard, I'm not sure if some of this will translate, so since you are of both sides of the pond, would you be so kind to fill in where necessary?

Egg Casserole

1 loaf of bread cubed(you can use anything you like, I prefer a fresh loaf of Italian)
1 pound of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (use more if you like)
1 pound of Jimmy Dean's Breakfast Sausage (I'm not sure here. If you do not have this kind of sausage, 1 pound of ground pork with a teaspoon of ground dried sage, dried red pepper and salt can do the trick)
1 cup of sliced mushrooms canned (drained) or fresh
1 dozen beaten eggs
2 cups of milk
chopped onion and green pepper to taste
Here is where you get to be creative. I have added quartered artichoke hearts, asparagus, broccoli, zuccini etc. Go for it or not. Your cooking, your eating.

Line a greased 9 inch x 11 inch baking dish with the bread. Add cheese, sausage, mushroom and anything else you may want to add. Mix eggs and milk - pour over all ingredients in the dish. Let set overnight in fridge.

Bake at 250 degrees F for 2 hours.

The baking can be tricky. The more ingredients you add the "wetter" the dish becomes. After 2 hours the casserole is wet. I do not prefer it that way, so depending on how many extra veggies I have added, I may bake for another hour.

This dish keeps well in the fridge and reheats equally well in the oven or the microwave.

Enjoy!

Muchos besos mis amigos
Michael

Richard, bring your own booze, now you're talking my kind of language. What a collection I could get. I'll have to start those candlelit suppers.
Don't you think it's about time you put the kettle on for me, mine is white, 2 sugars but can we go posh this time and have a cup and saucer. Please no periwinkles.
Hovis is roight taystee, by eck petal, course it is!

Michael, I've got plenty of straws I just need the Aussie wine now. I like the sparkly stuff any ideas of what I could get?

Evelyn, I tend to use a lot of slang, I suppose that's the southern part of me coming out (or should I say common)!
Eyes wide open, thanks Michael. It means we are still single but still looking.

Paul glad to see you are back with us again, post again soon.

Love to all,
Kim

Inn and Grandma Morton: You were posting as I was writing. So great to hear from you.

Inn: Thanks for that recipe. It sounds great.

MMM: At Last - I love that song. I think because once I was slow dancing with this . . . opps . . . never mind. You are so great! How's the Follies? Are you taking care?

Rockin Jo: I'm thinking of you.

Michael

Sorry guys, but everytime I post someone has come on that I must say hello too.

Kim aka Sweetie Darling: Sparkling Aussie wine? Sorry luv, can't help you there. Sounds like you like a nice white wine or perhaps a blush? Anybody? I used to drink white until someone exposed me to red. Can take a bit of getting used to, but well worth the effort. Try an Aussi Shiraz. Nothing like it.

And Kim is if may expand a bit: Evelyn now that Kim has given an explanation, I feel free to speak. What Kim said is absolutely spot on. (Kim? Richard? How am I doing with the UK lingo?) In my first post here, I spoke about how Paul as the character of Scott in "Strickly Ballroom" looked at Fran throughout the finale dance. How intense and powerful and some many other things. I said if I could ever find someone to look at me, the way you looked at Fran, I would be a happy man and would spend the rest of my life trying to make sure that look stayed there. After several posts back and forth between Kim and myself, it became Eyes Open. A shorthand if you will. Or is this Helen? Damn, you people are confusing me.

Mi amor por totos
Michael aka the Brat

Correction:

Mi amor por Todos not totos. See, Helen and Evelyn are confusing me. Actually, I think that they are the same person.

The Brat

Michael,
True, Paul's "freelance" situation is different. You have a much greater understanding of those dynamics than I do. I can imagine that it's a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't scenario. And there's always someone hot on your heels.
I empathize with the frustration he is feeling. Not to mention how damaging it all can be to your self-esteem. Why didn't they pick me? Aren't I good enough? What have they got that I don't, etc., etc. All too often the ego gets trodden on more than the boards (or sound stage floor). What is one to do if that is the profession you love? Just keep picking yourself up and dusting youself off, I guess. The show must go on. Sometimes you're just not in that particular production.
And yes, most people go through periods when all you want to do is make the problems go away. To just forget about it for awhile in whatever method works--drink, drugs... Just hate to see Paul, or anyone else for that matter, get stuck in that cycle. 'Cause, even though you might find that place of oblivion, it's only temporary. When you get back the problems are still there waiting for you. And, more often than not, they've only gotten worse.
Luckily you came to that realization and moved on.

More stories?
Well, I'll just keep going with the flow of the thread(s) and see what opportunities pop up. Stay tuned.
Just keep following that yellow brick road. But, don't be surprised to find out that the whole time your heart's desire was in your own backyard all along.

--Richard

Richard:

My dear friend - you are the best.

The Cheeky little Brat aka Michael

Kim
As you wish.

Michael, Lord Cheeky of Brat
'preciate the kind words.

Mary
Go raibh maith agat
Teaching. What an honorable profession.
I seriously doubt that an Irish and English accent would be easily confused with each other.

--Richard

PS:
Kim
Asti Spumanti.
-White.
--Sparkling.
---Italian.
----Roight taystee.
However, sparkling wine with a straw--are you mad???
--Richard

Richard,
Ta failte romhat!
You are a man of many talents.
I'm impressed!

Mary

Michael Sweetie thanks I will see if I can find a bottle. Red or white I don't mind either as long as it's chilled.
Yep you were spot on with the lingo, practice makes perfect!
Thanks for the recipes I'll give them a try at the weekend. I do prefer fresh mushrooms, I don't like the tinned ones.

Mary I didn't realise you was so close to me, is Ireland as beautiful as it looks on the TV?
Isn't it funny that you can go from one county to another and each and everyone has a different accent. I would be very surprised if the PCers thought we did sound alike, I have a very strong southern (London/Kent)accent.

Take care
Kim

Richard, mad! YES totally, completely and utterly bonkers.

Mary
Sláinte

--Richard

Kim, yes I think it is. By car, I live five minutes away from the sea, fifteen minutes away from beautiful mountains and forests and half an hour away from Dublin city. The west and north-west coasts are breathakingly beautiful. Very spiritually vibrant places to be.

Richard, how did you get the 'fada' on the 'a' in slainte??? (Silly question from person with very basic keyboard skills. Sorry. )

Mary

Paul,
Pick your brains a bit?
1. As I posted earlier, you're hardly a one-note-wonder, so I was curious.
Even though an outstanding piece of work but hardly your only accomplishment, it seems that most people relate to you in terms of your role in Strictly Ballroom. How do you feel about that? Would you prefer to be remembered more (or equally) for your other endeavors? Or, since as you have previously stated that you are more than just an actor, where would you prefer the attention/accolades?

2. A bit off-topic
Have you heard of the blogger called Rance? He may or may not be an A-List Hollywood Celebrity and is annonymously "venting", insider stories about Hollywood/Movie Industry/LA Lifestyle, etc. What do you think about this?

Your thoughts, please.

--Richard

Paul,
Before you just give up and I gather by the following statement that is what you meant:
"I got tired of looking and just opened the door instead but unfortunately that room was dark as well! I can feel my frustrations starting to swirl in my guts and so I may move on...." remember John Travolta. He made one terrific film and then for years it was John Travolta WHO?
Then in his 40's he got another big break and today he is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. If Baz Whathisname is doing the Broadway version of Strictly Ballroom this could be a big opening for you. Just keep that in mind before you say "uncle".

Hello Everyone:

I have been elevated to Lord Cheeky of Brat! I like that very much. Now, what kind of power does that give me. Do I get to rule anything. I want a kingdom! This so appeals to me being the Legend in My Own Mind That I AM!

Dear Mary: What a light you are! I would go out into the garden right now and send you the images I see, but unfortunately, it is beginning to rain again. Ah yes! The storms are coming. So I'll send them to you tomorrow morning.

Do not, let me repeat this, do not, let me say this once more in case you were not listening, do not hesitate to take a dance class. It does not matter what type of dance it is, but make sure it is something that you are interested in and is at the level you are at. There is nothing like it. There comes a time when you are dancing when your body and emotions and spirit all come together and it is - well there is nothing like it. I promise. Treat yourself!

Going back to school was a huge change and at 42 years was terrifying. I was so OLD. What if I couldn't do the work, pass the tests, write the papers. What if - oh should I say it? - ah what the hell - what if I FAILED? I started school with all of those and many more feelings and insecurities, but I did it and did it well. As far as the burst of energy - yes, there was. Going to school called on everything I was, experienced, thought, felt, . . . everything. It was very exciting. I would like to add this, the burst of energy came from this sense deep inside that I was doing what I was meant to do. The first time that I had ever had that feeling. I thought that I had had it before, but once I had that last feeling, I had something to compare it to. Definately, beginning to follow the current path I am on now was the burst of energy.

Irish accents" Well my Grandfather and Grandmother and all of my Great Aunts and Uncles on my fathers side were from Ireland. I was raised on it, so it sounds like singing to me.

I was the first born grandson, so when my Grandfather Jim was around, I was off limits. This is because I was always in his arms. He would walk in the door and pick me up and not put me down until he left the house. Unfortunately, he died when I was three, but I remember him very clearly. He was a very big man, a plumber, and gruff with a loud voice and manner to everyone except me. Now you understand why I am such a brat. He spoiled me rotten. You see, he was really a softy. Everyone says so. Yet, my Grandmother and many of my great Aunts and Uncles lived longer. Aunts Mag, Helen, Mary (!), Bernadette, and Uncle Paddy, Francis, Mike . . . Do no darlin, I'm a little out of practice because those voices are gone, but I understand very clearly.

P.S. You can call me anything you like. If Michael suits you then fine. I send kisses to your heart. Thank for making me remember.

Richard:

Well as always dear friend, til the next time.

My love to you all,
Michael

Mary,

So do you really expect me to tell you all of my secrets? Just kidding!

In this case, I Googled Gaelic Phrases and chose one of the websites, found the word I wanted, cut it out and pasted it in the comments box here.

Do you have some kind of word processing program on you computer like Microsoft Word or something? If so, you can type out entire blocks of text in it, using the insert symbol function for the letter(s) with accents. Once the entire text is finished you can cut and paste it anywhere you want. Understand what I mean, jellybean?

--Richard

Hi Again Everyone:

I'm confused by the time differences. The time at the bottom of our posts reflect, I assume, Australian time? Because here in Chicago, okay, outside of Chicago, it is June 1, 2004, 4:00 pm. So Mary, Kim Richard, and anyone in Australia what time is it there... I mean, its late afternoon here, about ready for supper, are all of you ready for bed?

The Lord Cheek of Brat - you may now bow and kiss my . . . as I walk by. ( Gives the Liz wave!)

Michael, Lord Cheeky of Brat,
Congratulations on your elevation, m'Lord.

>>I have been elevated to Lord Cheeky of Brat! I like that very much. Now, what kind of power does that give me. Do I get to rule anything. I want a kingdom! This so appeals to me being the Legend in My Own Mind That I AM!
--Just to keep things in perspective. Remember that handle on the end of the charming chain?
You still have to pull it yourself!

-Richard

Lord Brat again:

I have an idea. After we finish seeing Grandma Mil's Follies, how about we all get on a flight and go visit Mary? 15 minutes from the beach? Mountains? Well, as an Irishman, I feel I need so visit the old sod once before I go.

Cheeky

Richard:

I am aghast. You mean there is no one to pull it for me and wipe the inevidable?

Lord C

What is that rushing sound?

C

Michael, Lord Cheeky of Brat,
Yes, the time stamp is sometimes confusing. I think it's like this:
Here in Amsterdam it is 11:55pm--still Tuesday, barely. Where Kim is in England (and I think Mary in Ireland) it is 1 hour earlier than here--or 10:55pm--also Tuesday. In Australia where Paul is it is (I believe)8 hours later than here, or 7:55am on Wednesday.
--Richard

First of all - MIchael, it is 10:06pm as I write. That makes you six hours behind me. Millie is five, I know.

Richard, eh.....I'm incredibly thick when it comes to computer logic. I'll be picking up my son in a while and I'll get him to follow your instructions. Go raibh maith agat! Jellybean out.

Michael, you know, I shouldn't be surprised. I reckon the Celtic spirit in each of us recognised the other. Some common wavelength there methinks.
I promise, I repeat, I promise about the dancing. I used to take classes when I was young and I think one of the longings in my life now stems from the memories of what you so beautifully described. It was Paul's dancing in SB that made the first impact on me and the joy and life in his performance. He seemed oblivious to everything else but his own experience of the dance. It still affects me like that when I see it. He makes me want to feel like he seems to feel.

Once again, thanks for sharing your thoughts about the change in direction that you took. You are making so much sense to me. I'm reflecting on everything that you are saying.

I was so moved by the story of your grandfather. What a wonderful presence he must have had! I could nearly feel it when I read your words. There are such strong bonds still felt here with all of those who left to find a better life in places like the UK, the States and Australia and with their descendants (like you). There are so many more millions of people of Irish descent around the world than there are of Irish people themselves. You're one of us, whether you like it or not!

Oh and BTW, I'm hoping to come to Follies! I wouldn't miss it for the world. You can all come back with me though!

I'll be watching out for those images!

Love to you all,
Mary

Hey all you Corner People! Ouch, that conjures up images of humans with pointed heads, which is not what I was going for. Anyway...hey you guys.

Michael, can it quit with the #%*&!^# rain already? I can't take much more gloom. We only had TWO days in May that had 100% sunshine. That is uncalled for!

As to TV shows, I love all that were mentioned but also love The Office and Father Ted. I recently saw a Canadian show called Trailer Park Boys that was a wacky mockumentary thang. Very funny.

Richard, Ithaka is still inspiring me. I put it in my journal and refer to it often. God knows I need that right now.

We bought a car this weekend. Let me just say that I would gladly go to the gynecologist, dentist, and be forced to listen to severely right-wing radio for hours rather than deal with buying a car. All in all it went pretty well. My son was concerned about the glassy-eyed stare I was wearing and asked me what was wrong. I informed him that I had gone into Zen mode so as to cope with the situation. His reply was, "Mom, you're not Buddhist". I answered back very serenely, "Sweetie, I can be if I have to." All's well, etc.

Mary, my friend, as I told you personally I can't BELIEVE that is the page from CWG you brought up! I was just thinking about this concept last night SO strongly and recognizing my need to fully employ it in my thinking. I HAVE been successful in detaching from outcomes in so many areas, but as new issues crop up the fear seems to come with them. Detaching from outcomes means truly living in the moment for me. I try to practice this daily and it does get easier, but as we've discussed before, just when you think you've got it all figured out the Universe throws you something different to mix things up a bit and all of a sudden you can't remember Who You Are! The fact that you're not quite as far along on the journey as you'd thought becomes all too apparent and the only sensible thing to do is laugh at yourself and get on with it, I suppose. Detaching means not worrying, a concept that is a real struggle for me. Still learning...

Peter, my friend, it's so good to know that you're doing okay. I think of you often and hope you're being as introspectively wonderful as ever!

Hi to everyone. There are so many people I don't dare try to list all of you, but your names are in my heart. I still like to imagine a large map of the world with little lights representing each one of your special souls. Of course there are beams of light connecting us, with Paul smack in the center (spiritually rather than geographically, of course.) Peace to all of you.

Go Cubbies!

Michelle

Lord Cheeky of Brat
(a title no doubt bestowed in recognition of all the years of faithful, uh, ummm....service. yeah service, that's it, service.)

>>I am aghast. You mean there is no one to pull it for me...
--The chain? No. Over anything else I have no knowledge.

>>What is that rushing sound?
--A fart in a tornado, perhaps?

Mary
No probs. It's not being thick. It's just difficult to explain not knowing what computer/software you have. Take care. Can try again later if you like. Oíche mhaith.

Michelle
>>Ithaka is still inspiring me.
--I'm glad. Hang in there. The sun will shine again.

--Richard

Dear Mary:

Of course you shouldn't be surprised. The mintue I found out your were from outside of Dublin, everything came into place. Yes, you are right. We have a bond that transcends. We all do around the planet. It is something that calls to us.

I also knew that you would understand about my family, especially my Grandfather Jim. You are back on the land he came from, so you must clearly understand the kind of man he was. I adored him. He used to come and pick me up and take me to watch the Cubs with his cronies (are you listening Michelle?) Feed me hot dogs, speak to me in my ear . . . so you can see why now I think that I am the little prince. Lord Cheek of Brat. Thank my Grandfather Jim for that!

What really gives me a kick is in the US, Americans think that I am Italian or Jewish. I have the dark hair and eyes (Black Irish they call it here) and in the summer I brown up like a berry. Actually, around July, people think that I am Latin. It is the Europeans that recognize that I am Irish. I love that!

So Miss Mary, you are acquainted with the dance? Hummm . . . So - what are you waiting for girl? You do not have to be of the caliber of Paul Mercurio to get that feeling. Back me up here Paul. It is about the movement, emotion, passion, commitment, and JOY! Please take a class. Maybe it will open you up to other possibilities - like the Unverse calling you. Well, you never know. Follow you heart Mary. It is what we Irish do.

Michelle: I'm so glad that you came and posted. I was beginning to worry. And no I can't believe this (fill in whatever swear word you like to use) weather!!!!!! Are you alright? Things south here have been deplorable. You know how spotty the weather can be here. As they say, if you don't like the weather in Chicago, just stick around for a minute and it will change.

Detaching from outcomes: I call them expectations. If we expect something to come out a certain way, then we always have a 50/50 chance of being disappointed. If we allow the Universe to flow then we can get what we need. The curves that the Universe throws us are all preparation for what we are truly meant to do. Never think about where you are on the journey. That will make you crazy and create a lot of noise so you will not hear the Universe when it speaks to you. Just Trust! Keep going. And breathe. Okay, now you can tell me I an an asshole and to piss off. You do not know me from Adam and who am I to tell you what to do!!!! When I go out into my garden tomorrow, I will send you a piece of what I see along to Mary. You take care Michelle (we are each other's namesake). Please don't stay away so long.

To all of my friends here,
I wish you love and peace and a beautiful sunrise.
That means you have to get your lazy asses out of bed to see it okay?

Michael

Richard:

Lord Cheeky of Brat here.

You are killing me. Where is that smallish room?

C

Mary Ireland does sound a very beautiful place to be. You are so lucky to have so much scenery around you all I have is fields.

Michael sweetie, Jo (your rocker chick) said the Picadillo turned out really tasty but probably not as good as yours. She will be stopping by from time to time she has a few personal things to sort out first.

Monika it was great hearing from you and yes I do want to stay in touch. I will write within the next couple of days. I'm glad I made you laugh about the keyboard, yes I did blow it up! Australia sounds good, really good. Some dreams come true.

Richard, am I ever going to get this cuppa? If you want a job doing, do it yourself!

Oh, it is 1am (Wednesday). I think Australia are 7 hours ahead of me.

Chat later, Kim x

we should all get on AIM so we can talk in realtime.

Michael, I would never think ill of you for offering help and guidance in this game of life we're all playing. Lord knows I need all the help I can get! It's very much appreciated and I'll welcome any input you might have.

Yes, I shouldn't worry about where I am on the journey, but I must say that I'm so much happier where I'm at than where I used to be! So that's cool! I won't worry about the bigger picture.

Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm okay. I've been fretting over the possibility that I have asthma, but will know more later. One more test to go before they present me with the golden inhaler, an outcome I'm trying to detach from. I'm bummed out because I can't exercise and generally feel crappy when I do very much of anything. For someone who battles depression, no physical activity is NOT good. I'm doing lots of things to compensate though, self-nurturing things. This too shall pass and then it will be on to the next challenge!

You should come see a game at Wrigley, for old times sake. It's a great park for beer, hot dogs and oh yeah, baseball!

Love to you,
Michelle

Kim, Kim, Kim
What are you on about? I've had the kettle on for aaaaaages now. Your cup and saucer (without periwinkels, as requested)as well as a plate of biscuits are on the table and have been waiting for you.
Actually, what's the point now. Soon it will be time for morning coffee.
--Richard

Richard, that's fine I do coffee! Do I still get the biscuits, chocolate please I like to dunk them. Maybe a fry up or am I asking for too much now?
Kim

Kim,
Coffee it is then. Dunk away. Be glad to do a fry up for you. Only one problem...no baked beans. Michael ate them all. That's why he keeps running off to the smallish room with a throne.
Is that a problems?
--Richard

Inn
What is AIM?
--Richard

Richard it's still white with 2. I can't believe there's no beans, all I can say is that Michaels throne must be getting plenty of use. I'll have the biscuits instead then.
Night everyone

Michelle, I laughed when I read about your Zen moment! Thanks for that.

I chose that line from CWG by flicking through the pages and seeing what would jump out at me. Do you remember in Illusions how Donald Shimoda recommended that you let a book fall open and then look for the lesson on that page? I'm so happy that this has reinforced something for you.
Detaching from Outcomes? We're in the same class for that lesson as you know. It's a struggle for me too and I'm very much on the learning curve still.

Michael, I would love to truly believe what you said about the Universe throwing you the curves that you need in preparation for what you are meant to do. I believe that in my head but am still aspiring to believing it in my heart and soul. But, like Michelle, I am much further along that road than ever before and I'm going in the right direction. BTW, what do you mean when you say 'Don't think about where you are on the journey.'?

So you're a dark Irishman? I am dark also but have the more typical blue eyes and fair skin. I don't go brown. Not a chance. I suppose I'm built for the weather here!

Re:dancing lessons. You've convinced me - heart & soul. I think it's the joy I'm reaching for most of all. I'll check out about classes as soon as I get my holidays.

Inn, what is AIM?

Michelle, I'd love to go to a baseball game, but (forgive me), I don't get it! I wish I did. One of my favourite films is Field of Dreams. Can you explain what the buzz is??

Richard, thanks again for the info. Oiche mhaith to you too!

Love to all,
Mary

You people are so lovely. Yes, its Lord Cheeky of Brat and he is very emotional right now. The way everyone speaks to each other with such humor, and love and respect.

Okay, while I compose myself, you may take a moment to reflect while I dry my eyes.

Seriously folks, all of you rock in my book.

Kim aka Sweetie Darling: Thanks for the info on Jo. I love that rocking Texas mama! Please send her my love when you speak to her next. Also I'm sure that her Picadillo was fantastic. I'm just sorry that I was not there to taste it. Best wishes to here husband too. Eyes Open darlin.

Inn: AIM - I'm Game.

Michelle: my dear - I only worry to the extent that you need support. You are a strong human being, capable of taking care of yourself. Whatever you need to do, you can do completely on your own. Myself and everyone else only complement what you have already supplied. You show such courage and grace. It inspires me. Don't worry about the exercise and physical mobility for now. Get everything else taken care of, and then, you will work it out. Remember, exercise is not always about going to a gym or riding a bike or rollerblading. Sometimes it is just about picking up the house, doing the laundry, cooking the meals. Are you not tired after all of that? Well then that is what is called a workout! Allow yourself to beleive that. Your life is a workout. Let that help the depression.

I would love to come to Wrigley. You have any tickets? They are impossible to get. I'll tell you what. When you feel strong, well go and stand in line. If we get in great, if not, we'll got to one of the sports bars around and have a dog and a beer. Take care of you okay?

And as always Cheeky Richard: Now that I am a Lord of Cheekiness and Bratdom, do I have the right to bestow a title on thee? C

My love and best energy to all of you,
Michael aka Brat

Great day on PC! Thanks to Paul and everyone here for the company, the humour and the wisdom shared.

Have a good night/sleep everyone,
Mary

What's this? I leave heartfelt message and what do I get in return. Accusations of bean theft and overuse of the - dare I say it - the smallish room. The charming little chain is already tarnished! My integrity is being besmurched and I object! Strenuously!! And repeatedly!!! Oh God! You people make me have to pee because I am laughing so hard!

Dear Mary: If you think that you are further along in your journey then you are, then you are. When I say don't think where you are in the journey: It is inevitable that you will wonder where you are and how you are doing, are you accomplishing something. Much like Paul when he started this thread. That Cheeky Richard said something brillant awhile back although I can't imagine what it is right now. He is a commoner after all. It is the process of self-evaluation. Just don't get hung up there. It is where myself and so many people have gotten stuck. You think you wonder you worry am I doing the right thing, am I doing it well . . . (fill in all of the thoughts that come to you). The point is to keep going. Self-doubt can really suck you in and hold you back. Just trust and listen and move ahead.

Okay, I have just reread the previous statement and I sound like a bloody loony. I feel like I should have a toll free telephone number for people to call and give their credit card numbers so I can counsel them.

Mary: I think that you are where you should be and where you should be going. Come over for a game with me and Michelle. We'll straighten you out. Right Michelle?

Yes, I am Black Irish, and I have fair skin but not as much as the blue and green eyes have. While my mother is 98% Irish, somewhere along the line someone else snuck in. No one in the family will talk about it. Hummm . . . but that is what makes me able to tan. P.S. I'll hold you to taking those dance classes.

So to all you cheeky sods who have dragged my name through the smallish room - to you I say = get your asses out of bed in the morning and watch the sunrise!

Lord C of B

Michael
I figured out the time in OZ by looking at the date and time that I posted. I am 13 hours behind. The next time you post, check your post time (Sounds like a horse race) which would be OZ time and calculate.

Paul
A big welcome back. I knew we would hear from you, but we worry when we don't. Here again is my Banana contribution.
Maui Kalua (Baked Banana)
6 large bananas
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ to ¾ cup rum
1 cup toasted

Bake bananas in their skins in a luau pit, or in pre heated hot oven at 400 F for about 15 minutes. Remove bananas from skins and place on individual serving plates. Cover evenly with brown sugar, spoon on rum, and set aflame. When flame dies, sprinkle with coconut. Hope you have a Luau pit.

Again, glad to hear from you again.

It is good to remember that the tea kettle, although up to it's neck in hot water, still continues to sing.

Circle of Love to everyone.
Take care
Marge

AIM is AOL instant messenger. You don't have to have aol to get the instant messenger. I thought it might be nice for those times when we are all posting at the same time to be able to chat without bunging up the blog. You can get it at aol.com and for anyone who downloads it you can do "add a buddy" and you can find me by name.
Peace

see like marge and I just did. Hello marge. I noticed the differece a while ago but it was the date that caught my eye. Like here it is still the first, my 13th wedding anniversary btw, and on the post it says the 2nd.

I am not as poetic or elequent as some of the others that have posted comments but I just wanted to say that I look at life one day at a time. To me an artist in any form whether it be musical, painted, books, or poems they are all beautiful ways for people to express themselves and share them with others. I saw your movie Strictly Ballroom and I would just like to say that you are a wonderful dancer and an insperation to others that also like to express themselves through dancing. Have a wonderful life.

Kim thinks I should talk about this and today I am about to burst so here goes. Let's see. Last year I tried to commit suicide. I have bi-polar manic depression and autoimmune disease (Hashimoto's thyroditis which is very hard to control). Last year at this time my wonderful doctors had taken me off all medication to "see what would happen". After my husband rushed me to the emergency room to be sewn back up they put me back on medication. By September I seemed to be "stabilized" as they say and then our house had to be leveled. Unfortunately they broke all the plumbing in the house in the process of doing it and then the rafters in the attic shifted and we had to have the roof redone. All that was finished by March. I had to cash in my IRA (for Mary that means Individual Retirement Fund) retirement to pay for all of this. Last January a cat that I had had for many, many years chose that time to die. Then in April my husband had a heart attack. My sister-in-law (who I consider to be a sister) is dying of cancer and now her daughter has advanced breast cancer. Sorry to anyone if I have been a little surly of late.

Jo, my friend, I'm so glad you've shared ALL of this with us. I'm so sorry for all you've been through, and I would say I understand how you feel but that would sound almost demeaning as I've NO idea how this has impacted you. I can only empathize and let you know that I realize how hard it is/was for you.

I've talked about battling depression here before, but I'm unipolar and haven't had to deal with the swings I know you must go through. The medication that helps us is wonderful, but the process of finding what works and then at some point trying it without it, etc., is no fun. I've gone off my meds once and felt horrible. Please know that I do relate to your struggles here. I know what games your mind plays when it goes into those dark places. The distorted view of life that comes with this disease is truly scary. I'm so glad that you're in a better place now, as I am. Be well.

As to all the other things that have been going on, isn't life the shits sometimes? It seems that there must be a test you've not been made aware of because really, how much are you supposed to deal with in such a short amount of time? Money problems are such stress-inducers. They DO eventually even out but getting there and going through financial trouble is hell on the nerves.

I'm so sorry about your cat. I lost my last two dogs when they were 14 and 15, so I fully understand how much you can love a pet. It is heart wrenching to lose someone (not a thing) that brought you such unconditional love. I do believe animals have a special connection to the Divine Spirit that they share with us just by being who they are.

As to all the health problems with your family, I know you must feel overwhelmed, and why wouldn't you? Please Jo, remember in all this to take care of yourself first so that you can be there for them to support them when they need you. And really, that's all you can do. Don't let your fears get the best of you because in the end they only bring worry and grief. Come here and talk to us and let us share your burden. Just talk about whatever you feel is becoming too much to carry alone. That's what we're here for after all!:) I'm a great listener and I'll be here for you no matter what you need to get off your chest. Let it fly!

I wish you love and peace,
Michelle

My dear rocking J:

In my mind, I am imagining us with our arms around each other as we sit together outside waiting for dinner to cook. We can smell the pot roast through the open window. We were going to make chicken fried steak, but we thought better of it. We are going to have mashed potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese with lots of bacon on top and tons of black pepper, deviled eggs, corn bread with cracklin, the greens are simmering too. The baked beans are in the oven. We decided to try Cheeky Richard's recipe. We also got some beautiful vine ripened tomatoes that we are going to cut up. We looked at the corn on the cob, but it just didn't seem very good. Too early. We put together a big old salad. We also decided to try Marge's luau bananas for desert. It was fun cooking together, joking and laughing as friends do. The table is all set. It's going to be a fun evening. Now we are just sitting outside, waiting for it all to cook, just two friends enjoying the late afternoon, not saying much, just enjoying each other's company. Can you feel the big hug I'm giving you right now Jo?

Michael aka The Brat

Dearest Jo,

Your letter really touched me. You have been bombarded with so much, with ill health yourself, then your husband, and now your sister-in-law and your niece.

"Surly" has never been you. The old saying, "no one gets more than they can handle" is false.

Just know that you are admired for your courage and determination, and that you are in our thoughts and prayers!

Love and Peace,

Grandma Mil

To All PCrs:
Greetings and salutations. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Kim:
The kettle has been on for quite awile now. Where are you. I waited and waited and finally ate the fry up myself. It was roight taystee, even without the baked beans.

Mary:
Ta failte romhat. Were you able to sort it out? The methods I suggested before are a bit time-consuming, especially if you want to type lots of text. You might try downloading a Gaelic font (type face) from the internet. Google search for Gaelic Font Download websites and see if you can find one you like. Confused? Maybe your son can help. Let me know if I can do anything. Later, jellybean.

Inn:
Congratulations on your anniversary.
Instant Messaging--of course, how silly of me. I use Windows Messenger. Would be nice to be able to have a realtime "conversation". A matter of timing and logistics. The PC realm covers something like 15 times zones and I'm sitting somewhere in the middle of them all.

Melinda:
Nice to hear from you. Poetics and eloquence is as much in the message as in the verbage. We're all artists in some medium. Keep adding to the tapestry.

Michael:
Your heartfelt messages are as welcome and refreshing as a cool breeze in the desert.

>> That Cheeky Richard said something brillant awhile back...
--Not likely.

>>Accusations of bean theft...
--Don't get your knikkers in a knot, m'Lord. The beans were given freely and gladly.

>>Strenuously!! And repeatedly!!! ...overuse of the - dare I say it - the smallish room. The charming little chain is already tarnished!
--Point, set and match.

>>Now that I am a Lord of Cheekiness and Bratdom, do I have the right to bestow a title...
--Peerage does have its priviliges.

>>He is a commoner after all.
--And just how sure are you of that? Who do you think bestowed the title on YOU?
Besides, aren't we all Lords (and Ladies) of our own domains. Don't we all have our own smallish throne rooms with little thrones on which we sit and contemplate our reign over those domains?
Isn't it remarkable just how much creativity is inspired by the smell of... well, you get the idea!

To All Zen Space/Time Theorists herein:
Have you every considered that the Universe throws us so many curves precisely because It is curved itself--spherical, if you will? And that time, rather that being linear, is itself circular. And, if you're around long enough that you'll return to a place you've been before? That might help explain the idea of history repeating itself. Or the Karmic "what goes around, comes around"? Or feeling that something is familiar without consciously knowing why? Perhaps it's deja vu all over again!
So, the next time you tell someone, "I'll see you around.", keep in mind that it may have much deeper connotations than you had ever imagined.

Love and Kisses to all
--Richard

Jo, darling JO:

What can I really say. Never underestimate the courage it took to share these things with us. I certainly don't.
I won't insult you by saying that I understand how you feel. No one can know the pain in your soul. No one knows that deep, dark pit into which you sometimes fall.
Just keep listening for those voices calling to you across the wilderness. It's those family, friends and loved ones reaching out to you. Walk towards them. They will guide you out of the darkness and back into the light.
Love
--Richard

Michael,
Now I am in tears.
Without doubt there is a heavenly constellation named Michael. How lucky we are that the blazing sun at its center is here on earth with us.
--Richard

Jo, I am so sorry. You must feel totally inundated with everything that has been going on in your life. To have come through all of this and to still be hanging in there says so much about your strength of character. Taking even one of these challenges head-on would be intimidating. What can I say to you that the others haven't already said so well? I have found that the sharing of a burden with friends, whatever the direction of the giving or the taking, although usually at times when I have felt at my lowest and most vulnerable, has somehow released a strength and a feeling of peace. The situation may not change but the idea that we are all fellow travellers on the same journey is reinforced and also the sureness that, although individuals, we are ultimately all part of the one thing. I hope that by sharing your story with us (and I agree with Richard, that took courage), you will feel the strength and the peace that I am talking about. If it were possible, we would all be around at Michael's place with you now, but PC is a pretty good second choice for what is needed. Sending love and good wishes to you Jo. Take care.

Michael, Michelle, Richard & all - have to head out now but I'll be back to chat later. Love to all of you.

Mary

Jo
I think a lot of us have thought commiting suicide. I was inches away from hitting an 18-wheeler on a local road, but went for counciling. I am on anti depressents and am back on track.

I lost my husband to cancer in 2000. Last year I also lost two of my best buddies. A pekineze named Chewie (17) and a cat named Ollie. (20) I have a wonderful vet who let me hold them until they went to sleep. I have their ashes and haven't "let go of them" yet. I plan to spread the ashed in a part of my yard. I know how you feel when you lose a pet, especially when they get up into double digits. I now have 2 pekes, Lucy & Gizmo, a cat named Smokie. All three are about 13. I got Lucy the day after my Husbands funeral, and I just know that he sent her to me. Pets are a wonderful source of comfort. They listen to you, they don't argue. All they require is loving care.

Michael
Your description of the sunrise was beautiful. You do have the knack. I love our sunsets here, I often stop and take time to admire things, Horses in a field, watch a mother bird feed her young. Take time to smell a flower. Watch a squirrel steal my birdseed. Admire the wild flowers that grow along side the road, watch two bald eagles soar over my house, the ducks and geese flying from one lake to another.

Real friends are those who, when you've made a fool of yourself, don't feel you've done a permanent job.

A love circle to everyone on PC.

Marge

Thanks for listening to me. A friend in England told me that a problem shared is a problem halved. In this case quartered. Marge I am so sorry about your husband. I could not live without my husband. I wouldn't even want to. You are the one with the strength.

Hi Paul, it’s good to hear from you. Wishing you much happiness and light to drench you and those around you. Don’t give up, but if you need to put your head down on the sand for a while to rest and restore energy, do it.

Are we trying for another record? Approaching 400 comments in one post, that I think would be a first. Did we ever make it to 300??? WOW!

Inn, thanks for the recipe. Will try it soon, probably this weekend. And a belated Happy 13th anniversary!! Good for you guys! Congrats to your hubby as well. AIM would be fun …

Helen (faka Evelyn,) I think we should continue to confuse Michael since he seems to enjoy that and I don’t object to being a little mysterious every once in a while. Are you game?

Michael, this is Evelyn aka Helen aka Evelyn. Still confused??? Good, like it that way. So you seem to like to defer a lot, what’s up with that? I wonder what a therapist would say about that … hahahaha, I know bad pun! Good for you for going into that degree program later in your life and for following through. My Mum did that as well. She took courses in counseling after all her 3 girls moved out within one year, gave her something to do and fill the space that we left behind by leaving the nest, but she could also draw on her life experience at that point that she might not have been able to do earlier in her life. That seems to be the case for you as well and it makes a lot of sense to me. Do you take that sense of humor into your therapy sessions as well, that you display here? I thought about getting a degree in psychology and become a therapist, but at 18, I seriously asked myself, what would I have to give and can I deal with people’s problems when I’m trying to figure out my own life? I decided that I can put this off to later and pursued my other passion, teaching, languages, literature, culture, history and as a teacher I keep finding myself in the position where I wish I had some training in counseling …

Kim and Michael, thanks for clarifying the “Eyes Open” reference. I do remember your post, Michael, I just didn’t connect the two. Can I join the “Eyes Open” club? I recently decided to open my eyes to that part of life again.

Richard and Kim, tea with some milk, no sugar for me, and mug please!!! Warms the hands and is easier to hold.

Mary, Happy last week of term. You can do it and the wonderful time, post end of term, is only a few days away. Good luck with thesis year. I found that to be the most challenging time of them all while getting my degree, as it requires so much more self-discipline, finding and making the time for writing while working at the same time, was very tough for me and it was important to make it a habit to write a little bit every day, if I could, and if it was only one or two sentences a day, they do add up eventually. I know what you mean about pursuing something that’s not exactly practical career-wise, I did that as well, but if that’s where your passion lies, pursue it!!!

Re. CWG comment, I have to get caught up to that point in the book, but from the responses I read, I know what you mean about learning not to worry about the results & outcomes. I’m getting plenty of practice in that area these days or have the past two years in particular. I’m pleased with some of the changes I sense in myself, but lots left to learn. Let me think about this some more before I comment.

Michelle, lots of love and health to you. Sorry to hear about your potential asthma problems. Like Michael (Lord Cheeky of Brat—love that name, seems to fit you, at least to a certain extent, love the sense of humor you have about yourself!) said, you are very strong and it seems that you tackle problems head on and find the calm moments in the middle of it all. Not everyone can do that.

Dearest Jo, you are so very brave to open up and share your pain. I wish there was something specific I could do to ease your pain, to help you carry your burden, but I don’t know what that is. How you handle any of this, I don’t know … I’ll be keeping you and all your family in my thoughts and prayers as well and will send you lots of love, strength and healing energy and a big hug. If there’s anything I can do, please ask!!!

Marge, I’m so sorry to hear of your losses. I admire you just as I admire my Mum for picking up her life without her husband. That is not easy and takes a lot of courage to keep going and not give up.

Richard, love your friendly “banter” with Lord you know who, love your sense of humour as well. So where are you really from? You know just way too much about the UK, the US (which is where I think you are from) and are living in the Netherlands. How did that happen?

Hello dearest grandma! Hugs and kisses to you, and everyone else as well. Got to go!

Hello Everyone:

Marge: I'm glad you like the description of the sunrise. I actually got up very early today, took my thermos of coffee and sat in the garden waiting. It was wonderful. There is a Cardinal family in one of the trees in the yard. The babies are looking like they are about ready to leave the nest - or at least take flight and then return. It's been wonderful watching them. I wish you could have been here Marge. Did you get the images I sent Mary and Michelle?

Melinda: Thank you for posting such a beautiful thought. Welcome and please come back soon.

Mary: Party at my house, all are invited, Kim is cooking! Hello my Sweetie Darling! Where's Pats?

Richard: As always, you make me laugh out loud, long and hard. Thank you for your kind words. I am humbled.

I love your thoughts on spherical. Makes me tingly. I read a series of books about 25 years ago that spoke about the universe, how it works, how and why we are here, what happens after etc. They also spoke about time.

They put forth the theory, like you did, that time is not linear. It is simultaneous. The past, present, and future all take place simultaneously. They gave the example of a huge apartment building. All of the floors, apartments, represent different periods of time, all happening at the same time. I'm not explaining this very well. I hope that you get the jist of it. I thought it was fascinating.

Rockin Jo: Keep talking. Your friend in England was absolutely correct. When you say it out loud the power is diminished. I'm thinking of you.

Bye for now all,
Michael

Helen, I mean Evelyn:

I was posting as you were. Great to hear from you and I love your sense of humor. keep me confused, I usually am anyway!

Yes, I absolutely take my sense of humor into my sessions. The only thing I have to take into my sessions is me, the humor comes with. I'm not of the school of therapists that are a blank slates. I laught and cry with my clients. I'm not removed, but very interactive. It's the only way I can work. Tried the more removed tac in my training, just didn't work for me or the client.

As far as training in counseling, there are seminars all over the country that you could participate in. These are designed for psycholigists, psycholigists, and social workers. Some of them can be so tedious. They use this language that I don't think they even understand; however, many of them are very clear and user friendly. Ask around your area, maybe even contact the National Association of Social Workers Chaper in you area and see what is coming up. Many interesting workshops and maybe something that would be useful to you.

And yes, Eyes Open!

By for now,
Michael

Wow, that last message is full of mistakes. Sorry Helen/Evelyn aka Helen

Michael

Jo I hoped sharing what you are feeling did help you a little. As you know my sister who is now 36 also has breast cancer so I understand a little what you are going through. You know that I am always here for you.

Evelyn WELCOME to the Eyes Wide Open club! Maybe you would like to come to one of our Candlelit Suppers, Richard and Michael will cook.

Michael Sweetie, if you want Kim to cook expect tinned beans and cheap plonk, is that OK? There will be a throne near by just incase!

Richard what can I say, I've had a really shitty day and I forgot the coffee and fry up. Get the kettle back on I'll be over later. Better still have you anything stronger, after today I could do with it.

Chat to you all later
Kim x

Hey Inn...I didn't get your PM...*sniff*
I'm all for your AIM. any chance you can do
Yahoo IM too? lol
I'll try to get AIM...i don't have AOL either..so hopefully the download will work for me. I'll letcha know.
when i was on aol i was Kajumi98020, but now cannot access...i will try again or will create a new one.
It sure would be fun to chat IRT

wooo hoooooo

latte luv to the PC today
n a big wink n a grinn
su Katalina de Seattle current weather: there's a big beautiful golden orb hanging in the sky today...very unfamiliar, but most welcome!

BTW: i love the Lord Cheeky of the Brat!
mischief drawn to mischief perhaps?
*winks n hugs*

Kat

Evelyn,
Glad you enjoy the banter. Feel free to jump right in. The water's fine and the gene pool is always open to evolution (or is it mutation?).

Me? Where am I from?
OK, here's the Reader's Digest condensed version.
Born and raised in Missouri (Kansas City).
At some point moved to Florida.
Had (have) a friend living in Amsterdam. Used to come here on vacation to visit her and travel around abit.
Was bored with Florida and decided it would be fun to live in Amsterdam for awhile. Moved here, planning on being here for, at most, 1 year. That's been more than 10 years ago now. Been back to the States once (for 4 days) in that time.
How do I know so much about Britain? Hell if I know. Surprises me, actually. Watch lots of BBC on cable. Have travelled around Britain (England, Wales, Scotland). Have many British friends. Haven't made it to Ireland yet. Must do something about that. Right Mary? Éireann go Brách!
That's pretty much the short and sweet of it.

And how about you Evelyn.
You're a bit of a mystery yourself.
You live in Minnesota (Twin Cities--Minneapolis or St. Paul?).
You used to live in Louisiana (the Big Easy, by any chance?).
You claim to be "homesick for a visit to the UK" but also called yourself my German neighbor from the US".
You speak German and understand some Dutch.
So, do tell , mein Leibschen (sp?). Spill it.

Waiting for enlightenment.
--Richard

Michael,
Glad I can keep you laughing. Best medicine, wot?

Yes. Simultaneous time.
Quantum physics.
Singularities.
Synchronisities.
Etc.
Gawd. It's hard enough to deal with the one here-and-now let alone the burden of infinite universes/dimensions/time occurrances.
Simultaneous past/present/future. Anything is possible. I prefer the linear/circular time line idea. Lots of kinetic/potential energy with ensuing sparks of static electricity! Keeps things lively!

Glad you're an involved therapist. All of this Cognitive, Person-Centered, etc. keeping people at a distance. I think people looking for help need to feel that there is an aware person on the other end of the line. Granted, you must be careful not to lose yourself in the process.
As in the classic definition of Sympathy and Empathy:
You happen upon a person who has fallen down a well.
The Sympathetic person jumps in the well with them. The Empathetic person lowers them a rope so they can climb up out.
I tend to think it's better to be Empathetic. At least the person in trouble gets some help.
If you're Sympathetic and just jump right in, then there's two of you down there in the well accomplishing nothing except, well...getting wet!

Take it easy, m'Lord.
-Richard

Katalina:
Tonight's forecast:
Dark. With scattered lightness toward morning.
--Richard

OK Michael. Let's get this straight. Who is your 'Sweetie Darling'? Me or Kim? Not sure after your last post. (We're not going to fall out over this, alright Kim?) Can we both be?? Also, please explain - 'Where's Pats?' That sounds Irish if I'm not mistaken but I'm bewildered!

Now that we've got that out of the way...How are you my friend? Thank you for the beautiful images! I actually wondered would you remember to send them. Re: getting hung up on self-evaluation..past master here! Like many of the things you say, I'm going to think about what you wrote there. You're right. Self-doubt is insidious and diminishing. I have to fight it a lot. Thanks for those thoughts. As for the Cubs game..I'm there in spirit with you both. Wish it could be in person. The party? Maybe some day. You never know!

I would imagine your clients experience great healing through your awareness and willingness to 'feel' with them. I hope your work is blessed Michael. It's a good thing you're doing. Take care.

Marge, I love the way you sign off with Circle of Love to us all. It always touches me. And once again I have to say that I admire the way you have handled the difficult times you have been through.

Richard, we got it working!! Go raibh mile maith agat!! It was actually on the computer already with Windows 98 and in the end, very simple to sort out. Thanks again. Loved the Spherical Time interlude. Perplexingly fascinating.

Éireann go brách??? (Take note - fadas are in!) That's a bit politically strong!! What kind of site are you accessing, for goodness sake??
Do come to Ireland some day. It's well worth a visit. And you can no longer say you've no connection with it! Jellybean out.

Hi Evelyn! Thanks for the advice based on experience. I agree. Self-discipline will be the key. One advantage is that my thesis topic is very close to my heart. It's about the concept of educating 'the whole child'. I feel committed to that anyway. Looking forward to sharing CWG thoughts with you. Take care.

Michelle, thinking of you today.

Peter, come back and see us as soon as you can please. I miss your presence here, a shade of purle seems to be missing somehow. Hope you are in good spirits.

Welcome to Melinda! And Hi to Inn & Katalina!

Love to you Paul.

Take care all,
Mary

Mary,
Glad you got it sorted out. Was going to suggest the the accented character feature should already be on your computer. But, without knowing what operating system you were using, didn' want to presume anything.
Éireann go brách is politically strong? Knew what it meant. Have heard it said before. Always assumed it was meant in the same vein as God Bless America. Didn't realize it might have partisan overtones like America, Love It or Leave It.
Cut and pasted it off a site with Irish Gaelic phrases under heading of Top 5 requested phrases. No offense intended.
Yeah, must make it to Eire one day. Have several Irish friends. Now I have another. One is married to a carpenter and they live in a self-built tree house. Love her to death. She's so strong and out there.
Take care.
--Richard

Michael, thank you so much for the images. Time being what it is (not linear) I can access the beauty whenever I want! But then I always knew that, didn't I? As for the Cubs game, I would do something NEARLY illegal to get tickets. My husband has clients that give him tickets on occasion so that's my only chance this year. Like you said, it might be just as much fun to hit the bars in Wrigleyville!

Mary, I'd forgotten what Surfs Up sounded like. It's not a song that I've heard a lot, so I played it today and was surprised at it's quality. It sounds almost hymn-like! Thanks for bringing it up.

As to baseball, I can only tell you why I like it as I'm sure my reasons will differ from other's. Baseball IS summer. It's a laid-back game where you don't have to get too excited if you don't feel like it. It moves at a pace that isn't frantic, and violence isn't a usual occurrence. It's to be savored and enjoyed with a beer. It takes skill and patience. It's fun! And there's always the bonus of men in tight pants. Granted, some look better than others, but you get a variety that way:)

Evelyn, thank you for your kind thoughts. I was looking at CWG today and reading about fear. I was reminded that fear attracts like energy, so that what you fear most will be drawn to you in some way. That was the thump on the head I needed to get my thinking straight regarding my health. So with you and everyone else here helping me, I'm now only thinking positively. By the way, I have a rose in my garden that is called Evelyn. It's my favorite, a very pretty light peach in color. It was named for Crabtree and Evelyn as they use it in their rose scent, but to me it will always be Evelyn on PC that I think of when I look at it.

Richard, don't get me started with the whole time/space thing. I'm very interested in the connection between quantum mechanics and spirituality. My biggest interest is in String Theory, especially the idea that as many as 12 other dimensions exist right along side us. You know what this means don't you? It means that I may be listening to Eric Clapton performing Layla in THIS dimension while in the next he MAY actually be pouring me wine and rubbing my feet! Thoughts create energy after all, don't they? Well anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. It works for me.

Marge, I think you're wonderful. I'm proud to know you. You see such beauty in life and that is truly a gift. I'm sorry for what you've been through and I'm glad you've made it to the other side. Thanks for the Circle of Love!

Peter, don't be goin' lizard on me!

Hello Kat, Inn, Mil, Kim, Jo, Melinda. Tim, are you around? I miss you. Dhiana, you naughty girl, what are you up to? Love and light to Diane. Wishing you well, my friend.

Paul, how's the swimming, or are you floating? Either way, it's all good!

Love you guys,
Michelle

Richard, no offence taken. I was kidding you really. Éireann go brách (Ireland Forever) would have the same feeling as God Bless America. It's just that in the past it would have had a deeper significance for many people. But in its essence it is simply a celebratory roar of approval! I love the idea of a self-built tree house. Your friend sounds interesting.

Michelle, the men in tight pants would certainly be an incentive but the rest sounds lovely too. Tell you what, if I ever make it over to your neck of the woods, we'll take in a game. We can invite Michael.

You're right. Where is Tim? And La Dhiana?

Diane, Kelly and Abeth - hope you are all well.

Take care all,
Mary

Michelle,
Ah yes. Quantum Mechanics and Spirituality.
Schroedingers Cat
The Tao of Poo
Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Mechanics

String Theory.
Isn't that the rational behind the wearing of butt-floss bikinis? Ummmm...Sorry, I digress.

>>It means that I may be listening to Eric Clapton performing Layla in THIS dimension while in the next he MAY actually be pouring me wine and rubbing my feet!
--Yes, twelve simultaneous dimensions.
It also means that in the other 10 it MAY be Meatloaf sitting on the couch in his underware singing Paradise By The Dashboard Lights and demanding that you get him another beer from the 'fridge.
He'll do anything for love, but he won't do that! We're getting onto rather scary grounds here.

You're better off in this one dimension sitting with your eyes closed, listening to Clapton sing Layla and mentally visualizing him pouring you a glass of wine and rubbing your feet. At least you control all the variables in this scenario.

Be well and keep smelling the roses.
--Richard

Richard, you are hilarious!
Thanks for that.

Mary

Thanks for that image, Richard! Meatloaf was not on my list of men who might inhabit dimensions other than this one. And hey, I'm just a girl with a dream.

The Dancing Wu Li Masters is another good quantum mechanics/spirituality book. You should google String Theory and see what you get. A good book on that subject is The Elegant Universe. However, I do like your description!

For now, it's just me and Eric and a little vino.

Michelle

Mary, 2 Sweetie Darlings is fine with me if it is with you. Pat's is a character from Absolutely Fabulous.

Hi to Michelle, Jo, Michael Sweetie, Richard (where's my cuppa), Evelyn, Mary, Marge, Grandma Millie and everyone else here on PC.

Love, Kim

Michelle
Thanks. I'll check out the reading list.

>>Meatloaf was not on my list of men who might inhabit dimensions other than this one.
--Mission accomplished.

>>...I'm just a girl with a dream.
--Dreams are the stuff of which reality is made.
Keep on creating, girl.

Called up my friend Eric. He's said to close your eyes and he'd sing this little lullaby for you before bedtime:

What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride.

Michelle, you've got me on my knees.
Michelle, I'm begging, darling please.
Michelle, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down.

Michelle, you've got me on my knees.
Michelle, I'm begging, darling please.
Michelle, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don't say we'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain.

Michelle, you've got me on my knees.
Michelle, I'm begging, darling please.
Michelle, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

Michelle, you've got me on my knees.
Michelle, I'm begging, darling please.
Michelle, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

Sleep well. Pleasant dreams
--Richard and Eric

Mary
You're welcome.

Kim
Mary is making the tea this time. But, no bikkies for you until you tell us why today was so shitty!

--Richard

Hello Everyone:

Inn: I've meant to say this and kept forgetting. Happy Anniversary!

Katalina: Lord Cheeky of Brat here. Mischief? Really? Don't know nothing about mischief. You will have to speak to Cheeky Richard about mischief! Hello there!

Calling all Sweetie Darlings! Of course you can be Sweetie Darling Mary with Kim. Pats (Patsy) is Eddie's best friend in the whole world. You know that one that hasn't eaten one bit of food since 1971 and smokes and drinks like a sailor. Aka the Tart? Ab Fab television series? Do they have it Ireland? It is hilariously trashy!

Things here are good. The weather has seemed to given us a break. Even though storms have been predicted, it has been perfectly beautiful. And with all of that the rain and now sunshine the flowers are just exploding. It is really beautiful.

Self-doubt is the little voice in your head that always talks to you when it is being the devil. It seems sometimes, that the more you care the more you can have self-doubt. I think that it is a life-long stuggle - sometimes big sometimes not. I think that the key is being aware and not tear yourself up and let it stop you. (Don't look at where you are - look at where you're going.) The self-awareness allows you to speak back to the little voice and tell it to piss off!

I want to hear more about "the whole child" theory. Sounds fascinating.

Michelle: Glad you and Mary got the images. It was really fantastic out there.

I love the String theory. Sometimes I think my head is going to explode when I think about it, but it fascinates me. You really have to let go of how we were taught the universe works. Liked your example of Eric Clapton and loved the explanation of baseball. So to a bar in Wrigleyville it is!

Cheeky Richard: Fascinating as always and full of humor. I loved what you wrote about sympathy and empathy. Right on the money. And sometimes it is possible to lose yourself when you are working with someone. There are checks to help you with that, and I am always in therapy myself. These checks help you to sort through what you are hearing everyday and how it may be affecting you. I love what I do and the clients I work with. I'm very lucky. Now what are we going to do about Kim?

We have given recipes, suggestions for pot lucks, ways to get free liquor and crank her social life about 20 notches and when I mention to Mary the party at my house will be catered by Kim, Kim responds with tins and cheap plonk. You are coming to the party by the by? Everyone else too?

Kim: Have Richard and I been working in vain? Just remember something missy. I am Lord Cheeky of Brat . . . don't make me have to finish this sentence.

My love to everyone,
Michael

Richard:

Only you could associate String theory with butt floss bikinis and Meatloaf sitting in his underwear singing.

Excuse me, I need to use the throne.

Michael

Richard I just had one of those shitty days where every thing that could have gone wrong did. I had to send my laptop of to be repaired so I will be without that for a while, then I went shopping and twisted my ankle and then I saw an ex. Seeing him brought back a lot of bad memories. We were together for a few years but he became quite violent towards me. So I wasn't a happy bunny today. Tomorrow will be better. Do I get some bikkies now?
Kim

Yes Kim: Tell us. Why shitty?

C of B

Kim
OK then. Yes, you may have some bikkies now, chocolate ones right?
And, I think you've earned a mug of hot cocoa instead of tea.
To paraphrase Miss Scarlett: "Tomorrow is another day and with God as your witness, you'll never be bothered by this again."

Michael
Yes, I know. Discouraging isn't it. But, as a professional you know that these things take time. Old habits are hard to break.

--Richard

Sorry, bout the last post. Wrote it as you were posting Kim. Sorry about the day. Especially sorry about the rush of bad memories. Eyes open - but not in the that direction. Right?

Muchos besos,
Michael

Yes eyes are still wide open but I'm still very wary. So isn't my cheap plonk and beans no good then? Does this mean I'm of the party invite, hope not.

Richard I like hot chocolate and chocolate bikkies too you're spoiling me.

I'll have to think of something other than beans then for my candlelit supper!

Thanks sweeties!

Richard, you're killing me! Softly, with your song...well you know the rest. Honestly, even though it was a virtual performance it gave me quite a thrill. Thanks for that!

And yes, I think I'll sleep quite well:)

Michael, don't think about String Theory for too long or it WILL cause brain fog. May I please come to the party? I'll bring some sort of Chicago fare if you like. Will there be music?
Maybe you and Richard could come up with a few numbers to entertain us girls? That would be lovely!

Goodnight everyone,
Michelle

Michael,
>>...associate String theory with butt floss bikinis
--Well, as long as we're in the realm of mental visualization and hypothesis, why not?!!

>>...Meatloaf sitting in his underwear singing.
--Just trying to come up a suitable image to illustrate that, even though two of the alternate dimensions contained her dreams desires, the other ten might well be nightmares. Maybe I should have chosen Freddie Krueger?

Michelle,
>>Maybe you and Richard could come up with a few numbers to entertain us girls?
--Hey, I thought that's what the baseball players in their tight pants were there for.

Bye the way, IMHO it's too early in the season for good hotdogs. Need to wait until late September after they've been stewing in their own juices for a few months. Now, that's a real Ballpark Frank!!!

Kim
Of course you're not off the invite list. We may have to reconsider the choice of caterers, however.

--Richard

PS:
Kim,
Everybody deserves a bit of TLC.
Enjoy you hot cocoa and bikkies.
--Richard

Goodnight Michelle & sweet dreams.

Kim, you deserve to be the one and only Sweetie. Sorry about the memories coming back. Remember, they're just ghosts at this stage. Just let them float away if you can. I hope your soulmate is out there waiting for you somewhere. (You too, Michael.) In one of his books, Richard Bach speaks of meeting his soulmate when they have each learnt all that they can on a solo journey. Keep trusting and stay on the lookout.

Michael, Pats/Patsy. I get it now. Yes, I love Ab Fab. Did you see the Christmas special from NY last year?

Over the years, whenever anyone asked me about my approach to teaching, I always replied instinctively that I tried to educate the whole child. I knew what I meant but when it came to deciding on my thesis,I decided to pin myself down and actually define what I meant. I'm still in the early stages, but I suppose the overall idea is to try and awaken every aspect of the child to the possibility and wonder of learning and not just over-emphasising narrow sections of who they are so that their development is as broad and balanced as possible. Sorry. That's probably not that clear but I'm looking forward to laying it all out in front of me on paper and clarifying what I hope I am about every day.

BTW, what time for the party?

Michelle, sweet dreams. It's goodnight from me too.

Love to all of you,
Mary

gawwwwd there are so many posts....
i don't wanna go back to learn what a "bikki" is?
enlightenment pleassse Sir Richard? Oh ye..btw: count another one with Irish roots and a little jig/reel/hornpipin history to boot (or to softshoe/hardshoe, rather)...i still reminisce and count out my steps to Sister Marie's synchopated instructions whenever I hear the WASHERWOMAN play somewhere.....

smiles back to L.C.of B.

Inn...hun i cannot locate yer AIM name..lol
I just PMd ya and gave you mine. AOL/AIM was
acting up for me, but something ultimately worked!

Hi back to Mary! :-}
Hi Evelyn and hi to everyone here today/tonight at PC....

oh ye...I have thumbed through the Elegant Universe and very much want that book!!!
Verrrrry interesting stuff.

Hugs n luvs n a latte besitos,
Katalina

Calling all PCrs,
407 posts and still climbing!!!
Seems that in Cap'n Paul's absence the sailors have commandeered the vessel and have headed off for parts unknown.
Guess we're now a Buccaneer crew. All hands on deck and sound off!!! An extra ration of rum for all hands.
Alright all you scurvey dogs.
Weigh anchor. Raise foresl's. Steady as she goes. Yo ho, ho it's the pirate's life for me.
Now, bring me that horizon.

Katalina
bikki=short for biscuit=what they call a cookie in the UK.

How's the weather there?
Here: cloudy, breezy and roight kuuul.

--Richard

Goodmorning Everyone:

How are you all? Sleep well? Beautiful morning here.

Kim Sweetie: Good! Eyes open and wary. Very smart. You don't want to let in any trash. It pisses me off to no end when louts mess with the people I care about. Maybe we could get Admiral Richard to string him up by his heels and hang him from the mast.

Michelle: Sorry darlin - I don't have to think much about anything to achieve brain fog! And of course you are invited to the party! Everyone is and bring what you like. As far as Richard and I entertaining. I'm afraid I don't do that kind of show no more. You see I have had to become more stately since the title of Lord has been bestowed. Maybe I could talk Richard into wearing tight baseball pants. Would that do it? Although speaking for myself, I'm not sure how attractive that will be. In my younger days I had quite the nice round firm bum from dancing and working out. As I have aged, it seems to be heading south as so much else and now bangs the back of my knees when I walk. However, if you insist. Anything for a friend's amusement. But no pictures please. If it ever got out . . . !

Cheeky I mean Admiral Richard: You requested attenndence? First, I have to tell you I know nothing about sailing and have a tendency to motion sickness when the water is rough. I will do the best I can, set an example the masses you know as Lord. What is it you wish? Humm? Now here is where Kim could excel and what she does best. Opening tins for the crew's dinner?

Bye the way, IMHO it's too early in the season for good hotdogs. Need to wait until late September after they've been stewing in their own juices for a few months. Now, that's a real Ballpark Frank!!!
Yes! You really are an American! A little bit of sour stomach perhaps? I can't help it. I love that kind of food. I used to eat from the vendors on the streets in NYC (hence bigger butt and bigger belly) even though the Health Department was constantly warning it was not a very good idea.

Take care everyone. Soon.
Michael

Katalina: So sorry darlin. I didn't mean to leave you out. Right back at you ;-) LC of B.

So Irish roots. Knew it. Something about the sauciness in you! Big hug and kiss.

Michael

M'Lord
>>Maybe I could talk Richard into wearing tight baseball pants.
--Now that'd be a sight to curdle yer milk.

>>You requested attenndence?
--Just tryin' to drum up some postings. Lest we get too inbred. u-hu, u-hu. Say maw, gonna go fer a mosey up the holla.

>>...tendency to motion sickness when the water is rough.
--No worries, mate. Smooth sailing ahead.

>>...what she does best. Opening tins for the crew's dinner?
--Do you really want to be stuck at sea for months on end with a bunch of bean-eating sailors.
Nooooooo thaaaaaanks!

>>A little bit of sour stomach perhaps?
--Have another brewski. Flushes it on out. Stay close to the throne, though.

When Irish roots are showing... shoore en begorrah! Where's that Leprechaun gotten off to? I want that pot o'gold.

-Richard

Hey Paul,
As you have commented on, have been going back and reading some of your old posts (no worries, mate. none of your words are coming back to bite you in the ass).
Was reading the ones from a year ago this time.
Was particularly interested in the one titled "what "does it all mean???" You remember the one about pawn shops, coincidences and seredipities?
There's a possible tie-in with my post about Zen Time/Space Theorists.
Also, perhaps you've heard of a book called "The Celestine Prophecies"? If not, it's worth a read. Terribly written but some interesting ideas.
Anyway, the relevant parts here are that there are no such things as coincidences, everything happens for a reason. And, everyone you meet has some useful information for you. You just have to ask the right questions. Chance has no part. Simply opportunities waiting to be taken advantage of.

Put it another way using another old theory.
If you put 50,000 monkeys at 50,000 typerwriters, they would eventually come up with the entire works of Shakespeare.
Simply Coincidence or Cosmic Inevitiblity?

Anyway, hope you're still checking in. If you're still stumbling around in the dark stop looking for the light switch for awhile. Flick the switch on your computer and open the door to this room called Paul's Corner. It's always bright, warm and supportive in here.
And, you might even get a good laugh!
G'day mate.
--Richard

Hi Richard,
No one can ignore the fact that you're so irresistibly charming. Who says good helps are hard to find. In this Corner, you can get all kinds of services for free, songs, dances, good receipes, poems, good advices, therapies, career counselings ...(feel free to add anything to the list). I should refer some of my difficult clients to this site to lighten up and charge a fee.

Do you do windows? Keep up the good work!!

fondly,
Katherine

Dear "Chickies in my Pen",

NOW HEAR THIS!!

As the eldest on PC, I feel at this point I have to step in and point out that people have left this site, (including our Paul) because of late, the posts have been too long, hard to follow, and full of banter that not everyone appreciates.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to exchange small talk or whatever, get each others email addresses and do it in private, which will be appreciated by the rest of us! I am not the only one that is complaining, and at over 411 messages, this is almost outrageous!

I am not a person who complains easily, but I wish this wonderful site to continue as it started, and at my age, I have a right to express my displeasure, and if I am out of line, you know where to reach me!

Peace and Love,

Mil

Sorry, didn't mean to be the last Straw to break ... (my bad luck!) I rarely posted here, just happened to see Richard's last posting to Paul, thought it was good and enjoyed.

If I offended anyone, my sincere apology.

regards,
Katherine

Katherine (NYC)
You haven't done ANYTHING. Please do not go away. You were just what I was hoping for--a new voice in the choir. Glad to have you here.
--Richard

Grandma Mil:

Point taken. Thank you.

To anyone I may have offended or caused to leave the board, I apoligize.

Michael

Granma Mil:

I don't in fact know how to contact you personally. Even if I did, I would not do so since your comments were thrown into the "public" forum and deserve a public response.
No one means to hurt or offend anyone here. Nor to drive anyone away. Although, in fact, you may have done so with your last post (see Katherine's response).
To my knowledge, no one has been driven away, with the possible exception of Gwen, who was probably expecting to find merely sycophantic drivel here. I Personally am not interested that sort of fan-site mentality. I am interested in interaction with Paul, the person and not Mr. Mercurio, the movie star. Until he makes contact with us here, I am content to converse with the other members of the family.
I don't know which other people you are referring to, but if there are others I would like to hear comments from them.
Paul certainly has not been driven away from his own site. I assume you read his last post. He has been checking in and reading. But, he has been going through a dark time lately and has just not felt like posting. All the more reason to post light-hearted banter in the hopes that he joins in and is cheered up, too.
Granted, this thread has gotten very large due in great part to the fact that Paul has not changed the topic for some time. However, if you have ever participated in any other forums of this type, you would be aware that threads do at times become quite large.
It has occurred to me that the postings have taken on a small group personal chatter aspect. It has been suggested that a real-time messaging site be gone to. However, as I commented, this group covers around 15 time zones so it is fairly difficult to arrive at a common time to come together. Besides, I think it is better to throw things into this forum which reaches a wider audience than personal messanger services do. That is the beauty of this kind of site, the possiblity of a wide and varied audience. Everyone has a voice and is free to use it--just as you have done.
I don't know what you mean in saying that you want this site to "continue as it started". I have looked all the way back to the beginning and have found no rules from Paul about the direction of or participation in his blog.
On the contrary, to quote Paul, "Mind you coming here is as much about sharing the nothings as it is in sharing the somethings."
I think in the spirit of our blogmeister, that in fact this forum is all about sharing, venting, learning and expanding your horizons. If you, or any others coming here disagree with opinions here then please feel free to interject an opposing view. Feel free to pick and choose.
So, unless and until Paul, the Lord and Master of this domain says otherwise, I don't see what the problem is.

--Richard

Richard, et al

Re: Back to "A Bit Off-Topic" What is the blog address for Rance. I went searching but ended up with a Trojan on my computer. Ouch! Fortunately my McAfee and ZoneAlarm were up-to-date and no damage was done...

later

Richard,
Why don't you have a REAL e-mail address where people can write to you. You are self-centered, egotistical and immature and nobody wants to hear your "potty" talk which you seem to enjoy using.

bluedog,
Hello to a voice I haven't heard before.

The URL for Rance is:

http://captainhoof.tripod.com/blog/

--Richard

If you haven't heard of bluedog then you haven't bothered to read ANY of the past post.

To bluedog,
If you are/have been a regular here, accept my apologies for not having recognized you. Have been reading mostly posts from last year and don't recall coming across your name. In any case, you have never directly responded to me before so, it's nice to meet you.
--Richard

Oh, my, do we have to respond to RICHARD now. Has this become Richard's Corner!!!

Please. Use your name. It's only fair. We're all adults here and I hope we can work this out in a civil manner.

We're better than this, aren't we? We have to pause a minute and remember who we are. Don't we support each other and welcome everyone?

I've been so worried and stressed out about some real life issues over the last few days that I welcomed the distraction of writing and chatting here. It was such a relief to me. I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

Michelle

Michelle I totally agree with you. I thought this was also a place where everyone was welcome. I just thought that we were all being friendly towards eachother so if I have also offended anyone then I am sorry for that.
Kim

When he gives his real e-mail address I will use my name.

Michelle,
Hope you had a good night's sleep and all is well with you.

Kim
I've put the kettle on. Come on over and tell me all about your day.

Anon. poster,
My email address has been given in previous posts. And, as a matter of fact, I think if you click on my name you can send an email that way.
I do not generally respond to annonymous posts such as yours. I didn't feel yours needed an answer. You stated your opinion, as we all are entitled to do. I feel no need to defend myself to you, so made no direct response.
I did respond to your comment about bluedog because he deserved the recognition which I mistakenly denied him.

Kim and Michelle are right. This is meant to be a place to correspond with others, to learn from others and to share our thoughts and experiences with others. All brought together under the common interest in Paul Mercurio.

Paul hasn't been posting lately for his own personal reasons. So, others of us in his extended family have been talking to each other and exchanging in some what some may consider bawdy humor. There has been nothing obscene or demeaning.
I'm sorry if you, or anyone else for that matter, is uncomfortable. However, you must realize that this is a world-wide forum which includes cultures in which such banter, and believe me much, much worse is common, normal and just plain the way it's done.

I will not become engaged in a flame war with you, or anyone. Ultimately, this is Paul's turf and I defer to him.

--Richard

Your e-mail address is worthless. I have clicked on it before and gotten nothing, but thank GOD you are finally deferring. Now maybe you will shut up and let someone else talk! Like maybe Paul if he feels like it. And how dare you talk that way to Granda Mil. What are you 12 years old?

Hello,

I just popped in to say hello.

All is going well with the pregnancy-thank you to those who have mentioned me. I'm tired and a bit nauseated (food seems to help with the latter). Our due date is 1/28/05 but it will probably be a week earlier since we plan to have a c-section. I'm getting more excited. Like-I can't wait to have the sonogram to see the precious girl/boy! Even though this is our baby #3-I'm still amazed and intriqued by pregnancy!!!!

If we have a boy-his name will be Martin Alexander and if it's a girl her name will be Anna. We haven't decided on a middle name for her though.

I'm sorry not have the time to post to everyone but I say hello and send hugs!

Abeth

Dear Grandma Mil,
Please forgive me if my response to you was harsh. I certainly meant no disrespect. I was merely trying to express frankly and in detail my opinion on the nature of this and other such blog sites. I do not wish to insult you and was merely responding as an adult to another adult. As I have previously stated, the type of banter going on is just normal for some people. No offense intended to you or anyone.
Again, I hold you in the utmost regard and respect and I appologize if I have been to extreme.
Love
--Richard

To all
It does seem that the email function does not work. Is anyone else experiencing problems and/or know how to remedy the situation?
Thanks
--Richard

Hi Kim! Hope your day was better today.

Michael, is the sun shining for you today? I hope so.

Abeth, I'm happy the pregnancy is going well but sorry you're nauseous. That's no fun. I hope it doesn't last long! Your names are beautiful as I'm sure your baby will be.

Richard, yes I did sleep well last night, thank you very much! Thanks to you and your friend Eric. I'm still trying to picture all the monkeys typing Shakespeare. "Out, damned banana spot!"

Love to all of you. It's guitar lesson night so I'll check back in later.

Michelle

Hi back to Evelyn, Mary & Michelle.

This lizard is still lying low, but a bit less stretched.
All is good.
I'll wait for the haze to clear and then I'll pop my head up. Hopefully I will be able to see the horizon.

Paul, nice to hear from you. I hope the work situation takes a strong, upward turn for you.

Be well, all PC'ers.

Peter

Good Evening Everyone:

Before I get started, I want to give a shout out to some people.

Abeth: I am so glad to hear from you and that your pregnancy is going well - in spite of the sickness. I too like the names. Martin Alexander - beautiful. Anna? How about Marie as her second name? Do you mind suggestions? Please take care and just check in so we can breathe and know that you are okay. Okay?

Dear Mary: I left you out of my post this morning. I think you have the thesis as you described. It made perfect sense to me. I would like to discuss this with you further. I work with my clients in a similar manner. The whole person as opposed to their "problem." I send you kisses to your heart. If only I had a teacher like you when I was growing.

Richard: In answer to your question, you need to check your email. When I clicked on yours it took me to a screen for my email and a password. The screen was MSN. I clicked my own email as well as others here and I was taken to the email page on my internet service.

Richard: You know my fondness for you. I think of you as a friend. You have behaved as a gentleman with tremendous class even though others have not. I, unfortunately, am not like you, yet someday when I grow up, I want to be just like you.

This morning when I logged on before I went to work and got Millie's message, I was immediately thrown back to when I was a 6 year old Irish Catholic school boy saying yes Sister, I apologize Sister. There was never any discussion in Catholic grade school. You were always wrong and the Sister was always right. So you always said I'm sorry. Obviously, I still struggle with that to this day.

All day long, I thought about what Millie said. "People have left the site, (including our Paul) because of late, the posts have been too long, hard to follow, and full of banter that not everyone appreciates."

Well I certainly qualified. My posts ARE long, and ARE hard to follow, AND they are full of banter. Because I would expect Millie to be telling the truth, I had assumed that there were members who had contacted her and told her why they were leaving or of their displeasure. I also assumed that Paul Mercurio has contacted Millie as well expressing his displeasure. So I apologized. Yet after a days thought there is something that does not quite seem right to me.

Even though I am very new here, I have been reading through the archieves. I have read the most heartfelt posts speaking of personal problems all of the way to the silliest posts making light and going for a good laugh. I have read Mr. Mercurios's posts, often heartfelt, but also posts that are playful and silly. I have never gotten the feeling that Mr. Mercurio is the type of man that would whine to a member of these boards about the type of posting that is going on. He seems to me to be the type of man that would say what is on his mind. If he did not like what was going on here, he would say so. And so far, I have not heard that. Quite the contrary. Just a few days ago, he welcomes me to the board and suggests to the infamous Gwen, that she take a page from Richard and myself. At the point he said that, I was posting as I am today.

Just to back that up, I have heard both Mr. Mercurio and the Webmaster of this site comment to posters in another area of this site when their conduct was not desirable. So why have they not posted here now?

I am asking you to your face Millie. Did you post previously on behalf of other members and Mr. Mercurio or were you speaking for yourself? You have started a great deal of trouble here with your post. Now it is time for you to address what you have started. You can not just come into a group of people and give yourself authority to tell people what to do because you are the oldest one here. How disrespectful you are to me and to the rest who post here. I am not a child to be spoken to that way. I am a 51 year old man. Your post has upset my friends here, all who are apoligizing to you and for what? Because there are too many post for you to read? You are entitled to you opinion, but please do not set yourself up as some authority that has the right to tell everyone what to do. Look at what you have started. There is some psycho stalker on the board who is bashing the hell out of Richard. Is that what you wanted? I would really like to know what it is that you really want. You were very vague in your post.

"Banter that not everyone appreciates." Could you please be more specific? Is it the content? Is it the frame of reference? All of which are contained in the posts if you read them. Evelyn aka Helen (Hello Darling!) didn't get some of the references. Instead of complaining she jumped in and said what are you guys talking about? What is it exactly the problem you and the "others" you said complained have with the banter?

"People have left this site." Who? And why? How many" One, five, one-hundred? "Including our Paul" - OUR Paul. I did not realize that Paul belonged to anyone. Has he communicated directly with you telling you that he doesn't want to come back to the site because of the postings? Did he authorize you to do that? As I said before, Paul does not seem like the kind of man that would run to his mommie to get things taken care of.

Shame on you Millie. You are completely free to express your opinion on this board and anywhere else you like. But to set yourself up as an authority because you are the oldest and get to tell everyone what to do and intimate that you have the inside track of other members and Paul to try and control this board and the posts and the members is not right. I hope that I am completely wrong. I hope that I have to apoligize to you in front of all of these people here and be humbled by it. However, if I am not wrong - shame on you Millie.

Michael Davey

Michael,
I thought you were a psychologist?

Richard I think each and everyone of us could do with some TLC at some point, some more than others. My day was much better, thank you for asking. I didn't twist any ankles or bump into any ex's today so I think it was a good day. I would have popped over but for some reason I just wasn't in the mood, sorry about that but next time for sure.

Mary I would also like to thank you for your kind words also, they do mean a lot to me. How is Ireland today? The UK has been wet and miserable.

Abeth I am so glad the pregnancy is going well for you and the names you have chosen are beautiful. Enjoy every moment.

Michelle hello to you and I hope you are also well.

Michael Sweetie,how are you today? I would also like to thank you for your kind words also, again they mean a lot to me. You are right, I don't need that kind of trash in my life it just took me a while to realise that and I had to find out the hard way. We can all be wise after!

I think everyone on here is a very special person in there own way, what has happened to make people feel as if they can't or shouldn't be part of all of this. I think it is very sad, I would like to think I have made some good friends through PC, I would hate to lose that.

Love to you all
Kim

Rockin Jo: How are you? No I am not a psychologist. That requires a Ph.d. I have my master in social work. I am a psychotherapist. What is your point? Do you have something you would like to say?

Kim: Eyes open.

Well, I used to work for a psychologist. He lost his temper one day and went on a killing binge. He beat his 83 year old step-father to death with a claw hammer and now is serving life in a Kentucky State Prison. I have no point to make except we should respect older people, try not to lose our tempers and stay away from claw hammers.

Bluedog: Good to hear from you. Where have you been? Remember me? You were the first one to welcome me to the board.

Take care,
Michael

Rockin Jo: The psychologist you worked for sounds like a case. I do not own a claw hammer, and try as I might, there are times when I lose my temper. You can understand that can't you? I'm only human. I DO respect older people, but not when I think that I am being played. And right now, I think that I'm being played.

You know that I love you Jo,
Michael

P.S.

Where are you at Jo? Are you doing okay?

Michael

Jo:

Are you there?

Michael

Jo:

Kim said that you made the Picadillo and it came out great. Did your husband enjoy it? I wish I could have been there to taste it too. Did you use all of the ingredients or did you improvise?

Muchos besos,
Michael

Jo:

Please talk to me. Are you mad at me?

Michael

My two cents (1.2 Canadian).
I have enjoyed the banter (esp. the Mrs. Boookay references). I have not found anything offensive (with the possible exception of the weight I will most likely gain trying out these recipies). I very much respect Grandma Mil and the posts are a little longish but we have to do something until Paul comes back. I know little of Paul personally but I don't think he would be offended. We may be using too much of Cat's bandwith but I'm sure she'd let us know. Everyone is welcome to banter with me via email,AIM(Innussiq),or Yahoo Messenger(innbbv) which I just downloaded so I can speak to my Dear Katalina. Now onto my actual post (sorry for the length)
Hello Abeth. I hope the nausea passes, don't for get to nibble saltines it worked wonders for me. I like your names but please don't go with Anna Marie it's so commo(sorry Michael). It's fun to have a weird name! Hello Peter! Nice to see you. Hi also to bluedog (a lady I believe)and Jo (I've just dug a hole in the backyard for all my hammers). Hello Michelle,Evelyn,and Diane I hope you are better wherever you are. Ok well I guess that's it.
Peace (and I mean that)
Inn

Jo:

I have to log off for awhile. I'll be back on in about an hour. Can we talk then?

Michael

To all PC posters to whom I haven't responded to personally. I do read your input with interest. At some point I'll try to respond directly to you. In the meantime, be well.

Dear Kim
You can always get a cuppa and unlimited TLC from me. Glad your day was better. It's OK that you didn't make it over. Sometimes I like to close and lock the door and turn off the telephone if I not in the mood to socialize. Sometimes the best company is your own.
But, don't forget, you do have friends here. A family of sorts. And of course, all families have their spats. And sometimes interlopers raise their ugly heads just to stir up trouble. Keep smiling and don't pay 'em no mind.

Michael,
Yes, there is something strange about the email function. My email address is correctly entered but I keep getting a pop-up window requiring me to set up some kind of mail management program and asking for network info which I don't have. Will have to contact my internet provider about this.

Thank you for the supportive and sympathetic words. And yes, I used sympathetic because you've certainly jumped down in the well, too!
Having not been raised a Catholic, I do not possess that knee-jerk, almost genetic-level guilt response. And, I decided a long time ago that guilt trips travel down a dead-end road. That's not to say that I don't own up to my mistakes and try to correct them.
My original response to Granny Mil arose out of the condescending tone of the post. At 48, I am also not a child and do not respond well to being spoken to or treated as one. And, I'm certainly not a "Chickie in anybodies Pen".
Having reread the original, I made an additional post to her just to clarify my position and to assure her that I meant no disrespect to her inspite of being disrespected myself. I was qualifying the intent, not the opinion, which I stand steadfastly by. I will compromise my beliefs only so far to accommodate unnecessarily delicate sensibilities.
You can say what you want to or about me, but don't mess with my friends.

Perhaps some people have been emailing Granny Mil directly to complain. But, you know what? If someone has a problem with me, then they should say so to me and not talk behind my back. If they can't do that, then they aren't worth my time or energy to worry about.

As to Paul privately communicating his displeasure at the comments here: not likely. Even more unlikely is that he has left the site completely. He has publically expressed the reasons for not posting lately. And, as you pointed out, we have both been welcomed into the group.
Apparently what some of these people fail to understand is that, this being HIS site, he has all the power. He has all the passwords and keys to the kingdom. Any part of it that he doesn't like he can make disappear any time he wants. He doesn't need to moan privately to any one poster. If he is doing so, I'm greatly disappointed and probably don't want to know him anymore, anyway.
And, I've decided that the anon. psycho stalker is either the Farts and Poops Troll or maybe Gwen. Either one or the other or none of the above. In any case, it's not worth any notice. Do I hear a tornado coming?

There are so many people that come here to share their burdens, to connect with someone outside their normal circles. Paul Mercurio is the perfect common thread.
I try to acknowledge them and offer words of encouragement. I don't however dwell on it unless I get specific requests for help. As a professional you know better than most that people are usually just needing to talk to someone to sort out their own thoughts. Everyone has the answers within them and only need a sounding board. That's why I try to keep things light-hearted while lending an ear and hopefully giving someone a smile. That's what bothers me the most about the current situation, that someone(s) finds it necessary to try and pull this circle of light apart.

All the best, my friend.
--Richard

Inn: No offense taken. I really like traditional names. But I also like Italian and Spanish names. How about Anna Francesca?

Thanks for your input about the site. Today has been very upsetting for many of us. Have you seen any art lately?

Michael

My two cents (1.2 Canadian).
I have enjoyed the banter (esp. the Mrs. Boookay references). I have not found anything offensive (with the possible exception of the weight I will most likely gain trying out these recipies). I very much respect Grandma Mil and the posts are a little longish but we have to do something until Paul comes back. I know little of Paul personally but I don't think he would be offended. We may be using too much of Cat's bandwith but I'm sure she'd let us know. Everyone is welcome to banter with me via email,AIM(Innussiq),or Yahoo Messenger(innbbv) which I just downloaded so I can speak to my Dear Katalina. Now onto my actual post (sorry for the length)
Hello Abeth. I hope the nausea passes, don't for get to nibble saltines it worked wonders for me. I like your names but please don't go with Anna Marie it's so common(sorry Michael). It's fun to have a weird name! Hello Peter! Nice to see you. Hi also to bluedog (a lady I believe)and Jo (I've just dug a hole in the backyard for all my hammers). Hello Michelle,Evelyn,Michael,Richard and Diane I hope you are better wherever you are. Ok well I guess that's it.
Peace (and I mean that)
Inn

Abeth: Sorry. I was talking to Inn about YOUR baby's name as if you weren't here. No offense intended.

Michael

oops

Richard:

Could you email me at your earliest convenience? In the US that means right now sucker!

Michael

P.S.

Yes, I did jump down the well didn't I? Well this is my personal life. I hate it when people screw with my friends.

Michael

Michael,
The email function from this site is an ongoing, unresolved problem. How can I email you. I don't know your address. And, given the current situation I don't know if it's such a good idea to print out email addresses here.
--Richard

Richard:

Maybe it really is something with your internet system. Did you try clicking on my name at the bottom of my post? That should take you to my email. If not then there is definately something wrong with your set up. Try it okay?

Michael

If you mouse over the persons name, when it is underlined you can see the link address/aka email address in the lower left corner of your browser copy down or remember the link.

Michael,
Have tried clicking on you name, my name, everyone's name but keep getting pop-up requesting server info, etc. that I have to get from internet provider. As it is 4am here, it's not gonna happen right now. Will try later during business hours.
--Richard

Thanks Inn. It is a big Duhh on my part!

Please look at more art! Sculpture would be really really good!

Besos,
Michael

Thanks for the tip inn. will give it a try
--Richard

Well, Paul, looks like you better start another thread before some of these folks resort to fisticuffs(sp). Aren't banana's supposed to be a "Health food". Eat up.

I've enjoyed reading thru the posts and find Michael and Richard most refreshing, maybe a little long, but refreshing just the same. Congratulations on your committment to read prior posts to learn a little about the rest of us. Some are still here, some come and go (like me - only here to put my 2 cents worth in when necessary), some leave frustrated because Paul won't directly answer their questions. Oh!Well!, it's a free universe. If you don't like the vibes then move on to something else.

Abeth: Keep a glass of water and saltine crackers on you night stand. Eat the crackers and drink the water before you ever put your feet on the floor. Will work wonder's, I promise.

To all of the PC posters, play nice.
Hugs to all of you, specially one to Paul and family.
Sherrlyn

Jo:

Just checking in to see if you were here. Talk to you tomorrow.

Michael

Entering the angry mob,

I too am pretty new here, came on right about the same time as Michael. I have to say that although I have tried to read all the posts and enjoyed most, in defense of Grandma Mil, the posts from Michael and Richard are quite long and for most of us, there just isn't enough time in the day to keep up. I was gone for a week and when I came back I thought I was reading Michaels Corner because everyone's post started with "Hey Michael"...obviously your liked Michael so this isn't a complaint about your contribution or content of your letters, But I do see her point about length. I think she is not only the eldest here and to me that does deserve respect which she has not received,(instead you have gotten defensive and condesending towards her. Obviously these tactics will only inflame the issue and I see that it has), But I think she has also been here at the corner much longer than us and that too deserves some regard. Being short, to the point and a little bossy is a Grandmothers role isn't it? I am shocked at how some nice guys can turn so nasty as soon as they are mildly critisized even though she named no one.
Of course everyone should be welcome to speak freely and share, but the more one person writes, the less another person can, simply because of the amount of time each of us has to read each day. Unless you live online, it's unrealistic to think we can keep up with all this even if we wanted to and sometimes I do. I think Grandma Mil is just trying to say that you should feel free to say what you need to say, just not everything that comes into your head. To be honest it comes off as self absorbed. And I think after responses from Jo, "no name" and Bluedog, it is clear that more than just Grandma Mil is bent about the long winded posts. I think that is proof enough that she was being honest. I too hope I didn't offend anyone, but it seems everyone has had their say and this is mine. No more or less important than anyone else's I suppose.
I will say that one fine cookbook could be published in just last weeks postings alone.
Best to all,

Leslie (San Francisco)

Just want to say hi to Paul, his family and everyone. I'm a new member as of tonight and happy to be here. Getting ready to head out to Colorado for my book tour at the end of this week. This is my first novel that took 10 years to produce. It's like a child or a painting. I want it to go well.

Found a brand new copy of Strictly Ballroom at the local Sam Goody's store two days ago, and also have The First 9th Weeks and Joseph. The last two I got from Amazon.com. So it will be nice chatting with people interested in Paul and maybe actually getting to say hi to Paul if he reads my post. We're all busy with families and lives and sometimes just getting by. And sometimes it's nice to know that people are there.