Hello, dears.

I've been dealing with a clinical depression for months and needed not to post for a while. There is a time when talking about you helps and a time when trying to focus on anything else helps more. I've been in that second place.

All I can say is, if anyone out there doesn't believe that depression is a real thing, I want to bend their ear. It's been hard to do anything and I owe my pets and my peeps a huge debt for helping me navigate this period. I didn't even know that you could come down with this at 50.

In any case.

I just wanted to tell you all what a great good comfort you have all been for me and how grateful I have been to know I could check in with you, even when I couldn't do that.

Thank you so much.

Beth and the Ark.

I hope you are feeling better. what gets to me about people and depression is people asking what the heck you have to be depressed about. If they knew me, they would know I have a heck of a lot to be depressed about, and even so, if you have depression, you are going to be depressed even if you have had the most perfect life. Some times there is a reason for depression, and sometimes there is not. It's depression, it's not logic. Sorry for the off-topic, but *hugs* to you and I'm hoping you feel better soon.

All food has to be at the absolute back of the counter to be safe!

And chewed on my new camera!

And, ate the tongue out of one of my new Doc Martens!

It was a massacre!

I couldn't keep up with her for a while but things have calmed down now. And, she's banned forever from the bedroom. (We sleep on the couch. :P )

to the group consciousness which is and has been going through crushing fear and depression throughout history. I do believe a great shift is taking place, that is what gives me hope in the bleakest of times....

http://www.section2012.org/100monkeys.php

Your fur friend there is SO cute. Is that a new pic or is s/he all grown up now?

I think what you said there has a great deal of validity to it. And from your link I would like to suggest you visit the Astrology, Spirituality & Alternative Healing Group. Many like-minds there.

Peace

that using the net has made us more aware and, not only of the net, but across all the venues we use to acquire information including each other The attribution might be wrong, (i.e., the net might have come out of that awareness) but that's when I noticed it in any case.

Who is that on your lap? What a lovely face. lol :)

is even bigger than this now, around 165 pounds...........but the sweetest lil buddie you can imagine.His name is Bennie. He's a friends dog. I helped bury her dear newfoundland some years back.

<img src="">

Peace to you dearest ones~

lol

This business of fighting depression is tricky at best. I'm laboring under another bout and it's evading all my usual tactics to beat it back.

BTW I love that Counter-Surfing Lab Caught in the Act!

of coffee!

:hi:

wasn't that dog just a little puppy? i guess it has been a while.
you in school? 2 of my kids up and decided to go to college, which makes 3! they are all kind enough to go to cheap schools, but the books!! great problem to have. even the 17 y.o. drop out is going to ged school. just when i thought they were never going to get their shit together.
so, how are you? besides bustin' it in election reform?

Damn DNA! At least, we take turns. :hug:

We're trying to find him a shrink that's in his town over in the East Bay. He's been fine for over 20 years and he's not fine now. Damn life!

I'm coasting right now. It's a good thing I didn't go into that program last fall because I would have dropped out and screwed up my transcript. There is a program at State and if this **thing** ever lets go of me, I can go there.

Nothing much else. I started writing a story which is strange because I write poetry and nonfiction but this wants to be a story, so what the hell.

You have THREE in college? Good grief! Have you guys thought of looking for book grants? That's major change, book buying. There used to be a service you paid $100 bucks for and they sent you a list of scholarships. I got two that way, no kidding. And one of them was a four year deal. We used to joke that we were all double majoring in Financial Aid. :)

first one is, you might think that being a good student means showing up the first day with your books, but you would be surprised how many teachers will tell you that they don't use the book, so don't buy it. well, who made the damn book list?
the second is that if you whine enough, some teachers will back off and admit that the last edition is just as good as the new one. that right there is a pisser. there should be a law against slapping a new cover on and charging twice as much. oy. my oldest's bf worked for a while at a college bookstore. really learned the tricks.
big son is pretty funny, tho. we didn't think he was ever going to leave his room. when he applied to community college and got accepted, we were shocked. then we didn't think he was going to go. but he signed up at the last minute. his book bill was huge. we said, well, you can sell them back at the end of the semester. he was appalled! "do you know what is in those books! have you looked at those books!" too funny.
fortunately we are the guys who benefit from the chaos in the stock market. DH works at the options exchange, and they have had insane volume for the last year. so, we got a bonus big enough to pay the book bill. one of these days we will have to dip into the 401k. but i feel like educated kids is probably a better investment than the us economy.
we are a very lucky family.

but I think she's a thief!

she has stolen it from a cat. I can open a whole can of cat food and give it to her and she won't touch it. Instead, she steals the cat's dish right out from under her nose.

It's no way to make friends in the cat world.

and he does the same thing.

Food only counts if somebody else wants it.

I think she was about 4 months old. There's seven of them, no wonder she overcompensates. lol

:)

:)

that's adorable.

and your dog is so sweet. Just a quick question, though- does he drink straight from the carton? :-)

Only if she's taking the carton away from a cat. :)

You've been awesome, not just in this forum, but all over DU. It may not matter to you, but it does to me, and I'm sure to many others as well. Your words have helped me, I know that. You're one of the VERY rare people that I feel understands what I'm dealing with, even though I hardly know you. I can't give you a better compliment than that. :)

What a great forum!

:hi: