friends, who needs 'em?

This social revolution called "Facebook" et al, is an insidious, invidious beast of social collusion.

OK. I've only got 3 friends in the whole world apparently and i am NOT, NOT, NOT happy about this.

Obviously it has forced a major rethink of my friend finding strategy.

Should i have done better? (of course, else why would i be here with only 3 friends and whinging like crazy about it?)

But hang on.

My off line friend Ms. Justy, says sites like f-book are nasty for they encourage invasion of privacy. Someone posted a photo including Ms Justy on F-book - without her permission. Ms Justy isn't on facebook, she doesn't ever want to be on facebook and she certainly has the right to request that her photo isn't included.

There was a major kerchoo over this slight of courtesy and ignorance about privacy with the result that Ms J is now considered, by the pro f-book camp, to be "difficult".

I'm with her.

Opinionated, outspoken, injudicious with my comments and definitely that minnow against the overwelming tide.

Now; where was i in my cant on the 3 friend count????

Blah to the blog...............

I'm new to this and boy-oh-0boy is it a minefield of information overload.

Each new page i scan, each email newsletter i get, i kinda hope that there's going to be the "magic key".

But of course not.


All the signposts are one way jobbies with a simple message. "Keep trucking, Babe."

like riding that bicycle, i'm going to fall off and have a major dose of the wobbles; but apparently it's going to get better. And if i do this every single day, all good things will be mine.

I can hardly wait.

Husbandry...and other irritations

I admit-
I'm just not good at the art of husbandry. I'm sure there are thousands of experts, self help, self proclaimed, published, professional, proven and other - who can offer me 10 simple steps to husbanding happiness.
But where are they at that any given moment of crucial blindingly clarifying ephiphanical (is that a word????) moment when one has the life defining realisation.....
I did this. I made the decisions. I have brought this upon myself and there is just no-one, simply no-one else to blame
The aforesaid experts and others can leap about in a frenzy of pontification and worse, oh much much worse - the FREE ADVICE (which, haven't you noticed, is always for your own GOOD!) yeah, right. well - if it's that good - then why give it away?
But no; it's not a breakthrough. It's not a leap forward. It's not anything.
Except a millisecond of honesty in the midst of billions who are struggling with their own self doubts and much much worse - starvation, abuse, homelessness and spiritual longing.
As to being depressed about it? How self absorbed is that in the light of the immediately preceding comment.
Natch. Gotta learn about love and life and the making of happiness. A little less turpitude, a little more giving....some strong moral fibre where one takes ownership of the good, the bad, the ugly and the plain ol' mr and mrs indifference.
it's not an easy lot - far from my own husband's oft stated wish.
but i've noticed, and this is an admission dragged from the depths of a most reluctant soul, that once one manages to do something that is a little more noble, there is an uplift of the shoulders and more pleasing set to the disposition.
Oh....other irritations? perhaps i should just concentrate a little more, just this once, on managing the uplift

beauty begins at......

It used to be "at home".
But who has time to do the waxing, plucking, plumping these days?
and who can keep up with all the latest in keeping young, keeping beautiful and well....just keeping it?
My friend Noelle came up with the most brilliant concept some years ago. It's all "Blow" you know, she said.
There were a few snorts, sniggers and sniffs.
But she hung in there and hung on to the name, the concept
and then, golly gosh go lightly, she went and did it.
And brilliantly.
The Irish beauties among us are now even more beautiful. "Blow" is the total beauty experience. Washes, cuts, dries, waxes, shines, polishes, buffs, primps and pretties.
Noelle is one very smart woman. She knows that women are on the run. Women can run in and waft out of any of her salons - all located in very handy parts of cosmopolitan Dublin, almost 24/7.
I'm waiting of course for the first Blow by Blow experience to come to my very own little aloha ha paradise in downtown Noosa on the Sunshine Coast of Australia.
But first i need to tempt ms noelle to stay. This is not so easy it seems. The Blow empire is a busy one.
What do i do? Send photos of my own state of unkemptness and despair?
Somehow that's just not going to swing the Blow metre my way, methinks.
I need compelling evidence.
I shall have to work hard on this. But meanwhile i'll send her links to simply stunning holiday homes overlooking Laguna Bay with little stick figures and cartoon bubbles, saying "this could be YOU!"
And of course i'm saving my dollars so that i can hightail my not so inconsiderable bottom (please Paris, don't say a thing) to the home of my heart - Ireland - and for just the price of a return air fare, sample a little bit of Blow for meself.

the getting of "G"

living with a chronic lung condition isn't very g-lamourous.
i have lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Called LAM for short for obvious reasons. Uhuh - yes it did take about 3 weeks to learn how to pronounce this 26 letter word. something like this - lymph-ang-eeo-leo-myo-ma-tosis.
Oh, the privilege of having a weird disease. Firstly: i was lucky to have a reasonably rapid correct diagnosis. 2ndly: i was incredibly lucky to have a respiratory consultant with whom i established a fantastic rapport. Dr Charlie Gallagher of St. Vincents Private Consultants Clinic, Dublin Ireland.
3rdly: i was incredibly lucky to have a bolshie, questing spirit.
and 4thly: i'm even more lucky to have a more mild form of this sometimes fatal condition.
How does it work? Abnormal smooth muscle proliferation appears mostly in the lung tissues, sometimes the lymphatics and even more rarely in the abdomen. Sometimes there are non malignent lymphoma thingies in the kidneys. The smooth muscle cell eats away at the smallest airways in the lungs, destroying tissue and therefore severly inhibiting lung function.
Symptoms vary: shortness of breath, misdiagnosis of emphysema, lung collapses (pneumothorax), coughing up blood, extreme and chronic tiredness. Diagnosis includes ct scan.
Whoops - i have a 5th - i am still trucking on OK some 8 years after an initially extremely gloomy diagnosis. Whilst i think there have been one or two reported cases of men, LAM seems to confine its appearance to women. Cause is still unknown, management unknown, outcome definitely known but not one you'd like to own.
The best place to go for information, support, donations and advice is The Lam Foundation. This charitable foundation was established by Sue Byrnes, mother of Andrea a LAM patient.
Now you know why i insist getting that "g" into lam. Life is for g-eeing the lam!

Luce the little italian (greyhound)

.....this dog is a true "show pony". all the dogs - there are 3 - come to work. Only Luce tours the neighbourhood in daily search of the most recumbent spot, protected sun, donor of the nicest biccie and opportunity to garner maximum coo.
A rescue and a wreck at first. Abused and called "Butch" - Now, at 6 he is amazingly socialised and social Fantastic with children and nervous nellies. He needs his own PR agent.
Toilet habits are a bit woeful with winter months, rain and damp grass not to his liking. I have never been able to overcome his propensity of living room toilet. And boy, have i tried.
So any magic cure suggestions will be most welcome.
A true "Iggy" he loves the comforts of sleeping between the covers. Our fellow business neighbours have provided various comforts for his daily visits - a sofa with soft throw; the $5 dollar special basket moved to just the right sun spot by the door; fresh water bowls, and favourite blue mats...............
This boy has survived some harrowing illnesses and our wallets have barely survived the cure.
He is possibly fatally allergic to a particular flea and tick treatment His body went into terrible shock with temperatures over 42 degrees, neurological trauma, shivering, pain, inability to walk.
Survive he did, thanks to the wonderful medical care of a specialist vet clinic in Brisbane and here to give us daily joy.