OT June Chit Chat

[stillstANNding]

Cat, I often think of the advantages of a smaller town like my mom's neighborhood. Neighbor's check on her and visit and take her out to eat.

She drives neighbors w visual impairments or those who never learned to drive, to cards, grocery and doctor's appointments.

Here, neighbors change all of the time. I have 5 abutters. Only one of those properties has the same owner as when I moved in. Some houses and units have changed over 3 times in my years here. It's hard to be close knit.

Peter needs the live music and the libraries and special libraries and the art of a big city. I need more people. That's how Joy and I connected. She was out in the far-far w no one.
ANN

[agate]

Everyone here has heard of the Village movement? I believe it started in the Boston area:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

I'm not part of it and am not sure just how it works except that you pay a membership fee, and then you swap your services for the services others can provide. Or maybe the fee you pay entitles you to the services others are providing and you don't have to provide services yourself. Anyway it sounds like an arrangement where people can connect with neighbors in constructive ways.

[stillstANNding]

The Beacon Hill Village is vetted service providers and rides. Maybe more. Here's the fee:

Individual: $ 675
Household: $ 975

I am hankering for the spontaneous "village" that people do for neighbors. Remember Cheri's parents in NY state and how helpful people were to each other? More like that.
ANN

[Sunshine]

I met a guy at infusion center who grew up in Africa. It was all about community. He said a persons worth was determined by his treatment of community, not what he produced.

[Virginia]

My neighbors would be friendly, but I so often do not feel like doing anything with them and they can all do much, much more than I can. It leaves me feeling like I am a drag. The book club is going to dinner Thursday night. I had two calls about going and declined because I have just been feeling really bad for past couple of weeks.

Ann, we do have some restaurants here that the menu would be something like yours, but I can no longer get to any of them. So many new ones have opened that I have never been to because I can't get to them. I hear about them from neighbors and from my brothers and nephews.

I did use to enjoy the symphony and violin music, but it has been a long time since I have heard any music like that. I have a lot of classical music on CDs that were gifts, but I don't listen to much of it because a lot is too heavy for me now.

Sorry I have been a little MIA. I have been reading some, but honestly have not even felt like typing. Hope I will be back to form soon. I have not been out of my house since a week ago yesterday. I will not be going out tomorrow, but sure need to soon. Things are getting a little bare in the grocery line. I can hold on a bit longer, but rather not. I have been through most everything I want.

Sam did jot over to check on me one day while Howie was asleep.

[Howie]

That Sam is a good girl....sometimes.

Do they have the electric carts where you shop? I couldn't buy groceries without them. I like to think I'm the reason they got them. I collapsed in the isle once and couldn't get up. Shortly after that, they got the electric carts.

[stillstANNding]

Thanks for checking in, Virginia. I hope you will soon feel better and have a cool front come through to refresh you.
ANN

[Jeanie Z]

:) Virginia I hope you feel better quick. You are in my prayers, as are all of you. Jeanie :)

[Howie]

Virginia, it's pouring rain here, so watch out, it may be headed your way!

[agate]

Virginia, I'm so sorry you haven't been feeling like doing much. Is a hot spell making things worse?

I have a lot of recorded music too but often it's just easier to do a Google search for a song or musical piece I'd like to hear and get it that way, usually on YouTube.

The music sounds better on this newer computer. The old one wasn't up to music videos and choked on them. The sound would be very choppy.

[jendie]

I admit, I've been doing a lot of lurking and thanking. I've been stuck in this depression since Tom died. I went to a birthday party for a friend's son on June 11, I finally got my scooter 6 days ago, the next day I had to go to truancy court with my teenager. His behavior isn't helping my mental state. I did change the wifi password today.. finally.

I lack the energy to vacuum my apartment and the messed up weather patterns has caused my dog to shed later than normal. He's only lately shedding out his winter undercoat. I have a Shark Navigator and love it, it's filter system keeps the dust from escaping when I empty the cup.

Family from out of state will be here on Sunday as part of their annual trip to western Washington, they come up from the Bay Area in California. My eldest won't be able to join us because he's leaving for Disneyland on Thursday.

I'm tired now, I'll be back eventually...

[agate]

Jendie, lurking and thanking are good.

Maybe you're expecting too much of yourself just now. You probably need time to get over the stress and the sadness of recent events. The dust will be there waiting for you when you're ready to vacuum it up. In the meantime it's probably not hurting anything or anyone so very much.

At least mine doesn't when I let it just sit there.

[agate]

There have been discussions of Amazon Prime here in the past. I've never signed up for it because it was less costly just to avoid shipping charges on any Amazon order by making sure I choose only items eligible for free shipping.

However, if you have government assistance like SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), you're eligible for a reduced-rate Amazon Prime membership, entitling you to free shipping on everything. It's $6/month.

Amazon is trying to help out people with low incomes, it seems. They're also trying to make Whole Foods more affordable. Is Whole Foods just on the West Coast?

Out here it's laughingly known as "Whole Paycheck." Its prices tend to be high. I've never shopped there but see its ads.

[Sunshine]

Jendie. You have so much on your plate right now, it's natural to feel overwhelmed.

Please think about going to talk to someone. It's invaluable to sit with a non judgementsl person to talk , or just to cry in front of. Trust me, I know a lot about this.

I am glad you're lurking, and , now I can imagine you're here with us, even if you cannot "talk".

Might also help to get your teen a counselor. He has lost his father, and to some extent , his mom.

[Howie]

I have dust that's been here so long, I've given them names.

I do Amazon like Agate said, wait until I have enough to order, that it qualifies for free shipping. I am close now, but you have to fight the urge to order something you don't really need, just to get free shipping.