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Got 48 minutes? I suggest you watch this very moving video about twins Ladan and Laleh Bijanic conjoined at the head, who went through a pioneering surgical separation.




"Will you stay with me after separation?"
"I'll get rid of you and escape... No, I'm kidding. I'll be with you where ever you go."

Do you ever find yourself feeling lonely? How do you deal with it? When do you feel the loneliest?

The loneliest I've ever been was when I was married, and to me, the worst kind of lonely is feeling it when around other people. Occasionally, I'll feel lonely, but can honestly say I'm not sure when the last time was. I have learned to really enjoy my own company and have numerous hobbies and activities that keep me occupied, focussed and motivated.

A recent study indicates that being lonely and isolated is worse for your health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day. I found the study a bit interesting in that they seem to equate being alone with loneliness, which is not necessarily true, as the study suggested being with other people and getting out as a 'fix-it.' While this may be true sometimes, it's not always the case. I can attest that one can feel extremely lonely and isolated even within a crowd, so the cure is not necessarily being with other people.

I also find it interesting that they don't address the fact that one can choose to feel lonely, just like one chooses to feel happiness. It's as if they don't acknowledge or want to address that as individuals, we're in charge of how we want to feel. But then, that would take the power out of the medical profession and put it in our own hands, wouldn't it?

I think I've lived on my own for so long that I don't view living alone as being lonely, like many do. I thoroughly enjoy living alone, having my own space and my own timetable and as mentioned, rarely feel lonely. So I wonder, what leads to feelings of loneliness? Again, Imo, it comes down to choosing one's thoughts and emotions. I agree that keeping oneself interested in a hobby is a wonderful way to put one's mind on something more positive.

So, if you feel lonely, when does it occur? Do you focus on something else or what do you do to change it?



Of course, what would the topic be without a little Roy Orbison?

Sure, the Holy Khoran has some advice that will get you into the slammer, as does some of the smiting recommended in the OldTestament. Most of the other ones aren't so bad, and many actually are kind to the needy, praising charity as a virtue. We must help the poor and the hoplessly sick. So we say, have pity on those suffering from severe forms of TD-HD Syndrome. With well more than 50% of blogs focused gleefully and stridently on you know who, there's little diagnostic uncertainty. Few maladies are harder to treat, and this one is a particularly hopeless form of progressive liberal panenterossis. Yet we have sometimes seen partial cures. But the remedies are tough, tough we say. Repeated gun point muggings in our democrat run hell hole municipalities occasionally do the trick. Epiphanies, sadly, not so much. Oh, peebles, the Art is long.

Although I'd promised myself to do more walking, this morning found me out on my bike again. As it wasn't raining or windy, I chose to hop on my bike and do my usual 9 mile circuit. As usual, the not raining lasted only until it started getting lighter, which, today, was about half a block.

I thought of turning around and putting the bike away and then thought, to heck with it, I'll ride anyway. At first it was only a light sprinkling, hardly requiring a hood, so off I went, enjoying the feel of the rain on my cheeks. The rain was intermittently heavier at times, requiring me to put my hood up and down like a cheap hooker's drawers. (That's a joke, so for those who want to be offended, you might want to stop reading here).

I haven't been on my bike all week, and I've really missed my 'route'. The mama cow and calf are not in the pasture anymore, so I'm guessing they're either inside, or perhaps they're in a different field. Riding down the gravel road near the reservation, brilliant red blueberry bushes stretch for acres on my right, while the scent of the recently harvested Brussel sprouts fills the air on my left.

Down the tree lined dirt road towards the old ferry landing, yellow leaves still cling to bare branches, predecessors covering the road in a thick, glossy brown carpet. No crunching through leaves today. Instead, the soft whir of tires over soggy leaves. Clouds hang low over the surrounding mountains, sucking the brilliant colour from the landscape, wisps floating low over farmlands.

Rain has started in earnest by now, soaking my bike seat every time I dismount for a photo. Embers of an untended fire burn hot and low, smoke drifting west with the wind. A stack of pallets awaits their turn next to the glowing fire.

Returning home, my wet clothes go into the dryer while I pull on a warm pair of fleece pants and sweatshirt. I really needed the bike ride after a super stressful three weeks. I had transferred a significant amount of money from my PayPal account to my bank account on Oct 9 - and it never showed up in my bank account. When it didn't show up, I contacted them every single day, and received no satisfactory answer at all. In fact, I got told to go to my bank, which is 4 hours drive away (there and back), and find out what happened to it.

So I did. When I get there, my banks says, not our problem. We don't have it - it originated with PayPal and they're the ones that have to look for it. So time wasted along with gas, and I return home, still without my $$ and still no answer as to where it is.

Phoning every single day and ranting at them about my money, and two weeks later they finally tell me it's their issue, and there was a 'bug' in the system and the engineers are working on it. They tell me the money will be in my account Nov 1 - three weeks later. So come Nov 1, nope, no money. By this time, I'm furious. So more phone calls, and they finally tell me, no they can't tell me when the money will be in my account. They can't tell me whether 50 or 500 people were affected.

This morning, the money finally shows up - over three weeks later! I demanded compensation and they have ponied up with it, but it doesn't make up for the stress and time spent having to deal with their bs. Although, I'm relieved to have it in my account.

On a more positive note, I'm receiving more and more requests for my calendar. So my initial forecast is going to be totally off. I'm in a Christmas Craft Fair on Nov 16-18 and have requested and been granted permission to sell my calendars at the craft fair. Yes!!!

Now that I can focus on the calendar again, instead of PayPal, I have to choose and get the photos laid out this weekend and get a webpage up for the calendar pre-orders, then get enough product made for the craft show.

Amazing how lackadaisical PayPal was with MY money. If the tables had been reversed, we all know it would have been a different story.

In a world so full of starving many (UN says about 75 percent) why is this a continued problem in the first world?

Anyone?

What are the factors that contribute to this challenge?

Thanks all for your reads and participation.

As rain becomes our weather forecast du jour, I've traded in my bike for my hiking boots. Not that I'm hiking, per se, just out walking, but they're comfortable and relatively waterproof.

The other day, I walked the entire dike and back, not knowing how far it was from beginning to end. Well, finding out the hard way, by walking it with 'map my ride' keeping track on my phone, it turns out it's 3.31km round trip. I know that's not very far, but due to really painful knees, it can seem like forever. It certainly did on the return.

I thought about turning the map my ride app on to find out where 1km was then turn around at that point. This morning, heading out early as usual, I decided that rather than walk the entire dike and be exhausted and in agony for the rest of that day and the next, I'd walk out for 20 minutes, then turn around and come back. Was it 1km? I have no idea as my phone was dead this morning.

It doesn't really matter whether it was 1km or not. I figure if I walk out for 20 min, next week maybe I'll find that 20 minutes takes me a little bit further. Today it took me to the first grove of trees, so next week, maybe to the end of the grove of trees, or perhaps the second grove of trees.

As long as I keep walking on a consistent basis, I should be able to do the entire dike and back by the end of November. Granted, it will probably take me longer than 20 minutes, but I'm hoping by then that my knees won't be protesting so much.

No wonder I prefer biking. It takes me just as long to ride my bike 9 miles as it does to walk 2km. However, I need to use other muscle groups, and I've always loved walking. Besides, I'm not crazy about riding my bike in the rain - only because I don't think it's good for it's working parts. Me? I don't care if I get wet, as there's nothing better than a hot shower and warm fleece when I get home.

Onward with my fitness goals. Not having done a lot of walking this summer, walking along the dike sure felt like a long haul. Looking forward to the day when it seems easy!

Hi everyone want to thank you for the comments and prayers and thoughts and the powerful energy you have sent.

I just finished 3 treatments of Radiation and will be having follow ups.

Something else I want to share but didn't feel up to it in my last post, I have a spot on a lung about the size of a marble and which I will start Treatment of it in 2 weeks. I will be having 5 days for 6 weeks of Radiation and kemotherary.

Again thank you for all the positive energy.

Wen

UK slang. a rude way of telling someone to go away: "Can you lend me some money?" "On your bike, mate!"

Well to be honest I think this has been taken the wrong way by too many people for far too long...

Cycling in a great easy on the joints type of exercise either on a stationary bike at home while watching TV ,at the gym as a social gathering(there are whole fitness classes done exclusively on stationary bikes)

Or become a road warrior with the lycra skin tight one piece, space age helmet and 32 gear speed demon.

I won't bore you with the details but I have lost 4kg and feel in better shape and fitter than I have in years

So thanks again to the person who told me to get on my bike

Just wanted to inform why I have not been here lately. I discovered at the end of November I have Brain Cancer.

I will be starting treatments next week, just asking if you can to say a little prayer for me

Thanks