I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

suzieq-Great pictures! 

I look forward to the day when I can meet some of my BCO friends in real life.

Mary

We're open to suggestions, like this Athena, and are certainly always developing new technologies! It is an organic, wonderful world, this community!

(p.s. send that drink along here too, please )

Mods, sending you a double.  I'm sure you need it by now.  I know it's a tough job.  I don't know if you want to get into this but I was wondering if you get many complaints about the two threads from those not involved in either.  I don't mean necessarily reported posts, just people complaining about the existence of the threads.

Edited to clarify.

Yey for 108, Alexandria!

Mary - I know how you feel!  I received my initial Dx (which was LCIS, about which I knew nothing) on December 21, and worried that that could be the last Christmas I would ever celebrate....

But here we are -- three cheers for us!

And three cheers for Alexandria, whose novel is at least 1/3 finished!!!

It's funny-I can remember my diagnosis date, but not the date of my surgery, or the date I finished rads treatment(maybe April 5th? That sounds about right) I never know which date to consider my "cancerversary". 

Mary

Mary - I specifically asked my MO, when does the clock start clicking on DFS. She said at surgery (i.e. cancer is gone).  Ofcourse, I was scratching my head, then why do chemo?   I prefer to use 11/11/11, the date of my dx.  It will always be Veteran's Day, and always a holiday.  I want to be a Veteran of BC! One of those old farts, preferably.

Disease Free Survival

Linda - truly LOVED the pictures, heart warming.  Watching SCOTUS closely - amazed they took on 2 cases - and PRAY they see the light.  Hopeful.  It makes SUCH a different re: access to Federal benefits, taxes.  Notice Britain moving to have ALL marriages in the State ( Anglican) church!  YEAH, humanity!

Mary, I've with you.  I've a fully loaded IGNORE button, after I saw the terrible comments said about most of the women who post on this thread ( written on another website) I knew, that regardless of diagnosis, there were women I just did NOT want to socialize with - regardless of their diagnosis.  SO, I don't see the need to  be with women who have such a history of attacking (with appointed "nicknames") women who have long chosen to participate on this thread.  Life is too short, to be subject to that kind of attack. In the "pod" or out of it.  Know it's not up to me to say who posts on which thead, but if I have to skip too many "you have this person blocked" on this thread, it wouldn't be the same feeling of community for me.  Easy to avoid by not going to a thread I don't want to read.  Also, realizing BCO is not the focal point for me it is for many, not anymore.

ALEXANDRIA:  I've got my credit card ready to BUY your next book.  Happy Hanaukah.  Haven't been to the Barnes yet, so hapy for you to have that experience.

Gotta love Archie! I was predicting Kincaid paintings, but Archie's art work surpassed even that.

I once had a very shy Mexican guy working for me. He also had minimal English. At Christmas he brought me a present, a plaster rendition of Botticelli's Venus, because, as he managed to stammer out, it reminded him of me. Obviously long before the boobectomy! 

Yes, Sunflowers, it's the public face vs. private face that turns my stomach. 

I've got a busy day today-I need to do some Christmas shopping and we have 2 parties to go to this weekend that I need to bring appetizers to. I'm thinking caprese bites and a baked brie with cranberry sauce on top. 

Mary

Quick pop in.  Busy weekend, too!

Poetry was mentioned a few pages back.  Have always liked this poem.  (I bolded certain parts).

Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem

By Maya Angelou

"Thunder rumbles in the mountain passes
And lightning rattles the eaves of our houses.
Flood waters await us in our avenues.

Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalanche
Over unprotected villages.
The sky slips low and grey and threatening.

We question ourselves.
What have we done to so affront nature?
We worry God.
Are you there? Are you there really?
Does the covenant you made with us still hold?

Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters,
Streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope
And singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air.
The world is encouraged to come away from rancor,
Come the way of friendship.

It is the Glad Season.
Thunder ebbs to silence and lightning sleeps quietly in the corner.
Flood waters recede into memory.
Snow becomes a yielding cushion to aid us
As we make our way to higher ground.

Hope is born again in the faces of children
It rides on the shoulders of our aged as they walk into their sunsets.
Hope spreads around the earth. Brightening all things,
Even hate which crouches breeding in dark corridors.

In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace.
It is loud now. It is louder.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.

We tremble at the sound. We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war. But, true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, a comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.

We clap hands and welcome the Peace of Christmas.
We beckon this good season to wait a while with us.
We, Baptist and Buddhist, Methodist and Muslim, say come.
Peace.

Come and fill us and our world with your majesty.
We, the Jew and the Jainist, the Catholic and the Confucian,
implore you to stay awhile with us
so we may learn by your shimmering light
how to look beyond complexion and see community.

It is Christmas time, a halting of hate time.
On this platform of peace, we can create a language
to translate ourselves to ourselves and to each other.
At this Holy Instant, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ

Into the great religions of the world.
We jubilate the precious advent of trust.
We shout with glorious tongues the coming of hope.
All the earth’s tribes loosen their voices to celebrate the promise of
Peace.

We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Nonbelievers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace.

We look at our world and speak the word aloud.
Peace.

We look at each other, then into ourselves,
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation:

Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul"

Hi Everyone,

Typical winter day here .. gloomy and cold .. everything is a shade of grey.

I got all my work done yesterday and just finished up my Christmas cards.  I love sending out cards every year.  I only need to get a few more gift cards and I'm done with the Christmas gifts too.

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday!

hugs,

Bren

Belinda, I just sent that video to my friend.  Her daughter celebrates Solstice and has been told she is a 'witch'.  I think she will enjoy it. 

Mary and Sun - saw that and totally agree with you.