Thin Slices of Joy

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  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 34,614
    edited July 2021

    Pretty bouquet, Jazzy, and what a great deal!

    Yesterday's slice was a tiny green hummingbird at the scarlet bee balm. I had just finished weeding and was admiring my work when it zipped up to the flowers and started feeding. I didn't move and it got within two feet of me. I watched it for a good ten minutes then shifted my stance and it zipped away.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Been dealing with a new rash on my face! 🤬 Saw my MO and dermatology last Friday. New ointments seem to help.

    Treated myself to a new plant. Got a monstera deliciosa. 👍

    Dave Grohl is so cool!


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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    I love these virtual collaborations.


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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    I love U2. Haven't seen this video before, but it seems like the band members are the musical angels from 'Wings of Desire'.


    ETA: Feeling old. This video was made in 1993. I started listening to U2 from the start in the early 80s.

    ETA2: So a version of this song is used in the movie 'Faraway, So Close!' that is the sequel to 'Wings of Desire'. No wonder it looked familiar.

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  • Jazzygirl
    Jazzygirl Member Posts: 12,533
    edited July 2021

    image

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Looking good! Hope it doesn't get its bell rung. 😁

    I've spent the pandemic working on improving my gardening and bread making. I failed to mention that my husband has been working on his cooking. He has always been the cook in the house, but he has leveled up this past year. We have been eating well. 😋


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  • Jazzygirl
    Jazzygirl Member Posts: 12,533
    edited July 2021

    That bird was for fun. My real slice of joy is my 25th year anniversary of moving to NM today. Single best decision to date ♥️

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Fantastic, Jazzy! Today is actually 16 years since we moved to Montreal. After we unloaded our minivan at our rental, I took my older daughter to the midnight release of a Harry Potter book as promised. It was a very long and very nice day. This was a good move for us.

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  • Betrayal
    Betrayal Member Posts: 1,374
    edited July 2021

    It must be a bird thing. My parakeets frequently put their heads in any of the bells within their cages. Wonder if it is like the guys who wear the aluminum foil on their heads? Anyhow, the one does ring the bell when his head is in it. Babies are now almost the same size as parents and their sibling. So names are Uno (for last year's fledgling which seems to be female) Dos and Tres for this years. Tres has a feather cowlick on the back of its neck so we are able to tell them apart. Dos and Tres have heads the same color as parents and one has same chest color as Dad while other is same as Mom's (Tres). Uno has a white head unlike either parent. They are enjoying their new flight cage though older birds get upset with the babies who fly recklessly around the cage. It is fun to watch their antics.

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  • Jazzygirl
    Jazzygirl Member Posts: 12,533
    edited July 2021

    Betrayal- my parakeets used to beat the crap out of the bells in their cages. Bells are definately a thing for parrot and parakeets although probably not regular birds. At least I have never seen that with my yard birds.

    Slice of Joy today- my favorite hots springs that have been closed due to the pandemic and then a fire are opening back up. I told myself if they were open again so I could go Labor Day, I was making a reservation to go soak and do spa time. Well the announcement came today on e-mail and I got right on it and am going that weekend for some self care. Here is a photo from a few years ago. So excited!

    image

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Betrayal - Didn't realize bells in bird cages is common. We have a bell on the front door. Our dog rings the bell when she wants to go out.

    Jazzy - Beautiful spot!

    Had the follow up with dermatology today. Derm was thrilled with how much I've healed. I thought a week wouldn't be enough time, but he wanted to make sure I was responding before he left for 2 weeks off. I can stop one of the steroids and use the other as needed. I have another follow up in 2 months. Nice doc.

    On the way home I saw a woman with a seeing eye dog. The dog was trying to stop her from walking over a sign that had fallen over on the sidewalk. The woman was trying to walk straight ahead, and the good dog was trying to pull her away. There was a line of cars waiting for the stoplight. A passenger from a nearby car got out to explain and helped her around the obstacle. Everyone was safe. 👍

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  • ScotBird
    ScotBird Member Posts: 650
    edited July 2021

    A joy and a worry today. I know that climate change is causing really bad problems in many parts of the world. But in Scotland, the weather has been glorious for the last couple of months now and I’ve loved it. I moved to Scotland 18 years ago, from London. It’s never been as warm and sunny as this for so long. I find it ironic and a bit tragic that world leaders are planning to fly to Glasgow from around the world to discuss what to do about carbon emissions. I believe they should have a Zoom summit, it couldn’t possible cause as many emissions as an in real life summit, could it?

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  • ScotBird
    ScotBird Member Posts: 650
    edited July 2021

    Great news about the rash improvement Serenity. Itchiness is so annoying.

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  • Betrayal
    Betrayal Member Posts: 1,374
    edited July 2021

    Yes, parakeets love bells. The single parakeet is the talker though it is a limited vocabulary of "pretty boy", "dirty birdy" and his combination of "pretty dirty". He wolf whistles, too. He talks to his one bell and holds it captive by pulling it towards the perch with his one claw. His grasp is so tight he looks like he is choking the chain the bell is on. He just got new toy that has 3 bells at varying heights and it spins so he is in heaven.

    The other birds in the penthouse love their new toys and they have the same 3 bell one. The favorite is one where they can move beads from one side of an arc to the other. It was the favorite of Uno (last year's baby) but Dos and Tres (this year's hatchlings) have discovered it as well. Both cages have a basketball toy (ball is on a chain) and the babies haven't mastered it yet but they are trying, though one thought it was a great place to nap.

    Serenity, glad you finally are getting som relief from that itchy rash.

    image I woke it when I snapped the photo.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Yes, itchy rashes are beyond annoying! Glad it's much better. Now I'm working on the resulting hyperpigmentation and wrinkles. I'll ask the derm in 2 months. Any tips?

    Betrayal - Your description of the parakeets playing with the bells make me want some.

    ScotBird - I have the same feeling knowing the damages of climate change, but benefiting locally. Long winters can be depressing, and our winters have been noticeably shorter. Good for me, but not for most. We're trying to buy as local as possible to minimize our impact. Virtual meetings are probably better than in-person.

    I find acoustic versions of songs let artists with real talent shine. Hope everyone is having a good day.


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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited July 2021

    Serenity - I've tried at least 5 prescriptions for itching. Just skin issues - not anything like poison ivy. What eventually worked for you?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Minus - For the initial itchy rash on my body, I used this ointment twice a day (along with prescription antibiotic on open wounds):

    https://www.taro.ca/en/canada-rx-product-details/95/Taro-Clobetasol,-Ointment

    I didn't like the ointment for my face and only used it a few times. The rash on my face wasn't as widespread. The itchiness did go away to be replaced with another rash. Much less itching, but my skin was very dry and inflamed.

    In between ointment applications I used a mix of aloe, oils, and creams to minimize dryness.

    Hope this helps.


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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited July 2021

    Oh my - that's one I've tried to avoid (Web MD: This medication is a very strong (super-high-potency) corticosteroid) although I do have a tube in my medicine cabinet that the derm doc prescribed when I did have poison ivy. The one that seems to work best for me is Fluocinonide - but since the problems are mostly in the middle of my back & I live alone - it's really a pain in the neck to apply.

    I've had reasonable luck keeping the dry skin & itching to a minimum with CeraVe lotion or cream.

    Slice of joy - I love nuts & I love salt. I've discovered that even though they are roasted & seasoned in sea salt, Marcona Almonds grown in Spain actually have less sodium then salted cashews. Only 60 mg for 21 almonds as opposed to 85 mg for only 15 cashew nuts. (both from Costco)

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Figured it was strong when they told me not to use it on my face and to wash my hands after. That first rash was terrible. I couldn't sleep. I wanted to tear my skin off. I don't think I used it 2 weeks straight on the initial rash. (2 weeks is the limit before taking a week break.) I did use it a few times around a new bug bite that looked like it wanted to spread.

    Have you tried a long shoe horn (or something shaped like it) to reach your back to apply ointment? I haven't tried it myself but seems like it would work. At least it's hard to scratch if it's hard to reach.

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  • badger
    badger Member Posts: 34,614
    edited July 2021

    Serenity, glad to hear itchy rash is improving!

    Jazzy, yay for hot spring reopening. Happy soaking. :-)

    ScotBird, I agree it's a puzzler that people think it's OK to fly private jets to talk about climate change.

    Weekend slices were monarch butterflies in our zinnias. The little green hummer likes them, too.

    Now I have a bird-induced earworm: the disco song You Can Ring My Bell by Anita Ward.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    badger - Love butterflies and hummers.

    And disco is back! 💃🎶❤️


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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Slice of joy - My medical team ❤️. Yes, in Canada.

    The charge nurse just called me. She's been the one getting me a same-day dermatology consult. Twice. Last week after I saw dermatology as a follow-up, she saw me when I stopped by without an appointment. She was very happy with my healing and wanted to discuss with my MO the next steps for vaccine dose 2 and restarting Ibrance. She just told me I'm cleared to get the vaccine at the end of the month. My MO appointment is about a month from that. My MO is going on a 3-week vacation, but she said if needed I can call their triage number or email my MO. I've only emailed him and noticed that even on vacation he responds quickly. I try not to email him especially on weekends.

    Hope I can avoid new rashes in the next few weeks. But I have all the ointments to fix them.


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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Neat video of Peter Gabriel performing Solsbury Hill over time.


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  • Jazzygirl
    Jazzygirl Member Posts: 12,533
    edited July 2021

    Serenity - that's a great video ❤️

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited July 2021

    While sorting & cleaning boxes of stuff & papers, I found the program for an exhibition I was privileged to see in 2013, a month after my ALND surgery for recurrent BC. The SCAR Project is an amazing collection of large portraits of young women age 18-36 who had (have) BC showing the "exterior" scars from their surgeries. The brochure I found & re-read today has the stories in their own words of 29 of the women who joined the project, why they did and how the project changed/enhanced their lives. At the time I found the exhibit deeply meaningful & moving. Re-reading these women's stories again 7 years later and seeing the self-acceptance & yes even joy they found through the project was sobering and life affirming.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    All great characters!

    image

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    Love Suzanne Vega. Learned fairly recently how her voice was used in the development of MP3.

    https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/19727/how-toms-diner-tuned-mp3

    But this is the song I remember.


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  • Jazzygirl
    Jazzygirl Member Posts: 12,533
    edited July 2021

    I am not a big fan of the billionaire space race, but it has placed this woman's story on my radar. She is from NM and as someone who was trained scientifically and has worked in science and tech her life, I am more than familiar with the ways women get sidelined to participate in the things they should be able to do. So this is my slice of joy for the week, Wally got to go on the ride this week.

    https://time.com/6080695/wally-funk-space-bezos/

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2021

    She must have been so thrilled to finally reach space, but wish it didn't take so long. She should have been one of the first, and she should have flown with her peers.

    image

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  • Jazzygirl
    Jazzygirl Member Posts: 12,533
    edited July 2021

    A favorite song and a special version with lyrics. Enjoy you children of the 1970s


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