The Chatter Box - anything goes as long as respect for individuals is practiced

Hello Little Bird. I've had a very busy Summer with gardening and then the harvest. It was very good this year.

Good to see you again.

dali43 aka sometimes as Kip

xoxoxoxo

When my wife was diagnosed with skin cancer about 5/6 years ago, I did some online searching for more info on it. I discovered that yes, the Australians were the experts on treating it due to the high number of reported cases they have but I also discovered that the Americans did not consider it to be much of a problem and therefore it was not classed as a reportable problem so no one knew how many sufferers there were there. I haven't done any further searching so I don't know if that situation has now changed.

I really didn't have an inkling about your space. Maybe because I have no family there or because I have never visited. From what you describe it sounds very much like where we live in Victoria save for the snow bit. It only snows in the Alps which is about a four hour drive from here and in Winter the skiing I'm told is quite good.

About the Outback; Yes, the Sun is the same star in Wales however because the atmosphere is thinner, less humidity, one has the dubious danger of not feeling it before it's too late.

Breathing in high humidy is difficult so we don't exert ourselves but when it's low the only limit is the burning. We have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world because of that.

The same is true is Manitoba Canada only the opposite. Dryness and low temps allow for freezing ears and fingers etc 'cause the cold is not felt as much as when, let us say, in Montreal or Toronto where the humidy is high.

So, needing vitamin D all humans must balance the consumption of sardines with less direct sunrays. :-) xoxoxoxoxoxoo

Unfortunately our weather does vary quite a lot so it would be hard to describe something as a regular day, that being said I seem to recall being taught that we experience one of the most clement climates in the world. From the end of April until early October our daytime temps tend to be somewhere between 18 and 28 degrees celsius, the sun when it shines can be quite strong, you can start to burn in less than 30 mins.
If we get more than a week of dry sunny weather with the temps anywhere over 28 then we feel as though we are having a heatwave.
We don't look at the humidity as a rule so I can't respond to that part of your question, however my wife, who lived in Australia for 30 years and spent some time in the outback, finds our hottest days hard to cope with, she says the heat here is different (how can that be when there's only one sun, I ask her) from what she has been used to. I assume it may have something to do with the humidity but I don't really know.
Winter months sees the daytime temps generally being between 3 and 12 degrees celsius though we do see temps at zero or lower fairly frequently and snow does fall from time to time. Funny thing with the snow, most of the time it's just a light dusting, so we can just about cope with it however on those occassions when we do get a heavy fall the country grinds to a virtual halt. This is because heavy falls are few and far between, maybe once a winter and then it usually clears quite quickly that it doesn't pay to have too many precautions in place for trying to cope better.

in Wales, weather wise other than wet or dry?

Highest temps,lowest? Humidity? How often does the Sun shine and when it does is it radiant or weak?

have all the luck...though temps like that can't really be considered a slice of luck!
Since we got on to this topic, we've had a wet day followed by a dry day followed by wet and then a day a 3 quarters dry, it's raining again now.

BC heat wave

but I saw something last night, didn't look up the details though, about a heatwave affecting parts of the U.S.

the heat wave in BC Canada?

It's summer and it feels like autumn. It's wet - but they say it's always like that in Wales, that's why the English flooded some of our valleys for their water supplies- with the occasional bit of sunshine. The good news though is the garden is colourful and still blooming well.

Well, when we haven't got a specific topic to discuss it is said that people return to the weather for conversation. OK, so let's share. :-)

I think Spring is trying to happen. There are buds appearing on the deciduous trees and some fruit trees are throwing out flowers. The Sun's rays feel stronger so as this time for renewal is coming we think of cleaning out closets and cupboards, always a great thing.

c u l8r xoxoxoxoxxo

pleasant and interesting.

like this. Thanks for participating. xoxoxoxoxo

...and plenty of it there.
Whilst nature continues to evolve mankind continues to move in cycles, women having babies at what some consider an early age is not a new phenomena, drug abuse didn't start in the 60s either. Whilst I would agree that drug abuse we see today appears to be bought on by a lack of self worth, I would be disinclined to say that that lack of self worth is due to both parents working...I feel it is more likely due to industrialised societies no longer being able to provide enough employment for an ever increasing population.
Can we really associate female heart attacks with female liberation? surely the causes of hearts attacks are many and varied and , in my opinion, can be likened to cancers as being natures way of trying to control population.

I do agree that sadly mankind hasn't yet evolved to the stage where consideration for others means a end to a need for charity, I really do wish we could stop celebrating those that make fortunes by exploiting others and then give a small percentage back as a "charitable" act!!!

Having said all that, I still think evolution is always for the better, however we still have a lot of evolving to do before we reach a perfect world, it won't happen in my lifetime and I doubt it will happen during my grandchildren's lifetime though.

From where I am at this age in time I see horribly gone wrong generations of selfish people. One group understands only the ME, another needs instant gratification.

The volunteer work force is mainly comprised of older people who have some knowledge and time to give back to society what they deem was given to them. Charity!

Because women wanted equality and fought for it they got it, along with heart attacks, addiction to smoking, dallying after work which leads to divorce in the highest ratio ever recorded in modern times.

They burned their bras for freedom of unpaid housework and some social esteem notgenerally associated with stay at home moms.

The World wide epidemic of drug abuse can be associated with less self worth mainly because both parents are absent from the home and carers don't respect the norms that allow for maturity to evolve.

Children are having children because they want to grow up too fast, these babies are not nurtured and disciplined as we were MANY years ago :-)

I could go on dear chap but these are but a few of my observations and why I said "only sometimes for the better."xoxoxoxoxoxoxxio

Somewhere back then some of them must have had hope and ideas or change would never have come, surely it must have been a case of the mighty oak growing from small acorns.
IMHO evolution ALWAYS makes changes for the better.

When men worked outside the home and women were left barefoot and pregnant with no hope or idea of ever changing the dynamics.

Thank goodness things do evolve, only sometimes for the better....

You do not seem to be talking of comparing a like with like but more of making a generalisation, which will always leave the door open for scepticism.
Norway has been a more socially aware country than most for many a year and so that's no surprise.
I agree with you that these days it's a total myth about men being superior to women in the workplace, but that myth has it roots in the days when men and women had clearly defined roles within society.

but rather, the gender mix of the upper management, the vice-presidents. It has long been known that the inclusion of a woman into an all male group changes the dynamics, but this was the first study to see a bottom line change with the addition of several women. I wish I had saved that newspaper and could speak more knowledgeably. I do remember that increases ranged from 16 to 69 percent over all-male models. The mix is able to accomplish more than one-gender only models can. They did not go into why since that was not the aim of the study.

An aside, Norway requires that at least 40% of its administrative upper management must be women! They recognize the value of women in government as previous studies have shown.

All those years of snide jokes about women in the workplace, perpetuating the myth that men were superior when all along the best model was a mixture. What a waste!

Surely that study must be flawed?... firstly because the number of companies that don't have women in higher management positions is disportionate to those that do and secondly if you have a product of good enough quality that people want to purchase you will make money no matter what gender controls your business.
I will, however, acknowledge the success of eBay under a female CEO and it will be interesting to see how Yahoo fares with a female now in charge.

The joke falls flat because it is not consistent. Woman multiplies and enlarges what is given to her each time into something positive, not negative. So if you hand her a load of crap she'll hand you a shovel so you can dig it in around her rose bushes so the blooms will be more glorious!

There have been many studies done on the effect of women in upper management levels. The newest one shows that companies who start including more women in those levels make significantly more money!

Bobbeerr?

"Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.

If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.

If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.

If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.

If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.

She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.

So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of s**t."

Go to songlyrics.com, type in 'no place to hide', and you'll find twenty titles. The best might be Alison Krauss - No Place To Hide. I didn't know any of them.

There is no place for you to wiggle out of your trouble, Lion. That was old thinking. ;-)

.

It was indeed a song lyric...
Now watch this for wheedling (or trying to) my way out of trouble.. I'll quantify that comment by saying amongst the few women who are that smart are many Third Agers.

Right you are Sha, we'll get him.
At the moment I have just surfaced but when the brain gets into gear I'll be back LOL xoxoxoxox

I'll leave it up to Oiseau to take you to task for your comment. I'm sure she can find some choice words for you. :-)

No matter how many times I read that it always raises a smile... alas though, only a few women are that smart, he says running for cover. :-)

BIG grin here.......xoxoxoxo

One morning, the husband returns the boat to their lakeside
cottage after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap.

Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boatout.

She motors out a short distance, anchors, puts her feet up,
and begins to read her book.

The peace and solitude are magnificent.

Along comes a Fish and Game Warden in his boat.

He pulls upalongside the woman and says, 'Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?'

'Reading a book,' she replies, (thinking, 'Isn't that obvious?')

'You're in a Restricted Fishing Area,' he informs her.

'I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading.'

'Yes, but I see you have all the equipment.
For all I know you could start at any moment.
I'll have to take you in and write you up.'

'If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault,' says the woman.

'But I haven't even touched you,' says the Game Warden.

'That's true, but you have all the equipment.
For all I know you could start at any moment.'

'Have a nice day ma'am,' and he left.

MORAL:
Never argue with a woman who reads.

It's likely she can also think.

all of his successes so far have been on hardcore surfaces.
I missed most of the battle of the sisters but the look of amazement on Serena's face when she realised she had won was priceless.

he'll do better on hardcore surface. xoxoxoxo I cried when Andy Roddick lost, his face was shattered. Still, it was great for Roger to have all those records under his belt.

Yes, the match between sisters was fun to watch, Serena really wanted this one and Venus struggled, her leg maybe?????

Little sisters need their light, too.

Hmm, guess I've missed more than I thought, didn't think any male player would shed tears over a loss!
Having just watched the last 3 sets between the 2 Andys I find myself wondering why men still play the best of 5 and not the best of 3 like the women, all those long rallies from the base line, along with 2 hands on the raquet when playing both forehand and backhand shots, is what i've always seen as a feature of the women's game.
I'm saddedned though at being proven right about Murray's hope of progressing any further.

I agree about the caliber of players, except for my darling Rafa. We need to admit though that Roger is a marvellous athelete albeit he is not the showman of yester years and plays a much different game than Rafa.

I could NEVER imagine Nastase crying over a loss! :-)

to hear we've cheered you up.... anyway, whilst i'm not exactly mad on tennis, used to be, but these days no one seems to throw tantrums like McEnroe and Natase did, and it's getting a bit boring. Watched Murray playing yesterday, it was a good game but I was surprised to hear the commentators suggesting he could go all the way because thinking back to the days when Connors, Borg, Natase , McEnroe etc. were playing he'd have never got past the second round, if he even got that far.

with a grin on my face.

SOOOOO very glad that you have decided to post here in the Chatter Box.

It's what I had originally intended ; to swap details of our lives on a daily basis, to get to know each other a wee bit better and enjoy a format with no presumed topic.

Tennis at Wimbledon has kept me indoors for the past week. I LOVE these matches and was sad to learn that Rafa (Nadal) opted out because of physical pain.

Any of you like the game?

And the evening is still pleasantly warm, not often we can say that in this part of the world..lol

We call those things we believe in but can never prove "old wives tales", presumably this is because they are passed down from generation to generation.

How about a mango lassi?

Now here's one to ponder the truth of. I heard on the radio (a source of 'great' truth) that there is no source to the adage that one must drink 8 glasses of water a day to stay healthy. Nobody knows who first said it and no studies have been done to prove or disprove it. It is one of those "they say" items that people follow blindly.

Which makes one wonder, just how many things do we do or think that have no founding in reality but we just go blithely along, believing them anyway!

I find it hard to believe the media blitz over poor Michael. He is only going to appeal to those in his age and era group. The rest don't care or look at him as a freak. Most people are in that group.

Here's some fresh, steaming Turkish coffee and some baklava, the way it is made in Lebanon with crushed pistachios and rose water syrup instead of the Greek style honey and walnuts. Both are compliments from Maha's, the new Lebanese restaurant that just opened on Alvarado St. to rave reviews. Go to to read the review http://www.montereyherald.com/entertainment/ci_12617671

The newest idiocy the news medium has chosen to focus upon is the Barbara Boxer word flap with the general. There are an awful lot of people with their panties in a bunch if that's the best they can do is to complain about that exchange of words. No wonder the news medium is losing its luster. Where is Walter Cronkite when we need him?

Actually the original name was Lemon Squares but the first time my sister made it, the top was all lumpy, hence the new name. Besides, who would ever ask how to make Lemon Squares?

Lemon Lumpy

1 c. sifted flour

1/2 c. butter

1/4c. powdered sugar

pinch of salt

Mix by hand. Pat into an 8 X 8 pan. Bake 20 min. at 350 degrees. Let cool.

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. sugar

I've been watching my grandson all day today so a little relaxing sounds really good to me right now.

What is Lemon Lumpy, Bobberr? I'm assuming it is some kind of cake. Am I on the right track?

We have had rain almost every day for several weeks now. It doesn't rain all day but we get some every afternoon. Some of my tomatoes actually have rust on them from all the moisture. The garden store said they just need to dry out but I'm not sure when that might happen as the forecast shows more rain through next week. The good thing is that the flowers this year are beautiful. Of course the weeds are also very healthy. I keep trying to pull them out but every time I try it starts to rain again.

Thanks for checking in here, Bobberr. I sure wish more people would join us but I guess everyone must be busy. :(

It feels good to put up my feet and sip on a mango smoothie. I made us a batch of Lemon Lumpy to eat.

We had sunny skies today but fog is due in tomorrow. They call this "June Gloom " weather, although we have had very little of it this year.

Have you heard that Mars is due to smash into Earth in 5 billion years. Another darn thing to worry about! lol

Hope this was a good painless day for you.

Sometimes it works and othertimes it doesn't, can't figure out why! :-)

The name Easter comes from Eastre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this and other pre-Christian spring festivals. Others come from the Passover feast of the Jews, observed in memory of their deliverance from Egypt. The resurrection of Jesus took place during the Passover. In the early days of Christianity Easter and the Passover were closely associated.

Prior to A.D. 325, Easter was celebrated on different days of the week, including Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In that year, the Council of Nicaea was convened by emperor Constantine. They issued the Easter Rule which places Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox (first day of Spring). Therefore, Easter must be celebrated on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 and April 25.

Lent

Preceding Easter Sunday is the 40-day penitential season of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding at midnight on Holy Saturday. Lent is a season of prayer, abstinence, and fasting. This is observed in memory of the 40 days' fast of Christ in the desert. Lent is observed for six weeks and four days by the Western Christian churches that include Saturday and Sunday into the total. In Eastern Orthodox churches Lent is 50 days since they do not count Saturdays or Sundays.

Shrove Tuesday, the day before the beginning of Lent, was designed as a way to "get it all out" before the sacrifices of Lent began. Known the world over as Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) or Carnival. It is celebrated in many cities, the most famous American city being New Orleans, LA.

Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, gets its name from the practice, mainly in the Roman Catholic church, of putting ashes on the foreheads of the faithful to remind them that man is but dust.
Holy Week

* Palm Sunday: This is held on the Sunday before Easter Sunday. It recalls Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem one week before his execution.
* Holy Monday: commemorates Jesus' cleansing of the temple, when he assaulted money changers and overturned their tables. Some believe that this triggered his arrest and crucifixion.
* Holy Tuesday: recalls Jesus' description to his disciples on the Mount of Olives of the destruction of Jerusalem.
* Holy Wednesday: (once called Spy Wednesday) recalls Judas' decision to betray Jesus in exchange for 30 pieces of silver.
* Maundy Thursday: commemorates the Last Supper, Jesus' agony in the garden and his arrest.
* Good Friday: recalls Jesus' death on the cross. The origin of the word "good" has been lost. Some claim that it is a corruption of "God" and that the early Christians called this day "God's Friday." Others claim that "good" refers to the blessings of humanity that Christians believe arose as a result of Jesus' execution.
* Holy Saturday: (a.k.a. Easter Eve) is the final day of Holy Week and of Lent.
* Easter Sunday: commemorates Jesus' resurrection. In the early church, converts were baptized into church membership on this day after a lengthy period of instruction. This tradition continues today in some churches.

Symbols

Many Easter symbols and customs come from the Old World.

The Cross is the symbol of the Crucifixion, as opposed to the Resurrection. However, at the Council of Nicaea, in A.D. 325, Constantine decreed that the Cross was the official symbol of Christianity. The Cross is not only a symbol of Easter, but it is more widely used, especially by the Catholic Church, as a year-round symbol of their faith.

Easter Lilly

The white lily symbolizes the Resurrection. Yet, lillies have long been revered by pagans of various lands as a holy symbol associated with reproduction. It was considered a phallic symbol!

The Easter Bunny also originated with the pagan festival of Eastre. The goddess, Eastre, was worshipped by the Anglo-Saxons through her earthly symbol, the rabbit.

The Germans brought the symbol of the Easter rabbit to America. It was widely ignored by other Christians until shortly after the Civil War. Easter itself was not widely celebrated in America until after that time.

The Easter Egg
The exchange of eggs in the springtime is a custom that was centuries old when Easter was first celebrated by Christians. The egg was a symbol of rebirth in most cultures. Eggs were often wrapped in gold leaf or, if you were a peasant, colored brightly by boiling them with the leaves or petals of certain flowers.

Today, children hunt colored eggs and place them in Easter baskets along with the modern version of real Easter eggs -- plastic eggs filled with chocolate candy.
Happy Easter!

The Fear of Appearing Dumb

The universal need to be accepted by others can be a barrier that prevents us from being ourselves around them. When we fear that the people we encounter will perceive us as inept or unintelligent, we frequently try to flaunt our grasp of large words or clever witticisms or our professional expertise in an effort to convince them that we are smart and capable. The reasons for feeling this way can be many, and they can often stem from as far back as your childhood. Many women in particular have the fear that they may appear not smart. Yet overcompensating for this fear can have the opposite effect if others are driven away by what they see as an immodest attitude or sense that you are urgently trying to prove yourself. The simple desire to be judged smart by both new and old acquaintances can cause you to reject your true self and adopt an affected persona. But in trying so persistently to project an image of supreme intelligence or capability, you deny others the opportunity to become acquainted with the real and terrific individual you truly are.

The fear that others will perceive you as unintelligent can further influence your behavior, causing you to consciously avoid speaking your mind or asking questions. You may feel uncomfortable participating in activities if there is a chance that you won’t excel or taking part in discussions with others who may have more knowledge than you. In essence, you become ashamed of who you are and attempt to encase your identity in a veneer that others will find pleasing and impressive. It is, however, a common fear—one experienced by almost everyone at some point in their lives. The simplest way to combat it is to make a personal commitment to being yourself in your home, your workplace, and among strangers. Ask yourself how you believe the individuals you encounter will react should you speak awkwardly, need clarification, or fail to be the best at some activity. By being yourself, you will discover that all people make mistakes and ask questions and that others will like and respect you because they recognize the goodness in your soul.

The fact that you are willing to be yourself, letting your many affirmative attributes express themselves naturally, will help you make a positive first impression on everyone you meet and earn the esteem of your family and friends. Your confidence and easygoing manner will say, "this is who I am and I am proud of the person I have become."

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