reddog

Coniferous. Hi, Rab

Does it have to be wood? If not, what about a very large dog crate, with padding inside and covered with fabric? Hang quilted fabric inside so you have soft sides?

Man, I'm really sorry you're struggling like this. I've had skin blemishes burnt off with nitro before, and you're right, it really hurts. No wonder it's a big trigger for you.

Do you trust and work closely with your pdoc? Do you HAVE a tdoc? Things can get better, and will, but I believe you need a more closely monitored treatment until you are feeling better.

Sonic, I've been reading your posts for a bit but haven't responded. I can tell that you are very lonely, and wishing for companionship. That is a very natural, human need, and God is aware of this, and intended it to be so: because the Bible speaks very highly of marriage. So what you want is very real and very natural. However, as I've read your posts, I notice that you seem to have a mishmash of a belief system. Often you express religious concerns, but don't have anywhere to go for guidance. My own church stresses the need for mentors, for a support system. So my question to you is: what church do you belong to? If you don't have one, why not? Not every congregation is going to be accepting of strangers, or a good fit for you. But unless you live in a field, I'm sure you have several churches around, and I'm really surprised you have not approached a minister for guidance. Next, I would also suggest you try your local NAMI to see if they have groups for religiously inclined MI members. Being around the people who get it, is a wonderful and freeing feeling. But imho, God won't drop this in your lap - you need to seek out the good opportunities. My thought is that if you can find a local community of people to physically interact with, you won't be as lonely, because then you will have like-minded companionship. But I really, really urge you to settle down to a particular denomintation and belief system, instead of a general mishmash. Once you do that, your chances of finding compatible people goes way up. You're in my prayers, and I truly hope you find some comfort and mental stability. I worry when your posts go all over the place. I want to you be mentally well as well as spiritually healthy.

White Death from the North! Run for your lives!

Long time player here...Woo is right. It is something that is carefully negotiated and that both people WANT to do. It is not a 'therapeutic treatment' that you do with your partner to 'help' them. It actually makes sense if you think about how people with ADHD can get that really intense focus on doing something. You have to pay very close attention to what you are doing if you are the person doing the stuff to someone else (intentionally keeping this very vague, so no one gets uncomfortable). For the person on the receiving end, if they have ADHD, they can get a whoooole lot diffenrent physical stimuli to the body. It's more than 'whips and chains', it can involve sound, smell, soft touch, heat, cold: really a sensory diet kind of thing. I think your SO clammed up due to the somewhat judgemental response, of calling BDSMer's 'crazy ladies'. There is a lot of stigma associated with BDSM, and maybe your SO doesn't believe in labeling a group simply because they are not mainstream. If you really want to address this with your SO, the best start imho, would be to apologize for your reaction. Explain that it's so much not your thing that you are totally ignorant, and unfortunately said a very prejudiced comment (in your words). Also, your SO isn't not going to suddenly come home with black leather and whips - most vanilla people (as we call them) are often a little bit afraid that will happen. That's normal to be nervous like that, since we are portrayed in the media usually as slavering sex monsters. But we are people just liek you, we pay mortgages and take out the trash and eat dinner. Even if you SO likes kink, she won't spring it on you, she's not a different person than she was before this conversation happened. Nothing really changed. You just found out you had a difference of opinion on something, and reacted badly to it, and possibly offended her/hurt her feelings. Now it's time to apologize, realize she is the same person as before, and maybe listen quietly, with an open mind, to her point of view of why it makes sense.

My sister gets a mood lift from jasmine tea as well. She calls it her 'happy tea'.

If they are using soy wrappers instead of nori for hand rolls, often those are bright pink or green.

Because it's the wrong time. We need to balance the introspective, restricted times with the joyous times. You know that Bible quote about 'there is season to all things' and feast things are out of season with fast things, and vice versa. You fast, you focus inward and on God. You feast, you focus on family and community. We do follow a very structured calender. Very, very structured. There's a definite framework to work within.

Fast is over, now we are in the fast free period. This does NOT mean we turn away from spiritual pursuits (in fact, as I said, the point of the fast was to give up the time and space to come closer to God) but as we go forward, hopefully as better Christians (whatever each person recognizes as their faults and moves to correct; there's no one size fits all here) we also take the time to REJOICE. Now is the time for 'wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.' We are to enjoy the fruits of the earth, our time with friends and family and community. We are to appreciate them, be thankful, be mindful of the good things we have. The fast was to make us mindful of where we've gone wrong, become a bit too smitten with early and secular things. The feast time is to be mindful of the good things given by the Lord. Looking at both periods together, it's obvious there is a balance there. One complements the other; one balances out the other. We are taught not to have one without the other; it's considered wrong to fast during a feast period. (several reasons. I can go into that if anyone really wants - who's still reading here?) But the point is that we go around the liturgical calendar, and there is time and a season to everything. Everything should balance. And again, it's not just about food. The term fast is misleading, but we don't have another word for it. You don't quit eating, you just don't eat certain festive, rich, costly foods.

next time, before you dump the polish, try some polish thinner (not remover). I've heard of people reviving totally dried up polish with that.

Shit happens. I'd much rather have a small glitch than a huge one. We all survived. I hope you get some sleep.

and you know, Indigo, I was THANKFUL for it!