I offer these items to folks to uplift with:
Actions, Encouragement, Support, Prayer, Listening, Helping, Giving, or any other uplifting way......:


~This Orchard.

~This Group of Wonderful Folks.

~The relationships herein.

~Karin and Linford.


Please share any items that folks here can uplift for you.

I'd like to share that I will continue to hope for peace and harmony among this group of people who have come together with the common interest of sharing the joy Karin and Linford bring us through their gift.
I hope we won't withold stimulating and thought provoking conversations for fear of offending. When courtesy and consideration of others feelings are given top priority by all of us, it is our differences as well as our similarities that make this Orchard an interesting and fun environment.
I'm hoping not to offend or be offended by any of you, and to try always to remember our good intentions.

Anybody know a chiropractic in the Dayton-Cincinnati area that works cheaply?

No but I know about 1 year of massage therapy. Try one of the on line referral services

for the orchard community...

i'm gonna pray for whatever is going on here, in the orchard. i know it's just a message board. but it means something to a lot of us.

let's keep the peace, kids.

I'm a little leery of using this newer thread instead of the original prayer thread, but here goes.

I have finally found a place to live. A number of things are up in the air right now, so perhaps this temporary arrangement is best. I will be moving in with my yoga teacher's friend and a couple of other people I don't know on Saturday. The logistics of shifting residences will be typically horrendous (I loathe Bell Canada), but I am grateful for shelter, cheaper rent, more space, a yard, and (I never thought I'd say this) the idea of having roommates. We'll see how things turn out. Thanks for all of your support.

My friend India is hopping on a plane for California tomorrow. May her travel be safe, her head level, and her spiritual retreat nourishing and informative.

My parents are trying to arrange to move to Kitchener, Ontario. They wish to be closer to my ailing grandparents, give my sister an opportunity to complete grade twelve (long, long story), move my brother to a less-humid climate, and break into a job market where perfect French isn't a prerequisite for advancement. They need guidance, wisdom, luck, money, and a hundred other things, and if the move goes through, I need to get used to my parents (and my best friend/sister) living a ten-hour bus ride away.

I'm proceeding with the psychiatric evalutaion process, which is being complicated by my move to a different borough. My number one priority is to find a regular doctor I am comfortable with who is still accepting new patients. All of the other appointments I'm supposed to make and intimidating terms the professionals keep throwing around seem secondary to this. Prayers/happy thoughts/whatever appreciated.

Lots of light coming your way!

hey lib- congrats on your new living situation. i hope that it goes well for you. i know that was a major concern.

Sigh. Okay.

My cat is now thinner than he has been in years, probably since he was still a kitten. I was rubbing his tummy today and could see his clavicles protruding; I can now feel vertebrae and ribs that have long been covered by fat. He is still eating and drinking and demanding catnip, as usual, but that cursed tumor is clearly taking its toll.

I'm trying to take it one day at a time, but this afternoon I started wondering about how much longer we will have him, and thinking about what it will be like to put him to sleep. And the thing that upsets me most is knowing that his last moments will be spent in a vet's office, which he hates, after a car trip, which he also hates. Cheesy as it sounds, he's such a good cat, and letting him die frightened and uncomfortable seems like such a rotten way to end fourteen years of friendship.

The worst part is, I think he knows. He's been as attentive to us as we've been to him the past few weeks, and he's usually quite comfortable having plenty of alone time. I just hope when the time comes to say goodbye, he understands.

Okay, sappy emotional rant over.

*hugs Becky* Praying.

I FEEL for you becky.... ....I also know how you feel....

for the kitty

awwwwww becky,

i am so sorry you are going through this. i know what you say about the car ride and the fear for charcoal. i know it isnt much but when i was in this situation, the vets at least let me in right away (i called ahead and asked that there be no wait time in the lobby) i brought the favourite blanket and i held him in my arms as he went to sleep.
he knew i loved him. he knew he was sick. it was the sanest thing i could do.
i will continue to pray for charcoal and for your family.
again i am so sorry.
d.

they are yours sweets.
d.

Hi Becky.

First off, I am sorry to hear about your kitty. I can imagine how upsetting this is for him and your family.

As the husband of a veterninarian, I've been with Wendy as she guides patients 'through' this process, so I've got some insight to offer you. It's just my opinion; it's not medical advice or anything.

The fact that he is eating, drinking, and demanding catnip indicates that he's not in intolerable pain. He might have some discomfort, but it's not incapacitating him. That's a good thing.

Regarding your imaginings of putting him to sleep... While the cat may be (and remain) stressed out from the car ride and the visit to the vet's office, a reasonable veterinarian will allow you time in the room to make the kitty as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. Another option is a house-call, so he can be in comfortable surroundings. Perhaps your vet will do that for you.

When you said "he knows", that reminded me of something Wendy tells her clients facing similar decisions... She tells them that the animal will let you know when it's time. She describes it as a look in their eyes that they're ready to go.

Should you have any questions, please let me know. I'll pass them to Wendy. If you want to discuss it privately, PM me.

Know that he will understand and love you even more for it when the time comes. My cat, Stryder, died 3-1/2 years ago. I didn't even know there was anything wrong with him. One night he had a severe seizure. The vet put him under a general anasthesia from which he never awoke. My only wish is that I would have been there with him. As it is, I will always remember kissing his soft head and looking into those huge orange eyes as I told him how much I loved him.

I know he crossed the rainbow bridge and will be there waiting for me when my time comes.

Meanwhile, my other cat, Sheba, and I have adjusted to just the two of us. When her time comes, I don't know if I'll get another.

Cher

Becky, I'm so sorry to hear about your cat. It's hard losing beings we love, and it's especially difficult when we have to watch them suffer for some length of time. Drew's house call sounds pretty good if you can arrange it. Let us know how this turns out.

Despite the circumstances, it is good to see you!

Becky,
May I share to let you know you are not alone?
I know the sadness of putting a beloved cat to sleep. My Dexter's stuation was a little different as he was in severe pain due to a sudden irreversible embolism.
The vet allowed us to be there and cradle him. (he had been given a dose of pain medication to temporarily ease the pain and relax him, before giving him his final sleep medicine) We spoke to him and held him and stroked his head as he went to sleep.

I really feel animals can sense when they arel loved and secure. As Drew mentioned, I think you will know when it's time. A little sedative prior to the end will perhaps help him to feel safe and right in your arms, and to wipe his fear of the vet away if it must be in the vet's office. He will then simply go first to sleep, then pass away. A most desireable ending if the options are limited.
Expect to cry and be so sad for a long time. But things will eventually get better and you will remember all the wonderful joy he gave you and you him.
Thinking of you, sweets.

Trudes... I read your story about Dexter, and it was truly lovely.

Someday, I will post the story of my Stanley. He, too, was amazing. He, too, left too soon.

Have you heard of the Rainbow Bridge? Read all about it at PetLoss.COM.

wow, trudy. thank you for sharing that!

Thanks for that, Drew.

Wow, Becky. The worst I've had to endure in recent years was our rabbit dying of old age, and that was pretty devastating. I'm thinking of you, and hoping everything goes as well as it can for Charcoal and all of you who love him.

praying for you and charcoal!!

Memorial Day Weekend,

That is this weekend.

Drive safe.

Let them merge in front of you
and
drink plenty of water.

Lots of Love!!!

I would like to ask for all your prayers, good thoughts, and all of the above for all of my neighbors. North-West Fayette CO (Lexington) was hit by a tornado and at least 20 homes have been leveled. This tornado has been declared somewhere between an F2 and F3 and hit ground not two house down from me. These people are without a place to live now, and many have no family locally.

Miraculously there have been no major injuries reported from this tragedy.

We are doing what we can to help them. Anyway, thank you for any uplifting you all can offer.

I am too exhausted to expund any further, but thank you all in advance.

thanks for letting us know!
praying.

d.

...

update:

the wonderful ontario health service, being what it is, has delayed the rest of my dad's cancer tests for several months! his g.p. and my parents are trying to get in a.s.a.p.

thank you,
d.

keeping all your spoken requests in mind... and also adding this one.

my husband and i saw michelle shocked at the topanga days festival last weekend. this was the second time i've seen her in the past year, and the second time she has seemed pretty distraught. i think that she is an extremely sensitive person and is really devastated by the war and the ongoing racism in the world. so, i ask for y'all to keep michelle shocked and all the other folks who are ultra-sensitive to injustice and violence in your thoughts, prayers, or meditations, etc.

This isn't really a request for anything; it just seemed like the proper the thread to come to. I found out a little while ago that Dr. John Harvey, father, beloved writing professor and faculty co-sponsor of the IUS Review, has died. It was very sudden and he was not yet 50 years old. He left behind two beautiful young daughters, many respectful colleagues, and hundreds of grateful students. The loss is great.

im sorry anna,

i dont know of this person but i will pray for his young family.
d

my friend who is going through advanced cancer, has been fighting an infection, but she seems to be doing better now.
thanks for reading and wishes and prayers.

the info on her is sketchy and brief. this is all i know.
d.

Good news, d.

Will keep remembering her.

This is a chronic thing so I always kind of blow it off, but my feet are totally messed up, and cause me great pain when I use them too much. Anyway, I've been using them way too much recently, and so have been in constant pain recently.

sorry aaron! try to rest them! i'll pray~

*****



thanks becky!

I'm thinking hopeful, strong thoughts for Thom (Dance without Me) whose Mom recently passed away.

I'm looking forward to his return to the Orchard when he is ready.
I miss his writings and his humor. (And his adorable pictures of himself!)

If you read this Thom, we'll be here when you feel up to it. xoxo

miss you too! thom!

please come back when you're up to it!
there is some love for you here!
d.

...

you're in my prayers.

praying sweet girl!
keep us undated!
d.

[tiny hijack]
You can do that yourself! Just stop showering![/hijack]

Seriously, back pain sux! You're in my thoughts:)
Hoping just a brace will do the job,
~margarita

Amanda and I will be praying for you! Good luck!

I'm keeping my emotional fingers tightly crossed for you, Becky.

H/J for Becky...
My ex-sister in law has scoliosis and had the operation about 8 or so years ago.
They did a few of these operations at my hospital where I worked in the OR.
If your Mom is a nurse, she will fill you in on it.
If you have any specific questions for my sister in law I will ask her for you.
end H/J

in some trouble!

the head of the dept., again, kept all of my courses to herself. none were posted. so i will have to work 30 hours at my other job while in school in a programme that says "you wont be able to work at all"

thanks for listening,
d.

apple compassion is going your way....

thanks katherine!
mwah.

goodness.

well - i'm praying for you deb!

prayers & thoughts for the south korean man currently held hostage, as well as prayers & thoughts for his family & friends.

Belated love and prayers for Deb. Departments heads stink sometimes.