Hi Tommy

Figured it would have caused some serious damage! You’ve saved yourself some money in the long run there. I’m glad your neighbour was kind enough to let you know. I know it’s still not easy in the short term though. 🩵

Oh good! At least you will get the water heater replaced. That’s really important. 😊

Haha your wife would hate my house. I have a large American style fridge freezer in my hallway. A Buddha might be the least of my problems. 😂 🩵

Hi Roberta

That’s a great idea. 😁 I need to get a Buddha for the fridge! 🩵

Hi James

Nice to see you around again. 😊 Ramadan Mubarak! ☪️

I appreciate your writing, it has helped me to deepen my gratitude practice. I would like to continue to deepen it. 🙏

I was to a friend about that, sometimes I’m thankful but don’t connect with the feelings. It occurred to me that mindfulness practice might be really important. Being fully present and immersed in our lives.

I’m curious to hear your thoughts. 🩵

Hi Tommy

How are you feeling after being diagnosed? 🩵

That is a tricky collection of conditions. No wonder the medication is making you feel unwell. I’ve tried high blood pressure medication and it is rather unpleasant, but better than having a stroke.

I hear that cutting salt out of your diet can help? Perhaps you could switch to low sodium soy sauce? Please drink lots of water whilst taking this medication, it’s very drying. How is your sleep? I hear for some people that bad sleep can send your blood pressure through the roof.

Diabetes is no joke either. My old coworker cared for his mother who was a quadruple amputee because of her diabetes.

I’m sorry to hear about your father. 🩵

It seems like this is a crossroads. You have to decide what you want to do. Making changes is not easy, especially when life is stressful and you have a family to take care of. You are important too though and it sounds like you’ve put yourself on the back burner for way too long. 🫂 🩵

I’m trying to lose weight and manage my health a bit better too. Not very successfully. Nothing to do but keep trying. Hopefully little changes will add up to big ones and pay off in time.

Thanks! I have a new project. Making cardboard scratchers. We always have a ton of cardboard, so it doesn’t make sense to buy them. I can cut it into strips and use wood glue to bind it together. Trim it. Make a little frame from scrap wood.

Also, cats love meaty yoghurt. Instead of buying some, I thought I’d make my own. I don’t hate that finances sometimes lead to creativity instead of just buying stuff. I’ve also been spring cleaning. The first time since having a child. 💪

What are you working on these days? 🩵

It sucks that you can’t unreported things. It is a very easy thing to accidentally do it while you are scrolling on mobile! 🤍

I look forward to your post when it gets through moderation Tommy! 🩵

Dear Anita

Thank you for understanding! Apologies, I’ve been quiet because there has been another bug going around. Starting to come out of it now.

How are you doing? 🤍

I’m glad to hear that Bogart it helping! He sounds like a very special dog. There are some interesting techniques that you can use to calm down from a PTSD episode if you’re interested? 🤍

That’s okay. It’s good that he’s making progress. These things do take time. 😊

I did some more research into autonomy development throughout childhood.

Pre-school

Dressing

Playing with other kids

Deciding who they want to spend time with

Completing tasks without guidance and fixing their own mistakes

Simple chores

Allow risk taking

Choose what to do with free time

Listen to opinions

School age

More chores to develop life skills

Develop various skills

Decision making without direction from adults

Developing a sense of identity

Moral reasoning

Normalize mistakes as part of growth

Avoid over protection

Teenage

Allow independence

Foster decision making based on values

Reduced dependence on parents

Regulating emotions

Responsible for health and finances

Actions have consequences

Set rules for boundaries

Listen to them even when disagreeing

I read an interesting description of an example of someone who has developed autonomy in a healthy way.

They essentially make decisions in line with their emotions, beliefs and values.

Yes, mostly used the microwave! Thankfully, the cooker is fixed now. 🙏

I heard that there is a local tattooist who likes to do Pokemon tattoos. I wonder if she can come up with a design I’d like?

Yes! One more week now. It has been a while since I’ve had a cat. I like a busy home. I don’t like it being quiet.

Do you feel okay talking about the autonomy stuff? I wouldn’t want to upset you. I wondered if it was a sensitive topic? 🤍

I just want you to have the space to explore these things as you see fit, because it is such a personal thing. You have been through so much.

Thank you for your support and kindness. I really appreciate how considerate you are. It seems like we have some similar values. 😊

When I was younger I didn’t understand the importance of small talk, but it is a good way to show care for people, showing an interest in them and their lives. It means a lot more than some people realize. 🤍

Dear Anita

I’m so sorry to hear that your family are dealing with the bombings again. I hope that things will settle down and they get through it all safely. 🤍

Do you think you might be being a bit hard on yourself? I read the thread and you shared a perspective, as did everyone else. But it didn’t seem untoward in any way. 🤍

What are you hoping to get out of dissecting your role in that thread? 🤍

I’m sorry, I lost the message I just wrote because my son wanted to look at fire trucks. It timed out. Then my second attempt he stopped me from using the phone and it fell under the couch. 🤍

I’m glad to hear the pulling is improving. Hopefully, your shoulder will heal as the pulling continues to improve. Strength training has helped the most for me with my shoulders.🤍

It’s possible the coyote was a husky. A lot of people do mistake them for wolves because they look very wild. They can bark and howl when they want to, but can be quiet too. They have a prey drive, but mostly for rabbits and wild creatures. They seem fascinated by the scent and running. It depends on the owner and experiences they’ve had for the temperament. They can be quite sweet. In the wrong hands, they can attack other dogs. And if they have been attacked they can become reactive.

I’d like to get a pikachu, mew and togepi in a stained glass style on my upper arm or shoulder.

Do you feel like you are still reclaiming your autonomy? 🤍

I’m so happy you’re enjoying having a dog. I feel like animals are very non-threatening and a comfort for my PTSD. Dogs in particular are so happy and loving. Have you found Bogart been helping your PTSD at all? 🤍

15 days now! The cat tree and wheel are up. I have prepared a crate with blankets and bowls. I’m trying to get my son used to these things being here in the hope that he is bored by them when the cat arrives.

Our cooker is still broken, but the parts arrive next week. It looks like it will be fixed then, which is a relief. Not having to buy a new one is a blessing.

Thank you for your kindness! I’ve been enjoying talking with you too. I forgot to say before because of the topic. I was quite serious when researching autonomy, because of the context with what you’ve been through. 🤍

Oh and my son peed on the potty for the first time other day! Did I say that he does his number twos? I forget, it was easier for him to do that because we have a book that focuses on it.

Also, I have an exam to submit this weekend.