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ElaineJ

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Everything posted by ElaineJ

  1. I'm the same as Jean. Any kind of digestive issue also makes all the pain worse. so sorry your having a hard day :grouphug: Elaine
  2. haven't had time to read through this wonderful thread yet- (saving that for a quiet moment and a cup of tea :) ) -but thought I would check in to say I am joining the readers of Frankenstein and enjoying it. Like several of you, I'm finding it isn't at all what I expected! I'll give you some more of my thoughts when I finish. I am also reading Dante's Inferno, but I am using a Longfellow translation/ version which is driving me crazy, so I may start over with a different edition. any thoughts? Elaine
  3. I have been missing from this thread all summer and have missed you all! I read Bleak House (Dickens) and Villette (Bronte) back to back, and while I enjoyed them both I am ready to move on from Victorian novels for a bit. :) I am currently reading Will in the World by Greenblatt, which is a very speculative (of course!) but highly entertaining biography of Shakespeare. I am also reading How to Read a Book alongside my son so we can discuss, which I am finding useful but (frankly) a bit boring. I was amused to read this sentence from HTRaB today: "It is a grave error, for example, to try to psychoanalyze Shakespeare from the evidence in Hamlet." I completely agree, and yet that is exactly what Will in the World is doing and why it is so much fun! Elaine
  4. Thanks, Elegantlion! We would definitely do it as a read-aloud/ discussion sort of text. Elaine
  5. Preparing for 9th grade this fall and wondering if those who have used Aristotle for Everyone could tell me how it worked for their kids. Did they enjoy it and was it easy to follow? Also, one Amazon reviewer complains that it comes from an overly Christian slant which distorts the meaning of Aristotle's original material. Did you find that to be the case? (I am Christian myself and would be fine with a discussion of the material from a Christian perspective as long as it was accurate in conveying the actual ideas of Aristotle himself.) Thanks, Elaine
  6. Part of living as an expat is that you know you will be moving to your passport country at some point, it is just a matter of when, and only your family will know when it is the right time. I've been told by those who have done it already to just go back "home" with the same perspective you had leaving for Malaysia: prepared to learn about a new place and expectant of adventure. I know this is such a big decision! But it sounds like you know in your heart what you need to do next. Blessings on your last year and upcoming transition. Enjoy it to the full, grieve the losses, and welcome the future. :) Elaine
  7. Is she older? Is it possible that she is beginning to have memory issues? I don't think it would be rude to kindly say, "Oh yes, I remember you sharing about that!" Elaine
  8. My eyes made a very similar color change (from blue to hazel) somewhere around age 9. I have wondered why that happens. Elaine
  9. They are very fun! And you will get attached to the entire family. :) Elaine
  10. Also, he may have been dealing with language issues. Following complex technical instruction in a second language is challenging, and having difficulty with that doesn't indicate a lack of intelligence. At least, that is what I tell myself as a second language learner! :tongue_smilie: I'm not intending to criticize your post, OP, just adding an additional perspective. Elaine
  11. I always feel somewhat depressed after reading or hearing fashion advice, I think because it makes me so self conscious. I want to be neat and clean and show respect for myself and others through my clothing, but I absolutely hate having to worry about what I wear. And it is a worry, because I have no natural fashion sense and no genuine interest in clothing at all, really. Now I've learned that I like frumpy skirts. So I have to decide if that is communicating a lack of respect for myself to others, obligating me to spend money buying skirts I don't like on myself. Bleh. I think those who are artistic in their clothing or just enjoy creating beauty through their clothing choices are delightful. I just wish it wasn't an obligation for me, I guess. And I wish that what looked and felt nice to me wasn't (almost always) unfashionable. Elaine
  12. It sounds like a lot of people feel that they are not safe, that there is a significant likelihood of being assaulted in their lifetime while going about normal activities, and that they would be more likely to be able to protect themselves from said assault with their own gun than with reliance on the police. This seems so sad! Is it so common to believe ourselves to be living on the edge of anarchy? Because that is how I think I would define this sort of situation in which citizens have to look out for themselves with guns because violent people can do whatever they want and no one will be able to help. What can we do to a) make law enforcement more effective and reduce the amount of fear people are living with daily? Elaine edited because I don't know how the little sunglasses smilie got in there!
  13. :grouphug: Hugs from a fellow expat! I think the most helpful things for me are to 1) Decide ahead of time not to judge others for their lack of interest and to realize that they are just coming at things from a different place. I'm not implying that you are judging others! This is just something I have to remind myself about. and 2) Get to know some other Third Culture people to hang around with, because they will understand you even if they came from a different birth country and lived in completely different host countries. By Third Culture People I mean folks who have lived in another place for a significant period (not just a year or so) and embraced the experience. These are your people now! This last visit to the States I was so blessed by spending time with a Swedish lady who had lived in Egypt. I have never been to either of those countries, but we could dive right in with each other because of how our experiences had shaped our understanding of life. HTH! Elaine
  14. This is so hard, because so many of us have been to innumerable doctors and been subjected to uncounted, expensive tests looking for root causes to no avail. I've almost cried in doctor's offices as they have looked at me in obvious frustration. Having Lyme, I know you have been through the wringer, too. :grouphug: It is hard to be open to more possibilities after awhile, though. Elaine
  15. I was also sent to the rheumatologist. This is helpful because they not only deal with the fibromyalgia but can also help you eliminate other possible diagnoses, such as various autoimmune diseases that involve similar symptoms. I initially went to the doctor because of chronic exhaustion, joint and muscle pain, and other strange "issues" such as lymph nodes that were swollen for 6 months. It took me several years to finally get referred to the rheumatologist and diagnosed. This is unfortunately common, so I hope you get the help you need without such a lengthy and difficult process! :grouphug: Elaine
  16. Ah, I see that Toward God is by the author of Sacred Reading! I will have to pick that one up. Thanks! Elaine
  17. I know this is an older thread now, but I'm wondering if you ladies could tell me more about the Orthodox understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Are the priests an integral part of the process, representing Christ as they are in Roman Catholicism? I am wondering if with the different perspective on sin and salvation there is a different perspective on confession and forgiveness as well. Thanks! Elaine
  18. Eliana, that is very interesting! This is why I really enjoy these conversations with those of us from many different faiths and backgrounds involved. I learn all sorts of intriguing things that I wouldn't have even thought to ask about before. Thanks for speaking into the discussion. Elaine
  19. This kind of thing makes me so sad, in part because it stops people from being generous because they are afraid of being scammed. Elaine
  20. So would A Tale for the Time Being be magical realism? Elaine
  21. Pam, I am still in the middle of it and I've already decided that I'm going to have to read through it again right away when I finish! Not an easy read, that's for sure, but intriguing. I feel like every page gives me lots to think about, which is one reason I am wanting to discuss it with some friends. If you already have a philosophy challenge going, I would recommend putting it on your list. Elaine
  22. I've finished a number of books since last posting. I enjoyed reading Henry V with ds.( He liked reading the French dialogue out loud with a terrible accent. :) Now he is assigned to write a paper about whether or not Henry is a hero.) I also finished Run With The Horses by Eugene Peterson which I was reading with a group. It is Christian non-fiction based on the book of Jeremiah. I would give it 3 stars....The concluding chapters were much better than the beginning. Just today I finally got to the end of A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki which was fascinating and very well done. I am now doing a little research into quantum physics as a result, which is a rather interesting rabbit trail. I did find it sad though, in spite of the "happy ending". I had a difficult time reading the rape scenes. They weren't terribly graphic per se, but they were well written (as was the rest of the book) and I imagine they would be a bad trigger for someone who has experienced this kind of violence, just as a warning. I am now in the midst of Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling and it is giving me a lot to think about. I am trying to get some friends here to read it with me, as I think it demands discussion. Elaine
  23. Rosie, I am so very sorry for your loss. :grouphug: Elaine
  24. Actually, I think as you begin your study of early Church history you'll find that the church fathers often refer to the importance of the bishops. I think that persecution can make solidarity of leadership more important, not less important. This is my impression, anyway. Elaine
  25. What is the impetus behind this movement? I'm wondering both why a non-baptized person would want to receive the eucharist and why some in the church would feel that was important to allow. Does the church believe that the eucharist would confer grace upon non-Christians? Or that there are many Christians who have not been baptized and that it isn't important for them to do so? Or....? I hope this doesn't sound like a disrespectful question. I am genuinely curious about the answer. Elaine
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