|
|
Post by dirtygirldiva on Feb 17, 2009 23:10:08 GMT
I just booked my 4 day 3 night trip to San Diego in May so I can play with the dolphins...weeeeeeee!!! only $445, not bad I say!
|
|
|
|
Post by tipou on Feb 17, 2009 23:18:00 GMT
hey, that is great!
|
|
|
|
Post by peach on Feb 18, 2009 2:33:18 GMT
DGD I am so jealous, crikey I haven't has a real vacation in two years, does staying home for a week count? Catching up on errands and cleaning closets? I am trying to get my sister to go to Vegas for a long week-end. We are both Beatle fans and we both want to see "Love". Haven't been there in nearly 15 years. They were building Treasure Island when I was last there.
|
|
|
|
Post by Vittoria on Feb 18, 2009 6:46:46 GMT
Thanks for the welcome back Tipou and Lizap! Tipou, sorry about your father. ~hugs~ Ooooo! I just received my Epochate cd today! It's mindblowing! But then, I would expect nothing less.  so, no longer luciferian, hey? what about trying to congregation at all? somehow, you sound to me like enough of a free thinker so that you could do without organized religion. but please, feel free to tell me to mind my own business at any time! That's ok, Tip! Well, I'm not much of a half-assed type of person, so when I go for something, I dive in. So it has been with religion. However, I have found that not too far into this that it was swiftly becoming as much of a pain in the arse as my past experiences with Roman Catholic Book of Hours. The Luciferian Order I belonged to was very religious practice oriented. It was boring me senseless. It is true that I am a free thinking type. Organized religion has never really done anything for me but give me a new perspective for a time. Also, what is involved in such change is very taxing. No matter what I have been involved in, whether it be actually getting involved in the subject matter of my research on strange topics firsthand or delving into spiritual or religious endeavours, in order to gain a new perspective, one must empty one's cup- That is, go in without preconceived notions or judgments. Upon leaving, I then analyze. My whole life has been focused on such methods for over two decades. It's exhausting to say the least. The reward is that I am able to be understanding of people from many walks of life. Perhaps tolerance, understanding and compassion are my true religion when all is said and done. Now that I have seen so much in life, I am looking out toward a clear horizon, wondering when some interesting cloud formation will fascinate me enough to draw me in and moreso than ever before, I am wondering if perhaps there is nothing left to seek. I have simply looked at life from so many angles, that I have what my friend describes about me as being 360 degree vision or what I have come to call panoramic vision. I'm not sure what is left and quite frankly, I have been quite depressed of late. I had better get involved in something lest I find myself staring at the ceiling and counting stucco bumps. |
|
|
|
Post by ambra on Feb 18, 2009 7:19:51 GMT
Glad you had a fun weekend, vittoria, and good luck on your spiritual quest. I was raised in the Methodist church and have stayed with it in my adulthood, mostly because I believe in it's main tennent that serving God doesn't mean memorizing scripture or following specific ceremonies. It's about serving others, taking care of the earth and it's creatures. I haven't found a church where I live now that I feel "at home" in yet; my church back home was just a small, country church where everyone knew each other and are like family. My 'church family" is just as happy to see me when I come home for visits as my "real family". It's also a more "liberal" religion than others; we have female ministers and my "home" church has an openly gay couple as congregation members. Although there were a few church members who didn't like having a gay couple as part of the church our minister put it best when she said, "This is God's house, not ours and we have no right to say someone isn't welcome here to worship and be a part of our church community."
DGD--that is a great price for your San Diego trip! I'm going to LA the last weekend in July for a Weird Al Yankovic fan convention--yes, I'm a huge geek--and I want to take a few extra days off to do some sight seeing as well. My mom is worried I'll be there when "the big one" hits but I told her I'm not going to base my life around what "might" happen. If I did that, I'd never leave the apartment! I mean, I "might" fall down the stairs and break my neck or I "might" have a car accident on the way to work. I tell her, if it happens, it happens, and I'll deal with it if it does.
|
|
|
|
Post by Vittoria on Feb 18, 2009 7:32:52 GMT
 , Ambra. It sounds like you were raised in an uber cool church! My brothers and I were raised with no religion at all. We had to find our own way. In the end, each of my parents have their own way and each brother and myself are all different as well. My bros and I were, however, raised with very old fashioned, strict and high moral standards in general. So, I suppose what has happened in my case is that I ended up a rebel in certain ways and old fashioned in others. My eldest brother and I are the most open minded of us. Did you find being raised in a certain church too restrictive at some point? |
|
|
|
Post by ambra on Feb 18, 2009 8:23:52 GMT
Did you find being raised in a certain church too restrictive at some point? Not really, especially when compared to other, much more conservative churches. My aunt belongs to a church that doesn't even allow women to be ushers, much less ministers and although they say they'd accept homosexuals into their church, it's because they want to "cure" them of their "sinful ways". I consider myself very lucky, especially since I grew up in the rural south, to have gone to a church with what some might consider "liberal" practices. And let me tell ya, there's nothing better than a covered dish meal, especially in a southern church! We have some great cooks in our church, men and women and everyone seems to have a "specialty". My step-dad's is a marinated pork tenderloin that'll melt in your mouth it's so tender! Mine is a cream cheese poundcake and my mom's is an apple & cheedar casserole. Now I've made myself hungry and a little homesick! |
|
|
|
Post by Vittoria on Feb 18, 2009 8:30:21 GMT
Did you find being raised in a certain church too restrictive at some point? Not really, especially when compared to other, much more conservative churches. My aunt belongs to a church that doesn't even allow women to be ushers, much less ministers and although they say they'd accept homosexuals into their church, it's because they want to "cure" them of their "sinful ways". Oh.. I've been to a few of those churches in my life. Sad really. By the way, I do miss the potluck lunches at a couple of churches I went to as well. One lady brought a dessert called "Sex in a pan". Man oh man was it goooood! |
|
|
|
Post by ambra on Feb 18, 2009 8:45:07 GMT
I was going to google that dessert to see what it is but I'm a little afraid of what might come up on a search!
|
|
|
|
Post by tipou on Feb 18, 2009 10:13:13 GMT
, I am wondering if perhaps there is nothing left to seek. I have simply looked at life from so many angles, that I have what my friend describes about me as being 360 degree vision or what I have come to call panoramic vision. I'm not sure what is left and quite frankly, I have been quite depressed of late. I had better get involved in something lest I find myself staring at the ceiling and counting stucco bumps. you are ripe to read voltaire's "candide"... at the end of the novel, having travelled around the world, seen everything, done everything, voltaire gets somwhat disanchanted with the world and goes back home, to tend to his garden. but he is so knowledgeable of the world, that people come from all over to seek his advice... "candide, what should i do?" and he says "i dont now what you should do... i know i must tend to my garden". so people would ask candide what is so special about his garden, and he would talk about the beauty of his tomatoes, or the need for rain, and people would wonder "what does he mean?" and find hidden meaning to his "teaching". while, simply, candide had discovered the beauty in simple and ordinary things. there are so many wonders to this world, everywhere you look, belive me, you will never be in need of things to discover. only now, they may be smaller and more insignificant in appearance. at least, that is what life taught me so far, and i've never been happier. again, vittoria, tell me to shut up, whenever.hey, btw, candide would be a terrific role for rufus. |
|
|
|
Post by Vittoria on Feb 18, 2009 13:26:30 GMT
Grrr Argh... I just woke up at 330 am. I was going to google that dessert to see what it is but I'm a little afraid of what might come up on a search! No need to Google, my dear Ambra! Check the new thread in Off Topic board, titled RUFAHOLICS' RECIPES Thread. I have started the madness with Sex in a Pan! , I am wondering if perhaps there is nothing left to seek. I have simply looked at life from so many angles, that I have what my friend describes about me as being 360 degree vision or what I have come to call panoramic vision. I'm not sure what is left and quite frankly, I have been quite depressed of late. I had better get involved in something lest I find myself staring at the ceiling and counting stucco bumps. there are so many wonders to this world, everywhere you look, belive me, you will never be in need of things to discover. only now, they may be smaller and more insignificant in appearance. at least, that is what life taught me so far, and i've never been happier. again, vittoria, tell me to shut up, whenever.Yeah, I see that. I actually spent a good deal of time living a meditative/contemplative life. Indeed, there are many wonders to behold. What I am looking for at this point, is something to focus upon and devote my life to. For example, I have been celibate from men for about four years. Once I do find a sweet and passionate someone, I will have an outlet for my intense devotion, giving it to someone deserving of it. For me, it's either religion or a man. Sometimes, I have done both at once. I can follow as I prefer to take on the man's religion. But I am single. So, what else can I do? Perhaps get my nose buried in science books again? |
|
|
|
Post by rueful on Feb 18, 2009 15:08:49 GMT
Welcome back, Vittoria. You missed a lot of (silly) double entendres in the Games threads, but it sounds like you had plenty of fun of your own!
I admire you for your spiritual quests. Many people (myself included) are too complacent or think they are too busy with "real life" to spend a lot of time thinking deeply about such topics. I hope you find what you're looking for.
|
|
|
|
Post by Vittoria on Feb 18, 2009 15:45:16 GMT
Thanks Rueful. For the most part this quest has been my full-time job for most of my adult life. With the disabilities issue, I have had to concentrate on something other than work- which is very hard for me as I tended to be a workaholic whenever I did attempt a job. It was so bad, the stress would make me more sick than when I started as I push myself so hard and strive for excellence in everything I do. With my last paying job (I have done volunteer work off and on since), I started out low but climbed my way into a better position very fast until I ended up in only a few months being middle management. It didn't last long as I became the go-to person for far too many things. So, while most people are raising kids or going to university or whatever, I was within my quest with a few jobs as exceptions and some time in a business college (graduating with two diplomas). Really, this quest is my ordinary life. |
|
|
|
Post by Vittoria on Feb 18, 2009 15:48:01 GMT
Back to the I Just.... I just lost my frikkin balance in the washroom and banged my head on the corner of the mirror of the medicine cabinet. OUCH!
|
|
|
|
Post by ambra on Feb 18, 2009 16:10:00 GMT
OUCH indeed! I once gave myself a slight concussion when I raised my head up after bending over to feed my cats and smacked the top of my head into the corner of a high shelf. I worked at Wal-Mart at the time and was home on my lunch break. I went back to work and started getting dizzy and having blurred vision. I managed to make it through my shift and luckily was off the next day.
|
|
