Friday, January 19, 2007

Hey from Russia

Good evening/morning, take your pick depending which hemisphere you're in. Does funny things to one's sense of time to travel to the other side of the world.

Am here for my charity, in support of congenital heart surgery at the children's hospital. Most of my supplies got here intact, and the rest I will try to forget about as it's bad for my blood pressure. For the record, people who wreck humanitarian supplies for children are kinda low on my list.

Did I ever mention that I am not fond of international borders? Think how much the U.S. economy has grown because we do not stop people traveling from one state to another and demand their documents. Wouldn't really free travel be great?

Speaking of being depressed, we are still open for business with Mental Illness Open House.

What's on your mind?

10 comments:

Susan McIntosh Lewis said...

So how are things going in your hemisphere?

Susan McIntosh Lewis said...

I wanted to share what journalist Murray Waas had to say about healing:

"Much of the good I have done for others in my lifetime has been because I am a cancer survivor.

As to the charge that I am somehow less of a person, or broken from the experience, I believe I speak for many others when I simply say this:

It is from the wellspring of our despair and the places that we are broken that we come to repair the world."

[end quote]

Works for me.

HotFlash said...

Hey backatcha, Egregious,

There is something so inexpressibly neat about hearing someone call out to see if anybody's there, and answering back and it's half way around the freakin' world.

We humans are onto something with these tubes. I think it'll be the next kick-up in our evolution, like when we learned to talk. So exciting to be here while it's happening!

How in my hemisphere? Well, not so gbood, but there's a good chance they'll get better. And that's helping to keep the g\fighting spirits up.


Best to you, *so* annoying about the supplies, although they can be replaced (grumble grumble). Best to Boris and all the good folks you work with and for in Russia.

Suzanne said...

hey eg

looking forward to an update on boris and all the other babies.

yeah, it pisses me off something fierce when i hear about a$$holes vandalizing or stealing humanitarian supplies.

suz

Susan McIntosh Lewis said...

HotFlash, Suzanne---

Thanks for the words of encouragement. It is pretty cool to talk to...?strangers...not strangers...halfway around the world.

Off in a few minutes for another working day. Today we are teaching a class of cardiologists and checking on our finances. Tomorrow and rest of the week will be surgery. Long list of kids waiting to be treated. No surgery Monday because the hospital won't pay people to come in early and prepare the OR. Much to fix. Don't get me started on the hospital lab being entirely closed every weekend and holiday.

Gotta go, thx!!!

Anonymous said...

From down south....way down south. The sun is blazing down with the intensity it has when we are near the hole in the ozone layer. One can cook very fast.

It is clear again, and that means that the small town will be down at the lake's edge tonight, looking south across the lake after sunset. Comet McNaught should be visible about 20 degrees to the right of the three big volcanoes. It is a beauty, with its long streaming tail. And if it gets dark enough before the comet disappears, we will see the tail reflected in the lake's waters.

A good reminder of beauty, brought from beyond the earth's boundaries.

Susan McIntosh Lewis said...

Hey NZ--

Ooooh the comet! Enjoy it for both of us. I saw an amazing one maybe 3-4 years ago. Couldn't go in from the cold, just stunned by its beauty.

Life: strange but beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Nothing but a hugs for our wonder woman while in the east...)

ES, AR

Susan McIntosh Lewis said...

ES, AR---

I think I know who you are :) :)

Thx for the love. I need it believe me.

Yr hillbilly gal,
-----------egregious

Anonymous said...

Hello there. Again, I am in awe of your work which would be a monumental undertaking for the most balanced of persons. I wonder how you do it and what sort of funding you have to continue with this mission.

With my illness, I'm afraid I become very introspective as opposed to being reactive - by that I mean - actually DOING something. And what better activity than to help others, the least fortunate, as you have done and are doing?

I really wonder what keeps you going.

You talked about ADD - that was one of the reasons I stopped my meds, to see how much of it was interfering with my concentration and ability to write.

I love to write and the most frustrating thing is when I cannot come up with a word or phrase that's on the tip of my tongue, just out of my grasp.

I must say that blogging has helped - as a sort of practice, I guess.

I want so much to improve my skills and be a better writer. But my mind jumps around, have no discipline. I ordered a book on cognitive approaches to depression to see if that helps. I don't know if it's possible to "re-train" my mind, but I'm going to give it a shot. Regular therapy has just not helped.

At any rate, the ADD thing sucks - I do believe it is best to "keep moving" as you are doing - channel your energies into something postive - just as you are doing.

As for doing positive things, the best I can muster is try to share the light that is within me with others, when it is there.
The light dims, goes out, and comes back again - and I just try to avoid people when the light is off. And PMS is a MAJOR, MAJOR contributor to my misery. When it starts, it's like the light switch is turned off, when it stops, switch goes back on again - the immediacy with which this happens is not hyperbole. It can be utterly horrible, the anger, the sadness, the despair, the "I'm just so tired of living" thing.

Sounds like to me you are doing the very best you can and are succeeding in miraculous ways.

Thats enough rambling for one post.

God bless and take care - let us know what's going on with you!

mandrake