A long rave

[Mazarita]

Hi @Appleblossom, good to see you. 🙂

Hope your weekend is going okay or better. I'm still here, yes, surviving.

[Mazarita]

@CheerBear, I think I have seen Labarynth at some time but can't quite remember it. Glad it's a hit, in any case. 🙂

We are about to have dinner now: steak and mashed purple potatoes. Yes, you heard right! The mash ends up looking mauve! C gets them fromm the market. He also bought purple carrots today too!

Well, on that colourful note, I adjourn to eat. 😄

[Shaz51]

 yes @Appleblossom ,He probably feels overwhelmed by a lot of family stuff going on.-- very true xx

well we are fed and going for a shower , yes mr shaz can not handle too much so tomorrow I think needs to be a rest day xx

@Mazarita, @CheerBear, @Teej, @eth xx

[CheerBear]

I think I remember hearing about these potatoes a while ago @Mazarita! Cool - anything purple has to be pretty great!

Hope you enjoy your dinner and the evening ahead ☺

[Appleblossom]

We just finished a 5 day intensive course which started across town - 8.45 to 5.45.  I suggested it, he researched it, liked it and paid for it before we even scheduled it in our diaries, so I was totally focussed on getting through smoothly.  It was also very challenging for him as they were all professional and mostly working.  There were some difficult moments but considering all the great moments and wonderful warmth. I was pleased as punch.

Last year some bossy old lady told me my son would always be "a not follow through" type.  Now he knows he can follow through.   I have just heard she is returning to her own country. Not sorry - glad she is going. My family and I have supported so many new migrants over the years, but this one had no respect for us or Australia but took advantage of our welcome and social services. She had been here for 20 years and could not let go of her superior New England opinions. She possibly made things a lot worse for my son by her rigid demanding dogmatic "friendship"(??) style over the last 5 years.  

SO got that out my system.  Still a lot of work to do re his situation, but he toughed it out, got accreditation, pulled his weight with food and money, and getting up at crack of dawn, I am proud.

This weekend we are taking it easy and I am not going outside!

[Mazarita]

Awesome news for you and your son, @Appleblossom. I remember you talking about that woman a number of times before. She always seemed difficult, so I'm relieved she has naturally exited you and your son's life.

[Exoplanet]

Hello Everybody,

I went through a bit of my camp gear yesterday. I had a look at the long term weather report on the BOM site yesterday also & guess what, they are predicting the whole eastern side of Australia to have %80 or more chance of higher then average tempertures . . . again {I wonder when they'll just raise the average temperture?}, even Tasmania. But I still think I want to go down & out 😉 Sounds a bit weird a person stating they want 'down & out' 🙂 but I'm talking about direction; down the country from my location & out towards the coastline. That'd put me around northern NSW, anyone know of any good spots; it doesn't have to be at the beach {reckon that'd be too popular}, just less than 5 hours inland. I'm interested in mountains, the higher altitude should make it cooler, at a guess. From what I saw on the websites map, Western Australias coastline would be the place to be, but I'm honest enough with myself to know I can't go that far. I've read in the news that over 50 people have passed away from the heat wave in Quebec & that's Canada, which I've always imagined was a cooler country!

Talking about cooler, I actually had to pull the 2nd blanket up last night . . . & I lit the fire before I went to bed 🙂 It's not freezing or anything, but it's nice to be cool again 😄 

Love to all 

[Mazarita]

Good morning, @Exoplanet 

The places in Northern NSW that I like the best are Murwillumbah, the little back roads that go around Nimbin, Bangalow, Kyogle and, for beach, Hastings Point beach (special memories of amazing whale sightings there). It's the time of year for whale sightings too. Watch for the spume. You can see it even when they are at a distance out at sea, near the horizon. There are also national parks and waterfalls around the Nimbin area. Northern NSW is one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been. The beach at Hastings Point is usually fairly deserted, especially in winter. Not sure how far inland any of these places would be for you. But I'm guessing they might be less than five hours away.

Hi everyone, @eth, @Appleblossom, @CheerBear, @Shaz51, @Teej, @MDT, @outlander, @greenpea and anyone else visiting today, may it be a blessed Sunday for all. 

[Mazarita]

Morning read led me to this article in the Guardian talking about the relationship between bipolar and intelligence, creativity and verbal proficiency:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/19/intelligence-creativity-and-bipolar-disorder-may-sha...

[Faith-and-Hope]

Morning @Mazarita 👋💕

Lovely to catch you in a quiet moment .....

I can really relate to this article.  I have been hesitant to say it, but when we were all debating the do-or-don’t-do staying up all night with creative pursuits, this was what was foremost in my mind.  The old term “manic depressive” was closely associated with artists as I was growing up, and addictions too .... which was probably also why artists were also often associated with the “starving artist” image, or being “on another planet”.

The addictive nature of creativity has come up in our lectures already, along with the question of, “Is it a good or bad thing ?”

If you think of it as amoral - neither good nor bad - then perhaps it’s eadier to accept some things that are branded disordered as only disordered if they prevent us functioning ..... so perhaps “high functioning” anything is actually normal within a historical context .... ?

I think The Greatest Shownan movie captures the essence of that concept using physical “abnormalities” as the example.