🥕When I went to the Thanksgiving event hosted by West Michigan Association of the Deaf, a Deaf woman said she was going to tell me a story about her (hearing) son — and he was sitting across from her at the table. Likely around my age, this man was handsome, a confident-looking fella. Right then he said aloud, “Uh, I gotta go water my fish,” and ran off.
🥕The ASL-Interpreting department threw a surprise party for the senior class, which include gifts, cake, and games. We were all surprised, and it was touching that they wanted us to feel like everyone was really cheering for us.
🥕I went to a Deaf Night Out event in Kalamazoo and met some funny, interesting new folks. It concluded with a story about a man being stalked for two years because a woman mistook him for someone with a similar name sign.
🥕I joined the St. Louis, Missouri, Deaf Night Out Facebook group to say hi to folks there and let them know I’m coming. Lots of welcoming encouragement!
memes I loved
photos
What are some carrots you noticed this week?
Grab the Lapels 
Throughout my kids’ childhood whenever they got a flu shot I would buy them a small toy, and so now when any of us gets a shot we tell each other about what treat we got to follow. On Saturday, Ron and I got our covid boosters and then decided to go out to lunch, so I texted both my kids to tell them. My son–who now lives in the same town–replied that he and my DIL wanted to come with us! We had a great time.
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Oh, how lovely! I got my COVID booster in September or October, I think. Right around the same time I got a flu shot. It always amuses me that the big flu blitz they have at Notre Dame means they have baskets with suckers for little kids. Really, just the kids?
It’s so nice that your son and his wife are now in the same town as you, so you can enjoy their company regularly.
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In Canberra, when COVID shots at big government venues started, we were offered little lollipops (like chupa chups). Some of us took them!
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yeah, adults sometimes need lollipops too!
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I had to look up what Chupa Chups is. It’s a Spanish brand!
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I didn’t know that … I thought we discovered them in California but who knows?
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It’s been really wonderful!
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I love this! What an extra special treat!
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Carrots are my guilt free snack. Also my snack of almost last resort. I am a person of contradictions.
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Not real carrots, Paul, but I like the cut of your jib.
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Cake – yay! Your snake plants are ginormous! So glad you got the encouragement from St. Louis folks.
A carrot – putting up our Christmas tree but not yet putting ornaments on it. The lights are so pretty and it makes the living room more cozy.
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Although there are many problems with the movie You’ve Got Mail, I cannot fault Meg Ryan’s logic that you can never go wrong with more twinkle lights.
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Let me think … yours are gorgeous Melanie and you have a few. I reckon just writing this post as a regular thing will make you more alert for them which in turn will improve your sense of things are ok (and ours if we also start looking for them.)
1. We had a lovely weekend getaway this weekend. and on the drive home we took a back road which went through roads with trees bending over and lined with flowering yellow daisies. It just lifted the heart. So much nicer than being on the big freeway.
2. While we were away, we went for a walk along the Wingecarribee river and found a spot to sit and just enjoy the still water, the tree surrounding it, and had a nice chat with a paddleboarder (SUP) who quietly paddled by. It confirmed yet again that shady rivers are my happy place – not the sea which is the case for most of my friends.
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In my family, you never take a main thoroughfare if there is a shady, curvy road to be traveled. Part of this decision stems from them mostly riding motorcycles, and curves are more fun.
I think I’m more of a big body of water kind of person myself. I especially love Lake Michigan. When I see a slow river, I always think of leeches!
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Lakes are good too! Leeches usually need slow rivers in warm humid areas which most of the ones I visit aren’t! (Though climate change may see that change.)
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I am such a typical grumpy old white guy that I am sure there are no carrots in my life. But I did drive down to spend a day or so with Milly, and our daughter and grandkids – must be a carrot in there somewhere, I suppose (maybe the loaf of black rye bread from the local grocery – they’re all hippies down there – which I can’t buy in my own suburban stores).
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This makes me laugh … the rye bread snd hippies … but sounds like a lot of carrots there (Milly, grandchildren, hippies, bread…)
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This made me sad! Poor Bill! I hope he has a nice time with the family, unless they’re hounding him about moving someone again.
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I think he enjoys being with the family but I know what you mean.
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Being asked to drive people and move stuff is my main connection to family. Don’t wish it away!
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Ha! Oh, Bill 😂 I’m now wondering if my dad feels similarly when it comes but to moving me, but fixing things.
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As we might say in America, “Who shit in your Cheerios?” Bill, you are not normally a grumpy old white guy. What happened??
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Oh interesting Melanie … I read this more as a throwaway line ie that many older people say because they (we) are tired of the world’s same-old griefs and don’t want to be polite about them any more. We don’t have the luxury of time to wait! But let’s see what Bill says.
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Well there’s another carrot. Melanie! The one person in the world who doesn’t see how grumpy I am.
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This is true. I think you’re stoic-sweet.
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All those wonderful carrots! Your snake plant, and all the plants on the shelf behind look amazing. Is Nick going to take care of all of them while you are in Missouri?
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I’m taking the fussy ones with me and leaving the tolerant ones, lol. Mainly that means the violets are coming, the cacti are staying. Snake plant probably staying.
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Sounds like some lovely socializing! How sweet that your department threw a party to encourage you all!
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I felt a little uncomfortable that one of the main messages was that God has a plan for all of us, but I understand that that’s what I get in the environment in which I am in. They also played the game, two truths and a lie, which I didn’t super enjoy because I don’t want to share all the truths about me! It’s school, not friends! Maybe I’m weird I don’t know.
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That’s not an uncommon message amongst Christians. I get feeling uncomfortable though. It’s not necessarily a helpful message to those who may be going through difficulties, especially if you don’t believe in God in the first place. Even as a Christian, I don’t like when people respond like that to tragedy. I believe God has a plan and I also believe that a lot of human action and experience is contrary to God’s plan. It’s complex.
I always end up using really mundane truths when I play that game. I don’t want to give up real secrets either! I often use the fact that I was born in Hong Kong because people rarely guess that that was me!
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God I can so relate to snake plants being dramatic. I have some of the ‘mini’ ones that I’ve coaxed back to life after being overwatered at my work. They’re supposed to super resilient plants!!!
I laughed at your Memes again, thank you. I especially enjoyed the pictures of everyone looking excited around cake – and the story of that Mom wanting to tell a story about her handsome son right in front of him LOL What was the story about, now I’m curious?
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