h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Grace has been cruising (holding on to furniture/whatnot while taking steps) for a couple days, and today she actually let go while standing on purpose (as opposed to not noticing she's not holding on to anything, and sitting as soon as she does notice)

She's got 4 teeth--2 up, 2 down.

Faith is a wonderful big sister, and also has new teeth--3 on the bottom, another space awaiting a tooth on the bottom, and a big gap up top--we laugh that Grace got her top teeth before Faith did. Faith says she can feel a corner of a top incisor finally breaking through, though. Thumb-sucking's still a struggle--Faith has made it past 2 weeks of no thumb (we owe her a trip to the snow) but can't seem to make a month. She had a fallback 3 weeks in, and seems almost to have given up. I have certainly not told her that there's actually a movie at the theater right now that I'd be willing to take her to if she'd made it a month, because she's hard enough on herself. Don't know where she got *that* tendency from

Hi Amy, Tom, Faith and Grace,

So wonderful to open my computer and find a lovely letter from you. Congratulations to Faith for being so good about giving up the comfort of sucking her thumb.!! I am sure that very very soon she will cure herself completely of the habit. Congratulations of course to her younger sister on gaining her "upright" independence!! Both your girls are really very advanced.

The sun is shining at last. It has been a very grey Christmas and New Year. Today is the first time that the sun is shining and the sea is mirror-glass calm. I hope it stays like this all day. I am getting tired of the bitterly cold wind blowing down from the Artic and Siberia(which I call it but which probably is quite impossible geographically.)

Keith has been home for the weekend. He is so well and I am thrilled with the way he has taken hold of his ife and is doing what he wants to do.

The ways of the Lord often take a long time to come into operation.

I am intrigued with the fact that you can see the Pacific Ocean on a clear day from where you live.

Dick, my late husband, and I used to visit a missionary station in Namaqualand which was also on the top of a mountain, and from there, literally through a gap in the mountains one could see - in that case - the Atlantic ocean. I can remember one day when I happened to be gazging through the gap that a ship came past. It was quite eerie because at that time I was engaged in a research project on a wonderful missionary called the Rev. Barnabus Shaw - a Wesleyan missionary who came out from England in 1815 and who did an enormous amount of good and even learnt the indigenous language of the people to whom he was proseletyzing.

Which reminds me that that is one of the many tasks which I must complete before nature takes it course.

With much affection to you all and a big hug to the girls.

Your very loving friend,

Christiand and Keith.
AR80

Sunday 16/I/2010 8.40 GMT

Amy, I love it that your children never fail to surprise you. Children almost seem like magic to me. How do they get to be the way they are?

Christiane, I'm confused about the tasks that you mention. Which part of the missionary's story do you want to emulate? Learning the indigenous languages? Seeing the Pacific, which you would have had to go a long way east from South Africa to do? You're even farther from the Pacific now than you were in South Africa, unless you go over the North Pole to Alaska....

Very dear Paul,

( I am really cross. There was a "blush"smiley and it has taken me ages to get rid of it. How does this happen?)

How nice to hear from you. I am sorry that I confuse you so much. I shall write it down in sequence and then maybe I shall make myself comprehensible. Certainly I wonder if anyone will ever read any book that I have started to write.!!

1. when I lived in South africa, Dick, my late nusband, and I used to go and visit some friends who were missionaries on a Mission station in Namaqualand, which is en route to Namibia. There was a break in the mountains and one could see the sea which was the Atlantic ocean from the missionary station. Once when we were there I looked out to sea and there was a ship passing in the space between the mountains so that one could see it.

2. Amy in one of her postings, mentioned that they could see the Pacific Ocean from where they lived as there was also a break in the mountains and they live fairly near to the coast.

Is that clear my friend, or have I confused you even more!?.

I hope that it is clear!!.

I have just had to pay a fortune to a locksmith because I took the wrong keys out when Keith. and I went for a walk along the esplanade. My first outing since before Christmas. !!


I hope not my last.......

Go well.

with affection


Christiane
AR80

Sunday 16th/I/2010 17.35 GMT

Yes, that is clear. Thank you for explaining.

I'm sorry to hear about your adventures with the keys. I left my ATM card at the supermarket after using it to pay for my groceries last night. I had to go back today, hoping they had it in their lost and found department (they did! ). I'm getting more forgetful, I'm afraid.

Hi Paul H,

You should try and do the tranquillizing Sheep "reaction" exercises. Those are the ones I do to help my memory although they are said to help faster reaction.

I devoted a little thought to the exercises, and decided, (quite unilaterally I might add!!) that they were the exercises to help restore the damaged circulatory systen in my temporal lobe of my brain. That circulatory system had been damaged by the stroke which I experienced in November 2008 I certainly do know that when I have not done them I forget things much more frequently.

I have written to the researchers who devised this exercise, and told them about it. Still no reply.

It really does both amuse and dismay me. Because I am over 80 it is as if the medical profession feel I am past my "sell by" date therefore nature must take it's course.

I have just realised that I have been writing to you on our dear Amy P's thread about her children growing up so fast. Very inconsiderate. Apologies Amy,

I shall try and start another thread so that those who would like to try to improve their memories can record their experiences. That would really be a wonderful tribute to both the BBC and our DNA.

With kind regards
Christiane
AR80

Monday 18th January 2010 7.24 GMT
That was the time that I finished the draft.
I notice that it has taken me quite a time to edit it. I do transpose letters and also repeat myself if I do not edit mu replies to my friends and family.
It is now 7.52 GMT

Hi Paul, Having taken quite a lot of trouble to send you a "correct" reply I notice that when it was posted onto my home page next to it was the reamk (no new replies). I wonder if perhaps when it is posted onto Amy P's page that might be changed. Peutetre!!

'Bye

CME
AR80
17/I/2919 7.58 GMT

I don't mind topic drift, Christiane--it sometimes drifts back to the original topic, and, if it doesn't, that's fine too. Kind of like audible conversations

I'm not just close to the coast--as the crow flies, I'm maybe a quarter mile from the beach. If there weren't buildings and trees and such, I could see the ocean. In our old apartment, on a clear day, we could see water over the buildings, because we weren't at ground level, though that view was further away than the closest water--Crescent City is named for the shape of the coastline

Hi dear Amy.

Well I am really fortunate today. A message from Shea - the researcher/ friend I have known the longest on this website, now a message from you. All I need is for Gnoman and Lurcher to come forward and the quartet is complete at least I think so. !!

However I must tell you that the missionary station was a good fifty miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The missionary station was very high h up and there was a sort of valley which went down to the sea all those miles away. So you are actually much closer to the Pacific than I was to the Atlantic!!. But I have never forgotten that ship crossing between the cleft in the hills.

With affection to you all

Christiane
AR80

Monday 18/I/2010 18.52 GMT

Gracie took 2 steps on purpose, as opposed to getting tricked/not noticing Then she dropped her toy, went down to get it, then didn't bother getting back up.

Very dear Amy,

I Have just found these postings about Grace and her walking and also the permanent teeth of Faith.

They are growing up so fast. It is super that they ar good friends.

I hope Tom is well and happy. Do you love it where you live?. I have made a mental picture of ut and I often wonder how accurate it is. I would love to go and visit your neck of the woods. Is it the other side of the Rockies;? or is it, not near the Rockies?

With much affeftion toyou all,

Christiane. AR80

20/III/2010 3.37 GMT

It's well past the Rockies--the Pacific Ocean is less than a mile away

Very dear Amy,

Apologies. My knowledge of geography is lamentable. I just about know Africa, and perhaps a little bit of England.

With much affection,

Christiane.
Ar80

20/III/2010 9.37 GMT

I don't think I've ever seen the memory exercizes you use, Christiane.