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

Hi AR1!

Yes, I liked Badgers Mount as well. Pratts Bottom was names, rather boringly after a Mr Pratt and I think the bottom bit was just the bottom of the hill. The people we bought the house from gave us a little booklet with the history of the place, and I gave it to the new people when we sold it.

I wouldn't call myself an expert on Sufism. Being a single parent of a small child, it's not been possible to attend Sufi classes. I don't know much about the Enneagram. Perhaps I should find out more!

I know that I am not my body - it changes every cell each seven years. I am not my thoughts, as they too change over the years, occasionally drastically. What I manifest is all the experiences that have happened to me. I keep these in my body, sometimes as aches and pains. And I know that if I wish to change things, I will need to change my thoughts. I can't change other people, just the way I think about them or react to them.

I think that many if not most people live their lives automatically, not thinking that they can do or change things and often resenting the fact (that others are more beautiful, have more money, live in better surroundings, etc. If and when they become slimmer, get more money, move into a better house, they are happy for a little while, and then it starts all over again. The wanting.

I was told that most people have around 90,000 separate thoughts each day. you might think. However, they have thought the majority of these thoughts again and again and again until the thoughts run deep channels inside us (thoughtforms) and we think we can't think anything different. We also pick up on thoughts of others, so we are not even thinking original thoughts, just recycled ones of others.

If a large majority of people buy 'x' product, you may think, 'it must be good, if so many people are buying it'. If you do buy it, you are not playing follow the leader, you are playing follow the follower, so we don't get anywhere. (Individually, of course, 'x' may be a good product, or it may just be well advertised.)

I don't join in much with virtual parties and the like. I'm much more happy with stuff like PR. Maybe I should lighten up more.

There were the Perseids last night, I gather. I didn't see them. Did you?

Very dear
I have been mulling over your lovely letter and wanting to reply because so much of what you say I can identify with wonderfully. anyway, I shall try and do it tomorrow. Much affection AR1

Dear AR1!

I now have a new computer! A Mac, which I have not yet got the hang of. In fact, at the beginning, I could not get it to connect to the net at all. However, all is mostly well.

i should, however, be packing for our holiday. I've got everything out of the loft and ready to go in the car, but we have an early start tomorrow and I don't want to be rushed tomorrow.

Must just tell you what my youngster said two days ago, though. There was a man at the door. He (son, aged almost seven) has been learning about stranger danger. He said to this chap, 'What are you like?' The man didn't understand what he was on about. Then he said, 'What's your character and what's your attitude?'. I nearly fell over.

Wish me decent weather!

Oh dear sweet
I am sure that I have missed you and will not be able to wish you a happy holiday. I wonder where you are going. I hope you have a fantastic time. And beautiful weather.
I loved the story of your son. He is very on the ball and he will look after his Mum very well I am sure.
Well I do not know how long you are going for, but I do hope that you will be able to come and play a virtual visit to the Harvest Festival which Titania is organising. I shall enter your son in the sack race. and make sure he wins!! a fond and have aonderful time. AR1

Thrilled about the computer. that is wonderful!, Again have a safe journey and a happy holiday. AR1

Hi AR1!

Just back from camping. It was only 5 days and we had a wonderful time. So far, it\s been our only holiday this year, and the way things are, it's the only one we\re going to get, except for Christmas.

As I've probably said before, it was a nature awareness course. We did stuff like playing games (bat, moth was a great one, where some people were blindfold as bats, others went around inside a circle of watchers - bats said 'bat' and moths had to reply 'moth' and the job of the bats was to catch the moths), learning about bird language and doing stalking in the woods.

I got to tell two of my stories, one in a story telling round and the other as narrator of a playlet, which was hilarious. In both, I used the stories of Baba Baga, the Russian witch, who in the first story got her iron teeth and ate her daughter and in the second, provided fire to a heroine, who undertook the tasks she set. (Picture in the second, all the main characters, except the heroine, as teenaged boys). My son played the father of the heoine (first wife - a young lad, died, second wife, a six footer and two stepsisters - again two teenage boys - all dressed in frocks with various items used for busoms - the Baba Yaga was a lad dressed in one of my dresses and sounded for all the world like the mother from 'The Life of Brian", if you've ever seen it) as well as a pile of sand and later a pile of poppy seeds.

I also got a chance to have a go at Mongolian overtoning, making fire with a bow drill and flint knapping. Ttey were great fun.

Youngster had great fun with the older children, the older teens and 20s especially and they seemed to enjoy him as much as he enjoyed them. The one thing I wanted for him was role models and these kids were excellent.

Work is manic at the moment. Lots of changes afoot.

I'll have a look at the harvest festival tomorrow, if I can. Too now.

Very dear Zarquon
Welcome back. I am so glad that the two of you enjoyed your camping break. It is not my favourite form of holiday although as a child my father used to take the whole family, domestics, dogs etc. etc. camping. Invariably the tents fell down in the sand, the sand got in every where, and I really did not enjoy it!!.
I think in a way that what you say about experiences is what I also believe. I do not believe that anything we experience can ever have only a downside. Everything that happens to us, which we actually experience - can eventually become the missing jigsaw peice, the enabler, the facilitator, call it what you will, to help us to adapt and thereby change to a new set of circumstances. Hopefully with each experience we learn to become more tolerant, understanding, loving, appreciative or what we actually need to change in order to become fuller, more complete human beings. Sometimes what we experience may appear to be extremely destructive, but I believe that it is the way we cope and manage difficult experiences which mould us into becoming more resourceful, kind and compassionate people.
Your Russian folk tales sound very interesting.
I have never got myself so involved as I have with this virtual Harvest Festival. I say to my friends with such conviction that I am the convenor of the cake competition and the pickled stall that they look at me in amazement and say "Oh really!. where is it being held?" As I am not exactly sure where Titania lives I have to say feebly that it is in a Scandanavian country. At which they collapse and fall about laughing!!.
Well. my dear it is great to have you back. How is the new PC! A big AR1

Dear AR1

The computer is lovely. And fast! When the manual arrives, it should be even better ..

There was a sweat lodge during the camp, however we did not take part. I thought Kenneth might be a bit young,, I was very tired and there were other compelling reasons why not. From all that was said, it was a good one.

Right at the end, we had an excercise where we had to move silently through fairly dense bracken and not make the birds alarm. There were also scouts hidden in the bushes and we had to notice them before we passed them, otherise we lost a life. We started out with six lives and came back with five, so I thought we did very well.

As a child, I never went camping. We went to Cleveleys and later the Isle of Man and stayed in 'digs'. I wonder why they're called that.

On this camping holiday, we paid for meals and had them provided. Luxury!

Your harvest festival sounds rather fun. I've got a pick to make for a scout who can't do his, so I'm going to stay in PR for a while.

I tend to agree with you about experiences not being wasted. I went through some really tough times during and particularly after my divorce, however I can see that they have made me stronger. Not that I would choose to repeat them!

Got to go - got a small boy with itchy bites to deal with.

Very dear Zarqhon

Again just a brief note. K and I have been invited out to lunch an so I have to go and get ready. It was super that you were able to come to the Harvest Festival. Titania was quite magnificent the way she organised it. I was an absolute and must have caused her a lot of problems!!. Fortunately many of my friends supported me and so it really was a great success.

Your camp sounds as if it ws great fun and your son really seems to have enjoyed it. When I used to go for walks in the Pine Forests around Table Mountain in Cape Town I used to have a great time. I would hear a bird call and then walk along whistling it as closely as possible to the original. It used to walk like a charm and the poor bird used to follow us calling away and telling me that I was in his territory and I had better get out or I would be in trouble. I never realised untill I was writing it down to you that I was actually teasing the bird. How wicked of me. Oh dear, I really do think that I I was awful!.

I would love to talk but must fly now. I have rather overextended myself especially as I want to spend some time on the Earth Summit etc - which I have just been able to log onto.

I send you a fond So glad that you have a book for your computer. They never sent me one and I used to download sheafs of information and never understand it. AR1
Do come and visit the Pickled Tent tonight and then we can go and have a drink at the Beer Tent. at about 8.30 BST. I shall be in the Pickled Tent to start with. I have just learnt to do this - I hope it works.!

Hi AR1

Is the Pickled Tent the one you go to after you have spent too much time in the Beer Tent? I'll try to be there about that time.

Unfortunately whistling is one of those things I can't really do. I can just about make a sound at a pinch. Table Mountain sounds really exotic. It's been years since I was able to travel abroad at will, as it were.

I'm just looking at a wonderful spider's web which stretches from my outside wall to one of my tomato plants. There's a lovely speckly reddish brown and black spider in the middle of it. The web itself is beautiful. It's been there a couple of days. It's not in the way, so I saw no need to disturb it.

I hope you have a really nice lunch. I shall be mowing the lawn and taking the top box off the car, a bit of tidying and hopefully some ironing.

Like you, I'm downloading stuff which I don't really know what to do with. I want to know how to get rid of stuff which has only half downloaded. There seems to be lots - at least four or five files.

Hi Zasrqhon

Thanks for your reply. Hope you managed to finish the lawn and unpack the car. I am going to have rails placed on the top of my Renault Savannah before we go on holiday at the end of this month to Cornwall. That way, hopefully I can place my wheelchair on the top and it will give more room inside the car!.

We had a lovely lunch and met some super people who have just arrived from Swaziland. It is quite important to know how to whistle if you are going to imitate bird calls!..The surroundings of Cape Town are quite beautiful It has a Mediterranean climate.

I am really depressed . I had subscribed to a thread on the earth summit. It is so cynical and harsh and people do not appear to know the dreadful problems that those living in Africa have to live under.

Oh dear. Humanity is so unkind. Well I had better go to bed before I depress both of us any longer. a big fond AR1

Oh, is that the time! No, AR1, I didn't finish doing all I was supposed to. I got sidetracked in researching an entry on Mongolian Overtone Singing, which has been fascinating. At least I mowed the lawn.

I've missed what has been going on at the Earth Summit.

On a different note, (but maybe not) I've been reading a book by the tracker and primitive survival expert Tom Brown about his teacher, an Apache Indian he called 'Grandfather'. This man was astonished that the white man only seemed to be in touch with the divine in special buildings and at special times of the week, when he was constantly in touch with it. He was saddened that they seemed to have lost touch with the spirit and only to be interested in things of the flesh.

The good thing that came out of it, was that he tutored Tom Brown, who now has a thriving school and his pupils are going out all over the world teaching the skills and philosophy to people like me and my son.

He taught that the first principle of invisibility (silent movement, not being seen) was thanksgiving. I really like that.

Oh, is that the time! No, AR1, I didn't finish doing all I was supposed to. I got sidetracked in researching an entry on Mongolian Overtone Singing, which has been fascinating. At least I mowed the lawn.

I've missed what has been going on at the Earth Summit.

On a different note, (but maybe not) I've been reading a book by the tracker and primitive survival expert Tom Brown about his teacher, an Apache Indian he called 'Grandfather'. This man was astonished that the white man only seemed to be in touch with the divine in special buildings and at special times of the week, when he was constantly in touch with it. He was saddened that they seemed to have lost touch with the spirit and only to be interested in things of the flesh.

The good thing that came out of it, was that he tutored Tom Brown, who now has a thriving school and his pupils are going out all over the world teaching the skills and philosophy to people like me and my son.

He taught that the first principle of invisibility (silent movement, not being seen) was thanksgiving. I really like that.

My dear Zarqhon

The first principle of invisibility was thanksgiving. I am trying to work that out.!!

You have so many interests it is really fascinating.

K. and I are hopefully going to start Tai Chi a Riverhead which is just down the road. I hope that it works out.

I am actually jolly tired and will end now and write more hopefully tomorrow.

Good night, dear friend and a big AR1

Thanksgiving being a prerequisite of invisibility. I can see how that could be confusing, AR1!

It makes perfect sense to me. I think I might have difficulty explaining it, though. Thanksgiving is also a prerequisite for abundance. You can't receive unless you are appreciative of what you have - sort of like if you can't appreciate stuff, why would spirit want to give you more - you wouldn't appreciate that either.

Being envious of other people also drives away abundance. If you can't celebrate it in them, spirit thinks you won't appreciate it if you get it yourself.

I think that that thanksgiving in the invisibility context is to do with becoming one with the environment.

Do let me know how the t'ai chi pans out.

I'm also very tired. I woke up for some reason at 2.30 am this morning and then couldn't get back to sleep.

Hi dear Zarqhon

Thank you for the explanation. Sorry you could not sleep. I normally have my radio on with headphones and whenever I wake up - sadly very frequently for calls of nature - I latch onto all the news. I hear some incredible things in the middle of the night, but I never worry about not being able to sleep. but it is of course different when you have to work.

I actually think I am incredibly lucky. I have a wonderful brother who cares for me, I have a lovely home and even though I have problems being mobile I have a great interest in life and feel that I still have so much to do and so much to learn.

I think that I am possibly envious of my sister who has all her children and grandchildren living in England. I do feel dreadfully isolated with a daughter in Brisbane and her husband and children there; another daughter in Johannesburg and her famly there; another son in America whom I very rarely see. fortunately my eldest son who brought K. and I to the meet lives in London and we have seen more of he and his family this year. In fact on Sunday we are going to lunch with them which will be great. But then he and his wife are off to the States for two months and sadly my two grandsons are too busy for Gandma. I have a granddaughter here whom I was hoping to see a lot of. She also is loving London, and \I cannot blame her for not wanting to spend time with us fuddy duddies.

Otherwise I really do not think I am envious of anyone. I even manage to be really pleased when someone I know either is rehabilitated or cured from this dreadful mental illness. So perhaps I do understand the theory of invisibility and thanksgiving. I always feel that it could be so much worse in that I do not know where he is - or how he is. Here at least I am able to offer him some sort of life.

Well, I must off to bed. I hope you have a good night's rest tonight. A fond AR1

Ah, AR1, you must count your blessings.

I have my son (who was seven yesterday!), my parents (who are hale and hearty and living on the Isle of Wight) and an uncle, who lives in Manchester. I see my son daily, my parents twice yearly and my uncle about once in 10 years - maybe less. Apart from that, I have no family.

I too must haste to bed. I've had a couple of nights where I've woken in the middle of the night (2.30am!) for no accountable reason. Time to catch up, I think.

Night night. Sweet dreams.

Very dear Zarqhon

Thank you for your reply. I missed it yesterday!.

I wonder if you are going to have an interesting weekend? You always do such fascinating things and read such interesting things I truly enjoy hearing about them and they stretch my mind - a very good thing at my age.

I must tell you that when K. first became ill I used to wake up at about 2 a.m. every morning and weep for about three hours. After about two months of this I decided that it was a toal waste of time and so I used to get up when I woke up I used to go to my study (I was in my second year at Varsity when he fell ill), and study until 5 a.m. Then I would go back to bed, sleep until 6 a.m. when my darling Dick used to get up and make us tea. We would chat until 6.30 and then he would go and shave and shower and run my bath and I would go and make the breakfast.

We would have breakfast together on the patio then off to Varsity and work we would go. It was only years later that I found out that waking up in the middle of the night is a very good evidence of depression!!. Since his death I have been taking brewers yeast tablets. I actually take eight a day and if I do not have them I am a real old pain and weeping and feeling sorry for myself.

I do think that it is one's metabolism which decides whether we need help with our vitamins, minerals etc. And I certainly find that this (plus a host of other natural remedies!!) helps me no end.

My daughter and her husband in Brisbane have just sent me the website of the city. It takes a long time to load and of course it is now too late for the cameras to change so I shall have to do it later today. Tomorrow we are going to London to have lunch with my eldest son and daughter in law. Hopefully the grandchildren will be there and hopefully my granddaughter will be there. And hopefully I shall manage to get myself from her to there by car!!

With a fond

AR1

Hi AR1

Thanks for your message. Not sure what I'm doing this weekend, except I could do with more work around the house and less time spent on the computer!

I'm sure that I was depressed after my divorce. Now, I think, it's more likely work stress as there seems to be so much to do at work I'm not sure how I'm going to achieve it.

I'll reply more fully this evening when my K has gone to bed.