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

Well, AR1, I did some more work on my Baba Yaga entry and some on Theseus for Mina. I did some ironing and washing. I took K to a swimming lesson and went to the Quaker meeting this morning. The meeting was very concerned about the possibility (or probability maybe) of war with Iraq. There was then an extension meeting with someone talking to us about the possibility of establishing a Quaker faith school, with an entry policy that included all faiths. We Quakers are very inclusive.

There was a soup lunch, which I thought was lovely, but was too spicy for K. I then cut down a sycamore tree - a sapling that was growing in a Peace Rose and which would have killed it. It was also much too close to the house. The trouble is that one of the neighbours has two largish trees, which spout seedlings. When I arrived at this house a few years ago, it had around 14 sycamores growing - I got someone in to chop them down!

I hope your seekend went well.

Very dear Zarqhon

Well you did very well. I am proud of you. You got all your pririties right!!. I did not know that children went to Quaker meetings. I must admit that I really love their attitude to life and people. When I was living in Shrewsbury I was in an ecumenical team that was working together during Lent and the quakers were super.

What is Baba Yoga? Here I sit, seemingly rooted in one theological spot - and not too happy with it. I practised Hatha Yoga for nearly 25 years whilst in Zim We had an Indian swami who talked to us eveery week. a wonderful man. As far as I remember we read aldous Huxley's Perennial Philosophy together. Adn of course did Yoga. when I think of the contortions that I got myself into and now I can hardly move it makes me shudder!!

It was lovely to see my family in LOndon, although I am ashamed to say that I took nearly three hours to drive there. Every single way I went had a deviation and/or so much traffic that it took ages to move an inch. I am afraid that I think Ken Livingstone's idea of a toll is an extremely good idea.

Off to watch Room 101. some light relief.

sleep tight. Big s AR1

Very dear

I miss you. Are you well? I do hope that you are not ill only jolly busy. It seems that the Tai Chi class will not be able to start unless they get more people wanting to do it.

We leave for Newquay Cornwall for a week's holiday on Thursday. I do hope that the weather is not too bad. \It would be great if they had a seawater swimming pool for oldies like me. I feel that it would do both my hands and my back so much good.

I am loving my new bed - although I practically get seasick when I am sitting on it and trying to operate it!.
Do write soon just to tell me that you are alright.
A very fond AR1

Hi AR1!

Sorry I didn't see your message. I've been offline for several days, as I had a family crisis - my dad collapsed and I went over to the Isle of Wight to support my mum. He's still in hospital and looking cheerful and happy if a bit thin. They're keeping him in for further tests as they don't know why he collapsed. A neighbour saved his life by giving him mouth to mouth rescusitation (spelling doesn't look right whichever way I spell this!) - he used to be a paramedic ambulance driver.

The original call said to expect the worst. I decided, after thinking of funerals and everything that I would expect the best! I visualised him sitting up in bed looking happy and cheerful, and this is how I found him next day when we got there. I also found out that other friends had been praying for him. I'm sure it made a difference. I told him I wasn't going to allow him to die on my birthday!

Is your bed a water bed then?

Pooh about the t'ai chi. Perhaps you could recruit some friends?

I hope you have a wonderful holiday and that you get the seawater swimming, as long as it's heated. Unheated sounds just too cold to me.

Lots of love.

Oh yes, Baba Yaga A823402. Enjoy!

Hi dear Zarqhon

I thought I had lost you and felt really bereft. I am so sorry to hear about your Dad. Wonderful what prayer will do. I must go to bed now as I have been looking for you for half an hour - and getting quite stressed about it. Even tried putting your name into the search mechanism but couldn't get a reply. I shall try and add something before I go. thank you for the good wishes and I do hope that your Dad continues to make good progress.

with much affection, AR1
Thank you for the Baba Yoga thread.

Thank you AR1

Dad is now out of hospital and making a remarkable recovery. Yes, it is impressive what prayer can do. After I had visualised him alert and smiling, I went to bed happy (well, as happy as I could be in the circumstances). Funnily enough, he's never shown any signs of being in the slightest bit interested in prayer or spirituality. He did seem to agree with me that it had helped him (or at least agreed to the possibility that it might have) and today when I spoke to him he said that I should continue to hold him as getting better.

I did change my nickname to show I was offline, as I didn't have time to post anything to anyone. I'm glad you made the effort to contact me, though.

I've spent the last two days interviewing and I'm off to bed.

You might find the crone aspect of the Baba Yaga stuff interesting. It's right at the end. I didn't develop it as much as I might have, because of the length of the entry. I suspect that this is an important image for me to work with. Sleep well.

I've not heard from you for a couple of days, AR1.

I've noticed that you are part of the h2g2 Prayer Room. I may need that. If you read my journal, you'll see that my dad went into hospital a couple of weeks ago as an emergency. He came home last Tuesday and he went in again today. All very unsettling.

He could use a prayer (I'm sure that my affirmation and other people's prayers helped him last time).

Very dear Zarqhon
I have just come back from a week in Cornwall and found the worrying news about your Dad. Of course I shall say a special prayer for him - even if he does not agree with it!!. I do hope that the relapse was not serious and that he is out of hospital again. It is so worrying when someone that one loves dearly is very ill.

I did not realise that one could change one's name. I thought that I had notified everyone about the fact tht I had gone on holiday. We had a lovely break even though the friend who came with me ostensibly to help me, did not play that role at all. The drive back was the most stressful with me really having to keep control of myself whilst driving. but both my son and my brother (who suffer from the same illness) were well aware of what this friend was doing and saying, and when I said, in a weak and feeble voice that I did notlike attacks about my driving (we had missed a turning and although she was in charge of the navigation it was my fault!!) and it was dark and I had to come back to 7Oaks on the wrong part of the M25, I was getting quite stressed. I said "You know it would be so nice if someone told me not to worry, that I was doing fine and that we would be home very soon". K. my son, told me that he thought I was wonderful the way I was coping, and my brother who very seldom strings more that two words together told me that I was driving beautifully and had driven marvellously down there as well. I was really chuffed.I was thinking about leadership roles and how leaders obviously inspire confidence in people in stressful and sometimes fatal situations. It is really interesting that it was the two people who were supposed to be irresponsible because they were mentally "ill" who were able to give me courage when I really needed it and all she did was to make the situation much worse.

My dear Zarqhon, my thoughts are very much with you at this worrying time. Please let me know how your Dad is. With a great deal of affection your friend AR1

Thank you AR1!

The news about dad is that they now think the first collapse was not a heart attack. They think that the second one was. The is exactly the opposite to what they first thought. Dad is now to go to Brighton for tests - they will inject an artery with dye and then x-ray him. We don't yet know when that will be, although dad thinks that it is generally on Thursdays. He is still cheerful and sanguine. He says that he didn't worry the first time - he was just glad to still be here!

It is difficult for mum with him in hospital, as she has to catch two buses each way. I've been ringing him almost every day. Today, I went to Wiltshire for a day out and met someone very nice there.

Thank you for the prayers. Dad will be glad of them. I'll tell him tomorrow.

How nice that your son and your brother were so supportive to you when you really needed it. That part of the M25 can be quite difficult, especially in the dark.

I'm confused about changing your name. You mean in RL? Well, you can by deed poll. On h2g2, by changing your preferences. Is either of these what you were meaning?

Very dear Zarqhon

So pleased that your Dad is in good hands. I imagine that they are going to to do an angiogram on him in order to see if he needs a by pass. Don't tell him we are praying for him if it is going to upset him!!. Our Lord will understand!.

I am not going to change my name - I was refering to something that you said about changing your name!.
I am going to start Tai Chi next week and hope that you will give me encouragement as to how to approach the teacher when I am in a wheelchair.

Fond AR1

Thank you AR1 !

I think I've already told dad about the prayers and he's quietly pleased, I think. I might have said this earlier, but I believe that people who are prayed over get better more quickly. I'm told there is research evidence for this done with heart patients (I think whether they know about it or not). People who feel they are loved also do better.

So that's what it's called - the putting of dye in the arteries?

Did I give you the reference of the T'ai Chi in a Chair book? If not, it's by Cynthia Quarta, ISBN 1-931412-60-X. It cost me £10.00, which is a reasonable price. You could get it and show it to your teacher.

It's perfectly possible to learn the short form as arms only. I did that. I learned it roughly in full using the arms and legs, then with more precision, then with breathing, then with focus, then with arms only! My teacher was very thorough! It depends on how good your teacher is as to whether s/he can do that. Good luck anyway.

My dear Zarqhon

thank you for the reference name of the book . I shall try and get onto Amazon and see if I can get it from them.

I hope that your father is keeping well. I have had a very busy few days. My eldest brother who is a psychiatrist and was head of a big hospital in Canada has been in Europe researching for the biography of Beethoven that he is writing. It is from a psychiatric point of view so I told him he had to walk around with ear plugs in his ears for a week and also go to a concert with ear plugs in his ears. He says that he will not!!.
It was great having him here and he and his wife were very supportive and helpful with my two family members.

Please excuse me - I want to go and watch Michael Palin in the Sahara. Fond to you. AR1

I bought the book from W H Smith, AR1!

Dad has had a blood transfusion. His red bood cell count was low.

about your brother walking around with ear plugs for a week! The book sounds interesting. I wonder what sorts of things it might contain?

Ah Michael Palin - I like him. Not seen any of the series so far, but I will try to.

Just staying in touch, AR1 as I haven't heard from you recently.

Hope all is well!

I've really good news about my dad. He came back from hospital today. Tests showed he had a small blockage in a heart artery and that has been blown away. They also looked at his ulcer and found he hadn't got one!

We're off to the Isle of Wight on Sunday, so I'm looking forward to that. We'll spend a few days there, then come home in time to do a bit of house cleaning, tidying and hopefully throwing stuff away.

Hi Honey Zarqhon

Hope I have caught you before you leave. Have a lovely time on the Isle of Wight. Why do you want to clear everything up when you return. It sounds as if you are going to be moving?

So glad that your Dad has improved. He was incredibly lucky to have the small clot removed by angiogram (I suppose it was ) Have they put him onto aspirin? Since my by pass I have to have 75 mg.of aspirin twice a day - that is to prevent one's blood clotting and causing a stroke.

I seem to have been incredibly busy lately and today had to take to my bed and just rest. I do get tired easily but I have had a lovely time and yesterday went swimming for the first time in about four months. I managed to do 500 metres - 20 lengths so was quite chuffed. I have also tried to get the Tai Chi book that you recommended. It seems that it costs ~£16.50 in Sevenoaks. However I managed to get another one with all the exercises and pictures. There is a tale to that again, but I shall save it until you return.
Have a good rest. Fond AR1

Oh, AR1!

Things are veru unstable at present. Dad is back in hospital, having been home only one night.

Mum rang early this morning, distressed. I told her to ring for an ambulance and the last I heard he was in A&E, poorly (but I think, stable). She's so disappointed, and to tell the truth, so am I. Things seemed to be going really well.

Mum asked whether it was his age, and was told no, so there appears to be an underlying condition.

£16.50! 500 metres! Well done!

to finish packing for tomorrow.

Just seen another bit of your posting - about clearing out. I'm very cluttered at home - I need to move stuff on and create space. Working full time, being a mother and being tired a lot of the time makes that difficult.

Very dear Zarqhon,

So sorry about you Dad. I could tell you about my cardiologist but I had to go to him privately - and therefore had to pay for the by pass privately. But if it is urgent I am sure that Guy's Hospital do them just as soon as they can. They have an excellent cardiac unit there as do St. Thomas.

Hope they find the problem soon.

I know the feeling of being cluttered up. I can at last draw my curtains in my bedroom because I have got rid of so much of my stuff. Much AR1

Dear AR1

We were first of all told that dad would only be brought back as far as Portsmouth and that he would have to make his own way from there, but he's not private, he's NHS. Given what happened to him, fingers would have been pointed if he had collapsed on the last leg! As it was, they brought him and two others home to the door by ambulance. He said that it was a hard journey, though and it sounds as though it tired him out.

Mum says he wants to sleep a lot of the time.

I should be in bed by now. I feel exhausted.