Gratitude Lounge Welcome! We are glad you are here. This is an open space where everyone belongs, and everyone is welcome. Please introduce yourself as you feel comfortable and join in sharing your experience of grateful living. To get started you might reflect upon questions such as these: What am I grateful for? What is grateful living inspiring me to do? What are some blessings in my life (including ones in disguise)? How am I being supported right now? What connects me to wonder, awe, or a sense of the sacred? You are welcome to include images and links for videos to illustrate your reflections. Honor our Community Terms & Conditions Click here to cancel reply.Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment. Notify me when someone replies to my comment via e-mail. Drew Blanton7 hours agoDrew BlantonYou can see me posing in the snow like a model shortly after the scab was taken off. 2 Reply Palm5 hours agoPalm😊❤️ 0 Reply Mica6 hours agoMicaWelcome back, Drew, and I’m glad your scab is gone. 0 Reply Diane15 hours agoDianeDear friends of our lovely Ursula:Be sure to scroll down a bit to see a beautiful sharing and photo from Ursula’s sister, CP in response to my posting yesterday. She is still with us here in miraculous ways ♥ ~Om Shanti friends 5 Reply Palm11 hours agoPalmThank you, Diane. I am now ready to go to sleep with a warm heart <3 4 Reply Anna14 hours agoAnnaThank you Diane! 4 Reply Holly in Ohio15 hours agoHolly in OhioI saw that, and was glad to learn more of why Ursula is so precious in your hearts. ❤ 3 Reply Mica15 hours agoMicaDear Ones, I’m a. few minutes late, and I’m not drinking anything yet, but I’m sitting here with you and grateful for you 4 Reply Holly in Ohio15 hours agoHolly in Ohiohaha... Tuesdays and Fridays, Mica... but I'm here and I have coffee! 😄 That was wonderful yesterday, but I don't think I could do that every day... I would get nothing done! Lol. I was just trying to catch up on my email newsletter reading. One of them had this wonderful quote: "“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'” - Martin Luther King, Jr. And I had not known that Martin Luther King Day was intended as a national day of service, did ...haha… Tuesdays and Fridays, Mica… but I’m here and I have coffee! 😄 That was wonderful yesterday, but I don’t think I could do that every day… I would get nothing done! Lol. I was just trying to catch up on my email newsletter reading. One of them had this wonderful quote: ““Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” – Martin Luther King, Jr. And I had not known that Martin Luther King Day was intended as a national day of service, did you? Read More2 Reply Mica15 hours agoMicaThank you, Holly – no, I didn’t know that Martin Luther King Day was for service either. That sounds to me like a good new focus for the holiday. Thanks for letting us know. Tues and Fri – now I know 🙂 2 Reply Holly in Ohio15 hours agoHolly in OhioOn a different topic… in biology we had to memorize the anatomy of a cell down to itsy bitsy parts (itsy bitsy being a technical scale 🙄 ) ….I remember it being quite a headache to remember all the organelles, their parts, functions, and I still don’t recall the parts you mentioned. Do you have a good, labeled, diagram? I’d like not to forget what I studied so hard to learn! It was only five years ago! Must keep my brain cells happy! 1 Reply Holly in Ohio5 hours agoHolly in OhioThank you, Mica! Yes, those look familiar. My textbook was one of those leased digital ones that the professor's like because the tests are digital (it saves them a lot of test writing and grading work). But of course leased digital go, POOF! after the semester, so I can't refer to it anymore. I think we also had some blow-up details of the rheticulums... i have a vague memory of having to memorize a route... was it for cell division? There was so much detail it went by in a blur! I should ma...Thank you, Mica! Yes, those look familiar. My textbook was one of those leased digital ones that the professor’s like because the tests are digital (it saves them a lot of test writing and grading work). But of course leased digital go, POOF! after the semester, so I can’t refer to it anymore. I think we also had some blow-up details of the rheticulums… i have a vague memory of having to memorize a route… was it for cell division? There was so much detail it went by in a blur! I should maybe try Khan Academy to remember. We also spent much time on messaging routes. Okay, I signed up for Khan Academy. I’m going to catch up to your lifetime of devotion to the subject! 🤪 Read More0 Reply Mica6 hours agoMicaHere’s a plant cell – we wouldn’t want to ignore plants, would we? But I’ll ignore those ancient cells like bacteria that don’t have a nucleus – 0 Reply Mica6 hours agoMicaI think a lot of the organelles hadn’t been discovered yet when I was in college. Here’s an animal cell. I chose it because it shows the membrane as 2 lines and it isn’t a perfect circle! 0 Reply sunnypatti19 hours agosunnypattiGood morning, friends! I helped my husband with a house party last night and snuck out onto the back porch of the beach front home to snag a photo of the moon. It was a lovely evening. The guests loved all of the courses, and I loved being there to help. I’m so grateful that my husband’s business venture is going as well as it is. Good intentions and passion put to its best use! 4 Reply Holly in Ohio17 hours agoHolly in OhioStunning photo, Sunnypatti! it makes me feel like I’m there. I’m so glad the business is going well. I know the work is hard but it will make such a positive difference in your lives. 4 Reply Annie1 day agoAnnieHello everyone ! I was just thinking about prayer Tuesday…I actually haven’t posted on prayer Tuesday …but would like to do so. Would anyone want to pray the 7 sorrows rosary on prayer Tuesday? Just a thought. Let me know what you think. God bless xoxo 5 Reply Diane15 hours agoDianeDear Annie….thank you for your lovely invitation. I haven’t prayed the rosary is awhile but it remains a beautiful practice from my Catholic tradition. I will plan on praying the 7 sorrows this coming Tuesday, Jan. 25th. We will be connected across the miles in spirit Annie 🙏 ~Blessings ♥ 3 Reply Annie10 hours agoAnnieGreat Diane! 3 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaI looked at my ratty little poinsettia, saw the dead pieces on it and its gangly shape and decided I was ready to toss it out. Then I looked again and noticed: It has the reddest new leaves I’ve ever seen on it! 8 Reply Holly in Ohio17 hours agoHolly in OhioI think it’s pretty. It reminds me of the colors in some sunsets. How about researching poinsettia care? There might be a nutritional lack somewhere. 2 Reply Mica15 hours agoMicaThank you, Holly - it's the remaining one of a pair I found by the recycle dumpster in my condo garage many months ago - probably bought at Safeway late in 2020. I fertilized it with a slurry of powdered guinea pig poo at some point - fertilized and fertilized all my plants, and still the poo piles up! Maybe I'll 'feed' the plants again in the spring. So I'm just delighted that the new leaves are now so red. Last month's Safeway poinsettia broke off in a big storm, and 4 little succulents are no...Thank you, Holly – it’s the remaining one of a pair I found by the recycle dumpster in my condo garage many months ago – probably bought at Safeway late in 2020. I fertilized it with a slurry of powdered guinea pig poo at some point – fertilized and fertilized all my plants, and still the poo piles up! Maybe I’ll ‘feed’ the plants again in the spring. So I’m just delighted that the new leaves are now so red. Last month’s Safeway poinsettia broke off in a big storm, and 4 little succulents are now in its pot beside its stem. Read More2 Reply Holly in Ohio14 hours agoHolly in OhioUMN extension says, “Poinsettias change color in response to shorter winter days.” …that makes it a miracle that you have any red leaves. 🙂 Feel like experimenting? Try moving it to limit the hours of light it has. Maybe you will get more red? 2 Reply Holly in Ohio7 hours agoHolly in OhioIsn't it fascinating how sophisticated nature can be in its senses and signaling! Think on how maple and some other trees can interpret the light and day lengths and quit producing chlorophyll, giving us the beautiful colored leaves with the remaining carrageenan (which is able to photosynthesize the weaker autumn light), or how in the spring with the day/night temperatures they are signaled to send sugars up the trunks to begin the buds. Or how some vegetable crops are able to sense the presen...Isn’t it fascinating how sophisticated nature can be in its senses and signaling! Think on how maple and some other trees can interpret the light and day lengths and quit producing chlorophyll, giving us the beautiful colored leaves with the remaining carrageenan (which is able to photosynthesize the weaker autumn light), or how in the spring with the day/night temperatures they are signaled to send sugars up the trunks to begin the buds. Or how some vegetable crops are able to sense the presence of insects and change their chemistry so they are “yucky” to that insect’s taste. I find this kind of thing remarkable! Some days I wonder if we are the intelligent life on this planet… 😉 Read More0 Reply Mica7 hours agoMicaThank you, Holly – I kept one in the bathroom for a few weeks, having only read that less light helped. Useless. Shorter days makes more sense 🙂 This is so much more red than I’ve been able to get over the last many months. The new leaves are quite red now. 1 Reply Annie1 day agoAnnieHi Mica ! Funny how nature teaches us not to give up …How exciting your poinsettia is making a come back! I have a peace lily that was slowly but surly dying…so I cut off all the dead stuff gave it a drink & a prayer. I decided it was lonely so I bought a Christmas cactus to keep it company. They are close together on a side table. I have great hopes of it continuing to grow and even maybe flower ??? I’m not giving up on it 🙂 MIRACLES DO HAPPEN 5 Reply Mica15 hours agoMicaYes, Annie, and plants can be so comforting. Succulents are the plants that grow best for me. 3 Reply Annie10 hours agoAnnieMe too Mica ! 🙂 🙂 3 Reply sarah1 day agosarahToday I woke up very upset. My best friend’s father passed away at a very young age. I didn’t know how I was going to manage. Someone saw me crying and asked me if I wanted to talk. She made my day. Friends are the people who care about you even when you are going through a hard time:) 4 Reply Holly in Ohio17 hours agoHolly in OhioVery true, Sarah. I’m sorry for your loss, and your friend’s loss. 2 Reply cp1 day agocpDear Diane, I tried to answer to your post directly twice, but somehow that doesn’t seem to work. So I try it here once more: Do you believe in coincidence? Today I got a „nudge“ from Gratefulness in my inbox. And what I found here after such a long time is you remembering Ursula and us. That is so kind of you! Well, to answer your question: There are still signs of her in my life, sone of them occuring very unexpectedly. E. g. I found a note from Ursula a few months ago in my daughter‘s...Dear Diane, I tried to answer to your post directly twice, but somehow that doesn’t seem to work. So I try it here once more: Do you believe in coincidence? Today I got a „nudge“ from Gratefulness in my inbox. And what I found here after such a long time is you remembering Ursula and us. That is so kind of you! Well, to answer your question: There are still signs of her in my life, sone of them occuring very unexpectedly. E. g. I found a note from Ursula a few months ago in my daughter‘s room. Ursi had written it for our parents in an Advent calendar a few years ago and my little one kept it as a treasure. Such situations make me cry from joy and sadness at the same time. And I am still angry that she was taken from her boys so early, I must admit. By the way, in that note she quoted Brother David writing (in German) something like „Belief is the brave faith in the source of life.“ Take care, CP Read More3 Reply Anna14 hours agoAnnaDear cp I am so happy to see your reply to Diane. Thank you. 🌼 2 Reply cp11 hours agocpCara Anna, I‘m grateful you were there for Ursula to help her carry her burden. Thank you, Christina 3 Reply Diane15 hours agoDianeDear cp….I did get your original post and replied back to you. I think this site has been experiencing some ‘glitches’ lately. I hope you can see my response? ~Blessings ♥ Diane 2 Reply cp11 hours agocpThank you, Diane, I received your answer. But obviously there are/were some technical issues - now the messages I deleted show up again … Anyway, thank you for sharing your story. I guess I can imagine a little bit how you feel concerning the loss of your sister. I am a sister, too (not Ursulas husband, as you thought). It is hard to bear. But we cannot change it, we can only try to cope with the situation. Like Ursula or your sister tried to cope with her illness. I still don‘t know how she...Thank you, Diane, I received your answer. But obviously there are/were some technical issues – now the messages I deleted show up again … Anyway, thank you for sharing your story. I guess I can imagine a little bit how you feel concerning the loss of your sister. I am a sister, too (not Ursulas husband, as you thought). It is hard to bear. But we cannot change it, we can only try to cope with the situation. Like Ursula or your sister tried to cope with her illness. I still don‘t know how she managed to – but she did. The support of this community helped her a lot. She often sent me quotes from this website. Take care, thanks for your prayers, Christina Read More2 Reply Diane9 hours agoDianeDear Christina…. I’m so happy that you did see my reply. And I’m so sorry….I shared in solidarity about losing my own sister but my brain apparently thought I was talking to her husband for a moment. Our brains are mysterious in the way they work…especially as we grow older! Perhaps you were meant to pass our sharing on to Ursula’s husband and boys when you can? (another coincidence?) It is a blessing that you visited us. Know that we are forever connected to you dear Christina th...Dear Christina…. I’m so happy that you did see my reply. And I’m so sorry….I shared in solidarity about losing my own sister but my brain apparently thought I was talking to her husband for a moment. Our brains are mysterious in the way they work…especially as we grow older! Perhaps you were meant to pass our sharing on to Ursula’s husband and boys when you can? (another coincidence?) It is a blessing that you visited us. Know that we are forever connected to you dear Christina through our mutual love for Ursi. Read More2 Reply Mica15 hours agoMicaThank you, cp – it feels good to see your sweet image again – and to hear from you. 3 Reply cp11 hours agocpHello Mica, I‘m grateful that my post delighted you. I just dropped in to say hi and thank you all for not forgetting. I know you were in touch with Ursi a lot, too. Thanks again. Hope this finds you well, Christina 3 Reply Mica7 hours agoMicaThank you, Christina – I’m well, and I hope you are too 🤗 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryMessage to Tay: I responded to your post, Tay, which by now is way down below. My response is under your post. Holly and Mica have also responded. I saw your post after 2 days. Others didn’t see it but have found it or will look for it now that I’m mentioning it. (that is if they see my post🙃😜) ♥️ Tay’s post is way down between sunnipatti’s beautiful sunrise picture and Holly’s quote that looks like a lavender bookmark. Tay’s user name is tqyqh Hope you are seeing our posts...Message to Tay: I responded to your post, Tay, which by now is way down below. My response is under your post. Holly and Mica have also responded. I saw your post after 2 days. Others didn’t see it but have found it or will look for it now that I’m mentioning it. (that is if they see my post🙃😜) ♥️ Tay’s post is way down between sunnipatti’s beautiful sunrise picture and Holly’s quote that looks like a lavender bookmark. Tay’s user name is tqyqh Hope you are seeing our posts Tay and haven’t given up on us ♥️♥️ Mary Read More3 Reply Diane1 day agoDianeGood morning lovely friends on this another prayer Tuesday…thoughts of our dear Ursula. I wonder how her family is doing? This morning during my meditations I was drawn to reflect on Grace. When these intuitive ‘nudges’ visit me, I have learned to listen to them! I read a few scriptures and listened to a beautiful Bevani flute meditation on ‘Amazing Grace’. It’s such a miracle of sorts, this Grace…to sit in its awareness is indeed amazing! It is evident everywhere around us, and w...Good morning lovely friends on this another prayer Tuesday…thoughts of our dear Ursula. I wonder how her family is doing? This morning during my meditations I was drawn to reflect on Grace. When these intuitive ‘nudges’ visit me, I have learned to listen to them! I read a few scriptures and listened to a beautiful Bevani flute meditation on ‘Amazing Grace’. It’s such a miracle of sorts, this Grace…to sit in its awareness is indeed amazing! It is evident everywhere around us, and within our lives, if we only have the eyes of the heart to see it. I am grateful for the Grace that has been extended to my imperfect self by loved ones and, of course, by the Divine. Grace is so needed during these challenging times it seems to me. This quote in particular spoke to me…from one of my very favorite authors. ~Sharing with you all with my grateful love ♥ “I do not understand the mystery of grace — only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.” Anne Lamott Read More4 Reply cp1 day agocpby the way, see what my brother in law put on her grave. she is still a member of this community … 5 Reply Palm11 hours agoPalmDear cp, it is very special for me to see this, my heart is full, thank you. Sending love and blessings to you and to the whole family. 2 Reply cp11 hours agocpDear Palm, when Ursula died, I felt near her when scrolling through all her posts on this website – and the answers to them. I remember there were quite a few of you, too. Grateful that she had you all around her, taking care, listening, sharing the same „philosophy“. All the best for you, too, Christina 3 Reply Palm4 hours agoPalmAnd I am so grateful, dear Christina, that the whole family is connected to this community, I think it’s Ursula’s wish. I only pray that the pain of her physical loss can be comforted, especially for the boys, as you said.. 3 Reply Anna14 hours agoAnnaDear cp!❤ Dear Ursula!❤ 4 Reply Mica15 hours agoMicaWow – thank you, cp! 4 Reply Diane15 hours agoDianeMy heart is smiling….thank you so much CP for sharing this. Such a beautiful tribute to her grateful heart. ♥ 4 Reply cp1 day agocpDo you believe in coincidence? I got a „nudge“ today from Gratefulness in my inbox. As I realized it is a Tuesday, I was just too curious what I would read here after such a long time of abstinence. What I found straight away was your message ... Thanks for your thoughts. That is so kind of you! To answer your question: There are still signs of her that come unexpectedly. For example, a few months ago I found a handwritten note in my daughters room that Ursula once put in an Advent calendar ...Do you believe in coincidence? I got a „nudge“ today from Gratefulness in my inbox. As I realized it is a Tuesday, I was just too curious what I would read here after such a long time of abstinence. What I found straight away was your message … Thanks for your thoughts. That is so kind of you! To answer your question: There are still signs of her that come unexpectedly. For example, a few months ago I found a handwritten note in my daughters room that Ursula once put in an Advent calendar for my parents. Another „coincidence“, I guess? Such situations make me very happy and extremely sad at the same time. On other days, I am just grateful that there was „nothing between us“ when she died, I think I would not have been able to cope with that if there had been discussions or something „unresolved“. And I am still angry that she was taken so early, especially from her boys. By the way: The note says something like „Belief is the brave faith in the source of life.“ And she quoted brother David in that. Take care, CP Read More 4 Reply Diane16 hours agoDianeDear CP....what a joy to see your response here. An unexpected blessing. Thank you so much for taking the time to share. I don't visit here as often as I used to, but on Tuesdays I post a reflection in Ursula's memory. She was the one who brought our "Prayer Tuesdays" to this sacred community. She is dearly missed. I lost my only sister in 2021 after a long illness so I know a little about what you and your sons have experienced as you continue to process the loss of your wife and mot...Dear CP….what a joy to see your response here. An unexpected blessing. Thank you so much for taking the time to share. I don’t visit here as often as I used to, but on Tuesdays I post a reflection in Ursula’s memory. She was the one who brought our “Prayer Tuesdays” to this sacred community. She is dearly missed. I lost my only sister in 2021 after a long illness so I know a little about what you and your sons have experienced as you continue to process the loss of your wife and mother. My prayers for you all continue to this day. You mentioned ‘coincidences” and I wanted to share with you that I absolutely believe in them as mysterious Divine intercessions. My belief is that our loved ones do indeed ‘visit’ us in the most miraculous way from their new homes. I hope that you will continue to feel Ursula’s presence…she is with you in more ways than we can ask or imagine. I am grateful with you that when she died, you were at peace with one another. That is a precious gift. CP….please know that Ursula was, and always will be, a beautiful spirit to all of us who knew her in this gratefulness community. We hold her close in our hearts. May you continue to feel her presence in your lives as an angel who is watching over you….by God’s grace and with His steadfast Love. ~With gratefulness and blessings ♥ Read More4 Reply cp11 hours agocpSo true. My thoughts are with you. God bless you. Christina 2 Reply Diane8 hours agoDiane🙏💕 2 Reply Mica1 day agoMica“I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” — Mark Twain – my son emailed this to me, in response to Christine’s Dutch quote that I sent him: “Man suffers the most because of the suffering he fears”. 3 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryLove both of these. Both so true! I’m signing off now Love to all!♥️ Mary 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioBye Mary! Hope to see you soon! ❤ 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioHAHAHHA… both very true! I have another along those lines, an Arabic saying, “God grants us our wishes when he wants to punish us.” 4 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaYes – “be careful what you wish for!” 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMary😂 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioI need to head off too, now, and get back to my bread making and other things! Good to see you both. I’m looking forward to Friday’s coffee!!! 1 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioThank you so much to whichever monitor or technical person has been at work trying to fix the Lounge glitch! ❤ So appreciated! 😃 3 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryHello to anyone here! Further down Holly asked what kind of tea I like. I get tea from Adagio.com. Lately I have been mixing two black teas for morning tea. In the afternoon I like a green tea called gemnachi spelling?) It’s green tea with roasted and popped rice in it. 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioWow! Those sound wonderful, Mary! I will check out that site. I drink both coffee and tea daily. I try to keep my coffee to two 8 oz cups a day, and then I drink tea. Later in the day I go for decaffeinated versions of Earl Grey, Constant Comment, or Lady Grey. There is also a tea I love from The Republic of Tea called Mate Late. Which are the black teas you are mixing? 1 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioTesting to see if I can post… 2 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaHmph – I had to login again. Lovely photo – thanks, Holly 🤗 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioYAY! Good morning, Mica! What are you going to have this morning? 😄☕ Does anyone have any suggestions for what we might call our virtual gratitude cafe? Perhaps one day we can even Zoom it. 2 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaAfter my prune juice with a tsp of psyllium husk fiber, I’m having a French press cup of Blue Bottle coffee with some soy milk and chocolate syrup in it 🙂 ☕️ 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioNICE! I’m having my usual organic fair trade Peruvian coffee from Aldi…. and I have a kitty cat crawling under my arm into my lap as I type. I think he thinks I won’t notice if he creeps in! 🐱 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryZoom would be great! I’d have to brush my hair though. 🙃😊 2 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaMe too! But I’m meeting a friend for coffee at “3 Bees” at 2 this afternoon, so I’ll brush my hair before that 🙂 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioHAHAHAH! That’s so funny because I haven’t brushed my hair either! 😂 2 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaI was deep into a science zoom at 8 this morn 🙂 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryAre you a college professor Mica? I remember Grateful Sea was very “Sciencey” too! 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioOh that’s interesting! And what are you having this morning… coffee, tea… would you like a virtual donut? they are calorie free! 😄 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryThat looks so good Holly. Okay, I think I can post too! 3 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaI was a research professor before I retired, Mary – thanks for asking 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryWhen you told me what your paper was about recently, all I can remember is something about potassium, I figured you had a lot of education in your field. It sounds like although you retired, you are still active in your field. 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in Ohio(to below) Einstein did his “thought experiments,” Mica, long before anyone proved his theory of relativity. 🙂 1 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaYup – retired and working on the origin of life [as an ‘armchair scientist’ – reading and thinking and writing but not doing experiments in a lab]. 🧪 🥼 🧫 🔬 🧬 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioWhat kind of science things were you discussing this morning? 🙂 I miss sciency discussions! 2 Reply Mica1 day agoMicaThanks for your interest, Holly. 🙂 🧪 🧫 🧬 🔬Cells have these cool things in them that are like membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria and the nucleus, but they don’t have any membrane around them, so they were called ‘membraneless organelles’. The nucleolus in the nucleus is the most famous one – it turns out they’re quite similar to structures called ‘coacervates’ that one of the first researchers on the origins of life worked on – Oparin, a Russian. So some...Thanks for your interest, Holly. 🙂 🧪 🧫 🧬 🔬Cells have these cool things in them that are like membrane-bound organelles such as mitochondria and the nucleus, but they don’t have any membrane around them, so they were called ‘membraneless organelles’. The nucleolus in the nucleus is the most famous one – it turns out they’re quite similar to structures called ‘coacervates’ that one of the first researchers on the origins of life worked on – Oparin, a Russian. So some of us origins researchers are excited about them. There’s a seminar series on zoom about them now. Read More3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioIt’s calorie free, too! (and out of my reach, sadly… just a pretty photo I found for ambiance!) If you still can’t post, try this trick… try “editing” one of your existing posts and see if that works, and then you can add on a comment. Just for fun I went to YouTube and searched “cafe noise” and put it on in the background, so while I’m here it sounds like I’m in a cafe, too! Fun. 3 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryHmmm. Calorie free?? I’ll take a half dozen then. A mixture if I may- 2 glazed, 1 chocolate, 2 with raspberry filling😲😃 and 1 Mr Ugly (Dunkin’ Donuts). Let’s throw in a several almond biscotti, while we are at it. 😁😁😁 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioOh you will have to try some paczkis! I think "fat Tuesday" is coming up, isn't it? It is a Polish filled donut, done traditionally before Lent, to use up butter, cream, and eggs which were traditionally not allowed during Lent. They fill them with all sorts of things, chocolate cream, a vanilla pudding cream, blueberry, strawberry, any kind of fruit... they are often coated on the outside with powdered sugar. Some families in our area have paczkis instead of dinner on Fat Tuesday, and stuff the...Oh you will have to try some paczkis! I think “fat Tuesday” is coming up, isn’t it? It is a Polish filled donut, done traditionally before Lent, to use up butter, cream, and eggs which were traditionally not allowed during Lent. They fill them with all sorts of things, chocolate cream, a vanilla pudding cream, blueberry, strawberry, any kind of fruit… they are often coated on the outside with powdered sugar. Some families in our area have paczkis instead of dinner on Fat Tuesday, and stuff themselves because they can’t have any donuts for Lent. Read More 3 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryYou are so creative Holly! 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryThis is my response to the paczkis! STOP!!!!😲😲😲🤯🤯🤯🤯 Oh my, those look verrry good!!! 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioI wish I had thought of that earlier. With the pandemic, all of us feel isolated from time to time. It’s funny, but those cafe sounds are so comforting! 1 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioThis morning I am grateful for the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I have been rereading Little House in the Big Woods after many years. My mother introduced me to the books. Last night I decided to look up some locations on Google Maps and was shocked to learn that the second place that Laura lived, Walnut Grove, is literally 8.3 miles from where my mother was born! Eight miles, but forty some years later. Still, it is giving me a whole new perspective. Not much changed there between Laura's life ...This morning I am grateful for the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I have been rereading Little House in the Big Woods after many years. My mother introduced me to the books. Last night I decided to look up some locations on Google Maps and was shocked to learn that the second place that Laura lived, Walnut Grove, is literally 8.3 miles from where my mother was born! Eight miles, but forty some years later. Still, it is giving me a whole new perspective. Not much changed there between Laura’s life and my mother’s, so it is a way now of learning about my mother’s early life. Dress fashions changed, and they had a few farming innovations such as an electric fence – but the homes still did not have any electricity or running water, and most of the farming was the same, the chores, the food, the schooling, getting around by wagon or sleigh – all the same. I am delighting now that I have a chance to see into my mother’s world that most people don’t get to have. So, deeply grateful. This is a photo of Laura Ingalls Wilder: Read More 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryShe is lovely! 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryOkay. It’s Tuesday at 11 eastern time. Are we starting our tea/coffee time today? 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioFor some strange reason, I haven’t been able to post! 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioYAY! Now I can post. I’ve been trying to for an hour! For some reason I could post in question of the day, but not here, and it looked like no one else could post either! whew! Time for coffee! ☕ 2 Reply Mary1 day agoMaryI’m just finishing a cup of tea. Getting a late start on my day. My iPad is having trouble today too. Hi Holly! 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 day agoHolly in OhioYes, I am thinking of Sandra and her mum, too, and many others here also, like Sparrow and Christine, and Tay who made her first post a few days ago. If you are still here, Mary, what kind of tea do you like? I’m at home also, but it is nice to be “together” in our little virtual cafe we just created! 😄 I can even imaging cafe noises in the background.
