No use for the Confederate flag. Take it down.

I was born in the South. The South already has a flag. It's called the Stars & Stripes, and this is what it looks like:

Take down the Confederate flag or secede from the United States. We have no need for you racists.

Finding Yggdrasil

So, I was in the front room and happened to glance over to my right for some reason. Then I noticed this round object sitting in the middle of a large candle. It was an Yggdrasil (tree of life) pendant. I have no idea whose it is. But I've never seen it before. 

Although I'm new to Norse mythology, I recognized it. I began studying Norse mythology after learning about my Norwegian/Viking ancestry. 

Interesting thing to turn up out of the blue, eh?

A 'good' psychopath? Not sure there is such a thing!

My score--a low 15%. So it appears I could be psychopath bait, something I already knew. Fortunately for me, I've encountered people who are high on the psychopathic scale, so at least I have that experience going for me.

"You are warm and empathic with a heightened awareness of social responsibility and a strong sense of conscience. You like to carefully weigh up the pros and cons of a situation before you act and are generally averse to taking risks. You are very much a 'people person' and dislike conflict. 'Do unto others...' are your watchwords. But, although you avoid hurting others, those residing at the higher end of the psychopathic spectrum might not be as considerate, so stay vigilant to avoid being hurt unnecessarily."

Take the test here:

http://www.thegoodpsychopath.com

More thoughts about suffering from Lipedema

Just found a page where a lady who has Lipedema is having her 6th surgery to keep from progressing to Stage 3.

I'm at Stage 2, and I'm horrified at what Stages 3 and above look like. Right now all I can do is MLD (Manual Lymph Drainage) and compression garments. But I doubt our insurance would pay for that many surgeries, if any. I wouldn't WANT to get to the point where surgery is the next step, but this disease is so insidious in its progression that it could happen.

I'm sure it's a drag for some people to read these posts because it doesn't impact their lives. Let's be honest: if it doesn't affect you, why should you care? But I have to talk about this, even if it's to myself. I think about this disease all the time. Mainly because I see what it's doing to my lower legs on a daily basis. I hope I can stay at Stage 2. I can't go backward. I can only hope to stay where I'm at. Yes, I'm afraid.

Thank goodness I have a loving husband who says he'll be there with me no matter what happens. He loves me for me, and that's a rarity these days -- or so it seems.

Writing for the right reasons, and the wrong ones

I'm going to be honest here: I'd rather work on my OWN crappy writing than someone else's crappy writing. Mainly because they never appreciate it. I have no illusions -- I know my writing isn't perfect and never will be.

However, some people who haven't written anything since high school and who don't give a whit about books or literature think they're going to pick up a pen and turn out the next bestseller. They can't be bothered to read, but they somehow believe that they are Next Big Thing.

The worst part? They'll tell you how great they are and how their work overshadows that of Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Yeah...highly unlikely. And even if you *think* that, it's gauche to tell other people.

Unlike many others who believe they're above everyone else, I'm well aware that there's always room for improvement, no matter who you are. Although I've been a professional writer for 18 years and had hundreds of short pieces and articles published and several books published (through traditional publishers, mind you), I will NEVER get to the point where I think my crap doesn't stink. I will also never proclaim to know every single thing about writing. I don't. Nobody does! Not even famous authors. Writing is about the journey, NOT the destination. It's about learning and discovery.

A writer writes. However, there's a difference between a person who would write even if they were a millionaire (because they are DRIVEN to) and a person who doesn't give a shit about the craft and beauty of writing. Such a person only wants to try and earn a bunch of money from throwing their book up on Kindle or Smashwords for the sole purpose of cash. They couldn't care less about readers or anything else. These people know nothing about the publishing industry and are only writing in hopes of making a quick buck. It's obscene and distasteful, at least to me.

So yeah, I prefer to work on my own writing -- even when it's crappy and isn't the best thing in the world. The time is much better spent than dealing with thankless jerks who don't care anything about writing or literature. Hey, they know everything anyway, so let them have at it while the rest of us spend time working on our stuff. The rest of us have lots to learn, and we aren't afraid to admit it. Oh, and shove them a piece of humble pie before you shut the door in their faces. Goodness knows they need it.

How some women give the rest of us a bad name

Thoughts after reading comments on a FB page geared toward women (and why I'll unlike that page):

I'm a woman, and I gotta say that way too many women are catty, two-faced bitches that will stab you in the back at a moment's notice. They're too cowardly to stab you in the front -- it's always the back when you least expect it.

Not talking about you guys, of course. If you were like that, you'd be off this page as soon as I recognized that behavior. Who needs that kind of shit in life? Not me. I have enough to contend with.

The behavior exhibited by many women is the reason I prefer to hang around males and other women who are more like me. For many women, it's not about supporting other women or encouraging them. It's about superficiality, competition, and jealousy/envy. Quite the shame. It doesn't cost a damn thing to be HAPPY for someone else's success or good fortune. There's no shortage of those things, and I believe the more you're happy for other people, the better things you attract in your own life. It doesn't take away from you to congratulate others or be inspired by them.

You are YOU and there's nobody else like you. The only person you should compete with to improve is YOURSELF. Who gives a shit what the other person's hair looks like, where they got their nails done, how many shoes they have, what their cologne smells like? I sure as hell don't! I'm me and I'll dress as I like, fix my hair like I want, wear my nails as I see fit, and choose the cologne I want to wear. You do your thing, I'll do mine. I'm an individual and NOT any of you, and I'm happy about that.

I got a whole bunch of flack in high school because I had plenty of guy friends. Inevitably, other females thought I was screwing all of them, not realizing that I wasn't and that it is possible to be platonic friends/buddies with males. I've done it my entire life. I preferred to hike in the woods or Garden of the Gods with my male buddies than sit by a pool tanning any old day. Besides, I have fair skin, so it's a cycle of burn and peel with me, not tan ;-).

When I see such petty behavior on pages geared toward women, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. It makes me not want to participate in that page. I don't expect those types of women to change, and that's sad and frustrating for the rest of us who are female.