hi, Kat
keep some cold wine for me please!!!!!

It depends LW, on if I can replace the cork. If not...then guess what? I'm fixing chicken fried steak w/gravy and cole slaw and baked potatoes with some fried apples, and red wine, Yum yum.I would invite you to dinner but it would be cold by the time you got here. And the wine would probably be gone.
Kat

~ Where LOVE Comes From ~
by Abra

~~~

Love comes from children’s smiles
and their innocence of heart

Love comes from friendly words
and the feelings they impart

Love comes from you and me
when we let our spirit glow

Love comes from all around us
it’s in all the friends we know

Love comes from Scttrbrain
in every post she writes

Love comes from Walker’s words
as he shares his life’s delights

Love comes from Bl8ant
though her screen-name doesn’t show it

Love comes from Abra
as it should from every poet

Love comes from Aussie Lee
from way below the belt

Love comes from Artgurl too
as I’m sure you all have felt it

Love comes from Invisible
though is clearly plain to see

Love comes from Chubby Cherub
to the souls of you and me

Love comes from Redykeulous
as silly as that sounds

Love comes from A Different Wench
and continually expounds

Love comes from Rainbow Slider
or “Hilly Billy Hobo Hick”

Love comes from AB too
like a flaming candle wick

Love is all around us
in everyone who’s here

So make a friend at “Just Say Hi!”
and help to spread the cheer

Love comes in many forms
and helps us all to grow

Love is that which lifts us up
to a spiritual plateau

Love is in the air
Love is everywhere

Love is nothing more
than showing that you care

~~~

(Abra 7/30/07)

James thanxs for coming back my friend

Fine Abra...don't say anything to me.

Kat

Sorry Kat, I just kind of skip through here every once in a while anymore. I've been spending a lot of time studying music theory and composing.

I'm not sure why the sudden interest in writing music. It must be god's will because I don't remember choosing it. (ha ha)

When my mother died I needed to do something to keep from going crazy. As you know my mother required my full-time care for several years before she died. So when she passed on there was suddenly a huge void in my life. No more purpose to live. So rather than follow her into the hereafter I decided to drown myself in music. Not listening to it, but playing it.

I bought a piano and started to learn to play it. But that wasn't enough. So I bought a violin and started learning that too. But that still wasn't enough so I got out my old classical guitar and learned to play all three instruments.

I've been doing that for the past two years. Last month I bought a flute and clarinet. I'm playing them now too. I have a trumpet and cello on order now. (ha ha)

I’d like to have an oboe, a marimba, and a French horn too, but my bank account says no.

I'm gonna be a one-man band I think. (ha ha)

Although, in truth, I have absolute no desire or plan on becoming a performer. This is purely a closet hobby. I find myself becoming interested in writing orchestrations and so I'd like to have one of each instrument to become familiar with. I find that there is a certain spiritual incentive associated with knowing an instrument first hand.

I have no other purpose in this life. I’ve given up on trying to find a partner. I have serious doubts about the sincerity of any woman to be quite honest about it. I have no clue what they are looking for in a man but it isn’t me. Seems to me that they prefer traits that I’d just rather not be associated with.

I have my cat, piano, violin, guitar, clarinet, flute, cello, and trumpet. What more do I need? Besides, if I got a woman now she’d go crazy listening to me practice all these stupid instruments! She’d need to be totally insane. Of course that’s the only kind of women I like anyway.

Well, there you go, you got a whole ramble out of me now. How’s that?

That was great Abra. You are something aren't you?

Well, there are plenty of crazy women on here. Whats the prob? At least you have the talent to learn all those things...apparently. I play a pretty mean stereo. I was learning the guitar but we divorced. Then my other teacher died. I am so bored with my side of life right now, I can't hardly swallow. I've begun to feel a little anxiety-like.

Anyway...at least we are still amongst the living. Here is better than nowhere.

Kat

I never said I could play anything well. It doesn't take talent to try. (ha ha)

I'm having fun though and that's the bottom line.

I suppose I could trash all these instruments if the right woman came along. But I think these instruments have found a a pretty safe haven if that's what it's going to take to trash them.

Fortunately I live in the sticks so there are no neighbors to complain. I noticed that there isn't much wild life around here anymore though. Could it be my music is driving them away? (ha ha)

‘christian34tn’,

let me first say that I genuinely respect your point of view,
… and figured, for debating sake, that sharing the other side of the coin on which I live, might offer balance to this great topic you’re raising here.

I'm a Caucasian, ‘culturally catholic’ , upper-upper middle class, symphonic music-poetry-museum-philosophy-litterature-history-theatre-opera-and-sailing-LOVING boy of 52.

According to the 'list' you have posted ‘christian34tn’, I've done it all wrong and should immediately leave the woman I adore, have been married to for 34 years, and with whom I share three amazing (in our eyes) kids, about to make us grandparents.

My partner in life has completely different tastes, and most completely different convictions in just about everything, speaks a different language than I, is of a different cultural religious background than I. When we first met, we noticed we both had unresolved issues with parents, and figured that these differences didn’t matter in the end. They were just there to teach us to face our own differences in our then starting relationship together. HOW NAÏVE OF Us !!! (sarcasm without judgement) and I could go on with every point on the list, I fail on each and everyone of them.

OF COURSE I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE THIS ANGEL I'VE SHARED MY LIFE WITH ALL THESE YEARS!!!

So what'S the other side of the coin:

Really IMO, PEOPLE MUST LEARN EVERYDAY, and every moment, TO LIVE TOGETHER WITHOUT A NET!!! No guaranty ever! People will be insecure human beings and will keep trying to lower the risk of living with totally unrealistic ‘checklists’. But it is in vain. The risk of living is a human (reptilian + lymbic brains) fabrication. Whatever risk we fabricate, imagine, and scare ourselves with, cannot go away. We keep making it up.

A checklist won’t change that. It will just enforce further this illusion of fear of life, fear of others, and fear in ourselves!!! Human beings will not be living as ONE with this approach anytime soon. (IMO)

CHECKLISTS, however virtuous in one’s eyes, WILL NEVER MAKE IN WITH HUMANITY.

People are condemned to keep inventing ways of relating with each other in the moment, regardless of ‘background checklists’, ... or they will keep living in fear of 'the other' for the reaminder of human history(no living at all); CHOSE!!!

Inventing ways, moment by moment of relating powerful to each other (all and every possible 'others' on the planet, never mind just a mate) : THAT’S OUR ONLY REAL MISSION AND JOB ON THIS EARTH (maybe?!?!?, and IMO).

Not to be a copy cat but I have to agree with voileazur.

People aren't new cars that can be ordered up with all the accessories that you would like. To me it seems like theres so much focus on the floor matts and the radio that you forget what matters: will it take you where you want/need to go?

A lot of people here seem to feel that the more they have in common with their partner the better. I can't say I agree. It's great to have some things you share but really if you want a clone that never challenges or surprises you then I think you're going to get bored pretty quickly. Obviously, that's just my opinion...

anoasis wrote:
“It's great to have some things you share but really if you want a clone that never challenges or surprises you then I think you're going to get bored pretty quickly.”

For me, finding a clone of myself would be the most highly unlike scenario I can imagine. I actually think that would be pretty cool if possible. Even an exact clone of myself would challenge me. Hell, I even challenge myself all the time! I mean, even having a clone for a partner has to be less boring than living alone right?

On the other hand, having an extreme opposite isn’t going to be too healthy either. For example, I’ve gone to great lengths to escape city life. I loath city life. Well, if I had a partner who thrives on city life that would be a total disaster.

I think for a homebody to hook up with a party animal would be a disaster. Sometimes it just makes sense to have some level of compatibility and interests.

My sister was into theater, arts, and socializing (she was also strongly against animal cruelty and she is vegetarian too). She married a man who was into pick-up trucks, hunting, fishing, and doing all of this alone. They were highly incompatible and it resulted in a terrible 25 year marriage that finally ended in a very bitter and resentful divorce. Neither partner was a “bad person”, they were simply incompatible on far too many levels.

I might add also that my sister was very family-oriented and into her kids, whilst her husband was very self-oriented and not into being a father much either.

Yes, if I had a choice between extreme compatibility versus extreme incompatibility I’d definitely choose the clone of myself. I’m versatile enough that if I seriously had a clone I can’t imagine either of us ever getting bored. Hell, I don’t even get bored living alone, how could I get bored living with a clone? Even a clone would see the world from a different perspective, have slightly differnet experiences, and therefore opinions. Even a clone wouldn’t be *identical* actually.

Yep, give me clone. I’d love to find a clone of myself. Send her right over I’ll be waiting with open arms! At least I’d now that she’s completely honest, sincere and extremely patient and forgiving. And not likely to get bored easily.

Moreover, we could play duets together. :o)

And she’d NEVER complain if we NEVER went out. She’d be just as content to stay home as I am. She’d be happen in ragged blue jeans and flat-bottom shoes. She’d help me work on the truck and tractors. She’d help me build things in the woodshop and never complain that we make all our own furniture. We’d keep a nice garden together and plant flowers all around our cottage. In fact she’d thrive on living with me in story book forest! She'd help me make stain glass windows and we'd paint watercolors on Sunday mornings. She’d even study quantum mechanics and differential calculus with me and actually LIKE IT! This is too good to be TRUE!

Oh YES! Gimmie a CLONE! I’m in LOVE with her ALREADY!

Abra- I was actually thinking more of a moderate approach- where the couple has some common values and goals but accepts some differences as added spice...

But now I'm laughing so hard at you and your clone that I can barely remember my point... I think I just don't like the "shopping list" approach to finding a partner. To me you love who you love and then you both have to be flexible about the differences.

I hope you find your non-identical twin... I wish you the best of luck.

Well, I sure hope I am not one of those that people think wants, needs a clone. I do not want anything of the sort. I want a free thinker. A man that knows himself, and has mutual beliefs. Not necessarily the same belief, but if it is about God then that is pretty close to perfect for me. He has to without a doubt, believe in God. Otherwise, a main part of my life would be lost. Lost; because I would not be able to praise my Lord around him and would have to keep my thoughts and beliefs to myself. That would be totally unfair to my heart. I would never want to do that to anyone. So, I know that we have to have mutual beliefs.

Kat

Abra!! I kinda like your clone too. All except for the Quantum mechanics and Calculus, I'm in love.

Kat

Natural, unimposed and nurturing compatibilities, together with the right dosage of complimentary differences, is very distinct from the 'imposed moralistic checklist' exercise of shopping for the puppy!!! :)