Greetings,
I don't buy gifts so I don't think about Christmas shopping, but I still like to spend money

Tonight I went out to the small health foodl store nearby and managed to spend a fortune on vitamins and a couple of food things. But this is ok, because we need the vitamin.
Then I went to office depot to buy a shredder. I need to go through boxes of paper work. Yeah, when I moved into the new apt. I couldn't deal with sorting and tossing stuff. Now all the"stuff" is starting to bother me again. Time to shred. And shredders are practical.

One time, and only one time, in my whole life, I went shopping shopping on the morning of the Friday after Thanksgiving. My friend begged me to go with her for a deal she found in the paper. I b'tched about getting up early but went with her and then came home and took a nap.

I miss her.

mari

We had thanksgiving dinner 2 days in a row.
Thanksgiving day...some new friends of ours from the UU fellowship here...
today as some friends of ours that we went to spain for their wedding...
Wonderful food both days!
We just got invited to a couples house for dinner tomorrow night.
3 days of social gatherings is a first for us.
I have been doing fine with socializing with the group of people...tomorrow will jsut be the 4 of us.
I am going to venture to Micheals for a coupon of 50% off a single item...going to make some ear rings for my sister for christmas and need some more beads.
It is close to home so that should be fine..I could actually walk if it is nice outside.
bizi

Dear Mari
I am so sorry you miss your friend...is she the one who died?
Right now I seem to like to spend money too. I once bought a shredder but it didn't last long. Maybe it wasn't expensive enough.
I haven't been buying in brick and mortar stores in a long time. Ebay and amazon are the way I go. Last night I just won a rug for my entrance way.
I can't wait to see it in person. I furnished the whole front part of my apartment at ebay.
I keep on wondering why you don't get one or two kittens...is it way out of the question? ps did you read that folic acid is good for preventing heart attacks and I think strokes...have to read the article again..you can google it under google news...
Bobby

dear Bizi
that is so great about your social life and your not getting hypomanic as a result. that is a lot of stimulation. congratulations on starting jewelry making.
How long have you been doing it? Last night my friend told me about Jay Strongwater and I looked at his designs on ebay and at his website and his history. I had never heard of him before.
A former friend took an interest in jewelry making and took classes and then started working in gold and then started to work for some local jewels and eventual quit her job and just did that. She had her post phd in chemistry or something and had a good paying job but was miserable. I should look her up on the net to see if she became successful. I know she had shows. Now that I think about it I wonder if she were bipolar, she was such an extremist...she would subsist on four hours of sleep a night or less I think while she worked and did her jewelry making.
Bobby

{{{Mari}}} Sorry about your friend.

Bizi, it sounds like you are doing good.

Bobby, I too do most of my shopping online.

The only shopping I've done this week is grocery shop. I cannot get into Holiday shopping yet.

befuddled2

Dear MyMorgy,

Yes, my friend is the one who died. I used to speak to her at least once a day and saw her often. I still pick up the phone half thinking I could call her. And I still have lots of questions to ask her.

Mostly I try to remind myself that she was an extraodinary gift in my life for about 20 years. And I remind myself that I helped her as much as she helped me.
Eventually, my mood/energy level will improve enough to cultivate new friends. But now I have no one except hubby, my sister on the phone, and my friend's daughter who does not like to be close to people. I'm not close to my mom even though we have perfunctory phone conversations every week or two.

Tonight I asked hubby to drive me to the daughter's house to check on the three cats while she is out of town for Thanksgiving weekend.
Indoor cats creep me out. The litter box would be too hard for me to keep up -- even the electronic ones. And it would break my heart to get closw to a kitty and than have to make decisions about medical care or worse.

When I was little I used to hang outside with my outdoor cats. We lived way out in the the country ona small farm so maybe cats being outside then is not as dangerous for them as it is now.

Mari

dear Mari
it takes a very long time to stop mourning the loss of your very dear friend.
I lost a very close friend when I was twenty eight and she was thirty. She died of leukemia. I read everything I could get my hands on on death and dying....not on God or faith...obviously now years have gone by. I always thought she was head and shoulders above me and I was one of the strays she took in. She had leukemia and was sick for three years. Towards the very end, I was praying she would die. I couldn't stand to see her suffering anymore. After that I went into mourning. Now what brings me the greatest comfort is not the memories of our friendship but knowing that she was so much an integral part of my life for a period of time, short as it was. She made my life so much richer. I wish I had had the insight then to realize it instead of just facing the pain of loss. The loss of a dear friend is so very great....
Bobby