Wow! SO much going on in Mongerland. I send you strength Therese so you can make your Dad's days happy and easy; and to Jenny that you can get a easy solution for your folks in going to a better place for them.

Well, the Land of the Hotz has been interesting. Covid is more something I encounter in media rather than locally experiencing. I would have to be in one of the safest places on the planet right now. The cost is the locals complacency, and that our vulnerable indigenous peoples see it as a white fella disease & are thus immune. Instead, I live through a crime wave of stolen cars, home invasions and domestic violence. There is currently a civil war between disaffected Aborigines and? Australian Trumpster-like rednecks. My local feed tells me what a wonderful leader he is, along with our Australian conservative leaders & that a curfew, the army, or any other heavy handed method to beat the Aborigines are the best option. It is an unpleasant town in so many ways.

Work is ridiculously busy and depressing. I send much of my time endorsing the use of all the aquifers to grow hay or hemp - to the level that shall kill all life on the surface, and turn the areas into a Sahara desert analogy. Then there is the onshore gas fracking I am forced to endorse, and so on & so on. The mandate I work under is so strict that I am forced to say yes all too often. It is exhausting. It goes completely contrary to my scientific & conservation training.

The hectic level is mad & I would work at the same level as our medical staff in hospitals during these times. I easy do the workload of 3-4 people. I feel overwhelmed, and there is nothing to stop it. Our whole group is like this, and with our state government broke, there is definitely no possibility of extra staff - and if so, they are always zoologists. This is the other killer, the higher management are quite happy for the flora section to be made incompetent from overwork, which highlights their contempt of our skills.

My manager is now a gaslighting sh!t. We are going through a restructure, and his snide emails, his over-eager? announcing of any petty error I do, and the appalling comments about my tiny unit during the review section of the restructure should have been destroying, but I do have that Battle of Britain stoicism and bravado that shows he hasn't affected me at all (I am angry more than upset or hurt). Our executive are fully aware (my manager loves to cc them into everything) & I think once he is forced to retire (as a result of the restructure), then there should be a relief. My only fear is my new manager may be a mini-Me of my current one. All new executive positions are going to be from within our division & the pool of potentials is not filling my heart with joy.

I'm counting the 9.5 years till I can retire.

Mr Boof the cat has been ill of late. He had dental surgery about 5 weeks ago & since then he has suffered from bowel extremes. A number of visits & over night stays at the vet hospital & currently a new diet hopefully shall eventually put him right.

Knitting hasn't been fun either. Two good knitting friends that I would hang out with in July were diagnosed with breast cancer in August. Both have had operations & the prognosis is very encouraging with just radiation therapy. The knitting crew are making a blanket for each. I am on the last of 8 squares & of course, my enthusiasm is low, but that bullheaded again means I shall have the last done this weekend. I too have been having additional skin cancer treatments - face, arms & upper chest. Some have been precursor melanomas, so we caught them in time, but that too isn't really making me a happy bunny.

Not an uplifting post, I fear. All this "stuff" means I barely post on FB, and I come home exhausted. Regularly Saturdays are spent sleeping to try & recover my mental strength to be bright for Monday.

The importance for me, is the outside world contact: I may be a lurker on here too often, but the stories are very important to me. Same too with items on social media - it stops me making what I am experiencing into a catastrophe & more into a tough time right now, but stay with it & it shall improve.

On Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 11:12:24 AM GMT+9:30, jacqui whittemore <jackiechris.is@...> wrote:

I am so sorry to hear about your dad. You have had far too full a plate as well! I will be sending strength and love.?

The insight timer is great - I have been using it to find meditations to do with Marguerite in the car when she gets stuck in an overwound mode.?

Meditation for fidgety skeptics is really really good, esp as an audiobook because the authors narrate it. The second author is Jeff Warren, who shares some really amazing meditations he has written.?

Sending lovingkindness to Trump was anathema to me, as well. (May you be free of suffering. May you be at peace. May you be happy. ) However, Marguerite made me see my thinking was wrong.?

She had The Great Idea that we could send a letter to Santa for Bumble, and Bumble would make a special present for Trump. This would make him happy and - presto - he would suddenly be good.? Initially, I recoiled as the last thing we need is him to get more of what seems to bring him joy (hate, discord, violence, etc). However, it isn’t that simple.?

If there are no bad babies and children have to be taught hate, joy over suffering is false joy because it is against humanity’s core nature. Thus, wishing someone awful to have peace and happiness is wishing for healing. Simply put, it is wishing for the Grinch’s heart to grow 3 sizes, not for him to pitch Cindy Lou Who’s tree off a cliff.?

Imagine how different the world could be if Trump were to have true peace - if everyone laden down by hate did. People are redeemed every day - usually because someone left a door open to a new path.? Even if Trump isn’t, cultivating that intention and desire for healing of all can only help me be less of a jerk to those I might encounter in need of an open gate (including myself). Even knowing that, it is really hard work some days...

- Jacqueline?

On Sep 15, 2020, at 8:24 PM, Therese Shere <therese.shere@...> wrote:

my dad is failing and was admitted into hospice care last week. For now there are good days and he's often his old self, but I don't think it's going to last long.

practiced regularly for a year and a half or so (often with the help of the app called Insight Timer). I draw the line at lovingkindness meditations for Trump, though.

Jacqui, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics sounds like my cup of tea - going to go check that out.

Thank you Therese, for the clarification on Stoicism.?

I did read the Dan Harris books and I also used his app for a while but now I no longer like guided meditation. I prefer to just set a timer and do a combination of mindfulness, lovingkindness and tonglen and end with mindfulness. I can spend as much time on each as I like.

Some of the basic precepts of meditation are entertainingly outlined in a series of books about the Dalai Lama's cat. The cat learns both from the Dalai Lama as well as from other teachers at Dharamsala, where His Holiness has set up his headquarters in India.?

I also learned a lot from books by Jack Kornfield and Jon Kabat-Zinn. Kabat-Zinn is more secular - he used to teach ar Harvard, iirc - but his books have a lot of techniques to deal with modern world chaos. Kornfield is a trained meditation teacher and his books are still secular but a bit more steeped in Buddhist philosophy. I listen to his podcasts as well as those by Kushala Bhikshu who is an American Buddhist monk from LA. Kushala Bhikshu is not very regular. However, I dabble in the stuff. I do as much as I need and not more.?

I found Dan Harris OK but his voice doesn't appeal to me (his writing voice, not his real voice).?

On Tue, Sep 15, 2020 at 8:24 PM Therese Shere <therese.shere@...> wrote:

I meant to thank you for those comments too, Jaya. I've also done some meditation exploring in recent years and practiced regularly for a year and a half or so (often with the help of the app called Insight Timer). I draw the line at lovingkindness meditations for Trump, though. I've come to the point of pretty much abandoning the practice except in times of upheaval. And I'm in one of those now - my dad is failing and was admitted into hospice care last week. For now there are good days and he's often his old self, but I don't think it's going to last long.

Modern (or ancient, for that matter) Stoicism is not quite what you describe, Jaya - it isn't what we mean when we say someone is stoic with a small S. It does have many commonalities with Buddhism and meditation traditions - but no mysticism. It really appeals to me because of its? faith in the rationality and wisdom of the natural world and its processes and its focus on reflection and cosmopolitanism. The idea is to be a good human, basically, and that means one who is rational (but not unemotional) and who strives for not only a better self, but for a better world for all fellow humans.

If anyone's interested LMK and I'll recommend a couple of modern Stoics who write good material for beginners. Unfortunately some of the loudest modern Stoics practice a "bro-style" stoicism that is not my kind of thing - focusing on athletics, work productivity, stuff like that. Those people are not the real deal.

Jacqui, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics sounds like my cup of tea - going to go check that out.

--Therese

Thérèse Shere
Freelance indexing & digital information design

On Tue, Sep 15, 2020 at 5:00 PM jacqui whittemore <jackiechris.is@...> wrote:

This is really interesting to hear!?

For the last few months, I have been cultivating meditation skills myself. I started with an app called Healthy Minds. It mixes guided meditations with the underlying science. So far, I have completed 24 hours active meditation (112 sessions) while walking the dog and 3 hours learning time (58 sessions). It seems like it is transforming my life and soul, enough that I plan to repeat the entire HealthyMinds curriculum using sitting meditations once I am done!?

Somehow I also stumbled upon Dan Harris’ Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, which led me into a whole world of other resources - audiobooks I listen to while walking the dogs, podcasts, additional guided meditations, and the Do Nothing project (helping me carve nonexistent time for sitting meditation). Anymore, I find most meditations too heavily guided vs the opposite (but I still am not doing more than 30 minutes at a time).?

Of all the practices, Tonglen and metta have been some of the most powerful for me, and I too have started sending loving kindness to Trump and people who seriously wounded me in past. This is not something I ever thought I would be able to do. It is great to be growing and healing myself - even if I likely am much slower and have further to go than others like you. Thanks for the inspiration, Jaya!

jacqui

Because I already know an awful lot of people. Until one of them?dies, I couldn't possibly meet anyone else.
-Audrey Hepburn, Charade

On Sep 7, 2020, at 8:07 PM, Jaya Srikrishnan <ermabom@...> wrote:

Your philosophy is very similar to the way I was raised. My mother was a Stoic and so is my uncle. Their attitude is that whatever comes is a problem that needs to be solved and one continues without complaining, focusing on the next thing that has to be tackled.?

For me these days, I am more in tune with Buddhist philosophy which is to focus on the moment. Not to focus on what was, what might have been, or what will happen. I have done Loving Kindness Meditation for people who I used to dislike a lot - even Trump. I now do a form of Tonglen meditation where one takes in other people’s problems (that are like yours or like those of people you love) and send out thoughts that heal those problems. These mental exercises help me deal with lot of situations with calm and equanimity although I am no where near being in that state most of the time.

--

Jaya

I meant to thank you for those comments too, Jaya. I've also done some meditation exploring in recent years and practiced regularly for a year and a half or so (often with the help of the app called Insight Timer). I draw the line at lovingkindness meditations for Trump, though. I've come to the point of pretty much abandoning the practice except in times of upheaval. And I'm in one of those now - my dad is failing and was admitted into hospice care last week. For now there are good days and he's often his old self, but I don't think it's going to last long.

Modern (or ancient, for that matter) Stoicism is not quite what you describe, Jaya - it isn't what we mean when we say someone is stoic with a small S. It does have many commonalities with Buddhism and meditation traditions - but no mysticism. It really appeals to me because of its? faith in the rationality and wisdom of the natural world and its processes and its focus on reflection and cosmopolitanism. The idea is to be a good human, basically, and that means one who is rational (but not unemotional) and who strives for not only a better self, but for a better world for all fellow humans.

If anyone's interested LMK and I'll recommend a couple of modern Stoics who write good material for beginners. Unfortunately some of the loudest modern Stoics practice a "bro-style" stoicism that is not my kind of thing - focusing on athletics, work productivity, stuff like that. Those people are not the real deal.

Jacqui, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics sounds like my cup of tea - going to go check that out.

--Therese

Thérèse Shere
Freelance indexing & digital information design

On Tue, Sep 15, 2020 at 5:00 PM jacqui whittemore <jackiechris.is@...> wrote:

This is really interesting to hear!?

For the last few months, I have been cultivating meditation skills myself. I started with an app called Healthy Minds. It mixes guided meditations with the underlying science. So far, I have completed 24 hours active meditation (112 sessions) while walking the dog and 3 hours learning time (58 sessions). It seems like it is transforming my life and soul, enough that I plan to repeat the entire HealthyMinds curriculum using sitting meditations once I am done!?

Somehow I also stumbled upon Dan Harris’ Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, which led me into a whole world of other resources - audiobooks I listen to while walking the dogs, podcasts, additional guided meditations, and the Do Nothing project (helping me carve nonexistent time for sitting meditation). Anymore, I find most meditations too heavily guided vs the opposite (but I still am not doing more than 30 minutes at a time).?

Of all the practices, Tonglen and metta have been some of the most powerful for me, and I too have started sending loving kindness to Trump and people who seriously wounded me in past. This is not something I ever thought I would be able to do. It is great to be growing and healing myself - even if I likely am much slower and have further to go than others like you. Thanks for the inspiration, Jaya!

jacqui

Because I already know an awful lot of people. Until one of them?dies, I couldn't possibly meet anyone else.
-Audrey Hepburn, Charade

On Sep 7, 2020, at 8:07 PM, Jaya Srikrishnan <ermabom@...> wrote:

Your philosophy is very similar to the way I was raised. My mother was a Stoic and so is my uncle. Their attitude is that whatever comes is a problem that needs to be solved and one continues without complaining, focusing on the next thing that has to be tackled.?

For me these days, I am more in tune with Buddhist philosophy which is to focus on the moment. Not to focus on what was, what might have been, or what will happen. I have done Loving Kindness Meditation for people who I used to dislike a lot - even Trump. I now do a form of Tonglen meditation where one takes in other people’s problems (that are like yours or like those of people you love) and send out thoughts that heal those problems. These mental exercises help me deal with lot of situations with calm and equanimity although I am no where near being in that state most of the time.

This is really interesting to hear!?

For the last few months, I have been cultivating meditation skills myself. I started with an app called Healthy Minds. It mixes guided meditations with the underlying science. So far, I have completed 24 hours active meditation (112 sessions) while walking the dog and 3 hours learning time (58 sessions). It seems like it is transforming my life and soul, enough that I plan to repeat the entire HealthyMinds curriculum using sitting meditations once I am done!?

Somehow I also stumbled upon Dan Harris’ Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, which led me into a whole world of other resources - audiobooks I listen to while walking the dogs, podcasts, additional guided meditations, and the Do Nothing project (helping me carve nonexistent time for sitting meditation). Anymore, I find most meditations too heavily guided vs the opposite (but I still am not doing more than 30 minutes at a time).?

Of all the practices, Tonglen and metta have been some of the most powerful for me, and I too have started sending loving kindness to Trump and people who seriously wounded me in past. This is not something I ever thought I would be able to do. It is great to be growing and healing myself - even if I likely am much slower and have further to go than others like you. Thanks for the inspiration, Jaya!

jacqui

Because I already know an awful lot of people. Until one of them?dies, I couldn't possibly meet anyone else.
-Audrey Hepburn, Charade

On Sep 7, 2020, at 8:07 PM, Jaya Srikrishnan <ermabom@...> wrote:

Your philosophy is very similar to the way I was raised. My mother was a Stoic and so is my uncle. Their attitude is that whatever comes is a problem that needs to be solved and one continues without complaining, focusing on the next thing that has to be tackled.?

For me these days, I am more in tune with Buddhist philosophy which is to focus on the moment. Not to focus on what was, what might have been, or what will happen. I have done Loving Kindness Meditation for people who I used to dislike a lot - even Trump. I now do a form of Tonglen meditation where one takes in other people’s problems (that are like yours or like those of people you love) and send out thoughts that heal those problems. These mental exercises help me deal with lot of situations with calm and equanimity although I am no where near being in that state most of the time.

I’m thrilled that you got it to work! I’ll be watching along, trying to work out how to do this so that when I can carve out a little space I can join in. It seems to me that every friendly connection we can have and maintain is going to help to get us through a very tough winter.

?

Jenny

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Ann McManus
Sent: 12 September 2020 01:04
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [yarnmongers] Zoom call interest poll

?

I agree! Thanks, Jaya!

?

I hope I will be able to connect with all of you even if just for a brief period.

?

Ann in PA

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of beryl_cathro@...
Sent: Friday, September 11, 2020 7:17 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [yarnmongers] Zoom call interest poll

?

Should have said - I’m really interested in chatting & thanks to Jaya for the idea & the work you’ve done.
Beryl

Thanks for getting us our first set time!?

I would love to hang out this weekend some if anyone else does. Spending a lot of time writing postcards. Would love to catch up at the same time. :)

- Jacqueline?

On Sep 11, 2020, at 5:33 PM, Jaya Srikrishnan <ermabom@...> wrote:

?

Jacqui’s link is in the message I am replying to. Let’s plan on a scheduled meeting on Sept 20 at 7 pm EDT, 6 pm US CDT, 4 pm US PDT, and Monday Sept 21 at 9 am for Beryl.?

Beryl I used Sydney time. I hope Port Macquarie is in the same time zone.?

In the meantime, if anyone wants to practice or just meet, let people know via the list and we can do some smaller groups as needed to get comfortable with Discord. I installed the app on my laptop. I think Jacqui used her phone.

On Fri, Sep 11, 2020 at 11:57 AM jacqui whittemore <jackiechris.is@...> wrote:

It looks like a variant of slack. To figure out how it works, I started a channel after installing the app. If you want to test with me, this is the link to my channel:

?

Not sure yet about notifications so let me know if you join/go on, and I will try and pop on so we can give it a spin!

- Jacqueline?

On Fri, Sep 11, 2020 at 11:06 AM= Melisande R. Wolf via?group= s.io<melisanderwolf@...> wrote:

I think Discord is really easy to set up and use, and I=E2=80=99m h= appy to ask the folks who set our group up, or failing that, to ask Ezra, w= ho uses it a lot.=C2=A0?

=C2= = =A0

I=E2=80=99ll add it to my to do list = for another option for us.=C2=A0 The other thing about Discord is that the = option is always there so it would be easy if a couple of people wanted to = have an ad hoc drop in meet up.=C2=A0?

=C2=A0

Melisande<= /p>

--

Jaya