ND and I are dealing with some really stressful situations right now—one financial and one familial—and would appreciate any positive vibes you could send our way.

Update:

Aunt Katherine has Pulmonary Fibrosis and is on Prednisone.

Thanks for all the ~ma, any bit helps.

Much ~ma, DCJ.

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As some of you know, I talked about a vacation in the U.S. and it seems like it will actually happen this summer, around June and July. I'll finally be able to see you guys, yay!

Now, as a young watcher said once, it's all about the preparation. So I made a spreadsheet with questions for you to fill to help me plan my vacation and understand the perfect route so I'll be able to meet as many of you as possible in person. I know it might be too early to know for many of you, but I just need to have a general idea about destinations - that is, where I'm gonna land in the flight(s) from Israel, and where I'm gonna take off from back to my country. The sooner I know, the cheaper the tickets will be.

Want to meet/help me and fill that spreadsheet? Most excellent, thank you! Email me in profile addy and I'll give you access to it, and the rest of the conversation can take place in F2F.

May I please have some interview ~ma at 2pm?

My nephew, Joseph, is going in for the first of two surgeries to remove a large birthmark from his leg. Please send the ~~ma that he comes out of it just fine and that my sister and her husband keep their strength throughout the process. He's 2 and it's minor, but ... he's 2.

For the Bronzers among us, our Terri "Ducky' Riddle passed away, this weekend.

I can't remember if I asked for health-ma in here or not for my brother, who has been bed-ridden and not responding well to PT following an operation on his back that was supposed to IMPROVE his mobility, and has done the opposite, but I got good news today. He's been able to take a few steps using parrallel bars, and also been able to stand for relativley long periods of time also using the bars.

This is big - it's the difference between moving into managed care or worse, and being able to stay in his home with his boy friend. I'm hoping this is just the tip of the recovery, but am trying not to be to overly optimistic. Still, this is a major step in the right direction (pun absolutely not intended).

I couldn't be prouder of my lovely, awesome husband.

He had a short story accepted into an anthology a few months ago and here it is!! He's searchable on Amazon!!

[link]

I have a new piece up at Hilobrow about Lou Andreas Salome, a woman best known for her close relationships with Nietzsche, Rilke and Freud, but worth knowing in her own right.

Lou on Hilobrow

If you are so inclined, please like it at the Hilobrow sight or retweet or whatevs.

(side note: not entirely loving the edit it received. I would never end a piece like that, man!)

Mom medical update. Her cancer is growing (but pretty slowly) and treatment is contraindicated. The prognosis is that she has up to 18 months before it metastasizes and her quality of life starts to go away. So, not good news but not horrible either.