Blast. It's just never gonna end, is it?

There has been a lot of change and weirdness, but no real stop.

The super wonky bit didn't really start happening for me until December of last year.

I've only used the cream for one month, so no real data on benefit.

We'll see!

I was wondering if I had stopped early - i think everything is done and I am 51 . I'm glad to hear 51 isn't really early

Someone, I think it was one of my doctors, said that it wasn't unusual to stop early if you start early. I was 9, so it seemed only fair.

I stopped this year (46). Apparently the range is 45-55, so while I'm a bit early it's not worrisomely so. It's not like I had reproductive plans, other than to not do so.

I'm glad the wake went well, Connie. You are quite a woman.

Hear hear. Connie, I'm reading your posts and I'm in awe.

I'm guessing (Hoping!!) that your sister was not called up for duty. Is she free and clear? Hope so.

Thank God, IDF was stupid and exempted her from the reserve duty she originally was supposed to do. She's in the South now, as a student. The city she's in is getting hit by rockets/leftovers of rockets (thank you, Iron Dome) 3-5 times a day. Not good for her PTSD (though I'm the one who heard a motorcycle accelerating today and nearly had a panic attack. They sound so much like a beginning of a siren).

I have once removed nieces who are in combat units, but they're not in Gaza now. I have a handful of friends who are in reserve duty but none of them is there right now.

Oh Shir, I can only imagine the stress level. The news seems worse every time I listen.

Shir, I'm so sorry for your loss an for the stress of your daily life. I cannot imagine it.

I try to avoid the news as much as possible. The way they're being transmitted here is one of the main factors of stress and despair. I read the headlines in websites instead. 20-30 seconds in and out, several times a day, and a 5 minutes news updates in the morning/evening via radio. The rest feels like ongoing blabbering, trying to justify all of this. I can't bear to listen to any of this for more than two minutes. I just can't.

(But it's OK. We're the lucky side. I have shelters and sirens. And a routine to maintain in the middle of it all. The last one is the hardest part).

Shir, you're very brave, I hope you and your family and friends will be all right, and that this all will stop soon. It's all so terrible.

I can't bear to listen to the news for more than a couple minutes and I am thousands of miles away. Keeping up some level of optimism in the midst of such extremism and bullheadedness on all sides would seem hopeless.