39 Comments

kudos to both of you and welcome back. mi amiga all sounds so biblical to me. So it must be true.

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Gracias, mi amigo! Feels good to be back. ❤️

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I can go along with most of this and thank you but I'll agree to disagree with you guys about 'horror and thrillers'. I'm not much into the horror genre but thrillers...? Storytelling is crucial to one's mental health and catharsis, which hopefully comes with it, is instrumental in our healing. I know I have a vested interest in saying this because it is part of what I do but we are nothing without our stories. I'm sure I've quoted Muriel Rukeyser on these pages before: 'The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.'

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Good point! We seek thrills as humans. I went to Great America with my kids and they rode all the crazy roller coasters: pretty extreme feeling and I imagine adrenaline rushes all around your body!

My ma watches true crime stories. Weird fascination with thrillers that also happen to be a dramatised version of someone’s life. If I got killed, I can’t see myself be pleased with having my murder be entertainment for the masses. Can’t see my loved ones being interviewed and their emotions captured for an audience (do they pay those being interviewed?) I know that’s different than made up stories, but it came to me as a thought.

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Thank you, Gary and Tonika! Happy to say that I I checked quite a few of these wonderful and true suggestions. :)

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No doubt, you did!!

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😂😂

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Beautiful! I think my favorite was the man in a suit dancing on the beach - the element of 'unexpected' because of the contrast of his attire with the setting and his joyous movement, it grabs the attention.

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My favourite shot too.

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Wonderful, Tonika! I'm so impressed that you valued the feedback you received enough to create this antidote... it shows so much receptivity and a true desire to serve. Now if we could just get Pfizer to adopt that kind of integrity...😂

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awesome video!

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🙏

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woah! purdy crazy yer own mind also channeled the ghost of "Injun Joe!"--an' that sign too! (but it duz sound fun!) I've been in a "cavern" (much bigger than a cave)--Howe Caverns--an' they are amazin'--just wondrous bein' in a space in the earth, dark 'cept for lanterns (now LEDs...sigh, 't'ain't the same...), creepy but cool as heck (an' how!)-- Seein' all the absurd-ditties 'round us is the only way I kin wake up an' put my socks on (an' yes, it's an Auntie Dote too!) Plus it's good fer yer heart (laughter that is!)

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💯

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You're so talented.. what wonderful compliment the visual addition makes... can't wait for details of the adventures we all need to add richness to our lives... bravo encore!! <3

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Thanks, Pamela!

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Beautifully done! Wonderful healthy thoughts!

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Thank you, John! I had a thought about your "meeting authentic people" idea. Let me get settled and I'll shoot out an email.

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I'm looking forward to it! Settle and nest! Be happy, the future will always be there.

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Thank you!

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One edit. Remove chocolate from your things not to do list. If I don't have chocolate I will have to transcend this mortal coil.

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Haha. Done. Can only dark chocolate remain? Healthy and good?

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ok but I feel you may just let your life go by without the full compliment :)

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Welcome back, Tonica! Hope it was a great trip. You were missed.

This is so well done and appreciated; a natural collaboration.

Look forward to hearing bout the adventures.

BTW- I could imagine an anti-dote to anxiety series...

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I'd be interested in hearing what your antidote is! Sometimes I have to be forced to take my antidote. I get wrapped up in my diseased ways so often, the universe has to force the medecine on me. (For example, after walking everywhere in BG, I was lamenting how it would be nice to keep up that kind of physical activity, it's so easy to drive everywhere since distances in the US are so much vaster. And lo and behold, I am now rendered carless as I had to junk my car on Tuesday. 🤪 So, I'm walking everywhere regardless.)

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I like the framing of being "forced" to take the antidote (by an invisible, benevolent conspiracy) and suddenly no-car, perfect example. We do tend to get what we need, if not always what we want.

Antidotes to anxiety, for me include:

Aligning to the loving presence, consciously, absorbing and filling with it. See my entire personal field absorbing this presence. (This is relatively new and I'm quite amazed by its calming effect.)

Woods walking and tree-talking. (Which is basically being quiet)

Painting something - rocks are good.

Music that makes you happy.

Listing everything you're grateful for. (From children, to color, to lemon cupcakes - all of it.)

Remember everything we don't know.

Happy Walking - Best.

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Thanks for that inspiring list! I think my toddler and I can definitely paint some rocks!!

I’ve engaged in tree talking/listening. Their wisdom is ageless.

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👍Oh I forgot to mention wine with friends and laughing of course! Duh.

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🍷🥂🍷

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Singin' in caves, wowee! That's the beans--never been in a cave (but makes me think'a Huck Finn...an' bears!) Happy yer back in the saddle agin' Tonika, an' thanks fer introducin' yer friend Gary so eloquently an' visually too! I will take a further gander indeed.

Sounds like ya had some real adventures (visceral an' fun too!)--an' that yer travels did ya good! I think gettin' outta the Dis-jointed Dis-United States fer a bird's eye view'd away from it all'd be absolutely therapeutic! (Meanwhile herebouts it's been like Nietzsche's "eternal return"--msm playin' the same records, CreepyJoe trippin' on the same steps ('er missteps...) Whatever ya missed 'll come back again "double-plus," an' the rinse n' repeat beat goes on. ) So agin', glad yer back, it's still Bedlam!

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Hahahahaha! I love how you slide in a Nietzsche reference in between your punnery. I don't even know how to spell Nietzsche off the top of my head.

Funny you should mention Huck Finn, because at the passage of the cave was another less travelled route leading to an entry point that was gated by an iron fence. On it, hung a crude sign that said "this leads to a cavernous grave" and i immediately thought of Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher being caught in that cave and seeing the skeleton of some poor guy that had gone missing stuck at the closed off exit to freedom.

Thanks for holding the absurdity ford down. Making it fun (and funny) sure does help, speaking of antidotes!

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Woohoo! You are the Collab Queen Tonika. Having said that: travel diaries asap please.

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You got it! I thought of you often, Isaac: you and your outdoorsy ways. Especially during this one particular sunrise...

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Welcome back! I look forward to hearing more about your adventures.

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Thanks, Mathew!

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Welcome back, Tonika!! And thank you and Gary for this healing balm. What a beautiful way to celebrate your re-entry.

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Thanks, Margaret! It's good to be back. I have lots of yours in my cue, including your DE tribute video. Hope the kitties are being a great antidote for you! ❤️

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Thank you so much for making this marvellous movie, and welcome back.

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Thanks, Gary!

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