Elf Heaven
View allAll Photos Tagged paralysis
It is not true on Earth
that there is no island for both of us to go to.
Will be somewhere for us
an island and a corner for our dream.
Somewhere there is the island that we will live together.
Somewhere there is,
They may keep it as a secret
and maybe that's why I can't find it on the map.
There is an island somewhere
only for us in the universe.
Which has its golden sand,
its sea is sanctified.
Somewhere there is an island
without bad guys, do not doubt.
I do not say words of the moment
or words of paralysis.
Not everything is lost for us
and since you are fighting with hopes,
something will show up.
It's all a matter of tactics
to see the fate that will touch you.
Somewhere there is an island
that I owe you at some point like a toy
to play like a small child
and forget that there are dragons on Earth.
Choosing a seat seems easy, but when one is inundated with choice, the task can be harder than it seems. One effect, paradoxically, is that it produces paralysis, rather than liberation. Try it yourself! Log on to Netflix and let me know if it’s just me.
Town Hall, Sydney
November, 2019
A calm wave washed over the sleeping one. However, it didn't feel like sleep at all for the spirits were wide awake. Whispering in her ears, chattering through the night and tiptoeing around her dreams. She enjoyed their presence. The reality of her being. The denials she dismissed coming to haunt her and taunt her.
And yet, she laid on her aspirations comfortably. She knew well that only time would be her battle. Meanwhile, her insecurities can hang around and bully her while she dreams of better tomorrows. Always.
TP: Raion No Su
The lionfish, a longstanding showstopper in home aquariums, is a flourishing invasive species in U.S. Southeast and Caribbean coastal waters. This invasive species has the potential to harm reef ecosystems because it is a top predator that competes for food and space with overfished native stocks such as snapper and grouper. Scientists fear that lionfish will also kill off helpful species such as algae-eating parrotfish, allowing seaweed to overtake the reefs. In the U.S., the lionfish population is continuing to grow and increase its range. This is largely because lionfish have no known predators and reproduce all year long; a mature female releases roughly two million eggs a year.
The spines of this species deliver a venomous sting that can last for days and cause extreme pain, sweating, respiratory distress, and even paralysis to predators, or in some cases, an unsuspecting human.
© MD ROKIBUL HASAN
Please seek permission before use.
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The yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamis platurus) is found in the open ocean from Africa eastward across the Pacific to the west coast of the Americas. It spends all its life in marine environments. It feeds and gives birth far from any coastline and is helpless if washed ashore, whereas other sea snakes live in coastal waters of estuaries and coral reefs.
Sea snakes are extremely venomous in order to be 100% efficient in quickly immobilizing fish in the water without risking the prey escaping or struggling. On rare occasions, critically envenomated victims of yellow-bellied sea snakes may die from muscle paralysis that leads to respiratory failure.
N.B.: This snake was found at the seashore of a remote island at the Bay of Bengal, probably washed ashore during the tide. It was carried back to the sea in shallow water. Mysteriously though, it seemed reluctant to stay at the shore, so was not carried into the deep water but kept in a suitable water depth so that it can swim back to the sea if it wishes to.
It would be highly appreciated if you share your knowledge regarding this phenomenon, why it wanted to stay at shore. TIA
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
Some time ago I visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐱 Remember Pompón? Our beloved feral cat, now a resident at the sanctuary, whom we saved from a tragic fate.
🐾 APCA.UY
This is Milo, one of the felines in recovery at APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
In the photo, Milo had been admitted to the center a few days earlier, I am pleased to say that he is much better now.
🐾 APCA.UY
trust
Trust in yourself, and you will find the point of helplessness;
trust in people and you will learn to understand your illusions
to lose.
Forward is paralysis,
backwards is not possible,
left and right is just confusion;
so stay where you are,
do not worry,
but cautiously and with Respect, I learn a new kind of trust.
( it feels like a Healing )
Franzisko
GOD is GOD-J.Baez
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
Bill spotted this little guy as we were making our way thru the dark forest.
Secretion of toxins through the skin protects the newt from predators, and should therefore not be handled with bare hands. The red colors of the adult newt also act as a warning sign for predators. Its ventral surface has poison glands, which makes it reluctant for predators to eat. This special toxin is known as tetrodoxin. Several studies have found that newt larvae increase the production of this toxin while in the presence of predators (dragonflies). Tetrodoxin is known to cause muscle paralysis, skin irritation, and even death in predators. The Eastern newt also has a greater tail depth and is capable of swimming quickly away from aquatic predators.
Narzissen enthalten wie alle Amaryllisgewächse „Amaryllidaceen-Alkaloide“. Je nach Art können dies unterschiedliche sein. Die Gelbe Narzisse beispielsweise enthält die Alkaloide Narcissin, Galantamin und Lycorin.
Für die Pflanze stellen die Alkaloide einen natürlichen Schutz gegen Parasitenbefall und weidende Pflanzenfresser dar: „Fraßschutzgifte“. Narzissen enthalten außerdem Fructane und niedermolekulare Glucomannane, die unter anderem in den Blättern und Pflanzenstängeln reichlich enthalten sind.
Zu Vergiftungen kommt es gelegentlich, weil die Zwiebeln im Ruhezustand denen der Küchenzwiebel sehr ähnlich sehen. Der Verzehr von Narzissenzwiebeln kann zu Würgereiz, Erbrechen, Diarrhoe, Schläfrigkeit, Schweißausbruch, Benommenheit, Kollaps und Lähmungserscheinungen führen. Bei sehr großen Dosen kann es auch zum Tod kommen.
Like all amaryllis plants, daffodils contain "amaryllidaceae alkaloids". Depending on the species, these can be different. For example, the yellow daffodil contains the alkaloids narcissine, galantamine and lycorine.
For the plant, the alkaloids represent a natural protection against parasite infestation and grazing herbivores: "anti-feeding poisons". Daffodils also contain fructans and low-molecular glucomannan, which are found in abundance in the leaves and plant stems, among other things.
Poisoning occasionally occurs because the onions look very similar to those of the kitchen onion when they are at rest. Consuming daffodil bulbs can cause retching, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, sweating, drowsiness, collapse and paralysis. In very large doses, death can also occur.
This image ended up as one of my prints over time. I named it static because it represents times in life where you feel utterly unprepared and Ill equipped for the happenings that life is forcing on top of you and paralysis sets in.
At the time I was in the middle of that kind of storm . I'm not sure where the idea actually came from but it hit me one morning so I got in the car with the chair and drove to the river and setup . This was/is the result.
Four legs and completely unable to swim. Life can and does feel that way at times.
Nikon D-7100
Nikkor 28mm 2.8 AI.
2019
Shot taken at Elders Hollow
For many generations the Anasazi were hard taskmasters over the Diné, forcing them to carry wood and corn on their backs for long distances and perform menial acts of service. Eventually, a large and handsome man came from the east, appearing to 'rise out of where the sky and earth join together. He carried with him a long rod or staff. When he came amongst the Diné, he saw how they were being treated by the people who dwelt in the stone houses in the cliffs north of the San Juan River and he was very much displeased.' he told them to stop this harsh treatment, but they replied they were 'the greatest people in the world' and would do as they pleased. The stranger counselled the Diné that at the next moon they should prepare a feast of turkeys, rabbits, corn, paper bread, and other delicacies and serve it at places on the south bank of the San Juan and Little Colorado rivers. They sent runners to the cliff dwellers, who were 'great gluttons' and responded in large numbers. 'They were first to cross from along the north bank of the San Juan River as the feast was spread along the south bank for a distance of about four miles, and as the horde of cliff dwellers came forward to take part in the feast, they rushed to cross the river.' The stranger waited until they were in the middle of the river, then raised his arm to the level of his chest, twice waved his rod, and uttered some magic words. The Anasazi turned into fish instantly. He then faced westward and southwestward, pointed his rod in each direction, said the same magic words, and all the remaining cliff dwellers were struck with lockjaw and paralysis of the arms and the legs. They died within four days. By then, the Diné had eaten the feast they had prepared.
McPherson, R.S. "Sacred Land, Sacred View "
♫ The Lumineers | Pretty Pictures in My Mind ♫
I recently visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
Some time ago I visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
Contradicciones ..... triste porque te has ido, feliz porque ya has dejado de sufrir.
Siempre en nuestros corazones.
Contradictions ..... sad because you're gone, happy because you've stopped suffering.
Always in our hearts.
"La esclerosis lateral amiotrófica (o ELA) es una enfermedad del sistema nervioso central, caracterizada por una degeneración progresiva de las neuronas motoras en la corteza cerebral (neuronas motoras superiores), tronco del encéfalo y médula espinal (neuronas motoras inferiores). La consecuencia es una debilidad muscular que puede avanzar hasta la parálisis, extendiéndose de unas regiones corporales a otras. Amenaza la autonomía motora, la comunicación oral, la deglución y la respiración, aunque se mantienen intactos los sentidos, el intelecto y los músculos de los ojos. El paciente necesita cada vez más ayuda para realizar las actividades de la vida diaria, volviéndose más dependiente.
La expectativa de vida de un paciente con ELA promedia aproximadamente dos a cinco años a partir del momento del diagnóstico. La ELA afecta aproximadamente a 5 de cada 100,000 personas en todo el mundo"
"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease of the central nervous system, characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex (upper motor neurons), brainstem, and spinal cord (lower motor neurons). The consequence is muscle weakness that can progress to paralysis, spreading from one body region to another. It threatens motor autonomy, oral communication, swallowing and breathing, although the senses, intellect and eye muscles remain intact. The patient needs more and more help to carry out activities of daily living, becoming more dependent. the life expectancy of an ALS patient averages approximately two to five years from the time of diagnosis ALS affects approximately 5 in 100,000 people worldwide."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=duC14q_P_k8
Believe in Angels - The Crow
Gracias a todos por vuestras visitas y comentarios.
Thank you all for your visits and comments.
The snow finally returned yesterday...a slow, light snow resulting in about 4 inches of accumulation. A bit brisk (15F/-10C) but a nice day for a walk nonetheless. Since we average 5 feet of snow per winter, we do not suffer from the paralysis that others experience. As here, our plows are out promptly even on the many obscure roads (like mine) winding through the woods, and providing a spot of color on an almost monochrome day. At this time of year when total silence dominates the scene, the unmistakable rumble of the plow is heard well in advance of its appearance. A second closer version in comments.
Die standorttreuen Tiere sind nachtaktiv. Am Tage ruhen die Vögel paarweise oder in kleinen Gruppen völlig reglos auf den Zweigen hoher Bäume. Ihre Beute, Insekten, Schnecken, Frösche und kleine Säugetiere, schlagen sie lautlos im Vorbeiflug am Boden oder an Zweigen der Bäume. Der Ruf der Tiere ist sehr laut, er dient ihnen zur Kontaktaufnahme mit Artgenossen. Bei Gefahr verfallen die Eulenschwalme in eine Schreckstarre, bei der sie die Federn eng anlegen und den Schnabel nach oben strecken, um so mit ihrer Umgebung zu verschmelzen, damit sie nicht leicht von Feinden entdeckt werden.
These sedentary birds are nocturnal. During the day, the birds rest in pairs or small groups, completely motionless, on the branches of tall trees. They silently smack their prey—insects, snails, frogs, and small mammals—on the ground or on tree branches as they fly by. Their call is very loud, which they use to establish contact with conspecifics. When threatened, the owl-wheels lapse into a state of paralysis, tightly tufting their feathers and extending their beaks upwards to blend in with their surroundings and avoid being easily spotted by predators.
Compare the previous image, please. This one is quite similar, but taken with a different camera and a different lens (raw conversion and PP in Luminar only). I find this one more adequate.
The Red Comet: A True-ish Yard Tale
So I’m standing in my yard, minding my own business—probably wondering if squirrels have a secret HOA—when suddenly: WHOOSH. A red blur tears through the air and heads directly for my face.
This was not a leaf. This was not a drone. This was The Red Comet.
Not a nickname I gave him after the fact, but the only possible title for a Northern Cardinal who apparently woke up and chose chaos.
His crest? Glowing like a warning light on a 1987 Buick.
His wings? Flapping with the intensity of someone trying to shake a spider out of their hoodie.
His flight path? Direct. Unapologetic. Beak-to-nose proximity.
And yes—I got the shot. Somehow, through sheer luck, divine intervention, or possibly fear paralysis, I captured a photo as this feathered fireball zoomed straight at me. His eyes locked onto mine with the fierce confidence of a bird who pays no taxes and answers to no one. It’s less “wildlife photography” and more “documented avian confrontation.”
He flared, flapped, and vanished into the yucca with the elegance of a Red Bull–fueled rocket. I stood there blinking, slightly windburned, with the very real sense that I had just been publicly scolded by a bird.
Some say cardinals bring messages from the beyond.
Mine brought velocity.
And for those who question whether this moment was truly poetic, I present the following:
The Red Comet
by Someone Who Was Almost Peaked in the Face
His crest aglow, his wings a-flopit,
He zunders through the yucca tropit.
He flaps with fizzity speed and pomp it—
The blur you see… The Red Comet.
Naples Botanical Gardens
Southwestern Florida
USA
Brugmansia is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. They are woody trees or shrubs, with pendulous flowers, and have no spines on their fruit. Their large, fragrant flowers give them their common name of angel's trumpets, a name sometimes used for the closely related genus Datura. They are grown as ornamental container plants worldwide.
Brugmansia species are amongst the most toxic of ornamental plants, containing as they do tropane alkaloids of the type responsible also for the toxicity of the infamous deadly nightshade. All seven species are known only in cultivation or as escapes from cultivation, and no wild plants have ever been confirmed.
They are listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN Red List. They are popular ornamental plants and still exist wild outside their native range as introduced species. Brugmansia are native to tropical regions of South America.
All parts of Brugmansia are potentially poisonous, with the seeds and leaves being especially dangerous. Effects of ingestion can include paralysis of smooth muscles, confusion, tachycardia, dry mouth, constipation, tremors, migraine headaches, poor coordination, delusions, visual and auditory hallucinations, mydriasis, rapid onset cycloplegia, and death. – Wikipedia
Early morning capture of this fully opened trumpet flower-bloom with an unexpected arrival of a fly ...
The Datura plant is a native to South, Central, and North American regions. This large plant has pale, grayish-green leaves and white, trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom in the night. The Datura finds itself associated with plant names and similar species such as Brugmansia (Angel Trumpet) or the Devils Trumpet.
All parts of angel's trumpets are considered poisonous and contain the alkaloids atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine. Ingestion of the plants can cause disturbing hallucinations, paralysis, tachycardia, and memory loss and can be fatal.
Kind of something...
If you want to take me.
Go ahead and try my head.
Experience is nothing compared to.
The nights I'm always up so late.
Bed bugs in my mind
keeps them all a live.
insomnia creeps at night
sleep paralysis til' I die.
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
The platypus is one of only two egg laying mammals (monotremes).
The species has multiple threats to it's survival including feral predators such as foxes, land clearing, illegal use of yabbie traps and waterway modifications such as dams.
It uses its beak to find small creatures such as invertebrates in the mud at the bottom of rivers and ponds. The beak can detect the electrical impulses generated by muscle contractions in prey animals.
Male platypus have a poisonous spur on its rear legs which can deliver a dangerous combination of at least 19 peptides and non-protein components. It can cause paralysis in small animals and severe pain for larger animals such as humans. This was taken at Tidbinbilla reserve near Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Some time ago I visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
🐾 APCA.UY
Some time ago I visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
If sometimes you have no idea what kind of photo I am going to post, it's probably because I also have no idea what photo I am going to post, either. I usually decide about 15 seconds beforehand unless there's a birthday or Caturday post. Anyway, this was a reflection of the outside steps along the ceiling of the top floor of the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) and I thought ok I like that and can also relate to that. I feel like I don't post photos of my home city of Chicago as often as I should, either.
So...what does it actually mean to be defined by diagonals? There's an element of unpredictability here and perhaps of choice paralysis too....you are constantly caught between two simultaneous directions given the illusion of a shorter distance between points but only if you are brave enough to take it and can survive. So, you may end up feeling trapped with an illusion that you should be feeling more motivated with a clear direction.
***All photos are copyrighted***
"Happy Halloween!" - Enjoy the Holidays
The origins of succubi can be traced back to medieval folklore. Some anthropologists and psychologists believe that succubi and incubi are supernatural explanations for sleep paralysis and hallucinations.
Last year, I had the privilege of visiting APCA, an NGO in Canelones, Uruguay, dedicated to cats and farm animals. APCA provides a sanctuary for feral, endangered, and abused cats, as well as farm animals rescued from mistreatment.
Some of the animals have endured cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer, and abandonment. When feasible, they are placed for responsible adoption.
The mission is to ensure they live a serene and comfortable life in a large, natural outdoor environment, with appropriate shelters and boundaries to keep them safe.
Freddie had a bad week
I'm your sleep paralysis
And you ain’t catching Z’s
Little blue demon
Little grimmy reap
Baby I’m feeding
And you look like meat
Blood on the ceiling
Pick him out my teeth
Baby I’m a butcher
And this is a meat and greet
Some time ago I visited APCA, an NGO for cats and farm animals, located in Uruguay in the department of Canelones.
APCA arises from the need to generate a safe place for the rehoming of colonies of feral, endangered or abused cats. They currently also have farm animals that have been rescued from human abuse.
The work they do is exceptional.
Among the animals rescued there are cases of cruelty, accidents, paralysis, cancer and other diseases, as well as cats that have been abandoned.
In viable cases, they are available for responsible adoption.
Happy Caturday, brought to you by our remarkably improved Mel. We are astonished and incredibly grateful that he is doing so much better than we could have ever expected, especially after he crashed so hard a few weeks ago that we literally had to rush him to the vet downstairs and even she agreed, his prognosis was not looking at all good. Diagnosed in November with a severe heart block for which he's now on medication, Mel has been quite up and down with frightening moments of semi-paralysis in his back half and scary seizure-like episodes. After crashing so badly there a few weeks ago - where he couldn't seem to come out of the half-paralyzed state - literally had us planning to call a vet to our home the next day to have him put to sleep because his health and overall quality of life seemed drastically impacted. So I'm nervously delighted to share this image and report that he's managed to call on lives 7, 8, and 9 and is doing really well :-) We've kept a very watchful eye on him (feeling like helicopter parents, scared he'll collapse/injure himself while playing) and I've been working from home since Christmas, moving my 'office' to the living room where I can keep a very close eye on him to be sure he's doing ok. He's been soaking up all the extra love, affection, attention, and LOTS of snuggles - not just from Lorne and I, but also from his sweet furry siblings, Ella and Louis, who've kept grooming him, playing, and snuggling with him. Mel is VERY, VERY loved and he knows that now more than ever - and he's hanging in there giving us so much love and joy as he always does. We could not be more amazed at his improved health, nor happier to have him still with us.....under the watchful, loving eye of his family :-)
(Snapped on iPhone)
"it seems to me that almost all our sadnesses are moments of tension, which we feel as paralysis because we no longer hear our astonished emotions living. because we are alone with the unfamiliar presence that has entered us; because everything we trust and are used to is for a moment taken away from us; because we stand in the midst of a transition where we cannot remain standing. that is why the sadness passes: the new presence inside us, the presence that has been added, has entered our heart, has gone into its innermost chamber and is no longer even there, - is already in our bloodstream. and we don't know what it was. we could easily be made to believe that nothing happened, and yet we have changed, as a house that a guest has entered changes. we can't say who has come, perhaps we will never know, but many signs indicate that the future enters us in this way in order to be transformed in us, long before it happens. and that is why it is so important to be solitary and attentive when one is sad: because the seemingly uneventful and motionless moment when our future steps into us is so much closer to life than that other loud and accidental point of time when it happens to us as if from outside. the quieter we are, the more patient and open we are in our sadnesses, the more deeply and serenely the new presence can enter us, and the more we can make it our own, the more it becomes our fate."
~ rainer maria rilke
In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, an age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.”
In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation. Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented: and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways. We had, indeed, one very great advantage over our ancestors—anesthetics; but we have that still. It is perfectly ridiculous to go about whimpering and drawing long faces because the scientists have added one more chance of painful and premature death to a world which already bristled with such chances and in which death itself was not a chance at all, but a certainty.
This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.
C. S. Lewis
People flock to this small street from all over the world in the hope that their faith will cure them of their paralysis. They leave their crutches behind as a mark of respect for the miracle wrought by Our Lady Of East Brighton.
In folklore, Agapanthus is considered a magical plant with many medicinal benefits for various conditions. The reason it was called the Love Flower is that part of the plant was used as an aphrodisiac It was also been used in concoctions to assist with the treatment of cough, colds, chest pains, heart diseases, and paralysis.