Disowning Robiyah

Sandy first its great to see you.

Second my sons middle name is Elijah...kind of close to Ely.

Third people need to mind their own business.

Fourth I would have named Robi's baby but noone seems to want to name their child Freedom or Liberty like I want so I gave up.

Fifth did I mention people need to mind their business?

Sandy, you can't name a baby girl Ely,

uh.

can you?

well, maybe YOU can!

As for your daughter Robiya. Ha! what does she know? she's PREGNANT! We all know what pregnancy does to the brain lacking MORE SUGAR!

oh, and if you won' t claim her.. I will. I have no problem shoving her real mom out of the way. (unless she's bigger and meaner than me)

Hold on, Debra. I'm not really disclaiming her. Just making sure everyone knows she didn't come in to check on me and then say, "I didn't know you were sick." (Or whatever it was that she said. Poor Robi - causing trouble without even meaning to.)

unless she's bigger and meaner than me"

You're pretty wiry, Deb. It would be a great cage match.

Lori, it's great to see you, too. I missed everyone. In fact, I like you and missed you enough that I might sadly disown you, too.

It started with Elijah. I begged my daughter to name her son that, since I had no son of my own. When that didn't happen, I asked her to name her girls Elly or Ellie, and she wouldn't. Sigh. Thank you for giving your second son my name.

Mind their own business or at least get my business straight if they want to be in it.

No one seems to want my names but I don't let that stop me.

Yes, you did, but it can't be said enough.

I had a ferret named Eli here at the shelter. He was much beloved by all.

Sandy, my middle son's girlfriend has a little boy named Elijah/Eli!  I agree that it's a wonderful name -- happy enough for a little fellow and dignified for a grown man, later in life.

Good for your middle son's girlfriend! Think she wants me to adopt her?

Get in line, Sandy.  If things go the way they seem to be, I get a daughter-in-law someday soon.

Oh, Dannielle, that's exciting news! We need to talk. I'm so far behind on everything.

I don't get by that often anymore, Sandy, and I am sure I saw you comment somewhere that you were busy with a group and had not as much time to post articles, so I wasn't worried about you. did not know you go thru the 'sometimes just can't do it" episodes of health, but it really Isn't ANYONE'S business but yours. I do the same thing with friends and don't mention illness unless I Have to for the same reasons that you mentioned. hope you shut the 'grapevine' down,lol... :)

Thanks, Penni. I guess you understand that talking about illness only makes it harder for me to ignore it and hope it goes away.

I always wonder where someone is, or if they are okay, if I haven't seem them here in a while, as I'm sure everyone else does as well.

But I don't think anyone ever owes anyone an explanation for their absence. We are all free to come and go as we please, and you have no obligation to satisfy our curiosity about your absence. That you chose to do so, and someone actually questioned the reasons, is unbelievable. I've always been of the opinion that people assign motives to others mostly because they are capable of those motives themselves.

Penny, I felt obligated because I was neglecting my Tuesday project. I owed the people who were involved an explanation.

I agree with Penny. What annoys me is if someone aluded to Sandy being dishonest about her health. It doesn't matter if that is the reason for her absense or not. She doesn't owe an explanation.

She hates us... she really really hates us. That's why she's been absent. bwaaaa!

This Gather diagnosis/illness ride has been interesting. Remember when Randy the Fake Poet demanded that Jackie and I post documentation from our doctor to prove our diagnoses and gender, even though HE was the one who talked about his illness constantly, not us? (That was shortly after he asked someone else to post a death certificate to prove his wife died.) We have "professionals" diagnosing and undiagnosing people everywhere, people who don't want to hear about every ache and pain other have, people who are offended if others don't talk about their illnesses, people who post pictures of ugly sores and infected eyes (sorry about that one, really, I am) and maybe even a toenail fungus or two - I don't keep up with the photos.

Nope. You are correct, Debra. I don't owe anyone an explanation. I offered one as a courtesy to the people I thought I was neglecting.

Sandy I remember some of the Randy bruhaha.  Yes he was calling out people left and right the problem was he didnt even have his ID tweeked.  He was either 43-52, had either kidney failure or cancer of the cervix, might have been married to either a girl or boy.

Ya he was something.

Is he still around?

I am just glad to see you.  As for you disowning me.  I would be honored.

I would also be honored to have Robi as my disowned daughter/sister/mother.  I dont know if I am old enough to be her mom but I can always fake it .  Suppose Randy could give me some tips?

And wasnt Randy the fake poet the guy that tried to pass off Halmark Card poetry as his own?  Or am I thinking of someone else?

Oh, Lori. Thanks for that trip down memory lane. I have to admit, the guy was entertaining. I don't know if he's still around. I've heard (you know that grapevine) that he is, under a couple of different names, but don't know if that's true.

I also don't know about the Hallmark poetry, but I do know he posted a T. S. Eliot and claimed it as his own - if I remember correctly, he added a copyright with his name at the end.

I'm amused at the idea that our little virtual village has its own grapevine now --   whine already available, even!  Anyone who can confuse the internet or television broadcasts with reality, such that if they didn't hear it there there's no truth to what they've heard, doesn't sound like they're paddling with both oars.

Which is to say -- just to be clear -- that whoever thinks they know the truth of your situation based upon what they read here has this place confused with reality.

Reality? I don't think I want to go there. I'm enjoying my fantasy world too much, Amelia.

:) wishing you laughter

Thank you, Quinn. Laughter really is the best medicine.

For the record, Elijah was my absolute choice for a boy's name.  Didn't even matter to me that hubby didn't like it, it was going to be the name of my son.  Unfortunately, I never had one.  My daughter has agreed to name any son she might have Elijah, but she' sonly 11, so I guess I can't hold her to it.

Welcome Back!

Penny, my grandson says he wishes they would have named him Elijah. Maybe he'll name his first born that. He's the same age as your daughter, so I guess I won't hold him to it either. Good news is my next door neighbors have a son named Elijah.

 oh, oh...so are you going to steal the baby from the neighbors, Sandy?
Oh, my! We might see Your name in the papers soon. ((laughing))

No, Penni. I won't have to steal him. We spend a lot of time together because he comes to talk to me when I sit in the sun every day. Right now, he's out of the country for a month's vacation. I miss him.

Why do so many make so much of the little we choose to share within an online context?  I find that the more a person is involved with computers, as oppoosed to other people in the off-line world, the more demanded they become about things that are none of their business!  Good for you for drawing limits and observing them.

Bubbeh, I think you hit on an important element, and it goes with a topic I was thinking about yesterday when reading responses to Tom's posts. It does seem that people who replace real life with the internet have a much different view of how much personal information to share. Those who come here to make friends are more apt to share every detail of their lives where those who make friends in the real world seem to come here to discuss real-world topics and reflections instead of personal details.

Lots of Elis around these parts, but they're all boys.

Now--just to play "what if" with this person's assumptions:

If I were a dishonest person staying away from Gather for unspecified evil reasons but wanting people to believe that I was sick, and I had a daughter who was on Gather, what would I do? [Thinking...] Oh, yeah, I would not tell her I was sick, lest she might spread that [false] information.

I can't imagine why anyone would think I would needed a false excuse - or any excuse for that matter - for being away from Gather in the first place. This site doesn't own me. I can walk away any time I want, without an explanation, a note from my doctor, or a hall pass. This makes me think of the people who post articles apologizing for not having anything to post the day before. What makes them think they are obligated?

Now, that part I don't know and can't imagine. I have enough trouble with my own delusions.

I'm just glad you're back. That's the top, bottom and middle as far as I'm concerned. The Tuesday group needs a shot in the arm (or maybe fingers).

I'm glad I'm back, too. Three days now and all seems well. This is exciting.

I'm working on that shot int he arm.

And all this time I thought you were in the Bahamas....well, well, well.

Donna, are you implying that it is not possible to recooperate in the Bahamas?

Oh shoot, did I let that secret out of the bag?  Sorry.

Donna, I think I might like to live in your bag.

Sandy:  Your health is your business.  I am sorry you have health issues and I hope you are doing better than you were.  Take care, I am glad to have you back.  Hopefully 'Liz' will make a return soon.

Grems

Thanks, Grems. I hope Liz will be back.

Sandy - your health, and your life, is your business and no one else's (unless you choose to share it.)

Is that you, Just Me? The real you? I'll have to go look at the large picture. My eyes are better, but that doesn't mean I'm seeing well.

Yes, it's me!  :)

I like it!

It is great to see you back her Sandy! Even if we aren't as close a neighbors as we once were, I have been missing you! I understand the feeling of not discussing your health issues. Too many knotheads out there to cause problems if you do, and now, apparently, somebody will take an innocent statement by a friend, to cause trouble anyway. You don't owe anybody anything. I hope you are feeling better my friend!

Lisa, does this mean you moved, or are you speaking as a Gather neighbor? It's nice to see you. If you haven't moved, I hope to really meet you some time soon.

As much as I want to meet you, and I hope to when I go visit my son sometime, I have found out that St Louis has specialists in the area I need! My daughter and I have moved to St Louis! I hope to see a new specialist soon!!

I didn't know you moved, Lisa. It sounds like a good move for your health, so I'm happy for you. I'm sorry we didn't get to meet before you went.

"loves the name Ely and has been trying since the birth of my last granddaughter to get someone to use the name. Seriously, I like it so much that I would maybe consider having another child just so I could use it, if that was a possibility."

Come on, you're a writer.  I won't mind (or tell) if you name all of your characters Ely.

Good idea, Libra! I'll create my own Eli and Elly - twins maybe.

Is this kind of like the old one about "Rumors of my death have been sorely exagerated" ?

I am glad to see you back and can sympathize with the "talking about illness only makes it harder for me to ignore it and hope it goes away." mindset. That's why I rarely discuss my health issues here on line.

Kinda like that, Kathleen. Only it's more, "Rumors of my death have been sorely diminished."

Thanks. I'm glad to be back and sorry that you can sympathize. I wish you well.

Since Robi, Shel and I are a package deal you can't have one without the others.

Mom.

I'll take the package.

Wow... it never ends around here, does it?

If I had a baby boy, I would consider Ely... of course, my husband would want a junior, and that would pretty much rule it out except as a middle name.

Of course, I'm fifty-one and I don't want a baby younger than my grandchildren.

You made me laugh, Julie. I don't want a child younger than my grandchildren, either. In fact, I wouldn't want one the same ages. My first husband has a daughter and a grandson the same age. My granddaughters' softball coach is one of my friends, and he has a daughter on their team. I'm perfectly happy with being a grandmother at this point, not a mother.

Interesting post.  I think I missed something somewhere along the way.  Is she "really and truly" your daughter or not?  I'm confused.  LOL

My children wouldn't name their offspring any of the name I suggested either.  I like old fashioned names such as "Ely", they like barbie sounding names, but my one grandson did get a nice manly sounding but and it wasn't Ely.

Robiyah is NOT my daughter. I love her, and would be proud to claim her if she was my daughter, but I did not give birth to her. I do have a couple of daughters who are Gather members. One has never posted a single word here, and the other is Lyrical Peace, who hasn't posted in a long time.

Maybe we should campaign for a new practice - grandmothers get to name the babies?

We'll start that campaign just after I have and name my baby, ok?

Spoil sport. Maybe you are my daughter.

I know a woman named Eli - nice, smart, good business person, handsome, inquisitive, warm, with sparkling eyes - what a nice thing to wish for someone else's daughter.

Feel better soon - it is good to read you again!

I wish that for everyone's daughters. What a nice statement to make about someone, Richard. And thanks.

The Maine Poet's greatest achievement was trying to pass off a poem by T. S. Eliot as his own and acting outraged when people pointed it out.

Sandy, I never saw a family resemblance between you and Robiah.  Her sister Shannon is on Gather.

And the MP's greatest achievment provided months (years?) of entertainment. I guess we should thank him.

Nippy, I can imagine a family resemblance between any two people. My friends know me as the person who sees someone else in everyone. Actually, they laugh at me for this. But I can see almost always see some resemblance, even if it's only mannerisms or expressions, or the fact that both people have eyes and a nose.

Randy? The  Maine Poet? My very one online stalker, that when I blocked him from his nasty emails, he went and flagged ALL of Mark's posts, photos, you name it and since Mark was offline for a while, he never saw the emails from Gather and when he came back, WHAM, his account was deleted. I'm kinda hoping Mr (fake) T.S. Elliot isn't still around.

Holy crap, Robi's not  your daughter? I know that more than one person (forget me trying to remember WHO, cuz I don't) told me that she was, though I thought not much of it, as one can have many relatives on here, hell, my husband's back on here and so what?

Since I'm not crazy about my name, and my middle name begins with E, I'll be Ellie, if you want. Just sayin'.

I also am not on here every day, due to various reasons, none of which I've ever felt obligated to explain. My thoughts are why on earth would people care? It's the internet, for God's-sake, I'm not standing in my apartment going POOF! LOL!

Hang in there, it might get more interesting... or something.

Marilyn Ellie

Are you kidding? People really thought Robi was Sandy's daughter? As Robi would say: "Oh the hilarity!"

I wonder if it's because Sandy and I stand up for things on here that might not always be popular.  But Sandy has big beautiful eyes and my eyes are just menacing. 

Not ONE time has anything been spoken or implied that she's my mother.  I wouldn't mind if she were a half-mom or something, though.  She's about as "cool and hip" as you can get!  I'd really like to see where these people came up with this idea though.  Seriously.

You have menacing eyes? Bwwhahahhahhhaa!

Marilyn Ellie, thank you. Nope, Robi is not my daughter in actuality - only in my fantasies.

Robi, I remember once commenting that you were young enough to be my daughter. That might have confused some people. I would like to be your half-mom, or your Gather mom (that means I get a new Gather granddaughter), or just your pretend mom some days.

Yes, you can be my Gather mom then.  As long as you don't mind from time to time some of the detailed stories I'll throw at you regarding this pregnancy.  I'll just be asking for advice, you know?

Shan--don't they look it?

Sandy,

First let me say how sorry I am you've been a bit under the weather.  I haven't been around Gather much in the last few months so a lot of the daily chit-chats and gossip pass me by.

Second, how can your not comenting on your own health be construed as being dishonest about your health?  I don't get it!

Third, it is no one's business but your own who you share your life and times with...anyone not privvy to the details should consider it not their business and butt out.

Hope you are feeling better and that improvements continue

Thanks, Sonia. Unfortunately, most of my problems don't improve. But my ability to cope and accept always does. I think I've reached that point now.

Nice to see you.

Sorry to hear it, Sandy, but glad that you have the ability and frame of mind to cope and accept.  That is not always easy to do.

Well, luckily you cannot disown me, Sandy.  I'm here to stay and I'll be your cyber-daughter forever.  I hope you'll be able to make it to the birth of my first born! 

I do need to find the article that someone stated you were lying about your health.  This site is filled with crazies and somehow I seem to miss them (not sure if "miss" is the right term there).  You just never can be what you say you are I guess!

As I said in an above comment, I'd like to see where these people came up with me being your daughter.  I don't know that we've ever even joked around about it, so I'm kind of confused.  I'm not complaining about it, though.  I'll talk to my mom and see what she says about renting me out for a little bit.  Or maybe I could rent you from your daughters.  (And don't worry about Shannon and Shelley.  They are excellent in the kitchen and great at being there when you need someone to talk to.  There might be a few other things they're great at too ... but I don't want their heads to swell.)

Someone actually wrote an article claiming Sandy was lying about her health?

Well, I was a little confused when this all started, but now I know I missed something along the way here. The weather has been too nice to stay on my computer and get involved in the drama.

I'm not sure there was an article. I thought it was probably just group chatter. Posting articles about Sandy Knauer doesn't seem to draw the attention it once did so that fad is almost over.

It's about damn time. 

Well, since the nationalized, electronic medical records are going to be kept HERE, would someone please note in my file that I have a slight headache right now?

Where's the resident nurse when you need her? heh

I think Gather had to lay off the school nurse.

I also have a headache, since we're keeping track here, and I'm far too old to be Sandy's daughter. Or sister, or brother...etc's.

There was an article about it? I miss everything! That's what I get for not being on here every day too. (damnit)

Now that everyone is announcing their medical problems on this thread, and I do have years of medical record experience, I have a brilliant idea for Tom's new "find your thing" program. My 'thing' will be Director of Gather's Medical Record Department. As a sideline, I will fake diagnose people and remove diagnoses that I don't like.

Hey, I just had my bloodwork done, and an ultra sound done on my thyroid.

My sugar is too high ( borderline diabetic ) My cholesterol is too high

and it looks like I'm going to have some surgery on my thyroid.

This was as good a place as any to tell the world.

Please send your sympathy to:

Debra W

123 ABC Ln

High on a Moutain Top, NC

66696

or you could just delete this comment, and call me a liar.

(I'll just write an article about you) HA!

PS, Please don't pray for me. God doesn't listen to you!

He's too busy on Twitter.

God is on Twitter?

I thought you knew he was everywhere.

I didn't get that memo.

It went out a week ago Tuesday.

"I have a brilliant idea for Tom's new "find your thing" program."

Doesn't Tom know most of us found our "thing" when we were about two years old?

Didn't those "things" fall off of the smart ones?

Yeah, but we still have "things", Robi. And with our "things" we can get all the other "things" we want. (like a magnet... pretty cool, huh?)

Well, don't get carried away on the number of other "things" you can attract like a magnet.  You get called all sorts of names and labels.  I wonder what is a good, safe number these days.

This makes me cry but know that I just want to hold your hand whether you tell me what is wrong or not.  I, among others, CARE VERY MUCH about you and part of caring is knowing what is bugging you.  You let us know in no uncertain terms what is bugging you intellectually.   Loving you however you are...........................

Priscilla, thank you. You can hold my hand any time. I appreciate the thought.