Mostly Misobservations, but some good stuff too

So another year gone by, a few more gray hairs on my head and hopefullya bit wiser. I am 53, Crone and teacher to some. So what have Ilearned. I did survive my husband's death. I did survive foot surgeryagain. The seasons still change even though I hate winter. I learned tolive with my disabilities better. I learned to love more. I learned notto take for granted that tomorrow will come. Live like today is thelast day. Enjoy the smells, sounds and feel of things. Sit on the porchand listen to nature and the world. Have that morning cup of coffee atleisure. (that evening glass of wine too!) Hold onto your friends. Andin general Love life. I probably learned more subtle things and I did learn some private things but I learned and that is the important thing.

Blessings

Lady Bleu 

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A strain of flu never seen before has killed as many as 61 people in Mexico and has spread into the United States, where eight people have been infected but recovered, health officials said on Friday.

Mexico's government said at least 16 people have died of the disease in central Mexico and that it may also have been responsible for 45 other deaths.

The World Health Organization said tests showed the virus in 12 of the Mexican patients had the same genetic structure as a new strain of swine flu, designated H1N1, seen in eight people in California and Texas.

Because there is clearly human-to-human spread of the new virus, raising fears of a major outbreak, Mexico's government canceled classes for millions of children in its sprawling capital city and surrounding areas.

"Our concern has grown as of yesterday," U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acting director Dr. Richard Besser told reporters in a telephone briefing.

It first looked mostly like a swine virus but closer analysis showed it is a never-before-seen mixture of swine, human and avian viruses, according to the CDC.

"We do not have enough information to fully assess the health threat posed by this new swine flu virus," Besser said.

Humans can occasionally catch swine flu from pigs but rarely have they been known to pass it on to other people.

The WHO said it was ready to use rapid containment measures if needed, including antivirals, and that both the United States and Mexico are well equipped to handle the outbreak.

Both the WHO and the CDC said there was no need to alter travel arrangements in Mexico or the United States.

CLOSE TO 1,000 SUSPECTED CASES IN MEXICO

Eight people were infected with the new strain in California and Texas, but all of them have recovered. Mexico said it had close to 1,000 suspected cases there.

The CDC's Besser said scientists were working to understand why there are so many deaths in Mexico when the infections in the United States seem mild.

Worldwide, seasonal flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people in an average year, but the flu season for North America should have been winding down.

The U.S. government said it was closely following the new cases. "The White House is taking the situation seriously and monitoring for any new developments. The president has been fully briefed," an administration official said.

Mexico's government cautioned people not to shake hands or kiss when greeting or to share food, glasses or cutlery for fear of infection.

The outbreak jolted residents of the Mexican capital, one of the world's biggest cities and home to some 20 million people.

One pharmacy ran out of surgical face masks after selling 300 in a day.

"We're frightened because they say it's not exactly flu, it's another kind of virus and we're not vaccinated," said Angeles Rivera, 34, a federal government worker who fetched her son from a public kindergarten that was closing.

The virus is an influenza A virus, carrying the designation H1N1. It contains DNA from avian, swine and human viruses, including elements from European and Asian swine viruses, the CDC has said.

The Geneva-based U.N. agency WHO said it was in daily contact with U.S., Canadian and Mexican authorities and had activated its Strategic Health Operations Center (SHOC) -- its command and control center for acute public health events.

The CDC said it will issue daily updates at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/investigation.htm.

Surveillance for and scrutiny of influenza has been stepped up since 2003, when H5N1 bird flu reappeared in Asia. Experts fear that or another strain could spark a pandemic that could kill millions.

In Egypt, a 33-year-old woman died of bird flu, becoming the third such victim there in a week. The H5N1 bird flu, a completely different strain from the swine flu, has infected 421 people in 15 countries and killed 257 since 2003.

An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, killed 44 people in Canada in 2003.

(Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Maggie Fox in Washington; Writing by Kieran Murray; Editing by Eric Walsh)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090424/ts_nm/us_flu_17

Considering that these cases are happening in states that protect illegal aliens it's only a matter of time before we have a pandemic.

Well that time is close at hand, the time when my husband went with the Goddess. It's hard to believe almost a year has passed, it seems like yesterday I held his hand as it went cold and limp. I thought that by now I would not be crying, but what in the hell did I know. Not much evidently because I still cry. I still weep at night. I still get choked up when his name is mentioned or I see his picture.

I thought mourning would go away gradually but it is still there strong as ever, hurting, stabbing at my heart and reminding me that I am alone.

Did I think it would be better, yes. Did I think I could laugh again, yes. Well that's what I get for thinking because those things are not happening, not even close. I thought I was coming out of my shell, I retreat again. I thought I could look at the world through the eyes I had back then, not so, it's still cloudy.

So, time goes on and I pray it doesn't harden me to life to the point I will stop craving human touch, human talk, human laughter, being human.

I will wait another year and a day.

Last night I was asleep when all of a sudden I hit myself in the nose, hard. I didn't remember dreaming about fighting or struggling and I was beginning to think I imagined it, except my nose hurt. It was a flat handed blow and I didn't know why it happened.

I rolled over to go back to sleep but just as I would slip into subconsciousness this loud white noise would occur. Like the air itself was storming. The bed would move like someone or something was sitting on it. Everytime I would come full awake everything was quiet. I turned on a music cd which I use sometimes to lull me to sleep but this made that white noise even louder like there was anger in it. And again only when I got to the almost sleep level.

At one time something was over me, I remember holding its arms, it was like holding onto a shadow, it wriggled out of my grasp, again all of this happening on the subconscious level. Then on the other side of me I felt the covers lift as if someone was going to join me in bed. I knew even subconsciously this would probably not be a good thing. I woke up but did not move. I threw up a protection barrier around me real quick and started praying like my life depended on it. My familiar jumped on me and spat. All of a sudden the white noise stopped, the air movement stopped. It got very quiet like night time should be. I laid there taking inventory of the situation. I was still laying on my side, I hadn't moved during any of this. It all happened on a different level.

So today will be a cleansing day. My bedroom has always been a sanctuary for me. Literally and spiritually. But while I am at it I am doing the whole house.

Blessings

I did this during my Samhain ritual. I have been thinking on it all this time and think it's time to post it. I'm not sure if there are "between the lines" to these answers and I intend to do the same scrying at full moon. My husband passed this past March and this is the first time I have attempted to reach him. I know he is still here on this plane but I wanted some specific answers.

Q. Are you still here?
A. Yes
Q. Will you guide me through my financial problems?
A. No
Q. Will you let someone else help me?
A. No
Q. Will you stay with me and make sure I don't really screw up?
A. Maybe (this was close to being a yes)
Q. Will things be better for me soon?
A. No
Q. Will things be better in a month or so?
A. Maybe
Q. Do you know I love you?
A. Yes (this was a definite yes)
Q. Do you still love me?
A. Yes (this was a definite yes)
Q. Can I see an end to troubles before I lose it?
A. Yes (just straight yes)
Q. Will you stay with me?
A. Yes

I was tired, it had been a long day and that might have affected how I interpreted the answers, although pendulum scrying is pretty straight forward.