Posts by BrendaCloutier

21

FLUFF: WHO LOVES CHILI?

by Corvin in

jw
friends

i am a big fan of chili.

i like it with no beans, just meat, lots of garlic, onion and cumin .

topped with cheese and fresh chopped onion.. who has a killer chili recipe?.

BrendaCloutier

Corvin, it's your fault for starting this thread!

>Chili Contest Story

Gawd, Frannie, I laughed so hard I farted, blew the gulp of coffee all over the computer, and blurred my glasses!

It's a keeper.

Like good, not hot, but flavorful chile. Best made with Chipotle chilis. Chipotle brings in a nice smokiness. Beans or no beans, doesn't matter. Can't seem to get good corn tortillas N of the border, so I do southern cornbread. Of course topped with cheese and onion. Top with sour cream it too hot.

Hugs

Brenda

9

Any Advice??

by Trey76 in

jw
friends

i came across this website and thought it was great!!!

i am engaged to a df jw,( he was baptized).

he has been df for almost 10 years.

BrendaCloutier

Welcome, Tray. Congrads on the coming nuptuals.

My last marriage (3rd and divorced) the ceremony was performed by a Episcapaleian (sp) priest who my husband knew well. Great guy. Married 30+ years and sober 12 years (AA'er here). Good credentials for the pre-marriage counseling and ceremony.

We got married in our backyard which looked like a park with Rhodies and Maples. Set up a temporary white rented Gazebo, had a red runner aisle, and 50 rented white folding chairs. It was perfekt!

I invited my parents up (180 miles) and told them, in the invitation, that I was reserving and paying for a room for them, and would pay for airfare and rental car if they didn't want to drive.

A week before the wedding I finally called them, got my mom, and asked what they were going to do because I had arrangements to make for them.

"..Oh, well, I just haven't gotten around to calling you. We're not going to make it. Your father doesn't feel like driving."

I re-explained the offer and that I wanted to honour them as my parents at my wedding. "Oh, no. We won't be coming up."

How rude! I havent spoken to them since. They're now in their late 80's and I suppose I should drop in on them. Eh, whatever.

Remember, you can choose your spouse, but you cannot choose your inlaws, or family.

(You can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you cannot pick your friend's nose!)

Good luck...

Brenda

14

Rooks.

by Englishman in

jw
friends

this is a rook: .

note the whitish beak and featherless face.. .

now take a look at a crow: this is a carrion crow.

BrendaCloutier

Corvin's name reminds me of a crow. The latin genis is Corvid. Suits him well!

{{{{ Corvin }}}}

-Brenda

14

Rooks.

by Englishman in

jw
friends

this is a rook: .

note the whitish beak and featherless face.. .

now take a look at a crow: this is a carrion crow.

BrendaCloutier

Interesting group habits of Rooks. Sounds like JW's are "Rooked". Hmmm

We don't have Rooks nor Carion Crows here in the US. At least on the Pacific Coast. Carion Crows are a close relative of an Asian Crow, which is a close relative to the Hawaiian Crow, which is extremely endangered. Sad.

Your Carion Crow acts more like our larger Ravens in it's independent lifestyle. Here in Pac NW we have 2 races of crows - American Crow - spread across the US - looks alot like your Carion Crow, and the Pacific Crow, which is a little smaller and has a pointier beak and more irridescent plummage. I say races, because they will interbreed. Both usually hang out in small family groups, and are part of a larger extended group, or murder. The murder will get together whenever there is trouble, like a hawk or owl passing through, or in the spring and fall to reestablish their relationships and either mate, or prepare for winter. I've taught my family group to leave my cats alone!

I feed about 3 family groups now. Costco catfood is very good for them. In the 4 years I've been feeding, they have produced some very healthy offspring, one of which is now a family group leader. We have 5 regular fledglings feeding with us this year, and at least 4 others that have come by word of beak.

I'm learning to caw in several crow words. I know I've got it right when they respond. Amazing creatures.

-Brenda

3

Sweat lodges and Jehovah's Witnesses are united in a mission with Catholics

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

taking their message inside.

men's ministry groups from around the golden triangle area and throughout the state volunteer their time to help meet the spiritual needs of the inmates at crossroads correctional center.

pictured above are bill whitmore, dick miller, doug lowney and moe wosepka as they venture inside the walls of ccc for their monthly altreya with the prisoners.

BrendaCloutier

I tend to agree with RR. No way in heck a good JW is going to enter, let alone conduct a sweat lodge ceremony, nor preach along side a good Catholic. He'd have to be DF'd first!

-Bren

43

Do You Still Think & Act Like A Witness??

by minimus in

jw
friends

one of the criticisms i see on this board, especially if one points out a similarity between jws and jwd or other similar discussion boards, is that a person is still seeing things in the eye of a jehovah's witness.

what's your take on that?

?

BrendaCloutier

FairMind - I admire you. In your confusion, you are a wise person.

Welcome to the board

Brenda

43

Do You Still Think & Act Like A Witness??

by minimus in

jw
friends

one of the criticisms i see on this board, especially if one points out a similarity between jws and jwd or other similar discussion boards, is that a person is still seeing things in the eye of a jehovah's witness.

what's your take on that?

?

BrendaCloutier

I no longer think nor act like a witness. Been out too long - approx 27 years.

I don't like to label myself as anything but human - a lover, not a fighter (though I do a good job of throwing things when I'm angry).

For me as for many, the pendulum swings. As a goody-goody (but nice and well-liked) daughter of an elder and PO, I swung to drunkeness and debauchery, doing almost everything I wasn't supposed to do (t'was fun while it lasted). Then I had to sober up and wise up, or die.

Today I'm a nice person. My beliefs and many actions would qualify me for disfellowshipping. But I don't give a rats arse! Today I'm me - finally!

Hugs

Brenda

32

Other Religions

by rain in

jw
friends

something i thought of as i was reading through the posts:

i have read through various posts where it has been said that some feel that jws are not the organisation or people of god.

therefore, has anyone after leaving the jws joined another religion?

BrendaCloutier

Terry said

Being nice to people costs nothing and can mean a lot to them. Just letting somebody feel good is so easy and yet, why do we hold back sometimes?

People, in general, hold back out of fear - or like you said, being stuck in their widdle heads. This our culture, this is our norm.

JW's and exJWs hold back because everyone else is THEM, and we all know about THEM. They are not us, and they are going to be severely judged. Yeah, right.

Being nice to people, getting out of ourselves and out of our own widdle heads, is very freeing, and feels just as good, if not better. After all, we're all human, and we're all really the same.

Hugs to all

Bren

PS: I agree with the discussion on the UU. The only church I have attended for an actual service instead of a wedding or AA. If I were going to go to "church" it would probably be the UU. I'm also interested in the Quakers as my ancestors were Friends. I just cannot get my arse up to be at a meeting by 10:00 on Sunday morning! Besides, I don't have a dress to wear

32

Other Religions

by rain in

jw
friends

something i thought of as i was reading through the posts:

i have read through various posts where it has been said that some feel that jws are not the organisation or people of god.

therefore, has anyone after leaving the jws joined another religion?

BrendaCloutier

"Organized Religion" hasn't been of any interest to me since leaving. I see too many with superiority complexes similar to the JW's.

It doesn't require an organization to explore and experience spirituality. I learned this one in AA. I had to get a boost (boot) up on the higher power thing through an organization. For me, my life and health depended on it.

It was thru AA that I met many indians (for those who are PC = Native Americans) and explored several flavours of their spirituality. This in turn opened me up to the posibility that there are many, many paths to "god" as there are people... neigh breaths. The key is to act on what you have come to believe.

For me, my belief is that the ultimate universal power is love, where love is a verb. The core of the 4 loves we were taught as JWs: sexual (hormone driven), brotherly (platonic), familial (my family doesn't understand the word unless it has conditions attached), and godly. I think I gots 'em right.

An excellent book on this is by Rev. Henry Drummond called "The Greatest Thing In The World" and is based on Corinthians.

Acting on Love means: Smiling when you don't feel like it (for me it's most of the time because of chronic pain). Treating everyone with respect until they prove they're not worthy, then respecting them enough to walk away even if ya wanna bust their chops. Giving a dollar to a street person when it's your last one for a while. Giving a couple of quarters to a businessman who's cellphone has died and he doesn't have change for the phonebooth and telling him to pass it on. Picking up someone elses trash or wiping down the counter in the women's rest room. Complimenting that awesome purple and orange spiked roach (mohawk) on that guy's head. Or the kewl tat on her arm. Driving easy and letting that *U#$ in even if they're a butthead because I've done the same thing. Or asking to get a closer look at a specific pair of earrings on a young man with multiple piercings, but that pair is really awesome (his mom got them in Pakistan). Or cracking jokes with the check-out person, or teller at the bank.

Basically, just being a nice person, every chance you get, whether you know them or not, because you may not get another chance and you just might miss out on something neat! Besides, it feels good.

Hugs

Brenda

13

SAYING HELLO

by Corvin in

jw
friends

just want everyone to know that i am doing ok. those of you who have expressed concern that you have not heard from me in a while, well, thanks, but it hasn?t been that long.

my last update was either yesterday or thursday.

i feel terribly overwhelmed at present.

BrendaCloutier

Corvin, thank you so much for the update. Been worried and praying for you.

It is normal and natural for Nancy to be upset by the no-contact order between her and her mother. After all, it is her MOTHER, whether she is a good one or not.

This will pass: baby steps, sometimes giant steps.

I'm glad you see your calling to help other abused JW kids.

Sans the JW indoctrination, I was treated fairly by my adoptive parents. The had reasonable heads on their shoulders. And for this I am grateful.

Hugs and love

Brenda