Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Ohiopirate02]

18 minutes ago, CalicoKitty said:

When I opened the newspaper this morning I was surprised to see "Say yes to the Dress" as the top pick of the "best bets on tv" tonight.  Really?  Best thing to watch?    That just seems kind of sad.  It really is a low bar.

I broke down and got internet at my house so I can watch Netflix.   I haven't had home internet in a few years because I stare at a computer screen all day at work and the last thing i want to do is open up my laptop when i get home.  But, there are few things I want to watch on cable these days.  Now I have enough stuff to watch on my schedule.   I just binged Derry Girls yesterday and today and I now have a new favorite TV character in Sister Michael. 

[Zella]

11 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I broke down and got internet at my house so I can watch Netflix.   I haven't had home internet in a few years because I stare at a computer screen all day at work and the last thing i want to do is open up my laptop when i get home.  But, there are few things I want to watch on cable these days.  Now I have enough stuff to watch on my schedule.   I just binged Derry Girls yesterday and today and I now have a new favorite TV character in Sister Michael. 

I've wanted to watch Derry Girls. I find Northern Ireland fascinating. 

[Ohiopirate02]

2 minutes ago, Zella said:

I've wanted to watch Derry Girls. I find Northern Ireland fascinating. 

I have friends who live in Derry and are around the same age as the characters.  I didnt need subtitles because I am used to the accent.  I spent part of the summer of 96 with teens from Derry both Catholics and Prods.  The show brings back memories. 

[Zella]

3 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I have friends who live in Derry and are around the same age as the characters.  I didnt need subtitles because I am used to the accent.  I spent part of the summer of 96 with teens from Derry both Catholics and Prods.  The show brings back memories. 

That's cool! I'm usually good with accents--unless, for some weird reason, they're Welsh LOL. I know the accents in the north are quite distinctive compared to what most people think of for an Irish accent. Not sure I have heard a Derry-specific one, though. 

Edited September 1, 2019 by Zella

[Mindthinkr]

11 hours ago, emma675 said:

Mindthinkr,  I saw Dorian has taken a more northerly turn last night. Are you and your family in the path now? 

Every once in a while I just CRAVE Chick fil a for some reason. I'll donate to an LGBTQ charity to justify my lunch of hate chicken. 

Yes, I am officially in the hit path...but hurricanes are fickle and anything can happen or change. The stores are already out of water, batteries and will only allow people to get $50 maximum in cash back. I did order (a few days ago and 2 should arrive tomorrow) battery operated fans. The other bigger one should be here Wednesday. I have a ton of cat food and ordered some disposable litter trays should I have to evacuate with the kitties. They aren’t cheap, but I might not be somewhere where I can properly clean their boxes and these can be used for 24 hours and then just tossed in a garbage bag. I’ll call my friend tomorrow to see if she’ll have us if it’s going to be over a category 2. Otherwise I’ll stick it out here. I have good neighbors (if they stay). Ha, I did get a case of wine...you know...to soothe my nerves. Thank you for asking. I hope this doesn’t effect any of us. 

[Love2dance]

Thinking good thoughts for you @Mindthinkr. Keep us informed how you’re doing when you can.

[MMEButterfly]

On 8/30/2019 at 4:58 PM, libgirl2 said:

When I was growing up, I lived barefoot all summer. So did most of my friends. 

I was in the garage and driveway (and on the patio and in the grass) today, and I was barefoot. 

[Janevain]

6 minutes ago, MMEButterfly said:

I was in the garage and driveway (and on the patio and in the grass) today, and I was barefoot. 

I ran down the paved street today barefoot. I was chasing my husband down after he forgot the diaper bag. Take it with you! Don't come back too soon!

I can fault Jill for a lot of terrible things, but barefoot kids aren't one of them.

Edited September 1, 2019 by Janevain

[CalicoKitty]

OK.  So I get up yesterday morning and I find an empty quart carton of chicken broth in my bedroom.  It has a hole chewed in it, and it was totally empty.  I had left the box on my kitchen counter the night before to remind me to buy more for some soup I was going to make.  I could not find any puddles on the floor, and no "drip trail" anywhere, but I had to go out of town and was hoping it had not end up on the rug.  Apparently, one of my cats decided to help herself during the night, and, luckily, most of the spillage had dried up on the counter.  But she had to have imbibed at least 2 1/2  cups of broth.  I'm sure which cat is guilty.  She is food obsessed, and the other one is not smart enough.  I adopted Flora from the shelter as a 6-month-old kitten almost a year ago, and this cat will eat ANYTHING.  She tries to get into my plate while I eat.  She licks empty plates.  She steals food from the counters. She is not underfed and gets high-quality cat food.  The vet thinks her mother may have been food deprived, and she will never get over her obsession, but she gives my brother's Weimaraner a run for her money.  She likes to chew on anything plastic, and will jump into any empty box or basket.  She also likes to sleep under the covers at night.  I just wish she could get past the need for food because otherwise she is almost the perfect cat. It makes me feel sad that she is always looking for food.  Meanwhile, I keep all food off the counters.

[lilwhitelion]

I love Derry Girls.  My husband's parents immigrated from Ireland in 1950.  His 95-year old aunt still lives in Dublin.  She is like Uncle Collum, with the ability to talk and talk and talk about anything.  It's quite exhausting being around her!  The show does a great job of giving us the quirky characters in just the right dose.  

[sixlets]

Wow, Calico, someone was thirsty!  We rescued our Torti from a shelter in September 2014, and that poor little girl has issues.  She was taken to the shelter after being humanely trapped on a rural property in northern Baltimore County.  This house had a ton of cats, and she either had to fight for what little food she got, or she just didn't get fed.  We figured things would work themselves out once she realized she would always have food, and even though she has "siblings", everyone gets fed at the same time, and they eat well together.  Like your sweet girl, she was remembering those days of food insecurity despite everything we were doing.  It broke my heart.  We're closing in on 5 years, and it can still be a hindrance.  I hope things improve for both of you.

[galaxychaser]

This guy is as delusional as Jeremy Vuolo.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7417099/Meet-hot-UPS-man-says-hes-asked-10-times-DAY-route.html

[Zella]

1 hour ago, galaxychaser said:

This guy is as delusional as Jeremy Vuolo.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7417099/Meet-hot-UPS-man-says-hes-asked-10-times-DAY-route.html

He's kinda got a male heroin chic vibe. . . . 

[allonsyalice]

10 hours ago, galaxychaser said:

This guy is as delusional as Jeremy Vuolo.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7417099/Meet-hot-UPS-man-says-hes-asked-10-times-DAY-route.html

There’s no way this was said:

[galaxychaser]

😵😞

https://people.com/books/harry-potter-books-removed-from-school-exorcists-advice/

[Natalie68]

On 8/31/2019 at 1:50 AM, Barb23 said:

I love all things Chik-fil-a (or Chik-a-fil as my mom used to say.)  Their sweet tea is one of my favorites as are the small breakfast chicken biscuits. Our local CFA is ready for the lunch & dinner crowds by having workers taking orders on a Mini I-pad standing in the drive thru lines rather than the customer having to give their order the usual way thru a speaker. Seems to be much quicker this way. The order takers have the capability of taking credit card payments or if paying by cash, there is a separate booth before the pick up window for that.  By time you get to window, you can just take your food & go. Much more efficient.

ETA:  I know other fast foods like McDonald's have separate payment & pickup windows. CFA is quicker since you can give your CC payment to the order taker at the  time your order is placed which saves another stop in the drive thru lane.

We have one in my city.  The bolded DRIVES ME EFFIN CRAZY!  It is on our main road and it is 2 lanes.  This practice makes the line stretch out into traffic and down the block shutting down 1 lane.  This is a very busy street.  For those of you familiar with Santa Barbara, it is State Street.  This location doesn't have a drive thru for a reason.  Not enough room and this creates a huge hazard at the busiest times of the day.  Next time I see it I am lodging a complaint with the city.  Phew.  Sorry for the word vomit.  I have a feeling or 2 about this.  HA!  

On 8/31/2019 at 10:04 AM, jcbrown said:

We had to visit Indiana while Pence's "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" was in force (it allowed discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community). We donated money to groups fighting the law to make up for what we spent in the state. My husband called it "liberal offsets."

NICE!  I didn't go to a conference in Indiana for this reason.  

[Natalie68]

On 8/31/2019 at 4:57 PM, CalicoKitty said:

When I opened the newspaper this morning I was surprised to see "Say yes to the Dress" as the top pick of the "best bets on tv" tonight.  Really?  Best thing to watch?    That just seems kind of sad.  It really is a low bar.

Seriously when I was in Poland, when we were in the room we had tv on and they had TLC.  Not only was there the  American version, there was a UK version as well as a Polish version.  Seriously?  There needs to be that many versions?  I guess so.

[Mindthinkr]

They have begun mandatory evacuations in my area. The rest of this week will be a doozy. We got flooded in and had no electricity during Florence for 5 days. I’m expecting the same from Dorian. I’m wishing everyone in the storms path a safe journey until this weather event passes. 

[wilsie]

@Mindthinkr I hope you and everyone you love are safe throughout this storm including your sweet kitties.

[crazycatlady58]

19 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

They have begun mandatory evacuations in my area. The rest of this week will be a doozy. We got flooded in and had no electricity during Florence for 5 days. I’m expecting the same from Dorian. I’m wishing everyone in the storms path a safe journey until this weather event passes. 

Do you have a safe place to go to?

[Mindthinkr]

20 minutes ago, crazycatlady58 said:

Do you have a safe place to go to?

I can always go to one of my neighbors houses if I have direct damage, but once the storm hits I’ll be locked in. Not to worry. I’ve been doing this for decades. The trouble isn’t so much having a place to go (I have friends in the Raleigh and Charlotte areas), but once you get out, the trouble is getting back. I-40 floods and closes, and my neighborhood becomes an island. You need to be here to fix things: i.e. tarp a roof, board over a window or chainsaw a downed tree. Waiting a week to do these things could result in serious damage. 

[crazycatlady58]

9 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I can always go to one of my neighbors houses if I have direct damage, but once the storm hits I’ll be locked in. Not to worry. I’ve been doing this for decades. The trouble isn’t so much having a place to go (I have friends in the Raleigh and Charlotte areas), but once you get out, the trouble is getting back. I-40 floods and closes, and my neighborhood becomes an island. You need to be here to fix things: i.e. tarp a roof, board over a window or chainsaw a downed tree. Waiting a week to do these things could result in serious damage. 

It sounds like you are in control of as much as you can be. From what the weather channel says if you have not flooded before you should be safe. It is not coming inland so that's good. Be safe and keep us updated as much as you can. I cannot remember where you are so not sure if you are waiting for the storm to hit are if you are in the middle of it.

[Barb23]

On 9/1/2019 at 11:08 PM, fonfereksglen said:

Please take a minute to google.... The Astronomer...  painted by Vermeer.  

Interesting reading in relation to scripture context.

Brought this over from Jill's thread.

I had never heard of Vermeer before reading this post the other day. Since then I have come across his name twice. 

Isn't it weird or strange (or whatever you want to call it) when something like this happens? Does this happen to anyone else?

Oh God, I just realized I'm sounding like Jill asking that type of question. Maybe I should have left my post in her thread.  Lol.

[Suzn]

2 hours ago, Barb23 said:

Brought this over from Jill's thread.

I had never heard of Vermeer before reading this post the other day. Since then I have come across his name twice. 

Isn't it weird or strange (or whatever you want to call it) when something like this happens? Does this happen to anyone else?

Oh God, I just realized I'm sounding like Jill asking that type of question. Maybe I should have left my post in her thread.  Lol.

It is a message.  Look online or a book from the library - Vermeer's paintings are beautiful, detailed and fascinating!

[lilwhitelion]

There's a really good documentary called Tim's Vermeer which shows one man's attempt to recreate Vermeer's photo realism by using optical devices.  It's available to rent on Amazon for $2.99.  I saw it in the theater a couple years ago - it is fascinating.  

[Jynnan tonnix]

I've always loved Vermeer. I love the Dutch school anyway mostly for the way they used light, but the history of the early optical devices used to create the realism is fascinating as well. It's so hard, in this age, to really conceive of not having any sort of photographic references in creating art. 

I did a copy of the Girl with the Pearl Earring eons ago - I think I was still in high school. It's still one of the better painted (as opposed to drawing, which I find pretty easy) portraits I've ever managed. I remember it coming together really easily as well. Maybe I should do more copies from old masters. I know that's an important part of learning technique, but I never did feel comfortable "copying" someone else's work.

I still have it stashed away somewhere...maybe I'll see if I can find it.

Found it...it's really no masterpiece, in retrospect, but I think I was about 17 when I did it, and it probably took me a couple of hours. I used to be obsessed with doing portraits back then, so could whip out a reasonable resemblance in no time, even if it wasn't terribly refined.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Jynnan tonnix

[Zella]

25 minutes ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

I've always loved Vermeer. I love the Dutch school anyway mostly for the way they used light, but the history of the early optical devices used to create the realism is fascinating as well. It's so hard, in this age, to really conceive of not having any sort of photographic references in creating art. 

I did a copy of the Girl with the Pearl Earring eons ago - I think I was still in high school. It's still one of the better painted (as opposed to drawing, which I find pretty easy) portraits I've ever managed. I remember it coming together really easily as well. Maybe I should do more copies from old masters. I know that's an important part of learning technique, but I never did feel comfortable "copying" someone else's work.

I still have it stashed away somewhere...maybe I'll see if I can find it.

I love the old Dutch masters like Vermeer too! 

[Suzn]

30 minutes ago, Zella said:

I love the old Dutch masters like Vermeer too! 

Three years ago there was a Dutch masters exhibit at the Nelson Atkins art museum and I went three times, just mesmerized.  Here's a favorite by Frans Hals that NA owns.

 

[galaxychaser]

https://people.com/crime/american-woman-arrested-airport-baby-inside-luggage/

[Zella]

44 minutes ago, Suzn said:

Three years ago there was a Dutch masters exhibit at the Nelson Atkins art museum and I went three times, just mesmerized.  Here's a favorite by Frans Hals that NA owns.

 

Oh that's gorgeous! 🙂

I was supposed to get to go Nelson-Atkins on a field trip for an art class several years ago, but a winter storm hit and the trip was cancelled. Still a goal to go there!

I'm also a big Caravaggio fan, and they have one of his paintings too.  

[Suzn]

10 hours ago, Zella said:

Oh that's gorgeous! 🙂

I was supposed to get to go Nelson-Atkins on a field trip for an art class several years ago, but a winter storm hit and the trip was cancelled. Still a goal to go there!

I'm also a big Caravaggio fan, and they have one of his paintings too.  

The Caravaggio is worth the trip!  It's stunning.

If you can stand more art talk - in the Frans Hals painting, the lively man with a twinkle in his eye reaches forward nearly 400 years to seem utterly contemporary.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Suzn

[Jynnan tonnix]

10 hours ago, Suzn said:

The Caravaggio is worth the trip!  It's stunning.

If you can stand more art talk - in the Frans Hals painting, the lively man with a twinkle in his eye reaches forward nearly 400 years to seem utterly contemporary.

That wasn't even a name I was familiar with, so I just spent some time looking at his collected works. Not sure which painting you are talking about because so many of them feature people whose looks, aside from wardrobe, could be anyone you might see on the street (what a master!), but my vote is for "The Laughing Cavalier". That face, indeed, is one which would not look out of place anywhere in this time, from the street to a talk show.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Jynnan tonnix

[sixlets]

I'm doing a lame-ass segue from works of art to makeup.  I'm looking for a recommendation for a good, full-coverage, drugstore-priced foundation.  I don't wear makeup much anymore, but Mr. Six's grandmother is turning 90, and there's a party coming up.  I'm ultra pale with blonde hair and blue eyes.  Thanks so much!

[Ohiopirate02]

9 minutes ago, sixlets said:

I'm doing a lame-ass segue from works of art to makeup.  I'm looking for a recommendation for a good, full-coverage, drugstore-priced foundation.  I don't wear makeup much anymore, but Mr. Six's grandmother is turning 90, and there's a party coming up.  I'm ultra pale with blonde hair and blue eyes.  Thanks so much!

Honestly if I were you I would go to Sephora to get a few samples or an Estee Lauder counter to get a sample of Doublewear.   No need to buy something if you only need it for one day.  Drugstore makeup is not cheap anymore.  I am also pale and find most drugstore brands do not have great shades.  They darken and turn warmer as they dry.  

Edited September 6, 2019 by Ohiopirate02

[Portia]

12 minutes ago, sixlets said:

I'm doing a lame-ass segue from works of art to makeup.  I'm looking for a recommendation for a good, full-coverage, drugstore-priced foundation.  I don't wear makeup much anymore, but Mr. Six's grandmother is turning 90, and there's a party coming up.  I'm ultra pale with blonde hair and blue eyes.  Thanks so much!

I never hang out on this thread, but your post happened to catch my eye. I'm a very fair, blue-eyed redhead on a budget. I've had trouble matching my skin tone in the past, but I'm happy with L'Oréal True Match. I use W1--their very palest. I get it at Walmart. 

Edited September 6, 2019 by Portia

[Sew Sumi]

It Cosmetics has a great foundation for us ghosty girls. It's also SPF 50. It's a !little more expensive, but worth it. 

Edited September 6, 2019 by Sew Sumi

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

That wasn't even a name I was familiar with, so I just spent some time looking at his collected works. Not sure which painting you are talking about because so many of them feature people whose looks, aside from wardrobe, could be anyone you might see on the street (what a master!), but my vote is for "The Laughing Cavalier". That face, indeed, is one which would not look out of place anywhere in this time, from the street to a talk show.

Caravaggio is one of my all time faves.  And, of course, one of the reasons his characters look so familiar is because he used regular people for models.  Actually, a lot of them were drunks or vagrants or otherwise society's castoffs.  It was kinda scandalous back in his time that he used the dregs of society to pose for him, often in pictures with religious themes.

There are some amazing Caravaggios in some of the little Catholic churches in Rome.  Many of the churches are tiny and old and their main source of income is selling post cards of their one and only masterpiece, painted by Caravaggio back in the day.  In a lot of the old churches, they don't have the money to light the paintings and, so, there are little meters at the sides of the altar where the masterpieces are hung.  So, you walk into a darkened church, drop a few lire in the box and the lights come on and you are faced with the most gloriously luminous paintings you've ever seen.  Breathtaking doesn't begin to describe the feeling.

[Jynnan tonnix]

3 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Caravaggio is one of my all time faves.  And, of course, one of the reasons his characters look so familiar is because he used regular people for models.  Actually, a lot of them were drunks or vagrants or otherwise society's castoffs.  It was kinda scandalous back in his time that he used the dregs of society to pose for him, often in pictures with religious themes.

There are some amazing Caravaggios in some of the little Catholic churches in Rome.  Many of the churches are tiny and old and their main source of income is selling post cards of their one and only masterpiece, painted by Caravaggio back in the day.  In a lot of the old churches, they don't have the money to light the paintings and, so, there are little meters at the sides of the altar where the masterpieces are hung.  So, you walk into a darkened church, drop a few lire in the box and the lights come on and you are faced with the most gloriously luminous paintings you've ever seen.  Breathtaking doesn't begin to describe the feeling.

Yup, Caravaggio I know...I was talking about Frans Hals whom @Suzn mentioned.

[doodlebug]

3 minutes ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Yup, Caravaggio I know...I was talking about Frans Hals whom @Suzn mentioned.

Ok, sorry. 

[Zella]

20 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Caravaggio is one of my all time faves.  And, of course, one of the reasons his characters look so familiar is because he used regular people for models.  Actually, a lot of them were drunks or vagrants or otherwise society's castoffs.  It was kinda scandalous back in his time that he used the dregs of society to pose for him, often in pictures with religious themes.

There are some amazing Caravaggios in some of the little Catholic churches in Rome.  Many of the churches are tiny and old and their main source of income is selling post cards of their one and only masterpiece, painted by Caravaggio back in the day.  In a lot of the old churches, they don't have the money to light the paintings and, so, there are little meters at the sides of the altar where the masterpieces are hung.  So, you walk into a darkened church, drop a few lire in the box and the lights come on and you are faced with the most gloriously luminous paintings you've ever seen.  Breathtaking doesn't begin to describe the feeling.

He is one of my all-time favorites, too! That's actually where my avatar comes from on here. It's a close-up of Judith beheading Holofernes. 😄

[BitterApple]

41 minutes ago, sixlets said:

I'm doing a lame-ass segue from works of art to makeup.  I'm looking for a recommendation for a good, full-coverage, drugstore-priced foundation.  I don't wear makeup much anymore, but Mr. Six's grandmother is turning 90, and there's a party coming up.  I'm ultra pale with blonde hair and blue eyes.  Thanks so much!

Maybelline FitMe is pretty decent. It's more of a medium coverage, but you could probably build it to full if you wanted. I used to love Revlon Colorstay, but somewhere along the lines I think they changed the formula and it oxidizes horribly after a few hours of wear. 

[Suzn]

For those not familiar with Caravaggio, this is the one at the Nelson Atkins.  The picture doesn't do it justice - the rich red fabric and glowing ivory skin.

[Zella]

3 minutes ago, Suzn said:

For those not familiar with Caravaggio, this is the one at the Nelson Atkins.  The picture doesn't do it justice - the rich red fabric and glowing ivory skin.

That's so stunning! Artists like Caravaggio are a big part of why, though I like Renaissance art, I love the Baroque work even better.

Also, I am so happy I get to geek out with people over art on here. LOL Nobody wants to do that with me IRL. 🙂

[Suzn]

3 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

That wasn't even a name I was familiar with, so I just spent some time looking at his collected works. Not sure which painting you are talking about because so many of them feature people whose looks, aside from wardrobe, could be anyone you might see on the street (what a master!), but my vote is for "The Laughing Cavalier". That face, indeed, is one which would not look out of place anywhere in this time, from the street to a talk show.

This is the one I wrote about.  I always have to stop and visit with him - so much personality comes through.

11 minutes ago, Zella said:

That's so stunning! Artists like Caravaggio are a big part of why, though I like Renaissance art, I love the Baroque work even better.

Also, I am so happy I get to geek out with people over art on here. LOL Nobody wants to do that with me IRL. 🙂

Me too!  This is so much fun!

[louannems]

On 8/23/2019 at 3:34 PM, Marigold said:

@ChiCricket  I'm so sorry.  So sad. 

I have been keeping up with Andrea Mills, the (fundie) Youtuber who died this week. She was buried today.  They announced that they 10th baby was a boy. 

Apparently the paternal grandmother is a retired school teacher and will homeschool the kids. Husband said they will continue on as usual.  They have a very large and close extended family so that is a huge help for them all.  Husband said they will be using all of Andrea's videos to help him, which I thought was kinda cute. 

At first, after the 41 year old Andrea died after a three DAY illness, the doctors told them she most likely had aggressive metastatic bile duct cancer.  But she died before imaging and testing could be finished.

Today, on Tom's latest video, he said the pathology report came back and she did not die from biliary duct cancer.  She definitely died from aggressive inflammatory breast cancer.  Tom said the doctors told him with this type of breast cancer, there is no palpable lump, nor does it show on a mammogram.

But Google says there is a puckering/thickness on the skin which does show on mammogram, which would lead to further imaging and testing and earlier treatment.

Also, Andrea had had noticably enlarged neck lymph nodes for a while.  Even my dentist checks those every six months when I go in.

Andrea's severe dislike and distrust of doctors and dentists may have cost her such an early death, leaving behind nine kids.  She treated herself with homemade herbal ointments for her severe backache all summer.  And it was probably her cancerous kidneys and liver and who knows what else.

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, louannems said:

At first, after the 41 year old Andrea died after a three DAY illness, the doctors told them she most likely had aggressive metastatic bile duct cancer.  But she died before imaging and testing could be finished.

Today, on Tom's latest video, he said the pathology report came back and she did not die from biliary duct cancer.  She definitely died from aggressive inflammatory breast cancer.  Tom said the doctors told him with this type of breast cancer, there is no palpable lump, nor does it show on a mammogram.

But Google says there is a puckering/thickness on the skin which does show on mammogram, which would lead to further imaging and testing and earlier treatment.

Also, Andrea had had noticably enlarged neck lymph nodes for a while.  Even my dentist checks those every six months when I go in.

Andrea's severe dislike and distrust of doctors and dentists may have cost her such an early death, leaving behind nine kids.  She treated herself with homemade herbal ointments for her severe backache all summer.  And it was probably her cancerous kidneys and liver and who knows what else.

Inflammatory breast cancer shows up as extreme skin changes, a mammogram isn't needed, it is obvious to anyone that something is very wrong.  It is often not visible on mammograms. The skin becomes thickened and deeply red and it looks kind of like a breast infection, except that it is not tender like a breast infection would be. The skin changes are because the cancer spreads quickly into the lymphatic system and causes blockages there.  It grows rapidly.  I presume Andrea breast fed her kids and probably dealt with mastitis on more than one occasion.  It could be that she thought she had a breast infection and tried to treat herself with homeopathic remedies rather than antibiotics since she was averse to traditional medicine.

The first inflammatory breast cancer I ever saw was back when I was a resident.  A young woman in her 30's who had a baby about 8 months old.  Her doc was a family practitioner who liked 'natural remedies' although I don't know that he had any training in homeopathy.   He had done all sorts of stuff, including several courses of antibiotics, over 5 months or so before he finally sent her to see a general surgeon thinking she had an abscess that needed draining.  The surgeon diagnosed her without a biopsy (though, being actually competent, he did that too).  She died around the time her son had his first birthday.  It's a very, very virulent cancer and, even if caught early, is often fatal, but this lady didn't have a chance.

I suspect that the breast cancer had spread to her liver and blocked the bile ducts which is why they thought it had started there.  I would hope that somebody did a breast exam at some point before she died and the diagnosis was at least suspected though she obviously was too sick for it to have mattered by that point.  And, of course, they may have initially thought the enlarged lymph nodes were due to an infection or from cancer originating in the liver.

Edited September 6, 2019 by doodlebug

[Jynnan tonnix]

7 hours ago, Suzn said:

This is the one I wrote about.  I always have to stop and visit with him - so much personality comes through.

Me too!  This is so much fun!

Oh, he has a great face! I love it! I was thinking maybe you meant this one, who looks a little more full of himself, but  has a very contemporary look to his face as well. Almost as though he's in costume for a period drama.

[Jynnan tonnix]

12 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Ok, sorry. 

No problem! My knowledge of art history is actually lamentably spotty sometimes considering that I've always been very into art. I can always use a bit more education.

[Suzn]

3 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Oh, he has a great face! I love it! I was thinking maybe you meant this one, who looks a little more full of himself, but  has a very contemporary look to his face as well. Almost as though he's in costume for a period drama.

You're absolutely right that this is another very contemporary character.  You can imagine them changing out of their "costumes" and this guy in a T shirt and jeans!  What a genius painter to capture so much personality.

[doodlebug]

4 hours ago, Jynnan tonnix said:

Oh, he has a great face! I love it! I was thinking maybe you meant this one, who looks a little more full of himself, but  has a very contemporary look to his face as well. Almost as though he's in costume for a period drama.

That's one of the things I love about Vermeer and the other Dutch Masters as well as Caravaggio; they paint real people and are so skilled at expression, that you can just about tell what the subject is thinking.

I love this saucy guy!  He's got quite the knowing look.