Posts by Jolisa
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Up Front: It's Not Sex, and It's Not Education, in reply to Jackie Clark,
Yep! There’s some debate about the details of (what Wikipedia tells me is unprettily called) the “upsuck theory of female orgasm”, but basically it seems sound.
Also in the interests of, y’know, not being totally heteronormative or reproduction-centric, I should clarify that whatever the biological origins of the mechanism, in practice of course only some orgasmic cervices at some times are like giant sperm-sucking squids. Others are simply like giant sucking squids.
(More for the “sentences I have never typed before” file.)
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Uh, basically, what Isabel said.
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Up Front: It's Not Sex, and It's Not Education, in reply to Danielle,
So do we issue all sexually active heterosexual teen girls with basal body temperature thermometers, or recommend something considerably less complicated?
I'm a firm advocate of everyone knowing what's going on under the hood (speaking of which, see also rhymes with glitterous, not Dolores) so I reckon all pubescent girls (and boys) should be taught the entirety of the menstrual cycle, not just the bloody bits. I belatedly found it wildly empowering.
That said, it's not necessarily information you can expect people to assimilate or use immediately. Even with a Mum who was a Natural Family Planning instructor (all those dinky little booklets and sets of coloured stickers, some with babies on!) I had absolutely no interest whatsoever in that information until I was deliberately trying to get pregnant. I much preferred the more reliable (and frankly handier) Unnatural Family Planning methods during the time when I was not.
It's amazing stuff, though. Like the bit about how during the fertile part of the cycle, the cervix apparently elongates, softens, opens up and (during orgasm) swoops down like a sort of giant sperm-sucking squid? That's a cool antidote to the prevailing narrative that the whole arrangement is just a passive, quiet little space, waiting patiently for a willy to come along and rock its world.
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Do you know, I love the rail network expansion that goes on in these threads. I refused to call it derailing - rather, it's like when I put out the box of toy trains and watch the kids go for it. Every time a different, epic, complicated layout, worthy of photographing for the album.
From my spot on the couch I am busily assimilating all the excellent info and advice - from the nitty-gritty logistics to the inchoate emotional stuff - and very grateful for all of it. Forgive me if I don't manage to reply directly to each and every one, but I assure you I am reading and loving it all, and will chip in over the next few days.
We are very very fortunate in having a shipping container covered by the new job. Stuff-wise, all the lamps and books are definitely coming, and a few appliances that I had assumed wouldn't work, but will be fine with transformers. All the good furniture, and I'm on the lookout for chairs to go with our maple table. No cars; we're only bringing bikes and scooters, which won't need converting to right-hand drive. Thanks too for the tips on garden gear, Christmas ornaments (who knew??) and shells, of which I have a fair few. Funny, the little things you don't think about. Glad I have you guys to think about them for me!
Dyan -- thank you for the thoughtful advice about things to do with the boys over the next few weeks -- very much appreciated.
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Busytown: Sons for the Return Home, in reply to Paul Campbell,
before you start wander around the house, take lots and lots of pictures of every little corner, every special place
I'm finding that putting the camera (accidentally or deliberately) in the hands of the younger members of the family is a great way to do this - they take pictures from the oddest angles of the strangest things, things the rest of us don't see.
There is a tardis thing that goes on with houses, old houses are always much larger on the inside than the new one you move to ... Eventually your new house will do the tardis thing, as you find all the nooks and crannies it too will expand to fit
This is extremely mysterious and incredibly true.
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Books-for-kids-wise, so far we are fans of the books by Robie H Harris - very straightforward, extremely inclusive definition of sexuality and family, pitched nicely to the different age groups. Also, sweet cartoons.
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This is all reminding me that I had meant to topiarise the yew at the bottom of the garden into a Totoro shape... it may not be too late. One more thing for my list, thank you!
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Busytown: Sons for the Return Home, in reply to Bart Janssen,
And no, I do not want to derail this thread honest.
Nah, I love it. Shunting off into discussions like this is what Public Address was invented for. Eh, Russell?
(As it says at the bottom of Recordari’s fine link: “Is your hedge trimmed in a strange shape? Call newsdesk on 020 7938 6000.”)
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This, on the other hand, is a Mew Topiarian vision.
(Via the excellent HedgeBritannia blog).
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Busytown: Sons for the Return Home, in reply to Rich Lock,
A Yew Topiarian vision.
If yew build it, they will come (but yew will have to prune it carefully and regularly, viz. the Elephant Hedge at Rockingham Castle, for example).