Yeah, Den... I can TELL you've been playing computer games. What the **** happened to my "long email"?!
Listen hon, as well as "Colette", I'm reading a VERY light mystery. I have to rotate depending on my mood. And mental capacity.

I like kids books too!!! Daniel S. Pinkwater writes some really great stuff.....
"The Haboken Chicken Emergency", "The Last Guru" really fun stuff!! And DH sometimes reads me "Winnie the Pooh" to help me fall asleep!!!

Virginia - That is soooo nice about your mom and poetry. It is something you can treasure and then pass on to your kids. You are so lucky to have that connection with her.

Oh the whole thing about formal education is a bit hooey to me. Just my opinion, but I have spent lots of time both in and out of school - and I think that as long as you keep your mind open, you learn more out on the open road of life. I treasure every moment I spent in school, but mostly because it kept me out of the workforce and hanging with my friends


deep stuff like literature and psychology and history is cool, but I just as well enjoy watching Wayne's World and listening to Frank Zappa (fellow fan, den!)

oh and I find that people who are self made and self taught and don't take themselves too seriously are always so interesting........but anyway.........

Katrina.... hey girlfriend - here's a big (HUG)... yes, come here to talk to us - don't stay away.


terrigrrrl

YOu guys are the best! BIG HUGS!
THANKS!!

Virginia

Kat, you do sound like you need a big ol' , everything ok?

Dent - I agree, there's something lost in the translation a lot of times when you're not getting the original language. I saw Life Is Beautiful without the english dubbing. I know a smattering of Italian, but even without reading subtitles you *knew* everything... amazing movie.

Chris - It's SO good to see you back! I think we were starting to get a little worried about your disappearance! I'm looking forward to the long rambling posts Welcome back!

Wantstoloose - Erase "schmuck" from your vocabulary of self-describing words. Your poems from your Mom are an immeasurable treasure and much, MUCH more important than anything you'd ever learn in school.

That being said, I shall mosey on back to work....

Terri

I also collect old books... I have a 1913 "Guide to personal purity" (Sex ed!!) Working in a library helps; I get 1st (or 2nd) dibs on discards or ancient donations! Love old books.

Our wee library branch has been eaten by the 'corporation' and all the jobs are being scrambled... I think I'm ok, no lay-offs just hours cut eventually.

I might end up in a better situation but don't want to assume that in case I jinx myself.

Anyone watch Buffy last night???

Tonight Enterprise, and meet the teacher night for both the high school and junior school...

Ah well, must go walk and deliver news...

Lois

Hey women...

Thanks for the hugs and the concern...not really sure what the **** is bothering me, other than the fact that I am not losing weight, well maybe cuz I'm not trying real hard...so THAT is bothering me. Why am I not trying too hard? I DON"T KNOW...so that's bothering me. Ahhh, I'll get there eventually. I have been exercising again so that helps the mood and the determination...

Thanks again for your concern...it means a lot!

Christina....welcome back girlfriend! and yes, I agree with everyone who said, take it easy and be kind to yourself...sleep, and good nutrition, and gentle exercise...or not so gentle if you're up to it...but, concentrate on healing and don't pay too much attention to the numbers on the scale...when you attend to your health your weight will be right without even focusing on it. We did miss you. Glad you're back in action.

Yes, I agree, I love dragon flies and this one is so pretty.

The only thing that I have been reading are your posts!
I read the Harry Potter series and loved it. I read magazines.
Just can't get into books lately...they consume me too much and take too
much of my focus...plus if I'm reading something that I really like, ie, Harry Potter...then I read and read and stay up to all hours of the night saying...just one more chapter, just one more chapter!

I sometimes work on crossword puzzles in bed before I fall asleep...it kind of makes me focus my brain and I've used it as a ritual to make me sleepy...it does work.

I really like poetry too...I took a poetry writing class in college that was taught by the poet Sonia Sanchez. Anybody know her stuff? She was a great teacher. This is a poem that I wrote in her class.

I woke in your bed on that first white morning.
Bay water splashing the tired old beach house
pulled me away from my dreaming.

You sat, on the screen porch
of breezes, of voices,
guitar propped against you, you sang out your songs
to the salt air, to the water, to me.

And I warned you,
don't fall in love with me friend,
forgetting
that I too
could fall.

well girls, gotta go, didn't overeat today... I guess the being sick and
puking slowed me down a bit... Unfortunately I missed the gym today...just didn't feel up to it...hope I'm back in the saddle tomorrow.

Love to all of you, Soozie

Soozie, that's beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with us. Hope you're feeling better soon, hon.

Lois, that book sounds like a hoot!

Kat, you're going to exercise today, right? Because you know you'll feel so much better.

xoxo everyone...

Hi Goils!

My company is gone and I spent yesterday afternoon mourning her departure. It is so nice to have a good friend who is also an excellent house guest. My Lucy and HArry are both in love with her.

My operation is tomorrow morning so I won't be posting much for a while. Todayt is going to be a day from **** as I do all the last minute things to get ready. It is also clip Miss Lucy day - the only day the groomer has free for two weeks. She is coming HERE so Lucy will be more relaxed! Oy! There goes the afternoon.

Anyhow, I'll be lurking even if I can't post. Could I maybe post using justthe right side of the keyboard? e ths (That was like this? - guess it wouldn't work too well!

Soozie- Loved your poem, it was beautiful. Sure hope you are feeling better today. Last night was my second trip to the gym and I absolutely love it. It makes me feel so good and i sleep so well. Hope you can get there today and have a good workout.
Ruth- Wishing you the best of luck, good vibes, and a big hug! We will feel you in spirit, even if you can not type. Just get well soon, so we can hear from you again.

And to the rest of you beautiful chicks, have a great day!

Virginia

Ruth darling... thinking about you tomorrow. Tape a pencil to the end of your nose and use it in place of your bum hand.
Glad you had such a good time with your friend!!
xo

Virginia, isn't the gym just great!!! I love it, too!

Hi Girlies, Still feeling a bit funkadelic today. Debating whether or not I can go to work or if I should just cancel my clients and stay in bed. Hate to cancel last minute. We'll see. I have to be in at 2:00pm so I have to make the decision soon.

Ruth, best wishes with your surgery. I like Ellis' idea with the pencil. Or maybe you could work with Lucy today and train her to hit the keys as you speak. That shouldn't be too difficult. Though she is getting groomed today so maybe you won't have enough time to review the whole alphabet.

Virginia, thanks for the gym encouragement. Ellis, are you going to the y today? I do feel so much better when I'm exercising, mentally and physically. However, with this virus or whatever it is I just feel like crawling in bed and not getting out. Then I get so bored I want to accomplish something and then the fatigue hits again. It basically sucks. Hope it's gone by tomorrow.

My DD went to kindergarten today with her little friend and his mom. We started carpooling. It was so bizarre to plop her booster seat into someone else's car and wave goodbye from the driveway. I wanted to call the school and say...Is my baby there? Did she miss me? It was total separation anxiety for ME. I'm sure the kid did fine. As soon as I was walking away from the car I heard her saying, "look Bobby, we have the same booster seat...blah,blah,blah..." The conversation was already going.

Bobby's mom will pick DD up at school today and take DD to the sitter's house. Then I'll see her when I get home from work...if I go to work...would one of you like to fill in for me today? My clients are very lovable people...I'm sure that you'd enjoy talking with them...Ellis???

Ellis, I'm serious about you having a career in counseling. I'll help you get through the college and grad school thing. Just let me know. I only charge a small fee for research assistance. Don't the rest of you think Ellis would be a great therapist. We were all talking about the education thing. Maybe that has got you scared off. I was an chronic underachiever myself and stubborn as heck.

My mother always told me to take commercial courses in high school, you know short hand and typing. She'd say, you'll have something to fall back on. I would say, I'm never going to be someone's bleeping secretary. I did regret not learning typing but as you can see I did learn eventually. Anyway, it took me six years, a number of incompleted courses,thousands of dollars down the drain, academic probation, a minor stint as a fulltime waitress, and a job as a cashier at a convenience store, before I finally finished my undergrad degree with honors in ART!!! Not one math or science on that transcript.

Then it was a number of years before I went back for my master's degree. My master's program was great. IM me if you want details. But, what I'm trying to say is, anything is possible.

I'm rambling on so, gotta go
Love, Soozie

Soozie- hope you feel better soon......

your poem is very beautiful


I was wondering what drew you to counseling as a career??

I've been tossing this idea around for awhile and would really appreciate your insight. I am expecting to leave my job field within the next year or so. The time has finally come to do something I really enjoy, not just a job for money.

There are two job-related things I love to do: speaking and teaching Spanish and doing mediation work - so I've thought about either going back to school to get certified to teach high school Spanish or getting a MSW or LCSW (is that what it's called?) to do counseling and/or mediation work.

I've read that in the current environment, many counselors are unable to maintain a private practice since it has become very difficult to receive reimbursement through the managed care companies - or if they do maintain a practice - it has to be in a geographic area where the local population has suffificient means to pay out of pocket. Others have left their practices to become employees of the managed care companies. That last option would be unattractive to me because I'm not thrilled about leaving one company just to become a wage slave to another LOL. I am tired of Corporate America.

My background includes sociology, mediation, law, negotiation, etc. so I've been wondering whether the Courts provide referrals for mediation cases or whether these go to actual attorneys or in the case of family disputes, therapists or counselors?

Given that Spanish is rapidly becoming the second language of this country.....there should be a way to combine all of this.

I don't know - I'm just thinking out loud here.... any thoughts you have are greatly appreciated.

I know how you felt about your DD going to school with a friend. The first time my DD spent the night at a friend's house, I had to be restrained from calling over there.... "will they feed her a good dinner? what if they let their kids watch the wrong things on TV?"
etc. etc.

I thought it would get easier but what I've found is that these thoughts and feelings remain pretty much the same as time goes on - just the issues change.

That's the nature of parenting I guess

Hope you get some rest and again, hope you feel better real soon

terrigrrrl

Soozie darling, you're very sweet, but I have enough on my plate counseling YOU! That's a joke... you picked up on that, right hon?
No, the education thing doesn't scare me at all. In fact, I determined years ago that I would work towards getting my PHD... no matter how long it took. But now I know I don't need that piece of paper... it wouldn't mean anything to me. I feel great about myself and my achievements. I probably WILL go back to University at some point, but only to fulfill a craving for more English Lit.
Anyhow sweetie, ARE YOU NUTS!? I'm mentally ill!! I'd probably go on a rampage and wipe out all my clients!!
Hey, I understand exactly how you feel about your DD. I used to sit by the phone waiting for the school to call to tell me my children had been involved in some little accident. Everything will be fine. You just have to let go a little and have faith.

Terrigrrrl, you're definitely up for a new job. Good luck on choosing a new career... you've got a lot going for you!

Hi everyone else! Hey! Where's Mauvais? Mauvais honey, are you okay?
xoxo