Finish line

I am heading toward the finish line. I had my last class last night and am finishing up my internship this week. It doesn't seem real! But, it is time to move on...to the next adventure!

Spring Creativity

I feel - once spring has really showed her pretty face - that I have a lot of creative energy. I have been playing in the yard a lot these past two weeks. It is certainly a lovely little oasis...

I moved the table and four chairs in order to make more space on the patio to chill; Stan likes laying by this chair...

I decided to try my hand at herbs along with bell and jalapeño peppers this year...we shall see...

A little sitting nook...

Hey, who are those little dudes in the garden?

Despite the late snow, I did end up with a few lilacs this year!

Another creative project I have been working on is for my Empowerment Practice with Diverse Communities class. My teacher is super cool and we could do anything creative for our final project. So, I made this art piece

The wording says "Empowerment begins with Humility and Vulnerability". Social workers aim to help clients and communities toward being empowered, and both traits are necessary-humility on the part of the social worker, and vulnerability on the part of the client. I did a tile mosaic along with layered tissue paper to represent the deconstruction of power systems as well as the complexity of power and powerlessness. It felt good to smash cheap plates and cups that I bought at ARC with a hammer...smashing the construct of patriarchy...Ok, ok...I will save it for the paper I have to turn in along with the art piece. I think I am going to give it to my teacher-but I haven't decided just yet : )

The Radio

I know as a social worker, humility is one of the foremost traits to have. It isn't about me, the social worker, and what I do...it is about the patient/client/family and how they may improve their lives. But, every once in a while, something that I do might make a person happy. And I think it is okay to take pride in that.

I was in a care conference for a patient with my team from hospice and the team from the facility where he lives. He had gone through a tough time recently, showing signs of depression from his illness, so our team rallied together and tried to figure out ways to improve his quality of life. He has very few possessions and I noticed he didn't have a radio. I asked him if he would like one and he said he loved music-turns out he played the saxophone in his earlier days. So, I went off to Target, bought him a little $20 radio, took it to him, plugged it in, and he jammed out to the jazz station as I was leaving.

In our meeting the other day, the nurse said that he just loves this radio. I guess he takes it with him wherever he goes, plugs it into a an outlet, and listens to the jazz station. She said she heard music coming from the front room in the facility and there he was, in his wheelchair looking out the window, with the radio in his lap. I suppose I find it heart warming to know that this little gesture has meant something to him, and I didn't just buy it for him because I felt like he needed music.

I am transitioning out of my internship as I prepare for graduation and I am going to miss the patients and my colleagues. It has been a really special learning experience for me, and there have been countless times a patient or family member touched my heart. The radio scenario tells me I am walking away having touched the heart of at least one patient.

My New Mac

To make a very long story short I had to get a new computer this weekend. I stuck with the MacBook Pro but got the 15 inch. And it has this fun little feature called Photo Booth!

Chicken n' Waffles

I know, I know...it doesn't sound that good. Or it sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen. But waffles in and of them selves are just regular batter made into a waffle, so it is like having chicken and biscuits or something.  For some reason lately I have been wanting chicken and waffles. I finally got it tonight at The Corner Office. Jen, her sister-in-law Eva and I went there for dinner before seeing The Blue Man Group at the Buell. Lo and behold on the menu is chicken and waffles. I went for it. And it was good. It was too much food so I only ate half, but savor is the better word. Literally, it is a Belgian waffle, with 4 pieces of fried chicken on top, along with a side of syrup. It was really good. I did see a Restaurant Impossible episode where Robert Irvine made his recipe and it included a jalapeno cream cheese/butter for the the waffle. So, here is my ideal plate: A nice, thick Belgian waffle, two fried chicken tenders on top (so I can cut through without the bone), and on the waffle a nice spread of jalapeno butter or cream cheese. I would add just a bit of real maple syrup but not too much along the top of it all. Yummy! Blue Man Group was fun, too. I had never seen them in action and it was very stimulating. I got to dance off some of those chicken and waffles, too, during the show which was a bonus!

Photo courtesy of The Corner Office

This comment has been deleted by the blog administrator

My mom had asked me once what that meant and what comments I was deleting. So, I thought I would explain. Somehow people out in the world of the internet get wind of my blog postings and they never make grammatical sense and the links they post take you to some random thing to buy. So I usually delete them. I saw 5 comments on my last post about the truck, all by random people who don't know how to write a sentence. So, just wanted you all to know why I delete some of the comments that are posted!

First things first...

I really want to know when April showers will bring spring flowers...I am totally over this snowy, really cold weather. Last weekend I had gotten the bug and planted some pots with pansies, and of course by today they look wilted and sad. I am also really tired of wanting to take a nap around this time of the afternoon because of how gloomy it is outside...I would rather want to go for a walk or something! Okay, enough complaining. At least we are getting that much needed moisture whose absence will lead to brown, dry lawns this summer.

I had a lovely night with Frank and Mary Margaret on Friday at the Ship's Tavern downtown. They are  the real thing...those people you just want to spend hours with.

Yesterday I had my first Reiki session. Reiki works with energy...we are all energetic beings, after all. We want to think we are flesh and organs with a soul, but we are energy. Sometimes our energy gets stuck or blocked and a Reiki session will work that energy out of blocked areas so that energy can flow freely. My previous boss at Regis-Barbara-is now a Reiki Master (Shameless plug: Here is her website http://www.sourceenergyreiki.com/) and so I decided to give it a go. I was feeling like I needed an energy shift since I am beginning upon new transition and change once I graduate from DU. She worked her magic and by the end I was visualizing walking with a horse (Of course he looked like Cody from the therapy farm) along an empty beach with the ocean eating up our feet and hoofs. As the session concluded I found myself laughing...hysterically...for about 10 minutes. I couldn't stop. She said it is one of many reactions people have (ranging from crying to having to use the bathroom) and that I was releasing some of the blocked energy through laughter. Which makes sense...living alone I don't laugh very often, unless I see a funny TV show or something. So I guess laughter has been sitting inside me and needed to be released! Today I felt lighter, and found myself laughing with a classmate about something (okay, at the expense of one of our teachers if I am going to be honest) as well as just not taking everything too seriously. It felt so good.

Robert is turning 40 next week. Earth Day. We are having a family dinner at La Loma. No pomp and circumstance, and as much as I want to shower him with black balloons, a crazy surprise party and a mariachi band, he is just hoping for a quiet celebration. Take note now...I am okay with any of the above for my 40th!

Well, off to tend to another week. The Reiki session has left me feeling pretty creative, though, so I think I will avoid the nap and make something creative. I wish to all of you the beginning to a great week and maybe find something to laugh about!