I’ve started reading the book “Eat, Pray, Love”. While I’m not too far into it yet, it has hit some points that I can relate too.

In the book, the author is a successful career woman, married, and living in a luxurious house. Around the time when she turned 30, something inside of her changed. While her life was good, she started to realize it wasn’t exactly what she wanted.

Unlike the author, I did not have a high paying career, large house and was not married when I turned 30, but I did feel something inside of me change. While I loved my little apartment, I was starting to want more. I wanted a house. My desire to get a Master’s degree and work on my career grew. I even started to realize that I wanted to settle down and maybe have kids some day. These thoughts had never crossed my mind in my 20’s.

I remember when I turned 30 how people kept asking me “do you feel any different now that you are 30?” I kept saying “no, why would I?” But I think something did change. It wasn’t obvious at first, but over the years it has become more apparent.

When I mentioned this to my mother, she said the same thing happened with my father, except his was more like the author in the book. It made me curious if other people had similar things happen to them when they turned 30. I need a name for this. I can’t call it a “mid-life crisis” when I’m not mid-way through my life (or so I hope). Maybe it is just me “growing up”.

People change. I can honestly say the woman I am today is not the same person I was 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Likewise, I’m not going to be the same person 10, 20 or 30 years from now. This isn’t a bad thing….it just is. Sometimes I feel like people in my life would love it if I was forever X age...like I would forever be 25. Wouldn’t that be nice? On the flip side, I don't think I would want to always earn the same income that I had at age 25, or live in the same building, or have the same beliefs about life. People naturally change mentally, physically, socially, economically and spiritually....and that’s the beauty of life. Our wants and desires change with time. When I was 6 I wanted My Little Pony. When I was 16 I wanted a car. When I was 26 I wanted to see the world. I don't know what I will want when I turn 36. Probably something praticle, like a new car or lawn mower or maybe stuff for my kids.

Don’t get me wrong…I loved my life in my 20’s. I also loved my life in my teens. I can honestly look back and say that I had a great time during those decades. Yes, I did some stupid things and made some mistakes, but over all I had a good time and learned a lot. I hope when I’m in my 80’s that I can look back and say the same thing about the other decades in my life – each decade had different challenges, different lessons to learn, and I made some mistakes along the way, but over all I had a great time.

Who knows…maybe this same “growing up” feeling will hit me when I turn 70, and I will no longer want a big house and a career and I will get the urge to retire and move back to my little apartment again.

In SCA news: Here is the list of people fighting in AEthelmearc Crown this weekend (October 17). I can’t make it (take two guesses as to what I will be doing), but I wanted to let all of my friends who are entering know that I will be thinking about you. Good luck, have a good time and no one get hurt! *smile* *hugs*

( Crown Tourney )

P.S. – Get pictures for me! *smile*

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.” – Tom Bodett

Happiness is:
- Hitting week 7 for the semester (about half way done). WOOT!
- Completing three out of the seven projects due for the semester
- Officially hitting the half way point for my internship hours! WOOO HOOO!!!!!!! YIPPIE! HAPPY DANCE!!!!!
- Having class cancelled this Thursday because the professor is going to a conference. Yes! FYI - we don't get any breaks during the semester (like fall break or spring break). We don’t get any holidays off either, except for Thanksgiving. So, when the professor cancels class because they are going out of town, it is like a mini fall break for us. Joy!!


This weekend, I rewarded myself with a day off. My rule: to not think about work or school for the full day and to have some FUN! What did I do? I went to the Corning Museum of Glass (COMG). I’ve wanted to go there for years, and this weekend they had a glass pumpkin festival. Don’t ask me why, but I like glass pumpkins. I think it has something to do with taking a somewhat ugly and heavy object and turning it into a fragile work of art. While I didn’t get the chance to see and do everything that I wanted, I took great delight in spend the day surrounded by lights, colors, art and history. Just throw in some cute bunnies and good coffee and it would have been PERFECT. Actually, I did have good coffee while I was there, so just throw in some cute bunnies. :-] While I was there, I got two glass pumpkins (the first to my little “make believe” collection). I also bought two glass orbs to hang in my bedroom windows.

Today, I got up early and did the Memory Walk to help raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. I power walked 3.5 miles. Woot! We were in the lead for most of the walk until the last mile, one of the other teams passed us. Oh well. It was a beautiful day for a walk, and I had a good time.

After the walk, they gave me a gift bag with a bottle of water (good), a chew bar (good) and some Advil (very good!). I went home, got some lunch and went with mom and Mr. Beau dog. I wasn’t moving as fast by then, but it was still good.

“Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling into at night. I miss you like hell.” – Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)

The American Medical Association has weighed in on the new
Obama health care proposals:

The Allergists voted to scratch it, but the Dermatologists advised not
to make any rash moves.

The Gastroenterologists had sort of a gut feeling about it, but the
Neurologists thought the Administration had a lot of nerve.
The Obstetricians felt they were all laboring under a misconception.
Ophthalmologists considered the idea shortsighted.
Pathologists yelled, "Over my dead body!"
while the Pediatricians said, "Oh, Grow up!"

The Psychiatrists thought the whole idea was madness, while the
Radiologists could see right through it. Surgeons decided to wash
their hands of the whole thing. The Internists thought it was a bitter
pill to swallow, and the Plastic Surgeons said, "This puts a whole new
face on the matter..."

The Podiatrists thought it was a step forward, but the Urologists were
pissed off. The Anesthesiologists thought the whole idea was a gas,
and the Cardiologists didn't have the heart to say no.

In the end, the Proctologists won out, leaving the entire decision up
to the assholes in Washington .

“The romantic image of the hero is based on the illusion that authentic selfhood can be achieved as an autonomous individual. We do many things alone, including some of our more heroic acts, but we are defined and sustained by a network of human relationships. Our need to worship heroes is partly a need to rise above inadequacy and self-doubt, but it is perhaps equally a product of imagining a life unfettered by all those pesky relationships that somehow never quite go as we wish.” – M. Nichols, 2009, p. 3-4

What are your thoughts on this?

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. ~From a headstone in Ireland

In remembrance to all of the heroes who have died trying to keep us safe and all of those who lost their lives on 9-11-01.

This was from the local news (1180 WHAM)
No Challengers For Duffy

The Monroe County Board of Elections has rejected the petition filed by Green Party candidate Alex White.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009

(13-WHAM) The Monroe County Board of Elections has rejected the petition filed by Green Party candidate Alex White, meaning Mayor Robert Duffy (D) will run unopposed for re-election in November.

415 of the 1,576 signatures White collected on his petition were rejected, leaving him below the 1,500 minimum required to be on the ballot.

The Monroe County Democratic Committee had filed objections to White’s petitions.


http://www.wham1180.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=122742&article=5955507

In the spring, I volunteered with StoryCorp to interview people so their memories could be recorded. Today, I got a letter in the mail saying that I was now considered to be a “StoryCorp Alumni” and some the work I did “will be entered into the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress”. Wow! My voice is in the Library of Congress! Actually, the reason why I did it was because the families would get a copy of the interviews on CD. I thought it was important for the family members to have more than photos of their loved ones but to actually have a recording of their loved one's voice and memories. I can’t tell you how many times I wish I could hear someone’s voice again that is now gone. If I could, I would love for everyone to have a StoryCorps CD of their memories.

If you have never heard of StoryCorps, here is their mission statement:

The mission of StoryCorps is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening. We accomplish this by providing access both to the StoryCorps interview experience and to the content that emerges from these interviews.

StoryCorps reminds us of the importance of listening to and learning from those around us. It celebrates our shared humanity. It tells people that their lives matter and they won’t be forgotten. Through StoryCorps, we hope to create a kinder, more thoughtful and compassionate nation.

In the coming years, we will bring StoryCorps to as many people as possible, while always adhering to the highest standards of excellence. We hope to build StoryCorps into an enduring American institution.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I had a lot of fun doing the project and I wouldn't mind doing it again.

You can learn more about StoryCorps at http://www.storycorps.org/

You know…I’m surrounded by some great people. This fall, I’m hearing about how a number of people are going back to school (many for the first time in a while). That is great news! Some people seem to be going back for a career change while others want to get a higher degree or just more education. Fantastic! Congratulations to everyone who took that step back into the classroom!

I’ve also had some people telling me how they are starting to sign-up to do volunteer work in their local communities. Awesome! I think there is always something we can do to help make our communities a better place. One time, mom and I were walking in the woods and got talking about what we would like if and when we die. I said I think instead of a memorial service/formal funeral, I would rather be cremated and have people to pick something to do some volunteer work for a day. It can be anything – volunteering at the zoo, nursing home, Humane Society, the local VA, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, cleaning up local parks, donating hair to Locks for Love, ringing the bell for the Salvation Army, working in a soup kitchen or whatever. So, for all of you who have decided to donate some time to a good cause I give you two thumbs up!

I love the movie “Dreams” (1990) by Akira Kurosawa. If you have not seen it before, it is a Japanese movie made up of a series of short stories or dreams. One of my favorite stories is “sunshine through the rain”. In this clip, a young boy is told by his mother to not go out into the woods when the sun is shining and it is raining because this is when foxes hold their weddings. If the foxes catch you watching, it could mean death. Since seeing this movie, every time it is raining and the sun is out, I say “the foxes are having their wedding” and not to go in the woods.

This weekend, mom and I took Beau dog to Oatka park for a walk. Wouldn’t you know, the sun was shining and it was raining? Jokingly, I told mom “if we see a fox, I’m outta here”.

I just finished reading “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova, PhD. It is a fictional story of a 50-year-old woman named Alice who is an esteemed professor of psychology at Harvard. Slowly, Alice begins to notice changes in her memory, so she starts to try and figure out what could be the cause. Eventually, she sees a doctor who diagnoses her with early onset Alzheimer's disease.

In this book, the reader is taken on a journey with Alice, descending into the world of dementia. We get to watch how the disease changes her career, family members and her perspectives on life. Some of it is tragic while other times are touching and even humorous.

I thought Lisa Genova did a good job helping the reader get a feeling for what it must be like to have AD. She really did her research. I highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of if you have personal experience dealing with someone who has memory loss or not.

Published by Pocket Books in January 6, 2009.
ISBN-10: 1439102813
ISBN-13: 978-1439102817


http://www.stillalice.com/

If it wasn’t for work and school, I would love to volunteer to help with this. I love to see kids dress up for Halloween.

Zoo Boo – Annual Halloween Event at the Zoo
http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp457919.jsp

I saw another one looking for a volunteer art teacher. Tempting, but I’m going to be busy doing artwork with people who have dementia this fall.
http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp458502.jsp

From Yaz - Boldo is running for Mayor of the City of Rochester, NY.
http://www.13wham.com/news/local/story/Alex-White-Files-to-Challenge-Duffy-for-Mayor/zNOCr0cGXE6YE8oBlvKm0A.cspx

I’m still on a happy high from Pennsic. I just had a great time this year! Yeah, there were some not so good times (like when I got the news that my grandfather had died), but overall I just had so much fun. How can I complain? I spent most of my time surrounded by wonderful handsome men, some of which wearing kilts and/or no shirts. Awah yeah!

I didn’t realize how hard I had been pushing myself with work/grad school until I went to Pennsic. I really needed that time off. I had some people telling me at war that I was working too much and I needed a break. I was like “are you kidding? This is a break for me! And besides, I’m having a blast!"

Some of this is cross posted with facebook -

( random things that I did on my vacation )


( Things that I enjoy after getting home from Pennsic )


( Things I love about Pennsic )


What I’m missing the most – getting a hug from my boys in the morning while having a nice cup of coffee.

Have I mentioned lately that I have the best mom? She has really gone out of her way to help me juggle my insane schedule. Practically every day I think about how there was no way I could have done this and maintained my apartment/living on my own. I’m so grateful I am for her help.

I mentioned recently how I wish I could have a place where I could set up my paints so if I ever have some time free, I could go, do some painting for a bit and then just leave it on the table. This way, I don’t have to hassle with pulling out all of my stuff, setting it up, painting, then waiting for it to dry and putting everything away again. So, what did mom do? She rearranged the gust bedroom so I could have a table set up for painting. When I’m done, I can just close the door so the cats don’t get to anything. Wow! I was so touched! Now, if I could only find the time! Ha!

Internship is plotting along. For this summer:
I need read a book called “The Gift of Therapy” and do 10 reflection papers on it. I’ve completed 9 of the 10.
I have to get two tape critiques done – I have one done and the second one scheduled for next week.
I need to complete 300 hours total - I was shooting to hit 200 hours this week, but I just lost steam.
I need 150 of the hours need to be patient contact time. This is where I’m having problems. Right now, I only have 69 hours done. I need to get 81 more hours completed. Ick. It is tough in the summer because not many people need counseling when the weather is nice.

Part of me thinks “maybe I shouldn’t go to Pennsic. That’s two weeks where I’m going to miss potential client visits” but then mom looks at me and says “you NEED a break. You have to go”. She’s right. I do need a break to just step away and recharge. Like I said, I have a great mom.

Not “Crime Scene Investigation” but Chi Sigma Iota – the counseling academic and professional honor society international. It was a very nice ceremony and I was delighted that my mother, father, blond sister and friend (David/Ogami) were able to attend.

My coworkers also congratulated me by surprising me with a gift of a Willow Tree figurine called “Angel of Healing”. I found it very touching, in part because the night before I had read a story about how we as care providers walk on a journey with our clients in hopes of healing the heart, body and soul. I found the story very touching and I wanted to share the story with you.

From The Gift of Therapy by Irvin Yaloman

One of my favorite tales of healing, found in Hermann Hesse’s Magister Ludi, involves Joseph and Dion, two renowned healers, who lived in biblical times. Though bother were highly effective, they worked in different ways. The younger healer, Joseph, healed through quiet, inspired listening. Pilgrims trusted Joseph. Suffering and anxiety poured into his ears vanished like water on the desert sand and penitents left his presence emptied and calmed. On the other hand, Dion, the older healer, actively confronted those who sought his help. He divined their unconfessed sins. He was a great judge, chastiser, scolder, and rectifier, and he healed through active intervention. Treating the penitents as children, he gave advice, punished by assigning penance, ordered pilgrimages and marriages, and compelled enemies to make up.

The two healers never met, and they worked as rivals for many years until Joseph grew spiritually ill, fell into dark despair, and was assailed with ideas of self-destruction. Unable to heal himself with his own therapeutic methods, he set out on a journey to the south to seek help from Dion.

On his pilgrimage, Joseph rested one evening at an oasis, where he fell into a conversation with another traveler. When Joseph described the purpose and destination of his pilgrimage, the traveler offered himself as a guide to assist in the search for Dion. Later, in the midst of their long journey together, the traveler revealed his identity to Joseph. Mirabile dictu: he himself was Dion – the very man Joseph sought.

Without hesitation, Dion invited his younger, despairing rival into his home, where they lived and worked together for many years. Dion first asked Joseph to be a servant. Later he elevated him to a student and, finally, to full colleagueship. Years later, Dion fell ill and on his deathbed called his younger colleague to him in order to hear a confession. He spoke of Joseph’s earlier terrible illness and his journey to old Dion to plead for help. He spoke of how Joseph had felt it was a miracle that his fellow traveler and guide turned out to be Dion himself.

Now that he was dying, the hour had come, Dion told Joseph, to break his silence about that miracle. Dion confessed that at the time it had seemed a miracle to him as well, for he, too, had fallen into despair. He, too, felt empty and spiritually dead and, unable to help himself, had set off on a journey to seek help. On the very night that they had met at the oasis he was on a pilgrimage to a famous healer named Joseph.

I just saw Susan Boyle’s performance on Britain’s Got Talent. WOW!!!! I don’t what I loved more, her singing or the judges reactions. She already has over one million fans on facebook and I can see why.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY&feature=related

The joke in my family is that I always see smiley faces in everything. I think it is great because to me, the whole world is smiling. :-] This weekend, mom read an article about a woman who also sees smiley faces in everything and has put together a website. Check it out! http://www.spontaneoussmiley.com/