The Moon is Blue

I watched one of my favorite movies tonight, The Moon is Blue http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046094/.  It is a wacky, cornball comedy, and I have a lot of fun watching it.  Tonight, Turner Classic Movies http://www.tcm.com/watchtcm/movies/ aired it.

Tuna Fish and a Blast From the Past

I brought a tuna fish salad to lunch today.  I do not eat a lot of tuna fish but I eat some.  When I opened the container, the waft of warm tuna fish scent came up at me.  And, I had a flash from the past.  I used to go to Girl Scout day camp for several years.  And often brought tuna fish sandwiches for lunch.  One of the reasons I did was because I liked the warm, comforting smell of tuna fish that had not been refrigerated (our lunches were not refrigerated, obviously.)  Even though my lunch today had been refrigerated, the warm waft of tuna hit me when I opened the container. For a few minutes, I was taken back to the wonderful times I enjoyed when I was at Girl Scout Day Camp at Stonehenge, http://www.vintagegirlscout.com/campMA.html in Franklin County, Massachusetts. What a good memory for me to experience.

Googling, I found this: http://www.girlsclubofgreenfield.org/about-us/projects/.  I am sad to know that the Girl Scouts will no longer be using Camp Stonehenge, but I am thrilled that it will find new life with the Girls Club of Greenfield.

Sitting Outside

It was a pretty day, and I enjoyed the opportunity to sit outside in the sun this afternoon.  But it turned out not so good.  The longer I sat outside, the more congested I became, and the more I sneezed. So I finally had to go in.  The nasal congestion cleared up quickly, but the swelling around my eyes and the itching of my eyes will not go away so quickly. It generally carries over till the next day.

This is West Texas.  The spring pollen count is high, and this is common for this time of year.  And I am hyper-sensitive to pollen:  I can be in one area and become congested, sneeze, have watery and itchy eyes.  I can move 5 or 10 feet, and everything clears up.  But the residual effect is still there.

Cat Under Foot

Taki tends to be a cat under foot. She sits in the computer room with me and is under the desk, under the chair, at my side.  I have long ago made sure I wear soft slippers at home so if I do bump into her, or god forbid, step on her, it is with the soft slipper and not a hard shoe.

Taki tends to like to sit near me:  when I am at the computer, she sits under the desk, or under the chair. I have to be careful how I move my feet, or else I will bump into her. Soft slippers help, because the bump is less intrusive.

If I sit on the "anti-gravity" chair, sometimes, Taki likes to sit on my lap. Sometimes, she just likes to sit at my feet. 

If I am sitting on the sofa, sometimes Taki likes to sit on my lap.  More often, she likes to sit on the arm of the sofa. Which works out well, because Haiku likes to sit on my lap, or next to me, or on the back of the sofa.  Even so, sometimes one or both cats act intimidated and move away from the sofa.  Oh well, I can only do so much.

Cat Dementia

Some months ago, Haiku was experiencing some health problems, and acting very strangely. It was as if she would get some place in the house, and did not know how to get out, or she could not find the food dishes. We went to the vet, who did blood work and thought Haiku had a kidney infection, and prescribed antibiotics, and kidney care food.   While Haiku was on the antibiotic, she seemed to be increasingly confused.  But she ate the kidney care food, at first well, then not at all, then regularly. Sometimes she stops eating, as if she is tired of the food, but the next day, she makes up for fasting the day before.

After the antibiotics, there was an occasional day, here and there, when Haiku seemed disoriented, or needed more consoling and comforting, but generally she did well. She seemed to really enjoy my presence when I took a week off from work.

I have to admit that I do not think the cats knew what hit them when I returned to work this week. The were not distressed by my departure on Monday, but Tuesday was a very different story. And Haiku was very distressed when I got home Tuesday evening.  She has been more distressed than not this week. She has spent quite a bit of time in the crate in the closet, and when she is in the computer room with me, she wants to be on the desk, or if she is in her chair, she is physical connecting to me.  Friday and today she has acted as if she is not sure where she is sometime. Other times, she is just fine.

The vet explained that this is what I should expect with her dementia.  It is my hope that my return to work will once again become a comfortable routine for Haiku. I understand about routine:  I am a creature of habit, and when my routine is disturbed, I do not always know how to react.

The Full Moon

So, my "computer room" has a window that faces East, and I can watch the moon rising on a clear night.  Especially when it is a full moon.  I was late getting home last night, and saw the almost full moon in the sky. It was beautiful. 

This morning, I could not sleep so I went to work early (read: while it was still dark) and the almost full moon in the West was just beautiful, again.

Tonight, I watched the full moon (it will be full early Wednesday morning) rising. It was beautiful again.

I am so grateful to have a view of the moon as it rises. 

Slippers

It has been my wont for years to have slippers that are booty type slippers.  Since I have had Taki, I have tried to wear my slippers as often as I could.  The reason for this is because Taki does not seem to understand about not being underfoot.  So she is often underfoot, and if I wear shoes I kick her, move her, or otherwise bother her with shoes. So, if I wear slippers, the disturbance I cause her is diminished.

My most recent pair of slippers were about 2 years old. And most recently, wearing the slippers has caused me some acute pain on the great toe of my right foot. I could not find a reason for this pain in a pair of socks, and I could not find a reason for the pain elsewhere, even in my slippers.  Except that this pain only occurred when I wore my slippers.

So today, I went shopping for a new pair of slippers.  It is late in the season.  There were no booty style slippers available at the store.  There were some ballet style slippers available. They have treaded soles, and soft low cut bodies.  So, I am using those slippers tonight. They are warm, and are not as stout as shoes so my cats are not confronted with heavy handed foot wear. They are soft enough to bother my cats, and offer warmth, even though I do not have booty style slippers.

Knitting with Taki

I have not been doing much knitting recently, because Taki thinks it is her responsibility to play with the yarn that I am using to knit.  But I had several projects that I wanted to work on, so I decided to try knitting this week.  And, it took very little re-direction to convince Taki that she could play with some yarn, but not the yarn I was playing with.  So I accomplished quite a bit. 

Until last night, when I started a new project with a new skein of yarn and not the same color as I was using before.  All of a sudden, Taki that she could play with my yarn again!  So I had to go through the whole re-direction tactic again. But, it worked quickly!  She is capable of learning something, if she really wants to do so!

Overhead Air Traffic

So, late this afternoon, I was enjoying the weather, sitting in my back yard, reading.  Although it was daylight, the moon hung in the East. 

There is sometimes overhead air traffic, sometimes commercial airliners, sometimes military planes, especially very high over head, leaving con trails.  Sometimes, sadly there are the red Aerocare emergency airlift helicopters on their way to either University Medical Center, or Covenant Hospital. My house is 3-4 miles south of each hospital, and just a few blocks east.

Today, a whitish/silver helicopter came from the southeast, hovered north of my house but south of the hospital districts, and then, moved west.  Twice after that, the same or different but similarly shaped and colored helicopters came in from the southeast.  While that was happening, three times a very small plane or more than one very small planes flew north from the southeast, sort of arcing to the northwest, also towards the hospital district.  The plane was short, and had a stout wing span that seemed almost as long as the length of the plane. One time, the plane and a helicopter, now moving to the southeast, were on what looked like intersecting trajectories, albeit at different altitudes.

This was different for me. But for all I know, this is a very common air traffic pattern for this time of day in mid-Lubbock.   Hmmm.

Weather Change

We are expecting a weather change tonight.  A front blowing in from the northwest, with cold overnight weather, but warm again tomorrow.  I did not do any strenuous activity today.  I had a lot of chores to do in the house and that is what I did.  I ran some errands this afternoon.

I was feeling fine at 4 PM.  By 7 PM, I was feeling sore all over, and "stove up." I am stiff and achy.  This is not a result of any physical action on my part.  I believe it is a function of the upcoming change in weather.  I usually have such warnings of the change in weather. 

Taki and the Knitting Challenge

I really like to knit. Most of the time, my knitting projects come out okay.  One of the things that I am known for with my knitting is the even-ness of my knitting stitches. In other words, the tension I keep on the yarn leads to very even, same sized and same spaced stitches.  This is remarkable, because I very often knit when I am in an emotional state because knitting calms me down; helps me to wait in tension filled waiting situations, occupies my time when I am anxious and frustrated about waiting.

I have really curtailed my knitting in the last several years. This is largely due to the fact that no matter how hard I try, I cannot convince Taki that my knitting is not her toy. I have tried stern scoldings, and I have tried time out.  It works for a while, then it is as if the scoldings or time outs never happened.

I have some knitting projects that are more than 2 years old that I want to complete. And others that are more recent. I decided that during my vacation this week that I would work on these projects. If the weather is pretty, I can sit outside and knit, without Taki interference.

If not, I can knit inside.  My activities and chores where such that it was after dark when I pulled out the knitting last night. I sat at the dining table, and Taki accepted, with frequent redirection and reminders, that my knitting was not her toy. 

Today, I tried knitting in the computer room, to no avail. Taki would not leave my knitting alone. So, I moved to the kitchen. There Taki did better, but she was still very difficult to deal with. I feel bad when I issue loud "NO, NO, NOs" but I do not hit, and I try to give her something else to do. Which may or may not work. Today, it did not.

Well, tonight, I had to do the finishing parts of a project: sewing the sides together. I sat in the computer room to do that. Taki checked it out, and decided it was not interesting. So, when I started on another knitting project, and she came around, I was able to convince her that it was not interesting.

Haiku Likes the Reclining Sofa Best

Haiku has always liked to sit with me on the reclining sofa: on my lap, on the arm of the sofa, on the back of the sofa, or even just next to me.  She is easily intimidated, so if Taki joins us, she gives way to Taki, but stays close by in an alternate position.

When my TV went out last fall, I moved a piece of lawn furniture, my "anti-gravity recliner" into the computer room, and sat on it to watch TV, and often, to read.  With the cold winter, the computer room was a small space, and the space heater, with the door partially shut, made for a cozy room. 

Haiku often complained. She does not like the cold.  But, she did not want on my lap when I sat upright on the computer chair, and she did not want on my lap on the "anti-gravity" recliner.  She likes to sit next to me, in the desk chair, while I am at the computer, but not while I am on the recliner.

When I move to the recliner sofa, she almost always joins me: on my lap, on the arm of the sofa, on the back of the sofa, or just next to me.  That is what she likes best.

Haiku in the Garage

Haiku likes to be in the garage when it is warmer than the house.  Even in the summer. She likes to be in the garage when it is warm, and the engine on the Vue is warm, and she can lay on the hood of the vehicle.  She likes to be in the garage when the clothes dryer, which is in the garage, is running and spews humid heat into the garage. It is like her sauna.

Haiku also likes to get on the top shelves in the garage, and stay on them for long periods of time.  So if I am needing to use the vehicle or go in and out of the garage from the overhead garage door, I have to prohibit her from going into the garage. Because once she gets on a high shelf, she does not come down on command.

I am in for the night. The garage is warmer than the house. The Vue hood was warm, and the clothes dryer is in operation.  Haiku is in the garage.

March is Professional Social Work Month

March is Professional Social Work Month. I have been a social worker since 1977.  To be honest the appeal of being a social worker was multi-fold.  At various times in my life I thought I wanted to be an attorney or a veterinarian.  Both service fields, in a way. Then I was set adrift.  The appeal of social work was to help people. To not be locked in an office. To be out and about in a community. To mix in all classes of society. To serve the underserved. To make a difference.

Since 1995, I have worked in a psychiatric prison. I had done medical social work, and community social work, but never what was considered clinical social work. I had wonderful teachers. And I discovered my niche in the social work world.

Working in the psychiatric prison had its plusses.  Fashion was not an issue.  There was no on call or weekend work, unless you wanted to work weekends, to make up work or time.  As the role evolved, we stopped doing night work.

I have always been task oriented, not time oriented. I am a workaholic. So, I do not care about the 40 hour week.  I rarely work less than 40 hours, even when I take time during the day for appointments. I am bad about taking vacation time. And I rarely use sick leave, although as I age, I use more and more.

I like my coworkers. I feel like I contribute to many of my patients' lives. I receive feed back that I do my work the way I am supposed to.  What more can I ask.  Every job has things that we do not like. I am human, every job I had was like that. I do what I can.

Social workers perform important work in many facets of life: child welfare, emergency assistance, medical settings as providers of resource, care navigators, discharge planners, financial assistance providers, service coordination providers.  Social workers do community justice work, community development work, self help and self awareness work. We are counselors, agency directors, and program administrators.  We do volunteer work in addition to our paid employment.

Social work is a very diverse field. It offers so many options. And so many rewards. I am thankful my profession allows me to minister to mankind.

Flashes in the Window

So, last night we had thunder and lightning, and even some rain. I saw that. I heard that. I enjoyed that.

Tonight, as I sit at my computer, I am seeing flashes to the North.  And hearing automotive noises which originate from my neighbor's driveway and garage.  But I have to believe the flashes have to do with lightning, and none of the goings ons of my neighbor's automotive antics.  The biggest evidence of this is that after a while, I started seeing flashes of lightning to the East.

We need the rain I hope we get more.

A Busy Time

I have a full time job as a social worker at a psychiatric prison.  I am task oriented, and I want the best I can offer for my patients, so I do not end my work week at 40 hours.  I end each work day after I have finished the tasks for the day.  I will admit that when I have personal plans after work, I adjust my work load accordingly so I can defer some tasks for the next day.

My volunteer work includes serving on the board of directors of a social service agency.  I am the secretary of the board, and occasionally am involved in other committees or tasks.  As the board secretary, I take the board meeting minutes.  I use a table top recorder to help me with this task, and the board members are in agreement that doing so makes the minutes very accurate, as they should be.  To do this, takes time.  I am not a transcriptionist, and do not have a set up to transcribe the minutes. So, I also take notes at the meeting, and my first rough draft of the minutes comes from transcribing  my notes. Then I correct the notes using the recorder, and do at least one if not two hard copy edits (for summarizing, grammar, etc.)

My volunteer work also includes work with the local branch of the National Association of Social Workers. I do most of the communication work for this branch.  This used to mean sending postcards about branch activities, to NASW members, and printing labels for brochures for the annual ethics workshops to every social worker in our area for whom we could we could find an address.  That was pre-personal computer days.  Now, we do mass emails about our monthly activities. We also do emails regarding employment opportunities, other area CEU activities, and de-identified client needs.

So monthly, I update our membership list, and send out an announcement about our monthly CEU luncheon meeting.  I also maintain email lists for area students, who are invited to our monthly CEU luncheons, and to non-members who are invited to our monthly CEU luncheons, and get the other emails such as employment opportunities and client needs. So keeping the up the email lists takes some work. 

And, each message I send out does not include one message: the mass mailings are done by groupings: the NASW membership list; the few people who have notified me that their ISP filters do not allow them to get emails by mass mailings, and the several lists of mass emails, as there are only so many emails that can be included in one group.  I also email to our local social work students. And when appropriate, to other interested professionals. So one email involves sending out 9 or 10 emails.  That is not that difficult, and only somewhat time consuming.  But still, time consuming.

We have some members of NASW for whom we do not have emails.  Because they are members of our group, we send them snail mail announcements of our activities.  This is not difficult: I print out envelopes addressed to each person, get copies of the announcement, and stuff the envelope, seal it, and affix a stamp and because I have so many complimentary return address labels, affix the labels. 

This time of year, our local NASW branch has a lot of activities:  in addition to our March monthly meeting, we have the annual March is Professional Social Work Month Awards Banquet.  This involves sending out the call for nominations by email and snail mail to our members, and later, sending out the ballot by email and snail mail to our members. Then we send out the invitation for the banquet itself, to our members by email and snail mail, and by email to the area social workers and social work students. 

Additionally, we are working on our annual ethics workshop.  We used to send out mass mailings and I printed up the labels for the brochures, we sorted them by zip code, and mass mailed them from the US Post Office. Because the mailing rules changed, and because we have such a large group of social workers for whom we have emails, we mostly send out the brochures by email. We only send out snail mail to the few NASW members for whom we do not have emails.

All of this takes time:  setting up mail merge to address envelopes, getting copies made, folding and stuffing envelopes, affixing return address labels and stamps, sealing envelops, and making the trip to the post office to mail these envelopes.

I do not mind doing this work, especially because so many of our area social workers take the time to thank me for my efforts.  And, I have been named South Plains Branch Social Worker of the Year twice since 2006.

But the work is seasonal, and right now, the NASW work is busier than at other times of the year.

I Was Not Paying Attention

I ran errands and purchased groceries on Friday.  Before I do my weekly shopping, I usually fill the tank of my vehicle with gasoline.  I thought I did that this past Friday.  I ran my credit card, put the hose in the tank, and proceeded to wash the rear window of my vehicle.  Today, I notice that the fuel tank was down. So, I filled it up. Then, I got on line and checked the credit card transactions.  I had a transaction Friday, for gas, that looks like it was cancelled.  So, I thought I spend $15 for gas, but that must have been the purchase before me.  Because when I filled up today, at the same price, my purchase was just over $10.

I felt like I was in a time warp, or some sort of dis-reality.  It was very disorienting. I felt a little dizzy, a little off balance. I just could not reconcile what had happened, until I checked the credit card transactions.  I must have been concentrating so much on cleaning the rear window of my vehicle, that I did not pay attention to pumping gas!  Lesson to self.  Be more mindful when you do daily chores!