Ideating

I am reading some counseling mumbo-jumbo tonight and just thinking about what it all means.... In this particular text, "Characteristics of the Effective Clinician" (which I'm not creating a reference page for because this is my blog and and I don't want to!) it is talking about characteristics of leaders in mental health and basically what makes good role models in the field. I was thinking that I would love to be a role model in the field eventually, maybe speak at conferences, etc. But, to quote Solomon in Ecclesiates, "there is nothing new under the sun". All this is to say that there is nothing I can go out and talk about that hasn't already been discussed. There's nothing new in this field. That is why every counseling text book and journal article is filled with citations of other texts and articles.

People are people and we can develope as many new theories, identity models, and stages as we want, but when you're face to face with a client during a counseling session, it's going to come down to sin and redemption. Now I know that's not the answer that everyone is looking for, but to be an 'effective clinician' the human being is the key.... not the newest theory.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentlness, self control - now those are some "theories". Back to the basics may be the best way to progress yet...

Lastly... I'm posting one of my favorite commercials ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziOG_GHNVq0

Have you ever felt like this guy that walks into the room? What a great way to portray the need for action rather than idleness.... anyway, I've always like this so I thought I'd share! Now go and do!

BBQ, Beating Memphis, and our Bulldog

What do these things have in common? Our awesome Labor Day weekend, that's what! We enjoyed a great cookout at our neighbors, the Burton's house. There were lots of friends, the food was great, and Lila was supporting her favorite team, the Rebels. We call her the "Rebulldog" (pronounced "Rebel Dog"). She was such a good sport to endure the heat with her jersey on, so we let her go home at half time. Good job though, Lila, you pulled the Rebs through to victory 45-14 over Memphis! Even little Houston Burton had his Ole Miss jersey on. Afterall, he was named after Coach Houston Nutt. It's no wonder we get along with our neighbors so well...

Gotta love Mississippi

On our way home from our yearly florida family vacation we stopped at a gas station north of jackson... It was one of those places where you could get almost anything. My dad thought it was a particularly nice place and told me he wanted to buy a new hat, some $5 tools, and maybe even take home the dog that was sitting out front of the store because "he looks like he'd be good at chasin' rabbits."

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The first half of today

7:45 - Alarm goes off. Snooze. 7:50 - Alarm goes off. Snooze. 7:55 - Alarm goes off. Snooze. 8:00 - Alarm goes off. Snooze. Now awake. 8:05 - Alarm goes off. Finally get up and go sit on the back porch and read. 8:20 - Jump in shower. 8:30 - Halfway dry hair, grab Lila, run out the door. 8:40 - Drop off Lila at vet for bath b/c she can't be at home when the exterminator sprays. New person working at desk.... takes forever to "check in" for her bath. 9:05 - Arrive at work with fur all over me & wet hair falling out of pony tail. Coffee. 9:10 until 12:00 - deal with re-doing 50 different things that other people have screwed up: Trying to cancel an Aflac meeting that I did not request, my school book being canceled and them not telling me - for 13 days, a frame I ordered for someone that bought a pic from me came in and it's the wrong size (after ordering it a month ago).... etc. 12:00 - 12:25 - Pay office bills. Plan tenant eviction for afternoon. Ponder how I am going to do all my class homework without the book that was supposed to be in already, which I now have to re-order. 12:25 - Head home 12:30 - Met exterminator at the house. Kill spiders. 12:50 - Drive back to pick up Lila from vet. 1:00 - Got the little pumpkin from the vet, then they realized she was way overdue for her vaccines. 1:15 - Held Lila while she got her shots, her nose spray stuff (which ended up being blown out onto my face), and her fecal exam... 1:30 - Held Lila while they trimmed her nails 1:35 - Held Lila while they weighed her. 45 lbs. 1:40 - Checked out, bought heart worm meds, paid for all of the above - $130 something onto credit card. 1:50 - Drove BACK home and dropped off Lila at the house, gave her cool water. We were so firsty and sweepy after such a long day... 2:00 - Drove through Mickey D's for some fries.... starving. 2:10 - Back at work almost 2 hours later. 2:15 - 2:50 - Phone ringing non-stop... needing to start eviction process... writing this to vent about this day... Just figuring someone else needs to know about it too. :)

HELP!

I am the world's worst at waking up in the morning. I could sleep through most anything, and probably have…. Storms (slept through one just this morning), fire alarms in a dorm (once in college the fire alarm went off in the early morning, and I incorporated it into my dream that my computer was making noises at me!), multiple alarm clocks, people in the room while I'm asleep… you get the picture.

So, this morning I slept through my cell phone alarm. I probably accidentally turned it off the first time it beeped. Unfortunately I didn't wake up until 9:20, which is about 30 minutes after I'm supposed to be at work. Uh oh. You can see why I need help… In my defense, I have been sinus-y and I took two Benadryl last night to help me stay asleep and not cough all night. They worked! The reason only my cell alarm was set was because last week in the middle of the night, while coughing, I reached for my water and knocked my alarm clock off and it broke. I'm in the market for a new one and am open to any suggestions! I told Stephen I need one that makes me run into the kitchen and make my coffee before it would shut off. Wouldn't that be genius?

Here is one alarm clock I am thinking about buying - http://www.clocky.net/ It's the cutest thing!

After you snooze once, it rolls off your bedside table and starts rolling around your room making noises until you turn it off. That alone, I may be able to sleep through. What would wake me up are my animals FREAKING OUT at the thing rolling around the room making noise!

If you have some other ideas… let me know. Like I said, I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks!

Just for fun – here are some of the random places I have fallen asleep:

-In the shower while standing up (which didn't last long)

-An Ole Miss Football game during half time.

-The Louvre in Paris.

-A Widespread Panic concert (I did NOT pass out, I went to sleep because I was tired after taking mid-term exams my freshman year in college).

Do I have Narcolepsy?

I’m feeling old… and also some funny “college non-necessities”!

I was on hold on a phone call a moment ago and while I was waiting I was going through my mail. I came across a Bed Bath & Beyond catalogue. It happened to be their "Back to College" edition. I remember how excited my mom and I were when we headed to Target or Bed Bath & Beyond to look at door room stuff for the first time. I couldn't get enough of it. Not only is it exciting that you're about to go off to college, but it also marks the beginning of being on your own, choosing for your self, and becoming an adult. It's hard to believe a twin sized comforter and some new picture frames can symbolize so much!

I think BB&B has gone a little overboard though. Here is a list of items (for sale in their catalogue) that I did NOT take to school with me my freshman year… or ever:

1. "Foldable Keyboard" – why would you want or need to FOLD your computer keyboard?
2. "Laptop Lock" to lock up your laptop or monitors… anchors to bed post - this is the present day equivalent of the pocket protector.
3. "Homedics SoundSpa Fusion Alarm Clock Radio" which plays nature sounds – If you've got your eyes closed and you're listening to nature sounds, it won't matter. You'll never be able to get past the dorm smell to pretend you're at a spa.
4. "Digital Coin Counting Money Jar" – I hate to tell you but any spare change you've got is going towards laundry.
5. "Snuggie" – do not get one if you plan on going through rush. You're 18, not 80.
6. "Moshi Interactive Voice Response Alarm Clock" which says "Hello Moshi, set alarm" and "Alarm is set to 6:30 am" – in the event that you're too drunk to read numbers (in which case you're not waking up at 6:30 am anyway).

Aside from those items… it made me miss going off to college & adventure that it is. I can't believe how fast it went by. EIGHT years ago I was getting ready to move to Jackson as a freshman at Millsaps. It really feels like that was only about 3 years ago. I spent so long looking forward to it then it was just gone in an instant and I was thrust into the REAL real world in what felt like a matter of minutes! Going from saying "I graduated last semester" to all of the sudden realizing "Did I really graduate 5 years ago?" makes you feel quite old!

At least I start grad school in the fall… maybe people will think I'm just 22 ; )

Organified

I'm sure I've said this before, but I'd love to start growing my own vegetables. My grandparents used to have a vegetable garden overflowing with squash, zucchini, tomatoes, new potatoes, lettuce etc. and there was nothing better than picking vegetables with my grandmamma during the day and having them for dinner that night. Even as a little girl, it just felt right and it tasted so good. Their refrigerator and freezer was always stocked full of fresh veggies, and they were able to give away so much food! We also had a plum tree growing in our backyard when I was little… it was huge and it produced so much fruit every summer! I can still remember the way it smelled in the backyard, sweet from the plums that fell and squished into the ground… mixed with the scent of honeysuckle. We'd be outside late, jumping on the trampoline, and it was still light out. When you got hungry you could just walk over to the plum tree and have a fresh plum. Our neighbors would come over and pick some to take home with them, too. Those memories bring a smile to my face!

I would just love to be that person that’s always giving away their tomatoes & squash… “we have too much, here, take some okra!” Plus, if you’re growing it, you know where it comes from and what’s in it. It would be great to be self sufficient in that area and be able to freeze vegetables for the winter as well. I’m pretty sure that’s what people did before Kroger and Sam’s came along… and I wish I could get back to that.

These pics are of the sunflowers (and a friendly grasshopper) I grew in my front yard this summer. I was so proud of them!