If You Say So....Luke 5:4-7 (NASB)

      It was one of the scariest moments of my adult life - the reality that I could be fired from my job. As I walked out of that massive hospital into the cool air, walkin the two blocks to the parking structure and to my car, the events of that afternoon confrontation weighed heavily on me. Heavy on my emotions, my nervous system and my mind.      "Are you ready for the survey?" the overeager CNO asked me in the hallway as I was bringing a hamper back to the laundry room in the core hallway. He was coming out of C unit and caught me by surprise. I looked at him and turned slightly away, waving my hand toward him and saying, "I just sent you an email. We'll talk later." We were alone in the hallway and just 10 minutes earlier, I had told a coworker, "Don't let me talk to Patrick. I just sent him an email expressing my concern that he canceled a staffing meeting to finally help us problem solve and hear our concerns. I really don't want to see him!...

  The Heavy Weight of "Immediate Jeopardy"             It's been so long since I have posted on my blog. I have journaled on other platforms, like ChatGPT, Gemini, and my Emotions app. My blog, however, is my artistic therapy and creative writing outlet, my space to bring visual and written palpability to my emotions, experiences, reality, my burdens and my delights.        It's been a challenging past few months. Advocacy work with Pasadena City College has been grueling, looong, wearisome and utterly discouraging at most points. There is some hope on the horizon, but more time and effort needs to be applied, sort of like strategically placing your fingernails around a large, juicy whitehead and squeezing just so...till it bursts! White pus squirts out and then more pressure is applied, but a little more gently, moving your fingers around just so...to get every last bit of pus OUT.  Why is popping zits sooo satisfying? There's...

This Beautiful Princess Daisy at Hofburg Palace in Vienna at the SugarBaker Ball January 2026     Another picture at the palace - she is so splendid!   January started with a positive vibe. I worked on New Year's Day and despite terrible staffing at work  and a confrontational and uncomfortable Union quarterly leadership meeting in mid-December, work has had "moments of glory." Sitting with patients as they are unburdening their souls and their hearts, sitting with them in that painful processing of difficult emotions and painful realities of their mental illness burden and all that means for them. Holding space and letting them have a safe "landing pad" - a listening ear and comforting spirit has been marvelous to behold. I am able to provide words of wisdom and encouragement and kindness. I feel that there are moments when I am talking with and listening to patients where I feel the presence of God lighting down to touch their troubled hearts and bring comfort...