Well as 2007 wraps up, here's what it looks like here at the Magic Cottage:
We woke up this morning to the sound of the "plow guy," who is very loyal and has never once, in the 7 years I've lived here, left me snowed in. We were, however without power. So much snow fell during the night that all over town, tree branches are breaking under the weight of the snow, and apparently some are dropping on and snapping the power lines.
We got our power back late this morning, I had time to make coffee & get the kids up and dressed and fed before the power went out again. Came back on before I started pulling my hair out hearing "I'm bored," and "What can I do?" too many billion times.
I won't be whooping it up too much tonight since I have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn (not that 4:15am even qualifies as dawn), to go in to work. Us per diem employees will be covering for all those employees who actually get holidays off, so think of me fondly as you pop your Tylenol and nurse your hangovers.
For me, personally, 2007 was full of challenges, changes, and delightful surprises. I started out the year with a permanent part time job at the hospital and attending nursing classes at SMCC. By spring I had changed gears and decided that I wanted to change my focus from nursing to counseling and started taking courses at USM as an unmatriculated student in the master's in counseling program. A mid-year custody change found me having to quit my permanent part-time job to go per diem, take care of the children full time, and drop back and punt with the plans for school. Having to take a semester off when I felt I'd finally decided "what I want to do when I grow up" – was a frustrating time punctuated with lots of financial question marks. But like so many things that on the surface seem to suck donkey balls, this challenging time actually forced me to take stock and really decide what was important to me. I am very happy to say that as I type this I have just been accepted into a low-residency Master's in Counseling and Psychology program and couldn't be more thrilled about it. My credits from the other school even transferred. I just received a bunch of my textbooks today (save money by ordering used on Alibris.com!) and I can't wait to get started.
Just as I did during 2006, I made a piece of art nearly every day during 2007. I call these my "Daily Devotions." This has become such a habit that I don't think I'll even bother making a formal resolution of it for 2008. It has simply become part of what I do and who I am. The difference for 2008, I think, is that I will make more of an effort to share my work, whether that's having cards printed up, setting up a new website for my artwork, or simply listing more items in my Etsy shop.
I want to wish everyone Peace and Prosperity in the New Year! We have three hundred and sixty five shiny brand new days heading our way. Let's enjoy them, use them for the good, and not take a single one of them for granted.
with love and light from your adoring friend, Miz Annie
I've been meaning to start blogging on this site rather than posting on the Myspace blog. Not exclusively, of course, cuz I heart my Myspace friends, but as a more personal space. I originally opened this blog as a sort of "back-up" to the Myspace blog, because 1. Myspace occasionally crashes and you "lose" everything, and 2. there is a definite "feel" to myspace that isn't always conducive to stuff I want to talk about. Eblogger seems to be a "kinder, gentler" community and that's where I'd like to start spending more time. I also plan to start documenting more of my creative adventures, and this seems to be a more appropriate place for that as well. That said, what better way to start off than by responding to a tag! She Who Flies tagged me for a meme, so here it is:
8 Things I Am Passionate About
creating & maintaining a comfortable home for my family
pickles, olives, bread, and cheese.
living mindfully, thoughtfully, and on-purpose
honoring life as creation by doing something creative (no matter how seemingly small) every day (hence, my "Daily Devotions")
helping others, particularly as regards mental health
Animals. Pets, domesticated, wild…doesn’t matter. I’m passionate about all aspects of sharing the planet with our animal brethren.
Continuing to learn and grow as a person. (what a dumb expression: "as a person!" As opposed to what? learning and growing as a wheelbarrow? a helicopter? I mean duh. My new year’s resolution is going to be to not say that again. Ever.)
BOOKS. That overlaps and intertwines with all the other stuff.
8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die
Travel more.
Be completely free of debt.
Learn how to do at least one decent dance that you can do at a function like a wedding or company party or something. The "Lawn Sprinkler" doesn’t count. I mean, I can’t even do the electric slide! How lame!
Make a living from my creativity.
Publish a book that inspires and/or helps people.
Create a home that is a haven (I stole that one from Chantie) I love my magic cottage but it is not quite a haven yet for all occupants.
Let all the people I love know that I do.
Clean out the basement. Literally and metaphorically.
8 Things I Say Often
"I love you."
"I’m so proud of you." (to my kids. I don’t feel proprietary enough to say it to anyone else)
"Get off the counter."
"Go lay down." (I know that’s grammatically incorrect. It should be "Go LIE down," but my dog doesn’t recognize that as a legitimate command.)
"Here are your choices."
"Everything happens for a reason."
"It is what it is."
Three way tie between: "goddamn it," "shit!" and "crap!"
8 Books I Have Recently Read
The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (much different than I expected, charming but surprisingly gritty).
The Raw Shark Texts, Steven Hall (FREAKY!!)
Life of Pi, Yann Martel (poignant, haunting)
Tears of the Giraffe, Alexander McCall Smith (lovely and entertaining, sequel to below)
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith (lovely and entertaining)
The Mistress of Spices, Chitra Divakaruni (in that same vein of literary magic as Marquez or Allende, charming!)
To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis (possibly one of my all-time favorite reads. Right up there with The Time Traveler’s Wife, which was a favorite from last year…hmmm, I see a theme…..).
The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman (I read it, I SWEAR, before I even KNEW the movie was coming out. The book is completely magical.)
8 Songs I Could Listen To Over and Over Again
Big Log, by Robert Plant
Wordless Chorus, by My Morning Jacket
Chocolate Lovely, by Amon Tobin
Pick Up by Bonobo
Who Am I? by Peace Orchestra
Destiny by Zero 7
Butterflies by Sia
Bright Eyes - The Swell by Kunek
honorable mentions go to: Superfreak, by Rick James and anything by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. LOL!!! I am only half kidding. {wow. this is hard! I felt like I was leaving so many good ones out!}
8 Things That Attract Me To My Best Friends
Open-mindedness, particularly as regards matters of spirituality/metaphysics, human rights
Kindness
Sense of humor and ability to laugh at life
Creativity – doesn’t matter what kind!
Some sense of purpose to life
Lack of Eeyore mentality
Ability to put up with me and my quirks
Willingness to agree with everything I say and give me lots of presents. (kidding, people! I kid!)
the following is a blog-ified version of a paper I wrote for a class I'm taking this summer. the assignment was to discuss an example of the depiction of therapists/counselors in the media. I welcome your comments regarding the depiction of counselors in the media -- not only the one i've mentioned here but other examples as well. Cheers!
Depiction of Therapists/Psychologists in the Television Series LOST Part I: Libby
LOST is a television show now between its third and fourth seasons. I chose this show to discuss for this project because a) it presents several instances of characters either attending mental-health groups/facilities, or characters who are, themselves, therapists and, b) the characters who are therapists seem to be atypical of the usual depictions presented by the media.
For part one of this discussion I will focus on the character of Libby. Libby was a passenger on an airplane that crashed, stranding a group of people on a remote island. While many movies/televisions seem to use therapists/counselors as foils for other main characters, Libby seems to be a departure from this usual depiction. For example, therapist characters oftentimes seem to exist merely to enable main characters to reveal to the viewer problems or past issues in scenes where they are discussing these issues with their therapists. In such media treatments, the therapists themselves are not well-developed characters and we rarely see them outside of "active duty." This is not the case on LOST, wherein Libby is one of the main characters whose occupation is stated as "clinical psychologist." It may seem like a fine distinction but in the context of LOST, the other characters interact with Libby as a person who happens to be a psychologist, rather than interacting with her because she's a psychologist, in formal "sessions," as we might see on other shows.
It is impressive that the producers of LOST have chosen to depict a therapist in this manner. Not only because it seems less "exploitative" to the profession but in that it shows an acceptance of the mental health field as a more normalized area than in media representations past. This is a departure from the cheap stereotypical jokes about crazy people on, say, "The Bob Newhart Show," or the sensationalist hero/heroine in movies such as "Patch Adams" or "Awakenings." The character of Libby is refreshingly NOT stuffy; nor is she portrayed as a psychiatric "miracle worker." Libby presents as a normal, attractive woman who interacts with other characters, makes friends, and forms alliances that are very personal and real. (1)
When we see Libby interacting with the other characters on the show, we know what her profession is and can see that it does affect her interactions with others. We are not seeing her as a psychotherapist on the job, but rather as a woman who happens to do this as a job and brings her knowledge and experience to bear in her personal relationships. When conflict arises in a group discussion, for example, Libby is often the one who attempts to diffuse the tension and help bring a peaceful solution. She also becomes, over time, the person that people feel comfortable confiding their feelings to. To my mind, this is a fairly realistic portrayal of the way people in the mental health field just naturally bring their people skills with them in all of their personal dealings. It also hints at the fine line that a therapist must walk; offering their support as a friend while at the same time not becoming the one that everyone "dumps on." While the show does not address this as a problem for Libby, I feel that viewers are presented with enough situations of Libby in social settings that they would naturally be aware that she is having to decide when to offer her insight and when to keep mum. In one scene, for example, when Libby offers a solution to a big argument, a fellow islander retorts sarcastically, "Great plan, Moonbeam, and after that we can sing Kumbaya and do trust falls." While in yet another scene, Libby is approached by another character, who asks her to unblock her repressed memories in order to learn of her two weeks in captivity with a rival faction on the island. Libby agrees to this request, performing a hypnotic regression, which helps the other woman remember important details. So it is made apparent that while some welcome and even seek out her knowledge and skills, others are not interested and are even a bit derisive.
Perhaps the most important scenes involving Libby are the ones in which she interacts with the character of Hugo Reyes, a.k.a. "Hurley," her love interest on the show. Libby and Hurley meet and interact over the mundanities of island life, survival-style. We see them getting water, folding laundry, having lunch together. Libby seems genuinely fond of Hurley, who is popular among all of his island companions but who questions that Libby would be interested in him because of his weight issues. I felt this was an important plot line for many reasons but not the least of which is that it presents the question of whether Libby is seriously interested in Hurley for who he is, or if she is perhaps intrigued by him and interested in him mainly to "help" him. It is not an unknown occurrence (or, I should say, it's an occasional occupational hazard) for people in the mental health field to be attracted to persons who need "rescue" – thus feeding their own desire to be needed. Hurley has many wonderful traits as a person (sense of humor, earthiness, honesty, creativity) and the show included many scenes of Libby being charmed by him. At the same time, in other scenes, however, the viewers were getting an inside look at Hurley's mental issues, which were revealed, over time, to be considerable.
At any rate, as the friendship between the two characters grows, we see Libby and Hurley jogging on the beach together, and her giving him encouragement. Hurley shares with Libby that he has an eating disorder and that he would like very much to change but he doesn't know how. {Apologies for the crappy video quality! I've been trying for DAYS (unsuccessfully) to find a video screen capture program that will allow me to take clips from the DVD}
One of the most dramatic scenes between these two characters occurred when Libby found Hurley at the top of a cliff, in the grip of what I would consider a serious psychotic episode, contemplating a jump. {Again, apologies for the crappy video quality!}
Hurley: "What are you doing here?" Libby: "What are you doing here?" Hurley: "How'd you know where I was?" Libby: "Jin saw you while he was fishing." Hurley: "Ha! Jin doesn't speak English." Libby: "Sun was with him. She translated. Hurley, what is going on?" Hurley: "No! You're just a part of me that's scared. You don't want me to wake up. But guess what, I'm not scared." Libby: "Okay, okay..... you're having some kind of a panic attack. I get that. But…. this isn't like you." Hurley: "Like me? You don't know me." Libby: "I was starting to." Hurley: "Did you know that I'm so fat that I killed two people? And that I have an imaginary friend?" Libby: "Hurley...please....you're going to hurt yourself..." Hurley: "No! I'm not! Because this isn't happening! This isn't real. This isn't real life." Libby: "Why would you say that?" Hurley: "Because in real life no girl like you would ever like me. You remember when I said I knew you from somewhere? Well maybe it's because I made you up." Libby: (walking up close to him) "What was the man's name who broke his leg? The day of the crash on the other side of the island?" Hurley: "I … don't know." Libby: "You don't know. Do you know why? Because it happened to me." (pause) "His name was Donald and I buried him. I buried a lot of people, Hurley, so don't tell me that that wasn't real. And don't tell me you made me up. It's insulting." Libby: (grabbing Hurley's face) "I am real. You're real. The way I feel about you, that's real." (kisses him). "And that was real." Hurley: "Maybe you should do it one more time, just to be sure." Libby: (smiles) "Ready to go back?" (Hurley looks down the cliff one more time, then they walk away, holding hands. Hurley: "You really think I can, you know, change?" Libby: "Yeah. Yeah I do." (2)
I felt this was a very powerful scene. Her character does a very effective intervention here, managing to ground in space and time a person who is obviously in the grips of a powerful delusion. The fact that Libby is able to stay calm and intervene effectively when someone she cares for is having a fairly significant emotional episode is quite impressive. Toward the end of the scene when we get a long shot of Hurley and Libby at the end of the cliff we see that during the discussion Libby has positioned herself between Hurley and the edge of the cliff – not only protecting him but also putting herself at great risk on his behalf.
To my mind, one of the most interesting aspects of the Libby character in the television show LOST, is that we are asked to look at many aspects of what it looks like to be a therapist or counselor in a personal relationship. Or, perhaps a better way to put it is, the character of Libby presents to viewers a look at what it might look like to be in a relationship with a therapist or counselor. What does that look like? Is a therapist or counselor more likely to date someone who might not fit the stereotypical idea of attractiveness, because they are more likely to see the person's inner beauty? What happens when a therapist is in a relationship with someone and that person becomes mentally unstable? If you are friends with a therapist or counselor, is it appropriate to ask them for help or support with a mental issue? Are you more likely to ask for help from a friend that is a therapist, or are you less so? And if you are less likely to, why? The character of Libby raises all these questions for us, because we are not being presented with a stereotypical "shrink" character, or being distracted by a comedic presentation of mental illness. We are allowed to see the character of Libby as a person.
In short, I found the character of Libby to be one that was very well done, in terms of respect to the profession of counseling, and I felt that they used her character in a touching, practical way that gave viewers much food for thought. Viewers are left with the feeling that a therapist/counselor is a person who can help you in a crisis and yet not be invasive if you do not want their help. I dare say that for viewers not familiar with counselors or therapists in "real life," this show might also even take some of the mystique out of the therapist/counselor role and make potential mental health consumers less trepidatious about seeking help.
Disclaimer to persons reading this who might already be LOST fans:
Yes," a I am aware at end of Season 2?s Episode 18 (?Dave?) we see flashback once the same mental health facility in which Hurley spent time. Some have claimed Libby not actually psychologist, that this was only delusion of hers. I would point out that Libby having once been a consumer of mental health services does not mean that she could not have, in fact, been a psychologist. In fact, if she had her own breakdown and went on to recover and have a career, this is all the more reason to celebrate the character of Libby as a stereotype-buster. Of course, if you are a LOST fan reading this, you will know that there is a great possibility that any of the characters on this show are simply delusions or projections someone else has come up with. Another theory posits that Libby was one of the "Others," and her whole backstory was made up, just as the character "Ethan" pretended to be one of them but was not. Delusion, real, or "Other," my opinion stands that with the information available to us by the 3rd season, the character of Libby is a good example of a therapist/counselor depicted in the media in a practical, non-sensationalist way.
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(1) well, as real as it can get considering it's, you know, a TV show.
So many people down this way have been evacuated and are staying at local schools set up as shelters (and their pets are crated and staying at the high school) and roads are washed out everywhere. Thank you to all of you who called and wrote to make sure I was okay!! It is with great gratitude that I announce we have not lost our electricity and that my children and I are safe and warm here at the magic cottage and have only a flooded basement to deal with.
child labor: "it's a good thing"
Which is not to say we are down there with squeegees singing ring-around-the-rosy. It's messy, wet, stinky work. But it is messy, wet, stinky work I'm familiar with (for those of you lucky enough to miss my flood blog from this time last year, allow me to inflict it upon you now…. oh crap. I can't find it. Feh.). It's pretty much all the same stuff only this time I already had all my "stuff" up off the floor onto shelves (or to the dump) and only had to move a few things out of the way. Then I hooked up the hoses, plugged in the sump pump and let 'er rip.
my best friend.
Ideally, basements are fashioned such that the floor slopes at a nearly imperceptible angle and allows the water to run toward the corner where the drain is. My house, unfortunately was built in the '70s and some of these minor engineering niceties were apparently ignored for more interesting stuff, such as doing bong hits and listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival. Thus, when the former homeowners (let's call them Cheech and Chong, shall we?) contemplated the basement design they created a sort of "free range" floor for the flood waters. Then they topped it off with a dividing wall, presumably to separate the basement into rooms; one room for the screen-printed "Make Love Not War" tee-shirt business, and the other for the washer, dryer, and the drain hole. You see the problem. Water can't get to where it needs to go. I literally sawed a hole at the bottom of the wall (picture me with a hacksaw, cutting through 2x4's while ass-deep in smirch-water) to allow gravity to do what it do. And the squeegee-ing and mopping is for the water that's too confused to know where it's going. (2)
Far out. Let's, like, make a house.
At one point (1) I thought my sump pump had died and the kids and I piled into the car and hit up Ace Hardware where they literally laughed in my face when I inquired whether they had any sump pumps. "Doesn't hurt to ask," I ventured but the look on Groucho Ace's face told me that yes, in fact, my question actually pained him. So we came home (after the kids got donuts, for being good sports) and the pump fired back up. I guess it was just overheated and needed a rest. Like me.(2) I will head back down in a moment, to turn the pump back on and squeegee more water to the Cheech and Chong wall hole, but I just thought I'd pop in here to say hello and to let you know I'm thinking about you'all, and hoping wherever you are you are warm. And dry. And that you aren't putting up any walls where you don't need them.
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(1) I realize at this point that this is all just titty-baby whining, what all with the tragedy in Virginia and the other folks here at home who have it tons worse than I do. Blogging at all today seems a little narcissistic but I'm doing it anyway on the off-chance some of you might be homebound and bored and maybe need a break from CNN.
(2) myfooddiary.com does not have a pre-programmed caloric usage for squeegeeing a flooded basement and schlepping a Sears 42-2693 with attached hoses back and forth in a hippie basement. I estimate the calorie use to be on par with carrying wood or using a rowing machine. Hence, i now get to eat a lot of chips.(3)
___________________________ (3) tostitos hint o'lime
in a pine grove, somewhere on the maine coast, United States
I'm a wife, a mom, and a clinical mental health counselor. I like to be outdoors, cycling or hiking, growing things, hugging trees and gawking at the stars. I like to play in that magical junction where language and images meet.
To heal the world,
we must first heal ourselves.
~ Thich Naht Hahn ~
To love and be loved is to
feel the sun from both sides.
~ David Viscott ~
