News of the Week

Not that there's anything spectacular to report (except the resurgence of the roses--they will be more and more beautiful until the October frost kills them).

We tended Colette and Johnathan last weekend and this weekend and remember how much energy the little ones require. I took them to The Farm on Friday. They loved playing with Damien and Kelli's puppies, playing on the swings, the airplane, the E's playset, exploring all the gardens, walking up the lane to feed the fish and pet the horses, watching the cows come back from the meadow, and playing with the cuzzes.

Below, Nicolle and Johnathan read Babar's instructional book on yoga for elephants together.
I'm off the wound-vac thing and wearing a band-aid instead. Tomorrow I find out if I'm totally done, and I start back to work full-time at all sites. And I'm ready! I'm remembering, after this weekend, how going back to a sedentary weekday desk-job is much easier that being home doing yard and garden with a workaholic man.

Chris is in school again and groaning about math, John teaches MWF (creative writing and Mormon lit), Amy is working temporary full-time at an office just down the street, Jamison is job-hunting. Our cat Hero has found a way out of the yard that we haven't discovered yet. She can't get back in by herself, however.

Below is sunrise on Timp from our front porch.

I guess this will be a short note. I had 13 appointments last week, and this week I'm up to 22 between my office and the care center where I see geriatric patients. I'm almost caught up on the paperwork I'd hoped to have done before surgery. Life is good.

Only One More Garden Post, I Promise

Here's the first drawing of the rock garden (above) and the last (below).

Here's the work site on Saturday. Not so good--it's been that way since early on, and the big rock pile at the side of the patio has been basically unchanged since 2002, when we moved in.

But Amy and Jamison (and John and Chris) have been working obsessively hard this past week:


And here it is. The north half from the balcony:

Designing the sea, after we decided to put the maple tree in the middle of it:

and the finished sea in reality:

Here are drawings of the waterfall:

(this is why I don't do tech--it's amazing we got to reality from this):

The waterfall in progress:

The waterfall finished (more or less). We'll plant groundcover, more succulents and maybe creeping thyme and ice plants, and we may have to cover the gravel on top because the cats are looking a little too interested.

But the mess is cleaned up and the waterfall is on, gurgly and melodious.

Amy considers her handiwork:

Blogging

Sorry to drop the ball with blogging recently. I'm working more--24 hours client contact per week--what I consider full-time and a bit more than I prefer, but I'm trying to save for my half-year off in 2011 when we're at the Palace Court BYU London Centre from July-December. And gardening, and cat issues, and lots of family stuff. I have some photos--I'll get to them soon.

John Teaches Wilderness Writing

We went to a very nice meeting of the Central Utah Writers Project at Daniel's Summit southeast of Heber City. John taught a mini-version of his wilderness writing schtick, including the coyote trap (above). It was fun to see him in professional action.

Here is Strawberry Reservoir, in the distance:

I love my job

Last night after a long day of psychotherapy (only six sessions, but seemed long), I thought, "why did I go into this field again?" It was a question I asked myself a lot back in the old days, when it felt like I just didn't know enough, wasn't compassionate enough, wasn't tough enough, wasn't confident enough, didn't have the right personality for, etc. etc. actually helping anybody with the unmanageable problems of their lives. But today I remembered why, again.

I organize a (sort-of) monthly Brown Bag series for psychologists to share insights and interests related to therapy. It is a way for me to get to know my colleagues and facilitate the dissemination of practical information--a professional public service (I inveigle people into presenting for free, at their own place, and sometimes even bringing refreshments). Anyway, today, the presentation by Mark Owens was on exposure and response prevention treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Dr. Owens' client had herself suggested presenting as a sort of counter-phobic activity, and a public service of her own. It was great! There are ways to help people, and they are hard (oh my gosh is therapy hard) but they actually work. That's why I do it. Because it is down and dirty hard fighting with people's demons, and you can succeed. I love it.

Whew

Six psych evals, eleven therapy sessions, three treatment summaries, one UPA pamphlet, billing to two agencies, and innumerable phone calls in the past three days. I am not used to working so hard. The last time I remember feeling like this (not enough time to sleep) was the second term of my doctoral program, when I thought I was superwoman and took 23 credit hours. Then it was in the service of my calling and career--this time it's in the service of 16 days holiday in the UK. John had to make all the arrangements--I'm just hoping to have time to do my laundry before we go. Oh yeah, and five more therapy sessions tomorrow, call my visiting teachees, make reservations for our Cedar City trip when we get back, set up Skype on our computers so we can talk to Chris while we're gone, pack, pay the household bills, vacuum, and cut the guys' hair.

But watch this site! Once I'm over sleep deprivation and jet lag, I'll post photos of beautiful Dorset. Or, London, Dorchester, Weymouth, London, Ipswich (or somewhere in the east fen country), Cambridge, and London again.

Maybe I'll rest when I get home.