Our Princess

Happy 35th Birthday Joshua.

Books

List of books read over the last few months

• Victoria The Queen by Julia Baird
• Behind Closed Doors by Hugo Vickers
• The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
• The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory
• Bertie, A Life of King Edward VII by Jane Ridley
• The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
• Katherine of Aragon, The True Queen by Alison Weir
• Three Sister, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory
• The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
• Hissing Cousins by Marc Peyser & Timothy Dwyer

It is safe to say I enjoy reading books written by Philippa Gregory as I have been on a Philippa Gregory kick lately and I continue to love English history. I plan on travelling to London the next time I travel over to Europe.  There is so much history in London, I plan to stay one week just in that city.

A Day in the Life of a Drug & Alcohol/Mental Health Therapist

So far this week I have gone into work early and left late. It has been an emotionally exhausting week thus far. The last four new patients on my caseload  were admitted after they survived an overdose when given Narcan. These are young people and our state especially the city of Philadelphia is in crisis as folks are dying everyday from overdoses. It is clearly an opiate epidemic and myself as well as the other counselors have been working tirelessly to help but we are human too and the emotional toll it is taken on us is very real.   Imagine having a job where the success rate is low and the death rate is high.

A Day in the Life of a Therapist

That moment when you realize you have two Reese's peanut butter cups in your desk drawer and take them out to share with your patient after an intense therapy session.

When You Love

When I look at my granddaughter I continue to be amazed at her dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. When my boys were children, they were blonds. Then came my grandsons and granddaughter Ava who were all blonds though Ava was more a strawberry blond. My youngest grandchild is a brunette. She is the sweetest little girl and talking up a storm these days. I love that she cuddles with me on the rocker and likes to help me wash the dishes (truth be told, she plays in the water as I clean the dishes). She stands on the same step ladder as Nikolas once stood followed by Ava.

Sometimes, I am afraid to talk about her for fear I may jinx myself and lose her. I am always afraid to lose her as I lost Ava. I wonder if I will ever feel secure as it pertains to those I love. I have been able to move on in my life despite the loss however there is always a hole or emptiness I feel inside. I wonder if that feeling will ever go away or maybe deep down inside I do not want it to go away because it reminds me of her and keeps me grateful and grounded for the love I have for my other grandchildren. I never want to take anything or anyone for granted ever again. I want to remain humble. My New Years Resolution was pretty simple for 2017. I want to appreciate each day and every moment of those I love. I want to keep God close.

Happy New Year 2017

I am grateful for these amazing people in my life and a living room full of toys..