tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56958395386660586942024-02-20T10:10:39.870-06:00playcranepracticing the importance of play and inspiring others to do the same and some other stuffplaycranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-25434364886679224262012-06-02T09:35:00.004-05:002012-06-02T09:35:48.419-05:00I've Moved!You can now find me at my new home <a href="http://www.playcrane.com/">here</a>.<br />
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Please follow me there.playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-37656711917870520002012-02-27T15:21:00.000-06:002012-02-27T15:21:02.971-06:00What Feeds My Soul/Spirit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsl9vD62I8Zx9OX9OlLGRrhd9PRi6039o-DZZZPxDQxxVPoAZ4SBEZ2XrFHXketxLsrU6UIzbLdmUhgZULq0QSoBAb_b8_12cJ3y7EkETUYYYAdTCxrSysdbg8GjgP4mI0gvw1vFvpOM1/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsl9vD62I8Zx9OX9OlLGRrhd9PRi6039o-DZZZPxDQxxVPoAZ4SBEZ2XrFHXketxLsrU6UIzbLdmUhgZULq0QSoBAb_b8_12cJ3y7EkETUYYYAdTCxrSysdbg8GjgP4mI0gvw1vFvpOM1/s640/007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I write this I have the back door open to keep an eye on my boy who is digging in the dirt while the next door neighbors play basketball. It is a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures in the mid 60s. If only it would stay this way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Awhile back I sat in church and in my little journal wrote a list of all the things that feed my soul. I keep this journal with me almost all the time to jot down everything from a to do list to quotes to words that strike me in some way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last week I set aside some time while in my office at work to take my feeds-my-soul-list and find miniatures and place them in my sand tray. (Incidentally, this sand tray was a gift from a former student who had remembered that many semesters before I had mentioned in a play therapy class how much I was coveting <a href="http://www.elianagil.com/">Eliana Gil</a>'s sandtray in her family play therapy <a href="http://www.selfesteemshop.com/products.php?pid=2168&detail=true">video</a>. So very grateful for this gift.) The ironic thing about this activity is I had just come from teaching about socioemotional development in infants. It was another beautiful day but the air conditioning wasn't working right in the classroom. I was nauseous. Perhaps I should have just gone home, but I was determined to do this tray.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>What Feeds My Soul/Spirit</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All things creative:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">music, drama, books, visual art</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmWiDcOwOqhQpWH6K0UrwSuZESQtSKWoxwglLNom9YYtQ152T-jw4fTqJmmOr8LBCweVWd8Hucq9sI6k9qVwJHf3x6d49d5ZbVpM53ZJP-k3gUuFuDg1DXAdq5Ut65EscH6jZX6ik365b/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmWiDcOwOqhQpWH6K0UrwSuZESQtSKWoxwglLNom9YYtQ152T-jw4fTqJmmOr8LBCweVWd8Hucq9sI6k9qVwJHf3x6d49d5ZbVpM53ZJP-k3gUuFuDg1DXAdq5Ut65EscH6jZX6ik365b/s400/020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">young children for so very many reasons</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PX59oTEKbjEIoyxkL1uLI1Ib4dHftvmgYSEb7-WX2N1jJudBjDirHObmmpCNaeR4o_Sq_LgI3zFITx3WR-3U5TvhVfjZ_eRrHR7NEgSFTn0tOJBAAkFlbiHsyXrYxujSIZBn7vLOkrpx/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PX59oTEKbjEIoyxkL1uLI1Ib4dHftvmgYSEb7-WX2N1jJudBjDirHObmmpCNaeR4o_Sq_LgI3zFITx3WR-3U5TvhVfjZ_eRrHR7NEgSFTn0tOJBAAkFlbiHsyXrYxujSIZBn7vLOkrpx/s400/021.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">being in nature:</div><div style="text-align: center;">the trees, flowers, and water</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eoubZS0jbuXV3sUxV7NGsasxautBX0ErgQGlpPbubKhHyftYKnoAyTaIOo-xoBbNEuhyphenhyphenPwlAkKNUHPkw5IEKBH2XRU8ajovrWRWn8X02j1b_FkbSrUQxHjbq3-jid_q89irPXdSbTPgB/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eoubZS0jbuXV3sUxV7NGsasxautBX0ErgQGlpPbubKhHyftYKnoAyTaIOo-xoBbNEuhyphenhyphenPwlAkKNUHPkw5IEKBH2XRU8ajovrWRWn8X02j1b_FkbSrUQxHjbq3-jid_q89irPXdSbTPgB/s400/022.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">sitting by a roaring fire,</div><div style="text-align: center;">looking up at the sky,</div><div style="text-align: center;">walking along a bridge,</div><div style="text-align: center;">listening to a water fountain</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrI7noqAq2pPeIehtrBCs7kN5Pv91UNd-WamP1h-G3l6-_7iPtv5OhE51OHGrL0bkonsy6aO-S792hBYb59rrtNTBAGibP5tIqAyAxMsQoMfz4hYd_2c0H6ieprdQdiBzMkgTAw7YbZ93/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrI7noqAq2pPeIehtrBCs7kN5Pv91UNd-WamP1h-G3l6-_7iPtv5OhE51OHGrL0bkonsy6aO-S792hBYb59rrtNTBAGibP5tIqAyAxMsQoMfz4hYd_2c0H6ieprdQdiBzMkgTAw7YbZ93/s400/023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">the beach:</div><div align="center">the sun, the sand, the waves</div><div align="center">finding shells</div><div align="center">making sand castles</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gzZeRQAxw12im00iAGi6gzG7fhW8vFKujUh5FTBcXfxgBOe67sWAc2YkAitm7YVn55qldtvdQC2Nn0wv1uIGuwBoC3LJQhLYaSjZPI-imeCAvc95NHdCB0p5K7K2LZzB2XYFMS8ScJVd/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gzZeRQAxw12im00iAGi6gzG7fhW8vFKujUh5FTBcXfxgBOe67sWAc2YkAitm7YVn55qldtvdQC2Nn0wv1uIGuwBoC3LJQhLYaSjZPI-imeCAvc95NHdCB0p5K7K2LZzB2XYFMS8ScJVd/s400/024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
the grace, the freedom, the nurturing of birds and butterflies<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqGOprNOePG-9i67MfDM0zFVKvEvOcbUneRnVJEIDanQ08FL1iyjcELpz3JntUixW6wwmtSXY-nNS3z-PgPZecg4FtWgwxERx0nzmNgsKnPP919mhwnrcm3AHbrC20lsUDIlDQNlinTZb/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqGOprNOePG-9i67MfDM0zFVKvEvOcbUneRnVJEIDanQ08FL1iyjcELpz3JntUixW6wwmtSXY-nNS3z-PgPZecg4FtWgwxERx0nzmNgsKnPP919mhwnrcm3AHbrC20lsUDIlDQNlinTZb/s400/015.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">fresh, local, organic food</div><div align="center">sipping tea with a friend while having a heart-to-heart talk</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7kE7lKYd2GjxfhT4jxLL0HcYupkzyvxLd9yYOlns_JYLE4j54CIoE0WsRn8s5tZdHy17eA9b1Q8WOd_TPGkx2FtKVkgDJEr7ajo0zJx8qC6MXnjzmY1bGIuhjK2bxABqc4ve8jngAfsU/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7kE7lKYd2GjxfhT4jxLL0HcYupkzyvxLd9yYOlns_JYLE4j54CIoE0WsRn8s5tZdHy17eA9b1Q8WOd_TPGkx2FtKVkgDJEr7ajo0zJx8qC6MXnjzmY1bGIuhjK2bxABqc4ve8jngAfsU/s400/026.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I need to find a little table for those tea cups</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">sitting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">be still.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">meditating.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyIv63MUXgjPZwdTfV7MjoMBJAXgsm5WRhl0sEWVEeXF54NG6BbkM0cbY9TPSlJVrCLouHDabCT9cGrIy32sKForZNRy5rTGOYlldVpb-Q_GKYskW2e1r5yk128lYh9BxfF4urunyCr7-/s1600/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyIv63MUXgjPZwdTfV7MjoMBJAXgsm5WRhl0sEWVEeXF54NG6BbkM0cbY9TPSlJVrCLouHDabCT9cGrIy32sKForZNRy5rTGOYlldVpb-Q_GKYskW2e1r5yk128lYh9BxfF4urunyCr7-/s400/028.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my meditative like figure just seemed too big<br />
so Gumby came to the rescue</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The other two items in the tray were a bottlecap that said "play" and a knobby, colorful ball.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">What do these things all have in common?</div><div style="text-align: center;">Taking the time to be quiet</div><div style="text-align: center;">to listen</div><div style="text-align: center;">to reflect</div><div style="text-align: center;">to be grateful</div><div style="text-align: center;">to remember what is really important.</div><div style="text-align: center;">To know we are all connected.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Namaste!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6noSV0Z4dpGfQBq1FyIvYITLX-VbwNEBtt60HXz1AMlF89WT5sZViZ1STF2ajdrhV18eAd2wJcfuSfPKIPoG8HDFY8IGouRfkqE83wb3E18sRs9PFM5qk7Pcb4JQxxkU1amM8ctUGIds/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6noSV0Z4dpGfQBq1FyIvYITLX-VbwNEBtt60HXz1AMlF89WT5sZViZ1STF2ajdrhV18eAd2wJcfuSfPKIPoG8HDFY8IGouRfkqE83wb3E18sRs9PFM5qk7Pcb4JQxxkU1amM8ctUGIds/s400/029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><span id="goog_1988163660"></span><span id="goog_1988163661"></span>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-10142306746517701342012-02-20T09:29:00.001-06:002012-02-20T09:32:07.840-06:00What I Believe with a Capital B<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgzZgn5Gbh3tMq9tKZ0YdHKeqnHPPOJgAy77f5JPWjaAMZ3BU2oOtGaWZIsd2-2VSlwe4ehkJijHOY2gNdHT3b3ZHU3XGduJ-Pt8NWMhK3WTeZqbS0UOmI6X_3kX7ZrVsTBQZtp3wkhRG/s1600/075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxgzZgn5Gbh3tMq9tKZ0YdHKeqnHPPOJgAy77f5JPWjaAMZ3BU2oOtGaWZIsd2-2VSlwe4ehkJijHOY2gNdHT3b3ZHU3XGduJ-Pt8NWMhK3WTeZqbS0UOmI6X_3kX7ZrVsTBQZtp3wkhRG/s400/075.JPG" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">taken with my iPhone</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="center"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Play, creativity, and self-expression </span><span style="font-size: small;">in all its forms:</span></div>poetry, prose, storytelling, visual arts, drama, music, photography, dance, humor, and physical touch are the antidote to all the ills of the world.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
They make us feel alive. We are valuable.<br />
They remind us there is beauty and goodness in this life.<br />
<br />
It takes courage to play, be creative, and express oneself as an adult. <br />
We might be criticized.<br />
We might be rejected.<br />
<br />
But it's still very important indeed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCntSIoDLwX6NpR1VuWXenlt6859wQvy4EoYL85LqYpLnYGy_LgZSYH4DfFTlIpKqmka5U9KY3GMpAc4YLFaCj2YnuKecIcRGVA2yCZOL_vKK71RCbovEcQHaRoy-3rIErLTzgpghl7lH/s1600/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCntSIoDLwX6NpR1VuWXenlt6859wQvy4EoYL85LqYpLnYGy_LgZSYH4DfFTlIpKqmka5U9KY3GMpAc4YLFaCj2YnuKecIcRGVA2yCZOL_vKK71RCbovEcQHaRoy-3rIErLTzgpghl7lH/s400/049.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my daughter's doodle</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="center"></div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-24621975478417709712012-02-03T08:19:00.016-06:002012-02-03T17:46:01.946-06:00Doing the Important Work of Self-Care<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYygvh4oK6sWEJ78sTdVNe2LoRcvfANE-53dEvCbx3n79Rzj5vjjCZERGabf1ZuO2KHQvSyESaL1kMee_yNTOi5psFo8QCggNZR4LYmi4hYfk7IqGkXZYfhCgb11IKEgXNiJJoxASVpeY/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYygvh4oK6sWEJ78sTdVNe2LoRcvfANE-53dEvCbx3n79Rzj5vjjCZERGabf1ZuO2KHQvSyESaL1kMee_yNTOi5psFo8QCggNZR4LYmi4hYfk7IqGkXZYfhCgb11IKEgXNiJJoxASVpeY/s320/079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on my way to play academic at the library<br />
all photos in this post taken with iPhone<br />
I really must get out the dSLR</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An update.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m still here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making important life changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s like going to the dentist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You dread it but afterwards you are so glad you did, and if you put it off you wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much of these changes truly fall under self-care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the commercial… 'cause I’m worth it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This would also fall under practice what you preach/teach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been teaching one or two sections of 30+ students in undergraduate Lifespan Development for the last 12 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For each stage of the lifespan the students learn about what to expect for that age physically, cognitively, and socioemotionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So here’s where this early middle age person is lately.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9vWSsPcCaZ7CkZgyr-EZcNmiOTXWeoZoopzFtz2IqGH-JScO6vVf2uV7phqig0xQttfgrLUZBXxbLeryWzA2mXLdtlTWREVF6zu8uyy2HhTE71GDjcoLKW-3lp5ynWV2X3YI2e4hP8b9/s1600/082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9vWSsPcCaZ7CkZgyr-EZcNmiOTXWeoZoopzFtz2IqGH-JScO6vVf2uV7phqig0xQttfgrLUZBXxbLeryWzA2mXLdtlTWREVF6zu8uyy2HhTE71GDjcoLKW-3lp5ynWV2X3YI2e4hP8b9/s400/082.JPG" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://www.loriportka.com/">Lori Portka's</a> 2012 calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3V8t6BYymWWGrHzDzXW_l1b8xdzQ4Z0lQsFLY4D7N8wvzEovzqtoRxgex2EBuf3r7TE4y1vow5roOqC-nOp4-J0eRBD4AgfnkjbQwByZyB9MlBq3TyzANZmtgX5RsN7NNZLD7yk__Thx/s1600/083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3V8t6BYymWWGrHzDzXW_l1b8xdzQ4Z0lQsFLY4D7N8wvzEovzqtoRxgex2EBuf3r7TE4y1vow5roOqC-nOp4-J0eRBD4AgfnkjbQwByZyB9MlBq3TyzANZmtgX5RsN7NNZLD7yk__Thx/s320/083.JPG" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the wish for January</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7fbk4UMmOr-OeNPbDwXqgw0p0wljNwpDmmDUKy-P_0hepjZdHXG8t1hl1aloq3e51zqy_cuCQaAt8oEvvN2Gbn5mHQcNn-qr9WzScKydiKev7ovU_RFY6XbqTx6MaK5tGIF80iE6AAFB/s1600/070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7fbk4UMmOr-OeNPbDwXqgw0p0wljNwpDmmDUKy-P_0hepjZdHXG8t1hl1aloq3e51zqy_cuCQaAt8oEvvN2Gbn5mHQcNn-qr9WzScKydiKev7ovU_RFY6XbqTx6MaK5tGIF80iE6AAFB/s200/070.JPG" width="149" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Physically—I get up each morning and walk quickly on the treadmill while watching something I’ve recorded on the DVR.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s usually the Colbert Report or The Daily Show so I’m also literally LOL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trying to eat better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less bread, sugar, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More veggies and fruit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know the drill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smaller portions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eating less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not stuffing myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have tried to change my work schedule so I can attend yoga and pilates classes at least twice a week. My wish: to be strong and healty. And if I lose several pounds, that'll be nice too. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cognitively—I’ve been educating myself more and more about politics and our political system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems quite depressing at times and I have fantasies of being some kind of activist and changing the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been watching Bill Moyers new show on PBS and recommend Tavis Smiley’s Poverty in America special. My wish: never stop learning.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EVX2MIkW5CVbC-yRRZlDsi5Xb-vUskkLFu6Szc6byVnLarLQT7h0Ix6rMAeuZ6HBcvQQE5ctwccMBY3RRzA5mP5Rt1hshXFRwRzpvKrB4mMp0ps5X62gKMA4cz4WTpBKtenEFdqMxyVt/s1600/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EVX2MIkW5CVbC-yRRZlDsi5Xb-vUskkLFu6Szc6byVnLarLQT7h0Ix6rMAeuZ6HBcvQQE5ctwccMBY3RRzA5mP5Rt1hshXFRwRzpvKrB4mMp0ps5X62gKMA4cz4WTpBKtenEFdqMxyVt/s200/049.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">above the bar at the local joint</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7EVX2MIkW5CVbC-yRRZlDsi5Xb-vUskkLFu6Szc6byVnLarLQT7h0Ix6rMAeuZ6HBcvQQE5ctwccMBY3RRzA5mP5Rt1hshXFRwRzpvKrB4mMp0ps5X62gKMA4cz4WTpBKtenEFdqMxyVt/s1600/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Socioemotionally—Hubby and I are trying to spend more time with one another and with friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kids, responsibilities, and life can get in the way if you let them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> So this is an example of play for me. Going to a movie (w</span>e saw The Artist) or hanging at a local place listening to live music. Having long conversations with friends. My wish: meaningful connections.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGnH3bihOlwLhfHIHCP31FO6X7s1w6Far0QFxKI64khYYXzBZedBqm-EIG-F4sOBlhtQZrSlgS_2hFjzqfWrGI4hsMtXyokarWx2-JKxTuY7dGXQWoA4DW6t1UlGdOVzPKdlUKA6jx0CH/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoGnH3bihOlwLhfHIHCP31FO6X7s1w6Far0QFxKI64khYYXzBZedBqm-EIG-F4sOBlhtQZrSlgS_2hFjzqfWrGI4hsMtXyokarWx2-JKxTuY7dGXQWoA4DW6t1UlGdOVzPKdlUKA6jx0CH/s200/025.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">play related journals via Instagram</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Play therapy career—Wrote another Mining Report for APT--I "mine" for play therapist intelligence and summarize it for other play therapists. Was asked to apply to be on the ballot for the Board of Directors of APT.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Submitted 2 proposals to present at the next APT conference and was included on a third.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoy presenting at conferences. My wish: isn't it obvious?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Work—planning my play therapy center’s 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> conference, supervising graduate students, teaching, attending committee meetings, seeing clients, and on and on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not much new here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spiritually--I try to follow #spiritchat on Twitter on Sunday mornings. Virtual connections with people from all over the U.S. and the world. They make me think and inspire me. Some will even send me tweets throughout the week. It's nice to know someone's thinking of you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here's hoping you're doing the important work of self-care. And if you're not, what's stopping you?</span><br />
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</div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-26746452725782767982012-01-08T13:58:00.000-06:002012-01-08T13:58:12.533-06:00Scenes from Around Here<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From the last 3 (?!) weeks and mainly through my iPhone...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the kids</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJscQstdCX355tfGiXqLX0nZm5l_HhQB3RopfgGtroNtV2YT8EDw8yHS6S1D7HixaeKD1wCtyHKaaRDlgEdpw1j0mIUpBncDszjaLPDSqklWJeSVa6_UiL5vwU-i2AjS91TAfjh2dcPJl/s1600/087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJscQstdCX355tfGiXqLX0nZm5l_HhQB3RopfgGtroNtV2YT8EDw8yHS6S1D7HixaeKD1wCtyHKaaRDlgEdpw1j0mIUpBncDszjaLPDSqklWJeSVa6_UiL5vwU-i2AjS91TAfjh2dcPJl/s320/087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://pixiecampbell.typepad.com/pink_coyote/2011/11/make-your-own-releasing-kit-instructions.html">my releasing bundle</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLsyDhvO0Z7zC7-xmayThSDtz4Ovr3WCrkKVbgfcLi_zX2_oGKSUQvHgYuDNVeFfNztCXJRSGiSkh4Jo7wBAN9NzEluceTzYnO72syJtlhzcflkNH2ZebzGWIuBIFN1BxJCyKOhxYkjFI/s1600/066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoLsyDhvO0Z7zC7-xmayThSDtz4Ovr3WCrkKVbgfcLi_zX2_oGKSUQvHgYuDNVeFfNztCXJRSGiSkh4Jo7wBAN9NzEluceTzYnO72syJtlhzcflkNH2ZebzGWIuBIFN1BxJCyKOhxYkjFI/s320/066.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pixiecampbell.com/2011/12/mother-of-all-releasings-ceremonies-winter-solstice-2011.html">the bundle on fire</a> on the Winter Solstice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAM-uaJhob3r892YUS7MIjTAv1dXKIVFwbblWXZsCSfI72d3ykRn1ETGraTGlKv9sa3w3t0swduAsRICiiKQB_c_18ARsPMwFSp5FwGj8rpeCT2-gKqvgq6gfdP3TcnNxdRmgDKn7jV1m/s1600/067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAM-uaJhob3r892YUS7MIjTAv1dXKIVFwbblWXZsCSfI72d3ykRn1ETGraTGlKv9sa3w3t0swduAsRICiiKQB_c_18ARsPMwFSp5FwGj8rpeCT2-gKqvgq6gfdP3TcnNxdRmgDKn7jV1m/s320/067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
A high school friend of mine gave this to me for Christmas many, many years ago. I told her on facebook that I still have it. She was incredulous. And it seemed to make her happy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9e2Qkb2WhwingSK8H-3Wf_nXvAVDKxqR-tAirDaaC5m-ZyFfUToxHflkAqJfjteFgg0CFFuw8ISAc5qOmGgtcEutR4TwW5x8UjZSKc83XSU3hBym-m4F_AWX4kr6jfpJzJK-V4V7hGTjL/s1600/068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9e2Qkb2WhwingSK8H-3Wf_nXvAVDKxqR-tAirDaaC5m-ZyFfUToxHflkAqJfjteFgg0CFFuw8ISAc5qOmGgtcEutR4TwW5x8UjZSKc83XSU3hBym-m4F_AWX4kr6jfpJzJK-V4V7hGTjL/s320/068.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
</div><div align="center">My fortune after eating Chinese on Christmas Eve.</div><div align="center">I could use a refreshing change. We'll see if it comes to fruition.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5REV77wYWEhWxY10ZynxXqjASwnrXVqESZ_2EEI3DGebDMgw4zub-Z4t2ycrxItrjipthsJO1k6WFygH2w5tpN46Yhd7DLHMgSvDNpNF-AnoA3Vx7ArwnLQvsL5W5Wnbne3YjRDABten/s1600/073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5REV77wYWEhWxY10ZynxXqjASwnrXVqESZ_2EEI3DGebDMgw4zub-Z4t2ycrxItrjipthsJO1k6WFygH2w5tpN46Yhd7DLHMgSvDNpNF-AnoA3Vx7ArwnLQvsL5W5Wnbne3YjRDABten/s320/073.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I still don't get this shirt but it's what she wanted.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTqYaQ1QXAsvLCwf5Vo12DwDbcyR9vtWzreQdE-99oBtYvpoz24_4BUBiyJ0v2QvZ6hjCL7-GZbGdzSUTUL6IuFKAUKQxNumrjhAJFqosRdE-b_-bm8BSZhaRuBYvgfMmKv0kxvHUeWPU/s1600/136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTqYaQ1QXAsvLCwf5Vo12DwDbcyR9vtWzreQdE-99oBtYvpoz24_4BUBiyJ0v2QvZ6hjCL7-GZbGdzSUTUL6IuFKAUKQxNumrjhAJFqosRdE-b_-bm8BSZhaRuBYvgfMmKv0kxvHUeWPU/s320/136.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">My boy was so very happy to get this.</div><div style="text-align: center;">He is definitely a unique kid.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5Yg3YaNuoqymrgDlD6JznBkWcbG0F78YcOsDicAxYsUoC4ubfDFzORNxwRJ6wMSJ20NFtHuLif8gVAYQMhvy12mU0k78fuFcGpaK70GpEgOxA1YBc1CeYahKgzIIJerJcULjYh3ZbwAv/s1600/137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5Yg3YaNuoqymrgDlD6JznBkWcbG0F78YcOsDicAxYsUoC4ubfDFzORNxwRJ6wMSJ20NFtHuLif8gVAYQMhvy12mU0k78fuFcGpaK70GpEgOxA1YBc1CeYahKgzIIJerJcULjYh3ZbwAv/s320/137.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
Flew to Texas for a few days. My 93-year-old grandfather was in town.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBleLpKKQYq6oHWTkTr9ojxk9Xk6_BOl5WudxRXdgBPOoRdCQd2t459tqD_sh0NnjGJ-Z-m9sZ5pfQdtQopQUbDOZH-JBV58CETSbwz8IVa5gLRFWlh0udNyAAnBXqJjMYQeEGaSkkv3rf/s1600/104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBleLpKKQYq6oHWTkTr9ojxk9Xk6_BOl5WudxRXdgBPOoRdCQd2t459tqD_sh0NnjGJ-Z-m9sZ5pfQdtQopQUbDOZH-JBV58CETSbwz8IVa5gLRFWlh0udNyAAnBXqJjMYQeEGaSkkv3rf/s320/104.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div align="center"><br />
Found a street in the Dallas area with my boy's name.</div><div align="center">He was excited to see it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitie4B6r2r2aneQpfIMSynBu-3UJs6SpMbY-pGevXe_gSuRE9ZJ1hIi8QaYB-vAv2EqO5DUwzV1XyZgX2NHSrOeBYD_dcNNISJgbdU2Ssgu6PFRXuGmD46ZqU7GBYMOQoPuRs9WmBgy-He/s1600/105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitie4B6r2r2aneQpfIMSynBu-3UJs6SpMbY-pGevXe_gSuRE9ZJ1hIi8QaYB-vAv2EqO5DUwzV1XyZgX2NHSrOeBYD_dcNNISJgbdU2Ssgu6PFRXuGmD46ZqU7GBYMOQoPuRs9WmBgy-He/s320/105.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My boy thought we needed a New Year's cake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Why, of course!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uwqOVF8ot_XO98_O7mfrDRUnINceiIaEpu_IP51PeLUjnk3iYPI69m8hmtvj2EXj6u-DzVvKgnVQV1tF9rHW7NKTad9BrMaDNsZABAnkw8TPKADMAhFnimN-vTAIcMwHSMQWTRFa7XW8/s1600/039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uwqOVF8ot_XO98_O7mfrDRUnINceiIaEpu_IP51PeLUjnk3iYPI69m8hmtvj2EXj6u-DzVvKgnVQV1tF9rHW7NKTad9BrMaDNsZABAnkw8TPKADMAhFnimN-vTAIcMwHSMQWTRFa7XW8/s320/039.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A new year, new calendars, a fresh start.</div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7sfF_sRycsj1INO98PUxPdF77zAm7ZaG-p7tKqzvrm-jyGdotWCNC_0Tx66dloJ2H8vBkgIWUrq6In1BzWYxPe5jzB94U6p_4PZB59PHb4TeQBDLK2M-yTWOrc0aNp0rGyVWl8E4pq9F/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7sfF_sRycsj1INO98PUxPdF77zAm7ZaG-p7tKqzvrm-jyGdotWCNC_0Tx66dloJ2H8vBkgIWUrq6In1BzWYxPe5jzB94U6p_4PZB59PHb4TeQBDLK2M-yTWOrc0aNp0rGyVWl8E4pq9F/s320/043.JPG" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3tKj5Y95cvUuTaZRdU9f6D1zZSiMghmntFKS2X5CPh6zEAQqDHg-Nl_BWKa_CsbL3X8UIT4dGfwf5nlfyiEVjqxsewVGShVeOYBFB09vCzRi3hQeKbPIMivtP_qc_HdJidTi4q7_R9Hj/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3tKj5Y95cvUuTaZRdU9f6D1zZSiMghmntFKS2X5CPh6zEAQqDHg-Nl_BWKa_CsbL3X8UIT4dGfwf5nlfyiEVjqxsewVGShVeOYBFB09vCzRi3hQeKbPIMivtP_qc_HdJidTi4q7_R9Hj/s320/044.JPG" width="239" /></a><br />
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And here's to the first week of the new year! Wonder what 2012 will bring. </div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-35053684528458812112012-01-05T11:49:00.001-06:002012-01-05T12:14:32.142-06:00My Stream of Consciousness (Sorta) in Honor of My Birthday*<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*These are my Morning Pages for today, January 5, 2012. And I share them with you. I say "sorta" in the title because they aren't entirely stream of consciousness. I have gone back and edited them in a few places. For more information about the practice of Morning Pages click </span><a href="http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/starting-your-year-with-morning-pages"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.chookooloonks.com/the-beauty-of-different/2010/12/29/journaling-101-a-primer-for-those-whod-like-to-start-a-pract.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Blog,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I have neglected you for many reasons some of which I may get into in this blogpost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today is my birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was much, much younger I hated that my birthday fell on this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right after Christmas, actually the 12</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup>th</sup> of day of Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People tended to forget or would give me a combo Christmas/bday present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether we’re willing to admit it or not, it feels good when we’re remembered, when others think of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone cares for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone thinks I make a positive impact on their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (Thank you Stephanie for letting me know that I do!) </span>In the past, and still</span> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sometimes even today, good ole sensitive </span></span><a href="http://www.traceyclark.com/iamenough/2010/8/10/i-am-enough-from-jodi-crane.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">me</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> has taken it personally when someone forgets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My </span><a href="http://www.violette.ca/2011/01/20/art-journal-page-the-gremlin/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">gremlins </span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and insecurities start showing up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s probably just that people truly are busy or that remembering birthdays just wasn’t such a big deal to them growing up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(In fact, last October and November were so crazy busy for me that I didn’t send out birthday cards or even acknowledge certain people on Facebook on their special day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I hated not doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first of each year I write out everyone’s birthdays on my new calendar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been a New Year’s ritual for me for quite some time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I at least saw their names and sent them positive energy out into the world.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Darn, I didn’t want to go off on a diatribe about my birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is that now I kinda like having a first week of January birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While others are feeling the blues after the holidays, I have something to look forward to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the beginning of the new year and end of the old year I am reflective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My birthday makes me really reflective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you may know that I’m already a very reflective type so I’m REALLY reflective today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention that 2011 was an extremely difficult year for me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A big kick-in-the-ass kind of year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a </span><a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/06/scenes-from-play-therapy-conference.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">few</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/10/mining-for-play-therapy-gold-pics.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">big</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/11/woo-hoo-im-on-creative-living-with.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">highs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> but some even bigger lows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last half of the year I found myself in survival mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I know that’s gonna happen at different times of my life, I. Just. Don’t. Like. It.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not one bit.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that’s one reason for neglecting the blog—survival mode on top of the busy holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most people love the holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me they are a lot of work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I much prefer Easter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s another story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in my reflecting I’ve been thinking about this blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one big thing comes up, the thing we all wrestle with—FEAR!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fear of what others will think: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bloggers are just self-absorbed and selfish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t they have better things to do with their time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I used to think these things about bloggers until I started reading some really good blogs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I’m so very grateful that they take the time to blog.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why isn’t she doing her real work (i.e., stuff for the College)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And my own insecurities about myself: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why would anyone be interested in what I have to say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And there’s the biggie that I know many, many bloggers wrestle with: how much of myself do I put out there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What will people think?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will I piss someone off?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will I lose my day job if I say what I really think?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will I be rejected?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if no one (or very few) actually read what I have to say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would that mean?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, I’m aware of how we put everyday people (doctors, firefighters, mental health professionals, clergy, college professors, etc., really anyone who is in a helping profession) up on pedestals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention what we do to our cultural and local celebrities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve also noticed within the creative community that I follow on-line how certain bloggers can be put on pedestals, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve got a </span><a href="http://www.chookooloonks.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">few</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.brenebrown.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">girl</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.37days.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">crushes</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add the fact that I live in a small town, the “everybody knows your name” kinda town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Yet, there’s A LOT of good things about living in one.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really don’t want to do or say anything with this blog that would prevent me from helping others or hurt those I love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Damn!<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then I feel I have SO. Much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I. Want. To. Say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm not totally for sure why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it’s because I was so </span><a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/01/lifes-messy-play-can-help.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shy</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2010/10/reflections-on-play-therapy-conference.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">quiet</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.traceyclark.com/iamenough/2010/8/10/i-am-enough-from-jodi-crane.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">introverted</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and insecure for so many years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many years of keeping my mouth shut while thoughts swirled around in my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it’s a curse (or blessing) of being a creative individual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have so many interests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much I want to put out there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much I want to express.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there’s the inspiration piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many bloggers have inspired me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It feels good to inspire others, to be liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if you’re not a blogger yourself, if you’re on Facebook and you get a lot of “likes” to something you post and it makes you feel good, you may have experienced what I mean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span> know a behaviorist would just call this intermittent reinforcement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But whatever, I’m not a behaviorist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not into rats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>he principles of </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">behaviorism can be helpful, but I am more of a humanist for sure!<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One more reason I wish to blog or Facebook or tweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s about connections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Sometimes </span>I miss the depth and richness of the connections I once had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like when I was in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then there’s things like grad school, career, work, marriage, and kids (you know—responsibilities) and you start to lose a part of yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus I’ve moved far away from my college friends and don’t get to see them nearly enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">One thing </span>I’ve been doing over the last year is making lots of new connections on-line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet, I don’t care what anyone says about on-line anything, It. Just. Isn’t. The Same. as face-to-face, human interaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, I know on-line is cool and helpful—you can connect with ppl all over the world and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">I've learned so much from others. </span>People may open up more on-line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Etc. </span>But even if I can see your face on the web, I can’t truly feel the emotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t experience physical touch or perhaps, even the energy of our connection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Half my life ago I turned 21.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember when you couldn’t wait to turn 21?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A bit serendipitous for me today.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Okay, this blogpost is wearing me out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m taking myself and life too seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time to go take my beautiful, creative, imperfect self out to play a little on my birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hope you are making meaningful connections in your part of the world. And yes, playing together is a great way to do it. See, I had to add play in there! And hug those closest to you.</span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. I'm trying to be brave with this post and not experience what Brene Brown calls a "</span><a href="http://www.ordinarycourage.com/my-blog/2008/3/7/love-thursday.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">vulnerability hangover</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">P.S.S. How could I forget <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/05/vews-from-midwest-inner-excavation.html">this</a> big high from last year?</span>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-86481816903877035952011-12-12T20:10:00.001-06:002011-12-12T20:14:36.505-06:00Picture the Holidays -- Days 8-12You can tell it's been finals week and a weekend of Christmas parties and graduation because I haven't had a chance to blog in several days. So 5 days worth of Picture the Holidays prompts and photos!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/6480258639/" title="#picturetheholidays Reflecting on the Season Day 8 by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="#picturetheholidays Reflecting on the Season Day 8" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6480258639_14b192b7f6_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Theme for Day 8 was Reflecting on the Season.<br />
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Spotted the reflection of our Christmas tree in the glass of this print on our living room wall. It was a nice surprise.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/6484916685/" title="#picturetheholidays It's a Sign Day 9: these words spoke to me on a brochure from @jenleedotnet by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="#picturetheholidays It's a Sign Day 9: these words spoke to me on a brochure from @jenleedotnet" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6484916685_07d95feb92_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/6484927257/" title="#picturetheholidays It's a Sign #2: didn't notice the face in the photo on book by @jenleedotnet until I took this pic by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="#picturetheholidays It's a Sign #2: didn't notice the face in the photo on book by @jenleedotnet until I took this pic" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6484927257_9970cfa617_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Theme for Day 9 was It's a Sign.<br />
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This prompt was hard for me until I sat down with a book written by <a href="http://www.jenlee.net/">Jen Lee</a> that I ordered and received in the mail that day along with the brochure you see above. I didn't really notice the face on the cover of the book until I took that picture. I also like the words on the brochure, so I've got two photos for this prompt.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/6496399849/" title="#picturetheholidays Twinkle Twinkle Day 10. by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="#picturetheholidays Twinkle Twinkle Day 10." height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6496399849_63cab7b4d3_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Theme for Day 10 was Twinkle Twinkle.<br />
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I must like Christmas trees because we've got 4 of them. The big one in the living room, a 3-4 footer in Meredith's room, a one-footer in Miles's room, and then one other 3-4 footer. The last one I haven't gotten around to decorating. It still has on the lights from years past. Miles thought it needed a star. So he took a star-shaped stickie (whatever you call those things) and placed it on the tree.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbHqkmS1Y8DPMmtNW96o7KwS3G6ycvTOEcjyrTcHcJhuxuBAn8pLRpmn6v-G7ttqDb8rr0aRLUXtNtOw-2li0dT1WCg2TxNLnkS2f5GGTZVZxyhUcuCN0MPwGAp7hFvF-D2JgBn24iQEA/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbHqkmS1Y8DPMmtNW96o7KwS3G6ycvTOEcjyrTcHcJhuxuBAn8pLRpmn6v-G7ttqDb8rr0aRLUXtNtOw-2li0dT1WCg2TxNLnkS2f5GGTZVZxyhUcuCN0MPwGAp7hFvF-D2JgBn24iQEA/s320/019.JPG" width="212" /></a>Theme for Day 11 was Shaping Up. This prompt was getting me until I noticed this lamp in the living room. It reminds me of the curves of the red ribbon on a candy cane or swirling garland on a Christmas tree. After uploading the picture to my computer I noticed the diamond shapes between the "ribbons." And the base's overall shape is almost that of an upside down, fat Christmas tree.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4i0fh_e0ZIw4Dn3RtF5N-YyI2oOFjfKr4JBLfLE259QHCcPnvWGECs8_XIl0JShbYl7nldJr51NaavV4CZqN4Egd217Zty02-B_Fy2j20vx7kSezaJvpj7S0z4584kSy7plPWoX2MGgt/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4i0fh_e0ZIw4Dn3RtF5N-YyI2oOFjfKr4JBLfLE259QHCcPnvWGECs8_XIl0JShbYl7nldJr51NaavV4CZqN4Egd217Zty02-B_Fy2j20vx7kSezaJvpj7S0z4584kSy7plPWoX2MGgt/s640/025.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
Theme for Day 12 (today) was A Whole Lotta Happy. Again, at first I was a bit stumped. I knew I had many ornaments with smiles on them in a box waiting to be placed on the tree in the photo above, but tonight I am tired from staying up late grading and don't feel like rummaging through said box out in the cold garage. <br />
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Oooo, but then I remembered my Christmas Ziggy. I don't tend to decorate with child-like things at home. (Though I admit I do have cheesy kid stuff like this in my office at work, but that's another story.) Ziggy holds such fond memories for me. He was very popular in the early '80s when my best friend and I would give each other Ziggy friendship cards on a regular basis. (I still have all those cards, too.) There is just something about that short, bald-headed dude. And what did I do today? I spoke to this best friend, who lives back in Texas and I don't get see very often at all and don't talk to often enough either. I think it's actually been a few months! But she's the kind of friend that when you talk to her it's like no time has passed. And that makes me happy. :)<br />
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Here's hoping you've got friends like that!playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-48681713933917034022011-12-08T10:41:00.001-06:002011-12-08T10:43:54.112-06:00Picture the Holidays -- Days 6 and 7<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/6469508099/" title="#picturetheholidays Every Little Thing Day 6 with a fitting earlybird filter by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="#picturetheholidays Every Little Thing Day 6 with a fitting earlybird filter" height="612" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6469508099_a0c19d2e2f_z.jpg" width="612" /></a></div><br />
Theme for Day 6 was Every Little Thing.<br />
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On a table in my office at work are these two Hallmark ornaments. They are miniature versions of the classic Fisher-Price toys that I remember playing with as a child. The clock has a knob on the back that can actually turn so one can hear the familiar tune. The school has a tiny bell at the top that one can ring. Cute little reminders of play.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/6474814753/" title="#picturetheholidays Express Yourself Day 7 book by @tarasophiamohr art by Danielle Daniel by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="#picturetheholidays Express Yourself Day 7 book by @tarasophiamohr art by Danielle Daniel" height="612" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6474814753_5f41056617_z.jpg" width="612" /></a></div><br />
Theme for Day 7 was Express Yourself. <br />
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Many who are doing Picture the Holidays right along with me have chosen to do a self-portrait for this prompt, but I just wasn't feeling up to it. So I got the idea for this photo yesterday when this sweet <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Other-Names-Poems-Sophia/dp/0615565646/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323361588&sr=1-1">book of poetry</a> arrived in the mail. The poems were written by <a href="http://www.taramohr.com/">Tara Sophia Mohr</a>. (You may recall that I joined in her Girl Effect blogging campaign last October with these <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/10/girl-effect-part-one.html">two</a> <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/10/special-story-of-girl-effect.html">posts</a>.)<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNM59kUYePulUjOMRPSjZqhIg2W1P5IhIlvMaJHPX89yB7cZWIaOvqq5ZXYf8zSIhlNOI9s2Uh1SyU90TR0gsG9Eb3qkHsqqTuxigeBXyMt9f1d6LKXIs803Lc5_WeZ4DhHrjHz90bLVu-/s1600/Hazel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNM59kUYePulUjOMRPSjZqhIg2W1P5IhIlvMaJHPX89yB7cZWIaOvqq5ZXYf8zSIhlNOI9s2Uh1SyU90TR0gsG9Eb3qkHsqqTuxigeBXyMt9f1d6LKXIs803Lc5_WeZ4DhHrjHz90bLVu-/s320/Hazel.jpg" width="320" /></a>Also, in the photo above is this original painting seen here by Danielle Daniel, of <a href="http://www.herpaintedword.com/">Her Painted Word</a>. She is called Hazel--she write one poem a day. For now she sits right by my bedside as a reminder to not forget to express myself through writing.</div><br />
(All photos taken with my iPhone and uploaded to Instagram.)<br />
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</div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-16902895556267711902011-12-05T22:41:00.004-06:002011-12-05T22:43:30.296-06:00Picture the Holidays -- Days 4 and 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLNrcHAc_bEvZvufobXZiC0LjWkJm-W-MOHmjn8HBxubL9QoEXZU1U8_WmhXHTf19RluWC0kDRFrWEM-ibQX1X8icnOAEZf2L-uL0RwhRRRpM1rfz632BALGVczb3bZAoRUErVQ8oHdDC/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLNrcHAc_bEvZvufobXZiC0LjWkJm-W-MOHmjn8HBxubL9QoEXZU1U8_WmhXHTf19RluWC0kDRFrWEM-ibQX1X8icnOAEZf2L-uL0RwhRRRpM1rfz632BALGVczb3bZAoRUErVQ8oHdDC/s640/012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Theme for Day 4 was You Hold the Key. Most of us already have within ourselves "the keys" to know how to care for ourselves during the holidays and throughout the year for that matter. I remembered that I recently bought these keys at a parent-teacher store thinking I could use them at some point in a creative way. On each key I wrote down reminders of things I can do to unlock self-care in my life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-uEQS7A4fCPsiAklL8B_28AfUPqiloQl-ZMjSLkwZ39VQpbnMTbCTPbMCTB5KHLvYvq6RlPrirni2b4ZpJFCkGS3US2KiW_lpPSg7r3B7mGGTswBKxLKH-z4Ur7zcNwFdxBhyphenhyphenYVebzPV/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-uEQS7A4fCPsiAklL8B_28AfUPqiloQl-ZMjSLkwZ39VQpbnMTbCTPbMCTB5KHLvYvq6RlPrirni2b4ZpJFCkGS3US2KiW_lpPSg7r3B7mGGTswBKxLKH-z4Ur7zcNwFdxBhyphenhyphenYVebzPV/s640/011.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Theme for Day 5, today, is The View from Here.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">So here was my view earlier today while sitting at my desk.</div><div style="text-align: left;">A reminder (via <a href="http://www.zenamoon.com/">zena moon candles</a>).</div><div style="text-align: left;">The label says</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">There is more to life than increasing its speed.</div><div style="text-align: center;">—Gandhi</div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-81227773878257738712011-12-03T17:50:00.001-06:002011-12-03T21:43:14.663-06:00Picture the Holidays -- Days 2 and 3<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/6444912497/" title="#picturetheholidays Reframing the Season Day 2 by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="#picturetheholidays Reframing the Season Day 2" height="612" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6444912497_39e5d1c003_z.jpg" width="612" /></a></div><br />
Theme for Day 2 was Reframing the Season. Looking at the holiday season in new ways.<br />
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My husband put up the tree on Friday night and I decorated it. I was tired. I remembered the prompt and thought it'd be cool to take this shot just straight out of my iPhone via Instagram. I love that the shot is imperfect as well as my living room: items strewn about, tree skirt not on yet, etc. Imperfect. Just like life. Just like the season.<br />
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And the ironic thing I'm willing to admit is last year we bought a new, skinnier tree because a) it fit better in this space than our other fatter one and b) it takes less time to decorate. Every year I end up decorating the tree on my own. And I don't like that because it feels like a chore. But this year Miles helped out a little, and then I realized one reason why I end up doing it alone. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to a stupid thing like a Christmas tree. I want all of the ornaments of a certain kind spread out, I want my favorite ones front and center, and I want the angel, star, and heart ones near the top. Meredith was gone at a football game while I decorated it this year. I just asked her and she said she would have helped. Lessons learned.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG76ZkNa6ERWLnrCdBZHpkN5GUH4Eh4FazoC5ZMorGUVVX700owCTTX4eBYjoMnzPQfplKbLBfREnPT2Zb7rP471ql0XPrKqDF6TqbXY6APy3Xfpux3kDtRuHWM8N1AR4EWP2DjrakWZiQ/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG76ZkNa6ERWLnrCdBZHpkN5GUH4Eh4FazoC5ZMorGUVVX700owCTTX4eBYjoMnzPQfplKbLBfREnPT2Zb7rP471ql0XPrKqDF6TqbXY6APy3Xfpux3kDtRuHWM8N1AR4EWP2DjrakWZiQ/s640/012.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Theme for today, Day 3, is All You Need is Love. Can't help thinking of the Beatles whenever I hear that phrase. Again, I remembered the prompt in the evening. Otherwise I may have gone looking for hearts outside while it was still daylight. So instead, I searched my tree for some hearts or the word "love" when I found this glass or crystal heart. I don't remember if it was gifted to me or if I bought it in a shop somewhere. All I know is that I love how it glistens.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I went to upload photos in my camera I found a series of self-portraits by my daughter. This <em>really</em> filled me with love.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RpNQjfU9STwFGi4IOmLa5dg-6mbOuoF3YrAhekPCLmMM5Dx4f4XzDWBHugdXWg-QpTiXJeTBBOwnGTnYcGxuXEV8a3mcok2drrE9uGMc4xNhVfiVjvCk7Ew76T66R7UHi8cnAn8GQQ5t/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RpNQjfU9STwFGi4IOmLa5dg-6mbOuoF3YrAhekPCLmMM5Dx4f4XzDWBHugdXWg-QpTiXJeTBBOwnGTnYcGxuXEV8a3mcok2drrE9uGMc4xNhVfiVjvCk7Ew76T66R7UHi8cnAn8GQQ5t/s640/004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-49070604698813812032011-12-01T15:59:00.002-06:002011-12-01T23:40:51.508-06:00Picture the Holidays -- Day 1<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/6436776181/" title="Holding Onto Gratitude #picturetheholidays by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="Holding Onto Gratitude #picturetheholidays" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6436776181_73b1f4094e_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Today's prompt: Holding Onto Gratitude<br />
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It's been one of the most difficult semesters for me since starting teaching almost 12 years ago. So grateful it is coming to the end. It may not be the most artistic photo, but I am at work today, my "long" day, and I forgot my <em>good</em> camera so my iPhone, Instagram, and Flickr will have to do. Evenso, it IS my truth for today.playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-4437491179235250102011-12-01T10:16:00.000-06:002011-12-01T10:16:45.426-06:00Picture the Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccgQb8_-F-naLh1umW5U92MNm_cKkkPTKZaiwEplRWyKRVBwZ91duTXWfQSBDkhEG1K_bt7hjaI4PYC0n8StqRWErIykl2dIBICaJcViFG5rkMYTDElTKtJAVwSlPithgKNZwTjr49YWk/s1600/picture+the+holidays.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccgQb8_-F-naLh1umW5U92MNm_cKkkPTKZaiwEplRWyKRVBwZ91duTXWfQSBDkhEG1K_bt7hjaI4PYC0n8StqRWErIykl2dIBICaJcViFG5rkMYTDElTKtJAVwSlPithgKNZwTjr49YWk/s640/picture+the+holidays.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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I am participating in Picture the Holidays, a class by <a href="http://www.traceyclark.com/">Tracey Clark</a> through <a href="http://www.papercoterie.com/">Paper Coterie</a>. Tracey is the founder of <a href="http://www.shuttersisters.com/">Shutter Sisters</a>. (Incidentally, I was part of Tracey's I am Enough collaborative through this <a href="http://www.traceyclark.com/iamenough/2010/8/10/i-am-enough-from-jodi-crane.html">post</a>.)<br />
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I am loving this class creed. I loving the chance to play and exercise my creativity. I will try to post my pictures to the daily prompts as much as I can, but I don't want to do anything to add to my stress level especially until the semester is over on Dec. 12 when grades are due!playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-62066107914422704912011-11-29T06:31:00.000-06:002011-11-29T06:31:08.320-06:00Woo hoo! I'm on Creative Living with Jamie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5w-4pOX7XwfxPMJ_MsHKBE0WLauC-_ZM0doZOc21seQUVnl2oTvTtg4N-4WAQLHKXLLIta8s42J6wYKFcQvfxc-eFJ_zzCJl34kNBP5Nyeaha4m_1Yl834kYDjzu1grx0FG252ALTRza/s1600/creative-living-guest+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF5w-4pOX7XwfxPMJ_MsHKBE0WLauC-_ZM0doZOc21seQUVnl2oTvTtg4N-4WAQLHKXLLIta8s42J6wYKFcQvfxc-eFJ_zzCJl34kNBP5Nyeaha4m_1Yl834kYDjzu1grx0FG252ALTRza/s1600/creative-living-guest+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I'm so flattered that little ole me was asked to be on <a href="http://www.jamieridlerstudios.ca/">Jamie Ridler</a>'s <a href="http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/podcast">Creative Living with Jamie podcast</a> which airs <a href="http://jamieridlerstudios.ca/creative-living-with-jamie-jodi-crane">today</a>. She actually asked me via a message on twitter (isn't that cool?!) that I received on the last day of the APT conference when I was on a play therapy high. The actual interview occurred a few weeks ago. I've been a bit nervous to see how it turned out as honestly I wasn't still on my high. In fact, I was deep in the busiest time of the semester. So apropos since my main message in the interview is, of course, the importance of play in our lives.<br />
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I've enjoyed listening to this podcast for well over a year now every Tuesday morning on my way to work. One of my favorite parts is the very beginning when Jamie shares a bit of inspiration. Another favorite part is when she asks the interviewee, "how do you invite your creativity out to play?" She's had on some of my favorite creative people. I can't believe I'm in this group. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnY2APTEdu4E9xo_ICSckhiLQWfA7Il7KBeYvKXxnxp0Dfiktd4-6B-bDR06ojMviYKzCApa1h1B5pwwVWvR5RqpMNHKNFsvanXFBhD6VNcAvZLnHsld6vnxHPNLyYnSL5e1g8xMfuCl_I/s1600/image001+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnY2APTEdu4E9xo_ICSckhiLQWfA7Il7KBeYvKXxnxp0Dfiktd4-6B-bDR06ojMviYKzCApa1h1B5pwwVWvR5RqpMNHKNFsvanXFBhD6VNcAvZLnHsld6vnxHPNLyYnSL5e1g8xMfuCl_I/s1600/image001+%25282%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em>So I am Creative. I am a Creative!</em></span></div><br />
Please take a listen and let me know what you think!<br />
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And a special welcome to any Jamie Ridler listeners!playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-39642631204934440712011-11-19T11:24:00.000-06:002011-11-19T11:24:12.427-06:00Recipe for a Little Saturday FunRecipe for a little fun:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Take small and large marshmellows and uncooked spaghetti.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWG-jl80UxAAa1U8mKcwJBo0sIWBxzIvOMLscasgJpM4dHOSPe8WyMJ3edBmAwIJVo9tuc0kgiJ-8YKFlT4Ky3d1BAa91t6fqxI04LJr4gCDiLdHEKkgKXP07B33TpM8PgWa2CMkvPWsa_/s1600/162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWG-jl80UxAAa1U8mKcwJBo0sIWBxzIvOMLscasgJpM4dHOSPe8WyMJ3edBmAwIJVo9tuc0kgiJ-8YKFlT4Ky3d1BAa91t6fqxI04LJr4gCDiLdHEKkgKXP07B33TpM8PgWa2CMkvPWsa_/s640/162.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Grab your friends and family or just yourself.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Set the timer for 15 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Build the tallest tower you can out of the ingredients.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The boy pretended he was roasting marshmellows.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94V1sgTf-Gdak58hc3fQYgc9ot4zVt4jjFnVuwHgsEuNybbcpelSx0cd-RrvSrIzoIHLZsFZVyPMOe3Vq701A6KdMHz_U4GksVyeusNozupnfOYDEmK7Dd95XG748WkfVmsl4ifm0gXr3/s1600/160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94V1sgTf-Gdak58hc3fQYgc9ot4zVt4jjFnVuwHgsEuNybbcpelSx0cd-RrvSrIzoIHLZsFZVyPMOe3Vq701A6KdMHz_U4GksVyeusNozupnfOYDEmK7Dd95XG748WkfVmsl4ifm0gXr3/s400/160.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The girl squished hers together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4jU3Cv8q9BIV8Oiq5P5H-S7dPk4iXpljDhPSRA6nRmtgVhZcTfkvr77jOILMKpvpsNDpf5NKoYjfxzw8Jic08-drR6TZLMXkv4CVRfq8zGCHgC-8ZKLpgOcH3WUds5ExQwQxdNcoxwGW/s1600/158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4jU3Cv8q9BIV8Oiq5P5H-S7dPk4iXpljDhPSRA6nRmtgVhZcTfkvr77jOILMKpvpsNDpf5NKoYjfxzw8Jic08-drR6TZLMXkv4CVRfq8zGCHgC-8ZKLpgOcH3WUds5ExQwQxdNcoxwGW/s400/158.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">After seeing a "blogging moment," the mom spent a few minutes and came up with this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcYtj0SjzbtCEERFIb4x1qHCcQW2c0OKWMK9tJBXqupMxqsZYmfbIUj6LB67GfW75cAwpoWlL3uUOrieWO32diBCS37uGZyPXlmZ1xNop5xK5qmf5nJbSs2vf6wi9daV6tkn-0G-UF4ES/s1600/163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggcYtj0SjzbtCEERFIb4x1qHCcQW2c0OKWMK9tJBXqupMxqsZYmfbIUj6LB67GfW75cAwpoWlL3uUOrieWO32diBCS37uGZyPXlmZ1xNop5xK5qmf5nJbSs2vf6wi9daV6tkn-0G-UF4ES/s400/163.JPG" width="180" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And the winner was the dad who found this activity in the first place and who had already done it </div><div style="text-align: center;">with one of his college classes at Lindsey Wilson the day before</div><div style="text-align: center;">and tried to recreate what the winning team did in his class.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Therefore, he cheated. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSi-BOZqQoiBzYWmjAaUgZACkcya3YOr2rTtMN6f2Nbmat39NayTg1JO2NLn6_xGy-svr1VgZ_SGEj9ftIFtWGZWGIS71TNm1dno5MaWiGgvataQw9ERSI2rdiC_BsheVBOuYFH17Ves1T/s1600/165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSi-BOZqQoiBzYWmjAaUgZACkcya3YOr2rTtMN6f2Nbmat39NayTg1JO2NLn6_xGy-svr1VgZ_SGEj9ftIFtWGZWGIS71TNm1dno5MaWiGgvataQw9ERSI2rdiC_BsheVBOuYFH17Ves1T/s400/165.JPG" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-15619173102550227692011-11-16T12:39:00.000-06:002011-11-16T12:39:10.711-06:00Out of the Box (More Musings on a Play Therapy Conference)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/6350485083/" title="Picture1 by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="Picture1" height="427" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6097/6350485083_cac2fee244_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
One of my favorite children's books about creativity is called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Not-Box-Antoinette-Portis/dp/0061123226/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321465336&sr=1-2">Not a Box</a> by Antoinette Portis. This hard-cover book feels like a cardboard box. It is a reminder of how easily children can take a simple box and turn it into a variety of objects through their play. I'm sure that many of us have memories of taking old, large appliance boxes or the boxes our toys came in on Christmas morning and turning them into a house, a puppet theater, or a car.<br />
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This simple message was also clear to me at the APT play therapy conference last month. Charlie Schaefer, Linda Homeyer, and Sueann Kenney-Noziska were the keynote speakers on "Directive or Nondirective: Is That <em>Really</em> the Question?" In the field of play therapy we tend to put theories, techniques, and one another in boxes: nondirective or directive. It's something we as human being naturally do. Our brains are bombarded with so must information that we judge the information and categorize it as a way to get a handle on it and make sense of it given our own beliefs and experiences. Are you Democrat or Republican? Conservative or Liberal? Gay or straight? But there are many downsides to putting people and ideas in boxes.<br />
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I resist being categorized because I don't like to judged. When I'm judged I might be judged negatively or found lacking in some way. When you put me in a box you might make assumptions about me that aren't true based on your prior experiences of said box. These misassumptions then prevent us from truly connecting on an authentic level where we value one another as human beings and can learn from each other's varied backgrounds.<br />
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This year's APT conference had a different vibe for me. I'm not sure if it's because it seemed to be smaller and more intimate compared to past years. Or was it the physical arrangement of having to walk through the bar and gathering area of the hotel in order to get to the workshops at the conference center across the street? I found myself sitting and talking and laughing and networking with a wide variety of people. Friends old and new. I learned new things about other play therapists that changed how I view them. I may not practice play therapy in the same way that they do and that is okay. Who am I to say that I have THE one right way to believe? And if I take the time to listen to their story and have an open-mind, how can I argue with their experiences?<br />
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When one is starting out as a play therapist or in any field, it helps to have "boxes" and categories to aid in understanding and grasping of a lot of information. That is a good thing. Our "boxes" provide a rationale for why we do what we do. Yet, after awhile it can be helpful to have an open-mind, broaden our horizons and get out of the box. For me, this is how I continue to grow as a play therapist and as a human being. In fact, it's a big part of what creativity is all about.playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-70085599552918554662011-11-09T14:19:00.000-06:002011-11-09T14:19:02.439-06:00I'm Baaaccckkk!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6fhIFCS6FUwR2JjB-PPgA6R0QXV_NL4QUGPgLm98YtyeiIFObjg1VjR6QKu6I0GJr16rGjrYtO1ssoZOPagYg2vkpmfLEmOoIpV2aMw_soiDUNvmyI9wMUSDQsc_20s60mBQg-XTh6qH/s1600/066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6fhIFCS6FUwR2JjB-PPgA6R0QXV_NL4QUGPgLm98YtyeiIFObjg1VjR6QKu6I0GJr16rGjrYtO1ssoZOPagYg2vkpmfLEmOoIpV2aMw_soiDUNvmyI9wMUSDQsc_20s60mBQg-XTh6qH/s320/066.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My goodness! Never gone this long without blogging since I started in Sept. 2010. Seems like the entire month of October and beginning of November has been some of the busiest weeks of my life and I don't like it one bit. Can't seem to get caught up. I like to stay busy but not so busy that I feel like I can't breathe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I bought the shirt you see above when I was at the APT conference. They are available <a href="https://shop.a4pt.org/product.php?productid=17557&cat=253&page=1">here</a>. (No, kickbacks for me, but I'm always willing to promote APT.) I have to smile or even frown a bit seeing myself in that shirt, because I haven't had much play in my life lately and I see the outcomes of this: cranky, irritable, and complaining. I have tons of ideas for what I'd like to write, present, and just do but other work and sometimes family-related things have gotten in the way. I hope to make some changes for the future so I can do those things that I find fulfilling as well as exercise better self-care, because I plan to be around for a long, long time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For now I'll share some photos I have found on my iphone. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Like this one my daughter took of herself swinging. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I just love the feeling of freedom when you're on a swing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcsMbRKW-kSn6bfwuF7VuWW06xO9y7OWvjLBWgYFhXcoiCItzC6TzHKbUM-wpqemkTm62IjOoqyzy-7DYR9OzdmNUqRP8QbuSip5K4X4BHHkzRySuIEcvRMKodZkimDKLsqB5cJ-vrE5w/s1600/092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJcsMbRKW-kSn6bfwuF7VuWW06xO9y7OWvjLBWgYFhXcoiCItzC6TzHKbUM-wpqemkTm62IjOoqyzy-7DYR9OzdmNUqRP8QbuSip5K4X4BHHkzRySuIEcvRMKodZkimDKLsqB5cJ-vrE5w/s320/092.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I will admit that one reason for being behind is watching the Texas Rangers who eventually lost in 7 games during the World Series. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Perhaps I should have spent that time grading, but it was fun to watch.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(via Instagram)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNFxhp5z3diz1uO9Lp3VJiVUCkLPMVVjOW8PLDhg3D-R9i4U0Dm97a1v0xB-CiVls4qvRza250ECaZ0gAP91bYzWtBr182JJNfhobdxJMkGx3e5SNScgJWyw6SvW6mZeZM3R4vnVX8WIK/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNFxhp5z3diz1uO9Lp3VJiVUCkLPMVVjOW8PLDhg3D-R9i4U0Dm97a1v0xB-CiVls4qvRza250ECaZ0gAP91bYzWtBr182JJNfhobdxJMkGx3e5SNScgJWyw6SvW6mZeZM3R4vnVX8WIK/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Miles wrote TCU (my alma mater) on one of his cars and took this photo of it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI6G0EYICXEZqbB7iFaPF3aDHTxNYUJgTmuO1Gkbo6-D2gAbMni9w7MJa7yBJKQ226PJcJcSox0NGGqhyphenhyphenp_E9Lhu9Eo9UZCuhiod7_BmpN8f1k80nl3gjXFVbR-Sdjn5D8qDBizBtibUf/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI6G0EYICXEZqbB7iFaPF3aDHTxNYUJgTmuO1Gkbo6-D2gAbMni9w7MJa7yBJKQ226PJcJcSox0NGGqhyphenhyphenp_E9Lhu9Eo9UZCuhiod7_BmpN8f1k80nl3gjXFVbR-Sdjn5D8qDBizBtibUf/s320/023.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What's leftover when you tie-dye t-shirts for Halloween without using gloves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Because it's more fun without gloves!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHBryrf5hyphenhyphengo8MRF8GIeGweXzGQF7KPGZEVrnWjvSq0NtTI_9qJKu3p-vNX1mc8olOMQZuhg2Euz-UHb_G2SKUmDfIQLWXj0QtzlLv6CuzhLjVmFtd9BFV_yLWZoUsATVianZohBzciCh/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxHBryrf5hyphenhyphengo8MRF8GIeGweXzGQF7KPGZEVrnWjvSq0NtTI_9qJKu3p-vNX1mc8olOMQZuhg2Euz-UHb_G2SKUmDfIQLWXj0QtzlLv6CuzhLjVmFtd9BFV_yLWZoUsATVianZohBzciCh/s320/043.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Meredith and friend dancing in our living room. (via Instagram)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NHVv5YK35j-yBRPJ5K_P5TUhCNErel2A2pVoAcjeA_s-vS6mrl4qtqxdKkHf3cDvw9GwZI7rJ6SlRSmh-tJ3D2_-_NiiWeag9Mr-5WbSZ6wztIBI9ymCUQ27ya9QMRWKWeA0kkLXzxS_/s1600/084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NHVv5YK35j-yBRPJ5K_P5TUhCNErel2A2pVoAcjeA_s-vS6mrl4qtqxdKkHf3cDvw9GwZI7rJ6SlRSmh-tJ3D2_-_NiiWeag9Mr-5WbSZ6wztIBI9ymCUQ27ya9QMRWKWeA0kkLXzxS_/s320/084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First time we've ever bid and won something at a live auction. This is a basket of stuff from Miles's class with the theme of "Family Night." Filled with games, puzzles, movies, snacks, and a football.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All in the name of helping out my kid's school.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRwDQbJT0iL8jqum3b0cIYsHodcEkMaTyMGg9CKOLWkT8lAn3SpQOn61wCNhcz9DXBs05qD7fIg6Odq0b7_F36gLmz9_erPOq6MvZbqalC0ADnLr5XQybvh9847gOcGrdFKkMPEdJZ7Us/s1600/089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIRwDQbJT0iL8jqum3b0cIYsHodcEkMaTyMGg9CKOLWkT8lAn3SpQOn61wCNhcz9DXBs05qD7fIg6Odq0b7_F36gLmz9_erPOq6MvZbqalC0ADnLr5XQybvh9847gOcGrdFKkMPEdJZ7Us/s320/089.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The kids on Halloween. Mer is some kind of '80s girl and Miles is a golfer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeLa8yaT2wB3UZ2_-nauE6AlND2CVd-cn_N8kSvM6X5qhcNgiEMqfqIAFFbUZuHOU3u39MLTonfzerYIL-i9Jk36975PMO0cV3SVW9hxG7jB-OXs8uZ9GArchu5daLuWVw2spPUnkgBZa/s1600/070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQeLa8yaT2wB3UZ2_-nauE6AlND2CVd-cn_N8kSvM6X5qhcNgiEMqfqIAFFbUZuHOU3u39MLTonfzerYIL-i9Jk36975PMO0cV3SVW9hxG7jB-OXs8uZ9GArchu5daLuWVw2spPUnkgBZa/s640/070.JPG" width="478" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And finally, as rough as things are they could be worse. Am trying my best to be thankful, especially that I am employed, am relatively healthy (battling a sinus infection), and have a loving family. Gratitude has been on my mind so much lately it was the theme for my pumpkin at our friends' annual party. I covered it with things I am grateful for.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61ixQ4WfhFnhHAZCjLsSkOJrfsqOVmYOQg6Cz6FyKfNBaLfAnC81sN_fslom5O9L5PTwrMj3j1UgoADBQv8aUPsdz2VREZ8suAHjz9483A50Bw0JwhjNDSD8GkLCLK31LccxmDnCAG8V1/s1600/053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61ixQ4WfhFnhHAZCjLsSkOJrfsqOVmYOQg6Cz6FyKfNBaLfAnC81sN_fslom5O9L5PTwrMj3j1UgoADBQv8aUPsdz2VREZ8suAHjz9483A50Bw0JwhjNDSD8GkLCLK31LccxmDnCAG8V1/s640/053.JPG" width="476" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dear reader, I am grateful for you. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Listening to my rants, sharing in my photos, and following this one, crazy, playful life I have.</div><div align="center"></div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-62042533080702013012011-10-19T11:31:00.000-05:002011-10-19T11:31:22.625-05:00Mining for Play Therapy Gold (the pics version)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What have I been doing lately?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mining for play therapy gold in Sacramento</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwpangSk_vfhLi8IaGLwWniqy51MyByCqPJNekGFkUJQM4lcr0bwAn5L-rcOqa5VFi27xL0IdDlsPeT_zv3ZljEbxO4ts5EuOgPzFA_p2ZQ8xyWpLQjgeuW_jTVwD-JSsOPgYyYYwVLuC/s1600/054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwpangSk_vfhLi8IaGLwWniqy51MyByCqPJNekGFkUJQM4lcr0bwAn5L-rcOqa5VFi27xL0IdDlsPeT_zv3ZljEbxO4ts5EuOgPzFA_p2ZQ8xyWpLQjgeuW_jTVwD-JSsOPgYyYYwVLuC/s400/054.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">theme for 2011 APT conference<br />
(iphone photo by me)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">at the 2011 APT conference</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1FYjCeENiLT7BSqvSKKaIQzZX6UGaLXjQCyrn9HJ74rsVEvsOwc95ygITPoL8U5WQ7kVltuNEOdeLj30KlmzoMg3L8vmARlEFv_k3b-32zYsDrG_sfnFAbrUyn1u5KGAWJcxOqH-SLRo/s1600/297201_183249965088232_100002096906748_400934_1932253292_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1FYjCeENiLT7BSqvSKKaIQzZX6UGaLXjQCyrn9HJ74rsVEvsOwc95ygITPoL8U5WQ7kVltuNEOdeLj30KlmzoMg3L8vmARlEFv_k3b-32zYsDrG_sfnFAbrUyn1u5KGAWJcxOqH-SLRo/s400/297201_183249965088232_100002096906748_400934_1932253292_n.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by ?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I presented on Creativity for Play Therapists.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNAW9wEcFqJf09Ot4OAKluDmu5RCcyJxfcFpfBgzcLDR2jsCZJW0Pqc7lRRnisNqr0J7lDuoEvBkWrW2Us0HENnW07e9zor-XjPKlZPTk35O0kYPB0vd5f0QzKNJZGrqtOkV1KkqyhCi1/s1600/299665_174865632598347_100002247348631_367666_508661068_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNAW9wEcFqJf09Ot4OAKluDmu5RCcyJxfcFpfBgzcLDR2jsCZJW0Pqc7lRRnisNqr0J7lDuoEvBkWrW2Us0HENnW07e9zor-XjPKlZPTk35O0kYPB0vd5f0QzKNJZGrqtOkV1KkqyhCi1/s400/299665_174865632598347_100002247348631_367666_508661068_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">that's me standing<br />
(iphone photo by Tammi Van Hollander)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I went to several meetings.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Rm8zJJeazZr-7pfwJ1sWVssvRobBIqPAqyxtUywI6iGAXZqR8tXb1aeLpn0RNkkmQzqER0M90umuiG_5XJjIjpSRsA2qhPzfy4GjG07XfeyLzZ_K5NwGFyzF-X3dSrpO3EHB7mYN7KEz/s1600/310682_10150346714067337_550222336_8455064_836257129_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Rm8zJJeazZr-7pfwJ1sWVssvRobBIqPAqyxtUywI6iGAXZqR8tXb1aeLpn0RNkkmQzqER0M90umuiG_5XJjIjpSRsA2qhPzfy4GjG07XfeyLzZ_K5NwGFyzF-X3dSrpO3EHB7mYN7KEz/s400/310682_10150346714067337_550222336_8455064_836257129_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conference Program Committee with Tami Langen & Kathy Lebby<br />
(surprise photo by Mistie Barnes)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I went to play therapy trainings including those by <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/06/scenes-from-play-therapy-conference.html">Terry Kottman</a>, Jeff Ashby, <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/02/play-therapy-friend.html">David Crenshaw</a>, Athena Drewes, Eric Green, LeAnne Steen, and Hilda Glazer.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA-ev885Zt1bM02wXThnWaA_FT28BHlPBDLIArKbHWp57npLQQKjJSMpzG_xFmx-m6fSUk3mNj9aLmfn25O21FcQiZePe1TIjyx6KrYXsRL3d85tTnKKhCCd5JHm7WQlyfPtaGfY5ifLE/s1600/307230_183562315056997_100002096906748_401931_1023307379_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmA-ev885Zt1bM02wXThnWaA_FT28BHlPBDLIArKbHWp57npLQQKjJSMpzG_xFmx-m6fSUk3mNj9aLmfn25O21FcQiZePe1TIjyx6KrYXsRL3d85tTnKKhCCd5JHm7WQlyfPtaGfY5ifLE/s400/307230_183562315056997_100002096906748_401931_1023307379_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric Green & David Crenshaw<br />
(photo by ?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Most of all, I networked, ate, and drank with play therapy friends, new and old.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPJVC775tkyQH7VfTizflrmiJ_xn8QHz8tnJddi3Ia5nIn94kkl_ak6ScRWJkTS6qPoQvx_gZ0ttEKtilNPUw6iaGGv9yt90Y5bbeiRsYxBoBpnSs4Z3eaemDyAKxA0o6Qkhtb9xvoDqp/s1600/316766_183565978389964_100002096906748_401946_1188877647_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPJVC775tkyQH7VfTizflrmiJ_xn8QHz8tnJddi3Ia5nIn94kkl_ak6ScRWJkTS6qPoQvx_gZ0ttEKtilNPUw6iaGGv9yt90Y5bbeiRsYxBoBpnSs4Z3eaemDyAKxA0o6Qkhtb9xvoDqp/s640/316766_183565978389964_100002096906748_401946_1188877647_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me with Angela Cavett & Liana Lowenstein<br />
(photo by ?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjQM2R31cejqKeV-2b8WeK4NTKznMoZLwlHHDYzzmtz-7Y25bTnYIV_-OcunzvJnvAEcdP8HKX5BxFOkyvw2gGKVy7mIXEAA2LdDbdVzsafC1VhvO9arLC0e6wC-GKS3SJ7xZlojAQ6qu/s1600/298086_2469881663876_1157396824_32923801_846350280_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjQM2R31cejqKeV-2b8WeK4NTKznMoZLwlHHDYzzmtz-7Y25bTnYIV_-OcunzvJnvAEcdP8HKX5BxFOkyvw2gGKVy7mIXEAA2LdDbdVzsafC1VhvO9arLC0e6wC-GKS3SJ7xZlojAQ6qu/s640/298086_2469881663876_1157396824_32923801_846350280_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MY FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CONFERENCE<br />
me, Cherie Spehar, Lori Myers, Anne Stewart, David, <br />
Angela, Ana Tillman, Tammi Van Hollander<br />
with the APT dude<br />
(taken by ?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">David Crenshaw started a private play therapy group on Facebook.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We met for a big toast (thank you Liana). I love that he is laughing in this pic.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsXSRTk6Pb6eMW_0KaQuun0CIzOBnQg1gWgnxY4HxkiL_cGThS519_GCOcJsRSX2x2qvgDvgvuD77uXTskZBU_AwOvW67ZIbAAEf4A2zJ4n7WybSbRJLOikTHXMdhcUk6PPD5DEYGc-yW/s1600/308724_183567511723144_100002096906748_401957_1635740253_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFsXSRTk6Pb6eMW_0KaQuun0CIzOBnQg1gWgnxY4HxkiL_cGThS519_GCOcJsRSX2x2qvgDvgvuD77uXTskZBU_AwOvW67ZIbAAEf4A2zJ4n7WybSbRJLOikTHXMdhcUk6PPD5DEYGc-yW/s640/308724_183567511723144_100002096906748_401957_1635740253_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
Stay tuned. I plan to share my reflections on the conference in an upcoming post.playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-74200935774414493492011-10-10T01:07:00.000-05:002011-10-10T01:07:59.486-05:00An Autumn Kentucky "Poem Note"I was introduced to the concept of a "poem note" by <a href="http://www.lizlamoreux.com/">Liz Lamoreux</a> during the <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/05/vews-from-midwest-inner-excavation.html">Midwest Inner Excavation Retreat</a> this past May. Over the weekend I taught my Creative Play Therapy Interventions course in Prestonsburg, Kentucky, <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2010/10/some-days-part-2.html">again</a>. (Four hours from home. A beautiful drive to eastern Kentucky and listening to podcasts on my phone = not so bad.) This was the first time I ever did this activity with a class, and I couldn't help but participate. Using a shadow self-portrait I took while we went on a walking meditation and photo walk, I present you my little poem note.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4lAGS_RviPPxhfL-gJkb9JvpBjZMP9-HRN5hN06B4MSqS4lXI6y4jStVCppOGriIYCWV-56zd6nVENhizKZZnxR3miln2fYP-ny9rg7-ACvtJDl8XRgIYE3b0VkiLqK_8ARBhRFbN82D/s1600/041-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4lAGS_RviPPxhfL-gJkb9JvpBjZMP9-HRN5hN06B4MSqS4lXI6y4jStVCppOGriIYCWV-56zd6nVENhizKZZnxR3miln2fYP-ny9rg7-ACvtJDl8XRgIYE3b0VkiLqK_8ARBhRFbN82D/s640/041-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-44529656630970746612011-10-09T07:49:00.000-05:002011-10-09T07:49:19.741-05:00A Must See Video about GratitudeI believe the video speaks for itself.<br />
I just love stuff like this.<br />
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Special thanks to <a href="http://www.emelisahealingarts.com/">Emelisa Mudle</a> who posted it on her facebook page, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Healing-with-Art/14524668140">Healing with Art</a>.<br />
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<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gXDMoiEkyuQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-61643853500400050602011-10-06T16:40:00.000-05:002011-10-06T16:40:19.240-05:00A Special Story of the Girl Effect<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/playcrane/5819676564/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="005 by playcrane, on Flickr"><img alt="005" height="427" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/5819676564_a586c0695f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lombeh (l) at the June 2011 Appalachian Play Therapy Center conference</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lombeh Brown will be graduating in December from Lindsey Wilson College with her master’s degree in Counseling and Human Development.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have known Lombeh since her sophomore year at Lindsey when I became her academic advisor and taught one of her classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In December of 2009, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Human Services and Counseling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lombeh is from Liberia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is her story.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the Liberian culture, more specifically the Via ethnic group, women are not given the opportunity to be educated as men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the cultural expectation of this ethnic group that once a girl reaches puberty she is to be initiated into the Sande society. The Sande society is an association found for the sole purpose of teaching girls how to become effective housewives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the initiation process, female circumcision takes place in order to preserve the girls for their future husbands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily for Lombeh, her parents did not believe in those views although her mother had been initiated into the society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They taught her and her two younger brothers the importance of achieving an education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though she and her siblings grew up in a civil war torn country, it “did not give us the excuse not to pursue our dreams,” she says.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lombeh was raised by Christian parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her father has some college education and her mother, now deceased, had a high school education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her mother was taught by freed American slaves who returned to their homeland of Liberia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her father was taught by a woman named Margery Henderson who was on a church mission at the time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During the civil war, Lombeh and her family left their home and traveled from village to village on foot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had very little food and no safe drinking water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because they were on the run they only carried salt and rice with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They slept in the woods, sometimes in simple huts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lombeh’s mother died while Lombeh was in her teens from illness that was compounded by the stress of the civil war and malnutrition.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lombeh explained that schools run by the government were poor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The teachers were not paid and it was not uncommon to have 200 students in a classroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you did not arrive early enough, you had to stand because there were not enough places to sit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schools run by missionaries were better.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2004, Lombeh’s father contacted Margery Henderson, the woman who had taught him thirty years earlier, to see if she could help find a way for his daughter to go to college in the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mrs. Henderson is friends with Ms. Sue Stivers, a Trustee board member of Lindsey Wilson College.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Together they found a way to make it happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years later Lombeh’s brother Burgess was also able to join her in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This current fall semester he is interning in Washington, DC in the office of Congressman Whitfield from Kentucky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He hopes to attend law school someday.</span></div><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lombeh has served as a graduate assistant since January 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has helped me plan and execute two play therapy conferences for the Appalachian Play Therapy Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have served as her clinical supervisor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been such an honor to witness her growth and development over the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She used to be a shy, quiet young woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now she is so much stronger and self-confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has very good counseling skills. She has a big heart.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindseywilsoncollege/4179835538/" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DSC_7404 by Lindsey Wilson College, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_7404" height="159" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2695/4179835538_a848cc7704_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lombeh before her undergraduate commencement.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She does not have immediate plans to return to Liberia but she mostly likely will someday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would like to stay in the United States and complete her clinical hours for licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can see her working for the Peace Corps or UNICEF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever she decides to do she will be successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Education has changed her life and she will go on to change others’ lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is quite an inspiration!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lombeh’s story is exactly what <a href="http://www.girleffect.org/">The Girl Effect</a> endeavors to do in developing countries.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To read more about their story click <a href="http://www.mmh2.zoomshare.com/0.html">here</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To order a book about Margery and Lombeh’s story click <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Dreams-Margery-Mathis-Henderson/dp/0979771323">here</a>.</span></div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-81025530604714401232011-10-06T06:51:00.001-05:002011-10-06T13:17:48.650-05:00You Must See This!If you've been reading my blog regularly you noticed that I didn't post a special <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/10/girl-effect-part-one.html">story</a> as I had intended. I still plan to do that, perhaps even later today. This week we've had our reaccreditation site visit for our graduate program in <a href="http://www.lindsey.edu/spc">Counseling</a> at Lindsey Wilson College, of which my husband is the director. It has been quite a week! (Actually quite a last couple of years but that's another story.) Yesterday morning the site visit team gave us their feedback. We had no recommendations and no requirements. We have met/are meeting all the standards. This is very rare, especially for a program the size of ours with about 400 graduate students in 25+ sites (I've lost count)! (And no, we're not an on-line program. We bring each and every one of our courses to these sites.) Of course they had some suggestions. They always have suggestions because any program can always get better. We will find out the results of whether or not we are reaccredited and for long sometime in January when the accrediting board meets.<br />
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While I was out celebrating, personally having my husband back, along with my kids I just happened to look at my twitter feed. It was full of tweets about the death of Steve Jobs. Someone posted a link to the video belong. If you think you are the last person to see this, you're not. I hadn't. Even if you have seen it, watch it again. It's that good. And while the death of Steve Jobs is quite sad, its timing as it reminds me what he stood for, couldn't have been better in my life right now.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UF8uR6Z6KLc" width="640"></iframe>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-64449291025627285492011-10-04T06:50:00.002-05:002011-10-04T06:52:39.029-05:00The Girl Effect--Part OneToday I am participating in the <a href="http://www.taramohr.com/joinus/">Girl Effect Blogging Campaign</a>. As an educator, a female, a mother of a daughter, and as a human being the issue of girls in the developing world impacts me.<br />
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In this first post I present some background and stats directly from the <a href="http://www.girleffect.org/">Girl Effect</a> website. Later today I will share the personal story of one of my students. If you don't have the time to read through this post PLEASE at least go to the website and view the <a href="http://www.girleffect.org/">opening video</a>. It's very powerful. (I tried posting it here but for having difficulty getting the html code to work.)<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Approximately one-quarter of girls in developing countries are not in school.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Out of the world’s 130 million out-of-school youth, 70 percent are girls.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When a girl in the developing world receives seven or more years of education, she marries four years later and has 2.2 fewer children.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10 to 20 percent. An extra year of secondary school: 15 to 25 percent.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Research in developing countries has shown a consistent relationship between better infant and child health and higher levels of schooling among mothers.</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent for a man.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are 250 million adolescent girls living in poverty in the developing world. That’s a quarter of a billion girls aged 10-19 living on less than $2 USD a day – and a massive amount of potential to change the world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When girls’ lives are limited, everyone loses. Families, communities and entire economies are all stunted when half their human potential is squandered. The world is missing out on a tremendous opportunity for change.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is where the Girl Effect comes in – the power, promise, and potential of adolescent girls as the change agents to end global poverty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Girls are the mother of every child born into poverty, but as a HIV-free and educated mother, an active citizen and an ambitious entrepreneur or prepared employee, she can break the cycle of poverty. It’s a ripple effect. With the right resources in place, she’ll marry and have children at a later age. She’ll be better educated, healthier and safer. She’ll invest 90% of what she earns back into her family. And every single benefit that comes to her will be passed on to the next generation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Girl Effect is a concept; a movement. It is not about raising the profile of an organization or even raising money for a particular program. It’s about raising girls’ voices – it’s that simple.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Check back later today where I'll post a powerful, personal story.</span>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-2837577812705948662011-09-26T07:49:00.000-05:002011-09-26T07:49:37.183-05:00Precious Moments for Monday MorningGood Monday morning to you!<br />
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My colleagues at Lindsey Wilson and I suffered a very unexpected loss of one of our own over the weekend. Unfortunately, it often takes something such as this to remind us <strong>how very precious every moment is</strong>.<br />
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Toward that end, I thought I'd share a few photos I found on my iPhone to start your week. They are the very precious moments of my life.<br />
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I'll start with the Instagram shots:<br />
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<div align="center"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbHK7WkWhg-VI02ikVIR7SskNconN8iWICWnMFgwApJiro9sP2SN06Qsk9EEMKouHT6M1a-Tsu-uSytD_0bhJUoRu3gaI7pOs9rSnHU9mKmlBUwZx2-Zunvugjmm9wgzUUnTDw_Q901aA/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbHK7WkWhg-VI02ikVIR7SskNconN8iWICWnMFgwApJiro9sP2SN06Qsk9EEMKouHT6M1a-Tsu-uSytD_0bhJUoRu3gaI7pOs9rSnHU9mKmlBUwZx2-Zunvugjmm9wgzUUnTDw_Q901aA/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles and I stand our ground</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div align="center"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kzBoNWonhXweRPPAssnQ4zl3SWRA5AMk7tVkYsIL-8M6EdLrLTuwDYNzwAq4GhZUPDQc9fZeDF-4w3GZloTVEpFismEw17JUNyzAkcvqE80Dewrpa0a-wXbwzb96kmEgN15xBYRFr8Bn/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kzBoNWonhXweRPPAssnQ4zl3SWRA5AMk7tVkYsIL-8M6EdLrLTuwDYNzwAq4GhZUPDQc9fZeDF-4w3GZloTVEpFismEw17JUNyzAkcvqE80Dewrpa0a-wXbwzb96kmEgN15xBYRFr8Bn/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">writing morning pages</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT2LwsyuZh6L6Sup0yWTAm08bNFqA8pLo7mITZK0VMeFye0IUBSthJthbbNYwCb3MmENtbK0WjANKzFjgnwFMg4UnG6NBbr_luXTuVaKJ6Jcw0xE90_wQKryUh5h50ay310M_jFG0WHTe/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoT2LwsyuZh6L6Sup0yWTAm08bNFqA8pLo7mITZK0VMeFye0IUBSthJthbbNYwCb3MmENtbK0WjANKzFjgnwFMg4UnG6NBbr_luXTuVaKJ6Jcw0xE90_wQKryUh5h50ay310M_jFG0WHTe/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">evening relaxation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iXYKG2-Ykm1dQpD51WA-yqnLDdbAihyphenhyphenXMCEUUKiEYCTbCTFsMyc1nx0F4P64S_ZPUksX4704saMiK3_PO6cnGB6dwNwAnuNDDn8bgn5H5uu8AziP94dyUf-kSMlqvHSuyUSupRDVPz4x/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iXYKG2-Ykm1dQpD51WA-yqnLDdbAihyphenhyphenXMCEUUKiEYCTbCTFsMyc1nx0F4P64S_ZPUksX4704saMiK3_PO6cnGB6dwNwAnuNDDn8bgn5H5uu8AziP94dyUf-kSMlqvHSuyUSupRDVPz4x/s320/033.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my fortune on Sept. 11, 2011</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhle3KfgTIwcgo4jq9_wHaOU_hyphenhyphenny9V5qU5ZOS7G0QpHIMZP5ZMo-dnJBtwjGWkqEAAi5AAsyCGoI3EY1JWj93SRtoBt_JmYTrH1SHIHOvXzX2AHxA6CpwAsIKqLKtlPHzQDqqo-_dqvE/s1600/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhle3KfgTIwcgo4jq9_wHaOU_hyphenhyphenny9V5qU5ZOS7G0QpHIMZP5ZMo-dnJBtwjGWkqEAAi5AAsyCGoI3EY1JWj93SRtoBt_JmYTrH1SHIHOvXzX2AHxA6CpwAsIKqLKtlPHzQDqqo-_dqvE/s320/036.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my little astronaut</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrydodAclyUoMixppEmDeNkGOBfIkGONi-BkUHwOusCV9kbgkY229knjLK8_iwW4sANZaYXaVjyDWexsaKaCy4ECy9bd1vX8jmq592VfxwHrq1HV4bxFw3xZIJEw3qSZH18nAdk1bF22m/s1600/042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrydodAclyUoMixppEmDeNkGOBfIkGONi-BkUHwOusCV9kbgkY229knjLK8_iwW4sANZaYXaVjyDWexsaKaCy4ECy9bd1vX8jmq592VfxwHrq1HV4bxFw3xZIJEw3qSZH18nAdk1bF22m/s320/042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">berries on the holly tree--an early sign of fall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDlf6kr006FJeJCAuI-0nhYGRyUcvtW6dIH11i-j-G_jrw9AGTPNXQzLgsbyni5bXDaxsR6GLTod0FQ6cBxWDYy0Iuls04Db-nbNhrmVgwaIJrSiLAtFsUM8QZN_0hIiixy9ujOGuXz6z/s1600/044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDlf6kr006FJeJCAuI-0nhYGRyUcvtW6dIH11i-j-G_jrw9AGTPNXQzLgsbyni5bXDaxsR6GLTod0FQ6cBxWDYy0Iuls04Db-nbNhrmVgwaIJrSiLAtFsUM8QZN_0hIiixy9ujOGuXz6z/s320/044.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">waiting in the car lane after a little shower</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotgBnj2eeR4IR5JK-IgD4_IumdgSFZ1kkhsTw7D5wyjSKBZrT7tmP6Aun7qU26WGTFfWqoReMpgaWlPE2bkVl1KGcJoOYip8NQz7zBVlg0CKAUduxFFHI5hDy1MqaT1AYSVWJI14vz3Zm/s1600/120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjotgBnj2eeR4IR5JK-IgD4_IumdgSFZ1kkhsTw7D5wyjSKBZrT7tmP6Aun7qU26WGTFfWqoReMpgaWlPE2bkVl1KGcJoOYip8NQz7zBVlg0CKAUduxFFHI5hDy1MqaT1AYSVWJI14vz3Zm/s320/120.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles has his own sense of style</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTdvSYtnL2CTG3bKiH_KPtlIiinFC_C4owi4WFviYqV8P0lWJdZmPGt-Qn0oCALwBo1ZcjR7bUCF_4jXwIEtcOBNm_KNNeHLhtTFAkFhob7XKQJk4SfkmG3FmEl-926QO4dayOcxVA59_/s1600/087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTdvSYtnL2CTG3bKiH_KPtlIiinFC_C4owi4WFviYqV8P0lWJdZmPGt-Qn0oCALwBo1ZcjR7bUCF_4jXwIEtcOBNm_KNNeHLhtTFAkFhob7XKQJk4SfkmG3FmEl-926QO4dayOcxVA59_/s320/087.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a game of pool--a first one in a very long time</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
A few more...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaQOvTQvIcTQ_tpyQBHoLYdf08aajdcU-579cNOQFLUdnLTDrTbz_fqhTxomStvTja5suWakhoQ-gVUmSM1R4N5K7GVFlxCRPUTX0WWLST69KJnsVpKHs_zgKge58PSSUNTiO6jBKZK97/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaQOvTQvIcTQ_tpyQBHoLYdf08aajdcU-579cNOQFLUdnLTDrTbz_fqhTxomStvTja5suWakhoQ-gVUmSM1R4N5K7GVFlxCRPUTX0WWLST69KJnsVpKHs_zgKge58PSSUNTiO6jBKZK97/s400/007.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a novel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIu-C1xDUeEu-bopjWU-s7ueVNOq8pVYGy4hnPKYtdo2sBLDazBXlz9nDipt02JyOIphf9TIR58p5I7Gwcj6JpVcvvNp1nYBccl4zVaB_TWGl0NihO6mUCjHae9ltxzduNLn_PgzLNu8_/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIIu-C1xDUeEu-bopjWU-s7ueVNOq8pVYGy4hnPKYtdo2sBLDazBXlz9nDipt02JyOIphf9TIR58p5I7Gwcj6JpVcvvNp1nYBccl4zVaB_TWGl0NihO6mUCjHae9ltxzduNLn_PgzLNu8_/s400/011.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what I wear when I teach about choosing toys for play therapy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsx5xKOyhBB_GEnAvHkTT2EONDS-xQMMmKrO4xRd0lWQon6wu_7Ez4enFIgDhP5ohf8cD1pN6NFuFWPbeTctwhtIOi6-1cdljIplG08EoKrXtB7X5aN8l3nPNvDqoCAJgwEkd57zW1cy0_/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsx5xKOyhBB_GEnAvHkTT2EONDS-xQMMmKrO4xRd0lWQon6wu_7Ez4enFIgDhP5ohf8cD1pN6NFuFWPbeTctwhtIOi6-1cdljIplG08EoKrXtB7X5aN8l3nPNvDqoCAJgwEkd57zW1cy0_/s400/023.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mer's self-portrait with the neighbors' dog</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sXb6n5a7TiFVNnKgaR6H4A9EJGRmtU-qng2r6uFcg-dhwMI4do7VIxbEm-Q7-oYYcjVAesDKhDd9kb08dBrS56QyT6kxvfahT1V5WQI6ytDXNy4F8wcmZ09J4US2O4cPFgD14itfHzla/s1600/061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sXb6n5a7TiFVNnKgaR6H4A9EJGRmtU-qng2r6uFcg-dhwMI4do7VIxbEm-Q7-oYYcjVAesDKhDd9kb08dBrS56QyT6kxvfahT1V5WQI6ytDXNy4F8wcmZ09J4US2O4cPFgD14itfHzla/s400/061.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles can read to us at bedtime now</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z_EQ3z0T1uVJ21WPsTQEvhUAoowtUATvXlZsRHPIZIWX69IZGCg6wSfM-cLbpzCCkqyxFtSUFvP6LnchQ4JyUH-t5vPyMBplKoo3ey2K6By6tuvOwBK97Ef2sdQnqVQ3PaYITBz8OrmE/s1600/091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9z_EQ3z0T1uVJ21WPsTQEvhUAoowtUATvXlZsRHPIZIWX69IZGCg6wSfM-cLbpzCCkqyxFtSUFvP6LnchQ4JyUH-t5vPyMBplKoo3ey2K6By6tuvOwBK97Ef2sdQnqVQ3PaYITBz8OrmE/s400/091.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a fun little <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2011/09/this-is-fun.html">game</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Here's to all the precious moments of your life!</div><div style="text-align: center;">May you not take them for granted!</div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-57219990735070857802011-09-23T13:48:00.002-05:002011-09-23T13:55:55.750-05:00Retreating, Journeying, and Starting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt08OnVrqEUvxEdYuxjXY6AEk-Cv55roeJqkh94npOvSGkZj-Ikxp9qxlc9n6DwjHWREJyRVsDcsjZR2asFmxgPSNBvHCstuE_IZkEj2UZS-dlNEyGmXdbZOEh_JXEOubgkRsgEd0Zmhb-/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt08OnVrqEUvxEdYuxjXY6AEk-Cv55roeJqkh94npOvSGkZj-Ikxp9qxlc9n6DwjHWREJyRVsDcsjZR2asFmxgPSNBvHCstuE_IZkEj2UZS-dlNEyGmXdbZOEh_JXEOubgkRsgEd0Zmhb-/s640/006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I've been away this week at our annual faculty retreat at Lake Cumberland State Resort Park. I blogged about it <a href="http://playcrane.blogspot.com/2010/09/puzzle.html">last year</a>. A highlight for me was spotting 5 deer who were eating the grass along a frisbee golf course. I was able to get pretty close but unfortunately, it was near dark and I only had my iPhone with me so I don't have any good pictures to share. But it's a moment I won't soon forget.<br />
<br />
While there I went on a very brief walk and took a few photos. I wanted to walk longer or go on another work but a) there just wasn't time, b) it rained while we were there, and c) I was too tired from sitting through a long day of meetings. Yes, I'm complaining. I know. This retreat was nothing like the kind of retreat I prefer to be on, what something you readers may have been on like a spiritual or art retreat. This retreat, though, was an opportunity to get away from the college campus and interact with colleagues in a beautiful setting and for that I am grateful.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiSiM34pfwAPldPSCX5pgfSvyoHn3VfED1UqGudTARfLNNR9XUlxA4rurHspud_sq7KDYlKTuLnOMp2y-XTnRAdu80VBtOJPJHokxL3uqdtAUCeEVEQy1pfndBRIXqr3GCbFUhV7kJB0A/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoiSiM34pfwAPldPSCX5pgfSvyoHn3VfED1UqGudTARfLNNR9XUlxA4rurHspud_sq7KDYlKTuLnOMp2y-XTnRAdu80VBtOJPJHokxL3uqdtAUCeEVEQy1pfndBRIXqr3GCbFUhV7kJB0A/s640/007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpCSZDRZVJung4iqZnJp550yBKOpYvYhcbaHf_sYoB6d21NKsUl9waBezQ3_Cw-CST9BL5SjUc_79QVrRnicgMAVXKZF4011RnfkOUTeOTQmBJXsIEBf1HStLEC9pM7WIymRtQ0Sb48JE/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpCSZDRZVJung4iqZnJp550yBKOpYvYhcbaHf_sYoB6d21NKsUl9waBezQ3_Cw-CST9BL5SjUc_79QVrRnicgMAVXKZF4011RnfkOUTeOTQmBJXsIEBf1HStLEC9pM7WIymRtQ0Sb48JE/s640/003.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
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The retreat began on Tuesday with my friend and colleague, Brenda, sharing a video of a presentation that poet <a href="http://www.davidwhyte.com/">David Whyte</a> gave a few years ago at the <a href="http://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/symposium/symposium-2012">Psychotherapy Networker Symposium</a>. (By the way, I highly recommend the Psychotherapy Networker, a magazine for mental health professionals.) With a quick google search I found this youtube video of a small part of the presentation we watched. I was first introduced to him by <a href="http://www.lizlamoreux.com/">Liz Lamoreux</a> who read much of his poetry to us during the art retreat I attended this past May. I could just listen to his poems all day.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6PK3GhnHOJc" width="640"></iframe><br />
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One of the poems he shared is the following. It is resonating with me as I take steps along my own journey.<br />
<blockquote><div class="style29" style="text-align: center;">START CLOSE IN</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">by David Whyte</div><blockquote><div class="style29" style="text-align: center;"><em>Start close in,<br />
don't take the second step<br />
or the third,<br />
start with the first<br />
thing<br />
close in,<br />
the step<br />
you don't want to take.</em></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Start with<br />
the ground<br />
you know,<br />
the pale ground<br />
beneath your feet,<br />
your own<br />
way of starting<br />
the conversation.</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<em>Start with your own<br />
question,<br />
give up on other<br />
people's questions,<br />
don't let them<br />
smother something<br />
simple.</em></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><em>To find<br />
another's voice,<br />
follow<br />
your own voice,<br />
wait until<br />
that voice<br />
becomes a <br />
private ear<br />
listening<br />
to another.</em></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Start right now<br />
take a small step<br />
you can call your own<br />
don't follow<br />
someone else's <br />
heroics, be humble<br />
and focused,<br />
start close in,<br />
don't mistake<br />
that other<br />
for your own.</em></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Start close in,<br />
don't take<br />
the second step<br />
or the third,<br />
start with the first<br />
thing<br />
close in,<br />
the step<br />
you don't want to take. </em></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm reminded that on this journey we sometimes need to retreat, take a step back, relax, reflect, and focus. Yet, you can spend too much time retreating. Eventually you have to start, whatever your task may be. And starting can be the hardest part. It's much easier knowing you're not the only one. You are not alone. There are others with you along the way.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5695839538666058694.post-72430749216005385862011-09-22T19:13:00.000-05:002011-09-22T19:13:26.716-05:00This is Fun!I just saw this posted on twitter by <a href="http://twitter.com/artizencoaching">Jennifer Lee</a>, author of <em><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/search/artizencoaching">The Right Brain Business Plan</a></em><em>.</em><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Go to <a href="http://www.drawastickman.com/">http://www.drawastickman.com/</a>.</div><br />
Be prepared to have a little fun. Just use your mouse to draw what it tells you and watch what happens!playcranehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02638389751533661675noreply@blogger.com0