The Bells Scream - Published poem

The bells scream,

As birds cry 

What does this all mean?

The earth shatters

As the people scatter

What does this all mean?

Darkness falls roughly

As elephants trample

What does this all mean?

The forest is on fire

As the sun collapses

What does this all mean?

…..end

Environment and the developing brain-Psychology notes (about fetus and baby)

When I took this course, I didn't realize that by the end of it I would know so much about babies.  It was not my interest but once I started, it fasinated me.  I hope some of you find this information useful:     

 Environment and the developing brain

Formation of the placenta:

- The trophoblast and the chorion

- villi formation (protruding, surround trophoblast

-  chronic villas sampling

-  fetoprotein – if neural tube open, movement of spinal fluid

- umbilical arteries and vein exchange across wall of villi

 Villi is covered with a membrane that is a barrier – mother-fetus exchange.  What is not exchanged is blood.

Placenta produces protein, also hormones. It acts like a point of transport, and half fetal.  The blood is in fine blood vessels.  Some material can go through vessels but blood can’t.  Example, more oxygen on mom’s side will go to the fetus side as well as other things, even when it is not so good.  The main restriction is size.  Small things cross easily – big do not.

Rules of the Placenta

1.  involves in the metabolism and protein synthesis

2.  hormone synthesis

3.  transport of materials to and from the fetus.

     Fort the first few months in life, the baby has a good immune system like mom.  After a few months, baby should be up and ready for her own immune system. Normal hormones good but if mom has hormonal disturbances it can negatively affect the fetus.  What also goes through are drugs, heroin, cocaine, nicotine similarity viruses because small- bacteria is different.

Viruses that cross the placenta:

Rubella (German measles) critical period, high abnormalities

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Encephalitis

Poliomyelitis

Herpes Simplex

HIV

     Rubella

Gestational Age   -  1^st month  -  Risk 50%   Outcome:  deafness; cataract.

                                 2^nd month-  risk 20%-25% -  cardiac

                      3^rd to 5^th month -  Risk  6%-10% - retardation (motor/mental)

To be continued

Old Woman - published

Old Woman

The little grey woman stood
old and strong and brave,
as her fingers moved agelessly
and effortlessly, spinning her
years away like playing
a violin in the hot sun,
parched by the grayness
of the day
embedded in her skin
a cloud of red,
clashing strongly
against the grayness
of her skin.

Time went on as
The grey woman
Spinned away,
Creating nothing
That has not been
Seen before.  Creating
Herself in a cloud
Of greyness…..
Silent no more.  

Another Seminar with CASC nee CAPPE

     This week has been a week of seminars and catching up again with people who I actually miss because we spent so much time in close proximity during our training.  I enjoy belonging to more than one organization especially when it comes to what is best for the client.  Yesterday morning's seminar was mostly about self care which I almost skipped because I feel the topic has become exhaustive but I am glad that I did not.  The speaker also teaches ethics and it was wonderful listening to her perspectives.  She also provided hand outs which I find important for clients.  

     Self care is important to any provider and sometimes the signs of missing the mark may be dismissed or not noticed.  I encourage self care to all people.  I believe that balance is the key.  You need a balance of work and play and satisfying relationships.   The afternoon after a wonderful lunch was spent on administration and talk about the college of psychotherapy again.  I heard it from a chaplain's /spiritual care perspective. 

    The whole seminar was invigorating and I decided that I had a lot on my plate and will post pone painting til the spring when I can open up the windows.  Friends and family will have to put up with my lack of artistic ability on my walls for another couple of semesters.  My pets are colour blind so all they care about is love, affection, food and a warm place to sleep away their time.  Most of us will be happy that we don't breathe in the fumes of paint.

    What have you got on your plate?  Do you have too much?  What can you decrease in your work life and increase in your relationships?  What do you really enjoy doing?  What do you do for yourself?  How do you manage stress?  How do you regain normalcy after a disaster in your life?    Have you started your journal yet?  Why not start today?  Why not write how you feel each morning or each night?  Talk out your emotions?  Do you have anyone you can trust to talk about anything to?   What do you think?

New College of Psychotherapy

     Yesterday I attended the annual meeting of the Ontario branch of the American Association of Family Therapy.  It is always wonderful to see everyone again and catch up.

     The main speaker, a psychiatrist gave a lecture on forgiveness and I have had so much instruction on forgiveness that I may have just memorized it all unintentionally.

     I chose two other mini lectures regarding computer stuff and the new college.  This blog and everything else I do on the computer is to get my name out there and hopefully get some clients while posting all my papers and everything else I post so it is not only wasted on me.  Besides, I love to write.  It all started from my last seminar when we were told "If you are a therapist now and not on the web, you won't be in business in ten years."  I don't need to be told twice, and would hate to end a business before actually getting all my credentials and started.  So, I have tried to become more computer savy.  I am working on my own web design which will be redigondapsychotherapy.com.  I have been told that by Dec 6, it will be completed.  I will spend an entire day(s) doing my homework trying to get it all done nicely only to see it all distorted in non computer talk.  I will go to class and the instructor in a few minutes, if that, creates the magic I failed to achieve in a full day.  Oh boy.  Who knew that the computer world was another language with several dialects to boot?  But I will have it done.  I am trying to do everything cost effective.  I will also sell my book "Hey Guy Buy Me" with paypal.  Imagine that?  I wasted money by using the post office box.  No buyers to date and I am renting it for a year (hint, hint).  
    In my undergrad, we were told that anyone (Ontario) can put up a sign and say they are a therapist and provide therapy without any credentials or education at all as long as they do not refer to clients as patients.  I have heard horror stories of what is out there providing a service with no relevant education to do so.  We were horrified then at the thought.  The college of psychotherapy has been delayed by one year but it is coming.  When it comes into effect all these people who are providing psychotherapy will be out of business.  I am so glad.  The public will become protected.  This is long overdue.  The name is not important either.  An example used was a life coach talking about the client's mother in a therapeutic way.  That is all it would take to be in breech.  My question was how is that controlled?  There was no answer to that at this time.  How will they police that?   Protect yourself if you are seeing someone for counselling.  What education do they have?  If someone tells you they have a BA in English and that is all they have, run.  If  you are seeing someone who tells you that they are qualified because of all the psychotherapy they have had, run faster.  Are they certified, registered or working under supervision/mentorship?  In other words are they accountable and is there an accredited organization they answer to - a code of ethics they need to adhere to?      I work under mentorship.  I have for what seems forever.  I am now working towards all my hours that I need according to the demands of my associations which I understand is of a much higher expectation than we have in general outside our programs.  I am ok with that because what is important is the person who comes to us for help.
     I am looking forward to the future while enjoying the present.  I have all my education requirements I believe but I am moving forward.  I will always continue to take courses because I need to be current with information.  I am now reading about dreams which fascinate me but I need more time to read.  Now I  need to explore the opportunity that the web gives me to get my business started.  I can provide telephone counselling and soon I hope to incorporate all the opportunities such as skype counselling and Internet counselling but for all that I am still awaiting for the ethics and guidance for the protection of clients.  I am more of a face to face kind of person but I understand that not all feel comfortable with that.  Now I wait for us to catch up with the technology to do our work better in reaching out to those who needs us but cannot come to us.  I also wait for the college to be in practice for the protection of the society.  Check out my blog on internet counselling which I submitted on my ethics course two summers ago.  What do you think? 
  
    

It was a Happy Hallowe'en!

I used to go all out with Hallowe'en by dressing up myself prior to giving out candies.  However, after having one teen look at me in horror and run away in terror, I have tried to seem more harmless by removing my scream mask and showing my unscary self.  After that episode, I hung my mask on a pole for someone to steal.  Last year I just used fake blood on my face and walked up the street for something, when a neighbour of mine approached me at the verge of tears.  She thought I had been hurt.  This year I wore my stress out kitty shirt and black leggings as I provided treats to the young, teens and adults.  I also gave out two dog treats to some cute big dogs in costume.  I thought the rain would keep many away but I still gave out treats to 119 people of all sizes and two pooches.  Marshmallow was a hit this year followed by chocolate and chips.  I had a minimal of candy.   It was a fun Hallowe'en even after the remnants of Sandy.

     To my neighbours, South, I am sorry of the devastation this storm has caused.

Historical ramifications and events that led to the Babylonian Exile

     The events that led to the Babylonian Exile were wars that cried out power and control.  The historical ramifications are the captivity of a people who for the first time in their history were separated.  This paper will demonstrate that what defines the Jewish people to this day is their unity as one, strengthened by their faith and oppression.  Though separated for the first time in their history, their temple destroyed, this people strong in faith rebuilt their temple and are recognized as one by the world.

     In the second quarter of the seventh century the Assyrian empire had reached its greatest dimensions.[1]    Assyria had enemies within and outside her empire and a serious threat lay in various Indo-Aryan people who were pressing upon the northern frontier (ibid. p 313).  In 652, a rebellion broke out in Babylon.  At the same time, Arab tribes of the Syrian desert overran Assyrian vassal states in eastern Palestine and Syria, from Edom and Moab, northbound to the area of Zobah.   In 648, Babylon was taken, after a two year siege.  In Oct 626, Nabopolassar (626-605) the Chaldean prince who led the Babylonians, defeated the Assyrians outside the Babylonian empire and took the throne there a month later (ibid. p 315).  In 612, the Babylonians and the Medes “brought Assyria to the ground” (ibid, 324).  Pagan practices returned and the public morality descended.  Prophets who tried to alter this practice were harassed, persecuted or killed.  In the end of 604, the Babylonian army in the Philistine plain took and destroyed Ashkelon deporting leading elements of its population to Babylon.  In Dec 598, the Babylonian army marched and within three months the city surrendered.  The king, the queen mother, the high officials and leading citizens were taken to Babylon.  Within ten years, the kingdom of Judah ended (ibid. 327).  In 597, Judah experienced humiliation such as she had never experienced before.  Yahweh’s temple was looted of its treasures, and the legitimate Davidide was removed from his throne and taken captive to a faraway land (ibid. p 332).  Though the temple was burned to the ground it remained a holy spot to which pilgrims continued to journey and to offer sacrifice among the blackened ruins (ibid. p 344).

     The actual number of people deported is unknown (ibid. 328).  In 595/4 there was a rebellion in Babylon presumed to be deported Jews, prompted by their prophets’ promises of a speedy release.  The Jews living in Babylon represented the best of their country’s political, ecclesiastical and intellectual leadership which is why they were selected for deportation.   There had been three deportations, 597, 587 and 582 consisting of 4,600 Jews.  These numbers perhaps consist of the males only and actual numbers may be increased three or four times that figure.  There has been an estimate of over 20,000 Jews deported.  These exiles would shape Israel’s future, giving faith her new direction and providing the impulse for the ultimate restoration of the Jewish community in Palestine (ibid. p 345).  Aside from those Jews forcibly removed to Babylon, others voluntarily left their homeland to seek safety.  A considerable amount went to Egypt (ibid, 346).  It is presumed that thousands also died in battle or of starvation and disease (cf. Lam. 2:11f., 19-21; 4:f.).  There were also those who were executed (ibid. p 344).   

Israel began to be scattered among the nations.  There would be no full return to the patterns of her past (ibid. p 347).  Their faith was also threatened as state and national theology collapsed under the control of a pagan power.  But Israel’s faith met “an astounding tenacity and vitality” (ibid. pp 348-349).  During the exile, the records and traditions of the past were preserved where both the recollection of Yahweh’s past deeds towards his people held hope for the future.  The exiles felt their present status was provisional rather than a true resettlement.  Their prophets continued to assure them that Yahweh’s objective was the ultimate restoration of his people in the promised land (ibid, p 350). Hopes were probably raised by the extreme instability of the Babylonian Empire which was short-lived (ibid, p 351).  Just before this happened, a voice of a great prophet, whose name is unknown but is referred to as the Second Isaiah provided comfort to his “beaten people” (ibid. p 355).  Second Isaiah had heard (c. 40:1-11) celestial heralds announcing Yahweh’s decision that the penance of Israel had been accepted and that Yahweh would soon gather his flock and lead them home.  The prophet assured his people that Yahweh was in control of history (ibid. p 355).  This prophet, adapted Israel’s faith to the horizons of world history, and offered the explanation of her sufferings (ibid. p 359).  In Oct 539, Babylon was taken over.  A few weeks later Cyrus entered the city in triumph.  Babylon was not harmed.  Persian soldiers were ordered to respect the religions of the population and to refrain from terrorizing them (ibid. p 360).  Cyrus issued a decree ordering the restoration of the Jewish community and cult in Palestine.  The decree also provided that the Temple be rebuilt and funded by the royal treasury and Cyrus permitted Jews to return to their homeland if they so desired (ibid. p 361).             

     The Jews have a history of persecution, oppression and suffering.  This history is what defines them as special to God.  Their strong faith in God is what unites these people wherever they may live.  Their beloved temple, destroyed but rebuilt is the home where they wait for God to return to them.  And temple or not, it will always remain their holy ground.   Though tempted by other gods and culture, these people remained true to themselves and to God.  It is this strong determination and wisdom that their history reflects that makes the Jew what he and she is, God’s special child.  Though the Jews have been scattered throughout the world,

they remain connected and strong as one people.      

---

[1] Bright, John.  A History of Israel. 4^th edition.  Philadelphia: Westminster, 2001. P 310.