Yesterday, as I was trying to figure out what’s going on in the world, I saw this at a local college:
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Let’s see what’s going on in my other images for today.
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In case you forgot the title of today’s post, here’s “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye.
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What’s going on here, now, is gratitude for all of you.
Our new cat, Joan, and our old cat, Harley, are getting more comfortable with each other.
That, and the fact that Joan’s skin problem is not dangerous and is resolving, makes me more comfortable.
I am very comfortable sharing my latest images with you.
I am comfortable telling you that 8/8/21 is also my 10th year work anniversary! I’m also comfortable telling you it’s my dream job, where I get to facilitate as many therapy groups as I want.
Do you feel comfortable celebrating this precious day with a dance?
I hope you’re comfortable leaving a comment, below.
As always, I’m comfortable expressing my gratitude to all who help me blog every day, including YOU!
Yesterday, in my Coping and Healing group, people spoke about doing things for the first time, like taking a trip alone.
Then, I noticed that my tweet about being blocked for the first time on Twitter got a kashmillion responses and hundreds of new followers, also for the first time.
Well, as my mother used to say, there’s a first time for everything.
What helps us deal with things we are encountering for the first time? Things that are new to us, even those things we might want, invariably cause some stress.
I hope you enjoy seeing these images for the first time.
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It’s not the first time I’ve shared “Ain’t That Peculiar” here and it’s probably not the last either!
Actually, it IS the first time I’ve seen and shared that fabulous video.
What are your thoughts and feelings about this first-time post?
For neither the first nor the last time, thanks to all who help me create this daily blog, including YOU.
Every morning, for me, includes searching for words for my daily blog post that are anti-stress. These searches help me face each new day, because it’s so difficult to find anti-stress words anywhere else.
Before I join my training group this morning on Developing Resilient Group Leadership (which will probably include some anti-stress word searches), let’s search for anti-stress words and images together.
Every day, I search for words, images, and also music that are anti-stress. If you search the words in this post, you’ll find this …
…and this:
My word searches for gratitude are also anti-stress, so thanks to all who help me create these anti-stress posts, including YOU!
Yesterday, in what I’ve been calling the home version of my Coping and Healing groups (because everybody there, including me, is participating from their homes), there was a lot going on.
There IS a lot going on, isn’t there? What’s going on where you are?
Is there a lot going on in my other photos from yesterday?
When there’s a lot going on, sometimes we get lost. I hope we all, including Chelsea the cat, find our way.
Here‘s a 1972 performance of “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye.
There’s been a lot going on since then, but there’s a lot more to do if we’re to get to where we need to be going.
There’s lot of gratitude going on here for everyone, including YOU.
What I’m hearing, whenever somebody asks me what kind of animal I might want to be, is myself answering: “I would want to be a duck, because ducks are comfortable on land, on water, and in the air, they mate for life, and they make extremely silly noises.”
What I’m hearing, these days, are people are having more difficulty hearing because there is so much competing noise out there about what people need to do to be healthy and to survive.
What I’m hearing is that it’s time for me to share my first photo of the day:
What I’m hearing is that I will be able to conduct my Coping and Healing groups using a remote telehealth platform, starting today. What I’m hearing is that several different people will be participating in today’s group.
What I’m hearing is that people are nervous when they do anything new for the first time. Who looks particularly nervous in that photo above? I’m hearing that the duck is a little anxious.
What I’m hearing is that the supply chain of food is okay, for now.
What I’m hearing is that sometimes happy coincidences happen, as you can see from last night’s teabag saying:
I’m hearing that the power of music can help us stay sane during these nutty times.
Here‘s “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” performed by Marvin Gaye, a capella (because we’re all making do without all our usual supports, these days).
What are you hearing, here and now?
I hope you’re not sick of hearing gratitude from me.
My 2020 visions include these:
Here are my final visions of 2019:
In that last photo, my 2020 vision (corrected by contact lenses) sees my new husband and old boyfriend Michael, the current and future Presidents of NSGP, the future Treasurer of NSGP, and pugs.
My 2020 visions also include
… and this:
What are your 2020 visions?
I also see many 2020 expressions of gratitude to wonderful people, including YOU.
When I was grocery shopping yesterday with one of my favorites (my boyfriend Michael from Boston), I saw this sign:
My favorites are here, there, and everywhere. Where are your favorites?
Some favorite thoughts about favorites are here!
One of m favorites, these days, is dancing to favorite songs with my favorite Michael. One of my favorite songs for dancing is here!
It’s not peculiar that I’m ending this post with thanks to all who helped me create it and (of course!) to you, because that’s one of my favorite things to do!
Often, when I read the news these days, I ask
What’s going on?
Just now, when I was trying to glean from online reports what’s happened and is happening in Florida, I asked that question again.
Then, I thought of the 1971 song written by Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland and Marvin Gaye (going on here at YouTube).
What’s going on? It seems like a lot of the same things are going on today.
As I was going on about my day yesterday, I took many pictures. Whats going on in these photographs?
What’s going on in that last photo reminds me of this post I wrote two days ago.
What’s going on with you?
As usual, gratitude is going on here for all who helped me write this post and — of course! — for my readers. I hope everybody is safe, no matter what is going on around you.
Let’s start today’s post with another song I love: “Ain’t That Peculiar,” performed by Marvin Gaye and written by Smokey Robinson and some of his Miracles.
Here’s the version I’m used to:
(found here on YouTube)
And, ain’t it peculiar that — even though I love that song and a capella music, too — I just found, for the first time, an a capella version of it?
(found here on YouTube)
According to the Wikipedia page about “Ain’t That Peculiar,” the song is “about the torment of a painful relationship.”
The painful relationship I am most aware of — right now, in my life — is the relationship between me and
This is on my mind, at the moment, because one of my patients got turned down by an insurance company for long-term disability, even though she cannot work, due to her depression. I’ve heard that initial turn-downs are a matter-of-course, these days. I have to believe that our appeal will be successful. But I just found out, yesterday, that all her treaters, including me, have to submit all supporting arguments by this Friday, or her appeal will be denied.
Ain’t that peculiar? It is to me.
This situation affected my sleep last night. Right now, I am afraid that the other treaters (the medical doctor and the medication prescriber) might not be available to help me document our case well enough, before Friday.
Ain’t that peculiar? Both of them, most likely, will be able — and eager — to help. However, they haven’t responded to my email from yesterday yet, so I am expecting the worst.
Ain’t that peculiar?
The treater who prescribes the anti-depressant medication is somebody I know pretty well and respect a lot. When we first spoke about the disability turn-down, I discovered that we both, automatically, blamed ourselves, because we each felt our documenting notes could have been better.
Ain’t that peculiar? Anything anybody writes could be better, including medical notes. We are not to blame for the disability turn-down. We can (and will) provide more evidence. And we both hope we will do a good enough job, with the appeal.
I am really focusing, this morning, on worst-case scenarios, about this disability case. Therapists specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) might say that I’m catastrophizing about it. These therapists might say that I am blaming, minimizing/maximizing, negative filtering, fortune-telling, mind-reading, comparing, personalizing, name-calling, and experiencing every other CBT distortion on this list.
Ain’t that Peculiar? I AM a therapist who uses CBT in my work. And, there are many good things for me to focus on this morning, including:
And yet, I am focusing, this morning, on worry about this woman and her getting turned down for an extension of her long-term disability, by an insurance company that might initially turn down most disability requests.
Ain’t That Peculiar?
Yesterday, besides thinking about these things, I also took several photos, which is not so peculiar.
Do you see any peculiarities here?
Last night, when my son and I were waiting for a stand-up comedy show to start, I showed him the photos I had taken that day. I asked him if he found anything peculiar about them. Some he did, some he didn’t.
Ain’t that peculiar?
Then, I took these photos:
At this point, I don’t even know what is and isn’t peculiar, myself. I just know I have to get ready for work.
Thanks to Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, people I work with, my son, Cheers, and to you — of course! — for any peculiarities you might bring with you, today.
NOTE added at 2 PM, the same day: I spoke with the insurance company and found out that I had been misinformed. We have more time to appeal. Ain’t that peculiar?
The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally 