Monthly Archives: July 2015

Daily Prompt: In the Summer Time

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “In the Summertime.” If it’s autumn or winter where you live, what are you most looking forward to doing next summer? If it’s spring or summer where you are, what has been the highlight of the season so far for you?

It’s definitely summer in my neck of woods and I am loving it. The weather has been awesome all summer and am grateful for the beautiful weather. Having beautiful weather during vacation always makes it that much more enjoyable.

Junior and myself are currently staying in a hotel in the town where both my brother and mother live. We came to their town because of my brothers birthday and wanted to be here to celebrate it with him. In fact as part of my brothers birthday gift we took him to the fair that always happens around his birthday that is in the area he lives in. Thankfully, we were able to take him on his actual birthday which was on Friday. The cool about coming to see my brother was we were able to stay at his place on Thursday and Friday nights. We could have stayed at my brothers last night and tonight but Junior and I wanted time to ourselves before the next part of our vacation which I will tell you about later in this particular post. About an hour after Junior and I checked into our hotel, we watched the parade. We watched it because my brother was in it. My brother was in the parade because he is a part of the Special Olympics. After the parade, Junior and I came up and had a much need intimate moment that last more than an hour. The best part of our hotel room is it looks over a lake and the state capital building. We can also look down at the local fair that is going on and we will be able to watch the fireworks from our room that end the fair tonight.

Tomorrow, Junior and I take the train to go to see my grandparents. I am looking forward to seeing them. They live right on the Columbia River. Being at their place is very peaceful. One of the things I’m looking forward to when I’m at my grandparents is fishing. Yes, this city girl enjoys to fish. Being able to relax is a great thing and that is what I plan on doing when I am at my grandparents.

In fact Junior and myself not only plan on relaxing at my grandparents, we are relaxing now in the town my brother lives in. We are going to go and do a few more fun things before the fireworks tonight.  So far my highlights for the summer are spending time with my brother and the beautiful weather. Now that you know what my summer highlights are, I am going to get going so I can relax with Junior. Perhaps we might have more intimate moments before we head out for the day. Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone. Enjoy your summer and peace out all!!!

Daily Prompt: Progress

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Progress.” When you look back at your blog a year from now, what would you like to see?

Two weeks down and one week to go with blogging 101. I have learned a great deal over the last two weeks and am looking forward to what the last week brings.

As the last week of blogging 101 quickly approaches, I can’t help but think how my blog will look like in a year from now. I of course hope that the progress, I make in blogging is to have a more of an educational aspect of  mental illnesses. Of course along with the educational aspect of my blog, I will continue doing what I am doing now, when I share my own journey of recovery. I am hoping that I will be more diligent in the education aspect of my blog.

In a year from now, I hope that the progress, I have made in regards to my both in the educational aspect and the sharing of my recovery, I hope that I have not only made progress with my blog but with my recovery. A major part of my blog is being open about my recovery with my mental health diagnosis. I realize that there is a possibility that my with my mental illness might have a few setbacks just like I realize that my blog might not improve as much as I want it to in the next year. Yes, I will be disappointed but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Of course, recovery is an ongoing and life long process. A process that I will not take for granted because recovery is too precious. I say recovery is precious because not all those who have a mental illness survive. Unfortunately, that means some do die by suicide. I could have been one of many who died by suicide due to multiple attempts of trying to take my own life. I am beyond grateful that I was not successful of  taking my own life because I would not have been able to build a life worth living that I am currently living.

Since I am discussing a life worth living, I need to get going. I am on vacation and am visiting my brother and am going to hang out with him. Have an awesome day and try to enjoy what you have. Peace Out!!

Day Ten: Build a Better Blogroll

Posted on by Gertie

It is day ten of blogging 101 and that means its not only time to do another assignment but the end of the second week. It’s hard to believe how fast the last two weeks have just flown by. That means there is only a week left of blogging 101 and am a little sad that the course is almost over. I have learned a great deal the last couple weeks.

One of the things that I learned was todays assignment of the blogroll and how it is used, using the widgets. In fact, I was just figuring out the widgets just before I started this course and I have been blogging just over a year. There are still a few things I need to learn in regards to both the blogroll and widgets and know over time I will. In fact when I got todays assignment last night I added the blogs I follow. Unfortunately, it will only allow me to put up to 50 and WordPress is the one that decides which blogs to put up in my sidebar. WordPress also repeats some of the blogs I follow in the sidebar and directs them to an empty page. If that happens, I apologize ahead of time. I did notify the “happiness engineers” that WordPress has and am waiting on a response.

As time goes on I am planning on adjusting the blogroll and widgets. That time just isn’t now because I already did the assignment last night for today and I also need to get going. I hope you all have a good weekend. Happy Friday and peace out!!!

Day Nine: Get Inspired By the Neighbors

Posted on by Gertie

It is day nine of blogging 101. Today’s assignment is to get inspired by the neighbors. It is a continuation of yesterdays assignment of “Being A Good Neighbor” and commenting on other blogs.

I am inspired by many blogs and bloggers. I just can not, not point out just one however, I will today, just for the assignment. Sam over at http://letsqueerthingsup.com  an awesome post yesterday called A Love Letter to Anyone and Everyone with a Mental Illness. Sam post a wonderful and inspiring way to look at mental illness. Sam is an inspiration.

My friends Susan and Kitt have awesome blogs as well. Check them out at https://bravelybipolar.wordpress.com/ and http://kittomalley.com/. I have so many more blogs I could share but I don’t have the time to share all of them at the moment. I need to finish packing before I head out on my vacation this afternoon. Peace Out!!

Day Eight: Be a Good Neighbor

Posted on by Gertie

It is day eight of blogging 101. Today’s assignment is to be a good neighbor. Basically, the assignment is asking to make comments on blogs we follow. I already try to do this and realize I haven’t commented on the blogs I follow as much I think I should. That is why when I got this assignment last night, I made an effort to comment on blogs that I follow. In fact this assignment has me committed to make an effort to comment on at least two blogs a day.

I like today’s assignment. It reminds me why I started my blog. What better way to give others hope and educate than to comment on other blogs? I am enjoying the blogging 101 course and am happy to be learning more about blogging and why it is a good idea to do some thing when it comes to blogging.

I will do more of my assignment of commenting later on today. I have to go to some appointments and do a few chores. Have a wonderful Hump Day (Wednesday) everyone. Peace Out!!!

Day Seven: Keep Personalizing

Posted on by Gertie

It’s day seven of blogging 101. The assignment ask us to personalize our blog a little more. For intense, part of the assignment suggest that we add a picture or customize our widgets. I have already customized my widgets and not sure how to add a picture yet. I have to figure that one out and will mess around with it. To tell you the truth I don’t even know if I want to add a picture of anything. Yes, I know having a picture could help grab people’s attention to read my blog however, I will go with the old saying of “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” Or in my case a blog. Another reason, why I have decided to not have a picture on my blog is because, I haven’t found one that has caught my eye to be suitable for my blog.

I figure that I can keep personalizing my blog as I go on and if I need help, I can call on my fellow blogging friends and/or WordPress’s support. Another way I am personalizing my blog is by using my voice (aka via my keyboard). My voice is why I started my blog. I use my voice to share with others who struggle with a mental illness that recovery is possible as well as to educate those who don’t have a mental illness in hopes to lessen the stigma of mental illness.

As time goes on, I hope to educate more as well as find a picture to better personalize my blog. Now, I have to get ready for work. Have a good Tuesday. Peace Out!!

Day Six: Make an Irresistible “About” Page

Posted on by Gertie

Today marks the start of the second week of blogging 101. Day Six’s assignment is to make an irresistible about page. I already had an About Page that I like. I did tweak it slightly. I added how people could contact me if they wish and how they could find me on Facebook and Twitter. I also made sure that I highlighted that I am not a professional because all I am is an advocate for those who have a mental illness as well as their peer to show those who struggle that recovery is possible. I am also just a “lay educator” in educating those who do not have a mental illness. I don’t think my About Page is irresistible but it that is okay with me. My about page tell you the reader about me and my blog and if it catches someone’s eye then cool.

Now that I am done with today’s assignment, I encourage you to look at my About Page. I now have to finish getting ready for work. Have a good Monday and work week. Peace Out!!!

Daily Prompt: Blogger With a Cause

Posted on by Gertie

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Blogger With a Cause.” If your day to day responsibilities were taken care of and you could throw yourself completely behind a cause, what would it be?

This daily prompt is an easy one for me and if you regularly read my blog the causes I am would be completely behind would be a no brainer. The causes I would be behind are causes I am currently behind. They are mental health issues, recovery and ending homelessness.

As many of you know I have a passion when it comes to mental health and recovery. Everyone has the right to get the treatment they deserve if they choose to seek out help. The first thing about recovery is that you have to choose to want to be in recovery. Sadly, not everyone decides that recovery is for them and that is their choice. Not only is recovery a choice, it looks differently to each individual.

Another one of my passions is ending homelessness. Everyone deserves to have a home if they choose to accept housing. Again accepting housing is a choice just like choosing recovery. Becoming homeless is as uniquely and circumstantial as the person. As you may know some people who become homeless is because the came on hard times and lost a job. Then their are those individuals who are homeless and have a serious mental illness. Many individual’s who are struggle with both mental illness and homelessness have difficulty keeping housing due to their mental illness. In return if you are struggling with a mental illness while homeless it’s difficult to get to your appointment because you are too busy trying to get shelter for the night.

As you can tell housing can be a major part someone’s recovery. That is why I work at mental health agency that houses those who are the most vulnerable in regards to mental illness. They help house those who have a serious mental illness in hopes that once they get help then they will seek help for their mental illness. Only about have who get housed through the agency agree to seek mental health treatment and we are fine with that. It is their choice to seek treatment. Getting housing is a major deal and if we can get them treatment then that is a major plus.

As you can tell, I am already a blogger with a cause and I don’t need to quit my day job to do so. I love my job and I love blogging. I love the causes that I am involved in. I will call it a day in regards to blogging. Have a good weekend all. Peace out!!

Day Five: Love Your Theme

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning all!!! It is day five of blogging 101. Today’s assignment was to choose a theme you love. As you can see, I changed my theme. I changed it last night when we received our assignment for today. As much as I enjoyed my last theme (The Flounder), I feel like the new theme (Rusty Grunge) is more of a representation of who I am as a person as well as a blogger who coming into their own.

Coming into my own person has not been an easy feat for me. There has been struggle after struggle with various situations that has helped me become the person I have become. If it weren’t for learning how to deal with various struggles in my life especially when it comes having a mental health diagnoses, I wouldn’t be able to have the success I have in my life. That is where blogging comes into play.

Being able to blog about my journey as a person who is recovery with their mental illness has been an experience that I do not regret doing. It has brought me to realize that being about share my recovery story to the world has been quite therapeutic for me. Most importantly having my new theme represents how I have grown as a person over the years as well as a blogger over the last year.

Thank you everyone for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated to have people like you all reading my journey of recovery. Happy Friday and Peace Out!!

Day Four: Identify Your Audience

Posted on by Gertie

Todays assignment is to identify my audience as well as try something new that I haven’t tried yet. I do have to say I would love to add a picture every once in awhile however I am unsure on how to do it. Yes, I’ve looked at WordPress’s “instructions” but they don’t make sense to me for a number of reasons. One of which involves a learning disability. It’s not WordPress’s fault that I have a learning disability. I just wish they would put it into simpler terms to where people who do not understand computers or who may have learning disabilities may be able to comprehend what they are explaining. I do know of people who may be able explain on how to put a picture to my blog at a later time.

Enough of my complaining and back to my assignment of targeting my audience. I think I already have a targeted audience. Well, at least some of my targeted audience. If you have been following and/or reading my blog you know that the focus of my blog is mental health recovery and what it looks like to me as I walk through my recovery. You also know that I want to have more of an educational piece to my blog. Taking blogging 101 is having me think more of the educational piece of my blog and its only the fourth day into the three week course. Now that I have somewhat of an established blogging audience, I need to continue on building that aspect of my blog as well as trying to start building the other half of my audience. That other half are those who do not have a mental illness and wanting to educate them in hopes to lessen the stigma that goes along with having one. It’s always been my goal to give hope to those who have a mental illness that recovery is possible as well as have an educational aspect to those who don’t have a mental illness to lessen the stigma. I hope what I said made sense and didn’t sound repetitive.

I am thrilled that I am taking this course because it is has me refocusing on what I want my blog to be. Granted I wish I was aware of it when I first started blogging but am happy that I am taking it at this point in time of my blogging experience. I have just of year under my belt with blogging and have some experience that is helping with the course. Something is to be said by trial and error learning and am grateful for that. I’m grateful that I am taking this course now.

With all that being said I need to get going for the moment and will blog again tomorrow. Have a wonderful day. Peace out!!!