Category Archives: Uncategorized

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! I am beyond grateful for taking today off. I am grateful that I can be awake during daylight hours especially on the first day of summer. I am grateful that I won’t have to work tonight.

As I stated sometime late last week/early this week that I would be starting the Weekly Check-Ins once again on Saturday evenings. So I am following through on what I said I would do and am not allowing increased PTSD symptoms to prevent me from doing so. So here is my weekly check-in.

As expected I went to my volunteer job at PAWS Cat City on Monday. I am still in training and “helped” with an adoption. More or less I observed but I am okay with that. I mostly did dishes and laundry which I am glad I was able to do as we only had one person scheduled to visit a cat and thankfully the cat found its furrever home. I was also able to visit with the cats and spend time with them. I mainly spent time with the senior kitty with FIV. I feel in love with him and so would have adopted him but since FIV cats need to be an only cat or be in a home with other cat with FIV adopting him was not an option as my cat, Billie Dean, does not have FIV. I love being able to volunteer at PAWS Cat City.

I had my usual session with my therapist. Instead of having a phone session we decided to do our session via Zoom. I wish would have been Zoom all along but it is a lesson learned. As of right now, my next session is going to be in person with extra precautions in place but if the agency I go has to change the start date for in person session then our session will be via Zoom. My current therapist appears to be really supportive.

One of the things I did do multiple times this past week was go walking to Cowen Park and Ravenna Park. In fact I “hiked” through both parks as they have trails that connect both parks together. I love the being able to go walking on trails through local city parks. In fact Seattle has some pretty amazing parks. Parks that have actual hiking trails which I love.

Another thing I did multiple times this week was start doing mindfulness and/or meditation practices twice daily. I had pretty much stopped this completely and realized I needed to get back into mindfulness and/or meditations practices. I have found that it has been quite helpful for me and my recovery to continue to do this.

I do not have much more to share in this particular blog post. Thank you so much for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great summer ahead of them. Peace Out, World!!!

Writing: Intro to Poetry; Day Ten: Future

Posted on by Gertie

Untitled Poem

by Gertie

The future is now.

The future is here.

This is the day we have been waiting for;

The first day of summer;

Known as Summer Solstice.

A time to celebrate.

A time to be aware of what this new season brings us.

Now its time to continue to stand up.

Stand up to the racism that divides this country.

Time to support our friend of color.

The future is NOW.

Writing: Into to Poetry; Day Nine: Landscape

Posted on by Gertie

Untitled Poem

by Gertie

First I hear you;

At first it is just a trickle.

As I get closer your trickle gets louder;

Now I spot you.

You are just a brook.

A brook calling out to me;

Calling out to me to just take a deep breath and enjoy the moment.

I thank you for the moment of being in the present.

I thank you small brook for the breath.

Writing: Intro to Poetry; Day Eight: Pleasure

Posted on by Gertie

Bring on the Challenge

by Gertie

Bring on the Challenge of pleasure during uncertain times.

Bring on the challenge of enjoying simple things like coloring when mental health symptoms increase.

Bring on the challenge of walking through nature when life gets too hard.

Bring on the challenge of being yourself in a cruel world.

Just bring on the challenge of what you desire.

Writing: Intro to Poetry; Day Seven: Flavor

Posted on by Gertie

Untitled Poem

by Gertie

The smell of salt water

and the feel of the waves splashing in my face

reminds me of a more peaceful time in my childhood

A childhood that was full of trauma but at least there

were good moments.

Good moments like the taste of a double scoop ice cream cone

with mint & chip flavor and cookies & cream flavor

while at the beach on an extra hot day in California.

Writing: Intro to Poetry; Day Six: Screen

Posted on by Gertie

Untitled Poem

by Gertie

Too many people looking at their phone screens,

as they sit in the company of their friends and family.

I say put down those phones and spend time with those you love

 as whatever is on the screen of your phone can wait an hour or two.

You never know how much time you have with those you love.

Just a Random Monday Evening Post

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! Today has been an okay day. My emotions have been up and down today. I owe the up and down emotions due to the lack of sleep and the recent trauma I experienced. Overall, I think I am doing okay with dealing with the many emotions I am feeling, despite not wanting to feel some of them.

One of the ways that helped me deal with my emotions is going in and volunteering at PAWS Cat City. It is officially kitten season and am grateful to get some kitten time in. As much as I love kittens and would really want one, I realize as I volunteer at PAWS Cat City, why having a kitten is not conducive for me to have one at the moment. Mainly because they are a great deal of work and I do not have time to invest in a kitten right now. Plus, I have Billie Dean and not sure how he would interact with a kitten. Anyway, two kittens and a senior kitty got adopted during my volunteer shift. Adoptions are my favorite part of volunteering at PAWS Cat City. Watching the cats get a furrever home with smiling and happy humans is an awesome feeling.

Every time I come home from volunteering at PAW Cat City, Billie Dean, my cat is attached to me at the ankle if I am walking around my apartment or to my lap if I am sitting. I don’t think he is jealous of me being with other cats, I just think he has some anxiety he will be replaced or have to go back to an animal shelter. There is no way in hell he will be replaced and the only way he will go back to an animal shelter is if I am dead. I don’t plan on dying anytime soon. I love Billie so much and I am beyond grateful to have him in my life.

Something I forgot to tell you in a posted I posted yesterday is that I was taking a course through WordPress regarding commenting on people blogs. It is a five day course and tomorrow (Wednesday) is my last day. I really enjoy the course and being able to communicate with other bloggers. I really enjoy the blogging community. I love the blogging community because we have mad respect for each other and have very little drama which I greatly appreciate.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I just want to thank you for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

Missing the Boys of Summer

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! It is difficult for me to comprehend that there is no baseball right now. Not actually difficult to comprehend but wishing that the pandemic of Covid-19 wasn’t happening. Nobody knows at this point in time if there will even be a baseball season even if it is a shortened season. One can hope for a shortened season but the reality is we don’t know due to the pandemic and the teams versus the owners at the moment.

I miss attending baseball games even if my favorite team is usually the visiting team as I live in enemy territory of Seattle and I am an Angels fan. If you are not familiar with baseball, the Angels are a team that is located in Anaheim, California. I live in Seattle, Washington which is home to the Seattle Mariners. So, that means when I want to see the Angels play in person, I will most likely see them play against the Mariners here in Seattle as I don’t have money to travel to Anaheim to see the Angels play. When I go to a Mariners game when they play against my home town team, the Angels, I am not afraid to wear my Angel gear. I am die hard Angel fan even when I am living in enemy territory like Seattle.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do, however, want to thank you all for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope everyone is having a great Monday. I also hope everyone has an awesome work week ahead of them. Before I go, and I realize baseball isn’t currently being played I want to say: GO ANGELS!!! Peace Out, World!!!

Writing: Intro to Poetry; Day Five: Imperfect

Posted on by Gertie

Abscessed Flute

by Gertie

Life is full of imperfection,

Like an out of tune flute section.

Now is the time to be tuned,

Or you might become imperfect like an abscessed wound.

Best not become an infected wound and play that flute to perfection.

Oh How I Wish Mr. Sandman Would Visit

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! I am unable to sleep at the moment. I do not know why I am unable to sleep but I do have an idea. I suspect the reason why I can not sleep is due to the anxiety I am feeling after the trauma I experienced last week at the hands of a neighbor that lives on my floor. The anxiety is not a fun thing nor is it helpful in helping with sleep. Besides an increase of anxiety, I am also having an increase of PTSD symptoms. PTSD sucks shit.

On a plus note, Billie Dean, my cat is being quite helpful in regards to both the anxiety and PTSD. Having Billie as my Emotional Support Animal (ESA) has been quite helpful in my recovery. In fact when I had Lil Gertie as a cat before she crossed over the rainbow bridge, I realize how helpful she was as my Emotional Support Animal (ESA). If it wasn’t for the suggestion of my last therapist of getting a cat as an ESA, I wouldn’t have ever gotten Lil Gertie or Billie. After realizing how helpful Lil Gertie was for my recovery, I knew that having another cat as an ESA would be beneficial to me and my mental health recovery. Billie is doing an amazing job as my ESA, just like Lil Gertie did.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post so I am going to end my post. I want to thank you very much for reading my blog. It is greatly appreciated from my end of things that you read my blog. Again, I want to thank each one of you from the bottom of my hear for reading my blog. I hope everyone has a great work week ahead of them. Peace Out, World!!!