Tag Archives: Mental Illness

Monday Evening, Ramblings

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! Today is a national holiday here in the United States known as President’s Day. Banks, post offices and most doctors offices are closed today including my place of work which is a mental health agency for those who don’t regularly read my blog. It is nice to have a three day weekend.

On that note, the mental health agency I am a client of was open today which meant my appointment with my own therapist happened today but it was done virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions. Anyway, my therapist will be leaving the agency I am a client of to peruse bigger and better things. My last session with him will be next Monday. I’m sad to see him go and have no idea who my new therapist is going to be however at least I am doing relatively well. Doing well with my mental health recovery is always a good thing.

As good as doing well is, I am still apprehensive as one never knows when symptoms of a mental health diagnosis will flare up which is why I have decided to do a continuing education course on stress management. Not only will it help me with my own stress but hopefully will help me with my career as a Peer Counselor. I am actually finding the information quite interesting as well as educational.

As educational as it is, I am grateful that I am taking the course when I am as it helped me stay busy today. It helped me as there is still snow on the ground here in Seattle. Snow like this that stays around is rare and I am not a fan of snow. My cat, Billie Dean isn’t a fan of snow either. I tried taking Billie for walk on his leash and he was not happy with the snow. I assume it was too wet and cold for him as that is the reason, I don’t like snow.

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

A Snowy Valentines Day

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It’s been a snowy weekend here in Seattle. Personally, I am not a fan of snow. Hell, most people who reside in Seattle loathe the snow. I just wish the snow would hurry up and melt the fuck away.

As many of you know today is Valentine’s Day. I have never been a fan of Valentine’s Day as I never understood why we need a special day to tell those we care about that we love them. To add on top of why I am not a fan of Valentines Day is today marks three years since my grandma passed away. She passed away due to complications of Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s is a hellish illness and I don’t wish it on my worst enemy. I took my grandma’s death quite hard as she and my grandpa helped my dad raise me. I am forever grateful for grandma and the love she gave me.

Billie Dean, my cat helped me get through today and the three year anniversary of my grandmother’s death. Billie has been more cuddling than he normally is and he is quite a cuddling kitty. I love Billie so much and I consider him my Valentine’s Day date. It is nice to know, that no matter how sucky a day is, is that my cat, Billie is here for me. I love my cat so much. I love the fact that he is helping through the grief of the three year anniversary of my grandma’s death.

I do not have much else to say in this particular blog post. I do wan to thank 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. Happy Valentine’s Day and Peace Out, World!!!

1 Year Ago of Billie’s Gotcha Day

Posted on by Gertie

Good Afternoon, World!!! Today February 6th 2021 marks one year since I adopted my cat, Billie Dean from PAWS Cat City. Today is what I call Gotcha Day. I love my cat, Billie so very much. I will be posting pictures in the post of Billie. For those readers who have a visual impairment, WordPress allows me to put captions in the picture and I hope that your device allows you to read it the way it is suppose to help you as I know you are not able to see the pictures.

Billie with a gift wrap bow on his back like a present. Even thought Billie was not a Christmas present he sure is a present that came at the right time for me a year ago today February 6th.
Billie helping open Christmas gifts.
Billie just chilling all stretched out on a middle level of his cat tree.
Billie eating his wet food

I love Billie so much and am grateful he came into my life. I hope you enjoyed the picture of my beloved Billie. I don’t know what I would have done to cope with Covid-19 without Billie. I am happy that I adopted Billie before Covid-19 became a major issue here in Seattle as well as the rest of the United States.

I don’t have much more to say expect thank you. I appreciate that you read my blog and hope you continue to read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. I hope you have a great weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Grocery shop

Monday

  • Zoom with friends before work
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Work

Tuesday

  • Zoom with friends before work
  • Intro Poetry blog post
  • Work

Wednesday

  • Work
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Zoom with friends

Thursday

  • Work
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Zoom with friends

Friday

  • Work
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Dinner with friends over zoom

Saturday

  • Breakfast with friends over Zoom
  • Intro to Poetry blog post
  • Clean apartment

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! This week has been quite an emotional week here in America. An emotional week regarding the political environment and tensions are extremely high at the moment. Sadly, supporters of a certain candidate breached the Capital Building for the first time over two hundred years. These people even made their way to the House and Senate Chambers. Many Americans are extremely angered by this including me. It angered me personally because if it was a group of people who are of color, there would have been more of a police presence. The other thing that angers me as well as the President of the United States was the one that egged this group of people on. The events of what happened at the United States Capital was just fucking uncalled for.

The events of what happened politically happened the same day my cat, Billie Dean went to the vet for some dental cared. The good news is that Billie didn’t need his two canine teeth pulled. The worrisome news is that his kidney level numbers are slightly elevated. The vet said that it is nothing to worry about at the moment and that getting another blood test done in about six weeks to see where the levels are at is what is needed. The vet said if the numbers stay the same or get lower then the only thing that is needed is blood work every six months to make sure Billie’s kidney levels are not increasing and this is my hope of what happens. If the next blood test show that Billie’s kidney levels do increase then he will need to be on a special prescription kidney diet. This is why I asked Billie’s vet to do blood work on Billie since he was already getting dental work done so I can see where his baseline is or if something did come like it did then we can get it under control sooner than later. Billie’s vet likes the fact that I am being proactive about his health care especially once Billie is eight years old, he will be getting routine blood work done as he will be considered a senior. On that note Billie isn’t even seven yet. He will be seven in late March. I am happy that I am being proactive in my cat, Billie’s health as he is my baby and I love him so very much.

On top of what went on this week regarding the political unrest and my cat, Billie going to the vet this was my first full forty hour work week at my new employer. It was quite a week at work for many reasons. Yes, it was challenging and it wore me out but I love my new job. I am so happy that I have this job opportunity as I am really enjoying this job.

I also had therapy this week and it went well. My therapist and I discussed the new job, the holidays and a few other things including self care. We discussed self care because he wants to make sure I am doing it so my mental health doesn’t decline. I appreciate this as I also don’t want my mental health to decline. Self care is a major part of staying healthy. I am happy that my therapist and I discussed self care as it helped me focus on what I need to do for self care.

One of the things that came to mind for self care was writing and poetry which led me to starting the WordPress course of Intro to Poetry earlier today. Read and writing poetry is a major form of self care for me so that is why I started this course. It is a ten day course about writing poetry. It helps me be creative. It helps keep my mental health challenges in check which is why it is a form of self care for me.

I don’t have much more to say in this weeks, Weekly Check In. I do 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. I hope everyone has a great day as well as an awesome weekend. Peace Out, World!!!

Anxiety Over Billie’s Vet Visit

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! It’s another rainy Tuesday evening in Seattle. I have been off work from my new job for nearly an hour now. I absolutely love my new job and am thrilled that I decided to take this job.

Right now I am extremely anxious about my cat, Billie Dean’s veterinarian appointment tomorrow. He is having dental work done. Specifically, Billie will be having two teeth extracted and a teeth cleaning. I know it is routine and nothing to worry about but I am still anxious about it. The vet Billie goes to is just an amazing veterinarian and awesome human being. Sadly, due to the dental procedure Billie is having tomorrow he is now officially on a fast. Billie is not happy with me because he currently cannot have food. Even though Billie is a cat he is giving me the puppy dog look for food. Poor little dude. I love Billie so much.

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 perspective that you read my blog. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Have a great evening. Peace Out, World!!!

Weekly Plans

Posted on by Gertie

Sunday

  • Volunteer at PAWS Cat City
  • Zoom with friends

Monday

  • Zoom with friends before work
  • Work

Tuesday

  • Zoom with friends before work
  • Work

Wednesday

  • Take my cat, Billie to the vet for dental care
  • Therapy
  • Work
  • Pick Billie up from the vet

Thursday

  • Work
  • Zoom with friends

Friday

  • Work
  • Watch Movies

Saturday

  • Do laundry
  • Clean bathroom
  • Zoom with friends
  • Watch movies

Weekly Check-In

Posted on by Gertie

Good Evening, World!!! One of my goals for the new year is to blog an average of twice a week. One of the ways I plan to accomplish this goal is to do my weekly check-ins every Saturday. Setting a regular schedule with my blogging with Weekly Plans and Weekly Check-In’s will help me accomplish one of my 2021 goals as I mentioned earlier in this paragraph.

As you may or may not know, I recently started a job as a peer specialist at a local mental health agency here in Seattle. Well, I finished up my third week at my new job and am like the job so far. It just so happened that my first three weeks at my new job, I only worked three days each week. I am glad it happened like this because I think it will help me with working a full forty hour work week starting next week. I am happy that my start date and the holidays allowed me start out with a three day work week for the first three weeks so I could get adjusted to working full time once again. I am really enjoying my new job.

As all of you know it is now the New Year. I celebrated New Year’s with friends via Zoom. We watched the light show that the Space Needle did. Watching the light show put on by the Space Needle to bring in the New Year was awesome. Spending it with friend via Zoom was even more awesome. My cat, Billie, watched the light show with me and my friends as well. It was cool that I was able to bring in the New Year with my cat, Billie as well as with my friends.

Well that is my weekly check-in and don’t have much else to say. I want to thank you for reading my blog. It means a great deal to me that you read my blog. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my blog. Peace Out, World!!!

2021 Goals

Posted on by Gertie

Good Morning, World!!! It is officially the second day of the new year and as I stated in my last post, I would post my goals for this year. I set goals for the year and not resolutions. I make goals because I am more likely to accomplish them than a resolution. Not only that, goals are ever changing and resolutions not so much or at least that is how it is for me. My goals for 2021 are:

~ Finish The Mindfulness Workbook

~ Complete two workbooks (not including the above mentioned)

~ Clean apartment and maintain cleanliness

~ Maintain new job as a peer

~ Blog an average of twice a month

~ Read six books

~ Walk once daily

~ Mindfulness/Meditation practice twice daily

~ Continue to volunteer at PAWS Cat City

~ Reduce the amount of soda I drink

~ Go out of town at least one night every two months

~ Buy new laptop for myself

I realize I have many goals for myself this coming year. I am planning accomplishing them and when I do, I most likely will add another goal for myself. Something I do on the first of every month throughout the year is reevaluate my goals.

I don’t have much more to say about my goals and will end this particular blog post. Before I end I 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!!!

Happy New Years; 2021 Version

Posted on by Gertie

Happy New Years, World!!! It is the first day of 2021 and it is a year of hope. A hope that is different that is different than in years past. The reason why the hope is different it because of the shit show of what 2020 was, that included a global pandemic.

Every year many people end with expectations and hopes of how the New Year will be. I think that this year is starting out differently than last year because we have learned that with all the expectations and hopes we had for last year, we need to change them and adapt. Adapt in ways we weren’t use to adapting. As 2021 starts I am realizing that being able to adapt to unexpected circumstances like a global pandemic will ultimately help me with my life and goals. A life worth living and goals to help me be a better person in this world.

For me my goals for the year will be something to accomplish as well as be ever changing. Some of my goals for this year are the same as last year due to not accomplishing them and am hopeful that they will be accomplished this year. I also have new goals for the year. I hope to share with you what my goals for 2021 are in a later post.

I do not have much more to say in this particular blog post. I do 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. Happy New Year and Peace Out, World!!!