Sunny days sweeping the clouds away

[judecorp]

The weather is beautiful. I went to the library and got 5 more articles for my Adolescents paper. New ones. 1999 and up. 5 of them. Yeah. And it was beautiful - breezy and warm, sunny, lovely. The air was clear, like the air in the office after Brett left, which was nice. Settled.

Drove home with the window open, Indigo Girls blaring and me along with them. Joking. Loud. Missing you. Stopped at Border's on the way home - they didn't have the elawpak book I wanted but they did have another DIY Ohio Divorce book with fill in the blank forms. Purchased. With the debit card linked to his money. He bought me the new Alanis, too, to inspire me to do my paper, and a new copy of Rubyfruit Jungle because I lost mine in the move in 2000. He doesn't know he bought me presents today. Thanks.

Went for a walk in the sun, knew there would be no paper-starting in this weather without a proper sacrifice. 4 miles quick, which was nice. Brisk walking. Wore shorts for the first time in 2002 - breezy, like I said - the thrilling feeling of the wind whipping hair on legs. There's really nothing else like that. Contemplated shaving this summer, now indecisive again, the feel of wind, freedom.

Talked aloud on the walk, as I am wont to do. Talked to you. Talked to my mother. I think it's time, in March, yes, to sit her down and explain to her that I /do/ love her, that I /do/ want her to know me, that I /will/ give her time to adjust although I don't agree with that. Don't agree with it, but understand it. 4 miles of chatter, aah, it must be spring. Time to start daily head-clearing walks, weather permitting. Lost 20 pounds that way last summer. Gained some back.

Time for Alanis, and Existential Family Therapy, and Death of a Salesman. I can do this. Think I'll call Cary about dinner, although I promised no going out.

Sunny. Breezy. Mobile. Free.

Comments

[mightywombat.livejournal.com]

the thrilling feeling of the wind whipping hair on legs

You and my sister... Crazy chicks... *grin*

[siercia]

When I went through my not shaving my legs phase, the first time I walkd outside in shorts, I almost fell over I was so surprised by the wind in my leg hair. It was weird.

Re:

[mightywombat.livejournal.com]

I imagine it's much the same as the feeling of water on my face after shaving off my moustache and goatee. That was WEIRD! My skin felt all rubbery...

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Boys totally take it for granted, I think, the way it feels. :)

[asmodel.livejournal.com]

I have been a free-range chick for years. The only hair removal I do is the occasional eyebrow pluck, and that's purely because I have such beautifuly arched eyebrows I've got to do something with them. But the last time I've done any other body hair removal was when I was 19.

It was such a pain (literally too). It was a hassle. It was expensive. It came back too quickly anyway. It was a constant battle. So laziness got the better of me, and it was a choice made by default.

I know a lot of non-free-range girls who admire me for wandering about in short skirts and hairy legs. I've had some boyfriends who've gone delightfully crazy over my hairy armpits. I personally have better things to do with my time than shave my legs, especially when I know I'm attractive anyway.

[kungfoogirl.livejournal.com]

I was going to post this in MY journal, but this seems to be a more appropriate place.

This morning, I got up and got dressed right away. I walked in to the kitchen and greeted my adoring Scout. As usual, she was overjoyed to see me. As if I hadn't seen her in weeks. I made a nice big mug of hot chocolate, and gathered up my dog.

And then we walked. It was a LONG walk. Just her and I again. Like in the fall. Scout is the one that I have MY conversations with. She doesn't say much, but she still knows the PRECISE moment when I need her to tell me that she still loves me. Those big puppy eyes look up at me with all the love in the world. And I can't help but smile and feel better.

My god, I had forgotten how important these walks were. I'd forgotten how many I'd taken last fall and how much angst and stress and sadness and emptiness I worked out on these walks.

I'm glad I'm not the only person that loves taking these kinds of walks.

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

I wanna go on a walk with Scout! She is such a great dog and always looks back and jumps up and gives love!

If it was gorgeous out here, I can't even imagine how lovely it must have been in the Highlands.

[juliann.livejournal.com]

New IG album released Tuesday you know. Order from Amazon.com or buy from Borders to get a bonus 4 track live EP (different from both places).

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Must have!

Ummmm...

[siercia]

What IS existential family therapy? Can it even be summed up briefly?

Re: Ummmm...

[judecorp.livejournal.com]

Existential therapy is rooted in the ideas and energies discovered and developed within existential philosophy, literature, and art (Lantz, 2001). Using the therapeutic relationship that is cultivated between the clients and the therapist, the clinician helps the members of the family find not only their own senses of meaning and purpose in life, but also to discover a collective sense of purpose and meaning, a sort of ?mission statement? for the family unit that each member can identify with and strive for.

Viktor Frankl (cited in Lantz, 2001; March 2001; Lantz & Ahern, 1994) describes three dimensions of existence wherein the clients can enrich their lives: being ?of? the world, being ?in? the world, and being ?for? the world. Being ?of? the world (also called the ?must? dimension of existence) means that the individual has a physical body and because of this, s/he is responsible to the rules of the physical world. Treatment in the ?must? dimension deals with meeting an individual?s physical needs. Being ?in? the world (also called the ?can? dimension of existence) means that the individual has the freedom to make choices in response to the opportunities and challenges of life. Treatment in the ?can? dimension revolves around the areas of freedom and responsibility. Being ?for? the world (also called the ?ought? dimension of existence) means the individual has a responsibility to answer his or her personalized calling to take care of others and the environment and community in which s/he lives (Lantz, 1992). Treatment in the ?ought? dimension deals with the search for meaning and self-transcendence. The purpose of existential family therapy is to assist the members of the family to achieve enrichment in these three areas in order to find meaning in their individual lives.

In order for the clients to achieve enrichment, they must work through not only their existing trauma pain (a person?s or family?s emotional response to trauma), but also the defenses they have developed and perfected in order to obscure and diffuse the pain. These defenses, in families, take the form of pathogenic family patterns, pathogenic family structures, and family games (such as ?if you really loved me, I wouldn?t have to ask,? ?the family secret? (a form of family repression) and ?the minor as marital therapist?) (Lantz, 2002; 1992). Four treatment components have been described (Lantz, 2001; Lantz & Gregoire, 2000) that are used in existential treatment to challenge these defenses and process trauma pain: holding, telling, mastering and honoring.

(Etc.)