The Holiday Season...2008

It seems that "the hurrider I go, the behinder I get" during this significant month of December. Because of regulatory changes a few years ago, the State of California Community Care Licensing Division has decided I need to license our equestrian center. When we started the program in 1986, the representatives from both Community Care Licensing and San Diego Regional Center didn't require a license due to the unique nature of the service. We operate what is officially categorized (by the State Department of Developmental Services)as a Behavior Management Day Training Program. This means we work with adults with developmental disabilities (mild retardation) who have behavior problems. Their needs could be compared to teenagers with serious behavior issues. The program runs six hours per day Monday through Friday. Because I have not licensed a new program for several years, I have had to renew my CPR and First Aide training which required a day of my time, obtain a new physical and TB clearance (a 2 trip to the doctor process) and complete a massive amount of paperwork all as a part of the licensing process. Being the compulsive person that I am, in the process of gathering existing paperwork such as personnel policies to include in the application packet, I find myself updating several of our forms and policies and procedures. This includes medication procedures, disaster plans, hiring practices, organizational chart, and trust me, the list only gets longer as the days go by. It seems there is a written procedure requirement for just about every step that we could possibly take these days. Either due to the fact that regulations have changed which require updating or because my personnel have copied forms over and over for the past several years and only people with "superman" vision can see them, I have spent hours on the computer preparing the application. I have had to replace cartridges in printers and buy another ream of computer paper. My deadline is to have this done by Monday, so it is turned in before the end of the year. I must not fail to mention that although the program has been operating for 22 years, I have to complete a proposed profit and loss operating statement not only on this program but on all of the programs licensed by the corporation, as well as a balance sheet. The purpose of requiring a profit and loss statement is to insure that someone who is proposing to operate a new program has the capital to do so. That is a good thing, but rather a moot point when the program has been there since 1986, has 16 employees on site and obviously, they wouldn't be there if they weren't getting a paycheck. We also have to prove that we have control of the property, which seems like another moot point. We will require a fire inspection, which is another good thing but slows down the process waiting for the fire department to respond to the state's request for inspection. It's a good thing we have a special use permit on the property for a daycare/school operation, or we would have a big problem. We obtained that in 1987 when our neighboring ranches didn't want adults with special needs riding horses in their neighborhood. Thankfully, they have long since come to accept us or at least tolerate us. I believe I will have my packet ready for submission on Monday once I modify our medication procedures and prepare the financial information this weekend. If I were a gambler, I would bet on a belief that something will be missing. If the packet is determined to be complete, we will be ready for the next phase which should be very interesting. There will be an inspection of the physical plant. I strongly feel that we will be the first horse ranch in the state of California to be licensed by Community Care Licensing Division normally an agency that licenses traditional daycare programs in school type environments and group homes. Oh well.....that' what we get for creative thinking. We have been noted as being avant garde in the development of mental health services in the past. We will take that as a compliment and march on hoping to come out the other side of the burearcratic maze with a positive attitude and a few new ideas to better serve our clients. In spite of all of the extra assignments, we managed to have a wonderful Christmas celebration as did those we serve in all of our programs....whether licensed or unlicensed. Blessings to all.....

"WE" Have Alzheimer's.....

The first time I heard a young couple say "We are pregnant," I was taken aback. What does that mean? "We are pregnant." I later decided that "we" was a perfect way to describe pregnancy. I am sure any husband who has lived through nine months of pregnancy with a female understands it even better than me. He may be the one who rushes out into the streets late at night to find fuel for the latest craving. He is the one who comforts when the tears come for no apparent reason at any given moment. He is the one who cries with her when they see the baby inside Mommy's tummy the very first time. He is the one who says, "I really wanted a boy...or girl...whatever the sonagram shows."

Now let's travel forward a few decades and guess what? "We" have Alzheimer's. Although the diagnosis has been given to my husband, is there seriously anyone out there who wouldn't believe that the diagnosis belongs to both of us?

What does it mean? It means just about everything the diagnosis of "you are pregnant" means to the young couple. It means our entire future is forever changed. It means we have to prepare. It means we have to support each other more than we have ever had to do in the past. It means there is something even more important than us that needs attention. It means that life as we have known it is no more.

Oh well, Jerry has the diagnosis, but yeah..."we" have Alzheimer's.

Pillars of Salt...

I think we may be getting ready to turn into pillars of salt if we don't clean up our act here a little bit. Most of you remember the Bible story of Babylon. Well, we have been living the good life, or so we thought. Homes have been getting larger every year for at least three decades now. Cars are plentiful and come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Even teenagers own cars. Teenagers from families with poverty level incomes somehow end up with a car to drive. Who ever, besides me, has heard of getting a new pair of shoes for school once per year and maybe a new pair for Easter Sunday? Most kids have several pairs of shoes today. Who ever heard of kids over 12 running around withOUT money in their pocket, besides me? Teens roam the shopping malls spending at least $15.00 to $50.00 per weekend. When asked what they like to do today, many kids respond with "shopping." It's a hobby. When did shopping become an activity? I recall shopping as being a necessity and not really much fun when I was a child. Of course, my parents never gave me the privilege of just roaming around through stores looking for something to buy and try to decide what item was the most tempting. Instead, we were "shopping," because we needed something in the way of food or that once per year new pair of school shoes. Otherwise, we would have been at home or working. Why has there been such an increase in childhood diabetes? Could it be caused by no exercise and lots of money to spend on fast food? No physical education program at school, because the school's fear lawsuits if someone gets hurt. Little outdoor activity at home, because children have a multitude of electronics designed to entertain them while sitting on a couch.

Look...I'm not advocating for a return to a Walton Family (Spencer's Mountain) type of lifestyle. I'm just saying, I think we may be getting ready to turn into "pillar's of salt," especially if we don't just take advantage of our economic disaster by re-examining our lifestyles. I have been one of the most guilty of buying things we want but don't need. However, I have an advantage that a lot of people do not have and that is I have lived and experienced another way. Too many people can't even relate to only buying what you need and learning that you really don't need very much to live productively and peacefully. In other words, by today's standards, if someone examined my childhood, they would say that I was poverty stricken. If you asked me, I would tell you that I had a wonderful childhood and was raised by two great parents who showed me that you don't need money and things to be happy. I really hope people don't waste a lot of time fearing the future right now. We are all in this together, and we will make it. Poor isn't so bad. In fact, all too often money and things may just get in the way of happiness.

Just sharing my thoughts today...

Day Off...

I have a stack of paperwork that needs to be completed very soon. My stack includes a licensing application for a day program. If you have never seen the numbers of forms that have to be completed in the State of California in order to license a day program, well, you don't want to see them. Years ago (1973), I saw a psychic in Chula Vista, California. Fast forward to 2008, and I have lived long enough to see all of her predictions come true. Once I started seeing things happen that she had predicted, I tried to find her again to no avail. Anyway, she told me then that I would be going into a business that would require lots and lots and lots of paperwork "massive amounts of paperwork." She told me I would be very successful and that I wasn't able to see my potential. She measured with her hands showing me what I thought about my potential level and then reached her hands skyward to show me the reality of my performance potential. A wise woman, indeed, and one of strong faith. She was wise, because that skyward reach applies to all of us. We are limited by our own opinions of ourselves. Looking inward inhibits progress. Its only when we look outward towards the needs of our fellow human beings that we reap so many rewards.

Well, on that day I met with the psychic, I wasn't even planning on opening a business...ever. Amongst other predictions, she predicted my father's passing, my mother's long life and "blossoming" in later years, my son's future talent and the personality of my daughter. Amazing!

Back to the paperwork, I probably would have been too overwhelmed to take on the challenge had I only known about the paperwork. I didn't, so here I am buried in it, but I am going to climb out today and go spend the day with my two granddaughters. The 15 month old is taking her last swimming lesson for the winter today, and I am going to watch. The 17 year old is shopping for her friends, and I am going to tag along. I know I will pay for it tomorrow by working longer hours to get that paperwork completed, but today I am going to take a break and count my blessings for the privilege.