If we are not our brother’s keeper continue to house most of the mentally ill in jails. After all, who cares if they get put in isolation wards when they misbehave there. So that is a form of torture. They usually are put on the cheapest medications not always the proper ones. Families are being destroyed not to say anything of the individuals there. I am sure the suicide rate is high.
I saw this coming decades ago when the states started closing down their state hospitals. The money did not follow into community services but just “evaporated”. Hospitalizations are very expensive. Partials are very cost effective. There is no way a person can be stabilized in a few days. At least in a partial you can be monitored over a long period of time. The therapeutic level of a psychotropic medication is often one to two weeks.
Are we our brother’s keeper? Yes! Yes! We are commanded to take care of the weak, the infirm, those in poverty and the mentally ill. We can not turn our heads to them. Each individual must do his/her part to alleviate their suffering. Our society has become so far away from that. So do your part no matter the role you take. It is never too late to start.
Tags: alleviate suffering, brother's keeper, closing state hospitals, community services, do your part, God, mental illness and jails, never too late to start, partials, psychotropic medication, society, take care of the infirm, take care of the mentally ill, take care of the weak, take care of those in poverty, therapeutic level of medications
Posted in balance, God, knowledge&learning, life, mental health, relationships, wisdom |
Tilla jumped on my bed twice. The first time he got tired of waiting and sojourned to the office. When I finally went to bed, I encouraged him to jump back on the bed, which he did. And promptly thirty seconds later jumped off and went to my office. He was bidding me good night. Later on he lay at the foot of my bed. There is nothing like a dog to make you feel wanted.
Tags: dog make you feel wanted, dogs, pets, Tilla, Tilla on the bed, Tilla was bidding me good night
Posted in local, pets, relationships |
Cool Hand Luke loves running past open doors and she has been deprived of late. She dashed downstairs and minutes later she returned and ran through the door. Again. (or through the door again) She is the only pet left from the three I had when I entered my marriage over ten years ago. She loved running through open doors. Open one she will dash through it and open the door a little later she will return running at top speed. She is a black female who does not get along with our other six cats too well although she is more aggressive than the others when it comes to eating from one of the two bowls we use to feed our seven cats especially if we had not put food out in awhile.
Tags: cat running through open doors, cats, Cool Hand Luke, Cool hand Luke and doors, pets, seven cats
Posted in humor, local, marriage, pets, relationships |
Suddenly I could breathe. The cold was really done. For now. Warmer weather was on the horizon. Spring has started. And March was typically wet. In fact, today was the first day of the trout season in this area. In May I will camp with my childhood buddy for the first time in three years. The last two I visited him in New Orleans. I have much to look forward to. Warmer weather, particularly. And trout fishing. And getting together with my lifelong friend.
Tags: camping and trout fishing, cold weather, lifelong friend, March, my childhood buddy, New Orleans, spring, warmer weather and rain
Posted in balance, life, local, nature, relationships, seasons, time |
Tilla joined me in my bed last night. My wife and I had just completed a game of Scrabble and I lost again. I was feeling completely demoralized. It was only a game. Nevertheless, I was pretty depressed and I went straight to bed. Tilla followed me and jumped on the bed. This time he gave me room on the bed to lie on the right side. This was unusual behavior for him. He stayed there till I fell asleep. I believe he wanted to comfort me. I wrapped my arm around his body as I fell asleep. I was glad he was there.
Tags: dogs, my depression after the game, my dog comforts me, my wife, pets, Scrabble, Tilla, Tilla fell asleep right next to me, Tilla jumps on the bed
Posted in animals, local, mental health, pets, relationships |
I could not figure out what Tilla, one of my dogs wanted. He was jumping up and down on me. He did not want to go into the yard. Finally my wife commented, “He wants to go for a car ride.” I was all set to go into town for for a quick errand. I said, “Okay.” And in the car he went. I forgotten how much he loves car rides. He even put the car into neutral, which I quickly corrected. He stood on the passenger side, tail wagging, alert –very happy.
Tags: dogs, my wife, pets, Tilla, Tilla and car rides
Posted in animals, local, pets, relationships |
Tilla’s tail was thumping vigorously upon my arrival. I had been gone over three hours. My dog was really glad to see me. I quickly did the last few tasks of the evening and then went to bed. Tilla had to give me my final “good night”: he hopped on my bed briefly and then went to my office where he will spend the night on the Lazy Boy couch. There is nothing like a dog to make you feel welcome.
Tags: dogs, glad to see me, my dog's greeting, pets, Tilla, went to bed
Posted in animals, local, love, pets, relationships, time |
Coco immediately found the chocolate bar. It was a Hershey bar that my wife put down briefly on the table after tearing it open and taking a bite. She was not paying attention. She heard a rustling of paper. One of my dogs Coco was slowly making her way through the medium sized bar. She thought no one would notice but the crinkling of the wrapper gave her away. My wife took the chocolate away from the dog and I put the remains on top of the refrigerator. There was no way she was going to eat the chocolate after Coco nibbled it. I was not that particular.
Tags: Coco, Coco and the chocolate bar, dogs, Hershey chocolate bar, my wife, pets
Posted in animals, humor, local, marriage, pets, relationships |
I learned Phil Everly died recently. I immediately played the anthology I had of The Everly Brothers–a best of–“Looking Back.” It is twenty cuts and is the best collection I ever heard of them. In the eighties they reformed and came out with at least two albums. I can comment on the first, which was superb and had Albert Lee playing on it and was produced by Dave Edwards. “On The Wings Of A Nightingale” was expressly written for them by Paul McCartney in two part harmony. The album which came out was in no way dated. “Asleep” which closes the album is absolutely stunning. The whole album is fresh and worth hearing. I have no idea whether it is available on CD. By all means if it is, get it. You can’t go wrong. When you hear them sing, it is hard to separate their voices. They blended so perfectly.
Tags: "Looking Back", "On The Wings Of A Nightingale", 1980's, Albert Lee, asleep, CD, Dave Edwards, Everly Brothers Tribute, music, Paul McCartney, Phil Everly, record album, The Everly Brothers, the harmonies of The Everly Brothers", two part harmony
Posted in beauty, death, music, relationships |
I could not imagine moving back to NJ, where I had lived most of my life. It has been over twenty-five years in Central Pennsylvania. My roots are now here. I have fallen in love with this area. If you live long enough in one spot you develop roots there. You can’t go home again. You can’t go back.
Tags: NJ, PA, you can't go back, you can't go home again, your roots
Posted in balance, life, local, mental health, relationships, seasons, time, wisdom |
I don’t know how much longer Pax will be with us. Last night the dog came in and walked to the kitchen. He was on his haunches and his hind legs were so weak that he could not get up right away. He has two torn knees and get pain meds twice a day. Our vet said on his last visit just make him as comfortable as you can. There is no more he can do for him. Pax is thirteen and an half–pretty old for a large dog. The time will come when we will have to put him down. Right now I will enjoy him as long as I can. He won’t be around much longer.
Tags: dogs, large dog, Pax, pax has two torn knees, pets, two torn knees, vet
Posted in death, local, pets, relationships, time |
I looked at my dogs outside. All four. Each was facing away from the large white pine tree forming a circle around the tree in a different direction. I love my four dogs. Each differently. Coco, a female black long haired is simply sweet. Pax the elder likes the sound of his own voice. Sweetie the golden retriever is just that sweet and happy go lucky and loves to gnaw on branches. Tilla and I have a special relationship. I earned his loyalty by almost endlessly rubbing his belly. In fact, he often gives me a hug by resting his upper body on me and then having me pet him. He is no small dog–at least seventy pounds–very affectionate. All of them are big. They are enjoying the snow today. I never in my wildest dreams expected to own four dogs (and that does not include the seven cats who roam the house). To say the least, we have no mouse problem in our house. I could not have imagined this menagerie twenty-five years ago.
Tags: belly rubs, big dogs, Coco, dog hugs, dogs, four dogs, my menagerie, no mouse problem, Pax, pets, seven cats, snow, Sweetie, Tilla, white pine tree
Posted in local, pets, relationships |
