Vote No to Legalizing Marijuana

Not Your Grandpa’s Shake        Opposition to Prop 64      

 

Why shouldn’t we legalize recreational use of marijuana? People should be allowed to get high if they want to, right? I used to think that way; I didn’t think marijuana should be illegal. The first time I smoked pot, as a teenager in the 1960’s, my step-brother sent some home from Viet Nam; it opened more than my eyes, it opened a door into the drug world that I couldn’t close for 15 years. During those years I got involved with drug smugglers, growers, and dealers and I learned first hand that people who break the law in one area don’t think twice about breaking it in other areas. So let me start there: marijuana is still illegal at the Federal level, anyone using it in any form is still breaking a Federal law, that’s one area. Here is another part of law breaking, people get high and get in their cars and drive. The American Automobile Association AAA has statistics of an increase in car accidents in states that have legalized marijuana. (Sacramento Bee 2016) Driving under the influence of marijuana is like drinking and driving, and we already have a lot of people out there getting into their cars after a wine tasting, do we need to add to the numbers of impaired drivers? Speaking of wine, there are people who believe that smoking a joint is no different than drinking a glass of wine. Really? When is the last time someone told you they got paranoid after drinking wine? I know that for over 30 years the growers have been cultivating to get stronger strains of cannabis with higher Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. Smugglers didn’t just bring back pounds, they also brought seeds to the growers; they wanted those sticky resin fibers on the buds in abundance for a longer lasting high and the hallucinatory effect, which makes you vulnerable to paranoia. This generation of Cannabis isn’t your grandpa’s shake, that’s what we called the baggies of leaves we smoked. Those dried out leaves weren’t very strong, but even that marijuana was and still is considered a drug. Remember marijuana is a drug that affects your brain; research what marijuana does to the brain (How Stuff Works Bosner and Gerbis 2001).  

Marijuana is especially harmful to developing brains, the very time when many young people try it, not realizing that some people have a predisposition for mental illness. High levels of THC can cause psychosis which can be triggered the earlier a person starts smoking marijuana. (Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016) There are studies in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe confirming this, why isn’t there more research here in the United States on cannabis and its side effects? We passed the Medical Marijuana Bill without going through the right channels so now we have growers and distributors telling us it’s good for whatever ails us; there is antidotal hearsay for topical use to the cure for cancer. But think about this, if it cures cancer then what did Bob Marley die from? (Wikipedia) He was the Jamaican ganja guru of my generation.

Here is another side effect of legalization that you rarely hear about: pets and children getting into marijuana edibles and overdosing. I first saw this on Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet, a program out of Colorado, where he was trying to save a dog that had eaten its owner stash, so I asked my local vet and he verified it saying that they were seeing an increase in cases.

Ask yourself “Who is behind this push for the legalization of marijuana?” Follow the money trail. (Washington Times 2014) One reason proponents use to legalize is by saying that it will solve our financial problems. That is the same argument the Lottery used and did the Lottery help our schools, or are we still asking for money to repair buildings, provide books for children, and pay our teachers? Bringing in taxes, if the distributors comply, will not offset the costs incurred from implementing this proposed law.

Prop 64 wants you to believe that by legalizing marijuana we won’t have criminal activity by the drug cartels. Back in the early 1970’s when I was involved there wasn’t a drug cartel, my friends just thought we were doing a good thing by bringing money to the struggling farmers in Mexico, and other places, and then bringing marijuana back so people could party. That justification worked until people starting dying. There is always a consequence to the choices we make. I see now that the money we and other people gave them, planted the very seeds that grew the drug cartels, and now the cartels have moved on to other more lucrative illegal drugs.  

One thing I think the proponents and opponents of Prop 64 agree on is the problem of incarcerating people for minor marijuana possession. These long term sentences overcrowd our prisons. We need Sentencing Reform, more addiction recovery programs, and an up grade in our mental health facilities, not blanket legalization of marijuana. 

Another thing I know personally is that it is rare for a person to smoke marijuana and not go on to try other drugs, and for addicts it’s “one is never enough and one is too many.” We didn’t believe that marijuana was addicting, we now know that anything that changes your brain chemistry and is used on a continual basis becomes an addiction. (Pietrangelo 2014) If Prop 64 passes more people will try marijuana adding to the numbers of people who have a tendency towards addiction. Is that what we need in California; a tsunami of new addicts? If Proposition 64 passes then we will all be dealing with the fall out from DUI, drug addiction which harms our families and neighborhoods, and adds people to our flawed mental health system. I have the benefit of hindsight and longevity to say that in my opinion Prop 64 is bad for California.

Sometimes You Need Help



One of our three rescued dogs needs surgery, and we can't afford it. With cancer if we wait too long it spreads. We have always taken care of our dogs needs and would this time without a second thought, but I can't charge another thing on my credit card. We are paying off a clutch we just replaced this summer. Please share this link...God Bless you.  
https://www.gofundme.com/dachshund-juliets-cancer-surgery?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=campaign_link_t&utm_campaign=welcome

He's Like That

We stood in the cemetery, an icy wind betrayed the blue sky, no heat reached us from the yellow globe over head. On a hill overlooking distant hills finally green from days of rain, we waited shivering as the Marines unfolded the Flag; Stars and Stripes threatened to take to the sky like a kite. Behind us the mournful notes of Taps reached our ears, and at that moment a red tailed hawk flew up from the valley, soaring on wind currents, chasing the harbinger of death, reminding us that the spirit lives on.

Later that day, at the store we walked past a young woman, her child in a grocery cart in front of their car; I smiled at her and went to get my own cart, and turning to say something to John I noticed he had stopped to talk to her. Maybe he knows her: he's friendly like that. In a few minutes he met me in the store, piling items in the cart he shares that as he walked past her he felt like he was supposed to ask her if she was alright. He sensed she was distressed. She was. She couldn't lift her little girl out of the cart, she wasn't supposed to lift anything over 25 pounds because she was pregnant and had suffered a hernia. John said he would help and when he reached for the little girl she just jumped into his arms. Then he helped with their groceries. He's like that. The Patron Saint of Damsels in Distress.

New Ventures 2016

We are trying new things in 2016, a year of change, and a year of opportunity. I have been looking for new ways to highlight and show John Barrett's art: this is one way I've found to begin, Art as Fashion. Using images from his art that aren't for sale and giving people the opportunity to enjoy them as fashion pieces. The company is www.shopvida.com  their story is one of young entrepreneurs' creating fashion by working directly with artisans and then giving a portion back by providing literacy education for their factory workers who make the clothes. You can see John's page at the link below:

http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/john-barrett 

Merry Christmas 2015

Every year when I put up our manger I think about Jesus's whole life. In it you can see baby Jesus, his mother Mary, and father Joseph surrounded by the animals and Shepherds. Angels oversee the scene and the wise men with camels come bearing gifts...but look closely and one comes with elephants from Africa, and in the back ground is a pyramid representing Egypt where the Holy family fled from Herod.  Surrounding the crib are seashells and stones from the Holy Land, and the coins Judas received for betraying Him. In the distance a tiny olive wood cross stands waiting, and at His feet the square headed nail that pierced His flesh. There is also the alabaster jar ready to for the woman from Bethany to annoit Him, and oil and a Jewish lamp.  Look again and there is a carved wooden bowl made from the cedars of Lebanon and tiny jars or Frankincense and Myrrh. Every piece tells His story and the most important part not seen, but felt is His love for us. Merry Christmas...O come O come Emmanuel...

Biography of a Man of Faith

David Wilkerson: The Cross, The Switchblade and The Man Who Believed

There are certain people in the world who have a profound effect on your life, whether you knew them personally or not, and for me one of those people was David Wilkerson. For those of us whose personal struggle with drug addiction ultimately led them to Jesus Christ, we can thank David Wilkerson for paving the way, by listening to the Holy Spirit and stepping out in faith, way back in the late 1950’s, where he opened the hearts of evangelists and pastors to reach out to us. My mother gave me a copy of The Cross and The Switchblade when she was praying and searching for a way to get me out of the drug world.

 In this biography, his son Gary Wilkerson presents a well rounded look into the man, who I would list in the company of Mother (Saint) Theresa, and Billy Graham. David wasn’t perfect; he didn’t come from a perfect family life; even though generations of his family members have been Christians. He was a person who had doubts, and struggled like we all do with relationships. But he prayed and sought God, and listened for guidance everyday and then he acted on what he was shown. Out of his obedience we have Teen Challenge turning young lives around and giving hope to families. We also have worldwide ministries that reach the poor and overlooked and there are new pastors and evangelists being sent out to give witness to the power of Jesus Christ to break addictions. I would highly recommend this book to people of faith who need encouragement in their walk, I know it changed my feelings about the hopeless mess our world is in and encouraged me to keep praying and reaching out. This book is a five star keeper.

http://www.amazon.com/David-Wilkerson-Cross-Switchblade-Believed/dp/0310326273/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426192287&sr=1-3&keywords=david+wilkerson

It Just Takes One

It Just Takes One

Years ago I went to my first Writers’ Conference hoping to get encouragement or insight, even if it meant discouraging me from becoming a writer, because I wanted to write a memoir about how I got into and out of the drug world. I left the conference with a lot of information about what the literary industry wanted, and also with a little book titled “You Start with One” by Deo Miller and Susan Titus. It was the story about how Deo and his wife wanted to help abandoned children in Sri Lanka find homes. They were overwhelmed by the needs of these kids, but they decided to find one child a home and they ended up helping multitudes.

Later on in my journey to be an author, I read Anne Lamont’s Bird by Bird another book about doing things little by little. So that is how I wrote my memoir, little by little over 20 years; one idea, one memory, one line, one chapter at a time.

When the economy tanked I spent over a year filling out mountains of paperwork, month after month, trying to save our home from foreclosure: contacting our bank and every program we fit into, trying every lead, and getting nothing but overwhelming stress and buckets of tears. Then as I was ready to give up and walk away, my husband who has learning disabilities, handwrites one letter with spelling and grammar errors included, to one person; the CEO of the bank, and sent copies to every politician and news media he thought might help. Immediately the bank called, and started helping us get a loan modification. We are finishing up the trial modification and should get the permanent loan Modification in February. From that one letter we now have letters from The White House, the governor, 2 senators, an assembly man, a state representative, the Department of Justice, The Department of Treasury, including a call from our district attorney’s office, another assemblywoman, and a personal contact with our attorney general’s office who is working closely with us to save our house. Everyone made phone calls and sent letters to our bank to help us, and many more people prayed that we’d get help. When all else fails remember it just takes one; one person who goes that extra mile and doesn’t give up.

As we head into the New Year the news is filled with pending doom of the Fiscal Cliff, the people we put into office can’t seem to find common ground and yet if one person, one Party, would shift a little, to do the job we asked them to do, to look out for us and put us first we could break through this quagmire and start the year united.


We have just celebrated Christmas, a time where we remember that one young girl said yes to God and put her needs aside, and she changed to course of mankind forever. Will we be the one that looks at the impossible and says with God all things are possible? I hope so. A Happy New Year to you and your loved ones.

Lilly, our newest foster dog, who had a broken back
and still lives her life running at full speed.



I'm thinking about and remembering all our servicemen and women today, who put their lives on the line to serve our country and stand for freedom. With many prayers and thanks for all they do. Here is the story of one brave man and the dog who helps his recovery.

 

 

Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him 

Luis Carlos Montalvan

 

I originally picked up this book to give it to my brother-in-law, who had recently lost his Golden Retriever, but then I read the introduction and couldn’t help but read the whole thing—it’s that compelling. This is the story of 2 heroes, Luis Carlos Montalvan is an Iraq war veteran who came home wounded—most of the wounds hidden, like a traumatic brain injury, but they devastated his life nonetheless. He is one of thousands of servicemen and women who are struggling to find their way in a society that doesn’t comprehend the trauma’s they have lived through. His determination to survive being “home” and his succinct writing gives voice to many who are slipping through the cracks. The other hero is Tuesday, his service dog, who made it possible for him to write this book.

 

Tuesday’s story is as captivating as his; a puppy born to be a service dog who went through some heartbreaking issues at the beginning of his training, and who didn’t quite have the personality make up of a traditional service dog. Yet he became the perfect dog for Fmr. Capt. Montalvan. Until Tuesday, gave me new insight into the training of service dogs. If you love dog stories, war stories, or inspirational stories then this is the one to read. I have one warning for parents, because of some graphic details of the Iraq war I wouldn’t recommend this for children.  For me it is a definite 5 stars story.  

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Until-Tuesday-Wounded-Warrior-Retriever/dp/B008PICH78/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352747107&sr=1-1&keywords=until+tuesday



Fruit of My Spirit Reframing Life in God's Grace

From the moment I began reading the preface of Fruit of My Spirit I chuckled; here was a writer I related to; a real person, close to my age, who responded to life like anyone else, her words not spiritually sugar coated: “I’m impatient whenever life has the audacity to thwart my plans. I get frustrated whenever life presents a detour or a hurdle.” Oh yeah…Amen sister, preach it!

Deanna Nowadnick’s memories of love, marriage, family, her childhood, her teen years and adulthood are down to earth, sometimes funny even embarrassing and I know that many people will be helped by her way of seeing Gods hand in even the most trying times. Her book helped me, and that’s a miracle because I’ve been in the midst of one of the hardest years of my life. It made me happy to start each day, these last 2 weeks, reading a chapter. It was good to look at my circumstances in a different light.

As Christians, Deanna reminds us that to be a Christian doesn’t mean we are perfect, and perfection doesn’t matter because God loves us just the way we are, in spite of our short comings. Anyone who is not a Christian will read her memoir and get insight into those “not so perfect” relatives that keep bugging them to go to church. The thing is, we didn’t just “arrive” in holiness when we said yes to Jesus—we arrive when we enter heaven, all else is the time we spend preparing to be ready, and sharing the love of God. I’m giving five stars to this little book (90 pages) with hope that you will pick one up and let God’s grace touch you through her message. Hurry now, go read Galatians 5:22-23 and find out about the fruit of the Spirit.

*Here's a special note to Deanna...We didn't need to watch Survivor on TV, we survived Blue Birds and Campfire girls... I don't "Do" camping either. Our joke is "my idea of camping is a room in the Holiday Inn in a sleeping bag." ;-)

here's a link to Deanna Nowadnick's Fruit of My Spirit
http://www.amazon.com/Fruit-My-Spirit-Deanna-Nowadnick/dp/0983589720/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343426450&sr=1-1&keywords=fruit+of+my+spirit

Awesome Book by Susan Casey about Big Waves

Book review:  The Wave: In Pusuit of Rogues, Freaks and the Giants of the Ocean  

“Except for luminous glints of turquoise at its peak, the wave was sapphire blue, gin clear, and flecked with white. If heaven were a color, it would be tinted like this.” This quote is Susan Casey’s description of seeing a wave up close at Jaws, a Maui surf spot known for huge dangerous waves.

At fifteen, my father gave me a 9ft Ole surfboard—it was too big for me and I could barely drag it down the beach. I wanted to look cool with it under my arm like all the surfers did and I wanted more than anything to be the girl that the Beach Boys sang about in Surfer Girl. It wasn’t going to happen, but that big board attracted surfers who wanted to help me get it into the water and teach me how to paddle out. I loved watching them catch the waves. Years later my love affair with Ocean waves and surfers really took off when I watched early surf films and saw the shots Greenough took inside the tube of pristine waves; their glassy faces a peek into another world. So when I heard about Susan Casey’s book, The Wave, I had to read it and she didn’t disappoint. It is the perfect blend of surf stories from some of the best big wave riders and the guys who help them make it out to those waves along with the guys who help in the rescues when the waves eat them up and spit them out; and a look into the history, physics, and science of freak monster waves that appear out of nowhere and cause massive destruction. Read this book and it will change the way you look at the seas around the world. An entertaining and educational 5 star read for anyone who loves the Ocean.



A New Christian Classic

Leaving Egypt: Finding God in the Wilderness Places  Chuck De Groat

Sometimes you find the right book at the right time; Leaving Egypt was that book for me. I embraced the words Chuck De Groat wrote and hugged them to my heart every morning during my quiet time. Here is someone who is speaking too many of us who are holding onto things that are keeping us in bondage. Whether those burdens are actual possessions or addictions, or even comfortable habits that detract from our true purpose in this life, we need help to move on.

Based on the Exodus story, De Groat draws comparisons between Israel’s slavery in Egypt, and deliverance through Moses who leads them through the desert for forty years; with the areas in our lives that we are stuck in. We sometimes, like Israel, are frightened to let go and follow God not knowing what lies ahead. He shows us how we cling to the past, because it’s known, and how we have trouble trusting that God has a better plan and wants freedom for us. This book is a must read for believers who desire a closer walk with God and I believe it could become a Christian classic along side devotionals like Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest. The format is easy to read with short chapters, subsections, and a few key questions to ponder at the end of each chapter. Leaving Egypt can be used as a basis for bible study or group study, and also good reference material for anyone in ministry who counsels the hurting and those struggling with addiction. 5 stars. I read this book through the Amazon Vine program.

Sometimes you can't see what's uphead, that's when trusting God makes all the difference. Traveling this journey with you ;-) 

http://www.amazon.com/Leaving-Egypt-Finding-Wilderness-Places/dp/1592556736/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332011970&sr=1-1

Free

If you have a Kindle you can get my book for free for a short time ;-)
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Titmouse-Journey-Darkness-ebook/dp/B004HKINU8/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1330994496&sr=1-2-catcorr

Collecting Memories

Looking through the window in the door at dad's house in the evening after his memorial.

That time passes so quickly takes me back, I am stunned by the thought that tomorrow would have been my dad's 82nd birthday, one we all thought he'd be celebrating with more to come in the future. I've been cycling through the stages of grief, missing him one moment, mad that he's gone the next and tearing up at odd times.

In a book I'm reading I came across this poem by Henry Scott Holland; it begins:



Death is nothing at all,

I have only slipped into the next room

I am I and you are you

What ever we were to each other,

That we are still.

In my heart I know it's true, but here on earth death is a tearing apart, a seperation across a divide that we can't cross; no more words spoken, no more smiles shared and we are left with memories more precious than gold. Thank God for pictures, and family and friends that still remember "the time when....."  What I remember is a father's hug, wisdom shared, laughing at his sarcastic quips, and working side by side. 

Happy Birthday dad, love and hugs ;-)



City of Tranquil Light Bo Caldwell

Exotic locations, adventure, earthquake, kidnapping, murders, bandits, government upheaval, romance, and a powerful message that cuts to the heart; if that sounds interesting than you’ll love this book, I know I did. Edward Geisler, a Mennonite Missionary to inland China, shows up at Will’s family farm in Oklahoma in 1906. He’s there to speak to their church about the need for missionaries in China and after talking with Will he invites him to go there with him. He tells Will that “The suffering is great, as is the need for help, physical and spiritual.” Will, who is 21 years old, struggles with his decision and yet leaves everything and everyone he knows to go where he feels God, is calling him. In China, Will finds a dangerous dark place, the Mandarin language is hard to learn, every day life is difficult, but he also finds love for the people and the villages and towns where he travels, and for Edwards’ sister in-law Katherine, a nurse who has traveled with them.

The story is told from two viewpoints: Will’s memories and Katherine’s journal entries. It is based on the author’s maternal grandparents, and many other missionaries that went to China. Beautifully written, it grabbed my heart and spoke to my soul. There are so many good quotes I could have underlined the whole book. One of my favorites is when Edward, looking back on his life there, tells Will “To love a place. To hold it so dearly that one aches at the memory of it. Are we not most fortunate.” I read this novel on my kindle, and have to say it is one I’ll read again.

Backyard Finch 

oils on Cigar Box lid

Art by John Barrett

My Word for the Year

My word for the year is life. I've been reading articles about choosing one word that resonates with you for the year, well life is what I choose, but let me tell you it's hard when so many people I've known and loved have passed away. I feel like I need to say it out loud "I choose to keep on living", regardless of the grief, in spite of the inner-pull to not care, in spite of the doomsday predictions of Apocalypse and the Mayan calender. I want to live joyfully, abundantly, to continue to find things that are funny in the obsurd. Speaking of that, I kept thinking that the anniversaire of my mom's death was on the 19th (a few days from now), so I spent the morning looking for a picture of her to post. She was someone who lived life fully, traveling all over the world, making friends out of strangers, speaking her mind even when it would cause conflict because she could see the bigger picture and wanted the best for others. After going through many albums I came across this picture of her in the Holy Land, her first trip there; and she went without a traveling companion. 

Under this picture she wrote the word Allelujah! 

I have to smile when I see this picture of her and Sammy the camel with her friend Ali the Bedouin. Anyway back to today, we drove into town and on the way home John asked me if I wanted to stop by her grave. As we cleaned the headstone, he pointed out laughingly that today (not the 19th) was the anniversaire of her death...hmmm....then I looked around and saw ciggarette butts scattered by the grave where she and my step-father are buried and it was just like they were having a smoke together in the old days. Here's to a new year full of promise and life and joy ;-)

Love Has Its Ups and Downs by Bonnie Rice

Bonnie Rice is writing from the heart about being married to a husband with Bipolar disorder and what it takes to stay married and raise a family in the chaos of the illness. She deserves much credit for putting this together in such an honest, concise and practical way. This is one of those books that I had to stop myself from underlining the whole thing; there is just so much good advice for living with someone with Bipolar illness, and I should know because my mother had it and I became her emotional caretaker until the day she passed away. I wish someone would have written this book earlier; it would have made my childhood and adulthood a little less stressful. In the very least it would have given me some perspective. I didn’t learn some these things until later in life. Saying that, still Bonnie gave me a few “Ah Ha” moments: for example, when the person with Bipolar illness says something mean and hurtful: to remember that it’s not about you—it’s about them. Another one was that “Bipolar affects memory.” There is nothing more frustrating then to be the one still reeling from a manic episode while the Bipolar acts like nothing happened.




Love Has Its Ups and Downs is a great reference book for anyone who has a relationship with someone with mental health issues, and those who want to understand Bipolar illness. Bonnie uses humor in some places to illustrate facts, and her end of chapter questions and worksheets are very helpful. In one of the questions she asks you to remember a funny thing your Bipolar family member said: here’s a classic thing my mom said the first time I talked to her about boundaries, she said, “Boundaries are meant to be broken that’s how new countries are made.” In hindsight it’s funny, at the time not so much. This isn’t a one size fits all manual for marriages surviving Bipolar illness, but it is a starting place to help understand the necessity of boundaries, team support and putting together a workable plan for the health of yourself and your family. 5 stars. I read this on Kindle.



Dragonfly Summer

I spent this summer trying to reclaim some of the feeling of my childhood summers. I placed a pool in the yard and floated, looking up at clear blue skies feeling the sun heating my skin, smelling the fragrance the earth gives off in mid-day. Yes I had sunblock on and a hat on my head that covered my face--an nod to old age and too many early years in the sun--but those quiet moments rejuvenated my body and mind.

Visitors were few, John painted his canvas's and Pretzel, not wanting to swim with me, sniffed the blue rubber sides of the pool and skittered away when I splashed him.  Only one stayed to languish in the noon day sun, an orange dragonfly, who fed my spirit with the glory of God's creation.

"Nature is the living, visible garment of God."  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe



The Language of Flowers Vanessa Diffenbaugh



Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s novel The Language of Flowers is the best fiction I’ve read this year. So good that I didn’t want to stop reading it, I’d tell myself just one more chapter and then get upset because I didn’t want to leave her character, Victoria, without finding out what happened next. From the opening chapter, Victoria’s story grabbed me emotionally. The beauty and the tragic realness of her character, the way she interacted with the people in her life, her heartbreaking hopefulness and self-sabotaging behavior kept me wishing that someone would see below the surface and bring healing to her wounded soul.


Victoria Jones is 18 and aging out of foster care in San Francisco. She is angry and hurting from being raised in the system. She has gone from house to house and group home to group home where her need for love and family were not met. At 10 she finds her best chance at adoption with Elizabeth, a woman who lives alone on a vineyard. She teaches Victoria about grapes and the names and meanings of flowers. It is the meaning of flowers that Victoria grabs onto and this language from the Victorian era helps her navigate through life.

I read this advanced readers copy through the Amazon vine program and can’t wait until it comes out in August 2011 so that I can buy copies. It’s a perfect gift, because it appeals to so many people: anyone who loves children, those who care about what’s happening to our marginalized kids, social workers, foster parents, mental health advocates, or gardeners, lovers of flowers, florists, wedding planners, midwifes and young adults. The list is long but there are probably more types of readers who would like this story. 5 stars, wish I could give it more.



One Summer's Day



A Day in the Garden

Flitting to and fro a marble sized bumblebee dusts a bright golden poppy,

Nearby two orange dragonflies perch on wind swaying branches.

Atop the sun bleached wooden fence a tiny black cat with a red collar slips through a ever widening crack

She spots me and turns back, but not before I notice her belly and know that she has kittens hidden somewhere.

I call her back, “come kitty kitty” there are nice little gray field mice scurrying below your soft padded feet.

She pauses hunched, and leaps to the other side “Not today” she seems to say, “Not today.”

Sitting by the fountain, I stare at green feathered hummingbirds drinking nectar and sword fighting above my head.

Later in the afternoon, the sun makes its way west and I return to sit on the garden bench breathing in the scents of honeysuckle and blackberry blossoms.

In the distance, among the Irises I see a fluffy gray tail waving like a flag,

My neighbors cat Charlie, stalking gophers, patrolling borders, snacking on field mice.



In Memory of Nicole

Dr. Christensen was 34 when he started the mobile medical unit in Arizona to help homeless youth. The hospital on wheels, actually a van that needed more than a little tweaking to work, was donated, but getting it functioning and stocked was an exercise in patience. Luckily he had great people on his side, including Jan Putman, a no nonsense nurse-practitioner, and his wife Amy, also a doctor, who understood him putting in long hours. Ask Me Why I Hurt: The Kids Nobody Wants and the Doctor Who Heals Them chronicles the beginning of the mobile medical clinic, the kids they saw over those first years, and how working with them affected his family life.




Try to imagine being dropped off on the street as a teenager. You have no money, no place to live, no job, and no way of getting help because you don’t have a valid ID to prove who you are. Now add on lack of coping skills because of childhood abuse or trauma. You are sick because you ate food people threw away; you are exposed to the elements, and exploited by mean people who prey on kids like you. You have been injured and beat-up and you need to see a doctor, but you don’t have health insurance and the county medical services can’t help you without an ID and some type of contact number or address.

This is reality for thousands of kids in every State. Some of these kids ran from abusive homes, some have mental illness, some have lost their parents, some are struggling with addiction and some have aged out of foster care. They don’t have family to count on, they don’t have a support network or mentors and they don’t have a voice in our political process. You may not see them in your neighborhood or you may not recognize that they are homeless, but they are out there hurting. We may not be doctors that can physically heal them, and yet we can do our part. They need us, especially our voices and votes for compassionate change.

I couldn’t put this book down, the stories of the young men and women jumped off the page, and so did the stories of Dr. Christensen’s fellow workers and his family. The chronicle of Nicole really touched me; a beautiful homeless young woman with mental illness languishing on the streets year after year not getting the help or the medications she needed to become whole, made me weep. The courage of these kids, even when everything was against their survival, gave me hope.

I didn’t know anything about Dr. Christensen before receiving this book through the Amazon Vine program. I hope he’ll continue to publish more about his work with the homeless youth.  5 stars ;-)