SOAR to Success in SOCIAL WORK

Full of Surprises

Have you ever had one of those moments, when someone you are close to and think you know very well, does something you believe is so out of character it surprises you? Now that I think of it, shock is probably a better word. As we've gotten older, my sister Kat and I have gotten closer. It's been a tough year for our family. Last Christmas, Mom was still in the house, but Dad was in the Rehabilitation Center at Hidden Lake. We tried to bring Christmas to Dad, but found Christmas Eve with the rest of the residents was much more festive and fun. Somewhere in the middle of all this, we started talking about A Charlie Brown Christmas being on TV. Kat started doing the dance that the kids do around the Christmas Tree. I was blown away. This is my sister...the quiet one...she doesn't dance! We laughed and giggled. We tried to get to Dad to watch it together last year, but couldn't make it happen. We've already been talking about what we can do to make Christmas special this year, since Mom and Dad are in assited living together. Maybe we'll all go over to see them in their apartment and do the Charlie Brown Christmas tree dance for them. Now that, should make anyone smile. Seeing this Halloween decoration, got me in the mood! Is it too early to start practicing? Happy Halloween to All!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       SOAR to Success in SOCIAL WORK with me, Laury A. Bourgeois, LCSW-BACS, 2617 Columbus Street, New Orleans, LA, 70119, (504) 261-2895, and Chatette Cadrieu, Les Hortes, Route de Cajarc, 46160 Cadrieu, FRANCE, 05.65.11.01.72, lauryab990@hotmail.com

A Potholder for Nadine

Having discovered the therapeutic value of making potholders; I've taken to making them for friends. Now, not everyone will particularly appreciate a potholder. But, I knew Nadine would. We were set to go see our friend Pat Davis in Bay St. Louis this Sunday coming. When Nadine and I touched base to confirm over the phone; I told her I had some surprise presents I'd be bringing along for her. I knew there was blue in her kitchen, and purple has been the color of the women's movement at different times, et voila! You can guess which one was meant for Nadine.  Our potholder and bookmarks may need to be considered in a whole new way. These wheels are turning! Missing you Nadine!                                                   

SOAR to Success in SOCIAL WORK with me, Laury A. Bourgeois, LCSW-BACS, 2617 Columbus Street, New Orleans, LA 70119, (504) 261-2895, and Chatette Cadrieu, Les Hortes, Route de Cajarc, 46160, Cadrieu, FRANCE, 05.65.11.01.72, lauryab990@hotmail.com

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Creativity...

Holding

Saturdays

Final Days of Friendship

Flowers for My Friend

Walking...

Peaceful

Presence

Final Days of Friendship

On Saturday, I wrote an article for the Louisiana Association of Clinical of Social Worker's (LACSW) Newsletter, where I talked about surrounding myself with new young social workers who keep me young and current. But ah, there is the other side. I've also surrounded myself with seasoned social work veterans, whose knowledge, expertise and friendship helped me stay the course. The last time I pulled this photo out, I marveled at the fact that between the five us; there was close to 300 years of social work experience and commitment. Now, that's impressive. Today, I pull the photo out because on Thursday, our friend Nadine Henneman passed away. The profession loses an activist, an exemplary social worker, a champion of excellent services for everyone; and I've lost a dear friend. We miss you Nadine.

Falling...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ...along the Lot in 2010. Color...memories...home.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Laroque des Arcs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you were in Laroque-des-Arcs...New Orleans is even further than the points on the Route Mondiale!                                                                                                                                                                                   SOAR to Success in SOCIAL WORK with me, Laury A. Bourgeois, LCSW-BACS, 2617 Columbus Street, New Orleans, LA 70119, (504) 261-2895, and Chatette Cadrieu, Les Hortes, Route de Cajarc, 46160, Cadrieu, FRANCE

Devastation Smile

           The walls were down. The fence was wavy. A slat was gone, the flowers...gravy!                                                                                                                                                                SOAR to Success in SOCIAL WORK with me, Laury A. Bourgeois, LCSW-BACS, 2617 Columbus Street, New Orleans, LA 70119, (504) 261-2895, and Chatette Cadrieu, Les Hortes, Route de Cajarc, 46160, Cadrieu, FRANCE, 05.65.11.01.72, lauryab990@hotmail.com

Surprising Metaphors-Racism

Teaching two sections of Diversity this semester, pushes me to further awareness and information at every turn. There are times when it feels like too much to take in all at once. And then there are times, when an article, or a reading screams at me. I enjoy working with metaphor. I use it with my clients, and have developed workshops around the topic. The reading for this week's class was: Levels of Racism: A Theoretic Framework and a Gardener's Tale, Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, MPH, PhD, American Journal of Public Health, August 2000, Vol. 90, No. 8. Dr. Jones outlines three levels of racism in her theory: institutional racism, personally mediated racism, and internalized racism. After an in depth description of each level, she uses a personal vignette about a pack of seeds and two flower pots: one with existing poor, rocky soil; and, the other with new fresh, fertile soil; to show how important the quality of the soil and the environment are in terms of growth and development. The metaphor becomes more interesting, when the gardener has two packs of seeds for the same flowers, but different colors. The gardener prefers red over pink. The pink flowers are planted in the poor, rocky soil. The red flowers are planted in the fresh rich soil. As you can imagine, the red flowers grow and flourish. For the pink flowers in the poor soil; the weakest pink seeds don't make it, and the fittest only grow to middling height. The metaphor enables us to take a topic that could be a difficult conversation, give it form, move it outside of ourselves, and begin. As the metaphor takes us through the various stages and happenings in each, there is a point in the discussion where metaphor evaporates and we are talking about the pain of oppressed people and racism. Although Dr. Jones points to the United States government as the gardener, our classes agreed; we too, are the gardeners and action is required to continue to fight racism in our country. If you haven't read this article, I'd highly recommend you do.

SOAR to Success in SOCIAL WORK with me, Laury A. Bourgeois, LCSW-BACS, 2617 Columbus Street, New Orleans, LA, 70119, (504) 261-2895, and Chatette Cadrieu, Les Hortes, Route de Cajarc, 46160, Cadrieu, FRANCE, 05.65.11.01.72, lauryab990@hotmail.com

 

 

 

 

Brain Healthy 2

A little photo sample of some more brain healthy eating. (I don't think the "Clan Campbell" is found on that list.) 

Brain Healthy

One of the side-effects of experiencing Mom's aging journey from the side-lines, has been to think about what is ahead for me and what I might do to make those outcomes more positive. Don't get me wrong. I'm enough of a realist to know, you can't stop the train. But, if there are things I can do now, or changes I can make, why not? It's better to start drinking green tea, eating walnuts and pecans, yogurt and cutting back on sugar now at 59, than when I'm 80-something and having memory trouble. I figure if it will help Mom now, it can't hurt me to start. Interestingly, most of what is on Mom's list, is already part of my week. Nuts have always felt too expensive here, but now they are added to my list. Every time I buy a bag of walnuts, I think about home. Walnuts are falling from the trees all along the traintracks...maybe even thousands of them. I've always had enough, and here I am paying $5 for a half a pound. Oh well, at least they're shelled. Care to join me for a morning Fage plain yogurt, with walnuts and pecans, and just a touch of honey?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          SOAR to Success in SOCIAL WORK with me, Laury A. Bourgeois, LCSW-BACS, 2617 Columbus Street, New Orleans, LA 70119, (504) 261-2895, and Chatette Cadrieu, Les Hortes, Route de Cajarc, 46160, Cadrieu, FRANCE, 05.65.11.01.72, lauryab990@hotmail.com