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A Tangle of things.

It was a week of intentional distractions from the stress of a situation that’s 100% out of my control.

Don’t you love those?

God, grant me the Serenity
To accept the things I cannot change…
Courage to change the things I can,
And Wisdom to know the difference.

Okay, God. I’m on it.  I get it. I can’t do anything about it.

Nothing. Nada. Zero. Not a thing.

So of course I only say “but maybe,” “if only,” “but just” and “but what if” about a thousand times a day.

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Great CBT Podcast!

All about CBT and how it works and how it can help you!!

Dr. Julie Osborn, a therapist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), shares her experiences in the field and helps her listeners; addressing the issues they face and the situations they find themselves in. CBT is a short-term, goal-orientated psychotherapy treatment that takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem solving. Dr. Osborn teaches how cognitive behavioral therapy can be used everyday in our lifelong pursuit of happiness.

  • MAY 28, 2021

Self-Sabotage

Self-Sabotage

Do other people get annoyed with you because you act or react a certain way?Do you feel like you’re always messing up or losing relationships because of certain behaviors?Do you feel hopeless and stuck in an endless pattern of negative thoughts and automatic reactions?In this episode, Dr Julie h…

  • MAY 21, 2021

How To Reframe Your Feelings

How To Reframe Your Feelings

Do you struggle with negative feelings – anxiety, loneliness, depression, resentment, anger, fear?Do you wish you could just make them all go away?In this episode, Dr Julie shares with you a CBT technique that will empower you to reframe your thoughts and feelings in a positive way, bringing yo…

  • MAY 14, 2021

Are You Judging Me?

Are You Judging Me?

Do you feel exhausted trying to keep up with other people’s expectations of you?Do you feel like you’re constantly being judged?In this episode, Dr Julie looks at the insecurities and anxieties many of us feel in response to other’s perceived judgement of us. She explains some of the reasons these in…

  • MAY 7, 2021

How To Assert Yourself

How To Assert Yourself

Do you struggle to communicate your desires and preferences?Do you feel like people walk all over you and you are powerless to change it?In this episode, Dr Julie talks about what it means to be assertive in a healthy way, how it can benefit you and how to do it. Using the power of Cognitive Beh…

  • APR 30, 2021

Understanding Personality Disorders

Understanding Personality Disorders

What is the difference between personality quirks and a personality disorder?Why do people have personality disorders?If you’re in a relationship with someone with a personality disorder, what is the best way to deal with that? In this episode, Dr Julie Osborn helps demystify personality disorders, ex…

Don’t you forget about me.

Very Good Pleasure To Meet You (w/ Andrew McCarthy)

Literally! With Rob Lowe

In which Rob and actor/author/director Andrew McCarthy discuss their lives in and out of the Brat Pack, Andrew’s new memoir Brat: An ‘80s Story, directing young actors, showing up prepared, sobriety, and the undying legacy of Weekend At Bernie’s. Plus: Rob answers a question about getting through high school in the LoweDown Line. Got a question for Rob? Call our voicemail at (323) 570-4551. Your question could get featured on the show!

The Problem with Depression: Again. And again.

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I was on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional from DC  to Baltimore when I got the alert that Kate Spade had ended her life.  I couldn’t believe it and I desperately searched the internet for posts that proved the news a hoax.

But it wasn’t a hoax and the horrible news was confirmed immediately by credible sources.

I texted my sister-in-law.

Kate Spade killed herself.”

Knowing she would be pressed for the best way to respond, I added “I can’t un-know that.”

Kakki, the sister I had always wanted, texted back.

oh no,” she said.

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Chewing Gum and Good Drivers

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Snacks and productivity. Well, D.U.H.

More on snacks later.

As for productivity, well…..whatever.

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Now hop on over to the Getting to Six podcast and listen to the wondrous wisdom and observations of Tim Kenney.  He’s fascinating. And a really great guy.

We love him.

Then listen to Dr. Drew and Bob Forrest on This Life. Specifically go to Episode 37 where they talk about borderline personalities with Heather McDonald. It’s ridiculously interesting…and not just because I know all about borderline personality from real life.

So much cool stuff for a M…..oops….almost said the M Word.

I shall not.

So Happy ‘not-saying-the-M-Word‘ day.

More later.

Trying Dragon NaturallySpeaking as an alternative to Apple Dictation.

Wish me luck!

Okay…not much progress with Dragon yet because Apple is easy to keep using. Will play with it later.

But here’s today’s single panel – enjoy!

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Back to work everyone!

xoxo, d

Freedom lies in being bold.

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Freedom lies in being bold.
~Robert Frost~

BUGS AND JOYS

Last night (Saturday night), when it was way too late to be doing homework, two of my favorite people came up with homework.

The friend who loves exercises, was talking about writing a daily journal. The friend who loves inspired ideas and trying new things said he wanted to try it.

There was some cool twist on the daily journal but I can’t recall what it was since it was too damn late for the conversation we were having.

But we decided to journal together.

Well, not together, but on our own and together in spirit.

The friend who loves inspired ideas came up with the format: three things that are bugging you today and three joys of the day.

My joys are easy today so I’ll get them over with.

(1) I evened out my self-inflicted haircut and took off a bit more from the length.

This is a follow up to a joy from yesterday in which I was glad I got around to cutting my hair.

I knew my haircut had not been implemented quite evenly last night, but I needed for my hair to calm down a bit after being washed. Then, this morning, I woke up with more relaxed hair and just went at it.

I’m not sure if it’s a universal feeling, but I always feel reborn when I cut my hair.

And yes, people ask me why I don’t just go to a salon.

The answers are that I am (1) too lazy, (2) too cheap, and (3) too antsy to sit in a chair and pay for conversation I don’t feel like having.

I’ll post a pic of the cut later.  It’s fresh.

A bit choppy, perhaps, but worth every dime.

(2) The second Joy is too easy since I went to hear my niece’s band play in a Battle of the Bands.

Kids being passionate. Kids rocking out. Kids following dreams.

Joys don’t get much better than that.

I won’t ruin it with words.

(3) The third Joy is too easy too.

While listening to the Battle of the Bands, I got to watch the other niece drawing on my iPad (using Art Studio)

My niece doesn’t realize it, but I could sit next to her watching her draw forever.

It’s heaven, at least for me.

She also doesn’t realize that she draws in my style.

Pure joy.

Okay…..sooooooo…..

The Bugs, or the Ughs, as we came to call them, are also easy.

(1) I got very little work done.

I generally have a certain large amount of work I need to do on the weekend to be ready for the week and to avoid starting Monday behind.

But friends came over to talk about business and life and passion and I stayed up too late on Saturday and woke up too early on Sunday for Battle of the Bands.  So my brain was fried mushy mush today.

(2) I didn’t get to run or bike with Bella (Chief Dog-in-Chief).

Sunday is usually a triple header for us – a hike through the woods, a bike ride to Georgetown and a run or scoot to National Cathedral.

But I was busy listening to middle school rock bands impress me, so no bike or run.

Boo hoo.

(3) The third ugh is embarrassing for me as a supposably evolved female.

I was outside with Bella and my best friends, two seven-year old twin boys and their four-year old brother.

We were playing and I was teaching them how to get a workout with a band.

So we’re working out with the band and talking about serious topics like why Bella wants to be picked up and carried like a baby.

One seven-year old told me he weighed 60 pounds. Or 59. Or something.

We talked about his weight for a while

I’m not sure what the focus was.

Then the seven-year old brother informed me he weighed 100 pounds, which of course he doesn’t since he’s seven.

I dramatically refused to accept his information in that dramatic way kids love for adults to talk.

So he said he weighed 99 pounds.

And I dramatically rejected the new number.

And on it went.

He weighed 98 pounds. No!

97 pounds. No! 96 pounds. No! No! No!

At some point, one of the boys asked me how much I weigh and I did something very bad.

I began to tell them it’s not polite to ask a women her weight.  I was honestly and lovingly thinking I could save them from a future of getting slapped or otherwise reprimanded.

But then I realized I was perpetuating a stupid gender distinction. I was helping these boys to think the weight of a girl matters…or that when girls obsess about their weight it’s a normal, healthy thing.

And then I got flustered because I was trying to figure out a gender political position with minor children who belong to other people.

So I did what I always do in such situations.

I told them to ask their mom about asking women their weight.

Ugh all over that one. Stupid me.

Hope your bugs or ughs weren’t too awful.

Hope your joys were joyful.

It helped me to see the cartoon I had drawn for posting today.

 

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It was a good reminder that most of life is outside of your control and therefore not worth too much worry.

Here it is….. enjoy and have a great week. Or a good one.

xoxo, d

 

 

 

 

 

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