Garden School

Saturday, I got to go along with Launa to Garden School - a series of classes in a variety of gardening topics. This weekend I got to learn about houseplants and plant propagation. Very interesting! And I got to bring home a baby Pathos (basic houseplant) that I'm going to try to grow from a clipping. It was held on the campus of Soka University - a beautiful campus in Aliso Viejo. It totally got me in the mood to start gardening at home now the weather is changing!

Courtesy of Launa's fresh herb garden, I got to bring home some fresh cut cilantro and lettuce for the pigs to enjoy....look at them munch away!

Isn't is supposed to be Spring?

Here's a video clip of our freak mid-March snow:

Kaiser

Today ends my first week at my new job....Kaiser Permanente....and it's gone well I think....

Monday, I visited my 'old haunts' by attending a general orientation meeting in Pasadena! Drove by the condo on Marengo for memory's sake...

The remainder of this week I've been in my new office in Bakersfield. Just today I got my password to log on to my desk computer....but next week is when I'll be attending more training about different things, like the software for the electronic medical records.

Everyone has been tremendously nice and welcoming and I've gotten to sit in on a couple of group sessions -- they have some really talented therapists here! I'm excited to be part of the team...

Goodbye Gifts

It has been a 'good' goodbye to my friends and co-workers at Children's Bureau. Even though there have been times of stress because of the job, the wonderful people who I have come to know are who I will miss the most. I had a great group of therapists and behavioral staff on my team! As tokens of appreciation, I made for them a menagerie of 'thera-pets'...little crocheted buddies to keep them company while I'm gone...

Wednesday was the last staff meeting I would be at, so I brought them then - I even made some Heavenly Hash to go along...

I also got to celebrate with a cake, some flowers, a wonderful card....and most sentimental to me, this awesome plaque! I was so taken by surprise at their thoughtfulness and caring....I will miss them deeply!

Winding Down

This is my last week at Children's Bureau...and it is sad to say goodbye to some really great people I've worked with. I've been taking things home from my office and today people were saying how it's starting to look empty. I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to try my best to get things in good as order as I can as I leave, but then I'm going to have to walk away and trust that the remaining loose ends will be taken care of by my colleagues. I'm coming to terms that my fantasies of leaving everything 'perfect' as I walk out the door are just not going to happen...it's probably a chance for me to grow a bit in this area.

As luck would have it, I've come down with a bit of a cold yesterday and today - I liken it to cramming for finals and then coming down sick right afterwards in college. My sinuses are hurting and I'm really tired. I think this weekend I'm going to try and get a lot of rest to gear up for Kaiser. I can't believe that starts on Monday! I was so happy to hear from the Kaiser credentialing department that I officially "passed" credentialing and I'll be getting a confirmation letter in the mail....so watch out Kaiser, here I come!