Psychosis Or Normalcy

 

Luke is calmed by the use of watching movies or listening to music with his headset. It works wonders when his autism seems to be making him upset. How many of us do not have autism and are relaxed by music?

(Disclaimer: Original post written 12/2012). When I was growing up, mental illness was shunned.  We did not talk about it in my household.  The first time I was exposed to the  mentally ill was when I visited my two aunts at their job. They were nurses in a mental hospital for chronic patients in Kentucky.  As a young girl of 17, I was immediately drawn into the strangeness of this new world. ( Today a person would not be allowed to visit like I was able).

Ospreys In Action

One of my best photographs I have taken.  I am moved really about the way I caught the birds in action.  It is as if you are looking at the anatomy of the birds as they reached out toward each other. Thought provoking. 

Monday

Photography is never boring. I find beauty in everything. 

   

 Flowers. Sunsets, and nature in general bring me into my happy place.  How about you?  

   
 
Sunsets in Hawaii are amazing. 

  
Cattle Egret are found neat Chinaman’s hat where cows are nearby.  The egret love to eat the bugs off the cows. 

  
The red-headed cardinal sure met my fancy! 

5 Facts You May Not Know!

  
1.  I know. I know. I look really happy in this photo taken last night over the skies of Waikiki. I am near one of the most beautiful army hotels you can imagine. I am staying there because the first fact you may not know is that I am an army veteran. My doctors have said my chronic pain would probably be better for me in warmer climate. It has helped. 

  
2. I know. I know. We have a political firestorm playing out on television about who our next president may be. The second fact is I have not watched one bit of the news until about a week ago. I realized I had not missed a thing and almost wished Obama would stay president. Why do I say that? I guess because all the money that goes into picking a new president would be better served feeding our poor.  

  
3.  I know. I know. I am living it up in Hawaii. I want you to know I am grateful beyond words to be able to enjoy a holiday I have spent with wonderful girlfriends. The truth is I would be just as happy sleeping in this cabin I photographed.  This is where I stayed 40 years ago with my sister and parents on an Army Recreational Center on the Wainae Coast 30 minutes from Schofield Barracks where Dad was stationed.  Call me a tomboy if you will. 

  

4.  The fourth fact is I am sometimes Luke a tomboy. I suppose my sons keep me young at heart. 

  

5.  The fifth fact is I am a no frills kind of gal. I like the simple pleasures of life. Thats me all alone with my green tshirt over my bikini so I do not burn!  This beach is faraway from the fast paced Waikiki beach. I took my girlfriend to this beach  where I could stay all day long! 

Aloha! Until next time. 

The Gift Of Musical Birds

   
For several days, I have not slept well due to increased pain.  I had a call yesterday from a counselor friend of mine  checking in with me. I had not written on this blog much and really most do not know the true reason I stopped. I would share it, but to share the reason would give validity to nonexistent boundaries.   
I am giving no one or nothing any validity who has tried to demonize my writings or felt offended.  We humans are easy to judge when we should be looking at ourselves instead.  This is my life and I own it.  My family has always been my world and I have always put them above me and many times I have put my friends above me.  

  
Last night I was asked by a new friend, do you love  yourself? I could not answer. It made me sad that  I did not have enough respect and love for me. The good news I realized God loves and I could work on loving myself more and understanding whose I AM. 

In the meantime- through tears because of physical pain, I shot these photos in the rain in my backyard.  Don’t worry- I am seeing my doctors to help me with the chronic and acute discomforts I have.  Just making it real.  Be looking soon for photography from Hawaii where I will be taking in some much needed sun!  I am not a tourist type so you will not find those kind of shots on my blog as I believe vacation is not about rushing from one tourist activity to another. Instead you will see photos through the eyes of randomness of what I enjoy on The Sandwich Islands. I lived there and seen a lot already, but I bet my new camera just might find a cool surfer dude to photograph! Yes. I am back looking at mens’ butts. 

 
  

 

Who Is Watching Who?

 I question myself a lot. Do you? This eagle has purpose. Do we? The next meal may be in sight for this eagle. Do we know our purpose? Are we driven toward what is most important?  Call me a dreamer.  I am glad to be one. 

Photography II -EAGLE

My camera was so happy coming across this eagle high up in the massive trees that surround the area I live in.  Go to my Instagram named Alesiablogs to see more photos soon of this bird and others.   I consider this a blessed viewing as typically these guys are mostly down by Lake Washington.  I live five minutes from where they nest,  but it was great seeing him hanging around my home.  I love living in the Seattle area!! What a joy to view nature at its best. 

Finding Luke

It was 1999 and we lost track of our six year old autistic son Luke.  Prior to this, our church service had just ended.  Luke just began walking and our youngest son was two years old.

The church we attended at the time was meeting in an old building.  My husband got Luke from Sunday School and I went to get our baby.

At some point, Luke wandered off and we went on a wild goose chase looking for him. I was panicked to say the least.

Everyone was leaving the church , except for a few concerned parishioners. It was the craziest feeling not knowing where our son disappeared to.

The church had an old attic that was used for sound checks. It was accessed by a pull out ladder. At some point it was shut, but we kept running around yelling, “Luke! Where are you?”It just did not make sense. 

All of a sudden, I could hear a distant whimper. To say the least a mother knows her child’s sounds. I scurried to have someone open the drop down ladder and low and behold there was our sweet Luke sitting in the dark.

I had not thought of this event for quite some time until I was told recently of the little autistic boy who lost his life after wandering off from his family in PA. These stories are hard to fathom, and even more to swallow.  Yet, we have to.  We have to remember how vulnerable our cognitively challenged society can be especially our children.    Searching for someone missing is a feeling I would not wish on anyone.  Anytime a person vanishes-tragedy can be right around the corner.

I hope this story shows how easy life can change in a heartbeat. In this case, it was a quiet sound of a whimper from my precious son.  It was just enough to help this mom find her beautiful little boy stuck in a dark, damp attic.  My heart still pounds pondering this event.  

Luke was held by me for many years until he learned to walk.