What I do When I'm Not Reading (or blogging!) #NaBloPoMo

#NaBloPoMo happens every month. Can you imagine challenging yourself to participating every month and blogging every single day? Well, some of you might do that anyway but there’s no way I could for many many many reasons. As I was thinking about all the things that get in the way of me posting as much as I would like to: EUREKA! Post idea!

What I do when I’m not reading.

FAMILY: 
Spending time with my family! I've got two teenagers and their dad. My oldest offspring just went to stay with her grandparents for a while. She turned 18 and NEEDED TO GET OUT!! But before that, we were into zoos, and road trips and sitting around doing nothing. And me taking books to sports events. 

Hubbo isn't into having his picture taken! (Red Wings game)

FRIENDS:
Technically, I hang out with most of my friends as part of Book Club, so it's reading related! But last month we also went on a wine tour!! 

The THE-AH-TAH:

I'm into theatre and try to attend shows that come through when I can. I have gotten into community theatre recently and would love to be able to be more involved on the stage, but my schedule doesn't always allow me to. Last month I did a children's show called The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf, which pretty much sent me completely behind in all other areas of my life (including my reading time!). But it was totally fun and I loved working with the people in the cast. When I can't commit to doing a show, I bug the hell out of the theatre people I know so that I can be part of the crew or help out with the show in other ways. 

 

Trial of the Big Bad Wolf

Mary Poppins craziness!

Selling merchandise for James and the Giant Peach

Waiting in the wings for our cue to move set pieces! 

WORK:

I'm putting this at the end but really, the bulk of my time is spent as a psychologist. I work mostly with children, teens, and families who are struggling with some sort of behavioral or emotional concern. I provide psyc services in an outpatient clinic and in a doctor’s office. I also spend a lot of time with trainees as a supervisor helping clinicians- in- training become the best clinicians they can be! I’m also involved in a few extra projects at work that let me work in Head Start centers and doing more research – kinds of activities.  I love my job(s) but it’s long hours, sometimes, and much much much more paperwork than I would prefer to have to do. I also have a private practice and try to have a pretty active professional Facebook profile page. I also have a professional blog with is woefully neglected. Maybe I will pick a month to #NaBloPoMo for that one! I'm a child, family, and mental health advocate and most of my non-reading extra- curricular activities stem from my work.

For example:

I run the facebook page for the clinic where I work and am the media maven for the Genesee Valley Psychological Association. I’m also the immediate past- President. I’m on the Board of the New York Chapter of the Association for Family and Conciliation Courts, a group of people focused on making court systems work better for the children and families that come through them. I volunteer as the facilitator of The ACT program, a workshop for parents who are getting divorced that teaches them about the legal process but also how to help their children manage their divorce.  I’ve just been asked to join the Mental Health and Wellness Board for a new girl’s Charter School. I also live tweet when I attend community mental health presentations @KMalcolmPhD.

And of course, there's this: