And Paul

Life goes on in the big city

Well another day. Doctors, therapists, therapy, pt, then I had to deal with my Patience's. Life is strange. My father's estate is now about to close. Two and a half years with attorneys on the clock the entire time. We hope to finish by the end of this month, and the brothers can do nothing to effectively stop the legal proceedings. The summer air has begun starting yesterday. The trees around the house now blanketing the perimeter of the house. A 2 1/2 story house is totally hidden by trees, its wonderful. Summer has ushered in a grand start to summer. We are doing the usual summer transformations of the house, cleaning and setting up the porches for outside living. More trees will be added to the property. Paul and I have planted three Chinese Maples, 8 more rose bushes to join the current 25 bushes, now tomatoes, berries, pumpkins, herb garden for the both of us, and so on. Working in the soil is so grounding and relaxing, better than my personal therapist. So the two crazy Gay boys are out in the garden, also providing Music Appreciation, Bucelli, other forms of Opera presented by our out side speakers, both on the front and back of the house. The neighbors now get to listen to our music. Great for us, neighbors, not so happy. Oh well?
Stay in touch Boys and Girls,
Love,
Joe

New Beginnings with little time

I now dedicate this blog to all my friends to enable our group to keep in touch with our lives.

Well boys and girls, life has had it's us and downs, like the most of us. Weather here has been a little cloudy, but warm. Non in the 80's air conditioning is in full bore.
and Bereavement in today's Ia I has told some, I had a great time in NYC at NYU presenting a seminar on Traumaacademic environment. My seminar was split into two separate days to meet the numbers of students registered. I give you all my thanks and support and embarrassment of having flowers delivered in the middle of one seminar, 24 long stem roses, ?? Will/ Orr??? fess up. The students seem to enjoy my loss of focus. I stayed with my friend Orr, a writer in NYC. I was able to see several shows while in the city. And the cherry on top was the request to return to NYU next spring to give another seminar. And New School's request for the same seminar in 2 months, hopefully before I leave for India, and possibly Thailand. Dar fur is out of the picture till the violence subsides. So Doctors without Borders has pulled for now, but open to the future. I still have not heard from the Dean of Columbia who sat in on half of my presentation, but expressed strong interest in presenting my seminar there, time will tell, they know my spontaneous schedule with DWBs and travel arrangements. Still giving Pastoral Counseling at University Medical Campus. A new door has opened, one to the Children's clinic. This will be a very predominate clinic of many venues and I have been asked to be involved with the counseling center, not sure of the specifics or how involved, but I have agreed and will see what comes.
I hope all of you mothers had a great day, especially the women of the group.
Time to close, more writing to finish
Have a great day and please feel free to write here and let us know what you, are doing. again go to leiajoey.blogspot.com //use joebicejones@gmail.com PW denver
I look froward to developing this blog being as intended, filled with the memories of friends.
Joe (Syracuse)

I am alive!

I have had a rough few weeks. I know we are all fighting our battles I just keep asking myself when it will be enough! D finally made it back from his deployment Sunday night at 11pm. I had been waiting for him for almost ten days. On the 9th we lost one of our friends over there and it slowed D's return home. I was so stressed during this deployment that I broke out in a continous rash for almost a month. D is telling me that we may be out here for two more years. Work is being damanding like usual wiht more borderlines then I know what to do with and no time. I just dispise working with borderlines due to the vamperic nature of the interaction. I am always reminded by them that I will never be good enough. I am looking forward to getting some time to work in my garden this weekend. I am putting in a new garden in the back yard. I have been planning on doing this for a few years and finally I am going to do it. I have three doctors appointments on thursday to set up when I am going to have surgery so i will post after I do that. I hope you are doing okay. I know i have been bad at posting the past few weeks and I am sorry for that. Its been rough with everything that has been going on around me to get any time for myself. I seem to get so lost in taking care of my patients, kaiya, the dogs, my army wives, the house and so on that i loose myself. I finally got back into therapy and man is that been nice to have that one hour once a week just for me. What a concept right? I love ya. I send you lots of blessings and prayers.

The Inderpendence of emotion

The theory of interdependence allows us to develop a wider perspective. With wider mind, there is less attachment to destructive emotions like anger, therefore more forgiveness. In today's world, every nation is heavily interdependent, interconnected. Under these circumstances, destroying your enemy--your neighbor--means destroying yourself in the long run. You need your neighbor. More prosperity in your neighbor, you'll get the benefit.

Now, we're not talking about the complete removal of feelings like anger, attachment, or pride. Just reduction. Interdependence is important because it is not a mere concept; it can actually help reduce the suffering caused by these destructive emotions.

We can say the theory of interdependence is an understanding of reality. We understand that our future depends on global well-being. Having this viewpoint reduces narrow-mindedness. With narrow mind, one is more likely to develop attachment, hatred. I think this is the best thing about the theory of interdependence--it is an explanation of the law of nature. It affects profoundly, for example, the environment.

--from The Wisdom of Forgiveness: Intimate Conversations and Journeys by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Victor Chan

These concepts spin within my head. From experiencing India, seeing a different focus of a non American nation, I see the American fabric sadly with leveled disdain. Most people don't comprehend that Eastern thought and theory is highly advanced, intellectually and practically. Westerners have ego, and arrogance and rarely want to see anything that conflicts with limited vi ewes, thus non acceptance. It is a deadly circle that many Americans chose to embrace, I am saddened and embarrassed at times being American, Many Americans need to travel out of the American bubble and experience how the rest of the world views them, many don't even care. I am saddened by these people that I am judged by also calling myself an American. I always add my Canadian heritage, It always deflects the contempt, Watching the State Dinner with Bush embarrassing himself again, with the Queen staring at him, feeling sadness or contempt, with grace. Always lacking with Bush, thus how our country presents America. Bush never fails to disappoint in any circumstance. England befriends us, for political capital, but they are revolted by us. I wish we could have many aspects of The British Ruling system. We are an theoretical society, with out any of the benefits of a fascist state.. I live for 2009 January,
Take a moment and jot a note?
L
Joe

Seminars

Hi Dear one,
Here is a view of Times Square, I found on my camera SD card from late spring. I understand the being sick thing. Life has been very touch and go for me lately, Several tests in Syracuse, before we, Orr, and I drove down to NYU. The seminar was a total rush. There were not enough seats. NYU had to change seminar spaces and go to a larger auditorium, and still students were turned away. As I told you Of the frame work, I gave those little blue composition books, remember them, and after the class the students, many, wanted to share and put voice and it appeared receive approval of their actions.
Plus the class was changed 2 hours before I was to present. A professor's nightmare. I was to combind my presentation and split it to provide two seminars rather than one. All the information in one and a half hours, doubling the material. One seminar at 10 am. and the second at 1 pm. There were two professors from Columbia, and New School, a favorite of Lorries and mine. A NYC version of Goddard, I was approached by New School, to consider presenting my seminar on Terrorism and the Academic Arena, and was asked to consider giving the same seminar, as they felt my presentation was, "dynamic" can you believe it. Columbia rep also asked for my card and said she would be in touch. With the veil of anxiety covering national learning institutions NYU and New School and Columbia felt it was quit germane. I may pay off all my cc's after all. I don't like weekly teaching, but I really enjoy the seminar approach. It's rather scary, thinking can I put this together and will the students learn from it and will the university like it or think my work is crap. It seems all approved. Each class had 200 students, I was very overwhelmed. I started by telling the class that I was also overwhelmed, but my syllabus was my plan and I transitioned into basic plans the school has already had, but I gave Ideas for plugging the wholes and how each student might prepare to respond to an emergency situation. I really enjoyed meeting the students and several asked if I had written a book about the issue? Wow, now at home, it seems like a dream. I was dressed in jeans, a sports jacket carrying a briefcase thinking Bloody hell, how am I going to pull this off. But I really got into it. More test tomorrow, Orr is going to drive me and bring me home. I am very thankful to have the ride home. I'm concerned about the tests as I feel my body is not wright, along with the joint pain and nerve inflammation of the skin around my knees, and elbows, keels like shingles, but no change in skin tone eg.. sucks. Life always keeps one busy and I want quiet time. Hope all is improving for you,
and Lorrie, I will be writing you soon.
Blessings,
Love Joe

Been really sick

I am so sorry that I have not posted in a few days (maybe in over a week). I am really sick with the flu and still not doing well. I think that fucking flu shot did me in this year. I will write more over the weekend. I have some to add to the tea discussion. Again, sorry for not checking in. I will write more latter....all my love!