Wednesday Wonders

Before I left work today, I saw the most brilliant, incredible rainbow! It looked like it stretched all the way from the city's northside to the eastside, two neighborhoods which surely could use a pot of gold these days!

Anyhow, it helped give me some faith as I work these last two days at my job. It made me feel like I was being given a sign that everything would be ok.


The picture above is NOT mine. I found it on Google Images. The rainbow I saw was just as bright and beautiful though. I wish I had taken this picture, but as I raced home, praying all the way that the rainbow would be just as beautiful by the time I got home and grabbed my camera, I was glad to see that it was still partially there. So why aren't I displaying one of my own pictures? Because when I went to get the camera, it wasn't on the recharger and the battery was dead!

I also wanted to show you a picture of how the river looks with all the ice broken. This was nabbed from the front page of today's local newspaper. Yep, even though it's only February, warm temps prevailed, and the ice has cracked.

It's not the way it looked on my part of the river as it has broken up even more. We had torrential rains this morning and all day, and the river has spilled over its banks. When I got home, the ice was being washed upstream. I wish you could have seen how fast the river was moving and I wish you could have heard the sound of the ice crashing. It sounded like bamboo windchimes, only louder. I WANTED to make a video of it with my camera, but...someone didn't put the camera back on the charger!

Oh well. Here are some pics from last year when the river flooded. I am so high up on the riverbank that it will never flood here. It would flood the entire town before it would get high enough to flood my home. However, I really felt bad last year when 80 homes and businesses in my area experienced flooding. See those trees in the background? The river bank starts before you get to the trees.




On to a different subject!

Tomorrow is my last day for my morning women's group and my evening men's group. I really enjoy facilitating group and working with my clients. Tomorrow I have something special planned for my women's group! Since it is my last day with them, I thought it would be fun to do a craft project. I am going to have them decorate cards for themselves. I bought all kinds of pretty things for them to use on the cards.

Here are some stamps I found on clearance. I love all of the inspirational words!

When they are done decorating the front of their cards, I am going to have them pass the card around the group so that each person can write a compliment or something to encourage their fellow group members. I want this last group session with them to be one where they really have their self esteem increased. You have no idea what some of these women have been through. Many women in treatment have been abused in some way or another, sometimes in the worst possible way. Some of them have had very rough lives. I hope that in some way, I have helped them to realize that they are worthy women and strong. I think it will be very hard to say goodbye to this group!

In the evening is the men's group. They got to watch a movie earlier this week, and a group member brought in a bunch of refreshments. I was touched that they wanted to have a little goodbye party for me in that way. I'm not sure yet what we will do for the final class, but it will not be something intensive. I might have them do something similar as the women's group, but just have others write their encouragements on a piece of paper. I really don't think the guys want butterflies and flowers and rhinestones!

I won't be able to take pictures of their creations due to confidentiality, but I bet the women will come up with some beautiful cards! I like to think of it as receiving a Valentine from others with positive reinforcement. I might even have them write a love letter to themselves, detailing all of their good points. Pray for me that it all goes well and that I get through the next two days!