How's your Monday going? Here at Hall Mercer CMHC things are quiet. We're thankful for that. When things at the mental health center are quiet, my job is easier. I went over to our inpatient floor in the main hospital to look at these. (Follow the link if you want more information) They are restraints. They're used in crisis situations in which a person is in danger of hurting themselves or others. We don't use them lightly. When we do our crisis management trainings we want to include the use of restraints in the demonstration. I have never had to be restrained and right this moment, I can't think of anything more likely to provoke a panic response in me than being unable to move my hands and feet. But sometimes, surprisingly, they can help to calm down an individual who has lost control. We are going to recommend that the center purchase a set of wrist/ankle restraints to be kept in the lobby.

And speaking of crisis management trainings; last Thursday at one of our All Staff meetings, I got an award. My two co-workers and I were given the first Executive Director Awards for outstanding service. We got polar fleece jackets with Hall Mercer and the Univ of Pennsylvania health system logo on them. They're quite nice and I'd wear it if it weren't 95 degrees today. It was a surprise and we were glad to be acknowledged for the amount of work that we put into the program.

My weekend was uneventful. That is not a bad thing. I did the housecleaning, laundry and grocery shopping on Saturday morning so I was done by the heat of the day. PK and Jim went to pick up some more tools. My uncle had a shed full of power tools and PK was glad to take them off his hands. We have now tipped the balance from garage to shop. There are too many tools in the area for it to ever be a garage. The really good news is that PK now has enough tools to make all kinds of neat wooden things. Like, say, spinning wheels. He has been looking at them in the store and online and is planning to make me one. This may take a while but I have Saraspunda in the meantime.

It's been too hot to spin in our house that does not have a/c. We finally put the window units in the bedrooms. Not because the people were hot. No. The COMPUTER was hot. Can't have that. I am steadily working on my shawl. It's hard to photograph and besides, it looks the same. I have two weeks until the wedding. I think I'm being optimistic.

But I am an optimistic, glass half full kinda person so maybe I will finish it in time. Let's all make it a good week.