My Brain Helper Arrived !!!!

So today was a very happy day! In addition to my very first day of volunteer work at the shelter, I received a gift in the mail from my dear husband. I think he was hoping to intercept it and wrap it up for Christmas but no such luck. I saw the brown box at the gate and ripped right into it. I was hoping it was a Garmin GPS which it was! I now have a brain helper! :) You just can't imagine how happy happy happy this makes me. !!!!!! This could completely change my driving ...or lack of driving. I may venture to Mexico all by myself next trip! ??????

Despite my happiness over my new brain help, I was nonetheless completely wiped out when I got home. Its not that it was strenuous work at the shelter at all but the constant ongoing processing of new, rapid incoming information in my head to remember just wiped me out.

And, having to turn people away because there are no rooms empty ......the shelter is full to capacity... and no other shelters within an hour and in a totally different county and city was agonizing... People walk in full of hope and I had to tell them we had no rooms and they just looked so lost, so dejected, so hopeless. They would just stand there with their shoulders beginning to droop and lost hope in their eyes, almost unbelieving.... and tell me they had no where else to go. Fortunately they can keep coming back as often as they want to check in as it is first come, first serve and the turnover rate can keep rolling at a somewhat steady pace giving newcomers a chance to get back on their feet. The program at the shelter is wonderful. They offer so many services and help and counseling etc... and when a resident is fully ready to leave the shelter, they may qualify for a very very very nice, donated, low rent apartment that comes fully furnished. They are of course limited but, what a tremendous blessing and help!

While it was so so so so painful to turn people away, atleast my first day I did not have to look down into faces of little children in the line to be turned away ...today it was adults only. The county is working on building another shelter but they are still in the fundraising aspects of it. It is SO desperately needed!
AND, my gosh people are SO nice there at the shelter...the staff, the volunteers... friendly, kind and downright nice people. Very very pleasant atmosphere and environment to be in. Not to mention its very clean, very well organized, very well run.

Annah is in the tub, I'm making her Catnip tea and hopefully she will fall asleep in an hour or so.

The tea usually quites her down and we always rock till she falls asleep. Not that she is an easy one to go to sleep.... she squirms alot and fights it. But, once she is out, she sleeps all night and is a really good sleeper. Whooo hoooo! :)