Worry and something new...

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. ~Leo Buscaglia


The stress and pressure of life has been getting me a little down lately...maybe it's this gloomy weather we've been having lately here in Northern CA...or maybe it's just January, my least favorite month of the year.

The whole purpose of this blog is to stay positive and find happiness...so bear with me here while I feel sorry for myself...I'll snap out of it soon! 

I still have a personal issue coming up in the next week or so that I've been worrying about, but I'm trying to remember that I can only do so much.  I am comforted by the encouraging words of my friends, family, and co-workers, the people who really know me and know that my first priority is and will always be my children.  Without this support, then I'd really have something to worry about.

On a positive note...I am still looking at several different volunteer opportunities.  One would be my dream job, but will require a large amount of training and time, so I'm not sure if this is the right time for it, but it's something I would really like to do someday.  The program is called CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate.  Here is a description I took off the website to best describe what a CASA does:

          The goal of Court Appointed Special Advocates is to prevent abused and neglected children from becoming lost in the Juvenile Dependency system. When matching a CASA Volunteer with a child, the objective is to ensure that the child's best interest is represented. The volunteer has four essential roles as an advocate:

1. To be the child's voice in court, representing his/her best interests.

2. To assist the Juvenile Court by researching and assessing the circumstances of each case and report their recommendations and findings.

3. To continue to monitor the progress of the case as it moves through the system.

4. To become a source of support for the child.

The CASA volunteer's ultimate goal is to move the child out of temporary placement into a safe and permanent home. This could mean return to the parents, adoption, the appointment of a legal guardian, or some other permanent living arrangement that satisfies the Court and fulfills the child's needs.

CASA volunteers are not attorneys, but rather they are citizen advocates. They are ordinary people from various walks of life who do extra-ordinary things in the lives of abused and neglected children in our community.

Doesn't this sound amazing?  Definitely something I would like to do at some point in my life.  For now though, I am joining forces with a local group that started up on FB in to help fight crime and the blight that is increasingly taking over here in my city.  The city that I live in has faced many changes over the past several years, and very few have been good ones.  Crime and violence have increased at a rate that is downright scary.  With the poor economy, it's only gotten worse.  Most of us have considered moving away, and many have, but that's really not the solution and for many, like myself, I can't afford to sell my home in this low housing market anyway.

So, what's the alternative?  For me, it's a no brainer...we have to find ways to improve our city, by coming together and fighting back.  I am excited to be a part of this group...my children grew up here, I own a home here, and I still have a lot of friends in this city.  I can't just give up, I have to have the faith that things can get better.  I have seen before the amazing things a community can do when they pull together. 

One more note...I am starting another blog that is focused only on my cooking/baking passion, so come on over if you love to cook (and eat) like I do!
http://www.dreamgirllisa-adventuresincooking.blogspot.com/ . On this culinary journey, I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes, working on my own recipes, and trying new foods along the way.

You know, I feel better already!

Happy Thoughts,
Lisa