To all my friends...

an update

Hi everyone!

I know I haven't been around much in the past months. However, although 2008 brought many rough patches, it ended on a more positive note than I could have imagined in the beginning.


As most of you know, the kids are out on their own now. My son is now in the Navy and doing very well in school as an Aviations Electronics Technician. He is blasting through school and although becomes home sick often, is doing very well. Those of you that know him will find that as no surprise.


My daughter is now married and she and her husband are doing very well. They are doing home improvements on their house and my son-in-law will be starting school in the next couple of weeks for air conditioning. His goal is to get his degree so that he can start his own business. He has a very good chance as his mother owns her own business which is one of the most successful fencing companies in the southwest. Once he is finished with schooling, my daughter will begin school to become a massage therapist. It has been her dream ever since she was very little. My heart is warm and I am very proud of all of my children.


I was given the opportunity at the end of summer to be the executive assistant to the CEO of a behavioral health day center here in Phoenix and it has been doing very well. The company was on it's last legs when my boss and I took over, and it is now one of the most successful providers in the valley. We are very proud of all it has become and we are even more proud to see the rate of recovery that our members are succeeding in displaying. We started a GED program at the center and our GED students will be ready to take their tests in February. An amazing accomplishment for all of them, and they are now finding what we knew all along. THEY CAN DO ANYTHING they dare to dream. The success rate for these amazing individuals is second to none, and of course their biggest success is believing in their own abilities. They've worked very hard...and the work is paying off.


My boss and I have been asked to speak at a conference in Vermont this coming summer. United States Psychiatric Recovery Association has asked that we do a seminar to assist other providers to concentrate more on the recovery aspect. When that happens the bottom line grows. It rarely every happens the other way around. When the bottom line is your focus, recovery almost always takes a back seat. When recovery is your focus, everything grows.


Recovery isn't just for those that have behavioral health issues. My husband has now been sober for eight months now. He has given up alcohol and marijuana. That is amazing in itself, but the most amazing is that his decision was based upon improving his life, for his own reasons. He did not quit for me or for any other reason or person. Healing is a slow process, and no one has a harder or more intense need for healing than he has within himself. We have tackled the healing with humor and patience...and it is going well.


I began work on my novel in 2008 and when I went back to work, the novel took a back seat to everything else that has been going on. At the beginning of December I picked up my pen again. The preliminary feed back on the novel is very positive and although I have not made any decisions, I have some bites from publishers that are wanting to print it. Very exciting stuff. I have a lot of work that still needs to be done on it, and will not make any final decisions about who publishes it until I am satisfied that it is as good as it can possibly be. However, the fact that I am getting bites from big names is very validating and equally as exciting. It has helped me to continue on with it.


I have started a savings account for my harley and hope to have it by the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010.


Things have gotten off to a wonderful start here in 2009 and I thought I'd send a note out to all my peeps explaining why I've not been around. I hope to be more visual in coming weeks.


Sending wishes for a fantastic 2009 for everyone and that warmth and prosperity will be yours.


Much love to all,
Susi