“I did not expect this… heartbreaking… uplifting … It is really about all of us.” 4.5 stars – Edmonton Journal “Life at its most naked, …. the actors escape gravity.” – SEE Magazine Jonathon cares for his mother with Alzheimer’s, and, he believes, a bad attitude. Full of hope, he tries to inspire her to get off the couch and join him in ecological action. When a caregiver does everything right, but still everything is wrong, what can he do with repressed rage? Carlynn cares for her son with inexplicable crippling pain. When completely-debilitating pain hasn’t been cured after 12 years, what can a family do? Struggling to transform their desperate homes, to their families they propose: “Let’s do a project together, where the project is a play, and the play is about us.” The result is explosive drama, surprising humour, startling visuals, and breathtaking dance – a strange and stunning tapestry of hope. Heal Thyself sincerely tests the idea that caregiving can be rewarding, and healing. The event includes the drama/dance show, and excerpts from the film documentary. “Heavy subject … Light and entertaining … Powerful” – VUE Weekly ================================ Alberta Caregivers Association: If you are a family caregiver and you need information or support, we are here to help you! Call 780-453-5088 or toll free 1-877-453-5088, or email: karen ”at” albertacaregiversassociation.org ================================ More Reviews: www.imagiscape.ca/reviews !!! Imagiscape Theatre: stage shows, workshops, documentary. www.imagiscape.ca Imagiscape is based in Toronto, but can incorporate your event into an efficient tour. ============================================================== Category: Of the available options “Entertainment” is best. It is definitely “Education” too, but caregivers deserve a special event, and “Entertainment” captures that more than “Education”.
Representative Cynthia Thielen responds to the budget cuts in relationship to the issues of homelessness and affordable housing by the Democrats in HB2500 the State budget for operating and CIP appropriations FY 2009. Here is an excerpt from Capitol TV • We have also been talking about the issues of homelessness and affordable housing for some time know. Advocates that combat homelessness, the front line experts, tell us that we need to address this problem along a continuum. We know that the Governor has taken bold action to address this problem, sometimes with the assistance of this Legislature, and sometimes in spite of the Legislature. • We know that shelters that provide services such as job training, life skills, drug rehabilitation, mental health services, and other services, are an essential component to combat homelessness. Which is why the $1.2 million reduction of the Supplemental Request for HMS 224 is so disturbing. • The $1.2 million reduction will stop cold the Villages at Maili project. We know that a good number of homeless people are located on the Leeward Coast. It is true for the Windward Side and Downtown as well. The opening of Pai’olu Kaiaulu (on the Waianae Civic Center Site) and Building 36 at Kalaeloa have helped to take homeless from the beaches. These shelters, along with Next Step, have helped to bring hope and help to people. • People like Laurie “Sunny” Johansen. Her story was chronicled in the Star Bulletin, March 2nd, 2007 edition. “Sunny” was among the first to move in, along with her boyfriend and 10-year-old son, Dakota. • The article went on to say – “It’s just going to run smooth. I can tell,” said Johansen, who is a full-time hairstylist and mother of two. Johansen said she has a 12-by-12-foot room with a shelf, dresser, towels and toiletries and four roll-away beds that she is able to configure as she likes. Perhaps most important, she has a door and key. For Johansen, the Waianae Civic Center will help stabilize her children’s lives. Her son Dakota will attend intermediate school nearby, and she will try to regain custody of her 16-year-old son, who is in foster care. • My understanding is that she has already moved into affordable housing, moving up the housing continuum. She’s reunited with her son, and is studying to enter college. I wish her the best, and congratulate “Sunny” for her hard work and successes to date. • What disturbs me, though, is how many stories like “Sunny”‘s are going to be stopped cold by funding cuts like this. How the choice to invest in people, our greatest resource, is a choice foregone. This is not just about a shelter, it’s about people’s lives, hopes, and aspirations. And with a subtraction, we squash them. • And it is not just the homeless. We talked about the $15 million reduction in the proposed infusion into the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund, from $25 million to $10 million before. (p. 103) I’d like to incorporate those comments from March. What we didn’t see in March was the other reduction here in CD1 of the budget, the $10 million reduction in the proposed infusion to the Rental Housing Trust Fund, from $25 million to $15 million. (p.102). We know that both funds help to finance affordable housing projects. That shortfall in investment is going to come back to bite us in ways we couldn’t begin to imagine.
[Nick's POV] She screams and her eyes flutter closed once more. “MOMMY!” Cassie shrieks. “What happened to Mommy? Did I say something? Did I do something wrong? Is it my fault?” Aiden asks worriedly. “No, it’s not your fault,” I say, trying to remain calm. “Then who’s is it?” “No one’s!” I was trying not to yell but my voice came out decibels louder than I intended and his lip starts quivering. Tears stream down his face and I feel so terrible, words cannot describe this feeling. “Aiden, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you–” He runs out of the room and I see that he runs over to where everyone else is sitting and plops into a chair, crying. The doctor walks in skeptically. “Is everything okay? I heard a scream.” “Well, I believe, she got her memories back and they scared her so… y’know…” “Oh, I see…” he says, “This isn’t good.” “What do you mean: THIS ISN’T GOOD?” “Calm down please sir.” I’ve been rude to everyone today haven’t I? “I’m sorry it’s just…” “It’s a very stressful time for you, I completely understand.” “Okay, so why isn’t this good?” “Because if just the recollection of her memories had that effect on her, they will cause permanent damage. She might need therapy.” “Therapy?” That’s not going to go over well. “Yes, intensive therapy.” “I see she has a history of alcohol and substance abuse, is this true?” “Yes.” “Is this how she copes?” “Not recently but in the past.” “She might need to attend a rehabilitation center.” “She already went to one.” “But, I promised,” I say, “She didn’t like it there the first time. She wouldn’t tell me why either, she just made me promise that I would never make her go back there ever again.” “Well it’s–Wait a second, what’s your wife’s maiden name?” “Sierra Farrare.” “WHAT?” “What’s so wrong with that?” I ask. “I’ll be back,” he says hurriedly. He nearly runs out of the room and returns with an old newspaper. “I think you should read this,” he says. I take it from him and from the headline of the article, my equilibrium is thrown out of whack: ‘Teen Molested at Rehabilitation Center’. I sink down into a chair and continue to read: “A young girl, 14, was attending a rehabilitation center, hardly expected what happened there. Distraught by her parents’ divorce, she turned to drugs and alcohol. When this became too unbearable, her mother–her legal guardian sent her to Changes. A popular rehab center for addicts under the age of 18. A counselor, 26, at the time, Chase Crawford, [a/n: haha, I couldn't think of anyone else xd] was very close to her. Sierra being her name. “But one day,” she says, “Things became inappropriate. He… touched me… places I didn’t want him to and… I didn’t know what to think at first but when I realized how wrong it was, I did something and told the manager.” Crawford has been taken into custody by police under charges of child molestation. Apparently Sierra is not the first.’ Why didn’t she tell me? Why is she always keeping secrets from me? “I know you’re concerned but sometimes people don’t always feel comfortable sharing things like that.” “We’ve been married for two years…” “This is a very uncomfortable situation so when she wakes up again you need to treat it as such. When she wakes up she will be in a very fragile psychological state. If you do ANYTHING to upset this, be it making it worse or better, she will not be able to get proper treatment and this could possibly ruin her life, remember that… Nicholas,” he says as he reads my name off his paper.
1565 M-Hey. I-Max, I will leave the keys here for you. M-No, give them to me, I will keep them in my pocket or I will forget them. If I go to the copy shop of the university and I can not open it, I’ll get told off one more time. I- Were you told off other times already? M-It is not a problem. With the attendant I have confidence. I think he likes me. They are nice and hot. I-From now on you will be able to focus on your studying Max, and I will not bother you. Only…I will be in charge of relaxing you at night …or anytime. M-Do not tempt me, or I’ll not go to work. I-It’s too bad that it already has ended. M-What do you mean? I-Tomorrow when Beni returns I will have to leave. M-No, Iago, you do not need to go. I-Max. MI know it will not be easy or pleasant to live with him, but right now we have no other option. I- Beni do not want me in here. And when he returns and finds me here we will have problems. M-Then he will have to restrain himself, Iago. This is also my house and you are my boyfriend. Besides, where are you going to go if you do not have one euro? I-Max, soon I will work. Today I have an interview and now will be calling for more. M-When you have work we’ll see Iago, but now is silly thing to think about. I do not have money either. I earn a pittance in college, and I can not do more. I-With Enric you searched an apartment for yourselves. M-Because Enric had money saved from his parents. You and I will look for our life ourselves later; meanwhile we will stay here and Beni will have to understand it. B-There in Amsterdam all the sites are local with fashion. They serve drinks with such fluorescent colors, I do not know what they are bring, but are awesome. What a way of laughing…Now I remembered…I, in fact, I would have stayed until tomorrow. We had the 5 star hotel paid for by the customer, you know? But Ivan….when he gets impatient, like a limpet. And yes, now I am here. P-Yeah. And how is it with Max? Have you been talking to him those days? B-It is that…it is that with the boy we do not do more than fight. And we have taken those days to rest. I do not know if I explain myself. P-So you know nothing of Iago. B-What the hell do I have to know about Iago? I-Yes, perfect. On Monday I will bring a photocopy and sign the contract. Very well. Thank you, okay? Until Monday. Max, I have a job and start on Monday! M-Fucking mother well! Is it from the interview this morning? I-Yes, it is to drive the bull in a warehouse Duty-Free Zone. I am going to work from dawn to dusk, but seems to me to be amazing. M-Do they know about you? I-Yes, it is the first thing I told them. They have a program of rehabilitation and there will be no problem. Small luck I have had … M-We will celebrate it properly tonight, okay? I-Tonight? We will celebrate it right now. M-Beni. B-Hello. MI thought you were coming tomorrow. B-That is what I see. M-Iago and I … B-It is not necessary that you tell me anything Max, I know everything. And as you don’t give a shit what I think, it is better not to throw it out. M-Look Beni, Iago is out in the street by court order and has already found a job. B-Is it that I do not explain myself, when I talk? I believe that yes. It makes me sick what that one does with his life. For me he can throw himself off a bridge. But I will not discuss it because this is also your home. But, do not ask me to give him mercy, because I have many flaws but I am not a hypocrite. And now, go to your room to grope each other, so I do not have bear it. M-Come on, lets go. B-Not even 3 hours ago I have come home after a week abroad, and what I have to put up with. O-Having to live with Iago is a complicated matter. B-And what the hell am I going to do? He’s my boyfriend’s son. O-You can do whatever you want Beni It’s your home. B-It is also Max’s. O-Still, I don’t know why you have to put up with it. B-Fuck, that is precisely what I have to do. You see, Max and I are going through the worst period we have experienced. We get pissed off about everything. When I say white, he says black. One row after another…there is no way to agree. We will do until he takes the blinders off his eyes for that jerk. O-And you think it will happen like that, and until then you have to live with Iago? B-It will fall when it has to fall. But I do not want him to move away more from me. And if I have to live with Iago, I will do it. O-And that’s it. B-Hell, it is clear. Max and I are family. I am his father and he is my son. If I have to make sacrifices to make things work, then I will. That includes you in the bunch, kid. I would not do that for anybody else, but….he’s blood is of my blood. It’s like Cana. What did when she do was they told her that her grandmother was sick? O-On the same day she left to Bilbao to take care of her.
The truth hurts… Tammy says she needs Steve’s help to determine if boyfriend Andrew is cheating, but deep down she may already know the answer. Steve’s goal is not to reveal Andrew’s infidelity, but to give Tammy the strength to stand up to him once and for all! Then… Becky is in an unhappy relationship with cheating boyfriend Riley, but no matter what he does, she refuses to leave him behind. Mother Stacy has had enough, and she’s reached out to Steve in hopes of changing Becky’s life for the better.
