Be a good neighbor to your returning solider...

Learn how your agency can help returning combat veterans and their families. Please forward to anyone who maybe interested!Printer friendly version of the conference information attached.Also visit the website below for more details._____________________________________________________________________CRISIS SERVICES CONFERENCE
2008The Impact of War: Community Mental Health Responds to Returning Combat Veterans
Date: March 5 & 6, 2008 8:30AM - 4:30PM (registration at 8:00AM)
Location: Statler Golden Ballroom, 107 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo NY
Cost: $150Conference fee includes: All materials, lunch both days, the Pre-Conference Reception at the Statler Rendezvous Room, Tuesday, March 4, 6PM - 9PM.
Registration for this conference is limited. We recommend that you register as soon as possible. For registration information, or for further details, go to www.pmhcp.com Email inquiries: pmhcp@mac.com_____________________________________________________________________Crisis

Services' Police/Mental Health Coordination Project presents an opportunity to enhance your agency's response to the needs of military families and combat veterans at our special event, Conference 2008. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have lead to the deployment of thousands of military men and women, often for extended or multiple tours of duty. Deployment presents significant challenges to our soldiers, and to the families they leave behind. They face death, injury, disruption to relationships and careers, and emotional and financial hardships. For many vets, the fight for survival can continue for years after they return home. Yet, despite their sacrifice on our behalf, many do not find the help they need. Because community mental health agencies often serve veterans, we all know of the difficulties combat veterans face in adjusting to civilian life. But they shouldn't have to face these challenges alone. Instead, we can learn how to engage and support active duty soldiers, veterans and families by creating and delivering effective collaboration between the armed forces, the VA, community mental health, law enforcement, and courts. At this event you will:Learn the challenges combat veterans and their families face.Hear fist-hand accounts from our military men and women of their experiences in combat zones.Understand the role of the US Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), and how we can work with them to improve the quality of life for veterans. Meet other professionals who share the common goal: to support those who have risked their lives in defense of our country. Create the path to a coordinated community response to the impact of war.

Featured Speakers:
Mental Health and Support ServicesDr. Terri Julian, Program Manager, Batavia VA PTSD ProgramsDelcey Pulvino, LMSW, LPN, CASAC, Medical Social Worker, Veteran's Healthcare Administration of Western New York. Houston Crum, Jr., ACSW, Team Leader, Buffalo Vet CenterDoug Fabian, Executive Director, Crisis ServicesThe Impact of War and Transition Heidi Squire Kraft, Ph.D, Deputy Coordinator, United States Navy Combat Stress Control Program and author of RULE NUMBER TWO: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital.Lt. Colonel Terry McGuire, 354th Civil Affairs Brigade, US Army, and veteran of Operation Just Cause (Panama, 1989) and Operation Iraqi Freedom . William "Doc" Schmitz, Surgeon and Editor, New York State Overseas Veteran Newspaper, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Pat Welch, President, Vietnam Veterans of America Ch. 77The VAWilliam F. Feeley, MSW, FACHE, Deputy Under Secretary for Health Operations and Management, United States Department of Veteran Affairs. Dr. Stephen Lemons, Network Director, VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York (VISN2).Michael Finegan, Director, WNY VA Healthcare Systems.Colonel (Ret.) James D. McDonough, Jr., Director, New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs.Coordination of Courts, Law Enforcement, and Community Mental Health Honorable Robert T. Russell, Judge, Buffalo City Court, Veteran Diversion Track.Hank Pirowski, Buffalo City COURTS ProgramDavid Mann and Jack O'Connor, WNY Veterans Project

DHL News

Asurion called me on Friday to say that they received my letter about how wonderful their employee Karen was and that it had been forwarded to her boss and that she'd get a copy. GREAT!! They also said that for my trouble, they'd like to send me a car charger. I said it was appreciated but not necessary as it wasn't their screw up. "No, they represent us and we feel bad about what happened." It was due to arrive yesterday............................. he just threw it in my front hall. Nice guys, real nice.

I'm delcaring myself Holly Homemaker

I tried painting the bathroom ceiling a bit ago - just the primer mind you. I could get all but right over the tub because I'm too short. So I painted the trim and brought everything downstairs to wash out so I could use it later to put the color up. I thought I'd gotten all the paint out of the brush so when I squeezed it with my hands I didn't expect what happened next. I got a handful of paint. No real shock but UGH!!!! Trying to wash my hand off just made it worse and before you know it I'm able to audition for Mickey Mouse's hand double. I tried using the Goo Gone we had in the basement but we've got 2 separate nozzles for hot & cold so I came up to the bathroom. Well, it was working pretty good until I realized the nozzle didn't stick out far enough and I was getting paint all over the inside of my mother's ceramic sink. YIKES!!!! Me & the bottle of Goo Gone moved over to the tub and had much better success. I look less like Mickey's hand double but what do I do about the sink? No paint remover in the house and I'm $7 away from being officially broke. I walk into the kitchen to get a drink and see some Reynolds Wrap on the kitchen table. Yesterday it had covered the remains of Donald's birthday cake. As I ball it up to throw it away I got an idea. Think it'll work? It's worth a try! I take my shiny ball of foil and march back into the bathroom. 1-2-3 and the paint's gone! I just rubbed the ball over the paint and it took it off without scratching the surface! Woo Hoo!!! Wonder what else I can discover?????

Lindsay Lohan's new job?

Lindsay Lohan will be working in a morgue as part of her punishment for drunken driving.
The 21-year-old actress will soon be working at a morgue as part of her punishment for misdemeanor drunken driving, her attorney, Blair Berk, told a judge Thursday.She has also spent two months in rehabilitation and has done some community service, Berk said at a hearing on her progress toward fulfilling the terms of her plea bargain.Her two four-hour days at the morgue are part of a court-ordered program to show drivers the real-life consequences of drinking and driving. She must also spend two days working in a hospital emergency room.Lohan was arrested twice last year on DUI charges and pleaded guilty in August to misdemeanor drunken driving and cocaine charges. She has already served 84 minutes in jail as part of the plea deal.Lohan was not required to appear at Thursday's hearing

Ah ha!!

Last night on the ride home, one of the ladies was telling us how a 44yr old man came in with his adult daughter to sign some paperwork. Apparently he had been attacked. The man could neither read nor write so this had to be recorded in his legal documents and he was able to scrawl something recognized as his legal signature. The lady was - to use her words - taken aback that someone could be in this state of 44yr old and completly unable to do such basic tasks. After a few minutes of conversation I realized I had brought home one of the wonderful bags Diane had put together of CASH info for my ECC. April & I had added 211 & FJC brochures in the so I began handing them out to the about 10 people who all LOVED the information. The lady next to me went so far as to say "I'd heard about 211 but didn't know what it was, this is GREAT!" The lady who'd begun telling us the story said she referred tons of people to FJC but all they had was the little cards with the map on the back and was very grateful to have a full brochure. Each person was reading the materials when my stop arrived and all promised to take them back to their place of business - mostly city hall - and show there coworkers & boss.Just thought this was a great story that shows we're needed out there, our message is getting passed around and people are taking notice. Great Job & Congrats to all those who worked on putting the materials together.

Sponge Cake

Found this recipe in a baking forum from a woman who left Australia to live in Canada. Hmm... I'm guessing she followed her husband's job or her own. Odd choice of move but in today's world... who knows! Let me know if it turns out for you.

This is the recipe I used:
4 eggs
3/4 cup of caster sugar (superfine granulated sugar)
1 tablespoon of custard powder
1 cup of corn flour
1/2 teaspoon of bicarb soda
1 teaspoon of cream of tatar
Beat egg whites until stiff.Add sugar slowly.Add egg yolks and beat until thick and creamy.Fold in sifted ingredients.Place in greased tins.Either 2x 8" tins or one 11" round tin.Bake at 180 (350F) for 25 mins for small cakes or 30-35 mins for large cake.

Bandit's Birthday

Donald celebrated his 23rd birthday by freezing outside at a fireman's class then hanging out with the guys that night at a Bandit's game. I had his name put up on the Jumbo tron - oh how I wanted to put up one of his nicknames! LOL A great time was had by all and the best part is, the BANDITS WON!!!! Woo Hoo guys! Happy Birthday Baby Bro!

Chris & Steve are buying a house!!

I recently found out that my best friend Chris & her handsome hubby are buying their first home. I'm so psyched for them! The best - and cutest part - is that for the first time in ages, Chris will have a backyard of her very own. Grass to cut, flowers to plant and bbq's to celebrate. I'm so happy for you guys! Congrats!!!

Diva Day

It's not much but I'm proud that today I replaced the hardware on my mother's kitchen drawers, took down / cleaned & replaced the support brackets on 2 of my railings in the house. It might not give me the whole Diva Toolbelt but I think I'm one step closer! :-)

** Forgot to add: I'm using baby wipes from the dollar store to clean the gunk off our railings. It's been there my whole life so I figured it was worn off paint or something. It's taking a lot of elbow grease and quite a few wipes but it works!!! The goop is coming off and the finish isn't harmed. HA!!! Where was Martha Stewart with that tip! LOL

College Boy

College will never be the same starting the end of this month. Yup, Donald's been accepted to ECC for Medic 1 & 2. 3 days a week, 3 hrs a day for the next 5 months, he'll be learning all there is about being a medic. It'll really give him a advantage when he takes the fireman's exam in March and it'll give him an edge at his own hall. CONGRATS Donald!!!

A knee slapper for classical musica fans...

Why did Mozart sell all of his chickens?

Because they kept going "Bach, Bach, Bach"

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Woo Hoo Weggies!!!!

Wegmans has announced that next month they're going to stop selling all tobacco products. This could potentially cut into their bottom line but they don't care and don't see it as a real problem. Instead they're going to focus on getting the community around them healthy. It's actions like this that make me love their store and not paying a higher cost for items.

This just frosts my cakes....

I read an article on Yahoo news tonight that just really ticked me off. Now, please remember that the views expressed her are my own and I don't mean to offend anyone but this guy is what's wrong with the world.

There's an Iraqi guy complaining to the world media that he has to live in Turkey, his money's running out and we're not getting him into the US fast enough. Hm.... go back and fix your country perhaps? Apparently he went to the UN who told him to go to the US embassy who told him that they were back logged. Yeah they're back logged! Every deviant wants to get in here because he figures it'll be a free ride. I loved that he said he was staying single so he could "save myself for an American woman." Yeah, let's get right on that ride! Every time I'd look at him I'd remember 9/11. I'm not saying all muslims are bad, hell I work for one who is one of the greatest people I know. But why isn't the UN taking a more authoritative role? Am I wrong or wasn't that what they were created for? People are happy to come here and take the benefit of our programs created to help our citizens only to bash us and tell us are awful we are.

People who say that this country was built on immigrants aren't wrong, they're just stuck in a time warp. The world's a different place than it was 100+ years ago. I got an email of signs outside this guy's business. One of them said "Bring back rotary phones so we don't have to dial 1 to continue in english." I love it! Another one said that if things go the way they are, Aug 2013 will have to be declared white history month. Why do we have to have any specific month for any one history? History is history no matter what your race is. It should all be taught all year long. We were created to be a country of equals but we've made ourselves so "P.C." that we're no better than the countries our ancestors left behind. Those aren't earthquakes you feel, it's the tumble of our Founding Father's rolling in their graves.

As Dennis Miller would say "Of cours that's just my opinion, I could be wrong....."

Sabres Suite Adventure

On Friday I got the chance of a lifetime...... for me at least. Gary, the really great man who's chairing this year's campaign, invited the campaign staff to enjoy the Sabres vs Ottawa game from the company box suite. This was a once in a lifetime event for me which I was psyched to go to. Dan & April picked me up, we swung down to the office to get Caron then headed down to the arena. Thanks for driving Dan!!! We headed up to the suite from a backstage elevator and were the first to walk into the amazing box. There were food, drink, popcorn and m&m's!!!!! Every time you turned around there was more food and honestly the best cookies I ever had. Thick, chocolate and mint marshmellow. Yum!! I'll upload the picture as soon as Caron sends it to me but I just wanted to say THANKS MR. Q!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE HAD A BLAST!!!!!!!!!!

I miss Vix

No, I don't mean the mint scented wonder you rub on your chest to get rid of a cold. I'm talking about the store. It was the only place you could go to get greeting cards, glasses, beauty products, gifts, stuffed animals and orthopedic shoes all under one roof. I began missing it when I was looking for an ordinary item that no one seemed to have a clue about. Mom & I both looked at each other & said....... Vix would have had it. Oh, and you could spot a celebrity to. Mom & I ran into the Shinta sister once. Nice lady.