Mental Health Institutions -sandra mickanen reporting
for the past decade and beyond, -a giant increase across the U.S. (and maybe the world, i do not know);
but an increase in the U.S. felt/experienced by everyone; and well reported on via tv, print, social media
-mental illness.
****
over and over, we hear how.. what a horrific decision; Reagan's fault..
how during his administration mental hospitals were closed..
****
and over and over i want to say -it no longer matters who/when/what/why..
it is an utter waste of time. it was a mistake; we all know it; FIX IT.
just get busy re-opening, and building and creating
and UTILIZING mental hospitals again..
****
and if there is anything i like more about Trump's administration
it is getting to witness -things getting DONE.
RESULTS.
****
when i compare to my direct experiences here in San Jose/Santa Clara County..
having personally witnessed & experienced how much time and money and resources they waste;
the lack of leadership; of common sense..
how much failure they fund and even double down on..
****
good God.
Lord help us all.. amen & amen.
love and healing prayers from (the micks!)
i'm inspired to share, from a Christian perspective -to respond to
any & every diminution of 'thoughts & prayers' we've seen on TV
-to be certain, any diminution of prayer is wrong, but i have a caveat:
when people, Christian, secular, of any faith.. when people are in shock, in pain, confused, still processing, traumatized, blind-sided, scared, devastated
when the mental and emotional state is -raw;
it is natural to respond with anger, with disbelief -to push away any efforts at being comforted.
it is not how 100% people respond to crisis; but some do
so, knowing this,
i hold nothing against anyone; i make room for the space and time; understanding the source; pain/suffering.
*****
i'll be brief
****
revisiting the 'how can there be a loving God, if..'
repeat: the presence of suffering does not equate to the absence of a loving God, any more than a night sky and storm equal the absence of the sun.
if anything, the presence of suffering; of evil; of brokenness; greed, corruption; hate,
if anything, all of these things validate the Bible; confirm, what the Bible says is true;
because there is good and evil. because over and over, 'the world' in the Bible is described as just that:
broken; corrupt; evil -fallen.
Christians are to be 'in it' but not 'of it.' -consecrated, sanctified; set apart from..
salt and light; ambassadors for Christ, walking in love, with faith and hope
*****
as i've written before -i love certain specific ministers for certain topics
and on the topic of 'the world' -the fallen world and Christians place in it
i love the teachings of Charles Stanley. He is in heaven, having died in 2023, but his legacy of Christian teachings is one of the most remarkable, -we watch with some frequency; and when not directly watching, -listen, while we clean the house, etc.
****
what we can 'know for sure' /thinking here of Oprah..
is that being a Christian does not make you immune to the effects of living in a fallen world;
does not make you immune to the effects of people who live by the flesh and not the spirit;
people who are unevolved, unsaved, unaware, -slave to their egos; self-seeking; carnal.. hateful, mean, hurtful, evil
we are not Christians living in a Christian world. A Christian world is.. heaven.
we are Christians living among secular; multiple faiths; agnostic; atheists..
****
and i repeat here: i LOVE being a Christian! i LOVE walking in LOVE.. i LOVE the fruits of the spirit:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness -self (not God) control.
****
i have the advantage of *knowing there is an eternal life in heaven; innocent souls are embraced; although their physical containers die. -* believing; we are believers not knowers; walk by faith, not sight. [skipping here my understandings on how/why humans can 'believe' and/or 'know' and how we discern the difference internally]
i have an understanding of pain, suffering, trauma; maybe not specific to yours,
but the common denominator, emotionally/spiritually speaking
****
so, i have the advantage of knowing how valuable it is:
how valuable, crucial they both are: thoughts. and, prayers.
all of this CH's here: healing the hearts of all survivors
****
conclude with two scriptures:
2 Corinthians 4:8..
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
***
Romans 12:17 -repay no one evil for evil
****
-Christian wardrobe -not 'fashion' clothing; spiritual clothing to protect your hearts, minds, bodies from the schemes of the enemy (devil/darkness/evil) in this fallen world
belt of truth. breastplate of **righteousness. shoes of peace. shield of faith. helmet of salvation. sword of the spirit.
****
1 Corinthians 13:13 -and now these three remain: faith, hope & love. But the greatest of these is..
LOVE.
****
** it is the subject i'm most inspired to write about ... soon.
everywhere we are surrounded by t-shirts, posters, decor of many kinds that read
KINDNESS MATTERS. and that is true; and that is good; and kindness is a fruit of the spirit.
****
but, RIGHTEOUSNESS MATTERS!! and if you could..
if i could wave the magic wand and change every one of the signs to read
RIGHTEOUSNESS MATTERS!! it would help make my point; drive it home, as the saying goes..
****
more later.. love & healing prayers, in Jesus trustworthy name.. God can and does comfort and heal the brokenhearted
i can testify. i can be a witness.
hallelujah, selah & amen.
Surprise Tour of Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad #vasona #losgatos #oakmeadow #lexingtonreservoir
goal, from lake vasona/oak meadow park, along and then UP the los gatos creek trail is:
"View of Lexington Reservoir!"
where we have the 2nd half of our picnic. -this is an encore; return to the scene of great times bike ride.
only this time...
after the 1st half of our picnic at oak meadow park.. we were treated to a wonderful surprise!
a spontaneous, back-stage-VIP-pass quality tour of
Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, by the General Manager, William (who had us call him Will) Whitney.
"Thank You!" so very much! we loved every minute of it.. and it was your passion, knowledge and general kindness that made it the wonderful experience it was.. plus enjoyed meeting Cheryl, who also generously shared her passion/knowledge as an artist who paints/restores the horses for the carousel..
you really made our day feel extra blessed! enriched our entire experience; deepened our awareness and appreciation of the remarkable history! look forward to returning soon with our grandson! and excited to share with our friends, they can bring their dog on the train!
-also, we've invited ourselves, as you know, to the opening premier of your upcoming documentary..
/she says with a smile..
****
text from my son, jack,
me: -hey sexy.. how did we end up on that amazing tour anyway?
robert: i was talking to one of the maintenance men, asking whether the carousel and train were still in operation.. -Will overheard, came walking over, introduced himself.. and invited us to learn more..
****
spontaneous blessing! -and we did learn, they just finished up their 7 day a week operations; after school starts, fall season, it's just on weekends.
****
and there is a great deal of fascinating & fun history! but certainly a highlight.. learning & seeing this:
the friendship between a couple like-mindeds.. billy jones & walt disney
what a day the Lord did make.. and we rejoiced so thoroughly in it!
-this is our thank you prayer.. xoxo amen.
REAL * LIFE * STYLES: 08/19/2025 Los Gatos Creek Trail #RealLifeStyles #fashion #brighton
left to write:
susan (sp?), retired dentist.. great personality, generous with wisdom; shops at walmart/target for hiking gear, pretty much makes sure legs/arms covered, face covered w/hat, sunscreen where skin's exposed.
middle: didn't get names, but the husband will shop anywhere; the wife likes mate the label, and she mentioned her daughter likes, pact.
write: also, didn't get name, but.. love this beautiful casual/dressy outfit.. not worn for hiking, but for a visit w/friend/family to oak meadow park, los gatos -will add on here, i'm personally inspired, because, just for the sake of change, i'm looking to not default to jeans/top, but -slacks, or pants that aren't jeans,
-looks nice here w/vest, short sleeve t..
"Thank You!" for sharing
and how fun is this: brighton fashions -this is my MIL (mother-in-law); and she loves all things brighton, and has an especially wonderful selection of their fun & fashionable brighton sneakers
looking great MIL! "Thank You! Love You!"
emergence of "The Bathroom Collection!" by (me!) sandra, topps, writeousmom
what does this prayer plant collage have to do with the emergence of "a bathroom collection!"
follow along,
i've been blogging for 20 years now, -all creative non fiction..
without ever intending to write 'collections' -the potential for short story collections has emerged:
there is the potential for a
poetry collection, of course,
embarrassing moments collection, magic of macys collection
and i do believe i have one of the most unique movie/book/art reviews collections..
/one of which also belongs in my most embarrassing moments collection..
then there's
meeting authors/getting autographs book signings collection..
raising taryn & jack collection, family/parents/siblings/children/grandchildren..
live concerts/live music collection..
barones collection.. falling in love collection,
ricks picks/danville, ricks picks pleasanton collection...
all things alden lane...
family adventures in pleasanton collection,
politics collection; Christian walk collection.. humor collection..
on the craft of writing collection..
and a much longer list. plus photography collections; mixed media art.. indigenous word art...
yard art...
but my personal epiphany for "a bathroom collection!" happened yesterday at pintello comedy theater
****
of course it starts with the fact i had to use the bathroom..
and when i did, there are a few different doors to chose from once you enter the main one..
-this one's locked/occupied.. try the next.. whoops! -this goes to the kitchen..
but, eventually a vacant bathroom, and then.. hand-washing, because my momma raised me write..
and that's when i saw it,
and i looked around for anyone who might listen..
and there was a dark haired woman standing nearby.. total stranger.
and i treated her as if she paid to attend my talk on the beauty of the prayer plant.
i pointed to the picture on the wall..
do you know what this is? she politely nodded no.
i had her trapped...
well, this is a black n white version of the plant, but it's a prayer plant.. called a prayer plant,
and if you see one in color! it is actually one of the most beautiful plants ever, with the leaves in light and dark green, and then beautiful red lines...
pointing to where they might be..
gorgeous..
and bless her heart because she just smiled; look a little entertained, and said, thank you for sharing..
no,
"Thank You!" for listening..
****
and now, how many do you need to call something a 'collection' ?
****
flash back here to when my friend (of long ago), shelley, was at my apartment and went to the mantle..
she asked, 'is this supposed to be a robin williams collection?"
i nodded yes..
she doubled over in laughter. you have TWO!
i didn't really laugh back... i just thought to myself.. you have to start somewhere, -write.
/now i've got quite a wonderful robin williams collection...
****
but, point being, i don't know how many 'bathroom' related blog posts i have written in the past 20 years..
but there is the very recent bathroom pow-wow at mr mojitos in san jose,
and two others that come write to mind, without effort: fun/entertaining; both true and zeitgeist dense
WALGREENS BATHROOM STORY, Pleasanton, California
BARONES PORTA POTTIES, Pleasanton, California..
and of course, competition for which collection -bathroom or embarrassing moments:
Macys Bathroom Saga -Stoneridge Mall, Pleasanton, CA
***
yes, of course, i would love it... new, published collections.. eat, write & exercise, was the result of just understanding i had written enough to have a book of blog posts.. a creative non-fiction short story collection,
but, that came out in 2009! and i've done nothing but write more and more sense..
SHEsaysWITHaSMILE 2005 - 2025 lots to choose from...
published collections.. for this i pray
selah! hallelujah! & amen..
Return to the scene of great times! (pintello comedy theater!) -gilroy, ca
#TheHeartSeen
after many years and who knows how many 'the heart seens' i did stop investing time/energy in keeping/maintaining the collection. but i do still sometimes receive.. "Thank You Carla!"
and i do still sometimes see and, take a picture.. so, i spied 'the heart seen' just yesterday in safeway's produce section. still delights me!
from the archives...
A GIANT MYSTERY to (me!) -sandra mickanen, topps, writeousmom #music
now, usually if i find myself quietly singing/humming a song to myself it is because
* i recently heard it..
* someone mentioned it
* -some visual trigger reminded me of it..
-and then there are the occasion when it seems/feels random, but.. i associate the song with a loved one or friend.. and i think,
i interpret that the person, -on earth, or in heaven, is.. communicating to me through the song.. they've been thinking of me.. -something, difficult to articulate; easy to understand..
i'm sure i have examples here in my blog archives,
but this song; this particular song, which i started singing/humming early today..
it does not fall in any of the categories mentioned above; not a one!
****
i have not heard it; no one has mentioned it; there were no visual associations, and i do not associate the song itself with any person -any activity.. any.. anything.
it's not on a playlist..
***
it felt so... mysterious! why on earth am i singing/humming this particular song?
i could sing the main chorus, but had no other lyrics familiar..
i started to sing: nothing from nothing means leaves nothing.. you gotta have something.. if you wanna be with me..
that's all i knew though. and i could hear the music/melody.. no way i could have told you who the singer was; the artist.. no clue.
****
naturally i looked it up. played it on spotify. LEARNED, did not know, the singer is billy preston
paid more attention to the lyrics..
-still nothing, far as solving the mystery goes, but.. i do love the lyric
"i'm a soldier in the war of poverty"
and it is a cool song, i love re-visiting it.. catchy with some substance
and, before i close i will just share -i have no idea, even as i write this, write now..
whether or not i know more billy preston songs, unable to 'remember' them, absent visual aids.. pictures
but i'm inspired to look up a list now and see...
and maybe not by title even, just reading the title, but.. if i hear it..
bwb,
none by title alone..
clicking to listen to some now:
bwb,
-round in circles.. not familiar
-outa space.. not familiar, but.. come on! it's got the 70's funk.. my groove.. tomorrows cleaning day.. i will be playing this song.. added to energy playlist.. done! no one should be able to sit still during this song.
plus a gospel album and huge body of Christian music..
fantastic musician..
not overly familiar, or even mildly familiar with his other 'hits'
****
whatever led me to.. mystery. but, grateful
****
selah! hallelujah & amen..
#music
****
speaking of music; currently watching the billy joel documentary
and
waiting patiently for my brother to send his newest... exceptional!
and,
hope to be able to provide links to my sister's husband, his father, my brothers songs.. and music
very soon.
talented! creative non-fiction; moving, entertaining and inspiring music..
****
8/17/2025 addendum..
billy preston 'radio' did help me get the bathroom clean in record time today..
"Thank You!"
but also, -realizing..
anytime a song comes to me, utterly unannounced.. pops in my mind..
like, nothing from nothing did..
-i have in the past, and only restrospectively, been able to tie it together with
a major emotional event in someone's else life within my friend/family circle..
and today..
i do have a long lost friends name coming to my mind.. and i do wonder..
my guess, is something major happened, but the something major could be anything from
a promotion,
an illness,
a death
birth of a child..
-something on the larger scale, like that.. i lost contact long ago, so this will remain a mystery..
but i have a certain internal confidence about it; pray it's a positive event
*****
mysteries.. selah! hallelujah & amen..
Laugh or Lose Your Mind: Kaiser Permanente Website Services -sandra mickanen reporting
join us, in our effort to pay our premium monthly bill:
online; by phone; in person.. [note: this does not reflect the actual care we receive from staff/doctors]
ONLINE
website -clearly! indicates we have 'autopay'
-but does not automatically take the payment. we receive late notice. try again..
****
loop, stuck, loop; give up, try new approach:
****
pay as a guest.. find unit id (mandatory), find it, copy paste:
-will not accept unit id..
*****
loop, stuck, loop.. nothing working..
*****
BY PHONE: call, wait, select numbers, connect at last, get forwarded to appropriate person;
wait, wait, wait; call drops. start over. -3rd time surrender
****
IN PERSON
drive to Milpitas Office to pay in person...
"They removed member services from the facility, we can't accept payments here."
*****
go IN PERSON to Santa Clara County..
hunt to find member services... "really, you don't take payments either?"
FINALLY meet with a person, who sends us to another person,
where we are FACE to FACE with a human in an office, who can help
-person who can help gets on the phone, speaker.. so we all can hear..
our entire goal has been to just pay our monthly bill; that's it.
but the website has been such a nightmare, we want to pay our bill, and
go back to receiving a PAPER STATMENT.
person on phone, with person in office also hearing, verbally confirms we will go back to a paper statement. and we will receive our bill in the mail so we can take care of the monthly premium.
next day,
email reading, "you chose to receive paperless..." -laugh or lose your mind.
*****
also, a germane time/post to share how baffled we are
by how, UNstreamlined and utterly cumbersome; grossly inefficient.. the process is
just to change your last name when you get married.
when we consider how many people are doing this... getting married, changing (or adding) a new last name any given year.. every year...
thousands upon thousands of people:
it just does not make sense that ALL businesses, schools, entities of any/all kinds do not have a
much more simplified process.
especially, when THE ONLY THING BEING CHANGED is a NAME..!!
you are not changing an address, you are not changing membership status,
you are not changing type of plan, you are not changing anything but the name
*****
current name on file is _______________________
new, updated name is __________________________
marriage certificate/relevant documents to verify.
******
THAT'S IT.
*****
it's been a chore & obstacle everywhere; KAISER! sent an envelope with 20 pages...
in response to our request for the form required to update my last name.
and even after we read through it... hunting for where to document the change...
trying to make sense...
*****
so, while we were in the office with a human, and over the phone... with a human..
who did not successfully switch us back to receiving a paper statement..
we also requested the name update..
****
filed under: laugh or lose your mind
selah! & amen.
and the WINNER is! BEST R.O.I. on SUV -part II, gets even better..
in my Thurs. July 10, 2025 post, i described in more detail.. but, honestly
Robert purchased a used 1997 Ford Expedition SUV in 2011 for $5000.
fast forward to 2025.. and this SUV he bought for $5000, and used for 14 years!
he turned in at pick n pull, for $2000.
so, WINNER! $3000, for an SUV which served the family for 14 years;
save only some hundreds a few years back for a water pump/thermostat/spark plug repair..
*****
"Thank You Jesus!" -amen.
****
REAL * LIFE * STYLES: 08/15/2025 Costco in San Jose, CA #fashion #RealLifeStyles
"Thank You!" spontaneous fashion models.
i love the hat, leggings with cutouts at the bottom; darling.. cute shoes
i love Indian fashions.. the designs! & most gorgeous fabrics, colors..
and love the light blue hat, light blue summer-y top, w/jeans w/cut-off hem, that reveal the pearl beaded summer sandals..
plus the wonderful handbags..
great looks!
#fashion #RealLifeStyles
what they say & show vs. what we see & know... good fight of faith continues..
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personally, i still pray for -relocation of berryessa parking site to DIGNITY ACRES EMERGENCY CAMPGROUND -relocation of all homeless in that area to DAEC..
major clean up..
KEEP SAN JOSE FLEA MARKET...
Kennedy Center Honors this Dec 2025 -makes KISStory! fun memories for (the harrison siblings!)
love the line-up!
I AM reflecting on my writing.. (me!) sandra mickanen, writeousmom, topps
i can never see a pix of neil diamond without remembering -the neil diamond rose at alden lane,
but, more fun than that..
my exchange with the comedian of a mailman while working at ricks picks in danville, ca.
****
speaking as a writer...
****
as it happened, i laughed pretty hard.. i immediately was inspired to capture and write about it
but
when i sat down to do the actual writing/posting..
i regard it one of my greatest, trickiest challenges..
i wrote, re-wrote, -several efforts..
trying to recapture the exact way, the exact order.. the perfect timing! of his response
a true challenge of craft...
and,
pleased with the results. -but there still exists the pre-requisites for any readers..
that you are already familiar with neil diamond and his famous song..
****
i've never needed fiction. life itself is so generous to me as a writer..
"Thank You!" and amen..
*****
i have LOTS of wonderful danville ricks picks memories..
****
"thank you Jesus!" -amen.
#vellumdays in progress...
giant "Thank You!" prayer.. hallelujah & amen
RISE of the REPUBLICANS in CALIFORNIA -sandra mickanen reporting
-experiencing this in real time;
we are not the only ones, here in san jose, who have exhausted all efforts.
there is a consensus
the good fight of faith is being exercised in northern california, southern california and everywhere in between..
i believe everyone believed they could make positive change via the standard ways and channels
everyone with dedication and resolve..
but unable to experience the fruits of their labor
it is clear; crystal clear who/what/where the obstacles are..
and as a result
this state, for decades solid blue;
then dabbed with hints of purple
is becoming red hot.
-from the bottom up
hallelujah & amen
My imaginary interview with Shengjia Zhao, Chief Scientist Meta's Superintelligence Lab -sandra mickanen
sandra: i know you are crazy busy, so "thank you!" and, "congratulations!" -but out of respect for your very valuable time, i'll just hop, skip, jump write to it okay..
shengjia: [smiles]
sandra: i was reading this article (shows article), and, let me tell you a couple things that got my attention
*you're a standford PhD...
* your expertise 'helped shape how models learned from human feedback, processed ambiguity and responded with nuance.. /that's pretty cool..
but here's my favorite thing i read about you Shengjia..
your colleagues said you never left a problem half-solved. that is awesome!
you are exactly the type of highly intelligent problem solver we've been looking for!
here is our problem:
we have exhausted all efforts.. we are just average, lay people.. the HTLC Community.. [Hard-working, Tax-paying, Law-abiding, Contributors] our every effort is not getting ANY results
would you be kind enough to share with us, your expertise in problem solving?
advise us.. help us... guide us..
if you were in our shoes.. how would YOUR MIND process.. and SOLVE for this hideous
ongoing, growing, problem
i believe we do have the mind-power somewhere here in 'silicon valley'
-using process of elimination, we already know the mind-power cannot be found within city council members or county supervisors..
-we've done everything we know to do..
we are reaching out to the most intelligent people we (would love to) know, like yourself..
the problem has already been successfully identified: homeless colonizing shopping plazas (also creek sides, parks, freeways.) which results in loss of paying customers, which results in store closures..
which results in boarded up stores covered in graffiti, attracting even more homeless..
as to the reason the problem exists in the first place.. it is not 'lack of affordable housing'
all the healthy, hard-working, tax-paying people who could not find something affordable here, simply looked elsewhere.. moved to where they could afford something..
what we lack here is hospitals for mentally ill; rehab that actually rehabs; and consequences/arrests/convictions for homeless criminals. we need to help not enable; remove 'sanctuary' status.. figure out ways to prevent not attract more and more homeless..
i've itemized all the ways we've unsuccessfully tried to solve this problem
we are failing and need your help
"Thank You!" -the micks, o/b/o the entire Berryessa Neighborhood...
fighting the good fight of faith
/maybe this is more a letter than interview.. monologue really... -its an effort.
amen.
the textile masterpiece of my wardrobe -sandra mickanen reporting #fashion #RealLifeStyles
the design of this blouse is worth more than gold to me! -have you any idea how hard it is to find a pretty, flattering, off the shoulder blouse with loose long sleeves! a blouse that is flow~y, not too fitted.. not cropped, -with a lovely fabric.. i regard the design -all things combined: fabric, gorgeous layers, crossover style, comfort, length of top, length of sleeves.. i regard it a textile masterpiece! it is the prettiest blouse i own.. crazy love it!
and as i mentioned in the previous post:
* if i like the look/style * if it fits comfortably * is a fair price...
if they offer it in more than one color; i will buy it in more than one color
so, i have it in cream, red, white, black & maroon (only because they did not offer it in blue.. beautiful prints..)
now, here's the thing.. i was divinely directed, because i did not really shop at the store where i found it..
the styles at the given store are really for.. much younger & much more sexy
but they happen to have this top on a mannequin and it caught my eye..
long, sheer, sleeves will always catch my eye..
and i really love off the shoulder(s) -but not cropped! regular or long length..
anyway.. tried it on and fell in love.. it's magical; feminine, flattering..
if this was the top.. of a long gown.. red carpet worthy..
i have always wished i could track down the very person who designed it and thank them personally..
"masterpiece!"
and, its been a while, but i believe i paid $30-ish for it.. somewhere between $25 and $30 dollars.. gave one or two as gifts too..
but i found it here -and, if you visit their website, you will see it is no longer available, and if you type in 'off the shoulder' in the search.. you only find very, almost wet-suit-fitted, cropped, short sleeve sexy pieces for much younger people..
but what a score! hope it inspires designers who create fashions for writeousmom's like me...
#fashion #RealLifeStyles -this post is my "thank you!" prayer..
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