Wet n' Wild at Work

It's been a busy and somewhat flat-feeling month or two for Andy and me, but I figured it was time for an update! Some things that have been going on:
- my button tree is still alive (!)
- Andy's latest clients at his arena decided to do a New York-themed event, complete with taxi cabs and massive backdrop of the skyline. We both miss New York, a LOT.
- My placement for my Social Work Masters is going great - I feel really engaged with the clients and the team, and it's really challenging my ideas about care/control of mental health...how society decides to label and respond to things. Hmm. I'm learning a lot.
- We went to see the Miserable Rich the other night at a great little venue called The Deaf Institute. They're really great. Check them out.
- My part time work at The Mustard Tree is going really well - our programme (The Freedom Project - cheesy I know, I didn't name it) helps those with significant barriers to employment (ex-offenders, homeless, long term unemployed, mentally ill) gain work practice, life sills training and mentoring to help them make steps back to work. Its a really steep learning curve for me and for Jez (who really runs it now that I'm down to one day a week!), but we're excited about what's been happening in the lives of our participants.
Part of what we like to do once a month is do team-building days where we give the guys on the project experiences that will be new and fun and help improve confidence and team-building. Today, we took them for a day out in the hills for hiking and abseiling (see pics above) Everyone had such a blast - one guy who was with us came to the UK as a refugee over 5 years ago and today was his FIRST time EVER in the countryside. He was grinning all day long an took pics with his camera phone of everything; it was so much fun to watch him love nature!

Button Tree

Meet my new favourite possession: my button tree! A Valentine's gift from Andy, who felt bad for being out of town on V-day. Isn't it amazing?! It's made of red buttons of all sizes and as you might know, buttons have a special place in my heart :) Who needs flowers and chocolates when you have buttons, I ask you?

oh, deer

Andy and I had a great relaxing weekend. I pretended I didn't have an imminent essay deadline, and so we packed our sandwiches and hung out at Tatton Park for the afternoon, gaping at the beautiful deer and even getting some sun on our faces! I think we're both getting a little affected by the grey skies these days...
Afterwards, we mooched through antique shops in Knutsford and drank tea in a great little tea house that had ancient penny-farthing bicycles hanging from the ceiling. Then dinner at Liz's, which was as always a decadent gastronomic wonder. After a Sunday spent reading the papers and vegging out, we feel ready to take on whatever the next week throws at us!