Some Glee and OCD

One of my favorite television shows is Glee. I enjoy the show because of the great musical performances and its coverage of some interesting and controversial topics in a humorous and positive manner. Like all shows, some episodes aren’t so great, but the majority, especially the first two seasons, are very good.

Below a is an example of one of my favorite musical performances. Since the video ends early, I’ll tell you what you miss. When the performance ends, the Glee teacher asks the guidance counselor to marry him. The guidance counselor, Ms. Pillsbury, is also one of my favorite characters. She has OCD, and the Glee teacher loves her so much that he is willing to marry her despite her many eccentricities related to the OCD.

Before the video, I wanted to give a brief overview of OCD. Here’s some information on OCD from Wikipedia:

“Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms of the disorder include excessive washing or cleaning; repeated checking; extreme hoarding; preoccupation with sexual, violent or religious thoughts; aversion to particular numbers; and nervous rituals, such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room. These symptoms can be alienating and time-consuming, and often cause severe emotional and financial distress. The acts of those who have OCD may appear paranoid and potentially psychotic. However, OCD sufferers generally recognize their obsessions and compulsions as irrational, and may become further distressed by this realization.”

Now that you have a little background. Here’s the video.

Weekly Sunday Post: Shelter

Sometimes when we are under much spiritual, emotional, mental, or physical pain we must retreat to a place that shelters us from the pain, so we can continue to move forward. Below are some photos I took in 2010 at the Garden of Peace inside the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX. A peaceful shelter inside a museum about war.

The story behind the construction of the garden.

My son peacefully exploring the Garden.

Relaxing stream.

More of the peaceful shelter.

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Six Word Saturday #2

Here’s my entry for Six Word Saturday:

too much work; not enough play

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Together

This is one of my favorite photos of my son and husband together. I took it on a fishing trip we took a few years ago near Galveston, Texas.

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A Quote 6

“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

A deer near a road in Brazos Bend State Park in Texas in 2009. My family and I enjoy going to George Observatory nearby. There’s no light pollution, so you can see many stars at night.

I Got Tagged- 11 Questions

I’ve been tagged by Frizz from Flicker Comments by Frizztext. Thanks Frizz!
These are the rules :

Each person must post 11 things about him/herself on their blog.

1. Answer the questions the “tagger” listed for you in their post, (And create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer- if you can).

2. Choose 11 people to tag and link to them in the post.

3. Let each blogger know that you have tagged them.

Here are Frizz’s questions with my answers. And since I like these questions, and I have limited time, I will ask the 11 tagees/nominees the same questions.

1. Without three things you would be lost?

I would be lost without God, my husband, and my son.

2. If you could be famous for one thing, what would it be?

Wow, that’s a tough one. I would rather not be famous.

3. If you only could listen to one song for the next month, what song would that be?

“Smile” sang by Nat King Cole.

4. Why started you blogging in the first place?

The desire to connect with people. And the frustration of often not being able to fully connect with people face to face because of my social anxiety. Blogging seemed natural, since I can be myself without being so anxious.

5. If you could have your own tv channel, what would it be about?

Photography. Since, I started blogging I have grown very fond of photography and want to learn how to become better. I hope to get a nice camera one of these days. For now, I’ll use my Iphone and my little digital Canon PowerShot A2000 IS to learn.

6. What is your favorite season? And why?

My favorite season is fall. I like it when the temperature starts to drop after the hot and humid Houston summers.

7. Do you like flowers better or trees?

I like trees. I see trees as stronger and more practical than flowers. They seem to last longer and can often provide shade and oxygen. I think flowers are beautiful. But if I had to choose, I’d choose a tree over a flower.

8. If you could own a famous painting (or any other art object), which one would that be?

Any painting by Mark Rothko. I guess I like the simplicity of his paintings. Just looking at his paintings feels comforting some how.

Blue and Gray by Mark Rothko (1962)

9. There is only one person like yourself. Name something about you that makes you unique!

I have social anxiety, but I care about people and feel a desire to connect with other people. I often avoid being around people. But when I am not so anxious, or feel courageous enough to interact despite of the anxiety, I enjoy being around people. I do better interacting in small groups or one on one.

10. Do you plan out things usually or do you do them more spontaneous?

I like to plan things out.

11. Would you rather be a movie actor or a (rock)star on the stage?

A movie actor. I don’t think I could stand being a star and the center of attention on a concert or theater stage.

Here are my tagees/nominees:

Sonel

Lady Barefoot Baroness

Buckwheatsrisk

Rois

Francine in Retirement

The Positive Page

Colline’s Blog

Simply Charming

Adjustingyourfocus

Mlissabeth’s Musings

Jakesprinter

Here’s a copy of the questions:

1 Without three things you would be lost?

2 If you could be famous for one thing, what would it be?

3 If you only could listen to one song for the next month, what song would that be?

4 Why started you blogging in the first place?

5 If you could have your own tv channel, what would it be about?

6 What is your favorite season? And why? 7 Do you like flowers better or trees?

8 If you could own a famous painting (or any other art object), which one would that be?

9 There is only one person like yourself. Name something about you that makes you unique!

10 Do you plan out things usually or do you do them more spontaneous?

11 Would you rather be a movie actor or a (rock)star on the stage?

A-Z Archive: Q Challenge-Quiet

This place is very quiet. Didn’t see a single insect or animal down here. I took the photo above during my family’s 2012 Spring Break Texas road trip into the hill country near Boerne, Texas. This is the inside of the Cave Without A Name. The guide told us we went down 80 feet (approximately 24 meters) underground. At one point in the tour of the cave, our guide told us to sit on some stone benches and turned off the few lights in the cave. She left the lights off for what seemed to be more than a minute and asked us to place our hands in front of our faces. I couldn’t see anything but black and heard nothing. It’s a very unsual feeling to have your eyes open and not see. That was a bit scary, I’m glad we were all sitting down.

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Music with Frizz

Last week, Frizz from Flickr Comments by Frizztext left this music video on the comments for my A-Z Archive Challenge P! post. He added the video after commenting that the birds in the photo may be “waiting for a dollar”. Frizz is playing the guitar while his daughter sings. The song they are singing is I Need a Dollar by Aloe Blacc. It’s sort of a sad song. And I think timely.

They sound good!

Share Your World-Week 20

How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

I would say 29.   I like the 20′s.  Not too young or too old.  I have an 11 year old son and have been married 13 years, so this age would make sense.  Anything younger would not seem right.  Interesting question for today. Today is my birthday.  I’m 37 today.

What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you?

When no one else would, someone really listened to what I had to say without judgement.  My dear husband has done that for me many times.

What was your favorite childhood television program?

Charlie Brown Specials.

Which cooking utensil (other than the usual pots and pans etc) would you miss the most?

Wooden stirring spoon. It keeps the pots and pans from getting scratched. 

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Weekly Sunday Post: Stairway

I took the photo above in 2009 when I went with my son and my husband to see the Battleship Texas, also known as the U.S.S. Texas (BB-35).   You can see my son and my husband to the right and the stairway to the left. I’d like to call it a stairway to a large piece of history.

 ”When the United States formally entered World War II in 1941, Texas took on the role of escorting war convoys across the Atlantic, and she later shelled Axis-held beaches for the North African campaign and the Normandy Landings before being transferred to the Pacific Theater late in 1944 to provide naval gunfire support during the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Texas was decommissioned in 1948, having earned a total of five battle stars for service in World War II, and is presently a museum ship near Houston, Texas. Among the world’s remaining battleships, Texas is notable for being the oldest remaining dreadnought battleship.  She is also noteworthy for being one of only six remaining ships to have served in both World Wars.  Among US-built battleships, Texas is notable for her sizable number of firsts: the first US battleship to mount anti-aircraft guns, the first US ship to control gunfire with directors and range-keepers (analog forerunners of today’s computers), the first US battleship to launch an aircraft,one of the first to receive the CXAM-1 version of CXAM commercial radar in the US Navy,the first US battleship to become a permanent museum ship,  and the first battleship declared to be a US National Historic Landmark.”

(Excerpt of Wikipedia entry for U.S.S Texas)

Below is the inside of the Battleship.  This second photo shows a ladder, “special stairway”, that is very steep and takes you to the upper deck of the Battleship.  The day we visited was very hot and only a few fans were inside the ship, so I was looking forward to climbing up those steps to the open air upper deck.

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Six Word Saturday

Here’s my entry for Six Word Saturday:

balance is not an easy task

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Sun

A few weeks ago, I was getting ready to leave for work, and I looked up and saw the morning sun peeking behind the clouds.

Weekly Photo Challenge