October 2007 Archives
My Internship is Complete!
Did you hear the unmistakable shout of joy sometime this afternoon? In case you were unable to hear my gleeful whoops, today I passed the 600 total hours mark! I did a happy dance. I clicked my heels. I giggled uncontrollably. I double high fived my fellow intern, Beth. There was much rejoicing.
But wait...there's more! I still need to attend 3 more Pro-Sem sessions and present one more case presentation in order to be totally squared away with all requirements to graduate. Yes, there are these still hanging requirements that cast a shadow.
I received yesterday the official letter of "things you need to know about your upcoming graduation ceremony". I pick up my gown on December 3rd. The rehearsal for graduation is just a couple of hours before the ceremony--probably done that way because they only expect the ceremony to take an hour. It's not the big fanfare of the June ceremony, and fewer of us to present with faux diplomas. I've always thought the cap and gown ensemble of the master's degree student is much more stylish because it has a hood. I don't know what color the hood will be as I'm not sure what field of study they actually consider Applied Behavioral Science.
Soon I'll be able to use the letters "M.A." after my name--well, at least on clinical documents.
Side note of interest: John has completed his master's degree and has yet to receive his diploma. It seems to always take a very long while for the actual piece of paper to arrive once it gets posted to the transcript. In that official letter I received it said that my diploma won't be mailed out until March! You'd think for the $200 fee I paid to graduate and participate in the ceremony that they could get the diploma out a lot quicker than 3 months--perhaps there is a special process I'm unaware of?
My academic life hasn't reached its end, even though it feels darn good to be done with this degree for now. I still want to go to the next level and get my PhD. It's just for now I'd like to spend time working in the field, gain clinical experience--see about opening up my own private practice.
Somebody pinch me now so I'll wake up from this dream. It's starting to settle in that I've really done this! I've really made it all the way to the end!
This doily is another accomplishment in my quest for making all of the PK designs. It comes from the pattern book Elegant in Ecru. I made it using size 12 Valdani thread in color P12. It measures about 10 inches in diameter.
I'm currently working on my next PK doily, which also happens to be called Stunning. It comes from the booklet Wonderful Doilies. I have 17 out of 40 rounds completed on it. I'm making it from Valdani thread--recently bought some new colors as I am making doilies for gifts for the holidays. I had the brainy idea I could make doilies as gifts AND work on my PK goal. I'm too clever for myself.
After I started the new doily last night I realized it requires more yards of thread than I originally thought--but since the size 12 works up differently than size 10, I may or may not have enough. I'll just have to wait and see! It's not like I won't have anything to crochet with if I need to put the currently doily on hold while more thread arrives!
O, I wish I was in the land of cotton
John was made a job offer for Wilson, North Carolina. He'll be part of a new concept store that is scheduled to open early next year. He'll be one of the assistant store managers. He plans on leaving for Wilson around November 12th. He's going to take Teddy and Stash with him as it has been determined that I am not capable of soothing Teddy's nerves or meeting his needs. Teddy requires snuggling into John's beard on a regular basis, and even though I have one of those weird hairs sprouting on my chin that an old lady gets, it shows no promise of becoming a beard.
And since Teddy needs a companion, Stash was the most logical choice since Stash and Teddy play a lot together and he also often goes to John for lap-love.
If all goes according to plan, I will fly out during the last week of the year to visit and check out Wilson. It looks like a nice community from what I have been able to find on the Internet. The photo postcard shows the town back "in the day". I'm sure today it looks more like the typical Generica common to most large cities with strip malls, mega-stores, etc.
Internship Hours Done?
I think I've completed my internship hours! The reason I'm not certain is that when I was entering my hours for the week into my spreadsheet file, it didn't register with me to look to see how many hours I had accumulated, and I kept looking at "154" thinking I still needing 6 more hours! But I'm pretty sure that my hours are now completed! What sucks is that my hours toward licensure won't count until my degree is posted. I officially graduate December 10th, which is a Monday. What a weird day for a graduation!
Endearing Doily
This doily comes from Heirloom Pineapple Doilies by Trish Kristoffersen. The copyright on this pattern booklet is 1995, making it the oldest group of patterns by PK that I own. (In her subsequent publications she goes by Patricia Kristoffersen.) The doily is Endearing, measures about 12 ½ inches in diameter. I made it using size 12 Valdani thread in the color M18.
PK's early designs do not have the raised stitches or textured elements she is most known for. What is present are the use of picots and open spaces to create a lacey effect. Her work evolves over the years into her signature styles. I find it fascinating to see the transitions and similarities in her older and newer designs.I'm still working on my life-time goal of making all of her doilies at least once and on my hook is a doily from Elegant in Ecru, soon to be completed since it is only 22 rounds.
My latest doily completed is from PK's Coffee N' Cream Doilies, French Vanilla. Made using size 40 thread in three shades of pink. The doily is 8 inches in diameter at the widest points.
My quest to make all of the PK doilies during my lifetime is going along well. I've started another doily pattern already. I decided to make something from PK's earliest designs. Once that doily is completed I'll have a little discussion about the evolution of her work as her signature designs came later on, yet elements of her style can be seen in her early works.
I think I have only one pattern book left to acquire--and I should get motivated and purchase it since it is still in print. I've been lucky in acquiring her more rare, out of print titles rather reasonably on eBay. Hopefully, she is still designing more doilies for her adoring fans and we'll soon be treated to more awesome doilies to create!
Some websites to check out: www.pkcrochet.com, http://snappishone.blogspot.com/, http://ukrakovianki.blogspot.com/
The latest PK designed doily I've completed is Innovative Idea from Ultimate Doilies. This one is made using Olympus size 40 thread, in an antique rose color. The diameter of the doily is around 10-11 inches, though I haven't measured it for precise dimensions.
This doily's detail is in the center where there are a lot of nifty stitches and a floral like design.
I've been working off-and-on with this doily for awhile. It's part of my lifetime project of crocheting at least once all of the PK designs. This doily will most likely find a home with someone other than me, as I feel that such doilies need to be released into the world, or at least given a good home.
After John didn't get the promotion in Yakima, I made the suggestion to open up his range of places to relocate. Somehow his inquiries made their way to Albany, NY, although he didn't directly contact them. Earlier this week they asked him to travel out for a face-to-face interview. Then he was contacted to do a phone interview with the North Carolina district. One day before he was to fly out, he was contact by the Philadelphia district wanting to know if he could drive down from Albany to interview on Friday. To summarize, he has had three interviews this week all for east coast/northeast regions.So far, the results has been that the Philly area is very interested in hiring him, but could not yet make him an offer as information about what kind of offer could be made needed to be gathered.
He is due to arrive home this afternoon with more adventures and tales of his whirlwind travels. He said he'd try to find and acquire a box of Entenmann's crumb donuts.
Meanwhile, I've been exploring the possibility of job opportunities in the respective states. It looks like becoming a licensed therapist in Pennsylvania is down-right evil compared to Washington state. I've yet to determine if Pennsylvania has a provisional or limited license--whoever has designed the state website for Pennsylvania needs to make the information more accessible and clear.
What sucks is that my school required me to have only 150 direct client contact hours. Many states outside of Washington, as I've discovered, require an internship of 300 direct client contact hours. Does this mean my master's degree will be deemed deficient and I'll need to do a second internship if I move to a different state? Most states have laws on reciprocity, meaning if you've been licensed in one state, such as Washington, then you can apply to have the license "transferred" to the new state.
All I know is that trying to figure out this crap makes my head spin, because I may have to take MORE CLASSES depending on what will be honored and transferred. Graduate schools can be very fussy and particular about what they will accept as credits. At the very least I may be required to take a class on the local state laws regarding counseling. ARGH!
On October 2nd I celebrated my one-year anniversary of being an intern! I have only 16 more client contact hours to go to complete my internship! If all goes accordingly, I should have my hours completed by the end of this month! When I was up on campus on Thursday, I submitted my application to graduate in December. It felt really good to hand over my form along with my credit card to pay the $200 fee. I want to participate in the ceremony held on campus in the renowned Bastyr Chapel.
My internship will not, however, be over until March. I agreed to take on some new clients in September, and the standard length of therapy is 6 months, so unless everyone terminates earlier, I'll see them through until that time. I don't mind because I enjoy the work most of the time. There are moments where I still wonder what I'm doing, and whether or not I'm even effective, and what it would be like to do this kind of work full-time.
I think once I get those hours completed I'm going to take some time off around Thanksgiving and just chill and relax and do nothing in particular. Like all day I'll just pet and adore Smee and swoon over him.
