Zen Monkey’s News and Musings …

Notes from here, there and the Internet …

The Coweta County School System extends its deepest sympathies to the family, friends and long-time colleagues of Mrs. Sue Brown, who passed away on Saturday, February 18. A life-long educator and music teacher, Mrs. Brown also served 16 years on the Coweta County Board of Education representing District 2, and was the first woman to serve as school board chair.

THIS IS SO SAD ... RIP Mr. Henry! Great employee and ambassador for Arnall Grocery Company for so many, many years. He will surely be missed. From Arnall Grocery: “Sorry to report that Mr. Henry Vaughn has passed away. He loved to take care of his customers. The loyalty and dedication he showed is unsurpassed. He is missed by many.” mental illness in adults and adolescents from the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

Yamaha’s commitment to Community isn’t just through straight donations. We also encourage our team to volunteer, and we back that up with a promise. As our team turns in the hours they have volunteered with a nonprofit, we donate $15 for every hour back to the organization they supported.

• Excessive worrying or fear

• Feeling excessively sad or low

• Confused thinking or problems concentrating

• Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria

• Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger

• Avoiding friends and social activities

• Difficulties understanding or relating to others

• Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy

• Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite

• Changes in sex drive

• Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don’t exist)

• Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight”)

• Overuse of substances like alcohol or drugs

• Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)

• Thinking about suicide

• Inability to carry out daily activities or handle daily problems and stress

• Intense fear of weight gain or appearance

In children, symptoms of mental health conditions are behavioral, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. These symptoms may include:

• Changes in school performance

• Excessive worry or anxiety, such as fighting to avoid bed or school

• Hyperactive behavior

• Frequent nightmares

• Frequent disobedience or aggression

• Frequent temper tantrums

Where to Seek Help

Receiving proper care and treatment are essential to overcoming mental illness, but some people may not have health insurance or can’t afford mental health services with a therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist. The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities recommends these resources:

• Georgia Assn. of Community Service Boards:

“In Georgia, there is a network of Community Service Board providers who can assess and treat individuals with mental health conditions,” Peel said. “They serve individuals who are uninsured as well as those who are underinsured and provide a wide array of services to include assessment, medication management, counseling and other supportive services.”

For more info, visit https://www.gacsb.org and use the Resources tab to find providers in your area.

• Georgia Crisis and Access Line: The Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) provides 24/7/365 crisis assessment services, but it can also link people to treatment providers in their area regardless of insurance or insurance type. GCAL can be reached by calling 800-715-4225 or by text/chat using the MyGCAL app which can be downloaded for Apple and Android devices.

• Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities: Visit the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities website and click on the tab to Find Services & Contacts: https:// dbhdd.georgia.gov/how-do-i-find-dbhdd-services.

• Federally Qualified Health Centers: Many Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Georgia provide primary care and behavioral health services. For more information, visit https:// dch.georgia.gov/federally-qualified-health-centersfqhcs-community-health-centers-chcs.

… Rick Springfield / Sasha Hurtado

H June 10 … Toad the Wet Sprocket / Marcy Playground

H June 17 … Morris Day / Midnight Star

H June 24 … ASO / Def Leppard H July 1 … Belinda Carlisle

H July 22 … CarPool (Cars Tribute) / Hyndesight (Pretenders Tribute)

H August 5 … Black Jacket Symphony / Saturday Night Fever

H August 19 … Interstellar Echoes: A Tribute to Pink Floyd

Listen

BBQCountry announces TINA CANNON as the 4th of 12 Professional Pitmasters for Season 1 of Barbecue Country. Tina Cannon has over 35 years in the culinary industry. She is a classically trained chef that has worked in many capacities in professional kitchens. Tina volunteers at the local culinary school teaching and inspiring students in various culinary classes. In 2022 Tina cooked over 50 K meals alone, single handedly for Meals on Wheels of Coweta.

He paused for a moment and ran back to me. “Did I tell you that now I have enough money to take Claire to the movies?” He flashed that smile and those baby blues, and at that moment I felt like Claire is about to be the luckiest girl in second grade.

It was dark by now, and I watched him push that huge wheelbarrow from our cul-de-sac to his. I waved at my son who was watching him from their driveway.

A few days later as we were leaving the subdivision, we met up with our daughter in law and the kids. Jack rolled his window down. “Grandma Bo! Guess what?” I couldn’t imagine. “She said YES!”

My heart skipped a bit, knowing that while I will remember this for the rest of my life, I’m thinking there’s a little girl named Claire who will also remember the sweetest boy ever.

Contact Kathy at kathybohan@yahoo.com