Nostalgic Nursing Refections on Life

The opposite of Present is.... Absent (Without...Alone) The opposite of Presence is... Absence (Empty...Void) When you are mom (and Santa) to twin 7year old boys... Presents are a BIG element each December 25Th! I believe this is probably the case with most children and young adults in today's world. I use to believe that well chosen sentimental gifts were an ideal display of how a person truly feels about another... Not necessarily the fiscal investment... Definitely the mental, emotional and time investment. Developing the insight to discern the best way to show how much you care... Identifying the the most appropriate physical object to provide a sensory connection... Something that can be seen, touched...smelled...tasted...heard... Then one day around 40years and six months I looked around and realized... Wow! I have a whole lot of stuff... Stuff everywhere... Too much stuff. Too much to see. So much stuff that sentimental joy had become Sensory overload! The "presents&quo

So Yesterday I had it all under control... I had gained a positive new perspective...appreciating and preserving all that is good, loving and happy... Today... I am ok...I cry...I am ok...I cry...I am ok...and on it goes. Even with LOTS of fertilizer... Sometimes it is very hard to "bloom where your planted"

About yesterday's figurative box of leftover, mismatched puzzle pieces... I have given it all more thought... If Dad could fashion "something" out of "nothing"...so can I! Back when I was a sprite young lady of five years... I lived at grandma's farm house for a spell... When our clothes were worn she would mend them... When our clothes could no longer be repaired we put them in the "rag bag"... I think perhaps that I mis-metaphored... I am not currently struggling as a "mismatched box of emotional puzzle pieces"... Instead I am an emotional bag of rags! Let me explain... Like favorite worn clothing items... emotions and feelings can become thread-bare, with holes and tattered edges... the wear and tear of life can take its toll on a person! Here's the beauty... Grandma had these big, old, heavy, metal pinking shears with red handles... Every so often she and I would sit and turn the "rag bag" into perfectly cut, evenly size

Anyone who has children has probably experienced, "the big box of puzzle pieces"... With time and living... 3 to 4 complete pictures wears down into... A big box of of incomplete...mismatched...puzzle pieces... Figuratively... I am there. I'm not sure about putting all the pieces together again... I usually throw out the literal box of pieces when we get to that point.

Loving...Kind...Thoughtful...Moral...Just...Honorable...Strong... Using mere words to describe Dad would be a kin to... Trying to capture the Wind in a Mason Jar! Dad recently sat with me and soothed my aching sadness by explaining that... Whenever I heard the wind blow... Rustling the leaves of the trees... Bringing tune to the front porch chimes... I should know that he is near. Now... Without his lap to cry on when I am sad... I will learn to turn to turn my face to the wind... And know in my heart... That I will always be with my Dad!!!

Watching "spiritual-mind" and "physical-body" become dismembered Bearing witness to human mortality Understanding the "Raw Nature" of the phases one progresses through to come to an end Holding Vigil Staying Near Professing Love Resolving Conflicts Honoring Wishes Providing Comfort Sleepless Nights...Days...Weeks A Family drawn together... a family supporting each other...working, eating, sleeping and crying together to make Dad's "Last Days" all that they should be Understanding Finding Peace Within Letting Go...

Spiritual Transitions, like physical change, are essential threads that together weave the fabric of life. When change happens a transition is coupled to it... A baby is born...people become parents... The child grows... a lively home becomes an empty nest... The physical body ceases to function... the spirit is set free... The spirit transitions from a world of man... Shedding Human Nature... in exchange for a celestial life of everlasting love, comfort and understanding. So what does it mean to live a "good" life???? Every man and woman must travel from point "A" (birth) to point "B" (death)... There are NO exceptions to this math equation. God given "free will" allows EVERY person to choose their path from "A" to "B". Choosing the "right" path through life is difficult... Staying on the "right" path throughout life is even harder. Exceptional people not only choose the "right" path and strive e

Everything Changes… Change is Life in Forward Motion… I embrace life’s changes… but sometimes I grieve the loss related to change. Seasons Change…the hue of the Autumn Leaves is breathtaking… the blank canvas of Winter allows for a fresh Spring start… and Summer brings the family together for backyard barbeques and adventurous vacations. Close relationships can become “loose” over time, situations and distance. Loved ones supplement the quality of the world we live in…then die leaving “holes” that cannot be filled. Seeds become plants that produce flowers and fruit then shrivel and turn brown. Quaint towns become urban driving nightmares. Weekly family dinners evolve into occasional telephone calls and yearly visits. Warm welcomes change to respectfully correct interactions and the cool feeling that the “Connection” has been lost. Nostalgic family homesteads become a battle of property rights… destroying the very principles that the family was built on. Innocence Matures to Understandi

By nature I have been fashioned as a caretaker. I truly believe that God never makes"junk", so I do my best to invest in, and take care of Gods creations. My daughter's can confirm that on one car ride I hit a chipmunk... I was emotionally devastated... I stopped the car got out and tried to administer first aid/ CPR to one of God's littlest creatures... when that didn't work I put him in the car and took him to my grandmother... well because she knew how to fix everything... when we reached her house and presented her with my dilemma she asked me if I were crazy???? She said it was in good spirit that I tried... but now I needed to let nature take its course... let it go...and so I did. That being said , I have a horrible confession that still haunts my adult mind... I was a girl of about 3 to 4 years old... I had been staying at my grandparent's country farm... the farm was filled with animals of all kinds... including many, many barn cats. One of the barn c

Well, it is almost 11:40pm... I am the only one awake... can't sleep. My mind is drawn to my Aunt Jackie. Age-wise she could be my older sister, we are only about 10 years apart. A few years back we would have an occasional "night out with the girls", I was forbidden to call her "Aunt" Jackie on those fun occasions . As a young girl I looked up to her... I have always believed her to be one of the most beautiful females that I know. One particular thing that stays with me is a bandanna bikini she made and wore well... boy was she something to a young impressionable girl... but you know what, she may or may not still sport the bandanna bikini but she still makes an impression on those she touches. She is a survivor... she has seen some challenging times in life and has persevered through it all. She emits a kind gentle-natured spirit that is nice to be around. My heart is heavy as I learn of Aunt Jackie's recent life challenges. I feel the weight of the h

Strong, Honest, Giving, Kind, Hard-working, Committed, Loving, Insightful, Peaceful, Family-oriented, Funny, Resourceful, Flexible, Understanding, Easy-to-talk-to, are just some of the adjectives that describe this remarkable woman. She has been a pillar in my life and in our family since early childhood... many times she was "the glue" that held us together. She is modest, never boastful, and always lends a hand to anyone in need. I thank God that she came in to our lives! I remember introducing her to our horse "Patches" and showing her how to feed him... I remember thinking how Cool she was on her motorcycle... I have always enjoyed sharing thoughts, feelings and life in general with her... she is an excellent listener who truly cares. She is a therapeutic painter who has experienced a fair share of "color" throughout this life... I have been blessed to have her in my life! I really do think the world of her:-)

Life has been a whirlwind of activity, work, travel, family events and motion. While I embrace life in forward motion it is a special jewel when a moment of calm presents itself. So many people are caught in a whirlwind of, "life in motion" these days... As I talk with friends and family members my prayer list grows ever longer and my spirit can struggle to "focus on the positive"... In my heart I truly believe that focusing on the positive and working through the challenges is the best way to navigate this life. I have so very much that I am grateful for... so many blessings... God will help manage the rest:-)

My Dad has played a big role in adding "color" to my "not-so-monochromatic" life! There have been times that our passionate personalities "lit up the sky" with the fireworks sparked by our differing mindsets... But there is only one person on this planet that I learned to dance with on the tops of his feet... One person who inspired my love of antiques, unique collectibles, auctions, yard sales, recycling , remodeling, refashioning, reusing and reinventing what is old and making it new again. I planted my first tree with him... I rode my first horse with him... I depended on him to kill the bugs I was soo afraid of when I was only 2... I learned to change car oil with him... I learned how to use power tools from him... I went "smelt fishing" once in my life, in the middle of the night, with him... I will never forget how he saved my injured dog (Jodie) and warmed my young heart... I will always remember how upset and sad he was when as young chi

What I remember about grandma Lois... Picking strawberries w/her in Perry City... Making Red Currant Jelly at her side... Everything Crochet and Knitting... Her passion for literature... Seeing how she enjoyed the idiosyncrasies of watching chickens... Her unyielding spirited nature... Traveling w/her to Marine Land in Canada... Traveling w/her to Bush Gardens in Florida... Her cupboards and cupboards of Tupperware... Working for her in the summer... The big white "marsh-mellow type" coat she bought me to keep my very pregnant belly warm... Her perseverance through a life of obstacles... The over-sized meals she would make at our weekly family gatherings... What I learned from her... I feel badly for her regarding the stories about her challenging times in life... then I feel disappointed yet understanding with regard to some of her coping choices... Over the years, I have tried to "fine tune" my ability to develop the "whole picture" when observing any gi

Two Word Summary... No Nonsense Wow what an influential woman! She has outlived 4 husbands, has persevered far more than Scarlett O'hara and would do most anything to help anyone in need. She told me once that, "she wanted to live to be 100 and not a day more"... well she is 92 and I pray she gets her wish! Interesting facts about Helen: -as a young bride she lived in a remodeled schoolbus -she lost her first born at 6ms to Typhoid Fever -she only consumed one alcoholic drink in 92 years "and that one was because she was tricked" -worked as an assistant nurse, caring for others until she was 72+ -never smoked -Strong Christian Woman (Baptist) -Hair went completely white very early in life -Raised 6 sons and one daughter -Believed "it isn't a sin to be poor...but it is to be dirty... cleanliness is next to Godliness" -Gardened and canned everything -"No couple sleeps in the same room unless they are legally married" - I remember standing

Does anyone remember the fresh scent of cool sheets/ towels dried in the spring air and sunshine? When I was a young girl I remember several clothes lines... My Paternal Grandmother's hanging high in the air...attached both at the back door of her hill top farm house and at the highest point a boy could climb in the tree across the yard. A pulley wheeled the linens out in the morning and back before sunset. My mom's line... teaching me to conserve space and clothes pins by slightly overlapping two items... allowing the use of one pin instead of two. I didn't realize how simple life was then... My oldest child has just turned 21, graduated college, become engaged and moved into her own home. Life is moving fast these days and it seems that there are no "brakes" to slow the pace of life down. It can be a challenge to make time for the simple things... but the simple times really can be the most important moments in life... I have been thinking about it and have dec

Today is one of those days when you wake up feeling like... It was only yesterday when I couldn't wait to quietly jump out of bed, pour a bowl of cereal and watch Saturday Morning Cartoons... But the years have passed overnight... I am 40 now, and cartoons are available "on demand" every day. I think that children have both lost and found something in these modern days. Lost the anticipation of "Saturday Morning Cartoons" or "Sunday evening's, Wild Animal Kingdom, and the Disney Special"... Found an expectation for immediate response. -Instant 24/7 communication ability via Internet (IM, email, facebook, myspace, blogging, etc.), cell phone (calls, text etc.) -Unlimited Video Program Access: DVDs, TIVO, YouTube, 500 TV Channels 24/7, etc..... Disney's "Vault" Program is a marketing ploy, I am sure. However... as frustrated with it as I am, I must admit.... it is nice to feel that nostalgic anticipation for something special that we

Just watch the movie "Hachi" and you will understand my relationship with Trinket. Who would have ever guessed I would be a small dog lover??? A faithful dedicated pet is a heart-warming asset to a life of challenges:-)

Sooo you are probably thinking.... what is the Lumberjack all about??? Answer: nothing at all I have just always liked the whole manliness nature of a lumberjack :-) Anyhow... Another week in time... more new job orientation, more domestic navigation, a little spring cleaning, some overnight guests... Cheering for my husband and his buddy as they completed a local triathlon yesterday! They did an awesome job!!! Today is about sorting piles of old (&new) mail... making phone calls, scheduling appointments and being the quality of "glue" that keeps the family together... you all know the stuff I am talking about. The nice part of today is that for the first time in awhile it is completely quiet hmmmmm:-)

It has been an interesting week... Teaching the nuances of Medication Administration to eager Nursing Assistants interested in broadening their health care careers as Certified Medication Aides... I love teaching health care courses!!! Then it was back to my orientee role at the hospital... I have somewhere between 5 and 10 computer programs to learn... all in an effort to make sure our patients are receiving the care they need... insurance is covering the tab... and the hospital is following Medicare guidelines to the letter. Making connections... that is what I enjoy most in my career! Empowering students to connect with their learning goals... Connecting patients with the services and care they need to feel better... ...Feeling like I have made a positive difference in the world at the end of the day! I think connection making is the best medicine for anything that ails you:-) Sooo... My Title says "It's All About The Journey"....... I have come to understand certain t

Ok, so @ 40 years old... I battle a slow metabolism, fine lines/wrinkles, dry skin, brittle hair, thin fingernails and several other body changes...BUT here is something that I never expected as part of the feminine aging process... by some act of God (or maybe Lucifer)...of all body parts, my feet have grown sexier!!! How absolutely ridiculous is that! Crazy, but true. It wasn't until Autumn 2008 at a major city Amtrak Station...a complete stranger approached me and began to verbally compliment my "fine, beautiful feet".... then it happened again months later (new admirer)while bargain shopping at our local Flea Market... then yet again (3rd stranger) while getting groceries at Walmart!!! I am never quite sure what the politically correct thing is to say... outside of "thank you"...but I usually aim for a quick get away! What odd creatures people can be... foot fetishes and all:-)

NY Times Article February 24, 2009 Well The 3 R’s? A Fourth Is Crucial, Too: Recess By TARA PARKER-POPE The best way to improve children’s performance in the classroom may be to take them out of it. New research suggests that play and down time may be as important to a child’s academic experience as reading, science and math, and that regular recess, fitness or nature time can influence behavior, concentration and even grades. A study published this month in the journal Pediatrics studied the links between recess and classroom behavior among about 11,000 children age 8 and 9. Those who had more than 15 minutes of recess a day showed better behavior in class than those who had little or none. Although disadvantaged children were more likely to be denied recess, the association between better behavior and recess time held up even after researchers controlled for a number of variables, including sex, ethnicity, public or private school and class size. The lead researcher, Dr. Romina M. Ba

Sooo in keeping up to date with my blog, I have been expressing myself visually, for the most part. Life has been pretty tough lately...it seems that this is the case for many people I know. Marriages are either struggling to survive or have succumbed to defeat. Children are surrounded by a material world that encourages a sense of entitlement and disrespect. It is a real effort to keep a marriage alive in this fast paced modern era. It is only rivaled by the difficulty in successfully parenting children that are appreciative of life's blessings and who treat others with kindness/respect. Talk to any nice man or woman 85 years old or older... ask them what they think of the world today... "medical advancements are phenomenal...technology today is amazing... but...but... the world is colder, less caring...families are separated by geography, time, careers, finances and politics....children spend more time in front of televisions/video games than they do on fresh air,family and

So rarely does life offer "smooth sailing" without investing in the work of "ironing out the wrinkles"...

Remember Speedy Gonzales and his cousin Slow Poke Gonzales???? Theoretically Speedy would be be good friends with characters like... the Tasmanian Devil, the Energizer Bunny and my boys "Thing 1 & 2" because they are the only ones who can keep up with each other! Then at the far opposite end of the spectrum you can find me quietly and gently having afternoon Tea with Slow Poke... Oh the irony of it all:-)

The adventure called, "life" sure can become "turbulent" at times... I really do try to avoid communicating the mundane, especially related to family stress & challenges... but honestly we don't live in a fantasy world. Navigating through the turbulent times has given me depth of character, insight, empathy and the motivation to assertively confront "road blocks" to quality wellness. Someone once told me that life situations are like ocean waves that swell and break continually coming in to shore in a rhythmic type pattern... the good times come and go as do the difficult times... I have been swimming against a rip-tide of difficult waves lately... some days my nerves are thread bare... then the tide calms a bit and I am able to float, to enjoy the ride, the sun on my face & the wind in my hair. What is "Family Planning"???? My family plan has missed the mark by at least 100 yards or more. Very little has turned out as I had planned..

I absolutely Love the last Saturday of the month! For the past few years the last Saturday of the month equates to an 8am Coffee House rendezvous with my good friends! A few hours with them and it's like I have had my worn down batteries replaced/recharged. Dynamic people are good "food for the soul"! Back on "the ranch" we needed a change of pace... so we hopped on our bikes, I grabbed the camera and we went for a ride in the cool spring air. We ventured to an abandon farm where the house and barn had been burned/torn down. A rich unknown history filled the air around us as we explored the scene. Nature had cycled back in as the primary occupant of the property... large old trees lined the sides of a long lane, daffodils smiled like miniature faces of sunshine everywhere, and a magnificent magnolia took center stage covered from top to bottom with large pink tulips! Before leaving, we gathered a decent sized bouquet of floral-sunshine... which I have since plac

Rainbows (From an “Old Print Factory Inc.” Card) Rainbows appear after mighty storms, When things look their very worst, Just when the skies are darkest grey, Look for the rainbow. The rainbow is a sign of God’s promise, That he will guide us through any storm, That he will see us through all of our troubles, No matter what their form. When you feel battered by life’s storms, And you are filled with doubt and dismay; Just remember God’s rainbow is coming… It is only a prayer away.

THE STORY OF ATLAS by Judy Rosenbaum You’ve probably seen an atlas. It’s a book of maps. But the word atlas also has a different meaning. It was someone’s name. Here’s the story of the first Atlas. The ancient Greeks told tales about giant beings called Titans. One Titan was named Atlas. The Titans fought with the Greek gods and lost. So, the gods punished the Titans. Atlas’s punishment was to hold the sky up on his shoulders. He held the sky up for years and years. There once was a time when Atlas almost got free. A hero named Hercules came to see him. Hercules needed to find some golden apples. Only Atlas knew where they grew. Atlas said, “I’ll get the apples if you hold up the sky while I’m gone.” Hercules was almost as strong as a Titan. He could hold the sky up while Atlas went for the apples, but it was hard work. Soon, Atlas came back. He saw Hercules with the sky on his shoulders. The weight of the sky made He

I had a recent discussion about check boxes on a form. The discussion made me think about simple words and how they make people feel... Adoptive Parent, Adoptive Child, Birth Parent, Biological Parent, "Real" Parent... The word "Adoption" seems to be a very legal term, used to classify and categorize people. Birth, Biological, "Natural" all have an inherent bonding/endearment, "natural way of life factor". These terms could leave the "Adoptive" Child/Parent feeling "unnatural". Maybe the social terminology associated with Legal Adoption ought to be re-evaluated to foster positive feelings... My thoughts regarding "Adoptive" families: All Parents are... "God Appointed Parents" There can be two subdivisions... "Pre-Birth Parents" and "Post-Birth Parents" Some Parents may be both, some may be one or the other, still others may be a mixture with different children falling into different cate

Adjectives That Qualify: Unique, Uncommon, Rare, Unusual... Challenging, Difficult... Just, Right, Decent, Good, Kind, Honorable... Chosen, Planned, Wanted... Clean, Fresh, Tidy... Hopeful, Progressive... Tired... Loving

My Philosophy: Learn From Every Experience Reflect on Yesterday Live in The Momment and Make the Most of It Plan for Tomorrow, but don't Obsess About It Pray for Guidance Daily! My Goal: Grow a Little Every Day ...clothing size does not apply here:-) For Today... Take care of your mind and body with regular maintenance checks and "tune-ups". Get preventative tests as per medical guidelines... better to nip weeds before they germinate! Search for the right "fit" regarding your chosen health care providers, there is nothing better than a health care provider who is actively invested in your wellbeing! Identify people in your life who keep you real...meaning, they leave the sugar coating at the curb and feed it to you raw, bitter taste and all! I am truly blessed with a wonderful woman in my life who does this for me. I call her on good days, on bad days, just because... I call her when I am uncertain or when I feel strongly about situations... I can always count o

Does Sunday mean we should be in the same church building, from 10:30am to 12 noon every week??? Hmmm... we (my husband and I)have been giving this a lot of thought. I believe it is important to build relationships, to set a good example, to demonstrate self discipline and to be committed to spirituality... but does that mean the only way to do this as a family is to commune from 10:30 to 12 at our local church each Sunday?? I decided that I am open to trying a multifaceted approach to spirituality, mix it up a bit, keep it lively. So the plan is that sometimes we will attend the traditional Sunday morning service; sometimes we will attend different churches/times; sometimes we will watch and discuss television sermons; sometimes we will watch and discuss Internet sermons; and still other times we will listen to/discuss radio presentations, religious movies, and books. We will see how it goes... For today we watched/discussed a very good YouTube skit that my mother forwarded to me (htt

Soo most of my life, post twins, has been like the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day". Same routine different numbers on the calendar. Well, I wanted today to be different. Here's how it went...it felt like I had morphed into one of those fish that fights the current to swim upstream, uphill, in a storm to successfully reach their spawning destination, but I finally got there! I met a new friend who shares many common interests for morning coffee and went bargain hunting, off the beaten path, all day in her convertible PT Cruiser. We had a great time! I think every first day of Spring ought to be celebrated with the top down, tunes on and wind in your hair! My "big find" was a unique string of Dragon Fly lights that will look awesome on the outstretched awning of our travel trailer on a fine summer evening (maybe even spring?). I noticed that the Goodwill parking lot has more BMW's, Mercedes and other high-end vehicles than it does old-clunkers... I think the

Wow, my first post... It really is a lot of pressure... I want to appear intellectual, confident, well spoken and interesting... the truth is sometimes I really am all of those things... then again sometimes I am not. I guess that is plain human reality... (or maybe just my reality). My original motivation in creating this particular blog was as a practice project for The American Porphyria Foundation. Ms. Lyons asked me to lend my nursing insight and my personal experience with Porphyria to helping the foundation with their new upcoming blog. I agreed... but did not have ANY experience blogging... I really wasn't even sure what a blog was. Since Ms. Lyon's request, I have learned that blog is the shortened version of "web log", a type of virtual "diary" where people can document their thoughts, feelings and perspectives about various topics to share with others. Ok... I thought, this could be a fun way to express one's self. I love to write(although a c