Still working! oh, and Merry Christmas.

Well, I've been working at the hospital for over a month now and I'm learning every day. It's been exciting. My boss left on a long vacation/leave right after I started so I don't think my orientation is going quite as she had planned but I'll get there. I just think I am spending a lot more time in one area than she planned. It's has been so busy that I think they are just leaving me in one area to keep things simple. I just don't want to be on orientation forever! I have spent 2 weeks already learning scopes and she said I was signed off and good to go on to the next thing. I went in today though and found myself right back in the same area. I was only supposed to be in each area for one week so really I should be finished with orientation by now and I still have a lot to learn. The one consolation is that I do like the lady that was training me on scopes so I don't mind at all working with her longer and she is teaching me everything she can think of as we go. She's a wonderful lady and a good first new friend/co-worker.

One thing about working at the hospital that I have found unfavorable is that I'm working around a lot of nasty bugs and I caught one! A couple weeks ago I noticed everyone around me was sneezing. All the staff are good about not sharing (of course) but a few of our lovely visitors were sneezing all over the place and well..... I have to breath! I was soooooooooo sick and I just barely made it through the week! When I got home on Friday I just crawled right into bed and crashed. I didn't get out of bed at all on Saturday. I didn't read or watch TV or anything. I was so sick I actually slept all day! When I woke up on Sunday I was starting to feel better. Now I just have a irritating sinus issue but I actually feel like doing some things around the house..... and boy does it need doing! I need a flag for when I make it to the top of Mt. Washmore and another for Dirtydish summit LOL

I do have to add though that a very thoughtful friend sent me a nice CD and it arrived at the perfect time! My Riley brought his CD player in my room and played that CD when I was so sick on Saturday and I really enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks Glenda! I'd hug you if I could.

Oh, and someone said they wanted a Christmas card from me this year so everyone scroll down.


MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
From Donna the red nosed, frazled CNA (who is happy to be employed)

another week down

Well I've officially been employed at the hospital for 3 weeks and I have just finished my 2nd week of OTJ training and I have learned a lot about the paperwork that has to be dealt with in my department. I have to say I think the desk will be my least favorite part of this job. I am ready for the next thing now. Next week I'll be learning about scopes. I have already learned quite a lot in that area from watching other people but I'm ready for a change of pace. I also know the person that will be training me is very nice. Ahhhh, I could really use some niceness after this past week! Thank you Lord!

Word of the moment

pa·thos (pths, -thôs)
n.
1. A quality, as of an experience or a work of art, that arouses feelings of pity, sympathy, tenderness, or sorrow.
2. The feeling, as of sympathy or pity, so aroused.

--------------------------------------------------

[Greek, suffering; see kwent(h)- in Indo-European roots.]
__________________________________________________

I am currently reading Glimmer Train Fall 2001 Issue 40 and am finding it rather interesting. When I started reading it I thought I would zip right through it and send it away - because I just can't get rid of a book without reading it first or at least attempting. Many books have gone flying across the room in this fashion but I try my hardest to not damage the books in case some poor soul out there might like that type of writing. However, I know there are a lot of books out there that just aren't my thing so I put a bookcrossing label on it and try to read enough to get some thoughts to make note of on the website. I haven't really read much in the way of short stories so I didn't expect to like this book but no one ever told me about the power a short story can hold. Wow. I am astonished! So many times after reading a line I would think, Wow, what a great thought or What an amazing image! I need to read more by this author! I have a sheet of paper where I started to write down each authors name to look up later but I soon realized that I was listing every one of them. They were nice enough to include a bookmark with that info so that sheet of paper instead ended up torn into many small strips which mark the pages I intend to return to. Some of them include a word I wanted to look up and the word above is one of them. This word was found in an interview of Vikram Chamdra that at first I tried to gloss over....but of course I got trapped in this as well. I think I need to find out more about this Glimmer Train and it's future destinations.

Of course I must say that I don't just bookcross the books I don't like. This book will be a traveling book so that others may find it too and become addicted to Glimmer Train as I did.

Thanksgiving - mentors

I was just sitting here thinking about all that I have to be thankful for right now. It is, after all, November - the time to reflect and take stock in all that we have to be thankful for. So much has happened this year! At the beginning of this year I thought that life was hopeless....really. I hated my job and myself. My grandmother was gone and she was my mentor in life. I just felt like it was gone along with her until I realized one day that she can still be my mentor. Her legacy lives on. I can still strive to be like her and think of how she would have handled any difficult situation I find myself in.

I really am thankful for every minute I spent with her, every phone conversation I had with her and every letter I received from her. If it hadn't been for her I would have never made it through the medical terminology class because the whole time I was thinking about how she never gave up when times were hard! It was so hard starting out in that class and realizing that I was the only person there that knew nothing about anything to do with working in health care. But, I could hear her words running through my head and after I got that 69 on my midterm exam I sucked it up and talked to the instructor. I am so glad I stuck it out and humbled myself enough to seek out help when I needed it. I really wish I could thank my grandmother but I can't. There are other people out there though that I probably should be thanking.

A lot has happened in my life since February. I spent more time with my family, I got to know my neighbors, I volunteered, I went to school, I met so many wonderful people! Now I have a new job and things are so wonderful! Just imagine, I could have missed out on all of these wonderful things if I hadn't suffered a little hardship. So I'm thankful for the valleys that lead to mountains!

So, on this line of thinking, I am going to think about everyone who has influenced my life! I shouldn't have only one person to thank! I know there are other people out there that made an impact on my life that are still around! I really can send out those thank yous! Better late than never right? I'll work on my list this month and send out some cards in December just in time for Christmas.

Day 3 of orientation

Today was nursing orientation and much more interesting. I got a lot more information for things that I was wondering about. They answered all my questions and demonstrated how to do things. I learned a lot but I never felt like it was too much. You know that sinking feeling? I had this fear that I would get in there and be way over my head. I know I took the medical terminology class and CNA class but a class room is way different than working in a hospital with actual people. Well I started to feel a lot better after today. I still haven't actually worked my first real day on the job (that's tomorrow) but they went over a lot of information I felt very comfortable. My volunteer experience was way more valuable than I ever knew! A lot of what they were telling me about my job as a ward clerk I already knew from volunteering in the medical unit. There were a few other new CNA's there too and I was so happy that I wasn't any different than they were. It's the worse feeling when you feel like you are the least knowledgeable person in the room. We talked through a lot of the information together and everyone said something that helped the others.

After we were done we each went to our departments to meet our supervisors. So tomorrow I'll be going in there to finish up the last of the details I need to get my hospital badge and get my parking badge and scrubs access.

I still have that headache I got at the end of the first day and I'm starting to think it might actually be from the dental work I had done last week. I went in for my cleaning and found out I needed a crown. They had a cancellation that day so they were able to do it that same day. It didn't even occur to me that could be the cause of my headache until I did the symptom checker on webmd.com I love that site!

Orientation

Today was my first day at the hospital but not really my first day at work. It was a full day though. They had several speakers and we learned about the birth of the hospital through community efforts about 5 times. We read, completed, and signed a lot of paperwork. It was nice but long and my legs were so happy for any chance to get up and move around. Toward the end I was offered this chocolate brownie and ate it wondering if the nuts in it were walnuts. It didn't seem like they could be but they were very small pieces. Well not long after that I started getting a headache. At least it was at the end of the day and I could go home. The headache got WAY WORSE and I think it's safe to say that YEAH, THEY WERE WALNUTS! UGH. I am so stupid sometimes! Especially when it comes to chocolate!

Tomorrow Ry has an othodontist appointment at 8am and I have to be back at the hospital for computer training at 9am. I hope his appointment isn't long or I'll have to have Chris take him to school so I wont be late. I would have cancelled the appointment once I realized I had to be back at that time but being in orientation I didn't have a way to look up the number. I thought I had it in my phone but I couldn't find it. So, I have to go or I get charged a missed appointment fee and there is a chance they will refuse to make more appointments for us. That would suck because Jared is next in line for braces.

Sweet Angel

I have found a new favorite singer..... This is Narciso Lobo. I have listened to this about a thousand times tonight. Oh and he sings Rubber ducky! I love it!



Rubber Ducky

Plants, frogs, and books....oh my. I have no life.

For some reason I'm going plant crazy already! It's early in the winter and I already miss my garden. I keep buying more and more plants and really tending to the ones I have. It's like I'm impatiently tapping my feet waiting for them to go dry so I can water them. My husband actually had the nerve to suggest that I had too many plants and that maybe I should "get rid of a few". It must have been the look on my face because he quickly said "uh...never mind" and left LOL

I think I had a fungus/soil problem - probably from using too much fertilizer or maybe the wrong kind. I had this one bottle of Alaskan fertilizer that was causing strange "formations" to grow on top of the soil of some of my plants. Yes, I was following the directions! Some of my plants actually look great. So anyway, I removed the top layers of soil with all of the stalagmites and added in fresh soil. One large plant though, who has been looking really puny lately, had pretty solid soil. I don't remember what type of soil I put in there but it was hard to break up! I had to actually get a knife and chop at it. I was afraid to chop any roots but I never did find any in that stuff. No wonder the plant wasn't doing very well, all it's roots were in the top 3 inches of soil even though the planter is quite large. I completely romoved that plant and changed out the soil. I hope it does better now. I had a couple of smaller plants that died *sob* but I'll get more I'm sure. I think someone opened the kitchen window after the temperature dropped in the fall. The plants I lost were all there. I had a beautiful verigated ivy that had climbed up this little trellis and it turned brown and brittle!!!!!! I also lost an African violet that was there. I am not surprised no one will admit to being a plant killer! I think I might be a people killer if they did.

Anyway, I just bought a new ivy yesterday. It's a nice ivy even though it isn't verigated. I got it all potted and it looks great. I'll have to take a picture of it later. I got another neat plant sometime last week and I just love this one! I've never seen one like this before but I just loved it's unique red flower!

Drats! This thing wont let me post a picture! I'll put it up later.

Anyway, I also bought some new fishes yesterday. I bought 5 tiger barbs and they are so neat looking. They stay together in a tight little group and my little frogs don't know what to think of them. I've been watching the frogs sneaking around and checking them out and it's so funny. The tiger barbs look like a group of little soldiers darting around in their little group. They are primarily black and white striped with an orange fin. It makes them look uniformed compared to the other fish. The frogs are so big and clumsy compaired to the barbs. This one frog had climbed the cave dealy in there and was standing up precariously with one foot stretched out and supported by the top of cave. As he watched the strange group of barbs his foot slipped off and he went cartwheeling to the bottom of the tank........real.....s l o w. It reminded me of Jarjar binks following around a group of stormtroopers. I'll post some pictures when blogger decides to let me.

I finished reading the book "The sudden lady" and I am trying to decide what to read next. There are so many choices but I actually bought a NEW BOOK! I went to barnes and noble to renew my membership card and browsed the whole store while I was there sipping my starbucks. Nummy! I decided I want to learn how to speak Italian so I bought a book with a CD. I have wanted to learn Italian ever since I listened to the audiobook for The Last Promise by Richard Paul Evans. I just fell in love with the sound of it. God help me if some good looking young guy came along speaking to me in Italian. If he happend to have lots of money and clean house......... Oh come on! You know I wouldn't do something like that..... hmmmmmm *day dreaming*

Crazy

Okay, I know this is crazy but all day I've been fretting myself to death. I've been doubting myself and my ability to do a good job as a brand new CNA. In addition, if I do fail in this job it wont only affect me. It will also affect my husband who works in the same building and everyone who put in a good word for me.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I need some confidence in my abilities but I can't get that until after I get there. I just have to remember that I can do all things through him Philippians 4:13

News

Well I haven't been feeling good for the past few days but I did have some excitment that is worth mentioning here. I got a j-o-b! I received an officer on October 31st. I was really hoping I would get that job but mostly I was hoping I wouldn't have to turn it down if I got a better offer. I applied for another job that had a better schedule but not the type of experience I was hoping to get. After I talked to them again on Friday I was worried I would be offered both and then would have to chose between the two. UGH. I agonized over that one all weekend. I prayed that I would only be offered the one I should take. The job I took is in special procedures and it looks like a very exciting job. I'm proud to have it! I just wont be able to take classes while working in this job. The schedule is from 11am to 7:30 pm. I am in the door though and things will work out.

On Sunday I went to the church that I went to as a kid and saw my old Sunday School teacher from when I was 3 years old. She also played the piano during my wedding at the same church. On December the 7th this year she will be 101 years old. I was so glad to see her and she how well she is doing. She's a wonderful lady.

Nervously waiting

Today is the day! I am supposed to be hearing about the jobs I applied for. I am hoping that God will make the decision for me and that I will only be offered 1 job. Could I be so lucky? But What if I am offered both jobs. I know there is a good chance I could get both.

I got this email yesterday from the person who runs the Auxillary Department at the Hospital. I'm thinking this is a good sign.

"Just so you know, I had nothing but good things to say about you to Dianne today, you should know she was really impressed by the fact she interviewed and then saw you volunteer.

I am happy for you"

Another good thing - I got something in the mail from UAF. Looks like I got an A in my CNA class!!!!!!! I still have my 4.0!

2nd Interview

I am so excited and frustrated at the same time. I went to the interview today not sure what to expect. I was really hoping to the the job I applied for yesterday but now this one seems so interesting! I would LOVE to work in a surgical unit!!!!!!!! It's for Special Procedures (out patient services). I didn't think I would like it but I got more and more interested as I went. When she asked me if I had any questions I just stared at her and said "Well I want to know if I could have a tour of the area." It was so neat to see all of the equipment that I've seen before in hospitals and now I know what it's all for. Now these areas are the areas that people usually don't remember because it's the operation and recovery area but I had these partial memories from being there 2 times before - well actually in ICU but it's the same stuff. Then as I was coming out I saw these two other ladies that work there and when they found out I was interviewing they both complimented me and told them I was a great worker/volunteer. The one lady said "you can't ask for better than her". One of the ladies is the manager of the medical unit I really want to work at but she is not interviewing until 12th. That is probably way too long for me to wait. I stuck around after my interview and listened to the advice of the other people working there regarding the best place to start working as a CNA. I should hear soon about these two jobs and then I have about 4 other jobs I applied to. I think if I got the 1st job I couldn't pass that up. 3 12 hour shifts a week just can't be beat plus it's the best money. UGH, it's just so hard to decide! I WANT a good job that pays well and has good hours but I also NEED experience in a broad range of procedures with all types of people and age groups. The first job is everything I WANT but not really what I NEED! I just have to trust God to show me which direction to go.

The woman I interviewed with today seemed very impressed with me even though she said they usually don't hire people right out of school with no experience. She said it's hard to even take someone from other areas of the hospital because there is so much involved. It's a hard position to fill because of the hours (11 - 7:30pm M-F) plus it's a hard and fast paced job. So I don't really think I will get that one but it felt really good to hear how interested she was in me. She said she was impressed by my energy and interestin learning. She also said they usually don't even consider CNA's right out of school but she said I was "more mature" than most new CNA's. THAT'S BECAUSE I'M OLD! LOL Most people don't suddenly decide to become a CNA at the age of 35 and 10/12ths. That means there IS hope though. Just a GLEAM.
So either way I see it as a blessing because people at the hospital talk to each other, especially people who are interviewing the same person. I have some good people saying good things about me and that makes me feel so blessed.

Jobs, jobs, jobs!

I have another interview tomorrow at 9am! I think the interview I did today went really well. They said I should know by Friday. I REALLY REALLY hope I get that one! REALLY REALLY REALLY!!!!!!!!!!

I have a job interview!!!

Say a prayer for me! I am so excited and nervous that I feel like I'm going to hurl! So I am going to go and clear my head by working out really hard for a while and then I'm going to soak in the bathtub with some hot tea. I have my certificate and I'm ready to go. YES! Finally! It's all coming together. I feel like I'm finally on the right path!

I PASSED!

I just got my CNA certification! YAY! I'm a spazzzzz right now.

Exam day is over

I am so glad it's all done. Now if only I knew how I did. I have to wait until I get something in the mail from them and that could take 3 to 4 weeks. UGH! That's too long. I'm going to have an ulcer from worring by then. I'm not really worried about the written part of the exam. It's the skills portion that is so nerve wracking!

For now though, I am trying to relax. I did my best and my class is over. Now I'm going to take the day off and try to think about something else. I am going to read a book that has nothing to do with the stuff I've been learning! YAY!

tired I am so

I was up till 2am doing my homework. Now I have a test this morning. Tonight I have another huge chunk of homework and then another test tomorrow. I feel like I'm getting sick again and I can hardly keep my eyes open. Someone say a prayer for me to make it through this alive and with an A. I'm a good little perfectionist.

Stuff

Well it's been a long while since I posted. I've been keeping myself pretty busy. I was volunteering at the hospital for a while and really enjoyed my time there. I volunteering some in 2 South (nursing unit), Outpatient surgery, and in the Denali Center. I learned a lot by watching the staff and listening to what they were saying. When someone had the time I would ask a few questions. I learned really fast to keep a pad of paper handy and write things down as I had questions. That way I could ask questions later or look for definitions or examples at home later. Wednesday was my last day volunteering for a while because my CNA class started on Thursday but I can't wait to get started again.

I was very happy to find out that I got an A on my Medical Terminology Class. That class wasn't required but I really got a lot out of it. I couldn't imagine working in any medical facility without knowing the lingo! It's already come in really handy in my nurses aid class because you need to know a certain amount of terminology and abbreviations for that class as well.

I started feeling like I was catching a cold Wednesday and by that night I was pretty sick. So for the first two days of class and was looking pretty bad and it look all I had to keep my eyes open. I'm taking the month long class instead of the semester class so I can't even miss one day or I will not have enough hours of training to get my certification from the state. Alaska requires 164 hours of training which is among the highest out of all the 50 states. Already on Monday there is a test and orientation at the FMH Denali Center. I am excited and can't wait to be working as a CNA!

Well I'm off to rest and study in bed. I need to shake this cold as fast as I can.

"Dad, do you believe in God?"

Dad: Mmmmmmmmm possibly.

Riley: Well, I know I do! Mom does too!

Dad: Hmmmmm, Why is that?

Riley: Because when I lost my retainer the first time Mom prayed that we would find it. She didn't want you to get mad. Then when Rodney came over to ask if I could play she said, "no, Riley can't play 'cause he lost his retainer." Then Rodney said, "oh, I'll go get it". I left it at his house.

Dad: oh really?

Riley: Yeah, and then when I lost it again before dinner, mom was REALLY REALLY mad at me and re-grounded me to my room. Then I prayed for God to help me find it again, even though I didn't deserve it and when I woke up and picked up a pair of my jeans off the floor I felt something in the pocket!!!!!! My retainer was in there!! God did help me after all!

Mom: *Big, proud smiles*
(I think this little man is helping a lot more than he knows to break down a very big wall)

Curiosity CAN kill a Donna

I have a new addiction, of the worst sort. Genealogy. It was a complete accident too. I have actually listened to friends of mine go on and on about their own addiction in tracking down all the branches of their family tree and thought they were crazy. I did not inhale! Then, one night when I was supposed to be studying but ended up googling and playing around on eBay instead, I stumbled upon a genealogy website that caught my eye. Something on the front page caught my attention and I started reading. Then, of course, my fingers started googling away. I ended up at ancestry.com and started entering what I knew. I thought I could just play around with it and not actually subscribe. NOT! I put in some information my mother-in-law told me about her family and the next thing I knew there where these little twitching leaves all over the place which meant they had some cool morsel of information about my family but were going to dangle it in front of my nose like a carrot.....until I subscribed. It also had some sort of record of my husbands grandfather being in the army. So I told my husband about it all while he was sleeping and he handed over his visa without the slightest qualm! Really. He said, "here, charge whatever you need to" and rolled back over. I started gathering up all the information they had available and before I knew it I was in Ireland, then England....... and Scotland!! My family wasn't so easy and I've been chiseling away at the minds of old people trying to get details ever since. Now I sit here awake in the middle of the night because INQUIRING DONNA'S NEED TO KNOW! NOW!

There is no way I can sleep when I have a website that allows me to search endless records. Every now and then I get a break and find something that works. Then I call my parents and jog their memories. Then I can sit back and listen to the stories roasting over an open chestnut. Sometimes the stories don't relate to anything but bad backs and sore feet but sometimes I get something I can use. I've tracked down graveyards and found out about relatives I never even knew I had and about children that died to soon. I also found out that tomb stones have "type-o's" too. Now that I've shook the dust loose from the nooks and crannies of my dad's mind he has started to write his autobiography. I am sure it will be primarily about hunting bears and other critters. I wonder what he will called it? "how to get yourself killed in 3 easy steps"?

Now though, I have to pry myself away from all of that new knowledge and get some sleep...... and tomorrow I have to try to study in between 4 doctor and orthodontist appointments. Crazy me scheduled before I checked my calendar. I'm hoping though that they will figure out what's up with my stomach.

Sick of being sick

I have been sick or allergic or both for all of the month of July and frankly......I'm sick of it. I missed two weddings that I really wanted to go to too. Two good friends of mine are now happily married and I MISSED IT! I had planned on doing so much more this summer! I planned on having the best garden ever this summer since I would be home and not working. I planned to sew a bunch of new clothes with my sewing machine. I planned on getting out my sketch books and my paints and taking a lot of pictures. I planned on reading a bunch of books. I planned to knit something wonderful. I planned to volunteer at the hospital and the literacy council and I've just been sick or had my eyes swollen up to where I couldn't even see to drive let along read or paint. This month I barely made it to my classes because my eyes were watering so bad. I have to drive into the sun to get there and at 5:30 the sun has been playing chicken with me. I had to pull over (be the chicken) 3 times a couple weeks ago to put in eye drops and clear up my eyes and ended up being 30 minutes late for that class. The instructor let me take the test I missed after class and I got a 101 on it. I am finally starting to get this stuff!! I'm hoping to be about to pull off a B at least. Anyway, I missed out on so much this summer. I only read about 5 books which mostly weren't even on my reading list. I have only volunteered on a limited basis at the literacy council and I've been limited to riding my stationary bike in my garage instead of getting outside unless it's raining. People think I'm nuts but it really is so beautiful when it rains and the color of everything is intensified. Mainly though the air is CLEANER! When it's raining I don't have an allergic reaction to anything and the clean air is wonderful. I am not the only one that realizes this either because I always pass other people out walking and jogging and biking in the rain. It's funny though because I can see people that pass in the cars look at me like I'm crazy and sometimes actually read those words on their lips. They don't know what they are missing.

Well, I'm scheduling a doctors appointment to see what's up with my stomach. I'm worried they will tell me to stop drinking coffee. Is there a 12 step progam for coffee-aholics?

Dieting faux pas

This was an interesting article. Funny though, they don't mention anything about salt and sour cravings. I've been careful about what I eat and how much and I exersize every day but every now and then I NEEEEEEEEEED salt or vinegar. Too bad that doesn't taste good by itself huh? No, I need it on chips or french fries. Sometimes I eat a salad drenched in salt and vinegar but my lettuce looked a little peaked. Unfortunately, my husband bought some salt and vinegar pringles for Jared. Yup, I ate them. I didn't eat them all but at 150 calories for only 6 chips I ate at least 10 miles worth! UGH. I'm off to the garage to work out.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I have my baby tonight! Sweet little kay-shee (Linda's daughter but MY baby hehe)

Blah.

Why do I feel so sad sometimes? I have no reason to feel sad but all my thoughts have this negative spin and I feel like a plane plummeting to the ground a million miles an hour. I have all these dreams that I want to pursue but just don't quite have the power to really go after them. It's like I look out the window and see everything I want and all I have to go is get up and go get it...... but I just don't ever make it. I want it all so badly too. I don't know what's wrong with me.

Tonight as I'm sitting here typing the air is blowing in the window and the night is perfect. It is such a beautiful summer evening. My kids are sleeping, my husband is sleeping, the dog is snoring at my feet.... there is nothing to cause me to feel so sad. I don't even feel like reading or gardening. I just feel blah.

This is so unlike me. I usually can never sit still but now all I want to do is sit around and do nothing. Just gather dust. I think I'll go to my doctor and have her do a checkup. I think something is amiss.

Quote of the day

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
— Doug Larson

I called into the Flyshow on world talk radio and talked to nutritionist Leann Ely about my Jack Sprat family. Riley and his dad wont eat any veggies hardly (except Chris eats potatoes and Riley eats corn) and Jared loves veggies but doesn't like meat. I will eat anything!! Well, I was hoping she would tell me the magic words to get them to eat better but she bacially told me I need to just have a family meeting and tell them we are going to start eating healthier. They might not like everything but they have to eat it anyway. I don't know how that is going to go but we will see. I'm going to take it slow and introduce one thing at a time. I'll try out some new recipes and God help me, we'll get them eating better!

Learning too much to slow

Try to learn something about everything and everything about something. - Thomas H. Huxley

I love this quote. This is what I do with everything to the point it actually becomes a downfall. If someone asks me a question and I don't know the answer I can't go on until I find out. I can't just say "I don't know". Well, now that I'm taking this Medical Terminology class I'm finding this is a huge issue. The purpose of the class is to learn the lingo and not all of the details on everything. Since I have this huge hunger to learn all of the details I fall behind.

One of the books I needed for this class is a medical dictionary. I got Mosby's medical dictionary and it has great pictures and so much information that I find myself actually READING THE DICTIONARY! I start out looking up a term for my class and on the way I see this interesting picture. Next thing I know I've read about that which led me to new terms I didn't know so I looked them up too and have sticky notes all over the place like bread crumbs to mark my path. An hour or so later I'll realize I got sidetracked again and need to get back to studying the right stuff for my class! It's dangerous!

So I took my mid term yesterday and I don't think I did very well. I missed the class last week because my oldest son Jared was hurt at baseball and we had to get x-rays done to make sure everything was okay. We went to a walk in clinic and so all in all we were there for over 4 hours! I also managed to rip my big toe nail off when I was helping my husband move a mattress. That was one of the most painful things I've ever had happen to me - probably right between my sick gallbladder and childbirth. YES, I'd rather had another baby than have that happen to my toe again and I thank God I only had ONE gallbladder! I do have pictures (not bloody but showing toe nail not attached) if anyone wants to see LOL So, with all of that going on last week I didn't study as much as I should have and I didn't retain very well the stuff I did study. One thing is for sure, I know the anatomy of my toe pretty well!

Well, I can't do anything about that test anymore and I have to wait until next week to find out how I did. At least I knew the extra credit questions so that should help. I'll just have to really study from here on out and try to only study what's in the book and not get to in debt in the learning process. I know the skeletal system is coming up and that will be hard to resist. I've already read it actually. I really need to get good grades from here on out to bring up my score.

Doin the happy dance

I've lost 5 pounds now! *whoo hooo* Yeah! I started using Traineo after I had already lost 2 pounds so really I lost 7! That's great! I have lost some off my thighs and my waist (and of course the boobs) but I REALLY want to lose the belly! Okay, so 16 pounds to go!

Jumpcut

I've been having fun at jumpcut lately. If you haven't heard about this site you should go check it out. They let you upload your pictures, movie clips, and sounds files and then make your own movies. You can edit, add titles and special effects and it's great fun. If you go by there you should look me up. I'm Donnabug. I just made a great music video out of pictures of the boys dancing with an exercise video in their pajamas. I also wrote a country song for Flylady. It's a song about decluttering so it may seem funny to most people. My kids were certainly laughing their tails off.

You know, a cop just drove by my house way too fast.... do you think I should call the cops? LOL I live across the street from a park and people drive too fast all the time. I am always yelling at someone for almost hitting a child. Hmmmm can a cop get a ticket? And who would give it? Things to ponder.

Well, great news! I found my purse! It was at Quiznos! I didn't even remember going there but I'm so glad to have it back! My husband wanted to go there for lunch before he left for Vegas and I had a class that night. So I couldn't even concentrate on lunch because I wanted to study more for my quiz. I pretty much just stuffed my face and wanted to go. That must be why I forgot it there.

In other news, LOL, I managed to maim myself in the middle of the night. The dog needed to go outside at about 1:30 am and I think I was sleep walking when I got up to let her out. When she came back in and I closed the door the metal edge of the weather stripping on the edge of the door sliced right underneath my big toe nail....right where the nail bed starts. Oh man it hurt and I woke up real fast!! It started bleeding, turned dark purple and blew up to the size of a drumstick. I put some stuff on it and tried to go back to bed but I couldn't sleep it was throbbing so bad. I kept soaking it with antiseptic and finally the swelling went down and it was only purple under the nail. So I painted my toenails a dark color. It still hurts though. Owie. Cry for me.

Well, Happy Fathers day to all the fathers out there. My husband is in Vegas still so I know he's a happy father.

I better go study for my Medical Terminology class.

If a tree falls next door....

Will I hear it before it hits me?

My neighbor is cutting down this huge tree and I'm starting to get nervous. It seems like it would fall right on my house! I really hope he is a professional and not just a buddy. We have spruce bud worms really bad in our area and he is afraid they are killing the tree and then it will fall on their house during a storm. It is a very big tree....... but I'm pretty sure it's looked right at me. I think it would fall on my bedroom where I'm at. See why I'm nervous! There really isn't any room for it to fall. I am very curious how they are planning to take it down safely. They are cleaning the branches off it and that should take them a while.

I watched "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" yesterday. It's not really like the book. They changed some aspects of the story and merged it with details from "little alters everywhere". It was cute and sad. Very sentimental and they had such a good cast! It is one of those stories that leaves you feeling good in the end though. I just love the story. I haven't finished the book yet but I'm still going to, especially since the movie wasn't exactly the same.

Well, I somehow managed to lose my purse. The worst part is it has to be here!!!! I remember getting home with it and I asked my oldest son to take it inside for me when we were unloading the car. I never saw it again and I have turned my house upside-down looking for it. I even looked in the garbage (and it was gross) and in the freezer because the kids put away the things from the store.. you never know! I tore my room apart last night in case someone put it in there but I didn't find it. I did find my new glasses and an earring I've been looking for. I also went all through the garage and did all the laundry in there. I think a gremlin got in here and took it! I have never been so frustrated! ARGH! This really bites!

Well, the tree didn't fall on my house. We just watched them cut it down in bite sized pieces...well, if you were a dinosaur they would be bite sized. I like trees and I really hate to see them being cut down. We don't have enough trees in town. I have two spruce trees with bud worms too but I'm going to try a different method. There is something you can water the tree with in the fall that will prevent the worms from returning next year and it takes about ten years for them to kill a tree. They don't do damage on the inside, they just eat the new growth each year. I did a research paper on Spruce bud worms when I took my English class a year ago because our whole area had been infested with them along with many different pests. All the trees had something. There were caterpillars of many different types all over everything. I read in the paper that some people went home from work to find their garage doors or the side of their houses covered in big black caterpillars. One of my coworkers lived in that area and she said they were all over the ground too so after she pulled into the garage and got out there were green slicks where she drove LOL Yuckers! So this is the second year my trees have been harboring these bad bugs. They aren't as big but they hang from webs all over the tree. You don't usually see them until you walk into them and get webbed! Ewwww! I should have treated my trees last fall but was busy with classes and never go around to doing it. I will definitely do it this year.

Okay, time for tree too. They have a second chance to totally obliterate my house with me in it. This tree is much closer to my house too. I think it's a conspiracy or something.

I feel so appathetic now. I have searched my whole house, turned everything upside-down, and I can't think of where to look next. I have already gone through the stage of being upset and stressed and now I'm just... blah. I just want to take a mental vacation.

pictures

My husband was getting the camera ready to take to Vegas and these pictures were still on it. I completely forgot about taking them. I was hanging out with my baby-friend and her mama. Cheesy G was there too along with a few others. It was someone's birthday but Loopy Linda was wearing the wild woman head dress.





Doesn't she look like Queen of the Loony bin?







I think she should wear it every day and learn to wave like Vanna.






We were being really goofy and we had a great time.

I LOVE this picture!!

Look out Rocky! Here comes A-cacia Yo Face!

NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!

I MADE SOMETHING FOR DINNER AND RILEY ATE IT!!!!!!!

CALL A PRESS CONFERENCE!!!!!

The life of a Bee

You know, I never really thought of myself as an environmentalist.....or a "tree hugger" but I have always been in love with nature. I guess I straddle the fence on that. My dad has always liked to hunt and always made the most of everything he brought in but I could never do it. I mean, I went hunting with him on occasion and I saw the animals he brought home and prayed over them at supper.... "Dear Lord, please be with the family of this moose my daddy killed.......and thank you for this wonderful meal my mom cooked for us (cough!) Amen." LOL But when he actually gave me the rifle and helped me aim it at a grouse, I looked through that scope at it's dark black eye and watched it blink... and I couldn't shoot it. I tried to miss intentionally and ended up getting the butt of the gun slammed against my cheekbone. Ouch. I did manage to miss the bird but grouse are very dumb birds and it just sat there and blinked again as my dad aimed for himself. What can I say, I tried. But after that I decided that I wasn't a "hunter" like my dad. I never thought he was evil or anything because he was a firm believer in being a "true sportsmen". He made sure the animals didn't "suffer"....although, I'm sure it smarted to be shot even if his aim was true and death was quick.

Now, years later, married and with two kids of my own, I never really thought about hunting or fishing. We may live in Alaska but we live in town and if a moose happens to stumble through our yard we grab the camera not a gun. Now, if someone offers me a little moose meat wrapped in freezer paper I'd gladly accept. It's amazing how good it can taste when it's not burnt......oops! forget I said that.......but I am not going to be the one that looks into those big beautiful brown eyes and pulls the trigger. That's just me though, and I'd never tell my kids that hunting was bad. I never even thought about what they thought about hunting.....well, until the day my children mourned the passing of a bee.

The bee....a nasty black wasp that was at least 4" long and seething mad about being trapped in my curtain......had the kids terrified. If it were a spider I would get a cup and take the little fellow outside like a toddler being "turned around" to the proper direction. This isn't Texas; The spiders here are smaller than a fly. But this black vibrating and hissing menace wasn't going in any cup I was holding. I got "the spray" and hosed his scary-hairy butt down. The faces of the kids then changed from horror (at seeing the bee try to sting my curtain to death) to shock when it rolled onto its back and started "suffering" and then to remorse at being an accomplice in a murder. Riley said I should get it down so they could take it outside to get some air. "Then", Riley said, "He might make it". After I got a piece of paper and got the bee down the boys took it outside. I asked where they put it and Jared said, "at the park near a nice tree..."and a dandelion" Riley chimed in. Awww, how sweet. Too bad they don't have "Bee-Bee Guns" because I'd shoot one of those suckers in an instant!

Another one got in the house this afternoon and 4 brown eyes looked at me like "Don't kill it!!!" It made me think of the people who wanted the president to pardon Turkeys at Thanksgiving LOL So, the cool (and heroic) mom that I am, I got a cup and a piece of paper and set the little devil free. Free to sting again.... can't you just hear the Law & Order music now?

Sisterhood...once upon a December

I overdosed on bottlecaps today....... only the purple ones. Well, and a few reds. I really don't like the red ones but I felt I NEEDED more and the purples were all gone. They have these boxes of bottlecaps at Walmart and I made the mistake of buying a bazillion boxes. After I gorged on those I started to feel a little........well TOO sweet, if that's at all possible for me LOL I drank a bunch of water and then tried to balance out the sweetness with a little salty snack. It didn't really work. Later on in the afternoon the crash hit and I slept for 6 hours. After I came out of that coma I felt the need to exercise and went miles in my garage on the bike in front of the bookshelf. I picked up the Ya-YA book and ended up peddling past my 30 minute timer and probably 3o more. I went 12 miles in my reading clip, which isn't really very fast. Well, about 12 miles an hour I guess. Then I grabbed my usual nightcap....a cup of sleepy time tea and some vanilla yogurt. I have strawberries too that I found at Sam's club. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm Now this is bliss.

I had that song from Anastasia stuck in my head so turned on itunes and set it on repeat. So Deanna Carter is singing "once upon a December" over and over and over..... it's a soothing moody song.

Something caught me when I was reading and I think it has something to do with this odd mood I've been in lately. It's this whole "sisterhood" thing...... or girlfriends. This is the third book I've read that centered on that theme. I haven't let anyone get close enough to me to have any good friends like this. I'm not sure why but I kind of keep this wall up to people. I'm friendly and likable.........but for reason I tend to be antisocial and missed parties or not be able to make it when people are going out. Now I'm regretting it. I wish I had some girlfriends all these years that have passed me by....... friends to reminisce with about old times. I've lost touch with the friends I had as a kid. I remember them but they aren't around anymore. Some of them just aren't people I could hang out with anymore. Some of them have different names now.

Oh well, I know I have friends now and I just need to work at keeping them from drifting away. I'll have to add that to my "to do" list.

1. vacuum
2. clean the tub
3. study
4. take jared to baseball
5. call a friend and catch up

Restless legs and mind

I can't sleep. My legs wont let me lay still and my mind is churning away so I decided to get up and do something. I stretched my legs so now I need to empty my brain.

I realized today that I have become obsessive about my weight. I just want to lose weight NOW. I probably jumped on the scale more than 20 times today.... partly because I think it's dysfunctional but partly because I'm crazed. I feel so old lately.... old, fat and stupid. Why is it so hard to lose weight now that I'm 35? I travel miles in my garage each night (on my stationary bike) and lift my son's weights until my body feels like rubber and I've only lost 4 pounds in the last month. *sigh*

I was so hyped up about becoming a nurse but as I sit there in class and look around I realize just how late I am at coming to this decision. The people around me are barely 20, if that, and they already know more than I do. I am becoming so impatient. I want to be a nurse NOW.... I want to lose weight NOW! When did I lose sight of the fact that life is THE JOURNEY not the destination? When did I start to care about what people thought of me?

UGH! I guess I just want to be something when I grow up. I still feel like a kid......a kid with kids.

Today I was really goofy. I really was a kid amongst kids. I joked and laughed with the boys and it felt good....... well, until I had to be "the mom" and found it was hard to regain that authority after acting like a child. I wish I hadn't wasted so much of my life. There is so much I could have become by now... so much more I could have accomplished. Ha, my kids have accomplished more than I have in some ways.

I remember when I was much much younger dreaming about all the things I would be or do once I grew up. I have been thinking a lot about that lately. I am sure this list is nothing like the list I had then... I'm sure that list was much grander...but these are my most recent aspirations.

When I grow up I want to...

1. always be a student
2. see things as a child
3. appreciate the small things that are often overlooked
4. dance in the rain and jump in the puddles
5. be loved
6. be a good mother
7. Be a good wife
8. be a true friend
9. be a nurse
10. be a Volunteer
11. be a good listener to someone who needs to be heard
12. help people
13. be a poet
14. sing without caring who hears me
15. get organized
16. learn to play the guitar
17. stop procrastinating
18. face my fears
19. learn to swim
20. look out the window of an airplane and enjoy the scenery
21. go up in a hot air balloon
22. go hang-gliding
23. be a good role-model
24. listen to my kids without judging
25. never grow up

Lost and found and a quote of the day

I keep trying to lose weight but I think I'm just juggling. I didn't even know I knew how. I lost 3 pounds but I've lost them before..... I wonder if they will come back again tomorrow... My weight goes up and comes back down.... I just keep moving it around.

I did notice that I could wear a pair of shorts that I couldn't wear a couple weeks ago. I could get them on but I had about a 3 to 4 inch gap. I got them on today (comfortably) and then did somersaults across the living room..... well, not really. I never could do those. I do like the website I've been using to track my progress - Traineo. By logging my exercise and watching my calorie intake it keeps me from slacking!! I also constantly want to beat my pervious time or how many miles I went on my bike. It's easy and it's free, what could be better right?

Well, I went to my second class today for Medical terminology. Wowzers. This is a lot of memorization! I bought a big box of index cards at Sam's Club to make flash cards and started writing each new term on them. I have already used a whole pack! My husband thought it was such a waste to buy so many. I tried to tell him there are so many things to learn and I'll need to really study hard. I also bought a voice recorder (with the money I made from my garage sale) and that will really come in handy. I recorded today's class and then I should be able to put it on my ipod. I think if I listen to it while I use my stationary bike or work in my garden I will start to learn those terms faster.

It's all very interesting and I could read about this forever. I don't know how I ever felt I didn't know what I should be doing with my life!! I just sit for hours with my new medical dictionary and immerse myself in all these new terms , images, and ideas. Something will catch my eye and I'll start reading and then that will lead to a new term that I'll need to look up and then I'll be flipping through the pages again. I tend to see so many interesting things along the way that I have to resist the temptation to lose track and run through every rabbit hole. I have to keep a notepad with me and jot down new terms so I can look them up later. I just hope that some day I will be able to help comfort those that are suffering and also help with their recovery. I also hope to be some comfort to those who will not recover. I don't think God put those people here to waste away staring at a wall. They are here for a purpose. I know God was training me for that when I was learning to write to my Grandmother even though she couldn't reply. It really is hard to write something without asking a question that requires an answer. It can also be difficult to keep things upbeat and positive. I got good at that though. I know that someday I'll be a great nurse and God will help me get there... one class at a time. Someone just told me that it sometimes takes something bad happening before something good can happen. We never want to go through the bad times but once the clouds clear the sun is so much brighter and we wont take it for granted.

Well tomorrow is a new day. I keep thinking of a young girl named Allie that is currently recovering from a horrible accident. And I think of my Grandmother who at the end of her life couldn't do the most simple things because she had Parkinson disease. I hope everyone will take advantage of each minute in each day, hug each loved one and smile at each stranger.... you never know when your life will change. Cherish life while it's good so that if things to take a turn you will have the strength to weather the troubled times. God sends us road bumps to make us stronger.

Here is the quote of the day from RealSimple.com

Every day is an opportunity to make a new happy ending.
— Anonymous

Soldiers' angel

I have been assigned to another angel named Casey. I am very excited because she seems to be really interesting. She's in a medical unit and it just seems appropriate for me since I've decided to finally go to school to be a nurse. She likes to read too and what could be better right? My kids can't wait to send her a package.

And I know that I'm the angel to be taking care of her but I'm going to call her MY angel. She's out there doing the work...... So please pray for my angel KC to come home safe and sound!

Pray for Allie

There is a young lady that was recently injured in a nasty car accident. You can visit the blog her dad set up for her by clicking the title above. They need all the prayer they can get. Please stop by and let them know you are praying.

I'm a loser!

I have been trying really hard to lose weight for a while and it's finally working. I have to work out a lot harder than I was before and really watch my calories. I joined this free website called Traineo and it helps to keep track of my calorie intake and calories burned through exercise. I lost 2 lbs before I started and since I started I've lost another 3! Ahhh, it's good to be a loser :O)

I'm so proud of my son

I volunteered to help at Jared's school for the 8th graders graduation ceremony. There was a smaller ceremony for the 7th graders this morning at 10 am and Jared just skipped it and went to class. Strange kid! Anyway, he decided to go with me to help and he was a huge help. He just jumped in and helped out where he could and politely asked if he could help anyone that looked like they could use it. At the end he helped clean up and folded up and put away the tables since he knew where those went. It was so nice to hear all of the staff and other volunteers bragging about him! As we were leaving the principal went to get his certificate that he didn't get that morning. He got a presidential award with a gold seal! On the way home he told me doesn't like crowded rooms and going up on to get the awards. I guess I can see that. He wasn't doing anything for the award or the recognition. He knows we are proud of him.

Flylady.net (Click here to visit the website)

A couple of months ago I joined flylady.net and I've been trying hard to stick to the routines. I know I lack organization and flylady.net helps you build routines that help you become organized AND motivated. If you join the yahoo group you can get very helpful daily reminders emailed to you to keep you on track, but it is optional. I read and delete them each day. Of course I adjust everything to my liking and even though dear Marla (Flylady) loves purple, I (bug) detest that color LOL I think it's because that's my sisters favorite color and I had to be different. So everything I have is either green, blue, or red so that I feel good when I get it out. That sounds kind of Christmasy huh? I'm talking more of a soothing sage green which most of the things in my house are and a nice *pow* red which is a color I choose for clothes to help get me going and feel confident. I have a pair or red tennis shoes that I wear when I'm cleaning and when I'm exercising and they just make me feel like I have super powers or something LOL. I know I get more done when I have them on. Blue seems to be a relaxing color to me and I like all shades of it. It either makes me think of pale blue skies or sparkling blue water or the blue green of the pine trees...... or my dog "Blue" who is actually a tri-colored Beagle. When I look around to see what I bought in blue, I see all of my craft tubs are blue, my bath stuff is blue, my heating pad and other things for relaxing are blue and my favorite papers, pens and the marker that I write with at my desk are blue. Oh, and the very pretty clear acrylic tape dispenser that I swiped from my oldest son is blue LOL I know that color is important, especially for me, and what colors you chose can tell a lot about you. There are personality books based on color choices alone. Anyway, I got a little off track there but I also adjust my routines to work better for me and my family. I've started to make my control journal but it's not just for me but for the whole family. My boys are given chores to do to help keep things in order and I have an extra after school routine and bedtime routines for the boys. I like to use a smaller spiral bound notebook (the cover is sage) with bright sticky notes inside for the boys to take with them to remember what they have to do. I added tabs for them to quickly find what they need. The routines are all in there written in pencil so we can easily make a change until we get it down.



When I started to use Flylady.net I was only thinking about myself. I knew I needed to be better organized but I never thought it would also help my boys. Riley is the one that has benefited the most. His favorite part of Flylady's plan is Kelly's Missions. The home is divided into zones and each week Kelly sends out missions for every day to complete in that zone. When the zone was in the bedroom Riley was thrilled because he could do it too. One day when Riley was home sick from school he told me that I should email "Ms Kelly Fly" and tell her that she should have more missions that he could do. He was so very sweet and I emailed her describing him and how he looked sitting there wrapped up in his tropical fish blanket with a cup of warm peppermint tea and his unicorn book.......and protruding lip LOL I also quoted the little guy because it couldn't have been said any better! I would try to tell him things he could do instead of cleaning light fixtures or dusting the ceiling but he wanted it to come from Kelly in mission form! Well she got my email and I can't believe what she did!!!!! She made special missions just for kids like Riley and they are called Riley challenges!

He was so thrilled when he came in from school and I showed him the email! I wanted so badly to get a picture when his face lit up when he saw his name but my camera had dead batteries. DRATS! The picture I added above shows Riley with his "fishy" blanket. Doesn't he look like an angel when he's sleeping??? When he's not he's more like the Tazmanian devil!! When after Riley read the email he took off to grab his backpack and did the challenge in less than 3 minutes! He likes to set my timer to count up instead of down so he can see how long it actually took. Then in a whirl he was off yelling for his friend to show him the email I printed out.

Here is the email:


Dear Friends,

About a week ago I got an email from a sweet boy named Riley and his mom. They wanted to know If I would send out some missions or challenges that he could do in the house. He wanted some for his room and some for him to be able to help out his mom. The email was so sweet and got me good, which I think was his Mom's intention LOL!

This week we are in the Children's room for our other room in Zone 3, we have included children's room missions in the missions for this week, but in honor of Riley and all the other FLY kids out there, I am going to send out Kid Challenges this week.Let me know how this works out for you and your kids.

Without further adieu let me present our first Riley Challenge of the week!Our very first Riley Challenge is to go grab your backpacks! Sit down on the floor and let's de-clutter those backpacks. De-Clutter means to get rid of anything that we do not need or use anymore! Take out all the papers that you no longer need to have, if you have a recycle bin go toss them there! Get rid of any broken pencils, pens or markers. Any used up, dried up glue sticks? Do you have any Library books that need to be returned? The end of the school year is coming. Are there any papers that you need to give to your parents? Let's set a timer for 15 minutes and see how fast we can de-clutter those back packs! I bet they will be much lighter tomorrow!

Have fun! Thanks to Riley and his Mom for this request - I think we can have some fun!

Love,

Kelly

Exercise and me - kinda like oil and water

I hate exercise! And that's hate with a capital H-A-T-E! But, I really want to lose some weight. I'm so tired of feeling like the Michelin woman. This weekend I joined two different things and I'm going to do them simultaineously.

1. Traineo.com my page is here --> http://donnaj71.traineo.com/
2. The womens health challenge at www.womenshealth.gov

I am determined and somewhat excited. I finished the book I was reading (The Red Hat club - 5 Donna stars!) and started the next of my books in the sisterhood realm I'm in. I'm reading DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA SISTERHOOD BY REBECCA WELLS. I'll add it to my side bar. I'm curious to see if it's as good as The Red Hat Club. But, as part of my challenge above I will not let myself read a "fun" book unless I'm on my exercise bike. I wasn't feeling good today so I only did 15 minutes but I can totally see myself getting a lot more exercise once I get into this book more.

DEATH TO FLAB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blue dog

My Blue girl was sick last night. I was up all night, every hour, going back and forth from outside and back in. It was like having a baby again. I really thought she was going to die because she was throwing up white foam and the little bit of food she ate. She was also shaking and pacing and whining a lot. It just broke my heart when she looked at me with those sad brown eyes.



I heard white foam usually meant the dog got ahold of antifreeze. I'm not sure on that but I did pick up a book today on vetrinarian procedures and emergency treatments. So maybe next time I'll be a little better informed. Last night I just did a little googling and ended up giving Blue some Pepto tablets in pieces of hotdog. I also kept trying to get water down her. By 10 am she seemed to stop pacing and gagging and laid down to sleep. During the day today she drank 3 bowls of water. I felt so bad for her. I'm so glad she's okay now.

I was so glad she seemed to be resting okay before my lunch date with my friends. I would have had a hard time leaving her otherwise. She was happy to go snuggle in her kennel though. I had a great time with Cheesy-G and Sp-linda again and Baby A is getting cuter!! I didn't think it was possible! Her mom said she's been keeping her awake all night. I know the feeling! We had a great visit and CG and I hammed it up. Next time I'll have to get SpLinda!





I gave my copy of the Red hat club to CG even though I wasn't quite finished. I knew there was another copy at the literacy council. I went there right after and found a bunch of great books. That's where I got the book on vet care. I also found a good book on sewing and a book called "Ireland" that looks great and a few more poetry books. I was in hog heaven! I love that place. So now I'm reading this huge hard cover version of the Red Hat club and it's a weird shift.

I was coming home just in time to swing by and pick up Jared after school. We had a coffee date. We couldn't go without Blue girl though. They always have a treat for her. She was so happy to see her boy and it was good to see her acting normal again even though she wasn't quite her spunky self.

Oh, Ry got an A on his science project/report! I'm so proud of him!

Quote of the day

"To Accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." - Anatole France Nobel Prize-winning author

Just when I started to doubt myself and my abilities I came across this quote in some mail. It came at a good time. I go through times when I seem to be so ambitious and then I fall for a time and am plagued by "what ifs" and self doubt. I talked to someone who was a nurse and she said some things that weren't specific but I got the impression that she didn't like her job. She said it was hard work, which I knew, but she seemed to be trying to warn me, against what exactly I'm not sure. Then I started thinking, WHAT IF I can't do it.......WHAT IF I'm not smart enough......WHAT IF I'm just wasting time and money doing this?????? Then I volunteered to help at the health fair at the literacy council and I really enjoyed myself. I talked to several people in the health field and I noticed the sparkle in their eyes when they were talking. I realized then that these were the people that love their jobs and love helping people. I am doing this for that reason too. So I'm ready to get started and to stop doubting myself. I'm ready to put everything I have into becoming a nurse. I stopped procrastinating about getting that shot I need to volunteer at the hospital and got that done yesteday. It wasn't even that bad!
I'll clip this quote and keep it handy for future plunges I'm sure to have.

Gwen Frostic

I have been finding these really neat books while working at the Literacy Council in the used bookstore. I am attacted by the neat artwork that looks stamped on and the wonderful verses. I found a few more today and I looked up the author/artist. Click the title above to visit her site. I wish I could have had the chance to meet this lady before she died. She must have been such an interesting person to know. It's just amazing that she was so observant of nature and so patient and talented to be able to transform a block of wood into such a beautiful work of art. They even have rubber stamps and note cards with her art and poetry available on that website. I hope I can find all of her books. I certainly love the collection I have now.

Quote of the day

Night time is really the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep.
— Catherine O'Hara

That is so true. I am my most creative in the evening after everyone is sleeping. I think your mind is just too busy juggling all the things you have to do during the day that by the time you get to sit down and enjoy some quiet rest your mind comes alive with idea's you just couldn't hear through all noise before. I have started planning my quiet time. If everyone isn't asleep I take a book to my bathtub and escape for a while. Ahhhhhh, just thinking about that makes me relax a bit.

What is love?

Written for Riley Alexander


Love is... Limitless. It can't be measured or bound.
Love is... Obvious. People see me and they know I love you.
Love is... Violent. I will fight for you.
Love is... Endless.

If you think I don't love you, you are just wrong.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

I just finished this book and I'm going to pass it on to a friend. This is going to be my next traveling book (fitting since it's about traveling pants huh?) I wish everyone would read this book. It really touched my heart. I had a hard time getting into at first but after I did I couldn't put it down. Read my comment at the link above (just click the title) If you are interested in reading it just let me know and I'll share it with you too. I have a few people that are interested in reading it so hopefully it will come back to me each time so I can share it again.

This book is not available at amazon.com which I thought was weird. I found it at my local Barnes and Noble store in the teens section. Here is a link to Barnes and noble.com Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
It can also be found on Ebay.

It's worth the read!

I'm going to start reading the second book in the traveling pants series soon but I kinda got into a new book that's been hanging out around here for too long. The Red Hat Club by Haywood Smith. See the link on my side bar. This is also one of my bookcrossing books. I guess I'm straying from my normal comfort zone of Mystery books to read some books about friends. I don't know why.

My book of days

Click the title to check out my newest project, My book of Days. I also added it to my links.

I used to have this neat little book that had a space for every day of the year like a regular day book but it didn't matter what the year was. When something memorable happened in your life you could just write it in on that day with the year. As time went by and the book got filled I had this neat little book of wonderful memories. It's around here somewhere still but it was packed up in a box when we moved and I never unpacked it. There wasn't enough room to keep adding to it anyway but it was neat to read back through. I remember after my father in law died and I was so terribly sad. I came across that book and was just flipping through it and read the entries about the birth of my son Jared and then some of the cute little things he did thoughout the first years of his life. I was amazed to see how many times I wrote about Jared and his grandpa together. Jared was only 3 when his grandpa died but they did so much together in that time! They called each other "Pard" for partner as if they were cowboys on a ranch. When Jared was just shy of one year old he would hear a big truck drive by and would say "pa-pee come-ing" or Pa-pee go work". Sometimes Grandpa would come by and take his little "pard" for a ride in the big truck. After reading through all of those entries I wrote a poem that covered that whole time and in the end I realized the time really is of the essence. We need to treasure each day because we are not gauranteed tomorrow.

Here is the poem I wrote for Jared and his Grandpa.


When the wind blew

The wind was blowing
When you were born in the spring.
I watched the treetops swaying
from my hospital bed as you lay on my chest.

It was blowing when you were one,
Running though the grass,
Picking dandelions for Papa.
Papa always smiled when he watched you play.
Sometimes you made him smile a tear
And he would rub it into his calloused hand.

The wind was blowing when Papa died.
The rain poured down with our tears.
You drew Papa a picture to help him get better,
but he never did.

Yesterday, the wind was blowing.
The dandelions blew like snow in the air
And swirled above the soccer fields.
You taught your brother how to kick the ball
And how to run faster than the wind.

I smiled as I thought of Papa smiling at you,
That first day when the wind blew.

Copywrite- Donna Capps

Brittanyanne17

A while back when I was looking for a song on youtube.com I found another version sung by "Brittanyanne17". I loved her voice and soon found it had replaced the original version of the song that played in my head. When I went back there looking for "my song" today (see a few posts back) I found that she had written her own song. I'm not sure who she is but I really think she's talented and I'll be hearing her on the radio some day. She is definitely in a class all her own (at least on that website). She is certainly not the typical girl-in-low-blouse belting out some poor out-of-tune song until it's dead. Good luck Brittany. I'll be praying you really will make it someday.

This is her singing below.


This song reminds me of my husband and I who seemed to fall together by chance. I really believe that God led me to him and through him kept me going in the right direction. He always has believed in me and if it weren't for him holding me up there's no telling where I'd be right now. We've been together for 16 years now and that's a long time.... but time sure flies when you're having fun!

Virginia Tech

My whole heart and soul goes out to the students, staff, and the parents of Virginia Tech. I will be praying for those still fighting for their lives and for the families of those that have already gone.

How sad is it that we have to live in fear for our children, ourselves, friends, or other loved ones who are at school.

My occasional sad mood...

I am not sure what it is exactly. Maybe it's spring... I always start to miss the sun shining on the hard crusted snow and the cool but still pleasant air that circulates in that time before spring really hits - What I call "Spring's spring". It's the easiest time to breath without any allergens about but you still have to dig out your sunglasses. I'll have to dig up my poem I wrote about that and post it here.

This is also the month that makes me think of my precious little boy with the blond ringlets that used to cook beside me with his own plastic pot and spoon. That little boy that I used to read board books to will be 13 in 5 days. A teenager, I just don't feel that old. He passed the SAT 2 months ago and is talking about college courses during the summer and getting his driving permit in another year. Man I miss those board books and hearing him say "mommy read"....

Oh, but chances are I'm in this downcast mood because my grandmother passed during this time last year. I can't shake the images of her playing her guitar in her rocking chair on the front porch and singing "just a closer walk with thee". Her front yard was surrounded by hydrangeas, roses, and other beautiful flowers. She never had a hair out of place but worked harder than anyone. She was my inspiration and I always tried hard to impress her. After she died I had quite a crash.... but now I'm up again, just like she would have been. She, however, would have gotten up much quicker than I did. I remember how persistent and stubborn she was about getting what she wanted. I always wanted to be just like her and my mom used to scream in frustration that I was just that. I plan to use every ounce of that "spirit" to achieve my goal of becoming a nurse. I know she will be proud even from Heaven.

So for now, I'm going to go back to my room and paint my nails while listening to Taylor Swift. Her song's are sweet and make me smile. Here's that poem....

A Winter Farewell

I shall miss the winds that blow
Across the silent evening snow
And the lonely swaying of the pine
And the birch that move together in line.

And I shall miss the looming moon
And its silent moody little tune
That carries the whistle of the wind
And the dry leaves that tumble in.

I will remember the nights I walked
And my little inward thoughtful talks
Whenever my conscience bothered be
The moon was there to counsel me.

And I could not forget the stars
That seemed to play a little farce
As they danced across the moonlit sky
And cast their light back in my eyes.

But tonight there was a different chill
And the air was very warm and still
I knew that spring was on her way
And the gray quickly fading to day

As I slowly began to roam
Back again towards my home
The birds began to sweetly sing
For, they could feel the coming of spring.

So long to you my gentle friend
After all we will meet again
After the last gray goose does call
And the show of snow warms us all.

SPRING!

Wooh hoooh! The snow is almost gone already! I can't wait to get out and play in the dirt! I really can't wait to see if any of my plants come back. Someone must know me pretty well because I received this poem in my inbox last week :O) This was written for by a Jones too....but no relation. Go figure :O)

Yeeehaw!!!!

Fire up the grill,
Water the yard,
Give the Garden a Till,
It ain't all that hard

Spring has sprung
The cold is done
Garden flowers are still young
Thriving in the mid day sun

Tend to your plants
Start tearing up lawn
Be sure and avoid the red ants
As you emrace the outdoors till Dawn!

A. Jones

Find your song (and sing it)

I haven't been feeling well today or tonight....or rather tomorrow morning. Whatever. I took a nap this morning and then spent most of my day lounging on my bed looking through books and magazines. I had gathered a huge pile of books and a pair of scissors because I plan to try an idea for a "scrap" journal that I'd seen somewhere before using images and words cut from magazines. I started going through a January copy of Real Simple.

I found this article (click the title above) and decided to "scrap" the whole thing. I am going to put this into a plastic sleeve so I can read it every time I'm nervous about a job interview or test or whatever is causing me to doubt myself. Read it; It will change your tune!

It took awile but I finally found my tune!

Happy Girl by Martina McBride

Below is some great chipmunk talent in action by Kristina King! It was the best video I could find on Youtube. I laugh myself silly every time I see it. The words are below in case you can't hear them clearly LOL



I used to live in a darkened room
Had a face of stone
And a heart of gloom
Lost my hope, I was so far gone
Cryin' all my tears
With the curtains drawn
I didn't know until my soul broke free
I've got these angels watching over me

CHORUS
Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl
Everybody knows
That the sweetest thing that you'll ever see
In the whole wide world
Is a happy girl

I used to hide in a party crowd
Bottled up inside
Feeling so left out
Standing in a corner wearing concrete shoes
With my frozen smile
And my lighted fuse
Now every time I start to feel like that
I roll my heart out like a welcome mat

REPEAT CHORUS

Laugh when I feel like it
Cry when i feel like it
That's just how my life is
That's how it goes

Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl
And I've come to know
That the world won't change
Just 'cause I complain
Let the axis twirl
I'm a happy girl

REPEAT CHORUS

Oh, yeah Oh, yeah
I'm a happy girl

Quote of the Day

Friends represent "a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." -Anais Nin

It's a nice feeling to know you have friends out there but there are some people who really do change us or bring out something we didn't know was there. I've been lucky enough to have several friends like that, some of which I didn't recognize until something happened that left me feeling like I had none. Some friends bring out the poetic side of me, some the spiritual side, and some bring out the wild and crazy side of me. I recently went out with a couple of the wild and crazy friends to see some local bands play.



Sp-Linda and Cheezy G! LOL
Look at those cheezy grins!

This group was terrible! They were the cover band and pretty much anything would have sounded good after that.

This is Soul Hole and they were GREAT! They all have great hats too!

The band after that turned on some smog and it was tine to get out of there! UGH.

You know you're from West Virginia when....

Your state is misspelled on your shirt! LOL That's ALMOST as bad as VP Quail's "potatoe" screw up.

The sweetest thing...

is a smiling dirty face! I have so many pictures of my boys with faces so dirty all you can see are their teeth and their eyes shining through. This little boy happens to be very special to me AND he was born on my birthday! His mom is THE BEST at making scrapbook pages (at least in my eyes). I'm awe struck looking at them.

I have some other friends that will soon have a little one of their own and they will learn just how cute these little faces can get beneath a layer of spaghetti or chocolate pudding :O)

Most of the pictures of my kids when they were young enough to be in a highchair were taken before I had a digital camera but this one must have been scanned. It's the only one on my computer. This is Riley covered in something sticky. He rubbed it all in his hair! I have several pictures of Jared covered in spaghetti sauce or chocolate pudding hehehe I guess I'll save those and the bathtub pictures for the first girlfriend!


Riley AKA Spike