On "Taking a Break..."

Okay, I know it has been a long time since I've written a new post! I will admit, I have been AWOL, sleeping on the job, or whatever you want to call it. BUT, I do have a couple of good reasons/excuses...

1) I started working again - PART TIME... but let me tell you; it has been quite an adjustment! (More on that in a moment.)

2) I'm having major problems/pain with my back, AGAIN!

Now, back to the JOB! I am working for the Isabella Health Care Center; a Walk-In Urgent Care Clinic, and I am LOVING it!!!! Well - except for a couple of minor things - and all jobs have them, right? I always work the day shift (7a to 3p) and I work 3 days one week and 4 the second; therefore making it an every other week-end thing. I DO hate to miss church every other Sunday. That is the only down-side....but people get sick on Sunday, too!

I work at the front desk, so I get to wear my dress clothes rather than scrubs! The staff thinks I immediately got "special privileges with the Owner/Doctor because if they have "Patient Contact" at all, they have to wear scrubs. Not that I wouldn't want to wear them; but that was an expense I didn't have to incur, as most of my clothes are dress clothes! All of the other front desk girls are either "cross-over" Receptionist/Medical Assistants, depending an which position they are scheduled for that particular day - or else they have worked several other places that required scrubs, so they have oodles of them! I, on the other hand, had none.

Therefore, when the question was raised, at the first staff meeting, the Owner/Doctor said everyone had to wear them except the front desk people. The Office Administrator looked at him and said, "I told them ALL they had to wear scrubs." Dr. Frey said, "Well, if they have NO patient contact, they don't have to". Sandy (the office administrator) loved it that he changed her rule in front of us all~~!!! So now, she says to me, "You're on your own, Sunshine. You got him to change the rules for you!" In reality, she was kidding me! We have a wonderful working relationship. (Just for the record, I was not the one who raised the question; it was another girl who never ended up working with us!) So, I am the only one except the Office Administrator and the Docs who wear regular clothes. I do, however, have the "white jacket" because it is COLD in there a lot of the time!

So, yes, I do LOVE my job and my schedule. I will have to say that getting up at 5 am has been quite an adjustment for me and even working 8 hours has been a big change. I find myself needing to take an hour or two "nap" when I get home, often~! But then I wake up refreshed and am ready to face the evening.

My second reason for being AWOL is about my back. I have that wonderful "GENE" my father's family passed on to me...Degenerative Disc Disease. (Many of you know that I have already had two back fusions.) Well, everything is a MESS again! I am currently having a series of Procedures done at the Pain Clinic, for just one of the problems. They are very painful, and I end up in bed for about 4 days on pain medication and then I gradually get back into the "swing of things". BUT, I am scheduled for 3 procedures, each 2 weeks apart. I have had #1, and next Tuesday, I have #2. I only got back to work YESTERDAY from having the first one. So, I will work a few more days and then be off a few, again. The 2nd procedure will be on October 7.

On October 10, I see my Neuro Surgeon again. I have four problems for him to address in my lower back and one in my neck. Not sure how that is all going to turn out, but whatever I have to do, I have to do.

Needless to say, all prayers are welcome; not only for me, but for "wisdom" for the doctors treating me. Thank you in advance!

I will keep you updated as to "THE PLAN" as it unfolds~~!

This is again the "season of life" where one of my favorite Christmas Carols has a phrase that fits perfectly to the situation of my back! I used to tell my mom, every time my back was bad, that I would immediately think of a phrase in the song It Came Upon A Midnight Clear - and then we would laugh, because she knew what phrase I meant. (I miss laughing with her!) The phrase of the song is in the 3rd verse, and goes like this:
And ye, beneath life's crushing load, Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way, With painful steps and slow...


Any of you who currently have or have experienced back pain will know how perfectly that phrase fits with how you feel!!!

I will get though this... I always do; with God's help!!!

I hope to give my Blog more attention again. There are many things coming up in the next 3 months to Blog about, just with the grandchildren, not to mention "life" and whatever it presents!

Thanks for listening --- or --- reading~~~!!!

First Sibling/Family Reunion

This past weekend, was the first - of hopefully many - Sibling/Family Reunions for our family. I know that may seem to be a strange "name", but having lost both parents last summer within 101 days, and never having had a Family Reunion prior to their deaths, I guess it just fits! We found a beautiful Campground 15 miles from our parent's former home, owned and operated by a Minister. (He uses it during the summer weeks for children's camps, and on week-ends, rents it out to other groups.)

We had checked it out last fall and wanted to just stay the night right then and there. We were in love with everything we saw. Needless to say, when we all arrived this year and saw 2-3 new additions to the Campground, we were even more impressed.

To say we had a GREAT TIME would be an understatement. There was not one time the whole week-end that the words, "I'm bored" were ever uttered by any child, of any age. That is truly amazing; you know that if you are a parent. There were multiple things to "do" for people of every age. A fenced and gated play land for small children, a slide down into the river for frolicking and swimming, canoes, paddle boats, fishing, a fire pit and a wonderful "chuck wagon" set-up for us to make meals and eat under a great pavilion. There were showers with hot water and inside bathrooms, 6 cute bunk houses with 6 bunks each and a roll-away-bed, and a chapel-like gazebo.




We cleaned up after supper and Friday night and then spent the rest of the evening around the fire pit. Up early the next morning, many were milling about with their first, morning cup of coffee. Breakfast was served and then we just visited while we waited for family members not able to "stay for the week-end" to arrive for the Main Event; Lunch~! 32 family members were in attendance, although 16 were missing.

What a great time we had with all the "little people" and "babies" in the family that came in for the Lunch; the newest member of the family being only 15 days old; my g-daughter, Piper Marie!



Saturday night, the guys went into town and brought back pizza, which gave us all a break from cooking. :~) After eating pizza, it was back to the fire pit for more visiting, laughing and S'mores~~!

Sunday morning, after a breakfast of home-made biscuits and sausage gravy, vans and cars were packed up and good-bye hugs were made.

One brother-in-law said to me on Sunday morning, "this was a wonderful time - no disagreements, not a hint of anything negative", and he was so right.

The only thing that brought tears to my eyes as I drove home was the fact that this would never have taken place, had Mom and Dad not passed away last summer. Sometimes, it takes what it takes..... But, we ALL know they are in a MUCH BETTER PLACE than the best Campground on earth. I have thanks in my heart for parents who taught us that "earth was just part of the journey in our life to reaching our eternal destination".