Oh, my gosh! I cannot believe it has been so long since I have made an entry on my blog site; NOVEMBER!!! By, the way - for those of you who voted on my favorite Christmas Carol, not one person voted for the one that was right. I had votes for all the ones that were wrong, though! Crazy..
O, Little Town of Bethlehem is my favorite - probably because I have been to Bethlehem. Especially at Christmas time, I can feel the cool night air, hear the sounds of busy traffic and smell the smells of that town as we walked to the Church of the Nativity that was built over the spot were they say the Baby Jesus was born. There is a special place w/i the Church that is kind of built out into a rounded area in the stone wall with special, and beautiful tiles on the floor, hanging lamps that hold candles, and a rail to keep you from stepping into it, that is supposedly where the actual stable was. It feels very warm and holy - standing there looking into that spot.
I cannot remember for sure, but I don't think I put as a choice, my second-most favorite carol. It is, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. I love it for all the words - they are so beautifully written. But, there is a personal thing for me hidden amongst the verses. I showed it to my mother one night while in Church and she got quite a chuckle out of it.
As many of you know, I have struggled with back problems on and off for years. My back used to "go out" on me and I would be in bed and off work for a week every time. Then eventually, I had a ruptured disc and finally had to have a laminectomy after trying every conservative treatment. Then, I had my first back Fusion in 2003, my second in 2006 and my third/current one in December of 2008. I am still recovering from that one. So, this part of that song really, really fits me. It is the first half of verse 3 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...
Anyone who has dealt with back pain would so identify with those words in a heartbeat!
Well, I will soon be revealing the reason for my long hiatus.
Stay posted~~!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Beauty in Unusual Places
Just as the Fall season was upon us, I was greatly delighted to see "beauty" in unusual places. I found them a few weeks apart and took pictures of each "on the spot". Each picture was of a form of life growing out of a place that was unexpected.
This is the first one I saw; growing right outside the Insurance Office I utilize, on a down-town sidewalk in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. I was SO amused by it!
About three weeks later, I was in Coldwater, Michigan at a park and I saw this...and again, I was amused, but also in awe at the places I was seeing "life" growing and surviving around me.
These two pictures would pop into my head at the most random times. I knew there was truly a message in them - but wasn't quite sure how to put it into words. Then a few days ago, I had an interesting and very enjoyable encounter.
My "encounter" was with a little boy who was sitting at a table behind me at Bob Evan's Restaurant in Saginaw, Michigan. I could tell by the table talk that the family was getting ready to leave. I had noticed a baby with the family when I was seated. Always wanting to look at and talk about some one's baby to them, I turned my head to see if the baby was still awake.
Almost right in my face, was this little boy, who had gotten out of his seat and was "ready to go"! He had on a Cub Scout uniform. I started a conversation with him. I asked him about him being in Cub Scouts; he liked it but didn't like his "hat", he said, as he put it on his head! I looked at the dad, who said, "he doesn't like BEARS", and there was a bear on the hat. I told him that he looked very nice in his uniform and to always remember that girls like boys who wear uniforms. He gave me some response and I could tell by that time, that this boy was "special". I had my suspicions, but didn't know for sure what made him uniquely "him". I asked him his name; he picked up a crayon and wrote, "ALEX". I told him I liked that name; that it was a nice name. Then he picked up the crayon again and wrote "boy" under his name. "Yes", I said, "you are a boy. How old are you?" He went back and forth between seven and nine. Finally grandma told me he had just turned nine.
We kept talking; he whispered in my ear what his baby sister's name was. Then he asked me if I wanted to play tic-tack-toe with him? His parents and grandmother immediately thought he had crossed a line with me. "Leave her alone; no, she doesn't want to play t-t-t with you". I told him I would LOVE to play the game with him. He brought his paper and crayons over to my table. We played two games; he won them both!!! He was delighted, to say the least. (I think he would have gone home with me if he could have.)
His parents and grandma told him to come with them - that they were leaving. He whispered in my ear again that his mama had a little tiny baby that might be a boy. (Grandma and parents informed me that Mama was pregnant again.) "Oh", I said, "you are getting a new baby! How fun for you!"
Now he had to follow them out to the car. As he started to leave I hugged him and told him it had been so nice to meet him, and for him to have a very Merry Christmas. He hugged me in return and repeated the same things back to me. He started to follow his family, but once again, turned and came running back to me. Again, he hugged me TIGHT and said, "Have a very Merry Christmas". By this time, I was truly in love! I could have put him in my pocket and taken him home with me!!!
Suddenly I see that Grandma had stayed a little behind the rest of the family. Then she explained to me, "He is Autistic." (I think she felt she had to explain his behavior to me.) I told her I had suspected that. Then I told her my daughter was in her final year of school and doing her student teaching for her Special Education (Teaching) Degree. By this time, Mama had come back and joined our conversation. Grandma explained to her that she was telling me about Alex being Autistic. I quickly told Mama the same thing about my daughter that I had shared with the grandma.
I sensed a sigh of relief from both of them. I begin to think about Alex and have thought of him several times in the few days since I met him. I will probably never see him again. I thought of him in comparison to those plants I found growing in unlikely places.
For a few minutes, in a Bob Evan's Restaurant, I found beauty in an unusual place... beauty in a small boy named Alex. I will never forget the whispers in my ear or the tight hugs and well wishes he gave me. I hope he felt acceptance from me that night, AND I hope he felt he was "a beautiful person- just like he was... no frills added."
This is the first one I saw; growing right outside the Insurance Office I utilize, on a down-town sidewalk in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. I was SO amused by it!
About three weeks later, I was in Coldwater, Michigan at a park and I saw this...and again, I was amused, but also in awe at the places I was seeing "life" growing and surviving around me.
These two pictures would pop into my head at the most random times. I knew there was truly a message in them - but wasn't quite sure how to put it into words. Then a few days ago, I had an interesting and very enjoyable encounter.
My "encounter" was with a little boy who was sitting at a table behind me at Bob Evan's Restaurant in Saginaw, Michigan. I could tell by the table talk that the family was getting ready to leave. I had noticed a baby with the family when I was seated. Always wanting to look at and talk about some one's baby to them, I turned my head to see if the baby was still awake.
Almost right in my face, was this little boy, who had gotten out of his seat and was "ready to go"! He had on a Cub Scout uniform. I started a conversation with him. I asked him about him being in Cub Scouts; he liked it but didn't like his "hat", he said, as he put it on his head! I looked at the dad, who said, "he doesn't like BEARS", and there was a bear on the hat. I told him that he looked very nice in his uniform and to always remember that girls like boys who wear uniforms. He gave me some response and I could tell by that time, that this boy was "special". I had my suspicions, but didn't know for sure what made him uniquely "him". I asked him his name; he picked up a crayon and wrote, "ALEX". I told him I liked that name; that it was a nice name. Then he picked up the crayon again and wrote "boy" under his name. "Yes", I said, "you are a boy. How old are you?" He went back and forth between seven and nine. Finally grandma told me he had just turned nine.
We kept talking; he whispered in my ear what his baby sister's name was. Then he asked me if I wanted to play tic-tack-toe with him? His parents and grandmother immediately thought he had crossed a line with me. "Leave her alone; no, she doesn't want to play t-t-t with you". I told him I would LOVE to play the game with him. He brought his paper and crayons over to my table. We played two games; he won them both!!! He was delighted, to say the least. (I think he would have gone home with me if he could have.)
His parents and grandma told him to come with them - that they were leaving. He whispered in my ear again that his mama had a little tiny baby that might be a boy. (Grandma and parents informed me that Mama was pregnant again.) "Oh", I said, "you are getting a new baby! How fun for you!"
Now he had to follow them out to the car. As he started to leave I hugged him and told him it had been so nice to meet him, and for him to have a very Merry Christmas. He hugged me in return and repeated the same things back to me. He started to follow his family, but once again, turned and came running back to me. Again, he hugged me TIGHT and said, "Have a very Merry Christmas". By this time, I was truly in love! I could have put him in my pocket and taken him home with me!!!
Suddenly I see that Grandma had stayed a little behind the rest of the family. Then she explained to me, "He is Autistic." (I think she felt she had to explain his behavior to me.) I told her I had suspected that. Then I told her my daughter was in her final year of school and doing her student teaching for her Special Education (Teaching) Degree. By this time, Mama had come back and joined our conversation. Grandma explained to her that she was telling me about Alex being Autistic. I quickly told Mama the same thing about my daughter that I had shared with the grandma.
I sensed a sigh of relief from both of them. I begin to think about Alex and have thought of him several times in the few days since I met him. I will probably never see him again. I thought of him in comparison to those plants I found growing in unlikely places.
For a few minutes, in a Bob Evan's Restaurant, I found beauty in an unusual place... beauty in a small boy named Alex. I will never forget the whispers in my ear or the tight hugs and well wishes he gave me. I hope he felt acceptance from me that night, AND I hope he felt he was "a beautiful person- just like he was... no frills added."
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
A Baby Sister's Needs.....
When I was one month away from my 18th birthday, my parents gave our family one of the best presents ever; I got a real-live baby sister! Of course, because of my age (and the sister just younger than me; Jodi, who was almost 16) it was almost as if this new baby had three mothers! I was used to "mothering" - I had very much mothered the sister that was born nine years earlier, Barb, and I was only 9 when she was born. I guess I can hardly remember a time in my life when I wasn't mothering someone!!! Some of my earliest memories are those of mothering the neighbor baby that lived next to my Grandma Gail.
Now, back to my original beginning... I mothered Sara Emeline from the day she was brought home from the hospital. Jodi and I told our mother that WE would do the midnight feedings. It didn't take Jodi very long to realize that the advantages of sleeping through the night sounded a little better than sitting alone in the living room, half asleep and feeding a slow-eating baby. (At least that is what I called her when I sat and fed her! She took a long time to get that 3-4 ounces of milk down her!!!) If I had ever "timed" it, I'm sure she didn't take that long at all - it was just that I was sleepy. But, I promised Mom and I didn't want to "quit" on her. I probably only did those night feedings for a couple of weeks - but it was long enough to get Mom back on her feet and feeling better; she WAS 42, after all!!!
This new baby sister kept Mom and Dad very young. When Mom was at her first pre-natal check up, the doctor told her, "You Grandmas make good Mamas!"
After I graduated, I would take Sara into town with me on days I didn't work. Once, I bought her the same, exact baby doll two weeks in a row, because she "wanted" them and I wouldn't say "no" to her~! (Great parenting skills, eh?) This is the way life was between Sara and me. A few months after she turned 3, I had a baby of my own... but, Sara was still, very much "the baby" of the family.
Fast forward with me some 30+ years. In the middle of 2007, we lost both of our parents within 101 days. Suddenly, we were "orphans"; immediately and without a say, we no longer had parents to turn to in time of need. From the moment our second parent died, it was as if an external force pulled us inward toward each other - a group of six siblings. Now, all we had on earth, was each other. What would we have done without our Heavenly Father? You see, our earthly father was a "prayer warrior". If we had ANY kind of need, fear, joy or sorrow - it was Dad that was called first. It never mattered what time of day or night; Dad was ALWAYS available. His prayers seemed to reach Heaven as if he had a more direct connection than anyone else in our lives. Maybe it was because he was our Dad; possibly it was because he had been our Pastor since were were little children. Whatever the cause, the fact remained - Dad was the one we sought out for that "immediate connection" with God when trouble, pain, sorrow or joy came our way; and yes, I said joy. We we taught at a young age, that our Heavenly Father wanted to share in every aspect of our life; the good and the bad, the joys and the sorrows.
The day our father died, several of us wondered, "would we be able to fly solo? Did we have what it took to fly alone?" Each of us were responsible to find that "connection" to our Heavenly Father without the aid of Dad's prayers. Thankfully, we had been trained and instructed in that capacity. We each had developed our own relationship with God and were able to rely on God for the comfort, counsel and guidance that only a father can give. But what about those times when we desired that extra measure of security; that special intimacy that we felt with God when Dad prayed? We have each had those times since Dad died.
Sara has currently landed smack dab in the middle of one of those times. A few weeks ago she found out she was pregnant. Joy? Yes, there is plenty of that. Anticipation of a new little life to add to our ever-expanding family; yes, that too. But the worst part was/is those first several weeks when she is always horribly sick; I can relate!!! (Dad told me more than once, "Raising Sara is just like raising YOU all over again; right down to the daily stomach aches.") Well, we share the same intensity of "Morning Sickness", too - and oh, that it WAS only Morning Sickness. But, alas, it is all day and all night long - has been for her and was for me. I was sick for 9 months for all three of my pregnancies.
What to do now. Dad is not here. She cried and cried; "I miss dad and mom so much right now". That is NOT what a big sister/surrogate mother can stand to hear on the other end of the phone line. Helpless - that is how I felt. Utterly and totally helpless. She is in Indian and I am in Michigan. I cannot even drive over and hug and hold her. All I do is cry for awhile with her. I talked with her for a little bit and then I said, "Sara, I'm going to pray for you now, okay?" Weak voice responds, "Okay." Mind you, I am sitting in the parking lot at my place of employment, crying and praying in my car, knowing that in a couple of minutes I have to walk into work. I just simply talked to our wonderful Heavenly Father about the whole thing. How she wanted her parents, how she felt "useless" to her family. About her being so sick and how she need HIS peace. I asked God for it all.
I told her that this was NOT a surprise to GOD, although, from things she has said, I think it WAS a surprise to her and Tony!!! Ooops!
But, she is now 12 weeks pregnant. She will soon go to the doctor to hear her baby's heartbeat. After losing 5 babies and only carrying 3 to term, she is nervous about that, too. She wants to hear that little heartbeat and then she will be able to relax.
I don't know how good I have been at being a Surrogate Mother to her, but I feel like her mother. I'm thankful for younger sisters that can keep babies around for awhile, yet; I'm also thankful that I have felt Maternal to her for her entire life; it certainly is a good thing at this point of her life!
I think her Nausea and Vomiting has decreased considerably since that day I prayed for her - now if FOOD just TASTED good to her..... seems there is always something~!
Just when all this was first taking place, my Pastor read a scripture during a sermon from John 14:18..."No, I will not abandon you as orphans-I will come to you." (NLT)
So, little sister, God promised in His words to us that he would NOT abandon us as orphans. So, just because we ARE orphaned.... God has not and never will abandon us!
Now, back to my original beginning... I mothered Sara Emeline from the day she was brought home from the hospital. Jodi and I told our mother that WE would do the midnight feedings. It didn't take Jodi very long to realize that the advantages of sleeping through the night sounded a little better than sitting alone in the living room, half asleep and feeding a slow-eating baby. (At least that is what I called her when I sat and fed her! She took a long time to get that 3-4 ounces of milk down her!!!) If I had ever "timed" it, I'm sure she didn't take that long at all - it was just that I was sleepy. But, I promised Mom and I didn't want to "quit" on her. I probably only did those night feedings for a couple of weeks - but it was long enough to get Mom back on her feet and feeling better; she WAS 42, after all!!!
This new baby sister kept Mom and Dad very young. When Mom was at her first pre-natal check up, the doctor told her, "You Grandmas make good Mamas!"
After I graduated, I would take Sara into town with me on days I didn't work. Once, I bought her the same, exact baby doll two weeks in a row, because she "wanted" them and I wouldn't say "no" to her~! (Great parenting skills, eh?) This is the way life was between Sara and me. A few months after she turned 3, I had a baby of my own... but, Sara was still, very much "the baby" of the family.
Fast forward with me some 30+ years. In the middle of 2007, we lost both of our parents within 101 days. Suddenly, we were "orphans"; immediately and without a say, we no longer had parents to turn to in time of need. From the moment our second parent died, it was as if an external force pulled us inward toward each other - a group of six siblings. Now, all we had on earth, was each other. What would we have done without our Heavenly Father? You see, our earthly father was a "prayer warrior". If we had ANY kind of need, fear, joy or sorrow - it was Dad that was called first. It never mattered what time of day or night; Dad was ALWAYS available. His prayers seemed to reach Heaven as if he had a more direct connection than anyone else in our lives. Maybe it was because he was our Dad; possibly it was because he had been our Pastor since were were little children. Whatever the cause, the fact remained - Dad was the one we sought out for that "immediate connection" with God when trouble, pain, sorrow or joy came our way; and yes, I said joy. We we taught at a young age, that our Heavenly Father wanted to share in every aspect of our life; the good and the bad, the joys and the sorrows.
The day our father died, several of us wondered, "would we be able to fly solo? Did we have what it took to fly alone?" Each of us were responsible to find that "connection" to our Heavenly Father without the aid of Dad's prayers. Thankfully, we had been trained and instructed in that capacity. We each had developed our own relationship with God and were able to rely on God for the comfort, counsel and guidance that only a father can give. But what about those times when we desired that extra measure of security; that special intimacy that we felt with God when Dad prayed? We have each had those times since Dad died.
Sara has currently landed smack dab in the middle of one of those times. A few weeks ago she found out she was pregnant. Joy? Yes, there is plenty of that. Anticipation of a new little life to add to our ever-expanding family; yes, that too. But the worst part was/is those first several weeks when she is always horribly sick; I can relate!!! (Dad told me more than once, "Raising Sara is just like raising YOU all over again; right down to the daily stomach aches.") Well, we share the same intensity of "Morning Sickness", too - and oh, that it WAS only Morning Sickness. But, alas, it is all day and all night long - has been for her and was for me. I was sick for 9 months for all three of my pregnancies.
What to do now. Dad is not here. She cried and cried; "I miss dad and mom so much right now". That is NOT what a big sister/surrogate mother can stand to hear on the other end of the phone line. Helpless - that is how I felt. Utterly and totally helpless. She is in Indian and I am in Michigan. I cannot even drive over and hug and hold her. All I do is cry for awhile with her. I talked with her for a little bit and then I said, "Sara, I'm going to pray for you now, okay?" Weak voice responds, "Okay." Mind you, I am sitting in the parking lot at my place of employment, crying and praying in my car, knowing that in a couple of minutes I have to walk into work. I just simply talked to our wonderful Heavenly Father about the whole thing. How she wanted her parents, how she felt "useless" to her family. About her being so sick and how she need HIS peace. I asked God for it all.
I told her that this was NOT a surprise to GOD, although, from things she has said, I think it WAS a surprise to her and Tony!!! Ooops!
But, she is now 12 weeks pregnant. She will soon go to the doctor to hear her baby's heartbeat. After losing 5 babies and only carrying 3 to term, she is nervous about that, too. She wants to hear that little heartbeat and then she will be able to relax.
I don't know how good I have been at being a Surrogate Mother to her, but I feel like her mother. I'm thankful for younger sisters that can keep babies around for awhile, yet; I'm also thankful that I have felt Maternal to her for her entire life; it certainly is a good thing at this point of her life!
I think her Nausea and Vomiting has decreased considerably since that day I prayed for her - now if FOOD just TASTED good to her..... seems there is always something~!
Just when all this was first taking place, my Pastor read a scripture during a sermon from John 14:18..."No, I will not abandon you as orphans-I will come to you." (NLT)
So, little sister, God promised in His words to us that he would NOT abandon us as orphans. So, just because we ARE orphaned.... God has not and never will abandon us!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Political Correctness or Tolerance and Respect ?
I was at my Doctor's office a few days ago. The waiting room was nearly empty as I sat and looked around the room. Suddenly, my eyes fixated on an object beneath one of the chairs. I got up and walked closer. Was it a man's "dress hat" as some older gentlemen still wear? No, it didn't quite have the right shape. As I reached the other side of the room, still puzzled, I thought maybe I knew the answer. 
My eyes began to search the immediate area for some kind of confirmation. Not far from the chair, was a table, sitting in the corner, holding magazines and flyers. But prominently piled at the front of the table was the confirmation I was looking for. In case you are still "wondering", they were Amish hats.
As I turned to ask the Receptionist a question, from the hallway appeared two Amish ladies. One was of retired age, the other - just a young lady. They both sat down with me in the waiting room.
Forgive me; I must back-up a little bit...
Shortly after I had noticed the hats and quickly took pictures of them, two other ladies had come into the office and sat down to wait, also. They began to converse with me. We were talking about gardening, canning, cooking and so-on. So, it was just natural to include the Amish ladies in our conversation when they joined us. There was no hesitation from anyone in the room. We were just a small group of women, sharing our experiences and secrets of baking pies, making home-made noodles, gardening and canning.
As I sat there and looked at the five of us talking and inter-acting with each other I realized there were no "lines" of any kind that made us different from each other. Yes, we each had our own style of dress and "appearance", but we were just five women sharing common experiences and laughter!
It seems to me that because so much of our thinking, today, is spent making sure that we are being politically correct, we often cannot see the trees for the forest. When did plain, old-fashioned tolerance and respect become such an issue that we changed the name of those virtues to "Political Correctness"?
Supposedly, we are now more sophisticated in order that we not offend anyone in any way, in regards to how they look, think or act. Are we now a generation of more tolerant and polite people? I, personally, don't think so. When I think back to how children were raised in my era, (and even further back to my parent's era), there were just values instilled in us that demanded respect. I realize that from that time to the present, many people have been made more aware and educated about physical and mental limitations in particular people groups. Many also have learned that ALL people are equal, no matter their color, their size, their education, or their social status.
I guess the whole thought process that I had that day as I looked at those articles of clothing that distinguished one group of people from the rest of the world was, when you get down to the heart of women interacting with other women , we are just that... we are all just women! We have the same desires, responsibilities, and, yes, even the same underlying need that ALL MANKIND has had from the beginning... ACCEPTANCE for who we are!
God used some hats that day to show me more clearly HIS thoughts on the subject:
James 2:9 (NLT) says: "But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. James 2: 12-13 (NLT) adds: "So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you."
My eyes began to search the immediate area for some kind of confirmation. Not far from the chair, was a table, sitting in the corner, holding magazines and flyers. But prominently piled at the front of the table was the confirmation I was looking for. In case you are still "wondering", they were Amish hats. 
As I turned to ask the Receptionist a question, from the hallway appeared two Amish ladies. One was of retired age, the other - just a young lady. They both sat down with me in the waiting room.Forgive me; I must back-up a little bit...
Shortly after I had noticed the hats and quickly took pictures of them, two other ladies had come into the office and sat down to wait, also. They began to converse with me. We were talking about gardening, canning, cooking and so-on. So, it was just natural to include the Amish ladies in our conversation when they joined us. There was no hesitation from anyone in the room. We were just a small group of women, sharing our experiences and secrets of baking pies, making home-made noodles, gardening and canning.
As I sat there and looked at the five of us talking and inter-acting with each other I realized there were no "lines" of any kind that made us different from each other. Yes, we each had our own style of dress and "appearance", but we were just five women sharing common experiences and laughter!
It seems to me that because so much of our thinking, today, is spent making sure that we are being politically correct, we often cannot see the trees for the forest. When did plain, old-fashioned tolerance and respect become such an issue that we changed the name of those virtues to "Political Correctness"?
Supposedly, we are now more sophisticated in order that we not offend anyone in any way, in regards to how they look, think or act. Are we now a generation of more tolerant and polite people? I, personally, don't think so. When I think back to how children were raised in my era, (and even further back to my parent's era), there were just values instilled in us that demanded respect. I realize that from that time to the present, many people have been made more aware and educated about physical and mental limitations in particular people groups. Many also have learned that ALL people are equal, no matter their color, their size, their education, or their social status.
I guess the whole thought process that I had that day as I looked at those articles of clothing that distinguished one group of people from the rest of the world was, when you get down to the heart of women interacting with other women , we are just that... we are all just women! We have the same desires, responsibilities, and, yes, even the same underlying need that ALL MANKIND has had from the beginning... ACCEPTANCE for who we are!
God used some hats that day to show me more clearly HIS thoughts on the subject:
James 2:9 (NLT) says: "But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law. James 2: 12-13 (NLT) adds: "So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you."
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
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~~~!!!
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~~~!!!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
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".
Sunday, August 31, 2008
The Demise of Wall E
If you recall, a few entries back, I wrote about taking my 3 grandsons on a "Date Night" which included: dinner out, the movie Wall E, and then ice cream.
Wall E came home from the theater with us that night and has occupied my youngest grandson's bedroom all summer. As the weeks got closer to the end of summer vacation, as week-end trips dwindled, and after relatives from Washington State came and went, it was time to "re-arrange" each of the boy's bedrooms before school started.
Thus, the reason, when I pulled into the driveway of my grandsons home, for Wall E lying out by the road - awaiting "trash pick-up" the next morning. Many cars stopped to look, perhaps thinking they wanted to claim Wall E, but, alas, when they saw he was made of heavy cardboard, they continued on their way.
Here are the last two pictures of Wall E.
(When I pulled into their driveway the next morning, he was GONE~!)
Good Bye, Wall E; you made 3 little boys; (especially 1; because you held his guitar every night), very happy for an entire summer!
Wall E came home from the theater with us that night and has occupied my youngest grandson's bedroom all summer. As the weeks got closer to the end of summer vacation, as week-end trips dwindled, and after relatives from Washington State came and went, it was time to "re-arrange" each of the boy's bedrooms before school started.
Thus, the reason, when I pulled into the driveway of my grandsons home, for Wall E lying out by the road - awaiting "trash pick-up" the next morning. Many cars stopped to look, perhaps thinking they wanted to claim Wall E, but, alas, when they saw he was made of heavy cardboard, they continued on their way.
Here are the last two pictures of Wall E.
(When I pulled into their driveway the next morning, he was GONE~!)Good Bye, Wall E; you made 3 little boys; (especially 1; because you held his guitar every night), very happy for an entire summer!
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