Thirty seven years ago

Its been thirty seven + years since a naive nineteen year old started on a most difficult, rewarding journey that has caused tears, joy, pain, sadness..... There is no other job on this earth I'd rather do. I often learn new things - even after all these years. Most of my Co-workers including my manager could be by children.  Sometimes the younger ones scoff at my comments. I've seen so much over the years. But when they have questions, they ask! I feel like I've helped raise many of them.

This thing with The View hosts is absurd. They are obviously uneducated about what nurses really do. We are not there to "serve" anyone. We are there to provide the best care that is evidence based that is possible. And, to deliver that care in a kind and caring manner. We are college educated. We have a minimum of a 2 year degree with many a 4 or more year degree. Most in my unit are also certified in critical care. All nurses in my unit also have advanced life saving certifications and many are competent in several adjuncts to care such as Intra Aortic Balloon Pump management, Impella management, as well as Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy as well as the ability to manage critical drips. Dr's do insert these devices and give orders for parameters they want to meet, but its the nurse who is at the bedside 24 hours a day. Holiday weekend storm ice or snow. We go when the postman won't.

I wrote most of this back in the fall when the view hosts insulted my profession. I believe none of them would last an hour following me. They ignored my (and numerous other nurses) challenge to shadow me for a day.

Im done for now.
To be continued......

Gone too soon

Today has been a sad day for our community. This morning, I was up drinking my coffee waiting for the bank to open so I could stop by get some money and go grocery shopping. I was watching a Pioneer Woman episode when I got a call from Nick. He told me Trent Woosley had been killed in a wreck in the very early morning hours. My heart sank. He was a good young man. Had just turned 19 and was attending diesel college in Nashville. He was on his way home and was very close to home when it happened. Of course his sweet parents are devastated as are his brothers and his grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. And his friends. He was loved by everyone who knew him. Please remember his family in your prayers. And please continue to remember them in your prayers in the days, weeks and months to come. It is a parent's worst nightmare. That call you pray never comes came to the Woosleys this morning. We are not supposed to question why but I can't help it. I try not to and I know God has a plan and a reason and a purpose to everything. Some day we will know.

That song has been on my heart for a few days now. Some day we'll know. We'll understand it. When the gates swing open wide. We will know just why we'll have a mansion. When we see what waits inside. Pray.

I love all y'all❤️

To be continued................

Springtime!

  

What a wonderful time of year! Birds and blooms, new growth, Hummingbirds. Had a couple of little visitors this morning. Two male hummingbirds fighting over 3 feeders, Eight feeding spots between those three feeders and only two of them. Surely they could get along. I've been enjoying these little creatures since we bought this farm in 1991. (Well, spring of 1992) I started feeding these beauties way back when we first bought this farm before we even built here. I have had up in the twenties of birds trying to fight over feeders at times. I enjoy watching them so much.  They can be vicious to each other.

Still loving my new car!!

I have to tell you a funny. This morning, long before sunrise, I was awakened by footsteps. I was afraid and was very still, as not to alert my intruder that I was aware of those footsteps. Footsteps, more footsteps......
Then it dawned on me. Bruno was in the house. He wanted to go out and couldn't wake Nick. So he came down the steps to my room and woke me.  I tried to go back to sleep to no avail. So....
I did what every good southern momma would do. I made a cup of coffee and fresh homemade biscuits and scrambled some farm fresh eggs. Nice breakfast. Served it up on my favorite Fiesta color-- scarlet!

Be jealous! It was yummy. I did make enough for Nick to share. He was a happy son. I guess growing boys need a good breakfast before they go out to work in the sun all day. 

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”John 10:28-30 

I think this is all for today. Have a blessed day! Oh, and please remember those who are in need in your prayers. So much sickness and death and everyone could use prayers for those they love.

I love all y'all❤️
To be continued...........

YAY!! A New (to me) Car!!

So, if you know us at all, you know my car died almost 2 years ago. I have been driving my mom's car since. (They have 3 cars) My mom has been wonderful about it! But yesterday I bit the bullet and went looking and found something I really like and by God's grace, bought it! It is a 2011 Nissan Versa. It's only a 4 cyl 1.8 L but it has get up about it. It came up the knob without any difficulty. I need to take it to Brownsville through the holler and see how it does, but that narrow little road can be rough (especially if you meet another car!)  We tried fixing my car. That did not work so we sold it and it took forever to find something. But I did. And my son is smart. And Martin Automotive folks are great! They helped me tremendously and I never felt pushed into anything. The salesman just asked a few questions, smiled and said I have just the car. He was right.

And God is so good! 

In case you wondered 254 days until Christmas, 226 days until Thanksgiving and 199 days until Halloween! 

I love all y'all!❤️

To be continued...............

I love spring!

It is no secret I love spring. I love the redbuds and dogwoods. They are so beautiful. And I get to see them every time I look outside. I also get to see hummingbirds. I love my birds. They are so delicate and awe-inspiring and peaceful little creatures. They remind me of angels. No idea why or how, they just do. 

Ah, spring! There is so much green going on after that winter we had! I am very happy the days are getting longer. Time has changed, I like it better after I get used to it. Still have a couple more cold spells to get through before it is warm all the time. Today has been beautiful, it did start out in the lower 40's though. My dogwood trees really bloomed out behind the house, the ones in front are still not showing their blooms yet though. And we had hummingbirds a few days early this year. Usually it is a week or so later before we see the first one. I have seen 2. Yay me! Actually, is it the same bird twice or 2 different birds. I haven't been able to tell yet. But, I am very happy they are back! In just about 3 weeks or so, they will be nesting and we won't see them much then they will be in full force through October. 

202 days until Halloween

228 days until Thanksgiving

257 days until Christmas

I guess this is all for now. 

I love all y'all❤️

To be continued..........

Sibling Day

So today is sibling day. I have 3 of them. Brothers. All younger. No idea who invented this "celebration" but I found a picture or two of us.

Greg is almost 13 months younger than me. He was about 3-4 weeks early. I didn't want him. The neighbors came to see why they could hear me screaming when they brought him home. I guess I got used to him then 18 months later Bruce came along. I called him a little rat. Then 23 months after that Doug was born. No sisters for me. I do have a few cousins though. 

Myra Bruce Greg and Doug

Bruce and Doug

Bruce Myra Greg and I am holding Doug

Greg and Me with Pap - must have been 3 days before Bruce arrived, judging by our ages

Wow. Precious memories! Did I tell you the one about Greg and I telling Bruce he was deaf? Poor brother. He believed us. He cried and screamed for Momma. She came running. Screaming, he told her he was deaf. She told him to hush up and listen. "you can hear me, can't you?" Sniffling, he nodded yes. She said, "then you're not deaf. Deaf means you can't hear and you can hear me just fine"

We won't go into details what happened next. 

So, though the day is almost done, Happy Siblings Day to my brothers.

I love all y'all❤️

To be continued..........

Yesterday

Yesterday was Easter. A holiday. The meaning of the day is beyond words. We had a family dinner at my moms yesterday. I fixed a tenderloin and fried chicken legs and that strawberry cake I made the other day. Mom had ham and chicken livers. Then there were the sides. More than you can shake a stick at and after everyone was stuffed, there was enough food left to feed that many more twice and then some. It was really good. And it was a good day.

fried chicken legs

port tenderloin

My grandbabies, great nephews and Mykael's little boy (Nick's girlfriend) were all there too. Brayden was a little shy yesterday but by the time it was time to go, he was right in there. I left my phone home and did not get to take any pictures. My niece Heather and her son Jonas were there too. Jonas is a little older than the other kids, he was worn out from the kids wanting him to play with them.

Perry Valarie Olivia and October

Miss Livvy (Olivia Rhea)

Brayden

Thomas and Nolan

It was a great day! I was worn out! I didn't get to sleep Saturday night until about 1 am Sunday morning, back up about 5 or 5:20 to put the tenderloin on. Then I went to Nana's for the usual Sunday morning breakfast the home to fry the chicken legs then back to Nana's before noon. Busy morning! I got home about four pm, decided I was exhausted, finished cleaning up the kitchen and turned the TV to something I wanted to watch and I was out like a light. I woke about nine pm and was back asleep by eleven pm and woke around five am and thought I heard someone knocking on my door about that time. I got up with my shotgun, but saw nothing. Must have been a dream. Where I live, if you come to my house, you are very, very lost or you meant to be there. No other choice and who would be here at five in the morning?!

I love all y'all!❤️

To  be continued.........

Easter Season

This is the Easter Season! I love Easter and what it stands for! I love Christmas and what it stands for. I celebrate both every year in my own way. Easter is so much more than bunnies and eggs, chicks and candy...... It is about the death and Resurrection of the One who came to die for our sins that we might be forgiven and have eternal life. Today is Good Friday. It is a sad day in many ways, Centuries ago, our Lord was found praying in the garden of Gethsemane, having been betrayed by one of His own. He was led away to be tried and convicted, and sentenced to death by crucifixion on the cross. He was scourged (look that up, it is so much more intense than flogged or whipped) and made to carry His own cross to the place of the skull also known as Golgotha,  He was nailed to the cross and mocked while his disciples and family looked on. He was placed between two thieves and one of those thieves is in Heaven with Him now. Remember, He told Him that that very evening they would be in Paradise. Luke 23:43 All these things happened on Good Friday. Then He died. He was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. 

And on Sunday, the Third Day, (Friday being the First Day) He Rose! And fulfilled scripture and made a way for the plan of salvation. Please, celebrate Easter! Let the Easter Bunny come to your children BUT teach them the real reason we celebrate! They need to know the reason for the season, just like they need to know we celebrate Christmas to commemorate the Birth of our Lord. 

Some fear this Easter. There is to be a full moon on Saturday. It is called the Paschal Moon and it is the moon of the Passover. It is the first full moon after the vernal equinox and it marks the beginning of the Easter Season. But it does more than that, it also has to do with the Passover and I can not explain that here. This Saturday, the Full Moon is also expected to eclipse briefly and be a blood moon. Some seem to think it is a sign of the coming of the Lord. It may well be, but He said not even the angels in Heaven know when that day shall be. I am not afraid. I am ready to go if the time should end. 

Brief eclipse Saturday morning just prior to sunrise should look something like this. Photo from Google images and Earthsky.org

Who knows when that time will be! So, it pays to always be ready! I hope each of you have a blessed Holiday Season! Happy Easter!

I love all y'all!❤️

To be continued........

What was I thinking?

I brought my babies home with me yesterday. They spent the night and most of today. Yesterday, we baked an angel food cake from scratch, made a Strawberry Sparkle Cake from it and ate some of it. We gave the rest away. It was good! You can find the recipe on The Pioneer Woman website or my cooking blog links it.

We played, went outside, they played with Bruno until I thought he hid for a while. We watched cartoons, they fought to see who could sit closest to me instead of one on each side. And what was I thinking! We all three slept (I use that term loosely) in the same bed. It's a queen bed, I don't think a king would have been enough room. It's amazing how much room a 5 and 6 year old takes up! But we slept. Sort of.

This morning I made scrambled eggs and toast. They ate pretty good. Tobi had her usual coffee. (It's 1/4 cup coffee and 3/4 cup milk with a bit of sweetener.) They ate lunch and played some more and then I took them home. I think they had fun.

Tobi said the cake was 1000% good.

I love all y'all❤️
To be continued..........

Go Big Blue Nation!

                                                             

Well, tonight UK plays Notre Dame in the Elite 8 of the NCAA tournament. I am hopeful the CATS will win. They will be 38-0 if they do, and it has been a long, long time since that has happened. GO CATS!! Also of note, U of L is also in the Elite 8. I would love it for UK and U of L to play for the title!! And it is possible!! GO KY teams!!

This has been a busy week and a sad week. Uncle Loy passed away, and I was unable to attend the visitation and service. I had a procedure scheduled for the day of visitation and had to work the day of the funeral. I wish it could have been different, but they understood. 

The procedure I had Wednesday was a upper endoscopy. These esophageal spasms have been really bad and seem to be more frequent. They cause chest, jaw and arm pain and it is intense. And sometimes it is almost more than I can bear. Hopefully I will get answers. I know its not my heart. So, gotta get these spasms settled. We have some ideas, just waiting for the Bravo monitor which measured the pH (acid) level in my esophagus for 48 hours. The Dr also said the hiatal hernia surgery I had 15 years ago was still good. So, say a lil prayer for me. 

It is almost game time so goodnight!!

I love all y'all!❤️

To be continued............

Sad time

Please say a prayer for Rick's family. They lost Uncle Loy Houchin about 1 a.m. this morning. Uncle Loy and Aunt Erma were among the first family I met way back in 1984 when I first started dating Rick. They treated me like family from the first time I met them. And, even though Rick has been gone 5 years, they continue to treat me like family. They are precious people. I don't know any arrangements for Uncle Loy at this time. Please remember Aunt Erma, Keith and his family and Lane and her family in your prayers.

Beth's photo of her Pa

I love all y'all❤️
To be continued.......

I have had a busy day!

Two trips to Bowling Green today. First, had an appointment with Dr Lin. He was happy for once! I was pretty excited that he didn't fuss at me!! My blood pressure was 102/56 and my heart rate was 62. He was all smiles. No medication changes except to be sure to take my vitamin D.

My second appointment was with Dr Morsi. He is a GI doc in Bowling Green. We talked about the esophageal spasms and reflux and stuff and there will be more to come. Gotta wrap my head around it but it will be OK too.

That is all for now. More to come about this after I know more.  Gotta watch my C A T S!!

I love all y'all❤️
To be continued............

Feeling Blessed

Today I went to xray to have an xray of my esophagus. Not too bad. Had to drink barium and the radiologist watched how it went down. Hoping for answers to these esophageal spasms and a fix for the problem. Haven't had one since Sunday night. It was bad. Got an appointment tomorrow afternoon with a gastroenterologist in town. Glad I was able to get the xray done before I see him. The appointment was set up very quickly! I was expecting a few week wait! Just 2 days!!

Work the past couple days went well.  Got out pretty much on time and the swelling in my legs was not nearly as bad as a few days ago. I also see Dr Lin tomorrow. I hope he doesn't fuss too much! But he probably will.

I am blessed!

I love all y'all❤️
To be continued.....................

'Tis the Season

Easter is quickly approaching. This year it is April 5th. Did you ever wonder how Easter is determined? I did. So I looked it up. It has to do with phases of the moon among other things. So, Easter is determined to be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the 20th of March or the Paschal moon (the first full moon of the vernal equinox). So, Easter can never be before March 20 or after April. 25. Exactly when the first Easter happened is not something I know how to figure out. I do know, though, that Easter is a special time. A Holy time. It is a somber time as Good Friday (never know why that name is chosen for this day) marks the capture, crucifixion, and death of Jesus Christ. I see no good in His death. But, then again, there was good in it. Good because on the third day (Easter) He rose! And I believe that with all my heart. If you have never seen "The Passion of the Christ", you should. Just once. I will never forget. That movie, though in a language that I could not understand, was so moving. I believe God had a hand in helping Mel Gibson make that movie. I do. I also believe a bit of dramatic license was taken in some of the scenes but I believe it really represents what our Savior went through on the day he died. Don't judge if you haven't seen it.

Had it not been for that man, where would I be today? I love that song. I love to hear Bro Denzel sing it. Brings a chill. Every time.

My point? My point to this is: Easter is not about bunnies and chicks and ducklings. It's not about eggs colored so pretty. It's not about baskets of candy. It is about the man who died for us that we might be saved. I'm not telling you to forget about our traditions. I buy Easter baskets, candy, hide eggs etc. I am saying remember why we celebrate this season. What it means. Teach your children and grandchildren. Have fun. But remember. Never forget and praise Him for what He did for us.

I hope all y'all have a very blessed day! I must go. Gotta go see Dr Avula this afternoon. Those esophageal spasms were bad last night. Phew!! 

I love all y'all!❤️

To be continued.......

I almost forgot how to post!

It has been so long since I posted on this blog I nearly forgot how. I am struggling as I type right now. This is kind of funny. Things keep popping up on the computer. I haven't been on a computer this way for quite some time. I guess I have to re-learn!

I have an appointment with my Dr tomorrow afternoon. It is just for med refills and a check up. Nothing is specifically wrong. Hopefully he will refill my lasix and I have to take my CPAP card in so he can download it. I have a few missing nights simply from being at the hospital without it during all that snow we had. I am surely hoping the snow is over!

Today is Sunday. As usual, I went to Nana's this morning for Sunday  breakfast with the family. My oldest grandchild can read!! She read 3 books to me cover to cover. I can not believe she is growing up so fast!

I think this is all for now. I hope each of you who choose to read this have a very blessed day! I will get back in the habit of posting at least once a week on one of the three blogs.

I love all y'all!❤️

To be continued..........