Keep Calm

We come into this world fighting for survival. It begins with that first breath. We hopefully land into a environment of love and nurture that makes that fight easier. If not, we go it alone or at least it seems that way. I like this "Keep Calm" reminder that I don't have to always keep my gun loaded.

Strong Men

These two men are Father and son. They are strong willed and know their strength, weaknesses, and sometimes their limitations. They are still learning from each other, such as their similarities and their differences. I pray that they continue to learn from each other and embrace each others uniqueness even when they don't agree. I love them fiercely and I am so proud of both!

Kate's Golden Shoes

These sparkle shoes are my daughters Golden Birthday shoes. She has been saving them for her 27th birthday on December 27, 2011. She informed me of this event awhile back and has been planning her outfit for this special day. We have dinner reservations at one of our city's finest restaurants and she will be the guest of honor. She entered our lives 5 weeks early on a snowy day. She has been my special Angel and friend ever since. She is the definition of grace and beauty. She is a joy to all she meets. God has His hand on her path and she brings Him smiles and laughter daily. May these shoes carry her far on her dance of life!        

Tapestry

I believe God places experiences and people in our path to bring out our gifts, strengths, and uniqueness.  It can be painful like childbirth. It can be as subtle as a flower's bud blooming. The end result amazes me. One day, years later, you look around and see why it all happened as it did. You lay out the old wrinkled map of you life's journey and see things differently... almost for the first time. The patterns work. The puzzle pieces fit. The paint is no longer muddled, but now iridescent. You just know you had nothing to do with this synergistic state. This path has taken you to this moment of contentment and joyful purpose and the Angels just smile.

Yes, I can Hula!

I'm learning to do the Hula. Yes, me. I've always said that one day  "I WILL LEARN TO HULA!" Now is the time, the year, the month, and the day. As stated in a previous blog note, I have been fascinated with the iconic persona of the Hula Girl since I was young. My family room and garden room have been decorated with a tasteful "Island" look for sometime now. I have a collection of vintage Hula Girl postcards framed along with other Island art that I wouldn't trade for anything.  I have never been to Hawaii or have any relatives that are Hawaiian. I do not even have an innate talent to dance. The rhythm that is involved, in the Hula, looks so foreign to me.  My daughter is a natural at any kind of dance. She emotes the beat and flows like swaying palm trees. She didn't get it from me though. So why am I pushing forward into this awkward endeavor?  Maybe it's because the clock is ticking on my bucket list. Maybe I just don't care anymore what anyone thinks about an over the hill "crazy" woman expressing her self via an ancient Polynesian form of story telling. Maybe I'll firm and tone some things that have gone South without me. Maybe when I am laid to rest my tombstone will say "She could do the HULA!" Maybe I will somehow appreciate what every Hula Girl knows in her heart:  That life is a dance and we should enjoy it while we are here.

Heeding My Own Advice

As a Nurse I give out alot of instructions and advice to patients and their families.  I've been doing it for so long, it rings like a memorized script in my head. I love the teaching aspect of my job and I take it seriously. I like sharing what I have learned through my education, my colleagues, and daily experience. The experience aspect of Nursing is what gives us that "gut instinct" that we rely on in our decision making... hopefully. It can't be taught in a class room or bought online. That "instinct" filters in to my advice to the patient. I rely on it like an old friend. I learn to trust it, even when something may overtly seem otherwise. I have come to rely on my instinct so much over the years, that one could say that it's almost to a fault. I think we older Nurses get stuck in our ways and hold on to that "instinct" which has carried us through the trenches. We are slow to listen to new ideas and the voice of the less "experienced" Nurse, shutting him/her out before they can even try to contribute. We"Eat Our Young"as the saying goes.  I recently had a lesson in listening to others advice when I became very ill. I had to trust others medical instructions.  I was not in control anymore. I became very frustrated, as the diagnosis was missed for some time and involved one Urgent Care visit and two ER visits before things were figured out.  My "gut instinct" failed even me, as I tried to self diagnose. Imagine that!  If there was a silver lining to my illness, I learned that I need to slow down and listen. I don't have to always be in control and in charge of every moment. Through this time of convalescence I have had to rely on others advice and instinct. I have let time march on without me filling each second with purpose. It is possible that my purpose driven,"Type A"demeanor got my resistance down in the first place causing this physical setback. I hope I have learned a lesson and will be more flexible and enjoy the moment.

The Vintage Brocante @ etsy.com

       My love of vintage garden items has blossomed into a new store on etsy.com called TheVintage Brocante.  (https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheVintageBrocante)  As Galway Kinnell so eloquently put it:  "Sometimes...it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness."  I hope to give a new life to old things, bringing a little whimsey to all things garden.

My New Gloves

These are my new garden gloves. They are magical!  Not only are they my favorite color but they have polka dots!   A woman who is comfortable in orange polka dots can do any thing! 

Life Surfing...

So. Cal.

Travel light and travel simple in your mind, through your world. I think that leaving spaces for things that you haven't planned is the real secret of life. You shouldn't lock yourself in too tightly. Always leave room for life to lock you into it, like being locked into a wave when you surf. Learn to live outside of yourself, without planning where the wave will take you. Above all, you have to  leave room  in life to dream. Buffy Sainte Marie

Please, Just Do What You Want!

I noticed this clever signage posted in my husbands hospital room a few days ago. He had just had knee surgery and was confined to his Orthopedic bed that was state of the art. The bed intermittently massaged his entire body, raised up/down, raised the head/feet, and could summon help when needed. This all worked via the push of a button. The same device could control the TV as well.  When I started my career as a Nurse, I had to do all those things for the bed ridden patient... including the massage part, which was called "Back Massage 101" Things have definitely improved for the patient and the caregivers.  However, some things have not improved, no matter how many instructions and signs you give the patient they still do exactly what they want ... even if it poses a risk to the patient and more work for the medical staff.  The sign at the top seems obvious to most people after surgery, sedation, low blood pressure, low sugar, lack of sleep, etc. After all, the sign is in clear view and in red with big letters!  No, the patient (my husband included) must read it like the sign at the bottom, which says "You can do it yourself, Go for it!" or "Free brownies served by Victoria Secret Models in the next room!"  Patients do not listen to signs or instructions on more occasions than you would think. They still get up and fall, drive while under the influence of drugs, rip off their bandages prematurely, soak their surgical site in water before they should and eat pizza loaded with grease on the way home after anesthesia. As Nurses, we just shake our head and hope the occurrence doesn't involve a lengthy incident report to fill out.  It would only take up our time. The same time that we could be spending instructing the next patient to not do the same idiotic things!