The Hard stuff begins

Computer learning modules are designed to teach you at your own pace, you and the machine that you can't talk too and would like to cuss at. Especially when it's super ticky about stupid things that in real life don't matter. That was frustrating but holy cow the math test flipped me right out of my tree. Yooo hooo crazy farm where are you? I had THE hardest math test since nursing school that I was current in 1992, what the math for that? This is 2009-1992=17years ago. what the hec does anybody remember from 17 years ago much less 17 minutes ago?
We are talking brutal here, gtts (drops) per minute for flow rates on IV's that aren't going to be on a pump.RIGHT When does that happen? And on the sheer chance that it might there is this nifty little gadget called dial a flow. NOBODY does these calculations so even if they aren't hard I can't remember them. They had a bunch of real dozers it took me until 2pm to finish these modules. The nursing students were kickin butt, they were done with everything, they had gone home feeling sorry for the poor old brain dead nurses. Wait until the day, they are out there in wide eyed terror and we come to the rescue and know exactly what to do! HA sweet,...who am I kidding?
Tomorrow is another day of these computer module classes, I'll be doing EKG,....help....pray.
My brain feels like scrambled eggs, no grits, really mushy grits...

So much for knowing hard stuff. Would anybody consider that a whammy? I'm not whining I'm in shock my brain is having unusual activity it's a bit glitchy trying to search and retrieve old rusty files, we are in need of an upgrade.

Speaking of upgrades some one out there needs to upgrade the quality of white fabric for white scrubs and uniforms. They are ALL STINKIN SEE THROUGH! What's up with that? You want to count the dimples on your nurses a-- you aren't sick enough to stay. You get me, the number of dimples in my butt will scar you for life! This is serious business here. Who decided and when did this come about that white scrubs no longer provide modest coverage? BBBBBOOOOO
BAD BAD and Stupid. When I go to work as a nurse that is going to be working with blood, guts, vomit, poop, pee, and many more precious forms of body fluids, taking care of lines and getting close to people and next to their beds etc,... I WANT SOME CLOTHES ON!! Clothes you can't STINKIN SEE through!!!!! Can you tell this has got my goat? Can you tell I am peeved?

QUESTION OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE Does anyone out there know of a scrub manufacture for WHITES ONLY that uses a thick enough soft material for scrubs? Come on you lurkers save the day!! I'm serious I can't bloody believe me own eyes. There I stand with my bra and panties showing through like I'm wearing thin lingerie, bring back starched dresses, at least they cover you up! Rats! It's always something. Who knows the answer to this one????

Positively I passed my work today, I struggled with it but I won. Tenacious little booger that I am.
Yes, Winda my friend I am going to medical/surgical/ICU...wowie

Orientation

I started my new job and the first 2 weeks are orientation, 3 weeks in the classroom total. For all of you stable employees who aren't job hoppers like me, that means you sit in a classroom and listen to people talk ALL day long. I am brain dead, totally fried, and any semblance of creativity is shot to h---.
My mind may re-enter my body at a later date but it is more like a scrambled egg at the moment.
We haven't done anything hard yet. I hope by the time I actually have to start learning intensive care skills that I am not drooling and in a catatonic state. That would not inspire confidence from the patient, to have a strange drooling nurse looking them over.

I suppose that having an orientation of this length is beneficial for employment retention, no one in their right mind would want to go through it again.

On the other hand it may cause permanent damage.

California Dreamin

I am pretending that I am still there.


The trouble with great vacations is that they end!

IT All Started with...

Meet Vine Hill Woman. She's inspirational. Why, you say? Because she is a plethora, an endless supply of artistic ideas and creations. She may be one of the most productive women I have ever had the pleasure to know.

Vine Hill woman has a love affair with wool and glass. She hunts wool. She finds it in thrift stores and bargain bins. Old coats, skirts and blankets, get transformed into something new. Under her skillful fingers they become braided rugs, and hooked rugs. Her hooked rugs are unbelievable, how I managed to not get a picture is also unbelievable. Idiot. The hand hooked rugs are made with small strips of recycled wool that has been hand dyed again into brighter richer colors. She showed me her study of "marrying" the wools by mixing the different fabrics together and letting them bleed into each other and then fixing the new dyed shade. The next step is to draw a canvass into some sort of pleasing design or picture. This is the wow part. Currently she is working on a design of one of the waterfalls of Yosemite! These rugs are stunning. so is the amount of work that goes into them, like I said it's a love affair.

As if that isn't enough for one woman to do she also makes stain glass and stain glass art pieces like the picture of the birdbath in my header. If your not impressed yet, she is a great cook. How about, she can sew? Her houses are also works of art and just too cool?
She gardens, decorates, and designs? She's just plain fun. Am I spoiled or what? Nobody has more interesting cool girlfriends. I am just spoiled rotten.

Vine Hill Woman got me on a thrift store shopping spree. All I need is a gentle push and I'll go bonzos in that direction. I have been having a ball. Granted, shopping for cheap thrills is not on par to creating great works of art, but it's fun. It's about my speed. I am making a present for Vine Hill Woman, for all the lovely food she made us and staying in her beloved little cabin.

Would you like to see some of my finds? Thought you might. I found some cornices for $6 my vote is undecided yet about the fabric that is currently on them. It works but it's not the best idea, recovering may be the next project. Feel free to voice your opinion.





The wooden object that I think might be a tie rack, or spool was a nifty little find for $1.50 I mounted it on the bathroom wall for Piglets vast collections of necklaces, she thinks it's cool.





The fun thing about these pictures is the sizes. The brown chest is a small jewelry box about 12" tall, that I gave to Tigger. The white chest is next to my bed and its about 3 and 1/2 feet tall, it's a nice piece. Having all those drawers next to my bed is stinkin fabulous. I have junk to hide you know.

The ceramic piece looks like one that my girls would do, it was also a bargain from the thrift store. This is by no means an exhaustive list, there are the books, the 4 red plates from Spain, the 12 English teacups and saucers, the amber glasses, and assorted other little gotta have its.

I am going back to work on Monday before we end up in the poorhouse. I am not going to mention dieting from eating to many cookies. You get the drift. I can get into this thrift store bargain hunting as much as a kid in a candy shop, a little restraint please!

Interview by the Flea

Interview - here we go! I recieved 5 questions from Flea. If you want to be interviewed let me know and I'll ask you five questions.

1. Why did you choose to go into nursing? Was there someone who inspired you or served as a mentor?

I started out putting band aids on my dolls. Nursing for me is a way of life and a calling. My husband actually paid for me to go to college in my late thirties. I went to San Jose State University and some of the instructors there were awesome mentors. Nursing is a mentoring profession and many people have contributed to my skills. The most inspiration I have received
came in a different form though; personal illness gave me a depth of compassion that no schooling could provide. I understand the perspective of the ill, and can honestly say that it has been the patients that I have cared for that I have learned the most from.

2. Do you like living in the South? Why or why not, and if you could, would you move elsewhere?

I do like living in the South, much more than I anticipated. When we came here I felt like I was coming to a foreign land, practically a different country. The accent's were so hard for me to understand that I bought a hearing aide, thinking that might help. Imagine my surprise when it didn't! One day I quit hearing the accent and discovered that I have one.

If I could move, California would be tempting, because of the people we left behind there. Where to settle would be a tough issue. Umm maybe next door to Debbie or back to Soquel or Felton. How about my old house in Felton? The problem would be that we would now be leaving people we love here! One of the blessings of living in the South has been good health. Sooo I suppose that I really wouldn't move. Frequent vacations would be nice.

3. Dream vacation - where would it be and who with?

I just had one really, this last trip was just great. The next time I go to Colombia I'd like to stay in Cartehegna for longer when the mission trip is over. The Carribean is an awesome place and snorkeling in those waters is amazing. I think a vacation with best girlfriends would be fun. Lucy and I would love to go see a friend in Sayulita Mexico.

4. What is your "love language"?

Acts of service. It figures since my main spiritual gift is mercy. Touch is pretty high on the list too, I am a hugger. I will find a way to pat you or hug you if I like you even a little bit.

5. What is your favorite thing about your husband?

His faithfulness and he tells the same stupid jokes over and over.

The RULES:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the

questions).

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview

someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask
them five questions.

Thanks for playing! Hope you have fun with this!

Little House in the Big Woods

We had to drive by our home in Felton. I used to have that whole hill landscaped. It's just a weed patch now but the house looks great. It's 4 stories and it was one of our most favorite places too live. It was a kids paradise with all those nooks and crannies.





One of our favorite beaches , Twin Lakes.










Redwoods grow big in this area and these aren't even that large.


A cozy bed, such pretty pillows.


This is calamari from Carpo's in Soquel with the double dip, it's to die for......too yummy.

One of my favorite and most missed delights in Santa Cruz.






This is the cabin we were privileged to stay in, at our friends place. It was delightful! I did have a couple of raccoons observe me in the bathroom; one couldn't believe his eyes he pressed his face up next to the glass. I could only assume that I impressed him.

The wood stove is the only source of heat, and an electric blanket. We were quite cozy. Loved not having a TV in here. We watched a bit of TV but not here. She is a fabulous cook. We ate, and ate, and ate, everywhere we went.

For those of you who were jealous of my visit with Debbie and family; well your jealousy was well founded. We had too great of a time. She fixed the pork stew from Cathy's at Noble Pig and it was excellent, very rich. and just delicious. That would be the dish with the whole bottle of wine and cranberry sauce. We drank potfuls of delicious tea, and gabbed every waking moment. I loved seeing the family again, and one of the most special treats of all, was Matthew's welcome. He is really a young man now, and I wasn't too sure if he would really remember me. He lit up like the Christmas tree AND allowed a hug! Now that was special! Rachel Kaye is still Aunt Nannie's girl and we snuggled every opportune moment, watching home theatre. We watched the Polar Bear Express, with Tom Hanks playing 7 different parts, it is fantastic on a large screen. That movie is a completely different experience with the right sound system and large screen. The train fairly rumbled the whole house and arrived into the front room. All aboard! Very fun.

The girls played music for me. It's hard to keep a dry eye while listening to "Oh Holy Night," on the harp. RK can just plain boogey down on her piano, she is an amazing child. If you thought the sock toys she made were cute in the photo's you should see them in real life. I was partial to a pink and white striped zebra. I took her an animal origami kit and she started making little paper dinosaurs like a pro.

We stayed up till after midnight on New Years Eve and played a very fun game called, "In A Pickle." Debbie "cheats" she charms most of her answers with a little smile and a nod, basically going unchallenged for even the largest stretches of imagination. It does pay to be charming. The evening went by too fast and our one day, also flew by. We toured the gardens in winter imagining blooms. Watched RK ride her bicycle like the wind over hill and dale. Miss Lydia also likes to ride but it seems her first love is the swing, or maybe the kitties.

I know of bee charmers and decided their should also be tea charmers. The art of soothing one with cupfuls of warm tea is magical in the right hands. The experience one of satisfied relaxation.

Debbie's husband kindly drove me to San Jose all too soon to meet up with my hubby. Then our schedule went into hyper drive; but we loved every minute of it. This was quite possibly the best trip we have ever taken together. Each day was a treat and the visits too short but full of love and laughter.
Not to tell all in one fell swoop, you'll have to come back by for more details later....to be continued.

Howdy from the West Coast

Hi ya'll we are in Elk Grove and I am getting to use a computer! Papa didn't want to bring our laptop with us. I seriously have not had time to even read anything, much less write. We are having a great trip, it's too short. Each place we have visited has been just a little taste of joy and love and not nearly enough. It is very hard to return to a place where you have lived and visit all the people without having an entire month to do it in. Today we are getting to see the little baby girl! She is so cute I'll post photos when we get back.

Tomorrow we head back to the Santa Cruz area. I have been freezing to death! But it's worth it. You know I had a wonderful visit with Debbie and her family. My heart nearly popped hearing Lydia play "Oh Holy Night," on her harp. Rachel Kaye is my little luv bunny, she has so many talents, but charm is very high on the list. We bonded when she was a little newborn baby and still had her little belly button cord on. She's still one of my babies. A huge highlight of the visit was Matthew's recognition of me when I came in and greeted him, he lit up! I was allowed to give him a hug too! We had a wonderful time and it was too short.

The life celebration for our friend was incredible, he was such a great man very touching. I'll dedicate an entire post to him when we return. Our girls had one melt down while we were gone and we refereed on the phone. Suggesting having someone show up sort of motivated them to get it settled. One of our friends has a new puppy that nearly did me in, he is so cute! I need a dog. I am not getting anywhere with Pa on that. Hope ya'll are having a happy new year and will get back into the bloggin groove when we get home. Just wanted to say hi.