Wednesday 10.31.2012 Boo!

Ha!  Happy Halloween!!  "The Official Start to the Holiday Season".  What?!?!

But we know that it's true--the end of the year is right around the corner.

I was able to get 4 of the 5 windows "plasticized" today.  I  might have gotten the 5th one done if I didn't need to prepare food and eat.  Something about being hungry....

I am still amazed by the decrease in furnace time. Praise God--I just might be able to afford to keep warm this winter. And there are still two rooms yet to do.

Tomorrow is the second day of the Best Fed kick off for the staff. I hope this day goes just as well.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 10.30.2012

Slept pretty good, and had a good day today.

After breakfast, I got my supplies together and started the job of putting that shrink-plastic on the windows of this little house. 

Oh my gosh.

I didn't realize how leaky those windows are. As I put the plastic on and started sticking it down to the window frame, the cold air was surprisingly forceful. It wouldn't have blown out a candle flame, but would sure have made it flicker. I ended up covering seven windows today--after the first 3 I noticed that the furnace wasn't coming on as frequent. Could have been that the wind decreased some, and the temperature went up a couple of degrees. But tonight the furnace is still not coming on as frequently. Yahoo!!

Tomorrow I hope to do at least 5 more of the windows. The larger one over the kitchen sink is going to be the physically challenging one--I'll have to get up on the counter and probably stand in the sink. Whatever it takes...

The snow was a surprise this morning. I heard the icy pellets when I woke; and it stayed most of the day. I'm thankful that we didn't lose power like so many others from this storm.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 10.29.2012

Wow, what a cold day today.  Windy and overcast and 38 degrees at 11am. Geesh--add a wind chill onto that. I was thinking about wanting a hat as I was walking through the parking lot, and I saw that other people--females--were wearing hats. I was happy to have my gloves on....

I had a good day, even though I had to get up even earlier than a regular workday for the Best Fed kick off that we had for the staff. After the morning session was done, I  took care of some hospital business then came home for lunch. I got really sleepy and took a nap; when I woke I went out for groceries, came home, and fixed supper.

The next session was from 5 till 7pm; we'll do this all again on Thursday.

Since I got my errands done today, I have a much needed day at home tomorrow. I've got to get the "shrink wrap" plastic on the windows--it's amazing how much air gets in.

And I get to rest a bit.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 10.28.2012

What a day...

Worked, and it turned into one of those kind of "challenge" days. Like when everyone "needs" a lot of your time at the bedside. And you can't really help them/fix them; it's a time thing.  I heard a physician say once, "The tincture of time".   Surprising how sometimes we don't "get" how important it is to just let things happen....

I did my best, and it was finally time to leave.   *exhale*

Tomorrow I have to be back at the hospital a half hour earlier than a regular work day, because we're having the "kick off" for our Best Fed initiative; presenting it to the staff.  I'm hoping it goes well and that the staff will embrace it. 

The beautiful full moon this morning and cold air felt like winter is coming.....

Thank you for reading.  Hugs.

Saturday 10.27.2012

Another workday. 

Thanks to PV for "creating" a potluck--it was nice to have something to eat. (Weekends at the hospital cafeteria are limited.)  I had  a great day with a great co-worker.

And tomorrow I get to do it again.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 10.26.2012

Another lovely day...

With the many interruptions in sleep last night, I was pleasantly surprised to see 0845 on the clock this morning. Hmm, time to get up....

I enjoyed breakfast and fresh brew, got ready and went for a one o'clock meeting. That one is a more "fun" one--probably because it moves faster, and we make our own rules. We've done some great things in that group in the last year or so that have impacted the whole hospital. And we launched another project today that we've been working on, with 2 immediate responses, both of which were energetic and favorable.

Afterwards, I had an errand to do, then came back home to a crockpot that was just about ready to eat. Ham and cabbage and potatoes--very yummy. I was surprised how much of it I ate!

I'm happy to say that, so far, the only "side effect" of getting the flu vaccine is soreness in the muscle it was injected into.  And, so far, it's not that bad.

Tomorrow is a workday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 10.25.2012

Busy today....

Breakfast, took boat over to be winterized. Put bed linens in washer and blankets on the clothesline to "blow the stink off" (not that they smelled bad--just wanted to freshen them again while it was breezy).  While I was outdoors putting the stuff on the line, the neighbor behind me (another "Bob") came over.

We were looking at the mouse holes in the back garage where the boat will be, discussing options and solutions.  He also noticed that there was a nut/bolt missing from one of the hinges on the door. I had to leave for a meeting and we exchanged pleasantries.

After the meeting, I hurried over to Grass Lake to pick up the boat before 5pm.  The guys remembered the boat, and me, and commented on how good the boat looks. Thanks! And thanks to the cleaning/waxing crew...   Oh, Yeah. I love my boat.

I got the boat wiggled around into the garage again.  And I noticed that all the mouse holes had been covered up. Hey!!  Cool!!

I took the blankets off the clothesline and put the laundered sheets out--there was only an hour or so of daylight left--and Bob came over. When I opened the garage door, he was surprised the boat was in there. "You do that yourself??"  he asked.  Umm, yes....and I noticed that you took care of the mouse holes.  Thanks, I told him.  He also repaired the garage door. We chatted for a minute or two more--I had to get back to the hospital to get my flu shot before 7pm.

So, back to the hospital, park, walk, get my vaccine (mandatory this year), visit for a couple minutes while my head stops swirling (yep, I get lightheaded when I get blood drawn or injections), and back home.

By now it's quite dusky outdoors. But the wind was blowing pretty good, and the sheets were mostly dry. I put them in the dryer for a few minutes to finish them up.

And I haven't had anything to eat since a pear about 2:30. I was needing to eat.

I fixed supper and ate. Amazing how food makes you feel better....

Put the bed together, looked at a couple emails, and wrote here.

Tomorrow is another meeting...

I thank God for putting me here, with wonderful neighbors. Isn't that amazing...????

And thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 10.24.2012

A pretty good day today!!

Slept fairly well, ran this morning. Shower, breakfast, and a meeting at the hospital.

I stopped for fresh groceries on the way home.  Finished the load of laundry I had started earlier while I prepared and ate supper.

A quiet evening.

Tomorrow I think I'll put my bedding on the clothesline to blow fresh...

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 10.23.2012

Worked today, glad that I slept pretty good last night. It's hard, though, getting up in the middle of my sleep time...

All those babies that were born yesterday had their 24-hour testing to be done today. Which means that I was busy today. And I finished my charting about 10 minutes before Quittin' Time. And the oncoming nurse took over in a timely manner--so I was able to leave on time! That doesn't happen for me very often.

I'm pretty tired tonight.

Tomorrow is a meeting in the afternoon, and I'd like to exercise in the morning.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 10.22.2012

I slept well, though interrupted. And when the radio came on to get up, I hoped the phone would ring. *sigh*  I got ready for the day.

We had a good work day, with great co-workers. And when it was the end of the shift, I was ready to leave.

A quiet night; I've gotten tired.

Tomorrow is another workday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 10.21.2012

Wow, what a great weekend!!

Saturday morning T & KS and I picked up the Olivers in Gaylord, then went on over to C & D's in Traverse City, where we feasted on soup, fresh bread, and apple crisp. Yummy!!

We all piled into the new Traverse and headed up the Mission Peninsula for some wine tasting. Yummy, again!  I'm learning what I like. We went to 4 wineries, but only stopped at 2 because of the lines of people waiting to get in. It was a glorious day--the clouds moved out, and the sun illuminated the golds and reds and rusts and oranges of the changing leaves, all set against a clear blue sky. We were happy to have our jackets when we walked around the Mission Point lighthouse.  We were all amazed at how low the water level is.

After dinner at the Jolly Pumpkin, we visited at the TC Goodwin household before going back to the Oliver B&B for the night.

This morning we had breakfast and conversation before getting on the road shortly after noon. Thank you for the marvelous hospitality.

Another beautiful Fall day.

I picked up my car at the Freeland Goodwin's, had a brief respite, and got underway again. When I looked at the time, I thought I'd stop at the Woldumar Nature Center, where more of my family was spending the afternoon.

It wonderful to see that group, as well as listen to their music, and sing along some, too. I was disappointed that we weren't able to connect for dinner. Another time....

God has certainly been good to me this weekend.  With safe travels and almost perfect weather, I took the opportunity to spend some much needed time with my family.

Love and Hugs to all.

Friday 10.19.2012

I had a fairly decent workday today. I was surprised when the girl who was coming in to cover me for a meeting showed up a couple hours sooner than I thought. Oh--that's when the meeting is.... silly me.....I was caught up, gave her a quick rundown of my worksheet, and left.

The meeting ran a half hour over; she caught me up on what had happened in that interval. I took over, doing what needed to be done, and was able to get a late lunch. The fan had turned on, and was now blowing in our direction, which entailed calling in our on-call staff.

As the afternoon progressed, however, and the discharges left, we staffed down again. And the girl who was called in wanted the hours, so I left early!! Just an hour and a half, but that was enough to make a nice difference in my evening.

I had been reminded earlier in the week that a gathering was happening in Traverse City with some of my family, and that I had planned to go. And of course there were other family members attending a different event that I had wanted to go to, also. The logistics of the travel were such that I could only do one thing. Bummer. 

I showered, packed, and realized I hadn't eaten, so I had a bite, then left for Saginaw. We'll leave in  the morning for Traverse. Should be a good weekend, even if the weather is yucky.

A safe drive, thank you God.

I'm settled in the guest quarters, and hoping to sleep.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 10.18.2012

I had a pretty good day today.

A good morning with fresh brew and breakfast. I got a few things done on the computer before going to a couple meetings at the hospital, both of which were productive.

Stopped for a few groceries on the way home. Fixed supper and ate and had a quiet evening.

Tomorrow is a workday, with yet another meeting interjected in there. I have someone covering me, so it should be an ok afternoon....

And I'm getting tired tonight.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 10.17.2012

I slept better last night, feeling rested today.

Run, shower, breakfast. Frank stopped in just as I was leaving for an appointment; it was good to see him, even briefly.

After the appointment in Lansing I stopped home for a bite before going to the hospital for a meeting. That one was a good meeting, with a lot of little tidbits of enlightenment and flashes of awareness around the table as we piece this project together. So exciting--and the momentum is growing.

I finally got back home and fixed a yummy supper, ate, and cleaned up the kitchen. I thought I would go out for a few groceries, but it started raining. And it was dark. I decided to stay home and go out tomorrow.   

A quiet rest of the evening.

Thank you God for a beautiful day.

And thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 10.16.2012

Worked again today.  Boy, am I tired tonight.

God's gifts come all the time--we just need to see them.

I am truly blessed.

Tomorrow I have an appointment in Lansing, then a meeting in Jackson.

Gotta get some rest.....

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 10.15.2012

Whew!!  Worked today--they tried to "do me in", but I outlasted 'em.  Came home, fixed supper, ate.

Exhale.

Get ready for work tomorrow....

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 10.14.2012

Although I've lived in Michigan all my life, the changes and ranges of weather still amaze me.  This morning was a balmy 63 degrees, and the light breeze felt almost tropical.

I was able to go out for a run in the overcast skies. The pavement was wet, and it looked like it could rain any moment. It didn't, while I was out.

After shower and breakfast, Frank came to pick me up for our trek to the JC to pick up my car. It was raining pretty good there, and still 60 degrees. We had an uneventful trip up and back, thank you God.

Tonight I got myself turned around for work tomorrow.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Saturday 10.13.2012

Another Awesome Day!!

Disappointed that I didn't sleep better than I did, and that it was rainy and cold this morning. I had thought I might go out for a run, but....I chose not to.

So I had a leisurely breakfast, and a shower. Got laundry together and ended up doing 3 of the 4 loads. I went out to do errands, and when I got back I made a most marvelous taco-style salad. Sometimes I amaze myself!!

I spent some time in the basement--closed the registers in the furnace runs (there were two that were open into the basement. Not sure why...), shop vac'd the few dead bugs and went through a couple of boxes. After the laundry loads were done I realized that I was getting tired.

So, I'm finishing my night and going to bed.

Tomorrow, I'm waiting to hear if Frank is wanting to take me back up north so I can pick up my car. I love my van, but the low miles per gallon is atrocious.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 10.12.2012

What a great day!!

Sunshine and safe driving.

I went to the JC to pick up the boat. Since I didn't have another driver, I left the car in the garage and brought the van and boat back downstate, as the weather is predicted to be rainy the next couple of days. I didn't want to bring the boat back in grimy road spray... 

A safe drive, thank you God.

(view from the JC shore, looking across the bay, with the GC and the MC in view. Note the extremely low water level.)

It was low 40's there, mostly blue skies, and a very cool, light breeze.

And when I got back to Jackson, I managed to back the boat into the second garage bingo, just like I knew how to do it!!  It fits just right. That's a major reason I chose this rental....

A quiet night, and tomorrow I'll catch up on household chores. 

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 10.11.2012

Woo Hoo!!  Love the date--10/11/12. Yup, I'm weird.

Worked today, had someone cover me for meetings.  Turned out well.

Now I'm tired.

Tomorrow I may go to the lake to pick up the boat and bring it back downstate. Looking like that may be the best "weather day".

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday 10.10.2012

Worked today, was kind of a nice day. Of course, fabulous co-workers.

This evening I brought my plants in again. Low 40's and windy, and going down into the 30's tonight. Brrr.

And I'm tired tonight.

Tomorrow is a workday, and I've got coverage for the last half of the shift, which allows me to attend 3 (three) meetings. Interesting how my work life is developing....

Stay warm, and thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday 10.09.2012

Another good day!!  They're adding up...

It was cold this morning. I waited a bit before going out for a run, and it turned out to be quite pleasant. The sun was warm and the birds were noisy.

Shower, breakfast, and a massage. That Leah does a wonderful job. I'm so thankful to have her in my life.

I stopped at the hospital for a meeting about our benefits for the next year. They do a pretty good job, I think, of keeping us informed and helping to make choices.

Groceries, food prep, supper, and a quiet evening.

Tomorrow is a workday.

I feel so much better tonight, having that lymph fluid moved out.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday 10.08.2012

It was a beautiful day today--cold this morning, but beautiful sunshine.

As I was having breakfast, it looked like it was raining. Huh??  And as I looked, I realized that as the sun was rising in the sky, the warmth was coming onto the tree and melting the heavy frost. Wow! That was a lot of frost!!

The birds were flying in and out of the tree, perhaps drinking; the squirrels were on the ground in the water, too. Odd that I hadn't seen something like that before. But, then a little while later, the drops slowed down, and eventually stopped. And so did the creature activity. All this took place over maybe an hour's time. Watching God's world is sure better entertainment (and wonder) than watching television!!!

A safe drive to Flint, thank you God, after a lively meeting.  A very nice memorial funeral, visiting with family and friends, and after, I went over to the Faix residence and visited with them a while longer.  That was really nice, too.

A safe drive home, and I'll be going to bed soon.

Tomorrow is a massage, finally. The axillary wound bed is numb, which I've discovered, is a result of the lymph fluid collecting. Leah will take care of it.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Sunday 10.07.2012

What a day!!

Mass exodus at the J.O.B.  We ended up with 5 patients left. Total.  And you know we had to staff down.

I thought about it before lunch, thinking I'd offer to stay, and let the other girl go home. As the afternoon went on, I got really tired.  When the last of her patients left it was after 3. Hm. Then I got "caught up" helping a baby feed, and it was 4 pm.  So I offered to go home instead.

Am I glad I did.

I sat on the sofa, and woke up later.

Geesh.

A quiet evening, doing nothing that I could have done to catch up with life. Ugh.

So I'm going to bed.

Tomorrow is a meeting, then a funeral in Flint.

RIP, Don.

Love and Hugs.

Saturday 10.06.2012

Worked today. Had a pretty good day with a great group of co-workers.

Came home tonight and brought the plants indoors--going to get cold!

Tomorrow is another workday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Friday 10.05.2012

I went out for a run this morning--a cool 50 degrees (maybe) with a bit of a breeze. Glad I took my gloves with me. Was thinking I might have enjoyed something to keep my ears warm, too.

Shower, then off to breakfast with the neighbors.

Back at the JC, I picked up and got ready to go. First stop, Hale. Paid the propane bill, dropped the trash at the transfer station, and went "Fishing". Picked up a couple of things that I didn't need, but it's cheap entertainment for 2 bucks...

I got my food ready to travel, cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, packed, loaded. Sprayed outside and inside for bugs, and finally left there about 3:45.

A safe drive home, thank you God.

Unloaded and unpacked.

Tomorrow is a workday.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Thursday 10.04.2012

Drizzly rainy morning. The rain stopped about 10, just in time for J&P to drive back downstate. 

The sky cleared to a beautiful blue sky day, with the sun illuminating the yellows, oranges, and reds in the trees. And of course, reflecting in the blue of the lake. Bee-utifull!

I got all my chores done today.  With the sun out and a light breeze, I cleaned the awning, and rolled it up after it dried. Tidied up the garage, put air in the van tire, let the engine run a bit. Bob and Evelyn helped me get the green boat back into the shelter for the winter. Put the outdoor chairs in the shed, pulled the rest of the solar lights and got those batteries out and put away. I even cleaned some of the bottom of the boat! After supper and dishes, I went over to visit with the nice lady across the road, showing her my Mattie pictures.

And when I got back home, I got the shop vac out and cleaned the corners and edges, floors to ceilings, throughout. Including window sills.

Time for a shower and bed.

Tomorrow I need to go into Hale before packing to leave; pay the propane bill and go Fishing. *smile*  One never knows what one might find at the Fish store....

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Wednesday October 3, 2012

Another beautiful day!!  Even though it was overcast, with a few areas of misty rain, and even light rain, I had a good day.

I spent more time than I had wanted to on the phone this morning, but took what time I needed before leaving for The Lake.

A good drive, thank you God, and I arrived safely.

I sure do love it here.

Unloaded, and partially unpacked, when Polly knocked at the door. My ride to dinner was here! She and Chauffeur Jim and Anne and I went to the Bears Den for yummy burgers. I don't often eat a burger, but this one was pretty good. Thanks for the company...

Back at the JC, I was walking up to the house when I heard the neighbor knocking on their window. Ok, over I go to visit with him.

A quiet night.

Tomorrow I'll try to get the awning cleaned and down, and I noticed that the shop vac needs to be used.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Tuesday October 2, 2012

Here it is, going into the 4th quarter of the year. Seems it was only "just after Christmas".  Now it's "going into the Holidays"....

Worked today, and my afternoon blew up. I was so busy somewhere after 2 o'clock, non-stop mad-dash type busy, until almost 6 o'clock. When I sat down to chart, and got up again about 20 minutes later, my feet were sore and stiff, and I walked down the hall like an old lady until they loosened back up a bit. Needless to say, I'm tired.

So I come home and got the load of laundry started, and had a phone call regarding our Elder.  Don Ireland, your wit and crazy grin will be missed.

Tomorrow I'll gather my things to go to the lake for a couple of days. Got a few things to finish up there before winter comes.

I'll go fold clothes and get to bed.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.

Monday October 1, 2012

Disappointed that I didn't sleep as well as I thought I might. And happy that I didn't feel as tired today as I thought I might. Woo Hoo!!

So I did a load of laundry when I got home tonight, and I'll do another tomorrow, and head to the JC on Wednesday. At least that's the current plan.

I'm off to "rest" in my bed. If I sleep---well, that will be a bonus.

Please keep our Elders in your prayers.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.