Memory Lane

No, I never closed anyone up in a bed! When I became a nurse I put on a hat for every profession, and that would entail whatever the situation called for at the time. Sometimes I was a plumber when there was a sewage crisis out into the hallway, I strategically and efficiently evacuated my patient out of the sewage imploded room. I can become downright in charge and the boss when it comes to patients on oxygen and a patient smoking in their room! I quickly took action and confiscated the evidence and informed the smoking patient they could collect their belongings at the time of check out at the nurses station. I realized soon after starting working 12 hour night shifts, that I did not have much time for anything else but being a nurse and essential sleep. I remember one shift we decided to have a potluck meal and so I brought a bag of apples, and everyone laughed and wondered where the apple pie was that I had intended to bring. More stories to come!

Catching up, hot weather, promotion, etc...

We are seriously experiencing one of the hottest summers here in Texas we have had in ages, and my town has implemented stage II water conservation phase. We can only water yards on 2 days a week in certain specified time frames. I have been trying to water some to keep the grass from becoming combustible, and also to refrain from recieving an outrageous water bill! I have to keep from falling in the crevices that have developed in the ground....there might be a bat cavern under there!? Someone had e-mailed this weather forecast to me, and it made me laugh, had to share it with you! Guess I had been away from blogging longer than I thought. Been busy though. I am working in Home Health now and enjoying it despite the driving. I was just recently promoted to Alternate Director of Nursing! Will fill you in more on that later. Must run for now.

Cool Weather Means Fall Has Arrived!

The cooler weather has arrived, and stores are displaying their pumpkins, gets me in the mood for Fall! I love this time of the year. My kitties have been dashing and scampering around the house for the past couple of weeks! They get quite excited about weather changes. I have to re-phrase that, because they are not particularly fond of thunderstorms. How can anyone not be excited when the oppressive humid, hot Texas summer days and nights are suddenly swept away by the northern winds? Greetings Fall! Thanks for coming knocking on my door!

If I Don't Write Now...It Will Soon Be 2011!!

I did not realize my last posting was Dec. 2009, so thought I better jump in here and update things a bit before another year goes by. April was a busy month for me with 3 trips to the emergency room. My first trip to the ER found that I have anemia and my hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were at critical levels. I was admitted into the hospital and recieved 3 blood transfusions. They said my Hgb was 7.0 something, so my blood levels were seriously depleted, and they wondered how I was managing to function with my levels so low. I also found out that I have gall stones, and have had three gallstone attacks. Currently my pcp is trying to determine the cause of my anemia....why did it drop so low and not rebound like it should normally for a person of my age/gender. Am pending results of recent blood work. I am delighted to be able to say that my energy levels are back up and running. So for your viewing pleasure this is a picture of 1 pint of blood....approximately 473 ml....or 1/2 a liter of soda!! And I had to have 3 pints. According to MedicineNet,
"Functionally, hemoglobin is the key chemical compound that combines with oxygen from the lungs and carries the oxygen from the lungs to cells throughout the body. Oxygen is essential for all cells in the body to produce energy."

Just got home from the Cinemark theatre and what an awesome heart warming movie to see! Way to go Hollywood, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw! This is the best movie I have seen in a while! Just loved watching how just reaching out and helping someone can make such a tremendous impact in the lives around us! Based on a true story too. Thank you for changing their lives....No, thank you for changing My life! What can I do for the people around me?

Sunshine and happy days

Oh what a delight it is to have ones' spot in the sunshine! How content I am when I am in my perfect spot, relishing in the moment, not wanting it to fade away. The spirit of patience knowing that if one waits long enough they will have the best spot! Only happy thoughts pass through this mind. You will not find unhappiness on this tower today. May dreamers dream, sleepers sleep, and sunshine shine!

No News Is Good News

So it was pointed out to me by a good friend that I have not posted in a while...so I thought I would briefly update my status in life. Considering what all I went through at the beginning my adventures of becoming a first time homebuyer, I actually think no news is good news! I am really enjoying living in my new house, my neighborhood is just one of the most amazing experiences ever. I have the most coolest parks near to my house that I drive to and feed the ducks, blue heron, fish, squirrels, blue jays, etc...There are mother ducks strolling with their babies, people on bicycle built for two, etc. There are also horses and a llama farm nearby as well. One of my neices was over visiting recently and said she saw 2 hummingbirds out in my backyard, so I am really excited about that. I am eagerly awaiting there return.

New vanity in, old flooring out

This vanity is similar to what was installed in my master bathroom, it is a basic stained cabinetry with two doors, no drawers to place things. Of course the oringinal sink was installed back on top of the vanity and works like a charm. All of the flooring carpeting that was effected was taken out, so now we are just waiting for the laminat flooring to be installed. Then I can finish unpacking. My bed is in the living room next to the fireplace and my chest of drawers if over near the kithen. I have acuired some new furniture from my aunt and uncle, I have them a little cash for an nice futon chair that has an ottoman and folds out if someone spends the night. I also bought a contemporarya sofa, in fact it is so contmeporary that it has no arms! Here is a picture of the futon chair that i Have now and it it green, not red! It also has a mathching green futon ottoman! VEry cool and comf!

Nightmare on Arbor Downs Drive

Nightmare on Arbor Downs Drive- My day started so innocently, as I prepared to wait for the Lowes truck to arrive with my new refridgerator. I decided I would run a load of wash, as my hamper was getting rather full. No sooner had the wash cycle ended and the water was leaving the washer receptical out the hose, did I hear a noise coming from the master bathroom. I ran to see what was going on and found "Old Faithful" rising from the commode, flooding out from the shower basin as well with awful sewage gunk! I am not completely unpacked from my move and so I was frantically running from one room to the next fetching anything that would soak up this awful mess. In the midst of the crisis I called a plumber who said they would come out immediately. Thanks to the plumber, the pipes are now un-clogged, took hours. Next, a WRS(Water Removal Specialist) came to investigate the scene and proceeded to tell me that "this is a Cat 3 situation and everything must be disposed of". A quick call to my home insurance company to get a claim started and the WRS man began his work. He had to cut out the carpeting and underlayment, as well as some of the pergo flooring into the hallway. He placed a couple of huge machines in my master bedroom, one is a $6,000 dollar de-humidifier and the other is a huge air purifier. Before he left for the evening he sprayed some anti-microbial around on all of the places where he had removed the carpet and pergo. Now to wait for the claims adjuster to give me a ring...Monday the WRS will return to get some more moisture readings with his machine, and then the demolition man has to come to remove the sheetrock/walls where the water seeped up. Here are a few of the pictures I took and plan to provide to the insurance company. Note to self....have pipes snaked by plumber BEFORE moving into new house! Whew! I am tired, off to bed.

Finding my "home"

I have come to a curve in the road of life that has been a long time coming, finding my first home. I went and ventured out last Sunday with a friend and looked at 10 houses, and found one that I really like. I was thinking this would be a slow process, and that I would keep looking at more houses. The FHA changed there rules this week, so my realtor called me and asked if I wanted to go ahead and "proceed" with the house that I found. So then we began to counter and counter-offer and have come to an agreement. The inspector and the termite inspector are going to come to the house on Monday afternoon. I am ready to live in my "home", a place where I can put things on the wall and not think twice about that is not my wall, it belongs to the apartment. This home pictured is the one I am interested in, and it is beautiful on the inside and out, and quite charming.

Beginning 2009

Happy New Year! Welcome 2009, hope it is filled with peace, love, happiness, health, courage, spirit, joy, and renewed strength! I spent New Years Eve with some good friends/co-workers, and we rang in the new year with much enthusiasm. After midnight we ended our evening with a prayer for the unknowns of 2009. I am thankful and blessed to have such a wonderful and caring family, my parents, sister, brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins. We did not eat any black eyed peas, however I believe whole-heartedly that there is much fortune in all the days that lie ahead. My New Years Resolutions? I believe I have a few. I resolve to be a better person, more of a humanitarian. If I can help where there is a need, then I will. I plan to get back to the gym doing the treadmill and circuit weights. I plan to have more updates on my blog. A cottage, garden home. Dear friends. May God bless us all! Happy New Year!

Hannah Rose Playing the violin

Independence Day

I had a three day weekend for July 4th and I did not do much in the way of patriotic activities. I did not attend a fireworks show or a 4th of July parade, nor did I sing the national anthem, but that does not make me unpatriotic. I believe in independence and I chose to use my freedom and independence to sleep in a bit, finish watching "The Waltons Season 7", cleaning the house, went to the grocery store, etc... We did venture outdoors in the evening and saw some fireworks display over the top of the trees in the yard. I am so grateful and thankful to the men and women who have served and are currently serving to protect our beautiful United States, so that I may continue to cherish the freedoms and choices that I make every day. The Preamble states:

“ We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. ”
I am proud to be an American. God Bless America! Whatever anyone else did to celebrate Independence Day, I hope that it was just as patriotic, or even more so, as what I did. Happy 4th of July!

Back in the Saddle (exercise bike)

I had a run in approximatly 3 months ago with a bad reaction to a switch in my blood pressure medication, and as soon as my dr. switched me back to what I was on previously, there was much improvement noted. I also had joined up with a gym membership and got involved with some personal training, but the elliptical machine did a number on me. And then thirdly I was in a car accident, and my knees hit the under the dashboard, and gratefully the x-rays showed it was a contusion of the knee cap. I have not had any more "mis-adventures", so off I went to the gym after work today and worked out for 15 minutes on the recumbent bike, and then did a little circuit training (hip abductor, leg press)...with no ill side effects. Drank plenty of fluids. So I am feeling pretty positive about that. I spoke with one of the managers at the gym, since I had already paid for training sessions and he said that I have 24 sessions available that I can use at any time, even if it is a year down the road. Well, for now I am just going to be doing my "own" personal training.
"Some people refer to Cardiovascular exercise as aerobic exercise, some people even call it 'cardio' for short. All it amounts to is exercises that involve the large muscles like legs and help make your heart and lungs stronger. Cardiovascular exercise has lots of health benefits like lowering your blood pressure, and also it can burn lots of calories - for those of you who want to lose weight.
Cardiovascular exercise is activity involving the large muscles, such as your legs. The word 'aerobic' refers to something that needs oxygen. During cardiovascular or aerobic exercise oxygen gets continuously delivered to your muscles. Outside of exercise, terms like 'aerobic bacteria' refer to bacteria that need oxygen to survive, and 'anaerobic bacteria' are ones that do not need oxygen to stay alive. To give your heart a proper workout you need to make sure that you do your cardiovacular exercise with a certain amount of intensity, but you don't want to overdo it. One way measure the amount of exertion while exercising is by monitoring your heart rate."----www.ideasforwomen.com
So my intentions are to build up my endurance and then hopefully I can get back in to a more extensive workout. My body was not ready for the elliptical today, or tomorrow, but maybe later. Here is a picture of the "mean" machine that made my legs shake like jello, my heart raced like a race horse, dizzy, etc...

Driving through a local neighborhood, Nature at its best!

I fancied upon this beautiful creature while driving through a local neighborhood in the Dallas area. I think it might be a blue heron. There was just this small pond and this bird seemed to be at home here with a few ducks. I paused to take a picture, because it is not something that I get to see everyday. There is so much development and growth in the surrounding communities, and so it was quite refreshing to catch a glimpse of wildlife in my own backyard, so to speak.

The Cinnaberry Lady

I had the house to myself today, and I had a pretty good day! No, I did not have any wild parties. Mom and dad flew to Lubbock for the day to see their new grandbaby, and I sent them off with a FlipVideo recorder to bring back some footage of their visit. While the cats are away, the mice come out to play. So, yes I did get a wild hair in me and brightened up my hair a bit with some Clairol Natural Instincts "for healthier, truly natural-looking color & shine with antioxidants and vitamins C&E, No ammonia, non-permanent color." As you can see, I am now the Cinnaberry lady. My day was filled with a bit of organization...filing papers, and feeding the local wildlife (family of raccoons) 3 mothers came tonight to have a bite to eat. Sometimes they bring their rolly polly cute babies, and one mother likes to come bang the side door open and poke her head in the house. I filled out my application for the CCM (Certified Case Manager), and sent off my application processing fee. Hopefully I can take the test in the Fall of this year. The CCM exam is now computerized, and more streamlined than it used to be. Ms. Cinnaberry signing off for now.

Being A Great Aunt

This is an introspective look at the role of an aunt, well not just an aunt...but a Great Aunt, in the eyes of the Great Aunt herself. I wanted to explore the role of an aunt a little further, so I did some research.
"Women are typically studied as daughters, sisters, mothers, or grandmothers. However, many, if not most, women are also aunts. In this study, we offer a preliminary exploration of the meaning of aunts as familial figures. We collected 70 nieces' and nephews' written accounts of their aunts. Thematic analysis of these accounts revealed nine themes, which were divided into two categories. The first category represented the role of the aunt as a teacher, role model, confidante, savvy peer, and second mother. The second category represented the practices of aunting: gifts/treats, maintaining family connections, encouragement, and nonengagement. Our analysis illuminates important aspects of aunts in family schema and kin keeping."- Laura L. Ellingson & Patricia J. Sotirin.
"The modern family system is truly being widened by research into the field of
extended family. Within this expansion, the role of aunt has immerged as an important, yet understudied relationship. Extant research on aunting has been limited to the perspective of strictly the nieces and nephews involved, creating a one-sided representation of the aunt relationship. The current study examines the perspectives of both the aunt and niece, shedding light on the more mutually dependant nature of the relationship. Both aunt and niece make decisions that influence the relationship and together, these mutual choices help shape this unique family dyad. The aunting relationship has the potential to escape the constraints of both the parent and friend roles to develop a unique form of its own."-Mary Louise Berry M.A.
There have been numerous studies completed studying the roles an aunt has in a family. Here I am sitting on the bench in my niece and nephews back yard on Mothers Day 2008, holding my two great nieces Remy and Amelie. I still have yet to hold my great nephew on my lap too. I have not been a great aunt for very long, but so far I think it is pretty amazing that I can "escape the constraints" and "develop a role that is a unique form of its own." I am excited about this role. How could I not be? This is an educational experience, and one that evolves with time. I will treasure the moments of "aunting". I will cherish my role as an aunt with honor and respect providing love, knowledge, guidance, leadership, caring, nurturing, and of course a lot of fun!
Love and Truly, Great Aunt Elizabeth

How Do You Know If You Have Too Many Kitties?

I was browsing the internet and came across this funny video, but it could be a serious issue for some people. So here is a glimpse into the life of a man that might have too many cats? What do you think? Enjoy!

www.petvideo.com/play.cgi?showId=23192

Pictures of III Forks

Here are some pictures of III Forks restraunt I wanted to share with you. It is like a museum inside. We had to walk up the grand carpeted staircase to the dining room where the Novartis educational program was held. Autographed photos of famous actors/actresses adorn the walls of the inside entrance and up the stairway wall.

I Met DeMarcus Ware!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words! I attended an educational inservice this evening after work, sponsored by Novartis, about treatment of hypertension. Dr. Cook, cardiologist from North Carolina was the guest speaker, and he spoke of aggressively treating hypertension with combination medications whether they be ace inhibitors, beta blockers, or a DRI(Direct Renin Inhibitor), calcium channel blockers, and diuretics. One of the newer medications on the market to treat hypertension is called Tekturna. The inservice was held at the III Forks restraunt, and the food was superb. The other guest speaker of the evening...you guessed it, DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys! He says he eats 6 meals a day and monitors his food more closely than when he was in college eating 3-4 hamburgers, fries, etc... He stated that he had hypertension in college, but has been able to keep it under control through diet and exercise. He seems like a man of good character, and I am glad that I had an opportunity to hear him speak and meet him.