Only in a small town

I am back in Mo. for a couple weeks, and only in a small town could you do some of the things I have done this week. Like go to the telephone co. and and they still had a card on me from when I lived there 9 years ago that so they did not need a letter of credit from my current phone co. I am talking about a little 3X5 card!! And when I went to post office all they needed was our name and the address on a little slip of paper to start mail delivery. I was thrilled the next day when I got junk mail in the mail box. I opened up our bank accounts and the bank president came out and gave me a big hug and wanted to know how soon we would be moved there permanently. So small town is good. Of course the internet service sucks. This little town has one of the few local phone companies, family owned and they have the only phone service so the internet service is thru them or you don't have one. So much for getting a good deal. But won't complain. At least they have it, right? So I am on my daughters computer in Ar. Having a great get together with her and her best friend. What a pair. So had to check up on everyone and say hi. Got to head back to the farm tomorrow and get busy with the paint brush, and go shopping for doors and windows for the store. Oh, also found someone who wants to sell me 6,000 books. How about that, when I talked to him he said alot of them are brand new and can buy them for 5 cents a book. Well thats it for now. Won't be home till the 8th of Mar. Then serious packing and will be moving back here on the 1st of April. dc

1973-74

As I look at retiring from 33 years of nursing I wanted to reflect back on how I got into nursing and what that 1st year of training was like. Back in 1971-72 I was working in a little boarding home. I worked some nites and some pm's. Mostly I was an attendant as this was not a nursing home and I cooked meals and was sort of the caretaker during my shift. There was about 15 female patients there and had to be able to care for themselves. The gal, Lois, who ran the home was going to school to get her LPN license. So when I would come to work at 11pm she would be sitting there with her books out and we'd talk. She encouraged me to look into a scholorship and going to school too. I guess I was put in that one place at the right time because I'm sure I would never have thought to go ahead with nursing without her encouragement. I certainly had never had any great desire for this or any career. My first husband and I with 2 small children had bought 5 acres and put our mobile home on it. we had no running water for about 6 mo. till we could get a well drilled. So everyday I'd take all these gal. jugs into town to my mothers and use a hose and fill them all. When we took baths{one after the other} the water was used to flush the toilet. We had a long driveway thru the woods and till we could get it graveled there were many days it was to muddy to drive thru so we used the kids wagon and pulled it thru the trees with the water jugs. I got a job at a nursing home as an aide and worked nites on Fri and Sat so I could have gas money for the next week to go to school. At this time my daughter was starting kindergaren {BTW the year she graduated from highschool I also graduated again with RN degree} But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This year 73-74 I spent 12 mo. going to school for my LPN license. I did get the grant to pay for tuition and books. For clinical we wore white pinafores and blue blouses. I had this short stout New England instructor, Mrs. Johnson who was a real gem. I remember her riding in an elevator at the hosp. with me and she was eye level with my ears and she said "what's that in your ear?" Rhinestone ear rings. They had to go! Pinafore length and graduation uniform had to be exactly midknee.

A couple weeks before graduation {I was 3rd in the class} I was told that I should not have been allowed to attend class because I was a high school drop out and only had a certificate from a correspondance school. So I had to go to the Deans office the very next day and take the GED test, whick I passed OK.

These 12 mo. were very hard to get thru, with family, work, and study. My son was quite taken with learning medical terminology, he was about 8. I remember him getting stung by a wasp and telling people he got stung on his clavicle.
So I graduated in May and started to work right away as a new grad at something like 3.75$ per hr. I worked in a small very rural hospital which was very good to get some early experience. A year later I transfered to a "real" hospital in a bigger town about 15 miles away. It was here that I learned my OB skills.

So looking back, I wish I could thank my mother for her help with taking care of my daughter in the AM's and getting her to her afternoon kindergarten class. {And to thank Lois for her encouragement.} Then both kids would ride the bus home and one of us would be home. I think the scarriest time was that 1st year of working nites, Husb #1 had to leave for work about 45 min before I would get home so the kids were left alone during that time trying to get ready for school till I got there to see them off to the bus!. Now I'd be arrested for child neglect. They were about 7&9. But they never burned down the huse. I wonder if they remember anything about that year.

So now all these years later I will hang up my nursing "hat" and be a storekeep for FUN. Wish me luck

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Don't know if you can read this if you click on the picture to make it larger. Was in today's paper. I will quote some of the lady's comments about this baby. Apparently the foal was born and the stallion of the small band of about 6 mares herded them away leaving the new born in very cold temp. Some people spotted him and when they didn't return reported the cold baby. This lady takes in abandoned animals for a refuge, called Lucky Horse Rescue Corral. she said "I have been in on a lot of rescues, but this one was the greatest". "I love mustangs, I think they're a gift from God to us here in Nevada, and we're kind of pushing them out". She has raised about 10 foals in her bedroom. This baby was named Heidi-ho because her unusual horse sounds were kind of like a little yodel. She will be adopted out when she gets a little older. "she is my very first baby that actually uses a bottle, most go from the turkey baster to the bucket" "When God puts something in front of you. it's your responsibility to take care of that baby" What a lady. Makes you want to go out and do something nice doesn't it???

5 K walk

Beautiful day today!! I joined hundred more to walk on the new Freeway, well we have a part of a freeway, ha ha. It links in on the north end of the city and there is about 6 miles completed and will open to traffic next week. It will take about 4 more years to complete the rest that circles to the east of the city and comes out at the south end to link back to the highway.

It was fun to see all the different people who came out today. Everything from babies in strollers and wagons to bikes, joggers, a unicycle, and one old gentleman with his little elec. scooter. And lots of dogs of all kinds. What I was surprised by was the calm and peacefulness even with this many people. It was 10K in all {over 6 miles} But they had a turn around at the 5 K mark and I opted to take it and head back. Took a few pictures and will post a couple of them here. Oh, I overheard the cutiest conversation between several senior citizen women. One was saying she had just had her bone density done, and it showed she had osteopenea. Then she laughed and said they should name a coctail for older women with that name. You know belly up to the bar and ask for an osteopenea, with extra shot of vit D and Calcium.

Hey Toots wish you could have been here! Missed a walking buddy.

I'm So Mad

I was accused of taking a winter break along with alot of other people, but reallly have been busy. Now what I am mad about, last week this creep of an inmate, asked me for my last name and when I asked him why, he said" because I am turning you into the state board of nursing". I asked him why and he said something about my lack of concern for his health and wellbeing, About that time Pat picked up on what was going on and she lit into him and told me not to say a word to him. I was upset and left a message on my bosses voice mail. The next day I guess Pat asked him did he really file a complaint and he said he had mailed it. She told him that he had made a big mistake because I was one of the few nursed there who did care and followed up on concerns and questions, ect. I was off that next day, but when I went in on Thurs I talked to my boss and he said yes the inmate had talked to him the day before and that I shouldn't worry that "they never win a case" About wanted to go bolistic on him. I said What case? there should NOT be a case. He should have shut him down right then. I was so mad at the boss not the idiot inmate, they are always trying to stir up trouble. But I feel my boss really let me down. Of course anyone can file a complaint. But with a spotless 35 year record, I am furious that this is happening. 6 more weeks and I am out and done. Now I am hoping that this inmate is just blowing smoke and didn't really file anything and he has no proof that I have done anything wrong. I only give him his meds, delivered to the unit in the evening. He is in the long term unit and there are about 15 {lame and lazy} ones that we deliver to. He is just a dirty old coot, who won't show up in the AM pill call line for his morning meds most of the time, and frequently doesn't come out of his room in the evening even though we come to the unit. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr! Give me strength to not kill the bugger!!

So now I have vented and still don't feel much better about it. Just stinks, right?

Have been so busy on final details on the sale of the house, inspections, papers signed ect. Then I have been packing alot too. Trying to help the sister in law, she bought a house in the nearby town where we are moving in Mo. But still no nibbles on her house here. One day she is gung ho to move and the next day she thinks she should stay here. Poor thing at her age, maybe we are asking to much to expect her to move too, but she can't stay here alone with no family. She is very dependant on AC for more than she realizes I think. But I know it will all work out in the end. They are getting her house on the multiple listing tomorrow and taking more pictures, my thinking is that should have been done a mo. ago. hmm.

OK so there is a nice long post. I know a few others who owe us a "long" post. dc