Seven Radom Things about me......and Christmas

Well I have been tagged by my own woman to do the 7 Random things about me. Now I am told it can be 7 strange things, or 7 things I like or dislike...whatever I want. So in in keeping with the Christmas theme, I will try and tell you 7 Christmas things about me.....I then have to pick 7 of you to play along.....So here it goes.....
I usually don't allow Christmas music in the house until December 1st.....this year I broke that rule....it snowed yesterday and well it put me into the Christmas spirit.

• I like to colour coordinate my gift wrap with my decorations....I spend a lot of time wrapping my gifts....
  
  


• I collect Santa's and I am hoping to find a decorative Santa for my front doorway....









• My hubby has started a tradition of us going out into the mountain to cut down our tree...it has proven to be quite the adventure...it's going to be very interesting this year as he has his bad shoulder and I am working out the aches and pains in mine......


• I'm a bit of a control freak so I like things to just be so....well as so as they can be around Christmas....I want a Better home and garden Christmas on a beer budget


• I truly do love to give rather than receive.....I get so much joy out of watching the expression on others as they open their gifts.....I know that sounds so corny ...but it's true...as a kid I would rip and rush to open the presents just as quick as any kid...but as I've gotten older I really do appreciate the simpler things.....


• I love Christmas Eve.....way more than Christmas day.....Christmas Eve you still have the anticipation of Christmas....everything is done and it is just time to enjoy the family....we use to always get together at my brothers for Christmas Eve and do a gift exchange, it was a wonderful time...we all dressed in our Sunday best, all the nieces and nephews and cousins would be there...the house would be bursting with people....laughter,and song....oh yes Christmas Eve....so very special to me...

Oh I am just getting on a roll....and I see that I have listed 7 things......so there you have it

So tell me....what are 7 things about you that you would like to share.......

Oh the weather outside is frightful.......

Well I can't believe it....here we are at the beginning of another week.....and another week closer to the big day......Christmas!!!!

The weather has been cooling off and today as I type this we are getting our first snowfall of the season. It's funny how snow really gets you into the spirit of Christmas. I use to have a rule in the house...no Christmas music until December 1st....but you know what.....with the snowfall this afternoon, I just couldn't help myself.....yup....I played a whole bunch of Christmas tunes. You know what else I did.....I made hot mulled apple juice.....yummy....and it smells so good and festive. Hubby has been working outside all day so he very much appreciated coming in to the smells of the mulled juice.

I got my Christmas cards done last evening....so those will be off into the post by the end of the week. Had a doctor's appointment today so did a little Christmas shopping while I was in town.

I have been off work since last week due to a shoulder injury I incurred as a result of a patient transfer. Even with three of us transferring this patient and using a lift I still managed to hurt my scapulae and shoulder. It's feeling much better than it did last week, but the doctor wants me to do some physiotherapy this week and then I think I should be ready for work by next week. So with not working this past week I have been able to get a good start on Christmas. This coming weekend I am hoping to get my decorations out and maybe get a start on some baking.

Hubby is working like crazy....he's doing to much with that terrible arm and shoulder of his....sometimes he just amazes me as to what he can do.....I can hardly wait to see what he can do after his recovery from surgery. I think that is what has put the fire under him. He knows his surgery is in a couple of weeks and wants to get as much done before hand as he knows he is not to do anything....and we mean anything for the first couple of weeks. The first week they told us that I would have to bath him as he isn't even allowed to raise his arm. So this is all going to be very interesting. Lucky for him I am a nurse....actually he has always been very appreciative of having a nurse around....my poor accident prone hubby....actually I don't know if he is accident prone or if he is just a risk taker....what ever the reason he has certainly had is fair share of injuries. I think he has been injured since I have known him.

When we first met he was recovering from a motorcycle accident in which he tore his tri and bicep muscles.....he finally recovered from that only to have a quad accident.....recovered from that and then got hit by a car....never recovered from that....and hence the surgery and with his dislocation of the shoulder while we were in Mexico that kinda expedited things a bit. So here we are, finally we can see light at the end of the tunnel and it is wonderful.

As far as the fog I was experiencing last week....still not sure I have figured that out...but just so you know....while I was out on my run I realized that I could take a later ferry which meant I could go to hubbies appointment, take him home....and catch the ferry to see my girls. I spoke with my girlfriend and we are going to exchange calendars and hopefully get together in January.

My course is finished next week....I can't believe it...it went by so fast. I start another one in December and then another in January....so I will be busy....but it will all be worth it in the end.

Anyhow, I promise to get around to saying hi to you all very soon. Thank you all for your wonderful comments on my last post. I know I sounded down....I was....but it all worked out in the end.

Cheers!!!

There are two things you can be certain of.....

You know the saying ...."there are two things you can be certain of in this life....death and taxes" I think there is one more...."Life never goes according to plan" But then I guess one has to ask oneself...is there a plan. Were we brought into this world already predetermined as to how our lives would play out? I know there are some philosophers and theorist who believe this to be so.

Today, I certainly don't feel that my life is following my plan...so who's plan is it following?

My plans for going to the mainland to see my friend and my daughters has fallen through. Try as I might, I couldn't coordinate things on this side of the pond. My husband's appointment and his schedule are conflicting. I can get him to his appointment and even stay....the plan...or so I thought was that he was going to take a couch line bus home....as it turns out there are none. He wasn't going to tell me this....or so he says. We are in the mists of a disagreement...one that I feel backed against a wall. As a result I have cancelled my plans for the mainland...I called my girls left them messages, emailed my friend and left a message at the hotel she is to check into. I am feeling very bad about not being able to follow through. My eldest daughter cancelled a shift at work so she could see me and my friend, and my daughter is in no position right now to give up a shift. I have told her I will pay for her loss of wage for today. Then there is middle daughter....I told her I would be there to wish her a Happy Birthday.....and never mind how I have disappointed my friend.

So who's plan was this anyways?.....I make no one happy....especially myself....my husband and I are having words.......I certainly did not plan this nor anticipate it, so whose design was this? What is it that I am to learn from this? What could I have done differently? I like to believe we learn something from our mistakes or life's experiences....in this circumstance, I think it is going to take some time before the fog clears so I can see what it is I was to learn.

Oh by the way.....Happy Thanksgiving to my friends accross the border.....gobble gobble

What to do.....

Do you remember this song?

Nelson - Garden Party Lyrics

I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends

A chance to share old memories and play our songs again

When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name

No one recognized me, I didnt look the same



Chorus

But its all right now, I learned my lesson well.

You see, ya cant please everyone, so ya got to please yourself



People came from miles around, everyone was there

Yoko brought her walrus, there was magic in the air

n over in the corner, much to my surprise

Mr. hughes hid in dylans shoes wearing his disguise



Chorus



Lott-in-dah-dah-dah, lot-in-dah-dah-dah



Played them all the old songs, thought thats why they came

No one heard the music, we didnt look the same

I said hello to mary lou, she belongs to me

When I sang a song about a honky-tonk, it was time to leave



Chorus



Lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)

Lot-in-dah-dah-dah



Someone opened up a closet door and out stepped johnny b. goode

Playing guitar like a-ringin a bell and lookin like he should

If you gotta play at garden parties, I wish you a lotta luck

But if memories were all I sang, I rather drive a truck



Chorus



Lot-dah-dah-dah (lot-dah-dah-dah)

Lot-in-dah-dah-dah



n its all right now, learned my lesson well

You see, ya cant please everyone, so you got to please yourself



Transcribed by robin hood

More Nelson Lyrics...

Well it's the course that actually came to mind. " Ya can't please everyone so you gotta please yourself" For the past few weeks now I have been trying to organize and coordinate getting the girls over for middles daughters birthday. If there is one thing to know about me. it's that I like to have things organized and have a plan. I think that stems from having worked night shifts for so many years and having to balance raising children and working shifts and all of lifes commitments.

Anyhow, along with this my dear friend who I haven't seen in 3 years will be in Vancouver around the same time that I was thinking of having my girls over. So through many emails and telephone calls I am not sure I am any further ahead. Eldest daughter won't be able to make it at all due to work commitments, youngest daughter has alternate plans, and middle daughter tells me she really didn't want to come over for her birthday and that they were doing her birthday thing with her grandmother on her birthday. "Sigh" lump in throat. Feeling a little sorry for myself and left out.

Now as far as my girlfriend goes....as it is the day she gets in town I will just be getting off of night shift. I told her I could catch a mid morning ferry and meet her at her hotel around noon and we could get together then. "Idea" insert light bulb here......I suggested to my girls that they meet me with my friend(note my friend and I go back a long ways and she is my eldest daughters godmother...they call her aunty sue). Logistics....again trying to figure out my girls schedule, and meeting my friend. My girls are being a little non comm ital.

Throw another wrench into the mix. Hubby tells me that the day I have been planning on going to the mainland is the same day he has to go to the hospital to have his pre admission appointment for his up coming shoulder surgery.

Time to take a deep breath. Ok I say, what time is it at.....1:00 pm....ok .....I start to rethink things again.....if I go with him to his appointment we could still make the 3:00 pm ferry and then meet my friend for dinner. I talk to my friend about it...she thinks its a great idea......I suggest it to my hubby.....he is non committal. Enter the wrench......I want to go to his appointment with him...if I do that and he doesn't come with me to the mainland than how does he get home.....you see there are no buses to where I live.....and well taxi's are rare and if he were to get one it would cost approximately $150 to get him back home. Seems silly, now doesn't it?

So what to do......I want to see my girlfriend ........I think it's important I go to my hubbies appointment with him.....and well then there is middle daughters birthday......

".....Ya can't please everyone so you gotta please yourself.....lota dah dah... lota dah dah da"

Little of this and that....

Well I think this post will be a mixed bag of things. I did my last flu clinic today. I injected just over 500 people, in 3 1/2 days....that's a lot of shots. By the end of it I was starting to feel like a broken record...asking the same questions over and over....but you know...you have to...even if the next person is within ear shot of what I am asking I have to ask them. It was good. No reactions. Everyone very pleasant, I chatted with so many charming people. It was a great experience and I look forward to next year.

This week I also went to my local Hospice Society and decided to volunteer, it's been something I have wanted to do for sometime now. After meeting with the Excutive Director it was determined that they would like to see me as a Team leader. I told them however I could be of assistance. I have to take a 6 week training course. Seems kind of strange seeing as I directly nursed palliative patients for 5 years and continue to nurse palliative patients. But I suspect volunteering will be different. I think my challenge will be to take off my nursing hat and just be a volunteer and remember my boundaries as a volunteer and try not to take on to much. But I am excited, I think this will also help me with my long term goal of getting back into palliative care and hopefully being able to be part of a team who provides palliative services in the community.

Middle daughter is on her way over for a visit. Poor baby had her wisdom teeth pulled yesterday.....all four....ouch.....she is in a lot of pain....and is just wanting some mom time. I have tried to organize a massage and pedicure day for the both of us tomorrow...but so far no such luck...every shop I have called are booked. But I shall perservere.

Renos in the bathroom had to take a back seat this week. Hubby has been sick. Had a temp of 39.1 celcius...that's about 102 F. He's been so sick, but I think he is on the mend now....so maybe over the weekend we can get a start on it again.

So that's about all I have to say about that.....hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Cheers!

Storm season is upon us.....

Yesterday was stormy......very stormy....winds in some areas up to 130km/hr.....I was working nights...one of the day staff called early to invite me to sleep at her home...she didn't want me to drive home. I thanked her and told her if I can make the storms of last year I can certainly see my way through this one.

Little did I realize what I was getting myself into. I leave the hospital...I felt like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and the storm....it felt like I could be picked up and flown away.....and I am no light weight. Anyhow, I make it to my car....the winds are blowing the raining is coming from all directions and it is falling hard.

I make my way out to the main part of town, when only just in the distance there is the loud pop their is a big flash of light and the all the lights go out....no stop lights, no street lights, nothing....I continue on. I drove another 5 mins only to hear another pop and flash and then no lights. It was crazy.

My ride home takes me along the water.....ocean to one side tall cedars on the other...or sometimes both.....the wind is blowing the rain is coming in off of the water.....the waves are high and rolling....the birds are loving it. I continue on...the wind making my car sway at times.....tree branches are falling in front of my car....some hitting my roof....I forge on. I get to a little community, of course there is no power......trees have fallen on the lines....for about 3km the trees are on the lines. I continue on.....I get to one of my favorite places that I have talked about called Rosewall Creek....I am about 15 mins from home at this point, but I can't go any further. A huge cedar is down right across the road...there is no getting around it.....I have to turn around travel 15 kms back in order to get up to the upper highway so I can make my way home. I am exhausted at this point. Just coming off of a 12 hour night shift and I am already an hour into my drive home.

I make it to the highway....the winds seem like they are at gale force, the highway is of higher elevation .....trees are down along this highway as well....but because it is the main highway on the Island it is maintained fairly well. I finally make it home...about 40 mins later than usual and extra 45km added to my drive because of the detour. I get to our drive and make my way down..only to see the carnage the winds had on our place....the vehicle storage tents have been blown away....stuff is strewn all over. I get inside only to discover that our power is out....they power was out for about 9hrs. Thank god for our generator, and fireplace...we managed to stay warm and have coffee. The power came on in time for me to shower and get ready to go to work.

I am hoping this isn't signs of things to come this season. I really think I need to trade my Mustang in for a truck.

Remembrance Day

Lest we Forget.......Today is Remembrance Day. A day that has been set aside to take a moment to remember those veterans who so valiantly gave of themselves so that you had I could have the freedoms that we enjoy today.

This can be a very difficult time for those that have lost loved ones in wars of past and in the current unrest in the world around us.

Let us never forget how they gave and give so unselfishly of themselves.

As I had the honour of meeting a relative of the creator of "In Flanders Field" it seems very appropriate to post that poem here today.

In Flanders Fields By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

A brighter side of nursing......

The flu season is approaching and with that begins the start of another flu shot clinic. This post is not intended to debate whether we should get the flu shot or not. It's intent is to tell you about about another avenue nursing has taken me.

This year is my third year doing the flu clinic for my doctor's office. I usually start this time of year and do about 4 or 5 clinics. By the end of it all I will have inoculated approximately 500 people mostly seniors, or people caring for seniors. This year is no different than the past two years. I am meeting some of the nicest people I have ever met. They are talkative, friendly, inquisitive and so appreciative of the service that is being provided. It doesn't get much better than that.

As nurses we are very privileged to be able to enter the lives of so many in the way that we do. We have an opportunity to give guidance, support, information on prevention and so much more. Attending to the clients in the flu clinic is no different. Once I ask them a few questions and tell them a little about the flu shot and what side effects they might encounter , they go on to tell me about a variety of things going on in their lives. Medications they are taking, illnesses they have had, what they are doing in their life at present, and ask for advice. Just a whole gamut of topics. Yesterday was no different. A few jokes were shared smiles were exchanged and a sense of well being ensued. One encounter with a husband and wife lead me to becoming privy to a conversation. It turns out that I was giving an injection to someone who's relative was the creator of the poem "In Flanders Field". With Remembrance day approaching I couldn't believe what a honour it was to meet this person. We chatted. I said that poem was instilled in me as a child and in my children. That poem is synonymous with Remembrance Day. I remember doing my Remembrance Day post last year, where I sited the author and poem In Flanders Field by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae MD, (1872-1918). I still feel so very honoured to have met this person, and had an opportunity to chat. Such a lovely couple, so warm caring and compassionate. How fortunate that I should be their nurse that day.

Nursing is so varied. There are variety of nursing options out there. Doing the flu clinics, is one of those options. It is such a nice change from the very clinical ICU environment in which I work full-time. You know that saying a change is a good as a rest. Well it certainly holds true in this case. Those patients in the clinic were all so appreciative of the service I was providing and yet it is I who felt fortunate to be able to sit with them and enter their lives if only for a short moment.

As a nurse I am able to spend a little more time with the patient, well in this circumstance anyways. I listen to what they are telling me and start putting things together in my head about their diagnosis their medications their treatments all the while they could be just telling me a simple story in the day and the life of themselves. But through that story I can detect many things and it is my nursing background that provides me with those tools.

I am currently working on obtaining my degree, that in itself is a story which I will share with you in another post. Through the course I am learning about the concepts of caring, humanism, phenomenology, ways of knowing, time/transition and personal meaning, just to name a few. At first I thought yeah right, we do this all time, so why do I need a course to tell me this and to analyze the heck out of it. But you know, I have really enjoyed it. It's helping me understand why I do and say the things I do...something that I thought was just an innate part of me and to some degree it still is, but to be able to explore it and how these concepts might effect my delivery of care.

So here I am venturing on a new path in my nursing career, trying to be more aware of my behaviours and actions towards my patients and exploring alternate nursing options. Nursing, even with all of it's ups and downs, it is truly an amazing profession.

Christmas is coming so renovations must begin...

Why is it that when the thought of Christmas rolls around we start to think of renovations.

Hubby and I for some time now have been talking about doing some much needed renos to the bathroom. We have never liked much about the bathroom, but when the tile around the tub started to give way...we decided that now would be the time to make the much needed changes. Little did we realize what we were in for.

A few weeks back we went out and bought the tile for the tub and flooring, but just hadn't found the time to get the project started. But on Sunday, my first day post night shift I decided was the time to get the project started. Like any renovation the only thing you can be assured of is something going wrong. I was in charge of hammering and removing the tile from around the tub. The first tiles came off relatively easily. It was when I got to the side wall that I realized that the tile wasn't coming off as freely. It turns out that the wall hadn't been prepared properly and and as a result, the gyproc was coming off with the tile...and not just a little, but in chunks. Oh well hubby says...he wanted to replace that anyhow he says. Next thing you know we are down to the plastic and insulation. We decided that seeing as the facets had been leaking that now would be a good time to change them....so we went and bought new facets.....but then...well the tub was scratched and tarnished because of the leaking facet so we decided we should replace the tub as well. Now this is where the fun begins. Out comes the tub...only to find the plumbing needs to be replaced. This 2 day job is really taking on a mind of it's own. Currently we have no tub or shower....the old tub is out in the back of hubbies truck and the new tub is in the middle of the hallway getting fitted with it's new plumbing. Hubby spent most of the day working on the plumbing...only to find that he needed some extra parts. So at 5 mins to closing time hubby needs to go to the hardware store. Thank goodness he made it. He was hopeful that the tub would get installed tonight...but no such luck. Again, one task has lead to another..so we will go without the tub for another day.......hmmmmm

I am optimistic that the bathroom renos will be done for Christmas....that would mean the flooring being done...new granite counter tops...new light fixtures....sink and toilet...and then painting....hmmmm.....have we taken on to much?....but we can't stop now...it's onward and upwards.

So what about you....do you have a reno nightmare story you would like to share? And do any of you out there have the answer to the question ...."why do we start renos just before Christmas?"

Heads or Tails Tuesday

Yup it's that time of the week again.....this week it's "something scary".....hmmmm Well this pumpkin my son carved could be considered scary....

Howling at a full moon can be scary......

A Haunted house can be scary for some....

Scary monster......

Or what about a witch......yup there are a lot of things that people can consider scary......Hope you all have a Happy and safe Halloween....

If you would like to join in on the fun....check out Skittle's Place to get all of the instructions.

American Public Relations comes home....... to Canada

This morning I awoke....latte in hand made by my loving husband, I make my way to my office and sit myself down in front of my computer to check on my emails...and the new in the world around me.

My computer opens to Internet Explorer home page. On this page are quick news topics....one of the topics that caught my eye this morning was a news report about how The U.S. Department of State and Homeland Security had commissioned a tourism video produced by Disney entitled "Welcome: Portraits of America".

This video has been sent to consulates through out the world to promote tourism to the US. The controversy arises when you are about 4 mins into the video where they are showing some of America's greatest landmarks....guess what they do....they show the Canadian side of Niagara Falls...and to make matters worse in order to view the falls from this angle they had to be in Canada to get the shot they chose. Now I have never seen Niagara falls, but my hubby is from the east coast and has seen them many times......and he assures me that the video does indeed show the Canadian falls and was shot on the Canadian side of the border.

The video was viewed by many and here is what one American historian had to say....

......Making matters worse, a visitor to the U.S. would not even be able to get the same view of the falls in the video because the scene was shot from a vantage point in Canada, according to Paul Gromosiak, a Niagara Falls, N.Y., historian and author.
Also, he said the video leaves out the two cascades that actually are on U.S. territory, the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
This is not the United States, this is 100 per cent Canada, shot from the Canadian side. This is an insult," Gromosiak said after reviewing the video at the request of The Associated Press.

Now when I read on into the news report I was expecting an....ooops we made a mistake.....oops an oversight....but no....no such thing....instead what we get is some guy from the state department giving some standard stupid government response....

....State Department spokesman Sean McCormack could not speak to the scenery in the short film. But he stressed that Niagara Falls "is a shared natural wonder, a gateway for both our countries and anyone looking at the video will understand how proud America is to share it with Canada."

He misses the point totally. Those shots of the falls are not on American soil...it's Canadian ....This was suppose to be an American tourism video.....not Canadian....I am glad you think we are such great neighbours...but hey...if you don't know your borders how can you protect them.....

Other than that the video is lovely, but as I said if it hadn't been for some of the major landmarks that we know to be American...i.e. The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Coney Island, Fisherman's wharf, The Rocky mountains shot from the American vantage point from Montana and Colorado......yes I know American landmarks...and of course the video ends with a shot of the infamous statue of Liberty. The faces though could be of anyone anywhere on this planet...and I wonder if that is what they wanted to portray.

As I said, it's a nice video...but I think the state department should be asking for their money back........somebody forgot to tell that rodent Mickey that he wasn't in the US anymore.....

If you are interested in checking this out.....here is the news clip which then connects you to the video....

Us annexes Canada landmark in video and just in case you can't connect to this news report you can find the video here www.travel.state.gov

Pumpkin Carving.......

Well this weekend just flew by....my girls have come and gone. My eldest and middle daughters had to be at work for the afternoon shift so they had to catch an early ferry home...I wasn't counting on them having to leave so early...but at least I was blessed with being able to see them.

We never made it to the Halloween party at the community center....nope we opted to stay home and carve our pumpkins...play some games...and then do Birthday cake for youngest daughter. I have some photos...but I don't know if my hands were shaking..which I don't recall or that my stabilizer in my camera is acting up...anyhow....here are a couple of photos of the pumpkin carving.....

I have just learnt how to upload my pictures so you can click on them to enlarge them....gosh....just when you think you know it all....like as if....NOT! Thanks hubby and eldest son for showing me how.....

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!!!

On another note.....want to win yourself a very nice candle....Heather is giving away a free candle...apparently she does this regularly...this months scent I think is Cinnamon Pumpkin sounds yummy! So if you are interested...all you have to do is go over there and leave a comment...hurry now the last entry is tomorrow!!!

Birthday Central.....

Yes our home today is Birthday central......I have been keeping a little quite for this past week.....reason...I have been trying to keep a secret...but today I can say it because the secret is out...today my hubbies boys arrived!!!!!

Yup it is my hubbies Birthday on Monday and I secretly planned to fly his boys out for his birthday....yup almost 5000 km to come and spend the week with their daddy!!! Yahoo!!! I am so excited and I can't tell you....I was up early as the boys left home at 0730 their time and it was only 0430 our time....they arrived here at 1130 my time......I had to make up a story as to where I was going and why......I have my girls here celebrating my youngest daughters birthday...I told hubby I was going out to buy a birthday cake and some gifts...and bringing eldest daughter with me so she can practise her driving...all was good.

We finally make our way home...I thought for sure he knew about the surprise....I dropped the boys off next door at their grandparents.....we had arranged that grandpa would call hubby to and ask him to come over telling him he needed help......well once I arrived home and I knew the boys were at there grandparents the call came......I passed the phone to hubby...told him it was his dad....he wasn't on the phone for but a moment and off to his parents place he went...I have never seen him move so fast...for sure I thought he knew what was up and was just anxious to see his boys....as it turns out....his father told him he needed him urgently....so as a dutiful son off he went.....only upon his arrival to find his sons waiting for him.....I wasn't there to see the expression on his face as it would have spoilt the surprise....but grandma says he truly looked like he was surprised. I am so glad...it has been so difficult arranging this with the distance and time differences...but it came off and he says he was surprised....I am so glad.....

Now this evening, we will be celebrating my youngest daughters birthday...she turned 15 on Thursday....so we will be doing cake this evening.....and then birthday for hubby on the 29th which is his actual birthday.....

We are also going to our Community Halloween function this evening...youngest son thought it would be fun....after checking with the Birthday girl...she agreed it would be ok...fireworks and bonfire...to much fun....

So until next time...here's wishing you all good health and a wonderful weekend.....

Another day in the life of......

Wow, I can't believe it has been a week since I posted anything. Time just flies by. It's been a busy week. I have worked all week. I should be sleeping right now as I have my last night shift this evening. But those of you who know what it is like can understand how messed up your sleep patterns get when working shifts. Before my head hit the pillow this morning at 0800 I had been up for over 24 hrs. I got up at my regular time yesterday morning, did my house chores, went for a run, then went out with hubby to do some errands, which I thought was only going to take a couple of hours, ends up we didn't get home till after 3:00, I start my night shift at 7:00 pm. I have to leave my house at 6:00 pm, which leaves me a couple of hours to put away the groceries, do some school work eat dinner and get out the door. I arrive at work, I have a ventilated patient, which keeps me very busy. Between my hourly monitor and ventilator checks, the medications which have to be given, blood sugars to be monitored hourly, physical assessments, dressing changes, bed baths, mouth care and turns every 2 hours. Before you know it is 0530 in the morning and I am starting to calculate the patent's fluid balance for the past shift and 24hrs....how much in ....how much out....what have their vital signs been like....draw the blood work for the day shift....get the patient ready for their chest xray, as the doctor is going to want to see that as so as he comes in .....and then at 0700 the next shift arrives and I give them report.... I get outside ....only to find that we had the first frost of the season...so I spend 20 mins warming my car and scrapping the windows....drive my 50 mins home.....check my emails when I arrive home.....shower and climb into bed. I've now had 4 hours sleep....the sun is shining and the world is going on without me....So I am up..... dusted and vacuumed and put on a load of laundry.....thinking I might grab a bite to eat and then crawl back into bed....hopefully until at least 3:00 pm and then get up and get ready for another night shift. Yup any of you who have worked shifts knows exactly what I am talking about. It's a very strange life we lead. Your body never knows whether it should be sleeping or working. You force yourself to be awake when you don't want to....and sleep when you really don't want to.....they say that the average shift worker cuts 5- 7 years off of their life expectancy by working shifts. That's a hefty price to pay.

I have been taking courses as well, and in one of my courses we have been looking at the history of nursing and where we are today. In some areas we have made some major gains, i.e. wages and benefits have improved considerably. But in many areas we have stepped backwards. I am reading this book right now, that although very interesting I am finding it discouraging. It talks about where nursing started, how it came to North America, Canada in particular as this books is talking about Canadian nursing. How nurses use to be the primary care givers especially in the communities, hence the VON's (Victoria Order of Nurses). The doctor's revolted, they felt nurses had to much power...they went to the government and had many restrictions put on nursing...they insisted that nursing have formal university/college training. Now that wasn't a bad thing, but what happened from that is nursing became the underpaid hand maidens to the doctors. I went into nursing in 1988, this book was written about that time. One of the nurses they interview graduated in 1985, still at that time nurses were expected to stand and give up the chairs to doctors when they entered the room, yes doctor no doctor, good morning doctor...this was not reciprocal.

Don't get me wrong there are many things I absolutely love about nursing and wouldn't trade it for the world. But gosh, it is the RN's who are at the bedsides 24/7 watching for the subtle changes in a patients conditions...reporting and documenting these changes....calling the doctors and making them aware...and in some cases waiting far to long for doctor's to respond. For those nurses who have worked along side resident doctors you know exactly what I mean when I talk about nurses, often it is the RN who is the ones making the suggestions for treatment for the patient.

You know when you thought you have heard it all, well last night as I was working the nursing supervisor came around...she was doing her rounds...we started talking.....she told me a story ..... apparently, when there use to be a cardiac arrest and as the code nurse you would go and take the crash cart...she told me that before the time when we had suction canisters on the crash carts....the nurse.....had to wear this canister, tied to a string around her neck...there would be a compressed canister that attached to the bottom that she would have to attach....you know what that canister was used for....you'll never guess.....suction....yes the nurse would have the suction canister around her neck during a code ...suctioning out bodily fluids from the patients into this canister which was attached around her neck....all the while still either giving drugs or doing CPR.....I said to her...you've got to be kidding me....nope that was how it was....this nurse has only be nursing 4 years longer than myself....I just couldn't imagine that....what total disregard for the health and well being of the nurse. It was just a given that is what the nurse had to do...and of course they did it.

It just all amazes me...to see the progress nursing has had in so many areas and yet we still have such a long ways to go, before we are truly recognized as well educated, informed and strong advocates for health care, and should be treated with the respect our profession deserves by both administration and Doctors.

Nursing shortage is at a crisis level. In the next 3-5 years there is going to be a mass exodus from nursing. Nurses are getting ready to retire and they can't seem to get enough nurses educated to replace them. Last night I worked with two such nurses....27 & 30 years of nursing....I can't even imagine. What I found astounding was that the nurse who has worked 30 years was saying she didn't know if she could afford to retire. I said you've got to be kidding me...30 years and you can't afford not to retire? Did you quit to have children....no she said....just took a year off to travel. You see it's only been in the past 5 -6 years that nursing has been making a decent salary that one could actually think about retiring on. In the early years when nurses went off to have their children there were no maternity leave benefits, so you lost everything. Nurses didn't have pensions, and they certainly didn't have very good health care coverage. Things have finally started to change for nursing in that regards...hence the older nurses are hanging in their to improve their retirement packages. But I don't want to stay in nursing for my retirement package. I want to stay in nursing because I love what I do, I love meeting new people, helping them through crisis, helping them find their own path to health and recovery. There are so many things I love about nursing...but it is physically and mentally demanding and it is the physical part that I am not sure I can do until I am 60 years old, and I certainly don't want to leave nursing as a cripple. As it is I have a very bad shoulder from the many patient transfers and lifts I have done over the years. I am fit, I run and exercise regularly but when you are turning one patient every 2 hours and then compound that with helping out your colleagues with their patient transfers and lifts...it eventually takes it tolls....and now I am back to where I started this post in the first place. The combination of the shift work and the physical demands of the job...puts a natural life expectancy on the nurse. So I must leave this post and put my weary head on my pillow, so I can get right back at it tonight.

Good health to you all!

A Pictoral View of where I live......

Gene Bach from Turning the Pages of Life is hosting this "getting to know you" event on Saturday. He has asked that we post 10 pictures of where we live(surrounding area) to help other bloggers get to know us better.....I thought that was a great idea. But I am finding it hard to stick to just 10, I went over by two plus a little video....ooops....sorry......

Most of my regular visitors have a pretty good idea of where I live. I tend to post lots of pictures. I live on Vancouver Island. It is 35 nautical miles from the mainland and Vancouver British Columbia, the only way to get to the island is by boat or plane. You can catch a harbour float plane and be here in 20 mins, or take the ferry which is a 1.5 hour ferry ride. I have done both. But I usually take the ferry.

I moved to the Island almost 3 years ago and married the love of my life. I have been in awe of the beauty that surrounds me everyday. It is so very different from where I came from(growing up in the city). The wildlife is amazing, the shorelines and sea life are active and bountiful. The herring fishery happens almost on my door step. If I am lucky I might see an Orca or grey making it's way south. Eagles are abundant. So here is my home from my cameras point of view......

Most of the people around us have horses...this horse lives across the street from us...the people next to us train horses and do equestrain shows with them.......

This is our view as we go down our driveway....in the foreground is Lesquiti Island, behind that is Texada, and in the back is the coastal mountain range....they are part of the mainland

This is taken just down the road from me at a place we call Sunny beach. That brown building in the back is the local native Indian Long House where they hold their potlatch and gatherings.

This is Chrome Island...it is the last human managed lighthouse on the Westcoast, it was established in 1891. This Lighthouse can been seen from many vantage points from where I live. The area in which I live is also known as the Lighthouse District...hence Chrome Island Lighthouse.

Just off of Chrome island is this rock where the seals like to hang out ...the fishing is fantastic around here.....

See what I mean...this is hubbies catch of the day...just off of that island....not far from home at all.....

To the west of where I live is Mount Arrowsmith....when I drive up the road to the highway this is what I see....you can 4x4 up there and bring your quad or snowmobile and have a really good time.....this mountain is also backdrop for a golf course just up the road from me....guess what it is called.....you got it....Arrowsmith Golf Course......

This is down the road from a place called Rosewall Creek(which is one of my favorite swimming holes) you are looking at Denman Island. This is about 15 mins. from my house.

This is Rosewall Creek....the water here is mountain fed...very cold but refreshing....love to get on our tubes in the summer and travel down the creek to the open waters....

Eagles are bountiful where I live...this particular day we say 16 of them in this tree...it was amazing.....

Along with the eagles many birds frequent our property....here is a woodpecker, we often have our provincial bird the Stellar jay, a family of quail, hummingbirds when the season is right, spotted thatchers, Japanese starlings....all kinds of birds...it's just wonderful.....last but certainly not least...in the spring there is what a they call the herring run....it lasts for about a week...it's really a site to behold.....
The herring fisheries in action