Blog - Kitchen Table Devotions

Ponderings of A Hospice Nurse

by Rita Macdonald

Six months. That's how long I've been a hospice & palliative care nurse. And six months in, it's taken me this long to really get the swing of things, to know how to navigate my way through days with hiccups and still manage to get home by 5 p.m., and SHUT DOWN... and yet, I'm sure I really don't quite have the "swing of things" very well just yet. But I sure have learned a lot. And, since all of my journals are in a box somewhere downstairs in the seemingly unending sea of cardboard from my recent move, I shall journal right here, right now. Memories from a year ago are beginning to pop up on FaceBook reminding me of the weeks prior to COVID - that season of work when, for months it seemed as though no one quite understood what was happening in the world better than the ... View Post

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Somewhere Over The Rainbow

by Rita Macdonald

I heard someone say something yesterday about "20/20 vision" being the clearest, and I couldn't help but chuckle. I sort of think we ought to get rid of that "20/20" phrase having anything at all to do with clarity, because 2020 was anything but clear. A year ago about this time, we were hearing about a virus - a virus somewhere else, someone else's virus. It belonged in other countries, and certainly it would never come HERE, and would NEVER affect us. Then the virus came, and just like that, life changed overnight. I don't remember the transition from winter to spring, or spring to summer, or summer to fall this past year. Yet, I know that each one of those seasons happened. Somehow, they came and went without much notice because the season of COVID seemed to take over, and ... View Post

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Dear New Home Owner

by Rita Macdonald

Dear new owner of my longest home ever, For the past couple of weeks, I've gone room by room, closet by closet, boxing up both the belongings I lay eyes on daily, and those with memories attached that I'd forgotten about, or hadn't seen in more than a decade. One can't help but reminisce while packing up a home where 22 years of memories have been made. I do hope you love this home as much as I still do. And I hope you make memories in it that keep you smiling for a lifetime, like mine certainly will. I was newly divorced, and unsure how I'd survive as a single mom. I worked, and worked, and worked doing medical transcription from our little mobile home, waitressing midnights every Sunday, and saved, and saved, and saved until I finally had enough money to put down on this home. ... View Post

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Cunningham Fruit Bars – Gluten Free!

by Rita Macdonald

My friend Sarah brought me some of these recently and I'm not a big blueberry fan (I actually think they are absolutely tasteless)... but hers were loaded with blueberries, and now I've fallen in love with a very TASTEFUL new fruit at the age of 57! They were amazing! Sarah's tips are - add any fruit you want, freeze them and pull em' out for a work snack, or get this.... Dip them in some egg and make french toast with them! (Totally trying this tomorrow morning) Without further adoooooo... Here ya go! CUNNINGHAM FRUIT BARS (gluten free!) Dry Ingredients: 4-1/2 cups of oats 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon a pinch of salt (pinch your child's bum too, while you're at it). Wet Ingredients: 4 ripe bananas 2 eggs 1-1/2 cups of almond ... View Post

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The Hand Shake

by Rita Macdonald

For about the past year, I've been seriously thinking about moving one week, and half seriously the next week. Then, I stop thinking about it for a month, then my sister sends me a link to a cute condo and I start half seriously looking again. It's been fun some weeks, but stressful others. Meanwhile, I've been purging, and cleaning, and sorting, and purging some more so that when the day comes and I decide to relocate, I can both sell and move quickly. Lo and behold, I fell in love with a darling little condo that was ready to be moved into, and so listing mine immediately was easy peezy! Practically, all I had to do was make my bed and vacuum. I was ready. I sold my home of 22 years in 48 hours and began to fill boxes. Meanwhile, I was negotiating back and forth with the ... View Post

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Surrounded By COVID, and….

by Rita Macdonald

I spent my summer writing a memoir of my COVID nursing in the Medical ICU. I love the cover of my book, and I love the title. You should read it. Surrounded by COVID, Sustained by Grace! And I was! I was surrounded by COVID in the ICU! And I continue to be, but now in a variety of different environments. I also continue to be sustained by grace. I've pondered and pondered COVID, because up until getting pretty busy with my new job as a hospice RN, I've had time! And now, well - now I'm doing an Advent devotional study with three girlfriends, and we talk often about the anticipation of Christmas, the anticipation of celebrating the birth of our Savior. Best gift ever. And all of this pondering has caused me to ponder even more! Jesus came to earth and chose to be ... View Post

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99 Years of Wisdom

by Rita Macdonald

Recently a friend of mine lost her husband of 34 years. Because of COVID and work and, well just 2020 in general, I was unable to attend his funeral. Earlier this year, I had a close friend die from COVID leaving his two grown children and his wife. I was at the Memorial, but the funeral was during the thick of COVID, and it was not possible to attend. Family only. It's my custom to wait a few weeks, and then send a card or make a call. I know that weeks after all of the news and activity, oftentimes that's when the reality of the loss hits, and the most lonesome days and nights become difficult, so that's when I like to reach out. As always, and probably like everyone else, I often hold the pen in my hand and stare at the card, right? I mean - what do you say? May the ... View Post

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Not Just Joy – GREAT Joy!

by Rita Macdonald

Usually just about this time of year, my excitement about the upcoming holidays begins to fade. I get a little down, and I can't wait for the new year to come - but not this year! And that's odd because, duh.... COVID! I've witnessed a lot of people die this year from COVID, both my patients and my friends. Then I blew my knee out and ended up having to retire from the job I loved in the ICU. I had to say goodbye to the friends I'd had there for many, many, many years. I had to rely on the help of family and friends during my recovery, and some of that was rather humiliating. Then I had to find a new job, and had to learn so many new things, and get to know so many new people, and then COVID came back, and...... Well, it's been quite a year - for you too, I'm sure. Can you ... View Post

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