Back when my 30-year-old son, Rory, was a 2-year-old Rory, he would say goodbye like this, "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....." and then a quick, "SEE YA!" He would hold his awwwwwww sooo long that he couldn't help but giggle halfway through it. We all loved that so much. Rory's extended "awwwww" is how I feel about the summer coming to an end. I don't want it to, but mostly because I can't stand driving in those snowy winter months. I-94 is bad enough in the summer. Add snow and ice to the mix, and .... well, I can't wait till that's over. Speaking of I-94, I have a 27.9 mile ride to work every day, and then 27.9 miles home. That drive is roughly 45 to 50 minutes, and it seems like each week, I try to dream up some new way to schedule all that I need to get ... View Post
Talking With A Mouthful
Tonight I ate scrambled eggs, sausage, and cinnamon raisin toast for dinner. And I know that my Mum taught me not to talk with a mouthful, but... I did! I talked with a mouthful! Doesn't everyone have that one friend who, there's NO WAY possible to catch up on all that you have to catch up with, over just one dinner? That's my friend Robin. I don't see her frequently. I sure wish I could, but we're both in seasons of life that just don't make that possible. So we pick up easily right where we left off the last time, and tonight that's just what we did! And we always laugh about having so much to catch up on, that we just have to talk and eat at the same time, or we just might be there so long that we close the place! But we actually ended up doing both! Work, home, ... View Post
Confessions of a Registered Nurse
Well, hi there! How are you today? How are things going? Are you feeling well? Eating enough? Taking in enough fluids? And, how are your chemotherapy treatments going? Just a few of the many usual, impersonal (and invasive) questions I must ask my patients within ear shot of several other patients. Some answers are short, sweet, and to the point. Some people just want a blanket, a pillow, and a closed curtain - some alone time to nap, and to be away from the world for a few hours. And that is O.K.! But then there are others. And this week, I think I met all of the others... "How am I? How am I? I'm an emotional mess!" followed by some forced, quiet laughter. "I'm leaving later this week to drive my son across the country for four years of college. He's my only child. I ... View Post
Sweet and Sneaky Friends
My community is currently under a "boil water" restriction, which was only supposed to last for a day or two, but today's already day five, and apparently this might last up to two weeks they say. We even made Fox News! A water main break over the weekend the culprit, we're now narrowed down from a few surrounding communities to just mine - and it's really not that big of a deal, because I've got enough bottled water for a few days, and take my empty bottles to work and fill them to return home. I make my oatmeal with bottled water in the morning, use paper plates, bowls, silverware, and cups, and if I feel like it, I can just go eat somewhere outside of my zip code. And you know what they say - This too shall pass! Tonight, however, my friend Sharon invited me to dinner at her home ... View Post
Counting Traffic Lights
A few weeks ago, I drove through my old childhood neighborhood, and went around the block reminiscing and remembering old friends and good times. I have so many good memories! I drove past Hosanna Tabor Church where my friends and I would practice hitting tennis balls against the brick side of the building, and then past Michelle's house where we would lay on the cement driveway for hours each day in the summer, smothered in baby oil trying to "catch a tan!" I drove down Elmira Road and laughed at how short a distance it actually was between our garage and Atkinson's garage, facing each other on opposite sides of the street. As kids, those garage doors served as hockey goal nets for my brother Larry and all of the neighborhood boys. The front lawn of our house on Hemingway was the ... View Post
Turning that July Page
Turning the page in your calendar to a nice clean month with empty boxes... Am I the only person who enjoys this? I can't be. July's been another month of all of my plans canceled. I missed a retirement party, a farewell party, the Lavender Festival, Brynn's family BBQ, dinner with Danielle, and a week's worth of work, just for starters. It was more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants month! I had a Gross Pointe Starbucks coffee date with Jennifer, along with a short blogging tutorial because my blog was updated beyond my technical abilities. What a sweet gal! There was a last minute Friday night dinner at the Chamberlains, a full day with Holly & the kiddos, finished a couple of books and started a new one that I'm savoring slowly, walked a lot of laps around my quiet ... View Post
Talk To Strangers
"Hi, I'm Rita, and I'm going to be your nurse today!" That's how I greeted my last patient of the day, who sat for 10 minutes watching me run around before I finally made it over to introduce myself. "Oh, I've been watching you! I can tell you love your job!" she said. But in my head all I could think was, "We're in the middle of our JACHO inspection! How did you mistake my fear and nervousness for a love of my job?" But the truth is, I do love my job. But yesterday? Yesterday I spent most of the day praying I would not be the chosen one for inspectors to follow around. (Every healthcare worker across the country "gets it!") This incredibly sweet lady went on to tell me that she too, loved her career. She ran a latchkey program in the inner city. She stays in touch with many ... View Post
The End of Summer
Forty-two (42). That's how many days are left of summer, and if you're from Michigan, or probably anywhere in the Midwest, the thought of how fast time flies comes to mind quickly. We plant flowers and head to the Great Lakes as quickly and as often as we can, because the warm sunny months don't last very long before that white stuff starts falling from the sky. I can't say the word because I'm not ready for it yet. I was looking forward to so many things this summer - beginning with the trip I share with my two girlfriends each June. But, health issues... I also had a trip planned to visit some friends about five hours away, but... had an accident, tore my rotator cuff, and spent the evening in the ER. Plans canceled. It had been three years since I'd made it to the Lavender ... View Post