The tablecloth on my kitchen table is not changed very often anymore because there is rarely a meal served on it. It stays quite clean! I eat alone now and admit - I often sit on the couch with my plate in my lap! But today I did sit here, writing out a few cards to send in the mail. The summer is coming to an end, and the temperature is dropping just enough to shut the air conditioner off. The road construction is finished, so dust is not flying in the windows and the obnoxious sound of cement mixers is not drowning out my thoughts. The doors and windows are open, and dinner is on the stove. I can hear the sounds of lawn mowers cutting grass. That sound always makes it feel like dinner time. Dad always came home and cut the grass after dinner. Sometimes after he cut the ... View Post
Reflections on Nursing
I was reminded yesterday that 10 years ago even after finishing my nursing program years ago, at age 43, my nursing career "journey" just began. (I thought I was old ) LOL Over the past 24 hours, I've laughed about that with one friend, talked seriously about it with another, and gone to a 2-hour meeting where nursing morale was discussed at length..... I have thought A LOT about the past 10 years since yesterday, and a few other things lately..... both nursing career wise, and also concerning my heart .... Here comes my best attempt at condensing it.... When I worked full time in the ICU, it was HARD WORK. I started there - it was my first nursing job, and it was TOUGH in so many ways! I remember so many people - the help they gave me and examples ... View Post
Claudette’s Zucchini Bread
Ingredients: 1 cup of walnuts, 4 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup oil, 3-1/2 cups flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 cups grated zucchini, 1 cup raisins (optional), and a teaspoon of vanilla. Beat the living daylights out of the eggs, sugar, and oil. Then, combine the dry ingredients and add to the beaten egg mixture, alternating with zucchini, nuts, raisins, and vanilla. Use 2 greased and lightly floured loaf pans. Add ¾ mixture to each loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 55 minutes, until you test for doneness with a tooth pick. Let loaves cool for 10 minutes and turn onto wire rack to cool. ... View Post
A Glimpse of Grace
Just a short blog with a few of my thoughts about grace I've jotted down while only a couple of chapters into the following book - I Am N: Inspiring Stories of Christians Facing Islamic Extremists: If I prefer not to be around anyone who believes differently than me........ how can I possibly realize the beauty of the Gospel? How can I fulfill the great commission? Or be salt and light in a dark world? Reflect Christ to a lost and dying world? How can I pick and choose who I feel deserves my donations? Or believe others are worth less than me, and still expect to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant?" How can I preach grace when I myself, am unwilling to give it freely to those I believe do not deserve it? I can't. The truth is, that anyone who has truly received ... View Post
Whose Lives Matter Most? (Ask a Soldier! Ask a Nurse!)
I am too tired to write this blog, but, I'm also too fired up emotionally not to. So, here goes. Benadryl is what it is going to take to get me to fall asleep. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is outside lighting off fireworks because it's the 4th of July. I can't help but wonder - Do they really understand what they are celebrating? Or was this just another day off or one more three-day weekend? Don't get me wrong. I love having days off, I love three-day weekends, and I love spending time with those I love. So, why am I fired up??? I went to work today at 6 a.m., and I cared for approximately 18 patients during my 12-hour shift, each with his own television. I have over and over all day long heard about terrorist attacks abroad, hate crimes in the United States, accusations by ... View Post
A Good, Good Father
There are two times a year when I know a significant someone will call me. My sweet cousin Beth calls me every January 11 to let me know she is thinking about me on the date my daughter died. And, every year on Father's Day my old pal Ron calls. He always insists that I had filled the roles of both mother and father as a single parent of my two sons. Now that my sons are grown up and moved out, one with a family of his own, and the other in Bible College in Chicago - I realize more than ever that I never really was a "father." Moms can't be Dads. They can't; and any child raised by one parent can tell you that. I was simply a Mom with twice as much responsibility. But a Dad? No, I was not a Dad. My sons had an incredible grandfather, who in the absence of any real male ... View Post
Distractions, Distractions!
The second treadmill from the left was the only one open. I jumped on it before anyone else had the chance. It was the perfect spot, too - because I could only be distracted by 6 of the 12 large screen televisions, each playing a different channel. Several choices for the next hour's entertainment were in front of me. But I had already chosen what I was going to spend my hour listening to. With my earphones in, I tuned into the latest sermon of the day. I listened to the preacher as he began teaching on Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Somewhere about 3 ... View Post
“Coalition” Cookies
Ingredients: One cup of flour (we use gluten-free), 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 3/4 cup shortening, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup milk, 3 cups oatmeal. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl, and mix it up! Add chocolate chips. How much? In the words of Ruth, "That's not enough. Add more. Now add a little more." (In other words, add to taste??) They are yummy! ... View Post