Peanut Butter Snack Mix

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons peanut butter

4 cups Chex cereal (assorted wheat and corn)

2 cups mini pretzels

1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Preheat over to 175F

Combine honey, butter and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat until smooth. Combine cereal, pretzels and peanuts in a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixtures and toss to coat. Spread on baking sheet and bake 1 1/2 hours. Makes 6 cups

Per 3/4 cup serving; 270 calories. 11 g fat, 10 mg chol, 7 g prot, 40g carbs, 4 g fiber 530 g sodium

This has heart-healthy monounsaturated fats in the peanuts and peanut butter, and fiber in the cereal which makes this a more nutritious snack. I made some this week and it was delicious. My granddaughter loves it!

Thursday Thirteen #2

Thirteen places that I have visited

1. When I was 15 years old, my mother, youngest brother, and I drove to Texas to see my sister. She had gotten married the year before and moved there with her husband. The thing I most remember about this trip was (besides it being my first time out of the state of Kansas) my mom getting stopped by a highway patrolman for speeding.

2. My mom and step-father and I took a sort of vacation/moving trip to Newport News, Virginia in 1970. My ex-husband was stationed in the Navy there and the ship was in port for three months so they packed me up and left me there.

3. Our trip through the Smokey Mountains....I most remember stopping along the side of road to see a mother black bear with three little cubs. What a site!

4. One summer (in fact the last summer we were together) my ex-husband and I drove to California to see his brother and stopped in Las Vegas, Nevada to see my aunt. Now what a site that was for this little naive girl from Kansas.

5. Oh how I fondly remember Kissamee, Florida and sunbathed by the poin February. We left Kansas in a snowstorm ol in Kissamee the next day. Ahhhhhhhhh

6. Cancun, Mexico....those beaches are still calling my name.

7. Chicago, Illinois.....the first time I had ever seen a big city "close up and personal". We put the car in a parking garage and either walked or took the bus to see everything. How I love The Windy City.

8. Australia, From Sydney to The Outback and down the coast to Brisbane....What a fantastic trip that was....kangaroos hopping in fields like we have cattle in Kansas, Ayers Rock, 2000 Olympic...boomerangs..many many fond Memories of Australia.

9. Bangkok, Thailand....stayed here for 3 days in the most awesome hotel I have ever stayed in , lived like the rich and famous in a 3 room suite. Hard to get out to see the city when you have accommodations like that.

10. Singapore...cleanest place I have ever been in my life...did you know it is against the law to chew gun in Singapore?

11. Every other year while my boys were growing up we vacation at San Isabel National Forrest in Colorado...my current husband's family had a cabin there...no running water, no indoor toilet, a wood cook stove...notice I said every other year...I could not vacation like that every year. But the husband and the boys loved it!

12. Venezuela....a four-wheel jeep ride along the coastline. My first experience with swimming with big waves in the ocean...and a tour guide named George who knew no English except to sing along with The Oldies...

13. Panama Canal.....we cruised through on The Royal Princess Ship...what a site this was to see.

These are just a few of the places I have visited...I might have to do another list like this to get in more.....

A Tuesday Quote

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.
— Thornton Wilder

My Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The AnyHow Meme


1.. Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after the rain? I always look for the rainbow after the rain...That is what is so wonderful about rain..without we would never have a rainbow!
2. If you have a dream come true, what would it be? My dream would be all about my oldest son getting better and rejoining our family.
3. Do you believe in eternity love? No....I don't really think that I do. Love takes a lot of work!
4. What feeling do you love most? Happiness is the feeling that I love the most...I am always seeking it.
5. What feeling do you hate the most? I hate feeling angry the most.
6. Do you cherish every single friendship of yours? Yes and this year I have lost 2 of my closest friends so you just never know..
7. Do you believe in God? I believe there is a God!

8. Who cares for you most? I think God probably does.
9. What do you think is the most important thing in your life? The most important thing in my life is my family.
10. What emotion do you like to show? Happiness
11. If you have something troubling you, what do you do? Stew and worry about it.
12. Who do you admire most? I most admired my mother She raised 5 kids all alone in a time when being a single parent was not the norm.
13. Who did you last chat with in a chat room? I have never chatted in a chat room.
14. What kind of person do you think the one we stole this meme from is? I have no idea
15. What color did you use to dye your hair? I still dye my hair brown...
16. Why are you doing this meme? Something to do!
17. What do you do when you're moody? Bitch or cry
18. At which age do you wish to or did you, get married? I got married the first time at age 18 and that was way way way too young
19. If today is the last day of your life, what will you do? Call my family and gather them around so I could tell them how much I loved them.
20. Who is the person you trust the most? Myself!!!!!
21. Last time you smiled? About 20 minutes ago, while my granddaughter was still here.
22. What are you listening to right now? Peaceful silence
23. Who was the last person you saw in your dream? I do not remember
24. Are you talking to someone while doing this? Myself
25. Do you walk with your eyes open or closed? open, most of the time
26. Is there a quote you live by? The "do unto others" quote
27. Do you want someone you cannot have? Nope
28. Who always makes you laugh? My granddaughter
29. What was the worst idea you've had this week? Hmmmmmmmmmm....can't think of one
30. Do you speak another language other than English? Some Spanish

Remember my recent post about flu shots?

Miss Beatrice, The church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.

One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea. As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a cute glass bowl Sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom! When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat.

The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist. 'Miss Beatrice', he said, 'I wonder if you would tell me about this?' Pointing to the bowl. 'Oh, yes,' she replied, 'Isn't it wonderful? I was walking through the Park a few months ago and I found this little package On the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven't had the flu All winter.'

Now isn't that a hoot?

Saturday Nine

Saturday 9: The Best of What's Around





1. What's the best new website you've found? This is just too hard to answer as I find a new favorite website every single day that I am on the computer....


2. What's the best movie you've seen? I am not a big movie watcher and I really don't have a favorite


3. What's the best quote you know? The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. Dolly Parton



4. What's the best book you've read? I have recently become a big fan of Jodi Picoult...My Sister's Keeper is one of my favorites of hers


5. What's the best thing someones done for you? My dear husband came into my life more than 30 years ago and decided that he would help me raise my two sons....need I say more?


6. What's the best thing about your job? The best thing about my job is my residents....I love them like they were family members.


7. What’s the best CD you own? I don't just have one favorite.....my newest favorite is a Bret Michaels CD


8. What’s the best new TV show you watch? CSI Miami


9. What’s the best car you’ve owned? The car I own right now....2001 Oldsmobile Aurora with heated leather seats...

Happy Birthday Justin

My youngest son was in town last night and we went to his favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate his 33rd birthday which just passed. After dinner they brought him a huge ice cream dessert and sang Happy Birthday (in Spanish) and then put the dessert right in his face. His daughter, Paige, thought this was wonderful....she had celebrated her birthday there in May. They take your picture, you sign it, and they put it on their picture wall.

Something that gave me reason to pause today

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2007
Scenario 1: Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged them with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3: Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students
1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6: Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007- ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy .

Think about it!! Have we become a nation of people who are OVER-REACTING?

Putting out a kitchen Fire

OMG....why you should never throw water on a grease fire....

Flu Shots

I work in a nursing home. We just finished giving all of the residents their flu shots. Quite a job also, as we have 120 residents, and our policy is to monitor their temperatures every 8 hours for 24 hours after giving the injection and then filling out a form that documents all of this which then goes into their chart. Now the question is:
Should I take the flu vaccine myself? I know this sounds like a dumb question for a nurse to ask, but in 25 years of nursing, I have never taken it. Last year I had the flu (undiagnosed by a doctor, but nevertheless it was the flu) and I sure don't want to be that sick again.....but I just can't make up my mind if I should take the shot or not.....What do you think?

Sometimes I feel this way

The Rainy Day

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,

But at every gust the dead leaves fall,

And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,

But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,

And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.

Who is a Blogger?

Well that is a question if I had been asked a year ago I would have said "A what?" My "A" daughter, Heather had sent me the link to a blog that her sister-in-law writes, M&M Farm Life,
some time ago and I looked it over and it looked like a diary about her life. And then Heather started her own blog, My Heavinly Stampations, about her stamping business as well as her family life.....and I thought to myself "I need to do this" So therefore the birth of Paula's Place. But that is not all that happened. I started to read other blogs. And to learn how to search out blogs that interested me. And Wow! There are simply millions of people out there who blog. And they are from all parts of the world. And they blog about everything and anything. I have gone on travels with some while reading their blogs and it has been fascinating. I have cried over some of the posts that I have read. And I have laughed out loud at some. I have peeked into people's mental health issues...their physical health problems....their loves and their losses. I have discussed politics with some (politely of course) and just simple little comments about their blog sites. I discovered MEMEs and these make my blogging easier as well as fun. And I have met others who enjoy the memes. So to answer my own question about Who is a Blogger? I think everyone is the world is a blogger or can be if they try.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Meme About Memes & Blogging
How do you feel about being tagged for memes? I am afraid that I don't know what that means.

Do you participate in any regular weekly memes? Which ones? Yes I do... Saturday 9; Wednesday Weirdness; Friday Fill-ins and of course Sunday Stealing.

Have you found any bloggers that you began to read regularly after participating in a meme with them? Yes I have..

Do you know of any readers who found you through a meme and became regular readers? None that I know of

Did you find any favorite blogs through comments or blogrolls on others’ blogs? Yes many of them that I read...that is how I found them

Did you find any favorite blogs from someone else’s recommendation? Yes I have....

If you comment on someone’s blog, do you expect a response? I am so new to blogging that I am not sure yet what I expect. I love it when someone has responded on my blog though.

If so, do you prefer that response to come through an e-mail, a comment from them on the same post, or a a comment on your blog? I don't know how to answer this yet...

Do you ever struggle with your blogging “voice”? I feel like I am getting better. I love to write and express myself. Sometimes the computer frustrates me because there is so much about it that I can't figure out yet. But right now my blogging voice is pretty much the way that I really am. I will say it like I see it

Are there certain types of blogs that attract you? So far I have found that there are certain "homey" types of blogs that I like. And being a nurse, I do like the medical things (to a point) But I just love reading about other peoples thoughts and ideas and lives

Are there certain types of blogs that repel you? Haven't found any yet that do

What time of day do you usually blog? I work the 2-10 pm. shift so usually around midnight

Do your family and friends know about your blog? my husband and my "adopted" daughter do.

Do they read it? Heather does.

Do they mind if you mention them? I haven't asked them

Sometimes I think being a nurse sucks!!!

Wow....work this evening was one of those days that I wonder why I go to work. Things were going pretty good...until I walked in the door.!First thing I did was check out the day sheet. This is where each unit lists who is working that day. We have 6 units in our home. Two on the upper floor; two on the lower floor; and two off to the side. Usual staffing for my shift/and my area is one nurse and two aides. On the other units it is usually one nurse and three aides. NOT TODAY! The two units off to the side of us were okay. But the top floor where I work..my unit had me, an aide on light-duty; and another aide. On the opposite end of the hall (North) there was no nurse; one CMA (an aide who can pass medications) and two aides. So that meant I was their nurse too.....and I am asking myself WHAT THE HECK DOES LIGHT DUTY MEAN? Also, looking ahead, I checked the night shift schedule...WHAT????? NO NURSES SCHEDULED? I called the ADON (second in command) and asked, first of all, "Is there really no nurses coming in on night shift?" She had the nerve to ask me why that mattered to me. Well it matters to me because if I am not relieved by at least one licensed nurse, then I can't leave. She assured me that there would be one nurse coming in for the night shift and one of the managers (ha! ha!) was coming in to work in her office and would be there is there is any emergencies. This is a 124 bed skilled nursing facility. One nurse to cover all of this and one nurse for emergencies! Are they crazy? The evening itself went pretty well. I had a couple of fires (not real fires, but problems) to put out that should have been taken care of by the day shift but for the most part it was okay. Around 9 p.m. the nurse (the one and only working nurse that is) calls to ask if she is still the only nurse on the schedule. Well I had been told not to tell her that the supervising nurse would be here but was going to be in her office and only would assist with emergencies(they said she could find that out when she got here) but beings that we nurses stick together I let her in on the little secret. When she came to work, after I had given her report, counted the narcotics, and ready to check out she told me that at midnight she was going home sick. She said it is about time "they" (meaning management) find out what we go through when there is not enough nurses working.....I left as quickly as possible. Before the sh** hit the fan...Wonder what is happening there right now

Saturday Nine

Saturday 9: You Wear It Well

1. What are your favorite shoes? My favorite shoes are my 15 year old Birkenstock sandles

2. What does your favorite shirt or blouse look like? I don't have one favorite but I like big t-shirts.

3. What does your favorite tee shirt say on it? FBI

4. Do you think you look better in casual or business attire? I'm a nurse so I never wear business attire....

5. What do you sleep in? I sleep in a t-shirt and shorts.

6. Do you wear expensive sneakers? No I never wear sneakers.

7. What is your favorite hat? I never wear a hat.

8. Your preference for men: Boxers or briefs? Doesn't matter to me what they wear.

9. Your preference for women: Suits or dresses I never wear either but I would prefer dresses.

This is The Book I am currently reading

Two sisters who shared everything. One unforgivable moment. And a second chance…There’s something to talk about in every chapter of Elizabeth Joy Arnold’s poignant, insightful debut novel—the perfect summer read for all those who loved Elisabeth Robinson’s The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters, Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters, and Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper.Once, Kerry and Eve Barnard did everything together: sailing the Block Island harbor with their father, listening to their neighbor Justin’s magical fairy tales, and all the while longing for their absent mother. They were twin girls arm in arm, secrets entwined between two hearts. Until the summer of their seventeenth birthday, when their extraordinary bond was shattered. And thirteen years later, it will take all the courage they can summon to put the pieces back together—at a time when it matters most.…

Friday's Quote

It is sad to grow old but nice to ripen. Brigitte Bardot

Closer to a choice?????

Well, I listened to part of the debate last night while at work. And I am no closer to deciding who I am going to vote for than I was. I love to hear Obama speak. He is so smooth. So articulate. But can we trust him? What about his Muslim background? That haunts me. Coould he have been prepped for this role all of his life? Is there a cover-up that hasn't yet been found? And what about his wife? Did she really never feel proud of America until her husband became a canidate for president? And will he tax us too much? Oh so many questions that I still don't have the answer too. Now about McCain....he seems okay, but I am worried about his age. Being the president of the United States is hard on a man. (Look how much George Bush aged in 8 years; look at Bill Clinton). And I just do not think that I want Sarah Palin as the president if something (God forbid) would happen to McCain. And we have had a Republican in the White House for 8 years and the country is in the worst shape that it has ever been in. Oh...what to do! Oh...what to do!

Thursday's Quote

Wine should be taken in small doses; knowledge in large ones.
-Chinese proverb

Nursing Enters a New Era

I read this article recently in My copy of Nurse Week ..September/October 2008 and I found it to be so true.







Would you wear a thong to work under your nursing uniform? I don’t even own a thong, and my cellulite doesn’t want to be anywhere near one. But apparently some members of Generations X and Y slip on thongs as unassumingly as I don my Hanes or Jockey briefs.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only baby boomer who was surprised to learn at the spring meeting of the Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses (MARN) that more than one nurse manager have had to tell their Generations X and Y staff members that thongs are not appropriate in the work setting.

The discussion about thongs and other, more significant differences between the generations arose after Barbara B. Stabile, RN, MS, the nurse manager of labor and delivery at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Boston, gave a session on leading a multigenerational team of nurses.

When I was a young nurse in the late 1970s, most of my fellow staff members also were in their 20s. Head nurses and supervisors might have been women our mothers’ ages, but were often younger. And women who were old enough to be grandmothers just didn’t work back then, or at least not in a hospital setting.

Now for the first time in the profession’s history, four generations of nurses ranging in age from the early 20s to 70s and beyond are working side by side.

Stabile told the nurses attending the MARN conference that today’s generations of RNs break down into four categories:

• Mature nurses, or nurses who are 63 or older, who also are referred to as veterans, traditionals, or Schwarzkopf, and comprise 9% of employed RNs

• Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, who represent 47% of employed RNs and 46% of RNs working in hospitals

• Generation X, called Gen Xers who were born between 1963 and 1980 and represent 42% of the RN workforce

• Generation Y, known as Gen Y, Millennials, or Nexters, were born between 1980 and 2000 and represent only 2% of the RN workforce

Not surprisingly, rifts can occur between nurses if they do not acknowledge they view the world and the work setting differently. Each generation of nurses has been imprinted by the history of the era in which they were born and raised. As a result, they think and work differently and have different abilities. For example, matures value authority, loyalty, and sacrifice.

Boomers were defined by their individualism, self-improvement, and high expectations. Gen Xers want a balance between their work and personal lives, are entrepreneurial, and expect leaders to earn their respect. Gen Yers embrace multiculturalism, optimism, and technology, and they want to contribute to society.

Some of the differences Stabile has seen in her own staff include the fact that Generation Xers don’t like the tendency of baby boomers to hold meetings. Boomers want to talk about strategies before taking action. But Gen Xers would rather just do and have less discussion. And Generations X and Y, of course, grew up with technology and are not hesitant to use it.

Of course the people who benefit the most from our differences and our strengths are our patients. How fortunate for them to have nurses caring for them who have 20 or 30 years experience under their belts, who are able to use the latest technology to prevent errors, and who are willing to challenge authority and act as patient advocates.

That’s what really counts, not what type of underwear we are wearing under our uniforms.

Janet Boivin, RN, is Editorial Director of the New England edition of Nursing Spectrum.

In Memory of My Baby Girl

Today, October 14, 34 years ago I gave birth to my little angel Elaine. She was stillborn after 9 months and 3 weeks of pregnancy. She was the second child born to my ex-husband and me. Our first, a son, Danny was 3 years old and really looking forward to a new baby brother or sister at our house. I wasn't happy at the thought of being pregnant, you see, because the father and I had a terrible relationship and had planned on divorcing when I found out that I was expecting. But for the sake of the new baby we stayed together. Somewhere along the way I started to feel as if this baby would never come home with us. I do not know why I felt this way; my "dear" ex used to say that I said that just to be mean to him. But deep in my heart I felt that God was preparing me for that fact. I went to the hospital late on the eveining of October 13 with contractions about 5 minutes apart. At the hospital, during my check-in examination the nurse could not find the baby's heartbeat. After a period of time a test was preformed and I was informed that the baby had died. I now needed to deliver her. At that time I could not understand why they did not whisk me away to an operating room and do a C-section. In the early morning hours of October 14 my precious little girl was born. That many years ago at this hospital they did not deal with a stillbirth the way they do now. The baby was whisked away to the morgue and I was taken away to a room far down the hall.....but I could still hear the babies crying as they were carried to their mothers. I was numb. I could not grieve. I needed to see this little girl that I would never take home. After one day of recovery I checked myself out of the hospital (against my doctors medical advice) and took myself to the funeral home where my little darling was being kept. She lay so perfectly formed in a beautiful little white casket dressed in the beautiful Christening gown that my mother had gotten for her. Her skin color was very dark and she had very dark, curly hair. She looked very peacful. Now 34 years later I have come to terms with the loss and know that waiting for me in Heaven is a perfect little Angel.....Birthday Blessings to you Elaine.

Our 2008 Halloween Decorations

My husband loves to decorate in the front yard for Halloween. Several years ago he bought the pumpkin and last year the scarecrow. I kid him about them being "White trash" (mean no harm to anyone) decorations but he loves putting them up for the grandkids. And believe me they love them...

Sunday Stealing: The "Sometimes" Meme

The "Sometimes" Meme: All you have to do is finish the sentence...

Sometimes I just need: Someone who really hears what I am saying

Sometimes I want:To run away from home

Sometimes I like to: Be by myself

Sometimes all it takes: Is a smile :)

Sometimes I picture: myself lying on a beach in a faraway place

Sometimes I wish: I had lots of money

Sometimes I find: myself crying for no reason at all

Sometimes I take: people that I love for granted

Sometimes I look:FAT!!!!

Sometimes I hate: myself

Sometimes it’s nice: To have family call

Sometimes it hurts: when people have taken what I said wrong

Sometimes it makes me happy: to spend the day with my grandkids

Sometimes it’s sad: when I don't know what is going on with my kids

Sometimes I listen: to rock music

Sometimes I sleep: very little

Sometimes I like to watch: Dog the Bounty Hunter on TV

Sometimes I feel: giggly

Sometimes I rant: about the littlest of things

Sometimes I never: succeed at dieting

Sometimes I really:like myself

The Children's Hour

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,

Comes a pause in the days occupations,
That is known as the children's hour.

I hear in the chamber above me,
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stairs,
Brave Alice and laughing Alegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence,
Yet I know by their merry eyes,
They are plotting and planning together,
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall,
By a door that is left unguarded,
They enter my castle wall.

They climb up into my turret,
O'er the arms and the back of my chair,
If I try to escape, they surround me,
They seem to be every where.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Binger,
In his mouse tower on the Rhine.

Do you think, O blue eyed bandit!
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old moustache as I am,
Is not a match for you all?

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeons,
In the round tower of my heart.

And there I will keep you forever,
Yes forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to mush,
And smoulder in dust away.
Henry W. Longfellow

Whatever Became of Nanne

I recently posted a picture of my friend Nanne and her husband. Let me tell you about Nanne....I met her at a time in my life when things were really bad for my family. We had been batteling the news of our oldest son's drug addiction. He was always the best kid growing up and never gave us much concern so imagine my surprise to discover that he was a drug addict. I had been sticking my head in the sand for years and denying that he could really have a problem when he was arrested and his kids were taken by the state and placed with us. It was after this that I met Nanne. She came to work at the same hospital where I was working. She was a traveling nurse and was going to stay with us for awhile. My first impression of her was "how in the world am I going to work with this woman" She was southern, (with an annoying southern accent), loud; and a know it all. These are all things I really don't like in a person. So needless to say we got off to a rocky start. But one night she asked me to go outside with her to smoke a cigarette. I myself had quit smoking a few years prior but needed a break from the floor. We were working the midnight shift on a busy med-surg 23 bed unit. So I went outside with her. She proceeded to ask me "What the hell is your problem?" Wow this took me by surprise. And I had been under so much stress lately that I just unloaded on her about all my problems and especially about my son's drug addiction. That is when she shared with me that she was a recovering drug addict herself. She had lost her nursing license twice in the past due to a Demerol addiction. She had so much advice as well as empathy for my problems that I just latched on to her. Not too long after her job as a travel nurse in my hospital ended and she and Gary, her husband moved on to Steamboat Spring, Colorado. On our next vacation, Richard, my husband, and I headed to Steamboat Springs to spend time with Nanne and Gary. We talked often on the phone and I always felt better after one of our long phone conversations. Eventually Nanne and Gary took a job in Montana and lived in a motel type apartment at the opening of Glacier National Park. In February of 2004 Richard and I headed to Montana to spend some time with them. We flew and they met us at the airport. It was a sweet reunion and we talked most of the night.....A few days into this visit we decided to drive into the mountains and view all the beauty that comes to Montana in the winter. I have never in my life seen snow this deep. At one place along the side of the road they were some really pretty icicles; pink, green, blue; I had never seen anything quite like this so I talked Gary into stopping so we could take some pictures and see what made the ice and snow such pretty colors.Me, being the nosey person that I am, had to get closer. Beautiful! On my way back to the jeep I stepped over the snow drift, my left leg slid out from under me, my right leg twisted and sunk into the snow and with a loud snapping (well it was loud to me) down I went. I cried out (really loudly I am told) "I've broke my leg". Richard didn't believe that could be so and told me so "Paula get up" Well you see here dear I can't get up because, didn't you hear me, I've broken my leg.....They got me into the jeep and a wild ride out of the mountains landed us at Kalispell Regional Medical Center where sure enough I had broken my leg...badly...in four places. Now this created a three day hospital stay with surgery that placed three screws and a titanium rod into my leg. We flew home where it took me 4 long months to recover. But this just tied us even closer to our dear friends Nanne and Gary. Nanne was just a phone call away when Richard went through his open-heart surgery later that year; then followeed with carotid surgery the next year. We traveled twice again to see them in New Mexico while they were there. Then last year on New Year's Eve she called me from her twin sister Anne's home in Mississipi. Gary and she had driven there to see her father; now in a nursing home. All was fine except she told me she was having some problems breathing due to not taking her Lasix on the trip. She felt that she would be fine in a few days. The next call I received came from her sister Anne to tell me that Nanne had been taken to the hospital suffering from a massive heart attack and was on the respirator. I called and left a message on her cell phone and told her son to hold it up to her ear "Get out of that damn bed and get well so we can come see you in February".....But that wasn't God's plan. Nanne died on January 7, 2008. I have lost the best friend I ever had and I miss her every day of my life....

Nanne

You're My friend,

through good times

and bad

my friend,my buddy,

through happy and sad,

beside me you stand,

beside me you walk,

you're there to listen,

you're there to talk,

with happiness,

with smiles,

with pain and tears,

I know you'll be there,

throughout the years!

You are all good friends to me

and I am grateful to you

One of my many Loves

I love to read.....my mom used to tell people that I would read anything and everything that I could get my hands on. I remember learning how to read in the First grade. My teacher's name was Miss Boughner. She was so young and so pretty (although at the time I thought she was really, really old) But I can remember when reading first started to click for me and I had to practice everywhere I went. At home I would read the labels on the cans; going to the grocery store with mom gave me plenty of things to read. Mom had one of those giant Better Homes and Garden medical books and I used to love to "steal" it and read it when no one was looking. It used to have some of the most awesome pictures I had ever seen of pregnant women. I loved to read all about different diseases and cures. Maybe that is where my love of medicine came from and that is what eventually led me to nursing school as a vocation. (I still think it was about the money, though). I have never quit reading. Now though most of the reading I do is for enjoyment. My favorite kinds of books are mysteries or suspense. I am not really into love/romance reading, although a well written novel about love and romance is okay once in awhile. I can't stand the predictable ones where the poor heroine of the story meets the awful man who she falls in love with and he becomes her prince and they live happily ever after ie: Harlequin Romances....My favorite authors have been James patterson (love all the Alex Cross and Women's Murder Club books); Stephen King; Robin Cook, John Grisham; Dean Koontz..One of my favorite Christmas presents of all time was a couple of years ago when my youngest son Justin tied a ribbon around 4 paperback books by Joel Goldman, an author from the Kansas City area, that he had went to a book signing and had signed for me...My newest find is Jodi Picoult. Love her style. I am making my way though all of her books slowly...my favorite so far being My Sister's Keeper

My sister came today

My sister and her new man John came to see us today. She had an appointment to get her eyes examined so they came to spend the day. We went to eat at Roy's BBQ for lunch. It is one of my favorite places to eat. Yum....I had BBQ ribs and brisket with baked beans and potatoe salad. Had to get a take home box too. Then they came back here and we sat under the Gazebo outside the rest of the afternoon. She is looking so good these days. Pays to have a new man in her life I guess. My brother -in-law, Denny, died last November from lymphoma which he suffered with for 3 1/2 years. Anyhow I am really happy for her....

My Fall Collection Of Maxines

Trouble is I can't decide which mosquito I don't want biting me

Naw back to 40 is far enough for me!

I don't know a politician that doesn't lie through their teeth

No. No. Summer is what makes me happy!

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Starting a new blog

I have been thinking about starting a blog for some time now. I have a family web page where family can go and keep up with what is going on with the family but I don't really share my thoughts there. I think this is what I want to do here. I will share things that I love and things that I don't love so much. I can put up my favorite quotes that I stumble across and funny things that I find in my daily life. I can share pictures and do all other sorts of things...so stay tuned and see what appears