I was looking at my blog profile and realized that it still said I was forty-two years old. And as good as that looked on paper (so to speak) I decided in order to be truthful I'd best change it to reflect the two birthdays I've had since I started this blog...hard to believe it has been that long. I don't feel like I'm forty-four. I remember as a kid I used to always think when you were forty you were OLD, but I really don't feel OLD. I have found that time seems to go by faster though the older I get....funny how that is.
And since I was changing things up I thought I might as well change the template to something new and add a rare picture of me in front of the camera instead of behind it taking the pictures all the time. Believe me, I always feel more comfortable behind the camera instead. I feel like my kids are always much more photogenic than me.
The picture I added was taken by Nicole when we were down in San Diego at the Christmas Festival at Balboa Park with my sister Kim. Hey Kim, we had lots of fun!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Dear Miss Manners
What is the proper etiquette for when you are in the bathroom at work and someone knocks on the door?
First of all, why are they knocking on the door? Shouldn't the first clue that someone is in there is that the door is locked? And what exactly do they want me to say? Come back later, I'm busy!?!?
I must say that there have been a couple of times that I have almost busted into the Fats Domino song "I hear you knocking but you can't come in".
First of all, why are they knocking on the door? Shouldn't the first clue that someone is in there is that the door is locked? And what exactly do they want me to say? Come back later, I'm busy!?!?
I must say that there have been a couple of times that I have almost busted into the Fats Domino song "I hear you knocking but you can't come in".
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Designing Woman
Well, I just finished another wedding dress. I didn't realize that making Cassie's wedding dress would put me back in the business.
I used to sew professionally when I lived in California and I liked it but it could be very stressful. I was glad to get my degree in nursing and start a real job, but I realize now that I have missed the creativity that comes from designing wedding dresses. This one turned out well and I think that Tarah (the neighor) is happy with it.
I've now decided to throw together an album of the dresses I've sewn so that others can see them, especially since another gal at work asked me yesterday if I could sew her wedding dress. And so the other half of the business is born.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Taking a Step Back
Who ever it was who said "You can't see the forest for the trees" had to have been a very wise person. For I have found in my life that it usually takes someone looking from the outside in who helps me understand my life better.
My most recent experience with this was when my neighbor Jen called the other day to see how I was doing and said that she had seen Braedon get off the bus and was thinking to herself how handsome he looked. She then proceeded to ask how he was doing and if he had his drivers license yet. I told her that he still didn't have his license because his grades weren't good enough. Then she asked if he had a girlfriend and I told her no. She then said that other than the grades it sounded like he was a really good kid...and you know, she is right. I guess sometimes I just get so fixated on his poor grades that I forget how good of a kid he really is.
Last night Braedon did something that drove that point home even further. I heard him call his dad and ask if there was any way he could work this weekend to earn some money. I didn't hear any more of the conversation, but later on he asked to go online to check out tuxedo rentals. He then proceeded to tell me that he had asked a girl to prom that day. When I asked "when's prom?" he told me it's the 19th which is only 11 days away. I then chastised him for waiting 'til the last minute to ask a girl....didn't he know that she would need to get a dress. That is when he told me that she already had a dress because another boy had asked her but then backed-out.
What a great kid I have!!! Here he is trying to figure out how to make enough money at the last minute so that he can take this girl to a prom so she doesn't have to miss out. He was even going so far as to hunt down his vest and he said he found a black jacket in the downstair closet that fit except the sleeves were just a little short. Other words he was trying to figure out how to go without renting a tux.
There aren't very many boys out there his age who would go to all this trouble for a girl who wasn't their "girlfriend". He has a good heart! I just need to step back more often and see him as others do!
My most recent experience with this was when my neighbor Jen called the other day to see how I was doing and said that she had seen Braedon get off the bus and was thinking to herself how handsome he looked. She then proceeded to ask how he was doing and if he had his drivers license yet. I told her that he still didn't have his license because his grades weren't good enough. Then she asked if he had a girlfriend and I told her no. She then said that other than the grades it sounded like he was a really good kid...and you know, she is right. I guess sometimes I just get so fixated on his poor grades that I forget how good of a kid he really is.
Last night Braedon did something that drove that point home even further. I heard him call his dad and ask if there was any way he could work this weekend to earn some money. I didn't hear any more of the conversation, but later on he asked to go online to check out tuxedo rentals. He then proceeded to tell me that he had asked a girl to prom that day. When I asked "when's prom?" he told me it's the 19th which is only 11 days away. I then chastised him for waiting 'til the last minute to ask a girl....didn't he know that she would need to get a dress. That is when he told me that she already had a dress because another boy had asked her but then backed-out.
What a great kid I have!!! Here he is trying to figure out how to make enough money at the last minute so that he can take this girl to a prom so she doesn't have to miss out. He was even going so far as to hunt down his vest and he said he found a black jacket in the downstair closet that fit except the sleeves were just a little short. Other words he was trying to figure out how to go without renting a tux.
There aren't very many boys out there his age who would go to all this trouble for a girl who wasn't their "girlfriend". He has a good heart! I just need to step back more often and see him as others do!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Heroes
Nicole's school this month is saluting heroes. We went to a night time assembly at the school where the principle spoke and said that they had done a survey with the students to ask who their heroes were and I was shocked to know that the general concesses was that the kids said their parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters were their heroes. I guess I thought that they might name sports figures or movie stars, but it did my heart good to hear that wasn't true.
On the same token I'm not sure I feel adequate to be my child's hero, that's a big bill to fill. But now that I know, it means that I will definitely have to think before acting. But aside from that I know that Nicole says her brothers and sister are her heroes and today she had her brother Derek come to school as her hero.She asked Derek last week if he could come because it was her week to be highlighted, but he had to work. So since Derek was off today he came early and we walked over to Nicole's school together. He wore his military fatigues and you could tell Nicole was very proud to have her brother walking with her to school because she wanted to be right by him.
Derek talked about giving service back to the Iraqi people in the form of medical care, helping them dig wells, fix buildings and other things to improve their way of life. One thing I learned is that Derek said before the U.S. came to Iraq that girls weren't allowed to go to school but that since then they have been given the opportunity. He did try to impress upon the kids how great we have it here. And in closing he did tell them that no matter what they wanted to be when they grow up that they will need a good education and so it's very important for them to study hard and learn all that they can learn.
I do know that Derek is one of my heroes. That he would give years of his life for our country and risk his own life to keep this country free and possibly bring freedom to the Iraqi people to me is beyond comprehension. I am still grateful that he returned home safely and I'm grateful for the many men and women still giving their time and even lives for this cause.
God Bless America and all of it's Heroes!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Is your Healthcare System letting you down?
I've now been awake since 3:30am with lower abdominal pain, low back pain and painful urination (not good since I didn't get to bed until midnight because I was working on a power point presentation for work). This wouldn't be so bad, but I had these same symptoms three days ago. And being in the medical profession as a registered nurse for almost twelve years now, this is very annoying.
Monday morning I woke up with these symptoms so I went to work as usual and since my doctor works in the same building I went over and asked if they could do a U/A (urine alysis) to see if I had a UTI (urinary tract infection). By late morning the results had come back that I indeed did have a UTI and needed to be placed on antibiotics. I wasn't able to fill the prescription until after work so I started on Bactrim DS 800mg that night.
Now for the frustrating part... When I picked up the prescription, I noticed that she (my doctor) had only given me a three day supply of antibiotic, but by then she was gone for the night. So the next day I thought I would check my lab results and see what the culture on the urine showed (this is the lab result which differentiates which bacteria or microorganisms are causing all my grief). To my surprise there was no culture ordered.
Now one of the first things I learned in nursing school was that when you send either blood or urine for analysis for possible infection, you always should do a C&S (culture and sensitivity) to find out what the bacteria is and what antibiotics will work best to kill it. So I discussed this with the doctor I work with and he was shocked first of all that I was place on an antibiotic for three days (rule of thumb and studies show that to be affective, you need to take the antibiotics for 7-10 days to make sure you have eliminated all the bacteria) and secondly that the urine wasn't sent for C&S.
So I wrote my doctor an email inquiring about these two things and she wrote back as quoted, "i don't see a culture either. sometimes, the lab does not reflexively do culture unless both nitrite and leuk esterase are positive. the typical treatment for uncomplicated UTI is only for 3 days. however, if you are a patient that has a more "complicated" history, then we usually extend it to 7 days. if you are concerned, i suggest we do repeat UA with culture if UA is positive after the 3 days. if it looks like the infection has not cleared, we can certainly extend the ABX to a full 7 days."
Now, I don't know about you, but the thought of having to pay for another U/A because my doctor failed to do her job by ordering a C&S the first time is a little upsetting to me! Especially with the cost of healthcare skyrocketing every day and insurance covering less and less, I'd rather use that money for other important things...like say "gasoline"!
Maybe if I were "just another patient" this wouldn't be so aggravating to me because I wouldn't know that my doctor had failed me. Maybe, for once, it would be nice to be "just another patient" and be totally in the dark. Maybe then I would still be asleep instead of ranting and raving on a blogsight at 4:00 in the morning!!!!
Monday morning I woke up with these symptoms so I went to work as usual and since my doctor works in the same building I went over and asked if they could do a U/A (urine alysis) to see if I had a UTI (urinary tract infection). By late morning the results had come back that I indeed did have a UTI and needed to be placed on antibiotics. I wasn't able to fill the prescription until after work so I started on Bactrim DS 800mg that night.
Now for the frustrating part... When I picked up the prescription, I noticed that she (my doctor) had only given me a three day supply of antibiotic, but by then she was gone for the night. So the next day I thought I would check my lab results and see what the culture on the urine showed (this is the lab result which differentiates which bacteria or microorganisms are causing all my grief). To my surprise there was no culture ordered.
Now one of the first things I learned in nursing school was that when you send either blood or urine for analysis for possible infection, you always should do a C&S (culture and sensitivity) to find out what the bacteria is and what antibiotics will work best to kill it. So I discussed this with the doctor I work with and he was shocked first of all that I was place on an antibiotic for three days (rule of thumb and studies show that to be affective, you need to take the antibiotics for 7-10 days to make sure you have eliminated all the bacteria) and secondly that the urine wasn't sent for C&S.
So I wrote my doctor an email inquiring about these two things and she wrote back as quoted, "i don't see a culture either. sometimes, the lab does not reflexively do culture unless both nitrite and leuk esterase are positive. the typical treatment for uncomplicated UTI is only for 3 days. however, if you are a patient that has a more "complicated" history, then we usually extend it to 7 days. if you are concerned, i suggest we do repeat UA with culture if UA is positive after the 3 days. if it looks like the infection has not cleared, we can certainly extend the ABX to a full 7 days."
Now, I don't know about you, but the thought of having to pay for another U/A because my doctor failed to do her job by ordering a C&S the first time is a little upsetting to me! Especially with the cost of healthcare skyrocketing every day and insurance covering less and less, I'd rather use that money for other important things...like say "gasoline"!
Maybe if I were "just another patient" this wouldn't be so aggravating to me because I wouldn't know that my doctor had failed me. Maybe, for once, it would be nice to be "just another patient" and be totally in the dark. Maybe then I would still be asleep instead of ranting and raving on a blogsight at 4:00 in the morning!!!!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Cassie's Big Day
I don't feel old but I know I'm getting older because I look at my children and they are all growing up.
Cassie got married on Saturday (this makes three out of the five) and as I watched the kids dancing with each other I was kind of sad. It seemed as if the time flew by and I'm not sure I relished every possible moment with them that I could have.
As I was making Cassie's wedding dress I kept thinking back to her growing up and how I had made her blessing dress and her baptism dress and now her wedding dress. The three most important dresses in my daughter's life. And needless to say she looked stunning on her wedding day and not because of the dress, but because she is so happy she was glowing.
She met Dan and it wasn't long after she met him that Scott (my husband) and I knew that this was the one. He made her laugh, and smile and she was so happy. Dan gave me my lovely daughter back again. She had had her share of boyfriends who treated her like crap and Scott kept telling her that if the boys didn't treat her like gold she should kick them to the curb. Now she finally has one who treats her like a princess which is what every girl deserves...I should know, because I have one who does this for me.
I love you Scott!
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