Job Security

I had my annual performance review with Cherona this week and recieved one of my best ever reviews! She is impressed with the way I teach nursing and told me that my students that hired on as RNs after graduation were very well prepared to work at CRH. Cherona said there was an obvious positive difference between our grads and grads from other places. That made me feel very good for that is my goal. She also said that CRH and Ivy Tech have signed another 2 year contract for my services. So, at least for 2 more years I will have a secure position-unless something unforeseen happens. In Dec 2009 I will be 60 and maybe they will sign another contract and I can retire at 62! Then I can get another full time job doing something else besides nursing. Who knows.

Christa's Graduation

Well, after the adrenalin rush (see posting) I had an uneventful trip to Hobe Sound for Christa's graduation. Memories, memories, and more memories hit me while I was there this time. It was 35 years ago this spring that I graduated from HSBC. Time flies! I enjoyed my time with family. Here are a couple of pictures-me at Juno Beach, Christa with Carson and Linda, Christa with me.

Adrenaline Rush!

Thud...look up...what was that?..continue reading...sense excitement behind me...look...crowd...did someone fall?..yes...rush over...man on the floor...ABCs come to mind...shake and shout...no response...assess breathing...yes...now feel for a pulse...barely discernable radial, little stronger carotid...has anyone called 911?...woman arrives...I'm a nurse, I know CPR...I say, He's breathing and has a pusle...then yell-AED, AED, AED!...arrives...OR nurse slaps pads on chest...turns on AED..."No shock needed"...relief...note breathing is slowing down and becoming more shallow....pulse weaker...big hands do a chin-lift/tilt...I'm a anesthesiologist...relief...he's still breathing...time passes...police arrive...wife hands anesthesiologist med list...wrong one, hers, not his...look for med list...find it...no diabetes or heart disease...man's eyes flutter...are you okay?...yes...what is your name...John...squeeze my hands...does so...move your feet up and down...no stroke signs...skin warm and dry entire time...time passess...paramedics arrive...hand off done...walk back to seat at gate...feel good about my efforts...strangers stop by...you were a good samaritan...thanks...he had the best-two nurses and one anesthesiologist...wow...board plane...fly to Florida.

Life with Father OR zzzzzzzzzzz........

No, I am not talking about my Father's sleep pattern! Although at times his snoring has been interesting. My Dad has a few visitors at his house called BUMBLE BEESzzzzzzzz. This afternoon when I came home from work there was Dad's vacuum cleaner on the front porch and he was ready to suck those BEES away! He tried that last week and sucked up a couple. One got loose in the house but eventually died of trauma on the kitchen floor before it did any damage. He wasn't content with just the vacuum cleaner today. He was in the process of bringing his step stool to the porch when I got in the living room. Nothing doing-he had to get up on it and put a COTTON BALL in the hole he thought the BEES were entering and exiting! We went back in the house with me being thankful I arrived in time to prevent a disasterous fall. Later when I looked out the window there were TWO BUMBLE BEESzzzzzz mad as they could be because that COTTON BALL was in their way! Eventually they left and went to the other side of the house. Dad was sooooo proud of himself for messing up the BEESzzzzzz routine!
I have got to start carrying my camara every where so I can catch moments like this. I haven't figured out how to download pictures from the web yet.
Good night and God bless!

My Mother Melba

My mother was loved and respected by all who knew her. From my childhood my mother had these character traits.
1. Wisdom: she discerened the differences in the personalities of her two daughters and developed us accordingly. I was the people person and my sister was the book worm. Consequently, I was allowed to do social things my sister was never interested in. For example, I was "into boys" at a much younger age and even though there was a no dating until you out of high school rule at our house I was allowed a date at 16!
2. Disciplinarian: there was none of this "wait till your Daddy gets home" mentality in our home. I was "whoopped" into shape by the time Daddy made his appearance in the evening. The death of an apple tree in our backyard testified to my mother's need to discipline me with the apple switch! Dad? "Go to your room" was his way and I hated that because I had no one to talk to! Rarely were my sister and I in there at the same time! I was the strong willed child that Dr. Dobson wrote about. Of course we had never heard of the term "strong willed child" but my Mom sure did know what stubborness looked like!
3. Encourager: she knew my personality and Mom encouraged me to be the nurse God had told her I should be. Mom always encouraged me to pursue what ever I felt God was talking to me about.
4. Godly: Oh my, could my Mom pray and get an answer from heaven! Even when I was young I knew Mom had a direct connection with God-that kept me out of a lot of trouble. It seemed not only did Mom talk with God but He also gave Mom a perception of what was going on in my life-it didn't matter where I lived-Mom knew things. Every kid needs a Mom like that.
5. Faithful: to God, country, family and friends.
Of course you know I could go on and on about Mom. but time and space is limited today.
Happy Mother's Day Mom!

I remember when...

Daddy said, "I remember when..." several times today on our trip to Columbia, KY. Here are a few.
I remember when

• Mother said there would be no one left to put flowers on the graves. (My purpose for the trip)
• Lela was afraid of the Mulder Hill after a team of horses and the wagon wrecked on the hill.
• We left at midnight from Uncle Pete's by wagon to get the train in Campbellsville.
• Paul died of broken legs and punctured lungs after drinking.
• Ransom died from drinking.
• Your Uncle Granvil brought me down to the county fair so he could see his 'woman'. He suddenly remember I was there and told me I better not tell Verilla!
• My Dad paid his brother money for land to build a house on. Dad lost the land and house because his brother never paid the man he had bought the land from.
• Dad said, "Do you think this will be my last trip to Columbia?" What do you say to that except-I don't know?
• Dad said-"Many, many thanks to you for taking me today."

These are just a few things we talked about today as we went down memory lane together. Columbia is such a pretty little town. I could live on Burton Ridge! (Highway 206 east for the less informed.)

Good night and love to all,

Lady J

Lily House Pictures

The Indianapolis Museum of Art-we used the bathroom only-art isn't our thing! Who wants art when God's handiwork is so beautiful?
My clinical group. Iusually have 10 students but God knew what He was doing we He gave me this precious group of 5. They are LPNs and working to become RNs. The two to the left of me graduated on Wednesday night and then had to do two days of clinical! Weird. The other 3 have a semester of OB-Peds to endure before they graduate in August.
Keeping Bobby cool with the paper fans!
The new man in Lady J's life! His name? Who knows!
The Lily House-the reason for the outing. Beautiful! I like it better than the Biltmore House. This place is much brighter. Of course it doesn't have an indoor pool or bowling alley either!

Lady J in action!

Monday night our church had a Mother-Daugher Tea! You know that is right down my alley. All my tea pots were used center pieces for the tables and I must say they looked very nice on the tables. Sis. Gale was my "mother" for the night. My neighbor Rhonda and her Mom Pat also went with me. Soup and salad was the menu-catered by someone the organizer knows. Great food. The highlight of the evening was the Fashion Show! I hope I can successly post some pictures without killing the blog like I did the other night. Thought I'd killed my computer too!
Here goes.

Janet is wearing a the new version of the printed dress-all the rage this season. It is even reversible

Janet loves a tea party! Her outfit is just what is needed this spring to wear to a garden party. Note her outfit is complete with the newest in the milinary field-a pill box hat!


It will be up to all to figure out how to make these pictures big enough to be enjoyed. I think you can click and drag. I guess I should have selected large rather than medium size. Hey, I feel happy that I actually got some pictures on here! I did delete all these and tried to reinsert in the large view but for some reason it didn't work. Sorry. The tea dress was made by attaching tea bags. I actually made a tea bag corsage too! The pill box hat? Dad's new box of insulin syringes worked just fine! I staped some old lace around the edge, glued and staped some feathers to the back and added a couple of small pill boxes and bottles to complete the look!

New Beginnings

It is Mysterious Marty and the lady with Views from Crandall who have challenged me to take a new step in the world of technology. Now if I can just figure all this stuff out hopefully, I will give all my family and friends something interesting to read each week. I haven't the foggiest idea what I am doing-except typing in this little square.
Yesterday my clinical group and I went on a field trip to the Lily Estate. It was stretching it a little for a direct tie in with nursing (Eli Lily Pharmaceutical Company sound familiar?) but I had to do something because all my other cool field trip places keep getting used by other faculty and by the time the students get to me they have been everywhere. Maybe next time I will arrange a visit with the Batesville Casket Company. How's that for an uplifitng thought? I have attempted to post some pictures of our trip yesterday. My students gave me a minature rose bush and a box of chocolates as a thank you gift.
Graduation was Wednesday night and pinning was today. The current president of the college is retiring and he wanted to attend ALL graduations across the state this year. It was weird having students in clinical the next two days who had already graduated! Pinning was beautiful today. Flowers are donated by the various clinical sites and I was able to bring home a beautiful geranium. It isn't your typical geranium-it looks a little bit like a rose.
This is all that has happened out of the ordinary this week. Maybe I should change my blog address to ordinarylady. We'll see about that in the future.
See ya!