Thankful Thursday | my badge is back!
This week I am thankful:
to have my student nurse badge back
Somehow on my walk to school on Sunday, my badge fell off. I retraced my steps carefully but still couldn't find it.
BOO.
This was very unfortunate because we are doing clinicals at a facility this coming weekend, and I actually, factually need a badge for that.
I had to make several phone calls to figure out who to contact to get a new badge, and as it turns out, it's just an email address.
And honestly, I'm getting skeptical that anyone checks this email address because several days went by and no one responded to me.
BUT THEN I got a phone message from campus security saying, "We have an item of yours here."
And it was my badge! Someone found it somewhere in the parking lot and turned it in.
Phew. And amazingly enough, no one ran over it in the parking lot. My little Sally badge holder (made by one of my lab mates) was safe.
for a frosty morning
On Monday morning, it was freezing here, and I had time to drive to a trail by the water.
I was glad I went, because there was so much frosty beauty to see!
It was not the most efficient walk ever because I kept stopping to take pictures of all the interesting and beautiful little sights.
When I got home, Zoe looked at the weather and said, "Mom, you are crazy." But honestly, I enjoy a walk like this way more than I enjoy a sweltering walk in August.
that a lot of my projects for school are done
We're in the midst of a class that is mostly online work and group projects; it has not been my favorite nursing class so far.
But most of the heavy work is done now; the main thing left is making a group video by the first week of December.
that I ended up in a good group
I have had some crappy group experiences before, where not everyone pulls their weight. But everyone in my group right now is involved, willing, and responsive. Yay!
that writing is easy for me
I don't get a lot of writing assignments on the educational path I've chosen, but when I do, they are very easy for me to knock out.
Assignment-style writing is not my favorite to do (I'd rather write about whatever I wanna write about, as I do here!), but I don't have the, "OH NO NOT A WRITING ASSIGNMENT!!!" reaction that some people do.
that the end of the semester is so close
There are only three more weeks of class left before finals week, and next week is a shorter week because of Thanksgiving.
Part of me will be bummed about the break between semesters because I really do love nursing school!
But on the other hand, some things in my life are kinda falling by the wayside and I will be glad for some time to catch up before the spring semester starts.
I'm almost a quarter of the way through nursing school*. Yay me!
*if you count all my prereqs, I'm definitely more than a quarter of the way through.
for being able to squeeze in walks
My preference is to roll out of bed and go on a walk first thing, but sometimes that doesn't work out. And on those days, I'm thankful for opportunities to be flexible.
For instance, last Friday I managed to squeeze one in by working around the rain (which was on and off most of the day). I only got a little bit wet
And on Saturday, my labs got out early enough for me to squeeze in a late-day walk before the sun went down.
for how encouraging Zoe is
My little housemate is doing a good job of cheering me on. Whenever I pass something or get a test grade back, she says, "Mom, you're doing great."
And I think that's a sign of a sweet teenager. 🙂
for encouragement from all of you
The other day when I was feeling a little bit like my frugal efforts were futile, several of you pointed out that at the very least, my money-saving ways have had a positive effect on people through my blog.
And I like that way of thinking! No matter what happens during this, um, life-event-that-causes-financial-repercussions, my frugal efforts have not gone to waste because they've gone out into the world. 🙂
for a printer that uses so little ink
I had to print out a lot of paperwork for clinicals (we do all our clinical documenting on paper) and it reminded me how much I love my Canon printer!
Instead of those pricey little ink tanks, it has big ink reservoirs which you refill with bottles of ink.
Mine's a few years old, but I think this is the current version of my printer.
I feel much better about printing all this paperwork since my printer ink is so cheap!
that I'm not managing nursing school with small children
A lot of my classmates have babies/young kids and my goodness, I imagine that's gotta be very hard! I feel very thankful to not be homeschooling and to not have young kids right now.
I am thankful that my old fur baby was with us another day. I've been able to take her on a short walk each day after work and it's been lovely to see that she still wants to move, despite severe muscular atrophy.
I'm thankful that I've had the companionship of ALL my fur babies while my husband has been traveling this week. Each one fills the house with sound and silly antics that make me smile.
I'm thankful that our middle child is spending his last semester of grad school living at home. While this means he has a bit of a commute, this may be our last time to spend so much one on one time together and our conversations (when not studying) are delightful.
I'm thankful my my workplace sees me as competent. Yesterday, I was again pulled from my typical assignment and asked to do a different task. My boss was extremely apologetic and told me this choice was made because I do my job well. I've done this assignment before (with a different employer and also at my current job) and it's a pleasant one. I'm pleased that my boss recognized my strengths.
I am thankful for the beautiful fall weather and color. I thought it was not going to be a colorful fall but it did not disappoint. There are still beautiful trees and I love all the leaves on the ground, from tiny red maple leaves (so cute and beautiful) to the enormous ones we see in the woods.
I am thankful a friend that had a medical procedure a week ago is well enough to go out to lunch today. This was her second procedure in a few months time.
I am thankful for Shout Advanced laundry stain remover. I had blueberry juice on light gray joggers the other day. I applied Shout and when I washed them yesterday the stain was gone.
I am thankful for time to walk with a friend this morning. She has a busy, sandwich generation schedule, but makes time to walk with me every couple of weeks.
I am thankful another friend has had more time for me in the past few months. She was overwhelmed with responsibilities for a while but we have had a lot more time together recently. The other day we ran errands together and it was nice to spend the afternoon together.
I am thankful for kitchen appliances. Lately I have been using the Crock Pot, Instant Pot, oven, and toaster oven regularly. Of course I also appreciate the dishwasher, refrigerator, and microwave oven.
I am thankful for fall foods, like butternut squash, apples, pears, and sweet potatoes. I know most of them are available year round but they seem fresher this time of year.
I am thankful we have a new favorite hiking trail at a local state park. It is right along the river, not crowded, and just a lovely hike. I am thankful that I am physically able to do such things.
When we lived on the Canadian border, I used to love going snowshoeing in the very cold--like zero--mornings. As long as there's no wind, and it's dry, that kind of cold is invigorating. For short periods. 🙂
Thankfuls:
--That my middle son is having a good experience so far with basketball. He decided just last weekend he wanted to play on the school team, which was surprising to me, and practices started Monday. He hasn't been playing for years like most of other boys have, and since we have a combined team with the school twenty miles away, he doesn't know a lot of the other players. But he's been enjoying it so far, and that is such a relief to me after some sports drama with my eldest son.
--That today is our last day of school before our Thanksgiving break. I LOVE that we get the entire week of Thanksgiving off (plus weekends!), not just the Thursday and Friday, like in all other schools I've been involved with.
--For this Western ranching life I'm on the fringes of that amuses me all the time. One of my online students this week missed his Zoom meeting because he was moving bulls with his dad and it took longer than he expected it to. Another once joined his meeting with his phone, from the back of his horse while he was pushing cattle to water. Obviously, we didn't do his actual lesson that day, but at least I got to meet his horse, Gucci. 🙂
--That my daughter enjoys school and is excited to do the work in kindergarten. This has not always been the case--okay, has pretty much never been the case--with my three boys, all of whom are successful academically, but just do not like going to school. It's a relief to have one out of four that bounces out of bed without groaning and arguing.
--That my husband can be home on my work days when we have sick children, which has been happening with some frequency this fall. I will never take for granted our flexible schedules that enable one of us to always be available for whatever our kids need.
This week I am thankful:
*for boy #3 who rolled out of bed, walked down the hallway, and gave me a big hug (without me asking for it).
*that we haven't turned the main heat on yet.
*for dental care. I like getting my teeth cleaned.
*that my daughter was so delighted by her thrift store find yesterday-- a set of classic country music.
*that the same daughter (who is only 14) touched a sweater in the men's rack and stopped dead in her tracks: "Is that. . . is that. . . cashmere?!!!!!" Also, that the boy we bought it for loved it. (A like-new cashmere sweater for $2.50!)
@Jody S., WOW! great find & buy. Be sure to read care instructions as I have heard some stories about improperly caring for cashmere & bad outcomes.
@Regina, I have a feeling that the thrift store might have washed it because it smells like fabric softener, but we looked at the label right away!
@Jody S., well, if the previous owner washed it, your worries about shrinkage are largely over. But if you'd like to try washing it yourself, think about this: A vendor at our Regional Market who sells alpaca products told me that since alpaca fiber is really hair, not wool, a gentle hand washing in a gentle shampoo works best. I believe that cashmere fiber is also really hair.
@A. Marie, This is true. There's an even easier way, though: there's a product that lets you wash wool without having to rinse it. I've been using it for long enough to know that it works. You can also use conditioner on a any type of wool to soften it, if it's itchy.
Those photos by the water trail are lovely! Thanks for sharing. You live in such a beautiful hiking area.
I am thankful for the wheels that are in motion to help some of my very challenging students. I am thankful that I have built good relationships with the parents of my students which makes sharing their challenges easier. I am also thankful for the upcoming break because I am just exhausted at work right now.
Your photographs are beautiful!
I am thankful for the last 3-4 weeks of wonderful weather; cool and frosty most mornings and in the 60's in the afternoon. And at night I can see Orion's Belt when taking out the dog. My sisters and I like to think that's our dad watching over us because he always pointed it out when we were kids (he was very heavy into navigation by stars).
Thankful that hubs is doing his Pop thing today and gets to visit his granddaughter. She has 1/2 day today because of parent/teacher conferences, so an adult is needed for after school care. Both were excited.
Thankful for our new rescue kitty. However, he is a wild one with talons (his nails need a serious clipping). Him and the dog are getting to know one another and sometimes it is measuring my patience -- especially when I try to work! And he is very much a lap kitty too, which I wanted, but he doesn't want me to do anything else but pet him. The dog is very jealous!
Thankful that our team was recognized on a site-wide conference call last week. I've been on a new team since May with 90% of the folks from offshore, and they are very hard and diligent workers. They are very delightful to work with and they share their knowledge more willingly than people I've worked with in the past. So it was nice to be recognized by our team lead to everyone.
Thankful that the hubs and I figured out screws to hang my new TV in my office. I need TV noise much more than radio or music during the day and with Hallmark and a few other channels starting their Christmas movies, I want to be in the spirit. My last TV went black and since I only stream, I couldn't even find the channels to listen to. So I bought an inexpensive TV at Walmart, but the screws didn't fit in the holes to hang. So after trying many different types, we accomplished it. And now I listen.
* We've had some beautiful days lately, and I've appreciated them, whether it's through my kitchen window, out on a drive, or bagging up leaves in the yard. I'm trying to save it up to last through the coming dark and dreary winter.
* My priest, who is a bit younger than me, gives such good, kind, wise advice. I appreciate him and his family (Eastern Orthodox - most of our priests are married). His wife is a really lovely person, too.
* My youngest daughter (5) woke up in the middle of the night, and gave me a hug "Because I just love you so much."
* The same daughter is finally starting to sleep through the night more often than she doesn't. It's been a very sleepy five years for me.
* For the A Slob Comes Clean podcast, and Dana K. White. I am so bad at managing stuff (like literal things/items in my house). This podcast is changing my life. I'm finally making consistent progress.
@RB, I love Dana K White too! So very practical and helpful and non-judgmental!
@RB,
Oh the blessing when the little ones sleep. Our eight year old really struggles and slept through the night last night. Thanks for the reminder to be grateful and notice when it happens!
I also love Dana Kay White's wisdom. It's very slowly changing my life. So glad to have found her.
Sending love your way.
Brenda
Thankful the time change did not destroy me like it usually does. 🙂
For the warmer weather, it means we get to see the sun more. Normally the cold weather will form clouds over Lake Michigan so we don't see the sun much in November.
Going though all mom's old sewing stuff, it always brought her so much joy. She loved to sew.
Thankful I am down to around 8 boxes, not including a cedar chest just full of stuff to still rummage through.
That I was able to drag my sister out puzzle shopping.
Super thankful I will see my youngest and his wife for Thanksgiving!!
Also thankful that a young child called me Grandma yesterday. Totally cracked me up!
Glad you are still making it on your walks everyday. 🙂 Keep up the good work!
Do you have computer lab at nursing school where you can print papers? Many schools have this availability for students because of lack of access to equipment. Plus it would save you $$ not always using your own materials.
Thankful this week for----
● the warmer weather came back & able to get more leaves done. Only 1 big maple between neighbors house still had all leaves but has lost about half as of yesterday. Decided to get those taken care of yesterday.
● being able to get new Turkey roaster last Friday (on sale save $30 then $10 off with Meijer Santa Bucks & spent $100 total so got $10 off coupon to use before Thanksgiving).
● Donated 85% of pictures (for walls) to free store & nothing damaged. 🙂
● monthly produce box had apples (& lots of grapes that gave away because too many for teen to eat, I can't) so I will be making more homemade apple crisp to put into freezer.
● picked up 2 turkeys (now have 3 on freezer) even though teen doesn't want turkey for Thanksgiving, freezer almost full of mostly meat.
● Getting to recycling with paper/cardboard because container filled up after I left so would have had to take back & bring next time (if containers get emptied/taken by then). Did not get all empty boxes taken because kept good ones for packing up donations that need to go to free store.
● that teen is seen as really smart by other classmates. We grabbed Subway last night & another student was in line in front of us & was talking to teen. Kept stating on how teen so smart & glad that knows so much about (college) Biology. Teen really has been enjoying all.classes this semester & doing well. 🙂
● to be getting rid of big box donations tomorrow of winter coats/hats/gloves/winter bibs/boots to teen school clothing/coat drive/collection. My dad had brought his old winter apparel (don't need in Florida) & happy going to good home.
● the blessings we have each & every day.
I continue to be thankful beyond words for my improved vision since my eye surgeries. I'll still need glasses for close work and astigmatism correction, and I'll get those in December--but in the meantime, I've got better distance vision than I've had since second grade. On that frosty Monday morning Kristen enjoyed, I threw a coat over my bathrobe and stepped outside before dawn to see Jupiter in the west, Venus in the east, and Orion, Canis Major, and other constellations in between--WITHOUT GLASSES!
I'm thankful that the chillier mornings are bringing more birds to my feeders. Even though Project FeederWatch tells us that even "boring" bird counts are useful, I'm always glad when I can throw one or two special guests into my list.
And I'm thankful that I should have a few more days for garden cleanup, now that the post-surgery prohibition on lifting and bending has expired. The more I can get done before the snow flies, the better.
@A. Marie, Have you read Christian Cooper’s Better Living Through Birding? A truly wonderful memoir of his life as a Black, gay man (he was the guy reported to the police for attacking a dog in Central Park) who loves all things about birding.
@A. Marie, Between you and my father, I am now looking forward to needing cataract surgery! I cannot imagine life without glasses. I am in the position now that I am going to need to go to the eye doctor soon (as soon as the insurance rolls over) and get bifocals. The doctor said I was okay in June but that he guessed I might need them before a year was up, and I think he is right.
@Leslie, I haven't read the Cooper book yet, but it's on my list. And I've read a couple of articles by Cooper in birding magazines.
@A. Marie,
Seeing with no glasses or contacts, at a distance - heavenly! I'm waiting on my turn. I have an eye appointment this month so I will soon see if I'm starting down that road yet.
@A. Marie,
Isn't it amazing to have vision back? And being able to negociate stairs again, with ease. And walking in the dark. And, as one of my swim buddies said the other day' being able to see your own eyes in the mirror!
@A. Marie, I'm so happy for your improved vision after your eye surgeries.
I had a mini flashback when you mentioned small kids and school. I had two kids under the age of 3 during my first winter break in XR school and I remember turning in the last finals scantron, then rushing directly over to Wal-Mart to get my Christmas gift and grocery shopping done. {but I made all A's so it was worth the stress} Today I am having to dig for thankfulness but here goes:
*for a clean and quiet home that I am more than capable of taking care of (and today I have a long list)
*a cup of coffee with Starbucks cinnamon dolce creamer - soooo good
*its payday! and I can pay my bills
*middle son who kindly brought me blueberry muffins from his bakery yesterday
P.S Lucky you, getting your badge back with no out of pocket cost - I think ours is $10 and you have to go to the downtown Austin hospital if you lose it because you can't do anything at work without it! In fact, you can't even be at work without it, due to security rules.
Love your frosty pictures!
1) Grateful for DS17, for bringing me dinner on a crazy night. He did it without asking, because "he thought I might be hungry". He drives me wild on a regular basis, but he's a very empathetic kid.
2) That DS17 got into four colleges, & got a sizable scholarship for one. It was previously not a school we were seriously considering, but is now.
3) That we'll get to see my nephew when we go on our college tour (for #2).
4) That all college applications are submitted. It's now a tense waiting game, but ever so grateful that the majority of that chunk of work is completed.
5) That DS16 made the school varsity team. The jump from JV to varsity is pretty big at our school, and DS has been playing club soccer pretty much solely to be able to make a high school varsity team. (The early years, he played because he loved soccer so much & you couldn't pry him away. After COVID, he played club because he knew he wanted to play varsity & there's pretty much no way to do that without also playing club to keep your skills up.) All of those practices, games, tournaments & money!
Long time follower! I am impressed and happy for you to be going through all this and finishing nursing school. Your frugal life has allowed this to happen I think and also help others! Great job ❤️
I'm thankful for the same things, which are just as great to have as ever but I'd like something/some event new in my life that is positive.
1. That my house is coming together. I make progress every week and while we won't meet our optimistic schedule of every sorted by Thanksgiving (roommate has been sick for months so, obvs, he isn't sorting his stuff), I will get everything but the basement and maybe the art in my office done.
2. For the little, well-organized things. I get a bit of a thrill every time I open a well-organized drawer; one that has all the right things near each other, with the items easy to see, and not having to shove other things aside to get to the thing I want. Truly, for me, a well-organized kitchen is a thing of beauty.
3. That I don't need to use my kitchen. Speaking of things falling by the wayside, I haven't cooked much in months. I'm thankful that I don't have to if I won't want to.
4. That fortunate favored the prepared and I can deal with the expected unexpected financial needs of a new-to-me house. I'm not happy that so many things need help - that certainly isn't true for the house I sold, and I confirmed that with the new residents - but it won't put me in a hole. Keep funding those Life Happens funds, people, even if you think you don't need to!
5. For my friend gave me the chance to apologize. You may remember from a few weeks ago that I had, unintentionally, really offended her and that she trusted me enough to tell me what happened and give me the chance to respond. Now, a few weeks later, I can say with certainty that we are good friends again.
And "I think that's the sign of a sweet teenager" who's been blessed to have a sweet and loving mother who raised her daughter to be sweet and loving.
To be fair, sometimes teenagers just go through not-so-pleasant phases even if they DO have sweet moms! 😉
But thank you!
@Kristen, They do, but their sweet and loving mothers help them weather those storms. ;-}
Thankful that the new boiler should be finished today, after three long days. Let me have some heat soon please I am so cold.
Thankful that my daughter and I will go see Mom tomorrow. I am hoping so badly she's not hallucinating tomorrow.
Thankful for my feral kitties who always act so happy when I show up to feed them.
Thankful I get to speak at Town Hall today about a local issue I am passionate about. I am glad I'm a good writer and not afraid of public speaking.
Thankful for books. Thankful for comfort reading. Thankful for my friends. Thankful for mobilizing my friends to answer a local little girl's Christmas wish for expensive sneakers. Thankful for local charities who make it simple to give and ease my aching heart.
@Rose, re: your last one - what a joyful use of that gift-giving superpower you possess
@Suz, Thanks. I never thought the holiday season would be so fraught. Every morning, I expect a call telling me Mom didn't wake up. I hope she doesn't go on Thanksgiving--partially because BIL's mom passed on Thanksgiving years ago and my sister doesn't need to share that with him--or her 80th birthday, which is in ten days. But also I'm thinking of BFF, who I last saw last year around Thanksgiving and who died on Christmas Eve.
Giving to underprivileged children is the best way I know to lift my spirits. That sweet girl wrote that if we couldn't find the sneakers, just a copy of The Outsiders would be fine. Of course I plan to buy her a ton of teen books as well.
Thankful for some help from my family to get Christmas decorations put out and the house prepared for the upcoming holiday. I am extremely busy with the regular demands of life so having an extra hand is such a blessing.
The chance to camp with my 3 favorite people this weekend. Sleeping outside in a tent is so peaceful and there is no electricity, no phones, no TV, no video games. I love it.
Coffee, Christmas lights and Christmas candles. I know it is silly but these things warm my heart.
My warm comfortable bed. The fact that I have a warm and comfortable bed while so many others do not is not lost on me and I am grateful.
Upcoming days with family and friends. I am looking forward to cooking and enjoying all that his holiday brings.
Your frugal habits are NEVER meaningless! Over time, those habits will continue to serve you well! My husband and I had to be frugal, as we navigated grad school for ourselves without any parental help, raised a kiddo bought houses,started careers. We had years we were more flush than early years but we always lived a bit below our means and saved. Now in retirement, I live a lot like I did as a newlywed! Those frugal habits never die and come in handy at the other end of life.. of course you are YOUNG.. with really good earning years ahead of you..and you will thrive!! AND those habits just make us good stewards of Mother Earth,too! I am so excited your almost done one semester! WoW, only 3 to go!!!!!! I absolutely loved my years as an RN and then later, an NP. A great career!!!!
Your frosty photos are lovely, but ack! I don't need frost here yet! My green beans are allllmost ready to pick.
My thanksgivings:
1. I'll start with the biggest one. I'm thankful that I walked into DH's room on Tuesday at the right time to see him falling into hypoglycemia. I pushed the call button and got a nurse quickly, which is also a thanksgiving, because there is only one RN per wing, and it can take a while to get one when needed. (The rest are nursing assistant staffers and CNA's. There are still medical staffing issues after the pandemic, I'm told by people in the medical field) One of the staffers came in and helped, too. It was an almost 2-hour battle for the three of us to get his blood glucose back up while he yelled and tried to fight us off, a not-unusual diabetic response to low blood glucose. As his blood glucose started to rise at last, his eyes focused, he calmed down and he recognized me. We didn't have to call an ambulance, another thanksgiving.
2. I'm thankful for two days of gentle rain. We have needed it!
3. I'm thankful one of my routine yearly exams that I had this week went well - no issues found.
4. I'm thankful that my daughter drove out to my house on Tuesday and got my mail out of my mailbox for me. I had been notified I had two Christmas presents in my mail, and I sure didn't want them to be stolen. I didn't get home that night until 8:45 that night, so I'm glad I asked her to get it. DH's nursing home is an hour from our house.
5. I'm thankful that my bosses are once again planning a company Christmas dinner at a nice restaurant, everything paid for by the company for employees and their guests. Compared to my last employer, who expected we the employees to cook, bring, set up and clean up a meal for our clients and let that serve as our "company Christmas celebration," my current company is utterly fantastic. My old employer didn't give us any bonuses, either, and my current one does. I'm so thankful for this job.
@JD, Thank goodness for 1., and as for 5.--whaaaat? Are they joking? I would have said NO.
@JD, your #1: Wow. Thank heavens for your good timing, and for there being an RN handy. (I know exactly what you mean about short staffing at nursing homes. It was just as bad at DH's.)
@Rose,
We did say no eventually, and got royally reamed out for it. And got zilch for Christmas from the company.
I love my employers I have now!
@A. Marie,
And it shows no signs of getting better, sadly.
@JD, and A.Marie, I will tell you it makes us nurses sad, too. And several of the aides are in the "entitled" mentality which makes the going that much harder. It does my heart good to see so many caring and thoughtful children and teens on this blog. It gives some hope.
When my daughter was in nursing school (an accelerated BSN program), one of her fellow students was pregnant with TRIPLETS and GAVE BIRTH during the schooling. Yes, she did graduate with her class.
This week I am thankful for:
1. the area I live in has had a very lengthy and beautiful fall. Usually there are only a few weeks between summer and the start of winter, so I am very appreciative of this extended fall.
2. my husband gets home from work travel tomorrow! I am convinced God uses these trips to remind me what an amazing man I get to share life with.
3. I am grateful that my hubby is very helpful and with him home the work load will be a little lighter. Doing things as a team is so much easier.
4. For Thanksgiving next week. Both of my daughters are going to be able to be home. That is never taken for granted now that they are both adults. It makes my heart happy to have our family together.
5. For people that commented things that helped you feel better.
6. for this community, most of whom will never meet, who are so kind and supportive of one another.
7. that my parents are holding steady health wise and that we get to spend time with them on a regular basis.
8. for a wonderful job and amazing team I get to work with.
9. that my husband and I were blessed to be chosen to be Godparents to a beautiful little one. She brings such joy to our lives.
10. for dear friends that our giving our oldest a very gently used washer and dryer set. The ones she bought with her house are limping along and she has been saving for a set. this gift of their set will allow her to pad her savings for other needed items.
Thankful that:
•I tested negative for covid this a.m.
•The morning sun shines through red leaves and yellow leaves that I can see from inside the house where I have been useless for almost a week. It's a reminder that life goes on, even when I am waiting on hold.
•My husband is so helpful while I am useless (and even when I am normal).
•A huge stack of library books was waiting for me when this bug was first coming on, enabling me to escape into fiction.
•I am able to get some work done on my laptop in spite of not feeling up to painting (or doing the bazaar this coming weekend. . . sob)
I hope you feel more like yourself soon!
@Kristen, thank you. Here's a medical question: where does all this snot come from?? Holy cow, I'm surprised my head hasn't collapsed!
Sorry. Gross, but inquiring minds need to know. . .
Sooo, I believe it gets secreted from goblet cells in your mucous membranes. Goblet cells are common in your respiratory and digestive tract linings, and we can see them on microscopic pictures. Check here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblet_cell#/media/File:Gobletcell.jpg The larger, light pink ovals are the goblet cells. 🙂
Sometimes when we are asked to identify a tissue out of context at school, it can help to notice if there are goblet cells. If so, that narrows it down a bit!
An infection can irritate your mucous membranes, which makes them produce more mucous. And then things can get additionally clogged up with bacteria, and with cells that come to fight the infection. It's a whole mess in there!
A related tidbit: some laxative meds actually work by irritating your digestive mucous membranes so that they produce more mucous, thus moving digestive tract contents along more quickly.
@Central Calif. Artist Jana, your question reminds me of this: At age 5, the son of one of my best friends announced that he was starting a "booger factory." His father's dry comment: "Well, he won't have any trouble with production, but marketing may be a problem."
Such an astute observation!
@A. Marie, oh wow, that is a good one!
@Kristen, thank you! The main thing I understood is that "it is a real mess in there".
Your are the best interactive blogger I've ever "met". 😎
@A. Marie, love that dry comment!
I'm thankful for all the cheap and free stuff out there to enjoy.
For some good shows I'm enjoying with the family.
Thankful that we got an invite for Thanksgiving. No one was going to come here and while I don't have a problem being alone, I know my daughter likes to be with people on these events and now she can see her cousin. Since the turkey is already out we'll cook that on the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Thankful for my health. So far so good.
Thankful (isn’t that really “Full of Thanks”?) for
- Family and friends who are always there when I need them
- My dog who wants to sleep on my feet
- A house to shelter me (and the dog!) when so many others are without
- A reliable car to drive, when so many others are without
- Spring blooming bulbs that I REALLY need to get planted like, right now! So the flowers can go on my Thankful Thursday list come March/April/May
Thankful for the gorgeous weather we've had lately. 60 degree days are not bad for the Midwest in November. It's even been warm enough for a morning jog some mornings, if I bundle up!
Thankful the college kids are enjoying their classes and working hard.
I'm thankful that I came downstairs to find my younger daughter unloading the dishwasher. I didn't even have to ask her. While I certainly appreciate not having to put away all the dishes, I'm more thankful that she was thoughtful and taking on responsibility.
For my parents' neighbor who gave them two dragon fruits that he had grown in his yard. My older daughter LOVES dragon fruit and I've seen it for $10 a pound at the grocery store. So I'm thankful he was kind enough to share with my folks and that my folks are selfless enough to put them aside for my daughter.
For the little bit of rain we had yesterday. It was looking pretty smoggy and the rain has made everything feel a little cleaner.
That my kids were born when smart phones made it easy to take videos. I spent some time watching old videos of them trying to learn how to crawl and making little baby sounds and going from no emotion to unbridled joy upon making eye contact with their dad. It made me wishful for those days for sure (I chose to disregard the chaos taking place in the background of every video!). Hearing their little voices brought me to tears.
For my strong body. I watched a younger me swing my kids around and carry another person around while doing all kinds of things like it was nuthin'. I saw myself run to play with them and I saw my exhausted eyes, frumpy clothes and frazzled hair. So touching to see the way we were. I'm feeling achy and creaky and not so strong now but I know my body is good - it shows up for me and takes me where I want to go every day.
I love talking to the nurses each week while I am getting chemo, and I surprised how many came to nursing as a second career. One nurse was an accountant when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After making it through, she decided to completely change paths and become a cancer nurse herself. I find it all very inspiring.
This week I am thankful . . .
-for great nurses. Everyone is top notch.
-for small steps. I am a historian, but I haven't been able to write since my diagnosis in July. I is understandably, but still a source of stress for me to feel "behind." So this week I decided to pull it into low gear. Maybe I still don't have the energy to edit a chapter, but I can work on all the other little writing-adjacent projects that had been piling up for a while anyway. This week I have dedicated myself to completing the organization of my books. I'm not quite through, but I have made major progress. It feels good to accomplish something.
-for good friends. We have a friend that has started back coming over for dinner once a week. We were in this habit before pandemic, but life changed so much for so long. I'm glad we're back in the habit.
-for my relationship with our oldest. He is 13 and exhibiting all the typical 13 year old behaviors. But he is also just so much fun to be around. I'm so thankful for the books we read together and the conversations we have.
Aww, I am so glad that you are having good nurse experiences during this tough time.
Thankful for
1. The free ticket to see Rent done by students at a local college. They did a very good job although it was 3 hrs. long.
2. The free pre-Thanksgiving dinner that the town police department and town state university put on for the senior citizens in town.
3. Thanks for the people contacting me to buy tickets to a charity fundraiser put on each year by the club I belong to--all proceeds will go to an animal shelter this year.
4. Lunch out with my neighbor/friend Monday at the little place my daughter works.
5. Sunday's free guided walk to some local trails that will be shared with my walking group.
6. Monday's walk--Yes, it was a bit cold at 7:30 in the morning and there was ice lining the banks of the river but it was fun. We did have some slight hindrances, which gave us a bit of exercise. There were many downed trees across the trails apparently from a wind storm that went through. We just used them as a hurdle relay. The people who care for these trails are working to remove them but it will take them a while. Tell Zoe that we are crazy too. All of us are 65+
This is a good exercise for me this week because I have been in a lot of pain from the compression fracture and the medication I am on can cause depression. I have been feeling hopeless and like no one is paying attention when I say I need some help with pain. Acetaminophen is just not cutting it, but doctors are so afraid these days to prescribe opioids that they won't give more than three days of it and you are on your own after that. One young, fresh-faced PA told me I needed to "make friends with your pain." I told her that I hoped no one ever says anything that stupid to her grandmother. Anyway...
Thankful that: 1) Pound Hound seems to have finished his bout of something that caused vomiting for two days. 2) That there have been enough grocery store mystery shops that I have managed to get all of our Thanksgiving supplies for free. 3) That we will have only one guest for Thanksgiving and he has no complicated food allergies so I don't have to worry about setting off someone's allergies with my food. 4) The sun is setting about 3:45 today and we are still losing 6 minutes of sunlight each day. I love the peacefulness of the dark. 5) the husband, always the husband. I still cannot get out of bed by myself so every time I need to get up during the night, I have to wake him to help me. He always manages to make some little joke as he pulls me up and off the bed. I am always saying I'm sorry for disrupting his sleep. And his consistent answer is "this is the in sickness and in health" part of our wedding vows. I don't know what I would do without him.
Aww, Lindsey, I am so sorry that your pain is not being managed properly. You deserve more help than acetaminophen (which in my personal experience does jack squat for pain.)
I will try to never say something so dismissive to my patients!
@Lindsey, those words are stupid and bordering on hateful. That PA needs to be reported.
It's also very uninformed of her to say that. I'm pretty new to my medical education, but we've already had it drilled into us that managing pain early and keeping on top of it is a very important part of patient care and of helping people's bodies heal.
@Lindsey, I'm so sorry. Chronic pain is so undertreated in this country. Does ibuprofen work for you at all? As Kristen said, Tylenol does absolutely zero. My sister has been taking methadone for her chronic pancreatitis for decades.
Also, I've seen the kind of patronizing attitude many health care professionals use to older people many times with my parents. In fact, I took an ER doc and the med student shadowing him to the side a bunch of years ago in the ER and told them not to treat my father, a decorated Marine and a decorated NYPD officer, as if he was a silly child or I was going to start making complaints up the ladder. It was simply unacceptable. (I'm sure they just thought I'm a mean bitch, of course, and since doctors tend to assume everyone is less smart than they are, ha ha ha no I'm not, I'm sure the ER guy thought I had a lot of nerve taking up doctor's valuable time.)
@Lindsey, first, what everyone else has said about that PA. My own words at the moment aren't suitable for a family-friendly blog.
Second, I love it that the husband cites the "in sickness and in health" part of the vows. DH and I said it often to each other as we were helping each other through assorted ailments, and I said it silently every time DH's Alzheimer's took a turn for the worse. My JASNA BFF, whose late husband had a variety of troubles in his last years, said that it helped her too.
On the other hand, when my son was hugely sick after surgery for an empyema, along with pneumonia, I visited the hospital and found him quietly crying in his room from pain. I went over to the nurses' station and said, "Listen, my son, room [whatever], is crying in pain. He's a stoic kind of guy so is there something you can do? He can't heal properly when he's that upset."
Five minutes later, an NP came to his room, smiling, with an accent that sounded Caribbean. "Don't worry, honey, you're in the hospital! We got the good stuff here! We're going to take care of that pain for you right now." I felt like kissing her feet. And I bet Kristen will be exactly this kind of nurse in the future: reassuring, cheerful, and great at caregiving.
@Lindsey, I too am grateful for a husband who is taking care of me for the past year with my herniated disks. He has been wheeling me around when I can't walk or stand for very long. He says something similar, "it's all part of the service plan I agreed to on our wedding day." Makes me smile every time.
I also sympathize about the pains meds, although for me the opioids do very little except make me loopy. It's been gabapentin and ibuprofen that has been helping. It's not perfect, but I am functional for now while I figure out my next steps, most likely surgery. Steroid injections and physical therapy only got me so far. I hope you get the care you need and feel better soon. (That PA better hope she never learns her lesson the hard way.)
@Rose, I had an experience like that when my 90 yo grandmother was in the hospital. Young resident - 25 maybe? - called her by her first name, not her last. Was I pissed! She was three times his age and wiser than he'd (or anyone else) would ever be, and he was treating her like she was nothing.
Two retorts came to mind:
1) "No one's called her by her first name since her husband died a decade ago and if you want to get her attention, call her Mrs. [Grandma]."
2) "You have not been introduced to her, she is very much your senior and elder, and she has not invited you to call her [Grandma]. Call her Mrs. [Grandma] and stop demeaning your patent." (The "you young jackass" was implicit.)
I went with #1 on the theory that keeping the peace was a good idea but in retrospect I wish I'd gone with #2. Maybe the young jackass would have learned something.
Rose, you keep up the good work with those docs. They are not the be-all and end-all, no matter what they're told in med school.
@Lindsey, Have you tried Advil Dual action? (any dual action/2 medications over the counter) Acetaminophen & Ibuprofen both in one tablet. Many doctors are now recommending this as stronger over counter medication but not quite opioids. I had teeth removed & usually have to take opioids to control pain but was given nothing & found these dual action/2 medications pretty good, pain not completely gone but much more manageable.
@WilliamB, my grandmother would verbally tear a bank teller a new one if she got addressed by her first name. Scary!
It has always bugged me to hear medical people shout at sick people in a manner that suggests the patient is mentally deficient or deaf, usually followed by "okay?" Or when they call patients "hon" or "honey". Stop it. Just Stop It.
@Lindsey, that PA is lucky you didn't punch him, then HE could have made friends with HIS pain.
@Lindsey, I am so sorry you're having trouble getting the pain under control and are, understandably, depressed. Know that we are all lifting you up from our respective corners of the world. Wishing you much better days ahead.
P.S. I like what you said to the PA. Reminds me of the time when I had to say to someone "I hope I'm the last person you ever say that to."
I'm glad you got your badge back...whew!
Here are my 5 Thankful things for this week...
1. I'm thankful for a job that gives me PTO . I normally work a 4 day work week, and this week I took 2 extra days off. I'm in a "if we haven't used it, throw it out" mood! I consigned a few things and donated a few things yesterday, and today I'm working on our spare room/closet. We have very few closets in our old farmhouse, so things can get cluttered really fast!
2. The weather this week has been beautiful!
3. My husband enjoys yard work and cleaning up leaves. My back has been sub par for a bunch of years now, and since we are no longer farming, he has time to do the brunt of that work!
4. Our son is willing to come over on weekends to help...I offer food as payment. 🙂
5. The cousins in our family enjoy spending time together! Next weekend they are taking a 16 hour drive to Kansas City for the Eagles/Chiefs game...just because they can! They're a little crazy, but my nephew had Marriot points that will pay for hotel rooms for them and their friends, so why not?!
Glad someone turned your badge in and that it still works!
- I'm thankful that I get to have dinner with a group of friends tonight. We haven't seen each other in a while, and we have a lot to catch up on.
- I'm thankful that our son is picking up a prescription for DH and dropping it off at the house while I am at work.
- I'm thankful our son helped me move furniture in the guest room so I can paint the walls. DH is not feeling well enough to do much these days.
- I'm thankful for the beautiful weather and gorgeous tree colors.
- I'm thankful my nephew and his wife offered to host family Christmas celebration at their home this year.
Today...well actually the last couple of days have been extremely trying. But I know I need to "Rejoice in the Lord always... " (Philippians 4:8a), so I'm thankful for some sturdy truths to firmly plant my feet on:
- God loves me.
- God sees me and knows my past, present and even future.
- Because of Christ, I can boldly go to God.
- God is a forgiver. He's full of compassion and mercy.
-He's a loving Father and a caring Shepherd.
-He's powerful and will make all things right one day.
And I'm also thankful for some other things in life that aren't as long lasting or promised to me, but I'm still thankful for:
- Got through school today. Homeschooling Algebra last year was a brain workout for me and now this year it's geometry!
- Our new puppy, the kids seem to really like him.
Also thankful for our cat and chickens, who started laying again.
- Our house in West Africa and our house in West Texas.
Ohh man, the geometry! I really do not love that. I tried four different math books for geometry, disliked all of them, and concluded I just don't like teaching geometry at all!
I'm thankful for soft throws to snuggle in, my kittens for their fuzzy cuteness, my family for putting up with me, my friend who allows herself to be talked into doing activities with me, and for another friend who lost her husband a year ago and despite her pain, puts herself out there to help others.
I lost my badge (public school teacher) several years ago as I walked home from school. Mine did get dragged, but the person who found it called the school district, and I had it back within two days. A little ratty looking, but intact!
For not having to work on this beautiful golden autumn day
For an early morning outdoor swim
For my swim buddies that are such a kind and caring bunch
For finally finishing my Spanish lesson on commands. I kept mixing them up
For the prospect of meeting my siblings and cousins this weekend
For the kindness of a neighbour
For clothes that are comfortable and flattering for plus size me
For the fun of our choir rehearsal, including vocal improvisation
For going out for coffee with my husband
For coming home to our snuggly cats
This has been a tough week mentally for me. For some reason I feel a little blue and am trying to gently surf the waves of it all as I know it will eventually pass. Spending some time focused on gratitude helps, so here goes...
1. My husband who has been a tremendous help through my physical issues right now.
2. His lovely family, (I got very lucky with my in-laws, they are great people.) who invited us for Thanksgiving so we don't have to try and cook a whole meal ourselves.
3. One of the stands at our farmer's market had pear cider and it is so, so good! They had pear cider donuts too...fabulous!
4. Another stand has some of the best cheese and we splurged on a bit this week.
5. My office is closed the day after Thanksgiving. It's nice to have a break. We will enjoy a no-spend day at home watching holiday movies and eating turkey sandwiches. (Not knocking anyone else's choice to shop on Black Friday. I worked many years in retail and never want to experience another one ever again!)
I’m thankful for friends who understand the season I’m in & who are good listeners.
I’m thankful for books that explain what I’m going through with a Christian lens.
And I’m thankful for chilly days when walking feels like I’m breaking in the ground, I love how crisp air creates so much natural beauty. On my last forest walk I found skunk cabbage, which is new to me.
Hi Kristen, I am so thankful for your blog and your kindness. The other day I saw a list of Warren Buffet’s Ten Rules to get Rich, one of the rules was To Watch Small Expenses. It made me think of you and your recent post on Five Frugal Things when it feels pointless. Avoiding small expenses is a win although it doesn’t seem like it at the time. I know your goal isn’t to get rich, but those small expenses do nibble at your overall savings. They aren’t pointless. I also appreciate your modeling to not obsess over frugal fails or trade offs to get takeout when life events or time constraints make it a good option.
Please know I am cheering you on in your studies and your progress in re-making your life!
Aww, thank you so much for your encouragement!
Since I slept all day (comes with the territory of night shift work, and upsetting the circadian rhythm) I am late to check in. But it makes me extremely thankful for the others who post and for Kristen and for her look into her daily life. I have laughed hard (the booger factory) and become teary-eyed at the real life reports. So that is my No. 1.
2) Thankful that for whatever reason, since the leaving of our past DON and hiring of the new, we ARE hiring more aides and have some good ones returning. At the same time our census is coming up a little.
3) I am thankful that the 8hr acetaminophen works for my joint issues. All other NSAIDs are contraindicated in my case.
4) I am thankful it has still been warm in our neck of the woods so that I can finish the pre-winter prep. Means heat is also not running much.
5) I am thankful I was able to sort my chest freezer contents. I swear somebody else messy lives here! (I live alone with my dog....) I found more gr. beef than I thought I had, a wealth of blueberries, applesauce and blackberries and packages of mixed fruit for smoothies and many other things. My goal was to locate the chicken broth and have room for a sale priced turkey and I did.
6) Thankful to be preparing for our Merry Thanksmas Get-together of immediate family of seven (including me). It is our the only holiday type gathering. I have a spread sheet for the meal prep (I do it all as a gift to my family) and a list of cleaning "opportunities" (chores). We have to be fit in around the table with a shoehorn in my little dining room/kitchen but it is usually fun. We can't all be together Thanksgiving Day, and I work the weekend after so we have it the first Saturday that I am off in Dec. We lean more towards the fall season side of things with a hint of Christmas.
I’m glad you got your badge back, Kristen! I once lost mine, had to pay $10 to get a new one (not frugal) and when I got the new one, I went to put my work bag in the back seat of the car, and there was the lost one, sticking out of the seat back.
My thankful this week:
1. That I was able to get my pneumonia and RSV shots this week. I have felt lousy for two days, but it’s OK.
2. That I had a nice phone call from a dear friend who moved to NM, we talked for 1.5 hours and we laughed so hard. I really miss her!
3. Today was a bluebird sky day in Maine, and I got to take a walk to clear my head.
4. I was able to get a good price on gas after making multiple trips to empty my aunt and uncles house.
5. I was able to deliver many of the boxes of stuff from the house to three different thrift shops.
6. Thankful that our local dump takes furniture without charging a fee. It really adds up when you have multiple large pieces of furniture to dispose of!
I'm thankful that I stayed the course and got my RN. I did nursing school with 5 homeschooled kiddos (youngest was 2 when I graduated, oldest was 12), and boy howdy! Kristen, you are right in that having littles and being in nursing school is no joke! I'm so glad I was brave enough to apply, that I got in, that put my head down and did the work. I loved being a bedside nurse, and now I get to work from home and still use my RN. Being a nurse has offered me so many opportunities and I have learned so much along the way. Keep going! You got this!
I'm thankful the hot weather is behind us. Winter is my favorite season. I love the warm, cozy, curl-up-on-my-couch evenings after a brisk walk in the cold. Bring on the fluffy blankets, the flannel sheets, and the warm drinks!
I'm thankful that my daughter is seeing the fruits of her hard work. She's faced a lot of obstacles in the past 18 months, and FINALLY things are turning a corner for her. She's got good friends around her, good mentors, and so many things to look forward to.
I'm thankful that my middle son has settled on a career path for after graduation. Even if he tries this path and he finds he doesn't like it, he'll have learned something. It's so brave of him to try something new and I'm very proud of him.
Yesterday for my division’s retreat we volunteered at a food bank and then had a meal together. I was on the planning committee and we had agreed that since we didn’t have new staff this retreat time we wanted to give back to the community. No guest speakers about working styles or personality tests. It really felt like the perfect team builder and it was timely with Thanksgiving so close.
I invited my friend over for Thanksgiving since her husband and son will be out of the country visiting his family (his dad isn’t doing well health wise). She told me how loved that made her feel, but it wasn’t even a question for me to invite her. I’m just happy I could make her feel loved.
I’ve had a cough for a month and I finally broke down crying from the frustration of nothing working to make it go away. My husband has stepped in and decided to be my nurse. He’s always done a good job of taking care of me specifically but he’s now staying on top of all the things once he gets home so that I can rest. This means so much because I know he’s exhausted from working all day.
Late comment, I have a house full of framily. I am loving the company.
Today we are heading to our Alma Mater for a football game. The team is on a winning streak, so it should be a blast.
I am especially thankful for a sweet cousin who offered to fix my mudroom toilet and surprised me by bringing his sweet as can be Air Force graduate to do the work. I am like an Auntie to him as he calls me Auntie, so by good measure I paid him double. He asked me if I had any work on the farm and I pulled out my list with his name on it...he will be as busy as he wants to be for the next month. I will get some excellent help. This thankful is worth triple thanks.
One hospital I worked at charged $25 for the first badge lost. Glad someone found it.