Halloween. Not so scary.

A couple of my nurse co-workers, appropriately costumed for the day.

A Most Special Friend

Yesterday we said goodbye to our sweet little Tillman. It seems like a merciful thing that we can put our beloved dogs to sleep when they reach a certain time in their lives. The vet agreed with our decision and said he wondered how Tillman managed to live so long. I don't wonder. Not only was it the love and care he received, but as in humans, his happy, strong spirit kept him going. I found that I admired him and the way he faced his changing and often difficult circumstances with joy and courage. Rest in peace my little buddy. Here he is in the spring of 2004, hanging out with Nicholas.

A Nursing Thing

Today I went to the ER to see a patient who was going to come to our psych unit. After my interview with her, I went behind the counter to talk with the patient's nurse. After quickly addressing the situation at hand, she and I then launched into other topics. Time is of the essence in a random nurse to nurse conversation, because we never know when a bell will ring or a demand must be met, so the conversation speedily moved along. One thing she talked about was her time as a travel nurse in North Dakota, the way the hospital did some procedures but mostly about the hard working people and their huge ranches. She said that there really is more oil in ND than in all of Kuwait. I found it interesting, and as I walked back toward my building, I realized how much richer my own life has been because of my contact with other nurses, the sharing of personal stories, and the sharing of knowledge. Whatever is said and shared, it s a cool part of the culture of nursing. Kind of like a band of sisters.

If it's Tuesday, it must be chicken

If it's Tuesday and I'm not working, I often go to Fresh Market to get in on the good deal on chicken breasts. Then of course I have to figure out something to do with it. For supper today, I decided on chicken cacciatore, a dish I hadn't fixed before. I looked up recipes, but they were all different, so I did my own thing. With pasta to go along with it, it was delicious.

My Special Chairs

These beautiful Adirondack chairs that Trip handcrafted for us several years ago got a new coat of paint today. This time I decided on using canned spray paint, smelly and bad for the environment, but much easier that painting in and around all those slats. Tomorrow they'll get another light coat before they go back on the deck for some comfy sitting.

Where is his resume?

America is abuzz about the upcoming presidential election kind of invoking the excitement before the annual Clemson vs. University of South Carolina football game. But this election is far more than a football game.

I believe the entire Obama story to be the biggest hoax ever perpetrated on the American public, and much of the media has been complicit in it. Yet over the past four years, various other sources have exposed him and have answered questions as to who this guy really is. I believe the research done on Dreams from My Real Father to be the best, the most accurate, the most true. It is available in book and video form, and excerpts and interviews are found on line. Read, watch and learn.

BO said he wanted to fundamentally change America, and he touted redistribution of wealth, a Communist belief. A couple of generations have passed and many have forgotten or never knew, but back in the fifties  (I remember them as well as a child can) Communism was the mortal enemy of the good American way of life. Our foe Kruschev, the Russian communist leader, hated capitalism, our success and our freedom, and he angrily threatened, "We will bury you!" It intended to destroy us from within. Though the furor of the label Communist has died down over the past few decades, the ideology of it proliferated and quietly infiltrated. Now we hear the "Red diaper baby" in the Oval Office plead, "Just let me finish the job." Four years of destruction and he and his comrades are only half finished?

Are there that many people who still don't understand? Are there that many people in America who want to give their freedom away? Would this man's connections even allow him to be janitor in a federal building?

Little Gem

A bit of wisdom I took away from today's sermon:
Some things are so deeply rooted they can come out only with prayer.

Really Liking Twitter

When Twitter was in its toddlerhood, I created an account. I didn't use it then as I really didn't know how, but slowly I have come to appreciate it as a great place to get little bits of info that you can read more about with a couple more clicks. Now I "follow" many organizations or individuals of my choosing, ones whose ideas I find interesting or inspiring. The list includes Scientific American, Forbes, and Chuck Swindoll, but with the big election coming up, I want to know more about what the Republican thinkers are saying. Last night during the debate,  it was great to have my iPhone in hand and watch what Ari Fleischer, Dana Perino, the official party tweeter, and others had to say. It was as if I were sitting in a room of like minded friends, hashing out what was just spoken. It isn't just me. I heard that all of the opinions being tweeted last night created the busiest Twitter night ever. It has become almost too frustrating to watch televised news because of all the commercials, teasers, lead-ins, biases, and so forth, and Twitter cuts through all that. It's so clever.