Man, this year went fast!

Maybe it's because it has been such a busy one. But I am sitting here thinking about the last day of the year and musing about just how frantically busy it has been. I didn't know if I would be out of there before midnight or not. I got a phone call this morning about 7:45 asking if I could come in ASAP. So, I finished up the couple of things I was working on, grabbed a shower and headed in. I hit the floor running and didn't stop the whole day. Neither did anyone else. No lunches for these nurses today. It was grab a handful of some kind of snack food as we raced by. But by 6 PM it was mostly done. We had 37 patients today, and there were 2 left when I left at 6:30.

So, my wondering if I would make it to Watch Night service tonight has been answered. And I am hungry! Trying to behave myself until I get there, but I have had to have one snack attack since I've been home. I am really looking forward to seeing the new year in with friends who are more like family. Glad tomorrow is a day off. I need it!

I pray you all have a wonderful New Year's Day and that the rest of the year follows along in the same way.

I Really Like Texas

Well, it's been...and gone...and all in all it was a nice day and holiday. I spent the day just holed up here at home. No guests, no noise, no leaving the house. I listened to the radio for a little while, but mostly, it was just sit in my chair, or sit at the computer. If that sounds boring, or lonely, it's not. I tend to guard my peace and quiet. I did make several phone calls, wishing various family members and friends a joyous day.

Friday, I baked a second set of pumpkin pies and made a third round of apple salad (my contributions to various dinners I attended in the last week) and yesterday it was off to Commanche where my daughter-in-law's family was gathering for dinner. For me, it was literally "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house" as we were at T's grandparents. There were over 30 people crammed in that little two-bedroom house, and it was fun to meet the extended family. Of the 30+, I knew about 7 people. But you know what I really like about Texas? No strangers here, unless you want to be. That family and extended family opened their arms to me without so much as a second glance. They did the same thing for the father of one of the other brothers-in-law. We cooked, we fixed, we ate, we visited just like we all knew everyone else.

T's immediate family is recovering from a cold, and A has just caught it. So they didn't stay a long time, and I didn't either. We ate around 1pm and I was back on the road to SA by about 3:30, but it was worth it to be with them. A was asked why he just didn't stay home if he wasn't feeling well, and he said, "Because my mom is here." Made my day. T is by now very pregnant, and I had to have at least a couple of pictures of her. She is such a lovely person, and I am glad to call her my daughter.

Speaking of travel, the wind was fierce yesterday, and since I had my camera with me, I tried to capture some of the look of the afternoon. I have added a few pictures of the day. The one of the sun behind the dried-up tree doesn't really do justice to the actual view, but since I was trying to drive and click, you understand, don't you?

I Will Be So Glad When December is Over!

I am tired. December is the month when everyone realizes that if they wait more than 30 days to have that test, procedure, etc done, it will cost them more. Can you say, "Deductible?" When I reviewed my hours on Monday for the payperiod, I had 76.25 hours. Not so bad, you say? I only worked 8 days. I took a long weekend on the 13-16th and planned on using PTO for the shortfall. There was none. The girls were not happy that I had been off. But I really needed the break.

In the middle of my work break was our church family festivities. I've had a cold (or something) for the last week, so singing on Saturday and Sunday was interesting, but the Lord helped me through it. I love to sing, and it is hard when my voice doesn't want to cooperate with me. (Hi, Shannon) But even though I wasn't feeling my very best, it was still a very nice time spent with people who are as much my family as any blood relative.

This week I am working 1-9 and that has been extended into the 10-10:30 range both nights. I think I'm ready for another long weekend! I am just going to hide on Thursday, and set my sights on Saturday when I head up the road to see the kids and have a family dinner.

We had our unit Christmas party today in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. We did a $5 ornament exchange and everyone brought a snack food. It was neat. One of the nurses I work with is also from "up north" and hates the snow and cold weather just as much as I do. We got to talking the other night about some of the huge single snowfalls we've seen, and unbeknown to me, she had my name for the exchange. She got me a "Warm Weather Santa." He is really cute, dressed in his red santa pants, and a green and yellow plaid short-sleeved shirt. She said she thought it just fit, knowing my sentiments about snow.

I can't believe that 2009 is nearly here. I have been working into the January calendar for about 3 weeks now, with scheduling follow-up appointments for our surgery patients, but it somehow still doesn't seem real. The old saying is, "Time flies when you're having fun," but my modification of that is, "Time just flies!"

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and pray you make many great memories with family and friends. I'm another month closer to being Grandma. I'm sure my daughter-in-law is much more anxious than I am for the little one to be here. Christmas from here on out will be way different!

A New Favorite Place

I have found a new place that I really like...the med room at work. No NOT because there are meds there. It's because I am in and out of it all day long, gathering supplies, getting meds, etc. and each time I go in, I find myself praying. It started a couple of months ago, when I would go in and pray about the day that was starting. "Lord, let this day be a good one where I do things right and touch peoples' lives." Then I would pray about the IV I was going to go start. "Lord, please let me get this in the first time so the pt won't have to suffer." But today, I realized that each time I go in there, I pray. Sometimes in English, sometimes not. I don't do it if there is anyone else in there, but that isn't very often. It's become a great little 1-2 minute getaway over and over throughout the day. And I really like it!

On the Way to Being Birdless

Today I shipped out 8 of the birds remaining in my lofts. I went out last night when I got home (after dark) and caught 7 of them. I couldn't find #8, so went hunting again this morning (before daylight) and found him perched near the bottom of the nest rack. I think I picked him up last night, but was unable to read his band numbers accurately, so set him back down. So I caught him, and put him in the box with his cohorts and taped it up and put it in the car. It wouldn't fit in the trunk, so I had to put them in the back seat. And I rode all the way to town with the windows down. I have difficulty when I have to inhale the dander they produce, so always wear a mask in the lofts. But I thought people might think it a bit strange to see someone driving down the road with a mask on, so I left it home.

I have been saying I want to be birdless by the end of the year, and thought that I would be excited to see the first of them go, but such has not been the case. I cried last night when I caught the 7. I cried again this morning as I caught the last one, and then boxed them up. I cried when I left the post office after mailing them off. I fought tears for most of the day. The main reason was because my "buddy", a pigeon that has been a pet was in that box. L offered to let me keep him, but what does one poor bird do when it's used to being with a flock? I couldn't do that to him. The other reason is because the birds are basically the last link between L and me. It has been a tough day.