~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
E-Mail: bestnurse@usa.com
December 31, 2008
December 28, 2008
Zachariah & Grandma Linda
We first laid eyes on Zachariah in early 2001 when he was only a few weeks old. John laid little Zachariah in my husband's arms and said, "Here's your first grandchild". A precious bit of life snuggled deep in several soft blankets with a sweet baby face that bore a small cleft lip and palate . It was love at first sight.
But, as too often happens these days, relationships changed, families separated and reformed into new ones. We lost contact with little Zachariah for several years.
This Christmas, Zachariah returned to spend the day and he asked if he could spend the night. Grandma and grandpa were delighted to pull out the sleeper and put on our granny hats. Little Zach checked in with his mother several times (on grandma's cell phone), but otherwise played with his presents, chattered like a little monkey and entertained us better than any TV program ever could! It was like he had never been away.
His first request after giving me a hug was that 'grandma' download some music for his new MP3 player. A-hemm. I told him 'maybe after supper'. Of course, he did not forget the promise, and I could not come up with another excuse for I've-never-done-this-before.
"So Zack. Do you spell your name with a H or a K?" I asked as I zinged all over the Internet trying to figure out how to download music without spreading a thousand viruses throughout my computer.
"I spell it with a H, grandma."
"What kind of music are you hoping we can find for the MP3 player?"
"Rap. If it has only two bad words, my mom won't mind too much."
"Well, Zach spelled-with-a-h, grandma has three rules for downloading music. I'm not going to pay for it. I'm not going to jail for doing it, and we can't have any bad words in it."
As I searched Google for "free rap music to download", we 'listened' to some FREE RAP songs only long enough for me to quickly hit the ESC key on the computer. Is there NOTHING sacred anymore?!!!!
Zach patiently waited and leaned on the computer table for almost an hour while we listened and I deleted. Finally, he quietly agreed that maybe he would be satisfied with something Country. Much better selection, but I couldn't find anything FREE in the country music section. (Did I say I've never done this before?)
One thing I love about Zach is that he is a little chatterbox. He told me stories while I was searching the Internet that made me laugh and almost cry at the same time. I stopped to take some notes on what he was saying until he noticed what I was writing. (Very smart!!)
He asked what day it was and when I told him it was Friday, he said, "Good. I go home on Saturday, and I'll be at home so I can go to church on Sunday."
A bit taken back, I asked if he went to church with his mommy but he informed me that a bus picks him up. He proceeded to explain that he has four fathers. (Don't get mad at me, I'm just reporting what a child told me.) He said, "These are my four fathers. My mother's boyfriend, my 'real father' who lives in Tennessee, and my dad who thinks he's my father 'cause he was there when I was born, and my father up in heaven."
The real world from the lips of a child...
He also told me that he talks to God and sometimes God talks to him.
"What does God say to you?" I asked.
"He asked me if I spell my name with a H or a K. I told him I thought he knew everything, but if he didn't already know, I spell it with a H."
Honesty from the lips of a child...
Later I asked Zach if he knew any songs from church that we might could download onto his MP3. He quickly told me that his favorite song at church is "Happy Birthday, Jesus" and started singing it to me. (All one note.)
Well ladies and gentlemen, we found that song on the Internet and as we listened, he jumped up and down excitedly.
"That's my church. I hear me singing in that song. I also hear my friend who won first place on the stage, and I won first place not on stage." (You figure out that one!)
We were able to download that very song to his MP3 player- straight from his own church - according to Zach. And grandma doesn't care is she goes to jail for copyright violations. Later, he fell asleep listening to "Happy Birthday, Jesus" and singing a bit off key as one does when wearing ear plugs.
By the way, ask Zach what he wants to be when he grows up. He doesn't hesitate a split second.
"I'm going to be five things. A farmer because I love animals. A policeman. A fireman. A lawyer and a 'millio-nare' so I can give all my money to the poor. And when I run out of money, I'm going to work as a lawyer until I earn more money to give to the poor."
I believe that God knew all along how Zach spells his name..
Take Care on the Journey,
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com/
December 25, 2008
Christmas Day 2008 At Our Home
All through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse!It looks like I had no hits on my blog today and no greetings in my mailbox, so one can assume that everyone was busy with family, gift opening, playing with toys, or hanging out with many people.
Our house was pleasantly warm and very quiet except twice when my cell phone rang - my boys calling to wish us happy greetings and assurances that we will all be together next Christmas. That news has me feeling very happy!
One of my favorite gifts this year is a digital frame from hubby. So far, I can't get it to work exactly right. It keeps wanting to show the factory pictures! It does show my photos when I put in a flash drive, but stops at the prompts after going through the pictures and won't let me set the special settings.
Send pictures anyway! I'm sure I'll figure it out as I always do with electronic things.
We opened gifts last night as our Christmas Eve ritual. My sister and I always exchange many little gifts (by mail). We find things for each other throughout the year and enjoy sharing lots of unique items. She even found one of those blankets with sleeves that I had been looking for. (You only see it advertised on TV). Jim already took a nap with it wrapped around his shoulders!
Bobby and Alison sent a sweet gift, and my older sister sent a lovely angel calendar and bracelet. To be truthful, I was very lonely for my boys today. That's not to complain about loving hubby who enjoyed his "first day off from work" reading the paper and offering to help me with anything. It was just a very quiet day, and I didn't have a lot to do except think about my boys skiing in Nevada and playing computer games in Texas!
Tomorrow (Friday), John, Denise, Zack and Victoria should be here to celebrate the day. We had to share, you know. Grandma and Grandpa get the day after. This should be interesting as it's our first Christmas with the grand kids. Zack is almost eight-years-old and Victoria will be five-years-old in a few days. I believe I'm well prepared. ha ha Zack is suppose to say overnight - another first! I already have his bed all made up.
Who knows what 2009 will bring with a new president at the helm - and the world watching - or reacting!
I'm suppose to be attending the RN program the entire year. I might need to find some part-time nursing work but will see how much I can handle and study too.
I looked up what I wrote for Christmas 2007. (You can look up the date in the archives.) It was about as quiet here then as it is now. I wasn't quite as honest in admitting how much I missed my boys last year. Maybe I should have been! LOL
Sunday is hubby's birthday and I have a busy day planned, so things will definitely pick up quickly.
I'm thankful for my family and that we all have work. That I can go back to school. That my boys are happy and doing well. That I have new friends (especially Buffy), and I don't have to think about moving anytime soon!
I'll close with a Christmas Hug ... And Cheers to all
Take Care on the Journey
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
December 21, 2008
December 17, 2008
Joyous, Bummer Days
Today starts a joyous Christmas break from school. Yesterday was a real bummer at school. That darn Anatomy & Physiology class! On the last two tests, I made an A. For yesterday's test, I had studied at least 16 hours for it and learned the answers to over 200 questions. I queried Wikipedia for additional information and felt confident that I knew the subject very well.
Please bear with me here as I explain that under some circumstances, I do get "test anxiety", so when I looked at the test and didn't recognize any questions from all those I had studied including the lecture notes and textbook material, I began to panic.
I knew the material, but felt my mind slipping into neutral. To make it worse, the numbers on the answer sheet didn't match the numbers on the test. I suppose college students are expected to adjust to that, but when I skipped a couple questions as I tried to pull my thoughts together, I felt another panic sweeping over me when I was on question five and had to count down five numbers from 151 on the answer sheet to find my place - and had to repeat that for every question I skipped!
After doing the multiple-choice, I labeled the bones of the skeletal system, filled in the fill-in-the-blanks (counting and recounting as the fill-ins had to be put on another portion of the answer paper), then came back to the original part of the fill-in sheet for the true and false answers. That process was very discerning for me.
Lastly, during the test another professor came in and started talking to our professor. I was only two seats from the front, and it sounded like they were talking about the possibility of our professor not coming back next year. (I was trying NOT to listen!). They got rather animated and loud. At that point, I gave up and turned my test in.
I complained that the teacher-to-teacher discussion was disturbing and 'unprofessional' and that I didn't feel the test questions matched what I had studied. My professor agreed with the disturbance, but disagreed that the test didn't follow the lecture material as he had taught it in class. Who's to say? I heard the class thought this test was much easier than other tests.
We won't have our scores back until after break, so I really don't know how I did. Part of test anxiety as that I can't remember any of the specific test questions. I have a bad feeling about it though.
After turning in the test, I didn't return to class until the next break an hour later. I went to the school library where I sent an email to Jim. "I need to talk. Are you there?" I got an immediate response!
He encouraged me to be confident and be easy on myself. "I know much you studied. You couldn't have done anything else," he reminded me.
Later, some of my friends from class encouraged me while handing me tissues. I was soooo disappointed AND frustrated, but isn't it nice to have friends all around you when you need them? They've been in that boat too!
So, I send this to remind everyone that every day is not perfect, and life isn't always fair. Take courage from your friends when they offer it, and let go of the frustration. "Let go" means "quit thinking about your frustrations and move on to happier thoughts".
Like, happy gift wrapping, Christmas card addressing, chocolate chip cookie making, holiday house cleaning, sweet apple pie baking and wishing everyone a blessed holiday season. Safe trips for those who travel. Keep warm, and stay off the ice if you live in the Midwest!
Take Care on the Journey,
~Linda
December 13, 2008
The Early Death of Black Friday
(I finally had time to sit down and write this. Hope you can relax and enjoy reading about my personal experience on Black Friday. The story took me five pleasant hours to write.)
When I mentioned to Hubby Jim that Wal-Mart was having some exceptional sales starting at 4 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), his slight snicker gave me pause before announcing that I planned to be there at 4 a.m. to purchase our pre-lit, 6.5-foot, Douglas Fir, Artificial Christmas tree for a mere $25.00!
I held up the weekly circular that was chocked-full of items I had on my Christmas list. “They'll have blue jeans for $8.00; a fleecy hooded jacket for $6.00; king-size sheet sets for $10.00; a king-size comforter set for $20.00; large towels for $2.00 each; children’s games like Monopoly for $4.00; computer gadgets in electronics; and last-but-not-least, our Christmas tree that will fit perfectly in the corner of our living room if I move the couch to the front of the sliding patio doors,” I explained in my most confident womanly voice.
During the next couple hours, I determined my shopping spree items and traced my imaginary path around Wal-Mart to get to the most places in the quickest route if I met with large crowds. Hubby cast side-glances and deep sighs of unease.
“You’ll have to watch your back. You don’t know who’s out that early in the morning. It will be real cold. Zip up your coat and wear gloves. Lock the car doors when you get in. Take your cell phone, and call me if anything looks suspicious,” he cautioned.
When the alarm clock broke through the gates of my dreamland at 3:55 a.m., it took about three seconds for me to remember that I wasn’t getting up for an early morning shift at the hospital, but going out on a shopping trip! Within 10-minutes I was dressed with shopping list and discount coupons in hand. I quietly kissed a sleepy hubby who woke up enough to offer one last warning to watch my back.
“Do you want to go with me?” I asked solicitously.
“No”, came the groggy but bemused reply.
A big dark car followed me to the highway. Had someone been waiting to tail and harm me? Boy, hubby had sure done wonders with my imagination! It was probably another nurse who was actually going to work!
During the 15-minute drive to Wal-Mart, I determined that very few cars were out on the roads, so maybe it wouldn’t be as crowded as the horrific Black-Friday stories I’d heard about.
Waiting at the red light to turn into the shopping center, I peered all around to see if there were headlights or flashing lights to indicate flocks of people or lots of trouble. I could turn around if I felt unsafe, I decided.
As I drove through the mall entrance, I was confused. Was this ten-thousand cars, or a solid mass of black ice that covered the parking lots for Wal-Mart, Sams Club, Staples, Home Buffet and a dozen other shopping mall stores?
I’m sure my mouth dropped open as I comprehended the reverie of an army of cars, trucks and campers – all dark and quiet but amassing every parking spot in sight! As if in a silent movie, I inched up and down rows of ominous vacant vehicles while searching for one empty parking space. Where were all the people? I couldn’t imagine that all of stores in the entire mall could hold all the people who had occupied these vehicles. I didn’t see anyone walking outside either. Proponents of Instant Rapture would have fun with this story!
Parking what seemed like miles from the target of my shopping spree, with sharp car keys, fully charged cell phone, and a bottle of defensive spray perfume in hand, I began the chilly journey toward the front door of Wal-Mart.
Here I might mention, that later in the day we heard on the news about the fatality in another Wal-Mart as early morning shoppers stormed in and trampled a young man to death.
Mobs like that greeted me as I finally entered the brightly lit store teeming with throngs of noisy, wild-eyed, chaotic, reckless, crazed, bargain hunters who apparently had been haggling from store to store all night to find the best deals in town. I looked at my watch wondering if I had entered a time warp. It was 4:35 a.m.!
Several fully armed policemen pressed around the entrance with nervous fingers tapping on their gun handles. It was the first time in my life I had ever seen police offers looking somewhat anxious. Already the checkout lanes were packed with endless circular trails of impatient customers who stood in three-deep lines pushing against each with overflowing carts of merchandise.
The noise level was deafening as unbridled shoppers shouted instructions on their cell phones to parties at other stores, grabbing the best of Black Friday deals and coordinating the next rendezvous!
Ironically, I wondered how I could ‘watch my back’ as I slipped my purse strap around my neck and across my chest. Where was my ‘treasure map’? Already I’d forgotten everything on my list except for the Christmas tree that would be located on the farthest side of the store and seemingly impossible to ‘get there from here’.
I decided to try to pick up some items on my list as I made my way to the Christmas tree. The cart I had swiped from the Sam’s Club parking lot was twice the size of Wal-Mart shopping cart and impossible to guide through this legion of mobsters. I considered abandoning it altogether, but knew I’d need it for the Christmas tree – if I ever got that far! Instead, I ‘exchanged’ it for a smaller cart someone had parked while reaching for an item in another isle.
Feeling very hot and flushed in the face, I wondered if I could handle the claustrophobia that was beginning to paralyze me. If only I had brought a cold drink, or if I could find someplace to sit for a minute, but both were out of the question at the moment! Urging my mind to find a cool, quiet place and removing my coat helped slightly. (Was it safe to put my coat in my cart? Frenzied shoppers might see a good bargain and grab it too!) In a large dressing mirror, I didn’t recognize my own white shade of pale, glassy eyed, sweat-glistened face. No wonder I felt weak and faint!
Pressing on, I noticed that the hot, sale-priced items on my 4 a.m. shopping list were piled in the center isles. Asking around, I discovered that the sheets, coats, and hooded jackets were already ‘sold out’. I just happened to discover the comforter sets in front of me when the crush of people was at a complete standstill. I was amazed that the only package left to pick up was the king-size comforter I had been hoping for. Other hands were also reaching for the comforter, and several women asked if I wanted to give it up as they moved on down the line to grab the next sale item.
Electronics, being at the back of the store, was not even an option. The back half of the entire store was packed like sardines out of water. No one was moving except to push and pull at each other like tigers on dead meat. I turned away into the shower curtain isle where I thought I might make my way through the paint department and around to the garden area for the coveted Christmas tree. Hurrah! A breath of air and space to move a little!
Slipping through the double doors to the outside garden area was like gliding into a lush garden and being the only inhabitant to enjoy its sparkling beauty. The evergreen trees were lit with bright twinkling lights and surrounded with hundreds of red, white and pink Poinsettias. The air was cool and sweet.
My boxed Christmas tree with 600 multi-colored lights, said, “Pick me. Pick me. I thought you’d never get here.”
Alas, I had to go back into the angry mob to pay for the tree (and my comforter set). By now, it was 5:15 a.m. (It had taken me 40 minutes to get from the front door to the garden area.) While it seemed the crush of people had somewhat thinned out, I couldn’t find the end of the line. It twisted and turned through the jewelry department, men’s clothing, shoe department, and into the grocery area. Other lines ended up in the service area and back into the toy department. An employee was going down the lines with some instructions. I inched closer and asked someone what she was saying. “She says if you are in a 20-items-only line, you will have to move to a regular line when you get up there,” was the unimpressive answer.
I got behind a Harley-Davidson tee shirt and looked at my watch. It was 5:30 a.m. and we were scheduled to deliver meals-on-wheels by 9:15 a.m. Dread overtook me as I figured I might be standing in line for the next four hours. Should I just give up my tree and comforter set now? The line did not seem to be moving at all. Disgruntled shoppers were dropping items on the floor and leaving for the next best sale at another store before the time limits expired. Well, I’d wait until the last minute and see how far I got.
Suddenly I had a strange sensation that people around me were munching on donuts! Nice soft, fluffy glazed donuts! My favorite donuts! Following the line of sugar-crusted lips, my eyes lit up at the sight of a tall cart with shelves that were filled with those sweet delights! “Free” murmured someone as I reached out and swooped up a lifesaver!
The long lines thinned out to transform into friendly, bantering, gift exchanging, information-gathering normal human beings. One lady excitedly ran up with a pair of the $8.00 jeans.
“Where were those jeans?” I asked with eager anticipation.
“Right over there,” she directed around the corner.
Leaving my cart with Harley-Davidson, I dashed to the area and was dismayed to find the shelves mostly empty. I was sure that had the shelves been well stocked, finding a woman’s, petite-sized jeans would have been almost impossible on a good day. Well, here is the Wal-Mart, Black Friday Miracle. The only pair of $8.00 jeans laying right on top with the size facing the outside, was my size!
And right there on the end of the children’s isle was a woman’s coat to die for - in my size! And, right in plain sight lay two hoddie jackets in my size in brown and red – the two colors I had wanted!
My shopping was complete! Not as I had planned, but what a treat! Along the way, as the checkout line inched forward, I picked up a few other items that people had tossed off their carts. A set of red decorations for the tree (on sale), building blocks for the grandkids (on sale), and even the little electronic thing I wanted!
Of course, I gave out all my angel cards and made temporary friends while we exchanged Christmas stories and shopping advice. Unusual for Wal-Mart, there were very few fussy children present at that hour of the morning. A couple of grinning dads pushed bicycles (already assembled?), and older people sat contentedly on large suitcases. The now quieter, more astute shoppers murmured quietly as we watched the top of the heads of those moving at the front of the line.
The human tide went out as quickly as it had come in. Fiscal responsibility took control as shoppers reminded each other of the seriousness of our economy. More non-essential, impulsive-buying articles were laid to rest along the checkout route. The rush abated, and carts moved in unison toward the checkout associates who paid no heed to the number of articles in a cart.
I was back home stringing up the tree before hubby had time to call and ask if I was okay. As he slandered sleepily into the living room, the sparkling tree glowed in the corner. I sipped a cool drink feeling satisfied with myself, and pleased at my vow to leave future Black Friday revelry to the Knights of Commercialism.
Black Friday got an early death at our house.
Take Care on the Journey
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
When I mentioned to Hubby Jim that Wal-Mart was having some exceptional sales starting at 4 a.m. on the Friday after Thanksgiving (Black Friday), his slight snicker gave me pause before announcing that I planned to be there at 4 a.m. to purchase our pre-lit, 6.5-foot, Douglas Fir, Artificial Christmas tree for a mere $25.00!
I held up the weekly circular that was chocked-full of items I had on my Christmas list. “They'll have blue jeans for $8.00; a fleecy hooded jacket for $6.00; king-size sheet sets for $10.00; a king-size comforter set for $20.00; large towels for $2.00 each; children’s games like Monopoly for $4.00; computer gadgets in electronics; and last-but-not-least, our Christmas tree that will fit perfectly in the corner of our living room if I move the couch to the front of the sliding patio doors,” I explained in my most confident womanly voice.
During the next couple hours, I determined my shopping spree items and traced my imaginary path around Wal-Mart to get to the most places in the quickest route if I met with large crowds. Hubby cast side-glances and deep sighs of unease.
“You’ll have to watch your back. You don’t know who’s out that early in the morning. It will be real cold. Zip up your coat and wear gloves. Lock the car doors when you get in. Take your cell phone, and call me if anything looks suspicious,” he cautioned.
When the alarm clock broke through the gates of my dreamland at 3:55 a.m., it took about three seconds for me to remember that I wasn’t getting up for an early morning shift at the hospital, but going out on a shopping trip! Within 10-minutes I was dressed with shopping list and discount coupons in hand. I quietly kissed a sleepy hubby who woke up enough to offer one last warning to watch my back.
“Do you want to go with me?” I asked solicitously.
“No”, came the groggy but bemused reply.
A big dark car followed me to the highway. Had someone been waiting to tail and harm me? Boy, hubby had sure done wonders with my imagination! It was probably another nurse who was actually going to work!
During the 15-minute drive to Wal-Mart, I determined that very few cars were out on the roads, so maybe it wouldn’t be as crowded as the horrific Black-Friday stories I’d heard about.
Waiting at the red light to turn into the shopping center, I peered all around to see if there were headlights or flashing lights to indicate flocks of people or lots of trouble. I could turn around if I felt unsafe, I decided.
As I drove through the mall entrance, I was confused. Was this ten-thousand cars, or a solid mass of black ice that covered the parking lots for Wal-Mart, Sams Club, Staples, Home Buffet and a dozen other shopping mall stores?
I’m sure my mouth dropped open as I comprehended the reverie of an army of cars, trucks and campers – all dark and quiet but amassing every parking spot in sight! As if in a silent movie, I inched up and down rows of ominous vacant vehicles while searching for one empty parking space. Where were all the people? I couldn’t imagine that all of stores in the entire mall could hold all the people who had occupied these vehicles. I didn’t see anyone walking outside either. Proponents of Instant Rapture would have fun with this story!
Parking what seemed like miles from the target of my shopping spree, with sharp car keys, fully charged cell phone, and a bottle of defensive spray perfume in hand, I began the chilly journey toward the front door of Wal-Mart.
Here I might mention, that later in the day we heard on the news about the fatality in another Wal-Mart as early morning shoppers stormed in and trampled a young man to death.
Mobs like that greeted me as I finally entered the brightly lit store teeming with throngs of noisy, wild-eyed, chaotic, reckless, crazed, bargain hunters who apparently had been haggling from store to store all night to find the best deals in town. I looked at my watch wondering if I had entered a time warp. It was 4:35 a.m.!
Several fully armed policemen pressed around the entrance with nervous fingers tapping on their gun handles. It was the first time in my life I had ever seen police offers looking somewhat anxious. Already the checkout lanes were packed with endless circular trails of impatient customers who stood in three-deep lines pushing against each with overflowing carts of merchandise.
The noise level was deafening as unbridled shoppers shouted instructions on their cell phones to parties at other stores, grabbing the best of Black Friday deals and coordinating the next rendezvous!
Ironically, I wondered how I could ‘watch my back’ as I slipped my purse strap around my neck and across my chest. Where was my ‘treasure map’? Already I’d forgotten everything on my list except for the Christmas tree that would be located on the farthest side of the store and seemingly impossible to ‘get there from here’.
I decided to try to pick up some items on my list as I made my way to the Christmas tree. The cart I had swiped from the Sam’s Club parking lot was twice the size of Wal-Mart shopping cart and impossible to guide through this legion of mobsters. I considered abandoning it altogether, but knew I’d need it for the Christmas tree – if I ever got that far! Instead, I ‘exchanged’ it for a smaller cart someone had parked while reaching for an item in another isle.
Feeling very hot and flushed in the face, I wondered if I could handle the claustrophobia that was beginning to paralyze me. If only I had brought a cold drink, or if I could find someplace to sit for a minute, but both were out of the question at the moment! Urging my mind to find a cool, quiet place and removing my coat helped slightly. (Was it safe to put my coat in my cart? Frenzied shoppers might see a good bargain and grab it too!) In a large dressing mirror, I didn’t recognize my own white shade of pale, glassy eyed, sweat-glistened face. No wonder I felt weak and faint!
Pressing on, I noticed that the hot, sale-priced items on my 4 a.m. shopping list were piled in the center isles. Asking around, I discovered that the sheets, coats, and hooded jackets were already ‘sold out’. I just happened to discover the comforter sets in front of me when the crush of people was at a complete standstill. I was amazed that the only package left to pick up was the king-size comforter I had been hoping for. Other hands were also reaching for the comforter, and several women asked if I wanted to give it up as they moved on down the line to grab the next sale item.
Electronics, being at the back of the store, was not even an option. The back half of the entire store was packed like sardines out of water. No one was moving except to push and pull at each other like tigers on dead meat. I turned away into the shower curtain isle where I thought I might make my way through the paint department and around to the garden area for the coveted Christmas tree. Hurrah! A breath of air and space to move a little!
Slipping through the double doors to the outside garden area was like gliding into a lush garden and being the only inhabitant to enjoy its sparkling beauty. The evergreen trees were lit with bright twinkling lights and surrounded with hundreds of red, white and pink Poinsettias. The air was cool and sweet.
My boxed Christmas tree with 600 multi-colored lights, said, “Pick me. Pick me. I thought you’d never get here.”
Alas, I had to go back into the angry mob to pay for the tree (and my comforter set). By now, it was 5:15 a.m. (It had taken me 40 minutes to get from the front door to the garden area.) While it seemed the crush of people had somewhat thinned out, I couldn’t find the end of the line. It twisted and turned through the jewelry department, men’s clothing, shoe department, and into the grocery area. Other lines ended up in the service area and back into the toy department. An employee was going down the lines with some instructions. I inched closer and asked someone what she was saying. “She says if you are in a 20-items-only line, you will have to move to a regular line when you get up there,” was the unimpressive answer.
I got behind a Harley-Davidson tee shirt and looked at my watch. It was 5:30 a.m. and we were scheduled to deliver meals-on-wheels by 9:15 a.m. Dread overtook me as I figured I might be standing in line for the next four hours. Should I just give up my tree and comforter set now? The line did not seem to be moving at all. Disgruntled shoppers were dropping items on the floor and leaving for the next best sale at another store before the time limits expired. Well, I’d wait until the last minute and see how far I got.
Suddenly I had a strange sensation that people around me were munching on donuts! Nice soft, fluffy glazed donuts! My favorite donuts! Following the line of sugar-crusted lips, my eyes lit up at the sight of a tall cart with shelves that were filled with those sweet delights! “Free” murmured someone as I reached out and swooped up a lifesaver!
The long lines thinned out to transform into friendly, bantering, gift exchanging, information-gathering normal human beings. One lady excitedly ran up with a pair of the $8.00 jeans.
“Where were those jeans?” I asked with eager anticipation.
“Right over there,” she directed around the corner.
Leaving my cart with Harley-Davidson, I dashed to the area and was dismayed to find the shelves mostly empty. I was sure that had the shelves been well stocked, finding a woman’s, petite-sized jeans would have been almost impossible on a good day. Well, here is the Wal-Mart, Black Friday Miracle. The only pair of $8.00 jeans laying right on top with the size facing the outside, was my size!
And right there on the end of the children’s isle was a woman’s coat to die for - in my size! And, right in plain sight lay two hoddie jackets in my size in brown and red – the two colors I had wanted!
My shopping was complete! Not as I had planned, but what a treat! Along the way, as the checkout line inched forward, I picked up a few other items that people had tossed off their carts. A set of red decorations for the tree (on sale), building blocks for the grandkids (on sale), and even the little electronic thing I wanted!
Of course, I gave out all my angel cards and made temporary friends while we exchanged Christmas stories and shopping advice. Unusual for Wal-Mart, there were very few fussy children present at that hour of the morning. A couple of grinning dads pushed bicycles (already assembled?), and older people sat contentedly on large suitcases. The now quieter, more astute shoppers murmured quietly as we watched the top of the heads of those moving at the front of the line.
The human tide went out as quickly as it had come in. Fiscal responsibility took control as shoppers reminded each other of the seriousness of our economy. More non-essential, impulsive-buying articles were laid to rest along the checkout route. The rush abated, and carts moved in unison toward the checkout associates who paid no heed to the number of articles in a cart.
I was back home stringing up the tree before hubby had time to call and ask if I was okay. As he slandered sleepily into the living room, the sparkling tree glowed in the corner. I sipped a cool drink feeling satisfied with myself, and pleased at my vow to leave future Black Friday revelry to the Knights of Commercialism.
Black Friday got an early death at our house.
Take Care on the Journey
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
December 10, 2008
Thank-you and Good Luck, Laurie
Laurie does not attend Bohecker College. She left me this comment over at allnurses.com where I posted my story (click here) about Bohecker Orientation (and won 3rd place). Her story is so touching, I want to copy and paste it here for my blog family to read. Laurie struggled with the same challenges that I did trying to get into a nursing program for so many years. Her story follows: (Read to the end.)
*Thank you. That is all that I can say. I found out two days ago that, although I had gotten into an LVN (you call it LPN where you live) program, I was ineligible for entry due to a pre-req that I had not been able to get into. I took my first nursing pre-req 6 years ago. I was 20 years old and pregnant, and already had 2 sons. I had found myself a single mom, but was convinced that I was going to make something of myself and set an example for my kids. Regardless of how hard it was or how long it took.
**I did finish those pre-req's, with a 3.5 while working full time grave yard shifts and raising 2 boys on my own. I put my name on a waitlist for an rn program...then saw that my number wasnt due to come up for 3 more years. I gave it the old college try for about 3 semesters, and then I realized that I needed to move on. I had three children. I was single. I had finished an associates degree in psych while I was waiting for a nursing opening. I needed a bachelors, a career. I switched majors.
**4 months before graduating from SDSU with a BS in Psych, I met my current husband. While he was proud of me, and happy for me, he made it known that I didnt need to abandon my nursing dream. He let me know he would bend over backward to help me realize it. So I tried again...
**But it was back to the daunting waitlists, and my science pre-req's had expired. I was frustrated, but determined. I decided to get my LVN first, and do an RN step-up program after. There weren't waiting lists for that. I finished my pre-req's (again), and applied to a local LVN program that I could afford. I found out that I was guaranteed a spot! I was beyond excited. I've been a CNA working for an acceptance letter for 5 years!!! Then I found out I was missing a pre-req required by their facility, and the classes offered there were filled. They gave me a list of places offering the class in the time alotted before the LPN program started. I left, still confident that this was finally my shot! Then I found out that all of the classes were full.
Here I was, 26 years old. Having to put it off for yet ANOTHER year. It was inconceivable. I needed to further my psych education, and have a real career. I cried all night, and applied to a Masters program in Psych the next day.
Then I read your story on allnurses.com. It made me think, Im 26. She is 20 years older than me, and she hasn't given up. Here I am giving up!! I will smile the whole time when it is my turn too! My husband doesn't want me to give up either! I called the school back and retracted my application for the psych program, and then I poured over the internet for schools within a 2 hour radius of my home that offered the pre-req class I needed. And I found one. An hour away, but worth the drive twice a week.
I take that for 6 weeks, and then I look at a white board that says welcome LVN students...
**I know we are complete strangers, but it is honestly because of your post. I wouldnt have bothered to look in neighboring counties without reading your story. I cant thank you enough. And if I have questions during the LVN process, I'd love to look to you as a mentor!
**Best to you and yours! Happy Holidays!
**Laurie L.****************
What a beautiful story!!!! I hope I can be Laurie's mentor in whatever way possible.
Take Care on the Journey,
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
*Thank you. That is all that I can say. I found out two days ago that, although I had gotten into an LVN (you call it LPN where you live) program, I was ineligible for entry due to a pre-req that I had not been able to get into. I took my first nursing pre-req 6 years ago. I was 20 years old and pregnant, and already had 2 sons. I had found myself a single mom, but was convinced that I was going to make something of myself and set an example for my kids. Regardless of how hard it was or how long it took.
**I did finish those pre-req's, with a 3.5 while working full time grave yard shifts and raising 2 boys on my own. I put my name on a waitlist for an rn program...then saw that my number wasnt due to come up for 3 more years. I gave it the old college try for about 3 semesters, and then I realized that I needed to move on. I had three children. I was single. I had finished an associates degree in psych while I was waiting for a nursing opening. I needed a bachelors, a career. I switched majors.
**4 months before graduating from SDSU with a BS in Psych, I met my current husband. While he was proud of me, and happy for me, he made it known that I didnt need to abandon my nursing dream. He let me know he would bend over backward to help me realize it. So I tried again...
**But it was back to the daunting waitlists, and my science pre-req's had expired. I was frustrated, but determined. I decided to get my LVN first, and do an RN step-up program after. There weren't waiting lists for that. I finished my pre-req's (again), and applied to a local LVN program that I could afford. I found out that I was guaranteed a spot! I was beyond excited. I've been a CNA working for an acceptance letter for 5 years!!! Then I found out I was missing a pre-req required by their facility, and the classes offered there were filled. They gave me a list of places offering the class in the time alotted before the LPN program started. I left, still confident that this was finally my shot! Then I found out that all of the classes were full.
Here I was, 26 years old. Having to put it off for yet ANOTHER year. It was inconceivable. I needed to further my psych education, and have a real career. I cried all night, and applied to a Masters program in Psych the next day.
Then I read your story on allnurses.com. It made me think, Im 26. She is 20 years older than me, and she hasn't given up. Here I am giving up!! I will smile the whole time when it is my turn too! My husband doesn't want me to give up either! I called the school back and retracted my application for the psych program, and then I poured over the internet for schools within a 2 hour radius of my home that offered the pre-req class I needed. And I found one. An hour away, but worth the drive twice a week.
I take that for 6 weeks, and then I look at a white board that says welcome LVN students...
**I know we are complete strangers, but it is honestly because of your post. I wouldnt have bothered to look in neighboring counties without reading your story. I cant thank you enough. And if I have questions during the LVN process, I'd love to look to you as a mentor!
**Best to you and yours! Happy Holidays!
**Laurie L.****************
What a beautiful story!!!! I hope I can be Laurie's mentor in whatever way possible.
Take Care on the Journey,
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
December 9, 2008
Congratulations! Nicole, LPN
A New Journey...
glitter-graphics.com
Many of my classmates at Bohecker College - Columbus are continuing their education in the RN (Registered Nurse) program after having finished the LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) program at Bohecker last year. While these students have graduated from Bohecker as practical nurses, they haven't taken their state test to become Licensed Practical Nurses - something they must do very soon in order to continue in the RN program.
During the last couple weeks, those students who are in the RN program with me have been taking the state exams (NCLEX) to become official Licensed Practical Nurses. Each student was assigned (by the state) a different date and time to take the official state exam.
Yesterday we heard that two more students passed their test. Tomorrow Raymond takes his exam at 8:30 a.m., and today one of the students who shares a desk with me in Pharmacology got the results of her test she took on Monday.
While each one deserves recognition and accolades, I was personally interested in Nicole's results today as she dashed to the library during breaks in class to see if her name was on the Internet list of having passed the nursing license test.
During A&P lab, I noticed a big smile and I asked, "Did you find out?" Her bigger smile confirmed the good news! I wanted to clap and shout to the whole room, "Nicole just found out she passed the NCLEX!"
Such a monumental accomplishment, and here Nicole was already back to memorizing bones of the body (and smiling!).
I figured that she was already working as a practical nurse, but no, she works at Bob Evans Restaurant! She says that now she will start job-hunting for work as a nurse!
"I'm almost more nervous about finding a nursing job than I was over passing the test," Nicole commented.
Best wishes for Nicole, and good luck to each practical nurse at Bohecker as you take those much anticipated 'boards' and start a new journey to fulfill your destiny as a NURSE!
Take Care on the Journey,
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com/
December 6, 2008
Susan
My husband says I can sleep through my English class at Bohecker College, Columbus, Ohio, but that class is the most exciting and enjoyable subject I've ever taken. I don't even yawn in this class! The three-hour session seems to flash by. Our English Professor loves her job! She reads every paper and praises us no matter how many times we forget to place the comma or put the apostrophe in the wrong spot. Throughout the quarter she has asked for many articles and something she calls, Journal Entries. This one was a little unusual and something I thought I'd share here. You'll understand when you read it.
The assignment: If you could find out about any of your childhood friends, who would you want to find about, and why.
Here's mine:
I don’t remember Susan’s last name. What I remember, more than 40 years later, is her unselfish kindness as a childhood friend. I had no toys to share, but she shared all of hers. I had no pretty clothes like hers, but she never noticed. I rode her bike down a hill and crashed it, but she didn’t complain. She always waited by the window after school for me to stop by and eat a small snack her mother prepared for both of us. There were Christmas gifts for me under her brightly lit tree, even though I had no tree at my house and could offer no gifts in return. My family left town in the middle of the night, and we never said good-bye, but I know that if Susan is still alive, she hasn’t forgotten me. I’m sure that she lifts her head in anticipation when she hears the name “Linda”, as I do whenever I hear the name “Susan”. Many years later (a couple years ago), my sister and I drove by the old house in Avon Park, Florida, where Susan and her mother used to live. It was smaller than I remembered. Unpainted with broken steps at the front door, the large living room window still looked out onto the world. I waited for the curtains to move as they did every day after school when Susan would be waiting for me. Today they were oddly still. I hope someday we will meet in some unexpected hallway and I can tell her how much her kindness made a difference in my life. Somehow I suspect that she's a nurse too.
Take Care on the Journey
And Thank-you to "Susan"
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com/
The assignment: If you could find out about any of your childhood friends, who would you want to find about, and why.
Here's mine:
I don’t remember Susan’s last name. What I remember, more than 40 years later, is her unselfish kindness as a childhood friend. I had no toys to share, but she shared all of hers. I had no pretty clothes like hers, but she never noticed. I rode her bike down a hill and crashed it, but she didn’t complain. She always waited by the window after school for me to stop by and eat a small snack her mother prepared for both of us. There were Christmas gifts for me under her brightly lit tree, even though I had no tree at my house and could offer no gifts in return. My family left town in the middle of the night, and we never said good-bye, but I know that if Susan is still alive, she hasn’t forgotten me. I’m sure that she lifts her head in anticipation when she hears the name “Linda”, as I do whenever I hear the name “Susan”. Many years later (a couple years ago), my sister and I drove by the old house in Avon Park, Florida, where Susan and her mother used to live. It was smaller than I remembered. Unpainted with broken steps at the front door, the large living room window still looked out onto the world. I waited for the curtains to move as they did every day after school when Susan would be waiting for me. Today they were oddly still. I hope someday we will meet in some unexpected hallway and I can tell her how much her kindness made a difference in my life. Somehow I suspect that she's a nurse too.
Take Care on the Journey
And Thank-you to "Susan"
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com/
December 4, 2008
"I'm So Proud of You"
A perfect EKG - P-QRS-T waveI had to use this title because when my Pharmacology professor handed me back my mid-term test, and my heart was in my throat because it had been a very difficult, 2-hour, gut-wrenching, examination covering 33 chapters of our textbook, she held the folded test behind her back and looked me straight in the eyes and said, "I'm so proud of you".
"What!" I made 100%!
What a rush - and what a relief!
Now that all four mid-terms are over, and now that I'd had 12 hours of sleep, I can post that I'm making 3 A's and 1 B (a high B of 89%).
Hubby says that I "purred like a baby" all night. ha ha
I was dreaming of the differences between implicit and explicit; preconventional and conventional; independent variable and dependent variable; agonist and antagonist (it's not what you think on that one). By the way, Philip, during my pretest studies, I had looked up implicit and explicit on wikipedia, and that helped me get that question right on the Psychology test. When some of the class argued the answer with our professor, I commented that Wikipedia said it was like learning to ride a bike. Implicit is remembering how to ride a bike. Explicit is learning how to fix the bike.
We still have two weeks before Christmas break, and I have several small school papers to prepare, but now I can start to bring out the secret packages hidden in my bedroom closet to be wrapped and posted to family and friends. I've been thinking about what I'm going to write about in our Christmas letter this year and enjoying a couple cards already received in the mail.
Yes, we've gotten some snow already here in central Ohio, but it was only a light dusting. They are predicting another fluff or two tonight. We bundle up in furry coats and warm mittens to go out, and I'm sitting at the computer with a small heater at my feet. (Sheba doesn't like it because she can't lay at my feet now.)
Last night as I was walking to the car, I took my first winter splash on the ice! I wasn't expecting that! (Are we ever expecting a fall? If we were, we might not fall!). Thanks to a thick coat and a large bag of trash I was taking out, my landing was fairly soft and (thankfully) unwitnessed!
My catch-up list is rather long today. Dishes in the sink and beds to change and make up. Calls to make (that darn bank is adding a service charge again!), and a trip to the grocery store. We've just about finished all the Thanksgiving leftovers. Oh yes, don't forget the 4 p.m. appointment with my chiropractor.
Here's hoping you have 70% coupons for all your holiday shopping and that there's no patch of ice on your doorstep.
Take Care on the Journey,
~Linda
Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com
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