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

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/

Tomorrow Is The Big Day

Jupiter reaches out to the moon in the October sky. (flickr photo)

First, for those who depend on me to keep you updated on world news: OJ is found guilty of armed robbery - all 12 counts - and is handcuffed in the courtroom after the lights came back on and taken to prison to await sentencing. There's a very interesting story that includes a bizarre twist of the number 13 for OJ but it won't save here. You can goggle OJ Simpson for the story with the words "snake eyes" in the title.

For those who watched (as I did) and to those who simply heard the news reports, Sarah Palin did not fall on her face during the vice-presidential debate. She looked right into our living rooms with a vibrant strong voice and said just what she wanted to say! While I'm still NOT going to vote for McCain, I have to admit she carried herself beautifully and even caused the "church-mice" quiet audience to chuckle a time or two. Woman-to-woman, she does have a figure to die for! But, that does not make her qualified to run the country. Nor do I think McCain will be actually do more than Bush has done for us in the last eight years.

Well, it's almost like a wedding day at our house! My RN program starts at Bohecker College in less than 24-hours on October 6, 2008 although my first full day is Tuesday because of the class schedule. Life as I know it changes on that day!

Jim and I have been discussing our early morning schedule. While we don't have little kids to get off to school, he catches the city bus for his ride to work, and I'll be picking him up from the bus stop in the afternoons. This because we made some driving changes in order to save hundreds of dollars in gas money by not driving to work every day. Jim's got the route under his belt and actually enjoys reading the paper on his way to the city and back.

During the summer we made another change in anticipation of Old Man Winter here in Ohio. Modern technology has offered a way to avoid cleaning off the snow, scraping the frozen windshield and sit shivering on the icy cold seat waiting for the heat to warm our frozen fingers. We had an auto starter installed in our car!!!!

So, on a school day I'll go to the bedroom window and clicker-start the car with the defrost and seat warmers already turned on. After breakfast we drop him off at the bus stop (about a mile away) and I'll go to school (about two miles away). On non-class days I plan to spend several hours at the local library so I'm not tempted to do housework or watch my favorite show, The Baby Story. Also, when someone is home during the day, the dogs think they have permission to ask to go out every hour on the hour!

I'm wondering how many of you who know me have asked the question already? "Is Linda going to keep working while going to school?"

Yep. You know me well. I ask myself the same question several times a day. Yesterday we sat down and put our entire budget on an Excel program and it's very very close with expenditures and revenue! But it IS possible to get by without me working if there are no unexpected surprises.

As Jim and I enjoyed our weekend treat of supper at Cracker Barrel last night, we discussed how we could save even more by planning meals during the week (like my sister Sandy does) and limiting how often we give in to the temptation to enjoy someone else doing the cooking (and cleaning).

"If my boys and my sister hear that I'm trying to work and go to school, they're going to be very mad," I told Jim. He agrees that this is a time in my life to do something 100 percent for me. He will tie my hands behind my back if he thinks I'm dialing my agency to offer to work!

On the other hand, the first four months of school will be a light schedule due to not doing clinicals at the hospital. We agree that I might work 8-12 hours a week during these months if we find that I'm keeping up with school work and it will mean a little more spending freedom for us. (I hate when I can never go shopping!!!!) But nobody's getting the call yet! It's a wonderful feeling not being pressured to WORK! Thank-you hubby for doing that for us.

Last night parts of Ohio had its first mild frost. They say the leaves will be in full color within a couple weeks but we aren't seeing it yet. We've pulled out the jackets and mittens but are enjoying every minute of the misty cool nights and sparkling beautiful days of Indian Summer here in the Ohio Valley. (Jim says it's Indian Summer until the first full moon of October.)

On the way home last night we were enjoying the sky constellations and commenting that almost 11 years ago Jim wrote a poem to me about Jupiter, Mars and Venus coming to a conjunction around the full moon in the October sky. We were married a month later on November 23, 1997.

While the news is good here, it reminds me that not everyone is feeling so 'happy'. Jobs are scarce. Money is tight. Families despair and work hard as they hang on to tiny threads of hope. Friends seem too far away, and there are not enough hours in the day to keep up! I am aware of the frustrations and fears of those around me and those I love. Just know that I do care, and I believe in YOU. As my friend, Kathryn F. used to say, "Write, stop by or call anytime." We can add e-mail to that now.

Take Care on the Journey,
~Linda

Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com

How Much Is Too Much For Our Pets?

Ching-Ching - February 2008.

We’re having a dilemma at our house. Dictionary.com defines the word dilemma as a ‘choice between equally undesirable alternatives” or “a difficult or perplexing situation”. Both descriptions apply to our situation although to some folks this would not even be a question to be debated.

As it is, I’m not sure hubby and I are ‘debating’ the issue very much because he seems certain of the answer and, as usual, I’m pouring over

alternative solutions and offering a variety of options! The reasonable response verses the emotional response!

The ‘situation’ involves our beautiful loving Golden Retriever, Ching-Ching! Maybe I should stay away from adjectives as I write this story in order not to prejudice the reader. But, I’m not necessarily seeking advice or asking for the right answer because the decision is already cluttered enough with our own personal feelings and moral convictions!

It started with Ching-Ching’s water bowl. I’m the regular caretaker for feeding and filling the water bowls for Sheba and Ching. Hubby takes over on the weekends when his schedule is a little more flexible. Last week I noticed she was drinking a LOT more water. Instead of filling it each morning, I found it empty several times a day. It dawned on me that she was drinking at least a gallon of water a day – and outputting in equal volume!

Another difference - Sheba often comes to my side of the bed during the night snorting a little to waken me for a potty run. This has been happening with more frequency since she was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease. At the door, Sheba stands back away from the door while I shoo Ching away from her favorite sleeping spot so we can open the door. (There’s been some fighting over the preferred cool spot by the door.) Ching-Ching usually slugs over to her personal couch for the rest of the night as Sheba and I step outside right under the little dipper and the Orion cluster for Sheba’s nightly ‘outing’. If it’s nice outside, Sheba might try to lie down on the cool grass but I’m not that nice at 3 a.m.!

The last week or so, Ching-Ching has dashed outside along with Sheba. That put together with the excessive drinking, I decided Ching-Ching either had a urine infection or diabetes so I took her to the vet last Thursday. Within the hour, the vet surmised that this wasn’t a urine infection but she wouldn’t confirm other problems without blood tests. Before we left the office, less $285 dollars and two vials of blood, I felt certain we were not going to be happy with the news.

We got he call yesterday afternoon. According to Dr.Zinni who did Ching-Ching’s emergency surgery back in February of this year, (see story at http://dustyangels.blogspot.com/2008/02/animals-r-special.html, Ching-Ching is a diabetic in need of some serious treatment – at a formidable cost to us that we cannot afford.

Already, I can hear the clamor of opinions. Pet lovers who understand the chemistry between dog and master would howl with disbelief at the bare thought of not treating with hospitalization, Insulin, regular blood tests and special diet ($500 starting on Monday added to the $285 last Thursday).

On the other hand, those who don’t pamper their dogs as we do, offering these furry children the life of leisure and luxury, shake their heads with bewilderment at our discomfort.

We know of many dog owners who have so many dogs tied out in the front yard that one can’t get through the barking, growling big dogs and yapping squirming small puppies. Their purpose is to howl at the moon, produce more puppies and bark at any disturbance of nature 24/7.

Other people value their pets more than real children, often putting their pet's health care above their own! Sparkle has his own bed, catered food, manicures in a regular basis with only the best in nail color, name brand outfits and personalized strollers for the frequent outings to restaurants and pet parks to name only a few.

Our furry children come close to the second category. But not quite.

Here’s where the dilemma occurs.

Do we treat aggressively?
No treatment at all?
Self-treat with vet supervision? (I can give shots and monitor blood sugars but the vet doesn't support that.)
Self-treat without vet assistance? (Order meds online and watch diet.)
Allow pet to die at home no matter how bad she gets?
Put to sleep when she is in a lot of pain?

If we treat as the vet as suggested, Ching-Ching would need at least one overnight hospital stay to monitor during the initial Insulin treatment. ($500 up front.) There would follow weekly vet appointments and blood draws. (At least $100 weekly) Cost of meds and other supplies for incontinence. ($50/wk) Administration of shots once or twice a day. Monitoring of blood sugar every 4-12 hours depending on how she is responding. Cost of extra special diet and no treats or snacks they love once in a while. Our schedule and time required to do all this is almost impossible with our work schedule. There would be unpredictable reactions and no guarantee of quality of life or lifespan. (Ching-Ching is nine-years old.)

We are sure this is something we can’t afford and don’t want to subject Ching-Ching to, but the dilemma is how we feel about making that decision!

While we have enjoyed a good relationship with Dr. Zinni, we are going to have to say no to her recommendations and expect her disfavorable reaction.

I guess it’s one day at a time now as we wait for that “nighty-night” time. Ching-Ching is still alert, eating well and playful. We hope this doesn’t deteriorate too fast. But, we will continue to do all the things she loves including rolling in the grass on walks with Jim, a dog bone once in a while and just a little bit of daddy jim’s cookie at supper time.

Take Care on the Journey,

~Linda

Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com

Homepage: Dusty Angels and Old Diaries

My Book! I'm Published!

"Dusty Angels and Old Diaries"

by Linda J. Meikle

A Book For Women Who Want To Be Strong

An amazing story that might change your life

This is the story of my life gleaned for a box-full of old diaries. It re-lives the terror of a three-year old child as I waited for my mother to return; the fight to stay in the orphanage and not be separated from my baby sister. Later, the abuse and injuries suffered at the hands of an unbridled angry grandmother; the slow death of a turbulent marriage; the birth and blessings of two wonderful sons; the agonizing search for my mother - and the pivotal moment when I found her almost 40 years later! It ends on a magical note of unexpected love found in an unusual place. A story of love and forgiveness rarely seen today!

Search Inside the Book at Amazon.com

My e-mail: bestnurse@usa.com (from your mailbox)

Book website: http://www.lindasbookshelf.com

Home Page http://dustyangels.blogspot.com

Fran Cash - Rest In Peace

"Dad" Cash called tonight (June 29, 2008) to inform us that his wife, Fran passed away this afternoon after a long illness. If you'd like to send a card, please call me for the address. I realize this may seem strange because "Dad" is my ex father-in-law but he's been more of a dad than I ever had and he continues to be very special to our family.

Take Care on the Journey,
~Linda

Home: http://dustyangels.blogspot.com

Mom's Visit Pictures

Mom loves the white fences all over town. A trademark of New Albany.

I can't believe it's Friday! Mom's been here a week and we've had a nice, quiet, relaxing time.

I'll post more later. Notice it's almost 2 a.m.

Take Care on the Journey,

~Linda

Are you in my book?

Your name is listed here for only one reason. A Google search of that name may direct you to my blog: dustyangels.blogspot.com You may be mentioned in my new book, "Dusty Angels and Old Diaries". Or, you might enjoy browsing the current stories. Your name has been a part of my lifetime experience.

Please click on the work "home" at the end of this for most recent postings.

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Take Care On the Journey, Linda

Did You Know This About Me?

I wanted to call this, "My Obituary" just to get your attention, but the idea got Jim unsettled and he said the boys wouldn't like it either. So, after some thought, I've renamed tonight's chapter.

The Terri Schiavo story is big in the news right now. Just yesterday her feeding tube was removed for the 4th time. Her husband who lives with another woman and has a least 2 children by this mistress, wants Terri to die because he insists that she would not have wanted to be kept alive with a feeding tube. Her parents are pleading for Terri's life and it's seems that the President of the United States may play a part on whether she has the tube or not. Congress is expected to vote on the case any minute now!

For the record, if life support would give me another chance to enjoy my family and friends then I'm all for it. But if a feeding tube and/or other support would just keep my body alive and I would have to be taken care of by other people, then please let me go in peace. I've taken care of enough people like Terri to know I would not want that, nor would I want my family to keep me that way. When I go, learn from me and remember some good things about me every once in a while.

I encourage everyone to think about what and who creates within you feelings of cheer and satisfaction. It occurs to me that I am the best person in the world to appreciate my past accomplishments, reflect on my brightest joys and plan my future goals. So, let's get started!

Becoming a Registered Nurse has always been an off and on goal. Even after being an LPN for 35 years, I still sign up at the local college for RN classes!. On the other hand, I'm such a good LPN that I'd never be an even greater RN. Just to walk across a platform in a graduation gown would be something I know I'd feel very good about.

I was surprised when I figured out that I've had less than 7 years of formal education? Grandma believed in holding a child back to start school until they were 8 years old and by the end of my second grade, grandma had us hidden way back in the Ozark Mountains where she proclaimed to be our teacher but we rarely spent an entire day under her tudor. When I was 16, I spent a few glorious months as a freshman at Ozark Academy in Arkansas. There I took flute lessons and was soon playing in the band. English was my favorite class! Grandma also ran a nursing home and my sister and I spent more hours than children were legally allowed washing dishes and pots and pans before and after school. I'll write more about Ozark Acadmey later.

We next moved to Laurelbrook School in Tennessee where I was placed in the 11th grade. Because Laurelbrook's high school diploma isn't recognized by the state, I took the GED after graduating from Laurelbrook to qualify for LPN school. I spent a busy year with a wonderful family in Dayton Ohio while I attended the Dayton School of Practical Nursing there. I was 18 years old and worked nights at Kettering Hospital to help pay my way through the LPN course. A lifelong thank-you to Kathryn and Bob Flood for providing this opportunity to me. I'll write more about that exciting but busy year too.

My really happiest moments are when I'm going to school, having to read books and take tests to challenge myself!
I regret that my education has always taken a back seat, because choosing what I want has always been difficult for me to choose. I'm usually helping others; cheering then on to what's next! I should have gotten more education because it's such a "high" for me and I would have made such good use of it. Maybe it will still happen. If I was rich, I'd spend more time in school!

While we lived in Michigan and the boys were small, I was a correspondent for The Herald-Palladium in St. Joseph, Michigan, I learned how it feels to be filled with ambition, confidence and purpose. Those eight years were crazy because I ran after every fire, accident and unusual event in our town 24/7 except when I was working as a nurse in another town. I covered town meetings and school board meetings as a reporter and could quote every word. I enjoyed writing about people and telling their stories. Police Chief Jim Kesterke, presented me with an award for always providing first-aid first before I brought out the newspaper camera! My monthly newspaper "string" was longer than most other correspondents' but Bill Cash was quick to point out that even a 17-foot string didn't make us very much money!

I couldn't have been a such a successful correspondent without my longsuffering, chain smoking editor, Tom Brundrett. He taught me everything about journalism and computers at the time. We spent so much time together that our spouses were jealous but they needn't have worried. I was known as a fair and honest reporter and was always respected by the officials in our town.

Teaching CPR for the American Red Cross and volunteering at special events in our county was exciting for me. I also worked closely with the firemen and policemen keeping them all updated in CPR. I don't think my teenage Billy appreciated my close association with the local police at the time, but he knew I was happy and looked forward to teaching those classes.

Photography developed from a sense of wanted to start my own business and make money at it. My diary reflects how scared I was to take that step to order the studio equipment. I remember the day it arrived, I cried because I thought I'd never be able to understand the f-stops and shadows and light placements. But, I became the best wedding photographer in the county and shared that business with Billy and Philip as they often helped me with setting up the studio and accompanied me on weddings. I still shoot weddings but have left the studio work behind for awhile.

Friends pushed me into studying for the Ham Radio license. I was sure I'd never pass something like that but wanted to enter into the world of electronics and Amateur Radio.. Today I'm proud of that license and plan to join a radio club in Columbus, Ohio. It can be a rather expensive hobby and I don't have much equipment but it's a fun experience I look forward to. I'm looking for a service oriented radio club.

Winning an elected position on our township and becoming the township clerk probably was the catalyst for my divorce from Bill Cash. As with most of my interests, he was usually quietly pessimistic and not overly supportive. I'm sure he thought I'd make a fool of myself by running against a lifelong incumbent for the township clerk position. It was many months of hard, hard work. I went to most every door in our town and depended on a very loyal election committee who advised me, made calls, passed out pamphlets, put up signs and in every way gave me unconditional support. We marched in the July 4th parade, attended pancake breakfasts and kissed a lot of babies (just kidding). I won a four-year term and another 4-year term the second time around. Billy and Philip are still in awe about my political experience.

About then I also took the Emergency Medical Technician Course (EMT) so I could volunteer for the local ambulance service. I considered becoming a Paramedic but discovered that my body mechanics were not good enough to protect my back while lifting heavy people and big stretchers. Working as an EMT was short-lived but I look back at that experience with satisfaction and pride.

My work with handicapped children at the county school for MRDD was very gratifying. For 5 years I was one of the nurses at Blossomland Learning Center in Berrien Springs, Michigan. I loved every child and knew each of the 250 little ones by name and history. They taught me about being positive no matter what the handicap, enjoying life no matter what the challenge, and the pure pleasure of little accomplishments!

I have a little picture on the wall by my bathroom lightswitch that says, "If I can't do great things, I will do small things in a great way." It really works for me! I appreciate knowing that with only a few months of formal lessons I can enjoy playing the piano, the organ, the flute and the accordion. I have books of published poetry and award-winning photography. I have traded on E-bay and learned how to post on the World-Wide Web.

It is beyond imagination what I would be doing today if I had 18-20 years of education like I helped provide for my first husband and children. Certainly I would not be working in a nursing home passing medications to the elderly, nor would I have a second job working 12-hour shifts for an MRDD facility where management is sporadic at best. My hourly pay would be far more than the pennies I make now, and I would be part of a creative team to help make whatever I'm doing far better than it was when I got there.

The best I can offer my jobs now is a cheerful attitude, dependability and error-free nursing.

Proof of what can happen if I'm given the opportunity to shine is my history with Teresa's County Homes in Berrien Springs. Teresa hired me as her floating nurse for the three Assisted Living Homes she owned there. Because Teresa is a very smart and talented businesswoman, the 40-bed homes prospered and she was able to move to sunny Florida and leave the day-to-day management of the homes to me. I was made the Administrator. I worked closely with her administrative assistant, Marian Mendel to keep the homes above census and site-free for several years. I really loved the employees, some of whom will read this story. Marian is a jewell of a woman. I appreciate the trust Teresa had in me and will never forget what I learned about being a good leader.

Above all, I am thankful for what I have now. My children cherish and love me and would be at my side in a moment if I called. My baby sister that I practically raised is a happily married woman in control of her destiny. The mystery of our mother has been solved. My husband today thinks I am more of an angel than I really am. He brings me purpose and vision. We look forward to the next 55 years with confidence, optimism and contentment.