Monthly Archive

This is a picture of a lake in southern Guatemala, Lake Atitlan, or Lago de Atitlan. This lake is very, very large and is surrounded by three volcanoes. On my last medical mission to Guatemala in April 2005 I was able to take a boat tour of this beautiful lake. It was a slightly overcast day and a big foggy, particularly near the middle of the lake. You couldn’t see the shoreline and it almost felt like you were in the middle of the ocean. I had a wonderful day on the lake.

Now, the something I have to look forward to as I mentioned in the title of this post is a trip back to this beautiful lake and wonderful country! I was able to find an organization, Christian Medical Mission, Inc., that is leading a team to a small town at the edge of the lake for a medical mission next July. I haven’t yet but plan to soon fill out my application and get the paperwork process started.

As some of you may or may not know, this will be my third medical mission trip to Guatemala. The first one was in August 2003 with a team led by a pastor my auntie CB was acquainted with and I was invited to join them. My aunt and I spent twelve days together, shared a hotel room for I believe all of that time, and came home closer than ever. We had some wonderful bonding time when we weren’t both too busy being amazed at being so far away from home in such a different culture. And I don’t think she’ll mind too much me speaking for her when I say we both fell in love with the country and the culture. I knew on the airplane home from Guatemala City that I would one day be returning to visit these wonderfully friendly, polite, and grateful people. (As an aside, I have to mention this… one of the first things my mom asked when I returned home was “Are you and CB still speaking after spending that much time together?” I just laughed and said of course we are.)

Two years later, in April 2005, I did return with another team put together by Cascade Medical Team. I’d heard about the opportunity from some coworkers of mine, two of them who had gone before with this team. I again had another wonderful experience. I only wish I’d been able to share the second experience with my aunt, as well.

Approximately three months ago I started feeling very called to return to Guatemala, for lack of a better way to phrase that. I started looking into returning with the Cascade Medical Team and in the meantime ended up leaving my previous job for the new one I’m going to be starting in two weeks. The Cascade Medical Team trip is in February so I won’t have the time off work available. So this morning I did some research online and found this new opportunity. I’m very excited!

I know it’s “Wordless Wednesday” but I just have to share this… It is with a light and happy heart and a smile on my face I sit down to write this. I have a job! Yay! The nurse recruiter came into his office today instead of tomorrow and called me a bit ago with the good news. We’ve set up my pre-employment visit with the occupational health office and a few pieces of paperwork to get out of the way and I’m set for my orientation on October 13. So that will give me time to enjoy the rest of my break before I get back to work. Thanks so much to all of you for the prayers and positive thoughts and kind words.

These are just a few more zoo pictures from today… See my post below for more details. These were taken with black and white film. Again, I hope you enjoy!

Today was another lovely sunny fall day with temperatures in the high 60’s and nary a cloud in the sky. I decided it was high time I make it to the local zoo to explore some more of my new corner of the world. It’s actually only a 10 minute drive from my house and I feel badly that I haven’t made it there yet. So today was the day. As far as zoos go, it’s on the small side. But I spoke with several staff as I was wandering around looking at the different animals and it was quickly apparent they all take caring for these animals very seriously and love the animals. The animals all seemed friendly and comfortable in their environment. I had a great time being out in a beautiful setting in the fresh air seeing interesting and beautiful animals. And watching the small children with their parents as their eyes lit up when they saw an animal they’d probably never seen before! That was a joy. I had my camera out, my “real” film camera, and had a blast taking pictures of the animals. Some of them seemed to pose for me and others seemed to ignore me. I just wanted to share some of these pictures. I hope you enjoy!

The past few days have been pretty productive for me. Yesterday I cleaned out a storage closet I have off the laundry room that right now has mostly luggage, camping gear, and Christmas things stored in there. When I moved here and the moving truck was in a fire I unpacked things pretty hastily since I was working full time at the time, too. I set the boxes in the storage closet without really sorting through them to see what was left after the fire. Surprisingly, most of my Christmas ornaments were fine and just a few camping things were gone. So the boxes got unloaded and sorted and things packed neatly in plastic storage bins.

Then today I went out on my patio and swept it off. And cleaned the grill and brought it inside to store it. And I also cleaned the table and folded it up and brought it in to store it. So the patio is ready for winter.

After the patio was completed, I felt like some relaxation and wanted to enjoy the lovely fall day so I went to a hiking trail about 10 miles from my house I’ve been wanting to go see. It is beautiful, as you can see in the photo above. It was very green and quiet and peaceful. And yes, mom, I did have pepper spray with me and it was broad daylight. (I knew you were going to ask.) So I had a very nice hour long hike. And that’s what I’ve been doing with my day. How ’bout all of you?

Really, she does. Well, not anymore, but she used to lie to me shamelessly when we were children. Then she would say it was my own fault because she only did it because I was so gullible I would believe anything she told me. And the truth is, she was right. I was awfully gullible.

She once told me I was adopted. She even showed me a picture of myself as a newborn in a carrier seat on the front porch of our house and told me mom and dad found me there. (Poor scan of picture seen above.) Now, as an adult I realize how ridiculous this is. I am so very much my mother’s daughter it’s almost scary sometimes. And if you put all of the women on mom’s side of the family together the family resemblance is so strong that strangers notice it. Cindra and I have always had the exact same nose and always looked a lot alike as children. In fact, I would be a rich woman if I had a nickel for every time during our school years I had someone say to me “You must be Cindra’s little sister.” So the thought that I’m adopted is pretty funny, actually. But I believed it at the time. My big sister was telling me this, so it must be true. Well, not so much. Mom laughed about me believing that and explained I was only on the front porch in my carrier seat to get some sun and assured me I am most certainly not adopted. By the way, I have actually seen my official birth certificate issued by the state of Idaho and I am indeed very much my parent’s biological daughter.

When I was about five she lied and told me the Easter bunny lived at the top of a small sand dune near our house. She told me that so I would try and try to climb up that sand dune to see him. And keep falling and falling right back down because, well, sand is hard to climb. (Later I learned there was a trail around the other side of the dune that went right to the top.) It never dawned on me to ask why the Easter bunny would live on top of a sand dune. Why would I question my very wise older sister?

There was also the time Cindra told me she was dying. I forget exactly what she was supposedly dying of. Something strange and exotic, I think it was. And, again, I believed her! For some unkown reason I asked her if I could have her eyeglasses after she died. Something to do with the fact I thought they made her look smart (which she always has been) and I wanted to look as smart as my big sister.

It wasn’t that my sister was being malicious. She simply thought it was great sport to see what outrageous lies she could get me to believe. I’m still pretty gullible, I suppose, but she’s stopped teasing me about it quite so much.

**Correction**
It has come to my attention that apparently the picture above is not of me but of Cindra. It somehow got placed in my baby book by error. I find this pretty funny. And I have corrected the spelling of the word dying, for those who saw the post before I corrected it.

So, the nurse recruiter did call me late this afternoon. And the bottom line is I still don’t know if I have a job there or not. He said the team of senior management that need to release the position to be filled only decided to meet again Tuesday. I guess that means it wasn’t a flat out no. I’m very much frustrated and anxious and worried. And kicking myself a lot right now for having quit my job before I had another one for sure. But like I told my mom earlier, staying would have made me just as miserable as I am now so there was no good decision. And what’s done is done. I feel slightly better since I cuddled with my cat, vented to my mom, and went out for a “comfort food” dinner (a waffle breakfast at a nearby waffle house.) I’m sending out two more cover letters and resumes tomorrow just to be be on the safe side. It’s going to be a very stressful next four days and I’m afraid I may not be posting much. Be assured I am fine, and will return as soon as I have something interesting to say. In the meantime, be well.

The topic of what I’m going to do with my time off work has come up lately. I do have a few plans… My aunt suggested getting out and taking some pictures of my city. That is actually on my list. Along with taking a nice long bubble bath as my aunt also suggested. I also want to visit the zoo, take another day trip to Lake Erie before it gets colder, and there’s a bike path I want to go check out. I went out this afternoon to find the bike path which is about five miles from my house and discovered a hiking path, as well. The picture above is a quick shot I took with my small point and shoot digital camera at the head of the hiking path. It’s so green! Seeing this much green makes me a little less homesick for the west coast.

Something my sister wrote in her blog (which can be seen here ) got me thinking. She commented on how well we know each other and how we can push each other’s buttons like no one else can. I’ve long said no one can make me angry the way my sister can. No one can push my buttons the way she can. And she’s said the same about me. It makes sense that we can push each other’s buttons like no one else in our lives can. After all, we were there with each other when those buttons came to be. We know the whole history behind those buttons and triggers, each of us. We share a lifelong history, along with our brother, that we could never share with anyone else. We understand each other, the good and the bad, completely. It actually is a little scary sometimes how well she knows me. But not surprising. We share a history that led each of us to be the women we are today.

And on the employment front, I got a phone call today that I think is good news. It was from the nurse recruiter at the hospital I very much want to be employed at. It seems there is now a “holding pattern,” he called it, in place. No new positions are being filled. But it seems the position I applied and interviewed for was actually created to be able to get me to the hospital, as he put it was created for me. The director of nursing approved the creation of that position. And that same director of nursing can now approve my being hired despite the holding pattern. The nurse recruiter said that my references were very positive and they’re ready to make me an offer of employment as soon as they get the approval from the director of nursing. A meeting is going to take place with the nurse manager I will be working under and the director of nursing on Friday and I will hear soon after that meeting. The nurse recruiter said he is “very confident” that approval will be given. So I took that as a good sign. And I’m happy just to have heard some word.

Okay, okay, this is the last post about the stray cat. Just an update, actually. S/he has been taken by one of my neighbors to the local humane society so s/he could get some medical attention for his or her injuries. This neighbor left a note of the door to the entryway of the apartment building this morning.

Two other neighbors added notes on the bottom of this note saying they were glad to know this information, they’d also been caring for the cat the past few days. It made me feel good to know there are other people who care and were willing to help care for this abandoned animal.

As for the rest of things in my little world, I’m just trying now to get used to sleeping at night again since I’m off work for a while. For eight years now I’ve worked night shift and gotten so used to being awake overnight that it’s always difficult for me at first when I have to switch to a day shift schedule for any length of time. So it may take me another day or two to get over the sleep deprivation and get back to my witty self… lol

Just some silly comments today about cats… Yes, I know my sister is going to laugh at me. Anway, my cat, Sylvester, apparently doesn’t think I should wear earrings. He frequently will come cuddle on my shoulder only to reach up and grab one of my earrings in his mouth and pull it out. Now, luckily 99% of the time what I’m wearing are just my diamond studs or pearl studs, so they come right out and don’t rip my earlobe. But he really does need to understand it’s all right if I wear earrings! And another quick note… some of you may have read my previous post about the stray cat I’ve been feeding on my patio. I did see him this afternoon for the first time in two days. He was across the parking lot being petted by another neighbor, looking happy and well. The neighbor who was petting him said she has seen him in the past few days and apparently someone on the other side of the apartment building has also been feeding him. And she said she was considering taking him to the humane society so he could have an indoor home. I am a little concerned that with his injuries no one will want to adopt him and he’ll be euthanized. But hopefully before that happens someone will see what an affectionate and sweet cat s/he is and give him or her a home. This may be my last post until sometime Monday as I’m headed into my last two shifts at my current job and will be working 12 hours a day the next two days. But I will return with hopefully more interesting comments to make.

Today’s been one of those days all I do is wait… and wait… and wait some more. I guess it’s more tests of my patience, of which I have very little.

First of all, I’ve been waiting for the stray cat (more about him or her in a previous post) to show back up. I’ve not seen him or her for 2 full days now, since I came home from work on Wednesday morning. And the food bowl on the back patio doesn’t seem to have been touched. I hope that someone took pity on the poor thing and let him or her live in their house. Or maybe s/he found someone who will feed him or her a brand of cat food they like better… Or maybe s/he had healed enough from their injuries they were feeling up to finding their real home. I guess all I can do is leave the food out and watch for the cat. I just hope s/he is being taken care of.

And the other thing I’ve been waiting for is a call offering me the job I interviewed for on Wednesday morning. No call yet. But the nurse recruiter warned me his secretary was out of the office and he would be making the phone calls to check references himself which may slow the process down. And there’s the time difference… Each of the references he’s checking are on the west coast, a three hour time difference away. So I’m sure that’s going to slow the process down, as well. And really, the interview was just two days ago. This is simply me being impatient… lol. I had just been hoping to head into my last two and a half shifts at the hospital I’m currently at having that official job offer out of the way. Oh well. I’ll be so busy working the next three nights (four hours tonight and 12 hours the next two nights) that I won’t have time to worry about it.

Since I am a very obedient little sister and my big sister told me to blog more and show her more about my locale, that’s what this post is for… (lol I couldn’t even type that with a straight face) Seriously, though, I have a good excuse where I was yesterday. See, I work 12 hour long night shifts. And yesterday morning I went to a job interview directly from work which lasted almost two hours. Which means I got barely five hours of sleep before I had to wake up and go straight back to work. I simply didn’t have time to type a thing. And for that I apologize. I did promise my auntie that I would be dedicated to blogging if she were to make a gift to me of my lovely customized template you see here. By the way, thank you auntie! It was a wonderful gift and Pixie does just great work and I really appreciate it. And for my sister, the above picture is of a light house on the shore of Lake Erie and it is supposedly the oldest light house on Lake Erie. I climbed the very narrow spiral staircase up to the top of it and had a wonderful view. It’s a bit smaller than the lighthouses I’d seen on the Oregon coast, but I still very much enjoyed the view and seeing this beautiful and very, very large lake. I do hope you’re happy now. And for any of you wondering, I don’t have a firm answer about the job I interviewed for yet but it was a wonderfully relaxed and positive interview. I think the nurse recruiter spent more time telling me positive things about the hospital than he did asking me questions. I’m 99% sure I will be getting an offer of employment. I’ll keep you posted…

This picture is of a stray cat that’s been living on my patio for the past week and a half or so. S/he just suddenly appeared and looked awful. S/he has a bite on his or her neck and walks with a limp and has a sore on his or her mouth and has the sweetest disposition. S/he will walk up to just anyone and rub on their leg to be petted and purrs loudly when s/he get attention. S/he has obviously been someone’s pet at some point. It looks like the cat was injured pretty badly by another cat or possibly a dog. And for over a week no one has been looking for this cat or looking after it. The frist day s/he showed up I got a bowl of cat food and set it out on the back patio. S/he just dove into the food and ate like s/he hadn’t eaten in weeks… which I suppose is possible. S/he was dirty with hair matted that first day. I brought the cat into the house to have a bath and s/he behaved very well. And after the bath I had the cat wrapped in a towel drying it and it climbed down from my lap and walked to the back door and meowed at me while looking at the door… as though he or she knows all about coming in and out of doors. Just another clue that this cat has been a pet at some point.

Yesterday I walked into the front hallway of the apartment building to hear two female neighbors talking. I heard something about “someone is feeding it” and something about “I don’t know who it belongs to.” I asked if they were speaking about the stray cat and they said yes. One of the female neighbors started saying in an almost hostile tone of voice that she hoped the cat didn’t come into the front hallway because she is allergic to cats and scared of them and she wished I wouldn’t feed it. Now, for any of you who know me at all, you know the chances of me not feeding this cat are about the same as me walking on the moon… it just isn’t going to happen. This cat has already been let down and abandoned by some person. I’m not about to do the same thing. I politely told the woman the cat doesn’t deserve to be abandoned and as long as s/he hangs around I am going to feed it.

As an aside, the cat seems to be getting healthier and looking better every day. S/he doesn’t seem to be ill at all, just injured. I’ve been petting him or her and around this cat for over a week now without my indoor cat, Sylvester, becoming ill. I’ve spoken to Sylvester’s vet about this and she agreed Sylvester would be ill by now if this stray cat had any disease… it’s most likely that the poor thing is just injured. But I’ve been putting antibiotic ointment to the bite and the mouth sore is healing and his or her coat is looking much healthier.

(This is a photo I took today of a beautiful display at a nearby park… It’s called the Healing Field tribute and it’s row upon row of flags… one flag for each person who died in the terrorist attacks.)