New Job

I am not a person who really thrives on change and needs the "next thing" to get a thrill. I like things to stay the same. I don't think that is all that strange. I bet there are many who are the same way. This past year has been quite full of many changes and transitions and it has been difficult. It seemed like was just one thing after another.

I changed jobs twice. Ugh. However, I do think God has a way of working things out for the best and there is always a reason for things. I think my time working at the long term care facility taught me a lot about what my leadership style is and also showed me that I have more to learn before I am really ready for the level of responsibility required for a job of that caliber. I do not rule it out as a possibility and some sort of management/supervisory position is something I am interested when the time is right.

My new job is expanding my nursing skills. Since I started at the end of June, I have learned how to draw blood, take care of wounds, insert a catheter as well as getting very good at manual blood pressures and apical pulses. According to both my preceptor and my supervisor, I am catching on to things very quickly and am not requiring a lot of hand holding. Those are nice compliments to hear after the harsher critiques of "not meeting expectations" or "not being up to speed" and feeling overwhelmed.

Better still, I like this new job a lot. There is much to learn, much to hone but I love working on an individual level with patients again. I like being able to set my own schedule. I really like the fact that when I am done with my visits for the day, I can go home and finish. I have loved having days when I am home at 3 or 4pm. Or the days when I have been able to start at 9am. There is stress. And I am not up to speed on everything. The computer program I am learning to use is HUGE but all the people involved with running the organization smoothly are very nice about showing me how to correct things or pointing out what I missed. For example, I put together a care plan that included home health aid visits for 1 day a week, 2 days a week AND 3 days a week. Perhaps a bit of over-kill? The response was "Everyone who has started has made the same mistake. Here is how to fix it."

I love that!

So, while I struggle with living on a smaller income for the time being, I find that I am happier and more relaxed and I feel like I am in the midst of doing good work. I meet interesting people and travel to parts of the city I have never seen. I am thanking God for his wisdom and His leading. I think that one job lead to the next. A door opens and a window opens.

Lessons learned from my cats

I have two sweet cats: Tiger and Clifford the Girl. They have a life that is envious at times. Maybe there is something I can learn from them.

1. If you meow, someone will feed you. Especially when you wind yourself around their legs and lead them to the kitchen.

2. It is important to take the time to sit in the window, watch the birds and the cars and enjoy the sunshine.

3. Always take time to keep yourself clean. Even if that means stopping in the middle of the hallway to lick your leg. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

4. Tell the people in your life how you feel about them. Affection can be expressed by curling up on their lap, winding yourself around their leg or sticking your face in their face and nibbling on their ear or licking their eye.

5. Rest is important. Take the time to nap every day, especially if there is a warm spot of sunshine and a gentle breeze.

6. Alert your people to your presence and let them know they forgot you by sticking your paw under the bathroom door or pawing at the door to remind them you are there.

7. If your people forget to clean out your litter box, leave them little reminders so they are aware of the error.

A day in the life of a woman

I suffer from my own form of ADHD--Attention Deficit Housework Disorder. I start in one room, with the plan to complete a task and an hour later, I realize I am in a completely different room doing a completely different task. Take today, for example, I had someone coming by to take away some of my cardboard boxes. So, I decided I would start cleaning my kitchen and doing dishes. From there, I saw a couple of dish towels that needed laundering. I gathered them up and remembered that the boys have an overflowing basket of laundry, so I went and got that, picking up assorted laundry along the way. I then headed down the stairs to start a couple loads of laundry. While there, I had a load of towels in the dryer that needed folding. I folded those and headed up to put them away. As I passed through the kitchen, I saw my sink of soapy water and the stack of cups on the counter and remembered that I was washing dishes.

It really takes a very concerted effort for me to stay on one task and not flit about from one thing to the other like a humming bird going from flower to flower, never staying long in one place. To my credit, however, I have gotten a lot of things accomplished. The dishes are washed, dried and put away. I sorted items on my counter that belong to my landlord and are needed to complete the kitchen cupboard project. I found my knives and kitchen canisters for flour, sugar, etc and put those away. I swept the dining room. I have two loads of wash going and two loads in the dryers. I have changed my linen on my bed and I am about to begin organizing the stack of papers I have been collecting every day at work. And I still need to plan out the week of chores for the kids. The bathroom floor needs washing...I have a mirror I want to hang...