Artsy Fartsy

I thought I'd update with a picture collage of a little hobby of mine. . . wreath making. :)

My fall wreath....yeah, the bow is a little weird... this was before I went to Michael's (I miss Ben Franklin down here!) and got help with the bows.


Wreath above my mantel



My holiday mantel:

Close up:

Another angle:

Wreath on my door:

Pine cones and berries:

Thankful

Today I am thankful that going to work actually made me less lonely down here.
I am thankful that work had a FREE turkey dinner (or lunch as you probably call it, dinner is supper down here, ya'll).
I am thankful for friends who think about me being lonely and offer me food. :)

Decisions

It's unfortunate how a person's decision can affect another's life. Today, I went to the dentist for the first time since middle school. As a middle schooler, I didn't decide not to go to the dentist anymore. My mom thought dental insurance wasn't important. Sure, I got fliers in grad school for cheap dental insurance, but I didn't trust them. Instead of paying for my own insurance,going to free clinics, or having the hot dental students work on my teeth I waited it out until I got my own. Since September first I've had insurance. I stalled. It took me a while to get motivated to pick a dentist and make the call. The Best Man hounded me into making the call. The list of things I need sounds something like a certain Christmas tune. . .
3 fillings
2 crowns
and
1 dental implant

Oh, and it probably goes without saying, but I cried. I was so embarrassed at the state of my teeth and overwhelmed at the laundry list of things that need to get done. If I had been going to the dentist regularly the past 12 or so years most of this could have been prevented. Oh, well. I'm here for a reason and now it's time to make appointment after appointment to cross items off the above list. Wish me luck!

Give me a line

RULES:
* Grab the book nearest you right now.
* Turn to page 56
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence, along with these instructions in your blog post.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

"She had a lot of sex appeal, too, if you really want to know." The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

I got this from a friend on facebook. I didn't find a cool line in a book then tell you the page to do it on your own. I think it's terribly, amazing that I got such a cool line. Oh, fate.

So Fresh

A Fresh Market virgin no more. I was like a kid in a candy shop tonight as I strolled around the isles in the open, maze-of-a-store. The variety of prepared, fresh and packaged foods was slightly overwhelming. They had every holiday food of which you could dream. I picked up mulling spices on my way in on my way to find a bottle of wine and half gallon of milk. I think it's quiet tricky how the aisles are all caddy corner to one another so you have to pass several other tasty items before coming to what you need. However, I only ended up with two more items that I intended...which 2x what I went in for, but I won't think about it like that. I was shocked when the total for my items came up to $13. I had always assumed The Fresh Market was more expensive than other places. Granted I did see things like fancy salsa for 6 dollars or fresh peanut butter for $5 to $8. But, to just run in and grab a couple things it was relatively inexpensive. I think I'm a fan.

Projectile

Projectile vomit is not as cool as it sounds. Especially, when you have a weak stomach yourself. This why I wear scrubs and retired my crocs with the holes in them. YUCK!

The perks

The perks of having a whole state between my boyfriend and I:

I don't feel guilty about going out with my girls once a week.

LOVE it! :D

Oh, and The Best Man gets to go out with his friends as well. :-*

Work is finally going to an EMR (Electronic Medical Record...fancy, ey?). I attended the second of three classes today to get the updated information. The instructors were stumped- twice- with problems that anyone proficient with computers could answer...aka me. I answered the "problems" with ease..."Um, you can't use the button because you haven't activated that field...click in the box." I told The Best Man about helping the instructors in the computer class and he was rather proud...although he somehow seems to think his computer prowess has brushed off on me via osmosis.

The Boss Lady's monologue:
We don't have round laundry baskets at my house. Everything I fold is in squares...or rectangles. I don't fold anything in a circle. Round laundry baskets don't make sense to me.

Death and Dying

Words cannot express the grief felt, the tears spent, or memories lost when a loved one passes away. If I knew a thousand languages, I would never be able to find the words to convey what a genuine, caring, compassionate person Barbara was.

Barb went to PT school with me and sat in the front row with me. We "front rowers" as we referred to ourselves, studied together, did group projects together, and went out to lunch for each others birthdays. Barbara inspired us to study harder, disregard other's opinions, relish the time spent together, find time in our busy schedules to laugh, and show thanks for what we had just to name a few things. Over all, Barb inspired us all to become not only the best PT we could be, but also the best person.

At the age of 40, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer just months before graduation. Due to treatments she almost didn't make it to the graduation ceremony in May. She told us she was doing well. I kept meaning to call. I told myself I was busy. Something throughout the day would make me think of her up there in VA and I'd tell myself to call her that night. But, I never did.

Barbara passed away a week and a half ago after spending a month in the hospital, the last week of which she was on hospice. Thankfully, I was able to get off work and find a reasonable plane ticket to be able to attend her funeral. The memories and thoughts of those she left behind made me both cry and laugh. Her family had made a picture collage of her throughout the years. One picture made us all laugh: after losing her hair, instead of a cap or scarf to cover her head, Barb wore a Rastafarian hat complete with dreads down to her stomach. One previous co-worker told a story that made us all laugh. She took a picture of herself drinking a margarita and sent it via text message, saying "This one's for you, just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you." Barb's reply was a picture of her IV running into her arm with the following text: "This is MY margarita." Other stories made me cry or smile, but all made me wish I had known Barbara better and had been a better friend to her.

The past several days have been difficult. It is hard to believe someone so young and full of life can be here one moment, taken for granted, and gone before you know it. Barbara was only 15 years older than me. Too young to be taken by cancer. She was going to be a fantastic PT. She took the time to listen to her patients and she was brilliant. I so regret not calling her these past few months. I wish I had been the friend to her that she was to me. All I can say is that she will be greatly missed.