Happy Day!

Please congratulate this beautiful sister of mine and her DH on their 11th anniversary!

...and...

Please pray for this lovely friend, her husband, and their little baby girl who is coming into the world today!

Purpley purpled purpleness

What Your Favorite Color Purple Says About You:

Intuitive --- Seeking --- Creative Kind --- Self-Sacrificing --- Growth Oriented Strong --- Very Wise --- Rare

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

I never knew my favorite color was so meaningful!

File under...

Classic Quotes:

While watching Sweet Home Alabama:

Colin: "Do you hear that warbling vireo in the background?"

Yes, the movie was my choice, and I did sort of coerce my boyfriend into watching it with me, but still.... he was DEAD SERIOUS.

Gotta love 'im.

Need I say more...?

Here I am, pictured with the two primary players who made it happen, thanks be to God!

Graduation: May 12th

"I stood on faith and the corner of ambition
I came here to sink or swim..."

~Alison Krauss, Broadway

In three days, I will graduate from my program and receive my degree, DPT:
Doctor of Physical Therapy

These past three years have led me down several paths and back again, and I am so grateful for all of the experiences, but also that it's all almost over.
It's funny how I seem to have been waiting, all my life, for life to really "begin." Meanwhile, it's racing by. I remember one point last spring when I really understood how important it is to live in the present. This is life, right now, with all of its uncertainty, expectancy, and adventure.

One event will not change the overall uncertainty of life; it will only serve as yet another stepping stone in the crossing to eternity.
This is true for graduation from my doctoral program, and it will continue to be true as other major events of life come along: my wedding day... the birth of my first child... my husband's new job... the purchase of a house... my final student loan payment... my children's graduations... retirement...

So I am determined to realize the present, live it to the fullest, and be grateful for all of my many blessings.

~Which means, this weekend is one of great rejoicing!~

Funny Hospital Story

Add this one to the books...

Here at the hospital, I'm on the "Surgery Team," so I see patients on any services where surgery is provided--transplant, abdominal, trauma, ortho, plastics, general, women's, etc--all except for neurosurgery, oncology, cardiac, and pediatric surgery.

One of my patients this past week was on the trauma service--after a bicycle crash she had lots of different injuries. One day this past week, I went into her room for a treatment session and found her gradually slipping down in her recliner. So I brought the recliner up to upright and helped her bring her trunk forward so that I could help her with a "hips backward in the chair" trick. Well, I really had to help her--we call it "max-assist" in PT lingo--, she couldn't help out that much because of her injuries, she wasn't really "all there" anyway, and the brakes on the recliner were not all that stellar.
NO, ...I didn't drop her!!
But we didn't achieve very much "hips backward," either, cause the chair was moving back with us.
Suddenly (dun, dun, dun, ...the plot thickens) a gentleman in scrubs, complete with cloth hat, walked in, said, "how's it goin'," then proceeded to ask my patient a few "mental status" questions. Which means, he asked her where she was, why she was here, what year it was, etc. After she tried to answer, I introduced myself and identified myself with PT, hoping he would also introduce himself. He didn't, but asked what we were working on, and whether I needed help.
Bingo... just what I needed. "Well, right now, we're just trying to get her hips back farther in the chair. Yeah...actually, would you hold the chair? It keeps moving," I said, glad that this would actually work now.
After a successful shift was accomplished, he started to leave. Determined to find out who he was, I said quickly, "And you are...?"
"John Ufmerk*," was all he replied.
"Oh, okay. Well, thanks for your help," I said. I had no idea who that was, ...so I asked my clinical instructor later. "He said his name was Something-Oferk? or -Omferd?" I tried to remember.
She told me she had no idea who who that would be, and I assured her that I only had him hold the chair for me (anybody with two arms and two legs can do that, and at least he had scrubs on!). I told her I thought he was maybe a Neurology resident or something, because he asked my patient mental status questions. Very convincing, I know--everyone in the hospital asks those questions to patients!

A few days later, I went back to the step-down unit, and discovered that an MRI finally came back positive, that this woman had a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and that she'd been switched to the Neurology service.
I saw her chart, and there was her name on it with the name of her new attending physician: DOE,J / UFMERK
"Oh!!" I immediately thought to myself. "Ufmerk! That's what that guy was saying!" It also made sense that I hadn't known who he was, because he was an attending physician on another service in the hospital.

Only later did it hit me that I asked --not some intern or some random resident, not even a senior resident, no,... I asked-- the Chief of Neurosurgery for the hospital to "hold the chair" ...while this little student physical therapist does her "hips back in the chair" trick with a patient!!

The humor of this makes more sense --and is funnier-- if you are familiar with the hierarchy that exists among M.D.s in the hospital setting. Roughly, it goes like this, from lowest to highest:

1st, 2nd, and 3rd -year medical students (MS1, MS2, MS3)
Interns - this is where real clinical responsibility for real patients begins
Residents, numbered according to post-grad year (PGY1, PGY2, etc, ...up to even PGY6).
Fellows
Attendings, who have the final say, and are responsible for the actions of all the residents and interns under them.

So there are not many attending physicians on each service--you can usually count them on one hand. Each of the attending physicians has plenty of residents working under them, and then a few interns. And the residents and interns all rotate on a regular basis. Here, all the interns rotate every four weeks, and the residents every few months.

The physical therapists usually communicate all of their needs for their patients to the interns, and naturally, the interns get a lot of pressure from above, as well. It's a high learning curve for them, since they're only on each service about 4 weeks. So in dealing with the interns, I've learned to respect the amount of stress they're under, and to try only to ask them for things that I really need.

I'm not hearing the end of this situation, though, from my CI.... She loves it: "Hey! Maybe you can get him to wash your car for you this weekend!"
and
"How about for this next week, we make it a goal that you boss around a few more Attendings..."

Can I just say that this truly is a teaching hospital, where the Attendings will stop and discuss patients with you, explain things to you, and even help you out (case in point here!). I'm so excited that I have a job here after I graduate in May!


*name has been changed

Grateful to be a PT

Before I left the hospital today, I checked up on one of my patients that I noticed had been transferred to the Medical ICU. I found his chart outside his room, and was looking through it to try to figure out what had happened to send him there.
While standing there, 2 residents coming from different directions stopped in the hallway almost next to me.

And this is what I overheard:
Resident Guy: What's this?
Resident Gal: Mr. [So and So]'s blood gases. ...
(silence as they solemnly review them together)
Then followed some unintelligible conversation, partly because I was doing my own thing, partly because I didn't see what they were talking about. Basically, they were discussing what they might do next.

Attending Physician (or Senior Resident, who knows which Big Shot) approaches.
Big Shot: What are you guys thinking about over here? ...looks at the paper they're examining. Who is this?
Resident Gal: Mr. [So and So]. I guess we have to [insert unintelligible phrase here]
Resident Guy leaves

Resident Gal, confiding to the Big Shot: I just hate it. I hate my job with him. I'm just basically slowly, ...slowly, ...
Big Shot: ...slowly letting him die?
Resident 2: Yes! And it's just awful. I feel so helpless.
Big Shot (sympathetic): It's a tough job. But it is your job. And you're doing really well. Sometimes the job is to let them die.

They slowly begin to walk away. I think Resident Gal noticed my thoughtful glance in her direction, because she quickly added, "Not this patient (referring to the guy whose chart I was holding), in case you were wondering!"

Grateful that "letting someone die" is not in the direct job description of a PT, I finished reading the chart, closed my binder for the week and headed home.

Hurray! I knew it must be.

Your Brain is Purple

Of all the brain types, yours is the most idealistic. You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense. Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

What Color Is Your Brain?

Thanks, 'Meg!

North Carolina Bird Sightings

I am finally here in (sunny!!) North Carolina, and after three weeks, I'm loving it. I bought a few bird feeders and have enjoyed watching the many birds that live in the wooded area behind my apartment. On Wednesday mornings that's what I do: sit and watch the birds on my porch with my tea and breakfast. It's a super-nice break in the week to work 4 10-hour days and have Wednesdays off.
I also bought some seeds (herbs and flowers, mostly, but also some lettuce shoots in case the seeds all fail!) and potted them out on my porch. This is a true indication that I will be "staying put" for a while. I don't travel with plants.

Below are a few pictures of my recent observations in North Carolina (on the wish-list, of course, is a better camera!)
This is a goldfinch at my little disposable thistle feeder. They are getting to be brighter and brighter shades of yellow as the weeks progress. Usually there are about 2 or 3 there at a time. They're very timid, and will didsappear immediately if I so much as walk by the sliding glass door. When I'm sitting on the porch, they will fly toward the feeder and then suddenly vear away in a sharp zooming arch--I guess they don't see me until they get a little closer!


These goldfinches are on two different feeders. The one on the big feeder will inevitably join the other one, since they all prefer the smaller thistle seed.




This Carolina wren is watching me, because I have the sliding door open and I'm just sitting there looking at him. He's very hesitant to take anything from the feeder, because he'll have to divert his attention away from me! He has such a beautiful song, and I heard him long before he ventured over to my porch.
The house finch, which has a beautiful red head and breast, won't even appear when he sees me out on the porch, or right inside with the door open!







You can barely see the Carolina Chickadee at my suet feeder. Besides this little guy, I see Downy and Red-breasted Woodpeckers there often, which is a lot of fun. Below is a Downy, although the red cap can't be seen very well. I know it's more fun to see birds live, anyway--but it's sad that my camera really isn't a very good tool for capturing their charm.


This female cardinal will come to my railing (where I leave a bunch of seed) or right onto the floor of my porch. The male generally follows and they sit there together for a while, but he didn't show up this time.

What also didn't show up to pose for my photo-session today was the Red-bellied woodpecker, the house finch (which has a beautiful red face and breast), and the dark-eyed junko. They're all daily regulars, as well.


Here's a final bird-sighting, just 'cause he's my favorite one to watch!

This is known as the Doodle-bird, or Doo for short. His call sounds like a short "Erp!" but you'll only here it occasionally, as a greeting when he enters a familiar environment. He has funny behaviors, which include putting on swimming goggles when he's miles away from any water. He also has a habit of regularly mistaking socks for mittens. This is the most common behavior of the Doo, as you can see here.
This bird can handle high levels of graduate-level research stress, always maintaining a cheery smile and keeping a dry but silly sense of humor. He keeps the ecosystem of Chapel Hill, North Carolina fun and interesting.

In short, I'm having an awesome time here, and couldn't be happier. There is no doubt in my mind that this is where I'm supposed to be right now. And no question in my mind that Doo will continue to be my favorite bird to sight for the rest of my life.

Veggie Tales, Anyone?

It's so wonderful to be living in a house full of young children again. Of course, "wonderful" was not the term I would have thought to use when I was actually an older sister in the house with younger siblings. In my present situation, I definitely have the "out-of-family" advantage of experiencing the celebrity-esque admiration of the youngest darlings!


But all the same, ...

In a house with young children, everyone stops to laugh at the two year-old when, at the dinner table, he drops a piece of meat off of his fork and exclaims in his young baby-accent, "Oh, man!"

In a house with young children, you begin to remember what it was like to hear--but not really hear--the warnings of "stop jumping off the furniture, or somebody's going to get hurt." But now you marvel at the daily routine of after-dinner jumping and rough-housing and getting hurt; you marvel at the patience and love of mothers who daily comfort the hurts that they were just warning against; and you realize that mothers never stop doing this, even after their children have become adults.

In a house with young children, it is magical to see the older siblings play with the younger siblings. Every game can be stretched across the age gaps. These brothers, who are eight years apart, will only become closer as they grow older:


In a house with young children, everything becomes make-believe. It's fun to play a game called "Orphanage," where the "Orphanage Keeper" tells everyone to go to sleep and then uses a broom to bop those on the head who make noise.

In a house with young children, there is plenty of imagination to go around. "Hospital" is a game achieved with a few sisters, a few pieces of wood, a shower cap, and a tissue:


In a house with young children, even the older siblings can come to know and love the innocence of childhood programs. Everyone learns to sing along with Bob and Larry and Junior Asparagus in the car on the way to and from Mass on Sundays. And even when no one's looking, the teenagers cuddle up with Veggie Tales characters...!


And in a house with small children, you never know where you'll find the best graffiti of these powerful role models:


Can you see that? Look closely:


I am going to miss living with this family in a few weeks!

Ahh, the purple flowers of winter!

It finally snowed this past week in Massachusetts!

And boy, did it snow! It took me over an hour to drive to work on Wednesday, which is usually about a 40-minute commute. The second car ahead of me on the highway at one point suddenly spun out and completed a 360+ degree turn, while those of us behind him fishtailed to a stop until he resumed control of his car. He did it again about a half mile down the highway, before we all decided to stay as far behind him as possible, until he pulled off at the next exit, his hazards flashing!

The snow came blowing down all day, and looking out the window, you could see the wind swirling the big flakes in circles around the hospital building.
All of my patients expressed concern about me getting home safely. All the therapists did whatever they could to leave as soon as the day was over. I switched a few patients around in my schedule so that I could leave a little early to go back home that afternoon. As it turned out, the drive home was not nearly as treacherous as the drive in. And the next day, although I left early because of predicted icy conditions, that drive pleasantly required much less wheel-gripping and eye-squinting!

It puzzled me why salt was not pre-emptively laid down on the roads before the snowfall on Wednesday. Or why the plows were not ready to be out as soon as the clouds rolled in. Weather forecasters across the country had been predicting this storm all during the entire previous weekend.
The flower shops were prepared; they made their deliveries for Valentine's Day on Tuesday, just in case they wouldn't be able to make it out on Wednesday. Why didn't the department of transportation act as wisely?

Anyway, because of the snowstorm, I received a lovely purple-themed bouquet upon my return home from work on Tuesday:


And now I appreciate why we celebrate Valentine's Day in the middle of February. A bouquet of fresh flowers in the middle of a winter storm really does a lot to raise mournful spirits and off-set the dread of waking up while it's still dark to go scrape off the car.

And purple flowers, ...well, they're even better!

Had to share...

This is a compelling article that I had to share.... It makes me want to go back and read some Dr. Seuss again!

In other news, the goal for my clinical rotation next week is to have 5 patients for whom I am primarily responsible; in other words, on their chart it will say that I am their physical therapist. Exciting! Things are moving along well, and I'm discovering how much I enjoy inpatient neuro rehabilitation.

It looks like I found an apartment for the [first] few months that I'll be down in North Carolina. Colin went to look at a sublet I discovered via Craigslist (I love the internet these days), and proclaimed it to be cleaner than his place--which I thought to be quite an impressive description! Apparently, my roommate-to-be is a very laid back graduate student of geology, who recently bought a motor bike. Hmmm... I'm sure we'll have tons in common...! Hey, you never know!! :)

Life in Massachusetts is getting cold; today the thermometer outside read -5 degrees when I went out to start my car at 7am. On my drive home in the evening, the bank sign read that it had become a balmy 5 degrees above zero! The kids I live with are, of course, predicting snow. Wishful thinking more than educated guessing, as far as I can tell. Nevertheless, my 5 year-old friend Hannah and I are going to have to bundle up to take our Saturday morning walk over to the library tomorrow!

Contemplative thoughts and subsequent actions over the past few weeks:

1. Purgatory is said to be suffering worse than any human suffering on earth--note, that means any human suffering, not just the worst suffering I have personally experienced.

2. I see plenty of people everyday who are dealing with agonizing pain; they try to describe their nerve pain to me, and it sounds terrible. "Like a toothache shooting directly down my arm..." "Like someone is piercing me with a long, stinging needle..." I sympathize with them, but I really cannot imagine or appreciate what they're going through.

3. Reading the "Saints of Today and Yesterday" out of Magnificat in the evenings, it is amazing to consider the martyrdoms that some of these holy people went through. Such physical pain! It's no wonder that a martyr's crown is said to merit heaven. The sufferings described are probably among the worst possible on earth.

4. I thank God for my health everyday; I think of and pray for the souls in Purgatory much more often; and while scrubbing my hands between seeing patients, I say two Hail Mary's... one for the patient I just saw, and one for the patient I am on my way to see.

Working in healthcare--as well as reading the lives of the saints--really helps me to appreciate my blessings.

Happy New Year!

So I'm a little late.
It's a different world, not having internet always at my fingertips. I think it's good for me, though. It makes my time online more productive.

I'm in Massachusetts now--staying in the home of my brother-in-law's brother, his wife, and their seven children. Except the eldest left to go back to TAC on Saturday. I go to my internsihp during the day, and then come home in the evening to a busy household, where a hot meal is being prepared and the table is being set for dinner! I love it. This family has already been so wonderful to me; I am so grateful for their generosity.
After dinner, I join the older children in cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen. Then we generally chat over a cup of tea before I head upstairs to do some studying or work for the next day. Inevitably, the 4 year-old will come in and say goodnight before she goes to bed. Otherwise, I wait for my phone-call from Carolina for Evening Prayers, then turn in after an all-too-brief chat.

It doesn't feel like I'm starting the third week of my clinical rotation tomorrow. These first few weeks went by quickly--probably because of the holidays shortening the actual time spent in the clinic. And last weekend, I did not stay in Massachusetts, so that broke up the timing, as well.

By the way, here are a few pictures of last weekend, which already seems so long ago:

What better way to spend New Year's Eve than standing around and periodically checking bags for food and weapons outside a UNC basketball game--especially if that means watching the second half of the game for FREE! Yep, Colin's got the whole fun-on-a-student-budget figured out!

Then a rousing country-western style New Year's celebration, complete with "specialty drinks," which Colin's friend Patrick insisted on buying for us! Hmmm... some kind of blue liquor in perfectly fine-by-itself champagne. My guess is that they were trying to get rid of some overstock.


And these were the two pictures taken last weekend! It seems that both of us--but especially Colin--are better at taking a lot of pictures of other people, and not necessarily ourselves.

Meanwhile, the weather feels like springtime. I'm not impressed by the supposed "harsh" Massachusetts winters. Although maybe I should save my skepticism until I leave in March!

Eight more weeks, and I'll be headed down to North Carolina!

Tagged

I have been tagged by Nutmeg. Which means that a regular "Sephora update" will have to wait.

1. Favorite devotion or prayer to Jesus?
Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus (it's become my favorite since Colin introduced it to me)

2. Favorite Marian devotion or prayer?
The Memorare

3. Do you wear a scapular or medal?
Yes; a scapular.

4. Do you have holy water in your home?
Not holy water of my own. But I'm sure the home that I'm currently living in has its own store of holy water!

5. Do you ‘offer up’ your sufferings?
Yes. Something about working in healthcare makes it easy to remember to be grateful for everything I have, and to always have someone to offer things up for.

6. Do you observe First Fridays and First Saturdays?
No, unfortunately.

7. Do you go to Eucharistic Adoration?
I used to, intermittently, when I had time. I've never actually signed up for my own time, although this is definitely something I'd like to do, once I settle down somewhere.

8. Are you a Saturday evening Mass person or Sunday morning Mass person?
Sunday morning. I love keeping Sundays as my holy day of the week, generally speaking.

9. Do you say prayers at mealtime?
Yes.

10. Favorite Saint(s)?
Saint Cecilia, Saint Joseph, Saint Anthony, Saint Rose of Lima, Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Padre Pio, Saint Sebastian

11. Can you recite the Apostles Creed by heart?
Yes.

12. Do you usually say short prayers (aspirations) during the course of the day?
Yes--usually things like, "Jesus, I love you," or "Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on him/her/me."

13. Where is your favorite place to pray?
On my bed--recently, while I'm on the phone...

14. Bonus Question: When you pass by an automobile accident or other serious mishap, do you say a quick prayer for the folks involved?
Yes--I've been trained since childhood, and I generally go into automatic Hail Mary's.

Tag? There's no one left to tag! Tim?

Christmas Miracles

Christmas Miracle #1: Nutmeg, her DH, and their children (the "Grands") made it through the snowy roads up from Dallas to join us on Thursday evening for a cup of hot chocolate and some cookies before crashing into bed.

Christmas Miracle #2: Portia and her LH made it through the snowy roads from Las Vegas to join us very late on Thursday night for "a drink." I don't know the details--I turned in as soon as I got my hugs from the couple I haven't seen since last Christmas!

Christmas Miracle #3: Although his early Friday morning flight was cancelled due to the weather in Denver, Colin's sweet-talkin' smiles--Carolina style!--got him a confirmed seat on a flight that arrives this evening into Denver. He wouldn't pass up the chance to meet the entire family, all at once!

So a Blessed Fourth Sunday of Advent, and a Happy Christmas Eve to us all!

It's sort of a schizophrenic day as far as the Liturgical Season goes. This was reflected in the music at our little mountain chapel this morning, too. We started with "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" as the entrance hymn, and for the recessional, sang "O Holy Child of Bethlehem." As our celebrant said, for many of those who are going to the Christmas Vigil, today is a "two-fer."

There is a lot of busy activity here in the house; Christmas Eve is winning out as the day's title. The special Polish Christmas Eve dinner, Vigilia, must be ready to go when the first star is seen in the sky! (Or, in other words, when Nutmeg, her DH, and the "Grands" get home from the 5:30pm Vigil Mass)! There were also breakfast casseroles to be prepped for tomorrow morning's post-present-opening hunger stampede.

So it's a busy, but also a waiting, sort of day. The "Grands" wander in and out of the kitchen looking for a glass of juice, a piece of cheese, a mitten for snowboarding, or permission to play on the computer. The fireplace is swept out and ready for another late afternoon fire. Nutmeg helps Mom brainstorm the logistics of the meal service.
Portia and her LH made an eggbake, then slipped out to see a dear friend in town. Unfortunately, dear brother is working and won't be coming up until after 9:30pm. He will have a late Vigilia, but Colin and I will join him when we arrive from Denver.

Christmas Miracle #4: Everyone will be here for Christmas dinner tomorrow night, for the first time in 4 years.

God bless us, everyone.

Tree Angel!

Due to the number of questions posed on family members' blogs regarding whether or not we actually have a tree topper, Dad went out and bought a new one!
So now, there is a glowing angel at the top of our beautiful Christmas tree:



See, good thing we have these blog things.... What a great avenue of communication!

No more work:

I keep trying to convince Mom that cooking and baking all day for Christmas is fun, not work.

She and I started with pierogi's at 8:30am. When we had stopped for lunch, we had made the cheese pierogi's, cheese and potato pierogi's, blueberry pierogi's, prune pierogi's, and most of the cabbage pierogi's. After lunch, we finished up the cabbage pierogi's and started in on the baking.

By 4:15pm, we had successfully finished and stored away:
Rum balls
Kisses
Fudge
Snow moons
Peanut butter bon bons
Cow pies
Gingerbread cookie dough

On the list for tomorrow's baking agenda:
Gingerbread men (with the dough made today)
Krust
Oatmeal craisin chip cookies
Brownies with chocolate mint frosting

Off to check out the brother's new digs this evening.

It's so good to be home!!

Peppermint Meme

I have been tagged! Since I'm still under the roof of the parentals, these questions will be answered accordingly. In other words, no surprises for most of my readers, who are related to me and have the same childhood experiences!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot Chocolate--and make sure there's a candy cane in it! If no candy canes are available, a mint teabag also works well.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Santa wraps and puts the presents under the tree. He does this when we're all asleep, after an joyous but exhausting night of consuming the large Vigilia meal, staying up for Midnight Mass, staying up during Midnight Mass, then crawling into bed.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
White icicle lights on the house, around the Nativity scene, and along the banister. We've done colored lights on the tree before, but I think we're doing white more consistently now.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but plenty of holly and evergreen.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
We start putting decorations out after Thanksgiving. The Christmas tree is sometimes up before everyone gets home from college, etc, but it's still usually one of the later decorations, to allow for maximum family involvement!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
I love the pierogi course! But I also love the Christmas breakfast food--the special puff pastry that Mom makes is so yummy. I also love the ham at dinner... gee whiz, everything tastes good when it's eaten with family at Christmas!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Getting up in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve to go to the bathroom when we were living in Gorham, and from the kitchen doorway near the stairs, seeing the Christmas tree lights peaking out of the living room. I have a distinct memory of seeing them twinkling, and feeling the magic of that night.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I heard that there wasn't a Santa, and asked Dad about it. He told me that Santa was not the one who came and left gifts Christmas Eve night, but that the "spirit of Santa" was real. I thought that was a lame answer at the time--I think I was about 9 years old--but now I understand St. Nicholas and the rest of the tradition...!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We used to open up our gift from Mom, when she would make us Christmas pajamas to wear that night. Now she makes us other beautiful things, and we open everything Christmas morning.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree
After the lights, we hang lots of beautiful ornaments, lots of child-crafted ornaments, lots of cultural collectibles. Then we put on the garland (used to do tinsel, but those days are over), hang the candy canes, and then the icicles go on last, on the tips of the tree.

11. Snow? Love it or Dread it?
Love snow, especially if we don't have to travel, and there's a fire in the fireplace!

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes. Also love that.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I love every gift I've received, except for the occasional itchy sweater. My favorites are the homemade gifts. Mom always gives at least one or two of those and they are so seical, because there is so much love knitted, sewn, or distilled (!!) into them! I think one of the best was the huge southwestern-themed poncho she made Portia and I one year for our "Pit adventures!"

14. What's the most exciting thing about the Holidays for you?
Going home--and having other members of the family come home. If not everyone is going to be home, the next best exciting thing about the holidays is ski-time!

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
The Polish cookies that I don't know how to spell, the peanut butter bon bons, the rum balls, and the mint-frosted brownies. I don't have one favorite...!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
The Polish Christmas Eve Dinner, Vigilia.

17. What tops your tree?
An angel. Unless she broke again... (?) Sometimes our tree is too tall to have an actual topper.

18. Which do you prefer - giving or receiving?
Giving--it's so much fun to watch people opening gifts that I've spent time and love picking out or, in some cases, making for them.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and The First Noel

20. Candy canes?
Yessss... especially in Hot Chocolate!

I hereby "tag" Tim and KT.

Happy Advent!

The tree this year is from Ridgefield, Connecticut :) .
I met Rosa at 5:30pm Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and we walked around admiring New York City's festive light display.
After a warm dinner in a cozy Irish pub, we took the train together back up to Connecticut-land. It put me in the "preparation" spirit of Advent!

Capstone II ... finished!!!

Our group of three was the only group who remained inside the 20-minute time limit.
Therefore, our Capstone presentation was a huge success! (just kidding)

But it actually went really well; we were able to summarize our semester-long project well enough for our class to understand. Our clinical preceptors were there; they were very impressed with us, and they expressed their glowing opinions to our advisor, so that felt good!

This picture is of the question and answer period afterward--there were only clarification questions, no questions suggesting edits or changes. So that means we don't have much more to do before turning in the final bound copy on Monday!
From left to right, it is me, Jene, and Marisa:



Today is my last tutorial. And not only the last of the semester. Colin reminded me last night that this is my last tutorial, EVER ever. He appreciates the ending of coursework--he says that the last day of his coursework was one of the happiest days of his life.

In tutorial today, we have to compile some evaluative surveys of the class' perception of this past semester (it's the first time this semester has been done before--this is the only one that the faculty had to make from scratch for the new doctoral program). After we're done, we'll be going out for some adult beverages as a group!

Bittersweet, this close of the last semester of coursework. More sweet than bitter, though, at this point!

The joys of packing...

I recall my freshman year at College, when my roommate and I came back to the dorm room from Thanksgiving break, dumped all of our stuff onto one twin bed, and slept together in the other twin bed until we left again for Christmas break. It was only after returning from Christmas break that we resumed our normal quarters.

This may seem extreme, but I feel the same now--that if I unpack my suitcase, I will only be packing it up again in a few weeks. So what's the point, really?

My room is the strange combination of utter disaster with belongings strewn across the floor, and open emptiness with most of my wall-hanging pictures in storage bins in North Carolina.

There's a shopping bag in front of my closet, overflowing with old clothes, that's bound for Goodwill (at some point in the next few weeks), two bookshelves half-full of books that I will take with me, books in piles all over the floor that I will need to place in storage, empty cardboard boxes that I will use to pack my things into, six home-brews sitting in a cardboard box with stickers that say "David" across the top of them, to designate that they are from my professor's batch and not mine, and my suitcase, still full from this past Thanksgiving weekend.
My bed, I made sure, is completely clear of clutter.


Which is why, instead of tackling the mess, I am now falling into bed!
Mmhmm; nice clean sheets after a hot shower and a glass of sweet orange juice. What more could a girl ask for at 7:30pm after a long day?

I'll start packing tomorrow.

Highlights:

After dinner Saturday night, on the terrace of his parents' 18th-floor apartment, overlooking Washington D.C. ...

Colin: So, do you believe me now, that I am who I said I am?
Me: Yes.... I think I always believed you. I just didn't believe I could be so lucky.
Colin: Well, you're a special person. Sometimes, good things happen to special people.
Me: I also can't believe that you've come this far without somebody else snatching you up.
Colin: Like I said, I'm a pretty average guy. No one really notices me--there's nothing all that special about me--
Me: --yes, there is.
Colin: Well, I guess I just fly beneath the radar.
Me: You flew straight into my radar.
Colin: Yeah, I guess I was just lucky, then!

Around midnight Saturday night, after several spine-crushing hugs and a few goodbye kisses...

Me: Colin, am I your girlfriend?
Colin: Can I be--I mean, ...can you be my girlfriend?
Me: Yes!
Colin: Good, 'cause I don't wanna leave you hangin' out there. (in his very cute quasi-North Carolina accent)

The next day, on the phone, ....
Alissa (laughing): Did you tell him that you didn't want to be kissed?
Me: No, ...because I did!

And a few minutes later, on the phone, ...
Me: So, did your parents have anything to say?
Colin: They loved you! They told me I have to always tell you how wonderful and refreshing you are.
Me: Wow. ...that's really nice of them.
Colin: Yeah, so I guess I just have to tell you everyday, so you don't forget.

November 24th, 2006

It was the best day; one of the best days, ever.

Thanksgiving Weekend Means...

...I have some time to blog!!

This past Sunday, my entire class (with the exception of two members) met for a potluck Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone brought a dish or a drink, and we gathered for a noisy night of laughter and conversation about everything other than physical therapy, while the football game blasted in the background. There was everything from the traditional turkey and cranberry sauce to butternut squash soup, baked ziti, and Irish soda bread. Surprisingly, there were not many leftovers! It was a fun evening--the video camera was going, and there was much creative brainstorming about our upcoming "skit night" on December 7th, where we all get together with the faculty to make humorous commentary on the past few years.
In some ways, it's super-exciting to be almost finished, but at the same time, it's going to be sad to leave all my classmates, with whom I've spent so much time and shared so many trials these past 2 and 1/2 years.
Everyone agrees that leaving this Christmas break is going to be a bittersweet experience. Our class has become very close; although there are close friends and less-close friends, there are no real cliques among us. Graduation in May promises to be an emotional reunion and farewell for all of us.

On another note, I dragged myself out of bed at the crack of dawn yesterday morning to bring my car in for a "trip-check." Thankfully, everything is in good working order--I have no problem paying $40 for peace of mind while driving my 103,000+ mileage car at night by myself! By 8:45 last night, I was on the road to Washington, D.C. for a weekend of fun with friends, both old and new!

Perhaps it is because this year I am almost finished with all of my coursework, but I've noticed that I'm really able to tune in and really possess a profound sense of gratitude this Thanksgiving. Yesterday I was writing my personal message for our class yearbook, and I was overwhelmed to the point of tears at how many people I owe thanks to, for helping me reach this point (the end!) in my program.

[note: being overwhelmed to the point of tears--even when they are tears of gratitude--is not generally recommended when sitting in the middle of a class discussion about marketing principles for physical therapy!]

But honestly, that list alone is gigantic. Then there's the list of circumstances and people that I'm grateful to God for placing in my life, even if they are not directly involved in where I am in my educational process. Friends that I have met, friends that I have kept, places I have been fortunate enough to live in, experiences I have been fortunate to have, accidents and injuries I have been preserved from, tragedies I have escaped.... I am probably not even aware of half of the blessings I've received.

Although I'm not able to be with family this year, there are other blessings afoot. As Nutmeg assures, there will be plenty of stories to exchange after this weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

And if you're reading this, then you're probably one of my blessings. So, ...

Thank you.

Rex

Well, here it is! Finally, the family has added a dog to their clan....

He's a yellow lab--very lively, but also not wild. He'll run around with Ellen for a bit, and then contentedly settle down on the floor in the kitchen, watching the goings-on.

I was asked to take him out for a walk this evening, and he was so good!

{sigh} ... I want one.

Discovery:

I can multitask when I have different windows open on one computer, one being a conversation, and the others being schoolwork.

I can multitask--to a lesser extent--when I am typing on the computer and conversing with others in the same room with me. (this applies well when taking notes in class, or doing projects with classmates)

I can multitask when listening to others on the phone while cleaning, driving, folding laundry, dressing, applying make-up, cooking, etc.

I cannot multitask worth beans when listening to others on the phone and trying to do school work on my computer.


Consequence: I woke up early to do a lot of my school work for today!

Not doing work,...

There are so many uses for these school-issued computers...

My roommate, Sarah, passed by my room this evening.
"Oh, my gosh, Shannon. Look at that grin on your face!"
Next thing I knew, she came back and took a picture of me.

I'll give you one guess as to what I was doing.... **

**note: the above challenge is meant as a hypothetical question, and is not intended to elicit comments, speculations, or musings about any persons or places related to the above photo.

If it weren't Sunday, ...

...we would have known it was the feast day of St. Teresa of Avila.

I'm sure I've posted it before, but it's always worth hearing / reading / saying again:

"Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
All things pass.
God does not change.
Patience achieves everything.
Whoever has God lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
Christ has no body on earth now but yours;
no hands but yours;
no feet but yours.
Yours are the eyes
through which the compassion of Christ
must look out on the world.
Yours are the feet
with which he is to go about doing good.
Yours are the hands
with which he is to bless his people."

I'm so proud of him...

My little friend, Andrew, is a celebrity this week in his local paper.

Well, actually, he's a celebrity wherever he goes.... He tends to make friends with whomever crosses his path!

Here is just one example...
One afternoon a few weeks ago, Andrew and I took a trip to the library. His mom thought it would be a good idea to find some books on tape, and to couple them with the actual books so that Andrew could follow along. Since she could find neither Andrew's library card, nor her own, she asked if I would mind asking for new ones while we were there.

Andrew and I arrived at the library in the family's handicap-accessible van, and bee-lined it for the juvenile fiction section, using a ramp to the lower level. We successfully chose two books on tape that I thought would be appropriate for his reading level and that he thought he would like to read. We picked up the book and the tape for Mary Poppins, but just the tape for Charlotte's Web, since he told me he had the book at home. I told him he should browse the shelves for a few minutes while I went back upstairs to check the books out, since it would be boring for him to wait at the desk with me while the librarian re-issued two library cards.

The new-library-card-process took much longer than I thought it would. I started to worry that Andrew might wonder whether I'd forgotten about him...or that he might knock something over trying to maneuver his power wheelchair through a narrow aisle. Since Andrew is easily distracted in new places, I was even concerned that he might accidentally run into someone while intently perusing the shelves. The protective side of me was also anxious that he would encounter other children who would stare at him but not talk to him, or worse, say something degrading to him. I did not want to leave him alone for too long. (I should have known not to underestimate Andrew's suave and charm!)
Fortunately, the check-out desk at the library was on a balcony, so I could walk a few feet and glance down at him every once in a while. Hoping the librarian did not think I was rude or trying to rush her, I paced back and forth between the desk and the balcony's view several times during the course of the new-library-card-process.

Finally, I hurried down the stairs to the lower level, and met up with Andrew driving his chair out from between some of the bookshelves. Behind him was a boy of approximately his own age, carrying three books under his right arm, and one book in his left hand, which he offered to me.
"Here you go," the boy said, and Andrew continued for him, "I would also like to get this one out, please," (then turning his head to the boy who was now next to him), "Thank you for helping me."
"You're welcome," the boy said softly, as he turned to walk away.
"That was so nice of you; thank you," I commended the boy, impressed with his matter-of-fact attitude about coming to Andrew's aid.

Next on the agenda was homework.
"Andrew," I explained, "we can do your math homework here, but we need to find a table big enough for your chair." We both looked around doubtfully at all the low round tables scattered throughout the juvenile section.

"Excuse me, sir!" Andrew said out loud, before I realized there was another young boy approaching our spot in front of the shelves.
"Yes?" the boy looked at Andrew and then at me, a little doubtfully--a reaction, probably not only to Andrew's obvious physical disability, but also to Andrew's use of the word "sir" in addressing him!
"Could you tell me where we might find a table big enough for my chair, so that I can do my homework?" Andrew asked innocently.
The boy shifted his weight from one leg to the other, apparently thinking seriously about his answer. "Well," he responded with some authority, "you might be able to find some tables on the other side down here..." (at this point, it took too much energy for Andrew to keep his head up and turned in the boy's direction, so he slowly let his chin drop to his chest).
The boy then directed the rest of his answer to me: "If not, I guess he might be able to use one of the study tables upstairs."
"Thank you very much," Andrew graciously replied, lifting his head a little bit.
"You're welcome," the boy said amiably, and continued on.

I led Andrew over to the tables in the periodical section, where the boy had pointed, marveling at his social magnetism. These kids aren't cruel to him; he's so polite, so unassuming, so vulnerable.... Somehow, they sense the goodness in him.

And he becomes a celebrity.

I love Paris in the Springtime...

...But I love New England in the Fall!

The leaves are turning, and it's a crisp 53 degrees outside.

Late this morning, my Capstone II group (yes, I have another huge project this semester...) drove up to the community hospital we're working with, about 40 miles north of school. The Merritt Parkway was stunning, with firey red, orange and yellow leaves dancing their shadows across the road in the bright sunlight. I kicked myself for not bringing my camera. The further north we drove, the more lovely the foliage became.

Autumn is my favorite season anywhere; but it's just the prettiest up here in the Northeast. I am blessed to be able to enjoy it for another year.

(this picture is from last year, toward the end of the season, when many of the leaves were on the ground...I'll have to post some pictures from this year soon!)

Long weekends...

Unfortunately, the reason I get a long weekend right now is the same reason everyone else does: it's a bank holiday.
Which means, of course, that EVERYONE had the idea to turn a 5-hour drive down to Washington, D.C. into a 7-hour drive! However, seeing friends is always worth the trip. (once I finally arrive!)
I must admit, studying and working on my school projects is much more enjoyable when done by the side of Katie, my nursing student buddy! And even more enjoyable when done in a vibrant, wireless-enabled coffee shop in Virginia, where people-watching every ten minutes breaks up the monotony.
Not fun, though, to have to manually repair my wireless adapter on my computer; something is wrong, but I'm not savvy enough to be able to fix the root of the problem. I need to get that fixed on my return to school.
In other news, I will know my clinical internship placement by the beginning of November!

Prayers are appreciated!

Yes...Imagine.

I'm glad somebody finally said it out loud (dramatically!)
Exactly my sentiments--to which my younger siblings will attest. But I could never have said it better than this. In fact, I think the best I've ever done is mutter, "atheist commy" under my breath when I've heard that song--and promptly changed the station!
Read it.

First country music, then blogging

Country music, over the course of about ten years, took over my family.
There was no specific pattern--I started listening to the stuff while rooming with a lovely girl from South Dakota at That Anonymous College. South Dakota and country music somehow came in the same bundle. "The lyrics are generally pro-family, and the music is just fun!" she taught me. I got used to it, then started singing along to it, then started having favorites.

Then my family moved to Colorado. I think Dad was the first one who recognized the easy transfer from folk guitar to bluegrass banjo. I don't know how it started, but I noticed one summer that the pre-set radio buttons in his car led to our major country stations.

Mom, whose folk music taste had more of a Joan Baez, Judy Collins flavor, took a little longer. "It just sounds so...so...local!" she tried to explain her aversion to the twang and the fiddle. Little by little, though, the smooth croonings of Alison Krauss teased her into the greater realm of country genre.

My younger sisters and brother were not to be moved. Portia, who was always our eclectic member, liked bands I never heard of and listened to music I never recognized. My brother, by some bizarre twist of nature, liked rap and hard rock--two of my least favorite sounds in general. And my youngest sisters were continually excited over pop rock and cheesy boy-bands.

My older sister, though, the big BNL fan, stopped me when I started singing along to a country song we overheard one day. "This is a great song isn't it? It's one of my favorites. See, this is country!" --as if I didn't know.... but I didn't know that she had country music favorites, and told her so. "Oh, wait, it's not you. It's Portia that doesn't like country music," she remembered, referring to our next-youngest sister.

But Portia came around by her junior year of college. She first admitted liking the Dixie Chicks, and has since broadened her country tastes. There were several country selections on her wedding reception music list, as a matter of fact.

Two summers ago, I heard my two high school -aged sisters playing country music in their room. They still played a lot of other music that made me cringe, but at least some small movement in tastes occurred, and it made me smile.
My youngest sister is still not completely converted, but she has her picks of country that she enjoys. And as for the older of the two, I hope her appreciation for these types of tunes remains, since I included plenty of them on a CD I burned for her when she left for That Anonymous College this year!

The final step, however, was when I overheard country music drifting out of my brother's room this past summer. I actually knocked and asked him what it was all about. He said that guys he played baseball with liked to listen to country music, and so he heard it all the time when they carpooled to games. "I kind of got used to it, and so I listen to it sometimes," he concluded. Noting that he was in his bedroom at the moment and not anywhere near a carpool or a baseball game, I nodded reflectively and backed out.

Now.

Blogs.

My "Favorite Family" blogroll is growing. Check out the latest addition, which I was only just made aware of: my brother's blog!

However, I must here include a Warning!! Do not read this when you are supposed to be doing something else (such as paying attention to a class discussion on the VA System of Healthcare in the United States). I almost cried reading one post, then almost burst out laughing a few different times while reading another post. He's a great storyteller.

So, when are Mom and Dad going to start blogging?

growing so fast

I was finally able to see my friend Sharon's little Maria in New Jersey yesterday, at Sharon's parents' house. We had a barbeque and celebrated Sharon's doctoral status!

This is Maria (with her mom) when I last saw her, at 8 months of age:














and this is Maria yesterday (with her oldest and youngest cousins), now one year old!

Like a River

Coming back to school after a summer away is not just about taking different classes. The entire environment has changed. Different roommates, a different neighborhood, and friends in different places. No, it's not bad--just ever-changing, and a continual adjustment. Like a river (hello, Garth).

Of course, this heightens appreciation for the things that do not change.

My best friend, although recently named a "Doctor" by the psychology department at St. John's University, is still the loving, supportive, fun, Irish-German-but-becoming-Italian girl that I can talk to about anything. Her extended family, who have welcomed me into their lives, have developed and ended relationships, acquired new jobs, given birth to more children. But their homes are still the loving havens that they were when I left.

The family I work for is growing; everyone is one year farther along in school, a bit taller, a little more mature around the eyes. Andrew has a walker now that allows him to really move around and use his leg muscles. But he still laughs hysterically at my feeble quips, and wants to talk about Disney movies well past bedtime.

The children I used to babysit on weekends are looking forward to seeing me tonight, after a 5-month hiatus. I emailed their mother this morning, assuring her that I would love to come, despite some head-cold issues the household is having. This is the email I got in reply:
"Oh, if you could have seen the two girls dancing with delight as I read your e-mail out loud to them. (Jason and the boys are out running errands or they would surely be dancing too)." I'm sure there will be plenty of vertical growth there, as well, accelerated by their sunshine-filled family vacations. But I take pleasure in the knowledge that we will likely have Uncle Joe's take-out pizza for dinner, and the two oldest will chat my ear off about their summer adventures, and eagerly soak up my stories from home. The little 6 year-old will resist going to bed, and the smallest son will capture my heart with his sweet smiles.

My wonderful spiritual director, although in a different parish, is the same priest with the same gentleness and loving guidance. Today he reminded me (again) that for me and for who I am, a true union of human hearts presupposes that the other's heart is sincerely in love with Christ through His Church. Fr. PNC was firm, but expressed his point in such a gentle, fatherly way that I found myself agreeing with him from beginning to end--including the necesary conclusion. Small ouch, but again, I'm moving on.

My roommates are friends of mine from the program. So we've been school buddies for two years now--going on three. I finally get to live with them, which inevitably reveals other sides of ourselves to one another. I laughed when one of them told me she didn't think of me as a morning person--she was under the impression that I'd like to sleep in all day, everyday, if I could. That's one impression that isn't going to take long to change! She also thinks of me whenever she sees this commercial, so wonders never cease... :)

I saw another old friend for breakfast this morning--the sole returning teacher for some families in the parish--along with a "new" friend, who is also teaching this year. Some of the children have gone on to high school, but most are still part of the Academy. And I look forward to hearing new stories with familiar names and circumstances.

Funny thing, how in a way it's the same, and in another way, completely new.

Like a river.

"Making Friends"

My CI (clinical instructor) this summer would use this term a lot when he was "backing off" a particularly uncomfortable manual treatment, or when he was providing a soothing, or pain-relieving treatment.
For example, taking someone's shoulder movement through the maximum available range (to the point of pain) almost always elicited at least an "Argh" from the patient. After doing a series of mobilizations to effect the greatest range for the day, my CI would then immediately revert to gentle oscillations--which does relieve pain through stimulation of the joint's mechanoreceptors--and announce, "and now I'm making friends."

But in this case, I am using the term "making friends" in reference to my bed. Already, in barely the third week of September, I am returning to the school-year pattern of daily excited anticipation about my time spent sleeping in bed at night. How sad--looking so forward to rest. I don't want to wish my last semester away, really.

I have spent the greater part of the evening figuring out international adoption regulations, as well as healthcare insurance policy for adoptive children of such circumstances. This research has led me to 4 conclusions:
1. There are a lot of beautiful children all over the world that I would now like to adopt.
2. My bed is really soft and warm and inviting.
3. Children who are adopted from overseas are legally covered under their adoptive parents' health insurance.
4. My bed wants to make friends.

So now that I've figured out the solution to my tutorial groups "problems" for tomorrow, I'm going to bed!

Thoughts about Sundays

"Is it good to be home?"
My friend, Rosa, asked me this question yesterday after our Sunday dinner at her mother's house. She immediately caught her mistake and said, "Well, I guess this isn't really home for you...but you know what I mean."
"I loved being at home this summer," I explained to Rosa. "It was really difficult to leave. But now that I'm here, it's good to be back. And when it's time to go again, it will be difficult to leave."

But I did know what she meant. In fact, eating the traditional "Ragu" with Italian-speaking friends after a beautiful High Mass at St. John's was, in its own way, like coming home. I told her mother, Maria, that tasting her Sunday sauce was like "tasting" home--the home that's been made for me here in Connecticut.
"I knew that's how it would be," Maria nodded. "That's why, when I saw you at Mass, I thought, if you're not doing anything, you should come join us."
Her son Frank (who is married to my dear friend Sharon) says that even just the smell of the Ragu is a comforting thing for him. It carries with it both memories and promises of family time together on Sunday afternoons, time to take a break from work and enjoy one another's company.

Alex, still in high school, excused himself from the table immediately after the meal.
"Where are you going?" his father, Tony, asked.
"I have to finish my Chemistry," he explained.
"You're getting to be just like Shannon," said Maria, referring to my computer-toting, study-between-activities habits of last year's Sundays.
"No, no,"I shook my head. "I'm taking Sundays off this year. They are really going to be my days of rest."
"Yeah, right," Alex challenged.
"I'm serious!" I exclaimed, trying to convince him.
"How long is that going to last?" he retorted.
"All year," I said. "I promise. You can call me on it."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," he continued to tease me.
"I'll keep it. You wait."

I have been appropriately challenged by friends to honor the Lord's Day in all practicality, with all the sacrifices which that might entail.
"It's like tithing," my friend Erin explained to me a few weeks ago. "What makes people think, if they 'cannot' tithe when they're making a few dollars a week, that they're all of a sudden going to be able to tithe when they make a decent paycheck?"
What she was telling me is true. What makes me think that I'm ever going to wake up and say, "Now my life is not as busy; I can start honoring the Sabbath."?
There will always be responsibilities; there will always be more to accomplish. Even when the day comes that I work "normal" hours, I will have to find time to clean house, buy groceries, do laundry, shop for birthday presents, etc. But Sunday is an open day reserved by God for rest, in His honor. What a temptation!
People have done it. It takes time management and determination.

And, of course, plenty of prayer.

Home - (sniff?) - Home...

I made it across the entire country! There were even fireworks in Indianapolis to celebrate my one-night stay there with my former clinical instructor and some of her family. (well, maybe that wasn't the only reason for the fireworks...)

Sunday morning at around 8:30am, after passing a sign in Ohio pronouncing "Columbus 25," I asked my mother at home in Colorado to go online and find me a 9am Mass there. Please realize that this was 6:30am her time! After some searching, she adeptly located a church and gave me precise directions from the highway. As we were saying goodbye, I was exiting I-70. I arrived in front of the church about three minutes later with plenty of time to spare! Definitely a recommended adventure. It turns out that this parish is the oldest one in Ohio, established in 1848, and it is still rather beautiful. Stained glass windows, a beautiful altar, murals behind the altar, and only 250 members in the parish! When I heard that (the priest was giving the annual "Sermon on the Amount" report, as he called it, after Mass!) I realized that everyone in attendance must be certain of my visitor status! They were all very welcoming and friendly later over in the church hall for (free!) coffee and donuts. =)

Saw friends in D.C.--some of whom I haven't seen for almost a year. That was great. I overslept on Labor Day, so I did not leave for Connecticut as early as I had planned. But it gave Katie, Erica, and me some "girl time" on the back porch of their house that morning--complete with cups of coffee and plenty of laughter!

Our new place is live-able. Three of my classmates and I have the upstairs 4 bedrooms of a 7-bedroom house, and then there are people living downstairs. It's not exactly two separate apartments, but we do have our own kitchen upstairs, and we will just hang out in each others' bedrooms for socializing! We each have at least a full-sized bed provided, and we've been settling in as quickly as possible, since classes have already started.

The living room downstairs pretty much belongs to the two guys living down there, and now also to the girl who just moved into the other bedroom down there. The downstairs contigent keeps to themselves for the most part, but their very rich-smelling living room "social smoke" drifts upstairs almost every evening. The first few nights I had what I now call a secondary grass headache, which I never before experienced. In fact, one of the first nights here, I started to smell it while I was on the phone. I asked my friend on the other line, "Hey, can you tell me what weed smells like?"
"Given my limited experience with the odor," he began, involuntarily reassuring me by his uncertainty, "and my dull sense of smell, ...I would describe it to be what burning crab-apples might smell like."
I thought it a thoughtful, perceptive analysis. But being that I have never even tried to imagine what burning crab-apples might smell like, I was still unsure.

So later, after my roommate Marisa had arrived home, and when I was walked through a cloud of nasal ambush at the top of the stairs, I asked her, "Is that what it smells like?" Her emphatic reply in the positive only served to increase my headache that had begun a few hours before. Yes, it is unpleasant, to say the least. If our housemates continue to pollute the entire house with it, despite our gentle protests, we'll have to get the landlord to intervene. Which might be interesting, considering he's about our age, if not a little younger. Who knows whether he cares that it's going on.

As you may guess, there are definite advantages to only living here for the next 3 and 1/2 months. On the other hand, it is also very exciting to be living with classmates again--and such clean, responsible, fun, and studious girls altogether! The "clean" characteristic, in particular, is good, since we do not have a dishwasher--everyone likes to keep the sink empty, so there's no foreseeable conflict there.

Classes are going to be fine this semester. No exams, just projects, which is great. And they are all relevant projects, as well: we'll be working with actual clinical sites to help install programs or solve problems. Class time this semester is really reduced, since we don't have labs, so that gives ample time for projects, career planning, and part-time work!

We also need a lot of money as a program and as a class to fund activities surrounding graduation next May--in particular, the annual Dinner Dance. So I'm going out (as in, on the town!) tonight--something I do more in graduate school than undergrad, as it turns out. As a fundraising tradition, the Student Physical Therapy Association is always bargaining with places to collect their cover charges! And guess who--just today--was semi-appointed, and actually semi-volunteered, as a result of being present at the semi-opportune moment, to spearhead the rest of the fundraising for the semester? Yep, yours truly, the one whom everyone is always surprised and excited to see out at a bar. I guess I don't quite fit the "type."

So, you ask, will I be negotiating with bars and other places of drinking and debauchery? No way; the revenue from such has not been very beneficial, as far as percentage. Not worth it, in my opinion--although it's a good excuse for the entire program to get together and hang out, so I'm sure someone will continue organizing those nights. But as for fundraisers, my first official idea for implementation is a class-wide yard sale, so we can get rid of all of our junk accumulated over the past 2 years. After all, we'll all be leaving in December for our last clinical internships--who wants to deal with all this stuff? Two weeks from tomorrow, then, our backyard will be converted into Tag Sale City--100% of the proceeds going to the SPTA fund. In this case, our junk will also be our treasure!

This weekend being the first in the final semester--not very busy yet, in other words--I am heading down to New York to see the relatives on Saturday.

Then next week, the projects start in full-swing, and although I will attempt to be semi-regular in blogging, I make no promises!

Prayers are appreciated, as always....