November 30th

Well this month is almost over.
We've celebrated a few holidays too.
But I'll bet you never dreamed that its also
Gluten Free Diet Month, or
Sweet Potato Awareness Month, or
Native American Heritage Month.
We never hear of these to celebrate.
I'd like to correct these wrongs.

I celebrate the gluten free diet daily (mostly).
I am on a rather loose interpretation of a gluten free diet.
The only reason is that I have issues with my stomach.
And let me tell you.... gluten tastes good.
No gluten, however, tastes terrible!
Especially gluten free bread!
Yuck!

Sweet Potato Awareness.....
Now how can we celebrate this?
I'm aware that there sweet potatoes.
I'm aware that I like eating sweet potatoes.
Ok, I've celebrated.
Done with that one.....

Native American Heritage month is gonna be a bit harder.
As far as I know, I do not have any Native DNA.
I haven't taken a DNA test to be sure, but
I guess if a certain congress woman can make that claim,
I'll assume that I am a Native American (only for today).

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This was taken December 11th 2016

Our girls are about 2 years old.

They were so small that we had to keep a heat

lamp on them in the cold,

and they pretty much stayed in their cage

in the garage at night.

We draped an old blanket over the cage

and they quieted down for the night.

 

That's Pepper.

So stinkin' cute.

Lucy and Ethel are a bit younger.

They all get along like sisters now.

Bitchy, curious, sisters,

who do not realize that they are chickens.

I really believe that they think

they are dogs.

They still follow Leia around like

baby ducks following their mama.

Leia doesn't even give them a sideways glance,

but still they follow her.

Goofy hens.

 

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And in the spirit of the season,

 

Please remember to send a Christmas card to

a soldier this season.

We are planning to send several.

My grandkids will write a sentiment inside

and address them.

Just trying to instill giving as well as getting.

And,

Salvation Army of Greater N.O.

Women and Children's Emergency Shelter

4500 South Claiborne Ave.

New Orleans, La.

70125

 

Remember,

"There but for the grace of God, go I"

(Its an idiom that is attributed to John Bradford.

He lived in the 1500's.

He was a clergyman who encountered

the wrath of the English monarchy.

He was imprisoned in the Tower of London

and later burned at the stake.)

 

To end on a lighter note....

Take care of yourself

You are loved.

:)

 

 

 

November 19th

Today is National "Play Monopoly Day".
What a relief!
I thought today would never come.
I've waited all year for this!!
Not!!
But seriously, who thinks this stuff up?
Its also "World Toilet Day".
Now this is off the charts, ridiculous.
(but I love that somebody thought it up)
As much time as humans spend on out respective toilets,
we should devote a whole day to them.
I'm unsure of how to celebrate though.
I'm sure after my coffee, I'll come up with a
suitable way to thank the toilet gods.
But seriously, its actually meant to bring awareness to
unsafe sanitation globally.
The United Nations came up with this "holiday"
several years ago.
The site says ".... approximately 4.5 billion people
live without safely managed sanitation and about 892
million practice open defecation."
Open. Defecation.
Wow.
Nope.
Thank God I was born in a flushing toilet nation!
Oh, and their 2012 slogan was "I give a shit, do you?"
I shit you not!

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Kids are home from school,
People are putting up Christmas decorations,
Fed Ex is delivering........
Wow!
Wish I'd have thought of Amazon.
EVERY DAY in my neighborhood, is a delivery day.
Stores have safe locked storage boxes to store your purchases till
you can retrieve them.
WalMart has online grocery shopping.
Used to be that only the Sears catalog was my Mom's
"online" (phone), mail order place.
I'm outta my element.
My generations' dinosaur ways are slowly leaving the citizen consciousness.
Mind you, I do dislike shopping, but
I also like to peruse the aisles when I'm looking for a gift.
I might find something awesome.
But, you can argue, and rightly so, that I can find a plethora
of "awesome" stuff online.
And, I'd have to agree.
Its just that my "old ways" find themselves entrenched
in my psyche and adopting new ways has been an adventure
in my continuing tech education.
So, as a result, I rely on my kids and grandkids.
If I were a Jeopardy category,
I'd be "Antediluvian Organisms", for $200 Alex!

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On the chicken front.......
Yay! They've started laying again.
A small start, but a start nonetheless.

yesterday's output.

I don't know if they understand the concept of humans eating fowl
on Thanksgiving, but something finally motivated them,
and it surely wasn't my incessant pep talks.
I know its only 3, but we'll take what we can get at this point.

Lucy

                                           Chicken 101
As the days get shorter, hens typically lay less.
They cycle an egg around every 24 to 36 hours, but
they always lay more when the days are warm and longer.
Unlike a human female, we are born with a certain allotment
of eggs for our entire life.
(That's why it is more difficult to conceive at an older age.)
Not so for hens. They just keep producing eggs till they are
about 6 to 8, years old.
They can produce a clutch of chicks well into their advanced ages.
Our girls however, will never have a fertilized egg.
(a good thing for us!)

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bell pepper

 

We noticed that the bell peppers, the tomatoes and mirlitons,

have been in bloom.

We were waiting to see if they'd produce,

and they have.

Now, if we can keep the hens from snacking on the baby veggies....

 

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Came across this recipe on Pinterest.

I'm going to try it.

(don't know about the 101proof bourbon,

but I'll use what we have)

 

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Remember,

hug your family.

Tell them how much you love them,

you may not get another chance.

 

 

 

 

November 12th Veterans Day

To all veterans of all branches,

especially those in my family,

I'd like to share my thanks for serving.

Today is the official day to honor those who served,

but in the true definition of the day,

it was on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month

in 1918.

Armistice Day.

In actuality, the Treaty of Versailles was signed

June 28th 1919.

But, the cease fire became the revered date.

Then in 1954,

this holiday of remembrance,

was re-named, Veterans Day.

That way we included Veterans of all wars.

In Arlington National Cemetery at the

Tomb of the Unknowns,

a wreath is placed as well as a parade of veterans

that culminates in the Memorial Amphitheater.

The red poppy became a symbol of World War I

because of the poem, In Flanders Fields by John McCrae.

So,

I want to thank all veterans for their extreme sacrifices.

In the words of Ronald Regan,

"Some people spend their entire lives wondering if

they've made a difference in the world, but

Veterans don't have that problem"

They are the heroes.

 

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As senior citizens go, I don't feel that old.

(today)

Now, yesterday, that was a different story!

Oy, don't get me started.......

Anyway,

I was thinking about being a nurse,

and how my career was shaped by my

need to teach and help.

It also reminded me of the stupid

S@#t patients say!

So, I'd like to share a few.........

This list in no way is complete.

It is just a small compendium of sorts.

1) Roto Cup Surgery. My patient couldn't put her arm above

her head because of this problem. (rotator cuff)

2) Prostrate Trouble. This is prevalent in older men who

don't know the word PROSTATE.

3) Ty Yen All. A mild pain medicine frequently requested.

4) Strip Throat. A complaint due to overstating a simple sore throat.

(as in a STREPtococcal infection)

5) All Heimers disease. A confused state of someone's relative.

6) Sclerosis of the Liver. Typical of an old alcoholic. (cirrhosis)

7) Blood Clogs. This is what caused the patients' stroke.

(blood clots or thrombosis)

8) Immaculate Generation. An eye disease or a virginal birth?

(macular degeneration)

9) Fibals of the Eucharist. Fibroids of the uterus.

10) Vomiking . To regurgitate.... a lot. As in,

"Help me, I'm vomiking "

 

 The following list is from nurses charts.......

1) "He was awake, alert and orientated.  ??????

 (the word is oriented!)

2) "I conversated with the patient about the meds."

(again, No. Such. Word.)

3) "The IV is in the anticubical area."

(ya mean antecubital, moron!)

4) "the compacted stool was in the rectal vault."

(nothing grammatically wrong with this,

It just reminds me of the Disney movies

that won't be available for a long time)

5) ".....bruises in various stages of resolution."

(again, nothing wrong, just really a good

description of a healing bruise, but

what color was it?)

Now this one is from my youngest son

who had Chickey Blocks

when he was in pre-school.

(he meant, chicken pox)

And....

This was from a doctor's dictation print out on the chart.

"the patient saw doctors from Ellis Shoe and Two Lane."

Thanks to my friend for her collection.....

She needs to publish some of her extensively crazy stuff!!!

 

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Nothing new on the chicken girls.

No. Eggs. Yet.

The CEO even went so far as to ask our vet.

He said its a waiting game.

They'll lay eventually.

So,

we continue to search the yard and the coop for an elusive egg.

Their feathers are beginning to come back in.

All signs are "go" for potential egg production.

And

  at the weekly staff meetings, the girls don't

even bother to attend.

I think they know the content of the meeting and

they just don't care.

I probably sound like the adults in

a Charlie Brown cartoon to them.

Wa waaaah wa wa waaaaa!!!!!

(EGGS!)

 

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I love puns.

So, thought I'd share.

Here are a few, song related ones......

 

 

misheard lyrics......

 

 

 

Hope they made you smile....

 

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And the thought for the day......

 

 

 

 

 

and again,

my heartfelt thanks.

 

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