Well... last night I was relaxing in a nice hot bath, enjoying a fine glass of Zinfandel and reading a mystery novel (the novel wasn't that great but that's ok). I was zoned right out in my little spa environment when all of a sudden the bath water started to slosh back and forth in the tub (twice it went right over the edge of the bathtub) and I felt like I was out on a rough lake in a canoe.I was lightheaded, dizzy and slightly nauseated; just like being sea sick. I would take a guess that this sloshing of water lasted about 50 seconds.
Now, one would think a person would jump right out of the tub and go "What the hell just happened?" but no, I was apparently thought the wine had elicited some sort of hallucinatory effect so my first reaction was to put the wine glass on the floor and cease drinking it immediately. I read a few more pages and then got out of the tub.
A few minutes later I showed up in the living room to find Bob and the kids there and they peppered me with questions "Didn't you feel that?", "It's all over Facebook", "We had an earthquake", "Weren't you scared?". They filled me in on all the things they had seen and felt. The blinds on the living room window were shaking back and forth like crazy, the house felt like it was moving, the hanging lights were moving back and forth etc. I've since found a few things that fell over; books and pictures. The kids were quite excited over the whole thing but unnerved and a bit scared at the same time.
Bob said he felt like he was going to pass out because he wasn't moving but everything around him was; I felt like I had vertigo and that continued on through the evening with the aftershocks. Although there was no shaking that I could feel you would just get little waves of "unsteadiness".. it was all very odd. I can only imagine what it felt like on Haida Gwaii and I am so thankful that nobody was hurt and there appears to be nothing major in terms of damage (at least nothing reported to this point).
If nothing else, this a huge wake up call. The magnitude was 7.7; that is a massive earthquake and had it been centered in a populated area there would have been casualties and major damage. I guess we should all pay attention; we live a fair ways inland and felt it strong enough to do what it did here..next time we might not be so lucky.
Have a good one!
Sunday, 28 October 2012
Saturday, 20 October 2012
What My Jobs Have Taught Me.
I've been in the workforce since I was twelve years old; and by that I mean making an actual paycheque from a job. That's thirty-five years of working! My jobs have included working in a hardware store, a food court vendor, as a care-aide in a nursing home, a maid/cook/server/general laborer at a fishing resort, clerk in a quilt shop and various positions as a registered nurse. I learned a lot in each job; some I liked more than others and I only had one that I really did not like at all and it only lasted a few months (thank goodness).
My first paying job, at the age of twelve, was in the hardware store. It was here I learned to count change, organize various sections in the store, take stock, place orders and deal with the public. I enjoyed spending some of my paycheque on things from the store (craft supplies, wool, presents for my family and lots of things to stock my fishing tackle box). I enjoyed this job very much and it was here that I started to hone my communication skills; you have to be really good at listening, watching body language and being on the receiving end of some pretty nasty talk from customers. I still have some of my purchases from that store!
At the age of sixteen I became a care-aide in a nursing home of seventy-five residents. I learned a lifetime of skills at this job. I provided all sorts of personal care to elderly residents (bathing, dressing, feeding, assisting with exercises, assisting nurses with procedures etc). Working with a team of people provided a wealth of opportunities to observe different approaches to the same job, how people worked together (or not!!), how personalities affected the workplace and how some people are in a job for reasons that aren't altogether beneficial to the people they are working for or with. I learned a lot about family dynamics and how family members treat their elderly relatives (again, good and bad) and I learned about dying as many people I cared for passed away.
Working in a fishing resort was a ton of fun! I did this for two summers out on Lake of the Woods in Ontario, working for my US relatives at the resort they owned. I cleaned cabins, baked bread, pies and cooked in the kitchen, I sold bait, gutted fish, bailed out boats, took reservations and was the picture taker for lots of pictures featuring fish, beer and smiling faces!
My nursing career started in 1988 and I have done that job ever since ( worked in my friend's quilt shop for a while along with nursing... it was for a fun reprieve from the stresses of my nursing job). I have worked in acute care (Alberta, Ontario and BC) doing everything from delivery babies to medi-vac flights, long term care (Alberta and BC) working in long term care facilities and for the past eight years I have been working in Home and Community Care. It is in this last area of nursing that I believe I have found my special place.
I appreciate the science and the art of nursing; my personality tends to put me more on the art side but I embrace them both. There is constant learning happening every single day and it would take me a long time to outline what I have learned doing this job. I think it is best put this way: I feel privileged to be able to practise nursing. I am involved in people's lives when they are very vulnerable, anxious and overwhelmed at the complexity of the health care system. I love being able to talk with them, share resources, help them navigate and hopefully find a solution that will work for them and their families. It isn't always easy; sometimes people aren't very nice and I hear a lot of anger and frustration but I won't take it personally; people need to talk, they need someone to listen and to validate their feelings. So many times they just don't know which way is up and how to sort things out. I don't mind helping them through that. We are like detectives; putting together all the pieces to make a whole picture; lots of sleuthing through information, talking to people and looking at the evidence.. it's fun!
I can sincerely say I love my job; that is no lie. There are days I would like to shut my office and not come back but that doesn't happen very often; I have a good team to work with, my community is awesome and I hope that I can make a difference for people. The day I stop learning or wanting to learn will be the day I need to have a talk with myself and ask why I'm still doing what I'm doing.. I hope that day doesn't come for a long time.
Cheers!
Heather
My first paying job, at the age of twelve, was in the hardware store. It was here I learned to count change, organize various sections in the store, take stock, place orders and deal with the public. I enjoyed spending some of my paycheque on things from the store (craft supplies, wool, presents for my family and lots of things to stock my fishing tackle box). I enjoyed this job very much and it was here that I started to hone my communication skills; you have to be really good at listening, watching body language and being on the receiving end of some pretty nasty talk from customers. I still have some of my purchases from that store!
At the age of sixteen I became a care-aide in a nursing home of seventy-five residents. I learned a lifetime of skills at this job. I provided all sorts of personal care to elderly residents (bathing, dressing, feeding, assisting with exercises, assisting nurses with procedures etc). Working with a team of people provided a wealth of opportunities to observe different approaches to the same job, how people worked together (or not!!), how personalities affected the workplace and how some people are in a job for reasons that aren't altogether beneficial to the people they are working for or with. I learned a lot about family dynamics and how family members treat their elderly relatives (again, good and bad) and I learned about dying as many people I cared for passed away.
Working in a fishing resort was a ton of fun! I did this for two summers out on Lake of the Woods in Ontario, working for my US relatives at the resort they owned. I cleaned cabins, baked bread, pies and cooked in the kitchen, I sold bait, gutted fish, bailed out boats, took reservations and was the picture taker for lots of pictures featuring fish, beer and smiling faces!
My nursing career started in 1988 and I have done that job ever since ( worked in my friend's quilt shop for a while along with nursing... it was for a fun reprieve from the stresses of my nursing job). I have worked in acute care (Alberta, Ontario and BC) doing everything from delivery babies to medi-vac flights, long term care (Alberta and BC) working in long term care facilities and for the past eight years I have been working in Home and Community Care. It is in this last area of nursing that I believe I have found my special place.
I appreciate the science and the art of nursing; my personality tends to put me more on the art side but I embrace them both. There is constant learning happening every single day and it would take me a long time to outline what I have learned doing this job. I think it is best put this way: I feel privileged to be able to practise nursing. I am involved in people's lives when they are very vulnerable, anxious and overwhelmed at the complexity of the health care system. I love being able to talk with them, share resources, help them navigate and hopefully find a solution that will work for them and their families. It isn't always easy; sometimes people aren't very nice and I hear a lot of anger and frustration but I won't take it personally; people need to talk, they need someone to listen and to validate their feelings. So many times they just don't know which way is up and how to sort things out. I don't mind helping them through that. We are like detectives; putting together all the pieces to make a whole picture; lots of sleuthing through information, talking to people and looking at the evidence.. it's fun!
I can sincerely say I love my job; that is no lie. There are days I would like to shut my office and not come back but that doesn't happen very often; I have a good team to work with, my community is awesome and I hope that I can make a difference for people. The day I stop learning or wanting to learn will be the day I need to have a talk with myself and ask why I'm still doing what I'm doing.. I hope that day doesn't come for a long time.
Cheers!
Heather
Friday, 12 October 2012
CBC and Me
It's Friday again.. not sure where the time goes really. I've finished up my fall themed cards for the card swap I'm in with two wonderful ladies in the US and I did some hand stitching on a quilt block I'm doing in a nine-week class that started this week. But that's not what I want to write about.. I'm going to write about the CBC.
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.. aka my lifeline. Yes, I know it sounds rather dorky that a radio station would be someone's lifeline but that is just the way it is. I was raised in a home where CBC reigned supreme; both on television and on radio. I think that was mostly because we only got two channels on the TV and Hockey Night in Canada was on CBC so that pretty much guaranteed it would be the "it" channel. . . and nobody in my family were really into the music that was played on the local radio stations so we listened to CBC. Even when I was a teenager I loved it. My all-time favorite broadcaster was Peter Gzowski and right behind him was Bill Richardson. Peter had such a comforting voice and Bill would make me laugh out loud and spit my drink allover myself. 1-888-SAD-GOAT... omg what a funny show. I had to pull over to the side of the road once when he had a show segment about stupid song lyrics..it was hilarious. I can claim, quite proudly, that I have a tribute letter printed in the book "Remembering Peter Gzowski"... he was the only other person, besides myself, that I had ever heard use the saying "Holy Nellie". I also have a letter printed in the book "Dear Sad Goat.. A Roundup of Truly Canadian Tales and Letters". On several occasions I've had letters, poetry and my own songs broadcast on CBC! It's been good to me. CBC keeps me up to date on world events, introduces me to new music that I wouldn't hear anyplace else and takes me on travels around the world without ever leaving my house!
They've cut a lot of good shows from our nation's station.. we hear a lot of repeats now which drives me crazy. I love Stuart Maclean (nobody else in the house can stand him!) and I'm hooked on "Vinyl Tap" with Randy Bachman. I have learned so much about guitars, one chord songs and the adventures that Randy has had in his huge music career.. it's just like having him sit in the living room telling stories. The fiddle tracks on my CD were recorded in Randy's studio on Salt Spring Island.. some day I'm going there to see it for real. "As it Happens" is also a favorite. I guess I have to say that CBC is like a faded old pair of jeans; comfortable and good for your soul.
It's also very useful as pest control: if I want to clear the room of unwanted intruders and enjoy some pleasant time by myself I just turn the dial to CBC. Everyone in the family gets up before the station number shows up on the screen and scatter to the corners of the house like ants. It's awesome.
Have a great weekend!
Heather
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.. aka my lifeline. Yes, I know it sounds rather dorky that a radio station would be someone's lifeline but that is just the way it is. I was raised in a home where CBC reigned supreme; both on television and on radio. I think that was mostly because we only got two channels on the TV and Hockey Night in Canada was on CBC so that pretty much guaranteed it would be the "it" channel. . . and nobody in my family were really into the music that was played on the local radio stations so we listened to CBC. Even when I was a teenager I loved it. My all-time favorite broadcaster was Peter Gzowski and right behind him was Bill Richardson. Peter had such a comforting voice and Bill would make me laugh out loud and spit my drink allover myself. 1-888-SAD-GOAT... omg what a funny show. I had to pull over to the side of the road once when he had a show segment about stupid song lyrics..it was hilarious. I can claim, quite proudly, that I have a tribute letter printed in the book "Remembering Peter Gzowski"... he was the only other person, besides myself, that I had ever heard use the saying "Holy Nellie". I also have a letter printed in the book "Dear Sad Goat.. A Roundup of Truly Canadian Tales and Letters". On several occasions I've had letters, poetry and my own songs broadcast on CBC! It's been good to me. CBC keeps me up to date on world events, introduces me to new music that I wouldn't hear anyplace else and takes me on travels around the world without ever leaving my house!
They've cut a lot of good shows from our nation's station.. we hear a lot of repeats now which drives me crazy. I love Stuart Maclean (nobody else in the house can stand him!) and I'm hooked on "Vinyl Tap" with Randy Bachman. I have learned so much about guitars, one chord songs and the adventures that Randy has had in his huge music career.. it's just like having him sit in the living room telling stories. The fiddle tracks on my CD were recorded in Randy's studio on Salt Spring Island.. some day I'm going there to see it for real. "As it Happens" is also a favorite. I guess I have to say that CBC is like a faded old pair of jeans; comfortable and good for your soul.
It's also very useful as pest control: if I want to clear the room of unwanted intruders and enjoy some pleasant time by myself I just turn the dial to CBC. Everyone in the family gets up before the station number shows up on the screen and scatter to the corners of the house like ants. It's awesome.
Have a great weekend!
Heather
Friday, 5 October 2012
It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and people will be busy doing the last of their yard work, taking the last trip to the cabin and preparing goodies for the Thanksgiving family dinner. Because we have no family living anywhere near us we have adopted family here in our hometown who we love dearly and are closer to us than most people who are actually related to us simply because we are in each other's lives on a daily basis and have shared a lot of hard times and good times. One family in particular are very dear to us and we celebrate pretty much all holidays and family milestones with them every year. Our meals are simple but delicious! For Thanksgiving on Sunday we will have turkey, dressing, potatoes, gravy, a green salad, buns, pickles and probably apple and pumpkin pie...oh yes and cranberry sauce... can't forget that. It will be a great time as usual.
You always get asked what you are thankful for around this time of year and it's a great time to reflect on what brings richness to your life (doesn't include money!). For me, my most important thing I am thankful for is my health. This year I am ten years free from cancer. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease back in 2002. Because I am healthy I can be the best wife, mother, friend and nurse that I can possibly be. That means I can do the things I love to do; sing, play music, cook, quilt, knit, scrapbook, go for walks and sleep like a baby when I'm tired. I can laugh and have fun. I am thankful for the sunshine and rain that make my flowers and my garden grow (even though I totally suck at growing zucchini and have to scam them from my friends!) and even though I don't like snow very much I am thankful that it comes and protects my perennials so they grow next year and also that it provides moisture for the ground. I am thankful that I live in a country where I have the freedom to choose, speak out, read what I want, travel freely and that I have the means to feed my family and provide a very comfortable life for them. It's all good. Even when things go sideways it is still good.
Oh... and I am truly thankful there are two quilt shops right in town so I don't have to drive a gazillion miles to get fabric to create fun things to give to people. That's where I'm off to this morning... I'll go there first before I take the cat to the vet which should be a real adventure. Thank goodness the clinic is only about a km from the house because I don't look forward to driving with a cat on my lap! She's only been to the vet once in her whole 10 years so this should be interesting!
Have a wonderful thanksgiving weekend.
You always get asked what you are thankful for around this time of year and it's a great time to reflect on what brings richness to your life (doesn't include money!). For me, my most important thing I am thankful for is my health. This year I am ten years free from cancer. I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease back in 2002. Because I am healthy I can be the best wife, mother, friend and nurse that I can possibly be. That means I can do the things I love to do; sing, play music, cook, quilt, knit, scrapbook, go for walks and sleep like a baby when I'm tired. I can laugh and have fun. I am thankful for the sunshine and rain that make my flowers and my garden grow (even though I totally suck at growing zucchini and have to scam them from my friends!) and even though I don't like snow very much I am thankful that it comes and protects my perennials so they grow next year and also that it provides moisture for the ground. I am thankful that I live in a country where I have the freedom to choose, speak out, read what I want, travel freely and that I have the means to feed my family and provide a very comfortable life for them. It's all good. Even when things go sideways it is still good.
Oh... and I am truly thankful there are two quilt shops right in town so I don't have to drive a gazillion miles to get fabric to create fun things to give to people. That's where I'm off to this morning... I'll go there first before I take the cat to the vet which should be a real adventure. Thank goodness the clinic is only about a km from the house because I don't look forward to driving with a cat on my lap! She's only been to the vet once in her whole 10 years so this should be interesting!
Have a wonderful thanksgiving weekend.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Well.. I just realized that I set this blog up nearly a year ago and haven't done a damn thing with it since then. I had good intentions but I sometimes get misdirected to another project, to Facebook or Pinterest or just with life in general. Blogging is a new concept for me; I guess it's kind of like talking out loud to nobody in particular except that people don't think you are losing your marbles. I'll give it a go and see if I like it...
This morning was a rude awakening and "in your face" reminder that winter is just around the corner. The wind was cold, the geese were protesting, there was frost on the ground and it was just plain nasty. September was unbelievably beautiful here; the leaves adorned the trees like gold coins and the sun remained warm and soothing to the soul. It sort of made a person forget that just around the corner is that miserable witch known as winter. Yes, it is no secret that I really don't like winter. I don't mind shovelling snow and I like the bright sunshine that comes with -30C weather but I would prefer to have two weeks of winter as opposed to the seven months we endure. October, November, December, January, February, March, April....you might be lucky to have warm weather by mid April......yes it's a long bloody time. I don't like waking up in the dark, walking to work in the dark and walking home in the dark...it's downright depressing. Did I mention the cold? Can't forget that. I hate being cold too...it's really not nice when your hands, feet, nose and your ass cheeks are so cold you can't even stand to sleep with yourself! Thank God for wool socks, flannel pyjamas (is that not the strangest word?), toques, hot water bottles and bubble baths. Not to mention the feather duvet, extra blanket and a quilt or two. Enough of winter; it's not here yet and I'm already grumbling about it....typical Canadian thing to do.
This weekend it is supposed to be nice outside (it's a holiday weekend up here in Canada so it's very nice of Mother Nature to give us a pleasant weekend) so I will finish off the yard work and get things put away until spring. I have 100 tulip bulbs to plant!!! I love tulips in the spring. Here's what my giant pink ones look like.
This morning was a rude awakening and "in your face" reminder that winter is just around the corner. The wind was cold, the geese were protesting, there was frost on the ground and it was just plain nasty. September was unbelievably beautiful here; the leaves adorned the trees like gold coins and the sun remained warm and soothing to the soul. It sort of made a person forget that just around the corner is that miserable witch known as winter. Yes, it is no secret that I really don't like winter. I don't mind shovelling snow and I like the bright sunshine that comes with -30C weather but I would prefer to have two weeks of winter as opposed to the seven months we endure. October, November, December, January, February, March, April....you might be lucky to have warm weather by mid April......yes it's a long bloody time. I don't like waking up in the dark, walking to work in the dark and walking home in the dark...it's downright depressing. Did I mention the cold? Can't forget that. I hate being cold too...it's really not nice when your hands, feet, nose and your ass cheeks are so cold you can't even stand to sleep with yourself! Thank God for wool socks, flannel pyjamas (is that not the strangest word?), toques, hot water bottles and bubble baths. Not to mention the feather duvet, extra blanket and a quilt or two. Enough of winter; it's not here yet and I'm already grumbling about it....typical Canadian thing to do.
This weekend it is supposed to be nice outside (it's a holiday weekend up here in Canada so it's very nice of Mother Nature to give us a pleasant weekend) so I will finish off the yard work and get things put away until spring. I have 100 tulip bulbs to plant!!! I love tulips in the spring. Here's what my giant pink ones look like.
So... I think that's pretty good for a first entry on my blog. I'll try to get back every few weeks.
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