Hi there and sending my best to you and yours. I have been hard at work finishing up my "Continuing Education Units" for renewal of my Registered Nursing license. This year I took some really eye opening and even fun classes to keep my clinical skills and knowledge up to date.
The courses included clinical updates on pediatric and maternal/child health issues, Emotional Intelligence (EI), The Healing Power of Humor, and Guided Imagery. I really enjoyed these last three courses and utilize them in my daily practice even more than clinical stuff.
Emotional intelligence refers to self awareness, empathy, and motivation. This differs from IQ (Intelligence Quotient) which I learned only accounts for about 4 - 25% success in job performance. The ability to empathize and have self aware social skills not only helps your clients, patients, students, etc. but also the practitioner, nurse, teacher, lawyer, and Indian chief by improving job satisfaction and reducing "burn out". Really cool stuff and glad to see EI in addition to IQ acknowledged and researched.
The "Healing Power of Humor" was another excellent class and one I definitely practice. Humor stimulates the immune system (NK cells and Immune globulin A for my clinician friends) and promotes restful sleep. (10 minutes of mirthful laughter results in 2 hours of pain free sleep according to Norman Cousins' research). Clinicians also use "Gallows" or Black Humor to help cope with stressful or overwhelming situations. Other professions have this too - law enforcement, teachers, pilots, etc. I remember taking a flight and hitting a Huge Air Pocket (Gee how I hate those!!) and the pilot came on to apologize for "Unexpected Turbulence and people pay money for that experience at Disneyland". It certainly lightened a stressful situation.
The Guided Imagery class described using visualization as a coping and healing tool. The examples included standing on the banks of a frozen river which contained your negative feelings and throwing rocks of all sizes onto the ice until the ice breaks up and the river runs free. Whew, powerful stuff. I use guided imagery during painful or stressful procedures for both myself and my patients. I will put myself or ask the child (or grown up) to place themselves in a serene and joyful place like at the beach or next to a mountain stream and experience with all their senses, feeling the wind and sun against their skin, listening to the birds and water, feeling the soft sand. I send you peace and a ticket to a calm, happy place this weekend. Thank you so much for stopping by, I appreciate it.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Natural Disasters, A Family Affair
Hi, I hope you are doing well. I just talked with my older brother, Bob who lives in Palm Beach County, Florida and he has been hunkered down for a few days dealing with Tropical Storm Fay. They lost power intermittently and there is flooding and a tornado touched down near them but he and his family are fine. He has hurricane shutters and lives 5 miles from the coastline.
We went through Hurricane Andrew together living in Ft.Lauderdale during August of 1992 and boy does that leave an impression. The devastation was incredible, still is, you can see the scars on the landscape from an airplane very easily. I remember working in a field hospital afterwards as a nurse volunteer and the people weren't so much injured as in shock, having lost everything in 12 hours time. After that, I have never taken disaster preparation for granted, especially since I moved to Southern California 15 years ago and went through the Northridge Quake 6 months after moving here. That was my first earthquake, waking us up at 4 am in the morning with a boom and a roar like a freight train or the gates of Hell, hard to describe, the adrenaline just courses through your bloodstream and you have "lizard brain", flight or fight, Survival on your mind.
Our niece and her husband have lived near the Garden District in New Orleans for twenty years. They tell us it will take at least ten years for the city to recover. It took them over a month to get back into their home after Katrina which was undamaged. Their cat was stranded in their house during that month. Agatha the cat is perfect, the City, is still a mess three years later.
My parents (80 years old) evacuated their home in Rancho Bernardo last October due to firestorms in San Diego. Their home was surrounded by burned homes as near as 1/4 mile. The ash was piled up like snow on their property. They took their Standard poodle and their cat, Sophie with them to the hotel. My parents were lucky, they like most senior citizens have a lifetime of memorabilia and didn't lose a thing except a fence that blew over during the firestorm.
With the most recent tembler, the 5.4 a couple of weeks ago, I learned that most people get injured and die while trying to escape a building. In the United States, we have decent building codes, but overseas, well, not so much. There is a "Safety Void" created next to large objects and most injuries are from falling debris. We have safety latches on all our kitchen cabinets, not to keep the kids out, but the dishes and glassware in. We also have a flashlight next to the bed. Cell phones usually don't work during disasters. Hardwired landlines usually do. Everybody's phone book in North America has great emergency preparation information, first aid instruction, all sorts of handy little tips when the you know what hits the fan.
I just read an article the other day that said people had "Storm Amnesia" along the Coastlines and were not prepared for the current hurricane season. I am thinking, have you got to be kidding me? Red Cross recommends minimum of three day supplies for you and your pets, two weeks is probably better. I hope you live in a disaster free corner of the world, but with the way Mother Nature has been feeling and treated lately...
We went through Hurricane Andrew together living in Ft.Lauderdale during August of 1992 and boy does that leave an impression. The devastation was incredible, still is, you can see the scars on the landscape from an airplane very easily. I remember working in a field hospital afterwards as a nurse volunteer and the people weren't so much injured as in shock, having lost everything in 12 hours time. After that, I have never taken disaster preparation for granted, especially since I moved to Southern California 15 years ago and went through the Northridge Quake 6 months after moving here. That was my first earthquake, waking us up at 4 am in the morning with a boom and a roar like a freight train or the gates of Hell, hard to describe, the adrenaline just courses through your bloodstream and you have "lizard brain", flight or fight, Survival on your mind.
Our niece and her husband have lived near the Garden District in New Orleans for twenty years. They tell us it will take at least ten years for the city to recover. It took them over a month to get back into their home after Katrina which was undamaged. Their cat was stranded in their house during that month. Agatha the cat is perfect, the City, is still a mess three years later.
My parents (80 years old) evacuated their home in Rancho Bernardo last October due to firestorms in San Diego. Their home was surrounded by burned homes as near as 1/4 mile. The ash was piled up like snow on their property. They took their Standard poodle and their cat, Sophie with them to the hotel. My parents were lucky, they like most senior citizens have a lifetime of memorabilia and didn't lose a thing except a fence that blew over during the firestorm.
With the most recent tembler, the 5.4 a couple of weeks ago, I learned that most people get injured and die while trying to escape a building. In the United States, we have decent building codes, but overseas, well, not so much. There is a "Safety Void" created next to large objects and most injuries are from falling debris. We have safety latches on all our kitchen cabinets, not to keep the kids out, but the dishes and glassware in. We also have a flashlight next to the bed. Cell phones usually don't work during disasters. Hardwired landlines usually do. Everybody's phone book in North America has great emergency preparation information, first aid instruction, all sorts of handy little tips when the you know what hits the fan.
I just read an article the other day that said people had "Storm Amnesia" along the Coastlines and were not prepared for the current hurricane season. I am thinking, have you got to be kidding me? Red Cross recommends minimum of three day supplies for you and your pets, two weeks is probably better. I hope you live in a disaster free corner of the world, but with the way Mother Nature has been feeling and treated lately...
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Show and Tell - Butterfly visitors to our back yard
Here are two pictures of butterfly visitors to my backyard which are enjoying a snack. The yellow one is a Swallowtail and not sure what the orange butterfly is called. You can see their long tongue drinking nectar if you double click the photo to enlarge. My garden has agapanthus, jasmine, and lilies which attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy, best to you and your loved ones.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Back to Work and School
I am finally recovering from our vacation, so true what they say about needing a vacation from your vacation. Especially since I am in charge of the care and feeding of the pets, plants, humans, and household accounts, in addition to my part time job as nurse. Boy, I know this has been one of the worst vacations of my life because I am glad to be back to work and the routine. The week in New Hampshire is what we call an "Obligation Vacation" and yes I know I am complaining and I apologize. I guess we were due a lousy vacation after fabulous good times last Spring in Mammoth Mountain and Kauai. Yes, I am also a spoiled brat and apologize for that too, and I will stop whining, now and Forever!
The boys have both started school this week so we are hitting the ground running from our vacation. There was a collective sigh of relief yesterday around the Santa Clarita Valley heard from all the parents as both the elementary, junior high, and high schools are now back in session.
While waiting with our 13 y/o in the 8th grade registration line (blink your eyes, this is what happens), I was witness to something I didn't expect. A fellow eighth grader, a girl, well she looked more like a woman in appearance with full makeup, stylish hair cut, and figure, was in line right in front of us with an older man (maybe her dad?, who knows) I saw her take out her tongue stud when we got close to the front and her dad made sure she put the stud in her pocket so not to lose it. Wow, that's something you don't see everyday, glad she took it out before school started, hate for her to lose it. Despite her grown up appearance, she shared the look of nervous anticipation, hopefulness, and hormones of all the junior high students.
I hope both boys have a great school year, last year was rough for all of us. Not so much academically as organization and emotionally. It is inadvisable to mix a preteen and teenager with a perimenopausal mother.
I send my best for a wonderful winding down of the summer as you prepare for the fall. Thank you and wishing my best to you and yours.
The boys have both started school this week so we are hitting the ground running from our vacation. There was a collective sigh of relief yesterday around the Santa Clarita Valley heard from all the parents as both the elementary, junior high, and high schools are now back in session.
While waiting with our 13 y/o in the 8th grade registration line (blink your eyes, this is what happens), I was witness to something I didn't expect. A fellow eighth grader, a girl, well she looked more like a woman in appearance with full makeup, stylish hair cut, and figure, was in line right in front of us with an older man (maybe her dad?, who knows) I saw her take out her tongue stud when we got close to the front and her dad made sure she put the stud in her pocket so not to lose it. Wow, that's something you don't see everyday, glad she took it out before school started, hate for her to lose it. Despite her grown up appearance, she shared the look of nervous anticipation, hopefulness, and hormones of all the junior high students.
I hope both boys have a great school year, last year was rough for all of us. Not so much academically as organization and emotionally. It is inadvisable to mix a preteen and teenager with a perimenopausal mother.
I send my best for a wonderful winding down of the summer as you prepare for the fall. Thank you and wishing my best to you and yours.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
There's No Place Like Home
Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz said it best, there's no place like home. Especially after dealing with the drama and dysfunction of my extended family. There is a very sound reason we all live far away from each other, it's for each other's safety and sanity. I am trying to focus on the good things of the trip like canoeing around Black Cat Island with my husband and watching him teach our sons and nephew how to paddle too. The Lakes Region in New Hampshire is beautiful, lush, and green because of it's abundant rain which occurred daily. We had a nice visit with friends and enjoyed the food. I am really glad to home safe and sound to our nice, quiet house and our fur babies who are delighted we are home. Thanks for your well wishes for my dad on his big 8-0.
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