lorelle grace

2010-01-13T23:17:00.002-06:00

Please consider helping the people of Haiti by donating to the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund at:

http://www.er-d.org

* Please donate. Even $5 will help!

2009-10-28T20:47:00.003-05:00

I feel like I'm suffocating. I can't remember the last time I felt that I had so much on my plate that I couldn't breathe. (Oh yeah.. it was nursing school!) I feel as if I can't ever catch up.
I may have over committed to a few too many things and now I just can't get ahead.
I am very thankful that I have a job but SHEESH it's wearing me out. I'm still getting used to the ER and trying to convince myself that I made the right decision by changing areas of expertise. I start working night shift next week and that will only make the stress/sense of overwhelming-ness (?) even worse.

One day (hopefully sooner than later) things will slow down.

I haven't forgotten...

2009-10-20T11:05:00.002-05:00

I know I still need to post pictures from Friday and Saturday while in Haiti and blog about our day at the beach but I haven't had two seconds since I got home.
The morning after I got home, I started work. I worked 5 days last week and went out of town this weekend. I'll be on staff for Happening the first weekend in November. (For most of you who know me, you know what a big part of my life Happening has been and for those of you who don't know what Happening is- it's a weekend long spiritual retreat put on by and for high schoolers. I will be one of the adults on staff.)
So, this past weekend, we had our staff training workshop in Florence. I had to work 12 hours yesterday, I work today through Friday too.
THEN, this weekend I will be playing "mom" to my favorite kids Parker and Houston while their parents go out of town.
Maybe, just Maybe- during nap time on Saturday, I'll get to blog. (If I don't take a nap too!)

Just to update you- I'm moving right along on the foster parenting program. I will graduate from class on November 12th. Once, I have my home study It'll just be another week or so after that before I'm ready for my first child. I can't have my home study until I find a crib because that's one thing they have to inspect. I'm really in no hurry though, because I would like some time to get adjusted to my new job before I try to manage caring for a child too.

* BUT- if you know anybody who is looking to sell their crib, please let me know!!

Back to Work.

2009-10-12T19:45:00.002-05:00

I promise to finish blogging about my trip to Haiti... one day. For now, I must catch up on my sleep. I started my new job today and I'm working 8-5 every day for the next 2 weeks. I have homework to do tonight for class tomorrow and I still have homework to do for my G.P.S. class (Foster Parenting) on Thursday night. I promise I'll make the time soon to tell about our free day and our wonderful team party on Friday night... Thanks for checking in!

so. very. tired.

2009-10-10T23:50:00.002-05:00

It's 1am and we just arrived in our hotel room in atlanta. Off to sleep now.
Will drive home tomorrow.
so. very. tired.
home. safe.
praise. God.

Day 6

2009-10-08T19:53:00.004-05:00

It is not uncommon for the children to walk miles and miles without shoes. Just two samples of the variety of bottles used for medicine.

Gorgeous scenery on our drive home today.

Our drive home today was delayed due to all the traffic.

Success!!! A picture of the best team ever!

The friendly pharmacy- (Emilie, Yolette, Jeannie and Denise)

The triage nurses (Mary and Ann Marie)

Dr. Rudolph, myself and Dr. Edwich

This little boy was as tired as we were. I only wish I could have napped on the dirt floor too!

Ann Marie at work.

I could not have asked for a better day. God is Good! We started our day with prayer and song as we always do, but today was unique in that Dr. Rudolph opened with a hymn that he sang in English. We treated over 150 people today which was a record for the week. Another record broken was that we were able to cram 12 people into the LandRover. As we were riding to our clinic, I noticed how close we all were. Both literally and figuratively. Here we were packed like sardines and everybody was comfortable with eachother. It is this close relationship that we have with one another that has made for such a successful and wonderful week.

Despite the large number of people we treated, today went off without a hitch. The clinic ran like a well oiled machine thanks to all of our teamwork!

We are looking forward to our day off tomorrow and are planning a trip to the beach with Pere Val, Carmel and Dr. Rudolph. We will be hosting a team dinner at our hotel tomorrow night to thank everybody.

I doubt I'll have time to blog tomorrow night so I might not be back online until I get home on Sunday afternoon.

Keep those prayers coming for our safe travels on Saturday and Sunday!

Messi,

Lorelle

Last day at Crochu

2009-10-08T18:39:00.002-05:00

2009-10-08T18:21:00.002-05:00

Oops..

2009-10-08T07:13:00.002-05:00

Bonjour-

I want to thank Burt Purrington (who loves Haiti as much as I do!) for the corrections in names.
So, to clarify-

"Emily" is Emilie.
"Jonka" is Jonkat.
"Ramon" is Raymond.
"Julet" is Yolette.
"Mirna" is actually Denise.

Sorry for the mix-up!

We are having breakfast of toast and fruit (and pepto bismol of course!) and are leaving in 10 minutes for Crochu.

God Bless!
Lorelle

beeehhh!

2009-10-07T21:12:00.002-05:00

(Nelly, I wanted you to know that there are hundreds and hundreds of billy goats all over the place and I think of you every single time I see one!!)

One last note to everybody- It is now 9:15 and this is the latest we have been up all week. We're living on the wild side tonight.

Day 5

2009-10-07T20:45:00.005-05:00

Above is the "after" picture and below is the "during" picture of getting peed on for the 2nd time today.

Sweet little 3 year old already learning to balance items on her head.

Here is Dr. Edwich consulting with a family.

Who ever said that I can't multi-task? Here I am loving on a baby and working at the same time.

This poor baby has hydrocephalous. Unfortanately, getting a VP shunt will not be an option for this child.

Here are Jeannie, Mirna and Julet working in the pharmacy.

A portion of the crowd waiting to be seen.

This is actually a pretty good representation of part of our road to Crochu.

Hard working Ramon was taking a quick break.

Here is Dr. Rudolph, Carmel and Dr. Edwich enjoying lunch.

Mary finally let me take her picture!

Today was another successful day working with our Haitian team! There was a total of 16 people today that traveled with us to Crochu. It was a tough ride that lasted over an hour and was solely on a dirt/rock non-existent road headed directly up the mountain. At times, it was little more than a foot path. We held our clinic today in the town’s Pentecostal church and we are very grateful to the parish’s generosity and hospitality. Due to the extreme terrain of the area, traveling further up the mountain was impossible.

We treated approximately 95 patients today. They appeared to be not as ill as yesterday but we still saw unfortunate illnesses. We saw a child with severe hydrocephalous, a woman with advanced breast cancer, several cases of scabies and malaria, various infections and once again, dehydration and malnutrition.

One of the highlights of my day was being able to pass out “treats” to everybody. I passed out lollipops to the children and condoms to the adults. Both parties were equally happy about their treat. I’m glad we had both on hand but wish we could have had more of both.

This past week, we have been working with outstanding team members. Some of our team members include:
-Ramon, who is a nurse that works with Carmel at her nutrition clinics.
-Dr. Rudolph (who traveled 6 hours to be with us via 2 taxis, a motorcycle, a bus and a tap-tap) who has worked with Carmel in the past at various clinics.
-Dr. Edwich (Dr. Johnny)- who was a part of my medical mission trip in June on 2008 is our 2nd doctor this week.
-Cyril, who is our translator and helps me communicate with the patients.
-Jimmy, who is our primary navigator and is Haiti’s Driver of the Year.
-Emily, who is a pharmacy tech and also worked with my medical mission trip last year.
-Julet, like Emily, works in the pharmacy and was a part of the team last year.
-Ann Marie- who I think, is a Nurse Practitioner and has been helping triage patients.
-Mirna, also works in the Pharmacy. (It’s a busy busy place!!!)
-Jonka, is a multi-tasker helping with everything from pharmacy to registration.
-Miss Carmel, does everything!

This week could not be possible without the teamwork amongst us!

We are looking forward to returning to Crochu tomorrow where we will be seeing 5 different villages from the area. Tomorrow has come too soon. It will be our last clinic day and I wish we were here for many more days. I guess there’s always next year.

Lepe’

Lorelle

Thomazeau

2009-10-07T18:59:00.003-05:00

Here is a video of Dr. Rudolph Richemon assessing a little boy with malaria.

2009-10-07T18:24:00.002-05:00

Here is a video of our pharmacy staff members Julet, Emily, Jonka and Mirna.

*Warning- some names might be misspelled.

Cooling a boy down.

2009-10-07T07:17:00.002-05:00

She's aliiiiiiiive!

2009-10-07T06:59:00.002-05:00

Whew!! I feel like a new person. Last night I was so exhausted that I could hardly keep my eyes open during dinner. I think the long days and the lack of sleep (I'm sleeping on a cot) finally caught up to me. Last night, I took an Ambien and went to be at 7:45pm. I slept GREAT! I feel like a new person and I'm ready to tackle the day ahead. I've had my orange juice, oatmeal, pepto bismol and multiple vitamins. I am ready to go.
We are travelling to Crochu today and the car ride might be close to 2 hours.

A few things from yesterday that I was unable to share last night through the cloud of fatigue were:

*Mary continued to be the triage nurse throughout the entire day while Jeannie continued to work in the pharmacy filling prespcriptions in a variety of bottles. The patients are required to provide their own bottles and they brought anything from baby food jars, beer bottles, to water bottles. I continues to work as a doctor seeing my own patients and treating them appropriately.
Our patients yesterday were much sicker than the day before. We saw more cases of malaria, different skin infections, a child with a burned foot, people with very high blood pressure, and several children with neurological defects.

*By the time we got to Thomazeau, there were well over a hundred people there waiting on us. We had to turn away some of the people cause we wouldnt have had time to see them all. That was so heartbreaking to me. They all looked at me with these sad eyes. It took all the strength I had to not cry.

*The children are so polite. We had bought several bags of piwili (lollipops) to give out. While passing them out, each and every child told me Merci. So sweet.

*The people of Haiti are so patient. They sat there waiting to be seen without complaining or without pushing to get ahead. While waiting, the children slept on the dirt ground, they slept on the benches, and slept sitting against the wall.

Aurevoir,
Lorelle

p.s. I'm sorry if anything is misspelt. The spell check is in French so it tells me that EVERYTHING is misspelled.

Day 4

2009-10-06T19:10:00.005-05:00

Bon nuit,
We are all absolutely exhausted. This blog will be rather short. It was a challenging day. We saw well over a hundred patients, most of whom were sicker than expected. We treated children with temperatures of 104 and 105, saw a premature newborn with cerebal palsy, performed dressing changes on various wounds and burns and provided care to many other ailments.
Hope to be able to write more tomorrow but don't hold your breath. We are travelling to the mountains of Croshu and expect around 150 people.
Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers.
We love you all.

Amou,
Lorelle, Jeannie and Mary

Here's our hotel and our tightly packed room. I have an ever so comfortable cot to sleep on.

This sweet little timoun has on flannel pajamas.. I dont know how she wasn't burning up.

I'm in love.

*sisterly love*

The hectic pharmacy was always busy filling prescriptions of antacids, antibiotics, malaria meds, nutritional supplements, cough suppresants and multi vitamins.

This is our *limo for the week. Today we reached a milestone of cramming 11 people inside for an hour long ride to our clinic.

This baby was one month old but was born 2 months early. She weighed 2.2kgs.

Church Procession.

2009-10-05T20:23:00.003-05:00

Videos from church.

2009-10-05T20:14:00.003-05:00

Day 3

2009-10-05T19:31:00.005-05:00

So apparently, my pictures post in the reverse order that I try to post them..
So, at the end of a very long day, Dr. Rudolph and I enjoyed a cold Coca Cola. Driving home today I took this picture. This is a good representation of what the people of Haiti spend a lot of their time doing.

I spent most of today assessing, diagnosing and treating patients. I had a haitian doctor to consult when necessary. (Don't worry, I had a translator helping me!)

I spent the first part of the morning weighing the children in this hanging scale.

This baby stole my heart. (And not just because he had on Auburn colors!)

This sweet baby was just 9 days old. Needless to say, I held him for as long as possible! He was so beautiful and quite healthy.

This poor sweet child is 2 years old and only weighed 16lbs. He is extremely malnurished and is a part of Carmel's nutrition program. He was very sick and hopefully we treated him adequately.

This is a picture of some of the women waiting to see us as we pulled in this morning. Some of them walked many miles to be seen at our clinic.

This little chunky monkey was absolutely adorable. She had a gummy smile (my favorite) and laughed when I kissed her tummy. She was very healthy too!

Bon nuit. (Good evening)

We are sitting here at the restaurant, decompressing from today and sharing our stories. It's wonderful to be reflecting on today's journey. We started the day with prayer and song (in Creole) with our haitian team members. We treated approximately 85 patients today with ailments ranging from Scabies, to Malaria, to Malnurishment, to various infections, to Pneumonia, to just plain old strep throat.

Even through the despair and poverty, one thing that stood out to us was the love between the parents and their children. They displayed a constant loving touch and endless patience as they waited for hours in the heat to be seen by our team.

We spent our day working hard in various jobs. Mary spent the day triaging people by taking blood pressures, temperatures, measuring arm circumfrences ( to determine the level of malnutrition) and various dressing changes while Jeannie worked diligently in the pharmacy. She filled prescriptions and meticulously worked on increasing her Creole vocabulary.

I spent the day working my own medical station (with a translator) and consulted a doctor only when necessary. I had a list of the available medications in the pharmacy and prescribed what I felt was best for the patient. The majority of medications I prescribed were: Antacids, Anti-hypertensives, Vitamins, Antibiotics, Decongestants and nutritional supplements.

Carmel told us today that the medicine we dispensed was a "precious gift to the people of Haiti." and without the support of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Huntsville and the Diocese of Alabama this mission would not have been possible. We (and they) are ever grateful for the generousity of so many.

L'amour,

Jeannie, Lorelle and Mary.

2009-10-04T20:14:00.003-05:00

This picture (above) is of my buddy Ricardo at church today. He is 6 years old now and is quite healthy. When he was just 2 years old, he was very close to dying from malnutrition. He became a patient in Carmel's nutrition program and as you can see, is doing very well now.

These two pictures are of Ricardo last year. I was so happy to be able to see him again.

ha ha ha.

2009-10-04T20:09:00.001-05:00

Want some more insight into our day? Check out Jeannie's blog and read about why we ate lettuce cleaned with clorox. (True story!)

www.jeannierandall.blogspot.com

Day 2

2009-10-04T18:31:00.008-05:00

We had a lovely day today. It was very long and I'm exhausted so I dont know if this post will make any sense or not. We went to church this morning at St. Simeon Episcopal Church in Croix de Bouquets. The church service was absolutely beautiful although we didn't understand one single word spoken. There's something amazing and powerful about worshiping with your brothers and sisters in Christ from another country and the only form of communication with one another is a smile and a hug. The service was spoken entirely in Creole which is the Haitian dialect. The service lasted 2.5 hours and afterwards we were invited to have lunch with Pere Val, Carmel and their extended family. Lunch consisted of rice and beans, an avocado salad, baked chicken and a sweet potato bread pudding dish for dessert. After lunch, we all loaded up into the back of our "limo" (aka a tricked out toyota 4Runner) and headed to Les Pwa Timoun which translates to "Hope for the Children". That is where we worked for several hours preparing for our first clinic tomorrow. (See above pictures of us hard at work sorting medication.) On our way home, we stopped by the market to buy lollipops for the children tomorrow. We are now back at the hotel and enjoyed a pepparoni pizza and fried plantains for dinner. I am eager to work tomorrow and look forward to helping the people.

A special moment for me today was during church. We were sitting on the 2nd pew because the 1st row was reserved for the children. Something interesting I noticed in church was that the children all sat together and not with their families. There were several rows of children packed closely together. The amazing thing is that these children barely moved during the entire service. When I found myself getting restless, I admired the children who managed to keep still.

So, during the service I was sitting there in my own world in another world and the sweet adorable little girl in front of me turns around and hands me the Book of Common Prayer. The book was in French and I had no idea where to look, so like a mother who helps her child, she helped me read by finger walking the page line by line. It was a very sweet moment. She knew that I didn't speak their language but yet was making an effort to make me feel welcome.

Thanks again for all your prayers and I hope to be able to blog every night so check back tomorrow to hear about our first clinic day. We will be working in Port-au-Prince tomorrow and will see at least 100 people.

*Creole word of the day-

"Mamba" means peanut butter.

Pics from Saturday.

2009-10-03T18:17:00.003-05:00

Day 1

2009-10-03T17:28:00.003-05:00

We're here. Safe and sound with all of our luggage. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
It's been a great day and I'm so happy to be back here in Haiti. What a day it's been.
Our day has gone something like this:

4:45 (eastern time)- Wake up.
5:45- Take shuttle to the Atlanta hotel.
7:30-Depart to Miami.
9:00-Arrive in Miami
9:45- We were suppossed to leave for Haiti but our plane was delayed because there was a "mysterious bad smell" that they had to investigate.
11:15- Finally leave Miami.
12:30 (Haiti and Central time) Arrive in Haiti.
12:30-1:45 Wait in the VIP lounge while Mr. Mirat gathers our luggage and takes our passports through customs for us.
2ish- Arrive at St. Simeon Episcopal Church where we were greeted by our hosts for the week and were served an amazingly delicous lunch. We were served fresh avocados, green beans, beef, potatoes, rice and beans, and fried plantains. It was the first of many yummy lunches served by our hostess Carmel.
3ish- We unpacked all of our medical supplies and organized them in preparation for tomorrow.
3:30-We took a scenic tour of the area with a stop at the new Nutritional clinic that has recently been rented for Carmel. (Carmel is a community health nurse and is also the wife of the Episcopal priest Pere Val and together they are our hostess/tour guide/ chauffer/ mission organizer and much much more.)
4:30- We arrive at our hotel, the Visa Lodge, and get settled.
Right now, Jeannie and Mary are taking a dip in the hotel pool while I blog to let everybody know that we made it safely.

It is such a great feeling to be back. When I was here last year, I was very nervous. I didn't know what to expect. This time around, I feel much more prepared. It was pretty neat driving around today and recognizing the area.

Some moments that I'd like to remember about today are the looks on the children's faces when I gave them teddy bears that I had brought with me. At first, they looked confused when I handed them the bears. Carmel informed me that they had never seen a stuffed animal before. My heart broke. All I could think about were the dozens and dozens of stuffed animals that kids back in America have and take for granted. The kids' faces lit up when they realized they got to keep this cute, soft teddy bears. It was a very special moment.

We also saw a funeral procession. It was quite a sight. The first thing that I noticed was the hearse that was absolutely covered in flowers. Then we noticed that there were probably 200 people following (on foot) the hearse. The most amazing thing about the procession was that it was lead by a marching band. Now, it was a small band, but a band nonetheless. Apparently, this parade is a Haitian tradition and they will process from the church to the cemetary.

During lunch, the subject of gasoline came up. I asked Pere Val how much a gallon of gas cost. He said it cost 150 gourdes per gallon. That is equivolent to over $8. Unbelievable.

I also learned that Haiti has the highest incidence of HIV/Aids in the western hemisphere. I had no idea that until today. There is so much heartbreak here. Driving down the road, I want to get out and help everybody I see.

Pray for us, for our clinic, and that we are able to help many people and that we can show them God's unconditional love.

So far so good.

2009-10-02T19:53:00.003-05:00

We made it safely to Atlanta. (Despite some awful traffic in B'ham) Once we unloaded the car, we went to dinner at Ruby Tuesday's where we all over-indulged in the yummy salad bar. We're not too sure if we're going to have any more vegetables for a week so we made sure to eat a week's worth of fresh veggies. We are now back in the hotel room and we have the scale out and are making sure all of our suitcases are within regulations.

I hope nobody inspects our suitcases. What would they think of a suitcase with over a thousand condoms, toothbrushes and multiple vitamins???

And we're off...

2009-10-02T12:54:00.003-05:00

I leave in 15 minutes for Atlanta. My team and I are spending the night in Atlanta and fly out early tomorrow morning for Haiti. I appreciate all your thoughts and prayers.
If you're interested in following another blog about our trip, you can check out

http://www.jeannierandall.blogspot.com/

Love you all!

OH EM GEE!!!

2009-10-01T20:32:00.002-05:00

I am speechless.

Holy guacamole. You have got to be kidding me.
Those are the thoughts that came to mind earlier tonight. As most of you know, I am in the process of become a foster parent. I am participating in weekly classes every thursday and will graduate on November 12th with my certification and will officially be a foster parent.
*YAY!! WOOOHOO!!! YIPEEEE!!!!

Here's the shocker.

All this time, I've been under the assumption that it would be at least January or maybe February until I would receive my first child. The instructors had mentioned how lengthy of a process the home interviews would be and I assumed that those would start after the classes were finished. I was wrong. The instuctors told us tonight that our home studies will be starting next week and that we should all be ready to accept our first child as early as Thanksgiving!
Oh my goodness. That is so much sooner than I expected. I have soooooo much more to do to get ready for my first baby. This is a very exciting journey that I'm on and I'm loving every minute.

Less than 24 hours...

2009-10-01T15:12:00.003-05:00

This time tomorrow I'll be on my way to Atlanta. I haven't started packing yet. I keep finding many other things that I need to get done before I go. I'll pack tonight. Who needs to sleep?

A rough start.

2009-09-30T22:41:00.003-05:00

Today didn't go as planned. I was suppossed to be at UAB at 1pm today (or so I thought.) I got to the Human Resources office at 12:50. Things went downhill from there- and fast.
I was informed that I was late. Apparently, I was suppossed to be there at 12:15 to get things done before my appointment 9 blocks away at 1pm. Nobody bothered to tell me that.

So, not only am I late, (and anybody who knows me, knows that I am NEVER late!) I also forgot my social security card and a copy of my immunizations. Great!
So, I fill out the necessary paperwork, get my photo ID made (without lipstick, because I forgot that too!) and then quickly rush to my car and head to another building for my pre-employment physical. What should have taken me less than 5 minutes, took me 20 minutes. I got a little lost.
Awesome.

I finally found where I needed to be- I got the physical, got a shot, filled out more paperwork and was sent on my way.

I have to go back on Friday for more paperwork. Hopefully it will be uneventful.

Wordless Wednesday.

2009-09-30T15:29:00.002-05:00

Miss Shaggy.

2009-09-29T15:18:00.003-05:00

I'm not a bad mommy. I promise. But I might have been neglecting my baby. I've had Abby for 2 months now and finally got around to getting her groomed. It was much harder than you'd think. I had to drop her off with 2 total strangers and leave her for 5 hours. She cried for me as I was walking out of the store. Heartbreaking.

Okay, so here's miss rag-a-muffin:
BEFORE:
AFTER:

Now, let me clarify. I am NOT a fan of the bows and the bandana- I'm not that kind of dog owner....... but, I must admit- she does kind of look a little cute.

she looks miserable....

and just to let you know- the bows and bandana have since been removed and she's much happier. =)

I have a J-O-B.

2009-09-23T23:31:00.002-05:00

A funny thing happened today. I got not one, but two job offers. Unbelievable. I haven't had a job in exactly 3 months and I was pretty close to applying at Target or Books-a-Million.
So, I got a call from the Nurse Recruiter at UAB and she informed me that the 2 departments that I had interviewed with BOTH wanted to offer me a position. I got my choice of jobs. Wow, God is Good. A week ago, I was frustrated and bored with life. Now, I'm going to Haiti on a medical mission trip October 3-10 and I start work on October 12th. I will be working in the Emergency Room at UAB. It is my dream job. I could not be more excited!! Thank you to all my friends who have been praying for me during these last 3 months.
This has all been another reminder that things happen in God's time. Not mine.

God is Good.

2009-09-19T16:36:00.002-05:00

I have been blessed with an opportunity to go on another medical mission trip to Haiti. Many of you might remember that I went to Haiti in June of 2008 and now I will be going again October 3rd-10th, 2009. I am beyond ecstatic about this opportunity. I will be going with two other team members from St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Huntsville, Al. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to go- with my airfare already being paid for by the church, I couldn't turn it down.
I leave 2 weeks from today. (Nothing like a last minute out of the country mission trip.)
We will be taking toothbrushes, condoms and several other supplies with us. I have so much to do before we leave. Most importantly, I need to find somewhere to get some anti-malaria pills that are not too expensive. I don't have health insurance right now (EEK!) so please say a prayer for me that I can stay healthy while I'm there.

I can't wait to go. I will be blogging every night while I'm there *hopefully* so check back often to get updates on what we're doing each day.

2 weeks and counting...

around the house..

2009-09-14T17:32:00.006-05:00

So, it's been brought to my attention that I've not posted any pictures of my house post decorations. For your viewing pleasure...
Dining room table

Just a small sample of the beautiful landscaping. (Thanks Mom!)

My barstools that took forever to find.

The cross on the wall came from Haiti. It's hand painted pictures of children's faces.

Master bedroom:

Master bathroom artwork-

I'm late for a meeting.. more to come later.

heart. broken.

2009-09-10T09:38:00.003-05:00

i can't believe it. i feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest. i was so sure that i was going to get the job at uab in time for their monthly new hire orientation. it didnt happen. when i interviewed (15 days ago) the nurse manager said to me " i'm sorry, i'd love to hire you, but at this time i dont have any open positions. i do hope to have something come available in the near future and by that i mean VERY near future. i'd like to have you at the orientation on the 14th."
so that gave me hope.
that hope is gone.
i called human resources today to follow up on the status of my j-o-b and the nurse recruiter said that the deadline for nurse managers to hire somebody for the next orientation was yesterday. She told me that the next orientation is Oct. 12th. Another month. 4 more weeks of no income. Awesome.

Sand Creation

2009-09-07T15:50:00.003-05:00

Check out this amazing video . I'm speechless.

Blah!

2009-09-05T15:28:00.002-05:00

I feel like I'm in a slump. I have so much I'd like to blog about but I just can't find the words. I've been sleeping a lot lately, eating a lot and crying a lot too. I just can't seem to shake this funk that I'm in. Since I don't have anything specific to blog about today, I'll just leave you with a few pics that make me smile. My sweet Abby-cadabby. Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?

and the job hunt continues..

2009-08-30T21:53:00.002-05:00

I have officially been out of work for 9 weeks. 9 weeks without a paycheck hurts. I have applied for more jobs than I can count and I have contacted many nursing recruiters to inquire about a job. No such luck. I did however, have an interview last week. It was for the Emergency Dept. at UAB. I could only be so lucky to get the job. I feel that the interview went very well. I didn't talk too much (I'm always worried about that..) and I didn't stutter over any answers. She asked some tough questions but I like to think that I answered them with confidence and grace. At the end of the interview, the Nurse Manager said that she hopes to be in touch in a week or two. So now, I wait. And wait. Any of you who know me, know that patience is not my strongpoint.
I hope to be receiving a phone call this week. If I don't get this job, I truly have no idea what I'm going to do. There's nothing else out there. I've always had a plan to return to school to obtain a Master's in Nursing but I had hoped to wait a few years before going back to school. After buying my house last fall, I depleted my savings account and I sure would like to build up my cushion again. Hopefully, I'll get this job, work for a year or two and then look into going back to school.
For now, I wait.

Light the Night

2009-08-19T16:00:00.002-05:00

On September 10th, I am walking in the Light the Night walk benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma society. My dear friend, Susie Keeton has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and I have created a team of friends to walk in her honor.

Please visit my fundraising website and consider donating even just a few dollars. http://pages.lightthenight.org/al/Birmingh09/LGJohnson24

Thank you all!

Abby-cadabby.

2009-08-15T19:46:00.004-05:00

I'm in love...

I've never felt love like this before. Abby is the sweetest and most adorable puppy in the whole wide world. I'm so lucky.

What a wonderful weekend in Washington.

2009-08-14T17:40:00.003-05:00

Okay, so for some reason my pictures post backwards. But anyways..
So, I was able to spend this past week visiting my grandparents in Washington, Pennsylvania. I love them dearly and don't get to see them nearly enough. We had such a nice time together. We spent lots of time on the front porch swing, looking at photo albums, and reminiscing. I took my gramma to see the movie "Julie and Julia" and it was very cute. It was better than I expected it to be. On the way home from dinner one evening, my grampa wanted to stop by the cemetary. Is it odd that we go there often? Is it odd that my grampa has a great sense of humor and posed for the picture below?

I love you gramma and grampa!

Wordless Wednesday.

2009-08-05T22:09:00.000-05:00

My first puppy dog.

2009-07-30T16:17:00.004-05:00

Abigail, Abby, Abby-cakes, Abby-cadabby, Abby dabby do...

My sweet sweet Abigail.

I couldn't resist. I would have bet money on the fact that I'd never buy my dog any clothes. Good thing, I'm not a betting kind of gal.

Isn't Abby adorable?

I've gone 29 years without a dog. I know, I know, that's hard to believe. I grew up in apartments which most do not allow dogs. About 5 years ago, I decided that I wanted a dog but have not since been in a position to have one. Until now. I drove to Louisiana last weekend to meet some friends from Texas who rescued the most adorable puppy you've ever seen and they wanted to give her to me.

I could be biased, but I think she's the cutest pup in the world.

Agenda.

2009-07-13T12:34:00.003-05:00

My agenda for the day includes:
Breakfast with Mom.
Start laundry.
Begin going through 8 weeks worth of mail.
Check email/facebook.
Post items to Freecycle.
Clean kitchen.
Laundry.
Work on Resume.
Read Sunday paper/ cut coupons.
Cook Sweet Potatoe casserole.
Organize some shelves in garage.
Attempt to finish going through 8 weeks worth of mail.
Return emails/voicemails.
Write thank you notes from my birthday.
Call Direct Tv.
Work on Resume some more and begin looking for a job in Birmingham.
Shower.
PEO Meeting.
Relax.
Maybe a movie? or maybe bed?

home sweet home.

2009-06-25T15:20:00.002-05:00

After 11 hours, over 750 miles, 4 states, and lots of phone calls, I made it home last night from Texas. It felt so good to crawl into my bed and I slept for almost 13 hours.
I've got a busy two days until I leave again on Saturday. I will be gone for 8 days volunteering at a Special Needs camp at Camp McDowell.

I live for Special Session. It's the highlight of my year.

One last shin dig..

2009-06-20T14:55:00.004-05:00

Last night was my going away party. It was so nice to have all my friends together. We went out for mexican (are you surprised?) and then came back to Cassie's for card games, good music, a dance party, and lots of laughing. We had a slumber party and good times were had by all.

Marci (Social Worker), Cassie (Roomate and Physical Therapist) and Calvin (LVN).

My girls- Janiel and Angela. Words can't express how much I'm going to miss them.

I would have never in a million years thought I would have enjoyed working in Mineral Wells, Texas as much as I have. If it wasn't for this assignment, I'd never have met this great group of girls. They welcomed me with open arms from day one. Who would have thought, that a little hospital like Palo Pinto General Hospital would have created such good friendships.

BFFs

2009-06-20T12:26:00.004-05:00

I love my girls...

Angie and I at the horse race.
Janiel and I at dinner... we eat Mexican food like it's our job!

I've never had a "BFF" before. Until now. I am so fortunate to have met 2 of the most wonderful people in the world. During my first week on the job at PPGH, I met Janiel. She's the hospital's dietitian. We instantly clicked. She's funny, caring, has a big heart and she likes to give hugs as much as I do! It continues to amaze me how close we have become in such a short time.

There is not a doubt in my mind that we will be friends for a lifetime.

Janiel introduced me to Angela, whom I loved the minute I met. Angela makes me laugh more than anybody I know and for the first time in my life makes me not feel self conscious about my "unique" laugh. Every moment together is so precious and I am so thankful for her friendship.

Janiel and Ang are so curious about the "traveling nurse" profession, that we (jokingly) decided to start our own traveling business. It's called "DDD" and we'd cater to the dying, the dirty, and the diabetic. ( Janiel's a dietitian and Angie is a dog groomer) We would definitely have an interesting clientele. Hee hee.

I will always hold a special place in my heart for Texas because of these two friendships made.

I love you girls. Thank you for the memories.

And they're off!

2009-06-08T15:59:00.005-05:00

What a WONDERFUL weekend! I was treated like a VIP at the Lone Star Park. I've never been to a horse race but was shown a great time by my friends, Janiel and Angela. Janiel's dad is a 5% owner of one of the horses, so we had a few perks in our day.

Here is a pic of a female jockey-- She kicked ass!
The view from our seat:

I fell in love with a 7 year old cowboy!

Sunday was "Red Hat Day" at the races. There were over 300 women in the "Red Hat Society" watching the race. I complimented the ladies on their attire and this is what happened.

Enjoying a nice lunch in between the races.

Making my bets:

My (not so) lucky tickets!!

Although, I didnt win any money, I had a fantastic time. I am loving Texas more and more each day.

The Starfish.

2009-05-28T21:15:00.001-05:00

The Starfish Story

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?” The boy replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up, and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die." “ Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference to that one.”

B-O-R-I-N-G

2009-05-26T22:16:00.002-05:00

I've never been one to be creative. I was never the student who came up with an idea for the group poster project. I have a few talents but being creative is not one. I've decided that my blog is BORING. I have several Blogs that I follow that have such catchy titles. ( The Hutchinson House, The Duffy Family News, and The Mason Jar are just a few cute examples.)

I need a make over. Well, my blog needs a make over. I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions on a Title for my blog.

There will be a prize for the person who submits the winning title. (and by prize, I mean my love and appreciation for your creativity.)

Nail Biter.

2009-05-26T06:02:00.003-05:00

Several of us from work have started a weekly movie night. Last night we watched the move "Taken". It was AMAZING! I strongly encourage you to watch it. Your heart will race and you'll sit on the edge of your seat... but totally worth it. It was a great suspense movie and Liam Neeson kicked some butt!

First Fun Weekend.

2009-05-24T11:16:00.002-05:00

I'm having a GREAT weekend (finally!) here in Mineral Wells and I wanted to share with you guys my weekend. On Friday, some girls from work invited me over to their house for a movie night/pajama party. I mean, what could be more fun than wearing your PJ's, eating Pizza and ice cream and watching a chick flick with a room full of new friends??
Then on Saturday night, several of us ventured to Fort Worth for a fun night on the town. We ate at a great Mexican restaurant, went to the Flying Saucer to hear a band, then went to a corner bar to watch the fight. Hmmm, I'm not so much a fan of cage fighting, but it was definitely an experience. Now, here I am on Sunday morning and I'm about to leave for the river. We're all loading up and heading to spend the day on the river. We're going to grill out, lay out and just relax. I am so excited!!! I'll post pics soon!!

Just a Reminder..

2009-05-23T13:07:00.003-05:00

Note to self:
When cooking microwavable rice--don't forget to tear a hole for ventilation or approximately 90 seconds later, you'll scream loudly at the sound of the bag exploding.

It's the little things.

2009-05-17T14:28:00.003-05:00

I've officially been living in this hotel room for 12 days. I wake up in this room, eat breakfast in this room, check my email, come home from work, check my email, watch tv, read, relax, all in this room. I've only been able to enjoy the pool one day thus far. I've been working more hours than normal so my days off are limited. But that's kind of nice, because it's less time in this one room. This upcoming week, I'm schedule to work 5 days. That's a 60 hour work week. YES! Thank you, God! I am so happy to have a job again after 6 weeks of unemployment.

Ya know, the hotel room isn't that bad. Today, I took advantage of the housekeeping. It's nice to have a clean bathroom and new sheets without having to lift a finger.

I will say this though. I've eaten more Goldfish, PB & J sandwiches, and microwaveable popcorn than I ever thought was possible. My options are limited without a stove or oven. Let's just say, the staff of the Chili's restaurant knows me by name.

I'm in Texas, Y'all!!

2009-05-10T21:19:00.002-05:00

I left Birmingham on Wednesday morning at 6am and arrived in Mineral Wells, Texas at 6pm that evening. I made it safely despite driving through horrendous thunderstorms in Mississippi and Louisiana. I started work on Thursday morning at Palo Pinto General Hospital. It is by far, the smallest hospital I've ever seen in my entire life. I think I'm really going to like working there. Everybody is so friendly and welcoming. I worked Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I was so thankful to have today off to rest, sleep in late, and get everything unpacked and settled. As you can see below, my hotel room is pretty plain and simple. It's going to be a long 8 weeks in these one small room. Hopefully, I'll be able to work some overtime and not have to spend that much time in my room. I've got a few friends in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, so I do plan on taking a short little road trip to visit them.

This would be a picture of the nasty nasty storm that I drove through.

Directions on Driving to Texas: From Birmingham- Follow I-20 West, to I-20 West, to I-20 West all the way to Texas. I was on I-20 for 10.5 hours of the road trip. It was kind of nice to not have to worry about getting lost.

Hopefully, while I'm here in Texas, a job back in Birmingham will become available. I'd love to have a job to go home to.

who's a slacker?

2009-05-07T22:08:00.003-05:00

I AM! I'm in Texas now for 8 weeks. I drove in yesterday and worked today so I'm dead tired. I'm going to bed, but I promise to blog soon!

Can I have some cheese with my whine?

2009-04-18T18:29:00.003-05:00

Hmmmph! I've been home almost 4 weeks and I've not had one single call from St. Vincent's or UAB. I've applied for positions I don't even want to work at, but at this point I'll do anything to get a job. I have never had this problem before but that is what makes being a travel nurse so great is that you always have a job waiting on you. I'm starting to get desperate...maybe I should do another travel assignment?

i'm baaaaaaack.

2009-04-07T14:20:00.003-05:00

2 posts within one week, WHAT? I know, it's crazy.

So, to continue in the drama-- After my first night home, I was up and at 'em. I didn't even sleep in my first day home. I woke up early and had lots to do.. (laundry, unpacking, going through FOUR months worth of mail...) I went shopping that day with a mission and was successful. I found a flat screen TV that would fit on my wall perfectly. I paid extra to have the Geek Squad come and mount and install the TV. My first week home was busy with shopping for the house and catching up with old friends. I really didn't spend much time at all that first week looking for a job. I really am enjoying making my house a home and It takes a lot of time and patience shopping for the perfect furniture. My second week home was similar to the first.. Lots of shopping around for a couch and other things, lots of lunch/dinner dates with friends and just a few job searches. There really aren't a lot of job postings out there right now.. uuugh!

So, here I am starting my 3rd week at home and I'm no closer to a job now than I was 3 weeks ago. I've applied for two jobs but haven't heard anything yet. I was lucky enough to get introduced to this couple who has just adopted two newborns and needed a night nanny, so this week I'm helping them out by staying over at night and helping with feedings. It's not much pay, but it's better than nothing. Hopefully this week or the next I'll find a job...
I'll keep you updated.

Busted!

2009-04-06T11:29:00.003-05:00

You know you've been a blog slacker, when you run into a friend's mom at the grocery store and she reminds you that you should update your blog! (Thanks, Mrs. Baugher)

So, a lot has happened in the last 2 weeks.. Let's see.. I should start with my awful travel experience. You would think that as a traveling nurse, I wouldn't get so overwhelmed when traveling, but it really stresses me out. I get so overwhelmed with packing and then driving to the airport always makes me sick to my stomach. Once I actually get on the plane, I'm fine.
So, I got to the airport 3 hours before my flight to ensure that I had plenty of time to return my rental car and check my overweight luggage. After walking through the airport for almost 30 minutes, it was brought to my attention that my suitcase had ripped open. The zipper had detached from the suitcase and who knows what had fallen out of the whole. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? Okay, so now I panic. An airport volunteer helps me tape up my suitcase with some packing tape. (this wasn't really working, but it was better than nothing!)

**Did I mention that I had worked the night before this flight, so I had driven straight to the airport from work and I'm going on ZERO sleep.**

I finally make it to the Delta check-in counter. I check two suitcases. One thats bound together by packing tape, mind you. It costs $40 to check the 2 bags. (Thank you Delta!) Then, to my surprise, it cost me $90 extra to pay for the overweight suitcase. (Again, thanks Delta!)
So, this is the point I started crying. I was so overwhelmed with exhaustion. (it's now 12 noon and I had been up since the day before) I was also very upset with having to pay so much money for the luggage AND upset with the stupid suitcase that had broken and who knows what I had lost. *which, I have now learned was my camera! It must have fallen out of the hole and I never realized it. Good-bye pictures of washington, Good-bye camera. I'll miss you. *

So, after all that drama I make it through security without a glitch and get on the plane after only having to wait about an hour at the gate. I have never wanted to be home so badly.
I get to the Birmingham airport and as I'm walking out to greet my mom who had come to pick me up, she was given a ticket by the *airport cop* for "parking" in a no-parking zone. She wasn't parked, she was loading. Isn't there a difference?? UUUGH, one more thing!

but still.. i made it home and crawled in my bed after being up for 32 hours and slept like a baby.

I'll post more later.. if anybody is still reading this post, i'm sure you need a break. =)

Success!

2009-04-03T01:20:00.002-05:00

After days and days of shopping for the new house, I've finally found something I both love and can afford. I'm now officially ready for summer. This is a pic of my new patio furniture. Now, if only I can find a grill on sale...

I miss you.

2009-03-22T05:01:00.023-05:00

I miss you. YES, YOU! I miss my friends. I miss Birmingham. I miss familiarity.I miss my car and driving down the road with the sunroof open listening to my favorite music. I miss my bed. I miss my mom. I miss sweet tea. I miss my church and all the people who I see there. I miss seeing children who I've grown to love and adore as if they were my own. I miss seeing Vulcan while I drive through town. I miss Surin West and Cocina Superior. I miss seeing my friends. I really miss hugs. Only 2 more days...

almost home..

2009-03-18T22:57:00.002-05:00

It has been almost 4 years since I've lived in Birmingham.. and now its less than a week away. I can't wait.

Seattle Adventures.

2009-03-15T23:37:00.004-05:00

We were able to watch the sunset from the Space Needle. Not sure I can decide what's prettier... the city in the daylight or at night.. what do you think?

Having dinner in the Space Needle.

Nurse Velma, Nurse Lorelle, and Nurse Gail on the GoodTime III cruise. The name of the cruise could not be more appropriate!

I have been blessed with 3 weeks worth of visitors. I have enjoyed having the company and being a tourist. The last weekend of February, I hosted two friends from Birmingham for a long weekend. We spent two days in Seattle and one day in Olympia. We had a great time at the market and even enjoyed a harbor cruise. The next weekend, I had two friends from New Hapmshire stay at my house while they attended a conference in the city. The conference didnt leave much time for sightseeing, but we made time for a good seafood dinner. This past weekend, I had my fellow Special Session nurses visit me from Huntsville and Guntersville. We visited several wineries throughout Washington and even had dinner in a revolving restaurant at the top of the Space Needle. During one of cruises I went on, I learned how the "locks" work. On our cruise, we went from fresh water to salt water and had to go through the locks. It was very interesting to see how that process works. I have one more week of work and will be heading home on the 23rd.

25 things.

2009-02-19T12:47:00.003-06:00

I am posting this list of random facts about myself because I have some blog followers that haven't already seen this on facebook. For those of you who haven't already read this, I encourage you to make a list too. ( Tam, Suz, Amy, Laura )

25 things about me:

1. I have never ever had a dog. It’s not that I haven’t wanted one, it’s just never been an option. Once I stop traveling, I plan on getting one from a shelter.

2. I LOVE certain foods when they’re burnt to a crisp. (Ex: French fries, lasagna, or any type of casserole with a cheesy layer, and my FAV burnt food is toast!)

3. When I was a child, I had terrible allergies. I was allergic to milk, grass, dust, cats, dogs, beef, mold, and many more. I had to get weekly allergy shots.

4. I clench my teeth at night so hard, that my teeth were wearing down. I now wear an “ooh so sexy” bite-guard.

5. Okay, so this will not be a surprise to anyone, but I love children!!I love being around children, I love teaching children, I love holding babies... I can’t wait to have my own… and when that day comes, I hope I have twins! I started babysitting when I was 13 and haven’t stopped since. Did I mention that I love children? I love children so much, that my goal for 2009 is to become a foster parent.

6. About 7 years ago, I bought a “Flip-n-Fold” off QVC. I strongly encourage everybody to get one too. Your closet will thank you.

7. When I was a little girl, I was swimming with my mouth open and my eyes closed. I ran into the ladder and chipped my tooth.

8. I’ve never broken a bone or had stitches … but when I was in middle school, I very badly wanted a cast for all my friends to sign.

9. I love it when somebody has a nickname for me. Some of my favorites are: Relley, Lo-Lo, and L J.

10. I am an only child and not a day has gone by that I haven’t wanted a sibling.

11. I have known since kindergarten that I was wanted to be a nurse. I remember telling my teacher that the 2 things I wanted to be when I grew up were a mommy and a nurse. Being a nurse is the most amazing experience and I love my job more than anything. The day I graduated from Nursing school will be something I'll remember forever.

12. Handguns fascinate me. I’ve only been to a shooting range once but I absolutely LOVED it. I want to attend classes and one day own my own handgun.

13. When I was in high school, I was in the Miss Heritage Pageant. I hated it.

14. Being a homeowner is bittersweet. On one hand, I couldn’t be happier. I grew up living in apartments, so this is my first house I’ve EVER lived in. But, I’m also terrified because I have no idea what I’m doing. (i.e. Taking care of the yard, home repairs…)

15. I absolutely can’t stand the taste or smell of beer. It makes me want to vomit.

16.I ran two 5k’s and hope to run more.

17.I could easily see myself moving to Haiti for a year as a medical missionary.

18.I was Rector for Happening #24 and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life. I am so thankful for the friends I made and am glad to still be in touch with most of them.

19.I don’t know how to whistle and it’s not for lack of trying. I practice often.

20. PEO is a huge part of my life.

21. I was born in a hippie commune, called “The Farm” in Summertown, Tennessee. A mid-wife delivered me at home and my mama buried the placenta in the garden.

22. I was on a billboard along Highway 40 in Bear, Delaware. It was an advertisement for a new church in the community.

23. I’m not afraid to admit that I’m absolutely addicted to Carmex chapstick and hand lotion. I have a stash next to my bed, in my car, in my purse, and random other places.

24. In high school, during my junior year, I was the school mascot during basketball season.

25. Camp Mcdowell is the most wonderful place on earth and the friendships I’ve made there have helped make me the person that I am today.

Wordless Wednesday.

2009-02-18T00:29:00.003-06:00

I just forget.

2009-02-17T03:42:00.005-06:00

While I'm sitting here at work (on a very slow night), checking for updates on all my friends' blogs, I find myself asking "Gosh, when are they going to update their blog?" Then it dawned on me... I haven't updated mine in quite awhile. I guess I forget that just because I dont have pictures of any kids to post, people might still want to hear what's going on the the life of lorelle.
Well, I'll tell ya.
My time in Washington is coming to an end. I've got 5 weeks left here and in that time, I am expecting two sets of visitors. During the last weekend of February, Sarah and Janelle will be visiting for 5 days/4 nights. We are planning to do some shopping, sight seeing, eating some good seafood, and relaxing a good bit as Sarah will be 7 months preggers. Then just two weeks later, my fellow "Special Session Nurses" Gail and Velma will be visiting. We will be celebrating Gail's 54th birthday that weekend, so a good time will definitely be had. I am looking forward to exploring more of the Northwest with them.
Just one week after my last visitors return home, my contract at St. Joseph's will end.
I could not be more worried. Thanks to the lovely economy, many hospitals are not using agency personnel as much and that has caused a lot of travelers to be out of work. My hope and plan is to return back to Birmingham and find work. Unfortunately, I have been unsuccessful as of yet.
I am ready to live in Birmingham, but I am not ready to accept a position as a staff nurse at a local hospital. If and when I do become a hospital employee, I may have to give up some of my summertime commitments, such as my mission trip to Haiti, Sawyerville Day Camp, Special Session, etc..

I know that God has a plan for me and I'm trying to be patient. Please pray that I will find a job that will allow me to keep my commitments. I'll keep you updated on the job front.

Blogging Buddies.

2009-02-01T00:55:00.002-06:00

If you follow my blog, I'd love to know about it..

Click on the link to the right that says "Follow this Blog"

my abode.

2009-01-31T19:28:00.005-06:00

It was brought to my attention, that I never posted enough pics of my new house. Now, for your enjoying pleasure....

the back yard-
master bath-

view from my back patio-

master bedroom-

view from den into kitchen-

I miss my house very much. I moved in the 2nd week of October and just 4 short weeks later, I moved to Tacoma, Wash. I am very much looking forward to getting home and decorating. The day before I flew out, I did have blinds installed. They're beautiful. I was able to furnish my bedroom with all new furniture. http://www.samuellawrence.com/casual3.html That's my furniture, but mine is a much darker wood..

I'll post pics when I get home. (7 more weeks here)

I have so much to do around the house, but am really looking forward to the journey.

You know you're a Nurse when...

2009-01-20T06:36:00.013-06:00

1. You only tell time on a 24 hour clock.

2. You go out to dinner with your friends from work and when people overhear your stories, they want to vomit.

3. You've eaten microwave popcorn out of a (clean) bedpan.

4. You admire your friends' veins.

5. When the doctor asks you about the color/consistency of your patients bowel movement, you show them your shoes.

6. You know more about your patients than their doctor.

7. Blood doesn't excite you.... until it's your own.

8. You know you have the best job in the entire world and wouldn't change it for anything!

Evacuation '09

2009-01-10T05:03:00.016-06:00

Well, there's a first for everything. I was evacuated last week due to tremendous amounts of flooding in western Washington. Unless you've been living under a rock, you have probably noticed that Washington is having the strangest weather this winter. (Boy, I am so glad I chose THIS winter to visit!) Earlier in December, I was forced to stay IN my house due to the inclement weather and now I am being forced OUT of my house due to the inclement weather. I had worked on Monday night, so I was sleeping during the day on Tuesday. Around 4pm, I was woken up by sirens. I looked out the window and saw several police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. I assumed there was a medical emergency in my neighborhood and went back to sleep. Around 7pm I woke up to get ready for work at 11pm. After I showered and got ready for work, I noticed that I had a voicemail on my cell phone. My dear sweet landlord had called to tell me about the evacuation. She very sweetly said "Honey, you gotta GET OUT NOW!!" I frantically gathered a few things and ran out the door. It was raining hard- (but not any harder than normal) and I started driving with destination unknown. I quickly encountered a road block. Turns out the river that is only 1/4 mile from my house was flooding! I made a U-turn and called my friend, Mike, in tears. I had nowhere to go and my stupid little rental car was not made for rain, or wind, or going above 35mph. Mike was my hero that night. He invited me to his place until it was time for work and then he even offered to drive me to work in his Jeep. Once I got to work, I learned that several towns had been completely evacuated. In the history of Fife, it had never been evacuated before. I was so thankful for my safety. After leaving work the next morning, I headed home not knowing what to expect. Thankfully, the water did not get anywhere near my front door. Although, there were houses just down the street that did have some water damage.

Here we are, a week or so later and it's not raining or snowing. I think I even see the sun.

Seattle Space Needle

2009-01-02T10:58:00.003-06:00

I ventured to the Space Needle recently and even though it was absolutely freezing, I had a great time.

12 inches of snow= snowed in!

2008-12-24T15:07:00.000-06:00

Winter Wonderland!

2008-12-20T21:09:00.002-06:00

We've had a good amount of snow over the past several days. It's pretty, but I'm ready for it to go away.

I couldn't have said it better.

2008-12-19T05:13:00.001-06:00

My dear friend, Brynnan has such a beautiful way with words...Check it out!
http://brynnan.blogspot.com

Maui

2008-12-08T22:34:00.000-06:00

Only a few pictures of my 6 months in Maui, Hawaii.

Memphis in May

2008-12-07T16:52:00.003-06:00

This past May, I attended the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee. Despite all the rain, I had a lot of fun. I had an old high school friend, Amanda, who was also living in the area at the time. We saw some great bands, including: O.A.R, Fergie, Arrested Development, Colbie Callet, Gavin Degraw, and Sheryl Crow.

Oh, and just in case you were needed a reminder...

My Billboard.

2008-12-06T22:26:00.002-06:00

When I was living in Delaware, I belonged to Good Shephard Episcopal Church. It was a fairly new church and they decided to advertise on a billboard. Well, yours truly was asked to participate. Here is a picture of the billboard. It was on the side of a highway in Newark, Delaware.

2008-12-06T22:21:00.002-06:00

Ya know, my favorite part of my friends' blogs are the pictures. So, I've decided that there aren't enough pictures on my blog. Enjoy! These are pictures of my family in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

I've been tagged!

2008-12-05T16:30:00.004-06:00

I've been tagged by Hannah, my good friend from high school. The instructions for this tag are to pick the 4th picture folder on my computer; choose and post the 4th picture; explain the picture; and tag 4 other people to participate.

This picture was taken this past summer on my medical mission trip to Haiti. This baby was very sick and extremely malnurished and dehydrated. I was able to spend a good amount of time sitting there holding her and loving her. I was hydrating her with a medicine dropper because she was too weak to even suck from a bottle. I rocked her and sang to her. It was a very special moment for me.

Now, I tag:

Lauren Duffy

Peggy Hutchinson

Sarah Markwell

Amanda Rogers

Beach Trip

2008-11-30T19:30:00.003-06:00

Since I'll be in Seattle for the holidays, my mom and I decided to take a vacation to the beach for a few days before I left town. We had a fabulous time. We sat in the sun, went shopping, and ate some delicious seafood. We had a wonderful time and hope to make it an annual trip.

Takin' in Tacoma.

2008-11-28T10:48:00.002-06:00

I have now been in Tacoma for 5 days and am starting to adjust. The hardest thing to adjust to is the fact that the sun doesn't rise until 7:30- 8 in the morning and it sets by 4:30-5 in the evening. I have started work at St. Joseph's Medical Center and it seems to be a pretty nice hospital. I'm renting a house (that I found of craigslist) and its very cute. It's a 2 bedroom/2 1/2 bath. I might be getting a roomate who is also a travel nurse. I wanted to let you guys know that I'm doing well but looking forward to going home in March and getting my house settled. Miss everyone.

Gettin' down.

2008-11-27T10:46:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

On the road again..

2008-11-07T00:38:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm sad to say that I'm on the road again. I have taken my final travel assignment. I leave for Tacoma, Washington on Sunday, November 23rd. I was not planning on travelling anymore but this is an opportunity to see a part of the country that I've never seen before- and get paid to work there. =) I will be gone for 4 months and I'm very upset about that. I've always dreamt about the day that I would celebrate my very first Christmas in my very first home-- I guess that's going to have to wait another year. I leave in 2 weeks and am busy trying to arrange my living situation and find a rental car.... I hope I can get it all done in time. I'll keep you updated.
If you have ever wanted to visit Seattle- now's your chance. You can come and stay with me!!

1980

2008-10-29T15:04:00.003-05:00

A dear friend from church emailed me this picture... That is me when I was a baby in front of All Saints Church with my mom and grandpa. (he has since passed away.) I love this picture.

Home Sweet Home!

2008-10-12T23:59:00.004-05:00

What a fantastic weekend I've had. I closed on Friday afternoon and began moving things in immediately after the closing. My good friend, Hannah, was a lifesaver and helped me move out of my storage unit until almost 10pm that night. After a long and emotional day, I thought I'd be going to bed soon, but I got so busy unpacking and getting to see things that have been in storage for several years, that I got a second wind and ended up staying up late. Saturday was a busy day!! I had my appliances and my bed delivered. (Friday night I slept in a sleeping bag!!)
Sarah and Hannah were so thoughtful and brought me lunch. It was nice to take a break and relax with the girls. After they left, I continued to unpack and get settled. I have had the best time this weekend. I'm making great progress and hope to have my housewarming soon. Thanks to everybody for the well wishes and I'll try to post some more pictures soon. And, if any of you were interested.... my new address is:

342 Kingston Circle
Birmingham, Al 35211

it's about that time..

2008-10-08T17:28:00.002-05:00

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's about time. I will be closing on my house Friday the 10th and will be moving in shortly thereafter. I am very excited about finally being settled and having a place to call home. I do plan on having a housewarming party towards the early to middle parts of November. I registered at Bed, Bath and Beyond-- who knew that they had a Housewarming registry? In addition to the stress of the new house, I've also been on a job hunt. My contract ended at Brookwood Hospital before I had something else lined up. After a 2 week search, I've decided to do Per Diem work around town. There are lots of agencies out there who employ nurses for Per Diem (aka As needed) work. It's kind of like a temp agency for nurses. I can be working at several different hospitals and can make my own schedule. It should be fun. I'm also working a variety of Flu Clinics around town....so dont forget to get your flu shot!!

2008-10-08T17:26:00.000-05:00

My NEW house!

2008-09-18T21:22:00.003-05:00

YAY!!! I finally decided on this beautiful 3BR/2 BA brick home. I made my offer this afternoon and they accepted. I'll be closing on October 10th. I CANT BELIEVE IT!! I teared up today when I was signing the paperwork. I am just in disbelief that I'm buying my very own house. I grew up renting my whole childhood, so I've NEVER lived/owned a home. I'm very excited about this new and exciting journey. Now all I have to do is buy a refridgerator, a washer and dryer, a bedroom suit, a couch, a dining room table, linens, blinds, and dishes and I'll be set. ha ha ha. Please keep me in your prayers as I go through this very stressful but exciting process.

2008-09-17T22:22:00.000-05:00

Thanks Lindz for a fun girls weekend out-

I've found my house!

2008-09-17T00:11:00.003-05:00

I have found the perfect house and will making an offer on Thursday. It's a brand new house in Oxmoor Ridge. I'll post pictures soon.

2008-08-23T16:04:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure why I havent blogged lately. Maybe it's because I dont know if anybody even reads my blog. Maybe it's because I feel that nothing has been blog worthy lately! I'm working at Brookwood Hospital in Birmingham. I'm temporarily living with a friend of mine while I'm on assignment. My contract ends at Brookwood the middle of October. I'm not too sure of what I'm doing next. I have been house hunting too. I do hope to buy my perfect house- thank goodness it's a buyer's market. I'm looking for a 3 bedroom/2 bath. I plan on becoming a foster parent once I stop travelling and settle down. So that's why I'll need the extra bedroom. I've found several houses that I really like, but none that absolutely blow me away. I'm in no hurry, so I'm just taking my time.

I have enjoyed being back home if even for a little bit. Even if I buy a home soon, I may continue to travel a little bit longer. We'll just wait and see. I guess that's about it for me- Nothing else new going on.

All Saints Retreat

2008-08-01T22:55:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was our Annual All Saints Parish Retreat. We were blessed to have a special guest musician, Fran McKendree. It was a great weekend (despite the heat) and a wonderful time with dear friends.

The week in review.

2008-07-16T12:55:00.003-05:00

Thanks to the Diocese of Alabama's website, our friends and family were updated daily. Here is what it said:

Monday, June 16, 2008 The Alabama medical team spent their first full day in Haiti worshiping with their Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ and preparing for their first medical clinic. The team arrived safely in Port au Prince Saturday afternoon. Approximately half of the medical supplies and equipment carried in their checked baggage failed to arrive with the team. However the first flight on Sunday morning carried the missing luggage.

Team members attended Holy Eucharist at St. Simeon Episcopal Church in Croix des Bouquets, on Sunday morning. St. Simeon is the church at which their hosts Father Fritz Valdema and his wife Carmel are based. The Rev. Deacon Mary Groff, of the Church of the Nativity in Huntsville, was invited to read the Gospel; the Rev. Deacon Gerri Aston of St. Andrews in Birmingham delivered the homily; and the Rev. Foster Eich of St. Bartholomew's in Florence, celebrated with Father Valdema. Today, the Alabama five will join with Haitian medical personnel to form a joint Haitian/American medical team which is expected to see more than 100 patients a day over the next four days. They are scheduled to conduct their first medical clinic today at St. Simeon.

Alabama's medical team passed the halfway point in its mission to Haiti yesterday, conducting the second of four mobile medical clinics in the village of Thomazeau. Working with Haitian medical personnel, team members treated more than 108 patients with ailments ranging from minor to life-threatening.

On arrival, at St. Sacrament Church in Thomazeau, site of yesterday's clinic, the team was serenaded by assembled patients with a song of welcome. "One of the patients offered an opening prayer," said the Rev. Gerri Aston, team leader. "It was an incredibly moving moment," recalled Aston. At day's end, while the Haitian team members completed their administrative work, the Alabamians had the opportunity to gather and sing with the children.
Waiting to be seen during medical clinic at Thomazeau.

On Monday, the team conducted a day-long clinic at St. Simeon Church in Croix des Bouquets, and today the team was scheduled to see patients in the mountain village of Thoman.

The team saw 84 patients in the mountain village of Thoman yesterday. Although Father Valdema does not have a church in the village, his wife Carmel conducts a nutrition cllinic there for significantly malnourished children. Today, the team will conduct their final clinic of the mission in the at Transfiguration Episcopal Church in Gorman.

The joint Alabama/Haiti medical team conducted the final mobile clinic of its week-long mission yesterday at Transfiguration Church in the Village of Gorman. More than 100 people seeking medical assistance greeted the team on arrival. Many had been waiting since 6 a.m. The general health in the Gorman area appears to be better than in other villages visited by the team. The team reported seeing fewer patients with serious illnesses.
As at the other villages, there was time for and building companion relationships. At Gorman, children gathered in the church yard with team members to sing and teach each other new songs. “The atmosphere was joyful,” said the Rev. Deacon Gerri Aston, team leader.

“It has been a wonderful mission, with much good work being done in the name of Christ,” said Aston. “We have had lots of laughs and some tears. Friendships are growing stronger and stronger.” Today, the team is scheduled to visit Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port au Prince. The team will return to the United States tomorrow.

Alabama's five-member medical team returned home overnight following a successful week-long mission in Haiti. The team treated 519 patients during mobile clinics in four villages. Scheduled to arrive home on Saturday, flight delays pushed the team's homecoming into the wee hours of this morning.
On their last full day in Haiti, the team visited a spring near Croix des Bouquets. The area around the spring was lush with mature trees and pools of crystal clear cold water, which provided a glimpse of what Haiti was once like before devastating deforestation. The team also visited Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Episcopal Seminary, and other sites in Port au Prince. On Friday evening team members hosted a farewell dinner for their Haitian counterparts.

i'm growing old...

2008-07-16T01:33:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!! I'm starting to count backwards now, ha ha!!

2008-07-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

Forgive me for my absence lately, but I’ve been a little busy. I returned from Haiti in the early morning of June 22nd to catch a few hours of sleep before I headed to Sawyerville Day Camp. I was able to enjoy a day of sleep before I left for Camp McDowell to be the nurse for Special Session. I am enjoying my first day home and will be posting pictures soon. Thank you to everybody for your thoughts and prayers over the last several weeks.

2008-07-09T14:43:00.001-05:00

This is one of the cutest commercials that I've ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahYgLP3RNug

2008-06-19T07:13:00.000-05:00

2008-06-18T06:40:00.000-05:00

1st clinic day

2008-06-17T06:40:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was our first day of clinic. We set up a mobile clinic in a local church in Croix de Bouquets. It was overwhelming. When we drove into the church grounds there were already several hundred people waiting on us. As we drove past, I couldnt help but to tear up looking at their faces with such hope. Our day began with Laura (the other nurse) and I taking vital signs and attempting to perform an assessment. The language barrier was very difficult. I began walking around to visit with the people when I noticed a very sick child in the line waiting. He was very swollen from malnutrition and was lying limp. I grabbed him quickly and took him to the front of the line. It was decided that he was too ill for us to do anything, and that he needed to be hospitalized. Several of the Haitian church members who have been helping us out took myself and the baby to the hospital. I had one of our deacons bless the child (Jonathan) before we left. I felt he might not live to see the hospital. When we arrived to the hospital I was overwhelmed with the amount of people in the waiting room. There were at least 200 people waiting to see a doctor. After waiting for 2 hours, we were told that the wait would be too long and that we should leave and come back another day. Our interpreter told the staff, that this child needed to see a doctor immediately and finally convinced them to see Jonathan. After 4 hours of waiting, they took Jonathan to see a doctor. 2 hours later he was discharged with a prescription for an antibiotic. It breaks my heart

Day 2

2008-06-16T19:29:00.004-05:00

I dont even know where to begin. These past 2 days have been so amazing. I'll start with yesterday. We went to church at St. Simeon. It was a beautiful 2 hour service. Although the entire service was in French, I was very impressed with how much of it I recoginzed. The church was a very small and very hot tiny building and there were even dogs, cats, and chickens wondering the aisle in the middle of the service. The women of the church sang beautifully and I teared up hearing the Lord's Prayer in their language. After church we joined the Priest and his family for lunch on the patio. We had delicious homeade pumpkin soup and bread. There were children from the neighborhood wandering by just to look at the "white" people. After lunch, we began preparing for the clinics. We spent several hours packaging all the medications into individual bags to give to the patients. Thank you everybody who donated toothbrushes and condoms. We packaged those into bags as well. We returned to the hotel shortly before dinner and had a chance to relax before the week began. Our team had a chance to enjoy a nice dinner and a gentle breeze on the patio of our restaurant. It was an overall great day. PS. The missing luggage from Saturday arrived late yesterday afternoon. Thats all for now. More to come later. Love you all.

*lorelle grace*

I haven't forgotten...

Back to Work.

so. very. tired.

Day 6

Last day at Crochu

Oops..

beeehhh!

Day 5

Thomazeau

Cooling a boy down.

She's aliiiiiiiive!

Day 4

Church Procession.

Videos from church.

Day 3

ha ha ha.

Day 2

Pics from Saturday.

Day 1

So far so good.

And we're off...

OH EM GEE!!!

Less than 24 hours...

A rough start.

Wordless Wednesday.

Miss Shaggy.

I have a J-O-B.

God is Good.

around the house..

heart. broken.

Sand Creation

Blah!

and the job hunt continues..

Light the Night

Abby-cadabby.

What a wonderful weekend in Washington.

Wordless Wednesday.

My first puppy dog.

Agenda.

home sweet home.

One last shin dig..

BFFs

And they're off!

The Starfish.

B-O-R-I-N-G

Nail Biter.

First Fun Weekend.

Just a Reminder..

It's the little things.

I'm in Texas, Y'all!!

who's a slacker?

Can I have some cheese with my whine?

i'm baaaaaaack.

Busted!

Success!

I miss you.

almost home..

Seattle Adventures.

25 things.

Wordless Wednesday.

I just forget.

Blogging Buddies.

my abode.

You know you're a Nurse when...

Evacuation '09

Seattle Space Needle

12 inches of snow= snowed in!

Winter Wonderland!

I couldn't have said it better.

Maui

Memphis in May

My Billboard.

I've been tagged!

Beach Trip

Takin' in Tacoma.

Gettin' down.

On the road again..

1980

Home Sweet Home!

lorelle grace