Remember the saying "A happy husband makes a happy wife". So we are off to a dry country. Central Utah at 8000 feet we settled in Loa, and I worked in a clinic in Bicknell. It was Dry and Beautiful country.
There were 5 Mormon churches in the county, and no other! All activities were in the churches or the schools. The schools had all Mormon teachers. Special activities were brought down from Salt Lake City, and some were quite good. All Mormon of course. There are Mormons and the rest of the people were Jack Mormons. To describe them, good people, did not believe as the Momons did but didn't disagree with them.
Orientation was with a Mormon doctor who was also a elder. I kept seeing these young girls who came in to see the doctor and were dressed with cute little one piece chemise with lace around the neck and the panties and I almost asked, "Is this a new style"? But the next patient was an elderly male who had on the same silk, minus the lace. Oh!!! this is the undergarment that protects them from sin....... Yes, I had read a little.....
My first impression of computers was not a good impression. It was 7 foot tall and 3-4 foot wide !! Can you believe I am THAT old! I had to type in a s.o.a.p. format the patients records, send them to the Univerisity at Utah, and to the doctors office in Richfield. All that was in place of a preceptor coming to the site. For years I wanted nothing to do with computers. There were a lot of kinks to work out in 1979.
One of the young women who came to the clinic was so proud that her grandmother was one of Bringham Young's 89 wives!
A sheep herders wife, took us 60 miles out across the mountain to the sheep herders site. There in an old school bus converted to a sheepherders residence, she fixed dinner on a little stove and baked sour dough biscuits. They were the best. An experience to remember.
On the weekend, I did not have to be 'on call' unless I was home. Somehow, we packed early in an old orange volkswagon and were out on the desert or in the canyonlands. It was 50 miles east to a doctor and 100 miles or more, any other direction. I always took a medical bag with me but never had to use it. We were closest to Capital Reef Nat'l Park. Be sure to check it out if you ever have a chance! We took food and water with us, as there were few if anyplaces with either.
What to do on the desert, besides looking at the great formations, hunt rocks. Yes, we still had some of that in our blood . We found a ridge of petrified oyster shells, and dinosaurs bones, and a massive hill of selinite crystals and of course petrified wood, here and there. And have you ever seen a sink hole? Yes just a big hole with no bottom and no guards around it. I had read a book by a man who hiked all over Utah and he talked about laying down to sleep by one at night and woke up beside a sink hole. I just saw one in the daytime and that was enough to make me watch where I walked!!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
North West Washington adventures
In the Darrington Clinic, as one of the FNP's , we worked days and were all call anytime. Every other weekend we were 'off'. My husband was working as a fire watch. So on the weekend we were free we traveled to see the state. It was about 3o miles to the interstate and by that time we were usually out of heavy rain . Sometimes a mist and sometimes a little sun! There were so many interesting places to explore, I can only name a few.
The trip to Anacortes was a treat. A great old hardware store there where I found the best dustmop that I ever had! From there it was a short distance to the ferry which took us to the San Juan Islands. A different trip for each island and then the longer ferry that took us to Victoria BC. There was this best museum ever, you could smell the apple pie cooking on the old wood cookstove like my mom had! And the buildings were so magnificent.
Whidby Island was another favorite place. The Ocean waves rolling onto the beach, The tide coming in or going out, looking for shells, or rocks., the feel of the wind and splatters ! They also had a large garden there of all kinds of blooming trees and flowers that grew far above normal. I think it was 35 acre's but the name escapes me. The old houses, some 3 and 4 story tall were still in great shape in 1979 and along the coast they were plentiful. Port Townsend was another favorite place and we watched the dolphins there.
The World Fair was in Vancover, Canada one year, and we toured that, but the place that beckoned us quite often was Pikes Market in Seattle. It was while walking the sidewalks someone was calling my name. No one knew me in Seattle..... but there were rockhounds from Texas, calling my name! It was always a fun place to go, and we could never see it all but we ended the day with Ivar's Oyster Stew and a few chips to throw to the sea gulls!
The trip to Anacortes was a treat. A great old hardware store there where I found the best dustmop that I ever had! From there it was a short distance to the ferry which took us to the San Juan Islands. A different trip for each island and then the longer ferry that took us to Victoria BC. There was this best museum ever, you could smell the apple pie cooking on the old wood cookstove like my mom had! And the buildings were so magnificent.
Whidby Island was another favorite place. The Ocean waves rolling onto the beach, The tide coming in or going out, looking for shells, or rocks., the feel of the wind and splatters ! They also had a large garden there of all kinds of blooming trees and flowers that grew far above normal. I think it was 35 acre's but the name escapes me. The old houses, some 3 and 4 story tall were still in great shape in 1979 and along the coast they were plentiful. Port Townsend was another favorite place and we watched the dolphins there.
The World Fair was in Vancover, Canada one year, and we toured that, but the place that beckoned us quite often was Pikes Market in Seattle. It was while walking the sidewalks someone was calling my name. No one knew me in Seattle..... but there were rockhounds from Texas, calling my name! It was always a fun place to go, and we could never see it all but we ended the day with Ivar's Oyster Stew and a few chips to throw to the sea gulls!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
My friend Edna
Edna's Story
Edna was married with 3 little children ; her husband had cleaned a motorcycle with gas in the front room and when the children went out the door to get the mail, the sun caught the room on fire. Edna ran through the burning room so the children would not come back inside. As she walked down the lane to get help, the skin actually hung off her legs from the terrible fire. She was put in a hospital where they could do nothing for her. A visiting physcian from Seattle was there seeing patients when he heard her yelling with pain. He went to see her and said he would move her to Seattle and would work on her in his spare time. So that is what he did. Finally, he had no more skin he could graft so he asked if she had any relatives. She had a twin brother who gave skin for her. Very slowly and painfully, she recovered with a lot of scarring and deformed arm and much else. The doctor would not take a penny for his work on her, but said she could bake him a blackberry pie. Edna drove 90 miles each way to Seattle each year and took him 2 black berry pies and when he died, she took them to his wife until she died. And Edna also took care of her brother whenever she could. When asked why she didn't die, she said there was no one else to take care of her 3 children.
To continue Edna's story, she remarried later and had 3 more children. One day while washing outside windows, she fell from a ladder, and broke her crooked arm. She was laying on the ground when the girls got home from school on the bus. They looked at her and thought she was dead. Nora said to Cindy, "Will you be my mom now?" Edna survived and her bent arm was only slightly crooked the rest of her life.
I met Edna at the Darrington Clinic. At that time, she was cleaning the clinic. You have never seen a cleaner place! One day a doctor was there and spilled some water on the floor. He took a white towel and wiped up the water. He looked at the towel that showed no sign of dirt, and he Yelled ," Who cleans this clinic" Edna heard him and came running. He said, " I want you to come and clean for me".
Edna later became the nursing assistant. She would even stop after hours or weekends to see if she could help. We became great friends. Edna was amazing, I could tell you stories!!! She died with cancer., and I miss her. My Friend Edna
Edna was married with 3 little children ; her husband had cleaned a motorcycle with gas in the front room and when the children went out the door to get the mail, the sun caught the room on fire. Edna ran through the burning room so the children would not come back inside. As she walked down the lane to get help, the skin actually hung off her legs from the terrible fire. She was put in a hospital where they could do nothing for her. A visiting physcian from Seattle was there seeing patients when he heard her yelling with pain. He went to see her and said he would move her to Seattle and would work on her in his spare time. So that is what he did. Finally, he had no more skin he could graft so he asked if she had any relatives. She had a twin brother who gave skin for her. Very slowly and painfully, she recovered with a lot of scarring and deformed arm and much else. The doctor would not take a penny for his work on her, but said she could bake him a blackberry pie. Edna drove 90 miles each way to Seattle each year and took him 2 black berry pies and when he died, she took them to his wife until she died. And Edna also took care of her brother whenever she could. When asked why she didn't die, she said there was no one else to take care of her 3 children.
To continue Edna's story, she remarried later and had 3 more children. One day while washing outside windows, she fell from a ladder, and broke her crooked arm. She was laying on the ground when the girls got home from school on the bus. They looked at her and thought she was dead. Nora said to Cindy, "Will you be my mom now?" Edna survived and her bent arm was only slightly crooked the rest of her life.
I met Edna at the Darrington Clinic. At that time, she was cleaning the clinic. You have never seen a cleaner place! One day a doctor was there and spilled some water on the floor. He took a white towel and wiped up the water. He looked at the towel that showed no sign of dirt, and he Yelled ," Who cleans this clinic" Edna heard him and came running. He said, " I want you to come and clean for me".
Edna later became the nursing assistant. She would even stop after hours or weekends to see if she could help. We became great friends. Edna was amazing, I could tell you stories!!! She died with cancer., and I miss her. My Friend Edna
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Cotopaxi
"I will lift my eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." Psalms 121:1,2
Why Cotopaxi? Was it the great Sangre Christo Range of Mountains to the south and west?,
Or the red cliffs at Cotopaxi? Partly, the deep blue skies, the dry wind that blows, the sun that shines most every day? The beauty of the Arkansas River Canyon although some one named it The Big Horn Canyon. The Arkansas River Canyon it still is!
We leased, and then bought a gas and service station there. It kept Leon happy with his constant changing and building. In his spare time he bought or found old engines which he repaired, rebuilt, and got them running. A happy husband makes a happy wife.
Thinking that a change from Public Health might be nice, I started working for Dr. Cole who was starting a new office in Canon City under the Nat'l Health Service Corp. He had ordered supplies, and box after box were delivered to an empty office space. The doctor said put them where they belong. So I took the challenge and put them where they might be easy to use! He hired a receptionist and a bookkeeper and we just all worked together and learned what to do. I did not like the billing and coding department at all, and after that wherever I worked, I said, " just call some one and ask them how it is done."
Dr. Cole suggested that I go back to school to be a Nurse Practitioner. With his help and lots of phone calls, I was admited to a class at the Health Science Center in Denver . From that I learned to be Adult Nurse Practitioner. Since it was a Family Practice, I was soon seeing the young and the old. When the doctor had served his time with the Nat'l Health Service Corp. I was looking for a new job.
In 1977, we moved again, lock, stock, and barrel as they say, to Darrington, Washington. It was a logging community in a rain forest. Now THAT was a change. The first three weeks it rained day and night. Every time I woke up I could hear the rain. If you have never been in a rain forest, it is something to experience! The blackberries grow above the barn roofs, and moss all over the trees, ferns everywhere, and there are slugs too. The magnolias and azeleas are just beautiful along with fields of tulips and daffodils!
We had been there about a month and Leon had open heart surgery with 5 bypasses. It was quite different in 1977 than now. But he lived another 15 years so it was worth it.
While there, the clinic hired 2 N.P's. and they gave us liberal time for continued education. It was there that I continued my education and became a Family Nurse Practitoner certified by the ANA. I always enjoyed learning more.
We were on call, for any emergency after hours. The lumber companies hired a helicopter to fly out any injurys on the job site. They would bring the helicopter to the clinic and pick up which ever N.P. was working and take us with them. Another experience!
Why Cotopaxi? Was it the great Sangre Christo Range of Mountains to the south and west?,
Or the red cliffs at Cotopaxi? Partly, the deep blue skies, the dry wind that blows, the sun that shines most every day? The beauty of the Arkansas River Canyon although some one named it The Big Horn Canyon. The Arkansas River Canyon it still is!
We leased, and then bought a gas and service station there. It kept Leon happy with his constant changing and building. In his spare time he bought or found old engines which he repaired, rebuilt, and got them running. A happy husband makes a happy wife.
Thinking that a change from Public Health might be nice, I started working for Dr. Cole who was starting a new office in Canon City under the Nat'l Health Service Corp. He had ordered supplies, and box after box were delivered to an empty office space. The doctor said put them where they belong. So I took the challenge and put them where they might be easy to use! He hired a receptionist and a bookkeeper and we just all worked together and learned what to do. I did not like the billing and coding department at all, and after that wherever I worked, I said, " just call some one and ask them how it is done."
Dr. Cole suggested that I go back to school to be a Nurse Practitioner. With his help and lots of phone calls, I was admited to a class at the Health Science Center in Denver . From that I learned to be Adult Nurse Practitioner. Since it was a Family Practice, I was soon seeing the young and the old. When the doctor had served his time with the Nat'l Health Service Corp. I was looking for a new job.
In 1977, we moved again, lock, stock, and barrel as they say, to Darrington, Washington. It was a logging community in a rain forest. Now THAT was a change. The first three weeks it rained day and night. Every time I woke up I could hear the rain. If you have never been in a rain forest, it is something to experience! The blackberries grow above the barn roofs, and moss all over the trees, ferns everywhere, and there are slugs too. The magnolias and azeleas are just beautiful along with fields of tulips and daffodils!
We had been there about a month and Leon had open heart surgery with 5 bypasses. It was quite different in 1977 than now. But he lived another 15 years so it was worth it.
While there, the clinic hired 2 N.P's. and they gave us liberal time for continued education. It was there that I continued my education and became a Family Nurse Practitoner certified by the ANA. I always enjoyed learning more.
We were on call, for any emergency after hours. The lumber companies hired a helicopter to fly out any injurys on the job site. They would bring the helicopter to the clinic and pick up which ever N.P. was working and take us with them. Another experience!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Moving
" Buy truth, and never sell it" Proverbs 23:23"
"Moving once, and moving twice, and moving once again"
Wasn't there a song something like that??
Having lived in Indiana for the first 40 years of my life and lived within a radius of a few
miles of my birthplace, what an adventure we were in for!
With daughter #2 now married, and daughters #3 and #4 now in Bob Jones Academy and University, we took a 6 months vacation on Lake Junaluska, N.C.
It was while moving there, I was driving a pick up truck with a large camper on the back, pulling a loaded trailer with 2 chirstmas trees on top of it through 6 lanes of traffic going both directions on some interstate through Tulsa ,Oklahoma, when I decided I did not want to move again. It is so nice that we cannot see into the future!
We found an Independent Baptist Church in Asheville, N.C. that was using R.H. Mount Jr.'s book on the ' Tabernacle' as a text for Wednesday evening study. Finally, some great teaching from the Bible. Ralph H Mount Jr. has since gone to be with the Lord. He was a great teacher with great knowledge of the Bible and the Greek translations. Our family will always be greatful for the chance of studying with him. If you ever see a book written by him, Buy It!
That journey ended in Cotopaxi, Co. in 1973 and although the 'moving' was not over, it was our home base until 2006.
In was in Cotopaxi, that we took some classes in Rock Hunting, studying rocks and minerals. What I enjoyed most was hunting for them. Just sitting on the side of a mountain, digging with a rock hammer and finding a crystal!! We actually went rock hunting in many places and states, It was a thrill to find petrified dinosaur bones in the desert, and petrified wood in many places. And we met so many interesting people who became friends. We also had an old Willy's jeep that would go most anyplace. What fun to explore the area before all the people moved in and roads were closed by some government agency.
Coming home from work in the evening, I could always spot when Leon would give one of "my rocks" away. It seems so funny now, but someone took a rock we used as doorstop to the station. Why would we use a special rock for a door stop, and why would someone steal it? The mysteries in life.
"Moving once, and moving twice, and moving once again"
Wasn't there a song something like that??
Having lived in Indiana for the first 40 years of my life and lived within a radius of a few
miles of my birthplace, what an adventure we were in for!
With daughter #2 now married, and daughters #3 and #4 now in Bob Jones Academy and University, we took a 6 months vacation on Lake Junaluska, N.C.
It was while moving there, I was driving a pick up truck with a large camper on the back, pulling a loaded trailer with 2 chirstmas trees on top of it through 6 lanes of traffic going both directions on some interstate through Tulsa ,Oklahoma, when I decided I did not want to move again. It is so nice that we cannot see into the future!
We found an Independent Baptist Church in Asheville, N.C. that was using R.H. Mount Jr.'s book on the ' Tabernacle' as a text for Wednesday evening study. Finally, some great teaching from the Bible. Ralph H Mount Jr. has since gone to be with the Lord. He was a great teacher with great knowledge of the Bible and the Greek translations. Our family will always be greatful for the chance of studying with him. If you ever see a book written by him, Buy It!
That journey ended in Cotopaxi, Co. in 1973 and although the 'moving' was not over, it was our home base until 2006.
In was in Cotopaxi, that we took some classes in Rock Hunting, studying rocks and minerals. What I enjoyed most was hunting for them. Just sitting on the side of a mountain, digging with a rock hammer and finding a crystal!! We actually went rock hunting in many places and states, It was a thrill to find petrified dinosaur bones in the desert, and petrified wood in many places. And we met so many interesting people who became friends. We also had an old Willy's jeep that would go most anyplace. What fun to explore the area before all the people moved in and roads were closed by some government agency.
Coming home from work in the evening, I could always spot when Leon would give one of "my rocks" away. It seems so funny now, but someone took a rock we used as doorstop to the station. Why would we use a special rock for a door stop, and why would someone steal it? The mysteries in life.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Finally--Moving to Colorado
"With someone like you, a friend so good and true, I'd like to leave it all behind , and go and find, a spot that's known, to God alone"
Maybe it was that old song or maybe from our camper vacations, I always wanted to move to Colorado.
My husband came home from work, and said someone wanted to buy our house ! He said there was a big house for rent he was sure we could move to, but I said," If we don't go to Colorado now, we never will. " It must have been in an " Overall Plan!"
It was a busy 2 weeks, We had a wedding of our oldest daughter, thanks to those who helped and it was already planned.
We drove to Colorado and rented a house.
We had a family Christmas at our house.
We both resigned our jobs and packed all our belongings in a UHaul truck.
And moved to Colorado!!!
In another two weeks, I was working in a hospital, Leon bought a piece of property above Rye,Co. and he built a house there. It was only a couple months and there was an opening in Public Health which I liked much better than hospital work. So many people have said "How could you just move? I have always been thankful for that basic RN training. And maybe a sense of adventure?
Maybe it was that old song or maybe from our camper vacations, I always wanted to move to Colorado.
My husband came home from work, and said someone wanted to buy our house ! He said there was a big house for rent he was sure we could move to, but I said," If we don't go to Colorado now, we never will. " It must have been in an " Overall Plan!"
It was a busy 2 weeks, We had a wedding of our oldest daughter, thanks to those who helped and it was already planned.
We drove to Colorado and rented a house.
We had a family Christmas at our house.
We both resigned our jobs and packed all our belongings in a UHaul truck.
And moved to Colorado!!!
In another two weeks, I was working in a hospital, Leon bought a piece of property above Rye,Co. and he built a house there. It was only a couple months and there was an opening in Public Health which I liked much better than hospital work. So many people have said "How could you just move? I have always been thankful for that basic RN training. And maybe a sense of adventure?
Monday, March 3, 2008
Nursing 1966-1970
In the midst of having my children, it was always nice to have my Registered Nurse license. It came in so convenient in summers when my mom was not working and a lot of time at nights. I worked part time in various hospital around since we were living about the same distance from three hospitals, and we always seemed to be in need of another crib, or diapers, or even Soy milk for the allergic babies. At that time, the soy milk, stunk and stained stained everything. Perhaps that is why, I have never tried it again!
So in 1966, I began working at the Visiting Nurse Service in Elwood, In. the hours were 8am to 1 pm, so I was home when the children left for school and home when they came home. It was a good place to work and I learned a lot.
It was about that time that we sold our 3 bedroom home on the corner, and moved to an older house that we remodeled. It had 5 bedrooms and a sewing room. Only one bathroom. How we managed that I have no idea. Some things are best left unknown! It was also the time that our country schools had all been consolidated and our 5 children were now going to 5 different schools whereas they had all been in one. That sure did not help us!! but with moving, we only had 2 schools to contend with.
In working as the visiting nurse and also the migrant nurse during the tomato season, I worked out of the Red Cross office. Mrs Haines was the Red Cross personel and from her, I learned so much in dealing with people. Does anyone remember Mrs. Haines? She was a grand person. Just by listening to her speak with such interest to people and their problems, she could entice them to tell their stories and in some way help them. It is so true that people want to share their problems, or illness, with someone who shows some interest in them.
In the migrant camp there was a long barrack like structure, with cots placed side by side the length of the building. No spaces in between, and here the migrants slept. And how do you controll head lice in that kind of place? The smaller children were sent to a day school arranged by some nuns . There, we tried to teach the older children how and what to use to get rid of the head lice. I remember one nun, (back then they had every inch of their head and body covered), who said she could just feel her body crawling with lice after she saw them coming off the kids heads when washed. I always thought" How could a louse get under that outfit"
So in 1966, I began working at the Visiting Nurse Service in Elwood, In. the hours were 8am to 1 pm, so I was home when the children left for school and home when they came home. It was a good place to work and I learned a lot.
It was about that time that we sold our 3 bedroom home on the corner, and moved to an older house that we remodeled. It had 5 bedrooms and a sewing room. Only one bathroom. How we managed that I have no idea. Some things are best left unknown! It was also the time that our country schools had all been consolidated and our 5 children were now going to 5 different schools whereas they had all been in one. That sure did not help us!! but with moving, we only had 2 schools to contend with.
In working as the visiting nurse and also the migrant nurse during the tomato season, I worked out of the Red Cross office. Mrs Haines was the Red Cross personel and from her, I learned so much in dealing with people. Does anyone remember Mrs. Haines? She was a grand person. Just by listening to her speak with such interest to people and their problems, she could entice them to tell their stories and in some way help them. It is so true that people want to share their problems, or illness, with someone who shows some interest in them.
In the migrant camp there was a long barrack like structure, with cots placed side by side the length of the building. No spaces in between, and here the migrants slept. And how do you controll head lice in that kind of place? The smaller children were sent to a day school arranged by some nuns . There, we tried to teach the older children how and what to use to get rid of the head lice. I remember one nun, (back then they had every inch of their head and body covered), who said she could just feel her body crawling with lice after she saw them coming off the kids heads when washed. I always thought" How could a louse get under that outfit"
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