Mrs Justa and the safari at home

I know I have mentioned before Africam. Well for those of you who did not remember, or those of you who never heard of it, this is my relief after a long day. I get in my jammies, sit back with a cool drink of water or a hot tea, and for a while I go to the jungles of Africa.

Most of the time it is noisy, crickets in the background, birds cackling, maybe an occasional elephant, rhino, or creature I am unsure of. But the other night it was TOTALLY cool. I am here, on my office chair, watching giraffes in the wild.

I mean this was totally making my day ,taking me away from the  jungles of ugliness ( my day that had just been!!) and let me  drift away. Mark thinks it is funny how I get mesmerized in the safari from my office chair!

How cool are these photos!

I took videos, man you would think I was there. I was laughing and loving it…I was like a tourist in a bathrobe and fuzzy slippers.

There were mama and papa giraffes and baby ones.

Slurping water, and eating trees. They have to bend their nimble appearing legs in half almost to get a drink.

 

 

And here…

I felt like they were watching me watch them…and I got the bonus of Zebras coming in for a viewing.

Now tell me this is not totally cool

Okay… so some may think I am simple minded… but I am thinking I am being frugal.I went on one site and a safari can run $500 to $10,000+ (excluding airfare). Now for  me ( and Mark when he dares to join in the fun) —it costs nothing more than an extra cup of coffee or tea.

HA—I am thinking if I was going to go on a safari—I would not want to go with the cheaper one. That is quite a difference between the low and the high price! I can assure you I would not be going for the 500.00 one.
This is a photo of the sleeping arrangements on the LOW budget one…(They supply the tent but YOU supply your own sleeping bag..)

Are You Kidding ME!!!!

Man can you imagine having some big ass elephant come and check you out… or a lion..

tiger..

rhino…

Nope… this does not sound appealing! In the one ad it said the lower cost was for the daring… adventure goers. It describes the sleeping as your tent “in the bush”… and you have “bucket showers and long drop latrines”… HA HA… it is more than daring! You gotta be nuts… that does not even sound like something I would go on for free!! and the transportation for “game viewing”  is in 6 passenger mini vans.

I went on line to see what the heck a “drop latrine” is… here ya go… >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>             HA  HA… could you imagine thinking you found a great deal on a Safari,picturing at least a moderate accommodating tour and get off the plane to find you have a 2 man tent, a mini van..and a “drop latrine” .

I wonder how they named that,. and who the heck hangs onto you as you try to hang your butt over the edge…

Now the mid expensive ones have a little more… land rovers transportation, and you stay in a “lodge”

Now this looks a little more appealing…I do not think I would be as nervous of becoming a bedtime snack in this.

I got these last 3 photos from a web wite for reserving a African Safari…

SOOO.. back to this warm home, ice storm outside, jammies on… electric mattress pad warming up my side of the bed… and with a click of the button..I will get my jungle fix from New York… If it gets boring..or some of the beasts decide to go after other beasts… I can click off the screen—instead of try to run thru the bush with my tent and sleeping bag in hand—looking for the drop latrine… HEE HEE… I could see me now….

I hope you have a peaceful night.. Love to all Mrs  Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: wild animals,safari,life photos,jungle,bush,adventurous,vacation

 

Mrs Justa and thoughts of life.. and death…

GRR the TYPE A’s were hovering today.. and came out in full force this afternoon. GRRR> On my way home tonight, it was light snowing, the road looked like someone sprinkled confectioners sugar all over it, I was taking my winter slower route… ( as I save the interstates for the buttheads) …and low and behold.. a butthead must have gotten lost… cuz he was on my back bumper –so close I could not see his headlights. GRRR>.. if I was younger I would have put my flashers on and off-to make him think they were brake lights… but I just pulled way over as soon as I could. The butt head reved his accelerator as he zoomed by me… I wanted to tell him the expressway was the other way..but he was gone in an instant. But for today—the TYPE Aers are not going to get the best of me.. nope… I have the art of dying on my mind…

I was thinking today, on my way to work , about this woman I work with. She had called me and said that she was not going to be in for the week, her mom was dying and she needed to be with her mom. In life… we need to keep our sights on what is truly important, as this was to her. She had called me Monday morning and Monday evening, and she was telling me that her mom was alive, but digressing. . She had said most of the brothers and sisters were there, but one brother was due to be in within the hour. this morning she called me..her brother arrived and was able to talk to his mom, sit by he…and 50 minutes later she passed, with her children at her side. It reminded me of my many experiences working with dying people, and how some would wait to die until all their family had arrived. It was really beautiful to watch in a very sad way. Because a parent’s  love is sometimes so strong , that they can hang onto that last breath until they are sure they waited for all their kids, grandkids.The dying person was not normally responsive, but their sense of hearing was last to go.Some patients waited to die until the family came and left them alone for a moment. I know it was. It was as if they needed to die in privacy.

I remember long long ago, at the bedside of my mother-in-law ( she was always my mother-in law even though my husband had divorced me years before…… she did not divorce me—nor I her)  – she had been weakening and it was apparent that her days in that hospital bed  in Rochester were numbered.  It was actually a few days before her death, and I was alone with her in her room. She asked me to sit next to her, and she started almost poetically, softly  telling me what songs she wanted to have played at her funeral. She gave me bits of information about what she wanted said. I was touched that it was I she spoke to, yet I felt kind of weird that she told me and not her son ( my x husband)..but I think that was because she wanted to protect him from hearing his mother talk about her death. 

I had everything written down, and when I met with him that evening in the lobby of the hospital, I took a deep breath, a few gulps, and told him I had something he needed to know. It was awkward in a way, but it was important to reveal this to him… so I did. And today, this moment in my past came to the surface, as I thought of this woman from work, and the moments she spent with her mom, as her mom slipped to her eternal home, and how these moments will stay in her mind forever.

  I went into nursing way back when,for many reason, one was because I never wanted people to die alone, or without dignity… and the mom who died last night—she did not die alone… nor did she die without knowing she was at peace.

Life is the gateway to death …. we have no guarantees how long we will live.. but to be able to die in peace… that is the ultimate experience.

I am just kinda melancholic tonight, as I remember the experiences in my past…and think about this woman ..hmm… life is strange  isn’t it?

Peace to all, enjoy each moment…. Love Mrs Justa alias cindy

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Mrs Justa and avoiding ANGER

“Anyone who angers you,

Conquers you” Jane Addams….

This free clip art from “clker.com” says it all…

UGGG I totally dislike days when I feel attacked. Whether it is real or just in my head..if I feel it..well it is real to me.

Today seemed to be “deal with type A personality day”. THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!

Type A personality …these folks are extremely forceful. They want things done yesterday. They want it short, (leave out the the sweet) , they tend to come across intolerant of others, impatient with detail, demanding, competitive, have an exaggerated sense of urgency,can be referred to as a bulldozer…..and for me a Type C/D person..well I like to get the facts, I play by the rules, I want to know the rules, I am a calmer force.
So after a day of feel like I was in a personality tug of war… I am relived to be sitting here, unwinding for a bit.

There are times when people who are much more aggressive, well they make me feel really angry inside. But somehow I normally have a some sort of insulation-which keep the anger deep inside me. So they come close to conquering me… but not quite !.

I have run across Type A personalities everywhere. It is hard to avoid them, although if I could I would.

On the highways both to and from work..they are the ones that instead making a smooth move from lane to lane..they see brakes lights ahead and jerk the wheel –as if no one else matters. I bet they are in more accidents.

In a store..they are the ones running to get in first, pulling into that parking lot that you have your sights on,  impatient with the cashiers, and almost ramming their cart up your butt if you do not get out of the line quick enough.

In the restaurants, the waiters and waitresses are never good enough.

They are the people I want to just say “REALLY ???!!” to. But I do not… I just think about how glad I am to be away from them, once I am…

Oh I am so thankful my parents were not Type A people.Me I sip my coffee… I bet they chug a lug theirs. Heck I bet they are dressed before they get out of bed!.

UGGG,,,, I can not let them conquer me… I am deep breathing… I am ok…. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ( that is meditating sounds) hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Yep I am going to a happy place in my brain, poof—away with the aggressive people …. it is time to relax…

I am better now.. Thanks…. Love to all.. Mrs Justa… alias Cindy  

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Mrs Justa and the weekend

Yesterday we were able to get out to Rochester to see Caleb, Mackenzie , Josh and Adrianne. We always are unsure if the weather will cooperate this time of year, and than tie in the issues Mark has with his dizziness ..well it was a blessing to have the weather and the dizziness cooperate!.

Caleb is 4 mos old and he is a smiley little guy. He is still at the age where he can not quite sit or entertain himself much, but he loves looking around and smiling at others. His legs are pretty strong, so if he is not at the time for a jumper yet, he is really close. I remember when Jeff was little and in a jumper ( no where near as nice as the jumpers of 2012, yet it still was a contraption he could jump in, I had a full length mirror. So to keep him entertained, I placed the jumper in front of the mirror. He would watch the baby jumping in the mirror…kept him entertained for long periods of time.

Mackenzie is 2 and she is non  stop. She wants to be wherever anything is happening. She is funny really to watch, as she goes from one area to another.

She is at the age of talking, but not quite saying the words clearly all the time. So it has to be frustrating to her as she knows what she wants, but others might not have the foggiest idea.

She was fooling around with Mark after we had been there for a bit. It is tough , we really are not together all that much, so it takes a little while for the kids to warm up to us. 

Mackenzie kept her space from me, but she was closer to Mark. I know from being around kids, that the kids need to warm up to the adults and the adults should not force the kids to come to them. So I did not. I watched her though, and it amazes me how quickly time goes by and the kids age.

We had a wonderful dinner that Josh had done in the crock pot,and it was nice to see the kids… ( big and little )

Today was a busy day, church, ran some errands, a couple hrs at the gym, washed the car, and now I am home for the night. Today was a not so good day for Mark, he was super dizzy and had a lump on his neck that was causing him to just not feel very good. So I went out and let him chill, he actually slept for most of the time I was gone.

At the car wash I was reminded of long long ago. There was a dad and his son , who must have been about 6 or 7. They were in the next bay, we were both manually washing the cars. Well he was talking to this little guy in the most loving educational way, telling him all the ins and outs of washing the car, and he let the little boy use the foaming brush. It brought me back to the days of doing that same thing with Jeff. He and I would get out and walk around the bay, working on the car. I learned really fast that the brush and not the wand was better for him… cuz I got REALLY wet when he had the wand.

It was comforting to see someone parent their child, to be telling them lessons of life, the little boy listening intently and trying to do his best, and maybe the dad was  not realizing it, but those words will stay with that little boy when he is all grown. Moments like these are priceless to a child….

Ahh… it was a special moment… I am thankful to have been there for it. I smiled… as walked past them to get my change,….it brought me back 20 + years ago,….to a wonderful part of my life when being a parent was what I did, and Jeff was one reason I got up every morning, he was so close to me as his mom……we had a special relationship……  and for a moment..that little boy was Jeff in my memory of images of the past.

Life … it goes by fast…it is fill with so many snapshots of times as they fly by…. May you have a great night, love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: life,lessons,parents,teaching,caring,memories.,children,learning,giving,blessings.

 

Mrs Justa and fed up with wanna be journalism

Maybe I am old fashioned… no I am old fashioned.. I admit it… But when I was growing up we were held to our word. Sensationalism for exchange of money was dishonest, and when people were unfairly treated, well that was cause for attention.

We have the local scandal that has seemed pretty scrambled in the various accountings from the get-go- of an assistant coach who ironically became scandal # 2 ,on the tails of the Penn State Scandal. I am not reviewing the information, and I am not in the DAs office, so I am just saying based on a)what has been presented to the public,b) by the reaction of the coach who has been associated with this guy for 50 years,c) previous players on the teams, d) reporters who used to travel with the team…. things just do not make sense to me. It seemed more sensationalism TO ME by having it literally surface within days or weeks of all the crap at Penn State. And here we are, it seems like at least a month and a half since all the accusations, and now some of the victims are stating—“I lied” or “I altered the emails” Well folks, that speaks volumes against the ethics of journalism—and ESPN—SHAME on you too.

Before coming out with a story—we need to be sure that the journalists have researched it. RIGHT??? Or are we such a desperate society now, that we forego honest journalism, we ignore the ramifications because of reactionary journalism, and just do what we can do to grab high ratings.

I do not know who did what… but I feel horrible if this all turns out to be blown way out of proportion and in the dust- lies a man who gave 36 years of his life to a team, and was trampled on.

I find this dishonest, swaying..

Keep it to yourself type journalism is everywhere. Politics— oh my goodness…. let’s hear what the politicians are thinking about this country and our future. Let’s hear about ways to employ people, to improve financial outlooks , to encourage trade in AMERICA, to bring the American life back to a life where people felt safe. BUT NO!!!!! Instead journalism takes new lows—trying to corner a representative on scandals from their past ( real or not—heck they make a headline). To dissuade our attentions—(or try to) to testimonies on what someone’s x wife is saying about them (I got a news flash for you… they are an x wife !! So maybe things are different than they were if they were not an x wife)  . Or going after a candidate because they did not answer a off the cuff question on what magazine or newspaper they read. Give me a break.

We need to be told what the facts are related to the candidate going for the job of  of

Technorati Tags: life,pride,dishonest,slander,journalism,USA,politics,sensationalism

president, or legislature, or senator….. not what they did 20 yrs ago, or that they smoked pot when they were 19, or that they made a comment or 2 when they were in their 20s that were possible harassment.

I wonder….. if the tables were turned….what could we report on the reporters???? Last time I looked…it takes a lot to be declared a saint. My mom would say…”He who lives in glass houses, should not throw rocks.” This slander, this sensationalism… ends up taking a potential great candidate and having them say… “I am bowing out..”

I think we need to go backwards, into a time when we were not at the gateways of 24 hour news channels, and technology that is not used to inform – but to steal peoples identity, steal their life, steal their reputation. Yep, we need the TV and computers to shut of at midnight, the stores close at 9, and people having home to be where they need to be when the the evening turns into nighttime.

Have a good night…. Love to all. Mrs Justa alias Cindy

 

Mrs Justa and hang onto your hat!!!

Tonight is a night that I remember how insignificant we are in the whole scope of things.  The wind is whipping against the house, a little while ago the wind gusted so strong it set off the car alarm. We can hear the rain hitting against the windows, and very very thankful it is just above the temp for snow!

There is a prediction of snow , and I hope it waits for the wind to die down, or we may be finding drifts of 4 feet !.

Man… have you ever been stuck walking in really strong wind. I do remember once as a little squirt, I decided to take my umbrella out in a windy rain storm… and it looked like this in a few seconds after I got our the front door.

The lights are flickering on and off and the scanner is just inundated with tree down calls and sparking at electric poles.

Uggg… not an optimistic way to end the evening.

I had a rather involved report to do for work, and came in to the office and did it as quickly as possible, got it sent off… phew.

I wanted to pop on and get my post done before the cable goes out. We fortunately have all underground elec and cable… but somewhere down the road… they have to surface at some point…and THAT is when there are problems with wires getting whacked by trees and branches.

There was a call about a BIG tree totally across a road in Phoenix. The caller stated they were a volunteer fireman, and that someone was going to kill themselves hitting it, unless it gets cleared up lickety split.

Can you imagine driving at night, in the rain, that weird glare on the windshield and not realizing you are about to hit a humungous tree across the road. Dang… that stretch of road is 55 mph… oh I hope they get people there quickly to set up detours, warnings and save some poor soul form a terrible accident.

Yes this wind , the rain… it makes me realize that in a blink of an eye…. our insignificant selves… ( in the whole scope of the universe) can get blown all over the place.

Hang on … be good, and be safe… Love to all… Mrs Justa alias Cindy

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Mrs Justa and yesterday and tomorrows.

We were watching our DVRed programs from last week, and there was a line in one of the shows that ..uggg…. made me think.. CAN YOU STAND IT… it got my mind swirling again, the dad was saying to his son

There comes a time in life when all of the sudden you realize your yesterdays far exceed your tomorrows, and you wonder how many there are left.”

I thought about that all day today , I thought about it on my way to and from work. I am obviously thinking about it now.

I know that I am not going to live as long as I have lived. I analyzed life as a barn. Each piece put together with care, love and dreams. As it ages, a few boards may fall out of sight, but the love and the caring that created life, ..well it holds it together.  So yes folks, I am saying I am like a barn… I wonder what joys, what sorrows, what challenges, what disappointments are going to fill my remaining days.

― George Bernard Shaw is quoted as saying

“Life isn’t about finding yourself.

Life is about creating yourself.”

So as I sit here, the furnace humming in the background, the cold temperature embracing the outside of the house, I wonder if I can continue to create myself until I am no longer. 

I am not where I want to end up, but as I look behind me, over horizons of my past, I feel they are filled with moments when I created more of me.

In a smile, in a moment of caring, in a moment of sharing, in a moment of comforting. All the moments of my life, I believe I have used them as building blocks to be the me I am today. Just like the nails holding the barn together….

I got an e mail today from our lawyer asking us to proof our wills, and if they are okay to make an appointment to sign them. I guess it just brought back the words of yesterdays show. As I read mine and than Mark looked at his, life becomes words on a sheet of paper in a way. If I die first, than this and that, if he dies first than this and that, if we die together, than this or that. We go from living breathing people to a set of instructions.

As I am living, as I am breathing, I vow to continue to create more of me. To spend time with our kids and grand kids; to share a bit of me with you…, to be the best wife and mom and grandmother I can be, the best sister, aunt, friend I can be, the best employee I can be while I still am working…( I plan to work for another 25 years ) … and to appreciate the ability to walk, talk, think, share, ..to be.

I will not waste one moment….. I can not.

Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: life,photos,creating,treasures,pathwways,memories.,realization

 

 

Mrs Justa and embarrassing moment #1000000

IN nursing school, many years ago, I think one of the first things that they told us was to ALWAYS let the patient know before you are about to do anything. Be a coach for when they are about to undergo treatments, let them know what to expect. Be a teacher in healthcare.

I was in the hospital this past week with my brother who had a surgical procedure. The first nurse did this to a tee. She explained not only the next hour but what to expect for the entire stay. That was a little much, because she made assumptions the other staff would follow in the process she verbally gave. Which ( as the shifts changed) became  very apparent at times, they were not quite in synch with the 23 hr predictions he received  from the first nurse.

There was an evening nurse who would walk into the room, go to the head of the bed, out of eye sight of my brother, and did stuff. At one point he asked her if she was disconnecting things. It makes situations uncomfortable when the patient has no idea what is happening.

It was a lesson that we probably should always do in life.  There are things in life that we should probably give a forewarning of before doing them, just so people expect it.

Like let’s say you are in a house, it is quiet, and maybe the only other person in the house has decided to start hammering something. It would be nice to let the first person know that there is going to be some loud noises about to happen.. Just helps control the situation.

Or if you are driving, maybe let the folks around you know you are going  to turn left. In a store, move off to the side before stopping abruptly..( unless of course you enjoy the feeling of a shopping cart up your butt) . Saying goodbye before you hang up the phone. Telling people if you seasoned the food when cooking it, so they do not add pepper or salt to something automatically.

There is another one, for you folks with cars that have heated seats, you probably should share that with someone you are giving a ride to.

A few years ago my boss was giving me a ride to her house. My husband was going to meet me there, as he had driven me in that morning, and he had something to do that evening where she lives. It was a very cold day, and she had a very plush SUV with cream colored leather seats. I sat as still as I could, did not have any drinks in the car, just chatting away with her. As we were on the expressway, I began to feel a very unusual sensation on my butt. It was a feeling I had never experienced before, and I was worried my body was kind of short circuiting . My mind began to reel with all kinds of what ifs.. I had no idea what was happening in my pants!. The further she drove, the more intense this feeling of my butt getting hot was. Well the only time I had ever felt warmth in the butt area was once when I was a kid and I had messed my pants. So I am sitting there, chatting, but very worried about what the heck was going on. All kinds of thoughts were going through my head, and each one was followed by the thought about wishing I could hide away from the moment..and thinking about…. what ever is going on…  “Why me?”

All of the sudden she said… “If your seat gets too warm, I can turn it down for you..”…. I looked at her as she explained she had the heated seats in her car on. I am not sure if she saw the relief in my face. Internally I was laughing, externally I just said something stupid like “Oh no they are adjusted just fine !”

Yes,,in life… remember to keep others in the loop… HA…. That was such an unusual moment. Love to all,. Mrs Justa..alias Cindy… LOL Alias hotpants.

Technorati Tags: hot pants,prewarning,life,embarrased,warmth. life,awkward,laughter

 

Mrs Justa and precious moments

Call me sappy, call me an emotional sponge..call me Gramma!

The other night we were with our 2 grandsons. Jeff and Amanda had some errands to run and well it was easier by far to leave the kids home. We had a riot with them, we played and bathed and read stories and talked and cuddled. When the evening was coming to a close, and bed time was upon them, Preston cuddled as I read him 2 books, and off he went to sleep. A half hour later I read Brandon 3 books and got him set in his bed. He was a knit blanket that he loves, and normally he wants it covering him up . AS I got the blanket to cover him he said..”gamma that goes there” as he pointed to the foot of his bed. He so carefully assisted me in the unique folding of the blanket a the foot of his bed. He did not want it on his feet. This was almost like a passion for him to make sure it was set just right. So as I covered him with other blankets,  I wondered what this blanket carefully, lovingly tucked at the foot of the bed , was all about.

Any night when I put Brandon to sleep, he always says… “Mommy and Daddy will kiss me goodnight when they get home?”"..in a question type way..I always tell him yes they will. That satisfies him and he lays down and goes to sleep.

When Jeff and Amanda came home, Jeff mentioned something about Brandon and his blanket, asking if he had me put it at the foot of his bed. I said yes he did, it seemed unusual, but very very important to him. Jeff than explained to me that Brandon came up with an idea. Jeff works evenings sometimes and than when he gets home, Jeff goes in to kiss Brandon goodnight. So Brandon  has his dad cover him with the blanket when he goes in to give him his kiss goodnight. That way, if Brandon wakes up during the wee hours of the morning, he sees his blanket on him, and is comforted by the fact that his dad is home, safe and came in to see him.

I gotta tell you, that is so precious for a 3 yr old to have come up with that. And I can just imagine how he must feel each night or morning when that blanket is nestled on him. 

Jeff said one night, Brandon was sleeping but awoke briefly when   Jeff came in and in his sleepy little voice he reminded  Jeff to kiss and hug his baby brother too. How wonderful the innocence of children. How precious to see kids and their parents love one another so much.

It is a precious moment I had to share… Love to all… Mrs Justa alias Cindy.

Technorati Tags: Brandon,Jeff,Amanda,Preston,life,youth,comfort,peace

 

Mrs Justa and a day at the hospital

This is where I spent the day yesterday. My younger brother needed to have a surgical procedure done and I spent the day with him.

It was a day of major reflection and a day of watching many people as they waited with the “What ifs” and the worried looks.

It was an unusual experience in a way, for I was a nurse at this hospital 17 years ago and some things were similar, but many things different. People I worked with are still there, I saw them in the halls, and in the cafeteria and in the elevator. They were not sure who I was, but they looked like they thought they knew me.

In the role of a hospital nurse, I saw a lot of people, from all walks of life. And seeing a patient in the hospital is when they are very vulnerable. They are uncomfortable sleeping there, they are out of their element, they are made to wear gowns with openings in the back, and take off everything. Strangers are coming in and doing all sorts of things… some stuff you never could have imagined. So the folks I worked with, they would not know if I looked familiar because they were my care giver. See they were in their scrubs… so that was a real give away to me.

And aged…. whoa… I always feel like I am the same… but I have no secrets… so as aged as they looked… I must look the same. I saw a doctor I used to work with in his office… and it was like looking at a photoshop aged version of him… Kind of like when in Mr Magoos Christmas Carol he is a youth, a middle aged man and a very elderly man.

No matter how long I have been away from hospital nursing, there is a passion for it. It is my favorite type of nursing. Man being there, I just felt the hunger for it.

The school of nursing built a new building the last year I was in school. Actually my orientation for the hospital job was done at this building. I stood there and watched people going in and out… people with the passion for this type of profession, and it was like going back in the sands of time to 1986….and standing in the line the first day of school. Wow..so much has happened since than.

My brother… he should be fine…. and I was thrilled and thankful I had the time to be there with him. No one should go through surgery alone. Tomorrow is a new day, and I will be in my nursing position in a management role on the administration side of heath care. I like that too… but I truly believe I was meant for hospital nursing, and I am so very blessed to have been able to do it… I cyberly salute all those nurses who day in and day out give 100% to people in need, What a very rewarding profession to be a part of. Thank you. Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: hospital,life,worries,surgery,unknown,nursing,professions

 

Mrs Justa and I am not snubbing you off !

Okay, I owe a bunch of people a HUGE apology. Yep… I am feeling a little technically challenged.. alias stupid.

I went on my “dashboard” of this blog and saw there were comments sitting there..not posted… not anywhere..just there.

See I did not really work on the intricacies of setting up the blog, so I really do not know the technical stuff about it. When I had tried to change my photo so it was mine, it got lost somewhere.  Every time I try to do setting up of computer stuff, well I feel almost like I am unqualified to go to the areas I am trying to go to. Than when what I am trying to do does not work..I use the good ol back arrow and proceed down the road I have been on.

So sorry folks… I have not been snubbing you off , I just did not know how to get your comments on there. Maybe now will be better. HA… I LMAO when I read this one from quite a while ago that said basically it was pretty bad ( or pathetic) I had to comment on my own post. !! That is funny, cuz that is how it appears. We are still working on that one. See Mark ( my hubby) started this a LONG time ago… he had 2 blogs.  To keep this one going when he was feeling really overwhelmed with the 2 of them, he asked me to be a guest or ghost writer. Well I am one of the guests that never leaves… Heck I have been doing this for 2 + years now. Someday I will figure out how to make it clear that it is  me posting a comment or him. Until than.. If you see a comment like “Nice post Dear” …it is not me writing that to myself.

Life is advancing so quickly that it is tough to stay caught up  on the technical challenges . I had to laugh today..I was warming up my lunch and there is a fireplace surrounded by a love seat and 2 comfy chairs for people to relax in on their lunch. Well the love seat had 2 people on it and each chair had folks nestled into them.. 3 of the 4 were reading e books..and the one was reading a real book. How totally weird it was the the person reading the real book looked like the one out of place.

Our3 yr old  grandson yesterday held up his dads I Phone and showed us a video clip of himself demonstrating a stuffed snoopy coming down the chimney—like Santa..and bopping his head. I do not even know how to turn on an IPhone and here is a 3 yr old navigating to the video clips.

Yes we ( me) have to stay alert… try to stay abreast of the continuous changes… or in a blink  of an eye.. we will have no idea how t get through a day..

Now off I am to see if I can clear up this double identity my husband and I share…

wish me luck..and have a great night…

Love the technically challenged at times…Mrs Justa alias Cindy

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Mrs Justa and breaking through the darkenss

No one guarantees that life will be perfect. And because of our freedom to make choices, we tend to make choices that do not always end up with  good endings for us. By poor choices, sometimes choices of entitlement..life ends up far from perfect.

The non perfect lives that many of us live, they can be like  rain storms. Dark and dreary, and it is  easy to hide behind the darkness.We kid ourselves, we say it is not so bad, we say there is no problem and we continue to make bad choices.

I got on this thought process as I worked my less than thin body at the gym this afternoon. I try to really get lost in the music, but at times I can not help but focus on how unbelievably  easy it is to lose control of our selves. People overeat, people over drink, people use all kinds of drugs… and all with a deaf ear for the voice telling them to stop.

Oh that one doughnut, that one pizza, that one pitcher of beer, that bottle of wine, that joint, ..whatever that one thing is… it is followed by other one things and before we know it..we have stopped making decisions based on knowledge..but on emotions.

Speaking from experience… it is a lot easier to eat the doughnut..than to work it off.

As a child, we were rewarded for good behavior, for special events ( concerts we were in, little league games we played, A+ on our report cards..) yep we were rewarded with food. Heck a winning or losing game of little league and the whole family went out for an ice cream sundae at Friendlies. An A+ and we got to go out for a dinner…(usually at Carols Restaurant..( a hamburger joint). For our birthdays we got to chose our favorite food and got cake and ice cream. We had chocolate chip cookies for cleaning our room.

The commercials when we were growing up advertised a cool cigarette for cool woman, I think they were called Virginia Slims. The tough guys were in cowboy outfits with chaps on..and they were smoking on Marlboros or Camels.

Than every ball game on TV had to be watched slugging down beers.

It is no wonder we now have generations of alcoholics, morbidly obese, nicotine addicted or drug addicted individuals. I feel fortunate I did not go the whole gamut and get involved in drugs and alcohol too. Being obese an entire life is not easy either.

The rains storms in our lives are the addictions, the bad behaviors… and the shining through..the rainbows in our lives has to be the inner self coming through and shining over the weaker side. On the Biggest Loser this weak one of the trainers kept screaming at the contestants. NO MORE EXCUSES! Over and over… and it hit home…in more ways than one.  I want to set goals in my life and not let anything get in their way. Keep my knowings and feelings in check. If we all do that… well in the end..we will be like this rainbow..we will be shining past the darkness we have set in our lives.

And maybe just maybe.. with conscious effort..the bad habits can be gone, and for each one a rainbow shines through instead.

How many rainbows do you hope to have glow in your life, demonstrating that you have overcome the darkness, the bad choices………?

Me I am looking to be  starting with 2….Love to all… Mrs Justa alias Cindy..

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Mrs Justa and humbling lessons.

As I worked though the exercise regimen at the gym today, I found myself feeling extremely thankful for being blessed to have the ability to work out at whatever degree of activity I can achieve. Not everyone has that ability. As much as it can be tough at times, I try to overcome the toughness, get lost in songs on the MP3 and begin playing mind games to get the hr to hour and a half work out in. I found myself feeling blessed that my heart can tolerate the activity. No matter what level we can work at.. if we just work at that level..and do not let time pass by…. than we are doing okay. The gym we go to now is a humble place really, there is not a lot of arrogance or people looking in the reflection as they walk by it. People seem to be from all levels of ability, all ages….and they are doing the best they can. I like it because I feel like everyone is there for themselves, and no one is watching each other.

I did the weekly shopping today, and when I do, I am always humbled by those who struggle much harder than I to get to and through the grocery store. The amazing thing to me is they are not bitter..at least not in public. They take the challenges that they are dealing with and they move on. It was not a super cold day, but the wind was nipping at exposed skin, and there was enough humidity in the air, that I was chilled walking to and from the car. As I got out of my toasty warm car, remote in hand, I heard joking, laughing..I looked up to be blessed with seeing a woman on a scooter- she appeared to be pretty out of shape, a rather thick sweater and a blanket over her shoulders like a shawl. She had just come out of the grocery store, and was walking with a girl who appeared to be in her teens. They had grocery bags stuffed in every possible area on the woman’s lap and in a basket on the back of the scooter.

I have no idea how many blocks they had to go…but they we enjoying each other,and the journey was not an issue. It was a fact of life. I felt almost ashamed as I looked back at my car…. thinking that if someone had said to me…. “Today you go to the store on this scooter..and you figure out how to get from here to there with the groceries…”..I think I would have felt like I was being abused in a way….

“God will not look you over for medals,

degrees or diplomas but for scars.”

― Elbert Hubbard

How true that is to me.

There are people at all different economic levels with all different challenges.. It is not the challenge that matters as much as how it is dealt with. … it reminds me of being a child…. and how poor we were..yet we never really knew it. Because our mom made life be. She did not ever complain about how she would pay for the groceries..or the next bill… she more so created an environment where we learned to become creative to make it through life.

We shoveled snow, we had a manual mower, we quadrupled a cookie recipe to stretch out the chips, we wore hand me down clothes, we made things for gifts….life was rewarding because we had air to breathe, people who loved us, somewhere to lay our heads at night.

So as I drift off to sleep tonight…I hope that the dreams are calming and tomorrow is another day to continue to appreciate life for all it offers. I hope if anyone is going through the times of life when scars are being started..that they have someone to help them take the next step. Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

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Mrs Justa and the blessing of a friend

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walk out.

- Walter Winchell

I truly believe that if through life you are fortunate to have ONE real friend, well you are very blessed. If you have more than  one, well that is a blessing that some do not have.

There are work friends or gym friends or soft ball friends or church friends. But if you could count just one person who meets this quote from Walter Winchell, than you have something special.

Mark has a true friend who walks in when everyone else would be walking out. This guy and Mark have known each other for 43 or so years. When I had met Mark I did not know this friend, not until maybe 5 years into our relationship, out of the clear blue, Mark had picked up the phone and said..I think this is a buddy of mine. It was weird, because Mark and he were from a town 2 hrs away..and to have both settled down in the same area..in this vast world..so they could reconnect—well that is totally amazing.

Since they reconnected, it was like they had never been apart. And his friend has visited him in his feeling ill moments, has visited him when emotionally things were kind of unsettled. When his friend had surgery, Mark was there for him too. We get together weekly and sometimes during the week they may go to lunch . He is truly blessed to have a good friend like that.

I have one friend too, who no matter what,she would be there. We too had a few years that separated us in contact..but never in spirit. She is unbelievably like me too. I mean like we are from the same mold. She has photos of places she and I have been in the 70s—same concerts—way before we ever knew each other. She and I met in 1995 , my first day of work..she and I had on the same dress… we like the same stores, we speak for each other. There are times we come to work in the same color coordination. It is just weird. She knows me sometimes better than I know myself.

Who are you a true friend to? Is there at least one person in your life, that when they were down and out…that you would reach out your time, a hand, and help?

In my life, there have been people I thought were friends, but their friendship could turn on and off like a light switch. Or if I was really down, or really sick, they were out of touch. I fortunately married a true friend, and I hope he believes he did too.

I wish for each of you to be, and recognize and appreciate at least one good friend. There was another saying that I heard a long time ago…

“The tragedy of life is not that

it ends so soon,

but that we wait so long to begin it.”  annonymous

Don’t wait, call that friend and enjoy the moments we have.

Love Mrs Justa..alias CIndy

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Mrs Justa and challenging ourselves.

Whether you think you can or think

you can’t, you’re right.

- Henry Ford

On a daily basis I feel there are times when I am challenged with can I or can’t I choices…. Life is filled with opportunities to say I think I can.. or I know I can’t. I think it is often   easier for people to say “I can’t” because that closes the chapter to that challenge or opportunity. Poof..chapter closed… do not have to look at it… do not have to open the next chapter.

But to think “I can” well that opens doors to turn the rocks of life over and see what is under them. To look deep inside ourselves and see how creative we can be to take on the challenge and see how well we come out in the end of that next chapter.

Where would we be if no one took the challenge to figure out how to get over the rivers, steams and bays? Where would we be if no one took the initiative to find a way to propel ourselves down the road? Where would we be if people did not take the time to figure out what causes diseases,  injuries, health issues….

we would be a nation of people , stranded from travel, dying at young ages, walking everywhere.

It is amazing as I type on this keyboard that at one point I was a tiny baby..I knew nothing, I could not walk, talk, feed my self, cloth myself…and even before I could rationalize  the thought that I could do it… I did do it. We all as infants chose to learn to walk, talk, eat, and become dependent… but than…after climbing so many mountains in life… we stop..and it becomes easier to think..”I can’t do ____” whatever we are challenged with.

My mom used to say..”The easy way is normally not the right way..” and “you have to work for what you are going after in life.” How true that is….nothing that is“ too good to be true..” is worth going after.

Look back at your own life… the things you remember, the things that brought you the most satisfaction… did you work for them..or were they just laid in your lap?

For me… I worked HARD to make the things most worthwhile in my life exist…

So tonight I say… take the high road… climb the mountains of life… turn those stones…and find satisfaction at the end of each journey..

Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

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Mrs Justa and just relax already!!

Okay..we escaped the heavy heavy snow, but got some. And the wind was really whipping around, cold..really really cold. Mark drove me in ( THANKS MARK) and today was flurries..sometimes squalls..but not much accumulation. I am wondering where the wind stopped…cuz wherever it stopped—there has to be a lot of snow.

Mark had asked if I minded driving home, which I did not. I was driving along 55 mph, on a 2 lane road, quite a few people behind and in front of me, and out of nowhere..this jerk gets in the passing lane ( in a NO PASSING AREA) and passes about 6 of us. Cutting sharply in and out of traffic.. all the way up the road this person continued to do the same thing. Oncoming traffic did not matter to this creep. Man he (or she) really frosted my butt. I began to think that people like that not only take their own life in their hands but everyone around them .

Here we are..all keeping our space, driving to wherever we belong, and in a blink of an eye..some inconsiderate moron could end it for us. Man… life is so unpredictable.

I wonder what would make people be so “It’s all about me” ish.  What makes a person decide that what they have to do is more important than anyone else? There was a movie on the other day and there was this scene where a guy was at the check out, asking questions to the clerk..this chick comes in-impatient as all get out..and interrupts and kind of pushes her way to the cashier… The guy steps back and says something like “After you..obviously you are more important than I am..” I loved it!!! Haven’t you ever been in that situation? Where you are taking your turn and some bulldozer winch comes and tries to ( or successfully ) cuts you off at the pass.

GRRR>that is when I take a super deep breath and think..forgive them—for they know no better..they are butt-holes… Than my mind goes to left field and I think about how their spouse must feel..or their children..their bosses.. or their poor parents. I am comforted by the fact that in a moment –they will be gone—and I am the fortunate one..for I am not related to them… I place them in scenarios… like making them wait at a ticket line FOREVER>.. or making them sit there after their hair is half way through.. kind of take a phone call and make them sit there… I bet they would finish their hair on their own !.

The world is turning into an instant demand place..we need to slow down.. we need to stop and remember that we all have the same right to be where we are…and we all need to be respected for being there..

Peace, patience, love, life…. Mrs Justa alias Cindy

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Mrs Justa and lake effect snow

This is LAKE EFFECT snow..

It comes in bands and one spot will have sunshine, the next spot will be next to zero visibility.

It is unpredictable and kind of nerve wracking.

I went to the gym about 6 miles north of here and at the gym it was snowing…than 1 1/2 miles later –bright sunshine and blue skies. Than 1/4 of a mile from here..snowing till I got home.

All day it has been different depending on the minute.

This shot really shows the dramatic difference between the snow and the not snow line.

It is fluctuating, and depending on which weather person we listen too, we can be expecting over a foot before morning. Oh I really hope not… I am just not in the mood for the shaking and shivering of snow removal and wind blowing snow crystals down my neck… the frozen finger feeling… nope just not ready…

My one brother is a snow plow driver and my son a police officer..Both have to head out on roads untreated and their job requires them to be in the storms no matter what.Mark used to drive a tractor trailer too … he had to drive in whatever the weather was. I could not do any of those jobs.. nope..me I am okay going from here to where I have to get to..but than that is kind of it.. I need to try to focus on work or home… and I do not venture out again till I have to.  Mark had millions of miles under his belt, so I am blessed to have his nerves of steel available when the weather is really bad.

I am a good winter driver..I believe I am.. and have driven through really NASTY storms.. just winter driving is tough at times, because people in this area need to have  1) common sense… 2) snow tires  …3) patience..

There are people who swear that we do not need snow tires..but unless you have all season that have new tread every year… I think you will find out there is just more control with snow tires. We have snows on the front and back of the cars and a pretty aggressive tread on the pick up..

This year we have the pick-up—it does have 4 wheel drive…so we might find out how that works out too. I personally have never had a 4 wheel drive vehicle..but people who have swear by them.

So I am off… to go and chill.. and get ready for the unknown in the morning… I will let you know if we were spared the snow or not tomorrow… love to all. Mrs Justa…alias Cindy…

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Mrs Justa and priceless life

HAPPY NEW YEAR..they all were saying as they toasted one another with apple cherry juice .

A year has yet passed again, and now I am thinking about all the end of year stuff. Pulling all the receipts from the files, entering the last few weeks of spending money for 2011 and getting tallies going for taxes.

My very least favorite time of year..just because it seems like there is a lot to do, and than  snow time seems to consume us…. We are being predicted up to maybe 12 inches of snow by Tues mid morning, and I just have not psyched myself to be ready for that. We will put chili in the crock pot, ewe have lots of coffee, tea and shovels and a snowblower..so we are as ready as we can be. I plan to get to the gym in the morning before it hits and we need to make sure we have gas for the snow blower… ugg… one day closer to Spring..gotta keep telling myself that.

My mom seemed to be coming at me hard and fast today..with all those saying she used to say.. All the things I needed to remember…like “Haste makes waste.” Man is that true. I was flitting around the kitchen rather faster than I should and knocked the broom over, pushed over a glass… so I slowed down ..as I heard her chanting that into my poor little brain,

She used to say “being a parent is like being on stage every minute of every day, your children watch you as if you are a star, wanting to be like you”

and she would say that “the innocence of a child is the most precious gift.”

As I watch the grandchildren, I am reminded of that so many times.

Mark started saying to the grandkids during the summer…..”This is living..doesn’t get any better than this..” It is so neat to hear them say it out of the clear blue…

We only live once.. mom used to remind me that..and as each day passes..it is something we need to remember every second. When a child asks you to play a game, read a book… STOP…do not waste the moment being “TOO BUSY” … if you are too busy too often…they stop asking. That 15 minutes of your life is a memory for the child, and a way for that child to feel wanted.

 

 

Life is here until it is not… be careful with those moments you have been given. As each second goes by, I think about life being a bunch of droplets. one by one dripping off… which ones will be remembered? Which ones will just soak into the ground and be gone.

Make them special…

Love to all, Mrs Justa alias Cindy

Technorati Tags: moments,times,children,innocence,life,magic,lessons

 

Mrs Justa and "auld lang syne"

Wow 2011 is coming to and end in one day. Gee…I do not have nearly everything I set out to do last January…I wanted a lot more out of me…., to have written a book, and won the lottery, and learned something new.

Well… I guess if I was not specific..this blog is kinda like a book, and I ache a little more in the morning( so that is more out of me) , and I did win a few 2.00 scratch off lottery tickets, and I have learned that life is never guaranteed to bring you what you think you want. So I guess, if I really stretch..maybe I kind of achieved my desires for 2011.

We are surviving, we have had some ups and downs, and we are still standing. I made it through being 57… I dreaded that entire 12 mos, cuz my dad was 57 when he died, and everyone in the family always said that the Gaines’s die at 57 quite often.. so I made it through that.

2011 brought us a 4th grandchild…that is priceless… and we finally got a hard shell camper… after 57 years of tents, pop ups and worrying about touching the canvas.. we finally made it to being one of the “old folks” with a hard shell.  ( We will be 74 when it is pd for…but what the heck… keeping the economy going..right?)

We learned we can not trust the 401 K plans, and we can not trust the elected officials to bring about “CHANGE” like they promised.. Oh we have gotten change… but it was not the picture that was drawn.

Life has taught me that childhood is too short, and toddlers are God’s gift … they bring magic to the room, they bring wonder and they want to be just like their parents and love life.

2011 started out with tons of snow, and reminded us that we can make it through some pretty scary days. The folks in the Northeast—well we are used to snow and we have highway crews who respect it.

We were reminded that no matter how much you wish for life to continue, no matter how much money you try to spend for health. that life hurts..and we lose lives that meant a lot to us…and am very thankful for the few photos we have, to remind us of how blessed we were to share our lives together….

 

As we end the year, I am going to shed a bit of trivia… do you know what “aude lang syne” means?? It means  "times gone by." It is always funny to hear people sing it when they have no idea what is is saying… it is like listening to a chorus of hooked on phonics… some will sing out like no ones business any of these phrases…….                        Far hold ang zyne  or

For old aunt Gzyne  or

Farheld ang zyne  or

Farheld ang sign or

For old ang sign –not having a clue what they are singing..but they know it must be meaning something to someone.

So for all you New Year’s Evers… sing it proud as “Aude Lang Syne” and know now you are singing about the times that have passed..the good ol days…

Love to all.. Happy New Year…. Mrs Justa alias Cindy( thanks google free clip art for the images!!)

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Mrs Justa adjusting

One more day of a week that has been super busy. Holiday weeks are tough to begin with because people want them off. When we give folks days off at the holidays, we know we are going to miss them. The work continues, and we all like when we too get vacation, but it is hard when we are not full staffed. Than add a long holiday weekend, and well it just gets kinda crazy. But I guess it is good that I love going to work each day.

This week we had the added stress of WINTER. Yep..it decided to come and visit us in the upstate NY area. Cold, blowing snow, black ice, frozen nose hairs, thick coats, walking like a penguin, comforters nestled tightly around the shoulders, warming the car , shoveling pathways, driving slower, being super aware of the idiots driving around you… yes WINTER HAS ARRIVED>

I knew winter would come, and it is so comforting to hear the furnace come on and off. I have had soup for lunch and dinner for a few days, there are thing that bring comfort in the winter months.
Like the sign by the ball park in Syracuse. Every day it counts down how many days are left before opening season. (Kinda like my “one day closer to Spring philosophy”)
well today is was 98 days ! hey that is not bad… 3 months and a couple days.. We can do this… Another theory I have as winter bites this area is &(seven) lousy driving days a year is what I feel we average. We in my humble opinion- yesterday was day one. So 6 more lousy days till Spring. See how my warped mind works – my “Pollyanna “ outlook… it is just a way to keep one foot in front of the other. It keeps me sane in a rather unpredictable world…

So in this sometimes crazy, always interesting, unpredictable life we have… I find peace in my optimism. I hope you have some sunshine even on the gloomiest of days… and if you are in snow country… just remember.. we are thru November..almost through December..and in February/March —things start to warm up some. We have a January thaw… a February thaw…. ahhh… tulips will be here before you know it !!.

Love to all… a rather chilled Mrs Justa… alias Cindy 

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