One of my favorite parts of Christmas is watching A Christmas Story [multiple times] during the holiday. Maybe I should stress ‘multiple-multiple-multiple’ times. I am in the pursuit to add the Hallmark keepsake A Christmas Story ornaments to my collection, and here is my first piece: Poor Ralphie’s One Chance.

And an ’09 Hallmark ornament for the year Oliver was born. I cannot wait to decorate our diningroom tree with all the new ornaments…

Oliver was behind on his scheduled grooming due to his groomer enjoying a family vacation in Florida. He looks like an innocent puppy when his hair is grown out, and looks like an old dog when he is groomed short. He is just too cute.

This morning I met with the director of a facility and was given a tour of the facility, and this afternoon I had a similiar meeting with another director, administrator, and director of nurses in another town. Both of which went very well. A busy, but productive day, and I am so excited to premiere with my business website and information.

Much more to do before this days ends. Here’s to a beautiful weekend ahead of us!

-Jenny

I purchased an antique sideboard for the diningroom, and a wicker chair and table for the back deck and they were delivered today…

My list is slowly getting smaller, and my house is going to look lovely once completely decorated with the antique pieces that I am in search of.

I procrastinated a little, and finally pulled my letter together and mailed it out to local facilities, and this morning I received a call from a woman interested in meeting with me. If this clinical site takes place, I will be able to begin my business plans, well…a small portion of my business plans, as it appears people who work in the state government do not like to respond to their email, or answer questions/point people in the right direction.

Busy week ahead of us with work commitments, and a weekend getaway at a charming bed and breakfast, the Inn on Carleton in Portland.

Until next time…

-Jenny

Sadly, with Reggie being stationed in Georgia his presence was missed today, but he was in my thoughts. The kids spoiled me as usual, pink roses, and a charm to add to my pandora bracelet. We’ll finish the day off with a cookout. I am blessed!!

• While we are celebrating Mother’s Day today, my girlfriend, and her family are mourning the loss of their beloved father. I pray for strength for her and her family during this difficult time. RIP Mr. Lyons, you were a wonderful man, and loved by many…
• Working on completing Week 2 of Promoting & Preserving Health. Six more weeks remaining.
• Keith has made some progress on the building of our new back deck. I am anxious for it to be completed. I found a wicker chair, and matching small wicker table, and I am looking forward to adding them out there.
• Which reminds me, I finally found an antique sideboard for the diningroom and is supposed to be delivered tomorrow….[hopefully]. So excited! Sadly, my diningroom is still in disarray though…must finish painting those diningroom chairs. Someday.
• Thoughts on being a mother: “It’s about more than blood. It’s about love. It’s about the varying contexts of love that help us define it; evolving our understanding of what love is; an understanding that continues to evolve to this day.” -Brian Kessler 
• I have spent too many hours searching for garden ideas on Pinterest today. Oh how I love Pinterest. If only I had the ‘time’ for all the great projects that I find posted…

Hoping each of you had a lovely Mother’s Day. Until next time, here’s to a beautiful week ahead of us…

-Jenny

Hello Friends! Another week behind us, and I am grateful for this beautiful day. Keith and I went to a couple of yard sales this morning, and we both found a few great things…

As you know I am collecting Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments, and I found these three pieces: 1991 A Christmas Carol. Mrs Cratchit, Bob Cratchit, and Ebenezer Scrooge. I paid 50 cents each.

An adorable tart burner by Yankee Candle, regular price $26.99, I paid $4.00.

and a Christmas set from Yankee Candle, I paid 50 cents.

Keith received a personal thank you note from our First Lady. So proud of him.

 Work on our new back deck is going slow due to a week of rain!

Our lawn needs to be mowed badly…

 Hope your day has been as wonderful as ours…until next time…

-Jenny

Yesterday I attended the Annual Nurses Tea at the Blaine House to recognize, and celebrate Nurses Week. It was a lovely event, and inspiring.

 The Blaine House

I was able to meet our First Lady Ann LePage, and presented her with a watercolor of Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center painted by my husband. Mrs. LePage is very family orientated, and has a special interest in our military, and their families, which I was not aware of previously. I found her to be very authentic, and charming, and feel blessed to have had the chance to meet her.

Tomorrow is one of those mish-mashed days that I do not enjoy. I go into work at my regular time of quarter of seven, head out at 0730 to attend a conference from 8a-4p, and finally, back to work until quarter past seven. The conference is perspectives on the aging. Looking forward to it, but I am sure I will be happy to get home tomorrow night.

Sadly, I have procrastinated so badly today, that I must focus, and work on my topic concerning the homeless population. Considering I turn into a pumpkin at 10pm, I think I need to get to it quickly! Until next time, the weekend is almost upon us, so be well friends.

-Jenny

A portion of our lumber delivery arrived the first of the week for the new project…

Sadly, Keith tore the back deck down while I was at work so we don’t have a recent ‘before’ photo, but here is what the back of our home looks like, minus the deck

Unfortunately the weather is not cooperating so it is not going to be completed as soon as I was hoping. I am not sure what these little flowers are but they are all over the back yard.

Yesterday my daughter ran a couple of errands for me while I was at work, and left me a little surprise in my car…and let me tell you, after a horrible 16 hour shift at work yesterday, I needed this!

My husband and I had some errands to run today, one of them being a trip to the mall, and I was so surprised to find that a Pandora store opened in the mall, yesterday! Of course, I could not leave the store without a new little charm…

Sadly this would normally be my three day weekend off from work, but due to my promotion at work, and the necessity to move to a new unit, my work schedule is changing, and this is now my weekend on, and I have to work tomorrow, and short day, Monday…so I am going to close down this post, and enjoy the last few hours of this beautiful day. Until next time…

-Jenny

Hello Friends! Can you believe that I went out of town and forgot to take my camera with me!? My colleague and I had a wonderful time. She introduced me to my first meal at Cracker Barrel, and Panera Bread. Cracker Barrel didn’t really ‘wow’ me, but Panera Bread…lovely!

Our seminar was well organized, and informative, and I learned a lot. So great to have finally found someone who has similiar aspirations as I do…not to mention her level of stamina for shopping!

Next week is National Nurses Week.

Often described as an art and a science, nursing is a profession that embraces dedicated people with varied interests, strengths and passions because of the many opportunities the profession offers. As nurses, we work in emergency rooms, school based clinics, and homeless shelters, to name a few. We have many roles – from staff nurse to educator to nurse practitioner and nurse researcher – and serve all of them with passion for the profession and with a strong commitment to patient safety.

National Nurses Week is celebrated annually from May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

Each year during Nurses Week a Reception and Tea is held at The Blaine House [the Governor's Mansion] to recognize and honor nurses in the State of Maine. One representative from each of our states healthcare facility or Nursing school is invited to participate, and I am pleased, and proud to announce that I will be representing Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center.

I am sure our Governor is much too busy to participate, but just in case I requested my husband to do a watercoloring for me, and I will either present it to the Governor, or to the keynote speaker…

New course began today. Promoting and Preserving Health in a Diverse Society. 12/17, Practicum I and Practicum II.

Listening to; Springsteen, Fly Over States, Better Than Me, Give Me A Sign, One Last Breath, If You Only Knew, Falls On Me…

Well friends, the next two days belong to me, and I have a list a mile long to attempt to accomplish, so for here I must run along. Here’s to a beautiful week ahead of us. Until next time…

-Jenny

My brand new iPad arrived via Fed Ex today…

and I am in love.

I ended up working 16 hours last night, got home minutes prior to midnight, and was certain I was dead. I had committed myself to a workshop from 9a-4p today, and it was pretty painful. The best part was I was able to spend the day with my husband right beside me while we were learning negotiation skills.

Tomorrow morning myself, and a collegue are heading to Portland for a day of shopping, and for a seminar on Friday. It’s my weekend on so I have a feeling I am going to be exhausted by time my day off on Tuesday arrives.

Other happenings:

• Keith’s car decided it had been some time since it visited the mechanic, so it chose to break down. Thank goodness my brother is a mechanic is all I have to say, because the bill was for parts only, and it was a small fortune.
• Taking advantage of no rain for a few minutes, Keith ran out back and measured out the size of the new deck that we will be building this Spring. I am so excited. I did not spend much time out there last season due to the concern of the deck collapsing [I may be exaggerating slightly here, but not by much].
• Matthew hurt his arm last week while at work. Initially told by ER that he sprained it. A couple nights later received a call from the radiologist stating he reviewed Matthew’s x-rays and he was concerned that there may actually be a fracture but due to the amount of swelling it was difficult to discern for certain, so he advised Matthew to keep the sling on, and come back in for another x-ray once the swelling subsides. The poor kid. Between not being able to continue with enlising in the Army due to being diagnosed with Mono, and now the possibilites of a possible fracture, I worry that he will not be accepted to enlist…
• Speaking of the Army, my son, Reggie is getting settled in at Fort Stewart, and is doing well.

Well friends, for here I am going to get myself ready for some much needed sleep. Until next time…

-Jenny

I had great plans of a beautiful weekend filled with outside work, and picnic lunches…unfortunately the weather did not allow any of this. I looked outside this morning, and the two clumps of lupine are growing wonderfully, so knowing that my gardens need the rain, I won’t complain…though would prefer to have the rain when it is my weekend to work!

I could get used to not having any school responsibilities. One more week of freedom, and onward to Promoting and Preserving Health in a Diverse Society. I began looking thru the textbook the other day, and it looks pretty interesting.

RN to MSN: 62 credits to completition. 37 credits completed thus far = 11 courses completed, and 25 credits remaining. 6 actual  courses, and Capstone Practicum I and Capstone Practicum II. Amazing how breaking it down like this makes it look so much closer/easier…kind of.

Somewhere on your journey don’t forget to turn around and enjoy the view.

• This is going to be a crazy week. Heading to Portland this week with another RN for shopping/girl time, and to a psychopharmacology seminar. Hoping it inspires me to get my nose back to studying for my certification…so much to do, so little time to get it all accomplished! Must focus.
• I ordered a cool tote bag [yes, I have a problem/addiction to purses, and tote bags], Keith ordered me my new iPad, and an iPad cover, and I am hoping they will all be delivered before I head out on Thursday, but I don’t think UPS/USPS is going to cooperate. Fingers crossed.
• I received a promotion at work last week –> Nurse II to Nurse III. I am looking forward to being trained to work in the nurse supervisors office. Sadly, I have to leave my unit and move onto another unit for this promotion…
• I have not finished painting that diningroom table/chairs, and my sister gave me two new pieces of furniture that I plan on painting. Must find time, and the energy necessary to complete all of these projects!

On that note, time is ticking, and I need to close down this laptop. Here’s to a wonderful week ahead of each of us. Until next time…

-Jenny

My business plans are still in process, and today I received the return address rubberstamp that I had ordered.

So, there you see it, the name of my business is Perkins Health Care Training. We really need to settle on my logo so I can order the business cards, and postcards, and so I can begin working on my brochures. I’ll share more information as progress is made. I have my outline created, unfortunately, the process is slow…

I hinted to my husband, and children for a Mother’s Day present. UPS delivered a box in my husbands name this afternoon that I paid no attention to. When Keith came home tonight he opened it up, and asked me if I would like my mothers day present early…well, of course! The Buxton Madison Tote…she is even more beautiful in person! Thank you, Keith!!

I need to get ready for the next two days on at work. Until next time, friends…

-Jenny