Flowers

I'm so happy! The Dad's job ended Thursday and he is home to stay--at least until something better comes along. ANDDDDDDDD, HE BROUGHT ME FLOWERS!!! This made me very happy! Now we can do some fun things--when school is over.

We are starting our 16th week tomorrow. Looks like it will be done sometime!! Now, we'll see if the photo I am trying to load will do so!! Thanks, Brian, for the help: as you can see, it did!!!

Thank you, Thank You, Thank, YOU

I never thought I'd say this, but THANK YOU, kids, for being little monsters!!! You made life much better yesterday for a little gal in the hospital.

You see, this pretty, sweet 14-year old girl who has cerebral palsy was being transferred to Louisville to a hospital that has children's rehab. She was terrified and so sad about having to leave our Peds. floor because she has been treated well and was used to us. She was hysterical and fighting as much as she could with both legs in casts and braced apart 3 feet or so. Soooo, while the ambulance attendants were going to find a bigger gurney and her mom was moving things out of the room, I asked if I could have some time with her.

She didn't respond to the gentle talking so I changed the subject and asked her what she liked in school. Before that, she'd just turn her head away whenever we tried to talk to her. She answered, "English" but said she hated Math. So I began by telling her about Jenny's paper on her first day with Mrs. Chen: "I am not David. I am not Brian. I like English and don't like Math and Science, etc. etc." She laughed a bunch at that. Then I told her about David's little trouble in Chemistry that got him in big trouble until the teacher screamed at your dad. She really laughed at that and then said, "Did your other son ever do anything wrong?" I had to really hunt, of course, to come up--well, no I didn't. I told her about the note on the back of the sensitive girl. She was laughing until tears were rolling. She kept asking me about anything else you all did and I didn't disappoint her! Kept the stories going. When the attendants returned, I was telling her about Jonathan's little escapade; she made them wait until I finished!!! They were glad to do so because she was having so much fun. She didn't cry any more when they took her away. One of the nurses gave her a little disposable camera to take pictures to send us and she was OK even though sad.

As I said: THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ONE AND ALL!!!

Back Again

Probably I should have titled this "Flooding" I'm so amazed at it! Let me tell you, I was like the proverbial country hick coming to town Friday when I got into Madisonville! My mouth was agape and I was saying, "Ohmigosh, look at that!!" and I was the only one in the car!!! It had rained a bunch--like 5-6 inches--the night before and I was sure I couldn't go my back way in because it is low-lying under the 2 bridges I drive under so I went mostly downtown. Well, as I went down toward the small mall near Main Street, I noticed it looked strange. As I got close, I saw it was all under water, a LOT of water! The few cars that were parked there were submerged up to their hood tops! Really, truly. I had never seen such except in the news. Traffic was horendous! I expect there were a number of gawkers ( I was one but only by accident) but expect many like me had gone down Main to be "safe." When I got up to Main street, it was closed and I could see down the way that it was flooded too. I had to find a new way to get to the hospital but when I got there, the parking lot where we usually park was 1/2 under water too. I finally got in and determined to stay there forever if I had to but did find my way out. I didn't go down further to the big mall where, I understand, the wife of one of the employees nearly drowned the night before when she got into her car and drove a bit in that parking lot and found her car submerged to the windows. Well, they do tell you not to drive in water!!!! She called the police who couldn't get to her but sent a tow truck that was able to rescue her. She's fine but scared to death!! It was the worst flooding Madisonville has ever had. And I understand it wasn't the worst place in the area!

I had been on a hospice call Thurs. evening and the husband of the patient asked me where I was driving to from there. When he heard, he told me to hurry and get on out cause the storms were coming up North. I left in only sprinkles but had gone less than a mile when the downpour came. Drove some 50 miles in that until almost home when it returned to only sprinkles. We never got the mess but got some heavy rains. I was glad, let me tell you, to get home!!!

On to other things: School's fine and busy!! I'm not a very good chaplain but am mostly having fun (I talk too much and pray too soon says my instructor). Am not scared to do "On Call" in Deaconess Trauma Center any more because I have done some hard ones but really don't want to have to. I have learned one big thing: DON'T do ER "On Call" on St Paddy's day anywhere!!! Everyone's Irish on St. Paddy's Day!!!

I begin my ER rotation in Madisonville on the 14th. I won't get to do Pediatrics for a while but plan to go back when I am done. I will miss the staff as well as the patients. They will miss me too but the guy who is doing that rotation is the sweetest and kindest person ever. They will love him!!!!

I'm working on my presentation of "Personal Theology as Related to my Pastoral Care"(I don't even hardly know what that means but thanks to Brian, I am giving it a shot). It is hard, but I am proud: the Dad read it and told me it was really good. He never has done that before EVER!!! I had scheduled it for later in the class so I could watch and see how my classmates do it: would you believe, no one has done one!! I think they are waiting to see how mine turns out!!! I do so hope it is better than my last verbatim which was ripped apart by the instructor (even my classmates sympathized with me!)--I was in tears the rest of the day. Not to mention, I had been in tears on the way to school even before that. I think my hormones aren't right. He felt sorry later that he had been so harsh--or that I had taken it so hard (expect that was the thing!). Oh well, off to do my work. have a great day and God Bless you all who may venture on to read this.