Saturday, December 12, 2009

Friday Shoot Out on Saturday and Stuff

In the words of someone, I'm late I'm late for a very important date.
This week's My Town theme is from Emma in Arizona, who said:

When I think of trying to photograph weather, I think about [...] any type of clouds, the sunset, a beautiful snowfall...should the weather cooperate for us, I thought it would be a fun topic to catch on film!

I haven't been out in the weather much. Heck, I haven't even been out in the daylight much. So here are some photos of last winter's once-in-a-hundred-years ice storm, just to make you feel warm and snugly where ever you are. Except Minnesoooooota. And Norway.


It was beautiful.

From indoors.

It will be another hundred years before the trees recover, and I will never forget the sound of all of those huge branches cracking and crashing. Some people in neighboring counties were without power for 32 days.

Enough of weather. (I am not such a big fan of winter and it's been dismal cold and gray.)

On to stuff.

We are hanging in here. Bill and the whippets are getting along just fine without me. Bill loves to cook, and now he has a couple of hours to kill after the gallery closes until I drag my weary bones in the front door. He fills that time by piddlin' in the kitchen. On Thursday, I opened the door to the sound of manic whippet woo-woo-woos and to the smell of Italian heaven.

I had had a Fairly Hard Time of It, and spent some part of dinner sobbing into my linguine with sweet Italian sausage marinara, Sammy's worried face resting on one thigh, Swede William's on the other, Easy and Fat Charlie lying like twin Sphinxes waiting for plates to lick. Between those pathetic tremulous gasps that possess your throat when you've fought tears all day, and moments when I almost fell sound asleep face first in my plate, a little bell went off in my brain. Tinkle! Hey! You! This pasta that you are crying into is really good!

And then I wasn't crying any more.

I spoke to my Nursing Director yesterday. I said, "Um. I feel like the learning curve I'm facing is as though I'm driving the Le Mans, in a Gremlin, and they're holding it on Mt. Everest." I asked her to please be honest with me, and to let me know if she had any doubts that I was up to this task. She cocked her head at me and said, "Patience, you've only been on the unit for two weeks. I think you are being a little hard on yourself. I knew when we hired you that you would need extensive orientation. Actually, I've heard that you're doing really well." She went on to say kind things.

(Thing is, I'm used to being more than competent. I'm used to being the one who people come to with questions. I'm accustomed to having solutions. Whoa Lordy!!! Now? I'm checking everything with my SAINT of a preceptor. Even stuff that I know I know, I check with this dear soul first. Twice. Once more for good measure. And when you read this, please be sure to give those italicized words sufficient punch.)

So last night when I got home, after doing fairly okay and getting the nice pep talk from the Director, I was feeling a little more rosy. The whippets picked up on this and gave me their best Excessive Greeting Disorder Welcome Home ever. There was crazy chaos and folderol. Mad, wild, loud bedlam. Luciano stood halfway down the stairs with his nose pointed to the heavens and his lips in a perfect O, just a'howling to beat the band. Sammy ran silly little mini zoomies around the dining room table. Easy barked his head off and jumped up to give kisses. Delia ran between Bill and me, screaming the entire time. William and Lindy wooed and wrestled for good measure, William throwing in a hump or two while Lindy was distracted. Mama Pajama and Fat Charlie wagged and danced and smiled right into my heart.

And Bill said, "I've made something I've never made before. You are going to love it." There was a Bon Appetite magazine on the cooking island. "It's penne with root vegetables," he beamed.

It smelled wonderful.

The recipe called for golden beets, which were not to be found in Paducah, so Bill substituted regular beets. They made the dish a lovely, bright rose-fuchsia color. Just perfect for my new outlook.
The dogs all had precious pink lips after they licked the plates.

I was still smiling when I fell into bed.

Life, even when you feel not quite up to the challenge, is good with eight whippets and the world's best husband.

hug your hounds







19 comments:

  1. That ice is amazing...we had that once.

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  2. mmmmm...we remember that storm last year..it was scarey even in Mayemphis.

    We KNOW you are doing a good job, because Nursing is very much a heart and mind job, and you have great ones. Now, legs and feet enter into the equation, but ....well, you aren't complaining about that,are you?

    gussie

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  3. We remember that ice storm too...Oh my what horrible noises!


    Wags and Licks,
    Mollie Jo & Bobo

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  4. Please refer to the "Thought For The Day Or Week..." by William F. Renzulli, MD.

    You are a fortunate & courageous person who had the courage and the will to make the choice you desired, regardless of the diffiuclty.

    You will persevere and have the money to enter dog shows! :-)

    Please remember to give the italicized words sufficient punch as you read this!

    As far as that ice storm goes, it still suprises me when I drive through that area how much damage can still be seen.

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  5. Oh Patience I so feel your worry about getting back into the thick of things. You will do it. Like you said you got all the support in the world and nothing can beat that for motivation. I have a photo from that ice storm on my Friday shoot out too.
    I finally got to be a part, now that she has changed the process. Good luck
    QMM

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  6. Oh all that food and the wild greetings!! Hooray!!!

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  7. I love the pic of your beautiful dogs looking out the window. (Like you, I will never forget the sound of those trees cracking and crashing!)

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  8. In the field of medicine everything changes all the time, so it must be really hard to jump back in. So go easy on yourself. I bet you are awesome at what you do; your own humanity and caring nature come through even at this distance. I can't imagine that you would be anything but fantastic at work. And when you come home all exhausted you have pasta and pups to lift your spirits--so great.

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  9. Auntie Patience
    Aways think of that wondewful whippet welcome and youw deew sweet husband when life seems too hawd..the love you have fwom them is immense and can fix anything
    smoochie kisses,ASTA

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  10. I remember driving through Canada near Montreal once and seeing so many trees bent over, and wondered what had happened until they told us that there had been an ice storm, it was sad to see them too...

    Hope you are doing fine...

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  11. Thank you for sharing the great ice storm photos. I was also intrigued with the commentary giving us a glimpse of your life.

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  12. It has to be a challenge to go back to what you used to know so well. I can only imagine how well you are at your job. Your blog just speaks kindness and love. It is normal to underestimate yourself but like she said, you are only 2 weeks on the job. It will all come back to you and pretty soon you will be known as the gal that has all of the answers. All I can say is that if I am ever back in that hospital again (btw I was born there) I would love to have you take care of me.

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  13. Last week I drug out the storm emergency kit from last January when the high winds and frigid weather blew through Louisville. Sure enough, the power did go off, but only for a couple of hours. Hang in there with the job. That new learning curve is so hard to deal with when you're used to be, as you say, the competent one. But,there's always that great welcome when you get home.

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  14. WOW those trees do really look like they took a beating! Your first shot is lovely though!

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  15. I LOVED this post! Even tho' I knew some of it already, it was so fun to read it ! I do think everything will work out just fine and everyone there will love you!!
    I'm so glad you have Bill and the dogs anxiously awaiting you when you fall through the door :-)
    laurie

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  16. I'm still stuck on the ice storm pics. We experienced the same hare 8 or 10 years back. It was a nightmare, but beautiful as well...

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  17. That is some thick ice. Incredible photos.

    Wow! you have 8 dogs.....my husband barely let me have one. I would have 8 if I could. I love dogs sooooo much.

    I hope you have a better week at work, learning this new curve. I've got a feeling everything will work itself out just fine.

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  18. Love the dogs looking out shot. And enjoyed reading your news. I know the feelings you describe only too well. And can assure you if you hang in there, it will fall into place.

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  19. Oh, my, it is cold there. The dogs look so happy in their warm house.

    Great shots.

    I have been really busy but I will be back. Not certain when but sure looking forward to it.

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