New Beginnings

I have enjoyed another lazy saturday, as usual. Robby joined me for a couple hours of sunbathing this morning (I know the sun is terrible for my skin, but I have an addiction), then I did some light house cleaning and laundry---so the day was not a total waste. I was pleasantly surprised to have my Mom & Dad stop by for a quick visit and was very grateful for the beautiful flowers my Dad brought to set on my back deck. My parents also brought some great news today--they are finally getting to start on their new home. I don't know if you have seen some of my older posts, but my childhood home was destroyed by fire the week before Christmas.

December 19, 2009 was one of the worst days of our lives. My parents lost every material possession they had attained over 38 years of marriage, but somehow God allowed them to walk out of the fire with their lives and so we are grateful beyond measure. The past few months have been so difficult for my parents as every task from clearing the debris to choosing the right contractor has seemed to become an overwhelming obstacle. Finally, the debris has been cleared, a contractor has been chosen, and the initial steps have now been taken in effort to begin creating a new home. I have not been able to go back to the site of my parents' home since the few days after the fire when we were attempting to find any salvageable memories. I think I will finally regain the strength to return once they start building the new house. I am so grateful for the welcome sight of a new beginning for my Mom & Dad.

Show Us Your Life--Teacher's Gifts

I am participating in Show Us Your Life--Teacher's Gifts at Kelly's Korner.

I am not a teacher and I don't have to buy teacher gifts because I don't have children, but my mother was a teacher so I do have some background on this subject area. When buying gifts for teachers, you have to be aware that he/she will probably be receiving many, many gifts so you don't want to buy something he/she will ultimately have to sit on a shelf, put in a closet, or eventually sell at a yard sale. You also want the gift to be something that will show your gratitude while also reminding the teacher of your child. Whenever I have difficulty finding the perfect gift, I always look to the Red Envelope at http://www.redenvelope.com/.

This garden tote can be monogrammed with the teacher's name. I would also add flower bulbs to the gift so the teacher could plant them at her home and all always remember your child when the flowers bloom each year.

I also love this small butterly box, which contains a butterfly garden seed packet. The teacher could plant the seeds at her home. I would also add a thank-you note to the gift, expressing gratitude to the teacher for helping to transform your child into the person he or she is meant to be.

Monogrammed spa slippers along with a Spa Gift Card for a massage, facial, pedicure, or manicure would make a nice teacher gift.

The personalized golfer's cooler bag and monogrammed golf balls make a nice gift for the male teacher if he is a golfer!

The gifts featured on this page are all available for purchase at http://www.redenvelope.com/.

Sometimes, I Really Do Need a Man

Today has been a very eventful day. I am always off from work on wednesdays so I try to schedule any type of appointment for that day. I had scheduled an appointment for my annual women's health exam today with a different gynecologist. I have followed with the same gynecologist/oncologist for the last six years, but I fear he will soon be retiring and I have been cancer free for almost 6 years so I decided to start seeing a different physician. My husband missed work today so he could drive me to my appointment. I am so grateful he decided to go with me because one of the tires on my car went flat about 1 hour into the trip. If I had been by myself, then I would still be sitting beside the road & crying. We still had 60 miles to go to reach our destination and the spare tire was designed to last about 50 miles, so we prayed for the next hour and luckily reached the dealership before the spare tire gave out. Thankfully, the dealership had a shuttle to drive me to my physician appointment.

Like I said earlier, I had chosen to see a different physician than I usually see & I experienced something I had never seen before in a gynecology office. As I was left in the dreaded room with time to undress and prepare for the annual, inevitable torture of being a woman, I took my seat on the exam table and waited for the physician to return. While I was waiting, I started looking around the room for possible reading materials to distract from the wait time. I began to glance upward when I noticed pictures above my head. Over the exam table, pictures of Matthew McConaughey, Harrison Ford, & Keith Urban were glued to the ceiling. I couldn't help but laugh. I had never seen anything similar in a gynecology office. I suppose the pictures were placed on the ceiling in effort to stimulate the female imagination. I found the whole idea to be hilarious.

After my appointment, the nice man from the car dealership returned to pick us up and take us back to our car. By this time, it was about 4:30 pm and we had still not eaten anything at all (no food all day) due to the unforeseen obstacles that occurred during our trip. We were starving & we were grouchy. I thought Robby might kill me before we could find a restaurant. Luckily, some friends met us quickly for dinner and we ended up having a very nice evening.

We are finally at home now, watching American Idol while relaxing on the couch----so glad to be home.

photo from http://www.people.com/

THANKS FOR MAKING ME SMILE TODAY!

Another Day

Today was another busy day in the clinic, but time seemed to pass by quickly so I tolerated the day much better than yesterday. At least I didn't have anyone scream at me or threaten to kill me today (always a plus). We were planning on having lunch delivered by a drug rep today, but he forgot to bring the food--so, we had to order pizza and it was after 2:00 before we finally ate lunch. We looked like animals attacking the prey. We were starving!!!

I finally arrived home at 8 pm and I am exhausted--was so grateful Robby decided to pick something up for dinner tonight. I was really NOT looking forward to cooking anything tonight. Now, I am lying on the couch, enjoying American Idol. So many of my friends have lost interest in American Idol this year, but I just can't turn away---I am still addicted.

Crazy World

Has the entire world gone completely nuts? Work was especially terrible today. I have purposely chosen not to obtain a DEA number so I cannot legally write for narcotic medications. This fact is told to patients up front at registration, then again by the nurse at check-in and then finally by myself when they are placed in an exam room. However, this never seems to stop people from cussing me all to Hell when I tell them again I cannot write those types of medications. It is as though they think everyone is lying to them and if they can just make it into the exam room, then this fact will somehow change. It is such a shame when you choose a career to serve and help others, then you have to fear for your life everyday over drugs. A few months ago, a doctor in our community was murdered by a patient because he would not write a prescription for pain pills. How much worse can the drug problem become? I am almost afraid to ask that question aloud.

Vacation Planning--Need Advice!

Today has been a very enjoyable day. The weather was great so Robby & I decided to catch some sun on our back deck. While sunbathing, I read a few more chapters of So Long Insecurity by Beth Moore. I think the book is a must-read for every woman and I am so glad I followed other bloggers' advice and purchased the book for myself. We have also researched the internet for hours yesterday & today in effort to find a perfect vacation spot. We married in May of 2006 and since that time, we try to take a vacation during the same week of our anniversary each year. Robby loves the Caribbean, so we have visited a different island each year. This year, we are having a difficult time choosing between Turks & Caicos, Tortola, Aruba, St. John or going back to the Cayman Islands (Robby's favorite place on Earth). If anyone has visited any of the aforementioned islands, then please post a comment with suggestions about where to stay or which location you enjoyed the most.