WORKING MOMS HAVING IT ALL !! ??

There has been much said in the past few days about working moms "aka" career women.Perhaps I missed the "point". If we took a poll ,a real poll, I think perhaps we might find a goodly proportion of moms would love to stay at home ,be the first line inflence on what their little ones are exposed to all day,teaching nurturing,wiping the tears of seperation that inevitably fall ,making sure the whole family is not exposed to every flu,virus,cold ,intestional bug that is surely lurking in all the day

care environments no matter how careful the provider. The fact is the majority of moms have no choice,even when day care eats up half of what they make,they must work! Many of the mothers I work with are single,some the only source of a medical insurance plan for the whole family,which as we all know is a HUGE WORRY these days!!I see these women every day they get calls to make sure their kids got safely to the bus stop,then back home and "in" safely after school,babies who spike temps,or from frustrated dads who cannot understand some special way his child pronounces a food or item the child is crying for!! We have moms who pump breast milk every day on "break" to keep the supply up,and themselves comfortable!!

Parents juggle shift work to keep from shelling out the very high cost of day care,and so many of them barely meet coming and going,puting another strain on the families future beyond the economic!

Of course there are brilliant women out there whom without we would not have the example and pathways paved for our daughters who derserve and need to emulate.The very best thing a parent can do for a child but daughters in particular is to encourage,support,and do all you can to enable them to get the education they will need for the future,to empower them with self confidence and knowledge that their families and their country stand behind them,and our government especially is working towards the day when not only insurance coverage,but safe and affordable day care is out there,to recognise the gift "non working" moms are giving their families,for there ,these so many years form our "liberation" no actual salary attached to being a "stay at home mom" which is priceless.I could go on but I think we all know the issues moms face every day,and I for one would like a "team" in Washington who will stand up for us and help put into place the real needs of our greatest resource and investment,,,our families!!

Lyn-E-Bug !!

It's a girl thing !!

A creation of a girl thing just for us,from the talent of Jenn,my Delilah ! No doubt a new friend she encountered while on a recent run,isn't she just beautiful??!!!

Too long gone!!

I cannot let the day pass without a note about Elvis.As this is the anniversary of his death,I think of him,never really needing an excuse to remember !I love to shut my eyes and just listen to the beauty of his voice! Most people are surprised to hear I love Elvis! I get the "he was a druggie" "he could have got help" negative statements from people who do not care to think,or find the good he did besides his music,Elvis loved people of all persuasions and gave much to his community to help those from where he lived ,and this is continued today through Lisa Marie and her mom.Priscilla,as people from all over of every age continue to visit Graceland and learn about his life and the great turn music took as a result of his talent,as well as others of his time! I have been to Graceland 3 times myself !,as well as learning about Elvis you will see and hear much about the history of our country and the changing world of the 50's and 60's,on the premises you see period cars,a real diner of the time where you can enjoy lunch,hundreds of pieces of not only his life but gifts from presidents,kings,political,and influential persons of the era on display in the museum.A tour of his plane "The Lisa Marie"is a treat,and fun for the whole family,the home and gardens are beautiful!While in Memphis you can partake of some of the BEST barbecue food in the country! Then walk that food off by visiting probably one of the last 5 and dime stores in the U.S.! After that be sure to walk downtown and learn some of where our "blues" music originated,and marvel at the way music has changed and not changed over the years! This is truly a trip to make if you have the chance!!

Sissy-my silly cat!!

It is very hard to get a shot of Sissy,she just does not stay still !! She is a funny litt;e being,showed up in our driveway one night during a storm,some neighbors knew her and had been feeding her however did not want to keep her,the animal "shelters" were too full to take her,so here she stayed !She can "fetch",loves anything round,and will "steal"grapes from a bowl whenever she can! !! With sooo many pets not being adopted I could not resign her to that fate.I do love the "little" bugger!!

Who"s There??

My little "scaredy cat likes to go outside in the morning while I do chores /weeding etc around the house.He requires the door be open just enough so he can get back in quick should anyone come nearby!! Which is what he has done here,when he saw a neighbor walking!! Anyone of male gender will send Tuck straight to his closet hide-a-way where he is "safe".A sad kind of carry over from his days of being abandoned as a kitten at a rosdside service station,where he hid in empty boxes,until my son came along and rescued him,that was over six years ago!

CHOICE-YOU DECIDE?

My job as a Nurse is to care for the patients who come to my unit.I am charge of a busy labor and delivery suite,part of our ,we care for a lot of types of Expecting moms' those who want to have babies and those who do not,sick moms,healthy moms and everyone in between.On our unit this week was a 21.3 week gestation gravida 2-0 who was high risk because of her age and an "incompetant"cervix from her previous loss.She was advised to have a "circlage"which is a stitching of the cervix to hopefully prevent it from dilating and hence loosing the pregnancy.This woman did not comply with the advice of her MD,she arrived on our unit at 3 cm dilated with a "bulging bag of water",will she loose the prenancy?,most likely yes,should she try to save the unborn fetus untill viability is favorable? She could try,we have methods and drugs that could possibly get her to the 22 week age of gestation where our NICU will give the baby a fighting "chance",does that mean the baby will be OK? No a myriad of problems can and will arise leaving you with a child that will never be "normal" and may not live despite the heroic measures we have available.The prognosis for this woman did not look good.She chose to actively induce the "evacuation" of uterine contents,due to non viability of the "prenancy".This produced another problem on our unit!!! Nurses at our hospital do not have to participate in the "administration" of a "terminating" pregnancy.but was this a "termination"??? Or the quickening to the inevitable for the sake of the "mothers" welfare?? After a lot of discussion and a DR, who was not happy with our nurses,as charge of the unit I became the only one who would be in the room as the md inserted the"CYTOTEC" that would help to finish dilating the cervix enough to let the fetus pass through.Did I consider this my "Stamp of Approval"? NO!! certainly not,it is painful for all of us to see this happen,The woman proved to have dilated to 5 cm with the "bag" very much protruding through the cervix without the drug,however the MD and she chose to go ahead,so she would contract and the "birth" would happen quicker.
This is exactly what happened,and the baby was delivered,with a weak cry a heartbeat that although would not support his little body,he kicked his legs and moved his arms,and the wonderful nurses that did not "JUDGE" this woman ,but simply were there to care for the pt.' took this tiny life and wrapped and held him and as APRIL the nurse who did this all said " they sang him to HEAVEN.
There was much debate about the right or wrong of this on our unit,I cannot say this would have been my choice,or the choice of many of the Nurses who would not help care for this pt. obviously,would it have happened anyway?? Yes,from my 24 yrs experience and too many same situations to count,it would have the same end.
Should the CYTOTEC have been used?? Should the mother have hastened the inevitable?? The choice was not mine to make or judge that day,but to care for the pt. who made the choice,many there did not agree,the best thing to do would have been to get that CIRCLAGE placed immediately when the DR. advised,then to follow closely with your care untill you can deliver with the best outcome and knowing you have done all you could to keep that precious life going.Why did she not do that???!!! None of us will know that answer,those of us who cared for the "baby" and he was in every way a "baby",and watched as he struggled for 90 minutes,to leave this world he had entered,we are the ones who wrap,take pictures"in case the mom ever comes back to want" and then go home and cry and dream of these babies,it never gets any easier no matter how many you see,we will continue to do what we pledged to do,without judgement,and pray for those who make their own decisions,right or wrong.

Running Accident!!

Anyone who reads my daughters blog "shabby accumulations"aka "Distressing Delilah" knows she runs,she is doing a marathon called "boilermaker" next Sunday so when I saw this I had to post it ! Hope everyone is going in the right direction!!!

Yammy Cat!!

You all know I cannot resist a cute cat pic ! So here is my find of the day,as much as I love my cats,I love all animals and have been reading so much in the news lately about overpopulation especially with felines! It only takes some phone calls and anyone can find a private or community sponsored spay and neuter clinic,help pass the word folks loving a pet of any kind means being responsible,help us to keep the pets we have in happy homes and prevent other just as beautiful ones from being "put down"simply because there are no homes for them,they didn't ask to be born any more than the humans who fail to care for the pets they have!! There is help if you take the time to care enough!!

Running accident!!

Just found this on another site,if anyone reads my daughters blog they will know she runs and is running in a marathon called :boilermaker: next Sunday,when I saw this I couldn't resist!!

The Guard !!

My Katy,she keeps guard,as I sat beside her,the 4 of them go outside for about an hour,during which I brush them! The kitty fur is abundant! Also much better outside than in! Not the best pic of her but she seldom sits still for one!

My Garden

My dream is to have a lovely English Garden,hopefully someday surrounding my little cottage,which I will love to decorate in my own style,Roses Everywhere!! But for now i am trying to grow what i can native to my surroundings,I have a rosebush I cultivated all by myself,for years I was in fear of trying,I am sooo proud of my rosebush!! I love my plumbago my bouganvilla thorns and all and my sweet orange creation from God!! Love nana!

Memorial Day "The Peace Rose"

Many days go by untoticed as special,as we each follow the minutes and hours of our daily chores,however what allows us to do that is the unique way our country was founded,since the first settlers arrived here there was a taste for the freedoms this "new country" could offer,they would however come with a great price! The price of Freedom is now and always has been something we have had to defend,at times with the lives of our loved ones,the heartache that ensues is unbearable for the families of those taken,we all know a family that has had to struggle with that price,and pain.I have as many others felt that pain.On this day when many will enjoy an extra day off from those daily "chores" let us not forget,but take a moment to offer a prayer for those families who have given the greatest gift for our daily freedoms;the lives of their sons and daughters. Love Nana

Back to the Grind!

So here I am back to the inevitable! Yes work,work,work,does it ever end? I guess sometime,some people seem to accomplish so much,others dawdle over little,yet we will all likely meet the same maker! how important each is we won't know till then! Each day while on my trip seemed so short,my family lives in a radius of about 75 miles! I felt so at home there even though I was on the road a great deal of time! I got to take my mom to some shops she likes,Mothers Day dinner at my sisters' was fun,with everyone there,I made a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie for my sis which I will post the recipe,no shopping though for me!! How awful!! Oh well,a mall is a mall is a mall right? don't they all have the same things? Syd came through his surgery and is recovering at home with the love of his "mom"!! My daughter is running more than ever getting in shape for a marathon!!?? The hospital survived without me!! How surprising! The weeds in my garden also thrived without me to tear them from their task!! My cats are very happy to have me back,Katy my sleeping girl wakes me at the usual early hours,she doesn't know which days I work and which I'm off!! Try to catch up and post more often,get some recipes and sewing projects on here!!

Syd Home !!

He is here ,at least for a night or two just a reprieve until the surgery can be scheduled ! He lay around in his favorite spots,played with some yarn I was rolling and took a nap with his "MOM" who was very tired from all the stress!! His little paws are shaved bare where the IV was inserted,and his neck sore where he had his blood drawn. We will keep track of his story as it unfolds here at Sew Nana ! thanks for reading!!

The Present

I know it's late here just had to let everyone know what Delilah aka Jen got for her birthday! The big gift,from the husband is a brand new sewing machine!!! What is so special you ask? This machine is one of a line of wonderful machines made by "Bernina".The reaction from Jen was maybe not one of absolute JOY !! Rather one of HELP !!! I will admit they can look intimidating to the naked eye,a few lessons should help get her going in the right direction. I do hope she will JUMP IN and get her feet wet !! She has struggled along for so many years on my verrry oldest one alive *** There is no end to the creations she may come up with,this machine will nicely "expand" to an embroidery capability when she is ready.Until then I wish her many hours of blissful sewing, there is no sweeter sound than that of a Bernina as it stitches along,the purr of the perfect straight stitch,the curling ,winding, flow of over 100 decorative stitches 2 alphabets and several neatly perfected buttonholes will last a lifetime and be passed down ,as my old 1230 will be someday,perhaps to my grandaughter? Until then Jen will present her followers with many wonderful works of textile art !! Love and enjoy this wonderful present Jen,I wish I could be there to experience firsthand your progress!!

For The Love of SYD !!!

Leave it to a sick kitty! Our Syd made his trip to the animal hospital where he is now,and will hopefully come home on Saturday.He must have his urinary catheter removed first and be able to urinate on his own.What is amazing is that family ,previously not close have united in their love of our family pet choice,our cats!! Amazing,and wonderful,and hopeful for us all,we still need to get through the surgery which we hope will take place next week,the surgeon is very reassuring that this is a treatable condition,although we are not telling Syd that HE will for all purposes look like a "girl" but only from the outside! His heart will remain his moms' little "boy" and he will continue to strut his manliness around the house,his little sister Molly will not be told!! So no such teasing will go on here!!! Until our update tomorrow I will enlist your prayers for our "boy" and send our pet prayers to everyone in need also, love nana

A Coat Of Many Colors

Appropriatly titled you could say! We had a slight emergency here tonight! My sisters cat Sydney developed a urinary "blockage" tonight he has had this condition twice before so she knew the "SIGNS" well,so we made a trip to the emergency vet at 1030 pm,they kept him of course,he was in OR by the time we got home,they do not want you to stay we will pick him up in AM and take him to his own vet,where he will await his now must have corrective surgery so this does not continue to plague him,it is scary for all of us especially his "mom" Tina Syd is her "soul mate of cats",we all have pets like Syd,they are our family,our babies ,our children when our "children" have grown and "flown the nest".Pets love us unconditionally,they trust without knowing the consequences of a broken trust,they must count on us for their needs,if we let them down where would they be? I would ask all of our fellow pet people out there to pass the word to anyone who will listen,pleeease ! make that commitment before you take a pet to your home,make it for life,I see the cats especially, with notes on their cages ,at Petsmart ,OWNER MOVING.. so!!! take the cat..or dog..you made the choice,they trust,they love their people!!,pets hurt too,they get sad,lonely,depressed, kinda like people! So I will close for now ,just think!!! love,nana

Alexis Victoria

One beautiful young woman,one I have not seen in 3+ years,her mom,my daughter,keeps herself distanced from her family,a sad story and too long and private to go into,she has 2 sisters,one of whom I have seen twice in her life,this is in short one of those situations of control,drugs and fear,on this Mothers Day Trip how wonderful for us all if people could find it in their hearts to forgive,much of what is misunderstood and exagerated,as in far too many families,all children need the love of ALL who love them,our particular situation is compounded by Cancer,which her mom has,I wil be posting more pics as I can,Hope is always there,The law unfortunately is not supportive of Grandparents,Aunts,Uncles,Cousins,or any extended family no matter how much love or hurt is involved,if only one family can learn something from my familys' loss I can HOPE for others.

Becky,Tammy,Jenny

A pic I discovered while visiting shows my 2 girls with my "little sister" at Christmas,I thought it worth posting ,with my visit!

Shopping for a Cause!!!

Spent the night with 2 dogs shuffling for the best spot!!That would be my daughters pets! YES! here I am at DELILAHS' residence! Those dogs remember even though I do not see them a lot,they know I bring them TREATS!! Usually I get to the grocery,however it was too late last night when we got here! Yogi and Tia are the BEST!!! SO... now we get to the point,I am going shopping with my SIL! today to get a present for my Delilah! I am the consultant of sorts i cannot tell yet what the GIFT is so you will have to wait and see! However it may cause things to take a bit more creative turn at Shabby Accumulations! Add to the talent you already see so much of! So here we go! TTYL! love nana!

Mothers Day!

My day started out with a run ,in the cool air in upstate N Y ! baked a cake for my mom then a strawberry rhubarb pie for my "little sister" Tammy she has DOWNS SYNDROME she is my little sister although she is 40 yrs old! she lives her life as a perpetual 5th grader! she does very well! she loves her food favs although she is thinnish she is active and participates in a daily program with others who are also "challenged" in various ways. I have been involved in her care for many years as has my younger sister Tina who she lives near and has pretty much responsibility for both my mom and Tammy,my mom is 76 yrs old and cares for Tammy daily,they still live together,this is amazing to me and many others who have relatives who reside in "community" residences.I think it is a testimony to the love Tammy and my mom have for each other! One day Tammy will live with Tina and/or myself hopefully we will share,which is why I am trying to MAP a plan to return to N.Y.Tina has a career as a Social Worker for the state of N.Y. mostly her years have been spent working on child abuse programs and investigations she has taught many others the valuable lessons she has learned along the way as well as shared many sad experiences to educate those throughout the system.I have much admiration for what she does,she has no birth children but many whose lives have been enriched because of her compassion ,she would have made an amazing mother! In many ways she "mothers" so many without them ever knowing! Those who are lucky enough to call her "friend" will never be alone when in need. We had a busy day as I am sure all of you have,so HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all those wonderful "women" by birth or by choice of love,we labor in the same field,to bring others joy and lives of purpose that will be passed to the next generation,and so goes life! Until I post again LOVE TO ALL NANA

Tired!!

I am sooo tired! from working 4 days in a row then flying,then trying to see everyone for just a few hours the first day,can't be done at my age! Catches up with a body! and I consider myself pretty endurance capable! well I had to take the day to catch up pick a time up a few things i needed to bring but did not and so I missed a time I should have been somewhere! Imagine! I must be loosing it! Well not really,but JET LAG in the same time zone??!!! Well perhaps tomorrow will be relaxing as today i feel partially caugt up! The trees are bloomin!! The pollen is different here and so my nose is stuffy my eyes are teary!! my throat is tight!! BUTTT!!! GOOD NEWS!! There is little humidity MY HAIR LOKS GREAT!!! YEAH!! A GOOD HAIR DAY!! who could ask for more?? Well I am just being silly here so i will go,but my map took a turn and hit a slight speed bump!! I am continuing to navigate and will post soon!! love nana!!

My Trip!

So here i am in N.Y.!! I flew here yesterday for a much needed break,but especially to spend Mothers Day with my mom my daughter,you all know by now,it is her birthday on May 14,what makes it so special is it is also my grandsons birthday May 14!!! I have not spent a birthday with her since I left N.Y. over 10 yrs ago! I am so happy to be here!!! I found some "awesome" blog sites this morning that were an inspirstion ,what a labor of love to share your life and family here! I have a plan brewing in my brain! Say a prayer and send it to the "blogosphere"!!! for me.I have a map forming!! I would love to follow my "road" I'll post my progress,wish me luck!

My Blog!!

My blog has suffered from a lack of attention! This does not come from a lack of affection!! But life gets in the way and some hearts cannot be swayed,to bring to life that which the mind will not compute,be I not remiss,will now not dispute,and strive to make better the "art"of the "letter"

Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe actually is an original recipe stated as featured in Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook of 1950,although published as Sweet Roll Dough then featured as Orange Rolls i took the original sweet dough and made Cinnamon Rolls from it! I hope you can try it and devise your own variation on the original recipe!

1 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water 105-115*
1/2 cup lukewarm milk [scalded then cooled]
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter softened
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2 - 4 cups all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixing bowl,stir in milk,sugar,shortening,salt,egg and 2 cups flour.Beat until smooth.mix in enough of the remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic this will take around 5 min.place dough in greased bowl turn the dough over in the bowl to bring greased side up,cover and let rise until double.Punch the dough down,turning onto surface and roll into "rectangle" shape,approx 12x17 inches.You can make the cinnamon rolls or the orange rolls,or use your imagination!! the rolls will be baked in 375* oven for 20-25 min or until golden brown. I will now give recipe for both!

Cinnamon Rolls : Take 2 tablespoons butter or margarine which has been softened and "spread" over dough this may be a little difficult if butter is too hard,soften well or melt in microwave till soft, then sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar using your judgement as too how much of each you like! Add raisins to the top scattered evenly but not too thick! roll the dough from the 12 inch side and pinch ends tightly! Cut evenly into 12 1 inch slices,place slightly apart on greased baking pan and yes!! let rise again until double! this should take only about 40 minutes!! then bake as directed above. Now,for the good part! when just so slightly cooled you can "frost" your new rolls with a frosting! I use a small batch of "buttercream" just a cup of confectioners sugar with 1-2 tsp. of butter,or margarine and a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp vanilla and a touch of milk to make a thin frosting to top your rolls!!


Orange Rolls: 1 cup powered sugar
2 tbsp.margarine or butter
2 tsp.grated orange peel
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp orange juice

Beat sugar margarine orange peel and juice until creamy,spread 1/2 of mixture over your rectangle of dough and roll up as with previously stated for roll recipe,bake as directed,then frost with remaining frosting!! Enjoy!

I should clarify that with the orange roll recipe the amount of dough used is stated as 1/2 dough for the frosting recipe the other half can be baked also if you double the frosting.
This recipe for the dough states it may be refrigerated for 3-4 days and used as you have time I have never refrigerated any! I always bake it all!!
Oh! another little "TIP" I use DENTAL FLOSS ! to cut the rolls in the 1 inch pieces,just slide your length of floss about 12 inches should do it! under the dough and bringing it up through the dough it will "cut" the slices of dough nicely for you, they are a little tricky to work with as they are a soft dough,but practice makes perfect and as I always say:

Happy Baking ! !

Butter Rolls

I will attempt to read the original recipe as given to me more than 28 yrs ago by a friend at Church the recipe is in my head so forgive me if the language is not "textbook" I am going to visit "Delilah" and this is the best way to send the recipe!!

2 cups unsifted flour
1 pkg dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 beaten eggs
2 cups unsifted flour

In a bowl mix together 2 cups flour+ dry yeast
In saucepan heat milk with butter and sugar until blended and dissolved make sure it's not too hot as it will "kill" the yeast! Stir the liquid into the flour mixture,mix until blended then add the 3 beaten eggs,I have always had the eggs at room temp and beaten them in a small bowl before adding.mix the ingredients well then add the remaining 2 cups flour and mix well your batter will look smooth NO LUMPS!! batter will be on the thinnish side kinda! Trust me! have a large bowl greased ready which you will transfer the "dough " to,cover this with a cloth,which I have always wettened slightly.this must now rise in a warm place until double in size,you will then turn onto a floured surface adding enough flour to keep from sticking and "knead' for a
few minutes then cut into 4 equal pieces which you will roll out into circles and "cut" like you would a pie!! you will then roll from wide-to-narrow making a cresent shape roll! Now you will place them evenly on greased baking sheets to cover and rise again until slightly under double after which you will bake them at 375* they will be done when nicely browned! Perhaps around 20-25 min depending on your ovens' personality!!

This recipe is said to make 32 rolls also the original recipe states to roll those circles into 9 in. circles,however you can vary this according to the size rolls you like,I have done so many times usually dividing the dough into 3 parts and cutting each part into eight rolls,oh and i also use a "pizza" cutter to cut the wedges! It's easy!!

Good luck bakers!!! Happy Bakers have happy Families!!

Are you in labor?

Well here I am in OB Triage ! I usually do Labor but sick calls prevail! Do you know what we do for you here? Well in many hospitals this is where you first come to see if you really are in labor.The experienced nurses in triage will put you on a fetal monitor to assess your contractions and listen to your babys heart rate.If you are not due yet the nurses should assess where you are uncomfortable,ask you to give them a sample of urine;Why you ask ;well urinary tract infections very often will cause you to feel as if you are in early labor.also you may start having what we call "irritability" just a run of "tiny" contractions that are not real labor,and are often related to the "UTI"as well.These things are important to rule out in case of true premature labor.When you are determined to be having true contractions and you are due or close to your due date the nurses will examine you internally to see how far you are"dilated"this is the opening of your cervix that will indicate labor is starting.The nurses notify your Midwife or Doctor to admit you,at some hospitals the Triage nurses will also draw your blood,this in preparation of your admit to the labor unit,it lets us know many things,
#1 -the state of your general well being,a baseline to compare after birth if we need to
#2-you may want an epidural,if so your "platelet "count will determine if you may have one
#3-a double check on your "rh" status will tell us if we need to administer rhogam after delivery.
Now you and your partner are off for the most important physical and emotional challenges you will ever be given!
We will begin next time by taking you through the early stages of labor and what you can expect also some tips to help!!! please send questions????

Weed The Cactus??

Have you ever weeded a cactus? Me either! However this is depressing! The cactus seems to be at a stalemate, The part you see on here is just a small part of the much bigger plant,being about 6 sprouts if you will which take up about a 3-5 ft, area,then there are 2 other kinds of cactus in the cactus garden,which are of small tree size! I had the bright idea that maybe the "dead" leaves were taking the strength of the plant..does that make sense?..and so i "weeded"it oucchhh!! HOwever it's done..sort of I removed quite a bit old brown leaves,so we'll see.This plant was moved from the front of my house to the back to where the other cactus are,I couldn't move them! maybe it's still shocked ? I do have pictures from when it was in the front,so I can at least show you what it shoukd look like..but we'll wait a few days!

Belly Buttons

I'm off to work today..so some more babies will feel my hands dry them off and rub their back vigorously! I will make them cry,suction their little nose and mouth for the secretions that may block their airway,and cry they do!,as they protest the cold,open space they have been subjected to after being so cozy and warm so long!
A mom asked me last week if I could make it so their baby have an "innie"belly button!! Well no,actually I cannot! I think maybe the idea came from when the dr. had to "tie" the cord with suture??Anyone know? All I could think was my own children have "innies" however when they were born we used "belly bands" these are cloth bands that wrap around the baby's belly,you tie them snugly until after the drying cord has fallen off,and the area is no longer red,I am sure these came to an end because of the high number of infections resulting from lack of thorough cleaning of the area,not that moms do not clean,but as I have watched moms over the years ,they are often afraid to lift the cord up and clean all under and around the umbilicus,this WILL NOT hurt the baby! Can I suggest how to make the "belly button" be an "innie"I really cannot think of anything except for the belly-bands but did that piece of cloth really make my girls and son have an "innie"? ANYONE!! with a comment I would welcome your experience!! Perhaps we together can create a whole generation of INNIES!!!

My Home!!

This is kind of fuzzy,but you will get the idea! My husband bought this house for $10,000. he basically gutted the place then rebuilt it from the inside.The home was a stopping point from Syracuse to Albany in the 1800's.Originally a tavern with rooms to let on your journey,the basic footprint inside was kept, the same except for two bedrooms which had been one large "dancehall"The home was known as the Briggs House. as the family who built it was Briggs. We were featured on the local home tour for the hospital auxilary.Impressive in size at 4,800 sq. feet,it was "home" for many years. We were married in the living room,as well as my youngest daughter.A fireplace built by my husband spans one wall of the kitchen and is a replica of an 1800's cooking fireplace complete with dutch ovens!!There is a fireplace in every room,making each room unique in decor.The amazement of the home is a tribute to the man who spent countless hours carving out woodwork for the library,searching old,abandoned houses for period pieces,and applying his unique style to every room,as each represents a colonial period of a different country!! Stay with me as I search the pics and post the memories of my heart!!

Cactus Garden

This may be the beginning! It seems like it is taking a long!!!time!!! It has bloomed yearly,changing,slowly then suddenly it will bloom and be gone!You can miss it totally!OK soooo! I worked 2 -12 hr shifts then went to a seminar for 8 hrs.My blog gets so neglected!But I am still here! I will try to get caught up,have some interesting things I need to get my thoughts together on,after Saturday morning,afternoon,chores!!Keep watching I'll be back!

Bread Making and Meatloaf

There can be a certain knack to making bread,it is like all things and takes some practice to get it good ,not perfect as some of the best things have their own flavor!.I remember the very first meatloaf I everrr made!! It was at my gramothers of course only a grandmother,one on a limited budget ,would let you use her supplies without "helping" and all by yourself! And sooo! I kept the ingredients a surprise! I watched as my Grandpa took the first bite! He made a kinda funny face at first,i could see he was struggling to find something to say..."do you like it?" I asked watching his face?? He was quiet for only a second in which he looked at my grandmother who had also taken a taste by now. I saw them exchange glances... then my grandpa said.. "yes, why yes.it's very good" well by now I also had tasted the creation !LOL!! I knew without a doubt my grandpa had not told the truth!! I also knew instantly that the cinnamon and cloves I had always seen my grandma add to her apple pie was not good in MEATLOAF!!!! I"ll never forget that day and how they both finished their portions! My grandpa wasn't one much for words,but I knew how much he had to have loved me to eat that horrible stuff! Well,so my first attempt at meatloaf was not so good ,but as the years passed Icame up with a recipe that was just what my grandpa could have truly eaten with a straight face!!

Cactus Garden

This is one of the cactus in my garden,the red color is beautiful! It also lets me know that soon this will flower! This is an amazing site and I will try my best to capture it for you. It happens in the early morning,if I am luckyI will be off work and up early,as the flower does not last through the day.It's like a fleeting glimpse of a dream,beautiful,yet elusive;and as untouchable as the stars at night!

Nana Things!

A small collection of what makes me happy,a doll my mom made for me,an old photo,a card from my daughter in law, gloves I wore the halloween I was "Scarlette"from Gone with The Wind, some of the beautiful china I have collected,of course with roses my favorite.As I try to keep my sanity in a world where the news is mostly depressing,my children all live far away,I am trying to focus on the things ,however "earthly"that make me smile!My lovely Delilah aka "My daughter Jen"suggested a book the "SECRET" I am inspired!! She has a beautiful ,inspiring blog "Distressing Delilah" which got me started in the first place!! Have A Happy Week-End! Nana

Bunny Gathering!!

As I am nicely working this week-end for the moms' with small children,I just had to gather my "bunnies"which I have created .I love bunnies,how I love that sign of spring that EASTER always meant as a child! To have children around is the best part of all! To all you moms,.. RELAX,,ENJOY!!

Love,Nana

Barack Obama Birth Record

I will be in the labor room today for a bit and just make a comment about the birth record. When a baby is born there is a birth certifiicate as you all know. for 24 years as part of the process of birth and working in 2 states only but supposing it is the same,correct me if it is any different in the other states,there is a block where you note the race of the child being delivered,technically speaking the race of the child is the race of the birth mother,if ever in doubt I have seen nurses leave this block blank.I have never done this as it is a required field,also it can prove important to that childs future..
As I watched Barack on television and listened to what he said,I was impressed with his sincerity,and his loyality to his family even though his own grandmother had made "racial" comments that hurt him.I was also thinking of the way birth certificates are filled in.Rather you look at him and see a "black" man ,or look at his birth record and see that his "race" should have been listed as "white",the important point is his "words" have no "color" his love of the people of this country is evident in his "words".If we truly want to make a "technicality" important to satisfy the people who only see"color"we can refer to his birth certificate and find out his technical color or we can listen to him with our eyes shut and see his "TRUE COLOR"

Nanas Honey Wheat Bread

INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sm. curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup margarine
1 room temp egg set aside for later

HEAT: the first 4 ingredients in a small pan to 120 degrees.Remove to a large bowl.Add the yeast and wisk together thoroughly.

DRY INGREDIENTS: 5 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 pkgs active dry yeast I lke to use "RAPID RISE" yeast

BEAT: with electric mixer 2 cups of all purpose flour,ADD THE EGG NOW and mix thouroughly,ADD the whole wheat flour the salt the sugar.MIX now with a large spoon I like a wooden spoon but use whatever is comfortable for you.ADD the remaining FLOUR to make a soft dough.TURN onto a floured board adding only enough flour to keep from sticking,and "KNEAD" for around 2 min until smooth and elastic.TURN into a well greased large bowl and cover with a towel set to rise in a draft-free area until double in size.


PUNCH the dough down turning on board to divide and shape into 2 loaves placing into well greased loaf pans 9x5 or 8x4 set to rise covered as before until double in size..this should take about 40- 60 minutes. BAKE in a preheated oven for45-60 minutes your bread will be nicely browned on top and sound "hollow" to tapping with fingertip.


IMMEDIATELY remove from pans onto cooling rack or thick towel to cool. You may brush with butter on top as desired!


WAIT IF YOU CAN!!! cutting will be easier if the bread has cooled some. I love this bread toasted with butter and honey. ADD a great cup of TEA and RELAX!!! ENJOY!!!


love.nana

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Baking Day

The age old art of breadmaking is alive and well,when so many choices are available at the markets,why would you bake bread? This is not a mystery to anyone who has ever been privilaged to be there for that first oven warm slice,the aroma,the melting butter,sweet and pungent,the taste is unforgettable,this staple of life is timeless! If you have never tried your "hand" at kneading jump in and feel the satisfaction,enjoy the smiles and taste the sweetness of this honey wheat bread!!!

Corey and Casey

Brothers they are, differences are many,what bonds them is the winding stream of love nurtured by their mom,My Jen..aka Distressing Delilah!!!

HIS SMILE!!!

So we take a detour!! Found this picture! Guess who? some will know,this is Casey!The not so happy Disney goer! This is happy face,which we so love to see! A perfectionist at heart Casey is so great to talk to.In a time when 17 yr/olds don't take much time Case will get on the phone and in no time I ,his grandmother am so proud to have him,he takes the time to care ,always tells me he loves me,and I glimpse the goodness in his soul,that fills his 6 ft.3in.strength!

Lynnie Bug!

Did I tell you how i ever came by that name? Everyone has a nicknaame right?And most of us have no control over what name you get right? WELL!! It was no different for me,out of my control! Story has it,as a small child whenever Iwas outside playing I had the absurd habit of 'EATING' the bugs!!! YUP! right off the ground!Since my name is Lynn,...they just added ie... and Bug and theren you have it! It became in years to follow a source of many stories and muccch embarrassment to me! I cannot say if it is really true,would you like to be "famous" for such thing?!

Lena Mae my grandmother

This is Lena Mae Perkins,my grandmother!,with my father as a baby,isn't she beautiful!It was from her as my grandmother that I first knew some of how I would like to be a grandmother.

Funny that I thought of that as a child,but I did!She was the grandmother to the neighborhood children,I best remember her Saturdays,that was her "baking"day she made many things but her molasses cookies were the bessst!All the kids knew from the smell when they were ready and showed up at the screen door for their saturday treat!My own pie crust is the recipe I watched and helped her roll out countless times,and I have won many blue ribbons for that crust with my apple pie!One other of her homemaking habits I follow today[much to some peoples astonisment and woes,]is the ironing of my bed linens!! I love my sheets ironed ! this my grandmother did on Tuesdays' as Monday was washday!!I miss her still and would love to be there and smell the cookies,and sit in her rocker while watching small town life from the window.

Gramma,you were one of a kind,many years ago,i love you still. Lynnie Bug

learning curve!

Just got done working the week-end Trying to learn what this "blogging" is all about. some serious stuff out there!!Very complicated!? Seems so to me My comfort zone is a hospital!!Though I like my side of it!!!Labor and delivery as you know is my place,We have BIRTH PLANS out there,with parents to be wanting a lovely,low lights soft music,no episiotomy,do not mention or ask if they want"pain medicine" but get thee EPIDURAL!! at 2 cm's.They want the baby placed on their chest after birth to "bond" and they want the whole family there to witness this event! OK! I'm flexibleI love labor and have for 23/yrs,but we need some "new" birth plans based in reality.Labor is a painful process that affects not only the mother but the baby as well, I'm there to make sure you both are safe and healthy when it's over.Some of these "birth plans' would adapt better to "home" births.If you come to my hospital i have an obligation to see that you leave with a happy healthy baby and mom.I know there are lots' of horror stories out there,but there are wonderful ones as well.I'd like to see some reality before the process begins,not after. Any comments??

Hey!!!

What goes here? can't seem to keep my post up? been up to "browsing" sometimes you get in trouble with that!!! anyway want to post this before we loose it Stay tuned you never know what might transpire!!!

tucker

This is

This is #1 of my 4 "kids" Tucker was given to me by my son Dan. He was at a gas station of questionable repute,when Heather,Dans' wife need to use the restroom coming from tampa one day.He of course stopped at the place Heather would never go,but sooo! There sat tuck amongst the empty boxes,which he loves to this day,having been beat up by the large resident cat the owner said Take him,as someone dropped him here a while back. soo that was an exit called Tuckers Grade, so here he is THEE VERY BEST PRESENT I EVER GOT!!!

genealogy blog

I forgot!! See the grey matter is fading already! the blog site to go to if you want theeee best advice for that family search you are doing is Lord and Lady, oh by the way that "cad" "borrowed" my name,I created it many years ago in expectation of using it for a Bridal shop! I can still do bridal things though if you convo me at Etsy I'll be happy to create away your vision of lovliness!!! luv nana

help!!!!

nanas blog needs much help! If it weren'tfor that darn hospital I could get this in shape! 12/hr shifts are the focus of my life I see no immediate change.....! I will have to forget about housework! Then sit down and do this only problem is I get distracted by the many wonderful blogs out there and my etsy shop.. and many others!! Etsy is funnnn!!!! I have been trying to sew some "funky" kids things though.Actually nana desperayely needs to sell this house and get my "cottage" that I have always wanted However when the husband here has "delusions of grandeur" {hope I spelled that right! Anyway he does! Right now you can see his genealogy blog which looks wonderfulllll!!! I might add but then he's home all day!! Hardly seems fair does it??? I really hope to do this up right and offer up all the accumulated "suff"I have stored in the grey matter!!! Before it fades awayyyyyyy !!!

Tired!!!

how tired can you get? guess it's relative.start your day @0400 end it at next day@0015 that can do it!In between put in 14/hrs actually working for pay!!! I am charge @labor/delivery unit did not count deliveries yesterday but there were many.we do "normal" ,high risk,c-sections pre-term I guess we do it all mostly with too few nurses trying to cover for breaks??? for staff that is attending each delivery.baby back-up, means I actually "catch" the baby get them crying and breathing clearly weigh,measure,band for identity,a lot of charting!!! running to the next delivery handle admissions epidurals I do it all!!! and some days it does me in yesterday was one of those days.To say i'm tired and achy is just the tip of the iceberg!! Not going to run today!! hope to recover by monday when I can start the week again! Hope to hear from someone got lots of "advice" to moms -to-be new nurses whatever... send me your best!

where am i

sew nana has been looking to see what this blogging is all about,when you spend your whole life for others you get in a rut! not that that's not good but moderation is good,not forgetting yourself is good! so let's see what we can come up with!! That i can sew is without saying,so much i used to do,and put aside. never Nanas'first advice is not to forget yourself! will find pictures to post,hope to hear from you guys out there soon, Advice?? what are nanas for? I am also a very busy labor and delivery nurse! 23 yrs need some pointers? what to expect? Ask away !!!

so where am I

in n.y. actually not much time to post but will be returning to florida tuesday then work for 3 -12's at hospital sat. will be spent at driving course, got a ticket going to that workplace at 0600 on a sunday morn. go figure! catch some real "bad" guys not a nurse going to work going 47 mph on a "cow country road" hope I see them (the cop) when they deliver their first... or next ! no professional courtesy for that guy! see ya love nana

i guess i did not mention my ETSY site it is nanasaccumulations@etsy.com see what you think oh by the way there may be some jewelry on there that our resident artisan 83 y/o makes available also or custom crystal jewelry by e-mailing us i'm trying to navigate this whole computer experience nursing 12 hr. shifts leaves little time. and in case you are wondering where nana is thursday she will be at work from 0600-2030 back by sat. i hope , love nana

finally i have been having trouble with signing in now today i am in my sewing room herb bags are the task of the day then they will go to people i care about also on my ETSY SITE for sale they are wonderful and aromatic great to relax with or use for tired eyes or headache visit ETSY to see for yourself have a great day! nana