Sunday, April 29, 2012

X is for eX husbands

I have two exes.  So pathetic so admit.  I couldn't make not one marriage work but TWO.  Maybe marriage just isn't for me.  I am a strong, independent well-educated woman.  I can be stubborn. I have high expectations.  I guess those attributes don't make for a good wife?  I'm feeling really down right now and I don't want to end up alone, but I don't see myself getting married a third time, that just seems ridiculous. 

Working with cancer patients, the one consistent thing is that many have their spouses devotedly at their bedside.  Sure, the kids visit, but it's the spouse who is there night and day.  Now I think if God forbid one day I am in that situation and I am lying there, dying all alone...depressing thought.  I will pray that God finds someone for me and that I can be happy one day.

W is for Way Too Late

Those of you who were following my blog before the A to Z challenge will know that my husband and I have been having problems for about a year now.  Last October we separated for four months, then reconciled.  Since he's been back, things have not been any better than they were before, and actually I'd say things have been worse.  I really wanted to give it one more try, I truly wanted us to work out.  But now I realize that we probably should have stayed apart because now I have to start the grieving process all over again. If we had stayed apart then I would be farther down the road to recovery.  Oh well, live and learn.  I have learned a lot from this relationship and have a beautiful daughter from the relationship, so I will take the positives that came from it and try not to wallow in self pity for too long...

V is for Very Grateful

Every time I go to work, I care for very sick and/or dying people.  As depressing as it sounds, and don't get me wrong--sometimes it is--it makes me so much more cognizant of my good fortune to have my health.  I am so grateful and thank God each day that I am healthy and able to help those who are not. 

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

U is for "Up Front and Personal"


Sounded like a deep blog post, didn't it?  Nope.  Just one of my favorite colors from OPI.  It's a microshimmer and it's a lovely, regal, subtly, sparkled gold color.  It takes 4-5 coats to achieve this look, but it's worth it!  I receive compliments everytime I wear it. 

T is for Tripp

Photobucket


I am dedicating T day to Tripp Roth, from my favorite blog, "EBing a Mommy"  Tripp passed away recently from a rare genetic disease called epidermolysis bullosa.  He lived to be just over two years old and his mother, Courtney, is nothing short of an inspiration. 

I happened to come across the blog by chance, and I have been mezmorized with Courtney and Tripp's story ever since.  I highly recommend checking it out.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

S is for Sand

To go along with my "O" post, I am posting about the beautiful sands I have seen at beaches.  There have been the black and pink sands of Hawaii:


the golden yellow sands of the west coast, the tan sands of Mexico, but prettiest sand so far that I have seen is in the Bahamas.  It was a fine, near white, gorgeous sand. 

Sand feels good underneath your feet, kids (and adults)! can play in and with it, and it's the perfect color compliment to a deep blue or turquoise ocean.  Here are some photos from the Bahamas:



R is for Rabbits









One of my favorite things about Spring is the rabbits that are running and hopping about!  I don't know why, but every time I see one I get so excited.  They are so cute, and their little "cotton tails" are so adorable as they jump away.  One Spring, we had a rabbit nest in our back yard.  My son discovered it and it so so well concealed, we were afraid the lawn people would run over it and harm the babies.  I went to the store and bought four stakes and a "caution" streamer and put it around the nest. A few days later when we went to check on the bunnies, they were gone!  I hope that the momma bunny just moved them to a safer location, but we were so worried that a bigger animal had eaten them...

No more rabbit nests since then, but plenty of super cute rabbits running around this year!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Q is for Quiet



Peace and quiet.  It's something I don't get often.  At home it's the three kids and three dogs yelling and barking.  At work it's the constant beeping and buzzing of call lights, IV pumps, bed alarms, phones and pagers.  After a long shift at work I like to get into my car, turn off the radio, and have a peaceful, quiet ride home.  When I get home after the kids are in bed I like to take a hot bath and just listen to the silence.   Quiet is a luxury to me, but then I think of the day that the house won't be buzzing with the sound of my children's laughter and the dogs protectively barking, and I do believe I will miss it! Go figure. 

Happy Q day everyone!

P is for Poop

Ok, this post will be a bit off beat.  When I was thinking about what to write for P day, the first thing that came to mind was, well, poop.  Let me explain:

My day starts with changing the baby's diaper.  Usually poopy.  Then, I walk all three dogs which includes 3 poops, the equivalent of I'd say 3-4 pounds worth.   Then it's off to work where I encounter poop either in the form of collecting stool samples, or cleaning up accidents from ill and or incontinent patients.  Then after 13 hours, it's back home where usually 2 out of the three dogs have had poop accidents in the house. One more poopy diaper from my daughter completes my day of poop. 

Sorry to be gross and frank.  But hey, at least I'm sparing you a pic !!

Happy P day ya'll!!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

O is for Ocean

Oceans are what calm my soul the most.  Something about the warm, salty air, the wind blowing a gentle breeze toward me, and the sun dancing off the of the multi-toned blue waters just puts me at ease. Whether by them, or on them, oceans are where I feel the most content.  Here are a few I have been to that I absolutely love! 


Mexico
Hawaii

Bahamas

Hilton Head, South Carolina

Happy O Day!!!

Monday, April 16, 2012

N is for NARS (orgasm)

No, it's not what you think it is.  It my favorite color blush from NARS, called Orgasm!  It's the perfect peachy coral.  It's a sparkly, happy color that looks great on my cheeks day or night.  A perfect golden tone with just enough color to make it pop, I have used it for years and I could never change! If you are ever in the market for a new or fun blush, try Orgasm, by NARS.


Sunday, April 15, 2012

M is for Mary

Yesterday was my grandmother's funeral.  She passed away a few weeks ago at 90 years old.  My grandma Mary was the most influential women I have had in my life.  She is who I want to be and I strive to come even close to the woman that she was.  A mother of 7 children, grandmother of 12 grandchildren, and great-grandmother of 16 great-grandchildren, and loving wife of 70 years to my grandfather.  She was an army nurse in Word War II and as a child I aways enjoyed hearing her stories.  She is who inspired me to become a nurse myself.

  My mother and sister and I lived with my grandparents off and on throughout my childhood, as things were always unstable with my mother and father.  My father passed away when I was10 years old.  It was that point that we moved in for a long period with my grandparents until my mother could get back on her feet again.  Even after we moved into our own place, my grandparents were just down the street and I enjoyed visiting my grandma Mary often.  We had so much in common-shopping, fashion, "sparkly things" (as in jewelry)!  I remember my grandma understanding me even more than my mother did.  I loved everything about her.  Her smell, her pretty face, but most of all her laugh.  I will never as long as I live forget that hearty, almost hysterical laugh.  And the facial expressions she made while laughing were equally priceless. 

My grandfather died almost exactly a year ago, and they say that once one goes, the other won't be too far behind.  That was true in this case, although my grandma didn't really even remember my grandpa anymore.  We lost her about 7 years ago to dementia and Alzheimer's. Can you imagine not remembering the man you were married to for over 70 years?  Every time I visited her she would ask the same questions over and over again, and that eventually it turned into less and less memory and recognition.  My last visit to her she seemed to remember me, but didn't recall my children, although bless her soul she was good at pretending she did! 

 I remember after my grandfather's funeral, which she was too ill to attend, my uncle and cousins and I showed her a photo of her and grandpa together and said, "this is you and Jack, he passed away and we had his funeral today".  She stared for awhile at the photo of the two of them, then touched it and said, "oh he looks like such a nice man, bless his heart".  Tears welled up in all of our eyes at her complete lack of being able to grasp his death, though we also saw it as a blessing in disguise.

I will end this post with the two pieces of advice that my grandma Mary gave to me that will always stick with me.  She told me that to be a good mother, you cannot have one selfish bone in your body.  And on marriage, she said, "never marry a man who is prettier than you, or you will always wonder if the girls are trying to steal him!" I laugh out loud every time I tell that one :-)

Rest in peace grandma Mary, you will be missed, loved, and cherished forever.


L is for Lisa!

Yes, that's me.  Loving, loyal, likable, loves to laugh, sometimes leary, often let down, loves to learn, usually late and lover of life.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

K is for Karma

Karma is real.  I have learned this the hard way.  If you want good things to come to you in life, you have to live your best life possible.  Nobody is perfect, but I believe we need to try our hardest.  The universe has a way of making sure we get what we deserve.  Sometimes that means we get good things sent to us, and sometimes we must learn our lessons by living through what we have put others through.  Life has a funny way of balancing itself out... 

J is for Juicy Couture







A bit of a superficial indulgence, but I happen to absolutely love Juicy Couture terry suits.  They are super comfy, super cute, and fit my body just right.  I have tried other terry suits, but it just isn't the same!  And I just love the little "J" on the zipper.  They are expensive, so I have only owned a few, but they last forever!  On a trip to South Carolina I actually found a Juicy outlet and went nuts because the prices were so low (comparatively speaking).  Besides being comfy and flattering, they come in wonderful colors!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

I is for I love my IPHONE!!

Ah the iPhone. What did I ever do without it? "I don't know" is the answer!! It's my life, yes I have actually squeezed my entire life into my phone. Calendar dates, appointments, contacts, music, video, audiobooks, games, reminders, recordings, and a whole wealth of information at my fingertips via the good 'old world wide web. Heck I don't even have anyone's phone number memorized anymore ( which is a horrible thing when I forget my phone at home). Bottom line, it's sad that I have become so reliant on one piece of technology, but I wouldn't trade it for anything (except for maybe an iPad) ;-)

Happy I day A to Zers!!!



Monday, April 9, 2012

H is for HARD WORK

Now, I am not complaining, just trying to give you an idea of a typical day in the life of Lisa.  Keep in mind that I have a husband who is more like a fourth child than an equal or a partner.

My alarm goes off at 5:00 AM.  I work out if I have gotten a decent night's sleep.  If not, I make a pot of coffee and go through the mail and my kids' backpacks and sign and organize things.  I go to shower, make kids lunch, get all three little angels up, and intermittently get my self ready for work while feeding them breakfast.  At 6:15 AM I am out the door for a long 12 hours at the hospital.  My husband takes everyone to school. 

I care for the ill and injured (which I really do love) all day and usually don't get out of work until 8:00PM or so.  Then I cannot go home yet, as much as I miss my kids and as much as my bed calls to me.  I have to stop by my mother's on the way home, because she herself is ill.  I make my little house call to her, make sure she is okay and help her with what she needs and when she is settled into bed I say goodbye and finally head home.

Now it is about 9:30 PM and I have been gone since 6:15 AM, and have probably had a 30 minute break since I rose out of bed (but not all at once).
I am home but now it is time to gets the kids' homework checked and put them to bed.  Then I clean up, put away dishes walk the dogs and usually throw in a load or two of laundry.  I pass out cold by 10:30 PM or 11:00PM.

So that's a day in the life of Lisa!  Lots of hard work!

G is for Girl POWER!!!

Yes, that catchy popular phrase that The Spice Girls started back in the 90s!  I love it, as it really embraces all that we are as women in one neat little phrase.  Women balance work, family, household, chores, errands, social life, and we do it all sometimes getting nothing in return.  I am not sexist, but I do believe we are the stronger sex.  Sorry guys.  When you do all of the above PLUS do it 9 months pregnant, we'll talk!

Happy G day! Girl Power!!!!!

Friday, April 6, 2012

F is for FISHING

My favorite F word, other than when I get really mad...is fishing! Ha ha.  My kids and I love to go fishing in the summer and fall, and Illinois has many  ponds, rivers and lakes to choose from!

A funny fishing story (it's funny now but at the time was a catastrophe) is the time my boys and I went fishing at a local lake and my oldest son caught 12 fish, almost all in a row.  It was bizarre!  Every time he cast his pole, within 10 seconds he'd have a bite.  My younger son and I were just laughing and gasping in awe.  My eldest had suddenly become some kind of "fish whisperer"!  They were all Blue Gill of modest size, but never the less, it was impressive for a 10 year-old.  Blue Gill don't have to be thrown back so we kept a couple and decided to bring them home and try to prepare and cook them.  My husband helped with the gross part and I cooked them.  Both sons took a bite or two and decided they didn't like it.  I tried a couple bites, but they were right, it didn't taste great. 

Fast forward a couple hours later as we were all getting ready for bed and my younger son starts saying his tummy hurts.  Within minutes he began puking his brains out all over the floor.  Wondering why he had thrown up I dismissed it after cleaning the mess.  A couple minutes after the incident, my older son looses it all over the floor which is followed my my younger son following suit for a second time.  Not too long after that, I got my turn.  All through the night, the three of us took turns and it was miserable!

Being a nurse, I am pretty sure it couldn't have been the fish seeing as how we each only had a couple bites, so I dismissed the whole ordeal as a stomach flu.  However, my husband and daughter never got sick and they are the only ones who didn't try the fish, so who knows?  All I do know is that neither of my sons or I will ever eat Blue Gill again!!

Here are pics from the exciting day:




Happy F day A to Z peeps!

E is for E!

The E! Television network is something I could watch all day long ! I am totally addicted to all things Kardashian, the Soup, Chelsea Handler--you name it!

Yes it's a guilty pleasure but it's entertaining and after a long day at the hospital it's just the mindless diversion I need to clear my head!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

D is for Dogs

My favorite thing that starts with D is my DOGS!  They are sometimes funny, sometimes smart, sometimes not so smart...but always loving.  Dogs don't judge or love you with limits and conditions. 
Butter is my Chihuahua and he is anything but the typical Chihuahua.  He is sweet and quiet, and is so gentle, even when my 20 month-old daughter picks him up awkwardly.  This is him:
Then there is the old gal Carmel.  She is so well behaved, and never wants for anything.  She is just happy to have a family that loves her!  She loves belly rubs and the dog park.  Here she is with Butter:
Lastly there is the newest member of our family, Moose.  We adopted her from the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society around Christmas time.  She has a long way to go before she's trained, but we love her and think she's the smartest of our clan.  She is a Dachshund-Beagle mix:

So there they are! Happy D Day of A to Z!

C is for...CUPCAKES!!


So I decided that I will make the remaining letters of the A to Z challenge a "my favorite things" theme. When I think of "C", without hesitation I think of cupcakes. They make me so happy, they are so pretty and of course fun to eat! Here are some pics of my favorite cupcakes. Enjoy and try not to drool on your keyboard ;-)!!






Monday, April 2, 2012

(A is for)...Aww, (B is for) Bummer

Darn it!  I worked a 12 hour shift at the hospital yesterday so I completely forgot it was the first day of the A to Z challenge!  Hopefully I will be pardoned since I was taking care of the ill...:-)

So Aww Bummer I got off to a late start!