Wednesday, December 7, 2011

All in a day's work

Today was a rare day.  I am a nurse for a local Long Term Acute Care facility as well as an adjunct clinical nursing instructor for a local community college.  I am actually on my Christmas break from the c.c. and worked at the hospital today.  The hours are long, but the pay is pretty good.  There are so many without jobs right now, I consider myself extremely blessed to have more than one option.  It was a treat today that I was in a minor supervisory mode for some new nurses and I had a bit of a break from the usual duties.  That is not to say that I did not have to work...it was just a nice break.  Tomorrow, I expect activities to resume as usual. 
The Christmas decorations are going up all around us and it is quite nice.  I do not feel the same giddy feeling as we aproach the Christmas holiday, when I look forward to the gifts, but this year more than others, I feel the desire to give more of myself.  I hope that I am able to make someone's time around me more pleasant and hopeful. 
I made my first batch of soap yesterday and when I came in tonight, I cut it.  It still needs a good bit of drying to do.  I will list pictures and the recipe later this weekend.  I have been watching other blogs and searching for the perfect first recipe.  I hope this one turns out great.  I like to make many personal items from scratch, but not all people enjoy that, so I will list easy almost homemade alternatives as well.
I have always had a desire to save money and time, but I have not always been as frugal as I should be.  It has been in the last several years that our family's passion to do more with less really began. 
On August 29, 2005 hurricane Katrina hit the MS/LA/AL Gulf Coast with a vengeance.  We live approximately 50 miles from the water, but it still gave us grave damage around here.  Our mobile home was blown off of its foundation and was left hanging in a twisted shape while we fought our insurance company for a reasonable payout.  We were purged of about 40% of our belongings.  I use to hold on to everything, but after filling bag after bag of broken stuff and living in a FEMA camper for 17 months, we developed a simpler appreciation for life and the things around us.
We were all alive, unharmed, and with adequate shelter.  What else could you ask for.  Granted we were nearly stir crazy after being cooped up and I was rather tired of uncovering my washer and dryer from the tarp outside and cranking up the generator in order to launder our clothes, at least we still had a washer and dryer.  I could have been washing our clothes in a tub and wringing them out by hand. 
We are survivors.  There is no alternative for us.  Either you trust the Lord and keep pressing forward or you give up and die.
The things of this world do not have as much a hold on me as they use to and I thank the Lord for that.  He heals all wounds.  Without holding onto the Lord, we could have been very bitter after Katrina demanding our "fair share" in life, but we chose to see all events as growing lessons and stepping stones. 
This world and it's things are temporary.  Some day, I will be walking on that golden road with Jesus and I will not care about those broken dishes, craft supplies, or furniture.  I hope and pray that you also have a deep appreciation for the simple things in life.  God bless and good night.

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