Awesome weather

I had a great walk with my hubby today.  He had a rare day off and we made the most of it.  We walked around the lake, now lush and green with leaves and branches hanging across our path.  It was pretty sticky, but still a lovely day.  We checked on the progress of 2 properties that had their buckthorn removed.  Now the other non-invasive species have a fighting chance for survival.  It totally changed the landscape.  It is a lot of work to get rid of the buckthorn in  an area, but the pay back is enormous.   Later in the day, we were driving down a dirt road and we spied a Great Egret perched in a tree right next to the road.  I haven't seen that too many times in my life.  In the blink of an eye, we spotted a male belted Kingfisher on a fence overlooking a stream.

It's amazing what one can see when we slow down to look around us!

Physical Pain vs. Spiritual Pain

I just visited with one of my amazing patients yesterday.  I was struck by her honesty and candor.  When I was there I asked if she was in any pain.  She was not.  In hospice, the goal is for the patients to be as pain free as possible.  
I had just spent 90 minutes at an in-service dealing with physical vs. spiritual pain.  The premise was that if a patient has unresolved spiritual pain, it can manifest in physical symptoms, or it can be misunderstood by the patient and/or caregivers as physical pain.  Often the result is medication.  
What my dear friend and I got to is that she is frightened.  She knows that she is in hospice, and that her time is limited.  What she was wondering about was if her new declined state would be the new status quo or if she was in a downward spiral.  I spent some very treasured time just listening to her concerns and letting her cry while we held hands.  Then we talked about what it might mean if this was the "new her" or if things were going to decline. 
It was an important moment for me.  I realized that upon initially asking her if she was in pain, both of us were thinking of the physical pain that she is asked about countless times each day.  What she needed to come to grips with and let out was the spiritual pain of the uncertainty that she was feeling.  That took some time and talking to uncover.  So often, the care-givers are rushed due to their mountainous work load, and they don't have the time to just sit and talk.  
My wish for everyone, patient and care-giver, is that there is someone in their lives who can just come and sit.  Sometimes, the patient is in need of a good listener and hand-holder, and sometimes that is the need of the care-giver. 
A dear, dear friend of mine just lost her father to cancer.  She ran herself ragged between her family in one town, and her parent's home in a town 4 hours away.  She didn't know how long any of them had.  She shared with me, the hours that she laid in bed with her father.  They just talked, or looked at photos, or even watched bad daytime tv together.  She told me that the memories from that time are among her most precious. I don't know if she remembers how many loads of laundry she did, or how many bedpans she emptied, but she has crystal clarity of the times when the two of them were just quietly together.  It gave them time to talk about her father's hopes, fears, and the mark that he left on this earth and in the heart of everyone who knew him.  What an amazing gift!

Pay attention to the spiritual care of the family.  Find the help that makes it possible to "just be" sometimes, and see what comes up for exploration or release. It is the ultimate gift!

Mystery Solved

Well, I have been scratching my head at the lack of blooming plants in my back gardens.  Upon closer inspection over the weekend, I saw that the top of my phlox had been eaten.  I wondered if the pesky rabbits were to blame.  This morning I was sitting on my screen porch writing in my journal when the cats went to high alert.  I looked up to see what had gotten their attention.  A doe and two fawn were ambling across my back yard on their way to the woods.  It was amazing to see, and it helped me to solve the mystery of the chewed up plants! 

Last night while chatting with neighbors, one reported that there had been a coyote sighting less than a mile away.  Sometimes I forget that we really are out in the country.  It reminded me that years ago a friend was telling me about a coyote pack that was roaming a suburb.  Small children had to be supervised when outside, and pets that were leashed or in electric fencing were in danger.  The dogs were confined to the invisible fence or leash, but the coyotes were not, and they used that to their advantage while hunting.  It feels a bit like Wild Kingdom around here lately.

I did have a great bird sighting over the 4th.  I was on the Lake Woebegon trail up near St. John's University when I spotted a red bird dart by.  I realized that it wasn't a cardinal because the wings were black.  I looked it up and sure enough, it was a Scarlet Tanager.  I have only seen two of those in my life time.  We were roller blading on the trail and trying to find another wonder- a crop of wild lady slippper that was blooming.  We had to make two trips to find it, and it was almost spent.  The heat of the weekend had faded what must have been amazing blooms! 

Home for Sale - Ready to Show in Record Time!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my family has decided to move after 10 years in our current home.  It got me to thinking about people who are in a similar situation, or are having to clear out the home of a parent of loved one.  
Getting the home market-ready can be very straight forward.  Here are a few steps that I found really helpful!

1. Brighten up any high traffic or damaged areas with a fresh coat of paint.
2. Get rid of knick-knacks, family photos, valuables, and clutter.
3. Remove excess furniture.  People have to envision their belongings in empty spots.
4. Call a foundation such as the Epilepsy or Lupus foundation to donate items that are no longer needed, or consider holding an estate or garage sale.
5. Rent a storage space for excess:  mowers, furniture, off season clothing etc...
6. Wash windows and screens and do a deep cleaning.
7. If you have more than one bathroom, consider using just one.  It makes cleaning a snap!
8. Brighten up the entry with a new welcome mat.
9. Play soft music, classical or jazz during showings or open houses.
10. Neutralize all odors:  food, pet, perfume, etc.  We often can't smell things that we're used to.  Bring in a trusted friend and ask them to be honest about what they smell. 
11. Wait to put the property on the market until you can be fully behind selling it.  If you can't easily resonate with the sale, get professional help to discover what you are holding on to by holding the property.  With your positive energy working for you, it will sell in a snap!

Long time no Post

Well, I could hardly believe it when I logged into my blog this morning.  I haven't posted in almost one month.  Life has been lived full steam ahead.  

Western Painted Turtle

We are still walking every morning, and now the lake path is surrounded by greenery and flowering shrubs as well as wildflowers.  The goslings are getting big, and the turtles are laying eggs everywhere!  I found a huge snapping turtle in my back yard last week, and we are several blocks from water.  We watched a painted turtle laying eggs in a hole it had dug right next to the path.
Two days ago, the lake was magical!  I was walking alone and didn't see anyone else on my trek.  There was a fog rolling across the lake while a light mist fell.  It was stunning.  I felt so fortunate to be out in nature. 
My days have been filled with regular life in addition to visiting a family member in the hospital.  He had a planned surgery, but it was pretty major, and he ended up spending 10 days in the hospital before moving to a nursing home for transitional care. 
I have been working several jobs since my last posting.  I have started cleaning for a few clients, I planned and worked an estate sale, and I helped run a funeral luncheon in someone's home.
In the midst of all of this activity, my family decided to sell our home of 10 years and move to the country.  I had to do some interior painting and some landscape work.   I have found some great tips to be ready for showings in record time.  I will make a separate post for that.  
I am hoping that we are in a routine now, and that I can start to post regularly again.  I miss seeing the world through the eyes of someone who wants to share its beauty with everyone!

Rainy then Perfect!

Last Saturday I walked with a friend in the rain and wind.  After 90 minutes, I'm not sure that there was a dry spot on either one of us.  Neither one of us cared though, because the alternative was to watch the weather from under a blanket eating chocolates.  It felt so wonderful to be so invigorated, even if we were soaked!

Fast forward to today, Monday.  My hubby and I walked under unbelievable sunshine.  A male rose breasted Grosbeak greeted us on the path.  He just perched and looked at me while I looked at him.  They are quite stunning, but I've always thought quite shy, until today.  At our blessings pause point, we were both so thankful for such an unbelievable day, and that we got to be out in it literally soaking it up and savoring it.  It was a treat. 

The Goslings Have Hatched

I had a rare treat today and got outside to walk at lunchtime.  I walked down to a different section of the lake and was so delighted that I did.  I saw 3 pair of Canadian geese and each pair had goslings trailing behind them.  One couple had 5, one had 4, and one had 3.  I will keep watch over the next several weeks, but I imagine that a few will be lost to the hawks and the eagles in the area.  It's a sad reality but a very natural part of the cycle of nature.  It sure was fun today to see the downy little chicks; it put a big smile on my face.  On the way home I saw 2 male mallards and one female perched on the neighbor's roof.  It seems like  a very odd place to hang out.  I wondered if they were planning on staying there or if they just liked the view from their perch.