telling the truth

Tonight I'm "living the dream." At home on a Friday night sitting by a warm crackling fire, with the choice to read, set puzzle, or blog. Nothing could be more comfortable for an introvert.

Life has been fairly uneventful the past few weeks, which is actually a blessing, but doesn't generate much writing inspiration. Something did happen today that I thought I'd write about. To tell what happened, I first need to give some background information.

We pharmacy technicians are scheduled to do a nursing unit review once a month. Each tech has a specific area assigned to them with a checklist of tasks. Every nursing floor has two medication rooms and a supply room. Most of the nursing unit review is focused on these areas. Supply rooms have hundreds of items, such as lab tubes, IV supplies, toiletries, dressings and bandages, and other nursing necessities. Medication rooms each have a Pyxis machine where drugs are dispensed and cabinets stocked with supplies used for giving meds, such as needles and syringes. We go through all these items, looking for any expired products. The Pyxis machine needs to be cleaned and code carts opened and searched for expired items. We also randomly check approximately 4 patients to make sure IV tubings are tagged properly and antibiotics and other drugs given on time. 

The nursing unit assigned to me is one of the smaller ones, so I volunteered to take on another one when someone recently quit. February was the first time I did the new unit, and it took me quite a long time since it's one of the messiest and I did some extra cleaning. We are only scheduled one day to do our review, so I ended up getting only one of my two nursing units done. Today our lead technician asked me if I had done my second unit, and when I told her I hadn't, she said, "We're just going to make it look like you did and fill out the paper." When she brought me the paper to sign I said I couldn't do that because I felt like it was lying. By her reaction, I couldn't quite tell what she was thinking but it seemed she was slightly disgusted. She said, "Can you do it today then? How long do you think it will take?" It was around 11:30, I hadn't had lunch yet, and was only working till 3:30.  I told her I could probably do it 1-2 hours, and thankfully there were enough other techs working that someone could take over what I was doing in the pharmacy. 

I didn't have much time to think of how to respond in this situation, and it was my superior asking me to falsify information, so I wasn't quite sure at first what to do. When she wanted me to sign the paper though, it became quite clear to me I couldn't go along with it. There's been other times when I wondered if I had been completely honest, or just being tormented with doubt. I'm glad it was so obviously wrong to me this time. 

winter walk

A couple times this winter I've went on a walk after work at a nearby park. I knew this park was close by, but didn't realize how lovely and historic a location it was!

Click picture to enlarge and zoom in

I begin at Berks County Heritage Center (#3 on above map), and walk along the Union Canal Trail past Red Bridge and Gring's Mill (#5, 6, 8). All along the path, Tulpehocken Creek gurgles by.

Tulpehocken Creek along Union Canal Trail

Red Bridge, spanning Tulpehocken Creek 

Originally known as Wertz's Bridge, Red Bridge was built in 1867 and is the longest covered bridge in Pennsylvania. 

Gring's Mill and Farmhouse

The grist mill was built in 1811 and farmhouse in 1831. To reach the mill and farmstead from across the creek, a bridge is built over a small dam. Stopping to watch and listen to the rushing water is a must!

Gring's Mill bridge and dam

This stone house adjoins the bridge and dam

Scott Althouse, a dye manufacturer, built the dam and bridge around 1931 to create direct electricity used in a paint making process.

Remains of the Union Canal

I only learned this today, but remnants of the Union Canal can be seen alongside Tulpehocken Creek. At one time, this canal ran 82 miles, connecting the Schuylkill and Susquehanna rivers. Construction began in 1792 during George Washington's presidency. The canal was used to transport coal and lumber to Philadelphia until the 1880's. Wow! To hear the stories those trees and canal banks could tell of days gone by!

What a beautiful place to take in the beauty of nature! Even though the trees are bare and it was a biting cold day, the loveliness was still there. My walk also took me over this cantilever footbridge.

The very best part of this winter walk was when I happened to see a patch of small bright yellow flowers along the trail. They weren't crocuses, and I don't remember seeing anything like them before. It felt like a new discovery! How could anything so brilliant be blooming on this bitterly cold day? I found out they're called winter aconite, and are part of the buttercup family.

When I started looking, I saw they were all along the trail in patches of woods where the sun shone through. These tiny bloomers totally made my day!

I had almost convinced myself I was too tired to go on a walk, but am so glad I didn't skip it. Hopefully I'll remember that next time! I can't wait to see how the trail changes as spring comes. If it's beautiful now, how gorgeous will it be then??

winter mood

It's been too long since I've blogged. Maybe it's the winter blues, or the fact that I was sick for two solid weeks, or because I've been spending most of my spare time working on puzzles. Somehow there hasn't been an inspiration or topic to write about. So I'll just write what comes to me now.

It has been such a gray, dreary winter. There hasn't been any snow to speak of, neither has it been bitter cold. It's just day after day of clouds and weak light. There was one day last week of clear blue skies and sunshine that reminded me again how glorious a sunny day is. On the positive side, I spend most of my days inside with no windows anyway, which is actually more of a trial when it's a beautiful day. Winter has its blessings, the greatest of which is evenings spent working on a puzzle in a warm basement with the fire going. I've been working on a 2000 piece for the last while. Usually I don't save them, but this one is pretty magnificent, so I'm thinking about gluing it together when I'm done.

A couple weeks ago I bought an Instant Pot and have been trying it out. There was one recipe I threw away, but otherwise everything I've tried has turned out well. It seems like you're kind of limited to soups, meats, or goulash though. Those casserole type dishes might taste ok, but they just look sloppy. If you have any great recipes to share, let me know!

I'm enjoying this "home season" and choose to focus on that instead of the bleakness of winter. Spring will be here before we know it!

To my students

To the students who were in my classroom between 2013 - 2016:

I just want to give you a glimpse of the thoughts I've been having. In some ways it seems like yesterday we were doing algebra on the chalkboard, having story time, and so much more in the 170 days (or more) you and I spent in the classroom. You may not remember it as clearly as I do, but those were some of the best days of my life. The passing of time makes all the good times stand out, but I acknowledge there were tough times too. Even though I tried my best, I made mistakes and failed. Hopefully I didn't cause any lasting damage.

Now you are all part of the youth group, and when I see you singing in front of church, or giving your testimony during revivals, I am filled with admiration. Every one of you has grown into a more mature, polished version of the younger you who sat in my classroom. It's so amazing to see the beautiful person you have become! I'm so proud of you.

Building relationships with my students didn't always come easy, but I want you to know I loved being your teacher. You might not have loved being my student, and that's ok! It doesn't change the fact that you will always be one of "my kids."

Love,

Miss Smith

to a new year

I love the feeling of a fresh start at the beginning of a new year. Who knows what might happen this year? That thought could be exciting or scary. 2020 is the beginning of a new decade and a leap year!

Although I'm not too good at keeping New Year's resolutions (ok, I'm terrible at it), I still like to reflect on the past year and dream of improving myself. It frustrates me that I can visualize something but really struggle to enact those good intentions. Any real advice on how to stay motivated and make new habits?

When looking ahead at a whole new year, it seems long and full of potential. But the days, weeks, and months fly by so fast. I find myself wondering if I'm doing anything worthwhile with my life. I'll turn 35 this year, and I would've thought at this point I'd have it figured out!

To start off the new year, I'll enjoy mom's pork and sauerkraut. Can't wait!

Happy New Year! 

best books 2019

Here's my list of favorites from the books I read this year. On a scale of 1 - 5, I'd rate most of these as a 4. I might've already mentioned some of these books in previous posts, but since they're ones I read this year, I'll mention them again.

Nonfiction: 

3 out of 4 of my top nonfiction books happen to be WWII escape stories. I love history, and it seems like so many of the books I read come from that time frame.

Destiny of the Republic
- Candice Millard
My review: I knew next to nothing about President James A. Garfield, and this book made him come alive. The assassination attempt and efforts to save his life especially interested me. The ignorance and incompetence of the doctor who took charge of his case made me angry! Garfield's patience during the suffering he endured was outstanding. He was a truly remarkable man.

The Long Walk
- Slavomir Rawicz
From goodreads: The harrowing true tale of seven escaped Soviet prisoners who desperately marched out of Siberia through China, the Gobi Desert, Tibet, and over the Himalayas to British India.
My review: An astonishing story of escape and survival. I rated this one 5 stars.

We Die Alone
- David Howarth
My review: This story of one man's escape from the Nazis during a battle in Norway and his subsequent attempts to reach Sweden is almost unbelievable. Battling exposure, frostbite, and starvation, Jan Baalsrud survived unimaginable conditions with the help of some villagers. Another 5 star book - it's a must read.

The Great Escape
- Paul Brickhill
My review: This book details the incredibly organized escape of 76 POW's from a German prison camp. The project required intense effort involving hundreds of prisoners, one of whom is the author. Unfortunately, the ending is not a happy one.


Historical fiction:

America's First Daughter
- Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie
My review: This novel draws from letters and original sources to tell the story of Thomas Jefferson's oldest daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph. It's a long book but very interesting! I learned more about Thomas Jefferson as well.

The Alice Network 
- Kate Quinn
My review: I've read many historical fiction novels set during WWII, but this one stands out. There are two storylines spanning both world wars. One is the story of a female spy during the Great War, and thirty years later an American college girl searching for her cousin in the aftermath of WWII.

Fiction:

These are the kinds of books I read for pleasure or as an escape. Nothing too remarkable or deep here!

The Secret Life of Bees
- Sue Monk Kidd
My review: Set in South Carolina in 1964, this book tells the story of 14-year-old Lily Owens, a white girl taken in by a trio of black beekeeping sisters. I fell in love with the characters and the tone of this book. It's my favorite out of the three.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
- Gail Honeyman
From goodreads: Meet Eleanor Oliphant: she struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding unnecessary human contact, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.
My review: I found this book funny in a sad way. The twist at the end was rather surprising.

Where the Crawdads Sing
- Delia Owens
From goodreads: For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand.
My review: A tale of love, murder, and mystery. Another surprise ending.


*Sometimes I get asked for book recommendations for teenagers or young adults. I wouldn't necessarily suggest any of these books for children, as they contain adult language, murder, romance, etc. I am working on a blog of book recommendations appropriate for young adults.

Best of 2019

It's always fun to reflect over the past year as we look forward to the beginning of a new year. Here's a few of the highlights from 2019. I've already blogged about most of these activities, so I won't go into too much detail. If you want to read more about it, I'll include a link to those blogs in the heading.

Kitchen facelift
Tearing off wallpaper, repainting, and putting up shiplap took a long time, but I love the new look!

Visiting my sister in her Kansas home
I'm so glad we made it a priority to visit Derek & Camille this spring, especially since they no longer live in Kansas! I got to see their newlywed house and help do some landscaping. We made good memories.

Summertime  
I don't have to say more!

Helping Chad & Keela move
It worked out for Cliff and I to spend a few days in Ohio helping Chad's move into their new house. It was a big job, but we had fun doing it!

Anniversary trip to Boston
We celebrated 15 years with a weekend trip to Boston, a place I'd always wanted to go. Whale watching and lounging at Castle Island looking over the Harbor were the best parts of the trip.

Not a highlight: Shelby & Kait moved to Tennessee 
This was an unhappy event. We loved having Shelby's live a few yards down the road from us and miss hanging out with them.

Swarey reunion
We waited three years for this! Good times.

Derek & Camille moved to Pennsylvania!
So nice to have a sister living near me.😍

Christmas in the Smokies
This is one I haven't blogged about, so maybe I'll go into a little more detail. We met Shelby & Kait in the Smokies for 4 nights and 3 days this past week. We rented a cabin high up in the mountains overlooking Pigeon Forge. (Here's a link to the place we stayed.) We did some touristy things, went to Cade's Cove, and ate at many delicious restaurants. Apparently Christmas is a popular time to visit the Smokies, because traffic was terrible and everything was packed. We still had a great time, though! It was a relaxing way to spend Christmas.

Other events
Cliff left his job at Spray Foam Insulation Services and went back to Bowers Sales & Rentals. He's happy there.

All in all, it was a good year. I'm very happy to be at the point in my job where I'm not new anymore and understand what's expected of me.

I thought of including my favorite books from this year but it looks like that will have to be a blog by itself!

Christmas stories

Today I read two short Christmas stories that made my day off even better! A new one for me was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. It's a great story! Kid's books are the best.

The other book was The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. I think I read it many years ago but had forgotten it.

I have to say, my all-time favorite is still A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I'm having fun telling the story through WhatsApp statuses this year.😄 My illustrated copy is displayed and referenced every year.

I want to give a shout-out to my 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teacher Mrs. Schmidt for instilling in me a love for this book. She'd read it every year in her incredible way. I think it's probably safe to say that her many students remember it to this day!

As a side note, last year I found this wonderful wooden four piece Christmas Carol series at an antique store. It's one of those things that grabbed me instantly and I knew they belonged to me.

Scrooge and Marley

Scrooge's flat

Fezziwig Warehouse 

Cratchit's house

Back to Christmas stories. Another classic favorite is O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham is a humorous Christmas story.

Any more Christmas books I should read?

work, food, and Christmas plans

My weekend at work 

I was ready to collapse after working Saturday and Sunday. Weekends can be brutal because there's only a few people working and sometimes the workload is the same as a weekday. This weekend there were only 2 pharmacists and 2 technicians. I was the only one making all the IV's, which the blister on my hand from pulling syringes can verify. Wintertime is our busy season. There's a large amount of IV antibiotics being used, and on Saturday I had to batch a lot of them (106 bags) to get us through the weekend. In addition, there were several CCU patients who were on IV sedatives, insulin drips, vasopressors, and end-of-life pain management. My other weekend responsibilities include cleaning all the hoods, (where we do the sterile compounding - for more details see this blog) inventory of our stock of IV antibiotics  and making sure there are enough to last 24 hours, watching the label printers and filling orders, and 3 cartfills (large batches of IV's that print every day). I ended up staying 45 minutes late both Saturday and Sunday to get somewhat caught up. I keep thinking of a Jordan B. Peterson podcast I listened to where he said, "The bulk of the work is done by a small minority of the people. The square root of the number of people who are doing the job do half the work. So if there's 10 people, 3 do half the work. For 100 people, 10 do half the work." Using that formula, if there's 4 people, 2 are doing half the work. That seems about right as it relates to my job! I certainly felt like I did the work of two people. Thankfully I'm off today so I can recover.

Easy, delicious treats
Someone brought these tasty pretzel M&M hugs to our Swarey reunion and I wanted to make a batch for the holidays.

Mariah and Allie came over Friday evening while Charles and SaraBeth went caroling, and we made these together. It's a perfect project for little helpers! The combination of sweet and salty hits the spot. Plus, they're pretty and so easy to make! Click here for the instructions.

Christmas preparations 
It's hard to believe Christmas is only 9 days away! I guess Christmas cards and letters are a thing of the past for me. It looks like a few people still have me on their list though, as I've received 3 cards. My family isn't getting together this year. Some have other plans, so Shelby's and we decided to meet in the Smokies for a few days. I worked last Christmas so was able to get off this year, and managed to get a few extra days between Christmas and New Year's. Time off during the holidays is very limited, so I figured we should do something since I was lucky enough to get it this year! A vacation in the Smokies will be perfect.

and the winner is...

Tina Koehn

won the giveaway! Each person's name was written on a piece of paper and carefully mixed up before I closed my eyes and picked. Tina told me she couldn't decide which item to choose, so I'm still considering which one to order. 

If anyone is interested, the signs can be purchased on Etsy from Misty Hollow Product Co, one of my favorite small businesses. I've ordered custom signs several times and been very happy with each one. This one is on my mantle right now.

Thanks to all who participated in the giveaway! It was so much fun I might have to do it again sometime!

Giveaway!!

It's been almost a year since I started blogging. To celebrate, I'm doing a giveaway! The winner will be able to choose between this Katie Daisy 2020 planner

Or your choice of one of these adorable mini wood beverage signs. I have the "hot tea" sign and love it!

To be entered in the drawing, comment below on what you would pick if you are the winner. The drawing will be done on Sunday evening, December 15.

Blogging has opened up a new outlet I never imagined I'd enjoy. This past year has been enriched because of it!

memories new and old

This has been a pleasant week - a ten day respite from work and wonderful family time! Every three years the Swarey family has a reunion and this time it was in Linden, Tennessee over Thanksgiving. We left a few days early and our whole family went to Shelby and Kait's to help work on their house. It was interesting having our 17 person group in their small house! We ladies cooked and helped unpack and set up the house while the men worked on hooking up appliances, doing electrical work, and framing up the carport to add an extra room. They have a nice setting in Henderson, Tennessee, and we had good times there!

Our reunion started with supper Wednesday evening. Out of the 138 descendants of Abe and Elsie Swarey, 134 attended. Our dear 86 year old grandmother Elsie is still with us, although not as active as she once was. She still sings beautifully and her stubborn streak is intact! On Thursday we had a time of sharing and one of the uncles had an interview with her about how it was for them coming out from the Amish. I learned some things I had never known before of how difficult and dark a time that was. Many people expressed their thankfulness for the decision our grandparents made. I wonder where we would all be if they had not broken away from their families and the faith they were raised in? It's evident their progeny have been blessed by our grandparents' willingness to follow God. I personally feel blessed to be a part of the Swarey lineage and am thankful we keep in touch the way we do. Nobody wants to miss these reunions because they are always filled with memories, laughter, beautiful singing, and good food.

The reunion was held at a Baptist conference center and fit our needs very well. It was one of the nicest places we've been to for a reunion, with the one exception of not having a kitchen at our disposal. Nevertheless, we managed to put on 5 meals and had 3 in the camp cafeteria. Thursday afternoon most of the group drove to Uncle Mel's shop for a demonstration of the original feed grinder that Grandpa and the uncles used to go around and grind feed for customers. As we watched the five uncles in their 50's work together to operate the machine, we could almost see them as young men in the prime of life. One of my cousins made a super neat barrel train and took the children for rides on the "reunion railroad". He dressed up as an old-time engineer and his "engine" blew out smoke and honked like a real train. The cars were decorated up like a UPS truck, fire engine, Case tractor, horse and buggy, and more! The kids loved it and I even took a ride in the buggy with one of my nieces!😄

These are some of the best times in life. It's a blessing to have a family that loves each other and enjoys spending time together. I'm so thankful for my grandparents and the heritage they gave us!

Friday night reflection

Friday nights are the best! (If you have the weekend off). It's such a wonderful feeling to know the work week is over and there's no reason to get up in the morning. A warm house and cozy bed add even more bliss.

The last few days at work have been extremely busy, which is normal for this time of year. People are being kept in the ER because there's no beds anywhere else. When the census is high it can get crazy, especially if there's some really sick people who need extra interventions. We can hardly keep up with all the medication requests sometimes. One of the evenings I worked this week there was a fire alarm. We can't use the elevators while that's going on, and I was getting ready to leave the pharmacy with a cart full of IV's and other meds. My shift was almost over and it was time to get them out, so I grabbed a big bin, put as much in as I could carry, and headed up two stories. It was a workout! My arms are still slightly sore.

Last night around 9:00 I answered a call in the pharmacy and it was our night shift tech calling off. I could tell he was upset and hardly comprehended when he said the mother of his daughter had committed suicide. I don't know much about his personal life, but don't think he was ever married to this lady. What a tragedy! That kind of news feels like a punch in the stomach. Today a pharmacist was telling a story about something that happened to his son last week. He was walking out of the garage where he parks for work when he heard a "splat".  A person had jumped from 2 stories above and landed about 10 feet away from where he was standing. How awful to be a witness to such trauma! There's so much sadness and misery in our world.

I don't want to end on a bleak tone, so maybe I'll count a few blessings since it's almost Thanksgiving. 

Thankful for

• Online shopping and grocery pickup
• I'm off all next week!
• It worked out for me to take time off between Christmas and New Year's 
• A reliable vehicle 
• Family nearby - and that Derek & Camille are moving here! 💜

Five favorite beauty products

Blog inspirations have been absent lately so I decided to write about some of my favorite beauty products to go along with my posts on favorite home and garden tools and favorite kitchen tools.

rose clay face mask

This is something I tried for the first time yesterday. My awesome sister-in-law SaraBeth recently started making candles, lotion, and other skincare items and generously gives me samples of her products. My face felt clean and refreshed after using this mask, and I really think it made my skin glow! Check out Sarabeth's Etsy shop here. If you're local, she also sells her products at her house.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment

This works wonders for healing cracks on hands or feet. I even use it as a lip moisturizer. Last week I accidentally nicked my finger with a strong blast from the pressure washer, which peeled the skin off. I covered it in Aquaphor and put a bandaid over it for several days and it quickly healed.

coconut oil moisturizing cream

I use this on my hands every night before going to bed. It's creamy but not greasy, and has a pleasant scent. It makes my dry hands and arms feel soft and moisturized.

Melaleuca Affinia shampoo

Many shampoos contain sulfate and other chemicals that can damage your hair. I have really thin hair and try to do all I can to keep it healthy. I've used this sulfate free shampoo and conditioner for years, and if I ever use a regular shampoo like Herbal Essence or Pantene, I can't believe the difference. My hair has more body and is much more manageable with Affinia shampoo.

MaryKay Timewise Moisturizer

This is my favorite facial moisturizer. It doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy or cause breakouts.

three years at St. Joe's

This week I passed my 3 year work anniversary. Sometimes my job feels humdrum, then other days I'm reminded of all the reasons I love what I do. Although there's drawbacks and downsides to every workplace, I'm still happy to be part of the Penn State Health St. Joseph team. Our hospital is small enough that you get to know a lot of the employees. There's a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Diversity is celebrated. I appreciate the fact that every morning, a prayer is said over the loudspeakers. My husband and I are provided with health insurance and savings for retirement.

Working in the pharmacy suits me very well. I'm involved in the medical field, which fascinates me, but don't have to do hands-on patient care. This means I don't have to deal with angry, difficult patients or family members. One of my nurse friends told me tonight, "I think you've found your niche." I have no idea what will happen in the next five years, but feel settled with where I am right now, even though some days I still long to be in the classroom or greenhouse.

This week we celebrated pharmacy week with various activities. I mentioned in another post how we vote on superlatives like "most helpful", "most likely to make you laugh", "pot stirrer", etc. I was given the "cool as a cucumber" award, which was flattering!

Often in the morning when I have to get ready for work I wish I didn't have a job and could have the pleasure of staying at home. But I'm so thankful I'm healthy enough to have a full time job. It's a blessing!