Friday's FAVE Five ~ Garden of Beauty

Some weeks are slower than others.

It's been rainy outside...and so the gardening is waiting.

I can't wait till that sun appears again.
We'll all be making fast dashes to the garden shops.
Maybe we can make a competition out of it.

Today I'm sharing some photos that represent relationships.
Five special people inspired me this week.

You are my Sunshine!
You are a burst of energy.
Thanks for your sharing your heart with me.

We share life...
We care....about the same things.
Life can drive us crazy, but we know what to do...
Let's eat more hot dogs, pizza and Putine.

You have a way of peering into my life.
You gave me what I needed this week.
"Don't ask Why, but rather ask What?"

You are always just a heart beat away.
Thanks for bringing fresh beauty into my life.
There's nothing more rewarding, than a walk in life.

You know how to make me feel appreciated.
Always budding with new experiences and ideas.
You've touched my life this week.

If you want to join in and have some fun,
go ahead and share your highlights with us this week.
Jump over to Susanne's blog and catch up.
Thanks for graciously hosting this site, Susanne.

Have a great weekend.

Welcome to our New ER!!

Welcome to our 'New ER Digs' in Chilliwack.

We have been peering through and behind this plastic tarp for months. The Chilliwack Hospital Redevelopment Project broke ground in November 2008, and we've all been secluded from this area. No one, but no one had permission to go behind these drapes, except the construction workers, contractors, and project managers. We have all been waiting for the moment in which it will be unveiled.

The day finally arrived, that all volunteers from the ER unit were invited to take the tour. We had over 15 volunteers eagerly join us for this once in a life time opportunity. Meanwhile we were prepping ourselves with our new Fraser Health vests made specifically for this occasion.

Many times I have been asked, "What do volunteers do in ER?" This position is highly reserved for retired professionals and young students entering the medical field. Volunteers are the FACE of our ER unit and they help liaison and give support between patients, and visitors, providing traffic flow to the reception and triage stations. The volunteers become strong advocates for the hospital , department, staff and physicians. One of our volunteers made a well put statement.

"We, Volunteers, Help Put the CARE in HEALTH CARE."

The new facilities include seclusion rooms, a separate pediatric waiting area, a new triage assessment bay, acute bays, minor treatment areas, observation rooms, and isolation areas
Hopefully this will enhance patient safety, increase quality of care and provide the hospital with the space for future growth..
One special feature is the additional space for a pilot program for a 'hot-stroke' protocol. This protocol allows potential stroke patients to video-conference with a neurologist in Vancouver to ensure that treatment takes place quickly to prevent stroked damage. This is truly a state of the art emergency room. The new facilities opened April 21, 2010.

On Wednesday, April 21, both ER's were buzzing...as that day, we had many volunteers assisting in the change over... in wayfinding from the old ER, to the new ER. Eventually by the end of the day, the beds were all empty and gone and one saw evidence of constructions crew demolishing the old unit.
Meanwhile as I passed through the old ER, one last time....I noticed a group of medical professionals and support staff...chewing on pizza, sharing emotional teary eyed stories of memories of there experiences in the old ER facilities. It will never be the same.

So what seemed like a cloudy day, months ago, has turned into a beautiful facility that Chilliwack's community will be proud of for a long time. We are open and ready for you.

"Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity." ~ Hippocrates

Country Bumpkins

It's been one busy week....at the hospital.
More to come...but I need to share about my weekend.

What are weekends for?
I love nothing more than heading to the city to see my girls.

So we scheduled supper.
Then the next morning, there she was again...
She wanted Breakfast....

"Can you reserve an extra room?"

And the rest of the day?

"How about shopping?"
Before I knew it...
it was supper again.

Shopping, hot tubs, appetizers,
cheese plates, baguettes, & friends.
You name it,
we did it.

Many of our conversations over the past days,
were spent talking about the good old country days.
I was quite pleased to see that these
young professional women were so eager to share
there country experiences and memories,
from Eagle Sham right down to Bustin Road.

We ended our meal saying to each other...
with a strong feeling of connectedness and understanding.

"We can do anything we like,
and get away with anything in the city,
because
'We... ARE...Country'

So as we headed back to the hotel,
I wanted to make sure that parking tickets
were issued to the correct vehicles...
So I jumped out of the vehicle,
to mark down her license plate number.

And to my dismay,
I looked down to find an empty plate.

"Where is your license plate?"

She looked at me,
with those cute brown eyes,
as she timidly pulled out her license from under her car seat.
She smiled...I smiled and took in the license plate,
to register her vehicle.

Remember?

"WE ARE COUNTRY."

I stood at the reception desk.
And when she asked for the license plate number,
I handed over the license plate...
and everyone smiled.

"You can take the girls out of the country,
but you can't take the country out of the girls."

National Volunteer Week!

National Volunteer Week in Canada.
From Compassion to Action
April 18-24th, 2010.





This week I will be busy working together with other volunteers,
coordinating different events in our local hospital.

HURRAY FOR VOLUNTEERS EVERYWHERE!
GOD BLESS YOU!

A symphony of services
Where each one plays his part,
Together make sweet melody,
That’s really quite an art.

Each day you step onto the stage
Your skills and talents share.
Your love you show our residents.
They know when you've been there!

You put a smile upon their face.
You listen and you care.
You take the time to sing a song,
To hold a hand in prayer.

You laugh together, play a game,
And very soon you find
That you have made a brand new friend,
Who stole your heart, and you don't mind!

Those are the joys of volunteering.
And you return again, it's true,
Because the love you gave away
Is coming back to you.

We thank you for your active part
In our great symphony.
Your very presence fills this place,
With music and sweet harmony.

Karin Ristau
Copyright

What a difference we can

all make when we come together.

"We Help put the Care in Health Care"

Friday's FAVE Five ~ Gardening

It's Friday and a chance to share my highlights.

I used to always say...."I would not ever garden again."
You see? When I was young I had to
hoe and Hoe and HOE!
Now, we have new gardening methods.

I don't think any of you will believe these vegetables
survived the winter. I had to pull them out as
the leaves were growing but the root systems were lifeless.

I love it! When I ask about raised vegetable beds,
my farmer thinks nothing more than his tractor.
The tractor is bigger than my bed...
but does a perfect job of moving the dirt.
That bed is perfectly level to German design.

What's in this greenhouse?
The sign says OPEN!
Do you want to wander over with me?

A quick stroll across the street serves me
my fresh vegetables, daily.
Fresh Greek Salad anyone?

The evenings are cool and long....
so this past week, you could find me on the couch,
cheering on the Phoenix Suns as they defeated
Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz.
They are in 3rd spot in the Western Conference
and will begin playing Portland with home court advantage.
Don't forget to cheer on the Suns, on Saturday, April 18th.

Oh and I don't want to forget to thank our host, Susanne,
who gives us the freedom to share our weekly highlights.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Wonderful Women's Wednesday

A Simple Teapot filled with Encouragement.
This is a truly a blessing to think back over my life, of wonderful women, who believed in me. Friendships with other women are invaluable. Some friends come in for a short time, impact your life...and you never see them again.

But some have come into my life from early on and over the years we continue to stop by, peek in and have a reality check. We were just married and I remember meeting Lisa (anonymous name) We loved sipping from this special tea pot and catching up. She provided spiritual mentoring to me in my early years, of being a wife, and mother.
This week, as I searched through 'My Box', I found these interesting notes all filed in one envelope. Cards and notes that she sent me:

• Cards of encouragement during my Mother's illness
• Positive thoughts regarding expectations from God.
• Sharing Biblical scriptures, color coded in pink.
• Working through challenges. I remember hitting a brick wall way back in 1983. She sent me the most encouraging scriptures form 2 Corinthians 8: 10- 11, which lifted me and allowed me to soar on eagles wings, once again.
• About 10 years ago she shared her husbands upward journey of health, God's promises.
  
• Almost three decades have passed since then. We continuously share life.
  
• In the last month, she dropped by unexpectedly and we chatted once again, about life and God, as she watched and observed how I was playing with my little boys.
• God puts people in our lives...that touch us forever.
• Would you believe that today she called me for a lunch appointment for Wednesday, April 14th? She has no idea that I am posting this. These are God's divine appointments.
  

It is important that we harness the power in our heart warming, heartrending relationships.
Thank-you Lisa for reaching out to me, and responding to my needs.

The Risk of Love

The risk of love is that of being unreturned. For if I love too deep, too hard, too long and you love me little or you love me not at all then is my treasure given, gone, flown away lonely. But if you give me back passion for my passion, return my burning, add your own dark fire to flame my heart then is love perfect hot, round, augmented, whole, endless, infinite, and it is fear that flies.
Luci Shaw

Has someone touched your life in an usual way?
How has that impacted you?

Friday's FAVE Five ~ LIFE

Thank you Susanne for allowing me to share my highlights.

This was a memorable week.
MGCC Girls made a road trip.
The MGCC girls edged cautiously across the border,
with passports filed orderly...

A Day Trip!

• Who taking the pictures?
  
• Who's in charge?
• Follow the directions on the map!
• (Why didn't she use the GPS?)
• Carry your booties in a bag.
• If one bends, we all bend.
• Can you imagine 5 "take charge women" in one SUV?
  

Meeting a new Blogger Friend

We were all anticipating this day for awhile.
What does she look like?
Will she fit in?
Here she is:
Ellen B.
We were like a melting pot.
Sharing our stories of history and life.

A Field Trip through the Tulips!
La Conners

Then we all sploshed and splashed through the tulips,
some might of tip-toed..but we were wearing booties.

Shopping!

We found an antique shop that dated magazines
to the year, that our mother's gave us LIFE!
So we grabbed LIFE!
We paid for it.
Sometimes LIFE can be blurry.
Sometimes LIFE can be lost.
Both of us have not been able to locate our magazines!
I guess that's LIFE!!!!
I wonder who left them behind?

Sharing Friends, Old and New

"Take a million raindrops, break clouds apart;
Streams of golden sunlight create a magic art.
Blue sky is the canvas, look above and see____
God's covenant of love in heavens gallery!"
Ollie Robertson.

We Shared LIFE!

Have a wonderful week my friends.

Wonderful Women's Wednesday

A simple bouquet of flowers from a friends' garden
My mother used to grow these.
Are they called bleeding hearts?

When I looked around me this week, I am reminded
so often of the wonderful women in my life.
We do not need to be super heroes to be recognized.
We need to accept ourselves for who we are.

So here we are...back again.
Welcome to Wonderful Women's Wednesday!

How many of your are feeling like Martha's
after the Easter weekend?
Last week I brought your attention to Mary and Martha.
We debated back and forth,
"Who had the better part?"
John 10: 38-42

I received some wonderful comments
One in particular..
Karin from Yesterday, Today Forever.
has written a wonderful post in Defense for Martha.

When we look at the story of Lazarus, it obviously implies,
once again that Martha was the care giver.
As an older sibling, we can truly see that Martha
was an "in charge type of women."

Many of us have taken workshops on empathy.
What would it of looked like if the sisters were to practice empathy?
Do you think you could ever hear those sisters say?
Empathic Response: "I am sorry for keeping so much to myself.".(Mary).."and I was often too harsh with you, criticizing and demanding, while inwardly I was weeping." (Martha)
Mary prides herself with listening...Did she listen to Martha?
I can imagine Martha thinking...
"How can you waste so much time?"
Don't we all identify with Mary's and Martha's?

Then the two sister's called for Jesus help.
Can you imagine the sister's frustrations?
Martha is giving palliative care to her brother Lazarus.
Mary on the other hand, is in solitude, praying for God's will.
Empathetic Response: "That was a hard decision wasn't it Martha?
I knew you didn't want to be a bother by asking Jesus for help.
But it was too much for me to see Lazarus ebb away."
"I needed solitude to pray and seek God's will. "
Mary: "All that pain and we couldn't share it?
I am sorry for keeping so much to myself."

Finally Martha begins to get it....and responds,

"Mary, I'm good at sweeping the house clean
and getting rid of thing we no longer need.
But that's not enough."

Mary could of responded by saying,
"And now I see the importance of filling our home by sharing our gifts with others.
Spending time with Jesus and keeping to myself is not enough!"
WOW!!! It looks like they are starting to get it!

I have contemplated on this topic for the past two weeks.
Often we find ourselves in those exact positions,
whether it be at home, work, church or a family gathering.

Personally I have come to believe that the 'better part' is to acknowledge each others gifts.
Show sensitivity and respect to one another, rather than constant criticism.

The 'Better Part' could be referred to as,
"There is a proper time to listen to Jesus and proper time to work for him."
Both women needed to learn this principle.

What does the 'Better Part' mean for you?

This is the Air I Breathe

It's Good Friday!

Today I'm playing this song for a very special person.

I remember our Pastor Sharon Gaetz leading
out in worship with this beautiful song.
It made you feel like Jesus was walking among you.
I remember seeing a young girl....
raising her hands,
tears flowing down her cheeks
and allowing God to touch her life.

Today, this song is for that young girl.

How can we live life without turning to the Cross?
The Cross is the Message of Life!
He is the only one who can give You the Breath of Life!
A Blessed Easter to all my blog friends.