Getting to Know Me & You

Good morning and a happy Friday to you! I do have to work today, but not until noon. I'm curious to see if anything else unfolds in the work drama today or if we are going to have to wait until next week.

Nothing of note happened yesterday. It was all new and fresh to me, of course, but everyone else had been dealing with it all week. It was just that yesterday was my first day at work this week...and my first since corporate swooped through and terminated around 30 people first thing Monday morning.

My observations of the day: Everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) is walking around looking like they've been drinking pickle juice. There really weren't any good moods to be found, just some forced, fake ones. There was a lot of gallows humor. There were a lot of rumors and speculation floating around. Employees are in bad moods because the future is uncertain and because in the present we are now under-staffed. The families of residents are in bad moods because we are under-staffed and while basic care is being given and needs are being met, programs are suffering, care takes longer, and some amenities (like snacks anyone actually likes) are no longer available. The home's administrator has turned in her resignation...if that doesn't show the writing on the wall, I don't know what does. Nurses continue to leave and everyone else is wondering if they should stay or go, if they should try to use up their vacation days, etc. Oh, and the union met with the corporation yesterday. Someone said they heard that usually means the next step is terminating union employees. 

Fun, fun, fun, but whatever. It's not the greatest work atmosphere at the moment, but I'm not really worried about the future. If my job remains, great! If I'm let go, I'll just figure God has closed a door and chapter in my life and trust that he'll open the next one when it's time.

Okay, enough of that mess. Let's do some getting to know me/you questions!

1. What was the best vacation you took and why?  It wasn't really a full-blown vacation, just a long weekend, but when Tim and I set off on a road trip with no plans in mind to celebrate my 50th birthday it ended up being the best time away. We just got in the car and headed east on Rt. 30. We stopped at anything that caught our interest. We didn't have any timetable to follow. No itinerary to keep to. The whole thing was spontaneous and therefore, very relaxed, which allowed us to be more in the moment and enjoy everything. The highlights of the trip were the Flight 93 memorial and Gettysburg.

Me in front of one of the giant trees in the Gettysburg National Cemetery.

2. What's one thing that can instantly make your day better? There are two. The first is spending time with the Lord. If I'm in a funk nothing cures it faster than reading my Bible, praying, and worshipping. The second thing is my grandkids. Their love is good medicine!

3. What do you think about workaholics?  Well, I admire that they are such hard workers, that they take pride in a job well done, and in providing for their families, but.... I think they have made the mistake of getting their validation, worth, and purpose solely from their work. They sacrifice relationships with the very ones they say they are working for and just can't see it. I know what I'm talking about as I am married to a workaholic and I see time and time again how my husband has given his all to work and had nothing left to give at home. 

4. Have you ever been to a family reunion?  Yes. My maternal grandfather's family used to have reunions fairly regularly and they just started having a smaller version a few years ago. We went to the first one, but have been unable to attend since. 

My adopted dad's family had a HUGE reunion every August of my life until just a few years ago. It started in the early years of the 20th century and continued every year except for a couple of years during WWII. My aunt was the last one to keep it going and when she went into a nursing home no one else picked up the torch. Times had changed and the older cousins who had all grown up together were mostly gone and most of us younger cousins barely know each other and didn't have much interest in keeping it going. Kind of sad, but from the original 12 siblings we've grown to quite a lot of people who've never met over the course of 4-5 generations.

5. What's your most controversial opinion?  These days it's probably that I believe President Trump is doing a decent job in the White House. Is he perfect? Not by a long shot. He has done a lot of good stuff, though. We just never hear about it because the press is always busy pointing out his faults or what his detractors feel are his faults. If he didn't have to spend so much of his time fending off attacks I believe he could have done a lot more good.

I've got to run and get ready for work and get a few things done around here before I leave. Have a blessed and happy Friday!