Feeling crabby...

Well that's not entirely true... it's more like I'm feeling blue. That was NOT supposed to rhyme. Folks... I made it to Florida! I was up at 4:10 this morning to do it. Let's just say, that it was not a true Sabbath. I spent most of the time on a plane feeling slightly nauseous... or waiting to get back on the plane. I don't normally feel queasy on planes... but I suppose stuffy sinuses and changing altitudes don't go together very well. At any rate, I did discover "Atlanta's Bread" which is suspciously like Panera Bread. It was quite yummy. We made it here and met Hannah... one of 23 of JoVeta's grandchildren. Her son's wife's sister had a birthday (I get to use one of those confusing family connection sentences in reality!) so we all went to this "rustic crab" place. I'm SO sorry, but I chickened out of eating crab... not actually because of the crab... more so because of the price. Dear Kary... I was not going to put $ 26.50 into crab. :) It was really quite too bad though, because the smashing and mashing of crab looked quite fun. (It's rustic because you have to work to eat (smash crab shell and pick out meat) very biblical :)

I guess I'm feeling out of sorts because I'm smack in the middle of a family and without my own. Extended family is always complicated... and being in someone else's is even worse. I know my own non-Christian family, but it's hard to be in someone else's. Plus, after being up at 4, I realize that I'm not going to be getting to bed early (since I'm sleeping in the living room) and we have to wake up again tomorrow by 6:30. And the landscape is getting even more foreign... bah palm trees. Heh just kidding. But I shan't complain. I've just got to readjust... perhaps my sinuses are clogging the arteries to my heart and its getting 2 sizes to small. I will have to talk to the grinch.

Missing you,
Katie

Day 3

Well,
There's not much to say. The last two days have been very slow. It's actually been very good since I'm all plugged up with snot. (Sorry). Yesterday morning JoVeta put me to work on paper cutting (never a good thing to give a perfectionist). I figured out to cut a normal piece of paper in half you need to line it up at 5 and 1/2 exactly... and then to cut that in half.... oh well you get the point. We went out to eat at a nice Italian restaraunt. I always complain to my mother that I need a boyfriend to take me to restaraunts (since my family eats out about twice a year)... but it turns out all I needed to do was get an internship! I've been out three times already in my three days. I'm not sure I can take much more. The most interesting part has been not being able to taste the food. It's a shame to eat Mongolian BBQ when you can't taste. It's quite frustrating... because I can smell everything up until the point I sit down. And honestly... you can't eat standing up in a nice restaraunt. Although that night, I made the mistake of getting hot and sour soup... which just about drained my sinuses as well as my ability to think straight. Sadly it did nothing for my taste buds.

Anway, :) today... I've caught up on my emails, filed away all my Thursday emails (someday I'll make them into a book), organized all my photos, and written four thank you cards for grad gifts. Weird, I'm graduated. Anyway, yesterday we visited the associate pastor Amy... since she just gave birth to Mercy. I'm rather fond of that name. All of the pastoral care team is made up of women. I'm glad none of the boys were sent here :)

I am almost bored... but not to the point of opening my nursing books. It will still take me quite awhile to get to the motivation of wanting to learn again. Ugh the facts stuck in my head at this point are probably clogging my sinuses worse than the snot. Maybe in fact that's what's making me so ill. :) Boy, when I get control of the keyboard I'm quite mischivious. Bother I could never spell that word. Well I should probably find something else to do. JoVeta promises that she will put me to work at some point... it's just she has so much to organize to get this trip ready, that she has no time to boss me around. She just had hard wood floors put in... so the entire house was packed up in boxes. Now it's mostly back together - but there's still a fair amount of boxes left. I'm excited to get at those. I like heavy lifting - maybe that's why I decided to become a nurse...

JoVeta is the knickknack queen! My poor mother would probably faint at the sight of her house. But I find it quite cozy. She collects crosses... so I now have a new hunch on what to get her as a thank you. It will be quite the adventure to discover what cross she doesn't have! She enjoyed the "Michigan" treat we got her - an oven mitt with all the cities of MI... even poky old Saline, cherry and apple butter... mmm, and Jiffy corn muffins... because Jiffy is in Chelsea. Ok I better really stop chattering now.

This is what happens when I start to get a bit lonely. NOT that I'm lonely. It's so nice not to have someone popping in on me every 2 seconds. I won't be ready to immerse myself back into the college chaos until August. :)

Much love,
Katie

My Toto

This is Molly

Day 1 of 72

I arrived yesterday May 27, 2009 at 5:54 p.m. – at least that’s what the clock said when I had a chance to glance at it in baggage claim. JoVeta said she would meet me at baggage claim so I had a bit of a panic when I did not see her. I knew I had told her that my flight would be in at 5:40 and I figured she would ere on the side of early. Maybe, I thought, she gave up on me and left. It’s 6:00 and that’s 20 minutes late. Nope. That was out of the question. Someone like JoVeta would wait until doomsday for me… or more likely would call me to see where I was. I stared at a woman hungrily and then thought better of it. She looked too mean to be JoVeta. As the panic took over I realized I didn’t even have JoVeta’s cell phone. So I resorted to calling my parents. Of course I couldn’t find any writing utensil. When I finally found a pencil and scrap of paper, she pulled up and waved just as I was writing down her home number. Great! I thought. Thanks anyway dad… I love you… Bye. I walked out into the freezing cold that Professor Feenstra described would be one word…. HOT and was quite comforted by the fact I had worn a sweatshirt. JoVeta popped out and I thought… well she doesn’t look anything like I imagined (imagining a tiny matron similar to Beth Gordon). She’s certainly not tiny! I hope she’s nice. I hauled my heavy luggage into the car blaming my mother for its bulk just as she said I should do.

Inside the car, JoVeta anxiously asked if I had been waiting long. In fact, it was just ten short minutes ago that I had made my nervous entrance into the baggage claim so I reassured her about my wait. She went on to explain there had been a terrible car crash in which a 28 year old women had died. I was shocked into silence. It isn’t every day a mother of a 1 year old and 3 month baby dies. JoVeta then began the long questioning. I answered everything as best as I could. She tried to pin me down for a choice on dinner… whereupon I assured her that I was anything but decisive. She could pick any restaurant and as long as I didn’t have to eat octopus I wouldn’t complain. I forgot about the 1 hour time change so even though I was nervous, I was actually pretty hungry. We dined at Abuelos because it had the least amount of cars in the parking lot. It was a nice Mexican restaurant. I settled on the appetizer of quesadillas because they were cheap, more than enough to eat, and yummy. J Once we got home, I was WIPED OUT – what with catching a deathly cold right before I left. The freezing cold airplane did nothing to help. So after calling the p’s again and taking a steamy shower, I conked out at 9:15 (it felt like 10:15 what with the time change and all).

Today May 28, 2009. After a feverish night of sleep, I awoke at 6:45 am (groan). Leave it to me to get deathly sick right before my summer internship. Mass was at 8:00 so we had to leave at 7:40, but since I was awake I might as well have some quiet time. I rolled out of bed, grabbed my bible, and pleaded with God for survival skills. Well, really I pleaded for strength and joy. I stayed in the Adoration chapel instead of going to Mass. I figured I would have an hour of quiet time which seems like a luxury. Of course, when you’re deathly ill and trying not to disturb your neighbor in the adoration chapel by coughing or sneezing it can be rather torturous. Thankfully, mass turned out to be only a half hour. Then JoVeta and I had a meeting with other parish nurses and community workers. Normally someone from the community comes in and updates the ladies on what’s going on, but today JoVeta wanted it to be informal so I could meet people. It was quite nice although I did get lost in some of the conversation.

I carry a lot of things for JoVeta because I found out she’s diabetic and has fibromyalgia. I’m pretty sure that before the end of this internship, she will be utilizing my sweet backrub skills. Anyway, her medical conditions explain why she’s not tiny. Don’t think I’m saying this to sound mean. I am always curious if people have an explainable reason for their weight. I’m a detail oriented person who likes figuring out what makes people tick.

Anyway, I had chicken and rice soup for lunch. It was the most I could manage and absolute comfort food. Then I relaxed and read until 2:30 when we had to go for a TRIAD meeting. The meeting was absolutely fascinating. It’s a combination of law enforcement, nurses, bankers, and other people in the community committed to protecting the elderly from elder abuse. Bubs… the police speaker for the day discussed financial fraud. It made me so angry I thought I would whop someone. Not only do people take advantage of the vulnerable older adults, but they also use homeless people and drug addicts to do their dirty work. ARGH! Sometimes it seems like there’s too much to combat in this world. Already there are so many things that I want to do and yet I am so unsure of how much I will be called to do. I can only do what God has planned for me. This I know. Let’s just say I hope he has BIG plans. Even better, I don’t have to hope… I KNOW he does. (ACHOO – scuse me… ugh I haven’t had a cold for at least a year).

Anyway (you’re going to be counting how many times I use this word to keep myself on track) it’s been a long, busy day and again I am worn out. I plan to do all that I can to help JoVeta get ready/help her avoid carrying heavy objects. Unfortunately I read through all four books that I brought already. Fortunately, a) more are coming in the mail b) JoVeta has quite a collection c) there are books online d) there is plenty for me to do besides read e) I will most likely re-read all four books at least 3 more times. Sorry, this has nothing to do with my internship… only with bookwormish me. Anyway, I need to quick write up the Thursday email and attach this link.

Much love,
Your exhausted sister
Katie