Happy Nurses Day!!

In honor of my profession and our National day (well, la dee da!!) I am re-posting some pictures and commentary from a Medscape e-mail I got this morning.

http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/nurse-caps?src=ptalk

Nurses fastening and admiring their caps, 1950.


"From the day a girl contemplates entering training, she looks forward to the day when she has successfully passed the long, hard trials and tribulations of a probationer and has earned the privilege of having the symbol of dignity placed upon her head. That moment is the acme of her training school career."[6] (Courtesy of University of Virginia School of Nursing Center for Nursing Historical Inquiry)


Dorothy Woodhouse Dalenberg, Hackensack Hospital School of Nursing, 1968.


Dorothy remembers that "at our freshman capping ceremony, we received the cap with one thin blue felt stripe. Each year another thin blue stripe was added. We received a single, thicker black stripe when we graduated. My daughter, Kimberly, is also an RN and now has possession of my cap." (Courtesy of Dorothy Woodhouse Dalenberg)

Mary Koslap-Petraco, Bellevue School of Nursing, New York City, 1969.


Mary, who was in the last diploma class to graduate from Bellevue, shares the history of the "Bellevue Fluff."
"Bellevue was the first nursing program in the United States to follow the Nightingale model. In 1872, Florence Nightingale sent a letter outlining her paradigm for nursing education. The school opened on May 1, 1873. For the first several years there was no standardized uniform or cap. Euphemia Van Rensselaer took it upon herself to design a blue and white striped uniform and cap. As the years passed the cap became smaller but was the same design as the original. The organdy Bellevue "cupcake" came to symbolize the highest standards for the registered professional nurse and has been proudly worn by thousands of graduates." (Courtesy of Mary Koslap-Petraco)

I am very nostalgic about the nursing cap and white uniform. My nursing class- Class of 1990, was the last class at my school to graduate with a white cap and white dress. I still have my cap and school pin and white dress.

I don't work out on the floor any more and don't wear a uniform. Although uniforms are not what they were. We all were scrubs now. Yes, very comfortable and practical, but I do think that they take away the professional competent image of the nurse in her white dress and starched cap.

I never wore my cap after graduation, I did wear dresses and white hose and white "duty shoes". Now that has all gone away.

Alas, perhaps I was born into the wrong generation.

Book #3 - Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Ya, so this was a weird book. Very well written and funny as all get out. But... Not for the squeamish. It grossed me out in several parts and I just don't really ever get grossed out. Come on - RN for 20+ years - not too much out there makes me cringe. (well, actually some stuff does, but I don't think that I am going to make a list of it, except to mention that bile is on the list...so you catch my drift) Anyway... If you ever wondered what happens when people donate their bodies to science, this book is for you. Oh ya, and also lots of informative information regarding historical and modern enbalming and funeral practices.

Giving up meat for Lent...

This was not intially my own idea. Hubby suggested that he would do it and I glommed onto the idea myself. I wasn't going to do anything for Lent at all, but this seemed like a good idea. Maybe I'll lose a few pounds in the meantime, too. Not exactly the reason for giving up something for Lent, but the end product might be nice.

The point is supposed to be a certain amount of self sacrifice. The sacrifice will be having to be mindful about what we are eating and the meals I am preparing. I've given up meat before and was pretty good about actually being a healthy vegatarian. I wasn't just a cheese pizza and icecream veghead. I like beans and lentils and tofu. It just takes a certain amount of time and planning to make healthy, tastey, interesting vegitarian meals. One cannot live by stirfries alone. I am also not giving up milk or eggs, I don't think I could do the vegan thing. Not enough variety of protein sources.

I am not very far into it yet, and am still suffering the "starvation" feeling of not having meat to fill your belly. I will not make the mistake of filling up on bread either. That will sabatoage any weight loss right there if I am not careful. I do wanna raid the girl scout cookie stash, but will settle for a cup of tea instead.

Well, I gotta write a history paper. Enough procrastinating already!!!!

Maybe we'll save some money on groceries. If we do, we'll donate it. That's a good Lenten thing to do.

Nalgene Rocks!!

I just have to give a shout out to Nalgene, water bottle maker company. They ROCK!!

We had a kids water bottle for the Little Boy with the sippy type lid. Well, doggy got a hold of it and chewed up the spout. I was pissed!! This bottle was not a $2 WalMart special. I hung onto the lid thinking I will look online and see if they sell replacement lids for the kids cups. (They do sell replacements lids for the big water bottles, I know I've bought them at REI before.)

Anyway, I finally got around to looking on the Nalgene website the other day and they did not sell the lids, but there was a customer service 1-800 number, so I called. After negotiating through a relatively simple phone tree I got a live person.

She laughed when I told her the dog story and said that the cups must be appealing to pooches because I was definitely not the first person who has called for a replacement lid for the exact same reason. Then she asked for my shipping address and she said she'd send a lid out to me that day.

Wait a sec?? what about my credit card number? Nothing, they sent the replacement lid out to me for free and no shipping either. It took less than a week to arrive.

Like I said, Nalgene ROCKS!!!! Buy their stuff, they now have BPA free, too.

I Heart Mittens

I do like knittin' mittens. Or gloves. They are portable, quick to make up and ultimately useful, albeit for a short season here in Texas.

I finished up two sets, of course just in time for Spring. Meh, there will be at least one more short cold snap before be have to start wearing shorts.

Hubby's gloves...

And some texting friendly mittens. I don't know where these will find a home yet, they were an experiment. I think they will ultimately be gifted.

I am all set to start a new project now. Another set of mittens, ha!

I need to learn how to turn a heel, dammit and try some socks. Or does it go more like, try some socks and learn how to turn a heel. How hard can it be?

3 in 30, well 28... Fail!!

Tis my sad little 3 in 28 update. I didn't get one single thing on my list done. Nope, Nah Dah. I suck. I did have a heavy homework month and am pleased to report a 4.0 in both classes currently, so there is something. I finished Hubby's gloves, too. (Just in time for it to warm up, sigh)

So, moving forward.... I am trying again. Write 3 real letters, organize my closet, finish Little Boy's room.

TAKE TWO!!

Wabbit's new friend, Bart the Bear

Woodland Wabbit has a new friend. Bart the Bear. He's a mellow little fellow, but keeps inquiring about his lack of pants. I never thought bears were concerned with such things. Wabbit says he's "metro".