It's a spring a-coming

Between society's squabbles, disinterested doctors, political muscle-showing, Easter sales and noisy neighbors, insidiously and creeping up step by step, the spring finally made it's way here.

I waited for Her, I begged for Her to come faster, and finally, She's here.

Not a moment too soon. I was getting so tired of winter. Don't get me wrong, I do like winter. I just don't like Oklahoma winter. For me winter has to happen with thick white blankets of snow, that get even thicker, slowly, from snowflakes dancing lazily in the air. The house is warm, there is always hot tea on the table and some kind of baked heaven (scones, muffins, you take your pick) and there are dogs sleeping near the fireplace, a cat purring in someone's lap, and a cinnamon stick's wisp of smoke permeates the air. And you get your warm clothing on, and go outside and walk in the silence of the winter, silence broken only by the small crunching noise of your steps in the snow and by the muffled thud of a bank of snow falling from a tree branch. The air is crisp and you feel it cleansing your lungs, and it brings on rosy cheeks and shiny eyes.

That is MY winter.

Oklahoma winter? A chill that barely goes down to freezing level - and that only after the temperature warms up enough to trick a few plants into thinking that the winter is over. Wind that blows dust everywhere and makes things look as desolate as a fallout movie. And the chance of getting an ice storm, that coats everything in one or two inches of ice, and kills trees. and maybe, just maybe, an inch or two of snow, once a winter or two or three, that halts everything in the city, makes everybody act like it's the end of the world, stops the power and makes everybody miserable.

But now, it's over. and even if spring in Oklahoma usually equates with supercell storms spawning tornado after tornado, one can't be unmoved by the revival of vegetation.

Of course, both me and the Wild Wolf have been busy - he's building fences and gates, and I'm making new flower beds, for the little seedlings that I have started inside to be transplanted to in two or three weeks. I've worked like crazy this past week, of course I popped pain-killers all day long, not just to be able to work in the garden but also because the weather was kind of "I'm going to be nice and warm, but I'm going to spawn some rain when you least expect it", so my poor body felt it in the surgery scars, in the joints, and in the nerve-damaged extremities. But still, I went on, and every night I had that "good sore" feeling before falling asleep, that soreness in the muscles that tells you that you have worked your body in a good way. A huge difference from the chronic pain I am used to.

Here's a bit of what we've done, but more was done since I took these photos a few days ago.

Today is Sunday, so besides going out to shop a little, there won't be much I will be doing. I EARNED a day of rest.

And this made me LOL. Hard.

The rise and fall of humane feelings

The 20th century has seen the emergence and peak of all the "humane" qualities: human rights, love and respect thy neighbour, spiritual development, understanding, etc. I think honestly that the big shove was done by the hippy movement, as much as it was criticized and put down.

The 21st century seems to be characterized by the disappearance of all these humane qualities. The struggle for power, the lawsuits, the desperate desire to accumulate - doesn't really matter what, power, money, cats, collections of magazines, peace of mind - has brought down and is smothering the humane qualities.

What brought this up? This brought this up

Resident of Calif. facility dies after nurse refuses to do CPR due to policy

 To be very honest when I first read it it reminded me of my last place of work. Same type of facility, independent housing for seniors. They had the same policy. When I got hired I did sign that I was made aware that if any of the residents would pass out, fall, or whatever, I wasn't allowed to give them any help. I signed while knowing with certainty that I wouldn't abide. If this place was at least similar to the one I used to work at, it makes me shudder. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice place, funded mostly by charity, the apartments (well, more like studios most of them) very nice, with two libraries, two lounges, game room, fitness room, cafeteria, looked pretty much like a 4-5 stars hotel. But it made me think of a prison nevertheless. The Director and upper staff (I was considered upper staff too but I never "bonded" I guess) were permanently worried that residents would get in any way connected to the outside world. Place was locked after 6 pm and during the week-ends. Staff wasn't allowed to be in any way "buddy" style with the residents. Just "hello" and "how are you". Was really hard for me not to - for one, due to the nature of my work (I was Activities Director) and for two - I just LOVE elderly people. I find them fascinating and I would spend days listening to them. I think they're fun, interesting, witty and a pleasure to have around. So.. yeah

But back to the article. How is it even possible? How can it be required of people to stand and do nothing when someone else might be dying? How is it possible that A NURSE would not give CPR? Nurses don't have any kind of oath like the doctors have Hippocrates' oath? Not only that, but legally, for example, I know that Oklahoma law provides that "any person who in good faith renders or attempts to render emergency care consisting of artificial respiration, restoration of breathing, or preventing or retarding the loss of blood, or aiding or restoring heart action or circulation of blood to the victim or victims of an accident or emergency, wherever required, shall not be liable for any civil damages as a result of any acts or omissions by such person in rendering the emergency care. " (Good Samaritan Act, Title 76); I would presume that al states have that type of provision in their statutes. Also, for a medically licensed person, withholding care is a crime. How was all this possible?

The best way of waking up....

No, not Folgers in your cup (well that is later).

The best way of waking up is having sudden killer leg cramps in your calves. Both of them. So bad that when you jump out of bed so you can walk and get them gone you fall right back on your ass and your boyfriend has to jump up from sleep (I WAS, to my shame, yelping like a puppy who was left alone) and hold me so I could walk. They (the cramps) were gone after 4 steps (two each foot). I did NOT need to go back to bed after that.

So I decided it was 7:15 after all, even if it was a Saturday morning. I went and got a cup of coffee and bleary eyed started surfing my favorite blogs - this has become a hobby lately, but more about that later.

Fast forward an hour. I'm still fuzzy-minded. I go for a second cup of coffee.

Now, I drink instant. I have two jars, one is a decaf (Folgers) and one is a regular (Nescafe).

Years ago when I was still severely hyperthyroid and on Metoprolol (for rapid heart beat) my endo said "no more caffeine". It was hard, as my blood pressure is normally from 100 to 110 over 64 to 72. It used to be even lower so drinking a pot of coffee a day was a norm for me. Metoprolol is a blood pressure medicine. Also used as a betablocker in thyroid-induced tachycardia. But you can't take it for reducing your heart rate without it making your blood pressure plummet. So I was drinking a cup of coffee in the morning. Endo said no more. So for the following few years I had 8 oz of liquid ready to drink so I can get out of bed without falling on my face.

I'm not on Metoprolol anymore so I started drinking a little coffee again. The first cup is regular. The next ones are decaf.

I realize that in my fuzzy-mindedness I had grabbed the decaf for my first cup. Obviously, the decaf jar is in the middle of the counter, the regular hidden behind other stuff.

So, let me sweep the fuzzes. Got more to say. Also need more calcium, obviously. The leg cramps always mean I need more calcium, for me.