Simply Colette

I was going to be a writer, you know. I studied Journalism in college. I also had aspirations to own a Bed and Breakfast. I yearned to own a cookie shop. I also thought (still think) I’d make a great detective. No one would like to solve a murder more than me. And you want to know if your significant other is cheating? I could find out. I have skills. I also dabbled with photography but decided I didn’t want to turn a hobby into a job, because, well……then it’s not a hobby. It’s a job. Now I have dreams of being a barista. LOL. Let’s face it. I’ve spent my entire 27 year career dreaming of being something other than what I am. A nurse. I mean, really….it’s nothing like they portray on T.V. There’s not one glamorous thing about this gig. And it’s certainly not about the money, because, well—-you know.

Today I got to lead by example to a young nurse. Actually, they all seem young these days. They can whip through that electronic charting like nobody’s business. They never had the task of dotting every i and crossing every t with paper charting. I am proud of the fact I’ve survived at this for as long as I have, and maybe have a thing or two to of useful wisdom to pass on to the next round of nurses.

I have made the very best of friends through my ongoing journey as a nurse. Nursing school introduced me to some the most influential friends I’ve had in my entire life. I hold them dear to this very day. Nurses get it. They have your back. They laugh at you. To your face. They laugh with you. They cry with you if need be. There’s no bodily function or body fluid that intimidates them. They have thick skin. Who else can get yelled at by patients, told off by family members, and so on. And still come back the next day….smile on. Ready to start over and nurture people back to health.

Many patients, family and coworkers have touched my life over the years. Most recently I wheeled a very demanding patient out to the front door to see her off. She had some challenges that put us all through the ringer. I’d be lying if I said we all weren’t ready for her to go home. She looked at me with a tear and said, “thanks for taking care of me, I’m gonna miss you.” She waved as I walked away and I felt a lump in my throat. I guess that’s why I keep doing what I do.

For all the days I come home thinking I’d like to hang up my nursing uniform for good…..I get gentle reminders that the things we do Do make a difference. To all my fellow nurses and those that have already retired…..thanks for doing what you do. Thanks for teaching and guiding ME along the way. I guess I’ll get my writing fix through this blog. I’m guessing the Bed and Breakfast wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, especially since my husband gently reminds me that in order to have a bed and breakfast you have to be up early enough to actually serve breakfast, and that’s a good point. Soooo not me. I will keep snapping pics and solving crimes in my own head, and making cookies to eat and share with friends. I’m holding on to the Barista idea…just in case. But something tells me I’m gonna keep doing what I was probably made to do.

Happy Nurses Week!

“How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat yer meat?” Dan, sitting in the car next to me, belting out his least favorite song lyrics. “Pink Floyd songs creep me out.” I glance at him, headphones resting around his neck, giving him the ability to immediately tune out the world (specifically me) if he feels the need. I think of the many times we’ve listened to music together over the years. It’s something that has connected us on both fun and meaningful levels. We love music. We share similar taste in music. We can disconnect from our worries, as we recognize that we both battle anxiety and share a tendency to worry excessively about things out of our control.

Starting when was just a little boy, he found great comfort in music. We would jump in the car on a moments notice and take rides, sometimes as far as Mackinaw City, listening to “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” on repeat. I cherish those days. My eyes well up with tears as I think of him graduating from high school in just a few short weeks. I wonder how the time flew by as it did. I’ve wrapped the last 18 + years of my life around him. We’ve been thicker than thieves. I think I am more worried about how I will face this milestone than how he will.

He’s young, he’s adaptable, He’s smart. He’s got his whole life ahead of him. And we’ve learned a lot of good lessons through the songs we’ve listened to together over the years. In the words of one of our personal faves, Tom Petty, “Most things I worry about never happen anyway.”

We pull in the garage after a quick shopping trip. A small segment of “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas comes on. Dan promptly brings it to my attention, telling me we can’t go in yet….”these are your favorite lyrics, mom” …”All your money won’t another minute buy.” I put the car in reverse and we go for a short drive to hear the song in its entirety. No truer words have ever been written.

It’s been a while since we went to have lunch with Norb’s mom. We walked into her home filled with the smell of turkey and homemade gravy, to find her buzzing around, apron on. Her typical meal of meat, potatoes, cooked carrots and cucumbers making their way to the properly set table. Fruit with pudding for dessert. You always end a meal with a little something sweet, you know.

I don’t visit her as often as I probably should, especially since she lives just a few miles away. I will probably regret it one day. She’s 88 and as active as ever. Still makes three meals a day and does all her own housework, gets together with friends and plays board games, cards and avidly reads. “I gotta keep my mind sharp.”

We are so very different. We come from different times and different backgrounds. Her upbringing in Germany during WWII was so much different than mine here in the privileged USA. She knows what it’s like to lose everything. Family, friends, money, food, everything. She knows how to stretch a dime further than anyone I know. She can make a meal from the fewest, simplest ingredients. And make clothes from a spool of thread and apiece of fabric.

She will save most of her money but never let anyone go hungry or without something they need. Her home is simple. She doesn’t decorate to impress, she simply puts out things she likes and has things that are functional, not beautiful. She never replaces something just to replace it. She could shop from fine stores, but chooses to shop at second hand shops. She lit up when she proudly revealed to me the purchase she recently splurged on. A pound of ground coffee. “Fancy” coffee, she told me. It even has her beloved home of Germany on the label. She paid 5 bucks for it. And not only that, “I bought 5 of them!!” “Three for me and two for gifts.”

Her life story is so interesting. She has every reason to have lost faith in humanity and this crazy world we are living in. But she hasn’t. It’s only made her stronger. Aside from the fact that our lifestyles, budgeting and parenting are vastly different. We share a deep love for her oldest son and her only grandson. And though I know I wouldn’t be her first choice for a daughter-in-law. I do know she loves me. And I love her.

As we leave to head home, Norb kisses his mom and thanks her for the lovely lunch. He winks at me, knowing that is the only “real” meal he’s getting today. I peck her on the cheek and tell her I’m going home to plan the dinner menu for tonite. “Oh???” She says. “Yep, I’m thinking a choice of Cheerios, Rice Chex, or Corn flakes. Maybe a banana to mix in.” She grinned and said, “Cereal is just enough. And you shouldn’t eat after 7 pm, it makes your belly fat.”

Another Hallmark holiday in the books. You either love it or hate it. But I think it’s a great time to reflect on those that we love. Besides, who doesn’t want to break up the dead of winter with roses and hearts in various shades of reds and pinks??

Norb and I exchanged cards and he spent the morning doing snow clean up outside for us and our neighbors. I took him some fresh coffee in this precious heart cup, just to go with the theme of the day.

This afternoon, we had our dear friends over and shared snacks and drinks. And lots of laughs. It’s a great reminder to love and cherish the people in your life that bring you joy and happiness. After all, they are just on loan to us for a time. Life is short….fuss over people. And always fuss over yourself!!!

Welcome to my blog! I am super excited to be using this format as a creative outlet. I look forward to connecting with others and sharing thoughts, ideas, photos, food obsessions, decorating ideas, and just random stuff.