Do I have anything to say?: Flashback Friday--Reading

Friday, July 3, 2009

Flashback Friday--Reading

I am not sure where "Flashback Friday" originated, but I have read quite a few of "Gitz's" and they are always fun. I even tried my hand at one back in March (that was a fun one if you are bored!). And, even though it is nearly 2AM, I'm not sure I could sleep until I get this post out of my head (I KNOW I'm not the only one who has this issue...right?!)

When I was younger, I read...A LOT! I have been told that I started reading at a very young age (probably helped that I was the oldest so was surrounded by "grown-ups"!) and just took off. I LOVED to read and used to make lists of all the books that I read (since I don't throw ANYTHING away, I'm sure I could find some of those lists at my mom and dad's!) It was pretty common for me to read a book in a day. My favorite was The Baby-Sitters Club. I HAD to do a Wikipedia search and read this entire thing...definitely a flashback :o) I wanted to BE the Baby-Sitters Club, but was just one person and wasn't organized enough to have "a club"...I worked well alone ;o) Even before I read that, I was wishing someone would make a facebook quiz "Which Baby-Sitters Club character are you?" I always kind of thought I was a cross between Kristy and Mary Ann. Short, brown hair, sort of tom boy/athletic, but also pretty quiet/shy. But, I guess my "family life" was more like Mallory's, minus five kids...ha ha!

I also was a big fan of the Sweet Valley Twins. Now, I don't need a facebook quiz to tell me, I am MUCH more Elizabeth than Jessica ;o)

I read a LOT of Lurlene McDaniel's books that ALWAYS made me cry...I guess preparation for my future life as a nurse (and as a grown up in general!) when sad things like that really happen to real people. I remember wanting to work with HIV positive babies after reading "Baby Alicia is Dying" (and even went and visited a place like that when I visited NYC). She wrote books about teens with cancer, and even ones about kids who needed transplants. I'm pretty sure I read "Six Months to Live" more than once...looking back on this, I can see how God was working through those books that were placed in my hands at such a young age to help me in what I do now as an adult. I used to read "sad books" that also had "hope" and now I read "sad blogs" that really are more "hopeful" than sad...kinda crazy...or not!

I still love to buy books, but have not been doing a very good job at reading them. I have shelves of nursing textbooks. I have a good portion of a shelf with books on how to help grieving parents (read some of them!) and a shelf of "novels" of which half of them I have not opened. Of course, I STILL have not started this book that I bought a few months back...yeah, reading that probably would be a good idea!

Oh, I STILL do plenty of reading I guess...blogs, facebook status updates, emails, nursing policies and procedures, but I AM starting to feel like I need to read a good book! And, since I decided I'd like to see if my skin can tan in the sun, I suppose reading a good book outside is a good way to test that ;o) Wouldn't you know that just this month a girl at work decided to start a "book club"?! Wow, what a "coincidence"! Ha ha. Basically, she just put the title of a book out there and planned a date for "discussion". However, to make it "inclusive", it is basically a party (complete with book-related/themed alcoholic beverages...ha!) where those who have not read the book are also welcome. I'm not sure if I will actually attend the party, but I did buy this month's book today (with my mom's Barnes and Noble discount...oh, I forgot my card, here is the phone number...ha!)

So, if you YOU would like to read this month's book right along with me, maybe WE can have our own little "discussion"...of course, it won't be over drinks at a coffee shop, but it still could work. Without further adieu, the choice for this month is firefly lane by Kristin Hannah. FYI it is nearly 500 pages, so it is quite possible that it will take me longer to read it all...unless it is really good and then I will just have shorter nights! One of the reviews I just saw says that this book "goes a little too far into Lifetime movie territory", but hey, who doesn't love a Lifetime movie?!

I'll keep you posted on the progress...in the mean time, I should probably go to bed! Tomorrow night I am going to a baseball game with fireworks to follow. That ALWAYS means a midnight or later arrival at home and I am working on Saturday and Sunday. So, it could be quiet on this here blog for a couple days...unless my head is exploding with something that needs to come out before I could even THINK about sleeping!

To bed with me...Flashback Friday is Fun!
Good night!

1 comment:

RAK said...: I loved the Baby Sitters Club! My next-door neighbor and I were inspired and put up flyers, but we never actually followed through with the club aspect. (We did get a job, remarkably!); 03 July, 2009 10:44

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This blog purposefully is left full name and location free out of respect to my family and to my patients/families. Due to the nature of my work, and having foster children in my home, it is important to maintain privacy and confidentiality. All photographs of patients were either given to me by the families or taken with family permission. Thank you for your understanding and support in helping me protect myself and "my people" =) If you have any questions, or want to know more about me, feel free to email me at iloveblogs44 {at} gmail {dot} com.

Who's Who

Updated September 2013

I have one sister who is married and has two boys. "A" was born June 2009 and "I" was born March 2012. We are both really close to my parents and have lots of "family dinners".

I wrote a lot about my patients when I first started this blog. Some patients are still growing and thriving, and others have lost their battles.

My first foster placements lived with me from June 2010-September 2011. They were sisters who were 15 and almost 3 when they were placed with me and are now 18 and 5. I called M "the teen" and L "the little one". They live with their mom who still has many issues, but are doing well (ok) and I still have (not enough) contact with them.

My second foster placement came to me September 6, 2012. I call her Zoe and she turned 5 in April. She has cystic fibrosis and has been a patient on my floor at the hospital. The plan is still reunification.

Ivy is a 17-year-old whose mom died just before Thanksgiving. She has a Guardian, but is unable to live with him due to some family issues. She has no other family who is willing/able to take her. She moved in with me the beginning of February. She moved to a group home at the beginning of August as her needs were too great for me with my schedule and having another child with special needs.