memories – Nursing Stories & Other Tales

Alphabet Challenge: I

I’ve signed onto The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2021. The challenge is to blog the whole alphabet in April and write at least 100 words on a topic that corresponds to the letter of the day. Every day, excluding Sundays, I’m blogging about Places I Have Been. The last post will be on Friday, April…… Continue reading Alphabet Challenge: I

Alphabet Challenge: H

Alphabet Challenge: B

The Cat

The story that I wrote almost thirty years ago was chosen as a finalist from 200 submissions to Carolina Woman Writing Contest. Debra Simon, editor and publisher of Carolina Woman magazine, decided that this year she would include a list of finalists. Lucky for me. Thank you, Debra Simon and Carolina Woman magazine, for selecting…… Continue reading The Cat

Stories that Need to be Told

I almost forgot about Dennis. That’s what Carol Novembre thinks his name was. Carol and I worked together in the early 60s at Pollack Hospital in Jersey City. It was a county-run hospital. Dennis was head of maintenance. I learned a lot from him about the political corruption that went on behind the scenes. Not…… Continue reading Stories that Need to be Told

It Takes a Village or a City Block

This is my 262nd Blog post. It’s a significant number for me. I spent the first twenty years of my life in a two-bedroom apartment in a three-story brick building in Jersey City, New Jersey: 262 Summit Avenue. Most of the buildings on the block were three stories with an apartment on each floor. I…… Continue reading It Takes a Village or a City Block

Marv Roelofs and Apple Sauce

Making applesauce sort of represents living life to the fullest. I think prayer is sometimes about asking God to let us do what we can and enjoy ourselves. Picking apples and making applesauce has made me do that. —Marv Roelofs I called Marv soon after he received the diagnosis of Stage IV Small Cell…… Continue reading Marv Roelofs and Apple Sauce

The Perks of Serving on the Board

I have served on the Family Patient Advisory Council at my local hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina since it’s inception a little over two years ago. I became the first Chair and now I am the Senior Chair. This last week, the hospital funded my travel to Chicago to attend the Patient Experience Conference…… Continue reading The Perks of Serving on the Board

The Old Faded Picture

Recently rummaging around in my office closet for my watercolor materials, I came across an old envelope with a faded 5 X 7 picture inside. Years ago I had planned to frame it. Obviously, I forgot all about it. Most of what is stored in the closet fits into the category: out of sight, out…… Continue reading The Old Faded Picture

Twenty Years After the Cancer Diagnosis.

Next Sunday, November 5th, will be the 20th anniversary of my mastectomy. Afterward, my surgeon draped her arm over my shoulders and said I was “cured” as she escorted me out of her office on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. Each November 5th , I would make a big deal of the anniversary date of…… Continue reading Twenty Years After the Cancer Diagnosis.