Show Your Heart

 Show Your Heart on facebook today. Change your profile pic to show your heart and update your status with the following link to raise support for these children.

This family has been forever changed as of July 3rd while returning from an annual family road trip in Colorado back to their home in Houston, Texas. The Berry Family found themselves to be victims of a horrific and tragic fatal car accident.

Their Minivan carrying parents Joshua and Robin Berry and their children Peter age 9, Aaron age 8, and Willa age 6 was hit head on by another vehicle who had crossed into their lane of traffic. The parents Joshua and Robin Berry were tragically killed leaving their 3 children behind. While the children did survive the crash, both boys sustained serious spinal cord injuries and they are both paralyzed below the waist. The children are currently being treated for their many injuries in a Houston, Texas area hospital. 

Go to http://www.showyourhearts.org/ to learn more and donate.

They are asking for as many people as possible to update their facebook profile picture today only.

My Final Fantasy

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If you know me, you know I love paranormal and historical romance novels. My absolute dream reads are those books that combine the two. I have been swept away with popular titles like everyone else, but I always go back to a talent.

So when I was looking for some new world to enter every night before bed, I thought this cover looked promising. It was set in Old England, one of my favorite places, and steeped in fantasy, my mainstay.

I was captivated by the first paragraph. Funny how many books I read and then pass along. This one is staying in my Keep Stash! You'll have to turn to smoke and steal it to get my copy. :)

I have always loved words, and my feeling is that this author does as well. The way she sets her backdrop is absolutely dreamy. Her characters rival those of Gone With The Wind (Margarette Mitchell) and breathe life into the historical romance.

I'm a new, and permanent fan. It's not often that I write about a book like this, but I wanted to share this mystical place of dragons and strong willed players with all of you.

Read along with me and follow this series by going to my facebook Group Page for Historical and Fantasy Novels. For the rest of this month we'll be discussing this innovative tome.

Leave the Gun, Take the cannoli

Cannoli are a Sicilian pastry dessert, meaning "little tube". One of my favorite quotes from "The Godfather" featuring this puff pastry is generally about how to handle a hit situation.


In relationships, I'm reminded of this quote when trying to explain how to talk your way through conflict with the one you love. Leaders are taught to open any negative discussion with a positive first. So many of us try to skip this step by saying, "You know I love you, but..."


No matter how serious the conversation, or how deadly the weapon your words become, try to remember to open with a positive. Don't rush this step. It just may be the difference in what response you get in return. 

No one likes to be shot down with words, so try to be gentle and aim for truth, not always the quick.

Remember to leave the gun when speaking to your love, but not because you are thinking of an escape plan. Also, conversations are double sided, it's much easier to choke down kind words when returned to you later. Be sweet first and concentrate on facts, not feelings, when discussing serious matters.

Why it's called a Practice

We all have been to a doctor at some point in our lives. From our first day on earth to our last, it is a doctor who stands up for us. When I chose to become a nurse, it was because I knew to become a doctor I would have to leave a large part of my empathy outside the patient door. I doubted I would be able to do that day in and out and chose to do the 'lesser' job of nursing instead.

I knew that most doctors look down on nurses, even though it is the nurse that either carries out or is responsible for the doctor's orders.

I never regretted my choice and I still miss my work as a nurse to this day. Ironically one of the things I miss most is the work I did helping the doctors directly.

Could I have been a doctor? Without a doubt. But I'm proud to have been a nurse and would go back tomorrow if I could. What scares me the most about my former profession is the lack of quality nurses there are left in the workforce.

I hear horror stories of good nurses being railroaded, new nurses getting discouraged right out of the gate and seasoned nurses quitting due to stress. I think these are more horrific than the ones I hear of so called bad nurses because without the majority of nurses being the caring empathic souls they have always been, the field is heading for disaster.

The malpractice industry is booming and doctors and nurses are struggling to hold on to their jobs. I used to think that the main problem was colleagues that were in the medical field for money or glory. But honestly I don't see why anyone would stay in the medical field for such nonexistent means. They would be better suited for claims lawyers or some such leech on the medical community.

Not that I hate lawyers. Far from it. Just as I do not dislike doctors, or excuse all nurses. I'm just saying that the real problem as I see it is overworked and underwhelmed professionals in the medical field as a whole. I think that this all started with idealistic nursing students that thought they would float along the halls being graceful and gracious and some gorgeous Doctor would take notice and save them from their 9-5.

There are several things wrong with that way of thinking. First, nurses never float, they run. They run full out all day in shoes that are made to absorb shock and prevent falls, not be fashionable. Second, most are short tempered and shorter vocalized than anyone else on the planet due to the demands of getting your needs communicated fast and efficiently. Third, almost all med students are working on fumes, getting no sleep and learning to abuse the system they are sworn to protect just to make it in. Those that are well slept and not abusing meds (legal or not) are already in committed relationships. And lastly, I have never met a nurse with a nine to five schedule. In fact I spent almost all of my time with nurses, including holidays while working alongside them for several straight shifts.

The moral? The problem with our medical teams is simply the same problem with every other system in America. They are completely an exhausted resource that is running on empty, no longer disillusioned with their efforts and quickly loosing humanity.

Of course, this IS an opinion blog, so that is just my opinion. I have been taught to never bring up a fault without a solution and therefore I would be remiss to leave out that most important opinion. The positive one.

To afford a change in the medical field or any that is suffering it's effects, You must first understand that even the 'man' at the top is only human. The administrators need to be made to 'see' the reality and start putting forth real concerted efforts to increase satisfaction in the workforce. We all need to be more understanding of one another and do a little more than our share, but not allow ourselves to become burned out at both ends.

We also could do with remembering that it's called a 'Practice' for a reason. We should always be growing, adapting and accepting of those around us. To all those brittle soldiers still out there plugging along in the medical field without a care or thought for your fellow man, please try to get back to your humanity and see your patients with patience and new eyes again!