Back From the Mines.....

April 7, 2009....Tuesday....this is real close to the third anniversary of this blog....and here we are back again....like I have been saying often, recently, there is nothing as constant as change....I made the difficult decisions to leave both of my new positions as a CNA....I am not suited to work even in a small facility....especially when cooking, cleaning and laundry are added to direct resident care....and at least half of the residents are nursing home level of care....it was too much for me...I knew I needed to ask the administrator to find a replacement for me when I came home one evening and cried for 5 hours....so....I learned something and that is that I will one day do it again but will only care for one person at the time....and it will be in the winter....I need and want my May - October free to go and do .... I have to take care of myself or I will not be able to continue to take care of others....taking care of people and animals seems to be a gift I have...something I am compelled to do....it is harder for me to take care of myself.... .....these folks help me....... Jay, Buddy and Robin (double click to enlarge and see the Buddy) met us over at Ft. Desoto to let the pups play at the dog beach..... ........our friend, Ines and two others just opened this gallery on Anna Maria Island....they have art by locals and soon Ray will take some out to add to the mix....they had a fun opening and plan to have food nights once a month....and they will have different kinds of live music.... ......this is not a piece Ray would take to the gallery....and it is not a good photo of this piece...it is beloved Lucy...Carol and Jud's pup....Ray painted this portrait of Lucy for Carol's birthday....it is an excellent rendering of Lucy's lovely essence...Carol loves it...and I love it because it indicates to me that Ray is going to begin again to paint and draw and nourish his soul....and use his gifts....we just returned from a long visit with Carol and Jud and the fantastic Lucy girl......we had a great visit....they are doing their first volunteer camp host position at High Falls State Park in Georgia.... ....it is a great park....they have just put in 6 yurts on Carol and Jud's loop....... .......Carol let Ray play her new dulcimer some....he can play anything....he encourages Carol to continue to practice....it is a fun thing to do when we are all together.....as well as poker, walks, and trying all the local restaurants they have discovered....they are loving it....we loved spending an extended time with them and being back in our Airstream....Brother Tom came to reunion with us all three times from Atlanta..... .........we went to Atlanta and met him at Stone Soup....I had the first organic buckwheat blueberry pancakes of my life.....they were very tasty..... .....while we were in the area, we went to check out Carol and Jud's land in North Carolina....they had just had utilities added to the property in preparation for being able to park their RV there while they build a house.....it is even more beautiful than I remember it.....this is a shot of the next door neighbor's pasture....... ......the drive has been developed for the RV...... ......plenty of room for Hannah to chase the ball........and a stream to splash in...what could be better..... ........this will be the view out the back window of their RV..... ..... .it will be a view for us too when we stay there....but first....now that I am back from the mines....we are soon on our way to Maine to camp host.....and we are planning that all out now.....yippee.....maybe I am not crazy afterall.....