Hi Strangers

Oh my goodness blogosphere!

I am sorry I have been absent for so long.

Its a VERY VERY long story that perhaps someday I will tell.

Its a story full of tears and smiles.  A story rich with the pain of rejection, disappointment and discouragement.  But also has sparkling moments of joy, excitement and contentment.

(ok so its not really that dramatic...I just like playing with the words)

But for now lets keep it short and sweet and just say I'm back and this time I'm back to stay!!!

I'll do a little catch-up/back-blogging...but mostly we are just going to start from the here and now.


I hope I haven't lost too many of you to boredom!!!

Stay awhile and lets catch up yes?????



Keep Smilin' Y'all!

Be Happy Be Healthy!


<3 p="" stephanie="">

UGGGHHH 102.4!

Alright peeps.....

Its official

Being sick  SUCKS

I have a new-found sense of empathy for my patients!

I havent been super sick since....at least high school...possibly middle school since I last had a high fever.


I knew Wednesday night I had a little bug  (99.9 and general malaise) but I went to work and pushed through on tylenol and lots of fluids.
It came and went in waves...sometimes I was fine and good.  Other times my coworkers looked at me and said "GO HOME you look miserable!!"

But I was fine.  I went home with the plan to sleep it off and head back to work for my last shift of the week.
I was fever free at the time and slept pretty good.

But then 11ish hit and suddenly I was tossing and turning.  I couldn't get cool....HOT MESS much?

But I kept sleeping cause I knew I needed it for that night.

(at this point you can tell I'm a nurse with student loans...cause yeah going into work no matter what!)

I finally gave up on the sleeping thing around 3 and went downstairs to get the thermometer.
I could kinda go a little cross-eyed and see the numbers change.  But I thought for sure I say a 2....and I was super annoyed cause the thermometer was CLEARLY broken.
My temperature was NOT 92!

But yeah then it started beeping all agitated like....and 102.4 was the final result.
This led to an "Oh crap"..2 phone calls to my charge nurse and nursing services...a dose of tylenol followed by another EXACTLY 4 hours later...kool-aid...milkshake...a fan AND a blanket..

oh what a mess....and oh so not fun!!!!!


try to not get sick everybody....
it may mean its a perfect time to catch up the blog....but
SSSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO not fun


So stay healthy everyone!!!!!

The Inspiration

Dr Suess once said,
"Don't cry because it is over, Smile Because it Happened"


You know those moments when you are incandescently happy?
When you feel safe..physically and emotionally?
When you feel loved and wanted and even needed?
When you are surrounded by those you love, doing things you love, in a place you love.

I call it contentment.  Contentment is more than giddy happiness.  Its deeper than that.  It means love and safety along with that happiness.


I've had these content moments throughout my life...and when things are really bad-all I want to do is go back to those moments.

But I've learned something recently (Thank you Dr Suess)  Its nice to remember those things.  Its nice to look back and remember how wonderful you felt.


But you know what else is awesome?  Finding those times everyday!!!!

There are so many moments of true contentment in this life.

We just need to find them.....

And then we will be less sad that its over...and more likely to smile because of it.

Be Happy Be Healthy

An Introduction

Hello everyone.

We are officially in a new chapter and phase for my little blog baby.

I've enjoyed being the Swilly girl in your life-but lots of life has happened since then, and I think we have outgrown Silly Swilly.


I won't say that I won't still continue to rant occasionally.  Or share my opinions and thoughts.
I will still find a certain joy in the silly and ridiculous....
And there will still be the occasional dear boys
And of course I will join up with nursing link-up or High Five for Fridays every so often.

But for the most part we are just going to remember.  And document for future remembering.
We are going to be happy and look for the good, without glazing over the bad the inevitably happens

I want to throw out a special thanks to all who have been with me through this whole journey.
I have so many loyal and fantastic followers, who are even more amazing friends and acquaintances.
Thanks for trudging through format changes and crazy rants, novel long posts, too much music, never enough pictures and more often than not TERRIBLE writing.

Ya'll are the best.  And I hope we can hang out here in the blogosphere for a while!



Be Happy Be Healthy!

The Obligatory Happy Daddy's Day Post

Everyone does it....and trust me...I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Daddyo

(and yes I do call him that and yes that is how he is in my phone and yes the ringtone that plays when he calls is a swing song called "Go Daddyo!)


But it just seems so trite to write a post about him.
He's the guy I always have and forever will be able to count on 110% and I honestly just don't want to trivialize it.


So we will keep it short and sweet...and reluctantly cheesy.


My dad is the reason I am who I am today.
He has instilled values in me from the day I was born that have led me to the place I am in my career and to the place I am as a person.
He has protected me my whole life-from both spiders and heartache.

Plus he lets me be annoying and loud and crazy and always pretends to listen to my rants.

BEST DADDY EVER!!!!

BEST accidental picture EVER!!!!!!!

(not very flattering....but AWESOME!!!)

Sometimes I Wonder...

why I do the things I do.  Why on earth am I (and by I, I truly mean we) so stupid sometimes???

Some might say...you are human...and being human makes you stupid.
But you know what I say????  Humans make other humans stupid.
That is my official stance on stupidity.
My stupidest moments have been in reaction to another human.

Now I of course don't blame them. (Its not their fault they are human....and therefore cause stupidity)  But I also fully acknowledge that without that interaction with another human...I would not have acted so darned stupid!


And seriously sometimes you step back and ask yourself "Why the heck am I being so stupid?" .... aka the question I am asking myself tonight.



There is this really stellar jerk in my life right now.  And I don't mean he is stellar at being a jerk.  I mean he is a stellar person who for some reason feels the need to be a jerk more frequently than the average person.

I was this boy's friend...and still consider myself to be so..

And so despite the fact that this boy has hurt me quite badly (to be frank)...when others disparage him-I want to leap down their throats (metaphorically of course!).

And everyone (alright so lots...every is an exaggeration) rags on him.  And maybe in their minds he deserves it.  But in mine he doesn't and so I sit quietly-unable to truly defend him because all they say is technically true-but knowing they are so so wrong.

And so I sit in the corner quiet and pouty-being sad and mad all at the same time.

I've always been very protective of my friends.
But shouldn't the jerk part cancel out the friend part????

And alas I am double stupid....keeping the friend and then defending him.

Darned humans...you make me stupid!!!!!!




Not sure why this song is the one that goes with this somehow......but it does so...deal with it????????

Anyway everyone

Be Happy Be Healthy!!!!

Philadelphia

I like this song.

Also I like the.....
2 children's hospitals...nice
1 YSA ward and 2 institutes
The Phillies...i'll still cheer for my cardinals..but at least its a national league team!!!
Cheese-steaks and soft pretzels...well really just soft pretzels
Fairmount park..gorg!  and the biggest in the country
According to Wikipedia...its the 5th most walk-able city in the country

The City of Brotherly Love people!!!!!

pretty right???

Pretty water!!!!!

Its not Busch.....but it would do....

Just thoughts I am batting around...maybe Philly is better then Boston..or D.C.  or NYC.....


Cause as much as I love StL....its time to bounce!!!!!

Happy Birthday to Little Sister!!!!

NINETEEN!!!!

She is soooooo old!!!!!

Good grief that makes ME old!!!!!

Lets stop this yes???

Best Little Sister in the world!!!

Love ya babe!!!!

2006

2007

2008

 2009

2010

2011

2011

2012

2012

2013

Gosh..we look so young....and so old!!!!

Oxytocin-Or Why We Need Other People

Have you ever heard the research they have done on oxytocin??

Oxytocin is a hormone our body naturally releases that leads to feelings of contentment and comfort.

Studies have shown that touching stimulates the body to release this hormone.
Even just touching someones hand can trigger the release.
So just think what an actual hug could do????



Just a simple hug can do wonders.

A bit ago I was having a terrible day.  Like a really terrible horrible no good very bad day.
We were in serious Alexander mode.

Luckily I was able to see a dear friend.  Unluckily at this time this good friend was going through a loss, and was really in need of a hug.
So being a hugger, I pulled her in and held her for a bit.

But I still was so focused on myself.  Everyone around me was hounding me-and suddenly I had minor attack and pulled my hood over my face in a stressed/overwhelmed manner.

And suddenly this sweet friend-who was hurting herself-said "Oh Stephanie, it is ok!" and pulled me into a hug.  And as we left, she kept hugging me and even allowed me to lean on her as we walked.

It likely looked like I was either incapable of walking myself (either due to emotional distress or drunkenness).  And frankly it kind of felt like I couldn't!

But she was there for me.  (even though it should have been me there for her!)
And seriously-my day was suddenly better.
Such a simple almost nothing thing-and my day took a 180 degree turn.

And it was perfect.



So hug each other.  Cause its not like you can hug yourself!

Be Happy Be Healthy!

Baby Sister is 16 today.......

Making me feel all sorts of old!!!!!

Theme Song Thursday

Alright Peeps!

I NEED TO GET OUT!!!!!

I need to wear my modestly short skirt, my ankle breaking heels!!!!
A night out on the town, livin it UP!


But instead...I sit around and the phone doesn't ring.
And so I work

Its nice for the extra money.
But its super boring!


No offense to the over-50 crowd I hang out with at the hospital.
But really....you aren't very cool.
Sorry....................................



And so today I'm singing this song.
Cause dude(s)...you are totally missin' out.
And if you don't get "here" soon....I'm gonna stop wasting the pretty!

"I've gotta dress that'll show a little uh-uh

But you ain't gettin any uh-uh if you don't come pick me up!"

"Its not like you got any place better to be!"

(Seriously I think inside I'm a big haired blonde cranky country singer bahahahahahaha)

Be Happy Be Healthy everyone.

And go out......

for me.....

and then tell me about it so I can live vicariously!!!!!!!!!!

I Feel So Domestic!

My goodness people...I'm like a regular old Mormon Mom today!

I started my day cleaning the bathrooms at the church building (each congregation takes a turn and my congregation is too small to really get the whole building-so we take turns doing the bathrooms!)

ps.....nurses should not be allowed to clean public bathrooms.  SERIOUSLY people....I used enough disinfectant to kill a large animal....let alone the little germies crawling everywhere.....
Those doorknobs and light switches have NEVER been so clean!
pps.....may or may not have gotten high from the large amount of cleaning chemicals I used......

Then I went to the grocery store.  On a Saturday-generally ill-advised (can we say crowded???)-but it turned out alright.  I only had to stare absent-mindedly at the trashy magazines for a few minutes in the check-out line.

THEN I made a cheesy garlic bread, cinnamon roll-style for the potluck dinner after church tomorrow!   (well I'm kinda still doing that-they are in the oven)
I think they will turn out very well.  They smell good at least!
YEAH for actually using Pinterest recipes!!!!!!

ALSO my lifetime goal has now become to make something that uses flour WITHOUT getting it ALL OVER myself and the kitchen!!!


Next up is getting real dressed (cleaning, grocery shopping and baking with flour do not require real clothes....sweatshirt/t-shirt and nasty jeans will suffice...judge away What Not To Wear!)
Cause I'm headed out tonight to hang out with the gals!
Who needs boys to ask you out on dates anyway?  We will just take ourselves out!!!!!  ;)

And then once I am all cute-I'm gonna make dinner for me and the 'rents.  Baby Sister is out of town for the weekend-so we get to eat like grown-ups instead of picky teenagers!
So another Pinterest recipe for us!!!
Nothing fancy-just a little Garlic Chicken with Broccoli.
I'll let you know how it turns out!!!!

I better be careful!  Too much domesticity and I might just become the type of girl guys will want to marry.

YIKES!!!  I better CUT THIS OUT!!!


Happy Saturday!

Be Happy Be Healthy

Marching On

HAPPY MARCH!!!!!!

It is still snowing outside my window.

THIS IS NOT OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Spring--are you coming????  Cause I am feeling super pastey and my flip flops are feeling neglected.

ITS TIME FOR WARM...and even more than that ITS TIME FOR SUN!!!!!!!


like seriously!!!!


Its my weekend to work---BOOOOOO.
But oh well...thems is the breaks


And so for now...I will dream of THIS

Anybody want a fruity (nonalcoholic of course) colorful drink with a little umbrella????

SERIOUSLY NEEDING SOME COCONUT TANNING OIL!!!!!

A Lesson In Body Language...Thanks DC

Lets just start with the video...which I preface by saying it is almost 100% accurate and HYSTERICAL.

Following will be my review...so enjoy ;)

ALRIGHT....

Ready for the breakdown??

I'll only go with the falsehoods...cause I could discuss the truths of this ALL DAY LONG!!!!!!

False: Gals DO NOT move their lips subconsciously!!!  Where did you hear that???  Who is spreading such lies!!!!  However, a gal might lick her lips.  That is a fairly universally acceptable signal (but most girls I know don't actually use this one, we just all know about it)

False: The dumb acting.  This isn't actually false, I just want to give a warning.  Don't act too dumb cause then they think you ARE dumb (no way!  I never would have guessed!).  You just want them to help you.  Reaching high things and carrying heavy things tends to be more effective.  Play the weak card.

False: Girls do not push guys they don't like at all.  They avoid touching them at all costs.

False: Diagonal is not that bad.  Usually just means friendship...see previous POST  for more info.

(PS...I've been talking about levels of hugs for YEARS!!!!)

False: The rub???  Does anyone rub???  The pat is no good...that's true...but rubbing seems SUPA weird.  

False: A girl who touches your leg is kinda a tramp??  Not true!!  Leg touching is different from leg grabbing.

Grabbing=trampy  Touching=she likes you...cause that doesn't happen on accident!!!

False: Meat, kissing, explosions and sports....just gotta add that sports in.  

Also men only think they are simple.  To a girl you are crazy complicated!  As evidenced by snuggling for warmth vs snuggling for well...you know.

But in your defense....we are equally complicated.....probably.  If you ask me we just want to be taken out and treated nice.  What's so complicated about that?? (wink wink)

Anyway...Go forth and...try not to get into relationships you don't realize you are in :D

Maybe I should have done a video response to this one...cause I hope everyone catches my sarcasm..and doesn't think I'm at all serious about this ;)

Be Happy Be Healthy!

Confession Friday

So I did this last week-but I had lots of fun with it.  So I'm gonna do it again.



1. I have a drinking problem.  But not the kind you think.  Its water ladies and gents.  Seriously I drink like liters in short periods.  Its concerning and disturbing!

2. My drinking problem leads me to have a container problem. Right through me ladies and gents!  (TMI we know we know!)

3.That one time I dated that one guy...he was totally a rebound.  And the next guy...he was a rebound too.
(does it count as a confession if everyone but you knew/admitted it pretty much as it was going on?)

4. All the new grads got called to come into work last night.  But we all said no...cause we had plans to go to dinner and whine about the terrible parts of our job.  And laugh about all the ridiculous parts!  SORRY!!!!  But we promise to come in another time....maybe.

5. Tonight I specifically planned for errands, laundry, catching up on Grey's Anatomy (yes I watch it-that's a confession in itself!) and then going to bed early.  I am an awesome old lady who loves a Friday night at home!!!!!

So going to bed now!  NIGHT!!!!!



Be Happy Be Healthy!

I Could Have Died Today

(20 brownie points goes to the first to place that quote!)

Alright so today was a TERRIBLE day!  Granted the terribleness only lasted for roughly 20 or so minutes...(and the rest of the day was nothing to complain about)...but it was EXTREME TERRIBLENESS!

Jonas almost died.  And then I almost died.

Allow me to paint a picture--

I was driving...the speed limit in fact, because for the first time in a great long while I was on time for church!

Soothing and calm church music was playing nicely in the background.

It was a cold day, overcast, but not dreary.  And my heat (which is disastrously slow to warm up on cold days) was now pumpin nice and hot.

And then ALL OF THE SUDDEN...a DEER darts out on the right side of the road!  Then darts back a little like he is not sure what to do...then runs all the way into the street!  RIGHT in front of me and Jonas

I don't remember much of what happened.  But I was going 35-40 and suddenly I was slamming on my brakes.  (PS...my brakes work VERY VERY well)  Yes ladies and gents I came to a complete stop that defies the laws of physics!  My purse however, did not follow these rules and its contents became flying projectiles on the floor of my front seat (remind me to get a purse with a zipper for any future wildlife encounters)

For some reason at this same moment I looked into my rear-view mirror to see a silver SUV approaching me quickly.  Not sure if they had the same miraculous defying of the laws of nature or just were able to see my brake lights and stop in time.  BUT they did not hit me.  THANK EVERYTHING THAT IS HOLY!!!!!

If they had not I would have likely become a sandwich!  Poor little Jonas is not much bigger than that silly deer (ps...I now have a deep and undying hatred for deer!) and CERTAINLY would not have survived a direct rear-end from a SUV twice his size!

And I would have been smushed right in the middle like some sort of Human Deer Car Sandwich.  Or I could have taken the route of my lip gloss and become a flying projectile out of my front window.
And I've seen Grey's Anatomy-that would not end well for me!


But in all seriousness, it was not that bad.  It was certainly a VERY close call.  And I was incredibly shaken up (darn road with no shoulder-I so badly wanted to pull over and collect myself....or cry-I wasn't sure which at the time.)

So shaken up in fact that when the church music somehow turned itself up to an ear-splitting and far from soothing level I proceeded to YELL at the EFY singer guy to "Shut Up!  I can't handle you right now!"  (Question-does one get sent to you-know-where for yelling at EFY people???)

So...moral of the story...my position on deer hunting has dramatically altered from one of opposition to one of INTENSE favor.  Shoot them all if you would like!  Have all the deer jerky your stomachs can hold!!!!


And as always..Be Happy Be Healthy and watch out for deer!

Notes from a Nurse: Care Plans...New Years Style!

Haven't done a notes from a nurse in a while...so let me tell you about something DREADFUL. Something every nursing student ABHORS and the memory of which leads even seasoned nurses to MOAN.


CARE PLANS


For reals people these things are truly terrible!

Care plans consist of
1. Nursing and/or Medical Diagnosis (what is overall wrong) Ex. coronary artery disease
2. Problems (what negative results can come from what is wrong) ex. decreased tissue perfusion
3. Interventions (what we do to prevent/address problems) ex.
4. Outcomes (what we would like to see happen)

(PS depending on how you were taught, #1 might not be a part of the process....but it works well for me today!)

Now true, this is a good way to look at nursing care in an organized manner. But it still is the bane of every nursing students existence!



Now...why am I telling you all things.....

Because Care Plans are EXACTLY like New Years Resolutions!

Cause lets be honest..though good intentioned they tend to become the bane of our existence by the end of the first week of January!

But at the same time...both can be very helpful.

So here are a few tips I have picked up over the years...that I am going to try and do too... so here we go.


FIRST: the Diagnosis----This is your actual goal. Make it broad and vague and general. This way throughout the year motivation can be more easily rekindled and discouragement more easily avoided.

For example: "Get into better shape" is better than "Run 4 miles every day" What if you can't one day...or one week. Then you are all bummed and less likely to start up again. So BROAD and VAGUE.


SECOND: the Problem---Now this is were we get specific. And we change...MONTHLY. Make Feb 1 and March 1 etc just as important as January 1. These are specific things regarding your general goals. PROGRESSION is the key here. You cannot expect to eat an elephant in one bite. Its lots of little bites. In this case it is 12 little bites. Each month pick another aspect of that larger goal to work on.

For example: "Get into better shape" combines with specific goals like- "Increase flexibility in February and adding "Increase muscular strength" in March


Third: the Interventions---this is HOW! Now you can talk about 4 miles and schedules. In this one FLEXIBILITY is the most important. Again monthly check-ins (or even more frequently) are a really good idea. If something just isn't working...don't give up, just adjust!

For example: "Run 4 miles outside everyday" turns out to be super hard in January. So you adjust to the treadmill in February. But still not great, so you adjust to Zumba in March


Fourth: the Outcomes--this is the MEASURING part. Outcomes need to be specific an measurable. Basically they are how you measure whether or not you achieved the original resolution.

For example: "Able to run ____ miles" "Able to lift ___ pounds"


so thats that! Now I may be full of crap...BUT..maybe this will help you out.



Anyways...Be Happy Be Healthy

What Is My Favorite Part of Winter??

THE SNOW!!!!!!


Last night I left for work in a world that was slowly turning white.

And the world had that awesome silent snow thing going on.

The 12 hours later I walked out of work to a world of mostly white (it was sadly only 1/2 inch or so)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE  the SNOWWWWWWWWW!!!!!


I guess that is what happens when you live in a place with "the greatest snow on earth" for 4 years!


Anyway...not much today other than my love of the snow!!!!!!!

Be Happy Be Healthy!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

I've always been a fan of this song.
But I have always been an ANTI-fan of James Taylor

 Until this year. When I have come to very much like his version of it


 



At the risk of being all woe is me and depressing....I would like to point out that the rosey Christmas-y world painted by most Christmas movies and songs and shopping commercials is not the majority of people's experiences.

For many people Christmas is a time when thoughts are not turned to happy things.  They are not thinking about packages, boxes, or bags.  They are not thinking about mistletoe, holly leaves and yule logs.

They are thinking about the ones they have lost.  They are thinking about how in a time when they are supposed to feel loved and warm, they instead feel cold and alone.

Some people have to work on Christmas.  Others are sick and in the hospital.
And most for various reasons don't get to be with the ones they love.

Then there are those who don't even have the ability to afford trees and presents and cookies.


BUT

That is why I like this song.  It has hope.  Next year will be better.  And until then we will muddle through.  But next year we can be together and all will be well.

And I like that hope!

So have yourself a merry little Christmas everyone.  Even if it isn't all Irving Berlin and Burl Ives.
Next year will be better.  I promise!

Bless All the Dear Children

I have been trying to come up with a good way to approach the recent tragedy in Connecticut.  I feel like I cannot ignore it.  Too many mothers and fathers and friends are missing their sweet little ones this Christmas season to ignore it.

But I have not felt like my words were adequate.  

The depth of the sadness and the grief seems insurmountable. 

So this evening I choose to steal the words of others, who are able to say it so much better than me.  

The first, a clip from a fictional television show.  Though it is not an exact fit...it meets my feelings and expresses them in a way I cannot.

"The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight."

"This is a time for American heroes.  They are our...TEACHERS"

"God bless their memories"

The streets of heaven truly are too crowded with angels tonight. 

But these sweet and beautiful angels are safe now.  They are protected.  

And now my only prayer is not for those who have left us.  I am sure of their peace and comfort.  

My prayer is for those still here.

The mothers and fathers who will have unopened Christmas gifts.

The families who will have one less person at the table.

The children who will have to go through the painful and frightening process of returning to school, with friends and teachers missing.

And so I end with this Christmas carol.  And repeat the words of the final verse

 

Hug those you love extra hard this Christmas season.

And pray for those who cannot.

And as always-Be Happy Be Healthy