Moving Forward

Thank you again for the continued kind words, thoughts, and prayers. I am feeling great, and everything seems to be back to normal. The doctor is pleased with all the progress, and has given me a clean bill of health! (And several other bills.) I have one more appointment early next month, and after that, we should be all done with follow-up:)

We have started looking at options for re-scheduling the wedding. There is so much to consider, not the least of which is that I am not sure if I can get any time off work in the next 6 months! We will keep you up-to-date as we make decisions.

Can't wait to announce a new date- hoping all the pieces come together soon!

In other news, the kitchen re-model is nearly complete. Progress was very slow over the summer as our primary laborers (John's dad and uncle David) were very busy. But we got the countertops in, all the new appliances, and just tonight we finished most of the countertop detail installation. The back room is also making progress, and now we are down to finishing the drywall, painting, finishing the trim, and a few other details. Hopefully both the kitchen and the back room will be complete in time for John's birthday next month:)

Thank you again for all the love and support!

Cute stuff for cool peeps.

How cute is that boy? Seriously? And it's not just his Ethiopian good looks, either! The boy's got Style. With a capital "S."

And now, his momma, Jennifer, is offering that style to you, too via her etsy shop.

Clothing and jewelry for the whole family. (Can't wait for the scrub shirt she is making me:)

Jennifer is a momma with true style. Her pieces aren't just designed to bring cute to a whole new level. Jennifer's goal is to sell enough shirts to buy a goat to benefit the orphans in Ethiopia. Beyond that, she hopes to sell enough items to off-set the cost of a humanitarian trip to Ethiopia later this year. You can read even more about her "150 shirt challenge" here.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer, her husband, Jody, and their son, Abey while we were in Ethiopia. Watching Jennifer become a mother- hearing the passion in her voice and seeing the light in her eyes- was a beautiful process. Being a part of the process that turned her deep love for her son into a deep passion to care for the orphans of Ethiopia was a true inspiration. Please consider supporting her efforts by doing a bit of shopping.

I promise, you will look- and feel- better for it.

Pennsylvania's Appalachian Mountains

Like a silver mink stole, fog
drapes around her hunched shoulders.

Apricot beams slowly peek
from behind her stooped frame,
landing on moist mosses.

Steel-blue arms wrap
around the skyline, hugging
deep green late-summer
earth to her breast.

She pulls me into her embrace.
The fog-stole tickles my nose.
I am home.

Trend-Setter

I may have been the first, but I know I am not the last.

Check out how popular the name "Sparrow" is becoming:)

Ponderings regarding Profesionalism

It's well-known to those in the field of nursing that there is currently a group of nurses who believe that nursing is a true profession, and as such, a bachelor's degree should be the required education to enter into independent practice. The is also a group that believes that there is a role for "professional" nurses, but as a bedside nurse, the job and role is not that of a true profession. The definition of a profession encompasses four major markers: full-time occupation, professional associations, code of professional ethics, right to practice requires licensing. In that sense, nursing is a "profession."

But in my mind, a profession is much different than "being a professional." I think nursing as a whole meets the standards and qualifications that make it a profession. But do nurses act like professionals? I guess that depends on how you define a professional. So, what do you think are characteristics of a professional?