Author Archives: Daisy

The Eyes Have It

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Oh, readers, it’s been crazy around the O.K. Chorale. In the midst of Christmas and birthday shopping, in the throes of one health issue after another, my left eye decided to go its own separate way.

Translation: the retina detached in my left eye.

In lieu of a complex narrative, here are a few highlights.

I learned:

  • the difference between Urgent and Emergency surgeries
  • How to reattach a retina in three easy steps (I’m kidding — do not try this at home)
  • why detailed protocols in surgery double and triple check everything
  • how to be guided rather than be the sighted guide
  • how much I miss reading when my reading ability is limited
  • I can tolerate three straight days without coffee if I must.
  • it’s possible to be sedated and still feel tense

Access to medical records is important. No, it’s huge.

  • In the ER Wednesday night, the ER doc read through the notes from Dr. Shoes, the neurologist, before even seeing me. He was able to rule out another episode similar to stroke almost immediately.
  • Eye Doc from cataract surgery was the opthalmologist on call Wednesday night. He had my history.
  • By the time I saw Dr. Retina Thursday morning, he had already started the wheels turning, scheduling a surgery room and all its trimmings and trappings.
  • Even though my records were available at the click of a mouse, pre-op procedures include verifying everything.

You may have noticed a hint about verification and double checking all details. When I walked in to register at the Alewives Surgical Center (not its real name), the clerk pulled up the file and said, “Oh, you’re having surgery on your right eye.” “No,” I corrected, “it’s the left eye.” She dove into Double Check mode and made a call to verify which eye this should be. As dear husband “Chuck” joined me, we decided to verify this ourselves each and every step of the way. After getting blood drawn, having an IV hooked up, changing into OR fashion, and talking to the anesthesiologist, Dr. Retina came in with a sharpie marker and made a note next to my left eye. He joked that we’d probably heard of mistakes, they were extremely rare, and this was one way he made sure he got the correct eye. We told him that I’d been met at the admissions desk with a greeting that included the right, er, wrong eye.

Dr. Retina was not pleased. After my surgery was finished, he had the trail of information traced until he’d tracked down the source of the error. The confusion came in the game of telephone from ER Doc to Doc Cataract to Dr. Retina. Somewhere in that train, Left was noted as Right. The preliminary information came into Dr. Retina’s office as Retinal Detachment, Right Eye. He corrected his records after examining me, but somewhere this incorrect detail slipped through the cracks.

So folks, friends, family, and fellow bloggers, the left eye is now healing, and my plans for the next few weeks are changed a bit. Here we are, almost at Christmas, and suddenly any shopping plans are modified. Here’s the new to-do list.

  • Incorporate eye drop schedules into daily routine.
  • Finish ordering online ASAP for getting things shipped in time.
  • Modify gift list to include more homemade and less store bought.
  • Make an accurate list and go out shopping with Chuck at the wheel.
  • Hide Chuck’s gifts at the bottom of the cart so he doesn’t see them.
  • Cards? This year cards might not go out. Love you, peoples, but there are priorities.

 

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Medical Updates from the O.K. Chorale

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Hi, folks. It’s gotten harder and harder to read the fine print lately, and when all of a sudden my left eye developed a curtain in front of it, we went to the doc for help. I am headed for a retinal specialist today. If this specialist confirms that my left retina is detaching, I will be in surgery later this afternoon. Think good thoughts, please.

 

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Flu and How Daisy Cleaned out the Medicine Cabinet

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We were all sick, almost one at a time, but overlapping slightly. It was an upper respiratory virus, but not the full blown flu, thank goodness. My dear sweet husband “Chuck” got hit first. His immune system was down as he recovered from the agony of kidney stones, and he was knocked for a loop with this cough and fever. Amigo came next, and they left me for last.

While the chicken soup was simmering, we reached for our stock of over the counter medicines to treat the symptoms. In doing so, we had an unpleasant surprise. Many bottles were expired.

Let’s take off on a tangent, and then we’ll get back to the outdated medicines. Amigo and I have had our flu shots. I hope La Petite found a way to get vaccinated, too. Chuck prefers not to get one; he seems to do well without it. We are ready, we hope, to avoid the worst that the influenza has in store.

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is December 8-14 this year. Vaccination is the first and most important step in protecting your family against flu. Outreach people from the CDC asked several bloggers to spread the word, and of course I said Compost Happens would be happy to help.

Flu can be very serious, readers. I’ll never forget the year my fourth grade class was decimated by H1N1. Influenza of any kind can hit hard, without warning. One way to distinguish influenza from other similar illnesses is that most illnesses come on gradually – a little fever, then a headache and a cough, and then all get worse. Most people who get influenza know the day and hour that it hit.

Influenza isn’t just a cold or a stomach ache. During last year’s flu season, over 150 flu-related pediatric deaths were reported. Some young children may require two shots to establish immunity. Ask your physician.

Since I’ve been teaching online, I feel less of the germ phobia that hovers over classroom teachers. However, we virtual teachers work in a cubicle-filled office. We all breathe the same air. If someone is coughing, the airborne virus will spread. We’re still very faithful flu shot customers, whether we see our students daily or not.

So back to the beginning, dear readers. If flu does hit the O.K. Chorale, which it could, will we be ready? I cleared out any and all outdated medicines from the cupboard and replaced the basics. When I’m sick, the last thing I want to do is stand in line at the pharmacy to get anti-inflammatory drugs and cough drops. We keep ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and a few others on hand at all times. I keep the making of chicken soup in the pantry, too.

The next question: what to do with old medications? Are any biodegradable? Compostable? What about the rest? That, readers, is another post in itself.

Have you gone to the doctor or pharmacy for a flu shot? How do you prepare your family for flu season? Leave a comment and let me know.

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Non-traditional places to shop for gifts

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Folks, you know me. You know I gave up buying wrapping paper several years ago. You know I plan ahead for gift shopping because of all the birthdays that mingle with Christmas. You know I love Christmas music and listen to it – well, I love to listen to holiday music, new or classic.

But do you recall – of course you do. Creative wrapping, frugal gift planning, and finally, the shopping, take a little thought. And then, with a little thought and planning, the fun begins.

Thrift stores! By carefully perusing the racks, I have often found good buys on brand name and quality clothing. Lands’ End, GAP, Old Navy, and my favorite jeans just take a quick cycle through the wash and then look good as new – or better. Better how? Because they’re already worn in, but not worn out.

Thrift stores again – baskets. I enjoy filling baskets with my own canned goods for special people like extended family. My favorite place to find baskets? Goodwill and other thrift stores.

Stores that specialize in vintage. This angle requires good knowledge of the gift recipient. If you’re considering that rabbit fur coat that’s marked 20% off, you’d better avoid buying it for me or for La Petite. But if you see a lovely scarf or classic cameo pendant, go for it.

Stores full of repurposed and crafty pieces. There’s a shop near my workplace that sells wonderful creative and useful household pieces. I look at their wine cork frames and trivets and think “I could make these.” Then I realize no, I don’t have the time or the talent. I’ll buy it from someone who does have the time and talent.

And finally, last but never least, I thoroughly enjoy shopping at Fleet Farm. Don’t bother with Toyland; just stick to my standard departments. Friends and family know that they can buy anything for canning and preserving and I’ll be thrilled. They might even find gardening tools and toys there, despite the weather outside being frightful. We’ve also discovered that the foodstuffs designed for hunting or camping are also good pantry staples. Bear Creek soup mixes, anyone? Yum.

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Signs that it’s December in the O.K. Chorale

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  1. My closet is cluttered with piles – the result of gift shopping! I have to sift through the piles to figure out what to throw in the laundry.
  2. Blanket throws adorn every surface made for sitting or stretching out – including couches, recliners, and bean bag chairs.
  3. Supper menus feature more comfort food than usual.Chicken soup, anyone?
  4. We finally finished the fall tomatoes. Sniff. Sigh. So sad.
  5. Hot cocoa is considered a normal beverage.
  6. I’m watching Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus and getting a lump in my throat.
  7. The Weather Channel provides entertainment and makes me want to stock the shelves in case we are snowed in or iced in or have a hurricane or — okay, maybe just the first two.
  8. The Weather Channel inspires me to ask: If they’re covering Snowstorm Cleon and Snowstorm Deon, will it be Eons before the next one hits? Please say yes.
  9. My fingerless gloves are in my desk drawer at work – that is, when they’re not on my fingers!
  10. Dear, sweet “Chuck” was overheard saying, “It’ll be up to 20 degrees Sunday. I think I’ll put up the Christmas lights then, while it’s still warm outside.”

P.S. I didn’t mention holiday music because we enjoy it all year round. And a partridge in a pear tree to you, too!

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Act 10 Craziness continues

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Remember Wisconsin Act 10? It started as a budget “repair” bill, and when our governor’s followers couldn’t pull together a quorum, they changed the bill enough to pass it — oh, I’m sorry, I can’t summarize this quickly. It’s the law commonly known as the Union Buster. It’s featured along with a few other political topics on my Voter’s Voice page. That’s Voter, as in singular, as in me. One voter’s voice. Recently, a different sort of vote surfaced, one that requires voters, plural, to raise their voices.

According to Good Ole Act Ten, public sector unions like the one to which I belong must vote to recertify their associations in order to bargain what little they still can. Our local met last night to vote on whether or not to pursue the recertification process. Why not? Well, the whole process is still tied up in court and may be unnecessary if the related part of the law is found to be unconstitutional. Get it? Uh-huh. I hear you.

Meanwhile, all potential eligible possible members must be part of the recertification. To keep on as a bargaining entity, my local needs to get 51% of all the actual members AND the call-me-maybes. We set goals last night at our meeting; each member present at the meeting was to recruit and be personally responsible for three votes in addition to our own. If that happens, we will successfully get at least the 51% that we need.

The phone call vote is not easy, though. The Powers That Be designed the automated call process to make callers jump through a few hoops. If a caller hangs up one hoop shy of completion, the vote gets recorded as NO.

The Powers That Be underestimated us. Seriously, most definitely underestimated us. We are teachers! Giving complete directions is what we do! The leaders of our local made up a handout with two sides: One with written directions for the verbal linguistic word-person types, and one with a flow chart for the more visual learners.

Wait! I forgot a detail about the automated voting system. Anyone who doesn’t call at all is recorded as a NO. That’s right, folks, no vote at all counts as a vote towards the Governor’s union busters. All potential members who fail to call are counted in the negative column just as though they had thumbed their collective noses at collective bargaining.

Well, readers, I recruited two on my own and checked on a third potential voter. I do plan to quietly chat with a couple of my nonmember colleagues and ask them to do the democratic thing and be counted. Yes or no, pro or con, our nonmembers need to make their preferences known.

When it’s over, maybe I’ll jump back into the future and ask Grandma Daisy to reminisce a little. I’ll get back to you, folks.

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Waiting Area or Lobby?

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Our offices are rather cramped. I may have mentioned the Coffee Closet, a.k.a. the Clounge. We have no room to sit down together, and there is no lounge or meeting area. The coffee maker and the microwaves are in a storage closet, on a table opposite shelves loaded with books, manuals, bags full of math manipulatives and science materials, and boxes of pencils and pens. And more, I’m sure, but there are boxes I’m afraid to open, they’ve been there so long.

Anyway, we have no place for families to sit down and wait, either. Teachers are creative, even when they work in cubicles, so of course someone came up with a solution.

The Official Waiting Area

The Official Waiting Area

It’s just two chairs and a small table. To the right is our main door; to the left, storage lockers. This little spot is in a huge hallway — huge in the way that it’s a school hallway, wide enough for large groups of students to comfortably pass from one class to another. Nowadays, on our top floor at least, only teachers and administrators wander this hallway, and usually just to get from their own offices to the bathroom and back again.

But as it happens, I had another brainstorm. Parents often sit here while they are waiting for their children to take a placement test or get a benchmark reading assessment done. Many parents have youngsters along, and then have nothing to do while they wait. Here’s our chance. We’ll give them something to do, something valuable, something that will be good for both parent and child.

We’ll create a read-aloud station in our new Hallway-Lobby.

It’s fairly simple in concept. A set of books, a batch of informational brochures, and a sign explaining it all.

Read Aloud!

Read Aloud!

And below, the drawer, previously containing only empty file folders, now filled with learning materials.

I copied them in color, just for fun.

I copied them in color, just for fun.

Books are on the way. I ordered ten different picture books from Paperback Swap dot com, and six are already in the mail headed my way. I’ll beg and plead I mean I’ll write for a grant or two and see if we can beef up the collection, and then we’ll have it: the reading area.

I’ll let you know how it works. The boss likes it, so it must be worth something.

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The Fairies! They’re Back!

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Have you wondered what happened to the Fabled Fairies of Thanksgiving? They made an appearance several years ago, along with a Butterball turkey. Last year we went to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving. I hope the fairies travel over the river and through the woods to wherever you need them.

 Thanksgiving Dinner? No problem! I’ll call in the fairies. They’ll do everything.

The laundry fairy washes, dries, and presses the table linens, including the cloth napkins. If she’s feeling generous, the sheets and towels might get folded, too.
The turkey fairy will practice her specialty and make sure the bird is cooked and carved just in time for dinner. White meat and dark, it’ll all be moist and savory and leave just enough leftovers for sandwiches and a turkey noodle soup.
The baker fairy will take care of pies, pumpkin and otherwise. He’s an expert on flaky crust, selected spices, and the perfect portion of whipped cream. Don’t let that Simple Simon guy get in the way; the kitchen’s too small for anyone who begs to taste the wares.
The brownie — the cunning little house elf — will clean the home thoroughly, put the leaf in the big table, and get the extra chairs out of the basement.
I wouldn’t dream of neglecting the wine fairy: the sommelier so tiny she only recommends, never lifts, a bottle. Her taste is impeccable. Now if we could stop her before she over-imbibes and falls asleep on top of the piano…
Did I mention the decorator fairy? She’ll fix the fireplace mantel with something tasteful and seasonal before she makes sure the couch and rocker are properly arranged for the annual holiday gladiator contests known as NFL football.
The ambiance fairy keeps the wood fire crackling in the fireplace, the aromas wafting deliciously through the home, and the family discussions neutral and apolitical.
The kitchen fairies: really, there must be a whole crew of these talented sprites. One to do the shopping early and avoid the crowds, another to make sure the cranberries are perfect (and local, of course), and a magical maestro with the potato masher. Then we’ll need a feisty fairy, one with attitude — yes, you, Tinkerbell, you can make the coffees.

Mom, you can send the fairies over to my house now that we’re hosting the annual family Thanksgiving dinner. Let them know that I’ll have their room ready and their favorite cookies baked. If they arrive on Sunday there should be enough time to get everything done.

Wait. What do you mean…they’re…not….real?

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Signs of life – Cubicle Life

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Working in our office is anything but dull. Our cubes are not, emphasize NOT, plain and ordinary cookie-cutter design workspaces. We are teachers, remember, and teachers are very talented when it comes to making something out of nothing. We can take a room with cinder block walls and make into a comfortable, welcome place to a few dozen students; we can easily make a cubicle into a home away from home.

Coat Hangs Out while I work.

Coat Hangs Out while I work. Calendar & other notes hang nearby.

My neighbor hangs her crutches alongside a file folder display.

My neighbor hangs her crutches alongside a file folder display.

My plant is oh-so-resilient.

My plant is oh-so-resilient.

Around the corner is another source of color.

Around the corner is another source of color.

Those are the state test boxes, by the way, with our fabulous colorful t-shirts. Our walls may be gray, but the office is very colorful.

So, readers, what makes your workplace or home colorful? Personal? Fun?

 

 

 

 

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