Share Your World – 2015 Week #12

When was the last time you sat on a park or garden bench for more than ten minutes? Describe the occasion.

I remember this occasion well because it was part of a Mother’s Day gift two years ago. My daughters Sarah and Stephanie gave me one of the best Mother’s Day gifts ever that year. It was a “Mother-Daughters Day” which included time spent together doing facials, manicures, hair, makeup, and even changing into our best outfits. And naturally there were secrets shared sprinkled with plenty of giggling and laughing! And then they surprised me when my daughter Sarah’s husband Axel showed up. They ushered me into their car and drove me to one of the beautiful parks located in our city. I thought maybe we were going to have a barbecue picnic, although that didn’t make sense because we’d already had lunch. As it turned out, we were there for a Mother-Daughter photo shoot (my son-in-law Axel happens to be a photographer). We went to all different locations throughout the park for our pictures, and sitting on one of the park benches happened to be be one of them. Axel captured some really great shots that day, and it was a day that I will never forget because it was indeed very special to me.

Would you ever be interested in observing a surgery or do you turn away when the nurse brings out the needle? 

As a matter of fact, I’m a retired R.N. and I worked in the operating room for over twenty years. I’ve assisted in many surgeries, and I consider it to be one of my best accomplishments. I’m proud of the fact that I helped to make the lives of countless people better and I also helped to save many lives. And let me tell you, that is one fantastic feeling! I’ll never forget the first time that I observed a surgery, though. I was totally awestruck by the fact that we as human beings can actually cut into the human body and make it whole again. And I was also amazed at how the Creator made the human body so that it would work so perfectly. It was during that first surgery which I observed that I knew it was the field I wanted to work in. I even returned to college after ten years and went to school nights, working full-time during the day so that I could become an R.N. in order to work in the operating room. I must say, however, that whenever I must have an injection, I don’t like to watch when the needle goes in!

Where’s your favorite place to take out-of-town guests?

If I told the truth, my favorite place to entertain guests is at my home, because I think it is a much more relaxed atmosphere. But if we were to go out, we’d first have dinner at Jax Cafe, which was chosen as one of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities and as the Editor’s Pick.  Their steaks are excellent and I love the atmosphere there. During our meal we’d have a chance to catch up, and reaffirm our bonds.

And then we’d head over to Orchestra Hall so that we can catch a performance of the Minnesota Orchestra. As a Minnesotan, I’m so proud of our Minnesota Orchestra, which was founded in 1903 and which historically has been ranked in the top 10 of American symphony orchestras. The 95 musicians who form the Minnesota Orchestra are truly the most talented musicians in the country. It’s been said that one has a better chance of playing major league baseball than winning a job in the Minnesota Orchestra. Because of their talent and dedication, their music is beautiful. And I just can’t think of a better way to honor guests than to give them the gift of beautiful music.

 

 

If you had an unlimited shopping spree at only one store, which one would you choose? Why?

If I had an unlimited shopping spree at only one store, I would choose JoAnn Fabrics and Craft Store. And the reason why I would choose this store is because I am a quilter. Oh, how I love to quilt! I can spend hours and hours quilting and never get tired of it. I revel in the feel of the fabric beneath my fingertips as it runs through the sewing machine. And I enjoy the aroma of the fabric as I press the seams open. So a shopping spree at JoAnn’s means that I could buy mountains of quilting fabric. Just think of all the different colors and all the varied patterns of fabric that I could add to my fabric stash. And yes – I have quite the fabric stash as it is! Believe me, it is hard to restrain myself from buying fabric whenever I go on a shopping trip. I just can’t seem to help it. It’s as though the fabric is calling out to me, begging me to take it home, and I usually give in!  So yes, I would definitely choose a shopping spree at JoAnn’s Fabric and Craft Store. I’d probably never want to go home.

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I’m grateful for the fact that when I went to see my doctor for a post-hospital visit that my potassium had returned to normal, which means that I was given the green light for my cataract surgery. I was really worried that my labs would not be normal and that my cataract surgery would be canceled. But Divine Providence had gracefully intervened, and everything is okay, and I’m very thankful.

There are a few exciting things happening in this coming week. First, I’m having my cataract surgery done on Thursday. I’m a little nervous about this, which I mentioned in last week’s post, but I’m going to gather up my courage because I do really need to have this done, and I know that I will be really happy with the end result, which will be clearer vision and a bonus of not having to wear glasses ever again after a lifetime of having to wear them.

Second, and most importantly, our youngest daughter Stephanie is coming home from college for her spring break on Friday. We haven’t seen her since Christmas, and I have missed her so much. I can hardly wait to give her a big hug and kiss and to spend some quality mother-daughter time with her. She’ s going to be home for an entire week, which I’m really thrilled about. I’m expecting that we’re going to have lots of fun while she’s here.

Third, since Stephanie needs to return to Wisconsin at 2:00 p.m. on Easter Sunday, our family is going to celebrate Easter this coming Sunday instead. That means we’re going to have our traditional Easter dinner with all the trimmings. After that, we’ll spend time together which involves some family games – we just love to play games. It might be a board game or sometimes we play charades. But whatever kind of game we play, it always includes lots of laughter and loads of fun. I can hardly wait!

So now you know a little more about me.

I’m glad we had this time together and I’d like to thank you for spending it with me. I’m so pleased that I was able to share a bit about myself and my world with you and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Best,

 

 

 

 

 

This post is presented as part of the Share Your World Challenge. If you’d like to be part of this great activity, please click here:

Cee’s Share Your World Challenge