ANOTHER YEAR GONE, ANOTHER YEAR WISER (hopefully)

Today is 2/1/2025.  How did this stay a draft 12/29/2019?

It's been over a year since the last post.  In case you didn't know (living under a rock or something), I'm still in Ganado.  I haven't been regular with posting (says Captain Obvious).  The muse hasn't struck until today.  So many things happening.  Good, challenging, bad, enlightening, growth causing and in general continuing the adventure this has become.

In the last post I tried to catch you up on many, many things.  In truth, even now, they are just TNC (medical abbreviation for "too numerous to count".  There are some that come to mind quicker than others.  Today I learned how to make fry bread.  Think elephant ear from a carnival.  My former boss, now turned a bestie friend and Navajo, came over before she went to church to show my how to make the dough.  Later we'll fry.  Not being much of a homecky-Becky in the past 20 years, my cooking skills are sorely lacking.  And I never was a baker unless it came out of a box!  So, learning to make dough for tortillas and fry bread will take some practice.  

What started this desire to make fry bread you ask?  Good question.  I've wanted to.  Tortilla and fry bread are a staple here.  The catalyst though, was a Christmas gift called the "Sheep Herders Special" from a team member.  It contains Blue Bird Flour (THE flour for baking here), salt, baking soda, a block of lard (from John Morrell no less--they bought Krey Packing which an uncle worked for all of my life until he retired and a St. Louis company), Spam, corned beef hash and enchilada sauce--hot enchilada sauce.  I think this is the makings for the breakfast of Navajo champions.  All I need is a boiled egg! Since Ernasha and I won't be making breakfast, we're doing the next best thing which is Navajo tacos:  fry bread with beans, ground beef, onions, cheese and all on fry bread.  My arteries are clogging as we speak.

I've taken up weaving.  Why, I have no earthly idea except everyone else around here is doing it.  And, no, Mom, if everyone played on the highway, I wouldn't follow them.  (Why is it we play IN the street, but drive ON a highway?  But I digress. {that one was for you Mags})  Back to weaving. Seriously, I don't care for warping.  I get bored with the back and forth of it all.  But I get to handle fiber.  I can card the wool, spin it and weave it and that's fun.  And with spinning, I can weave my not so nice yarns instead of knitting or crocheting them.  Something to do with that wool.  Not sure where I will put the looms (I've acquired three) when I get back home.

Work remains the main focus.  There needs to be some serious life balancing going on.  I try not to think about it when away from it, but it's difficult.  I live to close, I think.  Never far from it.  Can get into the office easily when there isn't anything immediately to do.  Trust me I have plenty to do that is not work related:  several knitting projects on needles, three quilt projects (Ariana and Chelsey) and just other craft things I want to do.  But I was raised no playing until the work is done.  Unfortunately,  what your parents don't tell you is the work is NEVER done.  There will always be things at work or home that must be done to maintain.  Hence the need for balance.  I'm a grown up now.  Adulting, the term of the ages, if you will and I can choose (big word there) to not work if I don't want to.  So there! (she says with a stamp of her foot and arms crossed across her body.)  I do make myself do things that I want to do and try now to tell myself I SHOULD do them.  

I'm still in awe of the color of blue the sky is and how clear the blue is.  It just takes my breath away.  And today it's cold out there.  Was -9 in the night!  We do have wind chill here, but it isn't windy at the moment, so I guess you could say it's brisk and crispy!  I've taken hundreds of pictures, but do I have one at the ready for this paragraph.  Nope!

tap...tap...tap...ahem...Ahem...AHEM...May I have your attention please.

Good morning all from very cold Ganado.  Today the sun is shining, the sky is partly cloudy and it's 28 degrees!  But it was near 70 last Sunday,  Weather is kinda like St. Louis.  Wait 5 minutes and it'll change!  Just a lot drier. 

So.  How have y'all been?  Everything good in the Midwest?  Y'all finally into fall?  It has come to the reservation and although there aren't nearly the colors of the Midwest, it is still beautiful in its own way.  Even the sage brush turns from a green to a silvery color with greay (my version of can't decide between grey and gray) tops. Lots of yellow leaves, but not the bright orange and red back home. 

So what have I been doing since July, you ask?  Good question. Not posting to the blog site, for one thing.  No particular reason, except every time I tried, I just wasn't in the great mood y'all deserve.  And no particular reason for the moodiness other than periods of homesickness, lots of hours at the office, and just plain old tired, but not exhausted.  That's the good news.  Okay, maybe a couple of times.  I'm mostly thriving on the work and enjoying it immensely.  I feel as if I'm growing a fledgling business:  slightly imperfect, not very efficient, but lots of promise to work with.  I want to give you rundown from today back to 7/19/18.  Exercise my short term memory cells--they go so fast!

The week of 10/22 was a very busy one with home visits on Monday AM, three patients in the afternoon, surprise reports due before Tuesday evening, patients to see Tuesday AM, DM class Tuesday afternoon, meeting Wednesday AM, National Bus Safety event at Ganado School District on Wednesday  9-2, surprise meeting said surprise reports were for on Wednesday late afternoon, Mass Flu Vaccination/Student Day on Thursday and Mass Flu Vaccination/Community Day on Friday for a total of 1,412 people for flu shots and 150+ for A1c tests.  Lots of very long days with the HIM supervisor breathing down my neck for and sending nasty grams to my boss for charting on the three charts from Monday afternoon.  Not a good week for neck breathing.

The annual National Bus Safety event at the Ganado school bus garage was first for me.  So glad to have Herman Kee, CNA and veteran event person with me.  He made sure we got through the day with enough incentives (giveaways) for the kiddos, teachers and others. All elementary kids from pre-K (so cute!!!) to the 8th graders (not so cute!).  Along with Sage DM Services they had  EMS, GFD, Magan B., 2017-18 Miss Western Navajo Teen.  I'm not sure how the young ladies are chosen.  This young woman was very pleasant.  The woman standing next to her is her mother and a very proud one, rightfully so.  The little kids loved Magan. Oh, and the kiddos got to see the equipment used to service the buses and see the bus engine which is at the back of the bus ala VW bugs.

Next, a birthday shout out to Razen Mae, one of my modular mates.  Her b-day was Friday.  There was a surprise impromptu party Thursday night with lots and lots of good food. Roselle, another modular mate is a fabulous cook.  Cooking his her therapy.  Roselle did a wonderful job as well as Hazel.  I contributed leftover ham and bean soup. Not very birthday like, but it was very short notice!  The birthday girl.  Not a great picture since she is a beautiful woman.

This weekend I'm house and dog sitting for the physical therapist and her identical twin.  Aimee and Stacie are off to Albuquerque for 36 hours.  They pick up and short term foster the rez strays, getting them to no-kill shelters and fosters that will give these animals a better life.  They are awesome ladies and helped me with Sophia (AKA Lil Momma) and her brood.  That story is coming up.  At any rate they picked up Carley, a very sweet, gentle collie mix.  They couldn't get her to another foster before they left.  I couldn't keep her at my place. So, I got to stay at A & S place which is a cute little bungalow with three bedrooms, a tiny kitchen, bigger bathroom than I have, tons of storage, a deck, big laundry room, the description of which is making me sound covetous.  I am.  The girls will be back tonight.  Carley's next stop on the foster dog line is today at 1:30-2P at the intersection of I40 and State Hwy 191, so I'm making the transport.  It's only a 45 minute drive one way and a nice one.  Great day to do it.

I was supposed to go spinning today meeting a new to me group, but I don't know where the place is.  As it happens, one of our NPs is the niece to the lady that hosts the spin in.  I'll ask Melanie on Monday and go next month.  I need some spinning muses.  I want to, just not doing it.

Back to October happenings.  I'm finally fully staffed in the DM Service dept. if you don't count that I'm not permanent.  Angelita Mina started 10/1 and Pepper Morgan 10/8.  These ladies are Patient Care Coordinators.  The position means they do tons of clerical work, may give injections, do VSs, events and DM teaching at a paraprofessional level.  Hopefully by the end of the year, they will be fully oriented and ready to take on the f/u folks.  We will also be able to schedule additional patient visit time.  right now we do Monday afternoon, Tuesday and Thursday all day. As the RN, I'm to do the hospital and new patient referrals as well as the in home visits.  

September is a bit hazy since I went on vacation the last week of it.  Maybe I need to work on long term memory cells as well.  I was able to take a week and fly home for a haircut, (thank you, thank you, thank you, Cascea Garner, for taking away from your family time to make time for Tom and I.)  Then Tom and I got in the car and drove to Marion, IL for the night.  Sunday we drove to Gatlinburg, TN, one of our favorite vacation spots.  We had a lovely cabin (Check out Jackson Mountain Homes for the best choices and rates) with a hot tub and jacuzzi.  When Tom and I go on vacation, we plan to spend some time sightseeing, but we also plan for down time as well.  He brought books to listen to and DVDs to watch.  We had basic, and I do mean VERY basic cable so that only goes so far.  We rode a mountain coaster twice and did a mountain glider.  There is video and pictures, but I've not saved them to my hard drive apparently.  I'll do that another time.  I got to hit the Smoky Mountain Spinnery not once but twice so there is new fiber and yarn (no surprise there!)  We bought jams and jellies of which only three made it to Ganado.  What a mess that was.  Three or four bottles of wine!  Don't tell the Navajo Nation.  A new mug, of course. We had seven days and nights in the area.  We really relaxed and enjoyed ourselves.

Us at the Huck Finn Catfish Emporium our first night in Gatlinburg.  This is one of our stops when we come. I don't know why I cock my head like that in pictures.  Looks kinda dumb really.

September started off with Labor Day, litterally.  Pun intended.  I picked up a stray and got her in the car to take to the Gallup Humane Society on Saturday of the holiday weekend.  Got all the way there and they were closed for the weekend AND full, so they wouldn't have taken her anyway.  I made my quick trips and got her back to Ganado.  Then I figure out she's VERY pregnant.  Should have been able to tell that during the two weeks I was watching her since she was so skinny everywhere but her belly!  Seriously.  I didn't really think about it until I got her into the house.  Hazel was pretty sure she was very due.  Sure enough, she went into labor around 9:30 pm Sunday night and had 7 puppies. I'm now officially a canine Douala.  Not a very good one, though.  She labored until Monday night when she delivered three more puppies, but stillborn.  One would not have made it, but the other two might have if the first had not blocked the way.  Enter Aimee and Stacie who brought food for Lil Momma and graciously looked for someone to take her and her babies, not to mention get them to the foster.  

A pail of puppies.  Had to get them out of the whelping box so I could clean it up.

Sophia aka Lil Momma before birthing.

August was Tom's and my 29th wedding anniversary.  We decided to celebrate on our vacation, but we did get gifts.  We got a portable hot tub which was delivered to Ganado for me to use until I come home.  He hasn't seen it except in pictures.  I didn't get it set up for several weeks.  But when I finally did, it was heavenly for the one night I got to use it.  The foothills start getting colder mid October and the hot tub couldn't be use when the outside temps were less than 40 degrees.  It is now deflated and stored away.  I also got a beautiful blue sapphire and diamond ring.  Tom has a gift coming to him.  I just got it, but can't say more since he hasn't seen it yet.

Now we're into July.  I've told people separately about the things that transpired 7/19/18, but not all of you in one fell swoop.  So if some of this is old news, please be patient.  Of course, as some of you know, my first contract here was up 6/23/18.  Honestly, I wasn't sure I'd make it that long.  Up until mid June, life in my department was barely tolerable.  Than it changed.  Suddenly.  Not sure if it was the arrival of my now administrative assistant, Maghan or something unworldly, but the office became fun to be in.  I felt accepted AND wanted and not just being tolerated.  My then boss was asking me to pick some add'l responsibilities, which I gladly did.  We had lost one of the original group I started with when Bebah left to go on to bigger and better things mid-June working for IHS closer to her home and we had been working short.  We acquired Maghan as a student worker through her chapter.  She was to be with us until the end of July.  Maybe having someone closer to her own age in the office helped Shaiyaia to be more relaxed.  At any rate things were better and I was glad to renew my contract, but guardedly.  July 19th dawned like all the others.  Just kidding--couldn't help myself to add dramatic effect.  I found out early in the day Emma had tendered her resignation effective the end of the month.  I won't divulge the reasons she gave.  There are always three sides to every story:  hers, theirs and the truth.  At any rate, by 2pm, Shaiyaia had tendered hers as well to be effective by the end of the month.  Lots of drama ensued.  By 4pm that same day, both were asked for their keys and badges and were escorted out of the hospital!  Alrighty then!  There is now no permanent staff in the diabetes office.  None!  And, at the time, only Dorothy in the Community Health Nursing department as Karen had returned to the main floor being done with her temporary spot with the department.  I spoke with Ernasha, my immediate supervisor now, advising her I was happy to help in anyway I could.  How hard could it be...only Maghan and myself in DM and Dorothy in CHN?  Was I in for an eye opener.  Ernasha spoke with administration and my recruiter and by Thursday afternoon, I was the interim supervisor and my contract extended to 12/29/18.  Queen of all I surveyed!  Yikes!!!

Now I won't bore you with all of the details, but I must tell you about one that was the biggest PIA.  Shaiyaia had gone through the entire DM filing cabinet, (which holds some 300 folders I discovered later) and sent appointments via the mail to everyone!  Everyone!!!  I started calling them the alphabet people because we could tell who had made their own appointment and who didn't since those who didn't were in alphabetical order.  The first three weeks were chaos.  And only minimal control.  On top of that, Maghan was to end her time with us.  In an effort to keep hair on my head and me sane, Ernasha wisely asked administration to emergency hire Maghan to help me.  But, alas, Maghan had plans she had made knowing she would be done.  So, most of the first week, I was alone with assist from Dorothy.  I had to make up a postcard-like notice advising those who had been sent appointments their appointments were cancelled.  If those folks wanted a new appointment, I asked them to contact us.  It was a lot nicer than that, but you get the drift.  Then a new schedule had to be made to reflect having only one educator and one nurse to make home visits.  Karen graciously agreed to come back in August to resume her temporary spot in CHN.  All things said and done, it went better than expected.  We only had a couple of appointments slots get double booked.  Also, by doing what was done, we discovered, sadly approximately four of our folks had passed, several more had moved and some just didn't want us!  That was embarrassing.  Many apologetic phone calls were made and lots of egg wiped off my face, but Maghan, Dorothy and I made it through that first two weeks without all of our staff.  I'd like to say I sailed through graciously, without doing or saying anything stupid.  Not sure that happened, BUT I didn't get fired.  Maghan has been a lifesaver, taking on projects and tasks that three other people would have done.  Dorothy saved my bacon more than once in July and August by telling and showing me how things were done to run events that we were committed to attending.

The transition has settled down and we have resumed a routine.  I've been to more meetings than I every thought I would.  I've been looking for ways to bring the department up to "code" so to speak for not only being AADE accredited, but for the annual SDPI application.  AADE=American Association of Diabetes Educators.  SDPI=Special Diabetes Program for Indians.  The first is not Native American.  The second part of the Indian Health Services.  Every year we are responsible for making a new grant application for close to $500,000 for our program.  This grant pays for all of the salaries and supplies of the program.  It's a huge deal!  Oh and there is one more thing.

During this time, we had not one but three administrative leadership changes!  You heard me.  Three.  The CEO and COO who were here when I started were removed and a new CEO was brought in the beginning of the summer.  Things seemed to be changing in a good way for about six or eight weeks.  Then, 8/31/18, Razaghi Medical Care's contract with the Navajo Nation Health Foundation was not renewed!  New interim CEO was in.  Then, the former CEO and COO were brought back, no longer Razaghi employees, but Sage.  I don't know about other people, but I felt a bit stressed and unsure what was going to happen.  I was sure my contract would be ended at the end of the year, simply because I'm an agency nurse and we tend to be pricey.

My goal before I leave Sage is to leave a legacy of sorts regarding the DM/CHN departments.  I may be just bragging, but I'd like to have them accredited by AADE.  I'd like for them to stop double and triple charting with standardized charting that will cover AADE and SDPI.  I'd like for a new curriculum in accordance with AADE to be in place by 2019.  I'd like a DM support group set up out of the old DM class structure.  I'd like to have 2019 DM medications in the formulary (we've already disposed of the 1/2", 29 gauge pen needles and syringes that were being given out and added 6mm, 31 gauge) and add at least five more DM related medications for better options for our people.  I'd like for my two new patient care coordinators and myself to be certified for foot care.  Those are the short term goals!

Ernasha assures me I'm doing a great job.  And, if I say "good", she corrects me to "great."  She likes that I'm organized and structured.  She likes my ideas for the department as they have aligned with hers (I didn't know until we shared.)  She sent me to the annual AADE conference in Baltimore, MD the 2nd week in August.  It was very nice to network with like minded and hear the latest and greatest.  I'm sorry to say, when I left SSM, I left behind many diabetes related management and education tools.  I wasn't going to do DM anymore IF I remained in nursing at all.  I miss some of those things now.

I've been attending a monthly meeting for the area Public Health Nursing departments and trying to get a handle on PHN/CHN so we can improve Sage's CHN.  It isn't bad, but could be better as far as serving the community.  Ernasha has given me the go ahead to get another nurse in to allow Karen to return to main floor nursing.  There's also a trust issue from a previous CHN nurse who left Sage 3/23/18.  She had been here 15 years.  She was very capable, coming out of retirement at the age of 65+ at the request of someone in administration.  That person left.  The CHN became even more opinionated, rebellious and...blunt as time went on.  Even I blush at some of the stories I hear.  And her time here did not leave a good image of the department for the community or administration.  Lets just say it was so bad, one of the administrators has someone contacting him/her to let him/her know when our vehicles are seen doing something that might be frowned upon.  Such as stopping to go to the bathroom at a convenience store or restaurant.  More on that another day.  I'm working very hard to improve the image and restore trust in the CHN and DM departments.

For all of those in my past who didn't think I was supervisor material, I wasn't.  But if nothing else has changed in the past four years since my unhappy demise from SIU, HAMP and SSM, it's been enlightening, aging and growing.  I hated most of the past four years!  I was demoralized, shot down, stabbed in the back, and generally folded, spindled and mutilated of a sort.  But it was a learning and growing experience.  I don't cherish it.  I don't want to do it again. But I'm through it and have come out on the other side only a bit scorched and crispy, but better.  I am a supervisor and damned good at it, I've discovered.

As an ending to this long, long catch up:  I've lost 28.5 pounds since coming here in March.  I'm no longer depressed.  I'm in better shape than when I got here although not necessarily great shape.  No leaping tall buildings, hiking canyons or lifting heavy weight.  Most days, just getting out of bed is the heaviest weight I lift.  I've hennaed my hair again and am loving the color.  Someone told me there is a redhead in me trying to get out.  I've been asked to teach knitting.  That may happen after the first of the year.  I've seen my beleaguered spouse three times counting vacation and he's coming for a visit for the long Thanksgiving weekend to cook me and some other folks a traditional turkey dinner.  There's something historical about that, I think...Seriously, though, he's been great at keeping the home fires burning.  My quick trip into St. Louis was less than 18 hours total if I count the haircut, driving out of St.L and driving back in long enough to stay overnight and get on a plane the next afternoon.  Even one of the cats didn't get used to me in time.  Winfrey stayed in the basement most of the time.  But Tom has stayed constant through it all.  The job isn't done yet.  Ernasha has assured me I'm here longer.  My first year with AB Staffing is up in March.  After that, I'm not sure what will happen.

Love and hugs,
ckb

It's a new contract, a new hair color, a new grocery store

I'm not very original with titles.  I'll get better.

So, as you all have figured out by now, I have a new contract that started 6/24/18 and goes until 9/22/18.  No discussion from anyone in authority if there will be another after that.  Unofficial discussion has been going on between Tom and I and my coworkers and myself.  Would I want to do 3 more months?  So far, I think so.  Tom and I have some together time planned at the end of this contract. I know he misses me terribly.

A 3rd contract would put me at the end of the year, literally.  And into winter here which I understand isn't too fierce until January or so.  The modular isn't quite airtight, if you remember pictures of the dust/sand/dirt that blows in through the side of the door and windows!  Can you say new weather stripping?  Plastic over the windows?  I knew you could.  For the record, I opened the door so there would be more light for the 1st picture.  This area is the laundry room and there isn't a storm door to the back deck.

The 2nd picture is a window next to one of the refrigerators.  The window was closed, but not locked.  Did I mention the winds can get really high here?

My room gets the AM sun.  I had my bed on one side of the room.  I like to sleep with the window open since the nights are so pleasant here.  Well, the sun was right in my eyes at 0530!  Talk about "dawn's early light."  Very rude!  As Hazel said, it felt like noon to wake up to.  So, the bed got moved to the other side of the room.

The other big news of the month is a brand new grocery store.  There are 3 convenience stores with one of those loosely considered a grocery store, but all are very high priced as convenience stores are with few fresh vegetables or fruits.  So, when there was a plot of land being grated for something, everyone was excited because this place is 10 minutes away!  Remember, Ganado is small and remote.  The nearest grocery store of any size is 30 minutes northwest or 30 minutes east. There is Basha's and Lowe's.  No Schnucks, Dierbergs, Krogers, etc.  Walmart is an hour east.  Basha's is a much larger chain throughout AZ and a bit into NM closest to AZ. It is also, I believe, a Navajo family owned.  Lowe's Foods (not to be confused with Lowe's Market in SC) is out of Littlefield, TX and is in west & south TX, AZ and NM. In this area, the store also has some connection to Ace Hardware so the new store has a much abbreviated hardware section.  But you can still get things you need in a hurry to fix a faucet, a broken connection of any kind. But I ramble.  So...imagine the craziness on 6/27 when the store had their grand opening.  I mean everyone was there with lines practically to the back of the store--which isn't big, but still.  That first week it was nuts!  I didn't make my first trip in there until Friday for lunch and then again today.  Now, I have to say some things were VERY expensive--Progresso Soup (my fav) was almost $4 a can!!!!  At Wally World it's almost 2/3 less on sale!  I'm not a brand shopper unless I really care a ton, so store brands are okay by me and I'm good with checking them out.  Which I did pick up some of their soup.  Sur-Fine is the store brand.  Their deli chicken is called Krispey Krunchy and is a Church's knockoff down to the biscuit, but it's good.  Not Church's good, but good. And since I didn't go to Walmart to get groceries this week, I saved $$, which makes me happy.

Yesterday was spa day.  I had made plans to go into Albuquerque for the Lavender in the Village festival from 9-4p.  It's a 3 hour drive one way.  I thought I really wanted to go, but as it turns out I wasn't much interested in the 6hr round trip drive because I REALLY needed my hair cut.  It had been the better part of 6 weeks and those of you who know me well, know that's at least one week too long.  The young woman (they're all young these days) who cuts my hair doesn't get it nearly short enough.  This time I told her a half inch off the top!  And finally, it's a length I like.  I was having to use the curling iron which adds minutes to my morning grooming...and I'm whining.  One more whine...I miss Cascea Garner!!!

The new hair color--pictures of it later--is a henna paste.  Hazel was doing hers yesterday and offered to give me a package.  It's a process, but I'm anxious to see what turns out.  Generally, me and coloring my hair at home hasn't worked well.  Think back to 1990 is when I thought I would like some highlights in my hair on a Sunday afternoon, before a church dinner that night.  I applied as I was supposed to and waited as directed.  About 1/2 through the process, being nosy, I checked to see what was happening.  To my horror, and that's the only word that comes to mind, there were red streaks in my hair!  Rows and rows of red streaks!  I stuck my head under the faucet to wash it out.  When the towel came off, I looked like Bozo!  Seriously, it looked orange to me.  Even drying it didn't seem to help.  Technically, it was strawberry blond, but to me it was more strawberry than blond!  Lots of strawberry.  No, I don't believe I have pictures of that.  But I do have pictures of the process today.  The first is the henna powder, Hannah Natural brand, mixed with approximately 1/2 cup of hibiscus tea and 2 tbsp of coconut oil and mixed into a pudding texture to sit overnight.  In person, the color is more baby sh*t green/brown than the chocolate brown it shows in the pic.

 Below is yours truly with a shower cap borrowed from Hazel to add more heat to my hot head!

 The final two are me with the little plastic cap that comes in the kit. And...yes I know.  I take horrible selfies.

The spa day also included a mani/pedi which felt wonderful.  No pics of that.  Sorry.

The OTHER big excitement this past two weeks was the appearance of our first snake!  Yep, you read me.  We had just rec'd an email reminding us to be careful, particularly in shaded areas as the snakes like the shade in these high temperature.  Someone had seen the snake headed towards our modular (not sure who has time to snake watch).  It was approximately 4' long.  Not a rattler.  I think they called it a bull snake.  I come out of the bedroom after talking with Tom and noticed one of our security guys walking across the front of the building.  He gets into one of two trucks parked in front of our drive.  I go look out the front door and he drives off, but there's still one truck parked in the middle of the street w/the driver's door wide open.  I go looking for Hazel since she was eating dinner and she can't be found. Finally I see her out on the back deck with her camera up and there is one of our facilities guys with some kind of grabber tool holding onto the tail of this snake!  The snake starts to try and free itself by twisting and coiling around the length of the tool, but doesn't make it up the whole thing.  The wrangler tries to use our gait, but it's blown shut with dirt and the prairie dogs digging around it.  It won't budge.  Our neighbor and his son are watching and trying to help by throwing big rocks at the snake.  Eventually it gets knocked out and the neighbor (the DON's husband) brings a shovel and starts stabbing at the head area.  That's when Hazel and I left.  Don't know what they did with it.  A side note, Navajo do not touch snakes.  They are, as we all can attest to, seen as evil.  If a Navajo touches the snake, then somewhere down the road in their life, the human will start to "shed" the skin at the area that touched the snake just as snakes shed their skin.  Once Bebah, who is 1/2 Anglo & 1/2 Navajo, saw one at school and got to touch it.  When she came home and told her grandfather about it, he said "Don't you know we don't touch snakes!"  She calmly said "It's okay grandpa.  I just used the white side of my hand."

Was going to put some other pictures up, but Google says I've reached my limit.  Next post.  I miss you all terribly.  I'm enjoying my adventure, but I miss my hubby, my cats and friends.  My knitting is  basically dishcloths.  I seem to be on a mission to spread them all over the campus.  I've had to have knitted at least 20 by now, which in the grand scheme of things doesn't seem like much.  Alex asked me yesterday if I'd made a dent in the yarn I brought.  😂😂😂 So funny!  I had Tom send me more cotton from my stash.  And I've purchased more fiber to spin.  Did I mention the 22# of wool I purchased from one of our patients?  It needs to be processed ?  It's a good thing my hubby loves me.  He took it all home with him Memorial day weekend.  So, Alex, the answer is nope.  Not even a little dent, not a poke nor a prod.

I'm off to check my hair color.  I may be making a flying trip into my hairdresser today!  Hágoónee’, (ha GO nay) the Navajo word for until next time. ckb

Conjugal visit, 18 days to go, maybe...

So here I sit listening to "This is Me" from the Greatest Showman soundtrack and getting goosebumps!  If that song doesn't empower someone, anyone, they must be dead!  And yes, Keither, I know the film wasn't historically accurate and PT was an jerk.  I don't care.  The music and dancing was AMAZING!

No news on the contract extension other than my recruiter knows it was mentioned by my direct supervisor who doesn't remember saying it!  But then a week later, she thinks it would be a great idea. I knew nothing would happen until sometime last week.  The exact contract end date is 6/23 meaning my last day at work would be 6/22.  I'm not packing yet. However, I just heard from one of my modular mates she, another of our modular mates and two other nurses from the same recruiting organization have been working without a contract since May 20th.  Sage has not signed!  She's not sure what's going on.  She's not sure what to do.  I, in my infinite capacity to advise, suggested finding out if she should go to work on Thursday (her next shift), if she is getting paid, if she has malpractice insurance, if she has to move...SOON, etc...  I'd be hysterical.  The DON lives next door and supposedly was in on the telephone call extending the contracts.  This may not bode well for any extension for me.  We shall see.  My recruiter has another option for me not far from here.  I don't know details about that one, but I'm sure I'll be finding out soon enough.

My Memorial Day was memorable, but not because of the obvious.  BTW, my father, Venard Ray Jatho and Tom's father, Paul Justice Bryant were veterans.  Neither lost their life in combat, but they proudly served and returned. My dad was in Korea as a Marine and in Vietnam as a merchant marine.  Tom's father was at the invasion of Normandy and was one of 11 from his ship to survive.  He recuperated in the UK and went back to serve.

Back to my memorable weekend.  DH came to visit me!  Yep, he left St. Charles, MO on Thursday AM and made it to Gallup, NM by Friday evening.  We had a wonderful weekend!  We shopped and ate and slept and site saw (site seed?), went sight seeing!  We did the Gallup Saturday Flea Market where yours truly got some "Rez" jewelry, Navajo tea, ate menudo (a Mexican dish & not a boy band) and walked our legs off.  Sunday we did a tour of the campus, the modular and a jeep tour of Canyon de Chelly.  It was a VERY bumpy ride.  My Fitbit logged me over 6,000 steps.  I'm sure I didn't walk that much, but most likely the "girls" bounced that much as I wear the Fitbit on my bra.  Monday we did some errands and then hung out at the county courthouse to watch the Zuni Tribal dancers.  Each night, yes you read that correctly.  Every night from Memorial Day until Labor Day, there are tribal dancers that perform on the county plaza.  I'm hoping to see several before I come back. There is an Inter-Tribal Ceremony coming as well.  Don't remember when that is, but while we were there I picked up several touristy books to give me details.  The visit with the hubster was wonderful.  Doing video chatting just doesn't compare with smooching the real thing and hugging up close and personal.

And now I'm homesick for him.  And the cats who, I heard on Tuesday night when Tom and I chatted, had reigned feline anarchy over the living room.  Our cats are 11 years old at best guess.  Winfrey was adopted from CATSNAP in Champaign, IL and Lilly was a stray I found wandering the apartment complex a month after Winfrey came to live with us.  Winfrey, in his older age has become quite possessive of both Tom and I.  He's not very happy to share us with Lilly.  And he show's his disfavor is a not so nice way when we aren't around.  AND sometimes when we are, the snot!  We've caught him at least twice starting to go on furniture!  And before you think he's being unjustly charged, we know the difference between his deposits and Lilly's.  His are a mush pile and hers are firm.  Always been that way.  He's been to the vet (thank you Dr. Dale Diesel at Yorkshire Animal Hospital).  Unfortunately, catching him to give him meds is an exercise is futility for both of us.  At any rate, foil on the furniture has become our friend and Tom has had to lock them out of our bedroom.

I've been knitting a bit.  I'm on a dish cloth kick.  I think I've made 10 or so.  I have two for the woman that gave me one of her Navajo spindles.  I've also spun up some Icelandic wool that was free at the Weaver's Guild sale in January.  I brought it with me to finish carding and spinning.  That is done and now it's getting plied so that I may send with the cloths to the woman who shared her spindle.  I'm hoping she can do something with the yarn.  It didn't spin well and I doubt it will work for her weaving, but she may be able to make & felt some slippers with it.  It would be good and warm for that.

I mentioned buying some "Rez" jewelry.  That means it is Native American and when I walked into work on Tuesday with my rings, my earrings and my NA inspired back pack, I was deemed "Rezzed out" by my coworkers!  I'll take pics and post later.  They are pretty.  And very reasonably priced depending on where you buy.  I learned a bit about turquoise and what passes for turquoise, but isn't.  There's a way to tell, but I don't know it.  Except that real turquoise is quite expensive and sold by the carat.

Meeting with patients has slowed a bit over the last two weeks.  Transportation for them is very hard.  Some don't have any way to get to appointments except to hitchhike, use family or one of several medical transport companies.  We try to bundle appointments when they come to see other providers.  In fact, I recently had a bit of a stand off with my supervisor re "trolling" for patients in the clinic.  I understand her perspective and even agree with it.  If a client is already in clinic and we have been having difficulty catching them at home or having them keep appts, why not see them when they are here.  Unfortunately, that's not so cut and dried.  The charting software we use is the 5th or 6th generation of one that is already in it's 10th or 11th.  Very behind the times.  It doesn't allow for looking up our patients one at a time to see when their next provider appt is.  If we want to know if one of our DM patients is in clinic with another provider, we look on that clinic's list for the day.  I had a hard time doing so, viewing it as a HIPPA violation since I could see everyone who was in clinic.  My direct supervisor didn't think so.  So, I took it to HR who moved it to the person in charge of HIPPA.  (Administrators here wear many hats-I think I've mentioned that before).  At any rate, I was correct and we have been dissuaded from this practice. (I don't think it has stopped, just doesn't happen when I'm here)  I was told by the administrator in charge of HIPPA "Our patients already think they don't have any privacy."  And if you think about it, it's easy to see why.  This is a small community.  Everyone is related either by blood or clan.  They know each other and all their family.  It's just like living in Dixon, IL and seeing each other in the clinic or hospital.  Plus, we have mothers, daughters, husbands, wives working either side by side or in various parts of the campus.  Small communities and privacy have always had problems.  Can you say Peyton Place?  I knew you could.

Interestingly, healthcare via the Indian Health Services is free for NA and they don't pay for medications or transportation.  This is something I'm continually amazed at and happy to be a part of.  No rules about how many A1cs are done, or how often they test (we work hard at getting once a day sometimes, much less 4), how often they may have education visits, etc.  Makes my job as a diabetes educator so much more satisfying not having to deal with the red tape of bureaucracy and insurance.  However, if they have an eye or dental appointment, those aren't covered for transportation. One of our lady's saw her dentist when her spouse had a doctor's appt and kept her visit on the down low.  Even in the Navajo Nation, there are loopholes.

I'm not sure who pays the transport people.  And the companies do not operate the same.  Some make an appointment, pick the person up, drop them off and come back to get them.  Others make the appointment, but may change their minds and not show or cancel at the last minute.  We make home visits for people who are definitely NOT home bound and drop of medications to people who aren't even in the state!  I'm pretty sure this would not happen in the Bilagáana (white) medical world.

Well, we tried to drop off the meds.  We drove around for an hour and never could find the house.  Directions are horrible!  Horrible!  HORRIBLE.  Did I says horrible?  2.5 miles NE of the chapter house, gray house with gray roof.  Those were my directions.  2.5 miles NE of the chapter house were 3 roads to choose from and none of them were straight north, east or northeast!  We had a compass on the 4Runner.  No grey houses.  Seriously, no mailboxes, no markers, no nothing.  There is something called a RF number.  Rural Fire.  But those are on the houses!  Which are off of the roads and set well back!  The place would burn down before any fire department would find it, except there would be smoke!  I've threatened to put blue ribbons on things so that I could find the home again (blue is one of the colors of World Diabetes Day, November 14).  I was so proud of myself the day I was able to tell my driver (we travel in twos--for safety and interpreting) how to find a patient.  'Course it helped that his name was on a tire that marked the entrances to his driveway!  But still, I had to get from a main road to another dirt road to find it!  I'll continue to pat myself on the back for that one.

Yours truly inside Modular #10, Room #1, sitting on the porch of #10, standing outside her office window of the Poncel Building (formerly the original hospital).  Not sure how old Poncel is, but the health mission was started in 1901 and the currently hospital in 1963.  There are some of my clients who remember giving birth to their children in this building.

Starting from the bottom (just above) is Benjamin Anagal, our guide from Beauty Way Jeep Tours. Ben grew up in the canyon and still has a sister and a niece living there (the last two humans).  He had great stories of growing up there.  An excellent guide and we enjoyed him immensely.

Canyon De Chelly (de Shay) was inhabited by Anasazi, Hopi and then Navajo.  The Anasazi were not tall people, with an average height of 5 feet per Ben.  In order to remain safe from animals and other tribes, they lived in the walls of the Canyon.  They built their homes there carrying water, food, etc from the canyon floor.  Some of the pictures will be hard to see unless you are able to download them and zoom in.  There are ruins and petroglyphs from thousands and thousands of years ago.  You may be able to see the lighter colors of clay used for drawings and hand prints.  I could see them clearly with binoculars.  The later pictures of ruins (with the fence) are call The White House because there is a white house as part of the ruins.  You can hike down to them and back up.  It's the only place you may hike w/o a guide.  It's 2.5 miles round trip and not an easy hike, although for those who are in better shape, it wouldn't be too bad.  Every where else in the canyon, you must have a guide.  There is a horseback riding tour as well as 1, 3, 5 hour and overnight tours.  There is a tree called the Russian Olive that was planted there by conservationists to prevent erosion.  Unfortunately, Ben says it's a very invasive tree and has caused more problems then prevented.  The Parks and Recreations folks are trying to thin that tree out.  The road is quite sandy, bumpy and difficult to travel w/o 4-wheel drive.  One group had come into the canyon to visit Ben's family and were stuck in the sand when they were leaving.   Ben said the foal was maybe two days old.  It was still wobbly walking after momma.

These loaded opposite of how they were presented. So, I'll start from the bottom to describe them.  The two ladies are doing the "Water Dance."  The vessels (I don't know if there was water in them) on their heads did not move a fraction.  They didn't even wobble.  Mind you, the ladies weren't twirling around, but they weren't exactly gliding either.  The next one is one of the gentleman doing the "Eagle Dance."  It was very cool. Above his two pictures are two men and the same two ladies doing the "Buffalo Dance" or the "Deer Dance."  I was shopping when it started.  Oh, I didn't mention there were a few vendors selling jewelry, etc? One gal was selling handmade bags.  I managed to get a very nice shoulder bag that will also re-purpose to a knitting bag. But I digress.  Back to the dancers.  Above the "Buffalo/Deer" pics are two gentlemen playing instruments.  The one on the right is using a NA flute and the other is playing a skin drum.  The flutist played NA music, but also played Amazing Grace!  It was lovely.  They both also chanted/sang while the others were dancing.  The whole thing lasted an hour and it was very nice.

Tom had brought our folding bag chairs so I was very comfy sitting there knitting and watching people until the music started.  A couple sat down on the bleachers next to us and we started talking as people do.  They were from Grand Rapids, MI and were there because they had sponsored a child through their church and that person had graduated.  They were in town for the graduation.  We got to chatting about how Grant and Kristi live in MI, etc.  Then this woman makes a comment about "Are you one of those people that can't sit still?  You always have to have something in your hands to keep you busy?" Her comment at first didn't bug me and I just commented that I was always knitting something.  Then she made another comment about me working on something and causing trouble.  I just said "Well keeping my hands busy keeps me out of trouble" with me thinking, "Like maybe I'd strangle someone who is rude and makes rude comments!"  Seriously!  So condescending.  And she was a skinny, tall person!  She made a comment about them hiking in the Red Rock Park.  I clearly do not hike...through anything!  She probably eats nuts, berries and bugs!

Finally, a picture from Nurse's Day a month ago.  I'm the only Anglo in the pic.  Starting from the left is Geraldine in the black, the lady holding the little girl is Hazel, one of my modular mates, I'm not sure who is next to here.  I'm behind them next to a gal in a blue top.  The two next I don't know.  Then there is Jamie who is a new nurse and was in the middle of orientation in this picture.  The man is Robertson and then Shelia in the peach/orange.  She is the supervisor for the floor nurses and CNAs.  The table was FULL of food.  Literally full.  I was afraid it would fall.  We had everything from a casseroles to soup, donuts, some things homemade, some not.  And it was all gone by noon!  And REALLY finally, here is a pic of a prairie dog.  I'm fascinated with them.  Saw a momma with four babies yesterday.  They are just like gophers and moles.  Digging everywhere.  I believe people call it an infestation!  They don't think they are nearly as cute as I do.  Hugs.  Until next time
ckb

Officially Past the Half Way Mark

First let me do a soul searching comment and just say that words hurt.  No matter how innocent they seem when spoken or written, they can hurt.  Just sayin'.

As of last Wednesday, we are into the second half of the 13 weeks.  That said, there was discussion today about extending. There had been rumors floating among the DM (diabetes mellitus) Program/CHN (Community Health Nursing) combined department that a) I would not be extended because of cost; b) I would be offered a full time permanent position; c) I would be extended.  All were equally discussed between myself and others, but not as a group.  However today the kinda, sorta, not too sure official comment coming from my immediate supervisor was to have my recruiter put things into motion for extending.  That was today.  Things change, sometimes in less than an hour, kinda like the weather in St. Louis.  So, we shall see.  Hopefully I will know more by the end of the week.  Stay tuned.

Also, speaking of time (days, weeks, etc), I have been hanging around doctors too long.  My last post said I'd get back to you all "tomorrow."  We can all see how that worked out.   I do have pictures to post from the days I first got here.

This is from earlier in my stay.  I stopped at a Carl's Jr. (Hardees to those of us in the Midwest) in Gallup, NM.  In the times I've traveled, I like to look at how the fast food chains add a local twist on the menu.  This happens to be the condiment bar.  I'm remembering this as pico de gallo, but I could be wrong.  Not salsa.  And I'm remembering there was salsa and jalapenos as well, but I was making the manager nervous taking the picture.  Springfield peeps, wonder if McD's could do some type of McHorseshoe or McPony?  For those not enlightened, this a an open-faced sandwich with bread on the bottom, some type of meat next, french fries and melted cheese over all, garnished as desired.  Obviously, the pony-shoe is a smaller version.  This is a Springfield item.  I've had one.  It didn't do a thing for me except give me indigestion.  There is a place in town that has several choices on this "delicacy" and charges mightily for the privilege of enjoying it. 

The above pictures are of the Hubbell Family Trading Post established by John Lorenzo Hubbell in 1878.  It is the only working trading post from that time period in America. The family operated the trading post until 1967 when it was sold to the Western National Parks Association.  As you can imagine, it provided items such as flour, salt, coffee and other such staples in exchange for animal hides, jewelry, etc from the Navajo.  This particular building began erection in 1883 out of sandstone found locally. I did go inside and was able to smell old woods, hear creaking boards and walk through some of the rooms where things were for sale or display.  Although interesting to see the traditional and original works of rugs, blankets, jewelry, etc, everything, and I do mean everything was so over priced I wouldn't even consider buying.  A table runner might be several hundred dollars.  Some items were in the thousands of dollars.  I thought I could get a mug to add to my burgeoning collection.  $25+ for a mug.  The last time I paid that much for a mug was at a Celtic Thunder concert at The Fabulous Fox.  I must have been overcome by the Irish testosterone emanating from the stage!  There aren't any tours of the building and grounds (~160 acres) that I know about.  It did appear that it was a working trading post meaning there were fields that were farrowed and barns and areas for animals whether sheep or cattle.  There did appear to be a living area with a lovely walled in yard/garden area and well kept. I don't believe anyone lives there.  I wouldn't tell you not to go see it.  It is cool to stand in history and soak up that ambiance.  (I felt that way when I stood in the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France as a junior in high school.  Buildings that were hundreds and hundreds of years older than our nation!)

I have a correction to make from the last post.  I thought the name of Canyon de Chelly was pronounced "Shelly", but I was incorrect.  It is actually pronounced "Shay."  And, from the deep dark recesses of my brain, I'm remember Judy Haynes telling me that.

First, let me just tell you how impressed I am by the schools on the reservation.  The people live in poverty, but their children are educated in very nice schools.  The schools are set up as elementary, intermediate, junior high and high school.  Some of the children stay in dorms just as if they were in a boarding or military school.  There are dorm moms and dads.  They live on campus during the week and come home for weekends.  Their parents' homes may not be far.  Wide Ruins, which is where this was taken, is maybe 10 miles north of Ganado.  My immediate supervisor has two of her children there.  The security is tight.  No one gets in without prior approval or appointment.  I apologize for the poor quality of this picture.  This young lady, whose name I did not get, but whose permission to take her picture and post I DID get, is dressed in traditional Navajo attire.  The DM team attended an event called Child Find at the school.  There were paramedics/firefighters, hearing and vision people, a solar energy guy, representatives from all kinds of child services type of places or professions that kids need to know about.  This young lady was part of a group of children that performed traditional Navajo music either with instruments or singing in the traditional Navajo language.  My camera died before I could get a decent recording of them.  It was cool to be part of.  We did A1c screening on the adults and had lots of freebies to give out.

The wind is AMAZING!  Seriously.  I keep looking for a mean lady on her bicycle peddling frantically or a girl carrying her dog in a basket to fly by.  It is so bad, some days I wear a mask to walk across to the main hospital building or purchasing.  We probably should have goggles as well.  These two pictures are in my modular and represent the amount of dust, sand, and soil that get through the window and door jams when closed.  Admittedly, the window wasn't locked, but it was closed.  The door has a pathetic example of a weather strip and no storm door.  Just this last week, we had the windows open in our office to let some fresh air in.  By mid afternoon when the sun was high and it was warmer, the winds were really picking up gusting to 50+mph.  The floor in our office was so gritty, it felt like a skating rink.  We had to wipe our desks twice to get the dirt off.  I had some pictures of the flags out in front of the building blowing not just straight out, but up as well.  Not sure where those have gone in the world of uploading.  Needless to say, the windows had to be closed. We have had some rain.  Not the toad stranglers I'm told will come.  That happens in July.  One day I actually thought I was in St. Louis!  It started out cloudy, got sunny, rainy, sunny, snowy, sun again (didn't look for the snowbow), cloudy and finally sunny again.  The air smelled wonderful.  Not pine scented, but a sort of tangy, sweet, spicy smell.  I finally asked someone what it was and was told it was the sage brush which is everywhere here.  I, being always warm by nature, am very comfortable with the temps.  40s-50s in the AM and 70s-80 in the evenings.  No surprise that I go about in my scrub sleeves.  Those around me are always cold unless it's in the 80s.  I have the windows open in my room whenever possible.  They have the heat on.  The four of us have hit a happy medium of 74 degrees with the heat and 72 with the AC.  When I moved in, they had the thermostat set at 77!  

As of today, I'm officially under 200#. This is the first time since around 2013!  I may be coming home less of a woman than when I left.

Hmmm.  I have, apparently, reached the Google set limit for pictures.  So, with that, I'll sign off for tonight.  Thank you for taking the time to read.  

Hugs. ckb

So...Five Weeks Down, Eight to go

So.  As of 4/23/18, 5 weeks are down.  Feels odd to be starting the middle of this contract.  And there isn't any positive discussion coming down the pike whether the contract will be renewed or not.  My recruiter says no news as far as my performance is considered good news and he has not heard anything.  He also says discussion about renewals generally happen 4-6 weeks before the end of the contract.  So...I guess we wait.  To be honest, I'm really hoping for another 13 weeks.  I like it here and I'm starting to, maybe, beginning to kinda sorta fit in.  By six months, they might miss me when I'm gone.

So far in my 5 weeks, I've found my way to Gallup, NM via Window Rock, AZ.  Gallup has the nearest Walmart and is just a bit shy an hour's drive.  I've been to Mesa and Tempe in 4.5 hours.  I've traveled 10 miles in an hour because, well, we couldn't go above 10 miles/hour on that road!

The roads are AMAZING.  And they make me laugh!  Out loud!  Seriously. I start laughing the minute we start bouncing over them, me trying to stay in my seat (thank the US Government for seat belt enforcement!) the whole time.  Once you're off the paved roads, most roads are dirt and many haven't been graded in years.  They might be flat, but all the flat surfaces aren't together to make a road!  The rainy season is in the summer and the downpours can be toad stranglers!  And the ruts are amazing.  As in bend/break an axle amazing.

But. BUT.  Who found her way to a home visit with no help from her driver AND has two stubby thumbs?  This girl.  Honestly, when I ride with people, I'm only paying attention to the driving, road, etc., if I'm navigating.  Otherwise, I'm rubber necking the scenery or knitting or both! Believe me, this area has very few road signs and directions are based on being in the valley, the 2nd turn off past the trash dump, behind the beige trailer way in the back.  That really was a set of directions!  So, when Bebah, my driver, says "You have to find _____'s house all by yourself because I don't know where I'm going", I panic.  I have no clue!  But, apparently, I'm paying more attention than I thought!  We found it!  On the first try!  I think I may rest on that laurel for a while, thank you!

Kimmer, this story is for you.  I went to a diabetes workshop in Tempe the weekend of 4/21/18.  It was free to go to, but started at 0745!  That's 7:45 AM!  Morning!  This girl was not getting up at 0300 to drive 4.5 hours, losing an hour on the way to get there (because the "rez" is the only part of AZ that does DST), so I got a hotel for the night.  BTW, the Ramada Mesa/Mezona is excellent.  I didn't get to taste the breakfast, but the room was nice and was quiet.  So, the plan for leaving work early was made.  Bebah is giving me directions to get to Mesa.  Imagine my laugh out loud when she says, oh so sweetly "Stay on this highway until you have to make a turn and then turn left (or was it right?)!"  Sound familiar, Kimmer.  Yep, I had to tell her that a trip from St. Louis to Carbondale includes an overnight stay in Mt. Vernon, IL! And for those of you that don't know, St. Louis to Carbondale is 2 hours and does NOT involve Mt. Vernon, IL at all.  Ah...the good ole days, but I digress.

I've tried really hard not to brag about the beautiful weather here.  God knew I needed this.  If I had had to stay back in St. Charles and put up with what you guys have, I'd need a larger dose of Effexor than I was on, wine nightly and possibly a straitjacket!  The sun shines, the sky is blue.  It can get amazingly windy.  Like needing to wear a mask to keep from breathing in the dust or worse, having it pushed into your lungs by sheer force, windy!  The  mornings are cool (30s-40s) and so far the days are 60s-80s, but mostly 70s.  The sky is gorgeous at night.  So many stars!  I did venture out this weekend in a pair of my skorts.  The white of my legs is so blinding, that's a given.  But among so much darker skin, it's just painful to the retinas to look at my legs!

Lots of flea markets here.  Lots!  I love them and have purchased a few things for my stay here.  They are daily and pop up just about anywhere there is space for more than two cars or trucks.  They are generally selling the usual stuff:  jewelry, clothes, tools, more clothes, some household stuff, alfalfa/hay/straw (whatever), tires, wood for fires and food: fried bread, spam, mutton stew, blue corn mush, ...  There is something called a Piccadilly which I have heard about, but have not investigated.  This involves a snow cone of sorts, add-ins and dill pickles.  Yes, I said dill pickles!  I've hit the Window Rock (okay) and Chinle (meh.) markets.  I had a fried Spam sandwich this Saturday.  Spam is a staple here!  I wonder if the can still has the little key to open it?  Saw Chop Suey in the store last week.  Man, it was a blast from the past!  We ate that stuff at least every 2 weeks.  The flea markets tend to be small, but that could be the time of year.  There is a much bigger one in Gallup, NM every weekend.  Haven't been there yet, but it's in the plans.  Drove the rim of the Canyon de Chelly (think Shelly).  I'm not much of a hiker just for the sake of hiking.  I love nature, don't get me wrong.  But, if I'm gonna be walking miles, there better be food or jewelry at then end of the hike.  So, I did not get out of the car to ogle the canyon.  I may another day.  I have been to the Grand Canyon, but that was almost 40 years ago!  And I've tubed down the Salt River.  Same trip as the Grand Canyon when we also went through Sedona.  It was amazing then. Can't imagine how it is now.

And I have a desk!  Why is that big news, you ask?  Well, the short story is that when I started here, the department supervisor wanted us all in one place, so everyone was moved over to be part of the Community Health Nurse office.  I had a desk, a computer, but no chair.  This was to be more of an administrative type space with patients being see in the former Diabetes Program office now dubbed the Consult office which is in the Poncel Building (the original hospital).  At the end of two weeks, this was changed.  Many things changed in that two weeks, but I'm keeping the story shorter.  (I CAN do it, folks.  Really, I can!) So, it was decided I was to do most of my work in the Consult office where there was one desk, 8 chairs (with only one of them a desk chair) and one computer unless I wanted to use the laptop that was set up for diabetes classes only.  Okay, I'm fine with primitive situations, but seriously! So...I got an over bed table (think hospital bed table) that wobbled.  The 2 gals I work with, they switch every day, were to do their work as fast as possible, then let me have the desk and the computer. Seriously?  These ladies have things to do, too.  At any rate, by happenstance, the desk I was to have in the administrative office had to be moved to make room for something else and so it was brought over to me!  Yay!  I laughed and laughed when that thing came through the door!  I have a new desk chair.  And the lap top has been set up for me to use.  I get to sit by the window and have it open!  I haven't been able to do that for years and years.  I have a place for my bag and lunch bag!

The floor heater is NOT for me.  You can see my little fan in the window!

My DH had a "show" this past Saturday at the All Missouri Spin-In in Webster Groves.  CT Knitknacks was there selling our wares.  This was his first show alone!  Thanks to several friends who stopped by to say "hello" and check in with him.  And I got to talk to two of them.  So nice to hear Sudeshna's and Peggy's voices.  No sales.  That was a big bummer. He was approached by Lois of Ozark Fiber Fling which happens first weekend in November in Steeleville, MO to vend.  Have to give that one some thought.

Jenny Sears has been my flea market stand in when he goes to Belle-Claire the 3rd weekend of each month.  She has a great eye and is very willing to help him spend his money.

I've learned another new Navajo word.  Yá'át'ééh abiní. Or, "the morning, it is good." It's about the only word I've managed to not murder completely when repeating it.

Another word I've learned is Hóyee which is Navajo for Steamboat.  Steamboat is a puppy Bebah and I found hanging out at the a convenience store/gas station/laundromat when we were out making visits last Friday in, where else, but Steamboat, AZ.  According to the store clerks, someone dropped him off that morning!  After some thought, my guess is that person found him somehow, wanted to help him get picked up permanently (or Hoyee was hitchhiking like everyone else without transpo does here.) He was pitiful! I couldn't leave him.  But we did since we had the hospital truck.

The next day after my trip Chinle, I drove to the store and didn't see him.  The store folks said he was still there away from the traffic.  Sure enough, he was in the shade of a tank.  The staff had given him a can of food and water. Now, I have a VERY hard time leaving animals by the side of the road  (some of you remember Drury from Fall 2016 Gateway KnitCon) and this was no exception.  They gave me a box, I bought 5#s of Puppy chow and home we came.  He got a bath immediately!  Phew!  He stunk!  He had ticks and I was sure fleas, although I haven't found those.  And mange.  That's the biggest reason he stinks.  My housemates are tickled, but we know we can't keep him.  And I wasn't planning to.  I love dogs.  They are so much more fun than cats.  But cats require minimal care--they let you know when they want it--and dogs need more.  When I searched for the animal shelter, it had closed at 3:30p and I figured we'd have him this week and I'd take him on Saturday.  But, although he drinks water, he generally gives that back within 1/2 hour, if I let him have his fill (stopped letting him do that around 0200 last night).  And he isn't eating...except for the can of dog food the clerks gave him and he gave back while in the box in the car, he hasn't had any thing to eat.  We've tried watered down milk with table sugar.  He liked that!  Gave him diarrhea.  We tried Puppy Chow with milk and sugar.  We tried blending the PC into a smoothie.  We tried dry PC, then with cut up ham.  Yogurt. Peanut butter.  Poor thing is going to starve before the next weekend. So, I'm taking him tomorrow afternoon.  I'm leaving early enough to get him there before they close at 4:30p.  I have a hour, and should make that easily and be back to Skype with Tom in plenty of time. 

Meet Ho'yee!  He doesn't look too bad in this pic.  All his mange is hiding.  He got a second bath today after I looked up mange management.  And you can't tell, but he has a bum left leg.  Not sure where the injury is (the clerk said someone hit him with their vehicle), but he doesn't yelp or draw away when I manipulate the leg or hip.  He just limps and doesn't want to use the foot.  And he sits odd.  His tail has wagged a few times.  But mostly he just looks sad.  So, off he goes, hopefully to be healed and adopted out.

Tomorrow I'll put some history and other pictures in.  Yeah!  Did ya notice I finally have pictures.  Not sure what has changed.  Except I've only tried one at a time.  That may be the difference.

Also, please pray, give good thoughts, whatever you decide for my aunt and her husband of 37 years.  Their health problems have increased extremely in the past 3 weeks and my cousins and spouses are making some hard decisions, not to mention the aunt and step-uncle are looking at life changing living situations.  It's so stressful for them all.

Thanks for reading.  If this was a newspaper, I'd tell ya to recycle it, re-purpose, whatever.  Hugs to all of you. ckb