My book “Hard Won Pearls” is now on Kindle but wait to download for free tomorrow.  The promotion runs for 5 days.  I would very much appreciate your feedback – reviews.  

I learned more about a patient of mine today when she started to tell me about her passion in her work, a job she retired from a long while back.  She related to me stories of her career as a counselor in high school.  She touched young people’s lives in profound ways, some to the extent that they stiil visit her on special holidays.  As she shared with me the memories of how her work fulfilled her in her youth, I could see the sparkle in her eyes even through her pain.    She still has the desire to help the youth and I feel compelled to find a way for her to have this chance. The daily reward of home care is helping people find their purpose, their sparkle.

We use plastic cups for holding my green power juices and the fresh vegetables and fruits can stain the inside of straws badly.  I purchased a “straw cleaner”, a tiny brush that can be pushed inside the straw for cleaning but have found it doesn’t reach the very center because it is too short.  Bill told me he found a way to get it cleaned and I want to share this helpful hint.  If you have the disposable straws that are thin and have a bendable portion, you can use it to slide into the larger straw.  The ridges of the bendable straw serve to scrub the inside of the straw!….or you could find a longer straw cleaner for purchase.  

I completed the third edit to “Hard One Pearls” and expect to have it available for purchase by the weekend.  I am still amazed that the writing went so quickly.  It took less than 5 days to put the words to page but many more to edit and format.  After wrapping up the last download last night, I sighed and said “Thank goodness that is done.”  My  husband laughed and said, “I know because it has taken you so long!”, rolling his eyes.  He had worked on writing his books for years.  We had a great laugh.

My husband has been such a great support in this project, just as he is on all the things I decide are important.  It is wonderful to have a soulmate that fits so naturally. 

Today I found new batteries for a patient’s glucose meter.  She had not used it for three days because she couldn’t find her batteries.  I don’t usually help with the use of these tests and I watched as she tried to time the procedure so her machine didn’t turn off before she had the blood ready for the strip. She struggled with arthritic fingers to get the tiny test strips ready for the machine.  She used 3 strips and had to poke herself twice to acquire the reading.  This is a task that I am sure most others perform rapidly and without much thought.  But for her, the process is frustrating and difficult.   

It is humbling to place yourself in another person’s shoes.  To see the problems and loneliness of others all day and then go home to a husband with a fire in the fireplace, prepared dinner and clean house leaves me with a conflicted feeling.  I am grateful for the blessings I have but feel for the people I know that are still out there struggling with the small things in life.

Two weeks ago I sat down to my computer and began to type the story of my career.  I wrote 10,000 words the first day and 15,000 words the next.  Five days later I had written all that I felt I should say, 38,000 words.  My husband recognized that I was “in a zone” and brought my meals to me, took care of the world around me and stayed close by to offer advice if needed.  I have since been through the book twice and uploaded it to Create Space.  I expect the Proof to arrive on Wednesday.  The Book is titled “Hard Won Pearls”.  It refers to the lessons I have learned over the last 30 years in work as a physical therapist.