This may potentially be the most disjointed post I have typed in awhile, but I'm gonna have a go at it anyways.
- My mom is amazing. This week she mailed me my days of the week shirts. For those of you who haven't met them before, they are t-shirts that have the days of the week painted on them. One shirt for each day and one shirt with question marks for when I forget which day it is (or if the correct shirt is dirty or if I just want to mess with people). Now, ideally, I will know what day it is and actually go to the right classes/committments.
- The first eight crayons of the crayon blanket are finished and it is time for me to start sewing them together. In this theme, I have amazing friends who help me out with colors and the order has been narrowed down to pretty much two options: red, yellow, blue, light purple, pink, dark purple, green, orange OR yellow, green, blue, dark purple, light purple, pink, orange, red. Currently the second order has the most votes. Opinions are welcome. To see a picture of the colors click here (option 2 in the picture has been almost voted out...it's pretty much between options 1 and 3) (OR if you are reading this on facebook just click over to my "What do I actually do at school? Spring 2010" album to see the picture) Opinions are welcome.
- This semester is going way too fast. I choose not to think any further on this.
- Tea and Tales on Tuesdays and Thursdays is pretty much a highlight of my week. Especially when Sara reads the story to us and it has duck noises and she makes really cool duck noises.
- My last reference for Western was submitted yesterday, so now it's just waiting. Hopefully not too much longer...
- I graduate in May and have no idea what I am going to do for the summer. Suggestions for jobs are welcome. Especially suggestions for cool jobs.
- Some nights you just need to cuddle and cry with someone. Then you feel better.
- I really really miss camp today.
- Winter can go away at any point now so that it is warm enough for me to go look at stars.
- Spring break comes soon and I need to decide what I am going to do for it.
- I really should get back to writing my paper so that I can do more reading so that I can crochet while I read (I can't type and crochet at the same time)
- I love my friends. A lot.
- Chicken broth has magical properties. So does sleep.
- Sometimes you have to be broken before you can be healed.
- I still really want to go swimming.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
So goes life...
It would stand to reason that as soon as I take the effort to write a post about how to use an epi-pen, that the makers of epi-pen would change their design. The concept is still the same, but the pen has a new look. So, more pictures.
The newer pen is on the left. It is bigger than the old one which I think is silly because I have to carry it with me everywhere I go. You'd think smaller would be better. Epi-Pen Jr. (The kids version) looks the same except the cap is apparently green instead of yellow.
The steps for use are the same still...remove from protective tube, remove safety cap, keep fingers away from needle end, stab into thigh, hold for 10 seconds, remove. Here's where the change is. At this point you would put the old pen back into the protective tube so that no one gets accidently poked with the needle. With the new pen, the orange tip will apparently extend to cover the needle and the pen will not fit back into the tube. So the instructions tell me.
As in any emergency, call 911 and take the used pen to the hospital.
Here's a picture comparing the parts of the two pens:
Thank you epi-pen for complicating life further by changing the design...
The steps for use are the same still...remove from protective tube, remove safety cap, keep fingers away from needle end, stab into thigh, hold for 10 seconds, remove. Here's where the change is. At this point you would put the old pen back into the protective tube so that no one gets accidently poked with the needle. With the new pen, the orange tip will apparently extend to cover the needle and the pen will not fit back into the tube. So the instructions tell me.
As in any emergency, call 911 and take the used pen to the hospital.
Here's a picture comparing the parts of the two pens:
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Baby Blanket
Some of you, especially those back home, had asked to see pictures of the baby blanket once I finished it. It's been done for a couple weeks now, but I wanted to wait until I delivered it before posting pictures of it.
I found the pattern in one of mom's old Country Women magazines, altered the color scheme to something I like (and thought was more practical), retyped the pattern so I didn't need to take mommy's magazine with me to school (and so I had a backup plan for when I lost the pattern), bought yarn and set to work. Instead of working the ends in at the corners of the blocks I decided to leave them as tassles. I thought it looked cute.
I found the butterfly pattern online. The pattern was supposed to be worked with a 2.0mm hook, but I don't have one, so I used my 4.0mm one. I think it worked alright.
Here's the finished product:
I found the pattern in one of mom's old Country Women magazines, altered the color scheme to something I like (and thought was more practical), retyped the pattern so I didn't need to take mommy's magazine with me to school (and so I had a backup plan for when I lost the pattern), bought yarn and set to work. Instead of working the ends in at the corners of the blocks I decided to leave them as tassles. I thought it looked cute.
I found the butterfly pattern online. The pattern was supposed to be worked with a 2.0mm hook, but I don't have one, so I used my 4.0mm one. I think it worked alright.
Here's the finished product:
Here's a close up of the butterfly:
Now I really need to work on my homework...I'm good at getting distracted.
How to Save a Life
If you already know how to use an epi-pen and when it needs used, you can skip this post....if you don't know and would like to learn, I'd encourage you to read this. You never know when you might need it!
Epi-pens are used to treat anaphalaxis which is a severe allergic reaction. Just about anything can cause anaphalaxis, but some of the most common things are food, medication, and insect stings. Some of the symptoms of anaphalaxis are: low blood pressure (dizziness, fainting), swelling of the throat and face, hives (red itchy rash), nasuea and vomitting, and difficulty breathing. If someone knows they are prone to anaphalaxis they will hopefully have their epi-pen with them. If they don't have their epi-pen with them or just plain don't have one, call 911 right away. This is a big time emergency!
If they have an epi-pen, it is still an emergency. Anaphalaxis always is.
First, find the epi-pen. Many people carry their epi-pens in a waist pouch, others put them in their pockets or in a "leg buddy" (special pouch that velcros around your leg and holds up to 2 epi-pens....this is what I use). The epi-pen will be in a special hard plastic protector case which generally looks like this:
Take off the yellow cap. The epi-pen should now look like this:
Epi-pens are used to treat anaphalaxis which is a severe allergic reaction. Just about anything can cause anaphalaxis, but some of the most common things are food, medication, and insect stings. Some of the symptoms of anaphalaxis are: low blood pressure (dizziness, fainting), swelling of the throat and face, hives (red itchy rash), nasuea and vomitting, and difficulty breathing. If someone knows they are prone to anaphalaxis they will hopefully have their epi-pen with them. If they don't have their epi-pen with them or just plain don't have one, call 911 right away. This is a big time emergency!
If they have an epi-pen, it is still an emergency. Anaphalaxis always is.
First, find the epi-pen. Many people carry their epi-pens in a waist pouch, others put them in their pockets or in a "leg buddy" (special pouch that velcros around your leg and holds up to 2 epi-pens....this is what I use). The epi-pen will be in a special hard plastic protector case which generally looks like this:
Remove the gray safety cap. Keep your fingers away from the black tip. A rather large needle comes out of this end and you really really don't want to stick it into your finger.
Grab the epi-pen in your hand, keeping fingers and thumbs away from both ends. (it's just safer that way). Stab, very quickly and firmly, the black tip against the outer thigh of the person who is having an allergic reaction. It will hurt, but it will save their life. If it is a small child, they probably won't hold still (they know how much it is going to hurt). Sit on them. Hold the pen in place for about 10 seconds. It will seem like an eternity. Remove the pen and place it carefully back in the protective case. The needle will be sticking out, so the pen is now a biohazard. It should go to the hospital with the person.
Once the pen is safely back in the case, call 911, if it hasn't been called already. If the person isn't laying down already, they should be.
Notes:
- Many people can and will give the epi-pen to themselves. This is okay and in an ideal world, the way it should happen. Sometimes they will need help. (I've never been able to get the gray cap off by myself when I'm not breathing). If they are unconsicous, they need help.
- The epi-pen will go through most clothing, including jeans. It will not, however, go through snowpants.
- If you have a friend who is prone to anaphalaxis and you have questions about how to use their epi-pen, talk to them about it BEFORE you need to use it.
- If the ambulance is taking forever to get there, and things aren't getting better, you can give a second epi-pen after 10 minutes. Each pen only contains 1 dose.
-If you want to watch a video about anaphalaxis and epi-pens, click here
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Story Time: Joseph, Part 3-On the Way to Bad
When we last left Joseph he was on his way to Shechem to check up on his brothers. His brothers were very jealous of him because Jacob loved him more than them. To make things worse, Joseph had had some crazy dreams in which he dominated over his brothers.
Part 3
Joseph walked and walked and walked. Eventually he came to Shechem and began to look for his brothers. He looked in all the usual places, but he couldn’t find them. Such a large herd of sheep (it must have been large because all 10 of his brothers were watching it) is hard to misplace so Joseph must have been rather confused and puzzled. A man saw Joseph looking and asked him what he was looking for. Joseph told him that he was looking for his 10 brothers and their sheep. The man had seen Joseph’s brothers and had even overheard them talking to each other. They had finished grazing at Shechem and moved on to Dothan. Joseph sighed and changed his course. He had to find his brothers. His father had told him to.
He walked on, lost in his own world.
As he walked his brothers noticed him coming and their jealousy rose. As brothers are prone to do, they began to plot about how to get even with him. After all, they were far enough away from their father that he would not know what they were doing. And as things are prone to do, they got out of hand. What may have first started as an innocent prank quickly escalated to a plot to kill Joseph. I am glad that these were not my brothers…I would have been dead many times over by now. I imagine their conversation started innocently enough. “Let’s throw dirt at him” “How about we steal his coat and throw it in the mud” and then somehow, someway, it ended at “Let’s kill that dreamer!”
Thankfully for Joseph, his older brother Reuben did not get caught up in the fervor and provided a voice of reason. “Let’s not kill him.” (good plan Reuben) “Let’s just throw him in this old dry deep hole. That’ll teach him a lesson and we won’t have to kill him. Sound like a plan?” The other nine agreed and Reuben breathed a sigh of relief. That had been too close for comfort.
Joseph got closer.
As soon as he reached his brothers they attacked him. All their anger and resentment and jealousy towards him spilled out. I have never been attacked by ten guys at once, but I can’t imagine it was pleasant. I also don’t imagine that Joseph willingly let himself been attacked. It must have been quite a brawl and very unfair. 10 brothers against 1, and he was younger than all of them to boot, means that the 10 likely won fairly easily.
After they had subdued Joseph they ripped his beautiful coat off of him. This coat (talked about in part 2) represented everything they hated so much about him. After they ripped his coat off, they picked him up and chucked him into the deep dry hole. Joseph hit the bottom with a thump. How could his brothers do this to him? They were his family after all! And what about his dreams? Weren’t they supposed to bow down to him? Surely they would pull him out soon…They certainly wouldn’t leave him there, would they?
So, Joseph is in the pit. Things are bad. That's where I'm going to leave him for now. I really ought to be writing my paper, but I didn't want to leave Joseph alone too long. It was a long journey to Shechem after all. :)
Part 3
Joseph walked and walked and walked. Eventually he came to Shechem and began to look for his brothers. He looked in all the usual places, but he couldn’t find them. Such a large herd of sheep (it must have been large because all 10 of his brothers were watching it) is hard to misplace so Joseph must have been rather confused and puzzled. A man saw Joseph looking and asked him what he was looking for. Joseph told him that he was looking for his 10 brothers and their sheep. The man had seen Joseph’s brothers and had even overheard them talking to each other. They had finished grazing at Shechem and moved on to Dothan. Joseph sighed and changed his course. He had to find his brothers. His father had told him to.
He walked on, lost in his own world.
As he walked his brothers noticed him coming and their jealousy rose. As brothers are prone to do, they began to plot about how to get even with him. After all, they were far enough away from their father that he would not know what they were doing. And as things are prone to do, they got out of hand. What may have first started as an innocent prank quickly escalated to a plot to kill Joseph. I am glad that these were not my brothers…I would have been dead many times over by now. I imagine their conversation started innocently enough. “Let’s throw dirt at him” “How about we steal his coat and throw it in the mud” and then somehow, someway, it ended at “Let’s kill that dreamer!”
Thankfully for Joseph, his older brother Reuben did not get caught up in the fervor and provided a voice of reason. “Let’s not kill him.” (good plan Reuben) “Let’s just throw him in this old dry deep hole. That’ll teach him a lesson and we won’t have to kill him. Sound like a plan?” The other nine agreed and Reuben breathed a sigh of relief. That had been too close for comfort.
Joseph got closer.
As soon as he reached his brothers they attacked him. All their anger and resentment and jealousy towards him spilled out. I have never been attacked by ten guys at once, but I can’t imagine it was pleasant. I also don’t imagine that Joseph willingly let himself been attacked. It must have been quite a brawl and very unfair. 10 brothers against 1, and he was younger than all of them to boot, means that the 10 likely won fairly easily.
After they had subdued Joseph they ripped his beautiful coat off of him. This coat (talked about in part 2) represented everything they hated so much about him. After they ripped his coat off, they picked him up and chucked him into the deep dry hole. Joseph hit the bottom with a thump. How could his brothers do this to him? They were his family after all! And what about his dreams? Weren’t they supposed to bow down to him? Surely they would pull him out soon…They certainly wouldn’t leave him there, would they?
So, Joseph is in the pit. Things are bad. That's where I'm going to leave him for now. I really ought to be writing my paper, but I didn't want to leave Joseph alone too long. It was a long journey to Shechem after all. :)
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Sunday Morning
I woke up early this morning. Not super early, but early enough that I had a couple hours before church. My first thoughts were: I can get up, get dressed, listen to music and work on my paper or journal (which really are pretty close to the same thing). These thoughts were followed almost immediately by: OR I could put on my paint clothes and work on the painting I sketched out in my head last night.
Painting won. And then I made a poorer choice...I decided to try and eat breakfast while I painted. Note to self: Eating finger food (dry cereal) with your fingers, while painting, is a bad idea. It's a good thing my paints are non-toxic.
At quarter to church I realized that I was still in my paint clothes, still hadn't combed my hair and in general was not ready for church. Anybody who has seen my paint clothes knows that going to church in them is a bad idea. So I took a quick snapshot of my work, washed out my brushes and got into Sunday clothes. It's a good thing church is just across the street and my Sunday shirt has long sleeves so it hid the paint on my arms.
Here's a peek at what I had done before church:
After church and lunch were done I came back to my room with the intention of working on my paper before going upstairs for a stats party. It didn't happen. Here's what did happen:
This painting can best be understood with words of the Phil Wickham song "You're Beautiful" since that is where I got my inspiration. Click here for a link to the lyrics of the song or click here to go to a YouTube video of the song if you'd rather hear it while reading the words (I did not make this video).
I have really liked this song ever since we first sang it at worship and last night I got the desire to paint it. So I did.
Have a blessed Sunday!
Painting won. And then I made a poorer choice...I decided to try and eat breakfast while I painted. Note to self: Eating finger food (dry cereal) with your fingers, while painting, is a bad idea. It's a good thing my paints are non-toxic.
At quarter to church I realized that I was still in my paint clothes, still hadn't combed my hair and in general was not ready for church. Anybody who has seen my paint clothes knows that going to church in them is a bad idea. So I took a quick snapshot of my work, washed out my brushes and got into Sunday clothes. It's a good thing church is just across the street and my Sunday shirt has long sleeves so it hid the paint on my arms.
Here's a peek at what I had done before church:
I have really liked this song ever since we first sang it at worship and last night I got the desire to paint it. So I did.
Have a blessed Sunday!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
NGU
NGU. Never Give Up.
In my time here at Central I’ve heard this phrase repeatedly. Coaches say it to athletes. Friends say it to friends. Certain professors say it to groups of students.
It has been a rough week. There has been no continuation to the Joseph story this week because I have not had the focus to be able to tell it the way I want to and there has been too much else on my mind, begging to be written. Joseph will return, fear not.
Back to the rough week. I’ve been being challenged to stretch and grow in new ways. This is not a bad thing, but it is a difficult thing. I have amazing friends though who are walking with me on this journey. Also this week there has been a lot of hurt on campus. A friend of mine decided that life was no longer worth living and we have been grieving our loss. I’ve had some difficult conversations with friends as I’ve tried to come alongside them in their hurt. Something in my dinner tonight tried to kill me. I’m on lots of drugs right now. There were days this week when it hurt too much to move.
It’s after weeks like this that you just want to curl up and sleep under nice warm blankets. But then these three little words come into mind.
Never Give Up.
Even though the going is tough, we need to keep on going. There will be better days, weeks, months, years.
But we can’t keep going alone. This has been a theme for me the last few weeks. I can’t do life alone. I need my community around me. This does not make me weak. It makes me strong. Asking for help takes guts. Telling your friends that you need a shoulder to cry on takes courage. I’m not all the way there yet. I may never be there, but I’m learning. Be patient with me, G-d’s not done with me yet.
Community alone is not enough either. I cannot and do not expect my friends to be able to carry me. It’s not their job and that is okay. I have Jesus and he will never give up on me. As I sat to write this, before I got interrupted by the fire alarm, one of my favorite songs came on itunes. It’s called “You Never Let Go” by Matt Redman. The chorus goes:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
For rest the lyrics click here.
No matter what happens. No matter how messy life gets. No matter how broken, weak and tired I am, G-d is never going to give up on me.
NGU friends, NGU.
In my time here at Central I’ve heard this phrase repeatedly. Coaches say it to athletes. Friends say it to friends. Certain professors say it to groups of students.
It has been a rough week. There has been no continuation to the Joseph story this week because I have not had the focus to be able to tell it the way I want to and there has been too much else on my mind, begging to be written. Joseph will return, fear not.
Back to the rough week. I’ve been being challenged to stretch and grow in new ways. This is not a bad thing, but it is a difficult thing. I have amazing friends though who are walking with me on this journey. Also this week there has been a lot of hurt on campus. A friend of mine decided that life was no longer worth living and we have been grieving our loss. I’ve had some difficult conversations with friends as I’ve tried to come alongside them in their hurt. Something in my dinner tonight tried to kill me. I’m on lots of drugs right now. There were days this week when it hurt too much to move.
It’s after weeks like this that you just want to curl up and sleep under nice warm blankets. But then these three little words come into mind.
Never Give Up.
Even though the going is tough, we need to keep on going. There will be better days, weeks, months, years.
But we can’t keep going alone. This has been a theme for me the last few weeks. I can’t do life alone. I need my community around me. This does not make me weak. It makes me strong. Asking for help takes guts. Telling your friends that you need a shoulder to cry on takes courage. I’m not all the way there yet. I may never be there, but I’m learning. Be patient with me, G-d’s not done with me yet.
Community alone is not enough either. I cannot and do not expect my friends to be able to carry me. It’s not their job and that is okay. I have Jesus and he will never give up on me. As I sat to write this, before I got interrupted by the fire alarm, one of my favorite songs came on itunes. It’s called “You Never Let Go” by Matt Redman. The chorus goes:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
For rest the lyrics click here.
No matter what happens. No matter how messy life gets. No matter how broken, weak and tired I am, G-d is never going to give up on me.
NGU friends, NGU.
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