Button, Button, Who's Got The Button?

As a child, I was fascinated with buttons.  Nearly all the older aunts and my grandmother had button jars that were full of treasures just waiting for me to find.  There were pearly buttons with "diamonds" all around that I was sure came from the dress of the queen herself.  Everyday buttons that I knew came from grandpa's worn out work shirt. Big buttons, little buttons, square buttons, round buttons, teeny, tiny baby buttons, red, blue, green, white buttons--button, button who's got the button?......so many I would spend hours separating them, sorting them, imagining them on my dresses and shirts.  At each aunts house, I had to look and see what had been added since the last time I had been there and of course I really kept on top of my grandmothers buttons.  Just the motion of running them through my fingers was joyful and calming.

My grandmother taught me button games with egg cartons that work sort of like Mancala, and she always seemed to have a button and string in her wallet.  The button was about 1 to 1 1/2 inch in diameter in which she ran string through 2 wholes.  She then tied the string and you would wind it up and pull. You knew you had done it correctly when the string pulled like elastic and the button made a whirring sound.  Oh how I loved that sound.

I guess it is no surprise that I have my own button collection that I have spent countless hours with my children running my fingers through, sorting and playing games with.  I see buttons and I sort of go crazy.  I love them almost as much as I love yarn.  There is just something about going through them that is a sort of treasure hunt and calms me after a stressful day or fills me with joy any day.  If a person came to me and with a bag of non-matching, assorted buttons---I would feel on top of the world.

Reflections of the Journey

I have been giving some thought to the progression of the difficulties that I have been going through for the past couple of months or so and the journey of overcoming them.  Here I was sitting on the precipice of a new phase in my life.  I had some health issues, but we were overcoming those.  I was ready to take my new degree and charge boldly into the world, conquering the information highway of health care records....then boom....car wreck.

During the journey of recovery, with physical therapy, occupational therapy and sensory therapy, I have become not only physically stronger, but spiritually stronger.  I have thrown my entire heart into doing my exercises daily and I am actually stronger, more balanced than I have been in years.  At the same time I have thrown my soul into prayer and the scriptures.  Truly feasting on the them in a manner that I haven't taken the time to do in many years-if ever before.  I can say that my soul delights in the scriptures. The Bible, Book of Mormon, scriptures for the next weeks Sunday School lessons and Relief Society lessons, Ensign, Friend.  I just keep on reading. They calm me and strengthen me.

I have also rediscovered my love of music.  I do not know why I allowed my life to be swallowed into silence, however music--all kinds fills me up inside in a way that is hard to describe.  When I am doing my exercises, I can do more for longer while listening to music on my MP3 player (which we keep constantly changing the play lists on) than when I just watch the others around me in the chatter of mundane things.  I close my eyes, and just work on which ever machine my PT specialist has me on...moving to the beat of whatever song is on, from Hymns to Jazz, Reggae to Rock, I have listened to it all and keep on moving.

Over-all I am a more balanced, stronger person than I was before this journey began.  I am still ready to go out and join the world of health information and health care records, but now the person they get will be a more whole person than before.  Stronger in spirit and stronger physically.  It will be good for all of us.

Physical Therapy

During the past few weeks, I have been dealing with some medical issues that have led me to need physical therapy, occupational therapy, and sensory therapy.  While this has been difficult, my doctors and therapists have incorporated my existing talents in a manner that has actually accelerated my rehab.  I am doing really good and moving along quite well.  I love the picture above, and at the beginning of all of this, it was something that really helped me, however as I have traveled along this journey, this picture below and the scriptures have given me more strength to go on day after day with therapy that takes literally all day to complete.  In my Heavenly Father, there is peace and strength.  

Hello Old Friend....

It seems like forever since I posted anything on my blog.  I admit the last year of collage was tough, however I graduated and last Friday my diploma came in the mail.  I am not sure I have the words to express how I feel except BLESSED.  My family was such a great support and blessing to me during the entire four years, I know I couldn't have done it without them.  My mom and dad came from Idaho for the graduation, joining my children and wonderful husband (who kept their promise and dressed like the mafia with Bill dressing like a mob boss, even though my degree changed from HIT (HIT MOM) to HIIM.) As I raised my arms high above my head on the stand, I could hear them cheering for me.  It was a true, WOW, MOM moment.  Now it is time to move onto the next phase of my life.....going out into the world and finding a job.

 Me

Class of 2014 with Faculty

Graduating Class of 2014
Health Informatics and Information Management

Loose Ends....

I finished my mystery project last night.  Who knew it would be a winter like hat for people who like to put their hair up or wear a "hat" and not mess up their hair.  The pattern name is "Quant".  I have no idea why it is called that, but there you have it.  Mandy modeled this really fun mystery for me.

In addition to knitting the mystery knit project, I also knit a pattern called "The Monster Dice Bag Of Doom" for Matt to keep his dice in.  He promptly named it the Cthulu Bag--Cathulu is the name of a mythological deep sea kracken.  He is very happy with it, and I must admit I really had tons of fun knitting all the tentacles and putting the eyes in weird places.  This was a very fun project!!

Most of all I didn't get behind with the massive amount of homework that I had.  If I haven't said it before, online classes are far more difficult than face-to-face classes.  Unfortunately this semester, the classed I needed to take are not offered any other way.  However, all in all, I have to say that it was a really good week.

Good to be Prepared....

I have been giving a lot of thought to preparedness--well like forever.  I was raised on it!  However I don't think this is an area that my parents prepared me for.  So the question is:  When a stash attack hits, how do you gauge the severity of it?  Good thing I found this:

I can say I have never had a severe attack, however that is all I am saying ;P

Awards and such...

When I first returned to school I was rather spastic about doing well.  Imagine my surprise when just a few days into the second semester I received in the mail a certificate telling me I was on the Presidents list.  I was so proud and amazed.  I now have 2 Presidents list certificates and now with the one I received today, 3 Deans list certificates (1 semester I didn't get either).  Somehow they don't seem to mean as much to me as they did at first.  As I sat here and pondered this attitude, I wondered if it was because I now expect 1 or the other each semester?  My conclusion is that while it is really cool that I made the Deans list, I am much more confident in my performance academically than I was at first, so I do not really need a piece of paper validating said performance.  Instead, I take joy in knowing that I have done my best and the certificate is just a perk.  

I think my goals are somewhat different than when I started.  At first it was all about finishing what I began 30 years ago, perhaps even to make my mom, husband and children proud of me.  Now it is more...I love what I am learning and I can't wait to get out there and do a good job--perhaps put some away for the future.  We used all of our future savings taking care of Marshall and Ethel.  Now Bill is again looking for work.  I know the Lord has something for us and I am practicing patience waiting on the Lord, while doing everything I can to make good things happen.  It is going to be great, not because of some certificate, but because Heavenly Father blesses us for serving him faithfully!