Telepractice

Telepractice business started back up tonight. Right now, I am working with three students from an island in the Pacific, with six more that I need to evaluate in the coming weeks. There is one SLP for all the schools on the island, and the population is very underserved. My students have some language, articulation, and social problems. Working with the students over Skype, using my company's software/games is very rewarding, and let's me work with students that I would never get to meet otherwise!

Sniff...

I worked four evenings during the past week at the skilled nursing facility (SNF) near my home, covering for a colleague who was on vacation. I haven't worked at rehab for a number of months, so it was great to be back in that setting. I was able to work with an 80 year old gentleman who wanted his meals upgraded to a more regular consistency. (He was having some swallowing problems previously, and had been eating more of a ground texture.) He was a joy to work with! He was able to demonstrate all his safe swallowing strategies: sit upright, cut food into small pieces, take small bites, and alternate bites of food with swallows of liquid. He tried hard not to talk while he was eating, another strategy. Over the four evenings that I saw him, he was able to have salads, hamburgers, meat, well-cooked vegetables, hard cookies and crunchier fruit without any distress. I upgraded his diet to "regular" at the end of the week. We healthy souls often take for granted the pleasure of eating whatever we want everyday. When this gentleman heard he would be able to have salads again, his face lit up like a child at Christmas! How lucky am I to get to do this work!

Dixie the Dog

Meet our new friend, Dixie! She is a lovely Golden Retriever mix that we rescued from Alabama. She was found by a kind soul and sent to Sunshine Golden Retrieval Rescue, where we had been approved to adopt a dog. She had such a winning personality, as the rescue group described her, and we decided that she was ours. She arrived on a large transport truck, and was quite happy to head home with us.

It feels odd, yet right, to have a dog again after two years. I think that our late, great Bailey Dog would approve of our new addition!

The Married Couple

No, not Dearly Beloved and me...not yet.... Dearly Beloved's son and his lovely fiance made it official today. We had a wonderful time. The ceremony was held beside a lake, and the reception was in a tent on the grounds of the resort.  It was very cool for an outdoor wedding, but once we all started eating and dancing, things warmed up quickly! They made a beautiful bride and groom, and we wish them every happiness!

Back to School

Where did the past two weeks disappear to? We had such a lovely summer, and now it is fading. Back to school, back to a schedule, back to the regular life. I do love it, though! I am delighted to see my students, now a knowledge-filled grade older, and meet the new sixth graders, who look so little and young. Schedules are finally in place, groups have started, and the year begins! We have been having work done on our school roof for the entire summer. Unfortunately, it is still not finished! It gets pretty smelly from all the epoxy that is being used on the flat roof above my office. Hopefully it will be done soon.

Day Seventy - Richness

Seventy days. I have accomplished many things during this time, most of which I didn't plan. I have rested and relaxed. I feel that I have recovered my health, even while I discovered a minor health condition. I have taken time to reflect on what I want my life to be in the next few years - prosperous, doing the work that I love, being with the love of my life while we travel and enjoy ourselves together. I have written this blog every day; sometimes it was challenging, and sometimes I didn't have much to say, but I have loved doing it. I have worked, vacationed,exercised, and taken time for myself.

As I watch the white squirrels run back and forth across the top of my fence while they gather and prepare for the winter, I am gathering myself together in thought and in action. I am ready to get back into the busy flow of the rest of my year. I will work doing the job that I love in two or three different venues, but I will be more thoughtful about taking time for myself. I will continue to write in this blog weekly, and enjoy each day of the next forty-two weeks, until time rolls into The Seventy Days of next summer. A bientot!

Day Sixty-nine - Receptive

It is winding down. One more day. I am grateful for the time. I feel healthier, happy, and more relaxed. Nice lunch with a friend today, then off to the trainer for some warrior moves.

Day Sixty-eight - Raking

Post hurricane...trees are upright, but the leaves are gone. Rake.....

Day Sixty-seven - Rogue Hurricane

The day after... The winds roared from 5 AM yesterday morning until 11 PM last night, blasting punishing gusts through the trees and against the windows and walls. I watched the Norwegian maple beside the house as the branches torqued and twisted in the wind until darkness fell.

When I awoke this morning, the sun was bright and the winds were soft and tranquil. The beach looked like a new baby - the sand was soft and smoothe, and looked touched by a gentle hand. All the seaweed, rocks, broken shells and nastiness had washed out into the parking lot, leaving the beach pristine. The horseshoe crabs had a tough time of it. I saw some of them out by the street beyond the lot. As I walked along, little girl was collecting them, and arranging them into a funky collection. She was happy to have me take their picture.

Day Sixty-six - Rip-Roaring

We are getting hammered with winds, 60 mph, with stronger gusts. It is pretty wild. DB and I went out early to take pictures, before the winds got too strong. It felt safe to be out then, but it is somewhat alarming now. We have power, and feel okay. We will see what happens as the day progresses. This is a very memorable way to spend my birthday!

Day Sixty-five - Risky

Had a very pleasant ride to the beach, early in the morning. NO ONE is heading towards the beach..., but there are miles of cars trying to head away, and over the bridge! Mom is rather delusional about the possible intensity of the storm. She does not see why I feel the need to move the porch furniture out of harm's way. We are a bit tense with each other. Thankfully, DB arrived later on diffuse us. Bridges are closed now - we are here to stay!

Day Sixty-four - Refusal

Hurricane Irene is coming...I tried to convince my mother that I should come get her, and take her home. She, of course, refuses. I am heading down in the morning to ride out the storm with her. Is this from where I get my stubbornness?

Day Sixty-three - Relieved

I had a lovely lunch with an old friend whom I haven't seen in a number of months. It was great to see each other and catch up on old times. She is a funny person, with some quirky manners. She had made a cake, which she promptly told me was not for us, but for a party she was attending that evening. She asked me to help her write a message. Off she went to a neighbor for some food coloring, and then we mixed up a nice blue color. She then became "The Cake Boss"... As I squeezed the blue frosting through a tiny hole in a ZipLoc bag, and swirled the letters across the cake, she offered critiques..."Please dot that 'i' - Are you going to cross the 't' - I don't think we have enough frosting to edge the whole cake..." She is a dear, and was happy with our results. The cake was a big success at her party.

Another birthday note, my 40 year old cousin gave birth to twin sons today, after a challenging pregnancy and a long labor. Max Kelley and Spencer Christian have arrived, and both Mom and boys are happy and healthy! Congratulations and much love to you, Cousin!

Day Sixty-two - Riddance

Vacation is fabulous...laundry, not so much! There was A LOT of laundry, but it is now clean, folded and put away! I have a list of things to accomplish before this delightful period of time ends in eight days, but today it just felt good to finish the laundry, and finish my book - so that is what I did!

Day Sixty-one - Reference

Last Sentence Combining class. Worked for about seven hours on the project, but I just have to finish some editing, and it is done!