WSMA Wednesday

For heaven’s sakes, here I go again! Will I ever get around to Wellness Wednesday? I really had big plans for it this week, and then I said to myself, “No, Chris, you should pay a tribute to the day job for a change.”

So here we are.

This past weekend was the annual conference of the Wisconsin Society of Medical Assistants. 200 certified medical assistants and medical assistant students from across the state attended. I have attended the annual conference every year except maybe two, since becoming a member in 1990. My little local chapter even hosted the convention in 1993.

The conference runs from the executive board meeting Thursday night through Saturday evening. As a past state president (that was in 2004), I also attended the past state presidents’ breakfast on Sunday morning.

But what of this is of any interest to you? Let me just tell you about two of the speakers.

 Dr. Don Bukstein has spoken to our group in the past. I suppose because his wife is a CMA in the society, he is a pitch-hitter. On Friday evening, after we were full of tacos and cake and the chocolate party favors, he spoke to us about happiness. What makes us happy and what we can do to make others happy. The most common denominator seemed to be showing others that you care.

 I don’t think that anyone can be happy in a bubble. Happiness comes from inside of us, but if we don’t share that happiness with others, it’s like making a death-by-chocolate dessert and then not eating any of it.

 Kiah Calmese Waker was the third speaker on Saturday morning. She was so positive and upbeat, reminding us that we are “all of that and a bag of chips with an order of fries on the side.” Ok, so maybe good nutrition wasn’t her topic, but just like with happiness, what’s on the inside that comes out is more important then what is on the outside bombarding you. 

Her opening slide sounded pretty dry. Good thing she didn’t talk about anything like that. 

Kiah was followed by guide dogs in-training. Who cannot smile when they see a sleeping puppy? 

What's your house look like?

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me

    to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

    who will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me,

    my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

    even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the Lord,

    this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

    and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble

    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

    and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted

    above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Psalm 27(New International Version)

This is only the first half of Psalm 27. I thought it was a bit long to share here and I stopped at this point because these verses caused me to picture the many types of dwellings that people live in. Whatever our homes look like, as believers, whether or not we live in a fortress or a tent, a sturdy house or a mud house, we are safe in God’s House. Though storms, wars, or any number of disasters may destroy our physical homes, nothing can destroy the Home we have with God. 

I honestly wasn’t thinking of this when I started writing here, but please pray for the people who have had their lives destroyed by the earthquake in Nepal. And if you are able and so called, make a donation to any number of organizations which are already sending aid. 

A park, a nursing home, a day care - Streets of Hatchet Creek

It feels like a long time ago that I walked these streets. In reality it was just one week, but with the change in weather we had over the past seven days, it is hard to remember what a beautiful day last Friday was.

 I started out at Pride Park where Tyler Kahle Memorial Field is.

 Hopefully you can read about it on this picture so that I don’t have to type it up.

 Playground at Pride Park. I wish I was still a kid when I see playgrounds like this; I just want to crawl on this stuff.

 Also at Pride Park is the Andy Maas Memorial Skate Park.

 Wisconsin River beautiful as always.

 Golden Age Nursing Home.

  Tomahawk Day Care Center, celebrating week of the young child.

And here is my map, still old and dumpy. This week I walked the blue route. 

I tried adding the landmarks to the map. Kind of looks crappy, but oh, well, it is what it is.

Whitewater Wednesday

This week I was going to start Wellness Wednesdays (sometimes resorting to Fitness Fridays when I am off track), but apparently I am already off track. I just couldn’t wait any longer to share Whitewater Wednesday with you – or by the end you might call it Wacky Wednesday. (In tribute to Mercer, the loon capital, I would even say loony, but no days of the week begin with "L".)

This past Saturday, the hubby, Dino the wonder dog and I took a ride to Black River Harbor in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I have been there many times and continue to be awed by the beauty of the river and its many waterfalls. I’ve been there in different seasons, when the water was at different levels and even when it was frozen. (I will have to scan those pictures someday and share them too.)

I have never seen anyone kayaking the river before.  They look pretty peaceful going in just below Gorge Falls. We didn’t think we would see them again.

We drove down the road a few miles and found them checking out Sandstone Falls, plotting their attack.

I have videos of one who went down like he was cruising the lazy river and another of the guy mostly upside down, but he was able to right himself. I have no idea how they keep from drowning. The first time my kayak tipped my head into the river, I would suck in a lung-full of ice cold water and that would be it for me.  (Hope the video works. I am not too techy. I also got a little excited at the end and forgot to turn off the video, and I don’t know how to edit it.)

This is where the Wellness Wednesday part comes in. As crazy as these guys are, imagine how fit they must be to get out of a jam like that.

Hubby talked to two of the guys for quite a while. They only kayak this river once a year, when the water is at its highest. Otherwise they hit bottom. Three of them were planning on taking the next falls. When Hubby told me that, I freaked out. I had been to Rainbow Falls several times. It is tall and steep and scary any time of year.

We didn’t think there was any way we would catch up with them at Rainbow Falls, but we jumped in our car, headed that way, and hiked the ¾ mile trail to get there. And just in time.

See the guys little head? Some might call it an adrenalin rush. That is beyond wacky, that is insane!

He made it out (the other two changed their minds – smart men), and they continued on their way out to Lake Superior.

A beautiful day, and one where I was totally happy to stay on dry land. 

Psalm 124 and the ride of a lifetime

1 What if the Lord had not been on our side?

    (Let Israel repeat this.)

2 What if the Lord had not been on our side

    when men attacked us?

3 When they were angry with us,

    they would have swallowed us alive.

4 They would have been like a flood drowning us.

    They would have poured over us like a river.

5     They would have swept us away like a mighty stream.

6 Praise the Lord. He did not let them chew us up.

7 We have escaped like a bird from the hunter’s trap.

The trap has been broken, and we have escaped.

8 Our help comes from the Lord,

    who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 124, International Children’s Bible 

My husband and I took a ride up north yesterday. We’ve always been in love with Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and have been to Black River Harbor many times. We have never seen anyone kayaking down the Black River though, at least not over the falls. This is Sandstone Falls, one of the shorter ones. All nine kayakers made it through. I don’t know if my praying was the key or not. All I know is that even though God has my back every minute of every day, you will not catch me participating in this sport.

Fitness Friday

I have a lot of nerve titling this post “Fitness Friday”, when I just polished off a bag of peanut M & M’s. I could let you believe that since I received this bag as a Christmas present I maintained so much control that it took this long to finish it, rationing out only a few a day. In reality, this was a belated Christmas present I received just after Lent started. I practiced restraint, giving up chocolate for Lent, and by then I had forgotten about said bag. Once I opened it last week, there was little rationing going on. One last confession I should make is that there was actually two full bags at one time.  

So now you’ve heard my confession. Onto the point at hand.

I’ve been wanting to write a series of articles on getting healthy. Nothing too deep or serious, just my thoughts on ways to eat better, lose some weight, get in shape. I’m not an expert on these things, but having worked in the medical field for nearly 30 years, I have seen enough to have some reasonable ideas and reasonable expectations. 

I also want to share with you how my own personal slug-to-5K training is coming along. It’s a lot to look forward to, but you will have to wait. Watch for Wellness Wednesdays coming soon!

Streets of Hatchet Creek

After visiting the Home, Sport and Travel show last Saturday, I took the time to walk a few streets on that side of town. What a beautiful weekend it was! If I hadn’t had so much yard work to do at home, I may have gotten in a few more streets. 

All of us who still live in Tomahawk feel pretty blessed to have the wide Wisconsin River flowing through our neighborhoods.

                           

When I was a kid, my mom’s friend Mrs. Kuntz lived and farmed here on Bradley Farm Road. Anybody else remember their corn and gladiolas? 

The railroad bed that runs from the school to the other end of town. I need to walk that whole trail sometime for this series, don’t I? 

The United Methodist Church. Home also to the Tomahawk Food Pantry. 

I don’t know what to say here. Anyone who follows Tomahawk news remembers the tragedy that took place here in the wee hours of Easter morning. The tree was cut down later that week. RIP Mark and Lani. 

Circling back to the School Complex, I noticed something in the brush on the side of the road. What a cool old piece of machinery. I hear American Pickers are coming to the Northwoods in May. Should I give them a call?

And here is the map. A sad map. I really will get a new updated map one of these days. 

Home, Sport and Travel

This past weekend was Tomahawk’s annual Home, Sport and Travel Show. The last few years I have worked at it in one capacity or another, but this year, I went as a regular person. Visited with a few people I haven’t seen in a while, picked up a few treats, and took some pictures. Imagine that. 

For the first time in as many years as I can remember, there was beautiful weather for the show this weekend. The kind of weather that makes you think about camping. 

One of these trailers would work perfectly for us. Anyone got sixteen thousand dollars they’d like to donate to our cause.

Or I suppose we could get a boat.

If we lived on a lake. 

Now, we’re talking. I could certainly use this water feature in my backyard. I wouldn’t have to go camping then.

 

About the only thing I could afford was the cookies at the Relay for Life bake sale. Num, num. Calories don’t count if they are supporting a good cause.

 

Just as we were leaving, the Flight for Life came in. It’s not like I never see it at work.

 

They just kind of frown on me taking pictures of the helicopter at work, coz it rarely lands at the hospital for fun.

When we were done at the Home Show, Hubby went to run some errands, and I walked a few streets. You will have to stop back in a couple days to see where I went. 

Psalm 5

While I was sharing Bible verses during Easter week, I read a lot of great verses that I want to share with you. However, I thought that this Sunday I would go back to the book of Psalms. There are 150 chapters in the Book of Psalms you know and at this rate, I may never get to all of them. 

Psalm 5(New International Version)

1 Listen to my words, Lord,

    consider my lament.

2 Hear my cry for help,

    my King and my God,

    for to you I pray.

3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;

    in the morning I lay my requests before you

    and wait expectantly.

4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;

    with you, evil people are not welcome.

5 The arrogant cannot stand

    in your presence.

You hate all who do wrong;

6     you destroy those who tell lies.

The bloodthirsty and deceitful

    you, Lord, detest.

7 But I, by your great love,

    can come into your house;

in reverence I bow down

    toward your holy temple.

8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness

    because of my enemies—

    make your way straight before me.

11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

    let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them,

    that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;

    you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

Friday Drive

Friday, we woke to several inches of fresh snow on the ground. Again. I'm just not going to let this get me down. I had plans and I was going to carry them out. 

I picked up my daughter and drove two hours to this wonderful junk (junque) sale. My daughter just bought a house so was looking for funky furnishings for it. She shopped until the back of the car was full. We had a great time. 

 I love all the old bikes, especially the one in the tree.

 Val really wanted that arbor for her wedding, but there was no way that was going to fit in the car. I think the little red wagon would have fit, but I really don't need another one.

 There is just too much to pick from! I was actually waiting for that snow to fall off the roof onto someone's head. I'm bad.

 I wanted about six things in this picture, but since I am supposed to have a rummage sale this spring to get rid of my own junk... it would seem counterproductive to bring more stuff home.

 I loved this cute little shed and it was empty! But there wasn't a for sale sign on it. I wanted it .

 Just too much stuff to describe.

 Yet another bike and I really loved the wall of doors.

 And when there just is no more room left on the ground, put stuff on the roof!

And no words can describe how cute these are. Click here for the Facebook page about this place.