Today I manned the registration/sign in and out desk at the CC Inn and Suites and it was very quiet. As of 12:00 today there are only about 22 clients still residing at our comfortable and roomy estate. Here is a quick run through of the happenings today...
I headed out on an adventure to find film for a nice elderly man today. He wanted to take some pictures of the snow and of the school. Luckily our local drug store carried the film he needed! He is an interesting fella of Asian heritage. He and his wife are together and have been married for over 60 years. His English is broken but his smile is sweet. He informed another volunteer, Kristi, that he would take care of his wife until she was no longer with us. His wife's health is failing her but he still does everything he can to keep her happy and comfortable. I tear up every time I think about him because he is an amazing example of kindness. Their grandson and granddaughter stopped by Saturday night. They live in Fargo but in a small apartment and wish they had room for their grandparents to stay but are pleased with how they are doing in Casselton.
My new friend from Saturday night left today and she was very glad to leave! She was a bit upset on Saturday night. In fact she had packed up her stuff and was swearing at me to either quiet everyone down or she was heading to the 6th floor and was going to complain to management. She also could not figure out how we turned her room in to a shelter but was pretty upset about it! Although she was very confused Saturday night this morning she was doing well. She gave me a hug before she left and let me know that she appreciated all of our help. I do not know if she remembered me or if she was just feeling like hugs today. I hugged her back and did not flinch a bit! If nothing else this past week is clearing me of my fear of being touched. I have been hit (gently), slapped (on the hand), kissed, and hugged. I have lifted, escorted, and balanced people as well. I guess I can add the elderly and mentally displaced people to the small list of people who are allowed to touch me;)
The rest of the day was mostly spent talking with Richard and the other Red Cross people. Everyone has a story and I have learned that I really enjoy hearing them. I absolutely love meeting new people and learning what their lives are like. I was also able to talk with Mr. Bastian today, I am pretty sure he misses me! There were several high school and middle school students I escorted to lockers to grab those AR books. Wow, they all said they needed something to do and were glad to grab their books. Kind of funny to see those students who normally would rather brand their big toe than read. They were desperate to get into the school and grab those books!!
I am working on my graduation portfolio tonight, I have a major portion due at midnight so I better get back to it. I am missing my friends at Martin's but the snow is flying and it is probably best to just stay home for the night and do my homework.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Scotty's gotta go!
I was not able to blog last night when we made it to bed, I was pooped! Last night Bill and I spent from 4-midnight at Martin's Hilton with Brenda R. and the residents. At midnight when Erin B. came in the three of us were ready for bed! The residents were getting a bit restless last night and it was interesting keeping a few of them occupied. Brenda played several puzzles and a jinga like game with Scotty. Scotty is an interesting fella. He is really not interested in being at Martin's. In fact he has actually gotten out a few times and went for an outside walk alone. This is dangerous for him so we have to keep a close watch on him. He is a quick and strong guy but very sweet. He was also on the news last night while Martin's was featured on W-DAY. He would not believe that he was actually on TV. When Erin came she asked for his autograph and he was really funny about it. He said "shoot, that was really me?" Gotta love him but weef it gets tiring when he is always trying to get out! I keep singing my own version of the song Scotty Doesn't Know and am actually still singing it in my head today;)
I could write for hours about our night and the past week but some of the experiences are best left as a discussion between Bill and I or tucked away in my memory. We are praying now that the water keeps going down and the blizzard that is happening this afternoon is not too bad. I am off to the school to do registration/watching of the door for the day. I will blog again tonight or in the morning.
I could write for hours about our night and the past week but some of the experiences are best left as a discussion between Bill and I or tucked away in my memory. We are praying now that the water keeps going down and the blizzard that is happening this afternoon is not too bad. I am off to the school to do registration/watching of the door for the day. I will blog again tonight or in the morning.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
CC Inn and Suites/Martin's Hilton
Our guests are still in Casselton so Bill and I spent some quality time at two of the three locations. My friends who were staying at the Central Cass Inn and Suites decided that they preferred the ambiance at the St. Leo's Extended Stay Hotel. The guests moved downtown for a more comfortable stay with a better setting and quieter neighbors. There are still about 90 guests staying at the CC Inn and Suites and they are a pretty interesting and diverse group. The guests are an interesting bunch of people so there are many different groups of people there to help out. The Red Cross is still running the shelter but there are many other groups assisting including the Sheriff's Office. There was one guest who didn't follow the rules and instead spent some time with stolichnaya and was given a colorful ride to the detox center. Many other interesting things happened while we were manning the registration station today but nothing I want to blog about;)There is a a distinct odor about but what do ya do?!?
Bill and I visited with the amazing Red Cross volunteers and learned a great deal about them. They in turn, learned about us and our North Dakotan ways as well. We had a good time talking about words like Ufda, Coupon, Pop, Oh Yeah, Uh huh, and of course lutefisk. One of my favorite volunteers, Liberty, had a good time hearing about our small town/rural way of life and the winters here in good old ND.
Our friends are still hanging out at Martin's Hilton. One guest decided to attempt to fly the coop so a nice cattle gate was provided by one of the members to make sure everyone stays safe and sound in the area designated. There are many people providing activities and hanging out with the guests there to make the stay more comfortable. Gene is busy folding towels, Scotty is trying to go for a "walk", Nelson is singing and dancing, and the two love birds are holding hands. Norma was pretty tired while we were there so I did not get to spend much time with her but she looks like she is having a good stay as well.
Life lesson of the day...everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and care, but you have to laugh a little too;)
Bill and I visited with the amazing Red Cross volunteers and learned a great deal about them. They in turn, learned about us and our North Dakotan ways as well. We had a good time talking about words like Ufda, Coupon, Pop, Oh Yeah, Uh huh, and of course lutefisk. One of my favorite volunteers, Liberty, had a good time hearing about our small town/rural way of life and the winters here in good old ND.
Our friends are still hanging out at Martin's Hilton. One guest decided to attempt to fly the coop so a nice cattle gate was provided by one of the members to make sure everyone stays safe and sound in the area designated. There are many people providing activities and hanging out with the guests there to make the stay more comfortable. Gene is busy folding towels, Scotty is trying to go for a "walk", Nelson is singing and dancing, and the two love birds are holding hands. Norma was pretty tired while we were there so I did not get to spend much time with her but she looks like she is having a good stay as well.
Life lesson of the day...everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and care, but you have to laugh a little too;)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Heart Warming
Today was one of those days that warmed my heart, brought a tear to my eye, and made me proud to be a Squirrel.
Due to the flooding in Fargo, Central Cass School, Martin's Lutheran Church, and St. Leo's Church have all been turned into evacuation sites. The people that are evacuated to these sites are all Nursing home residents.
I headed to the school this morning to help out, about 200 other people had the same idea:) Which is pretty cool. We helped get things ready for the people to come at the school and then I headed over to Martin's Church. I helped people get off of the bus and get situated in chairs as the rest of their new home was made ready for them. There was one gal named Norma, who was not thrilled to be at her new home. She tried to go for a run so I spent a few hours with her hanging out. All of the people at Martin's are memory care patients and it made me feel warm inside to spend time with them. I hung out with Norma for a few hours and made sure she was not going to take off an go for a run down the street. She is a pretty quiet gal but I learned a great deal from her today. Norma and the other eleven residents at Martin's will be hanging out for a few days and I plan to go back each day and check on my new buddy to see how she is doing.
After leaving Martin's I decided I would head back to the school and help out again. I helped folks get "checked" into the Central Cass Inn and Suites and met a few more pretty cool people. I have a few favorites that I met there as well. Alice and her husband Arlan, who have been married for 67 years were planning on partying it up in the gym tonight. Then there was Ike who asked me if I would swing by his cot later on and told me stories of where he has lived and experiences over the last 87 years. A sweet gal named Cora was not really sure she wanted to be spending the night at the school but was glad we were there to help. Cora's eyes were so kind I wanted to stare into them all day. There were retired teachers and farmers who also had great stories to tell.
As I watched the people come in and saw how some were scared and others chalked it up to another experience in life, I was humbled by their spirits. There are about 100-200ish people now living at our school and I really hope we can find some fun things for them to do while they are our guests.
I will try to blog more if for no other reason to process what I am experiencing over the next few days or week. All in all I know this is a terrible situation but my heart is warm and many life situations are put into perspective for me. A few things I was worried about last week really do not matter any more;)
Due to the flooding in Fargo, Central Cass School, Martin's Lutheran Church, and St. Leo's Church have all been turned into evacuation sites. The people that are evacuated to these sites are all Nursing home residents.
I headed to the school this morning to help out, about 200 other people had the same idea:) Which is pretty cool. We helped get things ready for the people to come at the school and then I headed over to Martin's Church. I helped people get off of the bus and get situated in chairs as the rest of their new home was made ready for them. There was one gal named Norma, who was not thrilled to be at her new home. She tried to go for a run so I spent a few hours with her hanging out. All of the people at Martin's are memory care patients and it made me feel warm inside to spend time with them. I hung out with Norma for a few hours and made sure she was not going to take off an go for a run down the street. She is a pretty quiet gal but I learned a great deal from her today. Norma and the other eleven residents at Martin's will be hanging out for a few days and I plan to go back each day and check on my new buddy to see how she is doing.
After leaving Martin's I decided I would head back to the school and help out again. I helped folks get "checked" into the Central Cass Inn and Suites and met a few more pretty cool people. I have a few favorites that I met there as well. Alice and her husband Arlan, who have been married for 67 years were planning on partying it up in the gym tonight. Then there was Ike who asked me if I would swing by his cot later on and told me stories of where he has lived and experiences over the last 87 years. A sweet gal named Cora was not really sure she wanted to be spending the night at the school but was glad we were there to help. Cora's eyes were so kind I wanted to stare into them all day. There were retired teachers and farmers who also had great stories to tell.
As I watched the people come in and saw how some were scared and others chalked it up to another experience in life, I was humbled by their spirits. There are about 100-200ish people now living at our school and I really hope we can find some fun things for them to do while they are our guests.
I will try to blog more if for no other reason to process what I am experiencing over the next few days or week. All in all I know this is a terrible situation but my heart is warm and many life situations are put into perspective for me. A few things I was worried about last week really do not matter any more;)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Trip to the Vet
We had two firsts today. Sandy went to the Casselton Veterinary Office today by herself and Gus stayed home by himself. Surprisingly Gus did not destroy anything! There were no traces of any wrong doing or destruction at all. The only strange thing that I found when I got home was a misplacement of blankets and chairs...
My dad and I refurbished my great-grandma Christine's trunk that she used when she came to North Dakota from Norway.
I placed the giagantic trunk near our picture window for Gus and Sandy. We then placed several blankets on the trunk to protect it.
My dad and I refurbished my great-grandma Christine's trunk that she used when she came to North Dakota from Norway.
When I got home the blankets had been relocated to the kitchen. Not all of the blankets made it to the kitchen, however, all were in one piece!
There were people digging in the ditch near our house and I believe Gus wanted to watch them. He, of course, could not just stand and watch. He needed a comfy spot to rest while he was entertained by the workers.
Sandy is doing well and recovering from her tooth extraction. She is pretty sleepy and a little bit out of it but over all I think she is healing well. Gus is as weird as ever and enjoying his new "spot".
There were people digging in the ditch near our house and I believe Gus wanted to watch them. He, of course, could not just stand and watch. He needed a comfy spot to rest while he was entertained by the workers.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Life in a Small Town
Many stereo-types exists about small town life in North Dakota. Some are positive and some are negative. Everyone knows your business is the biggest complaint I hear, but it honestly does not really bother me.
This can be a good thing with a neurotic dog like Gus. It was nice to live in a small town when Gus...
Pushed the air conditioner out of the window, grabbed a pillow and watched the town happenings while hanging out the window resting on the pillow.
Dug his way out of his industrial strength kennel and jumped in the Proseed guys pickup and went for rides all day.
Chewed through the chain link fence and ate cookies at a friends house.
Jumped over the top of the kennel and "played" with the horses across town.
Jumped out the kitchen window and played in the water logged ditch and then jumped back in the window on his own.
...and the many other Guscapades that have taken place. I always get a phone call or someone takes care of him until I get home.
There are many reasons we live in Amenia that do not deal with Gus. The first and foremost reason is the cost. With both Bill and I in school it is nice to live in a cheap house! However, there is really nothing like knowing people care and want to help or the feeling of helping someone else. It was a little creepy that the bartender at the bar across the way waved to me while I was washing the dishes, but what do ya do?
In the mail today we received a letter from our city council members. It was a note with a concern dealing with spring flooding. The note stated that the council would like our best contact information including a cell number in case we need to be reached while we are away for the weekend or while at work. How many cities have a council member that is going to give you a buzz if there is a problem over at your house? The best part is that some already have our number. Why wouldn't they, right? With the last bout of snow we are pretty much ensured water is going to be an issue. I am glad to know that the town is being watched and my house will be safe.
It sure is great to live in a town like Amenia. Everyone knows my business and I am OK with that.
This can be a good thing with a neurotic dog like Gus. It was nice to live in a small town when Gus...
Pushed the air conditioner out of the window, grabbed a pillow and watched the town happenings while hanging out the window resting on the pillow.
Dug his way out of his industrial strength kennel and jumped in the Proseed guys pickup and went for rides all day.
Chewed through the chain link fence and ate cookies at a friends house.
Jumped over the top of the kennel and "played" with the horses across town.
Jumped out the kitchen window and played in the water logged ditch and then jumped back in the window on his own.
...and the many other Guscapades that have taken place. I always get a phone call or someone takes care of him until I get home.
There are many reasons we live in Amenia that do not deal with Gus. The first and foremost reason is the cost. With both Bill and I in school it is nice to live in a cheap house! However, there is really nothing like knowing people care and want to help or the feeling of helping someone else. It was a little creepy that the bartender at the bar across the way waved to me while I was washing the dishes, but what do ya do?
In the mail today we received a letter from our city council members. It was a note with a concern dealing with spring flooding. The note stated that the council would like our best contact information including a cell number in case we need to be reached while we are away for the weekend or while at work. How many cities have a council member that is going to give you a buzz if there is a problem over at your house? The best part is that some already have our number. Why wouldn't they, right? With the last bout of snow we are pretty much ensured water is going to be an issue. I am glad to know that the town is being watched and my house will be safe.
It sure is great to live in a town like Amenia. Everyone knows my business and I am OK with that.
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