How to Take a Shower

During my internship we were challenged with the question on what order do you do your shower. This is in reference to our job when you are assisting a person with disabilities with a shower. But the professor ask us which is most expedient, most convenient, what do we do out of habit and which order of cleansing leaves you most clean. Do you wash your hair first or last and would the order affect your cleanliness? There is a proper way of doing this but what is usually done. Habit or training? Is it as simple as top to bottom?

So there I am years (many, many years) later assisting a person with their shower and dang I have to get another facecloth because I forgot that simple rule. Not something I usually do but whatever distraction flittered upon the moment replaced the ingrained routine happened. This got me thinking about that question again.

How do you take a shower.

Lincoln

Introducing Lincoln the Border Collie. A great little pup deserving of many a belly rub. He is totally fascinated with cats especially ones that are beyond his reach. Soon he will have step brothers and sisters and my brother will update his website with news of the puppies. The website has pictures of Lincoln's family and farm buddies. Lincoln's passions are the laser, riding in the truck, flashlights, swimming and bull winkies. He has couple of favourite toys, the rubber chicken and his evil Santa puppet. Evil Santa is his nemesis. When he plays with it he usually does so with gusto and I'm sure that he feels he is defeating a great foe. On the other hand, the rubber chicken is his comfort toy. Lincoln will not bite or carry the chicken by the neck, head or feet. He will gently pick it up by the middle. When his people leave the house without him Lincoln will take the chicken out and lay by it or carry it around. We will find the chicken in different rooms where ever he has last rested. Lincoln will play with the chicken and do so will people involvement in mind. Sometimes around 2 or 3 in the morning I will hear the familiar squeak of the chicken and I will have to decide whether to ignore it or check to see what is going on. There is nothing like playing chase in a pitch black room with a dog and a chicken. It is a sense of pure freeing abandonment with no rules and testing of skills to chase Lincoln with only fun in mind. Try and explain to co-workers the bruises on your shins are due to the rubber chicken game and the end table you couldn't see in the dark. There is a book that I must recommend. I have read it several times, it is called The Dog Rules: (Damn Near Everything!) by William Thomas. Humourous and well worth the read.

Pastafarianism

Just a quick note about Intelligent Design vs Evolution.

I came across a web site that has inspired me. It is about how universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It's very intriguing especially when you see how many people were touched by His Noodly Apendage. I for one will be looking deeper into the mysteries of this alternate theory.

Karen

What you get out of a Trip

We went to an American Civil War Re-enactment on Sunday. This is a trip that I’ve done many of time. It was a beautiful day with humongous fat clouds with a straggly bit of a cool wind that would whip through the area every once and a while. The reenactment was set in Brawner's Farm in Milton Ontario. http://www.countryheritagepark.com/
We watched the artillery demonstration, the cavalry event and the battle. There was music from persons from the First Nation who also participated in the battle.

I guess it is when you speak to the various re-enactors you pick up their passion for what they do and why do they do it. That’s what makes the trip worthwhile. There was a blacksmith who gave us a demonstration of his smithery but more than that he told us of his work. He gave his time and answered our questions but more than that he involved us in his enthusiasm in his craft. Each person we encountered had a story that they were willing to tell. One person took the time to answer a very silly question of mine. I wondered why the horses didn’t have more protection, I’ve read so many stories of what happened to these poor animals and couldn’t imagine that there wouldn’t be some kind of protective covering to save at least a few of them. It was nice that my question was treated with respect. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/07/0714_030714_gettysburg.html

A nice day out with friends and family, interesting people to talk to and oh yes I did bring back a nasty sunburn.

My First Ramblings

Sometimes, it’s was a matter of timing, grace or just plain luck how so many people can survive the same but not the same type of existence. Longevity in the Association is a tricky thing. I guess it depends on your role. There are many labels where I work, both for staff and the people we serve. I have the title of assistance supervisor, staff, counsellor, friend, co-worker, union member and part of the team at the Association. I have worked for the Association since 1986 as a counsellor for developmentally delayed adults.

I went through many years without a being jaded but as with many jobs the feeling that you’ve seen it all begins to creep in. This happens gradually you hardly notice it at all or sometimes it hits you all at once. For me it was a combination of both things. To combat the burn out I up graded my training. This was to keep things fresh. It helped but I decided to take up photography as a hobby and to find myself. So as time goes on I will post more on the Association, Photography, Stargate, Border Collies and who knows what.

Karen

A Day on Redstone Lake

We had a nasty storm and we put the boat up to keep it from smashing against the side dock. Lincoln (the Border Collie) usually keeps vigil at the end of the dock. Here he is checking out passing boats and keeping the world safe from marauding squirrels and at the time of this picture he was trying to make do with the boat taking up his spot.