Hi Everyone-I will see many of you tomorrow and will be sharing this news, but I wanted to let everyone know-and use the Blog-that I have a new job. As you know, I have been looking around Aurora for awhile and have come close, but no cigar. This was the job I was working on in April. I was one of two, the job was given to someone outside the system and she was to start on July 6. I got a call from the new Administrator on Wed. asking if I might still be interested because the other candidate had withdrawn. My current department has been going through many changes due to trying to get all of BH following the same procedures, and for me it has gone from bad to worse. Many of the therapists are talking about leaving and setting up their own practices and I am getting blamed for all sorts of things. Dr. Crowder is making one move after another trying to save his skin (money). So I accepted the new position.
I will be the Manager of a large, multispecialty medical clinic in Kenosha. We have recently acquired some Northern Illinois practices, so I will be involved in that also. Its a big job and totally away from BH, so I am a little apprehensive about it-it will be learning my fourth job in four years. I know alot of the other managers and they are all expressing their happiness about me coming on board, so that is wonderful. Its about twice the commute, but a lovely drive and I can do almost all back roads. I will be starting early in August. Its a lateral transfer so no raise, but I just got a nice bonus so its OK. More later and love to everyone! Susan
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mothers' Day--5/10/09
Belated MD greetings to all,
Quiet, cool, breezy and cloudy day here!
Thanks for the phone visits which we've had over the last 3 days--and the messages you've taken time to leave if we did not answer.
We're getting the hang of the voice mail, but miss the visual signal we have to get something from Time Warner to restore our own message and recording.
Were Susan and Jay's guests for brunch this morning. So, as you might guess, we had a great and ample meal and time for some visiting. Did enough outside work yesterday to appreciate a day to do some relaxing. Went to Culvers for a takehome salad entre for our early evening repast. No need for another FULL meal!
A hint for you raised bed gardeners. I have implemented a new watering idea for our 4. During the past couple of summers I have been using a 5/8"soaker hose in the front flower bed under the living room window. Snaking it around I have about 3 east west lines and this has been a great way to water that area which gets all the sun with almost no shade--and it can water gently without tending for as long as one desires. So last fall I got some 1/2'' x
50' hoses along with a hand full of plastic hose repair male and female fitting and cut a hose into 4 10' lengths and put a fitting on each end. Then I joined ends together to make a loop tied with plastic wire straps which fits nicely into the 4' squares. I had some salvage 1/2" regular hose and made 3 custom segments and put on
male and female fittings on each end to connect the circles. It was easy to unscrew one end of each of the joiner segments to open the area between the boxes when I needed to mow between them.
So now I can run a hose from the farthest back yard faucet to one square and water the four of them at the same time. I have already planted bush beans, 3 kinds of peas, zuchinni and a yellow summer squash and some lettuce in the squares leaving space for
tomato, pepper, and egg plant transplants latter this month. You
westerners might want to think about this idea for your raised beds. The 10' foot circle should be great in Idaho, but you CO folks might be able to try this without as much cutting and end fitting installations. Hope you can visualize this!
This week we decided to replace the fading fake geraniums which we have used in the 6 pots on the racks in front of the living room window with real plants. So the green pots were painted "trim" brown and the transplants were put in.
Using one piece of 1/2" soaker hose I made 6 smaller circles which would fit inside the pots securing them with the plastic wire bundle ties. With fittings at both ends, the 6 can be watered at the same time. Some of the soaking water will fall to the ground, but as this area in under the awning, it will have value there, too, as rain does not reach it. These are the same pots which Susan attempted to water for us one time when we were gone until she realized the realistic looking geraniums were fake! These will be place in the plant holder tomorrow--more later after we try the watering scheme--because we know NO rain reached this area...
Enjoyed our 2 night /3day stay at the Elkhart Lake Osthoff House Resort for our retired educators' convention. Mom told most of you about it. We led off the days with a nice lunch visit with Susan and David at a Sheboygan river front sandwich shop, en route on Tuesday.
Mom has her first cataract surgery day, 5/23--the second follows about mid June. More on this later.
Our desk top is for a tune-up. Using the laptop tonight with the highspeed, but won't try to get email into this unit. Will respond to e-mails we find when we get the desk top back tomorrow.
Congrats to Magdalena on her commencement next weekend!
Love and prayers to each and all,
Mom and Dad
Quiet, cool, breezy and cloudy day here!
Thanks for the phone visits which we've had over the last 3 days--and the messages you've taken time to leave if we did not answer.
We're getting the hang of the voice mail, but miss the visual signal we have to get something from Time Warner to restore our own message and recording.
Were Susan and Jay's guests for brunch this morning. So, as you might guess, we had a great and ample meal and time for some visiting. Did enough outside work yesterday to appreciate a day to do some relaxing. Went to Culvers for a takehome salad entre for our early evening repast. No need for another FULL meal!
A hint for you raised bed gardeners. I have implemented a new watering idea for our 4. During the past couple of summers I have been using a 5/8"soaker hose in the front flower bed under the living room window. Snaking it around I have about 3 east west lines and this has been a great way to water that area which gets all the sun with almost no shade--and it can water gently without tending for as long as one desires. So last fall I got some 1/2'' x
50' hoses along with a hand full of plastic hose repair male and female fitting and cut a hose into 4 10' lengths and put a fitting on each end. Then I joined ends together to make a loop tied with plastic wire straps which fits nicely into the 4' squares. I had some salvage 1/2" regular hose and made 3 custom segments and put on
male and female fittings on each end to connect the circles. It was easy to unscrew one end of each of the joiner segments to open the area between the boxes when I needed to mow between them.
So now I can run a hose from the farthest back yard faucet to one square and water the four of them at the same time. I have already planted bush beans, 3 kinds of peas, zuchinni and a yellow summer squash and some lettuce in the squares leaving space for
tomato, pepper, and egg plant transplants latter this month. You
westerners might want to think about this idea for your raised beds. The 10' foot circle should be great in Idaho, but you CO folks might be able to try this without as much cutting and end fitting installations. Hope you can visualize this!
This week we decided to replace the fading fake geraniums which we have used in the 6 pots on the racks in front of the living room window with real plants. So the green pots were painted "trim" brown and the transplants were put in.
Using one piece of 1/2" soaker hose I made 6 smaller circles which would fit inside the pots securing them with the plastic wire bundle ties. With fittings at both ends, the 6 can be watered at the same time. Some of the soaking water will fall to the ground, but as this area in under the awning, it will have value there, too, as rain does not reach it. These are the same pots which Susan attempted to water for us one time when we were gone until she realized the realistic looking geraniums were fake! These will be place in the plant holder tomorrow--more later after we try the watering scheme--because we know NO rain reached this area...
Enjoyed our 2 night /3day stay at the Elkhart Lake Osthoff House Resort for our retired educators' convention. Mom told most of you about it. We led off the days with a nice lunch visit with Susan and David at a Sheboygan river front sandwich shop, en route on Tuesday.
Mom has her first cataract surgery day, 5/23--the second follows about mid June. More on this later.
Our desk top is for a tune-up. Using the laptop tonight with the highspeed, but won't try to get email into this unit. Will respond to e-mails we find when we get the desk top back tomorrow.
Congrats to Magdalena on her commencement next weekend!
Love and prayers to each and all,
Mom and Dad
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
We are still adjusting to both of us working full-time for "real jobs." Its an adjustment, but going well so far. We did decide to purchase a vehicle which has less than 150,000 miles on it, so discovered and settled on a Ford Freestyle. For the car buffs, they only made them till 07, and now they are called the TaurusX. Big station wagon, essentially. We got a pretty simple one to keep the gas milage good and it has less than 25000 miles, so we should have a couple of good years.
Bridget came home Thursday night and we took her back on Sunday in time to take the lunch cruise on Lake Mendota. We managed to get it in during a break in the rain and although it was pretty cool and damp, the boat was enclosed somewhat and the lunch was quite deluxe. This was an Evans parent day. We then went to the Union and met Colin's new friend, Amanda, who is a sorority member where he works. She is very nice and we behaved ourselves and I think she liked us.
Back to work, working on the battery backup for the sump system just in time for our soggy weekend. One is installed and hopefully the next will be soon. We had several lakes in the yard, reminiscent of last June.
I should know by the end of the week if I will be offered the job of Manager of the Kenosha clinic. The other candidate is having their interview tomorrow and they will decide. I had a panel interview with 8 people yesterday and they told me that I made them feel very calm, which sounded promising to me. I just want to get offered the job, so whoever is praying these days, add me in.
Well, have to get some work done here, so back to the grind! Love, Susan
Bridget came home Thursday night and we took her back on Sunday in time to take the lunch cruise on Lake Mendota. We managed to get it in during a break in the rain and although it was pretty cool and damp, the boat was enclosed somewhat and the lunch was quite deluxe. This was an Evans parent day. We then went to the Union and met Colin's new friend, Amanda, who is a sorority member where he works. She is very nice and we behaved ourselves and I think she liked us.
Back to work, working on the battery backup for the sump system just in time for our soggy weekend. One is installed and hopefully the next will be soon. We had several lakes in the yard, reminiscent of last June.
I should know by the end of the week if I will be offered the job of Manager of the Kenosha clinic. The other candidate is having their interview tomorrow and they will decide. I had a panel interview with 8 people yesterday and they told me that I made them feel very calm, which sounded promising to me. I just want to get offered the job, so whoever is praying these days, add me in.
Well, have to get some work done here, so back to the grind! Love, Susan
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Being busy in Big Bend 4/26-09
Greetings to each and ALL---
First order of business: New email address joconnell18@wi.rr.com as we now have high speed internet!
First bonus: Being able to see the Middle Fork Easter Egg Hunt without
the long loading time. Glad to see the searchers in their Easter best and the improvements which were evident in your garden SPOT! Freya you are a great egg locator!
Pleased with the phone visits we've had with Kevin, David, Michele, Matt, Susan, Mark and Maura in recent days and since our Easter Sunday meal and visit. Admit we've not sent too much email in the
busy outdoor days we've had such good weather.
Biggest chore in the last week was getting fallen branches from winter winds and a couple of days of trimming and sawing low branches around the yard to get a pile out to the street which the village workers put thru the chipper on Friday. That was preceded by a lots of raking of leaves which we carted to the village compost pile in 4 big plastic fabric
tubs which contain about 4 bushels. A record should have been kept of the trips--but was not. Regardless, it is better than burning.
Mom saw her new ophthalmologist last week and will be getting a time for her first cataract operation soon and the second one should follow within 2 or 3 weeks. She is pleased that I had a thorough audiology test at Great Lakes Hospital ENT clinic and have ordered hearing aids.
Glad to have had first hand and blog reports on the O'CLong Colorado visit from both the hosts and the guests. It surely was a good time.
Grateful for Domino's report and do hope that she has been able to keep abreast of all her obligations and opportunities. Really sorry that Mark was unable to get to her play.
We've been in touch with Ed and he is still busy with a lot of follow-up thing. Told Mom in a call this week that he has planned a trip to Minnesota to see some friends and will be in California for Erin's graduation and Julie hopes that he will be able to stay there and have his birthday celebration.
Charleen and Bob are coming up to be with us for the day on Thursday of this week. We still have some Grandma and Grandpa O'Connell
stuff that we should go over again to determine how to deal with it.
Mom hope to go to Dubuque soon to have the same kind of meeting with Pat and Ed to go over some Doll material that she still has.
Mom had her 3rd visit with Susan's friend, Dr. Barbara Murray, who is exploring whether some new medicine might be helpful for memory improvement. At this time the dosage is provided by using a patch which is changed daily. For the first month she took a daily pill. The doctor is positive and encouraging as the trial continues. The the next appointment is after a 2 month period--the earlier ones followed for shorter periods.
We will be in Elkhart Lake, WI (Sheboygan County) at a resort hotel for our 2009 Retired Educators' convention. May try to connect with the Sheboygan folks if it won't conflict with David's homework schedule!
Last week we went to an afternoon showing of "Slumdog Millionaire" at an Oak Creek miniplex. No review here.
Susan came to show us their new Ford Free mini-SUV and Grandma really likes it especially the green color! A very impressive set of wheels!
Have had a very rainy weekend. I worked outside on getting soil ready for an exchange in the raised beds yesterday morning, but the rain came just before noon. There was 2.5" in the gauge when we set out for mass this morning. It has continued to rain most of the day--over an inch when I checked late this afternoon. I did get some weed&feed spred yesterday morning before breakfast, so hope it wasn't spoiled by the rain--but things really looked very green by today's last overcast light.
Best wishes to all you scholars as the end of your school year nears!
Good luck to all the job seekers, too!!
Love and prayers, Grandma and Grandpa
First order of business: New email address joconnell18@wi.rr.com as we now have high speed internet!
First bonus: Being able to see the Middle Fork Easter Egg Hunt without
the long loading time. Glad to see the searchers in their Easter best and the improvements which were evident in your garden SPOT! Freya you are a great egg locator!
Pleased with the phone visits we've had with Kevin, David, Michele, Matt, Susan, Mark and Maura in recent days and since our Easter Sunday meal and visit. Admit we've not sent too much email in the
busy outdoor days we've had such good weather.
Biggest chore in the last week was getting fallen branches from winter winds and a couple of days of trimming and sawing low branches around the yard to get a pile out to the street which the village workers put thru the chipper on Friday. That was preceded by a lots of raking of leaves which we carted to the village compost pile in 4 big plastic fabric
tubs which contain about 4 bushels. A record should have been kept of the trips--but was not. Regardless, it is better than burning.
Mom saw her new ophthalmologist last week and will be getting a time for her first cataract operation soon and the second one should follow within 2 or 3 weeks. She is pleased that I had a thorough audiology test at Great Lakes Hospital ENT clinic and have ordered hearing aids.
Glad to have had first hand and blog reports on the O'CLong Colorado visit from both the hosts and the guests. It surely was a good time.
Grateful for Domino's report and do hope that she has been able to keep abreast of all her obligations and opportunities. Really sorry that Mark was unable to get to her play.
We've been in touch with Ed and he is still busy with a lot of follow-up thing. Told Mom in a call this week that he has planned a trip to Minnesota to see some friends and will be in California for Erin's graduation and Julie hopes that he will be able to stay there and have his birthday celebration.
Charleen and Bob are coming up to be with us for the day on Thursday of this week. We still have some Grandma and Grandpa O'Connell
stuff that we should go over again to determine how to deal with it.
Mom hope to go to Dubuque soon to have the same kind of meeting with Pat and Ed to go over some Doll material that she still has.
Mom had her 3rd visit with Susan's friend, Dr. Barbara Murray, who is exploring whether some new medicine might be helpful for memory improvement. At this time the dosage is provided by using a patch which is changed daily. For the first month she took a daily pill. The doctor is positive and encouraging as the trial continues. The the next appointment is after a 2 month period--the earlier ones followed for shorter periods.
We will be in Elkhart Lake, WI (Sheboygan County) at a resort hotel for our 2009 Retired Educators' convention. May try to connect with the Sheboygan folks if it won't conflict with David's homework schedule!
Last week we went to an afternoon showing of "Slumdog Millionaire" at an Oak Creek miniplex. No review here.
Susan came to show us their new Ford Free mini-SUV and Grandma really likes it especially the green color! A very impressive set of wheels!
Have had a very rainy weekend. I worked outside on getting soil ready for an exchange in the raised beds yesterday morning, but the rain came just before noon. There was 2.5" in the gauge when we set out for mass this morning. It has continued to rain most of the day--over an inch when I checked late this afternoon. I did get some weed&feed spred yesterday morning before breakfast, so hope it wasn't spoiled by the rain--but things really looked very green by today's last overcast light.
Best wishes to all you scholars as the end of your school year nears!
Good luck to all the job seekers, too!!
Love and prayers, Grandma and Grandpa
Monday, April 13, 2009
Thanks for the great video, Casey. We can never get enough. Freya keeps looking more and more grown up. We had a very nice Easter gathering. The cousins who came got a chance to catch up with each other, as did the siblings. Everyone seems to be doing OK, despite some significant adversity. Having been poor in the past is certainly helping with our current situations!
Jay took the kids back and I got a night off. Jay is going to have a late start, late evening on Mondays, which started this week, so he got to drive to Madison. Bridget and I had spent Saturday applying for summer jobs for her and actually had fun. Hopefully, something will pan out. Colin will be staying in Madison if he gets his wish. He's ready for some freedom!
We're hoping for some 60 degree weather this week, which would be wonderful. The cool weather has lasted long enough. That Boise green grass looked awfully good, and the new flower beds look great. Have a great week everyone!
Jay took the kids back and I got a night off. Jay is going to have a late start, late evening on Mondays, which started this week, so he got to drive to Madison. Bridget and I had spent Saturday applying for summer jobs for her and actually had fun. Hopefully, something will pan out. Colin will be staying in Madison if he gets his wish. He's ready for some freedom!
We're hoping for some 60 degree weather this week, which would be wonderful. The cool weather has lasted long enough. That Boise green grass looked awfully good, and the new flower beds look great. Have a great week everyone!
It's Been a While!
We hope everyone had a great Easter. We're sorry to have missed the get-together many of you had! We had one of my good friends and her husband and two year-old daughter over for lunch and the little girls got to have an egg hunt in the back yard. It was extremely fun! Here's some video--you'll notice I have made a new (small) flower bed with asters and goldenrod, as well as a Chinese seven son flowering shrub. They're very small, but hopefully the summer will be good to them.
Love to all!
Love to all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
