2018-04-07T12:57:13+01:00

NaPoWriMo Day 7 Identity

April 7, 2018February 10, 2019/Judy E Martin/21 Comments

I once joined in with NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, I completely forgot about it this year until now. I may not be able to join in every day, but I certainly would like to participate as often as I can.

Today is Day 7 and this is the prompt: Identity

And now for our (optional) prompt. In our interview, Kyle Dargan suggests writing out a list of all of your different layers of identity. For example, you might be a wife, a grandmother, a Philadelphian, a dental assistant, a rabid Phillies fan, a seamstress, retiree, agnostic, cancer survivor, etc.. These are all ways you could be described or lenses you could be viewed through. Now divide all of those things into lists of what makes you feel powerful and what makes you feel vulnerable. Now write a poem in which one of the identities from the first list contends or talks with an identity from the second list. This might turn out to be kind of a “heavy” exercise, emotionally, but I hope you will find the results enlightening

I was not quite sure how to go about this, but I have written about my identity as a student nurse (powerful) being reprimanded by that of being a wife and mother (vulnerable). I hope it makes sense.

You study so hard to reach your goal, to become the best nurse you can be

Yet, here am I right under your nose, what about time for me?

At work, you are calm and deal with the stress, ever so patiently,

Yet when you come home, you are tired and cross, and very impatient with me

You look after people who do silly things, that have caused a medical emergency

Yet when I tried things that made me quite ill, you were very angry with me.

I know your career is important to you, and you want to get your degree

But, don’t forget that you are not alone, you do have a family!

Becoming a Nurse One Year On

March 11, 2018February 10, 2019/Judy E Martin/51 Comments

As some of you may know I have almost come to the end of my first year as a Student Nurse. I have written a poem about my journey so far here. I would just like to give a shout out to a very special person that helped me by proofreading a few of my drafts. She painstakingly read through what must have been pretty tedious, not to mention badly written pages of text . Wendy, thank you so much, I really did appreciate what you did or me, and apologise for the quality of some of those drafts!

Although I feel exhausted

And have shed some bitter tears

I am proud to have made it this far

And got through the first of three long years!

Assignments have been tricky

Yet I thought I would do quite well

But I was badly out of practice

And one of them I failed.

My placements have been busy

With so much to see and do

Signing off skills I have accomplished

And learning maggot therapy too!

I got to know so many people

In the short time I was there

But I feel very privileged

To have been a small part of their care.

Becoming a nurse won’t be easy

But I know, at least for me

That I am doing the right thing

And it’s still what I want to be!

#SoCS Tail or Tale

February 10, 2018February 10, 2019/Judy E Martin/24 Comments

This week Linda has given us, tail or tale for our Stream of Consciousness posts, which can be used any way we choose; we can use one or both.

I have been chasing my tail all this week, which means that my poor blog has suffered as a result. Unfortunately, due to me catching the dreaded lurgi and taking 3 days off work and cancelling some clinics that I was going to attend as well means that I have got a lot of hours to make up! We have to do a certain amount of hours in practice as well as at Uni. I have only got another 3 weeks left in placement so am fitting in an extra 12 hour shift a week to get it done as I have a voluntary placement the week after (voluntary in the sense that we get to choose where we go, not choose if we want to do it)!!!

When I was younger, it would not have bothered me, as I have always given 100% effort at work, no matter how physical the job, and have worked any more hours than I do now. However, due to me being more of a bedraggled old hen as opposed to a spring chicken, it is making me rather tired and it is not long after I get home that I flop into bed! I am not complaining, but just feel sad that I can’t do all the things that I want to do as I can’t squeeze it all in!

Still, I have the weekend off and a couple of days for my birthday next week, so I will get time to recharge, and I might even get chance to read a do a bit of blogging and catching up. I will be getting two weeks off near the end of March as well which I am looking forward to, then April is the start of my second-year of Uni. My goodness, how the time has flown! Just one more result to come in, I passed the others that I was waiting for, so fingers crossed, it is just the one resubmission I have to do. Still, I got this far so hopefully will pass that and go on to tell the tale!

#JusJotJan 2018. January 9th Coffee

January 9, 2018February 12, 2019/Judy E Martin/25 Comments

We are into the second week now of Linda’s Just Jot it January. It is so nice having all these different and diverse prompts to use to get my brain working and I am still enjoying the challenge.

Anyway without further ado, here is today’s prompt word.

Your prompt for January 9th, 2018, brought to you by the lovely Barbara, is “Coffee.” Use it any way you’d like in your post. And make sure you visit Barbara at her blog, “teleportingweena” to read her post and say hi! Here’s her link: https://teleportingweena.wordpress.com/

I love a decent cup of coffee, but more often than not, just drink instant! I did have a fancy coffee machine that froths up the milk and everything, but it is up in the loft. The problem is that it has too many parts to wash up and clean and I was too lazy to fuss about with it.

I have got a cafetière that I drag out now and again when I fancy a nicer cup of coffee, but the problem there is, although it is not a problem to clean, I like to have cream in it which of course, is not good for my waistline. At least with instant, I use semi or skimmed milk when being really good,

I drink much more tea at home anyway, and tend to have coffee at work or when I go to a cafe. I am rather partial to a latte and enjoy that when I am at Uni, and even go as far as to have a skinny one. I don’t anywhere else though for some reason, preferring to go the whole hog with whatever milk they use as standard.

I usually take a flask of coffee to work or if we go on a trip somewhere as tea doesn’t taste so great in a flask. I didn’t realise that I was so fussy!

The Great Book of Lists 2.2 Words That Matter

February 18, 2016/Judy E Martin/33 Comments

Today we are concentrating on words for the Duchesse’s Great Book of Lists. As you know, I love words, normally the wackier the better. However, today I will be concentrating on words that matter. This prompt was suggested by the lovely Rosema who wanted us to think about words that have had some kind of positive impact in our lives. words that have given us encouragement helped us when we were down or propelled us forward. Words that matter, indeed. Here are some of mine that come to mind…

You are a valued member of our team Jude, and I just want you to know that. This was said to me just today actually by one of the senior nurses on my team. It really meant a lot to me hearing that, as I always try to work hard, so it is lovely to feel that it is appreciated.
I love you, Mama. Whenever Miss Haps says this, it really melts my heart. We have our ups and downs and because of her Asperger’s, she can be extremely blunt, which can be very hurtful at times, so when I hear this, it always lifts me up and keeps me going!
You look pretty today. Occasionally I do actually make an effort to look nice, and sometimes Mr Grump notices! It is always lovely getting compliments and it gives me just a little extra boost!
Believe in yourself, and if at first you don’t succeed then try, try again. This really is something that I try and remember. It is surprising how many things I have achieved that I had never dreamed I would be able to do. Alright, I may not be the best writer, poet, seamstress, cook or even the best mum, but I try! I get it wrong probably more times than I get it right, but I don’t give up. I am very determined that I will succeed, and that is because I believe that I can do it.

Although there are probably plenty more examples of words that matter, these are the ones that immediately spring to mind as being important to me.

Just Jot in January 15th – Leadership

January 15, 2016/Judy E Martin/31 Comments

For today’s prompt for Just Jot it January by Linda, we have been given ‘leadership.’ Now, I have never really thought of myself as being a leader or having the necessary qualities to become one. Having always been quiet and shy, telling others what to do, or being responsible for their actions is something that would not appeal to me at all when I was younger. I would much rather blend in, and do my job, asking for help when needed or perhaps show someone else how to do something, but almost be apologetic about if for knowing more than they did.

However, there are times in life when it is essential to take charge of a situation, be it work, social or domestic if things are to run smoothly. Surprisingly, I kind of fell into a leadership role without thinking too much about it. My ex-husband bought a cafe which he later converted into a kebab shop. I had to help run them both which meant that I was in charge of several staff, some of whom were his or my family members, or both! As you can imagine, it did get a bit fraught at times, but I managed to maintain relationships as well as help keep the business running smoothly.

Of course, as soon as we have children then, like it or not, we become role models and definitely need to hone our leadership skills, as children pick up on the slightest hesitancy or inconsistency as I have found to my cost! If we want them to grow up into decent, caring, honest and hard-working adults, then we have to lead by example. When they don’t behave as we want them to, then we also have to find a way to change this, which is where things can get tricky!

I remember when I worked in an office of a holiday brochure distribution company, having quite a strict boss. He was a director of the company in his 40s and could get quite shirty at times, as well as being pretty rude. (His people skills were not the best). However, the thing that I respected about him, was that apparently he had started off at this company as a young lad of 16 emptying the rubbish, then worked his way up to the top. This meant he knew all aspects of the business inside out, and when they were short staffed in the warehouse, he rolled his sleeves up and went down there to help them out.

I have realised over the years, that being a good leader is not about strutting around, shouting orders to others expecting them to bow down to your every command (well it is pretty handy in the military), it is much more complex than that. There are many qualities to being a good leader, like treating others with respect, and mucking in together when needed, as well as listening to and learning from others. I know that when needed, I can step up and be a leader!

Just Jot it January 13th – Sacrifice

January 13, 2016/Judy E Martin/32 Comments

For Linda’s Just Jot it January today, we have been given ‘sacrifice’ for our prompt word. This to me, is quite a weighty word, especially when you consider the original meaning of offering up the life of an animal or person to a God. However, we now tend to use it to mean giving something up that we value for the sake of helping someone else, or doing something else.

In the society that we live in, we are often told that it is possible to ‘have it all.’ Successful careers, well-adjusted children, a good education, happy marriages, and domestic bliss. Really? I am not sure that we can truly achieve all of those things without some kind of sacrifice.

Looking back at the 1950’s for example, in the era when many women stayed home to look after the children, and men were the main breadwinners working long hours to support their families, it is clear that neither sex had it all. Yes, the children may grow up being lovingly nurtured by their mother, but many hardly saw their fathers who went out to work before they were awake and came home when they were in bed.

The good education that a woman may have received would not be fully utilised, as many gave up work as soon as they married, and did not pursue any of their own interests, some were actually discouraged from doing so! A happy marriage may well be enjoyed by both, but I would not be surprised if there may have been a bit of resentment from the wife, striving to achieve domestic bliss with homecooked meals and a spotless house, plus always looking her best for when her husband came home.

Fast forward to the present day, and a whole range of changes. Men and women are no longer expected to conform to stereotypes. We have moved on considerably, and now women are no longer expected to stay at home keeping house, they can go out to work, get whatever education they like, and still manage to raise a family. This is the same as men have always been able to do (well except for keeping house of course, but now many men choose to do this for various reasons). We also have same-sex couples, some of whom are bringing up children, but the problems remain the same, we all want to be able to ‘have it all.’

Something surely has got to give. Some people employ nannies and housekeepers so that they can work and not have to worry about the house and kids. Some have one partner staying at home whilst the other goes out to work. Some put off having children to establish their career first, others do it the other way around, having children young, then try to forge a career. It sounds to me like quite a few sacrifices are being made in order to ‘have it all.’

Do you agree, have you managed to find a way to have it all?

Because The Night

December 17, 2015/Judy E Martin/25 Comments

Occasionally I have a look at the Daily Prompt and today it asks whether we are an early bird or a night owl. When are we most productive, and when do we do most of our work.

For me there is no question, I am an early bird without a doubt. I am the kind of person that likes to try and get all the jobs done first things so that I can kick back in the evening and relax.

I always love that first hour or so in the morning when it is just me up. Usually, Roxy ambles on down to see what I am up to, scrounges a tidbit then buggers off back to bed leaving me on my own again. That suits me just fine.

For the past few days, due to one thing and another, I have been getting up between 2 am and 4 am as my brain is too busy whirling around to let me get any sleep. Despite being heavy and bleary eyed, I get up, make a cuppa and settle myself down at my laptop. Once I have indulged my guilty pleasure (Oh ok, I love Farmville, there I’ve said it) I can go to my blog. This morning I had a nice early morning conversation with Debby which was a lovely way to start the day.

Sunday mornings at 7 am, will more than likely find me piling into the ironing for an hour or so, again whilst everyone else is asleep so I can get on with it in peace. Mr Grump is the same, and if we have anywhere to go we are normally out the door as early as possible. This might not go down with others who are more relaxed about timekeeping than we are!

Another bonus to getting up early is catching a beautiful sunrise as in this picture. Miss Hap and I took these as she left for school, her photo was better than mine as it shows the pink in the sky more.

As for being a night owl, well, those days are long gone! I am usually falling asleep at 9 pm. I am pushing the boat out tonight as it is already way past my bedtime. It is a ploy so that I am not up at stupid o’clock again tomorrow, fingers crossed. There is early morning, and there is middle of the night!

Small Decorative Alarm Clock | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

3 Day Quote Challenge: Day 2

November 29, 2015/Judy E Martin/14 Comments

My dear friend Erika has nominated me to take part in this challenge again. Please visit her blog for a daily dose of music, wisdom and enlightenment. I am so pleased she nominated me for this challenge as it is one of my favourites.

Challenge rules:

Post 3 quotes on 3 consecutive days
Thank the person who nominated you
Nominate 3 new bloggers each single day of the challenge

In light of the season, and recent events, I am going with a theme of thankfulness, and the ‘quotes’ are my own.

Today I am looking at work. In my job, I see so many people struggling with things many of us take for granted.

When you hate the thought of getting out of bed and going to work, remember there are those that would give anything just to be able to get out of bed, let alone have the strength to work.

Judy Martin 2015.

I would like to nominate the following to take part if they fancy it 🙂

Linda

La Sabrosona

Joey

My old tablet case for work

Making Myself Known

November 22, 2015/Judy E Martin/40 Comments

As many of you know, I have recently started a new job and am still finding my way around, both figuratively and literally. Although I have lived in this town off and on since I was thirteen years old, there are so many new areas that have sprung up and many rural areas right out in the sticks that I had never heard of.

I am zooming about in my little gold car now (sadly my lovely yellow one is gone as I thought it might not be suitable for some of the areas due to it being lowered and other stuff that Boy Racers do to their cars to make them noisy and faster), getting myself lost in all sorts of beautiful places.

On a couple of occasions, I have been right out in the middle of nowhere and thought I might get a photo of the beautiful North Downs countryside, but Sod’s Law dictates that someone will pull up behind me the minute I am focusing on the shot, and I have to move out of the way!

With technology being at the forefront of providing a good and efficient service, I have a tablet which will make easier once I have been on the mandatory training course.Anyway, there was update training that everyone had to try and go to midway through the week, at a nearby venue. It has been a busy day and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it, especially as I still had one patient to see over the other side of town.

Now, being as I am I hate being late for anything as I find it is rude for those waiting on you, and it puts me out. However, patients do not fit into nice little time slots and the first few that I visited had extra problems or concerns that I had to deal with. Thre are a few patients that it makes sense to visit at specific times, and this last patient I had to see across town was normally seen at 12.30. It was now nearly 2.pm (which is when this training started as well)!

I turned up, tired, desperate for the loo and starving, having not eaten my lunch only to find y patient was sitting at the table tucking into his KFC! He did not want to be disturbed and was due to have another visit the next day so was happy to leave it.

The smell of the chicken made my stomach growl even louder, but I had no time to satisfy it, having to rush to get to the training which had now been going for about 15 minutes. Needless to say, when I arrived, everything was in full swing. The small room was packed, but I noticed a spare chair outside which I was going to plonk just inside the door. The senior management that were sat there motioned for me to move the chair to the front of the room. I picked it up but being the klutz that I am tripped over it just as I was sidling up to the front, and the chair smacked to the wooden floor with a resounding bang, which of course woke everyone up and they turned to look at my glowing red face as I tried to sit there unobtrusively.

The room was stifling hot, I did not have much of a clue about what was going on, and the fact that I was desperate for the loo had me fidgeting constantly throughout the rest of the session, with my stomach rumbling in protest at being deprived of food. My face meanwhile, became redder and redder.

As soon as it was over, I rushed to the loo then as I returned to the foyer, was hugged by two nurses that had worked on the same ward as me at the hospital but had left to work in the community. Sadly, there are in a different team covering another area to me, but it was so nice to see them.

One of them told me she had seen me make an entrance to the room, and knew it had to be me barging in making a such a racket. I laughed as she said it, then saw someone who I recognised walk past. I prodded him and said hello. He politely returned the greeting, but it was obvious he didn’t have a clue who I was. I told my friends he was my sister’s friend (she has known him for years, and I have met him several times) but they already knew him as he worked with them. Awkward!

Must be the glasses that confused him, as I hate wearing them out of work!

Rhyme and No Reason!

Blogger, author and rhymester who likes to find the humour in life.

Tag: work

NaPoWriMo Day 7 Identity

Becoming a Nurse One Year On

#SoCS Tail or Tale

#JusJotJan 2018. January 9th Coffee

The Great Book of Lists 2.2 Words That Matter

Just Jot in January 15th – Leadership

Just Jot it January 13th – Sacrifice

Because The Night

3 Day Quote Challenge: Day 2

Making Myself Known

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Blogger, author and rhymester who likes to find the humour in life.

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