A Post to Start December

Work

Holy crap. I placed several more IVs recently on Thursday, Friday and today. What is going on? Is it the end of days?

Oh, as if I would be so significant.

Actually, this morning, I had a small epiphany about how to visualize IVs. I think that maybe I wasn't advancing the needle enough and I'd tear up the side of the vein trying to thread the catheter. I am trying a subtle change in my technique with this in mind. I'd love to claim success based on this epiphany, but in today's case, I went for an antecubital vein. In most people it's a big honkin' vein, and usually an easy one to hit.

However I got it, I got it.

Church

Last night I went to an event at my church. I am not exceedingly involved in my church, and I usually just go to worship and participate in worship. I sing with the praise team - the group that leads the hymns during the contemporary service.

The event last night was even more unlikely for me to attend. It was a concert of children and youth performing the carols and Christmas music they have prepared. It consisted of choirs and handbell groups, primarily grouped by ages. Since I don't have a child and I'm not involved in youth or children's ministry, it is unusual that I would go. I went for two reasons. First, we had bid on some items at the youth fundraiser (a silent auction) and I thought we were going to get them. You had to be there to pick them up. Second, I thought the event was more of a choir and congregation singing event. Not just kids. I was apprehensive once I realized what it was. But I had to stay to pick up my auction item(s)!

A few thoughts on this.

Here in the midwest, it seems that everyone is musical. The choirs are packed, with girls *and* boys. And they actually can sing! The church has enough members with diversity in musical talents that we have an orchestra. People are interested in playing handbells. They think it's fun.

Maybe I've been a midwesterner all my life, unrealized. Not only does everyone do music, they let everyone do music. It isn't just the best of the best, and if you aren't the best, then there's nothing for you to do. I think that is unbelievably cool. Whenever I tell someone I play clarinet or sing, they usually respond that they play this or that instrument, or they sing in a choir, or they used to be in a band and they cut a few records "back in the day."

I previously lived in the southeast (North Carolina). There just weren't as many opportunities to play because music wasn't very cool, and it seems like all the gigs were the same clique of people. Like, there was one oboe player in the Raleigh Durham area and he got all the jobs. Prior to that I lived in Rochester, NY. Home of Eastman School of Music. I didn't have a prayer of playing or singing. Prior to that I lived in Northern NJ. The competition for opportunities to play was all the musicians in New York City.

Back to the story of church....

Overall I had a good time. The performances were better than I expected. I won some tasty sweet-salty snack mix at the silent auction (and paid too much for it, but hey, it supports the kids' mission trip). We got to see a side of the church we rarely ever see.

My husband actually came to this event with me. That's another remarkable thing. He doesn't like these kinds of things very much. He's a strong introvert and is uncomfortable in a crowd of people he doesn't know. He doesn't like musical performances like this - kids' music can be rather trite, you know. He was kind of negative about it. I don't think he regretted going, but I don't think he enjoyed it very much.

Quilting

I worked a lot on my quilt this weekend. Lousy weather on Saturday helped - I stayed in all day. I pretty much finished the quilt! YAY! The binding is sewn on but it needs to be tacked down. Tomorrow is Quilt Guild day. It is done enough to show at the meeting! I met my goal!