Sue Spitulnik

Author

Sue Spitulnik

I am a retired grandmother that grew up in western New York State, left for 25 years, and am now back in the area. I happily live with my husband and two cats. I am pro-military, writing, food, family, and quilting. I am con-exercise, insulting commercials, and lack of common sense. I have met some great friends through this website.

Not Just for the Professionals

It’s National Care Givers Day. According to the National Day of calendar this day is set aside to acknowledge, thank, and give credit to professional care givers. Amen to that! Where would we be without our nurses, doctors, technicians, and even the cleaning and cafeteria crews at a hospital; or the staff in our doctor’s office? These people are there when we need them, hopefully it isn’t too often. Note: they get to go home at the end of their shift.

Let’s take this a step further. After a loved one has a knee replaced, with a hospital stay of only two nights, now who is the caregiver? If someone is going through chemo treatments, with rides needed, meals prepared, the house cleaned, and a gentle touch; now who is the caregiver? If someone is in an auto accident that shakes their security to the core, who is their caregiver? You got it, usually it is a family member or friend.

In my circle, I am known as the hospital sitter. I don’t mind sitting quietly, for hours if necessary, in a hospital room, or waiting room, knowing that I am making the patient just a bit calmer. I’ve done it for my husband, the neighbor, my boss, other family members, and a fellow Harley rider after a terrible accident that left him in a wheelchair. I’m not looking for praise, it’s a way I can calmly give back. There is a down side. On the odd day I’m needing a boost myself, it’s a little too easy to ask, who is taking care of me? Thankfully that thought doesn’t happen often, or last long.

Currently in the U.S. it is socially acceptable and even suggested to tell a military veteran thank you for their service. It’s about time. May I suggest, if you know a caregiver, especially the stay-at-home type, add them to the list of people to say thank you to. By acknowledging the person that needs the care and the caregiver, you let them know you are concerned for both of them. It will mean a lot as the stay-at-home caregiver often doesn’t have an escape like a professional does.

02/17/2017 0

Keep “Em Guessing

It’s National Do a Grouch a Favor Day. I love the picture they chose, it reminds me of a teacher or grandparent ready to scold a small child who is a might rambunctious, or maybe one that just brought a frog into the class room. I’m curious why they picked a man for the picture. I know quite a few grouchy women too, and, interesting that the person is older.

I tend to be a complainer myself. It’s something I am not proud of, and would love to be able to change easily, but I’m not doing well at my goal. I do however think there is a difference between being a complainer and being grouchy. I see a grouch as not remembering how to have fun and laugh at the world, a practical joke, or him/her-self.

You never know what is in a person’s background that has made them a grouch. I’d be willing to wager it has to do with personal loss, disillusionment with, or expecting too much of themselves. I’d also wager they will never tell you, they might not even realize it. This applies to the grouch I know best. There is pain inside the person doesn’t know what to do with, or how to heal from.

Let’s keep the grouches we know guessing by being nice to them. Say hello in a most pleasant voice. Ask them how they are and wait for an answer. Maybe even take them a plate of cookies, or a single rose. I realize if you are nice, you might get stuck with them as your new best friend, but maybe that is just what they need. Do a grouch a favor, it could make their day.

02/16/2017 0

It’s Singles Awareness Day and once again the National Day of Calendar has surprised me. I expected a discourse on loneliness, but the write-up pointed out there are quite a few benefits to being unattached. Singles can come and go as they please with no regard to a partner’s schedule, wants or needs. Career opportunity? A single doesn’t need to consult a spouse before accepting an offer or deciding to move. It’s also easier for a single to keep up healthy habits. There isn’t anyone to sabotage their efforts to work out and eat right. Singles also tend to be more self-reliant.

I like to have the positive pointed out. It makes me feel good inside and out. I have been on both sides of this coin and could tell you stories all day about my feelings at the different times, but I would probably lose your interest quickly, so, let’s think about a specific type of single.

I am now in the age group that my families, our friends, and the neighbors are finding themselves in the widow and widower category. Single by the passing of time. I think death, even though being a natural part of living, is the cruelest part of life. The other day, a close friend was over. She lost her husband to pancreatic cancer two and a half years ago. She made the comment, “I am lost.” She still has the same job, the same house, her daughter and family are close-by, but without her husband to share the path of life with, she feels lost. I knew him well and miss him too.

When I was working in retail, a large portion of our customers were in the retired group. We would hear of someone losing their spouse so I would give them a little more TLC when they came in. I often heard the remark, “I’m single now, our married friends don’t include me anymore because it’s hard to have an extra person when playing cards or at the dinner table.” How sad is that? I’m sorry that it is a reality.

If I might suggest, when you see someone you know is single, and doesn’t want to be, smile at them and speak. You don’t have to ask how they are, just acknowledge them with some attention. It could be the bright spot in their day. Sometimes all a single needs is someone to be aware.

02/15/2017 2

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY

NATIONAL CREAM-FILLED CHOCOLATES DAY

Chocolate lovers rejoice as February 14th is National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day! On a day when heart-shaped boxes are filled with bite-sized chocolates with ooey, gooey centers, quite a few of these cream-filled goodies will be exchanged and shared on this Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!

Here’s a new one; the date on the above picture is incorrect, so sharing the information with you was interesting. Just goes to show, even a National Calendar web-site can have errors. Next time you find yourself making one, know you are in good company. If you don’t have a special someone in your life, call your Mom, or sister, or Dad, or brother; share the day with a person in your life that has loved you from the beginning.

And don’t forget the chocolates.

02/14/2017 2

So this is National Clean Out Your Computer Day. I thought, yeah, they will give me instructions as to “how” to do it. Not to be. The calendar says delete old files, put things in folders, delete duplicate information and old apps not being used. I understand that would be a good thing to do, but alas, I don’t know how to do it.

I recently attended a couple of sessions of a Word Press Meet-Up group. I had heard they could help me learn how to use Word Press to my advantage. Unfortunately I ran into the same thing. They talked about all the neat things one can do with Word Press, that’s the program I am using to write my blog, but they never got into the how of things. When they did get close, the speakers were using so many initial terms I had no idea what meant, I got frustrated. I did ask a guy I was sitting next to where I could learn the how and he told me You-Tube. I need to schedule a time to attempt that feat.

I like writing, but it isn’t super easy for me. When I hit a question or unknown of how to use the computer to get to where I want to go, instead of trying to find an answer, I give up and return to my sewing room where things are easy for me. I still make mistakes in my quilting, mostly because I have convinced myself I know exactly what I’m doing when sometimes I don’t, but I can easily and quickly come up with a finished product for someone to snuggle under.

Maybe what I need in my life is an extra teenager that will be patient with me and walk me through the steps of cleaning out old files. I’m sure my computer would appreciate being less burdened.

02/13/2017 0

It’s National Umbrella Day. When I first see the name of a day, sometimes immediate thoughts come to mind. Other times, I get a cup of coffee and think about things, then I read what the National Day of Calendar web-site tells me and I start seeing images to write about. It’s a process.

The calendar reminded me of wonderful movies in which an umbrella played a major part; “Singing in the Rain” and “Mary Poppins”. If you start picturing the use of a parasol for sunny days, I know the list would grow quickly. “Gone With the Wind” and “Downton Abbey” were the first two I thought of.

I lived in the Seattle-Tacoma area for fourteen years. And no, it doesn’t rain all the time. Often times, it’s just a light mist. We always used to say you could tell a local, because they wouldn’t carry or use an umbrella. I now live in Rochester, NY and we have more cloudy days than Seattle does. I’m not sure about the actual rainfall; if it compares or not. I have an umbrella in my car, but it rarely gets unfurled.

Let’s not leave out how film makers and photographers use umbrellas. I just learned they have a reflective under coating that diffuses the light in order to get a better picture. Interesting. I thought the curve of the umbrella did the job.

Whether you use an umbrella to ward off rain or shine, today is the day to thank the middle-eastern countries for inventing them over 4000 years ago and China for waterproofing them.

Now let’s bring it back home, what would we do without the umbrella on our patio table?

02/10/2017 0