Of Weddings, Hurricanes, Contracts and Resignations

Alot can happen in ten days! Just ask me, I know!
That's about how long it's been since I last posted to creative4seasons. But, believe me, it was not for lack of desire to do so. Things are going at warp speed here all of a sudden. For so long I felt as though I was stuck in mud - well, maybe quicksand because I felt as though I was being pulled down, down, down. And now, in the matter of a few days, change is all around me.

Last Saturday (August 19th) my youngest daughter, Mandy married the love of her life - her Lee (Scott Lee Lewis) - the young man who has been by her side for eight years now... the father of Miss KelseyRose... one of my 'sons' for far longer than he has officially been married into the family.

They rented the upper deck of the Naples Princess for a sunset dinner cruise with the captain to marry them. A gutsy move for the middle of August which is also the middle of hurricane season. And, while they did have some rain, they didn't let the weather dampen their spirits. It was a delightful evening. Even the dolphins came out to wish them well. Several of them romped in the water, riding the wake created by the Naples Princess. A couple of them jumped up as if to wish the bride and groom a lifetime of happiness.

There is an old Florida wives' tale that says that if it rains on your wedding day it means good luck. And the Florida fishermen say that dolphins accompanying you on your journey mean safe passage and good luck.

So, I'd say that Mandy and her Lee have been dealt a double dose of good luck as they start their lives as husband and wife.

About the same time I was finishing up the final stages of contract negotiation for my job as a travel nurse. My contract with the agency and its client in Kingsport, TN officially begins on September 18th. That means I will be in TN before the leaves change and will get to enjoy fall like I have not been able to do in thirty years or so!

I have turned in my three-week notice and have already worked one of those three weeks. I have begun to make lists of things to do, people to contact, items to pack or discard, loose ends to tie up... there is no end to what my mind can wander to these days!

There's a new bounce in my step - a lightness of being. It is called contentment. It is called anticipation of changes that can be nothing but good. It is called taking care of ME for a change!

Even the threat of a visit from Hurricane Ernesto cannot dampen my spirit right now... Of course, if Ernesto decides that Southwest Florida is his intended destination I may change my tune. I had so hoped to be out of Hurricane Alley before a major storm came through the area. Now it appears as though that may not be the case. Time will tell. Hurricanes are fickle. Weather patterns are unpredictable. Mother Nature has a mind of her own.
And I have my sights set on Tennessee in the next two and a half weeks no matter what comes my way between now and then. As I said, alot can happen in a matter of days!

Tennessee Bound

Did you know that the fastest way to get to Tennessee is by cloud 9? Or so it seems to me this morning!



Yesterday I got a life-changing call. The call I have been dreaming of and wishing for for quite a while now...


"My new best friend Jim the Recruiter" called to say that the hospital in Kingsport TN has offered me the travel nurse position. Do I even need to tell you, my dear readers, what my answer was? Of course not! I said "Yes" - with barely a second thought! The answer was out of my mouth before I even had the time to really process what was happening.

Only after I hung up did I actually FEEL the impact of that phone call. Heart pounding out of my chest, joy rushing through my veins, mind racing with any number of thoughts, tears of happiness trying to surface. But wait! I was at work - at the job I am trying to put behind me.... Quickly, somehow or other, I put myself in check and carried on with "business as usual" But, believe me it was NOT easy!

I could barely contain myself. I wanted to open the window and announce it to the rest of the world "I'm going to TN soon!" But, I couldn't. I had to act like nothing had changed. And I have to continue to do so for another day or two at least. Until I get an actual start date, I cannot plan my departure from Florida. And until I know that, I cannot give my notice at my present job.

Do you think I am going to be able to cover up my joy? Doubtful. I am going to have to dig deep and find some of those acting skills I used in high school plays so many years ago... at least for the time being.

But, even while acting the part at work today, my feet will NOT be firmly planted on the ground - for I am floating on Cloud 9 and my heart is already in TN - because Caleb is already in TN.

When I stop to think that in a matter of a month or less I will be in the same state as (within an hour's drive from) Caleb AND be in a place that will allow me to experience Mother Nature's splendor this autumn it is almost more than I can stand! It seems too good to be true - but this time it IS true! Proof that dreams DO come true and that good things come to those who wait... And boy have I been dreaming and waiting! Now I am about to start living - like I have never lived before! I hope you'll share in that life with me! Stay tuned for the next chapter in my new story.


** Can you find Kingsport on the map above? Right up there on the northeastern state line... right near Virginia... "Nestled in the Great Smoky and Appalachian Mtns" that's what the website had to say about it... And so, I am about to be nestled in those mountains as well! I can't wait!

Dominoes - Part 2

If you have been reading my blog entries, you'll recall one titled "Dominoes." It addressed the steps in the process to getting myself to Tennessee and a new life...

Well, as of yesterday a couple more dominoes have tumbled down - slowly but surely we are whittling away at all of them and before you know it, the game will end and I will have won!

Tuesday, I gained a "new best bud" in the form of a recruiter (Jim) at one of the travel agencies. He offered me the opportunity to interview at two locations in Eastern Tennessee - "nestled in between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains" Now, doesn't that just sound like the greatest location for someone who is wanting to experience nature and the 4 seasons?!

The "official" Tennessee nursing license arrived in the mail Wednesday. Now, I am 100% legal. I can practice as an RN in Tennessee until April 30, 2009 at which time I can continue to do so as long as I renew the license. No more waiting for the TN State Board of Nursing to process any paperwork. It has all been processed and I am holding onto the most precious paper of all.

Then, yesterday (Thursday) afternoon I received a phone call from one of the nurse managers in a hospital in Kingsport TN. She and I spoke briefly. We are to talk again today at which time we will both decide if a position on her unit is a good fit. She is from one of the hospitals the "Recruiter Jim - my new best bud" referred to when we spoke previously.

And, today (Friday) I had a followup with my oncologist who has given me the "all clear" to go from a health standpoint. The latest PET Scan is stable. The bloodwork is normal and best of all there is no evidence of disease ("NED" in medical jargon)... So, NED means no MEL (melanoma in Lee's jargon) and with NED but no MEL to hold me back I am "ready for take-off."

And just a moment ago, as I was typing this entry, my phone rang. Expecting it to be the nurse manager from Kingsport I was disappointed (but only for a moment) to NOT hear a distinctly southern accent. The caller was another recruiter from another travel company. She now has a position in Knoxville that she would like me to interview for if I have not yet taken a position elsewhere!

Two weeks ago, they were acting like I was too old and too far removed from acute care nursing to even give me the time of day. But all of a sudden things are moving along at nearly warp speed. Just one more reason to believe that this plan is absolutely the right thing to be doing right now! Synchronicity is alive and well and is pulling me towards Tennessee.

Choo-choo me home...

Just like the people standing on Lookout Mountain in TN, I have been standing on the spot that allows me to look out and see new horizons in all directions. They say that from atop Lookout Mountain a person can see seven states. I hope to one day soon be able to write an entry for this blog that will attest to that fact - and showcase a few of my own images from what I imagine to be a most spiritual spot on this earth.

But for now, I have been passing my days looking out from my own pinnacle - waiting for the moment when I know that my views are no longer dreams but realities. In every direction, I see signs that the plan to move to TN is the right plan. In my dreams I see the seasons changing and the creativity abounding. In my most precious dreams - the ones I savor each day and wish to relive each night, I see Caleb and I exploring the place I plan to call home soon. Today, some of the dreaming can come to a halt and real life can take over... I have been waiting for an all-important piece of mail that will give me the signal to put all those dreams and hopes into actions NOW!

The envelope arrived today! The prize that I have been waiting for! Opening that envelope was better than being told I'd won the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes! Its contents are more precious to me than a million dollar prize...

It's official. I am now the proud recipient of a Tennessee Board of Nursing Permit allowing me to practice as an RN in Tennessee! YES!!

When I saw the return address on the ordinary business envelope I found myself holding my breath. After so many starts and stops and "hurry up and wait" sessions, I fully expected to find yet one more bit of unfinished business that I needed to attend to before they could consider granting me the permit.

For a moment, as I slowly opened the envelope, a mix of emotions surged through my veins. The emotions were not totally unfamiliar - they were just ones that I hadn't experienced in a very long time - over 30 years to be exact. Once I had the envelope open and the contents were in my hand, I realized that I was reliving the same feelings I had the day my first nursing license arrived. The day I officially became an RN and could start to fulfill the dream that had been mine for so long.

And now, more than 30 years later, here I am, opening an envelope that holds the opportunity to start yet another new life that will allow me to fulfill my most passionate dream yet: The dream to live once again where there are 4seasons...the dream to live a creative life and be healthy and happy in the process...the dream to live closer to Caleb once again.

I probably stared at that permit letter for a good ten minutes or more. Carefully reading every word for a second, third and fourth time - just to be sure I really was now permitted to be an RN in Tennessee... Making sure I didn't misinterpret something. But, sure enough - No catches this time. I am "IN"!

Now I can work at securing a job and a new address - one that will have me seeing the turning leaves of autumn and the first winter snowfall I've experienced in a terribly long long time.

As I flitted around the house - and that is what it was - flitting! I don't remember feeling this light and care-free in quite some time...
As I flitted around the house, a tune started running through my head. I can't shake it... "Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo-Choo?"

Now, I don't intend to get to Tennessee by train... and at this point, there is no telling which town or city I will call home next - perhaps Chattanooga, perhaps somewhere else in Tennessee... but for now, I close my eyes and I see the fantasy of the Chattanooga Choo-choo springing to life in my mind's eye. I see it (me) as the little engine that could. I see it (me) crossing through the same area where families fought for opposing sides in the Civil War. I see it (me) winning the battles of my own sort of civil war by standing up for myself, for being who I am and not apologizing for that. I see it (me) marking progress toward the state of Tennessee by the cities and towns that dot the map between here and there... I see my "train station" - the place I will embark on a new life - as a place to shed tears of joy and to announce that I am finally home...

"Chattanooga Choo-Choo won't you choo-choo me home...."