MRB's Talking Fingers

  Following graduation, the class of nurses went their separate ways, to find their first job as a Registered Nurse (known as an RN), continue their education, or to finally marry the love of their life (which was not allowed during training days). They were now members of the Hospital Alumnae, and made concerted efforts to travel back to attend the annual Alumnae Banquet. Traditionally, each class planned their own class reunion every five years, which included attending the Alumnae Banquet. The first class reunion, five years after graduation, was filled with stories and photos of career jobs and weddings. At the tenth year reunion, there were photos of babies and young children, along with new jobs and travel experiences. The ‘sisterhood’ was deep and the weekends were filled with planned events, dining wherever possible, late night chatting in hotel rooms, but there was very little sleep. There was great sadness in the class when it was learned that the hospital was closed and ...

Is it my turn to write a blog this week? It has been a busy time in my “office”, phone conversations, text messages, and email ‘letters’, updating my contact list, and remembering to save all the info that I’ve been receiving. My title this week may be a bit confusing, so let me fill in some blanks. This story started many years ago, on a sunny day in the late summer. A large group of young ladies, most who had just graduated from high school, had received notice of the anticipated event, including the date, time and location. Some lived in the designated city, and others had to make travel arrangements. It would be the first day of a life-changing three-year commitment, commonly called ‘Nursing School’. Introductions were made by the “house Mother” over a cup of tea in the Lounge, then a tour of the building to familiarize the facilities, and then an orientation packet, including room assignments, were handed out to just over one hundred first-year students. The residence was a ten-st...

I decided, because of past events that have recently popped up in my memory, to share this blog that I wrote in the A-Z Alphabet Challenge a couple of years ago. I guess this is my "Throwback Thursday" story... _____________________________________________________ I would like to introduce you to a guy I met many years ago. He was a lot older than me, but the first time I laid eyes on him, I knew I wanted to get to know him better. He was gorgeous, and to me, he looked like a giant with a great smile and sparkling gray eyes. He said his given name was Gustav but everyone called him Gus. He and Brownie, his horse, had come to our neighborhood four years earlier, looking for work. He met his wife on a neighboring farm, but that didn't bother me. She was a nice lady, and she would stand and smile when he told me many stories, some about his first home in North Dakota, and his father’s decision to move to Canada. He said he wasn't really a cowboy; he was called a cattle d...