Snippets
I look at the map in my August National Geographic. It is on the page of the "Geography" Department. The map shows the world and, by color, what countries give mothers for Paid Maternity Leave. I see only four in the world that give none. Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, Australia, Liberia (founded by Americans) and, yep, the big United States of America.
The UK and Russia give at least 52 weeks a full wages. The rest range from that to less than 14 weeks and varying wages. Take a look and wonder what we are doing for family values. Hey, I don't think I've been hearing that phrase lately. Or am I just inured?
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I spent a day with my daughter. I think the best thing was to see her swing like a kid out over the Contoocook River on a rope; not once, not twice but at least three times. And, to hear her talk about our family.
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My mother fell a couple of days ago. The ER says she has no fracture but I am not convinced and I am not the only one. She is in pain, initially had an outward rotation of the affected leg. Sleeping, she grimaces and moves only the unaffected leg. Pelvis, hip, I've seen these films read wrong too many times; I prefer to look at the symptoms and clinical presentation in front of my face. Pain meds to keep her comfortable in the absence of a diagnosis.(they sent the wrong report to the nursing home--another patient's; and then something illegible. I am familiar with that yellow copy sheet that has one line about the patient jotted at the very bottom. Usually faint, being the last copy. If she looks poor this morning, I will invoke the angry DPOa (ask the nurses to use me as a push for an evaluation---I just want to know so that she can be made comfortable; and, knowing what it is will make a difference in what needs to be done to keep her comfortable...) The hospital told one concerned nurse, essentially, that if she sent my mother back they would just turn her around & return her unseen. Am I angry? Also, the hospital never called me when she was there (and her DPOA for health care is activated) and, when I called; they never made the promised call-back [the nurse was busy and this I believe, no one to talk to me when I called]---just shipped her out. What does this tell me?
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Today, we leave to camp out for 6 nights...Crawford Notch...I am so looking forward to this....it's been a long time since I took a real camping trip.
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I think I'll re-read down and out in london and paris when I get back.
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gotta go, can't think, have a week/
