New job details...

Hi all, well I started orientation for my job working home health and hospice in Heron & Noxon, MT. I will be case manager for the patients in my area. So far I will have one hospice patient, on Thursday I will be admitting him/her to our services. That will keep me working about 1 hour per week or so. I am looking forward to having this low hour, and low stress job right here in my neighborhood. I will not have to drive 60 or 70 miles to work (one way) once orientation is completed. I will make a little extra money, and I will feel like I am contributing something to the community. I oriented with a nurse from Thompson Falls today. I will be working out of the local medical clinic (10 miles from my house), and probably mostly from my home. I will only need the computer, a fax and a phone most of the time. I will pick up supplies from the clinic office once a week or so. I think that I should be able to handle this caseload. :) The nurse I was with today said that the last 20 people she oriented all quit! She thinks they quit because they were young and there was not much work and the pay is really low. I think that this will be perfect for me! I am really looking forward to this job. It will not be so bad in the winter as going far away would be. The hospital that owns the HH/Hospice dept. that I am working for, is located in Plains, MT which is farther and smaller than Thompson Falls. There is a Les Schwab in Thompson Falls, which is about an hour from my home. There is also a Les Schwab in Sandpoint, ID and in Libby, MT which are about the same distance from my home. I love living out here in the boonies! No one thinks anything of driving 3+ hours to go to a hospital or doctor's office. There are no big towns closer than that. Sandpoint is probably the largest town near me and it is 45 min to an hour away (and in another state). Missoula is 3+ hours away, Libby is only 1.5 hours away. Missoula has the biggest hospital of those towns. Sandpoint has apopulation of 6000 people, while Thompson Falls is probably about 2,000 and Libby is just a few more than that. Sunday in Sacrament we had the best talk from a woman who is 90 years old. She has been a member of our branch longer than anyone else. I cried through her talk, it just really hit me powerfully. I will share it with you all the next time I blog. My grandkids are back in school, at least the two big girls (and Tre in California, of course), Rebekah and Zoe are starting back into pre-school also. Little Megan is so happy and smiley all the time now. No more fussy baby. She is so fat!! All cheeks. Owen's second birthday is coming up soon. Time sure flies!! Well it is time for me to go work on my wood pile (fire wood) before it gets dark out. I have my rabbits for sale, as winter will be hard and I may be working long hours on some days. They need to have their food and water changed at least twice a day during the freezing winter months and I do not want to have to worry about them this winter. The chickens are down to just 2 now and they will be ok. I will be trying to get the kittens placed within the next week or so, then I need to get the mommy cat fixed. My fruit trees are full of crabapples, and pears. I need to get some picked before the bears come back to feast on them. The crabapples are a bright pink and have a tart/sweet taste to them. Yumm. Pears are still a little small. I would like to plant more fruit trees sometime in the future. I have an apple tree in the side yard that I have not even looked at to see if there is any fruit this year. My tomatoe plants are full of green tomatoes which I need to pick before it freezes out. Well talking about these things has made me realize I need to get outside and work!! Talk to you later. Love Cathy