Monday, July 21, 2008


How's your Monday going? Here at Hall Mercer CMHC things are quiet. We're thankful for that. When things at the mental health center are quiet, my job is easier. I went over to our inpatient floor in the main hospital to look at these. (Follow the link if you want more information) They are restraints. They're used in crisis situations in which a person is in danger of hurting themselves or others. We don't use them lightly. When we do our crisis management trainings we want to include the use of restraints in the demonstration. I have never had to be restrained and right this moment, I can't think of anything more likely to provoke a panic response in me than being unable to move my hands and feet. But sometimes, surprisingly, they can help to calm down an individual who has lost control. We are going to recommend that the center purchase a set of wrist/ankle restraints to be kept in the lobby.

And speaking of crisis management trainings; last Thursday at one of our All Staff meetings, I got an award. My two co-workers and I were given the first Executive Director Awards for outstanding service. We got polar fleece jackets with Hall Mercer and the Univ of Pennsylvania health system logo on them. They're quite nice and I'd wear it if it weren't 95 degrees today. It was a surprise and we were glad to be acknowledged for the amount of work that we put into the program.

My weekend was uneventful. That is not a bad thing. I did the housecleaning, laundry and grocery shopping on Saturday morning so I was done by the heat of the day. PK and Jim went to pick up some more tools. My uncle had a shed full of power tools and PK was glad to take them off his hands. We have now tipped the balance from garage to shop. There are too many tools in the area for it to ever be a garage. The really good news is that PK now has enough tools to make all kinds of neat wooden things. Like, say, spinning wheels. He has been looking at them in the store and online and is planning to make me one. This may take a while but I have Saraspunda in the meantime.

It's been too hot to spin in our house that does not have a/c. We finally put the window units in the bedrooms. Not because the people were hot. No. The COMPUTER was hot. Can't have that. I am steadily working on my shawl. It's hard to photograph and besides, it looks the same. I have two weeks until the wedding. I think I'm being optimistic.

But I am an optimistic, glass half full kinda person so maybe I will finish it in time. Let's all make it a good week.

10 comments:

amy said...

Congratulations on your award! I'm sure you'll wear that jacket proudly in a few months. The very idea of fleece right now....ugh. :)

Sheepish Annie said...

I'm so thrilled to hear that you were awarded for your good work! You earned it!

I still have no a/c. But, because I have a laptop, I did break down and get a cooling pad to put under it. Poor baby was all hot...

Galad said...

I'm so pleased to hear your contribution at work was recognized. Way to go Donna Lee!

Olivia said...

Congrats on your award! I am an optimist too, so I believe you will get the shawl done. (Or if for some reason you don't, life will go on..) I miss summer. This winter I am quite enjoying the warmth of the laptop on my lap!

Dianne said...

Congratulations on the award. It's nice when hard work is recognized!!!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your award - and good luck finishing up the shawl!

MadMad said...

Congrats on your well-deserved award! You definitely earned it - and I guess they didn't mind the knitting after all! ;)

Alwen said...

Yeah, congratulations, and I feel the same way about restraints.

My son has to have some major dental work, and I had a minor panic event myself when the dentist said that if the Valium they prescribed didn't calm him down they'd have to use restraints.

I'm getting panicky just remembering it. (I had many bad dental experiences as a child.)

Amy Lane said...

Congrats on the award! I can't think of a more deserving person!

And I have faith that shawl will make it--oh yes I do!

Julie said...

Yanno, back in the day when I was an EMT, we would just put the person between two backboards and tape them together with about fifty rolls of two-inch tape.

Your way's probably better.

Happy Sunday!  I am sitting here working on my sweater made with the cashmere yarn my husband gave me for my birthday last year. I’m further...