crazy me

My mothers graduation: Her,my grandmother and myself


My Manly Man and I grew up in Eastern Washington, the non pretty side of the state, basically the desert. We lived in Richland, which was located on the Columbia River (a beauty of its own). Richland was created when the Atomic Energy Plant was built.My mother remembers when her father moved them from out east to Richland. Literally the town was being built, there were no yards, just sand . We had bad sand storms when I was growing up, but, they were nothing compared to what they experienced. I remember being shopping with her and a dust storm would come up and she'd call home "quick, close all the windows!" I remember walking through the halls at the High School and hardly being able to see. Ick! Anyway my father was a supervisor at one of the nuclear plants when he lost his job. That's when my mother decided to go back to school to become an R.N. She'd always wanted to be a nurse and it seemed like a good time.I think that's when my dad started selling insurance, ...can't remember everything clearly. But, I was in middle school, and I just remember she was pretty much absent in our lives for a couple years, her studies were so hard. I took over alot of tasks around the house, which I don't remember minding alot. We were proud of mom and so proud when she graduated. She was a great nurse who just wanted to work with the patients. They were always trying to get her to go into supervisory work which she always turned down.

So, I always wanted to be a nurse. I got out of High School, took some classes at the community college while I worked full time as a surgical secretary at the local hospital.I loved the medical field and still find myself wanting to be part of it, even now when I visit someone in the hospital. I saved up enough money to start my nursing at BYU which I had been accepted at.(Their standards are much higher now!)
But, I didn't stick it out.I got their and was so overwhelmed, so homesick, that I couldn't even attend some of my classes. I stayed the whole semester, not even my roommates knew I wasn't attending my classes.All I went too was religion. It wasn't the best time in my life! I went home, got another job as a medical sectetary and got married the next year.

So, what I'm finally getting around to is that I still want to be a nurse. Two years ago I decided to go back to college. Took all my entrance exams and signed up to take an English class.About the time I was to start our son-in-law had a stroke and I needed to be there. So, I'm going to try it again. I'm starting out next month with adult education classes to help me get into the college mode. After 35 years I'm going to need alot of help. Then I figure it'll take me at least a year or more to do my prerequisites and then see if I can get accepted into the nursing program at 57! Am I crazy? Probley! My Manly Man and I want to serve a mission for our church in the near future(hopefully humanitarian)Maybe they'll need a nurse???