they are so perfect
tilting heads to each other
like kewpie girlfriends

while i read in bed
he talks about the party
the fun that i missed

this task is futile
consider the tree petals
now watch me sweep them

one use to say dark
as an ink pot, as a cat,
as a stormy night

stacks of old wood doors
"warning: this paint contains lead"
colors of flowers

in the parking lot
a tree I walk past daily
of a sudden blooms

I dreamt we were friends
you, a playboy bunny girl,
me, nothing special

I ate the popcorn
he was saving for later
I feel so selfish

california sun
flipping off the camera guy
oh to be privileged

start over? no way
you couldn't pay me to be
aged twenty again

A Week in the Smokies

After months of begging, my kids finally prevailed upon us to take them on vacation to the Smoky Mountains for Spring Break. I'll skip the drive to Gatlinburg, Tennessee but suffice it to say the kids drove us crazy most of the way until we found the right DVD. The right DVD happened to be Underdog. I still haven't seen the movie though I've heard it half a dozen times. The funniest line in the movie from what I could hear is when Underdog tells his teenage master "I'm not taking advice from someone who keeps peeing in my white porcelain drinking bowl." Now that is wisdom at its finest.

When we arrived in Gatlinburg we checked into a log cabin complete with hot tub and stream running through the back of the property. The kids spent the first three days playing in the creek and hiking up the side of the mountain. Despite some rather chilly weather the first two days the kids continued to insist on playing in the creek. Blue lips and chattering teeth never hurt anyone. It usually ends up costing less when we take a trip like this because instead of paying for a week's worth of expensive theme parks all the kids want to do is hike. Healthier too. Instead of cotton candy and junk food, trail mix.

The second night we were there we went to the Dixie Stampede. We loved it! The kids especially loved eating all that chicken, potatoes and ham with their bare hands. The pre-show featured the funniest four part "redneck" band I've ever seen with a banjo, bass, guitar and fiddle player. The guitar player was a cute little redheaded girl who was introduced as the youngest person ever to win on Star Search. My girls danced in the aisle during their show as we sat and ate peanuts and popcorn.

After the pre-show we went into a huge comfortable indoor stadium. We had front row seats and watched as the horses and riders came rumbling into the performance area. The performance area is decorated like a southern plantation and the audience is divided into North v. South. They have contests between the riders to decide the winner. It was amazing to see how fast the riders would go in such a small area.

At one point a girl dressed as a falcon was lowered down from the roof on a rope. The lights were turned off and her costume glowed in the dark. A guy on a horse would ride up to her, grab her by the wing and race her around as she hung from the ceiling. He would then let her go and she would fly through the air like a giant bird. Pretty cool.

There is a lot more to this vacation than I've written here but my youngest daughter is calling for my attention.

all the men applaud
a woman won indycar
fuel race strategy

oliver cromwell
his reactive attachment
and an airplane crash

she worries her lip
three bumps like never before
she hates the bastard

Midwives in Matilda International Hospital

An International Hospital in Hong Kong held for job recruitment in order to improve their services to the patient care. Many of job vacancies are offer to those who has professional skill and responsible on the job, available job on this moment are Practicing Midwives, Health Care Assistant, General Nursery Attendants and Maternity Health Care Assistants, and Pharmacist / Assistant Pharmacist.

Matilda International Hospital (MIH) is a private hospital that provided with new hospital equipments, professional doctors, nurses with high dedicated and experienced which ready to take care of patient in any condition. This hospital only 15 minutes from capital of Hong Kong, Right now they are opening new branch "Matilda Medical Centre (MMC)" as health care services clinical center to support medical care in the region of Hong Kong.

If you are Practicing Midwives or other profession including Nurse, You can send your job application to get list by Matilda International Hospital Staff.

Requirements for the Practicing Midwives:

Holder of a certificate of registration and a valid practicing certificate issued by the Hong Kong Midwives Council

Recent experience in postnatal and labour ward is essential

Bilingual Chinese/English speakers, proficient in written English

Good Interpersonal and communication skills

Join with Matilda International Hospital you will get chance to improve your career, continuing educational. The Nurses, Midwives and others hospital staff easy to come on duty by free shuttle bus from Central to Hospital. They are offering attractive salary and bonus scheme to the applicant who want to be a member of Matilda International Hospital.

Send your job application to the following address:

Matilda International Hospital
Human Resources Manager Department
41 Mount Kellett Road, The Peak, Hong Kong
Fax (852) 2849 2595.

Or send your resume to
E-mail to hr@matilda.org or wendy@matilda.org.
Please remember, Only those who are shortlisted will be contacted.

still the aching neck
the sore throat and the cold feet
of an allergy

hair stuck to forehead
unable to leave the bed
this is the sickness

today she phones me
tells me they're pressing charges
money she can't pay

displaced resonance
a vibration in the head
makes the sun goes black

the next day it's him
my grubby long-hair neighbor
watching me sunbathe

two boy peer over
a wood fence not high enough
and see me sunning

with chalk and a wall
he charts stars bare chested while
toothless Gurney waits

drinking from a bowl
is Kamala on her knees
head shaved and naked

fridge sounds like purring
rain drips from the maple branch
night is bright with light

CE article on "Educational Strategies to develop Evidence-Based Practice Mentors"

The current issue of Journal for Nurses in Staff Development has a great article titled Educational Strategies to Develop Evidence-Based Practice Mentors. The article is authored by a team from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Not only is the article a good read with descriptions of the model they used, their guidelines for implementation, workshop agendas and EBP workshop evaluations, but it also comes with CE credit. The CE test and instructions are in the same issue and do require a fee payable to Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.

Dearholt, Sandra L; White, Kathleen M; Newhouse, Robin; Pugh, Linda C; Poe, Stephanie. Educational strategies to develop evidence-based practice mentors Journal for Nurses in Staff Development 24(2) 53-61 March/April 2008. Staff at Saint Joseph Hospital, Orange/Children's Hospital of Orange County can access this article online at Burlew Medical Library's website.

this land was a farm
back in nineteen forty eight
then there was a flood

sun shines on the house
with the cowboy cutout
and the orb lawn lamp

the lull between thoughts
in a passing day is like
sunshine in the Spring

what does qualified
professional and service
employment look like

and then her lips curled
like purple wilted foxglove
and he hated her

a great woman says
I am the brightest of days
love me and despair

up until early
cramping together ideas
while you are sleeping