My Own Calcutta: A Year of Living Generously

Yay! I did it! After years of pushing my manuscript to the backburner, I took the plunge and moved forward. My first book, My Own Calcutta, was recently published on Amazon. Let me share with you the storyline… It’s November 2013. As Rita Jacques hears that a typhoon has devastated the Philippines, she’s once again…

Thousand Word Thursday #167

This is for healthcare workers . . . you are bighearted and courageous! Remember that! I bought these cyclamen flowers in December 2018. I wanted something small to place inside two mugs to sit near my kitchen sink. A nutcracker mug and a Santa mug. The woman in the Floral Department told me not to…

What Nursing Means to Me!

It’s Nurse’s Week! Recently, I was asked what being a nurse meant to me, having been in the field over 31 years. Nursing means I always have the wonderful opportunity to connect with others. I feel privileged to help patients at their weakest moments—times of intense pain or sorrow—and to be a part of their…

Enduring Love

I love to check out garage sales. It’s not just the lure of finding a treasure for next-to-nothing that’s the attraction. It’s the opportunity to find something unique that is no longer available in stores. Once I stumbled upon a garage sale where there were many poppy items and Christmas nutcrackers, both of which I…

Two Super Heroes!

It’s Nurses’ Week here in Canada. There’s a saying: “Save one life, you’re a hero. Save 100 lives, you’re a nurse!” Nursing isn’t easy a lot of the time. In fact, it’s tough. But, nurses are tougher. If you weren’t tough when you entered nursing school, you were molded into a nurse with stamina by…

Thousand Word Thursdays- #2

Halloween, nursing and flowers. These are a few of my favourite things!   © Rita Jacques 2016

A Translator, a Soldier and an Orphan

My parents would kill me if they knew. I should know better. Weed-whacking the lawn in sandals. And, me a nurse, to boot. Well, it happened. Nope, no toes were lopped off along with the tall grass. No injuries were sustained. However, a wayward doggie-doo ended up splattered on my foot! Ahkkkkkk! As I cleaned…

Peaceful Poppies for Dad

Mom, two of my sisters and I were ushered from Dad’s bedside into the ICU quiet room. On the wall was a large painting of whimsical poppies on thin stems. Strong stems to support big flowers of crepe paper texture. Delicate yet strong. I’ve always loved poppies since watching The Wizard of Oz as a…

Every Life Counts!

“The man’s lips and fingertips were blue and he was unresponsive. He was slumped in the backseat of a car where he and two buddies were smoking Fentanyl. His friend ran into the AIDS Committee’s office. A person working there had just what was needed: Narcan. He injected the lifeless man with Narcan. After three…

Compassion

“Social media is full of people either boasting or complaining!” How many times have you heard that comment? Not exactly true. My news feed on Facebook displayed 12 shares of the same tragic news. A co-worker, a nurse, lost a daughter in an instant. She joins the club not one of us would willingly join. The…