As a rule, I do not talk politics here, but I'm breaking my own rule on that for a moment.

Someone once emailed me, saying they were angry that I had voted for Trump, which is confusing because I have done no such thing.

So, to be clear: I have never voted for Trump. I do not support him. I have been actively horrified by him from day one, and the horror levels in my heart have only risen with the passage of time.

I am particularly horrified that the evangelical community, the people I grew up with, the people who told me Bill Clinton was disqualified due to his personal moral failings, are the same people who have voted for this man. More than once. And not even reluctantly; many have done so with enthusiasm.

Many still support him with enthusiasm.

We knew who he was before he got elected. We all heard the recording of him saying the, "When you're a celebrity...." bit, and I will not type the rest of it because it is disgusting. He has continued to be exactly who he is, and he will almost certainly be this way for the rest of his life.

I have heard Christians say, more than once, that this is the most godly president we have ever had, and I don't even know what to say in response to this. I am dizzyingly disillusioned. I don't know how anyone who says they love Jesus can cheer on who he is and what he and his administration have done/are doing.

There is too much to talk about. I couldn't possibly address it all. And I don't think it would probably be helpful even if I could.

But here is what I will say: people who work in hospitals deal with unruly, disruptive, angry, sometimes violent people on a routine basis, and they are able to restrain those people in ways that aren't harmful or lethal. There are options besides shooting people, a fact that seems to have escaped some armed government agents.

You can be in favor of a society characterized by law and order and ALSO be horrified by what is going on. This isn't normal. It is not ok. And that applies not just to Alex Pretti but to everyone of every race and every gender who has been wrongfully shot by the people who are supposed to be serving and protecting us.

I haven't watched the circulating videos of all the recent killings and other events; I just can't. I am heartbroken enough by the written descriptions. My head hurts from crying. The cruelty is too much. The disregard for human life is too much.

I am not going to make this a political blog, and anyone is welcome to keep reading and participating here, but I also know that some of you will unfollow me because of this post. I am saying it anyway.

I know I am only a small voice. I don't have a lot of power. I can't change all of this. I will likely not change a single mind with this post. But I can at least not be silently complicit.

And now I am going to go to work, where I will care for people, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or what they believe. I have been spit on, called names, and hit by patients. I regularly have patients who make it clear they politically support what I do not. And I still treat everyone with dignity, kindness, and compassion because that is who I am, and because it is what I want in the world.

P.S. If you have something you want to say to me about this post, you can always email me: thefrugalgirl@gmail.com

The post A word appeared first on The Frugal Girl.

Completely unimportant, but please note my Snoopy badge holder AND my Snoopy puffer coat badge pin.

I spent:

• $13 at Safeway
• $11 on subs

So, a mere $24.

What We Ate

Saturday

I came home from work, made a bowl of oatmeal, showered, and went to bed.

Sunday

This was the night we got our Firehouse subs (with one being free!)

Monday

I made some mashed potatoes, sauteed fish, and a green salad.

Tuesday

I made some chipotle marinated chicken with the plan to pack it for lunch, but first we used it for a green salad at dinner.

Wednesday

I thawed some of the stuffed shells and had Zoe throw them in the oven before I got home from work.

Thursday

At work, I had a late but solid lunch of leftover stuffed shells + other stuff:

And when I came home, I was not terribly hungry.

Soo...I ate a big bowl of (Aldi) raisin bran and went to bed.

Friday

I need to figure this out; I'm gonna try to maybe hit up a grocery store today because as you can see, I did not shop this week! But I have heard many shelves are cleared in anticipation of the coming snowstorm, so who knows what I will find?

Luckily, I DO have a chest freezer and pantry, which means we are never on the verge of starving. Our meals could get weird, but we will not go hungry. 😉

What did you have for dinner this week?

The post WIS, WWA | breakfast at dinner appeared first on The Frugal Girl.

that I like all of my days

I didn't have a hospital shift on Monday, and I texted a friend to say, "Ohh, I love my days off."

Then a moment later, I followed it with, "But actually, I also love my work days. Maybe I just love...days!"

And I think that's a testament to the fact that I like the life I have now. Work days, off days...they are all good. 🙂

for the variety of things I do at the hospital

Obviously, there are some repetitive tasks; I give insulin shots almost every shift, I listen to heartbeats and lung sounds every shift, I do pain assessments every shift, and so on.

But in general, no two days are the same, and I kind of love that.

An example: on a recent shift, a patient was really being driven crazy by her untrimmed bangs (one of those straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back things), and she asked me to help. I had time, so with the permission of my charge nurse, I gave her a little haircut and then braided her hair.

I've cut (and braided) lots of hair for my own girls, and I've also been trimming my bangs for years, so when she asked, I thought, "I've been training for this day basically my whole life." Ha. You never know when those skills will come in handy. 😉

What a funny job nursing is; you just never know what tasks you will do in a day!

for a little dusting of snow

It was brief, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

(And now this weekend it looks like we may get more than a dusting!)

that we are almost up to 10 hours of daylight

On Sunday, my weather app says that in my zip code, we will have exactly 10 hours of daylight. Woohoo!

This is up from our solstice low of 9 hours and 24 minutes.

And by mid-February, we will be at 10 hours and 45 minutes. More light is coming, and soon!

(Unless you live in the southern hemisphere, obviously.)

for my good health

I'm grateful my body is healthy enough to do all of the things I do.

that my new class seems not as bad as the last

I say this cautiously, but...I looked it over, and it seems more manageable.

Here's hoping it's a less crash-out-inducing experience than my most recent BSN class. Hehe.

What are you thankful for this week?

The post Thankful Thursday | I just like...days! appeared first on The Frugal Girl.