Burns and First Aid

Remember, I mentioned that we made a trip to the beach this summer? Well, along the way we stopped over to visit with the in-laws for a few days. It was a nice way to break the drive in half and the hubby got to see his folks and his three brothers. (I’ll post the beach trip soon)

One evening his youngest brother hosted a family gathering so we could all get together and catch up while the kiddos played. They have a huge back patio and it makes the perfect place to cook and eat outside. This night the menu had steamed crabs and corn on the cob among other things.

The crabs were being cooked outside in a propane-powered thing that looked something like those things people are deep frying turkeys in now. Once the crabs were done the plan was to clean out the vessel and cook the corn in the same contraption. First, the crabs were lifted out in basket and then the water needed dumped out. This is where things took a turn for the worst.

As he was pouring the water out in a back corner of the yard near the compost pile, the water hit a railroad tie and bounced off spilling over right into his boot.

Quick thinking hubby grabbed the bucket holding the soda bottles, drink boxes and half melted ice. By this time his brother had made his way over to the hose and was already running cold water over his burn. Unfortunate, when he removed his boot and his sock, a layer of skin pealed off as well.

It was horrible to witness. The panic and the feelings of helplessness were overwhelming. Thankfully, none of the kids were close enough to be in any danger. My sister-in-law took her hubby to the hospital for a quick clean up and bandaging then they were back home in time to enjoy a few crabs and some corn on the cob. (And a beer or two)

He suffered a second-degree burn on the top of his foot and ankle. Because of the position of the burn he need to take a few days off from work to keep from moving his foot. The first several days were the most painful but he is doing just fine now.

It was a fluke accident but isn’t that how these things usually go???

Below I have listed a few tips on recognizing the degree of a burn and some basic first aid. I hope you never need to use this info.

1st Degree burn:

The surface or outer most layer of skin is damaged but still intact

Most health care providers will do little to nothing for a first-degree burn. Run cold water immediately to easy the pain and then only time will heal. Some people like to use burn cream or the ointment from an aloe-vera plant.

2nd Degree

A second-degree burn means the damage has extended through the epidermis to the second layer of skin. Second-degree burns also are known as partial-thickness burns. There is a loss of skin function due to open skin
Blisters are the first sign of a second-degree burn. As the epidermis is destroyed, it begins to separate from the dermis. Fluid builds beneath it, causing blisters. Eventually, the blisters will spread into one another until the very thin epidermis falls away, exposing the raw dermis underneath.
Once the epidermis has separated from the raw dermis, the victim begins to lose fluid, heat, and the ability to block infection. The raw nerve cells of the dermis also mean second-degree burns are the most painful.

To treat, submerge the burned area in cold water (as cold as possible). Keep the cold water on the burn until medical help arrives. If the burns are minor, keep them in cold water for at least five minutes.
If the burns are extensive, you can apply a cool, wet cloth to the affected area—but only if the dressing is wrapped in plastic. Cloth tends to adhere to burns, and it can worsen the pain if a physician has to pull it off to treat the burn.
If the burns are minor, you can treat them in the same way you'd treat first-degree ones. You won't need medical help. Simply pat the area dry and place a loose sterile cloth over it and possible take something to reduce the pain.


3rd Degree

Here the burn has destroyed both the epidermis and dermis. The victim has the same trouble with fluid loss, heat loss, and infection that come with second-degree burns. Third-degree burns also cause nerve death, so the victim may not be able to feel anything in the area of the burn.

Check for swelling. First-degree burns cause only mild swelling, while second-degree burns produce moderate swelling. Third-degree burns cause severe swelling, and fourth-degree burns cause no swelling.
Assess level of pain. Both first- and second-degree burns cause pain. With third- and fourth-degree burns, pain is generally absent because nerve cells have been damaged.
Look for blisters. Second-degree burns produce them, while the other three classifications do not result in blistering.


4th Degree burs have total loss of skin Call 911!!!!!! Keep victim as calm as possible until help arrives.



Stay Safe!

Poached Pears and Good Friends

What a weekend. It was go go go all weekend long around here. Friday night was the local October fest full of food, vendors, rides, music and BEER. Then Saturday stated early with my favorite, the Covered Bridge Festival.

After riding the rainbow train several times, walking back n forth checking out all the crafts and indulging on some fried pickles and a funnel cake we headed back home.

There was just enough time to mow the grass, hide the dust bunnies and put dinner together. One of my favorite things to do is spend time with other families. You get in some much-needed adult time, enjoy good food and listen to laughter fill the room. The kids run around like a bunch of wild banshees and giggle the whole night.

Aside from trying to recreate the whole evening in general I will be making the pears for dessert again. This was a new recipe and it was a hit!

6-8 pears
1 cup white wine
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
3 T. lemon juice
2 cinnamon sticks
3-4 whole dried cloves
¼ tsp. Ground nutmeg
8- 10 T. caramel sauce/dip

Peel pears, leaving whole with stem intact
Place upright in slow cooker
Combine wine, sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Pour over pears.
Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
Cool pears in liquid.
Transfer to serving dish and place 2 tsp of liquid in dish.
Drizzle warmed caramel sauce over pears and serve.


Share them with friends and they taste even better!!!

Back to school routine

It always seems to take a few days/weeks to get into a routine again after summer vacation. I’m always looking for new ways to make things easier for all of us when it comes to getting ready and out the door on time. Last year I started using cubbies to help the kiddos find their clothes in the morning. That has proven to be very useful in reducing our morning stress. Nonetheless, I still need a little more help.

I find myself yelling every morning; “Are you done getting dressed?” “Did you brush your teeth yet?” “Hurry up and brush your hair!” Then it never fails that we are headed out the door and someone has to run back in to go potty or we’re at the bus stop and I realize that someone has a milk mustache.

So in the hope that I could reduce the amount of yelling I do and get all little people organize on time I made a chart.



I made a table in word and then used google images to give each item an icon. I taped the paper to an old cookie sheet. And I used yard sale stickers to color code some magnets for each of the girls. The trick is keeping little man from moving their magnets around. (Boy, that really bugs them).

The first day it was a novelty and they spent extra time running back-n-forth to move their magnets over but now it seems to be streamlining their routine and keeping them on task without my yelling. WooHoo!!!!

Got any other helpful hint I could use????

Undocumented language

It’s a strange language that can be difficult to interpret. After years of working as a therapist I have an increased ability to understand almost anyone. I’ve worked with health care professionals from dozens of other countries some with very thick accents. I’ve had clients recovering from a variety of illnesses that have affected their speech and ability to speak. One thing I have prided myself on is being able to decipher what others are trying to communicate.


Vocabulary list:

Sam-bup
Poll up
Gis-scunk-sticks
Jew bob
Warroo
Pa panno
F_ck
Scoom


Where did this list a words come from you ask. These are the words first spoken in this house as one of my three little people made their first attempts at getting a point across.


Let’s review:

Sam-bup ~ Momma, sam bup and come get me. (Stand up)
Poll up ~ Can I have a poll up? (Lollypop)
Gis-scunk-sticks ~ This diaper is gis skunk stinks. (Disgusting)
Jew bob ~ Jew bob going potty. (Good job)
Warroo ~ Dada, warroo? (Where are you)?
Pa panno ~ Can I play with the pa panno? (Piano)
F_ck ~ I need a f_ck. (fork)
Scoom ~ I also need a scoom. (Spoon)

I’ve loved hearing these words over the years. At 7, 5 and 2 most words are pronounced clearer now and they keep getting better each day. I’m a little sad to hear the “baby” leaving from the vocabulary.

Labor Day tasks...DONE!

A long weekend around here brings up the same conversation each time. Hubby wants to cook out on the grill and have friends over and I want to use the extra time to get stuff done. There is the ever growing “to do” list and long weekends seem to be the only time to make a real dent in them.

This past Labor Day was no different. Same conversation…same outcome. We get tons of stuff done (the more done the better mood I’m in) and then we cook out on the grill without having company over with the promise to have friends over soon. Funny, the same conversation and I always win. You'd think he'd learn????

After a few trips to the hardware store, we managed to get several little jobs done. Many of them have been on the “Honey do” list for some time and some of them were newly added after scoring big at the neighborhood yard sale.

Since we have been using our patio more and more I’ve been wanting to make it feel more like an outdoor "room". On one side I have curtains hanging that slide open and close as needed. To help give it a “wall” on the other side, I’ve wanted to hang some sheets of lattice up for privacy.

This first one made a huge difference already. Maybe I can get hubby to hang another one next month???

We put some landscape fabric and rocks down under the deck steps to hinder the weeds from filling that space. The rocks were from our wedding so it’s nice that I have a place for them now. Rather than in the bags tucked in a corner of the garage. (They were used to weigh down buckets from our centerpieces and I had to save them.)

Hubby replaced the support brackets for the curtain rod on the patio. The first set got bent during the last big wind.

Lots of painting got done...

Buckets from our wedding (Ok so it was 8 years ago. Maybe I have some packrat in me but I get it honestly. Grandma B would be so proud)

Anyway, I gave them a fresh new look and turned them into mood lighting for the evenings. (I painted 2 others that will be for plants)

I found this metal decoration weeks ago and liked the shape. I painted it to coordinate a, little better and hung it on the patio.

(I hit a few birdhouses with a coat of paint too but they still need a little more detail work before they are done.)

A few weeks ago I came across this chair at an antique/consignment store. It was in good shape except for the paint and it was on sale for $8.00.

I spent another $8.00 on fabric to make a slip cover for the cushion. I even had enough to make a back pillow too.

Last but not least, I painted not one but two chandeliers. Remember, the one was from my dining room and the other was just $1.00.

I pulled all the wire out and took apart anything that was electrical.

I disassembled everything, painted it all and then put it back together. Then I add some glass votives and tea lights.

This one is done and I plan to use it out in the yard on this Shepard’s hook during parties. In the mean time I’ll keep it under the deck on the patio until I get enough votives for the bigger one.

Look, it's blue.

It feels so good to cross so many things off the list. I wonder how long I can keep this going????

Yard Sale Finds

Every year our neighborhood does a community yard sale. In the past I have set up tables and priced my treasured items and then stood outside for hours trying to make a deal with countless numbers of individuals. One year I had several of my friends come join me and bring their stuff along for the selling fun. (That really was the best year as far as fun goes.)

This year I closed the garage door, put on a baseball cap, tossed the little man into the stroller and off we went to make a deal from the other side of the table. After a few hours of walking and a trip back in the van for pick up, I came home very happy with my stash.

There is something for everyone.

A new (to us) movie for the girls to add to the 100 we already have.

Three chapter books (never opened) for the big second grader and a “learning to read” book for the Kindergartener for a total of $1.00.

Here’s an awesome “big boy” tool bench for the little man.

My little "butterfly" tripped over my (okay… Dada’s) tripod the last time I was taking jewelry pictures and she bent the one leg beyond repair. I had to return the one the kids got him for Father’s day since he didn’t really like the legs. So, how lucky was it to find one made better for much less money???? Now I can start taking jewelry pictures again and list more items on my website.

I scored this chandelier for just a $1.00. I have a plan to paint it and turn it into a candle light for the patio.

I was going to use this one that I took down out of our dinning room during the makeover (No, I didn’t forget and yes, I will post about that soon). Anyway, now I have a bigger one for more light and a second one to use somewhere else. Hmmm????

This coffee table was easy to get home. We carried it across the yard from next door. She made sure I had a plan to refinish it or paint it or something. (I always have a plan) I want to change the height (or length) of the legs to make it a little taller and use it for a kid’s table outside. It’ll be great for guests and parties. The table they have now fits about one and a half kids yet I have squished 3 around it.

Isn’t this a fine set of wood working tools? Ya never know when I might pick up a new hobby. I have tons of free time.

What would a long weekend be without a trip to the home improvement store? After collecting all our yard sale finds I had to get some paint and some wood to complete all my “plans”. I also persuaded Hubby to purchase several kid size chairs for the new table. They’re on sale…it’s a bargain… right? That’ll cover what I’m doing for the rest of this weekend and the next few blog posts.

So, do you yard sale? Are you a seller or a shopper??? What are you doing with your long weekend?

Who's your Daddy???

During our journey to the beach a few weeks ago, we made a stop over at the in-law’s house. It not only allowed us to break up the drive but it gave us the opportunity to visit with Hubby’s side of the family. He has three brothers and a dozen nieces and nephews. (Not to mention his parents and his grandfather).

It’s a cute small town where almost everyone knows each other. People often take a double take at my husband. They know they know him but are a little confused as to which one he is at first.

This goes for my son as well. Now that he is two he knows who Daddy is but he really needs to take a good look at everyone when we first get there. The first hour or so of the visit he just stares at his Uncles. When he was younger he did get confused a few times.

That’s not Daddy holding him. I showed him the picture today and he said “That’s Daddy”. Poor kid…so confused.