Interesting times I live in.

For the first time, I left a job after working only four months. As I mentioned in my last post, the clinci cut my hours drastically, so I found other options. Since then, I have started two part-time positions, providing occupational therapy in independent and assisted living communities. One has a skilled nursing unit and a memory care unit. The assumption that OT and PT is the same in every setting is false and misleading. There are different skillsets required, and the objectives can be very different. I still prefer to work in an outpatient (hands and upper extremities) setting, but these places are in interesting challenge to my thought processes–and patience. Next week, I’m participating in a survey called Moral Distress and OT. I’m not sure what the extent of this doctoral study includes, but let’s hope that I don’t turn into a venting session.

Many ask about mi esposo. He’s doing as well as he can with a knee that didn’t heal properly. As you may recall, he took a short cut out of an attic and crushed his tibial plateau (top of the lower leg). After a year-and-a-half of healing, we planned a knee replacement. That was cancelled when the CT showed that the tiny bone fragments glued themselves together with scar tissue instead of bone. There is nothing for a knee implant to anchor into–think sand held together by gelatin. No bueno. We’ve been referred to another specialist for troubleshooting, but I’m not aware of many options available to us. Hopefully, there’s some other medical advances out there. Stay tuned.

Yesterday, I received a second jury summons in less than a week. Two different courts wanted my esteemed presence–on the same day, same time. After a few calls, I was able to delay the municipal summons for a week. If I serve on at the county, then I won’t have to serve the city, but if the county doesn’t need me, I can still do the municipal. I don’t mind doing civic duty, I just don’t want to clone myself to do so. I’ve been on a jury panel, as well as, served on a jury. It’s actually pretty interesting. It’s the waiting around to see if I’m needed or not that’s both a blessing and a frustration. I can sit in the jury room for hours, waiting for my number to be called–pretty boring if I don’t have a book. Who am I kidding? I ALWAYS have a book; therefore, I’m never bored. If I’m called–well, let’s just call it research for stories yet unwritten.

I’m trying something different. Book recommendations–not so much a review as much as it’s an “I enjoyed this book/series/author, check it out.” Most of my recommendations will have a link to Texas in some way because that’s where I see a lot of misrepresentation. I read one book where Austin’s climate & terrain was more like Wyoming or Montana’s, and the Texas Rangers were depicted as forest rangers. Oh, HELL no! That book got two stars. (In my rating system–one star means it didn’t interest me enough to buy it. Two stars is about as bad as you can get in my world, because I was interested enough to purchase, but then the book was a total let down. Two stars=BAD!)

So, AUGUST recommendations:

Anything by Anita Dickason. The Tracker novels (Sentinels in the Night; Going, Gone; Au79; Operation Navajo–I hope there’s more coming! FBI/police procedurals with the elements of paranormal/supernatural that I love.) and the Tori Winters (cozy mystery) books are rich with Texas influence, interesting and little-known history, and geography. I’m currently reading Deadly Business (US Marshall/police procedural). Ms. Dickson is a Texan and retired Dallas PD homicide detective. She knows Texas, y’all.

The Sisters series (cozy mystery) by Becki Willis is a series set in the Brazos Valley (although her Brazos Valley is closer to College Station than the Brazos Valley listed on the Google). Two towns make up The Sisters (two sisters couldn’t get along, so Daddy gave them each their own town) and is the home that Madison Reynolds and her teenaged twins return to after her husband’s death. She starts a temp business to make ends meet and things get weird from there. Book 16 just came out and is sitting in my Kindle, ready and waiting to be enjoyed, and book 17 is coming in November. Ms. Willis has some other books that I haven’t tapped into yet–too many books, so little time!

And They Danced (by moi) has done well with reviews. If you’ve read it already, please consider leaving a review. If you’ve already left a review, my heart-felt gratitude is freely given. If you haven’t read it yet…what are you waiting for?

Happy reading!

T