Greetings, dear readers! Your “Marilyn Beane’s World” columnist is back on another week’s journey. Where this path will take us is anyone’s guess. Come along with me and we will find out as we travel. Also I will have news from my home at Windward Gardens in Camden.
Sunday, Dec. 14: My journey starts on a cloudy day with snow showers, temps are cold in the 20s and 30s. I woke up to be uplifted by “Joy for the Journey” with Pastor Dell Hyssong, of Rockport.
About 7:30 a.m. the kind and caring male CNA helped me up, helped me dress, and into my wheelchair. I was uplifted again by “Turning Point” with Pastor David Jeremiah, in San Diego, Calif. More of the Christmas story of Jesus was shown.
I did some reading and worked on Christmas cards. The sweet nurse listened to my lungs and heard noises.
At 2 p.m. the sweet nurse changed me over to my portable oxygen tank and she wheeled me into the dining room. There were beautiful Christmas carols sung from young people from our Chestnut Street Baptist Church here in Camden.
A young man played beautiful on his own piano. My sweet friend from there who visits me and others played on her violin and another sweet young lady played on her horn.
It sure made the rest of the afternoon brighter. They filed out at the end, me and other wished them merry Christmas, and they did us. My sweet young friend and I had a few words for each other.
I wheeled back to my temporary room. Later on near 4:30 p.m. I was helped back to bed by the kind and caring male CNA. I did some coloring.
After supper and my bedtime meds, I was soon to sleep. The sweet CNA Lashes was back this evening before 7:30 p.m. for overnight patient care. The kind and caring male CNA worked until 11 p.m.
I was told today I will be going back to my room tomorrow.
Monday, Dec. 15: My journey continues on a sunny day with temps in the 30s. The sweet nurse gave me my meds and nebulizer treatment. After 7:30 a.m. the kind and caring male CNA helped me up, dressed, and into my wheelchair.
I did some reading to uplift me. I worked on Christmas cards and packed up my things on the bed. The sweet nurse listened to my lungs again. In awhile I was told my room was deep cleaned by housekeeping and I would be going back soon.
Near noon, the sweet traveler CNA came and carried all my things back to my room. Before lunch, the sweet nurse had to give me a nebulizer treatment. She couldn’t locate the nebulizer machine. Somebody took it from the temporary room but nobody seemed to know where it was put.
She was scurrying around trying to find it. She finally had to get another one from storage. Then she gave me the treatment. She found out later that the kind and caring mal maintenance man took the machine I had and cleaned it. The replacement one is newer so I’m being kept with this one.
This afternoon past 3 p.m. both my sweet roommate and I were helped back to bed by the sweet young CNA. She took all of my Christmas mail out to the mailbox.
After supper and my bedtime meds, I went to sleep early. The sweet CNA Boss came for overnight patient care.
Tuesday, Dec. 16: My journey continues on a sunny day with temps in the 30s. Going on 8 a.m., the sweet CNA Speedy helped me into my wheelchair before breakfast. After breakfast, she helped the activities director trim for Christmas out in the hallway and around the nurses’ station.
Then she gave me a nice shampoo and shower. She helped me dry off and dressed me and helped me back into my wheelchair. She wheeled me back to my room. She laid me down and the sweet nurse treated my lower back.
Then she helped me up into my wheelchair. Around 3:45 p.m. the sweet CNA Speedy helped me and my sweet roommate back to bed. The kind and caring male maintenance man came and changed the light bulb in my lamp.
Yesterday my sweet friend Glenna Drinkwater was here with two sets of Christmas lights and a Christmas card from her and my other friend, Jane Carr. There was also a Christmas card for my sweet roommate from them.
This afternoon sweet Glenna came back with another set of Christmas lights. I can wear them just in solid steady lights or blinking.
Wednesday, Dec. 17: The sweet CNA Speedy helped me up, dressed, and into my wheelchair. My journey continues on a mostly cloudy, partly sunny day with temps about 32 degrees here on the coast.
I worked on more Christmas cards. The sweet med tech Tattoo mailed them for me. She brought in a Christmas present left to me from two sweet friends, Glenna and Jane.
At 2 p.m. the sweet nurse changed me over to my portable oxygen tank and she wheeled me into the activities room to play bingo. The sweet activities director called off the numbers. I won one game. My sweet friend Mary sat beside me. I was wheeled back to my room by the sweet activities director.
Late morning my sweet roommate’s sweet sister and nice husband came with a Christmas bag of Christmas presents. We chatted. I received a hug from both of them upon leaving. They brought a big box of chocolates to the staff.
I had a care plan meeting this morning. Both my sweet roommate and I were helped back to bed late afternoon by sweet traveler CNA. After supper and my bedtime meds, I went to sleep early.
I need to share more words on Christmas. When the angels announced to the Bethlehem shepherds that “a savior” had been born, they could have wondered what kind of “savior?” An angel of the lord clarified the meaning of savior to Joseph. “He will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Not save them from the Romans or others, but from their sins.
Thursday, Dec. 18: My journey continues on a sunny day with temps in the 40s. I spent the morning working on the Christmas cards for the home here.
The sweet activities director had my shopping list from yesterday. She came in and I gave her the coloring of a Christmas stocking, I was asked to do. She went to Walmart in Thomaston shopping for me and some other residents.
Reading more about Christmas I want to share. When it comes to remembering Jesus at Christmas perhaps we should consider giving him the most valuable gifts that we are able.
The sweet nurse practitioner came in to see me to check on me, past 2:30 p.m. She listened to my lungs. She heard noises in my upper chest. She has ordered blood work.
Friday, Dec. 19: My journey continues on a dark rainy day with temps in the 50s. High winds were blowing the trees very strong. They were so strong, which put our power out for a few seconds at a time, twice.
The power came right back on here. Not so in some places here in Maine and other states which had a lot of devastation.
At 10 a.m. this morning my sweet assistant Stephanie arrived. After I was changed over to my portable oxygen tank, she wheeled me down to a sweet resident Laurie’s room for Bible study.
The sweet activities director made sure of our Bible study time then she left for her doctor’s appointment. She arrived back little later. In Bible study, I opened with prayer, I gave a testimony about Jesus is the greatest Christmas gift. Then my sweet assistant gave her part in the study, the sweet resident Laurie gave a nice testimony and sweet assistant gave a closing prayer.
She wheeled me back in my room. She gave me a Christmas gift, which I will open on Christmas. About 2 p.m. the sweet occupational therapist came in telling me she had a speech therapist for me to talk with that she told me about awhile back. It is out of concern for my swallowing and the many times I had pneumonia.
She had her laptop and the sweet speech therapist, who was in her office in Scarborough. I answered her questions and she put me through tests. The sweet therapist from Cushing had to get me some yogurt and juice which I had to be seen eating and swallowing.
She told me I had to go through a test to look down my throat. That is if I agreed which I did and the sweet therapist here had me sign a consent form. If can be done here at home. I had missed 20 minutes of music by Chris Heard of Albion.
The sweet therapist wheeled me down to the dining room. Chris was singing and playing on his electric guitar and harmonica, Christmas songs. Some of us sang along with him. We applauded after each song. My sweet friend Mary sat side of me. The sweet activities director wheeled me back to my room.
My sweet roommate and I were helped back to bed past 4 p.m. A sweet resident brought me a Christmas present to open. It is a picture. It has a saying, “So very loved.”
Sharing more on Christmas, the Christ child, whose birth we celebrate on Christmas, was at first a helpless infant in a manger. But at the same time, he was the manifestation of all wisdom and power and knowledge. Praise God every day for sending Jesus to be the fullness of God, fulfilled of our savior.
I want to wish merry Christmas and a blessed new year to all caregivers at my former doctors, nurses, physicians assistants. Specials are Dr. John Dickens, now retired, and assistant Jennifer Oddleifson, Dr. Russell Mack, now retired, all caregivers in both MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital’s Miles Campus and Pen Bay Hospital. Everyone not mentioned that I couldn’t get a card to.
The sweet CNA Lashes was back tonight for overnight patient care.
Saturday, Dec. 20: My journey is winding down on a sunny day with temps around 41 degrees here on the coast. The sweet CNA Speedy helped me up and dressed, and into my wheelchair.
I spent the morning writing. My sweet roommate and I chatted like we do every day. Yesterday the sweet activities director passed my Christmas cards to my friendly residents and the staff, that I had done for them. She passed cards this morning to another resident and mailed one for me. She brought in a coffee to me and my sweet roommate.
At 2 p.m. the sweet nurse wheeled me into the activities room to play bingo. My sweet friend Mary was parked beside me among two other friends. The sweet activities director called off the numbers. I didn’t win but I was happy for my sweet friend Mary who won two games. I was happy for other winners as well.
I was wheeled back to my room by the sweet activities director. My sweet roommate was already back in bed.
Near 4 p.m. a newer traveler CNA helped me back to bed. After supper and my bedtime meds, I colored for a little while. Past 7 p.m. the sweet CNA Lashes came in, took care of our needs, and I went to sleep.
Now it’s time to end the journey. In closing, I’ll share that when Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to the messiah, Mary replied, “Use me however you want.”
The JB Phillips rendering of Luke 1:38 says, “I belong to the lord, body and soul … let it happen as you say.” That is my little testimony as well.
I belong to Jesus the messiah, my lord and savior, body and soul. He can use me as he wills.
Merry Christmas everybody and a blessed, prosperous 2026.
(Write “Marilyn Beane’s World,” Windward Gardens, Room 105, 105 Mechanic St., Camden, ME 04843-1811.)
