Jane Pinson Was a Nurse to All

I'm having trouble with the blog program acting "squirrely" so spacing is rather strange.         (Click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Jane Pinson
August 7, 1943 – August 25, 2021

Jane’s voice still echoes, Her laughter still brings cheer,
Her knowledge still brings comfort, Her caring still brings hope,
Her life still inspires, Her light still shines,
And always will…

Jane and Gene Pinson moved net door to my house in Savanna Club, our retirement community, in Port St. Lucie, Florida in 2013.  They are from Harper's Ferry, which is 100 miles north of my home in Virginia.  Little did I know what good friends they would become.  

Jane was a nurse who worked in the ER in Arlington, VA.  She was a nurse through and through and she helped many people with health issues.  She was just one of those people you could always count on, in sickness and in health.

We clicked from the day we met, even though we didn't do everything together.  We did have our routines:  She rode with me on my golf cart to Craft Club and Women's Club.  I rode with Gene and Jane to all the shows in Savanna Club.  She sent me lot of meals  "just because."  I especially enjoyed her beans and cornbread!

When I was in Virginia this summer, I heard she was ill and  I was very concerned.  I'd never known Jane to be sick.  With trips in and out of the hospital and rehab, things didn't seem to get much better.  Then they discovered cancer, although they didn't know for sure where it originated.  Then, when she tested positive for Covid-19, it was a shock.  That was likely the factor that caused her death.  She left this earth to join Jesus in heaven on August 25, 2019.  Oh, how I miss her!

December 18, 2014
One of our first activities together was Golf Cart Caroling in Savanna Club.  It turned cold that evening – in the 50s so we dressed warm.  Gene drove my golf cart, his first experience driving one.  Yes, they got one for themselves later.

January 11, 2015 
Vicky Peterson, MaryMay Angelil, Jane Pinson, Norma Pennie, and Denise Calise.

I won a catered dinner at Women’s Club and had my four neighbors over to share it.  We had a great time with many laughs, aided by our tasty beverages!  That was an outstanding evening!!!!!

     


February 5, 2015
Can you imagine turning 15 women loose with hammers and nails in a small craft room?  The noise level was so high they could hear us in the lobby of the clubhouse but we were so busy that we hardly noticed.  The birdhouses were cut out.... all we had to do was nail them together, paint, and decorate them.  Right!!!!  I haven't laughed that hard in ages and that was mostly at my own ineptitude.    When Jane took hers home she was crushed because Gene told her it was pitiful!

 
December 31, 2017
This was our first New Year's together.

December 31, 2018
Gary Suter, MaryMay Angelil, Jane and Gene Pinson.  Mary had a hip replacement on December 21st.

 
January 1, 2021
Jane and Gene Pinson with MaryMay and Gary Suter  (note name change for MaryMay.)
The Covid-19 Pandemic wiped out our lives during 2020.  There was no New Year's Party so we had one in our driveway.

September 19, 2021 
The wedding day for MaryMay Angelil and Gary Suter

  

Jane happened to be in West Virginia so she came down to our wedding!  In her typical helping, "shy" fashion, she appointed herself as the photographer and she did a good job.

 
February 21, 2021  One of our first events at Savanna Club during the Covid 19 Pandemic.  We had an outdoor concert with lots of fresh air and social distancing.

April 26, 2021 
Our last outing together at Kyle G's on the Ocean in Jensen Beach, Florida.  Gene Pinson, Gary and MaryMay Suter, Denise Calise, Tony Francavilla (MaryMay's neighbor on her house.  Little did we know this would be our last time together.  Denise and Tony moved shortly thereafter and Jane went to her hearafter.

Jane Pinson was one of those angels on earth who brought such joy and caring to my life.  She was a nurse, through and through.  I will never forget her and will always miss her.

This describes Jane’s spirit and how she lived her life: 

“If you lie down at night, knowing in your heart that you made someone’s day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.”

Porch Party Beginnings

During the Pandemic our retirement community (VMRC) here in Harrisonburg, Virginia was locked down tight.   All meals and newspapers were delivered to our doors.

 

People who lived alone were really alone.  Betty Brunk, a retired social worker. was going stir-crazy.  So, she started the Porch Party. 

Every afternoon at around 2:00 they (anyone who chose to go) went down to the front porch for an hour or so  - this is every day - unless it's 40 degrees or less.

Yes, they sat out in their ski jackets, scarves, gloves, blankets and their MASKS! 

 

I go down most every weekday.  Sometimes 6 show up, sometimes 12, and we watch and chat with the visitors, workers, residents and deliveries come and go.

By summertime we' requested a fan and more chairs.  (They nixed the heater idea.)  If we run out of chairs, people sit on their walkers.

We laugh, we talk, we learn, we care and sometimes we "just set a spell".  I've become the designee for checking Mr. Google .  The other day they had me look up:  "Why are they called BING cherries?" We liked the answer.*

We sit with different people most every evening at dinner.  Sometimes these dinner "dates" are set up ahead, sometimes we run into someone in the hallway, and sometimes we sit down and the hostess brings us a surprise couple or 2 women or 2 men.

 * p.s.  One of the things we learned was:

 The Bing cherry is named after Seth Lewelling's Manchurian orchard foreman and friend, Bing.    It was cultivated in 1875 in Oregon. 
p.s. Bing was  7 feet tall.

Oh, No, My Nose!

WARNING:  This post isn't for the squeamish so proceed accordingly because I don't want anyone to get their nose bent out of shape.

It was a normal Day-Before-the-Trip-Back-to-Virginia.  Everything went smoothly, bags and food were packed and I even took a nap.  OK, ..... time to pack the car!

Gary backed into the carport and started loading while I continued to bring more things out.

 

I stepped into the front door but something went dreadfully wrong.  I tripped (perhaps on the threshold) and fell flat on my face.

What a shock!!!  I could feel blood gushing and running down both sides of my neck and I was swallowing blood.  Gary brought towels and called our nurse next door, Jane Pinson.  She was an ER nurse for years and knew what to do.  Gary took me to the ER and Jane and Gene followed.

At first I was able to smile for the camera but that was only the beginning.

My nose was broken and I needed stitches.  But the killer is the bruising and it had just begun.  I knew I was going to be one ugly person for a while.  But, didn't realize HOW extreme that was going to be.

  

 

 

This was about an hour after it happened.

It's always good to look on the bright side -- in this case, the masks saved me a lot of embarrassment. 

We are going for the wedding of my nephew, Levi May, on June 26th and  I do hope the bruising will be gone by then.

If an accident has to happen to you, I hope you'll be lucky enough to have a nurse and an ER nearby. 

Healing is a wonderful blessing!  My new mantra is,  "Step carefully, be mindful of my steps, go slowly......and......

 .....don't let my nose get bent out of shape!"