sue robins

care in the air

March 26, 2009 by sue robins

clpna14small

I wrote two articles in the Spring issue of the College of Licensed Practical Nurses Care Magazine. One was the feature on LPNs in pre-hospital practice called (cleverly) Care in the Air, where I learned about the exciting world of emergency care.

The other piece is one of my favourite articles I have ever written. I wrote a short bit about a woman named Emma, who is 102 years old and lives in an assisted living facility. I had a great amount of reverence when I walked into her room with my notepad and my camera, and learned that people’s seemingly ordinary lives are always extraordinary when tempered with love.

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return from seattle

March 11, 2009 by sue robins

I’ve been doing a lot of corporate work lately, which means it doesn’t pop up in my portfolio because I don’t actually own the words.

I’ve been writing a lot on my food blog, which is fun. I have regular commenters – many of whom have their own food blogs in Edmonton. I just returned from a Food Chick Weekend in Seattle with my daughter Ella, who is 12, and I documented our adventures in food here.

We were blessed with some rare sunny days, which made for fabulous picture taking. But my favourite time? Our pit stops in our hotel room, where both Ella and I read books. Ella finished Scat by Carl Hiaasen and I consumed A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, which is a lovely read about food and love.

Here’s my favourite photo of our trip – Ella reading. She’s my girl…

ellareading

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unpaid work page

January 25, 2009 by sue robins

I created an unpaid work page. Here’s a great quote that sums up my philosophy about service:

“It is one of the beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.” – Charles Dudley Warner

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why i’m happy. why i’m not satisfied

January 21, 2009 by sue robins

From Jay Smooth, host of a New York City hip hop show. Now, I might not be American, but the story of Obama has captured my heart and my imagination. All the lessons learned by Americans can be transferred elsewhere. The influence of Obama has a wide-reaching net.

I ghost-wrote an editorial for a magazine that drew upon my experiences campaigning for Obama in North Virginia. The piece that I use every single day is: let’s make decisions based on hope, not fear. This is a powerful concept.

And I think Obama cranks the standard up for our Canadian politicians, don’t you?

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library thing

December 29, 2008 by sue robins

Library Thing has been around for a while. It is a listing of books people have read. Basically, you put your personal library up on the Internet for all to see.

Here are my entries. Click on the ‘cover’ option to see the full effect. I don’t necessarily think you can see into someone’s soul by knowing what books they read, but it is interesting nonetheless. Plus, by seeing the books that others read, it is a great way to get book recommendations and helps with the aimless wandering around bookstores. (Although I have to admit aimless wandering around bookstores is one of my favourite things to do).

I tend to go on jags with my book reading and lately I have been on a food memoir kick. My favourite book so far? Heat by Bill Buford. The writing in it is sharp as a knife, and he seamlessly jumps between trips to Italy to a famous Mario Batali kitchen. I savoured this book one chapter at a time, because I did not want it to end. Please Bill Buford, write more books.

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my humble job

December 9, 2008 by sue robins

Last week, I interviewed a woman who is turning 102 years old next month. This is for an article in the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta’s Care Magazine. I’ll post the link when it is published in March.

I was thinking how fortunate I am to have a job where I get to meet people who are 101 years old. And chat with them and take photos, too. Meeting extraordinary people I would never ordinarily come across is a definite perk to my job. I’m continually humbled by it, and thankful for such opportunities. I mean, have you ever met anybody who has lived through two World Wars?

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