DIY: Race medal & bib holders

Awhile back I found this on Pinterest:

                                                            

Now, you can buy these on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/runningonthewall

BUT if you are cheap like me you can make them!

I had some wood left over from making this for my dad for Christmas.

You can find a piece like it at Home Depot!

I began by measuring how large I would want to cut the boards.

 (If you are making the medal sign you can make it however long and wide you would like. I used past race bibs centered on the board to determine the size for the race bib sign.) 

I stenciled the lettering prior to cutting the signs to ensure they were measured accurately.

The stencils I used were 2 in. block lettering.  I didn't like the disjointed look so I connected them. 

The cursive parts were a little tricky.  I found a font I liked online and printed the words love and bibs.

I was able to free hand them while looking at the fonts. 

 I used a circular saw to cut a 16 x 6 in. (medal sign) and a 9.5 x 11 in. (race bibs) board.  

I hand sanded the edges with a small set of different gradient sandpaper. 

The spray paints I used were glossy, but a matte color would be good if you would like to do the distressed look pictured above.  

The pencil markings were visible through the spray paint and I was able to use a small brush to free hand the lettering in white acrylic paint (you can buy this at any craft store).

I bought screw hooks from a hardware store.  I found mine at Westlakes, but they are sold at Lowe's and Home Depot also. The straight screw hooks are best for the bibs; however, you can choose whatever you like best! You can also get silver, bronze, gold, etc.

For the medal sign, I marked for 8 holes with 1'' on each side, 2'' between each, and 1'' from the bottom.

For the bib sign, I marked for the hooks to be 6.75'' apart & 7.25'' from the bottom.

Using a nail, I tapped each marking and then screwed the hooks into the boards by hand. 

There are many different ways you could hang it. I used a key hole bit so that it would hang flush against the wall.

AND WAHLAH!

Incontinence, confidence, and some pretty neat people: Week 1

This was my first week on the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) team at Rusk Rehabilitation[1] for my third clinical.

My first day began with a swim at the rec. I got out of the pool, went to go take a shower and realized I had no underroos. You can’t go without underroos on your first day! Thankfully, I made it home for the extra pieces of clothing and to work on time. 

The first day was a nice surprise, while my clinical instructor (CI) set the day aside for me to learn how Rusk works, I found myself jumping in with treatment ideas and the desire to lead the session.  The butterflies went away, I realized how much I have learned and how excited I am for my future career.

The second day was quite amusing.  My CI walked into the patient’s room while I was performing a transfer, the elderly man said, “Now this is a transfer I like” and patted me on the butt! We were both quite speechless; he hadn’t seemed like a dirty old man!

During another transfer the patient said, “You are slight, but you are strong” and I took that as a compliment.

I tried swimming before work again on Wednesday.  I had all my clothes to get dressed, pulled on my pants and my zipper was broke. Broke in an unfixable way.  Broke in a almost late to work, thank goodness for safety pins sort of way. 

Despite my mishaps, I have met some pretty neat people.

A young man with a TBI is one of my favorites. He is a Rancho IV[2]; therefore, agitated, impulsive and has a tendency to perseverate. He calls his wife his sister’s name, but he knows who she is and she never leaves him. One day we were walking and he said, “We make a great team.” Five minutes later he shook my hand and said nice to meet you. He may not remember what he says or who I am, but these patients steal my heart.

Another one of my favorites has a demyelinating disease[3]. The first time I walked with him in the parallel bars he had very little control over his movements, and poor balance and coordination. We barely made it from one end to the other.  He is so motivated to improve; he remembers any corrections and instructions I give him. After four days, we tried walking again; his movements were slow, controlled, and purposeful, and the smile on his face held every reason I want to be a physical therapist.

After multiple experiences with incontinence, a patient telling me who won The Voice after begging him not to, and pulling every muscle in back transferring a patient with double amputations, I have come to the conclusion that I love inpatient rehabilitation and the amazing people I am humbled to help heal.

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[1] An inpatient rehabilitation center.  People will usually come to Rusk after the hospital before going home.

[2] Rancho levels measure cognitive functioning. IV = confused & agitated

[3] Affects the function of the nervous system and therefore movement, balance, coordination, sensation, cognitive functioning, etc.

Ten reasons why my dad is the best

1. When I was little my mom or dad would lay down and sing me to sleep each night.  My daddy would always sing me Blue Skies, or the theme song to the Beverly Hillbillies.

2. I cut the tip of my pinky finger off in a folding chair when I was four years old.  I suppose I had an attitude problem on the way home from the hospital late that night. I remember telling dad that he couldn't spank me because my pinky was hurt.  This statement was not true. I'm thankful for his consistent discipline, I was raised with a healthy fear of my father that transformed into respect.

3. I learned to drive through the instruction of two very different teachers. My mom was slightly more cautious, never allowing me to park the car in the garage on my own.  My dad however made me, even though his presence is slightly unnerving.  He said, "You are never going to learn if you don't do it." Although, I did back his truck into the garage door once and never told him. (Surprise Dad!)

4. An ice storm knocked out power to our small community when I was in high school. For the four days the power was out at our house we all slept in the living room together.  Our fireplace was powered by a gas generator.  Dad woke up every couple of hours throughout the night to refill the generator and keep his family warm.  He is an amazing provider.

5. Compliments from my dad are usually followed by "now don't get a big head". Parental bragging has always been my mom's forte, I would never expect it from my dad.  When my dad tells me he is proud of me, it truly means the world.

6. I took my first motorcycle trip with my dad when I was 10 years old to Colorado. Since then we have traveled through more than 20 states and made a lot of memories. On my graduation trip to California we stayed at a Marriott where he made coffee with a Bunsen burner on the patio.  We still laugh at the smug looks and comments we received! I will always cherish these times with my dad.

7.  When my heart was broken in high school, my dad asked me to be his Valentine and sent me a dozen roses.  Every year without fail he asks me to be his Valentine.  Forever.

8. I have witnessed the heart break of disappointment on my dad's face too many times to count.  But more than that, I have seen him reply to these situations with unconditional love and encouragement. This faith and love is to be admired.

9. My first few months at Mizzou were really hard on me.  They moved me into the dorms, the goodbyes made me a crying mess and I was home after four days.  During that first semester I called my dad crying multiple times.  I begged to transfer home.  I can't imagine how hard it was for him to tell me no. In less than a year I will be graduating and beginning my career in a field I am undeniably passionate about. I am so thankful for his resolve.

10. The hardest part about getting married was feeling like I would no longer be my daddy's little girl.  I have learned I will never be too big to sit on my daddy's lap or follow him around on his day off. I'll always be a daddy's girl.

Happy Father's Day Daddy

I love you so much!

Life & Death... & Eternity

A sermon at my church, The Crossing, truly hit home. Our preacher, Dave Cover, had recently buried his mom. As he was laying her urn in the ground these thoughts occurred to him:

How can this be all there is left of her life?

How can all of her memories, conversations, laughter, love, acts of kindness and regret be reduced to this small urn that will only lie in the ground?

He countered that people will say that she will live on his memory.

But soon enough, his life, his memory, will be reduced to only a box. 

That’s it.

We live. We laugh and love while we are here and then we are put into the ground. The life that we spent so much time trying to give meaning to is put lifelessly into a box.  Our memories live on for a short time until they die with someone else. 

How incredibly sad that reality is when you do not know the promise of Christ. The promise of everlasting life achieved by believing and trusting in the fact the God that made you, loves you and died so that your life would not simply be reduced to a box.

Nothing makes the reality of this hope shine brighter than being surrounded by the urgency of death.

A tragedy in my hometown took the life an amazing and beloved girl.  One I was lucky enough to call a friend, as many did. Leaving her ceremony, Leah and I reflected on the impervious darkness that would be present with no promise of God.

To live without knowing God’s promise of eternity, to live under the impression that the end is just the end, to believe that there was no loving God calling his Catalina home: what an awful, empty world to live in.

During this difficult time, preparing my heart to say good-bye to my Grandma and saying good-bye to a friend so soon, I find such hope in knowing that this is not the end.  

Our lives are only mists and we will truly live in eternity with the Lord.