Celebrating Two Christmas' in Alaska

 

Ralph and I hope Santa brought you everything you asked for (or at least what you truly needed).

From the title of this posting some of you are already scratching your heads because you "know" there is only one Christmas. Well for all you knowledgeable Christmas scholars we have earth shattering news for you. There are actually two Christmas' celebrated in Alaska. There are six principal calendars in current use around the world. These are the Gregorian, Jewish, Islamic, Indian, Chinese, and Julian calendars.

There is the traditional United States Christmas celebrated on December 25th each year. This is determined because the United States, and most parts of the world, use the Gregorian calendar. Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar in 1582. This replaced the Julian calendar, which had been the most common calendar in Europe up until this time.

So, why the need to change the calendar? The Gregorian calendar was designed to accurately represent the Earth's solar year and seasons. Scholars of the time used astronomical observations and complex mathematical calculations to create it. The Gregorian calendar has a year length of about 365.24 days. Most years have 365 days, but every fourth year is a leap year, with the exception of years that are divisible by 100 but not 400. For example, 2000 was a leap year, but 2100 and 2200 are not. The Gregorian calendar is used by the United States and the rest of the Western Hemisphere.

So why is one Christmas not enough? With Alaska's close proximity to Russia one can presume (correctly) that as people from across the Bearing Sea migrated to North America (Alaska was the closest point of land) they brought their religion with them. Orthodox communities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East - which make up more than 12% of all Christians - celebrate Christmas Day weeks after most of the Western world. It's because they use a different calendar, called the Julian calendar (developed by Julius Caesar), to work out what day Christmas should be. On the Julian calendar December 25 corresponds to January 7 on the Gregorian calendar. Additionally, they celebrate Advent, which is 40 days long and begins on November 28.

Ralph and I will be celebrating "Second Christmas" with our Alaska friends on Jan 7, 2025. So, what does that entail?

Russian Orthodox Christmas takes place on January 7 and the celebration lasts for six days. 

In the Orthodox tradition nothing is eaten or drunk on Christmas Eve until the first star appears in the sky. The star is symbolic of the great star that led the Magi to the newly born Christ. Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin with a Lenten meal - meaning meat or dairy products (including chocolates) are excluded. This Christmas Eve meal is "The Holy Supper" . The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white tablecloth is used to symbolize Christ's swaddling clothes and hay is displayed as a reminder of the poverty of the place where Jesus was born. A tall white candle is placed in the center of the Table, to symbolize Christ - the "Light of the World." A large round loaf of "pagach", a special Lenten bread, is placed beside the candle to symbolize Christ - the "Bread of Life".

The father begins the Christmas meal by leading the family in the Lord's Prayer, a prayer of thanksgiving for the blessings of the past year and for the good things to come in the new year. The head of the family greets those present with "Christ is Born!" - the traditional Russian Christmas greeting - and the family responds with "Glorify Him!" The Mother then draws a cross with honey on each person's forehead, saying a blessing - "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year." The Lenten bread (Pagach) is then broken and shared. The bread is dipped first in honey to symbolize the sweetness of life and then in chopped garlic to symbolize life's bitterness. The "Holy Supper" is then eaten. After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened. The family goes to church for the Christmas Mass which lasts until after midnight.

Traditionally, the "Holy Supper" consists of 12 different foods, symbolic of the 12 Apostles. Although there was also some variation in the foods from place to place and village to village, the following is a good summary of what is typically served.

1) Mushroom soup with zaprashka (or Sauerkraut soup)
2) Lenten bread ("pagach")
3) Chopped garlic
4) Honey
5) Baked fish
6) Fresh Oranges, Figs and Dates
7) Nuts
8) Kidney beans (cooked slowly all day) seasoned with shredded potatoes, lots of garlic, salt and pepper to taste
9) Peas
10) Parsley Potatoes (boiled new potatoes with chopped parsley and margarine)
11) Bobal'ki (small biscuits combined with sauerkraut or poppy seed with honey)
12) Red Wine

On Christmas morning the family returns to church for the Christmas day Liturgy. After church the family gathers together to exchange gifts and share a special Christmas meal. Children go from door to door caroling the song "Thy Nativity".

"C Rodzhestvom Kristovom"(srod-zshest-vum krist-o-vum) is a common Russian Christmas greeting, meaning "with the Birth of Christ!"

Ralph has a thought for ya'll to ponder:

No matter what your religious beliefs or not beliefs, it is always appropriate to care for one another. If you think yo have little to give or share, think again. We are going to use an example that many of you will either be ready to scrap over or believe it is like comparing apples to raisins. Either way, we are expressing our personal beliefs. 

When I was a preteen, I attended a large Baptist church. Every Wednesday and Sunday (twice) the pastor basically begged for money from the parishioners. Emphasizing that each member should be tithing 10% of their income to this church, "regardless". There was a family with very little financial resources. They were obviously struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their kids heads. The mother volunteered to clean the church every week since their family had no extra money and they literally were scraping by. In open service the pastor scolded this family for not tithing. He actually made the statement: "we just need you to tithe, we pay a janitorial service to keep this place clean."

To this day Ralph and I do not understand this logic. At the awesome age of 11 I asked the pastor, in front of my parents: "wouldn't it be more money if you didn't pay the janitors?". The pastor explained to my parents that they needed to go home and pray for their "troubled son". Since my only sibling was female, I deduced that he was referring to me. Needless to say this experience made a very lasting impression on me.

You say you have nothing to give. Ralph and I disagree. We all have a few minutes of time we can share with someone. We can always have an open ear to listen, without opinion or judgement. If you have an apple, you can share. It will amaze you the positive impact human touch can have during someone's time of trouble. Each of us has a multitude of gifts to give and share. 

As Ralph and I get down off our soap box, we hope each of you have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year in 2025.

We now will go back to our regular programing.

Happy Christmas Eve

 As many are preparing for the arrival this evening of Santa, do you actually know how this tradition came about? Santa is someone who remains in children’s hearts forever. He’s the imaginary make-believe man who magically brings gifts and toys to kids at Christmas. To the “grown-ups”, Santa Claus is the wonderful idea of selfless giving and goodwill.

Santa also has some other names too. Among the common ones are Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus. Both of these names came from the Dutch legend of Sinterklass brought long ago by settlers who arrived in New York. The Dutch long had a legend that Saint Nikolaas brought presents to children. The Dutch honored this kind saint with the annual festival celebrated on December 6th. English-speaking settlers to the new world and who lived nearby took advantage of this enjoyable Dutch festival. They, in turn, brought Sinterklass and the gift-giving custom into their own ritual celebration for Christmas.

World wide there are at least 124 names for the one we call Santa:

1. Aba Chaghaloo (Afghanistan) 
2. Aghios Vassilis (Greece)
3. Ash Man (Germany)
4. Aya Nicola (Turkish)
5. Babadimri, Albania 
6. Baba Noel, Iraq 
7. Babbo Natale (Italy)
8. Baboushka (Russia)
9. Befana (Italy)
10. Bellsnickle (Old American)
11. Bozic Bata (Serbo-Croatian)
12. Bozicek (Slovenia)
13. Christkind (Austria)
14. Christkindl (Switzerland)
15. Christkindle (Germany)
16. Daidina Nollag, Ireland 
17. Ded Moroz “Grandfather Frost” (Russia)
18. Deda Mraz (Bosnia /Serbia/Yugoslavia/Macedonia)
19. Diado Coleda (Bulgaria)
20. Dun Che Lao Ren “Christmas Old Man”(China)
21. Dyado Koleda, Bulgaria
22. Dyed Moroz (Russia)
23. El Niiiito Dios (Mexico) 
24. El Nino Jesus (Central America)
25. Father Christmas (Jamaica/England/N.Z.)
26. Feliz Navidad (Uruguay)
27. Gaghant Baba (Armenia)
28. Ganesha (India)
29. Grandfather Frost/Father Frost (Russia)
30. Gwiazdor (Poland)
31. Hagios Nikolaos (Greece)
32. Hoteiosho “a god or priest who bears gifts” (Japan)
33. Hoteisho (Japan)
34. Ilwyd (Wales)
35. Jizo (Japan)
36. Jolasveinn (Iceland)
37. Joulupukki (Finland)
38. Julemanden (Denmark)
39. Julenissen “Christmas gnome” (Norway)
40. Julgubben (Finland)
41. Jultomten “Christmas brownie” (Sweden)
42. Kaledu Senis (Lithuania)
43. Kanakaloka (Hawaii)
44. Karacsony Apo (Hungary)
45. Kerstman (Belgium/Netherlands)
46. Klees’chen (Luxembourgish)
47. Kolyada (Russia)
48. Korvatunturl (Lapland)
49. Kris Kringle (Aus./Can./U.S.)
50. Los Reys Magos (Spain)
51. Mar Nkoula (Arabic)
52. Menino Jesus (Central America)
53. Mikulas (Hungary)
54. Moss Craciun (Romania)
55. Nicolo (Austria) 
56. Pa Norsk (Norway)
57. Pai Natal (Portugal)
58. Papa Noel (Egypt/Spain)
59. Papai Noel (Brazil)
60. Papal Noel (Spain, Latin America) 
61. Pelznickel (Dutch/Netherlands/Germany)
62. Pere Noel (France/Belgium/Canada)
63. Püha Nikolai (Estonian)
64. Queen Mab, Canada
65. Rauklas (Germany)
66. San Nicola (Italian)
67. San Nicolò (Italian)
68. San Niccolò (Italian)
69. San Niklaw (Malta) 
70. San Nikolas (Basque)
71. San Nikola (Maltese) 
72. San Nicolás (Spanish)
73. Saint Basil (America/England/Greek)
74. Saint Nicholas (Aus./Can./U.S.)
75. Saint Nick (Aus./Can./U.S.
76. Saint Nicolas (French)
77. Saint Nikolaas (Netherlands)
78. Samichlaus (Switzerland)
79. Sanctus Nicolaus (Latin)
80. Sankt Nicolai (German)
81. Sankt Niklaus (German)
82. Sankt Nikolai (Norwegian/Swedish)
83. Sankt Nikolaus (Swedish/German)
84. Sant Nicolau (Catalan)
85. Santa Claus (Aus./Can./U.S.)
86. Santa Dan Short (Oklahoma City)
87. Santa Kurohsu (Japan)
88. Santy (Ireland)
89. São Nicolau (Portuguese) 
90. Sfântul Nicolae (Romanian)
91. Shaggy Goat (eastern Germany)
92. Shakhta Babah (Azerbaijan)
93. Shën Koli (Albanian)
94. Shën Kolli (Albanian)
95. Shën Kollit (Albanian)
96. Shën Nikollië (Albanian)
97. Sing Dan Lo Ian (Hong Kong)
98. Sint Nikolaas (Dutch/Netherlands) 
99. Sint Nicolaas (Dutch/Netherlands) 
100. Sint Sinterklaas (Dutch/Netherlands)
101. Sinterklas (Indonesia)
102. Sinterklass (Colonial Dutch)
103. Sontgaclau Romansch:
104. Sunnercla (Germany)
105. Svätý Mikuláš (Slovakian) 
106. Svatý Mikkuláš (Czech)
107. Svaty Miklas (Czechoslovakia)
108. Svetnik Miklavz (Slovenian) 
109. Sveti Mikalojus (Lithuanian)
110. Sveti Nickola (Serbo-Croatian)
111. Sveti Nikola (Macedonian/Croatian/Bulgarian) 
112. Sviatyij Mykolai (Ukrainian)
113. Sweti Mikolaj (Poland) 
114. Swiety Mikolaj (Poland)
115. Svyatoy Nikolay(Russian)
116. Svyatoy Nikolskay (Russian)
117. Svyatoy Nikolsky (Russian)
118. Szent Miklós (Hungarian)
119. Szent Mikulás (Hungarian)
120. Tsminda Nikolozi (Georgian)
121. Vader Kersfees (South Africa) 
122. Viejo Pascuero “Old Man Christmas”(Chile)
123. Volvo Indo (Brazil)
124. Weihnachtsmann “Christmas Man”(Germany)

The reality is the spirit of Christmas is a mood or attitude that is appropriate for the Christmas season. It is often characterized by spending time with family and friends, feelings of goodwill, a willingness to enjoy oneself, and benevolence.  For many it also refers to the biblical meaning which is celebrating the gift of God's love through his Son. The spirit of Christmas can also be a reminder of childhood innocence and a reminder of our real destination in life.

Ralph and I had a long pondering and discussion about Christmas in the early hours of this morning. Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs, here are some things you can do  that will allow you to experience the true spirit of Christmas:

Giving gifts with eternal value: understanding, compassion, service, friendship, gentleness, and kindness.

Sharing kindness: expressing gratitude and offering forgiveness.

Being selfless: Thinking about others, forgiving, and taking stock of what is truly important.

Being aware of our blessings: acknowledge the good in our lives, sharing what we have with those that have not, and letting those that you care about and are important in your lives know your feelings.

Those of you that read our ramblings are truly appreciated. Your presence allows Ralph and I to survey the world from perspectives that differ from our own. You reinforce the fact that we are blessed in so many ways. For this and your ongoing support we are truly humbled.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE FROM TRIDENT AKUTAN, AK!

Ralph and T

What do I have to work with here and what are some of the challenges?

 I am truly humbled, over 100 folks have read our blog since the previous posting. And some of you have asked some excellent questions. Some serious and some that made us smile. We will start with a few of the serious ones to begin.

Someone asked what I had to work with here on Akutan island. Here are a few pics of the clinic. I have a Bell Ranger on site for Medevac, Ralph is my nurse, the Safety Team is trained in first aid and CPR and they have been trained in clinic documentation during “emergencies”.

We are 760 air miles from Anchorage where there are two Level II trauma adult centers and a Level II pediatric trauma center. There are no Level I trauma centers in Alaska because there are no trauma research and teaching facilities in the state.

The closest Level I trauma center is Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. This facility is only 1,975 airmiles from Akutan however there are no aircraft closer than Anchorage with flight capabilities to Seattle. BTW, Seattle is only 1,434.59 air miles from Anchorage. 

So if Ralph and I can get them stable enough to send to Anchorage (760 air miles and "if everything is timed perfectly" the patient will be in the Trauma Center in Anchorage in about 3 hours).

These assignments are NOT something for every provider to consider undertaking. You have to remember,  I started in EMS in 1978 as a "driver". Like everything else I have ever undertaken Ralph and I went the long way up the hill. Became a Georgia EMT-B 13353, then Georgia Cardiac Technician 1469, then progressed to Georgia Paramedic 3161. We eventually went to an Community College ADN-RN program, then a RN to BSN program, a MSN FNP program and ultimately a DNP ACNP program. I have worked in third world settings, responded to multiple disasters, rural EMS, Grady EMS in Atlanta, worked the 1916 Olympic Park Bombing and specialize in rural and frontier medicine. When I am at home I work in ER, Critical Care , and Hospitalist.

But if you feel you are up for the challenge, let Ralph and I know. There are plenty of needs all over.

 

If ya'll keep asking, Ralph and I will answer honestly to the best of our ability.
 

And the other question I was asked: “is there anything you are afraid of?”

Well actually there is one thing: Kat 😜

Where have I been?

The last few years have been full of challenges and obstacles. We dealt with COVID and the resulting psychological trauma. We were attempting to treat patients that had "something" that we knew little if anything about other than it was killing our patients and despite the healthcare team doing everything they could, there was not a damn thing we could do to help the multitude of patients we could not save. 

If we admit it, additional psychological trauma developed because our patients were dyeing alone. If they were extremely fortunate, they may have had the opportunity to see their families and their families see them on an I-pad or some video device. So many did not have that opportunity. Our patients did not have the benefit of human touch due to our PPE use. Even after death many facilities would not allow the family to even see the patient after their death. 

Ralph and I are very vocal about believing that "no one should die alone". Many of you, just as we have, have been the only person to hold our patient's hand as they took their last breath. Ralph and I look at that simple act as one of honor. While we can not stop the reaper from reaping, we know in our hearts and minds that the patient was not alone. During COVID neither the patient and nor we as care givers had that opportunity.

Then in 2022 I was diagnosed with rectal cancer. Now before you clutch your pearls, after 12 rounds of chemo and 30 cycles of radiation I am currently cancer free. I will continue to be scoped, poked, prodded, imaged and a few other "things" for the next 4 years but as of this writing I am cancer free. Those of you that know Ralph and I understand that we believe there is a reason for everything. Hang around and we will share "why" we believe: we developed rectal cancer, we never developed any symptoms from the cancer (we will talk about how we were diagnosed in another post), and the opportunities that the experience provided us. 

 Ralph and I continue to teach in the CBU BSN program and have started back doing some locums. Currently, we are in Akutan, AK which is in the Aleutian Chain. We are covering the holidays at the Trident Akutan Plant Clinic. 

For those of you that have kept in contact, we are back. If this posting is the first you have read, please go back in the archives and catch up. It will explain quite a bit about my relationship with Ralph and oour outlook on life.

Tommy and Ralph

Where will this road go?

Ralph and I have embarked on a journey.
When I was in 8th grade I was 6’0” and weighed a solid 240 lbs. I played both sides of the ball all through high school and was, if I do say so, “solid”.
This year on February 1st I weighed 306 lbs (on our bathroom scale).
We chose to work on our weight. Not by dieting per say, but by making better choices. We have decreased the portions we eat. Try really hard to resist temptation in regard to impulse eating. We pack our lunch for work... rather than ordering pizza or eating in the hospital cafeteria.
When we weighed earlier today the scale stopped at 267.8 lbs.
Well as of 2 minutes ago the world is still turning. There has not been a Zombie Apocalypse, and Kat still tolerates us. We still suck down coffee and diet Coke like there is no tomorrow and have not been hungry or miserable.
The only issue is it looks like a family of gypsys moved out of our clothes.

It's been a while

Well, it has been a little over one year since Ralph and I have taken the time to blog. Life has been full and very busy, to say the least. Two years ago I took over as Head Administrative Coach for the Christian Brothers High School Brothers in Arms Trap and Skeet Team. We have had some challenges and always find opportunities for improvement, but the athletes (yes I said athletes) have done an outstanding job.  Ralph and I need to clarify something for some of regarding the term athlete.  You are thinking: "shooting at clay targets is not athletic".
Think about this instead:
The average trap gun weighs around 9 lbs. A round of trap is 100 targets. This means that an athlete has to raise and mount their 9 lb gun 100 times. Using old school math, that means in a period of around 45 minutes, each athletes lifts and lowers around 900 lbs. They do this in the heat, cold, rain, snow, and wind. Try it some time :-)
For the past two summers I have had the enjoyable task of traveling around the county with my son as he pursues his love of competitive shotgun sports. Actually, I get to drive the truck and write checks. He gets to shoot and bring home the bling, and he has gotten a lot of it.
Ralph and I are still traveling around the country working locum assignments, speaking, and teaching. In fact, we will be in Columbus, MT next weekend on a locum assignment.
I had the honor of presenting two topics at the 2019 Annual Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Conference last weekend in Memphis, TN. I presented a 4 hour pre-conference hands on workshop on Incision and Drainage. Sunday morning I presented from the main stage "Bugs, Spiders, and Other Yucky Things".


I am still teaching 4-5 Joint Injection Courses each year with Advanced Education  Services  ( www.injectioncourses.com ). I will be teaching in Phoenix, AZ October 12th.


My wife, KAT and I both are working with our friend and colleague, Brett Snodgrass MSN, FNP and her company: BBS Health Education ( www.bbshealtheducation.com ). We are providing regional CEU educational conferences for practicing clinicians on a multitude of topics. We will be doing:
BBS Knoxville Pain Management Boot Camp - September 13, 2019 8am-4pm        
BBS Knoxville Pharmacology CE Conference - September 14, 2019 8am-4pm with OPTIONAL SUTURE COURSE
BBS Jonesboro Pharmacology CE Conference - October 12, 2019 8am-4pm with OPTIONAL SUTURE COURSE


In February I took a hospitalist position at a local Memphis hospital. It is a 7 on - 7 off schedule which allows for plenty of time for Ralph and I to observe the world...........


Although Ralph and I have not taken the time to blog, we have been diligently making notes about our observations of life. We will get to work on some more blog postings.
As always, our goal is to educate, entertain, and let you know it is ok to laugh at yourself. It must be because we do it quite frequently.

Are you a REAL nurse? Or are you just someone who was able to pass NCLEX?

As Ralph and I travel across the country, I have the opportunity to work with some of the best healthcare workers in the world. Their level of skill and compassion is second to none. Unfortunately I have to opportunity to work with some of the biggest slackers in the world as well.
One might ask what is the difference, or how can you tell. The most recent example we will illustrate below:
Scenario 1: 30 minutes before staff shift change we are called to the ER because EMS is inbound with a possible stroke. In preparation for their arrival, I ask lab to come to the ER and Xray to warm up the CT scanner. I tell the ER RN that if the patient is stable on arrival they will go straight to the scanner (which they will pass by on the way from the ambulance to the ER) and then to the ER. The reply from the "RN" was "they need to come to the ER first so I can triage them and get their history in the computer". Needless to say at this point Ralph woke up!
I met the EMS crew at the door, did a rapid assessment and to the scanner we went. When we exited the scanner and arrived in the ER the "RN" was nowhere to be found. The patient was in the ER with 3 members of the BLS EMS crew, a CNA and Ralph and I. Over the next few minutes an appropriate history was obtained, NIH Stroke Scale of 6 documented twice, a 12 lead EKG was obtained,  I started 2 large bore IVs, hI had reviewed the head CT and identified a subdural hematoma, and was talking to the tertiary hospital neurologist on the phone when the "RN" wandered back into the room. Her first words were "why didn't you come get me, I was just having a cup of coffee". I asked her to call the on call RN to assist us because we were going to fly the patient to a neurosurgeon. Her response was "night shift will be here in a few minutes, I don't want to bother the on call RN".
Well at this point it was all I could do to keep Ralph from "splainin" the facts of life to this supposed "RN". But, professionalism prevailed and I was able to keep him muzzled.
The night shift staff arrived and the day shift "RN" informed us that ******* is here I am outa here.
Scenario 2: A few weeks later, Ralph and I were called to the ER for a chest pain patient that had walked in. The ER nurse for the day was the night shift RN from the previous case. When I walked into the ER about 6 minutes after I was called I was handed a 12 lead EKG, the patient had 1 large bore IV and a second was being started, the patient had been given 325 mg aspirin that he chewed, and labs were drawn and in process. This patient eventually also flown to the above mentioned tertiary hospital with a diagnosis of Non STEMI MI, had been started on thrombolitics in our ER and, by EKG and symptoms, his infarct was resolving. The evolution of this case also overlapped shift change, and the oncoming night shift "RN" was, you guessed it, the day shift "RN" from the previous case. The day shift RN did not leave the ER until almost 3 hours after her shift had ended and she had seen the patient roll out the ER door with the flight crew, because this was HER patient.
Now the difference between the 2 scenarios, in mine and Ralph's opinion, is one of the above is a Registered Nurse, and one is someone who was able to pass NCLEX.
Ralph and I will let you debate which is which, and even more importantly, which you choose to be like.
Happy New Year!