Welcome, readers!
I started this blog over two years ago to center around the publication of my career memoir, Caring Lessons: A Nursing Professor’s Journey of Faith and Self. Now, June 2012, my goal is to blog weekly, from the perspective of a retired nurse, on topics related to writing, aging, and life in Chicago.
I’m a happy mom of two and grandma to five who decided to take writing seriously in 2000, a few weeks after I retired as professor emerita from teaching nursing at Trinity Christian College.
Working nearly forty years, I held positions in eight places, ranging from hospitals to steel mills, and I taught and/or held administrative positions in four schools of nursing: Prairie State College, Trinity Christian College, Valparaiso University, and St. Xavier University/Chicago.
I earned a diploma in nursing from Blodgett Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, B.H.S. in Nursing Practice from Governors State University, and an M.S. in Psychiatric Nursing/Ph.D. in Nursing Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. And, since I love learning and nurses are known to be life-long learners, I’m completing the last year of the four-year University of Chicago Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults in 2012-2013.
I live in a Chicago high rise with my husband. And I love to shop–with my daughter. This photo was taken in a Gap dressing room as she and I were modeling blouses alike.
Thanks for stopping in! Come again.
Congrats on the book! I can’t wait to read it! SO proud of you!
Thanks so much! It’s so fun to hear from you HERE!
Yea! We are just getting back from Hawaii and I’m trying to catch up on my emails. So proud of you for your accomplishment! My step-son Jay is a nursing student at Bradley, so I will mention the book to him. He is in his junior year and wants to work at a hospital downtown when he is done with school and then go on to get his NP. We’re quite proud of him and his choice to go into the nursing field. Someday, I hope to write a book about my experiences with Rick and Lindsey but that will probably be when I’m an empty nester. Hope all goes well with your book release! Love, Julie
Thank you, Mrs. W! I hope you do write your story someday. Jot down things you remember now (a page of phrases will do) to help you recall the experiences later.
Congratulations on your book. I am looking forward to reading it, when I am done with graduate school in 8 months!! Thanks for your career in nursing and helping me mold into the nurse that I am today!
Thank you, Miranda. And congratulations to you for pursuing graduate school. Going back to school is not always easy, but in my experience, the efforts were so worthwhile. I hope my book will be of help to you as you pursue your career. Nursing is the best, as you undoubtedly already know! Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog and write.
Hey Mrs Roelofs,
So excited to hear that your book is here! I will be sure to get my check in the mail for a copy. I LOVE seeing your pictures and blogs. The one with the boxes in the bathtub was very funny. Say “HI” to Mr. Roelofs.
Thanks, Jane! Glad you liked the pictures. You can imagine how my husband likes helping me out. This endeavor definitely takes team work. We’re slowing emptying the boxes in the bathtub, and I’m hoping we don’t have a faucet malfunction when we’re not home. Ha ha.
Lois, I love your site; haven’t read your book yet, but available on kindle for mac? Browsing your site, I’m also reminded of my many glory years in Chicago
Thanks for encouragement on the blog! According to Amazon, Caring Lessons is now available on Kindle. Stay tuned for more Chicago pictures–I have this whole canvas outside my door.
Lois, I just checked; It’s there and I’ll pick up a copy. Nurse writers are a rare breed, but they have LOTS to say..
Hi Lois,
Just wondering if it would be possible to include a link on your site Lois Roelofs
~ from teaching nursing to writing memoir (in Chicago) to our nursing school site. I was hoping we can come to some arrangement. I am happy to negotiate payment in return for the link placement.
Please kindly get back to me with your thoughts.
Thanks
Ann
Ann,
I’m sorry but I am not accepting paid advertising at this time. Thank you for contacting me.
Lois Roelofs
Thank you so much for coming to my site..I can hardly wait to read everything you have…I think you are Living the life I was meant to…thank you!
You’re welcome! I loved your nursing story. By the way, I loved The Help too. Even discussed it in two different book clubs. I’ve never had the south experience, some members had, and it was an enlightening, and upsetting, experience to hear about.
Hello Lois, After reading your “about” I’m thinking we came from similiar roots. I graduated from Butterworth Hospital School of Nursing in 1974. I remember a Dr. Brian Roelofs who was a resident when I was there. (in fact I had a big crush on him!) Any relation to you? I look forward to reading more of your nursing stories from the bygone era.
Hey, thanks for writing. I responded on your blog. Like your blend of health and healthy fun things. Sorry, I’m don’t know your old heart throb. (I had one, too, in training at Blodgett.) Keep on biking–good for you. I’m more likely these days trying to walk my 10,000 steps a day on Michigan Avenue.I’ve not reached that goal yet!
Lois, I LOVE the colors of this new site and it’s design. HOW do you do it; has so much pizazz! Is the bean that big? I’ve not seen it, but that’s a great aerial view. Thanks so much for stress and the immune system. So true, but that wasn’t presented AT ALL in school. But, then again, school WAS 30 years ago.
Annie, Thanks for the compliment on my “new theme”. I get tired of a theme after a while and have to change. This one is itheme2 and came out right after Jobs died. All I did is add the photo under theme/header. I took that one from my terrace.I have pictures at every time of year–this time I like the changing colors in Millennium Park. Yes, the Bean is that big! It always looks shiny and breath-taking. Re stress, I don’t think I heard of Selye till my bachelor’s completion program. And my diploma schooling was now 50 years ago! Hard to believe.