New Office.

My last post showed my old, empty office.

And this one shows my new, full office. It

is not yet all set up and I'm missing a desk

and a filing cabinet. But I'm "home" now!

~ Chy

Second Option.

The second option for new office space would be the

other counselling room. I like this one a bit better with

the colors and the softness. There are some downsides.

I may not get to decorate with my own touch. I will

get that confirmed before I make any decision. I would

also be separated from my team and all the other staff

members as this is on the other side of the hospice. It's

not a bad thing as I would have complete quiet and be

able to concentrate. But as quiet and shy as I am, I am

also social and thrive on the conversations that happen

down the hall. I will have to give this idea some good

thought before I make any decisions. In time, in time.

Which one do you like the best?

What would you do if you were me?

~ Chy

Before Curtains.

I came across these great shots that I

took last year when our new hospice

was still under construction. My brand

new office, before the paint, the carpet,

the trim, the furniture and the sweet lacy

curtains ~ which was the finishing touch.

~ Chy

Cozy Corner.

 

Feeling so lucky leaving my office the

other day. My ED gifted me her chair

from her office so I could set up a cozy

counselling corner for clients. I have

plans for a table in between, along with

a tall lamp behind the chair on the right.

Some lovely art and perhaps a hanging

shelf or some nicknacky items. So blessed.

~ Chy

Cabinet Reveal.

Ta da! Freshly painted and in it's first

spot to try out. But then, I changed ....

.... it by moving it closer to the window,

giving more room to walk by it to the desk.

I'm excited to decorate it up. And have

a spot for all my books and special items.

Maybe a plant or two. My puppets. And

a whole lot of stuffies for the littles who

come in for programs or counselling. I

loved this cabinet before and will love it

even more now that it's making my new

office finally feel cozy, warm and inviting.

~ Chy

Painting Day.

We brought this amazing cabinet in

to my new office on the weekend.

But it's been in our garage for a couple

of years and has lots of awful scratches.

Looking forward to a fresh coat of sage

green paint to brighten it up and make

it look brand new again. A lovely and

very sturdy unit for all my grief books.

~ Chy

My New Abode.

I have worked for our local hospice for over 16 years, first on a very part time contract one evening per week, and one full day per week. We still had a 12 year old at home at the time who was homeschooling, and putting her in after school care and NOT being there for her activities wasn't something I was willing to do at that time in her young life, especially when all her siblings had me at home before her. A few years later, they offered me full time, which I then chose as my dh was willing to work from home at that point. We made it work well and I've always felt so honored to work in this environment. I can't imagine any other job ever.

For a number of years, we were housed on our same site but in a very ancient nun's covent. Because we had not at that time established a residential hospice, our programs and our admin fit nicely in this space. Over time, the building that we owned became a large expense in trying to keep it functioning well. I had the tiniest classroom, our offices were crowded, it was cold in the Winter and hot in the Summer. When our new Ed joined us over 3 years ago, the ball started to really roll to get a new building in place and the residential piece open. As she had done this in her past work with another hospice down east, it was a natural fit to hire her to get us to where we are today. In our new building, on the same site, unpacking boxes and getting ready to welcome our first resident on site, as early as next week.

We moved our about 18 months ago, set up in a temporary location and worked away, while a construction crew took down our old building and then miraculously put up the structure we now occupy. I have not one but two huge classrooms, with built in cupboards, counter, even sinks! Two huge counselling rooms with comfy couches, cozy armchairs and beautiful cabinets to store books, toys and warm blankets. My parents group and other adult groups can choose to meet in the education room, our conference room, the private dining room or the day program room. We have storage that looks so empty right now because it's so big and we did such a great job of purging prior to moving in. And we have a fully functioning, amazing kitchen (complete with a Red Seal chef), a community dining room, communal and private washrooms, a laundry room, a boiler room, a great room with a piano and a fireplace, several family spaces (one with pullout couches for sleepovers), a family shower room, lots of bright admin offices on the second floor, and 12 beautifully appointed resident suites. Each suite has it's own washroom, desk, fireplace, tv, pull out couch, small fridge, storage and lovely shelves to display personal items, and the most amazing bed that starts out as a single but expands so family members can cuddle together with their loved ones as they actively work towards their last days on Earth. We are the first free standing, community based, family focused hospice in the region and I am beyond proud to continue to be involved. I am now the Director of the Grief Support Programs and we've added Spiritual Care in my portfolio. I have a small team of counsellors and a larger team of trained volunteers. My staff will grow in time as the hospice begins to fill and the needs of our residents and their family members are expressed. I'm truly so excited for our future as we grow.

I moved in to my sweet office a few weeks ago. I haven't had a lot of time yet to decorate it. But have lots of ideas and have started gathering things I'd like to take in to dress it up a bit. First up, artwork and then I'd like to add either an armoire or detailed bookcase. A throw on the chair, a footstool perhaps, and plants .... so many plants would grow amazing in this space. I have two windows and one looks out over the church next door. But the second one, along the blue wall, looks out over the neighbors behind us. And one, unfortunately appears to be a home with many people and a lot of junk in their yard. Not a pretty sight. I'll have to work on how to ensure I don't need to look at at that sight!

What do you think of my new office?

How would you decorate this space?

~ Chy

Cozy Office.

I'm getting settled in well to my new cozy little

office space at our temporary location this year.

I hung up a long scarf as a window covering and

bought a little tie back with glass on the end of

the ties. And hung a sweet little wooden heart

with a green ribbon that was originally white.

Hung up more pictures, found some sweet little

stickers to embellish the walls and am now on the

search for some beautiful quotes to hang up as well.

Isn't my plant on the shelf amazing? It's growing!!

We're here for about 14 to 16 months while our

new hospice is being built. For now, it's cozy ....

~ Chy

Final Painting.

I'm down to the last little bit to paint

in our new little office. I should be

done by the end of this coming week.

A bit of trim, then set up. So close!

~ Chy