Last Day at Hines

As Rulon left Hines for the last time. he took some pictures. I hope that these photos will remind him of a wonderful career in a unique setting. He arrived as a new psychologist in March of 1972. He left July 31, 2009, having served the veterans and their families well for all those years. So many of them shed tears and gave him mementos that were precious to them. I hope these pictures will bring back memories as we look at them in later years!

Leaving Hines for the last time!

The oldest building at Hines - 1/2 mile long! MHC was there some years ago.
Same building - Building 1 - a historical site because of original Chicago bricks.

Again, Building 1 - built just after WWI.

Off in distance is the building where he originally started - Building 51B.

Again - Building 1

Building 1 again - near where MHC was.

Back of 51B where he started in 1972 on the inpatient psychiatric unit.

Again, Building 51 B - has been closed up for years. Now inhabited by rats and cochroaches.

Loyola Medical Center - our sister hospital - non VA.

This is the landmark building of Hines - Building 200 - 15 stories.

Again, Building 200 - this was Rulon's first sight of Hines when he applied for the job.

Now of the last sights that he sees as he leaves.

He had to park quite a distance.

There it is - Building 200 includes many of the general medicine and surgery sites.

This is the signature view of Hines.

His last day - he is leaving MHC - posing with his friend, Dr. Pandotte, a psychiatrist.

This is Dr. Richard, a clinical psychologist and good friend who will be taking over his office.

Here she is entering to say goodbye and check out her new digs.

This is Georgene - a longtime secretary of Psychology and Psychiatry

Again, the 1/2 mile long building that has known WWI, WWI, Korean War, Viet Nam War and recent conflict vets.
The original administration building of Hines.

He is walking away from Human Rescources on his last day. This is a view of Building 200 from the south of the campus looking across the quad.

The Hines water tower.

This is looking towards the Human Resources building. Here we see vintage WWII buildings.

You know this building by now - Building 1 - the bottom floor section B was MHC for years.

An amazing view of a rare blue sky over the old administration building as he checked out of Fiscal.

The hallway leading to Rulon's office in Building 228 - 3rd floor North.

This is the check-in area for patients.

Here is the office of Dr. Gibson since 1998.

One of three pictures staff placed directly across the hall from his door - of rocking chairs!

This is a view of his office from his chair toward the door.

This is the view outside his window overlooking the front of Building 228 - Mental Health Service Line.

Retirement Tea

The tea is over. It was so nice and people were very complimentary of Rulon and his efforts. Here are the flowers and balloon that were there. Also the Certificate of Recognition and the Retirement Certificate.

Rulon and Ed Nightengale - his first intern about 37 years ago. Ed flew in from Minneapolis for the occasion! Rulon and Kris

Rulon and Tom Murphy

Rulon and Nikki

Rulon, Dominica and Ed Klama

Being presented with the Certificate of Recognition by Dr. Richard Greenblatt

Karen and Ed Klama and Rulon

Teresa and Regina - the secretaries

Rulon and Gerry Mozdzierz

Rulon and Kathy Richard

Rulon and Paul Fedirka Here are some of the things that he brought home. And this is from his last patient! It is a plaque that reads:

Dr. Rulon Gibson

"Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum."

We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

George Orwell

Thanks Doc for being my co-pilot on my flight from the rice paddies to the present day.

Phil C ------ 1st LT. 9th Infantry 68-69

The Certificate of Recognition reads:

Rulon Gibson, PhD

Throughout his forty years of VA Service, Dr. Rulon Gibson has been a quiet force for excellence in treatment, education, and leadership. He pioneered cognitive approaches to psychotherapy and the application of hypnosis in health psychology. Known by all as a devoted teacher, students year after year requested Dr. Gibson as a clinical supervisor. Other students learned from his cogent lectures; still others benefitted from his years of active service on the Psychology Training Committee. To his colleagues, Dr. Gibson was a consistent voice of reason and reconciliation. The trust that he earned is perhaps best represented by his service as the first Chair of the Psychology Professional Standard Board. Always hovering during these myriad endeavors was a sense of humor, both gentle and knowing.

In his clinical work, Dr. Gibson often challenged patients to recognize the inevitable human condition of fallibility. As patients, students and colleagues continue to carry the teachings he generously shared, they will forever be challenged to locate that grain of fallibility in Dr. Rulon Gibson, whom they today honor as the "clinician's clinician."

Is it any wonder that I am proud of him??? Here we go into another phase of our lives. May it be as wonderful as the past has been.

NEW - Updated pictures!

If you hadn't noticed, Kim has put updated pictures along the right side of this blog. Guess who she put first?
We have been have fun/chaos here! It is good to have some activity in this old house. There is another showing this afternoon but it is during church. Wish someone would just buy it so we could stop having to get it immaculate everytime we leave - just in case someone comes.
Have a wonderful Sunday!

40 Year Ago Today

It was July 20, 1969 and we were living in Lincoln, Nebraska. Rulon was in graduate school there at the university. We had two little boys, Chris, who was nearly 3 and Mark, who was 6 months old. We lived in a small home on 55th Street. On that July day, we sat in our living room and watched the landing of the first man on the moon. I held Mark in my lap as we all watched our little tv in amazement. The picture was blurry and not in color (we only had a black and white tv anyway) but that didn't matter because we were watching history in the making! It was one of those defining moments in life - "where were you when?".
One thing I remember was that our neighbor was out cutting the lawn. I just couldn't imagine that anyone would be doing something so mundane as that at this historic moment.
Now 40 years have passed. Much progress has been made in so many areas. Technology has greatly improved. But on that day in July, we thought that nothing was impossible! Man had landed on the moon!

Falling from Heaven

Imagine sitting in sacrament meeting listening to the announcements when a piece of moulding drops down from the ceiling! That is what happened as our first counselor was announcing some new callings. It missed him but it was scary! People gasped, a baby cried. We all looked up to see where it had come from. With a little humor, Bro. Child diffused the situation and the second counselor carried the weapon from on high out of the chapel.
A structural engineer walked up and whispered to the bishop that perhaps the deacons should move back a couple of rows. As the sacrament was passed, many eyes were still glancing upwards probably with thanks in their hearts that no one was hurt. Or maybe it was to see if another piece was going to fall.
During the testimonies, one visitor told the story of the tornado in Salt Lake. He said that there had been a lot of damage done to downtown SL. He had been in the temple shortlly afterwards. The grounds were as beautiful as ever and it looked like nothing had been damaged. He overheard two temple workers talking. One said that she had heard that the tornado simply divided in two around the temple and that nothing had been damaged. The other said that she had been there that day and there had been a lot of uprooted plants, downed tree limbs, etc. It was all cleaned up very quickly though. So, the point he was trying to make was that if we heard about the incident in the 1st Ward Sacrament Meeting a few weeks later where people were saying that an angel swooped down and caught the moulding, we could say that we had been there and that wasn't how it happened!
So, I am sure that someone will be up on a very tall ladder checking for loose moulding this week.
I was also in the congregation a few years ago when one of the light fixtures dropped - no one was hurt and no angels caught it!

My Latest Adventure

I made lots of baby items recently - teaching enrichments classes. I made burp cloths, touchy- feely mini blankets, and modesty nursing shields (see pictures of some things below).

I got a little present ready for a girl in the ward who was going to have a baby boy in a couple of weeks. I missed seeing them at church and so delivered the little bag to their home. They weren't home and so I hung it on the mail box that was right on the porch. The next Sunday, I asked if they had found it. No - they hadn't seen it! I was sure that someone had taken it. I drove past the house again and realized that the address number didn't match. So I e-mailed the girl and told her that her neighbor must have it. Still heard nothing.

Well, three weeks went by and I just figured that it was gone. I was mad at myself for leaving it at the wrong address.

Then, this week I got a call from a girl who asked if I had left a sack with a package in it on her mother's porch. This girl had recently had a little baby boy and they thought that it must be for her. But she read the card and realized that she didn't know us and it didn't have her name on the envelope. So, she tracked me down. I was very impressed that she was so honest. I made arrangements to go get it the next day.

When I asked her for the address, she gave me a number on North Webster!!! I thought I left the package on North Eagle! They are a block apart! So no wonder it was never received by the person it was intended for!!!!!!

I felt so dumb. I went and got it and ended up giving that girl the nursing shield, a mini blanket, and a burp cloth. She was so nice and really loved the things.

Then I came home and made some more things that I will personally deliver on Sunday. The baby has been born. Anyway, what an adventure! I must be getting old!!!