Marvel Ghione spent 40 years as neonatal nurse

There's a lot of very interesting people in my Wise Owl Yoga class and I really enjoy talking with them. Recently I learned that one of the yoga ladies, Marvel Ghione, spent 40 years as a registered nurse working in the neonatal field. That's for the really sick babies and for the extra tiny ones too. What a wonderful calling in life she's had!

I was particularly interested to hear about the very tiny babies because my husband's little brother David was born three months premature and he weighed one pound, 12 ounces. He looked like a miniature that was so small he fit inside a butter carton. David stayed small all throughout his childhood until he hit puberty and that's when he grew big and strong and healthy. Our forever thanks to all the doctors and nurses who cared for him during those worrisome days.

Marvel first worked at Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley in the medical-surgical unit and then at Kaiser Oakland where she worked in the allergy and pediatric department. After five years she went back to Alta Bates Hospital to work in the newborn nursery and she continued working with babies until she retired.

She saw many changes in the neonatal field and by the time of her retirement they had a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit. Marvel became a lactation consultant and helped start a mother's milk club, which was a support group for mothers who were nursing their babies.

Marvel had a very productive life with lots of family and a wonderful husband who, after 36 years married, she lost him to cancer. After retirement in 2004 she moved to Carson Valley and said she really loves it here. She keeps busy with her involvement to DAWG, an animal support group, the Douglas County Historical Society, her daily walks, Curves to exercise and yoga classes with the best yogi in town, Jill Mustacchio.

It's a real pleasure and appreciation to know Marvel Ghione and learning about her life spent nursing for the smallest patients in the hospitals.

Best apple pie 

When we went to Apple Hill recently we brought home several different kinds of apples " some sweet, some tart, some red, some green, some yellow. Right away I made an apple pie and I used five golden delicious and two Granny Smiths and also two small, red-skinned apples from the backyard of Katy, my yogi friend. It was the sweetest of all the apples. I wish I knew what kind these little, juicy, sweet red apples were. Yummy. That was the best apple pie I ever made and I think I'll make one again with several different apples.

n Linda Monohan may be reached at 782-5802.