Rhythm of Life

Just Checking In

2011-10-06T16:59:00.000-04:00

I've had to hankering to start blogging again. I'm working full time, which feels good.
I've been embroidering, sewing a little, knitting, going to school, etc. I'm working
about 12 hours a day with an almost 90 minute commute each way. So did
not want to do that again. BUT, I am getting awesome hours. If only the budget would cooperate.

Friday - too much time away from home and PrayFit

2011-05-13T15:58:00.000-04:00

I think I'm avoiding home. Not sure why. An attack for sure. I just haven't really realized til I sat down now, at the coffee shop, not at home.

I downloaded the kindle app for pc last week, that might have something to do with my renewed addiction to my little laptop. In all fairness, it's been hot. HOT. Sweat drippingly hot. Our a/c went out last fall and while it was below 75 degrees I shouted I love having the windows open. Now it's sweaty hot. There's a window ac in the bedroom for my hubby when he sleeps during the day and I moved our fan to my sewing room window.

This is my fifth day on Prayfit. So far really really good. Almost great if it hadn't been for the 1000 calories in brownies I at in 12 hours. Trav had the other half. I've done my exercises on the four exercise days and Wednesday was a rest day. I found myself actually excited to get started on the exercises.

I start with my regular journaling and prayers, Bible reading, and then my PrayFit devotional, then I get to the exercises.

The first week is two easy exercises 4 out of 7 days.
They are the Incline Pushup and the basic crunch. The trick is to do it to failure. That means, when I did the incline pushup I used my big desk. The first time I could do 12 and no more. That was all my body could do. On Tuesday my goal was to do one more, and today I did 18. Crunches. The first day I did 30, on Tuesday my goal was 31 and I did 50. On Thursday I did 80 and today I did 100.

I have had no cravings, no fast food, no regular or diet soda, no sweet tea from McD's.

I haven't measured myself yet, I'll wait until next week as I'm retaining water right now. I'm starting at 238 pounds. I know I won't see much difference this week, but after next week I should.

PrayFit - Day 1

2011-05-09T10:55:00.002-04:00

Day 1 is awesome. I love knowing that what I did is enough for today. I've also started a written journal in a book to keep track of meals, foods, water, and calories.

Incline pushup 12reps 50seconds
Crunch 30 reps 1min30sec
Total time 2min48sec

I saw incline pushup and thought no way can I do even two! I did 12 and definitley felt it. I'm also starting zumba tonight. It will be once a week. And eventually I'll bring in my kettle bell exercises.

Starting over

2011-04-27T14:47:00.001-04:00

On the coffee shop radio - Human Nature by unknown artist. I have never heard this song covered. I can't explain it, but I love this song. If you don't know it, you can find it on Michael Jackson's Thriller. Most people would consider it a really boring song, but I love the way it makes me feel. He's singing about being in NYC, the Big Apple. It makes me think of 1980's night city scenes in movies. Glamorous, over the top evening wear, fundraisers, bold makeup.

I quit my job Easter weekend. No surprise to those who knew how bad it was getting. It would be different if it were a job I loved with supervisers that care about the employees. When I have supervisers like that I don't mind the being told what to do and how to do it even if I don't agree. They know what's best for me and they care about me.

I went to my counselor for the second time. Love this woman. She sees me. She can see my passion, she can see my potential, she can see that I want so much more from life. I'm happy, but there more that I want to do. I am going back to school. At first I just thought it would be phlebotomy. I can draw blood. I can start IVs. A nice safe job after giving up and walking away from God's plans for me. That's right. I walked away from Him. He hasn't shut any doors in my face, He was getting me to stop fighting and slow down and go back to school.

Delores (counselor) used to be a nurse and said phlebotomy is a very small pool of employment. Not many people really need them. What to do? Hmmm. Hmmmmm some more. EMT is all I want to do. ALL I want to do. I want nothing else. I was called to it, and God will fulfill it, not me. God will fulfill it, not me. It is not up to me to make it happen. That's another thing I've learned this week. I went up to school closest to me and they are offering the EMT-A. It is between my skill level and a paramedic's. I'm doing it. I've got all but the financial aid done for school. I'll probably start by completing my core classes, Medical terminology and anatomy and physiology.

Under the Sink challenge week 2

2011-03-17T00:59:00.000-04:00

Alright. I got into the cabinet beside the sink and beside the stove. (pictures soon). Now there's a problem. There's a LOT of space I can't reach. But the worst is cleaned. YAY!!!!

Under the Sink challenge - week 2

2011-03-15T00:42:00.000-04:00

What did I spend more time looking at, contemplating, dreading and talking to than it took to clean???

The space under my sink!!!

I did it tonight. I opened a fresh trashbag, put on gloves, made a stack of paper towel, sprayed the "floor" with bleach cleaner, put on one of my favorite Dick Van Dyke episodes. It took me 15 minutes to spray wipe up, and scrub with a copper scrubber, and wipe down again. Not new looking, but wow!!!!!!

Thanks, Donna, for the challenge!!! Loving it!!!

Church Today...

2011-03-14T15:20:00.002-04:00

was very powerful.Very. Sunday School was so good. I think we help eachother so much every week. I like to believe at least one person if not more leaves some of their troubles behind when they leave and feel more empowered for the rest of the week. I know I do.

I'm going to back up for a few paragraphs to last Thursday night. I thought I had to work from 4-8. I get to work and the schedule had been changed and I didn't have to work that night. I wasn't feeling 100% anyway so I helped the prep girl get caught up and went to my Journey group (home church group). I'm so glad I went. I think I made a new friend. Thinking of seeing if she wants to meet me at the coffee shop on Tuesday. Something about the book we're reading (You Matter More than you think by Dr. Leslie Parrott) and the corresponding video really touched a nerve. That and depending on the unstable unemployment payments - for which I truly am grateful. Thank you, Father. I wanted to know what am I supposed to be doing? Right now. What am I supposed to be doing?

A good friend in China right now as a missionary would tell me to rest. My hubby actually says that. He says that's what Esther would tell me. But I don't want to rest. I think this is God giving me a wide open chance to do something new. If I don't do it now, I don't want to lose a chance God is giving me. All of us at Journey group were all wanting the same thing - what do we do now? One woman is looking at leaving teaching, another at her age and her last two kids growing up and moving out, I'm looking at not being able to do what I feel I was called to do.

I'm an EMT. In Summer 2004 God spoke to me as clear as any voice and said that's what I'll be. I pursued it, and went to through two classes to get it, worked 4 places, still employed as needed for my home county. I lost my job with big private company in ATL in Feb 2009, unemployed for 10 months and now working in the deli at a grocery store. Nothing wrong with the deli, but we've undergone a manager change and he only schedules me 4 hours a week. If that's not a big sign to get busy and find a new direction, then I don't know what is.

I came home Thursday night need to be by myself and journal and pray and spend quality time with God. Not just praying, WITH God. As soon as Trav left for work I shut everything off, no distractions, and sat on the bed with the cat, my Bible, and my journal. When I opened my journal I saw I'd journaled and prayed a little on Wednesday the 9th, and it had been 6 since my last time. Wait, that doesn't make sense. I'd spent quiet time on the 3rd, and not again till the 9th. By the 10th I was really restless. It's getting easier and easier to recognize God's calling over Satan's discouraging and depressing mood.

My Wed. nite prayers consisted mostly of thanking God. I thanked him for my friends, specific friends, talked to him about my cleaning challenge, and then finally told Him what was worrying me. My recertification for my National Registry EMT. My state had been done last year. I am keeping up my license. God wanted me to have it, He must have a reason. He just hasn't revealed it to me yet

**
Monday afternoon continuation.

I think I'm going way off topic in this post. Sorry it's so long, thanks for still reading at this point.

Back to Thurs nite alone time. While I was looking for James 1:5 I came across Col. 1:9 (My paraphrasing) "Ask God to give me a complete understanding of what he wants to do in my life and ask Him to make me wise with spiritual wisdom."

James 1:5 (My paraphrasing) "If I need wisdom and if I want to know what God wants me to do, ask Him and HE WILL BE GLAD to tell me. He wants me to ask."

Then I found Psalm 116:1-2 "I love the Lord because He hears and answers my prayers. I love the Lord because He bends down and listens to me; Because He listens I will pray as long as I have breath."

In the span of one week two separate people on different occasions told me to pray for the little (to me) things. I say little to me, but they costly things - a new couch, heat pump, new roof, mulch. I've never been told how to pray, what to pray for, that God really does care about if I want a new couch, or a rectangle table. One of the ladies prayed for a new laptop. When they got their taxes back she told God she would like to have one and to help her find a good deal. If she wasn't meant to have one, there wouldn't be peace about it. She had peace, was able to pay her bills and get a new laptop. So, I'm learning, very slowly, that I can literally give God ANYTHING. What a new freedom for me.

James 4:2 "...And yet the reason I do not have what I want is because I don't ask God for it. 3 And even I do ask, I don't get it because my whole motive is wrong - I want only what will give me pleasure."

James 4:7-10 "So humble myself before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from me. Draw close to God and God will draw close to me. Wash my hands, purify my heart. Let me cry for the wrong thigs I have done. Let me have sorrow and deep grief. Let me have sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. When I bow down before the Lord and admit my dependence on him He will lift me up and give me honor."

When the devil flees from me I can feel him draining. A couple of weeks ago I was so anxious but just could not pinpoint the source. Once I recognized it as needing quiet time, I just started thanking God - for my friends, my church and praying for others and I could literally feel the anxiety and bad feelings draining out of me. I was so much better for the rest of the night.

When I'm unsettled it's because I've been depending on me. I tend to treat God as my battery charger. I spend one day with Him, feel recharged and then ignore Him until my battery runs down and I'm anxious again.

This post is going on. I could write more, but I'll save it for another post.

"Beloved, God is not tired. Nor is He tired of you." -Beth Moore

Two of my very Best Friends

2011-03-13T22:01:00.001-04:00

Crystal and Michelle. I don't think they know how much I love both of them. I live 500 miles away and even when I do get to Indiana I don't get to see them. Yeah, we have our blogs, facebook, email, phones! but for some reason, I don't pick it up and call them. I don't sit here and write to them.

Crystal is a wildy funny woman. She's fun. Her smile is contagious, she always makes me feel better. She listens to me, offers advice and hugs. Is a mom to a great girl and boy who are growing up way too fast!

Michelle, her younger sister, is mother to 5 girls. 5! She writes a great blog about her youngest daughter and her family and life blog. Michelle, you don't have to justify your Hobby Lobby addiction to me. I'll walk in beside you to HL Anonymous meetings. If you friend them on Facebook and check their page everyweek they have a 40% off coupon you can print off.

Under the Sink challenge - end of week 1

2011-03-13T19:05:00.002-04:00

The challenge was for 1 week. Donna got her closet done. It's empty and ready for a new use!
I have to admit that I didn't do much on my challenge on Wed, Thurs, or Friday. I pulled out all the plates under there, antique dishes of my grandma's, and some wide mouth jars. All were washed in the dishwasher. I threw away a couple of small oil lamps, a deep fryer whose lid has been lost a long time, broken jars, the lids and the box. Hmmm, I'm sure more got thrown away.

I do need to clarify that it's not just the space directly under the sink, but the cabinet that joins it. There is no wall dividing the space, so mice were on everything. The absolute worst part was directly under the sink.

Now the space and the shelves are mostly empty. I still have a thermos to pull out and an electric griddle.

Saturday night I moved my clocks forward before I went to a friend's house for a few hours; that way I didn't really feel like I lost an hour when I got home. My body just accepted the time. But...I was feeling bad my challenge wasn't done and tomorrow was Sunday. I checked my facebook the second I got home and what was waiting for me? An excited message from Donna saying her closet was done! Whoa! I got some more work to do!!

Since Travis was at his brother's house, I turned on a peppy inspirational channel on pandora.com and went to work. In less than a half hour or 6 songs, I'd emptied the dishwasher, started a load of laundry, and went to work on the cabinet. That's when I washed the keepable jars, threw away the rest, the lids and the box, pulled out a bag of dishes bought for cheap at a yard sale YEARS ago to break to make stepping stones (which we did with some) and put those in the dishwasher, too.

I'm extending my challenge to this week. I should be done in two or three days. I have to figure out what to do with the electric griddle. I threw the fryer away because we haven't deep fried anything in many many years, the lid is gone and they're now being made like crockpots with a removable insert to be washed. I have to get down on my hands and knees and put some real elbow grease into it. I also sprayed disinfectant. Makes me feel better :)

In the below trailer, skip to 55 seconds about the mouse dropping/raisin clip.

Under the Sink challenge Day 2 part 2 and sweet thinking hubby

2011-03-09T15:35:00.000-05:00

Part 2 of yesterday happened after midnight and before I went to sleep.

I've done two loads of dishes in the dishwasher. The plates are now clean and stacked on the bar. Some pyrex baking dishes and lids are cleaned. All that's left are some more decorative antique bowls that came from my grandma, the canning jars, and a deep frier with no lid. And maybe a few more baking dishes. Then I'll just have to sweep, disinfect and wipe down a few times with bleach until I feel clean.

***

This morning I needed Trav to stop by Kroger on his way home and pick up Cedar Fresh Kitty Litter. They didn't have any. Instead of saying "Oh well, I'll try again later" he went to find someone and they told him that specific Kroger didn't sell it anymore. He didn't come home empty handed. He bought Purina's Yesterday's News litter. I like it so far. No more dust, clay, or little scoopable grains everywhere. It will be easy to keep kitty bathroom clean and usable for the hoomans.

Under the Sink challenge Day 2

2011-03-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

source

The stack of dishes in the above picture is not mine but it might as well be. I counted 40 dinner plates. I haven't counted the saucers and bowls yet. Like I said yesterday it's only the two of us. While we dirty alot of dishes in two days, we don't dirty 40 plates. Some of the plates will go back to mom as she wants certain ones back. Some were a gift but are not my favorite and the rest I've picked up at Old Tyme Pottery.

Today I opened up the cabinet to the right of the sink and brushed the poop off the shelf to get to the dishes. They're in the dishwasher now. Not much left under there but a box of canning jars which I'll probably repurpose in my sewing room.

Under the Sink challenge Day 1

2011-03-07T20:09:00.000-05:00

The worst part is done. It's all gross, but the worst part is done. It was picking up the blocks of poison that had gotten damp and a little moldy around the edges. I thought they were going to be gooey. That's what I was dreading most - gooeyness. New word for the day - gooeyness.

I put on yellow rubber gloves and picked them up and threw them quickly in the trash bag. Turned out they were hard and crunchy. And threw away some other things while I was down there and had rubber gloves.

Tomorrow I will buy more gloves and use my little dirt devil to vacuum the poop. Whew!

My God allowed us to have this home and He will help me keep it and Satan will have to flee. He can no longer keep me down.

Blessings and Answered prayers

2011-03-07T12:08:00.002-05:00

I spent Saturday afternoon with my dear friend Donna. We've known each other from church for a few years, and only just gotten to know each other in the last month when I started going to her and Linda's Sunday School class studying Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado. What a blessing! I even let her in on a terrible secret about my home...mouse doodie under the sinks. Under the kitchen sink is the worst. We'd put a chunk of mouse poison under there thinking the mice would eat it all. No. The damp rid I had in a carton absorbed moisture and that moisture leaked from the carton and melted some of the poison and made a terrible nasty mess. Can you say EEWWWW!!!!!?   Eeeww.     Lots and lots of eeewwwws!!!   Ok. Now the challenge. Clean it up THIS WEEK. I know it will not take me that long to do it. All I need is to don yellow rubber gloves, scream eeewww as I pick up the poison, scream eeewww as I throw it in the trash bag and then look and say "well, that took all of 20 seconds to do." Then vacuum the poop and wipe it all down with straight bleach. Not watered down. That will be the absolute worst part. Then I can clean the cabinet and all the dishes in it.

These dishes are not the ones we eat off of. I'm finally going to go through all my dishes and pick out my absolute favorites and donate the rest to a thrift store. I could have a finger food party for about 50 people. That is way too many dishes for two people. This way I'll have room for my tiny "collection" of waffle griddles. Two people, three waffle griddles. I promise not to buy anymore until all three burn out.

I love being accountable to someone else for my challenge. Donna's challenge to clean out a small closet. I know it won't take her long. Just 15 minutes at a time for both of us and we'll have faced some cleaning giants.

By now you're probably asking where the answered prayer part is. I'm pretty sure it's in the challenge to clean and I forgot to say that Donna is going to help me with my living room. By thrifting and reusing, she's going to come into my home and look at it with fresh eyes and make it a haven. I'm pretty sure it's in my journal that I prayed for help. Help with cleaning and help with making it a home.

Me and Trav spent Sunday either on the couch or in bed. He works nights and tries to keep to the schedule even on weekends. I developed an awful sore throat Saturday night. I just watched old movies and the cat stayed with me on her favorite blanket in front of the heater. Some good movies to watch when you're sick are:

Grown Ups with Adam Sandler   Super funny! Enjoyed every minute of it.
Part of   The Mystery of Mr. Wong (1939 with Boris Karloff) I'd seen it before and had forgotten. VERY good.
Two William Powell movies - Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid and The Kennel Murder Case. Both very very good.
Karate Kid- the new one. I love that movie.

I was so in the mood to finish the British series William and Mary. But disc 2 from netflix was cracked. Booo. I'll get the replacement tomorrow. I can put it on after Trav goes to work and while I clean under my sink.

Exceedingly abundantly

2011-03-02T16:11:00.002-05:00

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us (NKJV)

That is one of my favorite verses. I love the phrase exceedingly abundantly. God has provided for me exceedingly abundantly this week. Since I didn't get my way last Friday I have been blessed exceedingly abundantly with friends, exceedingly abundantly with learning, with meeting new people, with new adventures, new groups. I was also able to share my blessings with others.

Sunday I went to my FACING YOUR GIANTS Sunday school class with a roomful of some of the most amazing women in my life. Some of the women I have known from church for a few years, but this class has given us the opportunity to get to know each other exceedingly abundantly. I look forward to every Sunday. We share our praises and are free to share our hurts and worries and some that are very personal, but we know we are safe; anything we say will not be repeated outside our doors. There are more hurts than praises some days, and after sharing, we pray, we pray multiple times in our hour. We lift each other up in exceedingly abundant prayer during the week and come back together the next Sunday to get renewed and refreshed for the week ahead. We love exceedingly abundantly.

One of our leaders invited me to the Homemakers meeting on Monday. She called me around noon to tell me she wouldn't get to go, but took me to the lady's house and made introductions and again...exceedingly abundant blessings, new friends, new things to learn. I can machine sew a quilt and hand appliqué, but have never hand quilted. On Imogene's quilting frame was a 7 x 7 block with sashing quilt. Machine pieced by the homemakers and ready to be hand quilted. Even though I had never done it before she pulled up a chair for me, showed me how to start and let me quilt around the edge of one block. I'm inspired to pull out some of my preprinted panels in my closet and baste them and practice.

God is also keeping me peaceful and busy. Busy in an exceedingly abundant good way. Tuesday I worked from 3-9. On my way out of work I saw the father of one of my coworkers and asked if he was okay. This was about 10 at night. I know he's homeless, but last night he had no where to go. I took him to Waffle House, gave him $5 and some change so he could get a decent meal.   My heart absolutely goes out to him. He didn’t choose to be homeless. He’ll tell you himself he made some bad decisions and ended up where he is right now.

I am blessed to go home to my heater, roof, bed, excess of TV and computers, food, and a really fat cat that won’t move once the heater is blowing directly on her. As long as she gets her mousies she’s happy.

You won’t hear me complain about our lack of money. Yes, we do wish I had a more secure income, and a little more income to get a new roof, put money in our savings, get a deck after 10 years of a ridiculously small, stupidly- built- by- morons- who- can’t- figure- out- the- mechanics -of- a -door “porch”.   But we don’t complain. God has provided exceedingly abundantly for us for almost 13 years, but in the last 2 years especially. If we still made stone altars in the wilderness our land would be covered in them.

Tonight - Wednesday - is church. I have to admit I hardly ever go to Wed. nite church. This will be the first of three weeks they’ll be having a workshop about how to talk to others about Jesus and how to bring our own story to others.

Thursday night - work :( I suppose I have to sometime. If I weren’t working I’d be going to Tiffany’s Journey Group. There are 6 of us women reading Dr. Leslie Parrott’s book You Matter More Than You Think. Truly fantastic book for every woman.

Friday I’m going to a get together at the home of a couple from church. The couples class is really pursuing us. With Trav’s night shift he doesn’t go to morning church with me right now and I’m in the Facing Your Giants class. A couple from the couples class is having a get together and invited us. I’ll be going alone, and am so excited. Excited to be going, not that I'm going alone. Our church and all the little groups are so welcoming.

Linda, the woman who invited me to Homemakers voiced a thought I’ve had for along time about having a craft night. Once or twice a month. She said it could be at her house, but I would like to see it expand so that we’d have to have it at church for the room to accommodate everyone. It would be a group of women, friends, kids even, to bring a hand craft, whatever they’re working on, and just eat snacks and visit. I want people who don’t craft or who say they aren’t crafty to come, too. Again - just to visit and watch, be inspired, learn something new. Some days I may bring my applique, others my knitting, and other days I can bring embroidery. I may even finish my cross stitch I started 15 years or more ago.

That’s it? Whew! That’s an exceedingly abundantly busy week!! How do you do it?
No, silly, that’s not it!!! I haven’t covered Saturday through next Tuesday! Oh yeah, this past Monday was also EMT recertification at the fire station.

One of our leaders in Sunday school is FUN. Outspoken, gets excited like I tend to do and then she apologizes. I wrote her a private message with the subject line of kookiness and told her never to apologize for who she is and that her smile is infectious, her joy lights up a room. She replied with a simple question, and the more I thought about what I wrote, the more I worried about my stupid subject line. I went to see her today, and her smile lit up the world, she hugged me, and said she’s just still learning about face book and just wasn’t sure about if it was a message to her or a reply to someone else. Soooooo…I’m going out to her house on Saturday for lunch and show her some computer and face book stuff.

Sunday - Awesome ladies facing our giants together, morning church and night church with hubby.

Not sure if I have anything going Monday or not.

And Tuesday night we’re getting our pics taken for the church directory. They’re adding days till they can get everyone fit in. Our church merged with another and took on their members and we’ve had 80 new members since October. Since Trav leaves for work at 10pm, we’ll take separate cars and he’ll leave from church. I’ll have been up all day and he’ll just be getting up. Pics at 9:30 at night?!

Whew! Now I’m done!

Quilting Bee

2011-02-28T23:45:00.002-05:00

I went to my first quilting bee today. It was the Homemaker's Club.

I was invited by a woman who has become a dear dear friend in the last month from church. Linda invited me to the bee because she knows I'm so crafty. I machine quilt, piece, embroider, applique, but I haven't done any hand quilting yet. I quilted around the inside edge of one block. Imogene was very smart and very patient with a brand new hand quilter. Her quilting room was so peaceful. Four of sat side by side facing the wall of windows overlooking the valley and mountains. Amazing to watch the weather today. A little rainy, some sun peeked out, and as the afternoon went on, we watched the clouds roll by, heard the thunder, and watch the torrential down pour.

72 out of 80

2011-02-23T23:37:00.001-05:00

80 is the number of 4.5'' blocks I made for my Food quilt seen a couple of posts back. 72 is the number of blocks that came up short. Either all the way around or only on one or two sides.

Well, crap. I'm not ripping them all off and I hate the thought of adding borders; I've never had luck with that. As shown in earlier pictures, added borders won't really show up or make that much difference. I think I'm going to trim them down to 3.75 inches unfinished and then add a 1'' border. But I won't have to add borders all the way around on some of them.

I have another quilt pattern that just uses large rectangles and sashing. I may whip it up while getting ready to re-border 72-4 inch squares.

First block of my food quilt

2011-02-22T16:31:00.001-05:00

Sewing, EMT recert, praying for a victory and maybe a little Bruno Mars

2011-02-21T23:04:00.004-05:00

Finally got in my room this afternoon and sewed on my food quilt. As you can see I've got fabrics with peppermint cane, fruity candy cane, jelly beans, dots, and some with french fries, pickles. The pickles will also play a big part in the border. I love pickles.

I had to go to the fire station tonight for my National Registry EMT recert. Basically sitting while one of the instructors reads through the slides. I left early enough to see my friend Tammie. She's going through some struggles of her own right now. She was there for me a few months ago when I was hurting and I was missing her and needed to see her. She always teaches me something new about God the Father.

By Friday morning I will know if I'm start work at Whitfield EMS. I'm praying for a victory. I have an army praying for me and for this job. I'm claiming it. I've grabbed hold of God, depending on him, and not letting go without a blessing.

And now for some Bruno Mars...

djd

Job interviews and scarves

2011-02-14T23:25:00.000-05:00

Today was my interview at Whitfield EMS. I was hired there in 2007. I sadly walked away in 2008 to work full time for an EMS closer to home with a better schedule and to go to medic school full time. I've wanted nothing more that to work there again for all of those three years.

The interview went very well. Better than when I interviewed last May. I will know an answer on Thursday, Feb. 27th.

After the interview I went to Hobby Lobby. I bought a 20x30 inch foam board for $1.99 and two things of folkart paint in calypso blue. I'm going to paint the board and then cover with squares of paper like the smaller one in my last post.

I bought a skein of sock weight yarn by Walk Away sock yarn in color 02-Footsy. It was $9.99, but used my 40% off coupon on it. I also bought a 4" wooden embroidery hoop for a dollar. Will make making my mom's birthday gift so much faster and easier.

I haven't been sewing lately. Been knitting endless stitches on my shawl. I'm getting sick on cream, blue, brown and I still have another 250+yards to go.

With the sock yarn I bought I'm going to make a potato chip scarf. Just a thin flimsy scarf. I started to make one out of worsted weight yarn and it was just too big and chunky for me. I couldn't imagine wearing it. This yarn is so pretty and will be perfect.

Inspiration

2011-02-12T23:51:00.022-05:00

I'm going to publish this post only half done. I've been inspired by my beautiful, amazing, colorful, creative friend Tina. If you haven't seen her tie dye then you must visit her blog.

I spend way too much time on blogs. I have feed demon blog reader installed with 107 feeds. I don't read all of them and some of them could be deleted. I spend a little time a week glancing through some for the pictures for inspiration to sew and others I read every single post. I love DIYdiva.net. I haven't been with her blog every since the beginning, but pretty soon after her pergola post. I'm not sure how I found her, but she's hilarious, and with the addition of her miniature donkeys I have to read.

With all these blogs I come across so many projects and save all the ones I'll never have enough time to make. The important thing is that I do make some things. I make time, I declare it, I make the project.

This project amazed me, wowed me, made me say, "I have to make this now!" I've been almost obsessed with it. There are a couple of others out there, but I've been unable to find them. Take any size painting, canvas, canvas board, piece of wood, or pink insulation foam board and paint it. That's the easy part. Now break out the mod podge, and paper. Cut your paper into squares. The picture in the link is made with one inch squares. Paint the mod podge a section at a time and place your squares, repeat till done. Before sealing with more modpodge, add a little flavor.

Using a small stiff brush, use just a dab of ink or water color pencils and brush small amounts along the edges of the squares and maybe a little on the squares, too. That's it, just enough to add a little character, a little oomph to your art.

Another canvas board I covered with a piece of green scrapbook paper printed with green numbers. The number were hard to see, so I just really lightly brushed a little water color ink around the edges of the board and brushed lightly around he numbers. Really made it pop. I'm going to glue pictures hangers we already have and hang them in the bedroom.

I did this last night at Tina's. I needed my friend. And her ink. ~laughing~ It's so great when we can get together with our friends with our crafts, drink tea, and eat homemade bread. Dear readers, cherish your friends, they drown out the troubles of the world.

1944, My Grandpa, and Rita Hayworth

2011-01-25T21:05:00.001-05:00

This past October I found letters from my Grandpa to my Grandma. They'd been married for about 6 years and Grandma was staying with her mother for health reasons. Grandpa sent her a letter every week, maybe more. The undying love oozed from his letters - how much he missed her, things around the house, movies he saw, and just how much he couldn't wait to see her again. Sometimes he would send her one or two dollars.

In one letter he talks about a movie he watched that week. I can't remember what it was, but then he wrote that he could wait to see next week's movie with Rita Hayworth called Cover Girls.

I finally got to see it the other night. Rita Hayworth reminded me alot of my Grandma. So beautiful. And to think Grandpa sat in a theatre and watched it in 1944 and I'm watching it in my home 67 years later. Amazing to think about. Could he imagine that half a century after the movie was made that I would be able to watch it from a disk or tape in my home on tv???

Grandma in the picture below standing on the right with an apron.

Hubbz is One Smart Cookie!!!

2011-01-20T18:45:00.000-05:00

So I've been talking to Hubby about mod podging little paper squares onto canvases or painted wood. He's even smarter than that!

His idea is to go to buy the thick pink foam board at a home improvement store and spray paint it black. Or whatever base coat I want and do it on that. I have a small Paris poster that I can space out the pictures on. Or copies of my fire pictures, Or...the possibilities are endless.

2011 goals

2011-01-03T22:28:00.000-05:00

The other day I came across a craft blogger that put her goals at the bottom of her home blog page. What a nifty idea! Tonight I came home and did that for myself. Scroll all the way to the bottom to check out what I've got so far!!

The end of 2010

2010-12-30T21:42:00.002-05:00

It's the end of 2010. It's been a real roller coaster ride.

JANUARY

Lost my job in January.

Went to Mellow Mushroom for the first time. OMGoodness!!! Best pizza since Smith’s in Morgantown.

Had a great snow. Love being snowed in. Oh wait, we had no food the first time. I made the worst pancakes ever. I got the recipe from a raw vegan website. BLECH!!

Finally got around to making a journal at home like the one I made in a class.

Started on Zoody's birthday quilt

FEBRUARY

Me and Zoody visited mom

While at mom's finished a simple little shirt I 'd started a few months before.

Chilled out for awhile

MARCH

Our water heater finally died. May have had something to do with the community well going out and filling the heater up with mud. Trav did that all by himself. I helped by holding the flashlight, watching for leaks and handing him tools.

Went by myself to visit mom in March

APRIL

April saw our first two batches of lye soap. So much fun making that. Sold some at farmer's markets. Gave a lot away.

Our First ever chicken. Highly overrated. I don't think we're whole bird people.

CLEANING!!! We rented a large dumpster. So much fun. We got rid of so much accumulated stuff around the house and yard. There are still things we wish we'd gotten rid of.

New Easter clothes and shoes.

Met mom and our friend Lynn in Louisville, Ky, for the Women of Joy conference. Speakers were Sarah Palin, Anita Renfroe, Liz Curtis Higgs, Becky Tirabassi.

Awesome times!!! Ate at Joe's Crab shack for the first time!

Hubby, Brother in law, and nephews went to Big Pizza in the Sky in Marietta. They got a 35'' pizza. Each piece was comparable 16'' pizza.

We discovered Goforth Creek on Hwy 64. We took Subway sandwiches and sat on the rocks and enjoyed the waterfall.

Spent a spring day in the park eating lunch and enjoying the small town.

MAY

May saw more beautiful days and more soap making.

JUNE

This month I went to The Villages with my friend Darcey. We stayed with her parents for a week and helped with their 50th wedding celebration. They took me river kayaking. So much fun.

JULY

Apparently I didn’t take any pictures of the month, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t do anything. For my 35th birthday me and Trav saw Phantom of the Opera at the Fox Theatre and then ate afterward at The Vortex on Peachtree St.

AUGUST

Travis went with me to Chickamauga to turn in my application to Walker County EMS. Like everyone else, they only want medics. It wasn’t a wasted day…we spent it in the town of Chickamauga. Took pictures of beautiful old little churches, war memorials. I went into a hat shop and the owner was delightful. She makes some of the hats, sells hats of every kind. A wonderful little shop. An old man told us jokes. We went to their local museum.

SEPTEMBER

I’d finally had enough of our ugly 70’s kitchen chairs and decided to repaint them. This will take me till next year to get done. I stripped and sanded the first chair and painted it. The second chair only got the shine sanded off it and primed. Needs a second coat of primer.

We went for a lonnnnng drive on Forest Road 77 in Tennessee. We were only 6 miles in on this one lane gravel road. Trees, trees and more trees. There’s supposedly a lake out there, but we stopped 4 miles shy of it. On our way to this FR77, we drove too far out Hwy 30 near Reliance, TN and came across a great two story church that is no longer in use. The church built a new church. It was right on the river and so beautiful.

I saw this Kokeshi doll pattern on a craft blog and knew I was going to make it the next Wednesday when Trav went to his brother’s. I loved making her and she was given to a dear friend of my mom’s who gave it to her granddaughter in California. What a story. I didn’t know when I started making it that it was going with me through four states and then flying out from Indianapolis to California.

The Lazy Days quilt was made in three days. I saw it on the Moda Bakeshop website and cut it out on a Wednesday night while Trav was gone, and had it in strips that night. By Friday the top was complete.

That Friday night Trav went to his brother’s again and I started on a table runner also from Moda Bakeshop. Super easy and fun. I just need some flannel to quilt it and finish it.

Made my first stars and spider web block.

The heat pump went out.

OCTOBER

Our church body moved from our intown church to a church 5 miles out of town that is way way bigger, 17 more toilets, big kitchen, holds almost twice as many people.

Stamped at my friend Tina’s and agreed to make a tea cozy for her teapot.

Went to mom’s for two weeks. The best time. We had time instead of rushing and trying to cram too much in.

While there I had lunch with some friends from high school -- Annette Dunn, Amy Bryant, Lori Priest, and April Boucher.

Me and Jesica are talking again.

Me and mom met Pammie and Barry at Cataract Falls.

I finally got around to cleaning out my old toys, dolls, and baby clothes. I donated quite a bit, threw away the stained, and kept what was special to me.

November

November 10 - I started in the deli at Ingles.

Me and Trav went to walk along the bottom of the lake. Blue Ridge Lake has been almost completely drained.

We got chx sandwiches at Checkers and ate in the park. The weather was heavenly. There were families playing in the park, taking pictures of the kids playing in the leaves.

I seem to do a lot of crafting on Wednesday nights when Trav is gone. I made mod podge coasters our of 16 cent tiles. I used fabric and scrapbook paper. They need another coat or two of mod podge and they came out very good.

Travis started cleaning his room.

Mom and Marilyn came down for t he Ladies tea. I took them to the great little shop in Blairsville. On Sunday we went to early service and then to Ikea.

We spent Thanksgiving afternoon with Travis’ Uncle Butch and his wife Cindy, and Aunt Sissy. What a wonderful, perfect day. The weather was just right. We hadn’t seen Uncle Butch in too long, and we soaked it up. Aunt Mandy, Linsey, Sierra, Wyatt, and Linsey’s boyfriend David came over to visit for a little while.

Uncle Butch was in top form. He felt good, walked without pain, so happy. On Friday morning he ordered tie dye shirts for us from Tina. His wife Cindy always goes to bed at 9 no matter what. That night, he asked her to stay up with him for awhile. He died of a heart attack that night. Instead of regret at not seeing him in the last few years, I feel blessed at the time we got.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving our niece Ashley got married to the father of their daughter.

DECEMBER

Uncle Butch was buried in the National Cemetery in Chattanooga. Me and Trav picked up Aunt Sissy and went to see it. She took us out to a china buffet for lunch.

Not much has happened. I got the quilt done for Debbie Watkins. I've had the material since May or June. I'm guessing it's from the 50's or 60's. I made it into a disappearing 9 patch. She gave it to her mom for Christmas.

I worked a little on my food quilt. It'll take me a little while. Lots of seams to iron open.

Great plans can wait for safety

2010-11-06T22:41:00.001-04:00

Ever since I got back from Indiana two weeks ago, I've noticed odd things with the Neon. Transmission things. While driving, it's stops getting gas, roars like it's in neutral for a second and then goes back into drive. Doesn't always go into drive. I'll be calling Monday to see how much. Could be something as simple as needing transmission bands, a gear, or who knows.

We had plans this morning to go driving as far as we could on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We packed for an overnight trip last night and we up and leaving the house at 8:30 this morning. We made it 15 minutes away to Sonic, had breakfast and decided not to risk our lives driving a VERY curvy mountain road. And that's just getting to the parkway. It's so late in the fall that we'll wait until spring when it's a lot warmer and the trees start to bud out.

We came home, slept till 1pm, fixed lunch and watched The A Team. Best darn action movie I've seen in awhile!!

This evening I scanned bunches of pictures, and glued maps to glass pebbles. SO addictive.

My friend Darcey texted me to say she'd gotten me a bottle of Mod Podge Dimensional magic. Can't wait to play with it. Maps on scrabble tiles as magnets, necklaces, ornaments. The list goes on and on!

This picture is from January 2005. My friend Scotty, me, and my Mom

You Took My Place

2010-11-06T22:28:00.002-04:00

One day, a man went to visit a church. He arrived early, parked his car, and got out. Another car pulled up near him, and the driver told him, "I always park there. You took my place!"

The visitor went inside for Sunday Schoo, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!"

The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday School, the visitor went into the church sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, "That's where I always sit. You took my place!"

The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still said nothing. Later, as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"

The visitor replied..."I took your place."

The above story was found on a paper in my husband's room while he was cleaning. Below is a link to Del Parson's beautiful painting of Jesus with the crown of thorns. Del Parson is a Mormom, I am a Baptist. His work is stunning and beautiful. Doesn't matter what you believe in to love his paintings of American History and Jesus.

http://www.delparson.com/gallery_pages/thy_will_be_done.html

Gettin' my craft on today!

2010-11-05T16:00:00.001-04:00

About a month ago I brought home two chest of drawers and a desk from a couple at church. They're not solid great works of art, but they were FREE! Good enough for me. The "problem" is what I'm going to do to them. Do I paint? decoupage? I've seen every post on the Better After blog. I can decoupage with fabric, every kind of paper, and paper shapes.

I looooove travel, old looking, stamps, asian.   Throw in old looking labels, brands, fashion and I'm sold. I'm thinking of mod podgeing the top of the desk with family pictures, copies of letters from my grandpa to my grandma. The chest of drawers in the same thing, or what ever scrapbooking papers catch my eye.   This morning I saw a coffee table decoupaged with copy of a Morracan tile and distressed to look like real tile and grout. Could so go that direction.

The drawers in my sewing room stand almost 5 feet tall with 6 drawers about 11d x 13w x 7high. The other set of drawers will go in the bedroom. Four drawers that look more like a dresser.

I have another dresser in the bedroom that Zoody painted matte black before I moved to Georgia. Twelve years. The black hasn't been attractive for awhile. I'll probably just paint it off white for now till I do decide how to decorate it. First I'll need to finish the dining chairs when the weather warms up again. Then the table. Do I paint it or stain it. We stained it a honey color 11 years ago and it's showing definite wear.   I've always wanted a big rectangle table. The cheapest way to go if we don't build it ourselves from plywood like this would be to go to our local H4H restore and get a heavy solid wood door that is about the same dimensions and add table legs. Voila! Instant lovable table.

Next - chairs! Zoody doesn't know it yet, but I see these chairs in our future.

This is Floppy. I got him in 1995 or '96. He was so lovable. He had to be near me, on me, and waited for me in the window when he knew I was on my way home from work. I had to leave him in Indiana for a few years and finally brought him down with me. Sadly he is no longer with us. There will never be another Floppy. We think he was a Norwegian Forest Cat.

Took a break

2010-11-04T22:18:00.001-04:00

I've thought of this blog a lot! I want to blog. I enjoy it. I love it really. I read so many and I'm so inspired. Last week as I sat at Papa's Pizza with Zoody I started a new post. I found my goals for 2010 and laughed. I also started a What I Did in 2010 post with pictures. I want to post a random picture. I'll try to be better about posting what I'm working on in my craft room, or what I've cooked.

This is me and Zoody at Amicalola Falls in Ellijay, GA, in 1999. We've never hiked any of it - do we look like hikers? Really. :) We do have friends that have hiked many trails of it.

Getting back in the swing of things. I hope.

2010-05-18T00:44:00.000-04:00

Haven't written on here in a long time. Too long.

I started Becky Tirrabassi's Partner Prayer notebook and daily Bible. Love it. When I get up in the morning I can't wait to get into my sewing room and pray and read.

Me and Zoody have so far made 4 batches of unscented soap. First batch will be ready to use on May 28. Then the next three batches follow closely after that in readiness. So we still don't know what oil combo we will like. So I've ordered coconut oil from Bramble Berry and some great scents from a place in Alabama that way overcharges for shipping!

I'm thinking I'll call Tuesday morning about the job I'm hoping for. It's been a week and a half since my interview. I know it's all in God's hands and his perfect timing. Not mine.

Back to the prayer book. It has a such a wonderful place for things to do, appts, calls, emails...
I'm thinking I'll incorporate my daily tasks into the to-do. May seem like common sense, but I can be slow.

Have a good night.

CLEAN!!!!!

2010-04-12T23:54:00.000-04:00

New shirt, new shoes

2010-04-12T23:46:00.000-04:00

First Chicken

2010-04-12T23:43:00.002-04:00

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T23:37:00.000-04:00

Monday cleaning, catchup Tuesday

2010-03-09T22:54:00.001-05:00

Not much has been going on. I was sick all last week, and now this deep cough won't stop.

Yesterday was Monday - my bathroom. I windexed the mirror, toilet top and seat, under the seat, and cleaned my caboodles. One of them holds rollers and the other one has been empty for awhile and is now being used, or will be used, in my craft room.

Today, not so much. Did actually get up and make it to exercise on time. Oh yeah, kettlebell classes at church have started thanks to my friend Darcey. She's been doing kettlebell for awhile and is sharing her time and dvd's. What a workout. Best one I've ever had. I've done step aerobics, aerobics of the late 80's, ... hmmm...and worked out at a gym. But what sabotages me is me. I still always ate too much or too much bad stuff. Can't say I'm eating much better, but no junk food this week. I' ve had one Wendy's Crispy chicken sandwich, that's the 99 cent one. Even eating some cereal, too. Drinking way too much Sunny D. With the cough and throat wanting to be sore, it tastes so good.

Job hunting - that's where it gets scary. My husband mentions how it should be easier for people like me with a skill to get a job. Unlike him, looking for an ordinary job where there are no factories and the carpet mills 60 miles away aren't really hiring. I got news for you. It's hard, it's discouraging.

Thanks for listening.

Feeling better. FINALLY!

2010-03-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

Zoody was sick last week and most of this week. By Monday night I had it. I spent most of Tuesday in bed or on the couch with a fever. Wednesday I was good enough to sit at the sewing machine. Thursday was full of coughing and Friday we were good enough to go out of the house. I was still coughing bad, but we went to Waffle House, Bargain Barn and to the grocery store for a couple of things.

Today, Trav is gone to his brother's and I feel good enough to do laundry, wash the bedding, a load of dishes, and take stock of the house to see just what has been neglected in each room of the house.

Laundry room: On the shelf above the washer and dryer are 10 years worth of calenders, mail from ? who knows when or why it's there, winter accesories, chemicals, laundry detergent bottles (the huge 300 oz) that aren't used anymore.

Kitchen: Let's not even get into that. The innards of the cabinets need purged in a bad way.

Bedroom: Ceiling fan, both bedside tables, vacuum, dresser has stayed cleaned off, curtains need hemmed and hung.

My bathroom: mop, purge. My old caboodles could now be used in my craft room.

Trav's bathroom: Mop, countertop

Checking in

2010-03-05T23:33:00.000-05:00

I've been a combination of busyness, laziness, and now sick all week. Zoody was sick last week and it hit me Monday night. Yesterday and last night were the worst with coughing. With the help of some cough suppresant I actually got some rest. I have lots of pics to post and hopefully some "jumping back in where I am" on housecleaning and other things that need to get done.

Tuesday -- shirts, laziness, too much sugar and good news

2010-02-16T23:47:00.000-05:00

Last fall sometime I had dreams of making a closet full of summer shirts. Loose, light weight, look better than t-shirts all the time. I started my first one around Oct/Nov. I don't know how I cut it out. The edges were butchered. I remembered to take it to Indiana with me a couple of weeks ago and mom helped me figure out the pattern. I did make some clothing with her hovering. After my 5th year in 4-h I believe I declared after this year, that's it, no more clothing. I don't have the bug or the gene or talent my cousins and mom's friend's daughter has.

Mom said the directions were a little wonky and made some of the steps harder. She simplified them and we did them her way. Much better. We got most of it done while I was there then just had to bring it back here to finish the front yoke. Great learning experience. It does make for a cute night shirt. I will be making another one with the round yoke in the front and then the sleeves. I want to practice and get good at it and it does only take 2 yards of fabric and a little premade binding.

Here's the finished shirt:

The side seams may have been sewn at the wrong seam allowance, not sure. So it looks like I could go down one size and next time will have the rounded neck. The one I made was the yellow one on the pattern picture.

Good news on the job front. Zoody emailed the owner of a shooting school near here and told him he was an experienced shooter, did his own gunsmithing on his guns and could do groundswork or anything else around there. Zoody loves guns, LOVES guns, and this would be a perfect place for him.
The owner emailed him back today and said he looks forward to meeting him March 15 to talk to him. So now he has time to tweak his resume.

This morning I got up without any intention to do anything but enjoy lazily falling snow flakes. I mush admit I am a little tired of it now. I had my breakfast, read in the book I was reading, kept reading, made no-bake peanut butter cookies, read some more, got sick on cookies and laid back down in bed with a sugar headache. But, managed to finish my book before I laid down. I slept until 5. FIVE pm. I must've needed it. Haven't done anything this evening. Made hamburgers and fries. Even the burgers weren't very good.
Watched a few episodes of Man Vs. Food.

After I talked to mom, I came in my room and finished my shirt. and that's where I'm at now. Goodnight

My accomplishments today

2010-02-15T22:29:00.000-05:00

I put in or updated applications today and have a few more started. Cleaned the bathroom in about 20 minutes. Ate lots of cookies. Started my day off right with a boiled egg and a piece of cantaloupe. Bugged the cat, cleaned off the dining table, read some in my book, watched a few episodes of Man Vs. Food, ate lunch with a wonderful friend.
Put patterns away in my binder for patterns.

Monday cleaning

2010-02-15T22:27:00.000-05:00

I know, I skipped Sunday cleaning this week. Maybe what did could've counted. I put up some of the laundry from our trip to Indiana.

Monday is my bathroom day. (pictures soon) Took me about 20 minutes to clean off the counter top, put things away or throw them out, clean the sink with an SOS sponge and while I was at it hit the tub with the SOS pad. WOWSER! What a difference!!! And Zoody is now asking me what day is it and what he can do to help or he thinks of things he can do, too!!

More dramatic movies and a funny one

2010-02-15T16:19:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning I was up early and watched Not Easily Broken. Really good, better than I thought.
After that I watched Doubt with Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. WAAAYYY better than I thought it would be. Meryl's character was a real bitch and it left with knowing the priest was innocent and at the end how human Meryl's character was.

Yesterday evening me and Zoody watched Osmosis Jones. Truly funny. Just what I needed.

Saturday night

2010-02-13T21:04:00.000-05:00

So far as movies go, they've been depressing. Grey Gardens was very good and after watching it agree that Drew Barrymore does deserve the awards. Sad how they accomplished absolutely nothing in their lives. Nothing. Neither mother nor daughter did anything, made anything, worked, had real friends. So Sad.

The other depressing but good movie was The Lovely Bones. Wow. Now Stanley Tucci ought to win an award or at least his makeup and hair artist for completely transforming him. Amazing.

We watched two episodes of the Human Target. I like the show, just not two in a row.

Trav took a tiny nap, I've been in my room sewing. Not on his quilt, but instead picked a block from the block a day calendar called Ribbons. It was supposed to be a 10'' block, but the top half came out way bigger than the bottom. I think some of the triangles were a different size and not stated as such. Still pretty.

And since we are snowed in today and for the next day or so, we're going to make some easy sugar cookies. I'm leaning toward making them tomorrow as that seems like a Sunday kind of thing to do.

Third snow of the year and our family

2010-02-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

God's peace comes in many forms...and other observations

2010-02-12T21:07:00.000-05:00

The snow quiets the chaos of the world.

If I didn't know better, I'd think we were the only people in this corner of the world. The snow has been coming down since noon. It's so fluffy and beautiful. I was so sad to leave it in Indiana when we came back to Georgia. This morning I went to the coffee shop in town, 5 miles from home, to send out applications and resumes, and it started snowing around 12:30pm. I called Zoody to see if he wanted to join me. Within 20 minutes he called back to tell me to get home if I wanted to get up our hill. Town and the main roads were clear and wet, not yet frozen. I gathered up all my stuff, made a quick stop in at the library for some good murder mystery books and headed home. Guess what I forgot this time? Yep. Cat food. Heaven forbid, for real this time, we are trying to starve them to death. haha They haven't been too beggy and do have hard cat food.

After I got home from the coffee shop I swept the bedroom floor, and windexed the outside of the toilet tanks and bowls. Then started a big load of towels in the washer. With all that done, I watched an episode of CSI: NY and the newest House, guilt free. After that, I got three blocks with sashing in between sewn together and a long strip of sashing attached to that on Zoody's quilt.

Now I'm sitting in bed with my cat who hasn't left our side in two days. She's not a cat we've ever held on our lap, and now she makes sure she's next to us on the couch. With a hot cup of pumpkin chai tea and good music, I'm going to post pics of our snow and our family.

Pics are in newer post

Friday Cleaning

2010-02-12T00:55:00.001-05:00

It's after midnight, so it's officially Friday. It was floor day, but I have changed it to floors and toilets. Doesn't take long to do floors around here, so I can have time to wipe down the outsides of the toilets and keep them looking nice once they get cleaned up. They're dusty, we have bad water and bad stuff in the water.

By tomorrow afternoon this will be updated.

__________________________________________________________

It's tomorrow afternoon. I vacuumed the bedroom floor and windexed the outside of the toilet bowls and tanks.

Peace about jobs, routine, knowing what to say.

2010-02-11T12:44:00.001-05:00

As some of you know, Zoody's been out of work since Oct. 2008. Not for lack of trying, he hasn't had luck. He's had the usual problems - gaps in employment. I've been praying God would show him what to do. He's pursued some things he's wanted to do such as blacksmithing, and his things are wonderful. He just needs a few more tools and a truck.

I am also job hunting. Then I remember I have two jobs I can work if there are any openings. I'll call both of them for sure tomorrow. Last night on the way home from Indiana I had peace in my heart, a vision of what I am to do. Spend some time filling out applications on line and then I am to just enjoy the rest of my day and continue any routine I have. An example would be to do my daily cleaning, work on some applications, leave it to God, and just enjoy the rest of the day left. I'm so inspired to just make quilt blocks. I have a ton of scrap material, yardage, fat quarters, misc... and a ton of small craft patterns and quilt block patterns at my disposal. A block a day daily calander, www.quilterscache.com, books, magazines, etc...

God will provide. He will never leave me or my husband.

Thursday cleaning

2010-02-11T12:10:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: The Christmas tree and decorations are put away. YAY!!! That's it for Thursday cleaning.

__________________________________________________________________________________
We got back from Indiana last night around midnight. I slept till 9am. Zoody's still sleeping. I do have a post I'm working on about our time. The snow was deep and beautiful. I met some of mom's good friends, spent wonderful time at the quilt store.

Today is Living Room cleaning. I'm going to continue right where I am. The Christmas stuff has got to go. Everything's packed up but not put away. One box of decorations go in the outside shed along with the tree, and two other cardboard boxes of stuff go in my craft closet.

So that's the goal today. Anything else is bonus.

Wednesday afternoon

2010-02-03T16:18:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting in a wonderful small town coffee shop. L and L Beanery opened up 4 or 5 years ago downtown and has become a favorite place of mine on weekday afternoons. Not noisy, not too quiet. Just right. This afternoon I worked on my resume and cover letter. FINALLY DONE!!!

My old partner called and said CHOA, or Children's Hospital of Atlanta, is hiring and they need EMT's. Sure enough, they do. I'm taking a break from looking at the silly resume and writing to you. Ok. I'm also surfing a little :)

Have a good evening. Tomorrow at this time me and Zoody will hopefully be entering Indiana!!!!!

Final review on bacon chocolate chip cookies

2010-02-02T02:37:00.000-05:00

Final review on bacon cookies. First I must say that I have made some other recipes from Kevin's site. All very very good, but this recipe literally fell flat. Something had to have been wrong with the recipe. I double and triple checked. Followed as written, but they were flat and greasy. Then if you forgot that there was bacon and then had some it was a little disconcerting. Probably won't try these again, and I had such high hopes!!

Roller Coaster has come to a stop

2010-02-02T02:30:00.001-05:00

In a nutshell, got fired today. It's 2 am and I've just been zoning out. Tomorrow I'm going to help Zoody work on a friend's work computer. I'll also have my resume done and printed. Hopefully, probably, going to Indiana. I was so focused on the outcome at work today that I didn't even think about it.

I knew this was probably coming. Lies. That's all the company is built on. Lies and greed, power hungry female that appoints herself over every department. What. ever. In the words of Bon Jovi..."Have a nice day!"
The song's real meaning is giving the finger to the world or whoever.

Zoody went with me today. I'm so glad. It took about 2 to 2.5 hours to get to the office. Without him I would have been worried and stewing and upset. After getting fired, I would have been a mess. I was glad and relieved it was over. BUT....I wanted a job first before I quit. Fired came first.

So what. We still planned on making a day of it. We went to the DeKalb Farmer's Market. Way less busy than it was at Christmas. Very pleasant and we looked at everything. Zoody was completely drawn to the different foreign beers and sake. He settled on one bottle of beer. I 'll have to look at what it was. We bought more Naked Sodas. Some asian chili pepper oil for my brother in law. We had supper at a Thai Bistro. Because it was our first time the very kind waitresses recommended what to eat and brought two smaller plates to let us share. One plate contained Pork and vegetables and steamed rice. The second plate had a curry and citrus-y chicken and broccoli with rice. Mmmmmm. So good. They brought me jasmine tea. That was really good, I'd never had it before. Zoody does not like tea. Doesn't like sweetened and can't get used to hot tea. Thai tea however was wonderful and he loved it. It is some good stuff. Dessert...I love green tea. LOVE green tea. I had green tea ice cream. The most flavorful green tea ice cream I've ever had. Trav had coconut ice cream. It was also good and I hate coconut.

Next we went to the hong kong supermarket. We bought the flavored drinks in glass bottles that have marbles in the top, some candy, bamboo chopsticks for journal making, and a bottle of Thai tea.. We had fun just looking at everything. After we got home, Trav went to bed and I went to my friend Hope's house. I'm going over there tomorrow to make cards. Tonight she gave me a glass of wine and just let me chill and relax. Me and her husband looked up videos on spinning and wood bowls. They have become very dear friends of ours.

No Monday cleaning today.

Sunday cleaning

2010-01-31T22:49:00.001-05:00

It is bedroom day! I love bedroom day. Not sure why, but even the littlest things make it look so much better. I picked up extra blankets, sock, clothes, removed one of our kitchen table chairs that clothes were piling up on out of there. And vacuumed. What a difference.

I also got 12 little denim christmas tree ornaments ready to sew and stuff. So fun and easy. They look like this:

Zoody's birthday quilt

2010-01-31T22:07:00.001-05:00

Here are the blocks! I love this pattern, the fabric (thank you, mom!!!)

Friday and Saturday cleaning

2010-01-30T23:30:00.001-05:00

Cannot lie. I did not do Friday. It was floors. That makes 2 weeks in a row. I might throw it in tomorrow. Since Sunday is Bedroom, I'll just sweep it while I'm in there.

Today is Saturday which means the kitchen. There's a room I enjoy cleaning and always see progress. I emptied the dishwasher and washed another load, worked on the counter top between the sink and the stove, put up what was in the dish drainer, fixed the trashbag that had fallen...hmmm. Earlier in the day put up all the dry groceries that go in the drawers.

Tomorrow is the bedroom, my favorite room. We did have cardboard boxes in there from the 42'' tv, chainsaw, pressure washer, ceiling fan and Zoody got rid of those 2 or 3 weeks ago when he used them for target shooting.

Second snow of the year!

2010-01-29T16:02:00.001-05:00

Chocolate Chip Cookies with bacon

2010-01-28T20:03:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe for Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies a few weeks ago and have been dying to try it.
Zoody thought it sounded good at first, then last night ewwwed at it. Okay, I'll compromise there. Only a small portion of the dough will get the bacon. Let's get cookin! I'll post my review when they're out of the oven.

Thursday cleaning

2010-01-28T19:51:00.000-05:00

It's living room day again.

Doing a section a day has really helped me. A room a week makes me freak out and worry about the other parts I 'm not doing.

I tidied up the area around the couch I cleaned last week. Not much there...just a few napkins, paper scraps on my laptop table. I picked up a pillow slated to go in the trash only to look at it and see that it's still a good pillow. I put it in a new pillowcase and in the closet it went.

Swept the floors. With the new laminate flooring we laid down, keeping the floor clean is so easy, especially with two cats. If one of them throws up, we pick up the dry chunks and windex clean the liquid part.

Then I just picked up a couple other things that either went in the trash or had a home.

Wednesday cleaning

2010-01-28T19:33:00.000-05:00

Wednesday is Zoody's bathroom and kitty bathroom. We have a third bathroom that we keep the litter box in. We don't use that bathroom and we're working on getting it so we do use it and so guests can use it, too.

I didn't have much time, so I cleaned up the washcloths, socks, etc, on his bathroom floor and put a laundry basket in there. As for kitty stuff, I emptied the litter box. Two tiny things, yet go a long way.

Finally a new template

2010-01-28T05:39:00.002-05:00

As you can see, it's extremely quirky. EXTREMELY! So I'll work on it tonight at work. I'll have twelve hours to fix it.

Tuesday Cleaning

2010-01-26T22:38:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night, before midnight. It's Laundry Room day. I have a small laundry room. Come in the back door and you have the washer and dryer to my right, water heater and furnace on the left. Between the heater and furnace is a space like a closet. There was only one high shelf when we moved in. We added a closet rod and now hang our coats on it. Under the coats are two laundry baskets. Across from the furnace and by the washer is a 4 shelf...shelf. From wall to back door is a room length shelf.

What needs cleaned in this tiny room? This is our main door. All our comings and goings are in this room. My uniform for work is prepared, cleaned, lint rolled. The floor is abused. Dry cat food is in here...I could go on. So I will set my timer for 15 minutes and come back to report. :)

All right. I put up the towels from Sunday. Put up things that just didn't belong but had landed in there. Hung, folded, and put up the clothes in the dryer.

So, YAY!!!

Bookmaking

2010-01-26T21:48:00.002-05:00

Remember when I wrote about taking a journal class 18 months ago, it's taken me this long to make one on my own. I knew I could...

But the instructor acted as if a journal with two hard covers and attached with coptic stitch was so hard! Darn. I guess I'll take a class in that. Fast forward to last night at work. I was looking on youtube and found this link. This gentleman takes the time to make a quality film on making a coptic stitch journal. So easy to follow along.

Last night (Monday night) I took two rectangular pub coasters I got in a pack from Disney World and measured out my paper for my signatures. I have 6 very thin sigs.

The middle stitching is wonderful looking. I don't know what happened to the two sides. They do not look good, but the book is good enough for my use.

Monday cleaning

2010-01-26T21:37:00.000-05:00

Even though it's after midnight and now Tuesday morning, I'm still up. So to me it is still Monday. My day isn't over till I go to bed.

*Update- I went to sleep and it's now Tuesday night.

Just didn't get up and go. I wasn't on here. Instead me and Zoody got caught up on Dexter Season 2.

Sunday cleaning

2010-01-26T21:34:00.000-05:00

So yesterday was Sunday, bedroom cleaning day. *Two days ago at the writing of this post.

I work nights and by Sunday on my three day weekends my sleep is seriously slacking. I got up around 2:45 pm and Zoody was still asleep. It doesn't really bother him when I do things in there while he's still in bed, but still. I was also pressed for time. I need to leave no later than 3:30 to get to work on time. Plus, I had to cook noodles for the food I wanted to take and I wanted time to eat before I left.

Sunday is bedroom day. I ended up picking up some laundry in there and folding the towels out of they dryer. As a matter of fact, they are still sitting in the basket, folded of course.

Blogging this is keeping me focused. Somewhat. It'll take a while.

Updating soon

2010-01-24T03:30:00.000-05:00

I'll be updating my blogroll soon. Some links are dead, some have moved, and I need to categorize them. Since I started using bloglines I have neglected my blog. Thanks for reading.

Journaling

2010-01-24T01:00:00.005-05:00

A year and a half ago I took a basic longstitch journal class. LOVED it. A couple of weeks ago I finally made another one. I was inspired!

Yesterday at work I stumbled upon this amazing blog by Rhonda Miller . Click on her name to see her blog. Makes me want to go to thrift stores to see what wonderful books I can find to salvage the hard or soft covers and make journals from them.

Some of you may be asking what can you do with these books. Anything! My favorite is a bliss book. I got that idea from crafty chica's site. Not so much a diary or journal entries, but writing down what made you happy that day. An example of mine might look like:

Jan. 9

Snowed in! Snuggle on the couch with Zoody and watched Julie and Julia. Cut out quilt pieces. Made flowers from toilet paper rolls (will be pretty when they're done for you doubters). :) Made two more fabric fortune cookies. Found all my journal making supplies.

Another use can be taking notes. Don't be afraid to use your new book because it's handmade and you might be afraid of not putting it to good use. It's pretty, unique, handmade - those are all reasons to enjoy it even more.

Mom bought me a small journal with a pretty handmade paper cover and for the longest time was afraid of ruining it. Now it's my prayer book. I keep it open when I'm just having time with God, Bible study, praying... I write down my praises and frustrations and prayers. And the answers to those prayers. I can look at it and see where I prayed over something I didn't understand and can see where God changed me, my view, or showed me his wisdom.

The book I made in class has been turned into a craft journal. See. It took me 18 months to touch it, to know I wouldn't mess it up. I am determined to be more crafty, to make more stuff this year. So a typical page will have the date, the project, and any notes I want to record. Like tricks and feet used to make my fortune cookies or stuffed owls and write where I can find my templates. And leave space for a picture. So far I've taken all the pics, just need to print them and put them in the journal.

I take notes at church. I'm not talking just the outline and verses. I mean some serious note taking, like there will be a test afterward type of note taking. I love spiral notebooks, always have, but they're so boring and don't inspire me to open them again. With the simple pamphlet type notebooks I plan on making, I can enjoy using them and reading what I wrote in them.

Happy book making!

Saturday cleaning

2010-01-24T00:21:00.001-05:00

No Friday cleaning. Kinda forgot. So I'll have to make me some sorta creative sign to look at.

On the bright side, today is Saturday. When I got home this morning, I turned on my laptop and wondered what today was. Saturday is for the kitchen! I have no before and after pics for today, but my kitchen is open and super easy to clean. I usually start at the end of counter by the fridge and work my way around. This morning I focused on the bar; it's a major catch-all. Stuff is still sitting there since at least October, before and after I went to Disney World with my mom.

I set my wonderful, oversized flower timer hanging by the stove for 15 min, and between belly rubbing sessions with my cat that can't get enough belly rubbing, I threw receipts away, cleaned nasty old pudding experiments out of the fridge and cleaned down to the surface of the bar. I forgot what color it was!

Thursday Cleaning Before and After

2010-01-21T21:16:00.001-05:00

Thursday is Living Room. After Zoody and I watched last week's CSI: NY, we set the timer for 15 minutes and worked on the area in front of the couch and coffee table. Look at the Paris pic that finally got hung up. I got that at Ikea more than a year ago.

Daily house habits

2010-01-21T13:56:00.001-05:00

Like I said in an earlier post I love Flylady's timer method. Everytime I set it for 15 minutes I get so much more done than I thought I would; usually resulting in fussing at myself for not doing it sooner. What I want to try is every day is assigned to a room. I have tried the room a week thing and maybe this is a way to work toward that.

Sunday - Bedroom
Monday - My bathrooms
Tuesday - Laundry Room
Wednesday - Zoody's and Kitty Bathroom
Thursday - Living Room
Friday - Floors
Saturday - Kitchen

I work a swing shift which means if I work Monday, I have the next one off. So while one week I can spend 20 to 60 minutes on a room or area the next week I may only spend 15 minutes on it.

I also read an article today on abc news.com about a woman who plans her meals a year in advance. She buys on sale and in bulk. Nothing complicated, just one day may look like Hamburger helper, green beans, and fruit or rolls or salad. Another day she wrote down chicken, corn, and fruit.

Weight loss 2010

2010-01-20T01:24:00.000-05:00

A year or more ago I read about www.sparkpeople.com. I was hit or miss. This past fall Zoody expressed interest. For three months we went to the drugstore downtown and weighed ourselves every week. We had the goal of losing 52 pounds each by this coming April 3-Zoody's birthday. Yeah. That's not going to happen.

We have lost weight, just not enough to write home about. I've lost a few pounds and kept it off. Zoody finally quit all soda with caffeine. He's lost noticable weight and kept it off. Now we just need to start exercising or walking.

My goal is to lose 7 pounds by the end of February. I'm going to try to document it here to stay on track.
I know what my weakness is. Sitting, eating out of boredom, and on the way to work buying junk. I am drinking way more water. I don't buy soda for myself at home. We have saved a lot of money by not buying soda and getting a water filter that fits right on the kitchen faucet.

Let's start!

My Crafty To-Do List

2010-01-20T00:27:00.003-05:00

Finish mom's birthday presents

Finish hubby's birthday present

Finish Hearts and Apron Strings quilt top

Prepare above quilt for hand quilting

Finish fleece throw - finish sewing rows together

Finish pea in a pod quilt

Make Christmas ornaments for Christmas presents this year.

Finish and make more summer shirts.

Needing accountability for house

2010-01-17T20:44:00.002-05:00

Here's the deal. I get obsessed with something and the house falls apart. For example, school. It happened during EMT school and even worse during paramedic school. Right now, it's outside interests...crafting, my husband's birthday present, thinking I need to get mom's birthday presents going.

I've done the flylady. Kinda. I started a flybaby journal, I've done the routines (yes, they rock!) and I know they work. Love it. But...right now. hmmm, I do better when I just start with the basic morning and night routines. What I'm thinking about doing is assigning a room or section to a day and work in it for a few minutes to an hour that day. I work nights on a swing shift, so I can do something when I get home that morning. To be continued ...I have a lot of laundry to fold. I haven't folded and put away for 3 weeks. YIKES!!

Monday night, work

We're sitting in our little EMS room. We usually flip between Tru Tv and Food network. We talk, laugh, get paid, go home and do it again the next night.

At home my husband, Zoody, does dishes. He does help me gather, fold, and put away laundry. He's currently looking for a job. We're praying and looking outside the box. I've read the book 48 days to the work you love. I ended up reading most of it to him. What are his skills? What does he love? Guns and knives. Weapons in general. Guns. We live in North Georgia. Where ever he works, he will have to drive. Hopefully not as far as I do right now.

Getting back to my home and my neatness or lack thereof. We have been in our home going on 10 years now. We have finally achieved that lived in look. A little messy. We're doing so much better not letting certain surfaces build back up. What do we pile on these surfaces? Anything and everything. I keep telling myself a home for everything and everything in it's home.

Things I want to get done this year:

Clean every room so it looks lived in yet clean and newish.
Keep coffee table cleaned off.
Keep tv area dusted
Put down baseboard and trim around new flooring
Make plastic liner for laundry basket
Make third bathroom usable-permantly.
Sweep every other day
Put up new curtains in bedroom
New round curtain rod in kitchen
Curtains in closet
Rent a dumpster to clean up yard

This list will grow, and doesn't include my crafty to-do list.

Maybelle the Owl

2009-12-29T23:56:00.002-05:00

This is Maybelle the Owl. I was inspired the this post and had to make my own template. I think I need to make it taller. It's a little too short and shapeless for me. This is also the first time I've used sew in stabilizer. I'm now a big fan of stabilizer. I used beans instead of rice.

Real Made-From-Scratch Pumpkin Pie

2009-12-29T23:34:00.001-05:00

After seeing this post, I just had to make this pie. I saw this in November and after Thanksgiving gave up on finding a pumpkin. Then I found out I don't need just any old pumpkin, I need a pie pumpkin. Well, maybe next fall.

A week ago I went to DeKalb Farmer's Market and was just browsing through the produce section and came upon .... a PIE PUMPKIN!!! Zoody's gone to Tennessee for a couple of days and I had the time to mess with this. Even with the worst blender in the whole wide world. Got enough pumpkin blended till I was sure I had 2 cups, and added the rest of the ingredients. YUMMY!!!!

My Fortune!

2009-12-29T09:13:00.005-05:00

I've been wanting to make fortune cookies forever! Finally stumbled upon a terrible tutorial showing an idea of how to stitch a circle and then turn it to keep the cookie like pleat. I messed aroundT last night with three inch circles till I finally got it right.

Top stitch around the outside, leaving a finger sized hole to stuff with.

When done stuffing, put on zipper foot and move machine needle to the left till it lines up with the stitching and finish top stitching.

Let the craftiness begin!

2009-12-29T00:16:00.004-05:00

I don't want to say I made a resolution, more like a change. I need and want to be more creative, productive this year. I have lots of patterns I want to make. I love to sew-thank you, mom! While at work I was looking up ninja softies. I didn't really want arms and legs, more like an oval with a flat bottom. Tonight I made a 10'' circle, free hand the "tie" on the side and made a narrow 6" oval for the face and fused round eyes on it.. Then zig zagged them on the top layer. I sewed the two circles with a tight zigzag at 3/8" seam allowance. Turned and stuffed. Voila!!

The fortune cookie was fun. I stumbled upon a pattern that showed a circle with stitching in the middle and that helped the shape.

First Annual Christmas Eve Japanese Dinner

2009-12-23T18:44:00.016-05:00

Pictures and recipes will go up by next Monday, but tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, I am cooking a non-traditional dinner that will hopefully become a tradition in my little family. It's just me and Zoody (and two snoring cats).

I am making a VERY Americanized Green Tea Pudding. There is a real pudding recipe out there, but for this dinner I will cheat by adding Green Tea powder to vanilla instant pudding. This won't even compare to heavenly pudding I had in a real Japanese restaurant. I will master the real recipe, but not tomorrow. Along with the shameful fake pudding I will also be making Green Tea Chocolate Bread.

Here is the plan:
Giant pocky sticks (in a glass like bread sticks)
Salad with ginger dressing
Dumplings with dumpling sauce
Miso soup
Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake or fritter)
Green Tea Pudding
Kurosawa Sake
Kubai Plum Wine

How this all got started:

I've always been in love with Japanese or all Asian culture. I love it. Love love love it. In 1991 my mom and me hosted a Japanese girl, Naoko Ikeda. She made the little fritter for us. So good, but I haven't had one since.

The green tea pudding was had this year at the fine Japanese restaurant in Epcot. Wow! So refreshing! Like I said above, this dinner will utilize a "fake" green tea pudding.

Not sure if the dumplings are Chinese or Japanese in cuisine, but I love them and found them at the Hong Kong Supermarket (directions later) outside of Atlanta. They were in the freezer and put out a force field that stopped me in my tracks. With that, the dumpling sauce.

The Miso soup is from an instant soup pack from the Japanese shopping in Epcot. Yum! It's something I've always loved.

We first had ginger salad dressing when Zoody and I went to the aquarium in 1999 for our 2nd anniversary. After the aquarium we were hungry and walked around the corner to find a quaint Japanese/Chinese restaurant. I don't remember the main dish we ordered but we both remember the ginger! Ginger dressing was like nothing we'd ever tasted.

Giant pocky sticks. Giant pocky sticks. Giant. Wonderful. Not the little skinny ones. Nooooo. Giant tall ones. Like in the movie Julie and Julia they will be arranged in the middle of the table like the breadsticks.

Zoody loves sake. I picked up the Kurosawa sake at Epcot. I've never had plum wine and loved the bottle when I saw it.

This all got started when I started searching for a green tea pudding recipe. Then I discovered this and many other recipes ask for green tea or matcha powder. Now I'm on a quest. Where to find? I work in Atlanta-a giant, international city. Can. Not. Find. this silly powder. It's all over the internet, yet I need it now, the week of Christmas. I called every store I could find that could possibly carry an array of Asian foods and spices. NO one had it. This morning I got off work at 6am and slept in my car for two hours because the market I was going to opened at nine.

I made my way to a wonderful DeKalb County Farmer's Market. WOW! You must have patience when you go here. Very crowded yet controlled. If you can find a spot to park your cart, you can walk in the very narrow aisles and see more products. No powder but I did buy pie pumpkins to make a real pumpkin pie. Naked Soda, Plum wine, beer that Zoody's been wanting to try for a long time, fresh cut papaya. I'm sure there was more... oh yea, Russian Style Borscht. Can't wait to try that! Maybe on new year's day we'll have a Russian themed dinner.

Then I was bound and determined to find a crusty, dark, dirty international market off Buford hwy. Only problem is I didn't know where I was. I finally selected a destination in the GPS and set off to find it. On the way I missed my intended exit on I-285 and ended up on 85 north. While following GPS to reroute me I came upon a fantastic store large as life called Hong Kong Supermarket. Holy Cow! They would have to have it!!! And they did. A smallish pouch on a lower shelf in the middle of all the boxed teas. That's where I found the dumplings, dumpling sauce, giant chocky sticks, and maybe something else. I will have to find the receipt.

Can't wait to make my dinner and post the pics, recipes and the recipe sources.
For now I have been up since 8 am and before that 18 hours with 2 hours of sleep. I'm going to take a power nap with my snoring cat who only uses me for soft blankets and then plan tomorrow.

I would love to hear from anyone else who's done this or knows a tried and true awesome recipe for green tea pudding.

UPDATE: Didn't make the bread and the powder tea is not powder. I'm just going to have to order it off the internet. The pudding was awful. Imagine grass clippings in your pudding. Yeah.

The above is what I bought. L to R: Chocky sticks, giner dressing, green tea, dumpling sauce, Ichiban beer, Plum wine.

The above pic is Ichiban beer. I bought this for Zoody to share with his brother and friends. He loved it!

This beautiful bottle is Plum wine. I don't know wines; I tasted bad cheap wine a few years ago and never had a taste since. This isn't bad, just not my taste. At the same market I saw a cherry wine I'd like to try.

The green bag on the left is the green tea powder. It does say powder on the package, but is not matcha. The dumpling sause is so good. We used it a few weeks later for stir frying rice and veggies.

This is my table setting. I have a little 36'' round table. The plates and saucers are my great-grandmother's Blue Ridge Pottery in the Whirligig pattern. These were used for our salad on the small plates with the ginger dressing, and the dinner plates were for the dumplings and fritters. The soup bowls were given to me by my mom around 1990 for either my birthday or Christmas and, obviously, were used for my miso soup. The soup spoons, chopsticks, and soy sauce pourer were bought in Epcot, Disney World, at the China store. The sake set bought at the Japanese store in Epcot. And the cute little white bowl/cup with green/orange inside, placemats, and napkins were bought at IKEA.

Here are the recipes:

Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake)

I got this from Kevin at Closet Cooking. I used shredded cabbage packaged for cole slaw, chopped bell peppers, onions, mushrooms. Cook till golden on both sides. After cooking I spread a thin layer of mayo on top and then sprinkled soy sauce on top after it was cut up. Zoody just used soy sauce.

Dumplings
I bought a pack of frozen veggie dumplings and tried to fry them. I just burned the bottoms. But they were very tasty.

Miso soup
Instant, tasted so good. We are going to make our own next month and freeze it.

Meet Bebe - Reader, Crafter, Cook, Wife, EMT, Friend

2009-12-15T01:29:00.003-05:00

This post marks a new chapter of this blog. It started almost three years ago as an EMT blog. I was going to write about my EMT job exclusively. That stopped being satisfying to my soul months ago. I love being an EMT, but current job is so unsatisfying. I have been the patient care provider in the back of the truck maybe 10 times in the last 4 months. And that might be stretching it. I am looking for a service I can call home. I will still work part time somewhere like everyone in EMS, but I need a home. A job I enjoy going to, with supervisors who take care of their employee's instead of stabbing them in the back.

I think this blog was taking a depressing, complaining, negative turn for the worse and I couldn't stop it. So, I just quit writing for a while. I've had lots of nice and interesting patients I want to write about, but it may still be awhile. I've had wonderful WONDERFUL partners, a so-so partner, and one who just did her job, no joy.

Before this I didn't really post about home, my love of taking pictures of my cooking, my crafting, my adventures, my loves, my cats. I love to read and want to write about what I read. Same for movies. My husband, Zoody, has dabbled in blacksmithing, and is my own personal MacGyver. Just tonight he fixed my serger. I had unscrewed a tiny piece and couldn't get back on. He noticed a tiny spring was missing and replaced it with a spring from a pen. Now it sews better than ever.

I love taking pics of my cats.

This is Kali. She's really a sweetheart, but the room was dark and she was really annoyed at all the pics I was taking of her. Kali came to us three years ago as a 6 week old kitten from a litter my mother-in-law's cat had. Our cat at the time, Bumbies was 7 years old, small as a 3 month old kitten and looked like she was starving. Truth is she was very well fed, loved mayo, lunchmeat, french fries, grease, and ice cream with soda. Bumbies was becoming unwell. Having Kali around the last year of her life improved the quality. She was so curious about this new addition to our family. About a month or so before her death, Bumbies stopped being comfortable in my lap, she spent more time sleeping sitting up. Then we noticed her usually sunken in gut bulging out like she was pregnant. She was retaining fluid, CHF. We took her to the vet who drew fluid out and it didn't pass the test he wanted it to pass and we were sent home with a diuretic and antibiotic. She died the next night while I was at work. She died around 11pm and I got off work at 2am. I was home by 4am and Zoody was waiting up for me. He was sitting with Bumbies when she died. She went painlessly and quietly with her kitty-daddy sitting by her.

It's getting late tonight. Goodnight.

Direction

2009-09-28T11:10:00.001-04:00

I haven't been blogging because I haven't put it in my routine. I love to write down things about work and bring them here. I've been letting other things get in the way. Stuff that absolutely doesn't matter in life. Not fun, not productive, not even entertaining stuff anymore.

I'm looking for direction and this morning I knew I need to going to God for that direction. He's the one who told me I will be an EMT. Not told me to do it, but flat out said, "That's what you will be" when I read an article that mentioned every household in America should be within 6 minutes of an ambulance or fire service. I don't know if you believe in God and Jesus, I do. He's the only one who can give me peace and show me where to go in life.

So many people in EMS have told me I have to be a paramedic. Why? They keep saying it will make me more desirable. I heard that over and over and seen it when my own county won't give me shifts. I love being an EMT. Wouldn't change it for the world. I've even tried the paramedic thing. Well, medic school anyway. I had no desire, didn't want it and should have quit right from the beginning instead of wasting my time and gas. Don't any of you say I wasted my instructor's time. He wasn't there most of the time. Class was cancelled a LOT, we got out way early a LOT, practicals were not seen an important, registry wasn't taken seriously enough, lots of things. I wrote a post on that long ago.

No, I like being an EMT. Right now I'm driving 100 miles each way. There are counties closer, but they are small, don't need me right now. I will be applying at the end of October to a lot of places I didn't know I was within 50 miles of.

I want to stay an EMT and do something else on the side. My husband has done the computer thing. He wants to blacksmith. It's made him some money, but he 's goingback to school for a skill that he can actually do and make a living while doing the fun stuff on the side, like selling his blacksmithing on Etsy. We both want to make soap. Lye soap. I'm not afraid to try anything. I picked up a book one time called Pretty Little Things. It teaches how to put objects and pictures and well...anything between glass and how to solder it together. I love it. Done it and need to get a hotter iron or one of those mini torches, ...babbling. Thing is I love being an EMT. Can't say it enough, but it's what I do, not who I am. That's been a hard reality. I let it take over me and it comes between my and my husband, my home, my life, my relationships, and my God.

The below is taken from a summary of Focus on the Family's The Truth Project. It's about El Qanna, Jealous God. God is jealous when we let other worldly things come between me and Him. Think of a marriage. One half of the couple starts spending too much time at work, with friends, on the computer, the list could go on and on. Something has come between them and is tearing them apart. I have let my personal habits come between me and God, me and life, habits that have kept me from blogging, doing things I enjoy and would rather be doing, being productive.

"Dr. Tackett makes it clear that we cannot truly know ourselves

until we have begun to know God in the fullness and richness of

His multifaceted nature and character – not only as the God of

mercy and grace, but also as the God who is a consuming fire,

jealous for the purity of the covenant relationship (El Qanna).

When this knowledge dawns upon us, we can expect two

things to happen. First, the revelation of God’s character will,

like a mirror, reveal things to us about ourselves, so that we,

along with the prophet Isaiah, are compelled to cry, “Woe is

me, for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5). But then secondly, as He raises

us out of our despair and shows us who we are and who we can

be in Him, we will be granted the gift of a new name – a whole

new concept of our being, our identity, and our purpose in life

with God. Once again, the fruit of this experience will be personal transformation."

Been writing, just not typing

2009-09-28T02:16:00.000-04:00

I know some of you are still checking in here. I'm in a happier place at work. Happier? No, just a better environment. I've even been taking a paper notebook to work and writing in it to copy it to here. I'll be better about it after Oct. 18. I'm going to Disneyworld with my mom and I'm probably going to be applying for EMS jobs waaayyyy closer to home. I'm driving an insane distance for a job I love at a company that sees me as disposable.

Is there anyone else driving too many miles one way for a job in EMS? I know there are nurses in ATL driving in from Alabama because the hospitals here pay more; and one of our dispatchers is driving 1 1/2 hours from near South Carolina. I'm driving 100 miles each way to work a 12 hour swing shift at nights.

Disrespect begats disrespect

2009-08-05T22:46:00.000-04:00

NOTICE TO BIG BROTHER EMS SERVICE:
When you DISRESPECT your loyal employees, we will not respect you or the company. Sometimes this carries over into the public aspect of the business . For me, I will extend all my respect, kindness, and care on my patients. They will not suffer from lack of care when they are on my truck. For you, not so much. You have supervisors that have never been involved in EMS and have never been on a truck for even one hour to experience what we do in one day. Even an inactive day. The posting, the crappy Southernlink radios, the even shittier 15 year old trucks that break down every day, the micromanagement. (Don’t tell me this is everywhere. “There is shit in every job” to quote my dad. But I like different shit. Not disrespectful shit.)

If you send me out an hour before end of shift to a hospital 15 miles away to take a patient to another hospital 100 miles away, don’t expect my truck to be spotless. Honestly, how many times after my shift have you found fries behind the seat? Food crunched everywhere? Coke cans in the back? Trash overflowing? Truck not stocked? I will not say never, but it shouldn’t be hard to figure out which crews do that if you check EVERY SINGLE TRUCK EVERY SINGLE DAY. If you had checked the truck the morning before, or two days before, you’d find I wasn’t on it. I was on other trucks. They are first come first serve. I come in last in the morning and the last one to come in at night.

I’m sure there’s a lot more to rant about, but it’s not worth it today. I’m with a partner I love to work with and his heart is breaking. It’s going to be a hard enough day for him. I just hope he can get through it okay and I hope we’re busy to keep his mind off it.

What's Happening, Dracula? and other fun videos.

2009-08-02T22:24:00.002-04:00

FanninWood Media

I'm biased* but these guys are so creative. Check them out at the above link and let 'em know what you think!

Thanks, everyone!

*Crew and Cast include my husband, brother-in-law, nephews and friends.

My new favorite quote

2009-07-24T13:36:00.004-04:00

I love the following quote heard on an episode of the goateed, bald man on the radio whose name shall not be mentioned by me more than 5 times a week. I think it came from the second hour of June 23.

"A goal without a plan is just a wish."

That is at the top of our Fully Funded Emergency Fund thermometor. Pictures coming soon.

What will today bring?

2009-07-02T01:03:00.002-04:00

I asked myself and God this question this morning. What will I learn today? Who will I get to help?

Our first patient, Angel, was a wonderful 42 yo woman who functions at the level of a toddler. She'd fallen and broken her hip. She could say mama and knew we were going home. The worst part of this call is the possible pain she was in. She yelled when she was being touched by strangers, so we couldn't tell if it was the way we were moving her or that was her normal.

I honestly think Angel was the one patient Beatbox and I might have fought over. Mom was the more high strung of the parents. Super nice. High strung is not the right phrase. The father was the more laid back. I immediately liked him. It helped that he was wearing a shirt for the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis Speedway. I grew up not far from there and yet have never been. I have never been to qualifications, Carb day, none of it. This father praised the city, the race, the people, the hospitality. I haven't been home in 6 months and it just made that much more home sick.

Two more pts that couldn't walk or talk, great partner, great day.

Not a rookie anymore

2009-07-01T07:54:00.002-04:00

I'm going to have to change my blog handle. It's been Rookie Bebe for three years. The Rookie for being...a rookie. Not only that, but for feeling like I'll never get the hang of this, I'll never be comfortable being myself...lots of other things.

In the last two weeks I've been with three wonderful medics who are experienced but have never worked NET before. You are probably saying to yourself that NET is super easy and it is. But if the company can figure out how to make it more difficult, they will. Same paperwork, but different ways of filling it out just to be different they will.

I have never felt confident or good enough (is that the same thing?) to really teach anyone the ropes as far as something new goes. Yesterday I realized I'm not the rookie anymore. I'm not 97% less nervous than I ever have been. I'm way more comfortable teaching. Helping my partner learn new things.

My partner yesterday, I'll call Beatbox, is so fresh out of school that "the ink is still dripping off his card." Other than his thirdrides I'm his second full day on the job. Honestly you wouldn't know. He not over confident, but so willing and so in love with the career. He has fun and talks to the pts.

We had a good day, better than I've had in weeks. Post coming about my marbles.:)

This blog is meant to be me*

2009-06-30T00:57:00.005-04:00

*was going to be titled Why I blog but Medic 7 beat me to it with this post.

I lost my marbles. Not my sense, but my figurative marbles. Like Toodles in Hook. He literally lost his bag of marbles. When he finds them at the end he feels whole again. That's me.

I lost sight of what I do, why I do it, and who I am as an EMT, which I'm only just learning how to be comfortable and not so self-conscious. I'm way more comfortable talking to my patients. I have only ever called 911 once and I was treated so wonderfully. The first responders really took care of me, my medic made jokes and took my mind off the pain. Confidence. That's something I don't have, didn't have, in myself, and my partners could see it. I know not to let the pts or family members see it and I hope I did a good job of hiding it. Goodwin helped me to overcome some of that by making me start an INT on him. He said my technique was perfect, it's that I have no confidence that I'll get it. He always taught in a way that was never condescending, and always with patience and sometimes with humor.

The rookie in me is gone, it's time to take on another role. Not teacher - that's someone with experience. More than I have. Mentor - no. I've had them, too. What is the step after rookie? Good at looking confident?

My partner this week is very new, but he had an excellent EMT teacher. Now the real world teaching begins. Showing him we have an AED built in to the lifepak12, that while we might not intubate, we are equipped with the basic airway and adjuncts and D50 should we find ourselves in that position. I am teaching him and he is eager to learn. I watch him first and then instruct if it's needed.

As far as my job. Working for a company is a necessary evil. I am an EMT for the patients that need me, not for the cold-hearted corporation. I used to go to work thinking What will today bring? Who will I get to meet today? What will I see today? I lost that. I'm slowly coming back to it. It makes it so much easier to face the day.

As far as this blog. I was trying to be like other blogs I read. I was taking my personality out of it and worried about what anyone would think of me. I need to be me. This is my place to talk about what gets me, touches me, what I deal with everyday.

Taking a small hiatus

2009-06-20T00:57:00.002-04:00

I know work is not all hunky dory. I love my job, I do not love my company. Right now I don't feel private and safe on this blog. I will in a couple of months. For now our A/C does not work and all the trucks are constantly breaking down. All the GT, or NET, people are going to California shift or four days a week. Everybody but me. I make really good money right now. But 5 - 9 hour days with no a/c is murder. Our pts are miserable.

Anyway, I don't want my blog to be miserable. I'm taking a little time off from writing until I can be more positive. I'll keep writing posts in my notebook to post here. Until then, I'll be reading those I follow.

Have a great summer!!!

2009 EMS expo

2009-06-06T21:02:00.001-04:00

It's coming to Atlanta this year! Which means I'm taking a couple days off to go and take some classes. Who else will be there?

I am having trouble just finding prices for the classes. What is the average price? I'm asking because I can't register for them yet, but want to plan.

Amicalola Falls

2009-05-08T19:22:00.003-04:00

We love this park, yet don't go very often. My job changed big time this week and my hubby surprised me with a trip there today. It's not far from home. It was over cast but sunny. We sat for a little while in fog and few fat raindrops and just had the best time today. The first weren't biting so we brought the hamburger buns to a pond near home and fed some very hungry ducks. Wish I'd gotten pics of the ducks.

In a Funk

2009-04-24T12:11:00.007-04:00

For the last month I just haven't wanted to write anything. Although we' had the best trauma I've ever seen. (Please, God, give me just one person vs. train). I'll post it in a little while.

Upheaval again. Should be short-lived though. I'll be posting again soon, very soon

RSS feed

2009-04-12T10:19:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Medicblog999. I got it figured out.
****************************************

How do I make my blog subscribable? I realize that 's not a word, but I can't even subscribe to my own blog on bloglines. I did it to see if it would work and it didn't.

Can anyone tell me how to do this?

Thanks alot

A Dance

2009-03-29T03:58:00.002-04:00

Dance With Me
Becoming a partner in EMS is a dance. Your classroom tells you the steps. Your first job is all about taking those steps and putting them into practice on the dance floor, our ambulance, our scenes. As we learn how the steps actually fit together we become more confident, and we learn the individual dance routines. Every call or every shift is a different dance. Like a samba or salsa dance for an arrest. It has to be quick, fast, and together or we stumble.The steps are unique to each person. Same dance, but what is their style? Are they stiff, precise, or are they looser, carefree.
There are also the dances we learn with our various services we work with, Whether it’s the fire crew we live with or another station, other crews in mutual aid, or a temporary partner.
Learning the steps is hard work. It’s never easy at first. Frustration at each other can well up and overflow. Sometimes it’s frustration with ourselves. The cause of it can be anything from being a newbie to the profession, the station we’re at, or the service itself. All these new people and we have to learn how all of them do their job, sometimes before we can figure out how to do our own job.

Eventually we get the steps down. It can happen subtly without us knowing just when it happened. It can be like a light bulb going off. It can be one lesson at a time. We may learn we can do IV’s flawlessly if we just stop thinking about it. Maybe it’s the day we automatically know what to do on any given scene without being asked or told. It can be the night where we know just what questions to ask our patient instead of wondering how to talk to them.
I’ve had many light bulb moments in the last two years and I have a feeling there are many more to come.

Good stuff

2009-03-10T23:04:00.006-04:00

It seems like I write more about the irritating, though sometimes funny, or bad calls. I want to write more good. I smile and laugh on more calls than I write about. Goodwin and I have a lot of fun together. Now that spring is here we find ourselves sitting longer and longer in the truck talking about his bees, planting, him encouraging me to clean up our land and plant veggies. Goodwin is also a sort of uncle figure. He's been teasing me lately about my biological clock. Before this I would've thought only my dad could mention that. Last Wednesday was when he mentioned it again, that time was running out. On Saturday's shift I heard a ticking. We were done checking off the back of the truck and I heard a clock ticking; have no idea where it was coming from. He noticed me listening for something, "You hear that ticking?" "Yeah, but where's it coming from?" "That's your biological clock telling you time is running out.". A few shifts ago we had a ton of refusals, cancellations, can't locate. The first pt we transported was a 30ish Hispanic male complaining of a headache. He was just laying on a large bed not moving, weak. Due to language barrier we didn't know when he'd last used the bathroom, or if anything else was wrong. The firefighters were just blowing this guy off as BS. Not to stereotype, but in general Hispanics don't call until they're on their deathbed.The FF's get this guy up and you can tell he is far from faking. He wants to cry but doesn't when he is stood up and walked outside. Every few seconds or so his left arm involuntarily goes to his side. Once he's in our truck we can talk to him and do what we need to do. He wouldn't admit to anything else being wrong other than his headache and he'd missed work for the last 6 days. I assessed his abdomen fiding that his left side was definitely a problem. He wouldn't say anything, just flinched and guarded when I pushed down. That side was hot and slightly swollen and firm. I started an 18 ga INT in beautiful veins. I could've put a 14 in with my eyes closed.After I got out of the back his friends were waiting to talk to me. I just smiled and said they did good to call us. He's very sick. The little short friend with hardly any teeth just kept smiling at me and shaking my hand and hugged me at least three times.******Last shift the bad weather caused an interstate accident in our area. The rain was getting a little worse and as car 1 was slowing down, they got rearended and both cars went front end into the R wall. Car 1 bounced back into the middle of five lanes. I got out with Goodwin and went with him to listen to the officer about what happened. As Goodwin went to check the 39 yoF sitting in her car I went to the young couple standing near me. The 21 yo M was driving and his 19 yo girlfriend were the car that got rearended, hit the wall and bounced into traffic. The girl, Natalie*, was really shaken. It was the first accident she’d ever been in. She had bruising and swelling under both of her knees and dark red bruising along her neck and clavicle from the seat belt. Poor girl was so shaken up she wanted to know if there was anything I could do for the bruises “because they hurt.” I felt along her R clavicle and she denied any pain even though it looked deformed. As Goodwin was bringing his pt I was getting mine ready to be packaged. While I had both pts and got all the info I needed and VS’s on both of them, I couldn’t get the IV’s.He thinks it’s lack of confidence, I say it’s lack of coordination.We got the 19 year old calmed down and smiling by the time we reached the hospital we wanted. The other girl was fine for the most part.

Our calls come in two's

2009-02-20T21:44:00.002-05:00

So it seems. In one week before Christmas we had two shifts that had the same two calls.

(I give up on making that last sentence make sense. I need to save my last few brain cells).

The Wednesday before Christmas we had two psych calls within two hours. That was fun. Then the next shift we had two bleeding head injuries from falls back to back. Tonight's call might not count, but last shift we had a nose bleed call around 8pm and tonight we had another one.

tax deductions

2009-02-17T20:34:00.001-05:00

What do some of you deduct on your taxes? So much per day for food, mileage to work, etc...

Too late for me to fix this year's taxes, but I want to prepared for next year.

Random act of kindness

2009-02-17T20:06:00.002-05:00

We stopped by Firehouse Subs tonight and while waiting for our food another customer bought me and Goodwin a $10 gift card for each of us. Just awesome kindness. Totally unexpected. Just wanted to share my gratitude for him.

Partnership Therapy

2009-02-07T21:10:00.002-05:00

Me and Goodwin started working together last August. I was new to our company and new to the responsibilities I was responsible for. When a new EMT starts with a company that won’t allow EMT’s to tech in the back, that new EMT loses a lot. The training doesn’t make sense. On a scene of an arrest I really didn’t see anything. Up to 8 firefighters would be there, 2 cops, another EMS crew, and countless family. I was usually the gopher person and in charge of getting meds and other needed items.

Fast forward to yesterday. I’ve been in distress since last August. Probably since before that even. I wanted to quit. I knew I wasn’t learning anything. Granted Goodwin and other medics say it’s a rare thing to use dopamine, but I still don’t know it. Don’t know how to use it, when, nothing about it. Nothing. That’s a big word.

Yesterday Zoody (husband)was going to his brother’s and I was looking forward to alone time. The day before I announced that I would actually do clinical time. Of course I didn’t do it; it seemed be the crack that made the dam burst. I cried and cried. Zoody just lay with me and didn’t ask questions. I tried to let him get his stuff ready to go to B-in-L’s - I tried. The crying wouldn’t stop. I actually thought Zoody was going to commit me for three days. He is truly an Angel of God. An Angel sent to this earth with wisdom and knowledge beyond his years. I was sitting on the floor and couldn’t stop the bawling. He sat on the couch and just sat there so patiently. He finally asked the right question. The one that allowed me to express myself.

“What is the root of the grief? What would you say is causing this pain?”

“School. I just want to go to work and come home. I just want to Come Home.”

“What would you do if you didn’t have to study and do clinicals?”

“I just want to be home and be me. I would go to work, come home and sew, take care of things at home that need taking care of. Take care of my dad’s stuff (I have POA and haven’t been doing what I need). I want to sew. Clean my sewing room, go to the quilt store, visit with my best friends there. All with out guilt. The overwhelming guilt of knowing I need to do clinical time and study to pass registry. The more I study and talk to people the more I realize how much I wasn’t taught.”

I study computer and book registry study guides and don’t understand half of it. Most people I talk to don’t understand how I got through class without an ACLS class. Easy. I studied what I needed to pass the pathetic test on cardiology. Beside the ACLS class wasn’t the whole two day class. We crammed for one day on the stations. Stations that we just didn’t get. There were 27 of us from two classes doing this together. I missed the actual one day class that didn’t cover much from what I was told and then the emphasis was put on the stations. It was not a good class for first timers.

Anyway I’m giving myself till March first. I’m not thinking of anything school related till March first.

This morning on the truck when we finally had a chance to check it off, me and Goodwin talked. He knew something had been bothering me last shift. It was unrelated to school and I told hime some of it. When I did tell hime about school, his first reaction was like everyone else. Medics are getting paid a lot more than EMT’s at our company right now and would I really want to go through all that again? But he knows what I’ve been through and said what I’ve been needing to hear another medic say, “If I were you I would just start over. It’ll actually be easier and you’ll be better prepared. Stuff that didn’t make sense will come to me faster.”

Today at work one of the supervisors showed up with stuff for us to sign. He asked how school was going. I told him fine and that I needed an ACLS class, but I couldn’t stop myself from telling him what was really going on - the micro version.

He recommended some good schools. The one he attended was considered one of the top medic schools in the state and they “blow registry out of the water.” Everyone in the class pass the first time, every time.

I will need math, English and anatomy classes, but I feel way more prepared and would probably get it out of the way. The medic class is three full days a week, and they make sure you know you’re stuff. They actually teach. They won’t show up for an hour and leave because they have to help their brother fix a water pipe or what ever excuse I heard for a year.

There it is. There I am.

Pt slumped over a wheel

2009-02-07T21:07:00.002-05:00

We were called out to a car parked on the side of the interstate slumped over the wheel. By the time we got to the scene, the occupant had found what they were looking for or had gotten off the phone and they were miles down the road.

If EMS had more power, we could get laws passed to fine people who make these calls. Dispatch asks for a caller’s name and number usually. If they made sure to get their addresses too, we could send them a bill for calling in a call like the above and not staying with the person till emergency services arrive.

Same goes for the car on fire calls. Two stations got called out a combined seven times in over 90 minutes because some guy’s car over heated, and people going 70 mph on the interstate kept calling it in as a care fire.

Helpful site

2009-01-23T15:58:00.002-05:00

This is one of those sites I wish knew existed months ago. A week ago. A day ago.

www.acls.net

Just what I've seen is going to help me tremedously. As some of you know I got out of medic school in December, have been studying since for registry. I've been on a quest for an ACLS class. The whole thing. Two whole days. I don't want to be a sucky medic. I'm not looking to have a paragod complex, just be known as I know what I'm doing.

The question I've been hit with the most since being on this quest for knowledge is how to I get throught the medic course without ACLS. It's just one of those things.

Just thought this site might help.

My partner is back! My routine is back!

2009-01-05T15:58:00.001-05:00

Edit: The ambulance company I work for has a contract in this city. We work with the city's fire service. The guy that caused trouble works part time for this city's FD and full time for an FD in another county.

************************************************************

Goodwin is BACK!!!

He’s been gone for three weeks. Eight very long shifts of a LOT of partners. I had three different medics in one shift. Aaarrrgh!

A firefighter/medic working as a FF one night three weeks ago decided he didn’t want Goodwin performing care on a pt because said FF thought it was HIS patient until he decided Goodwin could look at him. When we’d walked in, I’m sure Goodwin thought he’d get his report while I went out to get the backboard and collar. While I was gone, the FF’s decided they refused to help. When I came back in the house, the FF’s were in the living room goofing off, abandoning my partner with a pt with a head injury who wouldn’t stay still. Granted, he was moving slow, but they abandoned my partner with a pt who had altered mental status. We did the only thing we knew. I called our supervisor to let them know we needed another unit to respond because the FF’s we had refused to help in any way and we needed extra help for extrication from the house. In the meantime, the FF’s who responded got even more pissed and “helped.” They deliberately couldn’t figure out how to use a backboard and refused to listen to our boarding instructions.

By this time the other FF’s from their station had to get out of bed to help us, another ambulance came to help us, the fire captain from our station and somewhere in the chaos a policeman asked me why he was called. I gave him the deer-in-headlight look thinking WTH. “I don’t know. We just needed help with removing our pt.” Rumor is the FF/medic called the police claiming Goodwin hit him on the shirt with a Hep-C positive bloody glove and wanted to press charges. NOT true.

The FF/medic is a part-timer who has the attitude that a patient is HIS and His only until he decides the medic on the transporting unit can look at them. He got mad when Goodwin wanted a report and wanted to look at the lac on the pt’s chin and head. That’s when I was out of the room and the FF copped an attitude and said Goodwin touched him with a bloody glove. He’s as careful as anyone. Goodwin absolutely doesn’t play around with blood.

My routine is back. I didn’t realize how important that is. We have check off sheets that I thought all the trucks were using, but of all the medics I was with, only two of them would pay attention to it. It is a pain in the ass, but still. Half of them wouldn’t check off their own ALS equipment, they wouldn’t make sure the NARC box was there or stocked.

Aaahh! I can stop coming to work and wondering who am I working with today? Who am I working with tonight? What are they like? Will I lose my brain like I do with everyone I work with the first time? That stopped happening after the second shift. I’m glad it’s over.

Question of the Day #4

2008-12-26T01:27:00.002-05:00

I think this has to be my favorite so far.

Went to a diabetic call on the third floor of a hotel. A hotel clerk and security inside room and generally in the way when we get there. They finally realized they weren't needed in the way and went to stand in the hallway.

There was a problem with the o2 bottles and I had to go downstairs and outside to retrieve another bottle. They saw me come out of the room, go downstairs, be GONE FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES, and come back up stairs to go INTO the room.

They ask ME, "Did he come back around yet?"

That would've made sense if they'd asked me when I was coming OUT of his room, but not 3 minutes after I'd left it.

What about the dog?

2008-12-21T18:19:00.000-05:00

Our shift a couple of nights ago was fun! Me and Goodwin both love psych patients. Give the calls to us. We got what we asked for on that shift. We usually get two or three calls and often after dark.

We were called to a 26 yo male with panic attack. We find the apartment and the patient is standing in the patio waving at us. Waving hello, not "here I am." And he's holding his little dog in a little purse. Goodwin and the officer go up to the door; I'm dragging behind with the monitor.

When I join them the officer goes in search of the guy's dad who walked out and is probably sitting in a car with out the car keys. I don't have the full story...yet.
Me and Goodwin poke our heads in the apartment and the pt is grilling a hamburger.

"Are you to the hospital or not?"

"Just a minute. I'm going to pack up my sandwich and take it."

"No. You cannot take food and drink in the truck." We can already see he's going to be a drama queen.

"Ok." and he went to find his roommate to see if he would want it. While he was in another part of the apartment finding his shoes, I commented to Goodwin that the dog can't come either. He said he'd have to see that before believing. Five seconds later pt comes around the corner holding his dog-in-a-purse.

"What about my dog?" In a super whiny voice.

In unison, "No. No dog."

The pt looked shocked, grew some balls, and shut the door saying he wouldn't go without his dog. That was the most grown up he sounded. Honestly, I would take that for the refusal it sounded. But Goodwin talked to the supervisor, I sat in the back of the truck and then the cop reappeared with the pt's dad who took the dog and Goodwin and cop convinced pt to get in and go to North Hospital just to make sure he was okay.

Here they come with the pt. carrying a cup with a lid, a pack of lunchmeat, and a bag of cheetos. I put the lid on the cup and Goodwin asked if I needed anything else. "Just get us there as fast as you can." It was a ten mile trip.

Goodwin drove like a maniac and I had to tell the pt to hold on to his cup countless times; He kept setting it down at every red light with no intention of holding onto it. I finally got a reason out of him why he would need to go to a hospital. Pt states "He hasn't eaten or slept in two weeks and wants to know why." He has schizoaffective disorder with mania and has been out of his med, geodon and lithium, for two weeks.

He kept insisting on trying to turn around on the stretcher to look at me while he talked. Between that and Goodwin's driving, he was complaining about getting sick by the time we got to the hospital and insisted on having a cigarette. "No. This is a no smoking hospital."

Whining worse,"I haven't eaten and I deserve one."

Meaner, "No, you don't. If you don't go in the door, we'll get security."

Whinier, "Then get security. I'm smoking."

Meaner and meaner, " No,you are not. Get in the door so you can be seen by the doctor." He finally went in.

I realize I don't paint a good enough picture for this patient. Maybe I'll re-visit this post and see it from a different perspective.
In the meantime, I will link you to Crusty Ambulance Driver's post about Why EMTs treat patients like brain-damaged 3-year-olds.

My new acer

2008-12-19T19:48:00.000-05:00

I got an acer one mini laptop and this thing is so wonderful.

I'm sitting at one of the hospitals and I've got low strength, but it works!!