An Almost finish

 It’s almost finished, as of yesterday. Unless the lighting is great, then the chicken can be seen. If not, then she blends right in. After I outline her, I’m going to call her good!

  I hope all of youns are having a great day, and enjoying my favorite season of the year!

  Happy Stitching!

Emmy

Sunday Musings (That May Have Started On Saturday)

   Am I the only one that is incredibly slow at decorating this year? I've been working on putting up Christmas decorations for what feels like weeks now! I had planned to decorate before Thanksgiving (I did not get to put out any Thanksgiving/fall decor, so why not?), but life got in the way. It doesn't help that my energy levels are staying lower than usual. Well, I'm not entirely certain that they are lower than usual, but I am not able to ignore the lack of energy and power through lately. I should probably listen to whatever my body is trying to tell me... nah, too big a hassle.

  I also really, really, really want to stitch Christmas things now, but I have a huge WIP pile, and do not want to add Singing in the Rain to it. Plus, I think I could finish this one soon, if the time and opportunity present themselves.

  Is anyone else planning on leaving Christmas decorations up later than usual this year? I figure by the time I finish getting them up, I should leave them up late to actually have more than a day to enjoy them!

  Also, is anyone else running behind on Christmas shopping? I am usually done by now. My Christmas shopping starts the day after Christmas, most years, and that did happen. But, I always have more that I need to shop for, and that has not been entirely done yet. And I don't have anything for the white elephant thing my work shift is doing on Christmas Eve. Usually, I'm more creative about what to get, but last year and this year I have been somewhat indifferent to it. Oh well, I'll think of something.

Chocolate, and random other foods, are tasting weird to me. Not sure why, I'm not sick, and my sinus issues are not really that much worse than usual. It is incredibly sad though. I keep forgetting and getting hot chocolate, or taking a bite of something chocolatey, then the weird bitter taste hits and I get all sad. Or mad. Mostly sad-mad. 

I think I might

 be a cat disguised as a human. Reasons why I think this:

• Do not touch me unless I request you to do so.
• Prefers to do my own thing, but does make an exception when someone I like and am comfortable with looks cozy. Then I must pester them mercilessly.
• Bring me all the soft things!!!
• I watch the birds almost as much as Smokey does...
• I am quite content to nap
• Moving objects get my upmost attention
• Vacuum use to scare me as a child until I "conquered" it.
• Shiny stuff attracts me
• Always ready to eat, regardless of hungry or not.
• Let me do my own thing; but when I want attention, YOU MUST GIVE ME ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY!!
• I feel like running around the house at random times too.
• Smokey and I are both mesmerized by the flames in the fake fireplace
• Warm spots are the best!
• Scrunches into a ball when cold.
• Picky about lots of things.
• I scratch when threatened.
• I too threaten to bite people when my space and desires are not respected.
• I also love warm patches of sunlight.
• I am also fascinated by the Christmas tree, lights, etc. And I want to play with them as well!
• I literally just batted a paper clip around on top of the desk while waiting for this to load!!!!

Santa Paws and more

 

   I really have nothing to report from today. I showed up at work, screeching in 2 minutes before time to clock in (it was not as a smooth of a morning as I would have liked. And Smokey gave me the puss in boots look!!!!). I found out we were going to a hospital 210 miles away. It took around 8 hours, plus our stop for lunch. We went en route to the call around 8:30, and made it back around 4:30. It was ridiculous, and incredibly boring on the way up. Then, after we made it back, we had a brief break for an early supper, then we went to a wreck. A teenager, with just a permit, decided to show off. He may also have imbibed some holiday spirits- we don't know for sure. We had wait forever for his mother to show up to get permission to transport him (he hit his head, with loss of consciousness), then went to Bigish City Hospital. Over half of my shift has been spent in the truck, and we are only 61.5% of the way through it. Not my favorite. 

  I do have stitching to report from last shift:

  I have also been slowly decorating for Christmas, with the help of Santa Paws, pictured above. It has been an excruciating slow process. What is done is pretty though. Except a few areas, but I'm just king of like "Eh, it'll do." The one time of the year when I let myself go all out in the tacky and overboard department, and I'm not feeling very much of either this year. 

  In other news, I am applying to SBU's paramedic to RN bridge program. Mom went with me to visit with the director of admissions, and he was most helpful. Their sim lab is incredible. I felt like I walked into a hospital and forgot the patient I was bringing at work. So far, all is going well with the application process. As long as my college transcript arrives speedily, and I take the A&P refresher (somehow my A&P 1 "expired;" makes no sense, but whatever), I should be accepted to start this summer. He sees no reason why I would not get one of the spots, so that is very reassuring. 

  I hope you all have a great night. I need to try to get some sleep now. The other truck just got a call. 

  G'Night, and I hope you dream of sugar plum fairies and stitching bliss!

~Emmy

Avocados

   Do you know how many times I have metaphorically been this avocado? I strive for a life or a body type that is not in line with the one God gave me. I am a firm believer that God has a plan for each of our lives, and that He designed us to all look, think, and act differently. One thing about it, our God's creativity knows no limit- so why would we all be identical? There are so many times that I have chosen to body shame myself, looking at what I am not instead of what, and who, I am. I'm not smart enough, fast enough, skinny enough, so on and so forth, que the existential crisis. I am very much that avocado, but I am working on a healthier mindset. No, I am not a size 2, but I am incredibly strong for my size, inside and out. I may not have a trim waist, but I have learned to love my curves, even the ones that I am not all that thrilled about.

   Why? If I was a size 2, I would not be strong. The only way my body type could fit in those jeans would be for me to lose both my fluff and a lot of my muscle mass. And that would not be worth it. I like being able to pull myself up oddball places on my ambulance to reach things, because this body of mine is not tall by any stretch of the imagination. I like being able to surprise people with how much I can lift (although, I cannot lift it high. And that is ok.). I like being able to have curves instead of a plain shape. Not that there is anything wrong that!!! It just wouldn't be me!  I use to work out dreaming of being the cucumber. Now I work out because  this avocado is strong, and she would like to become stronger. And even if I was not strong, I still matter because of who I am. No, I am not perfect. I am a dork, clumsy, awkward, and frequently feel like I am in over my head. And there is nothing wrong with that. Not knowing what to say does not mean I am not smart- it just means I am a human. Crying doesn't make me weak- it means that I care about others, and I feel their pain with them. My all-natural clumsiness and awkwardness often gets my coworkers and family to smile, or even laugh, when they are having a blah or rough day. Who I am as an avocado is pretty great, even though I may not necessarily believe it. Even when I have to loosen to my belt (it must have turned into an anaconda since yesterday!), forget how to English, and feel insecure about my body type and where I am in life, I still matter and can make a difference. I care more about my waistline than anyone else does. Others are not going to notice that I loosened my belt by one hole. Me tripping over my words, or even forgetting my only language, can create inside jokes with my family. And there is not better feeling than someone understanding exactly what I am trying to say, especially when it was pure gibberish. That is how you feel understood, people! Others look at my accomplishments differently from me. To me, my accomplishments are not that impressive, but other people's are. And others can look at my failures without cringing like I do- instead they see how I got back up, dusted myself off, and stubbornly (occasionally foolishly) proceeded to try another 345,345 times. 

 Besides, who wants to be a cucumber anyway? They can be bitter at times, and have those weird pokey things if allowed to stay in the garden too long. This avocado is pretty even when she feels ugly. She is healthy, and learning how to become even healthier. She is learning to focus on growing as a person and cutting herself the same slack she gives to others. She doesn't think anything negative of the other avocados (or even the cucumbers)- instead she looks at them and thinks they are beautiful. So, she is learning to view herself with the same lens. Which is weird, and awkward, and a work in progress. But, it is so worth the work and hassle.  All she needs to do is focus on what she is, instead of what she is not. And see the beauty of being an avocado when the world screams that being a cucumber is where it is at. There is beauty, bravery, and strength in being who you are when the world tells you that there is no place for you, that you don't fit in, and that you will never be enough. 

  Speaking from experience, fitting in is overrated. Honestly, it is rather miserable. And to fit in with a lot of groups, you have to lose your good qualities. You can't show how smart you are because that might make someone feel dumb. And heaven help you if you try to teach them how to do something they don't know how to do. Not having a place can be rough, but my place is not here- one day I get to go home, and I will have a place at my Father's table then. Not being enough is kind of the point- if any one of us was enough, we would have no need for each other, or even God. There is a huge blessing in not being enough. 

  So, my little avocado friends: love yourself for who and what you are, inside and out. The outside does not matter as much as we tend to tell ourselves, and you are beautiful just as you are right now. And remember, you and I are both just works of art in progress. If God was done with us, we would be dead by now. We don't get to be finished on this side of heaven, and that is good and well. We get to grow, learn, and live. We are humans, made in God's image. We get to touch the lives of people we don't even know each and every day, and make a positive difference in their life without ever knowing it. All just by being who we are, who God created us to be.  And that is incredibly beautiful. 

Meaningful Odd Quotes

   Do you ever have certain sayings that play through your head? Especially at times when you need them most? I love movies that are generally targeted at a much younger audience. Not preschool level, but whatever level the average animated Disney, Pixar, or Dreamworks movie is aimed at. Mrs. Potts saying of "It'll turn out all right in the end. You'll see." has played through my head for many, many years. It is like God takes phrases from some of the oddest spaces in my life and goes, "Hey, my dorky, nerdy daughter will remember this, and I will use it to help remind her of my truths." This is one of those things. I might be worrying about choosing the wrong major or making the wrong decision and traveling down the path of worrying that I might have just messed up my entire life, because, hey, there are all of these amazing stories of how one choice, sometimes a seemingly insignificant choice, led someone down this amazing path that was better than anything that they could have imagined for their life. But then God quotes Mrs. Potts at me, and reminds me that He is in control, and He can orchestrate my mistakes, my failures, my decisions-good or bad- into the plan He has for me. I might make a wrong turn, but as long as I am trying to seek and follow His will for my life, He will help me find a new way to the right destination. And sometimes, what looks like a wrong turn is actually a pretty jaunt down a country road that serves as an incredible shortcut. And sometimes wrong turns were actually right turns- we just don't always get to see it in the near future. Sometimes we don't realize it this side of heaven. But God gets us where He wants us to be. If He used a whale to get Jonah to Ninevah after Jonah did everything he could to avoid that particular destination, I'm pretty sure He can get me where He wants me when He wants me there. Hopefully via a different mode though... I'm pretty sure the inside of a big fish stinks!

In which I finally stitch

   On Sunday, I finally got a chance to stitch! Well, frog, then stitch, but still, progress was made and happiness mingled pleasantly with peacefulness! I love the hearts on Momma Cluck's umbrella! 

  How are all of you doing?

  I'm pretty sure that Smokey would like for me to tell you that he has a new toy.

 The frog thing has a face that truly creeps me out. I might've let out a tiny shriek of fear... ok, ok tiny shriek of terror when I first saw it, but he loves it, so that is all that matters, right?

  He is also a fan of Rudolph.

  This picture does not really show it, but Ladybug is growing like a corgi-cat- long and short! Mr. Slinky and Ms. Lady are getting big! Excuse the slight mess behind them. It was raining, so I put off taking the trash out at the moment. And of course, these the little cuties chose in front of the trash to pose! Well, Ladybug did.  Slinkmeister 3000 was not in the mood. 

  I hope all of you are staying warm and happy! November has been a roller coaster. One day it is in the 70s, the next the low 40s. The 70s are nice though! In case I don't post again in time, Happy Thanksgiving!

  Happy Stitching!

 Emmy

IT WAS AN EXCITING DAY!!!!!!

 Yesterday was a most exciting day! I'm not sure who was more excited- Banjo or myself. The concrete trucks came to pour the concrete for the footing. Banjo loves big trucks, especially ones that make a lot of noise, so he was on cloud 9. Especially with the first guy- that guy would pet both Banjo and Guinea, so they adored him. 

  All went well with the concrete, at least as best as we can tell right now. The first guy was super sweet. He would stop pouring to give us advice and tips on how to get the top as smooth as possible and little tricks for making sure it was (and stayed) level. He was really cool. Unfortunately, there was water in the trench. We had to make forms from all of the cave-ins from rain. And of course, it had to rain again. Dad was able to siphon quite a bit of it out, but not all of it. Which made it extremely difficult to level off the fourth side. We are hoping that everything held level when the water rushed around the entire footing, over top of the concrete. Here's hoping! 

Ladybug was quite cozy on top of the dirty whites this morning. She purred when she heard my voice, but was not too happy when I sat her down to let her go outside. She stared outside for a moment, then went, "Nope, too cold!" I had to be the bad guy and set her outside. She was none too pleased with me. 

Smokey was posing for me the other day:

 This was Ladybug after the extra bit of concrete was poured next to her area in the barn. She did not care as long as she had something to lay in and a warm patch of sunlight.  

  Banjo was so excited, but we had to make him calm down and stay out of the way at times. Whenever that happed, he would sit on either my foot, or Dad's foot, just like he did as a puppy. 

  So, the first time this was put on Smokey, he was rather ticked and vocal about the whole ordeal. Kirst put it on him again the other day, and he was incredibly happy the whole time. 

  He thought it was quite convenient whenever he got cold- he would just tuck his little paws inside until they warmed up enough. It was adorable!!!

  It was interesting seeing what everyone was stocking up on in Walmart yesterday when I went with Mom after my appointment. One lady had a lot of kitty litter and some kitty food. Others had a bunch of junk food. Still others had games, clothes, or movies. You could tell what each cared about most. 

  I think that is all I have to say for the moment. A lot of people are panicking around here, so toilet paper and bullets are in short supply. Can you tell what the average Missourian cares most about?

  Happy stitching!

 Emmy

Weirdness

  It is total weirdness that today is November 9 and that I currently have my bedroom window open at work. It makes no sense. Then again, yesterday was March, so why should it make sense?

  Miss Ladybug had to go through quite the experience. Banjo apparently decided that the appropriate way to deal with having a feline sister was by attacking her. Thankfully, Kirstie was home and rescued her. She spent a few days inside, as did Slinky, until she was acting more like herself. Thankfully, nothing appeared broken. She was sore for a couple of days and did not like being picked up, even though she wanted held, because of the soreness. Slinky and Ladybug have both been clamoring to go outside. They miss the great outdoors. After church yesterday we did a trial run. The dogs were mostly good. When they started eyeing the kittens was when Kirst and I first got home (I rode with her after church to get lunch and run an errand). At that time we did not have the remote for the shock collars (not ideal, but better than a dead kitten). I think that Kirst is going to set up food and water in the barn for the kittens in the hope that they will stay there, at least until I can figure out a better solution regarding Banjo. I'm trying to find an affordable invisible fence that will (hopefully!) work. So far, that has been difficult. 

  Here are some pictures of the cuteness:

I must lay on her to protect her.

 Shhh, its ok, Slinky is here. 

  Kirstie got each of the kitties a Christmas shirt:

Smokey was not amused. He was already mad about the kittens being inside the house, even if it was just inside the mud room. Clothes was far too much on top of such a travesty. 

What up, homie?!?

Ahh, this is the life. Hanging out in my own house, with my own cardboard, my own toys, and my own Christmas ornament pillow. 

Hello, Mother, I am not planning on leaving my cottage today.

MY COUCH!!!!!

This is not the best picture to show it, but Ladybug really looks like a Corgi cat. 

  I do not have too terribly much else to add. Mom went with me to Pratt, KS to find out more about their paramedic to RN bridge. I would have to drive there weekly for clinicals. I was hoping to do them in a block so that I would be able to make the drive as little as possible. It is a 4.5-5 hour drive one way. The online part would have been good, if not for having to make the drive at least once a week. Oh well, I shall simply look a little closer to home. Lord willing, the right one will become available and obvious quickly!

  I do not have too terribly much to report on the stitching front. I am hoping to stitch soon, but it keeps getting pushed back. There is a lot going on, plus I have to frog an area before I can stitch. Oh well, at least frogs can be cute at times!

  Happy Stitching & Have a Great Day!

 Emmy

 

Quit Hogging Jesus

   While in Big Town at a hospital a week or so ago, we bumped into a medic that works for our company and another. He told us the AMS patient he had just brought in kept saying, “My Jesus, my Jesus” in between screaming uncontrollably (she was very altered, possibly a stroke pt).  He wanted to tell her to quit hogging Jesus, that He was his Jesus too. 

Love and cuddles from Smokey Bear

 Since Mom hasn’t done an update in fur-ever, I have taken matters into my own paws and am typing this. I am sure that all of you wish to know how the cutest little boy, as Mom calls me, is doing. 

  I am doing quite well. For some reason, I had to have a surgery. I do not quite understand why, as I was already purrfect, but I have certainly used it to my advantage to get extra treats and cuddles. Sometimes, I will walk/waddle funny, just to try to make Mom feel guilty. It is not as successful on her as I expected, but Aunt Kirstie immediately apologizes to me, and responds with an almost appropriate amount of treats and cuddles for my pain and suffering. Almost. She tries though, and allows me to use her many fuzzy blankets while watching videos on her phone, so I suppose I can excuse her unintentional incompetence. At least fur now. 

 Here is a picture of my handsome self:

  I believe this was taken yesterday. Mom is at the stupid place she calls "work." Her job is to stay home and cater to my every whim, not leave me all alone and treatless! 

  Speaking of Mom, she  said something about finishing the digging part of the footing for our house Saturday evening. She sounded excited. I don’t know why- how is a footing more exciting than me?Whatever, parents are weird. She also said something about my “Big Brother” Banjo-something-or-other helping. And a "little sister," Ladycat, or something like that.  I don’t understand why she says I have a big brother and sisters; I am an only child. Once purrrfection is reached, no additions or former mistakes are needed. 

  I have also been helping Mom study lately. Here I am learning about this "psychology" thing. Simply put, humans are weird and fragile, not at all clever and sturdy like cats.

  I do not have much more to say... my Aunt Kirstie and Marmoo are home, so I need to show them how cute I am, and how much I need ice cream now. Hopefully, Mom will update you soon. If she doesn't, just get right in her face with a cute, yet serious, expression, and meow "Mo-om;" it usually works. Good night all, and here is a picture of me pretending to be a kangaroo:

 Love, treats, and cuddles,

 Smokey Bear 🐾

A Very Good Evening Indeed

 

Thursday Randomness

  When Ladybug finishes eating, she puts herself to bed in the barrel Mom puts the dirty whites. She takes a lot of naps there! This is provided that she is not loudly demanding to be let out. She has turned into quite the cuddle bug here lately!

  I am over halfway done with the footing as of yesterday!!!!!!!! Peppy was surveying my work- I hope its up to par!

  I thought this was really cool with the moon behind Peppy. He even held still for me!

  It is definitely starting to look and feel like fall in this area; what is the weather like in your area?

  He knows he is cute, even if he still a bit cranky from his sleepover at the vet...

   I saw this at a grocery store on Sunday; isn't it hilarious how it looks like a top?!?

  I don't really have much else to say. Life has pretty much consisted of work, school, and digging the footing, with a dash of vet and chiropractor visits thrown in there. Nothing too terribly exciting to tell youns.

  I am at work today, and it has been busy. Not a ton of calls, but everything has been time consuming and it was date check day to boot (date check day is when we check the expiration dates on everything in the ambulance. It is tedious.). How are all of you doing?

  Happy Fall!

 Emmy