When the sun won't shine...

 Make your own sunlight! At least, that is what Ladybug decided to do! I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing Sunday!

  Happy Stitching!

 Emmy

 

It has been an entertaining time of late

   It really has been. We just got back from a call for a 3 year old with his foot stuck in his bicycle. He had been freed by the time we arrived. He was quite proud of the firefighter's helmet the fire dept gave him, as well as the animal my partner made for him out of gloves. His two sisters received the same, and were just as excited. 

  Earlier, we got very lost while looking for an address in a neighboring ambulance service's area. They have been running short-handed, so we have had much more mutual aid calls than normal. Thankfully, the call was not an emergency. The family was irritated; the road sign was missing. Which is common around here, and makes our job much, much harder if GPS does not work (it didn't). On the upside, I got take a quick picture of this barn quilt while we tried to get our bearings. 

   This morning, the sunrise was gorgeous!

  School has been going well. This was the first week with my A&P refresher, and it was not bad. Sometimes first weeks are deceiving, but I am hopeful that this is not one of those times. Its getting closer to time for me to start the RN bridge!

  Smokey and Ladybug have been extra entertaining of late. Kirst is sorting through things, and has an empty tub in the living room. They think that is the best thing ever! Dad even got involved by getting in the tub at one point to play with them. They thought it was awesome!

(I interrupted her nap on accident. It was not well received.)

Work has been work. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Today, today has been entertaining. We have a student that is eager to finish getting his patient contacts in, so it has been entertaining while we debate with him with what volume and type of call is appropriate. He wants large amounts of patients, and massively pain-to-write-the-reports-for style calls. We want nothing but silent radio. So far, he is winning. Although, that was only our third call, so he is not winning by much. 

  Has anyone else with chronic sinus issues and allergies have been having issues with their doctor's offices? I am treated for 1-3 sinus infections a year, and almost constantly have at least low key issues with my sinuses (the allergies pretty much just stay with various points of worsening, such as rain, spring, summer, and fall). They know this. But they panic. When I mentioned the worsening issues since shortly after Thanksgiving, my nurse practitioner almost went the Covid route. Covid is much, much different from this. It is frustrating. And the medicine she gave me greatly helped, but did not quite knock it down back to baseline. So, I messaged her, unfortunately on a day she is off, so other staff members messaged me back. They want me to do a telehealth visit. I'm assuming its because of the "Covid symptoms" of sinus junk. Which is 99% of Missourians' baseline, because our state kinda stinks in that regard. I don't know whether to call and try to sort it out, or if they will try to force me get tested, when I do not need it, and make me miss work and no telling what else until the results come back. It is quite annoying. It definitely is not Covid; myself, and all others that have had it and been symptomatic that I've talked to, state that Covid had its own unique feeling, unlike anything else we have ever had. This- this I have had all the time for years. Oh well, such happenings certainly make sure that life stays interesting.

  I don't really have anything to report on the stitching front. Hopefully I will tomorrow!

  How have all of you been? What are you up to?

  Happy Stitching!

Emmy 

Life

 Hello All! This has quite possibly been one of the busiest Spring Breaks I have ever had! It has been difficult to get caught up on what I need to do, let alone what I want to do. And, of course, the first day of spring break was spent in mandatory training at work. At least until we became too busy with calls. Tomorrow school starts up again. I am not all that thrilled- this break flew by far too fast. 

  The weather has been nuts- one day it was in the 70s, the following day there were tornadoes in the general area of Missouri that I live and work, then the day after that,  there was snow. Our weather can never make up its mind around here!

 Things are progressing slow with my house. A coworker has agreed to frame it, once the foundation is finished. He recommended a guy to finish the foundation (with Dad's work schedule changing, I see no way it will be done by us), but that guy is booked through the end of May- beginning of June. He said he might be able to fit in somewhere in April, but can make no guarantees. Which is a bit of disappointment to me. Not sure if anyone else in the area will be able to do it any earlier or not- it is the season for such things now. 

  Yesterday, Mom, Kirst, and I visited Grandpa and Grandma B, as well as as my Uncle Bob and Aunt Charlotte. It was amazing getting to see them after so long apart. I also managed to sneak some stitching in, but forgot to take a picture. I did, however, remember to take a picture of a pillow my Aunt Charlotte embroidered many years ago. 

  I thought it was quite clever how she embroidered around the white squares to really make it pop!

  The kitties have been entertaining of late. Here is Ladybug helping Mom make her bed:

Someone had to help with laundry here:

Its hard work keeping each other in line!

 Someone had to hold Dad's foot still...

Storm watching:

 Helping me assemble a cabinet for Mom:

Supervising the cabinet assembly:

Signs of Spring!!!!!

Then snow...

  We are now back to things looking more like more spring, but it still cooler than it had been. Hopefully, it will warm back up soon! I hope all of you are doing well. Have a wonderful Sunday!

 Happy Stitching,

 Emmy

Pictures Aplenty

  Just so you are well forewarned, this post is going to be of about a zillion pictures. Life has pretty much just consisted of work, school, and family. Mom had her birthday on Feb 17th, and Dad's is fast approaching on the 10th of this month. Kirst has been doing well. Dad's hours have been changed to third shift, so he has had less than time than ever to do anything besides work or sleep. On the up side, he is actually sleeping more once he gets home- he knows from past experience that third shift is not his friend, so he has been taking a little bit better care of himself. At least there is a bright spot to even the bad things! Mom currently is sick. A stomach bug has been making its rounds around the daycare, and of course she ended up with it. The little ones like to cuddle with her, so she tends to catch whatever they have. 

  School has been going well. I have a final this coming week in Critical Thinking. After that, Spring Break!!!!!!!!!! Which will likely be spent doing lots and lots of projects I haven't had time for yet, but I'm hopeful that stitching will be a large part of that!!!!! If nothing else, maybe I will finally knock out the clutter in my bedroom....  After break ends, nutrition class will continue, and my A&P refresher will start. Hopefully, most of it will come flooding back. If not, A&P intrigues me greatly, so I am optimistic that it will be enjoyable. Especially since there will be no Miss Flufflykins to dissect this go round!

  My house is at a bit of a stand still. The weather did not cooperate for the longest time; now, we have some days that are very sunshiney and spring-like, and other days that are rainy, or vacillate between warm and cold. Hopefully, Dad and I will get the blocks laid soon. If we can find a day where he has the time without being too tired, and the weather cooperates, it should be done. Once that is finished, I am hoping that a coworker's husband will be willing to allow me to hire him to do the framing. As much as I wanted this to be a project for Dad and me, and as much as we would have enjoyed the time together, I just don't see us having the time. My coworker's husband frames buildings for a living, so as long as this project isn't too little or odd, and it fits in my budget, I think it will be best for all involved. Dad and I will still have all of the interior stuff to do, so there will still be plenty of work to do!!! Mom has volunteered to help me hang the paneling, or probably shiplap (Pinterest gave me the idea- it looks so cool!), so that will be fun! 

  My fingers are itching to stitch something spring themed. They've been itching to stitch period for a long, long time now. I don't believe I have anything too springy in my stitching bag, but I just might have something close enough to do the trick, if the good people of our ambulance district allow. Earlier, we went on a lady that we brought to the hospital because she was "tired." That's it, no other complaint, just tired. It was a very accurate call for our EMT student to be on. Although, this type of call usually happens in the wee hours of the morning, but this will suffice since the student would not be here then. Then, since I was a bit tired myself, although I did not see the point in an ambulance and ER bill for it, took a nap myself after lunch! All in all, a pretty good day so far!

  I'm not sure if I've posted this already or not, but Ladybug's front left paw has been incredibly swollen. We don't know if she stepped on something, or if Smokey got too rough while they were wrestling, but something injured it. Ironically, her and I were both on prednisone at the same time. As well as basically the same antibiotic (mine was for a lingering sinus infection/ asthma issues; it was lingering because I did not want to go through the hassle of repeatedly explaining that it was not Covid, just my usual annual, or rather up to 3x annual, sinus infection. Not the best long term decision, but at least I did not have to get tested and waste time off of work for it!). Interesting times in the Swisher Household. 

  Now, without further ado, I present: Pictures Aplenty.

She has been keeping Mom company on the couch; here she is wondering where Mom wandered off to while she dozed. 

                                        

ICECREAM!!!!!!!!

Impromptu naps :)

"Aunt Kirstie spoils me!!!!!" ~ Smokey

Kirst took this gorgeous picture the other day!

This works well, right?

Box!!!!!!!

They're just about the same size now! Ladybug is too polite to wake Smokey up to play, although he has no qualms about waking her up, or anyone else for that matter, when he wants to play. 

"Sup, Mom"

How dare you distract me from bird watching!!!

My current mood as well, little buddy. 

"For the thousandth time, Mom, the Queen does what she wants when she wants. So, no, I do not know why the house being destroyed is my fault."

Trying to look serious for the portrait that will be printed on Her Royal Highness' coins.

Road trip!!!

So much to see! Good thing she travels well, and likes the vet!

Pretty eyes!

Helpin' Marmoo make the bed... and possibly testing it out...

Someone had to help with the laundry...

Can't...go...on...much...longer!

Normal paw vs. Ginormica paw

"Where'd she go?"

New bow tie!!!!

At least they were dirty....

Mandatory meeting: plants are friends, not food.

String!!!!!

A paw!!!!

Someone walking by!!!!

This is how this works, right?

These treats are subpar, Mother, I expect fresh caught fish.

Why can't you fish?

I think they've gotten this whole exercise-bike thing figured out!

Posing for his picture!

   I hope that all of you are doing fantastic, and that spring is headed your way! I hope we all get plenty of stitching in today as well!!!!!! Have a wonderful day!

Happy Stitching,

 Emmy