Christmas Dinner

A curiosity....what do you eat for your holiday meal? A tradition for our family has always been to have turkey for Thansgiving and ham for Christmas.

I've always wondered what people from other areas including outside the US have for dinner if they celebrate a holiday this time of year...

This year, I'm going to try to cook prime rib for the first time. What a treat! I am searching the internet for cooking tips since it's such an expensive meat. I don't want to ruin it. Hints??

Grown up Christmas List

As the holiday draws near, I become quiet inside. There's a PEACE about Christmas. It seems the world takes a collective sigh from its normal hustle and bustle and perhaps, without even knowing it, we unite. For some, it's the holiness of Christmas. For others, there seems to be just a little more kindness around them that causes them to pause and appreciate others.

Christmas seems to spread a kind of 'calm' to Christians and non-Christians alike. I struggle to find eloquent words to describe it, but it is palpable.

My wish, my grown up Christmas list, is for the holiness of the season to reach the hearts of all. That the days bring wonder, peace, faith, and hope. As a Christian, I pray that everyone takes a moment and connects with Christ; the reason for the season. Without Him, this Holy-day would just be a day.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Hobbies on hold

I used to cross stitch often. I found it relaxing while between calls with EMS. I had an unfortunate turn of events, however, with an autoimmune disease weakening my eyes. I have difficulty with reading or performing small tasks like stitching.

Last time I stitched was for a recent Halloween exchange. It was difficult but in small spurts, I was able to finish it. My eyes get fatigued and blurry vision after a few minutes of looking at small print. This has been quite a bummer. I have several patterns on my wish list and several UFOs waiting for my attention.

I'm not letting it bum me out. I'm being seen by a specialist to see if we can remedy the problem. It may require (gulp) surgery at the worst. Everyone has a 'thing' going on in their lives or with their health. This is just my 'thing' for now and I'm comforted that there may be resolution soon.

I've asked 'Santa' not to get me cross stitch for Christmas. I am in hopes that after the eyes get better, I will stitch so much and so fast that I will need new stash! It will be my goal to wear my fingers out. It will also be a reward to look forward to after this journey.

So, please be patient with me and my lack of crafting posts or reading of your blogs. I do these things for just moments at a time.

Could you do me a favor....? If you know of others that enjoyed Parsley's posts, could you tell them I'm here now? That way I can revisit their blogs if they are still out there.

And Santa....my stitchy wish-list will be long.....be ready for Christmas in July hahahahaha

EMS and its burden

I've had wonderful experiences caring for patients in the back of the ambulance. When we get our training, we learn some potentially life saving techniques. Those, paired with compassion, can make this job rewarding. I've held hands. I've prayed for people. I've helped them feel better at their worst moments in life.

But...no one trains you on how to deal with loss. Of course it's discussed but seasoned medics develop a hard outer shell to cope. I'm not hard. I never will be so it's understandable that sometimes the chaos and loss that occurs in the back of an ambulance can stick with me in my mind.
I recently had a call after dark that stuck. The call was to a public location and at first, the people calling 911 thought it was a seizure.

When we arrive, multiple people are waiving us down...as if we couldn't see bystanders performing CPR. I see it all. I take it all in. These faces are familiar.

We never run to patients. We are quick, but never panic or run. My partner gathered items as I confirmed the patient was in cardiac arrest. I was given a name and I knew the person. My heart sank.

I knew this person's family was right outside the door, praying, crying, begging God to work. God did....but not necessarily how people hoped. We all tried to keep him with us but he went home to God.

For days (and nights) I replayed this call in my head. I would wake up in the middle of the night and feel a rush of anxiety as if we were trying to save him again. Of course, I know this stayed with me because I knew him personally.

It took a while, but I've finally gotten some nights of sleep without the sudden panic waking me up. And, as expected, my next shift I had another bad call where it brought it all back to my mind. There's a saying that once a 'black cloud' floats over you, it stays for a while and rains on you. It did.

This time it wasn't a person I knew but the situation was just as life threatening. The patient made it, but not necessarily due to our interventions. As a person of faith, I believe that we can do our work but we cannot change the outcome of what God wants.

I work again this weekend with the same partner with whom I had the first bad call that triggered my PTSD. I know it will be hard. I know I will dread when the tones go off. Pray for us. Pray for all responders; that we will have wisdom, peace, and protection.

The Seven Pack

April

Molly

Mariposa

Trixie, Melody and Cookie

Pi (3.14 legs)

Here's Parsley's pack. As you see, it's quite a crew of misfits. Many of these babies are seniors but Pi is the youngest at (almost) 2 years. 
I'd love for you to post some pics of your fur babies on your blogs and comment below when you do so. Hugs and Wags....Parsley and the pack

A New Blog, A New Me

If one could make an analogy, bloggers might call me a prodigal. I blogged years ago and have had so many life changes that I gave up a blog that had once been therapeutic to me.

Life changes...

My former blog didn't seem to 'fit' anymore. My life changed. There was less stitching, less reading, and less time to be the blogger I had once been. I could not fulfill the unstated blogger expectations of 'you read mine and I'll read on yours'. I also didn't feel I was the same person that people had once known. I was different, my life was different, and my blog wasn't a reflection of the changing-me.

Perhaps the biggest change happened when I became employed as an EMT. It takes a lot to recover from 24 hour shifts away from home. The experiences in EMS have changed me; for the good and bad. PTSD has reared it's ugly head but God and my husband are with me always.

I've kept the nick-name 'Parsley' because I love it. As I ease back into blogging, I do hope you'll be patient with me.

Please pull up a chair, grab a cuppa tea, and enjoy a peak into my life with my seven dogs and the assorted ponderings of a prodigal blogger, returned.