The Big Purge

A new year means a fresh start, right?

This year I really need to get back to brass tacks. I've gotten myself in a rut. Not that it's a bad rut, it's just that I have deviated from 'the plan' a little. I have wanted to have my own farm for as long as I can remember. But with the business of living sucking up my time and energy I haven't had the chance to dream like I used to. I have tried getting back into the kind of financial position I need to be in to buy the farm and so far I don't feel like I'm making much progress. But really with taxes and Christmas right on the heels of one another, I probably shouldn't be expecting to be further ahead than I am. And I like what I do for a living, so I feel absolutely blessed to be able to get paid to do something I love.

So not feeling like I need to find my calling has kind of extinguished the fire under my butt to move away. The same goes for the little Makers; they're all happy with their little lives too. BedHead has started back to public school in a different town and is loving it. It is such a good fit for her and she is coming out of her shell. She even applied for a job at a restaurant that is opening up here in the spring.

I just feel like I can't be totally complacent though. I miss having the chickens. There is only so much I can do from inside the town limits. So this has lead me to do some soul searching. I still want the farm, and so I asked myself. What can I do to prepare for that next step? Right now it isn't attainable, but preparing for that move totally is. So for the time being I'm going to enjoy the ride this life is taking me on, all the while saving and simplifying for the future.

So that gets me to my plan for this new year. Don't you dare call it a resolution! My plan is to declutter and get rid of as much unnecessary stuff as possible. I hate moving; so the less I end up having to take with me the better. I also want to get this house ready to be able to sell. So every week I am going to try to get rid of, fix, paint, organize, or clean something. I already did this week's project. I cleaned out the 3 youngest kids' drawers. I did the hand-me-down shuffle and packed away the rest of their summer wardrobes. I ended up with a box of boy's clothes for a cousin and half a garbage bag for the thrift shop. That's 13 pounds purged y'all!

Keeping Up With The Times

I tend to rebel against the status quo. I don't want to be 'like everyone else'. That being said, I have had to evaluate how I manage my time and priorities, and I have decided to upgrade. I am blogging right now from my very own iPhone.

For me the decision was an easy one. My computer has been on the fritz for months and has been away being fixed for a couple of weeks now. Plus I really needed to get back to taking pictures of these fast growing monsters of mine. Having the ability to do everything from one little gadget should make blogging, facebooking, and picture taking faster. Hey I may even post pictures again! Yay!

And MedScape is a really cool app for med nerds like moi.

The EMS Newbie gets Schooled

In only the first 3 months of my new job, I have learned a myriad of new things; the kind of knowledge you don't find in a classroom. Everyday there is something new and exciting to learn and discover. I feel so very blessed everyday to do what I do. A lot of what I learn (or relearn) is applicable to life out of the uniform. So here is a random sampling of some observations, keeping in mind, this is just my take on things.

1. Don't put it off. Procrastination doesn't get you anywhere except with shampoo in your hair while the pager goes off. No, this hasn't happened but it's my biggest fear. It's why I get up early and get ready before my call starts. The moral of this story is do it now. If you have to pee, go. If you want to sweep, sweep now. You might not get the chance later.

2. If you feel like you need help, call. You are never "putting us out". It is our job, and we don't make enough money or have enough perks to be in it for a paycheck. We do it because we care about your well being.

3. Respect your elders. Never underestimate the wealth of knowledge age brings. Being new and keen is all fine and good, but listen to the guy who has been doing it for 10, 20, 30 years. He has been in situations your kids with the super crazy imaginations couldn't even dream up. Even outside of the job. There are forgotten skills to be learned from these folks.

4. Section. Township. Range. Perplexing to the town kid, but totally important.

5. Don't smoke. I know, I know; easy for the nonsmoker to say. I can't even imagine the grasp this addiction has on people. But if you could see what I have seen. Just trust me on this one, k.

6. Tell your family your wishes. This is especially important if you have a chronic health condition. As a health provider, I want to do right by you, the patient. It is also not the kind of decision making your family should have to do in a health crisis. Health care directives and living wills aren't any one's idea of a fun time, but are necessary when facing serious illness. Plus if you have an E.R.I.K. kit, you will be one of my favourite patients. Guaranteed.

7. Wear your seat belt. Every. Time.

8. Do what brings you joy. It took me years to figure out what I wanted to do as a job outside my house. Liking what you do for work makes it not feel much like 'work' at all.

9. Nurses are the most under appreciated people on the planet. Worth their weight in gold, they are.

10. Empathize. When you can do no more for someone, you can just be there, feeling their pain the way you would feel it if that was your grandmother or mother or auntie or friend. Because you know what? To someone, she is.

A Happy Life

I honestly feel like God himself has smiled upon my life. The kids are great! The new job is amazing. I really couldn't ask for more. (Well except to be 30lbs lighter, maybe.)

BedHead has been doing her schoolwork with minimal nagging. And today the Tiny Maniac lingered at the truck when I dropped her off at school, smiling her little toothless smile and telling me she loved me and she'd see me at lunchtime. Those are the things I tell her every morning. I guess she has been listening. It melted my heart. HannaBanana's teenage moods are easing and PoopyPants put out the garbage this morning without complaint. Peeper is as always my little shadow. I have been absolutely blessed to have these children.

I was on call for my new job this week. Each day got a little more comfortable. I didn't want to go anywhere in my uniform and was a nervous wreck about the pager going off the first day. After that I thought this is crazy, I have to get stuff done and went about my regular routine. Every subsequent day I felt a little more comfortable in my new skin and today, my day off, I felt naked without my watch. That is new...I've never worn a watch before in my life until I needed one for work. My co workers are awesome. They are so willing to teach and the truth of it is that there is so much to be learned as real life experience. Yes, I passed the same course of schooling that everyone else did, but I am green. So I really appreciate all they have to share with me.

I wish I had pictures from this weekend to share. We spent the night at our camper and had what may be the last campfire of the summer. *little tear* Then we spent the day at a nearby pumpkin patch and corn maze. I forgot my camera but Bedhead remembered hers so as soon as she uploads them I will post them.

Today is Amish Cinnamon Bread baking day. You know the starter that never dies because after a while of passing it around all your friends have them and you're stuck with them. I've started only taking 2 starters from each batch instead of 4 just to keep the bread population down. Today I have to bake 4 loaves. And since it is a sweet bread that will be enough for us til the next baking day. I promised Peeper we'd make cupcakes too so I had better run. We're going to taking the chill out of this old house with our cheery baking. And we may even listen to some Iron and Wine while we do it.

Update

It feels like fall around these parts.

The summer was amazing. I only worked two weekends a month with the odd shift sprinkled here and there. Spending the whole summer being mom was awesome. We bought a cheapie camper and parked it at my mother's and spent a lot of time out there. The three littlest Makers even got to go to Vacation Bible School out there, which left me with my mornings free for a week. I went and visited my grandma, and was actually able to feel useful. I love it when people you love are able to humble themselves enough to ask for help. It really is a blessing to be able to help someone. To know that their day was made just a little easier by your being there.

I was blessed again with being able to grow some of our own food, but the garden was not as plentiful this year. I did get all of the tomatoes pulled before the frost came, and have hopes of making dilled carrots in the next few days. I've started putting the garden to bed for the year and it is almost cathartic.

The chickens are getting so big! We moved them out to the country and spent so many summer days with them. They knew that whenever we came, they'd get to come out of their pen and visit and eat treats. So all I had to do was call "chickens" and they'd come barrelling out of the coop so fast they'd hit the wire and clamour over each other to get to me. So sweet. That is happiness in my humble little opinion. Sitting in the shade watching the chickens be chickens. Its better than television.

School has started once again and the return to routine is fabulous. I am getting so much done around the house and have the opportunity to bake everyday. I do have to think about starting to work more though. I had a small buffer in the account to facilitate me being here with the kids while they were home for the summer, but its been depleted, so back to work I must go. Now that the little ones are in school I feel way less guilt about leaving, as I can work the bulk of my hours while they are away....which kind of gets me to the next update blurb.

I am ALL finished my licensing exams and am expecting my ambulance operator's license in the mail any day now. The process of waiting for all the necessary paperwork seemed so dragged out. So my advice to anyone needing a child abuse registry check in the province of MB is to do it 8 weeks before you need it! That is how long mine took, and I sent it away the day after I graduated. It was required before I could even book my provincial written exam. And then once you pass the written you can apply for the practical. And each test is only offered once a month. So the whole thing seemed to be really drawn out. It kept me going back and looking at my books though! Once I have my license in hand I can start work! I'm totally ready and even got myself a nerdy pair of steel toe shoes. Hopefully I will be able to work days.

Still single. Still loving it. While I would love to just be able to go out casually on dates, I just really don't think it is going to happen because;
a) In a small town every guy that I am seen with I must be 'fucking'. Ya, its heinous.
b) I like to go out and experience new things, but ultimately I want to come home to my kiddos alone. I love the gesture of a man walking a lady home and going his separate way. It seems so pure. But really in this day and age what guy thinks he should go home alone?

That and the last time I tried to be with someone, I picked the wrong someone and it ended in a peace bond! And bruises on my arms and him admitting to things I can't even bring myself to repeat on my blog with a good friend of mine while we were together. Gross. He was so quick to accuse me of sleeping with all my guy friends, and my ex, but turns out he was the one being insincere. Let me tell you, once I forgot him and this supposed friend my life has been drama free.

And a side note to the baking everyday...Yesterday I made muffins out of some banana nut instant oatmeal packets. It was going to expire and my kids didn't like it. I just substituted half the amount of flour for the packets and the kids LOVED them. Yeah, the oatmeal they HATED. Fickle little children.

So that's life in a nutshell here.

Look what I made...

You'd think with a pseudonym like Mrs. Maker, I'd be more crafty, right? This is the first knitted article I have ever made! For Christmas BedHead got a set of looms and an instruction book from Santa, and last night I thought maybe I should give them a go. Looked at the book, and two and a half hours later...a hat!


I actually made it with the intent of giving it to my wee nephew, but Peeper claimed it as her own.

P.S. Technically I didn't make this, but I did it! Not bad for a single mama of 5 with 2 jobs at the time, if I do say so myself.

On my mind...

Little chick love!

These are our little gold and silver laced wyandottes. Our very first backyard flock! They are already so loved. I actually had to tell PoopyPants to close the box in the truck because I was having a hard time keeping my eyes off of them and on the road. The kiddos were so excited, I let them miss school to shop for the supplies and pick them up. We are keeping 5 and 5 are going to a friend once they can be outside. Their names are; Silvermist, Poachy, Goldie, Omlet and Charlie.

And thanks again to Rhonda at http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/ for introducing this great 'On My Mind' idea.