Just Rambling...

Good morning.....er......rain!  Supposed to be a rainy, stormy day today.  So, maybe it will be a good cleaning day :)   It's amazing how much spring cleaning is really done in the spring.  Last weekend I plowed through our basement and finally found the floor.  Whoopee!  The new carpet steam cleaner came and I can try that out today.  Always fun to use a new toy.  Of course, today is the first soccer game of the season for us and the team plays on turf, so, we may or may not still be playing.  But more importantly, it is the beginning of spring break for the kids and I am debating whether to take a day or two off to go somewhere fun. Now that we are down to 3 kids in the house it's a bit easier to do things. My oldest daughter is studying in Tuscaloosa and graduating next year.  Yesterday they had some awful tornadoes and I'm so thankful she is OK.  :)  She called me and kept me posted and it was so strange to hear all the tornado sirens in the background.  It's times like that when I slow down and think about how blessed I am to have such a close relationship with all my girls - I'm a lucky mom...  I am also thankful to have such wonderful friends.  My best friend is coming up to visit this week and we can now have our LONG OVERDUE lunch together!  Hopefully we'll get to see each other quite a bit before she goes back home.  Actually, rainy weather is a really good time to sit and reflect upon what you have and not what you don't have.  I have the opportunity right now to embark on a new chapter in life - the completion of my master's degree.  I find this challenging and exciting and thank God every day for the opportunities He bestows upon me. I don't take this lightly and am devoted to applying myself fully in order to give Him the glory of any successes.  I am thankful for my church and Pastor and the wisdom he imparts to his congregation. Once you put yourself into an environment where love is felt among the whole body as a whole, and not just in pieces here and there, spirituality comes much easier.  Now, I haven't been going every week, but my love for God and my church is real and sincere.  I am thankful that God has given me 3 amazing dogs to care for, albeit 3 very SPOILED dogs!! I am thankful for a stepson who is learning to make good choices and who is striving to be guided by God.  He's had a rough time but has been showing signs of emerging responsibility over the last few weeks to month.  Contrary to popular belief, I am very proud of him.  And lastly, I am ever thankful for my amazing husband. He is a dependable friend, a hard worker, a loving husband and father and tolerates me ;)...  Have an amazing weekend everyone - rain or no rain!

Back to the books!

It seems like as soon as the flowers start to bloom everything just starts to happen at a faster pace and then the days get away from me.  So, I'm heading back to school on 5/2 but this time, it's all online!  I've never taken an online class in my life - so what did I do?  I applied for a 100% online master's degree program!  Thank goodness my husband is an IT guy!  Now I just need to figure out how to do everything I do now and manage school without losing too much of my routine.  My biggest challenge will be managing my frontier (yes, I am a Frontierville addict...).  I do tend to be a bit overambitious though so this year I've:
1) bought a side of beef
2) joined a CSA to go out to a farm 1 hour away every Saturday and pick fruits and vegetables.  What possessed me to do this, I'll never know. I hope it is a good experience though and I better not see any snakes.
3) I bought a membership to a swimming pool (outdoor) in a neighboring subdivision for my husband and I and the 3 kids that live with us. They are excited - me, well....I guess I'll have to put that fat lady bathing suit on and deal with it.  Maybe I'll swim and get some exercise.  More likely, I'll just float around like a whale and flap my arms every now and then so the lifeguards know I am still alive.
4) I've purchased an outdoor bar set for my deck.  I love this!  Another place to sit and do...well....nothing!
5) I've purchased tickets for my husband and I to see Chicago, Journey, Foreigner and Night Ranger this year.
So, obviously, I've done a lot of planning for time to do schoolwork (NOT!!)  So, here's my plan.  I'll do schoolwork at work when I'm bored, I'll do it out back on my new bar when it's nice out, I'll do it at the pool when I "forget" my fat lady suit, and I'll do it on my way to and from the farm.  I will NOT do it at the concerts.  ;)  And THAT's that!

Soldiers..

When I watch newsclips or read stories about our military, I often wonder what gave these people the courage to go forth and do what they do.  They often travel to far away, rather undesirable, places to fight for our country, get paid much less than those in cushy, private sector jobs and spend sometimes years at a time away from their families.  In return, what do they get?  From where I sit, I see many come back with terrible emotional difficulties, including severe PTSD, and substance abuse problems. There are many programs available for soldiers and a few that extend services to their families as well. However, it is difficult to get them in because they have a very difficult time trusting people upon their return from duty. Honestly, what I have seen disturbs me. To make matters worse, they very people that should be lifting up their soldiers (spouses, etc.) are taking advantage of them.  Now, I personally do not know MANY people in the military; however, the few I do know have given me some very sad stories.  One soldier told me how he made very little money, but was given a housing allowance and other perks in order to get by.  Unfortunately, once the kids came along, that didn't go very far and many in the military are living in poverty.  Stories of unfaithful spouses abound as well.  I know someone who told me that while he was in the military, his wife was with so many other men that he didn't know if all the kids belonged to him or not! Pitiful. Apparently, this girl was taking everything that came within her radar, including the UPS driver and a Pepsi delivery guy!  That is how our soldiers are honored...by their own families??  My husband used to be in the Army and was also in the National Guard. A month after their unit went to Afghanistan, two of the soldiers were killed.  He went to both funerals; I went to one.  At one of the funerals, the dead soldier's wife arrived on the back of a motorcycle belonging to her new boyfriend!  Tacky?  You bet. More like inconceivable.  So, what motivates these brave men and women to do what they do? Is it desperation?  Is it a true passion for defending our land, and all the greedy people in it?  Is it a burning sense of patriotism that drives them?  Is it a need for power, or perceived power?  Family acceptance? Or could it be a little bit of all these things?  I'm not sure.  I would like to see our soldiers treated respectfully however.  Isn't that the least we can all do for their gift to us of ongoing freedom and safety?  I think so.  Thank a soldier today.

The Slaughterhouse....er.....meat shop....

OK - so last Saturday I went to the "place" to pick up our side of beef.  Upon entering, there was a strange smell that I could not identify but it made me queasy.  Off to the bathroom I went.  I figured I could hide while this transaction took place and then make a clean getaway.  Not so lucky.  There was a guy standing outside the bathroom doing something with sharp tools that made me want to head back to the car.  As soon as I got there I encountered a nice man with a big outdoor 39 gallon trash can.  In it lay Buddy...  all packaged up in lots of vacuum packed clear bags.  8 boxes in all of meat.  As we started to drive away, my husband said "Did you catch the smell in there?" and I looked at him, not sure what to say.  He said "It's blood". I rode home the rest of the way in silence. :(   As the boxes were being unloaded from the car, my worst fear materialized.  Buddy hair.  Yes, on my steaks.  I thought I would lose it as I felt my face grow pale.  Then I thought "Well, at least I know it really was a black angus..." and immediately felt guilty for thinking that... :(   Then I saw the clear package with the tongue in it -- and then the heart.  Oh dear God....A few days later we had hamburgers and I worried about hair being ground up in the meat.  I studied it very carefully as it was made into patties and no hairs were there.  Whew....  I have to tell you -- it was the BEST burger I've ever had. My mother said once I started eating a side of beef that was specially ordered, I'd never want anything else again and I fear she is right.  The next night, spaghetti.  Tonight, porterhouse steaks (with the hair rinsed off first!!).  My mom is coming to join us for these :)  So, I'm getting a bit more relaxed about this whole beef thing...now my husband is getting restless again.  He peers into the freezer and says "I think there's room for a hog in there.".....  I think I'm going to fly to Bermuda for that one.....

People

One of greatest joys of life is watching people.  Why?  Because we hate to watch ourselves and our own bad behavior.  Arguably, my whole blog endeavour could be viewed as bad behavior by some, but I look at it as a way for me to vent my frustrations, share my thoughts and deliver my own little brand of therapy to myself...   BUT, moving on....  I generally hate going to the mall. The stores are expensive, the spaces are crowded, and parking is horrendous, but it's a great place to plop down with a pretzel and a drink and people watch. When my grandmother was alive she used to love to sit and watch people walk by and try to figure out whether the people walking together were related or friends, who was who in the family dynamic, etc.  She also loved to watch women walk by with long beautiful hair (she was nearly bald at this time and wore a wig...).  Whenever I see someone with long hair, to this day I think "Wow - Mema would have loved that!".  Another good place to people watch is on the bus; however this is a bit more difficult because people are looking around and notice when you are watching them. Sometimes they don't like to be watched and sometimes they are paranoid.  Then they want to know why you looked at them and then it can get very ugly.  So, I've decided that when I retire I'm going to get a part time job as a local city bus driver.  I can check the rear view mirror all I want without being questioned as to why (gotta see out the back ya know!!)... I can drive all around town, meet new people and provide a safe place for those who have no place to go. :(  Some of you know that I work in the mental health field and find it fascinating.  It always amazes me to see people who have gone from absolutely nothing to finding themselves through some small piece of hope or enlightenment and then re-establishing themselves into individuals who are educated, competent, helpful and eager to give back. I've seen some go on to establish successful businesses, build group homes or drop in centers to help others, staff soup kitchens, teach employment skills, etc.  All because they finally "got" what was going on and decided to follow through with the necessary treatment, difficult as it may be, in order to be the best they can. So, they next time you're out people watching and see someone that you think may need some help, remember, they may be the next successful entrepreneur and a smile might be all it takes for them to get started :)

Earth Pot

Note to self:  Never eat anything that is served in a flower pot.  Today I had lunch with my husband at a fairly new little Vietnamese place near my office.  As I perused the menu I saw an option called "Earth Pot" and my husband pointed one out as the waiter walked by.  Intrigued by the beauty of this little clay dish, I decided that the food inside must be just as lovely.  I eagerly ordered it with some chicken and vegetables.  A pretty safe choice, right?  WRONG!!  After bite #1 I thought I might need to call the fire department.  As my mouth throbbed and I struggled to keep my eyes inside my face, I watched my husband happily eating his.  Now I had a dilemma....do I keep eating it and hope that once it cools a bit the spices magically disappear or should I shove it aside and starve with a little frownie face.  Well, I decided to eat what I could, albeit very slowly, and all the time thinking about how nice a little plant would look on my windowsill growing out of that beautiful dish.  Once I'd had enough, I decided to box the rest up to take home to my little 11 year old spice loving princess.  Surely, she'll tell me whether it's truly spicy or she'll laugh at me and call me a wimp. Problem #2....apparently spicy earth pot food is not only spicy in your mouth....it's still spicy in your stomach and then in your intestines and then.........well, you get where I'm going....... I'm now thinking that an ice bath might not be such a bad thing.  That and I feel like I have a rather large bowling ball in my stomach which is not helping me to get any work done.  Next time I'll stick with my original plan.......pho!

It's Official!!

Well, Spring is finally here!  I look around and see all the new life and it makes me appreciate the beauty of a God-designed world all over again.  Daffodils are up and bulbs are growing as well - I even put new mulch in the front :)  My husband has been enjoying all the new life as well.  As soon as Spring "sprung" he sat down at the computer and ordered a black angus to be slaughtered.  This Saturday we'll go to pick up our meat. Now he's looking at hogs......... All the while, I sit and think of names for these creatures in hopes that if it becomes personalized he won't want to have it slaughtered...no such luck.  I have to admit though, I am looking forward to having a year's worth of quality beef in our freezer chest.  I just didn't want to have to see what Buddy looked like before he got wrapped in white paper and labeled...

It's going to be a busy week.  Steph leaves for her band trip to Chicago tomorrow morning at 5:30 a.m.  I often wonder why they can't leave at 7 or 8....always 5:30....and of course I have to go up there because I have to personally deliver her luggage to the bus so they know that I "searched" it.  Why can't I search it at home the night before and cover it in duct tape?  One more year of this and then I'll be missing it...or not.  Jess goes to her dad this weekend so that 2 out of 3.  Bailey will be around but he usually stays in his room.  It is nice when we can get him out though.  Perhaps he can come help us get Buddy...er....the meat....and then we can have some friends over to hang on the deck, assuming it will be nice out....This meat thing has me a little freaked out -- OK -- a lot freaked out.  I wonder if when I get to the meat place I'll walk in and see cows dangling from the ceiling?  Will there be people outside leading a line of cattle in there like what the Nazis did to the Jews as the were led to the gas chamber?  I shudder at the thought and I'm not quite sure how to prepare for this experience...

Well, have a blessed day everyone!