In Memoriam

In Flanders Field

by John MaCrae

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.

Remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Justification in Circles

Sometimes, I’m amazed I don’t throw my back out when I try to justify my logic.

Yesterday I went to the outlet mall in search of a gift for my sister-in-law, and a Mother’s Day gift for my mom. It was a gorgeous day, and I was on my own so I didn’t feel rushed by anyone. Not that Hubby ever rushes me while shopping, but I do want to take his feelings into account. The kids’, not so much. Anyway, I had recalled that there was a Coach™ outlet store, and my mind made a quick calculation:

Handbag + Mother’s Day = Happy lady

Eh, works for most women, yours truly included. Women are all about the accessories. You know why? Because it gives us the excuse to go shopping for the outfit to match. Ask any woman. Accessories are a gateway drug to the closet. So with that in mind, I go over to the store in search of a handbag for my mom. And I am quickly overwhelmed. Seriously, I have no idea what to get my mom. Every woman has different criteria for her handbag. For example, I need inside pockets for my phone, glasses, and change. My mom prefers a large roomy inside to having myriad pockets and compartments. But they have a clearance section and that’s where I head to do my shopping, because THAT is every woman’s criteria.

I find a couple of handbags that may please my mom: a hobo-style with room enough for a kitchen sink, and a smaller tote style handbag that she can use for church and other social events. I call my sister to ask her which one I should get mom. Hilarity ensued.

Me: One is like your hobo but tan, not pink, and the other is smaller like for church.

Sis: Why are you wanting to buy her a purse??

Me: Doesn’t she like purses?

Sis: I already got her a Coach™ purse.

Me: YOU DID??

Sis: Uh, you were with me…

Me: *sighs*…. what am I supposed to do now?

Sis: You can buy yourself one.

Me: Hm…but I can’t decide!

Sis: Good luck with that!

Here’s the thing: I don’t own any fancy purses save for two. Ironically, one is by Coach™, given to me almost twenty years ago by my late brother-in-law, Draco. And guess what?? I have my niece’s wedding to attend. I NEED A NEW BAG!! But I still couldn’t decide. Apparently my dilemma was obvious to the salesguy, because he sauntered over to let me know the clearance section was on sale for an additional 40% off. So I did what any sane woman would do.

AND the wallets were on sale, as well. Don’t they look good against my pots??

You may be asking what I will be doing for my mom instead. I have a back up plan. Well, I usually have a few back up plans just in case. She may not get her gift by Mother’s Day, but better late than never, right?

At least I hope so 😀

On Muster

Today is the 178th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, marking the birth of the Republic of Texas. Normally my post on this day is all about that. But this anniversary has a special meaning today. It is also the day of Aggie Muster. On this day, we come together to celebrate those Aggies who have passed away during the year.

Tonight, we shall be honoring my brother-in-law, known to the blog as LC Draco. We will get together and remember our times at Aggieland, and toast his memory as Aggies do. And during the Roll Call of the Absent, we shall answer, “HERE!!”

Roll Call for the Absent

In many lands and climes this April day
Proud sons of Texas A&M unite.
Our loyalty to country, school, we pray,
and seal our pact with bond of common might.

We live again those happy days of yore
on campus, field, in classroom, dorm, at drill
Fond memory brings a sigh — but nothing more;
Now we are men and life’s a greater thrill,

On Corregidor 72 years ago today
A band of gallant Aggies, led by Moore,
Held simple rites which led to us doth all to say:
The spirit shall prevail through cannon roar.

Before we part and go upon our way,
We pause to honor those we knew so well;
The old familiar faces we miss so much today
Left cherished recollections that time cannot dispel.

Softly call the Muster,
Let comrade answer, “Here!”
Their spirits hover ‘round us
As if to bring us cheer!

Mark them ‘present’ in our hearts.
We’ll meet some other day
There is no death, but life etern
For our old friends such as they!

Until then, Draco! WHOOP!!

Happy Easter!!

He is risen!! Hallelujah!!

May y’all have a wonderful day 🙂

Éirinn go Brách, Y’all!!

Today we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, which means wearing of the green, drinking green beer, and many parades celebrating Irish ancestry. I am not Irish, but know many who descend from Eyre, and they will be the first to tell me I probably misspelled that title. But by tonight, they will be the first to not care. Oh, would that I be able to imbibe today, but alas, I shall have to make do with just drinking limeade from my Lolita wineglass.

But as consolation I will be wearing the Sithiest t-shirt ever marketed for St. Paddy’s Day!!

AND I’m making soda bread!! Weirdly, I am making Chicken Paprikas for dinner, because it is the only orange dish I can think of to make, and will set off nicely with the greens. I would have made some Guinness™ braised beef, but I gave that up as well. Yes, I cried when I realized I couldn’t even cook with alcohol.

Easter can NOT come soon enough. Trust me 😀

Happy Pi Day!!!

That’s right!! The second nerdiest holiday of the year!!

I’m sure I don’t have to tell y’all which is the greatest nerd holiday, right??

So in honor of π, I shall be making a pie. Yes it is Lent and I can’t have any sweets, but the rest of the family wasn’t boneheaded like me, and they sure can partake.

I will also be serving a fruit cooler with ice cubes made from this:

I purchased that tray from Think Geek a while back, and is no longer available through their site. But Woot! has it for today! If you miss out, there is always Amazon. They have everything, apparently.

Anyway, I’m off to start baking. Hope y’all enjoy the day and get your geek on!! 😀

Sith Tuesday!!

Today is Mardi Gras, the last day of indulgence before the start of the Lenten season.

Yay!! At least until tomorrow morning.

As y’all know, I go all out for Lent. I give up booze, and junk food, and sweets, and sodas, and fatty foods. This makes for a very cranky Sith Empress for a few days, and then I am back to my normal Death Star-shiny self. One good thing about giving up so much stuff is the lightness of being. By that, I mean the loss of holiday pounds that invariable stick around after the holidays like an unwanted guest.

I’m already looking forward to Easter Sunday.

Courtesy of Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus

So go and have some fun, and enjoy festivities and drink and food and revelry. Catch some beads and sing along. For tomorrow will come soon enough.

And may your morning be free of nausea and headaches 😀

HAPPY TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

WHOOP!!

So make sure to celebrate today in true Texas style!!

Have a wonderful Sunday 🙂

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Also known as Valentine’s Day!

Sorry about skipping yesterday’s TNL, but I had to go downtown to pay the property taxes, which took HOURS since there was some sort of spill on the highway, which meant I had to take backroads that were scary enough to send me into prayer, and then arrive to stand in line among the living and the dead (they had been there so long), and finally, painfully hand over a cheque to the smiling young clerk. By the time I made it home, it was too late to make dinner, much less write a post.

And there ends my justification.

Anyway, back to Valentine’s Day. Around here, I don’t really celebrate it for myself as much as I do for the kids and Hubby. It’s not that I am jaded on the holiday. It’s just that loving someone shouldn’t require a specific day. But that doesn’t mean I don’t try to make the day special in some way. So here is a list of things one should never forget to do for their loved ones.

#5– Carry their burden

Big or small, physical or emotional, it doesn’t matter as long as you make it your own, even for a short time.

#4– Wash their hair

Or give them a foot rub, or massage their shoulders. Anyone that watched Out of Africa knows what I’m talking about.

#3– Be their harbor

No matter what the trouble, be there to offer them safety. You are their shield.

#2– Listen

No matter that it’s gossip or complaints, just listen to them. Usually that is all we want anyway.

#1– Tell them you love them

Sometimes we forget to do that. So don’t.

Anyway, I hope y’all enjoy today, be it in celebration of Valentine’s Day or because it’s Friday finally. I’m going with the latter 😉

Thursday Never List

I still remember the excitement of going to visit my cousins when I was younger. Usually going to San Juan meant an overnight trip, so my mom got to pack the bags and make sure we had everything we could possibly need without taking the kitchen sink.

Although there was this one time we did have to take the kitchen sink, because my uncle was going to use it in his work shed. But that’s another story.

You may think that packing a bag or a suitcase requires no skill, but you would be wrong. You aren’t using Mary Poppins’ carpetbag, which means you have a finite amount of space to use so you have to pack accordingly. However, there are some things one should never do without when doing an overnighter.

Never Leave Home Without It

#5– Toiletries

Specifically, toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant. You can do without everything else, but these are non-negotiable.

#4– Extra socks

No one likes sweaty feet.

#3– Pain medication

Better safe than tripping on someone else’s meds.

#2– Sweater or light jacket

I don’t know of anyone that has been able to predict the weather correctly. Ever.

#1– Reading material

Just because you are visiting someone, doesn’t mean you have to be a Chatty Cathy. And nothing works as a shield better than reading some deep literature, like Zen, and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Tried and true.

And with that, I’m off to get medicated against the pollen count, put on an extra pair of socks so my toes don’t break off from frostbite, and hope to Hades I don’t need to clean the mouse cage. Have a good one! 🙂