How Lucky Can One Be?

A couple of days ago, Hubby and I were talking about the happenings over there. The MFO is literally in the middle of nowhere, and getting entertainment for the troop is pretty rare. But this weekend they were going to be getting a visit from the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders.

Now, American football may not be appreciated by most of the countries represented at the MFO, but their cheerleaders sure are.

Anyway, we were talking about it, and Hubby asked me to look up a certain cheerleader that he really, really wanted to meet. I was smiling at that, thinking she sure must be attractive or maybe was originally from his neck of the woods, but no. That wasn’t the reason. This is the cheerleader :

Her name is Talmesha, and it is her fourth year as a Redskins Cheerleader. Most men would love to meet her just because of that, but Hubby isn’t most men. This is why he wanted to meet her:

[I’m] currently a graduate student at Johns Hopkins Medical School, pursuing a Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Medicine.  The focus of my research is breast cancer.  I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.S. in Mathematics.

Beauty and brains!! I was hoping he would get to meet her and have a few minutes to talk with her, but sometimes in cases like this things go too fast and there isn’t enough time to converse with everyone. So imagine my surprise to get this text from him:

Hubby: OMG. I am here treating one of the cheerleaders. She was bitten by a dog three days ago*.

Me: GET A PIC WITH HER!!!

Hubby: She left already. AND it [was] the one I wanted to talk to!

So he got to talk to her, and had a great time! Sometimes Fate decides not to twist our threads into knots, eh?

*Since she is on tour throughout the Middle East, it was difficult to get treated for a while.

He Knows Me So Well…

Wednesday evening I got a very sweet surprise from Hubby:

He sent me a plant for my birthday!! But not just any plant. This is a garden of succulents, which require little water and tend to thrive in dry areas. I was very happy and a bit teary-eyed, because he normally doesn’t send me flowers for my birthday. When he called to talk on Thursday I was all happy about it, and the conversation quickly devolved.

Me: Awww, thank you for the beautiful arrnagement, honey!

Hubby: I’m glad you like it.

Me: It’s perfect!!

Hubby: Sure is… they are hard to kill.

Me:……

Me: (huge sigh)

Me: Yeah, you’re right.

Hubby: (smirks)*

I confess, I am not a gardener in any way. Lord knows I try, and it’s a miracle things are still somewhat green outside my house. My mom can make a tree blossom from a few plant cells on a dead stick. I so much as look at a shrub or a pretty potted plant and they tremble and wither. I once bought a thornless rose and the sucker grew thorns in retaliation.

At least I know my limits 😀

*Liberties taken with the conversation, since I was too aggrieved at the time to remember correctly…

Happy Veterans Day!

To all who served, and those still serving, a heartfelt thank you.

In honor of my father, and father-in-law, my brothers-in-law, my uncles, my friends, and of course, my Hubby.

Thank you, not just for your service, but for the sacrifices you made to serve.

From the Halls of Monteczuma

To the shores of Tripoli!!!

You look wonderful for being 236 years old. HOOAH!!!

Thankful Changes

Oy…finally!! We are moving into Autumn quite nicely! Today brought a cold (cool? Cooling, maybe?) front through South Texas, encouraging the leaves outside to start changing somewhat. We don’t get the glorious colors of Autumn in New England here, but neither do we get the blizzards and power outages and ice-covered roads. Soon enough, the squirrels that run on my rooftop will go hibernate somewhere, and my dogs will no longer perk up and go insane at the sound of pitter patter.

Another wonderful thing about Autumn is my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. I’m not sure why it is, but I love it. Cooking vast amounts of food, trying to be overheard above the din of football and kids, visiting with family, taking the time to give to others less fortunate and being thankful for everything in your life, is what makes this day so special.

Of course, there will be a lot of preparations, and tears for what we have lost, and have gained, and prayers for those who cannot be with us, and for those who are lost and afraid. But also smiles for our loved ones, and teasing and laughing and lots and lots of unbuttoning of jeans.

I pray y’all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and know that I am very grateful for each and every one of you 🙂

I Sheet You Not

Last night my back was bothering me quite a bit, letting me know it was time for me to stretch it out. The fact that it was 11 PM may have been a factor in that. I finally locked down and went to bed, and as I laid down I gave a sigh of contentment. I can pretty much sleep anywhere, as long as my lower back has some support, like from a small pillow, if need be. No, what made me sigh in contentment were my 600 count sateen sheets.

Ahhhhh!!!

Trust me when I say, there is nothing quite like the feel of high count sheets. (Ok, maybe there is, but this is a family friendly blog, so keep it to yourself!) A couple of weeks ago, I had put a set of sheets on my bed that I had purchased back in 2000 or so. I went to bed that night, and felt like sandpaper was scratching my skin. I got up, took them off, and put a high count sheet set on my bed, consigning that other set to the donation pile. From now on, nothing less than 450 count will ever grace the mattresses in this house.

Some people may think that’s a bit high maintenance, but trust me: it’s like sleeping on a cloud. Besides, I’m totally worth it! 😉

I Stumbled into Twin Peaks, and Didn’t Even Get Cherry Pie

As some of y’all may know, I took the kidlets on a roadtrip to the town of Comfort, Texas. Comfort is a hidden gem in the west of Hill Country. It is famous for its architecture, as well as being the site of the only Union monument in Confederate territory. Treue der Union Monument is dedicated to the German abolitionists who chose to flee rather than be conscripted into the Confederate Army. This was a great opportunity to teach kids a bit about Texas and Civil War history, as well as 19th century architecture, while spending quality time together.

The drive was uneventful, with a couple of minor traffic jams, but we made pretty good time, arriving there around noon. The first thing we notice is the lack of signs letting us know where the historical district resides. No matter, I just figure we drive around and eventually hit it, by counting the numbered streets. Sure enough, we stumble upon the lovely High Street area. I park further down on 6th Street, since the parking is already full, and we proceed to walk towards High Street. As soon as we start to cross, we see the Comfort Bank.

Beautiful, isn’t it? Stonework and brickwork dating back to the mid 1800’s. And the majority of the street has similar architecture, including the old Saloon and the owner’s abode. But then things started getting weird.

There is a Tide…

Or in this case, Gain™. It’s Sunday, and the kids have to do their laundry. That means a lot of whining and complaining. But eventually, I calm down and let them do it their way.

I used to be a stickler for folding clothes a certain way. I got that from my mother. Shirts in thirds lengthwise, and then in thirds again widthwise. Pants folded in half, and half again. And don’t get me started on underwear. My mother is very old school, and used to iron boxer shorts. That is one thing we never had to do at home, thank goodness. But yes, we had to fold everything a certain way at home. But now having my own family, I feel I can give my kids leeway when they do their own laundry. Son likes to fold shirts in half lengthwise and widthwise, Eldest does the thirds and then in half, and Little One likes to fold in half and then fourths. It’s their laundry, so they should fold as they wish.

As long as it’s not just wadded up into a ball and shoved in a drawer, that is 😉

Saturday Sithy

Today is a long day for yours truly, so here. Have a cookie.

Mmmmm….. Sith chocolate. Bitter to the end 😉

Project Runway

No, this has nothing to do with the show. So, if you found this blog because you were searching for the latest Heidi Klum favorite, or Tim Gunn savaging of young wannabes, you’re out of luck. This is about my birthday, which is coming up in a couple of weeks.

I don’t have much luck during my birthday. I don’t make a big deal out of it, either. But it’s a bit hard to take when family forgets sometimes. It’s even worse when you get a used appliance for a gift (“Well, you liked my travel iron so much I decided to give it to you for your birthday!”), or even when you get a gift you had given someone, still in its original gift wrap.

But this year will be different!!

I have decided to celebrate my birthday, on my own. New dress, new shoes, new attitude. I will celebrate that I’ve had another wonderful year on this rock, and be grateful for all of the ups and downs, the good and bad. I will walk the runway like I own it, no matter that there is a run in my stocking or even if the heel breaks off my shoe and I become fashion roadkill.

True fashion roadkill, on many levels....

None of that will matter, because I’ll have made it to the runway.