Camp Shelby, Mississippi.
well...
I guess it might be fun road trip. maybe.

Do NOT disturb

Yesterday, I Picked up The Shield Season 5.
Marathon commences this afternoon.

I am making this soon
pickled-red-beet-eggs-cauliflower-purple-cabbage
It is a little country and a little mid-west.
Love them!

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries (166 grams)
Calories 50
Protein 1 gram
Carbohydrates 11.65 grams
Dietary Fiber 3.81 grams
Calcium 23.24 mg
Iron 0.63 mg

When Measuring Strawberries
1 1/2 pounds = 2 pints or 1 quart
1 small basket = 1 pint
1 pint = 3 1/4 cups whole berries
1 pint = 2 1/4 cups sliced berries
1 pint - 1 2/3 cup pureed berries
1 cup = about 4 ounces

Let's say I ate 16 ounces this morning for a "snack"
That is 200 calories
15 grams of fiber
and 4 grams of Protein
They are buy 1 get one free at Safeway

pray

Blake receives his new donated stems cells today...
The waiting will continue. Please pray for his family.

ughh...
Diplomacy really needs to work..... The alternative may not be pretty.

and...
Bragging Rights - My Cousin Baseball article
Alison Grant (Airport) and Sarah Beaubien (Jefferson) are part of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference preseason all-league team selected by coaches.

Grant, a sophomore first baseman for Madonna, batted .377 with 6 home runs and 45 RBI last year while earning first-team All-WHAC honors. Beaubien, a junior pitcher, led Siena Heights last season in wins (11-9), ERA (2.89) and strikeouts (98).


My Niece
She graduates in a few weeks! She completed college on a full ride for five years. You go girl. Basketball Team

A good start....

ok - Yesterday was good.
No rain and lots of sunshine.
My daughter lounged all morning - it' Spring Break.
She slept and I headed off to church.
My one main goal for the day was to spend time outside.

I walked for 40 minutes the map, this is one my favorite places to go. It is off the beaten path and very quiet.
At the end I had worked up a sweat and I was thirsty.
I headed over to Whole Foods and picked up a few things.
We had lunch and then I tackled the back yard.
I planted three berry bushes, a small evergreen and a peach tree.
I raked up the back (still a lot to do). I can look out the back window and see progress!
I ended with a hot bath and finished 100 pages of required reading.

Today, my daughter visits the dentist and later I visit my dr.
I have had some pain in my left knee that is not going away. Anytime I run or use the treadmill it can be painful. (this is not the best condition for my part-time job) At times by sight you can see it is swollen.. Not sure what the deal is. If she says I am just getting older, I will not be happy!

Over morning coffee I read AWTM. She had her version posted - so I tried one for me.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

adventure
animals
art
appealing
amazing

All she wanted to do was snuggle with the cat and all the cat wanted to do was run away.

The lilac tree is budding

The lilacs are budding and notice the weeds have already started.

It drizzled all day,
My plan A was closed down. I wanted to rake and plant the blueberry bushes.
I was looking forward to a few hours in the yard. I noticed the mint has taken over more space than I like, so I need to dig it up and transplant.

Most think mint is a weed, but it is one my favorite things. I love when they are bushy and aromatic. Sometimes the dogs brush up against the plants and they smell yummy.
Instead we scooped my niece and headed to the post. I met the husband for a quick lunch and picked up his dirty clothes.

Here she is with lipgloss.

I figured, why wait until Friday was the piles.
We stopped at Tuesday Morning and Borders. Just browsed. My niece was really looking to finds a few things in the children's area, but the rain had kept them away.
We lounged and I took a nap.
I have homework that I need to embrace.

We posted a few more jobs for my daughter, it is somewhat hard for teenagers to find part-time work.
Each site requires yet another login and password. She applied at AAFES, MWR, McDonalds, the commissary and Safeway using the online tools.
We even filled out an application to ChuckECheese (Lord help us if she really gets that job, I have a feeling she would take out all of the frustrations on us!)
We are going to post a flyer at church and hand out a few at the Mom's Tuesday morning group.
She is planner and needs a plan. It is making her frustrated.

always thinking

This week I had a two minute conversation, that somewhat paralyzed me.
How can a simple few sentences cause you to replay the conversation a zillion times?
Sometimes, I need a fast-forward button or a delete button. I am a dweller and thinker.
Even when I try to be so focused on other things to block out the other thing, it is there.

life

Friday morning...already.
I cannot believe how fast time goes by.
I am slow moving this morning, enjoying the comforts of home. I have laundry in the washer and things awaiting to be taken care of.
Last night I drove from the airport to my SIL's house. She had made dinner. It was delicious and very thoughtful.
My daughter survived the four days, as well as the house. She makes things in the kitchen when she is bored. She made Spaghetti with homemade meatballs, chocolate dipped strawberries and spice cake. She is still in pursuit of finding a part-time job. I might need to pull some strings... I remember my first two jobs. They came to me very easy. I worked at McDonalds for a year and then I worked at an outlet mall at a cosmetic store called "Top of the Line Cosmetics". The irony now is that I do not wear make up and I usually wear the left over scents abandoned by my daughter. However, I do love Chloe, Anais-Anais and L'Air du temps - classic scents for a mature woman... I shy away from the J-Lo and Brittany fads.
Once in a great awhile I splurge for Perlier body products. They are the best!
I love all of these products. Honey handcream

After all of that I was off to the Army... And yes the Drill Sergeants found it amusing that I had a stash of high-end cosmetics precisely arranged in my three-drawer chest.

The weather might slip over the weekend, but I am hoping I can work more on the yard.
I am taking an online class this term, so I have homework and reading required. A lot of it. I took the books with me to Texas, but I did not crack them open! I am a procrastinator! I need to work on a few cards this weekend. My niece is getting married and I have several birthdays.
Have a wonderful day.

I am traveling this week for work.
It was a busy weekend. I was able to do some yard work, paint a wall in kitchen, the hallway upstairs and an accent wall downstairs. We cleaned and scrubbed bathrooms, laundry and cleaned baseboards. The weather was warm enough we could open the windows and let in plenty of fresh air. My daughter has decided to paint her room as well and it is 1/2 way complete.
I made my first trip to the Lowe's for the season. I picked up a new rake, potting soil and two berry bushes. The berry plants were impulse buys, but I am looking forward to planting them in the backyard. It will be nice to work on the garden soon! Of course, first things first. I need to rake and clean up the yard and the beds. I repotted three houseplants that really needed more room. Plants do pretty well for us. Spider plants are hard to spoil, so it is nice to have live greenery around the house.
We are from Martha Stewart type's. We used plenty of 409 and paper towels. My flight left at 6 am this morning, so it was a fitful sleep and early wake up.
For the first time in a long time, both the husband and I will be out of town. I have neighbors, grandmas, aunts and friends all looking in and staying the night until Thursday. The husband is attending his two week annual training. They are calling it deployment prep. The current company commander went with him to Afghanistan and they get along well. I am not getting excited one way or another at this point. If it is a "go" I am going ot assist with the FRG in my area, A lot can happen between now and then. I am a bit jealous though - he will be at the range for the next two days. Today, he qualified on the M9 and M4 and tomorrow the grenade launcher and SAW. I am attached a TDA unit and hardly ever get to go the range... I like to shoot and would love to put my hands on an M9. There is just something about the solid weight and the coolness of the barrel.
Tonight I had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants la Madeleine.
locations and website
It was very good! Simple and delicious.
One of favorite items on the menu is the Potato Galette– A crispy potato cake mixed with green onions and herbs baked until golden brown.

ny times review
I picked this up last week and it was a great read.

excerpt

Assistance

Wanted to pass this information along.
Easter is on the way and jelly beans and other riduculous pastel treats are on sale.
Buy an extra bag or two and a few stamps.
Assistance
The online Chaplain
Many People have Asked
Dear Friends,
Many of you have asked what you might do to help soldiers that come through CSC Scania. Here are some items that are in short supply on an on-going basis that help get soldiers through the days. Mind you they are not essentials, the Army takes care of the essentials. These are what we refer to as comfort items. But if you want to help, here is the list.

Additional chaplain info links

window watching

I am amazed at the differences between the new kitten and our dogs.
Now that "Virgil" is not super skittish and is occasionally roaming the halls and bedrooms we are catching a glimpse of his character.
He is a casual picky eater. He can leave the fresh food bowl untouched all day, while on the other hand I am chasing the darn Chihuahuas out of the cat bowl hourly. Kitty food must be like doggy crack. They cannot stop eating and will prevail at any and all costs.
This morning I found him perched near my daughters bed just watching the day go by.
In comparison, my dogs pace back and forth at the patio door, jump up and down, ruin the flimsy vertical blinds and bark at birds and the wind blowing. sheesh they need to learn meditation from the cat.
The dogs are curled up in their "ball" positions snuggling in blankets and the cat is relaxed window gazing.

A very entertaining and bizarre Audio CD

The Men Who Stare at Goats

more information

In 1979 a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the US Army. Defying all known accepted military practice - and indeed, the laws of physics - they believed that a soldier could adopt the cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them.

She is amazing.

She is exhausting.

She asked me what I was doing 20 times.

She did not want corn bread or cookies.

She wanted rice, meat, kockdooge (korean radish) and ranch dressing.

She insisted on loving on all the puppies. We brought the bunny in the house and "found" the kitty many times. She stayed over for the afternoon and for dinner. It was very nice. I enjoy taking my Aunt responsibilities!

She got her own piece of toliet paper to wipe her hands... Note.. the trail through the living room.

She fed Biscuit cheerios and gave the bunny cookie cutters.

We brought up my daughter's wicker chair and table from the basement. It was just her size. My mom bought that for my daughter when we moved to Michigan in 1995. I guess in a weird way it is an heirloom, a legacy and memory of grandma.

sign of the times

You know you are getting older when you help your daughter fill out the her ACT application (she is taking it as a sophmore, but still...), and you help her fill out job applications.

I am embarrassed for this teenager, his family, his community, his peers, and part of this country.
What the hell are people thinking? All involved should be cited.

A 16-year-old accused of videotaping two youngsters who were taught to smoke pot has been ordered to remain in the custody of Tarrant County juvenile authorities.
full article
The two teens accused of giving the marijuana cigars to the 2-year-old and 4-year-old —

Demetris McCoy, 17, of Watauga and Vanswan Polty, 18, of Fort Worth — each have been charged with two felony counts of injury to a child, police said. McCoy is the children's uncle.
tarrantcounty.com/eJuvenile
Here is the link to the facility, I may send them an email today.

multi-tasking

The other day I was thinking...
If I could bake the oatmeal while I was in the shower, I could save time.

This is in the oven now and the truth will be told in about 30 minutes. (I omitted the nuts and dried fruit for today)


Baked Oatmeal
Serves 2-3
2 cups lowfat milk
1 cup water
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ cups rolled oats
½ cup dried fruit of your choice
½ cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped [or walnuts, or almonds]
1 t. cinnamon
1-2 pieces fresh fruit, peeled, pitted, and sliced.
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a small rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
Combine milk, water, extracts, and sugar in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine oats, dried fruit, nuts, and cinnamon. Pour in the liquid and stir, then pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with the sliced fruit and sprinkle with additional sugar, if desired.
Bake for ½ hour, or until all liquid is absorbed. Serve with additional milk.

update on blake/additional request

I thought I would pass along the latest update for our friend Blake.
These are his father's words. Please lift up this family and Bryce if you get a chance.

Thanks to your prayerful support and God’s gracious hand we have not had to send out an urgent prayer request for a week. Blake has stabilized and continues to have episodes with headache and black outs but they are fewer and farther in between and we are thankful for that but also realize that this needs to be cleared up as much as possible before beginning the preparation for the transplant in less than two weeks.

Here are several things to pray for specifically:

1) That the pressure in Blake’s central nervous system will return to normal.
2) That his blood pressure, which increases greatly during the episodes will be able to be brought under control.
3) That the final test for the donor for any infectious diseases will come back clear.

Also, if you would please, lift up Bryce today. He is a year older than Blake and about a month ahead of Blake in his diagnosis and he is getting his stem cell transplant today at 6 PM. Pray that these new cells will graft and that Bryce will stay strong and stable throughout the procedure.

Concerts, laundry and cleaning oh my.
Well, a busy weekend for sure. I am not sure exactly what happened to February - but it is over and we are completely embraced into March.
The concert on Sunday night was great. It was fun to be jumping around with young people. However, my knee has been a little aching ever since. The bushimpersonator was there and he is completely amazing. http://www.georgebushimpersonator.com/

My daughter is off to another concert tonight = A Scream-O Christian band.... IT is best she tackles that genre with her youth pastor and friends.

I have not broken down and replaced the dryer yet. I am actaully enjoying the art of hanging clothes in the basement and only using the dryer for the socks and underclothes. I might be one of thise strange folks that love the way jeans feel when they air dried. They are stiff and crisp, and fit a little looser..

We have had the new kitty for about 4 weeks now. My daughter named him "virginity". On Monday he was neutered and declawed.
Cats are much different at the vet than dogs and that is for sure. He almost had a nervous break down by the time we drove from our house to the vet. He was screaming at the top of his lungs. He did very well during the surgery. But, he bit someone in his stoned state so hard that she had to go to the hospital. Crazy. It makes me a bit uncomfortable to call and say, Hi I am ... And I wanted to check on my cat Virginty. We may transition his name to Virgil.

A variety of reading

Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Rom (Hardcover)

This book I picked up on a whim, purely by bookcover. I Am Not Myself These Days

Warning - a few stories did make me blush.

link

The Yada Yada Prayer Group

Yada Yada