off

to Fort Hood, will update as time allows.

Just finished reading

AMERICAN WIFE
by Curtis Sittenfeld


Curtis Sittenfeld
Plot Summary

On what might become one of the most significant days in her husband’s presidency, Alice Blackwell considers the strange and unlikely path that has led her to the White House–and the repercussions of a life lived, as she puts it, “almost in opposition to itself.”

A kind, bookish only child born in the 1940s, Alice learned the virtues of politeness early on from her stolid parents and small Wisconsin hometown. But a tragic accident when she was seventeen shattered her identity and made her understand the fragility of life and the tenuousness of luck. So more than a decade later, when she met boisterous, charismatic Charlie Blackwell, she hardly gave him a second look: She was serious and thoughtful, and he would rather crack a joke than offer a real insight; he was the wealthy son of a bastion family of the Republican party, and she was a school librarian and registered Democrat. Comfortable in her quiet and unassuming life, she felt inured to his charms. And then, much to her surprise, Alice fell for Charlie.

As Alice learns to make her way amid the clannish energy and smug confidence of the Blackwell family, navigating the strange rituals of their country club and summer estate, she remains uneasy with her newfound good fortune. And when Charlie eventually becomes President, Alice is thrust into a position she did not seek–one of power and influence, privilege and responsibility. As Charlie’s tumultuous and controversial second term in the White House wears on, Alice must face contradictions years in the making: How can she both love and fundamentally disagree with her husband? How complicit has she been in the trajectory of her own life? What should she do when her private beliefs run against her public persona?

In Alice Blackwell, New York Times bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld has created her most dynamic and complex heroine yet. American Wife is a gorgeously written novel that weaves class, wealth, race, and the exigencies of fate into a brilliant tapestry–a novel in which the unexpected becomes inevitable, and the pleasures and pain of intimacy and love are laid bare.

sweet

Antioxidants:Prunes are rich in antioxidants. Studies show that antioxidants may play a role in disease prevention and may slow the aging process in both body and brain.

I need this :)

Happy Easter

We have wet snow here.
It is not sticking an melting very quickly.
We are taking Standing Rib Roast, Fruit Salad and Sweet Potatoes to the family dinner.
We are keeping it low key.
Have a great day to all.

sat

I cleaned and dusted my entire curio cabinet. Much needed. I wiped down my polish pottery and put some away that just did not need to be out.
Early morning we received a call that Tony's grandma had a stroke and heart attack. His brother and dad were driving 6 hours to see her. Tony's mom had all the kids so we grabbed Mikey and Kimmy. We took them to lunch at L&L Hawaiian BBQ and then back to the house to play.
We watched Marley and Me again and I sobbed at the end. Dang dogs....

They were really good -only one major melt down.
Later all of the kids decorated eggs and played.
Michael stayed the night with us, but the Easter bunny was not ready for this....
He can get stuff later today.
It is grey skies and snow/raining. BUT it is still Easter.
and that message is the message ever.

I am not sure on the stability of Grandma Lou. She is 93 and I personally think she is very tired. We shall see.

and this is where it gets complicated

...

Sunshine Cleaning

It suprised me.
When scanning through the listings- it was the only movie I was remotely interested in.
BUT... It turned out to be really good.

Synopsis
A thirtysomething single mother whose boundless potential was squandered through a series of failed relationships and a misguided effort to help her younger sister succeed in life finds the fruits of her labors finally coming together in director Christine Jeffs' dark family comedy. Back in high school, the future looked pretty bright for Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams); not only was she the cheerleading captain, but she was also dating the star quarterback. Flash forward a little over a decade, and Rose is working overtime in hopes of getting her son into a better school. Her sister, Norah (Emily Blunt), is still living at home with their father, Joe (Alan Arkin), a failed salesman whose penchant for jumping into get-rich-quick schemes has left the family without a financial net to fall back on. Rose may be down, but she certainly isn't out, and when she hatches a plan to launch a crime-scene cleanup business, the money starts rolling in. Sure, cleaning up murder scenes and suicide sites may not be the most glamorous job in the world, but death is a fairly profitable business, and as the phone keeps ringing, Rose and Norah finally begin to experience the closeness of sisterhood that has eluded them all these years while also providing their family with true security. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

On a side note
My daughter and I attended a Good Friday Service at a church we have never visited. The location is stunning, it was very strange and we only stayed about 30 minutes. BUT this is a story we will look back on years to come.

This is my last weekend home for awhile and the movie line up is dismal.

My daughter and I have been crawling back to our roots in an effort to find comfort.
It is not what you think.
It started maybe five weeks ago and now we cannot stop.
We order Thai Food
Larb Gui with Sticky rice
Tom Yum
Sticky Rice and Mango
Coconut Ice cream.
We split all dishes evenly and we eat all of it.
The soup is just spicy enough we have to gulp ice water.
The Larb is fresh and with crunchy peanuts.
The sticky rice is perfectly glutonous.
The Mango is sweet and the coconut on the sticky rice makes it perfect.
The coconut ice cream is heavenly.
We are on visit number two this week and I am sure we will be there again soon.

We are not Thai on the outside, but our palate is rooted.

recap

Ate a pound of strawberries for dinner and Sweet Tea.
Ordered stamps online today at USPS. It is an easy process and convenient, and now I do not have to go there this week.
Ordered Graduation - Save the Date - postcards from Snapfish. I know it is overkill, but it is my only daughter, so my choice :)
Spoke with the florist about the Lei's Graduation - They are $25 a piece and I need EIGHT - Yeah, that is $200. I know it is overkill, but it is my only daughter, so my choice :)
I am finding myself useful in my new role, which is nice.
Connected with someone that is doing one of the things I would dream of doing, and it was nice as as well.

Looking forward to Good Friday Service and serving this weekend.

World Health Day 2009

World Health Day

hmmm

Oatmeal in the morning..
Also, looking for the wall size poster of the world for my pending CHU.

errr

mail the Easter cards, I indulged at Hallmark this weekend, but slightly disappointed in the selection. I might run to the Christian Book store at lunch.

Pick up a few things for next weekend. We will have the potluck family dinner and I am not sure what we will bring. My immediate thought is asparagus and watermelon. They can be Easter colors, pink... green...

continue to clean... this will never be complete. The new Futon mattress should be here any day from Overstock. I plan to order new curtains for downstairs this week. I am learning towards a deep cocoa. I think this will be more energy efficient from summer and winter.

continue to pay and organize the bills, still looking to make it very simple..argghh. I have been shredding like crazy and ended up clearing up a few Longaberger baskets!

I need to reach out to a handful of people and let them know what is changing around here. Sometimes it is hard to just bring the subject in convesation. Especially, if they do not understand how much the guard and reserve partcipates in the big picture. I know several people think that when President Obama says we are drawing the troops from one region, they believe the troops are coming home. Not 100% accurate at this point.

Mail package to Monroe, my brother turns 40 and Abby turns 3! My goodness... last week I found out my sister in law is having a little boy! Yeah.

I have a stack of books ready to go, the great thing is that most came from my book shelf that I have not finished. I have created a wish list on Amazon and will post that later in the summer. I have several amazing friends that are anxious to send care packages. Books, turkey jerky and trail mix! I might change my mind later.

I need to be ready to buy Mother's Day cards next week, I have a feeling the selection will be poor at the small shoppette.

One small confession... I purchased a few high end tolietries to take with me. Some yummy organic shampoo, Perlier honey hand lotion and Perlier lavendar body talc. I know how crazy this and in short order I will be using Gold Bond Powder and Suave, but a few luxuries will be nice. My daughter and I had fun picking them out, guess that is what counts! I am glad the Marshalls is on the other end of town, they have many tempting items!

Have a great week.

If you can... go see Brothers at War

Brothers at War isan intimate portrait of an American family during a turbulent time. Jake Rademacher sets out to understand the experience, sacrifice, and motivation of his two brothers serving in Iraq. The film follows Jake’s exploits as he risks everything—including his life—to tell his brothers’ story. Often humorous, but sometimes downright lethal, BROTHERS AT WAR is a remarkable journey where Jake embeds with four combat units in Iraq. Unprecedented access to U.S. and Iraqi combat units take him behind the camouflage curtain with secret reconnaissance troops on the Syrian border, into sniper "Hide Sites" in the Sunni Triangle, through raging machine gun battles with the Iraqi Army. Ultimately, the film follows his brothers home where separations and life-threatening work ripple through their parents, siblings, wives and children. BROTHERS AT WAR provides a rare look at the bonds and service of our soldiers on the frontlines and the profound effects their service has on the loved ones they leave behind.

Movie Website

My daughter and I went to opening night here in COS - the Director was in person and had QA after the film.
It was well-made and documented.
A great perspective on real SOLDIERS -

Go see The Thorn

On Wednesday my daughter and I ventured out in the weather to see the Dress Rehearsal of the The Thorn. Our friends are part of the performance and we wanted to see them. This might be our fourth Thorn... I always leave awe struck... always