no surprises...

Yes it is 1am, my time, and I am finding myself loading my suitcase with far too many clothes. I never know what to wear etc. So i jam too many clothes, and will come up with something later. I have decided not to take my usual plethora of handbags.

I have decided no heels in the airport, flip flops will do.

Managed to get almost ll of the laundry done including rugs. I did not get all of my ironing done. I figure I can do it at the hotel.

Will miss a quiet weekend with DH, and the kids. SR has a Spanish class meal out this Sunday, in which his Spanish mentor is taking all of her Spanish students out for lunch so they can order and speak in Spanish. I would love to go, as I am sure it will be wonderful.

PN is preparing for her pre-k graduation. She is thrilled, I have had nothing but beaming reports for the entire 5-6 months. She is a good friend, and takes care of little ones, she is a leader, LISTENS, follows directions, and is respectful. I am proud of my little girl.

SO I am off to Utah to meet other spouses, and be inspired, and learn something new, and look at things from another point of view.

International Sharing? Seriously....

goofball

I was the recipient of a seranade tonight. DH is a goofball.



I also heard "Sugar Kisses" while at the Hy Vee this evening while buying groceries! I am finally in a demographic that is respected as having money. If you would have told me that the grocery stores would be playing Echo and the Bunnyman as I shopped for smoked turkey, and provalone when I was pert near 39, I would have called you a liar. Now I wanna go hang out at the grocery store, especailly on wine tasting days. Now if I could get Hollister, and Abercrombie to stop playing horrid music, and stop spraying stinky crap outside of the store...I would be "teh" awesome.



The kids are in bed, I am beat. Hence not really productive. I did return my Netflix today, and mailed some bills off. I need to iron, and switch to a Spring bag. I am still carrying my winter bag. I also need to pack some summer clothes for Utah. I really do not own much in the way of summer clothing. I run around in the summer looking homeless. Because I am always wet or sandy with the kids. I think I have a plan, it is called black and white...

I need a pedicure, as my toes are terrible, all of the gardening etc.

I am trying to tie my loose ends up at work, and trying to come up with a good working outline for the summer. This will include the following.

Lincoln Safari



Ager Nature Center

Ashfalls

Gavins Pont

Also I am expecting company from a couple of folks!!

SSM is headed across the darn country, with her Husband. They are stopping by!

Trying to Grok is stopping by, and I get to meet her folks!



My Dear Mother In Law is coming as well, and we are not sure if we are sending her back! MIL, we have a toothbrush and everything. You even can have your own room and a TV! the Grandbabies miss her soooooo much.

3 days...

It has been a long weekend, a holiday weekend. and my thoughts continue to think of those families that have a lost a loved one in service to protect liberties all over the World.

DH is in the back yard this morning, teaching The collective, the proper way to catch and throw a football, I am cleaning up the kitchen after deciding crepes would be delicious for breakfast.

It is the simple things....

I have thought about these families today. I ache for them, as there is no simple any longer. Moments will be bitter sweet for a lifetime.



39th Brigade Combat Team deaths during Operation Iraqi Freedom II (2004-2005)

* Sergeant First Class William W. Labadie Jr. of Bauxite, Age 45. Killed in Action, 4/7/04

* Captain Arthur L. Felder of Lewisville, Age 36. Killed in Action, 4/24/04

* Chief Warrant Officer Patrick W. Kordsmeier of North Little Rock, Age 49. Killed in Action, 4/24/04

* Staff Sergeant Billy J. Orton of Carlisle, Age 41. Killed in Action, 4/24/04

* Staff Sergeant Stacey C. Brandon of Hazen, Age 35. Killed in Action, 4/24/04

* Specialist Kenneth Melton of Batesville, Age 30. Killed in Action, 4/25/04

* Staff Sergeant Hesley Box of Nashville, Age 24. Killed in Action, 5/6/04

* Sergeant First Class Troy Leon Miranda of Wickes, Age 44. Killed in Action, 5/20/04

* Sergeant Russell L. Collier of Harrison, Age 48. Killed in Action, 10/3/04

* Sergeant Ronald Wayne Baker of Cabot, Age 34. Killed in Action, 10/13/04

* Sergeant Michael Smith of Camden, Age 24. Killed in Action, 11/26/04

* Corporal Jimmy Buie of Floral, Age 43. Killed in Action, 1/04/05

* Specialist Joshua Marcum of Evening Shade , Age 33. Killed in Action, 1/04/05

* Specialist Jeremy McHalffey of Mabelvale, Age 28. Killed in Action, 1/04/05

* Specialist Lyle Rymer II of Fort Smith, Age 24. Killed in Action, 1/28/05

* Staff Sergeant William Robbins of North Little Rock, Age 31. Killed in Line of Duty, 2/10/05



I recall the following today.

Running cattle, and headed to Utah...

This week is a wild one, here at the house. DH and the Collective are off to run cattle this coming weekend out west at family. I need to make a big pan of brownies for him to take up there, and maybe something else...this will be so FUN for the kids, DH and the rest of the family. I am loaning him my camera, as I am sure there are planty of memories to be made on this adventure.

I am headed to SpouseBuzz Live, at Hill AFB in Utah.

I am ready to recharge, my batteries. And I seem to be able to do that at SpouseBuzz events. Not only do i get to see my dear friends, I learn so MUCH from the participants every single time.

I am excited, and must organize myself this week. Pack, coordinate things to wear, look at the weather, I need to do something with my feet and hands, as all of the gardening has made them an embarrassment.

The garden...one solid week

And just when you think you have won....

My Husband's one wish in our 18 years of marriage has been a dog...

Seriously. And despite my being a stick in the mud for 18 years, he has remained married to me.

I do not want to wash one, pick up poop....I have no idea where I would find the time for a dog. I barely have time to raise feral children. I suppose, it would ensure a walk daily.

However, I am losing the vote for a dog in the house. So my guess is, it will happen some time in the next year.

The Husband wants a gun dog. PN a poodle, SR wants a Turkish van cat, because he thinks a swimming cat would be the shiz. (Only my son would want a swimming cat)

I wanted an Italian Spinone, since I cannot steal Charlie.

I just do not EVER want to find dog poop in my house. I do not want a dog to spill water on my computer.

I do not want a digger, or an escape artist. I never want to chase after a dog. No thanks.

I was an accidental pet owner as a child. I was the child that brought home a 3 legged dog, and a tailess cat, a frog that had a hook in him. I was that kid....

SpouseBuzz Radio tonight, a must listen!

What do you do when you are depressed and your Husband is deployed?

Determined

Carrie, my friend from SB, posted this on her facebook this morning, I nabbed it, and posted it as well.

I'm not sure if anyone watched it, but you must.

You really must.

A person cannot be 2 places at once

I have the wash machine going, the dryer going, the dishwasher going, the sprinklers going.

The inside of the house has taken a slide, because we are doing so much out of doors.

DH unloaded all of the dirt tonight.

I planted 4 green beans bush type, a row of onions, 1 spinich (per SR request), 2 serano peppers, 6 jalapeno pappers, 1 sweet green peppers, 1 cantelope, 1 acorn squash, 1 zuchinni, 10 tomato plants (various types), 1 cucumber (I should plant 1 more), 2 rows of bi-colored sweet corn, and I think that is it. DH still wants eggplant, and the kids want strawberries.

After we got the dirt, in and plants planted, we decided we had better put a rabbit proof fence up. Otherwise I will be wearing a rabbit fur coat in September, and eating them. So we decided to fence. the one thing I loathe about projects, there are more projects as you go.

I wanted to take pictures, but I played with The Collective, after they spent most of their after school time running through the sprinklers.

So now, I am pooped, but I have laundry to do, and a sink of dirty dishes. There are not enough hours in the day. Maybe we can get finished with this project SOON.

I also must find my canner, and must be on the look out for jars. People get rid of jars all of the time. And I will need shelves in the basement for my canned goods. I might enter something in the darn fair.

I do love working outside, and would prefer it, to anything inside.

I also weeded more.

Does a cow poop in the dairy?

If you have children you understand all too well the pure enjoyment children get out of the words poop/pee/underpants/ etc. ad naseum.

The other day I picked up Pink Ninja from school, to find she had sketched the picture above. Note it is a cow with a hairdo, with unusually long udders, and a cow that happens to be pooping. I am glad the teacher did not catch it.

Hair Today, gone tomorrow

PN got her hair cut yesterday! She wanted it short the last time I took her, but I told her to wait and think about it, and if she still wanted it that way the next time, she could do it! Well she did it, and frankly I think it should be the perfect summer do. I also got about 3 inches of my mess chopped off as well.

The sandbox project is complete! Hence all of the photos. DH and I also managed to build 4 gardening beds, but actually ran out of dirt today, and the gettin' place was closed. Do they not know that homeowners do projects on the weekends? The beds are 3foot by 6 foot. We are hoping to have the garden in this week, as well as unload about 3 or beds of coffee colored mulch into the flower beds etc...

I also must remember to by some weed something or other for the rock beds...

I also weeded and weeded, tis what you do when you have a million square feet of flower beds. We also had a lot of transplanting to do, because of the gardening beds we built. I keep thinking next year will be better, and it won't be as intensive, because we are doing all of this work now.

*Now the cousins, almost look like twins!

And he is on ground

My Brother In Law is now serving in Iraq, and sent this photo via e-mail a couple of days ago. I asked permission to post it, and he said feel free.

His last deployment was Afghan, and he is quite surprised at how civilized Iraq feels at this time. He mentioned it smelled of burning trash with plastic thrown in. Funny that DH made the same complaint while he was there.

Reminds me of the reason DH would be distracted by my perfume 18 years ago after Desert Storm.

Please keep my BIL in your prayers, he has 2 lovely twin daughters who are tweens, and I am sure they would love to have their Daddy home...

We would all appreciate those prayers.

I hope he sends more photos and updates soon.

Escaped mental patient impersonates Iraq Veteran for IVAW

Go here, and check it out...

No aspirin is ASININE....

You gotta read this....

While DH contends that the newest "no aspirin" rule, was one made up by folks who really had too much time on their hands, and probably thought they might even make an extra buck putting together the ASPIRIN confiscation teams on FOBS ...I contend that this is completely ridiculous.

The contention is this...

Blood loss is the most common cause of preventable death associated with combat injuries, the memorandum said.

Carter recalled Casscells asking his staff if the military was discouraging aspirin use by people deploying to combat zones where they stood risk of injury. The answer at the time was no, Carter said.

The subsequent memorandum, Carter said, also directed the cessation of "over-the-counter access" to aspirin through Army and Air Force Exchange Service outlets or morale, welfare and recreation activities in war zones. AAFES has jurisdiction over Army post exchanges and Air Force base exchanges.

AAFES is complying with the Health Affairs-issued memorandum, noting in a news release that its "operations in contingency locations are removing all products containing aspirin from their shelves."

The intent of the new policy, Carter said, is to "discourage the inadvertent use of aspirin" in combat zones. People who routinely take small doses of aspirin per doctor's orders to maintain vascular health should be all right, he said, but they should consult their physician.

Service members and civilians could substitute over-the-counter, non-aspirin-based medications – such as Tylenol or Motrin -- for treatment of colds, fever, muscle aches and other maladies, Carter said.

"I think we should take every measure possible to make sure that we minimize blood loss," Carter said. "And, not taking aspirin, unless you need to take it, is one of those mechanisms that we want to use."

OK, as a nurse I get this. Aspirin works to treat many things. And yes it is an anti-platlet....

HOWEVER......as a military spouse I assure you, TRI-CARE relies heavily on (fill in the blanks folks and see if you get the answer correct)

__________________



Yes you guessed correctly. The Army Lurves Ibuprofen, Motrin, and Advil in BIG 800mg doses.

Uhhh....

Note, they are still OK'ing Ibuprofens use...

Ibuprofen, drug used to reduce inflammation, fever, and the sensation of pain. In prescription form, ibuprofen is usually taken to relieve the more severe symptoms associated with arthritis. The nonprescription form available over the counter is taken for low-intensity pain, inflammation, or fever.

Ibuprofen works by inhibiting the action of prostaglandins (chemicals that cause inflammation and contribute to the brain’s perception of pain). Ibuprofen reduces fever by blocking prostaglandin synthesis in the hypothalamus, a structure in the brain that regulates body temperature. Ibuprofen also acts as an anticoagulant, suppressing the formation of blood clots.

In adults, the dosage of ibuprofen commonly prescribed for arthritis is 1200 to 3200 mg per day, usually divided into 3 or 4 doses. For mild to moderate pain in nonprescription uses, the dosage is generally 400 mg taken every 4 to 6 hours as necessary. Because ibuprofen can cause stomach upset, pills should be swallowed with a full glass of water, and may be taken with food. Ibuprofen is not recommended for use by pregnant women.

Don't let the sun go down on me

There is a problem with this LIGHT thing. It is called routine. Our routine has been disturbed ever since the time change, and now that the sun is out until 8:40, we have a problem. It is called Mom having no idea what time it is. I might just add the kids do not know what time it is either. So we are a mess.

While I enjoy the extra hours of light, so I can work in the yard, it causes me to fall behind with my indoor work schedule, simple things like dinner, dishes, etc. Well they are getting done, but it is late at night, and frankly I do not like doing things at night.

I also think facebook, and tweet might end blogging altogether. I do not have any intention of quitting, but I notice people posting less, and less...which makes me sad. I am posting less, because I am fried out...

Let me see interesting things this week. I put in my 2 weeks at my job. "What AWTM, already? You wuss!" It pretty much came down to economics. Summer care for my children was going to cost a fortune. Over what I am bringing in, so the pure economics of it did not make sense. Plus, after not working for so long, well lets just say I forgot some parts of the working machine. I noticed most of the parts I did not miss. But seriously it comes down to economics. So I gave them notice yesterday, and they were nice. I would also much rather spend the summer with The Collective, and not. I am spoiled after years of staying home with them. Now we can hike, fish, and swim, and work on my summer learning plan. Nothing strenuous, I assure you. simple research and learning about gardening, animals, insects and the like. It should be fun. I also plan on getting myself back into some sort of shape. This can be accomplished by walking and pilates, and yoga. I have done it before....

The Collective are doing wonderfully, they have found a young willow tree in the yard they can climb, and even though I am terrified of one of them falling out, and breaking an arm, or a neck...well I figure "they are playing", "they are outside". The Collective found a slew of little toads in the french drain last night, and had a blast touching them, and carrying them, and watching them.

I noticed a couple of things this week....



I have to bend my arm to touch my son's head now. It seems like yesterday i had to be outstretched to touch his hair...no more.

No Wii

There is no Wii today for SR, he said damn it yesterday 4 times. He was warned. I am sure he heard it from me, but I have been really watching my mouth....

Today I missed her

Mom and I at white sands possibly 1998?

But I sat and recalled becoming a Mother for the first, and second time.....

I am blessed.

And this is what it looks like......

This is pretty much what one sees out the window when driving to my Father's house.

We managed to see a pheasant, a very large doe. It was a very beautiful drive, even if the kids thought it was forever.

Exhausted....

I have returned home to find a new chaise lounge on the deck! An early Mother's Day present from DH!! I hope it is sunny tomorrow, because I would not mind letting the sun see my flesh....I look like I have been having winter for 7 months. I would also like to sit and laze about.

Today my Father had a fish fry, with Canadian Walleye, and Crappie...it was delish...

We then loaded up the cars, and went to the cemetery to clean family headstones, and edge them. We took flowers to my Mother's grave.

Here are some photos of my Father scrubbing my Mother's headstone....and I suppose it is strange scrubbing your deceased wife's headstone, as well as seeing your own name on it...with the only space left being your date of exit from this World.





It was not a morbid visit, it never is for our family. It is certainly sad, as we were not done with my Mother yet...but we do believe she is with her creator. I also got to spend time with my family, and managed to hand deliver flowers to my Sister as well as a get well card.

I love going to my Father's house, but the visit was indeed to short

Coyotes, and a pet cock.

Tonight we started our sprinkler system. I had trouble reading the directions, because I have no idea what a darn "pet cock" was. Yes indeedy my friends, that is what the directions said. I looked at the drawings and everything.

When I grow up I am going to write directions fro things, and label confusing parts as pet vaginas...

On another note, my insomnia is back, with a vengeance. So I am currently listening to coyotes, which makes me a bit nervous, as I hear a couple of dogs as well. that can't be good. I am not sure why coyotes make me nervous, but they do, when they are this close. The dogs involved in the coyote noise also sounded a bit desperate, which made me nervous. I keep wondering what is going on, and if anyone else is awake. How people can sleep with such ruckus going on, I have no idea.

It is moments like this, when I think I would have made a crappy pioneer. What would I have a lantern, and a rifle? No street lights to see the damn things, and I know they would have had my chickens by now.

Rhubarb season is here!! My Father called tonight, and said he has cleaned, and diced an entire ice cream bucket full. I will be making jelly and jam!

I would love to try this one

The sharp taste of rhubarb is balanced by the sweet blueberries and sugar.
Ingredients

3 1/2 C. rhubarb, coarsely chopped
1/2 C. water
2 1/4 C. blueberries, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 57g box regular powdered fruit pectin
5 1/2 C. sugar
Directions

Place rhubarb and water in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add blueberries, lemon juice, and pectin; mix well. Bring to boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, add sugar, return to full boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Ladle jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Seal immediately with 2-piece lids according to manufacturer’s instructions. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

My Sister is SuperWoman

I swear.

I have written a bit of her story here

My sister bit the bullet this month, and decided to have a radical hysterectomy. Just too much pain to function normally, and exhaustion after dealing with so much pain every month. Well it turns out, she had a pretty nasty case of endometriosis.

She complained a bit of pain after surgery, she had more side effects from the anesthesia, a little nausea.

They performed this surgery through her abdomen. Guess what, she has not required any pain meds since 6pm last evening. NOTHING, not even Tylenol. Holy Crap, she is much tougher than me, i would have been a junkie on the morphine pump. She is also up walking, and showered etc....

She says, she feels "fine". Seriously.

She amazes me.

I will say this, for those folks that made her made to get this surgery done, because they did not feel her pain was bad enough....uh the fact that she was cut open yesterday, had organs removed, and requires no pain medicine, says a lot about how much pain she has been dealing with.....

project laundry....

I am folding laundry, again. The never ending job.

After we moved, I neglected my netflix, I started it again tonight!

We have been watching news practically nightly for the last year? Holy cow, well, news and DeadWood.

I figure we will be working our arses off in the yard, for the next month, until it is up to snuff. Right now the lawn looks fabulous! We have GRASS, bluegrass, not bermuda, for the first time in 8 years. I have grass the kids can run barefoot on.. In fact the other day I caught SR lying in the grass watching the clouds...

Today's lawn work included weeding. I am almost DONE with the flower beds, I also have all of the trees, and shrubs pruned, and trimmed. Well except for the roses bushes, they are tedious, and I think there are 6 of them, and they are good sized. The war on the butterfly bushes is OVER, and what a battle it was. Seriously. This is our 3rd pickup load of brush....

Tomorrow we are going to try and figure out where to put our veggie garden. The kids voted on strawberries. DH found a greenhouse the other day and insisted I stop in. He was right, it is fabulous, and they have wonderful large pots for the front porch, and back deck.

Photos are sure to come....

It is not 90 at night, it is cool, and requires a jacket. Maybe we need a little fire pit

In like a lamb, out like a dandelion

I have posted this photo before, and i think this is the last cross country hike thing we did. We hiked through Colorado, and Utah. We had a wonderful time.


We are getting ready to take The collective hiking, and on our first over nighter in a tent...DH and I used to love to go hiking....and we have not gone since the collective were born. Oh sure I have taken them on short nature hikes, but it is not the same. Our old wonderful tent...I guess the poles, went bad. Who knew they could do such a thing? We did replacement poles for it. I suppose it goes to show you, if you don't use it, you will lose it.

I am looking forward to it, as I do none of the cooking while camping, and my only rule is, I get a shower EVERY night. Hiking is nasty, and sweaty. It should be fun. I think The kids might complain on the long hikes, but hell Nebraska is pretty flat.

The Collective have taken to picking dandelions for me as of late, and they get SOOOO excited seeing them. They think they are bright and beautiful. I tried to explain to them that no one wants them in their lawn, but they are indeed useful.

I have since attempted to give the collective a tutorial in all things one can do with dandelions.

They are edible, and supposedly are quite good cooked as greens (I have not done this).

They are also delish served fresh in salads, I had this at my Grandparents one time, Grnadma made hot bacon dressing. They were good.

Here is an entire page of recipes here

For more information, go here.

My Mother's parents made dandelion wine out of dandelions...

Here are some medicinal uses for dandelions, found HERE

---Medicinal Action and Uses---Diuretic, tonic and slightly aperient. It is a general stimulant to the system, but especially to the urinary organs, and is chiefly used in kidney and liver disorders.

Dandelion is not only official but is used in many patent medicines. Not being poisonous, quite big doses of its preparations may be taken. Its beneficial action is best obtained when combined with other agents.

The tincture made from the tops may be taken in doses of 10 to 15 drops in a spoonful of water, three times daily.

It is said that its use for liver complaints was assigned to the plant largely on the doctrine of signatures, because of its bright yellow flowers of a bilious hue.

In the hepatic complaints of persons long resident in warm climates, Dandelion is said to afford very marked relief. A broth of Dandelion roots, sliced and stewed in boiling water with some leaves of Sorrel and the yolk of an egg, taken daily for some months, has been known to cure seemingly intractable cases of chronic liver congestion.

A strong decoction is found serviceable in stone and gravel: the decoction may be made by boiling 1 pint of the sliced root in 20 parts of water for 15 minutes, straining this when cold and sweetening with brown sugar or honey. A small teacupful may be taken once or twice a day.

Dandelion is used as a bitter tonic in atonic dyspepsia, and as a mild laxative in habitual constipation. When the stomach is irritated and where active treatment would be injurious, the decoction or extract of Dandelion administered three or four times a day, will often prove a valuable remedy. It has a good effect in increasing the appetite and promoting digestion.

Dandelion combined with other active remedies has been used in cases of dropsy and for induration of the liver, and also on the Continent for phthisis and some cutaneous diseases. A decoction of 2 OZ. of the herb or root in 1 quart of water, boiled down to a pint, is taken in doses of one wineglassful every three hours for scurvy, scrofula, eczema and all eruptions on the surface of the body.

"It's very difficult to keep the line between the past and the present. You know what I mean? It's awfully difficult."...Edie Beale

I recall posting about THIS before...

My very first documentary in 1978-79. I was 8-9 years old...

Well they made it into a movie...

Here is the trailer for the original documentary.



Here is the new remake



I am hoping to watch it, with a big box of popcorn, and seriously what I wouldn't give to go dressed as Edie......maybe for Halloween?

The sun on our face

DH had to work today, which has become the norm. A lot of 28 day work weeks it seems. I decided I could stay home, and try to clean, whilst entertaining The Collective, or we could go to the Zoo.

We decided to go to the Zoo, and make a trip to the commissary. I called my Brother, and he actually brought cousin curl.

First off hats off to Henry Doorly, for giving family memberships to members of the military for less than $40! I need to send them a note of thanks.

Grandma misses her Grand babies, and wants pictures. Here you are Grandma, we miss you and cannot wait to see you.

pfffssst.

I heart the dog whisperer, and about 1 year ago I told my husband, I wondered if Mr Cesar Millan would come to the house and help....

looks like the South Park guys thought it would be a good idea too....

I might try the chicken thing...

Joe Biden scared the crap out of Nebraskans!

Flu is here? Maybe?

Looks like I have a troll...

here is the video for brass monkey