5 on Friday

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ONE

The new Special British Issue of Tea Time magazine is available and I can't wait to read it.  I have plans for a couple of special teas this summer and love this magazine for tablescape ideas and recipes.

TWO

My collection of Starbucks Been There Series mugs is growing - Vic's been picking them up in airports across the country and my friend Kelly just sent me a couple.  Looking forward to having them on the mug rack in our forever home.

THREE

Really enjoyed Some Kind of Beautiful with Pierce Brosnan, Jessica Alba, and Salma Hayek on Amazon Prime.

FOUR

I'm hooked on Pretty Neat Living on You Tube and her blog.  I think Jen single-handedly keeps The Container Store in business!

FIVE

Waiting patiently for the Ali Edwards Stories Revisited Sale to start at 9:00am PDT today!  I love her memory-keeping products.

5 on Friday

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Travelling Thursday will be back next week - I was busy travelling to the airport to pick up Vic from his business trip (Mobile, Alabama  on his Places I've Visited list) so I didn't get a chance to add another update to Rollin' on the River 2017.  Here we are - the end of the week already and that means it's time for 5 on Friday.

ONE

Have you heard of the Day Zero Project?  It's a great way to make a bucket list and check off the items as you complete them.  I started mine in 2010 - 101 Things in 1001 Days.  Sad to say, but I only completed 15 of the 101 things between 2010-2013.  I need to go back and make another, shall we say more realistic, list.  Check it out here.  I really like the Top 101 under the Explore tab - the most popular item right now is Donate Blood.  I know that's not on your list, Caroline!

TWO

Since last week's post went up before the Inauguration events began, can I just put this here - no matter what your politics or feelings may be about the current administration, our new First Lady looked stunning.

THREE

Is there anything worse than arriving at your destination before your luggage?  Vic flew out on Sunday on his first inspection tour - safe to say that he was a bit apprehensive about the whole event - and when the carousel was empty and he was left suitcase-less, that certainly didn't help.  He filed a report and I have to say that American Airlines was very good about keeping us updated by email about the status of the lost luggage case.  The suitcase was located and delivered to his hotel (albeit at close to 1:00am - no going back to sleep after that little interruption) and fortunately, he planned ahead and took a spare set of everything he would need on the first day...just in case.

I think there should be a compensatory fee when the airlines misplace or misroute your luggage.  After all, most charge around $25 for a checked bag, right?  I think I'd be a little more agreeable if the airline representative handed me my found luggage and a $25 check or voucher, wouldn't you?

FOUR

Twenty years ago, I was introduced to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers).  I made some amazing friendships with women whose lives revolved around their children and their active duty military spouse.

MOPS is a grassroots movement that believes moms are world influencers…

We believe that incubating hearts and giving just-because-hugs can change the course of history. That’s why we connect moms all over the world to a community of women, in their own neighborhoods, who meet together to laugh, cry and embrace the journey of motherhood. MOPS groups are rallying women to be more honest, to feel more equipped and to find our identity by journeying alongside one another.

MOPS stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, and by preschoolers we mean kiddos from birth through kindergarten. We know it’s a little confusing so let’s just stick with “MOPS.”

We are moms, and we believe that better moms make a better world.

From http://www.mops.org/

Twenty years later, nine of the women will gather at a lakefront cabin to celebrate our friendship and the years that have gone by.  Things have changed - our preschoolers are in college, college graduates, parents, active duty military members.  I am the only one left who is still an active duty military spouse, the others have seen their spouses retire from the military, or leave for a career in the civilian world, or just leave altogether and be replaced by a new spouse.  We've traveled across the country and across the world, yet the bonds of friendship are still as strong now as they were then.  I can't wait for the Sisterchicks Reunion!

Sisterchicks, by the way, is the name of a series of books by Robin Jones Gunn, amazing stories of friendships between women.  That's what we're calling ourselves - the Sisterchicks.

FIVE

How happy I was to find three seasons of the Great British Bake Off available with my PBS Passport subscription!  I've been enjoying the Masterclasses but three whole seasons, I'm in viewing heaven.

5 on Friday

ONE

I saw these really neat plates at my local British food store and was so disappointed that they were not for sale.  I headed over to Ebay and there they were, albeit in Australia, but the seller gave me a great deal on combined shipping (they were all listed individually) and now they are just ready for mounting.

TWO

I finally got my planner where I want it to be.  It's been such a long process to figure out what works best for me - stickers, no stickers, half boxes for details, no half boxes, there's no end to the supplies available.  I think I've got a system!

THREE

Loving my FitBit!  I've got goals in place and discovering new challenges.  It is really keeping me motivated to MOVE!

FOUR

Finally reconnecting with my Christmas-loving friends over at the Magical Holiday Home Forums and how nice it is to be back.  A lovely group of ladies who talk about everything Christmas.

FIVE

And speaking of Christmas, Rudolph Day is coming!  If you haven't heard of Rudolph Day, click on the photo below for all the details.

5 on Friday

Hard to believe another week has flown by!

ONE

Winter Storm Helena blasted through southeastern Virginia and left us looking like this:

I haven't been able to find actual snowfall totals but it must have been 8-10 inches.  It was quickly followed by three days of freezing temperatures that turned everything into lethal ice.  The military bases were closed to all but essential personnel for three days and then opened things up at noon on the fourth day.  Schools remained closed on the fourth day because neighborhood roads still hadn't been plowed so the school buses couldn't get through.  Would you believe it, yesterday it was 70 degrees?  That took care of the snow.

TWO

I'm still finding little bits of Christmas tucked here and there that need to be put away.  I'm a little challenged finding a storage container for my table centerpiece so I'm off to search for a round plastic tub or decorative round storage box at Michael's today.

I whipped this up from pieces I found before Christmas at Michael's 70% off sale - a green charger, a greenery ring, a tub of red ornaments that are attached to long wires (perfect for weaving them into the greenery ring), and three votives I bought for 75% off at the gift shop where I used to work.  I don't think the entire thing cost more than $7.

THREE

The new Whole 30 cookbook has some amazing recipes and several of them will feature in our menu plan next week.

$18.00 at Amazon.com but I scored mine at Costco for $16.99.

FOUR

Reading back through old blog posts since I was so far behind after our move and the holidays, I found this great post about beauty Advent calendars.  Most of them are British but I'm sure there is just as nice a selection here in the US.  Has anyone purchased or received a beauty Advent calendar?  I know my daughter would love one.

FIVE

Vic is traveling at the end of the month so I'm getting my Netflix binge watching schedule organized.  I've been saving The Crown until I can really sit down and enjoy it (shout out to Claire Foy for her Golden Globes Best Actress in a TV Drama win!) and although I started The Gilmore Girls in Washington, I only watched a couple of episodes so that's on the list too.

Have a great weekend!

5 on Friday

ONE

In my new search for federal employment, I have to register with the local Human Resources office for the Military Spouse Priority Placement Program.  I am happy to say that I finally got someone to call me back to go over the details.  Registration package will be in the mail on Monday.

TWO

Ornament inventory is complete - eleven three-tier totes!  I seem to have neglected to add in the ornaments I purchased in 2015 as well as take out the ornaments Sophia took with her when we left Washington but all is in order now.

THREE

Vic is back at work, all checked in, Welcome Aboard interview with the Admiral went well, training complete, and travel finalized for his first trip.  Operational Security being what it is, I can't tell you when or where but will cover it all (if there's anything interesting to share) when he gets back.

FOUR

Still debating on whether to file a damage claim for our recent move - just a few things here and there.  I guess I am most put out by the lack of care taken with our things by one particular person - he is responsible for all of the damages.  Do I really want to read the 38 pages of instructions on how to file a damage claim, knowing that we may get only a small portion of the replacement costs due to us?  As I said, I'm still debating.

FIVE

Whole 30 is going strong.  We are committed to getting healthy this year and staying that way.  Today is Day 11, part of that tough second week, but we are doing very well.  We've been cooking more together, exploring new recipes, which is a big bonus.  There certainly wasn't room for two people in our old kitchen!

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5 on Friday

1. Love my new barbecue - we decided to go with a smaller one since it's usually just Vic and I at home. Last night's dinner of grilled asparagus, mushrooms, and steak was amazing.

Char-Broil Patio Bistro Infrared Gas Grill

2. Cleaning up my sidebar so I'm saying goodbye to a few badges - first, Blogging from A to Z April Challenge (2015) Survivor. Although I enjoyed the A to Z Challenge of posting everyday about my Washington theme, the challenge was overwhelming. There were over 1500+ bloggers participating and since not everyone followed the rule of posting their category (LI for Lifestyle was mine) along with their blog title, I found myself making the rounds to blogs in which I had absolutely no interest. I did, however, find a couple of bloggers whose blogs I enjoyed and I am thrilled to have gained a few new followers from the challenge. Will I participate again? I don't think so.

3. Secondly, Grow Your Blog 2015 - again, another rather large group of bloggers but they were separated into groups by number of followers which was nice because you could visit the lesser-followed blogs first to help them grow their readership. I also loved that our hostess, Vicki, asked everyone to "introduce yourself, tell us who you are and why your love to blog.  If your blog pertains to a specific interest or area - tell us all about that. In short - we would all like to know what drives you create your blog." Although I found that many of the blogs were crafty, I, as with the A to Z, found some blogs that I really enjoyed and a few found my blog interesting so it was a winner all around. Will I participate again? Maybe.

4. Graduations, Get Well, Sympathy, Happy Birthday - there's been a rash of occasions and events lately and I made a trip to Hallmark to restock my card supply. So nice to get a card in the mail when you're celebrating a special day, or need a cheery note when you're going through a tough time. Do you still send cards through the mail?

5. And finally, I'm saying goodbye to 5 on Friday. I noticed recently that the blog where I found the meme hasn't been updated since April so there's not much point in posting the badge with the link. I am having a hard time keeping 5 on Friday and Life Last Week separate and rather than keeping repeating myself and boring you all to tears, I'll just focus on Life Last Week.

5 on Friday

1. Summer drinks anyone? We're back on the Whole 30 and so drink a lot of water but I like to jazz things up a little, especially on summer weekends. Nothing like having a lovely wine glass or champagne flute on the dinner table but they look a little blah with just water in them. I've been making lime and soda (club soda and a really good squeeze of fresh lime juice - works best if you have one of those wooden reamers that gets the juice and the bits at the same time - this drink is best served in a highball glass and resembles a mock G&T). I recently found this gem - R. W. Knudsen's Spritzer - lots of fruity flavors.

2. It's going to be a scorching weekend here in the Pacific Northwest so it's definitely an indoor day. Curtains are drawn to keep out the heat, lots of water chilling in the fridge, and a project to keep me occupied. This cool weather girl is not venturing outside.

3. You'll read about my dinner with friends from the Midwest in Life Last Week on Monday but I stumbled on a really neat event that happens in North Dakota. My friends are in the process (Year 8) of showing their two sons all fifty states and after this most recent trip, they only have two left - North Dakota and Hawaii. I got the regular e-mail newsletter from one of my favorite authors, Lauraine Snelling, and found out that she will be at Norsk HostFest in Minot, North Dakota this fall. I clicked over to the site and it looks like a fun five days if you are in that part of the country.

4. Really loving the Boots No. 7 skincare range that I can buy at Target. I use the Protect & Perfect line (even though I really should be in Lift & Luminate!) and the Serum makes my skin feel fabulous.

5. Romaine Lettuce Heads - fabulous! I discovered them at Costco - they are smaller and more compact and perfect for scooping chicken salad, tuna salad, salsa...very Whole 30 friendly.

5 on Friday

1. The royal lusciousness continues - the double dose last weekend was quickly followed by the Order of the Garter Ceremony and Royal Ascot week. Oh my, all those fabulous hats.

2. Part II of the future job processing came in yesterday so I prompted filled it all out and sent it back...I'm getting closer!

3. Sophia reported to camp and is having a wonderful time. She's been on a horse already and that's a great start to her summer!

We took a drive out to the camp to make sure she knew where she needed to go on the first day

4. Looking forward to dinner with a new British friend this evening and chatting about all things British.

5. Cooler temperatures predicted for next week and that's always a good thing. We've had a couple of hot, hot days recently and I'm much happier when it's cooler.

5 on Friday

1. Sophia is home! She'll only be with me/us for a few days before she heads off to camp so we're making the most of the time. After Wednesday, she's Sprinkles (her camp name), Wrangler Extraordinaire!

Excited to see each other, until MudLynn was distracted by our neighbor

2. Another lovely color, In Stitches from Essie. The ridge on my thumbnail is the result of a very poorly-applied acrylic nail over 20 years ago; the damage is permanent.

3. Got to spend part of the evening with Vic courtesy of FaceTime.  Even though we are many miles apart, at least we're in the same time zone.

4. Booked a weekend away for when Vic returns.  We'll be lounging by the lake and loving every minute of it very soon.

5. Tomorrow's Swedish Royal Wedding will be streaming live here and I'll have a front row seat. Looking forward to seeing some gorgeous gowns from the guests although I don't think anything can top the look from Crown Princess Victoria at her sister Madeleine's wedding in 2013 - stunning gown, amazing hair.

Photos courtesy of The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

5 on Friday

1. Woo Hoo! Gainful employment is, hopefully, just around the corner.  I finally received all my paperwork yesterday, filled it all out, and sent it right back.

2. We're off to pick up Load II of Sophia's stuff today.  It's going to be a beautiful day so it will be a nice drive.  MudLynn's pretty excited that she gets to go for a ride in the car too!

3. I'm a bit obsessed with the WI (Women's Institute) at the moment.  It started with Calendar Girls, then grew with Jambusters, and now my Facebook feed is full of news of the Centenary. Any WI members out there?

4. Picked up two new Essie nail polishes yesterday that I'm looking forward to trying - Ballet Slippers and In Stitches.  After being an OPI devotee for years, I tried an Essie polish and really liked it.

5. Aloha Bunco is coming next week with the Navy Wives.  Time to break out your Hawaiian shirts, leis, coconut bras, tiki torches, and pū-pūs!

5 on Friday

I'm very far behind on everything this week so I'm skipping Life Last Week and Wednesday Hodgepodge and going straight to 5 on Friday.

1. We had a lovely weekend with Sophia at home and did all that we had planned plus some. I'm exhausted.

2. Members of our local Navy Wives Clubs of America chapter attended a Memorial Day Wreath Laying event at the local cemetery which was very moving. I was so happy to have my family with me.

3. Still waiting to hear about the details of my new job although since it's a branch of the Federal Government, these things take time.

4. Looking forward to a couple of social events coming up - since most of my spouse groups meet during the day, these may be the last on my calendar for a while.

5. Starting the search for ideas for a great Christmas present for Vic.  Since he will most likely be gone, it has to be something that travels well, doesn't take up a lot of room at the destination, and promises fun when he gets home. So far, I'm leaning toward something like this:

A Year of Let's Go on a Date ideas

Rather than mail a basket, I thought about twelve tags on a ring as a teaser of what's to come - tags like these but with each one decorated with the theme of the date.

5 on Friday

1. I got a job offer! The phone rang, the lady at the HR Office said she had good news and to check my e-mail (I was already on the e-mail and about to open the attachment!).  We chatted about  the basic details and since I had not opened the attachment yet, I asked if it contained details about the interview and she said "No interview, you've got the job!" Wow, either I'm just what they were looking for or they are really desperate! I'm going to go with option 1. Hope to hear in the next few days to get the paperwork rolling and anticipate being at work around June 15th.

2. Sophia is coming home for the weekend! Can't wait to see my girl.  We're going to have all her favorites for dinner and pack up all the leftovers for her to take back with her, eat lunch at Chick-fil-A, stroll through the mall, have an Outlander marathon, and work on her packing list for camp.  Did I tell you she got a job for the summer as a  Wrangler at a local Girl Scout horse camp?  She is so excited.

3. We had a very enjoyable time last night at the ship's Hail and Farewell event.  The Wardroom or Officers' Mess gets together every few months to say Hail to incoming officers and Farewell to those who are leaving the command.  There were some, for my New England friends, wicked good jokes in the farewells and introductions.

4. Debating on whether to attend the Navy Wives Clubs of America National Convention in October.  I would love to go but is it too much to ask for a week off when I've only been working for about four months?  I'll have to see what the work tempo and environment is like before considering a request for a week's leave.

5. Really looking forward to starting my new book "Jambusters" and can't wait until Home Fires comes to PBS.

5 on Friday

It's been a while since I've done a 5 on Friday but I've got a few minutes so I thought I'd whip this out.

1. We're off to a Marriage Enrichment Retreat this weekend - first time in our 22 years of marriage so we'll either be more in love than ever at the end of it...or off to divorce court!

2. Must get my Pinterest under control - I've pinned enough care package ideas for several deployed husbands and many college students.  I'm going to make a schedule and pick the best of the best.  I'm also toying with the idea of holding a social event for our ship's spouses to exchange ideas and put together an "I love you and I'll miss you but here are a few comforts from home" care package for the next time the ship leaves for more than a month.

3. Remember when I said we thought we'd be going to Italy next?  Well, the Navy took that option off the list as someone else's name is on the list in that slot.  Will.eat.more.pasta.here.to.assuage.disappointment. Hmm, where will they send us next?

4. This weekend is Viking Fest, our town's annual celebration of Norway's Constitution Day of May 17 - it will be Maifest all over again but the Norwegian version!  Although we'll miss most of it, we should be back in time to take in some of Sunday's events.  How to choose?  Watch the donut eating contest or the oyster eating contest or the lutefisk eating contest?

5. Sunday would have been Mum's 89th birthday.  She's been gone for twelve years and the sadness has shifted to great memories. Still not a day goes by that I don't think about her and want to share something with her.

Mum and Dad as stall holders at the 1996 Christmas Craft Fair at their retirement home in England - they raised a lot of money for local charities from the handicrafts and baked items they and their fellow residents made

5 on Friday

1. I am in mourning - Season 6 of Downton Abbey will be the last.

2. Every black cloud has a silver lining - this Sunday brings the return of Mr. Selfridge (Season 3) and Call the Midwife (Season 4).  I know I covered this in a post earlier this week but this is a reminder so you don't miss them.  Fabulous British TV, both of them.

3. I've been asked to review a book - stay tuned for more details.  I am so excited!

4. The Ladies of Leisure are off to the Tulip Festival, providing the weather cooperates.  Scenes of glorious blooms to be featured here soon.

5. I'm through week one of the Whole 30 and still going strong.  The next size down jeans almost fit.

5 on Friday

New feature for Fridays - the week got away with me and it's going to be a busy weekend so I wanted to put up a quick post. Click on the button above if you want to join in.

1.  Sophia is home!  Yippee!  She made the drive herself this time and it was fine.  Yes, she's 21 and I shouldn't be worried about her driving - I'm not, honestly, it's the other people on the road I worry about!  She had company in the form of one of her dormmates who lives nearby but apparently, he slept most of the trip so it was like being on her own.  There were lots of hugs and kisses for MudLynn and then she plopped down to enjoy some of Mom's home cooking, even if it was leftovers.

2.  Finally returning to the dentist yesterday.  For those of you who know me well, you know that I have a morbid fear of the dentist - always have, always will - but it was time (it's been too long).  The hygienist and dentist were amazing and work really well with cowards like me.  Overall report was not too bad after such a long absence but there's one spot that an endodontist needs to check out for a possible root canal.  Not the result of my long absence, more an issue with a tooth that's had a lot of work and has probably had enough!

3.  Ran around gathering the documents Sophia needed to apply for an apartment.  She would like to move out of the dorm and into her own place next year.  Residence hall living has been fine but the dining hall experience has been a challenge and she would really like to have a kitchen of her own.  She found the perfect place - great location, everything she wants - and when an ad came up on Zillow, she jumped on it.

4.  I'm back on the Whole 30 clean eating - been having a lot of aches and pains lately that completely disappeared when we were on the Whole 30 last fall.  There is a direct link between what you eat and inflammation and I can swear to it.  Looking forward to sleeping better, having more energy, losing the aches and pains, and some pounds as well.

5.  Along with the Whole 30, I took out a 30 day trial membership at the gym down the street and I'm off for a consultation this afternoon.  If I like it (ie. if everyone else in the gym is NOT a size 2), I'll get a membership for Vic and I so we can work out together.

And that's my 5 on Friday - have a great weekend!