Monday, September 21, 2015

Life (over the) Last (two) Week(s) 2015-36


Bests:

1. Having Vic home for ten days was wonderful - he knocked out the To-Do list and had dinner ready for me every night. I could get used to that life!

2. Sophia and MudLynn are settled in Bellingham. Sophia' roommate has arrived and the two of them are enjoying their time together. School starts next week for both of them.

3. The Whole 30 ended up as the Whole 13 but when you're gonna fall, do it with a Pumpkin Spice Latte in your hand! Vic and I have decided to do a Whole 5 each week and let our guard down on the weekends a little. Vic snacked his way around Costco this afternoon while I limited my sampling to one small piece of organic potsticker.

4. A very busy Navy Wives Clubs past couple of weeks. We held our elections and I am now the Recording Secretary for the club. We have a full board - President, Vice President, Secretaries - Recording and Corresponding, Treasurer, Parliamentarian, and Chaplain. I decided to attend the National Convention in Mississippi this year just a few days before the registration deadline - had to make sure I could get the time off work and that there weren't any conflicts with Vic's schedule. It seemed like five minutes after I told our President that I would be attending that I got an e-mail asking me to be on a committee. I rounded out the Navy Wives roller coaster with a meeting yesterday of yet another committee. My resume is growing.

5. The weather has cooled off considerably and I'm loving it.

Worsts:

1. I missed a day and a half of work last week due to a stomach bug. Not sure if it was something I ate or if I fell victim to the 24 bug, but it was miserable. I missed my spouses' group's My Favorite Things party which was a bummer but one does not take one's stomach bug to someone else's house.

2. I'm still working on getting my work life and home life in order. Sadly, the thing that has suffered most has been my Christmas planning/pre-holiday season activities. I haven't been over to the Magical Holiday Home Forums in weeks and I really used to enjoy chatting with the ladies there. I'm several Rudolph Days behind and the 101 Days to Christmas countdown has slipped past me as well. I just can't manage it all. I find myself realizing that I must use my planner to schedule all the things I want to do in order to keep up.

3. Sulking big time that whoever is in charge of Downton Abbey didn't hear the cries of the American fans and air it here at the same time it's on in the UK. Wait until January...really, are you kidding me? No, I guess you're not. Enjoy, UK friends (much gnashing of teeth).

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

God Save the Queen


Today Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain's longest-reigning monarch, surpassing Queen Victoria's record of 63 years, 7 months, and 2 days.

Wednesday Hodgepodge Volume 235


1. Last thing you did on the spur of the moment?

It's been ages but while we were in Virginia, I persuaded Vic to drop MudLynn at the kennel and drive down to North Carolina to see The Lost Colony performance. It was our last year there and we were busy every other weekend on the performance schedule. So out of his comfort zone but he went along with the idea and we had a great time.

2. How well informed do you feel about the current Syrian refugee crisis?

Not as informed as I should be and that's deliberate - I can't bear to see the media capitalizing on other peoples' tragedy. Just the few glimpses I caught when flipping through the channels of the small child who drowned broke my heart.

3. What have you changed your mind about?

Daily, about buying a house. Should we, shouldn't we, when should we, where should we? The flip-flopping is never-ending.

4. A medium sized non-poisonous snake found it's way into the pool trap this weekend. If you'd been sitting poolside would you have fished it out? Gone running? Called for help? Pretended not to know? Continued swimming?

Gone running and called for help!

5. September 10th is National TV Dinner Day...what's your idea of a great TV dinner? (Or at least a pretty good one!) 

TV Dinners bring back a great childhood memory with my sister. My father was in the Army and when he was stationed in Belgium, there were often formal events that he and my mother were required to attend. Our treat while our parents were out for the evening was to have a TV Dinner - these were the days when the Swanson dinners were really popular - do you remember the fried chicken or Salisbury Steak? - and there was a kid's version. I can't remember if they were made by Swanson or not but they catered to kids with small size nuggets, macaroni and cheese, and yummy little desserts. It was a huge deal because we never had TV Dinners at home.

6. Samuel Johnson is quoted as saying, "Courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no security for preserving any other." Would you agree? Where have you seen that played out recently? What's the second greatest virtue?

Yes and my mind goes to any situation during which a person stands up to overwhelming odds and triumphs. I can't quite think of a specific incident but maybe you can in the comments. The second greatest virtue is humanity.

7. What are three words you have trouble remembering how to spell?

Believe, separate, camaraderie - I just get a brain cramp on the i before e rule, or is it seperate or separate and don't get me started on camaraderie - I always end up getting the spell-check squiggly line under that one.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I know they say you shouldn't wish your life away but I can't wait for fall to be here. We had a little teaser but the temperatures are inching up again. I can't wait for crisp mornings, scarecrows, pumpkins, apple orchards, mulled spices, orange and rust and brown everywhere and Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Bring it on!

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #23


Brecon Mountain Railway
I love steam locomotives and a ride on this one is definitely on my list for a visit to Wales.



And for those of you in the northwest, here's a couple of photos from our last train journey there. Vic, Sophia and I took a lovely train ride on the East Lancashire Railway from Bury to Rawtenstall when we visited in July 2003.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Life Last Week 2015-35


Bests:

1. Vic is home! Vic returned from his latest underway period on Tuesday - the longest 52 days - and after one final day at work, is now home for two weeks. I, alas, am still working but he has been more than happy for me to leave him a "To-Do" list each morning. Odd jobs, begone!

2. With Vic home and Sophia leaving, we took some family time and headed to the movies, one of our favorite things to do. Two great films - Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - highly recommend them both.

3. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks! Indulged twice before I had to say bye-bye - see #1 below.

4. Sophia is settling into her new apartment - she texted me yesterday to say she felt so grown-up ordering her own lunch meat at the deli counter at the supermarket.

5. MudLynn seems to be settling down as well - she's already found her happy spot. (This was as we were setting up the bedroom, hence the unmade bed).


Worsts:

1. The aches and pains have to go - it's back to the Whole 30 for Vic and I. Not sure that's really a worst, but in view of #3 above, it's going to be tough.

2.  I miss Sophia dreadfully but she's so excited to be moving in to her own apartment, I can't help but get caught up in her enthusiasm. So, again, not really a worst.

Picking up her key
3. After a teaser of some rain and the cooler temperatures of autumn, the forecast is up in the 70s for the week - no, no, no!