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Saturday, February 18, 2012

5 Things to Be Thankful For

I was reading a blog post and it reminded me that the majority of us have so much to be thankful for. I'm not talking about huge houses, fancy cars, or fat paychecks. I'm referring to the sometimes little things. The post was about people that are persecuted for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's rather eye-opening when I think about the normalness of getting up, getting dressed, and going to church in the morning. It's nothing really special or even thought about much other than the normal "To Do" list that tends to go with it like every other day. I have to: dress, breakfast, grab Bible & other stuff to give to "so and so" when/if I see them, ensure dogs are taken out & treated, get safely down the stairs, drive to church in time to meet/greet folks, etc. That's it. I don't have to think about a different route to ensure no one is following me or pretending to go to a friend's instead of meeting for Bible study/prayer or dodging roadside bombs. None of that. Just normal every-weekday stuff. Something to think about.
And on that note. I got to thinking about what I'm thankful for. Really, truly thankful for. So.....

1. The Everyday Blessings.
Just like above: the normalness of my day-to-day life. Not worrying about hunger, bombs, or persecution. Just the everyday stresses and a few added-on ones being a military spouse. But still, even those on a normal basis isn't really much. He's home at the moment and not deployed somewhere, so there's no worry about his safety.

2. Unknown Blessings
How many times have I complained in the past about "Why isn't X going faster? Don't they know I'm in a hurry?!?!?!" "ARG!!! I woke up late, now EVERYTHING is behind" I read a "conversation" on Facebook about talking to God and asking Him about the irritations in life. It was the gripe, gripe, gripe on the side of the human with God listening and taking all of the questions in before He responded. The response was....well, in short: unknown blessings. The late waking up? The devil was fighting super hard and Heaven was fighting super hard right back for you...letting you sleep through it. The X going slow? The slow driver just helped divert an accident that you would've been in if you would've been at X intersection/light at such-and-such of time. It really made me realize that there are soooo many instances where we didn't get hurt; didn't get into an accident; didn't get side-swiped; didn't get killed; didn't....well, you get the idea. And for those (and some I do know/find out about) I am beyond thankful.

3. My husband.
I will write about love and how I know one day, but this is about something similar, but different. Oops! Horrible sentence, but I'm leaving it. ;-)
I am thankful that I have a supportive husband. I quit my job on-base back in 2007 to return to school in order to get my degree. While I "should" have been done by now, I'm not. Although there are reasons and kind-of explanations, I think it's more...well, see #2.  Either way....not done with the bachelor's degree yet. I have 3 classes left. Then starting on my masters....I hope. He has been supportive through this process. When I need to do homework or whatever, he leaves me be and does things around the house so I can focus on whatever I need to focus on. After the first couple of years-ish, we (um....actually he) had to pay for the classes out of pocket. I cut back on the number of classes (hence one reason it pushed my timeframe back) so as to pay for said classes and still have money to eat. They have went up also $100 in just a year. Really?!?!?! I digress. Although he wasn't happy, he sees it as an investment for our future....we will see the investment return with dividends once I start using my degree in my chosen profession: accounting.

4. My dogs.
We have 2 mixed-breed dogs. We got Danny about a month after we got married. Belle was my Christmas present that same year. They have been with me/us ever since. Danny just turned 13; Belle turns 13 in August. They seem to know when either of us isn't feeling well and just need a furry body to pet or curl up with. I have spent every single Christmas since we got them with them. Hubby has been deployed a few of those times, but when he's home, we're all together. I am grateful that they are there...especially when he's gone on a deployment (was 4 months now 6 months or longer) or a TDY (temporary duty....kinda like a business trip). They are there....reminding me that someone loves me and is there...sometimes just to listen and be close.

5. My heavenly Father.
I am grateful to be a child of God. While I was raised in church by a preacher, when I graduated basic training and one thing after another happened, I kinda went my own way. Fast forward years later: I returned to His loving arms one day in church here. I have not regretted it one day. I have thought about regrets (walking away all that time ago), but realize that my experiences and choices made me who I am today. If I hadn't walked away, then ran, I wouldn't be as thankful or understand as much as I do today. Although I never dropped to depths of some folks I have talked to, I did my share....within reason. I can now tell people, "Just because you're a good person doesn't mean Jack. I was there. I wasn't a "bad" person, I just wasn't a Christian." I am now. I am thankful that He never gave up; always kept trying to speak to me in different ways (sometimes through other people); protected me; loved me.

~What are you thankful for?

Monday, February 13, 2012

Happy Feet

Well, yet again I'm updating this because of a blog post I read. Oh well...I'll do a just because post eventually.
This one is not about the movie (and no I've never seen it), it's about what music makes you happy or want to dance. This one is a little difficult to narrow down because I LOVE!!! music. I listen to it the majority of the time. I wake up to a CD my niece burnt for me Christmas a year ago. I listen in the car. The best time is when I'm in the kitchen. I totally zone out when my iPod is on...I tend to work better when I'm not analyzing (or maybe it's over analyzing) whatever I'm doing whether it's cooking, baking, or doing dishes. Music makes me focus on what's coming out of the speakers and not thinking about what I'm doing...rather letting my body go into auto-pilot (which tends to work better...oddly enough). Enough analyzing....my top 5 music that makes me smile, happy, or dance.


1. Christian.
I love Christian music. I do enjoy a lot of the old hymns, but only when I'm trying to reflect or look inward and being quiet (quiet? yeah, that's a rare thing for me...I'm told I even snore (I think hubby fibs)). I am, and have been, more contemporary. I loved Carmen (the singer not the chick...or play...or something). I currently listen to "Casting Crowns," "Third Day," "33 Miles," "Toby Mac," etc. It may sound odd, but yes, I have danced around my kitchen to christian music.

2. 50s.
Yep, although I'm nowhere close enough to have heard any of it when it originally came out, I love the 50s music. The whole era actually: the poodle skirts (yep, actually have one :-) ), the muscle cars (drool), the leather jackets, James Dean, the jukebox be-bop music, the...... Grease is a wonderful movie...love it. Oops. Just realized I went off on a bit of a dreamy rabbit trail. Anywho...the music makes me want to dance. Whether it's happy dancing or just grab the hunny for a nice little slow dance to Earth Angel.

3. 80s.
This was the era I grew up in. Yep, frizzed hair, fabric ponytail holders, neon colored....everything, and synthesizers. Make-up was Spackled on thick for both gals AND the guys. The hair was big...the "hair bands" were bigger. Ok...if you just read that last sentence and thought it meant hair products, you were not an 80s teen. Hair Bands: Poison, KISS, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, etc. I got to see a couple of those bands about 10 years ago at a concert when we were stationed in Florida. O.M.G!!!!!!!!!!! Hubby said he's never seen me so excited, so smiley, and so absolutely enjoying myself at a concert. Example: he's still a bit irritated since I fell asleep at a Metallica concert. Yes. I. did.

4. Disney movie songs.
It's something about the movies (older, rarely the newer ones) and the music and the lyrics. When I catch my self singing one of them, I can conjure up the scene (most of the times). Hubby and I have played Disney Trivia. When a song question comes up for me, he asks "Finish this line from [enter movie title here]...." I tend to sing the line as well as a chunk of the song. Right now "Beauty and the Beast" "Tale as Old as Time" is in my head rattling around. I love Angela Lansbury...maybe that's why....hmmmmmm

5. Nostalgia Songs.
While I know it may "seem" like a cop-out, it really isn't. I swear. There are random songs that will pop up from time-to-time and make me smile when I remember the memory, person, place, whatever that went with that particular song. One odd one is "Tootsie Roll." No, not that kind of dancer. It reminds me of a dear friend (no longer in my life...I guess she wasn't meant to be in my life but for that brief time) and times we went to New Orleans. I think I was the only stone cold sober person on that ENTIRE street...yep, including the bartenders and probably cops...although I don't remember any cops. Oh! Wait! The dear friend is just not a friend anymore...yes, she is still alive. Sorry about that. Anywho...the friend (won't name names) loved dancing and when that song came up, she would "try" to grab me and get me to dance. Nope...I'm good...thanks. Songs like those aren't about the song per se, but the person, memory, what-not that they bring to mind. :-)

Friday, February 10, 2012

Linky Followers Blog Hop

I have discovered yet another blog that I enjoy reading and have started to follow. Yep, went back to the first post and read through just to get caught up. This was is called Domestic Imperfection. It's under my "Blogs I Follow."
Anywho. The latest post is about blog hopping. I know, it sounds like a 50s dance. What it is is that those blogs that are linked up, the readers (and owners) of said blogs "blog hop" from one blog to the next reading and following those blogs. It helps to add followers as well as get some new blogs in your own following. I figured why not. I figure that since I'm technically new to this, I'd do most of the "ideas". What works or that I like/enjoy, I keep. What doesn't or I don't, I won't. Yep, it's that kind of thinking that gets me into trouble at times.
Here are the rules:
RULES:
1. you MUST have the LINKY FOLLOWERS tool on your site to participate. {You can have both the LINKY FOLLOWERS & GFC on your site but you must have the LINKY FOLLOWERS to participate in this party hop.}

2. You MUST follow the person who has the party on their site as a thank you.

3.Just add your blog button to the LINKY PARTY below.

4.Then grab the BLOG HOP code
You will find the code right under the Linky Party where it says CLICK HERE TO ENTER–
just under that it says: WHAT IS A BLOG HOP? GET THE CODE HERE
Click on GET THE CODE HERE and enter it into a post on your site.
You can grab the party button code in the FOOTER at Its So Very Cheri

5. Then you follow other bloggers–(as many as you want)
–leave each one of the blogs that you follow a comment letting them know you are following them and ask them to follow you back. If you want to add the BLOG HOP to your own site you will get lots of new followers–(see rule #2)



Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Are You for Real?!

Good morning/afternoon.
This next post is also courtesy of the blog I've been reading. For those curious, it's www.fivedaysfiveways.com. This one is FIVE things that might surprise, fascinate, or amuse someone that doesn't know you. So, ummmmm......

1. I was in the Air Force for 4 years.
I had my life all planned out, but God had other plans obviously. I graduated High School and went to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC near my sister's house...planning on graduating, owning my own business, and maybe one day finding a husband if he fit into my nice, neat little picture. Long story (one day maybe) short, I only did a semester. I was schooled out at the moment. After a fight with my sister, I grabbed the phone book, called up the Air Force recruiter (this was January 1995), and asked to join up. I went back to my parent's house the beginning of February and left for basic training in March. My AF time was 22 March 1995 until 21 March 1999.

2. I am an Air Force spouse.
My second duty assignment took me to Robins AFB in Georgia. My first was Barksdale AFB, LA. I met my now hubby there. He was next door to my later roommate in the dorms. We were in the same squadron, but different shops. My roommate and hubby were best friends and she was convinced that we should meet because we would be perfect for each other. We both declined meeting some odd blind date person. We met on our own and it was DISGUST at first sight. That changed a couple of weeks later. It took a while, but by the time I got out, we were finally dating.

3. 1999 took me from single to married and overseas with 2 dogs.
When the year started T (my hubby) and I were just friends. A friend introduced us as BF/GF which started a conversation which led to..."OK...I guess we're dating" (January). The day T left on a deployment (that only lasted 3 months at the time....they are now 6 months for AF) he told me he loved me (February). I got out of the AF in mid-March. The end of March he proposed over the phone. He returned in June. We got married twice: once for Uncle Sam (to get me put on his orders) at the courthouse by the JP (July) and our actual church wedding (August). We flew out the end of August. We got our first dog Danny the day after we moved into our first house (September). We got Belle Christmas Eve (December).

4. I have lived in 4 countries and driven in 8 countries.
We have lived in: the United States (I started driving at 13 on the back roads in Arkansas), the Acores, England, and now Italy.
I have driven in: the United States, Canada, the Acores, Belgium, England, Italy, Austria, and Germany.

5. I love to travel and moving houses.
Traveling is not that surprising since most folks do. I do miss home and have to come home after a while. How long depends on what we're doing and where we are. I can go almost 30 days, but I get really antsy for dressers and hangers. *sigh Moving, on the other hand, is not normal. I love being able to leave after a few years. I think that's why I have rearranged this house so often and keep updating/changing stuff. We have lived here almost 3 years (longest of any house we've lived in) and I'm getting antsy. While I love the house, I'm ready for the next one and DREAD!!!!!!!! the day when we "put down roots" and plan to stay in a house for the rest of our natural-born lives. *Shudder

Linking:
five days five ways | 5 Things Thursday