New Leaves

I'm about to be 40. Is that too old to learn a new trick? Too set in my ways to turn over a new leaf? I'm hoping not. I've been spending some time thinking about some things, and it's time to make some changes. (I'm starting by not obsessing about the fact that I just used the word "some" three times in the last sentence.)
I am who I am and I like who I am. I need for there to be some semblance of order and structure and planning to feel at peace in my life, that is okay. What isn't okay is for me to miss out on what's happening because I'm too busy trying to plan the next thing, organize the now, or complete some task or schedule I have put on myself.
I'm going to stop (read: make an honest to goodness, sincere effort to stop) feeling like I have to blog about everything that happens. I like to blog. I like to look back and see where I've been, what I've done, who I've done it with. (not IT, you know what I mean!) But it's not fun for me to pull up the blog, note the date, and then get mad at myself because it's been a week, a month, or longer. I'm letting go of that. I'll blog when I blog and scrapbook when I scrapbook and stop making it a chore instead of a fun hobby.
I made this resolution at the beginning of this year: 8. Only buy, keep and do things that are beautiful, useful, or bring me joy.
With that, I'm also letting go of thinking that if I am within 150 miles of anyone I know I must see them. This is going to be a little tougher because it DOES bring me joy to see people. I like people. I'm accused of being friends with everyone, and I'm not even going to try to deny it. I like catching up with people and knowing what's up with them. But it can't be at the expense of my sanity. And some of this is me being worried someone will be hurt, but when I really think about it, I realize that I just want to see everyone and there aren't enough hours in the day and days in the weeks of vacations to do it. I'll just have to start making some choices and visiting who I can, when I realistically can.
and then maybe I'll have more time/inclination to blog about it! :)

Meet in the Middle

So, I was going to post all about my 4 day weekend with my b/f/fs, but then I saw that one of them already did it!

I don't think I can improve upon her post, so go there, read all about it! :)

What I will add, is that I bawled for about 30 minutes driving home. It's not as though I'll never see them again, or even that I have to fly back across the ocean to another time zone not knowing when I'll see them. I'm a 10-12 hr drive (half if you meet in the middle!), a few hours by plane, and always in the same time zone now.

I was sad, though. Sad that they got to drive together and I had to go it alone. and sad that they were going back to my beloved Texas and I had to go to the Wheat State (eye roll).

But of the things I know for sure (borrowing from Oprah), I know that these two that I was a child with, a teenager, a young person, and now a close-to-middle-aged person with, will always be in my life. Always, always, always. So I dried it up and drove back to stupid Kansas.

Hobby Lobby...Trouble's Brewing...

Well...I went to Hobby Lobby today. I walked slowly up and down the aisles. I touched a lot of things. I picked up some things, and I put a few things in my basket (and put a few in and then back out). By the time I left the store my eyes were burning. I have a habit of not blinking when I am shopping. I'm just so focused on trying to see it all and calculate sale prices, add it all up, add tax, etc. This trip was made especially complicated by the fact that I have "gone digital". I started digital scrapbooking about...hhmmm... gosh, it must be a year ago because my first pages were of the trip from Germany to Texas at the end of 2008. Before leaving Germany I unloaded a LOT of paper goods. It wasn't that much by the standards of many of my Stuttgart Scrapper friends, but it was a lot to me. Since I've been back in the states (Aug 2009) I just haven't been able to get in the groove except to do the monthly recipe cards. I really enjoy those and my 6x6 album is completely full (and overflowing). THAT was the reason for the Hobby Lobby trip. But once I was in there, I was just taken over. I had all the time in the world, and just meandered along considering and thinking and pondering and deciding.
What's the trouble, you say? I'm thinking I might go back to paper. And that sad little tiny bag I walked out with held a receipt announcing my budget-busting $48 purchase.
Whatever...it's cheaper than golf! ;-)

This n That

Well, I'm still not sure what I've been doing that has kept me so busy, I think it's been a variety of things.

Work. I've been preparing families of another unit to send their soldiers downrange. Having just joined this unit four months ago I have been in a mad rush to get everyone's Family Information Sheets collected, entered into a database, and fine tuned the best we could. I've also recruited volunteers and arranged for their training and in many instances my own. My least favorite task has been dealing with a little bit of good old fashioned workplace drama. and just when I thinkn the worst of it has passed, a new issue arises and it starts again! UGH, makes me want to tear out my hair!
Then I get an email from the mother of a private thanking me for getting her connected to the website, and for making sure she and her husband had as much information as they could get regarding her son's upcoming deployment. Then another young soldier approaches me to nervously ask how he goes about getting his uh...um...he's having a baby in a few months...how does he get the mom connected to us and get her information about the unit downrange, etc? THIS is why I do this job and THIS is what I hold on to. Not that silly drama that doesn't involve me anyway. :)

Kitty Baby.
She is out of control. She loves to sleep on my chest and just purr and purr. When she's not doing that, though, she is running around like a crazy cat, attacking our ankles and jumping in any closet, pantry, freezer door open long enough. It's a constant battle to keep her off the counter, the table, the sink, the computer keyboard etc...

Home.
We are still in Kansas (I haven't been off the blog THAT long!) and have been here about 6 months now. That doesn't seem possible. Doesn't seem that long, really. We've learned a little bit about what we need/want as far as our housing situation goes, and while this house is fine until our lease is up in September, we will probably look for somewhere else to live over the summer. We were enjoying the snow for a little while, but I think we are both pretty over it now. It's just gotten to be a nuisance. I know that Spring is on the way, and I look forward to it!

Free time.
Well...we don't have a lot of this these days. I work late at least one night most weeks doing some kind of training or meeting, and Stephen works OVERNIGHT on duty at least once a month, usually twice. And of course now that he is in a regular unit, he's a platoon sergeant, so he is up at 4:45 every morning for formation and PT, and then home after me most days. I usually get home by about 6pm, having worked out at Curves after work as many days as I can get there. I really enjoy it and have seen some results (not a lot, but enough to keep me going!)
I did make time to run off to New York to a superbowl party with my fantasy football league. It was so great to see them, it's been FIVE years! Where DOES the time go?

I guess that's about it for now. I'll try to post more often and less lengthy posts!


I tried unsuccessfully to upload some photos. Will try again later...

Where Have I Been??

I don't know. But I'll try to get back here soon!

Resolving

I've read several blog posts, notes, and status updates to Facebook, and heard some conversations and comments, and have come to a conclusion. I'm making some resolutions. It's what I do. I list. I plan. I resolve. Most times something gives way and plans change, flex, or eventually go by the wayside completely. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't make a plan.
So, here goes:
1. Lose the Wedded Bliss/Living in Germany/Moving Back to America weight and be healthier.
2. Be flexible, but also firm with things that matter to me.
3. Tell people what I want instead of expecting them to read my mind and act accordingly.
4. Change my Facebook profile pic weekly, and always have someone beside me in it that I love.
5. Do #4 (and other little things) to keep me mindful of all the people in my life that I love and who love me.
6. Scrapbook
7. Work with husband on money matters.
8. Only buy, keep and do things that are beautiful, useful or bring me joy.
9. Accessorize
10. Laugh, Live, Love

That's all I've got for now, but I reserve the right to change, modify, add, delete, steal from lists of others. :)
Happy 2010!

Christmas Music

Inspired by Christy, here are my favorite Christmas songs:

I did this at work (SSSHHH!!!) and I have no speakers there. Hope none of them are bad. I'll check it when I get home. I've been trying to do this for days. Wasn't sure how at first, and my computer is acting up.

Anyway, THIS is my kind of Christmas music.

First is same as Christy's, Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas". I love this song. LOVE it.

and then Hard Candy Christmas, by Dolly Parton. Such a good one! And here is a neat little slideshow of Dolly pics. :)




Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses. Bonus, this video is one of those Christmas lights to music ones that everyone forwards around the email.





Last Christmas by Wham, and now Taylor Swift. I know it's cheeseball, but it's 80s memories!



Heard this one on the radio today, and had forgotten how much I like it. The video is cheezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy.



and Mary Did You Know? This is Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd. There was another video of Kathy Mattea but it wouldn't allow embedding, so this is the version I am posting.

New Toy!

Beasley got a new toy from her Arkansas Grandparents! She LOVES it. :)

Birdie now only has one feather left hanging off one side. We've been taking it away when we leave so that she can play with it a few times before it is completely destroyed. I give it another day. Two max.

Destruction!

Snow/Ice go away!

Just FYI...This snow is STILL on the ground. It has been a week of temps 0-30. Today is the first above freezing, I think the high was 42, and it is starting to melt. Tomorrow they say 41, so maybe it will be gone by the weekend.

Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful. But an icy parking lot and sidewalks = scary walking and necessity of wearing ice friendly shoes all the time.

Snowfall

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