March 13, 2011

Last night we had a delicious dinner: salmon, rice and caprese salad.  Everything turned out just right.  As the boys and I enjoyed it, all I could think about was how my hard working, sacrificing husband makes all of our material things possible. 

I have a goal in my mind to make each day as productive as possible, but each day I never can seem to live up to those expectations.  Things always remain undone. The mundane gets done: laundry, meals, cleaning.   I want to spend more time each day doing things that demonstrate just how much my husband is on my mind: blogging, taking pictures, creating videos, writing down ideas for home improvement, making design plans for the exterior of our home.

 Writing this down gives me hope.  Each day is a new one.  Each day begins full of possibility. 
 Time to get this day started. 

The Honeymoon--Over For Now

The last three weeks were SO AMAZING!

My ordinary days became infused with extraordinary fun, laughter, conversation and camaraderie.  Going to the commissary was a hot date.  Working out was not a chore at all with such an experienced partner. Basketball games were so much more enjoyable, sharing commentary with someone who was just as invested in the success of the boys as I was. 

Then there were the extraordinary days.  Dinner at the Fat Canary was exquisite.  The best restaurant in Williamsburg didn't hold a candle to my charming, handsome and witty date, though.  The trip to DC--wow!  The luxurious surroundings, attentive service and privacy of a hotel room combined for a romantic night, not to be forgotten.

Now would be a time of great loneliness and sadness, but for the fact that I know the next two and a half months will pass so quickly and the honeymoon will start all over.  My expectations aren't for anything special or spectacular to happen.  I know the days will consist of the usual work and chores and there aren't any plans for any outings or dates.  It's just that I will be whole. Part of my heart won't be on the other side of the world.  Even breathing will be easier.  

Here Comes Santa Clause

The "Kid Room" Re-Do:


Two of these in a soft, nubby golden fabric similar to the color of our curtains (to create balance in the room.)  They rock and swivel!

 This sectional is gorgeous!  It won't have the section to the left of the right end piece.  (the picture has five sections, ours will have four.)


The pièce de résistance:

Samsung - 46" Class / 1080p / 120Hz / LED-LCD HDTV.

 

And, I'm having a consultation with Old River Cabinets tomorrow in Richmond about the built in entertainment center along the wall.  Old River Cabinets is in Short Pump, so I might head on over to the mall to window shop, too.  Maybe I'll look for a few colorful pillows to add a touch of whimsy. Should be fun.

Thanks Santa Clause.

Fall Day

Here's the big picture out front.  Soon this will be green and lush.  Any thoughts on landscaping near the house?  And doesn't the house look pretty?

 Here's the back.  Can you tell how much we cleared?  It looks great. We uncovered some pretty green foliage which we left in place.  I want to budget in the fence.  It would improve the value of our home and the quality of our life--we could do a garden and have a safe place for dogs and grandkids to play.  For now,we will continue clearing and possibly add some  mulch back there to  prevent regrowth.

 I tried not to do "crepe murder" but to be gentle with our little trees.  I need to finish weeding the beds.  I'd like to take out the azaleas, but I need a plan for how to replace them. 

 The sprinkler doing its job--germinate little seeds.

The result of the kids hard work.  All of the sticks are cleared out of the back.  I'll make an appointment and pay the county $25 to pick this up.

Our end goal is a yard that is pretty and functional as a relaxing place to hang out and play.  And, some day, productive, yielding tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and other yummies.

I feel like this is our homestead...our little slice of heaven on earth. 

Freedom

I spent a lot of money getting my hair cut and professionally colored.  When my friend, Mary Louise, saw me she said, with a look of sympathy on her face: "You deserve it."  I thought, "Huh, why?"  It then occurred to me that she thought I was making some kind of sacrifice because Joe is gone, deployed to Iraq for a year.  Therefore, I "deserved" the luxury of getting my hair done.  For sure, I miss Joe a lot.  I mean, here I am, at home on  a Saturday night.  I have the joy of listening  to Leo play board games with his friends in the next room; Larry and his friends pop in occasionally from their game of manhunt.  But, I'm sitting in here alone.  Not exactly bored or even lonely.  Just something missing.  An emptiness.  No commisserater to discuss politics with; no snuggling on the couch. Yeah,  it's a sacrifice.  But I can't help think of the wives of the active duty soldiers.  The young twenty-somethings with small children whose husbands are deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.  Their husbands won't come home for leave every three months.  The money isn't great.  They're probably broke.  Their husbands aren't in an embassy, they're in "camps", maybe even on the front lines.  Besides, we are in a war on terrorism, admit it or not.  Shouldn't we all be making sacrifices?   Recently there's been a lot of activity across the creek.  Helicopters, explosions, all kinds of booms and bangs.  When I saw a fellow ex-military  spouse and neighbor in the commissary, she called it the "sound of freedom."  After all, freedom isn't free.  It has a price.  And the one I'm paying is small compared to the sacrifices many others have made.

Thank you, Joe, for being dedicated to our country and our ideals of liberty and freedom.  You are a hero and I love you so very much.  

Afternoon Walk

Elli has discovered the age old  parenting trick of providing lots of activity for your children so as to wear them out, thereby getting an early and solid night of sleep.  We now know how important this is with puppies.  So, about midday, Elli and I decided to take Rudy for a walk.  We intended to only go as far as the Will Scarlet cul de sac and turn around.  However, at the end of the cul de sac is a wooded path down a hill to a small area between Queen's Lake and Princess Pond.  Walking up the hill on the other side brings  you out on Little John.  We took Rudy off leash down by the pond and explored around for a few minutes.  When we got back up to Little John, we re-leashed  him, knowing there would  probably be other dogs and people around.  Sure enough, we met Krypto, an eight year old Jack Russel, and his owner, Carol Walch.  Turns out,  Carol's son used to own our house.  A few yards later we met Henry, an older Golden Retriever.  Didn't catch the owner's name.  At both meetings,  Rudy was polite and respectful to the older  dogs.  He sniffed and then lay down, wagging his tail and waiting to be invited to play.  Neither dog had that much interest, but Rudy was so friendly and cute. We came home and Rudy gulped down some water and went to sleep! 

I didn't intend for this to be a puppy blog.  I like how a puppy provides a good rhythm to the day.  He must be taken outside, exercised and loved.  He forces interaction with others--neighbors, strangers, everybody.  A puppy doesn't discriminate.  It's a good reminder that these are things we ALL need.

My Cup Overfloweth...Sort of.

I am not a creature of habit.  I'm a will-nilly fly by the seat of my pants sort of person.  I really can't think of one thing I do habitually.  However, with my dear husband leaving for a year, I would like to get in the habit of writing this blog as a sort of journal for me and way to keep connected to what's happening here at home for him.  I haven't written since my first post, which was weeks ago, because I couldn't think of a single topic to address.  There are so many things occupying my brain and time these days.  Most imminent is Rudy, the new puppy.  He has to be in my sight or in a crate at all times.  Whew.

Our first grandson was born a week ago.  That event deserves it's very own post.  I think I'm still processing that one.  A true miracle on so many levels.  

Then there's the kids, our finances, home improvement projects, the state of our country, shopping lists (grocery and otherwise), upcoming events, Joe leaving,  etc etc etc etc.
I just started reading a new blog which is well written with lots of photos.  It makes me feel good just to read it. Could I ever create something so clever? 

So, this post is a JUST DO IT thing to help me develop the habit, hopefully, so that the original goal of journaling/connecting will be met.