A Military Mom's Heart

 Sam was out in the field at Fort Bragg last week.  The Army photographer was with his group and posted some photos to face book.  I spotted Sam.  Sam is on the left, I labeled the pic to help you find him.

 Now Sam is on the right.

 Sam is still on the right.

A good week for this military mom!  I pore through all of the pictures that the 82nd Airborne post on face book.  After years of looking and hoping I found his promotion and later his unit in the field within a week.

That is a really, really good thing for a military mom's heart!

Valentine Dinners

2012  Scrabble Theme

2011  Love Birds Theme

2010  Red and Pink Theme

 2009  You Mean the World to Me Theme

For twenty four years I have made a heart shaped meatloaf for Valentine's Day dinner.  This year we will be busy celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary during LoVe Week.  The meatloaf will be delayed...

I didn't make meatloaf on our first Valentine's Day as a married couple as we were on our honeymoon on the Oregon coast.

This year we will be celebrating a second honeymoon on the Oregon Coast on Valentine's Day.

Our nest is empty, traditions are changing, I'll make the meatloaf when we get home.  Set the table, make a special dinner and sit down with your family for LoVe week.  Make the most of your family time, it's fleeting.
Then there are new traditions as a couple and that is pretty great too!
Enjoy!

Payday Activities and Promotions

On Friday Sam had payday activities.  Payday activities sometime include promotions in the U.S. Army.  This week Sam was promoted to Corporal.  When I first looked at the pictures on face book I wondered why he wasn't wearing his jacket.  He had told me it was cold.   Then as I went through the pictures I realized his collar and epaulets were changed during the ceremony. 

 Bravo Sam!  So proud of That Sam I Am!

I asked Sam what it means to be a Corporal.  Apparently, it means that he gets yelled at more and in turn he yells at his guys more.  Hmmm.

This Weekend

 On Saturday morning Shelly picked me up to go to an estate sale.  We got there before it opened, waited in  line and at ten stormed the place.  With gobs of other people, other people that were a bit crazy.  We both got what we wanted.  I found Christmas blow molds, Shelly found a coffee percolator for her cabin and a sweet vintage sled.  I think I mentioned to poor Shell, at least a dozen times, how happy I was about my snowman blow mold. 

My hands were full, the snowman had rocks in the bottom so it won't blow away, and as I came past the checkout I noticed people were leaving piles by the checkout.  I asked if I could and she told me I could leave my things but that she couldn't watch everything.  I opted to just carry on with my heavy bag.

I heard her say to one of her helpers, "obviously this isn't her first rodeo."  hahaha  I trust NO one at an estate sale.   

The Santa face has potential and there were actually two stuck together so I gave one to Shelly.  Won't it be fun to see what each of us do with Santa?

 Since we were in Ferndale and the sun was shining we stopped at Haggens for primroses.  I planted mine next to our front door for a sweet Valentine welcome.  LoVe week is coming!

 Then Shelly texted me some news in the afternoon.  I spent the rest of the day working in the yard and thinking about my friends, praying for them.  Another friend lost her job last Thursday.  These are difficult times for many families.  I hope and pray this train wreck economy can turn around.

I lift my eyes to the hills where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.  -Psalm 121: 1-2

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God. -Phillippians 4:6

Have a productive and happy Monday, folks!

February Guidelines

Oh February!  I love thee!  

It is nice to have January and all of those nasty resolutions out of the way.  February is generally cold and clear.  In the Pacific Northwest we usually have great weather in February.  It's Valentines Day.   Love Week at the Stone House!  It's Hubby and my anniversary in February, silver 25th, this year.  New inventory comes into the museum gift shop, how fun!  It's a good time to make vacation plans for the year.

Before we get too excited there are some housekeeping issues I'd like to bring up.  Well, not  like  to bring up but  have  to bring them to your attention.  Cuz I love ya!

This is a reminder for my readers.  Since it is February it is officially time to take down Christmas OR  to be considered TACKY.  That dead wreath with a red bow on the front door has to go.  Today.  There is nothing pretty about a dead, out of season wreath.  Nothing.

On my walk this morning I also noticed some pumpkins on porches.  It hurts me to have to say it but here goes... Pumpkins on the porch in February make you look lazy, tacky and unkept.  Get your bum off the sofa, get a garbage bag and gloves and take care of that rotting, slimy mess.  Today.

I only tell ya this because I love ya!   

Leslie!  You kind of broke my heart when you told me that February is the arm pit of the year.  I hope I can turn that attitude around this month.   There's tons to LoVe about February!

Now get out there and shake the world!  But first, clean up that pumpkin...

Project Angst

Our landing, hall and kitchen need to be painted.  I chose colors and purchased the paint.  I planned to sand the trim a bit, wash the walls with tsp, begin painting, and complete the project this weekend and into Monday.

A wonderful efficient plan!

This is how it really goes... 

Hubby graciously agrees to help yesterday on his day off.  We go upstairs before I leave for work so I can show him my plan and the steps I'm taking.  There are four doors leading to three bedrooms and a closet.  Our plan was to eventually replace the doors with the same style of door that we used in our addition.  We decide that the doors should be replaced prior to painting.  Hubby orders the doors.  They'll be in mid-February.  He sands the base board and tapes off the wood floors.  I plan to sand, vacuum and prep today with tsp.

Here's where it gets really tricky.

I intend to go to boot camp, shower and put on my paint clothes and get to work.

How it really goes... I go to boot camp, we do a mini workout and decide to go to Woods for coffee.

Don't judge us.  We do work hard three mornings a week except maybe once a month on a Friday we leave early and have coffee.  It was that kind of morning.

  When I get home I feel guilty about not working hard enough so I go for a long, brisk walk.  Have breakfast and check the news.  Since I'm at the computer I may as work on our tax return for a bit.

Finally I go to get in the shower.  Yikes!  It's dirty.  I decide to clean our bathroom.  I shower and then since I have all the cleaning supplies out anyway I may as well clean the main bathroom too.  

Never mind that the faux fern in our bathroom has looked really dusty for three months, I feel compelled to clean it today.

Whew!  The bathrooms are clean.  I'll get busy on the painting prep!  

I go to put the cleaning rags and dirty laundry in the laundry room and get side tracked and need to fold two loads of laundry, put the piles of laundry away, start another load, realize I have some things that should be washed in cold on delicate and go to look for more to add to the load.

Whoa!  I just noticed the bedroom carpet needs to be vacuumed.

Before I bring the vacuum upstairs I better vacuum the main floor.  After all, once I get the vacuum upstairs it may be there for a bit.  I vacuum around the wood stove and realize I haven't started a fire.  I get wood and start the fire.   It was a bit chilly in the house.  I finish vacuuming.

The phone rings!  It's Charlie's Auto Body Shop and the car is ready.  I hadn't planned on going anywhere so I need to do my hair and makeup.  Oh, and change out of my paint clothes.

I get gas in the rental car and then make the exchange.  Once I'm home I realize it's after lunch time so I make lunch and while I'm eating I go on Pinterest.  THE BIGGEST TIME WASTER, EVER.

I flip some laundry around, look in the freezer for a dinner idea and very quickly lose interest in making dinner.  I put my paint clothes back on and finally work upstairs, sanding and cleaning.  

I take a hard look at our stairs and decide they need to be mopped so I take care of that nasty job.  The banister and stairs are in tough shape!  I need ideas to make this better.   I run back to Pinterest to get some groovy ideas.  After all, I can't paint until the doors are replaced so I have several weeks to prep the walls.  Maybe before painting we should make some improvements to the railings...

While I am at the computer I realize I haven't blogged all week.  Better post.

Procrastination?  Attention Deficit Disorder?  Dementia?  I can't seem to decide on a topic today.

Have a great weekend!  Remember to FoCuS!