When Good People Get Together

Thank You!

2012-02-02T06:54:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to my blog friend Cakes and Teacups for this lovely award. This award originated in Germany and means "favorite, beloved, dearest". I'm really touched. Please take a moment to visit Cakes; she has a lovely family and posts the most amazing recipes.

I'd like to thank each and every one of my followers for doing just that - following! I'm thrilled that you take the time to read my blog and leave comments.

What's on the Calendar Wednesday

2012-02-01T04:37:00.000-05:00

Happy, Happy Birthday to our beautiful daughter, Sophia Arabella, who is eighteen years old today! To say we are incredibly blessed does not even begin to describe the impact she has had on our lives.

Swap Partner

2012-01-31T06:54:00.000-05:00

I've got my Swap Partner, Kimberley from KimiLicious! She has lots of cool reviews and giveaways on her blog so take a look - I'm off to do some Valentine shopping.

If this is Tuesday, it must be England #18

2012-01-31T06:49:00.000-05:00

We interrupt our regular Tuesday Weight Watchers programming to return to If this is Tuesday, it must be England.

I loved everything about the Two Fat Ladies cooking show - they used a lot of exotic ingredients, almost always cooked on an Aga, and shopped for meat, fish and produce and cooked in some of the most amazing locations. One of my favorite shows was the one where they visited Fortune's Kippers in Whitby where they have been smoking kippers for over 139 years.

"Since the Two Fat Ladies visited our smokehouse, Fortune’s fame has spread to Australia, New Zealand and Canada where their television cookery programme the Two Fat Ladies has been broadcast."

A kipper is a fish, especially a herring, that has been cured by splitting, salting, drying and smoking. If you like fish, you are in for an amazing treat.

Served for breakfast, they are the best way to start your day. On our next trip to England, we'll be searching for Bed and Breakfast establishments that serve kippers - yummy!

Menu Planning Monday

2012-01-30T06:41:00.000-05:00

It's one of those out of the house every night kind of weeks so I'll be pulling something out of the freezer to defrost during the day and popping it in the microwave. Good thing I have some meals on standby.

Monday - Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce

Tuesday - Beef and Mushrooms in Gravy over Rice

Wednesday - Chicken Tikka Masala for me, Popcorn Chicken for Sophia (not much of a birthday dinner, but she decided she'd like to wait to celebrate until Vic gets home)

Thursday - Hawaiian Pizza

Friday - Fish & Chips

I've started baking for our church - each Tuesday, the office calls me to tell me how many new visitor cards they have received so I can bake up that many treats that will be delivered on Wednesday. Last week's visitors were treated to Snickers Cupcakes and as I still have some Snickers bars left, I'm thinking that this week's visitors will be getting more of the same.

The Week Ahead - January 30

2012-01-29T18:34:00.000-05:00

Outside my window....rain and snow showers predicted for tonight, cloudy tomorrow.

I am thinking...that my baby girl will be eighteen on Wednesday - where did the years go?

I am thankful....for a warm, cozy house on a cold winter night.

From the kitchen....Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce from the CrockPot tonight.

I am hearing...JAG on the TV.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things....discovering Grey's Anatomy on Netflix - we never watched it when it was on TV but Sophia and I are really enjoying it.

I am STILL reading...The Queen Mother: The Official Biography by William Shawcross.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...school, youth group drama team practice on Monday, last day working at the barn on Tuesday, babysitting during our church's Life University Bible Study classes on Wednesday, Brownies on Thursday, and Public Speaking contest on Saturday - it's gonna be a crazy week. For Vic...work, work, work. For me...Weight Watchers on Tuesday, baking cookies for new visitors to our church, and Life University on Wednesday.

Five Question Friday

2012-01-27T06:42:00.000-05:00

1. Do you swim in the winter?

No, I live in New England and even if I took the time to dry my hair in the changing room, I'd still probably catch pneumonia on my way to my car!

2. Do you love or hate winter?

I love winter. I love Christmas, and all the coziness of it that comes, in part, from it being freezing cold outside. I love snow, but only when it covers everywhere except the roads!

3. Do you put makeup/actual clothes on when you know you're going to be at home all day with just family?

Yes, I always put on actual clothes - you never know who is going to come to your front door! I have a very fair complexion, so just a quick swipe of mascara and lip gloss is enough to make me look less ghostlike.

4. How old were you when you had your first alcoholic beverage?

My daughter reads my blog so I'm going to take the fifth. Let's just say that I was too young and that I would not recommend that type of behavior for anyone!

5. How many ill calls in a 12 month period do you think are acceptable?

Ill calls? As in sick days? It's hard to say because you can be perfectly healthy one year and use none, and then the next, you can succumb to something like the swine flu and be off for days. I think you have to really consider if you are putting others in danger of catching your germs, and if not, then you need to go to work/school and brave it out.

Tackle It Thursday

2012-01-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

As you know, moving days are here again. Yes, I know they are still several months away but I can't believe it's almost February and before I know it, that moving van will be parked outside the house. So, I need to seriously downsize. When we bought this house four years ago, we were not planning to move again so we have accumulated four years of stuff, a great deal of which I do not intend to take with us to the next place, and the next place, and the next place. We have extra furniture that we planned to use in the basement that must go, woodworking supplies for that "one day" project that will now be at least ten years away, and lots of home improvement supplies that cannot be moved with us (liquid and/or hazardous materials that the movers won't pack).

In an effort to do this in a somewhat organized fashion, I have decided to tackle it one room at a time so Tackle It Thursday is making its first appearance today. I think this will be a bi-weekly feature, because I very much doubt that I can tackle a whole room in a week.

Room #1 is the office. It's a combination computer room, library, craft room, extra clothes and dishes storage area, and dumping ground for everything that doesn't really belong anywhere else. As you can see from the collage above, there is stuff everywhere. Tune in two weeks from now to see how successful I am with Tackle It Thursday - Office.

January Rudolph Club

2012-01-25T22:34:00.003-05:00

It's time for the January Rudolph Club and this month's assignment is:

Tie Up Loose Ends!

Give your house a thorough going over to see what you missed. Here's what I found:

Christmas cards waiting to be placed in this year's Christmas card album. This is on my list of things to do this week.

Red poinsettia chair covers and tablecloth picked up at Bed Bath & Beyond's 75% off sale; moved to a Christmas tote in the basement. Red gloves put with the other winter woolen accessories in the foyer closet.

Box of miscellaneous ornaments on the left waiting to be put away in the ornament tote I ordered from Amazon.com. It should be here in a couple of days and then it will go into a larger tote in the basement. Box on the right is broken ornaments; they will go in the larger tote as well (unless there is room in the ornament tote for them) and Vic can fix them next holiday season. Miscellaneous gift bags and boxes plus white poinsettia also on their way to a tote in the basement. Christmas doormat going into the giant Christmas tree tote.

Christmas flags in the kitchen removed and put away and replaced with Valentine's flags. It's almost February, folks.

What's on the Calendar Wednesday

2012-01-25T06:52:00.000-05:00

The Winter Olympics first took place in 1924, in Chamonix, France. A total of 16 nations sent athletes, totalling 258 (247 men and 11 women). The Games were actually called "The International Winter Sports Week" and went on for 11 days, from January 25 to February 5. The number of events staged that year was 16.

During the Sports Week, leading officials of the attending nations got together and formed an organization to represent skiing interests, the Federation Internationale de Ski (FIS). The very next year, the FIS voted to recognize the 1924 International Winter Sports Week as an "official" Olympics. Retroactively, the medals handed out at Chamonix in 1924 were the first-ever Winter Olympics medals.

Details and photo courtesy of Social Studies for Kids: The First Winter Olympics

Weight Watchers Week #4

2012-01-24T21:41:00.005-05:00

Don't ask...so bad I skipped the meeting - double bad - will try harder this week...maybe.

Menu Planning Monday

2012-01-23T09:39:00.001-05:00

Pretty good week last week - can't really go wrong when you eat the same thing three times, can you? Major fail over the weekend but we'll just try harder this week.

Monday - Chicken Tikka Masala - looking forward to using this new spice packet from McCormick as I usually just pour a jar of tikka masala sauce over the cooked chicken.

Tuesday - Leftover Chicken Tikka Masala - busy night with voice, barn and youth group back to back - Tuesdays will most likely always be Monday's leftovers.

Wednesday - Salmon, rice, green beans - looking for something to jazz up the salmon; might try some of the Panda Express Mandarin Chicken sauce my cousin sent me.

Thursday - Another crazy night - leftover tikka masala or leftover salmon (if there is any).

Friday - Fish and chips - this is going to be our Friday night meal - fish cooked with Mum's recipe (moistened with beaten egg and then dipped in saltine cracker crumbs),

Saturday - Meatless Spaghetti with whole wheat pasta - my brother-in-law's sauce recipe but without the meat so it's vegetarian and healthy - I think I'll make it in the CrockPot and let it summer all day.

Sunday - Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce - the old CrockPot favorite.

So looking forward to when Vic comes home - proper menus with new recipes and ingredients - got a whole stack ready to try out.

The Week Ahead - January 23

2012-01-23T09:26:00.000-05:00

Outside my window....cold, cloudy with over a foot of snow on the ground.

I am thinking...that I would be quite content if this snow was the beginning and end of our winter.

I am thankful....for Sophia's help shoveling the driveway - we have such a long driveway!

From the kitchen....Chicken Tikka Masala tonight.

I am hearing...the clock ticking.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things....counting down the days until Vic comes home - 40 days to go.

I am reading...The Queen Mother: The Official Biography by William Shawcross - it's a very thick book so it's going slow.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...school, voice lesson, working at the barn and checking out the new and improved (we'll see about that) youth group on Tuesday, and Brownies on Thursday. For Vic...work, work, work. For me...Weight Watchers on Tuesday, baking cookies for new visitors to our church (I know Weight Watchers + cookies doesn't seem to be a good idea, does it?), and starting the Great House Clean-Out Plan (must get rid of some of this stuff before we move again).

Snowy MudLynn

Five Question Friday

2012-01-20T05:49:00.000-05:00

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks?

I don't need to hide snacks that I consider really good because my family don't seem to be bothered about them.

2. Do you keep your vehicle clean or am I the only one who has things falling out of their van?

I try, but twice-weekly trips to the barn always results in dirt or mud and hay getting tracked onto the floor mats and my daughter is notorious for leaving empty water bottles and food wrappers in the car. We have to take our trash to a transfer station so I try to do a quick once-over to make sure I've got all the trash picked up and tossed.

3, Have you ever been to Vegas?

No, but we're thinking about making a trip for Sophia's 21st birthday. It's a family tradition for my cousin and his wife - taking the kids on their 21st - so it sounded like a fun idea.

4. Warm room light blankets or cold room warm snuggly blanket?

Cold room warm snuggly blanket - really snuggly since I invested in a set of microfiber fleece sheets this winter - very toasty!

5. What is the worst airplane/flying experience you've ever had?

Sophia and I flew to Manchester, England in 2001 and had an awful return trip. We boarded the plane at about noon and we supposed to be home in Chicago around 7pm. We were sitting on the plane, waiting to taxi, when the pilot announced that a member of the ground crew had knocked a piece off the plane, a piece we needed to fly. Yah think? I'm pretty sure all pieces on a plane are needed to fly! Anyway, they had to fly the replacement piece up from London, so we deplaned and were given lunch vouchers and phone cards. We ate and called home and relayed the details and we waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. The airline then decided to bus us to a local hotel where we could nap and shower. We gathered in the hotel's dining room around 5pm and then after dinner, we were bused back to the airport and boarded the plane. We landed in Philadelphia about 1am, were bused to a hotel, and then bused back to the airport for our flight the next morning to Chicago.

It was a miserable trip compounded by the fact that I had a cranky seven-year old, and far too much carry-on luggage, including more than my allowance of duty-free booze. I'd been to Scotland and was bringing back presents of the liquid kind for my boss and two co-workers. Philadelphia was the worst as we had to retrieve our luggage and go through customs before we could board the buses for the hotel. Considering that we'd been up since early the previous morning, we were not happy campers.

I have to say that the airline was really wonderful - in addition to the lunch vouchers, phone cards, and hotel stays with meals, we received discount vouchers for a later flight which came in very handy when we went back to England that Christmas. That trip, I am happy to say, was much less eventful!

On a side note, has anyone flown into Boston's Logan Airport? That has to be the worst as you approach from the waterside. Nothing more scary that looking out the window as you get lower and lower and lower and see only water! I swear the wheels hit the runaway only inches from the water. Seems to me a plane slide off the runway and into the water some time ago.

Valentine's Day Swap

2012-01-19T08:56:00.001-05:00

I love swaps - it's a chance to meet new blog friends and get a lovely package of goodies in the mail! I was beginning to think that I'd left it too late to find a Valentine's Day swap but then I found Kailani's at An Island Life. The deadline to sign up is January 28th and the swap is open to US and international bloggers (you choose if you want to mail a package just to the US or if you're open to an international swap partner).

Kailani posted a few questions about Valentine's Day so the swap partners can get to know each other; it's always nice to have some idea what your potential swap partner likes (or absolutely dislikes!).

What is your idea of a romantic Valentine's Day? A romantic dinner at home - I'd cook and set a lovely Valentine's table, and my hubby would arrive home bearing flowers and chocolates!
In reality, what is your Valentine's Day really like? It's been so long since we were together on Valentine's Day, I can't remember but it was probably just a quiet evening at home, maybe with our favorite Chinese takeaway and a movie.
If you cold have a lifetime supply of your favorite sweet indulgence, what would it be? Lindt Truffles, any kind.
Is there any sweet treat you absolutely do not like? I'd have to agree with Kailani here - black liquorice, red hots and conversation hearts.
If you fell into a pool of chocolate, how would you get out? Who would want to get out?

Blog Posts

2012-01-19T08:12:00.000-05:00

My friend Jodie recently sent me a link to this great blog planner she found at Oh The Lovely Things. It's one of my goals to spend less time on Facebook, and more time on my blog, so I thought this would be the perfect tool for planning blog posts. I've already got categories for certain days, but I thought that making up some new ones would help me to explore new areas of interest.

I am determined to participate faithfully in the Rudolph Club this year - it's on the 25th of each month (less than a week away) and it really is a great way to spread a variety of Christmas tasks over eleven months and not be swamped as soon as the Thanksgiving turkey platter goes into the dishwasher. The club is full of great ideas (and printables - I love lists!) for budgeting, organizing, crafts, recipes, and all the other details that go into making a great (and stress-free) Christmas. I hope you will check it out and join me.

I'm revving up If it's Tuesday, it must be England again starting next week and I've been checking out a few sites that have regular weekly features. There are so many great blogs out there - it's hard to resist following all of them!

What's on the Calendar Wednesday

2012-01-18T07:24:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of http://couchpotatocritic.wordpress.com/2011/04/03/winnie-pooh/ - please follow the link to her great review entitled "Oh, bother."

Today was the birthday of Alan Alexander (A. A.) Milne (1882), author of the beloved children's books about Winne the Pooh. There are a multitude of websites out there about Pooh, but I found this one, Just-Pooh, to be full of information, news, games, stories, and pictures.

Weight Watchers Week #3

2012-01-17T14:12:00.001-05:00

Up 1.4 pounds - very depressing. Must.find.more.willpower.for.the.upcoming.week. Snacking really did me in over the weekend. Enough excuses, back to the program!

Five Question Friday - from Friday, January 13

2012-01-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

I missed Five Question Friday while I was gone and I really enjoy it so here's a catch-up. This week's edition is being hosted by Kate's Life over at http://www.katesworldbykate.blogspot.com/ while Mama M is on vacation.

1. What's the last thing you bought for yourself?

It would have been the outfit that I wore for Vic's Commissioning Ceremony - green pants, green top, gold faux snakeskin jacket and the coolest necklace and earring set but when I went back to the store to pick up the jacket, my eye caught a really cute black and silver top that I just had to have, along with black pants, and a black and silver necklace and earring set. Hated to buy any of it in the size I am now, but oh well, the charity shop will get a nice donation when it's all too big for me!

2. What is your favorite meal on a cold winter day?

Something thick and rich and warm that's been bubbling in the CrockPot all day - ham and bean soup sounds good. I usually make it with the leftover ham bone from Christmas Eve and it is so delicious along with lots of crusty bread.

3. Have you started looking a swimsuits for this year, and do you buy a new one every year?

No and No. I haven't bought or worn a swimsuit in years; the one I have has a skirt on it and I hate it and myself in it. Hoping that Weight Watchers changes all this, most likely by next swimsuit season.

4. If you could be any candy, what would you be and why?

Something from Godiva, rich and chocolately and outrageously expensive.

5. What are you most passionate about?

My husband and my daughter. I am so proud of them both - Vic has achieved so much in his career - he's dedicated to his duty, a mentor to many, well-liked and respected - I am so proud to be his wife and he's my best friend. We have been married nineteen years this year and sometimes we still act like newlyweds. Sophia is a beautiful young woman, inside and out, my rock when Vic is gone. Traveling around as we do, enduring separations, family is incredibly important and our little threesome is my world.

Menu Planning Monday

2012-01-16T08:16:00.001-05:00

How did we do last week?

Monday - Shepherd's Pie (aka Beef in Gravy over Rice) - CHECK

Tuesday - Chicken Nuggets for Sophia, most likely scrambled egg for me - FAIL - I think we had pizza but since it was with ingredients I had here at home, it was a good substitution

Wednesday - Airport food or snacks that we take with us as we are flying right at dinner time - CHECK

Thursday - Romantic celebration dinner for Vic and I while Sophia spends the evening with friends in Virginia - FAIL - Vic was exhausted so we opted for takeaway Chinese at the hotel - this was also a good substitution because we spent about 10% of what the dinner out would have cost!

Friday - Flying at dinner time again so I'm sure Sophia will want to swing by Chick-fil-A to grab something - CHECK

Saturday - Salmon, Brown Rice, Broccoli - FAIL - this was on the menu, but we were so tired we just had a snack - quesadilla wrap for me, can't remember what Sophia ate

Sunday - Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce (leftovers freeze well) - FAIL/CHECK - I cooked this in the CrockPot but we ended up eating the salmon from Saturday so this will be Monday's dinner

And here's this week:

Monday - Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce

Tuesday - leftover Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce (barn night so have to have something easy to prepare

Wednesday - Beef in Gravy over Rice (from the freezer)

Thursday - Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce - Brownies so it's rush-rush-rush to get out the door, right around dinner time; this will finish off the Chicken

Friday - Fish and Chips

Saturday - Pork Chops, Rice, Green Beans, Applesauce

Sunday - Roast Turkey (from the freezer), Rice, Corn - I cooked the turkey (boneless breast roast) on Monday for Sophia's lunches and froze some for dinners

Not a very imaginative menu for the week but it's a challenge cooking for two - one Weight Watcher and one incredibly picky eater. Sophia would eat Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce daily so I can always get three days out of a CrockPot full when Vic is not here. I bought a bag of frozen tilapia and one of frozen salmon at BJs yesterday so we'll be having more fish on the menu in the upcoming weeks.

The Week Ahead - January 16

2012-01-16T08:02:00.001-05:00

Outside my window....clear, cool, sunny - 8 degrees right now with a high of 34 for the day - brrr.

I am thinking...I survived the craziest two days ever!

I am thankful....for safe travels to and from Virginia, and all of the wonderful people who worked so hard to make Vic's Commissioning Ceremony so memorable.

From the kitchen....Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce over rice tonight.

I am hearing...the clock ticking.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things....seeing Vic in his new uniform with all the gold braid.

I am reading...Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison - almost done.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...school four days this week because of today's holiday, voice lesson, work and riding on Tuesday, and Brownies on Thursday. For Vic...work, work, work - special dinner tonight - could there be another change of plans in the works? For me...Weight Watchers and lab work to be done on Tuesday, neurosurgeon appointment on Wednesday, and dentist on Friday. A little apprehensive about the lab work - my doctor's office called when I was in Virginia and asked me to come in to have the labs I had done recently repeated as the blood sugar level was high. Hoping the neurosurgeon has a non-surgical option available for my neck and arm pain - it's lessened considerably since I first had the symptoms so let's hope that is a good sign.

The back of the program for Vic's Commissioning Ceremony

What a Trip!

2012-01-15T16:09:00.000-05:00

Grab a cup of coffee - this is a long one!

Vic's Commissioning Ceremony was scheduled for Thursday morning (7am!!) so we flew to Virginia on Wednesday evening. It was a pretty uneventful journey - Providence to Philadelphia, then Philadelphia to Norfolk, pick up rental car, and drive to the hotel where Vic was waiting for us. We had a bit of a delay leaving Philadelphia so it was midnight before we got to bed.

Up early the next morning. Vic left the hotel and headed to the ship at 5am; Sophia and I followed about 6:15am. I have to say that we were treated like VIPs from start to finish once we got to the ship. There was a van waiting to drive us to the far end of the pier where the ship was located with someone to meet us there and escort us to the Chiefs' Mess (lounge) where we would wait to be escorted to the ceremony location. I'll give you a check acronym rundown - CO is the Commanding Officer (aka the Captain, number one on the ship), XO is the Executive Officer (number two), and CMC is the Command Master Chief (senior enlisted member on the ship, number three in the command leadership team). The CMC offered us coffee or breakfast, and asked if we had any questions about the ceremony. We waited for about fifteen minutes and then we were escorted to the helicopter hangar (the only place that was covered that would hold all of us).

Here's a shot of the door we came through, with the red carpet. To the left of this shot is the podium and seats for Vic and the CO, and in front of that (and facing the podium) were seats for Sophia and me, and then the crew was assembled behind us.

Vic arrived, the CO arrived and the ceremony began. One of the crew sang the National Anthem, and one of Vic's fellow Chiefs gave the Invocation.

Vic and the CO salute during the singing of the National Anthem

The CO made his remarks, praising Vic for his selflessness and devotion to duty, and recounting the story of how the crew almost lost him when he was ordered to another ship last September, but how relieved they were when the transfer was changed from a permanent assignment to a temporary one. Sophia and I were given Certificates of Appreciation for our support of our sailor and then Vic was discharged from the Navy. He then took off the components of the Chief's uniform - jacket, shoulder boards and hat.

Removal of the Chief's uniform components

Vic had asked specific people to take key roles in his ceremony; among them were the CMC, a fellow Filipino Chief, several members of his division (his electrical shop), his Division Officers (former and present), and the Royal Navy officer who was serving on the ship (the CHURCHILL always has a British officer on board). Then the CO administered the Oath of Office, and Vic donned the components of the Officer's Uniform - again, the jacket, shoulder boards, and hat.

Donning the Officer's uniform

Sophia and I each attached a shoulder board, his supervisor helped him with the jacket, and the British officer placed the hat on his head (too low so it covered his eyes, which gave everyone a chuckle!). Then the XO, as Master of Ceremonies, introduced LTJG Victor, and there were cheers and a round of applause.

Vic gave his remarks, thanking everyone for their support and participation, and went on to say that the next greatest day of his life would be when they all passed the upcoming inspection that the ship is facing later this spring.

After Vic's remarks were two important parts of a commissioning ceremony, the First Salute and the passing down of his insignia. The First Salute is an honored tradition - a brand new silver dollar to the first enlisted sailor who salutes him. The exact origin of the custom is arguable, but it probably began before the United States Armed Forces were organized. British regiments stationed in Colonial America brought with them a number of customs and traditions that were retained by the newly formed American Armed Forces. One status symbol highly sought by newly-commissioned British officers was to have a servant assigned to them. The servant was normally an enlisted sailor who was responsible for ensuring the officer's kit, dress and field uniforms, and other personal equipment were serviceable at all times. The enlisted sailor was also responsible for teaching the officer the ship's history, tradition and customs. This custom continued to grow within the British military and newly-formed American units. American Second Lieutenants in 1816 received a monthly base pay of $25, a $3 ration allowance, and $1 for an enlisted advisor. The advisor's pay was later discontinued, but the responsibility for teaching the newly-commissioned officer continued. The present day tradition of giving a silver dollar for the first salute is thought to have its roots in this relationship.

The hand salute is one of the essentials of military courtesy, a symbol of respect. The salute is part of the uniform and all that that it represents. A junior starts the salute, and a senior returns it. By saluting first, a person demonstrates respect for the senior rank, not inferiority, to the person who is saluted. Vic chose the most junior member of his division to render the First Salute.

Then, in keeping with the tradition that upon being promoted to a more senior rank, the Chief passes down his anchors to a worthy and loyal sailor, Vic passed his insignia down to CHURCHILL's Sailor of the Year.

Vic and CHURCHILL's Sailor of the Year

After the ceremony, there were many hugs, hand shakes, and congratulatory remarks, for both Vic and Sophia and me. There was cake, and a bouquet of roses and I was touched by the number of people who remarked on what a hard worker and how well-liked Vic is. I know it, but it's lovely to hear people say it.

We left the ship after Vic had completed his paperwork and went to get our new ID cards. Then I dropped Vic back at the ship, and Sophia and I went back to the hotel to change and so that she could pick up her luggage. I dropped her off at my friend Janet's house and visited for a while. She was staying overnight there because the plan was for Vic and I to have a romantic celebration dinner and then a quiet evening alone at the hotel. As it turned out, Vic had to be back on the ship at 4am the next morning, and he was so exhausted from the hectic pace of the last several days, that we changed the plan to his favorite Chinese takeaway and a quiet evening curled up on the couch at the hotel watching NCIS. We'll celebrate more when he comes back to Rhode Island.

I dropped him off at the ship the next morning, headed back to the hotel for a shower, and checked out about 6:30am. The traffic in Virginia is horrendous - if you need to be somewhere ten minutes away, it's best to leave at least an hour before! I headed over to my friend Linda's house and we went out to breakfast. After I dropped Linda at home and picked up Sophia, my day behind the wheel began. We visited two high schools, the housing office, toured two potential housing areas, one equestrian facility and visited another friend before heading back to Linda's for an hour or so before heading to the airport. The return trip went by so fast, primarily because I nodded off on both flights (getting up at 3am will do that for you!) and we arrived in Providence, retrieved the car from the long-term parking lot, and headed home to bed.

I don't even know where to begin to tell you how I feel about Vic and his commissioning. It's an amazing achievement; he's an incredibly hard worker, and it's a testimony to his contribution to the ship that they will be so sorry to lose him when he leaves. I've always said that if Vic has one fault, it's that he works too hard, but how can I fault him for that? His dedication to his duty was most surely recognized on Thursday by the esteem in which he is held by the CO and crew of CHURCHILL, and I am so proud of my sailor!

What's on the Calendar Wednesday

2012-01-11T06:04:00.000-05:00

So much to do before we head out this afternoon for Virginia! So excited! Back in a couple of days.

Weight Watchers Week #2

2012-01-10T12:24:00.000-05:00

It was a good, no, it was a GREAT week as I throw 5 pounds of potatoes into the grocery cart of my former self. Yes, I racked up a 5.4 pound weight loss this week! I really worked hard on the food front, not so much on the exercise front. It's been a hectic week so I only walked on the treadmill one day out of seven, but I drank four bottles of water faithfully every day and really tracked the points of what I ate. I need to work harder on the healthy guidelines - definitely need more fruit and vegetables in my day - but I drank skim milk, chose whole grains, and adapted real food in moderation to my daily life.

My challenge last week was the 4-H Banquet. I had no idea what was on the menu and knew I would have to be careful. It was a salad course (served) and then a buffet, followed by dessert (served). I sent back the tossed salad and asked for one without dressing (aren't I good?) and skipped the butter next to my dinner roll. Eating the salad was a little like eating grass but I persevered. The buffet consisted of some kind of chicken breast, skin-on and stuffed, tortellini in what looked to be a creamy tomato sauce, green beans with almonds that glistened so I know some sort of fat was involved in the preparation, and the old New England standby, sausage and peppers. I took one chicken breast, about eight green beans, and a couple of small slices of sausage. I was able to scrape off the chicken skin and remove the stuffing, leaving just the white meat. Dessert was a slice of ice cream with chocolate jimmies around the edge of which I took one tiny bite and then I passed it on to Sophia. With my trusty WW PointsPlus Tracker, I was able to calculate the meal at about 14 points. I am loving, loving, loving the Weight Watchers Mobile App on my iPhone! I also asked the waitress to leave the water jug at our table and skipped a soft drink or cocktail in favor of lots of water. I think I was pretty successful overall.

This week's challenges are tough. Two evenings spent at airports, flying at dinner time, and a romantic celebration dinner with Vic on Thursday. I have checked the menu for the restaurant we will be going to, and am hoping for an appetizer (shared with Vic) of steamed clams, and an entree of grilled fish with veggies. I have to splurge on the glass of champagne but I think I'll do ok, points-wise. Wish me luck!

I love my Weight Watchers leader and our group. We stayed late after today's meeting talking about the iPhone App, challenges, and lots of tips and suggestions were shared. Looking forward to next week and hoping that I have good news to report.

So, yes, I am definitely doing the happy dance!

Menu Planning Monday

2012-01-09T07:17:00.000-05:00

Let's see how we did last week -
Monday - Roast turkey, mashed potatoes (for me), rice (for Sophia), carrots and turnips - CHECK

Tuesday - Beef caldereta - CHECK

Wednesday - Hot roast turkey sandwiches - CHECK

Thursday - Spaghetti - meatless night - FAIL - we felt like fish so I picked up some cod loins at the supermarket

Friday - 4-H Banquet - no cooking tonight! - CHECK

Saturday - Fish and chips - FAIL - Sophia spent the night at a friend's so it was just me - thawed a chicken breast from the freezer and cooked that

Sunday - Shepherd's Pie - potato-less for Sophia so she'll have hers over rice - FAIL - we felt like salmon and it was on sale

At least when we fail, we eat something healthy like fish!

It's a short and very chaotic week this week so we'll see how it goes but this is the plan:

Monday - Shepherd's Pie that we should have had on Sunday but with rice for both of us - I guess that should be called Beef in Gravy over Rice instead!
Tuesday - Chicken Nuggets for Sophia, most likely scrambled egg for me - using up what's in the fridge/freezer
Wednesday - Airport food or snacks that we take with us as we are flying right at dinner time
Thursday - Romantic celebration dinner for Vic and I while Sophia spends the evening with friends in Virginia
Friday - Flying at dinner time again so I'm sure Sophia will want to swing by Chick-fil-A to grab something
Saturday - Salmon, Brown Rice, Broccoli
Sunday - Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce (leftovers freeze well)

Click on the image if you'd like to join in with At Home with Mrs. M Menu Planning Monday.

The Week Ahead - January 9

2012-01-08T08:38:00.000-05:00

Outside my window....clear, cool, sunny - not at all what you would expect for a January morning in New England.

I am thinking...how will I survive the next three days?

I am thankful....for my organizational skills - or else I would never get through the next three days!

From the kitchen....Shepherd's Pie is on the menu for tonight.

I am STILL going...is going to be removed from list because there is little chance I'll get to any scrapbooking in the immediate future.

I am hearing...the clock ticking.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things....finding a great outfit - OK, so it's not the size I want to be but it works for now.

I am reading...Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor by Rosina Harrison.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...school three days this week because of our trip to Virginia, working with the Brownies on Monday, voice lesson, work and riding on Tuesday, and hair cut on Wednesday. For Vic...finalizing the details for the big day on Thursday. For me...dentist on Monday, manicure/pedicure on Tuesday, and take MudLynn to the kennels and pack on Wednesday - I still have to find a pair of shoes and pick up the jacket I ordered which should be in on Tuesday morning. We are flying to Virginia Wednesday night as Vic's ceremony is Thursday morning. After the ceremony, Vic and I will drop Sophia at a friend's for the afternoon and evening while we go to take care of some details related to his new position and check out the housing situation for the summer. He's promised me a romantic celebration dinner in the evening. On Friday, I'll pick up Sophia and then we will check in with the guidance office at what we think will be her new school and then fly home in the evening. Nothing on the calendar for next weekend, other than picking up MudLynn, as we will no doubt be recovering from this week's activity!

It's been a good Weight Watchers week so I'm hoping to be doing this on Tuesday morning!

Five Question Friday

2012-01-06T09:16:00.002-05:00

I've been reading Five Question Friday over at my friend Alison's blog, Always Moving Forward, and I have decided to pick this as my meme for 2012.

1. What is the weather like where you are and do you like it?

New England's weather is almost perfect. We have four definite seasons which makes for an awesome spring and a beautiful autumn, the summer is hot (although it can get a little scorching for a couple of weeks), and the winter is cold, usually with snow for Christmas. I say almost perfect because, for my tastes, it could be just a little less hot in the summer, and a little less cold in the winter. Today we had our first real snow of the 2011-2012 winter although you could hardly call it real snow (the only reason I'm calling it real snow is that there was a weather advisory this morning). I woke up to a light dusting on the grass and roads, however by 9:00am, it was all gone.

2. When you're sick, what do you seek comfort from?

A warm blanket to snuggle under on the couch. It takes me back to the days whenever I was sick and my Mum always made up a bed on the couch so that I could rest there. Someone to wait on me is always good too!

3. What do you need to do before the end of the month?

Fly to Virginia for Vic's commissioning ceremony, get a new ID card and car sticker, pick up a transfer station (where we take our trash) sticker for 2012, rough-draft our tax return as soon as the W-2 is available, complete and drop off the agreement for the rental agent/property manager who will be handling our house when we move, and start work on the basement clean-out.

4. Have you ever served on a jury?

No. I got called for jury duty once, about thirty years ago, but they completed the jury selection before they got to my name.

5. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

A panther or cheetah; I just like the idea of their speed and ferociousness and they are so sleek.

Check out Five Question Friday over at My Little Life.

Sandra Lee

2012-01-06T08:51:00.000-05:00

Photo courtesy of http://chefdaily.blogspot.com/2011/04/sandra-lee.html

I like to cook, but my days of totally cooking from scratch seem to be in the past. Perhaps one day I will rediscover the passion for being in the kitchen, but for right now, quick and easy suits me just fine. That being said, my hero is Sandra Lee and her semi-homemade cooking. She includes just the right amount of readily-available off-the-shelf food items in her recipes to make cooking quick and easy, and gives great tips on presenting the food in fun ways. As chefdaily says, "Sandra has a passion for simple solutions that create dramatic results in all areas of home life."

This month's issue of Sandra's magazine, Sandra Lee semi-homemade, has some great ideas for both Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year meals. I love the way she includes table setting ideas, often with links for printables, as well as resources for dinnerware and table accessories.

I guess I'm supposed to include something here to say that I have not been compensated by Sandra Lee in any way for my comments. I haven't...I just love her magazine!

Do you have a favorite cooking hero?

Confirmed

2012-01-05T07:08:00.000-05:00

Medical Service Corps

Vic called last night to tell me that his commissioning ceremony is confirmed for January 12...at 7:00am! Yikes, I hadn't expected it to be quite that early. Sophia and I will fly to Norfolk on Wednesday evening and then get up, bright and early, to head to the ship for the ceremony. It's going to have all the bells and whistles of a Navy ceremony and I am so excited!

Vic got his orders when he got back to the ship last week but he had to get a medical clearance before he could confirm the ceremony date. With the holidays, he wasn't able to do that until yesterday but he's good to go. He will be commissioned on January 12, stay on his current ship until their major inspection is over at the end of February, and then fly home to Newport to attend Officer Development School for five weeks. Then he has about a month of leave before he has to report to his new command in Norfolk. He'll only be down there for a couple of weeks and then Sophia and I will join him. The tentative plan is for us to leave here on June 16 as June 15 is the last day of school. I say tentative, because we are hoping that there won't be any snow days to make up. The way the weather looks right now, it doesn't appear that we are going to get any snow this year, but who knows?

So, step one towards our family's new plan is only one week away. Now I just have to decide what I am going to wear!

What's on the Calendar Wednesday

2012-01-04T06:44:00.000-05:00

Cartoon courtesy of http://www.aperfectworld.org/0763.html

I wish!

Weight Watchers Week #1

2012-01-03T07:11:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr_Blobby

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to Weight Watchers (hereinafter known as WW) I go! It's time to be held accountable, folks, so here it is - a public declaration that I am sick of looking like Mr. Blobby and 2012 is the year I plan to do something about it. I've been a member of WW off and on since the 1970s - the days when you HAD to eat liver once a week or have a doctor's note saying that you were unable to, for whatever reason that may have been. OK, maybe you didn't need a doctor's note, but you needed a darn good reason to satisfy the WW leader who must have gotten her training from the SS.

WW has come a long way, baby, and I'm about to find out how far. I know there has been a major change since the last time I went to a meeting; let's hope I have more willpower to stay on the wagon this time. After all, who wouldn't like to be wearing something like this when I step out of the car into my new driveway this summer?

Wish me luck or better willpower or a wired-shut jaw maybe?

Menu Planning Monday

2012-01-02T10:20:00.000-05:00

Logo courtesy of At Home with Mrs. M

I read Caroline's Menu Planning Monday post in my Google Reader this morning and promptly moved on. Menu planning? With my family and schedule? Then I got to thinking about those mounds of plastic containers full of leftovers in the fridge and thought that perhaps I'd better rethink my take on Menu Planning. Here goes...and let's hope I can keep it up for 2012:

Monday - Leftovers from New Year's Day - roast turkey, mashed potatoes (for me), rice (for Sophia), carrots and turnips

Tuesday - Beef caldereta (Philippine beef stew) from the freezer - quick and easy meal tonight as it's barn night

Wednesday - Hot roast turkey sandwiches - meeting at church so it's another quick and easy night

Thursday - Spaghetti - meatless night

Friday - 4-H Banquet - no cooking tonight!

Saturday - Fish and chips

Sunday - Shepherd's Pie - potato-less for Sophia so she'll have hers over rice

As those of you who know us well know, we're a rice-eating family. Vic grew up in the Philippines where they eat rice three times a day and I've managed to get him down to twice a day (although we still enjoy fried rice for breakfast on occasion) and Sophia's idea of a potato is a french fry. We've worn out two rice cookers so far and the current one might not have long for this world! I enjoy rice, but not quite as much as Vic and Sophia so I usually substitute a potato where I can when they are having rice.

Looking over my menu, the only thing I have to buy is fish and a packet of chips for Saturday night. It's true what they say - a good look through your pantry, fridge and freezer can save a great deal at the grocery store!

Looking Back Over the Holidays

2012-01-02T08:55:00.000-05:00

The holiday season can be both hectic and laid-back in this household, each day has its own pace. Vic flew home early Thursday morning - if he catches the 6:00am flight from Norfolk, he's here by 9:00am. We live almost directly across from the airport although Narragansett Bay is in the middle so we have to make a loop around the northern or southern end of the Bay in order to get there. It's faster to take the northern loop but we took the southern loop home as we had a stop by the feed store to pick up dog food and a new dog bed for MudLynn and then cross over the bridge which would take us into Newport. We stopped off at IHOP (Vic's favorite) for breakfast and then headed to the base to pick up all of his LTJG uniform essentials. $549 later...he had to have a new jacket and pants, but all of his uniforms have pieces that need to be changed, and the pieces really added up! Thank goodness he gets a $400 allowance toward the officer uniform costs. We timed our trip perfectly as the jacket and pants would be finished by the seamstress on the day before he was due to leave.

There was only one job on the honey-do list this time around and that was to remove the nails in Sophia's walls and spackle in preparation for painting. She doesn't sleep in there when Vic is gone, so it wasn't going to matter that there were big white splotches on the walls. As it was, Vic ended up doing the painting as well so her room is now a lovely shade of pale blue because that's the paint color that we had left from painting our room!

Friday morning, we headed out to have breakfast with one of Vic's former co-workers and his wife. It was a lovely get-together - D had recently retired from the Navy and was about to start his new civilian job, and T and I chatted about our kids' college plans and our upcoming move. After we left them, we went to the local seafood market to pick up our shrimp tray for Christmas Eve and then went home. Our afternoons were pretty lazy - Vic took a lot of naps and I was busy doing some last minute wrapping and getting things organized for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

On Saturday, the three of us went downtown to Panera for breakfast. We picked up a baguette and some pastries for Christmas morning - I tell myself I am going to make some sort of Christmas pastry every year and every year it's a colossal FAIL so this year was no different. Maybe next year. After Panera, we headed to Barnes and Noble. It's become a Christmas tradition to shop for ourselves on Christmas Eve morning. Everyone gets a $50 giftcard and we meander around the store picking up books, magazines, games, DVDs, or other miscellaneous items that Barnes sells. We each leave the store with our goodies, and then place the bags under the tree when we get home (no peeking!) until Christmas morning. Our tastes don't really seem to change from year to year...Sophia picked two new teen novels (usually a Twilight/Hunger Games/vampire or futuristic-type theme) and a stack of fashion magazines, Vic's choices were DIY as usual, and I picked up a couple of British Christmas food and decorating magazines, along with a cookbook (Sandra Lee's new Easy Entertaining at Home). We had a quick lunch and then Sophia and Vic watched a movie while I set the table for our meal later that evening and then we all got ready for church.

(Top) Vic wearing his new Christmas sweater - he wasn't overly thrilled by red but he only has to wear it once a year - while I trotted out the green Christmas dress that I have worn every Christmas Eve since we got married. I love that it has this tavern wench-type of lacing at the back so it can be tightened or loosened as needed - sadly, this year it needed to be loosened as I appear to have gained back all the weight I lost last fall.

(Bottom) Vic and Sophia striking a Charlie's Angel pose!

We headed out to the 5:30pm Christmas Eve service, stopped by a friend's party for about an hour and then headed home. Our usual Christmas Eve buffet awaited us and then it was Sophia's annual open-one-gift event. Hmm, what could it be? Christmas pajamas, of course!

By this time, it was getting pretty late so we all headed to bed. I spent part of Christmas Eve night trying to sleep upright in a chair as the trapped nerve in my neck flared up unbearably and I just could not lie down comfortably. After a couple of hours in a chair, I went back to bed and slept for a couple of hours, finally getting up at 5:00am. I am always the first one up, always have been and most likely always will be. I turned on the tree lights, made myself a cup of coffee and popped a few pain meds to help me get through the day. No Christmas cocktails for this girl! Vic got up a little after me, but Sophia slept on and on. I figured she was going to miss Christmas so a few choruses of "Santa Claus has been here!" roused her and we gathered, with our Christmas pastries, around the tree.

MudLynn loved her new bed, chewy toy and treats.

It was a Horseware Ireland Newmarket (the red and gold striped pattern) Christmas for Sophia with a jacket, hat, and blanket as well as new boots and lots of lotions and potions as you can see in the photo on the bottom left of the collage. She was thrilled with the modeling portfolio I put together for her, and since I submitted her resume and photos to a local agency, we're hoping that we hear from them in 2012.

It was a DVD and clothes Christmas for Vic - jeans, a new pullover, and another new sweater along with Pirates of the Caribbean and the latest NCIS season. And Vic's Christmas wouldn't be complete without a tin of John West kippers in his stocking!

Mom's Christmas was spent behind the camera, of course, so no photos but I was good this year and Santa brought me a lovely makeup case chockful of Estee Lauder goodies, the last season of Lark Rise to Candleford, a lovely jewel and flower hairslide from Sophia, and a beautiful poem from Vic.

We had a lovely lazy pajama day complete with a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon and lots of snacking from the Christmas Eve buffet leftovers. No snow this year but that's ok - we certainly didn't need any of the white stuff to disrupt Vic's travel plans in either direction.

The remaining days of Vic's leave flew by - he finished painting Sophia's room and carried down some of the Rubbermaid tubs to the basement as I began to put away the Christmas decorations. We picked up his uniform jacket and pants and he packed up the rest of the things he was taking back to Norfolk and then it was Thursday morning again and we were at the airport. I am so glad these airport trips are coming to an end.

I am amazed at the number of people that we know who had a very extravagant Christmas. Cars for teenagers, iPads, Kindles and flat-screen TVs for their bedrooms for elementary school-age children. I don't begrudge anyone their choices; if you have the money to spend on fancy gifts, then by all means do so, but I do wonder about the excess at the younger and younger ages. Aren't some people setting their children up for disappointment? I just don't know what to think sometimes.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T13:09:00.000-05:00

Raise your glasses, everyone, and toast to all that 2012 will hold!

Happy Holidays

2011-12-31T06:40:00.000-05:00

A Belated Merry Christmas and wishing you all health, wealth and happiness for 2012! Here's to blogging more regularly (ie. spending less time on Facebook!) in 2012.

Family Guide to Groceries under $250 a month

2011-12-12T07:27:00.004-05:00

Looking to revamp your grocery budget in 2012?

Check out this link above for some great tips.

Moving

2011-12-05T07:44:00.000-05:00

We moved to Rhode Island in 2007 for Vic's three-year shore duty (as opposed to a sea duty tour - on a ship, out on deployment off and on during the three years). We lived in government quarters for the first year but decided we really liked this area and that we would move because a) we had dreadful neighbors, and b) we get quite a chunk of housing allowance in New England and we decided to put it into a piece of property rather than let the government take it back each month in exchange for the quarters. We found a house in a great school district and Sophia began her high school years.

Along comes 2010, the end of Vic's three years. He requested an extension for a year, but although his command would have loved to have him stay, the detailer (the person responsible for assigning sailors to new jobs/locations) said he was needed at sea and so off to Virginia he was to go. We thought long and hard about what we would do next and decided that Sophia and I would stay in Rhode Island while Vic went off to Virginia and lived on the ship. As it was, he was flying directly to the Mediterranean to join the ship on its current deployment and wouldn't be back for six months, after which time he would be working ridiculous hours during the ship's maintenance period. We budgeted for him to fly home every couple of months and the plan, while not ideal, seemed to be working. It wasn't easy, but we managed.

Vic had applied in May of 2010 for a commission in the Navy's Medical Service Corps as an Industrial Hygiene Officer and in November of this year, he received word that he was selected. This was going to be a whole new world. For my military blog friends, you know the differences between the enlisted and officer communities, both for the servicemember and for the spouse. For my non-military blog friends, imagine going from something like a blue collar job into an upper management executive position - more responsibility, more social commitments, a different world entirely.

Vic was penciled in by the Medical Service Corps detailer for a job in Norfolk, a three-year shore duty job. What happens next should have looked something like this (Plan A) and it all should have happened within a couple of weeks - commissioning ceremony, Vic leaves the ship and returns to Rhode Island to attend Officer Development School for five weeks, and then he returns to Norfolk to begin his new job. As I should, it SHOULD have looked something like this. Enter the problem - the ship is facing a major inspection at the end of February in which Vic plays a key role. Leaving the ship so suddenly would leave a big gap and he felt terrible about leaving his co-workers in this way. He asked the Medical Service Corps detailer if he would postpone his commission and new orders until after the inspection but there was a slot for him so off he must go. Enter Vic's Commanding Officer who had a quiet word with the detailer, who was sympathetic to the predicament he was facing, and a new plan (Plan B) was hatched. Vic would be commissioned in January, but remain on the ship until after the inspection. Since he will be an officer, he will move out of his current location (the Chief Petty Officers berthing and mess area) and into an officer's stateroom and take his meals in the wardroom now (you eat and sleep according to rank on a ship in the Navy). He will leave the ship at the beginning of March, travel back to Rhode Island for Officer Development School and then return to Norfolk sometime in late April.

Of course, Sophia and I are going with him. I know that this means that she will have to do her senior year of high school in a different school but this is just too big, and too new, an adventure for Vic to have to do on his own. He's going to be learning a new job in a new arena and we know that he would love to be able to come home at night, not to a barracks room, but to his home and family where he can unwind and relax after a tough day's work. I know it's going to be tough because I know Vic and he will put 200% into his new job and want to do everything at once. He doesn't need to be worrying about arranging for his meals and doing his laundry when he's done at work. Sophia knows how important it is to her Dad to have us with him, and she took it much better than I expected. She immediately began to look at barns in Virginia and talked about places we had visited when we lived there before, places she wanted to see again.

If everything had gone according to Plan A, we would have been moving from Rhode Island to Virginia in late February and that would have been tough for Sophia to have to start a new school in the middle of her junior year. With the revised plan, we should be leaving at the end of April but since there are only six weeks of school left, Sophia and I will stay here until the end of the school year (June 15 unless we have some snow days) and then join Vic. We hope to secure housing so that he can take a few household possessions down to Virginia with him after Officer Development School and move into our house rather than have to live in the barracks (although for six weeks, he can manage that if housing isn't immediately available). We will follow along with the remainder of the household goods in June. The housing for his new rank is located on the military base (we have a choice for five different neighborhoods, depending on availability) so we are looking forward to the possibility of living on base for the first time.

So, our plans to make Rhode Island our forever home are still in place, they are just postponed for ten years (yes, this is a ten-year commitment). We hope to be able to find agreeable renters while we travel around a bit more (after our three years in Virginia, who knows what will be next? Japan? Italy? California? Hawaii?) and then we will return to Rhode Island for retirement.

Got all that? I know it's a lot to work through, imagine how we felt when we got the news and had to wait to find out which plan would actually be the one and then work out the details! Gotta love the Navy - as my friend Penny says, "The military's way of doing things makes me think of the chaos commercials when the man plays the GPS system. "Turn right...recalculating...turn left...recalculating...turn right...NOW!!!" So very true!

How do I feel about all this? I'm excited - I've had the moving bug for a while now. It just seems to me that around the four year mark or so, we should be packing up and moving on. Even though I thought that our moving days were over, and I was quite happy to see us here in Rhode Island for good, a little piece of me was still thinking about somewhere new. I have to admit I'm a little apprehensive about our new social life but I've faced plenty of new challenges in my life and this is just one more. I am very happy about all three of us being under one roof again and excited for Vic as he begins this new chapter in his career. Virginia, here we come again!

The Week Ahead - December 5

2011-12-05T07:02:00.001-05:00

Outside my window....cloudy with a slight chance of rain. I hope it holds off until after my charity donation that is sitting at the curb is picked up.

I am thinking...that there are only 16 days until Vic comes home for Christmas.

I am thankful....that this past weekend is over. 4-H Club Christmas Party, set up for the Horse Awards event, then the event itself, and 4-H Caroling on Horseback. Two one-hour each way journeys for the festivities. I am exhausted!

From the kitchen....no clue and no motivation to think about it right now - leftover something most likely.

I am going...to stop telling you that I am going to work on an album because scrapbooking is on the very bottom of my to-do list. Will most likely pack it all away until after we move (move? more on this in another post)

I am hearing...the clock ticking.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things....decorating for Christmas.

I am reading...The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson - light, quick, easy.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...exercising a horse this afternoon that our riding team plans to use in a show this weekend, dentist appointment on Tuesday, riding lesson and work on Tuesday and Thursday, volunteering at the Greens Workshop on Wednesday, chorus rehearsal on Thursday, Festival of Lights and Aquarium tour with our 4-H group on Friday, work and viewing of a fellow 4-H club's decorated tree in a Christmas festival on Saturday, and work and holiday chorus performance on Sunday. For Vic...busy, busy, lots to do on the ship before the Christmas vacation leave periods begin. For me...dentist, much chauffeuring (or riding shotgun while Sophia drives), and trying to make sense of the chaos my life becomes in the month of December!

Sophia on Shane - 4-H Caroling on Horseback yesterday.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge Wrap-up

2011-11-21T07:48:00.003-05:00

I never did finish the Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge but I wanted to wrap it up here so that I have the categories saved in case I want to give it a go next year. Day 8 is FALL TRAVEL/ROAD TRIPS. Fall travel would have to involve anywhere with the glorious fall foliage that's found here in New England. We did head up to Maine in the Fall of 2009 when Sophia was competing in a 4-H contest and I have to say the trees were magnificent. I've always wanted to go to Plimoth Planatation to take part in their traditional Thanksgiving Day feast or spent a few days away at a hotel that includes a Thanksgiving dinner package but that's something we'll have to put on the Places to Go One Day list. I really prefer not to be on the roads on a holiday; there are far too many people over-imbibing and I'd hate for any member of my family to end up as a holiday road accident statistic.

Day 9 is FAVORITE FOOTBALL PASTTIMES. We're not really football fans but we did enjoy our local high school's Homecoming Parade and Game in 2009. 2009 seems to have been the year we did a lot of fun things. I guess it will be known as the year before the crazy year that was the year before we were separated from Vic for most of the year. Wow, that's a brain teaser - 2009 was the fun year, 2010 was the crazy year (Vic finishing up at SWOS and completing his Master's degree and then heading out on a six month deployment), and 2011 was the year we were separated (Vic in Virginia, Sophia and I here in Rhode Island). Anyway, that's about all the football for this family.

Day 10 is THANKSGIVING MEMORIES. As I've mentioned before, Thanksgiving has never really been that big of a deal for our family. When I was younger, we were always overseas and lived so far away from my Dad's family. Mum's family was in England and they don't celebrate Thanksgiving there. We did go to the mess (dining) hall one year and ate with all the single soldiers - that seems to be an Army thing. When I was in my early 20's, we would celebrate with my sister's boyfriend's family which was always a lot of fun. There would be a houseful (he had three siblings plus spouses/partners) and there was always lots of White Russians (the drink, not the people!), bingo and charades. My Dad's take on Dustin Hoffman's Tootsie was talked about for years! Then I moved to the Western Pacific, met and married Vic, had Sophia, and Thanksgiving became a Chamorro celebration with lots of red rice and lumpia alongside the turkey. Back in the States, and a new Navy family, it took three years before Vic was home to celebrate Thanksgiving with us due to his deployment schedule. We fell into the habit of having a quiet, family celebration with a small roasted turkey breast (I didn't cook a real bird until 2007 and I'll probably never cook one again) or a ham, lots of browsing through the sale flyers as we planned our Black Friday excursion and breaking out the Christmas decorations. We did have a lovely Thanksgiving in 2002 when Mum and Dad were living with us in Illinois, and my sister and her husband flew out to celebrate with us. Turns out it was bittersweet as it was Mum's last Thanksgiving. We went to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade one year and spent last year hanging out at home. Vic was gone, we have no family in this area, and everyone knew it, but no-one bothered to ask what we were doing for the holiday. Does that sound bitter and bitchy? It's meant to. Couldn't believe when several people the following weekend (at church of all places) said "Oh, you were at home, just the two of you?"

So, on the whole, good memories with one or two grim ones. The first year Vic was deployed and we joined a group of other spouses from the ship was awful - we all sat around looking miserable - I'll never do that again. This year we are celebrating à trois, with a small roasted turkey breast, sale flyers and by putting up the Christmas decorations, and that's just the way we like it.

The Week Ahead - November 21

2011-11-21T07:15:00.000-05:00

Outside my window....cloudy, rainy later, a gloomy autumn day.

I am thinking...that Vic will be home tomorrow!

I am thankful....for safe travel to and from Sophia's last horse show this weekend and a third place win which means that she is now qualified for the IEA Zone 1 Regional event.

From the kitchen....leftover ham and green beans that I put in the CrockPot while we were gone yesterday.

I am STILL going...to start working on the 2007 Family Album.

I am hearing...the clock ticking, the sound of the washing machine, and MudLynn's collar tags clanking against her dish as she eats her breakfast.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things....decorating for Christmas.

I am reading...nothing right now - there's a book in at the library so I have to stop in and pick it up.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...school three days this week because of the Thanksgiving holiday, riding lesson and work on Tuesday but not sure about her riding schedule for Thursday, and then work on Saturday and Sunday. For Vic...heading home tomorrow for three days. For me...cleaning house, rearranging furniture to get ready for the Christmas tree, making sure I've got everything I need for Thanksgiving, and picking Vic up at the airport tomorrow (and taking him back on Saturday).

Lovely day for a horse show yesterday and coming home with a ribbon is always nice!

Congratulations!

2011-11-14T12:31:00.001-05:00

And I'll leave you with this little teaser - Vic and I took a trip at the end of May and you can't tell much from this picture but let's just say that big changes could be in store for our family. Sorry to be so cryptic - I'll share the details just as soon as I can!

This picture and message are from my Facebook page on May 27, 2010 and today I am shouting the details from the highest rooftop - Vic has been selected for a commission as a Medical Service Corps Officer. I didn't think it was possible for a person to be as proud of her sailor as I am today!! Congratulations, honey, exciting changes are ahead in this new chapter of our Navy adventure.

BTW, the picture was taken outside of the office building that's home to the Navy Officer Recruiting - we took a trip up there just before Vic left on deployment to start the whole process.

If any of my readers are military spouses with enlisted to officer experiences to share, I'd love to hear your comments, tips, suggestions...

The Week Ahead - November 14

2011-11-14T07:33:00.001-05:00

Outside my window....sunny but windy with showers on the way later and for a few days.

I am thinking...that there are 8 days until Vic comes home again!

I am thankful....for safe travel to and from Equine Affaire this weekend and for a great weekend at the event!

From the kitchen....I've got some Old Mother Hubbard going on here...grocery shopping tomorrow.

I am STILL going...to start working on the 2007 Family Album.

I am hearing...only the clock ticking - heading out to pick up MudLynn from the kennels so there will be lots of snoring going on this afternoon.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things....the Pfizer Fantasia horse show at Equine Affaire, always a crowd-pleaser.

I am reading...nothing right now - need to take a look at the new books at Barnes and Noble and request a few from the library.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...riding lesson and work on Tuesday and Thursday, 4-H meeting on Saturday and then work, and a horse show on Sunday. For Vic...work, work, work, still waiting for news about a new opportunity. For me...4-H dinner tonight, dentist tomorrow, and parent teacher conferences on Thursday.

Sophia makes friends with a miniature donkey at Equine Affaire this weekend - so cute!

Veterans Day 2011

2011-11-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

To those who have served, and those who are currently serving, thank you.

My father (United States Army 1947-1973) and my husband (United States Navy 1994-present)

The Week Ahead - November 7

2011-11-07T11:46:00.000-05:00

Outside my window....57 degrees - a lovely autumn day.

I am thinking...that there are 15 days until Vic comes home again!

I am thankful....for glorious weather for yesterday's horse show and for a blue ribbon (first place) for Sophia in her class - she was thrilled!

From the kitchen....going to make some more Tic Tac Toes - that's our name for this yummy snack.

I am STILL going...to start working on the 2007 Family Album.

I am hearing...only the clock ticking - so quiet today.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things....memories of our days at SHAPE in Belgium - thinking a lot about Dad with Veterans Day coming up on Friday.

I am reading...The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs - light and easy, a heart-warming story.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...Jewelry Club after school today, riding lesson and work on Tuesday and Thursday, no school on Thursday and Friday so she's going out to lunch with her girlfriends on Thursday and will probably squeeze in some extra hours at the barn on Friday, and off to Equine Affaire for the weekend. . For Vic...work, work, work, still waiting for news about a new opportunity. For me...coffee with a friend on Wednesday, chauffeuring Sophia here, there and everywhere, Equine Affaire this weekend, and counting the days until Vic comes home.

First place, Phoenix Rising Interscholastic Equestrian Assocation's show yesterday and only one point away from qualifying for IEA Regionals!

The Week Ahead - October 31

2011-10-31T07:38:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Outside my window....26 degrees but sunny. I'm just thankful it's not snowing and that the wind has died down.

I am thinking...that there are 22 days until Vic comes home again!

I am thankful....for safe travel home through snow and rain from the horse show on Saturday.

From the kitchen....barbecued ribs in the CrockPot tonight. Monday nights are horse show practice nights so it's lovely to come home to something hot and ready to eat.

I am STILL going...to start working on the 2007 Family Album.

I am hearing...only the clock ticking - Sophia's gone to school and MudLynn is asleep in the chair.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual. Back on the treadmill every day. Sorting, sorting, sorting, the basement really needs an overhaul.

One of my favorite things....Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer - haven't been able to find it yet in my local supermarket but it's got to be out soon.

I am reading...nothing right now.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...chorus practice after school and then IEA practice tonight, riding lesson and work on Tuesday, yearbook photos on Wednesday, chorus practice, work and ride on Thursday, performance at a Choral Festival in Providence on Friday, 4-H club meeting on Saturday, and another horse show on Sunday . For Vic...work, work, work. For me...got to reschedule my MRI and schedule my annual checkup, grocery shopping tomorrow, dentist on Thursday, chauffeuring Sophia here, there and everywhere and counting the days until Vic comes home.

Windcrest Farm, Hebron, Connecticut - The snow started in the late morning so as soon as the jumping classes were over, the show moved into the indoor ring for the flat classes. It was a very long, very cold day but Sophia picked up a third place ribbon in her class so she was happy.

College Fair

2011-10-28T09:41:00.001-04:00

Back in this May post, I began to talk about Sophia and college. She is a junior this year and the spring of your junior year is traditional the time for college campus visits so we got a head start in May by looking at her area of interest and what colleges offered a program of study that would match that interest. When we first started about college as the first step to gainful employment, I asked her to think of her ideal job, the job that she would wake up every morning thinking "I can't wait to go to work!". Let's face it, if you're facing the daily grind every day, it gets old very fast.

I think you can tell by my blog entries that Sophia is passionate about horses. It wasn't until we started exploring equine opportunities that we found out the possibilities were endless. There is the Equine Science route - equine veterinarians and veterinary assistants. Then there is the Equine Industry route - manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of feed, supplements, medications, tack, apparel and related items. Equine Training is another route - riding instructors and trainers of horses themselves. Equine Business Management is the area of barn managers, breeders, and equine law and insurance companies. Then there is Equine Massage, Farriery, or Therapeutic Riding. There are even Equine Journalism programs of study for those who love to write and seek employment with a myriad of equine publications.

Sophia has decided that Equine Business Management has the most potential for her. She would love to manage a barn or work for a breeder. She also recognizes the value of veterinary assistant and/or therapeutic riding training. So we set out to match these areas with two other criteria - the availability of a collegiate riding team and an equine-specific Study Abroad program.

We found our two top contenders at a local College Fair last night and were very impressed by the admissions officers who answered all of our questions and provided great insight into their programs.

#1 is Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut. A small, charming New England campus of less than 1000 students, Post University had everything Sophia wanted - an Equine Business Management degree with an Equine Veterinary Assisting Concentration, an IHSA Riding Team, and a Study Abroad program in England (including training for the British Horse Society qualification).

#2 is Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Johnson and Wales offers an Equine Business Management/Riding degree so that you have the option to combine teaching and/training with barn management, an IHSA Riding Team, and a Study Abroad program in Germany. Johnson and Wales comes highly recommended by one of our friends who recently graduated from the program.

Sophia was so thrilled to have her choices confirmed (she had pretty much made up her mind already from the campus information we had received in the mail and the research done on the Internet) and I was thrilled to find this as her Facebook status that night:

Can't wait for school tomorrow to be honest. I am turning into a nerd. I wanna get my GPA and class grades higher and so I can get into my number one college which is Post University :)

I am one happy Momma and excited to be planning the next stage of the adventure - campus visits!

Christmas Countdown

2011-10-23T09:56:00.000-04:00

It's that time again - we're off on the Christmas Countdown. Click on the link above to follow along.

The Week Ahead - October 11

2011-10-11T07:26:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've done a Week Ahead post and I know it's Tuesday already but I've got to whiz something out to kickstart my blog...again!

Outside my window....red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning! Cloudy and chilly, a lovely autumn day.

I am thinking...about the end of this week as we should hear an announcement that we've been waiting for since May 2010. Just a few more days!

I am thankful....for a great visit with my cousin and her husband. They got to see our local area, Boston, Plymouth, Cape Cod and New York and had a blast. Travel day back to California for them today.

From the kitchen....trying to eat better and get back to drinking more water.

I am going...to start working on the 2007 Family Album. I finally finished the 2006 album.

I am hearing...only the clock ticking. It's so quiet.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual. Back on the treadmill every day. Sorting, sorting, sorting, the basement really needs an overhaul.

One of my favorite things (places)....watching Sophia ride - our first Interscholastic Equestrian Assocation (IEA) show was this weekend. "IEA was formed and organized to promote and improve the quality of equestrian competition and instruction available to middle and secondary school students." Riders travel to shows at horse barns in their region, and ride horses previously unfamiliar to them - it's all about equitation, how the rider handles the horse. Sophia picked up a fourth place ribbon in her class in her first show.

I am reading...nothing right now.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) testing today and Wednesday (reading this week, writing was last Tuesday and Wednesday and math is next week), riding lesson and work (work to ride arrangement at a local barn) this afternoon, picking up her class ring on Wednesday, work and ride on Thursday, PSAT (preliminary SAT - standardized test for college admissions) on Saturday morning followed by 4-H club meeting, and the Hunter Pace (a riding event through the scenic park and farms in our area) event on Sunday . For Vic...work, work, work. For me...MRI today, that's about it other than chauffeuring Sophia around (or riding shotgun while she drives) and keeping busy around the house.

Sophia and Domino, the horse she will ride in the Hunter Pace this weekend

Frazzled!

2011-10-03T07:38:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of http://www.annthegran.com/cs/blogs/brians_blog/archive/2010/02/19/leaping-in-with-a-mac-part-2.aspx

I'm more than a little frazzled at the moment but I wanted to post a quick update since my blog has suffered from a lack of attention lately. Sophia was gone for the entire month of August, then we had a hurricane, then the beginning of the school year was upon us. Back to school was postponed because Sophia was sick, then Vic came home for a week, and then Sophia's trip to the Big E loomed. Lots of prep for that left me getting sick with a cold and the ongoing pain and numbness in my right arm finally drove me to the doctor only to find out I have multi-level cervical disc degenerative disease with a C4/C5 neuroforamen impingement. I went for an MRI and had to stop in the middle of it because a tickle in my throat (the remains of the cough that came with the cold) had me gasping for breath (try to have a dry cough when you're lying down in the MRI machine!). Then the lawn mower died, then the transmission on my car started acting up, just as my cousin and her husband from California were arriving for a week's visit!

There was light at the end of the tunnel, though, as Vic had some momentous news to report. Sorry, I know I hate it when people do this, but I just can't share all the details yet, but I had to say something because after all the turmoil of the month of September, for something this amazing to happen on the 30th of September, it made everything else just disappear. My car is in the repair shop (ten minutes before they were due to close, I ran it down to a local transmission guy and he was kind enough to take me to the car rental office) and I am driving a divine Mazda CX-7 SUV - definitely on my list of possible upgrades one of these days as it drives like a dream!

So, my cousin and her husband arrived safely and we spent a lovely evening catching up on Saturday. Yesterday we spent the day in downtown Newport. We took in a local festival - Harborfest, formerly known as the Taste of Rhode Island - but I was a bit disappointed as there wasn't as much local fare displayed as I thought there would be. We walked around for a bit and then toured Trinity Church where George Washington worshipped when he was in Newport conferring with Rochambeau before Yorktown. Queen Elizabeth II and Desmond Tutu also attended services here during visits to Newport so my cousin couldn't resist sitting in the Distinguished Visitor's Pew to add her name to the list! We moved on to the local bird sanctuary's Harvest Fair - again, a bit of a disappointment - but ended the day with a fish and chips dinner at a local seafood place and that was a big hit. Back home, we all promptly spent a couple of hours dozing in the living room.

Today we're off to a tour of a couple of the Newport Mansions while I wait to hear about my car. My cousin and her husband will head off to Boston and Cape Cod tomorrow, returning Wednesday and then spend one last day with us on Thursday before they catch the train into New York for the weekend before heading home. It was a flying visit but so good to see them.

I'll leave you with this, Sophia and her two favorite guys, Ben & Jerry!

And yes, I know I still have to finish up the Fall Blog Challenge!

Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge Days 6 and 7

2011-09-29T07:57:00.001-04:00

FALL TV SHOWS (NEW, RETURNING)

We don't have cable so I can't really comment on the fall TV line-up. Not to have cable was a decision we made several years ago; we have a Netflix subscription and a huge DVD library and our local library (statewide) has quite a selection so we decided that cable was one thing we could cut out of the budget. When the new season of Army Wives comes out, Sophia and I have would enjoyed that on Sunday evenings, but it is available online the following day so we can catch it then. As excited as I am about Season Two of Downton Abbey, I can wait until it comes out on DVD.

FALL RECIPES

My favorite recipe for fall is Betty Crocker's Pumpkin-Date Bread, although I leave out the dates. It's from the 1982 Christmas Cookbook and I was able to find it posted online in this post by the Culinary Fool from 2005. I bake it in the regular loaf pan, and when we have our Holiday Open House, I bake mini loaves and give them as gifts as the guests are leaving. It's always a big hit...and it makes the kitchen smell divine when it is baking.

Fall is also the time for warming soups and stews. I'm going to give this one a try this fall - Sandra Lee's Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. Vic always orders Chicken Noodle Soup at Panera so I thought I would look for a hearty version and freeze a few batches for when he is home at Christmas. My fall CrockPot staples are Pot Roast leftovers turned into Beef Stew and Chicken in Tomato-Garlic Sauce (affectionately known here as Chicken in the Red Sauce). For the Pot Roast, I place a chuck roast in the CrockPot along with potatoes, carrots and onions, and pour over a combination of one can of beef stock and one can of tomato puree. Cook 6 to 8 hours on Low. Take out the meat and vegetables, strain the liquid to remove fat, and add one package of beef gravy mix to the juice to make gravy. The richness of the stock and the puree give the gravy an incredible taste. I'm very much a semi-homemade cook! The following day, chop up all the leftovers and put them back in the CrockPot for Beef Stew. Chicken in the Red Sauce is the easiest thing ever - combine one can of tomato soup, one can of cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup, and one can of mushrooms in the CrockPot. Add one package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pushing them down into the sauce until they are covered. Cook 6 to 8 hours on Low. Just before serving, use a wooden spoon to break up the chicken a little. Serve over rice or noodles. Enjoy!

2011-09-28T13:31:00.000-04:00

Logo courtesy of http://blog.worldlabel.com/2011/pinterest-is-the-coolest-and-start-following-us.html

Are you Pinning? Pinterest is, in my humble opinion, amazing and just what visual people like me need. No more tiresome bookmarks to scroll through endlessly; no matter how specific you are in the title, sometimes you're just clueless about why you bookmarked a particular site. Pin a picture and it instantly brings to mind the delicious recipe you want to try, or the next fashion outfit you intend to buy, or the fabulous decorating idea with which to wow your friends.

If you're not Pinning yet, check out this great post from Emily Kate, pinterest 101. It will tell you everything you need to know. Please take special note of Pinterest Etiquette 101 - Pin Direct Links. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing a picture of something you like, and having to scroll through pages and pages of blog entries to find the recipe, stockists, or instructions. Please Pin responsibly.

Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge Days 4 and 5

2011-09-28T08:22:00.002-04:00

F is for Fall and F is for Falling Behind in the Fall Challenge so here is my attempt to redeem myself...and start getting caught up!

FALL DECORATING

I usually have the house decorated on September 1st. Off goes the school bus and out come the Rubbermaids. I can't wait to get the orange and brown colors out and the scent of cinnamon in the air. This year, I didn't actually get to it until September 23rd - with Sophia's start of school postponed for a week because of illness, Vic's trip home for a week, and preparation for Sophia's trip to the Big E, it's been pretty crazy around here. So, I took Sophia up to the Big E on the 21st, stayed overnight, left her there and headed home to do some decorating. By the way, the Big E is the Eastern States Exposition, sort of like a giant State Fair for the Eastern States and it has a large 4-H component. September 21 to September 25 was 4-H Horse and Sophia was up there as a Teen Leader Delegate for Rhode Island, a helper to the Riding Delegates. She really wanted to be a Rider but I wanted her to go up as a Teen Leader for her first year. I had heard it was a pretty intense five days and I was right. Sophia was glad she went up without a horse this first year, as she learned a lot and is now well-prepared for next year.

So, on to the decorating. Fall decorating chez nous is in two stages - September/October is Halloween/Harvest and then I add the Thanksgiving touches November 1. These include the odd turkey here and there and lots of preschool art from Sophia. Since all that is still packed away, you'll have to check back at the beginning of November to see what I put out.

This hangs on the front door. It's a fall decoration I made years ago and although I sometimes look longingly at harvest wreaths, I always go back to this decorated broom. I need something new for the back door this year; the harvest berries wreath that was hanging there last year, not protected by a storm door like the front decoration, was rather battered by the elements and had to be tossed. I'll pick something up on Friday when I go errand running.

I have a tall, four-shelf rack in the corner of the living room so I cleared off the top shelf for this - a crystal bowl of harvest fruit and my scarecrow. He used to adorn the top of my harvest tree (think angel on the top of a Christmas tree) but I didn't do the tree this year so he's standing on the shelf instead.

This guy sits on the floor next to the long, low media rack underneath the telly. He's on a pole so I made a hole in the pumpkin and stuck him in there.

These three pumpkin tealight holders are in the center of the media rack - I bought them from Home Interiors years ago and they've managed to survive three moves. They look very pretty when the lights are turned out and just the candlelight flickers through the grooves. They are sitting on Longaberger Autumn Path scented coasters.

On each side of the three pumpkins is an Autumn Path placemat that holds one of these Home Interiors candleholders.

This little guy sits on the corner of the placemat (you can see the candleholder in the background) - he's actually a jar candle topper.

Here's his partner on the other side.

The only holdover from past Halloween celebrations is this trio - affectionately known as Mommy, Daddy and Sophie. We went through a stage of abandoning the more traditional ghost, witch and ghoul-type decorating in favor of harvest decorating but we always kept these three.

That's about it for the living room. I'll save the kitchen decorating until my Fall Recipes post (or in other words, I haven't quite finished it yet!).

THINGS YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR FALL

Cool, crisp mornings
The aforementioned Pumpkin Spice Lattes, especially since I have found this economical, do it at home recipe
A visit from my cousin and her husband from California
High school Homecoming celebrations
Countdown to Christmas (ugh, don't ask, I'm behind already...saving that for another catch-up post)
The start of the new 4-H year
Planning for Vic's next trip home

That's about it for today...more catch-up tomorrow!

Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge Days 3 and 4

2011-09-22T16:11:00.000-04:00

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR HALLOWEEN/A HALLOWEEN MEMORY

We go back and forth with Halloween - when Sophia was young, we used to do the whole costume, trick or treat, and Halloween decorating thing, but then for a few years, we switched to more of a harvest focus, and now we seem to be doing a combination of the two. We don't have too many small children in our neighborhood so trick or treating doesn't last very long and we tend to turn out the porch light when the teenagers start to come around. They are usually dressed in regular clothes but with some form of mask, and have enormous pillowcases for their treats. I'm thinking some of them are planning to make a home business out of reselling all the candy they expect to receive!

I'd love for Sophia to throw a Halloween party but a group of teenagers let loose in my basement is just asking for trouble. I know she will behave, not sure about the rest of them! It's not like the parties I used to throw when she was younger, when I was always in the background making sure everything went smoothly. And to be honest, some of the costumes that come from the local costume shop (aka Sluts 'R Us) are just asking for trouble. What happened to good old Halloween fun?

My Halloween memories focus around the time we lived in military housing in Belgium. There were rules (from the base) such as when trick or treating started and when it ended, which houses were ok (porch lights on) and which were not (lights off), and there were rules (from Mum) such as don't eat any candy until she had checked it (at which point anything not store bought and securely wrapped was tossed in the trash - I always felt sorry for the people who had meticulously shaped the popcorn balls or spent hours decorating festive cookies). We lived in international military housing so the one memory that sticks out the most is the lady from the Netherlands who thought "trick or treat" and the raised treat bag was an invitation for her to take a piece, which she did! We were pretty gracious, and left without too much indignation. I have funny memories like that but can't for the life of me remember any of my costumes (well, it was back in the Dark Ages, lol).

And, of course, it wouldn't be Halloween without a showing of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and a batch of Pumpkin Cookies, would it?

FALL DECORATING

Yes, lots of it...and it's coming tomorrow!

Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge Day 2

2011-09-20T07:05:00.005-04:00

FALL CLOTHES/TRENDS/MAKEUP

I'm so out of touch with the fashion world...but if I was in a shopping mood, I'd be looking for something like this for fall - a sweater dress.

How to Wear a Sweater Dress

It seems that my fall wardrobe consists of jeans, long-sleeved shirts, and fleece pullovers/zippered jackets. Not exactly Fifth Avenue fashion! Never mind, it suits my current lifestyle of home, barn, and errand-running.

Trends? Layers, I guess and boots always make their appearance in the fall. Fashion boots to begin with, and then moving toward warmer, sturdier versions as the winter snows approach.

Makeup? I love warm autumn colors... brown and rust. As a green-eyed redhead, brown is the color I wear most often on my eyes so I'm right on track.

Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge

2011-09-19T10:43:00.001-04:00

Sorry I've been AWOL - lots going on, lots to blog about but it's a bit crazy Chez Nous right now. I found this great mini-challenge to kick start fall so I figured it was just the thing to get me blogging again.

Photo courtesy of http://thecraftychica.blogspot.com/2010/09/pumpkin-spice-lattes-im-not-going-there.html

Today's challenge is Fall Traditions. First on my list would have to be Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. There's nothing more relaxing than heading down to Barnes and Noble, grabbing a stack of fall food magazines, a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and finding a comfy chair to wile away an hour or two. Best done when the children are back in school, hubby is at work, and you have the hour or two to yourself (or better yet, share it with your BFF!).

Fall decorating comes next. I usually have everything up on September 1 but Vic was home, Sophia was sick, and the to-do list took precedence over the decorating. Once Vic was gone and we got caught up on the missed homework and other projects, we went straight into a crazy weekend, and now we're heading out of town. Decorating is postponed until Thursday or Friday of this week. Will post photos when it's all up.

Fall baking has to be next. I usually make a big batch of pumpkin bread but this year I am modifying it with this recipe, Pumpkin Nutella Swirl Bread. Doesn't it look divine? I've got to find some Pumpkin Spice Creamer as well. If Peppermint Mocha is in the stores already, Pumpkin Spice has got to be out there somewhere. It will be soup and stew time in the CrockPot. Nothing like ladling something hot and delicious into a bowl after a cold afternoon at the barn.

I'll finish off my list with fall fashion...that would mean lengthening in my book. Time to trade capris for long pants, and short-sleeved T-shirts for long-sleeved. That's about as much into fashion as I am these days!

Has anyone seen a good fall swap out there on the blogsphere? Please share. If you'd like to join the Fall Challenge, just click on the logo above for details.

Happy Fall!

The Week Ahead - August 14

2011-08-14T20:28:00.000-04:00

Outside my window....cloudy with bits of rain off and on today.

I am thinking...about Sophia. It's so quiet at the house - MudLynn snoozes all day and I'm very lazy. That has to change though, because there will be a charity shop pick-up in a week and I've got to get sorting.

I am thankful....for good friends. Having been disappointed lately by a few people, it's great to chat with those who are sincere friends, and don't thrive on drama - their own or other people's.

From the kitchen....healthy stuff - ditched the nutritionist appointment and decided to give Body by Vi a try. It's a meal replacement plan - two shakes a day and a healthy dinner - anything to kick start some weight loss.

I am STILL going...to finish up the 2006 Family Album - I'm still in December. I SWEAR this status will be gone next week! Sorry, I swore but I'm still not done...soon, I hope.

I am hearing...only the clock ticking. It's so quiet.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual. Lots of big chores planned this month while Sophia is gone - clean the basement (still on the agenda), file all the papers that have been collecting here, there and everywhere for ages (DONE!), sort my scrapbook supplies (worked on this a little bit), get unused items gathered for a charity pick-up (this week's main event), work out every day (that's a big chore in my book!) (doing pretty good - walked on the treadmill six out of seven days).

One of my favorite things (places)....downtown Newport in September - after the summer crush of tourists is gone, it's lovely to stroll around.

I am reading...Cocktails for Three by Madeleine Wickham.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...fun, fun, fun in Oregon - her stay is half-over already. For Vic...work, work, work and figuring out when he can take the time off for a visit home! For me...dropping off Sophia's exhibit at the last of the summer fairs, car service, not much else this week

Jodhaa Akbar starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - an amazing movie and this is an incredible scene - so romantic!

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #53

2011-08-12T10:04:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since I've done Wife of a Sailor's MilSpouse Friday Fill-In but I need something quick and easy this morning so here goes.

1. The best thing my parents taught me to do when I was a child was to have good manners.
It's amazing how many people can't take the time to extend common courtesy to others. I've often bemoaned the apparent end of RSVPs, thank you notes, and hostess gifts, but it seems that something as simple as please or thank you is going by the wayside. When did people start feeling they were entitled to things, instead of seeing them as privileges and showing gratitude?

2. However, one thing I wish they did differently was to be more strict.
I won't say that my parents weren't afraid to tell me "no", but I think I could have benefited from being told "no" a little more often.

3. One thing I've always wanted to try but haven't is cook shelled seafood (clams, mussels, etc.).
I've seen some great recipes for steamed clams and I remember the delicious moules marinières that our neighbor in Belgium prepared. I've always felt a bit apprehensive about the cleaning of the shells (the phrase "removing the beard" totally baffles me!) and those that don't open (they say you can tap them and if they open, they are ok, but are they really?).

4. One thing I never thought I'd try but I have is motherhood.
For some reason, I never thought I'd have children, but I have a child and she is the greatest blessing.

5. If I could give my 16-year-old self one piece of advice I'd tell myself to make my education my top priority.
You only have your high school years once and although you can go to college at any age, experiencing it directly after college would have been so cool.

Another Amazing Blog!

2011-08-11T08:18:00.001-04:00

Do you like the new button on my sidebar? Smitten by Britain, an amazing blog for Anglophiles/Britophiles is offering this free button, yours for the taking. I've been following Smitten by Britain for some time on Facebook, but realized just yesterday that I didn't have it on my Google Reader. That was remedied immediately. If you are interested in anything to do with England, check out Smitten by Britain. It's got everything you ever wanted to know about Britain, incredible photographs, fabulous resources, useful links...it's BRILLIANT!

What's on the Calendar Wednesday

2011-08-10T11:07:00.000-04:00

Photo courtesy of http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024203/UK-RIOTS-2011-Manchester-Midlands-burn-London-control.html

I woke up this morning to this headline on the online Daily Mail from the UK, "Children as young as NINE join copycat rioters as new orgy of looting sweeps across more British cities" (link under photo above). The article goes on to say, "The children wore tracksuits and innocently disregarded covering their faces as they ran through the shattered glass of supermarkets to fill their pockets with looted goods." It was sickening, and so very real as Manchester is what I consider my "hometown", the place I visited off and on for many years, home of friends and relatives, the place I spent my teenage and young adult years. I'm appalled.

This post on Facebook caught my attention, "Mr. Lightman blames a toxic mixture of dysfunctional parenting and a consumer and celebrity culture which tells youngsters they should have whatever they want.", from this BBC article "Heads challenge parents over riot youths".

There are over 1400 comments on the Daily Mail article as of this morning, among them are these:

These children are our future ohh god help us

It makes me so incredibly sad to see this happening. I can't begin to understand what's going through the minds of the people taking part. I can sort of understand opportunists stealing from shops, awful as it is, but the mindless burning down of people's homes and businesses just for the pleasure of it? How can you ever make people like this see the horrendous nature of what they're doing?

Sadly prison will have no impact on most of these yobs. In fact it could make them even worse when they get out. I think some kind of national service for everyone between the ages of 14-18 should be introduced to show them a sense of discipline and respect. I don't neccesarily mean fighting in an armed force, but something along the lines of the army is discipline.

What do you want to bet that the majority of these hooligans are products of "single mums" who are on the dole? Socialism at its best. Coming soon to a town near you in the U.S

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024203/UK-RIOTS-2011-Manchester-Midlands-burn-London-control.html#ixzz1UdddHwDN

Alarming, shocking, sickening as it is, it's so very sad that our society has come to this. England today...coming to your country, city next. Do you know where your children are tonight?

If This is Tuesday, it must be England #17

2011-08-09T23:50:00.000-04:00

I've posted before about the fabulous time we had at my sister's wedding at Duns Castle in Scotland. Today I thought I would share a little information about the area around the location of the rehearsal dinner, The Craw Inn in Auchencrow. We'll call today's edition, If This is Tuesday, it must be England (and Scotland)!

The Craw Inn is a lovely pub and restaurant with a private dining room in the back which was perfect for our party of revelers. The food was delicious and I highly recommend it. I was intrigued by this line on their webpage, "..The extensive, frequently changing menu includes fresh local fish and shellfish landed at Eyemouth and St. Abbs...", and decided to look up these two places.

Eyemouth is a fishing port at the mouth of a river called the Eye Water. It looks delightful and the town's website, Visit Eyemouth, is full of tips on where to stay, where to shop and what to see and do. Here's a little photo to tempt you, if you haven't already clicked on the link!

Eyemouth, home of the Herring Queen Festival (the festival site doesn't seem to have been updated since 2008 but I did find an article about a pipe band that played there this year so it's still being held annually)

I moved to St. Abbs, a small fishing village northwest of Eyemouth which turns out to be a well-known scuba diving area. St Abbs has much less to do and see than Eyemouth, but it looks like a peaceful getaway spot with several accommodation choices - bed and breakfast, guest house or holiday home. The St. Abbs Community Website will tell you all you need to know.

You know how it is on the internet these days - one link leads to another and I was thrilled to find this little gem, the Borderloop Cycle Route. Now I am not a cyclist by any means, but I really think I would train to take a trip along this route. Cycling an average of 35 miles per day, you will run the gamut of scenery on this route. Whoever put this together has provided everything you need to know - where to rent bikes, where to break your trek for a meal, what to see on the way, and where to collapse into bed at night. I'm not sure what the 1, 4 and T symbols mean on the map legend - if any of my British readers can help, please let me know. I'm off to do a little more research on that. All the roads marked appear to be A and B roads so I'm thinking that you could also drive this route, although cycling would give you the best views (as long as the weather cooperates!). I sent the link to my sister and brother-in-law, thinking that this would be a lovely way to show their two boys the area around where they got married when they are a little older and can manage the cycling.

I hope you enjoyed this little trek through the Scottish Borders region. I'm off to hop on the treadmill - if I'm going to be cycling 35 miles per day (one day!), I'd better get in shape!

An Amazing Blog!

2011-08-08T09:58:00.001-04:00

It's going to be a busy day - lots of chores and running around to do - so here's a quick post to introduce you to JIll over at Controlling My Chaos, an amazing blog full of, in her words, crafts, scrapbooking, cooking, and organizing. I actually found Jill via Pinterest and her boards are amazing, too!

Check it out - you won't be disappointed!

It's Time for the Annie Sloan Giveaway!

2011-08-07T10:51:00.002-04:00

It's Time for the Annie Sloan Giveaway! Check it out by clicking on the button above.

Since I didn't have a clue what to do with chalk paint, and perhaps you might not either, check out the great Q & As here.

47 Days Until Fall

2011-08-07T10:31:00.000-04:00

I wasn't sure what to write about this morning until I opened a lovely comment on my blog from Kathy over at A Delightsome Life, saw her banner saying that Fall is coming, and listened to her playlist playing softly in the background as I browsed through her blog.

What a lovely start to my morning. It's just my kind of day outside today - rain and grey skies with the wind rushing through the trees, truly a day to be thinking about Fall. I know they say you shouldn't wish your life away, but Fall can't come fast enough. It's my favorite season - I love the red and gold colors of New England in the Fall, the end of the warm weather, the return to a nip in the air in the morning, a time for the spicy tang of fall baking...and this Fall will be extra special because I know that Vic will be home. It's just been too long this time around; I think three months is about the longest we can go, unless, of course, he's on a deployment. It doesn't seem so bad when he's on a deployment; I know he can't come home until the ship returns. But this separation is much harder because I know how close he is and yet how far away.

So finding Kathy's blog was really the best thing that could have happened to me this morning. I feel wrapped in the serenity of her music choices, her beautiful photographs, and a sense of peace.

I Can't Wait...

2011-08-06T08:43:00.000-04:00

...for Season Two of Downton Abbey. The show is scheduled to return to British television next month - wonder if it will be out on DVD for Christmas?

Update and 30 Day Mom Challenge

2011-08-05T08:19:00.000-04:00

Remember Ship A and Ship B? Well, Ship A does want Vic back but they've decided to let Ship B keep him for six weeks so that means no trip home until after the six weeks are up. Bummer, what more can I say? Oh, yes, I know, I can say a lot but I like to keep my blog G-rated!

I found this over at Pinterest, my latest addiction. Just a note for you pinners out there - please make sure you pin the specific blog post that features your pin. Nothing is more of a pain that having to scroll through pages and pages of blog posts to find the one you need because someone pinned the entire blog, and not the specific post. Just a heads up.

So, here it is courtesy of iMOM (which looks like a really cool site), the 30 Day Mom Challenge, Mom's Ultimate To-Do List. I thought it was cute. Have fun! I'm postponing my challenge until Sophia comes home (duh, can't have a Mom Challenge without the one you're Mom to!) so look for it in September.

Wrap-Up and News...or Not News

2011-08-04T14:46:00.001-04:00

I really enjoyed my first Christmas in July over at the Magical Holiday Home forums. I found some great new blogs and met an amazing group of women who love Christmas just as much as I do. I was pretty ambitious when I made my schedule for the month and unfortunately, the hot weather derailed some of my planned baking, but I did manage to complete the following:

1. I watched a Christmas movie every day (or two to make up for having to miss a day when my friends from Italy were here) - I found a couple of new Christmas movies and watched a lot of old favorites.

2. I read the Christmas in July book selection, The Snowglobe by Sheila Roberts, and facilitated the book chat with the help of a great discussion guide I found online here. I also found a new author, Debbie Macomber, who writes wonderful stories about Christmas. If she writes a new one this holiday season, you can bet it will find its way into my stocking.

3. I started and am still working on a Christmas scarf with some fun fuzzy yarn that's a burst of white, red and green.

4. I updated my blog almost every day (had to catch up on one or two I missed).

5. I mixed up a great holiday cocktail to kick off the whole celebration - the Poinsettia Beverage.

6. I baked up a whole lot of goodies, testing out some recipes I'd had my eye on: Pecan Tassies, Sausage and Potato Squares, Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Rolls, Chocolate Cherry Truffle Cake, Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake, and Berry Brunch Pizza.

7. I tested out a holiday treat recipe for Peppermint Bark.

8. I whipped up some new ornaments - Felt Mistletoe, Snowman Face Disc, Quilted Ball, Music Star and Christmas Bauble.

9. I made some Wine Charms.

It was a busy month, and I enjoyed every second. If you love Christmas, you'll love Christmas in July, and over at the forums, it's a place to chat and share ideas, test recipes and craft ideas, and showcase decorating tips outside of the hustle and bustle that is December.

On the news, or not news front...I told you yesterday that Vic was being moved to a new ship. It's one of those "You will go where we send you" Navy rules - can't really say he was taken against his will since that conjures up scenes of him being dragged off one ship and onto another, but he didn't have any say in the matter. It was a case of "They need you, so go!". Vic sent me a message last night telling me that he was on the new ship, we'll call it Ship B (as opposed to Ship A, which is the one he came from). He also said that he was going to try to come home before he had to start work on Ship B's problems, and that he could be coming home as soon as tomorrow!! It's been over three months since his last trip home so to say that I was excited by the prospect of his return is an understatement. I began to search fares and e-mailed him the details. Then comes this message, "Hold on, honey, it looks like Ship A may be taking me back". WHAT?

Stay tuned...I can't stand the suspense but what can one do when one is at the mercy of the Navy? Just kidding - we love this life, but these little snafus we can do without, especially when they come at the expense of a reunion.

Catching Up

2011-08-03T11:43:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy day so far. I was determined to get caught up on some chores and I'm working my way down the list. Yesterday, I filed away all the paper that has been gathering on my desk and in a drawer for weeks, maybe months. In the process of filing, I found a lot of stuff that didn't need to be filed anymore so I'm also in the middle of a shredding party. I folded one load of laundry and started another, vacuumed the whole house, tidied the kitchen, and waited for the glass repairman to come by to look at a pane of glass that I had replaced at the beginning of the year that appears to have failed. He'll be back today or tomorrow to fix it.

MudLynn really can't figure out why it is so quiet here, but rather than worry about it, she's just sleeping it off! She's usually only a few feet away from me but if I can't find readily find her, I can usually spot her paws sticking out from under Sophia's bed. Speaking off Sophia, she's having a lot of fun in Oregon - day one was a boat trip out on the lake with her uncle and cousins for a wake surfing expedition, day two was a trip to the pool. Vic, however, is not having any fun at all. After working all hours for months to get his area of responsibility on the ship in order (and succeeding, as they passed all their inspections), he has now been taken off the ship and moved to another one. The new one has a lot of problems that need to be fixed, and, as proud as I am that he has been hand-selected to take on this task, I know it will mean many more months of long hours. I am hoping that he will be able to come home before he gets down to the job at hand.

So, catching up...I never did finish the 30 Day Blog Challenge so here goes:

Day 27

Original Photo of the city you live in

Not sure what they mean here - I'm assuming original photo as in one I have taken?

Here is a shot of the part of town called Island Park - it's just around the corner from us. It started as a summer cottage area but the cottages have since become permanent homes. It's a bit of a mish-mash architecturally as you can imagine.

We don't really have a downtown or Main Street-type area but I did find some aerial photographs here if you'd like to see some additional images. I think the best one is this one. Portsmouth covers the northern end of Aquidneck Island.

Day 28

Something that stresses you out

Money, or the lack thereof...it seems like we get two steps ahead and take one step back...home ownership and an equestrian teenager are a constant drain on the finances.

Day 29

3 Wishes

Health, wealth (well, a steady income at least!) and happiness

We really have it all - we're all healthy, Vic has a steady job, and we're happy - we don't ask for much!

Day 30

A picture of yourself this day and 5 good things that happened since you started this challenge

Sorry, no picture right now. We have two cameras but one is in Oregon and the other is in Virginia. 5 good things? A successful end to Sophia's sophomore year, a safe and successful horse show season, safe travel for Sophia on her first unaccompanied airline journey from the East Coast to the West, completion of a small home improvement job that now gives us direct access to our backyard from the house, and continued health, wealth and happiness for our family.

That's about it for today - more shredding to do!

Still here!

2011-08-02T11:39:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of http://origamiliving.blogspot.com/2011/06/perusing-pinterest.html

I'm still here - just busy. I had such great plans to be organized and get organized in the month that Sophia is away but time just runs away from me. Ok, make that...time on the computer...runs away from me. I am so addicted to Pinterest, it's not funny. There are so many amazing recipes, crafts, fashion ideas, decorating tips...unbelievable!

Tomorrow, I promise, I will be back to regular blogging and catch up with some things on which I dropped the ball - like never finishing the 30 Day Challenge or giving a final wrap-up of Christmas in July. I love to blog; my fingers flying over the keyboard is therapy for me and I really need it right now as I've been horribly disappointed by someone that I thought was a friend. Has it happened to you? A Facebook friend turned out to be a Facebook fake? Ugh, it hurts.

Back tomorrow...

The Week Ahead - July 31

2011-07-31T11:56:00.000-04:00

I didn't intend to take quite such a long break but it was pretty hectic around the house last week as we prepared for Sophia's departure on Saturday. Things will be a little quieter this week...well, maybe!

Outside my window....hot but it doesn't look too unbearable.

I am thinking...about all the fun Sophia is going to have in Oregon. She's gone to be a nanny to my two nephews - she hasn't seen them since Christmas 2008 and they were very excited that she was coming to visit. I think my sister is going to try to squeeze in a couple of trips, a day trip to Portland and a couple of days in San Francicso. She also has a friend with horses so hopefully Sophia will have a chance to ride as well.

I am thankful....for Sophia's safe travel. It was her first time to fly unaccompanied (although she's too old to be considered an UM (Unaccompanied Minor) - have you ever seen the movie?) and it was a very long day. She left Providence at 11:30am and arrived in Oregon at 3:00am (our time). She had two layovers - 5 1/2 hours in Philadelphia (where she discovered Chick-fil-A so it wasn't so bad!) and about 45 minutes in San Francisco which gave her enough time to hike from the arrival terminal to the departure terminal.

From the kitchen....healthy stuff - got an appointment with the nutritionist on Friday so I have to make a head start.

I am STILL going...to finish up the 2006 Family Album - I'm still in December. I SWEAR this status will be gone next week!

I am hearing...only the clock ticking even though it's almost noon. Sophia's text that she had arrived in San Francisco (12:45am my time) woke me up and then MudLynn wanted to go out at 6:00am so I went back to sleep after I let her in and slept late.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual. Lots of big chores planned this month while Sophia is gone - clean the basement, file all the papers that have been collecting here, there and everywhere for ages, sort my scrapbook supplies, get unused items gathered for a charity pick-up, work out every day (that's a big chore in my book!).

One of my favorite things (places)....the arrivals gate at any airport - and I may have two visits there this month.

I am reading...Fallen Skies by Philippa Gregory.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...fun, fun, fun in Oregon. For Vic...work, work, work and figuring out when he can take the time off for a visit home! For me...picking up Sophia's exhibit from one of the summer fairs, a meeting concerning an Interscholastic Equestrian Team now forming in Rhode Island, and an appointment with the nutritionist.

Sophia getting ready to board in Providence - have a wonderful visit!

The Week Ahead - July 24

2011-07-25T08:16:00.001-04:00

Outside my window....not so hot today with a thunderstorm forecast for late this afternoon.

I am thinking...about the home improvement project I mentioned two weeks ago - a door from our bedroom to a small deck in the backyard. After saying that it would start on Tuesday, July 19, it will actually start today. I'm waiting for the builder to arrive as I type this. (Update: The builder is here!)

I am thankful....for another safe and successful horse show season. Next on the horsey agenda is to find out if Sophia makes the Rhode Island Delegation for the Eastern States Exposition, a regional event held in September. She has applied to be a Teen Leader this year to see what the event is like with a mind to applying next year as a Rider.

From the kitchen....Got to clean out the freezer - what frozen delight will we be having for dinner tonight?

I am STILL going...to finish up the 2006 Family Album - I'm still in December.

I am hearing...the clock ticking. It's so quiet this morning.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things (places)....the ride home from the last horse show of the season! Sophia is a careful rider but you just never know what might happen. Our group has had its share of runaway horses and bucked riders - no serious injuries but any bump or bruise is tough for a Mom to handle.

I am reading...The Snowglobe by Sheila Roberts - book chat tonight!

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...summer vacation, riding lesson, drop off fair exhibits at another fair, 4-H meeting and BBQ, and leaving for a month in Oregon. For Vic...work, work, work and figuring out when he can take the time off for a visit home! For me...chauffeuring, doctor's appointment, and major empty nest syndrome when Sophia leaves.

After a bit of a slow start (competition is tough at the State Show), Sophia picked up a 3rd place and a 4th place ribbon, and then two 1st place ribbons in a row! A great finish to the 2011 season.

Christmas in July Days 23 and 24

2011-07-25T07:48:00.001-04:00

Very little CIJ activity over the last two days as it was a busy weekend. Saturday was a prep day and Sunday was the last horse show of the season. The only thing I managed to get done was to watch Deck the Halls - funny!

For many CIJ-ers, today is the last day. It's officially Christmas in July! Tonight (9pm EST, 8pm CST, 7pm MST, and 6pm PST), I'm facilitating the CIJ Book Chat for the book we read this year, The Snowglobe by Sheila Roberts. Please join us over in the Chat Room at the Magical Holiday Home forums.

Christmas in July Day 22

2011-07-23T08:51:00.000-04:00

One of our Family Christmas Cards that had an international theme

The hottest day of the year so far - at one point, the forecast said 97 degrees but 123 with the heat index. I don't think that was a typo - it was that bad. We (Sophia, her friend A, MudLynn and I) retreated to the master bedroom where the air conditioner was churning out cold air and spent most of the day in there.

Not much inclination to do anything Christmassy today that required moving although I did manage to turn the pages of my book! I finished The Snowglobe, Angels at Christmas, and started a new Debbie Macomber, Christmas Wishes. It's actually two books in one - Christmas Letters (which I've already read) and Rainy Day Kisses. A lovely, light read on a very hot day.

I spaced out again on this week's (July 17 to July 23) theme, It's a Small World Christmas, a celebration of Christmas customs and traditions around the world although I did post this entry on the forums.

I loved this link on the Magical Holiday Home blog - http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/ - and I clicked right over to the UK to see what sounded familiar.

My Mum was from England and my Dad was stationed in northern Europe with the U.S. Army for many years so we spent a lot of Christmases in England, or Christmases at home with our English family members, or just Christmases with lots of English trappings.

There's something about Christmas in England. It's just as festive (and in the stores, just as commercial as the USA), but whether I'm in someone's house or looking at pictures in a magazine, it seems somewhat...muted/blurred? I'm not sure if that's the word I'm looking for, maybe softer would be a better description. Everything seems less glittery, less brash, an English Christmas has a real olde worlde feeling to it. It could be the roaring fire in the background, the muted designs on wrapping paper, the abundance of real holly, ivy and mistletoe, or maybe it's just my outlook.

Our last Christmas in England was in 2001 - my parents rented a holiday cottage (three bedroom house really to accommodate the seven of us) in the picturesque Yorkshire village of Kettlewell. There was a sprinkling of snow on the ground and it was just magical. On the first night we were there, there was a knock on the door and we found carolers, complete with a Dickensian lantern - so quaint. They had heard that there was an American family spending Christmas in the village and they wanted to welcome us. How lovely is that? Mum invited them in for sherry and mince pies and they invited us to Christmas Eve service at the village church.

Mum had laid in all of our favorite trappings of an English Christmas - in addition to the mince pies and sherry, there were roasted potatoes with the turkey for Christmas Day, Christmas crackers, plum pudding, Christmas cake, all of favorite English biscuits, meringues, and a Cadbury's Chocolate Selection Box for Sophia. We spent the entire time in front of the fire, drinking endless cups of tea and had the best Christmas ever. My parents are gone now, and my sister and brother-in-law have added two sons to the family group, so we are planning a Kettlewell Christmas 15th Anniversary celebration in 2016. I love to plan and I've pretty much taken over my Mum's role when it comes to family events so I've got my lists started already!

There were a few comments from readers who had celebrated Christmas outside the US and they agreed that the celebrations were indeed softer.

Tomorrow starts our final theme for Christmas in July - A Victorian Christmas Celebration. Can't wait to see what everyone has to say about that.

It's another hot one today - stay cool, everyone!

Christmas in July Day 21

2011-07-22T07:20:00.001-04:00

I got so tied with posting my movie list, I forgot my regular CIJ post! It was hot yesterday, not as hot as it's going to be today (97 according to the forecast), but still too hot to move around too much. I got up early to start loosening some of the paving stones in the backyard in preparation for the builder to remove them, but it was even too hot for him to come out. Jingle All The Way was in at the library as well as a stack of Debbie Macomber Christmas books so I made a quick run to pick them up and that was about it. I still have a 25% off your entire purchase coupon for Michael's so I might run down there today and pick up the rest of the horse charms for the wine charms set we're making for Sophia's 4-H Leader and see if there is anything else I can't live without!

It's going to be a quiet day.

Christmas Movie List

2011-07-21T11:19:00.000-04:00

Image courtesy of http://www.allwelike.com/2010/12/the-top-ten-must-see-movies-of-2011/

I had a calendar all planned out with movies from my personal collection, Netflix and the local library, but somewhere during the month, it got a little mixed up. Here's a list of the movies I have watched so far:

Hollywood Christmas

Christmas in July

A Charlie Brown Christmas

The 12 Dogs of Christmas

Christmas with the Kranks

Elf

12 Men of Christmas

Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July

The Santa Clause

The Santa Clause 2

The Santa Clause 3

The Christmas Wife

The Christmas Card

Christmas Vacation

Love Actually

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The Holiday

Four Christmases

White Christmas

I also watched Christmas episodes of these favorite TV shows:

Are You Being Served?

Hercule Poirot

To The Manor Born

The Vicar of Dibley

Good Neighbors

Keeping Up Appearances

I have a couple left on my must-see list:

Jingle All The Way

Deck the Halls

The Nativity Story

The ones I didn't get to, and more surprisingly, I'm not really bothered about:

Miracle on 34th Street

It's a Wonderful Life

Christmas in Connecticut

I'll Be Seeing You

For some reason, I'm just not into the classics this year.

All baking and candy-making has been suspended - it's going to be over 90 degrees for the next two days and then we have a prep day for this weekend's horse show and the show itself. By Sunday night, I will be locked in my bedroom with the air conditioner on high and a big Do Not Disturb sign on the door! This heat is really taking every ounce of energy I have.

Monday, however, I will be rejuvenated and ready to meet my fellow Snowglobe readers in the Magical Holiday Home forum chat room - it's a quick read so if you want to join us, grab it now and get busy!

Christmas in July Day 20

2011-07-20T21:41:00.001-04:00

One of the great things about Christmas in July is my amazing new blog friends! I told you that I "sat in" on the Ornament Swap reveal over at the Magical Holiday Home forums chat, and we have a book chat coming up to discuss our CIJ 2011 book, The Snowglobe. The bloggers over on the forums have the coolest recipes, craft ideas and decorating tips and I am learning so much this year. Thanks to my friend Tammy, who blogs at Enter with a Christmas Heart, I have found Tim Holtz. His creations are incredible - I love his 12 Tags of Christmas (check out his left-hand side bar for four years of tags!). His step-by-step instructions are so clear and he makes me want to run right out and buy every tool that he has listed. Alas, the budget says no, so I have had to do some improvising.

Today's ornament is this Music Star.

I didn't have any music paper but I did have some lovely Christmas paper left over from our Kettlewell Christmas Album 2001 which I thought had a distinctive Olde Worlde English theme and I also had some bits and pieces (die cuts and charms) left over as well. So here is the result.

Bad camera, worse photographer, first experience with Modge Podge - loving this Christmas in July trial run period! Need to refine my edging skills - distressing the edges as Tim demonstrates might have been the finishing touch.

On the movie front, I knocked out two today - too hot to do anything other than sit and have the fan waft a breeze over me!

White Christmas was first - love, love, love everything about the final scene, the show at the Inn. We went to see White Christmas on stage the first Christmas we were in Rhode Island and that scene is just as amazing in a play. Then it was today's offering from Netflix, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I have to say that Martha May Whovier is my favorite character!

I've got a lot of fresh fruit left over (strawberries and blueberries were Buy One, Get One Free at my local market) from the Berry Brunch Pizza so I think I might whip up a cool dessert tomorrow. I'm thinking that my Mandarin Cheesy Cakes could be adapted with berries so watch this space, I mean blog, for details tomorrow.

I got a Christmas goodie in the mail yesterday that I forgot to mention. I really liked the Letters to Santa tube shown in the bottom right-hand corner of this Advent Calendar.

I found one online from a secondary source and stuck the site in My Favorites with the best intentions to order it later. Well, later came along, and the site had been removed! Time to turn to Ebay - I found one but it was green. I figured green was better than nothing so I ordered it. It was a bit larger than I expected but I love it and can't wait to put it on my tree. I think I'm going to go back through our Christmas albums and type up all the Letters to Santa Sophia has written so I can put them inside. That should give us a giggle when we put up our tree. Here's her 2004 missive:

The bread is for the reindeer and the rest is yours, Santa.
Love,
The C..... Family
P.S. I'm Sophia and I'm ten, I've been really good this year.

Sometimes she'd give me a longer letter and ask me to mail it to the North Pole, but this year she must have forgotten and just slipped a note on the cookie plate!

I'm off to watch Love Actually - it ranks right up there with The Holiday on my faves list.

Christmas in July Day 19

2011-07-20T08:30:00.000-04:00

It was another blisteringly hot day here in Rhode Island yesterday so there was no way I was turning on the oven. The heat makes me lethargic so I didn't start any projects or even do any knitting. This post is rapidly acquiring a "Bah, Humbug!" tone! I did finish The Holiday - England AND Christmas AND Jude Law, what could be better? I also read another chapter of The Snowglobe (I really, really want to finish the whole thing in one sitting but I'm restraining myself) and another couple of chapters of Angels at Christmas. That was about it for CIJ Day 19 until I checked the mail and found this beautiful CIJ card "Christmas Rose" from my friend Jodie. What a surprise! She makes the most amazing Christmas cards and this one is a beauty. She's matted the cream stamped rectangle on a red piece of paper with a subtle red-on-red stamped design, and placed that on top of a green printed piece. The whole cover is accented with just a few glittery dots here and there. Thank you, Jodie, it's gorgeous and will be the cover page for the Christmas in July album that I'm going to put together (add that to the list of albums to do!). I hope a CIJ card becomes a CIJ tradition - perhaps you can consider it your trial-run for your holidays cards?

On the home front, Sophia's friend A is still here - I am really beginning to believe that they are sisters who just cannot decide which house they want to live in (ours or A's)! She's a lovely girl and they keep each other amused so I am quite happy to have her as our houseguest. They only have ten days left together before Sophia leaves for Oregon so I'm thinking they are going to be pretty inseparable. It's so nice to have a BFF! We ran into a snafu with the building inspector so the door/deck project is delayed until Monday. You are only allowed a certain percentage of coverage on your property (coverage being the square footage taken up by the house, garage, decks, patios, outbuildings, etc.) and the new deck would exceed the allowance because they are considering a small bricked area at the back of the house into the coverage calculation. So, tomorrow's task will be to pull up some of the bricks and throw down some grass seed - ta da! it will then be considered a landscaped area and taken out of the calculation. Red tape, honestly, doesn't it drive you crazy?

I've got to do some housework that I've been sadly neglecting the past few days and then I might attempt another ornament. Baking has been suspended for this CIJ as the end of the week and weekend is forecast in the 90's. I've completely gone off track on the monthly calendar so today might be a decorating day. In that case, I'll leave you with this gold wreath that I found over at The Diplomatic Wife. She purchased the wreath but it doesn't look too difficult to make. Not sure about the textured ribbon that's covering the wreath, though, I'll have to look for something like that.

Christmas in July Day 18

2011-07-19T08:20:00.004-04:00

I was so tired last night, I didn't have the energy to post but the good news is, the Berry Brunch Pizza turned out delicious and there wasn't a slice left! I did manage to make the Christmas Bauble ornament although I'm not quite as happy with it as I thought I would be. I followed the instructions but then took the wire out afterward and replaced it with a ribbon for hanging. I haven't got all my glue dots in the same place on each piece of paper so the slight lack of symmetry is bugging me (I'm all about symmetry!).

I've been watching The Holiday in spurts and hope to finish it today. It's one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies - I love Iris' cottage, Amanda's LA house, Miles, and, of course, Graham! Today is a baking day although it's supposed to be 88 degrees so we'll have to see if I get to my Cherry Cheese Coffee Cake. I'd like to halve the recipe but how to you halve an egg? A recipe for 12 is a bit big since I'll be the only one who eats it; a recipe for six would be breakfast for the next week assuming it keeps ok in the fridge and responds well to a quick zap in the microwave for reheating.

The builder comes today to start working on the door/deck project so that will be my main focus - can't wait to curl up in a chair on the deck with my morning coffee and a book. It's time for another chapter of The Snowglobe and I'm also working on Debbie Macomber's Angels at Christmas.

Hope you've having a fun Christmas in July - if you're stopping on July 25, we have less than a week to go!

Seven Ways to be a Good Guest

2011-07-18T10:36:00.000-04:00

I was recently the victim of a dinner party nightmare and after reading What Would You DO If Your Guests Arrived Half an Hour Early? over at Between Naps on the Front Porch, and the dozens of comments and variety of equally nightmarish experiences, I commented with mine:

I recently had an awkward situation that I'm still dwelling on - like you said "shaking it off" is sometimes not easy to do.

I was throwing a Mexican theme dinner. As each guest RSVP'd with "What can I bring?", I said "Just yourselves, I have everything taken care of". My closest friend insisted on bringing an appetizer so I said ok because she refuses to go anywhere empty-handed, that's just the way she is!

My friend was the first to arrive, appetizer in hand, and she helped to set things up in the living room (appetizers, plates, napkins). Guest #2 arrived, empty-handed as instructed but really empty-handed. If it was my first time in someone's home (it was her first to mine), I would have brought something as a hostess gift (or don't people do that anymore? Flowers, wine, chocolates?). Guest #3 arrived with a rice and beans side dish. Ok, I had already made rice and beans side dishes but I accepted it gracefully and put it on the buffet table. Guest #4 arrived tipsy and Guest #5 who was really the guest of honor arrived 1 1/2 hours late with two extra people. Ok, so she called to ask if it was ok but what could I say? The two extras were already at her house and friends of mine also so I said bring them along. But I didn't expect to be waiting that long for them. While we were waiting, we started in on the appetizers and Guest #3 decided that her rice and beans dish could be served as an appetizer as well and went into the kitchen to fetch it. Do you see what's happening here? By the time Guest #5 arrived, everyone was full of appetizers and my dinner went virtually untouched, not to mention all the preparation of the buffet tablescape - totally ignored as everyone stayed in the living room, eating appetizers. (Update: I forgot to mention in my comment that there were two other guests who RSVP'd but didn't bother to show up, or let me know they were not coming. As they were two people with large appetites, I had made sure there was plenty of food).

I saw the whole evening crumbling before my eyes and I was at a loss as to what to do. What would you have done?

Susan's response:

Pamela, what a frustrating experience! The more I read the comments on this post the more I wonder if folks have just lost all sense of everyday, common-sense manners. I don't know about you, but I've noticed that the folks who usually do this kind of "stuff" that so disrupts a party are almost always people who never entertain in their own home. So, they don't have any idea of the amount of thought, work and preparation that goes into having a party...whether it's for 6 or 60. So, they just do as they please, arriving when they wish and in a sense, taking over and "running" the party. It's very frustrating for the host who had things all planned out. I've decided after this recent experience to never accept offers of others bringing food, but even that didn't work in your case. :( So I'm kind of at a loss. I guess the only thing you can do is just try to emphasize the importance of arriving on time in the invite and reemphasizing...no food is to be brought. But really, all that shouldn't be necessary, should it? I know how you felt because that's how I felt when the bell rang half an hour early...it's like someone hijacks your party and takes control in your own home...very frustrating. :(

Her comment hit spot-on - it is like someone hijacks your party and takes control in your own home.

The bottom half of Susan's post has this list: Six Ways to be a Good Guest (I've added a seventh way - inserted between #2 and #4).

Even at the most casual parties, there are some things a polite guest should do:

1) Tell your host whether you're attending. And do it immediately. If you delay your reply, you could hinder the host's planning and also make it seem as if you're waiting for something better to come along. Even if no RSVP has been requested, it's thoughtful to let your host know if you won't be able to be there.

2) Be on time. Punctuality means different things to people in different locales, but in general guests should arrive at or shortly after (usually only fifteen minutes) the time stated in the invitation. Do not, however, arrive early.

3) If you've offered to bring something and the host says they have everything under control, don't show up with your own dish. If you want to bring something, bring a gift for your host to enjoy (wine, flowers, or chocolates are always welcome). If your host has accepted your offer to bring something, then bring it. Your host will be expecting it and has planned the rest of the food/drinks with it in mind.

4) Be a willing participant. When your host says that it's time for dinner, go straight to the table. If you happen to be asked to participate in a party game or view Susie's graduation pictures, accept graciously and enthusiastically no matter how you really feel.

5) Offer to help when you can. If you're visiting with the host in the kitchen as he prepares the food, be specific when you offer to help: "I'd be happy to work on the salad or fill the water glasses." Even if your offer is refused, your gesture will be appreciated. When the party's end draws nigh, you could also offer to help with the cleanup.

6) Don't overindulge. Attacking finger foods as if you haven't eaten in a week will not only attract the wrong kind of attention, it will also leave less food for other guests. Also be sure to keep any consumption of alcoholic beverages on the moderate to low side.

7) Thank the host twice. In some parts of the United States, a second thank-you by phone is customary the day after the party (the first having been delivered on leaving the party) - a gesture that's gracious anywhere. If the party was formal, written thanks are in order. In fact, a written note is always appreciated - even after casual parties.

Have you ever been the victim of a dinner party nightmare?

The Week Ahead - July 17

2011-07-18T09:49:00.004-04:00

Outside my window....yet another hot one today - 86 degrees - not much breeze so every fan is on in the house.

I am thinking...about the home improvement project I mentioned two weeks ago - a door from our bedroom to a small deck in the backyard. It starts tomorrow!

I am thankful....for another safe and successful horse show yesterday - one more to go in this year's season.

From the kitchen.....Brunch Berry Pizza - not a Christmas recipe but there is so much lovely fruit available and I've wanted to try this recipe for some time.

I am going...to finish up the 2006 Family Album - I'm still in December.

I am hearing...the clock ticking and the birds chirping, bursts of laughter from Sophia and her friend listening to Jeff Dunham on Netflix.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things (places)....a sleigh ride - one of my Christmas in July blog pals said this was a family tradition on Christmas Eve - I would love to take a sleigh ride!

I am reading...The Snowglobe by Sheila Roberts (only a few chapters left) and my holiday group's book chat is this weekend.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...summer vacation, riding lesson, Horse Program Awards Night planning meeting, and getting ready for the last horse show of the season on Sunday. For Vic...work, work, work - they passed their major inspection - yippee! For me...Ladies Bible Study tonight, the builder is here starting Tuesday, Horse Program Awards Night planning meeting, and Sunday's horse show.

Another great show - Sophia placed in six of the eight classes she entered - more ribbons for the wall!

Christmas in July Day 17

2011-07-17T20:31:00.003-04:00

We spent all day at the 4-H Horse Show - I am still hot even after a cold shower and very sunburned no matter how much SPF 50 I kept slathering on. I can barely keep my eyes open but I did manage to finish off The Christmas Wife while I was eating dinner. In a word - weird - the movie, not the dinner! I imagined something completely different from the storyline and I found it disappointing. Cross another one off the list.

Today is a decorating tip day and before I fall asleep at the keyboard, I will put this up quickly and then head to bed.

Jingle Bell Wreath (a craft for ages 4 and up and guaranteed to amuse any curious cats who go digging around under your tree!)

Christmas in July Day 16

2011-07-16T20:14:00.004-04:00

There hasn't been too much time today for Christmas in July activity - it's been go, go, go all day. Sophia and I volunteered in the Exhibit Hall at the local 4-H Fair (where she picked up blue ribbons for all four of her exhibits!!) and then it was a round of errands for tomorrow's horse show - barn, tack shop, and dry cleaners. Once she was done and showered, we headed off to the local Hallmark Store at the mall for the Ornament Premiere. Oh, my goodness, the ornaments are so beautiful! I picked up Daughter and Good Dog; the other two on my list are not out until October. I browsed through all the Disney offerings, Charlie Brown and other popular television and movie characters. Just beautiful workmanship - even Jack Sparrow is a great likeness.

In between errands, I baked and glazed today's recipe, Chocolate Cherry Truffle Cake.

Mine isn't decorated yet but it will be before I take it to Bible Study on Monday night. We did cut a very thin slice to sample and it is delicious. It says to store in the refrigerator, but I think it will be best brought to room temperature for serving. The recipe gives instructions for decorating it with white chocolate curls but Wilton has a new candy mold that I'm going to pick up tomorrow - it makes all types of filigree type chocolate designs that would look amazing on this cake.

I started watching The Christmas Wife from Netflix, but didn't get very far. I hope to have a chance to finish it off tomorrow, if I'm not too exhausted from the horse show! Looks like it's going to be in the high 80s, so it's going to be a long, hot day!

Christmas in July Day 15

2011-07-15T20:17:00.002-04:00

Got up early today because I had a busy morning ahead of me and some Christmas in July fun for the afternoon. First, a quick recap on yesterday evening. I sat in (at my laptop) on the CIJ Ornament Swap reveal last night!! It was so cool to see all the comments as the ladies opened up the swap ornaments one by one. I can't wait to participate next year. Thank you all so much for letting me join you. You can see a photo of the ornaments here.

Sophia was out with friends so I sat down to enjoy a British comedy Christmas extravaganza. I'm a big fan of British comedy, the older stuff mostly, from the 1970s when we lived in England and from the 1990s. I'm not too crazy about the current offerings. British television censorship, if you can call it that, is very loose and I find a lot of what is produced today to be very tasteless. When we lived in England, the humor was what we called "cheeky", which I think is best translated into American English as "saucy". One definition said "offensively bold", but I think that's a bit strong. Anyway, there is quite a bit of innuendo but it's very funny. I worked my way through the 1977 Good Neighbors Christmas special, "Silly, but it's fun", the 1979 To The Manor Born special, "The First Noel", The Vicar of Dibley's 1996 "The Christmas Lunch Incident", and Keeping Up Appearances' 1991 special, "A Very Merry Hyacinth". I don't know if any of you are familiar with any of these episodes; I was going to put up a short video but surprisingly enough, or not, all four episodes are available on You Tube. If you want a good laugh, check them out (I've included the You Tube links).

Here's a brief synopsis of each to help you choose:

Silly, but it's fun: Tom and Barbara are all ready and prepared with their homemade newspaper decorations, crackers made from the colour supplements, a yule log with an over-sized robin and balloons that have cost a wopping 15p. Margo and Jerry, however, are set to have a very miserable Christmas, as Margo, in a fit of conservatism, sent back her entire Christmas purchases because her tree is six and a quarter inches too short. She has in effect, cut off her festive nose to spite her yuletide face. It's up to Tom and Barbara to show them what a true Christmas is all about, a Christmas without the trappings of riches, just pure silly unadulterated fun...not to mention a few bottles of the old pea-pod.

The First Noel: Richard and Audrey compete in supplying the traditional Christmas crèche to the village church, and the question soon becomes which offer is more ridiculous her homemade monstrosity or his crassly commercial model?

The Christmas Lunch Incident: Geraldine is so popular that everybody wants her round for Christmas dinner so she won't be alone - Jim and Frank, Alice and her family, who are even more bizarre than Alice herself and the Hortons. Geraldine is protective of Hugo when David bullies him and indulges in a sprout-eating contest. As a consequence she has to be taken home on a bulldozer to sleep it off. And then Owen turns up wanting company since he has spent every Christmas alone since 1971.

A Very Merry Hyacinth: Hyacinth is in the full Christmas spirit with 112 Christmas cards, and counting. She's also forced Richard to dress up as Father Christmas to distribute presents to the old folk. But the journey to the church hall to hand out the gifts is filled with many surprises including a drunk Richard, a disguised Elizabeth and of course a mishap with Daddy.

Synopses courtesy of The Internet Movie Database

So, this morning I got the grocery shopping done and put away, picked up Sophia's saddle from the barn (big horse show this weekend so it needed to be cleaned), ran by Michael's to pick up two more balls of Fa La La (2 for $5, sale ends tomorrow), and stopped at my local supermarket to check the price of berries for a dessert I'm planning to take to Bible Study on Monday.

I read another chapter of The Snowglobe (it's really getting good!) and then worked on today's craft project with Sophia's help. She's the beader in the family. I was making a set of wine charms for Sophia's 4-H leader, hence the green beads and the horse charms. I had an idea of what I wanted to do, as I've seen wine charms in gift stores, but I found this great tutorial which was very helpful. The hoop is from a Wired Hoop Assortment by Jewelry Findings at Michael's and the charms are from the Charm Gallery, also at Michael's. The beads were $2.99 for a large tube (enough for probably more than 100 charms) and the little crimp beads at each end were extras Sophia had on hand. This one was a test; now that I like how it turned out, I'll go back and get more charms. I had in mind this set for Sophia's leader: the horse head in the horseshoe (shown), four leaf clover (for 4-H), a plain horseshoe, two different horses, and the letter D for Diane (her leader's name). Should make a nice gift for Christmas.

I modified the Spicy Sausage and Potato Squares to come up with Ham and Potato Squares and that's what I had for dinner. I substituted ham for the sausage and broccoli for the asparagus and it was delicious. It was very enjoyable with The Santa Clause 3. I'm whipping through the movies - I've decided to end Christmas in July on the 25th which works out really well because that's only a few days before Sophia leaves for Oregon and we have a lot going on that week.

Tomorrow is a decorating tip day but I'm going to swap it with the recipe day on Sunday and try out the Chocolate Cherry Truffle Cake. I'll be at the horse show all day on Sunday so I'm not sure if I'll get any CIJ work done other than putting up a decorating tip here and knitting a few rows on my scarf.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Christmas in July Day 14

2011-07-14T19:10:00.010-04:00

Less than two hours to go before a chat opens up between the Magical Holiday Home Ornament Swap participants and I'm gonna be there to listen in! Sophia is off out to eat with her friends and then to the midnight showing of the latest Harry Potter movie so it's me and MudLynn for the evening.

It's been a busy day. I got up early - taking a nap yesterday and going to bed early left me super alert first thing this morning and I've been going like the Energizer Bunny all day. I let Sophia sleep in since she'll be up half the night so I enjoyed The Santa Clause with breakfast. We ran a couple of errands once she surfaced and then we sat down this afternoon to enjoy The Santa Clause 2 while having a craft session. I finished off the Quilted Ball ornament and knitted some more on my scarf while Sophia worked on her beaded jewelry. Shameless plug here -if you like beaded jewelry, check out her page on Facebook "Bella Sophia".

Here's the Quilted Ball:

Here is the finished product - you run a band of ribbon around the center to cover where the edges of the fabric on each side meet - I'm not happy with the ribbon I chose as I think it needs to be a bit wider and heavier - the ribbon I used is wired but it's also a bit sheer. I added the pearl embellishments, not sure if I like them or not.

Here is a view of the top - I like this because I seem to have the symmetry right and I added the little pearl in the center to cover where four pins are placed. I used dressmaker's pins but I realize I should have used bridal/lace pins which have smaller heads. Lesson learned for next time.

I added a hanger by unpinning one of the red pieces of fabric on top, running the ribbon underneath, and repinning it. It holds it quite nicely.

A close-up of the finished ball - it's lost some of its roundness, I think perhaps from my holding it too firmly or running the ribbon too tightly. I also don't think that I need to fold the fabric over twice - I think that the whole ball would be lighter and easier to make if I just used rectangular pieces of fabric and made one fold. I'll experiment with that another time.

Good grief, I am critical, aren't I?

Today's recipe was Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Rolls. My whole kitchen smells like an upscale pizzeria and they were delicious. Here's the recipe from Woman's World magazine, December 21, 2009 issue:

1 tube (11 oz) refigerated breadstick dough
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato pesto **
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tbs shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp crushed dried rosemary
1/4 tsp cracked pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
Assorted fresh herbs and ribbon bow

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, unroll dough. Spread pesto over dough, sprinkle with cheeses, parsley, rosemary, and pepper.

Separate dough at perforations. Beginning at short end, roll up each dough strip jellyroll-style. Arrange, spiral side up and sides touching in tree shape on pan. Brush with egg. Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Serve garnished with herbs (along sides of rolls) and bow (at the bottom of the rolls).

Serves 12.

Rolled up, arranged in tree shape and ready to bake:

The finished product:

** I found the sun-dried tomato pesto at my local supermarket but if you have any difficulty, you can order it from Pastene. It's under Shop USA and then Sauces.

Looking forward to chatting all about your lovely ornaments.

Christmas in July Days 11, 12, and 13

2011-07-13T15:49:00.010-04:00

I feel like it's been a lifetime since my last post! We picked up Natalie and Alexandra from Alexandra's soccer camp yesterday at noon and headed to Panera for lunch. Then it was off for a stroll through downtown Newport - down along the waterfront and back up quaint, cobbled Thames Street to the car.

In front of The Feet and The Wave statue on Newport's waterfront

I pointed out landmarks as we went by - Trinity Church where George Washington is said to have attended a service, St. Mary's where Jackie Bouvier married Senator John F. Kennedy. We headed down elegant Bellevue Avenue to The Breakers, the sumptuous Vanderbilt Mansion and took the audio tour of the house.

The Breakers

It's my second time there and it still takes my breath away. After the tour, we drove along Ocean Drive to admire the scenery and then headed home. It was only a short stop at home to drop the luggage and then we took off again, this time to introduce Natalie and Alexandra to Boogie, our leased horse, and then to head to Anthony's Seafood for dinner. When we got home, I'm sure we would have talked for half the night if we hadn't all been so exhausted!

Up early today to fix breakfast and then head on out to the airport. It was a quick visit, but so great to see them both.

I've been blogging about Christmas in July after the fact (most of my post seems to start with "Yesterday....") so I'm catching us up to the present and then I'll start blogging each evening. On Monday I watched Elf (Sunday's movie) and then Hercule Poirot's Christmas in the evening. It's a bit creepy to watch a murder mystery for a Christmas movie, but this particular one has some beautiful scenes of an olde English Christmas - snow-covered shops and houses in the little village, an abundance of holly, roaring fires, and choir boys singing carols. Today's feature was to be A Christmas Story (can you believe I've never seen it?) but my copy from the library kept skipping so I'll have to get one from Netflix. I watched Four Christmases instead which is hilarious in parts but the seriousness of the ending doesn't really blend well with the early hilarity so I was a bit disappointed.

On Monday, I worked on the Quilted Ball Ornament. I am so happy to have this Christmas in July because I really made a mess of the ornament and I would be so stressed if I was trying to do this in December and I had to start all over again. It's basically three layers of fabric pinned to a Styrofoam ball, each layer lowered and staggered from the previous one, to form a star pattern. You do three layers down from the top of the ball, then flip it over and do three more layers so that the third layers from each direction overlap and you cover those with a band of ribbon. Voila! A Quilted Ball. Well, because I had my layers too far apart, the top three far exceeded one half of the ball so I'll have to unpin it all and start again.

The first half was starting to look pretty good (not quite symmetrical, but I'm learning!)

I knew I was going to have problems with the second half as soon as I had the first layer pinned (the red fabric at the bottom of the photo). The next two layers were going to end up too long, completely covering the third layer of the opposite end.

I don't know if any of the above makes sense, but here's the Quilted Ball Tutorial so you can check it out and see how it should be done!

Today is a decorating tip day and going along the lines of this week's Hollywood Christmas theme, here is a teaser from the This is Glamorous blog which is showcasing elegant silver and gold decorating ideas.

You can see the whole post and all the photos here.

I'm up to date with The Snowglobe and enjoying it very much and still working through Debbie Macomber's Christmas Letters and enjoying that as well. I'm trying to keep up with the posts on the forums as well. There have been a few posts on the Hallmark Ornament thread and I'm excited about the Ornament Premiere this weekend.

I'll leave you with this bit of excitement - One of my fellow CIJ'ers, Miss Jane, posted this link to Southern Living's Holiday Cake Contest. This is for all you bakers out there - you could see your cake featured on the cover of the December Southern Living magazine and win $$$$$$. Happy Baking!

Christmas in July Day 10

2011-07-11T08:13:00.004-04:00

It's going to be busy for the next day or two with friends coming for an overnight visit so if it's quiet on the blogging front, I'll be back in a few days.

Yesterday was a recipe day and the Spicy Sausage and Potato Squares were divine. Not only was the aroma to die for, but the taste was incredible and it was so easy. Sophia has my camera so I'll have to borrow this shot to show you:

Photo courtesy of and recipe available from http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/spicy-sausage-and-potato-squares/74e7d52e-4d5d-4e11-a401-a9559061a01a/

I didn't get a chance to watch Elf but I'll get to it soon. I started a thread over at the Magical Holiday Home forums about Hallmark Ornaments as this weekend is the Ornament Premiere. I've been collecting since 1984 and have a few on my shopping list for this year. Do you collect ornaments? Any particular kind?

Better run and get busy. I mentioned the other day that we were picking up my friend Natalie and her daughter at the airport and taking them to the local university for a five-day soccer camp. Natalie is my homeschooling friend from our Virginia days - she lives in Italy now but has been in the States for about the last month, visiting family, colleges, and chaperoning her daughter at soccer camp. We will pick them up tomorrow, head to Panera for lunch (when you live overseas, there are just some places you MUST visit when you come back to the States!), and then wander around Newport for a while if it's not too blisteringly hot, or raining as it is forecast to do sometime tomorrow. If the weather is bad, we'll probably whisk them off for a mansion tour and then head back to our house to catch up. They will stay the night and then we will take them to the airport in the morning. A flying (excuse the pun!) visit but it is great to have them here even for a few hours.

I'll leave you with this little guy, Popcorn Mouse from 1986. He's my favorite whimsical ornament from Hallmark.

UPDATE: Oops, the photo disappeared - I tried to save it and upload it here but that didn't work, so then I tried copy and paste but if you can't see it (I can't on my blog), you can check it out here - Popcorn Mouse

Christmas in July Themes and Day 9

2011-07-10T07:18:00.005-04:00

Back in this post, I told you that Christmas in July has weekly themes. I didn't quite follow the first one, Sweet Candy Christmas, as much as I should but I am determined to follow more closely with the second one, A Hollywood Christmas. It's described as:

It’s Christmas Hollywood Style….so look for a lot of glitter and gold and fancy recipes and decor ideas!

Sounds great to me! I've got some of the best of Hollywood on the movie schedule this week - Elf, A Christmas Story, The Santa Clause, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I've got a couple of fancy recipes on the list and I'll be searching out the best decorating tips in glitter and gold.

On yesterday's agenda was the decorating tip I shared early in the morning, the ornament chandelier. That would look pretty spectacular in glitter and gold. I like that you could make it any color - must look out for after-Christmas sales on the shiny orbs and maybe use it next year. Even a mini-version suspended from an archway would look lovely. I had to catch up on Friday's movie, The Christmas Card, and watch Saturday's, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (ugh! don't bother, it was creepy in parts and I think it would scare little kids to death - imagine Santa's archenemy in a sleigh pulled by snakes! Charming animated tale - not!).

On the recipe front today is Spicy Sausage and Potato Squares which would be delicious served for brunch with frosty Mimosas. Very Hollywood. I cut out all the fabric squares for tomorrow's craft, a quilted ball ornament, and read another chapter of The Snowglobe. Life is taking a great turn for Kiley...you'll have to read it for yourself to find out what happens. I'm looking forward to the book chat at the forums - I believe the final date is now Sunday, July 24. We have a horse show that day but I'm hoping that it will be scheduled at a time when I can participate.

It's time to get ready for church but I'll be back later to kick off A Hollywood Christmas with a Spicy Sausage and Potato Square, a mimosa, and Elf! What's on your agenda for today?

Christmas in July Day 8

2011-07-09T07:25:00.004-04:00

It was a CIJ Fail yesterday - too much running around, too tired to really do anything. I had planned to make a Half-Eaten Gingerbread Man ornament but after cutting him out and thinking about it for a while, I decided he really needed to be sewn on the machine. Those of you who know me well know that I don't know how to operate a sewing machine and yesterday certainly wasn't the day to drag out the instruction manual to try to learn. So, Gingie and his fixins' are relegated to a Ziploc bag pending the return of Vic, who will hopefully show me how to use the sewing machine. How sad is that? When the hubby has to teach his wife how to sew!

I checked out two more Gooseberry Patch books but was disappointed in both of them. Every recipe in Very Merry Christmas Cookbook had already been in the other books I read and Christmas Cookies was all recipes without a single photo. I've got to have a few photos to get me motivated when it comes to cookbooks. I was also disappointed to find out that Gooseberry Patch no longer sends its mail-order catalog. I used to love their catalogs; they had so many cool gadgets and gift items.

I didn't get around to my Christmas movie yesterday, The Christmas Card, so as soon as I post this entry, I'm off to enjoy it. Sophia is at a sleepover so it's just me and MudLynn this morning. I did finish Debbie Macomber's The Perfect Christmas (very cute!) and now I'm onto her Christmas Letters. I am really enjoying her books.

Today is a decorating tip day so I'll leave you with this really cool idea. I don't decorate my tree with round, shiny ornaments but I do have some that I use to fill baskets or glass jars/bowls and they bring a great splash of color to a room. This chandelier idea is interesting (I found it here), although I wish they had shown how it was attached to the ceiling.

Photo: Roland Bello

Christmas in July Day 7

2011-07-08T07:04:00.006-04:00

Another hot, hot day yesterday. Peppemint Bark was on the recipe agenda and was it ever delicious!

Peppermint Bark

Here is my version - Sophia suggested putting the white chocolate on the bottom of the mold so it would get the pretty snowflake pattern.

It was very rich so I think I will be looking for a mold with smaller cups this holiday season and make 12 thinner snowflakes rather than the 6 I made.

12 Men of Christmas was very good, and no, they didn't bare it all! It reminded me of Calendar Girls with a bit of Love Actually thrown in. What I wouldn't give to have the house in the final scenes - all decorated for Christmas and with a party in full swing!

I'm off to the airport this morning to pick up my friend Natalie and her daughter. They are homeschooling friends from Virginia (2004-2007) and they are stationed in Italy now. Natalie has been doing some college visits with her elder daughter and chaperoning her younger daughter at a couple of soccer camps. We will drop them off at the local university for a five-day camp and then return to pick them up next Tuesday. They will stay Tuesday afternoon and evening with us and then we'll take them back to the airport on Wednesday morning. It will be so good to see them!

Rain is in the forecast for today so I have The Christmas Card to watch this afternoon and a couple more Gooseberry Patch books to flip through, Christmas (Book 1, 1999) and Celebrate Winter: Fireside Feasts and Merry Celebrations. A Half-Eaten Gingerbread Man ornament is on the agenda for today as well.

Christmas in July Day 6

2011-07-07T04:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a low-key Christmas in July day. It was forecast to be 85 degrees so I knew that a relaxing, staying cool kind of day was in the cards. We don't have air-conditioning here in our house in Rhode Island - we don't really need it with so few hot weeks and we are fortunate that our house receives a lovely breeze most days. Yesterday, however, was hot and humid with very little breeze so a lot of moving around was out of the question. I spent the day browsing through this book that I picked up at the library.

One of my fellow forum-readers commented on how overwhelmed we can get at Christmas and don't we all know it? All our of senses are bombarded with Christmas sounds, smells, and scenes and add to that a book of over 600 recipes, crafts and decorating ideas...it's just too much! Christmas in July is the perfect time to have a leisurely browse through a book like this and that's just what I did. After that, I watched Christmas with the Kranks (love the scene when Luther gets Botox!) and knitted a few more rows of my Christmas scarf. That was about it for today.

On Tuesday, I received my mold for the Peppermint Bark recipe that's on the agenda for today. I was disappointed that the mold I wanted had been discontinued by Wilton, but was very happy to find one on Ebay.

I've modified the recipe to make just these six candies - any more and my waistline is really going to suffer!

Today's feature comes from Netflix, 12 Men of Christmas. I love Kristin Chenoweth and when I was searching for Christmas movies, this came up. Here's the Netflix summary:

Devastated after losing both her influential job and her fiancé at the office holiday party, publicist E.J. Baxter (Kristin Chenoweth) flees New York and lands in Montana, where she decides to produce a racy calendar showing off the local guys. But some of the men take exception to her scheme to raise funds for a search-and-rescue team by having them bare it all. Meanwhile, Mr. December is raising E.J.'s pulse in this Lifetime Original Movie.

It's Not Rated, so I'm hoping they don't "bare it all" on film! I'm thinking not, since it was a Lifetime movie. I'll let you know tomorrow.

Christmas in July Day 5

2011-07-06T00:21:00.004-04:00

This was my craft for today - you can find it here although it's only the photo as it was originally intended to be a potholder. I modified it slightly by getting rid of the crocheted loop at the top and replacing it with a longer piece of ribbon so you can hang it on your tree. I couldn't quite decide whether to run a line thin of glue where the stitching ends so the stuffing would not work its way out. In the end, I decided not to do so, but regret it now.

Here's my finished product:

I think if I had run the line of glue, I might not have ended up with the uneven join at the top, just to the right of the loop hanger. Live and learn! These are all trial-run ornaments for the next ornament swap so I will know what to change for mass production.

I'm working my way through The Snowglobe very slowly - one chapter every other day to make it last through the entire month (or until the CIJ Book Chat Room is posted in which case I will speed read to finish it!). To supplement my reading (because it is so hot here, sitting in an air-conditioned room with a book is about all I can handle), I have When Christmas Comes by Debbie Macomber which is hilarious in parts. You must read it!

The 12 Dogs of Christmas was cute. It's a kid's movie but I enjoyed it all the same. Today was supposed to be a Netflix selection but with the holiday, my Netflix schedule is off by a day so I moved Christmas with the Kranks up the schedule for today. Today is also a decorating tip day and I decided to share with you some of the amazing Advent Calendar ideas I have found lately. I am completely addicted to Pinterest and "Advent Calendar" in the search box yielded dozens of ideas. These were my favorites. A couple of the ideas have been shared on the Magical Holiday Home Forums, but since some of my readers are not celebrating Christmas in July, I'm posting them again for their reference. Links for each are listed below the photos.

Pottery Barn Inspired Advent Calendar

Muffin Tin Advent Calendar AKA Lazy Moms Advent Calendar Countdown

Matchbox Advent Calendar

Activities Advent Calendar (can be also used to hold gift cards)

12 Days of Christmas Earrings (can be modified to 24 pairs of earrings for Earrings Advent Calendar) - I found the picture here but I think it might be an Avon item

Cookie Sheet Advent Calendar (for some reason, I can't click directly on the blog post featuring this item, the link takes me to all the December posts - scroll down to December 5, 2007)

Clothes Pin Advent Calendar - not quite sure how to credit this one - the Pinterest link is here but if you click on the picture when you get to tumblr.com, you end up on this Norwegian blog.

Aren't they amazing? Was blogging around when Sophia was little? I wasn't very crafty at that stage of my life, so we had chocolate Advent Calendars or a cloth snowman with 24 little pockets that usually held Hershey's Kisses. What type of Advent Calendar do you use?

BTW, yesterday I was looking for any unmoderated comments that I had missed and accidentally deleted the last 75 comments posted on my blog. I know many of you left comments on some of my posts and I am so sorry to lose them. I'll hope you'll keep stopping by and commenting!

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 26

2011-07-05T16:10:00.004-04:00

I didn't like today's item on the 30 Day Blog Challenge list I found so I did some surfing and found out that there are a lot of different ones in the blogsphere. This item, A Letter to Someone who has hurt you recently, caught my attention because I have just read something that I really feel strongly about, but I'm not sure that commenting where it was written would be the right thing to do, for a variety of reasons. So, here goes...

Day 26 - A Note you feel needs to be written

Dear Military Wife,

Don't ever, ever criticize your husband's command in writing in a public forum! For heaven's sake, if there is something you are not happy about, bitch to your husband in private and if he feels it needs to be addressed, he'll do it. You do him a great disservice and it will come back to bite you. Trust me, I have seen it happen.

Ok, rant over...I'm thinking some of my military spouse followers will agree with me...or not?

BTW, today's item was Your Dream Wedding; just didn't feel inspired by that.

Guess Who's a Featured Blogger?

2011-07-05T08:14:00.003-04:00

Check out my new blog friend, Bloggymom, over at Real Life Home Economics. We met through the Forums at Magical Holiday Home and as part of Christmas in July, she is featuring a variety of bloggers who are participating in this month's celebration. One of today's featured bloggers is...me! I hope you'll stop by and check out her blog.

Christmas in July Day 4

2011-07-05T06:58:00.007-04:00

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! It was a quiet day at home for me - picked Sophia up from one sleepover and dropped her at a pool party. She went on from there to another pool party and then home with one of her girlfriends for another sleepover. I am certainly beginning to understand Empty Nest Syndrome.

On the agenda for yesterday was catching up on my Christmas movies - check and check. Today's feature is The 12 Dogs of Christmas and I have to reorganize the viewing calendar because I forgot that there was no mail service yesterday so my schedule of movies from Netflix has to be adjusted by one day. My craft project for today is to make a snowman face disc ornament. Tune in tomorrow to see the results.

Probably not the best day to turn on the oven, as the temperatures were in the mid-80s, but I did anyway and turned out a delicious batch of Pecan Tassies from this 1999 Pampered Chef cookbook:

www.pamperedchef.com
This cookbook can be found at http://pages.pumpkinsandpeacockfeathers.com/7273/PictPage/3923707453.html

You need this Pampered Chef tool, the Mini-Tart Shaper, or something similar. If you would like one of these, check it out here.

Pecan Tassies

Tart Shells
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
Powdered sugar (optional)

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add flour; mix until a soft dough forms. Cover; refrigerate at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls of dough into ungreased cups of mini-muffin pan (the one with 24 cups). Dip mini-tart shaper in flour,; press into dough to form tart shells. For filling, melt butter and stir in brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Add chopped pecans. Fill each tart shell with filling. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in pan 3 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Makes 24 tarts.

The finished product! The third one from the right on the bottom row is a perfect tart. I found out that you really have to have the tart shaper right in the middle and use firm and even pressure to get the tart shells to look like this. Some of mine are a little uneven and the filling ran into the side of the muffin tin, making them difficult to remove (the real mistakes are in the top left-hand corner and were the first to be eaten!).

The Week Ahead - July 3

2011-07-04T09:06:00.003-04:00

Outside my window....another hot one today - 83 degrees - so blessed that our house is in a location where we get a lovely breeze.

I am thinking...about embarking on a home improvement project - a door from our bedroom to a small deck in the backyard. We have no access to the backyard from the back of our house (we have to go out the side door and walk around to the gate). We would really like to put French doors in the office which is the room in the middle of the back of house, and then have a lovely deck. (What's the difference between a deck and a patio? A deck is usually made of wood or man-made material and sits up off the ground, whereas a patio is a concrete, stone or brick surface that is directly on the ground.) Anyway, our house sits quite high because of the basement, so a deck would be our choice. We can't do the French doors/large deck option right now because that would involve not only removing a window and part of the wall and replacing it with French doors and installing the deck, but also relocating the heater that is currently below the window, and modifying the bulkhead door (access to our basement from outside) which is located directly below the window. Big job...big expense. In addition, we can't construct the large deck we would like because we are faced with the possibility of having to replace/modify our septic system which would involve digging up a big portion of the backyard where we plan to put the deck. I hope I haven't completely lost you! Anyway, the solution right now is to put a door in our bedroom leading to a small deck, with the idea of incorporating the small deck into the larger deck once the septic issue is resolved and we have the funds for the bigger job.

I am thankful....for our men and women in uniform and their families. From yesterday's sermon - Our military members do not fight because they hate those in front of them, they fight because they love those behind them.

From the kitchen.....Pecan Tassies, a test-run of a holiday recipe and I'm not sure what the plans are for dinner yet - either BBQ with friends or pizza at home.

I am going...to finish up the 2006 Family Album - I'm in December now.

I am hearing...the clock ticking and the birds chirping.

Around the house...vacuum, laundry, empty the dishwasher...the usual.

One of my favorite things (places)....counting down the days until Vic comes home - the plans are in the works so I'm estimating we're at about V-35.

I am reading...The Snowglobe by Sheila Roberts, along with When Christmas Comes by Debbie Macomber..

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week...For Sophia...summer vacation, 4-H mane/tail-braiding workshop, riding lesson, and taking care of our leased horse all weekend while the owner is away. For Vic...work, work, work - major inspection this week. For me...meeting with the builder to discuss the door/deck project and picking up friends from Italy and taking them to the local university where they will attend a soccer camp (we'll be back to pick them up next week and they will spend the day with us before we take them to the airport to fly home).

30 Day Blog Challenge - Days 22, 23, 24 and 25

2011-07-04T08:53:00.004-04:00

Whoops! Fell behind a bit here so I'm catching up.

Day 22 - What's in your purse?

As little as possible because it's one of those slouchy-type purses and I'm constantly digging around to find everything. Must.buy.new.purse! Wallet, small change purse, makeup bag, small album for storing medical cards and frequent shopper cards, pen, lip gloss, large key ring with frequent shopper key tags, cell phone and sunglasses. Pretty boring really.

Day 23 - Favorite Movie

Day 24 - Something you've learned

People can't, won't, don't change. Accept them for who they are, learning the art of compromise when necessary.

Day 25 - Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs.

Can you believe I do not own an iPod, iTouch, iPad? I'll give you the first 10 songs on my Playlist on my computer, how about that?

1. I am -Mark Schultz
2. Only Imagine - Mercy Me
3. Deliver Me - Sarah Brightman
4. This Love - Sarah Brightman
5. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
6. Hands to Heaven - Breathe
7. Three Times a Lady - Commodores
8. Betcha by Golly Wow - The Stylistics
9. Everything I Do - Bryan Adams
10. Hotel California - Eagles

Christmas in July Day 3

2011-07-04T06:22:00.001-04:00

What a day! I was on the go non-stop from the time I left for church, 10:00am, until I got home at 5:30pm. I went to church, chit-chatted with friends, waited for my daughter and her girlfriends to decide what they were going to do for the day and where they were going to do it, dropped half of them off at my friend's house (she had the other half, along with her daughter) and stopped there for a visit. The girls spent the rest of the afternoon in the pool, playing Wii, and are headed out to a concert and fireworks display in the next town (with my friend). That left me the evening to catch up on Saturday's movie, Christmas in July (which was a major disappointment - very corny), and finish off the ornament I started on Saturday.

Here is a supplies before shot with the template printed out as an 8 x 10 photo. I had the photo saved in My Pictures and it prints in the various photo sizes. Two things were wrong here, a) the felt was way too green, and b) the template was much too large.

Here's the finished after shot with the too-large, too-green version on the left (didn't bother with the pearls) and the finished ornament on the right. Not too shabby, if I say so myself!

The felt is olive and instead of fabric glue (which made a mess and didn't adhere too well), I borrowed my friend's hot glue gun and used that. Much better results! The bow is a bit wonky; bow-tying is not my forte so next time I will tie a perfect bow first and then hot-glue that to the felt. Much easier to navigate than trying to tie it on the felt. I think it would also benefit from slightly wider ribbon as well. This is 1/8" and is very fiddly to work with. The template for this finished ornament was a 5 x 7 photo size and came out much closer to the size of an actual ornament. You can see that I have placed them on a letter-sized piece of paper for comparison. I suppose the larger one could be hung on the wall or a door, but you would have to use some sort of stiffening for the felt because, at that size, it flopped all over the place.

On the schedule for today is a recipe for Pecan Tassies, Sunday's feature Are You Being Served? Christmas, and today's feature, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Hope you're having a great Christmas in July!

Christmas in July Day 2

2011-07-03T07:25:00.006-04:00

Day 2 was a bit of a bust so I have today to get caught up. I had the best intentions to work on my felt mistletoe ornament so I printed off the template, pinned it to the felt and cut out the pieces. I thought they looked awfully big and when I put the three pieces together, it really was much too big to hang on a tree. I also didn't like the green felt - it was too green - but I started to put it together anyway. That's when I realized I didn't have any fabric glue! Off to Michael's I went, and I picked up a new piece of green felt while I was there - olive green. I came home, reduced the size of the template, reprinted, repinned and cut out the mistletoe in olive and liked that one much better. I tried to economize by buying something called Crafter's Glue, which apparently doesn't work on felt - is there a special glue for felt? Anyway, I will swing by Michael's after church today for some new glue and put the whole thing together this afternoon while I watch Christmas in July, which I didn't get to watch yesterday.

Are You Being Served? Christmas is on the calendar today so that will be two Christmas DVDs for my viewing pleasure.

Today is a decorating tip day so I wanted to share this gorgeous centerpiece that I found over at Between Naps on the Porch. It's a Williamsburg Apple Tree Centerpiece and you can find the complete tutorial here. I was thinking that you could create the centerpiece using faux fruit but it would be a bit difficult to store unless you found a tall, sturdy box. Spend some time on Susan's site; check out the most amazing tablescapes here (scroll down for Christmas).

Box Tops for Education

2011-07-02T16:25:00.002-04:00

Have you heard of the Box Tops for Education program? In a nutshell, students turn in Box Tops (a small token found on the box/label of participating products) to their schools, and the schools receive money for educational expenses.

The community of Minot, North Dakota is going to be needing a whole lot of Box Tops to help rebuild and resupply the schools that have been devastated by flooding. Please read Lacey's post, Our Schools Need YOUR Help!, and do what you can. Thank you.