Tiaras Are Important

I have a tiara collection. This started several years ago when my mother gave me the book - The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love. I loved it. I laid on the sofa in my chef pants and toe socks and read it in one sitting. I immediately saw the need to have my very own tiara. I carried myself to Wal-Mart and bought the fanciest Barbie tiara there was. It was the first of several to grace my head. I have a purple fuzzy one that is also a favorite. I used to wear these around the house, laughing at myself as I vacuumed or mopped. A tiara, i have fond, is a very empowering object when worn with the right attitude.

Life got in the way during the last few years.... the tiaras were relegated to closets, drawers and under the bathroom sink. Seeing it now it is all very sad, this tiara decline. Maybe I have lost my sense of fun somewhere in the parenting/wifing/daughtering I have been doing... not to mention all the volunteer things I added to my plate.

So, this morning, while cleaning (and I mean thoroughly cleaning) under my bathroom sink I found a tiara or two - the original Barbie Tiara and the Tiara of Purple Feathers and Fuzz... both fantastic! I put on the Barbie Tiara - it has "jewels" - and proceeded to continue on task with a light heart and a happy face. Some serious power to get a happy face when cleaning - that is a guarantee!

So, the beasties watched me with some concern, sniffed The Tiara, and sat back, reserving judgment.

I continued to clean and toss things our with a lightness that surprised me.

As I hauled stuff to the trash and recycle bins neighbors who were driving by honked and waved... I, naturally, waved back. i noticed some people were laughing and just put it down to everyone is having a great Friday. Right up until I walked back into the house. The Beasties were giving me that "What the heck have you been doing outside without us look" with the added "and in that get up too". GB actually looked embarrassed to know me. SO I, not knowing how to interpret that look immediately, decided to take them out in the back.

I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror over the mantel... hmmm, yep - still had on The Tiara. I smiled a little, then I smiled a lot!! Fantastic. I don't care who sees it. I don't care who knows that I occasionally run around in a tiara. Maybe if people see that they won't be scared to get their own... and they better 'cause I'm not sharing!

In Memory of Brian Mouring

Last week one of my son's school mates died. He was swimming in NC and was hit by a wave. They searched for two days before finding his body. He was 20.

I haven't known this man as long as some, nor as well as some, but his faith, and that of his family... their closeness and true friendship.... has helped guide us all.

I have many Brian stories... all of us do... but the one that stands out the most follows. TeenDream was a sophomore, Brian was a junior and they were on the soccer team. Mama had come up for a game and we were loaded in her minivan. I had several boys and Brian was among them. One of the boys said "let's pray". Brian, who was seated in the rear intoned "tattoos are of the devil" and all the boys giggled. TeenDream said "Dude, my mom has a tattoo." Brian, never one to miss a beat, then intoned "Body piercing are of the devil". TeenDream said, as all the rest giggled, "Oh Dude, my mom has a tattoo." There was dead silence for a second or two, then from Brian we heard "Mrs. Witte is of the devil."

None of the boys breathed, waiting for my response. Mama and I burst out laughing... after all, it was a natural progression. The boys joined in and later Brian approached and said, "No offense." and I laughed and replied that he would have been a fool not to take the opportunity.

i will always remember that day. They were young, happy, and full of life. Untouched by death.

Brian Mouring will be missed.

How a Fibro Flare Starts....

Stress... that is the answer. Too much stress all at once, combine it with inability to sleep through, and you have the makings of a flare.

I have one starting.

There is a large fiery pain located under my left shoulder blade... on most people this is bilateral. For me, it is usually one side or the other. I have nerve damage in my neck and right shoulder that inhibits some pain sometimes. It is weird.

I can't sleep through the night - not even with medical assistance.

I have a headache that won't go away.

Muscle relaxers will just increase the pain in my hips - the one that runs down my legs.

Vicodin will just make me not care that I hurt. That is good in one way but bad in that I am worried about doing anything when I take it because I might hurt myself worse.

So, right now it hurts to move my left arm in any way. I have my elbow pinned to my side as I type this. I drove to Popeye's for TeenDream's lunch (he is weeding my flower bed) and I won't be driving again for a day or two, or three.

I am going back to bed. This will give me more stress as I have so much to do. It is a cycle..... one I don't like.

Fibro, it sucks.

A Little Whine with His Cheese

I love The Hubster. He is a really neat guy. Really. But he is half way around the world and has a cold. He is whining. He is half way around the world and tell me that he is a snot factory. He has a headache. He is sneezing a lot. His eyes are watery. Okay.

He has a Z-pack. He has Sudafed. He has a COLD. A cold.

I love him. He is whiny. It really is funny because he is a big guy - strong, stubborn, intelligent. I know why he is whining. He is getting up every day and acting like he isn't sick. He is doing everything exactly the same and has just added in taking the pills. No extra rest. No vitamins. No nothing. Just the pills.

And, I'm not there to take care of him..... hand him vitamins and juice, bring him supper in bed, run him a warm bath, rub his face and head and neck....

Of course, he won't admit that. He won't admit that he likes being babied every now and again. He grumbles about it when he is home and I do it but I know he secretly loves the way I care for him when he doesn't feel well.

So I am getting "I am a snot factory and I hate the world" e-mails. And I'm sending back "Oh baby, I hate it for you... are you getting enough rest? Are you drinking plenty of juice? I hope you feel better soon". What else am I supposed to do?

I hope this cold is over with soon.... i am running out of cheese....

Dreaming....

I dreamed last night instead of having nightmares... it was a nice change. Unfortunately, I dreamed about my closet. Really?!?! I couldn't have dreamed something cool like flying? or being with The Hubster on a tropical beach? or receiving an Academy Award? Aren't dreams supposed to be about the extraordinary instead of the mundane?

To be honest it kind of sucked. No, scratch that. It really sucked. My closet.... I would have hoped that if I was going to have a dream abut my closet that maybe, just maybe, it would be cleaned, organized and full of spectacular clothes that were hung or folded according to color and style. Nope. It looked like it always does. No designer dresses. No fantastically great clothes, just my regular stuff. The shoes were good, but they are good in real life too so that wasn't a change. The clothes weren't even in smaller sizes... I can't even get skinny in my dreams. See, it sucked. Not a nightmare but whatever.

Don't get me wrong, I love my closet (it is a big walk-in that is full of clothes) and I am blessed with a husband that doesn't complain (too much) when I add to my wardrobe. But it is a closet - not fantastic enough for a dream. Not full of fantastic clothes just full of my jeans and shirts and skirts.

The one thing that this dream did bring me is the understanding that I really need a trip to the lingerie store.

Oh, I guess it was a good dream.

Sleeping Alone....

Okay, first off, the title is all wrong. With the beasties in the bed I am never alone. It should probably be "Sleeping When The Hubster is Gone" or "Battling the Beasties" but "Sleeping Alone" is what flowed from the fingers so that's what we get. handle it.

First, when The Hubster is here sleeping is not a problem. I get situated first, then The Hubster and the beasties battle for position. It really is kind of funny. I sleep on my side. BB cuddles up in my belly area and puts either his head or his butt under my chin. If it is his butt I turn him around. GB like to sleep behind my knees but The Hubster likes to curl up behind me so this is when a fight usually ensues.

The Hubster makes me hold her while he gets comfy and then we let her go. At this point she is very grumpy and gives us her mean puppy glare.... it isn't effective but it seems to make her feel better. Then she climbs up on top of us. It becomes interesting when she starts wiggling and rolling back and forth and sliding deeper and deeper in between us. The Hubster and I both kid of giggle to see what she does next. Once she has wormed her way in between us she starts to turn and push us apart.

Now, one of two things happens.... either The Hubster rolls over and I roll with him, snuggling up to his back (which the dogs do not seem to mind) or we just shift apart (which the dogs prefer). I usually snuggle up behind The Hubster, unless it is late spring, summer, or early fall and then he just puts out too much heat to snuggle hard. When we don't cuddle GB is VERY happy because she starts out next to me and then oozes across the bed to cuddle with "daddy". BB stays with me.

Now, when The Hubster is gone it is a whole different story. Both Beasties are very demanding. BB likes to sleep under the pillows - really?!? - so I have to make him move to his regular spot under my chin and GB thinks she owns the whole bed. Truly - she will sprawl her little body out to take up the most room in the most inconvenient place. They will growl at each other and grump to themselves when I make them stop. Once I settle for the night, if I move they give me dirty looks. If I roll over BB will heave a HUGE sigh and kind of slide/ooze over me until he is back tucked under my chin. GB just tries to stay very still when I start to move, then she makes herself heavy as if that will stop me from rolling over. It is an adventure.

Then there are the teens... who come into my room at any time to see how I am. They will just climb up in the bed to chat. I don't discourage this as I think it is important that they know they can bring their "stuff" to me at any time. Sometimes, if there are girl teens in the house for the evening I will end up with one sleeping in the bed with me. This I don't mind either but it is a weird surprise in the morning.

So, I never sleep alone. Never. I always have company, whether human or beastie. As bothersome as it sometimes is I kind of like it. Actually, I have tried to remember the last time I did sleep alone - I think it was 2002. Sigh... I don't even remember what that is like and I'm not too sure I would like it n ow that I am used to all the company.

Butt Drama

When I as in Nursing School, a million years ago, I as known as the Butt Queen.... not a name I enjoyed but, considering the issues my patients had it was appropriate. Add in the fact that I'm Southern and it is appropriate. See, we Southern women, once we become Mommy's, are pretty sure that if your alimentary canal is working well then you are good to go. No pun intended.

When TeenDream was younger it wasn't unusual for him to occasionally say "My tummy hurts" and my auto-response was "When was the last time you pooped?" Now he just says "My stomach hurts and I pooped (fill in a day and time)" - it just makes things easier.

The Hubster, as a Navy Nuke Submariner, has tortured his bowels, so they are also topics of conversation. Also, he comes from a genetically gassy family so there is always something floating around. Again, no pun intended. (BTW - there is a whole story regarding this type of thing in the new book - embarrassing but funny in a strange and twisted way.)

So no-one but me was surprised when The Beasties developed butt issues. The Hubster, upon hearing about the issues called me the Doggie Butt Queen - thanks my love.

It all started when I was down at Mama's. Girl Beast, hereafter referred to as GB, supercharged her already overdeveloped obsession with her butt. Now, we all know that dogs mess with their butts, but what you might not know is that they have some serious anal glands that secrete the stinkiest substance known to man.... even worse than "dog eats cat food" farts.We just kept telling her to stop and went on with our daily lives. Then she started getting very testy with Boy Beast, hereafter referred to as BB. Now, in normal daily life she will get testy with him about once a week but this was happening two or three times a day. Finally, on Saturday, she stopped chasing the cats. She just lay on the sofa. I went to se what was going on with her and give her some cuddle time and realized that she was sick... something was definitely wrong. After a confab with mama we decided that a trip to the emergency vet was in order. While there we noticed she now had a rash on her stomach. O.M.G. A rash.

Finally we got in to an examination room. They took her to the back and discovered that she had severely full anal glands that needed to be expressed. We had that done... I may get the whole butt thing but squeezing my dog's butt glands is just not in the cards... I will pay someone to do that. Anyway, we brought her stinky butt home and gave her a bath in the sink... then gave her the prescribed antibiotic and steroids for the time needed - problem solved.

So, we get home, me and the beasts, and TeenDream is back from his trip to visit cousins and life falls into a routine. BB, who has chronic hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, is eating okay and doing the dookie thing pretty regularly. GB is doing fine... still a little obsessed with her butt but I'm thinking that is pretty normal after having your butt violated and expressed.

Then BB begins having what I assumed were his normal butt issues. Right up until he oozed some reddish brown goo on TeenDream's shirt. Now that was some drama. ANother trip to the vet - thankfully not the emergency kinds as our vet stays open til 7 and takes walk-ins. Guess what? Anal glands again. We had them expressed.... my poor BB, and they bathed his butt for me so there wasn't any total stink going on.

So now my beasties are on a 6 month anal gland expressing schedule to avoid any future problems. Routine butt maintenance.

What more could I ask for?

Clearing Out the Clutter

So, with all the changes of orders etc that are happening I will need to get my house on the market faster than I thought. Not that this is a bad thing - I'm quite happy about potentially being in the same time and location as The Hubster - but it has thrown off my schedule - horribly.

I am not an excellent housekeeper. Now, my house isn't gross but it is cluttered. I come by this genetically - I get it from my mother. I toss things out reluctantly - "you never know when you might need it" is my motto. The Hubster, bless his heart, is a pack-rat too. This makes things difficult - particularly since he is not here to go through his own stuff.

I decided to start with the office/craft room. It isn't big but it is full of fabric, craft items, jewelry making items (millions of beads etc), paperwork, file cabinets, tables, sewing machines... you name it and it is in that room. who knew I had so much stuff? Certainly not me. We have lived in the same house for over 6 years, we accumulated things.

One bright side is that TeenDream is moving out "on his own".... I have all kinds of things for him. A small sofa, two chairs, a big TV (an old one), a small TV, the dining table I really don't like, mixing bowls, plates, a dresser, his whole bedroom set... and that is just the big stuff. I have other stuff for him too.... and my house won't be empty when he leaves... it will be more streamlined.

And then there is the yard sale I will have this fall. More extra kitchen stuff, clothes, shoes, books (hard backs the trade-a-book store won't take), and extra decorations and extraneous things that I have no idea why I even possess. I seem to have more of that type of thing than I thought.

Why do I have a bag full of bells? I don't remember buying them or what I cold have possibly been thinking when I did, but I have about 100 little brass bells. Also some tiny baskets and straw hats. I'm sure they were a deal when I bought them and I must have had some idea in mind but I either never had the time or just forgot. They have to go.

I have a book binder - I got that because one of these days I will finish writing my cook book. I will need to print it and bind it. I guess its a good thing I got the spiral spines for that too.

I have three printers. One needs a part. One works just fine. One is a 4 in one that makes the most awful noise when if prints. the noisy one will be sold.

I have a dressmaker's form. I will keep that since I do sew and like to design things.

I have 5 ghoul masks. The Hubster bought them for some reason. He has never worn them or given them to anybody. I think those will go.

I have fabric - more fabric than anyone really needs.... I will keep it and make things.. not sure what yet, but I will use it. Until I use it I can drape it artfully over the dress form and look like I am being productive.

I have a black velvet display "neck" for jewelry - also one for bracelets. I wonder why I don't have a black velvet ear too?

I have all kinds of paper - colored, decorative, construction - I guess I buy too much when I go to the paper store.

I have multiple baskets - not the miniature kind - but small ones, some with handles, some without... lots of them. I think many of them need to go. I have no idea where most of them cam from.

So, that is just part of the one room I have started to go through. This getting ready to sell may take longer than a month.

Being Newlyweds

So, a young friend of mine is celebrating her first anniversary today. She can't believe a year has passed and that she still loves him so much. I think it surprises people when a love that you thought was as big as it could get gets even bigger and better with time. No, I know it surprises people. Especially in this day and age of disposable everything.

having disposed of a marriage or two myself, I know this to be true. Lots of people think that I don't value marriage, that I don't hold my vows as important. Well, I do. I find them to be vitally important... but I also firmly believe that both people have to BE in the marriage to completely understand the workings of it.

People make mistakes... and in a marriage those mistakes hurt and can cause damage to the core of the relationship. Some people make the same mistakes over and over again, which makes a marriage hard for both of them, not just the "sinnee and sinner". And then there is forgiveness - some people can't forgive a marital mistake. Oh, let's not forget the dreaded "we've grown apart" excuse so many people give also. That is a hands in the air and we give up issue.

Now, I do not put all the blame on my past failures at marriage on my former husbands. I think they hold a decent amount of the blame, but I do believe it takes two to make and/or two to break. It can be as simple as "he hit me and I walked away" - two broke it, that I'm okay with. After all, being hit isn't part of the deal. It can be as complicated as "I tried to mourn and he didn't know how to help me. He got comfort from someone else and we failed to come together as a unit". Again, two broke that. Of course - this is where most people say "we grew apart". Whatever.

Anyway, I didn't want to love The Hubster. I was worried about dating him because I knew, somewhere deep, that I would love him. My feeling was that I had been hurt enough and he was too cute to not hurt me. I know, doesn't make much sense. Anyway, I do love him. Is our marriage perfect? Not by a long shot but we do try to keep the fun in it - we play, a lot. We can also be serious but those times are private and special.

Most people have hard time figuring out how long we have been married. We refer to our sons (his and mine) as our's.... well, they are. Since the oldest is over 21 and the youngest just turned 18 people often think we have been married for 25 or so years. They want to know our secret to happiness. It is fun - in case you were wondering.

Then there are the people who think we have been married for 2 or three years. They think that is why we still enjoy each other. I actually had a lady say to me "just wait til you have been married ten years, you will be happy when he goes on deployment." I replied "Well, we will celebrate our tenth anniversary in about a week so unless there is a universal shift I think I will still miss him terribly." I feel sorry for those people.

We still hold hands - something that to me is very intimate. We still hug and kiss and play. We laugh a lot. We talk - about strange things and normal things, politics, and family. We have similar goals... not exactly the same, even after all this time, but similar enough that we deal well together. We actually like each other as well as love each other - lots of people don't think this is important in the big scheme of things but it is - being friends with your spouse is vital.

Sure, we finish each others sentences sometimes and that can get irritating. We have heard each other's funny stories many times, but we laugh at the old ones and always come up with new ones. We still kiss in public - this used to irritate the kids but now they think it is pretty cool that we still love each other and act goofy.

We aren't perfect, not by any means. We still hurt each other and do dumb things. We are sometimes thoughtless and selfish but that is all part of the big picture. A small part. The big part - that is when I say "the worst day with you is better than the best day without you" and mean it. That is when he stumbles over the "I love you" because he hasn't said it in so long because he has been away. That is when, after being apart, he just holds me and I feel safe.

That is the nuts and bolts of it. That and determination, energy, fortitude, faith, and love. That is what makes us newlyweds....

Boys.....

So, TeenDream and two of his friends are looking at apartments. Not really... TeenDream and one of his friends are looking at apartments, with me. Three of them will live there. They have limited funds, of course, and don't really know what they are doing.

One friend just says "It has a pool, awesome."

The other one says "that sounds good" to pretty much everything that is said.

TeenDream has actually listened to what I have been saying and walks through, looking at everything, pays attention to the neighbors, and reads the online reviews of each complex that comes up in conversation. He even checks out where the mail boxes are located.

We found a nice, reasonably priced, quiet, second floor, three bedroom 1.5 bathroom apartment for under $1000. It backs onto a well established upper middle class neighborhood. The boys can reserve parking spaces for $10 per month. It is convenient for all of them as far as work and school go. It is convenient to shopping, family, restaurants,the interstate.... Hugo is happy with it. Boy#2 is happy with it. Boy#1 is kind of freaking out.

We haven't looked at everything he says.

We might find something better he says.

What if someone backs out he says.

TeenDream replies:

We don't have to see everything - if we wait too long we might miss out on this one.

the money for the square footage will be hard to beat.

We all have to sign contracts - if someone backs out the are still legally obligated to pay rent once they sign but NONE of us are backing out.

See, TeenDream is ready to move. He has been looking forward to this. He "has this Mom". Boy #2 is happy about it too. He has never had his own room. He is ready to try things out and be about 5 miles from Mom and Dad.

Boy#1 has been wanting to move out for about two years. He fights with his parents and family. He feels like the odd man out in his own home sometimes. Before any information on me and The Hubster's personal schedule speeding up he wanted to move out much earlier than January - August or September was his goal.

So, what's the deal? The two boys that are most secure within themselves are good to go. The two boys who know, 100% that if there is an issue they can call Mom and Dad and get help or whatever they need, are ready to go. And go they will says TeenDream.

TeenDream says "Well, if he doesn't get it figured out me and Boy#2 will be roommates without him and he can just stay at home where he isn't happy.He can spend the night with us every now and then, but he isn't gonna be there all the time."

Boys - funny, weird. And mine is so adult in his responses.... I am not as worried as I was about this whole apartment thing.

I'll worry about other things, like girls.

OpSec.....

OpSec stand for Operational Security for those of you who don't know. It means that dates and times and locations can't be discussed in the course of general conversation.... ever. Not in e-mail. Not in the grocery store. Not at the hairdresser. It is for safety and security (duh) and really isn't that hard to follow.

The Hubster and I have it down. When he wants to give me a date he uses someone's birthday plus or minus however many days - it is never in the right month - just recently he used my birthday to give me a date. My b-day is in Feb, but, since I knew already what month he was talking about it was easy to figure out the day and month he was talking about. The rest of the information was innocuous without the proper day and month.

That is the beauty part of it - we aren't violating anything and I can keep informed on what is happening. I like knowing. When he first got to the new Command he sent me pictures of his office. He told me about his daily routine - slightly different at every Command. He described his stateroom and the really loud and powerful air conditioner that vents in his room. We laughed about how he had to get a king-sized mattress pad to put on his bed. he sent me pictures of that room too.

That is part of being married to a military guy - finding out as much about his day, living conditions etc that you can so that you can still participate in some small way when they are gone. Asking what he ate for dinner may seem silly but it is important to me to know that he is eating as well as possible. Did he take his vitamins? Is he sleeping okay? Has he gone to the Doc for anything? It is my way of taking care of him.

I love that he answers my questions without laughing at me. I love that he gets that I am asking because I care and because I want to be as much a part of his life as possible. And I love that he does the same thing.

So, hate being apart, love that we find ways to communicate clearly and show our caring.

Guess that's it for now.... apartment hunting with TeenDream today.....

The (Sweet) Familiarity of Pain

having fibro has become a part of my daily life - I fought it but it is not a game you can win. You can beat it to a draw but you can't kick it out.... just sayin'.

I am fond of saying things like "I have fibro, it doesn't have me" simply because I have fibro at a draw - I can function, not at the physical level I sued to, but I can do things without my cane/s. To me, that is good.

I went apartment hunting with TeenDream and friends yesterday. While in the office of one of the complexes I went to walk across the room, completely missed seeing a step down and ended up stumbling and wrenching my lower back.... just call me Grace. The initial pain wasn't too bad, but one thing I have learned is that we fibromites do not interpret pain in the same way, nor do our pain receptors respond similarly to you "normal" people. Our pain receptors just keep pushing out signals of pain even when the painful stimuli is gone. Many of us have since developed high tolerances for pain.

TeenDream got me home to my vicodin as fast as possible without speeding (I was very proud) and helped me into bed, brought me water... did all those sweet care-taking things that he has learned about over the last two years. After an hour, when the vicodin still wasn't working he asked if I wanted a muscle relaxer - I replied that half a flexoril would be good. He handed me a whole one. Then he said "I could force you to take it" and that was that. I took it.

See, he knows how stubborn I can be about my pain. He knows when he can boss me and when he can't. Yesterday I was a mess. Today I am a mess. I am grumpy and he is being bossy but it works out.

He feeds me. Makes sure I have water and my pills as needed and as he bosses. He is cute when he does it. Of course, I wouldn't tell him that - he would just be disgusted. Of course, if I wasn't a little loopy from the vicodin I probably wouldn't think he was cute at all, just that he is a little dictator....

So, I'm taking my vicodin haze and resting... a nap sounds pretty good right now. Maybe pain will be les when I wake up? Uh, probably not.... you are all due for two or three more vico-blogs.

ZZZZzzzzzZZZZZzzzzzZZZZZzzzz

Me... at a loss for words?

I talk a lot. I have no problem saying what I want, when I want, and often inappropriately.

Years ago The hubster and I had a "Hail and Farewell" to go to. He was a fairly new officer - even though he had been in for 15 years he had only been an officer for about 18 months. Anyway, a H&F is when you say "Fair winds and Following Seas" the the guys and gals heading to new Commands and greet the officers that have recently arrived.

The Hubster's bass at the time was a notorious yeller. To hear the guys describe it he turned into a slavering beast with bulging, throbbing veins who threw things and had spittle shoot out of his mouth while screaming at whomever was handy. This was everyone's impression. Socially he was a pretty nice guy. I was drinking beer - we all were. And, bless Hubster's heart, whenever let my glass get empty. This not only meant that I was pleasantly tipsy (okay, closer to hammered than tipsy) it meant that I had NO IDEA how much alcohol I had consumed. I am normally very careful and keep it to to or three drinks of an evening.. this night? Who knew? Certainly not me.

So, we get around to "farewelling" everyone and the Boss stands up to talk about one of the guys leaving. He proceeds to say that every time he had "chewed his ass" his wife had called to cry and whine for him. Everyone kind of laughed and then I spoke. Boy did I speak. I raised my glass and said "Good one Jim. How about we have all the guys turn around and we can see whose ass you've chewed the most?"

Dead silence. Complete and total shock on everyone' face. I thought the Hubster was going to choke to death, or choke me to death. The the Boss' wife laughed. She laughed and laughed and had tears running down her face. So, everyone else laughed with her. Disaster was averted.

So, intoxicated or sober I haven't ever had issues with words. I'm a chatterbox. I write long letters and e-mails. I wrote a book for goodness sake. And now, here I sit, outlining in my head because no sooner to I get revved to write and the words are gone disappeared. Out in the tether somewhere waiting for me to say or do the one thing that will bring them back. The weird thing is that writing this blog seems to present no problem at all.

Any ideas? I'll do pretty much anything except dance naked in the rain (wouldn't want to torture my neighbors) or kill a live chicken (just not my style). Okay, well, there might be other limits but we'll evaluate as suggestion come in... kay. thanks. bye.

Gotta love the Navy

So, we (me and The Hubster) are currently undergoing a one year unaccompanied tour... what that means is he is "there" and I am "here" for a year. In our case it was turning out to be 18 months - he would spend 6 in WA and then head on over to a small atoll in the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia, for a year. Pretty sucky, but it lined him up for a great job in Japan that would give him a boost when promotion time came. We wear geared up - I had even gotten a Rosetta Stone for japanese..... then we heard from the detailer.

(A detailer is the guy who sends you to the job... he decides your orders and offers you jobs... we just got a new one too.)

So, our promised tour in Japan was no longer. Jeezy peezy... kind of hard to plan things and talk about it when he is in the middle of the ocean and I am on the East Coast. The good thing about his orders is I have always said "Go where you will get what you want and I will follow... your career is about you, not me." that is really hard for some people to grasp. I get comments all the time like "Are you good with that?" when talking about his orders. Well, I look at it this way - he is the service member. He has people to talk to about the benefits and downfalls of every job, promotion etc.... and he knows what will best benefit his career.My job is to support him, make a home wherever we are, and love him through whatever happens. I've got it down.

Anyway, they offered him two jobs to start. One that was not good -everyone said "Run away as fast as you can" and another that would increase our time apart. YUCK and NO. I didn't advise him of anything, I jut tried to figure out a way we could be together and not go broke since the second job wouldn't have him at the new location long enough for the Navy to move us and then had the ship heading back to where we currently live. So selling the house was out. renting it for 9 months was out. Jeezy Peezy again.... that job would have totally sucked.

Then they offered him shore duty - better job, great location.... and he/we needed to figure it out. Would it be a good move? Would it help with promotion? Would it be a job he enjoyed? Then we found out that the orders would come through about 6 months early.... YAY! He asked questions, got good answers, and said "I'll take it".

So, until orders are in hand I won't discuss it too terribly much. I will discuss that I now have about 6 weeks to get the house on the market. HAH. I have about ten million things to accomplish. I have lists to make. I have a kid to get moved out (TeenDream). I am wonder woman and will get it done... then I need a vacay!!!

Oh, and today is my anniversary - only the second we have spent apart. I will spend today thinking about my love, going out to dinner with my friend, and hoping that he can get another phone call or e-mail out to me. This is the life of a Navy wife.... and I love it.

One of those days

From start to finish yesterday was fantastic. Positive. Affirming. Encouraging. I want every day to be that way. It just felt good. Even the leaky eyes in Wal-Mart were good. It was just good.

I woke up well. Nice.

The Hubster called. Even better.

Our orders were changed and we aren't going to Japan but we have/had three pretty decent offers of other jobs. Not great but still good. The hubster was pretty positive about everything.

Talked to some friends, got somethings done... errands, rest, laundry. A pretty solid good for fibro me after a full day in the car.

Talked with TeenDream about his moving and all that good stuff.... sad but good.

Had great devotions not once, not twice, but three times yesterday. It seemed like every time I checked out facebook an appropriate Bible quote was staring at me.... fantastic faith affirmation and the guidance I have received from the Lord lately has been very clear and very powerful. Awesome.

Got word about new orders late last night. So excited but remaining quiet until the orders are actually in hand.... but it looks like The Hubster, will moving on to another challenging job, will be moving into a phase that will allow for more togetherness and quality time. So fantastic i am running out of words...


Just when I thought "the pooch was screwed" everything turned out better than well....

I love these kinds of days. I plan on having more of them.

Loving Life Today

Today has been a fantastic day.

I am back in my house and actually had a good night's rest - YAY!!

TeenDream is back and I have gotten to spend some time with him - YAY!!

The Hubster called from Singapore - YAY!! YAY!! YAY!! I haven't been able to hear his voice in quite a while. I cried. It was a fantastic call.

I just have to say, even when they are happy tears, when you cry in Wal-Mart people look at you like you are weird.

My eyes pretty much leaked the whole time I was there. It was great. It was weird. It really made my day.

Life is good.

Just giving you a heads up mom....

So, TeenDream is off in Ohio and I have been at my Mama's house for over two weeks. Glorious time for me.... I really do enjoy her company. Anyway, I have gotten the occasional text from TeenDream, just checking in, and I have tried to not be "all up his butt" while he is off with his cousins. That is much harder than it sounds.

We have a plan for this coming year - his first in college. He will live at home for the first semester and then move into an apartment in January. This gives him the opportunity to save some money and get used to larger classes and still have the "safety net" of parents, just for a little while. His best friend will be his roommate so that is good. Well, the best friend is having issues with his parents and wants to move out right now.

Hmpf.

Uh, no.

Not a chance.

Crap.

I am marshaling my arguments. First, they need to have some padding in their bank accounts before moving in to an apartment. They need to figure out how to budget and what things cost. That will take some time... I was planning on them using this fall as that time.

Second, getting an apartment now when all the college kids from WIlliam and Mary and Christopher Newport are headed back into town will be difficult.

Third, I'm just not ready for this. Really, I'm not.

Fourth, moving out because you are mad at your parents is not a good way to start your independence.

I hope they can wait - after all it is only about 4 months.

If not can I pull the weak, shaky fibro mom that is worried about being alone? Please? Pretty Please? Pretty please with sugar on top?

Well, I'm not promising I won't do it anyway. Sigh.