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I will eventually post about the White House thing....
But for today we have Mother's Day. I woke up this morning to Emmy knocking on the door, and the gift of a necklace made out of clay beads and cut up straws at school. She was extremely proud of her work and I will be wearing it out to brunch today. Isaac gave me a hand print and a poem that he made at school too. I then got a boxed set of Doris Day DVDs from the kids. (we are watching Calamity Jane right now) Paul sent me 2 dozen roses on Friday so I wasn't expecting anything from him today, so imagine my surprise when I was gifted with a beautiful italian majolica platter with a 15th century florentine woman painted on it. I have always felt that Mother's day was overrated as I am treated so well everyday, but it was lovely to see the kids pride in their gifts, and the desire to be giving and thoughtful. I think it's more of a day to remind us exactly why we like these little people, rather then to honor us mothers. |
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I just got some exciting news!!
Paul got an email a few weeks ago asking for 6 military wives to go to a special breakfast thing, he submitted my name but didn't tell me just in case I couldn't go. Well he called me today and said that he got an email confirming I was accepted to go, tomorrow morning................... To have breakfast with the President! I get to have a tour of the White House, hear a speech on the lawn, and east breakfast! It's a military appreciation thingy. I don't care what political affiliation one is, meeting the President of the free world is a pretty awesome thing, and I am pretty stoked! |
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I have sprang.......
pinkleader in all her brilliance has proved that even the dense can be taught, as I now have a little blue bag of sprang that my cell phone fits in. I saw her demo at the MD sheep and wool thingy and now I can spring, uhh..........sprang with the best of them, well not really the best, more likely the early to moderate total beginner. But I am at least as good as Isaac is. (Gen taught him too) |
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Here's a thing for theblueleader, I found this and thought of you...
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Today was everywhere.............
Today Paul and I went to the Cathedral flower mart. The theme of this year was South Africa, and we had a lovely lunch in the tea room all themed with S.A. foods from my childhood. I bought a lovely hanging planter that looks just like a medieval beehive that is turned upside-down and two wicker bird houses. We got Isaac some books from the used book booth, mostly Hardy Boys books, which I hope he will enjoy, and an English garden book for me. Finally! the weather is warming up for us! Tomorrow is MD Sheep and wool for us, and I am pretty excited about it, since this is my first tome going, as we have always been at crown tourney, we are determined this summer to only go to one SCA event a month unless something special is happening, as we need to find greater balance in our lives and rediscover the joy of free weekends.
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Gaahhhh! modern sewing is very not cool....
I have been struggling all week with the design of my dress for the military formal, it has to be formal, not cocktail, not prom, not old lady, not viva Las Vegas, not homemade looking, not immodest, not prudish, fashionable/but not trendy................. I hate funky fabrics that don't like to behave, and I hate that for this kind of thing I stress so much about reflecting well on Paul, he doesn't care.............. but I do. |
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Birthday wishes!
Happy Birthday orlacareyand isabelladangelo, may you have all the happiness you deserve!!! |
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Garden success!
Well, yesterday was really good for the garden, we cleaned about 75% of the backyard up, leaving the last little bit only because my back was done. I am so happy because we have not used the backyard since we got back from Germany last July because some rats had moved in and it was just so over grown after 8 weeks of us being away that I didn’t want to start weeding the tall stuff to find a rat’s nest or something. I know I’m a sissy but rats just sort of creep me out, I like mice and don’t mind snakes, but rats and spiders are not cool with me. (Neither are grasshoppers, but that is actually a sort of phobia) Our neighbor's huge tree also dumps all of its leaves in our yard every fall, which we then have to clean out of our chain-link fence and rose bushes. Anyway I had some nice surprises, my Lavender is huge from 2 years ago, and transplanted beautifully, as I took a large amount of the surrounding soil with me to the new spot in the far left corner, where it will now get full sun like it needs along with lots of room. The mint had to be dramatically thinned back, but that is a given considering how prolific a weed mint can be. I transplanted some of the mint into the far right corner of the yard, and got rid of everything else. This is the 3rd time I have moved this mint, and it does really well coming back. The happy find of the day was my grapes that I put in 3 years ago. I thought 1 branch died 2 years ago, and I didn’t see any movement last year, but the old adage of the first year plants sleep, the second they creep, the third year they leap, is holding true with my grapes, they are now huge, including the “dead” branch, and there are little grapes starting everywhere, if I can keep the birds away we should end up with more then 40-50 bunches growing. I used my book on medieval gardening to come up with a list of plants that were period, and that we will actually use. We are putting in beets, chives, onions, leeks, fennel, coriander, (dead) nettle, cucumber, peas, beans, carrots, basil, etc. We are also putting in green peppers, sweet peppers, and tomatoes as we use them regularly and have had good success with growing them in the past. We are doing 3 raised boxes of just strawberries, and are going to have to figure out some way to keep the birds off of these, as in the last couple of years we have been growing “bird food” strawberries, that we can never manage to get to before the birds do. I think I will have Paul build me some raised frames that I can cover with some anti-bird mesh, so light and water will be the only things getting to them. Baseball season just started again here on base, which is the Saturday bane of my existence, as we live across from a baseball field and our quiet cul-de-sac suddenly becomes a parking lot with screaming fans. Last year we complained to the police and housing, as the streets are posted as resident parking only, so they did a minimum push to get rid of the problem one week, but it was half-assed, and not repeated. So anyway, Saturdays in the summer my kids can’t ride their bikes in the neighborhood, as there is too much risk they will either hit a car, or be hit by a car.
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stay at home mom?
I have just spent the last three days out from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on, my house is a mess, I have been fighting off illness, and if I never see another field trip again, it will be too soon. I am so glad it is the weekend, we are getting the garden tip top this weekend, and hopefully the house will follow after we can get all the Air Force ball table centerpiece stuff out of the family room. I understand that everyone is busy, but the whole point of me being a stay at home mom is to stay at home and keep the home fires burning, I have been seriously made of fail in that department as of late, as I am always gone and by the time I get home I am tired, uninspired, and since field trip season has begun I usually have a major headache............... Have I mentioned I don't like other people’s children? I know that I don't have to go on all the field trips, and I don't, (I missed one last week) but Isaac and Emmy really like it when I can be there, and I feel like I am to a degree reclaiming my roll as involved mom to them, since I have handed them over to strangers for 8 hours a day for the first time this year. I have been officially kicked in the leg, stomped on, ignored, and yelled at, all at the hands of other people's children, as I have been lucky enough to never have my children treat me that way, I truly don't think I could be a teacher ever. Well, I will probably go lie next to Paul on the couch, let the Tylenol kick in, then hopefully have so get up and go for diner prep stuff. |
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hooray! I'm all booked to go to Italy!
Janet Arnold and I have officially got a date this November, and I now have a hotel room too! I will not buy my plane ticket yet, as we might be military hopping over for free as a family still, and Paul will take the kids to look at stuff during the days while I am busy. Or I will go alone, and pay for the ticket a couple of months before. But either way, I am booked and hoteled!!!!! (we reserved for a family of 4, and I will just pay for the bigger room even if they can't come) |
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I'm not sure what good mother award I was trying for...
But I don't think I want it anymore. I had 2 little girls over for 5 hours today for our first real play date, and even though they were very good, 3 girls 5-6 years-old and a 7 year-old boy who is board and bugging them, is too much for me. I thought it would be fun for them, (which it was) but apparently didn't think about how tiring it was going to be for me. I could never be a daycare provider, I don't know how people act nice and mediate and come up with activities for 8 hours a day 5 days a week. I took pictures of the girls, which we printed; scrapbooked, and framed in little plastic frames. Then we had a lemonade tea party. (Water in the tea pot, lemon juice with a dab of red food coloring to make it pink in the creamer, and sugar in the sugar bowl) I cut up Hostess little cakes and gave them croissants with turkey salad too. When it was time to go, they all said it was too early, and I said too bad……… Emmie’s room now looks like a bomb hit it, and she is already talking about her next “play date” I wonder if I should tell her about our no dating till you’re 16 rule…. |
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weird twilight zone moment today
I was out and found a book on WWII planes today, and decided to buy it for Paul (I kept thinking I really shouldn't get it as we really had no use for it, but I was strangely drawn to it.) While he was looking through the book, Paul asked me what dates my grandfather flew. I didn't know as he has been dead since I was 3 and I don't remember much more then fuzzy images. I decided to look him up on the internet and found out that had he lived, today would have been his 90th birthday. I have never known the date of his birth, or much about him outside of the war hero stories, but I have to say I got a little chill when I realized that I bought a book for no reason, that reminded us to look him up and read all about him, on his birthday. In honor of him I have included the artcle about him from before he died, if anyone is interested...... he was a terribly interesting man who holds several records for having shot people down in WWII and he was on the cover of LIFE magazine back in the day, as well as being the only person they have ever found the crashed engine of, with the firing mechanism welded in the firing position, as he was still shooting at the enemy even while he was crashing and the plane was hot enough to weld the button. |
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belfebe this is for you....
http://www.travelxl.com/hotels/hotel-det this one is a five minute walk to the Auditorium al Duomo, Costume Colloquium it has a safe, breakfast and some other stuff. and is $431 including taxes for 1 person for 5 nights, which is the least expensive place that close to everything that I have found. |
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Hi my name is Catherine and I am a shopoholic………
Something I have been thinking about recently, although I was moved to post as a result of attack_laurel‘s post today.Anyway, hopefully I will be able to train myself better to have restraint, while still reasonably enjoying nice casual shopping trips, because the first step is acknowledging I have a problem…... |
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Test Feast Goodness
We went to LLT and orlacarey's test feast for TOC tonight and it was to die for. My personal favorite was the tuna, but the soup was killer (which is awesome because I sometimes struggle to find soup I love) and the desert was fabu. I would have ordered and paid for all of it at a restaurant. I am looking forward to eating it again in 2 weeks, as are the kids (who although they are not picky and will eat anything, sometimes don't love everything.) Ansel adored the lamb too. Hopefully there will be a great turn out for the feast, because work this great deserves to be showcased.
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$1516.32...........
Right now that is looking like how much money I will need just to attend the Janet Arnold Costume thing in November, That covers the symposium and five nights in the least expensive hotel option with 2 people in the room and the optional outing. Paul might still be coming with me, (to Italy not the symposium) so I'll need the double room, and if he doesn't come I might try to find a roommate to save money and have company. If Paul comes I won't need a plane ticket because we can take a military hop to Italy for free, so the money will be spent touring a couple of extra days and a rental car, as well as flying my mom out to DC to stay with my kids. If he doesn't come, I will need around $700-$800 for a plane ticket, and cab or metro fare to come and go from the symposium and whatever food I will need. I have $3,500 in total right now that Paul gave to me, which sounds like it will just about cover everything, or fall only just a little bit short, now to feel like I actually get to go................ |
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Well this weekend was fun and a great end to a busy period. Today was the first day of the kids being back at school after spring break, and I am taking a little rest after the last few months of “must do it now!” that I have been having. I will probably go shopping for more centerpiece stuff later, and I have decided to re chart the pattern on the upper sleeve portion of my sweater that I am knitting. I will be at fighter practice tonight for doll class too. |
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Stretched to thin…..
I have over the last couple of weeks been the walking dead through no one’s fault but my own. I have had a lot of things that I needed to do, all that would have filled up my plate, but then I kept adding things I wanted to do, volunteered to do, and somehow became responsible for doing in some weird twist of fate I am not entirely sure about. Why am I so stressed out about all this stuff? It’s called life, everyone has this much to do, I just don’t know why I get in such a tizzy about it all. I am apparently ill equipped to deal with stress.
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Happy Birthday ladymairwen!!! I hope you receive all you wish and more!
And that your children and hubby spoil you endlessly today! |
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Hee, hee we are so rude….
So tonight after the event we went to California pizza kitchen for diner, and we waited for 45 min to be seated, okay that’s fine, it was really busy. But ahead of us waiting since before we came was a party of ten (6 adults and 4 kids under the age of 5,) they were waiting for 2 ladies to get done so that the empty table on the right of them and the ladies table could be pushed together and fit all of them. Now mind you this was the only place in the whole restaurant that could accommodate a party of 10 as everything else was a booth. The ladies got done eating and paid and sat there chatting and drinking water for 30 minutes before we were sat on the left side of them, the table on the right having remained empty for the last 45 minutes in preparation for the two women to leave so this family that had been waiting for over an hour could eat. After we ordered and had our food brought to us the two women still hadn’t left, managers keep walking past looking at the women, buss boys, the hostesses, everyone is walking past repeatedly looking at these two women chatting happily nursing their water, so Paul politely leans over and says, “Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you, and I am not trying to rush you but there is a family of ten waiting to be seated and they are waiting until you are done to get a chance to push the tables together, just so you know.” In my world, I would say “oh I am so sorry, thank you for letting us know, we can finish chatting in the car” or some such version on that theme, Well instead the one women gives him the serious stink eye and looks away without saying anything, glares silently at her friend for the next 10 minutes in protest of leaving and then gets up and in a rage says, “WELL I HOPE YOU LIKE TALKING TO THE OTHER FAMILY!” I just smiled at her and pleasantly said “Thank you!” I could almost say I was perky, and I resolved that I would indeed say something to the next family. Anyway the other family came and sat next to us and we got up to leave 5 minutes later and I smiled at them and said “Have a good evening!” and they stopped us and asked, “Did those people give you trouble?” (Said with an Indian accent that just sounded cuter then a normal American one, as they were all from that region of the world) to which we shared what we had said, and they laughed and said that on the way out the women had left them all confused when she stormed past them as they patiently waited and violently said, “ENJOY YOUR COMPANY!” The oldest man in the group smiled at us and said, “Did you say thank you for leaving?” We said “Yup” smiled and left laughing, I guess we are super rude, but nursing water for 45 minutes after you are done while a group of people with small kids waits for you (and they had to be fully aware of the other people as they knew who they were enough to speak to them as they left) just seemed so beyond the pale that Paul couldn’t just sit and say nothing as it had gotten to after 8:00 pm and the children were clearly struggling with the wait. Anyway I am pretty sure we ruined her whole night as she was spitting bile, and we got a good laugh, like I said I guess we are just plain rude. |
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stressed