Merry Christmas Soldier

I have decided this year that I have enough. I am blessed to be fortunate enough to not want for much. If I do want something, I just go get it.  So I have decided to fill a box or two and send them to a soldier in Iraq. I have a list of items to purchase and three address;s to send them to. I will go to the post office and pick up a couple of those boxes made especially for this. I think its 14.00 to send one. When the company store opens, I will go in and pick up some stuff from there then hit the dollar store for some additional items. I was thinking of making a video and including it. I could tell the person how much we appreciate all that they do for us, maybe take a video of the guys at the post and try to get them to say something. I don't know, its just a thought.

If you would like to do something like this, let me know. I can get you an address and name to send it to. You cant just send it addressed to any soldier. anyway, this will make me happy this year. I have a leather jacket to be surprised with christmas morning. and my son will be home. what more can a gurl ask for. Life is good.

What we did On Black Friday

This morning I woke up too early cus i fell asleep yesterday really early cus i didn't take a nap when i got home. I watched all the things i had recorded, then sewed till I poked my finger one too many times. Then, John woke up and decided he was going to venture out in the misery of black friday. He needed a few things he could get on really good sale if he jumped into the store, then back out real quick. There was a sale at Penny's on leather jackets and I wanted one. So I braved the streets to get tot he mall and found the jacket i wanted. Its black, I really kinda wanted a rust colored one, but they didn't have one in that color in my size. It's zipper front and tailored back, I like it. When I got home, I showed John what he bought me and we are both happy. I also bought him a couple sweatshirts. He requested these also. I didn't have to stand in line too long, so I went down to sears and look for a surround sound system for Alex. he requested this, in blue ray.

OMG! Unless you have an extra 300.00 plus dollars to invest in this, I would get the regular one. Nope, if Alex wants it in Blue ray he can fork out for that on his own.

After the mall, I went into the fabric store to buy the back for the quilt I am making for my Granddaughter. She gets a grown up quilt form me this year. I got 30 percent off my entire purchase there, so i was happy. While I was there, John called me to tell me he was home, and we could start on our next mission as soon as I got home.

I probably haven't mentioned this cus I have been gone for so long. Alex is coming home December 16 for 22 days. Not long enough for me, but I don't have a choice in this matter. Anyway, we are having a party for him when gets home so he can see his family again. He hasn't seen some of his family since before he left for school after college. we were going to have the party at the post, but then we would have to cook all the food and do all the work. Instead, we decided to have the party at a hotel/restaurant so family can come from out of town and drink all they want. then they can stagger back to their rooms safely.

so today we went out pricing hotel buffet/dinner rentals. Hey guess what! we would have to work all day, or pay for this. we would both rather pay for this than work that hard. I am not even going to tell you how much its going to cost, it will be worth it. Until Alex gets married, we wont have to do this again. I guess this is what we have  a savings for. We really want him to see his family again and this is th easiest way. I may even fly andy out for him to come home. They haven't seen each other in I don't know how long.

 Well, that is what I did today. I am crewed in to work tonight again. I get so pissed off cus they give us a day off and then I get forced in on my day off. WTF! that is another storey. Oh well. That is what I did today. Lets see what happens tomorrow.

Cough, Cough

dust, cobwebs and old letters laying all over the place. Its been so long since i have been here. I am makin Carol look really good. I used to get on her to update, and here I am, a month since I checked in. Oh well.

So What have I been doing? there has been something every weekend. Either with family or at the Post. John and I are both getting tired of having stuff to do every weekend. On the weekdays, I get home  from work and just want to sleep. I know I have had things to talk about, but the desire to log on just wasn't there. Today, we don't have to be anywhere, or do anything but cook and eat. I made two pies this morning, and cranberry sauce. We like it better fresh. We can only eat one pie, so I will give the other to a friend. she has a huge family and they wont have a problem snarfin it down. I give all my extra stuff I cook to them. Even if I don't like it very much, they do. lol, she called me Betty Crocker the other day.

I am going to try and get back in the habit of updating here again. its not like it takes a long time, I just have to do it. Nuff bout that.

John asked me what I wanted for Christmas this morning. OH Crap! the only thing I can think of is a jacket. Not a huge jacket for incredibly cold weather, something nice and less bulky than the one I have. He found one in the Penny's ad, and I may just go get it for myself tomorrow. Then I will bring it home and wrap it up. Christmas morning I will unwrap it and act like I am so surprised. I am good at this, I have had to do it in the past. I don't know what else I may want. We have a limit we spend on each other. I think I will spend part of it filling a box and send to a soldier in Iraq. If you want to do this, I could send the info on how. I really have a lot.

John wants a new electric razor and a couple new sweatshirts. These things seem so simple, but really, its hard to think of gifts for each other. We are at the point of just buying what we want when we want it.

Today we are having turkey in a smaller amount. John bought a turkey breast and has it on the smoker since 7 this morning. John a sweet potato in the oven(gag). We will make the rest of the meal as the day goes on. The kids are too far away to come home for the holiday. I would love to be able to fix a meal for my kids again, and have everyone here. Hopefully some day.

Well, I just took out my pies and John brought in the turkey. The house is smelling good. I can feel the lbs settling in on my hips already.

have a happy Thanksgiving. See ya all soon.  

I have a question for my friends out there. I have a friend that is looking for military friends and high school friends. she tried the tool on facebook with no luck. does anyone know of another search tool for finding people, at no charge. classmates.com charges.

Friday Oct. 16

On the way to work last night, Lorrie and I were talking about possibly getting decrewed. We laughed, cus it never happens any more. We remembered, tried to remember the last time we were decrewed at the beginning of the night. it was a very long time ago. it just doesn't happen any more. The crewer tries to make sure she brings in the right amount of people. Full time works before part time and temps. The get called off first also. So we just talk about it, knowing it wont happen. But it's fun to dream.

Well, last night, after our pre-shift meeting, Randy, he is sort of a helper/resource in training kind of guy, says we have three going out of department, and three people over. WHAT? Did I hear that correctly. I asked Lorrie, did i hear that correctly? Yes, but we wont get to go home, the part timers and temps will go home first. So we got over to the board, and we were not assigned to a line. we had signed the decrew list, but only 1 part timer did also. We got tot go home at midnight. We hightailed it out of there before someone could change their minds. So i got a little nap, I am sorta charged and I'm have intentions of cleaning my house today and starting a quilt this weekend.

Its finally cooling off. Tuesday we had a storm with high winds. Trees came down all over the place. We were spared that one. A guy I work with had his car damaged buy a tree in his yard. Now the weather is very muggy, but cool enough to sew. it just gets very hot in that room, even with the fan on.

The other thing I love about this time of year, when it cools off, is I get to bake more. It just isn't worth it to turn on the oven when its going to be 100 outside. that just means the AC will come on that much earlier. A few weeks ago, John found a recipe for Carmel Glazed Apple Cake and asked me if I could make it. Would it be too hard. I checked out the recipe, said no, I can do it. it sounds good. So I did and OMG! I will have to put it int he recipe box. it actually came out of the Costco magazine we get every month. so if you get that, you got the recipe. Fabulous.

We also had a potluck at work. I was asked to make something chocolate. I am not really good at chocolate, but I remembered a chocolate cream pie that is fairly easy, and quite tasty too. I made it, and used a graham cracker crust. then I layered bananas in the chocolate part and put whipped cream on top. When the girls at work tasted it, they loved it. They thought I made it from a box, but I told them no, it was scratch. I did buy the crust in a box, I hate crumbling the graham crackers. they didn't know you could make pudding with out a box. It tastes so different from the box stuff, very creamy and so much flavor.

I have been trying to read my email and get on here to blog and respond to your blogs, but about five minutes after I get started, I start falling asleep. I end up just shutting down and heading off to bed. Today, I am going to try and get caught up. Try. That is the key word here. Hope you have wonderful activities planned for your weekends.

A new Experience for me

I don't know when it happened, but the current commander of the post was contacted to perform a flag changing ceremony at one of our senior centers. The lady that called was a widow of WWII Vet. The flag at the center where he was in his last days, was deteriorating and she wanted it replaced, but with the respect it deserved. She had purchased a new flag, and requested the Post replace it for the old one. I think that is how it went, I'm not sure.

The Commander requested the Vice Commander and Jr. Vice to assist in this process. John is the Jr. Vice, so I get to go along. I did ask if they wanted me there, to take pictures, and was told yes, very much so. So Saturday morning, we went over to the senior center and they figured out how it was all going to happen. At first, they said they would just reach up and change out the pole. I suggested they do a rehearsal run, just in case. I had to say one more time, you don't want to be looking for a ladder at the last minute if you need one.

Its a good thing they listened, because John, the tallest of them all, couldn't reach the flag. They brought the ladder over and had it set up and ready to go.

The lady that requested the service showed up and gave the flag to the commander. She also had an 8x10 sepia colored photo of her husband. I was taking pictures, and got a bunch of really good ones. Her daughter was also there taking pictures of the event. Then, the helpers at the center brought out some of the retired military hero's they have staying with them. I have to tell you, I cried off and on the entire time we were there.

 

 

 

 

 

The gentlemen sat in their wheelchairs, off to the side but still right there. Two of the men, were so close. It was so heartwarming to witness how much they needed each other. One of the men was blind I think, or near blind. When they wheeled him outside onto the patio, his friend called his name to let him know he was there. The nurse wheeled him over next to his friend, and the friend put his hand on the others wheelchair, touched his hand and let him feel safer. The blind man, kept his hand on his friends wheelchair the entire time they were outside. It was heartwarming and created the vision of how much soldiers and military personnel depend on each other in times of need.

At one point, John told the younger of the soldiers, who by the way was in Korea for two years serving as a Marine, of a story he read in the Military news Online. It was a story of a young man in New York that burned a flag at one of the post's. He  had been refused service because he couldn't prove status. He was asked to leave the post, but later returned and burned th flag, which had been flown in Iraq. When this gentleman heard this, he cried for the disrespect shown to the flag, the soldiers, the ones who gave their lives. I had to turn my head and cry too.

Finally, the time came to lower the older flag, and replace it with the new one. There was a little fumbling, but after a short while, the new flag was up. The tattered flag was respectfully folded, and placed aside to be retired properly at a later date. i will write about that also, when it happens. After the new flag was up, without even having to be told, the three post members stood at attention for a silent minute. The wife of the commander, a ladies Auxiliary member, stood with her hand over her heart.

 

This was the first time I have ever witnessed the changing of a flag. It was a very emotional morning. The whole event may have taken 1 1/2 hours, and that was just because we waited for different things to happen. I took a lot of pictures, and was privileged to meet some of our unsung hero's. I exchanged names with the daughter of the wife that donated the new flag. She will snag some of the pictures I put on facebook, and send them to her brother in Ohio. I will remember this for a very long time as a very special day. If you ever have the opportunity to be a part of something like this, please do it.

This was kinda long, but I felt I just had to do this one justice. I really could have gone on, but you have to cut it of somewhere. Hope you all have a great week.

 

Cinnamon Rolls

This is a pictorial of the cinnamon roll process from the dough ball to the plate.