With a friend...

This August, my husband and I will have been married 14 years. He is approaching his 20th year as career Air Force officer. I am very proud of him and have enjoyed being a military wife!  He really is my best friend and we love being together!

One of our dreams was to have second honeymoon visiting Germany on our 15th anniversary.  Well, here we are and our children can share in on the experience.  We are very grateful for all that God has given us!  This scripture passage was a part of our wedding ceremony.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 MSG

^9-10 It's better to have a partner than go it alone.

    Share the work, share the wealth.

   And if one falls down, the other helps,

   But if there's no one to help, tough!

¹¹ Two in a bed warm each other.

   Alone, you shiver all night.

¹² By yourself you're unprotected.

   With a friend you can face the worst.

   Can you round up a third?

   A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.

Trusting in God with our marriage and as parents, He has made the difference!  He's our Third-Strand!  Thank you, Lord, for your everlasting love and faithfulness!  You exceed all that we long for with Your marvelous ways!

Never Judge a Congealed Dessert

I had a craving for Strawberry Pretzel Salad today. With a ride to the commissary, I bought my ingredients in eager anticipation. It's a chilled, warm-weather dessert common to potlucks and picnics of which I completely avoid. I am not a big fan of congealed foods in general or fluffy cottage cheese salads. Their appearance is simply unappetizing and sold in delis and cafeterias alike to whom? I don't know!

(Converted Disclaimer: My mother-in-law makes the best ever mandarin orange and pineapple salad with cottage cheese...yep, one of those unapproachable salads but its the only one I am willing to put on my plate. She had been making it for years and my husband loves it! It's delish! It is now one of our favorite summertime side-dishes.)

My first experience with this mouth-watering concoction was brought to our small group a few years ago by my dear neighbor. Until then, I dare say such a dish has never entered our home...not even on the Blacklist of Picky Eaters. It simply didn't exist. Forcing a cheerful smile while ushering it to the sideboard, I was having a 2-minute mental face-off with this averted wiggly dish of my suspicions. My inside voice was saying: "Don't force your over-rated gelatin goodness on me...you make me shutter!"

There it was, in its accidental frozen state yet somewhat held an appeal in its presentation. Everything my dear neighbor touches or creates is beautiful and it had temptation of its own despite my prejudice. My small list of aversions are not public record so no harm in trying something new, right? She continually apologized for it being too firm to serve. "It was too slow to set-up" in time for arrival so she placed it in the freezer but forgot to monitor it. She was short of horrified. It was very stubborn and refused to exit the pan in pretty portions well beyond the proverbial first serving.

Our guys split off to another area and the three of us sat there with our frozen strawberry-pretzel salad. It was comical as each one of us tried to eat it without flipping it off the plate unto the floor. Lots of giggles and comments later, we lapped up every smooth and crunchy morsel. I was enraptured by all of the textures and flavors including its congealedness. I regret the decades of denying myself such heavenly goodness. Thank you, dear neighbor, for opening my eyes to a time-honored potluck and deli delight! YUMMO!

So, back to my craving, with our limited selection of kitchen tools, I had to crush the pretzels with a large plastic spoon against the side of a bowl. I wanted to double the amount of pretzel crust because it is my favorite part! That proved to be very laborious. I was missing my nice professional-grade Kitchen-Aid food processor as I poured more pretzels into the bowl. (It's still in a crate being shipped overseas.) Crunch, crunch, and more crunching. This was quite pain-staking for a dessert and I drifted off into personal reflection. For whatever reason, I began thinking about all of the mommas in the world who were presently hand-milling their own ration of wheat for the day. What do they think about while preparing bread for the day? What do they hope for or desire for ease? How weary they must be and yearn to provide more for their families. Sheepishly, I was just making a congealed dessert.

Lord, forgive my smallness of mind and shallow outlook towards Your provisions. I am amazed at how You speak to me in simple ways. Help me to be mindful of those without and to do all that I can to help those around us in need. Show me ways to be Your hands and feet. May Your name be lifted up and Jesus seen clearly. Thank you for reminding me to exercise greater humility and thanksgiving for all that I am blessed with to take care of my family. Help me to train my children to be sensitive to the things that are on Your heart. Amen.

Extra Goodness Counts!

This morning, I made a boxed-mix of streusel blueberry muffins in a casserole dish and called it "blueberry coffee cake." Government-issued dish packs have a limited selection of bakeware but that didn't stop me from serving up something my peeps would love. I added a scant 1/4 cup of milled flax seed (also an oil substitute~read the back of the box) and whopping tablespoon of wheat germ to the batter. I am not much of a health nut yet I feel better knowing they were getting some extra goodies, too. Okay, minus the large pat of butter per serving. Everything tastes better with butter or bacon. I am a follower of that Southern-fried opinion. There's a faint amount of calcium in butter, right?

Big Hair is Stylish, Right?

I am slow to catch on to fads overall especially in clothing/fashion. I feel most comfortable in my favorite jeans and soft cotton t-shirt which is quite boring for some...not very stylish either but that's what big hair is for, right? I graduated from a small private university in Central Texas but could be confused for a Baylor Bowhead. I am a native North Dakotan but living life as a legal Texas resident and somewhat proud of the South. Being Southern-fried for 10 years may have something to do with it! I love the big hair from the 1960s caught somewhere between 007 and classic Jackie O. Shockingly, I do however, enjoy dressing-up and going somewhere, too! Traditional classic lines, 2" heels, and maybe some outlandish crazy costume jewelry just for funzies! Just know that I have been wearing the same nice conservative outfits and oversized accessories for years simply because I don't enjoy shopping for myself. If I can't throw it in my grocery cart, it better be something extraordinary and on-sale.

I also like heavy liquid eyeliner on the upper lash-line. A sweet friend of mine one time requested my help with her eye make-up. I didn't mean to blow off her request as I did not believe her to be serious. Eventually, she went to Merle Norman for a make-over. The gracious and elderly woman told her that heavy liquid eyeliner was "out and very dated!" She should know that everything comes back in style if you live long enough! I have graduated to soft kohl liner just for the record! Truth is, I have very sparse eyelashes and the older I get, even my eyebrows seem to be disappearing, too! I have to shade those buggers in with a brow pencil!

Who doesn't Blog?

Not me until now!  I can out-talk an auctioneer but putting my heart's words down on a blog may take some concentration and inspiration!  I have wanted to blog for what seems like a "time never to come!" I am not too techie so even verifying an account via text message using an international cell number was tricky. What prefix should I use not knowing from where the texting would be sent? (That is already an advanced notion for this girl...where did that thought come from?) Some forms and data boxes do not allow for an international number which makes it difficult to set up some online accounts. Oh, and by the way, not to mention out loud either that I didn't want to seem too "trendy." Everyone with an opinion (meaning, everyone breathing) is either blogging, twittering, and probably using six other applications unknown to me with other people posting or following for years!  I need to catch up!

Sweet and Simple

Presently, life is sweet and simple without our household goods. And cheerfully, housekeeping is a snap! Our crates will arrive sometime in August but I'm not in any hurry. I am soaking up life "slowing down" for a season. Base housing and temporary furniture couldn't be more inviting after the past year. I try to imagine living life with less comforts and conveniences, maybe, for a spell. I have to admit, though, I can't wait to have some of my favorite things, e.g., my dish and book collections! Oh, and some nice table linens, too!

Long Awaited

We just moved to an overseas post from the Midwest in July 2010 after a 10-month volunteer separation while attempting to sell our renovated 3-Story Tudor home. It's such a good story, let's save it for later!  Anyways, we are an Air Force family stationed on an Army Garrison with many instant friends to be made and memories to make! 

As a disclaimer, it is very hard to be apart from our families, the good times they have together, and especially, the times of sickness, great sadness, and loss. We never get used to that empty spot in our hearts. Wherever we are stationed, our nearby friends have a triple impact in our lives, thus becoming "our family." It is said, "Home is where the Air Force sends you!" We are blessed with many fond memories of family and friends held dear to our hearts.