Sleepyheads ...

Happy Birthday My Love!

This is where the puppy gets serious ...

It has been an exhausting two weeks, but we have gotten some things figured out. George's dad has been diagnosed with stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver (though he hasn't drank alcohol in 25 years), pancreatic cancer, COPD and 3 bleeding ulcers. He was hospitalized for two days last week for a few surgeries to relieve the preasure in his liver and pancreas and we go back on Friday to see what the next step is. But in the meantime, Sgt. Major has been keeping us all busy laughing our a$$es off! This morning I was awakened to a 65-pound puppy pounce and a big bully face staring down at me. Now if you haven't had the pleasure of being awakened to this, imagine a 65-pound weight being dropped on your stomach and a deep-throat growling monster just inches away from your face breathing a not-so-great-smelling warm aroma inches from your head with a big Joker-like grin on his face ... really can't be beat! Once you are able to breath again, you can't help but laugh. Then George and Sgt. Major westled on the bed while I worked on the computer ... here was the ensuing event ...





This is what we call a
"pig in a blanket!"



The hazzards of being a photojournalist is you get caught up in the action!



(Don't worry, he doesn't actually bite me, he licks!)



It's been a busy week to include a weekend in Vegas for the two of us and George's birthday dinner. So I'll continue to post in between doctor's visits!

Until our next cup of tea ...

The Adventures of a Spoiled Bulldog ...

O.k. so let me first start off by saying that I am as careful as possible when Sgt. Major is in the truck with me, the problem is, taht he tends to be claustrophobic. Our Tahoe offers a remedy to this, but since I was toting two large suitcases and anything else I could think we'd need for a month or more in Houston, it was a little tighter than usual.

Halfway through the trip he decided that the front seat would offer more room and when I stopped for a restroom break he had made himself comfortable. Now, one thing about our adorable fat boy is that he picks his battles and when he decides to fight there is little chance of winning. So despite the stack of books he sat on for nearly an hour making him quite uncomfortable, he was excited to be going to gandpa's house. Here is what our trip looked like ...















Until our next cup of tea ...

A Welcome Home, A Hospital Visit and and Anniversary ...

Greetings my dear friends and visitors! What a emotional rollercoater this week has been. I was set to leave yesterday to go to Houston to meet George for his R&R(deployment leave). I was crazy excited, trying desperately to get homework done and turned in, bags packed for out three week stay in Houston as well as getting everything completed to get my unit's Families through my vacation. But on Monday, all of that changed.

My father-in-law was scheduled for a scope proceedure for some stomach and other pain that has been plaguing him for months. He hasn't eaten any solid food for three weeks and George and I were set to sit down with his doctors and get a straight answer once he got home. But at noon I recieved a call from his niece that the doctors felt something was wrong. He was very jaundiced (think school bus yellow) weak and has lost another 10 pounds or so since I'd see him over the Fourth of July. They ran test and discovered that on top of the liver disease they were already treating him for, he also had pancreatic cancer and would need surgery soon. They were concerned that it was such a high risk proceedure that the initiated a Red Cross messsage (as had I already) to bring George home early. I had already (thankfully) talked to George and had told him what was going on because no one needs to be surprised like that. The doctor's Red Cross message went so far to say that without surgery his dad would only have 3-4 months.

My command team sent me home to pack and I left for Houston early Tuesday with the promise from my command team of any help they could offer to get George home. He arrived on Thursday and we met with the specialist yesterday. His diagnosis is the same, but his options are better. We're taking it one day at a time and I'll post more as we know, but I will be off and on the next few weeks.

On a lighter note, my 3-year blog-iversary! I'd meant to write a reflective piece about how my page has evolved over the years, settling for a "life in the military" theme. Reflect on those who've been here from the beginning (Lime!), the new friends and those who have become a source of inspiration and support. Thank you all for your friendship!

Until our next cup tea ...

Explain to me the logic of this ...

How can the pizza place in the outlying community, 7 or more miles away, deliver the pizza in 30 minutes or less, but the one on post takes 1 hour and 45 minutes and they are 1 mile away? Does my pizza have to go through a rigorous background check before delivery to ensure there is not a breech of some sort of confidentiality? THEY ARE THE SAME COMPANY!

Please bear with me ....

Please bear with me as I redesign my page. I am still adding the links and awards ... thank you for your patience.

Friendships in the military are as temporary as the housing

… harsh, it may sound, but hear me out. A friend and I had a conversation on this very topic a few days ago. Cynical we are not, realists … yes.

Life in the military can be compared to a revolving door. People are continually coming in your life, all at different stages, and leave as quickly as they come.
Bonds are made over common interest, shared occupations, spouses in the same unit or of the same rank, and volunteering projects or members of the same organizations. But things change … it’s the reality of life. New friends are made, life changing events such as marriages or children happen, co-workers move on. Sure it may sound as if I am giving up on friendships that haven’t even been made yet, but think about it.

As children we had friends who “no matter how far apart we were would always be best friends” but one moves away and contact lessens, eventually the connection is broken.

It’s not that these relationships are meaningless; they serve their purpose at the time that they were part of our life. The brief moment in time they made our lives better, brighter, giving us a sense of purpose and meaning … to need someone or to be needed.

I’m not saying that there are not a few relationships that can survive the separation, life changes or even the sporadic contact … those are few and far between, which is what makes them so special.

I try to welcome friendships those brief moments in time, a gift in the present, hopefully, happy memories that are cherished in the future, those some may end like bad break ups, the memories leaving you bitter or hurt. But even that pain and bitterness serve to impact you in some way, creating the person you are today, tomorrow, next year.

I don’t anguish over the loss of these relationships; I hope to learn from them. It is these times when I remember a quote we’ve all seen …

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.—Anonymous

Until our next cup of tea …

Sharing the Love ... and then some

First I must apoligize to Ann at Ancient One's Place who generously gave me an award earlier this week. I was very touched and did take the time to research the origins of the award at Memoirs of a Mommy. It was a very inspirational story.

Then, earlier today, after a very exhausting week filled with the sadness as I watch the Soldiers in my unit continue to prepare for deployment, I got an announcement of another award from Jade at Stitch and Serve called Brilliante Weblog Award.

So Ann's award first:
Here are the rules for this: SHARE THE LOVE!!! That's it! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. All I ask, is that you include a link to the original post by the award's creator and ask your recipients to do the same.

So for my inspirational people, this time I will point you towards the military family bloggers who have been a source of inspiration and support for me as I face the daily adventure of military life.

1. Army Blogger Wife ... it's very easy to bounce ideas off of her and she doesn't judge my insanity ... probably because we are competing to see who is crazier!
2. Two Star Mom ... the only job as hard as a milspouse or kid is milparent!
3. Proud Liberal Army Wife .. she really tells it like she sees it!
4. Butterfly Wife ... has a unique view on life ...
5. Sgt and Mrs. Hub ... always a fav because you never know what the next post will hold!

Now for the rules of Jade's award:

~ Put the logo on your blog;
~ Add a link to the person who awarded you
~ Nominate at least 7 other blogs;
~ Add links to those blogs on yours;
~ Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

So here are my awardees:
1. Alice at Tea in my Cup ... this is one place where I go where I know there will always be something to comfort me. From recipes to tips on tea parties, there always seems to be something to cheer up the darkest mood at Alice's place!
2. Smile-n-Sigh makes you want to do just that with her beautiful photography. Check out all of her blogs, linked to her page.
3. StitcherW has always been supportive of the troops and her postive attitude has inspired me on many occasions.
4. Vee at A Haven For Vee ... sees the beauty in the world
5. KBug is a new friend, and fellow military Family member
6. Meari at Meari's Musings is actually one of my longest blogging friends
7. Seamus a fellow animal lover who captures wild creatures in their peaceful moments

Thanks to all of my regular readers. If you see the post before I get to your blog, thanks for letting me share your world. I hope to stop by over to each of your pages soo.. I try to nominate a different person when I get awards, but I encourage you to explore all of the links in my list. I enjoy them allso much and know you will too ... so go forth and make new friends!

Until our next cup of tea ...