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Birthday Party: Time to Cheer Another Year!
Our summer is filled with the joy of family. Celebrating family milestones, (birthdays) achievements ( graduation and confirmation), courage (saying goodbye to hubby as he deploys), honor (deploying to the sandbox) and tenacity (newspaper reviews) hold us together and keep us leaning on each other. Some activities are so big… envolve so much effort and require such strength. Then, the calendar comes to play. A birthday party! A party for the sake of one person, but a time of pure joy. A time to celebrate that person, think about the effect he or she has on our lives. This is really an excellent adventure! Tomorrow is grandson Jacob’s birthday party.…
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New PCS Mileage Rate (Again)
I wrote a blog back in March about the reduction in PCS mileage rates which went down from 20 cents a mile to 19 while gas prices were climbing rapidly towards $4 a gallon! Well, we are over $4 a gallon now and someone at the IRS finally saw the light and is changing the rate for moving and medical appointments. In a story I read recently the IRS commissioner stated that Moving and Medical appointment rates were changing to 27 cents a mile and business travel would be 58.5 cents a mile. The changes will be implemented as early as July 1st. I am sure it will take a…
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Vacationing While Military
I just read an earlier blog from Deb for the strawberry and rhubarb jelly roll and thought: Wow what a great summer special recipe and dessert that is. Then I remembered reading a blog from Leanne that said she remembers her family vacations as visiting family enroute during PCS moves! It sort of made me cringe a bit but then I started thinking about it. That seemed to be the best way for us to maintain those family ties and let the kids know that they too had grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins (prior to the internet; cell phones, Facebook and many other communication devices–yeah, I know the dark…
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The tomatoes are arriving: BLT with Pesto Mayonnaise
Make room for the tomatoes. There are red dots throughout the garden. At first glance like red freckles peppering the staked vines. It’s a great sight, as for years we have tried and failed at the tomato endeavor. But it seems our fairy godmother sprinkled some growing dust over the field. So, now with a gazillion plants in the ground and producing… ideas as to how to best use them are being researched.Here is a great one that will use the basil that is full and leafy too. BLT with Pesto Mayonnaise. Oh yes, you are thinking this is gourmet… I think it is garden… I live by the use…
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Strawberry Rhubarb Jelly Roll Bring on the fresh fruits!
Strawberry Rhubarb and whipped cream jelly roll. Oh my… this is so good.4 large eggs, separated1 1/2 cup granulated sugar1 cup flourpinch of salt Filling1/2 pound rhubarb stalks, about 2 cups trimmed and chopped2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled washed and sliced1/2 c granulated sugar1 large tub of Cool Whip: divided1 strawberry yogurt Preparation: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan, 15x10x1inch, and line it with parchment paper. (This makes the removal from the pan oh so much easier!) Grease the paper, add a bit of flour, then shake it and remove excess.Separate eggs whites (Now you feel like you are baking don’t you!) In a large bowl,…
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It’s Hot in the Kitchen… and we want Chocolate!
When I grew up chocolate chips were used for 2 things… and really 2 things only: Chocolate Chip cookies, (made and inhaled in December) or a monster peanut butter fluff sandwich on cheap white bread…sprinkled with the chips: toasted and then years later we moved this concoction to the microwave. All of this an indoor sport of sorts.Enter a moment out of the norm. We seem to thrive on such moments in each family household.On a recent very warm weekend, when company gathered at our son James’ house… the desire for warm gooey cookies won out over sensibility… “sensibility”something that I used to hold as a rule. Amen that such…
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Off We Go…
The boys’ suitcases are packed.The very last load of laundry is in the dryer.‘Carry On’ backpacks are loaded with treats, books, army men, cars and games (& empty cups to fill up with water after we are past security).The route to our local ‘Park ‘N Fly’ is entered in the GPS. Destination … Hubby! This year’s family vacation is a trip out to see my husband. He has been training with his brigade for roughly two-months and has a break between training and boarding the giant C-130 headed to a foreign land. He could have taken the bus home with other soldiers for the few days he has off… but…
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Garden Goodness: Layered Broccoli Salad
Our garden is really putting out right now: fruits and vegetables. The tomatoes and strawberries forecast a bit of the summer’s red promise of warmth and good eats. While the green is spread throughout the rest of the patch. There are a few weeds thrown in there too to keep me limber and close to the earth! We are just about ready to pick some broccoli… we have rows stretching the length of the garden growing and producing some good stuff! Keeping the area clean is keeping the insects at bay. Not the mosquitoes… but the ones that bite the veggies. I found a great recipe for broccoli salad. Cold…
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Wild Flower Wonder: A Recipe for the Common
Often times we value that which is monetarily valuable. We seek the best of the best and can overlook the rest. Dale and I were strolling over the hills in the back fields by our house. We had just spent a few hours in the gardens weeding, hoeing and harvesting. It was time to stretch the legs and walk. As we broke through the pine trees and into the field of blackberry bushes, in the distance I saw flecks of gold and creamy white reflecting the evening sun. Wildflowers. Once or twice I have had my grandsons run and either collect a few handfuls of flowers… or stamp out clumps…
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Our Super Highway is Getting Faster and Better with Your Inputs
The Team at MilitaryAvenue is always looking for new ways to help you navigate the challenges of the military lifestyle. We have lots of our own experiences to bring to the design and function of your website but we would love to include your ideas as well! For example, one of our recent ideas was to join the America Supports You team which we have done! We have a designed a short survey to hear from you about the best direction to continue upgrading our Avenue for you! We want it to be a super highway for you or a tree shaded country lane if that is what you want.…
