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Military Family Finances–It is Deployment and Holiday Times
Fall has just arrived in most of the country and you have either just recently become connected again after a long deployment; or a member of the family just left for a long one or you are in the middle of one that seems to be lasting forever! And here comes the holiday season–the wonderful time of family, gifts, travel and many other good times! But your family is separated or just got back together and the rest of the world certainly does not understand the stresses involved in those events! Certainly, not many do. Well if that isn’t enough for a military family let’s add the planning for a…
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Crisp Air… Apple Crisp
The apple orchards call. They do. Apples to be picked, the long rows of Jonathons, honey crisps, Ida reds and so on just needed to be revisited… and we trooped home with a different variety in the newest bushel: ‘Spies for Pies’. Crisp and juicy, these apples are terrific for snacking and for baking. I love using them in the recipe that represents fall baking: Apple Crisp. The aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg do a frontal attack on the senses followed by the visual of hot bubbling brown sugar and apple juices. Yes, this is just one reason to celebrate the seasons!I love to have an equal amount of crisp…
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Pocketful of Apples
A cold snap came and turned our maples and oaks from green giants into jewel dressed wonders. Right now, a steady breeze is filtering those crimson and gold leaves and sending them spiraling sideways with many skidding onto our deck. It is a sight to behold. Landscaping has become a pure pleasure for Dale and I. He put up a split rail fence that has added a framework to this fall picture outside while I planted vinca under and in front which adds a dark green matting for our portrait. At the end of the day, muscles were talking and our sweet tooth chattered! A basket of apples announced it…
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What a week!
It is finally Friday and I am utterly exhausted! I had one of those weeks that I would prefer to just let go down the bathtub drain after a long soak … Yet through it all I can be so very thankful for support, for friendship, for prayer, for understanding. Some of it stems from earlier troubles. I have felt that my six-year-old is still not adjusting to this deployment very well. (Deployment Troubles of a 5 year-old) I berate myself for being an ineffective mom and then tell myself to quit being so hard on myself – all in one breath. I finally called MilitaryOneSource on Monday when all…
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Our National Guard and Reserve Forces and Your Education Benefits
The United States went through such a drawdown in the 1990s that the active forces are now stretched very thin during the global war on terror! The nation must rely on the National Guard and Service Reserve Forces to meet many of our military needs! A quick look at the facts: According to the Veteran’s Administration, our citizen airmen, soldiers, marines, sailors and coasties “constitute 50% of returning OEF/OIF Veterans utilizing VA services and their ages range from 18 to 60. And over 500,000 personnel used GI Bill benefits in 2007! There is a great article on the GI Bill on MilitaryAvenue and how it has changed the lives of…
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Fall Produce Features Perfect Bell Peppers
The frost is coming. The temperatures are creeping down each night, going a degree lower and getting within striking distance of the first freeze. The frost will soon be on the pumpkins. Yes Autumn is here. As the garden patch is reduced to empty rows… the bell pepper plants still are heavy with beautiful colors of a fall palate. Our tomatoes are long gone, but the local orchard is still selling them by the 1/2 bushel. So… the mix of the vitamin rich, dark gems of tomato and red/green pepper are just perfect for an evening meal. I made Stuffed Peppers last night, a great meal for watching the amount…
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Veterans, Start Your Engines on Your New GI Bill
We like to bring important information to the military community and one of the most critical items I can think of in anticipation of Veterans Day on November 11th is your new educational benefits. Like a NASCAR racer you must keep your educational engine tuned for max performance! What an opportunity to grow your expertise and job skills while in the service or post service! Please take advantage of them as many before you have done. They are clearly better now and offer many variables and cover the cost of tuition, books and a monthly stipend is available too! We have a great article on the New GI Bill on…
