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Stomping Out Sarcoma > A Warrior’s Way
“The hills are getting tougher at times…” A Fun Run/Walk, A Bike Ride Fundraiser, A Physical Fitness Plan, A Facebook Support Group, An “Awareness Month”: What do they have in common? For this warrior, they mean fighting Sarcoma Cancer through new awareness and research, survivor support and fitness for the many battles ahead. So “what is sarcoma?” is often the first question this warrior often hears. “You look healthy?” is often the second one (at least until my hair fell out during chemo). Sarcoma in this pilot’s parlance or from the perspective of someone with boots on the ground, is a soft tissue (think muscle, fat, nerves) or bone cancer.…
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Earth Moving Moments
In order to get from here to there…. People Professionals Plans and Plants In order to meet and greet people life requires one to step out from themselves. Out of the house you go! Step into life, and when it greets you back: smile. It’s a good thing. One walks around with history, purpose and pride. Your history is where you have been… as you go forward. Can’t change it, it is there like a shadow or like a mantle. As long as the sun is going to shine on a new day, you have your history and heritage to walk with you. Now, step up to someone and welcome…
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Career Road-map for the Military Spouse
a Department of Defense Roundtable Maps are good. Especially when you are in unknown territory. You can reference them as you plan a trip across the country, or glance at a map (perhaps your GPS) as you make your way across town. We need maps unless we want to wander… aimlessly. As a military spouse we often find our way into new territory. A PCS (again), a deployment (again), a family to raise, a spouse who is quite frankly married to the _______ (fill in your branch). When we are plotting out this course called ‘life’ and we want a career to be a part of that it often…
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Operation Stay Young
So we are a month in to our New Years Resolutions or Goals. How are you doing? I’m feeling pretty good. Hubs bought me a pedometer, a basic Fit-Bit, for Christmas and it has been a wonderful motivator for me. It reminds me if I want to meet my goal by the end of the day I need to move. That may mean doing a little running in place while I fold laundry, having a mid-afternoon dance party in the kitchen with the kids (making sure I move my feet to keep those steps going) or just a couple extra jogs up and down our steps. For me it’s the…
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Simple Ways to Keep Household Chores Organized
I am not a clean freak. A clean bathroom is such a good feeling. Dumping the dirty water in the utility sink after washing the kitchen floors makes me smile. Crawling into bed at night with newly washed sheets is heavenly. But getting it all done. Such. A. Pain! Enter the power of Google Calendar (my preferred family-calendar). I use their simple Task interface to list the necessities. Then my must-dos are integrated with the family calendar as well as my weekly meal plan and it is all simple and easy to stay organized. Some things are done every 10 days, some things once a month and then some things even…
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Apple Chips for your Next Care Package
Are you looking for something new to put in your next care package? How about a slice of home? A reminder of autumn? The taste of crispy apples. But how do you get it overseas without it turning bad, mushy, yucky? Enter the power of the dehydrator! To make these yourself you will need: Apples – 4 or 5 per batch An Apple Peeler / Corer (Here is an example over at Amazon) A Food Dehydrator (An example at Amazon) Wash and core your apples, but leave the peals on for some yummy added fiber. If you use a corer similar to mine you can simply push the peeler-arm back and it won’t…
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A simple compliment and my heart smiles
Have you ever thought about how far a compliment can take someone? A couple of weeks ago my parents were visiting when one of them made the simple but genuine statement, “Leanne, your house is always so clean.”, and the other was quick to agree. Now let’s take a step back. From my perspective, my house is not clean. There are four boys (five including hubs). Weekends and evenings involve soccer, homework, Legos, Hot Wheels, running, jumping, playing. Although all of us are involved in one shape or form in keeping the house tidy (to the extent it can be) I am the cleaner. and cleaning is just not my thing. I love a clean…
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Taking Life by the Reins
It was going to be a long week without my main squeeze. Hubs had JAG training at Fort Belvoir for a week and I knew for sure we would miss him. Truth is, it’s hard when your best friend leaves, even if only for a week. (And yes, I have done the year long deployment… but that’s not my point. Sometimes, I miss him when he is only sitting in the other room. Get it?) When he proposed that we tag along I admit I was a bit nervous at first. Tag along? Hang out in a hotel with the kids all week? Hit DC with just me and the kids, tackling…
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Never Leave Phone at Home > First Veteran “Hackathon”
You might forget your wallet or purse but will “Never Leave Phone at Home” Chris Norton, AT&T Are you a Mobile APP military person > Veteran, spouse, active, reserve, guard or family member? This weekend is the first AT&T Mobile APP “Hackathon” for Veterans and they are going to build mobile applications for just the military community! All within in 24 hours. Ready, set, go at veteran-themed mobile app development contest, or hackathon. I spoke with Chris Norton, Senior Program Manager, Military Talent Attraction (and a US Army Reserve Major) and Alex Donn, senior marketing manager for the AT&T Developer Program and the mastermind behind AT&T’s hackathon program. Chris was…
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Universities that Support our Veterans
I read a recent article about two universities that ‘get it’. Rutgers University and the University of Arizona; The Lumina Foundation highlighted them in their recent magazine, you can read more here: Lumina Foundation Features Two Colleges for Their Work Serving Student Veterans; America Needs More Vets with Degrees to Meet Attainment Needs Just think, only three years ago Rutgers didn’t have any type of Veterans Program and now they are receiving national recognition. It goes to show you don’t have to jump through hoops to make it happen you just need to make a plan and stick to it! I love support like this for our Veterans and I certainly…
