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The Rubber Band Effect
This isn’t going to be one of those feel good , I know what I’m doing, all is well, posts. After all I haven’t had a stretch of more than three hours of sleep in oh … many many moons. Baby Boy *L*, 6 months old, as cuddly as they come. I am trying desperately to establish an earlier bed time routine. We have been nursing from 8:30pm till 11pm – Yes, for that long – in the comfort of my bed, my legs stretched out with a good book in my hands or my iPad at my side. By 11pm I’m exhausted. If I try to put him in…
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Seed Packets Promise a Garden of Beauty
We live in zone 5b. I did not realize this. I was a zip code and area code type person. Now, I can add planting zone: frost free date zone to my list of where to pinpoint my “home is where the heart is” on the map. Knowing your frost free zone is of premier importance for gardeners. It is the point where you little debutantes can come out and meet the world outside of the green house. I nurtured some impatiens and alyssum last year and saw their frozen little bodies worthless in a garden last year. Impatient can be imprinted on my garden gloves…. need to wait… need…
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Thank You to Sergeant Major of the Army Preston and the NASCAR Controversy – DoD Roundtable
First, a big thank you for 35 years of service to our country for Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston! Plus more than seven years serving as the Sergeant Major of the Army for two Army Chiefs of Staff! We have to be thankful for such men and women who are willing to sacrifice, be professionals and represent all of us so well! This Roundtable was a chance for the sergeant major to talk about his career before retiring on March 1st and sharing some of the highlights, changes and advocacy for the enlisted personnel and their families of the US Army! He was gracious, responsive to questions…
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Plant Your Easter Bulbs
As I write this the temperature has climbed up into the 50’s. LOVE it. Last week we were into the minus degrees. Change comes and it goes, but the calendar marks the real changes that are coming: Spring and sunshine. Ahhhhhhh! There is a tangible change that you can experience right now. An ugly bag with a hairy bulb looks like it will be anything but beautiful. And change is so hard to see. Because the Easter amaryllis will take about 6 weeks to bloom get it ready to pot now. Placethat bulb in a fresh pot, with soft potting soil, drab as it seems, and as far away from…
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Child’s Play! Sprinkle Muffins
Tuesdays are one of my very favorite days. Esther and Jacob come to play with me. Drawers are opened, cabinets cleaned out, car ‘noise’ buzzes down the halls, Sesame Street is back on the TV after a 20+ year absence. All of those activities are out of my realm of influence. But let’s get to the kitchen! Let’s see what is cooking today!I asked Jacob… last week for Valentines’ Day we made a Rice Krispie heart. It was amazing. Almost as many sprinkles as marshmallows. But that was the beauty! It was a total Jacob creation.Today it will be muffins. I was thinking, apple or peach, or berry. NO… Sprinkle…
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Wordless Wednesday: The Heart of a Military Spouse
My very own, Ode to Military Spouses – Leanne from MilitaryAvenue.combyLeanne KocsisonWednesday, February 16, 2011Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:Leanne,military spouses,Wordless Wednesday
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The VA Budget – Another Critical Budget for Our Military Community
The Department of Veteran Affairs just announced its fiscal 2012 budget proposal (part of the President’s budget proposal to Congress). The Secretary of Veteran Affairs, Eric Shinseki promised to ensure that they are “making every dollar”count in the budget of $132 Billion. A retired four star Army general, the secretary, has the heart of a soldier for those who served and funding is critical to turning a few things around at the VA. Caring for 6.2 million patients is a large undertaking and the “system” can be lethargic and not responsive to the veterans but Shinseki is trying to make the VA more responsive and up to the task of…
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Finding the Best in a Situation
Valentine’s Day. I know some call it the “Hallmark Holiday” but I’m the romantic type [much to my hubs chagrin ;)] and don’t see it that way at all. I find joy in celebrating being a couple. Because there are some days, some hours, some moments when it is just. not. easy. So making a big to-do about Love… I think its necessary. I think it is a great reminder what it is supposed to be. I think it’s too easy to take advantage (not on purpose!) of your spouse in the hustle and bustle of our crazy days. Taking a day to really say “I Love You” is needed.…
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Tasty Tuesday Hungarian Chicken
Hungarian food is rich in tradition and paprika! Creamy, red and spicy food that fills the need for a hungry family. Hungarian chicken makes a rich sauce that compliments pasta and vegetables. This meal just asks for time to linger at the table and share the highlights of everyone’s day. The aroma whets the appetite before the table is set! Try this on a cold night served with noodles tossed with butter and crisp croutons. Beautiful!This recipe is revised from the one in the James Beard American CookeryHungarian Chicken3 large skinned chicken breasts1 c flour1 T paprika1 t kosher salt1 t dried parsley1/2 stick butter (4 T)4 T olive oil1…
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Our Military Families and the Defense Budget of 2012 – DoD Roundtable
Defense Secretary Gates has called service members the “military’s greatest strategic asset,” and the President and First Lady’s Initiatives to support military families have had an impact on the proposed DoD Budget for 2012. No longer screaming for large medical fee increases for those who serve/have served, the budget includes $8.3 Billion for family support for all the services. The community that has sacrificed so much during two wars, while most Americans continued ordinary lives, should not be the target of budget cuts for their programs. We recognize that our country is in the midst of economic instability but too often the military budget is the first target of the…
