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Raising a Generation that Loves
Today Newtown, Conneticut will bury the first of their children. Noah Pozner, age 6, will be laid to rest at 1:00pm. (Newtown shooting victims: First funerals to be held) Then there will be 19 more funerals for children and 7 for adults. Oh deep sorrow runs through my blood. My husband, the level headed soldier who has seen more then I would like to imagine, came home on Friday and immediately turned on the news. He watched for a quite a while, standing there stunned. Then the man who is never sick complained of a headache the rest of the night. I don’t know if it was a headache as much…
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Away for the Holidays – Care Package Ideas and More
There are a few Christmases that stand out in my life. I remember our first Christmas in Iceland after being separated from my dad for six months while we waited for a house to open up at Keflavik NAS. He had to report without his family but just before the holidays new friends opened up their home to us so that we could be together as a family. Our house would be ready when they returned from a vacation back to the states. That was the Christmas of Homecoming. (Although a new home, but home none the less). Another very memorable Christmas for me was the year my husband was in…
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Tasty Tuesday: Steak Marinade
There is something extra delicious about a steak fresh off of the grill. If that steak has been marinated for a couple of hours in a favorite dressing, mouths begin to water with the sounds of the steak sizzling on the grill. Mustard Beef Marinade 1/3 c of Olive Oil1/2 c of soy sauce2 T of lemon juice1 T of Worcestershire Sauce (a small tangent – I love that word! Every time I say it I have to let it roll off my tongue thinking about a succulent piece of steak melting in my mouth.)1/2 T of mustard powder from your spice rack or 1 T of mustard from your frig1 garlic clove, pressed Mix all ingredients in a…
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Snowmen Hanging In There
Tuesday has to be the best day, my favorite day; it is Esther and Jacob day. For a few hours I have them in the center of my attention. Their voices, bursting energy, spontaneous laughter and curiosity are with me. This is a recipe for a successful day: mirth.Tissue falling everywhere! We cook, create with playdough, design with pastels and paper and we chatter. Songs that I love to sing fill the car on the way down to the house only to be interupted by counting buses, both school and rapid transport. Seseme Street’s Count vonCount would be oh so proud of my charges. Snipping corners for the perfect look.Each week we…
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A Newborn Niece and Spring Mud Puddles
Today a niece was born, not just any niece but my niece. Sure she is a sister, daughter, granddaughter, cousin. But to me she is a niece and I am her aunt. She does however live far enough away that I can’t just “pop over” to meet her. Far enough away that it’s a road-trip to hold her tiny little fingers, marvel at her tiny little toes and most importantly kiss her chubby little cheeks (and tell her all about the troubles her dad caused during my childhood). As a mother of all boys (and oh how I love them and I don’t regret the hand I have been dealt…
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Tracking Santa with NORAD on Christmas Eve: Don’t be surprised, Be Ready!
How Fast is Santa’s Sleigh? Official NORAD response: Santa’s sleigh travels at Starlight Speed according to military trackers at NORAD’s headquarters in Colorado Springs. Don’t be surprised! Be ready; know when Santa is coming!This was so much fun! Let’s start from the beginning with a quick explanation from US Navy Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Bill Lewis. Bill is part of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) responsible for Tracking Santa on Christmas Eve. Bill said that 1,200 volunteers work the mission for 23 hours to ensure children worldwide know where Santa is going next. Some have done this as a family for 10-15 years and it is now part of…
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Vision a 20 20 Deal and Bright Hope for Tomorrow
Vision with age is supposed to diminish. Yet, life hones, shapes and directs vision by allowing light in, fracturing those simple rays. Prisms are laid out complete with memories of faces, places, smells and sounds. Vision for the future crescendos with strength of the past, desires of present but can be walled in by anxieties unseen. Vision takes ‘challenge’ and uses it like a battering ramp against the walls of prejudice, loneliness, touches of arthritis and other cob webs! Life requires so much work to be able to see. On our own we can be spooked by the moonlight and blinded by the sun. Grasshoppers can still be giants. That…
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Tasty Tuesday Peaches and Cream Pie OH MY!
Have company….Have desserts ….Have laughter, discussions and seconds. That is just what we did this weekend. Friends over, Easter candy out in dishes, Blackberry Grunt and Peaches and Cream Pie warm from the oven….OH MY! Somehow the clock propelled around it’s face faster than a comet across the sky. Seem great friends come with military families. With friends come some great recipes that were first tasted in Kadena, or Osan; perhaps Ramstein or Queensland. This peaches and cream pie hit my taste buds in Florida. Sunshine state lit up my curiosity and the ‘chef’ handed it over!Now it is yours to share at your table. Enjoy! Peaches and Cream Pie3/4…
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Who is an advocate for your family?
Yesterday after church we headed to the zoo for the afternoon. As a family of six… sometimes we are our own little zoo, or at least circus… but I was really craving some family time. Away from the TV; Away from the video games; Away from the hustle and bustle of home life. We had a blast! We did the Rainforest first, completely indoors and a great place to see toads, snakes, bats, fishing cats, orangutans and much much more. We had such a good time that after touring the whole building we ventured over to the outdoor part. It was cold, below freezing, in fact, but we had jackets,…
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My Definition of Perfection
Here in northeastern Ohio we have a wonderful park-system called the ‘Metroparks’. They are small parks scattered throughout the area, run by the local counties. My favorite park is just 10 minutes north of us and makes for some wonderful walks at all times of the year. The Autumn season is glorious with the changing of the leaves; vibrant reds, golds, yellows and oranges, my favorite colors! We took the opportunity this weekend after church to head up as a family to get a picture. We got three or four good ones but I have to admit this is my favorite: At first I thought, “Wow, what a picture-perfect shot…”, a family of six,…
