Rainy Friday!

Dark, cloudy, rainy, thunder, wind and nothing but candles and warm glow throughout the house.

There's something about a candle lit atmosphere, especially in the kitchen.

Along with the glow of candles, my house is covered in the lovely scent of Hyacinths.

Candles on the window sill

Candles on the display case

In the corner of the living room

On the ottoman

And even on the TV cabinet

And all the while, big fat raindrops splashed on the driveway sending droplets flying every which way

the newly grown seedlings rejoiced and seem to stretch towards the sky

For some it may seem like just a rainfall, but God has taught me to truly enjoy every single moment in my life and to look at what is around me as if I'm seeing it for the first time.

Since I've changed my outlook on life, I tend to enjoy my days that much more.

Think I'll go have a cup of coffee and sit under the covered patio enjoying the rain!

So much going on....

I've been busy, and doing things and thinking and making decisions and paying off bills and the such.

Which hasn't left me much time to visit anyone, so I have no idea what you all have been up to, but hopefully I can come around and see everyone soon.  Maybe tomorrow, maybe this weekend but definitely by next week as we will be on Spring Break.

I'm tired, and I'm sitting here typing this post with my fingers killing me, because hubby and I just spent the last two hours pulling weeds in our back yard.

I loathe those things, they are everywhere, honestly these yards on this base are pathetic.  If it's not overrun by weeds, it's overrun by moles, there's just no way of having a good looking yard, but we try and we keep at it.  Sometimes feels like a losing battle, but unfortunately if we don't keep at it we have housing banging on our door and writing us up for discrepancies.  *sigh*

Aside from the not so fun things, we have finally gotten our tax return which for the first time EVER, took us almost a month to see.  We always count on our tax return to pay off bills, every year we pick one and pay it completely and I can now say that our AAFES (military exchange store) is paid off.  Whew!!!!

Next on the list, our one credit card.  Boy, those interest fees kill you.

Anyway, here is a look at my day through the lens of my camera.

Parsley and Cilantro

My celery is almost ready to get planted with the rest of the vegetables, just want it to get a few inches taller before I move it.

A little corner of my kitchen

Love chickens, so when I found these guys at the dollar store, I knew I had to bring them home with me.

I mentioned the new show Lightfields on ITV.  It's really good and I'm enjoying it.  I also promised that I would bring you links to watch online, and so, here is the second episode: (It's also been added to the Period Drama List)



And lastly, I just wanted to pass along to all those that want to lose weight but don't like going to the gym or would prefer to work out at home, you should check out the Zumba Fitness for the Wii.  It is fantastic.

So much fun, I did 110 minutes today without even realizing that I was exercising and burned 700 calories.  Yay! 

I've never liked exercise, matter of fact I cringed when I thought about it, but now I'm just loving doing the Zumba, and I think a lot of you would enjoy it too :)

Alrighty, I think that is all I wanted to talk about.  I'm feeling a little off, messing with weeds always gets my allergies going, so I've taken some meds and I feel them starting to take effect, which is my cue to leave :)

God Bless,

Cooking Thursday - Olive Garden's Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Good Morning everyone :) Here we are, another Thursday and time to share some more recipes.

Olive Garden's Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Source:  Copykat Recipes

1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1 cup onion, finely diced
2 minced garlic cloves
2 14 ounce cans of chicken broth if you enjoy thick soup, use one can
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
1 package gnocchi, cooked (you can find these in gourmet/pasta section of the grocery store - you may want to cut the gnocchi in half if it is large, or purchase the mini size if available)
1 cup of fresh spinach coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)


Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half. Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning; simmer until soup is heated through. Before serving season to taste by adding additional salt.

As a military wife....

 
The past few days I have spent catching up on Season 6 of Army Wives, in preparation for the new Season premiere this Sunday.

Let me start by saying that I don't agree with almost 90% of the show, there are so many discrepancies and so many inaccuracies that it makes my head hurt.....but I enjoy it for it's entertainment value, and because even though it's not an accurate portrayal of real military life, there are other things that stay true to it's core.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because I have a lot of friends who are not military and who do watch the show, and they always ask me if it's really like that, or they get confused and say they watched the show and now they know how life is for me.

Thing is, first and foremost I'm not an Army wife, so it's kind of funny when my friends from South Africa still get it wrong and I have to remind them again that I'm Air Force not Army lol

I DO have a lot of Army wives as friends, as well as Navy and Marines.  Even though branches differ in many things, military spouses are the same everywhere, we go through very similar situations, we suffer, we love, we hurt, we deal with ups and downs and we're resilient.

As I watch the show, some things stand out more than others.

One episode in particular struck a chord within me, because I'm not only a military wife, but I'm a non American military wife.   I go through the same things that every other wife does, but with the added heart break of leaving behind my country, my family, my friends, my whole life and moving across a continent to a place I did not know and where I had no one.

It's tough, it's really tough because I went from having a support group to being completely alone, in a new country, without friends, pregnant and with my husband away.

Now I'm not saying this to make anyone feel sorry for me, because truth is, it has made me strong, it has made me who I am today and it's made me extremely independent.  I face adversity, I face trials with a strong faith and the knowledge that I'm a military wife and I'm among the best women out there.

I had no idea what I was getting into.  All I knew was that I fell head over heels in love with an Airman and I would move across the ocean for him.

Quickly though I became aware of what being a military wife entailed, and to this day, I can tell you that I'm still learning to accept some things.  It's not easy to know that your life is not in your control and that you are never number 1 on the list, but rather number 2 or number 3, sometimes number 4.

Mission comes first.  Always and forever.

You smile when you don't feel like smiling.  You say you understand when you don't.  You learn to go with the flow, you learn to be self sufficient, you learn to be independent, you learn to put your needs last, you learn to support your husband, you learn all about OPSEC (operations security), you learn that sometimes your husband is deployed with not a lot of time beforehand and you learn that you are not allowed to know where he's going or where he'll be for the next 6 months.

You learn to be mom and dad, you learn to fix cars, you learn your way around tools, you learn that officers and enlisted don't mix, you learn that medical care is really not that great for military families, you learn that Motrin is the cure for everything, you learn to pack as a professional, you learn all about inspections and those dratted oil spots in the driveway, you learn all the terms that are part of your daily life, such as FOD walk, BAH, BAS, TDY, PCS, EPR, MPF, LES, COLA, CONUS and so forth and so on.

You learn that you will count on your fingers the amount of times that your husband is actually home for the holidays and you will also count on our fingers the amount of times that your husband has been able to be there for your child's first day of school, or parent-teacher conferences.

I live my life a day at a time, taking everything with a grain of salt, knowing that no plans and no leave is concrete and can change at the drop of a hat.  When Roxy on the show says "I'll figure it out", it's like she's talking for me, I say that all the time.  When something comes up the best way to deal with it is to calm down, take it easy, sleep on it, think it through and you WILL figure it out.  Trust me!

I do it for my family and especially for this man who stole my heart.

So when I watch the show, many things stand out, many things I can relate to with the wives, other things make me laugh because they're so Hollywood-ized.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that unless you live as military wife or are around the military in some way, watch the show and enjoy it for what it is....entertainment, and when in doubt about something, ask someone who lives it because they'll be better equipped to tell you how it REALLY is.

I'm proud to be amongst the ranks of the military wives, we are silent, but we're strong and when all is said and done we will be taking care of and living along side some of the world's bravest men and women, and for that I can tell you, there is NOTHING more worthy. 

So my advice to military wives who are newly married is to talk, talk it out, ask questions if you don't understand something, and always remember that it may be tough for us being left behind, but it's no walk in the park for our men who are out there in the line of fire.

There will be good days and there will be bad days.  There will be days when you will loathe the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and resent them for taking your husband away, for interfering in your family life, for dictating where you go.....there will be days when all you can say is "THIS SUCKS".

But the rewards and knowing that you are supporting your man in uniform far outweigh those cruddy moments.

I thank the Lord every single day for putting me on this path, I've learned so much, I've suffered, I've cried and I've also lived some of my most happiest moments in life.  I'm blessed!

The Secrets of Happy Families - TLC Book Tour

Don't worry about family dinner. Let your kids pick their punishments. Ditch the sex talk. Cancel date night.

These are just a few of the surprising innovations in this bold first-of-its-kind playbook for today's families. Bestselling author and New York Times family columnist Bruce Feiler found himself squeezed between caring for aging parents and raising his children. So he set out on a three-year journey to find the smartest solutions and the most cutting-edge research about families. Instead of the usual family "experts," he sought out the most creative minds—from Silicon Valley to the set of Modern Family, from the country's top negotiators to the Green Berets—and asked them what team-building exercises and problem-solving techniques they use with their families. Feiler then tested these ideas with his wife and kids. The result is a fun, original look at how families can draw closer together, complete with two hundred never-before-seen best practices.

Feiler's life-changing discoveries include a radical plan to reshape your family in twenty minutes a week, Warren Buffett's guide for setting an allowance, and the Harvard handbook for resolving conflict. The Secrets of Happy Families is a timely, counterintuitive book that answers the questions countless parents are asking: How do we manage the chaos of our lives? How do we teach our kids values? How do we make our family happier?

Written in a charming, accessible style, The Secrets of Happy Families is smart, funny, and fresh, and will forever change how your family lives every day.

**************************************************

Let me start by saying that I'm usually not a fan of self-help books, like AT.ALL.  I tend to steer clear, just a personal preference, aside from the fact that I've always found them extremely boring and technical and not what I would call light fun reading material.

Enter Mr. Feiler's book.

I love that he keeps it simple, yet offers practical solutions and ideas. 

From the get go he says that no one will completely relate to every single thing in the book, and I will say that is true, for me at least.  There were some things that I didn't much care for, didn't think they applied to me and my family, but others were spot on and great information to go by.

One of the things he mentioned, which is actually nothing new and I've seen it elsewhere, is the family mission statement.  I've always wanted to have one and never got around to doing it, so I'm thinking it's time to get it done.

He gives great ideas on allowance for the kids and figuring that out.  Also thought his idea of a family meeting once a week was great, I have always said that we value our children's ideas and opinions, even if obviously according to their age they are sometimes not applicable or politically correct LOL  But, as a whole, our family does make decisions together and I think a meeting once a month would be something good for us all.

The author sits down with experts for advice, but he also sits down with real families who have ways of avoiding the chaos in their homes.  And with all that together, he compiles numerous ideas for making things easier.

I will say that the book is geared more towards older kids, around my kids age which is 9 and 13, and I only say that because some of the advice in having the children join in with some things, wouldn't exactly work for younger kids.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and if anything it just made me feel like we are already on the right track with many of the things we do in our home.  Family meals, talking about our day and what happened, my husband always asks the kids what they did in each subject of schooling that day...we have discussions, we talk about things as a family and most importantly we respect each other.

Great book!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with a review copy.